Tough New Security Rules are sure to discourage air travel.

The Christmas Day Muslim terror attack on Northwest Airlines flight 253 failed only because the Muslim fascist who carried it out did not properly mix and ignite the binary explosive strapped to his body.

That is this writer’s opinion after some basic online research and watching a video about binary explosives.

According to what we can gather from news reports and the criminal complaint (linked below), the Nigerian Muslim terrorist named Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab made it through several security inspections prior to boarding the aircraft in Amsterdam. As the Airbus 330 descended into Detroit, the terrorist spent some 20 minutes in the washroom and then returned to his seat where he attempted to set off an explosive device that was strapped to his leg. The device “popped” – that is partially exploded – and then started to burn.

Merry Christmas from Muslim Fascists

The Muslim terrorist was jumped by passengers who restrained him from further attempts to murder every man, woman and child on the aircraft. The criminal complaint states that cabin crew members used fire extinguishers to put out the man’s “pants leg and the wall of the airplane” that were on fire. The device contained the powerful explosive Pentaerythritol tetranitrate also known as PETN. A partially melted syringe was found nearby.

“PETN is more sensitive to shock or friction than TNT or tetryl, and it is never used alone. It is primarily used in booster and bursting charges of small caliber ammunition, in upper charges of detonators in some land mines and shells, and as the explosive core of detonation cord.[2] PETN is also one of the ingredients of the Semtex plastic explosive.” … from Wikipedia

Binary Explosives – Undetectable and benign until mixed

I didn’t know much about “binary explosives” until this terror attack, but as is normal these days it doesn’t take long to acquire some basic knowledge through the internet. What I discovered is frightening. Binary explosives are made by combining two substances in the right proportions. Some of the substances are undetectable with bomb-sniffing equipment until they are mixed together. The components can be disguised as common items such as make-up powder, toothpaste and hand sanitizing gel.

When done properly the explosives can be incredibly powerful – and are made all the more powerful when the target is a high-flying pressurized airliner that is subject to explosive decompression when even a small hole is opened in the aluminum skin.

Successful ignition of binary explosives can be tricky, and for this reason the mixture is sometimes enhanced with a third substance to allow the explosive to be set off by an ordinary fuse and cigarette lighter instead of a blasting cap or munitions primer. Timing of the ignition can also be important: too soon or too late after mixing and some binary explosives will burn instead of exploding. Once again, this is basic information and much much more is all to be found on the internet including detailed bomb-making instructions.

Considering everything I’ve been able to learn about the attack and binary explosives, I think that the Muslim fascist failed only because he did not properly mix and ignite the binary explosive strapped to his body. He made it through security, he mixed the ingredients and he ignited them. Thank God they didn’t explode.

The impact on the airline industry is the same as if the Muslim terrorist had exploded his bomb and brought down NorthWest Flight 253

New Airline Security Measures a direct result of NorthWest Flight 253

The airline industry and governments are still in the first stages of their response to what happened on Flight 253, but some of the new security measures being reported in the media and on traveler’s forums are so strict that we believe they will seriously impact airline passenger arrivals in Barbados if this is the new reality of air travel.

We’re not saying that these security measures aren’t a necessary response to the threat of Muslim binary bombs – we’re saying that for many prospective visitors to Barbados, the increased security may be the final straw in deciding to drive to Florida or Portugal for a vacation instead of flying to Barbados. Okay, it’s a couple of days hard driving, or maybe folks will take a train or stay in the south of France, or go on a cruise leaving from Southampton – but at a certain point ordinary vacationers will say, “Flying to Barbados or anywhere isn’t worth it.”

“Under new rules enacted by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, passengers and their carry-on baggage will be subject to full searches both at airport screening points and prior to boarding at the aircraft gate area. As a result of the added security precautions, passengers should also expect delayed and cancelled flights as well as missed connections.” (from a travel advisory forum)

At a certain point vacationers will say, “Flying to Barbados or anywhere isn’t worth it.”

Has that time come? Consider some of the new security measures put in place in the last 48 hours as gathered from news stories and travel forums. (See some of the links at the bottom of our story.)

Once again, these measures might be temporary or they might be the new reality…

- Intense hand search of carry-on luggage for everybody. Line up at security a minimum 2 hours before the flight.

- Personal search for all passengers.

- Searched twice: once going through security, and another hand search at the gate prior to boarding. Everybody.

- Only one carry-on bag per person.

- No liquids, gels or toothpaste at all allowed in carry-on baggage. (Report from passenger that her contact lens container in pocket had to be emptied.)

- No electronic devices allowed to be used in flight.

- No getting out of your seat during the last hour of flight. (Gotta go? Too bad!)

- No access to your carry on bag during flight. None. Bag must be stored overhead, not under the seat ahead of you. That’s why only one carry-on allowed so everything fits in the overheads. (Man, those diapers on the kids in row 43 are going to be stinky!)

At a certain point ordinary travelers will say, “Flying isn’t worth it.” Has that time come?

Barbados will feel the impact

While our more northern Caribbean neighbours may be able to balance a loss of flying travelers with an increase in cruise ship arrivals (assuming more folks choose to drive to Florida and take a cruise ship from Miami instead of flying to the Caribbean) – Barbados is at the end of the line for the Miami cruise ships. I’m not sure how much we would benefit from even a 20% increase in Caribbean cruise ship traffic as much of that traffic would, I think, stay north for shorter trips.

I don’t have any solutions friends, and I’m no travel expert. I hope I’m proven wrong, but I think that the terror attack on Northwest Airlines flight 253 is horrible news for Barbados tourism.

Further Reading

ABC News – Officials: Only A Failed Detonator Saved Northwest Flight

Chron.com – Terror scare leads to new travel rules

Globe Mail – Nigerian charged with trying to blow up airliner

Globe Mail – Montreal woman aboard Flight 253 tells of foiled terror attack

ABC News – Investigators: Northwest Bomb Plot Planned by al Qaeda in Yemen

Criminal Complaint by FBI (pdf)

Time for us to put up or shut up, folks.

TEN THOUSAND CRUISE SHIP VISITORS (cbc report) will dock on Saturday, December 26th and another five or six thousand will arrive on Sunday, December 27th.

At the end of the weekend, what will those FIFTEEN THOUSAND VISITORS have to say about Barbados?

Will they rave about the welcome from the locals? Will they talk about the smiles from the taxi drivers and restaurant staff?

Or, as happened one weekend not so many months ago, will these visitors talk about deserted streets, closed shops, insufficient taxis and nothing to do because everyone stayed home on a holiday?

Will you open your shop? Will you go to work or call in sick to your employer?

Will you smile and be pleasant to our visitors, or will you be that sullen pouting little bi*ch who gave some visiting friends of ours such a verbal slap in the face at Cave Shepherd last year?

Friends, it’s time for a little fear to kick into place in Barbados. We HAVE to make the tourists happy. We don’t have anything else to fall back on so we’d better get it into our heads that there are lots of pleasant little islands ’bout hey that would love to have those ships dock in the few days following Christmas.

Shona’s shop will be open and she’ll be working some long hours.

How about you?

Caricom Unity? Forget about it… it’s every country for itself in a fight for survival on the Tourism Battleground.

Jamaican Tourism Minister personally met with 300 Canadian travel agents in Canada’s Western Provinces

Despite the global economic crisis, Jamaican Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett says a record number of Canadian tourists are expected to visit Jamaica this winter.

“Canada is our fastest growing market,” the Jamaican Information Service (JIS) quoted Bartlett as saying in Toronto.

“Two years ago, the Canadian market was providing around 150,000 stopover visitors and for this year we are looking at close to 300,000, which represents a 28 percent increase over last year,” he added.

Bartlett recently visited Canada to thank travel partners for helping to make Canada the fastest growing market for Jamaica. He met with some 300 travel agents, airline officials and four operators in Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg, cities that have shown encouraging growth in recent times…

… from eTurboNews.com’s article Jamaica looks forward to record number Canadian visitors this winter season

Those leaders who can… do. The rest of the politicians and tourism officials talk, talk, talk and then do nothing.

Can Minister Hutson have Portuguese and Spanish BTA websites up in 30 days or is he just blowing smoke?

Minister of International Business and International Transport George Hutson gave a press conference last Sunday where he mused about the possibilities of targeting South American markets to fill the tourism void during the “off” season – and to try to raise some new business opportunities.

The Barbados Advocate picked up on Hutsons’ comments with an article Look to Latinos and an editorial today Don’t stay behind the barrier.

All of this makes sense, although with the emphasis on Spanish in the articles it seems that neither the Minister nor the professional journalists at the Barbados Advocate realise that the language spoken by the majority of South Americans is Portuguese. Spanish is also huge in South America and is, of course, the language of Central America – but if we’re serious about South America we must target Portuguese as well as Spanish.

Oh well, not to get upset about it because the truth is that nothing will be done.

The Minister spoke a fine little speech, and the newspaper printed a fine little article and editorial.

That’s it, folks. That’s all you’ll see. This is Barbados and we do – or don’t do – things a certain way.

The current DLP government has been in power for 20 months now, coming up on two years.

If the government and the Minister were serious about South America, they would already have ordered Spanish and Portuguese language options on the websites of the Barbados Tourism Authority and the Barbados Investment and Development Corporation.

That makes sense, doesn’t it? If the government or the Minister really cared about the South American market, they would have taken a week and put up Spanish and Portuguese sections on the government websites.

