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The Chase Files Daily Newscap 7/6/2018

Good Morning #realdreamchasers! Here is The Chase Files Daily News Cap for Friday 6th July 2018. Remember you can read full articles by purchasing Weekend Nation Newspaper (WN), via Barbados Today (BT) or Barbados Government Information Services (BGIS).

INNISS MUZZLED – A last minute decision by former Prime Minister and outgoing President of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) Freundel Stuart to abruptly end the party’s signature lunchtime lectures has left one party elder fuming, and threatens to cause fissures within the 63-year-old political movement. Stuart last night cancelled the lectures with immediate effect following a meeting of the DLP Executive Council, leaving former Minister of Commerce Donville Inniss with the proverbial egg on his face. Inniss, a prospective DLP leader, was scheduled to deliver tomorrow’s lecture and had produced and circulated a colourful flyer promoting the event. The title of his lecture was expected to be, Barbados and the DLP: The Future is Now, according to the flyer, which was done in the party’s colours and featured a reflective Inniss dressed in a white shirt, a yellow tie and a grey jacket. A further decision was taken to defer all such events until a new executive is in place after internal elections are held during the party’s annual conference next month. Inniss could not be reached for comment, but the decision did not sit well with party elder Astor B Watts, in whose honour the lecture series was renamed last year. An incensed Watts did not mince words this afternoon as he said what he thought of Stuart and the decision to shelve the lectures. The outspoken party stalwart suggested that the decision to bring a halt to the presentation without warning might have been driven by fear that Inniss would have criticized the former Prime Minister over his leadership of the party and the country. “Donville Inniss was going to do the speaking and he probably thought that he [Inniss] may not have given him any kudos,” Watts told Barbados TODAY. “I am not interested if they are at variance because I am doing something for the people of Barbados. We have been doing that lunchtime lecture on Friday for years and if he [Stuart] had any grievance, he should have consulted with me before making the suggestion which he made last night,” he added. The DLP elder told Barbados TODAY he had no intention of allowing Stuart the final say on the matter, and he did not hold back, saying the defeated Prime Minister “could go to hell”. “I am going over there tomorrow because I am not a fly-by-night, I was properly brought up. If he [Stuart] does not know right from wrong then he could go to hell! That is where he belongs,” an angry Watts said. “I am really going over there tomorrow because of all of those people I invited and I would have to now go and apologize to them and let them know what my position is,” he added. Watts reminded Stuart, who led the DLP to an historic defeat in the May 24 general election, that he only had a month to go as leader of the party, and therefore was in no position to act as a dictator. “We are not living in a Russian atmosphere, we are living in a democracy and I don’t stand for nonsense and I intend to still do my talk tomorrow when I go over there,” he said. “We can’t hide from the truth and the truth is that all is not well. If he felt that Donville Inniss may not have stuck to his script, I would have guided him not to bring any politics into the talk, or point fingers at anybody. “ I don’t know what would have possessed him to make such a decision, but he needs to realize that he is an outgoing president and he should take his seat and remain where he is,” Watts stressed. Barbados TODAY contacted DLP General Secretary George Pilgrim who refused to comment “on any internal matters of the Democratic Labour Party”. However, he confirmed that a meeting of the Executive Council was held last night, but said he was absent from the discussions. (BT)

