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Posted: Tuesday 23 December, 2014 at 4:47 PM

Glimbaro Guest House reopens under trying circumstances

Pastor Lincoln Hazell and his wife (Extreme right), Hon. Dr. Timothy Harris (Right in back row) with well-wishers pose for the camera at the door to the Diner.
By: Stanford Conway, SKNVibes.com

    Owner praises God

     

    BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – AFTER almost one year of closure due to an unprecedented fire, the doors of Glimbaro International Guest House and Diner are once again open to the public.

    At a simple but very significant Reopening Ceremony last evening (Dec. 22), the entity’s Manager, Pastor Lincoln Hazell, gave thanks and praises to God for His mercy and blessings in making his venture a success.

    “The whole reopening of this Guest House and Diner and offices of Glimbaro is a testimony that God is still who He said He is, and it is only God I am giving thanks and praise for what He has done for us. 

    “It’s a blessing that God can do things and I am not saying thanks to the Prime Minister, I am not saying thanks to the Governor General, I am not saying thanks to the bank and I can’t say thanks to anybody...I’ll just say thank you Jesus.”

    Hazell recounted to the small gathering, which included the Hon. Dr. Timothy Harris and Analdo Bailey who performed the duties of Master of Ceremonies, what transpired shortly before business place was engulfed by fire.

    “I remember just before the fire I went to National Insurance, where I was trying to get my building insured, and I was given a lot of running around. And while I was there the Lord told me which insurance company I should insure with. And while they were giving me problems about not giving any financing, they were charging me about $25 000 to insure the property. 

    “And at that time I checked with another insurance company that the Lord told me about, a company that I have never before did any business, and it was half the price of what National Insurance was charging. However, I got the building insured just two weeks before the fire. So when I saw the place up in smoke I remember just saying thank you Jesus, because if I did not obey God’s word I would have been in more trouble.” 

    He claimed that after the fire, he went to secure a loan from National Bank to refurbish the building.

    “But you know what happened? Satan doesn’t sleep! And even though the building was insured, when I went to the National Bank to seek a loan for rebuilding, National Bank decided to have the insurance money and they took 100 percent of the proceeds from the insurance, and I said wow. I remember when talking to the General Manager of National Bank and asked, ‘What should I do?’ And she said, ‘I do not know!’ But God said that He is capable and able to do anything, and once you put your trust in Him you cannot fail. So I continue to put my trust in God and found myself working every week to get money to pay the men employed to do the repairs. And that continues up to today.”

    The Manager explained that during the refurbishing process, every Friday brought him financial distress. He even insinuated that it was a situation similar to that of the biblical Job.

    “Every Friday my wife would get scared because we had no money. Every Friday our accounts exceed the limit and we had people to pay, and she would get angry and say stop the building, let’s forget it. And I said darling just hold on, have a little faith. And sometimes just before four o’clock somebody would come with a cheque that was enough to cover wages and to pay the bills and expenses incurred.”

    Hazell wistfully recalled the experience he had with an official from the Development Control and Planning Board.

    “I remember in October when we were trying to get the work done in order to reopen in December, a member of the Building Board came and said that work on the building must cease and that we cannot go any further. They had me waiting to restart for about four weeks and I decided that I am going to finish and discuss afterwards. And that is just what I did.”

    He pointed out that in order for the building to be opened for business he needed some air condition unit, which cost approximately $50 000, but was denied a loan from the National Bank.

    “I thought that the bank would have been happy to know that I did a very good job knowing that I worked with the money, they took all the money, and I needed that amount to buy the air condition units. Now this is the bank’s property, the bank holds it as security for my debt, so $50 000 looks like nothing. I made an application and I got an email from the bank saying, ‘Sorry, we cannot help.’ I then contacted the bank and was told that the first letter stands.”

    Hazell said following that disappointment, he decided to once more talk to God.

