Plans for mini stadium moves into high gear - post # 3

 This is the final post on the meeting where the stakeholders held some serious discussions. This blog want to wish the committee all the best in their endeavour to bring to all Choiseulians a facility which will stand out on the map. Good luck guys.

POSSIBLE SOURCES FOR FUNDING AND ASSISSTANCE


The following suggestions were made to acquire funding for the sporting facility.

*Use of the World Cup Funds which were allocated for the development of the field.

*Director of SSDF

*UK Caribbean

*the District

*Companies and Universities with new technology can be targeted such as University of Vermont

*Get companies to advertise outside of the sporting facility

*Have outsiders to pay a fee to use the facility

ESTABLISHMENT OF A COMMITTEE TO SIT WITH THE DESIGNERS

A group of individuals were selected to form a committee which would be responsible for the planning stage of the sporting facility including meeting with the architects. Members of the committee are

*Mr. Brian Charles

*Mr. Vincent William

*Mr. Jonathan Chalon

*Mr. Glen Albert

*Mr. Davidson Lionel

*Mr. Mac Arthur Phillip

*Mr. Alvah Charles

Mr. Lionel thanked persons for attending the meeting.

This blog wants to recommend to the committee to name the stadium after the late JMD Bousquet.
HELLO!  Did someone turn up their nose? Just a thought.

Plans for mini stadium moves into high gear - post # 2

This is the second post to bring you in the know about the plans for the mini stadium which will be a state of the art in Choiseul

SECURITY And FENCING

It was felt that the field needed proper security. However, there was also the need to ensure that persons did not feel restricted when using the playing facility especially the footballers who use the area regularly including weekends.

*The main discussion concerning fencing was “How and where do we fence?, Is the fencing going to take care of the whole complex including the playground?

*The area should be fence to prevent vandalism by the public and assist with events that require crowd control.

*It was agreed that the sporting facility should not be blocked with concrete since this would make it too private.

*Deep gutters should be used to prevent specific entry points.

*The possibility of planting trees around the facility should also be considered.

ACCESS TO THE FACILITY

*The road separating the playing field from the court should be condemned.

*A road should be cut from the main road and join with Miss St. Rose’s road as the alternative route.

*One suggestion was made to keep the road which leads to Mr. William’s house to allow easy access for the residents who live at the back of the playing field.

*Another suggestion was made to make this road part of the sporting facility. It would be used as a walkway to access the facility.

*A road should be built right around the facility which would be used as both an entrance and an exit.

N:B Access to the playground should not mean access to all areas in the sporting facility.

MAINTENANCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Two (2) possible ways to maintain the sporting facility were suggested

1. The facility should be maintained and sustained by the government

2. A committee should be made responsible for it. This committee will devise a plan to generate funds.

Check for the final post.

Plans for mini stadium moves into high gear -Post #1

After the recently completed meeting with the Choiseul Village Council where Bousquet discussed the mini stadium project,the former as well as other stakeholders held a meeting on Tuesday November 30, 2010 on the proposed site for the project to discuss further plans.
The meeting was well attended and the discussions went well. This blog has decided to publish the entire minutes of this meeting in three subsequent post to keep you in the know.

The meeting was chaired by Mr. Davidson Lionel and later Mr. Mac Arthur Philip


THE AIM OF THE MEETING

The main aims of the meeting were

*to discuss plans for the sporting facility

*to select a committee whose main responsibility would be to meet with the architects in planning the structure of the sporting facility

*to ensure that Choiseulians play an active role in the planning stage of the sporting facility.

The discussions which took place were categorized under the following headings namely:

(A) Major concerns of residence

(B) Structure

(C) Security and fencing

(D) Access of the Facility

(E) Maintenance and sustainability

(F) Possible sources of funding

(G) Formation of planning committee

MAJOR CONCERNS OF THE RESIDENTS OF CHOISEUL

The persons who were present at the meeting voiced many of their major concerns which included

*that the size of the field not be tampered with. In fact it was felt that the field needed to be widened to create a state of the art facility

*that no development which does not include sports should take place on the small field

* In planning the sporting facility there should be a level of continuity

*That the fencing should not resemble what is found at the mini stadium in Vieux Fort

*That the satellite warehouse should be relocated

*That there should always be public participation in the planning stage to allow for greater appreciation of the sporting facility

*separation of the playing field from the playground

*vandalism

STRUCTURE Of THE SPORTING FACILITY

Many suggestions were put forward in relation to the design of the sporting facility. Among these suggestions were

*The sporting facility should include the court, the small field, the playground and the large field.

*The structure should be located to the South of the field facing Mr. Vincent William’s House. However, before this can be done a retaining wall has to be built to stabilise this area. The playing filed also needs to be resurfaced.

*The structure should entail (2) stories.

