‘Eyesores’ in North Leeward

Fri May 2, 2014

EDITOR: It is without doubt that the ULP has done remarkably well with the recovery effort in North Leeward and other parts of the country. We know that nothing is perfect, and that there would be some who would be overcompensated, while there are others who would have missed out.{{more}}

If we leave the party politics out, we would agree that the government deserves full praise. For in so short a space of time houses have been built. Soon lives would return to normalcy, while some would be better off than they were previously.

Of concern, however, are both the physical and economic life in Chateaubelair. We know that Chateaubelair is a town, but from its physical appearance it does not look so. On the waterfront area there are two buildings that stand as “eyesores”. One is the former agricultural depot. This building has been for over a decade left abandoned and rotting. The other is the former fisheries complex, built by the former New Democratic Party representative Alpian Allen.

Both of these abandoned buildings surely do not enhance the physical beauty of the town, but rather make the physical outlook of the town ugly. To add to those buildings is the wharf next door. It has been for some time now left unattended and can no longer be termed a port of entry.

While recognizing the harsh economic times that we are living in, it sure would be good to give some attention to these buildings and wharf. If these buildings are operational and used for their intended purposes, then they would generate some income in the community and, by extension, the country.

It would be interesting, now that elections are expected, to hear what both candidates have planned for changing these buildings from being “eyesores” to places of productivity. It would be nice to see this town upgraded where persons can cash their cheques and collect monies from Money Gram and Western Union.

I am certain that if these buildings are put to use again, along with the wharf becoming a port of entry, then there would be an increase in economic activities in North Leeward and it would lift the physical and economic outlook of this neglected town.

Kennard King