NEWS YOU CAN USE ! Vol. No. ·

FREE!

Since August 17, 2010, there has been a series of

“unorthodox inspections” in the African-American com-

munity, including the Caribbean American community

that borders on a violation of civil rights. These inspec-

tions have jailed 35 barbers, who Sheriff Jerry Demings

admitted at a press conference

should have received citations.

“I would prefer that we not

make custodial arrests for these minor violations,” he

said. The majority of these arrests received a misdemean-

or charge of “barbering without a license.” Demings said

if his agency could conduct the operation over again, dep-

uties would have issued orders to appear in court.

This campaign was theoretically a joint operation with an

agency, the Department of Business and Professional

Regulations, but appeared in certain targeted communities

a police raid. In many of the shops, certain barbers were

handcuffed even before they were inspected to determine

if they were in compliance.

Many of the owners are upset with the treatment by the

deputies, and they want to know what was the basis and

purpose of these sweeps. It is obvious that in different communities, compliance evaluations were handled in a

much more orderly fashion with a positive tone.

Caribbean American community leaders are among those

who are outraged at this series of raids which targeted

some Caribbean

American owned

barbering estab-

lishments and

beauty salons. They welcome the announced intention of

Congresswoman Corrine Brown (D-FL) to pursue this

matter further.

Among the establishments raided was a Caribbean Ameri-can owned beauty salon in the Pine Hills area. During that

raid, a child was forced to witness his mother manhandled

by deputies, later handcuffed and put to sit in the back

seat of a police cruiser. She was released at the scene

without being charged.

“I was crying,” said the child who related the entire epi-

sode to Caribbean Sun. The establishment’s owner said

the entire operation was caught on camera and is being

shared with Congresswoman Brown’s office and other

relevant authorities. Community leaders are of the view

that there is a need in the - Continued on Page 4

By Roger Caldwell Barbershop raids outrage the community

More than 7,000 secret cables on the Caribbean

T here are some 7,000 secret documents about Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states and the Do-

minican Republic among the more than 250,000 confidential United States diplomatic cables which are to be released by Wikileaks in the coming months, sources close to the Wik-ileaks investigation have told Caribbean Sun.

“These seven thousand or more documents relate to several issues and personalities in-cluding drug trafficking, gun running, human rights violations, terrorism, espionage, visa fraud and the personal lives of several govern-ment, civic and business leaders,” these usual-ly reliable sources said. Some of the cables may also include information about Caribbean

nationals and Caribbean American owned busi-nesses in the United States with close ties to their countries of origin.

Caribbean governments, present and former government officials and politicians as well as

the general Caribbean population are eagerly awaiting news of the contents of the cables which reportedly include recent issues such as

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s concerns about Iranian ties to the Caribbean, Haiti’s President Rene Preval’s concerns about having to live in exile after general elections held last month, former Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s meetings in Trini-dad with former US Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, Guyana President Bharat Jagdeo’s conversations with Columbia’s President Uribe, the activities of drug lords Roger Khan of Guyana, “Little Nut” of St. Kitts and Nevis and “Dudus” Coke of Jamaica, among others. -Continued on Page 15-

Barrel Blues!! K

aren Alleyne had her barrel

picked up from her Kis-

simmee home in early No-

vember for shipment in time for the

holiday season. Up to December 10,

her family back in Guyana hadn’t re-

ceived the barrel. And calls to the ap-

parently unregistered shipping broker

she used have yielded no results, only

excuses and empty promises.

A similar experience has been shared

by Chris Mc Kenzie whose shipment

to Jamaica is still to arrive, according

to his loved ones back home. The un-

registered shipper he used tells him his

family is not telling the truth, the bar-

rels did arrive and were uplifted

though no documentary evidence to

support this has been produced.

Both Alleyne and Mc Kenzie, who

usually ship barrels back home with

Laparkan and Finlay’s respectively, -

Continued on Page 4

“… I was crying for my mommy...”

DREAM Act is Reality for Undocumented Youths By: Gail Seeram

B oth the House of Representatives

and the Senate took action on the

DREAM Act recently. On De-

cember 8, 2010, the DREAM Act

was passed by the House of Representatives by a vote of 216 to 198. On December 9,

2010, the Senate voted to table a vote on

their version of DREAM Act. The Senate

should vote on the DREAM Act before the

end of the year.

The Development, Relief, and Education for

Alien Minors Act, or “DREAM Act,” would

allow the 65,000 young undocumented stu-

dents who graduate high school each year to

start a pathway to citizenship after complet-ing two years of college or military service.

While both bills (H.R. 6497 and S. 3992) are

similar to the original versions of the

DREAM Act introduced in each chamber,

they differ in key ways. Under the Senate

Continued on Page 4

NEWS YOU CAN USE ! Vol. 7 No. 6 · December 2010

2 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

says Keeran Ramnarain

Florida’s Caribbean Sun is published by Caribbean Sun Publishers, LLC

1013 N. Pine Hills Road, Orlando, FL 32808

Phone (407) 374-2979

Email: caribbeansunnews@gmail.com

Administrative Manager: Melinda Gordon

Advertising: Vanessa Chin Churaman (407) 325-5466

Managing Editor: Laverne McGee

Lifestyles Editor: Sharazade Kirton

www.floridascaribbeansunnews.com

“My husband should have won Best Presentation”

T housands turned out for Orlando’s 5th an-

nual Curry Duck Curry competition held

last month at the Citrus Bowl which saw

more than 15 entries, the highest number since

the competition was started.

