Dear Barbados Free Press,
My name is Jo and I live in the UK. I would like to thank you for your informative and true daily reports on the tragic incident of the collapse of the Codrington Family apartment.
Donavere Codrington’s Uncle Atlee and his family live here in the UK now, and for many years I lived with them and had a daughter, Calise, to Donavere’s cousin, Richard. Nearly every year we would come and visit Donavere and his family, and stay for a few weeks at his Grandmother Sheila’s house.
If you could post this, I hope all Bajans who read this will come to know that Donavere, his sisters Crystal and Nicole, his mother Margaret, Grandma Sheila and the rest of his family are a wonderful, welcoming family. They have true faith which I really believe will serve everyone involved in this well, and I am honoured to be affiliated with this family, especially for my baby girl to share their surname. Don is (I use present tense in hope) as strong as an ox, and he’ll protect those he loves – if not in body then most definitely in spirit. He always took care of me when I came over and never treated me any different (despite the fact that local residents to Westbury Road called me ‘flamingo’ as I go pink in the sun!).
Idon’t speak of Cassandra as I didn’t know her – although I pray for her, her children and her mother. I pray for Donica and Don’s son from a previous relationship – Donico. I hope Barbados does too.
Many thanks for taking the time to read and hopefully publish this.
With best wishes
Jo Holt
11 Comments
August 30, 2007 at 6:54 pm
Jo Holt,
Rest assured that all civic – minded persons in Barbados share your family’s grief.
It is sad that the painstaking process has been taking this long thus preventing some measure of closure to be brought to this unfortunate incident.
Equally distressing for many Barbadians is that only a few months ago this shambolic spectacle we have for a government assured Barbadians that after spending millions on CWC 2007 security the country was ready to respond to any MASS CASUALTY situation !
To demonstrate their brazenness…..Harrison Cave was opened for visits.
What if a similar collapse had occured there while filled with visitors ?
Would our MASS CASUALTY reponse team suffice ?
But here is the rub some 5 MONTHS later ….
* Millions spent on CWC 2007 SECURITY !
* Hundreds of Police Officers still remain
UNPAID !
* In excess of 75 Government Security Guards
still remain UNPAID !
* 5 persons trapped underground in Brittons
Hill…..MASS CASUALTY TEAM in Barbados
sends to Miami Dade County for HELP !
* Such action means at least 6 HOURS ( of
CRITICAL time ) would be lost while trying to
mobilise Miami Dade County Team into
ACTION !
* Upon arrival the Miami Dade Team spends 7
hours in Barbados then LEAVES !
* Now 3 days since the Miami Dade team has
left Barbados……..the remains of those in
Sunday’s incident are still buried below the
earth !
And we are constantly told by a PHILANDER
( Owen Arthur ) that this is a First – World Administration !
Moa Se – Tung would be proud !
Propaganda….Par Excellence !
August 31, 2007 at 12:35 am
JH…I think that couching political agenda in condolences is disrespectful. Offer your condolences to the extended Codrington family. Full stop. If you wish to go off on the political agenda, do so on another forum.
Ms Holt, my thoughts and prayers are with you and the immediate and extended Codrington family, both here and abroad.
August 31, 2007 at 12:55 am
Lady Anon,
There is no couching in my postings !
I state my observations quite clearly !
If they rub you the wrong way……so be it !
August 31, 2007 at 1:04 am
JH…my grandmother always said there was a time and place for everything.
August 31, 2007 at 1:19 am
Lady Anon,
Let us rest up on this one !
How was your day ?
I trust uneventful !
One Love .
August 31, 2007 at 1:51 am
My sympathies and prayers go to all those who grieve… May God give you the strength and support you need to endure this tradedy.
Just a question to the readers / bloggers… was it my imagination, or does anyone remember hearing about the Harrison’s Cave personnel going on a training workshop of some sort to Canada sometime recently? If this is so, what did they learn there? I would like to think that at least one presentation / session would have dealt with disaster management in a cave setting. If this is so, and it is a big IF, why have we not heard/seen them and benefitted from their input / expertise/knowledge in a situation such as this? Are they at all trained to deal with a cave-in, even if it is in a rudimentary fashion? I may be basing these questions on a false premise, which is that they were indeed on such a training workshop, and if I am wrong I sincerely apologise.
August 31, 2007 at 2:09 am
Jerome how about a few days of ceasefire out of respect for the families.
Then come back and share some licks. I am sure you can find 750,000 good reasons to restart the attack.
August 31, 2007 at 6:51 am
Obviously I chose the wrong place to leave a heart felt message to the family. There was no couching of political agenda here – maybe if people weren’t looking for it so hard they’d see that what you see in my posting is what you get.
August 31, 2007 at 6:57 am
Apologies – I presumed messages for JH (Jerome Hinds) were for me (Jo Holt).
Hope I didn’t offend!
August 31, 2007 at 1:37 pm
Gene…the training was not of this nature…it was basically a best practice to see how attractions of this type operate.
September 1, 2007 at 2:53 am
Lady Anon
Thanks for clarifying my misconception.