Mark Beckford, Gleaner Writer

Scores of young men spent New Year's Eve gambling at Mandela Park in Half-Way Tree, amid the sporadic sounds and smell of firecrackers.

The scenes Monday night were in contrast with those of a year earlier when a church service was held in the park to welcome the New Year. This time around there were at least 20 gambling sites in and around the park.

Crown and anchor boards, dice games and three-card games could be seen attracting those who were willing to try their luck in the last two hours of 2007.

'Jeff', a crown and anchor proprietor, offered good odds when approached by The Gleaner and said the game was what he used to earn an extra dollar.

"Church is a thing weh mi attend all the time, God always in my heart, mi nuh necessarily haffi go tonight," he said.

A challenging year

Martin Thomas, one of the many young men who were indulging in the night's festivities, said 2007 had been a challenging year for him and he was looking forward to 2008. His gambling, however, was his way of having fun in the final hours of the year.

"Mi know seh a lot of people are in church tonight and it might look a way seh we out yah a play game, but a just some vibes we a build, it is not like I do this regular."

Away from the den of gamblers and farther up the road at the Bethel Baptist Church, persons sat inside and out of the church singing, reading scriptures and ringing in the New Year.

Mahlon Johnson, a churchgoer, said watchnight service has become a tradition for him.

"Ever since I was younger, I have always rung in the New Year at church, as I believe you must start the New Year with God as it will lead to a productive year."

Tanya Edwards, another churchgoer said that, while 2007 was challenging, she was looking forward to the New Year and urged all of Jamaica to seek God. She even had a special word for the media in relation to Jamaica's biggest problem, crime and violence.

"I think crime is a big issue and we need to start somewhere to stop the crime rate, and I think it has to begin with the media who needs to put less highlight on crime and put (out) good news."

mark.beckford@gleanerjm.com