And as usual with any competition, the judges’

decisions are always questioned by segments of

the audience, who usually have their own favor-

ites. But one common view amongst most of the

thousands that turned out was that Kash Ramna-

rain should have won Best Presentation, a senti-

ment his wife Keenan spoke with Caribbean Sun

about in an exclusive interview.

“The judges probably felt that in order to appear

fair and transparent they had to allow some of

the new contestants to win. Kash has won sever-

al times. But the presentation was there for all to see…our presentation was the crowd favorite,”

she told Caribbean Sun.

Kash’s presentation boasted an ice-sculptured

duck, chinaware, silver cutlery and unique linens

which portrayed the highest standards of dining.

“Is duck curry or curry duck dining held to a dif-

ferent standard,” asked Mrs. Ramnarain. “If this

is the case then the criteria should me made clear.

If duck curry eating is seen to be more of a back-

yard or bottom house rustic experience then that

should be explained. For us, the presentation for dining requires the highest standards and that’s

what we put out,” she added.

Mrs. Ramnarain said that her husband, father-in-

law and the rest of the team that worked on pre-

paring the presentation are not disappointed that

they didn’t win and will continue to support the

event.

Many friends of the Ramnarain’s who visited

their tent not only enjoyed their curry duck but

also the cook-up rice. “Perhaps there should be a

cook-up rice and jerk competition alongside the

curry duck competition,” said Wesley Kirton who

was among the Caribbean American community

leaders enjoying the event.

This year’s first prize winner was Guyanese Indra

Persaud who walked away with $1,000 cash as

well as a trophy donated by Accounting and

Computer Services, Inc. owned by Philip Scantle-

bury and a gold chain with a pendant in the form

of a duck designed and donated by Singh’s Jewel-

ry World. Last year’s winner, Nadia Khan placed second this year while Dave Lall placed third and

also copped the Best Presentation prize.

The cultural entertainment was diverse and ener-

gizing with patrons, including toddlers gyrating to

the performances by Soca Elvis, Andy Singh and

the popular Supertones.

Organizer of the event, Vani Chattergoon of

Vani’s Productions thanked patrons, sponsors,

contestants and exhibitors for their support and is

encouraging

the business

community to support

next year’s

competition

which is

slated for

November

12.

Contestants at the Duck Curry Competition

Kash Ramnarain & Mr. Ramnarain Sr. in his tent with the beautiful Ice Sculpture

T here are several Carib-bean American commu-nity organizations

throughout Florida, including Central Florida. Most of these organizations and associations identify the preservation and promotion of Caribbean cul-ture as among their major ob-jectives. Most of these organi-zations do fairly good work in the social, cultural and humani-tarian spheres.

However, within the Caribbean American community in Cen-tral Florida these Caribbean American organizations have failed to be promoters and pro-tectors of the rights of members of the community. Caribbean Americans are racially profiled, business places are targeted by law enforcement agencies and often other ethnic groups bene-fit from the programs and get free access to the facilities of City, County and State govern-ments while Caribbean Ameri-cans usually have to pay to ac-cess these facilities and pro-grams.

In true Caribbean style our or-ganizations seem more focused on fetes, concerts and fun in the park. The number of political and advocacy programs and events put on by Caribbean American associations is mini-mal. About five years ago there were some positive signs emerging through the Confer-ence of Heads of Caribbean Organizations of Central Flori-da. Meetings were arranged between law enforcement agencies, Consuls General and community leaders to discuss issues such as racial profiling,

deportation and other issues affecting our community. In recent years there has been no activity of this sort.

Over the past few months there have been raids by law enforce-ment and regulatory agencies of barber shops and beauty sa-lons owned by African Ameri-cans and Caribbean Americans. The Caribbean American com-munity in Central Florida has been silent on this issue. We have not reached out to our Af-rican American brothers and sisters to offer support even though some of our own have been victims. Where are our community leaders? When Car-ibbean Sun contacted some Caribbean community leaders about these raids, many were-n’t even aware these raids had taken place.

As a New Year dawns, and as the political and human rights challenges facing minority populations intensify, our com-munity organizations and their leaders need to be more proac-tive about the issues that affect our people. These organiza-tions need to stand up and pro-tect the rights of the people they are intended to serve. No wonder no Caribbean associa-tion attracts 100 people at their monthly meetings, although there are thousands of Caribbe-an nationals in Central Florida.

No wonder the Mayor of Ocoee once said at the opening of the Caribbean American Business Expo that he liked Caribbean people because they are so fun-loving.

Caribbean Community Must Stand Up

3 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

Caribbean needs to plan for disasters-PJ Patterson

F ormer Jamaica Prime Minister

Perceval J. Patterson has warned

that the Caribbean region is vul-

nerable to several potentially

devastating hazards more than one of

which could hit a single country at the

same time.

He is urging that Caribbean countries col-

lectively work to put in place mechanisms

to ensure the least possible impact result-

ing from disasters. Among the mecha-

nisms identified are the adoption and en-

forcement of proper building codes; the

establishment of effective communication

systems and urgent and efficient tackling

of a number of environmental issues.

Patterson re-

marks came in

a major ad-

dress he deliv-

ered at the just concluded 34th

annual Miami

Conference on

the Caribbean.

Pointing to

January’s dev-

astating earth-

quake in Haiti

as a vivid ex-

ample, Patter-

son said the

Caribbean Basin is one of

the largest

semi enclosed

seas in the

world, rimmed

by some 23 sovereign states and over half

as many non-independent entities con-

trolled by four metropolitan states.

