D.R.V. "Frank" Edwards, known mostly for his involvement in cricket and real estate, passed away Friday, June 7, 2019.
For the third time in the past four months, Montserrat is mourning the loss of a mega-figure. Frank Edwards, who impacted real estate, sports, politics and several other areas on the island, died Friday night, June 7, 2019, in Florida after a long illness. He was 81 years old.
In early February, Montserrat lost former scholar, musician and social engineer Dr. George Irish; two months later, former government minister Margaret Annie Dyer-Howe passed away. News of Edwards’ passing prompted an outpouring of condolences on social media, with many people sharing stories of how Edwards mentored or assisted them.
Known for his quiet demeanor, strong leadership skills and trademark bald head, Edwards made his biggest impact in sports and real estate. After graduating from the Montserrat Secondary School in the early 1950s, he began working for Montserrat Company, which held a virtual monopoly in real estate and agriculture on the island. Montserrat Company was started in 1857 by Joseph Sturge, patriarch of the powerful Sturge family. The company was renamed Montserrat Real Estate Company (MORECO) in 1961.
During an interview in 2017, Edwards spoke about how he once held the title of Comptroller (financial officer) and later managing director. In the 1960s and ’70s, Montserrat underwent a real-estate evolution that saw expansion of areas such as Richmond Hill, Foxes Bay, Isles Bay and Old Towne. Edwards and MORECO were heavily involved in those developments.
Edwards was also a standout cricketer and cricket administrator. He played for Montserrat from 1955 to 1965 — often as captain — when the team featured other stars such as batsman Kingsley Rock and fast bowler George Edwards. A top-order batsman and part-time bowler, Edwards captained the Leeward Islands team against Australia in 1965 and also played for Combined Islands against the touring India Test team in 1962 in St. Kitts.
“He was a person you can easily deal with. He never argued. I learned a lot from him. It was an honor to work with him.”
— Alfred Christopher, longtime friend and colleague of Franklyn Edwards
In the 1970s he became one of the most powerful cricket administrators in the Caribbean. Already president of the Montserrat Cricket Association, he was elected president of the Leeward Islands Cricket Association, replacing Calvin Wilkin of St. Kitts. That post gave him a crucial seat with the West Indies Cricket Board and heavy influence over player selection. Edwards once spoke about how he had to navigate the fine line of fielding the best Leeward Islands team possible but also lobby for Montserrat cricketers. In February of 1973, Leeward Islands played a warm-up match against the Australian Test team in Antigua. Four of the 11 Leewards players were from Montserrat: Jim Allen, George Allen, Alford Corriette and Vendol Moore.
Franklyn Edwards was born Daniel Rudolph Valentine Edwards on September 12, 1937. He grew up in the heart of Plymouth in Water Lane, an area nicknamed Boobie Alley. “Franklyn is my jumbie name,” he said smiling during a 2017 interview when asked about his many names. His father, Freddy Edwards, was a butcher. His mother Margaret, affectionately known as “Nenen”, was a housewife.
In 1962, Edwards was a member of the Montserrat Jaycees that organized the first official year-end festival. The other members included Cedric Osborne, Bertrand Osborne, Kenneth Allen, Kenneth Cassell and Sir Howard Fergus. Edwards later served as president of the Jaycees. He was also known for his long association with the Endeavour Club and its cricket team.
In 1964, Edwards married Eileen Tonge. They had three daughters: Beverly, Sharon and Dawn. The couple would have celebrated their 55th anniversary in July.
Photo credit: Montserrat Reporter Frank Edwards is pictured on September 27, 2012 at the Cultural Center in Montserrat during a tribute to retiring umpire Basil Morgan.
Alfred “Christo” Christopher, who knew Edwards since they were teenagers and worked alongside him while both were with the Montserrat Jaycees, says Edwards was one of the greatest leaders he ever met.
“He was a person you can easily deal with,” Christopher says. “He never argued. If he had something to tell you, he would say it and that would be the end of it. I learned a lot from him. It was an honor to work with him.”
In his later years Edwards ran a successful real estate company and also served as chairman of Bank of Montserrat. He also had a stint as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. On March 16, 2016, Edwards was presented with the Order of Excellence medal during the National Awards for his distinguished service and contribution to the development of Montserrat.
“He was always a very unassuming, quiet person,” said Cedric Osborne, who knew Edwards for more than 60 years and served with him on the board of Montserrat Electricity Services (MONLEC) for more than a decade. “We used to play a lot of tennis together. He was a fantastic friend.”
Edwards is survived by his wife Eileen, daughters Beverly Gumbs, Sharon Nicholas and Dawn Harris, brother Arnold Edwards in Canada, sister Kitty Lynch in the UK, and five grandchildren.
The funeral service will be held Friday, June 28, 2019 at the St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Lookout, Montserrat. Interment will be held at the Lookout Public Cemetery.
Photo credit: British Pathé
Helen Joseph, shown in 1966, is the only person to represent Montserrat in an international beauty pageant.
Helen Joseph never won the Miss Montserrat Festival Queen competition. In fact she never competed. But she holds the distinction of being the only woman to represent Montserrat in an international beauty pageant.
On Thursday, November 12, 1964, Joseph and 41 other contestants graced the Lyceum Ballroom in London as they competed for the coveted title of Miss World. Joseph, then 22 years old, advanced to the Final 16 but failed to reach the Final 7. Ann Sidney of the United Kingdom eventually claimed the crown.
Although Miss Universe is often regarded as the most popular international beauty contest, Miss World, which began in 1951 and is based in the UK, also has a storied history and prestige. Indian actress and singer Priyanka Chopra, twice listed by Forbes Magazine as one of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women, was crowned Miss World in 2000. Jamaica, one of three islands in the English-speaking Caribbean to boast a Miss World winner, has captured the title four times: Carole Joan Crawford (1963), Cindy Breakspeare (1976), Lisa Hanna (1993) and Toni-Ann Singh (2019). Breakspeare drew additional publicity for her relationship with reggae legend Bob Marley, a union that produced their son Damian “Junior Gong” Marley, also a reggae artist.
Helen Joseph arrives at Heathrow Airport a few days before the 1964 Miss World contest at the Lyceum Ballroom in London.
The story of how Joseph came to represent Montserrat in the competition is interesting. She was already residing in England and working as a model when she was approached about entering the contest. The only country she could logically represent was her native Montserrat, even though she left at a young age. There is no rule stating that a Miss World contestant has to have won a previous pageant representing her country. As long as she provides proof of her birthplace, meets the age requirement and is unmarried, she qualifies.
In December of 1963, Pamela Nanton (Arthurton) was crowned Miss Montserrat during the annual festival. The conventional progression should have meant that she would represent Montserrat in any regional or international pageant. It didn’t happen that way, but she has no regrets.
“No one asked me to enter Miss World,” said Mrs. Arthurton, who now resides in Antigua and has run Carib-World Travel since 1973. “When Helen entered some people thought it was me because we’re both light-skinned and tall. I think it was one of those things where she was living in England and someone sponsored her. She was a very beautiful girl. I admired her and was proud that she represented Montserrat well.”
