Portmore Info-Blog

One week ago, the conference room of the Portmore Municipal Council (PMC) played host to the launching of the Building Disaster Resilient Communities (BDRC) Project in Portmore. It is a project geared at providing community disaster management benefits to the areas of Gregory Park and Waterford. Portmore.Info had the distinct pleasure of attending the event and can attest to the collaborative efforts already established and still required to keep the project viable.

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), the agency responsible for disaster management in Jamaica, was partly instrumental for the project. ODPEM’s Eastern Regional Coordinator, Ms. Sophia Mitchell would comment, “This project could not have made the in-roads it had in the communities of Waterford and Gregory Park without the cooperation and support of the Community Development Committees and the work of the Portmore Municipal Council. Over the last 3 years the project has set out to improve the resilience of two
targeted communities in the Portmore area; and these were selected by the Portmore Municipal Council for intervention under the BDRC project. Community disaster plans were developed, persons were trained in first aid, land search and rescue and initial damage assessment.”

Mrs. Phillipa Ricketts-Edmund, Disaster Coordinator for Portmore, speaks about the BDRC Project. Looking on at the main podium are (left-right): David Gardner (PMC Chief Admin Manager), Keith O. Hinds (Portmore Mayor) and Sophia Mitchell (ODPEM Eastern Regional Coordinator)

The Disaster Coordinator for Portmore, Mrs. Phillipa Ricketts-Edmund, who works at the PMC, aptly coordinated the support not only from ODPEM but also the Social Development Commission (SDC), the Jamaica Red Cross and the Jamaica Fire Brigade. All these agencies worked in conjunction with community representatives including; Mr. Rupert Walters from Waterford and Mr. Christopher Tracey from Gregory Park (who head the respective Community Development Committees). The funding for the BDRC project was facilitated through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

Mrs. Edmund stated that now, “..there is an increased cadre of trained persons added to the amount of persons that have already been trained.” Additionally she added that, “It also affords us a bottom-up approach to give residents a sense of pride in being able to make a difference. Residents show ownership of the project and it also builds confidence in each community. This community based project creates a paradigm shift. We are moving away from relief and response and we are moving towards disaster risk reduction and management.”

Mr. Walters and Mr. Tracey would give their comments and thanks for the involvement of their communities in the project. Waterford and Gregory Park have so far been the only two communities in St. Catherine to benefit from the BDRC Project.

The audience at the BDRC project launch comprising of mostly community members. See Mr. McKenzie (SDC Portmore Manager) & James Lee (Jamaica Fire Brigade)(at the front right) participating in the handing over ceremony

The chief administrative manager for the PMC, Mr. David Gardner was quick to highlight, “… I was extremely pleased when I listened to both Mr. Walters and Mr. Tracey. It tells me that what we are doing here (this morning) will not be in vain. But we can only expect greater successes; and we can expect also that the good news will
spread to the surrounding communities within Portmore and even beyond. (Ladies and gentlemen) I must caution us however, that it is good to hand over and it is good to receive and it is also very good to have. But if we have these things in our possession and they are not maintained we are going to be in problems.”

Afterwards a symbolic handing over of the community disaster plan and equipment was done. Then Mr. Gardner initiated the signing of the BDRC Project agreement between the PMC and the communities.

Other attendees at the launch ceremony included Portmore’s Mayor Keith Hinds, James Lee from the Jamaica Fire Brigade and SDC’s Portmore Manager Mr. McKenzie, who all made congratulatory remarks on the present success of the project.

David Gardner makes a symbolic handing over of the equipment given to each community. (Right- Left) Rupert Walters, Christopher Tracey & Bridgette accept on behalf of the Waterford and Gregory Park communities

To Charlemont and Back

Last Friday, I went on a fun-filled journey. I took the passenger train from Spanish Town to Charlemont and was accompanied by a female friend and her friends. During and after the little over two hour ride I reflected on a few things. That’s me…always thinking too much for my own good.