*The first floor will house toilet facilities, changing rooms, the gym, a resource room as well as some other offices which include an area for shows and concerts.

*The sitting should be placed on the top floor which should be leveled to allow for future development.

*A main building will be placed on this floor with sittings on either side of it. In addition, uncovered stands should be made available all around the structure.

*The courts should be included in the sporting facility and consequently seats have to be placed all around it.

*A walkway should be built to give the community access to the facility.

*The facility should be built in such a way that two sporting disciplines can take place at the same time, for example, cricket and Football.

*The small field should be used as a parking area for certain activities.

N:B The handicapped should be considered in the planning stage of the facility.

Check for the next post.

Does the Powerhouse reflect Lorne's views?

The comment written by an anonymous person talking about the powerhouse being against the mini stadium inspired this article.
Reports reaching this blog speaks to an article written by cyberboss condemning the constructiong of a mini stadium at the La Fargue Grounds. Question, is the views of cyberboss who is also the campaign manager for Lorne reflects Lorne position on the issue? It would be foolhardy of Lorne to stand in unison with cyberboss on this matter.It would be wise of Lorne to issue a statement disassociating himself for this statement.
If I know Lorne well enough, he is a sportsman with immense talent unlike his campaign manager who has had little or no success in the sporting arena. Doesn't Bolo know that the sporting public is in dire need of such a facility? Bolo has never been interested in the development of the sporting skills of the Choiseul youth. To denounce the construction of this facility for the youth speaks volumes of what the SLP camp thinks of Choiseul youth.
Bousquet has sought assistance form the governments of Morocco and Spain in the sum of $911,000 which now sits in an account managed by the Choiseul Village Council. The target is $1.5M.
Cyberboss (Bolo) is only hired to manage Lorne's campaign not make policy statements for the guy.
This blog wants to know whether Lorne is in agreement with Bolo' statement. The Choiseul youth and sporting public need to know, and soon.No gimmicks.

Apology to our readers and followers

We want to apologize to our readers for the break in continuity of our articles.This is due to the lack of internet access in our area since the passage of Tomas.
Lime crews have been hard at work and they have assured us that internet access and phones should be up and running
By next week God willing.
However,reports reaching this blog speak of the negativity of the Choiseul Powerhouse as it relates to the District Rep. Reports suggest that the powerhouse should call itself the Lorne mouthpiece.
Upon reflection I have to agree when I think of who Cyberboss is.
As we stated our blog is here to highlight the achievements of Bousquet.
When the time comes for us to put pressure we will.
This post is being written using a BB.

Bousquet holds talks with The Village Council

On Thursday November 25,2010 Bousquet held a meeting with members of the Choiseul Village Council to chart the way forward for the construction of the proposed mini stadium. In addition to the $830,000.00 already in an account at the Choiseul Credit Union Bousquet informed the Council of a further US$30,000.00, which isd a donation from the Portugese Government.
The total amount towards the construction of the stadium now stands at $911,000.00. An estimated target of $1.5M is the proposed target.
Bousquet went on to disclose his vision for the stadium. He sugested that he would like the two fields merge into one major complex with a learning centre,the stadium and a parking area.
A meeting has been slated with all stakeholders for Tuesday November 30, 2010. to chart
the way forward.
The Rep also disclosed to Council an allocation of $150,000.00 as aid to assist with the recovery effort of hurricane Tomas. This decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting held last Monday.
Incidentally today marks the 52nd birthday of the Rep and he couldn't more pleased that handing to Choiseulians the wonderful gift.
Happy Birthday Mr. District Rep! Also today is the birthday of the author of this blog and Lucy Nicholas.

Choiseul to get a Mini Stadium

This was like a prophesy,when way back in the 90's when Bousquet said, "When Choiseul cricket is strong St.Lucia cricket will be strong." A man of vision for Choiseul as he has always been, saw this revelation way back.
During his present tenure he has made sure that this statement he made way back then (ask Mc Arthur) must be realised.
Working tete-a-tete with clubs, teams, and to a large extent with the Youth and Sports Council, this vision has materialised. Kudos to the man!
Bousquet has donated sports gear to every team/club in his constituency plus he has over the past three years sponsored both cricket and football tournaments -that is managed by the Sports Council.Over thirty-five thousand dollars have been donated towards these tournaments.Two playing fields have been upgraded in the smaller communities and presently two new ones are being constructed. One in Jetrine and the other in Delcer.By providing the facilities and having the organistion to administrate the tournaments, Bousquet's vision came true.
This year both the senior and U-19 cricket teams made it to the. Inter district cricket tournament. Six U-19 players made the St.Lucia team,two made the Windward Islands team. One of our players even captained the Windwards. Two of our U-15 where selected on the National team.
With our girls three of them are due to be selected on the women's national cricket team this year.
Choiseul sports making strides under Bousquet' watch.
One must not be niave to think that the general public who came out to support their individual teams under all kinds of weather do not deserve their praise as well. Therefore it is with open arms that a Mini Stadium will be welcomed. The spectators and players have suffered too long.
Bousquet has already secured over half a million dollars for ths project.
The sports council has been advised by the rep to meet with all stake holders to dicuss their ideas as to what they would like to see in this stadium.
Can you imagine what a magnificient spectacle that would be.
Yet there are some myopic persons who seem to think that our sporting population do not need a mini stadiumm
What a pity!
.

