Papa, Tracy and Chelsea would like to extend many thanks to both Doctors, midwife Shirley and all other nursing staff for the save delivery of AMBER ALESHA on 23rd July 2003.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our family and friends both here and overseas who gave cards and gifts.

I received an e-mail from Jeannie Rollins in the U.K. to say that her husband, Wayne had passed away on Thursday, 31st July 2003. It came as a terrible shock because it was so sudden. They were getting ready to go on holiday the following day.
Wayne worked for Pan Am on Ascension for many years, first as a Weather Supervisor and then as Station Administration Superintendent on the U.S. Base. Many people on St. Helena and Ascension will remember Jeannie who was the Purser on the RMS St. Helena. Wayne made several trips on the RMS and always made it a point of coming ashore at Ascension to visit his friends.

Jeane's address is 57 Crawley Road, Horsham, Sussex, UK and e-mail address is Whjmrol@aol.com should anyone wish to contact her to express their condolences.

News From St. Mary's:

As mentioned earlier, on the third Sunday of each month, there will be an Eveningsong in St. Mary's Church at 7 p.m. The first of the these services will be this coming Sunday (17 August) and will be conducted by our Lay Minister, Cheryl. Do try and come along to join in this evening service.

Friday of this week is the Feast of 'St. Mary the Virgin'. There will be a celebration of Holy Communion in St. Mary's at 8 p.m. This celebration will be in addition to the normal Wednesday evening Mass. If you are free on Friday morning, you will be more than welcome to this Mass.

Please make a note in your diary the 'Songs of Praise' which will be held in the Two Boats Club on Sunday 31 August at 7 p.m. The plan is that we are hoping to have a 'Songs of Praise' whenever there is a fifth Sunday in the month. We have not as yet decided where the next one will take place, but will make it known when a decision has been reached. So, bring your friends along with you to the Two Boats Club on 31st to enjoy an hour of praise to God.
See you there.

This week we complete our description of the flowers and go on to the other plant types. If you have any comments or corrections please either send a note to the Editor of the Islander or else e-Mail me at neilsue@mactwo.fsnet.co.uk

FLOWERS
LEONORUS. An upright herb with small purple flowers and leaves rather like those of a geranium. The two species L. sibiricus and L. japonicus occur on the island, fairly common on the Upper Ramps of Green Mountain and on Middleton's Ridge.

CERASTIUM (Cerastium vulgatum). A small herb with opposite lanceolate leaves and a white, five-petal flower. It has a limited distribution on the upper parts of Green Mountain , was introduced accidentally and first recorded in 1958.

COMMELINA (Commelina diffusa). A ground-creeping herb with small blue flowers. Found on Green Mountain, especially near the farm and at Palmer's. First recorded in 1889.

FERNS AND GRASSES
Anogramma ascensionis - a small rather scarce endemic fern, first recorded in 1876 on the southeast side of Green Mountain.

Marattia purpurescens - a large brittle endemic fern with fronds to 1m, rather scarce and limited to Green Mountain.

Sporobolus durus - a very rare endemic grass, recorded on Green Mountain in 1876 and 1958 and from Weather Post in 1958.

Sporobolus indicus, a widespread grass on the island, especially after periods of heavy rainfall.

SHRUBS
Cape Gooseberry - Physallis peruviana - a straggling perennial with red or yellow berries hidden in a green lantern-like calyx. Common on the mountain by 1828, now found in shaded parts of the mountain paths.

Guava - Psidium guyava - one of the commonest small shrubs, growing mainly on the lower slopes of the mountain. Introduced in 1859, it spread so rapidly that attempts were made to destroy it around 1900, but with little success.

Prickly Pear - Opuntia vulgaris - a common cactus, widespread over the drier aras, especially Cricket Valley. Probably interoduced from Maderia in 1847 but specimens also sent from Kew in 1850.

Loquat - Eriobotya japonicas - a small tree from China and Japan, which bears a small reddish fruit. Introduced before 1859, now not common but found in ravines on the northern side of Green Mountain.

Exciting new discovery

Endemic plant found in a new location

Ascension Island Government's Assistant Conservation Officer - Stedson Stroud made an exciting new discovery last week. Stedson is famous on St. Helena for his rediscovery of 2 species of endemic plant that were thought to be extinct, namely the Boxwood and the Bastard Gumwood. He has put his excellent plant identification skills to use in his work on Ascension and last week discovered a new site where Pteris adscensionis, Ascension's most critically endangered endemic plant still exists in the wild.

Only 200 in the world
Pteris adscensionis was only known to exist in a crevasse in Cricket Valley and in small numbers in Breakneck Valley. The total population on Ascension (and therefore in the world) is a mere 200 plants. This plant is on the brink of extinction and the conservation department is working on a programme to protect the existing wild populations and increase the overall population by propagating some of the plants. The discovery of a new wild population therefore is of great significance for this species of plant.

