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The Ascension Island Newspaper |
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The Ascension Island Newspaper |
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Vote
Now!!!
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THERE IS A SECOND AND FINAL OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO ON FRIDAY 1ST FEBRUARY 2002 Voting will take place
Any St Helenian over the age of 16 MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT! _______________________________________________________________________________________________ COUNTING OF VOTES THE VOTES WILL BE COUNTED
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From the Editors:- Adam and Julia Henshaw. A good paper today with plenty to read. See you all at the opening of the Conservation Centre on Friday. Now, back to something that has been mentioned in a couple of editorials over the last few weeks - a letter that has been received by the Islander editors. Unfortunately, this will simply be intriguing for most of you, although we hope everything will become clearer in next week's edition. To ensure that the issues contained in the letter are raised in The Islander, can the author please contact Richard White on 6781 (H) or 6359 (W) to confirm whether the letter can be published in its current format or whether it requires amendment. This will be on a confidential basis. Have a good week Adam and Julia |
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the Editor can be sent to editors@the-islander.org.ac |
LETTERS TO THE ISLANDER
HINDSIGHT St Helenian influence can ensure the future show an increase or a decrease in St Helena's problems. Time will tell if our personal vote on the building of an airport
on St Helena or the island having a replacement ship was the right
choice or not. The idea of the vote was justified by the many concerns,
views, opinions and reservations that St Helenians had before voting
and still have on the issue. Once again, our children and future
generations will benefit from or pay the price for what we allow.
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Dear All,
There is still no news on a priest for St. Mary's but we will have our Bishop John from St. Helena with us for the Easter period. With the courtesy of the ship Endeavour he will arrive at Ascension on 26th March - 19 April when he will leave for St. Helena on the RMS. This is the good news now…..
Some sad news… We will say our farewell to our American friend, Bruce Steo
at our service this week. Bruce is well known to us at St. Mary's. In the time
he has been with us he was led to become a Deputy Church Warden, Brass cleaner
and assist on a Coffee morning. Sadly, Bruce has decided to leave us o/a 6th
February to go back to the States, where he will wed, his fiancée Amber. I would
like to take this opportunity on behalf of St. Mary's council and entire congregation
in wishing them both Great Happiness and Good Luck as they begin their life
in unity as one.
God Bless you all.
Cheryl
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The
Conservation Group held its first event on Sunday. 15 enthusiasts
met at the Red Lion all eager to conquer the mountain and discover
some of the endemic plants. |
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Clean smiley members of the Conservation Group before their muddy trek to the Dew Pond | |
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Most of the greenery visible on Ascension today has been introduced by humans. Several hundred species have been introduced to the island, some of which have spread dramatically and now occur throughout much of the island - most notably the Mexican thorn. Approximately 25 species of plant are thought to be native to Ascension Island. Ten of these are considered to be unique to Ascension. Three of these have not been seen for years and are probably extinct. None of the remaining seven endemic species are common, and their present reduced range is thought most likely to be due to their inability to compete with plant species introduced since the arrival of humans on Ascension. Five of the seven endemic species are ferns. These are found on Green Mountain and can be seen in the area around the Dew Pond and Elliott's Path. The one endemic grass species can also be seen on Elliott's Path while the Ascension Spurge is found on lowland ash plains, especially around South Gannet Hill and Cotar Hill. Conservation Group Sightings At the summit of the mountain, after slipping and sliding their way up, the group was successfully able to identify 2 of the endemic ferns: the 'Green Mountain fern' and the 'Bamboo fern' - the plants were given names that could be remembered by most rather than trying to register the more complicated Latin names!! |
