Canadian billionaire at centre of fraud accusations involving Caribbean casinos

Sunday, January 25, 2015 | 1:19 PM    

HAMILTON (CMC) – One of Canada’s richest men is locked in an international battle over Caribbean casinos with links to one of Canada’s most feared mafia clans.

MichaelG DeGroote, 81, a philanthropist and an officer of the Order of Canada, reportedly lent millions of dollars to three men to create a chain of gaming facilities in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.

According to reports stemming from a yearlong investigation carried out by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and the Globe and Mail, there is no evidence that at the time DeGroote knew of the men’s “underworld connections”.

It’s reported that  2010, DeGroote, 81, who built Hamilton-based Laidlaw Transport into one of North America’s biggest waste-haulage firms before selling his stake in 1988, ran into an old friend, a businessman named Andrew Pajak.

CBC News said Pajak told DeGroote that H\he was working with two brothers, Antonio and Francesco Carbone of Vaughan, Ontario, on a company manufacturing electronic slot machines and they had plans to install them at a nightclub casino in Jamaica.

DeGroote initially agreed to put up US$5 million in December 2010 and by May 2012, the billionaire’s total underwriting of the Caribbean operations stood at US$111.9 million.

The Dream Group was making good on its loans, but in May 2012, the payments to DeGroote stopped.

In October of that year, DeGroote sued to get access to the company’s books alleging the Carbones and Pajak had misappropriated portions of the funds.

A Canadian judge in November 2013 that DeGroote had established “a strong case” for fraud.

While DeGroote’s legal battles with the Carbones progressed in the first half of 2013, “other characters with a dubious past entered the fray”, CBC News said.

In May of that year, it said DeGroote was visited by two men at his family’s luxury condo in downtown Toronto.

One of them was Peter Shoniker, an outgoing former Crown attorney “who had been convicted of money laundering in 2006”.

It said the other was a “large, broad-chinned man” introduced as Alexander Visser.

“Unbeknownst to DeGroote, Visser had a long criminal history, amounting to more than 40 convictions in Canada for fraud, uttering threats and assault,” the report said.

At the meeting, CBC News said Visser made a “stunning offer”,  saying he could get Dream employees in the Dominican Republic to sign affidavits claiming the Carbones had massively defrauded DeGroote, but for a price.

Initially, DeGroote objected, but eventually, he began negotiating over the asking price,”  and told Visser he would send him US$150,000 with “no strings attached” for possible future help.

DeGroote declined to be interviewed by CBC and the Globe and Mail, but through his lawyers, he said the secret recordings were manipulation, created by “individuals with a long history of practicing deceit.”

In his only on-the-record statement about the Dream fiasco, issued through his lawyers, DeGroote said: “Frankly, I sincerely regret that I ever agreed to invest in this venture. Indeed, I am embarrassed by it.”

His lawyers later added: “Mr DeGroote is someone who has been wronged, rather than a wrongdoer.”

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Canadian billionaire at centre of fraud accusations involving Caribbean casinos

JBDC to implement Small Business Development Centre next month

BY KARENA BENNETT Business Observer bennettk@jamaicaobserver

Wednesday, December 31, 2014    

The Jamaica Business Development Centre (JBDC) believes that by adapting the United States Small Business Development Centre (SBDC) model Jamaica could see improvement in productivity and growth of the local business sector.

SBDC, which is the main source of technical assistance for small businesses in the US, has retained over 158,000 jobs, established 24,500 new businesses and generated fiscal revenue of over US$539 million ($60.9 billion) in that country. This has prompted the JBDC to have a model of the development centre implemented locally by the end of next month.

“We are not in a position to say when this will be officially implemented or launched, but await specific directives from the minister of industry who will announce its launch in short order,” chief executive officer of the JBDC Valerie Veira told the Jamaica Observer.

The centre will focus on three key areas that cover the needs of start-ups as well as established businesses. The programme will include free one-on-one confidential and long-term technical assistance for small businesses, group training focused on subjects of interest to small businesses and market research specifically tailored to meet clients’ needs.

The services should improve the productivity of small businesses, while generating economic impact that creates new jobs, increases revenues, strengthens and diversifies the formal economy and promotes stability and growth, according to the JBDC.

“The JBDC mandate currently focuses on providing business development support for MSMEs and it is the vision of our ministry to move to the SBDC model, which focuses on the growth of SMEs through the strengthening of their management systems,” Veira told the Business Observer.

