Leatherback turtle nesting in daylight on Barbados’ East coast

Dear Barbados Free Press,

I spotted this leatherback turtle nesting along the east coast at the end of May. The sighting drew a large crowd of both locals and visitors. It is a very rare occurrence to see them nesting and even rarer to see them nesting during the day. I thought you might enjoy these pictures for your publication.

Christian Payne

(click on photos for larger size)

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Jane Shattuck-Hoyos asks “Why is Jamaica suffering while Barbados prospers?”

Could it be that Bajan shirt-tails are tucked in?

The difference in Jamaican and Bajan history and economic outcomes? Nevermind that garbage about the best-behaved slaves were offloaded on Bim and the rebels were shipped to Jamaica. (Ya… we still hear that trash when the rum is flowing up in Grape Hall from people who really should know better.)

Our friend Jane at Planet Barbados found a US Public Radio programme that looks at the differences between Jamaica and Bim and where we currently stand as countries and societies. For my part I don’t agree with the programme’s thrust that economic policies were the sole cause of the different outcomes that we see – I think that cultural differences also played a critical role in the differing histories of Barbados and Jamaica.

Fewer than 2000 fans show for the ENTIRE West Indies & South Africa Test. Cricket.com looks at why…

Excellent article by Michelle McDonald of Cricket.com

Less than 200 fans on Sunday! What went wrong?

Do you know anyone who attended the recent West Indies – South Africa Test for even a few hours?

Nope, we at Barbados Free Press don’t know anyone either.

We’ve seen the articles in the Bajan media over the past few months lamenting the death of Bajan cricket, but we’ve also seen the boys out as usual everywhere having fun, growing and challenging themselves and their friends.

Cricket in Barbados is not dead, but something decidedly unhealthy is happening at the professional level and we’re not sure how to fix it. How do you put the soul back into what used to be a party and is now a wake?

Barbados Commissioner of Police accused of illegal wiretapping

UPDATED: April 28, 2012

BFP revisits another one of those ‘dropped off the face of the earth’ stories.

Can anyone tell us the outcome of Commissioner of Police Dottin being accused of illegal wiretapping two years ago? The whole story just disappeared from the Bajan news media. Maybe we missed the final story… maybe Dottin was proven innocent? OR… was some secret resolution arrived at?

Welcome to the Bajan news media – your filter on the world whether you know it or not…

Original story published June 28, 2010…

Police Commissioner Dottin claims “national security” as reason for non-disclosure of wiretaps.

A suspended Royal Barbados Police Force officer claims in an affidavit before the Supreme Court that Commissioner Darwin Dottin conducted illegal wiretapping against him during an internal investigation. (See The Nation article Phone Bug? – also at the end of this article)

There is little doubt that police wiretapping of RBPF Inspector Anderson Bowen’s phone conversations happened. Bowen states in his affidavit that Commissioner Dottin played the phone recordings for him during an internal investigation interview. The phone tappings took place at Bowen’s home, his mother’s home and at Black Rock police station.

Whatever alleged crime that Commissioner Dottin was investigating, our primary concern is whether or not this wiretapping was legal. I mean, our police can’t just go off and wiretap anyone they want to …or can they?

Canadian investor Bob Verdun accosted by Barbados Boscobel Toll Gang

Verdun the latest victim to complain of gang activity against tourists

Last Friday Bob Verdun gave the noon lecture at DLP Headquarters and detailed 15 ways that the Government can improve our tourism product without spending a penny. Journalist Ian Bourne attended and is writing a series of articles on Mr. Verdun’s message. You can read Ian’s first article at his Bajan Reporter online news site.

Unsurprisingly, one of Mr. Verdun’s primary tourism concerns is security, because he knows as we all should that without security the other three “esses” – sun, sea and sand – don’t matter. What is interesting is that Mr. Verdun confessed during his lecture that he, like thousands of others, fell victim to the Boscobel Road Toll Gang and that he does not go to this area of Barbados anymore.

Brazil – Barbados GOL flight a tremendous achievement!

Just for the record, I would like to applaud all those involved in securing the direct non-stop flight from GOL flight from Sao Paulo including the Minister of Tourism, BTA, Barbados Diplomatic Corp and BHTA.

It is a tremendous achievement, and I believe it offers the very best option in terms of route, carrier, duration of flight, connecting city possibilities and gateway.

From comments made by the Minister in the media, he is not expecting every flight to be full in the initial operating period, and however sceptical some may be about this foray into South America, this is in my humble opinion is a very realistic approach.

BP Oil Spill – Crew hoping to tap into well 18,000 feet beneath the sea surface.

Thanks to Colin L. Beadon for sending us this diagram of the operation to stop the leaking BP oil well in the Caribbean.

After looking at the operation, all I can think of is we have to find a better, safer way to harvest the oil we need than to allow drilling in 5,000 feet of open water right in what could be called hurricane city. This mess was bound to happen, especially when the oil companies are left to themselves to supervise their operations. As it turns out, most of the people in the US Departments that were to be supervising the oil industry are good ‘ol boys themselves who used to work for the oil companies. Reminds me of Shell in Barbados hiring a consulting company to tell us everything is fine when we know it is not so.

Anyway, our thanks to Colin, and have a look at this diagram and imaging the risks in the real world of deep sea oil drilling…

Should we buy the Barbados Advocate.com domain name? :-)

Did someone forget to pay the internet bill?

Dear Barbados Free Press,

I’m trying to get to the online edition of the Barbados Advocate at http://www.barbadosadvocate.com/ and I’m seeing a notice that the domain name expired and is “parked” for renewal.

