Former Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sir James Mitchell.
Mitchell died at the age of 90 on Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021. Reuters
Caribbean Life, NOV. 26-DEC. 2, 2021 3
By Nelson A. King
As Americans in November commemorate
Diabetes Awareness
Month, Central Brooklyn Lions Club
is urging community residents to eat
healthy while living with or without
diabetes, saying that healthy eating is
“a cornerstone of healthy living.”
“But if you have the disease, you
need to know how foods affect your
blood sugar levels,” Brooklyn resident
Doreen Thomas, the Jamaican-born
service chairperson for this year, who
is responsible for planning and implementing
the activities for Central
Brooklyn Lions Club, told Caribbean
Life exclusively.
“It is not only the type of food you
eat but also how much you eat and
the combination of food types you eat
at the same time,” added the retired
registered nurse. “Keeping blood
sugar levels within the range recommended
by your MD (medical doctor)
can be challenging, because many
things make your blood sugar levels
change, sometimes unexpectedly.”
Thomas said some factors to consider
are foods, exercise, illness, alcohol
and water.
“Learn portion size, make every
meal well balanced as much as possible,”
she said. “When you exercise,
your muscles use sugar for energy,
which helps your body use insulin
more effectively. Therefore, develop
a schedule and follow as closely as
possible.
“During illness, your body produces
stress-elevated hormones to
help the body fight; but they also
increase blood sugar levels,” Thomas
added. “Try to stick to your meal plan
as much as possible. Know when
to call your MD. Learn relaxation
techniques and coping mechanisms,
which will help decrease blood sugar
levels.
By Morgan C. Mullings
City Councilmember Ydanis Rodriguez
(D-Manhattan) led other elected
officials and several dozen advocate
organizations in a City Hall Park rally
Tuesday celebrating a measure that will
allow roughly 800,000 non-citizens living
in New York City for at least 30 days
to vote in all city elections.
The measure dubbed “Our City, Our
Vote ” now has a veto-proof supermajority
34 out of 51 City Council supporting
the legislation guaranteeing passage at
the council’s stated meeting on Dec. 9.
It comes as nearly half of New York City
households have a member with green
card status or other undocumented
status.
It also comes as a number of city lawmakers
– once part of those immigrant
households themselves – are leading
the movement to pass the bill.
“My mom had all of her kids in a public
hospital,” said City Councilmember
and Brooklyn Borough President-elect
Antonio Reynoso, who attended the
rally. “My mom couldn’t vote for a representative
that could ensure a quality
education for her kids.”
Reynoso’s family came from the
Dominican Republic and raised him in
Williamsburg, which he now represents
in the council.
“It’s about time that we finally get
an opportunity where we show these
representatives what we want, what we
need and what we deserve at the voting
booth, where it most matters,” Reynoso
said.
He thanked Rodriguez and the work
of the New York Immigrant Coalition,
who have been organizing the rallies
and the letters as part of the campaign
to get the bill passed.
While Mayor Bill de Blasio has said
he has “mixed feelings” about the bill
because he feared that allowing noncitizens
to vote might remove the incentive
for people to become full citizens,
Mayor-elect Eric Adams has voiced support
for it.
Under the proposed legislation the
New York City Board of Elections (BOE)
would issue a separate voter registration
form for green cardholders and
other noncitizens who have the right to
work. Those voters would then fill out
a ballot with only New York City offices
on it at the polls.
The bill also calls for training
poll workers and community education
campaigns to ensure every voter
receives the correct ballot.
By Nelson A. King
Sir James Fitz-Allen “Son” Mitchell,
former Prime Minister of St. Vincent
and the Grenadines and former Member
of Parliament for the Northern Grenadines,
died on Tuesday, Nov. 23, the
government of Prime Minister Dr. Ralph
E. Gonsalves said in a statement. He
was 90.
The Caribbean Media Corporation
(CMC) reported that Sir James died five
days after he was discharged from the
Intensive Care Unit at the Queen Elizabeth
Hospital in neighboring Barbados,
where he was taken after falling ill at his
home in Bequia, the largest and most
northern of the Grenadine islands, on
Oct. 30.
“He was initially diagnosed, in Bequia,
as having a gallstone, but was brought
to the capital, Kingstown, where doctors
said he had an infection,” CMC said.
The Office of Prime Minister Gonsalves
said Sir James, who represented
the Grenadines for a total of 33 years,
was the multi-island state’s second
prime minister, serving in that capacity
from 1984 to 2000.
He also served as premier from
1972 to 1974, and was the founder and
President of the New Democratic Party
(NDP).
“Sir James will be accorded a State
Funeral, details of which will be provided
in a subsequent announcement,”
the Office of Prime Minister Gonsalves
said.
“As a mark of respect, all flags
throughout the State will be flown at
half-mast from Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021
to Thursday, Nov. 25, 2021, and on the
day of the funeral,” it added. “The Government
of St. Vincent and the Grenadines
takes this opportunity to extend
sincere condolences to the family of the
late Sir James Fitz-Allen Mitchell.”
The NDP said in a statement that it
was “saddened to hear the news that the
founder of the New Democratic Party,
Sir James Mitchell, has passed away.
“He was one of the founding fathers
of our nation,” the NDP said. “During
his time serving our nation, he
achieved huge amounts in steering St.
Vincent and the Grenadines in the right
direction, by providing economic stability
and improving housing across our
islands.
“The IMF (International Monetary
Fund) once said of his economic leadership,
‘there’s much to please and little to
fault,’” it added. “Sir James is, undoubtedly,
to be credited for numerous developments
in our country. He was the
embodiment of a true statesman and a
nation-builder.
“Sir James was much loved by everybody
that knew him, and we pray for
his family during this difficult time,” it
added. “May he rest in peace.”
Born in Bequia on May 15, 1931,
Mitchell was educated at St. Vincent
Grammar School.
Photographer
Retired Registered Nurse Doreen
Thomas displays some of the fruits
and vegetables that lowers blood
sugar and are nutritious as well.
Roger Maynard
EX SVG PM Mitchell dies at 90
NYC Council ready to give non-citizens voting rights
Central Brooklyn
Lions urge
healthy living
with diabetes