THE MONTHLY GLEANER | NOVEMBER 2 - DECEMBER 2, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS 2 THE BOARD of directors of Radio Jamaica Limited (RJL), the parent company in the RJRGLEANER Communications Group, has announced changes in its board and executive management. After 15 years as head of the group, CEO Gary Allen will demit office as managing director of the company and CEO of the group, effective December 31, 2023. The board also announced that Deputy CEO for Print and Digital Services, Anthony Smith, will assume duties as the new CEO on January 1, 2024. A statement from the group indicate that Allen will remain with the group, serving as group senior executive, corporate and external affairs, working closely with Chairman Joseph M. Matalon and the new CEO. Allen will lead the regulatory and policymaking interface of the group, especially relating to digital switchover. He will continue to chair the boards of the overseas businesses in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom, as well as being a member of the Editorial Board, the boards of the print and broadcast subsidiaries and being chairman of the RJRGLEANER Sports Foundation. The company also advised that Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) Christopher Barnes will be resigning as a director of the board of the parent company, effective October 31, 2023, and as CSO, on December 31, 2023, but will continue as a consultant with the group and remain on the The Gleaner Company (Media) Limited (GCML) and broadcast subsidiary boards. Barnes has been with the group for more than 15 years, serving GCML as managing director before becoming chief operating officer, then CSO after the amalgamation of GCML and RJL in 2016. Effective today, Smith will be appointed to the board of Radio Jamaica, and on January 1, 2024, will be appointed managing director, and automatically become an executive director as provided under the company’s articles of incorporation. Smith was appointed group deputy CEO and GCML general manager on October 1, 2022. A seasoned business and technology executive, he has successfully led diverse teams and transformational programmes throughout his career. Among his impressive achievements, as CEO of Massy Technologies Jamaica and Group COO for Massy Technologies Group (Massy Technologies Trinidad Limited), Smith was successful in growing the company’s profits before tax each year, for the five years of his tenure. He has also served on several boards, including that of the Massy companies he led. In the statement to the Jamaica Stock Exchange, RJL, a publicly listed company, says “these organisational changes are driven by the strategic imperative to strengthen our leadership position in the local and diaspora markets and to support the digital-first transformation programme, as outlined at the most recent AGM (annual general meeting). The agreed strategy is designed to take advantage of the changing media landscape, which has seen technology convergence; impact of AI technologies; new media; on demand access and DSO, to achieve sustained future growth”. As the new CEO of the RJRGLEANER Group, Smith will be responsible for spearheading the strategy and execution of the new operating model for the group. All departments and revenue channels will fall within his responsibility. Radio Jamaica Ltd announces board changes Gary Allen FILE PHOTOS Anthony Smith THE MUNRO College Old Boys’ Association (MCOBA) hosted its annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Sunday, October 22, honouring five individuals for outstanding achievement in various areas. THE 2023 inductees are: Frank Browne (posthumous) for sterling contribution to the business community and for dedicated service to Munro College and Hampton School; Stanley Darville for service in the field of entrepreneurship, as CONCACAF referee and philanthropist; Eddison Hinds for service in the field of entrepreneurship, sports and community development; Winston Hutchinson for contribution to the field of scientific research, national sports representation and the church community; and Kenneth Walton (posthumous)for contribution to sports and education. This year’s event followed on the success of the 2022 event, an elegant affair, which saw over 300 guests in attendance. Former governor general Professor Sir Kenneth Hall delivered the keynote address. The MCOBA is a major stakeholder of Munro College, the last remaining boys’ boarding school in the country. Over the last decade, The MCOBA has inducted over 50 outstanding Munronians, among them the late former Jamaican prime minister Sir Donald Sangster; Jamaica’s greatest all-round athlete, the late Lindy Delapenha; Munro College co-founder Caleb Dickenson, whose family also founded Appleton Estate and developed the world-famous Appleton Rum; late business icons William ‘Billy’ McConnell and Tony Hart; former poet laureate and tennis star Professor Mervyn Morris; and decorated war hero and Pulitzer Prize Poet, Louis Simpson. Five inducted to Munro College Old Boys’ Association Hall of Fame Inductees (from left) Eddison Hinds, Winston Hutchinson and Stanley Darville. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS Victor Tomlinson (left), president of the Munro Old Boys’ Association, with Inductee Winston Hutchinson. 3 Lester Hinds/Gleaner Writer JAMAICAN COMMUNITY leaders in Florida are raising the alarm about an immigration bill that was passed in the Sunshine State last Friday, pointing out that it will have a “chilling” effect on immigrants, legal and non-legal alike. Democrats have argued that the bill could lead to racial profiling, arguing that immigration laws are the purview of the federal government, not the state. But Republican supporters say it is aimed at forcing the federal government to address an “invasion” of migrants into the country. The bill, which includes a number of provisions requested by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, bars Florida local governments from spending taxpayer dollars on identification cards for people who cannot provide proof of citizenship. It also invalidates a driver’s licence issued by another state to someone who cannot prove their citizenship; requires hospitals that accept Medicaid to include a question on intake forms about the patient’s citizenship status; removes a provision previously signed into law by former Governor Rick Scott that allows undocumented law school graduates admission to The Florida Bar; increases penalties for human trafficking-related offences; and requires anyone in the custody of law enforcement who is subject to a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement immigration retainer to submit a DNA sample to a statewide database. The bill also prohibits counties and municipalities from providing funds to any person, entity, or organisation to issue identification documents to an individual who does not provide proof of lawful presence in the United States. The bill also increases sanctions against businesses that hire undocumented immigrants, allow state law-enforcement officials to conduct random audits of businesses’ compliance with the law, and increase penalties for human smuggling. It also increases the maximum fine for a first violation of specified provisions relating to employing, hiring, recruiting, or referring undocumented immigrants for private or public employment. One of the bill’s more contentious provisions is to require businesses with 25 or more workers to use the federal E-Verify system to check the immigration status of employees. ATMOSPHERE OF FEAR Jamaican immigration attorney Michelle Fanger, who is based in Jacksonville, said the measure will drive people underground and create an atmosphere of fear. “As proposed, you cannot harbour anyone who is out of status and you will be subjected to fine and possible deportation,” she told The Gleaner last week ahead of its passing. She noted that it would also prevent undocumented immigrants from seeking medical treatment. “It means that we will have many sick people unable to seek medical help, and this could result in outbreaks of diseases that could be easily treated,” said Fanger. She said that undocumented people already working would now fear going to work, noting that this could affect the state’s agricultural sector. Dale Holness, the Jamaica-born former mayor of Broward County, also decried the measure, saying that what it is aimed at doing is giving Republicans a chance to win elections. He told The Gleaner that the late George Wallace “tried the same tactics and it backfired, so I am at a loss to understand why the DeSantis government would be attempting this in this day and age”. He said that the measure will have a chilling effect on legal and illegal immigrants and drive people underground at a time when progress is being made to try and bring people out of the shadows. Holness noted that the measures will not only hurt immigrants, but the entire population. “They are being shortsighted, and I believe that it will be challenged in court and overturned,” he said. “What they are seeking to do is make monsters out of immigrants and create a climate of fear among the white population.” He noted that community-based organisations in Florida, which issue certain IDs to seniors and people coming out of prison and are seeking to restore their identities, could find funding cut off under the bill. Corey Shearer, director of Florida’s Community Partnership Outreach, said that the measure is already having a chilling effect. “It is mean and isolationist. It is trying to play to the fears of the white section of the population and threatens the progress that is being made,” he told The Gleaner. Shearer, who