|
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Water Crisis in Negril
Sunday, April 9, 2017
Jamaica Education Enrichment Kudos
 |
| State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green (right), in discussion with United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director, Maura Barry-Boyle (left) and Chairman of the Digicel Foundation, Jean Lowrie-Chin, during the handing over of the Enrichment Initiative to the Education Ministry on March 22 at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in Kingston. The programme seeks to improve literacy in all primary schools. - JIS photo by Melroy Sterling |
Excerpt from Jamaica Observer column - 3 April 2017
The recent finale of the
four-year Education Enrichment in 104 primary schools throughout Jamaica,
demonstrates the power of partnership. The Ministry of Education,
Digicel Foundation and the USAID came together to create enrichment rooms in
these schools, targeting the slower learners with the use of information
technology and colourful visuals.
As USAID Mission
Director Maura Barry Boyle noted, “The programme has impacted over 43,000
students, 6,000 parents and more than 200 teachers and principals
combined. We are proud of this achievement. Due to our
collective effort, Jamaica’s literacy rate at the Grade 4 level now exceeds the
Ministry’s national target of 85%.”
State Minister in the
Ministry of Education, Information and Youth Floyd Green, remarked on the 99
Parent Places where parents are trained to assist their children’s
learning. “The Parent Places fulfil a dual role by providing a space
for parents … allowing them to have a physical presence in the school.”
At the event, we were
impressed with the various learning aids on display, including the innovative
BookFusion which gives free access to children’s books
online. Technology is opening new paths for our children, and it is
significant that slow-learning boys have responded positively to the new
methods in the enrichment centres.
- Jean Lowrie-Chin (honoured to be Chairman of the Digicel Jamaica Foundation)
The Alan Magnus Effect
by Jean Lowrie-Chin
Excerpt from Observer column - 3rd April 2017
 |
| Alan with his dear Kerry and friends at farewell event |
 |
| RJR Group CEO Gary Allen presents a cheque to the phenomenal Alan Magnus |
 |
| Dorraine Samuels had fond and funny memories of their morning radio escapades! |
 |
| Marie Garth flew in looking as chic as ever! |
We can relate to Minister Ruel Reid’s
recollection that ‘Calypso Corner’ was his signal to have all in place to set
out by 7am as a student, and the cheerful voice that gave him an upbeat start to
each day. It takes a generous heart to know that whatever the
environment, people need to know that life does indeed have a bright side to
strengthen their coping skills. We are all in Alan Magnus’ debt for
his gentle humour, a comfort zone in which we could prepare for whatever the
day would bring.
It was wonderful to get together with other
radio legends Marie Garth, Radcliffe Butler, Don Topping, Norma Brown-Bell and
Ralston Smith to honour Alan. His voice remains ever young, and will
still be heard. We hope his daughter author Kellie Magnus will write
his rich history. Thank you for your over four decades of service
Alan Magnus – have a wonderful retirement with your beloved wife Kerry and
family!
Our people deserve better
Jamaica Observer column by Jean Lowrie-Chin
published 3 April 2017
The countries dubbed the
happiest in the world are those which provide solid social services for their
citizens. This does not come at an easy cost but as one of my friends
from Norway told me, “I pay my taxes with a smile!' Svein says he is
assured that his children will be able to grow up in a nurturing environment
and that as he and his wife age, there will be health and other services to
support them.
Unfortunately, those of
us in Jamaica who are called upon to pay dramatically increased property and
other taxes, cannot look forward to such benefits from the State. Having made
such an inspiring Budget presentation, this is a time for our Prime Minister to
lead the charge for a new political will. This would reassure the
Jamaican people that their taxes are being used to run an efficient public
service. It is Jamaica’s obese public service which homeowners are now being
asked to finance to the detriment of the country’s financial well-being.
Most of these homeowners have mortgages to pay, and many are elderly pensioners
who can barely find the funds for the upkeep of their homes.
