Is There Hope For Bethany, Manchester, Jamaica?

By Basil Fletcher, Jamaica W.I.

Contents
Contents..................................................................................................................... 2 Introduction............................................................................................................. 2 Collateral damage is acceptable..........................................................................8 A family man, a mentor, a stalwart......................................................................9 Extracts From The Jamaica Observer ...................................................................19

Introduction
This compilation of articles from the Daily Gleaner and the Jamaica Observer, was done with a single objective in mind, namely to see to what extent there is any form of leadership in Bethany, Manchester, Jamaica. One is forced to ask this question for the following reasons:1. The walls of both the Bethany Moravian Church and its century are falling bit by bit, stone by stone, yet it seems beyond the ability of the Church and its members to see to its repairs. 2. There is a relatively high level of unemployment and under employment in a community rich with resources, yet there is no one to show how the available can be put to use to reduce the levels of unemployment and under employment.

3. There are members of the community with a need for suitable affordable housing, in a community rich with building material, but there is no one around to show how the material available could be used to construct socially acceptable affordable housing. 4. There is a frighteningly high level of female unemployment, but there is no one to lead the search for a solution or solutions to these problems. 5. A simple observation of the teeth of many of the residents, shows that there is a level of calcium deficiency caused by the high dependence of harvested rain water coupled with a low intake of dairy products or eggs in a community with countless goats. This lack of leadership is in part due to the failure of the Bethany Moravian Church, the failure of traditional leaders which in the past was drawn from both the Morgans and Glanville s families. Today these sources of leadership appears to have lost confidence in themselves, in their ability to lead, in their ability to make representation and their ability to contribute to the further development of the community. The compilation shows, among other things, that the Bethany community once produced enough leaders to serve its own needs and to export. Today, there is an urgent need to find out why has the community cease to produce the type of leaders it did in the past. This is critically important, because no form of economic or social development can take place in an absence of leadership. More damming, the compilation is a record of who have contributed and who have not. The Bethany Moravian church, the Morgans and Glanvilles families, must be listed among those who have failed to step up to the plate and provide the type of leadership expected of them. The question of today is:- Is there hope for Bethany, in Manchester? The Bethany Moravian Church, the Morgans family and the Glanvilles family through their activities in conjunction with the community will supply the answer to this question. Our parents and grandparents looks down at us with utter disgust. Basil Fletcher, Jamaica

The Daily Gleaner

Vincent Clarke's hard work pays off

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Published: Saturday | February 4, 2012 4 Comments

Vincent Clarke - Photo by Dave Lindo 12> Dave Lindo, Gleaner Writer MILE GULLY, Manchester: MILE GULLY businessman Vincent Clarke's life is a living testament that through hard work and proper planning, you can achieve your goals in life. Clarke operates the Petcom gas station in Mile Gully, which is the popular stop for motorists in that section of Manchester. Clarke was born and grew up in the farming community of Bethany in Manchester. There, he attended the Bethany Elementary School. After leaving elementary school, his parents couldn't afford to send him to high school, so he started early trying to make a living on his own. "After leaving school, I got a job with a man who I worked with for 10 months. After that, I got my driver's licence and bought a car," Clarke related. "I was able to buy the car from my savings. I had developed the principle of saving from school days, and that has helped me throughout my life." Clarke used the car to operate a taxi service as well as to do odd jobs. He also ventured into farming, which was the main livelihood of the people in his community. "I always had the ambition to own things, to have my own business. First property
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"At age 22, I bought my first property in Devon - a house on a five-acre property. That was again from my savings," Clarke disclosed. Again, through disciplined saving, he was able to buy another property in Kingston at the age of 25. In the early 1960s, he worked as a contractor with The Gleaner Company and serviced areas in Manchester, Trelawny, and St Elizabeth. He later bought a truck and switched to the trucking business. "I transported goods for market people from Devon as well as groceries for wholesales and supermarkets." Twelve years ago, Clarke saw an opportunity - which he grabbed with both hands - to buy the gas station in Mile Gully. "It was owned by a friend of mine. I rented it for a while and then I had the option of buying it, which I eventually did," Clarke explained. He has reaped signifcant success with the gas station as it consistently enjoys good business. Clarke is also well loved in the Mile Gully community and enjoys a good relationship with both the young and old. "Mr Clarke is a good man. I am raising some goats for him. We started off with two and now the herd has grown big time," disclosed a young man named Allan. "Right now, I have some rice and I am here to check him for a money to buy something to go with it. Him not going to tell me no. He is that type of person - always giving." Clarke's advice to young people is: "Work hard for what you want in life. No matter what setbacks you have, you can overcome and be a success. Also, it is very important for you to save, because it is not how much you earn, but most important, how much you put aside." rural@gleanerjm.com

More to be done for road safety in Manchester

Published: Saturday | August 11, 2012 1 Comment THE EDITOR, Sir: Many letters have been written about the bad condition of the parish council road leading
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through Halifax in northeastern Manchester. Finally, there has been partial relief, as a portion has now been fixed. The job has been well done, and thanks and congratulations to the parish council and the others who may have had a hand in the work. We now look forward to the other side from Bethany being fixed in similar manner in the very near future, since that segment is really in terrible shape. On the other hand, the Melrose Bypass is a good-looking road, but many dangers lurk on that beautiful surface and several lives have been lost on that road as recently as a few days ago. It is a fact that many drivers drive without care on that road, and some motorists intimidate others who try to drive safely. As one who uses that road frequently, I notice that some of the danger spots are the curves on the segment crossing the railway bridge and the one just below the roast yam park. The curves at those sections are too flat and should be banked inwards, similar to the cycle track at the National Stadium, allowing for better control of the vehicle, especially when the road is damp. Fading lines Second, the lanes need to be re-marked, as the present ones are fading. This could make it safer to use at nights, especially during rain or fog, which is frequent in that area. Third, there are not enough warning signs, and those that exist are not placed to the best advantage. I have two other observations in the same general area. The old Melrose Hill road is now neglected, although traffic to Bellefield and Christiana still use that road as alternative routes. Also, one must ask why the Winston Jones Highway was not marked in such a way that the steep portions allowed for slow-moving traffic up the hill since the carriageway seems wide enough. This would have added to the safety of the road in that more discipline could be exercised by overtaking vehicles. Trevor Samuels tasamuels@cwjamaica.com