Helen Joseph was born Edith Iona Kirnon on April 27, 1942, at Glendon Hospital in Plymouth, Montserrat. Like many locals, she was given a “pet” name, as everyone called her Helen. The Kirnon family was based in Cudjoe Head Village in the north. Helen’s mother, Edith Augusta Kirnon, took Helen to live with her in Dominica at an early age. When Edith married carpenter Stephen Joseph, she not only changed her surname from Kirnon to Joseph, but Helen’s as well. The identity of Helen’s biological father is unknown.
Helen Joseph, second from right, is shown during the swimsuit segment of Miss World in 1964.
The Joseph family migrated to England in January of 1955 when Helen was 12. They lived in Highbury, longtime site of the famed Arsenal Stadium in north London. As Helen matured she began to draw attention with her stunning beauty. Slender and fair-skinned with a gleaming smile, she fit the mold of what modeling agencies and talent scouts were seeking. She was encouraged to enter the Miss World contest.
Although she fell short in the pageant, she earned critical attention and was soon fielding movie and TV offers. She appeared in two movies: The Girl With a Pistol (1968) and Virgin Witch (1972). Both were small parts, but in Virgin Witch she had an extended scene in which she sang You Go Your Way, accompanied by piano in a lounge setting. She also had guest spots on several British TV shows, including Love Story (1967), Out of the Unknown (1969) and Doomwatch (1970).
Helen Joseph, credited as Helen Downing, appears in the movie Virgin Witch in 1972.
In 1966 Helen was featured in a short British Pathé film at her north London flat. During the two-minute clip, which has no audio and has been uploaded to YouTube, she is seen feeding and playing with a pet fox.
During her show business career she was billed as Helen Downing, the surname of her first husband. Virgin Witch turned out to be her final role as she settled into family life.
Helen, who married three times, later relocated to Montserrat and built a home on the Kirnon family property near Rendezvous Bay. Due to health problems, she returned to England for treatment. She passed away on June 17, 2008 at age 66.
“She was a very beautiful girl. I admired her and was proud that she represented Montserrat well.”
— Pamela (Nanton) Arthurton, Miss Montserrat 1963-64
For several reasons, Helen’s inclusion in the Miss World pageant went mostly unnoticed in Montserrat. For one, in 1964 the main source of news was the radio. Surely, in today’s age of instant news and social media, her quest would have gotten much better exposure. Two other factors aided the obscurity: She left Montserrat at a young age and had not built a local following, and also she was not sponsored for the Miss World show in conjunction with a group on Montserrat such as the Jaycees. Helen herself was also not forthcoming in her later years about her pageant and show business careers.
“She didn’t really talk about it much,” said Helen’s cousin Charles T. Kirnon, a longtime minister with the Government of Montserrat. “Only if you asked her about it.”
At any rate, Helen Joseph should be prominently included in the annals of Montserrat history, and not just as the answer to a trivia question.
Helen Joseph is shown with her granddaughter Laura.
Margaret Annie Dyer-Howe was laid to rest Friday during a state funeral. She passed away April 6 at age 77.
She was honored for her tireless crusade to elevate women, protect children and uplift the underprivileged. She was remembered for her calm and measured demeanor, generous spirit and quiet dignity. She was celebrated through words, song and even the steel pan.
She took her beloved country under her wing. And now she flies with the angels.
The Right Honourable Margaret Mary “Annie” Dyer-Howe O.E. received an emotional homegoing Friday at the Roman Catholic Church in Lookout. Following the two-hour-plus service, a procession led by the Montserrat Defense Force, with marching band in tow, made a one-mile trek to the Lookout Public Cemetery. Mrs. Dyer-Howe received a gun salute and was laid to rest as family members, friends and dignitaries sang hymns.
Mrs. Dyer-Howe’s casket was as regal as the woman herself, white with gold trim and a hint of the Montserrat madras. It was draped with the country’s flag as it was carried out of the church.
“Miss Annie’s homegoing service was one that truly summed up the woman she was,” says Rose Willock, Dyer-Howe’s longtime friend and a broadcasting legend in Montserrat. “Outgoing, community-spirited in every way and dedicated to her homeland.”
Mrs. Dyer-Howe died April 6 after a long illness. She was 77 years old.
“She was an ordinary woman who produced extraordinary
outcomes,” said Hon. Donaldson Romeo, Premier of Montserrat. “Giving to her
community and country was always her overriding interest. Mrs. Howe has left
much for us to emulate as a nation.”
Robert Howe, widower of Margaret “Annie” Dyer-Howe, looks on during the burial Friday, May 10, 2019 at Lookout, Montserrat.
Mrs. Dyer-Howe influenced just about every sector of Montserrat. Principled, pragmatic and devoutly Roman Catholic, she helped enact social change during a time when women were mostly excluded from prominent positions in society. Due to her efforts, the protocol for acceptance into the Montserrat Secondary School was changed to allow non-affluent students a fairer chance. Mrs. Dyer-Howe argued that students from wealthy families had an unfair advantage because their parents could afford private tutoring.
“Miss Annie’s homegoing service was one that truly summed up the woman she was.”
— Rose Willock, broadcasting legend
Mrs. Dyer-Howe, who was profiled in
the book Gallery Montserrat by Sir Howard
Fergus, was born Margaret Corbett on November 18, 1941 and grew up in St.
Patrick’s in southern Montserrat. She was heavily influenced by her
grandmother, who was a district midwife. She attended the St. Augustine School,
which was then on George Street in Plymouth, and later taught at the school
before migrating to the United States for secretarial training. In
1964, she married businessman and politician Michael Dyer. It was during that
union that her political aspirations took shape.
In 1974, Michael Dyer passed away. In 1979, Mrs. Dyer-Howe competed in a by-election in the Southern district for the seat of the late Joe Taylor. She won, essentially reclaiming the seat lost years earlier by her husband. In 1983 she was re-elected and assigned the Ministry of Education, Health, Community Services, Women’s Affairs, Culture and Sports. She became only the second woman in Montserrat to hold a ministry, following Mary Rose Tuitt in 1970. She married Robert Howe in 1984.
Fergus, a longtime friend, was among the luminaries paying tribute Friday. Speaking about Mrs. Dyer-Howe helping to break the female barrier in parliament, he said: “She was No. 2 to wear the toga of a minister, and she did more than warm the bench. She did more than any of her generation to elevate women in skills and consciousness.”
Added Willock: “She empowered women at every level.”
The casket of Margaret “Annie” Dyer-Howe is prepared for burial at the Lookout Public Cemetery in Montserrat.
Aside from her work in politics, Mrs. Dyer-Howe established the Montserrat Small Business Association, promoted vocational training for teenage mothers and pregnant teens and fought for the elderly. Mrs. Dyer-Howe is also remembered for her time at the Montserrat Water Authority, where she served as executive secretary, administrative officer, and later manager.
In 2018 she was presented with the Order of Excellence during the Montserrat National Awards for her exemplary contributions to the country.
