Governor 'Chuck' McIlravery (right) of the EC&C District, Kiwanis International, unties the ribbon to mark the official re-opening of the Aintree Basic School Resource Centre in Portmore, St Catherine, earlier this month, while Elaine Hutchinson (left), president of the Kiwanis Club of South St Catherine, students and teachers look on. The resource centre was refurbished as a project of the Kiwanis Club. - Contributed

Residents seek help to fight enviro threat

The question of formal-dehyde is once again on the agenda internationally.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency of the United States has been moving thousands of Hurricane Katrina-victims out of government-issued trailers because of exposure to dangerous levels of formaldehyde fumes.

The citizens of Burnt Ground, Hanover, and surrounding communities, under the umbrella of the Ramble Community Development Committee (CDC), are insisting that the location of a cemetery in their area will have disastrous effects on the women, men and children as formaldehyde used in the burial process will poison their water supply. This could spread to the areas well beyond the immediate communities.

After the protests, the local police organised a meeting between the communities and a non-responsive NEPA. As a result, the citizens decided to take out an injunction to prevent any burials taking place at Royal Rest.

Member of Parliament Dr D.K. Duncan arranged and met with the public defender who made arrangements for Lord Anthony Gifford to represent the Ramble CDC. After discussions with Lord Gifford, a decision was taken to pursue a judicial review.

A meeting was also held with the minister of environment and health who promised to visit the area as soon as possible.

The Ramble CDC is seeking to build a coalition with environmental groups across the country to ensure the environment is protected in the interest of the people of western Jamaica.

- Gareth Davis Sr

Frequent complaints from motorists and residents about the deplorable state of the roadway, in Portland, compounded by dust nuisance and muddy conditions, have triggered the local parish council to seek restitution on behalf of the complainants.

Since work started in June last year on segment three of North Coast Highway, which covers Ocho Rios to Port Antonio, it was widely believed that the National Works Agency (NWA) would have assumed the role of watch-dog on the work in progress. But those hopes were not realised.

Creating havoc

The Dutch firm, Pihl Construction, is solely in charge of constructing the third leg of the highway. Councillors say the road condition is creating havoc for motorists and residents.

"Communication between the local NWA has never happened," says Mayor of Port Antonio, Floyd Patterson. "One would think that as the body in charge of not only road construction locally, but also repairs, they would be given autonomy over the road work in this parish, but apparently, this is not so."

Amid complaints and criticisms that the road construction is being done without proper supervision, Mayor Patterson pledged to find solutions to the problems being encountered by motorists and residents of Windsor, Hart Hill, Buff Bay, Orange Bay, Hope Bay, and St Margaret's Bay.

"I will be writing to the NWA as to why residents and motorists are forced against their will to bear these deplor-able and adverse conditions, while attempting to carry out their normal duties in their communities, especially while traversing the roadway," he said. " If no answers are provided I will be forced to seek the intervention of the minister."

Meantime, other councillors, including former mayor, Rupert Kelly, described the road construction as a death trap to motorists, which needed to be properly supervised and monitored.

Road dug up

He said that the manner in which work is being conducted by workmen could result in an accident at any time.

More than 40 kilometres of roadway have been dug up and are currently under repairs by contractors. The situation has created hardships on taxi and minibus operators, along with other motorists who complained daily about damage caused to their motor vehicle as a result of the deplorable road conditions.

- Gareth Davis Sr

The international charity, Food For the Poor, earlier this month presented 30 custom-designed wheelchairs to the Mustard Seed Communities to augment the mobility of many of the residents there.

Nearly 70 per cent of the residents cannot move about except by means of a wheelchair.

Food For the Poor, which has its international headquarters in Florida, presented through its local offices.

Over the years, Food For the Poor has distributed thousands of wheelchairs across the island. "We just don't merely give people wheelchairs, but we are always seeking ways to make the experience better by having those wheelchairs custom-fit for recipients," said Susan Moore, of Food For the Poor Jamaica.

'Fixed deformity'

As a result, FFP has joined forces with United States-based wheelchair specialist manufacturer, Metal Craft Industries, to provide wheelchairs that would eliminate or lessen problems associated with what is termed 'fixed deformity'.

According to research, some of the problems associated with fixed deformity and the non-provision of specialised wheelchairs include pressure ulcers, skin tears, bruising, skeletal deformities, impaired respiration and digestion, discomfort, agitation, incontinence, social isolation, unsafe transfers, falls, and injuries to both residents and caregivers.

Fixed deformity is often due to the unavailability of chairs to properly fit individuals' needs. So, if one has more people spending less time in beds it will not only eliminate this so-called fixed deformity, but it will also prevent social isolation and a number of problems associated with it.

Specialist in the designing and manufacturing of specialised-wheelchairs, James Swineheart, was instrumental in custom-fitting recipients to their respective wheelchairs.

Ms Moore further believes that by providing these specialised wheelchairs to residents at the Mustard Seed Communities it's a move that will make life more comfortable, and in some cases, bearable for "these defenceless and helpless" individuals, most of whom are children abandoned by their parents because of mental and physical deformities

- Rayon Dyer

Despite the construction of a new animal pound some five years ago, in the Myersville area of St Elizabeth, the problem of stray animal was still evident across the parish causing a nuisance to motorists and other users of the parish's roads.

Speaking at the monthly general meeting of the St Elizabeth Parish Council, last Thursday, in Black River, councillor for the Myersville division, Richard Parchment, said that the animal pound which was constructed in his division has been overgrown with trees. He said that the property was in a state worse than before the facility was constructed.

"I cannot understand why there are so many stray animals on the streets of the parish after this council had constructed an animal pound a few years ago. This doesn't make sense to me. The facility at Myersville is in a terrible state and as a council we need to deal with that urgently," Mr Parchment said.

He also underscored the need for dialogue with the Roads and Works Department in order to have the facility leased to a competent person to manage it.

A number of motorists have been complaining about how difficult it has been sometimes at nights to compete with stray animals on some of the major thoroughfares. The presence of stray animals on the streets of the parish has resulted in lost of lives as well as severe damage to motor vehicles.

Chairman of the council and mayor of Black River, Jeremy Palmer, said it now has to be a matter of seriously enforcing laws as it relates to the long- standing problem of stray animals in the parish.

Needs urgent attention

He said that the agency needed not to have a facility built at a huge cost to taxpayers to lie idle. Something needs to be done as a matter of urgency in revisiting the operation of the animal pound.

The animal pound was constructed during the reign of then mayor, Franklyn Witter, at a cost of $4.2 million. However, since its completion, the facility was leased on at least two occasions, but the lessee had to give up the contract due to threats from thugs in and around the area.

Among the major problem spots are the roads from Mountainside to Black River, Santa Cruz to Lacovia, Lacovia to Black River, Brompton to Crawford, Hounslow and Ridge Pen.

- Rayon Dyer