Sections of Manchester without power

Published: Wednesday July 6, 2011 | 4:53 pm 0 Comments The Jamaica Public Service Company, JPS, is reporting that sections of Manchester are without electricity supply because of a problem on the power delivery system.
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Some of the affected communities include Devon, Dunbar, Hallifax, Malton, Long Coffee, Yonder Pond, Hibernia, Bethany, Robins Hall, and Far Enough. Other areas that are without power are Clunis, Greenvale Land Settlement, Balynure, Mt. Zion, Racecourse, Waterloo, Heavy Tree, John Rock, Whitby, Norway, Harry Watch & Ginger Piece. The light and power company says work crews are working to address the problem and effort is being made to restore power in the shortest possible time.

Threats to Ja's Irish heritage

published: Saturday | November 1, 2003

Murray

IRISH POTATOES (solanum tuberosum) were first planted in Jamaica in 1902 by the Rev. Gordon Harrison Lopp at the Bethany Moravian Church in Manchester. The crop thrived tremendously and was later cultivated in Clarendon, St. Elizabeth, Trelawny and St. Ann, St. Andrew, St. Catherine and St. Mary. In the 1930s, the crop was devastated by blight ( phytophthora infestos) as farmers did not engage in spraying practices. And there were also problems such as inadequate supply of seeds, lack of storage facilities and poor marketing opportunities. So on March 23, 1959, the Christiana Potato Growers Co-operative Association Ltd. was established. Its objective was to improve the economic welfare of persons who would join the organisation by facilitating levels of production and to process and market the tuber. Alvin Murray, who joined the association in 1977, after graduating from farm school, is now its general manager. He claims that although modern cold storage facilities have been built, they are under-utilised and that imported potatoes which he said were often 'inferior' has affected local production. And although membership has decreased from 17,000 to some 4,000 today, he said a rejuvenation of the association was eminent. A document produced by the co-operative indicates that there must be greater levels of diversification and among other things the enactment of trade regulations against the importation of inferior foreign products, for the Irish potato farming to be even more lucrative.

Byron McDaniel

Collateral damage is acceptable

Published: Friday | May 22, 2009

The Editor, Sir:

I read with interest an article published by www.time.com on Wednesday, May 20, that spoke of the fall of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the death of its leader, 54-year-old Velupillai Prabhakaran. The LTTE had been waging war in Sri Lanka for some 26 years with the aim of getting their independent homeland (eelam) for the island's Tamil minority. They also wanted greater autonomy for Tamil-majority areas to protest against what they considered discrimination against Tamils by Sri Lanka's Sinhala-speaking majority. The death toll stands in the thousands, both insurgents and civilians (mostly used as body shields). The article spoke of different measures implemented by President Mahinda Rajapaksa which eventually led to the demise of the LTTE. I know some may not agree with the measures as they see them as barbaric, draconian, backward, definitely not for this civilised world - but they worked. Measures to prevent war It can also be said that Sri Lanka had a war but we don't, but we need to bend or even break the tree from it is young. Measures implemented: 1. Brute force works - we can fight fire with fire. That may be the only way to get the point across. 2. Negotiations don't work: We say, "OK let's not be so hard on them"; "Let's implement this and that, talk with them, reason with them". As is evident, that does not work. 3. Collateral damage is acceptable: We should try as far as possible to limit civilian deaths though President Rajapaksa's disregard for civilian casualties was a key to the success of the military operation. 4. Critics should shut up. The Sri Lankan government was constantly criticised for their measures. Did they pay attention? No, they didn't. Did they achieve success? Yes, they did.
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It might prove beneficial to Jamaica to look at these measures and stop crime in its track. I am, etc., RACQUEL HOGG r_hogg@rocketmail.com Bethany Manchester

