Winner Holmes says his timing was ‘way off’

Wray and Nephew Contender semi-finalist Richard ‘Frog’ Holmes has admitted that he was not at his best on Wednesday night following a unanimous decision quarter-final win over Canada’s “, Frank Cotroni at the Chinese Benevolent Association auditorium on Old Hope Road in Kingston.

“I really do not know what happened. My timing was just off, way off, and I could not correct it. If I was finding the mark as I usually do, I would have knocked him out,” Holmes said after the fight.

His trainer, Carl Grant, agreed and said “although Frog won, I was not pleased. A win is a win, however, and I am happy that we are now into the money round of the competition.

There is a lot of hard work to be done, however, and after a few days of rest, it will be back to the gym to correct the mistakes that I saw tonight.”

Holmes, who no doubt learnt from what he had seen transpire in some of the other fights in the competition, started very quickly. He told The Gleaner afterwards that he knew that he could not fall behind, so he set out to win the first round. He got himself into his rhythm behind his jabs, which he threw in twos and threes, and followed these up with short, jolting hooks and uppercuts.

Hard Blows

Cotroni has a tendency to keep his head low, and Holmes took advantage of this with regular use of the uppercut. This set the pattern from the first round and Cotroni took some hard blows in this round. A sizzling right hook to the head from Holmes near the end of the round rocked him, but he dug deep and managed to stay on his feet.

This round was a prelude to what was to follow, and it was attack and counter-attack for the remainder of the fight. Except for the fifth round, which was Cotroni’s best, Holmes was the better man on the night. Judges Jeffrey Hayes and Eion Jardine scored the fight 49-46 and Ransford Burton 48-47 for Holmes.

Cotroni’s trainer, Jessie Thompson, was also not happy with his fighter’s performance.

“Frank was a bit too cautious. This was a fight that he could have won if he let himself loose and attacked some more. He was in the fight all the way and with a break here or there, he could have taken it,” Thompson said.

Three semi-final spots are now settled. Holmes has joined fellow Jamaican Sakima Mullings and Canada’s Phil Rose in the last four. Next Wednesday, Jamaica’s Tsetsi Davis and Canada’s Ryan Young will battle for the final spot. The winner of the competition will take home $2 million; the runner- up, $500,000; third place, $250,000 and fourth place, $200,000.

Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/sports/20170616/winner-holmes-says-his-timing-was-way

‘Mission Inclusion’ – Digicel Foundation, UNICEF Keen On Benefits For Disabled Children

Integrating persons with disabilities (PWDs), children in particular, into existing systems and having them benefit from present government mechanisms, is the immediate objective of a two-year Ja$58 million synergy among DIGICEL Foundation, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD).

The private/public partnership aims to bolster efforts towards the implementation of the Disability Act, 2014 and the development of suitable policies that strengthen the inclusion of PWDs.

“The focus isn’t six months time, to a year. there are current policies that just need to be inclusive so that our children may benefit from already available well needed resources, e.g. the PATH (Programme for Advancement Through Health and Education) and NHT (National Housing Trust),” declared Dane Richardson, chief executive officer of Digicel Foundation, at the UNICEF Jamaica offices in New Kingston on Tuesday.

With STATIN figures showing approximately 580,000 disabled persons in the country and only 30,000 on the JCPD registry, of which 5,000 are children, Richardson underscored the significance of upping registration figures and the financial aid for the medical assessment.

Registration Target

He added they had set a target of registering 1,000 children. Although they believed that figure to be realistic they intend to exceed it. “We’re eyeing the children who are most in need and there is going to be a great rural focus, where this is concerned.

By extension, adults will indirectly benefit from this initiative as we need to be able to identify these persons so we can better inform policies and our budget. [This] will better enable us to plug this huge gap,” Richardson said.

‘Children are vulnerable in our society’

Chief Technical Director of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Dionne Jennings, stated that the move to update the persons with disabilities (PWDs) registry and improve their welfare was in line with what the ministry hoped to achieve.

She said: “This goes very well for our society because we intend to build a world where they (PWDs) can fit in comfortably and there’s greater inclusion and also equitable opportunities for them.

