Kirani James splits 43.8 for Grenada at Penn Relays 2012

HSB 4x100m Small Schools - Westerhall Secondary School - Penn Relays '12

Keymal Williams, Elvis Joseph, Akim Samuel and Tevin McMeo of Westerhall Secondary School as they won their Heat in 43.10 seconds in the High School Boys' 4x100m for Small Schools on Friday morning.

Grenadian-born elite NYPD undercover cop in $1m robbery

Kelvin Jones

By TOM HAYS

Associated Press

NEW YORK, April 23, 2012 (AP) - NYPD badges out, Kelvin Jones and the other armed men turned up out of nowhere at a New Jersey warehouse and began barking orders.

Jones told startled workers that the New York Police Department had sent the team there to inspect for counterfeit goods - even though the wholesale dealer of Prada, Versace and other fragrances was legitimate.

The men herded about a dozen employees into a tiny back office and tied them up. By then, it was obvious something was amiss.

"We were kind of shocked," one worker recalled. "We were like, why is the NYPD coming in here like this?"

Another blurted: "You're not cops."

But Jones was indeed an NYPD officer. In fact, he had held an elite undercover position.

Two with him were also part of the NYPD. A third was a former officer. But these were hardly "New York's Finest."

What they'd set up to look like a police raid was instead a brazen, $1 million robbery.

Eventually, the 30-year-old Jones would face trial. And his case, though largely overlooked, isn't isolated. In the past two years, prosecutors have accused officers of planting evidence in drug investigations, of running illegal guns, of robbing drug dealers, of routinely fixing traffic tickets as favors.

Still, Jones stands out because of his background as an undercover operative for the NYPD's Intelligence Division. The department credits the unit with thwarting numerous terror and other threats against New Yorkers.

Recent stories by The Associated Press have detailed how the unit also sought to infiltrate and monitor mosques, Muslim student organizations and left-wing political organizations - even beyond city limits - using methods that critics say infringe on civil rights, though the department denies it.

How Jones became an undercover and the exact nature of his assignment weren't made public at his trial in Newark in 2010, and police officials won't discuss it. But court documents offer hints: They show the NYPD authorized the Caribbean-born Jones to use the aliases Michael Kingston and Kelvin Johns. And in a handwritten journal, he made cryptic references to assignments in cities far from New York.

That was before he was demoted to ordinary patrol - a transfer that still gave him access to an internal police database he used to help hatch the warehouse holdup.

Jones "abused his authority for his own personal gain," Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Gramiccioni told jurors. "Instead of protecting and serving the citizens, he decided to rob them and hold them hostage."

While not commenting directly on Jones, the NYPD insists it carefully vets candidates for undercover work, especially those assigned to Intelligence Division. Some are chosen because they speak Arabic or other languages needed to make their undercover roles convincing, or because they've demonstrated a mental toughness needed to withstand the rigors of leading a double life.

Jones' demeanor would have made him a good choice, said his attorney, Michael Orozco.

"For that kind of work," Orozco said, "you'd obviously want to have someone who's cool, calm and collected - and that's him."

But a rambling journal entry addressing his girlfriend reveals that the duality was difficult for Jones.

"I never told you I was cop," he wrote, "because I was in too DEEP."

___

Back in 2003, Kelvin Jones was listed in the media guide for the Southeast Missouri Redhawks as a 6-foot, 210-pound linebacker, a "hard hitter" with "a good nose for the football."

Originally from the island of Grenada, Jones had grown up in Brooklyn, the son of a contractor and a dietitian.

In his last season at the school in Cape Girardeau, Mo., the Redhawks finished with a forgettable 5-7 record. But Jones stuck to his studies and graduated with a degree in criminal justice.

He played professionally in the now-defunct National Indoor Football League, leading the Fayetteville Guard in tackles and interceptions in 2006, according to a league blog, but he quit the team before a playoff game. The reason? To enter the police academy in New York City.

On his NYPD application, Jones listed his criminal justice degree and his gridiron work. And to a question about distinguishing markings on his body, he responded, "I got a tattoo on the right side of my back ... Lord's Prayer on a scroll."

The application offers nothing especially remarkable, nothing to explain Jones' next move.

Orozco believes Jones went to work for the Intelligence Division "right out the academy." Jones declined to be interviewed. His family declined comment as well.

NYPD supervisors have at times plucked recruits out of the police academy and given them special training to become undercover investigators. But police officials, citing privacy rules, declined to discuss his employment history.

In court documents, the NYPD confirmed only that Jones had been an Intelligence Division undercover who used aliases. His defense claimed that he also had permission to get a New Jersey driver's license using a fake name.

Two former NYPD officials familiar with Jones told The Associated Press that one of his assignments was to monitor the Nation of Islam - part of the Intelligence Division's effort to monitor groups considered to have extreme political agendas. Since the ex-officials weren't authorized to speak about the case, both spoke only on condition of anonymity.

Jones' journal offered murky clues. He described having "orders from my captain not to let anyone know I was in Las Vegas" - but no clue what for. Another time, he was on the road because "we got a lead from an informant that someone we were investigating would be in the LA area."

