FINN(COM) DAILY RECORD: TUESDAY, 06 JULY 2004

 

Compiled by J. Brock (FINN)

 

ALL SET FOR A CRAFT DATABASE

 

By J. Brock (FINN)

 

Craft minded persons in the Islands have decided to set up their own database on an as yet un-designed website.  According to a letter from Barbara Curtis, the soul aim of the site is to promote arts and crafts in all their various forms throughout the Falklands.  It is not intended to have shopping cart facilities.  The site is meant to keep crafts people, artists and photographers in touch with each other.

 

At present, the site is being talked about amongst a few interested people and a web designer has been identified, though the site is in its infancy. 

 

 

 

FIBS NEWS DIRECT: 06 JULY 2004

 

JOINT NAVAL EXERCISE CONFIRMED:

 

Government House has conformed there are plans for a joint search and rescue exercise in the South Atlantic between the Argentine and Royal Navies.  The exercise, scheduled for this November, will be the first of its kind for five years.  There will be two joint exercises this year.  I spoke to the Governor, Howard Pearce, this morning to find out more.

 

HP:  The report refers to two possible exercises between the Royal Navy and the Argentine Navy.  In fact, the press reports are not quite accurate. There has been discussion about the possibility of one joint exercise between the two Navies in the South Atlantic, which is currently on the books for November this year.   And, that would be a search and rescue exercise.  The rationale behind this is that the Royal Navy and the Argentine Navy, or the Falkland Islands and Argentina should share responsibility for handling any maritime accidents in the South Atlantic.  And, there are circumstances in which it could be necessary for the two navies to work together for example, if some ship were in some serious trouble or floundered.  And, therefore, the purpose of holding this exercise is to practice working together in case the two navies had to deal with such an accident on the high seas.

 

SG:  And, which vessels would this be involving? 

 

HP:  It’s likely to involve the ship on Atlantic Patrol in the South Atlantic, which, currently is HMS Cardiff.  It will not still be HMS Cardiff or is unlikely to still be HMS Cardiff in November of this year.  Plans are still under discussion.

 

SG:  So, is this the first time this has happened in recent years?

 

HP:  No.  In fact, it’s the second.  There was previously a search and rescue exercise involving Royal Navy and Argentine Navy units in November 1999.  This exercise has been under discussion for quite some time.  Originally it had been planned to take place earlier this year but that had to be postponed for operational reasons on the Argentine side.

 

SG:  Are there any issues, obviously earlier this year, there had been some strain between the UK and Argentine Navies with the Almarante Irrizar incursion.  Is that something we were able to overcome>

 

HP:  It’s in the interest of both sides that the two navies should be able to act together in order to deal with any emergency in the area.

 

TIME FOR WINTER SWIMMERS TO COUGH UP:

 

Sixteen hundred pounds have been raised so far for the Overseas Games Association and the Seamen’s mission by the Mid Winter Swimmers.  But Stanley residents are lagging behind the day-trippers from MPA in paying their sponsor money.  Organiser, Anna Stenning (AS) told me this:

 

AS:  MPA’s been brilliant.  Martin Baeton at MP Travel brought down over £1,000.00 last week to me, so we got about £1600.00 at the moment.  But we’ve had very little from anyone in Stanley.  The prize for the Brasserie meal has gone to Adam Law, who pulled in £253.00.  If they can drop it into the Infant/Junior School, I will sort it out from there.  Keep your sponsor form so that we can work out whether it’s OGA or the Seamen’s Mission.

 

SG:  And you mentioned the top prize.  We’ve got a few more prize-winners you are looking for as well.

 

AS:  Leyton Jones has got a case of wine waiting for him at MP Travel and Joleen Morrison and Victoria White can call me on 21697 or come to school, I’ve got prizes for them as well.

And I’d also like to say thank-you to Craig Thane because he got £115.00 on his own and he’s the youngest with big money so far.  Well done, Craig.

 

SG:  Anna also mentioned Katlin Whitney who also brought in over £100.00.

 

LANGUAGE SCHOOL:

 

A language School set up in Stanley 7 months ago has just seen its first overseas students graduate after three weeks of study.  The Falkland Islands Languages Organisation has been teaching local residents to speak Spanish and is now aiming to capitalise on the market for language tourism.

 

CHINOOK:

 

Stanley residents may have recognised a Chinook on the playing field this morning.  The RAF have been in picking up troops who were stranded in town by the bad weather and the closure of the MPA Road to Military personnel.  Civil/Military Liaison Officer, Major Mark Brennon, told us this morning that after the spate of accidents on the road at the weekend, they decided to take no chances and give the group a safe ride back to MPA.

 

COMMITTEE MEETING:

 

The Public Works Committee took place today at 1330 in Gilbert House.  On the agenda are the Camp Roads Programme and the renewal of the rubbish collection contract.  The current contract runs out in February.  Mr. Keenleyside said a lot of the cost of running the service was in the labour of moving bins about and suggested that it might be cheaper to collect rubbish twice every three weeks, rather than weekly.  He said a few premises would need extra bins to cope with the longer collection cycle.  This wouldn’t cost Government any more money as there were still bins in storage.  Cllr Summers said he was concerned that irregular collection days would leave people confused as to when to put their bins out, pushing up the time taken by bin men to find and empty them.  It was agreed that contractors would be offered the chance to tender for both weekly and and/or three weekly cycles.  There will also be two tender options for the purchase of a bin lorry.  One option is for the contractor to buy and own the vehicle.  The other is for FIG to buy it.

 

The Sheltered Housing complex on Villiers St. should be completed at the end of this month.  The Public Works Committee this afternoon heard progress reports on several of the Department’s current projects.  The refurbishment of the Racecourse Road flats is due to be completed in August.  Director of Public Works, Manfred Keenleyside, told Members a contract had been awarded for work at Cemetery Cottage but no one had tendered to carry out work on the Police Cottages.  He said there was just too much work available at the moment for private contractors.  Cllr Mike Summers told him it wasn’t satisfactory that two of the cottages were empty in need of repair, when there was a housing waiting list.  The project will be re-tendered in a month’s time and, he suggested it there was still no one to carry out the work then the Department should ask EXCO to allow AWG to do it.  Mr. Keenleyside also said a contractor had been taken on to carry out security upgrades to the Public Jetty.  He said he was satisfied that the project hadn’t been over-designed and that the tender had come in within budget.

 

POLICE NEWS:

 

Police and fire services were called out to the top of Snake Hill to attend a road accident today.  Two vehicles were damaged but Police say no one was hurt in the incident and the two drivers are helping Police with their inquiries.

 

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