Speaking to sensitisation of the general public and potential employers, Executive Director of JCPD, Christine Hendricks said that if PWDs continued to be excluded, then vision 2030 would not succeed.

“A lot of persons think the worst case scenario with PWDs, such as persons confined to a wheelchair. They don’t think of persons with milder disabilities who can fit into their environment with little or no adjustment. Understanding of disabilities is vital to achieving inclusion.”

The project will also include a media campaign on the right of PWDs as well as research on barriers to access quality education and skills training for youth with disabilities.

Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20170616/mission-inclusion-digicel-foundation-unicef-keen-benefits-disabled-children

Malcolm Green gets new home, new life

AFTER years of praying for God to send good Samaritans to construct a new house for him, Malcolm Green, a destitute 76-year-old resident of Clifton Land Settlement in St Catherine, is rejoicing.

Green believes members of Food For The Poor Jamaica and the Portmore Lions Club were the good Samaritans sent by God to construct a house for him in under 12 hours on June 2.

“Mi really glad! I am thankful to Food For The Poor because I would not be able to afford this house on my own and neither would my family because we are poor,” the elderly man who lived alone in a zinc structure said, before adding, “Thanks, thanks, thanks is all I can seh.”

For decades, Green served at a sugar company in St Catherine cutting cane, weeding grass, and carrying bananas, among other responsibilities. He was 17 years old when he started. He said that the company constructed a two-bedroom house for him and other employees. However, after years of retirement, the structure of the house began to deteriorate.

“The house started to collapse. The walls drop out cause the materials used to mix the concrete was poor. I lived there a couple of years well. I was so afraid of the building and had many scary experiences. I remember one day, I was lying down on my bed inside the house and a portion of the wall drop out at my head. I was so afraid. I didn’t know what would have happened if it had accidentally touched my head,” Green recounted.

Immediately after this incident he sought refuge with his neighbouring niece, but later moved out because of challenges with space, and built a 12-foot by eight foot zinc sheeting structure for himself, near his collapsed house. There was no kitchen attached, so he prepared meals on the outside. Also, there was no bathroom facility.

The rainy periods were quite challenging for Green, who said: “Rain would often blow in or come in on me because the zinc had holes all over. When the rain falling, I have to squeeze up inside cause the rain come inside and wet mi. I get some likkle pieces of zinc and ting to try to cover the holes. I really needed a proper place. Mi pray a lot and ask God for a house and ask him to mek the people dem come and help mi.”

After visiting him and learning of his situation, members of the Lions Club brought his case to Food For The Poor for its urgent attention.

Errol Lee, Lions Club governor for Sub-District 60B, shared: “As we always say, ‘Where there is a need, there is a Lion’. When the Portmore Club identified this situation, it was noted that the need was not so much to give Mr Green food, but to give him proper shelter because he really was living in deplorable conditions. Food For The Poor responded to address that need, so we know that this partnership is a God-sent one and one that is in continuation of the work that Food For The Poor does in Jamaica and throughout the other countries where it operates. The Lions Clubs International is so happy to be in partnership with Food For The Poor in this venture, which will help the beneficiary for the rest of his life and uplift the community in general.”

David Mair, executive director of Food For The Poor Jamaica, said his team was elated to have been able to uplift Green’s spirit by building a new house for him.

“We at Food For The Poor are delighted when we are able to assist destitute individuals, whether it be through the construction of a new house, food, clothing, farming items, tools and other necessities for survival and generating income for those in need. We are pleased that based on funds from our donors, we were able to construct a house for Mr Green and our hope is that this unit will offer him more comfort and he will be more encouraged,” Mair said.

Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20170616/malcolm-green-gets-new-home-new-life

DSC_0280.JPG Malcolm Green, 76, stands in front of the zinc structure he once called home.

Prayers answered – 76-y-o man gets new home

AFTER years of praying for God to send good Samaritans to construct a new house for him, Malcolm Green, a destitute 76-year-old resident of Clifton Land Settlement in St Catherine, is rejoicing.

