Michael Ammar (background) assists David Bones to remove garbage on Olivia Road, in St. Andrew, yesterday. The activity was part of the national clean-up exercise that lasted two days. - Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer
CLARENDON
George Henry, Gleaner Correspondent
Scores of residents turned out in communities in sections of North West Clarendon yesterday, to participate in the two-day clean-up programme which was announced by Prime Minister Bruce Golding.
From as early as 6:00 a.m., residents armed with tools including machetes, shovels, axes, wheel-barrows and iron forks started the work and continued up to 3:00 p.m., as they saw their communities return to what they were prior to the hurricane.
At Bullocks near Spaldings, men were seen chopping fallen tree trunks which had reduced traffic to single lane since the passing of the Category Four hurricane. Dry tree trunks and an abundance of leaves from the sidewalks were piled up in preparation for their removal by trucks that were acquired through voluntarism to transport these to the dump.
Residents of the small farming community told The Gleaner that the work day was not about politics, as persons who use the road at Bullocks were supporters of both parties, and so they got together to ensure that their surroundings received the necessary attention, as asked for by the Prime Minister.
"From the hurricane passed in the trees and other things got washed down in the road and motoring was kind of difficult; so what we are doing is well needed. We had only single-lane traffic here so we are here to remove the waste and ensure that things return to normal," said Anthony White, who was in charge of a group working at Bullocks.
These men were busy clearing debris from the roadway in Moravia, Clarendon yesterday. - Photo by George Henry
At Alston, some five miles away, the situation was similar. Residents cleared drains, removed huge tree trunks, bushed embankments, as well as swept the small rural town as part of their contribution to the two-day clean-up programme.
"We were able to sweep the town, remove garbage, clear drains and do some whitewashing of a few sidewalks here in Alston," said Lance Graham who lead the group.
In Moravia, sidewalks were swept, drains cleaned, fallen trees cut and roadsides bushed. Sean McNamee told The Gleaner that residents who were eager to give a helping hand in seeing to the cleaning of sections of their community turned out from as early as 7:00 a.m. on both days.
At Victoria, Thompson Town, Sunbury, Sanguinetti, Ritches, Grantham, Frankfield, Trout Hall and several other communities in North West Clarendon, the activities were the same.
ST CATHERINE
Elgin Taylor, Gleaner Correspondent
Several persons from all walks of life turned out for a clean-up effort in the Old Harbour Bay community of St. Catherine on Saturday. The gesture was in support of a call made by Prime Minister Bruce Golding to use Saturday and yesterday to clean up the communities across the island which were still showing the effects of Hurricane Dean.
The Old Harbour Bay community, one of the hardest hit by the hurricane, was designated as the main project to be undertaken by the parish.
When The Gleaner visited the registration centre at the Old Harbour Bay Primary School at 10: 30 a.m. on Saturday, several persons were seen cleaning drains, sweeping and cutting away bushes.
Barrington Mighton, a spokesman for the Social Development Commission (SDC), informed The Gleaner that the project got under way at 7:00 a.m. and that at the time over 150 persons and organisations were registered. These included the SDC, the St. Catherine Parish Council, the National Solid Waste Management Authority, the National Works Agency, the Ministry of Health, the fire department, Oxfam, as well as a group connected to environmentalist Peter Espeut.
Happy volunteers
Several persons who spoke to The Gleaner said that they were happy to be part of the exercise.
"I like to be involved in activities like these," commented Cobie Crystal, a volunteer with the international group Oxfam.
Karen Williams, a resident of Old Harbour Bay who was seen working along a drain-cleaning site on the main road leading to the community, shared similar sentiments. "It's good to be part of this work group. We enjoy doing it. Furthermore, it is for our health and safety," she stated.
Prime Minister Golding visited the project later in the afternoon.
ST ELIZABETH
Michael McLean, Gleaner Correspondent
There was a disappointing turn- out on the first day of the national clean-up project in sections of St. Elizabeth on Saturday.
In one community in the Santa Cruz development area of North East St. Elizabeth, covering the district of George's Valley in the Brae's River division, no work was evident when The Gleaner visited.
However, residents from the communities of Holland Village in North West St. Elizabeth and Knoxwood district were out in large numbers to give their community a facelift.
Dudley White of the Holland Citizens' Association said a group of 35 persons from the community had been up from early in the morning cleaning the Holland Bamboo strip.
"We have been here from 8:30 this morning cleaning the bamboo trash and plastic debris from the side of the road and putting them in bags. We are just waiting for the trucks to do the pick-up." White said.
Debbie Clue, community development planning and programme director for the Social Development Commission, who visited a number of the communities, said the day's activity showed good participation.
WESTMORELAND
The all-island clean-up requested by Prime Minister Bruce Golding in an effort to restore the aesthetics of the country following the passage of Hurricane Dean met some hiccups in Westmoreland.
According to Othniel Dawes, Western Parks and Market (WPM) manager for the parish, the promised fuel to service the vehicles to execute the project was not forthcoming and, as a result, work which should have started just about daybreak was delayed till after 1:00 p.m.
He said that there should have been two trucks for the job, one for the Negril area and one working from Cave to Belmont but, because there was no fuel, no work was possible. He further told The Gleaner that one of the contractors indicated that he would provide the fuel to get the work started until it was sorted out, so one team of workers went to work.
When telephone contact was made at about 2:00 p.m., The Gleaner was told that instead of the scheduled Cave and Negril clean-up, there was one open body truck and a front-end loader working in the lower Savanna-la-Mar area to include Cooke Street and when that area was completed, the crew would move to New Market Oval and Seaton Crescent.
When contacted about the fuel situation, Regional Manager for WPM Milverton Munroe admitted that there was a snag in the issuing of fuel coupons to the west. He said that the coupons to acquire fuel at designated service stations were sent to Ocho Rios where he had to send for them. From Montego Bay, the coupons would have to be further distributed to the parishes.
PORTLAND
Gareth Davis Sr., Gleaner Correspondent
After two days of clean-up and removal of tons of sand, household items and other debris off the roadway at Long Bay, Manchioneal, and Hectors River in East Portland, the exercise was deemed a success.
The work which started on Saturday climaxed yesterday, but not before three backhoes and four trucks were brought in to speed up the work which centred around the communities of Manchioneal, Hectors River and Long Bay.
Councillor for the Manchioneal division, Alston Hunter, who also spearheaded the clean-up, explained that the turnout from residents was above average on day one, but on day two it was low. He pointed out that persons were reluctant to continue working and instead were asking for money.
"We need to consider seriously the importance of civic pride," he said. "The clean-up day was supposed to be a voluntary project, yet still some persons were demanding money. I will not tolerate that kind of practice now or ever," he added.
Three beaches were targeted yesterday including Long Bay, Hectors River and Ennison Bay which all experienced sea surges during the passage of Hurricane Dean. Tons of white sand were also dumped along those roadways.
But while 40 per cent of the work was completed in the three communities, councillor Hunter noted that the work will be continued to ensure a complete restoration of those areas. He said that the real community spirit will now have to come into play, and that a collaborative effort on the part of residents would ensure that it is completed.
More than 40 truck loads of waste were removed between Saturday and Sunday from the respective areas. Dozens of rakes, machetes, shovels, wheel barrows and garbage bags were also donated to residents to assist with the exercise.
Men remove tree trunks from a drain in Alston, Clarendon, yesterday. - Photo by George Henry
