published: Tuesday | September 2, 2008
Usain Bolt .. will run 200m. - File
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (CMC):
New world track and field sensation, Usain Bolt, is poised to light up the Athletissima Super Grand Prix track and field meeting today.
The 22-year-old Jamaican, who majestically smashed both the 100 and 200-metre world records to emerge the star of the Beijing Olympics, is one of 12 individual Olympic gold medallists last month appearing at the Swiss meet.
Organisers are anticipating a possible threat to the 200-metre record on what has been described as the "super-fast" Pontaise track, which has produced big results in the last two Athletissima editions - Xavier Carter's 19.63 meeting record in 2006 and Tyson Gay's 19.78 in 2007.
Bolt, the first man in history to win three Olympic sprint gold medals (100, 200 metres and 4x100 relay) with world record times, will tackle American Olympic medallists Shawn Crawford and Walter Dix in the half-lap sprint.
The field also includes American Wallace Spearmon, originally third in Beijing before being disqualified for a lane violation.
Intriguing sprints
The 100-metre sprints are also intriguing with Bolt's Jamaica teammates, Asafa Powell and Olympic women's champion Shelly-Ann Fraser, booked to appear.
Asafa Powell from Jamaica in a pensive mood during a press conference, one day before the Athletissima meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, yesterday. Powell will run in the men's 100-metre race at the meet. - AP
Former world record holder Powell, who rebounded from his Beijing disappointment with a fluent 9.87 win at the British Grand Prix on Sunday, will meet a bunch of Beijing finalists - silver medallist Richard Thompson from Trinidad and Tobago, bronze medallist Walter Dix of the USA, fourth place finisher Churandy Martina from the Netherlands Antilles, Jamaican counterpart Michael Frater (6th) and Trinidad and Tobago's Marc Burns (7th).
The women's 100-metre field has Fraser, Kerron Stewart and Sherone Simpson, who swept the medals in Beijing.
They will face US sprinters Muna Lee, Torri Edwards and Lauryn Williams, who won at the British Grand Prix on Sunday ahead of Fraser.
In the women's 400 metres, surprise Jamaican Beijing silver medallist, Shericka Williams, will face American Sanya Richards, who finished behind her at the Olympics, while the sprint hurdles are among the key events at the meet.
Upset winner
Dawn Harper, an upset winner in Beijing, will tackle fellow American Lolo Jones, who crashed into a hurdle while in the lead in Beijing to place seventh in the Olympic final.
Jamaicans Brigitte Foster-Hylton and Delloreen Ennis-London, both finalists in Beijing, are also entered for the 100-metre hurdles, along with Canadian Olympic bronze medallist Priscilla Lopez Schliep, World indoor 60-metre hurdles record holder Susanna Kallur, from Sweden and the 2004 Olympic champion Johanna Hayes from the USA.
In the men's 110-metre hurdles, Cuban Olympic champion Dayron Robles could be pushed by Amerian Olympic bronze medallist David Oliver, who ran him close in Zurich last Friday.
After her emphatic women's 400-metre hurdles triumph in Beijing, followed by an easy win at the British Grand Prix on Sunday, Jamaican Melaine Walker is favoured to continue her winning form.
She has already won in Ostrava, Rome, London and Monaco on the IAAF World Athletics Tour.
Bahamian Beijing bronze medal winner Leevan Sands goes in the men's triple jump against Olympic champion Nelson Evora, of Portugal.
| Ross Sheil, Online Co-ordinator rsheil@jamaicaobserver.com Wednesday, August 27, 2008 |
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Island Grill is branching out into St Lucia where it will open a new outlet located in the town of Rodney Bay next year, part of the Jamaican fast-food chain's plans to open in a total of 12 countries over the next 10 years.
The Lyn family Michael McRae-owned Chicken Mistress Limited now has 15 Island Grill outlets in Jamaica and one at Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados, opened last December, with another location being considered in that country, said chief executive officer Thalia Lyn. They started in 1991 with the trading name 'Chicken Supreme' before the rebranding exercise in 1998 which introduced a more recognisably Jamaican menu.
The expansion is being carried out in partnership with Goddard Catering which owns a majority stake in the Caribbean outlets. Goddard and GraceKennedy, trading together as Versair In-Flite Services Limited, own a 40 per cent stake in the two Island Grill outlets at the Sangster and Norman Manley International Airports.
