St James PC honours stalwarts
Published:Saturday | August 10, 2013 | 12:00 AM
Claudia Gardner, Assignment Coordinator
WESTERN BUREAU:The St James Parish Council presented Spirit of Independence awards to nine Montegonians for sterling contribution to the development of the parish during its Independence Day celebrations on Tuesday.
The awards, which are conferred annually on persons who have recorded extraordinary achievements in their various spheres of endeavour, were presented by mayor of Montego Bay and chairman of the St James Parish Council, Glendon Harris.
"The persons being recognised today by the mayor of Montego Bay have been selected as a result of their significant contribution to the development of St James," said Councillor Suzette Brown, chairman of the parish council's Civic Committee, prior to naming the awardees.
"They embody the spirit of innovativeness and exhibit selflessness. They have dedicated themselves to community development in ways that are far-reaching and have made a positive impact on the lives of others. They give testament to the fact that there is joy in hard work and there is no happiness except in the realisation that we have accomplished something," she added.
The recipients included senior Gleaner journalist Janet Silvera, who was cited as being a giant in Jamaica's tourism industry and journalism and as having made an indelible mark on her profession, both locally and internationally.
Retired principal of the Hampden Primary School and community activist, Sylvia Brown of Dumfries in St James, received the award for Outstanding Community Service for having organised and provided guidance and counselling to the Charity Youth Club and teaching adult literacy classes.
Coordinator of the St James Netball Association Junior League, Matabel Edwards, received the award for Outstanding Service in Sports. Edwards, who hails from Mount Zion in the parish, founded the 13-year-old Blazers Netball Club and has given 24 years of voluntary coaching service to teams at several schools in Montego Bay.
Unrequited Passion
Justice of the peace and former principal of the Mount Horeb Primary School, Beulah Graham, received the award for Outstanding Service in Education. Graham, who was a teacher and administrator for 45 years, was lauded for having an "unrequited passion for youth development", which resulted in the establishment of the Fern Youth Club, where she worked for years, teaching craft and culinary skills.
Seventy-three-year-old Clarice Grant also received the award for Outstanding Service in Education. An early-childhood educator for more than 40 years, she gave invaluable service to the Rodlyn Fisher Basic School in Granville and the Salvation Army Basic School, where she was principal.
The founder and principal of Ebony Basic School in Pitfour, she also volunteers at the Visions Academy in Tucker, where she teaches literacy and numeracy skills, helping students qualify for HEART Trust/NTA matriculation.
Also receiving the Education award was Leanora Morris of Lilliput, who spent all her working years in early childhood education. After official retirement in l985, she saw the need for a basic school in her community and created the Lilliput Basic School. The 86-year-old was lauded as having shown commitment to the educational uplift of children in Lilliput and surrounding communities.
Founder and managing director of Greenwood Plaza, Madge Neil Burnett, was awarded for outstanding service in the area of commerce and industry. Burnett, a businesswoman for more than 40 years, got her feet wet at 18.
She was praised for being an exceptional corporate citizen and a strategic businesswoman, dedicated to community work and caring for the less fortunate, while mentoring youth in Lilliput.
Knutsford Express and Ventura Photo and Video, a Montego Bay-based company, were also recipients of awards for excellence in commerce and industry.
Knutsford Express was hailed for offering first-class, no-hassle travel by coach between Montego Bay and Kingston, while Ventura was cited as a good corporate citizen with consistently exemplary technical standards and a highly respected business.