Still another trip took him to Miami. At a nightclub there, he wrote, he introduced his girlfriend to a "friend" - actually another undercover on assignment with him. "I didn't pay for my flight to Miami," he said. "It was paid for by the unit."

The girlfriend, he wrote knew him only as Kelvin Johns - not Jones - and the deceit was not his only regret. He worried that someday he was "going to get shot."

Still, he reasoned, "This NYPD career is just a stepping stone for me." He saw it leading to future job in federal law enforcement.

Though Jones told his lawyer that his supervisors "loved him," one of the former police officials who spoke to the AP said Jones proved unreliable and difficult to supervise. And at some point, the NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau began investigating allegations he gave protection to drug dealers in exchange for cash or narcotics, court records say.

Internal investigators noted his lifestyle, flashy for someone on an officer's salary. Witnesses described how he drove a BMW sedan, wore expensive clothes, owned a condo and, according to his girlfriend, Sahar Saidi, bankrolled her Spanish studies in South America.

"This is the kind of person I know Kelvin to be - thoughtful, considerate and generous," she wrote in a letter of support to the court.

The NYPD revealed a different view when it reassigned him from Intelligence to regular duty. But if the idea was to neutralize him, it didn't work.

___

In his new assignment, Jones met officers already making a mockery of the department's "New York's Finest" moniker.

He learned that two patrolmen were routinely robbing prostitutes and brothels, according to trial testimony. Jones sought out one, Brian Checo, to get in on the action.

"I told him it's not worth it because it's not a lot of money," recalled Checo, who pleaded guilty and agreed to become a government witness. "And that's when he said he is going to have something for us and he is going to let us know."

About two months later, Jones let Checo know he wanted help robbing a warehouse. This one was in Brooklyn, and it stored counterfeit clothing.

Checo and two others - patrolman Richard LeBlanca and ex-officer Orlando Garcia - signed on.

Jones "had been sitting on a spot" - police slang for reconnaissance - "for a while and that if I was interested ...he would be paying us $4,000 each," Garcia testified.

The plan called for them to wear NYPD raid jackets, bulletproof vests and badges.

"We were going to try to make it seem like an official NYPD raid. ... Just make it look like, you know, a sting," Garcia said.

Converging on the Brooklyn warehouse, the officers used a broom to knock out a security camera. Jones shouted out the names of the employees before the men handcuffed them and trucks began showing up to haul merchandise away. He told his crew the goods would be sold to a fence.

Word later came that the same fence had made Jones an offer he couldn't refuse, this time regarding a perfume warehouse in Carlstadt, N.J.: If he and his cohorts could "get four trucks of perfumes, he will give them $500,000."

Jones had learned the other side of the law from his police work. He was always careful to use prepaid cell phones. "You gotta change it up," he told Checa. Also, Jones' black BMW had South Carolina plates.

Another tactic came straight out of the surveillance playbook: He had gone to the New Jersey warehouse before that heist to photograph the cars outside. Plugging license plate numbers into NYPD computers, he called up the vehicle registrations and made printouts of names and other information on employees.

On the day of the robbery in 2010, Jones, using the name Mike Smith, went with the others to rent two 24-foot trucks. LeBlanca maxed out his debit card renting one, and Garcia had to use his card, too. Both, incredibly, used their real names - a mistake that would come back to haunt them.

It was still daylight when they arrived at the In Style, USA warehouse. Jones led the fake raid wearing a hat and a hoodie that obscured his face. A police badge hung from his thick neck.

"We have papers, documentation," Jones told them, reading names from his printouts. He told employees they were suspected of selling knockoff merchandise, and accused their boss of hiring undocumented workers and not paying taxes.

The robber-cops used plastic ties to bind the employees. "We were tied up for three hours," one said later. "It was really bad for everyone."

But fear did not silence everyone. The warehouse owner spoke out at one point, saying, according to police testimony: "You're not cops."

The helpless hostages heard the beeping noise of trucks backing up. Day laborers hired by the holdup crew did the loading. There were six trucks in all. Four carrying hundreds of boxes of perfume and other merchandise valued at $1 million got away, but the two 24-foot trucks rented earlier that day were left behind after someone called the police.

Afterward, panic set in. Jones advised his cohorts to report that cards used at the truck rental office had been stolen.

But when it dawned on Checo that Jones had made himself a "ghost" - with the prepaid phones, the alias, the out-of-state plates - and he lashed out.

"If I get arrested and lose my job, I'm going to rat you out," he recalled telling Jones.

Tension only grew when Jones paid the men $2,000 apiece, half of what they were promised.

"They are coming," Checo told Jones, referring to police investigators.

And he was right. Police and federal agents arrested the officers. The owner of the truck rental agency picked Jones out of a photo array. Checo, as promised, flipped, and the other two robbers also cooperated.

Jones was convicted at a federal trial in Newark in December 2010.

At sentencing, he claimed, "I was framed," but the judge was unmoved.

The former NYPD undercover is serving a 16-year sentence in an Ohio prison.

R.I.P. Sergeant Raphael 'Crazy John' John – A pillar in the community!

By: Jenise Ferlance, SKNVibes.com

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (SKNVibes) - HARD WORKING, respectful, knowledgeable, precise and a pillar in the community are just a few of the words friends, family members and former colleagues used to describe the late Sergeant (SGT) Raphael Thomas John.

