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The solution to this little problem is so obvious... the fact that neither Termites nor ChiChi can see it sums up their backwardness
EDITORIAL - Papine's Potential Going To Waste
Published: Tuesday | November 19, 2013
We welcome the posture, though not particularly sympathetic to the pleadings of André Hylton, the member of parliament for St Andrew Eastern, of which Papine is a part.
Unlike Venesha Phillips, the local government councillor for the Papine division in the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation - and to whom we owe an apology for having previously mangled her first name - Mr Hylton engages in a kind of monotypic fulmination about the supposed cleanliness of Papine.
Stripped down, Mr Hylton conceded that Papine is a dump - as was highlighted by this newspaper.
"... Solid waste disposal, especially commercial waste disposal, poses significant resource demand on the public purse," the MP said in his letter we published yesterday. "In this regard, there is no easy fix, or single solution, that can permanently resolve the garbage problem."
So, there is a garbage problem!
Ms Phillips rests her claim of a pristine Papine on the fact that about a month ago, as part of activities to mark World Food Safety Day, she and others assembled television crews, before which they paraded as publicity hounds, to document the removal of tons of garbage from the Papine Market. That may have been good for a few votes.
But Ms Phillips' perception of squalor and grime may be different from ours - and, perhaps, MP Hylton's.
The issue is what is to be done about the problem, and, by extension, recognise the potential of Papine. On this issue, it perhaps makes sense to look beyond Ms Phillips.
To Mr Hylton, we suggest that he start with the basics: He must impress on the public-health authorities their responsibility to implement the rules. Business establishments that dump garbage on the roadways, or do not maintain it in a sanitary fashion on their own premises, breach the law.
Further, it would cost little, and would involve minimum-wage labour, to clean and maintain the Papine park - dark and dangerous from dusk - and attacking the vermin that rule the town.
concept paper
On the larger issue, of Papine's greater potential, Mr Hylton might wish to consult Arnold Bertram, who, up to 2002, served as the minister of local government in the People's National Party administration. He produced a concept paper for the transformation of Papine into a real university town.
Bear in mind that in Papine, there already exist the University of Technology (UTech), the University of the West Indies, Mona, as well as a vocational training facility operated by the HEART Trust. Just down the road is Jamaica College, a famous high school, with a huge campus.
But nothing in Papine reflects the potential richness - cultural, social and economic - of this student life. Squalor, congestion, fear and poor urban planning keep them away, especially after dark.
The shame is that at UTech, in the heart of Papine, is a Faculty of the Built Environment, with schools of architecture, planning and offering courses in surveying, draughtsmanship and related skills.
The issues at hand, and potential of the town, are beyond Papine market, which is seemingly the focus of Mr Hylton and Ms Phillips.
Should Mr Hylton choose to accept the assignment, he might start by engaging the institutions based in Papine, the community's citizens, its private sector, and relevant government agencies. That is hard work
The solution to this little problem is so obvious... the fact that neither Termites nor ChiChi can see it sums up their backwardness
EDITORIAL - Papine's Potential Going To Waste
Published: Tuesday | November 19, 2013
We welcome the posture, though not particularly sympathetic to the pleadings of André Hylton, the member of parliament for St Andrew Eastern, of which Papine is a part.
Unlike Venesha Phillips, the local government councillor for the Papine division in the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation - and to whom we owe an apology for having previously mangled her first name - Mr Hylton engages in a kind of monotypic fulmination about the supposed cleanliness of Papine.
Stripped down, Mr Hylton conceded that Papine is a dump - as was highlighted by this newspaper.
"... Solid waste disposal, especially commercial waste disposal, poses significant resource demand on the public purse," the MP said in his letter we published yesterday. "In this regard, there is no easy fix, or single solution, that can permanently resolve the garbage problem."
So, there is a garbage problem!
Ms Phillips rests her claim of a pristine Papine on the fact that about a month ago, as part of activities to mark World Food Safety Day, she and others assembled television crews, before which they paraded as publicity hounds, to document the removal of tons of garbage from the Papine Market. That may have been good for a few votes.
But Ms Phillips' perception of squalor and grime may be different from ours - and, perhaps, MP Hylton's.
The issue is what is to be done about the problem, and, by extension, recognise the potential of Papine. On this issue, it perhaps makes sense to look beyond Ms Phillips.
To Mr Hylton, we suggest that he start with the basics: He must impress on the public-health authorities their responsibility to implement the rules. Business establishments that dump garbage on the roadways, or do not maintain it in a sanitary fashion on their own premises, breach the law.
Further, it would cost little, and would involve minimum-wage labour, to clean and maintain the Papine park - dark and dangerous from dusk - and attacking the vermin that rule the town.
concept paper
On the larger issue, of Papine's greater potential, Mr Hylton might wish to consult Arnold Bertram, who, up to 2002, served as the minister of local government in the People's National Party administration. He produced a concept paper for the transformation of Papine into a real university town.
Bear in mind that in Papine, there already exist the University of Technology (UTech), the University of the West Indies, Mona, as well as a vocational training facility operated by the HEART Trust. Just down the road is Jamaica College, a famous high school, with a huge campus.
But nothing in Papine reflects the potential richness - cultural, social and economic - of this student life. Squalor, congestion, fear and poor urban planning keep them away, especially after dark.
The shame is that at UTech, in the heart of Papine, is a Faculty of the Built Environment, with schools of architecture, planning and offering courses in surveying, draughtsmanship and related skills.
The issues at hand, and potential of the town, are beyond Papine market, which is seemingly the focus of Mr Hylton and Ms Phillips.
Should Mr Hylton choose to accept the assignment, he might start by engaging the institutions based in Papine, the community's citizens, its private sector, and relevant government agencies. That is hard work
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