UNIFORM PROTEST – A major controversy is brewing at The Ellerslie School over the sudden change of the uniform for students attending the Black Rock, St Michael educational institution. In fact, former student Rodney Garnes has started an online petition in a bid to pressure the Ministry of Education to reverse the decision. The petition, titled Don’t Change My Ellerslie Uniform, had attracted over 800 signatures up to the time of publication. Barbados TODAY understands that a number of disgruntled parents and members of the school’s alumni also plan to stage protest action tomorrow outside the school compound. When students return to school in nine weeks time following the summer holiday they will have a brand new uniform, which critics say is much too similar to that worn by students of Combermere School. Instead of the traditional khaki shirt and pants in the junior school, the boys will wear white shirts with the school crest, and khaki pants, while the girls will wear a khaki overall, as opposed to brown. Senior boys will continue to wear white shirts, but the brown trousers will be replaced by khaki pants and the school crest and tie will replace the epaulettes. A number of upset old scholars, including Terry Clarke, took to social media to vent their opposition to the change. “I stand in solidarity with my past and present colleagues of The Ellerslie School by signing this petition as my disapproval for the change in a new design of the school’s uniform,” Clarke posted. He said the new uniform would change the school’s identity and put a dent in the pockets of already struggling parents. “I am convinced that similar to other organizations both military, paramilitary and NGOs [non-governmental organizations], Ellerslie has become a brand where the uniform has affectionately attracted the name of ‘Brown Cows’ to the institution and throughout various social networks. “Also, major consideration must be given to those parents who have invested heavily previously, and last school year, and who, because of the bleak economic conditions domestically and nationally, cannot afford to purchase any further new uniforms,” he said. Another member of the school’s alumni, Judith Prescod, also gave the uniform change a failing grade. “As a past student I do believe that the uniform should not change. There are too many uniforms that already look similar to that, and besides the design is awful. Whoever did it needs to go back to needlework class. We are known as ‘Brown Cows’, let it stay that way,” she said. However, when Barbados TODAY visited the school just as students were dismissed around 1 p.m. today, Randall Stevenson, who will be entering his final year come September, was fully in support of the change in uniform. “To be honest, I really agree with the change in the uniform. I like it. The junior school uniform, when you look at the boys, one, it looks like Lester Vaughan slightly, and the girls look like Combermere just because it is an overall, but to me it isn’t that close,” Stevenson said. “The only thing that I’m not supporting is that we will now have no choice but to wear brown shoes. I don’t like that because to me brown shoes are harder to source and they are expensive.” Equally happy with the change was fourth year student Denzil Lockhart, although he said he was concerned that it had caused inconvenience to parents and guardians who had purchased the old uniform, only to be told it was being replaced. “At first I told myself it didn’t really make any sense because we could wear the fourth form uniform both in fourth and fifth form. It didn’t make a difference because it was the same thing. “So now students’ parents who aren’t that fortunate will now have to buy a fresh set of uniforms. So it will definitely be harder on them. It is not easy . . . because the uniforms aren’t cheap,” Lockhart said. The senior student surmised that parents were upset because of the additional expense thrust upon them at short notice. “Most parents would have already bought material for the old uniform because we wear the same in fourth and fifth form. So now that they hear the outfit changed they will have to get new material and shoes, and the money may just not be there. “Some parents may buy uniforms and put down for the next year so their children will have two new shirts or pants. I have some new ones that I never wore yet so I don’t know what I will do now,” he stressed. Principal Major Errol Brathwaite declined to comment on the matter. (BT)

COMISSIONG’S AMBASSADOR TO CARICOM – Controversial attorney David Comissiong will be Barbados’ next Ambassador to CARICOM. THE NATION was reliably informed that Comissiong’s appointment became effective on July 1, but Thursday night he said he was ambassador-designate, as the appointment had not been concluded. He is in the delegation Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley is leading at the 39th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Montego Bay, Jamaica, as an adviser. Those talks started on Wednesday and will conclude Friday. Mottley has lead responsibility for the CARICOM Single Market and Economy and Reparations. (WN)

WORTHING POST OFFICE REOPENS – Members of the public are asked to note that the Worthing Post Office, Christ Church, has reopened for business. The opening hours are from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Mondays, and 8:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., Tuesdays to Fridays. Customers with parcel notices in hand indicating collection at the Brittons Hill Post Office are advised that this condition remains unchanged. The Postmaster General thanks the public for its patience and understanding during the closure. (BGIS)

HEAVY TRAFFIC RESULTING IN DELAYS WITH COMPUTER SYSTEM – Members of the public are asked to note that a surge in usage on the Customs and Excise Department’s ASYCUDA++ System has resulted in some further difficulties being experienced. As a result, importers and exporters are experiencing delays in processing their documents. Acting Comptroller of Customs, Annette Weekes, explained that people trying to access the system were either being “knocked off”, or cashiers were experiencing a “hanging effect”, where they had to wait for a period of time before completing transactions. She appealed for all users to remain off the system as the Information Technology staff of the Barbados Revenue Authority work to rectify the problem. In the interim, she informed people experiencing delays or challenges, that the department was working to put temporary measures in place. The ASYCUDA++ System allows Government to streamline and simplify supply-chain processes from the point of importation, to customs clearance, to final importers to consumers. It also allows importers, exporters or their agents to submit their single administrative document along with supporting documentation for the processing of their goods from their homes or businesses, as long as they have an internet connection. (BGIS)

