KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Duhaney Park Community Development Committee (CDC) marked its 60th anniversary with a grand celebration and award dinner recognising 15 individuals for their outstanding contributions to the community over the years.

Hosted at Pollyanna’s Caterers, the event brought together residents, community leaders, and other dignitaries who were crucial to the construction and development of Duhaney Park.

In his opening address, Godfrey Williams, president of the CDC, highlighted the significance of the evening, noting that the awardees were being celebrated for their unwavering commitment and dedication.

President of the Duhaney Park Community Development Committee, Godfrey Williams shares a laugh with the audience during his opening speech at the award ceremony hosted at Pollyanna’s Caterers on Sunday, November 24, 2024. (Photo: JigSwag)

“This evening, we will have the privilege to recognise the tireless, incredible contributions of some wonderful human beings that over the years have shaped this community,” Williams said.

He spoke of the resilience embedded in the people, which, he said, has defined Duhaney Park since its establishment in the early 1960s, when it was created to meet the housing demands of an urbanising population.

“In sculpting the form and the framework that drives our community, they have cloaked our space with resilience. We are resilient, and our desire to overcome the tremendous stresses of life that are hurled us is the epitome of resolve,” he said.

Among the awardees were Dr Noel Watson, the Social Development Commission, the National Solid Waste Management Authority and Wihcon (West Indies Home Contractors) who were presented with special awards.

Presented with honorary donor awards were Hardware & Lumber, K’s Pharmacy, and the Jamaica Money Market Brokers (JMMB) Joan Duncan Foundation.

Claudette Ellis, the managing director of K’s Pharmacy receives an honorary donor award. The award was presented to her by President of the Duhaney Park Community Development Committee, Godfrey Williams. (Photo: JigSwag)

Category awards were also presented to Earl Jones for volunteerism; BelliBuss Restaurant for entrepreneurship and innovation; Michelle Dixon for education and mentorship; Nurse Palmer for health; Michael Montague for exceptional dedication and leadership in youth service; Luther Blade for sports, Thompson Beckford, JP for philanthropy and Yvonne Jacobs, who was presented with a surprise award as the longest living resident.

Keynote speaker Damion Hylton, a community transformation specialist, reflected on the community’s evolution during his speech.

“Your community has gone through many different seasons. From its inception when people were looking at Duhaney Park as the ideal place to live…And then as your community started to blossom and working class people started to participate in family life and community life, your community started to experience its own kind of ethos and character formation,” Hylton noted.

Community Transformation Specialist Damion Hylton was the keynote speaker during the award ceremony hosted at Pollyanna’s Caterers on Sunday, November 24, 2024. (Photo: JigSwag)

He continued, “And then you had war and gang activity breaking out in different sections of your community. The community became a place where a lot of people started to wonder if they made the right investment. And then of course you had interventions and you had people who made sacrifices and the thing settled down again and Duhaney Park nice again.”

Noting that communities, like individuals, go through seasons, Hylton said the people of the community were what determined its success.

“The fibre and the fabric of Duhaney Park is the result of some people who have been here from the inception. So when you gather this evening celebrating 60 years and honouring the accomplishments and the resilience of the people, I want to suggest to you that you couldn’t get it any better because it is the resilience of the people who have chosen to stay in a community regardless of the season that the community is going through,” Hylton said.

Members of the executive of the Duhaney Park Community Development Committee share a moment during the award ceremony at Pollyanna’s Caterers on Sunday, November 24, 2024. (Photo: JigSwag)

Accepting the Wihcon award on behalf of his family, Joseph Matalon commented, “I remember the four Matalons that were basically responsible for this project. Mayer was the financier, Moses was the conceptualiser, Aaron, my father, was the marketer, and Owen was the builder. And that team cooked together not only this particular project but Harbour View and Mona Heights and went on into the Independent City.”

Former executive director of a National Civic Dialogue Initiative under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Dr Noel Watson, shared his memories of working with Duhaney Park more than 20 years ago.

“I was invited to the community and we dialogued…There were people from JLP, PNP, all walks of life because the whole point of these civic dialogue programs is to get people to dialogue to reduce crime, to reduce unemployment, and to reduce corruption. And the Duhaney Park CDC was so strong, they invited me into their homes and we dialogued, and they were just such a faithful, loyal community. So it doesn’t surprise me that after 60 years we’re doing this,” Dr Watson said.

In his address, Member of Parliament (MP) for St Andrew Western, Anthony Hylton, encouraged the community to continue working with the CDC for more years to come.

“Duhaney Park still stands as a community that is vibrant, it’s alive, and I believe its best future is ahead of us. The point I wish to make is that the CDC by itself cannot do the work unless its citizens are engaged and themselves respond,” MP Hylton said.

— Kelsey Thomas