I would first wish to thank the Rev. Carrington Pinder and Rev. Sabrina Pinder for agreeing to host this service this evening.  They have been great leaders in this community and I have tried to follow their example of leadership in the community.  I am sure that they will continue to be blessed as they continue their work in this community.

I add to that my thanks to all the other religious leaders and civic leaders who have supported my work in this community.  Tonight, I want to thank especially the Fox Hill Branch of the PLP and its Committee headed by Rev. Evangelist Irene Rolle for all the work they have done in organizing this service.

I want to thank the community of Fox Hill and all of the people of this village and the constituency for all their support.  The general election of this year showed that the support for my work continues most strongly in and around neighbourhood of the village.  I have sought to contribute the same level of work to the other areas of the constituency as well but we obviously have more work to do.

I hope that Betty Mackey and her family; Frank Edgecombe and his family are able to say that the work I  Have done in this community ahs further enhanced the life of the people of Fox Hill to their enduring benefit.  I promised to do that and I hope I have achieved that.

Our party has warned us of the possibility of another general election within a short period of time and has asked us to remain ever vigilant.  I want to urge all those who are supporters to ensure that they are ever ready, remembering the slogan: forward ever backward never.

Last night at a forum held by the PLP to discuss the future of the Urban Renewal programme, I was really heartened by the courageous words of our Mr. Neilly, a former prison officer and a prominent resident of our constituency.  It is that kind of assuredness and bravery that we like to see and that I remember from my youth.  There is no equivocation or uncertainty, you are what you are and that’s that.

It is also important to say tonight that there is only one representative for Fox Hill.  That representative stands before you this evening.  It was a battle won fairly and squarely.  I will continue to represent Fox Hill and do all that is in my power to discharge those responsibilities.  No one will be allowed to encroach on those responsibilities.  It is important because there are some who believe that because another appointment has been made to another place that this entitles you to interfere with the job of representing this area. It does not and we must all understand that.

For example, some confusion was caused at the graduation of the Sandilands Primary School about the allocation of $100,000 for each constituency.  This is money that is to be dispensed by the Member of Parliament and no other.  There must be no confusion on this point.  I want to make that clear.

In terms of the priorities, I clearly want to finish the community centre.  I have already spoken to the Minister of Education about the Sandilands Primary School, the extension of its grounds by the acquisition of the land adjacent and the construction of a new classroom block, including a computer room, teacher’s lounge and school library.  I am concerned about reports that there is a plan to destabilize the good working relationship and leadership that has developed at the Sandilands Primary School.  I have spoken to the Minister about that as well. The schools L. W. Young, Doris Johnson and Sandilands are my first priority for this community. We are pledged as a party to help restore Urban Renewal to its rightful place so that it begins the construction of homes in this area for the needy.

Thank you again for all your support. I know that God will continue to bless us all.