Pteris adscensionis - new discovery

Who is Stedson?
Stedson Stroud has had an exciting and varied life. He spent a lot of time travelling abroad, visiting various countries, and coming to understand the complexities of the nature of different cultures. On his return to St. Helena he was visionary in his approach to the island in that he recognised and attempted to enhance the aspects of St. Helena culture that many were pushing to the sidelines under the umbrella of 'modernisation'. His ideas and ideals permeate his lifestyle and saw him become self-employed as an organic farmer, using traditional methods of farming.

At one with nature….

Stedson became hooked on conservation when in 1980 he rediscovered both the St. Helena Bastard Gumwood Commidendrum rotundifolium that had been declared extinct over 100 years ago, and the Boxwood Mellissia begonifolia .Since then he has worked tirelessly and voluntarily to enhance the natural environment on St. Helena. His arrival on Ascension to work for the conservation department here will undoubtedly hold unpredictable benefits and bounties for the department - the discovery of a new site of Pteris adscensionis is only the beginning

The Met Office Weather Report

Statistics for the week ending Monday 11 August 2003

	Max (deg C)	Min (deg C)	Rainfall (mm)
AIRHEAD	28.3	21.5	2.9
TRAVELLERS	26.5	20.0	1.1
RESIDENCY	26.0	17.5	4.5
GEORGETOWN	29.0	22.0	1.0
ST. HELENA	20.6	13.1	19.6
FALKLANDS	12.1	-0.8	1.1
UK	38.0	6.0	33.2(24hr)

ASCENSION ISLAND: Moderate Southeast Trade Winds brought a generally dry week. However it was rather cloudy at times with a few scattered light showers. As usual Georgetown was the warmest place on the Island during the week with a maximum temperature of 29 Celsius. The coolest place with the most rainfall was the Residency with a maximum of 26.0 Celsius and 4.5 mm of rain.

UK: This was a record breaking week. High pressure dominated the scene for much of the time, bringing a remarkable summer heatwave. Daytime UK maximum temperatures did not fall below 31 Celsius throughout the week which made it warmer than Ascension Island. A rare event in itself. In fact the highest temperature ever recorded in the UK since records began, 38.0 Celsius (101º F) was measured on Sunday 10th Aug 03 at Gravesend Kent. Further evidence indicating global warming. On Saturday a cold front pushing eastwards across the British Isles brought a somewhat fresher airmass to Northern Ireland and Scotland but also triggered some outbreaks of heavy thundery rain. Longlands College in Middlesborough measured 33.2 mm (1.31 inches) on Sunday. Despite its reputation, Manchester came up with the highest sunshine in any 24 hour period during the week, recording 14.6 hours on Mon 4 Aug 03. The distinction of recording the lowest night minimum temperature, 6 Celsius during this unusually hot week went to Shap Fell, Cumbria on Monday 4th Aug 03.

FALKLANDS : An Anticyclone drifted slowly east across the Falklands early in the week giving a spell of relatively quiet weather. However during the second half of the week a series of depressions tracking east to the south of South America brought a return to more unsettled conditions with strong winds and occasional light rain or drizzle. Nevertheless it did remain very mild for the southern winter in the generally West to Northwest winds. Saturday and Sunday were particularly mild with max temperatures of 12.1 C on Sat and 11.0 C on Sun. Only one occasion of air frost was recorded during the week with a minimum of Minus 0.8 C on the morning of Tuesday 5 Aug 2003.

ST HELENA : A rather cloudy week with generally light winds and occasional rain or showers. Total sunshine for the week was 26.4 hours with total rainfall 19.6 mm. The maximum temperature of 20.6 Celsius was recorded on Thursday 7th Aug. Minimum temperature of 13.1 Celsius was on Tuesday 5th August. The average wind speed for the week was 10 knots.

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

HASH TRASH

Hash # 964

Hares: Skipper & The Navvy

Hounds: Fugitive, Hairspray, Pirate, Yeti, 100 Watt, 2m swell, G&T, Puff Dragon, Budweiser Belly, Dick Head, Major, Shylock, Twin Peaks, Uncle Fester, Predator, Thomas-the-Tank-engine, cheeky girl 1, cheeky girl 2, Rat's Tail, Fido, Goat, Oh that Woman, Buzz Lightyear, chicken Hawk, Shadow, Gym Queen, Talking Head, Sam, Mike and Michelle. Après - Mark & Welsh Git

The sky was grey for the start of this week's hash but the threat of rain does not deter the hardy hashers of Ascension. Turtleshell Beach Hut provided the venue complete with resident chalet-maids (John and Boggy), there to prepare the BBQ and provide the much needed nourishment when the pack returned. The briefing by The Navvy informed the pack that the route hosted the usual dangers and that the On, On was straight over the beach - towards a back arrow !.

