Montserrat Today
For Wednesday/Thursday April 08/09, 1998
Presented by the Information Unit of the
Government of Montserrat's Emergency Department
A newsletter normally produced 3 times weekly for E mail subscribers & published by the Emergency Dept, Governor's Office.
THE VOLCANIC EXPLANATION:
The activity at the Soufriere Hills Volcano continues to be at a relatively low level. Yesterday (Tuesday) there were just 6 volcano-tectonic, 1 hybrid and 1 long period earthquakes and 5 rockfalls recorded.
The low level of activity has allowed MVO staff to continue to repair equipment on the flanks of the volcano and they now have all the tiltmeters back in operation.
Recent theodolite data shows that the tip of the summit is now 1031 metres above sea level and the spine at the top approx 50 metres high.
Some MVO staff took the opportunity yesterday to measure the temperature of September 21st 1997 pyroclastic flow material and found temperatures of up to 357 degrees centigrade at a depth of 2 metres.
The dust levels at all monitoring stations were slightly higher yesterday.
EASTER FERRY SERVICE:
Montserrat Aviation Services the local agents for the ferry service have announced that there will be no ferry on Good Friday but that it will run as normal on Easter Saturday and Monday.
NEW POLICE VESSEL COMMISSIONED TODAY:
The new police vessel, Shamrock 2 will be commissioned later today at a ceremony at Little Bay.
The vessel, a twin hulled one was built in St Maarten and delivered to the island about two weeks ago. It will go into service with the Marine Unit of the Royal Montserrat Police Force immediately.
UNIVERSITY STAFF ON ISLAND:
A representative of the University of the West Indies Geography Department, Dr Dave Miller was on island yesterday (Tuesday) to look at the volcano and its effects, and to look at disaster management techniques.
Dr Miller accompanied by two colleagues from the Antigua State College looked at a wide range of operations at the Emergency Department and at the MVO.
Dr Miller is based at the Mona Campus of the University in Jamaica.
LOCAL UMPIRE GETS MORE MATCHES:
Local cricket umpire, Basil Morgan fresh from standing in the two Barbados based one day internationals West Indies v England has been allocated another match in the President's Cup.
Mr Morgan leaves here tomorrow to stand in the Easter fixture in Trinidad. He has been praised for his high standard of umpiring in the 1998 season and is now considered one of the leading umpires in the region.
Meantime, Montserrat will be represented at this weekend's Leeward Islands Cricket Umpires meeting in St Kitts by another local official, Mr Reuel Francis.
1998 BUDGET SHORTLY:
The 1998 Montserrat Budget will presented to LEGCO very shortly. This will be the Hon. Chief Minister's very first budget presentation and on local radio earler this week, Mr Brandt hinted that it will contain some good news for Montserratians.
By law, the budget has to be presented before LEGCO by the last day of April each year.
EASTER CLOSING:
All Government Departments in Montserrat will close for the Easter Holidays at 4pm tomorrow, Thursday April 9th and reopen at 8 am on Tuesday April 14th 1998.
HAPPY EASTER TO ALL OUR READERS!
The next edition of this newsletter will be published next week on Tuesday April 14th 1998.
Published by the Education & Information Unit, Emergency Dept St John's Village, Montserrat, Leeward Islands, West Indies. Tel: 664 491 7166 Fax: 664 491 2474 E mail: monmedia@candw.ag Richard Aspin, Unit Co-ordinator.