"For Island Grill, it is an excellent opportunity to expand our brand into other Caribbean and Central/South American countries where Goddard already has a base. It has been a partnership based on integrity and candour, with each partner bringing different skill sets and we've had really happy results!" said Lyn.
Asked about sales at the Barbados Island Grill outlet, she said that figures were comparable to the Manor Park, St Andrew outlet.
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Meanwhile, Goddard is a subsidiary of Bajan company Goddard Enterprises Limited (GEL) which has a wide portfolio of business interests including 23 flight kitchens in the Caribbean, Central and South America, the West Indies Rum Distillery, Goddard's Shipping and Tours, Purity Bakeries, Fidelity Motors and Sagicor.
She believes that Goddard can help Island Grill meet a Caribbean-wide demand for Jamaican food, arguably the region's dominant cuisine.
"Jamaican food has a unique market position in that of all the Caribbean foods, it has differentiated itself the best. So much so that jerk and patties could almost be classified as mainstream. A restaurant concept or chain based on the tastes, flavours and traditions of Jamaican and Caribbean cooking does not exist and Island Grill plans to fill that need in the market."
Once in those countries Island Grill will again compete with the American franchises that dominate the Caribbean fast-food landscape, including Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Subway, Dominos and Wendy's - all familiar to consumers here in Jamaica. However, she is optimistic of remaining competitive with the assistance of Goddard.
"Costs are always a concern. But price is not the primary reason people choose Island Grill, it's the uniqueness of our offering and the quality of the experience. However, our prices are always competitive, and there again, having Goddard as a partner will help us with economies of scale that would not accrue to operating a single unit."
Meanwhile, ingredients and packaging will continue to be supplied from Jamaica, in accordance with the Island Grill slogan 'Real Jamaican Jerk'.
"There's also intellectual transference - the Jamaican team trains and gives support and audits. The Island Grill quality, service, cleanliness (QSC) standards are audited every quarter and the Balanced Score Card is linked to ours in Jamaica."
Joking that it was a shame that new Jamaican Olympic 100 and 200 metres champion and world record holder Usain Bolt had been eating chicken nuggets in Beijing because there was no Island Grill available in China, she said that the company had already received inquiries about opening an outlet from that country, among others.
Having previously failed with the two Island Grill outlets in Florida, Lyn said that the priority remained the Caribbean itself. Island Grill previously pulled out of a partnership with Walkerswood in the Bamboula restaurant in London feeling that the project strategy was geared to promoting Walkerswood products rather than opening new outlets. Outside the Caribbean will be left to 'Stage Two', she explained.
"The initial plan is to concentrate on our local Caribbean market. Entry to other markets such as the US, Europe and Asia is not a priority at this time, although we get numerous franchise requests from all over the globe. We are focused on strengthening our Jamaican base - our surveys show that customers would frequent Island Grill more if we had a broader network - and expanding regionally."
The additional outlets will be smaller in scale to allow the chain to expand quicker and may have reduced menu items to increase speed of service, which is the most common customer complaint, she said.
"We get about 4,000 comments per month and the biggest complaint is speed. We have to cut down on the menu options and we're trying to do a lot more prep at the commissary and then send it out which will free up more people in the prep area to move them to the front and serve customers."
| Julian Richardson, Business Observer reporter richardsonj@jamaicaobserver.com Wednesday, August 27, 2008 |
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| Sponsor Puma displays the achievements of Jamaican athletes at the Olympics in Beijing. Puma, whose logo can be seen on the uniforms of every Jamaican athlete, was a huge beneficiary of the record-setting medal haul of the nation. |
After the success of Jamaican athletes at the Olympic Games in Beijing, Digicel, Puma and Brand Jamaica are emerging as the biggest beneficiaries, as marketers begin their post-mortem on what was the corporate 'game' outside the Games, where companies attempted to outwit each other in terms of brand awareness through savvy athlete endorsements and hard-hitting advertisement campaigns.
From a totally local standpoint, marketers interviewed by the Business Observer unanimously agreed that Digicel outmuscled all its rivals, not only in the telecoms industry, but throughout corporate Jamaica. As one of the official sponsors of the Jamaican Olympic team, the telecom giant inundated the airwaves with a series of electronic and print advertisements featuring triple world record holder Usain Bolt, whom the company also sponsors individually.
"In terms of local visibility, Digicel dominated," said Kesi Asher, marketing and promotions officer at KLAS Sports Radio. "They were in the papers, on the billboards, TV screens, etc. Their sponsorship of the athletes will be a huge benefit for the company because these athletes are now known worldwide."