People who take vacations have money, and the web is a huge resource in deciding where to go. If you want to attract tourists or investors from a certain market or region the first thing is to put up a website in the language of your potential customer. Pretty basic stuff. I mean, you could probably hire some drunken paro to consult for the Barbados Tourism Authority and even he’d know that if you want to attract Portuguese tourists you should put up a website in Portuguese.

Any idiot knows that, but apparently the folks at the Barbados Tourism Authority and Barbados Investment & Development Corporation (or whatever it’s called this week) are either too lazy, too stupid or just don’t care enough to provide foreign language capabilities on their websites.

It would only take one person a few days, perhaps a week…

There’s nothing to it. The BTA and BIDC already have the websites developed with English content, so they have all the hard programming done. All it would take would be translated content – maybe a couple of days work if that for a competent translator – and both the BTA and the BIDC would have Spanish and Portuguese websites up and going.

Nothing to it technically. All it takes is somebody who gives a damn enough to give the order and make it happen. Tough to find such a person in politics or government service, I guess.

Tourism business owners like Adrian Loveridge have regularly suggested Portuguese and Spanish websites to the government and the Barbados Tourism Authority for over a decade and Minister Hutson is only the latest politician to hold a press conference proclaiming that targeting South American tourists is a great idea.

Today is September 23, 2009. Technically it would take about a week to put up Spanish and Portuguese language websites at the BTA and the BDIC. We’ll check back in a month and see if Minister Hutson was just talking shite after church on Sunday or if he is capable of producing an actual result.

The following comment was left on Barbados Free Press a few days ago by Adrian Loveridge…

Hundreds of thousands of people in South America speak English. I was in Argentina less than a year ago and there is growing number of highly educated people who want and have the financial means to travel.
 Some already do, to play Polo on Barbados.

But ‘we’ must PREPARE.

Its now over ten years since I pleaded with the BTA to place a Spanish and Portuguese language version on the national website, so at least some of those 400 million plus potential travelers could do the prior research or planning.
 Look on YouTube and you will see a Spanish version of a television ‘ad’ prepared for the BTA. Of course it was almost a waste of time and money because it contained no-call-to action (telephone number or website address).

I am am NOT advocating an instant new route like we did in the past with BWIA and Brazil, but a plan that includes ALL the options like smart partnerships, freight, agro processing, niche markets etc.
 Government is looking at trying to reduce the cost of living on Barbados. If you have ever been to Northern Brazil and seen their development of food processing, this may be part of the answer to both reducing the cost of food for families and the hospitality industry. 
US$2 per kilo in freight charges could easily offset the start-up cost of a passenger service.

Adrian Loveridge

With so many countries looking for Chinese tourists, what can Barbados do to stand out?

What does Barbados have in common with Bermuda, Italy, the U.K., Guam, Georgia, New York City, the Emirates, Kenya, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Australia, Canada, Viet Nam, Germany, Malaysia, Fiji, Ecuador, Montenegro, Egypt, France, India, Mexico, Thailand, Bahamas, Amsterdam, Indonesia and New Zealand?

Every one of those places (and more) recently announced an intention to court the Chinese outbound tourist market in an effort to counter losses from the current financial crisis. Yup… we’re all relying on China to make up the losses we’ve seen in tourist dollars from our regular markets. It sounds like a great plan in Barbados, until you Google “China + Tourism” and see how many other countries have the same idea!

Is the Chinese tourist pie so big that it can be cut into that many slices? And why should the Chinese want to come to Barbados rather than one of the other destinations approved by their Communist government?

Of the two questions, perhaps the second one is more important for the Barbados tourism industry. Why would a Chinese tourist want to come to Barbados instead of some other destination?

Sizzle without Steak is no longer sustainable

As I see it, successful tourism is about doing a few basic things well: defining your product(s), identifying likely target groups, selling the sizzle – but being able to deliver enough steak once the tourists get to the destination that they don’t feel deceived and disappointed.

Barbados has traditionally been good at the sale, but not so great at delivering a product that matches the promotion. You don’t need to believe me about that: just head over to YouTube and watch a few Barbados Tourism commercials (here, here & here) – then think about the expectations that were created and the tough reality of fulfilling those expectations. Now consider the reality of too much garbage on the streets, the traffic in the city and the shortage of open space, beach access and parking on the “Platinum Coast” (a BTA-created phrase if I ever heard one).

The difference between sizzle and steak is not very different from other tourist destinations though. Disney World shows happy people in their commercials, but leaves out the kids puking on the rides. Disney also doesn’t tell you that Orlando has a violent crime rate that is triple the U.S. national average! Thefts are a little better at only double the national rate.

Similarly the folks who promote Paris don’t tell you that so many of that city’s residents urinate anywhere they choose that the place smells little better than a sewer in the summer. Hardly the romantic image beloved by the people who create the Paris Tourist Board commercials. And to top it off… you thought Bridgetown shop clerks were sullen? You should experience the miserable souls who staff the tourist traps on rue de Rivoli!

The Web has changed the world, but does the Barbados Tourism Authority realise what that really means?

Every destination has to deal with the dichotomy between the advertised image and the reality. The difference today is that countries can’t so easily get away with cover-ups and false advertising. The web has reduced the ability of governments and the news media to fool all of the people all of the time. Barbados can pay foreign journalists to write positive articles (and we pay top dollar!), but hundreds or thousands of tourists will still report the truth on the web for all to see. Read some of the Trip Advisor reviews of horrible hotels and you’ll understand what I mean. (Time Out at the Gap, anyone? “Don’t go there” says a visitor from Scotland.)

That brings us to the Chinese market. The Chinese are connected online like few other countries. Heavily censored and monitored of course, but there are still so many Chinese on the internet that only a few bad experiences in Barbados could have a totally disproportionate impact if posted on the net by disgruntled tourists. There are many topics that Chinese can’t talk about online, but (although I have no specific knowledge) I would be surprised if hotel reviews about Barbados are a prohibited topic!

Our government is doing its best to tap the giant Chinese tourism market. We’ve opened a mission and sent a former Prime Minister as Ambassador and that says much to the Chinese about how we value their business. No doubt we will produce some fine promotional videos and written materials that are scientifically tuned to attract the targeted audience. We’ve probably already hosted some Chinese journalists and politicians – plying them with the best tours, alcohol, accommodations and meals that we can scrounge up.

All that is the sizzle. But what about the steak?

Think of the multitudes in Beijing or Hong Kong as they consider a trip half way around the world to Barbados. What do they hope to find? What are they trying to get away from? What do they expect from the ordinary Bajan on the street?

I don’t know the answer to any of those questions – but if our government is really serious about the Chinese, we’d better start telling our citizens and our hospitality industry about the cultural differences and expectations of our Chinese guests or this opportunity will evaporate as quickly as you can say, “I no like this hotel loom.”

…article by J.M. with a little help from Cliverton

Further Reading

Voice Online UK: Barbados: Caribbean urged to pursue Chinese tourists

Hi BFP,

I would like to ask for your/the BFP reader’s help. I’m still short of responses for my questionnaire on resident perceptions of tourism impacts in Barbados. I’ve converted the questionnaire into an online format and it is available here:

Questionnaire: Tourism impacts in Barbados

As a result of our economic dependence on tourism, the purpose of the survey is to study resident (Barbadian) perceptions of tourism impacts in Barbados. The survey should take between 5 to 10 minutes to complete and will be available for one week from today. It’s anonymous, and there are no right/wrong answers, only perceptions.

Could you therefore please post the above as a blog?

Thank you,
Amit.

Pull! Push! blog

55 Foreign Dignitaries Tour Iowa – and the state newspapers feature our John Beale in syndicated story

Barbados Ambassador to the USA, John Beale, recently finished a five day tour of the state of Iowa that was sponsored by Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley. Beale was part of a group of 55 foreign dignitaries who were shown around the state to promote Iowa’s agriculture, educational system and industry to international markets.

It turns out that Ambassador Beale said all the right things and got himself and Barbados featured in a syndicated news article that is starting to appear in local newspapers all across Iowa. USA Today picked up on it too.

Well done, Ambassador Beale!

Barbados Free Press readers: take a few minutes to make online comments in the Iowa articles. Invite Americans to vacation in Barbados!

Iowa must be one cold place during the winter because Iowa State University has a “Winter Weather Awareness“ tutorial up that warns about frostbite and hypothermia (!) and teaches foreign students how to dress and walk (!) in the winter.

It sounds to me like folks from Iowa would be ideal candidates to visit warm Barbados and get away from all that snow, ice and (brrrrr!) hypothermia. As well, Mary Kramer, a former US Ambassador to Barbados (2004-2006) came from Iowa so Iowans might be familiar with our island. Ambassador Kramer and Barbados were also recently in the news when Kramer was announced as an inductee into the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame.

So… here are a few of the Iowa newspaper articles that mention Ambassador Beale and Barbados – and you can probably find a few new ones yourself with a Google search as they come online. Take a moment to make some friendly comments inviting people from Iowa down to warm, hospitable BIM. Every little bit helps, and if a few dozen comments appeared on each article it might get us a few visitors or maybe another story. Can’t hurt anyways!

