STETHS Defeats Christiana High School Girls

 

STETHS player goes head to head with Christian High opponent at ISSA Girls Basketball Competition

Andrine Paul, The Scope Writer

May 31, 2017

ST ELIZABETH Technical High School (STETHS) defeated Christiana High 55-19 on Monday to retained ISSA’s CBC schoolgirl’s title at Belair High School court in Mandeville, Manchester.

Samoya Brooks’s  25 points and 12 steals along with Polecha Williams’s 14 points and 13 rebounds cemented STETHS’s ninth victory in the championship.

STETHS’s assistant coach, Richelle Bryan is confident that her team will be victorious in the 2018 season.  Bryan said that academic arrangements are made for students.

Bryan is also concerned about the team’s dependence on Brooks.

Christiana’s Jodi-Ann Wright scored nine points and Samantha Bruce scored seven points. The quarterly scores were 14-7, 39-14, and 49-17.

 

STETHS wins by 7 wickets

 

Members of the St. Elizabeth Technical High School cricket team hold  the ISSA/GraceKennedy Headley Cup trophy, after  they had beaten Manchester High School in the Schoolboy Cricket Competitions last weekend

Andrine Paul, The Scope Writer

May 31, 2017

St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) secured a seven-wicket win over Manchester High to win ISSA/Grace Headley Cup for the 29th time since 1979.

Andre McCarthy brought STETHS home to victory on 30 not out. Brad Barnes, Captain of Manchester High took the three second-innings wickets with his off-spin.

STETHS coach, Clive Legister expressed his delight in his team’s victory.

Coach Legister says support from past cricketers is key.

 

Coach of the STETHS cricket team, Clive Legister.

Meanwhile STETHS captain Michael Frew says it’s important to lead by example. He’s calling on the school to give greater support to the team.

Captain of the  STETHS cricket team, Michael Frue.

 

Jamaican Students Must Seek Careers That Are Under-served

State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Floyd Green

Daniel Passley, The Scope Writer

May 26, 2017

State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Floyd Green says Jamaican students must seek careers that have insufficient human resources.

The minister says students must exercise wisdom when pursuing their careers.

 

 Mr. Green urged students to use the World Wide Web to look at the job trends that are within the society so that they can make informed decisions.

He says companies recognize that social media is a convenient way for prospective employers to communicate their skills and experience.  

Minister Green was speaking in an April 26  interview on NCU FM’S Cruisin’ which airs Mondays to Fridays between 9am-1pm.

Unsafe Bacteriological Content Found in Water supply

 

Chantal Brown, The Scope Writer

May 26, 2017

Charmaine Palmer Health Inspector of Mandeville, Charmaine Palmer-Cross

Chief Public Health Inspector of Manchester, Charmaine Palmer-Cross, is warning residents of the Lincoln and Prospect communities against sourcing water from certain water trucks, as some of them have been carrying contaminated water.

Her warning comes after unsatisfactory levels of bacteriological content were discovered in the area’s water supply. . The matter was investigated and water trucks were found to be a main contributor to the problem.

“There are a number of certified trucks which carry drinking water to assigned communities but there are some which do not carry safe water, and we are doing what we can to resolve this matter,” she said.

This also led to renewed concerns about delivering water to areas where water supply is low. Mayor of Mandeville, Councillor Donovan Mitchell spoke to the complex setup of the water supply system in Mandeville.

“What persons don’t know is the cost of potable water from Mandeville is the most expensive in the country because of pumping and transporting water from one area to the next, then back to the town centre.”

When water is collected in Mandeville, it goes to St. Elizabeth or Clarendon, and then it’s pumped back into  Mandeville from either parish.

He says the National Water Commission is working on a development plan to install more wells and upgrade those which are in use across the  parish.

The on-going issue of low water supply has caused the mayor to urge residents in Mandeville to set up  at least  one water tank on their property.

JISCO re-open’s and redevelops bauxite industry

Theo Nembhard, The Scope Writer

May 11, 2017

Minister  of Transport and Mining, Mike Henry  Jiuquan Iron and Steel (Group) Company Ltd  (JISCO) plans to reopen and redevelop the Bauxite industry in Jamaica, at the school’s third W.D. Carter Lecture series.

He says the industry is set to contribute a minimum of US 72,000,000 per annum to the economy once fully operational, along with hundreds of job openings.