But while volume was important, one of the most critical factors for companies heading into the Beijing Games was individual endorsements - selecting that one athlete whose association with a brand can propel it to 'priceless' goodwill.
According to the marketers, Digicel will reap its greatest benefit from its individual sponsorship of Bolt, who set world records on his way to gold medals in the 100 metres, 200 metres and as a part of the 400-metre relay team. Indeed, not only did the 100 metres final two weeks ago pit two pre-race favourites - Bolt and Asafa Powell - against each other on the track, but it also amounted to a head-to-head marketing battle between Bolt's Digicel, and another telecom provider, Cable and Wireless, who sponsors Powell. With Bolt's victory, it is the Irish-owned telecom that has enjoyed the limelight with its prized athlete.
Neville Wallace, Observer general manager of sales and marketing, said that because of Bolt's success, Digicel will be perceived as a 'winner' itself, giving it a significant advantage in a consumer market that is lured by image.
"It's all psychological at the end of the day; as humans, we like to be associated with winners," said Wallace. "Brand recall is re-enforced by association; everytime Bolt's name is brought up it will re-enforce the brand in people's mind as a winner."
Wallace, like the other marketers, said the fact that Digicel has had Bolt on board since 2004, when he was just a mere teenager with potential, is a bonus for the company, and consequently excuses the firm from accusations that it simply jumped on a winning bandwagon - another credit for the visionary telecom service provider.
"Before Bolt became a winner, Digicel made the decision to stay with Bolt and it is paying off handsomely," said Wallace. "I thought they showed some amount of foresight in terms of their selection."
Another big winner from the Olympics is German sporting goods company Puma, one of the sponsors for the Jamaican delegation to Beijing. The Puma brand, whose logo can be seen on the uniforms of every Jamaican athlete, revelled with the record-setting medal haul of the nation in Beijing. But arguably, like Digicel, the company's greatest benefit will arise from its individual sponsorship of Bolt.
While competitors Nike and Adidas sponsored the more internationally renowned sprinters Powell and Tyson Gay respectively, it is Puma that emerged as the triumphant dark horse. Some experts have suggested that forever etched in Olympic history will be the sight of Bolt holding up one of his golden Puma spikes for the cameras after his record-breaking performance in the 100 metres - an "advetiser's dream" noted one marketter.
According to US-based marketing agency Zeta Interactive, catalysed by Bolt's achievements in Beijing, Puma's global online chatter increased by 64 per cent during the Games, outperforming Adidas and Nike, which only had increases of 17 per cent and 18 per cent respectively.
"Internationally, Puma came out on top, two million shoes don't lie," said Irie FM's marketing manager, Brian Schmidt, referring to reports that Puma sold millions of shoes just hours after Bolt's 100 metres victory.
Said Wallace: "With Puma, whether the shoes are any good or not, people will buy it because Usain Bolt wears the brand."
A signal of Puma's contentment with Bolt's performance is the fact that last Saturday the company announced that it was giving the Jamaican sprint star a brand new BMW M3, a high-end vehicle with a retail value of over J$10 million. In another case of client appreciation, Digicel last week covered all the expenses for Bolt's father, Wellesley, to make the long trip to eastern Asia to join up with his son for his 22nd birthday. Fittingly and quite indicative of Puma and Digicel's foothold on the premier Olympic marketing during the Games is the fact that the senior Bolt left Jamaica in a Digicel shirt and flew back in a Puma shirt.
According to Asher, perks like these are just small expenses compared to the sales revenue that the endorsers will get in return for being associated with their 'poster boy' in the long run.
"There are a lot of benefits to be derived for the long run," said Asher. "Everybody will remember these Olympics for quite a long time.
"As you see Usain you will remember Puma and Digicel and when you want to use his picture you will have to get their permission because they are his endorsers."
Undoubtedly, the marketers believe that the exploits of the nation's athletes at the Olympics meant a victory for Brand Jamaica that will strengthen its appeal to the rest of the world.
During a national address over the weekend, Prime Minister Bruce Golding said that the island's tourism industry stands to benefit after the Olympics.
"Our Brand Jamaica campaign has been given a priceless springboard because our athletes have name-branded Jamaica," said the prime minister.
Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett told the newspaper last week that he has already met with Chinese tour operators who were all charged up and ready to begin selling Jamaica as a destination.
Schmidt agreed, and added that controversy stemming from Bolt's antics after the races only increased the country's brand recognition in the lucrative North American market.