STINKY MESS – There is a high level of frustration and despair among some residents in Lascelles Terrace, St Michael, who say they have had enough of the indiscriminate dumping of garbage right in front of their homes. They say not only has the unsightly collection of refuse become a stinky mess, but it also encourages rodents and flies, posing a health concern for everyone in the vicinity. Annette Clarke, who claimed people have turned the sidewalk at the front of her house into a dump, is pointing an accusing finger at those driving by and residents of the neighbouring area. “I think they feel it’s a dump. Everyone comes and sees two or three bags [of garbage] and then everyone does come, but this is right in front my door and it is not affecting the people who put the garbage here, it affects me and it needs to stop,” she said. Clarke said the stench sometimes becomes unbearable, particularly if the Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) does not clear the pile-ups regularly. “The wind blows the stench right into my house. Sometimes the garbage is thrown all in front of my gate because the rats and fowls burst it out,” she told Barbados TODAY. “It is really bad . . . . A night I came home and as soon as I got here [gate entrance] a big rat run across my path. I thought it was a cat. The rat run all through my garden, it was looking for food,” Clarke said. Another resident, who asked that she not be identified, told Barbados TODAY she and her family had become virtual prisoners in their own home as a result of the mountains of refuse. “I does try to keep around the place clean, but I had to tell the children to stop going outside barefoot now, and they don’t really go outside now because of the garbage,” she said. “The flies aren’t as bad as the rats; they got some rats out here that are huge,” she explained. The situation is such, she said, that people feel comfortable enough to simply walk or drive to the spot and place their refuse there. However, she said her attempts to catch the perpetrators red-handed have so far proved futile. “Sometimes I would sit down and watch who put the garbage there but they like they does be watching me too because as soon as I turn my back you see a bag there and then it piles up,” the concerned resident said. “People drive up there with vehicles and come from all over the place just to put garbage there and then the garbage does be all over the place.” She said the matter had been reported to the SSA and health authorities, but the dumping had not abated. Instead, she said, as soon as sanitation workers clear the spot, the dumpers strike again. “As soon as the truck passes and takes up the garbage people does come and put back down garbage. The truck usually passes on Tuesdays and Fridays, but it passes anytime because of the shortage of trucks and the garbage just piles [up]. . . but when it comes by the evening the garbage is back there,” she disclosed. “People need to put the garbage at them. I don’t know why the whole neighbourhood putting garbage there to be collected. Your garbage should be at you,” the frustrated woman said. (BT)

SAFETY A BIG CONCERN – People in a number of districts across St Andrew want urgent action taken to repair several bridges in that rural parish. From Trio Path to the East Coast, the plea is the same for the Ministry of Transport, Works and Maintenance to deal with the problem before it is too late. “I would not advise anyone to be on that bridge when one of those heavy vehicles passes,” said a Cane Garden resident known as “Puffy”, who added that the bridge there was “very dangerous”. Puffy, and another man known as “Slims”, said the bridge had been weakened by water damage and it “trembled” when heavy vehicles passed over it. They said it was only a matter of time before it went from bad to worse. (WN)

MAN INJURED IN ST LUCY ACCIDENT – One man was injured earlier tonight in an accident along Alleynedale in St Lucy. Two vehicles were involved in the accident and one man was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Police are currently on the scene carrying out investigations. (WN)

TEENAGER CAUGHT WITH BULLETS IN PANTS – When police tried to search a teenager four years ago not only did his pants fall to his knees, but three rounds of ammunition were exposed. And today Kemal Mario Straker officially owned up to the April 15, 2014 charge before Justice Randall Worrell in the No 2 Supreme Court. Crown Counsel Oliver Thomas said lawmen were executing a search warrant at Straker’s Lot 15, Clapham Park, St Michael home when the ammunition was found. After he was arrested he gave a police statement detailing what had occurred. Thomas said that Straker was lying down when he heard a knock at the door and suspecting that it was police, he went to the front house where he sat quietly with “some bullets” in his pants. “Police start to search me and I went down on the ground to stop the police from searching my pants [but] my pants drop down to my knees because I was struggling and my pants came off,” the statement read. Straker, who is represented by attorney-at-law Angella Mitchell-Gittens, is due to reappear before Justice Worrell on July 26. (BT)

‘SHAK’ APPEALS FOR LENIENCY – A St Lucy man today pleaded for leniency after he was caught with two illegal firearms and ammunition in his possession on March 14, 2015. Shakeil Akeem Connell, alias��Shak, of Fryers Well, Checker Hall, pleaded guilty three months ago to possession of a .22 revolver, .32 revolver and nine rounds of ammunition without the valid licences. “It is the first time I in this position . . . in this trouble [and] I ask you to be lenient towards me,” Connell told Madam Justice Pamela Beckles, in the No.5 Supreme Court, which is temporarily being housed at Cane Garden, St Thomas. However, Acting Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Anthony Blackman questioned why Connell had travelled from the north of the country to Oistins to attend a fete with two weapons in his possession. “I never had intentions [for] the firearms. I was just with the wrong people who got me involved in these things and I get in trouble . . . and I up in prison,” the accused explained, adding that he had never “used a firearm”. However, Blackman suggested that Justice Beckles should impose a custodial sentence despite Connell’s previous unblemished criminal record and the fact that he had never used the guns. “It is unfortunate that he made that choice in a climate where there are so many illegal guns out there,” the acting DPP said before the case was adjourned for a decision later in the assizes. (BT)

