The Labour Day weekend and past week reminded us of Jamaica’s immeasurable wealth. In the words of former Prime Minister Bruce Golding, Jamaica is too rich to be poor.

A drive up the north-south Edward Seaga Highway gives us breathtaking scenes: The bright greenery of orchards, hills and valleys, and then the blue, winking sea welcoming us to St Ann. The developments along the north coast highway are like those pop-up greeting cards, as land becomes transformed into sophisticated buildings and complexes. There are still miles of greenery and we hope the parish councils will ensure a balance while granting permits to developers.

The drive through Hanover slows you down, but you get the local flavour of bustling towns and districts. The Grand Palladium is like a village, with a virtually endless wall and the Princess Hotel has been getting rave reviews from relatives. Close by are the apartment buildings created for the hotel’s staff — just a short walk from the property.

As we approach the colourful Negril sign, we see several visitors waiting their turn to pose for photos. Into Negril we go; our shoulders drop as we breathe in the sea air. Negril feels like another country; the waving palms, the little wooden church, and that endless seven-mile beach where Jamaicans and tourists alike enjoy the mento bands and food stalls.

On the west end, new spots are also sprouting — small eateries, groceries, and hardware stores. There are apartment buildings and villas going up as people hunger for our sea views and quietude. Rick’s Café continues to attract bus loads of tourists. Watching the Negril sunset from Rick’s is a popular bucket list item.

We depart through my hometown, Savanna-la-Mar, passing the Lewis Street property where St Mary’s Academy once stood, our prep school run by the Sisters of Mercy. A few of the palms still stand by Sir Clifford Campbell Primary School, and I muse on my mother’s memories of Sir Clifford teaching her in elementary school.

The Doric Theatre location now has shops and the area is bustling with medical centres, fast food joints, and pharmacies. We pass the former Westmoreland Building Society, now Jamaica National, which had its formation by the Clarke family right there in Savanna-la-Mar.

Calabash 2025

We make our way through Black River to Treasure Beach to catch the closing hours of Calabash. Over 80 CCRP members had arrived on tour buses on Sunday morning, taking their seats in an area reserved by organiser Justine Henzell, our collaborator, also in outreach for the parish.

We were late for Sheryl Lee Ralph. Our star-struck friends related her riveting interaction with the biggest-ever Calabash audience. She asked them to call out a number between three and 68 (her current age) and she would relate her memories of that time of her life.

Ralph’s 18th year was a turning point in her life. The bright young lady was now in the US at college with her family’s expectations that she would study medicine. However, she decided to study acting, much to the chagrin of her mother, famed Jamaican fashion designer Ivy Ralph. However, her father gave her his blessing and eventually so did her mother. As they say, the rest is history.

The 50th anniversary of Burning Spear’s Marcus Garvey was the closing item. If people are wondering why my Jamaican Chinese husband was singing along with feeling, “Do you remember the days of slavery?” it is because, as an engineer with Total Sounds in the 70s, he pressed that album.

Hubie is somewhat of a Jamaican musicologist — one bar and he can tell you the name of the singer. He explained that Burning Spear comprised three members: Winston Rodney (lead singer), Rupert Willington and Delroy “Milo” Hinds. He interacted with their manager Jack Ruby.

Congratulations to the organisers Justine and Jason Henzell, Kwame Dawes, and the Treasure Beach community who volunteered to organise the three-day literary festival.

Jack Sprat restaurant catered wonderful food and the craft displays were outstanding. I have been sporting my Calabash handbag, created by Iela Sandal Makers and Associates.

Cybersecurity session

The US Embassy hosted CCRP members for a hybrid presentation on cybersecurity at the Robeson American Center last Wednesday. We were welcomed by Michael Lavallee, public diplomacy attaché, who explained that such sessions are promoted by the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) Affairs section of the embassy.

“Just a couple weeks ago, on May 15,” he said, “they joined forces with the JCF [Jamaica Constabulary Force] and the Pan American Development Foundation to launch a US$2-million initiative called the CREATE Project — a major investment aimed at strengthening community security and reducing crime and violence in five high-risk communities across Jamaica.”

He said that, through the INL, there have been “courtroom upgrades with digital tech, cybercrime training for police, and community programmes that help guide young people away from crime and toward opportunity”.

The witty cyber security presentation was made by attorneys-at-law at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP): Deputy DPP Malike Kellier and Kathrina Watson, Crown Counsel. They explained the tactics used by scammers and how they can be detected. For example, check the authentic e-mail address of your bank to ensure that the letters are not being slightly changed to dupe you. Beware of people rushing you to answer and send money — that is a red flag. Whenever you get requests from your bank, call first to verify before replying and never click on a link, as that may release a virus into your entire system. They also encouraged members to write down their passwords and keep them in a secure place. Those with bank tokens on their phones should ensure they log out after a transaction and should not save passwords in their device.

The recorded presentation has been shared with all our members. We thank the US Embassy’s Public Engagement Assistant Cleo Walker Smith for organising the event and congratulate her in her new role as EducationUSA student advisor.

Marubeni Scholars shine

On Wednesday afternoon we gathered at The University of the West Indies’ Principal’s Council Room for the announcement of the Marubeni scholars for 2025. Marubeni Power International (MPI) are major shareholders in the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) and are supporting students in electrical and electronic engineering. The UWI Development Foundation (UWIDEF) selected the nominees, and they were interviewed by senior executives of MPI.

The winners were announced by MPI Managing Director Mo Majeed who noted: “The five remarkable students we honour today — Alician Lawrence, Darren Passley, Theoden Ellis, Breanna Bisnott, and Martin Gentles — embody a spirit of innovation and promise. Each of you represents not only the future of electrical engineering, but also the future of your country.”

The students and parents were also commended by UWIDEF CEO Carla Seaga, Japanese Ambassador Yasuhiro Atsumi, JPS Chair Damian Obiglio, JPS Director Minna Israel, Ministry of Education representative Dr Venesse Morrison-Leon, and UWI Faculty of Engineering Deputy Dean Dr Lindon Falconer.

So far, MPI has sponsored scholarships to the value of US$50,000 as well as projects including housing for the needy, education, and special needs outreach.

Jean Lowrie-Chin is an author and executive chair of PROComm, PRODEV and CCRP. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or lowriechin@aim.com.