TYRONE BROOMES is a former weightlifting champion.
Having conquered the national competition in 1978, as well as 1979, he went on to make strides as a bodybuilder, winning Mr St James in 1982 and Mr West Coast the next year.
So it was no surprise that when he wanted to take on one of his biggest tasks to date, everyone believed he had the strength to do so.
It was around 1980 and at the time he was working at a prominent West Coast hotel. Although his salary was “relatively okay”, it was still not enough to buy a house. However, desperately wanting to move from his then Paynes Bay, St James residence, he would do so after saving some money.
He went to the National Housing Corporation (NHC)and succeeded in getting a unit in Central Close, Haynesville.
Back then, the St James community had a bad reputation, which Broomes had no problem looking past. The bigger shock came when he saw where exactly in Haynesville his new home was located.
To his surprise, it was directly opposite about two acres of land which, for years, had been used as a community dump and was home to a host of rodents.
Many others might have been up in arms when they discovered this, but not Broomes nor his wife Cheryl Burnett-Broomes. The two were just grateful to have a home to call their own where they could raise their children Sakina and Reagan.
“This was one of the most terrible places I have ever seen in any neighbourhood. When I came here, this was a place where people threw garbage, but thank God . . . I was put here for a reason,” Broomes said.
“[The dump didn’t bother us. My wife came out and looked at it and she told me this would be a good place for a park where the children could come and play and what’s not. I told her yes, but there is only one way to get the park – yuh got to start it. So I say, ‘Let [us] start it, we [will] finish it’,” he recalled.
Since the property belonged to the NHC, Broomes went to the state agency with his plan and got permission. A short time after the initial conversation, Cheryl, whom Broomes considered the backbone of the project, broke the ground to start the project.
Broomes, who was working from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., would go home each morning, get something to eat, have a bath and start his second “job” of clearing the space. Some days he worked on it up to five hours, got some rest, prepared for his night work and then started the process all over again.
The grandfather of two recounted that the only difficulty he encountered working on the project was trying to do everything without tools.
Luckily, a good friend who worked at a warehouse called him one day about a sale and he was able to purchase a weed whacker and a lawnmower.
It took over 17 years, the removal of about ten truckloads of garbage, a lot of sweat, blisters and strains to transform the space.
“I had to take my sword and cut down all the trees to get it to the foundation that I wanted, and it all start to smooth down. The landscape then started to take form and when I get it to where I wanted to, I decided to get my own cuttings and hatch them. Certain trees around here the birds helped me by dropping seeds.
“Where water is concerned I have no tap. I ask the Lord for things and He does give me. So every time I work in this park, regardless of what I do, when I finish I does get blessings. He does wet them with water from the skies; so I am thankful for that,” said Broomes, now in his 60s.
Now the same area is somewhat of a sanctuary for residents and home to a plethora of stunning flora and fruit trees. It is known as Central Close Recreational Park, arguably one of the most beautiful areas in Haynesville.
This has been backed up by the fact that since 2012, when he first entered the park in the Community Independence Celebrations Secretariat’s Community Mini-Parks And Gardens Competition, it has won four times, placing second in its debut year to Wilson Hill’s Peace And Love.
Broomes told the DAILY NATION that when he first started the park, he never thought it would have been recognised on a national level. So much so that when he was initially approached to enter the competition, he declined.
The retiree said he just thought a park would be a nice addition to the neighbourhood and added that he hoped it would continue to serve that purpose.
“I come from a background that I raise up dealing with the soil. I could remember at six years, seven years, I had to go and fork around the house and plant little yams, potatoes and field peas in Weston, St James; so it never get out of me. I just like to play with the soil. So when you plant certain things and they come forth, you enjoy that.
“I was never preparing this for a competition. I was preparing it for the youngsters in the neighbourhood and for the elderly people who can have someplace to come out, sit down and enjoy and relax instead of being shut in. And people do come here and relax. So that is what I feel pleased about,” he added. (SDB Media)
