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The Islander - Thursday 05th June 2003


DOUBLE CONGRATULATIONS!


Christabelle Wade and Richard Thomas pictured with Jeremy Travis born on Wednesday, 28 May, weighing in at 8lbs 13˝oz.



Isabel and Nicky Andrews pictured with Harley also born on Wednesday, 28 May, weighing in at 7lb 5oz.


LETTERS

 

From the Editors:- Adam and David

We welcome another new editor this week.

Babies are a little like buses - you wait for one for ages and two come at once. Many congratulations to Isabel and Nicky and Christabelle and Richard and welcome to Harley and Jeremy. Two in three hours must be something of a record - unless of course you know differently!

Hope you enjoyed the ADF on Saturday and thanks to all who contributed to its success. More to follow on the ADF next week.

Interesting, if small paper this week but as everyone knows it is quality rather than size that counts.

Have a happy read and a good week.

 

 

 

 

 


Letters to the Editor can be sent to
editors@the-islander.org.ac

THANKS

I would like to thank VT Merlin and all my friends and colleagues for the wonderful Retirement Party on Friday evening. Thanks also for the gifts and good wishes. I would not have been able to endure forty two years on the rock without people like you and will take back with me many cherished memories

Robin Gough


News From St. Mary's:

PARISH CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN. 
ASCENSION ISLAND (Diocese of St. Helena)

Rev. Brian Birchmore
Church Warden: Mervyn Isaacs
Church Warden: Cheryl Anthony

It was a busy weekend for a number of people. The Ascension Day Fair went off very well, the weather was ideal for such an occasion. From what I have been told the disco was well attended at the Saints Club.

I guess there were a number of tired bodies on Sunday, but I am pleased to say that in spite of the golf that was taking place (another money raiser for the ADF), the attendance at the Family Mass was very good. Thank you Patrick and Ricky for providing the music. One member of the Congregation told me that she enjoyed the clap, clap, service!!!.

It was a joy once again to have young people participating in the service. Thanks Cheryl for that input.

The Easter Vestry went off well. I will publish the names of the Churchwardens and the Parochial Church Council members in the next week's edition of the Islander. In addition I have been asked to outline the duties of the Churchwardens, Alternate Wardens and the Church Council. So watch this space.

Starting from this Wednesday there will be an evening mass. Please make a note in your diaries. All are welcome. Have a nice week.

Canon Clive.

ADF Gets Off To A Flying Start

 


Ascension attends UKOT Conservation Conference

Conservationists from the UK Overseas Territories and other small island communities descended on Bermuda from 22nd-27th March 2003. Their vision: to conserve the natural wildlife of their island; their aim: A sense of direction. When like minded people come together with a common goal and purpose, the results can only be positive. A representative from each island spoke of some of the successes, problems, and issues they have to deal with. Emphasis was placed on the importance of Public Awareness, stakeholder participation and education if conservation is to succeed. The Environment Charter, a document that all of the Overseas Territories have signed up to - including Ascension - was reviewed.

It was vital that Ascension was represented at the Conference. Our presence raised the profile of the island in the international arena; increased interest in developing new projects on Ascension; created excellent networking opportunities; advertised Ascension's biodiversity to many interested potential visitors. It is vital that participation at Conferences such as this continues.

Photo: Conference Participants outside Elbow Beach Hotel

 


The Environment Charter

The Environment Charter was signed in September 2001 by the Ascension Island Government. Thus the Ascension Island Government is committed to the following:

1. Bring together government departments, representatives of local industry and commerce, environment and heritage organisations, the Governor's office, individual environmental champions and other community representatives in a forum to formulate a detailed strategy for action

2. Ensure the protection and restoration of key habitats, species and landscape features through legislation and appropriate management structures and mechanisms, including a protected areas policy. Attempt the control and eradication of invasive species

3. Ensure that environmental considerations are integrated with social and economic planning processes; promote sustainable patterns of production and consumption within the territory.

4. Ensure that environmental impact assessments are undertaken before approving major projects and while developing our growth management strategy.

5. Commit to open and consultative decision-making on developments and plans which may affect the environment; ensure that environmental impact assessments include consultation with stakeholders.

