This scene shows a marl mountain that breaks away whenever it rains and inconveniences homeowners, although grass is being planted to contain.
Clinton Pickering – Freelance Writer
The joy of home-ownership is fading into misery for some persons who, initially, counted their blessings at being able to get one of the nearly 1,500 one-bedroom units at The Estuary, on the outskirts of Montego Bay.
A stone wall and gutter being built to protect this house being flooded.
Some issues have arisen which the National Housing Trust
((NHT) and the developer, West Indies Home Contractors (WIHCON), say are being
addressed.
Located in Friendship, the development is a joint venture
partnership between WIHCON and the NHT. Prime Minister Andrew Holness was lead
celebrant at the grand ground-breaking in February 2017 and a year later, when
the first set of keys were presented to beneficiaries, paving the way for
occupation to begin.
A second phase of The Estuary housing development has
started in earnest, but in the meantime, some early homeowners are venting
their disappointment, with one occupant saying it amounts to “the complete
disregard of the NHT and WICON for the safety of the residents.”
Councillor for the John’s Hall Division, Uvel Graham, said
he was aware of some issues but did not see them as being major. “I went to a
couple of meetings and they have lodged their complaints – but nothing major,
just minor complaints, things that can be dealt with,” he said.
“I did pass on the complaints and some of them were dealt
with and even one lady got relocated from her house which was flooded out,”
disclosed Cllr. Graham.
LEAKING ROOFS
Reports have been made of leaking roofs continuing to leak
even after they had been repaired, and while homeowners agree that the issues
can be dealt with, there is a feeling among them that they are not getting the
attention they deserve.
“I have gone to the NHT office here in Montego Bay on
several occasions, I have written to the NHT ‘We Care’ email address on more
than one occasion, and I have also sent a letter to the Office of the Prime
Minister and I have not received a response,” claimed one resident.
Another, who is making plans to take up occupancy by
year-end, is hoping the problem he is experiencing will be dealt before he
moves in. “My problem (is) around my backyard want to build up; every time rain
fall, my backyard flood out and carry down the marl on my backdoor,” he says, adding,
“I report it to them (NHT) how many time and them don’t come and do something
about it.”
A homeowner who has been in residence since September
concurs. “The marl (is) terrible at the back,” she says. “Each time the rain
falls, you have the marl coming down to the back.” She says the problem has
been reported to the NHT “and they say they will soon deal with it.”
Evidence has been shown of unsettled earth and of grass
being planted in an effort to hold the soil together to halt it breaking away.
INCORRECT LAND SPACE
Another complaint is that the acreage some persons occupy
for their lots is not in keeping with the land space they were made to believe
they were getting. In the absence of not being able to carry out a physical
survey, however, this has not been verified.
Information posted on both the NHT and WIHCON’s websites
states, “With a lot size of 2,800 sq. ft. (min.)/(260 sq. m), these 380 sq. ft.
units have social amenities such as a
Club House and has access to recreational parks, basic school and police post.
They will be designed with timber rafter roof, ceramic floor tiles,
windows with mesh screens and external laundry tub.”
WIHCON was not prepared to comment on the issues, opting to
redirect enquiries to the NHT for a response as “those units were not sold by
us, they were sold by the NHT, so they would be the best person to speak.”
In a response from the NHT, Corporate and Public Affairs
Officer, Dwayne Berbick said, “There are about twelve units that reported
leaking. Repairs were made and the leaking reoccurred, so we’re in the process
of repairing them again.” He said if the leaking reoccurs, there is an
assurance from the developer that those will be replaced.
On the marl issue, he pointed out that the terrain is sloping and currently, there are some unstable areas which WIHCON “is about to implement some slope stabilization techniques shortly and once implemented, should be completed in about six weeks.”
The NHT says it is investigating the concern about land
space on a case by case basis, and will engage its customers regarding how that
will be treated.
The box office is now sold out and the popcorn machine overheating. Those in the front row are in for a treat and the skybox will be nothing short of fascinating. Jose Mourinho, the Special One, is back! The 56-year-old Portuguese was sacked by Manchester United in December 2018 and spent the best part of 2019 in the Sky Sports studio as a pundit. It would have given him additional drive though to get back on the touchline, as he’s been seeing the likes of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp setting the league on fire.
