Christian Heritage Park project officially started

| 25/04/2011

(CNS): Government officially broke ground for a new monument on the site of the old Tower Building on Thursday. Almost a year after the premier announced his plans to turn the site in to a Christian Heritage Park, a ceremony was held in conjunction with the National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving to bless the project as a whole. A Bell Tower, which is expected to be finished in time for the next Heroes Day, will be one element in a four-part project including commemorative installations to honour National Heroes. McKeeva Bush said the ground-breaking was the start of many great things to come. Officials said the project as a whole will be delivered by the National Planning Initiative, a programme to promote integrated national planning which falls under the premier’s ministry.

“Much more can and will be done to celebrate and augment our national heritage,” Bush said before the ceremony. “Our children and grand-children need to have more opportunity to benefit from our gifts as Caymanians. This Monument will represent our strong Christian heritage and will show our pride in upholding these values, traditions and aspirations. This project on the whole, will greatly enhance our capital, and its benefits will be felt and appreciated by the whole community”.

In order to facilitate this, the parking lot of the Legislative Assembly will be re-located to make room for a new public park, and this developed green space will itself be part of the overall development.

Alongside the Ministry of Finance, Tourism and Development the project will be a collaborative effort with the Public Works Department, supported by the Recreational Parks & Cemeteries Unit, the Planning Department, and the National Heroes Committee. 

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  1. anon says:

    You know, it is going to happen and be called this and there is nothing we can do about it. Let’s just hope that they put some greenary in, plant some big shady trees and make it appealing to the eye and comfortable to go to. Let us also hope that they keep it clean.

    When they knocked down the trees in town and built “Hero’s Square” they could have done so much with that space to make it a regular lunch time place for workers to go to, sitting on benches under shady trees etc, but NOOOO they had to slab in loads of concrete with no shade.

  2. Kerry Horek says:

     A recreational Youth Centre would have been a much better choice and use of money.  But then again who am I to say what we need more in this country!! Our Youth need help, and this is what we choose as the best way forward with money we ‘supposedly’ don’t have much of!?  Priorities are seriously construed in this country, or poorly managed.

  3. anonymous says:

    McKeeva you already got a Bell Tower at Weslyan Church in West Bay, used that space wisely and create a secured parking lot for the Courts and the LA. Stop wasting the people’s money on your personal agenda.

  4. Anonymous says:

    Ok – that’s it – final proof that I must be living in a parallell universe. This is surreal!
    We can spend money on a ‘Christian’ park when government revenues are declining and Caymanians are in dire need of social welfare benefits? INSANE!
    How about being smart and also living up to the true values of Christianity for a change?
    What about putting in a paid parking structure so Government can collect some money instead of it going to those ‘parking management’ goons all over Town?
    And using that revenue in addition to the many dollars to be spent on a bell tower (!) for things people desperately need right now – like school lunches for kids in need, for training and job placement for unemployed Caymanians, for the elderly without pensions, for the ill and indigent without health insurance, for rehabilitation for drug users.
    Many of our people are in real need and pain right now. We need services and help for people – not another vanity project.
    As a proud Caymanian, I am fully in support of fostering our national heritage and culture – but if our people are suffering without relief – what good is it? And in my view – bricks and mortar don’t instil national pride. Self worth does.
    This is pure folly. I could just cry at the state my beloved isles Cayman are in.

  5. Jude Teronomy says:

    What a tribute to our nation.  The design of this tower was a truly collaborative process between industry, church and state.  Each had an aspect to design.  The architects were the tower body, the church representatives were the stairs leading heavenward and Mac was the bell end.

    • Little John says:

      Our beloved leader would be best advised to read the words of John Donne before the bell tower is erected, who said

      ‘ No man is an island, entire in itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less , as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend’s or of thine own were: any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

  6. Love Cayman says:

    Well said Harry Tidge when I was growing up in Cayman there was a handful of Churches, now Cayman has become like the rest of the world a big money making business.
    Churches everywhere!Easy money I suppose.
    I totally agree spreading the word of God is something that should be done out of the goodness of ones heart.
    Pastors years ago held other jobs. Now politics unfortunately has enetered some churches, how un christian like!

