BEST WEEK EVER:

If turtles could read, (or, for that matter, understand English) they would do cartwheels underwater, following the announcement that from January 1, 2017, all turtle hunting will be banned – with no ‘in-season’ period whatsoever. Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves has adopted the mantra ‘no extinction in our generation’ on this issue. This is a great move, and we can only hope that the ban will be accompanied by steep fines for those caught disobeying the law.{{more}} Marine eco-systems are fragile things, and the removal of any species (through extinction) can have far-reaching ramifications. Let us not allow “too late, too late” to be our cry!

SVG is having a rather satisfying week being the host of the largest ever OECS swimming championships. Not only is this incentive for SVG’s competitive swimmers to cop even more medals, it’s also a boost for our tourism. With approximately 150 persons coming in from around the region, this will create revenue for hotels/guesthouses, travel operators, dining establishments and many others. And if this championship is pulled off well, it’s foundation for even more events of that nature to be held here in future.

Esther Rawlins’ week just could not get any worse. First, she lost all her worldly belongings in a fire that destroyed the house she was renting. Then, not only has she been accused by the owner of the house of setting the blaze, she also appeared in court yesterday, charged with having an offensive weapon following a confrontation pertaining to the fire. According to ‘young people slang’, she is steady taking those L’s!

This week, the runner-up is Tarique John, who was kicked out of his athletics club by head coach Michael ‘Lord Have Mercy’ Ollivierre, not for drug-taking or anything of that nature, but for bleaching his skin! Now, while we fully acknowledge the health dangers of bleaching, is this a reason to kick a promising athlete out of a club? Not only has Tarique suffered this setback, he’s also now being ridiculed by the nation for his skin lightening choices. Perhaps someone should sit the youth down and reason with him, instead of banishing him from the club.

I’d ask the Minister of Health why are we still training so many registered nurses under an Associate’s degree programme when the world we say we are going to export them to has made it clear, over and over again, that they only want nurses with at least Bachelors’ degrees.

Media Watch

More media houses need to establish a firm presence in the digital world – it’s a must. On a global scale, news/information consumption is moving swiftly from the traditional to the digital. Change can often be intimidating for many, but what would you rather? Keeping up with technology and staying relevant or getting left behind?