Member of the Road Parade Committee, Charlene White-Christian is warning members of the public to be mindful of their conduct while attending the opening parade of Carnival 2014 on Saturday..
Speaking at the Dominica Festivals Committee (DFC) press conference on Wednesday, White-Christian said “the parade is a family event, and all parades are family events, so we are asking no offensive language, offensive lyrics, no nudity or gestures, they are strongly discouraged this year.”
She pointed out that the parade will be different this year with the reigning Miss Dominica and Calypso Monarch leading the way, followed by the Miss Dominica 2014 contestants.
Traditionally Old Mass bands led the parade.
The parade route will move southwards along Goodwill road, across the E.C Loblack bridge, south along Independence Street, westwards along King George V Street, south along Old Street then proceed northwards along the Dame Eugenia Charles Boulevard. No music systems will be allowed to enter the Dame Eugenia Charles Boulevard.
Fourteen school bands and floats, six old mass groups, four steel pan groups, five cheerleading groups, six cooperate business advertising floats, seven small advertising floats, five sensay groups, and five lapo kabwit groups, and eight different pageant contestants for different shows will make up Saturday’s parade.
A special trophy will be given for the best business float, the best cooperate business advertising float and one for the best small advertising float.
White-Christian added that floats should not exceed 13.5 ft from the ground and individuals on the floats will not be allowed to throw items from the float.
“We have this nice thing in Dominica where we like to expect a sweet or a pencil or something, this year this will not be allowed,” she stated. “We are asking people not to send anything from any vehicle. What we are asking you to do is to have a detail so the contestants will sit nicely and one or two people walking alongside the float will hand over the items to the people.”
She pointed out that this will be done to avoid stampedes and preventing people from coming into the parade.
Meanwhile, calypsonian Val “Young Bull” Cuffy has made a plea to the Dominican government to invest in placing CCTV cameras at strategic points along the Carnival route.
“I would like to see us as a country put cameras on the entire carnival route Seeing that we have had some unfortunate incidents over the years let us put these high definition cameras at strategic locations along the carnival route so that the carnival overall will be secure,” he said.
Cuffy made this request following an announcement by local business man, Kimo Astaphan, that high definition cameras will be installed on the trucks.
Astaphan indicated that data over the years have shown a decrease in disorderly conduct during the carnival season as a result of the cameras.
What is Carnival coming to? SERIOUSLY? You guys are beginning to pull an Eastern Parkway move now, and trying to get rid of carnival!
This woman needs some sewo etiquette.
Editor, what is cooperate business?
The opening is a preview of what u suppose to see for the festival..what this woman trying to say…no half naked hot chicks for the opening..some people really have the wrong job in Dominica.Religious fanatics take over the festival
With all that rules who is this woman EH?? CARNA VAL IS BACANAL LET IT BE! CHUPES.
Every where in the world there is a need for law and order. Why are you guys opposinng the organisers decisions. In terms of safety I truly believe that the CCTV cameras would be beneficial. Move with the times we need them for the nuisance makers and the thieves. Let us have a peaceful time in DA.
Dominican just hate organized platform, Dominica is already a unorganized country. Stop complaining, have a good time with all you family and follow the damn rules and regulation or stay home and watch it on Marpin.we have a high level of crime in the country, we in a political mood where people waiting for those type of events to create problem. Dominica become a country where people cannot have a fun time without things getting out of hand. I believe all need more damn rules and regulations , a nation of people that is out of control.
I agree that people need to keep in mind that the event is and should remain family friendly. Thumbs up to the measures she discussed re: no nudity, no obscene language etc. I think people, especially the younger persons have lost sight of that over the years and it is just a shame to see how people carry and conduct themselves.
To the young men, I do not want to see your underwear! Buy a belt!
To the young women, I do not want what you are selling! Dress modestly throughout the season and not just on the opening. If you are a lady, conduct yourself as one all the time. Your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. You do not have to dress immodestly to have a good time. You can look cute while dressed modestly ladies.
Re the throwing of the sweets from the floats, personally, I can see the safely concern there and I am glad for the safety initiative.
Thumbs up to more and better quality cameras to track crime and I hope that the funding and the ‘okay’ is given to put this in place.
I pray for a safe, crime free and incident free season.
Just a thought? have they taken a look at the E C Loblack bridge lately? Are we sure we want a lot of people walking on there and plus the bridge doesn’t even have good railings, most of it was rusting so bad it fell off
good observation. I hope they did take that into consideration
More rules and regulations that a soccer match…
Wow,CCTV cameras at strategic points along the Carnival routes,while business owner of security company suggest the use of high definition cameras to be installed on trucks,is this what our Carnival has come to in the in the efforts to prevent criminal behavior.
Violence Free Carnival – Click the link and Listen to one of the biggest tunes for the Carnival
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZqKjk0n46s
why bayfront whats the point of dat who ever making those are just a piece of crap
this is just bull
ANd please do something about all the people walking in the street along with parade participants. You cannot even get a proper photo with all these people trying to get candy and freebies.
So true.
If Miss White do not want to see skin she can wear blind fold people can wear what ever they feel like, as long they cover their breast and privates It is carnival.
all you people not easy.each year all you killing the carnival more and more. why is it that all you not having it from the bayfront to the pottersville savannah as usual? ALL YOU KILLING THE CARNIVAL!!!!
Yh I have to agree with u tell dem stop kill ur Val and sewo man
well,well, well all you had to please.
rubbish!thats just rubbish.where on the bayfront have space to hold the hundreds of people who usually congregate on the savannah?nonsense alyou talking and doing.you people never cease to amaze me with alyou foolishness.now alyou move to a new level.alyou going back to front.smh.
this is a great a idea, in Toronto young man (22years from Greneda) fell under a truck and with the stampede of people no-one heard people yelling to stop the truck and he was crushed.
thanks for being proactive I would not want to hear my family in DA having any such tragedy.
With this great development when in the heck are you getting an International Airport….gish
Has the railings of the E.C Loblack brigde been replaced already?
I Love Dominica carnival. Wish I could be there this year instead of my home in England
just now allu will tell ppl what costume to wear nd which band to follow sacre gass man.just hold carnival for allu self and put it in allu pocket.
stop being a fool its for your own safety they put things in place and for a smooth transition before people like u come back and say the association don’t know what they were doing.
nonsense that what d hell we doin wit ccctv cameras isnt the police force with their taskforce/SSU enough as it is already y’all wanna have d/ca like is crimeville and nothing not happening just now allu will want to put cctv in ppls home to see what they doing. yes we all want safety and appreciate the fact that measures are being put into perspective to assure security but i think when the police bring out their big container it sets the record str8 already.psssh
don’t need cctv for that, your TV sets now come pre-installed with spying mechanisms
Well Ms. White not easy with all these rules and regulations.. What is this a gospel parade man?
LOL
She do damn right!!! Over the years, the behavior of some carnival revellers has left a lot to be desired. Personally, I used to be a “Mama Mas” – I loved my carnival however, I have been forced to give that up because of all the hooliganism that’s now rampant during those two days. Pity!