'Curry' back in business
Published:Saturday | June 5, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Arthur Hall, Senior Staff Reporter
The scent of burnt items still lingers in the 'Curry' air, but the radiating beauty of the fruits and vegetables in the market overpowers the unfortunate smog that has stiffled activities in Jamaica's most popular market for more than a week.
Beginning today, Coronation Market, situated in downtown Kingston, is open for business once more, and sellers are promising bargains on some of the best products in their stalls.
Sections of the market were extensively damaged by fire during the gun battle in west Kingston last week and activities at the facility have come to a lull since.
But the authorities have now decided that the market should reopen, and most of the vendors appear to be supporting that move.
"The market has four sections and only the area which was burnt will not be available for sellers and buyers," Town Clerk Errol Green told The Gleaner yesterday.
"The odour you are getting is nothing more than you would expect in a normal market. Right now we are in the area that is burnt out, and you are going to get the fumes and the ash, but we are not allowing persons here," Green added.
He was on a tour of the market affectionately referred to as 'Curry' with officials of the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation, the National Solid Waste Management Authority and the Local Government Department of the Office of the Prime Minister.
"We have cleaned up other areas of the Coronation Market where people can come," said Green.
"Curry is open for business and we are encouraging people to come," the town clerk said.
Green was supported by Lloyd Reid, who is in charge of the daily cleaning of the market.
"The market ready. In fact, it ready from week. All we need to do is to clean this section, but the market ready," Reid said.
Several vendors in the market also pleaded with buyers to return to the island's largest market.
"We are from Clarendon and we have been here since 1:30 Thursday night and nothing has happened. It is just that the buyers are not coming, but we are open for business," a vendor who gave her name as Junie said, while pointing to two of her fellow vendors who were offering produce at drastically reduced prices.
"Ten dollars a bungle fi pak choi! Taste and buy peppa! Twenty dollars fi a plantain!" shouted vendors as they tried to attract the few buyers in the market.
The vendors expect the number of buyers to increase today and are promising that quality produce will be available at bargain prices.
In the meantime, vendors who have spent the past week selling in Three Miles, St Andrew, close to the Portia Simpson Miller Square, have also indicated that they could be heading back to Curry today.
"Me willing to go back because that is my original market where I make my bread for years," said Rose.
"Dem just need to clean up the market, and as long as it clean up, I will be back," added Rose.
She was one of several vendors in Three Miles who indicated a willingness to return to Curry if all is well.
The authorities have vowed to remove vendors who set up stalls in Three Miles today, so it should be all systems go in Curry.