Beach clean-ups are one of the ways we can positively impact the environment.
Dear Editor,
Our natural environment is facing unprecedented threats. Phenomena such as climate change, deforestation, and pollution threaten the delicate balance of our planet’s ecosystems.
More than ever the importance of environmental sustainability cannot be overstated. It is our moral responsibility to protect and preserve our fragile ecosystems. While large-scale initiatives and policy changes are vital, it’s essential to recognise that everyday actions can collectively create significant change.
Here are a few ways we can each play our part in ending environmental neglect:
*Reduce, reuse, recycle: Reducing, reusing, and recycling can be one of the most effective ways we can save natural resources, protect the environment, and save money. One way to reduce is to reuse. Instead of using plastic bags, bring reusable bags when shopping or packing food. Recently, the Digicel Foundation, under its environmental campaign called Good Energy, Clean Environment, revamped its staff initiative to collect and recycle plastic bottles. You too can reduce plastic and waste by improving recycling habits at home, school, and work.
*Conserve energy: There are small habits in our daily lives that can help to conserve energy. These acts include turning off lights, appliances, and electronics when not in use.
Earlier this year, the Government began the phasing out of the importation, export, manufacture, distribution, and sale or purchase of incandescent light bulbs. Jamaicans will soon have to switch to light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs. The switch to more energy-efficient bulbs can significantly lower electricity consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
*Beach clean-ups: Digicel Foundation’s annual beach clean-ups on International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) Day, which will be celebrated on September 16 this year, are not just about removing debris from shorelines, they are symbolic acts of care for our oceans and a reminder of the urgent need to reduce our plastic consumption. These clean-ups educate volunteers to reduce single-use plastics, promote responsible waste disposal, and raise awareness about the devastating impacts of pollution on marine ecosystems. Persons can visit the Jamaica Environment Trust’s (JET) website to learn how they can participate in ICC Day.
*Educate yourself and others: I cannot stress enough the importance of staying informed about environmental issues, sharing your knowledge with friends and family, encouraging conversations about sustainability, and advocating for informed decisions.
Simple, everyday actions can create a more sustainable world. Ultimately, these actions will not only improve the environment but also inspire others to join in the effort, leading to a brighter and greener future for all.
Miguel “Steppa” Williams
Director of strategic planning and community development
Ali McNab (left), representing the Ministry of Gender, Culture, Entertainment, and Sport, and band camp instructor Jeffrey Brown (right) pose with Le-anna Smith and Ethan Clayton, two of the students who participated in this year’s edition of Food For the Poor Jamaica’s Band Camp programme at the organisation’s head office in St Catherine.
Food For the Poor Jamaica’s recent band camp project, which provides musical instruction for children age six through 16 on a variety of instruments was yet another success in engaging children for the summer holidays.
Attendees got the opportunity to be exposed to professional guidance and teaching on the various musical instruments and stylings on offer.
The children, and their parents, expression appreciation as talents were unearth and horizons expanded.
The intention is that programme will continue to be an annual event serving the community.
At the end of the programme a graduation exercise was held to recognise the achievements of attendees in tribute to the hard work they had put in towards developing competence.
See share scenes:
Drumming student Chozen Bailey (right) poses with his mother and brother after the recent graduation exercise for the band camp music training programme which concluded at Food For the Poor headquarters. Some 60 youngsters, aged six through 16 years, learned to perform on various instruments.
Finance minister, Dr Nigel Clarke (left); CEO of Bluefields Villas, Debbie Moncure (centre) and Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett cut the ribbon to officially mark the opening of four new suites at the villas. (Photos: Kimberley Peddie).
BLUEFIELDS, Westmoreland — Bluefields Bay Villas has raised the bar in luxury accommodations, adding four new suites to the property, a move the tourism minister says will take marketing to another dimension.
The all-inclusive collection of six villas nestled on Jamaica’s south coast has now grown to 27 suites. The new one-bedroom suites each have a private veranda and access to a shared infinity edge pool that overlooks the ocean.
The target is the higher end of the market.
“We have been pushing an up-market, high-dollar tourism in Jamaica and we’re continuing to do so. We are hoping that this first expansion is just one of the many phases in what we are hoping to do here in Bluefields,” said Managing Director Houston Moncure.