FATHER ON TRIAL – A landscaper in his 60s today denied fondling the breasts of one of his daughter’s friends nine years ago. However, the now 20-year-old complainant told a nine-member jury, “that is a lie”, when the case against Thaddeus Leroy Best, of 1st Avenue, Brevitor Hall, St Peter, began in the No.5 Supreme Court this morning. Best, who now resides in St James, is on trial after pleading not guilty to indecently assaulting the then 11-year-old girl between July 1 and 31, 2009. The alleged victim was the first to take to the witness stand today as Senior Crown Counsel Krystal Delaney put forward the prosecution’s case. She explained that she was in the habit of visiting her friend’s home to play. However, on the day in question, she said they were in a bedroom playing when Best, who was “laying on the bed”, sent his daughter for a glass of water. “He come up to me and start to play with my breasts and told me if I was older he would give me some d*****,” the alleged victim said. She left the house shortly after. However, the alleged victim said she only told her mother about the incident in August. “It was on my mind at the time and [another] friend told me to tell my mother . . . [but] I didn’t tell my mother at first, because I was afraid,” the complainant said. Under cross-examination, Best told his accuser: “I did not touch you” to which she replied, “that is not the truth”. He then told her: “You and I were never alone” to which she answered, “that is a lie”. Her mother and two officers then gave evidence before the accused gave an unsworn statement, saying he visited his daughter three to four times a week in a St Michael community. “On the day I was accused of touching [the girl] she was nowhere at the house at that time [and] at any given time of that given month was I alone [with her in] any part of this house,” Best, who is unrepresented, said. The case, presided over by Madam Justice Pamela Beckles, continues tomorrow when Best will call two witnesses to give evidence on his behalf. (BT)

WINDIES TORMENT BANGLADESH – Opener Kraigg Brathwaite stroked his first hundred in nearly a year while Shai Hope passed 50 for the first time in 13 innings, but it was speedster Shannon Gabriel’s devastating four-wicket burst which rocked Bangladesh and put West Indies on course for a comprehensive win in the opening Test on Thursday. Playing on the second day of the contest at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, West Indies piled up 406 all out in their first innings, with Brathwaite top-scoring with 121 – his seventh Test hundred but first since his 134 at Leeds last August. Hope, without a half-century since scoring one last October on the tour of Zimbabwe, chipped in with 67 while captain Jason Holder (33) and tail-ender Kemar Roach (33) produced breezy knocks down the order to add to Bangladesh’s pain. Armed with a big lead of 363, West Indies quickly demolished the tourists’ top order, leaving the innings in shambles at 62 for six and in need of a miracle to avoid falling 1-0 behind in the two-Test series. Bangladesh trail by 301 runs heading into today’s third day with only four wickets intact. Gabriel, fresh off a 20-wicket series haul against Sri Lanka, was again at the heart of the Windies juggernaut, snatching four for 36 while Holder chipped in with two for 15. Requiring a massive effort following their record-low 43 all out in the first innings, Bangladesh again found themselves hurt by the Windies quicks as wickets tumbled spectacularly. Starting their innings on the stroke of the final hour, Bangladesh safely navigated the opening overs with Tamim Iqbal passing 4 000 Test runs when he cut Gabriel to the ropes at backward point. However, off the very next ball, Gabriel had the left-hander caught at gully by Hope for 13, sparring at one that bounced and took the shoulder of the bat. Two balls later, a fired-up Gabriel struck again when he bowled new batsman Mominul Haque without scoring, with one that kept low. Holder then picked up his first, finding Liton Das’ outside edge for Brathwaite at first slip to take a simple catch and leave the Bangladesh innings in strife at 16 for three. Captain Shakib Al Hasan (12) and former skipper Mushfiqur Rahim (8) put on 20 for the fourth wicket – the best stand of the innings so far – with both escaping with a couple of streaky boundaries past the cordon. But Gabriel bowled Mushfiqur playing down the wrong line and in his next over, claimed the prized wicket of Shakib, brilliantly caught low down at third slip by Holder. Holder accounted for Mehidy Hasan for two in the fourth over before the extended close, nicking one behind which seamed. West Indies had earlier batted themselves into an impregnable position after resuming the day on 201 for two. Starting the day on 88, Brathwaite raised triple figures inside the first hour when he cut pacer Kamrul Islam to third man for four, and was unbeaten on 121 at lunch with the Windies on 271 for three. Nightwatchman Devendra Bishoo was the only casualty of the session, falling for 19 in the second over following the drinks break. Resuming on one, the left-hander struck two fours in a 79-ball knock while adding 52 for the third wicket with Brathwaite, before missing a defensive prod and losing his off stump to Kamrul. However, Brathwaite failed to add to his lunch time score, dismissed off the fourth ball following the resumption when he was taken low at cover off left-arm spinner Shakib (2-71), with West Indies adding a single run to their interval total. (WN)