The former prime minister added: “The

Caribbean Basin is subject to a range of

hazards including

a. Geological hazards such as earth-

quakes, volcanoes, landslides and tsuna-

mis;

b. Weather related hazards such as hurri-

canes, tropical storms, floods, mudslides,

droughts, fires and insect infestations;

c. Hazards such as the possibilities of

chemical and nuclear spills in a heavily

trafficked sea – populated with exotic spe-

cies of plants, animals and fish;

Trafficking in drugs, psychotropic sub-

stances and trading in small arms. In addi-tion, we are all vulnerable to the lurking

dangers of climate change with the disas-

trous possibility of rising waters and en-

dangered coastlines. Within the last twenty

years, the region has faced at least three

threats from disastrous diseases – the Pink

Mealy Bug, the Mad Cow Disease and the

Foot and Mouth Disease.

We need to develop appropriate protocols

and common approaches to deal with all

kinds of epidemic and thereby minimize

arbitrary actions by individual member states. There are several lessons to be

learnt from the cataclysmic disaster Haiti

suffered last January.

First, we must recognize that it is possible

for one or several of our countries to be

impacted by more than one hazard at the

same time. Haiti has been hit by the earth-

quake, storm and flooding and the cholera

epidemic. Other parts of the region have

had to deal with hurricanes, storms, flood-

ing, droughts and volcanoes. Limited ca-pacity exists for mobilizing emergency

response, rescue and security personnel,

but there are no overall coordinating ar-

rangements.

Our preparation strategies should ensure

several essentialities:

We need to adopt and enforce proper

building codes. The devastation would not

have been as severe had there been appro-

priate building systems in place.

We need to have a quick response

disaster management plan in place which

can be speedily activated and smoothly

implemented.

The heavy reliance on non-

governmental organizations (NGOs) to

handle a massive response effort requiring

total coordination is excessive and there-

fore inadequate to cope with a series of

major disasters.

We need to ensure that mechanisms

are in place to deal with the rush of inter-

national assistance during the emergency

phase, in order to avoid chaos.

We need to establish effective com-

munication systems, resistant to disasters

and prepared to keep the population in-

formed about steps being taken and what

can be expected at every stage. This dia-logue must be continuous and allow for

feedback from the population.

Environmental concerns must be ad-

dressed as a matter of national and region-

al priority.

We must determine beforehand how

to address the post emergency phase…

quickly putting in place transition strate-gies which focus on key priority areas

such as provision of temporary housing

and the removal of debris and rubble.

PJ Patterson (right) with Jerrit Schotte the new prime Minister of

Curacao during the recent Miami Conference on the Caribbean

New Cuban Drug

A Cuban government sponsored pilot project to

treat diabetic foot ulcers has been hailed as a ma-

jor success following trials in St Lucia, the BBC

Caribbean reports.

St Lucia is the only country in the Eastern Caribbean to benefit from the initiative.

The project is based on the use of a so-called

wonder drug, Heberprot-P, developed by the

Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnolo-

gy in Cuba.

4 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

Continued from Page 1

targeted communities, where the treat-

ment was too aggressive, to open up

the lines of communication. Having a

press conference to acknowledge a

glitch in the system does not make the different barbers, who impacted by the

sweeps, feel whole.

It is important that respect is developed

with the police, the regulators and the

barbers. Many deputies think that some

barbershops are fronts for illegal activi-

ty, and this can be true in some instanc-

es. But during these sweeps illegal ac-

tivity was very limited, and treatment

in certain targeted communities was

unwarranted.

As we move forward with enforcement agencies, there is a need to collaborate

with the police, and make our barber-

shops information centers and health

centers for men in the community. By

reaching forward, we can change the

image of our barbershops, and make

them a positive integral part of the

community.

Stopping the unorthodox evaluations is

the right thing to do. The Orange County Police Department must edu-

cate the barbers on the correct proce-

dures and proper channels to issue a

complaint. After the internal investiga-

tions are complete, it is necessary for

our community leaders to sit down and

make recommendations to resolve the

controversy and the issues with the

barbershop sweeps.

Sheriff Jerry Demings took a step for-

ward by acknowledging that his office

could have handed the situation better.

It is now necessary for the community

to take a step forward and work togeth-

er, and resolve this confrontational

situation.

Barbershop raids outrage the

community -Continued from Page 1-

Cont’d………..Barrel Blues !! were lured to use another company this

time because of the low prices this com-

pany was charging.

“I thought I would take the chance. I

shipped two barrels and in these times the savings were significant. I hope I haven’t

lost everything. This company is even

insured and bonded so I don’t know if I

can even file a claim,” Mc Kenzie said.

The issue of unregistered freight forward-

ing companies has long been an issue

which the Federal Maritime Commission

(FMC) has been trying to address. But

the registered, licensed and bonded

freight forwarders feel the FMC need to

target these illegal operators more ag-

gressively.

At a meeting in Washington, DC on De-

cember 8, the FMC considered and ap-

proved for immediate action a number of

recommendations contained in an Interim

Report on the nature, scope and frequen-

cy of potentially unfair, unlawful and

deceptive practices in the shipping of

household goods and personal property.

Between 2005 and 2009 the FMC re-

ceived over 2,500 consumer complaints

which included failure to deliver cargo

and refusal to return the pre-paid ocean

freight; loss of cargo; significant delay in

delivery; charges for insurance that was

never obtained and inflated charges after

the cargo was tendered.