Bob Verdun lecture Friday, June 25 “15 ways to improve Barbados tourism without spending a penny!”

“The members of the current management team must resign. They have failed, and the Symphony cannot afford to keep them in power. Begging for money is not a business plan; it is an act of desperation by people more concerned with keeping their jobs than solving the problems.”

… from a 2006 report by Bob Verdun on a support campaign conducted by the Kitchener Waterloo Canada Symphony

Bob Verdun say he’ll be “blunt” criticizing Barbados tourism industry

Tourism consultant Bob Verdun is giving the free lecture tomorrow at the DLP Headquarters, but he promises it won’t be a DLP love-fest because he’ll hold nothing back.

Dear Rihanna, please resign as our Barbados Culture and Youth Ambassador

Dear Rihanna,

Please, please resign from your position as Barbados Culture and Youth Ambassador. The politicians who appointed you haven’t the integrity or the courage to take the title away from you.

Do you have the integrity and the courage to give it up for the good of your home?

Please. You must.

For our Readers

BFP covered up the girl’s private parts with a blue dot and reduced the size and quality of the photo so as to make our point without further offending our readers. If you must, you can see what’s under the blue dot in glorious colour and full resolution at Celeb Jihad’s article Rihanna Flashes Vagina Lips

Barbados company embroiled in China – India oilfield security concern

Barbados corporation used by China to facilitate espionage, prohibited investments?

A controversy is in full swing as the Indian Government discovered that the Chinese used a Barbados-registered company to gain investment and intelligence access to an oil and gas field in the sensitive Indian state of Assam.

Fodor’s honours Peach and Quiet Hotel in Barbados

Congratulations to Margaret and Adrian Loveridge and the Peach and Quiet staff! Once again, Peach and Quiet Hotel has been honoured with the much coveted Fodor’s Choice Award, this time for 2010.

Peach and Quiet is one of only three hotels on Barbados to be granted this prestigious award, the other two being Coral Reef Club and Sandy Lane Hotel. This latest Fodor’s accolade follows the early award this year of being rated as one of the ‘12 Best Value Hotels in the Caribbean’ and the only hotel on Barbados to be granted this recognition in 2010.

‘Dudus’ Coke arrested. Will he live to see trial?

News reports say that Shower Posse gang leader Christopher Dudus Coke was captured at a checkpoint in Jamaica today – apparently on his way to surrender himself either to US Embassy personnel or local “friendly” police.

Some stories say that Coke cut a deal with the US authorities and will not oppose extradition. Some news commentators say that he wants to get out of Jamaica as quickly as possible because there is a wind change in the works that might prove unhealthy as certain Jamaican politicians are worried about what Coke might say at his trial.

David Estwick should resign over Gun incident in Barbados Parliament

Intimidation of Opposition Member designed to fall just below the criminal threshold

As more details emerge about the conflict last March between Government Minister David Estwick and Opposition MP Dale Marshall, we at BFP think it is quite possible that David Estwick’s actions were a deliberate attempt to intimidate Dale Marshall. We also think Estwick carefully planned the display of his firearm to come right up to the line, but beneath the criteria necessary for criminal charges.

Consider that Estwick and Marshall had been involved in a heated debate in Parliament. Consider that by all reports there was no one else in close proximity when Marshall says he rounded a corner and saw Estwick remove his weapon from his ankle holster.

‘Gossip Girl’ by Bajan band Nexcyx about to hit big in the US? We think so!

Let’s pile on the YouTube viewings and help local band Nexcyx!

A trailer for the hit US television show Gossip Girl, featuring Bajan band Nexcyx, was just shortlisted as a contender to become the official trailer for the international series.

That’s pretty special, but how did this come about?

Bajan Reporter pours gasoline on the Barbados Equestrian Association – Natya Soodeen controversy. New documents surface!

Barbados Equestrian Association, dead tree news media, strangely silent on Natya Soodeen suspension

The popular Bajan Reporter online news outlet today published a new major article on the Natya Soodeen suspension. Someone supplied journalist Ian Bourne with copies of various emails exchanged in the controversial action by the Barbados Equestrian Association (BEA) and, true to Mr. Bourne’s earlier promise at BFP, Bajan Reporter published everything on a stated deadline after the BEA refused to discuss the story with journalists.

Future Centre Trust pleased with Barbados Water Authority plans

Barbados Water Authority advertises its tender for Water and Sanitation Systems Upgrade thanks to IADB funding.

The Future Centre Trust applauds the Inter-American Development Bank and the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) for their plans to upgrade the Water and Sanitation Systems of Barbados as reported by the Sunday Sun on June 19, 2010. Water in Barbados is a scarce resource. The country is listed in the top ten water scarce countries per capita in the world. Water is not seen as precious, however, thanks in part to the price charged for this life giving necessity.  But will the fifty million USD upgrade to the BWA come at too high a price for Barbadians?

Jose River Bridge Catastrophe!

Say it “Jose River” or “Joe’s River”… Either way it’s a catastrophe!

By Lani Edghill

Where the road collapsed - after they removed the foliage

A few months ago I drove down to Bathsheba to hike along the Hackleton’s Cliff area. I do this every weekend because I love the outdoors and I enjoy being out in the natural environment especially on the east coast of Barbados. On my trip down there during the dry season I noticed that the area and gully around the Jose River Bridge had been completely bulldozed, flattened and annihilated.

On viewing this travesty I immediately said to my partner that as soon as the rain starts to fall again this bridge is going to collapse.