Portland Communities Respond to Clean-Up Initiative

Work was carried out in several communities in Portland on the week-end, in response to Prime Minister Bruce Golding’s call for a national clean-up of post- Hurricane Dean debris, on September 29 and 30.
Most of the work was done in the area between Long Bay and Manchioneal, where most of the hurricane devastation occurred on August 19.
Among the tasks undertaken were the cleaning-up of roadways, the collection of garbage along the roadways, the removal of debris, the clearing of blocked drains, and the cleaning-up of beaches.
The effort was fully supported by the National Works Agency (NWA), the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), and many organizations and persons who made available well needed heavy equipment, including tractors and backhoes.
Prime Minister Golding toured the area on Saturday (September 29), to observe the work in progress.
Mr. Golding, who was accompanied by Kingsley Thomas, Co-ordinator of the National Clean-up Project, visited work sites in Manchioneal and Long Bay, and was briefed about the nature of the work being done, and the dislocation caused by the infrastructural damage done to the areas by the hurricane.
In an interview with JIS News, Mr. Thomas said he was satisfied with the response the effort has received in Portland, and that similar feedback had come from other parishes.
Mr. Thomas said the campaign was very important for community and national development, and expressed gratitude to everyone who participated in the initiative. Also speaking to the JIS News were several persons who participated in the clean-up exercise. They expressed delight at being a part of the initiative, and gave the assurance that they would work to complete any project left unfinished at the end of the two days.