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The Ascension Island Newspaper |
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The Ascension Island Newspaper |
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utsOn Saturday the 5th of August, The First Ascension Island Scout Troop will be jetting of on the Tri Star to Britian and Ireland for their camp 2000. After all their hard work fund raising, they are finally heading off. Have a great holiday boys.
Please visit the award winning Ascension Island Scout Group web site at
http://www.scouts.org.ac/
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Dear Friends,
Last week I mentioned our Prayer List; since then I have been busy putting together an update of a little booklet called "All the Questions You Forgot to Ask" This week the two things come together. Our Prayer List concentrates on "Places of Recreation" and the leaflet is aimed at our visitors, many of whom come up for a short holiday from the Falklands. Others come from the UK, and then there are those who stop off for a few days waiting for a connection to or from St Helena. So in our prayers we remember the Clubs and the pools, the places where we can eat and drink in the company of friends and relax.
"Questions You Forgot to Ask" is aimed at telling our visitors where they too can relax and enjoy their holiday, as well as opening times of various shops and offices, warnings about the sea and sunburn, as well as the times of church services.
It seems to me that these two little publications go some way to symbolise what the church is for. They combine the sacred with the secular, the spiritual with the down to earth, the nitty-gritty of everyday life.
That's what the church here should be, and tries to be, about. In our service this morning we heard how Jesus fed body, mind and spirit in the story of the feeding of the five thousand. He taught, he healed, he gave them something to eat. He wasn't just concerned with prayer, important though that was - and is. He was interested in the whole of life.
And when it came to relaxing and enjoying himself he knew how to do that too. "Come unto me," Jesus said, "you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
" Next Sunday we have our Family Service at 10 am. Come and relax with us as we thank God for his goodness - food for the soul, and coffee and biscuits as well!
God Bless and Keep You,
Fr Keith & Ginny
LETTERS| From the Editors:- Tony
Jenkins & Phillip Stevens
Well this week's paper is the Phil Steven's edition as all I contributed was the advert for the Exiles club and this column. Winter time must be here, and summer in Europe as the school is now closed for the duration and many families will be on their way home to StHelena on the ferry this week. A party of 22 scouts and 6 leaders are departing on the RAF Tri-Star on Saturday for a trip to UK, they will be camping in Ireland and visiting the sites in England. Hope all the holidaymakers have a good time, the Island is always very quiet at this time of year. Surprisingly there were no comments on the Administrator's question and answer session in last weeks Islander regarding the future of the island. There was a very well attended meeting between the staff of AIS and Mr Geoff Fairhurst and Mr Bill Dickson, in the Cinema Hall in Georgetown on Thursday last. This is hopefully the beginning of moving the discussion on the future of Ascension onto the Island, and to a much wider forum then previously. Remember its no use speaking out after the event. |
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| Letters to the Editor can be sent to editors@the-islander.org.ac |
Statistics for the week ending 5th June 2000.
Max (deg C) Min (deg C) Rainfall (mm) AIRHEAD 28.7 22.4 1.2 TRAVELLERS 27.4 20.5 6.8 GEORGETOWN 29.0 23.0 1.7 RESIDENCY 25.3 18.0 11.5 ST. HELENA 19.7 14.1 2.0 FALKLANDS 8.3 -0.1 4.2
ASCENSION SEA SWELL FORECAST: The swell has been reported as southsouthwesterly at 0.5 of a metre with a period of 6 seconds. Fair enough, not a lot happening and the forecast charts suggest that not a lot is going to happen through the week.
The sea temperature as reported from the Maersk Gannet on Sunday was 25.7 Celsius. When I got here in April it was 28 Celsius and that's quite a difference.
ASCENSION ISLAND: Well, it's not been too bad, has it? Mostly dry but we have seen some showers and the cloud has been quite low over Green Mountain at times. Most of the days have been fine and sunny, and it has even felt quite hot on some days.
ST. HELENA: Gary Thomas reports:- A few light showers during the first couple of days, but a rather dry / dull week with very little sunshine.
U.K: It's been funny sort of weather over the UK lately. The air pressure has been neither very high, nor very low. This has led to some cloudy days and whilst thunder hasn't featured there have been some quite heavy downpours.
FALKLAND ISLANDS: There was a spell of strong northerly winds last week. This in itself isn't a problem, but when you have a runway next to a range of mountains then clear air turbulence can be a problem. This accounted for the delay to the aircraft, a very sensible decision...