    “I said, ‘Daddy, we need some ACs now.’ It is just so funny how God does great things. I was online surfing the net and I saw that there was a big bank in America and I contacted them. They asked me what I wanted and I told them I needed a loan of US$7 000. I made a mistake, I should have asked for US$20 000. Within five minutes the loan was approved and I thought about the National Bank that has my land my home, my everything and don’t want to give me even $10, and here is some body that has nothing for me and giving me $7 000 and not even asking what’s the matter. It was a blessing and I was able to buy my ACs.”

    He said that since then seven of the 10 rooms have been completed and the remainder should be ready by weekend.

    Unlike what a Member of Parliament said during the recently-concluded 2015 Budget Debate, Hazell lamented that “I did not get any assistance from the Government or the SIDF”.

    Adding his bit to the reopening of the business establishment, and paraphrasing a quote from the late Sir Winston Churchill, MC Bailey said, “Never give up - never give up, never, never give up. Do not give in to anything small or great unless because of your own conviction. And so, this is the story of Lincoln Hazell and his family. And this is the story of so many other persons who are part of our community. They have learnt never to give up, unless because of their own conviction or because they have been persuaded and it is not because of fear.”

    In his remarks, Dr. Harris noted that his friendship with Lincoln Hazell dates back to the time when the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party was in opposition.

    “I am delighted by the occasion because, as Analdo Bailey said, Lincoln has been a friend for a very long time. It is also true that I came to know him on account of the politics, because way back then I learnt that there was a Lincoln Hazell. He was a man who did all he could to assist most of us who were in the opposition then and seeking to gain political office.”

    Harris swore ever to be grateful to the entrepreneur and he bemoaned the Government for not rendering assistance when he needed it.

    “I know the sacrifice that he and his family made and, as a result of that, I will remain eternally grateful for the contributions he has made. I am to some extent sorrowful that in his time of greatest need the powers that be didn’t have a memory of gratitude to attempt to facilitate him.

    “I believe that a man who has shown the kind of courage that Lincoln has, the discipline and the entrepreneurial zeal throughout the years, he deserves every assistance that the country can provide.”

    The politician asked what does the country mean for its citizens where they stand and answered it with “I believe that those are questions we must ask ourselves and, over time, I want you to be convinced that in your country of birth you must be special”.

    He postulated that leaders must have in their hearts and minds the flag of the country in memory of the duty and service to all the citizens and residents of St. Kitts and Nevis.

    Touching on the Tourism Industry as it relates to locals, Harris made a comparison between foreign-owned enterprises and those locally- owned. 

    “In a critical area, Tourism, which we say at some point is or will be or will become the growth driver in the country, we ask ourselves if it means more by the Marriott and at Christophe Harbour. Because, in all of these companies they are not really us! It is entities like Glimbaro International Guest House and Diner that we are going to find the local people, and the local people must be able to prosper in the country of their birth. The small and medium-size entrepreneur require full support and I promise that when Team Unity gains office we certainly have a special place; a place of value for our local people who are doing business.

    “I believe just as the large entities are deserving of support and they get from their tiles up to their roof ceiling, including duty free and tax exemptions, our local people must get the support they deserve in an equitable manner.”

    Dr. Harris congratulated Hazell and his family on their success and stressed the importance of Kittitians and Nevisians establishing family businesses that would last for many generations.

    “And so I want to congratulate Mr. Hazell and his family. And again, for me, I am interested in the development of family enterprise. Because, as you look over at the Indians, no discrimination, and you look at the Chinese, one of the things that we must come face-to-face with is that they have developed strong family business...father, daughter, sister. The business is about them to be passed from one generation onto the other, and we in St. Kitts and Nevis have to learn again to build our own and to support our businesses.”

    He pointed out that not only adults, but also children, associate thriving businesses not with locals but with Caucasians, and promised that this mentality would be changed when Team Unity gets into office..

    The opening prayer was led by Dr. Eustace Rawlins while the business entity was blessed by Pastor Ronald Taylor, after which the ribbon was cut Director Secretary Daun Hazell and the attendees were taken on a guided tour of the refurbished establishments.

    And not to forget, all were welcome to participate in a sumptuous mouth-watering buffet-styled dinner.



     
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