He was speaking with the JamaicaObserver at the official opening of the suites on Sunday. Guests included minister of finance, Dr Nigel Clarke; Minster of tourism, Edmund Bartlett; US ambassador to Jamaica, Nick Perry; Jamaica’s ambassador to the United States, Audrey Marks; and senior strategist in the Ministry of Tourism, Delano Seiveright.
Bluefields Bay Villas CEO Debbie Moncure and her husband Braxton said their son Houston was the conceptualiser of the suites.
“Houston came up with [the] concept and so he went to the architect — otherwise known as me — and we developed the suites,” she said with a chuckle.
Debbie, who was born in New York and holds a BA in Art History from Tufts University and a Masters of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania, moved to Washington, DC, immediately upon finishing her graduate studies. She met her husband Braxton in DC and they began coming to Jamaica together in the late 1970s. They were married in Bluefields in 1983. The couple celebrated their 40-year anniversary during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new suites.
Speaking at the ceremony, the tourism minister lauded the Moncures for their contribution to the industry.
“Tourists have come and they have really become a part of Bluefields. When you come to this area people talk about it and I get messages, I get calls — some are wonderful calls Houston, and some are about the development and the joy it brings,” Bartlett said.
“The addition of this innovation is going to mean a lot more to us than you. No other country has the hosting capacity that we have. For all the pain and suffering that tourism offers to this country, we are the only industry that has grown every quarter for the last 35 years,” he boasted.
Bartlett added that growth has spiralled over the years.
“In the last nine quarters the growth has been spectacular, absolutely phenomenal but that growth has happened now because of people like Houston who have come up with ideas and have brought innovations and have enabled more people to come to us. What you are doing is going to enable me to take marketing to another dimension,” the minister said.
Houston stressed that the Villa supports the local community.
“We believe our model of tourism is really good for Jamaica,” he said.
Minister of Finance Dr Nigel Clarke (left); Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett (second left), and senior strategist in the Ministry of Tourism, Delano Seiveright (third left) tour the newly opened suites at Bluefields Bay Villas. They are joined by villa operators, Braxton (third right), Debbie (second right) and Houston Moncure.Bluefields Bay Villas CEO Braxton Moncure walks to one of the newly added suites.A bathtub on the private veranda overlooking the ocean is one of the features of the new suites at Bluefields Bay Villas.
Shane Munroe (left), CEO, MBJ Airports Ltd, receives the prestigious World Travel Award (WTA) from Graham Cooke, founder of World Travel Awards. Sangster International was again named the Caribbean’s Leading Airport at the WTA event hosted at Sandals Grande St Lucian, St Lucia last Saturday.
Sangster International Airport (SIA), operated by MBJ Airports Limited (MBJ), has again been name the Caribbean’s Leading Airport at the World Travel Awards (WTA) hosted at Sandals Grande St Lucian, St Lucia, last Saturday.
SIA emerged as the winner from a pool of 13 Caribbean competitors nominated for the prestigious award. The accolade was first bestowed on SIA in 2005, again in 2009 and each year to date.
“We are honoured to be named the Caribbean’s Leading Airport for the 15th consecutive year. This award is a testament to the dedication and tireless efforts of our entire airport team, and spans all agencies and team members who work diligently to ensure consistently high standards and service excellence. We remain steadfast in our efforts to transform Sangster International Airport to ensure a passenger-centric, sustainable, efficient and safe airport operation,” said Shane Munroe, chief executive officer of MBJ Airports Limited.
While enjoying the win for Sangster International, MBJ is also celebrating its 20th anniversary operating the airport. Over those 20 years, MBJ has made considerable investment in the development and transformation of the airport to improve the overall infrastructure and passenger experience.
The WTA was attended by travel industry leaders from across the Caribbean and The Americas, in acknowledgement of organisations spearheading the growth of the region’s travel and tourism sector.
Graham Cooke, founder of the WTA, said: “World Travel Awards has maintained its position as the industry leader for the past 30 years, consistently proving its value as the global benchmark for recognising excellence in travel and tourism.”
The Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston.
The Norman Manley International Airport’s (NMIA) development is pivotal to the Government’s broader strategic plan to reposition Kingston as a regional business centre and Jamaica as a logistics hub.
Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport Daryl Vaz said crucial improvements to the facility by PACKAL, projected between the last and current fiscal years, are critical to protecting the NMIA’s reputation as one of Jamaica’s most valuable assets.
“The NMIA is, therefore, not just a place for departures and arrivals. It is a symbol of progress, a hub of opportunities, and has tremendous potential for growth,” he maintained.
The minister was addressing the PAC Kingston Airport Limited (PACKAL) NMIA Airport Forum on Friday, August 25, at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.
Vaz emphasised that the NMIA’s future rests in the facility’s untapped potential, and urged that more development be done to enhance the airport’s capabilities.
“The Government’s vision for the airport’s development is rooted in the need of the present and promise of the future. We look forward for the upgrades to be undertaken in a timely manner by PACKAL to serve the immediate needs of the travellers, stakeholders, and long term [survival] of the industry,” he outlined.
Vaz said close collaboration among regulatory bodies, airlines, airport operators, and technology providers is necessary to maintain a higher standard of safety, security, and superior customer service.
The NMIA is the second-largest airport in Jamaica. It provides an essential service as Kingston’s gateway to the world.
On October 10, 2018, the Airports Authority of Jamaica and PAC Kingston Airport Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico, entered into a 25-year concession greement for the operation of the Norman Manley International Airport.
On October 10, 2019, PACKAL officially began operating and maintaining the facility.
Statistics from the NMIA Ltd website indicate that the airport caters to over 1.7 million passengers and handles over 70 per cent (17 million kilogrammes) of the island’s airfreight.
Fernando Vistrain Lorence, CEO of PAC Kingston Airport Limited, speaks at PAC Kingston’s airport forum on the NMIA on Friday, August 25, 2023, at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.
The capital expansion programme for Norman Manley International Airport, NMIA, led by the upgrade of the runway and terminal store space, will resume following an agreement reached between operator PAC Kingston Airport Limited and the Jamaican government.
“The main thing that will change is the timeline, but the costs are going to increase. Many of the projects will be executed soon, meaning the runway extension will start next year in the first quarter. And other [projects] are going to be executed before that,” said Fernando Vistrain Lorence, CEO of PACKAL.
Lorence said that the capital programmes will be fast-tracked, including the runway repavement and extension; expansion of the commercial stores in the terminal lounge; expansion of its solar power plant from 2.0 megawatts to 5.0 MW, which aims to reduce its reliance on the national electricity grid by 75 per cent; and wastewater treatment rehabilitation. Additionally, the airport will add concession agreements with third-party store operators, with plans to open a service station by the airport roundabout, and an airport taxi service this year.
The original capital programme totalled US$213 million for NMIA, based on terms set in the concession agreement some five years earlier.
The airport welcomed 1.0 million total passengers between January and July, or 25 per cent higher than the 807,000 total passengers a year earlier. The airline JetBlue holds the largest market share at 34 per cent, followed by American Airlines with 18 per cent. From a cargo perspective, the top providers are Caribbean Airlines with 35 per cent, British Airways with 26 per cent, and Amerijet, also with 26 per cent.
At a forum on Friday, the airport was described as an old operating plant, but one which could be modernised. PACKAL started managing the airport under a 30-year agreement in October 2018.
Minister of Transport Daryl Vaz said feedback was expected from Cabinet on the capital agreement with PACKAL.
“There has been a sign-off, with tweaking from the original agreement, and I am hoping to get comments back from Cabinet within the next week,” he said on Friday. “Once that is done and signed, that will pave the way for PACKAL to do and live by that agreement. It will include timelines and when things need to be done. And that template will be non-negotiable. You have lost enough time due to COVID-19, and lost enough time with the issues of the plant.”
Vaz added that more needs to be done to address regulatory and consumer issues at the airport.
President of the Airports Authority of Jamaica Audley Deidrick said the new agreement was not a renegotiation of the concession but rather, an adjustment due to reductions in travel arising from the COVID-19. The reduction in travel would impact on PACKAL’s revenue, and, therefore, its return on investment and ability to fund its capital expenditure.
“It was a focused matter of the impairment which the airport suffered as a result of COVID-19 pandemic, and sought to rebalance their affairs … . That is the only focus of this process,” said Deidrick. “It was not a process of renegotiation; that was never accommodated by the Government of Jamaica.”