Among the recommendations of the In-

terim Report are increased consumer edu-

cation and the implementation of joint

law enforcement efforts to protect con-

sumers. Michael Khouri, the FMC

Commissioner who spearheaded the

recent investigation on which the Inter-

im Report is based said that the new

measures to be taken address a consum-

er protection issue that “affects many

average citizens. He said enforcement efforts would be intensified against

rogue operators.

During the peak holiday season, legiti-

mate operators such as Laparkan are

making every effort to ensure that con-

signees get their cargo in time for the

holidays. These companies, as well as

the ports in the various Caribbean coun-

tries are working extended hours and

throughout weekends to clear the holi-

day congestion.

version (S. 3992) of the DREAM Act, ap-

plicants are treated as conditional nonimmi-

grants for ten years before being allowed to

apply for permanent residence. The House

version (H.R. 6497) breaks this status up into two five-year periods, and requires

students to apply for an extension of their

conditional nonimmigrant status after the

first five-year period has elapsed. Under the

House version, the applicants would have

to pay a $525 surcharge on the initial appli-

cation and a $2,000 surcharge at the begin-

ning of the second five year period. The

Senate version establishes one ten-year

period of conditional nonimmigrant status

without either fee.

In general, The DREAM Act would allow

qualified young people to adjust their status

to that of a conditional permanent resident

if they have: (1) entered the U.S. before the

age of 16; (2) been physically present in the

U.S. for a continuous period of not less

than 5 years immediately preceding the

date of enactment; (3) earned a high-school

diploma or its equivalent; (4) been a person

of good moral character; and (5) no crimi-

nal record and are not a danger to national security.

Additionally, to have the conditional basis

of their permanent resident status lifted,

students would have to satisfy one of the

following requirements: (1) earn a 2-year

degree from a U.S. institution of higher

education or complete at least 2 years of a

bachelor’s degree program; or (2) serve in

the U.S. Armed Forces for at least 2 years,

and, if discharged, receive an honorable discharge.

According to the Congressional Budget

Office (CBO), the House version of the

DREAM Act (H.R. 6497) would reduce

deficits by about $2.2 billion and increase

revenues by $1.7 billion over the 2011-

2020 period. The Senate version of the

DREAM Act (S. 3992) would reduce defi-

cits by about $1.4 billion and increase reve-

nue by $2.3 billion over the 2011-2020

period.

It is estimated that roughly 2.1 million indi-

viduals would meet the DREAM Act’s

basic age, length of residence, and age of

arrival requirements upon enactment. Ad-

ditionally, passage of the DREAM Act will

increased enrollment in colleges and uni-

versities, increased enrollment in the U.S.

armed forces, keep talented students in the

U.S., and provide individuals an opportuni-

ty to raise their standard of living and con-tribute to the tax system.

The passage of the DREAM Act is a win

for undocumented youths and for our strug-

gling economy.

DREAM Act is Reality for

Undocumented Youths

St. Margaret’s Sea Scouts in Trinidad rebuilding their community

Lyma Dunbar

With a renewed mission to empower the youth in the community, the St. Margaret’s

Sea Scouts named after the village it represents, located on the outskirts of San Fer-

nando in South Trinidad; reactivated their membership under the zealous guidance

of Anselm “Slim” Callender. At an event in November, at the St. Margaret’s Com-

munity Center, some of these gentlemen ceremoniously gathered to officially an-

nounce the return of the Sea Scouts, and their mandate.

In existence for sixty years, the St. Margaret’s Sea Scouts has over the years seen

some of the village’s finest pass through its ranks, many of whom are now in their

fifties. Men such as Andrew Alves, Godfrey John, Valentine George, Renny Forde,

Glenn Young and the current President of the Village Council, Colin George.

“Slim” Callender, also the manager of entertainer, Ronnie McIntosh and the

band Blue Ventures, and a Sea Scout himself, said “there is an escalation of

crime in the village, just as elsewhere in Trinidad and Tobago, and we were

blessed with a support structure in our youth, under mentors such as the late

Scout’s Master, Trevor Levine.” Godfrey John elaborated, “We would like to

show that there are positive role models in the community.”

With the assistance of some of the wives, Sharon Alves and Dianne Reuben,

along with Lima Ramjohn, whose parents Manny and Irma Ramjohn have been the life’s blood of the Scouts during most of their living years; Lima continues

the family tradition after their death. Through fund raisers and other resources,

the Sea Scouts intend to avail themselves to their community as a go to for fi-nancial assistance and mentorship, among other social and wellbeing needs.

“WE COME TO YOUY-

407-350-4888 Gonsalves wins third term

The ruling United Labor Party (ULP) of

Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves in

St. Vincent and the Grenadines won an

historic third consecutive term in office at

general elections held on December 13,

fighting off a strong challenge from the

New Democratic Labor Party (NDP)

which won seven (7) of the 15 seats in

Parliament.

Supporters of the ULP took to the streets

in celebration after the preliminary results

showed that the party had won eight of

the 15 seats contested in the general elec-

tion. The NDP, which had three seats in

the last parliament increased that number

to seven, preliminary results showed.

STOP PRESS

5 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

6 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

7 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

I ts enviable ranking is contained in

2010 Corruption Perception report

by the international watchdog

Transparency International (TI).

Not only does TI place Barbados at the top of the Latin Amercan and Caribbe-

an region, the Caribbean nation is se-

cond only to Canada in the entire

Americas.

The United States is in 4th place while

Chile is 3rd.

Globally, the Transparency Internation-

al Corruption Perception Index puts

Barbados at a very high 17th where it is

tied with Japan.