It's been an eventful week, rather than a terribly busy week down here at the Met Office. Firstly the aircraft movement was a day later than usual, but when it came to the morning brief to Mount Pleasant Airfield we had to advise of high winds in the Falklands. So it was all hands to the pump as all our 'visitors' needed to be fed and watered. At least with no aircraft movements over the weekend most people could recover at their leisure, all that is except for the bloomin' Met Office, Ops and Commcen! Still, it is our pleasure to serve...
In between the long and lonely vigil we carry out here I was able to sample a new drink. You may well know of this drink, but it was new to me. You take a large measure of Amarula and then insert a large measure of Spiced Rum. You can argue long and hard as to weather ice is a necessity in this drink, but testing would seem to be the answer to this particular question. I wondered what such a drink might be called. I conjured up such names as 'daft', 'dangerous' or just plain 'stupid'. However, I am reasonably well informed that the drink is known as a 'South Atlantic La La'. If the name and contents don't put you off, then you've probably been here too long...
I mentioned last week about visiting fumaroles which, incidentally, are 'crevices in or near a volcano, through which hot vapour issues'. These presumably are different from the caves which may be found out and about. In a mad frenzy of pot-holing, we decided to embark on a trip down the caves near the Grotto. These are quite different from the fumaroles, and are much bigger and more exciting too.
They are fascinating. The first thing you notice is how bloomin' hot it is! The floor is flat and like clay before you get to a floor of lava. There's a good deal of scrambling about to be done, but there are some large and quite magnificent caverns to be found. You can just about make out where the lava spewed through the cave wall, where it flowed to and where it finally ran out of steam. There have been some rock falls in there after the lava cooled, and all in all a little eerie but very worthwhile.
It must be said that these are not for the faint-hearted and thorough preparation is needed.
After all that exertion and emerging hot, damp and very dirty, the obvious thing to do was head off to the VC and have a Volcano Burger! And finally....
As 'exiles' many people here like to remember their home towns by wearing their local clubs' football shirt. Once upon a time football shirts came in two colours, red or blue - both with a white trim. Nowadays it's difficult to recognise any club from the different shirts! Design has gone mad and there's more room for a sponsor's names than anything else.
It was with a mixture of joy and disappointment when my new 'away' shirt arrived on Wednesday morning. It's black! With a few red and white stripes!! I couldn't Adam & Eve it!!! Still, it is my club's shirt so I guess I'll have to wear it with pride. Mind you, at least it's the town that I was born in, and not everybody can say that, can they??
'bye 'bye now!
'Teessider'
NEWS FROM ASCENSION AUXILIARY AIRFIELD (AAF)
Greetings to all from the US Air Force Base. As most of you know by now, the previous commander, Maj Larry Martin departed the island July 5th and has arrived at his next assignment after a brief leave. I arrived here on July 11 and to date it has been a most enjoyable tour. The beauty of the island and the kindness and courtesy of the people are the two things that made the biggest impression so far.
We have quite a few construction projects on-going around the base. Here is a brief update on some of those projects. The best news is completion of the renovating dorms project. The last dorm, dorm 2 (just north of the dining facility) was completed last Friday. On the final inspection walk through, all went well. We expect people to move back in starting Tuesday this week. POL Tank refurbishment continues on schedule and is scheduled to be completed by December 31. Road maintaince and repair is an on going thing.
Of special note to all on the island is the up coming visit of General Ralph E. (Ed) Eberhart, who holds both titles, Commander, Air Force Space Command, and USCINCSPACE. Accompanying Gen Eberhart are his wife Karen, and eight others. Sad to say they will only be here for an over night visit. They will be arriving late the evening of the 18th and departing at 1030 the morning of the 19th of August. On Saturday morning an in-brief will be given, followed by a breakfast (with invited dignitaries). Then a quick visit through Georgetown, and a couple of our sites as that will be all the time they have before departing for their intended destination.
I would like to publicly thank Mr. Ben Juhl, and TSgt Rick Preuss for the time they donate on Saturdays to open and act as Guide, for the Ascension Island Heritage Society. They each cherish being able to help visitors to the Fort and the Historical displays of the Heritage Society. I encourage all visitors to stop by and see a true history of Ascension Island. Tell them Hi, and thanks for the outstanding job they do.
