Good Hope in Trelawny

LAST WEEK Thursday, Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas made its maiden cruise to the newly opened Falmouth Pier. This cruise liner took some 3,000 visitors to the town of Falmouth. This augurs good hope for Trelawny.

Then there is the Good Hope attraction in Trelawny. This 2,000-acre property owned by the Hart family has great historic legacy. Recently, my family was the guest of Sheila and Tony Hart and got a first-hand tour of the property. After not seeing Mary, my wife, for more than three decades, Tony called her by her nickname, Punkie, which is a relic from her childhood days in St James when he was a parish councillor in that parish.

Good Hope in Trelawny is a mixture of rustic surroundings with its breathtaking view, an elaborate gift shop, modern attractions and gourmet-type cuisine. The curried lamb from sheep reared in Old Harbour, St Catherine, is the best I have ever eaten. The meal and drink was simply delicious. The history of the property and its interpretation excited me, especially the link to an Anglican priest and the liaisons between a past owner and an enslaved lady. We had the benefit not only of the official tour guide but we were taken on a tour by the knowledgeable Tony Hart, who has a fantastic memory. Then there is the zip line which might be the longest on the island, the horse and carriage ride, Dune Buggy, aviary, Water Wheel, etc. My son Duvaughn said if he were to return to visit the river only he would be satisfied. My daughter Dana exclaimed that it is a first-class attraction. It is clear that visitors from the cruise liners will have a quality attraction to experience for three hours and Jamaicans have another historic site to visit. Big things a gwaan fe Trelawny.

more benefits

The phenomenal Usian Bolt, the world's fastest man, and Veronica Campbell-Brown, one of the most decorated female Olympians in the world, are from Trelawny. The potential of using those brands to enhance the parish is great. In addition, there is the billion-dollar high-end Harmony Cove project. Furthermore, but for the unresolved crime of hundreds of truckloads of sand being removed from a beach, the other billion-dollar project in Trelawny could have been a reality. These projects need to be fast-tracked so that more benefits can befall the people of Trelawny.

These economic activities offer real hope for persons in a shrinking economy. Jamaica has experienced 14 consecutive quarters of negative growth and 190,000 more persons have fallen below the poverty line. Therefore, the mantra has to be jobs, jobs based on economic growth. It is encouraging that an official of the International Monetary Fund mission in Jamaica is challenging the Government to go for growth and jobs. In addition, the United States ambassador to Jamaica, Pamela Bridgewater, encouraged the Government to reduce crime, energy costs and bureaucracy in order that direct foreign investment will flow to Jamaica and facilitate the creation of jobs. In addition, we need to implement a new taxation policy, improve the safety net and improve the minimum wage.

The good hope that we are witnessing in Trelawny needs to spread to other parts of Jamaica because of the serious economic blight. And it needs all hands on board to spread the hope islandwide. Fortuitously, the Jamaica Baptist Union opened its convention yesterday in Ocho Rios under the theme 'Living in Hope'. Under the leadership of its president, the Reverend Dr Cawley Bolt, good hope can be spread nationwide. The Baptists hope is grounded in God with a belief that good will triumph over evil; truth over lies and prosperity over poverty.

Rev Devon Dick is pastor of the Boulevard Baptist Church in St Andrew.