By comparison Britain is at number 20

and the United States 22.

Three countries are tied for first place

as being perceived to be the least cor-

rupt in the world - Denmark, New Zea-

land and Singapore.

The only other Caricom state making

the top 50 is Dominica at 44 - and the

other Caribbean territory in that bracket

is Puerto Rico, ranked at 33.

Other Caribbean country rankings on

the global corruption perception index are Cuba at 69, Trinidad and Tobago -

73, Jamaica comes in at 86, the Domin-

ican Republic 101, Guyana 116 and

Venezuela 164.

At the bottom of the list globally, plac-

ing at 178 and perceived to be the

world's most corrupt country, is Soma-

lia.

Barbados has topped the list in Latin America and the Caribbean as the country perceived to be the least cor-rupt in the region.

Barbados is hemisphere’s second least corrupt country

The Management & Staff of

Caribbean Sun wish all of our

Advertisers and Readers

Happy Holidays

8 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

9 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

10 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

6100 Old Winter Garden Rd., Orlando, Florida 352-874-3554

A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our customers.

We are always grateful for your continued support.

OUR CHRISTMAS SPECIALS INCLUDE:

Aniseed Bread, Special Pepperpot Bread, Black Cakes, Fruit Cakes,

Party-size Pastries and much more…

Also serving you at:

CLERMONT/MINNEOLA BRANCH:

Sarah’s West Indian Store, 204 West Washington St. 352-243-3465

OCALA BRANCH:

Jerry’s West Indian Store, 9536 S.E. Maricamp Rd. 352-680-1608

MAIN BRANCH, TORONTO CANADA

2691 Markham Rd. #11, Scarborough 416-298-6611

B arbadians in Central Florida cele-

brated their country’s 44th Inde-

pendence anniversary by paying

tribute to the life and work of their late prime minister, David Thompson, who

died a few weeks prior to the celebrations.

The Coalition for the Barbados Associa-

tion of Central Florida held its annual In-

dependence Gala on November 20th at the

Rosen Hotel. Guest of honor at the event

was Barbados Minister of International

Business and International Transport,

George Hutson.

In his address to the gathering Hutson

highlighted the visionary leadership of the

late prime minister and the achievements of the government. He assured that pro-

gress and prosperity would continue de-

spite the loss of David Thompson. Presi-

dent of the association, Dr. Dale Husbands

said that through solid stewardship the

people of Barbados “have not really felt

the pain of a global recession.

He said that in the New Year the associa-

tion will partner with other Barbadian as-

sociations in Florida in fundraising efforts

to help charities back home. “My hope is

for all the Florida organizations to come

together to host a single fund raising event

which would allow us to make a signifi-

cant contribution to Barbados.”

Three Barbadians resident in Central Flori-

da-Tyrell Pile, Vincent Sandiford and

Gladstone Clarke received the Outstanding

Citizen Award for their long and dedicated

service to the community.

Barbadians in Orlando celebrate Independence

Indian Ambassador visits Orlando hails contribution of West Indian culture

By Laverne McGee

M eera Shankar, Indian Ambas-

sador to the United States has

acknowledged the contribu-

tions West Indians of Indian descent are

making to the modernization of Indian

culture.

Ambassador Shankar told Caribbean

Sun’s Managing Editor Laverne McGee

that she and the rest of India are quite

aware of the modernization and cultural

modifications West Indians have had on

Indian culture pointing

to the fact that chut-

ney music specifically,

has gained attention

outside of the Caribbean.

Several Guyanese, Trinidadians and other Caribbean Americans were part of the

audience at a recent lecture delivered by

the ambassador at the University of Cen-

tral Florida.

While her visit to Central Florida was

most welcoming the same could not be

said for her trip to back to the Washing-

ton, DC metropolitan area. On December

4, Shankar was departing Jackson Evers

Airport in Mississippi when she was sub-

jected to a search by agents of the Trans-portation Security Agency (TSA) alt-

hough she had correct paperwork and

documents proving she is a diplomat.

Those who witnessed the ambassador’s

screening said officers told her that she

was singled out because of the way she

was dressed. Shankar was wearing a sari.

First she was pulled from the security

line. Then she was taken to a waiting

room despite telling them she was the

Indian Ambassador. A female security

officer patted her down. A Transporta-

tion Security Administration spokesman

said diplomats are not exempt from the searches and that Shankar was screened

in accordance with TSA’s security poli-

cies and procedures.

India’s external affairs Minister S.M.

Krishna issued a statement from New

Delhi, India. He said” I am rather sur-

prised by the way the Indian

Ambassador to the US has

been treated. This has hap-

pened for the second time in

three months. This is unacceptable to

India and we are going to take it up with the government of the United States. I

hope things can be resolved so that such

unpleasant incidents do not occur again.”

Meera Shankar, Indian Ambassador to

the US (left) with Laverne McGee

“India protests search

of its Ambassador “

11 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

DECEMBER VID’S 5th ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY

MELA ROOM 9677 S. Orange Blossom Trail

Orlando, FL Saturday, December 18, 2010

Doors open @ 9.30 pm Tickets: $10.00

Contact: 407-654-9096/407-291-2047 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

ISLAND SATURDAYS 2ND ANNUAL MASQUERADERS EDITION

STONEFACE BIRTHDAY BASH CLUB LIMELITE

345 N. Orange Ave Orlando, FL

Saturday, December 18, 2010 Ladies free till 11.30 pm

Men $10 Before 12.00 am >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

AN EVENING OF INSPIRING DEVOTIONALS SARYAM

OLYMPIA HIGH SCHOOL 4301 S. Apopka Vineland Road

Orlando, FL Sunday, December 19, 2010

Doors open @ 4 pm, Program begins @ 4.30 pm

Tickets: $15.00, Children under 5 yrs free Contact: 407-451-2617/352-8705300

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> CHRISTMAS EVE DANCE

“THE VENUE” TIMEHRI BANQUET HALL 7371 West Colonial Drive

Orlando, FL (Highland Lake Mall)

Friday, December 24, 2010 Time: 8 pm -?