Quad-City Times, Iowa: Ambassadors impressed with Iowa

Covering Iowa Politics: Iowa impresses foreign dignitaries

Globe Gazette: Foreign dignitaries praise Iowa, Iowans

Globe Gazette on Twitter carried a tweet about the article…

Foreign dignitaries praise Iowa, Iowans: DES MOINES — Barbados ambassador John Beale said his first ground.. http://bit.ly/IlIgv

WCF Courier, Cedar Valley Iowa: Iowa Impresses Ambassadors

Minister Lowe’s Cruise Vessel Usually Turns At Mullins Bay!

When we last heard from our friends at Mullins Bay Blog, Environment Minister Denis Lowe hadn’t shown his face at the site of the infamous 3 groynes that are destroying beaches in the area. The issue is that well-connected and well-financed developers were given permission by government officials to build three rock groynes (fingers into the ocean) to capture sand so their beach would be fabulous at the expense of everyone else along the coast. The sand has to come from somewhere and that is why nearby beaches are disappearing.

Dr. Lowe doesn’t want to hear about this issue and doesn’t want to deal with it because the people in question are also DLP campaign donors – and like the BLP before them, the DLP has no hesitation about trading the public good for money in the party’s bank account.

But it just so happens that the vessel chosen for Dr. Lowe’s End of Summer Cruise is the M.V. Harbour Master, and in the normal cruises the vessel usually turns in the vicinity of Mullins Bay!

That means that everyone on the Environment Minister’s cruise will be able to see the groynes and ask Dr. Lowe about his government’s inaction on the matter. Passengers will also be able to ask Minister Lowe about the rumours of a fourth groyne being planned by the developers. Here is what we see at Barbados Travel Advisor…

“I now have it on good account that the Kings Beach Hotel has been sold. The proud new owner, as was suspected, is the same party responsible for the infamous groynes (groins – American English) and developers of the neighboring condos – St. Peter’s Bay Villas (Scandinavian-Bajan developer, Bjorn Bierkam, and frontman for The Villages and other foreign investors). Rumor has it that “they” got it for the firesale sum of BDS $14M at a “silent bid” auction at the end of last June.

So, again as was suspected, the orange paint on Kings Beach’s wall noted above was indicative of something serious happening in the area. Look for more condos as the property already has Town Planning approval for a six-storey/50-unit condo block; so there will be condos from Leamington in the north all the way to The Great House to the south.

Even more foreboding is that surveyors were spotted on the beach last week and the suspicion (no announcements so people can only do the Math) is that they (Bierkam & company) are getting ready to put in another groyne to try to repair the damage done to the beach in front of Kings Beach by the already infamous previous three groynes. The surveyors were spotted as far south as The Pink House in Road View/Mullins.”

So if you are going on Dr. Lowe’s cruise, you can have a look at the groynes yourself… unless, of course, the cruise vessel doesn’t take its usual trip for some strange reason.

Mullins Bay Destruction Not Just An Environmental Issue

The destruction of the beaches at Mullins Bay and nearby is not just an environmental issue. The story of Mullins Bay and the disappearing Barbados West Coast beaches is not a disagreement over environmental science by well-meaning people who all have the public good in mind. No sir.

The rape of our West Coast is all about corporations with money that have been allowed to do as they please by two successive governments. The St. Peter’s Bay condo developers were allowed by government to build groynes to enhance their own beach — never mind the disastrous impact upon the neighboring beaches and coastline.

Further Reading

Mullins Bay Blog: Let’s go to the beach

BFP: Beaches Disappearing Near Mullins Bay Barbados – Why Does Government Allow The St. Peter’s Bay Condo Project To Destroy The Coast?

“We have run out of funds needed to push forward to a sustainable position.”

… Ocean Park manager Tracy Johnson

Ocean Park Aquarium Shutting Down August 30, 2009

The Barbados marine exhibition known as Ocean Park has been dying a slow death and bleeding investors since shortly after it opened in 2005. Everyone had hopes that the tourist attraction would thrive in Barbados, but obviously the gross revenues and visitor traffic couldn’t sustain the operational expenses. According to the newspaper articles about Ocean Park, it takes a whole lot of electricity and other costs to keep salt-water big fish for display, and after seeing the facilities I believe that. (CBC article: Ocean Park future in doubt Nation article: Ocean Park expected to fold)

Shona and I took the boy and his cousin once and it was an enjoyable, if expensive, morning and lunch. The best part for the little ones was being able to touch the (de-barbed) sting rays in the pool – but after a few minutes, I’d put the boys’ excitement rating on the same level as finding a new bug or lizard in the yard. Which is all to say that the visit was enjoyable, but quite the price for a Bajan family by the time we purchased drinks and a snack.

As to the wisdom of taking an undistinguished empty field and trying to make a Disney-like major attraction in Barbados, my thoughts are that when tourists arrive in Barbados either by cruise ship or airplane, they don’t want to see mega “tourist attractions” that they can see elsewhere. People come to Barbados to experience what is unique about our country and our culture.

I believe that Ocean Park and other “mega attractions” are doomed to fail in Barbados because our tourists don’t come here to see mini versions of world-class experiences that are better done in larger markets. Consider the 4 million or so cruise ship passengers that transit through Miami every year (source here). If those passengers want to see a real world class marine park, they can go to the Miami Seaquarium and see killer whales, turtles, sharks and even swim with dolphins. Many do!

We certainly didn’t see any bus-loads of cruise ship passengers arriving at Ocean Park during our visit. Again that was probably because those people want to spend their few hours ashore seeing what is unique to Barbados.

Thank God that Owen Arthur’s Caribbean Splash Waterpark didn’t happen because in a short while it too would have been an abandoned eyesore.

Just like Ocean Park will be an abandoned eyesore in a few months.

Investors and lenders are in business to make money and if there is no return on their investment – and no prospects of profit – they cut their losses and boogie. I can’t blame Ocean Park’s investors for getting out after trying to make it work for almost five years, but their failure should be a lesson for anyone with hopes of establishing Disney-like tourist attractions in the Barbados market.

Ocean Park vs. Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary: What’s the difference?

On the bare surface, the closure of Ocean Park seems to echo last year’s closing of the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary by millionaire (billionaire?) Canadian philanthropist Peter Allard – but even a moment’s consideration disproves that false notion.

Ocean Park was a business failure, pure and simple. The owners and investors started a business to make a profit, and when it didn’t and they couldn’t see it ever making a profit – and nobody wanted to further invest into the business – they closed Ocean Park to stop the financial bleeding.

The Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary though was not created for profit. It was created as a gift to Barbados. The driving force behind the nature sanctuary is Peter Allard, who is by all accounts a super-rich guy who enjoys giving something back through his philanthropy directed to educational, social, medical and environmental causes. Nice work if you can get it, I guess!

Dr. Charles Allard, father of Canadian philanthropist Peter Allard

Again from what I can find online (here, here and here), Peter Allard and the rest of his family came into their money honestly enough starting with the family patriarch, Dr. Charles Allard, who gave up his surgery and went into business way back when. Over the last 50 years, the Allards became super successful in real estate, the gas and petrochemical industry and television broadcasting.

Different folks have different interests. While Oprah gives back by supporting her extensive Angel Network, Kermit Weeks preserves aviation history and sponsors pilot training for inner-city youths and Jay Grossman looks after the dental needs of L.A.’s homeless people, Peter Allard contributes tens of millions of dollars to communities through medical and environmental projects.

School Children Learning At The Last Mangrove Wetlands On The Island - The Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary

Helping Barbados By Cleaning and Saving Our Natural Environment

Almost 20 years ago, Peter Allard decided that saving the last mangrove forest and wetlands in Barbados was a worthy project, so he spent some US$30 million dollars of his own money cleaning up the dumping and damage at Graeme Hall and created a world-class nature sanctuary. Allard didn’t do all this in a vacuum as he originally had encouragement and appreciation from the Government of Barbados – at the time under the leadership of Owen Arthur. Allard was also assured that the Graeme Hall wetlands would stay protected as a natural resource under our country’s official land use plan.

Along the way, Peter Allard obviously fell in love with Barbados as he also funded the reef ball project and offered to give a multi-million dollar Cancer and AIDS hospice to Barbados so our loved ones would have proper care at the end of their lives.

Although the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary was a philanthropic project it employed some one hundred people directly and indirectly, and eventually it became almost self-supporting with the shortfall covered by Mr. Allard. But once again, the Nature Sanctuary was not supposed to make a profit. Allard supported the sanctuary operations and saved the wetlands as his gift to Barbados – his way of giving something back.

But then government insiders wanted to profit through land speculation at Graeme Hall

The fact that Peter Allard and his team cleaned up and saved the Graeme Hall wetlands meant that the public lands surrounding the Nature Sanctuary became tremendously valuable IF ONLY the government would change the national plan and permit building and commercial activity on lands that had been set aside as public green space.

And so the sabotage by Owen Arthur and his government friends started with the intent of making the foreigner run from Barbados. The nature sanctuary and Allard with his damned notion of “environment” were standing in the way of profits and kickbacks.

Soon the government sluice gate that controlled the water flow in and out of the mangrove ponds was damaged and not repaired so oxygen levels dropped killing fish. Then, oops! Sewerage was diverted from the government processing station into the nature sanctuary. Promised tax credits for the sanctuary operation never arrived for a decade as they were being “processed” by government workers. Then Owen Arthur met with American waterslide park developer Matthew Kerins and agreed to let Kerins build a water park on the wetlands.

When citizen outrage caused then-Prime Minister Owen Arthur to withdraw permission for a proposed Caribbean Splash waterslide park on the Graeme Hall wetlands, the BLP government ceased trying to pretend they cared about the environment and mangrove wetlands and announced they would change the official land use plan to allow for commercial development at Graeme Hall.

