A group of young Dominicans, going under the banner “The Clean and Green Team,” have come together to contest the Roseau City Council elections carded for Monday, November 18.
Members of the group, who held a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, said they want to restore pride in the communities that make up the city of Roseau.
The group consists of Cleve Lafond of Virgin Lane and Samantha Nichols of Kings Hill, representing Ward 1 of the City; Vanessa Prevost of Roseau and Veronica Juliana Frederick of Bath Estate, representing Ward 2 of the City; Anwar Cadette of Stockfarm and Georgette Deravairere of Stock farm, representing Ward 4.
Prevost, a spokesperson for the group who has indicated her willingness to serve as Mayor of Roseau, gave an outline of what the “Clean and Green Team” intends to do.
“We see the City Council as an enabling organization, which in partnership with the other stake holders, can restore the pride in the City, make it cleaner and more beautiful, and generally more pleasant for residents and visitors alike,” she said during the press conference.
She said the team has a lot of “common ideas” for the capital with a focus on restoring “pride in the communities which comprise the City of Roseau, from Fond Cole to Castle Comfort.”
She pointed out that in order to do this, the team will focus on five areas: service to residents and visitors; make all wards clean and safe; improve existing sports and playing fields in all city wards; protect heritage and culture; encourage small and big business in all wards.
“The Clean and Green Team will make the Council into an enabling partner, collaborating with business, vendors, DOWASCO, Solid Waste, Environmental Health, Fire Services, The Stadium and the various sports organizations, the World Creole Music Festival and other cultural organizers, SHAPE, The Parks Division and the World Heritage Site, to make Roseau clean, and more beautiful and pleasant for residents and visitors alike,” Prevost stated.
She went on to say that the team will focus on various sports committees and associations in all communities around Roseau to improve sports, work with various organizations in Roseau and partner with cities in Guadeloupe, Martinique and Europe, to revive and restore various historical sites around the capital.
“Roseau is the capital city, we can all help to make it the pride of Dominica. The Council is not supposed to be a party political tool, it is supposed to be an institution focused on building a community. Clean and Green Team aims to make the Council non partisan,” she said.
The Roseau City Council is made up of 13 members: eight elected and five nominated by the government. The term of the council is three years.
Dominica News Online will be publishing a profile in the very near future of each candidate who is contesting the Roseau City Council elections.
And who will man the like or dislike centre?
Great to see these young people coming forward for leadership positions..with a real plan.. ..shows there is hope for Dominica… get support for your plan by meeting with business owners, residents and property owners too …Some more initiatives to add to the list….better sidewalks…..more lights in the City..a city centre…. no bus stops on the road side…vendors arcade………
Who are they fooling. BLUE in disguise.
be educated city council is not the same and is not suppose to be the same as party politics and government
All the best to the team
Let me start by saying, DNO, that you will remove my comments anyway – like the other one on the Palm Tree/Wesley incident because you are a MODERA TOR and the comment was in answer to one of your ilk.
Anyway, it’s “good” to see how you are featuring the BLUE team under the guise of CLEAN AND GREEN. I wish them all luck and hope they stand for what the profess. Time will tell.
Sorry – should read what “they” profess in the last line
What is that “clean and green team” thing is about. How do u expect the council to function when already even before persons are elected there is segregation. So what happens if some members dont get elected, will they support the other members of the council? How do we expect to progress in this country? Persons should present themselves for what they are worth and be voted likewise!
Full support here I’m calling people out to vote, it’s time we collectively as a people clean up Roseau thanks to the mayor we now have it stinks so bad and is an eyesore to locals and visitors alike, lets bring back the pride in the city.
It is such a relief to see so may young people stepping forward in leadership positions in Dominica….there is hope for my country…more importantly they have started to formulate a plan…..please remain focused….ignore the haters and just develop the plan…meet with the businessmen, vendors, residents to develop the plan…….Roseau need people with vision. Other problems to take on board are the lack of trees in the city,…lack of a city centre….removal of the bus stops in the city….safer side walks for pedestrian….. construction of a vendor’s arcade….lighting up of the city for safety.
What is misleading about thegroup is their not obvious silence on the colours they wish to paint the City Council. Most city resients (the voters) know that the master planner behind all this is the parliamentary representative for for Roseau Central. You should have seen him on nopminations day. That is what I detest about our political system. The UWp is going out to capture the Roseau City Council and yet they pretenditis just a coming together of a loose coalition of interested youths. I wonder when did Vanessa meet with the other young people. What stark and naked pretense by church going people, even when the facts are well known. Why not come out and say that the UWP is interested in runing the affairs of Roseau at the level of the City Council and so has put together coalitionof people who share onlyone thing in common and thatis to rest the city from where itpresently resides?. That to me would give greater credence to the appeal for support. “Honesty” it is said is what ….. “the best policy”. I wonder what the self professed novice will say considering that the attempt here to mislead unsuspecting voters runs contrary to his policy of being hobnest at every turn, even hough it may cost him some popularity.
So What???? For years DLP capturing Canefield and they do it again despite how low Simeon come out and CEcil never top the polls but he is mayor of Roseau City. So if BLUE take it now is a crime den A A.
stop blocking my comment dno
ADMIN: For the gazillionth time “Stop writing your comments in all CAPS and they won’t be blocked.”
uwp want to take over the City Council in disguise
Great initiative!!!!!! I was home for the independence and observed that areas out of and leading into Roseau are developing nicely including the roads. Roseau need a major face lift. It is truly embarrassing especially during the day.