Hon. Speaker of the House Shirley Osborne perhaps summed up Mrs. Dyer-Howe’s legacy best during Friday’s service. “Many of the building blocks of Montserrat were put up, leveled out and cemented in place by this woman.
“So Montserrat is Annie’s house.”
Mrs. Dyer-Howe is survived by her husband Robert, step-daughter Joycelyn Howe, brother Neville Corbett (aka Dick Martin) and many other family members.
Dr. Sir Prince Ramsey passed away Friday, May 3, 2019 after a long battle with cancer.
Dr. Sir Prince Ramsey, an award-winning physician and renowned calypso writer who penned the popular song Man Is Nothing But Dust for Montserrat’s Keithroy “De Bear” Morson, died Friday afternoon after a long battle with cancer. He was 75.
Ramsey, who has received numerous accolades for his work in educating the Caribbean about HIV/AIDS, returned to his native Antigua last week after being treated for about two months at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. On Thursday, he underwent what turned out to be his final chemotherapy session.
“He was a smiling man, a happy man, a great man,” said 10-time Montserrat calypso monarch Justin “Hero” Cassell, who collaborated with Ramsey on many songs and spoke to him at least once a week. “We probably had a million conversations about calypso. He treasured friendships.”
In 2010, Cassell’s brother, soca legend Alphonsus “Arrow” Cassell, died from cerebral cancer. During Arrow’s illness, Ramsey was a trusted consultant for the family who helped coordinate Arrow’s care in Antigua. Although oncology was not Ramsey’s field of medicine, he actually helped diagnose Arrow’s illness.
Speaking in 2010, Ramsey said: “Arrow’s family called me and told me that whenever he picks up something with his left hand, he drops it. I immediately told them that means something is wrong with the right side of his brain.”
Everton “Reality” Weekes, a five-time Montserrat calypso monarch who also collaborated with Ramsey, was stunned to hear of his friend’s passing Friday.
“It’s really hard to talk about it right now,” Weekes said. “The last time I spoke to him he told me he was getting better. He was the most genuine, honest person I ever met in my life. He’s the greatest human being I’ve ever known.”
Besides
being a respected and popular family physician, Ramsey was a businessman whose ventures
included banking, pharmaceuticals, insurance and a rental-car company.
Born in Willikies in rural Antigua, Ramsey was one of eight children. At 15, he traveled to Oxford, where his elder brother resided. Ramsey’s father thought it would be beneficial for Prince to finish his secondary education in the UK. Ramsey’s first interest was theology. “I wanted to be a priest,” he said smiling during an interview with ABS TV Antigua in 1995. “I was brought up in a Christian environment.”
While in Oxford, Ramsey got a job as an orderly at a hospital. That spurred his interest in medicine and public service. However, he grew tired of the racism he encountered in school and returned to Antigua. He later returned to the Oxford school and asked to be enrolled in the science department. He worked at a local hospital as a lab technologist, then at the Royal Free Hospital in London on a fellowship in clinical biochemistry. In 1969, he enrolled at the University of the West Indies in Mona, Jamaica, to formally study medicine.
“He was the most genuine, honest person I ever met. He’s the greatest human being I’ve ever known.”
Everton “Reality” Weekes, on Dr. Sir Prince Ramsey
Ramsey’s passion eventually became the area of family planning.
“At the home
where I lived in Oxford, my brother had six children born within about five to seven
years,” he told ABS TV. “I saw the hardships those children had. I don’t think
children should be brought into the world having this type of suffering. As a
student in Jamaica I would go to the schools and lecture about family planning.”
The AIDS epidemic in the 1980s forced Ramsey to expand his family planning crusade in order to educate the public. Ramsey served on the board of the Antigua Planned Parenthood Association and was president of the Antigua & Barbuda Medical Association from 1991 to 1992. He held HIV/AIDS symposiums around the Caribbean, including in Montserrat.
His quest to edify the public carried over to his calypso writing. In 1988, he wrote the song AIDS for calypso legend McLean “Short Shirt” Emmanuel, who won the crown. In 2002, he wrote Protect Yourself for Lynwall “Zero” Joseph, who had contracted HIV. Zero also won the crown, then teamed with Ramsey to promote AIDS prevention throughout Antigua. He died in 2004.
Ramsey also worked with other Antigua calypsonians such as Joseph “Calypso Joe” Hunte, Paul “Obstinate” Richards and Trevor “Zacari” King, all former monarchs. He also helped Toriano “Onyan” Edwards of Burning Flames win four crowns in a row (1997-2000).
De Bear says he considers Man Is Nothing But Dust to be Ramsey’s greatest composition. “He wrote the lyrics and me and Daryl Edwards did the melody,” he said.
Among the numerous awards Ramsey has won: Order of Merit for Outstanding Contribution to Antigua & Barbuda (1989), Distinguished Service Award from the Caribbean Family Planning Affiliation (1992), and Order of Distinction (1994). In 2016 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree by the University of the West Indies for his work in the field of HIV/AIDS.
In 2007, the Government of Antigua & Barbuda presented him with the country’s highest award: the Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of the Nation.
Ramsey was also an avid domino player and a member of a local domino club. “I can play dominoes every day if you let me,” he once said.
Tributes poured in on social media Friday evening as word of Ramsey’s passing spread. The Government of Antigua & Barbuda confirmed that Ramsey will be honored with a state funeral.
“He was my friend, doctor, writer and inspirer,” De Bear says. “I miss him forever.”
Ramsey is survived by his wife Ava and sons Renard and Ryan.
Photo credit: Edwin Martin Brian Lara is pictured during a practice session Monday, March 12, 2007 at Kensington Park in Kingston, Jamaica. The West Indies team was preparing for its opening match against Pakistan the following day in the Cricket World Cup.
Brian Lara hit 92 centuries during his brilliant 20-year first-class career. Unfortunately for me, he never hit any of them while I was watching in person. The several times I saw him play, he often had poor or mediocre outings. Actually, let me take that back. I saw him hit a century in 1995. But it was in a friendly match (a little too friendly) at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. Lara teamed up with some aging former West Indies players against a local squad. Lara entertained the crowd with some vintage shots, but he also skied the ball several times. Oddly, the catches were always dropped. I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but I would bet the organizers told the local team to assure that Lara stayed in the wicket as long as possible. After all, it was Lara whom the fans came out to see. Lara eventually got his century, the fans went home happy, and all was well in Cricketville.
Brian Charles Lara – the other “Little Master” and arguably the most exciting batsman of his generation – turned 50 on May 2, 2019. For cricket folks, that’s a half century. Knowing Lara, we should not be surprised if he keeps batting for some time. Lara is the only player in cricket history to hit 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500. His 501 not out for English club Warwickshire in 1994 is the highest individual score in first-class history. He thrived on big innings. Unlike some batsmen who hit a century and often gave away their wicket soon after because they mentally felt their job was done, Lara was greedy. If he got 100, he wanted 200, and so on.