But, is it as interesting without Mo? Decked in Tottenham tracksuit and runners, Mourinho walked from his home in the heart of the Chelsea FC stronghold of London as he headed across town to his first Tottenham training session. Typical Mourinho-style press conference had journalists from all over the globe posing the most pressing questions they could construe from their arsenal. When asked about his statement back in 2015 when he lamented that he’d never coach Tottenham Hotspur because of his love for Chelsea fans, Mo responded, “That’s before I was sacked!” Just like that, we knew the Mourinho of old was back and another blockbuster had begun.
Pochettino
sacked!
The
appointment of Mourinho would have gotten a lot of tongues wagging, but let’s
not forget the circumstances that led to his appointment. Mauricio Pochettino,
Spurs’ coach of 5years, was sacked. Daniel Levy could not arrive at an
agreement with Poch and after short-changing him for such a long period, it is
fully understandable. Spurs had the lowest net spend in the league in the
2018/19 season, yet still ended up in the Champion’s League final and earned a
top 4 finish. A manager acquired from Southampton FC came to Tottenham and
established himself as one of the best in Europe. He stabilized the club and
made them a Champion’s League regular. Where will he end up next? Bayern? PSG?
The question on the tongue of many, but with his humility and ability to work
with youngsters, it will be hard to see him unemployed for long. The likes of
Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Eric Dier will be forever grateful.
Managers
are hypocrites, clubs ungrateful and fans are true backbones…
Considering
what Pochettino has done for Tottenham Hotspur, it is rather unfortunate that
their relationship ended the way it did. He saw them through the most torrid
time of their modern history, moving into a new stadium with basically no money
to spend on players. That same new stadium has an empty trophy cabinet that is
expected to be filled. Apparently, he does not have what it takes to take on
that aspect of the job, hence the result. It is of little surprise though as
amnesia is a disease spread across the board and we saw a similar instance in
2012 when Roberto di Matteo was sacked months after winning Chelsea’s maiden
Champion’s League title. In response to this, managers constantly serenade fans
in an attempt to get them on their side, then a few months later, it’s almost
as if they were not even there. Fans are the true backbones of these clubs and
when a PSG fan penned a letter to the team in 2018 asking “Is there a more
irrational condition than supporting football?”, he got global answers because
there isn’t. Managers and owners move on as it’s a job and a business for both,
but for fans, it’s a livelihood. Fans are the ones who get emotionally
attached, cry themselves to sleep when teams lose and ignore their wives for
bars when they win. The difference between transactional and emotional.
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Craved and
anticipated by all, the technology that was seen in the World Cup, tested in
the Champion’s League, tried in Italy and expected to be perfected in England,
perfected in the greatest, most funded league on the face of the earth. The
stage was set, and the curtains drawn. Exuberant fans undone by last season’s
non-calls had their tails high in their backs – the saviour had arrived. But a
different narrative was being brewed. At least that’s what they thought. Video
Assistance Referee (VAR) has been on show since day one of the 2019/2020
English Premier League season, and saying it hasn’t been great would be the
understatement of the century. Questions of what could have been prior to the
inception of such newfangled technology have often been asked. After all, World
Cups won with forearms and ‘clotheslines’ went unpunished in the box. Those
days were now gone for good… but were they really?
Consistently
Inconsistent…
The
dissipation of VAR has been the talking point of the English Premier League in
each of the 12 weeks of fixtures to date. ‘How is it humanly possible for them
to be getting it so awfully wrong?’ was the question on the lips of fans,
players and managers alike. Conspiracy theorists will formulate dubious
conclusions, but to the outsider looking in, it may make far more sense than
some of the foolish explanations the FA has so far sought to put forward to
justify some decisions made. John Lundstram forgot to cut his toenail before
Sheffield United’s game versus Tottenham Hotspur and it cost his team 3 points,
as such was the margin which ultimately ruled him offside in the build-up to a
goal. Fast forward a few hours later and reigning champions Manchester City
wept openly as a genuine shout for a handball offense in the box was adamantly
waved away by referee Michael Oliver – a similar offence earned Chelsea a
penalty in their game against Ajax literally three days earlier. Which was the
correct call? Football is not a game in black and white and as such, making
decisions with that approach will set you up to fail miserably. What we can
agree on though is if we’re constantly seeing conflicting decisions from
individuals with identical training and guidelines, it will ultimately result
in widespread confusion.
Assistance
means HELP!
The
technology is magnificent, and its addition can still make the league better.
