Spree Simon Community Centre Renovation.

[Aquil]

Trinidad and Tobago Television – TTT
#11A, Maraval Road, St. Clair

Re: Spree Simon Community Centre Renovation
It's a Community Center; Homework Center; Spree Simon Regional Life Center (Church); John John Police Youth Club; A Safe House for women and a Steel Band called the Spree Simon Steel Orchestra. Over the last 15 years, numerous attempts by the managers of these spaces to get assistance from various authorities have all proven to be futile to date.
We, the members of PMF - Pan Moving Forward think it is an indictment on the steel pan movement that we have allowed the legacy of Winston ‘Spree’ Simon, through the immortalization of his name, to have this property be kept in these grotesque conditions.
We have invited steel bands to donate their time to help one of our own, the Spree Simon Steel orchestra, through the Each-One-Help-One model. As such a day of renovation with a special focus on their computer room will be undertaken as it is extremely vital for schooling at this time. It is pan month and yes, it is nice to feature all the youth playing with such versatility as the end product but the current environment to get too that end product for the John John youths is not acceptable.
Work will commence on Saturday 14th August, 2021 at 10am, and the location is the Spree Simon Community Centre, John John, Laventille.
We are inviting the media, the MP and councilors to be there for 1 pm and help bring awareness to these groups reality. We are still trying to source material, so donations from the public would be a huge benefit to the relief effort.
Thank you for your time and consideration on this matter. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at 727-8203 or [e-mail]
Sincerely,

Pan Moving Forward 
Aquil Arrindell
President

[Russell Providence]

The following is what I wrote on March 03rd 2021 in the discussion  Aquil Arrindell for President of Pantrinbago Part 4...

"The world needs the perspective of the young on how they see their world changing, and how they can be relevant in the new normal to which they must adapt and conform. Steelband demands that perspective, it cannot be business as usual...

A pragmatic young man, Aquil Arrindell can to relate to the unique challenges steelbands face in an environment that has evolved at the speed of light. He possesses the qualities required to lead a renaissance in the steel band movement to stop the decline that has become endemic. Arrindell has shown that he is a man of integrity, by voluntarily stepping down from an administration that refused to be accountable to its membership.
Intelligent.
Qualified.
Committed,
Dedicated.
Experienced.
Transparent.
Aquil Arrindell must be considered the most suitable candidate to lead the steelband movement at this time."

I continue to be impressed with the performance of Mr. Arrindell in the capacity of "A Friend of Pan".

[Aquil]

"Everybody want to know where the steel band start.

When you get to know, it’s going to break your heart.

It’s founded by one Winston Spree."

Kitchener - The Legend

Immortalized in song, Winston ‘Spree’ Simon, was given credit by the late, great, Lord Kitchener for inventing the pan. Although that information was debunked, it is without a doubt that his role in the development of the instrument was immense. So much so, that in John John, Laventille, where he was from, a property was named after him. The Winston ‘Spree’ Simon Community Center which is, by far, the worst condition of a community center / pan yard in existence.

The property has two buildings which serves several organizations, It's a Community Center ; Homework center; Spree Simon Regional Life Center (Church); John John Police Youth Club; A Safe house for women, and rightfully so, a steel band called Spree Simon Steel Orchestra. With all of these organizations functioning out of these buildings, we can assume that the buildings are not underutilized. We can also assume that with the church, the steel band, the homework center and the police youth club, that this building is a space for positive transformation for youths coming from the infamous Laventille area.Then why the atrocious conditions? Is it because it’s in John John Laventille?

To efficiently teach, an environment conducive to learning is essential. If we expect our youths of Laventille to change, we must provide an environment that grows their self esteem, and is conducive to learning. Dilapidated, pungent toilets and bath, leaking roof and falling ceiling materials, broken windows and no electricity, are just a few of the issues that would make the site unfit for education. There is a computer room, with computers, which is extremely important as many children lack devices to participate in the new norm of online public education. Getting the room at an acceptable standard is critical at this time. John John youths deserve better.

Mr. Philmore Job, the Captain of the Spree Simon Steel Band and President of the Spree Simon Community Development, said a building adjacent to their current location called the Spree Simon Early Childhood Center was started by the UNC, but all this ended after their loss of the General Election in 2015. In 2018, with assistance from Adrian Leon, MP for Morvant East, a Self-Help Grant was approved, however, up to 2021, funds are yet to be released. Mr Job said there were numerous meetings with Mr Fitzgerald Hinds, but nothing happened during his term in office, but he is hopeful that MP Keith Scotland would ensure the necessary community rehabilitation works are done.

