The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Congratulations, Sir Sidney on the occasion of having the Paradise Island Bridge named in your honour; an honour that you were entitled to. The naming of the Paradise Island Bridge after you is a plus for tourism in the Bahamas. You have graced the world scene with your charms and acting abilities.

Because of your movies and ambassadorship, Sir Sidney you are known all over the world.

Bahamians are proud of you, especially Cat Islanders and Arthurs Town in particular. Your mother and father (bless their souls) would have been proud of you as are your wife, brothers and sisters and children.

That radiant smile on the face of your wife during the ceremony put the icing on the cake. We are all proud of you, Sir Sidney.

Sir Sidney is not the first person in his family after which a bridge is named. A bridge in Arthurs Town was named after Sir Sidney’s father, Reginald and existed since we were boys. It is the Reggie Poitier Bridge.

I have known Sir Sidney all my life. We went to school together and played together as boys in Arthurs Town. Until I became older and Sir Sidney became known to the world, I thought both of us were born in Arthurs Town, Cat Island – he on the Bay Road and me further up the main road on MoHill.

Sir Sidney and his brothers Carl, Cedric, Reggie and I sailed a gumelemi sail boat in the pond in Arthurs Town where all the boys sailed until sundown.

Both of us attended the public school in Arthurs Town, the famous Red House and the big school. Both were open buildings with an outside toilet. The Red House was for beginners as the primary schools of today. Both schools still stand in Arthurs Town today.

Most likely, Sir Sidney’s teachers were Naomi Dean (my sister), Margaret (Margie) Stubbs and Doris Richardson, both of whom were cousins of mine. They are all deceased.

Sir Sidney’s family and my family were close friends and may be even related. I always referred to Sidney’s father as cousin Reggie. I can remember going with my father Edwin (Ed) Dean to hail cousin Reggie at his shop on the Bay Road which was in front of his house. Boy! I loved those visits because I would always get a jaw bone breaker brought from Miami. Those candies were round and unbreakable and were only sold at cousin Reggie’s shop.

Sir Sidney’s father and his uncle David Poitier were the biggest tomato farmers on Cat Island.

Persons from all over the island would come to Arthurs Town to work in the tomato fields of Reggie and Davie Poitier. They had three packing houses, one in Orange Creek, one in the Lot and one in Arthurs Town, where the grading and packing of the tomatoes were done before shipping to Nassau on sail boats.

In Nassau, the tomatoes were loaded on a steamboat for Canada.

I would like to thank our Prime Minister, Hon Perry Gladstone Christie and his government for having the Paradise Island Bridge renamed in honour of Sir Sidney.

How about naming the Bay Road in Arthurs Town Sir Sidney Poitier Boulevard and the Arthurs Town High School, Sir Sidney Poitier High School?

P JAVAN DEAN

Nassau,

November 20, 2012