---------------------------------------------------------------
THIS WEEK’S SUMMARY
---------------------------------------------------------------
MARINE FUEL SHORTAGE MEANS LOCAL FISHING CRISIS—12/30/06
The fishing industry in Jamaica is facing a crisis stemming from the lack of marine fuel. The lack of fuel has resulted in a shortage of fish on the market. Havelon Honegan, chairman of the Jamaica Fishermen’s Co-operative Union, says there is absolutely no local fish available on the market, and about 40,000 fishermen have been out of work for more than a week because of the lack of fuel. According to Honegan, the Petroleum Company of Jamaica (PETCOM) is the only supplier of the fuel, and it has consistently failed to provide the needed commodity.
PEDDIE JOINS FIGHT AGAINST BAUXITE MINING IN COCKPIT COUNTRY—12/30/06
Sidney Peddie, colonel of the Accompong Maroons in St. Elizabeth, is joining the battle against mining in Maroons’ homeland, the Cockpit Country. Peddie says the bauxite mining will not be permitted and warned of a “dreadful fight” if it were to proceed. Peddie says several indigenous plants, animals, and trees are located in the Cockpit Country, which also has a large water source that acts as the head for approximately 12 regional rivers. Roger Clark, Minister of Agriculture and Lands, plans a meeting in January 2007 between the government and environmental groups to find solutions to the mining issue.
PSB CALLS CORRUPT COP “TRAITOR TO HIS OFFICE”—12/31/06
The Professional Standards Branch (PSB), the unit responsible for investigating corruption in the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), has damned the activities of a rogue police officer who confessed about his corruption to the Sunday Gleaner. The unit, led by Novelette Grant, Assistant Commissioner of Police, wrote a letter to the paper in which the policeman was called a “traitor to his office” and stated that the JCF does not shield corrupt officers. The PSB demanded that the officer turn in his badge or provide the names of other policy officers who have breached the Force’s code of ethics in exchange for money or goods.
SMOKE FROM LANDFILL COVERS PARTS OF CORPORATE AREA—01/01/06
Sections of the Corporate Area were covered by heavy smoke from the Riverton City Landfill, and residents can expect the smoke to last for three to seven more days, according to the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA). The smoke has affected communities close to the dump for several days, but it thick emissions have reached all the way to Half-Way Tree, Constant Spring, and Red Hills in St. Andrew. Landfill manager Clive McDonald says the NSWMA has been trying to control the fires, but two defective front-end loaders and a shortage of other soil-dumping machines have caused delays. Dr. Kenneth Baugh, Opposition Spokesman on Health, says the smoke from the dump is having a negative impact on the health of residents nearby.
ACTOR AND COMEDIAN CHARLES HYATT DEAD AT 75—01/02/06
Charles Hyatt, a comedian who played in Jamaican theater for more than 40 years died of lung cancer in Palm Bay, Florida, on New Year’s Day. According to a family member, Hyatt died just three weeks after he was diagnosed as the cancer had already spread to his kidney and liver. Hyatt was a known perfectionist who always wanted every one of his shows to be his best, says playwright Basil Dawkins. Hyatt’s last acting role was in Dawkins’ 2006 play, Hot Spot. Hyatt was also a journalist who worked at the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC), KLAS FM, and the Jamaica Record. Hyatt, who is survived by his wife Marjorie, four children, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren, was 75.
COMMISSIONER THOMAS SEES POTENTIAL FOR ELECTION VIOLENCE—01/03/06
Lucius Thomas, Police Commissioner, says he has evidence suggesting that the general election in 2007 could be violent. It seems the situation is returning to the politics of the 1980s, Thomas stated, and people should prepare themselves. He promised that the police would not play politics and that they would be effective. Thomas pointed to an accumulation of guns in various locations on the island as an indication that violence could be part of the general elections.
HUNDREDS PRAY FOR PEACE AFTER 13 MURDERED SINCE JANUARY 1—01/04/06
Thirteen people, including two police officers, have been murdered since the first of the year, and analysts predict a bloody election in 2007. In response, hundreds of Jamaicans and leading church authorities, including Bishop Herro Blair and Dr. Al Miller, joined with Bishop Delford Davis of Power of Faith Ministries to pray for national unity and peace during a daylong vigil at the National Arena. The 13 murders in the first three days of the new year have prompted worries about the nation.
CONSTABULARY FORCE TO DEVELOP MURDER REDUCTION PLAN—01/05/06
By the end of January 2007 the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) will have a plan to reduce the number of murders in the country, says Deputy Commissioner Mark Shields, the head of the crime portfolio in the JCF. He is developing a specific strategy to reduce homicide in light of the record 1,669 murders committed in 2006. He warned that there was no quick way to lower the murder rate, but his plan emphasizes a partnership approach and working with other agencies.
----------------------------------------------------------------
JAMAICAN DIASPORA NEWS
----------------------------------------------------------------
UK-BASED JAMAICANS WANT GOVERNMENT TO ADDRESS CRITICAL ISSUES—01/01/06
Over 300 Jamaicans based in the United Kingdom demanded answers from Jamaican government officials during meetings in Manchester, Birmingham, and London. The chief issues concerned property, business opportunities, security, and citizenship. At the Birmingham meeting, over 90 people were in attendance, and they wanted to know why the government in Jamaica allowed tenants to live on their property without paying rent. Meeting participants said it seemed that the government was protecting non-paying tenants, and they required help to get such people off their property in Jamaica.