Minister Mike Henry noted that he will be working to resuscitate the bauxite industry while being aware of the environment effects it will bring especially to persons in close proximity the plant’s operations. He says the redeveloped plant will be more environmentally friendly than the previous plant as they will mitigate the effects of fuel burning during the course of making energy to carry out operations.

Community representative Orville Laing who  lives near the  plant says there are times when the  machines, such as the boilers  fail, and  cause  caustic  soda  to seep into the community.

However, some residents are awaiting the reopening as it will bring employment and channel more traffic to small businesses. Laing asked that  persons  living  closest to the plant, be given first priority in employment as they will be  most  seriously affected.

Is Corned Beef Making A Comeback?

 

Corned Beef

Sutandre Brown, The Scope Writer

May 18, 2017

The temporary ban that the government of Jamaica placed on corned beef in March of 2017 has since been lifted; however, the sale of corned beef has decreased drastically due to the recent scandal.

Since the reappearance of corned beef on the shelves of local supermarkets and wholesales, the employees and management have realized that corned beef is no longer bringing in the high profit it once did. Persons are now avoiding corned beef due to the stigma still attached to it since the ban was implemented.

Master Mac Wholesale in Mandeville is one of the wholesale supermarkets that have seen this depreciation first hand. One employee said persons are no longer purchasing corned beef but instead are gravitating more to other canned goods such as baked beans and tinned mackerel. “One time corned beef would a sell whole heap but now people fraid a it”, said one employee. Superplus at Midway Mall in Mandeville is also suffering from this loss since they too have restocked their shelves with corned beef but are seeing the same problem in sales as Master Mac. One Superplus customer said, “I love corned beef but I’m afraid to buy it for myself or my family.”

It is the hope of these supermarkets that corned beef will rise again in the eyes of their customers. Despite their loss on the product, they are understanding of the situation.

 

 

 

Cleaner Mandeville for the Future

 

Desmond McKenzie, minister of local government and community development, inspects the new garbage trucks, while Dennis Chung (right), chairman of National Solid Waste Management Authority, and others look on after the handover ceremony at the company’s head office in St Andrew.

Chantal Brown, The Scope Writer

May 22, 2017

The arrival of two new garbage trucks has the Southern Parks and  Markets  Waste Management group representatives hopeful that the town will see environmental improvements. The town  has long struggled with the issue of garbage collection.

The number of trucks that has serviced the town was deemed insufficient to cover such a wide area. Public Cleansing Officer,  Robert Johnson says  there are now five garbage truck units in operation, including two tipper trucks. He says there were a number of challenges regarding the garbage collection schedule.

“Some areas only have garbage collected twice a month, as opposed to other communities where garbage is collected twice a week and we are trying to work on that. There is also the issue of bad and narrow roads, which makes it impossible for trucks to get into certain communities.”

He says  in  Cross Keys for example, although garbage is collected according to schedule, there is still a troubling amount that is left behind.

“We are hopeful that there will be marked improvements within the next twelve months or less, where this issue is concerned,” Councillor Donovan Mitchell said.

Mr. Johnson is promising that despite the challenges SPM Waste Management Ltd. will continue to carry out its responsibility of providing waste management in the parish of Manchester.  

 

Man Takes Advantage of Free Swimming Pool

Sutandre Brown, The Scope Writer

May 22, 2017

One man in Central Jamaica- Mandeville- to be exact, became quite a spectacle during the recent inclement  weather,  as he playfully swam about in a large body of water that had gathered and blocked the road on Ward Avenue in Mandeville, as a result of the continuous heavy rains.

The video below shows him diving in the flood waters repeatedly.

Despite the many warnings from on-lookers urging him to get out of the water, he swam about merrily; diving and floating in the middle of the street. Many persons standing on opposite sides of the street were able to catch him on camera, including customers from both Tastee Patties and the Bank of Nova Scotia.

One of the on-lookers, Peter Evans, said he was able to catch a short clip of the man swimming through the dirty water and was in complete disbelief. Evans said, “I couldn’t believe when I saw the man swimming and even doing backstroke in the dirty water. I figured it was a mad man but all I know is him must get sick after this.”

Since the incident, video clips have surfaced online showing the man sporting a white t-shirt and brown pants swimming about in the contaminated water. The road was almost impassable to vehicles due to the extensive level of the water, therefore leaving the street clear, and free of interruption for the unbothered swimmer.

Many on-lookers suggested the man was mentally ill, while others suggested he was just taking advantage of the free ‘swimming pool’.