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Marattia pupurascens- 'Green Mountain Fern' ( far left) and Xiphopteris ascensionis - 'Bamboo Fern' (left). Two endemic fern species that can be found around the Dew Pond. |
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Marine Turtle News The current visit of the University of Wales, Swansea contingent of Ascension Island Turtle Project is unfortunately drawing to a close. We thank all on the Island for their usual unparalleled hospitality and assistance. We look forward to our return. In the meantime, we would like to take the opportunity to give an update on some of the most recent turtle related activities: 2001/2002 Season Building
Dots represent the average number of mating pairs observed by Robert Frauenstein from the guns behind Long Beach on each day and the line represents the estimated number of nests on each day around the Island. In parallel with ongoing beach monitoring, this season observations of mating are being undertaken by Julia Henshaw and Jackie Ellick. Displacement Experiment
We are most grateful to all who have helped us with these experiments. For the most recent experiment we had 25 volunteers who helped on the night as well as the logistical assistance at different stages from: AIWSA, CSR, MV Ascension, Merlin Communications, Sealift and the United States Air Force. Thank you all! Readers should rest assured that these turtles were well looked after: specially designed crates to allow them freedom of movement were constructed; only turtles which had just deposited a clutch were selected thus they will be at least 10-15 days before they will be interested in laying again; they were kept moist at all times during their 15-18 hours of captivity. Sea turtles are stoic creatures taking as much as 36h before demonstrating any stress response and the swimming performance at sea of these individuals (with 4 already having returned) is as good as any free swimming turtle recorded to date. These data will help solve one of the great enigmas of biology and will have direct conservation benefits, suggesting key pelagic areas which are likely migratory corridors. Strandings Thorn Trees |
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Long Beach Clear Up
Management Plan With best regards to all. Conservation Centre |
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School
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YEAR
9, HAVE BEEN STUDYING JAPAN.
HERE, THEY SHARE SOME OF THEIR RESEARCH WITH YOU
KIRSTY, ASHLEY, STACEY, SHAUN, ROCKY, KASSIE, DAYNA, VETANNIE, BRONWYN AND TERI
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Japanese airplanes and trains are crowded at the end of the old year and beginning of the New Year, as the Japanese people travel to be with their family. On 31st December the famous temples ring 108 sounds in order to take away their desires whereas they believe that the sounds are effective to them. On new years day each Japanese family drink in order of age. They then eat rice cake in a soup called "Zuni" which has vegetables in it. Many go to temples to wish, mainly for health, happiness and peace. Children often get money in special envelopes from relatives to buy what they like. Japans families also sent greeting cards to family and friends. Every year is one of the most important events for them. BACKGROUND: WHILE RETAINING ITS TIME-HONORED CULTURE, JAPAN RAPIDLY ADSORBED WESTERN TECHNOLOGY DURING THE LATE 19TH AND EARLY 20TH CENTURIES. AFTER ITS DEVASTATING DEFEAT IN WORLD WAR 2, JAPAN RECOVERED TO BECOME THE SECOND MOST POWERFUL ECONOMY IN THE WORLD AND A STAUNCH ALLY OF THE US. WHILE THE EMPEROR RETAINS HIS THRONE AS A SYMBOL OF NATIONAL UNITY, ACTUAL POWER RESTS IN NETWORKS OF POWERFUL POLITICANS, BUREAUCRATS, AND BUSINESS EXECUTIVES, THE ECONOMY EXPERIENCED A MAJOR SLOWDOWN IN THE 1990S FOLLOWING THREE DECADES OF UNPRECEDENTED GROWTH. |
In Japan, you start eating after saying "Itadatimasu" and finish with "Gochiso Sama Deshita." When eating noodles or soups, it is Japanese style to slurp. However, it is considered bad manners to burp. Blowing your nose in public or around a table is considered bad manners. When drinking beer or Sake, it is good manners to pour the alcohol into each other's cups, (i.e. one does not pour it into ones own glass). You should always check if your friends' cups are getting empty, if they are, give them more. HOILDAYS / CELEBRATIONS On new years day they take an extended holiday from the last day or
two in December to about the 3rd day of January.
