Dear Editor,
Recent winnings in succession by the three ladies from our Linden community- Ms. Malaika Boyd, Cellink Jingle; Claris Joseph, Ms. Jamzone; and Jenelle Bobb, Ms. Talented teen Queen, were like an invigorating breath of fresh air, and in some ways a kind of booster to the community. There is hardly a resident of Linden whose attention was not captured by this winning streak. So happy were some, that upon reflection on the Digicel Bimmer competition they were amusing themselves that the winner should have also been a Lindener-better yet that the drawing (finals) was done in their home town. Then we saw the phenomenal accomplishment by another Lindener; this time a male, the diminutive walk-racing King, Rudy Mitchell, 100 consecutive victories! The first in any sport discipline in the entire Caribbean. Were these victories by pure chance or providence?
Who cares! Let those who are interested figure it out, fact is they remain first and will most certainly serve as an inspiration for many others in whatever department to emulate, as will surely happen. But this former Bauxite Company Town is no stranger to firsts and being the initiator of events, having given birth to the Mashramani celebrations; the Kashif and Shanghai football tournament; Town day/week activities; Rockstone Fish Festival all of which are no more confined to or any longer the “property” of Linden. Instead, all of them have now become national events. Let it also be known that it was in this community-McKenzie proper, that sport: cycling, football, rugby, and track and field were first played at nights under floodlights, I want to believe in the entire Caribbean-(subject to correction) and also for the benefit of the johnnies come lately it was here at the Wisroc entrance, known as the basin in the mid seventies where preparation of 26 acres of land for the laying of the foundation for an international stadium -a modern sport complex was first made consisting of all athletics facilities:
swimming pool, velodrome track and field etc, a seating capacity of approximately 40,000 and a parking zone to accommodate over 8,000 vehicles. (A model of the structure was put on display). And also again this community boasts uniqueness in having all its streets, with the exception of one, named from our various woods. Yes it was the only p1ace in the entire Caribbean one had to come to if he/she wanted to see the largest walking dragline wearing a pair of iron shoes!
So one wonders, are these successive victories by our young women and our remarkable walk racer a signal for an upsurge- a rebirth to reclaim somewhat things that once made us prominent as these girls and Rudy have done to make us proud?
This dusty town of McKenzie/ Linden which was shaped by the brown mineral (bauxite) when it had sway and was in command and demand; this town which once held a reputation in special ways that was the envy of many; this town with a river between and a view to houses that decorated the hills on the Wismar side, still, with little or no hopes yearns for the days that only older folks can remember and young people only heard about: of roads that never appeared weary and were continually kept in fine condition along with real clear gutters forever at their side(s); where mosquitoes were eradicated to the point of being forgotten; a hospital that people had faith in and which took care of the health of residents and community, and a very efficient/effective fire service – a clean town among a few other things that the community was celebrated for.
And of course the forever and always spick and span Watooka-Richmond Hill residential areas, exclusively for the White bosses/officials. These areas were meticulously landscaped, with well built large houses on sprawling land space, lovely cultivated flower gardens, neatly trimmed fruit trees which produced in abundance, along with a beautiful and captivating carpet-like golf course; all which added to the aesthetics of these places to which a boundary line was drawn between them and the community.
But remember, this town seems to have a propensity for dreaming up big things. So maybe the return of the once exciting and celebrated MSC fair will bring something along. Maybe, who knows those three ladies and Rudy without knowing it have set up the spring-board.
Maybe, just maybe, we are into the beginning of a new dispensation. Who can say.
Yours faithfully,
Frank Fyffe
