www.sams.sh THE South Atlantic Media Services, Ltd. Vol. 8,SENTINEL Issue 7 - Price: £1 “serving St Helena and her community worldwide” Thursday 16 May 2019 ‘Warm’ Welcome for the New Governor Traditional inauguration Saturday goes well despite extreme heat affecting crowd ... page 4 New Bulk Fuel Installation Works Halted ... page 6 Launch of The Book Box “There’s something comforting and familiar about that tangible feeling of holding a book in your hands and turning the pages. That ‘new book smell’ as you crack the cover and read the first page...” Promoting the ... page 11 Benefits of Education Also Inside... Steering Group Dr Arnold Free Apparel First Teaching & to Allocate £30m Monument Gets a for Weeds Learning Conference Grant Facelift Awareness Week ... page 12 ... page 3 ... page 7 ... page 15 2 www.sams.sh Thursday 16 May 2019 | THE SENTINEL THE SENTINEL | Thursday 16 May 2019 www.sams.sh 3 OPINION YOUR LETTERS ST HELENA NEWS Dear Editor native island, the St. Helenians would Dear Editor Steering Group SENTINEL be the happiest and most contented ST. HELENA:-THE POOR race in the world.” Please may I comment on an article to Allocate FORGOTTEN ORPHAN In a later Chapter, he notes a fact published in the Sentinel dated COMMENT Phillip Gosse’s book “St. Helena which resonates with the present 9th May 2019 from Connect Saint £30m Grant Donna Crowie, SAMS 1502-1938” is a readable history of times:- Helena titled REMOVAL OF SILT AT THE HARPERS EARTH DAM. It is Andrew Turner, SAMS Saturday saw a great turnout of a those years. It had been out of print “The whole political situation of the until Trevor Hearl, History lecturer world is changing” and he predicts pleasing to see that Connect have variety of people gathered at the Grand taken advantage of the dry weather Projects to be funded from a new Parade to witness the inauguration of at Cheltenham College, with which a future when:- “The island may £30m grant will be decided by a St. Helena’s Education Department become an important place of call for to drain and remove the silt from the Dr Philip Rushbrook, the 69th Governor basin of the reservoir at Harpers that Steering Group, SHG announced. of St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da had an invaluable Link for many aeroplanes --- and those flying from have accumulated over the thirty- appearance looked promising, I took a The £30m Economic Development Cunha. years, had it reprinted. the East may call for refreshment, as Investment Programme, granted to The traditional inaugural ceremony In the last Chapter, Gosse reflects did the old East Indiamen- stopping year life of the earth dam, I’m sure sample home the structure of the silt took place and the new Governor all consumers will look forward to had a slurry structure unfortunately St Helena by the UK Government, is on his book. He feared that what for petrol and oil instead of fresh meant to cover the next six years. delivered his speech. Good speech, he had written, about want and water and beef.” receiving a improved water quality within twenty four hours after it Governor. We’ll also look forward to from what we were receiving a few started to dry out the silt structure The funding used to be known as hearing more from you at 2pm this unemployment (as prevalent on St. The other roads for prosperity he ‘Capital Programme.’ The grant had Helena during these times) might suggests are:- weeks ago. I must congratulate the had changed becoming hard as a Friday on SAMS Radio 1. contractors for the good progress block of concrete, I suspected the not been awarded to St Helena for a But there’s one thing that Governor have indicated that the inhabitants 1. Catering for visitors number of years prior to 2019, but were sad and unhappy:- 2. Ascension as a Health Resort they are achieving. rapid cause of the change were due Rushbrook mentioned in his inaugural Unfortunately I’m really to a high clay content, on checking is important to many sectors on the speech that I want to focus on, which “far from it, they appear to be a 3. Agriculture/Horticulture – island, especially construction. was the need to give better opportunities happy, smiling people who have as “almost anything will grow given disappointed with the statement the sample it revealed it contained made in the article concerning the a high clay content thus causing In a recent interview with to Saints who want to return to the suffered privation for so long that encouragement.” SAMS Radio 1, Councillor Clint island to work. they have become accustomed to it. He mentions that “in the old days silt which states as follows: Once dry the silt structure to change, it also “St Helena also needs future leaders, the silt provides a very fertile top contains other properties not similar Beard (member