All still not well, refurbished schools in need of better furniture, etc — Turnbull
Criticising local government at a community meeting in Spooner’s Estate this week, Opposition legislator Melvin ‘Mitch’ Turnbull said very little has changed at the newly-renovated L-shaped building at Elmore Stoutt High School in Road Town.
A section of the school’s Road Town campus was reopened last September after sustaining major infrastructural damage during the category-five hurricanes of 2017.
Addressing residents of Spooner’s on Tuesday, Turnbull said: “Yes, it (the building) was opened. But just look beyond the Facebook posts and you will realize that the same old furniture is there and nothing much has changed except the exterior and some of the interior of the building.”
Turnbull’s comments were made while lamenting that the newly rebuilt Enis Adams Primary School in his Second District constituency is already showing signs of deterioration due to old furniture.
“I don’t care to be popular. My ‘shame box’ broke when I was seven years old so it doesn’t matter to me. But, what I will not do is settle for the excuses that we have,” said Turnbull, who is the representative of the Second Electoral District.
Gov’t made responsible for furnishings, etc
The Opposition legislator pointed out that the Government of the Virgin Islands was tasked to play a certain part in bringing the school to completion after former majority owner of RoadTown Wholesale Ltd, Peter Haycraft, donated $2 million for Enis Adams Primary’s rehabilitation.
He said government was responsible for furnishing and completing the school’s science laboratory, the library, the playground, the schoolyard, etcetera.
“We have a lovely looking school but it is not finished and it is supposed to be finished by the Ministry [of Education]. They finally received some of the furniture for the school, they have the desks, but they still have the old chairs. Old chairs on a polished floor and if you go into some of the classrooms, you will see all the paint and polish is already off,” he added.
Turnbull further said the school may very well need to be renovated again if it is not maintained and does not receive the new furniture.
Enis Adams Primary was reopened in September of last year after being rebuilt by Haycraft after the onslaught of hurricanes Irma and Maria.
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Give it a rest Mitch! At least they got the kids back in there which is more than your Govt did!
You mean the kind donor got the kids back into the school!
wha the minister for the subject doing besides rushing the opposite s** at the work place?
Are the people in that Ministry that are responsible for the project doing what they are suppose to do? They know more about the contract and project than the newly elected minister.
Open up a wood shop at the prison and let the Inmates make the furniture for the school like they do in the States. Inmates in the States make prison officers uniforms, office furniture and license plates for the DMV. It save the State money and the inmates have something to keep them busy.
and don’t forget to clean the streets, graves, etc. I keep saying this..
None informed sense. The previous government was working diligently to get the schools back to previous conditions. Who know, know, and who don’t know will do what don’t know people do.
Indeed, most of the work and or “progress we see today are initiatives and or other from the previous government.
Thr truth is, all governments are elected to serve the country and people. Therefore, divisive politics need to be buried. But of course, that is wishful thinking, especially when members of all parties are local people.
Sadly, if a pink party were formed and run, assuredly, every brain-washed, politically, culturally and historically unconscious dead local would vote for it, overwhelmingly, over their same VIP, NDP and others.
Say its not so. As, the psychology, “they can do it better than us” is still prevalent among most. It is sad when you just don’t know.
NDP had their flaws but ran the country far better than this VIP is doing.
There is no money! But yet the recovery is going splendid as the government says! Folks with sense know better.
The RDA has $10mil but would rather spend on expat salaries then high school furniture
@One individual Vote. We are 100% in favor of your on point and transparent Comment.
All I got to say is I thnink we made a mistake moving Hon. Walwyn. Regardless of whatever he would have made sure that those schools got what they needed. I worked with man and I was impressed with his work ethic and if he tells you that something will done it is done. If he gives you something to carry out you have to make sure you have it done well and on time. I am not an NDP supporter. I have never been one because of certain things but Myron was a producer. I don’t even know what to say about this minister we have now so I wouldn’t say anything.
If he didn’t make sure for two years what makes you say this..
I know you can’t be gullible enough to believe that the VIP did that school in three months. I heard Dr. Glasgow myself say that they were working on the plans, estimates, tendering and other things for a while. Can you build or repair a house without a plan. The repairs on that school was 4 million. That should tell you the damage that school endured a d the amount of prep work needed before construction started. Stop being gullible people! And it was the former government who fixed all or started the work on all schools. In one year not one school was fixed by this government. NDP worked with donors to get Robinson oneal, BFEC secondary, Ivan Dawsonand Enid adams done. They fixed all the other schools that were damaged as well. Let’s not be unfair.
Smerf sending the droids out trying to scuewer the water lol offense is the best form of defence. The voting populus has a long memory. Who took the crown land, and where is my plane? Lol forward ever, backwards never.
Please go read a book. My God!
Only because the government take back the crown land that he and his father get up Trellis bay just before election is why he behaving so.
But we have a new transit lounge on Beef Island