GROUNDS FOR CONCERN – The Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) and Kensington Oval Management Inc. (KOMI) are on a collision course over the use of Kensington Oval in the midst of the Crop Over season. Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) president Conde Riley and acting chief executive officer Uina Prescod fear there could be major damage to the Oval if a stage is erected on the field for the forthcoming cultural events. When a NATION team visited Kensington on Thursday, the stage for the Phenomenal Friday show which features the Big Bashment finals, was erected on the eastern events plaza. Both Riley and Prescod expressed concerns with the Caribbean Premier League T20 matches scheduled here next month, the first of five games slated for August 25. (WN)

BLEAK GRAND KADOOMENT LOOMS – It’s beginning to look a lot like one of the most low-key Grand Kadooments ever. This is the grim outlook from leaders of three top bands, who are all reporting depressed sales, poor sponsorship and a possible reduction in the number of bands taking to the streets for the Crop Over climax. Veteran costume designer Betty West, whose band this year is called Soca Royalty, told Barbados TODAY this year was the worse she has experienced in 27 years in the business. “This year everything has been slower. I find that people are a little restless with spending their money and I am experiencing quite a bit of difficulty where sponsorship is concerned,” West said. “The cost to bring a seven-section band, which caters to 350 people, has gone up from $90,000 to $125,000. I feel that in my 27 years of doing this I have not experienced what I am currently experiencing.” Just over 20 bands made the journey from the National Stadium last year after popular bands PowerX4 and Ravurz dropped out due to financial constraints. And, West said, based on the feedback from her fellow bandleaders, others may fall by the wayside. “It is going to be worse this year as far as I am concerned because from what I understand two bands have dropped out already. This is all because of finances, as well as the fact that the local people are not really coming out. I understand that Foreday Morning bands have dropped significantly as well. So it is really a big challenge for us this year,” she stressed. The National Cultural Foundation (NCF) has confirmed that 37 bands have registered for this year’s Foreday Morning street party, ten fewer than last year. “What I am hearing from the other bandleaders is that things are pretty tough, and things are pretty tough for us too. The influx of overseas patrons is what is saving the day. Had it not been for the overseas patrons most bands would be dead in water this year. Last year we held our own and this year we expect to do the same, but the truth is that this year is looking worse than last year,” Layne said. The bandleader blamed the economic downturn and the decision by then Prime Minister Freundel Stuart to hold the general election in late May, echoing a complaint by Barbados Association of Masqueraders President Chetwyn Stewart, who told Barbados TODAY last month that the election campaign had sucked the life out of Crop Over. Like Stewart, Layne also said the July 1 abolishment of the National Social Responsibility Levy (NSRL), which increased from two per cent to ten per cent last July, came too late to help costume producers this year. “Taking off the NSRL now is a good thing but it would not help us now. You don’t start preparing for a band in January, we would have started since last year. So therefore, we are still in the red and it is certainly not going to help us in this season, because the NSRL has really affected us,” Layne lamented. Like the other bandleaders, perennial Band of the Year winner Gwyneth Squires told Barbados TODAY she was hanging on by a thread, and would soon call it quits if business did not improve. Meantime, Anthony Layne, the leader of the popular band Yello Kontact, said the situation was such that if not for revellers from abroad, a lot more bands would have been “dead in the water”. “All of the bandleaders are making a loss and I am still in it because I love it and I was born in it. But I will be soon done with it because it is not going anywhere. I have been losing money for years and you can’t sustain a business on love alone,” Squires said. The veteran costume producer also said a decision on whether or not to persist in the tough industry would depend on the urgency with which new Minister of Culture John King addresses the bandleaders’ concerns. “The new minister knows better than us the struggles of industry and he has promised to look after them. We understand that he can’t do it this year because he just got there,” Squires said. “John is a good man and his heart is in the right place, so I am hoping that he would put things right,” she said, while suggesting that a reduction in the Value Added Tax was a good place for the minister to begin. NCF Corporate Communications Officer Simone Codrington was unable to say how many bands have registered to date for the Crop Over main event, but promised to provide the information as soon as it becomes available. (BT)

