THE Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has appointed 28-year-old Devon McDaniels to replace Alfred Chen as its caretaker/candidate for the constituency of South Trelawny.

Vice chairman of the constituency, Hugh Grant, told the Observer that McDaniels, who is a regional manager for Mack D’s Auto Sales and Service, will be officially presented to the people of the constituency a few weeks from now. “He has been working in the constituency since last month, and he is warmly received by the people,” Grant said.

That constituency has been without a caretaker since Chen died last October. He died after his helicopter crashed in the bushes shortly after take off from the South Trelawny community of Lorrimers. Chen was also the sitting councillor for the Albert Town division of the Trelawny Parish Council.

In April, the party installed 49-year-old farmer, Lindel Reid as its representative in the Albert Town division, but the party was unable to find a suitable replacement for the job of constituency caretaker. And McDaniels, who was born in Warsop, a small district in the constituency, is already making plans for the community. He told the Observer that he intends to use his influence to improve the social and economic conditions of the residents in South Trelawny.

“There is a need for greater economic development and better representation in the constituency and I want to do something about that,” he remarked. He said as caretaker, he intends to lobby for better roads, the reopening of the Ulster Spring Hospital, better health care for the elderly, more telephone lines and improvements in the supply of piped water.

He added that since he began working in the constituency just over three weeks ago, he has been overwhelmed by the reception from the people. “The people have welcomed me wholeheartedly; they are happy that I will be there for them.”