Maybe the Airport could be ah blessing in disguise foh Argyle residents. From day one Argyle was ah bad location foh residential use.

It is our best Agricultural lands foh root crops like Peanuts, Cassava and Arrowroot. So farmers with large parcels at Argyle, stand to lose ah decent earning and must therefore fight foh ah good market value and proper compensation foh loss ah earnings. Secondly, the direct passage of the sea-blast from the Trade Winds is wreaking havoc on most ah the Properties at Argyle.{{more}}Building maintenance cost could be huge or the depreciation component on some ah these properties could be fairly high.

One of my concerns is foh our dear brothers and sisters, retirees returning from the UK and the USA. Relocation is ah dislocation foh them and could be stressful. It is unfortunate that early o-clock, Argyle was not officially zoned as ah potential site foh Airport development, so that all ah this basa basa could ah been avoided. Secondly, was it in the best interest financially foh some ah these home-owners, to have invested such large sums of their hard earned pensions in some ah these huge, three and four storey man-straw-city foh homes, not only ah burden to maintain, but ah lot ah unoccupied rooms and floors.

HARMONY HALL IS AH GOOD AREA

Guv-ah mint seems very receptive to their concerns and ah hope that Home owners will be able to recover what they spent on these lovely homes. They must however seek foh ah Current Market Value and ah proper Compensation foh dislocation and so on because, recent increase in oil prices, is hitting the building industry where it hurts, in the pocket! And ah new home on the sloping terrain at Harmony Hall will be very costly.

Relocating Argyle residents to the Harmony Hall area is not ah bad proposal in terms ah price, once all infrastructures are put in place. Argyle lands are being valued between $6.00 and $8.00 per sq ft. while at Harmony Hall where lands are worth $12. 00 to $15. 00 per sq ft. the new residents will pay $7.00 per sq ft. My add-vice is that they tek as much lands as is available.

In terms of location, Harmony Hall is ah very good area, more privacy, the view is as good as Argyle, the sea-blast is less threatening, and ah believe the water supply is more reliable.

Finally Argyle residents must unite and speak with one voice, get ah community group going, and this time around, spend the money wiser and build functional houses and not necessarily huge mansions.

PAT PRESCOD SHOULD BE KNIGHTED

Last year ah group of us Grammar School Ole Boys took great pride in celebrating Fifty Years since we had entered the Grammar School. Sad to say that as ah UNIT, You-In-Eye-Tea, during those fifty years we didn’t contribute anything to the School or the Country, we all got swallowed up in this selfish world. But this year however, another Group, no Pyar Pyar, Johnny Come Lately grouping this time, an Institution actually, The Kingstown Chorale is celebrating its Fiftieth Anniversary. But unlike us, during their Fifty Years, The Kingstown Chorale, ah conception of Sir Patrick Prescod, did I hear someone say they have ah problem with me saying Sir Patrick Prescod? don’t we have ah Sir James and ah Sir Vincent of the same era, all have served the nation? One has to read Pat oops, Sir Pat’s profile and his sterling contribution to Music in SVG and to Caribbean Church Music in particular, to overs way ah coming from. But Lie-Za reminds me all the time that in SVG, Sir is reserved foh Governor Generals and Pull-ah-trick-ants.

As ah was saying Kingstown Chorale, pioneers in Music and Musical Ambassadors foh SVG was given birth in 1956. The group has nurtured, matured and machoed into ah Gem, ah Jewel ah National Pillar. From the very year the Group was formed, they won the Best Mixed Choir Category in the Music Festival and never stopped winning till they got fed up and stopped competing. Today they are still by far the Best Mixed Choir and not just in SVG but any way, Chorale has held dey own any way dey go!

The Group started with 35 members, more than half ah them still alive today. The records show that some 214 members passed thru, 130 female and 84 males. Ah have ah feeling that my classmates Clifford Edwards and John Horne been there from day one, never mind how dey look young today, dey ripe, trust me ah know dey age. And some ah the ladies too, no names though, women does tek offence with dey age. Say way you like, Music is rejuvenating, it has kept them all looking young and amo-nicious, dey will love me foh saying that.

On Wednesday the Group will hold an Anniversary Thanksgiving Service at the Kingstown Anglican Church, but in July is the Big One, the Homecoming Month of Activities with as many of the 214 members alive attending and performing, Wow! Ah done tell Lie-Za ah not missing any ah these Shows, and is one tune ah must hear, that’s Lord Hawke’s “Ding Dong, Ding Dong”! Ah done put aside ah dozen duck eggs to rotten, and ah walking with them rotten eggs on the last night on December 2nd, 2006, if Chorale know way good foh them they better sing Ding Dong special foh me, otherwise Concert mash up! Seriously though, next Wednesday afternoon is going to be ah treat, come early!

And with that, ah gone again.

One Love Bassy.