During the 20th century, it seemed as if a legendary West Indies batsman came along every 20 years. George Headley passed the baton to Garry Sobers, Sobers passed it to Viv Richards, and Richards passed it to Lara. Those other legends had more talented teammates around them, so it can be argued that Lara’s stats deserve more merit because they were accomplished under more pressure. Comparing eras is often a dicey proposition, but Lara faced a heavier burden that his predecessors. When he made his Test debut in 1990, West Indian legends such as Richards, Gordon Greenidge, Joel Garner, Michael Holding and Andy Roberts were either gone or on their way out. So whenever the inevitable arguments arise over which batsmen are the best in West Indies history, one must not just look at their raw stats but also the circumstances under which they achieved them.
Photo credit: Edwin Martin Brian Lara was often surly with the media but his genius with the bat cannot be denied.
I recently re-watched Lara’s 400 not out against England in 2004, which remains the highest score in Test cricket. His shots were not only awe-inspiring but
technical and precise. He hit several fours that barely cleared the
outstretched arms of the slip fieldsmen, a feat that has little margin for
error. Some batsmen pick their shots wisely and wait for bad deliveries. Lara
consistently put away good deliveries with a deft touch, bisecting fielders
with purpose rather than hitting the ball as hard as he could and hoping for
good results. If Viv Richards was Mike Tyson, Lara was Sugar Ray Leonard,
killing you softly.
I not only got to see Lara play in person, I interviewed him a few times. Off the field, he could be very mercurial and even callous. On Monday, March 12, 2007, I covered the West Indies team’s practice at Kensington Park in Kingston, Jamaica. The Windies were preparing for their opening match in that year’s Cricket World Cup. Kensington Park, home of the Kensington Cricket Club, is located in a poor neighborhood near downtown Kingston. As the team practiced, many young boys from the neighborhood gathered outside the gates, elated that the West Indies team, led by the legendary Lara, was in their area. Most of them wore ragged clothes, and some were shirtless. When the practice finished, Lara and the other players began walking toward the team bus that was parked just outside the gate. “Lara!” “Lara!” “Lara!” the boys began shouting, hoping to get the star’s attention, whether for an autograph or a simple chat. Lara walked past the dozens of kids, looking straight ahead, and stepped onto the bus as if the children were invisible. I looked on in disbelief. The disappointment on the faces of the kids was heartbreaking. Even if he was not in the mood to mingle with the children a bit, he could have said, “Kids, sorry, I have to leave. Maybe another time.” But to not acknowledge them at all was quite jarring. It was a stark reminder that even our stars are flawed.
If Viv Richards was Mike Tyson, BRIAN Lara was Sugar Ray Leonard, killing you softly.
A couple days before the unfortunate snub of the kids, I interviewed Lara at Jarrett Park in Montego Bay. I asked him about his feud with Australia fast bowler Glenn McGrath. Lara enjoyed some classic innings against Australia but always seemed to have trouble against McGrath, who got him out for duck or low scores several times. Lara’s career Test batting average was 52.88. But his personal average against McGrath was about 28. Lara and McGrath also exchanged words on the field and almost came to blows. “We had our battles on the field,” Lara said, suggesting the animosity never seeped off the field. The following evening I met McGrath during a World Cup welcome party. I asked him if his battles with Lara ever got personal. “I don’t know about him,” he said, “but not for me.” After my interaction with both men, I found McGrath much more gracious and friendly. Two men. Both legends. But distinctly different demeanors.
Photo credit: Edwin Martin Brian Lara, right, stops to take photos with fans during Cricket Legends Weekend at Central Broward Regional Park in Fort Lauderdale in 2015.
The West Indies team reached the Super 8 round of that year’s World Cup, but it would turn out to be the last time Lara wore a West Indies uniform. He retired from Test cricket with 34 Test centuries and 11,953 Test runs, both West Indies team records. His Test record 400 not out has lasted 15 years and counting. He was often compared to Sachin Tendulkar, the other great batsman during Lara’s era. Tendulkar’s statistics are in the stratosphere and he will go down in cricket lore as possibly the best ever. But Lara’s legacy is secure as well.
The last time I saw Lara in person was on January 25, 2015 at Central Broward Regional Park in Fort Lauderdale. He was in town for West Indies Legends Weekend. He looked fit, happy and rested. He competed in a Legends game. At 45 years old, he still looked like the Lara of old at times, unleashing classic drives through the covers. After the match, he made his way through the crowd as a throng of fans requested autographs and selfies. He was patient and much more amenable than I remembered. He autographed a bat for me that also has the signatures of fellow West Indies icons Garry Sobers, Lance Gibbs and Wes Hall. I will always treasure that bat, just as I treasure getting the opportunity to watch one of the best in my favorite sport.
Happy birthday, Brian Lara. Now it’s on toward a century.
Steve "Iceman" Weekes underwent six surgical procedures on his left eye in Canada. He returned to Montserrat on March 13.
Steve “Iceman” Weekes celebrated his 45th birthday on March 28. There was no party, no fanfare, no elaborate presents. There was no need. He had already received the ultimate gift three weeks earlier: His eyesight.
Weekes, a father, former soldier, musician and erstwhile calypso monarch of Montserrat, returned to his homeland from Canada on March 13. Already blind in his right eye, he spent almost two months up north undergoing six procedures on his left eye – five laser surgeries to fix bleeding veins and, finally, an operation March 4 to remove a cataract and insert an artificial lens. His vision in the left eye is about 75 percent and he’s optimistic it can fully heal, but a lot of that depends on him.
“As a diabetic I have to adopt some lifestyle changes,” he says. “I also have to avoid lifting anything heavy, I have to avoid bending down because it might put strain on the eye.”
Weekes wears prescription sunglasses and must avoid dust and other similar hazards. Even rubbing the eyes can hinder the healing process. He admits the precautionary directives from his doctors were overwhelming at first.
“When I came home I was really mentally down,” he says. “I was even wondering how long I’m going to live. The journey has taken me through some mixed emotions. But the strength within me has multiplied.”
Weekes has the utmost gratitude for his countrymen at home and in the diaspora who raised more than E.C. $9,000 toward his surgeries. The funds also helped defray costs for his air fare and other items such as the protective sunglasses, which cost more than $300 (CAD).
Weekes has been on an emotional and physical roller-coaster with eye problems since 2013. That year he was struck in the right eye while driving a roller for Montserrat Public Works. He subsequently underwent surgery, but over time the sutures came loose. Montserrat does not have a permanent eye specialist, so he often had to wait for one to visit, or travel to Antigua himself. Even when he visited specialists, he would get conflicting diagnoses.
Last September, Weekes began having trouble seeing out of the left eye due to damage from diabetes. He kept his struggles hidden for a while. But after enduring legal setbacks, government bureaucracy and financial hardships, he went public. His emotional phone call to Radio Montserrat on the morning of January 7, 2019, led to an E.C. $15,000 grant from the government. But when exchanged to Canadian funds it was not enough to cover the surgeries. As a non-Canadian citizen, his health costs must be pre-paid. So Weekes pleaded for help again through social media and Radio Montserrat, leading to the $9,000-plus fund-raising drive.