PAC Kingston is a subsidiary of Mexico-based Pacific Airport Group. The company also holds the concession for the Jamaica’s largest airport, Sangster International, in Montego Bay through MBJ Airport Limited.
Following on the tremendous success of its 2022 staging, MBJ Airports Limited (MBJ)/Team Sangster is inviting the community and corporate Jamaica to join them for their 2023 Run/Walk on Sunday, September 10, 2023, at 6:00 a.m. (Warm up at 5:30 a.m.)
The event will once again underline the commitment of MBJ, operators of Sangster International Airport, to supporting the education of our most vulnerable students.
Last year, the team raised over J$4.5 million, thanks to the generous contributions of sponsors, donors, and over 1,400 participants. All proceeds from the event went directly towards enabling students at the Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary levels to access much-needed academic grants. The recipients included airport employees, their children and dependents, individuals from the surrounding communities, as well as four (4) community-based organizations targeting the growth and development of persons with special needs. Over 50 students benefited directly from the proceeds of the event in 2022 and the goal this year is to impact the lives of more students.
Prizes to be won by participating in the event include airline tickets from JetBlue, Spirit and Virgin Airlines, as well as weekend stays at Couples, Hyatt, Hilton, Zoetry, and S Hotel and day passes at Royalton. Additional prizes include Chukka Adventure Tour excursions; tablets from Digicel; gift baskets from Tortuga, Reggae Mart, and CPJ; and gifts from the Airports Authority of Jamaica and MBJ Airports Limited. Participants will be refreshed after the race with breakfast, courtesy of Express Catering Limited, Goddard Catering Group, VIP Attractions Limited, and CPJ Beverage Station and will also be able to enjoy an after race massage.
The fee is J$2,000 for adults and J$1,500 for children. Participants will have the option to register for a 5/10K Run or 5K Walk, which will run from the Commercial Pick-up Area at the Sangster International Airport to Flanker/Whitehouse. Registration closes on Wednesday, September 6. For further information, go to http://www.runningeventsja.com/
MBJ/Team Sangster wishes to thank all its generous sponsors and donors and looks forward to an even bigger Run/Walk on September 10.
Parking will be available at the Cargo Terminal on the airport but participants are encouraged to carpool and a shuttle will be provided to transport participants to the event area. Come out and participate for your health, and fun and to contribute to a worthy cause.
The 2023/2024 academic year starts on September 4. Joseph wellington
Technologyhas been a godsend for parents and children. Toddlers can be seen reading, singing along, and doing simple arithmetic via games before they even begin preschool.
As we hear parents complaining about the expensive booklists to get their children ready for “September morning”, we believe that more textbooks should be available online, although we understand that some workbooks may still have to be bought.
We welcome the news from Minister of Education and Youth Fayval Williams that her ministry will be holding sensitisation sessions to promote greater use of e-books. She posted on social media, “The biggest advantage of e-textbooks is the ability to include videos, animations, and simulations to help students understand complex concepts and make learning more fun.”
This sent me back to a lecture in 2017 by Edie Weiner, founder and CEO of Future Hunters. I share here revised excerpts from my column in April 2017 on her look at education.
Weiner turned to the hot topic of education, reminding us that the brain grows fastest before the age of three and that it is ridiculous that after being exposed to iPads and smartphones children are then taken to schools that are still using the same system that was designed for their grandparents. This was actually quoted at the finale of the Education Enrichment Programme, which, with the support of the then Ministry of Education, Youth and Information; USAID; and the Digicel Foundation, covered 104 schools, improving the literacy and numeracy of 43,000 primary school students.
The enrichment centres in 43 schools, which are heavy on information technology and bright visuals, particularly attractive to boys, have turned unenthusiastic students into high achievers. This was reinforced by Weiner as she demonstrated the difference between the way that male and female brains develop and what stimulates this development.
Weiner predicted a dramatic transformation in the delivery of education. According to her, information technology will make education available to millions in experiential forms. Therefore, she says, “critical thinking is the most important thing we can teach our young people”.
She says that all of this recent technology is creating disruption. “In future,” she says, “no one will be paying for ‘smart’, only ‘intelligent’. This is the kind of intelligence that will enable you to figure out things that you have never seen before.”