The trip itself was an appealing one. For parts of the ride we rocked to and fro as the train laboured industriously along its course. Some females screamed as we passed through dark tunnels. The train progressed with the sound of vibrating engine and the intermittent blowing of the whistle.

The view was excellent for sight-seeing enthusiasts. We traversed mostly through hilly country. Everything flashed by seemingly behind us or as if we were in-between the scenery. The best visual memory for me was the rocky Bog Walk Gorge separated by the glistening slow-flowing Rio Cobre, surrounded by green verges.

We travelled from Spanish Town to Charlemont via Bog Walk and Linstead. On the journey back we were allowed a brief stop in Linstead. The respite gave passengers a chance to buy soup and snacks from a vendor at the Linstead station. My group ate and took some pictures. After we continued the train ride, we ended back in Spanish Town in a flash.

Return After 19 Years

Grateful though I and others are for the partial return of the train service, more can be done to enhance the experience for passengers. The service returned on the 16th April 2011 with much fan-fare. Government ministers took that initial trial run which terminated at the May Pen station, ending 19 years of the service’s disruption.

The service is operated by the Jamaica Railway Corporation (JRC) which began operations in 1845. It was completely shut down island-wide by 1992, after 166 years. The train is now back in operation; however more work is required to transform the service from just appealing to exciting.

Firstly the train stations need more appropriate rehabilitation. The buildings at all the stations still look like they are glued in the past. some colourful painting and modernization would be much appreciated. Additionally, even though the trial run(s) started with a journey to May Pen, the present service only travels part of the way. This service’s predecessor had a journey connecting from Downtown, Kingston, and continuing to May Pen, Clarendon. I can only imagine that funding and lack of resources has caused the present state of being.

Tourism and Business

That longer journey actually passed through Gregory Park in Portmore. If the service can be upgraded back to its past state, commuters would receive more options for travelling. The JRC could conceivably also receive more revenue. We await to see if the service can grow and reform back to the lengthier railway journey.

We as Jamaicans are usually put to shame by tourists who know more about the attractions in our own island than us. There has been a thrust by the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) to entice Jamaicans to vacation more around the island. I see this resumption of the railway as an ideal opportunity for tourist ventures.

Each of the train stations can become more enhanced rest stops. Imagine if not just food sellers but art and craft vendors were given a chance to ply their wares. Suppose the JTB partnered with the JRC to announce the service as a must see for vacationers. Planning could be done to further turn the areas close to the train stops into avenues for tourism with the inclusion of the Linstead market and the possible building of motels and restaurants.

Not only could these ideas enhance the excitement of the railway service but there would be an opening for business opportunities and willing entrepreneurs. It could be a win-win for all parties involved and an increase in jobs and employment for the area.

Train Schedule

Presently the train runs from Mondays to Fridays. In the mornings, the train departs from Charlemont at 5:30 am and 7:15 am and from Spanish Town at 6:25 am. The afternoon ride starts at Charlemont from 2:20 pm and leaves Spanish Town at 3:30 pm and then later at 6:15 pm. .

Colin Fagan, Incumbent M.P. for South-East St. Catherine speaks to Portmore.Info about his previous years as a Member of Parliament and his additional plans for constituency if re-elected.

VIDEO VERSION:
VIDEO VERSION OF COLIN FAGAN INTERVIEW

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AUDIO VERSION:
AUDIO VERSION OF COLIN FAGAN INTERVIEW

JLP M.P. Candidate for South-East St. Catherine, Keith Blake, talks about his years as Councillor of Independence City and his aspirations for the post of Member of Parliament.

VIDEO VERSION:
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VIDEO VERSION OF KEITH BLAKE INTERVIEW

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KEITH BLAKE INTERVIEW AUDIO

JLP M.P. Candidate for East Central St. Catherine, Camile Buchanan, speaks about her years as Councilor of Gregory Park. Then she tells about her plans for the new wider constituency if elected.

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AUDIO VERSION OF CAMILE BUCHANAN INTERVIEW

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VIDEO VERSION OF CAMILE BUCHANAN INTERVIEW

PNP M.P. Candidate for East Central St. Catherine, Arnaldo Brown, gives the electorate a better idea of who he is. Then he delves into his 5-point plan for the improvement of his constituency.

