THE EDITOR, Sir:
I RECENTLY visited the National Heroes Park with my family, who were visiting from overseas. The park, in my mind, is one of the must-see spots for visitors who I have to tour, and is a spot that I frequently visit.
On this occasion, I extended the family tour to the area beyond the shrine, where the monuments to the Honourable Michael Manley, the Honourable Donald Sangster, and the most recently interred, the Honourable Hugh Shearer, are located.
I had last visited this area some three years ago, at which time I found that the Michael Manley monument, that had been only recently constructed, was, for want of more technical terms, blistering and peeling in the heat of the sun.
I called the Jamaica National Heritage Trust, the agency responsible for the maintenance of the park, and was informed by a lady that the monument was spray-painted and that this method was employed as a temporary solution to facilitate the unveiling, and that the procurement of a more permanent method was being addressed. Perplexed by the choice for a temporary finish, but reassured by her answer, I left the issue alone, and was pleasantly surprised two years later to learn that the monument was to be rededicated with its new permanent finish of the originally proposed black marble.
This joy was recently shattered, as upon my recent visit I was faced with a shattered monument. As it stands today, the monument to our former Prime Minister, which has obviously been clad in very expensive imported granite, is cracked. The only saving grace on this occasion is that the wording that was originally pasted on with some kind of contact cement, is currently etched and is therefore not falling off, allowing for the complete script to be read.
If this is truly a National Monument then efforts must be made to find a workable, permanent solution; and what of our other national treasures? On a recent visit to Fort Charles, I was unable to ascend the Quarter Deck, an area that provides one of the best views in Port Royal. This, too, is falling apart.
If our national monuments continue to fall into disrepair at this rate, then the Jamaica National Heritage Trust must be held responsible. Our national treasures deserve better.
Will it take a catastrophe, or national embarrassment, to ensure that these and other concerns are addressed?
I am, etc.,
ANN AMOS
ann_o_n_amos@hotmail.com
