Beach becomes political issue
(CNS): The former Tourism Minister and MLA for Bodden Town, Charles Clifford, says that the Coe Wood Beach project has become a political football as the current administration had told the contractors to demobilise their equipment and return the beach to its previous state, but have now said the project is not stopped but merely under review. Clifford suggested the backtracking on what was understood to be a cancellation is probably political as a result of the challenge made by Bodden Town voters that could trigger a by-election in the district.
Clifford told CNS that the demobilisation of a project is expensive and would not have been undertaken if this was merely about reviewing the plans. He believes that the UDP government intends to completely stop the project but is finding it politically expedient to now say that it is merely under review rather than being cancelled because of the support for the initiative in the district.
Following a challenge to the validity of the election of the two UDP candidates for the district with regards to their failure to comply with the constitutional requirement under Section 19 (1) (g) in time, Mark Scotland and Dwayne Seymour may well now have to face the Bodden Town electorate again in the next few months and cancelling the Coe Wood Beach project may have an impact on the voters.
“The last information we had was that the contractor had been told to demobilise his equipment and return the beach to the state in which it was found,” said Clifford. “It makes no sense to demobilise the heavy equipment if you are merely reviewing how the project will work as it costs money to do that. I suspect this is a case of panic in the wake of the challenge filed in the court, as the project was welcomed by voters.”
Clifford argued that this is a much neededproject and that official opening ceremony on 25 April just after construction started was not an election stunt but a result of the long term planning and considerations that had been made to ensure it was a sound project.
“This project has been in the works for some time,” he said. “Planning began more than a year ago and we spent a lotof time making sure it would meet the needs of the district, was consistent with the Go East initiative and a sustainable project.”
He said it was unfortunate that the UDP seemed to want to stop it given that it was a scheme to help local small businesses, fisherman and to provide a recreation area for local people. “We were creating a good project and I believe the people of Bodden Town deserve an explanation of what it is they intend to do and to offer a time line if they are not cancelling the project,” Clifford added.
Mark Scotland the new Environment Minister and first elected member for Bodden Town, however, told CNS that there were a number of problems with the project that needed to be reviewed, which was why things had been brought to a halt, but it was not and never had been entirely cancelled. He said it was over-priced and criticised the boat ramp, saying it was being built for non–motorised vessels — a point denied by Clifford, who said it was designed for craft up to 25 feet including motorised boats. Scotland also said the car park in the design was encroaching onto half the beach and he did not believe that was necessary.
“We are also concerned about having the ramp, the fishermen and swimmers all in the same area. You don’t normally have people swimming where you have the fishermen coming in and bring fish or where boats are docking,” he said. “We recognise there are three elements to this but we don’t think they go together. We think this all needs to be re-designed.” Scotland said there were also environmental concerns and that a more ideal solution would be to split up the recreation from the commercial aspects.
Category: Headline News
I agree with Twyla. It takes an entire community to raise a child. I know when I was growing up, I was afraid to step out of line because so many people knew my mother or my sisters and someone would inform on me if I was up to no good.
So it’s not good enough to say that only the parents and teachers should be involved in a child’s upbringing, it should be everybody. Why? Because these same children will be all of our problems when we have to support them in prison, through court, through welfare, through having to repair/replace/repurchase private or public property that they have destroyed.
STOP WAITING FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO DO SOMETHING…GET UP OFF YOUR A**ES AND TAKE INTEREST IN THE CHILDREN IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
TO THE CHURCHES (I might get beatings for this but it’s true) STOP LOOKING DOWN ON YOUNG AND SINGLE PARENTS AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO DO BETTER!!!!
I’m a single working parent going to class but I still find the time to talk to a couple young people, ask them how school was, what they would like to do, tell them that I’m proud of them that they want to make something better of their lives, that they’re not doingdrugs. Their not my children but I’m not about to give up on them.
Getting back to the beach… they were quick enought to undo the work being done, but I notice the whole area is still fenced off and making accessfor those walking along the beach difficult.. can those responsible please remove it? Alternatively, if they don’t want their fencing back, I could certainly make good use of it in my yard.
Where are the Parents of these Children?.