SGT John known to many as ‘Crazy John’ passed away in the wee hours of Wednesday (Apr. 18) morning after battling with an ailment for over four years.

The first of nine children born to his mother, and the father of two boys and one girl, SGT John worked as a police officer in the Traffic Department of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (RSCNPF) for 32 years before retiring.

Born and raised in Grenada, SGT John grew up in Mount Rose, Saint Patrick where he did farming and learned trades such as Masonry, Carpentry and Plumbing as a young boy.

Living in one of the poorest parts of Grenada, SGT John saw it fit to do something greater with his life and thus enrolled as a Police Officer.

SGT John was enlisted in Grenada in the RSCNPF on 16 October 1968 when the then Chief of Police went through the Caribbean islands recruiting persons for the Force.

He then traveled to Barbados on October 21, 1968 where he successfully completed the Police Basic Training Course before moving to St. Kitts as a Police Constable on April 19, 1969 after he graduated.

He worked at Police Headquarters as a beat and patrol officer as well as an orderly to the then Chief of Police until 1989.

In December 1972, SGT John was highly commended for outstanding devotion to duty for single-handedly capturing and arresting the occupant of a moving vehicle, with complete disregard for his personal safety.

SGT John was promoted to the rank of acting Corporal on April 1, 1984 and that rank was confirmed in 1987.

He continued working at the Basseterre Police Station and was transferred to the Traffic Department in 1989 where he became notorious for his risk taking on police motor cycles, earning himself the alias "Crazy John". 

The father of three was also known for his severity in the examination of new applicants for driver's license and his general approach to the enforcement of the traffic laws, all of which made him an officer that was feared by most but respected by all, even his own colleagues.

SGT John worked in both St. Kitts and Nevis, serving short stints at the Stapleton, Sandy Point, Basseterre and Charlestown Police Stations as well as the Police Training School. He also worked for two years at the Basseterre Fire Station.

He was the officer in charge of the Traffic Department in Nevis on the occasions that he worked there.

In 1991, SGT John successfully completed the Junior Caribbean Traffic Course in Barbados.  He completed a number of other courses, both locally and regionally; these included training in Basic computer skills, time management, Supervisory Development training, Physical Development Planning, Radar Operations and more.

He was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 1994.

He received the Commissioner's commendation and award for outstanding contribution in the field of Traffic Control and Enforcement in 1993 and he also successfully completed his Sergeant's General Duties Course in 1997.

In his spare time, SGT John took correspondence courses in mechanical engineering as well as in English. 
He served as a member of the Police Brass and Band Leader of the Police Band.

SGT John continued to work in the Traffic Department until his retirement in November 2000, having completed 32 years of unbroken and loyal service to the Police Force, and the citizens of the Federation.

He, however, stayed in the Traffic Department as a civilian employee for two years and according to Deputy Commissioner of Police Stafford Liburd, the Department requested that he stay on in a civilian capacity and this was due to his expertise and knowledge of traffic laws.

DCP Liburd described SGT John as a "very knowledgeable, calm and cool but also fair."

He said that those who went for their driver's license were fearful of him because they saw him as being too serious.

SKNVibes also spoke with Head of Traffic Department Inspector Cromwell Henry who described SGT John as one who was a hard worker who devoted all of his time to his duties as a Police Officer.

"He was a hard worker, he devoted all of his time to duty; he was one that took his job very seriously to the point where he was feared by most and respected by many. He was a no nonsense person who always had a stern look which made his job a lot easier. No one wanted to get on his bad side for just by the look on his face, they could imagine what he would do if they were to cross his path."

Inspector Henry recalled: "I learned that being firm on the job makes your work easier. Whatever you say, you ensure that it is carried out and you must not leave room for negotiation. You must be firm and fair at the same time, you do not violate people's rights.

"I also learned a lot from him in terms of the administrative part of the job. He was not only a person who was strict on law enforcement, he was also a person who did a lot of administrative work at the office and so I learned a lot of the administrative aspect of traffic from him."

Inspector Henry elucidated that many persons do not know about the administrative work that SGT John did, "they think that he was just a guy who rode his motorcycle and bullied everybody."

SGT John, after retirement, made bus driving his new full time job - a profession he had part time while he was in the police force.

‘God is Love’ was the name of his bus which he drove with a passion even after he fell ill.

Raphael Jacobs, SGT John's second son described him as a perfectionist, a thorough person who was respectful and respected.

"He was a perfectionist; he was very precise; when it came to timing he was always punctual; he was well respected but at the same time he always respected others. He was feared in the field of granting licenses to others. Folks both younger and older than him feared him greatly. 

"He was a very hard worker; he spent most of his time building one house in Conaree, and when it was completed he blessed it in the way that anything that was worked hard on should be blessed." 

Jacobs explained that his father loved his job and would have, if given the chance, worked in the Force for all of his life. He said that SGT John was disappointed when the time for his retirement came and that that "took a toll on him."

All in all Jacobs said his father was one who set the standards for a lot of police officers today.

DCP Liburd and Inspector Henry both extended condolences to the family of the late SGT John on behalf of the RSCNPF.

SKNVibes also extends condolences to the family, friends, colleagues and former colleagues alike. May you find comfort in the fond memories you have of him.