Prime Minister Thompson said “To Hell with parkland for citizens. Change the land use plan and make money developing what used to be a public green space!”

In January 2008, the citizens of Barbados tossed out Owen Arthur and his BLP, but unfortunately the new DLP gang under Prime Minister David Thompson had dollar signs in their eyes too.

One of the first acts of the David Thompson DLP Government was to change the law protecting 265 acres of parkland at Graeme Hall to allow developer friends to profit from these public lands. To make this happen, David Thompson and the DLP Members of Parliament had to set aside laws that had protected the land from development since 1988. When the government was finished, 2/3 of the parkland (175 acres) was gone and the government effectively signed the death warrant for the last mangrove wetland on the island.

And with all of that, Peter Allard finally decided late last year to shake the Barbados sand from his shoes and take his philanthropy to other places where the government and the people appreciate the value of their own natural environment and work to preserve it. Peter Allard shut down the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary after the government of Barbados stole two thirds of the parkland so their developer friends could profit from what should be YOUR parkland.

So you see, there is a huge difference between the business failure of Ocean Park, and the closing of the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary – which leads us to the conclusion…

Peter Allard Rescue Ocean Park? Not A Bloody Chance!

Fired BTA Member asked inconvenient questiions

A few days ago our resident hotel owner, tourism guru and recently-fired Barbados Tourism Authority member Adrian Loveridge said “I hope we have a plan“ and pointed out that visitor arrivals from the USA to Barbados have been flat for the last seven years.

He also asked about the wisdom of continuing to spend gobs of money on a market that isn’t responding. To Adrian, these flat American arrival statistics over a seven year period indicate that some changes should be made in the way Barbados is approaching the US market, and/or in the portion of our tourism budget allocated to that market.

Adrian seems to be concerned that Barbados should monitor spending AND results so we can properly access whether our efforts are producing an acceptable return on investment.

Ha… Foolish man. (said with tongue planted firmly in cheek)

No wonder the Government of Barbados fired Adrian from the BTA. He always seems to spoil the “everything will be fine” party by asking simple questions and making reasonable observations. Can’t have people doing audits that lead to accountability ’bout hey, doan ya know!

And don’t be asking for any planning either…

Grand Schemes, Not Professional Planning

Tourism Minister Sealy

Barbados politicians are most happy when they announce grand tourism schemes that have nothing to do with reality. Whether it is Tourism-Minister-turned-millionaire Noel Lynch and his imaginary 700 yachts during Cricket World Cup, Prime Minister Owen Arthur announcing that Barbados would see tens of thousands of Indian, Chinese and “stem cell” tourists – or current Minister of Tourism Richard Sealy proclaiming that Barbados will become a medical-tourism destination – our politicians (and our tourism industry) seem to flit from one scheme to another like hummingbirds to flowers.

Meanwhile, the government ignores the basics and fires anyone (like Adrian) who doesn’t want to “move forward” with the latest greatest idea that struck the Tourism Minister as he sat on the toilet. (So help me, I think I’ll just scream the next time I hear another politician say “Move forward” as if uttering that hackneyed phrase is showing actual leadership.)

Anyway, to move forward with this article…

I had Adrian’s latest column in my mind when I came across a few pieces at ETN Global Travel Industry News and learned that Panama has doubled tourism arrivals in the past five years. Ok… I’m interested in how they did it. While Panamanian efforts and strategies may not translate into success in our market, I say that any government capable of doubling arrivals in five years probably has something to teach us.

The same with the Solomon Islands who are up 8% over last year – and this in the middle of a continued financial meltdown.

So have a read of the articles linked below and see what you can glean.

As for me, I suspect that tourism “success” for Barbados has less to do with announcing great schemes than with keeping our island beautiful, safe and friendly. No matter what spin and schemes our advertisers put on Barbados tourism, if our product (our country) doesn’t please visitors and fulfill their expectations more than it has been – this place is going to be in rough shape in a few years.

ETN: Soloman Islands welcomes increase in tourists

ETN: Tourism in Panama is Booming

Latin Business Chronicle: The Truth About Panama’s Tourism

by Adrian Loveridge

I hope ‘we’ have a plan.

In less than two months we will see the arrival of two new air services. Factually the return of one from Philadelphia (US Airways) and a brand new addition, JetBlue from New York!

There is no doubt in my mind that JetBlue aggressive pricing will drive new business, even though American Airlines were quick to match fares on certain routes. Competition has certainly worked with the arrival of WestJet from Canada.

But in many respects the United States for us, is a different market and even before the current global economic crisis, it has not really seen any significant or sustained growth over the last six years or so.

It’s been a great puzzle to me for sometime why an increasingly disproportionate percentage of the BTA annual budget is consistently spent on this market with no real growth achieved.

The CTO (Caribbean Tourism Organisation) figures speak for themselves. Long stay US visitor arrivals to Barbados were for 2003 (129,326), 2004 (129,664), 2005 (131,005), 2006 (130,767), 2007 (134,041) and 2008 (131,003).

JetBlue are scheduled to operate Airbus 320’s with 150 seats daily, so a massive 54,750 seat capacity annually.

US Airways return initially with four times a week from October and then daily from December using an Airbus 319 with 124 seat capacity. Depending what happens after the peak season this will add another 29,760 to 42,160 seats annually.

So nearly another 100,000 seats a year from a market that has not experienced a increase of more than 3,274 long stay visitor arrivals in in any one of the last six years.

A new advertising agency was appointed in North America early this year and maybe they have some spectacular plans that those of us in tourism are not aware of yet. Despite a late booking pattern, two months is still a very short window of opportunity and I really hope we can maximise this wonderful opportunity.

As someone that tries to follow tourism closely, I have frankly been surprised not to receive details inviting hoteliers and tourism players onto road shows, travel agency and tour operator visits or in fact any promotional activities that include the service providers to the JetBlue and US Airways gateways and connecting cities.

Adrian Loveridge

Peach & Quiet Hotel,
Barbados

ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME SCENE! Armed Mexican troops seize hotel beach created with stolen sand and illegally-built groyne (rocks in background).

Unlike Barbados, the Government of Mexico is obviously serious about protecting fragile coastline and beaches from corporations and developers that think they can do whatever they want to enhance their own beachfront at the expense of the environment and others people’s property and enjoyment.

“…some property owners build breakwaters in a bid to retain sand. The practice often merely shifts sand loss to beaches below the breakwaters.”

“Today we made the decision to close this stretch of ill-gotten, illegally accumulated sand,”

…Patricio Patron, Mexico’s attorney-general for environmental protection.  (Mexico sends navy to shut Cancun beach; says hotel’s sand stolen.)

Mr. Patron said he regretted any inconvenience for tourists, but said the government is planning projects to restore beaches throughout Cancun in an orderly, environmentally responsible way.  “I apologize to the tourists for this problem, but it is a question of enforcing the law,” Mr. Patron said.

Of course, Mexico has environmental laws to enforce. Barbados has no environmental protection laws. Really… as strange as that sounds, it is true. Barbados has no environmental protection legislation on the books. Successive Barbados governments have promised such legislation – but they also promised anti-drunk driving legislation, integrity legislation, freedom of information legislation etc etc etc.

Contrast Mexico’s Protection of Beaches With Barbados…

Barbado Environment Denis Lowe (left) remains silent on the Mullins Beach fiasco since his election.

In the case of Mullins Bay, Barbados, a large condo developer has been allowed to build three massive groynes that trap sand in front of the condo to the detriment of other property owners and nearby beaches.

Minister of the Environment Denis Lowe didn’t even bother to show up for a long-planned Coastal Management beach walk a few weeks ago. According to our friends over at Mullins Bay blog, Minister Lowe promised to visit the area but hasn’t done so since he was elected. Hey… it must be tough for Doctor Lowe to tear himself away from the luncheon buffet at the government-owned Hilton Hotel.

Maybe someone should do up a Mullins Bay video presentation and play it over the sweets table at the hotel!

Mullins Bay Destruction Not Just An Environmental Issue

As we have said before, the destruction of the beaches at Mullins Bay and nearby is not just an environmental issue. The story of Mullins Bay and the disappearing West Coast beaches is not a disagreement over environmental science by well-meaning people who all have the public good in mind. No sir.

The rape of our West Coast is all about corporations with money that have been allowed to do as they please by two successive governments. The St. Peter’s Bay condo developers were allowed by government to build groynes to enhance their own beach — never mind the disastrous impact upon the neighboring beaches and coastline.

How much money did the condo developers provide in “campaign donations” to our two major political parties? Don’t ask! With no campaign financing laws, integrity legislation or conflict of interest laws — Barbados citizens are effectively kept in the dark.

In Mexico – crooked old Mexico where you can hardly run a roadside water stand without paying off some public official – they have enough sense to know that the rule of law must be enforced to protect the beaches… because when those beaches are gone Mexico can kiss the tourists goodbye.

In Barbados, our government officials allow certain developers to enhance their own properties while destroying area beaches.

Somebody in Barbados must be getting a pay off. That can be the only excuse. I hope the Barbados government officials who allowed the groynes are being paid off.

You have to understand Bajans: we accept that our government officials might be crooks. We just hope they aren’t stupid enough to destroy the beaches for free without filling their own pockets!

