New Bowens Community Centre to be Refurbished on Labour Day

The New Bowens community centre in south Clarendon has been chosen as the parish project for Labour Day (May 23).
Grandlin Fearon, Administrator at the Clarendon Parish Council and a member of the Labour Day Committee told JIS News that a decision has been taken to refurbish the community centre, which is a registered shelter of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM).
Miss Fearon pointed out that this was in keeping with this year’s theme for Labour Day – ‘Prepare for Disaster, Recover Faster’.
“Clarendon, and in particular the southern section of the parish was badly hit by Hurricane Ivan in September last year and we really want to be a part of the proactive move to prepare for disaster, so we are carrying out repairs to this community centre in the south, which will assist some communities in providing shelter in case there is another such event,” she said.
“In addition, we want to stay away from the use of the schools as shelters so as not to disrupt the education timetable and to help prevent the destruction of the school’s property,” she explained.
Miss Fearon said the decision was taken at a meeting of the Committee on Monday, May 9, and the work to be undertaken include repairing the roof, providing and installing metal doors, constructing a kitchen sink, doing electrical work, and painting the building.
She noted that the community centre would also provide shelter for residents from the neighbouring communities of Halse Hall and Hunts Pen.
Meanwhile, some 29 projects have already been registered in Clarendon for Labour Day.
These include mainly the removal of fallen trees, planting of trees, bushing and cleaning main drains, patching of roadways, constructing retaining walls, renovating school property, fencing compounds, painting curb walls and pedestrian crossings, replacing road signs, painting buildings, and completing the roof of a bus shed.
Miss Fearon pointed out that priority would be given to four areas – repairing damaged shelters, cleaning drains, cutting down overhanging branches, and planting trees.