Montego Bay, St. James:

Some 400 volunteers from western Jamaica, who worked at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium during the recent staging of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, were recognised and presented with gift packages at a reception, held at the Rose Hall Resort and Country Club in Montego Bay, on Monday.

Board chairman of the Jamaica Local Organising Committee (LOC) 2007, Dr. Wayne Reid, said that the volunteers played a significant role in the successful execution of the events of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, staged in Jamaica, inclusive of the fourwarm-up matches and the prestigious opening ceremony.

Mr. Reid observed that the volunteers spent hours doing their part where they were placed, making sure the participants in the tournament could be comfortably hosted during the games.

Some 602 of the volunteers who went through a special assessment programme, were certified and presented with official certificates.

- Contributed

Mandeville, Manchester:

Research conducted by Dr. Samson Omoregi and Ms. Tamara Chambers of the Department of Biology, Chemistry and Medical Technology at Northern Caribbean University, shows that many Jamaicans are putting their health at risk by refusing to undergo laboratory diagnostic tests.

Laboratory diagnostic tests are frequently employed by physicians to confirm or support clinical prognosis arrived at, following physical examination and/or medical history of patients.

However, the study suggested that some patients seem to be unaware of the useful nature of these tests and, as a result, very few follow through when referred by their physician.

In some cases, the consequences of such actions prove to be detrimental to the health of the patients themselves.

In this study, a survey was conducted among patients in Jamaica, which analysed their perceptions of the importance of laboratory tests to their physicians in diagnosing and treating their ailments.

- Contributed

Yallahs, St. Thomas:

Yallahs Primary School was the venue for the 2007 renewal of the western St. Thomas and east rural St. Andrew Cluster of School's Environmental Fair.

The event, which was being staged under the theme, 'Celebrating Our Achievement, The Environment and Us', had the participation of 3,500 children drawn from 21 schools in the cluster.

In marking the event as a very significant one, Custos of St. Thomas, Mrs. Marcia Bennett commended all the partners and the contributors who, according to her, had given yeoman's serviceand continue to give of themselves for the further development of the nation.

Corporate entities, who partnered the educational institutions were Pit Friendly Society, Jamaica National Building Society and Smith and Stewart through their brand, Crazy Jim.

The day's activities among other things included exhibits and display boots depicting and demonstrating various benefits of a clean environment and the harms of not caring for it.

- Arthur Green

Devon Pen, St. Mary:

Scores of residents of Devon Pen in St. Mary benefited from a health fair sponsored by the St. Mary Health Department at the Devon Pen All-Age School on Tuesday, May 22.

The fair, which provided free health tests and counselling to the residents, was the second of its kind to be held by the department this year.

Among the tests carried out were: those for blood sugar concentration, HIV, blood pressure and dental examinations. In addition, educational talks were given on a number of health matters including mental health, sanitation, personal hygiene, food hygiene, and reducing the incidence of accidental poisoning of children.

Speaking to the media during the function, Pauline Steele-Davis, health educator for the St. Mary Health Department, said in addition to providing the tests and the educational talks, the fair also aimed to sensitise the residents about the work being carried out by the health services in the parish, as well as, to increase their awareness of the importance of maintaining good health through the use of those services.

- JIS

Falmouth, Trelawny:

Trelawny environmentalists are up in arms against the destruction of what they say is a major, long-standing, protected Caribbean mangrove wildlife reserve and coral reef protection, near Falmouth, in order to facilitate a planned Spanish resort hotel development.

Leader of a group of business people in Rock district near the affected area, businessman EarlBernard, wants an immediate stop order placed on the cutting down of the mangroves on the Bush Key peninsula until the important environment questions are "satisfactorily answered and settled".

He says the mangroves provide both a habitat for thousands of egrets (or herons), pelicans and other birds, and protect the microorganisms that help to preserve the sheltering coral reefs.

Mr. Bernard says the protesting group wants the Trelawny Parish Council and Jamaica's National Environment And Planning Agency (NEPA), to urgently explain the specific environmental terms and conditions for the planned resort project. Consequently, the group is seeking urgent meetings with Falmouth Mayor Jonathan Bartley, and NEPA officials.

- Contributed

St. Thomas:

Thirty-one residents of five land settlement schemes in St. Thomas were on Monday presented with certificates of titles under the Government's Land Settlement Programme.

Minister of Agriculture and Lands, Roger Clarke, made the presentation to the residents from Law River, Spring Pen, Lloyds, Georgia, and Golden Valley at the Anglican Church Hall in Morant Bay.

Minister Clarke noted that many more land titles could have been distributed in the parish by the National Land Agency (NLA), but the agency was restrained by probate issues.

In the meantime, the minister indicated that the NLA will continue to carry out surveys in several land settlement areas across the island, and work with the various local planning authorities to obtain the necessary subdivision approvals so that persons could receive their titles.