Montserrat Today
For Monday/Tuesday February 09/10 1998
Presented by the Information Unit of the
Government of Montserrat's Emergency Department
THE VOLCANIC EXPLANATION:
Over the last few days, the activity at the Soufriere Hills Volcano has ben dominated by rockfalls from the southwestern face of the dome. In addition there have been hybrid, long period and volcano tectonic earthquakes measured by the seismic system.
Dome observation has been poor for the last few days because of ash and cloud cover. Rain late afternoon washed away the residual ash from the last few days and the ash measuring stations are now begining to read lower levels than the last few days.
BROWN & ROOT HOUSING AT LOOKOUT NEARLY FINISHED:
Brown & Root have reported that the 50 permanent block houses at Lookout are almost complete. The houses have been built by local contractors, George Tuitt, Emmanuel Galloway, Adolphus Weekes, Herman Robinson, Alphonsus Duberry, David Payne, Stedmon Cassell and Philip Peters. The project was managed by Brown & Root and the houses designed by Alford Dyett.
The first houses on site are completed and the rest will be ready within the next few weeks. The Lookout site will also accommodate the CARICOM Village and the infrastructure for it will be put in place by Brown and Root.
NEW MAGISTRATE APPOINTED:
Government House have announced that a new Magistrate has been appointed and sworn in.
He is Mr Rhys Burriss, a graduate of Oxford University and who qualified as a Barrister at Gray's Inn in London. He comes to Montserrrat from County Durham where his last position was Clerk to the Justices of County Durham.
NEW HEAD OF AID MANAGEMENT OFFICE:
The Department for International Development have confirmed the appointment of Mr Douglas Houston, MBE as Head of the Aid Management Office in Montserrat to replace Mr Frank Black, and in addition, to head the DFID Office in Antigua.
Mr Houston's appointment will be for two years.
UK/CARIBBEAN FORUM:
Britain and Bahamas will jointly launch a UK/Caribbean Forum in Nassau, Bahamas on Thursday and Friday of this week.
Britain's Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, Baroness Symons and George Foulkes will attend representing Britain and Chief Minister Mr David S. Brandt will represent Montserrat.
The forum was one of three UK/Caribbean initiatives announced by the Foreign Secretary at last year's Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference in Scotland.
Following the Forum, Britain's Foreign Secretary Robin Cook will pay a one day visit to Montserrat on Saturday Feb.14th.
BBC CHILDREN'S TV DOCUMENTARY ON MONTSERRAT:
TV viewers in Britain will have the opportunity to see a documentary on Montserrrat prepared for younger viewers.
A BBC team recently concluded filming the documentary on island and are now back in Britain cutting the filmed footage.
The programme will be aired on BBC 1 on Friday February 20th at 4.55pm, it will feature the effects of the volcano on children in Montserrat.
More information later in the week...........................