Adrian Frater, News EditorWESTERN BUREAU:
A $2 MILLION contract has been signed for the upgrading of the Bethel Town playing field in Prime Minister P.J. Patterson's Eastern Westmoreland constituency, courtesy of funding secured through the Ministry of Water and Housing.
"The contract was signed just over a week ago, and everything is now in place for work to start in the first week of January," said Danree Delancy, the councillor for the area. "We are naturally quite pleased as we will now be in a better position to develop the sporting talent in the community."
The upgrading work, which is expected to be completed in just under three months, will see the grading and expansion of the existing playing surface, the addition of new top soil, the grassing of the facility, repairs to the netball court and the erection of a chain link perimeter fence.
INADEQUACIES
"We have a football team participating in the Westmoreland Major League, but because of the inadequacies of the playing field, we have had to be playing our home games outside of the community," noted councillor Delancy. "When the facility is upgraded our netballers and footballers will have the luxury of playing at home."
Once the current upgrading is completed, councillor Delancy said they intend to move right into a second phase, which he hopes will put the facility on par with some of the better playing facilities in western Jamaica.
"We are currently seeking to secure additional funding from the Ministry of Water and Housing and while we are yet to get the requisite approval, we are quite optimistic" said the councillor. "We see sports as an important arm of community building and we hope to exploit it to its fullest."
Should the required funding be secured, the second phase of upgrading will see the construction of bathroom and changing room facilities. In addition, it is hoped that a limited amount of seats will be constructed.
"Our ultimate aim is to have a modern sports complex completed with lights so that the working members of the community will get a chance to get involved in sporting events," added councillor Delancy. "We are quite hopeful that our plans will become a reality before long."