“Everything I’ve done so far, including the lens, has been
paid in full,” he says. “I still have some funds available that will help in case
I need to go back to Canada for post-op checks.”
Although he has gotten a reprieve with his vision in the left eye, Weekes continues to face challenges. First, he prefers to communicate through voice notes these days because reading texts on the small screen of his phone is difficult. The artificial lens is extremely sensitive, and even the slightest ray of light can create a powerful glare. He returned to his job at Montserrat Public Works earlier this month but his duties are quite limited. Working out in the field is not an option and would surely endanger his delicate eye situation.
“The Human Resources department is currently in dialogue
with my ministry [Public Works] as to whether I can be functional,” he says. “I
have a diploma in social work. I can be a social worker. But getting
transferred from one government department to another takes forever. I really need
to move on to a job that is more conducive to my current situation.”
“What I’ve been through, somebody else might have taken a rope and gone to the hills and hang themselves. But as long as I have life, I give thanks and I press on.”
Another area that Weekes has been concerned about is his ability to perform one of his great loves: singing calypso. Weekes, who won the calypso monarch title in 2015 with his popular song Nar Sell Out, reached the calypso finals last December. But along the way he struggled to learn his own lyrics and missed valuable rehearsal time as a result. He still finished fifth out of the 10 finalists.
“Music is my life,” he says. “I would like to find an easier
way of writing songs, even if I have to record the lyrics on my cellphone. I
must adapt to a new way. Writing songs and performing is something I still want
to do because this is one of my strengths.”
Weekes says he has been boosted by his local support system, which includes his brother, his 6-year-old son Ky-Ron and his good friend, former classmate and legal adviser Marcelle Watts.
“What I’ve been through, somebody else might have taken a rope and gone to the hills and hang themselves,” he says. “But as long as I have life, I give thanks and I press on. I feel like I’m now an advocate for people with impaired vision.
“I have one eye, but I cherish the one eye. Because I can’t
cherish zero.”
Photo credit: Montserrat Reporter
Margaret "Annie Dyer" Howe was the second female government minister in Montserrat, following Mary Tuitt.
Less than
two months after the death of Dr. George Irish, the Montserrat community is
mourning the passing of another stalwart who was the virtual female equivalent
of Irish in community activism, social engineering and historical impact.
Hon. Margaret “Annie Dyer” Howe, the second female government minister in Montserrat history, passed away Saturday following a long illness. She was 77 years old.
Mrs. Howe,
who hails from St. Patrick’s in the south of Montserrat, delved in just about
every sector in Montserrat, including politics, education, culture, business
and religion. She advocated for children and the elderly alike and ascended during
an era in which women were still expected to know their place in society. In
the process, she paved the way for other women to infiltrate theretofore male-dominated
fields.
“Anything I put my mind to, I can do,” she once said during an interview with Under The Tamarind Tree, a program on Radio Montserrat. “I don’t have any difficulty to survive.”
Staunchly Roman Catholic, Mrs. Howe embraced a principled approach and used her government platform to enact social change, such as revamping the education paradigm to ensure students lower on the socio-economic ladder had a fair shot at qualifying for the Montserrat Secondary School.
Mrs. Howe, who was profiled in the book Gallery Montserrat by Sir Howard Fergus, was born Margaret Corbett on November 18, 1941. She was heavily influenced by her grandmother, who was a district midwife. She attended the St. Augustine School, which was then on George Street in Plymouth, and later taught at the school before migrating to the United States for secretarial training.
“The nuns had a great hand in inspiring me,” she told Under The Tamarind Tree. “They not only taught you educationally, they taught you self-sufficiency.”
In 1962, she was a contestant in the first Montserrat Festival queen show. She did not place, as Edna Tuitt (Baptiste) won the title.
In 1964, she married Michael Dyer, a prominent businessman and politician. That union was the impetus for her foray into politics. Michael Dyer represented the Southern district in the late 1950s and 1960s before, ironically, losing to Mary Tuitt, who became the first female government minister in Montserrat.
Michael Dyer
passed away in 1974 but his political influence remained with his widow. And
even though Annie would marry Robert Howe in 1984, the name “Annie Dyer” had
already been stamped in the local lexicon.
Mrs. Howe was first elected in 1979 via by-election to replace the late Joe Taylor, in essence reclaiming the seat lost by her husband years earlier. In 1983, she was part of the victorious PLM delegation led by John Osborne. She was assigned the Ministry of Education, Health, Community Services, Women’s Affairs, Culture and Sports. The parallels between Annie and Dr. George Irish were again notable because Irish was soundly defeated in that year’s election, ending his brief political career.
Mrs. Howe is also remembered for her time at the Montserrat Water Authority, where she served as executive secretary, administrative officer, and later manager.
In 2018 she was presented with the Order of Excellence during the Montserrat National Awards for her exemplary contributions to the country.
Mrs. Howe, who didn’t have any children, is survived by her husband Robert, brother Dick Martin and step-daughter Joycelyn Howe, among others.
Photo courtesy Nerissa Golden
Nerissa Golden has assumed the position of acting director of the Montserrat Arts Council.
Montserrat-born
entrepreneur, author and business coach Nerissa Golden on Tuesday was appointed
acting director of the Montserrat Arts Council, with her immediate goal to
bring stability to an organization that has been plagued recently by
resignations and defections.
MAC, the vital statutory outfit that organizes and supervises the annual Christmas Festival along with ancillary cultural events, has been searching for a new director following the departure of Chadd Cumberbatch, whose tenure concluded at the end of March. Golden, who was a member of the MAC Board of Directors, resigned that position in order to assume the acting director role.
“My main
goal is to reassure the staff, for one, that the board is committed to supporting them to do their jobs,” she said. “We are also looking at the budget and how we manage and support not just festivals but the growth of cultural programming on the island.”
Another immediate objective for Golden
is to prepare a delegation for the 14th CARIFESTA (Caribbean
Festival of Arts), which is set for August 16-25 in Trinidad & Tobago.
Golden, who attended a Regional Cultural Committee meeting last week in
Trinidad, explained why this summer’s CARIFESTA will be a crucial barometer for Montserrat’s future cultural plans.
“We want to use it as a practice run for showing up bigger in 2021 when CARIFESTA comes to Antigua,” said Golden, who served as Director of Information & Communications for the Government of Montserrat from 2009 to 2013.
“My main goal is to reassure the staff, for one, that the board is committed to supporting them to do their jobs.”
Golden, author of eight books and purveyor
of the Discover Montserrat website, said there is no strict timetable for how
long she plans to be in the acting role. “I plan to be here until they select a
new director,” she said.
Other than the search for a permanent
director, MAC also has an opening for Head of Planning and Production.
Jerry Jarvis has taken his ministry to places such as Boston, London, Birmingham and around the Caribbean.
“Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.” — Oscar Wilde
In the autumn of 1987, Jerry Jarvis was in the midst of a spiritual awakening. His best friend had recently given his life to Christ and begged Jerry to follow the same path. He convinced Jerry to pay a visit to his church. Jerry went reluctantly. For much of his adult life he had disdained Christianity and was even a Rastafarian for a while. He was radically pro-black and proud of it. But when he visited the church he was pleasantly surprised. The sermons were unlike any he had heard. They made sense to him. His perspective was starting to evolve.
