Scanty EE parade gets off to 5- hour late start!
Capping off the two days of Emancipation celebrations for East End yesterday August 3, 2016 was the usual float parade. It was scheduled to take off at 1:00 P.M. but did not until approximately 6:00 P.M. and what hundreds lined the road way for was nothing but pure disappointment.
“This was nothing but Rise and Shine- Part Two. They should have named it sundown frolic,” said one patron who noted that she was very disappointed as there was virtually nothing for her children to see.
“I am not against the frolic because I was in the Rise and Shine this morning partying even and straight. But my kids were home and this was the appropriate time for me to bring them out to something that should have been appropriate for kids,” added the disappointed woman.
Scanty Parade
The parade was, according to most persons, the ‘scantiest’ they have ever experienced in a long time in the East End community. It was led by honouree Andrew A. ‘Charlie’ Turnbull who was followed by the various queens, kings, princess and prince and other pageants’ participants. Limping Jack was there as usual with an even bigger contingent than seen before.
Premier sponsor One Mart was there clad in yellow T-shirts and appeared very organised in the mode of prancing in the street, as they were led by the business owner who is also the Minister for Communications and Works Honourable Mark H. Vanterpool (R4). He kept his group controlled and organised and along the route distributed beverages, fruits and water to revelers and bystanders.
There were three costumed groups, among which was the Moko Jumbies.
The largest and most vibrant group, however, was the Delta Petroleum group. Its revelers were not in costumes as such but that sent the message of the team ‘Jus love us back’.
However, there were mixed reactions by onlookers to the quality of performance.
‘Rated R’ Parade
“Don’t get me wrong…I am saying that the way they performed was not appropriate for parade that was for Rise and Shine and maybe some night tramp down. Most of the women had on skimpy clothes and yes nothing wrong with that but it was how they performed. Whining down on the ground with man on them back and them kind of behaviour really wasn’t for parade.”
Another noted, “We heard from almost all of the people, politicians and others who spoke at the opening ceremony saying that it was a very challenging years for Sandra [Potter-Warrican] and her committee but by-Christ I didn’t know it was this bad…This parade was the worst I have seen in a very long time. We the people have to come together and do something to make this better next year.”
Some suggested that for the festivities of 2017, the community will have to come together. “Two three or even four to five businesses can come together as one and a troop like that we can have at least five troops of business floats. Then we can have the PTA of every school come out with a troop – get the kids involved and the parents too, get some prizes and let’s raise this thing from the dead,” one prominent businessman said.
He noted that he did contribute significantly to the festivities this year.
27 Responses to “Scanty EE parade gets off to 5- hour late start!”
.....life is great in these VI; some of us have loads of extra cash to spear within 5 years BUT just before that we were BROKE???! I tell U !!!!