The Major and Hairspray leading from the front on the correct trail took the pack to the first bar check and then On On Right ! 2m Swell and Hairspray somehow missed the hash and were last seen galloping into the distance, drawn to the horizon by the fence that obviously confused them. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the rest of the pack were climbing over the fence and onto the first circle check. All hounds eventually found their way to the check and before long the pack was off again. Another bar check and Goat obviously still hasn't got the hang of finding the hash. Luckily Fugitive 'escaped' the confusion and led the pack up the cliff towards the Airhead road. A great briefing by Skipper (the font of knowledge that he is) informed us, to our amazement, that the large lake was in fact the South Atlantic Ocean…really ? Then it rained, a very rare occurrence on the Ascension Hash. There were tears and worried looks as make-up ran and hair went flat. But we stood firm together and got through this traumatic time, soon forgetting our battle against the elements as we followed the hash to 'The Fence 2' !. Various methods were used to surmount said 'Fence' including back-flips, pole vaulting or the preferred method of throwing yourself flat on your back on the other side…

The option was then given for the pack to split into the walkers and runners the latter of the options including a steep decent along the pipe line. Some hashers without brakes making the decent in spectacular style. The excitement over the pack regrouped at the last circle check. Pirate and Chicken hawk not stopping to get back to the hotdogs. Another On On and a great run back to the start seemingly all that stood between the pack and their beer, well apart from the need to negotiate the raging torrent that cut across the pack's path. Après hashers united with the pack and it was time to welcome in the Sorry Souls. Warm welcome to Cheeky Girls 1 & 2, Rats Tail, Gym Queen and a new name for Shadow - Clingon !

An excellent hash, thank you to Navvy and Skipper, and great food - more thanks to John and Boggy! (potential new hashers ?).

Next Hash: Saints Club Beach Hut - Long Beach

Hares: Major and Goat

Your Health This Week

SMOKING AND YOUR HEART

Smoking is one of the main factors which cause heart attack. The other two are raised blood pressure and raised levels of cholesterol (a type of fat) in the blood. If people in the untied Kingdom did not smoke cigarettes, about 10,000 fewer men and women of working age would die from heart attacks each year
The coronary arteries are the blood supply pipelines to the heart that carry the fuel and oxygen needed for its efficient working. When these arteries are diseased, their lining becomes thickened by fatty and other materials, so that the flow of blood may be reduced, especially when the heart has to work harder during exercise or excitement. When this happens, chest pain called angina may result. If there is more complete obstruction and a prolonged reduction of blood flow, part of the heart muscle becomes injured or damaged. This is what occurs in a coronary heart attack.

Facts

The biggest killer: Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the UK , smoking contributes to a large proportion of these deaths

The rising risk: the risk of a heart attack rises with the amount smoked. In general people who smoke cigarettes have about twice as great a risk of a heart attack as those who do not. However, this increased risk is particularly large in smokers aged about 50; their heart attack death rates are up to ten times greater than those for non-smokers of the same age. The more you smoke and the younger you started, the greater your risk.

Other risk factors: You are more likely to have a heart attack not only if you smoke cigarettes, but also if you have raised blood cholesterol levels, take little exercise or are overweight. There are also some risks which cannot be altered: if you have a family history of heart disease, for example if a parent suffered from it at a young age, you are more likely to develop the disease; men are more susceptible to it than women; and age plays a part - we are all at greater risk as we get older. The more risk factors you have, the greater your risk of a heart attack. Obviously the factors you can control, like smoking, are even more important if you have any of the other risks which you can do nothing about.

Why smoke harms the heart: Carbon monoxide and nicotine are probably the most important substances in tobacco smoke which affect the heart. Nicotine stimulates the body to produce adrenaline which makes the heart beat faster and raises the blood pressure. Carbon monoxide joins unto the red pigment of the blood, called haemoglobin, and reduces the power to carry oxygen to the heart and all the other parts of the body. Both nicotine and carbon monoxide may encourage thrombosis (blood clotting)

Is it really worth stopping to avoid heart attacks? Most definitely. People who give up smoking are much less likely to have a heart attack than those who continue to smoke. This does not mean that non-smokers will never get heart attacks, but their chances are certainly less than those of smokers. But if you smoke, your risk of getting a heart attack and other serious health problems start improving as soon as you stop smoking. And there are many other very good reasons for stopping…… cigarette smokers are more likely to get lung cancer, mouth and throat cancer, chronic bronchitis and stroke than non-smokers, as well as other less common and no less serious diseases.

For more information on stopping smoking and how to get help, call the hospital for an appointment.

EDITORS : Phil & Kim
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

The Islander - Thursday 14th August 2003

LETTERS

News From St. Mary's:

The Met Office Weather Report

HASH TRASH

Your Health This Week