A few months later, on a balmy January evening in 1988 in South Miami, Jerry was in the middle of his daily jog. As he ran, he began to pray. “I said, ‘Lord, if I am living wrong, please show me the way.’ ” Before he could finish the word “way” Jerry looked down and couldn’t believe what he saw. It was so stunning that he stopped running. It was a Bible. Not just any Bible. It was printed in English and Spanish, and it was open to the New Testament, the Gospel According to John. Jerry picked up the book. He didn’t give consideration to whether it was left behind by someone. To Jerry, it was his divine calling.
He took the Bible home and began showing it to friends and even some spiritual leaders. “Every one of them said they had never seen a Bible like that before,” Jerry says. “No one knows where it came from. No one has seen a Bible like that since.”
In the preceding years, Jerry had been living a life of excess. He was a mega-figure in the South Florida music scene, as a club disc jockey, music distributor and publisher. He indulged in the trappings of fame. He once had 19 girlfriends at the same time. He contracted venereal disease 13 times. He smoked marijuana. But seeing that unique Bible convinced Jerry that he had to take a different path.
THE BOY FROM PUMP GHAUT
Before he became a club impresario, DJ extraordinaire and music pioneer who hung out with Bob Marley and James Brown, Jerry Jarvis was “Jerry for Miss Alice” living in the Pump Ghaut section of St. John’s Village in Montserrat. Jerry was born in Antigua, but at 7 months old his father Tom took him to Montserrat to live with Tom’s sister, Alice Allen. Jerry was an intrepid child. He attended St. John’s School, which years later was transformed into the relocated Glendon Hospital after the volcanic eruption in 1995 destroyed the hospital in the capital of Plymouth. Jerry wasn’t an academic scholar but he was no dunce either. He participated in every school play, often in the lead role. He was not shy. He loved attention. He loved the limelight.
Jerry Jarvis is shown during a Boy Scouts camp at Nelson’s Dockyard in Antigua in 1967.
In August of 1970, Jerry was a month shy of his 15th birthday. He had just completed Senior Seventh Standard at St. John’s School. He planned to take the Seventh Standard Certificate Test and pursue a teaching job. Before he had a chance to take the test, a friend told him there was a job opening at the Vue Pointe Hotel. At that time, it was prestigious to work at the ritzy Vue Pointe. Many employees lived at the hotel, and they all had (free) access to the delicious cuisine. During his job interview, Jerry was asked if he had a Seventh Standard Certificate. He did not. So he lied. “I told them I took the test but I’m still waiting for the results.”
Jerry was hired as a bartender. He would also work as a waiter, bell-hop, cashier and wine steward. Vue Pointe was the top hotel in Montserrat. The tourist business was booming and Vue Pointe was always at capacity. Jerry’s co-workers included calypso monarch Winston “Young Warrior” Christopher, future Montserrat Premier Reuben Meade, cricketer and future first-class umpire Basil Morgan and famous chef Tappy Morgan. Jerry became a popular worker and resident character. He knew how to butter up the tourists, crack jokes and make them feel welcome. His salary was $12 a week, but his tips sometimes took him past $100 a week – very good money at the time, especially for a teenager. “I always had the gift for gab,” Jerry says. “I think I was born talking.”
After about a year and a half, Jerry lost his job following an accumulation of minor incidents. He couldn’t return to St. John’s. “It was an embarrassment to the village to lose your job at Vue Pointe,” he explains. So he went to Plymouth to live with a family friend.
Then came a suggestion from his “brother” Kenneth Allen, Miss Alice’s son who lived in St. Thomas. Why not start your own business? Allen took out a loan, bought some trendy clothes and other items and took them with him to Montserrat. Jerry rented a second-floor space in a building on George Street and opened J.J.’s Hip Store. It was 1972, the era of Black Power, Soul Train and the peace and psychedelic movements. Jerry sold bell-bottom jeans, patches, bumper stickers and other sundries. “I was the youngest entrepreneur in Montserrat,” Jerry says. “Before Arrow, before Johnny Mecca, there was J.J.”
“I would make over a thousand dollars on a Saturday, and that night I would go to Errol Eid’s Disco. By the time I left I wouldn’t have a dime in my pocket.”
His business took off. When his stock ran low, Jerry would fly to Puerto Rico, shop for clothing and other items, and return to Montserrat – something that would seem unfathomable today for a 16-year-old. “I would get back from Puerto Rico on a Thursday, go on Radio Montserrat on Friday and announce a sale, and on Saturday I would sell off every item I brought back from Puerto Rico.”
But as soon as the money would come in, it would disappear. “I had no money management skills,” he says. “I would make over a thousand dollars on a Saturday, and that night I would go to Errol Eid’s Disco. I would walk in and say, ‘Give everybody over there a drink!’ By the time I left I wouldn’t have a dime in my pocket. It’s a shame when I think about it now.”
THE PUERTO RICO YEARS
By 1973, Jerry was still enjoying retail success. But he was itching for another challenge. Fate intervened in a cruel way. A water overflow caused damage to the store directly below Jerry’s shop, and he was blamed. The proprietor asked him to pay $700. “Back then $700 was like $7,000,” Jerry says. He made a partial payment, but the trouble hastened his decision to leave Montserrat. He went to St. Kitts for a few weeks, then St. Thomas. Immigration officers in the U.S. Virgin Islands would seek out visitors who overstayed their allotted time, so when Jerry felt like they were closing in, he moved on to Puerto Rico. When he arrived in San Juan he had $10 to his name. He immediately started looking for work. He shacked up with a family friend for a while but was eventually kicked out after he was accused of being untidy. For three months, Jerry was homeless. He slept on top of cars. He even slept in a tree. But he was a survivor. He noticed that sailors would bathe at showers that were set up near the docks when they came in from sea. So he pretended to be a sailor and starting bathing there as well.
Jerry Jarvis is pictured during his time living in Puerto Rico from 1973 to ’76, when he became the most popular club disc jockey on the island.
Jerry eventually got a job doing maintenance work at a nightclub called Sonny Goodstreet. The manager allowed him to stay in a storage room on the second floor and provided him with two meals a day. No rent, but no salary either. He earned his keep by cleaning the club. One day a huge opportunity surfaced. “The boss came to me and said, ‘Listen, the club is doing bad. I’m gonna fire everybody — the doorman, the bartender, the DJ. Do you think you can be a DJ?’ ”
Jerry didn’t hesitate. He ran to the DJ booth and familiarized himself with the turntables, amplifier and mixer. “Nobody had to teach me anything. I learned on my own. I started practicing all day long.”
