UNITED Nations Special Envoy for Road Safety Jean Todt will join Jamaicans in marking the fourth United Nations Global Road Safety Week, which will be observed from May 8 – 14 under the theme ‘Slowing Down Saves Lives’.

The main event of the week’s activities will be held on Wednesday, May 10 at Jamaica House, where Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who is also the chairman of the National Road Safety Council, will deliver the opening speech.

Todt, a French motor sport executive and former rally co-driver, will deliver the keynote address at the event. Zoleka Mandela, granddaughter of former South African leader, Nelson Mandela, who serves as the ambassador for the Global Initiative for Child Health & Mobility, will also address the event, which is a joint initiative of the National Road Safety Council and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Todt, who was appointed by then United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon as special envoy for road safety in 2015, will throw his support behind Jamaica’s efforts to reduce road fatalities by launching action through the ongoing campaign: Save Lives – #SlowDown.

The #SlowDown campaign seeks to increase understanding of the dangers of speed and generate action on measures to address speed, thereby saving lives on the roads. It also calls for urgent action around speed management, to reduce projected road traffic deaths and injuries by 50 per cent by 2020 — the target established in the Global Goals for Sustainable Development for the next 15 years.

Wednesday’s Global Road Safety Week awareness event will culminate with the symbolic signing of an open letter by Prime Minister Holness, urging action on reducing and enforcing traffic speeds to a level safe for children everywhere, as well as prioritising low- speed zones in residential areas and near schools.

Other activities, planned by a committee established by the prime minister and co-chaired by the ministers of transport and mining and health include road safety messages from the prime minister to be read in churches and schools, a ‘Slow Down Day’, certificates to recognise the work of school wardens, town hall meetings, and a road safety jingle.

The United Nations has continued to support Jamaica in its bid to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries by 50 per cent by 2020, because of the implications it has for the development priorities of the country.

Data has shown that a country can lose up to five per cent of its Gross Domestic Product as a result of road fatalities and injuries. Global Road Safety Week and the Save Lives #SlowDown campaign are expected to provide an opportunity for the National Road Safety Council and its members to intensify work in the areas of public education, research, data collection, and legislative support that will allow Jamaica to reduce road fatalities to under 300 annually and meet the 2020 target.

Due to various multisectoral initiatives implemented, buoyed by the eventual success of the Save 300 Lives programme implemented in 2008, Jamaica experienced a declining fatality rate for two decades down to 2012, when 260 deaths were recorded. This is coming from a high of 456 deaths in 1975 and 444 in 1991. Since 2012, however, there have been some challenges causing a reversal in this downward trend, leading up to 382 deaths in 2015 resulting from a historic spike in motorcycle deaths.

This upward trend continued into early 2016 but began to see a reversal due to intervention at the community level promoting motorcycle safety, which resulted in 379 fatalities being recorded for that year, down from 382 in 2015. The downward trend has continued in 2017, with a 20 per cent decrease in fatalities, to date, compared with the previous year.

Source: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/focus-on-speeding-as-jamaica-observes-global-road-safety-week_98101

Destitute man to receive house ahead of Food For The Poor Jamaica’s 5K

For the last 13 years, Berris Mighty has endured more hardship than any man should bear. His is a story of poverty, homelessness, trauma and despair. But the man from Redwood, St Catherine, harboured a mighty hope that one day his living conditions would improve.

That day arrived with the helping hand of Black Ink Marketing Solutions Limited which donated the funds to Food For The Poor (FFP) Jamaica to construct a two-bedroom house for Mighty and his family.

Executive Director David Mair shared that: “The charity plans to construct 100 houses for the less fortunate through funds raised from its upcoming 5K Run/Walk event on Saturday, May 13,” so that more persons such as Mighty, can realise their dream of having a comfortable place to call home.

According to Mighty, he has always tried to live an honest life, but things started getting bad for him when his foot was broken in a car crash in 2004.

“Mi used to work and live on a fowl farm in Bog Walk, because di people dem who me did a work for have a place fi dem workers stay. One evening after work, mi go shop go buy someting to eat and I was riding a bicycle. On my way back from the shop I got hit by a car, and things start get worse from dere so. After mi take the cast off mi foot, di people dem fi di place seh mi need fi find somewhere to go, because I am not working for dem anymore, as mi foot did bruk. Mi lose di work,” Mighty said in an interview recently.

He said one day when he left the premises and was in search of a new place to live, he was evicted.

“When mi did a check if mi could get anywhere to stay, rain start fall and yuh see when me go back in di evening, mi come find mi tings dem outside. Rain wet up everyting, even the food weh mi cook! Mi come back and water in di pot dem,” he recalled.

He said at that point he took to the streets with his girlfriend, who vowed to stay with him.

