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‘No consultation for beach dev. project’ @ Fat Hogs Bay– residents
Further, those residents expressed concern for the damage that the project is reportedly doing to the environment in a district whose representative speaks a lot about championing the cause of the environment, Dr The Honourable Kedrick D. Pickering (R7).
No consultation
Two property holders in the vicinity of the development spoke to this news site yesterday May 25, 2015 and expressed their outrage, saying that the project is affecting them. They also claimed there was no consultation with them on the project.
“They have screwed up everybody’s business along this area,” said a man who did not want to be identified for fear of reprisals. “It’s a sad situation what happened now they have called a snap election and everybody is out campaigning,” he said.
Dead fish
The man said he recently took photographs of a number of fish that died as a result of the work that has been started in the bay which prevented water from freely flowing. He said that as a result of the dead fish a flock of birds had invaded to feed on them.
Disrespect to the people
“All we needed was a beach in Fat Hogs Bay,” said the man. “We have real problems in this area because I used to have a beach bar down here man,” said the businessman. “All of a sudden they put rocks,” he said, regarding the work that the Government started.
“This down here is a disrespect to the people. We have real issues. When I saw the fish I was real upset. They have no consideration for nothing,” said the businessman.
Another homeowner in the area Jerome D. McMillan said the project has affected him and he sees it as nothing more than an election gimmick.
“Down here was stink of fish,” said McMillan referring to the dead fish. He said there was no provision made to allow fresh water to enter the area and as a result fish died and a host of birds invaded to feed on them.
“This is an election scam,” he said.
Some nights ago in a speech during a campaign meeting, Dr Pickering touted the development on the beach as a state of the art one that would benefit the people in that particular district.
However, when members of the Opposition Virgin Islands Party engaged in their door to door meetings with the people on the ground, landowners in the Fat Hogs Bay area and other areas expressed outrage.
“We are all for progress in the country if it is done correctly. People are saying that they have not been notified and they feel left out of any consultation. I guess this is something that will please one of this rich white friends,” said a member of the Opposition in a comment regarding the development.
“Dr Pickering has not been taking the environment into consideration with this project and that is something he always talks about,” the person said.
According to the Opposition member, consultation is a must for projects that can affect people in the community. “The people are the ones that are supposed to be consulted and offered first opportunity to any development. Now the beachfront that people could have done any business on has been severely damaged,” the person said.
The individual, who requested anonymity, said Government must not act as a dictator. “Things like this need to be exposed since it would assist other landowners. The people who are placed there to represent us are the people taking advantage of us,” the person alleged.
Efforts to reach Dr Pickering for a comment proved futile.
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45 Responses to “‘No consultation for beach dev. project’ @ Fat Hogs Bay– residents”
Edmund Burke wrote: "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
If you were to study the history of nearly every dictator in the world (who wasn't born to the position), each and every one of them started out as nobody special. They worked hard to rise through the ranks, gaining prominence along the way. They are driven by recognition, power and money - but mostly power.
One thing that all dictators have in common is an immense ego. They can also be very charismatic. In the early stages of their rise up the ladder, they manage to get disgruntled people to follow them. Once somebody has mentally pledged their allegiance to a strong personality, it takes a lot to get followers to change their mind. It has been seen time and again throughout history. How else would somebody like Jim Jones convince people that it woud be best if they all killed themselves?
Human beings are creatures of habit, innately loyal and trusting - to a fault. Because of this attribute, we often fail to see when someone acceptable has become someone unacceptable. Wars have been fought by thousands upon thousands of men who trusted and believed in their leaders. Rarely however, do soldiers return from war with the same faith in their leaders as they once had.
Because of human nature, it is a very good practice to re-evaluate our leaders every four years. Are we seeing them for who they REALLY are? Do they say one thing and do another? Are they just telling us what we want to hear with no intention of carrying out their promises? Do we trust them in our heart of hearts? Are they suitable for the position? Is someone else better suited or more capable? Are they too young or too old to carry out the duties of their office? What are their life experiences? What are their qualifications? Do they care about my children and yours?
These are all questions I ask myself about each of the candidates before I vote - and I hope most of us do.
As voters, we have to dig deep within our hearts and soles, remove our rose coloured glasses and truly evaluate our leaders. Our future and our children's futures depend on us making wise choices.
first time it was comming.most people want it but donot want to pay to have it done.Now it is being
done by govt they are complaining.I am not from the FHB area but i've been in that area a couple
of times and certainly it needs restoring.
Branson we need help too!!
I recently visit Fat Hog's Bay, where I was born and raised, when I saw the development "so calll proposed road" I was appall to see the mess that was don to the Bay, as I said THE BAY, that is what we called it "The Bay"
This was a place as I can remember where people in the community went to take what we called a SEA SOAK in the morning before going to school and work, a place where people in the community gathered on the week end to have a Sea Soak, not having to go to Josier Bay, or Long Bay "Beef Island", a place where fisherman bring in their catch of the day and sell their fishs, a place where in the olden days where you will find Mr. Levi Malone, Mr. Richard Stoutt, Mr. Walrin Durrant of Salt Island, and others built their wooden boats and then launch them into the water, it was a place where you will find the local just going on the bay to relax on the week end, clean their fish, and do a roast fish.
As the bussiness owner stated he had a Beach bar down there, it was a place where you could get away from the inland, the hot sun, the dusty road, and just relax under a coconut tree, and let the fresh sea breze hit you in the face, eat a coconut, roast some fish, take a swim, and relax, now that will be taken away if you have to put a road there, it will have no more privacy, we will be dead lock, another getto, traffic on the top and trafic on the left, we need our sea breze, not more pollution.
The same Dr. Pickering father Mr. Venzen Pickering will depart from that same bay and go fishing with his cousin Obed Malone aka: Mc Field former principal of Willard Wheatley primary School. In my oponion no road is needed in that area, it is uncalled for, the proposed road is an interferance to existing residents, and land owners as it continues west towards the mangrove.
The owner's of the land facing the mangrove cannot do anything with the mangrove, so when you reach to the mangrove, then what? are you going to destroy the mangrove to continue the road? or are you going to take land from the land owner to make road?
There is a Natural White Pond beyond the mangrove where you have wild life, you will find the Natural Habit, what are you going to do? destroy the wild life?
Personally I think they should be thinking about preserving nature, the WHITE POND, along with the MANGROVE can be use as a natural park where the community as well as tourist can benifit. Putting a road in Fat Hog's Bay just dont make any sense.