Grenadian Felix Hits Olympic "B" Standard at Mt. SAC Relays

AZUSA, California, April 22, 2012 - Boise State redshirt senior Kurt Felix led a slew of successful Broncos on Thursday afternoon (April 19) competing at three separate meets in Southern California.

Felix set the tone for the weekend after scoring a school record, career-best and Grenada national record of 7,972-points to win the Mt. SAC Relays Decathlon competition.

The mark not only changes the Bronco record books, but also surpasses the Olympic "B" Standard in the 10-event competition, giving Felix the chance to compete at the 2012 Olympic s for his home country of Grenada. 

Felix now leads the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) region ahead of Cuba’s Junior Diaz Zayas with 7,956 points, and seventh on the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) list.

The former Junior CARIFTA Games’ medallist opened his campaign with an eighth-place finish in the 100 metres in 11.08 seconds but then won the Long Jump with an effort of 7.73m and 14^th position in the shot put with 12.69m.

He ended the first day clearing 2.08m to clinch the second spot in the high jump and clocked a personal best of 48.82 to finish third in the 400m.

Felix put together an outstanding second day of competition, capped off by a mammoth personal-best in the 1500-meters to reach that Olympic "B" Standard. He began the day with a fifth-place finish in the 110-meter hurdles (14.91), followed by a sixth-place finish in the discus (39.37m). Felix cleared 4.30m in the pole vault to tie for ninth while going on to win the javelin with a mark of 66.62m. His career-best effort in the 1500-meters earned him a sixth-place finish in a time of 4:35.61. 

SOURCE: Some reporting from Boise State University

Grenada's champion school team arrives for Penn Relays

NEW YORK, April 21, 2012 – Consul General Derrick James and co-ordinators Kent Simon and Michael Bascombe were among officials who greeted the Westerhall Secondary School’s team at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on Saturday.

The 2012 Boys’ Inter-col Champions are scheduled to compete in the Annual Penn Relays in Philadelphia starting on Thursday.

Five athletes accompanied by two officials are being accommodated in Brooklyn, New York before departing for “Philly” on Wednesday. The Consul General along with Simon, Bascombe and Dr Earle Clarkson are coordinating the logistics including accommodation, meals and training for the team while in Brooklyn.

The team includes Stephen Frank, Akim Samuel, Tevin McMeo, Elvis Joseph and Keymal Williams and the coaches are Damian Castle and Timon Thomas.

The “Iguanas” will compete in the Preliminaries of the High School Boys’ 4x100 metres Small Schools on Friday and the 4x400m on Saturday.

The Grenada National team will also compete in the USA vs. The World Men 4x400m Relay on Saturday.

The Penn Relays are the largest annual relay meet in the world. Over the course of three days, more than 19,000 athletes from all levels will race in front of more than 100,000 spectators.

The Jason Roberts Foundation promotes family fitness

LONDON, UK, April 17, 2012 - While Jason Roberts is helping Reading Football Club with their promotion hopes, he took time out from his training schedule to do some training closer to home – with members of his family.

The striker was joined by his uncles - former professional footballers - Cyrille Regis, David Regis and Otis Roberts, his sister – track and field athlete and Olympic hopeful - Yasmine Regis and Kenelm Robert – squash player - in a training session to help promote the Foundation’s new Family Health & Fitness programme that is starting later this month.

The programme – which has been funded by the Premier League & PFA Community Fund - is designed to encourage families to get fit and to spend more time together. The year-long programme is split into 8-week terms where families can engage in a wide range of sporting activities led by qualified coaches. These weekly sessions will be held early evening each Wednesday. The Foundation will be offering wellness evaluations, expert advice on diet and nutrition, free First Aid training courses and “Sport for all” days for the local community, and there will be prizes for families with the best attendance and best results.

Jason Roberts said, “I am delighted that the Foundation has been chosen by the Premier League and PFA to receive funding from their Community Fund to support our Family Fitness Programme. My family have always been a great inspiration to me, and I believe parents and children can encourage each other to get fit and active by playing sport together.” 

Simon Morgan, Head of Community Development at the Premier League said “The Premier League is committed to using the power of football to make a positive difference in our communities. Football has the ability to engage, motivate and inspire and through the excellent work of Jason Roberts and his family, this programme sends a powerful message of how sports participation can promote family health”.

For more information or if you would like to register your family on the programme please email info@jasonrobertsfoundation.org or phone 0208 963 9179. For more information about the work of the Foundation please visitwww.jasonrobertsfoundation.com.

In the photo from left to right: Kenelm Roberts, Cyrille Regis, David Regis, Otis Roberts, Jason Roberts & Yasmine Regis

Jamaican Olympians, Cameron and Jackson Receive Congressional Awards in New York!

NEW YORK, April 14, 2012 (CMM) - Two of Jamaica’s most prolific Olympians, Grace Jackson, OD and Bertland Cameron, OD, were both presented with proclamations from the office of Yvette D. Clarke, 11th Congressional District, New York; and ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee and member Small Business Committee, in the United Sates Congress; in honor of their outstanding contributions to sports both on and off the track.

