Westmoreland PC honours former public servants

MONTEGO BAY — The Westmoreland Parish Council is giving due recognition to its former mayors, custodes, councillors and justices of the peace, who served the parish with distinction for many years.

Chairman of the Westmoreland Parish Council and Mayor of Savanna-La-Mar, Councillor Bertel Moore, said the Council has benefitted from the dedicated service and leadership from these men and women, some of whom are still alive, noting that they gave selflessly for the sustained development of the parish.

“These persons have served their country and their parish with great pride and we want to show that we acknowledge what they have done for the parish.  We want to make sure that those who have given their time to serve our parish, that we pay them homage,” Mayor Moore said on July 14, 2011 monthly meeting held at Council Chambers in Savanna-La-Mar.

He indicated that the Council’s Civic and Community Affairs Committee is engaged in locating these former public servants and to find out about their overall welfare and well-being.   He informed that visits have commenced, with plaques, gift packages and other tokens presented.

"We have visited the former Mayor, Councillor Ralph Anglin; we have visited him twice already.  We are now making plans to visit former Mayor Sebert Davis, former Councillor Carrol, and we have also visited former Custos and Member of Parliament, James Thompson and his wife (who also served as Councillor). We had a wonderful time with them both as Mr. Thompson was celebrating 96 years.  They are both doing quite well," Mayor Moore reported.

Speaking to JIS News after the meeting, he informed that a memorial service is being planned for those persons, who have passed, during Local Government Month in October.

Councillor for the Cornwall Mountain Division in Central Westmoreland, Bernard Vanriel, voiced full support for the initiative.

He said that recognition must be paid to all those, who have served the parish well, so that their families could see that the Council still holds them in high regard and that they are not forgotten.                                                          

By  GLENIS ROSE, JIS Reporter