OPEN LETTER TO THE GOVERNMENT & PEOPLE OF ANGUILLA by Mr. Sheridan Smith

Dear fellow Anguillians:

As a result of the Chief Minister mentioning Sheriva in his press conference last Tuesday, I have received many calls from many people, representing varied interests and political views, but all with the same question: “Sheridan is the Salamander Group good people?”  This prompted me to write this open letter to clarify rumors, as best I can, regarding Salamander Hospitality and their interest in Anguilla.

I have known the current Salamander Hospitality Pre-development Specialist and owner of Fire sky, “JB”, for over 5 years.  During this time, he showed me respect and assisted me whenever I asked.  He wanted nothing in return, but to see Sheriva succeed.  As a result, we have become friends.  More to the point, JB brought an executive team from Salamander to Anguilla and they stayed at Sheriva.  He emphasized, while here, that they had no secrets and even invited me to be a part of their meetings and discussions.  This is highly unusual. It represents a respect that so few American investors show when doing business on Anguilla.  JB is unaware that I am voicing my opinions by writing this letter, but I would rather ask for his forgiveness than to ask for permission to offer clarification and support of the Salamander group.  He knows that I care about Anguilla and I speak from the heart. I have literally invested and bet my life on this island’s success with my development of Sheriva Villas. Therefore, I am sure he will understand and appreciate my actions and my need to share the facts with my fellow Anguillians.

This is in no way a political farce, nor is this politically motivated.

 I am driven by the simple fact that their needs to be an immediate positive change on Anguilla.  The future of Anguilla needs to be about what is best for ALL, not just a few. The Government of Anguilla seems to be out of touch with the ordinary person on the street. They appear not to see that our people are suffering every single day; that Anguillians are losing their homes, with some being forced to leave their families behind in search of employment elsewhere.   Yet, the Government continues to entertain and be subservient to the demands of the original Temenos investor, Mr. Sillerman, and other foreign investors.  Mr. Sillerman, his Anguilla accomplices, his strategists and the Government of Anguilla are all holding Anguilla hostage.  This makes me extremely angry and it should make you angry as well!

 The background facts to the recent involvement of Salamander Hospitality, as I know it, are as follows:  JB was asked by the Government of Anguilla to source and introduce credible investors- by October 1, 2009 - who would provide swift action in completing the Temenos project.  On October 1, JB was engaged by Salamander, owned by Sheila Johnson, to represent their interest in the said project.  JB’s primary concern was to protect Sheila Johnson’s outstanding reputation. He was adamant about not becoming involved if he thought Ms. Johnson would be used as a “political football”. I assured him that from what I knew of our Government and their willingness to resolve this Temenos issue, they would be very supportive of a group such as Salamander.

The Salamander team came to Anguilla the week of October 25th. Their team included attorneys, engineers, the company president, construction specialists, finance specialists, and development specialists. One could not help but be impressed by such a team and the depth of their collective knowledge, experience and commitment to quality.  Their due diligence prior to meeting with the Government of Anguilla was nothing short of amazing. They worked from 7 a.m. to about 1 a.m. during the 5 days they were here, and I was a part of many of their conversations and debates on how to tackle the Temenos nightmare. I was humbled by the fact that they considered my opinion and advice as important as anyone’s.

Salamander met with members of the Government of Anguilla in the Sheriva conference room that Wednesday morning.  By all accounts, the meeting with the Hon. Chief Minister Fleming and Hon. Minister Victor Banks went well. JB himself indicated that at the meeting, both the Chief Minister and Minister Banks made it clear that they were finished negotiating with the original Temenos investor and were in the process of moving forward with public acquisition of the project and wanted to be sure that if and when this happened, the Government would have a reputable developer with capital and the branding to make this a reality.  Salamander assured them that once they had completed their due diligence process, they would submit a proposal to the Government of Anguilla to address all the issues. This proposal was delivered to the government 6 days after that initial meeting.  In my opinion, Salamander did what was requested and did so very quickly.

To go a bit deeper, I would hope that all of you would take some time to really get to know the person behind Salamander, Ms. Sheila Johnson.  Sheila is a woman of color and will serve as a role model and inspiration to everyone who understands the depth of her ambitions and successes, but specifically she will be a role model to the people of Anguilla and all West Indians.

Ms.  Johnson is an entrepreneur and philanthropist whose accomplishments span the arenas of hospitality, sports, TV/Film, the arts and humanitarian causes.  Ms. Johnson is the CEO of Salamander Hospitality LLC, overseeing a portfolio of luxury properties and lifestyle businesses.  She is the first African-American woman to have a stake in three professional sports teams including the Washington Wizards (NBA) and the Washington Capitals (NHL).  She is the founding partner of BET (Black Entertainment Television) and the creator of its award-winning program, Teen Summit. Her most recent film, A Powerful Noise, premiered at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. Ms. Johnson has also served as Global Ambassador for CARE, whose mission is to fight global poverty.  She dedicates her time to organizations that give children and young adults the opportunity to express their creativity. She presently serves on numerous boards, including the Tiger Woods Foundation. Ms. Johnson has been visiting Anguilla for 15 years and holds a special place in her heart for both the island and its people.

