KSAMC to scale down Christmas celebrations this year

The annual tree lighting ceremony hosted by the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation will be scaled down this Christmas, Mayor of Kingston Andrew Swaby has announced.

Calling instead for “light to shine through compassion and community spirit”, the mayor said generosity and kindness is especially crucial now as families across Jamaica reel from the impact of Hurricane Melissa.

“I want to strongly encourage all of us to use this Christmas as a time to give back, let us reach out to our elderly, our children, and the families who have been hardest hit by the hurricane, even a small gesture of care can make a big difference,” he said at Tuesday’s council meeting.

He stated that the government and private sector are under heavy strain, and as such many of the KSAMC’s usual sponsors are now directing their resources towards relief and rebuilding efforts.

While expressing empathy with parishes severely affected by the category five storm, the mayor noted that Kingston and St Andrew were spared the worst.

Rural areas of the municipality, which include the communities of Mavis Bank, Gordon Town, Irish Town, Lawrence Tavern, Stony Hill, Dallas Castle, Red Hills, Kintyre and Brandon Hill, were among those mainly impacted by landslides, fallen trees, power outages and loss of roofs.

The communities of St Peter’s and Somerset were also cut off by blocked roads, he said.

Swaby also stated that the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) has reported that as of Monday, November 10, approximately 6,160 customers across Kingston and St Andrew remain without electricity, the majority of whom are in St Andrew. He reported that the JPS said restoration teams are working urgently to address them.

- Sashana Small

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