Green believes members of Food For The Poor Jamaica and the Portmore Lions Club were the good Samaritans sent by God to construct a house for him in under 12 hours on June 2.

“Mi really glad! I am thankful to Food For The Poor because I would not be able to afford this house on my own and neither would my family because we are poor,” the elderly man who lived alone in a zinc structure said, before adding, “Thanks, thanks, thanks is all I can seh.”

For decades, Green served at a sugar company in St Catherine cutting cane, weeding grass, and carrying bananas, among other responsibilities. He was 17 years old when he started. He said that the company constructed a two-bedroom house for him and other employees. However, after years of retirement, the structure of the house began to deteriorate.

“The house started to collapse. The walls drop out cause the materials used to mix the concrete was poor. I lived there a couple of years well. I was so afraid of the building and had many scary experiences. I remember one day, I was lying down on my bed inside the house and a portion of the wall drop out at my head. I was so afraid. I didn’t know what would have happened if it had accidentally touched my head,” Green recounted.

Immediately after this incident he sought refuge with his neighbouring niece, but later moved out because of challenges with space, and built a 12-foot by eight foot zinc sheeting structure for himself, near his collapsed house. There was no kitchen attached, so he prepared meals on the outside. Also, there was no bathroom facility.

The rainy periods were quite challenging for Green, who said: “Rain would often blow in or come in on me because the zinc had holes all over. When the rain falling, I have to squeeze up inside cause the rain come inside and wet mi. I get some likkle pieces of zinc and ting to try to cover the holes. I really needed a proper place. Mi pray a lot and ask God for a house and ask him to mek the people dem come and help mi.”

After visiting him and learning of his situation, members of the Lions Club brought his case to Food For The Poor for its urgent attention.

Errol Lee, Lions Club governor for Sub-District 60B, shared: “As we always say, ‘Where there is a need, there is a Lion’. When the Portmore Club identified this situation, it was noted that the need was not so much to give Mr Green food, but to give him proper shelter because he really was living in deplorable conditions. Food For The Poor responded to address that need, so we know that this partnership is a God-sent one and one that is in continuation of the work that Food For The Poor does in Jamaica and throughout the other countries where it operates. The Lions Clubs International is so happy to be in partnership with Food For The Poor in this venture, which will help the beneficiary for the rest of his life and uplift the community in general.”

David Mair, executive director of Food For The Poor Jamaica, said his team was elated to have been able to uplift Green’s spirit by building a new house for him.

“We at Food For The Poor are delighted when we are able to assist destitute individuals, whether it be through the construction of a new house, food, clothing, farming items, tools and other necessities for survival and generating income for those in need. We are pleased that based on funds from our donors, we were able to construct a house for Mr Green and our hope is that this unit will offer him more comfort and he will be more encouraged,” Mair said.

Source: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/prayers-answered_101920?profile=1373

DSC_0255.JPG

Malcolm Green sits inside the small zinc structure, which he once called home.

‘Frog’ Holmes leaps over Canada’s Cotroni

Richard “Frog” Holmes took a step closer to realising a lifelong dream of winning the Wray and Nephew White Overproof Rum Contender Series when he scored a unanimous decision win against Frank Cotroni to reach the semi-final in the Junior Middleweight contest at the Chinese Benevolent auditorium on Wednesday night.

Holmes, the Team Jamaica number two seed, who moved up to the weight class for this “Best of the Best” Series, though not at his fluent best, was more industrious than the Canadian number four seed and that worked in his favour.

Enough that all judges scored the bout in his favour as Ransford Burton scored it 48-47 and Canadian judge Jeremy Haynes and Guyanese judge Eian Jardine both scored it 49-46. Holmes weighed in at 154lb, while Cotroni weighed in at 153 ½lb.

Holmes ring record now stands at 14 wins from 21 fights with seven knockouts against six losses.

The announcement by Ring Announcer Oliver Hardie was met with thunderous applause from the large crowd in attendance.

It was the fourth-consecutive year that Holmes has reached the semi-final round of the Wray & Nephew Contender Series and the Bruising Gym standout has his eyes set on becoming the next Contender winner.