Bolt was criticised by NBC commentators Bob Costas and Ato Boldon, as well as IOC head Jacques Rogge for showboating during and after his 100 metres victory.
"Brand Jamaica is the biggest winner," noted the Irie FM executive.
| Ian Williams Tuesday, September 02, 2008 |
School has just begun and the first-ever high school students are about to realise that 'big' school is not what it looks like on the outside and that they have just entered into the jungle of life.
But TEENage wants you to know that we have your perfect survival guide through this time - the early stages of the 'jungle' called high school.
5 Stay out of fights
Not every one will be kind to you and some students will pick on you for no apparent reason. To keep a good reputation, avoid students who are up to no good. Quickly end arguments that may develop and report all forms of harassment to a teacher.
4 Be a leader not a follower
This tip is VERY important: always be a leader. never follow anyone. Never let any student tell you what to do. If you are going to get in trouble, let it be on your own accord. Never be left wondering what would have happened if you had just listened to your conscience.
3 Work hard
Also very important is working hard; remember you write your own transcript because every grade matters. Whenever you feel like you are not prepared for a test, just act as if this could be the grade that decides whether or not you get accepted to the college/university of your choice.
2 Choose friends wisely
We at TEENage must elaborate on this point. Friends are the makers and breakers of a good high school life. The friend you choose must be trustworthy, honest and must always want to see the best of you at all times. This might mean that you have to wait a while before you choose your friends. Take a while and observe the characteristics of each individual, believe it or not good friends are out there.
Monday, September 01, 2008 |
THE bullet-riddled body of Christopher 'Nunu Puss' Miller, who in 2006 headed the police most wanted list, was yesterday found on Goshen Road in Bernard Lodge, St Catherine.
Police said the body was found on the roadway early yesterday morning by residents who alerted them.
Yesterday the police theorised that Miller, 41 - who in 2006 was wanted for several crimes, including the May 2005 murders of Inspector Lascelles Walsh and Constable Canute Brown - was killed elsewhere and his body dumped along the lonely road.
"There were no reports of any spent shells found at the scene and at this time the police are theorising that he might have been killed somewhere else and his body dumped in that area," an officer at the Constabulary Communication Network told the Observer yesterday.
Inspector Walsh, District Constable Brown and a security guard were murdered on May 3, 2005 in what police said was a reprisal for the fatal shootings of Christopher Coke, 23 and a man identified only as 'Jello', who were both from Tivoli Gardens.
Coke and 'Jello' were cut down minutes after they murdered Corporal Hewitt Chandler of the Protective Services Division at the intersection of West Kings House and Waterloo Roads in Kingston.
Hours later, gunmen attacked the Cross Roads police station, killing Brown. Inspector Walsh was shot to death at a traffic light on Port Royal Street, downtown Kingston.
Miller, who was said to have frequented Tivoli Gardens and who was one of the main suspects in the cops' deaths, was arrested during a police operation in Cassia Park, St Andrew in May 2006 but was released due to a lack of co-operation from persons who witnessed the shootings.
"This man was one of the main suspects in those murders and he was arrested by the police. However, persons who witnessed the murders and persons who the police relied on to give information did not turn up to do their part," said a senior officer at the Denham Town Police Station yesterday.
Some St Thomas communities still cut off |
| INGRID BROWN, Observer senior reporter browni@jamaicaobserver.com Tuesday, September 02, 2008 |
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| Jamaica Defence Force soldiers work feverishly to install a Bailey bridge across the Hope River at Harbour View in eastern Kingston yesterday. The bridge is scheduled to be opened this morning, but will only accommodate single-lane traffic. (Photo: Karl McLarty) |
Eight billion dollars is the estimated cost for repairs to the island's road network and bridges which were damaged when Tropical Storm Gustav dumped heavy rains on the island last week, according to Transport Minister Mike Henry.
Henry said the final figures are not yet available as the assessments are being carried out. However, from all indications the cost should not be too far from this figure.
Already Henry said the Government has had to re-order Bailey bridges, at a cost of £2 million to replenish the stock, given that the hurricane season is not yet over.
"To replace the two bridges (Hope River bridge in Kingston and Georgia Bridge in St Mary) alone are $2 billion and we can make that point because we just finished building one (Yallahs bridge)," Henry told the Observer.
He said Cabinet is now examining the various sources, such as multilateral agencies, from where funds can be sourced.
However, the minister was not very hopeful about receiving an international loan, since he said Jamaica may not qualify as Gustav was not a category one hurricane.