“We will therefore broaden our core services to include the three key areas that cover the needs of start-ups and established businesses as outlined in the SBDC Model,” she added.

In 2012, the intervention of the small business development centre in the US resulted in the average business increasing its sales from 4.3 per cent to 18.9 per cent year over year. Similarly, small businesses also obtained US$3.4 billion in new financing, while benefiting from assistance in exporting their products or services.

Once the businesses started to see improvements in revenue and productivity, employment levels increased from 1.2 per cent to 13.6 per cent yearly, according to statistics presented by the JBDC.

The programme will require the general public, academics and the private sector to jointly invest efforts and funds in order to guarantee the sustainability of the programme, eliminate inefficiencies and work duplication. Additionally, model supervisors will evaluate the economic impact of the development centre on each business client to monitor its effect on local businesses.

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JBDC to implement Small Business Development Centre next month

DHL opens $30-m call centre in Jamaica

BY STEVEN JACKSON Business reporter jacksons@jamaicaobserver.com

Wednesday, January 14, 2015    

COURIER service DHL Jamaica has set up a $30-million call centre that employs 20 new staff.

The Caribbean Telesales Centre started operations on Monday with the remit of seeking new business from 26 countries in the Caribbean.

“It’s all about selling on the phone. So we do all the inbound and outbound [calls] where we are selling… DHL services,” stated Donovan James, general manager for Jamaica and commercial director for the Caribbean, yesterday.

James, along with four regional managers, answered Jamaica Observer queries at the DHL head office on Haining Road in New Kingston to mark the launch of the operation.

Prior to the start of the centre, agents in various territories hunted new business. The team believes that centralising agents in one location will garner better results.

“What we had before was people in different countries around the Caribbean. It didn’t lend itself to a real focus to sales, increasing revenue, productivity, and so forth,” James said.

The new staff expands the Jamaica employee complement to 93 in 2015. DHL started operations in Jamaica in 1988 with seven employees, according to a company release.

“A key market segment that we are going after is the small and medium enterprises (SME),” said James. “In fact, a lot of the effort for the centralised telecentre will be going after that market. We are aligning all our efforts around assisting SMEs.”

Reiner Wolfs, managing director, DHL Express, Caribbean region, said that Jamaica remains a profitable operation despite challenges across the region. DHL Caribbean aims to grow its business by double-digit levels this year, driven in part by the call centre. But the company declined to reveal dollar estimates.

“2014 was a challenging year, but we had double-digit growth. In some markets we grew 20 per cent. So we certainly expect an incremental growth from the telecentre,” said Wolfs. “Again, we expect double-digit growth over and above what we had last year for the teleservice channels as a direct result of this centralisation.”

Valerie Blandin, project manager for the call centre, indicated that DHL chose Jamaica over other territories based on its competitive advantage in call centre services.

“We had the option to set up in another country, but we chose Jamaica because of the skills of people, the good education, the potential of the country… and the work ethic,” she said yesterday.

DHL Jamaica remains the biggest Caribbean operation among 30 countries managed by DHL’s Caribbean operations, a release stated. DHL Jamaica accounts for 20 per cent of the Caribbean’s revenue, 26 per cent in terms of volume of shipment and 34 per cent of the kilos shipped to international destinations.

“DHL market share is approximately 49 per cent in Jamaica and across the region,” the release added.

As a region, documents account for nearly two-thirds of outbound packages while non-documents account for 96 per cent of inbound packages, DHL stated.

Effective January 2015, DHL increased rates by roughly 4.9 per cent in Jamaica as part of its annual adjustment across the globe.

DHL recently completed the installation of solar panels and energy-saving light bulbs in its office. The installation should cut its energy bill in half.

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DHL opens $30-m call centre in Jamaica

Come Celebrate Jesus rocks MoBay Convention Centre

ROSE HALL, St James — GOSPEL artiste Kevin Downswell gave an outstanding performance at the recent staging of the Come Celebrate Jesus gospel concert at the Rose Hall Convention Centre here, as hundreds of people crammed the facility for praise and worship.

The 2003 Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) gospel winner, who performed for almost 40 minutes, had nearly everyone on their feet during his energetic set.