CROP OVER DRONES – One Grand Kadooment band will be keeping an eye on revellers from above by employing a drone to improve security. The every move of those jumping as part of Erup The Band will be monitored and recorded, as will that of those planning mischief. General Manager Brian Layne told Barbados Today his band intended to beef up security in light of last year’s deadly shooting which marred the Crop Over finale. This, Layne said, would include the use of the drone to capture and monitor what is happenings during the five-kilometre jump from the National Stadium to Spring Garden Highway. “The drone would be flying over just to watch and ensure that persons are having a good time . . . .[It] would capture if anybody did anything to a masquerader,” Layne said. He disclosed that the band, which caters to between 400 and 450 revellers, would have extensive security and emergency personnel on hand in the event there is a serious incident. Mesh will also be used to fence in masqueraders, instead of the usual rope. “Once they are inside the mesh we can keep them safe but once they are outside of the mesh then it is really at them,” Layne said, while adding that the band was finalizing preparations with the authorities. Although last year’s shooting occurred at the end the Grand Kadooment jump up, it left a bitter taste in the mouth of the public. Twenty-year-old Taried Junior Rock of 3rd Avenue, Chapman Lane, St Michael, was killed and 20 others were injured, including a six-year-old boy who was grazed by a bullet. Layne confirmed that while some of his revellers were alarmed by the violence, most masqueraders were not deterred, as they believe the country and Crop Over were safe. “Most persons who jumped would not have experienced it, they just heard about it. It may impact the persons who wanted to come and jump but for the majority . . . Barbados is fully safe,” Layne told Barbados TODAY. Meanwhile, the Barbados Masqueraders Association (BAM) has continued its call for soldiers to be assigned to help beef up security at the event. Ooutraje bandleader and BAM floor member Trevor Chase argued that despite the best efforts of bandleaders to hire the best security, the Barbadian public only respected law enforcement officials. “You will take all the precautions . . . but the security detail that the people pay attention to is the police that wear blue, the task force personnel and the army,” Chase stressed. “We will take all the precautions that we possibly can but people will respect the uniform more than anybody that is holding a rope,” he added, while urging Government to take note of the strict security detail at Trinidad’s carnival. BAM President Chetwyn Stewart disclosed that the association was in talks with the Minister of the Creative Economy, Culture and Sports John King to increase the military presence at the Crop Over main event. He indicated that the Grand Kadooment experience was more pleasurable and much safer when there was intensified police and military presence. A week ago, Deputy Commissioner of Police Erwin Boyce said the Force was 230 officers short of a full complement, but he assured the public that despite the challenges the Royal Barbados Police Force would have enough members deployed for the Crop Over season. Public Relations Officer Acting Inspector Rodney Inniss told Barbados TODAY the authorities were still finalizing security plans. However, he assured the public that the police “will continue to plan meticulously to keep them safe” this Crop Over. (BT)