6. Implement effectively obligations under the Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEA) already extended to Ascension Island and work towards the extension of other relevant agreements

7. Review the range, quality and availability of baseline data for natural resources and biodiversity.

8. Ensure that legislation and policies reflect the principle that the polluter should pay for prevention or remedies; establish effective monitoring and enforcement mechanisms

9. Encourage teaching within schools to promote the value of our local environment (natural and built) and to explain its role within the regional and global environment

10. Promote publications that spread awareness of the special features of the environment in Ascension Island. Promote within Ascension the guiding principles set out above.

11. Abide by the principles set out in the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and work towards meeting International Development Targets on the environment.

 


ASCENSION ISLAND - A NEWCOMERS GUIDE

This week we start to look at the varied natural history of the island and the birds will be covered over the next four weeks. Perhaps there is too much detail here for the kind of guide book that is planned so some editing may well take place. It is hoped to include colour photos of the birds in the book. Once again if you have any suggestions or corrections please either e-mail me on neilsue@mactwo.fsnet.co.uk or in a letter to the editor of the Islander.
Regards to all. .............Neil MacFall

BIRD LIFE.

Ascension Island's birds provide a treat for the amateur (and professional) ornithologist for, although there are only 15 species they provide a great deal of interest. The island was once the breeding ground of tens of thousands of sea birds, which frequented most of the lower-lying areas. Evidence of this still exists in the areas of guano visible between English Bay and Porpoise Point and between the Sisters Range and the English Bay Road. The birds were very tame but survived occasional predation by early hungry visitors to the island until 1815. From then on though, with the coming of the first settlement, rats arrived with the ships and cats were imported to keep the rats under control. Unfortunately the cats found that the birds were easier prey than the rats and very soon only Wideawake Terns survived on the main island, with the others confined to off-shore stacks and to Boatswain Bird Island. A recent cat-eradication programme has started to reverse this process and already some sea birds are beginning to return to the main island. Of Land Birds there are few and all of these have been introduced.

ASCENSION ISLAND FRIGATE BIRD (Frigata aquila).

This species, although from a large family, is confined to the waters around Ascension Island. It is a large and sinister-looking bird with a forked tail, a large hooked beak and wing span of around two meters. Adult males have a conspicuous red pouch at their throats, which is inflated in the breeding rituals. They breed only on Boatswain Bird Island, the nest being a mere scrape in the ground, one egg is usual and may be laid at any time of the year. Their main food is fish dropped by other sea birds after bullying by the frigate, but they also predate the Wideawake tern chicks.

BOATSWAIN BIRDS.

Sometimes called tropic birds, two varieties breed on the island which is named after them, but are also found on the cliffs and stacks between Pillar Bay and Southeast Head.
The Yellow-Billed Boatswain Bird (Phaethon lepturus) is mainly white with a black band through the eye, a black patch on the wings, black wing-tips and a yellow bill.
The Red-Billed Boatswain Bird (Phaethon Aethereus) is also mainly white with a black band through the eye and black wing-tips but the rest of the upper parts are finely barred with black, and the bill, of course, is red. In both species the long tail feathers are distictive, they feed on fish and squid and nests are built in crevices or cavities or on overhanging ledges on the cliffs. A single egg may be laid at any time of the year.


 

SCHOOL PAGE


The Met Office Weather Report

  

Statistics for the week ending Monday

Max (deg C)
Min (deg C)
Rainfall (mm)
AIRHEAD
29.7
24.5
4.6
TRAVELLERS
27.7
22.5
3.5
RESIDENCY
27.2
19.7
7.0
GEORGETOWN
N/A
N/A
N/A
ST. HELENA
22.6
16.0
10.8
FALKLANDS
8.3
0
19.5
UK
29.0 (London)
0 (Loch Glascarnoch)
-


ASCENSION ISLAND: Much of the week was fine with sunny spells, but as usual there were some showers. Tuesday morning in particular saw some rather heavy showers, with 4.5 mm falling over a period of 2 hours. The weather then improved a great deal for the Ascension Day Fair on Saturday, but Sunday turned out to be the warmest of the week, with a high of 29.7 degrees Celsius.

UK: The week started off with a series of weather fronts sweeping up from the Southwest, affecting Ireland, Scotland and Northern England in particular. An area of high pressure was slowly starting to build across the southern half of the British Isles, and as the week went on this area of high pressure intensified, and this in turn started to pull very warm air in from the Continent. This lead to temperatures rising to 29 degrees Celsius in London over the weekend. Not only did this bring out the ice cream vans, but it also led to quite a few thunderstorms on Sunday, although these were largely confined to the Southeast. The week, on the whole, was largely dry, apart from Friday, which saw 22 mm of rain fall in Northumberland.