Last week this column
quoted some encouraging sections from the Prime Minister’s Budget presentation
in which he outlined plans for creating employment and making more young people
employable. However, the Prime Minister and his colleagues in Cabinet cannot be
deaf to the outcry of their people who have financial, security, health and environmental
challenges. Honest, hardworking citizens have become prisoners in their own
homes. Even if wealthier folks can afford the many safety devices on the
market, how will businesses continue to operate if they now resort to online
shopping for fear of being robbed in public places.
From whence did these
criminals spring? The decades-long alliances of both JLP and PNP politicians
with unsavoury individuals developed into gangs they could no longer control.
What a great day it would be if MPs and Parish Councillors took a visible,
active role in being agents of peace and justice. They are a sizeable team for
2.7 million citizens – 63 Members of Parliament and 224 Parish
Councillors. What a great boost it would be for our Jamaica Constabulary
Force if they knew that they could rely on every single politician in this
country to help preserve the peace though fostering neighbourhood watch
programmes. The cynical “safe seat formula” continues to put fear in the
hearts of residents of certain areas who still cannot safely cross a street
dividing communities along party lines.
If these leaders had to
operate without personal security detail, they would probably be more sensitive
to the terror that is being visited on our communities, deeply affecting our
elderly.
In the meanwhile, I have
to thank the security companies who have offered our members of our Senior’s
organization CCRP discounts on security systems. They are: Guardsman,
Hawkeye and King Alarm. I am appealing to those who have elderly relatives
to sit with them, examine their environment and work out a safety plan for
them. Ensure that emergency numbers are posted at strategic points and
that they are entered in their mobile phones for quick response. We have
to also try to be the eyes and ears for our neighbours, as it seems that no
community, rich or poor, is immune.
There are so many good
citizens who have given and are still giving of their all for their country.
Let them not be discouraged by so many obstacles, many of which can be removed
by a new resolve for good governance in sphere of public life.
Friday, March 31, 2017
A futurist, a PM, a path for Jamaica
Jamaica Observer column by Jean Lowrie-Chin - published MON 27 March 2017
 |
| Edie Weiner - JIS photo |
Ten years ago, she says her high calibre clients were
so impressed by her guidance, that they wondered how she was getting it so
right. She explained that her team uses
30 different thought processes to arrive at their recommendations. Learn more at www.thefuturehunters.com.
Most important of all, she says, is to recognize your ‘educated
incapacity’, as you can “know so much about what you already know that you are
not looking outside”. She observed that educated
people having acquired so much knowledge, that they hang on to it like an
expensive piece of luggage. This is
backward, as she pointed out that while we are hanging on to these brand-name
“bags”, someone is racing into the future with their futuristic “backpacks”.
 |
| PM Holness with business leader Richard Byles |
While these are great plans, we should heed Edie
Weiner’s warnings that the rapid advance of technology is creating
disruption. She noted that what was
described as a recession in the early 90s was actually a result of the new
disruptive technology. “This was not a recession,” she said, “it was a
fundamental global revolution”.
She says, when asked the question “what should
children be studying now to be assured of employment?” her answer is that they
should become plumbers, electricians and stone masons. Weiner urged an emphasis
on critical thinking in education, stating, “In the future no one will be
paying for “smart”. They will pay for the intelligence that enables you to
figure out things that you have never seen before.”
Our
‘unattached youth’
Weiner’s advice should be taken on board, as the
Government develops the Employment aspect of their commendable HOPE
Programme. “It is estimated that there
is a pool of approximately 120,000 to 130,000 young persons between 15 and 24
years of age who are not in school, not in a programme of training, and are
unemployed,” noted PM Holness. “While a considerable portion of the unattached
would have other institutions, which keep them engaged and supported, such as
their family, their church, community activities or sports, a significant
proportion of them have no structure, order or guidance in their life.”