AUDIO VERSION:

Election Machinery-3: Arnaldo Brown by PortmoreInfo

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VIDEO VERSION OF ARNALDO BROWN INTERVIEW

Incumbent M.P. for South St. Catherine, Fitz Jackson, speaks in a wide ranging discussion on Portmore and its needs. He also rebuts some of his main challenger, Mayor Keith Hinds’, concerns with the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and plans for development of Portmore.

AUDIO VERSION:

Election Machinery-2: Fitz Jackson by PortmoreInfo

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VIDEO VERSION OF FITZ JACKSON INTERVIEW

Mayor Keith Hinds is vying for the post of the M.P. of South St. Catherine. Listen as he speaks of his vision and plans for the development of Portmore.

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Election Machinery-1: Keith Hinds by PortmoreInfo

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VIDEO VERSION OF KEITH HINDS INTERVIEW

Portmore.info will present over December 15-22 , 2011 the main candidates for Portmore for the upcoming Jamaican central Government elections 2011.

Election Machinery Promo

On December 29, 2011……..WHERE WILL YOUR “X” Be?

The Portmore Municipal Council's Pocket Guide for Compliance and Enforcement

The Portmore Municipal Council (PMC) was formed in June 2003 as an integral partner in the formation of a proper governance structure and representation of the needs of the growing population of Portmore. The PMC has embarked on creating a close working relationship with the over sixty communities and their main branch of local government. One of the newest ventures in that relationship is the present publication of a booklet “A Pocket Guide for: Compliance and Enforcement in Portmore” containing various important Parish Council Laws to educate people about their roles as residents.

Claudia Martin, PMC Human Resources Manager, told Portmore.Info that the publication was a “drive to educate the residents of Portmore on their responsibilities and obligations as it relates to the relevant Parish Council Laws.” It was actually a few years in planning for release with the Deputy Mayor, Owen Saunderson, being instrumental in realizing the need for the Pocket Guide.

“The need arose as many residents when served notices were stating that they were unaware that their actions were illegal,” disclosed Ms. Martin. The hope is that with this new Pocket Guide, residents will have a better knowledge of the laws governing certain essential areas of life in Portmore. Therefore, the municipal officers of the Compliance and Enforcement Department of the PMC should have an easier task of enforcing regulations while residents better understand laws and the reasons for them.

The Pocket Guide is the first of its kind in any Parish or Municipal council in Jamaica and is presently available for download on the PMC’s website http://pmc.gov.jm/ (under the Access to Information link). The present edition is a concise 46 pages and contains important sections on the Beach Control Act, The National Solid Waste Management Act, The National Resources Conservation Authority Act and the Public Heath Act.

Portmore.Info received one of the first printed copies and was glad to note that the Town and Country Planning Act, The Licenses on Trade and Business Act and the Property Tax Act were part of the booklet. Residents have always complained of improper building structures and the encroachment of places of residence as businesses. Importantly, residents need to remember to pay their property taxes to facilitate its usage for the betterment of the infrastructure of their community. Other Acts that residents tend to not comply with regularly are the Noise Abatement Act and the Parish Council- Places of Amusement Regulations.

Printed copies of the booklet “A Pocket Guide for: Compliance and Enforcement in Portmore” will soon be readily available to various school, libraries and citizens’ associations. This initiative will go a long way to ensure municipality residents take up their responsibility in making a difference in Portmore.

YOU may also download The PMC Compliance and Enforcement Booklet from Portmore.Info OR CONTACT

THE PORTMORE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL

81-86 Portmore Pines Plaza, Greater Portmore, St. Catherine

Tel #: 740-7440-2

Fax: 740-7521

Toll Free: 1-888-991-7211

Website: http://www.pmc.gov.jm

The end of this year and the beginning of the next we are due as citizens to voice our right to vote. The Central Government elections will soon be upon us and it’s our votes that will determine the persons who become elected and govern this nation.

