The Tribune

By ANNELIA NIXON

anixon@tribunemedia.net

A HALL of fame is to honour straw vendors next month. 

The president of the Straw Vendors Advancement Association, Celestine Eneas, said 25 straw market vendors will be honoured at the event on September 19.

Mrs Eneas plans to hold the function at the downtown Straw Market which she described as “the world famous Straw Market”. 

“We have a room upstairs in the Straw Market and we going to set it up in the room and whoever can’t hold it in the room, we have a porch on the outside,” she explained. “We’re going to put speakers on the outside. If you’re in the market you’ll be able to hear what’s going on and then we’re going to stream it live also.”

She said she expects Minister of Works Clay Sweeting to be in attendance. She did, however, state that the prime minister would not be able to make it.

“I don’t know what he’s going to do as yet but he said he already checked his calendar and he is out of town on the date that we choose and so he wouldn’t be there but the Straw Market is first priority on his list  and so I’m sure he’ll do us well,” she said.

“I’ve been the president for 40 years and I’ve never done anything like it, nor no other president,” said Mrs Eneas. “So this is new to us. The name of our association is the Straw Vendors Advancement Association. I’m the president. I was thinking that we been in existence for over 40 years and we haven’t done anything significant like this and so that’s where the idea came from.” 

She said at first the idea was to honour deceased vendors behind the founding of the Straw Market. However, after discussing it with the Straw Market Authority, in February, the idea was passed on to the Minister of Works who she said thought it was great and that she should expand on it.

“The three presidents that have passed and gone on, they had different organisations and then the minister say why don’t you take it a little further and see if you can find out some history and then we can put some other pictures up,” she said. “This is what I was told. So the Straw Market Authority is helping me with supplying the pictures on the wall so it’s going to be a really nice service.”

Mrs Eneas said 24 of the 25 vendors are aware that they’ll be honoured and the last vendor will be surprised at the event. 

“It’s going to be very exciting and the ladies are excited.”