is the son of the late Jamaica-born South Florida activist Jasmin Barnaby, said that community leaders must make people aware of such bills and push back against these types of measures. A similar bill for the House, which is almost identical to the one approved by the Senate, could be on the floor for a vote as soon as this week. If approved, it goes to DeSantis, and once he signs it, the law would become effective on July 1. editorial@gleanerjm.com Kimone Francis/Senior Staff Reporter THE MAJORITY of women working on the seasonal farm work programme in Canada have poured scorn on Jamaican liaison officers there, asserting that the group mandated to ensure that they are treated fairly has been unethical and unresponsive to challenges they face. Fifty-two per cent of the 44 women surveyed during a fact-finding mission approved by the Jamaican Government said that they were dissatisfied with the Jamaica Liaison Service. The figure is just above that of their male counterparts, with 44 per cent of 396 surveyed indicating that they, too, were not satisfied. The findings were published in the fact-finding report tabled in the House of Representatives last Tuesday. The issues cited by workers included liaison officers not being easily accessible, responsive, or interactive. Workers also said that they were not ethical in their approach and did not ensure that issues they had were resolved. They noted, too, that liaison officers lacked compassion. Currently, there are only 13 liaison officers for the programme despite farms being far apart. Approximately 10,000 Jamaicans are part of the seasonal programme, which began in 1966, and are spread across 655 farms in 10 provinces. Three former female workers, who spoke to The Gleaner on condition of anonymity, one of whom is still “fighting” for medical treatment from her former employer, called liaison officers “sellouts” and claimed that their loyalty was to supervisors and employers. The women, who were in their 30s at the time they went on the programme roughly a decade ago, said that they were engaged in picking strawberries and apples. One woman told The Gleaner that she fell from a ladder while thinning apples, and suffered a brain and leg injury as a result. She noted that she has remained in the North American country four years later and is fighting to get assistance in accordance with her contract. “The liaison officers are not supposed to be there because they are not doing what they are put there to do,” she said. “It is unfair that CDN$75 is drawn out of your salary every fortnight to pay somebody who is standing in front of your employer telling them that if they have any issues, it’s because of where we come from,” she added. She alleged that after her injuries, a liaison officer submitted a report falsely indicating that she was well. The woman said that this has resulted in her being unable to get treatment. Additionally, she said that a request for the results of her medical done prior to her arriving in Canada, which she said would prove that she was healthy on arrival, was denied. “I was told to get off the phone and that I was bright and out of order and ‘renk’ and that I shouldn’t call back their phone … . These liaison officers have been doing a lot of damage to us as migrant farmworkers. They have been crushing us. They are not for us. They are for the employers,” she claimed. She said also that officers rarely responded to issues they were having, but noted, however, that they would report those who had complained to employers. “There was no confidentiality between you and the liaison. Basically, them sell out,” she charged. She rubbished the mission of the factfinding team, which travelled from Jamaica last September to investigate reports of abuse, calling it a “hoax”. “How will you get the facts by telling people that you are coming and getting them to polish up?” she questioned. She said “threatened” workers will not be honest about their treatment because they do not want to lose the opportunity to earn. KNEE INJURIES Another former worker said she was forced to pay out of pocket to treat a ligament injury to her knee because a liaison officer allegedly downplayed her injury. She told The Gleaner that she picked up the injury while kneeling to pick strawberries. “What I told [the officer] is not what was in the report,” the woman said. She said that as a result, her employer did not pay for her treatment because the report said that she was well. She was sent home at the end of the season, a month after she picked up the injury. The third woman alleged that she had to beg ‘SELLOUTS’ Florida legislature targets immigrants, allies J’CAN ACTIVISTS SOUND ALARM AS ... Dale Holness, the Jamaica-born former mayor of Broward County. FILE Jamaican farmworkers disembark a Government bus at the Norman Manley International airport. RICARDO MAKYN/MULTIMEDIA PHOTO EDITOR Former farm workers lash liaison service, claim Canadian employers denied liability for injuries PLEASE SEE FARMER, P7 moya.thomas@gleanerjm.com Moya Thomas THE MONTHLY GLEANER | MAY 4 - JUNE 7, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS
THE MONTHLY GLEANER | NOVEMBER 2 - DECEMBER 2, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS 3 Sashana Small/Staff Reporter PRIME MINISTER Andrew Holness lauded the country’s comprehensive disaster response mechanism which he says was on display on Monday, October 30 in the aftermath of a 5.6-magnitude earthquake that rattled the island. The earthquake, which lasted approximately 30 seconds, had its epicentre 10 kilometres south of Buff Bay in Portland and was felt in eastern Jamaica and several other parishes. The heavy shaking caused people to flee buildings. While there were no reports of injuries, hospitals saw an influx of people suffering from panic and asthma attacks. Food, liquor and other items stumbled off the shelves in grocery stores, rockslides occurred in some parishes and power outages were also reported in some areas. The earthquake also caused minor damage to buildings while classes were suspended at several schools, many workplaces closed for the day, and a traffic jam compounded by the outage of traffic lights at intersections caused major delays on the roadways. While noting that this was the most significant earthquake the country had experienced in 20 years, Holness expressed his confidence in the response agencies, which he noted comprise the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), National Works Agency and National Water Commission (NWC). GOVERNMENT PREPARED “Jamaica has a very well-developed response mechanism. You would have seen it in action during COVID, you would have seen it in action earlier within the term when we have been threatened by hurricane,” he said during a press conference on Monday evening. “You can have confidence in tomorrow, in the future that the Government is prepared and we are able to respond.” The prime minister however acknowledged that, if the damage caused by the earthquake had been more extensive, then the nation’s resources might have been stretched. But, he added,“in terms of management, in terms of technical know-how and experience, and in terms of commitment and will to keep Jamaica safe, yes, we are very strong in that regard, from a fiscal perspective as well”. Holness said the damage caused by the earthquake could not be classified as significant and had not caused any serious dislocation. He said he had received reports, which the Ministry of Education and Youth is assessing, of some schools being damaged. Richard Thompson, acting director of the ODPEM, said the most infrastructural damage was reported in Kingston and St Andrew. He also encouraged Jamaicans to continue checking their buildings for cracks, shifts in pillars, posts and other beams and structural members, and to get a professional assessment if there is any damage. In the meantime, Stewart Beckford, commissioner of the Jamaica Fire Brigade, said the response agency has been conducting assessments of buildings and had received two calls of collapsed structures in Kingston and St Thomas, but both were unoccupied. SERVICES RESTORED Although there were power outages in some parts of the island, Daryl Vaz, minister of science, energy, telecommunications and transport, said during the press conference that services had been restored to all areas of the island. Senator Matthew Samuda, minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, also shared that preliminary assessment of the NWC infrastructure showed no major damage to any water system. He however cautioned that the coming days may see some pipe breaks in the older pipelines. EG Hunter, the managing director of the National Works Agency, reported minor damage had been sustained by government buildings assessed. Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton also shared that the infrastructure of several health facilities across the island had received minor damage. In the meantime, Holness noted the psychological impact that the earthquake has had on citizens, resulting in disruptions in the country’s social and economic activities. While acknowledging that this was an expected response, he urged citizens to return to normal activities. “I want the country to come back to work, but, when we come back to work, it is with the knowledge and understanding of what we need to do in order to be prepared. We can’t stop these natural events from happening, but we must be resilient, we must be prepared,”he said. Thompson also encouraged Jamaicans to take cautionary measures in the event of an earthquake. “We preach all the time as it relates to the drop, cover, hold principle, and I know sometimes when you have