Lorie Rymer: “NDP sold Mosquito Island which represents 140 acres of Land”
Standing in what appears to be a rundown facility in front of a small crowd, Rymer, a businessman in the hospitality industry, blasted the NDP who he claimed while in office in 2007, agreed to sell some 140 acres of Mosquito Island to Richard Branson while “our representative O'Neal did not object.” Rymer reported that the island is now owned by Mr. Branson.
The meeting which started minutes to 8 p.m. last evening, saw Mr. Rymer confirming that he is not registered or living in the 9th district, however, running for the district, according to him “is perfectly legal”.
Mr. Rymer, a former long time VIP-turned independent, raised the issue of the poor conditions of the elderly home in Virgin Gorda and what he described as “shamble conditions of the public market square” and told his small audience that, “I am hoping that I do not get electrocuted from the exposed wires”.
Rymer claimed that the Virgin Islands’ economy “remains in the hands of others”. He spoke of the multiple sales of Little Dix Bay Hotel and employees who worked according to him “did not get one red cent from any of the sales”.
He told his listeners that since 1964 when Little Dix Bay Hotel opened on Virgin Gorda and helped to improve the livelihood of Virgin Godians, Virgin Gorda has been carrying the financial weight of the Territory up until it got an ease by the financial services industry.
Rymer jumped on an issue that has been going back and forth between one NDP candidate Archibald Christian and Premier Ralph T. O’Neal, that of the Manchioneel Bottom land, located at St. Thomas Bay on Virgin Gorda.
Rymer said that the two acres of land to be acquired for the cargo dock at Manchioneel Bottom has according to him “no public access to get to it.” While he claimed to be in favour of the land being acquired back for Virgin Gordians’ benefit, the independent candidate said “I am against the proposed land use and instead firmly believes it should be used for villa construction which should be invested in and owned by Virgin Gordian locals”.
The candidate called for Virgin Gorda to have a small power plant to provide backup electricity when the Pockwood Pond plant on Tortola which also serves Virgin Gorda, goes offline and “Virgin Gorda is plunged into darkness”.Rymer also touched on one of his familiar themes, that of health care for Virgin Gorda.
“Why can't we have adequate services on island so that if you have a real medical emergency you can be first treated on Virgin Gorda instead of absolutely having to sail across to Tortola and risk losing your life or having your child delivered on the ferry”? he asked
Mr. Rymer told the people at the meeting that he can best represent the 9th district and move Virgin Gorda forward. Besides Rymer, there are four other candidates contesting the 9th district seat. They are the incumbent VIP Ralph T. O’Neal, the NDP’s Hubert O’Neal, and Independents Devon Osborne and Samuel O’Neal.
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