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WORK AND PLAY! Japanese people are among the hardest workers in the world. Factory and office workers work longer hours and take fewer holidays than workers in most other countries. Even pupils at school work longer hours than school children in other parts of the world. The school week in Japan includes classes on Saturday mornings. Many Japanese pupils also attend school during there five-week summer holiday. Now that Japan is a very rich country people are being encouraged to work less and spend more time on leisure activities such as playing baseball and going to the cinema. But the lack of space in Japan means there is a shortage of open areas for sports grounds. Golfers have to travel long distances to play golf while baseball players have to pay on dirt pitches rather than grass. |
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THE CHICHIBU YOMATSUR! THE CHICHIBU YOMATSUR IS A FESTIVAL COUNTED AS ONE OF THE THREE-GRANDIST FLOUTS FESTIVALS IN JAPAN. ALL THE FLOATS ASSEMBLE AT CHICHIBU SHRINE AROUND 6 PM THEY ALSO DISPLAY FIREWORKS FROM 7 PM-8 PM AT HITSUJIYAMA THAN A PARADE OF FLOATS IN THE DAYTIME. AT 4 PM - 4:30 PM THEY HAVE A SECRED MUSIC AND DANCE AT THE CHICHIBU SHRINE. THIS ALL HAPPENS ON DECEMBER THE 2ND RIGHT UP TO THE 3RD. Japanese Currency Japanese Currency is based on the
Yen. Mt Fuji Fact box Other name/ spellings Fujiyama Mount Fuji Fuji-no yama Fuji Mount Elevation (feet): 12,389 Elevation (meters): 3,776 Location: Japan Longitude: 138 44'E Latitude: 35 22'N Best climbing months: June, July, August, and September Years first climb: 1663 First climber (s): An anonymous monk Volcanic status: Dormant Most recent Eruption: 1708 Convenient centre(s): Fuji, Japan Nearest Major Airport: Tokyo, |
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The Japanese believe a ghost in created whenever somebody dies with a passion or desire on the mind. Unable to rid itself of its earthly motive, the ghost enters the land of Gakido, the Buddhist realm of the " hungry dead" (greater sinners are condemned to Jigoku, or hell, while fewer sinners are reborn as animals). Some ghost in Gakido is So persistent, though, they lead a double existence on earth, haunting the living, this is why it is so important to die serenely and calmly. Reciting Buddhist scripture, composing a death poem, or living out one's last years as a monk are all approaches to death motivated, in part, by unwillingness to become a ghost Japan Japanese is traditionally written vertically, with the lines starting from the right side of the page. While this way of writing is still predominant, there is another way that is identical to English from the top left-hand side, with each line written horizontally.
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Statistics for the week ending Monday 28 Jan 2002
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Max (deg
C)
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Min (deg
C)
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Rainfall
(mm)
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AIRHEAD
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29.7
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23.5
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Trace
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TRAVELLERS
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28.0
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20.8
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12.4
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RESIDENCY
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24.5
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18.2
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32.2
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| GEORGETOWN |
31.0
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23.0
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0.5
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| ST. HELENA |
N/A
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N/A
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N/A
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FALKLANDS
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16.1
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2.8
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22.5
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BRIZE NORTON
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12.4
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0.2
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33.4
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ASCENSION SEA SWELL FORECAST: Around 1.8 to 2.0 metres, mainly from the North-west.
Sea temperature around Ascension Island: 26 Celsius
ASCENSION ISLAND: A fairly settled week, with some good spells of sunshine, but evening and overnight showers persisted. Saturday Morning saw a period of heavy showers, which gave most of the weeks rainfall.
ST. HELENA: Although there were some sunny spells, there
was also a fair amount of cloud at times along with a scattering of showers.
UK: A fairly unsettled week was had by most parts, with various frontal systems crossing the county. Warmest spot was Hawarden, in Flintshire, where 15 Celsius was recorded on Sunday. Coldest spot was Loch Glascarnoch in the Highlands of Scotland with minus 8 Celsius on Friday morning and although most days saw over an inch of rain fall in some spots, wettest of all was Lerwick in the Shetland Isles with 1.6 inches of rain on Saturday.
FALKLANDS: A rather unsettled week as various frontal systems crossed the islands, though the winds were predominantly from the west.