Taking the stage to rousing applause, Downswell opened with You Are Lord then moved into God Is Moving. By then the large, appreciative audience became fully engaged, dancing and waving hands, as they joined the outstanding gospel singer in his next song, If It’s Not You.

His set also included Joy, I Can Feel the Glory, before closing with the very popular You Make Me Stronger.

Earlier, the Singing Jewels opened the concert, followed by the Leharia Singers, a group of Seventh-day Adventist members, before Clive Warren, the JCDC 2006 gospel winner, took the stage.

There were also strong performances from Donette Thompson-Hall, a Jamaican living in Canada, who interacted well with the audience, as well as Grenadian Shirley Simpson, a country gospel singer.

Internationally renowned minister and gospel artiste Ron Kenoly, who is no stranger to Jamaica, also delivered a splendid set, scoring heavily with Lift Him Up, God Is Able and Anointing Fall On Me.

– Mark Cummings

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Come Celebrate Jesus rocks MoBay Convention Centre

VIDEO: Protesters occupy HK financial centre

Thousands of protesters are occupying the heart of Hong Kong’s financial centre as part of a mass civil disobedience campaign.

The Occupy Central movement had planned to block the heart of Hong Kong’s financial district from Wednesday but brought their demonstration forward.

Students and activists oppose Beijing’s decision to rule out fully democratic elections in Hong Kong in 2017.

Juliana Liu reports from Hong Kong.

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VIDEO: Protesters occupy HK financial centre

Stuart defends Barbados as a reputable, sustainable international financial centre

Barbados Prime Minister Freundel Stuart (File photo)

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Friday September 12, 2014, CMC – Barbados Prime Minister Freundel Stuart Thursday said his administration places high priority on ensuring the sustainability of the international business and financial services sector, (IBFSCs) and is seeking new ways to improve the value offered to those who view the island as the international financial centre of choice.

Addressing the one-day international conference on international financial centres (IFCs) in a borderless digital economy, Prime Minister Stuart said that over the years, progressive legislative changes had been made to provide investors with the tools needed to do business.

“This has meant, in many cases, upgrading existing products and introducing new ones. In recent times, the moves to allow for Private Trust Companies and Foundations bear witness to our recognition of the need for evolution and adaptation,” he told delegates.

He said the term “International Financial Centre” now appears to focus mainly on the small developing countries providing business and financial services, and some have been labelled as “offshore financial centres”, tax havens, or “sunny places for shady people.

“In every area of economic endeavour where developing countries have managed, through a spirit of independence, and by dint of hard work and investment in the development of their human and other resources, to perform as well as or better than developed countries, the playing field ceases to be level, and new and creative obstacles are placed in their way.

“There are, therefore, increasingly robust debates, discussions and empirical studies on the contribution of IFCs to the global financial system, focused in particular on the contribution provided by developing countries.

“IFCs offer competitive tax rates and other concessions which attract business, and this raises concerns about tax evasion, and more recently about money laundering. In spite of adverse public comment fuelled by vocal critics, however, an increasing body of research contradicts this negative narrative,” Stuart said.

Prime Minister Stuart noted that a number of world-renowned academics had rejected the notion that IFCs were locations of choice for secret accounts and other vehicles for international tax evasion.

He said that some findings point to this being the reality in larger, more developed countries, rather than in small developing countries.

Prime Minister Stuart said Barbados’ strong regulatory framework gave assurance of its commitment to operate according to global standards.

He said the sector is of great benefit to the international partners, as well as the Barbados economy. He said it not only generates taxes and salaries for employees, but also revenue in the areas of real estate, tourism, health and education services.

The conference, targeting officials in the local, regional and international financial services sector is sponsored by Invest Barbados and The Central Bank of Barbados.

The organisers said it will demonstrate the Barbados value proposition with an examination of the Canada Barbados relationship, and will take an objective look at the role of nation states in protecting the efficacy of IFCs.

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Stuart defends Barbados as a reputable, sustainable international financial centre

Henry S. Fraser: The Chronic Disease Research Centre – a Cave Hill Star

Henry S. Fraser

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Sunday July 20, 2014 - When the Reverend Griffith Hughes, parish priest of St. Lucy, published his Natural History of Barbados in 1750, he literally launched the Age of Enlightenment in Barbados. Newspapers proliferated, theatre flourished and three secondary schools – Combermere, Harrison and Lodge – were established. Barbadians were making a name for themselves, in Britain and North America. Eminent physicians such as Dr. William Hillary were attracted to Barbados and carried out ground breaking research in the 1750s.