She suggested that university students should not major in any one thing but take multi-disciplinary courses and challenge themselves to see the connection. The Antiguan student who sat all 26 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) subjects seems to have been on the right track.
While we need to limit the time our children spend on gaming, we should note that there is a brand new category of sports called e-sports. Wiener said that video games are evolving into competitive events, one of which was held in California, attracting 35 million online viewers. She said that universities will shortly be recruiting students who excel at e-sports for their teams.
IGT’s After School Advantage Programme, Digicel Foundation, and NCB Foundation this summer sponsored coding and robotics camps, gearing our children to make the best use of technology, learning how to create websites and apps that can create a better planet.
Let us allow our children to transition to the new school term, making use of technology to give them the best chance at navigating this Fourth Industrial Revolution described thus by the World Economic Forum (WEF): “The Fourth Industrial Revolution represents a fundamental change in the way we live, work, and relate to one another. It is a new chapter in human development, enabled by extraordinary technology advances commensurate with those of the first, second, and third industrial revolutions. These advances are merging the physical, digital, and biological worlds in ways that create both huge promise and potential peril.”
“The speed, breadth, and depth of this revolution is forcing us to rethink how countries develop, how organisations create value, and even what it means to be human. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is about more than just technology-driven change; it is an opportunity to help everyone, including leaders, policymakers, and people from all income groups and nations, to harness converging technologies in order to create an inclusive, human-centred future. The real opportunity is to look beyond technology and find ways to give the greatest number of people the ability to positively impact their families, organisations, and communities.”
The gift of technology is that regardless of the size of one’s country, the tools are there to help us stand shoulder-to-shoulder with leading professionals anywhere in the world. Let us seize the day.
Running for worthy causes
MBJ/TEAMSANGSTER 2022 5K winners Brandon Kerr (left) and Danielle Terrier
MBJ Airports Limited/Team Sangster raised $4.5 million last year from their run-walk, which went in entirety to academic grants for primary, secondary, and tertiary students. They are back again on Sunday, September 10, with generous sponsors stepping up to give great prizes: airline tickets from JetBlue, Spirit, and Virgin airlines; as well as weekend stays at Couples Resorts, Hyatt, Hilton, Zoetry, and S Hotel; and day passes at Royalton Luxury Resorts. Additional prizes include Chukka Adventure Tour excursions; tablets from Digicel; gift baskets from Tortuga, Reggae Mart, and CPJ; and gifts from the Airports Authority of Jamaica and MBJ Airports Limited. Participants will be refreshed after the race with breakfast, courtesy of Express Catering Limited, Goddard Catering Group, VIP Attractions Limited, and CPJ beverage station and will also be able to enjoy an after-race massage.
Deadline for registration is this Wednesday, September 6. The fee is $2,000 for adults and $1,500 for children. Participants will have the option to register for a 5/10K run or 5K walk, which will run from the commercial pickup area at the Sangster International Airport to Flanker/Whitehouse.
Meanwhile, Bert’s Auto Parts has partnered with Food For the Poor Jamaica in its 4oth anniversary Build Back the Love house-building programme. The Build with Bert’s 5K will be held on Sunday, October 1 at Emancipation Park, with the target of US$49,000, the cost of building 10 houses.
Marketing Manager Waynette Strachan noted that the company has been giving back over the years in appreciation of the support from their fellow Jamaicans. I can attest to that as Bert’s is a kind discount partner of CCRP.
Andrea Williams-McKenzie honoured with CBE
King Charles converses with Andrea Williams-McKenzie, CBE after her investiture.
Our family was delighted to learn that Andrea Williams-McKenzie was invested with the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by King Charles III earlier this year at Windsor Castle.
A human resource development specialist, Williams-McKenzie has led significant projects for the Government. One of the most challenging was leading the workforce planning, resourcing, and training to support all UK borders for the 2012 Olympics, an unqualified success.
Williams-McKenzie volunteers widely. She was a school foundation governor for her church parish, chair of governors for the parish Roman Catholic primary school, and a Eucharistic minister. She has been volunteering at the winter homeless shelter and in other community activities.
Williams-McKenzie has joined the ranks of famous individuals who have been invested with the CBE, such as Stephen Hawking, Harold Pinter, Hugh Laurie, Jonny Wilkinson, and Helena Bonham Carter.