Holmes’ rich history in the Contender Series began as a welterweight when, in his first year, he reached the quarter-finals where he lost to Donovan “Police” Campbell. Then, in 2014, he reached his first semi-final and lost to Sakima Mullings, who went of to become Contender Champion.

Holmes then went on to reach the finals in 2015 and 2016 where he also lost to Kemahl Russell and DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley, respectively.

In his post-fight interview, Holmes said this could be his watershed year. Out of every disappointment comes hope and a chance for a fulfilled ambition. “I can do much better than you saw. I shall just write tonight’s showing down to having a night off.”

“Despite this, I thought I did just enough to win the fight and this is what is important. An ugly win is always much better than a beautiful loss, Holmes added.

Holmes, following his attempt to probably knock out Cotroni, showed definite signs of wilting in the fifth and final round.

It was a showing that went against the grain of expectation of coach Carl Grant.

“We are preparing for a longer fight, so the plan was to use this opportunity to move, move and more moving rather than fighting. I had expected to see more boxing than fighting. I thought the boxer got carried away by the egging on of the crowd and lost the game plan,” Grant said.

Cotroni said: “It was a good fight. I was not too disappointed with the result per se. But I thought that I won the first, third and fifth rounds.”

Team Canada number three seed John Ryan Wagner will clash with Team Jamaica number three seed Tsetsi “Lights Out” Davis next Wednesday for the fourth and final semi-final spot in the Jamaica vs Canada “Best of the Best” Wray & Nephew White Overproof Contender Series.

Source: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport/-8216-frog-8217-holmes-leaps-over-canada-8217-s-cotroni_102055?profile=1511

Action during Wray & Nephew Contender.jpg

Action during Wray & Nephew Contender: Richard ‘Frog’ Holmes (left) and Frank Cotroni in action during the quarterfinal fight in the Wray & Nephew Contender which was held at the Chinese Benevolent Association in St. Andrew on Wednesday, June 14. Holmes emerged the winner.

 

Prime Minister to be guest speaker at Stella Maris Fundraising Banquet

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Kingston, Jamaica – May 8, 2017

The Stella Maris Church is very honoured that the Most Hon. Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, has agreed to be the Guest Speaker at their biennial Fundraising Dinner to be held on June 30. All proceeds from the event will go to the various ministries operated by the Church, including the Stella Maris Foundation in Grants Pen.

“The Stella Maris Foundation has been a key partner in social and community development,” noted PM Holness. “Its community outreach programmes, particularly in the Grants Pen area, have served to build the social and economic capacity of residents. The Foundation, in partnership with HEART Trust/NTA has trained more than 1000 youth in the area most of whom are now employed. Stella Maris must also be commended for its feeding programmes for street people, the indigent and the elderly. With such a wonderful track record of service, I am honoured to give my support and speak at the Church’s Fundraising Dinner.”

Chairman of the Stella Maris Church Council Edward Shoucair says he is looking forward to the usual enthusiastic response, particularly because they have such a distinguished Guest Speaker. “PM Holness’ participation is true affirmation of the service we give to the community.

 

The Pastor, Fr. Howard and the Stella Maris Family are truly grateful for the blessings from God and the support we receive.”

The event will be held at the Spanish Court Hotel, starting at 7:00pm with cocktails, followed by dinner and entertainment.

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

Contact:  Angela Foote at 665-5025.

Holmes, Cotroni hunt Contender semi berth

Jamaica’s Richard Holmes, a finalist in the Wray and Nephew Contender series last year, is trying to get back there, and tonight, he clashes with Francesco Cotroni from Canada in the third quarter-final of the 2017 series, at the Chinese Benevolent Association auditorium. The card starts at 8.30 with two amateur bouts, and the main event which will be broadcast on Television Jamaica, is scheduled for a 9.30 start.

Two boxers have already booked their semi-final places. They are Sakima Mullings from Jamaica and Canada’s Phil Rose. This year, the contest, which is in the junior-middleweight division, started with eight boxers from Jamaica and eight from Canada and the numbers have been decreased each week, until only six now remain.

