Excerpt from Jamaica Observer column published 21 December 2020
By: Jean Lowrie-Chin
Our bumpy ride through St. Thomas was relieved by the parish’s beauty spots. We passed Bull Bay, where we had enjoyed happy reasonings on the beach with Fred and Cynthia Wilmot of blessed memory. Three generations of Wilmots still continue their legacy of wholesome living, with an ever-expanding fan base of surfers worldwide. The Roselle Falls take your breath away and there are colourful fruit stands; this parish yields some of the sweetest fruit in Jamaica, matchless naseberries and mangoes.
The parish is home to our courageous National Hero Paul Bogle and we see his spirit reflected in the teachers and parents of special needs students, resolute that with the right testing and guidance, the children will one day be able to make their way in the world. We had met them at the opening of the opening of the Lyssons Centre of Excellence in 2017, and now we are back, because that school is at capacity and so the Digicel Foundation team has added a second special needs school in the parish, rebuilding the Pear Tree River Technical and Vocational School, the former Pear Tree River Primary School.
With a background of lush greenery, the school stands out with clean and colourful lines, created under the watchful eyes of the Foundation’s construction Manager Carnel Campbell. We are inspired by the enthusiasm of the Education Ministry’s Director for Region 2, Janet Brimm. She also was the Ministry’s coordinator for the Lyssons Centre of Excellence.
On arrival ahead of our starting time, I am greeted by the Education Ministry’s PR representative Cheryl Smith, informing me that Minister Fayval Williams had arrived. We have attended several events with Minister Williams, and she is ever punctual. With constituency and Ministry duties, she manages to appear unhurried, graciously greeting us and pausing to speak to the teachers and commend the Lyssons students on their stunning art.
We have seen Minister Williams’ efforts during this critical year for education, meeting with stakeholders, implementing plans, engaging with media partners to ensure that our children would be able to continue their education. It is heartening that the Ministry has been ensuring that children with special needs are included in these efforts and that they will be providing the staff, furniture and continued maintenance of the Pear Tree River School. She noted that the special needs division at the Ministry also ensured that lessons are printed in Braille for blind children.
The art and craft items produced by the Lyssons students are exquisite. Miniatures of their paintings and papier mache sculpture would make great Jamaican souvenirs. Minister Williams agreed that she would speak with the tourism ministry on the matter. We hope that Tourism Minister Ed Bartlett will encourage our in-bond merchants to buy more of our fine local items instead of importing items stamped ‘Jamaica’ that are not made here.
Wherever we go in Jamaica, we are impressed by the professionalism and genuine care of our teachers. Rev. Remia Gordon, past principal and student of Pear Tree River Primary led us through meaningful Scripture Readings as she blessed the re-purposed school. Jacqueline Hendricks, Acting Principal of Lyssons Centre of Excellence navigated the programme with good humour.
It was great to meet the youthful Eastern St. Thomas MP Dr Michelle Charles. Hers is literally a hard road to travel but she does have a great deal of political experience in her family to assist her in making the lives of the long-suffering citizens of St. Thomas more tolerable. As I remarked to her, St. Thomas is a hidden treasure. The parish is becoming increasingly popular for folks who work in Kingston and when resilient infrastructure is in place, it will be set to thrive.
Five lives for a bike?
A 96-hour curfew was declared by National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang in Central Clarendon last Friday after a week of terror in which five persons have been shot dead and several others injured. He noted that there had been an upsurge of gang warfare in the area.
Jamaica Observer staff reporter Horace Hines quoted the Minister: “I have been informed by the security team that this entire episode of killings has come about because of a dispute over a bike, which reflects the level of literal depravity in the behaviour of some of these elements out there.”
Several family members have fled the area for fear of their lives. We keep asking,
‘How did we come to this?’ Well, we are here now, so let us work on how we can emerge from this darkness. I am encouraged by folks like Dahlia Harris, willing to install cameras in their communities linked to ‘Jamaica Eye’ so there can be quick response and video to identify criminals more readily. We are relieved that there is now a facility that will allow witnesses to remotely participate in identification parades.
Meanwhile, remember that children who do not know love, cannot show love – the social aspect of crime fighting requires a vigorous plan involving church, community, civil society and Government.
Tankweld’s 50th Anniversary
With a small bank loan, John Greaves and David Bicknell founded the steel fabrication business Tankweld in 1970 and grew it into an industrial giant which has implemented most of Jamaica’s major pipeline projects. The second generation, Chris Bicknell, Bruce Bicknell and Rusti Zacca expanded into steel distribution and in 2006, invested in the Rio Bueno Wharf with a 500,000 square foot warehouse. Chris Bicknell, Chairman and Group CEO notes, “Today our network sits on four solid pillars: the Rio Bueno Port facility, innovative shipping solutions, two million square feet of mechanized warehousing making us the only building material supplier able to store all our stock under cover, and the largest fleet of modern heavy-duty trucks.”
The company has done extensive outreach, supporting the Waterhouse and Arnett Gardens Football Clubs, a Homework Centre in Rio Bueno and the Seaward Primary and Junior High in Olympic Gardens. Food for the Poor (FFP) Jamaica Chairman Andrew Mahfood notes, “Their help with engineering, Board advice through FFP’s Vice Chairman Chris Bicknell, and support of our projects over the years has been nothing short of a company going above and beyond to ensure that those who need help, are helped.”
Farewell 2020
It has been a year of trials but finally it is ending. Stalked by Covid, we have experienced the heartache of mourning good friends virtually. We empathize with stressed-out frontline workers in health and security, and parents juggling jobs and virtual classes for their children. Then came the rains ruining roads and crops. Yet we give thanks that Government stepped up to give cash relief, the private sector financed thousands of care packages for the indigent and tablets for students, and special attention was given to our seniors.
Jamaica Highlights 