    • Son of Thunder says:

      I would love to know what does a “bell tower” have to do with our christian heritage? It has more to do with the UDP’s bell symbol (copying the JLP of Jamaica, green color & bell symbol). I love the idea ofa park honoring our christian heritage but I am deathly against the UDP politicizing it with the use of their “bell” symbol in the tower, it is cheap & disgraceful, but it sure is not surprising. Nothing, nothing Bush does surprises me, but I think this is cheap & pathetic, even by his standards! Cheap!

  7. Subway Cookie says:

    I wouold have preferred a “Caymanian Heritage Park”, leave out the reference to any one specific religion. I get the claims about Cayman having a Christian foundation but TODAY we consist of many faiths and personally I’d prefer to see more of our culture and heritage showcased than a flaming bell tower. Even a cool rest area for people on their lunch breaks and tourists, with public restrooms available, simple and natural.

  8. Anonymous says:

    What a joke!! Why oh why do we need a Christian Heritage Park and excatly how much will this cost us?? Really, we couldn’t find a better use for that site??

    • Anonymous says:

      A park in the ghost town that is the capital of this nation is needed and would benefit locals, residents/ex pats and tourists alike.  For me, a recreational park is exactly what is needed at that site.

      What isn’t needed is the religious reference, there are already way too many churches here, way too much reference to ‘Christians’ and way too  few Christians in the REAL sense of the word – religion seems to have been warped beyond belief.  The correlation between church and state here is ridiculous and should be ended – the two don’t mix well as has already been proven in other developed nations… but I guess we can’t keep up?  Cayman Heritage Park as someone else suggested would have been a perfect name.

      And to add insult to injury, the Brac gets dedicated and way too expensive and over-accommodating hurricane accommodation, while BT gets yet another church-come-hurricane shelter on a much smaller scale – so we can all be preached at while we try to shelter from the storms, regardless of our religious denominations?  How thoughtful (not).

      I really don’t get it – it just seems to get more ridiculous bythe day

  9. West Bayer says:

    My my…where was this held???? ELEMENTS!???!?!?!

  10. Turtle's Head says:

    Can we call it the Tower of Babel.  That was a vanity project too.

  11. Anonymous says:

    Try cleaning up the dump first, or is that also part of our "Christian Heritage?". Seriously, you people need to get a grip on life. This reminds me of Nero fiddling while Rome burned down.

    • Anonymous says:

      Might be cheaper in the long run to break ground  for stairway to heaven on the top off the highest point in Cayman,  Mt. Trashmore. Heaven knows, we’re all gonna need it soon. What could be a more symbolic foundation than good Christian trash.

  12. Nelson's Column says:

    There is nothing “Christian” about “erecting a bell tower”. The very innuendo of this is implied. The joke here issurely on the Caymanian people who have been hoodwinked into accepting this obvious monument to Freemasonry which is in total opposition to true Christianity.
    It just goes to show how shallow the local flavour of Christianity really is if they can’t see such an obvious affront to their “supposed” faith.

    • Anonymous says:

      It’s quite ironic. I guess someone’s getting a little thrill thinking they’ve punked the People.

      It’s kind of like those school photos where there’s always a couple of guys making surreptitious gang signs.

       And just as puerile.

       

       

      • Emily Barrows says:

        You don’t need to look too far. Just go down to the Tower Building site and read the blurb on the wall in front of it. A particular government department as well as the Premiers’ is mentioned.

  13. Monuments to self says:

    Could the premier tell us which christian construction company getting this christian contract please. A “bell tower” and relocating LA parking something is a foot here, upholding who’s values, the Good Lord ain’t short of cash Mr Premier.

  14. Anonymous says:

    will they be working on Sunday? 