FALKLANDS: Low pressure dominated the weather through much of the week, meaning showers or longer outbreaks of rain were never too far away, at times falling as sleet or snow, mainly through the second half of the week as winds swung round to more of a southwesterly direction. Those winds then increased to become strong at times, making it feel even colder.

METCHAT ************************ METCHAT ************************ METCHAT ************************ METCHAT


 

THE LIFE OF EDWARD ARNOLD SCIPIO
31 AUGUST 1932 - 27 MAY 2003

Edward first came to Ascension in 1951 at the age of 19 and was initially employed at the Farm. His long association with the Pierhead began in 1953, when he transferred to what was then known as the Clerk of Works Department.

In 1971, he was appointed as a Justice of the Peace, and his sound advice and wisdom has, over the years, been much appreciated in the Courtroom.

He spent so many years as Church Warden at St. Mary's Church that it was too many for anyone to remember exactly how long. In his last year on Ascension he became Honorary Churchwarden and was greatly missed not only for so many years of service and commitment to the church, but for his particular quality of good judgement.

He retired to St. Helena in 1994 after an impressive record of 42 years service - 40 of them at the Pierhead as Shipwright - and 22 years he served on the Bench.

THANK YOU

Patsy, Vicky, Shaun and all our families. not forgetting our Mum, Winnie also Polly & family in St. Helena

Would like to thank everyone who sent Sympathy Cards, Telegrams and for attending the Memorial Service. Thanks also to Canon Clive Duncan for conducting the Service. Some of Daddy's good friends in St. Helena sent us this poem and we would like to share it with everyone who knew him.

In God's peaceful garden
There sat an empty chair
He looked around his earthly streets
Wondering who will fit in there?
He saw a faithful soldier
Weary and tired from fight
He cradled him to his bosom
And took Edward home last night
He knows that you are angry
At being left alone
But the bird out in the almond tree
Comforts you with its song
The brightest star in the heavens
Is the twinkling in Edward's eye
He's looking down upon you
Majestically with love from on high
Look around the garden
At the plants so strong and tall
Breathe the cool air gently
You will smell Edward's scent an all
As you walk along the side walk
And feel the cool breeze on your face
You'll know that Edward is telling you
He's in a better place
He fought each day earnestly
To accomplish his goals in life
He laughed, chattered and joked a lot
About our struggles and our strife
So in these hours of darkness
Our heartfelt sorrow we share
Although we're not there in person
Here's letting you know we care.

 


A tribute to John L Contino - How John came by the Island in 1944

It was fine to see a note from my friend John Contino in "The Islander" and I'd like to pay him tribute, and Gunnar Fransen too, on Ascension Day, 2003.

To those two fine "Islanders" let me fill in a little detail they'd be shy of telling. John was a young man of 21 years in the USAAF where he learnt to fly and dreamed of the P-38 Lightning, the "fork-tailed devil". Strangely enough when I joined the RAF it was another Lightning, the Mach 2 fighter that was my passion. I too became a transport pilot but let me tell you of John. In wartime especially you are but a cog in the wheel and the USAAF needed twin-engined pilots in a hurry in 1944. So instead of the twin Allison 1475hp engines which could drive the P-38 to 420mph John's "office" became the C-47 Skytrain that Brits named the Dakota and everyone called the Gooney Bird. It had a wingspan of 95ft, a range of 1500 miles at 175mph cruising speed and could reach 24000ft although probably not at its top weight of 33000lb. It cost Uncle Sam $138000 to build one and it was to Fort Wayne that John and Gunnar reported one day.

At twenty one years of age it was expected of them that they fly 6700 miles in something like 40hrs flying time to a little rock in the South Atlantic called Ascension in a brand-new C-47. From there they were to fly to Freetown, a further 1150 miles and up through Africa another 2170 miles to the Mediterranean. From there they would drop parachutists and ferry supplies for the Italian Campaign. That was as the saying goes today their "gap" year and when John was de-mobilized he went to work almost the very next day!

On his route to Ascension those two guys, with their extra fuel tanks and some necessary spares hopped their way through and over places that read straight out from American history and maybe also the annals of pirate captains in the Caribbean. Fort Wayne, Rosewood, Falmouth, Volunteer Knoxville, Colliers, Craig Jacksonville, Ormond Beach, Vero Beach and Palm Beach are as American as apple pie. But what of Freeport, Grand Turk, Dorado San Juan, St Croix, Fort de France, Hewannorra St Lucia, Joshua St Vincent, Point Salines, Piarco Port of Spain and Timehri Georgetown? All slipped under their wings and then it was the South Americas.

