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Dale Prevails
Royale Rest hosts first burialMARK CUMMINGS, Observer West Senior Reporter
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Dale Delapenha
BURNT GROUND, Hanover
Dale Delapenha's embattled Royale Rest cemetery beat the odds with a mid-day burial last Saturday that escaped the notice of strident protestors who had vowed not to let it happen.
"A burial was done there about mid-day on Saturday and the service lasted for about one hour; and we will do another one in a couple of days," Delapenha, managing director of Delapenha's Funeral Home told the Observer West.
He, however, declined to say exactly when the next burial would take place.
Residents of this deep rural community have been thwarting attempts to conduct burials at the picturesque 17-acre property in which Delepenha has invested some $40-million.
They say their rationale is premised on fears that the cemetery, which they think is too close for comfort to their water table, could pollute their water supply.
Saturday's burial - the first to take place at the controversial 17-acre property - on Monday sparked the latest in a series of rebellions by angry residents who had vowed that no burials will take place at the site.
The protest, which started from about 3:00 am, with angry residents piling huge trees and other debris along the road between the Haughton Grove and Ramble communities, kept a strong contingent of police busy as traffic backed up for miles.
Gunshots reportedly rang out sporadically during the protest and the police reportedly carted off a few of the protesters to jail, for alleged breaches of the Litter Act.
Earlier this month, a scheduled burial at the facility was thwarted, as residents blocked sections of the Anchovy to Ramble main road, preventing the hearse from taking the body to the cemetery.
All this has distressed Delapenha, a qualified mortician who studied the science at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, and completed a number of related courses at several overseas universities.
"The situation is very stressful but I am not giving up," said Delapenha, who is also the Jamaica Labour Party Councillor for the Montego Bay West division. "It (Royale Rest) is the most environmentally-friendly cemetery in Jamaica. if it was a threat to the environment we would have pulled the plug on it a long time ago," he argued.
A number of studies, including an Environment Impact
Assessment (EIA) by the government's National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), have stated that the cemetery does not pose a threat to the water table.
However, the residents are disputing their veracity.
Nevertheless, Delapenha, who told the Observer West that he was disappointed at the way the situation has taken on an appearance of "urban warfare," said he would not cower.
"Abandoning the cemetery is not an option at this time. We will continue our lawful business," he maintained.
Afterall, mek di igle cayless naga dem go fine sinting fi do. Is wha do dem?
Cho dem need fi put inna check.
Lazie, Sass, Ben, Gamma, Willi, MDMEX any comments?
Royale Rest hosts first burialMARK CUMMINGS, Observer West Senior Reporter
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Dale DelapenhaBURNT GROUND, Hanover
Dale Delapenha's embattled Royale Rest cemetery beat the odds with a mid-day burial last Saturday that escaped the notice of strident protestors who had vowed not to let it happen.
"A burial was done there about mid-day on Saturday and the service lasted for about one hour; and we will do another one in a couple of days," Delapenha, managing director of Delapenha's Funeral Home told the Observer West.
He, however, declined to say exactly when the next burial would take place.
Residents of this deep rural community have been thwarting attempts to conduct burials at the picturesque 17-acre property in which Delepenha has invested some $40-million.
They say their rationale is premised on fears that the cemetery, which they think is too close for comfort to their water table, could pollute their water supply.
Saturday's burial - the first to take place at the controversial 17-acre property - on Monday sparked the latest in a series of rebellions by angry residents who had vowed that no burials will take place at the site.
The protest, which started from about 3:00 am, with angry residents piling huge trees and other debris along the road between the Haughton Grove and Ramble communities, kept a strong contingent of police busy as traffic backed up for miles.
Gunshots reportedly rang out sporadically during the protest and the police reportedly carted off a few of the protesters to jail, for alleged breaches of the Litter Act.
Earlier this month, a scheduled burial at the facility was thwarted, as residents blocked sections of the Anchovy to Ramble main road, preventing the hearse from taking the body to the cemetery.
All this has distressed Delapenha, a qualified mortician who studied the science at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, and completed a number of related courses at several overseas universities.
"The situation is very stressful but I am not giving up," said Delapenha, who is also the Jamaica Labour Party Councillor for the Montego Bay West division. "It (Royale Rest) is the most environmentally-friendly cemetery in Jamaica. if it was a threat to the environment we would have pulled the plug on it a long time ago," he argued.
A number of studies, including an Environment Impact
Assessment (EIA) by the government's National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), have stated that the cemetery does not pose a threat to the water table.
However, the residents are disputing their veracity.
Nevertheless, Delapenha, who told the Observer West that he was disappointed at the way the situation has taken on an appearance of "urban warfare," said he would not cower.
"Abandoning the cemetery is not an option at this time. We will continue our lawful business," he maintained.
Afterall, mek di igle cayless naga dem go fine sinting fi do. Is wha do dem?
Cho dem need fi put inna check.
Lazie, Sass, Ben, Gamma, Willi, MDMEX any comments?
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