Letters to the Editor: Blackpoint business owner backs Sampson Cay project

I’m writing to share my thoughts on the Sampson Cay project and what it means for Blackpoint, Exuma. As the owner of Lorraine’s Café, I’ve spent decades serving my community and welcoming locals and visitors to enjoy Exuma and authentic Bahamian food. But any small business owner here will tell you that it can be hard to keep a business open here. Many other developments come to Exuma, but in Blackpoint, we don’t really feel much benefit from them. Felipe MacLean has already shown they are different. They have been here supporting us and they are showing us that they are committed to the people of Blackpoint and they will do what they say they will do. I respect the people who say they want to keep Exuma beautiful. We all want that. Imagine what we could do in Blackpoint if we had more visitors, more residents, and more events bringing people to the settlement. More people coming to Blackpoint means more people coming to my restaurant. That would allow me to hire more staff. And not just me, other people could hire too. The people who oppose this project are not speaking on behalf of the community. I want to see the young people coming back to Blackpoint to live. But they can’t do that if they don’t have jobs. All I am saying is that people need to listen to us. We are from here and we know what our community needs. We need this project to move forward. Sincerely, Lorraine Rolle Owner, Lorraine’s Café