not experienced anything of this nature you tend to forget some of those principles,” the acting ODPEM head said. Important too, he added, is remaining alert during these natural disasters. The quake was the second significant tremor Jamaica has experienced in the past two months. In September, the country was hit by a 5.2-magnitude earthquake. “During an incident of this nature, we know it gets a little bit dramatic and persons want to call each other, but we are asking persons not to use cellphones during these kinds of incidents unless it is absolutely necessary, where there is an emergency happening to you or someone close to you.” Strong quake rattles Ja PRELIMINARY REPORTS are that the agriculture sector did not suffer any significant damage as a result of the 5.6 earthquake that impacted Jamaica on Monday, October 30 according to Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining Floyd Green. HOWEVER, GREEN noted that the combined effect of the last year’s extensive drought, rising temperatures, and the recent heavy rainfall have caused serious dislocation among farmers. Reporting that the ministry is yet to receive any reports of significant damage to property as a result of the earthquake, Green pointed out that farmers in Portland, St Thomas, and some sections of the vegetable belt in Northern Clarendon had been severely affected as a result of the aforementioned issues. “So no reports of property damage from the earthquake, but we are watching the adverse effects of the rainfall, and we are providing direct support. In fact, we are seeing significant declines in our vegetable lines firstly, because of the drought and then the elevated heat and now because of intense bouts of rainfall,” he told Wednesday’s post-Cabinet press conference at Jamaica House in St Andrew. – Christopher Serju Earthquake spared agriculture sector This home in St Thomas was damaged by the earthquake. CONTRIBUTED Monday’s 5.6 magnitude earthquake caused a massive landslide that blocked the entrance to the Melbrook Heights community in St Andrew. KENYON HEMANS/ PHOTOGRAPHER The Kingston Public Hospital was busy dealing with people who showed up suffering from panic and asthma attacks. KENYON HEMANS/PHOTOGRAPHER A section of the three-storey house damaged after by earthquake at Content in Hope Bay, Portland. PHOTO BY GARETH DAVIS
THE MONTHLY GLEANER | NOVEMBER 2 - DECEMBER 2, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS 4 Lorraine Smith-Brown, LPC, NCC, CCMHC, and Dr. Karren Dunkley-Williams proudly congratulate Dr. Robert Clarke for his outstanding contributions to medicine and philanthropy, earning him the prestigious national honor of Order of Distinction. His unwavering commitment to both his profession and his community serves as an inspiration to us all and has undoubtedly impacted countless lives. The Diaspora salutes Dr. Clarke on this well-deserved recognition for his extraordinary service. Solutions for U KND Consulting Lester Hinds/Gleaner Writer HER INTRODUCTION to life in the United States was less than ideal and certainly did not match up with the glowing picture painted of life overseas. She survived near homelessness, at times sleeping in her car – when she had a car. Sometimes she depended on the good grace of an elderly cousin for shelter as she juggled three jobs to make ends meet, pay her school tuition, and keep body and soul together. At other times, it was the kindness of strangers that she would lean on for a ride from one job to another. Meet Dr Karren Dunkley, international acclaimed award winning educator, who is today one of two black consultants tasked by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) with overseeing the implementation of a four-point programme to end racial discrimination and harassment in the Davis County school district in the state of Utah. Dunkley recalled that on her first visit to the state, she was an object of curiosity, even among the black children, who had never seen a black professional woman giving orders to the white school establishment and interacting with white parents. Black people make up only about nine per cent of the state’s total population. Dunkley told The Gleaner that when she first arrived in Utah, she was met by some hostility as many people were suspicious of her and the team, believing that they had come to impose the DOJ’s initiatives on the state. Her journey, though, began in Jamaica, where she lived in Ensom City in St Catherine, attending Dunrobin Primary and later St Catherine High School. She also attended Wolmer’s High School for Girls, where she did sixth form. LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL After leaving school, she worked for a year with the Issa-owned hotel chain SuperClubs as a front desk hostess and Spanish interpreter. She moved on to other jobs before moving to the United