MANDEVILLE, MANCHESTER:While the Manchester Parish Council is optimistic of the spin-off which will accrue from a proposed permit parking system to be implemented in Mandeville, they did not have all the answers to questions posed by the business community at a public meeting on Wednesday, October 24.
Concerns not yet addressed at the public meeting, which is the second of such meetings, were brought forward by a truck operator who said truckers for hire have been parking on Ward Avenue for up to 50 years and wanted to know what provisions have been made for them, while a store operator said it would cost him $42,000 per month just to park in front of his business place.
Questions of this nature are yet to be answered.
- Byron McDaniel
Vaz says no to resignation
PORTLAND:
Member of Parliament for West Portland, Daryl Vaz, said today that there is no truth to rumours that he has or intends to resign from his position.
Mr. Vaz said the rumour has been circulating in his West Portland constituency since the filing of an election petition by his opposing candidate in the recently held general election, Abe Dabdoub.
He said the rumours have intensified since both sides went before the Chief Justice yesterday.
Mr. Vaz has said he would continue to represent the people of West Portland as he was overwhelmingly elected to do. Malevolent legal manoeuvrings, he said, will not dissuade him from carrying out his many responsibilities as Member of Parliament.
- Contributed
Ministry officials address canal issue
ST. ELIZABETH:
Residents in Great Bay, St. Elizabeth, who have had their concerns over the long delay of the work on a canal, which is under construction in the area, were addressed by ministry officials who toured the site recently.
Present on the tour was hotelier and resident of Treasure Beach, Jason Henzell, who urged the authorities to speed up the work on the project to have the area in a more welcoming position for the start of the 2007/2008 winter tourism season which starts on December 15.
Milton Haddling, chief executive officer of the National Works Agency (NWA), said that some $21 million has been spent on the project so far, and upon completion the work is expected to cost $70 million. He assured the residents that as soon as the remaining portion of the funding is identified, they would be pleased with the completion of the canal.
Following the passage of Hurricane Ivan, several residents in the Great Bay area of Treasure Beach were flooded out and many had to abandon their homes and sought shelter with relatives and friends.
The canal is expected to alleviate flooding by draining excess water from the Great Pond as well as three other ponds, which are in the area into the sea.
- Rayon Dyer
Heaven backs privatisation
OCHO RIOS, ST. ANN:
Executive Chairman of the Sugar Industry Authority, Derrick Heaven, has expressed support for the privatisation of the local sugar industry.
Ambassador Heaven, who was recently returned to the post by the new government, wants to see the privatisation process beginning immediately.
Admitting that he was once a supporter of the public ownership of the sugar industry, Ambassador Heaven says based on his experience in the field he now supports the reverse.
He was speaking on Wednesday at the 70th annual conference of the Jamaica Association of Sugar Technologists in Ocho Rios, St. Ann.
- Devon Evans
UHWI receives over $5m of equipment
Patients and undergraduate medical students from the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) will be among the primary beneficiaries of medical equipment valuing over $5 million.
A presentation of the equipment was made to the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) department last Tuesday.
The donation was made by Food For the Poor, following a request by chairman of Wisynco Trading Company Ltd., Joseph Mahfood, who wanted to express his gratitude to the ENT Department for a successful operation he underwent at the facility recently.
The donation came in the form of endoscopic equipment, which is an instrument used to visually diagnose the interior and hollow areas of the body such as the ear, nose and throat.
- Contributed
Police investigate student murder
ST. ANN:
The St. Ann police are investigating the circumstances under which a student of the Ocho Rios High School was shot dead at the home of a licensed firearm holder on Thursday.
Thirteen-year-old Cardero DaCosta, also called Javar, from Lime Hall in St. Ann was the victim of the shooting incident.
The police say he was at the home of a friend in Lime Hall, whose father is a licensed firearm holder.
According to reports, an explosion was heard and when members of the household went to investigate, they found Javar lying on a bed in the master bedroom.
He had what appeared to be a gunshot wound to his body.
Javar was later pronounced dead.
The police say they seized a Remington 12-gauge shotgun from the scene.
- Devon Evans
Project Smiles launched
The Jamaica AIDS Support for Life (JASL) once again launched its four-year-old programme, Project Smiles on October 25.
The programme is committed to caring and empowering children, who are affected by HIV and AIDS. It seeks to provide them with educational assistance, clothing and other social amenities so they can become worthwhile citizens despite their circumstances.
This year the project is expected to raise at least $1 million for children who are infected or affected by the disease.
According to Rosie Stone, patron of the project, and who is also HIV positive, the initiative goes a far way in promoting support and commitment for children who are marginalised in many ways.
In order to help these children, please make your donation to the National Commercial Bank 351011947 or call 978-234
- Contributed
Abolition concert on tomorrow
SPANISH TOWN, ST. CATHERINE:
The 200th anniversary celebrations of the abolition of the slave trade continues tomorrow with a Trevor Beckford concert at the St. James Cathedral in Spanish Town, St. Catherine.
Beckford, an organ recitalist, will be assisted by the Cathedral Choir.
The event is also being used to continue celebrating Jamaica's 45th year of independence.
Concert time is 8:00 p.m., and patrons are being asked for a $600 contribution.
- Contributed
