FALMOUTH, Trelawny — Despite suffering a stroke recently, which has significantly impacted his mobility, former Trelawny Northern Member of Parliament, Wendell ‘Bull-Bull’ Stewart’s zeal to continue with his voluntary project, the beautification of his native seaside town of Falmouth, has not slowed.

In fact, Stewart, who is now recuperating, has been getting out of bed by 4:30 religiously each morning, not only to water and prune flowers he planted along some of the Trelawny capital’s streets, but also for exercise.

With the use of his walker, which he loads with plastic bottles filled with water to irrigate the plants, he pushes from plant to plant.

“This is my contribution to the town. Being a born and nurtured Falmouthian, I remember when this town was next to Mandeville where beautification was concerned. I believe instead of paying (weed) wacker men to go and cut these verges that the town carries, we could manicure the verges from start to finish; we could manicure areas that are just sitting there, such as the library and the police station. It’s sad to say that we build places and we don’t do anything to keep them beautiful and maintained,” the one-term People’s National Party MP reflected.

He reminisced that the ambitious initiative to beautify the town was born while he served as parliamentary representative between December 18, 1997 and October 2002, but did not take root then, mainly due to theft of the plants.

The project, however, sprouted up big time two and a half years ago, when he planted flowers along a number of sidewalks in Falmouth, after clearing the areas of weed and other shrubbery.

“The project so far is about beautifying Falmouth block by block. I have done about 10 blocks to date, Cornwall Street, Duke Street, Newton Street, Princess Street, Stanley Street, among others. I have actually planted the flowers in this project that I have started over two and a half years now,” he disclosed.

‘Bull-Bull’s’ ambition is for each householder to be engaged in the practice of beautifying their gates, and has expressed his pleasure that residents along a section of Cornwall Street in the town are warming to the concept.

“Some residents have started helping, for instance a section of Compound (part of Cornwall Street). They started because of what I started. I gave them some seedlings and now some sections of Compound are well kept,” Stewart pointed out.

On the other hand, he expressed disappointment over the lack of support for the project by political representatives.

“The only response I got was from the councillor, who was the mayor at one point. I got a cheque for $8,000 and bushing was what was written on the cheque. I felt so insulted because it was less than what any councillor would pay any man for bushing. I still have that cheque and I intend to take it back to them, because I cannot do anything with that, and I feel very insulted,” he shared.

Stewart, who was also the president of the now defunct Falmouth-based Conqueror’s Club, said he has to pay out of his pocket to maintain the project areas, as well as to use plants from his own collection at home.

Meanwhile, he expressed gratitude to those who have rallied their support around him since he suffered the stroke on Tuesday, June 12, 2018.

“I had a stroke. The doctor said it was a mild one, but I was hospitalised. I couldn’t move the right-hand side, neither arm nor foot, but now I am able to walk. I give thanks to God, my sister and friends who have helped me during the time of need,”

Joyce Lewis, a resident of 75 Cornwall Street (Compound), lauded Stewart’s efforts to beautify the town.

“We love it because it beautify up the town. We always admire how him a plant up the place, even during his sickness. ‘Bull-Bull’ is a good man,” Lewis said.