However, the consistency and transparency surrounding controversial calls are
the reasons for the cries of foul. As is the case with all forms of technology,
a lot is left on the effective and efficient use of it. The officials
monitoring the use of VAR have drastically underperformed and continue to do
so. Their expertise on the game itself is obviously limited to officiating as
they’re basically referees behind a screen. Having said this, the same
decisions that they would have made on the pitch are reflecting when they are
behind the screen and this should not be the case. Video-Assistance-Referee, as
the “A” states ‘Assistance’, is there to
help with their decision – not to make
the decisions for them, nor to be ignored while they decide. Both are to be
working in tandem to make a transparent decision that can be understood by all
without requiring prolonged explanations.
A wise
decision would be putting former players alongside referees in the VAR booth
and urge referees to visit the pitch-side screens more often (no referee has
used the pitch-side screen this season). Maybe then actual players would have
an idea why calls were made/not made. Millions of dollars are pumped into the
league each year and with television rights coming in from all angles of the
globe, it won’t be long before corruption enters the discussion.
At the
current rate, rules in the league will be changing weekly and what we thought
we knew will fast become mere illusions. The English Premier League will have
only one winner (VAR) and the remaining teams will be sore losers whining in
assumptions of what could’ve been.
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BRILLIANT CLUTCH: Bianca Maxwell of Corinaldi makes an acrobatic one-handed clutch to gain possession for her team during their Insports Under-12 Netball match against city rivals Howard Cooke in their Zone ‘A’ game played on Friday morning, November 8, at the Montego Bay Boys’ and Girls’ Club. Corinaldi ran out 28-0 winners to complete their fixture and move through to the semi-finals with an unblemished record.
Neolita Lawrence photo
Noelita Lawrence-Ricketts
Defending champions and beaten All-Island finalists, Corinaldi, are among the qualifiers for the November 19 semi-finals of the Insports Western Region Netball competition being played at the Montego Bay Boys’ and Girls’ Club.
Rivals Howard Cooke, Flanker and Chetwood are the other
qualifiers for the last four, which will see the winner progressing to the
All-Island playoffs for a shot at the cash purse of over $200-thousand.
Corinaldi, who have been undefeated in their preliminary
round western matches, winning their four games contested, one by default, are
down to renew rivalry with Chetwood while Howard Cooke, and Flanker lock horns
in the other.
Meanwhile, in the final round of games played at the start
of the weekend, the champions toppled Howard Cooke 28-zip in the teams’ first
meeting this season.
Bianca Maxwell, the competition’s leading goal-getter,
banked in 15 of her school’s goals to propel them to the win.
In a low-scoring match-up, Catherine Hall turned back
another of their rivals Barracks Road, in a low-scoring affair, claiming
victory 4-2.
The scrappy contest had Catherine Hall ahead 1-0 after the
first quarter before taking a 2-1 lead into the halftime break.Catherine Hall
were then held scoreless in the third quarter, but dropped in 2 in the final
one to settle the victory and effect yet another defeat on their opponent, who
remained winless.
Flanker, who stopped Pinnacle 20-0, were the other winner,
while Chatsworth gained points after Cambridge were a no show for their
fixture.
The USA has begun to flex its diplomatic and
military muscle against Jamaica. First, it leaked that Jamaica has pulled out
of a security Memorandum of Understanding with their three traditional partners
– the USA, Canada and the U.K. Secondly, we saw the revocation of visas held by
a government minister, a senior opposition parliamentarian and senior members
of the security forces and lastly, a cryptic warning by US Admiral Craig S
Faller, Commander of the United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), when he warned
of China’s campaign of “disinformation” in Latin America and the Caribbean,
hinting that President Xi Jinping’s ties with Venezuela were part of a
hemispheric axis, worsening security concerns in the region. That, my friends,
is the US overtly linking China to Venezuela and to a lesser extent Cuba, part
and parcel of their grand hegemonic design.
This column warned in February 2018 when it posited the
following; “The people of the Caribbean and Latin America must make known that
we are vehemently opposed to any regime change in Venezuela, a good neighbour
and friend. Through its PETROCARIBE oil credit facilitation to Caribbean
nations, Venezuela saved the region from greater economic ravages and social
tumult during the 2008 global economic meltdown.
According to one research site, as of 2015, while the United
States remained the principal trading partner of the Caribbean, China and
Venezuela had emerged as new challengers. I quote from another report, “Beijing
likely views the Caribbean as strategically important by virtue of its
proximity to the United States and major maritime trade routes and
infrastructure, such as the Panama Canal and the region’s many ports.” Chinese
government donations, aid, loans, and investments in construction of roads, port
facilities, new government buildings, cricket and soccer stadiums have tempered
American influence in the region.
