Ministry of Education

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As with many other communities throughout the island, it was a busy Labour Day for residents living along the Michael Manley Boulevard in the East Kingston and Port Royal constituency.

Several residents, particularly from the Manley Meadows community, turned out to clear an adjacent plot of land that slopes onto the boulevard.

According to one resident, clearing the area was necessary, as it acts as a cover for criminals, as was the case earlier this month when the body of a six-year old girl was discovered in the bushes after she was raped and strangled by her abductor.

Community members, young and old, men and women, equipped with their cutlasses, rakes and brooms were also involved in a clean-up of the median strip along the boulevard.

Member of Parliament for the area, Phillip Paulwell pointed out that the work was being done in association with the Michael Manley Foundation.

The strip, which stretches some three and a half kilometres from Rae Town to Harbour View, will eventually be undertaken as a maintenance project by the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), Minister Paulwell said.

"We have already approached the UDC; we have put to them a project that will enable us to properly maintain the strip. We are going to have to employ some people on a permanent basis, but that will have to be through the UDC.and we will continue to work with the Michael Manley Foundation for other assistance we will need," the Minister said.

Chairman of the Foundation, Danny Roberts told JIS News that the project was selected as its Labour Day activity, as the boulevard was named in honour of the late former Prime Minister, Michael Manley. He added that the Foundation thought it fit to be involved in the observance of Labour Day as a concept introduced in Jamaica by Mr. Manley, and to espouse the notion of community self-reliance as enunciated by him.

Some 10 members of the Foundation took part in the project, which Mr. Roberts hopes to see maintained with the help of community members. "The Foundation will meet with the communities along the strip and with the necessary state agencies, to see to what extent we can carry out a renovation, beautification and a maintenance programme," he said.

Steve, a resident of Manley Meadows, said he is pleased with the turn out of his fellow community members. Like many Jamaicans, he is concerned about crime and hopes that the bushing of the area could deter the activities of criminals who camouflage themselves in the undergrowth.

Evelyn, another resident of the community said, "I just love to see the place clean. I love to see a clean environment".

Labour Day was observed under the theme: 'Prepare for Disaster, Recover faster'.

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