Lange Park — a housing haven for residents

THE EDITOR: The Borough of Chaguanas, as we currently know it, mushroomed into importance in the early fifties. The resourceful “de Verteuil” family, owners of the Endeavour Estates Limited, entered the land development race as private landowners with boundless energy and speed.

In 1952, or thereabouts, part of their cocoa plantation was hewed down to make passage for Eleanore Street — a sub-division on the fringe of the town then and now the street of second importance in Chaguanas which houses some very thriving plaza stores just south of the market. This could very well have been their first venture in land enterprise. In quick succession, the colleges of St Phillips and St James on the north side gave way to the Presentation Brotherhood which was responsible for erecting today’s popular Presentation College — the pride of secondary education in the country at present.

Following on the success of Eleanore Street, which was known to have produced a rush from business magnates, terminal leases were given to occupiers — an attractive inducement for the rising flood of applicants. The Endeavour Estates continued their programme with unremitting zeal and determination. Young, bearing coconut trees were axed down to make way for expansion. The Orchard Gardens area is one programme which is growing rapidly in popularity and is a pressing craze for purchasers. In Chaguanas proper, the zones around the market and the Police Station, and the compaction of increasing business enterprises are reminiscent of beehive activity.

Focusing on the nucleus of Chaguanas and its expanding centres, we must not ignore the active and competitive roles offered by the growing suburbs. Outstanding examples of these are the Montrose and Lange Park regions. Recently graced by the construction of the Mon-trose Primary School, Lange Park has, throughout the years, developed into one of the prestigious housing settlements second to none in the nation. Thanks are due to the Lange family who converted cattle ranching lands to areas that many consider their housing havens. Another person who made undoubted contributions to the life and progress of Chaguanas residents was the late Jang Bahadoor. As the story goes, while he was vacationing in England, he became aware that his friend — the late Sir Harold Robinson — was selling portions of land from the Woodford Lodge Estates. Negotiations ensued, and Bahadoor bought large strips of sugar cane lands, which he converted and sold as residential plots.

The late Sir Harold Robinson, during the decade prior to the fifties, dominated to a large extent the life and economy of Chaguanas. His labouring sugar cane workers were predominantly indentured Indians, and his workers in the factories were chiefly emancipated slaves. There are many loyalists in Chaguanas. Countless of them rendered pioneer service which the burgesses are happy to acknowledge and enjoy. One of these loyalists is Mrs Pearl Lalla, who must be highly commended for her energy and interest always expended, in ensuring the sustenance of the Chaguanas Library — a project for which I hope only the best. We must remember that “Books are the Lighthouses on dark nights at sea.” The Catholic Community in Chaguanas will always revere their collective memory of Father Max Murphy’s caring role in the vitalisation of the flock. Also, the Presbyterian community is indebted, in no small measure, to Reverend D Lalla for his significant contribution in building and preserving the growing region in its tender age.

In the medical field, the esteemed Dr Riki Medford, along with a few practitioners in the country, stands out because of his unequalled sympathy and compassion to all patients — paying or non-paying. The indigent and needy who went to Dr Medford for attention were sure to leave satisfied and happy—having been attended to, free of charge. In addition to his altruism at the clinic, he also rendered—free of charge — his medical skills to the boys and staff of Presentation College. He is not only a physician to many but a friend to all.

SALER AMEERALI
Eleanore Street
Chaguanas