By George Alleyne
Barbados’ Consul General in
New York, Mackie Holder, has
said that with the passing of
former prime minister Owen
Arthur, “there is a huge vacuum
in the Barbados political, economic
and education landscape,
Caribbean integration, world agitation
on behalf of small island
states, and academic discourse.”
An economist, Arthur and the
island’s longest serving prime
minister and the person credited
with taking its economy to
unprecedented heights while
creating a vastly improved standard
of living, died of conditions
associated heart failure in the
public hospital.
Owen Seymour Arthur, whose
prime ministership ran from
1984 to 2008, died at age 70
and is survived by wife, Julie;
daughters Sabrina and Leah, sister
Valmay, and brother Richard.
After losing this high office he
continued to serve as a member
of parliament until 2018.
His passing put the nation
into further grief and despair as
it happened amidst mourning for
another of its own, West Indies
and the world’s greatest batsman,
Sir Everton Weeks. Additionally,
Caribbean L 14 ife, August 7, 2020
for an island of more
than 95 percent black population
its people were also grieving the
death of American fighter for
black civil rights, John Lewis.
Describing him as the dominant
figure in Barbados while
prime minister, Holder said that
he was a Caribbean statesman
and acclaimed academic whose
career was distinguished by one
word – excellence.
“He delivered massively and
spectacularly for Barbados, engineering
a threshold of economic
growth that was never attained
before he became Prime Minister
and has not been seen since he
left office; and Arthur matched
this with widespread social development
in his drive to make
Barbados, as he always said, the
first small developed country in
the world.”
The consul general noted that
Arthur stood firmly against any
notion that Caribbean countries
could be bullied, making strong
and pointed statements that the
independence of all states is the
same regardless of size.
“He was the architect of the
CARICOM Single Market and
Economy and an unshakable
supporter of the University of the
West Indies, of which he was a
graduate, facilitating the expansion
of the Cave Hill Campus in
Barbados.
“A nation, in fact nations,
can attest to the benefits of this
most transformative gift. His
legacy will benefit generations
to come.”
Current Prime Minister Mia
Mottley, whom Arthur introduced
to Cabinet level of government
by making her Minister of
Education, Youth and Culture in
late 1994 despite analysts claiming
that she was too ‘green’ for
the job, described the man as
having, “… strong patriotism …
anchored by a burning passion
for regional integration for the
Caribbean civilisation”.
“The Owen Arthur that I
knew was never overwhelmed by
the task at hand. ‘Face it and fix
it’, that was his mantra. Indeed,
his greatest domestic legacy will
be considered by many as the
wrestling of unemployment from
the horrendous highs of about
27 percent in the early 1990s to
under seven per cent in 2008.
“It seems like an archaic economic
achievement, but it meant
real things to real Bajans in real
ways. The promise that many
Barbados Prime Minister, Mia Mottley and former Barbados
Prime Minister, Owen Arthur. Mia Mottley’s Facebook page
doubted at the outset of his tenure
was delivered over the three
terms – the creation of 30,000
jobs.”
Mottley said, “Owen set out to,
and did master the art of politics.
But he never, in so doing, compromised
his economic training
and his commitment at all times
to sound policy. It was his hallmark.”
In doing so, she said that
Arthur, “from the early 1990s,
moulded a new class of politician
in this country and changed in
many ways, how those representatives
would serve the better
chances and obligations of
a politician, as they serve their
constituents”.
As of Tuesday, no date was
yet been announced for this
outstanding Barbadian leader’s
funeral.
Barbados lost a great leader
New Yorkers know that summertime in
the City can be stifling, hot and humid. For
older New Yorkers, extreme heat is not only
uncomfortable, it can be dangerous and
cause heat illness and death. Each year, more
Americans die from heat waves than all other
natural disasters combined.
The same older adults who are vulnerable
to extreme heat, are most vulnerable to
COVID-19. The best way for older adults to
be safe from extreme heat is to drink plenty
of water and stay inside in a cool place. And
while opening windows can help increase
airflow, using an air conditioning unit is the
best way to stay cool while at home. In New
York City, more than 80% of heat stroke deaths
in recent years involved victims who were
exposed to extreme heat in homes without
air conditioning.
For many New Yorkers, the high cost of an
air conditioning unit makes it inaccessible,
especially now given the financial hardship
that has accompanied COVID-19. To help
older New Yorkers stay cool and safe from
COVID-19, the NYC Department for the
Aging is working with the City’s GetCool Air
Conditioner Program to provide 74,000 free
air conditioners and installation service to
low-income older adults.
So far, more than 48,000 of these air
conditioners have been installed. Thanks to
these air conditioners, many older adults can
now stay cool in their homes this summer
and will be able to use these units in future
hot summers.
In addition to the GetCool Air Conditioner
Program, New York State’s Cooling Assistance
program, called HEAP, can also help. The
program covers the cost of an air conditioner
or a fan, plus installation, at a price of up to
$800. Applications are currently open through
August 30. New Yorkers can call 311 for
eligibility requirements and for information
on how to apply.
For New Yorkers who do not have airconditioning,
the City has more than 230
public cooling centers across the five boroughs.
Cooling centers have been an important
resource during heat emergencies every
year. This year due to COVID-19, the City is
taking extra steps at cooling centers to protect
New Yorkers from getting sick. All cooling
centers are operating at limited capacity and
following social distancing guidelines. They
are also providing hand sanitizer and free face
coverings to attendees. Because cooling centers
are an important resource for older New
Yorkers, some senior centers in our network
have been operating as cooling centers during
heat emergencies. As an extra safety measure,
cooling centers at senior center locations are
open exclusively to adults over the age of 60.
I myself have visited a few cooling centers at
our senior center sites and can vouch that while
there are no social activities being offered, like
board games and congregate meals, they do
provide safe and cool respite from the heat. At
many, the main, congregate room is filled by
chairs arranged at six feet, or more, apart and all
attendees keep their face masks on while inside. It
is not the same senior center experience that we
know and love, but during these unprecedented
times, it is the safest option for older adults.
Though the City has many ways to help older
New Yorkers stay cool and safe, nothing can
replace the value of a friendly check-in by a
neighbor, family member, or a friend. A quick
call to make sure that an older adult in your
life has the resources to stay cool this summer
could save a life. This summer, we want older
New Yorkers to be safe from both COVID-19
and extreme heat. By using all available City
resources and staying connected with each
other, we can make sure this happens.
For more information on how to beat the
heat this summer, visit nyc.gov/beattheheat
or call 311.
Summer Heat in the City
NYC Department for the
Aging Commissioner
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
Older New Yorkers find respite from
the heat at Grand Street Settlement
Neighborhood Senior Center when open as
a cooling center.
/beattheheat