CHEATS TRYING TO ENTER CROP OVER EVENTS WITH FAKE TICKETS – Event promoters are being encouraged to be on the look out this Crop Over season for an ever increasing number of people who are trying to get into events with fake tickets. Several individuals were turned away from fetes last weekend after they showed up with knock-off tickets. And while there have been such attempts in the past, one source indicated that the practice seemed to be on the rise in recent times. Promoter of the increasingly popular Awaken Ultra Premium all-inclusive breakfast party, Tremayne Austin, told Barbados TODAY 18 people were caught with fake tickets trying to enter the pre-dawn event last Sunday. This, he said, was “on a larger scale” than normal. “The ticket was actually printed but what we did was added a barcode, so they felt that they probably could have done it too. You know people take risks with everything. But we got all of them,” he said. “He actually got in because the head person for the ticket company was not at the door at the time . . . . So the person that was dealing with the ticket system thought it was a glitch, but when he came back they saw who it was who came in and when he was questioned he didn’t even put up a fight, he just walked out,” Austin said. The event promoter told Barbados TODAY when that individual was questioned he said he had bought the ticket from “someone who said they know the promoter”. Austin said he was still probing the issue and there was a possibility he would report the matter to the police after he was certain who sold the fake tickets. “I just want to make sure that the information I have is correct,” he said. Austin said not everyone who purchases a fake ticket is aware it is not legitimate, and he advised those who plan to attend ticketed events to buy their tickets from the advertised locations. “You either buy them directly from me if you know me or from the box office if you are not sure,” he said. In some cases the knock-off tickets were being sold for the same price as the legitimate ones, and in other cases they were cheaper. Alex McDonald, one of the main promoters behind the popular all-inclusive Beach House Breakfast Fete and the all-inclusive pool party, Splash, told Barbados TODAY he was aware some individuals may try to enter parties on fake tickets. However, he warned that it was highly unlikely they would get in given the level of technology in use at the doors. “We always tell people to buy from the legitimate box offices because they will have the right and legitimate tickets,” McDonald said. “People who buy from other people will be found out because now most people have scanners that they will use. So if you buy fake or scalp tickets we will find out and no matter how much you pay for them we can’t honour those. “It would be an attempt at fraud so we would [report it] and that person would be in trouble. But more importantly, the person whose ticket was denied should also report it because they would have paid money to get the ticket from somebody having thought it was real,” McDonald advised. However, he pointed out that a lot of people were aware they were doing something wrong when purchasing fradulent tickets because they would most likely pay less than the advertised price. “If a ticket is worth $200 and they said I have one for $150, then it is probably not real,” the promoter explained. Public Relations Officer of the Royal Barbados Police Force Acting Inspector Rodney Inniss told Barbados TODAYit was an offence for people to try to enter an event with a fake ticket. “Once it is a fake ticket it is offering a fake document and that is fraud,” he said, while adding that only a few cases had been reported. “You might get a case where people get bad experiences, but in terms of being reported to the police and people giving evidence we don’t have a lot of those cases,” Inniss said. “There will be people out there trying to get deals for various reasons and you have to make sure when you enter into a contract or deal with a person, make sure it is legitimate and you don’t fall victim to any falsified documents or tickets or anything along that line. You are advised to purchase your tickets from legitimate sources, and bear in mind if you are not going to do that you are taking a chance. And if you are taking a chance you are part and parcel of the outcome,” the police spokesman warned. (BT)

NEW STOLID J CROWNED – Crowd favourite DJ Bon entertained his way last Saturday night to win the coveted Stoli DJ Competition title. The 34-year-old disc jockey showed his versatility behind the turntables as he played the perfect mix of genres from disco to soca, defeating Jamaican Bobby Kush and the DJ combo of Tonk & Jones. The competition, now in its sixth year, was held at Regne Lounge after several stages where disc jockeys were tasked to show their technique and ability to appeal to the audience. This year, with an increased number of entries and a total of 107 submissions, there is no doubt the Stoli DJ Competition is here to stay. Stoli Brand Manager Allister Edwards told Bajan Vibes he was pleased with the success of this year’s competition. He said, “The competition was definitely a step up, with DJs not only showing technicality but also coming to entertain.” The winner-take-all contest gave DJ Bon the big prize of $5,000, an internship with Slam101.1FM, an opportunity to play with Xhosa Barbados for Grand Kadooment and other prizes. DJ Bon, who first thanked God for his victory, expressed gratitude to the Stoli Brand for continuing their efforts to develop the local talent. “I intend to take the experience gained from the competition and use it to my advantage since I’m thinking about entering the Redbull 3Style Competition,” he added. (BT)

SCRILLA FIRST TO GRACE BASHMENT STAGE – Scrilla will be going out “with guns blazing” at position No. 1. The artiste drew that position Thursday night when the 12 Yello International Bashment Soca artistes met to see how they will perform in the finals at Phenomenal Friday stage at Kensington Oval on Friday. He is followed by first timers Porgie & Murda. Lil Rick is at No. 3. Stiffy has taken the two titles in the Bashment Soca competition in 2016 and last year and he will come right after Lil Rick at No. 4. With a rebranded Yello International Bashment Soca competition, the gates have been opened to overseas acts and Sita from St Vincent (doing Hammer) and Freezy (with Badang) from St Lucia are hoping to pocket the winner-takes-all cash prize of $80 000. But it all comes down to what you bring to the stage on the actual night. Freezy, pulled No. 7 and he is good with that number. Sita ends the show. The others in order are Stabby at No. 5; Jus D at No. 6; Marzville at No. 8; Rhea at No. 9; Jagwa De Champ at No.10 and Jah Reddis at 11. (WN)