A family man, a mentor, a stalwart

Published: Friday | June 5, 2009

Neil

The Right Reverend Neville Sylvester Neil, bishop of the Moravian Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, passed away on Friday, May 22. He will be remembered not only for his 62 years of service to the ministry of the Moravian Church, but also his service as a bishop for Jamaica and the Cayman Islands and the Unity of the Moravian Church worldwide. A family man, a mentor, a stalwart, a paragon of virtue, a visionary, a man of benevolence, faith, discipline and integrity are mere modest encomiums that can be said of Bishop Neil who, throughout his journey, had touched the lives of countless persons. Moreover, he was very charismatic. "Dedication and commitment to Christ were his hallmarks and loyalty to the Moravian Church. His evangelistic fervour was one of his strong points. Family, and not just his immediate but his
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extended family, was dear to his heart," Bishop Robert Foster of the Moravian Church in Jamaica commented. Great storyteller "He was known by everyone for his wit and humour. He was one of the greatest storytellers ever. When he tells you a story, you can't miss it no matter how trivial it might be. He tells it in such a way with drama and with humour," Foster added. Bishop Neil was born at Dunder Hill, St Elizabeth, on March 17, 1917. He first attended the Bull Savannah Elementary School and later the Ballard's Valley Elementary School, from which he left for Tutorial College in Kingston, where he graduated with a Senior Cambridge Certificate. His first job was a short teaching assignment at Mount Felix in St Thomas. He then went into training for ministry. In an edited interview with Lucinda Peart of the Moravian Church in Jamaica, Bishop Neil summed up why he went into the Christian ministry. "I couldn't escape. Not primarily because it was the strong desire of my parents, but from an early conviction; I was inclined from about age 17. Every one of the several attempts to do something else in life was futile. I tried a spot of teaching and was accepted for Mico but a very slight matter prevented my entering. My father was very friendly with Lawyer Ward of Mandeville, and twice spoke to him re my being articled to him, but Ward died. These were clear signs that the Lord had other plans." Young Bishop Neil thus applied and was accepted as a ministerial student at the Union Theological College (St Colmes) in 1943 and graduated in 1946. He was ordained at Nazareth Moravian Church, Manchester, in January, 1947, and remained there until June of the same year. He was then sent on secondment to the Springfield circuit, where he remained until November 30, 1947, at which time he was recalled to the Nazareth circuit, where he remained until February, 1959. It was while he was at Nazareth that he blossomed as a preacher of great spiritual depth and as an evangelist. Spiritual awakening There, he came into contact with The Rev George Sach of Bethany Moravian Church and the Rev W.I. Mumford of the St George's Anglican Church, Mile Gully. This trio created a great spiritual awakening in Manchester. From Nazareth, Brother Neil went to Redeemer Moravian Church in Kingston, where he ministered until December 31, 1978. Through his leadership, this congregation bore fruit both spiritually and numerically. His next charge was Bethlehem where, in addition to being pastor of that Circuit of Churches, he was college chaplain and lecturer.

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At a special Synod held at Lititz, Manchester, on October 15, 1982, he was elected to the office of Bishop and on January 16, 1983, he was consecrated at Bethlehem, St Elizabeth, as Bishop of the Unity. He answered many calls both in Jamaica and the Eastern West Indies Province to assist with evangelistic crusades and other special services. He also served many years on the Provincial Elders' Conference (PEC), the executive arm of the Moravian Church, in various capacities, and served well as a representative of the Jamaican Province, both at home and abroad. According to the Rev Dr Paul Gardner, president of the PEC, "Bishop Neil was the evangelist par excellence. He was very witty and had creative ways of interpreting the biblical text." Bishop Neil got married to Sister Barbara (nee Serrant) on June 15, 1949. Sister Barbara also served the Moravian Church well as a supplementary deaconess. She was also a former teacher at Bishop Gibson High School in Manchester. The marriage produced five children: Orville, Denise and Dawn (twins), Heather and Reichel. Bishop Neil took pride in his family as a unit, as well as the extended family. The Neils family home was known for its great hospitality and entertainment. His hobbies were gardening and fishing. To commemorate his, as well as Rev Vincent Peart's more than 40 years of service in the ministry and to the Moravian Church, a service and banquet were held and a magazine published in January, 1988. While serving the New Beulah congregation, Bishop Neil retired from ministry on January 1, 1993, but continued serving the church on a year-to-year basis, and continued as a bishop of the church until death. During his retirement, he also engaged in pastoral care and counselling and continued to serve as a bishop until his passing. He was instrumental in organising the Boys Brigade from which emerged men of stature and faith. Bishop Neil had the vision of and started the Community of Concerned Citizens (CCC), which saw to the need of the homeless and mentally challenged. CCC was another project that was dear to his heart, and out of it emerged the Ebenezer Home. Bishop Neil's service of thanksgiving will be held on Saturday at 11 a.m. at the New Beulah Moravian Church in Mandeville, Manchester. Interment follows in the Bethabara Cemetery.

Owen Sinclair didn't build his business in a hurry

Noel Thompson, Freelance Writer

Owen Sinclair WESTERN BUREAU: CALL HIM godfather, philanthropist, justice, boss or whatever you feel, it all boils down to one name that is known throughout the length and breadth of Jamaica Owen 'Hurry Hurry' Sinclair. He was born Owen Sinclair in Mandeville, Manchester, but as he became a man and found his niche in business, his vibrancy and style of operating quickly earned him the nickname 'Hurry Hurry', a moniker

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that he will have for life. It was on July 15, 1933 that the lives of Dossie and Ethlyn Sinclair were blessed with baby Owen. Now, 66 years later, his dry humour, business acumen and love of community have earned him recognition islandwide. Today, he is known to all as 'Hurry Hurry' Sinclair. As a child he attended the Zorn Primary School in Christiana, Manchester, transferring to a school in neighbouring Devon when his family relocated there, and later the Bethany Moravian Church School. At age 15, Owen moved on to Homewood Practical Training Centre, where he completed his formal education in rural Jamaica. In those days half a century ago his parents operated a bakery in Devon and he worked there for some time before moving on to Kingston. There, he picked up a job as a bus conductor and milk collector, jobs he did during the day before rushing off to evening classes, where he studied bookkeeping for approximately three years. His more formal entry into the world of work saw him pounding the pavement as an insurance sales representative for a company called British American Life Insurance Company. "I earned a lot of money there and was able to save 500, which in October 1956, I utilised to begin my business career in my mid-20s," Mr. Sinclair recalled. He bought a van, acquired hisstock and started peddling fabrics and ready-to-wear items across the island. "I was probably the pioneer who started the Linstead Market on Tuesdays and Falmouth on Wednesdays. It was very responsive then, because myself and others who had then joined in were able to sell at real attractive prices," he said. "While selling on the piazza of the Savanna-la-Market, in the evenings after sales had subsided I would call out to the people inside the market, inviting them to come again because I would give them bargains on rest of merchandise. Because I used the words "hurry, hurry, come again", after a little while the minute I called to them they would respond with ''hurry hurry come again" and the name just stuck," he said. After hop-scotching across the island, four years later Mr. Sinclair opened his first store Sinclair's Bargain Centre at 27 Beckford Street in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, a town that many refer to as the 'retail capital' of western Jamaica. Politics 'Hurry Hurry's popularity spread and it seemed logical that his next move would take him into politics. In 1972, he was elected to Parliament on a People's National Party (PNP) ticket, representing Western Westmoreland. He also served as Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Works. His business, however, remained his first love and so he did not seek re-election in 1976, but went back to building up his stores which are now spread across the main towns of Jamaica and run by him and his children. During this time, as well, his love affair with the community deepened and his involvement in almost all local activities has become expected. Mr. Sinclair is a Justice of the Peace, a Rotarian, a director of the Westmoreland Chamber of Commerce, a freemason and a member of the Anglican Faith, as well as a member of the Frome High School Board and the Savanna-la-Mar Primary School, which he adopted in 1990.