Doctor Lowe… quit stuffing your face and get rid of those groynes that are destroying Mullins Beach. For the love of Barbados, do something to save the West Coast beaches… Or, are you now on the take too?

Maybe I’m just getting too old. Maybe I’m too traditional, but I liked this look much better…

Rihanna’s New Mohawk – or something – Haircut

Some thoughts by Ian Bourne: Did Chris Brown’s attack unhinge Rihanna? Gun tattoos, wears pasties and now butchers head – What’s Up?

Dear Barbados Free Press:

I will just state for the record that my job involves extensive travel throughout the Eastern Caribbean and I have been in the same job for over 11 years. Let me also state that I am for managed migration, however, I must admit that I have a soft spot for my Caribbean brothers and sisters having made genuine friends in all the EC countries that I visited, so much so I have the choice to stay at a friend’s home as opposed to a hotel when I visit my neighbours. Similarly I entertain at least 8 of my EC mates or their family every year for a week at a time.

Prime Minister Thompson’s announcement of am amnesty for all Undocumented CARICOM Nationals (I do not subscribe to the view that a human should ever be referred to as ILLEGAL) has not gone down well in any of the Caribbean countries I have visited since May 15th. Bajans have come in for a tongue lashing from all walks of the EC’s society – e.g. the taxi driver, the home helper, the call in programs, the politicians, the business people and others. I have found myself on the receiving end more often than not and I am beginning to sense that a dislike for Bajans like me and you is rapidly brewing and it genuinely concerns me.

In a nutshell I am hearing from OUTSIDE OF BARBADOS that the backlash is rooted in the following –

1. The amnesty sets unrealistic requirements. A radio call in host in St. Lucia noted that PM Thomson’s conditions (I suspect with time spent in Barbados) would disqualify more than 90% of Undocumented Immigrants here in Barbados. Therefore it is being suggested that PM Thompson’s amnesty was never intended to facilitate the Undocumented Immigrant to regularize his/ her stay in Barbados, rather it is believed by the wider Caribbean that it is more so intended to justify the mass deportation of Undocumented CARICOM Nationals come January 1, 2010.

2.    Barbados and Bajans encouraged many of these same very Undocumented Immigrants to come to Barbados to work over the last 16 years. As a result some of Guyana’s and St, Vincent’s most talented artisans left their home for greener pastures in our then booming construction sector; additionally others were readily employed by our middle and upper classes as maids and gardeners. How often you were at a cocktail party in the late 90s and the work ethic or roti making skills of the Guyanese maid was being praised? Others came to our shores as plantation workers while others were recruited as sex workers. However, now that the party is over these Undocumented guest of ours are expected to drop everything – including chattel and family and jump on the next plane home.

3.    The politicians, especially the PMs of St. Vincent and Guyana, are stirring up the flames of anti-Bajan sentiment in their respective countries. I have little doubt that such a move is meant to distract from their impoverished economies, respectively.

4.    A middle class Grenadian business man reminded me in no uncertain terms that Barbados depends on her CARICOM neighbours for almost 60% of our exports. And how we are ungrateful “sycophants”. And if we don’t watch it our exports were going to suffer. He and others were of the opinion that we should go easy on our CARICOM brothers/ sisters because our manufacturing sector could not survive without CARICOM.

5.    A St. Lucian taxi driver reminded me that CO Williams Construction, SAGICOR and Almond Resorts St. Lucia were Barbadian companies who were making lots of money in St. Lucia while there were no St. Lucian companies of note that were allowed to exist in Barbados. Again he thought that PM Thompson was undermining and taking for granted the good bilateral relationship that existed between St. Lucia and Barbados for years by announcing “such a callous immigration policy”.

6.    The Caribbean media have reported the Gestapo like raids on undocumented immigrants quoting individuals who stated that they were awoken in the middle of the night by Sergeant PC Brooms and a very caustic immigration officer not caring what was to happen to their belongings once they were escorted off the premises.

7.    Many are accusing us as being short sighted pointing out that in the early half of the 20th century Bajans travelled without restrictions throughout the Caribbean in search of gainful employment.

PLEASE DON’T SHOOT THE MESSENGER / OBSERVER.

If we don’t bring a more realistic and human face to dealing with our Undocumented CARICOM neighbours Barbados could face a serious irreversible and potentially economically crippling backlash.

I would be first to admit that I have a vested interest in Barbados being perceived as being a kinder and gentler nation. My livelihood in intricately connected to doing business with our Eastern Caribbean neighbours, however, I must point out that if I fail to meet my targets over 30 Bajans could be on the bread line adding to the drain on our social security services. While my failure will in turn affect over 100 persons (including immediate family members), however, with my limited knowledge I can see our recently announced immigration policy resulting in:

1.    Possibly 1000s of Bajan manufacturing jobs being threatened
2.    A reduced number of CARICOM nationals choosing Barbados as their holiday/ shopping destination
3.    Reduced opportunity for our professionals – e.g. accountants, quantity surveyors, engineers, lawyers, pilots – getting jobs in the Eastern Caribbean
4.    Reduced business opportunities for our companies and businesses in the Eastern Caribbean. Right now the Williams group of companies have recently completed a water desalination plant in St. Kitts.
5.    Reduced number of CARICOM nationals travelling to Barbados for Crop Over/ Jazz Festival/ Cricket/ etc.
6.    Reduced number of EC Governments paying for their nationals to come to Barbados for medical test and care
7.    Reduced number of EC countries coming to our rescue in the face of a national disaster/ crisis – e.g. hurricane, tsunami, social disturbance (Prison riots)
8.    Our fishermen may be increasingly harassed if they ventured into the territorial waters of our increasingly unfriendly CARICOM neighbours.
9.    We may no longer be a hub for air transport into the EC.
10.    Our nominees for UN/ OAS/ FAO/ PAHO/ CCJ and other appointments may no longer be guaranteed the support of the EC
11.    UWI Cave Hill may see less and less EC nationals entering its doors.
12.    Our regional companies – Goddards and Cave Shepherds – may find it increasingly difficult to do business in the EC

I was once told for every action one should always be prepared for an equal and opposite reaction. I do think that most Bajans supporting PM Thompson’s immigration policy are unaware of the possible consequences of the reactions by our EC neighbours who rightly or wrongly feel hurt that a CARICOM brother/ sister in Barbados would devise a policy that on the surface, at least, seems inhumane and unjust.

A Very Concerned Bajan

“It did concern me that other British tourists who were staying at the hotel were completely unaware of what had happened. I am not saying it was deliberately suppressed but it doesn’t excuse the fact that no tourists were told about it..”

“There need to be warnings to British tourists that there are armed robbers operating in West Coast Road.”

… British lawyer Andrew Thompson tells the U.K. news media about his Sandy Lane Resort vacation - Suffolk barrister shot in Barbados and in a second article here.

Update: Many Newspapers picked up the story including the Daily Express: Britons’ Shooting Terror At Celebrity Caribbean Retreat

Couple Robbed, Husband Shot Walking Back To Sandy Lane Resort

Not A Word In Barbados News Media – Visitors & Hotel Guests Not Warned About Nearby Shooting, Robbery

Hotel is popular with Simon Cowell & Other Celebrities

Recovering from shooting: British Tourists Robbed, Husband Shot in Barbados

Suffolk barrister Andrew Thompson and his wife Isobel were walking back to Sandy Lane Resort after dinner on June 4, 2009 when they were held up by two men who had to dodge through busy traffic to reach them. Mr. Thompson was shot almost immediately after one robber demanded his wallet and the other snatched his wife’s purse. The shot ripped through his lower leg and caused major damage.

Mr. & Mrs. Thompson are veteran Barbados vacationers, visiting the island some 20 times and staying at Sandy Lane 10 times. They say they’ll be back – but they wish that someone had warned them and their fellow Brits that gunpoint robberies and shootings of tourists happen. They also complain that none of the other Sandy Lane visitors heard about it in the days afterward and so might have been at risk themselves while walking in the same area after Mr. Thompson had been shot and robbed.

The story only just appeared in the British news media some three weeks after the incident and, to Mr. Thompson’s knowledge (and our’s), has yet to be mentioned by the Barbados news media. (Dear readers: if the Thompsons & BFP missed coverage, please let us know and send us the reference.)

Memories of Murdered Canadian Tourist Terry Schwarzfeld

Murdered Canadian Tourist Terry Schwarzfeld

Back in March of 2009, Canadian tourists Terry Schwarzfeld and her daughter-in-law Lauana Cotsman were attacked and robbed on Long Beach on the Barbados South Coast. Sadly, Mrs. Schwarzfeld died from the beating after being returned to Canada in a coma.

Soon, Canadians were outraged to learn that many tourist robberies and rapes had been taking place at Long Beach but the Barbados news media, police and government hadn’t warned visitors even though the media and authorities knew of the ongoing danger! For an entire year or more the Barbados news media and authorities concealed a string of violent offenses at Long Beach and put many visitors at risk until one was finally murdered by the same serial criminal who was stalking the location.

Disgusting.

In the ten days immediately following the Schwarzfeld murder, the initial response from the Barbados Government and the Barbados news media was to say nothing and hope it all went away. Only after the Canadian press criticized Barbados for a cover-up did the Barbados Government and our news media mention Schwarzfeld.

FACT: Barbados Authorities Learned No Lessons From The Schwarzfeld Murder

Here we are only a few months after Terry Schwarzfeld was murdered – and once again foreign news media is reporting that Barbados tourists and Sandy Lane hotel guests were not warned that a robbery and shooting of a tourist had taken place nearby!