It was my dream to re-establish Barbados and UWI Cave Hill as a global centre for medical research, and in 1990 I was challenged by my colleague Trevor Hassell, now Professor Sir Trevor Hassell, to develop a research centre for chronic diseases. With the support of Professor Sir Ken Stuart in Britain and funding from the Overseas Development Agency of the UK, a National Institute of Health Grant awarded to Professor Richard Cooper of Loyola University of Chicago for a study of hypertension which included Barbados (the well-known ICSHIB Study), and the collaboration of the Ministry of Health, the UWI was able to open the doors of the Chronic Disease Research Centre (CDRC) in 1992. Our mission was to do the research that would inform policy, planning and programmes, to temper the growing epidemic of chronic diseases. The site was a suite of three rooms in the condemned residence ‘Avalon’ on Jemmott’s Lane, an early 19th century merchant’s house used as doctors’ flats for the QEH until condemned for lack of maintenance in the early 1980s. Inspection revealed only peeling paint and cosmetic problems! With perseverance we had this 14 room house restored at a fraction of the cost of a new building, and it has worked wonderfully well.

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I’ve seen my dream come true with the recent 10 year anniversary of the Edmund Cohen Vascular Research (ECOVAR) Laboratory. The new (third) Director of the CDRC, Professor Clive Landis, organised a celebration, honoured by the presence of Mr. Peter Cohen, son of the benefactor Mr. Edmund Cohen, founder of Courts. It marked 10 years since the opening on March 31st, 2004, as an annexe to the CDRC.

Actually, the Edmund Cohen Lab is unique. It was delivered with some flair on the back of a lorry. This is the story of the “lab in a container”. I was inspired by the use of retro-fitted, cheap, metal Nissen huts and shipping containers at Hammersmith Hospital, the leading medical research centre in the UK, where I did my specialist training and PhD, and I found Bajan builders retro-fitting them for use as work site offices. So when I discovered that Dr. Clive Landis, a leading researcher at Hammersmith, had taken the brilliant step of marrying a Bajan girl and wanted to work in Barbados, and there was no lab space in the University or the QEH, the penny dropped; Clive and I soon created a splendid lab in a retrofitted, plumbed and “electrified” container!

It works well and is loved by its staff: small but perfect, in an 8 x 40 foot tunnel! 320 square feet, state of the art, for a third the price of a concrete building … and financed by the generosity of Mr. Edmund Cohen, hence the name the ECOVAR Lab, and SAGICOR, and equipped with a grant from BAYER.

Under the leadership of Professor Landis the lab has established itself as the leading vascular research centre in the Caribbean, with 50 plus peer reviewed papers over 10 years. The lab also serves as an Immunology training hub, delivering undergraduate medical and PhD programmes for UWI, publishing HIV research with the National AIDS Program, and acting as regional co-ordinating centre running accredited HIV/AIDS training workshops across the Caribbean. Research is focused on the role of inflammation and its resolution, improving the surgeon’s understanding of inflammation and hemostasis, and it has impacted patient care in ways that will continue to be felt many years to come. A seminal achievement has been creation of the first Clinical Practice Guidelines on attenuating the systemic inflammatory response to heart surgery

The Immunology PhD program was established in 2008 and has two in-house PhD students, Dr. Kim Quimby and Andre Greenidge, and one off-site student, Songee Branch-Beckles at the Ministry of Health. Other research is carried out on sickle cell disease, HIV/AIDS transmission and wound healing in diabetes .

Meanwhile, the CDRC has also grown exponentially, from an embryonic vision and a “lively adolescent” when I demitted office in 2005, it has contributed an enormous body of valuable research under my successor Professor Anselm Hennis: discovery of a NEW gene for glaucoma; the definitive Barbados study of prostate cancer in men of African descent; outcomes of diabetes in pregnancy on teenagers; collaborative asthma study with Johns Hopkins University; definitive population study of lupus; the Barbados Stroke Study, leading to our Stroke Unit at the QEH; Centenarians in Barbados; and the Barbados National Registry for stroke, heart attacks and cancer. It has sourced millions in foreign exchange in grants, provided many jobs and hugely boosted the research reputation of Barbados and the UWI. And its mission is beautifully depicted in the mural “Physicus – the Art of Healthy Living” by Don Small, on the Western wall of the building … Stop and be inspired!