Mr Job, said he was thrilled when the President of Pan Trinbago visited and how impressed she was to see the number of youths with the band. She asked why the band did not tell her about the conditions they were functioning under, and she then promised to assist with the lights upgrade, but so far nothing has been done. Mr Job thinks with Spree Simon being a Pan legend, the organization which is mandated to preserve the history of the instrument should get involved, especially as this present executive promised that pan yards all around the country would be made centers of excellence.

Mr Philmore Job said the peoples of the Spree Simon Community Center and the Spree Simon Steel Orch. are in dire need of assistance to keep the youths away from the negative forces in their community, and is hopeful that those with the duty and authority, assist them to accomplish the needful.

Spree Simon, wherever you are Compere, we want you to Rest in Peace.

Committee of the groups of Spree Simon Community Center.

[Claude Gonzales]

Aquil: Ah feel yuh lying on THE BEV.

She went up and see the dilapidated condition of that band yard and promise to help and then she spend how much hundred thousands on TOBAGO BANDS and not a cent on  a historical LAVENTILLE BAND after all the false promises and talk about centers of excellence.

Ah sure yuh have some pictures of this NEGLECTED PAN YARD (+) -- yuh should put up some pictures to show people around the world WHEY PAN YARD GONE.

And with all THE EXPATS who swear so much that they LOVE PAN ... ah hoping that they show some love by DONATING some MONEY to the cause. You could use KENNY PHILLIPS portal as a point for foreign donations. Man, you could use the SOCIAL PROSPERITY FUND portal that is an easy one to use although I do not like the steep OVERHEAD charges associated with that site. But I am sure that if EXPATS send the money to this latter fund BEVERLEY could direct it to the SIMON SPREE REBUILD PROCESS initiated by you.

This is a good start to REBUILDING and UPGRADING PAN YARDS. And if you could do ONE -- you could do 300 over time.

SHOW US SOME PICTURES MAN -- I want to see how they could represent a GREAT CONTRIBUTOR like SIMON SPREE under such derelict conditions ... FIX UP THE PLACE and LEAD PAN FORWARD.

Now I could defend SIMON SPREE'S CONTRIBUTION because he opened the door to respectability for THE MUSIC with a revolutionary performance in front of the GOVERNOR and opened society's eyes to the potential of the instrument giving impetus to other PAN INNOVATORS to push forward. But he was like COLUMBUS -- opening up a new world for PAN MUSIC ... like the reference or not ... you cannot change history.

You cannot even change the very recent history of the DISMAL and DO NOTHING PERFORMANCE of THE BEVERLEY EXECUTIVE over the last three years although you will be hearing GRAND TALES OF ACCOMPLISHMENT come OCTOBER.

Now you have to DELIVER on this REBUILD PROJECT and show the PAN WORLD your ADMINISTRATIVE ABILITY even though they are saying that YOU ARE TOO YOUNG and YOU ARE FROM SOUTH ... if a woman could come from TOBAGO and WIN why ah man who BORN and GROW UP in SOUTH cannot WIN.

PUT UP DEM GROSS PICTURES of the SUBJECT PROPERTY -- ah want the world to see them.

[Aquil]

[Aquil]

[Aquil]

[Aquil]

[Claude Gonzales]

... but I thought that BEVERLEY RAMSEY-MOORE promised to turn PAN YARDS into CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE and all kinds of talk about TRANSFORMATIONAL PRESIDENT. And she leave THIS PAN YARD in such a DERELICT CONDITION while she building PRIVATE GUEST HOUSE IN TOBAGO.

And how come AQUIL ARRINDELL taking responsibility for all the IRRESPONSIBILITY of this CURRENT EXECUTIVE. Ah even hear that GREGORY LINDSAY (once BEVERLEY FIRE HIM from the TRINBAGROW team went and get one set ah land and he have ah whole TEAM planting and reaping crops and making all kinda money ... while all the TRINCITY LAND doing is growing weeds for man to cut more weeds.

WHAT A FAILED ADMINISTRATION!!! I have to send some money to TRINIDAD to buy at least TWO NAILS and AH HAMMER to get this SIMON SPREE STEELBAND YARD out of its current state of NEGLECT by BEVERLEY RAMSEY-MOORE.

We need leadership that we can trust to DELIVER ON THEIR CAMPAIGN PROMISES!!!

[Mercer Ramdoo]

Dem busy campaigning for anudder term and yuh telling dem bout panyard. Focus, Claude.