No later than this morning I saw a male child about 10 or 12 years old dressed in his school uniform headed for school. About half an hour later I saw the same child returned. As a concerned parent I questioned the child if he had missed the bus or what. The child replied no, I have plenty time I am going to change my socks. As a concerned parent and grand parent I was a little suspicious of the excuse, so , I watched, observed, and waited to see the child would return. Of course he did not. Shortly after he was entertaining himself with loud music and games.
What did I do? Absolutely nothing…….. Why not? Two reasons, (1) A parent/guardian was aware of the situation and did nothing, (2) Teachers at the schools should show more responsibility when this happens. They are not doing a good eneough job following up on why a child is missing from school. I think it should be the teachers responsibility to try and contact the parents when there is no good excuse given for absence from school. If the teacher cannot get the parent, I think they should in turn inform the social service department once they see that this is a pattern being formed by the students. No one cares anymore about the children, it is so sad, and all we do is bicker about Politics. Some serious investigations need to be done in schools, Social departments and others. If you visit the Beach a few hours from now you will see a mixture of children running loose with the loiters. Me and you may say well that is not our responsibility because our children and grand children is in school. I do not agree, and I am sure if you are old enough to remember back then we cared about each other children. Your children was my children. Where did we went wrong anyway? Walk good.
Maybe Chuckie and the rest can donate some funds to finish the project.
THE BODDEN TOWN PUBLIC LIBRARY
Although this has nothing to do with the COE WOOD PUBLIC BEACH, I am going to express some food for thought. Many of us know already that the Beach is a Loitering Ground, for persons from all over the Island. Visit there and you will see. What is a major concern to me is that school children who misses a day or call in sick is spending much time among these loiters, which are drinking, taking drugs and you name it. Ok, you are wondering how does the BT Library come into this. Hold tight.!!!!
If you visit the Bodden Town Library, that is when you can find it opened, there is a young person there who does not have the faintest idea what it is to run that library the way it should be. Students are there on the six computers playing games, surfing the net without no supervision at all. They do not pick up a book, because they are not encouraged to. They are not asked about completing their homework or even read to. When they are not running around the building hanging loose on the railings they play games out side and say they are bored. Is this another case senario where Bodden Town is not cared about. This has been going on for over a year now under the previous Government, who when informed about it, their reply was MY HANDS ARE TIED.
If these children were encouraged into an after school program where they were entertained in activities of interest they would have no reason to hang out on the CoeWood Beach among the loiters. We need to find somethign for our children to do. NOW. School will be out< Holiday for 2 months. What plans are put in place for those who cannot afford to attend private sessions. Further more the children needs to have their brains loosened up for the Holidays with entertainment of field trips, story telling, art and craft projects, beach combing and a multitude of things under good supervision. Instead of rigging up the Coewood Public Beach, I say find something positive for our children to do. Half of them cannot read, girls do not know how to thread a needle. If we do not take care of those children now, we will regret it one day. I am sure of it.
I will not sit down and wait for four years to light fire under any Representative that we have in this district. I REFUSE TO HEAR "MY HANDS ARE TIED" any more, I am just giving them time to get comfortable in their seat, and it does not matter whether you are PPM, UDP, INDEPENDENT or What ever I will be keeping a close watch on Bodden Town. Shucks now, it is time something get done. We may have one PPM and Two UDP, but I would suggest they make friends together, because there is work to be done there will be no time for sitting in a corner with hands folded. Start with our Kids. Walk in Peace. Blessed.
You all talking about Mr. Charles makinf tourisim go down If Bush had sold CAL to Air Jam..we wouldnt even have tourisim anymore so SHUT UP……PPM is not perfect but sure is way better than UDP
I agree with Twyla on this one it is a loitering ground on that site and yes if Chuckie wanted to finish the project or even start it he had 4 years to do so.and yes the other beach is much better!
Those Bodden Towners who are interested and who supported Chuckie’s move to redevelop the Coe Wood beach will know that the project didn’t just start weeks before the election as some have suggested.
Did you all not know that two parcels of land had to be acquired first to extend the beach and that that process started some 2 yrs ago. One parcel had to be acquired by compulsory acquisition (a very drawn out process) because the foriegn owner couldn’t be located. Once the parcels were acquired the old houses that were located on them had to be torned down first to make room for the redevelopment.