The boxers are vying for the 2017 Contender junior-middleweight title, and prize money of $2-million to the winner, $500,000 to the runner-up, $250,000 for third place and $200,000 for fourth.

Holmes and Cotroni safely navigated the preliminary round without any difficulty, against opponents that did not bring much to the table. Holmes went up against Mike Breton who had a 1-3 win/loss record, and ended that fight at the 29 seconds mark, of the third round. Cotroni went up against Gregory Miller, who had a record of one loss and no wins.

Ring Work

Holmes used his encounter with Breton to give himself some ring work, before the referee stopped the fight in the third round. Cotroni had a more difficult passage, even though he too won inside the distance. Miller won rounds one and two, with aggressive boxing, but he ran out of steam in the third and was defenceless. The referee therefore stepped in and called a halt, giving Cotroni a technical knockout victory. Both men seem to be evenly matched. Holmes has a 14-6 record, while Cotroni has 12 wins, eight losses and a draw.

Holmes declared yesterday that he “is much fitter and sharper” and expects to win, and Cotroni expressed similar sentiments.

“I am ready. I have been working hard since the last fight and I am in very good condition” he stated. “My aim is to win the top prize of $2-million” he added.

Holmes wants this to be his breakthrough year, having been to the finals twice before and lost.

“I have done the work, and having seen Cotroni fight, I am sure that I can beat him. I am planning to take the fight to him, and see what happens from there. I want to be the Contender champion this year, and to do so I have to beat him. This is someone in my way to a good payday, and I have to take care of business,” he said.

Another hard-fought and entertaining contest seems to be on the cards.

Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/sports/20170614/holmes-cotroni-hunt-contender-semi-berth

Holmes, Controni face off for place in Contender Series semis

Richard Holmes, the Team Jamaica number two-seeded boxer, will face Team Canada number four seed Frank Controni for the third semi-final spot in the Wray and Nephew White Overproof Rum ‘Best of the Best’ Contender Series, on a three-fight card at the Chinese Benevolent Association auditorium today starting at 8:30 pm.

The three-fight card is also expected to be highlighted by a 45-minute, rib-tickling entertainment segment that includes Wray and Nephew giveaways along with reports on past fights and a preview of what is to come from the boxers in the main event.

The first of two amateur fights will open the card at about 8:30 going three three-minute rounds, and Holmes and Controni are expected to respond to the gong that signals the opening of the first of five rounds of the evening’s main event, scheduled at approximately 9:50 pm.

Both Holmes and Controni weighed in at 154lbs and 153 ½lbs, respectively, yesterday, and immediately declared themselves in shape to move into the next round.

Pointing out to Controni that facing Holmes was a different proposition to Gregory Miller — whom he put down for a mandatory eight count, as he failed to continue and lost by the TKO route — Controni, who flew into Jamaica on Saturday, responded: “Every fight is a different opponent, and adaptability is paramount. Should this fight go the distance, so will I.”

Considering the calibre of opponent he is about to face, Controni was asked how he plans to control the fight to gain the upper hand: “With power. I pack more power in my punches than does Holmes, and that is one way of taking control.

“Every fight is tough. It is how well you execute that matters,” said Holmes, who has reached every semi-final stage and beyond in the last three stagings of the Contender Series.

And with a fourth beckoning, Holmes said:

“I believe I have what it takes to repeat the process this season. I am improving steadily and am here to give it my best shot, and I doubt it will go the full distance. If it does, I will be there. This is expected to be a fight of unadulterated pressure, and pressure burst pipe”, Holmes warned.

Source: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sports/holmes-controni-face-off-for-place-in-contender-series-semis_101847?profile=1511

 

Quartfinal 3
Team Canada number four seed Frank Controni (left) and team Jamaica number two seed Richard Holmes face off during yesterday’s weigh-in yesterday. (Photo: Hurbun Williams)

 

 

Samsung Gear S3 Frontier

The actual release date for a slew of Samsung products is eminent. We have the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 + on the way coupled with the new 2017 Samsung Gear 360 Camera and the new 2017 Samsung Gear VR. This seems very familiar. Yup, it was the same as last year, when a flood of Samsung devices came out around the same time as the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. Anyhow, let’s review one device at a time, starting with the Samsung Gear S3 Frontier.