The proclamations were presented at the Team Jamaica Bickle annual Reception and Awards Ceremony, on Thursday, April 12, in New York, which was hosted by fellow Olympian and Master of Ceremonies for the evening, Devon Harris, who captained Jamaica’s 1998 Winter Olympic Bob Sled Team. Other Olympians on hand to cheer them on were Alfred Daley, 400m specialist, who shared the stage with Lennox Miller, Donald Quarrie and later, a younger Bertland Cameron, Andria Lloyd, who represented Jamaica in the 1996 Olympics 4x100m relays and Danny McFarlane, silver medalist in the 4x400m, Olympic games.

It was an evening filled with the highest accolades and recognition from all levels of representation on the political landscape here in New York. The office of Leroy Comrie, Councilman, 45^th District Queens, presented the honorees with citations and official letters for their exemplary service. Both awards were presented by Ms. Katherina Thompson community Liaison Officer.  Ms. Monique D. Waterman, Director Community affairs, office of Council Member Jumaane Williams, Brooklyn’s 45^th District, presented citations to both honorees, as well as to Irie Jam Media (community service awardees) and to Team Jamaica Bickle for its work on behalf of the athletes.

“Both Bertland and myself are extremely grateful to be recognized by an entity (TJB) who like ourselves are working hard to make a difference in sports,” said Grace ”to do something that you love and be honored by your peers is an extraordinary feeling.  Bert has expressed the wish that those who benefit from TJB’s efforts should get a chance to experience (as we just did) all the work that goes into making everything possible; kudos to the hardworking team of volunteers of TJB.”

Jamaica’s Minister of Sports without portfolio, Natalie Neita-Headley delivered a special recorded message to the honorees on behalf of the Government and people of Jamaica, in which she spoke of her, “delight in joining Team Jamaica Bickle and the Diaspora in celebrating Jamaica’s best assets her people…against the backdrop of Jamaica’s 50^th Anniversary of Independence.”

It was a full house that bore witness to this momentous occasion, with members of the community, stakeholders of the sports and entertainment industry, the business community, and the media who came out in their hundreds to show their appreciation for the honorees. Jamaica’s, Deputy Consul General to New York, Ms. Sharon Burrell Green and Mr. Christopher Castriota, newly appointed community relations officer, as well a full contingent from the Jamaica Tourist Board New York tri-state region: Kenton Senior, Ruth West, Marcia Sinclair and Anthony King were out in full force. Olympians, 

Mr. Vincent HoSang and daughter Sabrina HoSang (TJB’s partner and life-time sponsor), of Caribbean Food Delights, spoke of their steadfast support for the program. Sponsors Western Union, LIME, UJAA and Tower Isle Patties all brought messages of support.

“We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and we thank the community whole-heartedly. It was indeed a special evening as we celebrate the nation’s 50^thAnniversary of Independence” says Irwine Clare,

About Team Jamaica Bickle

Team Jamaica Bickle, Inc. is a 501(c)(3 ) not-for-profitorganization, based in New York, formed in 1994 under the leadership of Irwine G. Clare Sr., to provide much needed support for Jamaican athletes who compete at the annual Penn Relays Carnival, held at the University of Pennsylvania. Team Jamaica Bickle, Inc.,has supported athletes and athletic programsfor the past 17 years. Currently, TJB services extend to a delegation of approximately 750 Athletes, coaches and volunteers from Jamaica; other Caribbean countries (which includes Trinidad and Tobago and St. Vincent & The Grenadines), as well as from the USA..

In 1999, Team Jamaica Bickle became the first Jamaican organization to be a participating sponsor at the Penn Relays, thus allowing us to partner with our corporate friends. As a result, the Jamaican flag became the first foreign nation’s flag to be flown at the Penn Relays, a distinction unmatched. Over the years, TJB has received several proclamations and awards from numerous local and national entities.

Photos by Donovan Gopie

Media Contact

Andrea Daley

718.235.0604

andrea@caribmediamarketing.com

Returning nationals in Carriacou prepare for the Homecoming Celebrations

HILLSBOROUGH, Carriacou, April 13^th, 2012 - Developing a closer working relationship with Grenadians living abroad is part of Government’s development plans.

And, as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs prepares for the Grenadian Homecoming in August 2012, officials met with returning nationals in Carriacou to inform and seek their participation in the activities.

Permanent Secretary Elizabeth Henry- Greenidge said that its government’s intention through the Office of Diaspora Affairs to build partnerships between the Diaspora communities and home.

Also present at the meeting was Consul General for New York Derrick James who noted that the Diaspora plays a critical role in nation-building with over sixty (60) Grenadian groups and organisations existing in the New York area.

Minister for Carriacou and Petite Martinique Affairs Senator George Prime said that the government recognises the importance of the Diaspora and will utilise the skills, resources and experiences of nationals living abroad.

Meanwhile, Consul General James presented a cheque of US$1,100 to the Parish Priest of the Hillsborough Roman Catholic Church Father Carl Haynes from the Independence Committee to assist with rehabilitation work on the church.

SOURCE: Deanna Isaac, Public Relations Officer

GBSS Alumni-NY expresses sadness on death of former Grenada national footballer

                       

Courtesy Yellow Card Journalism

NEW YORK, April 12, 2012 - The GBSS Alumni Association of New York expresses sadness on the passing of one of the school’s legendary footballer and coach, Kellon Baptiste.