China’s economic expansion in the Caribbean and Latin America must be of
serious concern to the Americans who, for centuries, saw the Caribbean and
Latin America as their backyard and third border.
Jamaica has been the greatest Caribbean beneficiary of this
Chinese largesse. Therefore, Tillerson’s visit should not be looked at naively.
It is possible under a Trump presidency the United States will more forcefully
resort to the 1823 James Monroe doctrine.
I doubt that this American administration has the capacity to accept a
changing Latin America and Caribbean where they are no longer the ones calling
in the plays so they will revert to bullying.”
WARNING NOT HEEDED
That warning went unheeded or was not finessed enough by
this government. Diplomatic events over the last few days have given local and
international political watchers and pundits one clear and irrefutable
impression – confusion reigns in Jamaica’s foreign policy. The government seems
to be out of step or ignorant of the subtleties and nuances involved in
international relations. A number of previous events ultimately brought us to
this ignominious place in our brief history as an independent nation. Only the
obtuse or the arrogant would not have seen the ominous writing on the wall.
In an era when international relations are dominated by the
foibles and whims of the transactional US President Donald Trump, Jamaica
should have known that dalliance with those considered enemies of the USA would
be fraught with intemperate acts of retaliation, rather than cogent diplomacy
which respected sovereignty. Under the Trump administration, the US is
determined to block China’s assent as a super power. With China’s Belt Road
policy manifesting itself in the Caribbean, the US wants to reassert the Monroe
Doctrine or big stick diplomacy in an area long considered the USA’s backyard.
So, as to not get ahead of myself, I will offer this
chronology: On September 21, 2011, before running for president, Trump tweeted
verbatim, “China is neither an ally nor a friend — they want to beat us and own
our country.” On May 2, 2016, while
campaigning for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination, Trump said, “We
can’t continue to allow China to rape our country and that’s what they’re
doing. It’s the greatest theft in the history of the world.”
On July 6, 2018, the Trump administration slapped China with
$34 billion in tariffs and promised another $16 billion would be added at a
later date. On July 6, 2018, China responded with similar amounts of tariff. To
date, the US has slapped tariffs on US$550 billion worth of Chinese products.
China, in turn, has set tariffs on US$185 billion worth of US goods.
FALLER’S BROADSIDE NOT COINCIDENTAL
It is in this milieu of economic warfare, Jamaica’s Prime
Minister Andrew Holness, opted to visit China on a nine-day working trip.
Therefore, I do not think Admiral Faller’s broadside is coincidental. This will
not be the first time that Jamaica has embarked on an independent diplomatic
path and faced American aggression and threats. One needs only to look at the
international accomplishments and vilifications of successive Michael Manley
governments between 1972 and 1980.
In the words of Delano Franklin, “During his period in
office, he deepened and strengthened, despite the opposition from certain
political quarters, Jamaica’s relationship with, among others, Cuba, China,
Venezuela, South Africa, Russia and China. Not only does Jamaica now enjoy warm
fraternal relations with these countries, but the Jamaican economy has also
benefited from large projects from some of these countries”.
According to Professor of Public Policy at UWI, Denis Benn,
“Michael Manley was a true internationalist who understood the complex
interplay among national, regional and global processes. He was an articulate
and persuasive spokesman in fora such as the Non-Aligned Movement and the Group
of 77.
“Indeed, during the 1970s and 1980s, Manley became the most
articulate voice on behalf of the developing world in championing the cause of
the New International Economic Order (NIEO), which dominated the international
economic agenda during the period. Almost single-handedly, he challenged the
forces of oppression both at home and abroad”. Incidentally, Benn is a
professor at The Cyrus Vance Professorship at the Centre for International
Relations at Mount Holyoke University.
Holness is no Michael Manley; he has not built the requisite
relationship with our CARICOM partners to weather an onslaught by the
Americans. Lest we forget the disdain
and contempt in which we are held by some in the Caribbean, I will quote from a
previous column. “According to UWI Professor Rupert Lewis, Kingston (Jamaica)
should have abstained from the OAS vote, adding that it would not have been a
cowardice move. From the end of December 2017, I saw the drift of the Jamaican
government, by and large, faced with a Trump administration, faced with Nikki
Haley’s ultimatum to people that we’re watching how you vote.”