The CDRC is a dynamic, growing Centre, a major star of the University, and the Edmund Cohen Lab, perhaps the JEWEL IN THE CROWN…. Thanks to the commitment, hard work and team work of many, it has all succeeded beyond my wildest dreams.

Brickbat: To six policemen in Trinidad who set fire to a teenager. The worst excesses of slavery and the Nazi era are still active across the Caribbean.

Bouquet: To the Prime Minister, who at the meeting of the full Social Partnership on Friday stated that at some stage it may be necessary to widen the grouping due to several agencies “knocking at the door” … “The Social Partnership has really not changed its stakeholder view since its formation and the stage may well be reached in the not too distant future where we broaden its base to include other social partners who have sufficient purchase in society that their voices need to be heard.” (Advocate, Saturday July 19, page 3.)

Professor Fraser is past Dean of Medical Sciences, UWI and Professor Emeritus of Medicine. Website:  profhenryfraser.com

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Henry S. Fraser: The Chronic Disease Research Centre – a Cave Hill Star

All Dogs Health Fair and Expo for Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre tomorrow

The Purina-sponsored Goode Promotions/GPKennelsAll DogsHealth Fairand Expowill move to the Ranny WilliamsEntertainment Centre in St Andrew tomorrow.

The next two shows are onSunday, July 27, at the Jarrett Park Sport Complex in Montego Bay, St James, then the eastern parish of St Thomas at Colonel’s Cove on Sunday, August 17.

Coby, a three-year-old bulldog, walked away with two titles, Best of Show and Best Bulldog, during the first show at the Portmore Community College, Old Harbour Campus, St Catherine, on Sunday, June 29.

During the show, various breeds of dogs, including Pitbulls andRottweilers, were trained inaggressionbyprofessional trainers. The dogs were also trained to be obedient to their owners and taught a few nifty tricks.

CVM TV’s Rohan Daley, the host, advised the patrons not to “try this at home as these are trained professionals” who facilitated the demonstrations.

Morris Goode, CEO of Goode Promotions, promoter of the show, was pleased with the overall event and expects the show at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre to be “bigger and better”. Apart from the dogs being in the spotlight, children can play in the bounceabout and other attractions. Music will be by a popular disco.

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All Dogs Health Fair and Expo for Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre tomorrow

Digicel aids construction of special-needs children"s centre

Scores of persons gathered in Rose Hall, Montego Bay recently for the opening of a state-of-the-art building for the NAZ Children’s Centre.

The new facility was constructed with a $36.7 million grant from the Digicel Foundation, one of Jamaica’s leading supporters of the special-needs sector. Additional contributions of cash and kind came from Rosehall Developments, Master Spas, Cascade Group, Spanish-Jamaican Foundation, Coldmax Mart Ltd. and Maffessanti Architecture and Urban Design.

The NAZ Children’s Centre is a multifaceted educational institution for average and above-average learners and children with special needs-each of whom gets specialised attention. It provides quality education for students with learning and other challenges such Down’s Syndrome, autism, learning delays and cerebral palsy who constitute about half the student cohort.

The new facility will not only allow NAZ to double its special needs cohort to 100 but also offer a Leadership Education and Achievement Programme for special-needs children over 13 years to learn a skill in craftwork, landscaping and cosmetology.

It offers more space and allows teachers additional room to be more creative. The new school boasts a multifunctional library and computer room, five classrooms-four of which are used for inclusive learning and one for customised instruction for children with severe mental or physical impairment. The environmentally friendly new school building was designed to allow for maximum air flow throughout classrooms, eliminating the need for air conditioning units, thereby reducing energy and operational costs.

Samantha Chantrelle, chief executive officer at the Foundation told the gathering that the Foundation is committed to improving the lives of persons with special needs and intends to create ten centres of excellence across the island by 2016.

According to the Founder and Principal of NAZ, Alixann Narcisse-Campbell: “The students and staff are very excited and happy for this new building; we can now reach many more children who desperately need this kind of specialised support.”

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Digicel aids construction of special-needs children"s centre

Remand centre escapees still missing

The two inmates who escaped through a vent at the Horizon Adult Remand Centre on April 27 are yet to turn themselves in.

