Small Bioche plans big re-union

Bioche is a tiny village perched on the edge of the Caribbean Sea, so close to the constantly sush-sush-sushing waves that the villagers could claim that they sometimes hear fish whispering sweet nothings into their fishy lover's ears- or gills- on moonlight nights.

But if they think like that you would say that the people of Bioche are wild dreamers, wouldn't you?

Dreamers they are, yes; they do not dream of whispering fishes but of making their tiny village into a prosperous haven. And they need your help to make that dream, the second one in the previous sentence, come true.

Just 250 people live in this tiny one-street village with houses so small and neatly arranged they look like a real-life place in Gulliver's Travels. Situated just off the Edward Oliver LeBlanc Highway, between Colihaut to the south and Dublanc to the north, Bioche is the quintessential fishing village. Cool breezes, lazy afternoons, persistent smells of cooking fish, dogs sleeping on the streets, a place where life is wonderfully stress-less.

Small, they say, can be beautiful and efficient and Bioche is living proof of that maxim; the village has produced more prominent Dominicans than villages twice its size.

Think, for a moment, of the fear-inspiring pace bowler Norbert Phillip, arms waving like windmills in a strong breeze as he delivers a thunderbolt to a batsman. Phillip represented the West Indies cricket team in 1978. Yes, he's Bioche born and bred. And Phillip's name is etched forever on one of the stands of the Windsor Park Sports Stadium.

Then there's politician and educator Herbert Sabaroche, the Minister of Health in the Freedom Party/ Labour Party Coalition government of 2000; and Clement Pierre Louis, the retired Deputy Chief of Police.

Pierre Louis is one of the organisers of the first Bioche Re-union celebrations scheduled to be held in Bioche from 6th July to 12th July 2015. At a press conference on Tuesday last week at the Fort Young Hotel Pierre Louis said the reunion is the platform on which the committee will launch a greater effort at bringing economic development to Bioche. That's the dream.

"We have decided to go beyond 2015 because we have a number of projects in mind," Pierre Louis said.

Among these are a poultry project, the development of the craft industry and tourism.

But during this week the people of Bioche are concentrating on the Reunion celebration to which you are invited.

"That starts at 12:01 on Sunday morning," said form police commissioner Pierre Louis, the police precision and discipline very apparent. "There will be conch shells being blown, drums being beaten. Between 6 and 8 we will continue to beat the drums and blow the shells."

Other events include a hike to the Colihaut Heights (July 6th); an exhibition and fashion show (July 7th); lunch for the elderly (July 10th); Jour Overt and health fair and fish festival and Reunion Dance (July 11th); church service, fun day, dinner and awards (July 12th).

At the awards dinner Angela Cuffy, a 98 year old woman who has lived in the village all her life, will receive a special award.

"We are going to give her a plaque saying 'Thank You, Mother'", said Pierre Louis. "She's the mother of the community and we are very proud to have her with us."

See what we mean when we said "small is beautiful?"