“Many of them
would not be in institutions long enough to develop character and good
citizenship, positive attitudes and skills to assist them in negotiating the
challenges of life,” said the Prime Minister. “We see them on the street
corners every day when we are going to work and we see them at the same place
when we are coming home. They are at
home every day becoming increasingly hopeless and frustrated … These are the most
productive years in the human lifecycle and we cannot afford to lose the
productive value of our human resource. This is also the age group that is most
affected by crime and violence.” With so many unattached youth, we should not
wonder at the mindlessness and cruelty of recent crimes; the tragedy at
Monteith’s, a respected landmark on Mountain View Avenue is horrifying. I
believe we should incentivise more students to become social workers.
We have seen the transformation of such communities as
Grant’s Pen and Trench Town when young people have been offered training to
make them employable. Being sensitive to their immediate needs, when we led the
partnership of the Stella Maris Foundation with HEART/NTA, we established the
Norma Chang Daycare Centre so that young women could have a safe place to leave
their children while they attended classes.
As we consider Weiner’s reminder that the fastest
period for brain growth is between 0 to 3 years old, we congratulate the
previous and current Boards of the Early Childhood Commission in the Ministry
of education led by Professor Maureen Samms-Vaughan and Trisha Williams-Singh. Both women continue to collaborate as they
have a healthy respect for what each brings to the table: academic understanding of the issues, and
sound organisational skills. Thus, the certification of early childhood
institutions is being accelerated to give those precious young minds every
chance for healthy development.
The Prime Minister noted that several educational
bodies would be merged. “The services would be more effective, have greater
reach and enroll more numbers if they were streamlined and coordinated. The
government has therefore decided to merge HEART Trust/NTA, the NYS, JFLL, and
the Apprenticeship Board in to a single entity,” he said. The streamlining of
technology for the public sector should promote greater efficiency at less cost
for this and other such mergers.
Let’s drop that expensive but burdensome baggage of
old thinking – we have Bolt as our symbol of the world-beating speed we can
achieve with our own homegrown talent and strategic application.
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Governor-General Inspires Knox College
 |
Students of Knox College direct The Governor-General’s attention
to a display from the Science Club. Mrs Dorothy Miller, Board Chairperson of the Knox Group of Schools and Mr Alexander
Borne, Principal of Knox College, look on.
|
Speaking at his annual school tour designed to coincide with the institution's 70th anniversary celebration on Thursday March 23, 2017, His Excellency told a packed auditorium at the Spalding based campus that, "many person's achievements were born out of difficult periods when they decided that they must defy the odds and succeed."
In emphasizing the importance of education, The Governor-General told his rapt audience that it is the most important acquisition for young people to move from poverty and ignorance to a
position of influence.
"Today is a demonstration of the 'Culture of Excellence' that is being nurtured here, and I applaud the teachers for helping to ingrain that keen sense of corporate social responsibility in each student," The Governor-General also observed.
Highlighting the success of Abrahim Simmonds, a Governor-General - I Believe Initiative (IBI) Ambassadors and this year's Queen's Young Leader Awardee for Jamaica, His Excellency shared how Abrahim is inspiring and energizing communities through his own
Governor-General endorsed youth empowerment initiative, JAYECAN.
"Tap into useful and reliable resources in your teachers, parents and mentors…Be an IBIAmbassadors and help to spread positive values and "gleams of hope all across our country," Sir Patrick Allen encouraged the students.
Also explaining the formation of a pearl which is the result of agitation and irritation, The Governor-General reassured students that, at Knox, "your pearl within is being formed."
"There is no reason you who have sight, brain, hands and feet - cannot do well regardless of any challenge that you face," The Governor-General stated.
In the wide-ranging address The Governor-General also urged students to be more careful in their environments, and parents and teacher to be more protective of the children in light of the
recent abduction of women and children.
"It is everybody's business to 'shun the negatives' within homes, schools, communities and even our churches," Sir Patrick Allen charged.
Meanwhile, Mr. Alexander Borne, Principal of Knox College shared his elation about the The Governor-General's seminal visit and tour of the institution at a time when they are 'Celebrating
Excellence, Inspiring the Future.'
The occasion was attended by government officials, business leaders and stakeholders of education.