Kudos to the team and hope you get the much needed support from everyone including those in the diaspora. This is a wonderful opportunity where we can all assist.
DNO, I can understand you posting multiple photos of Creole in the Park where it is not important that we know who are in those photos. But when you are reporting on a story of this nature, would you PLEASE give us the names of the persons in the photo. Surely that could not be that difficult. You have been doing a good job of your overall reporting, but I think you can do even better.
ADMIN: Relax yourself, we will identify them. The story was published since last night and we now getting photos from the actual event. At least you have a photo to get a general idea of the ‘team’ and not a generic image.
“The Council is not supposed to be a party political tool, it is supposed to be an institution focused on building a community.”
Now, here is the real challenge. You have my support, if you can keep it CLEAN of political interference!
I wish the clean and green team the best of luck, time for fresh ideas. I hope you all get the support you need to make a different.
Very good Initiative. I support this group 100% and wish it well in it’s endeavors.
Good, now lets make it happen..
My God Roseau need a make over the trash on the streets and drains. I wish them well the town council is sleeping they difinitely need a revamp.
All of a sudden is CLEAN & GREEN, Vanessa? I wonder when Ms Prevost get to know her committee etc. You see, they must remember that Roseau City Council Election is not for COLOUR. Let us be realistic. Where were these people before Election was called? Their names are not even known.
So what?
So only now you know Roseau City council is not for colour? Everyone knew the colour of the outgoing mayor.
@Who Vex Loss: Is there anything that disqualifies them from contesting the election? If not then I will tell you get vex and get loss. “It is better to be thought of as a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.”
But everyone knew the colour of the outgoing mayor.
I support that team, as long as there is no pomposity.
Having read through the article, I would really love to get more information on this initiative. The team has some very positive things to say and I applaud the thought process behind what was said.
I’m in support of the team.
Great initiative,the mayor needs to go,and please include the sidewalks,they are very dangerous to pedestrians,and the vagrants also.which ian has been saying will be done,and the still roam the streets.
it is a priviledge to see young people take interest in their island but remain focus and non partisan and your actions will supersede your words .Roseau is indeed beautiful but we do not see enough plants and flowers , even small backyard and roof- top gardens will enhance your clean and green concept
Ok Cuzo, i wit you.
It is always encouraging to see young leaders come forward to serve their communities. I wish them success.
Good. Focus should also be placed on improving/maintaining SIDEWALKS throughout the city and from Woodridge Bay Harbour through Pottersville to Roseau.Clear these sidewalks of derilict vehicles and improve the surface.If you all show seriousness if/when elected many citizens will volunteer their time and talents to help.Roseau needs improvement!
when all u finish come and collect the stray dogs in upper goodwill,so long we begging CECIL,BUT NOTHING HAPPEN
have very encourage to read the idea of this group ,non political> we need a mayor for all the people of Roseau not a red or Blue or Green Mayor. and the govt. plus the opposition should chose a member each. Jose ph was tooo political Good bye we need impartial people in leadership roles/ Amayor for all. I had am emcounter with this mayor and he was not pleasant at all’I was shocked at his words to me. .
and the main problems? i.e. uneven sidewalks, deep uncovered drains, nowhere to walk and the beggars and vagrants? This is the first i saw
God bless you and Guide you in this venture,what a Great move!!I wish you success I hope you succeed and i want you to succeed,I hope the government doe take that personal,and try to mess with it.I am feeling Dominican are rising.
Rise not for any party,but for COUNTRY.
All the best
Everybody want to go to GREEN, but nobody ready to spend a dollar extra for GREEN container (no more oil plastic bags or styrafoam).
I tell you that from experience. I have my business and I’m selling Biodegradable disposable item (cups, plates, garbage bags….) and get always the same answer: “oh no, I want to do it you know, but with the crises, I can not afford it”.
If you want to do it, you can do it.
Dominica, if you want to be the first eco-green destination, we will all have to take our responsibility.
Government needs to lead the population, yes but not only. It’s an every day and everybody’s job.
Let’s start to do our part and make the change happen.
I understand your sentiments entirely. It is my experience that a switch-over to more environmentally friendly materials is only achievable through legislation and enforcement of the same, backed simultaneously by an awareness campaign, which also stresses re-cycling. Yes, there is an immediate cost but long-term benefits will easily outweigh this.
The face of Roseau seemed much cleaner and made when I was there in August this year, compared to 5 years ago when I was there–that is in 2008. In the first place, this year, I did not see so many vendors sitting around in that clumsy mess as of in 2008
And so this initiative sound welcoming to me–for sure Roseau is the Capital City of Dominica, it has to carry a face that will make us, Dominicans feel proud and to welcome visitors from all over the world.
I pray that this work, through the team who is to do it, will be done by God’s will because His will cannot fail. Nice going here!
I meant to type “much cleaner and made up” in the first line of my first paragraph. Sorry!
Sounds like a plan ! Cecil is tired and must be changed ! “Change is a must” God alone knows He has been there too long! Time up Referee!We need fresh ideas Roseau is stinking !
I am very happy to see that finally someone is stepping up to try to do exactly what they have pointed out. If you go to a small island like Nevis, you see the pride everywhere. People keep their little plots clean and full of flowers, the old buildings are being preserved and nicely painted. Roseau and even Portsmouth have that old French charm which is being destroyed and replaced with concrete monsters. It is about time and I hope you guys get in.