It has been quite an interesting week on the whole for the Metties. Most of the afternoons last week saw Rambling Roger, RMP and Makem with heads together, thinking up tricky questions for the Quiz that the Sergeants and Officers Mess hosted on Saturday evening. The Photo quizzes and the music round proved what devious minds exist between the three of us.
Monday saw a very quiet day all round, though Cornish did pay his usual visit to Reflections for his statutory round of fishcakes. The evening saw all the off duty Metties and the rest of the Snob Hill mob visit the mess, for a few quiet beers, where we were joined by Ken (MTMS), Spotter and Andy (chef).
Tuesday saw Cornish and Fifer attempt a round of golf at the One Boat course, but alas, a punctured tyre put paid to their planned efforts. Ken looked distinctly worse for wear during the morning, laying the blame squarely at the Metties door, claiming that we are a bad influence on him. This we dispute, as he is a rugby player and we all know what they are like for partying.
Wednesday again saw Makem and Fifer at work, with Tractor Boy also in the office, but he was awaiting the car being repaired. As soon as the vehicle was ready it was off to the beach to get in some panic tanning, after all he now has less that two weeks left to do here. The evening saw Rambling Roger, Casey Jones, Stan Vesta, RMP and Makem take a trip over to Two Boats club, for a change of venue, before we returned to the mess bar to join Ken and Incendiary Ian.
Thursday saw Fifer trundle down the hill to One Boat to play the round of golf spoiled earlier in the week by deflated tyres. Makem took a trip to Georgetown during the afternoon, mainly to pay his his phonebill, but also to get a few supplies. Unfortunately he forgot that Thursday is early doors and missed out on the supplies, but did receive some further verbal abuse from Ken, again claiming we had led his astray..
Friday evening saw Fifer and Makem take a trip to the VC for tea, with Makem then turning in for work. Fifer decided to give the Burns night in the Mess a miss, in favour of a book and cup of cocoa, leaving Cornish and Tractor Boy to represent the Metties. Stan, Casey and RR joined Ken at the VC for a few drinks, though they all gradually wandered off, leaving RR sitting alone to await the transport back to Travellers.
Saturday morning saw Stan Vesta up early to go off on a fishing trip with RMP. There was no sign of Stan for the rest of the morning and much of the afternoon, though he did try to emulate Incendiary Ian in that his clothes and shoes were left in an untidy heap on the veranda. Casey Jones was the only one to have seen Stan on his return and described his as looking somewhat 'green'. Later in the afternoon RMP told us that never in the fishing history of the island, has so much ground bait been deployed by one person. Saturday afternoon also brought forth some information about the Mettie who went off on a walk down to Crater Cliff and then onto Crystal bay, shooting copious amounts of photographs on the way, only to find on his return that he had forgotten to load any film into his camera. Tractor Boy had obviously hoped to keep this snippet out of the press, but unfortunately in such a small community, news travels fast. Makem, Rambling Roger and Casey Jones spent the afternoon in the area of the mess bar, not drinking, but working. We were there to apply tri-wall cardboard to the roofs of the pergolas, none of us being prepared to trust that the weather would remain dry for the evening's quiz. Makem also found out that the roofs are a good place to get in that extra bit of panic tanning, as he was the one delegated to get up there, being the smallest. The quiz itself was quite successful, with five teams entered, the first prize going to Stan's team the 'Frigate Yodellers'. All teams that entered managed to walk of with a prize of sorts and everyone was treated to a dip into the tin of roses thanks to Jane Randells. The evening ended with another of the pole/chair/handbag dancing sessions, with even Tom the mover joining in. RR, RMP and Makem would like to thank those that turned out, but special thanks go to Incendiary Ian for laying on a fine spread, plus to the Mess Committee for sponsoring the evening's fun.