Clarification of policy regarding use of the Volcano Club. It was brought to my attention by the former Commander, when I was here in June, and reiterated by the Station Manager after my arrival of certain on-going problems with litter, guests, and children in the bar area. It is my understanding that their is reciprocal agreement on the island, that all may visit each others club. Volcano Club is no exception. Guests are always welcome. However the past two "Disco Nights" we have had a problem with litter (carrying bottles and cans out of the club) and children (under- age ) in the bar and dancing area. This past Friday night brought the matter to a head.
While the agreement that everyone is welcome to visit each others club is in existence, it also brings to light a rule of common sense. If I visit the Exiles Club, or the RAF club, I should never lose sense of the fact that I am a guest. I am expected to obey and respect the rules of that establishment. If I don't want to obey or respect their rules, I should either refrain from going, or choose another location.
Please allow me to expand on the rules of the Volcano Club in regard to children and teenagers. My position is very simple. This is a USAF Base. The club is located on USAF property in agreement with Her Majesty Government. I, or any other commander, am required to enforce the rules of not only the USAF, but also the United States. Simply put, children are not allowed at any time in the Bar area, nor are they allowed in the dance area when an event is going on (that is also a recreation area during normal hours). The sign on the bulletin board, (challenged this past Friday), was intended to tell parents, that if you come and eat in the snack bar with your children, and then decide to go in the bar or participate in the dancing, or go to another location, you are responsible for the conduct of your children. It did not say you could leave them while you go someplace else, or bring them in the bar and dancing area as long as they behaved.
We have met with the Constable in charge of Georgetown Police. Both he and I are in complete agreement. They have every right under our reciprocal agreement, and we encourage them to visit and walk through the Volcano Club to observe and show presence. They to are concerned about under age children, teenage drinking, and littering.
Let me close by addressing the littering issue. We are well aware of the Island Administrator's concerns about the litter on the island. It is no different in America or the USAF. Our policy is very simple. No bottles or cans are permitted to be taken, out of the club. I have done a lot of walking up and down the roads of the island as well as driving. I have seen first hand the litter. Instead of pointing fingers as to sells what and wear it may have come from, I have a suggestion to offer each organization on the island. In America, many Cites and Counties, have what is known as a "Adopt-A-Highway program". Certain highways are identified and the interstate highway's are included. The Organizations get together and each agrees to adopt a number of miles or Km. What that means is they pick a day that group or organization agrees to go out with trash bags and pick up the litter on both sides of the road. Once full, the bags may be placed in one big pile far off to the side if the county or city agrees to pick it up, or the bags are brought back to the city/county dump. Each organization would also have the right to put up a sign (all must be uniform in style and wording and color) that identifies who they are to the traveling public. In some areas, a prize is given by the county/city to that organization who has the best "Beautification" area of the road for one year. The American Legion Post here at the AF base is currently doing that. I challenge each organization on the island. Let's have a meeting, organize and decide how many Km each is willing to be responsible for. This will show the Administrator we all share his concerns for litter and the environment on Ascension Island.
Till we meet again,
Jules Moquin, Civ
Interim Commander, Det 2, 45LG
DSN:982-2200
FAX:982-2800
ST.HELENA POLICE
ASCENSION DETACHMENT
The public should appreciate and respect the fact that there are certain laws concerning driving whilst the level of alcohol in your body exceeds the prescribed limit, that limit being 50 microgrammes of alcohol per one hundred millilitres of breath.
This level of alcohol is determined by the use of machines called lion alcolmeters, which measure the amount of alcohol in your body. The public has often asked how many drinks it takes to put you over the limit. There is no set number. It depends on a person's body and what he eats etc. Therefore you can never gauge accurately the number of drinks you can consume before being over the limit.
The best solution is, if you drive then don't drink. With two or three drinks you might still be under the legal limit to drive but, nevertheless, those few drinks can still impair your ability to drive.
For a period of one month commencing the 7 August 2000 the Police will concentrate on a Drink/Drive campaign. This will be achieved, by targeting moving traffic offences i.e. driving or being in charge of a motor vehicle at the time such vehicle was involved in a road traffic accident or any offence committed under the Road Safety (Ascension) Ordinance. All of these requirements fall within the boundary of the law. Therefore it is not the intention of the police to hassle people, but merely to do their job and work in partnership with the public, and by working in partnership we offer the following advice.
- Respect the law pertaining to drink/drive and the action police have to take
- If you plan on going out to enjoy yourself and having a few drinks, then don't drive, arrange for a ride with someone else. You might well think that could cause someone else inconvenience, however, it is far better than taking the risk of driving whilst over the prescribed limit. If caught, it is highly possible that in addition to being fined, you will lose your license for twelve months and in some cases this could result in the loss of your job.
