Today, we look back at six of the many communities highlighted during the course of this year and the problems associated with them. While some received much-needed attention, others are still waiting.
Olympic Gardens, St. Andrew
Rhoden Crescent, Olympic Gardens, has gone from being a beast, to the beauty of the ball. The road, repaired in October, was extensively defaced by potholes. - Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer
Then:
In September of this year, residents of Rhoden Crescent in Olympic Gardens lamented over - yes, you guessed it - the poor state of their roads. In addition to that, the residents were also seeking assistance to fix a block-making machine in the community that was the source of employment for several youths - most of them young men. The work provided by the block-making machine not only brought in money for the youths but also kept them out of trouble.
Now:
Today, Rhoden Crescent is as smooth as a baby's you know what. The repairs were done in October, shortly after the area was featured in the Watch.
Three cheers for the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) for answering the call of duty.
Unfortunately, nothing has changed for the block-making machine. It remains the same - rusty and non-functional.
On Friday, we were informed by a resident of the community that one of the young men, who once depended on the machine for his livelihood, was killed some two weeks ago. He recently fathered a child. One resident said he was killed while trying to hustle something for his child.
The residents said that Andrew Holness, their Member of Parliament, has pledged faithfully to have a new machine in the area.
We hope that Mr. Holness' promise does not turn out to be a comfort to the proverbial fool.
Whitewater Meadows, St. Catherine
Hartland main road leading to Whitewater Meadows was a dagger in the back of the residents who had to travel on it. The recent 'repair' is welcomed by residents and other motorists alike. - Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer
Then:
Whitewater Meadows was first featured in August this year. The residents were sick and tired of the deplorable condition of the Hartland main road, which happened to be the only way into and out of their community.
On top of that, the residents were grappling with unbearably low water pressure.
Now:
The Hartland main road has been repaired. However, some residents do not feel it was properly fixed.
"It's just another quick fix. They did the work some two months ago and right now you can see sections of old potholes resurfacing so I don't know what degree of repairs were done," said Donna Clarke, a resident of Whitewater.
"Nonetheless, we are glad for the 'repair' because the road is far better than it was but them need to provide a proper fix," she said.
Despite the complaints about the quality of the repairs, we want to big up the St. Catherine Parish Council for answering the call of duty.
While the roads were repaired, the water problems have not waned. Efforts to contact Charles Buchanan, the National Water Commission's (NWC) corporate relations manager, for an update, were unsuccessful.
Word to the NWC - we are watching!
Main Street and Pier Road, Ocho Rios
Pier Road in Ocho Rios was one of the many badly damaged roadways featured in 'Tyrone's Watch'. Our visit last week revealed remarkable repairs to the street. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer
Then:
It was shameful, to say the least, and an indictment of no mean order, to see the Pier Road, which is the first local road tourists use after leaving the Ocho Rios Cruise Ship Pier, filled with huge potholes.
A section of Main Street, which could be described as Ocho Rios' hip strip, was also in need of repairs.
At that time, a police officer on foot patrol told our news team that an average of five tourists per day fall into the potholes. The officer explained that, despite the potholes being so large, the fascinated tourists, who are more concerned with sightseeing, are oftentimes derailed by the craters.
That was a far cry from putting our best foot forward. But, as the old saying goes - dance a yard before you dance abroad. And, judging by the state of the roads that tourists do not usually see - those responsible were not dancing at all.
Now:
The 'potholes in paradise' on the Pier Road are gone. A security officer at Island Village, in the vicinity of Pier Road, said the repairs were done in October. Our visit to Main Street, at the corner of Milford Road to be exact, revealed that similar repairs were done as well. At the time of our visit earlier this year, no agency accepted responsibility for the road. However, we were told that it was jointly owned by the Urban Development Corporation and the Port Authority of Jamaica. Well, two thumbs up for the individuals who had the repairs done. And please do not allow it to deteriorate to that state again. It was a national disgrace.
Parry Town, St. Ann
A closer view of the danger that lurks in Parry Town. Residents say the sections underneath the remaining road surface have also started to break away. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer
Then:
Scared and concerned residents of St. Ann raised an alarm about the gigantic and ghastly breakaway on the Parry Town main road, which is in the vicinity of Coyaba.
Status:
Other than National Works Agency (NWA) warning signs and some tyres that have been placed at the edge of the grisly breakaway, nothing has been done to correct this impending catastrophe. "Right now dem sign deh cyaan stop nuthin from go over there. And, from you go over there a certain death, not even funeral can go keep, jus throw some wreath over there," said Kayan, a resident of the area. "Dem really need to do something," she added. A taxi operator and other residents threatened that they were going to 'block de roads' to get some help.
When contacted, Colin Morrison, senior communication manager at the NWA, said he was not able to give an immediate update on the issue. He said the manager responsible for the project was not reachable at the time but assured that he would provide the news team with an update this week.
Orangefield, St. Catherine
Residents of Orangefield, St. Catherine, lament that they are yet to get a comfortable supply of piped water. They say recent 'efforts' by the NWC have yielded no success in ensuring this and have worsened their road condition. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer
Then:
Orangefield was featured six months ago. Like other St. Catherine communities, they too were having low water pressure problems.
Status:
The National Water Commission (NWC) has done work in the area. This is obvious because their trademark of leaving the road unpaved was left behind.
However, despite the efforts of the water company, Orangefield residents lamented that the perennial water problem still persists. We were unable to get a comment from NWC. It is sad though, that in attempting to solve one problem (low water pressure), you have created another (bad roads). This was the sentiment echoed by residents when our news team visited the area last week.
Queen Hill, St. Andrew
Queen Hill residents are still waiting for repairs. Since the roads were featured in August, it is evident that nothing has changed. - Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer
Then:
A roller-coaster ride minus the thrill is the sentiment that would best describe driving up or down Queen Hill. When our news crew visited the area in August, some roads proved too torturous, even for a Subaru Impreza, a world-renowned rally car.
Status:
Nothing has changed. The roads are still camouflaged by man-sized craters; small plants and grass are still growing in the potholes and we were again forced to walk in some areas. Efforts to get an update from the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) were unsuccessful. This, including messages left for both the superintendent of roads and works and the city engineer, stating the nature of call.
Shame, shame, shame on you KSAC.
This special feature was done by Marlon Vickerman, Gleaner Writer
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