Powell won't change coach

published: Tuesday | September 23, 2008

Anthony Foster, Gleaner Writer



Olivia 'Babsy' Grange (left), minister of information, youth, culture and sports, escorts Olympians Asafa Powell (right) and Rosemarie White after they arrived at the Norman Manley International Airport yesterday. Powell, 4x100-metre gold medallist, and White, 1,600m relay bronze medal winner, were greeted by other dignitaries. "I am glad to be back home and even after the races, I am happy for the overwhelming support," Powell told journalists. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

Despite public comments from his parents suggesting that he should part company with his coach, Stephen Francis, Asafa Powell, the world's second fastest man, said that will not happen.

His parents, Reverend William Powell, his father and mother Cislyn, said in an interview on local television, CVM, said it was time for their 25-year-old son to make a change.

"Change the coach. Try somebody else," Reverend Powell said. "He should have changed the coach long time. If it was me, I would have changed coach long time ago."

Not an option

Asafa, though, said that's not an option.

"My mother loves me very much, and she has the right to say whatever she wants to say. But that's an issue I have to deal with, with her ... There is not going to be any change of coach," said Powell, who along with fellow Olympian Rosemarie White, returned to the island yesterday.

Cislyn Powell, the athlete's mother, said Asafa like all her other sons, when they believe in someone, it's hard to change their mind.

She said if Asafa had a problem with major events, it needed to be identified.

"As a coach, he (Francis) should be able to identify the problem," Cislyn said.

The parents' comments follow the fifth place finish in 9.95 seconds at the Beijing Olympics by Powell, a huge medal favourite. At the 2004 Olympics, in Athens, Powell also finished fifth in 9.94 seconds, having started as the favourite.

After the Olympic finals, Powell returned to run personal bests, lowering his 9.91 to 9.89 in 2004, then 9.72 after Beijing, which bettered his previous high standard of 9.74 less than a month ago.

In between, he held the then world record at different marks - 9.77, which he recorded on several occasions, and 9.74.

However, Powell, who had earlier said he is better suited for Grand Prix meets, said he have some explaining to do with his parents.

Powell, who helped Jamaica to win the sprint relay gold medal in a world record 37.10 in Beijing, noted his problem to deliver on the big stage is not with coach Francis.

"I just have to talk to her and explain all the details. My coach is not liked by a lot of people very much, but I have no problem with him, so there is not going to be any change," added Powell.

Great experience

Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, minister of information, youth, culture and sports, Jamaica Olympic Association president, Mike Fennell, Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association boss Howard Aris, Sports Development Foundation chairman David Mais, and several of Powell's MVP club teammates, were on hand to welcome their star at the Norman Manley International Airport.

Grange told Powell, "You are the trailblazer" and "Rosemarie, you are going to be a great athlete".

White said: "The experience was very great, knowing it was my first time at a major championships. I am very proud of myself to finish seventh in the Olympic 400m final and return to get a bronze medal in the 1600m relay," said White, a student at G.C. Foster College.


Jamaica's Olympics sprint relay gold medallist, Asafa Powell, is flanked by his mom, Cislyn and dad, William, as well as an ardent female fan upon his arrival at the Norman Manley International Airport yesterday. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

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Children's advocate probes 13-y-o model contest winner

published: Tuesday | September 23, 2008

The Office of the Children's Advocate has launched a full investigation into the awarding of a 13-year-old girl as the winner of a fashion model competition.

Henderson Downer, acting children's advocate, told The Gleaner yesterday that a team of investigators has been assigned to probe the matter involving Shermonique Ivey, who, earlier this month, won the Pulse Fashion Model Search.

"We have also written to other relevant government departments in investigating the matter, if there is any criminal prosecution or whether anybody is liable to compensation," said Downer.

She declined to comment further, stating that the case was under enquiry.

Real work after high school

Concerns were raised in several quarters, including Letters to the Editor of this newspaper, after Ivey modelled in swimsuits and was adjudged winner of the competition on September 7.

Romae Gordon, general manager at Pulse, said Ivey would not start modelling internationally until she completed high school, as in the case of other underage winners.

"Samantha Re-Crowal won the petite competition some years ago at age 13. She remained in school and for the next couple of years only appeared in odd fashion shows," said Gordon.

At the same time, public officials have called for parents to be more vigilant in light of recent attacks.

Aakim Scott, an 11-year-old boy of Sandside, St Mary, was brutally killed last week. During that same week, another 11-year-old, Ananda Dean of Whitehall Avenue in the Corporate Area, went missing.

Plagued by monsters

Olivia Grange, minister of information, culture, youth and sports, said unfortunately, the society was plagued by "monsters" who were prepared to carry out nefarious acts against children.

"Parents, I ask you to look out for your children. Make sure you know where they are at all times," said Grange last Friday during an awards luncheon, hosted by the Urban Development Corporation, for staff members' children who were successful in the Grade Six Achievement Test.

