www.sams.sh THE South Atlantic Media Services, Ltd. Vol. 8,SENTINEL Issue 1 - Price: £1 “serving St Helena and her community worldwide” Thursday 04 April 2019 More Money for Mantis ... pages 5-6 “The question remains, how long will this continue with taxpayer money?” - Cllr Brian Isaac Chief of Police Addresses Cllr Buckley’s Speech, but Public Still Concerned “This response in itself is a demonstration of the directorate’s inability to build upon the criticism or discussion surrounding it to better itself for the community. Instead the speech has been returned by defensive facts and statements that to be honest spark no emotion in those who have lost faith in the police’s ability to serve us - the community of St Helena.” - Gemma Yon ... pages 4, 20-22 Why are we getting Brown Water? Listen to ... page 3 Skrillex... Also Inside... to get Fewer New Date for Blue Hill School RRS Discovery Swearing-in of Application Arrives Friday to Mosquito New Governor Withdrawn Conduct Marine Bites? Research ... page 8 ... page 3 ... page 7 ... page 9 2 www.sams.sh Thursday 04 April 2019 | THE SENTINEL THE SENTINEL | Thursday 04 April 2019 www.sams.sh 3 OPINION YOUR LETTERS ST HELENA NEWS Dear Editor several estate agents. The Ministry St Helena of Defence follows the Ten-Tenths Water, Water Everywhere, SENTINEL To throw more light on Barry of Rule... ten times over budget and ten Magistrates’ Court Jersey’s letter regarding the Armed years late. SHG but Not a Drop to Drink Forces: When asked to secure a Pom tiddly om Andrew Turner, SAMS COMMENT building the Royal Navy does so 28th March 2019 their tap to display. And soon after Donna Crowie, SAMS with a padlock; the Army calls for an Moss Scott, this, another member of the public artillery barrage; and the RAF phones Sydney NSW & London, 6 months apiece Vincent Thompson (69) of Putty Following on from phone calls from wrote to The Sentinel explaining that The right job is a hard thing Hill, Alarm Forest, pleaded guilty the public, and also from last week’s their water had also been brown for to come across on St Helena. to one charge of driving over the press release from Connect St Helena months at significant filtration costs Sometimes people just try for jobs prescribed limit. He entered his plea regarding issues with water quality in to themselves. Another customer for the sake of it; just to get an at the earliest opportunity and was Red Hill and Hutts Gate, The Sentinel recently told The Sentinel that when income, and not because they enjoy Thank You dealt with by way of a financial penalty investigated public concerns about the they had called to complain they had that kind of thing. of £400.00. He was disqualified from safety of the water and what Connect is simply been told “well nobody else But what really gets to me is how The family of the late Evelyn Edith Peters would like to thank the driving for 18 months and ordered to doing to correct the problem. is complaining” and no one from people come from abroad and pick Doctors and Nurses of the General Hospital and especially Dulcie pay £15.00 costs. Properties that are fed from the Red Connect came to check the water until up a job instantly. Or even if their Bowers and all the staff of the Community Care Centre who provided Hill Water Treatment Works have been a week later. experiencing issues with brown water. So while brown water is not a new partner is on-island working, they such consistent kindness and care to Evelyn for many years and in her Edwin O’Connor (37) of can pick up work just like that too. final hours. Last week, Connect’s press release put issue, Connect has addressed the Bottomwoods, pleaded guilty to one this down to poor-quality water from current water quality and said poor I know there is a job being filled charge of driving over the prescribed very soon that has been open for the Special thanks to Bishop Dale, Father Clive and Father Jack for the bottom of the earth dam at Red Hill quality comes from silt that has built past two years. Yes, for two years a limit. He entered his plea at the being drawn into the system, as the up at the bottom of the earth dam undertaking the burial service, Earl Henry for reading the Eulogy, Pat earliest opportunity and was dealt Saint was filling this position on an Musk the organist, Beatie Peters, Roy Williams for his kindness and reservoir levels are currently low. at Red Hill; and that because the ‘acting’ term but still doing the job. with by way of a financial penalty of reservoirs are low, the silt is now being support and to him and his team for the burial arrangements, Davina £180.00. He was disqualified from To be fair, I did talk with the Saint and Colin Lawrence for the beautiful wreaths, Kylie and the Solomons But what does brown water mean for drawn into the water system. driving for 18 months and ordered to In a letter to one island resident who and they said they didn’t try for the Secretariat team for designing and producing the funeral sheets, all you? post as they didn’t think they were pay £15.00 costs. To start simply, it means that getting had complained about water quality, those who provided flowers, sent cards of condolences and messages of your laundry washed nicely goes out Connect said silt build-up was the fault ready, so fair enough. support and who paid tribute to Evelyn by attending her funeral. But that’s another thing – we of the window... But greater concern of the original design of the earth dam, Saints think we can’t do, but we comes from the potential safety of as it “did not include silt traps.” won’t know this until we try. And in Bless you all drinking or bathing in the water. However, former Councillor Cyril this case, someone is now coming From Robert and family Swearing-in of Brown water isn’t considered to be George, who oversaw the construction from abroad to fill this job, and it medically harmful, however most of the dam, told The Sentinel that a silt seems like the person hasn’t been New Governor experts recommend not drinking the trap with an access track into the basin working for the past six years. water as the sediments can contain of the dam was put in place during the Perhaps a Saint could have filled the Changed from certain bacteria. construction of the dam 30 years ago. role. Some Connect customers said they’ve Connect also said that treated water My favourite singer back in the May 4 to May 11 resorted to getting water from taps at goes through an intensive sand day, Britney Spears, always said places like Cason’s, and others have filtration process before being dosed never doubt yourself. Never change Donna Crowie, SAMS resorted to bottled water, because with chlorine salt and sent to people’s who you are. Don’t care what people they’re concerned about using the homes. brown water coming from the taps. So why is sediment from the reservoir think and just go for it. s the end of Governor Lisa But it’s not easy to leave the A But using untreated taps like the one not being filtered out by this process? island for training. Yes there are Honan’s contact comes to an end, at Cason’s carries risk from chemical The Sentinel has asked Connect CEO more opportunities with SHCC etc., St Helena, Ascension and Tristan runoff from weed-spraying along Barry Hubbard about this issue but has but according to a councillor in a da Cunha were preparing for a new the roadside and bacteria from the not yet recieved a reply. recent LegCo, it’s the TCs that are Governor to be sworn in on May 4. untreated supply. most critical to helping Saints get However, after an enquiry from And for those with the lowest How is Connect fixing the problem? trained for their posts. This is not a The Sentinel, SHG said that the new incomes, buying bottled water, buying Unified Saints last year told Connect terrible idea at all, but is this really Governor, Dr Phillip Rushbrook, will water filters, running their taps and that many people cannot afford their happening? I don’t think so. I don’t now not arrive at St Helena to be travelling to Cason’s could all be water bills as is, and that having to think it is working the way they say sworn in as Governor on May 4. unaffordable options. run taps at their own expense to clear it should be. Instead, Dr Rushbrook The Sentinel enquired with Connect brown water meant unaffordable cost But on the bright side, it was good (accompanied by his wife Janis) will last week about the safety of drinking/ for wasted water. to hear that St Helenian (and one now arrive at St Helena on Saturday, using the brown water without extra But it seems Connect’s first solution of my ex-teachers from Pilling May 11 and will be officially sworn in home filtration, and Connect responded for brown water is still having Primary School) Wendy Benjamin is the same day. with last week’s press release (which customers run their taps.