What Is The Gear S3?

The Samsung Gear S3 Frontier, S3, and S3 Classic are smartwatches which is the new craze in the tech world these days. Smartwatches are used as an extension to your smartphone and come with many apps to help with fitness and organizing your everyday tasks. The Gear S3 Frontier, S3, and S3 Classic are the second issue of smartwatches from Samsung to feature a circular display. This simple feature makes the device feel more like a watch that you can wear than a gizmo for nerds.

What Is Different This Time Around?

The Gear S3 Frontier looks a lot like the Gear S2 Classic, with a splash of manliness. The major differences are more visible at the OS level. All the features consumers craved for, like automatic heart rate monitoring, and a better fitness tracker, were addressed. This time around, Samsung made the right changes and made a really good smartwatch.

What Is Missing?

– No IR blaster – The ability to control devices (TV, radio, etc) by a remote-control app.

– Apps – There are apps available for the Gear 3, but the amount that you expected is certainly not there.

– No camera – No camera functionality at all.

These features were missing in the previous versions of the Gear S, and are still missing in the new iterations. So it’s safe to say that these features will never grace Samsung smartwatches again.

Battery Life & Display

The sore point for smartwatches is the battery life, which is dismal for a watch. The Gear S3 Frontier has made encouraging steps for better battery life. While using the Gear S3 Frontier, we got a whopping four days of use.

The display of the Gear S3 Frontier also has a higher resolution screen than its predecessor and better sunlight visibility in the days.

Final Thoughts

Samsung has a lot of new products to offer in the near future, but the Gear S3 Frontier is out now, and you can’t deny the fact that this is a man’s watch. It’s rugged, water- and dust-resistant with a built-in speaker for playing music or answering calls. What else could a guy ask for in a smartwatch? Thank you, Samsung, for making smartwatches manly again.

The product mentioned in this article was provided by the Samsung Experience Store in Tropical Plaza Telephone#:

754-6370.

– Writer: Payton H. Wilmott

Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20170612/tech-times-samsung-gear-s3-frontier

Delay in passage of Amended Road Traffic Act annoying NRSC

Executive Director of the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) Paula Fletcher is urging parliamentarians to speed up the passage of the proposed new road traffic legislation.

According to Fletcher, it would be “shameful” if 2017 ends without the bill being passed.

“The legislation period to birth a new act has been much too long – over a decade in the making,” said Fletcher.

“The NRSC initiated the review of the current act and has been an integral part of the process for its preparation. There are several quality improvements and additions that will energise and provide new tools for road-safety work,” added Fletcher.

Both the Government and the parliamentary opposition have given their blessing to the new legislation, which will repeal and replace the existing 1938 Act and will establish new offences as well as provide increased penalties for current wrongdoings.

“For example, it will provide a new way of driver training and testing, and new manuals have already been prepared and are ready to go for this and also for a system of certifying driving instructors. There is also a new modernised road code raring to go. There will also be a provision for driver retesting,” noted Fletcher, who has long argued that the new legislation would go a long way in preventing some of the disasters that plague the nation’s roads on a daily basis.

 

TICKETING SYSTEM

 

She argued that parliamentarians also need to take an urgent look at the traffic-ticketing system.

“The traffic-ticketing system remains a contentious issue as tickets are being issued, but there remains an unsatisfactory level of ticket payment. Persons exist with more than 1,200 unpaid tickets and some magistrates hesitate or refuse to issue warrants as they are unsure if the tickets were actually paid,” said Fletcher.

“This cannot continue, and the NRSC, again, issues the call for a sole entity to be named to manage the issuance of traffic tickets. When we have a new act, persons with unpaid tickets will not be able to renew their licence or pay their vehicle registration,” Fletcher warned.

Since the start of this year, 141 persons have lost their lives in road traffic accidents. This is 12 per cent fewer than the number of road deaths recorded across the island during the corresponding period last year.

jodi-ann.gilpin@gleanerjm.com

Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20170611/delay-passage-amended-road-traffic-act-annoying-nrsc