Manchester and St. Elizabeth Prepare for Labour Day

Plans are moving into high gear as the parish of Manchester prepares to stage its annual Labour Day activities under the theme ‘Jamaica’s Beauty – Our Duty’.
Speaking with JIS News, Mayor of Mandeville, Councillor Desmond Harrison noted that this year the historic Mandeville town square would be the main focus of the Manchester Labour Day committee.
“We will be targeting the courthouse, which is in need of quite a bit of refurbishing work as well as the Cecil Charlton Park.along Main Street on the median strip we will also be doing some repairs, and also along Caledonia Road near to the two service stations,” he informed, noting that work would be done in all 17 parish council divisions.
“We have to get the entire parish ready for Cricket World Cup 2007 so all the Councillors have identified a major project. Some of the institutions and areas we have identified include Hatfield School, Lincoln Square, Top Hill School and community centre, Horseshoe Corner, Craighead Square, Tiki-tiki Square and Cross Roads in Christiana,” he informed.
Repair work will include white washing, fencing, cementing, planting of flowers, painting, and the erection of signage.
“In fact for the capital we have already started to do quite a bit of preliminary work, so that on the day (Labour Day) the right foundation will be in place to ensure that we achieve the maximum.I encourage all parishioners to come out and join hands and hearts with us,” he said.
In the neighbouring parish of St. Elizabeth, Secretary Manager for the parish council, Opal Beharie told JIS News that the main project would be sited in the vicinity of New Market.
“We will begin working from early on Labour Day on the beautification of the mini park, which will take the form of weeding and replanting of flowers, in addition we will be doing the cleaning of the town square,” she informed.
Mrs. Beharie stated that much attention would also be given to ensuring that roadways were bushed in preparation for the upcoming hurricane season.
“We know that work is nearly done on the Buena Vista Community centre that was damaged by Ivan (Hurricane). This of course was the national Labour Day project last year, so in a very short time from now there will be the reopening of this facility,” she said.