NATIONAL DANCE THEATRE OF JAMAICA TO PERFORM IN FT. LAUDERDALE—01/03/06
The National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica (NDTC) will hold a special performance at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale on February 10, 2006. The Jamaica Awareness Incorporated, a cultural association based in south Florida, will host the one-night performance. The proceeds from the performance will go to the development of the Jamaican Diaspora movement in the southern United States. One of the pieces will pay tribute to Robert Marley in a work entitled “Ode.” Cedella Marley, daughter of the reggae star, designed costumes for the piece. Another piece will address the impact of Hurricane Katrina from a socially conscious perspective, illustrating the hope and despair that is characteristic of peoples in the Caribbean.
MOTHER OF CONVICTED SMUGGLER PLEADS FOR HER SON’S LIFE—01/04/06
In Houston, Texas, Dorothy Williams, a Jamaican national and the mother of Tyrone Williams, a convicted human smuggler, made a plea to the jury in the case to spare the life of her son. Williams’ defense brought several mercy witnesses before the jury, which is considering whether he should live or receive the death penalty for his role in the deaths of 19 immigrants. In addition to his mother, Williams’ sister, Coretta Williams, also pleaded for her brother’s life. Tyrone Williams is the only person among those convicted for the crime to face the death penalty.
BUSTA RHYMES RELEASED ON BAIL AFTER MISDEMEANOR ARREST—01/05/06
Busta Rhymes, the Jamaican-American rap star whose real name is Trevor Smith, has been released on bail after an arrest for misdemeanor assault. The judge in the case released Rhymes on $3,500 bond after charging him with two third-degree assault charges and two lesser chargers. He is scheduled to reappear in court on February 20, 2007. Rhymes is charged with punching and kicking Edward Hatchett, his former driver, outside his office in lower Manhattan. They were arguing about money, according to the district attorney’s office.
----------------------------------------------------------------
SPORTS
---------------------------------------------------------------
VICTORIA MUTUAL ENDS 14-YEAR ATHLETIC SPONSORSHIP—12/30/06
The Victoria Mutual Building Society (VMBS) has announced that it will end its 14 years as sponsor of the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships. ISSA was aware of the situation and is ready to book a new sponsor for the event in 2007. VMBS said it would not be continuing as title sponsor of the national high schools’ event because it will pursue new ‘strategic directions.’ No other reason was given for the surprising end to what seemed to be a good relationship. ISSA has expressed its appreciation to VMBS for its role in making the Boys’ and Girls’ Championships such an excellent event.
POOR PERFORMANCE BLAMED ON INDISCIPLINE, SAYS HINDS—12/31/06
According to Wavell Hinds, Jamaica’s senior team cricket captain, indiscipline is the reason for the team’s poor showing in the regional Carib Beer tournament last season. Hinds believes that players were not totally focused on the game and did not understand what was required at the national level. He also said he thought some players had taken their positions on the team for granted, but he hoped players had learned their lesson and would put last season behind them.
JAMAICAN MASTERS SURF TEAM TO PARTICIPATE IN CHAMPIONSHIP—01/03/06
The masters surf team of Jamaica will be in Puerto Rico January 20-28 to participate in the International Surfing Association 2007 World Masters Surfing Championship. Two officials and six members will be begin preparing for the event, which is sponsored by the Puerto Rico Surfing Association, on January 18. Meanwhile, surfers in Jamaica tried out a new surfing location at White Horses in St. Thomas.
GUNFIRE AT BOYS” TOWN FORCES END TO FOOTBALL MATCH—01/03/06
Gunfire broke out in the Boys’ Town community, causing a premature ending to the Wray and Nephew National Premier League football match. At least 10 shots were fired from the northern side of the playground, forcing the players, officials, and two police officers to lie, face down, on the ground. There were no injuries reported as a result of the gunfire, which began during the third minute added for stoppages in the first half. The match was broadcast live on television.
----------------------------------------------------------------
DEVOTIONAL
---------------------------------------------------------------
Down But Not Out
In the movie Forrest Gump, the main character, played by actor Tom Hanks, quotes his mother as saying, "Life is like a box of chocolate…you never know what you gonna get", and boy, isn't that the truth! It is not without significance that life is said to be a journey; a very eventful one in which we experience highs and lows, surprises and disappointments, sadness and happiness. That journey is broken down into days, and each day is given to us, wrapped like a present, and we have no idea what that package contains. Days of immense happiness can be followed by devastating tragedies, and somewhere in the mix of experiences is the realization that this life is not quite fair.
The tragedies we sometime experience, can often leave us feeling like we have been in a heavyweight fight with boxer Mike Tyson in his prime. We get broadside by the unexpected at times when we least expect them, or have no reason to expect them. Our individual experiences often overwhelm us, provoking some of us to feelings of anger, betrayal, disbelief, tears, frustration, helplessness, and if we are not careful, to shake our fists in the face of God at what we consider life's unfairness. I know; I have been there.
The Psalmist David realized this condition when he wrote: "When my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy" (61:2-3, KJV). By ourselves we cannot survive life's storms and the things that threathen to destroy us, but as long as we allow Christ to lead us to the rock that is higher than ourselves, we can find refuge and strength in the strong tower who is our Savior. It is refreshing to know that regardless of what we find in our 'box of chocolate', we do not have to become victims of those circumstances; we do not have to be knocked out, but like Bozo the clown, we will be back on our feet everytime the enemy thinks he has knocked us down.
Thank God! Though we may not know what life will throw at us, we know we have a place of refuge for the times when we are overwhelmed and need to be somewhere safe. Jesus being there makes all the difference. I know; I have been there.
CEW
-----------------------------------------------------------------
CREDITS/SOURCES
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The weekly news is compilation of new articles from top Caribbean and Jamaican news sources.
