The 51 persons spread across 16 families who were dislocated in last week Friday’s Majestic Alley Fire continues to get help.  Today the City Council coordinated a joint relief effort with the Red Cross, The Department of Human Services, CEMO and private sponsors to give the fire victims a comprehensive care package.  Councillor Phillip Willoughby told us more.  

Folks, again, We apologize - we’re trying to stabilize that system failure, please bear with us:  Again we pick up our story about the city council’s effort to assist fire victims:…

Phillip Willoughby - City Councillor
"Well today we finalise some of the relief efforts via several agencies that donate to the fire victims from the Pink's alley fire. Red Cross donated the box and the labelling on the side, pots and pans and the lights to be utilised on the stoves that were donated via NEMO courtesy Minister Castro and his ministry, they got the cook tops and the gas tanks. The gas tanks will be filled for the victims via Gastumpsa and Brown's Butane, so they will get the gas for free, donated. Also what we have at the head table, we have San Pedro Express, they donate 5 thousand dollars to the victims. The council then putting its hands also and each victim will be receiving 400 dollars cash by tomorrow midday to compliment all the donations and relief that they have received thus far. Human services kicked in and they gave them a list that they will go and pick up grocery items at the Wellworth store on Regent Street, I think it came up to a value of 310 dollars roughly."

Pulu Musa - Relief Coordinator, Resident
"To be honest thanks to councillor Phillip Willoughby he was here from the get go and he tried his best to assist and everything is going good but the assistance is real good Jules but they need a lot more assistance Jules. To lose everything in your house, don't have a roof to cover your head but in a place where you never could know what's up next."

Phillip Willoughby
"We will not abandon them and we won't leave them halfway, we will be there for them and support them until everything level off."

Leroy "Grandmaster" Young - Majestic Alley Resident
"Beside the red and the blue and the political polarisation, in a time like this I have to give respect to the city council. Kevin, grow up in my neighbourhood, a pepitos shell away from my house and he show we love and that's the way it's supposed to be, that togetherness and thing but I appreciate everything, I lose everything material wise but whatever I put up ya, you know me. No Y2K virus, bug nor mind altering drug can erase nor displace. You know so ey, we just have to come first in the last race."

Chabo - Majestic Alley Resident
"Thank you all for your donations and your appreciation of kindness and love. Second of all I want to know if they will build back the barracks through majestic alley or they want shift we out from majestic alley because I hear really and truly that they want move we from ya but regardless we no gwen no where or else a riot will start ya, I just the make the point clear because we want back for we home and we grow up through ya and we da from through ya. Nobody no wa come and try run we from round ya. I grow up ya and I wa dead ya, that's all I want to say Jules, you got any question for me?"

Jules Vasquez
"How is your family or your personal recovery the come along, how you the handle?"

Chabo
"Well accordingly nobody no really the settle good, we just the try accommodate ourselves at the thug's mansion which part we the stay. So people the try hard, we no have no currant, we no have no water, they support one big vat for we but that vat you know you have to the back and I deh inna the sweep. I have to the back my water way up there Jules and to god from my foot the feel like I the catch cramp."

Phillip Willoughby
"We know the road to recovery is never easy but with all of us chipping in and helping out they will get back to that state."

Leroy "Grandmaster" Young
"Well I think da bout time for grand master to relocate out of the neighbourhood because you know when the good lord bax you and wake you up like, I'm tired of all of this, you know I'm saying all of this. Fire burn down mi house and they bring out mattress and man the thief people mattress and - that's base you know but only Creole go on so."

Kevin Singh - City Councillor
"Well what we do is just try to get the person who is the household, like the owner of the household, the mother or the father because what you could see if that you have everybody the come and we can't give everybody something so what we do today is to give the household owner, the parents the stove or whatever we have to give."

Jules Vasquez
"You know the alley, you think it will recover?"

Kevin Singh
"Oh sure man, these people live for that they will be back sooner or later."

Jules Vasquez
"You are somebody who is highly political, everything is political but real talk a fire is non-political."

Pulu Musa
"Have to, a fire is non-political because a fire could knock on anybody door. People have lost everything Jules and even within the fire people back out stuff to try to save it and people still the care the people they thing and up to now I no even know where one of my TV deh Jules, gone."

Jules Vasquez
"Not with the fire."

Pulu Musa
"No gone."

Jules Vasquez
"Even your lenses from your glasses."

Pulu Musa
"From the lenses in my glass burn out Jules."

Chabo
"I lost my TV, I lost my house and my piggy bank gone. When I gone try look for my piggy bank, no piggy bank no di deh, everything gone."

As we said earlier, tomorrow the victims will each get a cheque form the city council to deal with their water and light connections.