Before the Menino era, this honor was reserved only to white dominated countries or to countries that had a ‘big shot’ in the Mayor’s office. This Mayor has made a big difference in the life of many new immigrants by allowing each and every one an opportunity to express their patriotism.
On Friday, October twenty-second, the Mayor’s office of Neighborhood Services, in collaboration with the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Association of Massachusetts, celebrated the 20th anniversary of Saint Vincent’s Independence during a brief ceremony that meant a lot for the natives and friends of Saint Vincent. Eric Hill, the Mattapan liaison to the Mayor’s office, hosted the ceremony. As scheduled, at noontime, dignitaries, local officials, and other Caribbean community activists gathered at the City Hall Plaza in recognition of this special glory.
To make this occasion even more exceptional, two important Saint Vincent Government officials made a trip to Boston exclusively to participate in the celebration: His Excellency Kingsley C.A Layne, C.M.G. Saint Vincent Ambassador to the United States and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Minister of Agriculture, the Honorable Jeremiah Scott, M.P. After his opening statement, Mr. Eric Hill, invited the officials to take the podium.
His honorable Jeremiah Scott presented a short story emphasizing the resemblance between Saint Vincent and the City of Boston. Then, the Ambassador during his speech thanked the officials of Boston for this noble initiative. He ended his words with an invitation to Bostonians to visit Saint Vincent.
The Saint Vincent and Grenadines Association of Massachusetts presented awards to Ambassador Layne, Agriculture Minister Jeremiah Scott and to Gerard Eric Hill of the Mayor’s office. The Saint Vincent flag was raised on the plaza between the U.S. and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’s flag.
Mr. Eric Hill closed the ceremony and wished good luck to Saint Vincent on behalf of the Mayor. The Saint Vincent and Grenadines Association threw a party on Saturday night to end the series of activities to celebrate their independence.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is part of the Windward Islands of the West Indies. The country comprises the island of Saint Vincent and the northern Grenadine Islands. Situated about 200 miles (320 kilometers) north of Venezuela in the eastern Caribbean Sea, the nation occupies a total area of about 150 square miles (389 square kilometers), of which the island of Saint Vincent constitutes 133 square miles (344 square kilometers). The capital and chief port is Kingstown.
Saint Vincent is a mountainous island. Volcanic mountains run from north to south and are thickly forested. Mount Soufrière, the highest peak at 4,048 feet (1,234 meters), is an active volcano. The tropical climate has an average annual temperature of about 80°F (27°C).
Most of the people are descendants of black African slaves who were brought by the British to work on sugarcane plantations. The majority of the population is Protestant. English is the official language, but a French patois is also widely spoken. Primary education is free but not compulsory. A small international airport is at Arnos Vale.
Agriculture is the major element of the economy, employing almost 60 percent of the work force. Bananas are the chief cash crop and the most valuable export. Saint Vincent is the world's largest producer of arrowroot. Other crops include copra, coconuts, yams, sweet potatoes, cassavas, and carrots. Food processing is the chief manufacturing activity. Fishing, lumbering, and tourism are also significant.
Christopher Columbus visited Saint Vincent in 1498. It was ceded to Great Britain in 1763 and was made part of the Windward Island colony in 1871. The islands gained full independence in 1979. The country is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary type of government. It is a member of the Commonwealth and the head of state is the British monarch. Population (1995 estimate), 112,000. (Portions of this article were adapted from Compton’s Encyclopedia) ¨
