Spn Town's old courthouse to be used as civic centre

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

THE old courthouse in Spanish Town, St Catherine, will be refurbished and transformed into a thriving civic centre for residents of the community, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Olivia Grange has announced.

Grange said the hope is to convert the old site into a place of positive energy and reinforcement for the youths of the town.

"A facility that at one time represented negative things, where people were locked up for breaking the law, this will now become a positive facility, a rebirth; a place where Spanish Town and its environs will grow and be productive and creative," the minister said.

She made the announcement recently during a Visioning Symposium, held at the Twickenham Park Open Bible Church, St Catherine.

"We are going to be establishing a youth information centre, where we are going to have a bank of computers, access to the Internet and a facility which will create a space for young people," she informed.

"In addition, we will have a permanent facility for training young people, through the National Youth Service programme. We will have a cultural training facility, where our young people will be able to learn all the art forms, art, craft, dance, modelling and singing," she added.

She further stated that the centre will also serve as a home to the marching band association, as well as other vibrant youth groups.

"It will be a civic centre for our adults and for our leaders, a space for meetings. The facility will also be used to host events, such as plays. We will have our own community radio station, a recording studio and artisan booths for our craft artists," she assured.

Grange said the young people of St Catherine, particularly Spanish Town, need a place where they can meet and receive positive instructions and guidance.

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COMMENTS (5)

Peter Lawrence
3/17/2010

@K G. OK in general. But in thhe matter of emancipation a self-respecting people should never celebrate "Emancipation", in my opinion. Firstly,, the planters evaded the Order by getting a law passed to institute compulsory "apprenticeship" for four years , during which time torture and hours of work were increased as the last gasp of the Dying (not dead)beast.of de facto slavery. Next, murderers, lynchers, and forced -labour slavers were given that extra golden handshake for their crimes, instead of their victims, a fact contributing to our present poverty rate to this day. Then IF we decided to mark the occasion we should have celebrated it with another name, when we became independent and could have done so ,rather than continue togo along with that prosaic nomenclature just because Vicky's proclamation said so. "Liberation Day", could work

K G
3/17/2010

One does not have to be of African extraction to celebrate the emancipation of the enslaved. Don't Christians of all races celebrate the freeing of the Hebrews from bondage in Egypt? Did not people of all races celebrate the ending of apartheid in South Africa. And maybe, not all people of African ancestry celebrate our liberation from slavery after all, fellow Africans played a major role in the capture and selling of our ancestors into slavery so should those Africans who sold us have a right to celebrate with our liberation just because their also of African ancestry? The point I'm making is that one does not have to be of any race to celebrate liberation, it's the common humanity that we share why others would want to celebrate with others different from themselves.

mike willy
3/17/2010

This would be good if the Opposition supporters are welcomed.

C. Brown
3/17/2010

Good idea, but please don't take 10 years to have it done..

Peter Lawrence
3/17/2010

Very good move Babsy G. Now how about renovating that old delapidated former governor's mansion destroyed by fire centuries ago , and put it to good use! Perhaps a community college + artefact museum+ concert hall,or....something useful to the citizens. I was very amused to see our Governor-General reading emancipation proclamation quite solemnly, and with straight face ,on its steps some years ago.. The idea was thereby given that the afro-Jamaican slaves got something wonderful . Those who got the humongous sum of twenty million pounds were the happy ones. If it were left to me i would never have emancipation day a holiday . Furthermore it cannot really be celebrated by chinese or indian Jamaicans as they were not enslaved.

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Spn Town's old courthouse to be used as civic centre