JMD Football Finals 2010

      It was the 2010 JMD Bousquet Football Tournament Finals. Over two thousand fans of both teams had turned out to give their support. The atmosphere was exhillarating.

   The feeling on the ground was in favour of Harambe. This team noted for its radicalism was two years ago banned from local competition. Added to thie five players were banned last year.
However they rose to the occassion, defeating the big guns like Ebony, Retired Young and Champion Crew. They deserved their place in this finals.
   Piaye on the other hand, relatively new, promised to offer some resistance. They looked a very young and energetic bunch.
   It was an historical occassion, as both teams have never made any Finals before.
   The crowds kept coming and they were starting to get impatient as the officials were tardy in getting the match started. The toss was won by Harambe and they Chose their side of the field.

From the onstart one could see the determination of the Piaye team as they relentlessly attacked the Harambe's defence. This quickly paid off as in the 17th minute Kapil Joseph netted Piaye's first goal. The crowd went silent. Piaye's fans started their jubilations. In the 31st minute Piaye again scored from the boots of Dwayne Griffin.

By then Harambe was diorganized even to the point where Michele Xavier had to be given a red card. Harambe had their backs to the wall. At half time, Piaye 2 Harambe 0.

Harambe started the second halk with a bang when they scored theira goal in the 47th minute. But this was all the luck they were going to have, as Piaye sealed the game by scoring two more goals.. End of game Piaye 4, Harambe 1.
 At the presentation ceremony numerous monetary prizes were awarded to the officials who helped in making this tournament a success.

 The District rep, the sponsor during his address made a great pronouncement. " I want to let you know that I intend to build a mini stadium here and at this moment there is over eight hundred thousand dollars with the Village Council towards this project" he said. This brought a loud cheer from the sportsfans.

The trophy was presented to the Piaye team  and there followed the partying and jubilations.For his contribution to the sport the Youth and Sports Council presented a plaque of appreciation to the Rep.

The SLP Choiseul branch and its operatives, which include one school principal who is a known Labour party agent from Mongouge, and four other public servants, are currently engaging in a campaign of lies, deceit and misrepresentation. Remarkably, Lorne of all people has decided to go down the road of name calling and finger pointing!


The UWP camp want these operatives to know that we are aware of all the tricks that they are attempting to engage in; including going into people’s homes and telling the occupants that they are representatives of our hardworking and popular District Representative, Rufus Bousquet.

Once inside, they attempt to get information and sully the good name of the District Rep with vicious lies and misrepresentations.

They even go as far as to bad mouth the many good works that the Hon. Rufus Bousquet has delivered to the poor people of Choiseul/Saltibus during the past four years:

Playing fields and computers for the youth, support for schools, roads, driveways, community roads and footpaths to many poor communities, an ambulance for Choiseul after many years of promises by the former administration, annual sponsoring of carnival and support for the Choiseul Village Council - to name just a few.

The individual support for the elderly, Club 60, La Rose and other cultural groups, including the Choiseul Youth and Sport Council through the sponsorship of sporting competitions and events.

To attack the Rep is a sure sign of desperation by a group who have no answers to Mr. Bousquet’s ability to provide for the needs of the people of Choiseul/Saltibus

That type of campaign is not working. The people of Choiseul are being warned to be on the lookout for the persons who come to their homes pretending to be supporters of the District Rep.

Bousquet tours constituency after Tomas

As always, Bousquet is in his constituency as often as he possibly can, taking into consideration the hectic Foreign Affairs Ministry’s demand. Upon hearing the weather announcement he headed down to his constituency to see first hand how the constituents were getting prepared.

Saturday October 30, 2010 found the Rep experiencing with his constituents, the raving force of hurricane Tomas.

Isn’t that the quality of a true leader, to be there with his people through thick and thin?

Come Sunday morning Bousquet was up and running with a group of volunteers, touring every community to see first hand the damage which persons had suffered and offering what ever help was needed – clearing roads, drains etc.

It was clear that the constituency has suffered major damage, roads were blocked, landslides were everywhere, and roofs were blown off. Major slides could be seen in the Village, Victoria, Saltibus, Jetrine, Daban, Morne Jacques and Roblot. Drains were clogged with debris and almost every where huge trees had fallen across the roadway.