of the Economic ---- They are a brave people --- as Lemons, Oranges, Pomegranates and Development Committee) stressed so it was extremely encouraging to meet a race they are highly intelligent.” other fruits” grew plentifully on the soil for gardens etc. On Saturday 11th to top soil. I would therefore suggest recently around 20 students studying the importance of the grant to the He describes St. Helena at that island, along with “ Coconuts, dates, May I decided to visit the site of the that it’s not suitable as a top soil. a multitude of subjects at universities stock pile of silt prior to arranging island’s private sector. across the UK,” he said. “We must make time as “a refuge from a world gone mangoes, bananas in one or two “We have a private sector that is mad” where “peace reigned, where valleys.” transport for it to be delivered my Kind Regards sure they, and others returning to St home in Sapper Way at first glance the Cyril George waiting for this money to kick in,” Helena, are offered good prospects when there were no newspapers, no loud Excellent Coffee at Sandy Bay. In he said. “They are hanging on, and they get back.” speakers, no income tax, no lidos, 1851, St. Helena Coffee won first the private sector plays a big part in This would be excellent, but will it no by-pass roads, no noisy crowds, prize at the London Exhibition. our economic cycle with the number definitely happen? And what could this no glaring posters, no dog races, no - and he repeats the fact that “the Social Security Review Update of people they employ.” mean exactly? cinemas, and where the sun shone island should grow far more for its Hopefully this could mean returning Cyril (Ferdie) Gunnell, SAMS The £30m is for projects that most of the year”!! St. Helena is own consumption.” effects for the housing register, if “promote investment opportunities, Saints can receive better employment the Cinderella, or shall we say, the I wonder what Phillip Gosse would perks. It was brought to my attention The review of the Social Security people are trying to keep below the build a stronger investment climate recently that TC post-holders on the poor forgotten orphan of the British say about the island at the present Ordinance, 2010 is expected to be poverty line by not sharing housing. and a more resilient infrastructure island are entitled to both overseas Empire. Once upon a time she was time. complete by December 2019. The Attorney General’s Chambers base whilst preserving and promoting and local leave – the rest of St Helena the pampered darling of the Hon. Chairman of Social Security Review have been kept up-to-date with all what makes St Helena unique.” meanwhile gets approximately 25 days of East India Company” Yours sincerely Working Group, Cllr Cyril Leo, at amendments to the Ordinance. To guide the use of the money, leave per annum of local leave only. “Given just a little help, a little Barbara B. George the May 8 Social & Community It was said at a Jan. 19 SCDC meeting SHG will be creating a Steering And TC post-holders also get free encouragement and a fair share of housing benefits and living allowances Development Committee (SCDC) that implementing proposed changes Group consisting of SHG officials, their own land to cultivate, and a meeting said that “the review is to the Ordinance would be costly, and DfID officials and councillors. The (water and electricity), which is why voice in the government of their they can live the lush life I suppose. more or less complete, still targeting financial support would need to be Steering Group will set the list for Surely a returning Saint, who likely has December.” requested from DfID. what projects receive funding and the same or better qualifications than The proposed changes to the At an April 10 meeting, it was when. TC post-holders, who knows the island Ordinance should go out for suggested costs would be £100-£200 SHG said the £30m will initially be and who will put their earnings back into public consultation in August and and that due to financial constraints, used for “quick win” projects that the island rather than taking off after September. the changes would be unlikely this will begin this year, but gave no a couple years with savings earned on- None of the proposed financial year. details yet as to what these projects island, could also be offered a better life might be. Councillor Beard suggested by bringing knowledge and qualifications recommendations has yet been made In the May 8 SCDC meeting, Cllr back home? known, but it is expected they will Derek Thomas was concerned the money might be used to complete More and more Saints leave the island include a redefinition of “household,” that implementation costs would works in Rupert’s, to make the Jetty for overseas opportunities.