Jdid all upset: Toronto Anglican Church gave Communion to Dog and non-Christian

Join the buffet line for Holy Communion!

Our friend Jdid left Barbados many years ago for the cold and snow of Toronto, but apart from the occasional complaint on his Doan Mind Me blog about harsh weather he seems happy with his home away from home. Last time we looked he had a good woman and a little one just arrived and we hope the Lord continues to bless Jdid and his family.

And speaking of the Lord, Jdid’s latest article weighs in on a story out of Toronto where an Anglican priest gave a communion wafer to a dog and a non-believer.

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Barbados borrows big – Government celebrates but had to pay top rates for a loan

Barbados just borrowed another US$200 million dollars through a private bond placement with the Deutsche Bank and as normal the government is bragging in the press about how borrowing money is a wonderful accomplishment and something to be proud of.

As for me, I always thought it meant that the family was in trouble if we had to borrow money to buy food and pay for electricity. Borrowing to invest in business or making your house worth more is one thing – borrowing to buy food is another.

Let’s look at how the loan is reported in the Bajan news media, and then in the world financial press. Both perspectives are probably true, but the government’s position reminds me of the old school song “Think happy thoughts”…

Hazard to Turtles along the South Coast Boardwalk – Help needed

Government all talk and no action to save turtle hatchlings – Will you help?

by Lani Edghill – Environmental Planner & Green Business Barbados Coordinator for the Future Centre Trust

I live on the beach in Hastings to the western end of the new boardwalk. We are currently in the middle of turtle nesting season and at least 25-30 nests are located on the beach to the east of where I live (in front of where the old Ocean View Hotel used to be). The boardwalk bisects this beach and as a result a ditch was formed on the land side of the boardwalk. Not only is it a hazard to nesting turtles and hatchlings but also to children who could fall and hurt themselves.

As part of being an ethical planner, even if it is not my job, I see it as my duty to bring these issues to light in the public forum. In addition it is also important that I work with relevant stakeholders to ensure that partnerships are forged in order to move the coordination process forward.

In an attempt to mitigate this issue I contacted Dr. Julia Harrocks who is the coordinator for the Barbados Sea Turtle Project at the University of the West Indies and Dr. Lorna Inniss deputy director of the Coastal Zone Management Unit.

Adrian Loveridge: New American Airlines Dallas to Barbados flight is a game changer!

Will Barbados follow-up aggressively on this opportunity?

The recent announcement of a new direct non-stop service from Dallas to Barbados with American Airlines, scheduled to start on 16th December is more good news and offers tremendous opportunities for our tourism industry.

According to the DFW Airport Board, Dallas/Fort Worth handled over 56 million passengers last year from 175 destinations. 60 per cent of these passengers were connecting from other cities. The greater metropolitan area of Dallas is the largest in the south and the fourth highest population on any similar urban area in the United States, boasting over 6.5 million residents (source: US Census Bureau).

But even with these impressive statistics, it could well prove that our biggest marketing tool will be beyond this new gateway.

Stevenson Blackett murdered in Brooklyn, New York

Beloved grandfather gunned down in home

We are terribly saddened by the news that Stevenson Blackett was shot to death early this morning in his Brooklyn home. The 60-year old grandfather moved to the USA from Barbados in 1972 and founded Stevenson Maintenance Inc., a plumbing company in the Bronx, 32 years ago.

Two men broke into the home in the wee hours and went right to the basement where Blackett was sleeping alone. The killers tied him up and shot him twice in the head as his wife, Brenda, his father-in-law and their three grandchildren slept on the second floor. The first floor of the home is a daycare center.

Barbados cowboy (or cowgirl!) competes in North Star Stampede Rodeo, Minnesota

Someone from Barbados competed last weekend in the 55th annual North Star Stampede in Effie, Minnisota.

That’s all we can tell you because we’re not subscribers to the Herald-Review, so we only see this teaser online and can’t see the whole article. We don’t know if the Bajan is mentioned by name…

Chauffeur killed, Barbados MP injured in head-on crash. Police lack authority for proper investigation.

Sylvester Brown died in a head-on collision Tuesday afternoon as he was driving Member of Parliament Hamilton Lashley (Hammie La). Hammie was taken to QEH with non-life threatening injuries to his head and hand.

The driver of the other vehicle, Mario Daniel-Hood, 29, of Eden Lodge, St Michael, was also taken to hospital with unknown injuries.

While an autopsy might reveal whether Mr. Brown had been celebrating earlier in the day, Barbados Police are handicapped in their investigation because they will not be able to determine if or how much Mr. Daniel-Hood had been drinking.