“During dem time deh, tings gone from bad to worse with me. Mi have to a sleep pan di roadside. Mi and mi woman a sleep pan di roadside,” he said before breaking down in tears.

“Mi all tell her seh fi go back to her mother, but she seh she nah leave me alone ina dem condition de. Anyting happen, just happen, she seh. So we affi sleep pan di roadside fi over one week, and is like one night a voice seh to me: ‘You can’t stay on the roadside any longer, because anybody can pass and anyting can happen to we,’” he said.

Mighty said he got tired of sleeping on the road and started trespassing on properties at nights to sleep in a safe place.

“Mi pull di people dem gate and go ina dem yard and sleep pan dem veranda and a watch fi day, dats dem nuh wake and see we. As day peep out, we go out pan di road,” he said.

Mighty later sought refuge in Redwood, St Catherine, where he now resides under a structure he made from bamboo and ‘wis’ (vines). He was encouraged to apply to FFP Jamaica, whose head office is located in the same parish.

He applied. He was visited by members of the charity organisation and was invited to the launch of their 5K Run/Walk on Tuesday, April 4, when it was announced to him that funds provided by Black Ink Marketing Event Solutions Ltd would be used to construct a new house for him.

“I feel good about it because that now help me a lot. By giving me this unit my things will stop spoiling, like clothes and things like that weh rain keep wetting up. Dem get destroyed, because when rain fall a good body a water rush through same way and mi have to dig out one gutter fi lead out back the water,” the grateful man said.

FFP Jamaica intends to construct a two-bedroom unit for Mighty before the 5K Run/Walk event on May 13, which will start and end at Emancipation Park in St Andrew.

Source: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/a-mighty-home-at-last-destitute-man-to-receive-house-ahead-of-food-for-the-poor-jamaica-8217-s-5k_97830?profile=1373

Berris Mighty, one of the recipients of a house from Food For The Poor (FFP) Jamaica through their 5K Run/Walk initiative, shares the story of his deplorable living conditions with those gathered at the launch of the event on Tuesday, April 4 at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston. Pictured listening keenly around the table are: (from left) Andrew Mahfood, Chairman of FFP Jamaica; Bethany Young, Marketing and Communications Manager, Rainforest Seafoods; Alfred Francis of Running Events Jamaica and David Mair, Executive Director, FFP. Mighty will be the beneficiary of a new two-bedroom house from FFP thanks to funds provided by Black Ink Marketing Event Solutions Limited.

Canadian Cotroni brings J’can opponent to his knees for Contender win

Team Jamaica hold a slender 3-2 win over Team Canada after Frank Cotroni scored a one minute, 11 seconds fourth-round TKO win over Gregory Miller in the fifth “Best of the Best” Wray and Nephew White Overproof Rum Contender Boxing Series at the Chinese Benevolent Association auditorium on Wednesday night.However, this slim lead could summarily change should a committee looking into the disputed decision between Tsetsi Davis and Dave Leblond in the third fight, which was won by Davis, overturn that decision, and rule in favour of Leblond. Such a ruling could see the Canadians drawing level with three wins.

In Wednesday night’s fight, Miller, who was one of the original fighters to enter the Contender Series at its inception, entered the ring as the ranked underdog and was not given a ghost of a chance to go beyond round two.

But he surprised everyone’s wildest expectations by opening with a flourish that saw him winning the first two rounds on a common canter. Two rounds later he was on his knees, knocked off his feet at one minute 11 seconds of the fourth round, and surrendered to Cotroni by the TKO route.

After being on the end of Miller’s flurry of left hooks and weak straight rights, Cotroni adopted a more aggressive style and, in the third round, caught Miller with a good left hook to his right armpit. From then on it looked all over for Miller, as the writing was on the wall.

Cotroni, sensing Miller was hurt, moved in to finish him off in the third, but the bell intervened.

Cotroni then went for the jugular in the fourth, and within two minutes Referee Eian Jardine signalled the end of the fight as Miller struggled to his feet to beat the count for a 2-0 record in the Contender Series.

“It was a good victory for me. It was a frustrating fight, but I have fought against styles more difficult than Miller’s and overcame them. I have looked at videos of his fights so I knew what to expect.

“I wanted to catch him with a good shot in the earlier rounds, but that did not happen. So I went back to the instructions of my coach and I knew I would catch him with a low shot, and that would hurt him as it would be a shot well placed”, Cotroni said.

Miller was disheartened by the way the fight ended.

“I prepared well for the fight, and with greater temperance I could come away with a little more than I got. My great downfall was that I used up too much energy in the first two rounds and that hurt me,” Miller said.