I hope you can see why Salamander is such a positive option to one of our island’s biggest dilemmas.  Whatever must be done to cement Sheila Johnson’s involvement in Temenos, we must do it.   She and her company can provide hope in this difficult time.

 All this being said, however, I have been now made to understand that after all this progress and effort, the Government of Anguilla is back to negotiating with Mr. Sillerman!  Are they not tired of listening to his promises that continue to be broken? If this is indeed a fact, it makes me both angry and sad.  We are a proud and strong people.  Why then are we allowing Sillerman to control us like puppets on a string? Why is it that our Government looks out for the interest of the foreign investors FIRST– including failed ones – and the interest of Anguillians, SECOND?

 I speak from experience. This is exactly what happened to me when Cap Juluca owner, Adam Aaron, promised that he would not build in front of Sheriva. I later learned that the Government had somehow signed an illegal document that allowed him to build in front of me and therefore devalue my property.  The reason I said this was an ‘illegal document’ is because the Cap Juluca MOA was never debated or approved in the House of Assembly, so therefore that is an illegal document.  If in fact, it was a mistake, then the Government has a chance to prove that it truly cares about Anguillian investors over foreign investors and still have an opportunity to correct this mistake in the House.  I find it hard to believe that the Government would willfully be so grossly negligent of their duties in protecting Anguillians.

Nevertheless, it seems that Flag Luxury Properties has been given more time to solve their mess.   How much more time, I do not know.  What I do know is that they have had almost a year and a half to “solve” their problems and they have not done so.  I think the Government arrogance and overconfidence (or ignorance) have clouded their judgment because they have seriously misjudged the intelligence and resolve of the people of Anguilla.  We demand an immediate solution at Temenos or allow a newly elected Government to do so.  We will no longer be fooled by this Government’s misdirection, misinformation and mistruths.  I have already heard that there is discord and disunity within the United Front Party as it relates to the Temenos project, which tells me those persons care aboutthe future of Anguilla more than the future of a party that supports failures such as Flag and Sillerman.  I am a proud person who stands up boldly for what is right.  What is right for Anguilla is CHANGE.  Flag has failed. Mr. Sillerman has failed.  They have shown nothing but disrespect to the people of Anguilla.  What we need to do is let our collective voices be heard in support of Sheila Johnson and Salamander Hospitality.

 Many of you might be wondering what do I gain from being so supportive of this group. All I have to gain is what the rest of this island has to gain – a positive financial future and a livelihood. I have invested my money, my children’s money, my relatives’ money and my LIFE in Sheriva.  I refuse to see my dream become another failed project at the hands of others.  I believe that the completion of Temenos project, with the right new investors, will be of paramount importance to this island and its people.  We must be intelligent enough to realize that we must stand together and demand a change NOW.  What must be done has to be done for the betterment of all of us, not just a few in powers.  Every day that Government lets that project sit idle, it means another day without jobs, without business, without food, another day of more foreclosures and more unnecessary suffering.

 I know from paying keen attention in meetings that the economic impact of fully completing and opening this project is staggering. It will create 200-300 construction jobs, 700-900 permanent jobs, generate customs duties, departure tax (approx. EC$3,300,000 per year) and accommodation tax (approx. EC$3,000,000 per year).  These are the direct benefits of this project opening. This is what we are losing every day that this project remains stagnant and incomplete. For every dollar spent or collected, that dollar turns over 6 times on the island, which would equate to 100’s of millions of dollars in the pockets of Anguillians over the next 10 years.  Most importantly, we now have someone with vision, experience, a sound reputation and excitement about this project and Anguilla. We need to erase the negative stigma associated with Anguilla and failed projects.In closing, although this letter might seem self-serving and political, it is far from that.  It is a plea to the people of Anguilla and the Government to be smart, thoughtful, and to look past party politics and simply support what is right for Anguilla.  We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to have Sheila Johnson invest in Temenos, our island and our people.  Any politician who says there will always be ‘another investor’ should first consider that there will always be another lousy politician, as well.  Let’s not settle for second best when we already have the best – SALAMANDER.  Let us unite and take back control of Temenos and rally in support of JB and Sheila Johnson.

We have all seen what Flag Luxury Properties and Mr. Sillerman have done for us.

So I ask you, the people of Anguilla, IS IT NOT TIME FOR A CHANGE?

Sincerely,

Mr. Sheridan Smith

CEO/OWNER, Sheriva Villa Hotel