Jerry asked the boss for money to buy new records. He purchased music by the hottest artists at the time: James Brown, The O’Jays, Barry White, Kool & The Gang. Disco, Soul, R&B and Funk ruled the day, and Jerry was spinning some serious vinyl. He also educated himself in merengue and salsa music in order to further appeal to the locals. In little time Jerry transformed the moribund club into a top hangout. He had a knack for keeping a crowd on the dance floor with his musical selections and deft mixing. He eventually lost that job, then went to work for a rival club, Rasheed’s, after beating several others in a DJ contest to win the job. He soon turned that club into a hot spot as well. But the clientele began to get sordid. Pimps and prostitutes were prevalent. Ironically, though, it was one of those pimps who gave Jerry some sage advice. “He said to me, ‘You’re too talented to be in such a small place. Why don’t you go to Miami and look up Big Daddy’s?’ “
Big Daddy’s was a popular chain in the 1970s that featured a liquor store on one side and a lounge/nightclub on the other. At its peak, Big Daddy’s had more than 100 locations around the United States. Later on, the franchise changed its format, dropped the lounge and liquor stores, and today is known as Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill.
NEXT STOP: MIAMI
Jerry worked at Rasheed’s for more than two years. He had become the most popular club DJ in Puerto Rico. But in 1976, he decided to make a move. Most of his friends told him to head to New York. Jerry had a sister who lived in Miami, so he relocated there.
“I got off the plane in Miami at 1:30 p.m.,” Jerry says. “By 2 p.m. I was looking for work. I didn’t get a job for three months. I went to Big Daddy’s and they said they had no openings right now.” However, Big Daddy’s later contacted him with some good news: They had an opening for a DJ, but there was a catch. They had three candidates. They wanted to audition each one to determine the winner.
Jerry won
easily.
“Big Daddy’s was where I blossomed,” Jerry says. “The people and the atmosphere brought me alive. I had dance contests, a Gong Show, a Brick House contest [named for the popular Commodores song]. I became such a force that I was known all over Miami.”
By this time Jerry had shed his Montserrat dialect and adopted a Yankee twang. He was knee-deep into his DJ persona and needed to stay in character. “I was into the Yankee talk so much that when I went back to Montserrat in 1982, I had to teach myself how to talk like a Montserratian again. I had to learn to say ‘Tek um up’ and ‘Put um dung’ because I knew if I went back there with the Yankee talk they would get upset at me.”
Jerry Jarvis is shown with the Godfather of Soul James Brown.
A MUSICAL JUGGERNAUT
Jerry was having tremendous success as a club DJ. He turned Big Daddy’s into one of Miami’s top party spots. He was sought after for weddings and parties. But he was not content. He and the other black DJs in town had to purchase their records by the same method as the general public: in a record store. Jerry found out that there was a local record distributor who worked as a liaison for the top music labels in the country. His name was Bo Crane. The big record companies such as CBS, Atlantic, Arista and RCA would send promotional copies to Crane. But Crane, who was white, would cater mostly to the white DJs. Jerry initially struck a deal with Crane. For a fee of $40 a month, Jerry got promotional records each week from Crane.
However, Jerry saw an opportunity to cut out the middle man and carve his own niche. He decided to start his own “record pool” that would cater to the black DJs. He called it the “Florida Black Record Pool” and rented an office in the back of a record store in North Miami. He wrote to all the top record companies and made his pitch. The companies began sending him albums by the hundreds. Jerry had an entire room in his home with records, thousands of them. He had so many that he gave away many to friends. Each record had a stamp: “Promotional Copy – Not For Sale.” He also began publishing a newsletter: The Jerry Jarvis Powerhouse Report. It contained interviews with top music artists, album reviews, a countdown chart and more. The record companies would purchase ads in the newsletter. The revenue from those ads became a lucrative source of income for Jerry.
Jerry was riding high. When top artists such as James Brown, Rick James, Barry White and others came to South Florida for a concert, Jerry always had a backstage pass. He would get a heads-up from the record companies informing him that a particular artist was coming to town and that he should interview them for his publication. The record companies jumped at any chance to promote their artists, and Jerry’s Powerhouse Report was a vital vehicle.
Jerry Jarvis meets reggae legend Bob Marley during a music convention in Atlanta in 1979.
Jerry was also invited to attend music conventions – in New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles. It was at these conventions that he rubbed elbows with music legends. “Barry White, Stevie Wonder and Rick James were cool,” he says. “James Brown was cool but very boasting. The one who had the biggest impact on me was Bob Marley. He was very low-key. You couldn’t spot an ego bone in him.”
Jerry met Marley during a convention at the Peachtree Hotel in Atlanta in 1979. He asked to take a photo with the reggae icon and Marley complied. He then asked Marley for an interview. Marley told Jerry he has a home in Miami and that he could set up an appointment. Jerry visited Marley’s home. “We had a good interview but Marley got upset with me because I kept pressing him about whether it’s OK for a man to have more than one wife, in accordance with the Rastafarian religion. I knew he had a lot of women. He got aggravated with me.”
Jerry with Stevie Wonder.
Despite the uncomfortable exchange, Jerry says Marley had a profound impact on his life. As a matter of fact, Jerry didn’t comb his hair for three years and eventually became a Rasta.
Jerry had grown up in the Methodist church in Montserrat, and throughout his adult life he had been staunchly black-conscious. “I was always searching for truth,” he says. A friend from St. Lucia introduced him to a book called Truth Hiding in the Wilderness. Jerry read it and was blown away. He began reading more and more books. He would spend all his free time at the library. In his quest for edification, Jerry evolved spiritually. Then his best friend, fellow DJ Abraham “Tiny Head” Dupree, got saved and told Jerry to do the same. That was followed by the life-changing evening when Jerry saw the Bible while jogging.
But another divine calling would follow.
A CHANCE MEETING
Jerry was playing a guitar one day while sitting in the back room of his apartment. He often kept his back door open, a practice that reminded him of life in Montserrat. As he strummed, he sang his favorite hymn, How Great Thou Art. Suddenly, a man showed up at Jerry’s door and told him he enjoyed the music. “Come on in,” Jerry told the stranger. “I’m praising the Lord.” The man entered. He explained that he was a Christian and that he was visiting from Jamaica and staying in the apartment upstairs. “After he left, I started speaking in a language I couldn’t understand,” Jerry says. Stunned, Jerry ran upstairs to share the news with the man. “He said to me, ‘Brother, you were speaking in tongues. That’s the Holy Ghost. You need to get to a church.’ “
Jerry Jarvis has had a show on Radio Montserrat for the past 30 years. It currently airs on Sunday afternoons.
At the man’s behest, Jerry visited a local Apostolic Pentecostal Church. “The first time I went to the church I spoke in tongues for more than an hour,” Jerry says. “The preacher told me I need to get baptized.”
Jerry followed through and got saved. It was early 1988. Jerry was still running his “Florida Black Record Pool” and still heavily involved in the music scene. But he had found a more important calling. He abruptly quit the business even though it was his main source of income. He decided that he could no longer promote secular music – much of which had suggestive lyrics. Between 1988 and 1991, Jerry was virtually destitute and often hungry. But he had found a spiritual fulfillment. “I struggled [financially], and at times I wondered if I made a mistake giving up my business,” Jerry says. “I lost my car, I lost my home.”