According to Professor Lewis, Jamaica is aligning itself
with the ideology of the United States because it is still in a difficult
fiscal situation. “I can understand the economic aspect, but I can’t understand
the separation of the economic aspect from the political position which the
government has not taken.”
PLAYING TOADIE TO UNCLE SAM
This country is once again willing to play toadie to Uncle
Sam for financial aid considerations. No one should ever forget the October 25,
1983 invasion of Grenada by the USA. No one should ever forget the role played
by Jamaica’s PM Edward Seaga (JLP) as he toadied up to warmongering President
Ronald Reagan (Rep). Today, Seaga’s protégée seems to be in lockstep with
another warmonger. Under his leadership, Jamaica has been taking some unpopular
positions, positions diametrically opposed by most Jamaicans but are in
America’s interest. That was written in January 2019.
This administration is woefully out of its diplomatic depth
or the Prime Minister would not be publicly waving this red flag, “Jamaica has
benefitted from China’s support in several areas including human resource,
capacity-building in areas of education and training as well as scores of
Jamaicans benefitting from training in the areas, of agriculture, security,
logistics, medicine and urban planning in China.”
Amateur hour is here folks, sit back and watch this charade
of foreign policy play out. America is not averse to regime change and or
destabilization in their backyard – just look to Cuba and Venezuela. Peace!
To compound insults, he also noted that Jamaica shares
China’s aspirations for a more “open, inclusive and balanced economic
globalization for the common development and prosperity of all countries, as
well as the need to make the economies resilient to climate vulnerabilities and
economic shocks”. Adding that 16 Chinese
companies; registered in Jamaica; have already invested more than US$3 billion
in the country’s economy.
That is like; with bravado but no fortitude; telling Uncle
Sam, “go to hell with your bellicosity.” Amateur hour is here folks, sit back
and watch this charade of foreign policy play out because as sure as there are
small potatoes there are big potatoes. America is not averse to regime change
and or destabilization in their backyard just look to Cuba and Venezuela.
Today, despite his posturing, the Holness administration must be feeling the
apprehension and uncertainties of the Maduro government now that Uncle Sam has
begun to flex its varied muscles against it.
Peace!
• Nov. 19 deadline for Govt. to respond to Tomlinson’s same-sex marriage petition
Jamaica’s
anti-same-sex laws will today again be thrown into the international spotlight
when the powerful Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, IAHCR, which is an
arm of the Organization of American States, hears the petition brought by Aids
Free World on behalf of two Jamaican LGBTQ petitioners alleging that Jamaica is
in breach of the American Convention on Human Rights.
The petition challenges Jamaica’s laws against sexual
activity between consenting same-sex partners.
The hearing comes just weeks after Jamaica’s appellate court
overturned an interim injunction which had initially granted gay rights group,
Montego Bay Pride, permission to rent public facilities at the Montego Bay
Cultural Centre for a forum on same-sex marriage.
In one instance, the petitioner, a transgender woman,
contends that she was stoned by an angry mob in her home in Jamaica, resulting
in her being kicked out and forced to live on the streets at the age of 19.
She further contends that she was sexually assaulted, beaten
and held hostage. She says she was denied access to an HIV test and other
health services at a free public health clinic and subjected to hostile,
unwelcoming treatment from healthcare workers. The woman is now said to be
living in the Netherlands.
In the other case, which involves a gay man, he contends
that he was beaten, stoned and mobbed while in Jamaica. The man said every time
he went to the police station to report the attacks, the officers chased him
away and blamed him for causing the abuse because he was “too gay”. He is now
living in the United States.
The contending parties are hoping that the hearing will be
in their favour, as they believe a positive decision on the petitions from the
IACHR would be welcome news for activists working in Jamaica and the Caribbean
to end the criminalization of LGBTQ people that has resulted in stigma,
discrimination, and violence (including murder), which continue to hamper the
fight against HIV.
SAME SEX MARRIAGE
Meanwhile, the Jamaican authorities’ legal battle with
Montego Bay gay rights activist, Maurice Tomlinson, seems far from over as the
Jamaican government is expected to respond by November 19 to a challenge to its
law against same-sex marriage, mounted by Tomlinson, at the IACHR.
The challenge is to the country’s constitutional ban on the
legal recognition of any form of same-sex unions, including marriage.
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has held that the
American Convention on Human Rights, to which Jamaica is a signatory,
guarantees the right to same-sex marriage.