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He has undertaken extensive refurbishing at the Savanna-La-Mar Primary School, including the construction of a new block, which has been named the 'Owen Sinclair Block'. It comprises a library and a computer science lab which houses 26 computers, all donated by him. Mr. Sinclair, who also provides the salary of the music tutor, furnished the school's band with all musical instruments. Earlier this year he established a Trust Fund for the Savanna-La-Mar Primary School and refurbished the entire sanitary conveniences there. Mr. Owen Sinclair was awarded the Order of Distinction in 1995. He has nine children, four of whom are adopted. All nine are in the business.

Ensom City Primary honours retired educators

Published: Saturday | December 29, 2012 0 Comments

Retired educators of Ensom City Primary School in Spanish Town, St Catherine. From left: Alpha Parker-Sharpe, Ruby Kerr, Stanley Jones, Gloria Hall and Elaine James. SPANISH TOWN, St Catherine:FAMILY, FRIENDS and well-wishers of five retired educators of Ensom City Primary School in Spanish Town, St Catherine exuded much pride and satisfaction as the stalwarts were lauded at an appreciation ceremony held this week at the institution.

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Heading the list of awardees who gave a combined 175 years of invaluable service to the profession was retired principal Stanley Jones. The others were Ruby Kerr, Alpha Parker-Sharpe, Gloria Hall and Elaine James. The event, themed 'Honouring Our Stalwarts: Service, Strength, Love and Loyalty,' was laced with a breathtaking dance, eloquently delivered choral speech items and impeccable drumming. Jones entered the profession at age 17 as a probationer at Bois Content All-Age School in St Catherine. Prior to his sojourn at Ensom City Primary in 1976, he taught at Marlie Hill and Davis All-Age schools, as well as Cassava River and Tulloch Primary schools, in St Catherine. In a citation read by Kaydian Anglin, Jones, the holder of a Master of Arts in pastoral psychology and counselling, was hailed as a dedicated educator, visionary and nation builder, who gave generously and unreservedly to the field of education for 43 years. "While executing his role as principal, he significantly raised the standard at this institution," the citation read. "His visionary ideas propelled the institution to enter new territories, thus capturing several awards and recognition for the institution at the local and international levels," Anglin cited. In delivering Kerr's citation, Tracey Ann Taffe noted that the alumnus of West Indies College now Northern Caribbean University - and Moneague Teachers' College, worked assiduously to contribute to the holistic development of the students who were placed in her care. "With every lesson you taught, you became a role model, a little beacon that inspired each child to dream in beautiful colours as you did and not in dim black and white as the harsh reality of the Jamaican society sometimes forces us to," read Taffe. "You helped them to realise that their dreams could only become a reality through hard work and determination." A graduate of Bethlehem Teachers' College, Parker-Sharpe, who began her journey at Ensom Primary in 1987 before retiring in August last year, was hailed as a motivator who not only inspired her students, but created a comfortable learning environment. "You were a great facilitator. You implemented strategies in order to transfer knowledge and academic empowerment to your students," Jodi Reid read from the citation to Parker-Sharpe. "You did your duties diligently and treated all the students equally. You were not a chalk-andtalk teacher, but you made sure that the environment was attractive and conducive to learning." Hall became a pretrained teacher in 1971 and did short stints at her alma maters Ginger Ridge All-Age and Marlie Hill Primary schools. She formalised her training at Moneague and Mico Teachers' colleges. "During her tenure at Ensom City Primary, Hall exhibited a meticulous and exemplary attitude towards her job. She was renowned for her punctuality, regardless of the starting time of her shift. She was a passionate, engaging, motivating, no-nonsense professional," cited Donna Meikle-Douglas.
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James, a Miconian who began her sojourn in 1969 as a pretrained teacher at the Bethany All-Age School, joined the staff at Ensom City Primary in 1982. Greg Rhule, who presented her citation, highlighted the invaluable contribution of the native of Manchester who served the institution in various capacities, including classroom teacher, director of the school's feeding programme, and the performing arts teacher. expressed gratitude "Your zest, knowledge, courage and dedication to teaching were executed with a high level of proficiency. You always sought the best way to deliver your content, with the aim being that the students must understand," read Rhule. Like Parker-Sharpe, Kerr, Hall and James, Jones expressed gratitude for the accolades. "It's an awesome occasion. It's good to know that, after you have worked, there are those who appreciate your service and would want to say thanks to you publicly . So, I greatly appreciate what has been done here for us today," he told The Gleaner. In addition to the outstanding educators, 18 persons received long-service awards including principal Pauline Banton, while three persons were recognised for voluntary service to the institution. Retired education officer Esmilda McKenzie who delivered the main address, heaped praises on the honorees for their unselfish service and immeasurable contribution to the teaching profession. - K.S.