But in 1992, Jerry says the Lord spoke to him and told him to start a landscaping business. It has been his livelihood ever since.
TRUE REDEMPTION
Since his conversion, Jerry has become an ordained evangelist with his own ministry. He travels around the world spreading the gospel and organizing concerts. He has preached across Florida, in Boston, New York, London, Birmingham, Antigua and, of course, Montserrat. He has preached at jails, hospitals and on the streets. He has a show on Radio Montserrat that is aired on Sunday afternoons. Over the years he has even mended some old fences, such as finally fully repaying the proprietor in Montserrat whose business was damaged by water.
One of his proudest achievements is his work to help seniors in Montserrat. For 16 years he has shipped wheelchairs, walkers, beds and other items to assist the elderly. Not just the ones in old-age homes. But anyone in need. “God told me to take care of Montserrat’s seniors,” he says. He also has an awards show every two years to honor those who help the old people.
Through his ups and downs, he didn’t forsake Miss Alice, the lady he grew up calling Mom. He supported her until she passed away in 1997 at age 72. Although he was raised by Miss Alice, he always maintained a relationship with his biological mother, Abigale Jarvis-Silcott, who is currently 96 years old and lives in Connecticut.
On a personal level, the man who once juggled 19 girlfriends says he has been celibate since 1985. He was briefly married while in Puerto Rico. Jerry says that according to his understanding of the scriptures, a person can marry only once. When someone takes an oath of “Til death do us part,” they should stick to that promise, he says. Jerry says the only woman he can ever be with again is the one he married – and later divorced. But it’s not clear if the feeling is mutual.
Jerry Jarvis has lived in the valley … and on the mountaintop. He has shared his story of redemption multiple times. He talks openly about his mistakes and regrets. Today, his main objective is to help as many people as he can find salvation. Although he is close to retirement age, he’s not slowing down. There’s too much work left to do.
The man who specializes in landscaping is out of the Wilderness.
If you wish to contribute to Jerry Jarvis’ ministry, he can be reached by mail at Prayer Life Ministries, P.O. Box 541181, Opa-locka, Florida, 33054, or at jerryjarvis98@gmail.com.
"I love when an idea pops into my head and then I turn that idea into something tangible
and spectacular," says Jeweline Roberts-Riley, shown circa 1980s.
From an early age, it was apparent that Jeweline Roberts-Riley was destined for a career in design. At 8, she was already sketching ideas for outfits. Her mom was a seamstress. While Mae Belle Roberts stitched dresses and other garments on her sewing machine, little Jeweline watched closely. She would also secure the scraps of fabric that fell to the floor and use them to design dresses for her doll.
One day while her mom was sewing a dress, a piece of fabric fell. Jeweline assumed it was another unwanted swath of cloth that was probably headed for the rubbish bin. So she grabbed a pair of scissors, sliced the fabric, and created another outfit for her doll. It turns out that the cloth she cut was actually a sleeve and a collar for a dress her mom was making for a customer.
“My mom was very upset. She said to me, ‘What am I going to do now? Don’t do that again. From now on ask me first before you cut anything.’ ”
Despite the mild scolding, her mother encouraged Jeweline’s love of design, fashion and creativity. It was the catalyst for a sterling career of creation that has been a labor of love.
Montserrat Festival has been an official event since 1962. It has produced award-winning calypsonians, a soca legend, regional queens and memorable masqueraders and revelers. Jeweline Roberts-Riley, working mostly behind the scenes and without much fanfare, has arguably had the biggest influence in the history of Montserrat’s Festival. Her roles have included pageant promoter, chaperone, costume designer, dance-group coordinator, dancer, dressmaker, troupe leader, fundraiser and consultant.
Jeweline Roberts-Riley plays mas with her troupe in the Montserrat Festival parade Jan. 1, 2019.
In the 1960s while at the Montserrat Secondary School, Jeweline, who hails from Kinsale Village, was a member of the Carnival Joy Promoters. Her early colleagues included Rose Willock, Joyce Gomez, Marjorie Riley, Jim Taylor, Norma Dyer and Vercil Edwards. On Boxing Day in 1963, the Joy Promoters unveiled a Hawaiian theme for Festival Day. They sported Hula-inspired skirts, Aloha tops, Hawaiian leis and ukuleles. They procured pieces of rope, loosened them, dyed them black and created wigs.
Half a century later, Jeweline says that presentation remains vivid because of its creativity and effect. A few years later, while still a teen herself, Jeweline organized the first teen pageant in Montserrat. She recruited fellow students to participate, including Sonia Meade and Carolie Perkins, who would go on to win Miss Montserrat in 1972. The teen pageant became a vital platform that groomed contestants for the main Festival queen show.
In 1976, Jeweline chaperoned a Festival Queen contestant for the first time and designed her evening gown. Her client was fellow Kinsale native Catherine Ryan, who went on to win the crown. The following year, Jeweline co-chaperoned Patricia “Baby Sister” Bryan of George Street and designed her dress. Bryan also captured the Miss Montserrat title. Although she had not had any formal training in dressmaking at that time, Jeweline was now on a roll. Three more victories quickly followed: Rose Silcott (1978), Glendena Taylor (1979) and Diane Daniels (1980). Jeweline was in high demand. So she had to adopt a system of fairness.
“I always did it on a first-come, first-serve basis,” she says. “I didn’t play favorites. If a second girl came to me and wanted me to make a dress, I would always ask the first girl if she’s OK with it.” Asked her secret to success in dressmaking, Jeweline said: “I try to give the girls something that enhances their attributes. I always tell people that the dress doesn’t make you win. It’s you. Someone could go on stage with a bag on and still win.”
Jeweline Roberts-Riley is interviewed by Radio Montserrat in 2016 about her Order of Distinction award.
Despite her heavy involvement in Festival and other activities, Jeweline still had a regular job. After leaving school, she worked at the post office in Plymouth, and later at the Philatelic Bureau.
In 1985 she moved to New York and attended the Fashion Institute of Technology of the State University of New York, graduating with honors in 1991. She has come a long way from the days when she cobbled scraps of fabric to make dresses for her doll, but her love of design remains strong. She continues to return to Montserrat and promote her festival troupe. Over the years, the original Carnival Joy Promoters evolved to become the Titans Mas Movement, then Bijou Productions.
“I used to dream about [an idea] for a troupe,” she says. “Then I would wake up and start to sketch. I love when an idea pops into my head and then I turn that idea into something tangible and spectacular. I love the whole process.”
Though she has never been motivated by accolades, Jeweline was humbled when she was awarded an Order of Distinction medal at the 2016 Montserrat National Awards for her contribution to Festival. She was honored alongside other luminaries such as D.R.V. Frank Edwards, Austin Bramble and Cedric Osborne. It was an honor to be recognized by her country. And needless to say, she wears the title very well, thank you.
“I feel very lucky,” Jeweline says. “Because I was given an award for something I really love doing.”
Somewhere, her mom is smiling.
Jeweline Roberts-Riley designed evening gowns for 15 queen show winners in Montserrat:
