ONLINE READERS COMMENT: Little protection in the Witness Protection Act

Saturday, January 10, 2015 | 1:48 PM    

Dear Editor,

We have seen and have sincerely regretted the fact that the New Year has began with 24 people being murdered in seven days.

Our legislators have assured us, with convincing words, that they will not allow crime to gallop away in 2015.

But, the fact is that no matter how often we have been told by the ruling authorities of their passion to tackle crime, no matter how serious or how committed they seem to be, in the final analysis, the crime monster always seems to be winning the battle, or having the upper-hand.

In other words crime is out of control, sometimes it’s slightly down, then it rises again; and too many people are dying.

When we hear the talk so many times, of bringing the crime under control, that means, it’s already out of control. It’s bigger than us and the monster still stands tall–undefeated. We need to bring him down.

One of the key strategies in fighting crime is that people should be free and fearless to report crime, or to give evidence in court; and this means, feeling a great sense of security and reliance in the Witness Protection Act.

But lamentable, this is not so as people are in fear of their lives. Some of them have been killed for giving evidence. We cannot confide in the Witness Protection Act, and this is a great-blow to the crime fighting strategies.

We talk about putting measures in place; one of the most serious and deadly measures that needs to be put in place, when crime gets beastly bad, is to unleash the death-penalty. The more devastating and out of control the crime-rate is, it’s the more we should speed-up the death-penalty.

Donald J Mckoy

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ONLINE READERS COMMENT: Little protection in the Witness Protection Act

Boston time capsule from 1901 yields little red book

Sept. 14, 2014: A lion statue is removed from atop the Old State House on Washington Street in Boston. (AP/The Boston Globe, Dina Rudick)

WOBURN, Mass. –  The highly-anticipated opening of a time capsule that been hidden in the head of a lion statue atop a historical landmark for more than a century yielded at least one surprise Thursday: a hardcover book.

The Bostonian Society had expected the time capsule to include letters, newspaper clippings and other items from 1901, the year it was placed in the statue on the Old State House. Papers were found, along with the red book inside the copper box roughly the size of a modern shoebox. The book had no visible markings, and nothing was taken out of the box because of the items’ fragile condition. So, the contents of the book remain a mystery, for now.

The inside of the box and its contents — there was no mold or water damage — thrilled society President Brian LeMay.

LeMay said he was “absolutely delighted” with the conditions inside the box.

The time capsule was sealed inside the lion’s head since 1901 and then forgotten — until recently.

Rumors of its existence were confirmed last month when the statue was taken down from the Old State House for refurbishing.

The delicate removal of the box took place at a sculpting studio in suburban Woburn.

Robert Shure, owner of Skylight Studio, first removed a crown atop the copper and gold-leaf lion’s head, cut cables holding the box in place inside the head, and removed the rectangular box, which weighed between five and 10 pounds and measured 8-by-12 inches in length and about 6 inches deep, according to Shure.

The society, which manages the Old State House, first learned about the possible existence of the time capsule years ago from the great-great-granddaughter of Samuel Rogers, a craftsman who had worked on building renovations and was believed to have placed the time capsule in the lion’s head and catalogued its contents. A 1901 article from The Boston Globe surfaced later, alluding to contents of a copper box “which will prove interesting when the box is opened many years hence.”

Elizabeth Roscio, the Boston Society’s archivist, said the box will be brought to an environmentally-controlled setting where the contents can be carefully removed and studied. They will be put on public display at a later date.

One of Boston’s most popular tourist attractions, the Old State House has a storied history. It was once the seat of English rule in the northern colonies, and the original lion statue and an accompanying unicorn statue symbolized the unification of England and Scotland.

It was just outside the building that British regulars opened fire on a crowd of protesters in 1770, killing five people in what would become known as the Boston Massacre.

In the summer of 1776, the newly-signed Declaration of Independence was read for the first time to Bostonians from a balcony of the building, which would later serve as the first seat of Massachusetts government.

The plan is to put a new time capsule in the lion’s head, this one made of titanium. The society is currently soliciting suggestions of what to put in it, but said one item will be a medal from the ill-fated 2013 Boston Marathon.

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Boston time capsule from 1901 yields little red book

Consumers earn very little on savings accounts: CAC

The Consumer Affairs Commission, CAC, has completed a survey of three local commercial banks which shows very little is earned on savings deposited in the institutions.The banks surveyed were NCB, BNS and First Caribbean. The CAC found that the basic savings product provided by First Caribbean offers the best value for consumers as savers can earn interest on amounts below $5,000.To earn interest on savings at BNS, more than $5,000 would have to be saved. At NCB, consumers get no interest on their savings unless it is over $50,000. The survey shows First Caribbean has the lowest fees relating to minimum balance violation, withdrawals and dormant fees. BNS during the period of  the survey had no dormant fees.

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Consumers earn very little on savings accounts: CAC

Consumers earn very little on savings accounts: CAC

The Consumer Affairs Commission, CAC, has completed a survey of three local commercial banks which shows very little is earned on savings deposited in the institutions.The banks surveyed were NCB, BNS and First Caribbean. The CAC found that the basic savings product provided by First Caribbean offers the best value for consumers as savers can earn interest on amounts below $5,000.To earn interest on savings at BNS, more than $5,000 would have to be saved. At NCB, consumers get no interest on their savings unless it is over $50,000. The survey shows First Caribbean has the lowest fees relating to minimum balance violation, withdrawals and dormant fees. BNS during the period of  the survey had no dormant fees.

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Consumers earn very little on savings accounts: CAC

Little Hero, PZed combine for The Oracle Unleashed

The Oracle Unleashed – Contributed

Reggae singer Little Hero is enjoying some positive feedback with his latest album The Oracle Unleashed.

The project, which sees him teaming up with his brother PZed on 12 of the 14 tracks, is a combination of lover’s rock and inspirational songs.

Produced by Ralph Mason/Earth Strong Productions and released last November, the album contains tracks such as Darling, Holy Books, Jamaica Jamaica and Liberation.

positive feedback

According to Little Hero, listeners will be able to relate to tracks on the album … in fact, he has already been receiving a lot of positive feedback from those with whom tracks have resonated in one way or another.

Commenting on the tracks, he said, “The first inspiration comes from the Almighty, then we are inspired by our everyday living of life experience of revealing the truth to the people.”

The lead single from The Oracle, Hold On, is making the rounds on the South Florida Reggae Charts.

Born Paul Gayle, Little Hero said, although he has not been seen on the local stage for a while, he was always busy ‘doing his thing’ in the studio. He said fans can look out for some new singles from him as well as another album which is in the pipeline right now.

Hero’s 2009 album, Revelation, debuted in the number-one position on the Billboard Reggae charts, unseating UB40′s Greatest Hit Collection.

He is known for singles including God Alone (featuring Merciless), We Need Love, Prayer Time, and Inna Di Ghetto.

View the original article here

Little Hero, PZed combine for The Oracle Unleashed

Little Hero, PZed combine for The Oracle Unleashed

The Oracle Unleashed – Contributed

Reggae singer Little Hero is enjoying some positive feedback with his latest album The Oracle Unleashed.

The project, which sees him teaming up with his brother PZed on 12 of the 14 tracks, is a combination of lover’s rock and inspirational songs.

Produced by Ralph Mason/Earth Strong Productions and released last November, the album contains tracks such as Darling, Holy Books, Jamaica Jamaica and Liberation.

positive feedback

According to Little Hero, listeners will be able to relate to tracks on the album … in fact, he has already been receiving a lot of positive feedback from those with whom tracks have resonated in one way or another.

Commenting on the tracks, he said, “The first inspiration comes from the Almighty, then we are inspired by our everyday living of life experience of revealing the truth to the people.”

The lead single from The Oracle, Hold On, is making the rounds on the South Florida Reggae Charts.

Born Paul Gayle, Little Hero said, although he has not been seen on the local stage for a while, he was always busy ‘doing his thing’ in the studio. He said fans can look out for some new singles from him as well as another album which is in the pipeline right now.

Hero’s 2009 album, Revelation, debuted in the number-one position on the Billboard Reggae charts, unseating UB40′s Greatest Hit Collection.

He is known for singles including God Alone (featuring Merciless), We Need Love, Prayer Time, and Inna Di Ghetto.

View the original article here

Little Hero, PZed combine for The Oracle Unleashed

K"Coneil for Little Ochi Seafood Fest

Entertainment

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Montego Bay-born New York-based recording artiste K’Coneil is scheduled to take the stage at the Little Ochi Seafood Festival in St Elizabeth on Sunday.K’Coneil, whose real name is K’Coneil Barron, recently released a summer track titled NSQR…Insecure.The artiste has high hopes for the new track, which he hopes win him some Jamaican fans.

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K"Coneil for Little Ochi Seafood Fest