Graffiti outrages businessmen

Thursday December 28 2006



by Corliss Smithen



Two businessmen are outraged at the graffiti that has defaced the exterior of the buildings that house their businesses.

The two were greeted with the writings, scrawls and scribbles when they showed up at their places of work in Basseterre yesterday morning.

Michael Morton, chairman of TDC, a leading private sector entity, said he was depressed to see this kind of behaviour exhibited.

He called on everyone to do his or her part in raising the standards in St. Kitts/Nevis.

“On Central Street, we have spent nearly $6 million so far, plus we will be undertaking a private sector venture jointly with other owners and operators of businesses on Fort Street to redecorate Fort Street and bring it up to world-class standards, putting all the electricity and utility lines underground, placing paving stones, making them wheelchair accessible.

“All of this is being done to upgrade the shopping facilities for both local and foreigners alike and to raise the standards in St. Kitts/Nevis. We believe that by raising these standards people would also raise their standards, in particular, in their behaviour.

“I would hope that people would grow to appreciate what we’re doing here and would assist us by not destroying, but building up,” Morton said.

Proprietor of Island Hopper and Caribelle Batik, Maurice Widdowson, described the act as “mindless”.

“To maintain and improve town is an objective of the private sector and the public sector. The private sector invests millions into this town and will continue to do so. We need encouragement, not discouragement and to walk into town this morning and to see what a fantastic job the Sanitation Department has done in cleaning up the streets and then glancing over…and see the mindless act of a moron to deface and destroy a beautiful building really depresses me.

“What happens is if you allow one piece of graffiti, it will be followed by others…This is the tip of a potential iceberg…It’s not about Widdowson’s building…it’s about the lost opportunities, the unchecked vandalism like this will cause for the entire population of St. Kitts.

“We have in Basseterre an absolute gem, we have the finest small capital in the Caribbean, it is a major part of our social involvement in this island, the local people live and work here, enjoy this clean tiny city and I will not stand back and allow people to destroy the opportunities for me and for others,” Widdowson said.

He said the aesthetics of the city should be maintained as it was the biggest tourism asset and called on the authorities to punish such graffiti artists to the fullest extent of the law.

“Town, in my opinion, is our biggest asset in our thrust for tourism and improvement on the island. It is bigger in terms of its potential for employing people and enriching people like Brimstone Hill, Caribelle Batik and the Scenic Railway.

“Town is the engine of growth in this country, the engine of growth that would employ people, give people better salaries and better opportunities. It is so frustrating and demoralising for the business community to see the mindless acts of a few fools.

“I’d like to think that the authorities will be sensitised to this problem and be sufficiently observant in the future, in the balance of Carnival and the festive season, to treat people who are carrying cans and defacing buildings in the manner in which they deserve,” Widdowson said.

“I’m going to find out the best solvent to try and remove it, but it isn’t going to be easy because that rock is porous,” he added.