States on a student’s visa in 1992. “My father had filed for us, but on arrival, his wife did not want us living with them and so we had to find other accommodation,” she told The Gleaner. Her first disappointment was that having applied to Howard University, she could not afford the tuition of US$10,000 per year, and all first-year students were required to live on campus, which would add another US$10,000 to the school cost. She applied for and was accepted at St John’s University in Queens, New York, which worked out better for her as she lived on Parsons Boulevard, in Jamaica, Queens. At St John’s, she completed a bachelor’s degree in government and politics, minoring in education, and then a master’s in international law. Dunkley then did a second master’s in education and her doctorate in organisation and leadership at Columbia University. But, as she recalled, her introduction to American was anything but welcoming. “Life was so hard. It was nothing like I had envisioned. I had to work three jobs – a waitress, store manager and beauty products representative – all at the same time to be able to pay my school fee and take care of myself,” she told The Gleaner of her struggles.”At times I had to shower at the Long Island Marriott Hotel, where I was a waitress to be able to get from one job to the other.” Dunkley has moved on to make a significant impact through education both in New York and Philadelphia. She has served as teacher, principal, urban district deputy superintendent and coach, consistently working towards advancing educational opportunities for children and their parents. She has held various high-level leadership positions in various school districts, turning around failing schools, impacting the lives of students, teachers and parents. NATIONAL PROMINENCE In 2011, she gained national prominence when she addressed a packed audience on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, during a congressional briefing on the Family Engagement in Education Act. She was also a member of the education transition team for Eric Adams following his election as mayor of New York City. In her current role as a consultant with the US Department of Justice, Dunkley has been tasked with focusing on four areas: professional learning, specifically on training in the entire Davis County School District; engagement with families, staff, students and the community; changing the school culture by eliminating the climate of racial harassment; and combating discrimination. She has had to undertake countywide focus groups involving children, parents and the community. Her reports were recently completed and handed over to the Justice Department, but her work in Utah continues under the DOJ until racial harassment and discrimination have waned. The reports were recently made public and spotlighted by media across the US, bringing her a measure of focus. She was recently featured in Vanity Fair, and Black Enterprise magazine is readying a feature on her for publication. Despite her many accomplishments in the field of education, Dunkley is most proud of her work with the Jamaican diaspora, having served as the Global Jamaican Diaspora Council member for the US Northeast Region for three years. In this role, she worked with Jamaicans in need, bringing relief to them when she can or finding resource persons who can provide such relief. “I love giving back because I have known the kindness of strangers,” Dunkley, who is proud of the fact that Jamaicans always seem to punch above their weight, told The Gleaner. Her insights and advocacy continue to shape educational policies and practices across the United States and is constant demand by various school districts in both New York and Philadelphia, where she lives with her husband, and now Utah. From sleeping in car to US Dept of Justice consultant The journey of a Jamaican educator in the United States ‘Life was so hard. It was nothing like I had envisioned. I had to work three jobs – a waitress, store manager and beauty products representative – all at the same time to be able to pay my school fee and take care of myself.’ Karren Dunkley CONTRIBUTED
