Clean-up project for Rio Grande Valley

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, Portland — Portland observed World Earth Day last week with the staging of a festival in Port Antonio and the launching of a community clean-up project in the Rio Grande Valley area of the parish.

The festival, organised by the Portland Environment Protection Association (PEPA), was held at the Neville Antonio Park in Port Antonio and had as its major features an environment quiz competition among several schools of the parish and the presentation of a number of skit performances highlighting the Earth Day theme ‘Protect Our Home’.

Titchfield High School emerged winner of the high school category of the quiz competition, while Hope Bay All-Age and Buff Bay Primary were adjudged winners of their respective groups.

The launch of the community clean-up project was spearheaded by the Jamaica Conservation and Development Trust and the communities targeted were Mill Bank, Comfort Castle and Ginger House.

The main focus of the project is to ensure that the communities of the Rio Grande Valley are kept clean through the cooperative efforts of the residents

One of the major components of the project will be the cleaning up of several areas of the Rio Grande and the galvanisation of the efforts of the residents of the communities to keep the river free from contamination.

80 kilometres of roads to be repaired in Westmoreland

GEORGES PLAIN, Westmoreland — More than 80 kilometres of roads in Westmoreland are currently being rehabilitated by the Ministry of Transport and Works, through the National Works Agency (NWA) at a cost of approximately $200 million.

NWA’s community relations officer of the Western Region, Stephen Shaw said most of the roads were being dealt with under the National Road Improvement Programme (NARIP), and were at varying stages of completion.

Basic schools to benefit from feeding programme

CENTRAL VILLAGE, St Catherine — A number of basic schools from Central Village in St Catherine are to benefit from a school-feeding initiative being funded by the Jamaica Public service Company (JPSCo).

The schools are Christ Temple, Central Road, Gwen Neil Memorial, Alfredo Collings, Windsor Heights, Church of God, Our Lady of Mercy, Black Harmony and Harmony and New Testament basic schools. About 692 students are expected to benefit from the programme.

To be called the Central Village/Windsor Heights Basic Schools Feeding Programme, the initiative is expected to complement the lunch subsidy already being provided by the government for basic schools under the National School Feeding Programme.

An initiative of the Social Development Commission’s (SDC’s) office in Spanish Town, the programme is the first of its kind in the parish. It will be monitored by a five-member committee headed by chairperson, Evelyn Campbell. Other members are Angela Thomas, Marvette Watson-Brown, Sandra Young and Patricia Spence.

Seminar for butchers in Hanover today

LUCEA, Hanover — The Hanover Health Department will be hosting a seminar for butchers who operate in the parish today.

Acting deputy chief public health inspector for Hanover, Hubert Williams, said the seminar was an annual event in the parish, which the butchers always look forward to.

“Over the years, we have been getting very good response from the butchers. There is an understanding between the health department and this is something that the butchers look forward to,” he said.

Topics to be covered at the seminar would include hygienic preparation of meats for consumers; regulations governing the slaughter and marketing of meats in the parish, and licensing procedure for food and meat handlers.

Sick bay at Bamboo Primary and Junior High improved

BAMBOO, St Ann — The Optimist Club of Bamboo in St Ann has refurbished the sick bay at the Bamboo Primary and Junior High School in the parish at a cost of $18,000. The scope of work included cleaning and painting the area, repairing a bed and providing a medicine cabinet, window curtains and bed and table linen.

At a ceremony held at the school last week to officially hand over the improved facilities, Mayor of St Ann’s Bay, Councillor Charles Tait, said the community was “better off for the fact that there was an organisation that has been performing well during its short span”.

Commending the club for its effort, chairman of the school board, Peter McHugh, said the refurbishing work was “indeed a great improvement and the facility should be taken care of”.

School principal, Jean Watson also expressed appreciation for the improvement work. “I am elated… we really appreciate it because at times we have students or teachers who fall ill and need some place to lie and rest.” The sick bay also serves as the school’s staffroom.

Jamaica’s first literacy centre opens in St Ann

MONEAGUE, St ANN — Jamaica’s first literacy, research and development centre was officially opened last week on the grounds of the Moneague College in St Ann, under the theme ‘Literacy: The Way Forward in the 21st Century’.

The building was constructed at a cost of $17 million through the combined efforts of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture, the Oakland University in Michigan, United States and the wider community.

It comprises five classrooms, one of which is utilised as a diagnostic centre to identify students with learning difficulties, a library, computer room, and an office.

Schools, flood victims get help

RIO GRANDE, Portland — More than $500-million worth of gifts were presented to residents in the Rio Grande Valley of Portland last week by the Erma Jamaica Hospital Appeal Fund in the United Kingdom.

The fund is headed by Erma Lewis, a former resident of Fellowship in the parish, who currently resides in England.

The gifts, which included clothing, shoes, clinic supplies, books and furniture for schools, were handed over on behalf of the Erma Jamaica Hospital Appeal Fund by Christie Campbell, an associate of Erma Lewis.

They were presented to the Fellowship Primary and Junior High School, the Tom’s Hope Basic School and the fellowship Health Clinic during a presentation at the Fellowship Primary and Junior High School.

The shoes and the clothing will be distributed to the victims of the flood disaster which affected the area late last year, while the books and furniture presented to the schools will be used to enhance their curricula activities and increase the seating accommodation for students.

Wellness clinic opens in Clarendon

MITCHELL TOWN, Clarendon — A wellness clinic has been opened in Clarendon to improve the health status of the population in the southern section of Jamaica.

For a fee of $500, persons can access a range of services including blood pressure checks; blood tests for anaemia, high cholesterol and excessive blood sugar; urine tests; electrocardiograms (ECG) for coronary heart diseases; body height and weight tests to measure obesity; as well as a physical examination by a medical doctor. It also offers healthy lifestyle education.

Norika Miyamoto, project co-ordinator at the Japan International Cooperation Agency, which is funding the project, told JIS News that over 40 persons have been served by the clinic since it opened in March.

In addition, 215 people from communities such as Milk River, Mitchell Town, Kellits, Chapelton, Fairfield, Thompson Town, Scott’s Pass and May Pen have benefited from outreach services provided through a mobile unit.

Miyamoto said that in promoting the wellness concept, the thrust of the clinic was to increase awareness of chronic lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, obesity, among others.