Dear Editor,
We refer to your article dated Thursday October 4, 2012 with bold headlines stating that “residents slam construction firm over `shabby’ McDougal Street work.”
We take strong exception to the use of the word “shabby” by the residents or your reporter to describe the work we are doing on McDougal Street. Our work consists exclusively of building drains in that area and it would be reckless of anyone to describe our work which is still ongoing as “shabby.”
We have no other work to do there and therefore you ought to exercise more care in the use of words or to repeat descriptions by persons unqualified to pronounce on our work.
The Ministry of Public Works is the Supervising Authority and we have to report to them and to complete our work based on our contractual obligations.
It is true that there is some inevitable damage to the street caused by the excavator but this is unavoidable.
The excavator in use was recommended by the Ministry and so was the street to be used to access the site.
It is also true that there has been some delay in the work due to heavy and continuous rainfall at the beginning of our work in March 2012.
Regretfully, we did not have a fair opportunity to reply to a letter published in your newspapers by a resident who claimed that the work was being carried out by “incompetent professionals” (a contradiction by itself) and since you publish intemperate language such as “shabby” work after the published letter, it is difficult for us to engage in a proper response in the face of subjective comments which are baseless.
Yours faithfully,
Darren Nurse
Senior Manager
Courtney Benn Contracting
Services Limited
Editor’s note: Courtney Benn Contracting Services was given ample time over three days to respond to the concerns raised by the residents. After a response was not forthcoming the news item was published.
