#2276: Aubelin Jolicoeur: Chamberlain reports (fwd)

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

A friend of mine who's known Aubelin for more than half a century recently 
saw him.  This is what he found:


________

"I've just returned from Haiti and finally located Jolicoeur. You know the 
owner of the Palace Hotel passed away and Joli moved to Petionville. He has

an apartment in the Marabou Hotel complex behind St. Pierre church. I found

him terribly depressed as he is soon to have an operation on his prostate.
I 
went back to see him in the evening as he was returning from the city in a 
taptap--no baton, no cravat and bent over. I presented him with a chair
that 
will be softer on his derrière. Also gave him a contribution to purchase a 
table. He was using his bed as a work bench and I told him he needed a
table 
to hold his typewriter. Maybe you could compose a message to his friends 
advising of his upcoming operation and get well cards and contribution to 
purchase better furniture.His address is still Hotel Oloffson, Box 260, 
Port-au-Prince, Haiti.  After all no matter what folk think of Joli, he is
an 
institution. I told him even at 76 he must keep on writing (we don't always

agree with what he writes) and over the fifty years I've known him he has 
always made people laugh."

_________

It's true that Aubelin ran with the Duvaliers and a few others for a while
and 
maybe even caused some people to be put in jail, but he committed no 
huge crime and it was all a long time ago. Now he's old and ill.  It would 
be nice to think all of us -- especially those who know and like him and
have 
been entertained or enlightened about Haiti through him -- could be
charitable 
in these circumstances and help him out.  Messages could also be sent via 
the Oloffson's e-mail address if Richard would agree to collect them
together.


        Greg Chamberlain