By Claudia Gardner, Gleaner WriterHANOVER:
MAYOR LESTER Crooks of Lucea, chairman of the Hanover Parish Council, was taken to task by two councillors last Thursday, following his announcement during the monthly meeting of the Hanover Parish Council, that he was going to plan the capture of six herds of goats which rummage through garbage in the town, mornings and evenings, and were traffic hazards.
In a heated debate which lasted for over half an hour, Councillor Audley Gilpin of the Lucea Division and Councillor Sheridan Samuels of the Cauldwell Division, insisted that the goats were providing a well-needed service to the town of Lucea by eating the garbage, which was usually strewn across the streets and gullies and the Lucea bus park.
"I see two herds of not less than 80 goats roaming through Lucea early every morning," Mayor Crooks said. "So, Councillor Samuels, tell your uncle who has all those goats roaming the town, that I am going to get rid of them!"
"The goats are not a nuisance, the cows are," said Councillor Gilpin, who came to the goats' defence, declaring that they were helping to clean the town, and that they prevented the breeding of flies by eating discarded mangoes and other fruits which harboured pests.
GOAT REARING
"The people in First Hill and Prosper Road rear these goats for a living. The goats walk down Miller's Drive in the mornings when they are going out to pasture and for the rest of the day we don't see them until about 5 o'clock when they go back up to the hill when they are going home. They are not in the town during the days," Councillor Gilpin said.
"I have never seen a goat cause a traffic accident in Lucea," said Councillor Samuels, who joined Councillor Gilpin in scolding the Mayor. "Cows are at Point Estate in abundance, roaming the highway, so I don't know how you see the goats in Lucea and don't see the cows over there. The cows are the ones taking people's lives, while the goats are there, helping out the National Solid Waste Management Authority."
"Are you seriously saying that the goats must stay in the town of Lucea?" Mayor Crooks asked. "Mr Samuels, if the public don't see us acting on certain things they are going to start asking questions. As chairman of the Hanover Parish Council, I have to take a decision; those goats must go."
"When you speak, you speak on our behalf," countered Councillor Samuels. "If we decide that we want these goats to stay, you can't stop us. The goats are facilitating us." He demanded that a vote to be taken on the matter.
The exchange ended after Councillor Lloyd Hill of the Sandy Bay division said it would not be wise for the Council to start capturing the goats, as the problem of cows roaming the highway had not been solved. Alfred Graham, secretary manager of the Council, pointed out that the goat situation was in breach of the Keeping of Animals Act.