Security personnel restrain members of the Qahal Yahweh group, as an operation ensued on the group’s compound on Tuesday. - KT photos
The shocking discovery made in a police/military raid just three days ago (Tuesday, November 5) that Paradise, St. James, was home to the growing religious radicalized group – the Qahal Yawheh, appears to be just the tip of the iceberg, as allegations continue to swirl forward of the sexual exploitation of children and extortion of its members, among other crimes, further shedding light on the dark roots of the cult-like movement – which is now the focus of a national probe by the Office of the Children’s Advocate, the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) and the Jamaica Constabulary Force.
Despite the unwanted attention, leaders of the group have not shied away from blasting media reports, claiming that they are being scandalized.
In a brief interview with the Western Mirror, moments before
cursing our news team, Omar Thompson – one of the leaders of Qahal Yahweh,
spoke amidst the chaos of children being whisked away by members of the
security forces and the CPFSA, on suspicion that they had been abused.
“We are Qahal Yahweh,” Thompson began, “we are the nation of Yahweh Elohim. We’re here as a people – as citizens of Jamaica, deciding to make a stand once and for all. We truly believe that we have been treated unfairly by the Jamaica Constabulary Force and the CDA (referring to the CFPSA), and as a result… we have decided to take a stand.”
As testament to Thompson’s words, members of his
congregation stood clenched fisted, ready to fight, with some even engaging
armed security forces personnel – who were forced to breach the property after
not being allowed in, by throwing sticks and stones at them. Others stood and
chanted against the security forces, while there were those who resisted the
armed personnel’s attempts to remove children from the property, all while
Thompson observed.
Thompson declared that the reports of child abuse and other criminal activities, which he says prompted the security forces to act, are unsubstantiated, and are tantamount to religious persecution. “The CDA has no business here. No one is being abused. What they should be doing is shutting down these public schools, all of them. Sending your children to these public schools is where the abuse is – that’s what the CDA should be doing,” Thompson added.
Members of Qahal Yahweh stand ready to fight
When our news team pressed for answers regarding Thompson’s
apparent vitriol for public schools, the interview was abruptly ended. Further
attempts to get answers to other allegations saw Thompson cursing the news
team, citing that we were agents of the devil.
AUNT AND NIECE TELL ALL
But an aunt and niece, who have been engaged in an intense back-and-forth with the group since last September, were willing to tell all to the Western Mirror. The two, in an interview after news of the raid went public, shared that their 16-year-old female relative, who had been pulled from a prominent high school in St. James by her mother – who is also a member of Qahal Yahweh – was suffering, and they needed to rescue her.
“My sister pulled her,” shared the aunt, who will be referred
to as Small, “because the group believed that children of their members should
not be affiliated with the outside world.”
Upon learning of her niece’s untimely withdrawal from
school, Small made the matter known to the CPFSA in October last year, but
nothing had been done. “The information I gave was taken, and they said they
would get back to me. But I hadn’t heard anything for a while so I then took
the matter to Montego Bay. Again, my information was taken. I expressed to them
that I was concerned about my niece’s sexuality, as at the time she was living
on the compound [in Paradise], her mother had not been living with her there.”
Not being satisfied with the pace of the investigations that
had purportedly gotten underway following her reports, Small then went to a
police station, and again made the matter known. Despite the shock of the
officers to whom she relayed the details of her niece’s withdrawal from school,
and promises that they would look into it, things remained stagnant.
After double-checking with the CFPSA regarding the investigation, Small’s urgency to get her niece from the facility skyrocketed after she learned that the girl’s mother had been exiled from the group and that the 16-year-old was now living among the group all by herself.
“They kicked her out and told her that she had a few weeks to live. They cursed her, and she really believed she was cursed. As a result, she wrote a letter, which she had stamped by a Justice of the Peace, stating that my niece should be turned over to the care of Omar Thompson [leader of Qahal Yahweh], in case she died,” Small explained. It was also revealed that the woman – fearing she would soon be dead, also took out a life insurance policy.
She was allegedly expelled from the congregation because she
expressed dissatisfaction at the husband she was assigned – a common practice
in the group.
As the situation worsened, Small pressed to have a different
officer assigned to her case, as the current officer – for various reasons, had
been slow to mount a case against the religious group.
Despite those efforts, and despite the group being raided,
and some six children taken away on suspicion of abuse, the Qahal Yahweh
remains active on their base in Paradise. As for Small’s niece, she is still on
the compound, with no clear idea as to whether they will be able to rescue her,
among the reports of other 16-year-old girls becoming pregnant and ‘wedded’ off
to older men in the congregation.
