Some 350 homeless and indigent persons from Montego Bay and Lucea have benefited from the donation of clothing and medical supplies from the Agape International Foundation (AIF) and the Lenox Road Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York.

The donation, valued at more than US$45,000, comprised wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, clothing and books including hundreds of Bibles.

Stephanie Robinson-Kellier from the AIF, who recently
visited the St. James Infirmary to hand over the items, said that over the years, her organisation had been instrumental in organising a number of relief efforts for Caribbean countries struck by natural disasters. The AIF also donates books, computers and other educational material for schools in rural Jamaica.

- JIS NEWS

Several companies across the island have been invited by Jamalco bauxite and alumina company to provide goods and services for its refinery expansion project in Clarendon.

The project should result in the plant doubling its refining capacity, moving from the current 1.25 million tonnes of alumina per year to 2.8 million tonnes. The companies attended a 'Goods and Services Expo', hosted by Jamalco on December 14, at the St. Gabriel's Anglican Church Hall in May Pen.

- JIS NEWS

A pictorial exhibition, depicting the development of tourism in Jamaica over the past 50 years, opened on December 15 at the Montego Bay Civic Centre in St. James.

The exhibition was mounted by the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) as part of activities to mark its 50th anniversary, which began on April 1 and would continue through to March 31, 2006.

The exhibit was previously on display at the JTB's offices in Kingston and would be in Montego Bay for a few months.

- JIS NEWS

With the festive season in full swing, the Ministry of Health is reminding Jamaicans to make sure that the food of their pets is properly secured from rodents.

Linnette Peters, director of Veterinary Public Health in the Ministry of Health told JIS News that during this season, persons tended to prepare a lot of food, resulting in lots of leftovers.

The leftovers invariably end up being fed to pets, Dr. Peters pointed out. This, she said was fine, once the leftovers were securely stored. However, in some cases during the constant activity associated with the season, leftovers end up not being properly stored.

- JIS NEWS

Of the 48 street lamps that were recommended for phase one of the Operation PRIDE Housing Development in Luana, St Elizabeth, only 13 have been installed at a cost of $697,000.

The recommendation for the street lamps was made by Kenroy Stewart, superintendent of Roads and Works of the St. Elizabeth Parish Council. He had also estimated that to install the lamps would cost some $2.184 million.

However, speaking at a recent meeting of the Council's Infrastructure Development and Maintenance Committee in Black River, Councillor for the Black River Division, Kern Smalling criticised the slow pace at which the street lamps were being installed at the Luana Housing Project.

- Rayon Dyer

Residents of St. Thomas are calling on the government to urgently effect improvement to the local infirmary in the parish capital.

The call was made by a former resident of St. Thomas now living in the Cayman Islands, businessman Fitzgerald O'gilvie at the fifth annual indigent treat held at the Morant Bay Infirmary on Tuesday, December 27.

The facility which housed more than 100 indigent senior citizens has received some benefits over the years from the benefactor.

- Arthur Green

Executive Director of the Southern Trelawny Environmental Association (STEA), Hugh Dixon, has appealed to residents of Trelawny to participate in efforts to protect the Cockpit Country.

He was speaking to JIS News after a planning workshop held recently at the Grand Lido Braco hotel in the parish, to invite and incorporate stakeholder participation in the Cockpit Country Parks-in-Peril (PiP) Conser-vation Action Plan.

As part of the plan, a Cockpit Country conservation strategy and monitoring framework has been drafted, while a parks-in-peril closeout strategy will be initiated and the formation of a Cockpit Country coalition explored. The project, which is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is being undertaken by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in collaboration with the Forestry Department.

It is being managed by an advisory committee,

- JIS NEWS

Residents of the hilly rural terrain of west St. Thomas should soon see improvements to the waste water infrastructure in their communities as plans are being finalised to execute works to effect the rehabilitation.

Speaking with JIS News at a community development meeting involving the Social Development Commission in Hagley Gap, St. Thomas, Member of Parliament for the area James Robertson said the allocation of $2 million for Members of Parliament to carry out restorative works to devastated roads, drains, and other infrastructure would be used efficiently and effectively.

"We are putting that money through the Parish Council and we are going to allow them to monitor it along with the UDC (Urban Development Corporation)," he said.