Now that you’ve been educated about this project try to resist the UDP’s urge to say that the project started weeks before the election and that it was a political stunt. That simply isn’t true…..but then again how many UDP supporters are interested in the truth ???
This project was suppose to be a start of many projects and hopes and dreams of the so call none working Go East committees that were trashed in the elections by the UDP and there members, after Go East was formed it was made known that the Cruise lines wanted to work with the island but they wanted more than just SMB activities for there cruisers so the goal was to start making the Eastern part of the island open to development, it was realized that the Eastern part of the island was lacking in a ton of infrastructure facilities to be able to handle these developments like a properly manned fire service, within the critical response range, proper medical facilities with overnight beds and close government admin services which would all need to be brought closer out if u was going to provide and increase the population to the amounts that were been proposed because the majority of people you was trying to lure to these developments were over the age of 50 and needed to be made comfortable about response time if there was a emergency in there lives,
For example the Mandarin and the Island resorts were suppose to be needing a extra 1000 employees not counting the guest, the many developments that were slated one with over 70 homes in East End and the canceled dock was suppose to become a possible gulf course along with another golf cousre to co-exist with the mandarin there was suppose to be allot of human traffic moving to that side of the island,
Go East committees were being bombarded at one point with approvals for business plans because after it was created it was found out crafty individuals were going to the boards and saying GO East says it is OK for or proposal and getting all sorts of licenses under false pretense after not meeting with not one member of the Go East committees.
The CIIB work so hard to bring this all together but when it was found out that CIDB had no money to lend to the local investors it all came crashing down, and to top it all off then it was realized that the Eastern Cartel wasn’t letting others into there playing field, do you know the nightmare stories of local companies trying to get a contract to do tours without having at least 1 million dollars of liability insurance and just to get a construction sub-contract with the major players in Eastern district.
I’m so tired of people not getting the point the Coe Wood Beach was a place that local people would have been able to go to enjoy and be able to get a piece of the tourist market pie because most of the local small business people can not afford to buy beach land anymore to setup these types of venues so the government of the time was helping to bring that to them, the buses would have had the Coe Wood Beach on there tour stop to guarantee business flow, the launch ramp might not have been necessary but the rest of the works were, because sooner or later these cruise ships are going to back out if we don’t start developing more attraction for there guest, and reconsider or stupid attitude of letting the churches run this country with the no gambling for cruise lines law we are going to lose really big in the near future, cayman is the only safe stop for them and I’m sure they would overnight here if there hands weren’t tied by the churches.
This was a presentation done by the East End Go East committee that was supposed to have not done anything
http://www.onecaribbean.org/content/files/EastEndGoEastCommitteePresentationondevelopingvaluabletourismresourceswithinourcommunities(1).pdf
NHB
COE WOOD BODDEN TOWN BEACH PROJECTS
Trust me, I had to laugh my head off at some of the comments made, but also there were many which I took on a serious note.
"Dig faster Chuckie, Dig faster." "Mark Scotland comming." I cant stop laughing at these expressions, however serious some people may take them. Now on a serious note I do not appreciate one comment by anonymous person calling themself ME. and suggesting that Bodden Town people are Crazy, and you cannot do anything to help them, no matter how hard you try" I say to anonymous ME, becareful with those words, I have heard you say them before and it got you in hot water. ok.
Concerning this project, I would like to express how I feel about it, and my feelings does not have to be approved by anyone. Whom ever want to feel different may do so.
This project was introduced over 4 years ago by Mr Charles Clifford. At the time I believe he had good intentions; but I am going to say CHUCKIE, you should have done what you had to do then, instead of listening to your other counter parts, MLA,S Ministers, who was always TIED UP. Why did you FOOT DRAG on this project right up until two weeks before election, then encouraged to JUMP START the project without comming to the people who would be interested in this venue, discussing what you would be doing, who would have interest, so on and so on. I have nothing personal against Charles Clifford in getting this project going; but the mere fact is that it could have done before. "Believe it or not" Charles Clifford you were jibbed. You know what really Pis—es me off is the lies that were told to the people of Bodden Town, about ‘HANDS TIED’ on every blessed thing that had to be done. Yo asked the question about employment, the answer you got was ‘MY HANDS ARE TIED’ You asked about street lights "MY HANDS ARE TIED" You asked about small business in the district; MY HANDS ARE TIED" You asked about the Go East Project ‘MY HANDS ARE TIED" Mr Clifford I am sorry you did not have the guts to loose your hands from the other Knots and allowed yourself to go down tied up.