The JCF, as well as the CPFSA, declined to comment on the matter, as they said investigations are ongoing.
The burnt-down house in which the brothers lost their lives
When the charred bodies of 8-year-old Javinci Palmer and one-year-old Tyler McLeod were recovered from the ashes of their one-bedroom home last Friday night, angry residents in the community of Ban Lane, Paradise, Norwood, St. James, all pointed their fingers at the boys’ mother, Shantel Brown, who is now in police custody.
Javinci
Tyler
Brown, 28, was taken into police custody on suspicion of
child negligence.
According to reports, members of the St. James Sector One
Operational Support Team, who were on patrol in the area, observed Brown along
a roadway in her community with a female friend, smoking and drinking, among
other things.
She was instructed by the unit to return to her place of
abode – an order she initially complied with.
FIERY NIGHT
Moments later, after the police unit left the area, Brown
made her way back onto the roadway, leaving her four children, which included
Palmer and McLeod, at home unattended again.
Not long after, however, tragedy struck, and a fire was soon
observed by residents ravaging the one-bedroom board dwelling. Residents who
were quick to react to the blaze were rendered powerless, however, as the fire
spread rapidly across the structure, trapping the children inside, and keeping
would-be rescuers out.
Attempts to douse the flames using water also proved futile.
As residents watched helplessly, the burden of their horrors
was lightened when one of the four children, a six-year-old girl identified as
‘Princess’, dashed out of the blaze, clutching her sister, a one-year-old girl
– half of twin siblings, in her arms. McLeod and Palmer, however, were not so
lucky.
Firefighters, who related that they received the call about
the blaze around 11:55 p.m., responded with two units from the Freeport
Station. Upon their arrival, firefighters observed that the house was
completely engulfed in flames, while residents relayed that children were
trapped in the fire.
An operation was rapidly undertaken, enabling the
firefighters to quickly bring the raging inferno under control before it could
spread to nearby dwellings in the vicinity.
Following cooling down operations, the bodies of the
children were observed among the rubble left in the wake of the blaze.
HOW THE BLAZE STARTED
According to one resident who spoke to this newsroom, the
fire is likely to have started with little Javinci, who was playing with a lit
candle, which was used to provide lighting as there was no electricity at the
dwelling. The resident, who explained that ‘Princess’ had shared the details
with him, explained that Javinci was playing with the candle and had accidently
extinguished the flames.
In an attempt to re-ignite the candle, he allegedly used a
lighter to set alight a piece of paper, which he used to light the candle. He
then discarded the ignited piece of paper, according to the resident, without
first outing the flames.
The blaze is believed to have started then.
NOT THE FIRST TIME
Reports suggest that Friday night was not the first incidence of Brown leaving her children at home unattended. One resident shared, “She always a do road and a lef’ di pickney dem… a nuh di first time.” Other residents added their voices to those claims, with a number of them expressing that on a number of occasions, they have confronted Brown about leaving her children alone at home.
While still in effect, the States of Public Emergency across Western parishes, particularly in St. James and Westmoreland, seem to give no pause to marauding gunmen, who, despite the increased security presence, continue to wreak havoc, leaving yet another bloody weekend in the books of the crime-plagued West.
Red-hot St. James, which continues to be defiant to the
security forces’ efforts, saw the deaths of thirty-five-year-old Damion Bogle,
otherwise called ‘Pancho’ or ‘Prento’, a taxi operator of Content district,
Adelphi, St. James; Shawn Lawrence of Providence Heights, 28-year-old Okeith
Vincent, a farmer of Lambs River Unity Close, Farm Hill, St. James, and an
unidentified male, whose body was found in Farm Heights, all on the weekend.
In the case of Bogle, according to reports from the Barnett
Street Police Station, around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 2, he was at a
service (gas) station conducting business when gunshots rang out. Bogle was
later seen lying on his back beside the gas pump with gunshot wounds to the
head.
The police were alerted, and Bogle was taken to hospital,
where he was pronounced dead.
Unconfirmed reports suggest that Bogle had been embroiled in
a brief dispute with a man in the vicinity of the Tastees parking lot, before
he stopped by the service station where he was shot shortly after.
Investigations continue.
While the police were processing that crime scene, they were
called to another on nearby Hart Street, where several persons were shot by
armed men who attacked a party. Following the shooting, Shawn Lawrence, the son
of popular Montego Bay ex-crime fighter, Clive ‘Karate Georgie’ Lawrence, was
found dead and four others shot and wounded.