Mile Gully - a model rural division

published: Friday | June 13, 2003

By Andrew Smith, Staff Reporter WHAT IS THE AIM OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT? ACCORDING TO a 1998 Organisation of American States (OAS) workshop held in Kingston on Local Government, Communitarianism and the Citizen: Opportunities and Challenges, "Local governance structures should have a special mandate to help eradicate poverty, food insecurity and joblessness. The aim should be to provide local work for local people in local areas and communities." If Local Government parish council divisions are able to achieve this, then they are on the path to sustainable development. Such a division would be worth emulating, an example of which is the Mile Gully division of north-west Manchester. Located on the outskirts of the Cockpit Country, this farming region does not exhibit evidence of the overt political activity which is normally associated with governance in Jamaica. The divisional office does not

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even have a PNP sign. Instead, for the last 17 years, Councillor Anthony Watson has maintained his visibility in the division while allowing the communities to take charge of various development projects. He has done such a good job that it is a forgone conclusion that the new councillor will be from the PNP, as Mr. Watson is not seeking re-election. Evidence shows that whoever is elected councillor will have a hard act to follow. 'LOCAL WORK FOR LOCAL PEOPLE IN LOCAL AREAS' Councillor Watson exemplifies a tradition of self-reliance which is present in the region. Born and bred in Mile Gully, he ran as councillor after noting the lack of facilities in his community. He has been able to spread what he has learned about community involvement to the villages of Evergreen, Comfort Hall, Inglewood, Bethany, Litchfield, Free Town and Epping Forest. In Comfort Hall and Epping Forest youth clubs, schools and citizen associations are key partners in community development. In Litchfield, when the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) invested $2m on road construction, the responsibility of managing it was given to the community's youth club. Another example of community involvement is the Antioch Basic School in Glasgow. Currently housed in a one-room concrete building, it started over 50 years ago inside the Antioch Church of the Nazarene by its founder, Birdie Record. When she passed on, Miss Lorna Witter volunteered to succeed her. She and Mrs. Claudette Fearon teach 25 ebullient students basic reading and arithmetic. The community has always recognised the importance of this school and has supported it while ensuring that the teachers are paid. 'ERADICATING POVERTY, FOOD INSECURITY AND JOBLESSNESS' "T'ings hard, but dem coulda worse." These words of a young farmer from Oxford exemplify the feelings of the residents of the Mile Gully division. Most of the villages in the division were established in the 19th century by newly freed slaves. Farming was the mainstay then and it remains so today, with crops such as yam, dasheen, cocoa and banana being the main sources of income and nutrition. This is supplemented by chicken, which are normally reared by the women in the community. The crops and livestock which citizens of the Mile Gully division raise provides both employment and nutrition to the residents. As such, poverty is not evident in the division. A network of main and parochial roads were established to allow crops to reach the markets in Balaclava, Christiana and Mandeville. Today's transport network is based on these narrow, winding roads which traverse the fertile cockpits and in the steep northwestern corner of the division, these roads are well asphalted. Some roads have been widened, such as the Oxford to Spring Hill road which was completely refurbished in 2002. The original houses were simple wooden structures. Many still exist today, although they are being replaced by multi-room concrete houses. In order to facilitate this, three young men have gone into business in Auchtembeddie making concrete blocks with marl, stones and cement obtained from Mandeville. ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT The lack of piped water in houses is a major hindrance in the entire division due to most of the rivers being subterranean. The villages surrounding Mile Gully are located where these rivers emerge as underground springs. This is seen at Oxford where water from the nearby Noisy River is piped to the standpipe in the town square. Cowick Park, Glasgow and Auchtembeddie are located in the highlands and their sole source of piped water is a tank, which pumps water from these springs to standpipes. For the past two months, this tank's engine has not been working, resulting in no water being available to the communities. This has affected everyone. The Antioch Basic School has to obtain water from its neighbours and the church, who have their own tanks. William and Warren, the block makers from Auchtembeddie have to walk five miles to the nearest spring to obtain water for their business. Residents

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have brought the broken engine to the attention of member of Parliament Dean Peart, but so far it has not been repaired. Jamaica needs leaders with vision, integrity and sound management skills. After June 19, the Mile Gully division will have a new councillor. He will have to hit the ground running, and the supplying of water to residents' homes must be a priority. Residents have no home phones and are reliant on cellular phones. Many other challenges will arise. Hopefully the foundation which has been laid will be built on by the new councillor and the citizens of the Mile Gully division.

