Dear Editor,
As a concerned citizen of Linden, Region #10, and as a former student of McKenzie High School who completed my secondary education in July 1979, I feel compelled to express my deep concern and disappointment regarding the reported changes in the management and use of the building commonly known as the LICHAS Building, which houses a section of McKenzie High School students on its upper flat and provides space on the lower flat for drama and other cultural activities.
I believe the people of Linden, particularly former students, teachers, parents and retired bauxite workers, deserve clear answers concerning the present status and management of this important facility.
For those of us who attended McKenzie High School during that period, the auditorium at LICHAS was far more than simply a building. It was an important part of our school and community life.
My understanding is that when the facility was originally constructed, commissioned and handed over, its day-to-day management and operation fell under the authority of the management of the Board of Governors and the Principal responsible for the administration of the school.
That, to my recollection, remained the established arrangement when I completed my schooling in July 1979.
The auditorium created some of the most wonderful memories of my school days. It was a place where students were able to display their talents and where Lindeners could come together to enjoy cultural and artistic performances.
I still remember with great fondness the beautiful performances by McKenzie High School dance troop with the likes of Clairlyn Bobb, Micheal Tello, Allison Fraser, Grace Yhap, the late Paul Crawford, Ewart Small and the Anglin brothers, under the coaching and guidance of the late Miss Holder.
Boy, those were beautiful days.
The facility also provided a stage for productions that brought tremendous pride to Linden. One outstanding example was “The Green Bottle,” written and directed by Linden’s very own, Grace Chapman, another former student of McKenzie High School. That production demonstrated the extraordinary creative and artistic talent that existed within our community.
These memories are important because they remind us that the LICHAS facility has historically served a much greater purpose than simply being a physical structure. It has been part of the educational, cultural and social development of Linden.
It therefore pains me greatly to learn of what I understand to be a significant change in the manner in which the facility is now being managed.
Based on information I have received, the management and control of the facility may now effectively rest with a single individual who is involved in promoting drama and other cultural activities.
If this information is accurate, then several serious questions must be answered.
Who has legal and administrative responsibility for the LICHAS building today?
Under whose authority was the management arrangement changed?
When was that decision made, and by whom?
Was the McKenzie High School Board, the PTA, the Regional Democratic Council, the Linden Mayor and Town Council, and the Ministry of Education consulted before such a change was made?
And perhaps most importantly:
On what basis would McKenzie High School students and the school administration now be required to rent a facility which, according to the historical arrangement understood by many former students and residents, was intended to serve the school and the wider Linden community?
I deliberately use the words “according to the historical arrangement” because these matters should be established through proper documentation. If there are deeds, agreements, resolutions, handover documents, or other legal instruments that changed the status or management of the building, then those documents should be made available to the relevant stakeholders and, where appropriate, the public.
This matter should also be considered against the history of Linden and the sacrifices made by generations of bauxite workers.
Many former workers contributed, directly or indirectly, to the development of community facilities during the period when Linden’s economic and social development was closely tied to the bauxite industry.
If the historical records establish that workers contributed from their hard-earned wages toward the construction or development of this particular facility, then it would be deeply troubling to those former workers and their families if a community facility associated with McKenzie High School could somehow be placed under an arrangement where the school itself must pay to use it.
That is precisely why the history, ownership and management arrangements must be properly established.
This is not simply about a building.
It is about accountability, transparency, history and respect for the people who helped build Linden.
I therefore respectfully call upon the following institutions to provide clarity to the people of Linden:
The Regional Democratic Council, Region #10;
The Ministry of Education; Region #10
The Mayor and Town Council of Linden;
The administration and governing body of McKenzie High School; and
The relevant PTA and other stakeholders associated with the facility.
The people of Linden deserve to know what happened to the original management arrangement.
If the historical records confirm that the facility was intended to remain under the management and control of McKenzie High School and its associated governing and parent bodies, then serious consideration should be given to restoring that arrangement.
If, on the other hand, there was a legitimate and properly documented decision to change the management structure, then that decision should be explained publicly and the legal basis for it clearly identified.
There should be no room for secrecy or ambiguity where a facility of such historical importance to McKenzie High School and the people of Linden is concerned.
As a former student, I am not prepared to simply sit by and watch an important part of the history of McKenzie High School and Linden disappear without asking questions.
The LICHAS auditorium was once a place where young people developed their talents, where teachers and students created lasting memories, and where the wider Linden community gathered to celebrate music, dance, drama and culture.
It should continue to serve those purposes.
Our community must not allow important historical facilities to become disconnected from the institutions and people for whom they were originally intended without a proper public explanation.
I therefore call on the authorities to conduct a transparent review of the ownership, management and present use of the LICHAS building, make the relevant historical and legal documents available to the appropriate stakeholders, and engage McKenzie High School, its PTA, former students and the wider Linden community on the way forward.
If it is established that the facility was historically placed under the management and control of McKenzie High School and its governing/parent bodies, then I believe the matter of restoring that arrangement should be seriously considered.
This is our history.
This is our heritage.
And the people of Linden have every right to ask what happened.
Yours truly
Concerned citizen of Linden
Former student of McKenzie High School
Class of July 1979
