Shamir Brown
Mayor of Falmouth Colin Gager has revealed that the planned erection of the statue of Trelawny native and sprint legend Usain Bolt has been hampered by the onset of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.
Speaking at the monthly Council meeting of the Trelawny Municipal Corporation, Mayor Gager, related that due to the challenges surrounding Covid, work on the pedestal for the statue has not progressed as planned. “Covid has been hampering its completion, once the design is completed, it will be sent to the municipal corporation and we will be able to present it to the people so that they can buy in to the changes” he remarked.
The changes he refers to are that the iconic Water Square, the center of the town of Falmouth, will have to be amended to accommodate the statue. Based on information, the statue will be placed in close proximity to the fountain while a tree will be removed in order for the statue to be put in place.
Of note, the statue has already been sculpted and is in Jamaica awaiting its erection. The statue is said to be the exact replica of the one that was erected at the National Stadium in Kingston.
The mayor also noted that an artist is currently working on the design for a bust of Violet Moss-Brown, the woman who shot to worldwide fame for being the oldest living person in the world. “An artist has been contracted to do the design; the Ministry is in dialogue with the family to choose the best picture to be depicted” he informed. The
monument is being erected with the support of the Culture Ministry and is expected to be in place by August.
The road leading to her home in the community will also be renamed in her honour with news that Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Desmond McKenzie, has already signed off on that initiative. It is expected that the official renaming of the road will take place with the unveiling of the bust.