    • Anonymous says:

      Ok please find below the definition of a hero. Truthfully, I really don’t think there are to many heros in Cayman and I don’t think another park should be dedicated to National Heros again. Someone who pulls someone from a burning building, the fire fighters who gave up their life trying to safe people from the burning trade center ( as an example) are heros, the gentleman that shot and killed the intruder, he was a hero, he protected his wife from harm. With the economy and Civil Servant’s salaries cut, I think the government should be alittle more frugal in what they are doing with their money.

      A hero (heroine for females) (Ancient Greek: ἥρως, hḗrōs), in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion.[1] Later, hero (male) and heroine (female) came to refer to characters who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, display courage and the will for self sacrifice—that is, heroism—for some greater good of all humanity. This definition originally referred to martial courage or excellence but extended to more general moral excellence.

      Stories of heroism may serve as moral examples. In classical antiquity, hero cults that venerated deified heroes such as Heracles, Perseus, and Achilles played an important role in Ancient Greek religion. Politicians, ancient and modern, have employed hero worship for their own apotheosis (i.e., cult of personality).

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  15. Anonymous says:

    Future generations will be able to enjoy a place of tranquility in the hustle and bustle of Georgetown. Well done Mr Prime Minister. 

  16. Anonymous says:

    I can’t believe we are building a Christian park while selling out to the Chinese and Indians.   This my be the final monument to our dissappearing Christian background.

  17. Anonymous says:

    what is caymans christian heritage???

    i keep reading this article but can’t make no sense of it…….

    • Harry Tidge says:

      Cayman’s Christian Heritage is simply as follows:- Over the years, people have felt the need to soothe their consciences by attending religious functions. An integral part of these functions are where normally tight-fisted individuals can be seen making donations to the denomination of their choice. Since the early days, many more enterprising people have jumped on the quick cash bandwagon and thus you now see this incredible proliferation of churches (with more on the way). They all claim to serve the same God, yet they all disagree with each other but will gladly accept your cash as this is the one thing that they do agree on. Cash is king! Perhaps, if some of them took some time to read about the origins of their faith, they would be surprised to find out that their leader was a servant who freely gave of himself and it is not recorded that he ever took up a collection. I hope this answers your question.

  18. Turtle's Head says:

    Can we not just have a small park with more space (i.e. without the pointless tower)?

  19. Anonymous says:

    Christian Heritage Park. That’s a joke. We should build a monument instead to the almighty dollar. If Jesus Christ came to the Cayman Islands, they would probably ask Him to help them raise more money in the churches.
    Sell outs, the whole lot of them. Find me 5 righteous people who have not made money their god and I’ll show you a rare, rare thing.

    This bell tower has very strange connotations and I can assure you that none of them are Christian. Someone’s getting pulled.

    • Anonymous says:

      I agree, bell towers have very different connotations to different cultures. ‘Assuming this one will actually contain bells, it is probably meant to be used in the European sense, to call the villagers to worship, to signify an important event, or to sound a call for civil defense. 

      Bell towers at Indian Shiva Temples are meant to invoke the Gods (several) when rung.

      Since properly forged bells are very expensive and difficult to maintain in a maritime climate, it is possible bells will not be installed. In that event, it can be used as a minaret and the muezzin can call the devout to worship. Oh wait…

       

      • Cisco Kid says:

        The ringing of bells means that the Mexican bandits are coming. Ask Yul Brinner. Not that we need any more bandits.

  20. New secret admirer says:

    A paying parking lot would have been better served there. Revenues could have been made and parking is needed very badly there and have a shuffle service to various aeras in town. A christian heritage park could have been selected elsewhere ie: old glass house per example where many of the gvt. buildings employees adjacent could have enjoyed it to eat lunch or for evening venues and I would have like someone else do the dedication of the monument then our current Premier who is more a vexation to the soul then anything else at the moment.

    • nauticalone says:

      I agree with you completely!
      The Court House (to name one establsihment) could have very well utilized the site for parking for Jurors (who currently are afforded absolutely no parking).
      Also for the public wanting/needing to attend the LA!