They are 18-year-old Casheen Peart, otherwise called ‘Nine Star’, of Church Lane district, St Thomas, and 22-year-old Omar Creary of August Town, Kingston 6.

Peart, who is on a murder charge, is of brown complexion, slim built with a tattoo on his chest and shoulder. He also has pierced ears and was last seen dressed in a white merino and a pair of plaid shorts.

Creary, who was serving a life sentence, is also of brown complexion. He is 183 centimetres (6 feet) tall and has scars on his lower and upper arms.

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of the inmates are to contact the 119 emergency number, Crime Stop at 311 or the nearest police station.

The public is also being reminded that it is a criminal act, punishable by law, to harbour a criminal.

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Remand centre escapees still missing

Wildcard Weekend takes centre stage as the NFL Play-offs begin

The table is set and so is the schedule for the play-offs. It is the week after the final games of the regular season and all the debates and permutations from the various experts as to which teams would make the play-offs have been put to rest.

The Seahawks, Patriots, Panthers and Broncos all have a bye this weekend as they wait to see who their respective opponents will be at the conclusion of the Wildcard round. Tomorrow the Chiefs play the Colts and the Saints take on the Eagles. On Sunday, it’s the Chargers facing the Bengals and the 49ers against the Packers. The winners will go on to the Divisional play-offs. The losers of course get to clean out their lockers and go home. I like this format because of its brutal simplicity.Winning on the road is never easy and in the post season it becomes even more difficult. That being the case it would seem to make sense to place your bets on the home teams. But in the NFL a lot of stuff that goes down just doesn’t make any sense at all. In this Saturday’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Indianapolis Colts we have two teams who enter the play-offs under different circumstances. The home team (Colts) won their last three games convincingly, outscoring their opponents 78-20. The Chiefs on the other hand, go into the post season having lost five of their last seven games. They rested the majority of their starters last week in their game against the Chargers which they lost 23-7. It will be interesting to see whether or not the Chiefs’ much vaunted defence will keep out Andrew Luck and his Colts. The ace up their sleeve is head coach Andy Reid and the game plan he has drawn up for this game. But even this may not be enough to beat the Colts at home.In the next game the New Orleans Saints take on the Philadelphia Eagles in Philly. Now we all know that the Saints are hard to beat at home, and they finished the regular season with an 8-0 home record. On the road is a different story as they are just 3-5. This weekend they are on the road and up against a hot Philadelphia team coached by Chip Kelly and led by Nick Foles, who is one hot quarterback. A stat worth noting is that the Eagles had a dismal home record not having won a home game at Lincoln Financial Field in 14 months. But all that changed with the Eagles winning four consecutive games to finish the regular season. So, the question arises: can the Saints win on the road at Philadelphia? We will know the answer to this late Saturday night.On Sunday afternoon, the San Diego Chargers visit the Cincinnati Bengals and this one could be tricky to call. The Chargers’ quarterback Phillip Rivers is fiercely competitive and his team went 4-1 to close out the regular season. Their defence is vastly improved from one that gave up 25 points six times in their first 11 games, to one that held opponents to an average of only 18 points in their last five regular season games. On the other hand the Bengals are hard to beat at home in Paul Brown Stadium where they have not lost a game this season (8-0). It promises to be a hard fought matchup, Phillip Rivers against Andy Dalton. The outcome of this one may very well go against the premise of home field advantage.The last game of the weekend will see the San Francisco 49ers visiting the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in cold Green Bay. This is the only one of the four match-ups in which JustBet sports betting has the road team (the 49ers) favoured to win. The weather may well play a role in the outcome as the boys from sunny California may find it somewhat uncomfortable and