New president for Western Medical AssocMONTEGO BAY, St. James:
Dr. Garfield Badal, consultant paediatric surgeon at the Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay is the new president of the Western Medical Association (WMA).
Dr. Badal, who succeeded, Dr. Jacqueline Chambers-Roberts, was elected at the annual general meeting of the WMA last Friday.
In a statement yesterday, Dr. Badal said among his top priorities as president of the WMA will be increasing awareness of the need for improvement in the way medical doctors handle child abuse prevention and treatment.
- Contributed
Soapberry pipelines get connected
PORTMORE, St. Catherine:
The Central Wastewater Treatment Company (CWTC) is finalising the interconnection of major pipelines linking the Kingston Metropolitan Region to a centralised sewage treatment system at Soapberry in St. Catherine.
The special pipes will conduct the treated water to its final destination across both the Sandy Gully and Duhaney River to the Soapberry site where it will be treated in a pond system.
The end product will be 18 million gallons per day of clean water which, in the long term, will be available for irrigation purposes throughout the St. Catherine plains once the Soapberry facility is complete.
Upon completion of the treatment facility, the plants at Greenwich and Western will be taken out of service. In the interim, the transfer stations at Nanse Pen will be rehabilitated to handle the capacity demands.
- Contributed
Youth-empowerment project launched
OCHO RIOS, St. Ann:
The St. Ann Youth Empowerment Solutions (SAYES!) mentoring programme was officially launched last Saturday at Rooms On The Beach, Ocho Rios.
The programme, similar to the international 'Big Brothers, Big Sisters' is the project of Lee Moriarty, a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer, currently serving in Jamaica.
The primary purpose of the project is to positively impact the lives of young people by providing adult support and learning opportunities that promote character development and life-enhancing values.
On Saturday, mentors and mentees met face to face for the first time and will soon begin their mentoring relationships.
- Contributed
17-year-old gets Spanish tour
RED HILLS ROAD, St. Andrew:
Michael Griffiths, a 17-year-old fifth-form student of Calabar High School, has been selected as Jamaica's sole representative on an exciting adventure tour, the Ruta Quetzal, with over 300 other teenage participants from some 40 countries.
The tour is being sponsored by one of Spain's major banks, the Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Spain.
Participants this year will spend the first three weeks in Mexico and end their tour in Spain, culminating with the group of young people being hosted by His Majesty the King of Spain.
Mr. Griffiths will receive his award at noon on Monday at the Spanish Embassy. He is slated to leave Jamaica on June 16 and returns from Spain on July 28.
- Contributed
John's Hall erosion to be remedied
MONTEGO BAY, St. James:
The National Works Agency (NWA) is moving to address problems of erosion and land slippage along the John's Hall main road in St. James, through the realignment of the roadway and the building of two bridges.
Community relations manager at the NWA, Stephen Shaw, says that all the preliminary work for the building of the bridges has been completed and as soon as funding is in place, construction will begin.
Mr. Shaw went on to say the estimated cost for the construction is "upwards of $20 million," adding that some mitigation work has been carried out in the area, to prevent any further breaking away of the existing roadway.
- JIS
Eight thousand to get electricity
The pace of the Rural Electri-fication Programme (REP) is being increased through the injection of $600 million, which will provide an additional 8,000 households with electricity.
Minister of Industry, Technology, Energy and Commerce, Phillip Paulwell, made the announcement during his contribution to the 2007/08 sectoral debate in the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
Under the project, householders will continue to benefit from the revolving loan programme to cover the cost of wiring their premises.
Under this scheme, the customer will pay only 10 per cent of the cost of wiring with the remainder to be provided through an interest-free loan, which will be repayable over four years.
- JIS
'Waste to Art' - a success
Montego Bay, St. James:
'Solid Waste Management Day' was observed on Wednesday, under the theme: 'Transforming The Environment Through Our Youth'.
This year's observance culminated with the 'National Clean School Competition' 32 educa-tional institutions from western Jamaica participated.
Thirteen of the participating schools which excelled in the competition came out in their numbers to participate in a waste-to-art project with other environmental partners, at the Montego Bay Civic Centre.
Some parish winners were presented with trophies and certificates, including; St. James (first place, Mount Horeb All-Age and Infant School; second place, Montego Bay Preparatory School); Trelawny (Wakefield Primary School); Westmoreland (first Place, Negril All-Age School; second place, Paradise Preparatory School); Hanover (first place, Jericho All-Age School; second place, Maryland All-Age School).
