Dear Editor,
While I mourn the death of my little cousin, 13-year-old Brittanie Cohen — who was swept away by raging flood waters in Cheswick, St Thomas, on Tuesday night, and later found wrapped around a tree in probably a desperate attempt to save her life — her passing should be a wake-up call regarding the poor infrastructure, lack of development, and lack of opportunities for the people of St Thomas over the years.
Having migrated over 14 years ago, I have, on visits, seen a diminishing St Thomas, particularly my hometown of Dalvey, where Brittanie, a seventh-grade student, had to travel miles to Paul Bogle High School. I have seen some of the same potholes I left there 14 years ago, roadways neglected, drainage non-existent, water shortage prominent and, I guess, despite the floods, no water will be in the pipes at Top House in another few weeks.
And so, my cousin drowned. I can visualise the flooded area where there is no drainage, blocked and un-maintained gullies, waiting for tragedy against the dumb expectation that whenever it rains heavily, the road will remain poorly paved, water will find its way peacefully to the sea and water will find and develop its own catchment and storage. Where is the vision?
Over three years ago, I stopped by Wharf Road near Morant Bay. The road is on its way into the sea. But I guess we are waiting for probably a bus with schoolchildren to plunge over before the high drama is paraded on radio, television and in newspapers as to how caring, understanding and proactive our elected representatives are or who is to blamed.
The eastern end of St Thomas is drowning in poverty and lack of opportunity since the demise of Eastern Banana Estate and the uncertainty of the sugar industry in that area. Before I migrated, I heard and reported as a news correspondent in the area of plans for hotels to be built in Holland Bay; a path to be made through the mangrove to open up the untapped and beautiful Dalvey Bay beach; utilising the mangrove as a heritage sight, with all its crocodile and other aquatic life, as a tourist attraction; rebranding and using the historic Bath Fountain and its garden; capitalising on the breadfruit festival; reusing the Bowden Wharf — one of the best natural harbours in the English-speaking Caribbean; using Paul Bogle’s Stony Gut as a heritage sight; and using Reggae Falls as a tourism attraction.
I am still hearing about using the old Goodyear factory as a call centre — to the point that at one stage they repainted the shed at the front of the factory — as well as for international movie production. Despite the seemingly positive vision, St Thomas, and in particular the eastern end, continues to sink deeper and deeper into poverty, with lack of opportunity in jobs, education and infrastructure. Will it ever change?
I hope my cousin’s death will bring more focus to the reality of a diminishing parish and Dalvey, a community said to be one of the largest and most populated in the country.
Finally, we send the little water we have to Kingston. Forget about the basins at Duhaney Pen that have water in abundance; forget about the unused wells at the Goodyear tyre factory that provided an abundance of water for the factory, while the National Water Commission bills its St Thomas customers who have no water in their pipes.
Deon P Green
London, England
greenyranks@yahoo.com
While I mourn the death of my little cousin, 13-year-old Brittanie Cohen — who was swept away by raging flood waters in Cheswick, St Thomas, on Tuesday night, and later found wrapped around a tree in probably a desperate attempt to save her life — her passing should be a wake-up call regarding the poor infrastructure, lack of development, and lack of opportunities for the people of St Thomas over the years.
Having migrated over 14 years ago, I have, on visits, seen a diminishing St Thomas, particularly my hometown of Dalvey, where Brittanie, a seventh-grade student, had to travel miles to Paul Bogle High School. I have seen some of the same potholes I left there 14 years ago, roadways neglected, drainage non-existent, water shortage prominent and, I guess, despite the floods, no water will be in the pipes at Top House in another few weeks.
And so, my cousin drowned. I can visualise the flooded area where there is no drainage, blocked and un-maintained gullies, waiting for tragedy against the dumb expectation that whenever it rains heavily, the road will remain poorly paved, water will find its way peacefully to the sea and water will find and develop its own catchment and storage. Where is the vision?
Over three years ago, I stopped by Wharf Road near Morant Bay. The road is on its way into the sea. But I guess we are waiting for probably a bus with schoolchildren to plunge over before the high drama is paraded on radio, television and in newspapers as to how caring, understanding and proactive our elected representatives are or who is to blamed.
The eastern end of St Thomas is drowning in poverty and lack of opportunity since the demise of Eastern Banana Estate and the uncertainty of the sugar industry in that area. Before I migrated, I heard and reported as a news correspondent in the area of plans for hotels to be built in Holland Bay; a path to be made through the mangrove to open up the untapped and beautiful Dalvey Bay beach; utilising the mangrove as a heritage sight, with all its crocodile and other aquatic life, as a tourist attraction; rebranding and using the historic Bath Fountain and its garden; capitalising on the breadfruit festival; reusing the Bowden Wharf — one of the best natural harbours in the English-speaking Caribbean; using Paul Bogle’s Stony Gut as a heritage sight; and using Reggae Falls as a tourism attraction.
I am still hearing about using the old Goodyear factory as a call centre — to the point that at one stage they repainted the shed at the front of the factory — as well as for international movie production. Despite the seemingly positive vision, St Thomas, and in particular the eastern end, continues to sink deeper and deeper into poverty, with lack of opportunity in jobs, education and infrastructure. Will it ever change?
I hope my cousin’s death will bring more focus to the reality of a diminishing parish and Dalvey, a community said to be one of the largest and most populated in the country.
Finally, we send the little water we have to Kingston. Forget about the basins at Duhaney Pen that have water in abundance; forget about the unused wells at the Goodyear tyre factory that provided an abundance of water for the factory, while the National Water Commission bills its St Thomas customers who have no water in their pipes.
Deon P Green
London, England
greenyranks@yahoo.com