Once again the foreign news media is reporting that Barbados does not warn tourists of dangerous areas where there have been recent or ongoing attacks.

Have we learned nothing? Barbados and other tourist destinations can no longer cover up incidents of robbery, rape, shootings and even murders as was done in the past. Can you image what the foreign press would be saying if another Sandy Lane Resort guest had been shot or murdered in the same area after the first shooting – and the hotel guests hadn’t been warned of a recent incident?

This is the internet age and information cannot be contained. As Barbados Free Press has stated time and time again…

“…the international traveling public will accept a few unfortunate tourist incidents – but only if there is not one hint of a cover-up or sloppy, uncaring response. Everybody knows that trouble happens – and they also know that what happens after the trouble occurs is the true test of any organization.”

It is outrageous that once again the foreign news media is reporting that visitors to Barbados are not warned of recent shootings and robberies against tourists right where they are staying!

Here is the story from the Nation News about the despicable behaviour of the Barbados news media and authorities in covering-up the Long Beach tourist attacks for a year until Mrs. Schwarzfeld was murdered!

Long Beach robbery cases under review

Published on: 3/30/2009.

A REVIEW of the investigations surrrounding a string of robberies at Long Beach, Christ Church, over the past year is under way.

Commissioner of Police Darwin Dottin made the disclosure to the DAILY NATION on Saturday, responding to public concern as to why it took a while before lawmen held anyone in relation to crimes on the deserted beach.

It was after the March 18 death of Canadian visitor Terry Schwarzfeld, following an attack on February 28, that police held an accused, charging him with offences dating back to April and July last year.

Noting that it was “a reasonable question” raised by the public, Dottin said: “These things happen in law enforcement. We are currently relentlessly examining the whole matter to see whether there were any weaknesses in our policing.

“We will certainly learn from the review that is being undertaken. But I want to stress it is a reasonable question.”

Schwarzfeld, 60, was walking along the same stretch of beach when she was attacked and struck in the head with a piece of wood and robbed. She died on March 18, two weeks after she was airlifted home in an unconscious state.

Luana Cotsman, Schwarzfeld’s daughter-in-law, was also assaulted during the attack but survived.

On March 25 police charged Curtis Joel Foster, 24, of Wiltshire Avenue, Bayfield, St Philip, in connection with Schwarzfeld’s death, the rape of another tourist and robberies. (TS)

After being elected in January, 2008 one of the first acts of the David Thompson DLP Government was to change the law protecting 265 acres of parkland at Graeme Hall to allow developer friends to profit from these public lands. To make this happen, David Thompson and the DLP Members of Parliament had to set aside laws that had protected the land from development since 1988. When the government was finished, 2/3 of the parkland (175 acres) was gone.

We have just received some satellite maps and a press release from the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary that we publish here. Click on the image for a larger view…

Graeme Hall Parkland Loss Map Released

[Bridgetown, BARBADOS]   A land use map depicting the planned loss of parkland at Graeme Hall has been released this week by the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary.

Titled “Parkland Loss Planned at Graeme Hall,” the new map (www.graemehall.com/press/papers/ThenNowMap1.pdf ) illustrates the Government’s plan to allow residential and commercial development on government-owned Graeme Hall land.

Contrary to the original 1988 National Physical Development Plan (PDP), the new 2003 PDP recommends that parkland at  Graeme Hall be limited to the flood-prone Graeme Hall Swamp, and that all dry land be developed.

Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary officials are critical of the land use change, saying that urban development of Graeme Hall would be akin to developing Central Park in New York, and that wetland buffers and recreational opportunities would be permanently destroyed.  Sanctuary officials also cited recommendations from the Urban Land Use Institute quality-of-life recommendation of 25.5 acres of parklands for every 1000 people.

The move to convert the Graeme Hall parklands began after the Sanctuary was acquired by Peter Allard in the 1990’s.   Allard, a retired Canadian attorney and investor, purchased the Sanctuary lands after due diligence examination showed that the 1988 PDP designated the approximately 240-acre green space at Graeme Hall as an environmental, recreational and agricultural buffer for the wetland, and as a green corridor between Oistins and Greater Bridgetown urban areas.

Parliament ratified the land use change in early 2008 despite a petition signed by 6,000 Barbadians to preserve the 240-acre Graeme Hall area as a National Park.

Located at www.graemehall.com/press/papers/ThenNowMap1.pdf, the new map derives its information from Map 20 of the 1988 PDP, and Maps 4 and 6 of the 2003 PDP.  These maps can be located in the “Map” section of www.graemehall.com/reference.htm.

Graeme Hall contains some of the highest concentrations of biodiversity in Barbados and is the last major urban green space over 200 acres available as a regional park on the South Coast.

It has been a bitter-sweet feeling for the visitors who found their locker room emptied of their personal things after playing a game in the just concluded Women’s Volleyball World Championships. Joseph Smith, head of the delegation, said although they had not recovered everything that was lost, the team was very happy about the outcome, especially in cases where there were personal items.

“Members of the team who had I-pods and things like lap-tops with their personal information were ecstatic,” he added.

“We appreciate everything that was done for us and want to say a big thank you,” Smith said.

… from the Nation News article Loot Found

Praise Where Due, But Many Questions Remain

Bahamas Volleyball Team Sorts Through Recovered Property

Criticism of the Barbados Police by the Bahamian Volleyball team gave way to praise after some good police work resulted in the arrest of two Bajan brothers and recovery of about 60% of the team members’ stolen property. The girls were particularly happy about getting back electronic devices like iPods and laptop computers that contained personal information.

While this sterling performance by the officers of the Royal Barbados Police Force takes the edge off the public relations disaster that happens whenever visitors become victims of crime, it in no way makes up for the failure of the Barbados Volleyball Association officials and planners to protect our guests in the first place.

It is the natural culture of Bajans to write this incident off because the thieves stand charged and some property was recovered. It is the natural culture of Bajans to not want to be critical of the individuals who failed to consider security when hosting an international sports event.

But as we should have learned with the disaster called Cricket World Cup, if you want to play on the world stage your actions will be instantly broadcast around the world – so you had better get it right. Unfortunately, no amount of “Barbados Police get their man” stories about this volleyball tournament incident can ever make up for the original stories that appeared in the Bahamian news media and throughout the Caribbean.

And what about the unrecovered property? Who will pay for that? Who will compensate the team members and supervisors for their lost time at work and disrupted lives?

This is not a story with a happy ending despite the current spin in the Barbados news media.

Our Great Failing As A Society

Bajans (and their successive governments) believe in being reactive, rather than proactive. We seldom act to prevent incidents before they occur – we prefer to clean up afterwards and half the time we can’t get that right. This “doan worry ’til somethin happen” failing has dogged our culture for decades and becomes increasingly worse as our leadership exhibits the same laissez-faire attitude.

I mean, heck – we had to replace a whole fleet of garbage trucks four years early because nobody bothered to change the engine oil as required! Whose fault was that? “Nobody”.

So who of the Barbados Volleyball Association will admit personal responsibiliy for failing to ensure the security of visiting team members during an international tournament? Which person will pay for the losses? Who will resign?

Answer: Nobody

Oh, there will be a press conference where the BVA will announce that they have “reviewed” what happened and “taken action” to ensure that future events are “better secured”… but that may or may not be the truth. It is more likely than not that the “new commitment” will be nothing more than a statement without real follow-up action or ongoing oversight to ensure compliance.

In Barbados, we learn from our Government leaders. We do press conferences and promises very well.

As to taking real action?

Doan mek sport!

Further Reading…

BFP – June 16, 2009: Bahamas Volleyball Team Robbed Of Everything From Barbados Garfield Sobers Locker Room – Complaints of “Lukewarm” Response By Barbados Police & Volleyball Officials

Dear Barbados Free Press,

Last year you talked about “road toll” incidents at Boscobel and begged the police to make arrests. The gang is still there every day at the intersection preying on tourists as if it was a regular job. Without exaggeration I tell you they are there every day. Last week some of our guests were frightened to death when they were stopped by one of the men blocking the road. When he asked for money they drove off and the man kicked the side of the car denting it and fell down pretending to be injured. Fortunately they kept on driving. Will you please draw attention to this once more?

(Name withheld)

The road is closed. I need ten dollars.

Dear BFP Reader,

Here you go… we’ll republish our earlier article NOT THAT IT WILL CAUSE THE POLICE TO ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING…

Before we get to the original article, here are a couple of satellite shots for the tourists so they can avoid the thugs. We’d say the maps are for the police, but they already know about this gang… NOT THAT IT WILL CAUSE THE POLICE TO ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING…

Click on the images to view the large size in new windows. Blue dot marks the gang’s usual intersection. They sit on the south side and take turns stopping hired cars.

-

Barbados Police Helpless In Stopping Boscobel Road Toll Gang

Hundreds Of Tourists Being Accosted For Money Every Month!

The Boscobel “Road Toll Gang” have been doing their thing for at least three years now. They stop tourist hired cars by standing in front of them. They inform the drivers that the road is closed, instruct them to drive another way and then demand money for the “assistance”.

They are big, nasty men and most of the tourists pay. It is a lucrative business for the gang.

Always seven or eight sitting at the “T” intersection and while one engages the driver in conversation another will sometimes come up behind on the passenger side, reach through an open window to grab a purse or a camera and then run like hell. Sometimes they will even open an unlocked door.