Donation: $5.00 Contact: Lake @352-267-1232/Errol @407-

864-9981

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ISLAND BEAT ANNIVERSARY & HATTERS

PARTY TEMA FOUNDATION HALL

1044 Plaza Drive Kissimmee, FL

Saturday, December 25, 2010 Time: 10 pm-2 am

Tickets: $10.00 advance /$15.00 at door Food and Drinks Available >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

THE ORLANDO CARIBBEAN ASSOCIATION NEW YEAR’S EVE SOCIAL

“THE VENUE” TIMEHRI BANQUET HALL 7371 West Colonial Drive

Orlando, FL (Highland Lake Mall)

Friday, December 31, 2010 Time: 8 pm - ?

ALL INCLUSIVE: Drinks, Dinner & Breakfast Contribution: $40.00 per person

Contact: Phillip @ 321-231-5998/Ricky @407-448-8688/Bunny @917-886-6940

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 2011

GACACF ANNUAL REPUBLIC BALL “THE BALLROOM” AT CHURCH STREET

Saturday February 19, 2011 7:00PM—2:00AM

Tickets $ 60.00 Contact : Vanessa 407-325-5466

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> GRENADA INDEPENDENCE GALA

THE HOLIDAY INN, HOTEL & SUITES 5905 Kirkman Road

Orlando, FL Saturday, March 19, 2011

Time: 7 pm-1 am Tickets: $55.00 in advance only

Contact: Val @321-303-9345/Rita @407-299-8316

M IAMI - Sunday, Janu-

ary 16th 2011 Martin

Luther King Weekend,

mark your calendars for the most

highly anticipated show that will

lock down any other show for the

entire year, Buju Banton Live on

Stage for one night and one night

only.

There is no other way to start 2011,

but to start it with one of the lead-

ing Grammy Nominated Reggae

Artist, Buju. Just when they

thought Mr. Gargamel would stop

to dwell on the negativity, Buju

rises and comes fourth with

friends for Before the Dawn Con-

cert. With no school or work the next

day there is no

other reason to

miss this once in

a life time un-

expected con-

cert, which will

not happen any-

where else in

the USA. So

come out and

witness history

as Buju hits the

stage on Ameri-

can Soil, which

most people

say, may be his

very last show.

Reggae Superstar Buju Banton to perform

live in concert January 16 in Miami

KISSIMMEE # 407-201-3066

BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

Curacao to offer flights to space

C uracao hopes to offer commercial flights to space by January 1, 2014, the country’s new prime minister,

Gerrit Schotte announced recently while addressing the 34th annual Miami Confer-ence on the Caribbean Basin.

The projected price for a 45 minute trip to space from Curacao is $95, 000. The prime minister announced his country’s space project as among the bold new initiatives his administration plans to stimulate the economy and generate jobs.

“We keep adding new initiatives, some more bold than others. One of those is the proposed Curaçao Space Port, where by January first of 2014, we hope to see com-mercial space flights take off from our

Hato International Airport. The price tag for such space experiences is still steep, some 95.000 dollars per person for a 45 minute trip, but the predictions are that by 2020 some 20.000 people will be mak-ing a trip to space on a commercial basis, as space tourists. Now some of you might be thinking right now, yeah right, space travel …. but in this new era we live in, I see projects like this as a unique but also realistic opportunity to present Curaçao to the world. And also as a unique opportuni-ty to create new jobs, and introduce new high-tech opportunities to our island,” the prime minister said.

Government and private sector, he added, have been actively involved in this project from the onset.

12 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

Aries (21 March - 19 April) Your career will start to show vibrancy and progress. You will be filled with energy and drive, which will bring you career opportunities, too, so this is truly a critical time for you to leap ahead. It's the right time to gain a promotion or to start interviewing for a new position of responsibility and power. Your chart shows a step up, not a lateral move to the same old thing you did before, so don't settle for anything less, dear Ar-ies!

Taurus (20 April - 20th May) You like to know precisely how your in-vestments are doing and exactly where your money is going when you spend it. As the month starts out, you seem to be doing a lot of end-of-year tax plan-ning and evaluation. Excellent. This is the time to do that. Something that occurs December 23 may make you aware that you need to expect the unex-pected when it comes to money. You tend to be superb at money manage-ment.

Gemini (21 May -21 June) When two people come to the table in busi-ness or in love, both bring something that is highly attractive to the other side. You both need one another, but on the other hand, you both also have certain needs. Finding the right balance will be your aim this month.

Cancer (22 June - 22 August) In case you expected a quiet, sleepy little month for December, think again. Your schedule is likely to change dramati-cally as you get closer to month's end. You'd be wise to get as much work and as many holiday preparations done early, so when priorities shift later, you won't feel anxious about running out of time.

Leo (23 August - 22 August ) If you are single and hoping to find love, plan to be out of the house in the days after December 5. That might be nice - a chance meeting that you simply don't expect. You need to try your luck now. Holiday parties will be in full swing, and you will get more than your usual share of invitations.