For More Information, Contact:
Ms. Sonja Simms
Press Secretary
Office of the Governor- General and Staff
King's House, Jamaica
1-876- 927-6827/ 550-9460 /564-8043
CCRP Skills Bank for Retirees
The Caribbean Community if Retired Persons - CCRP - has a Skills Bank as we know that our Seniors have so much to offer. Below is our latest mail to members:
|
|
Jean Lowrie-Chin JP MA
Executive Chairman
PROComm | PRODEV | CCRP
Phoenix Central | 2 Phoenix Ave
Kingston 10 | JAMAICA WI
P 876 665 5025 | M 876 381 5158
www.procomm.com.jm
www.ccrponline.org
www.lowrie-chin.blogspot.com
Executive Chairman
PROComm | PRODEV | CCRP
Phoenix Central | 2 Phoenix Ave
Kingston 10 | JAMAICA WI
P 876 665 5025 | M 876 381 5158
www.procomm.com.jm
www.ccrponline.org
www.lowrie-chin.blogspot.com
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Portia Simpson Miller’s historic journey
 |
| Most Hon Portia Simpson Miller |
Observer
column published 20 March 2017
by Jean Lowrie-Chin
Portia Simpson Miller’s budget presentation
last week was in fact a fond farewell. What a journey she has had – serving for
over 40 years as Member of Parliament of South West St. Andrew, a constituency
of serious challenges, the type that women politicians tend to inherit. It took
courage for young Councillor Portia Simpson to step up and campaign to become a
parliamentarian, and even more to seek the presidency of the People’s National
Party. This column has commented on her exciting career and so today we share
excerpts.
From
‘The People Said Portia’ – January 2012
Hearty congratulations to that seasoned campaigner
Portia Simpson Miller, president of the People's National Party (PNP) …When G2K
copied media an urgent letter protesting a delay by a television station in
carrying an anti-Portia ad, I wrote back, "Enough is enough"… Malcolm
Gladwell, that gifted writer with Jamaican roots, said that to excel at
anything you need to do it 10,000 times. That is why our most memorable mentors
are the seniors in our lives. That is why one should never underestimate the
political clout of that grassroots veteran Portia Simpson Miller.
… And so, as Portia Simpson Miller ascended the stage at PNP headquarters last Thursday night, flashing her famous smile, and hugging her candidates one after the other, we saw a woman practiced in the way of politics, hitting all the right notes and ensuring that there was "no piece of paper" in her hand.
She started with a well-known Bible verse. Then the DJ played Tony Rebel's song, "Mind what yu say to yu sister, she could be the next prime minister" … She thanked among many, "Comrade PJ Patterson", her helper Marva and Andrew Holness who had called to congratulate her, saying that "he was very gracious". She referred to the welcome sight we saw more of in this than any other previous election, "PNP supporters in orange and JLP supporters in their green hugging in friendly rivalry".
From ‘Dream realised’ - 5 September
2016
Portia Simpson Miller is not simply the
Leader of the Opposition, or the President of the People’s National Party. She is the fulfilled dream of thousands of
Jamaican women, who saw this humble girl from Woodhall, St. Catherine, rise
through the political ranks to become the first female Prime Minister of
Jamaica. She is the young girl who grew up to have a fairy-tale wedding, her
wedding dress floating royally on the lawns of the University Chapel as she
married one of Jamaica’s most respected business executives Errald Miller.
Now that she has entered this challenging
phase of her political career, let us tread softly as we tread not only on her
extraordinary career, but also on the dreams of thousands of humble Jamaican
women. Their utterances of support over
the past week are not simply blind political ‘followership’; they are a call
for respect for a woman who rose through the patriarchal ranks of
politics.
As we have heard women leaders here and
abroad reflect on their challenges, we realise how difficult it is for those of
us who ‘hold up half the sky’ to ascend to these high seats of office. I am not excusing any of the shortcomings of
our leaders. However, it is interesting
the level of scrutiny to which women leaders are subject compared to their male
counterparts. Think on these things.
From
“What is Mrs Simpson Miller’s next move?” - 5 December 2016
We have watched her rise from humble KSAC
Councillor to Prime Minister of Jamaica.