Historic clocks tell more than just time

Published: Monday | December 19, 2011 1 Comment

American Phillip Martin examining the May Pen town clock. - File THE EDITOR: Sir, It was with a great deal of interest that I read Dave Lindo's article, 'Saving time', in The Gleaner of November 27. It seems that there are not enough Jamaicans who value our rich heritage, and it took an American, Phillip Martin, to bring an aspect of our culture to our attention. Many of us over 50, especially from the rural areas, will remember that telling the time of day depended on several things. Not many people had clocks or watches, and radios were few and far between. First of all, there was the sun. This had severe limitations because the sun shifts its position daily. Another method was the railway. Those of us who lived within a certain distance from the
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railway in Manchester could hear the steam whistle from the steam locomotives and we knew whether it was the 10, 11 or 2 o'clock train. Quite often, farm labourers would ask, "Two o'clock train blow yet?" So if the train was late, it didn't matter. Then there was the faithful old cock which would sometimes be fooled by bright moonlight and crow too early. There was also 'first cock' and 'second cock'. There was also the 4 o'clock bush which, when in bloom, would open about four each evening. Those of us who lived in the Devon area depended on three things. First was the tower clock on the Devon Missionary Church, which could qualify as heritage since it was installed about 1922 and was already second-hand when installed. There was the midday drum signal from Mother Jack's church, which was as accurate as Big Ben, and if it were Sunday, the bells of the Missionary and Moravian churches would ring at certain times. Maintenance woes Maintenance is a problem with almost everything in Jamaica, and town clocks are no exception. These clocks, apart from their obvious use, add a bit of charm to a village. I have seen scores of clocks in different parts of the world, and although some are centuries old, they still tell the time. One of the few persons in recent times who kept many of the clocks in working order was the late Ronald Aitken, who lived at Bethany district. He was a genius at anything mechanical. He was a brilliant horologist, but mostly self-taught. His passing now means that that skill may have been lost to Jamaica forever. I do hope that Mr Martin will be able to attract a few young persons to the art. If chimes could be added that play soft music at certain times like one in Hartford, Connecticut, it could bring some amount of tranquillity in a world of noise. The Cross Roads clock is not old, but it was not long ago that it was restored and modern machinery installed. After all that effort at fund-raising and restoration, the modern electronic components do not work and money, as usual, is wasted. I am sure that there are many persons who would love to see those clocks work again. TREVOR SAMUELS tasamuels@cwjamaica.com

Agricultural concerns
published: Monday | February 20, 2006

THE EDITOR, Sir:

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EVERY TIME I pass over the Rio Minho and Rio Cobre rivers in spate during the rainy seasons, and see their muddy brown colour, I recall a ditty that we used to sing in elementary school and 4H club "Muddy water, Muddy water taking all our precious soil away." It leaves me very concerned about agriculture in the Jamaica of the future. After each flood and particularly the floods of September and October last, I noticed a significant amount of erosion on the hillsides in the Devon, Spaldings and Chudleigh districts, which are some of the countries most important agricultural areas. In many instances, the land was ploughed downhill rather than on the contours, because tractors which have replaced animal-drawn ploughs are not suitable to operate on steep slopes. The agricultural interests need to make more suitable equipment available as well as regulate hillside farming by prohibiting some types of crops over a certain degree slope. NOT FARMERS, BUT GARDENERS Back in the 1950s, an English minister serving at the Bethany Moravian church, (the home of the Irish potato in Jamaica), remarked that who we call farmers in Jamaica are really gardeners, because they use garden tools such as forks, hoes and cutlasses to cultivate small plots of land. This system of subsistence agriculture can never compete with high-tech agriculture required today. Land settlement schemes have been around for generations and have served the country well. However, with each succeeding generation, the plots get smaller as children claim their inheritance and further subdivison takes place. Other agricultural lands are taken over by housing developments. I am not aware of any new major crop being introduced to Jamaica since Independence. Most of our crops are the efforts made in our colonial past. I have seen good grapes and peaches grown in some areas of Jamaica, especially the Yallahs Valley and other areas in St. Thomas. Maybe apples can also be grown successfully and we could also experiment with olives and sunflowers to assist the ailing coconut industry as a source of edible oils. In recent years, the beef cattle industry went into serious decline. The number of small farmers' cattle which could once be seen in northern Manchester are no longer obvious and calves are scarce and expensive. Building a cattle herd is a slow process but the process can be hastened by importing calves, making them available at reasonable cost. By the way, is the mule on the road to extinction? I am etc, TREVOR SAMUELS tsamuels@N5.com

Extracts From The Jamaica Observer

LATEST NEWS:

Jushia rallies with Street Wise

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Cecelia Campbell-Livingston Saturday, April 20, 2013

ROOTS singer Jushia seeks to empower the youth with his latest song, Street Wise, which focuses on the challenges of everyday life. "The single is about poor people trying to make a living day by day through various means," the 22-year-old told the Jamaica Observer.

Jushia

1/1 Jushia hails from the district of Bethany in Manchester. He says making message music has always been his objective. Everyday People and Babylon Never See are two of his previous recordings, but Street Wise is Jushia's most-promoted effort to date. It was produced by Florida-based Kirk Nelson and released on his Island Gold label. Jushia has been in music professionally for four years, starting out performing on sound systems and in clubs.
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Last year, he performed at Rebel Salute, his biggest gig to date. Nelson has recruited cinematographer Eucal Pinnock, aka UCal, to produce and direct the video for Street Wise. Pinnock has directed videos for I-Octane (Stab Vampire), Macka Diamond and Lady G (I Want A Man) and Junior X (Plead My Cause). Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Jushia-rallies-with-StreetWise_14103851#ixzz2YyzUACXy

Sections of Manchester without power

Jamaica Observer Wednesday, July 06, 2011 | 4:07 PM

SEVERAL districts in north Manchester are now without electricity due to a problem with the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) power delivery system in that parish. The areas affected include: Devon, Dunbar, Hallifax, Malton, Long Coffee, Yonder Pond, Hibernia, Bethany, Robins Hall, Far Enough, Clunis, Greenvale Land Settlement, Balynure, Mount Zion, Racecourse, Waterloo, Heavy Tree, John Rock, Whitby, Norway, Harry Watch & Ginger Piece. The JPS said that work crews have been dispatched to the area and every effort is being made to restore power in the shortest possible time. Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Sections-of-Manchester-withoutpower#ixzz2Yz03AUow

Radio's bad boy, Captain Kirk is 'Hot'

Friday, May 21, 2010
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ONE of the most widely listened to and well-liked radio personalities on the airwaves in South Florida and Atlanta, Georgia, promoter, record producer, and disc jock Captain Kirk will be simultaneously broadcasting on Hot 102 FM and WAVS 1170 AM, beginning this summer. Captain Kirk will combine his experience, sharp intelligence and extraordinary depth of music knowledge that helps set the agenda for a new global musical conversation. His raspy voice will set the tone for an engaging mix of Caribbean news and interviews, along with the latest in reggae music, including a special focus on new artistes.