Virgo (23 August - 22 September) This may be one of those months where everything seems a little off kilter. It's a perfect time to do research and meditate about your New Year ahead, but do not etch anything in stone quite yet. The world will be in flux, and you will have to go with the flow. Any deal you negotiate now will need to be renegotiated later, so hold back. Eve-ryone will be in the same position, so you won't be alone.

Libra (23 September - 22 October) Too much is going on in your life these days, and you are alternating between jittery highs and depressing lows. Your plate is piled high, and although you feel that finding accord and cooperation from higher ups and others should be easy, in December you will find almost nothing is easy. Don't buck this trend - relax and refuse to be ruffled.

Scorpio (23 October - 21 November ) Money will be a big focus this month, and you will need to do the best you can until your prospects perk up in January. Very soon the spending will drop and you will feel more in control of your finances. You are more motivated to find additional money, if only by necessity.

Sagittarius (22 November - 21 December) December is an important month on so many levels, not only because it's birthday time. This is a superb opportunity to start a new chapter in your life. You will be brave and deter-mined, ready to do whatever it takes to be successful. Anything you do will have special gravitas, and you can begin to build a firm foundation.

Capricorn (22 December - 16 January) This is a month perfect for fixing things in your life that are not working. This is an unlikely time to find a peaceful period to decide what you'd like to change, what to leave, and what to bring in the New Year, but it is the perfect time to do so. During most of this month, you will be in an enormously reflective mood.

Aquarius (20 January - 18 February) Aquarius is considered a social, gregarious sign that is said to be eager to meet new people and expand their ever-widening circle of friends. This month you will joyfully live up to your reputation. You can be sure that the two weeks that follow that date will be highly social and lots of fun. Your actions could bring stability and long-range benefits.

Pisces (19 February - 20 March) This month has exciting balance be-tween your public life and private life. It won't be without drama.. It's a com-plex month, so let's start at the top and see how the universe created the plot for December. The month starts out poised for honors, awards, achievement, and fame.

Caribbean Horoscopes

December 2010

13 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

Ingredients 1 lb raisins

1/2 lb currant

1/4 lb prune

1 cup rum

1 1/2 lbs brown sugar, packed (3 1/4 cups)

1/2 lb butter

6 eggs, beaten

1/2 lb flour (2 cups)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon mixed spice (nutmeg, cinnamon,

cloves, allspice)

1/4 lb mixed peel

1/4 lb chopped nuts (optional)

ICING FOR BLACK CAKE

MARZIPAN 2 egg whites 1/2 lb ground almonds (2 cups)

1/2 lb icing sugar (confectioner's, 2 cups)

1/2 teaspoon almond essence (extract)

ROYAL ICING 2 egg whites

1 lb icing sugar (confectioner's, 4 cups)

1 lemon, juice of

Directions:

Prep Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 2 1/2 hrs

1. FOR THE CAKE: Wash and dry fruit.

Grind fruit and soak with 3/4 cup of rum. Store,

covered, in glass jar to steep for 2 weeks or

longer. So you don’t have time.. try stewing it

works as well.

2. TO MAKE CARAMEL, heat 1 lb. of sugar

in a heavy bottomed frying pan until melted;

simmer until dark brown. Let cool.

3. Cream butter and 1/2 lb (250 g) sugar well,

add beaten eggs a little at a time; add soaked

fruits and rum, stirring well, and enough cara-

mel to make it as dark as desired.

4. Add sifted flour with baking powder and

mixed spice. Fold in peel and chopped nuts.

5. Pour mixture into baking pan, greased and

lined with waxed paper. Bake in a slow oven at

300°F for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

6. Sprinkle additional rum over cake immedi-

ately after it is baked. Repeat a few times. Al-

low cake to remain in pan for 2 to 3 days.

7. FOR THE MARZIPAN: Beat egg whites to

a stiff froth, stir in ground almonds, sugar and

almond essence to make a paste.

8. Remove cake from pan, place on a cake

plate. Cover top of cake with almond paste.

Roll rest of paste thinly to cover sides. Allow to

dry 1 day before icing.

9. FOR THE ROYAL ICING: Beat egg

whites to a froth, add sugar, a little at a time,

beating well after each addition. Add lemon

juice and sugar and continue to beat until mix-

ture forms peaks.

10. Dip a spatula in hot water and smoother the

icing over the almond paste. A second layer

may be applied when the first is thoroughly

dried.

Decorate as desired.

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14 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

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Sports roundup

T he West Indies has cut short its current tour of Sri

Lanka due to bad weather.

The visitors should have

played five One Day Internationals and one T-20, but bad weather,

which also ruined the three test se-

ries, forced a cancellation of the re-

mainder of the tour.

West Indies Cricket Board CEO

Dr. Ernest Hilaire said that a

practical decision had to be taken

in the interest of cricket with re-

gard to the cancellation of the

Limited Overs portion of the West

Indies Team tour of Sri Lanka.

“The weather in Sri Lanka has been

most disappointing throughout the tour and a practical decision had to

be taken in the best interest of crick-

et, the fans and the players,” Dr

Hilaire commented.

Sri Lanka Cricket took the decision to cancel the Limited Overs Series

when it was clear that the persistent

rain is unlikely to abate and allow

for completed matches. The drawn three match Test Series was also

heavily affected by rain.

The WICB was consulted and sup-

ported the decision taken by SLC.