Police statistics show that last month, three children were murdered.

In August, there were 17 reported cases of carnal abuse.

Rashida St Juste, public relations manager at the Child Development Agency, said more must be done to educate guardians about their responsibilities for the care and protection of their charges.

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PNP fallout begins - Two Phillips supporters quit, another targeted

published: Tuesday | September 23, 2008

Arthur Hall, Senior Staff Reporter

The casualtIES from last Saturday's presidential elec-tion in the People's National Party (PNP) have started with a senior member of parliament (MP) relinquishing his position as an opposition spokesman while a caretaker has resigned.

At the same time, a sitting MP is to be challenged for the leadership of her constituency.

News surfaced late yesterday that Opposition Spokesman on Local Government, Dean Peart, has resigned from that position.

Rosemarie Shaw, a vocal sup-porter of Dr Peter Phillips, spent yesterday speaking with supporters in Western St Thomas before handing in her resignation as caretaker and chairman for the constituency.

Challenge for henry-wilson

Another key Phillips backer, Maxine Henry-Wilson, seems set to face a challenge for the job as chairman of the PNP's organisation in South East St Andrew, where she has been the MP since 2002.

Shaw told The Gleaner that her decision to resign was directly linked to the election result, which saw Portia Simpson Miller beating Phillips by 373 votes.

"I think I should do the right thing by resigning so that the Comrade leader can put in place someone who she has full confidence in," Shaw said.

Matter of principle

Shaw said she had previously told the party's leadership in Region Two that she was unlikely to contest another general election after her 2007 defeat by the Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) James Robertson, but decided to delay her resignation after Phillips announced his challenge for the leadership.

"I resigned as a matter of principle. If Peter Phillips had won, I think I would have stayed on," Shaw told The Gleaner.

She said she had taken a similar decision after the 2006 presidential contest, but was persuaded by the general secretary to remain in the post and contest the 2007 election.

Shaw, a former JLP activist, resigned from that party after a public fallout with the then Edward Seaga-led party in 1995.

She joined the PNP after JLP councillors passed a no-confidence motion removing her as mayor of Morant Bay.

In the meantime, PNP sources in South East St Andrew told The Gleaner that they are eagerly awaiting the constituency conference to oust Henry-Wilson as chairman.

The conference was initially scheduled for early August, but was called off following a meeting in Nannyville, St Andrew, where Comrades called for a return of former MP Easton Douglas who had walked away from the constituency paving the way for Henry-Wilson.

Douglas, who led the Simpson Miller campaign team, has not yet indicated if he would be willing to return to representational politics and efforts to contact him yesterday were unsuccessful.

However, the sources say if Douglas is not interested, every effort will be made to entice vice-president Angela Brown-Burke to take charge of the constituency.

That should come as no surprise to political watchers as Brown-Burke was among those who influenced Comrades in South East St Andrew to back Simpson Miller although their MP, Henry Wilson was supporting Phillips.

Andrew Swaby, the only sitting councillor in the constituency was also among refused to side with Henry-Wilson .

Efforts to contact Henry-Wilson yesterday were unsuccessful, but she had earlier indicated that a defeat for Phillips would cause her to examine her role in the party.

"If the candidate loses, we continue to be members of the People's National Party, but we would probably operate from a different level. We do not intend to divide the party because the party is much larger than any of us," Henry-Wilson told The Gleaner nine days ago.

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Oraine dominates New York Fashion Week

published: Sunday | September 21, 2008


Oraine reps for Liz Claiborne in a 35-page spread in 'The Claiborne Book'. - Contributed photos

New York Fashion Week is now history, but Pulse and the Caribbean's top-male model, Oraine Barrett, will remember it for some time to come.

It was the season when his star shone brighter than ever and, in fact, took a big new upward trajectory. While he was walking the runway for the world's top designers, his image was popping up all over New York City - indeed all over the world. His new Liz Claiborne, Baby Phat and John Bartlett campaigns are now out in fashion magazines, billboards and point-of-sale locations in fashion cities across the globe.


Pulse model Oraine Barrett on the cover of 'OUT' magazine.

Oraine rocked the fashion fraternity, which was buzzing with excitement as they previewed the Spring 2009 trends at the first fashion week in a series which takes the fashion jet set crowd from New York to London, then Milan and finally Paris.

in the best shape ever

The incredibly built Pulse star, who affirms that he is in the best shape ever, was vetted and selected by casting directors for six collections, including Nautica, John Bartlett, Michael Bastion, Baby Phat, June Ambrose and Gilded Age. Considering that this is not the season for the male collections, this is a huge accomplishment.

Oraine has done remarkably well this season and is now one of the top male models in the world. He heads to Select in London later this month to launch an assault on the European market. His agencies in Paris and Milan are also anticipating action from Oraine in the upcoming seasons, including the big men's collections in January.