Baptiste, 38, died in St George’s early Thursday morning after a battle with cancer.

The former national goalkeeper and goalkeeper coach served Grenada at all levels of the game including Under-17, Under-20, Under-23 and Senior teams. Baptiste had to withdraw as goalkeeper coach only days before the national team departed for the United States to participate in the CONCACAF Gold Cup Tournament in the United States last year.

Baptiste, who also assisted as a coach for his alma mater in the Premier League of the Grenada Football Association (GFA), made his national debut in 1991 and made his last appearance against the United States in the FIFA World Cup Preliminaries in June 2004 in St George’s.

He had a short stint with the St Louis Steamers in the Major Indoor Soccer League in the 2004-2005 season.

Earlier this year the GFA used an international friendly against Guyana as a benefit game to assist his family with the medical bills.

Current national coach and former schoolmate and player Anthony “Nixon” Modeste described the death of Kellon as a shock to the footballing community. “He fought a good battle but didn’t pull through,” said Modeste.

The GBSS Alumni Association in New York wishes to convey condolences to the family and friends of Kellon Baptiste. May His Soul Rest In Peace!

Michael Bascombe

GBSS Alumni-NY

                       

ShortKnee art workshop at Pepper Pot Centre in London

LONDON, UK, April 11, 2012 – At the invitation of the High Commission for Grenada in the United Kingdom, Grenadian artist Suelin Low Chew Tung, currently in the UK to attend a conference in Leeds, met with residents at the Pepper Pot Day Centre in Ladbroke Grove.

Fourteen residents took part in an art workshop - creating collaged art masks from paper and cardstock. They also learned about the Grenada ShortKnee, and the history behind this indigenous masquerade that Suelin is researching from a visual art point of view. The Pepper Pot Centre 'provides a wide range of drop-in activities, a hot Caribbean lunch and full day care for older people, part of a comprehensive service to older people from the African Caribbean community in Kensington and Chelsea, to enable them to live more independently in their own homes.' The High Commissioner for Grenada is a Patron of the Centre.

 Suelin also left a small piece of artwork created as a momento of her visit to the centre.

 The High Commissioner congratulated Suelin on this initiative and the Centre also expressed its appreciation to the Grenadian Artist.

Grenada's Peters takes CARIFTA gold and record

Mickel Joseph & Anderson Peters 

by Michael Bascombe

HAMILTON, Bermuda, April 9, 2012 – Grenada grabbed two medals on the final morning of competition in the 41^st Junior CARIFTA Games here on Monday.

Anderson Peters of St David’s Catholic Secondary School (SDCSS) produced a massive throw of 60.50 metres to clinch the gold medal and established a new championship record in the Under-17 Boys Javelin event.

The 15 year-old fouled on his first attempt but gradually improved on his successive throws with 52.60, 55.22, 58.71, 57.02 and then his winning effort of 60.50m.

Grenada picked up the silver medal in the same event when Mickel Joseph of Hillsborough Secondary School (HSS) threw the javelin at 59.45m in his final and best effort.

They were the best performers of the Grenadian athletes so far from the seven-member team representing the Spice Isle.

However, Nickhelia John (25.11secs) puts herself into the final of the Under-20 Girls 200m on Monday evening when she clinched one of the two spots among the fastest losers in the semi-finals. On Saturday, John was seventh in the 400m final in 59.76secs.

Also, Linden Toussaint leads the Boys Heptathlon going into the 1,500m, the final of the seven events contested over two days. Toussaint leads with 4,111 points but strongly challenged by Klode Thompson of Barbados (3,940) and Charles Sealy of the Bahamas (3,822). Kevin Cox of Grenada is in the sixth spot with 3,669 points.

Toussaint also missed out on a medal on the opening day when he was fourth in the Under-20 Boys Discus Throw with 49.36m. Kenisha Hazzard (12.53 secs) didn’t qualify in the Under-17 Girls 100m and was fifth in Heat two of 200m in 26.25secs while Crystal Mitchell brought up the rear in the Under-17 Girls 1,500m in 5:39.68.

In the final evening of competition, Toussaint is also expected to compete in the Under-20 Javelin event while Cox, who is entered into the High Jump, may be withdrawn to concentrate on his final event (1,500m) in the Heptathlon. Mitchell is also scheduled to compete in the 3,000m.

Grenadian Heptathletes battle for medals

by Michael Bascombe

HAMILTON, Bermuda, April 8, 2012 – The two Grenadian athletes in the Boys Heptathlon at the 41^st LIME Junior CARIFTA Games are trailing in the standings after two events on Sunday morning.

Cox won the long jump with 6.51 metres and was eighth in the 110m hurdles in 17.61 seconds to total 1,262 points, sixth overall in the standings.

Toussaint, who won bronze last year in Jamaica, is ninth in the standings with 1,223 points after finishing sixth in the 100m hurdles in 16.68 seconds and ninth in the long jump with 5.90m.

Both competitors are hoping to improve their standings on Sunday evening when they compete in the Javelin and 200m events.

