WHAT is wrong with Enterprise?
The perspective depends on who you ask, as the cosmopolitan community of Central Trinidad was once a “hot spot” for culture, farming, agriculture and sports, but is now generally regarded by the rest of the country as a crime hot spot.
For community elders, teachers, business owners, police and regular families, he remains a good example of unity and the will to move forward – despite frequent outbreaks of various types of crime, including gun violence. associated with “gangs”.
There are increasing reports of petty theft and break-ins among businesses and homeowners, and many said they felt compelled to adopt extra security measures on their premises, including large guard dogs and automatic gates. Most people interviewed last week said they try to keep earlier hours and complained about the impact of crime on families, communities, youth and business activities.
Some disagreed that crime was hampering the community and the country, but reported more positive experiences so far and called for hope, including Chaconia Medal winner and National Enterprise Development Company Ltd (Nedco) chairman Klarri Benn.
Benn, the former chairman of the Unit Trust Corporation (UTC) and community elder, has called for the presence of firearms in the country and on the Enterprise to be brought under control.
A place to avoid?
Speaking to the Express on Friday from his home in Old SMR, Benn expressed dismay at the apparent proliferation of weapons, including high-powered weapons, in Trinidad and its impact on vulnerable youth.
He questioned “what is going on” in society and said communities must continue to work together to address the root causes of crime. Benn was also concerned that many young people were dropping out of school and abandoning the pursuit of education. He called on people, including the youth, to seek and take advantage of the opportunities that are available.
Born and raised in the community, Benn recalled the “Enterprise Village” of his youth as very different from today and noted its reputation in the national community.
He recalled his speech in February 2022 at a service for the 132nd anniversary of the Enterprise Methodist Church, where he had said:
“Today’s enterprise is far from the village of Enterprise at the time when this church was built. And I don’t need to go back that far.”
There was no primary school in Enterprise when Benn was young, but “there was also a time when as youngsters we actually played games of cricket and football on the main road and just stopped every time a vehicle went by”.
Despite its problems, “the once innocent, idyllic, sleepy, rural, virtually unknown Enterprise District, where everyone knew everyone else, has transformed into a bustling, diverse, multidisciplinary classroom-type community secondary that produces national and national heroes. achievements”, he said.
He said, however, “The Enterprise we once knew is no more” and “in recent times people living in the Enterprise are reluctant to reveal their residence”.
“The business has emerged on the national landscape as a place to avoid, largely due to the high crime rates that have occurred in the area, including murders, which have contributed to the community’s status as a ‘hot spot’ criminal hot spot in Trinidad and Tobago,” Benn said.
“At times, the image created reminds us of the biblical story of the city of Nazareth, when Nathaniel cried out: ‘Nazareth. Can anything good come from Nazareth?’ We could have easily replaced the Nazareth with the Enterprise.”
Tropical Angels’ Harps
A historic figure in business and economics, Benn said he was often asked why he continued to live on the Enterprise.
In response over the weekend, he said he has yet to experience a crime and the community continues to meet his needs as a citizen – surrounded by family, old friends, neighbors and most services.
Benn also manages the Tropical Angel Harps Steel Orchestra, former Panorama champions and the “glue” that holds many aspects of the community together.
The band is currently on tour with others and last month kicked off a series of concerts at its Old SMR camp, attracting fans across the country. The players are mostly younger and the series will take them downtown, including Todd’s Road. The Angel Harps will next play on Republic Day at Settlement, Caroni Savannah Road and Benn invited the public to celebrate at the free community concert, from 6pm.
Near the group’s camp was the famous – or infamous? – “Goldfinger Spread” and Benn said that the Angel Harps camp has never seen any violence or incidents on his land.
“There’s something about camp. It is considered sacred,” he said. “It was never touched and people are not afraid to go there.”
Benn noted the expansion of constituencies and that “politically, at the national level, the once single constituency of Chaguanas (of which Enterprise was a part) has now expanded to Chaguanas East and Chaguanas West, while in local government the Enterprise level is divided into Enterprise North and Enterprise South”.
The enterprise now includes the residential communities of Home Land Gardens and Pt Pleasant Park, he said, and “produced leaders in many fields, including sports, culture, medicine, law, academia, finance, construction, agriculture and technology”.
“Concurrent with this growth and development, the community has also taken on an image of its own in the national landscape,” he said.
Benn considers himself “a genuine product of Enterprise”, where he lived all his life and is married to a fellow “Enterprisian”, retired teacher Victoria Benn, with whom he celebrates 53 years of marriage.
Decades ago, Enterprise Village “was considered very rural, sleepy, and a close-knit community of families where everyone knew everyone else who lived in the village.”
There was no primary school in the district and the children had to travel to Cunupia Government. Benn attended Longdenville Government School and “the route to and from school was along the railway track on foot”, he said.
Rich history
While he believes Enterprise has retained a sense of community, he recalled that villages back then were more united in raising children.
He said that “despite the deficiencies in basic facilities in the village, the residents were a very proud community”.
He noted that in the pre-independence era, they celebrated the establishment of the Enterprise Crowning Community Center in 1953.
“The name Coronation was included to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1952,” he said.
It was the eighth community center to be built in T&T and was opened by then Governor Sir Hubert Rance.
“That community center is no more and its location is now occupied by the T&TEC Tropical Angel Harps Steel Orchestra,” Benn said.
Queen Elizabeth II passed away on 8 September 2022 and T&T celebrated 60 years of Independence on 31 August.
He said the community has a rich history and expressed hope for its future. However, Benn said he was often disturbed to see that certain crimes were being reported as having occurred on the Enterprise when they had not. He said recent incidents that have occurred in Longdenville and other surrounding areas have been reported as occurring in Enterprise and called for the geography to be accurate so as not to further damage and stigmatize the community.
Benn said the church and religious organizations also once played a larger role in the community, bringing people together and instilling values in young people. He recalled that the Enterprise Spiritual Shouter Baptist community was once one of the largest and most vibrant in the country.
Benn attended Enterprise Methodist Church as a child, and “it was in this quaint church that I was formally introduced to the Bible teachings, scriptures, and basic Christian principles that would serve as the foundation upon which my later life would rest. to firmly decide and follow after I have matured into an adult,” he said.
He said that traditionally churches have been identified as a source of vital historical data and information, stressing the importance of preserving the country’s history.
• Part II tomorrow
