Freedom celebrations return to East Central St James
WESTERN BUREAU – After a one-year hiatus, the East Central St James Sports and Cultural Committee will this year stage its Emancipation and Independence activities in the constituency, at a cost of $1.4 million.
Donald Colomathi, the People’s National Party caretaker for the area and acting chairman of the committee, told reporters Monday that the plans were well advanced for the staging of the celebrations, which begin today. The event, Colomathi said, will start with a vigil at Salters Hill, St James and will be followed by a church service in the community. The celebrations will break on Sunday and resume on Emancipation Day (August 2), with a wide range of activities including a float parade and street dances throughout the constituency. It will climax at the main venue in Dumfries where there will be a civic ceremony and a stage show. The stage show will feature the Unique Vision Band and repeat festival song winner, Eric Donaldson. Vocalist George Nooks is due to perform.
The East Central Sports and Cultural Committee was set up in 1997 to promote cultural and sporting events in the constituency but a lack of funds forced the cancellation of its annual celebrations last year.
This year is a different matter. Colomathi told the Observer on Monday that the committee had already raised close to $1 million, and expressed confidence that its budgetary target of $1.5 million would be met. The Social, Economic and Support Programme (SESP) and the Cambridge Entertainment Company Limited have so far contributed $400,000 to the staging of the event. The St James Parish Council is also expected to provide monetary support for the celebrations.
Cecil Davis, Montego Bay’s deputy mayor and Jamaica Labour Party councillor for the Somerton Division, told Monday’s press briefing that the council was firmly behind the celebrations. He said the council would decide later on the level of funding it would provide.
“From the parish council’s side, we are committed to assisting financially. We have discussed it with the mayor (Noel Donaldson), the secretary manager (Ian Reid) and in a short while we will come up with a commitment as to the extent to which we will finance part of it,” Davis said.
This year’s event is being staged under the theme, “Reflecting on the past, taking charge of the future”.