"They may say it is not even a category one that hit us, just like they tell us we are not poor enough for certain things," he said.
Henry said based on initial assessment, this $8 billion figure could be more, but not less.
"I think it is $8 billion, because before Gustav, the Buff Bay Valley cost $289 million, and I hear you can't recognise it now, so I assume it will be about $489 million," he said.
Buff Bay Valley in Portland had suffered extensive damage during the passage of two previous hurricanes.
Before Gustav, he said the Sandy Gully repairs were projected at $667 million and other critical gullies were at $500 million.
This, he said, is given the fact that they have not yet calculated the cost of repairs to some other parishes.
"For example, I got $502 million merely to clean gullies and clear and resurface roads, but when they gave me the cost for Kingston it was at $21 million," he said. "But Mr [Andrew] Holness alone told me that he needs $30 million for two gullies."
Henry said he did not want to use a past approach and would prefer to err on the side of caution by using the higher figure and working downwards.
Meanwhile, he said the assessment is now being done on the Bog Walk Gorge, which was extensively damaged, to determine a cost for repairs. Fortunately, Henry said it does not appear that the bridge was damaged, which should speed up the repair process.
Initially it was proposed that it would take up to a month for the gorge to be reopened to vehicular traffic. However, Henry said he was working to reduce that.
In the meantime, Henry said not much can be done at this point to fast-track the Mount Rosser segment of Highway 2000.
"Yes, we are considering speeding up Mount Rosser, but I can't give you a date when this will be done as we are 50 per cent over the initial cost," Henry said. "That is a US$50-million increase plus adjustments to fuel bill that we hadn't bargained for."
Henry said the priority areas for attention are the Hope River, Junction including the Georgia Bridge, the Bog Walk Gorge and the Sandy and McGregor gullies.
Yesterday, minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister and member of parliament for West St Thomas, James Robertson, said he was still assessing the damage in his constituency. He said communities such as Hagley Gap and Pen Line are still cut off, due to damage to the road network. Residents of Beach Gate in Nine Miles have also been marooned since this community was cut off .
Member of parliament for Eastern St Thomas, Fenton Ferguson, said there has been significant damage to the road network in several sections of his constituency such as Spring Bank where the residents have been marooned for days now. "The road collapsed and they are cut off from the Bachelor Hall main road," he said.
published: Tuesday | September 2, 2008
WESTERN BUREAU:
Poverty and many parents placing little value on education, resulting in detrimental effects for children, are the main contributors to absenteeism in primary schools.
This is according to Professor Zellyne Jennings-Craig, head of the Department of Educational Studies at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus.
"One of the parents don't have work, they don't have money, they can't give the children lunch money or even breakfast to go to school, so they keep them away," Jennings-Craig said as she painted a picture of the kind of poverty that befalls many parents.
She was addressing a recent appreciation function held in Montego Bay, St James, for education officers.
School dropouts
Jennings-Craig, though expressing surprise that parents did not seem to realise the importance of education said a number of parents were youngsters who themselves dropped out of schools.
Jennings-Craig added that the lack of importance attached to education is seen in how parents will spend the money from the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education on fancy hairdos or designer clothes for themselves, rather than use it to send the children to school.
published: Tuesday | September 2, 2008
Hyacinth Allen of the McGregor Gully community in St Andrew talks about her back-to-school preparations yesterday. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
Many parents believe they have fallen behind in back-to-school preparations as a result of losses suffered during the passage of Tropical Storm Gustav, even though the Ministry of Education has rescheduled the official reopening of schools.
Residents living on First and Fourth avenues, in McGregor Gully in St Andrew, were yesterday sorting through personal items, washing clothes and air-drying furniture.
Sisters Hyacinth and Audrey Allen's shared family quarters were ruined during the torrential onslaught brought by Gustav. Audrey told The Gleaner that she had suffered a great loss, having spent in excess of $30,000 on school items for her four children who are yet to start school.
The Seventh-day Adventist church on the opposite side of the gully provided residents with a meal on Sunday evening.
Broken spirit
"My children can't stay here, they are by friends and family all over the place. I have no money for books, uniforms, nothing. what are they going to go to school with?" she asked. "I've lived through years of gunshots, elections and nothing has ever broken my spirit like this."
Juliet Samuels shared a similar experience to Allen's, as she relayed how her home was submerged.
"Right now I don't have a pot or pan to cook in, and there is no clean water. So even if the school is ready, there is no bathroom for them to get ready, or place for them to eat or sleep."
