Westmoreland's mayor denounces terrorist attacks

SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland:

MAYOR OF Savanna-la-Mar, Councillor Ralph Anglin, has expressed the Council's sympathy with the United States Government for the terrorist attacks against the American people last week Tuesday.

Speaking at the monthly meeting of the Westmoreland Parish Council at the Anglican Church Hall here on Thursday, Mayor Anglin said that "where there is terrorism we must condemn it, and talk about it, because this attack is a real tragedy."

He said the attack on the U.S. would have serious repercussions on the Jamaican economy. "The United States is our major market when it comes to tourism, and their planes are grounded at this time and their airports closed," said Mayor Anglin.

The United States, he said, was trying to find out who was responsible for this attack. He said that if they found out who was responsible, "they will have to be careful what they do, as more people in other countries will suffer, should they decide to retaliate."

Turning to the matter of trade, Mayor Anglin said, "our banana export on the world market needs a little protection, but the United States says we will have to compete on the world market. This is a funny world, and all of us have to live, so the United States needs a reflection on their foreign policy."

Turning to human rights, Mayor Anglin said, "the US will have men on death row for 20 years, and when they are ready they put them to death, and yet they are telling us here we can't hang our men, although they have been found guilty, so people continue to go out there and do wrong, and the human rights people defend them."

In other matters, Councillor Bernal Vanriel of the Petersfield division, brought the Council's attention to the increasing number of insane people roaming the streets of the town. "We need to find a suitable place to put these people, where they can be taken care of medically. Things cannot continue like this," said the disgruntled Councillor. Mayor Anglin promised to "look into" the matter.

The new municipal pound for the parish, established at Frome as a joint venture between the Sugar Company of Jamaica (SCJ) and the Westmoreland Parish Council, is now in operation. It was established at a cost of $1.3 million. It has facilities such as a house for the pound keeper, a loading ramp for animals and about eight pastures for grazing.

Secretary/manager of the Westmoreland Parish Council, Patricia Sinclair-Stair, told the Council that the pound became operational on July 26. She said a number of cows have been removed to the pound from Savanna-la-Mar, Negril and some farms owned by the SCJ, and that the Council auctioned a number of those cows recently.

Councillor Burtel Moore of the Negril division brought the Council's attention to the absence of electricity in the Woodlands area of his division. He said officers from the rural electrification programme visited the area early in 2000 and promised to have provide electricity by April that year, but nothing has been done to date. He asked the Council to take up the matter with the rural electrification personnel.

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