The management team of MBJ Airports Limited, operators of Sangster International Airport (SIA), have addressed the recent temporary closure of the runway due to construction-related activities. The decision had been made within the framework of their Safety Management Systems, designed to prioritize the safety of all operations.
Montego Bay Airports Limited (MBJ)
As is the norm in the aviation industry, steps have already been taken to conduct a thorough review of the circumstances. MBJ Limited has given the assurance that the safety of all passengers, airlines, and stakeholders involved in airport operations, remains their utmost priority. They have expressed their appreciation for the understanding and patience of all stakeholders. MBJ’s safety systems and procedures have maintained a flawless record of runway safety.
MBJ Limited has expressed appreciation to the Ministry of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, for their vigilance, commitment and concern for the aviation industry’s welfare. They thanked their airline partners, some of whom resumed operations on the same afternoon when the issue was resolved, demonstrating their commitment to the success of operations at MBJ and to Jamaica. They acknowledged the exceptional coordination efforts of key stakeholders in the tourism industry, particularly the Jamaica Tourist Board and members of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), whose collaboration played a pivotal role in minimizing disruptions.
MBJ announced that the runway extension project has reached a major milestone as the extended runway is now open and operational. With the introduction of a Runway End Safety Area (RESA) at both ends of the runway, this further enhances the safety of aircraft operations at SIA.
For the past two decades, MBJ Airports Limited has consistently invested in SIA’s development. During the pandemic, their commitment to airport improvement and expansion continued with the expansion of the Departures Area. Currently, they are implementing transformative projects as part of their significant investment programme. These projects encompass a comprehensive upgrade and expansion of the check-in area, outbound security, immigration hall, and landside roads. The redevelopment aims to enhance throughput, increase parking capacity, and further elevate the passenger experience.
“Sangster International Airport stands as the gateway to Jamaica and a cornerstone of the nation’s infrastructure. The airport continues to be a recognized leader in the Caribbean,” stated Shane Munroe, CEO of MBJ Airports Limited. “We remain dedicated to maintaining this reputation by continually investing in facilities and advancing the quality of the passenger experience. By working collectively, we are confident that we will overcome challenges and create an even more robust, secure, and welcoming aviation ecosystem for all.”
Jamaica’s Danielle Williams takes ussies with fans as she celebrates after winning the women’s 100m hurdles final. Contributed photo: ANDREJ ISAKOVIC.
It was an amazing week for our Jamaican athletes and their fans as we ran, jumped, and hammer threw vicariously with them at the Budapest 2023 World Athletics Championships.
At the time of writing, Jamaica is second to the US in the points standings, with Kenya in third place. In medal standings we are fourth behind the US, Canada, and Spain. What a performance by our team, with gold medals from Danielle Williams in the women’s 100m hurdles, young Antonio Watson in the 400m event, and Shericka Jackson in a World Championships record of 21.41 seconds in the women’s 200m. We copped silvers from Hansle Parchment in the 110m hurdles, Wayne Pinnock in the long jump, Shericka Jackson in the 100m and the women’s 4×100 relay.
Antonio Watson Contributed photo: Naphtali Junior.
It was in the women’s 4×100 relay that Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce once again showed her grit. We noticed that she was not moving with her usual rhythm towards the end of her second leg to hand over the baton to Sashalee Forbes and at the end of the brilliant silver-medal run was not seen. We learnt later that she pulled a muscle in her right knee and had gone to get medical attention. What a champion she is! Track and field analyst Bruce James noted that the reflex action in such emergencies is to drop the baton and hold the injured limb but that mothers respond differently. “Mothers are amazing,” he enthused. “Shelly is amazing.”
We congratulate Shelly-Ann on her bronze in the 100m and the other bronze winners Rushell Clayton in the 400m hurdles, Tajay Gayle in the long jump and the men’s 4×100 relay. All team members deserve kudos because points are awarded up to eighth place, depending on the event, and it must have been their never-say-die attitude in the face of some of the biggest stars that took us to number two in the points tally.
Shericka Jackson Contributed photo – Naphtali Junior
Can Jamaica shine too?