Captain Kirk

1/1 Born Kirk Nelson in Kingston, he grew up in the town of Bethany in Manchester, Jamaica. In 1982, Captain Kirk migrated to New York City, and while in the Big Apple, he fell under the influence of legendary broadcaster Ken Williams, who advised the young radio enthusiast to enhance his promising airwaves skills by obtaining formal radio training. Heeding the advice of his mentor, he registered, completed and received a certificate in Radio Broadcasting at the Johnny Allen School of Broadcasting in New York. He started his professional career as a radio broadcaster at WNWK, where he hosted the early morning programme. He later met the late radio legend Clint O'Neil, who nurtured and mentored him at WLRN radio station in Miami strengthening his skills as a disc jockey.

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In 1997, he received his licence as a multi-engine aircraft technician and relocated to South Florida where he was employed at the Miami International Airport. Captain Kirk possesses a quiet confidence, which he describes as perhaps the most important trait that has led him to the next step of his journey. Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Radio-s-bad-boy--Captain-Kirk-is-Hot-_7629461#ixzz2Yz0rmuwU

Talks of financial constraints in Manchester Parish Council

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

MANDEVILLE, Manchester - Mayor of Mandeville, Brenda Ramsay (PNP - Bellefield Division) says the Manchester Parish Council will be hard-pressed to meet its commitments for this financial year because of a 49.5 per cent cut in allocation to local authorities across the country. "Our allocation has been cut by 49.5 per cent, so (this year) instead of receiving $3.2 billion per annum we will be getting $1.580 billion so additional funding will have to come from in-house," the mayor said during the regular monthly meeting of the parish council recently. Ramsay later told the Observer that it was unrealistic to expect that such a shortfall could be made up by the parish councils from property taxes and motor vehicle licences which are dedicated to the councils. Ramsay's words were made in the context of the high number of payments the council has had to make recently to replace stolen street lights. According to the mayor, the issue of persons stealing street lights is an ever-growing problem and is taking its toll on the council's purse. "We pay JPSCo $10 million per month for street lights but because our funds have been cut, I cannot give any assurance that any new street lights will be installed for the next financial year," Ramsay said.

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David Archer, Jamaica Public Service Company (JPSCo) parish manager told councillors to be on special alert in order to identify members of the public who steal and sell street lights while posing as representatives of the utility company. "The JPSCo does not remove street lights without replacing them," Archer said during his report at the meeting. "I am urging all councillors of the various divisions to be on special alert for persons driving around in trucks pretending to be JPSCo in order to steal street lights," Archer added. In response to Archer's comments, councillor Donovan Mitchell(PNP - Royal Flat division) requested that the councillors embark on a public education campaign in order to enlighten residents of the parish on how to identify those who steal street lights. "I would like everybody to educate their residents that nobody has the authority to remove street lights, so we need a public education campaign to advise that only the JPSCo can remove street lights," Mitchell said But while stating that the problem needs serious attention, councillor Leroy Mitchell (JLP Walderston division) reflected the mayor's view and pointed to the heavy costs stolen street lights have on the council's budget. "I want to say that street lights in Halifax and Bethany areas (north Manchester) were removed illegally," Mitchell reported. "But every month we pay $1,200 for each street light in the parish so if one is stolen, we are paying for services we haven't received." Archer told the council, however, that under laws stipulated by the Office of Utility Regulation (OUR) the council can claim compensation from JPSCo if the utility company fails to replace or repair within 14 days a street light that has been reported. Meanwhile, Archer announced at the meeting that this month, the JPSCo will begin its annual Structural Integrity Programme, a scheme Archer says seeks to improve the overall quality of JPSCo's service. "The Structural Integrity Programme is part of the strategy to reduce the number of power outages in our system, and we'll be doing things like whole-scale changing of rotten poles to concrete poles," Archer told the Observer following his departure from the council meeting. Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/135825_Talks-of-financial-constraints-inManchester-Parish-Council#ixzz2Yz1Gh9By

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Moravians celebrate 250 glorious years

