#JAVOTES2024 | Herbert Garriques has big plans for Linstead

The People's National Party's (PNP) Herbert Garriques, incumbent councillor for the Linstead division in St Catherine North Western, is eager to be re-elected so that he may successfully complete two ongoing community projects.

Speaking with The Gleaner today, Garriques noted that "Linstead is one of those communities that is not no strong PNP communities" and that it had been so for quite some time.

Instead, he explained, the division has been won time and time again by candidates who have demonstrated that they are "for the people". 

Garriques said he could attest to the people being loyal to representatives who fostered "good relationships" with them, and he was appreciative of this.

One such project that Garriques is working on is the construction of a two-storey drop-in centre for the homeless, which he said is about 90 per cent complete. 

It will be located behind the Linstead Health Centre along King Street. 

People will be able to get food, medicine, and an overnight stay at this facility.

He stated that the building, which will have two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchenette, a doctor's office and nursing quarters, will be completed by the end of March.

He noted that the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) had responded to a letter he sent requesting assistance with financing. 

For the second project, Garriques stated that there were four communities which had informal water and electricity connections that he intends to regularise.

These areas, he said, are Bungle Town, a lane known as Crackhead Lane in Rosemount, Rodney Hall Road, and 3 Kings Street. 

"It is the private citizens who actually buy their own light posts," he said. 

Regarding the water issues, he stated that when everyone is at home and the water connection is being used, the residents at back of the community are affected.

"The water commission has actually pledged [to rectify this]. They have gone there already, do the survey and have realised that all it needs is additional [volume] of water," he said. 

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