“Degradation of Beautiful Belham Valley and a Resort Hotel”
The Vue Pointe Hotel was a deciding factor for us to buy a villa in Old Towne. Carol and Cedric deserve the utmost consideration for all their efforts to preserve tourism in the Belham. Sand mining has no place near Isles Bay Beach!!
Jim and Mary Anne Bain
To even think about sand mining in Isles Bay is not only incredibly stupid it would be a deliberate ruination. That deliberate ruination must be taken into consideration.
It would, without doubt, mean many of those who are still willing to invest in Montserrat to think again.
If those who rule REALLY want a dynamic and healthy Island do, please,STOP either trying to line their own pockets, directly or indirectly and think BIG …NOT SELFISH.
There are people who would invest if only… think about it!
Thank you Carol Osborne for writing this letter …..
I purchased a villa about two years ago and planned to retire to Montserrat…My plan to purchase another lot and develop it has been put on hold due to this situation.
If I had known political backroom deals trump property rights I would not have purchased on Montserrat at all but would of purchased in Belize.
When I decided on Montserrat, I paid over 20,000 US dollars to the government of Montserrat for an Alien Landholders License.
If the people of Montserrat want to lose day to day revenue (maid, pool man, gardener, real estate agent, lawyer, building supplies, shops, restaurants, car and truck rentals, etc) as well as property fees … go ahead and do nothing about this unjust situation.
Backroom deals only benefit the ones in the backroom…. the rest of us pay in one way or another.
Chris Kruger … Old Towne…
Yes Yes Yes!
Please allow the Vue Pointe Hotel to be saved from total degradation! It does not have many more years left before it will not be salvageable. Great food….great people…..great place to stay….and an economic boost for Montserrat!
“Where Have all the Avocados Gone?”
Ever so quietly, huge agro industrial firms are hoarding fertile seeds and only allowing radiated, sterile seeds to reach the people. As a child, we always planted our avocado seeds because they were easy to grow and made beautiful plants. Now, the seeds have been radiated and left sterile. The agro industrial firms are also lobbying our legislators to restrict access to the purchase of vitamins (soon, you’ll need a prescription for vitamins and food supplements) and to make it illegal to grow your own fruits and vegetables. They would like everyone to be forced to purchase genetically enhanced seeds that they control and that have not been tested and could affect all humans on a cellular level. The Montserrat Agricultural Ministry must step in and encourage the importation access to fertile seeds in a nation that was once known as the “bread basket” of the Caribbean.
Sand Mining: Some suggestions…
I agree with all the above concerns from the residents: To destroy the quality of life in the Belham is a direct destruction of the tourist business to come. Tourist are anxious to come to Montserrat, especially now that the volcano is quite, New charters from Guadeloupe are coming this fall, (lots of money in the French Islands) One villa in Iles Bay has recently been sold to a person from Guadeloupe, If sand mining destroys Montserrat’s newest beach at Old Road Bay you can kiss goodbye to future investments.
Suggestions:
Have the SAND MINERS build a jetty in Foxes Bay and pay for it.
2) Have them build a smaller one in Iles Bay only when Foxes Bays is done. This one could be used for recreational purposes and in the event the volcano is acting up again if it does and that Foxes Bay is deemed unsafe, then and only then could that backup jetty can be used. As soon as the volcano would subside, it would be back to Foxes Bay.
3) Use the jetty in Plymouth.
4)The digging of the Belhem Valley should be structured. EG: Dig where the river should flow, I know it will fill again, but dig it again and again.
If the mining is well done and constructive, Maybe a fresh water lake or a dam, waterfalls upstream, It will benefit Montserrat in the long term, Miners will have to comply to these directives or loose their permits. They will complain but this is human nature when personal profits are at stake. Too bad, so sad, they will get use to it.
I recently visited the Volcanic island of Santorini. They have turned this volcanic island which doesn’t even come close to Montserrat’s natural beauty into a TOURIST GOLD MINE, Montserrat, don’t settle only for a SAND MINE when a GOLD MINE is just around the bend. Both can exist but not if the Belhem is carelessly ripped apart.
5) The beaches of the Belhem are a natural nesting place for turtles, Please let them live. Don’t Let Green Peace put Montserrat to shame.