By Vivian Tyson Observer staff reporter Sunday, December 26, 2004

WESTERN BUREAU - It was, of course, a much different Jamaica that the first Moravians saw when they came to establish the first Protestant church in the island 250 years ago this year, with the slave community being their primary concern. But as they were in 1754, the Moravians remain a largely rural-based church, as if to remind themselves of their old mandate - to minister to the poor and dispossessed. As they reflect on this historic milestone, the Moravians of Jamaica celebrate a string of other firsts - one of which is the establishment of primary education in 1823, 61 years before the church was officially incorporated by the Jamaican Parliament. The reason then was not as lofty as today, but wanting the slaves to read the Bible meant teaching them to read first. That, however, led to primary education which served as a bedrock of elementary education in Jamaica. But even as it commemorates a glorious tradition of Christian service, the Moravian Church admits that the body has dwindled - from five per cent of the population to one per cent - and must now search deeply within for the answers. "One thing for sure, we have to refashion the character of our church if we intend to remain a viable option for Christian witness in an increasing religiously plural context," says Dr Livingstone Thompson, president of the executive board of the Jamaican province. According to old church records, the Moravian Church was established in Czechoslovakia in 1457. It was the first Christian church to be neither Catholic nor Eastern Orthodox which, in essence, made it the first Protestant church 60 years before the Lutheran Reformation, which gave official birth to Protestantism. The movement was pioneered by John Hus, who was burnt at the stake in 1415 by Roman Catholic functionaries, after being accused of leading a charge of separation from Roman Catholicism. The first set of Moravian missionaries arrived in Jamaica from England and included an Irishman, landing off the coast of St Elizabeth. They deliberately shunned the towns, opting to
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remain mostly in the rural parts to serve the large slave population. Most are to be found today in Westmoreland, St Elizabeth and Manchester. "The vision of the early missionaries was to the poorer class," explains Earl Goulbourne, minister in charge of the Bethlehem Moravian Church in St Elizabeth and the Provincial Leaders Conference, with special responsibility to youth work. "And for that reason, most of our congregations are established in rural areas." But there was another compelling reason: the health of the missionaries from Europe who often fell victim to the harsh tropical climate and who thrived better in the cool hilly rural areas. "Many died of yellow fever and malaria and when they went to the higher areas, the climate was more in agreement with them," Goulbourne tells the Sunday Observer. He refers to documented anecdote in which one Rev E Reinke, a member of the executive board who sought to establish a movement in Kingston in the 1900s, almost lost his place in the ministry. Though the Moravian Church boasts of its proud record of ministering to the needs of the poor, not unlike other churches at the time, it was not until the end of the 19th Century that native Jamaicans were accepted into leadership positions. By the middle of the 20th century, full conversion to local leadership commenced. But Thompson acknowledges that the revolution should have begun earlier. "We feel, in a way, that it waited too long, but we can make reference to a number of native Jamaicans who have made significant contributions to the establishment of the Moravian Church," he asserts. There are names such as Walter Malton O'Meally, the grandfather of the current post master general Blossom O'Meally Nelson, who was the first native president of the Moravian executive board. The late S U Hastings was the first native bishop of the church and went on to become the first Jamaican to be elected to head the world Moravian church. He died in the 1990s. Hastings was one of a handful of presidents of the Jamaica Council of Churches (JCC) that served twice. He was the president of the Council at the time that Jamaica was making its transition from colonialism to independence and also served during what some dubbed "the politically turbulent 1970s". The late Dr Robert Cuthbert served for many years as executive director of CADEC, an agency of the Caribbean Conference of Churches which was significant in the 1970s when the churches moved towards regionalism. "This was part of the same reality of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME), which Caribbean States are now striving towards. Cuthbert played a leading role in that and he, in a way, symbolises the strength of the Moravian Church as an ecumenical church," Thompson notes.
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Vincent Ignatious Peart played a great role in the formation of the Boys' Brigade, which is an ecumenical boys' organisation stressing discipline and service. Justine Peart, who is now retired, made a significant contribution in the development of camps. According to Dr Thompson, all the present leaders of the Moravian Church - himself included and the current Bishop Robert Foster - have come through Peart's hands. The Jamaican Provincial Moravian Church is divided into four districts, with each having a minister who is a superintendent. Each superintendent serves on the seven-member executive board, which is completed by two lay persons and Dr Thompson, who is president of the board which oversees the affairs of the province. There are 33 active ordained ministers in Jamaica, two in Cuba and one in the Cayman Islands. The headquarters of the Moravian Church in Jamaica is located at 3 Hector Street in Kingston. It was bequeathed to the organisation by Mary Morris Knibb, the first elected council woman in Jamaica and a Moravian. She was the founder of the Morris Knibb Preparatory School. The Lititz All Age School in St Elizabeth is the successor to the first primary school that was established in Jamaica. That school has a current population of about 300 students. It is one of a total of 46 schools established by the Moravian Church in Jamaica, on 68 parcels of lands across the country. Bethlehem Moravian College in St Elizabeth, formerly Bethlehem Teachers' College, is one of the signature educational institutions established by the Church. The college was first established in New Port, Manchester. Its first home was the female answer to Mico Teachers' College, which at the time was an all-male teachers' college. It initially served for the most part as a vocational trade training centre. The college was relocated to its present location in Malvern in 1861 where it was the leading female college in Jamaica before its principals decided to begin accepting male students. Lady Ivy Cooke, wife of Governor General Sir Howard Cooke is one of the best known past students of Bethlehem Moravian College. The Moravian Church is also credited for establishing a training college for men in 1840. But after 50 years of existence it went under, reportedly because of lack of funds. The Moravians are said to be responsible for the introduction of the Irish potato in Jamaica in 1890. This ground provision was introduced by Rev George Lopp at Bethany, North Manchester. The Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), which was established in 1895, benefited significantly in the early years from the involvement of the Moravian Church, especially at Bethany, Mizpah and Nazareth in Manchester and Springfield in St Elizabeth. They were the first to establish public water supply in St Elizabeth and Manchester by erecting tanks. The establishment of the water tanks was fueled by the need for water in the parishes due to low rainfalls, and what has now become parish tanks established by the government have, as their precursor, tanks that were established by the Moravian Church.
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Following the abolishment of slavery, it was the Moravians who established settlements for exslaves in Nazareth, Manchester, Beeston Spring and Beaufort near Darliston in Westmoreland. Attorney-at-law Lowel Morgan, chairman of Bethlehem Moravian College and the man responsible for the development of the land policy of the church, says the Moravian Church has thousands of acres of land in Manchester, St Elizabeth and Westmoreland. The church is moving towards entering into a joint venture with the National Housing Trust to develop the lands for housing solutions. "We do not have the resources to develop all of these lands, and so we believe fundamentally in joint ventures. And so, we are exploring the possibility of entering into a joint venture arrangement with the NHT, for example, or with other developers. Our input into the joint venture would be the land and they would bring other assets such as expertise to it," Morgan discloses. A 250th anniversary planning committee has been set up and is feverishly drawing up a calendar of events to commemorate the work and contribution of the Moravians of Jamaica. email: tysonv@jamaicaobserver.com

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