Participants in Government's Lift Up Jamaica Programme rehabilitate drains and sidewalks in Claremont, St. Ann.
THE ST. ANN town of Claremont is beginning to look all spruced up these days as it gets a facelift, courtesy of Lift Up Jamaica.
Several projects to upgrade the physical appearance of the town are now under way, as part of the Government's job creation programme. They include the rehabilitation of sidewalks and drains in the square, general repair and painting of the police station and post office and the construction of a new public sanitary facility located between the station and the post office.
Literally at the hub of all the activity to give a fresh new look to the town centre, however, is the refurbishing of the clock tower, which occupies pride of place in the Claremont square.
Built in 1915, the tower houses a clock that keeps perfect timing for the town's residents, passers-by and visitors but, according to one observer, it was in need of repair and a new paint job. And that's exactly what it's getting under the Lift Up Jamaica project.
Already the fresh coats of off-white and green of the clock tower, the traditional blue and white of the police station and the not-so-traditional peach and cream paint job at the post office have brought renewed attractiveness to this picturesque rural town.
In many ways, Claremont is exemplifying what needs to be done to visibly improve the streetscape of many of Jamaica's towns and the upgrading project has served as a kind of forerunner for that segment of the Life Up Jamaica Programme, planned to clean up and improve the appearance of towns islandwide.
Word from the Secretariat is that 19 towns are slated for this kind of physical upgrading. It is to be noted, however, that it is the public facilities, which are being upgraded under the Lift Up Jamaica Programme. The Secretariat is therefore appealing to members of the private sector and property owners in the towns to join in the effort to 'lift up Jamaica', by improving or repainting their own buildings, where possible.
