MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Penguin News Update

Headlines:
OBE for our Norma - Meningitis confirmed - ?Cool but polite': Falklands meets Argentine C24 delegation - OBE for our Norma - Meningitis confirmed.
News in brief:
Michael's honours - Take a chilly dip - Indecent images lead to prison.

OBE for our Norma

FALKLANDS champion and Councillor for almost twenty years, Norma Edwards (right) says she will wear her OBE with pride, in honour of those people who stuck by her through the less pleasant moments of her political career. Falkland Islander Norma was named as a recipient of the Order of the British Empire medal in the Queen's Birthday Honours. She said she will be proud to wear the OBE adding that she looks upon it as "not just for me" but for all those people who stuck by her "through thick and thin during the ups and downs of council life." Norma represented first Stanley then Camp during her time on Legislative Council; she was instrumental in the establishment of the Falklands fishing zone and always firmly fought Argentine attempts to secure sovereignty over the Islands. She was treated as a national hero by some and had a stalwart band of supporters when she spoke out against the July 1999 Agreement with Argentina. Norma said she was "extremely flattered" to have been sponsored for an OBE, adding that she was shocked and surprised to receive it as she had never thought of herself as being the recipient of a medal of any kind. She laughingly recounted that film director Michael Winner recently turned an OBE down saying it was only for, "toilet cleaners." "I don't mind being in the same category as toilet cleaners" said state-registered nurse Norma, "I've cleaned a few manky toilets in my time." It has been an exciting week for Norma who became a grandmother for the first time on Tuesday when her youngest daughter, Rebecca, gave birth to baby Jessica. "I am excited and proud about the OBE," she said, "...but nothing can compare with the fact that my daughter and grandchild are safe and well."
Norma said she would like to attend Buckingham Palace to collect her medal and hopes to be accompanied by her husband Roger and elder daughter Emma.

Meningitis confirmed

THE first fatal case of meningococcal meningitis in more than a decade and a half has occurred in the Falkland Islands.
The bacterium exists in around 10% of people in most communities and there can be occasional cases, but this is the first case in the Falkland Islands in at least 15 years, affecting an elderly member of the community. It is a serious form of meningitis, a disease which infects or inflames the fluid surrounding the brain, and often affects the young and the elderly.
As in the UK, the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH) has a vaccination programme against this disease for children and young adults. Hospital records show that over 95% of young children have already been vaccinated and those children and young adults who may not have been vaccinated will be contacted and asked to see the health visitor. It is not recommended that older people are vaccinated.
All people who had been in close contact with the patient were contacted and given antibiotics to prevent the illness spreading. Other members of the community are very unlikely to be affected by this illness but if you have any concerns or questions, please contact the hospital's casualty department on 28042 or the health visitor on 28080. Continued on page 3.

?Cool but polite': Falklands meets Argentine C24 delegation

Photo: Councillor Richard Davies shakes hands with the Argentine Minister for Foreign Affairs at the C24 meeting in New York last week. Councillor Davies said the exchange went no further than "beyond the usual pleasantries" and described their meeting as "cool but polite". He commented, "My impression is that they did not want direct dialogue with Falkland Islands representatives, in contrast to (former Argentine minister) Dr Di Tella's approach." Page 4: Councillor Davies examines why Falklands representation at the C24 is worthwhile.

News in brief

Michael's honours

A FALKLANDS student has graduated university with first class honours. Michael Poole (21), son of Raymond and Nancy Poole of Stanley, gained honours in his business degree from Aston University in Birmingham. He is now likely to take up a position with Cable and Wireless in London.
Reacting to Michael's result, Director of Education Barbara Booth commented, "It is always a pleasure to see young people succeed in their chosen field of study. To achieve at the highest possible level, that is a first class honours degree, is a cause for celebration. I am delighted for Michael and he can be justifiably proud of his achievements."
Mrs. Booth said Falkland Islands students in the UK are well regarded, adding that this achievement "reinforces the positive image of the Islands that our young people provide". She added, "We congratulate Michael for his outstanding success and wish him well for the future..."

Take a chilly dip

THE Mid Winter swim takes place tomorrow (Saturday) at Surf Bay.
The event was initially scheduled to take place on Sunday but was moved after it was announced that England is to play in the World Cup on Sunday.
People walking to Surf Bay will head off from Victory Green at 9.30am. Swimmers need to be at the beach by 11am to register and the swim will take place at 11.30am. Organiser Steve Dent apologised that, due to the change of day, all certificates and T-shirts issued to swimmers will now have the wrong date on them.

Indecent images lead to prison

STANLEY man Keith Reddick has begun a seven month prison sentence after pleading guilty to possessing indecent images of unknown children under the age of 16.
Mr Reddick was sentenced to five and two months in prison, to run consecutively, and later in the week was made subject to a Sexual Offenders Protection Order for a period of ten years.