hostile. The 49ers are hot right now, having won six in a row in the regular season under quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who apparently has come into his own by posting a quarterback rating of 108 which is good. But – and this is a good but to take into consideration – he is up against a guy named Aaron Rodgers, who is back from an injury that sidelined him for six weeks. Returning also is dynamic Packers’ receiver Randall Cobb to the offence. All this and the notion that home field is key in play-offs makes me wonder if it’s wise to bet against Green Bay.As expected a number of head coaches had their positions terminated which is par for the course in the NFL. It’s a tough league and owners want the franchise to succeed and the yardstick that measures success is the number of games won. But don’t feel sorry for these guys who lost their jobs. They get paid big bucks and most of them will find jobs with other teams. Take for example the head coach of the Cleveland Browns, Rob Chudzinski, he was sent packing with a cheque for $10.5 million. That ought to ease the pain. The Detroit Lions let go Jim Schwartz after a pathetic showing by a seemingly rudderless team. The Houston Texans were one of the teams touted at the start of the season to go all the way. Instead, they ended up with just two wins. Head coach Gary Kubiak was let go in light of this poor record. Other coaches who got the axe were the Minnesota Vikings’ Leslie Frazier, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Greg Schiano and the Washington Redskins’ Mike Shanahan. Redskins QB Robert Griffin III (RGIII) must be a happy guy. It will be interesting to see for how long.The regular season has come to an end and it was most interesting for my colleagues and me in our picks against the JustBet point spread. Kudos and congratulations go out to Andre Hutchinson for a late regular season surge, which allowed him to surpass me and hang on to prevail as the overall champion. Incidentally we all finished up the regular season picks on a very strong note, yours truly posting a 12-3 mark in week 17, Lindo and Roper each posting 11-4 marks and the champion Hutchinson going 10-5. Remember that at the time of writing last week’s article, we did not yet have odds for the Bears vs Packers game due to the uncertainty of Aaron Rodgers’ playing status. So as a result we didn’t make a pick for that game.Yes folks, the play-offs are here and now things REALLY get interesting. It’s win or go home, and we can’t ask for more than that. Enjoy the games this weekend and remember to place your NFL bets with JustBet, Jamaica’s number one sports betting game. Also, remember to give us a listen on HITZ 92FM at 6:05 pm this and every Friday, for the NFL Gameday Forecast. Have a Happy New year and remember, “Just Win baby, Just Win”.To find a JustBet location near you, visit: www.supremeventures.com/justbetlocations. To find out more about JustBet, and how to bet on the NFL and other sports, visit www.supremeventures.com/justbet, www.facebook.com/justbet, www.twitter.com/justbet_ja , or call 1-888-429-5785 (toll-free).NFL WILDCARD PLAYOFF SCHEDULE& JUSTBET HANDICAPS(*JustBet Handicaps for each game in bracket, Under/Over for each game listed)Saturday, January 4IND COL_S v KC CHIEFS (+2.5), UNDER/OVER 46.5PHI EAGLES v NO SAINTS (+1.5), UNDER/OVER 54.5Sunday, January 5CIN BENGALS v SD CHARGERS (+7.5), UNDER/OVER 46.5GB PACKERS (+2.5 ) v SF 49ERS, UNDER/OVER 48.5EXPERTS’ PICKS AGAINST THE SPREADAndre Hutchinson’sWildcard Play-off PicksCOL_S v CHIEFSEAGLES v SAINTSBENGALS v CHARGERSPACKERS v 49ERSLast week’s record: 10-5Regular Season record: 136-119***REGULAR SEASON PICKS CHAMPION ***Tony Scott’sWildcard Play-off Picks COL_S v CHIEFSEAGLES v SAINTSBENGALS v CHARGERSPACKERS v 49ERSLast week’s record: 12-3Regular Season record: 132-123Peter Lindo’sWildcard Play-off PicksCOL_S v CHIEFSEAGLES v SAINTSBENGALS v CHARGERSPACKERS v 49ERSLast week’s record: 11-4Regular Season record: 129-126Andrei Roper’sWildcard Play-off Picks COL_S v CHIEFSEAGLES v SAINTSBENGALS v CHARGERSPACKERS v 49ERSLast week’s record: 11-4Regular Season record: 120-135

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Wildcard Weekend takes centre stage as the NFL Play-offs begin

Region Six to get centre for special needs students

EDUCATION Minister Ronald Thwaites has pledged to identify funds in the next budget for the establishment of a special diagnostic and care centre for students with special education needs in Region Six.