The project now should be put on hold because I really cannot see the purpose of it gaining status in the area. I am going to be very frank in my expression.IT IS A LOITERING GROUND. Who is going to buy and who will sell. Tell me how many Artist and Artisans are in this district. How many persons have boat to launch there. Expose theamount in your comments, Would you be able to sell cool drinks, food, cakes and lunches there . What were we going to sell there. Putting buildings there is a welcoming party for Hurricane and bad weather. Rum bottles, beer bottles and a LOITERS HANGOUT. Leave the Coe Wood Beach just how it is. Up the road close to the Police station is the THOMAS RUSSESL PUBLIC BEACH, It need cleaning up from Ivan days. A much better place to be considered. A stone throw from the watchful eyes of the Police station. Maybe the project can continue, but not there. Walk Good.
Why, if this beach project was so important to Chuckie to complete for his Bodden Town Constituency, did he not do it? He had 4 years…But no the painting of the lions butt on the airplanes was more of a priority…And believe me, that doesnt come cheap. Yes, I believe the beach would be an enhancement, and of more benefit than expensive paint jobs…We must ask ourselves, how much benefit to our country did that bring us? Does anyone think that even ONE tourist was gained because of a lions backside on the plane rather than a turtle?NOW he’s worried about the beach? A bucket of beaches could have been enhanced with a few of the dollars unwisely spent by the last government. Why didn’t they do the beach, they surely weren’t watching our pennies.
Chuckie you better worry about how well you goofed up the tourism sector and sit down….!!!
To: Moustache Rider
Mr. Rider,
I have to disagree. RUMWA, which has very strong political pull, got the PPM , under the guise of the "Barefoot Beach
Please get your facts right in the future before starting these wildly imaginative rumors.
Actually M. Lite, I think you are way off base on this one. My understanding is that the development of this beach are was to provide a suitable meeting place for the members of the highly secretive society know as RUMWA, Ridiculously Unsightly Moustache Wearers Anonymous
Can someone please tell me which country in the World is not facing some form of a financial crisis now?!?!?
None, are those other countries bringing an end to projects that could benefit their country by creating jobs and income for those persons and the country? Mostle likely they are on hold and eventually when the market picks up it will begin again.
The Coe beach project was budgeted for and if UDP members were intending on only reviewing the budget, that should have been stated from day one. Don’t make the people of Bodden Town and Cayman (i.e. the ones who wanted the project completed) believe that the project will never happen. All they are doing is taking away the confidence of their supporters.
I am not a UDP, but it would make me sleep better at night if they would not pull stunts like this, for their own selfish gain!! I’m sure their OWN planned projects will go through!!!
What a hot mess….like we didn’t see this coming….why folks round these parts act like they dum dum?……I hear new the minister for works going to cover up the new East West Bypass with marl bought from one of Jr. Whoppers company’s and replant tress over it…..would not surprise me one bit to see that road become a toll road in the very near future…….what lovley times we are living in 🙂
This is about safety!
Listen people, this has nothing to do politics, or election challenges or even cash. It has to do with safety. I think we can all agree that the clearing of the beach, the addition of a boat launch and the opening of the channel was to serve one purpose; to get rid of UDP supporters inBodden Town Bodden Town
Thankfully this project wasn’t able to be finished before the election and countless UDP supporters inBodden Town
The current government is closing this project as a matter of safety.
Until this beach is safe for both UDP and PPM supporters alike, no one should be allowed in.
I am confidant that by the time the next election rolls along this beach will be safe and opened to all the people ofBodden Town
.
I hope that Mr. Clifford will run again if there is a By Election. Bodden Town will have another opportunity to correct the mess they created on 20th May.
I am amazed at these PPM leaders and supporters. They still don’t get it, the country is broke!! We have to curb the spending somewhere, and yes we can’t halt every project but we have to now evaluate everything we do more carefully because of the unbridled spending of the last four years.