Portia Simpson Miller has cut an impressive figure in line-ups of
regional and global leaders, and has scored a double-page in Time Magazine as
one of their personalities of the year.
Her visceral political campaigning has made her a hero to her followers
and the fear of her opponents.
… As Hillary Clinton will attest, and
nearer to home, Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange, the road for women in politics is that
much narrower and rougher. In this
male-dominated field of endeavour, women must not only match up to those
qualities expected of men in power, but they must also become the pious mother
as well as the fashion plate imposed by the glamour media on women. Owning campaign platforms with her strong
voice, becoming ‘Mama P’ to her constituents and striding out in impeccable
suits, Portia Simpson Miller was able to accomplish more than any other
Jamaican woman politician. She ascended
to the presidency of the PNP, retaining the position despite several
challenges, and served as Prime Minister twice.
Women
who choose politics as a career are very brave indeed, and clearly Portia
Simpson Miller is one of our bravest. Still, this year marks her 40th
Anniversary as a Member of Parliament, and her tenth as PNP President. Before
the applause stops and the harsh criticisms escalate, we believe that it would
be a good time for Mrs Simpson Miller to resign from the PNP presidency, and
representational politics. She will
quickly be forgiven for those lapses of temper, and her many other accomplishments
will position her as a stateswoman and an icon of feminist determination.
…
May she take this decision to prayer, and know that her place in history as
Jamaica’s first woman Prime Minister is a very special and lasting one.
And today … Salute!
We
salute Portia Simpson Miller. Her Budget
presentation was indeed presidential, and the standing ovation from both sides
of the House, affirmed her undisputed stature. May she have a long and happy
retirement, in the knowledge that she has made her mark, not only on the
political landscape of Jamaica, but on our national consciousness. Her life’s work is a message to all Jamaican
women and girls: “Yes, you can”.
Thursday, March 16, 2017
MAJ comments on Health Insurance Tax
March 16, 2017
RELEASE FROM THE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION OF JAMAICA
Universal Health Care is a concept that forms an important part of any nation's push towards prosperity. The removal of any impediment to the average citizen's access to health care is vital. It is a goal that is endorsed by the World Health Organization. Jamaica recognized this and in 2008, user fees were completely removed in all public health facilities (except the University Hospital of the West Indies).
RELEASE FROM THE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION OF JAMAICA
 |
| Dr Myrton Smith President, Medical Association of Jamaica |
Universal Health Care is a concept that forms an important part of any nation's push towards prosperity. The removal of any impediment to the average citizen's access to health care is vital. It is a goal that is endorsed by the World Health Organization. Jamaica recognized this and in 2008, user fees were completely removed in all public health facilities (except the University Hospital of the West Indies).
While we endorse the concept, we recognize our limitations in terms of our ability as a nation to afford 'free health care" for everyone. With less than 4% of GDP spent annually on the health sector, the financing of healthcare in Jamaica remains suboptimal.
One strategy utilized by many countries is to have national health insurance schemes that force persons to contribute to a health insurance policy when they are well, so that when they are ill, they can be taken care of. Jamaica currently has no such national health insurance scheme. It was an important part of the manifesto of the current government that such a plan would be launched. Not much has been heard recently about the status of the plans for this scheme.
Private health insurance, either through group or individual policies, represents an important means of allowing persons to have access to quality health care. It is estimated that currently only around 25 – 30% of Jamaicans have private health insurance. We are concerned that the government's move to apply GCT to health insurance premiums will drive up the cost of insurance, with the risk that many persons will be unable to afford it. Alternatively, persons may have to review and revise their coverage options and become underinsured.
We anticipate that more persons will flock to the already overburdened public healthcare facilities. The thought that employers will volunteer to bear the costs related to the payment of GCT is at best erroneous and at worst disingenuous. The government as a major employer and a large purchaser of group health insurance has a track record of passing on increases in premiums on to the employees. This is what they have done over the years to the medical doctors. Why then would we expect that the government will behave differently with this new tax or that other employers would be any more willing to absorb the cost.