Beginning with Zandery Paramaribo it would have been Rochambeau Cayenne, Oiapoque, Amapa, Belem, Sao Luis, Parnaiba, Uruburetama, Fortaleza, Mossoro and Natal which glistened below. At Natal final modifications were made and John probably flew South over Joao Pessoa and maybe Recife listening to those 1200hp Pratt and Whitney engines for it would be 1400miles out over a pitiless sea and eight hours (roughly the same time as it takes a TriStar to fly from Brize to Ascension) before they heard the radio beacon that meant the difference between ditching in the sea and a slow salt and sun-crazed death and the comforts (?!) of Wideawake Field. Some said that the German U-boats had a decoy radio beacon but the job had to done with none of the fancy navigation aids we have today.

A couple of years back I bought a computer add-on for my flight simulator, a C-47 no less, and set out to reconstruct the Contino route using the place names above which I stripped from today's "Jepps", the universal air charts. It was a terrific challenge and all the while I knew that the guys had done it just as part of their everyday chores.. Well when young John grew to be a young man of eighty his family bought him an hour of flying time in a restored Gooney Bird and his captain did the decent thing.. He left the old-timer on his own, flying for forty-five minutes and though Gunnar was at his home in Rockford Illinois in body his spirit must have been in the other seat. They say a good young 'un can beat a good old 'un every time but I am not so sure.

When they made those guys, they threw away the mould. I know John reads the Islander regularly and keeps in touch with his old buddy but I hope you present Islanders like me will raise a glass to those who were young too, did the Island proud and have never forgotten how magical it is and never more magical when almost outta gas and fighting tiredness, thar' she blows. As John White would say, "Yeeeeeha!"

Moss Scott




Your Health This Week

DIY TIPS ON EYE SAFETY

CHECK THAT YOU KNOW HOW TO TACKLE THE JOB BEFORE YOU START

- if in doubt, call out an expert.

· Eye protection is essential for many DIY jobs. Always wear safety goggles/spectacles that reflect what you want to do. If the job requires a dust mask - wear it.

· When you buy eye protection, check it conforms to European Standard BSEN 166. It is essential when welding to wear a proper mask that covers the whole face as well as goggles with British Standard number BS1542.

· Many accidents occur when goggles are lifted to get a closer look. Make sure that goggles stay on throughout the job. Take a break if you have to alter them

· Wearing normal spectacles or contact lenses on their own does not offer sufficient protection. Prescription goggles are available for people who need vision correction - ask the optometrist for advice on what's best for you. You can wear goggles over spectacles and contact lenses. Goggles with polycarbonate lenses or side shields are best, because they are more durable

· The most common eye injuries among adults are caused by flying chips of wood or metal. It is therefore essential that appropriate eye protection be worn. Be careful when chiselling or hammering and when drilling into masonry, sanding wood, removing plaster, splitting tiles or concrete slabs, stripping paint, sawing, welding, laying insulation and painting ceilings. Take special care when grinding, hammering and polishing. These generate small, high velocity particles that can penetrate an unprotected eye.

· Different accidents need to be tackled in different ways. Fir instance, what you do if a foreign body enters the eye depends on its size. Any foreign body needs medical assistance. However a small splinter or liquid, such as a chemical, can usually be removed by flooding it with water. Larger objects, like pieces of wood require urgent medical attention. Tackling an injury by rubbing the eye often make it worse.

· Most eye problems are not - a hindrance for DIY, provided spectacles or contact lenses and eye protection is worn. However, people with colour vision deficiency should ask a person with normal colour vision for assistance of necessary.

DIY causes more than 20,000 eye accidents every year - one every 25 minutes. Many of these lead to the loss of an eye or permanent blindness. So it's crucial to know how to stop accidents and what to do when one happens.




www.the-islander.org.ac

EDITORS : Adam and David
The New Islander Office, Fort Hayes, Georgetown, Ascension Island.
Tel/Fax 00 + 247 6327

E-Mail: editors@the-islander.org.ac

Internet Team: Alan George, Andy Roberts, Gavin Yon and Richard Thomas
Deadline for all contributions is 6.00pm on Monday


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