“It made little sense to have the

teams turn up for matches which they knew were not going to take

place and this would have caused

frustrations to fans and officials as

well,” Dr Hilaire observed.

“The weather is beyond any of our

control and the WICB will now

work with Sri Lanka Cricket to en-sure that the matches are resched-

uled to a time when the weather is

more favorable for cricket,” he said.

WI cuts tour of Sri Lanka

New York Chargers win US Open Cricket

T he New York Chargers be-came the 2010 US Open

Cricket Champions when

they convincingly defeated the Pa-

kistan Magic in the finals of the Cricket Council USA sponsored

tournament, on Sunday, December

5th, 2010 at the Lauderhill Cricket Stadium, in Fort Lauderdale, Flori-

da. The Chargers played undefeated

during the three days of intense

competition.

The Finals of the US Open com-

menced almost immediately after

the conclusion of the semi-finals. The Magic batted first. Openers

Ken Singh (29) and Hussain Haider

(33) were the only two Magic bats-men who seemed to know how to

handle the Chargers’ five- prong spin attack. With the fall of

Haider at 35, and Singh at 48, the

Magic were unable to do any signif-

icant recovery. They were all out

for 113 runs.

The Chargers’ regular opening pair

of Carl Wright and Glenn Hall con-fidently strode to the wicket.

Wright immediately set upon the hapless Magic bowling while Hall played a more

supporting role, rotating the strike. By the

end of the 15th over Chargers had acquired

the runs need for victory and the champion-ship. Wright hit the winning shot- a four

muscled over the extra cover fieldsman. He

was 47 not out and Steve Massiah 23 not

out.

Following the game the presentation cere-

mony was held with various awards , for the tournament, given:

Most Promising Player – Steven Tay-

lor ( Miami Thunder)

Most Catches – Rashad Marshall (United Chargers)

Most Wickets – Masood Moham-

med ( Magic) Most Runs – Steven Taylor (Miami Thun-

der)

MVP of Finals – Carl Wright (United Chargers)

Tournament MVP – Steven Taylor (Miami

Thunder)

15 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

More than 7,000 secret cables on the Caribbean -Continued from page 1-

There are more than 1,000 secret docu-ments each on Jamaica, Dominican Re-public, Haiti and Guyana in addition to hundreds each on Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, St. Lucia, Barbados and the Bahamas, Caribbean Sun has learnt. One of the cables on Grenada may have to do with the use of the interna-tional airport there as a base for US fight-er jets which accompanied President Barack Obama to Trinidad for last year’s Summit of the Americas. Recent cables, the sources say, also deal with the rela-tions between Caribbean countries and Venezuela and President Hugo Chavez.

Many of the secret cables, according to the sources, go back to events such as the Cubana Disaster off Barbados, the Grena-da invasion, the Jonestown Massacre and the Iran-Contra investigations. Caribbean Sun sought to confirm these reports with the US State Department but a spokes-person there said the Department “is unable to confirm any of this infor-mation”

While acknowledging that the leaks “are an embarrassment to the United States” the State Department spokesperson add-ed “while we cannot speak to the authen-ticity of any documents provided to the

press, we can speak to the diplomatic community's practice of cable writing. Cables reflect the internal day-to-day analysis and candid assessments that inform the governments' foreign relations deliberations.”

Meanwhile, Wikileaks said the embassy cables will be released in stages over the next few months. "The subject matter of these cables is of such importance, and the geographical spread so broad, that to do otherwise would not do this material justice," the web site added. The Wik-ileaks website, founded by former hacker Julian Assange, last month started releas-

ing what it called the largest set of confi-dential documents into the public do-main. Assange has since been arrested in London on unrelated allegations of rape.

The website has thus far released some 450 documents with a total of a quarter million slated to be released.

The cables date from 1966 up until the end of February 2010 and contain confi-dential communications between 274 embassies in countries throughout the world and the State Department in Wash-ington, DC.

16 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

Guyana’s Prime Minister Sam Hinds examines what is be-lieved to be among the few original documents of the pro-ceedings and maps both for British Guiana and Venezue-

la leading up to the Arbitral Award of 1899 at the Cheloni-

an Research Institute in Oviedo, Florida in the company of, the Institute's director Dr. Peter Pritchard, a student intern at the Institute and former diplomat Wesley Kirton.

HISTORIC DOCUMENT

CARIBBEAN CHAMBER HOLIDAY PARTY

Kash Ramnarain ( 2nd from right ) with Management Staff of the Maraya Res-taurant at the Chamber’s Holiday Party From left to right Edwin Ayache, Ade-le Saxe, Peter Saxe, Violette Haddad, Kash Ramnarain and George Knouri

From left are: Hector Perez, vice president of community rela-tions at the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA); Chamber president Carol Singh; business consultant Wilfred Thomas; Roberto Acevedo, senior adminis-trative assistant at the Orange County Appraiser’s Office and Ron Roach of Darden Restaurants.

Members of the Dream Team, recipients of the Triple Crown this year being congratulated by the Association’s President Hakim Bacchus at the Annual Award Ceremony/Dance held at the Mela Room

FSCA 10TH ANNUAL

PRESENTATION DANCE

Duck Curry Duck

The Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce of Florida (CACCF) held its Holiday Party and Dinner recently at the Maraya Res-

taurant on Crystal Clear Lane in Orlando. Scores of Chamber members and friends attended the event.

(Left) 1st Prize Winner

Indra Persaud re-

ceives trophy from

Philip Scantlebury

(Right) This group

took time out to relax

during the event