TODAY IS the 25th anniversary, Montego Bay being accorded city status on October 9, 1980.
The Second City has grown from a serene tourist resort to a formidable commercial hub that integrates several sectors critical to national development. As the tourism capital, it strives to maintain its allure to the world's jetsetters with a hotel sector, boasting the island's only five-star resort and expanding facilities adding to the traditional sea and sand.
After 25 years, Montegonians would agree that the city's gamut of accomplishments is worthy of praise. It includes the provision of additional school spaces to provide for thousands of students at
various levels, including early childhood and tertiary. Thousands of housing solutions have also been created to accommodate the city's population boom.
The expansion of the Sangster International Airport as one of the most modern in the region is a significant achievement that is expected to translate into increased visitor arrivals to the island. The Montego Freeport now boasts numerous businesses in the communication sector and houses the English-speaking Caribbean's
outsourcing leader. With its first-rate hotels and highly specialised service sector, the city now hosts international conferences and events comparable to global standards.
In our celebratory supplement published last Sunday, political and civic leaders summarised several areas of accomplishment and acknowledged that there is much work still ahead. But significantly, Chamber of Commerce president Mark Kerr-Jarrett made the point that "Montego Bay does not have the appearance or the presence of a city of 25 years nor as the tourist capital of Jamaica".
This note of reality should be a cautionary brake on the moments of celebration. For some observers say that the quality and display of civic pride among many Montegonians leave much to be desired. The Second City has not escaped the pall of crime that is a national problem.
The city has been battling a steady increase in criminality for many years. With 19 squatter communities, the crime fighters have their hands full in trying to combat the problem. Coupled with that is a high level of unemployment and there is a struggle to shed its image as the drug capital of the Caribbean.
And while there has been praiseworthy expansion of infrastructure, such as the dualisation of the Howard Cooke Boulevard, the fire brigade facility is in a disgraceful state of hapless dilapidation, as one observer described it.
At this critical juncture of its development, Montego Bay must now seek to rise above its challenges in order to achieve the progress its residents desire and deserve. They in turn have a responsibility to play an active part in contributing directly to the city's continued growth, creating an enriched legacy for future generations. A strong level of local government leadership is reflected in the Georgian splendour of Sam Sharpe Square. It is a picturesque blend of history and present realities that must be maintained and enhanced for the benefit of the whole nation.
THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER.
