Harrold Road To Be Renamed In Honour Of Olympic Gold Medallist

The plan comes on the heels of her victory at the World Championships in Helsinki, Finland last month and her Olympic gold medal performance in the 400 meters race in Athens last year.

"I think it’s a good way to honour our athletes," said Timothy Blair, who spoke to The Bahama Journal outside the main Post Office Building on East Hill Street.

"She is a national treasure and she is doing an excellent job, not just here on the home front, but she is just spreading the good news about The Bahamas all over the world."

Mr. Blair added, "This is an opportune time for the government to add credence to what they are saying about sports development and this is a tangible way. It’s great that they chose an area [that] she is affiliated with…this will have a positive influence on her old school, St. Johns College. It is a good name change and a positive step for the government."

Sharing similar sentiments, Sidney Thompson, another Bahamian who spoke with the Bahama Journal, said the change is a good idea.

"I think it is a good thing that they are going to change the name of the highway because she has done a lot of good for the country. I think she is a role model and the name Harrold Road isn’t really saying anything," Mr. Thompson said.

John Murphy, a lifeguard at Atlantis, added, "She is young and a positive influence on young women. I think that young women will be able to identify with her and see that they can also achieve world status. So it’s good that the government has decided to change the name; that’s a positive step in the right direction."

Alanya Dames, a food vendor, added, "It’s a great achievement for a small country to accomplish such a great feat as winning a gold in the Olympics and World Championships. It is something that we need to admire.

"I encourage the government to also name some of these new housing developments in the name of sports and other heroes so years from now our children’s children can look back at persons who accomplished great things during their parents’ era."

Wilfred Lockhart, another Bahamian, said the government needs to focus on sports funding "to develop our people."

Claudius Burrows, who also spoke with The Bahama Journal, does not support the plan to rename Harrold Road after Mrs. Williams-Darling.

"I don’t think it’s fair to name the highway after her [given] that there were other great athletes before her time who were not acknowledged," Mr. Burrows said.

"Nothing was named in the honour of Mike Sands and he was a great athlete and I can name many more who accomplished great things for this country. So why should we name it after her? What about the other great athletes and what about the good educators and other persons who did things?"

Pointing to the government’s recent decision to remove Sir Stafford Sands from the $10 note, Bill Pyfrom, a local businessman, said that the government must not try to rewrite history.

"It was the same childish thing with changing the $10 note," he said. "It shows us that they are out of ideas. When we start to rewrite history then it tells you that our country is heading for hell."

Ministry of Works officials are inviting comments on the government’s plan to rename Harrold Road after the popular Olympian.