guyanese try to return to normal after flood

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) – Guyanese education minister Henry Jeffrey visited a number of schools throughout the city on recently to ex-plore the possibility reopening them as soon as possible.

While flood damage was negligible in some schools other buildings were still water logged and would clearly need more time to be ready.

More than 100 schools in George-town were closed for the past ten days following heavy rains which triggered widespread flooding.

With the weather improving, many took the opportunity to dry out stock which had been damaged by the flood water. In many stores, carpets, bolts of cloth and other merchandise were seen hanging from many stores and homes.

Meanwhile the international Red Cross announced that it has launched an international appeal to assist 30,000 people or 6,000 families for six months.

The organization which has already upgraded its disaster relief operations will concentrate on some key areas such as water and sanitation along with environmental health.

Psychological support and strengthening the capability of the Guyana Red Cross to deal with emergency situations are also part of the longer term operations the organization hopes to undertake in Guyana.

Red Cross official John Flemming said the organization hopes to provide food and non-food relief.

A water and sanitation surveillance program will be undertaken with local water management unit authorities along with the Pan American Health organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund.

Hygiene kits will also be distributed in an attempt to control water borne diseases which are already emerging and which are expected to increase.

Thousands of mosquito nets will also be distributed.

KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) – The Director of Public Prosecutions has ordered that three cops implicated in a robbery and shoot-out with the St. Ann police in Ocho Rios last December, be charged with the crimes.

The Constabulary Communication Network’s (CCN’s) metro officer for St. Ann said that the three, all at the rank of constable, have been cited for robbery, shooting with intent and fire-arm possession.

But up to late last night, their names had not been released.

The cops were said to be stationed in Portmore at the time of their alleged robbery attempt.

A civilian, who was detained in the same incident, has also been charged with the same offenses.

At around 11:30 pm on December 21, the St Ann police responded to a report that six armed men, including three dressed as cops and travelling in two motor cars, had raided a guest house in Boscobel, St. Mary and were headed towards Ocho Rios.

The cars, a silver Toyota Corolla, registered 3846 ED and a white Mazda 323, registered PB 7037, were later spotted along Milford Road in Ocho Rios and signalled to stop.

However, the St. Ann CCN reported that the driver of the Mazda tried to speed away, while its occupants fired at the police, resulting in a shoot-out.

“It was later discovered that two of the three people in the car had received gunshot wounds,” the CCN said, add-ing that after treatment at the St Ann’s Bay Hospital, they were released into police custody, along with four others, for questioning.

It was later established, the police said, that the men in uniform were bonafide members of the Jamaica Con-stabulary Force, stationed at Portmore.

The police said that two firearms taken from the Mazda motorcar were seized and sent for forensic and ballistic tests.

Head of the Bureau of Special In-vestigations Assistant Commissioner of Police Granville Gause, who probed the incident, submitted his findings to the DPP who ruled yesterday that the men be charged.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (AP) – Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur said the island could become a Re-public by year-end.

He said draft legislation would be presented to parliament in March.

Speaking at a meeting of the ruling Barbados Labor Party (BLP) recently, Arthur said that “this BLP will move this country to a higher and mature plane of political development by having changes to our Constitution that embrace many of the proposals of the Henry Forde Constitutional Commis-sion.”

“A lot was left to be done by future generations,” Arthur said.

“These generations have to decide what it is they want to accept as the symbolic representation of the Barba-dos personality as represented by our head of state. The moment is coming this year,” he added.

Political scientist Peter Wickham al-though in favor of Arthur’s announcement, said it was important for the population to be educated on the issue, “especially in an environment where people are concern about the extent decisions are being made without the necessary public support behind them.

Arthur said he favors a system where the president is head of state, although he didn’t say if Barbados would re-main a member of the British Com-monwealth.

Barbados became independent in 1966, but still recognizes the Queen of England as the official head of state. The queen is represented on the island by the largely ceremonial role of governor general.

ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada (AP) _ Grenadian education officials are launch-ing two projects to help children deal with the trauma caused by Hurricane Ivan.

A UN children’s fund (UNICEF) program called “Return to Happiness” has been rolled out to thousands of primary students across the island.

UNICEF officials say it is similar to one offered in countries that are recovering from years of armed conflict.

But the UN children’s fund consultant in Grenada, Leon Charles, says the project is uniquely designed to target the particular psycho-social needs of Grenadian children.

“This new program is aimed at assisting children who have experienced trauma as a result of their exposure to Hurricane Ivan.

“The implementation in Grenada started right after Hurricane Ivan when, in the first two weeks after Ivan, we targeted 400 children in the worst affected parts of the country,” he said.

According to the official the initial success of the project means it will now be rolled out to all primary school children in the country between the ages of six and 12.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Educa-tion says it is reviewing the school syllabus in an attempt to deal with the noted changes in behavior in Grenadian society - particularly among children.

Minister of Education Claris Charles said: “Many people have said that after Ivan they experienced a sort of behavior in this society that is extremely abnormal, that they didn’t expect the different attitudes that people displayed.

“We think that our education system to a large extent has to deal with such problems, changes in attitude and so on, and we thought that we would look at the reading materials that our children use.”

The minister said a national consultation on education is also being planned to review the entire education system in Grenada.