Save the Samaan

THE EDITOR: I understand that the Queen’s Park Cricket Club is boasting of building a new stand where the GeddesGrant stand now stands. To make the space to build that new stand will mean cutting down the beautiful Samaan tree. I understand that members of the club stopped Sir Errol Dos Santos cutting down that very tree when he was building that stand.

At present, from what I observe, the seating in the Oval is grossly under utilised for most of the year except for maybe one or two days of one day international matches. Even shows like the Soca Monarch do not fill the present stands. Does Queen’s Park visualise filling their ground for the 2007 World Cup? How many games are likely to be played at the Oval? Maybe five?

I hope the Environmental Management Agency or Town and Country Planning will prevent the club building an unnecessary stand in place of a beautiful Samaan tree. Already one was cut down to make way for the Duprey Stand. I hope Queen’s Park will leave the other three beautiful trees that took some 100 years to grow and not destroy them in one day. If progress means destroying beauty then let us remain a backward country.

ARTHUR JOHNSON
Santa Rosa Heights