Rose Heights Community Centre restoration work post-Melissa

WESTERN BUREAU:

The Rose Heights Community Centre in St James was abuzz with activity on Monday as the St James Municipal Corporation (StJMC) and community members united to undertake restoration work at the facility for Labour Day, following Hurricane Melissa's devastating impact last October.

Monday's activities also saw representatives from the University of Technology Western Campus' Circle K International and the Jamaica Defence Force joining in to do roof repairs and repainting of the community centre, which was chosen as the Labour Day parish project for St James.

A garden was also created on the centre's grounds, in addition to the main building's restorative work.

Montego Bay Mayor Richard Vernon told The Gleaner that the community centre was selected chosen due to its multipurpose use to Rose Heights and neighbouring communities, which were impacted by the Category 5 hurricane last October.

"The facility serves as a community centre for communal gatherings, and also as an emergency shelter, and that is why it was selected. Other community centres serve the same purpose, but this one was also within a reachable budget compared to what we have been allocated from the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, which is $500,000, but the renovation that is taking place is to the tune of $3.8 million, and, of course, the StJMC will have to foot the rest of the bill," said Vernon.

Andrea Kerr-Finakin, president of the Rose Heights Community Development Committee, said that the area's youth groups and other clubs will benefit from the centre's restoration.

"The community is very grateful, and we look forward to the completion of the project so that we can continue our activities that we normally keep," said Kerr-Finakin. "From time to time, the different youth groups in the community will do their movie nights, plus our six-a-side football club. Now that the community centre will be on full blast, we can continue our activities."

Other Labour Day projects that were carried out in St James included restorative work at the community centres in Rosemount Gardens, Farm Heights, Cornwall Courts, and Porto Bello, and the removal of an illegal dump site at Sun Valley Road in Montego Bay.

Additionally, beautification and repair work were carried out at the Howard Cooke Primary School and the Herbert Morrison Technical High School, both in Montego Bay, and both of which suffered significant damage during Hurricane Melissa's passage.

christopher.thomas@gleanerjm.com