In his address to the nation Monday night, the Prime Minister said the economic gains that the Island is beginning to enjoy once again, can easily vanish if the scourge of crime and deviant behaviour are not brought under control. No economy he said, can thrive in societies without law and order. Mr.King said the recent spate of criminal activity is a definite concern to his government which is why he has challenged the Commissioner of Police to end this unacceptable trend. The Prime Minister said it is his responsibility to ensure that all Saint Lucians and residents enjoy the fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed under the Saint Lucia Constitution Order. He said he will not avoid, nor waver, in that responsibility. In an obvious reference to his predecessor, Dr.Kenny Anthony, Mr.King said neither will he ask the criminals for “... a break” in any season. This Country, he stressed, must return to absolute peace and tranquillity for all to enjoy. The Prime Minister however reminded that the preparation of appropriate strategies to deal effectively with this problem takes time although government is moving quickly to mobilize the resources necessary to tackle the problem. Noting that the responsibility of effectively dealing with crime and deviant behaviour is not only that of the Police Force Mr.King appealed to citizens to play their part in taking a stance against crime.
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The water rationing system introduced by WASCO is now in its third week and officials say it is yielding results. The system was introduced to help the WASCO manage the Island’s water supply which was falling at a rapid level due to a prolonged dry spell that began last September. In January, the company announced that the John Compton dam was losing a foot of water a day and would go dry within three months if that trend continued. With not enough rain falling and a limited supply of water in reservoirs, WASCO decided to ration the water, shutting off communities a day at a time. Managing Director, John Joseph says now the water level at the Dam has stabilized since less water is being taken from it. But he says, there is still cause for concern because the level is about eleven feet below the top of the Dam. A level that is not reached until about the middle of March each year. Mr.Joseph however says the bigger problem is now in the South of the Island where WASCO does not have a large storage capacity.
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The employment and training program, HOPE, conducted by the St.Lucia Social Development Fund has run out of money. Just as Prime Minister Stephenson King was singing the praises of HOPE Monday night, the administrators of the Program were preparing to deliver the bad news to staff and participants Tuesday morning. But there have been assurances that HOPE will resume. According to officials most of the contracts were to have come to an end by next month at the close of the government financial year. A number of officers have been laid off. However the Executive Director of the SSDF, Joaquim Henry says the aim is for them to return once the program recommences in April. An estimated 29 million dollars is said to be needed to keep HOPE running for the next year. Last year government allocated almost ten million dollars to the Program. Over nine hundred St.Lucians were trained in various skills and benefited from temporary employment. For now the SSDF is awaiting the budget presentation to see if it will get the money needed for HOPE.
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The Saint Lucia Tourist Board is well on its way to completing the 2010 Saint Lucia Jazz line-up with the inclusion of a phenomenal jazz singer. British-born singer/songwriter and guitarist Corrine Bailey Rae is expected to impress patrons with her soulful and velvety vocals when she performs on main stage during the 2010 Festival. That’s according to Chairman of the SLTB’s Special Events Committee, Cuthbert Didier, who went on to say that the SLTB was indeed proud of the fact that, “we’ve managed to secure an artist of such unparalleled stature in the music industry.” “Corrine has recorded a number of hits and her upcoming album, The Sea, is even more exceptional as it shows her maturity in the wake of the death of her husband two years ago.
Bailey Rae’s new album, The Sea, hits stores this week. It follows her self-titled debut album which has sold over 4 million copies worldwide since its release in 2006. She was the first British female singer-songwriter in decades to have her debut album enter The Billboard 200 in the Top 20. She was nominated for three GRAMMY awards that same year - "Record of The Year" and "Song of The Year" for her first single, "Put Your Records On," and "Best New Artist." Her remarkable performance on the 2007 GRAMMY Awards telecast propelled her album into the Top 5 of The Billboard 200. The following year, "Like A Star," her second single, was nominated for "Song Of The Year" and Herbie Hancock's River: The Joni Letters, on which Bailey Rae sang the title track, won the GRAMMY for "Album Of The Year." She has been in the United States promoting her new album through a series of television talk show appearances, which she ends on March 1st with a gig on ‘The Late Show with David Letterman’. Corrine Bailey Rae will perform on Saturday May 8th at Pigeon Island National Park. Boo Hinkson and Friends as well as Reggae greats Steel Pulse, will also perform on that day. She joins a Saint Lucia Jazz cast which also includes Maxi Priest, Shaggy, Claudia Edward, Foreigner, Jean Luc Ponty, Quito & the Edge, Carimi, Foreigner and Earl Klugh as well as Monty Maxwell, Alison Marquis, Harvey Millar, Claudia Edward, Carl Gustave and Teddyson (TJ) John.
Saint Lucia Jazz is the premier music festival in the region and has been rated fifth in the World. The Festival, which has attracted some of the biggest names in the music industry, will mark its 19th anniversary this year.
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