A peaceful life for every Jamaican

Observer column published  MON 4 November 2019

by Jean Lowrie-Chin

The State of Emergency under which has been declared for some areas of Jamaica still leaves our decent citizens vulnerable.  We agree that it is necessary, but we are appealing for more ‘joined up Government’ to ensure greater safety for them.

An ancillary worker we know shared what had transpired the night before in the inner-city community where she lived.  A house in her community had been firebombed.

“They throw gas oil on the four corners of the house and light it, and then they shoot up around the house,” she said. “The grandmother and the four grandchildren living there escape by the grace of God. They had to throw the children over the fence. Pure gunshot all over the place. Lord God!”

“The children in the area going to school next morning just trembling like this,” she said, holding out her hands and shaking them. She said the area is under the current State of Emergency and luckily the police kept closer watch after the incident so she could finally have a reasonable night’s sleep, not diving under the bed repeatedly in response to the gunshots of previous nights.

We simply cannot allow our humble hardworking folk to continue living like this. Crime in lower income areas is dumbing down our country.  Children cannot thrive in sleepless fear, they cannot study if the previous night’s shooting leaves them shaking at their desks.

The ‘Jamaica Moves’ Campaign has caught on islandwide.  Now the ‘Live Good’ Campaign must be handled with the same enthusiasm and funding with input from every Government Ministry.  Further, every MP, political caretaker and parish must be called upon to be open and active in their condemnation of thuggery. They should also decide to spend less time on campaigning and more time serving their respective communities. That remains the best way to sway voters.

Since witnesses are fearful of giving information, there should be no delay in implementing the technology available to create the evidence required to bring criminals to justice.

Farewell Tarania ‘Plum Plum’ Clarke

When children grow up in troubled environs, they may adopt aggressive, violent ways, especially  if they do not receive guidance at home.  This may have been the case for that ‘friend’ of Reggae Girl Tarania ‘Plum Plum’ Clarke who stabbed her to death in an altercation over a cell phone.

Reggae Girls Coach Hue remembers how respectful 20-year-old Tarania was and the bright future that she had. She was Captain of the Waterhouse football club and was to take up a scholarship at the Daytona College in January of next year.

A social media post from sports reporter Karen Madden noted: “Plum Plum was a star from her Excelsior days. No surprise when she was drafted to Waterhouse & #ReggaeGirlz youth & senior programme. She got a huge break in recent Olympic Qualifiers & scored twice. A talented player & a nice girl. This is heartbreaking #RIPBalla #TaraniaClarke.”

What a sad loss.

Special Congrats Bruce James

When professionals share their comfortable lives with the less comfortable area of sports, the results can be magnificent. We saw that in a previous colum I wrote on Norman Peart, who relocated to Kingston to accommodate advanced training for a young Usain Bolt.

And so, we laud Bruce James, who was recently awarded the Order of Distinction ‘for sterling contribution to the development of sports in Jamaica, especially in track and field’. Bruce has a successful career in banking, but moved by the need for “a Jamaican post-high school training option for athletics as one did not exist” he, Stephen Francis, Paul Francis and David Noel decided to form MVP. Bruce notes, “Our goal then and now is to prove that Jamaican coaches, Jamaican managers and Jamaican facilities can develop Jamaican athletes to be the very best in the World.”

No doubt, MVP’s guidance has assisted in making one of their charges, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce a model of diligence, integrity and ambition for her fellow Jamaicans.

Bruce James shared, “My involvement in athletics started when I represented St. Andrew Preparatory School at Prep Champs. At Wolmer’s, my love for the sport was nurtured including being the Captain of the track team and earning an athletics scholarship to Florida State University (FSU). At FSU I earned my BSc and MBA and was also the Captain of the Track Team for FSU in my Senior year. Upon returning home I decided to give back to the school and sport that had given me so much by serving as the Manager of the Wolmer’s Boys’ School Track Team.”

It must have been a bitter-sweet moment for Bruce James and his daughters who last year lost their beloved wife and mother Pascale. Congratulations Bruce - stay strong.

Thalia Lyn – PSOJ Hall of Famer

Thalia Lyn’s colleagues of the International Women’s Forum were euphoric last Tuesday when we witnessed her induction into the PSOJ Hall of Fame. She is only the second woman, the first being Lorna Myers, to have been bestowed this honour.

Thalia’s many accomplishments as entrepreneur, diplomat and gender activist have been shared far and wide However, what stands out for me is Thalia’s and her husband Michael’s dedication to the upliftment of their fellow Jamaicans. These include projects for Mustard Seed, scholarship programmes, sponsorship of sporting events and their soup kitchen. They have set a fine example for their family members, including grandson Matthew Lyn, founder of the WIND Club which recently completed the building of five Food for the Poor homes in Jamaica.

Negril Chamber’s Recycling Project

The Negril Chamber of Commerce, led by Nola Stair, have taken the initiative to establish the Negril Recycling Centre in the Whitehall community. Wisynco kindly collects the large bags of plastics for recycling. The project had a setback due to fire, but the Digicel Foundation has stepped in to repair the building and provide electrical equipment for a planned glass-crushing machine. They will be able to get guidance from the New Horizons Outreach Ministries in St. Catherine whose recycling programme has yielded beautiful tiles and counter-tops. The Negril Chamber is looking forward to having the plant’s electrical connection up and running, so we are asking JPS if they would expedite – this will result in more employment for residents of the area.

Evening with Spain’s Carmen Paris

Accompanied on piano by Uruguayan musician Diego Ebbeler and on percussion by the renowned Madrid-Parisian musician Jorge Tejerina, the award-winning Carmen Paris sang and danced her way into the hearts of Jamaican audiences in Kingston and Montego Bay. Gratitude to Ambassador Josep María Bosch Bessa, Embassy of Spain, the Spanish-Jamaican Foundation and TSK for their sponsorship of this free concert.
Please read Emma Lewis’ excellent review of the concert headlined “Carmen Paris: Her Voice Conquered Us” - https://petchary.wordpress.com/2019/10/26/carmen-paris-her-voice-conquered-us/ .

lowriechin@aim.com

www.lowrie-chin.blogspot.com