The following day, Sunday, November 3, around 7:45 p.m.,
residents reported hearing explosions in the community of Porto Bello, and
summoned the police.
On the arrival of the lawmen, the body of a male – dark
complexion, about six feet tall, clad in a blue T-shirt, blue and
white-checkered underwear, grey jeans pants, and blue Nike slippers, was seen
lying face down in a pool of blood.
Closer inspection by the lawmen revealed that the body’s
hands were bound, and its mouth was gagged with clear tape. Gunshot wounds were
observed to the head. Up to press time, the body remained unidentified.
Preliminary investigations continue.
Just hours later, around 9:15 p.m., in the community of Farm
Heights, this time in a section of that community called First Street,
explosions led residents to alert the police. On arriving in the area, the
lawmen stumbled upon two gunshot-wounded men, one of whom turned out to be
Vincent, who was shot to the head.
Both men were rushed to the Cornwall Regional Hospital,
where Vincent was pronounced dead while being treated. The other wounded man,
who received a shot to his thigh, was admitted in stable condition.
The St. James police have also reported several cases of
shooting with intent over the weekend.
WESTMORELAND
Westmoreland has steadily been adding to the murder statistics,
with Friday, November 1, seeing its latest addition to that list. Dead is
29-year-old Randy Richards, of Geneva, in that parish.
Information obtained is that about 5:30 p.m., Richards was
among a group of men standing along a section of the roadway, when he was
pounced upon by men who opened gunfire at him. He ran in an effort to escape,
but was chased and shot several times to the upper body.
The police were summoned, who discovered Richards’
bullet-riddled body lying face down in a pool of blood.
BREAKING GROUND: Prime Minister Andrew Holness (centre) and Chinese Ambassador Tian Qi (5th left) lead other officials in breaking ground for the new children’s hospital.
Government took a major step on Wednesday to establish the long awaited Western Children and Adolescents Hospital, when Prime Minister Andrew Holness led a number of officials in breaking ground on the premises of the Cornwall Regional Hospital to commence construction of the US$ 43 million 220-bed seven-floor state-of-the-art complex.
The facility, which is a gift from the Chinese Government,
is slated to be completed in May 2021,and will also feature a 60-room
residential facility for health professionals from Western Jamaica. Cont’d on Page 2
It will offer specialist service to children up to 18 years.
Funding for the project is being provided under an Economic
and Technical Cooperation Agreement, which was signed on Thursday, October 18,
at the offices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.
In breaking ground under a tent (due to a heavy
downpour),Mr. Holness said the new facility is expected to bring about an
improvement in the quality of life of citizens,many of whom have been angered
and frustrated by the level of service delivery now being offered at the
Cornwall Regional Hospital.
“We are not running away from the problem; we are not hiding
from the problem. People want to know they can express their frustration and
anger – we are the custodians of the people’s power and we must use it on the
people’s behalf,”he said.
PORTIA’S ROLE ACKNOWLEDGED
Prime Minister Holness gave credence to former Prime
Minister, Portia Simpson Miller, who was a strident advocate for a children’s
hospital and during her tenure,took action to make it possible when she
travelled to China andforged an agreement with that government.
“She brought it a step closer when she visited China and
placed it on the agenda as a project of cooperation between the people of
Jamaica and the people of China, and the Government of China agreed, and that
brought the project one step closer to fruition. So, I want to acknowledge her
great effort and input in reaching to this point.”
Dr. Christopher Tufton, Minister of Health and Wellness, in
welcoming the construction of the facility, acknowledged that it would be the
first hospital to be built in the country in 20 years,and would serve more than
500-thousand residents in the western parishes of St. James, Hanover,
Westmoreland and Trelawny.
“The Western Children and Adolescents Hospital is a
significant indication of the commitment of our honourable Prime Minister and
the administration to advance the improvement of public health infrastructure.”
Tian Qi, Chinese Ambassador of the People’s Republic of
China to Jamaica,said the construction of the new hospital was a testament of
the longstanding and significant relationship between China and Jamaica.
“For the past 47 years, we have been working together as
true friends and real partners, helping each other bilaterally and in
international affairs,” he said.
Ambassador Qi said he was happy as the facility would serve
to greatly enhance the health care of Jamaican children.
The seven-storey facility will also have an in-house
pharmacy, an emergency room, a dialysis room, and a food court.