We are particularly concerned about the impact that this will have on the management of major killers such as non-communicable diseases like cancer. Cancer treatment in the public sector is woefully suboptimal with recurrent shortages in chemotherapy drugs and long waiting times for access to outmoded radiotherapy. It is often private health insurance that allows many persons to access chemotherapy and radiotherapy in the private sector. What will happen to those who are forced to opt out of health insurance?
We still await the promised introduction of the linear accelerators at St. Josephs' Hospital and the troubled Cornwall Regional Hospital, both of which should have been operational by February of 2017.
With the introduction of additional financial burdens on Jamaicans in need of health care, it is a good time for the government to unveil how they plan to improve the delivery of health care to all Jamaicans. There is the need to fast track changes that will make a positive impact.
Dr. Myrton Smith
PRESIDENT
Medical Association of Jamaica
946-1105-7
Sister Mary Paschal – what a life!
Jamaica Observer
column published 6 March 2017
by Jean Lowrie-Chin
 |
| Sister Mary Paschal Figueroa, addressing the Congregation at the celebration of her 80th Anniversary as a Sister of Mercy last August. |
In this week celebrating International
Women’s Day, we visit the legendary Sr. Mary Paschal Figueroa, a Religious
Sister of Mercy, whose life started with the end of World War I in 1918. When we arrive at the Claver Home for retired
nuns at Mount Mercy, in the cool hills of Widcombe, St. Andrew, she pushes her
wheeled walker to meet me and says with a twinkle, “Do you like my BMW?”
 |
| Archbishop Kenneth Richards - photo from Loop Jamaica |
It is remarkable that out of her resolve
to make the once all-girls school co-educational, despite many protests, two of
the outstanding male graduates that emerged are Prime Minister Andrew Holness
and Roman Catholic Archbishop of Kingston Most Rev. Kenneth Richards.
Sister Paschal chuckles as she relates that
one day, a teacher sent four boys to her office to be disciplined but when she
saw that one of them was the well-behaved Kenneth Richards, she said to him,
“You are a good boy, you can go back to the classroom,” and then lectured the
other three. The beloved educator is grateful that it was at St. Catherine High
that Prime Minister Holness and his wife, Member of Parliament Mrs. Juliet
Holness met, and said that he had called her recently.
Last
year as Sr. Paschal planned her 80th Anniversary Mass, she requested
that Archbishop Richards be the chief celebrant. When the Archbishop explained that he had to
attend a Conference in Martinique, Sr. Paschal would have none of it. So the Archbishop respectfully acquiesced,
travelling for an entire day to return on time. She speaks glowingly of
Archbishop Ken and his wonderful family whom she regards as her good friends.
 |
| Statue of Christopher Columbus in Colon, Panama |
When Elise, as she was called, was 13, her
mother, a Convent of Mercy ‘Alpha’ Academy graduate, decided that her daughter
should attend this excellent school in Jamaica also. After a tearful embrace
with her mother in 1931, she became a boarder at the Academy and was inspired
by the dedicated Sisters of Mercy who taught and cared for their students.
Elise Figueroa enjoyed those Alpha days,
and activities with St. George’s College students. The lovely, witty Elise
attracted the attention of several young men, one in particular was very good
at sports and would give her all his prizes.
He was quite disappointed when she told him of her life-changing
decision.
After sitting the Senior Cambridge examinations
in 1935, Elise felt drawn to the convent.
She was encouraged in her vocation by Sr. Marie Therese Watson of the
famous Watson family. (Sister Marie
Therese’s nephew is Merrick Needham) and Jesuit priest Fr. Fred Berrigan. She
wrote her parents in Panama to say that she would have something very important
to tell them when she returned home at Christmas.
When she told them, her father said “If
God wants my one girl, I am happy to give her to God,” and her mother was in
full agreement.
 |
| St Peter Claver |
She
took a ship back to Jamaica stopping in Cartagena where she visited the place
where St.
