12 Meeting with (from left) Cabinet Secretary, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerritt and Minister for Disaster Management at the EOC. By Cecil Shillingford F ollowing my Secondary Education at the Dominica Grammar School, I had no idea yet on a career choice. Like all school leavers at the time who could not access a university due to lack of funds, I applied for jobs to all Government and private sector entities in Dominica. All those who replied indicated that there were no vacancies at the time and of course some did not respond. Subsequently, I was informed of a Religious Radio Station which was being built south of my village which would be staffing immediately after the construction. Well, this was being in the right place at the right time since I was of the same religious faith like the owners (Baptist). I contacted the owners and was successful and was engaged immediately. I worked with the Foreign Engineers and Managers/Owners and learnt quite a lot technically and managerially. A few months later the station was completely equipped and ready for operations. Since I was still the only one engaged, I was the first to broadcast on the radio waves and did this for a few months alone. Fast forward, more staff members were engaged and the station was broadcasting religious music and programs on a full-time daily basis with me being the supervisor. In 1979, August to be exact, which was in the middle of the Hurricane Season, just about August 20, the National Hurricane Center announced a weather system in the Atlantic Ocean which was showing signs of further development and there was the possibility that it could become the fourth named storm/hurricane of the 1979 Receiving Her Royal Highness Princess Ann and British High Commissioner to Dominica before a Presentation on the Seismic Situation in Dominica 19982000. Hurricane season. Since I was responsible for the station, I had the rest of the staff closely monitor and • Continues on next page
13 Publizr Home