Developing Talent & Building a Nation Through Affirmation

 

Department of Communications Students Awardees

Gabrielle Thompson, The Scope Writer

May 21, 2017

The Department of Communication Studies (DCS) at Northern Caribbean University (NCU) has transformed its slogan into a lifestyle. 

The department  held their second Affirmation Ceremony as part of their annual Week of Excellence activities.

Students and facilitators were awarded various prizes for “providing exemplary service to DCS, student development and by extension the betterment of the NCU district.”

Eight students were awarded across the categories of Most Outstanding Male and Female Sophomore and Junior students, Most Influential Student and Today’s Leader.   

Facilitators within the DCS were awarded across three categories:  most amiable, professional and influential facilitator.

The theme for this year’s Week of Excellence, ‘Impacting Your Space, One Frame at a Time’, is somewhat of a requirement for one particular award at the Affirmation ceremony.

The male and female Burgundy Jacket Holders for the 2017-2018 school year were selected.

DCS Male and Female Burgundy Jacket Holders, Gabrielle Thompson and Andrew Forsythe

To be selected, the nominees must possess a grade point average (GPA) of 3.4 and above, a good record of citizenship, display strong leadership skills and be articulate.

Who Organized The Event?

The Affirmation Ceremony is only a year old. It started in 2016 and was organized by three members from the Event Planning & Management class in that year: Genell Newell, Asheki Spooner and Tamara Wright.

Ms. Spooner says the idea came out of wanting to do something that would earn them a stellar grade while being unique.

The group decided that their event had to be within the Department’s annual Week of Excellence. “While other students came up with social events, we said that alright then, why not the Affirmation Ceremony. The Affirmation Ceremony started then and it continued after so this is the second staging” Asheki said.

Genell Newell took the event even further, using it as her internal client for Production House. She got external sponsors on board and ensured that the event was successfully completed.

Organizers of the event, Asheki Spooner and Genell Newell

Who Was The Ceremony For?

The event organizers are particular about their loyalties. “The award ceremony… was for students and lecturers in the Department. They were the ones that got awarded. It was not for anybody outside of DCS, only DCS students and facilitators” Ms. Newell stressed.

 

Hopes for Future Affirmation Ceremonies

Genell says her hope for future affirmation ceremonies is simply to see DCS students come on board, build partnerships with major companies and expand the ceremony.

“I want it to be something that the entire university looks forward to, however in that event only DCS students will be awarded so the attention will only be on DCS students… past students could come back to award, to motivate, to be a part of the excellence… a bigger, better greater attendance for the affirmation ceremony” she said.

The Affirmation Ceremony is the only one of its kind at NCU.

DeafSports Calls for More Support for Deaf Athletes

Director of Deaf Sports Jamaica, Andre Witter

Jovaney Ashman, The Scope Writer

May 21, 2017

Director of Deaf Sports Jamaica Andre Witter, says the Deaf Community is struggling to get funding for athletes to participate in the Deaflympics.

In a post-award ceremony at the Manchester branch of the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf, Witter who is also impaired, says “the organization lacks the necessary equipment needed.”

“Seeking sponsorship is very hard, I’ve searched so much but because of communication barrier we can’t call, some can’t email or text. We don’t have the resources because we don’t have the sponsorship.”

In 2013, members of the Deaf Community protested outside Gordon House lobbying for more funding for deaf athletes to travel to the 2013 Deaflympics in Bulgaria but were denied.

“We have asked for a small contribution of 11 million dollars. We thought that’s the cost to cover everything but they still did not give.”

Although the Ministry of Sports allocates funding for Paralympians, there is no category for Deaf athletes in Paralympics. Witter says the government still does not understand this fact fully.

“We go for funding they tell us that we need to go the Special Olympians so we told them that we are separated and couldn’t go with them because we do not have any special disability.”

DeafSports Jamaica is the only organization in Jamaica that tries to get Deaf Athletes to Deaflympics.

Witter  says he has  also  “failed   in his bid  to get  funding  from corporate  Jamaica.”

However, he says,  “they’ll be  seeking  registration this  year, and  he   believes this  will solve  much of their financial  challenges.”

Witter says more mainstream athletes need to support Deaf Sports, to  bring awareness to the issues they face  and  their athletic  accomplishments.

“This important so we can let them (Deaf athletes) know they are important. We have tried to get athletes to come times before but only Chris Gayle,  legendary Jamaican cricketer, showed up.”

DeafSports Jamaica has been key in introducing Deaf athletes to services like insurance, healthcare, and jobs, that they never know before.