The Royal Barbados Police Force are well aware of this bunch of thieves, but have done nothing except take the reports from the poor tourists who are stupid enough to stop and roll down their windows.

I guess that Commissioner Dottin and his officers have much better things to do than to look after this group of thugs who are singlehandedly destroying the reputation of this island sometimes ten and twenty times a day.

No trouble finding them: they are at the “T” in Boscobel every day. It is their place of business, and their business is shaking down fearful tourists…

… continue reading this article here: Barbados Police Helpless In Stopping Boscobel Road Toll Gang

School Children Learning At The Last Mangrove Wetlands On The Island - The Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary

[Christ Church, BARBADOS]  The new Barbados Children’s Environmental Action Awards (CEA) programme was announced today by the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary.

To be awarded four times each year, the CEA Awards encourages and recognises children and children’s groups for their activities that directly preserve and protect terrestrial and marine natural habitats and parklands throughout Barbados for future generations.

“Today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders.  We encourage children to learn the importance of the environment to our health and social welfare, and be proactive in saving wild habitat and open spaces, as well as helping to identify and correct environmental problems,” said Peter Allard, Chairman of the Sanctuary.

“This award pays tribute to the work of many in the community who understand the importance of protecting the last remnants of Barbados’ environmental legacy for future generations.”

Each CEA Award includes a Bds. $2,000 prize, plus a public recognition ceremony at Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary for invited children, families and guests.

The first CEA Award nomination deadline for 2009-2010 is September 15, 2009.   The successful nominee will be  publicly announced by October 31, 2009.

More information for CEA nominations can be found at www.graemehall.com/awards

UPDATE: Ocean Dream Denied Barbados Entry – 43 Crew Ill With “Flu-like” Symptoms

A LUXURY CRUISE LINER carrying 43 crew members exhibiting “flu-like symptoms” was denied entry into the Bridgetown Port yesterday. (snip)

When contacted, Minister of Health Donville Inniss said: “The situation was drawn to our attention this afternoon [yesterday] that the vessel was heading to Barbados as its second port of call and that several crew members were ill.

“After consultation with all relevant stakeholders, the decision of the Barbados Government is that this vessel should not make Barbados its next port of call.”

… continue reading this story at The Nation: Sail On By!

Original story…

Ocean Dream Due In Bridgetown – Tuesday, June 16, 2009 8am

Grenadian health authorities on Monday refused to allow the luxury cruise ship “Ocean Dream” to dock after some of the crew and passengers exhibited symptoms of the influenza A (HINI) virus, commonly referred to as Swine Flu.

Public Relations Officer with the Grenada Board of Tourism, Edwin Frank confirmed that the ship, which visits the island on a weekly basis with 1,350 passengers, was refused entry on Monday, but could not say how many persons were affected with the flu-like symptoms…

… from the CBC News article: Grenada turns cruise liner away from port

Barbados Health authorities have been doing much public relations about enhanced employee training and screening at the port and the airport, but when the Ocean Dream arrives in Barbados on Tuesday morning (or maybe before), one person will eventually have to make a decision to turn the ship away or to accept passengers who want to come ashore and see some of Barbados. (Ship’s cruise schedule is here)

If we let the passengers off but Grenada didn’t, does that mean our decision is wrong or theirs? Or can everybody be correct?

Whatever the decision…

Zero risk = zero tourist dollars

BUT… could a bad decision put our families at risk?

I don’t know any of the answers folks, but if July and August are much worse than April, May and June – more than a few businesses might not make it to the high season.

Meanwhile… Let’s go for a cruise on the Pullmantur Ocean Dream…

My first post after a long break and I’m damned cranky.  I had planned to write something nice, not this.  But a trip to Chubbie’s DVD rental this morning changed my mind for me… (snip)

…In his typically friendly manner, Greg says to the clerk, “Good morning.  We’d like to take these, please.”

The clerk recoils.  She looks at the 6 movies Greg is handing her as though they’re dog manure.

So Greg waits until she is behind the counter and he places them before her.  “Hi,” he says again, “we’d like to take these, please.”

No greeting.  The clerk says…

… continue reading the Planet Barbados article Why It’s Just About Impossible To Rent A DVD In Barbados

Sullen Shop Clerk Has Too Many Sisters

Shona read of Jane and Greg’s DVD rental from hell and just shook her head and laughed “That Chubbies employee would last no longer than 20 minutes in New York City and that is saying something.”

Yup, NYC shop clerks are notorious for addressing customers as “Buddy” and saying things like, “Ya wanit?”, but at least they usually acknowledge you as a fellow human being by saying some greeting like “HOWZYA-DOOOO-IN?”

How many other Chubbies customers will be treated the same way that Greg and Jane were? Our guess: fewer and fewer – one way or another.

GENEVA, June 11 (Reuters) – The World Health Organisation is raising its pandemic alert to phase 6, the top level on its six-point scale, to indicate a flu pandemic is under way, WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan said on Thursday.

“This means the world is moving into the early days of its first influenza pandemic in the 21st century,” Chan told reporters.

Chan said the move reflected the geographic spread of the virus but did not indicate the severity of the influenza (A) H1N1 pandemic. She said the WHO’s global assessment was that the pandemic was moderate.

She also said the WHO did not recommend closing borders and said there should not be restrictions on the movement of people, goods and services…

… Reuters H1N1 Swine Flu Pandemic

Royal Caribbean's "Adventure of the Seas" Turned Away After Passengers Isolated In Barbados

Meanwhile: Barbados Outbound Cruise Ship Blocked From St. Lucia and Antigua

Tighten up those seatbelts, folks. Our tourism-based economy is about to get even more turbulent.

Mail Online: ‘Swine flu’ cruise ship blocked from Caribbean ports

Mullins Beach: Going, Going...

Our friends over at Mullins Bay Blog have been chiding us lately for not paying enough attention to the destruction occurring on the West Coast, and after some thought we have to plead guilty. Sometimes one gets caught up in life to the point where you forget about the basics. I think it’s called “the tyranny of the urgent over the important.”

Anyway, our thanks for the gentle reminder and we promise to pay more attention to the serious situation happening at Mullins Bay. We also promise to up the environmental stories content at BFP as we’ve let that slip lately too. In our defense, we point out that Barbados Free Press has been hammering integrity and accountability issues recently because the Barbados government’s refusal to enact and truly embrace ITAL (Integrity, Transparency and Accountability Legislation) has in large measure been responsible for the continuing CLICO debacle. (Our predictions about CLICO… You ain’t seen nothin’ yet, folks!)

Environmental Stories

We’ve been primarily focused upon two environmental stories from the South Coast: the Shell Oil leaky pipeline that contaminated soil and wells in the area, and the government’s changing of the law to allow their developer friends to build upon the Graeme Hall watershed – upon land that had been protected for the previous 30 years.

Both of these stories are, on the surface, all about environmental concerns – but if you look closer, you’ll find politics and money are always a big part of environmental controversies.

You know how it is folks… money changes everything.

Mullins Bay Destruction Not Just An Environmental Issue

And so you will find that the destruction of the beaches at Mullins Bay and nearby is not just an environmental issue. The story of Mullins Bay and the disappearing West Coast beaches is not a disagreement over environmental science by well-meaning people who all have the public good in mind. No sir.

The rape of our West Coast is all about corporations with money that have been allowed to do as they please by two successive governments. The St. Peter’s Bay condo developers were allowed by government to build groins to enhance their own beach — never mind the disastrous impact upon the neighboring beaches and coastline.

How much money did the condo developers provide in “campaign donations” to our two major political parties? Don’t ask! With no campaign financing laws, integrity legislation or conflict of interest laws — Barbados citizens are effectively kept in the dark.

Did the St. Peter’s Bay condo developers ever provide gifts or consulting contracts to personnel with the Coastal Zone Management Unit or the Town Planning Department? How about gifts or consulting contracts to government family members? Don’t ask! Barbados has no integrity and conflict of interest laws that prohibit government workers or elected representatives from accepting gifts from developers.

At Mullins Bay blog, the authors cannot ask such questions openly. They can and do ask why the Barbados government has allowed one developer to cause so much damage. They ask why the Minister of the Environment, Denis Lowe, hasn’t shown his face in the area. They ask why two successive governments have cared so little about the disappearing West Coast beaches.

At Barbados Free Press we say, “Follow the Money”

The story of the environmental rape at Mullins Bay and elsewhere on the West Coast is not just an environmental issue. It is also about fat cats in government failing to protect the public interest. It is about a Prime Minister and an Environment Minister who were concerned about environmental issues like Mullins Bay, the Graeme Hall wetlands and Shell Oil spills — only until they were elected.

How much did the St. Peters Bay condo developers donate to the DLP campaign.. and how has that impacted the government decisions at Mullins Bay? How much did Shell Oil donate to the DLP campaign… and how has that impacted the government decision not to side with the farmers? How much did CLICO donate to the DLP campaign… and how has that impacted the government decision to change the laws to allow development on the Graeme Hall watershed?

Yes my friends, there is much more to environmental issues than appears at first glance.

Educate Yourself On The Mullins Bay Area Issues

(Adapted from Mullins Bay Blog story – link here)

It is important that concerned locals and visitors to the area know precisely what is going on vis-a-vis beach erosion in the area so that they can articulate the issues intelligently and are not confused by the nonsense and non-science being put out by St. Peter’s Bay and sanctioned by people who should know better from the Coastal Zone Management Unit and the Town Planning Department, as if St. Peter’s Bay is in its own little vacuum.