Toussaint, the brother of national heptathlon champion Kurt Felix, is highly favoured to win the javelin in the seven events to be contested over the next two days.
The standing is led by Rhys Phillips of Barbados with 1,550 points followed by Charles Sealey of the Bahamas (1,453), Darron Hunter of Jamaica (1,450), Desmond Major of the Bahamas (1,390), Brandon Andrew of the British Virgin Islands (1,380), Kevin Cox of Grenada (1,262), Luke Cox of the Turks and Caicos Islands (1,248), Klode Thompson of Barbados (1,237) and Linden Toussaint of Grenada (1,223).

Interview with Kirani James and Patrick Simmons in Bermuda

World 400m champion Kirani James of Grenada on the opening day of competition of the 41st LIME Junior CARIFTA Games at the National Sports Centre in Hamilton, Bermuda.
James is the guest of title sponsor LIME. Also in the interview is Grenada's Sports Minister Patrick Simmons.

NYC Hospitals Reach $11 Million Scholarship Deal With SGU in Grenada

By Anemona Hartocollis - New York Times

NEW YORK, April 4, 2012 - Over the last few years, St. George’s University Medical School on the Caribbean island of Grenada has come under fire from New York City medical schools for paying to have its students trained in the city’s public hospitals, turning what local schools say should be an academic relationship into a fiscal one.

Now St. George’s and the city’s public hospitals are further cementing their financial relationship with a deal that will provide $11 million in scholarships for New Yorkers to attend St. George’s over the next five years. In exchange, they must promise to work as primary care physicians in the city’s hospitals after graduation.

The deal will give out 25 scholarships — 5 full and 20 half — in the first year, and the value of 40 full scholarships in the four years after that, officials said. The scholarships are to be financed entirely by St. George’s.

Alan Aviles, president of the city’s Health and Hospitals Corporation, which runs the public hospitals, said at a news conference on Wednesday that the deal was a way of attracting badly needed internists, family medicine doctors and pediatricians to hospitals serving poor patients, and would be a boon to New Yorkers who might otherwise not be able to afford medical school tuition.

“This will make the dream of medical school come true for some talented New Yorkers,” Mr. Aviles said at Metropolitan Hospital on the Upper East Side, where he was joined by Charles Modica, St. George’s chancellor.

He cited projections that the nation faced a shortage of more than 90,000 physicians by the end of the decade, and said that city hospitals expected a wave of retirements that would exacerbate the shortage. About 35 percent of primary care physicians in the public hospital system are over 55, he said.

The city is calling the program CityDoctors and is billing it as a kind of West Point for physicians: For every year of free tuition, scholarship winners will have to serve a corresponding year in the army of public medicine after they have graduated from St. George’s.

The arrangement has benefits for the medical school, since it has the potential to give it greater access to the clinical training positions, known as clerkships, at city hospitals. A large part of medical school training is clinical training, typically in the third and fourth years. The deal announced on Wednesday calls for St. George’s to provide even more scholarship money if the hospitals expand their training slots for the school’s students.

The deal seemed likely to increase friction with the New York City area’s medical schools, which have already complained that St. George’s is squeezing out their own students because it is willing to pay for clinical training. That training has traditionally been perceived as part of the mission of teaching hospitals, to be offered without charge.

Jo Wiederhorn, president of the Associated Medical Schools of New York, said Wednesday that she understood the hospitals corporation’s need for primary care physicians, but that “we just want to make sure that we have enough for our kids.”

Last year, St. George’s paid the hospital system $6 million to train about 900 students, officials said. The system also trained about 1,500 students from other medical schools.

Mr. Aviles, of the hospitals corporation, said that New York medical schools were not producing enough primary physicians to meet the need, adding, “Not a single medical student from a local medical school has been displaced.”

St. George’s medical program has about 4,500 students; 70 percent of them are United States citizens, and 18 percent of those are from New York State, said Margaret Lambert, the dean of enrollment. The program charges about $52,000 a year in tuition, she said.

To be eligible for the program, applicants have to have a permanent address in New York City and must meet one of the following criteria: to have graduated from a city high school; to have lived within the city for the last five years, or to be employed or have a parent employed by the city or the hospitals corporation for at least five years.

Although only seven city hospitals now train St. George’s students, the graduates of the scholarship program will be able to fulfill their commitment by working at any of the city’s 11 hospitals or at its community health centers.

SOURCE: New York Times

POLICE REPORT: Missing Teenager

Kofi Bullen

ST GEORGE’S, April 3, 2012 - Police is seeking the assistance of the general public in locating 12 year-old Kofi Bullen who left her home at Grand Anse Valley on Saturday 31^st March, 2012 and has not returned since.

Kofi is reported to have been last seen on Saturday in Westerhall, St. David in the vicinity of the Westerhall Secondary School. She was wearing a black and white dress, white jersey and white sandals.

Kofi is about 5-feet 7-inches in height, slim built, and is light brown in complexion.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Police Control at 440 3999, Criminal Investigations Department at 440 3921, Police Emergency at 911 or Police Hotline at 444 1958 or the nearest police station.