Source: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sports/it-wasn-8217-t-miller-8217-s-time-canadian-cotroni-brings-j-8217-can-opponent-to-his-knees-for-contender-win_97962?profile=1511

Francesco ‘Frank’ Cotroni, one of the top-seeded Canadian boxers, came back from losing the first two rounds in a bout scheduled for five rounds to score a dramatic fourth round technical knockout victory over Jamaica’s Gregory Miller on Wednesday night in the fifth week of the Wray & Nephew 2017 junior middleweight Contender series, at the Chinese Benevolent Association auditorium.

The fight ended within one minute and 11 seconds of the fourth round. Jamaica now leads the series 3-2.

Because of the pre-fight build-up, an exciting contest was expected, and spectators got their money’s worth of action.

Miller, who said after the fight, that he “went for broke in the early rounds so as to get an early knockout”, surprised fans with his aggression, and although he did not hurt Cotroni, he made him realise that he had to work hard for victory. Cotroni’s trainer, Jessy Thompson, said after the fight that he “suspected that Frank was behind on the scorecards after the second round and told him to step it up, and he did”.

TORRID AFFAIR

The third round was a torrid affair and it was clear from the half-way mark that Miller was in trouble. He was breathing hard and holding a lot as Cotroni piled on the pressure.

Sensing that Miller was on shaky legs in the fourth, Cotroni threw everything at him, and a tired Miller went down on his knees in his own corner. He made no attempt to get back on his feet, and referee Peter Richards, who had started the mandatory eight count, called a halt and ruled Cotroni the winner.

A very happy Cotroni said he is “looking forward to coming back to Jamaica for the quarter-finals and taking one more step towards the finals”.

Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/sports/20170505/canadas-cotroni-too-good-miller

Gregory Miller’s Contender Knock Out: Wray & Nephew Contender, Gregory Miller (centre), receiving medical attention after he was knocked out by Frank Cotroni (left) in the fifth fight in the Contender series at the Chinese Benevolent Association in St Andrew on Wednesday, May 3.

The Jamaica Boxing Board of Control (JBBC) has ruled that Tsetsi Davis’ split decision win over Team Canada’s Dave Leblond in the Wray & Nephew Contender Series will not be overturned. However, Leblond will be returning to the competition to compete next week.

A source close to the JBBC said that although Leblond lost his appeal to have a rematch with Davis, on the grounds of “egregious judging”, he will be taking the place of Canadian Ryan Wagner for next week’s match.

“Wagner, who was supposed to fight next week for Canada, did not pass his medical. He failed the MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), so his doctor did not pass him to fight,” the source told The Gleaner.

RETURNING TO COMPETITION

Leblond’s trainer Patrice Trudeau said that he is glad that they will be returning to the competition as they love Jamaica and its people whom he described as friendly and welcoming to them on their visit last month.

“Right now, he (Leblond) is pumped up because he knows that Jamaicans are behind him,” Trudeau said. “We’ve been talking about this for weeks, saying ‘Wow, this is unbelievable!’.

“Dave will do his best, but we want to go and put on a good outing because we want to express our gratitude to the Jamaicans who are supporting us. We want to give the Jamaican fans a present because they’ve been such good support for us.”

Leblond will now be up against Team Jamaica’s Nico Yeyo, who will be making his professional debut.

“We’re taking this fight seriously because Dave had only one fight before Tsetsi,”Trudeau added. “It’s the same with Yeyo, so, of course, we’re gonna take him seriously. In this sport, you don’t win by pure talent. You’ve got to have the fire. We want a chance to stay longer in Jamaica and to possibly face Tsetsi again in a rematch (later in the competition).”

Team Jamaica and Team Canada move into their fifth “Best of the Best” Wray and Nephew White Overproof Rum Contender Boxing Series fight at the Chinese Benevolent Association auditorium tonight beginning at 8:30 pm.

Canada-based Team Jamaica boxer Gregory Miller and Frank “The Hitman” Cotroni, Team Canada’s most experienced gloveman, are expected to share five rounds of lively action as they go bounding across the 20-square-foot ring in search of a cut of the $3,000,000 and the title of Jamaica’s ultimate junior middleweight contender.

The evening’s programme is a three-fight card with two amateur bouts being fought over three rounds each.

While much is not known of the unranked Miller, as a professional fighter he has lost his only pro bout.

Cotroni has the most impressive record among his Canadian counterparts. At 32 years old, he has 11 wins against 8 defeats with one draw. Cotroni has scored five KOs in his 11 wins and was knocked out four times in his eight defeats. He is Team Canada’s number four seed.

Cotroni has gone past the stage of being a rising star in the pro ranks, and as such the Montreal native has put together a relatively solid career in boxing.

Miller, who migrated to Canada, sees his inclusion in the Contender Series as a golden chance to show the local audience the level of improvement he has made since his amateur days.