ARTISTES READY FOR PHENOMENAL FRIDAY – Tonight 44 performers will grace the Kensington Oval stage for ‘Phenomenal Friday’. The stage is set and the competitors are eagerly anticipating the eight-hour battle as soca’s crème de la crème fight it out in the Party Monarch and Sweet Soca semifinals, as well as in the finals of the Yello International Bashment Soca Competition. Twelve performers will be contending for the $80,000 grand prize on the bashment soca stage, while 32 artistes, 16 in Sweet Soca and 16 in Party Monarch, will compete for a chance to be on the Bushy Park Soca Royalestage on June 29. Ahead of tonight’s big event, Jagwa De Champ told Barbados TODAY he was elated that he finally made it to the bashment soca finals. Last year, his song Ride was disqualified, and in the inaugural year of the competition he failed to take the prize with his song ‘Back It Up’. “I feel like a winner even if I don’t win,” he said, while noting that this year’s contest was shaping up to be a keen one with regional competitors Freezy from St Lucia and Sita from St Vincent and the Grenadines entering the fray. “I feel the judges are going to have to work extremely hard this year, but I bringing my ‘A’ game and I know the rest of competitors are [also],” he added. Sita is also ready to hit the big stage. In fact, she told Barbados TODAY she planned to bring a lot of “fyah” on Friday night. This is her first time competing internationally. Nevertheless, the Vincy is confident that she can grab Barbadians and make her island proud with her catchy lyrics and endless energy. “You can expect pure fyah . . . . I am coming to ‘knock it like a hammer,’” she said in reference to the hook line in her song. “I am a bit anxious but I am also enthusiastic because the Barbadian audience is different to the Vincy audience and . . . if I am performing for someone who is not familiar with my music . . . [I always ask myself], ‘what do I do to overcome obstacles,’” she added. Although reigning Pic-O-De-Crop monarch iWeb did not make it to the bashment soca finals, he will have a busy night, jumping from the Sweet Soca stage to the Party Monarch platform. iWeb will be competing in the Sweet Soca semis with ‘Best In Me’ while his Party Monarch entry is a collaboration with Mr Blood entitled ‘Stomp’. Yesterday, the seasoned and confident performer was cool, calm and collected as Phenomenal Friday approached and said that he would leave the anxiety for the finals stage. “Having done it a few times already there is no pressure at this stage, [but] once we advance that is when the pressure will start,” he told Barbados TODAY. As for the bashment soca finals, iWeb praised two-time king Stiffy for his evolution as an artiste. “Stiffy is evolving before our eyes . . . and he is a phenomenal talent,” iWeb said. “He is not a predictable artiste and that is something that goes well for him . . . . He is a prime example of one in the entertainment industry that one would want to patent one’s self after,” he added in support of Stiffy’s bid to be crowned bashment soca king for a third time. Also making it to the semifinals stage for the fourth time is the orange-haired songbird Nikita. However, this will be the first time that she will be competing in both Sweet Soca and Party Monarch. “Vibe wise and energy wise, I am feeling positive,” said Nikita, whose Sweet Soca entry is ‘Journey’ and her Party Monarch song is ‘Going The Distance’. Earlier this week, 2017 Sweet Soca Monarch Red Plastic Bag (RPB) revealed his plans to retire from competition. It was a decision took many by surprise. However, responding to his decision to step away from the competitive stage, Nikita said that the veteran entertainer remained a mentor to many in the industry. “He is still singing, he is still there, he is still very much all of our mentor. We can still call on him and get some advice,” said Nikita, whose song ‘Going The Distance’ was written by RPB. Another Sweet Soca contender, Sanctuary, who will be singing ‘Fete Loan’ on Friday night, said he was not surprised by RPB’s decision which he does not expect to change the dynamics of the competition. In fact he said the exit of the reigning monarch would leave the door open for another deserving competitor. Although satisfied with making it to the semifinals for the second year in a row, Sanctuary said the May 24 general election had dampened the overall Crop Over spirit somewhat. “The election really mashed up Crop Over,” he said, while pointing the finger at former Prime Minister Freundel Stuart over his delay in announcing the date for the much anticipated poll. “If Crop Over is the biggest festival for the island I think that was really irresponsible of a Government to offset it that way because it going to effect the people coming in to see Barbados. . . . When people don’t see the same thing they saw the year in front they aren’t going to come the following year. We will get the ripple effect of it this time next year when people come in,” Sanctuary suggested, while stressing that “the build up to Crop Over was a bit taxing on people and you could tell because you are not seeing the numbers at fetes as before and you are not seeing as much fetes as before”. (BT)

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