It was a pitiful site. Taking a once- in- a -while glance at the Rep during this painful tour, one could see the pensiveness in him. This is nature’s work.

Seeing first hand the damage done, Bousquet had to report to his colleagues on his assessment of the damage and what relief would be forthcoming to his people. But wait! All forms of communications were down; the roads to Castries were impassable.

But check the ingenuity of the man. “I will travel by one of these fiberglass boats.” he uttered. Through some form of luck Lime came on for a short while on Monday morning and Bousquet quickly took advantage of this window and called in a chopper to take him to the city.


Follow this blog for the relief efforts.

Bousquet Presents Computers

At a presentation ceremony at Morne Sion, on September 29,2010,Rufus Bousquet presented eight laptops to the top Common Entrance students within the constituency.The top student from every primary school in the district received a machine
The Ceremony was attend by His Excellency Tom Chou, the Taiwanese Ambassador to St. Lucia, the parents and teachers ,and persons in the community..
Both the Ambassaor and the District Rep. showered the reciepients of the laptops with much praise for the dedication to their studies.

During his address Mr. Bousquet made mention of an email that was sent to him asking him to consider the CXC students as well. This he said he will surely give some thought and thanked the writer for the suggestion.

Presentation Ceremony Slated for Wednesday Sept. 29, 2010

Reports reaching this blog suggests that the top students from the seven Primary Schools in the constituency will be presented with prizes for their outstanding achievements at this year's Common Entrance Examinations.
The students are - Benjamin Theodille - 90.67,Kathy Ann Z. Mason - 91.33, Nelcia Charlemagne - 88.67, Jeanelle N. Albert - 88.00, Britani Z. Nicholas - 87.33, Wyomia T. Dedier - 84.0, Emila C. Joseph - 83.33, and Jeanique D. Harris.
The ceremony will take place at the Morne Sion on Wednesday. Information is being circulated to the schools to get the students prepared.
Bousquet has religiously kept his promise to recognise the achievements of the youths in this constituency. Last year he gave away six computers and printers to the top Common Entrance Students.
Later after the ceremony a community road is scheduled to be opened in Morne Sion.

Another project completed

Bousquet, once again has stood up to the occassion. As promised at a presentation ceremony in Morne Sion, Bousquet has kept his promise and provided the residents of the community a 200 metre driveway an two bridges. the project commenced way back in May.
Financing for the project came from the Taiwanese government to the tune of over $70,000.00.

Motorists can now access the drive-way into the community.

Bousquet annual Common Entrance presentation coming soon

Rufus Bousquet has religiously kept to his word for the past three years. Work is presently ongoing to select the top performers in the constituency for this year's Common Entrance results. It is not clear what format the Rep will use this year to select the recipients for the laptops and printers. The Dugard school placed first in the district.There are seven schools in the rep's constituency. The student' scores range fom 83 to 95 percent.

The European Champions have added the world title to its list of honors and proved that Spain is the world’s number one international soccer team.

Spain’s World Cup campaign didn’t start off well, as the team lost its opening match to Switzerland.

But, it quickly recovered and in beating Holland in the final game at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg, Spain became the first team to win the World Cup having lost its opener.

Spain’s progress saw it struggle to break down teams who faced it with a defensive mindset and relied on a succession of 1-0 victories—that means it is the lowest-scoring world champions ever.

But, it is impossible to deny that Spain is a worthy winner of the 2010 World Cup and as the team that always looked to play positively, Spain can be also be considered the tournament’s moral victors.

For more World Cup action click  http://bleacherreport.com/articles/419126-2010-fifa-world-cup-winners-and-losers#page/1

Source :Bleacher Report

Choiseul Fishermen Celebrate Fishermen's Feast

Early on Tuesday morning June 29, 2010 the street of Choiseul village was buzzing with activity. All along the street one could notice group of well dressed men in some form of discussion or another. The street started to get congested as more fishermen from Vieux Fort and Laborie started arriving  to join in the celebrations with their Choiseul counterparts.

  The Fishermen's Feast started with a procession from the Fisheries Complex to the Catholic Church where a service was  held. Approximately 150 - 200 fishermen, a few accompanied by their wife were in attendance.Veteran fishermen like Wax and Bogs and the District Community Officer were also there.

After the service, the priest  conducted a short ceremony on the Fisheries Complex where prayers were offered  and the fishermen's boats were blessed.

 Afterwards it was celebrations galore where champagne, drinks and eats was offered to all invited guests.

A popular hi-fi provided the entertainment throughout the day's activities.

       While all the fanfare was happening an excavator was busily removing accumulated sand in the fish pond. Accumulaion of sand in the pond is a perrenial problem that the authorities cannot find a solution for. The sand is removed and sold out. God help our beaches.