Oraine has worked with a veritable list of who's who in the industry, including Pepe Jeans, Target, Phat Farm, Lord and Taylor's, Liz Claiborne, Abercrombie & Fitch, and John Bartlet.

Barrett is a two-time winner of Models.com World Model of the Week. He has also been selected by I-D as one of five new stars in modelling.


Oraine reps another outfir for Liz Clairborne


Pulse model Oraine Barrett for John Bartlett.

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Score settled: Portia whips Peter again in PNP leadership contest

published: Sunday | September 21, 2008

Daraine Luton, Staff Reporter


- ian allen/staff photographer

DELEGATES OF the People's National Party (PNP) reaffirmed Portia Simpson Miller as the party's president in yesterday's elections at the National Arena.

Simpson Miller polled 2,332 votes to Dr Peter Phillips' 1,959 in an election in which 4,291 of the 4,438 delegates of the party voted. The result left Simpson Miller with 54.8 per cent of the votes amd a victory margin of 373 votes.

"The delegates today have spoken," Simpson Miller said in her victory speech. "The delegates today elected one leader of this noble movement and I am prepared to work with anyone who wants to ensure the unity of this noble movement," Simpson Miller said.

Simpson Miller has already extended the olive branch to the defeated team, stating that she is willing to work with anyone who is prepared to help in the renewal of the PNP.

However, for some of her delegates and supporters, the healing will mean axing some opposing persons from her core group.

Simpson Miller told her jubilant supporters that her victory meant that she had smashed the glass ceiling in the country and added that she had not contested the elections for personal reasons. The PNP leader gave a very strong indication that she would not hesitate to boot from the party those persons whom she believed were not doing their best to help the PNP move forward.

different from the last time

"This is going to be different from the last time. I am going to be very impatient of anyone who would want to drag the People's National Party down," Simpson Miller said.

She implored the members and supporters of the party to ensure that the party remained united. She underscored that the victory yesterday meant that "there can be no more argument," adding that party members should now fall in line.

"It is now time for all of us to unite, and it is time for us to get the party united," Simpson Miller said. She added that she should have done this differently in 2006 when she won, remarking, "I think I wasted too much time fighting for unity."

In a statement late last night, Phillips congratulated Simpson Miller on her victory, adding that he accepted the verdict of the delegates.

Stated Phillips: "My decision to accept the mandate of party members islandwide to place on the party's agenda a renewal of its core values and its role in national development is a responsibility which I undertook with conviction and sincerity."

Dr Fenton Ferguson, a member of Phillips' Arise and Renew campaign, said Simpson Miller scored a "decisive victory". He said he accepted the will of the delegates and that he would readily fall in line. "There is no doubt she has, at this time, settled the leadership question," said Ferguson, who was relected a vice-president. "This is the moment to put forward the platform for unity in a real way," he added.

Supporters of Simpson Miller erupted in jubilation when it became clear that Phillips had failed to reach the magic number of 2,220 votes. They could not contain themselves when party chairman Robert Pickersgill announced Simpson Miller as the winner.

The few Arise and Renew Comrades in the hall of the arena looked dejected, astonished and overwhelmed by the outcome. A St Thomas woman wept bitterly, accusing her counterparts of betraying Phillips, while others swore never to vote PNP again.

According to political analysts, the ensuing days could be interesting in the party. Yesterday's defeat could mean the final curtain call for Phillips, who now suffers his second loss at the hands of Simpson Miller. He suffered a 247-vote to Simpson Miller in 2006 when P.J. Patterson ceased to be party president.

Phillips is no longer an officer of the party as he was not nominated for a vice-presidential post. For the time being, he remains the leader of opposition business in the House of Representatives.

Simpson Miller became the first leader of the 70-year-old PNP who was called upon to defend her presidency when Phillips announced his challenge on July 13. He responded with a resounding yes to thousands of Jamaicans whom, he claimed, had called on him to lead the PNP.

Daraine.Luton@gleanerjm.com

Martin Henry, Communications Consultant

No surprise. We expected that the grass-roots delegates would have voted in favour of the candidate, Simpson Miller. With a 373 differential it is apparent that Peter Phillips is still a power faction of the PNP.

Robert Wynter, Management consultant

It is a reconfirmation from the people ... . I am glad that democracy held sway.

Mrs Simpson Miller has a lot to accomplish. She first has to heal the wounds, which will take a little while, and after that she has a lot of rebuilding to do.

Dicky Crawford, Political lecturer

I think the results are very good for Jamaica from the point of view that this discriminatory approach to working-class people has taken place. It's also good for the women of Jamaica - I notice that Angela Brown-Burke received the highest vice-presidential votes. That is the confirmation for another woman leader of the party.

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