The new government needs a chance to get a handle on this situation. It was not created by them but left for them to handle. I say give them a chance to review and make some good decisions.
I really wish the PPM or the "sore loser party" as they are more fondly known would accept their loss and give the country and the government their support rather than trying to ensure that the monuments they built for themselves are still constructed.
Bodden Towners are crazy. You can’t help them no matter how hard you try. They don’t deserve good representation like they had with the PPM. Leave them alone. By 2013 when everything has gone to West Bay again they will be screaming once more about Bodden Town being neglected………I fear that by then Chuckie will be well entrenched in his legal practice which he will not again give up for the ungrateful people in Bodden Town, Tony will be retiring and Ossie will be making money than he can use at Lorna’s Texaco. So Bodden Towners better start looking for candidates for 2013 if they want to have good representation again.
Dear my beloved Caymanians,
Why does everything have to be political, Chuckie has good points so does Mark, can we not all work together. Let’s wait and see what Mark’s new study will produce, maybe he can find a better way that improve the present plans for the Coe Wood Beach. At least I hope he does, considering what he has said, nd done, let’s wait and see.
Both of these fine gentlemen (MS and CC) are indeed assets to our Cayman Islands, I give my full respect to them.
God bless our beloved Cayman Islands.
This project would have been good for BT YES, BUT at what price???? We can’t just live in BT. We really need to stop bashing and comparing these people and be honest with the WHOLE situation. This country cannot afford this project right now, Do we want to live on the streets or we want a ramp in BT?
Chuckie and Ossie might have done their bad and also done good too. I personally didn’t support them, but I am not going to try and bring them down either. We have more problems to worry about right now. I Just hope and pray that we do not get a hurricane coming from that direction that will put the people in that area at risk. What will we say then?
Please let’s stop talking about this situation and move on. Leave the rest to the Courts to decide if they will allow another By-election. If we have to go out and vote again that will be fine too. But don’t vote for Chuckie or Ossie, because the Mark and Dwayne stopped the ramp in BT. Come on now. My mind will not change because of a Ramp in my district. I work in GT and the job that I have there allows me to live here in BT. So NOT only the ramp I have to worry about, I need to also consider my job in GT.
I repeat what another independent said " are you better off today than you were 4 years ago?" My answer to that is NO. When I went to the polls to vote I voted on that merit, that is why I didn’t support Chuckie or Ossie. We need a change and I will rather go down trying instead of just giving up without a fight.
Bodden Towners a good and honest people. We knew what we wanted and we will still fight for what we want. I made a decision to vote for Mr. Scotland and Mr. Seymour on May 20th 09 and I will stick to that decision if there is a by election. Not because I am a TRUE UDP supporter, because I will not second guess myself. I thought long and hard about who I would vote for and I have to see this one through. We need to unite and stick to the decisions that we made and may be this country and finally turn around.
Good luck to all involved and GOD will prevail.
If they can over seewhat the constitution says before being elected, why wouldn’t they over see many things now…….
With what money people? Where is the money supposed to come from to continue with any projects? The PPM left the country in dire straights and even worse than what everybody thought so now how can they possibly make this beach a political football? Chuckie was in hiding until now because he thinks he may have a chance at a comeback. Remember that this beach project was only started a few weeks before the election and it was done only to get votes. I hope BT voters don’t fall for this stuff. The PPM should be ashamed of themselves!
"With what money people? Where is the money supposed to come from to continue with any projects?"
You would prefer that gvot. simply waste the money already spent? Clearly, the project is being stopped for merely poliical purposes – because it was a PPM project.
Chuckie!
How much money did the PPM Government commit to finish the BT beach project?
Chuckie has always spoken to the people of Bodden Town about this project. Now that he has delivered the UDP government gone and stop it, so I think the people of Bodden Town should be upset with UDP for that. Then again the Financial Secretary shoul dbe answering to the financial questions becuase it’s now looking like he didn’t have a clue on what was going on……
Who knows IF there will be a by-election or not? We need to wait people. Dont put the cart before the horse. I dont foresee their election and swearing in getting over-turned BUT then again it may happen
Speaking of political issues, why is MAC announcing policy changes to the French before he discusses them with the people of Cayman or in the LA?
http://www.lefigaro.fr/impots/2009/06/17/05003-20090617ARTFIG00591-les-fraudeurs-fiscaux-ne-sont-plus-a-l-abri-aux-iles-caimans-.php
For those that do not read French Googel translator will give you the main ideas
Does Mac ever discuss anything with the people…… he is a one man show.
