Duane O’Connor gets new home
By LAUREL V WILLIAMS Thursday, February 12 2015 (T&T Newsday)
Duane O’Connor, former National Calypso MonarchIn less than 24 hours after a fire destroyed the home of former National Calypso Monarch Duane O’Connor, the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) came to his rescue. Yesterday, HDC officials presented him with keys to his new home.At a handing over ceremony at HDC’s San Fernando office, O’Connor received the keys to a three bedroom home at East Grove, Valsayn.
The fire which destroyed O’Connor’s Main Road, Cocorite home began at about 5 pm on Tuesday. Speaking to reporters after the ceremony, the calypsonian, who is also a police constable, said he received a telephone call from his wife Donessa Wickham who informed him that the house was on fire. He was on his way home from South having attended a funeral service.
“When I got to Fatima College on Mucurapo Road, I was seeing the huge flames and lots of smoke. My wife was on her way to do auditions with my son ( Duane Ta’zyah O’Connor) when she called me. By the time I got home the entire home was ablaze. We lost everything,” O’Connor said. No one was at home at the time.
O’Connor, who is attached to the Patna/River Estate Police Youth Club and is in charge of 115-plus youths, is a finalist in Sunday’s National Calypso Monarch finals at the Dimanche Gras which is being held at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain. He won the title in 2012 singing “The Hunt is On”.
He lamented that he lost more than 50 suits and other clothing, including those for Sunday’s competition, as well as shoes, his trophies, etc. But he vows to be present at the Calypso Monarch finals where he will seek to dethrone reigning Monarch Roderick “Chucky” Gordon. He estimated the damage of the house alone to be over $350,000.
“I just bought a refrigerator for about $15,000. My stove is over $14,000. My parents moved in there in 1969 and my mother ( Shirley O’Connor) died last year. I was born there 35 years ago.
“I do not know what cause the fire. We wired the house about three years ago. The initial investigation from the fire station states that it may not be anything electrical. He revealed that following the fire, his manager Rudolph Ottley started making calls and Housing and Urban Development Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal became involved.
“They said they would put something in place and I was so happy.
His song for Sunday’s competition is called “Citizens Pride” in which he tells citizens to always put country first.
His 12-year-old son is a Form One student of St Mary’s College who “missed the Junior Calypso Monarch finals by one point”.
Moonilal said he received calls from several people including “leading” calypsonians and colleagues indicating that there was a tragedy. He said, as part of HDC’s policy, help is available to persons in emergency circumstances such as fire, landslip, flooding etc.
“We wanted to bring some relief quickly and so we worked overnight. He noted that O’Connor was an HDC applicant and had applied many years ago.
Also present at the ceremony yesterday was Managing Director of HDC Jearlean John and chairman Rabindra Moonan.
