Montserrat Today
For Tuesday December 09, 1997
Presented by the Information and Education Unit
of Montserrat's Emergency Department
THE VOLCANIC EXPLANATION:
Over the last 24 hours at the Soufriere Hills Volcano there was increased seismicity with rockfall signals being the predominant signal. In addition there was also some long period and hybrid earthquakes.
Visibility of the dome was excellent yesterday and a dome survey was carried out from the helicopter. Overnight there was some mild ash and steam venting. The ashfall was minimal but the average dust levels over the last 24 hours have increased very slightly.
The dome is now growing in the south and central areas and pyroclastic flows are possible in the very near future.
NEW MSS PRINCIPAL NAMED:
During the retirement ceremony for outgoing principal Mrs Camilla Watts on Sunday it was announced that the school will have a new principal for the new term. Current Vice Principal Kathleen Greenaway a long time member of staff has been appointed to the post.
Mrs Watts retires at year end aftre a career in education spanning 37 years.
CIVIL SERVANTS TO RECEIVE PAY INCREASE:
In a recent ZJB radio interview, the Hon Chief Minister Mr David S. Brandt announced that all Montserratian Civil Servants will receive a pay award, the first for many years.
The pay award averaging about 30% will be back-dated to January 1st 1997. Most civil servants have already received part of this increase when they received an interim award equivalent to two months salary earlier this year.
COMMUNITY EFFORT BY HMS NEWCASTLE:
The crew of the HMS Newcastle, captained by Commander Nick Lambert currently paying a courtesy call on Montserrat have been carrying out community projects on the island. One group of the crew have been assisting the RMDF in their building projects and another have been retrieving sirens from the unsafe zone.
The ship will carry a group of Montserratians around the island this afternoon to look at volcano damage before it set sails this evening. "Newcastle" will return to Montserrat before Christmas when they plan a big Christmas party for school children.
MONTSERRAT REPORT:
(continued from yeterday)
(16) There does not seem on the basis of this evidence to be any appreciable or culpable delay since the announcement of the £6.5 million in July this year. Since the authorisation of funds by the Secretary of State in July, fifty houses have been completed and a further fifty are under construction.
(17) We recommend that all possible assistance be given at the earliest opportunity to the CARICOM project and that a decision on the extension of the Davy Hill infrastructure be made and communicated without firther delay.
(to be continued)