Thwaites made the announcement on Friday while addressing teachers, principals and school board chairpersons at the Region Six Back-to-School Conference held at the Portmore Holiness Christian Church in St Catherine.Region Six encompasses the parishes of Clarendon and St Catherine.Thwaites, earlier this year, announced that three special care centres will be established in regions two, four and five by the end of this year.The facilities will be located at the Church Teachers’ College in Manchester; Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College in St James; and the College of Agriculture Science and Education in Portland and are estimated to cost the Government about $40 million.“I’m sorry that we haven’t been able to include a proper diagnostic centre in Region Six in this year’s budget, but I want to promise you, here and now, that in the next budget, whatever else we have to do, we’re going to set up a proper Mico-type care centre, whether it is in Old Harbour, Spanish Town or May Pen, to serve your parishes,” he said.Thwaites said that the centre, in addition to the other three diagnostic facilities to be established in rural Jamaica, will alleviate the need for parents to take their children to Kingston for assessment.He said that this will also lessen the demand on the services of the Mico Child Assessment and Research in Education (CARE) Centre, which is currently the only such facility in Jamaica.Thwaites stated that the move is in keeping with Government’s plans to revitalise and transform the education system with special emphasis on early childhood and special education.“We need to face the facts. We know that probably some 20 per cent of our children fall somewhere on this spectrum of mild to serious education deficiency for one reason or another.“Instead of putting them at the back of the class and instead of saying, ‘I can’t reach this person’, we need to increase the number of people in our schools, who have the capacity and the training to deal with those students, who are in difficult circumstances and who need to be diagnosed and have the appropriate therapy at the earliest stage possible,” he stated.Thwaites said that the centres will be properly staffed with professionals in the area of special education and will also serve as a training ground for teachers, who want to acquire skills in the field.He therefore urged school principals in the region to “start identifying those teachers in your school who have the heart and mind to be a special education teacher”.He said that there is a growing demand for special educators in Jamaica and he hopes to satisfy this need by 2016.THWAITES … we are going to set up a Mico-type centre

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Region Six to get centre for special needs students

Don"t let McCam Childcare Centre go under!

A key entity in the provision of services for the island’s disability sector, the McCam Childcare and Development Centre (MCDC), has joined the many organisations whose continued existence is now under threat as critical funds have dried up.

Its motto “it is no small thing to influence a child so fresh from the hands of God”, the 27-year-old McCam is distinguished for publishing the first early childhood curriculum in Jamaica and the Caribbean.The MCDC, with offices at 231 Old Hope Road in Kingston, said it opened its doors in 1986 in response to the demand for educational programming for children with a range of special needs at the early childhood level and currently care for children up to eight years of age – from the gifted to the slow learning.“The uniqueness of this institution for children, is in the integration of the student population,” said board chairman Lewis Campbell. “Children with special needs, for example, work alongside gifted children without special needs, and this allows for the acquisition of skills, as these children work and play together.”Campbell said that another advantage of this system was the “increased awareness and sensitivity it brings to each other, particularly those with disabilities”.McCam’s inclusive education programme runs from nursery education to a pre-school programme, covering the requirements of the student population, including those with special needs between the ages of six months and six years.With this in mind, McCam Childcare and Development Centre, only a year old in 1987, established the Unit for the Total Development of Special Needs Children (UTDSC), a not-for-profit organisation.“The Unit is governed by a board of directors, and the centre works in collaboration with other agencies and government institutions to develop and effectively implement early intervention services, and facilitate the operation of and understanding of the various needs of these children,” said Campbell.Children with disabilities now make up 40 per cent of the population of the centre’s nursery and school programme. Other children are also referred to the Centre for assessment and therapeutic interventions, from educational and early childhood institutions, medical practitioners, and the general public.McCam’s services also include the Inclusive Early Childhood Services for nursery, pre-school and kindergarten, special education services and pre-school kindergarten grades 1 and 2. Through therapeutic intervention, children up to eight years of age are served by a team consisting of an occupational therapist, a school psychologist, a clinical psychologist, a behavioural specialist, and a special educator.The Centre conducts workshops and seminars for teachers and parents, and provides practical experience for students from various institutions including nursing, special education and early childhood practitioners in training; it also serves as a resource centre for the dissemination of information on children with special needs.But despite its vital services, Campbell said, the McCam Centre had been hit by a reduction in grants, which now threatens its existence.“We have spent countless hours trying to keep afloat. The operational cost for maintaining the Centre has been a burden over the years,” team member Juliene Campbell-Donaldson acknowledged.Still, Campbell, the Centre’s programme director, Pauline Watson-Campbell and Campbell-Donaldson are determined to keep McCam going and are putting the final touches to a fund-raising drive which will be launched shortly.In the interim, they are urging the Government and other supporting entities to keep their partnership going in the interest of the community of disabled children.

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Don"t let McCam Childcare Centre go under!