Leahcim Semaj, basking in the glory of our athletes, posted questions that this column has been asking since 2008: “What if … Jamaica, as a nation, replicate the model that we have successfully used to become world-class in athletics in other areas of national life? Do we have the will? Is there the leadership?” I believe the key question is: Do we have the will? We have quality people in our Houses of Parliament and in our Cabinet, but it continues to be a puzzle as to why some are so slow to step up and deliver. We hear complaints about low productivity in areas of public service but in this day of high tech there must be ways to measure this.
On a positive note, our team members who attended a forum held by the Norman Manley International Airport last Friday, said that Opposition spokesman on transportation Mikael Phillips hailed Minister Daryl Vaz for speedily addressing the issues which now fall to his portfolio.
That same day Vaz saw to the off-loading of 50 new buses for the Jamaica Urban Transit Company. Jamaicans with disabilities will be happy to hear that these vehicles have been modified to accommodate those with mobility issues. We have ministers who can hold their own anywhere in the world and we can only hope they are not being held back by the internal political tensions that occur in both parties.
This is what we value in the world of athletics: When you are out there on the track or in the field, no one can try to hide your achievements. When you submit yourself to testing no one can accuse you of unethical behaviour. Although she was not selected for the 4×100, Elaine Thompson-Herah posted on social media: “Well done, ladies (heart emojis). One side Jamaica (flag emoji).”
A coalition for good
People have scoffed at Economic Programme Oversight Committee Chairman Keith Duncan’s call for a coalition of political parties to tackle the hard challenges that the country must overcome. This is because we are so steeped in this hostile political environment that we refuse to look towards the “One Jamaica” of which Thompson-Herah speaks.
As we tackle this crime monster, which has now resulted in the second firebombing, we refuse to accept that our political representatives could be so callous as to refuse to come together and agree on crime-fighting solutions.
Naomi “Miss Sweeney” Gocul, a senior citizen beloved by her neighbours, lost her life because of the cruel injuries she received from the Gregory Park firebombing. Jamaica’s senior citizens are the bedrock of their communities and the most faithful voters, there should be no question about finding the ways and means to protect these goodly Jamaicans.
Our netball star Latanya Wilson and her family were burnt out in the Central Kingston firebombing. How can this be her reward for flying our flag so high? Many of our athletes come from very humble communities, it is cynical to have time for them only when they bring us glory but have little care for the conditions under which they live.
May the achievements of our hard-working athletes inspire us to turn a new page for Jamaica. Where there is a will, there is a way.
Norman and Cecile Jarrett enjoy themselves at a CCRP party.
Happy 100th, Norman Jarrett!
CCRP, the advocacy organisation for seniors, has been joining forces with the National Council for Senior Citizens to celebrate the 100th birthdays of Jamaicans.
Yesterday we made a special presentation to CCRP 2017 Living Legacy Honoree Norman Jarrett, who was born on July 27, 1923.
He is a passionate activist for the improvement of literacy among Jamaica’s young students and established the Norman and Cecile Jarrett Literacy Improvement Programme with his wife, fellow educator Cecile, in 2011. Through this programme, the Jarretts work with primary school students in the downtown Kingston area to improve their literacy. The project has been embraced by the Kiwanis Club of Downtown Kingston, of which he is the chairman of the Human and Spiritual Values Committee.
Jarrett’s career as a teacher began in 1941 at Annotto Bay Elementary School as a pretrained teacher. After graduating from Mico Teachers’ College [now The Mico University College] he served as an all-age school principal for 20 years and at another school for nine years.
He was music coordinator and teacher at Papine High School for three years and spent the following 18 years as the training coordinator at the Jamaica Industrial Corporation and as an inspector and travelling officer with the Factories Corporation of Jamaica.
As a perennial volunteer, Jarrett has taught music at the Church of the Transfiguration Basic School for 30 years and he served as the full-time organist at Stella Maris Roman Catholic Church for 22 years. The spry Jarrett still finds time to play the organ on a part-time basis in several churches around Jamaica, The Bahamas, and Canada. Among his many awards, he has received the Badge of Honour for Long and Faithful Service in the fields of music and education.
Happy 100th Birthday to a great Jamaican, Norman Jarrett, and congratulations to his supportive wife Cecile and other members of their caring family.
Jean Lowrie-Chin is the executive chair of PROComm and CCRP.
Jamaica Highlights 