Sunday saw a few sore heads around Snob Hill, plus one sore hip, this later being attributed to Chris the medic having done the splits while dancing the previous evening. The sore heads soon dissipated however with the usual Sunday afternoon Grogs walk, only this time there were a few differences. Makem, having taken so much flak for not having bothered with any walks, had promised at New Year that he would attend at least one of the Grogs outings before he leaves the island. Unfortunately for him, the group had decided that this weeks trip was to be Spire Beach. At Midday the crew, which included RR, RMP, Connie, Fifer, Stan Vesta and Incendiary Ian, assembled in the Mess car park and set off, though Casey Jones was conspicuous by his absence, having overslept for his round of Golf that morning. The walk/yomp down to the beach was probably just a little bit harder than the return, and even the warm cheese sandwhiches (described by one of the group as "cheese sweaties") and melted Twix's and Lion Bars, were thoroughly enjoyed. RMP and Makem were relieved that we didn't decide to scale one of the faces of the left hand gully, as both of us decided we were to far too young to die. The climb back up was fortunately uneventful, and we finally emerged, all rather tired at 5-30 PM, about half and hour later than planned. All enjoyed the afternoon, and felt that we had achieved a personal goal, though II was driven by the thought of a VC tea at the end of it all. The evening saw several very tired bodies turn out in the VC for tea and some well-earned beers, with Steve (fireman) joining us for the evening. It emerged during the conversation that II had again de-robed on the veranda on Saturday evening, Steve having found his clothes neatly folded after he had a call from II to rescue him from his sheet, apparently this was wrapped tightly around his chest. Chris the medic, Connie and Fifer left early, Fifer having to be up for work at 4am, with the rest leaving for last beers in the mess. All were neatly tucked up in bed by 10-30 pm for a well-earned rest. (Monday morning saw Makem with two rather stiff legs, but then again for someone who only practices "chairobics" he was still able to walk.).
The following item was submitted for publication by one of the island's interns.
You might like to know.
As part of a small working community here on Ascension Island, bye and bye life is pretty much enjoyable. Work is the major priority for us all, and this brings a certain closeness, as you can imagine with a population of just 800 people.
We all help each other and try, where possible, to live from day to day without much fuss and bother.
At times, supplies can run short, even for the most basic of items, these being things, which most people who do not live on an island, would take for granted in their home country.
Regardless of these shortages, and further luxuries, which need not be mentioned, the people working and living on Ascension pull together, and the work gets done. It is not until we have people who arrive on the island for a short break, or unforeseen flight delays, that the island takes on a different character. When this does occur, it then becomes visibly evident that "The Island" takes on a whole new persona.
Without going into detail about all the extra work that the people who live here have to undertake to provide transport, accommodation and food for these people. It soon becomes apparent that the "Island view" from the people who do not live and work here, is entirely different from that of the people who do.
So, having said all this, it should be mentioned for the benefit of some of the visitors that come here, be it for a short trip or holiday break, or passengers that are here on a scheduled stop-over or unscheduled delay. This island cannot offer you the five star accommodation and food that you think you may be entitled to, there is no free telephone service and the use of a vehicle, with or without a driver, is difficult to provide. Most people who live here, without transport, find walking to wherever they want or need to be is the only option available to them.
Then, of course, there are those visitors who think the island is "Dodge City" and that drinking to excess and fighting night or day are the norm here, disregarding the foul and abusive language that normally accompanies the obscene actions. Visitors to the island are welcome, but you should know this, previous short stay visitors who fit the above descriptions, may cause the frosty reception you may experience during your stay.
Please also remember that if the island does not have it, you will not get it. Position and rank in society has it's privileges, yet with a little though you might find that common courtesy and politeness may well bring far better results than "The Demand".
So, if you are visiting the island or are delayed awaiting onward transport, remember, you are only a "visitor" and the people living and working on the island respect the reason you are here: "a little courtesy would be welcome in return".
From a "concerned nobody" who lives on this small island.
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EDITORS : -Adam and Julia Henshaw.
The New Islander Office, Fort Hayes, Georgetown, Ascension Island.
Tel/Fax 00 + 247 6327
E-Mail: editors@the-islander.org.ac
Internet Team: Laura & Mark Handley, Gavin Yon, Richard Thomas
Deadline for all contributions is 6.00pm on Monday
All articles © copyright 2000 The Islander Newspaper. All rights reserved. |
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26th
January 2002