Over the last three years this blogger has watched and chronicled here the systematic destruction of the beach and private property from the time the groins were installed. If you look at the area map supplied here yesterday,  you will notice that the devastated downdrift  areas start at Kings Beach Hotel which adjoins the southernmost of the three groins.  As this blog reported and documented with photos here, rows of coconut trees, guard walls, etc., were flattened at Kings Beach and the natural headland there was completely eroded particularly during storm events by powerful currents forced off the groins smashing the walls of the mouth of the canalized storm drain on the beach in the process, which drain was once several yards from the water’s edge.   Once the headland was eroded it was open season on the sandy beaches further south culminating in the damage reported in the Sunday Sun article two weeks ago.

“Any coastal structure designed to trap or hold sand in one location will, without question, deprive another area of that sand.  In simple terms, any structure (including terminal groins) that traps sand will cause erosion elsewhere.”

“Groins can impact nearshore circulation by directing currents offshore, especially during storms.”

Armouring the beach with rocks and boulders, while necessary as an emergency measure to prevent further loss and/or damage to private property, ultimately in and of itself does not bring back a sandy beach which is the best protection for the shoreline, as clearly reiterated in the above video.  As one New Zealand coastal engineer who learned of our plight via the Internet “tweeted” recently – “if the beach is eroding in the long term. placing rocks will most likely consign your sandy beach into history.”   A long term solution would therefore require: (1) the immediate removal of the offending groins at St. Peter’s Bay to give the beach a chance to recover and undo some of the damage already done; and, (2) a beach nourishment program implemented such as the one this blog suggested three years ago before we saw all of the accerated destruction in the area.

With all the ongoing erosion on the west coast, some of it no doubt probably related to climate change, government should have never given approval for three groins at St. Peter’s Bay. To put it mildly – it was a monumental environmental mistake (if indeed it was a mistake and nothing even more sinsiter). To continue to ignore the problem (where is the Minister of the Environment who promised to visit the area two weeks ago) will in the very short term mean kissing goodbye to Mullins Beach itself and tourism in the area – not to mention the total devastation and havoc it would visit on the local and adjoining communities.

Save Mullins Bay
Road View, St. Peter
Barbados
246-244-1885
savemullinsbay@gmail.com

http://twitter.com/savemullinsbay

]]> http://barbadosfreepress.wordpress.com/2009/06/06/natural-heritage-barbados-says-environment-is-a-top-priority-just-dont-look-too-closely-at-what-the-government-is-really-doing/ Sat, 06 Jun 2009 03:46:21 +0000 BFP http://barbadosfreepress.wordpress.com/2009/06/06/natural-heritage-barbados-says-environment-is-a-top-priority-just-dont-look-too-closely-at-what-the-government-is-really-doing/

Click to read the deceptive Barbados Natural Heritage Advert

Fine Words Hide Destructive Actions Taken By Government

As the last mangrove swamp on the island (Graeme Hall) suffocates to death because the Barbados government refuses to maintain the sea gate, the Natural Heritage Department published a full page advert in Friday’s Barbados Advocate to tell the people that the government is taking excellent care of the “biosphere” and “ecosystem”.

Yes, the full colour layout just gushes with “green” terminology that the politicians and bureaucrats picked up on their latest junket high-level climate-change conference across the pond in Norway. We do words and promises very well in Barbados and this advert doesn’t fall short on either. Why, better than half the words in each sentence can be found in the “cool environmental phrases” handbook. Lookie here at this dandy…

“The Natural Heritage Department will spearhead the legislative, regulatory and institutional framework for sustainable management of all protected areas in Barbados, including the proposed Barbados National Park.”

We’ve read all the words on the page but we’re still trying to find where it describes what the Thompson DLP government has ACTUALLY DONE or ACCOMPLISHED in relation to the environment and related legislation. You know – a REAL ACTION that produced an ACTUAL OUTCOME or a MEASURABLE POSITIVE RESULT.

What we did find in the advert was yet another promise that environmental legislation is being… spearheaded.

Yes sir… we’re all going to have environmental legislation ’bout hey someday. We know that because they – both BLP and DLP – keep promising it to us. I believe the first promised date for environmental legislation was 1972 and last promised date for its introduction was this past April, but as with the Freedom of Information and Integrity Legislation, promises are easy – it is real action that is difficult. In Barbados mostly we get the promises but the action just doesn’t happen.

Do you know that in the fifteen years since the first big Shell pipeline jetfuel spill on the south coast, no Barbados government passed a law requiring pipeline and gas tank owners to check for leakage each day, keep records and report spills? Isn’t that incredible?

Do you know that there are absolutely no environmental standards and laws in Barbados regulating the use, handling, storage and disposal of toxic chemicals? Isn’t that incredible?

But at least now we know that the promised environmental, sustainable, green, ecosystem, biosphere legislation is being spearheaded. Whew! That’s great, ’cause for a minute there I thought that no real action was taking place.

Graeme Hall Wetlands To Be Developed By DLP Campaign Funder CLICO & Leroy Parris

Parks, Promises And Reality

The Natural Heritage advertisement is extremely deceptive when it comes to the Graeme Hall Mangrove Swamp and RAMSAR wetlands. Consider the DLP government’s actions since their election…

Almost immediately after being elected in 2008, the Thompson DLP government changed the law to allow commercial development and building upon the Graeme Hall watershed — an area that had been protected in law for almost three decades.

This was done so Prime Minister Thompson’s developer friends could profit from the sale of government lands at Graeme Hall and their own lands that border the nature sanctuary. As an example, the adjoining land immediately to the west of the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary is owned by (surprise, surprise) CLICO!

Now let us consider the fact that both the Owen Arthur and David Thompson governments have for a decade deliberately neglected to repair the sea gate at Graham Hall. As a result, the last mangrove forest on the island (a RAMSAR site) is slowly being poisoned as it is denied the natural ebb and flow of sea water into the mangroves. The government’s intent, of course, is to destroy the wetlands while avoiding the responsibility for doing so. When it is all done the swamp will be dead and the condo highrises will sprout in an area that should have been declared a national park. And the last major greenspace between the airport and the city will be more houses and commercial developments.

My friends, please take the time to sit back and read the Natural Heritage advertisement (above) that appeared in the Barbados Advocate and really think about the disconnect between what the words say, and the reality of the government’s actions and inaction.

Then answer this question for yourself: What do you intend to do to save the last mangrove forest in Barbados from a government that is so intent on profiting from our children’s future?

Further Reading

How The Barbados Government Is Stealing Graeme Hall National Park From Our Children

Graeme Hall National Park website

Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary website

At a time when various Caribbean Ministers of Government have recently met and agreed to levy yet another tax on intra Caribbean air travel, its time perhaps for them to contemplate exactly the effect its having on land based tourism.

A seven day cruise departing from Barbados was recently advertised with one of the largest companies, taking in St. Lucia, Antigua, St. Kitts, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, Dominica and back to Barbados.   With a lead-in price from US$449 per person plus mandatory gratuities, Government fees and taxes, it represented what many might consider outstanding value-for-money. Especially as when you consider most meals, and other features like entertainment are included.

Of the overall total cost, an amount of US$55.42 per person is shown as Government fees and taxes.   Now let’s say you were the same person considering visiting our Caribbean neighbours and taking the cheapest published airfares between point to point, what would you pay in Government taxes and add-ons?

Barbados-St. Lucia US$61.87; St. Lucia – Antigua US$82.57; Antigua-St. Kitts US$42.10; St. Kitts – San Juan US$52.70; San Juan – St. Thomas US$34.50; St. Thomas – Dominica US$33.00 and Dominica- Barbados US$25.38!

Barbados Grantley Adams International Airport

So a massive US$332.12 per person in taxes and add-ons to visit the same number of destinations by air! In fact this figure is even higher, because some governments are not yet including the departure tax in the ticket price.

Now what about the overall contribution to the region?   Well we know many of the ships are not registered in the region. We know they largely employ extra-regional crew and officers, who as far as I am aware contribute little in national insurance contributions, income or other taxes to the Caribbean.   The overwhelming percentage of what is consumed onboard is sourced outside of the Caribbean.

And finally, where does the lion’s slice of the revenue and profit generated from the world’s largest cruise market go?   Of course, outside the region!   On the other hand, the almost dominant regional airline has been subsidised over decades by the Caribbean taxpayer. The reason we are told the departure taxes are so high is because we need to upgrade the airports, but wait a minute, don’t we, and haven’t ‘we’ upgraded the ports as well?

How can anyone reasonably argue for airports to extract more than six times the amount in taxes than our ports do?

For the ship cruise operators, when the going gets tough, all they have to do is haul the anchor and sail off to Alaska, Dubai or the Mediterranean.   Hoteliers and other land-based tourism partners sadly do not have that option.

I am not, repeat not advocating against the cruise ships and their recognised contribution. But simply asking the playing field to be levelled to a degree where we can at least think of competing and surviving in these troubling economic times.   Yes! There have been repeated calls for hoteliers to lower their rates and make them more affordable to Caribbean Nationals, while at the same time considerable pressure has been placed on them to maintain employment.   Most of recognise the desirability of having a truly pan Caribbean marketing campaign, but don’t do it at the expense of an already barely viable accommodation sector.

Adrian Loveridge

30 May 2009