INSIDE GRENADA FEBRUARY 10, 2008 by Wallace J.A ST. ANDREW’S: A large, very vocal and animated crowd of approximately 800 persons converged at the Mt. Horne Playing Field yesterday (February 09) to witness and celebrate the endorsement of Mrs. Delma Thomas as the NNP Candidate for the Constituency of St. Andrew North West. During the endorsement ceremony, Mrs. Thomas, who has a very strong Christian background, received a number of congratulatory remarks from various persons throughout her constituency, one of them being her pastor, who offered her his full moral and spiritual support. Another constituent, Mr. Augustus George, paid glowing tribute to Mrs. Thomas, likening her to a beautiful rose that is about to blossom. He spoke about the strong, positive leadership qualities she possesses and urged everyone present to work along with her and give her the support she needs to further transform and develop the constituency. Also present were Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell, Mrs. Yoland Horsford, Mrs. Clarice Curwen, Mr. Roland Bhola, Mr. Carl Caton, Mr. Kennedy Roberts and Mr. Starlen Romain among others. They all spoke about the genuine love Mrs. Thomas had for people, her caring disposition, her constant pursuit of excellence and her commitment to hard work. Mr. Starlen Romain, the NNP coordinator for the constituency after hurricanes Ivan and Emily, also spoke at the function, pledging his unconditional support for Mrs. Thomas, who is his close relative. He presented her with a symbolic green jacket in commemoration of her endorsement as the NNP candidate for the area and urged everyone present to support and work along with her since she has what it takes to move St. Andrew North West forward. In addressing the gathering at Mt. Horne, Mrs. Thomas spoke about her life before politics as an educator, and the reasons why she decided to get into politics. She spoke about the development in her constituency spearheaded by the NNP since 1995 - through Laurina Waldron and Starlen Romain - and thanked them both (on behalf of all constituents) for their invaluable contributions. She then spoke about her many accomplishments in the area since she entered the realm of politics and gave a brief outline of her vision for her constituency. She said she will speak about her plans to further develop St. Andrew NW as well as the things she intend to do for and with her constituents rather than engage in divisive political attacks fraught with malice, mud-slinging and malevolence. Her speech was punctuated at regular intervals with loud cheering and shouting from a very appreciative and supportive crowd. Dr. Keith Mitchell, in his address to the enthusiastic audience, happily commented on the large crowd that came out for the endorsement of Mrs. Thomas and the tremendous expression of love and support that he had seen and felt. He noted that the crowd present at Mt. Horne was a local one - from within the constituency - and did not consist of people from all parts of the country. He spoke about the great qualities that Mrs. Thomas possesses and her value to the people of St. Andrew NW, the NNP and by extension, the entire tri-island state. He made the observation that during her speech, her love for the people was quite evident and that she had maintained a positive tone, focusing on her vision for the area and what needs to be done. He told the crowd that she was the ‘positive change’ the constituency needs and urged them to be proud of her and embrace her because she is the sort of person that will do all she can to passionately represent them with her heart and soul.