Chuckie warned you people during the campaign that this was going to happen IF YOU ELECTED THE UDP…..you should have listened to him then !!!
Hopefully he will offer to represent you again in the By Election but if I were him I wouldn’t.
Chuckie is right. The UDP cancelled the project and now that they are facing a By Election in BT they are backtracking and saying that the project is under review. The UDP will take a proper flogging in the By Election for this screw up.
We took a chance with the UDP but thank God an opportunity will present itselfbefore 2013 to clean up this mess !!!
Mark and John John should be ashamed of themselves….the BT people, and the island as a whole, would benefit greatly from this project that Mr. Clifford had planned.
I don’t understand how people can say that Mr. Clifford and Ossie didn’t do anything for BT.
I pray that Bodden Towners now see that those 2 are just power hungry and should a by-election be declared, put back in Mr. Clifford and Ozzie.
Who tell you Chuckie is going to run in the By Election ? It would be a shame if he doesn’t but I bet you he won’t !
If a bi-election was to come out of this challange I would say for Chuckie ti go for it I voted for him the last time and I would again. I think he’s a very honest and respectable person.
Yes make him run, that’s all he is going to do too, run all the way to Costa Rica, the sooner the better for all of us, particularly the Tourism Industry!
I am glad this project got stopped. I cannot see how a Government at the last minute can put this project in place to suit who? Ozzie’s gas station and bar?
What about all the people in Cayman Brac and in Grand Cayman still dont’ have roofs over their heads since Hurricane Ivan and Paloma. And what is worse is the PPM did nothing to see ot it that the people who did have home owners insurance was covered and get told the same old sad story ‘oh we sorry we have to cut your claim in half because you were under-insured’. I am sick and tired of Governments doing nothing to these lawless Insurance Companies who continue to rip of home owners with their excuses for making a payment. The amount of hate people have for these companies on this island you would wonder how they still remain in business.
Lets cut to the chase and stop fooling the people of this country we are no longer idiots to your bad governing. That Coe Wood Beach project would have been a waste of time and money. Lets sort out the projects that have fallen behind before we commence new ones.
UDP/PPM I really don’t care who governs this country as long as they do a good job of it and don’t allow people to be defrauded any longer. Stop listening to the special interest groups and for once in your lives Government leaders listen to the people who need the help. The special interest groups are financially set and don’t give a darn about anyone else but their own greedy selves.
It is the home owners responsibility to ensure that they have their homes covered by insurance 100% not the Government. I can remember after Ivan fighting with insurance people for the samething.
Dig faster Chuckie, dig faster ………….. Mark Scotland coming.
Chuckie, keep digging, you might just fall in that hole that you are digging, politics,politricking, thats all this is, and you want that seat in B/town so bad that you will stoop to this. Shame, but we bodden towners know what is right and justifiable,
The fisher men in Bodden Town was happy to know that Mr. Clifford was giving them what was promised to them for many years. It is sad that the UDP is is using this project as a political ball but once again this in nothing new with them becuase that is all they do.
It probably has more to do with the $74,000,000 loss that the PPM Government incurred.
Perhaps only the Political Consultant for the PPM (the same one that recommended the circus signs) would advise to cancel a project in BT in protest to the frivolous challenge being brought. I actually believe that if there was money the beach in BT would be completed by the UDP.
Why doesn’t Minister Clifford tell the good people of BT how much money his Government had committed (and wasn’t loss in their other miscalculations) to fix the coe wood beach.
Only an ill informed "front page reader "or ‘heard it on the marl road" person would think that the inaccurate budgetary projection by the Financial Secretary had anything to do with the political leaders. The Financial Secretary and his staff are who produce the projections and provide them to the Cabinet. Obviously his assumptions were woefully inaccurate and show how out of touch he is with the current economic situation and how it has and will impact future goverment revenues.