Family reunites to pay homage to veteran pastor

SPANISH TOWN, ST CATHERINE:

Live well and your legacy will live on. This was the tone that surrounded the Walters reunion in Jericho, St Catherine, on Wednesday.

The 175-year-old Jericho Baptist Church was abuzz with the family of the late John McRooby Walters, who served the church from 1922 until 1951.

Interestingly, while the church was celebrating 175 years of existence, the family was also paying tribute to a lineage that goes back for the same amount of time.

In responding to the tributes, grandson Ewart Walters said he had fond memories of his grandfather. They were echoed by the family who used the occasion not only for celebration but also for drawing closer to God and to pray for blessings.

John Walters was born in Spring Village, then known as Pot House Pen, in St Catherine, on December 26, 1873. He later married Catherine Boyd. The union produced 11 children.

- Rasbert Turner

Head boy appeals for more peer counsellors

MAY PEN, CLARENDON:

Students are being urged to get involved in the peer counselling programme instituted by the Ministry of Education.

The encouragement comes from Jovan Johnson, head boy of Edwin Allen High School in Clarendon, who says that his years of involvement in the programme have helped him to develop a positive work attitude and the determination and confidence to go after his goals.

He went on to say that the peer counselling group was very active, participating in activities such as parent-teacher association meetings, drug marches and World AIDS Day events.

Jovan advised students to seek to develop strategies, born of strength of character, which will allow them to survive the challenges they will encounter in these changing times.

Edwin Allen High School was awarded first place in the recently held Peer Counselling Competition, organised by Peace in Life Counselling Ministries in Clarendon.

- JIS

School needs help to raise funds for fence

LLUIDAS VALE, ST CATHERINE:

The parent-teacher association (PTA) of the Lluidas Vale All-Age School in St Catherine has started a fund-raising drive to fence the school.

A strongly supported fun day to raise money for the project was held at the school last year where Arlene Thomas, president of the PTA, said parents and teachers were eager to have the yard fenced to ensure the safety of students.

She said the fence would also keep out stray animals that had been destroying plants and fruit trees in the yard, especially those planted on Labour Day in May last year.

According to Thomas, the PTA has so far raised some $65,000 but this was not enough to install the chain-link fence around the school, which is bordered by a cane field.

Thomas, who is also secretary of the Lluidas Vale Community Development Committee, said there were plans to seek funding for the project with assistance from the Social Development Commission (SDC).

The SDC will help in writing a project proposal, which will be submitted to the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica.

The PTA president also urged past students of the school to contribute to the project.

- JIS

Sewerage woes hit Boscobel

BOSCOBEL, ST MARY:

Residents of the Boscobel housing scheme in St Mary are up to their necks in frustration with a malfunctioning sewerage system in their community.

According to them, the situation is intolerable and has particular implications for their children.

Anthony Robins, chief health inspector for the parish, said he had spoken to Patrick Daley from the National Water Commission, who is the waste water manager on the issue and was advised that a $500,000 budget for the cleaning and relaying of new pipelines to the field has been presented to his organisation.

The manager could not, however, provide a timeline for the approval and implementation of the project.

- Lisia Lynch