Peter Claver, a Jesuit priest who reached out slaves, had lived and worked. She
said this priest would attend to the sad and hurt Africans as they came off the
slave ships in Cartagena, comforting and washing their wounds. It was that
Saint’s name which was taken by the founder of Alpha, Jessie Ripoll, when she
became a Sister of Mercy.
When
Mrs. Figueroa handed over 18-year-old daughter to Mother Superior Vianney of
the Sisters of Mercy, the nun did not encourage a long farewell. “It is time to say goodbye,” she said after a
few short minutes. The mother and daughter held each other and cried.
“I
knew that I would not be able to see my family for a very long time because we were not even allowed early visits
although we were allowed to write to each other so it was very sad,” said Sr.
Paschal. “I had an aunt who lived at
Emerald Road who I was able to visit from time to time in the company of
another nun. When I went to visit my brother in California, again accompanied
by a Sister of Mercy, I was instructed that I could eat there but not at the
same table as the family.”
A
few years ago, her St Catherine High Alumni hosted her and Sister Mimi on a
trip to the US where they honoured her for the life-changing improvements she
made at the school, including a machine shop for metal work, an agricultural programme,
and the formation of football, basketball, cricket and netball teams.
Sister
harked back to her earlier days as an educator, first at her alma mater, and
then at a school in Seaforth Town in St. Elizabeth, where a very strict priest,
Fr. Kemple controlled the electric lights.
When she arrived there for the first time, he switched off the lights
before she could ascend the convent steps. Luckily the resident nun emerged to
guide her by candlelight.
She
said that her trip to St. Elizabeth was eventful. Father Louis Genier had given her a lift, and
on the way, their two suitcases fell out of the car. By the time they were
alerted, only Fr. Grenier’s suitcase was found.
To this day, she wonders what the thieves did with her two long black
gowns and veils.
She
said that her next assignment was at Mt. St. Joseph Academy in Mandeville where
they had boarders from Cuba, Venezuela and Haiti. However they was only one radio so they had a
strict time-table so that each set of boarders could listen to the news from
their respective countries. She said
that the parents of the girls considered their graduation very significant and
brought beautiful gowns.
It
was between assignments that Sr. Paschal attended Our Lady of Cincinnati
College where she gained an Education Degree majoring in Science and
Spanish.
Retirement
from education was no time for rest, as then Archbishop Lawrence Burke had
noted Sister Paschal’s administrative skills, and assigned her to run the
deteriorating St. Joseph’s Hospital. In
that first year 1988, hurricane Gilbert hit.
She remembers seeing the rooftop fly from the Consie Walters Hospice and
settle on the Operating Theatre. She
arranged a quick rescue of the patients.
To
her surprise, she saw coming up the hospital driveway a grocer, Al Brady,
pushing a deep freeze. He said he had
bought a lot of fresh meat recently, had no electricity and was begging her to
allow him to use her generator to save.
She allowed him to keep his products there for two weeks and says “to
this day, he has never forgotten. Every
Christmas he brings me a valuable gift.”
Sister believes in preserving relationships and when I was with her, her
cell phone rang several times with friends checking on her.
Because
of her failing eyesight, one of her long time Alpha students has sent her a
‘talking watch’ and she showed me how you press a button to hear the time and
another for the date. Sr. Paschal is up
there with technology. “I am going for the hundred you know my dear,” she says
and we believe she is well on her way there.
I
asked this inspiring 98-year-old what advice could she give us to face life’s
many challenges. Her response: “For me, I saw every change and every request as
God’s will. Don’t ever be afraid because
God is always believing in you, encouraging you and supporting you.”
Jamaica getting well-tuned
Excerpt from Observer
column published 20 FEB 2017
by Jean Lowrie-Chin
Garfene
Grandison posted a query in social media about the heavy traffic in the
Corporate Area since the beginning of the year.