Recently there was a large outcry from the citizens of the Gregory Park area in St. Catherine that their elected
representative from Local Government was not doing her job to the best of her abilities.

Camille Buchanan is the Councillor/Caretaker in the Gregory Park electoral division. The claim is that she has been an absentee official.

Portmore.Info can attest to the fact that the division of Gregory Park has been lacking in proper representation.

See a story done by this editor in the Portmore Sun about this matter:
Gregory Park- The Forgotten Community

However, to make it appear that the alleged weak representation should be blamed solely on Councillor Buchanan, is quite misleading.

Politics in Portmore is a bit tricky to understand. Portmore is currently bordered in three constituencies. (An increase in the number of constituencies from 60 to 63/65 is due islandwide for the next election. This will ensure that we can never have a tie in the number of constituences won in an election cycle). The South Central constituency (which comprises Gregory Park) will be further divided into an East Central constituency.

The current Member of Parliament for the South Central constituency, Sharon Hay Webster, should take a portion of the blame as well for the reduction in leadership and representation in Government of the Gregory Park area.

To further complicate the issue Portmore also has the status of a municipality which is run by Mayor Keith Hinds. Therefore help for concerns and problems that residents face can also be voiced through the Portmore Municipal Council (PMC). Portmore is unique, in that, apart from the three (3) Members of Parliament and the eleven (11) councillors, there is further structure in the political representation in the form of the PMC.

Go to==>Politics in Portmore<== for a better idea of Portmore Politics.

It seems what I love to refer to as the “silly season” has begun. It will be interesting to see which candidates the two major parties will choose for the soon to be gazetted constituency. It will also be interesting to see how residents react to them.

Finance Minister Audley Shaw had to apologize for the statement he made since week about PNP leader Portia Simpson-Miller running wild “like a leggo beast.” I’m pretty sure once the environment gets more heated and the political campaigning starts, we’re bound to get more tongue-in-cheek statements.

Mention the municipality of Portmore to anyone in Jamaica and the set of descriptions of the area one receives won’t vary much. It’s a densely populated city with an ever increasing population. It’s a place of many beaches including the ever popular Hellshire. It’s a place with the largest shopping centre in Jamaica- Portmore Mall. Unfortunately it’s also a place with the major problem of mosquitoes.

When Portmore initially began with major housing developments, much of the surrounding and used upon land was partly cane-fields, swamps and unspoilt vegetation. This type of space was ideal for many animals including mosquitoes. It seems that as the population has grown, everyday from dusk until dawn the mosquitoes emerge and attempt to reclaim what may be rightfully theirs. The residents haven’t surrendered even though they are vastly outnumbered.

mosquito biting a person's forearm

The problems that mosquitoes bring are not only limited to the annoyance of their buzzing sounds but also the danger of their bites. The female mosquito needs blood as a medium for proper gestation and humans can provide large supplies of it. The mosquito breeds of anopheles and aedis aegypti transfer the deadly diseases of malaria and yellow fever respectively when they bite. In order to hinder this process we can do two things; kill mosquitoes and stop them breeding once grown or more effectively eradicate them and ensure they can’t breed at all.

The first action is actively being pursued. Many homes have mosquito meshes, lock their homes tightly against invasion by nightfall, utilize Vape, mosquito repellants and mosquito coils. The Vector Control Unit of the Ministry of Health comes around regularly enough to spray and fog communities. However the second and more important action is woefully ignored.

Our major drains are not adequately cleaned allowing ample time for mosquito larvae to hatch. Many residents fail to ensure they don’t have open free standing containers of water that can allow mosquitoes to thrive. The educational campaigns to ensure residents know what they should be doing to help prevent the breeding of mosquitoes are little or non-existent.

We seem to be surrendering Portmore to mosquitoes

There are always two sides to a coin. Both the Government and the residents need to become actively engaged in cohesion to finally destroy the scourge of mosquitoes. If we the people of Portmore continue our current course, it can only lead to one conclusion. We’ll soon have to march outside hand-in-hand and vigorously wave our white flags in unison.