The onus is on you as a driver to make these sacrifices and I trust that during our drink/drive campaign no one is caught being over the limit. The Police are there to serve you and we look forward to fostering a new spirit of co-operation and partnership with the public.
Reginald M Williams
Insp of Police
NEWS FROM THE
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Paixhans proposed adopting the same calibre throughout a ships entire armament, but varying the weight and power of the guns. Thus; for example 8 inches might be taken as the standard calibre. The main battery would be heavy 8 inch guns firing powerful charges, while the lesser batteries would be provided with shorter or lighter guns firing lighter charges.
There was only one calibre of ammunition that needed to be carried, so there was no fear of the main deck battery running out of ammunitions and having to rely on lighter guns to fight the battle. The adoption of such a plan with shot firing guns was not entirely commendable, since the lighter weapons would have had to fire their shots at such low velocities as to lose much of the range and penetration, But, said Paixhans, if the guns were to fire explosive sheels, provided it was discharged with sufficient force to lodge into the timber of the enemy, its subsequent explosion would do far more damage than could a plain shot.
Since recoil was less and the charges lighter, reloading would be quicker, and a faster rate of fire would be attained.
One last proposal was that one of the tier of guns should be sacrificed from the side of the ship, and the side be protected with iron plate.
Here he over-reached himself, for by armouring a ship solely with shell guns, he had thrown away the advantage! If the enemy chose to armour his ships in similar fashion, and then arm them with shot firing guns, France would be back to square one, since the shells would not hurt the enemy armour, but the enemy's shot would pierce the French plate.
In general, all his proposals were just too revolutionary to be taken in one dose, the only section which appears to have gained acceptance was his proposal for rationalising of calibre, and the French Nayy adopted his idea almost immediately. The 30 pounder of 6 inch calibre was selected as standard, and in 1829 a selection of 6 inch guns of varying weights entered service.
The British Navy had been listening to suggestions about standardising calibre for some years, but, probably because (as in France), the principle urging was being done by a soldier, they were not impressed by the arguments. Not that is, until the French adopted the idea, and the Americans had discredited the Carronade in the war of 1812.
As always, keep safe.
Bryn the SERCO armourer
Hash Trash
Hash number: 810
I was very pleased with myself when I turned up at the HASH on Saturday afternoon…… but not for vely long! The hares were spotted outside my bungalow stealing HASH from my garden….. and they were also spotted in the VC looking Hashed the night before! So I thought they have not had much time to lay this trail, so it is going to be an easy one….. Okay, we are all wrong sometimes!
The briefing was as useful as an ashtray on a motor bike, and of the lemmings, er, Hashers went. The trail meandered up the valleys towards the mountain, I think that it was ON UP all the way for the next couple hours! We also discovered why Uncle Warp Speed wanted to go up these valleys - there were a lot of 'woolly tails' discussed….. hmmmm if only the trees could speak English! There were some prickly pairs, even though Xena was not on the HASH! A guava fight broke out between various members - just can't take them anywhere, they soon start throwing their food around!
Finally there was the ON DOWN! Fugitive proved that the Aussie Beer was no good for his fitness because he was almost in the knitting circle this week! Even A-Drain was in front of him going uphill! Sniffy was still well hung-over, and Crystal Tips had to hold his hand all the way around the trial….. Well that was his excuse anyway!
There were great sandwiches again, the beer was cold, and after all the kings horses and all the kings men put Ivor The Engine back together again….. the celebrations went on. Thanks Guys -Great HASH!!!!!
This Weeks Hares: Sniffy & Warp Speed. Hashers: The Fugitive, Sniffy, A-Drain, Warp Speed, Rat Boy, Ivoe The Engine, Thunder Thighs, Crystal Tips, Fit Guy, Wannabe, Beany Baby, HKP, Grasshopper, Joe.
Next Weeks Hash/Hares: Ivor The Engine & Fugitive - from Springers Beach Hut (down towards Panam way, turn right at the bottom of the hill)
EDITORS - Tony Jenkins & Phillip
Stevens
The New Islander Office, Fort Hayes, Georgetown, Ascension Island.
Tel/Fax 00 + 247 6327
E-Mail: editors@the-islander.org.ac
Internet compilers - Paul Bennett, Nathan Prince & Gavin Yon
Deadline for all contributions is 6.00pm on Monday
All articles © copyright 2000 The Islander Newspaper. All rights reserved. |
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