Source:        Office of the Commissioner of Police

Contact        Community Relations Department (CRD)

                       440- 3764 / 435-8918 / 405 3134 /405-7451

Date:              Tuesday 3^rd April, 2012

Government fulfills major commitment to Grenadian students

ST. GEORGE’S, APRIL 2, 2012 - A major commitment by Prime Minister Hon. Tillman Thomas to the people of St. Patrick and Carriacou will be fulfilled on Wednesday 4^th April, 2012, when the T. A. Marryshow Community College launches its video conference facility to three campus locations.

The new facility is a contribution by the board of the Caribbean Knowledge and Learning Network (CKLN) to the government and people of Grenada that will propel in a new era of how education is delivered to TAMCC students living in St. Patrick and Grenada. This network will allow students at the St. Patrick and Carriacou Campuses of the TAMCC to participate in classes and interact with teachers at the Tanteen Campus of the College in real time.

The Prime Minister said that the video conference facility is a very important development for the people of northern Grenada and Carriacou, “because it means that they will save on transport and other expenses they would have to undertake if they had to commute every day. This is especially important for the parents and young people of Carriacou and Petite Martinique,” the Prime Minister said.

The funding for this project, worth EC$393,228, is provided by the European Union as part of the Euro10.00 million grant to the Caribbean for developing a regional network called C@ribNET, connecting all CARICOM member States.

The development is a culmination of a consistent campaign by the Prime Minister and his administration to utilize Information Communication Technology (ICT) to provide education and other government services to the Grenadian public “wherever they live”.

“I am excited that this project has finally come on stream and I look forward to the expansion of services offered by the TAMCC at the Sauteur’s and Hillsborough locations,” the Prime Minister said Friday.

The launch programme will utilize the technology with audiences, including the Prime Minister and Minister for Education, Sen. Franka Alexis-Bernardine in St. Patrick, while the Minister for Carriacou and Petite Martinique Affairs, Sen. George Prime will be in Hillsborough.

“This contribution of the connectivity and the provision of the equipment for this video conferencing service to Grenada is quite appropriate”, said Mr. Ken Sylvester, CEO of CKLN, as the CKLN is headquartered in St. Georges and has benefited from the hospitality and support of the Grenada government.

SOURCE: Office of the Prime Minister

Grenadian youth shot and killed in Jersey City, NJ

Chad Edgehill

(See funeral arrangements below)

JERSEY CITY, New Jersey, April 1 2012 - A manhunt is on for the gunman who ended the life of a Grenadian with a bullet to the back of his head outside Hudson County Community College on Journal Square on Thursday night, and police have released security images of the alleged killer.

Chad Edgehill, 24, of Jersey City and originally from Grand Mal, St George’s, was shot once in the back of the head near the entrance of the college building on Sip Avenue at about 9:20 p.m., Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said. The bullet exited his forehead.

“It was a brutal, wanton act of violence,” DeFazio said of the death of Edgehill, who recently moved to Jersey City from Brooklyn and was employed as a security guard at Lincoln Center in New York.

After hearing the gunshot, an off-duty Port Authority police officer found the body and chased the gunman and an accomplice down Sip Avenue and onto Enos Place, where he lost sight of them.

Police have released an image of the alleged gunman inside a store in the Journal Square Transportation Center concourse. The image shows him wearing a red sweater over a red shirt that appears to have an image of a cobra on it with lettering above, DeFazio said, adding that shirt has long black sleeves. He is described as being about 6 feet tall with a thin build, DeFazio said.

The alleged gunman was with a second man described as being about 5-foot-10, thin, and wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, jeans and a baseball cap with a blue brim, DeFazio said. Investigators think the gunman may have handed his sweater and the gun to his accomplice as they ran, DeFazio said.

Just before the shooting, the victim met the gunman and accomplice near the Jackie Robinson statue in front of the PATH station and security video “indicates there was some familiarity and no apparent tension between the men.” The shooter and Edgehill entered a drug store on the PATH concourse and the victim withdrew money from an ATM, DeFazio said.

The three men then left the store and walked toward the college and under the covered walkway that runs along the west side of the building. That’s where Edgehill was shot prior to reaching the school’s entrance, DeFazio said, adding that he was pronounced dead at the scene.

When found, Edgehill had $120 beside his hand on the sidewalk, DeFazio said. The motive for the murder is not clear, although it is possible it was a robbery turned deadly. Edgehill had no weapon on him, DeFazio said. Investigators confirmed Edgehill had withdrawn money at the ATM, but would say only that the amount was not significantly more than the cash found at the murder scene.

There were few people in the area at the time of the shooting and the college was on spring break.

Betsy Vorce, a spokeswoman for Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, said yesterday afternoon: “Our sympathies are certainly with his family.” Vorce said Edgehill worked at Lincoln Center as a security guard on the midnight shift since 2011.

Anyone with information on the murder is asked to call the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office’s Homicide Squad at (201) 915-1345. Jersey City and Port Authority police are also working on the case.

SOURCE: With additional reporting from Private Officer News

Funeral arrangements for Grenadian shot and killed in New Jersey:

Prayer Service at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday April 1, 2012 at 184 Clarkson Avenue, Brooklyn (bet Rogers & Bedford).

Viewing and Service on Thursday April 5, 2012 at 1200 Dean Street & Nostrand Avenue in Brooklyn. Viewing is between 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. The Service will follow the viewing.

Burial will take pace in Grenada on Thursday April 12, 2012.