My response was that I was hearing and seeing growing interest in
Jamaica. The latest Don Anderson Business
Confidence Survey indicates a positive outlook from businesses and high
expectations from consumers.
 |
| Bank of Jamaica Governor Brian Wynter |
We are able to track the facts and figures on
national development via regular reports from The Economic Growth Council, The
Economic Programme Oversight Committee and The Public Sector Transformation
Oversight Committee. Only last week, Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) Governor Brian
Wynter announced that Jamaica is one of the first countries in the world, and
the first in the Caribbean which will have an IMF-approved National Summary
Data Page (NSDP).
A Business Observer report quoted the BOJ Governor: “This
display of greater transparency and accountability, this structured effort, is
itself of great interest to international rating agencies and others, and will
contribute to better credit ratings for the country.”
The Jamaican stock market
has been on a bull run since the start of the year, and the BPO sector is
expanding rapidly. Let us never forget
those matriarchs and patriarchs who have set us on this dynamic trajectory,
including such legends as Chris Blackwell, Hyacinth Chen, Glen Christian,
Oliver Clarke, Karl Hendrickson, Audrey Hinchcliffe, Dennis Lalor, Lorna Myers, Peter
McConnell, Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, the late greats Carlton Alexander, Gladstone
Chang, Joan Duncan, Maurice Facey, Rose Leon, Fred Kennedy, Paco Kennedy and
Saleem Mahfood. If we start calling the
names of their younger family members and the new stars of enterprise, this
column would run out of space. Suffice it to say that an energetic generation
of entrepreneurs is making its mark.
Let us study these successful
journeys to plan our own path to prosperity.
Stay tuned to business news and read those financial supplements
carefully. The Jamaica Stock Exchange website has links to all the listed
companies. Never has information been so accessible.
Now that we are opening
this new path of data-powered strategy and transparency, the risk of being
damaged by corrupt practices has been minimized. It is an excellent time to venture out, using
your education and talents to create opportunities for yourself and others.
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Income Tax Filing Deadline Extended
The following was shared with me by Allison Peart of Ernst & Young.
Tax Administration Jamaica wishes to advise that the deadline to file Final Income Tax Returns for year of assessment 2016 and Estimated Returns for year of assessment 2017 has been extended until Saturday March 25, 2017. Business Owners, Self-Employed persons, Partnerships, Companies and Employed Individuals with other sources of income or multiple employment, will now have until then to file their returns before the interest and penalties are applied.
Taxpayers will be able to file on or before the extended deadline to avoid the $5,000 monthly penalty charged for late returns. With tax season drawing to a close persons are strongly advised to file and pay before the extended due date to avoid the expected higher than normal last minute rush.
Free tax support will be available at select Tax Offices this and every Saturday up until the end of April at the following locations:
- Constant Spring
- Montego Bay
- Spanish Town
- May Pen
- Mandeville
- Savanna-la-mar
- St. Ann's Bay
The Portmore Tax Office will continue its regular Saturday opening.
A schedule of these and all remaining Special Taxpayer Assistance Programme (STAP) sessions is available at www.jamaicatax.gov.jm. Here, TAJ representatives will assist persons with the preparation of their tax returns, to include providing guidance on completing the revised Income Tax forms.
Taxpayers who wish to make the most of the free service are being asked to take with them all business related documents, including their Taxpayer Registration Number (TRN), bank statements, purchase invoices, receipts, sales records, utility bills, wage records and any other records that can be used to verify income and expenses.
For further information call the Tax Administration Customer Care Centre at 1-888-Tax-Help (1-888-829-4357) or visit the websitewww.jamaicatax.gov.jm.
END"
Leighton St. A. Beckles l Communications Officer
Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) l Communications Unit
Head Office l 4th Floor PCJ Building l 36 Trafalgar Road l Kingston 10
Landline: (876) 922-8750 l Mobile: (876) 838-3953 l Fax: (876) 754-9593
Email: leighton.beckles@taj.gov.jm lcommunications@taj.gov.jm
Customer Care Centre: 1-888-TAX-HELP (829-4357) ltaxhelp@taj.gov.jm
Website: www.jamaicatax.gov.jm l Twitter:@jamaicatax l Facebook:www.facebook.com/jamaicatax
TAJ - Changing The Way We Do Business
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)