Rose Hall Town Day

Aug 18, 2008 News

ROSE HALL TOWN, CORENTYNE: Plans are in progress for the observance of the 38th year since Rose Hall has become a town.

Rose Hall Town, with boundaries at Williamsburg and the J.C. Chandisingh Access Road, became a municipality on September 20th, 1970.

A number of activities would be hosted from September 14th to 21st to mark the occasion. Events commence with a cultural presentation in the vicinity of the Rose Hall Town Arch on September 14th.
According to the Chairman of the Rose Hall Interim Management Committee, Bhadenauth Somrah, there would also be the birthday cake-sticking exercise, which would be done by two of the oldest citizens in the town.

Later that day, a six-mile road race will be staged; the route is yet to be identified.
Somrah says that he is not certain what other events are listed for the other days.

On September 20th is the street fair along the Independence Avenue. In the evening there is the body building/fashion display contest at the Area ‘H’ Ground. The following day is the beach family fun day at the Rose Hall Town beach, which will bring the curtains down on the observances.

Mr. Somrah pointed out that the activities are being done in collaboration with the Anniversary Committee and the Corentyne All Stars Football Club.

The week of events would be launched on September 14th at the Rose Hall Town Arch. The Anniversary Committee is responsible for a spelling bee competition for the primary schools, volleyball and basketball tournament, and the main street fair.

This group is also tasked with the responsibility of organizing the body building/fashion display and the beach family fun day.

The Corentyne All Stars Football Club will pull off the football as well as the basketball tournaments.
The Chairman of the Interim Management Committee said, “I am giving everybody specific functions and responsibilities in our town’s celebration, because Rose Hall is every citizen’s business, and every club, individual and organization must be given a chance to promote itself for the benefit of the town. The IMC is there to see that everybody works together…put their differences aside and work together, we have nothing to lose.”

Mr. Somrah added that, in previous years, there was much talk about the proceeds from the Town Day activities, and plans were formulated for the use of the funds. “The bottom line is we have finished four anniversary celebrations and there hasn’t been any remarkable amount of proceeds from this. In view of that, the IMC is not looking forward for any proceeds, but whatever is gained by these organizations that are coming along with us, it must be used for the further development of the organizations, such as the Anniversary Committee and the Corentyne All Stars.”

Bhadenauth Somrah, in a previous interview, had pleaded with tax payers to honour their obligation, “We are stranded…our programmes, in terms of doing capital works, will be cut out, because we do not have that type of money. Every service comes at a value, and it is an expense the council has to bear. If every year we collect 50 percent of rates and taxes, one can imagine how much the steep climb, the outstanding amount, is.”

According to him, rates and taxes’ collection has always been a bugbear for the council, and in any given year, never more than 50 percent of the projected amount is collected.

In December 2007, Town Clerk Selwyn Johnson stated that defaulting rates and tax payers owe the Rose Hall Interim Management Committee in excess of $23 million, a figure which dates back to 1988. Johnson had indicated that approximately 36 percent of rates and taxes had been collected — a figure close to that of 2006.

Against this backdrop, Mr. Bhadenauth Somrah last week said that the council is in a position to finance some of the activities for the observance of the town’s anniversary. “As I promised when I came into office on the 1st of January 2008, I will make things work. There is money in the council for these activities. It would be ungrateful for residents to say under my leadership that we have not done anything for them. The evidence is there – everywhere you walk in Rose Hall, work is being done.”

He also stated that the Interim Management Committee is looking to business entities and other organizations for financial and other forms of support.