Up to this point in the “Best of the Best” Series patrons have received high levels of entertainment from the ring. And with another four fights remaining to finish the first round of eight preliminary fights, the Contender Series could now be heading for its most successful Contender production yet.

Promoters have been highlighting the event, featuring vivid aspects of the Contender Series.

Organisers say the first kept a full-sized crowd on its feet at Colonel Cove in Morant Bay in St Thomas, while the second had a similar impact at Island Village in Ocho Rios. They say the third at Treasure Beach in St Elizabeth was the largest turnout.

The Wray and Nephew Contender Series county-hopping promotion closed off in Kingston at the company’s football grounds on Spanish Town Road.

Source: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sports/-8216-hitman-8217-targets_97670?profile=0

Jamaican Gregory Miller, faces an uphill battle tonight at the Chinese Benevolent Association on Old Hope Road in St Andrew, when he tackles

Canadian Francesco Cotroni over five rounds, in the preliminaries of the Wray & Nephew 2017 junior middleweight Contender boxing series.

Miller, who has had only one professional fight, is going up against a seasoned fighter, whose record is 11 wins, eight losses and a draw.

The Jamaican made his debut as a professional in the Contender series on March 25, 2015, against Barbadian Deryck Richmond. He was totally defensive in that bout, and lost by unanimous decision. Since then, he has migrated to Canada and has been training there. He told The Gleaner yesterday that he has had great coaching from trainers there, and said that he is ready to give a great performance.

Miller has been in hard training in Jamaica for the past few months, for this return to the series, and one can only wait to see whether this has prepared him well enough, for what will undoubtedly a stern test tonight.

Cotroni, who is from Montreal, was bubbling with excitement yesterday, and is entering the contest with the hope of taking the next step towards the title.

“I can’t wait to get into the ring. Jamaica is nice and hot, unlike Montreal, where it is now 10 degrees. I am anxious to get into the ring and win this my first fight in the series. I plan to win this competition, so I have to beat anyone who comes into the ring to challenge me,” Cotroni said in the build up to the fight.

AGGRESSIVE CONTENDER

Cotrini, who is seeded at No. 4 on the Canadian team, has a reputation of being an aggressive competitor, and has been a pro since 2011. He has won five of his

fights inside the distance and has himself been stopped four times. His last fight was on October 22, last year, when he lost to Paul Bzdel in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, by unanimous decision over 10 rounds.

This is the fifth week of the Contender series, and so far Jamaicans have won three times and Canada once. The winner of the series will receive $2 million, the runner-up $500,000, third place $250,000 and fourth $200,000.

Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/sports/20170503/miller-faces-stiff-contender-challenge-canadas-cotroni

Terms such as ‘primary surplus’ and ‘fiscal space’ were replaced with ‘spending more than you earn’ and ‘financial well-being of a government’ as Economic Programme Oversight Committee (EPOC) co-chairman Keith Duncan went On The Corner in the rural St Andrew community of Maryland last Thursday.

According to Duncan, EPOC will be going On The Corner in various communities to educate residents about the Government’s agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as part of an effort to ensure that the entire country is united around achieving the goals.

“We really want to get people understanding that there is a plan,” said Duncan.

“We really need to have the dialogue so people can know what is going on in their country – that there is a plan, there is a vision, that there is hope.

“We will try and really bruck it down so people can get an understanding of what we want to achieve as a country. And I think it is important that we have these kinds of sessions with people so they can ask the questions. We want to make it simple and relate it to people’s day-to-day life so that we can make a connection,” added Duncan.

Grateful For Opportunity

Maryland resident Everton Knight, who is trying to build his small mason business, was grateful for the opportunity to ask questions of Duncan on what there are opportunities, in the current IMF programme which will allow him to achieve his goal.

“It has helped me to better understand,” said Knight.

“I like that they came in the community and we were able to ask questions. It is a long time we really haven’t had anything like this in the community, and this gave us hope that something can really happen for us.

“One of the key things that they said was the importance of stabilising the dollar and how to help the farmers and business people to start from small businesses to larger businesses,” added Knight.

Joel Ferguson was delighted that the EPOC, which is responsible for monitoring the targets agreed with the IMF and advising the country about the developments, took time out to visit his community.

But Ferguson wanted even more as he questioned how the IMF deal would benefit the Maryland community.

“I wanted it to be a little more basic in terms of how it benefits rural-area people,” said Ferguson.

“Most people here don’t know what economic growth means or what it means for a community. If the economy grows, jobs will come, and a lot of things will change. But this was good, and I hope they will come back.”

ryon.jones@gleanerjm.com

Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20170430/corner-fiscal-what-gdp-who-maryland-residents-get-simple-language