THE MONTHLY GLEANER | NOVEMBER 2 - DECEMBER 2, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS 5 BROTHER ARNOLD DIVINE MESSENGER – SPIRITUAL ADVISOR Have truth and trust in Love. Riddance yourself of Dark, Heavy unhappiness. Gain favor in Court/Immigration, Family, Health & Fertility, Career/Schooling matters Call: 929.233.8564 ANSWERS BY DIVINE PROVIDENCE Will Leslie Brown whose last known address is Lot 686, 25 Shell Crescent, New Harbour Village 1, Old Harbour, St. Catherine or anyoneknowing his whereabouts kindly contact the Child Protection and Family Services Agency, 10 Hanover Street, Spanish Town St. Catherine. Telephone: 876-301-4983 LEGAL NOTICE WHEN REMEMBERING you, Daddy, these are the descriptives of you that cloud my mind: charismatic thinkers, playfully mischievous, biblical and political enthusiasts, ardent and skilful listeners who spoke eloquently. Daddy, I looked up to you and always will. In my mind, you are my pine tree, forever standing tall. Looking through my lens of admiration, you are my solemn inspiration. In hindsight, you can do no wrong, though you have, but with a swift and respectful reprimand, my infinite love for you endures! Daddy, you are and always will be my evergreen, my strong coniferous pine tree, my symbolism of forgiveness and protection. The mere thought of you, Dad, brings to mind the sight of endurance, hope, and longevity because you, my earthly father, through the grace and mercy of the Almighty God, could withstand the harshest and most uncompromising times. Daddy, you adapted and thrived through it all. My Daddy, without you, there would have been no me. As such, my Pine Tree, you are my profound reminder of strength and resilience that has weathered life’s most brutal storms without equivocations. And for this reason, you evolved and will continue to grow in me for better or worse. Daddy, as my Pine Tree, you represent my symbol of growth and renewal. Your needles will stay evergreen in my heart even though you have shed your robe of flesh to cease the everlasting prize. Still, all my memories of you will remain, granting me the ability to continue growing, loving, forgiving, and evolving despite the many challenges I may face. Daddy, yes, you are my Pine cone, my pineal gland, where peace abides, and your soul rests. Purification and cleansing of the mind, Daddy. I love you so much and am overjoyed knowing you have discovered a peaceful rest. Love you much, Daddy, Simply, Jacks (Jackie) Raynor G. Skyers died on Monday, September 11, 2023, in Brooklyn, NY. He was known to most as Raymond G. Skyers and served for more than a decade (1970-1980), as senior advisor in the People’s National Party (PNP), under the leadership of Michael Manley. A burial service will be held at Petersfield, St. Thomas, on Saturday, December 23, 2023, at 10:30 am. Remembering my dad, Raynor ‘Raymond’ Skyers Raynor Skyers CONTRIBUTED Sashana Small/Staff Reporter KAY-SIMONE MORRISON Edwards had already got married, started her family, and was quite comfortable selling clothing items to salons in the vicinity of her hometown of Old Harbour in St Catherine. Though she understood the importance of a university education, it was not a goal she had. But when her daughter was 11 years old, she told The Gleaner that a desire was planted in her to achieve more and be an example to her child. “I said to myself, she’s about to enter high school very soon, so after high school, the next part of the journey is we want them to go to university or college. And I said to myself, supposed she say’I don’t have to go to university or college, you didn’t go’, what would be my answer?” Morrison Edwards, who was a 28-year-old at the time, said she decided that she would provide a favourable answer to that hypothetical question by enrolling at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus, to pursue a degree in marketing in 2015. The last time she had been in a classroom was 13 years before when she graduated from the Convent of Mercy Academy (Alpha), and although she was “energetic and ready to dive into this new journey”, it didn’t take long for her to fully come to grasp with the magnitude of her decision and the will it took for her to adjust. “It’s a quick-moving place. It’s not a babysitting place, so you are very much independent there. Along the way, what I realised, though, is that closed mouths don’t get fed, so I couldn’t be in my shell and then having issues with courses, and so forth … like I am not understanding and keeping it to myself,” she said. “I had to balance because I am not only a student, I am a mother, and I am a wife. My husband is very supportive, but he is very traditional at the same time, and he had a very stressful job ... so at times I had to step up when he was not there,” she said. Morrison Edwards explained that she enrolled part time and would schedule her classes for three each week. She was also travelling with her clothing items and selling them on campus. But she said that at first, her grades were not encouraging, and the stress of that was compounded when she got sick three years after she started and was later diagnosed with a duodenal ulcer. TOOK A YEAR OFF Feeling overwhelmed, and doubting herself for her decision to attend university, she opted to take a year off. When she returned, Morrison Edwards, who describes herself as a people person, formed a community, felt rejuvenated, and set out to improve her grades. “What I did was do my introspection as usual and seh to myself, ‘how am I going to just move from mediocre to a B level or an A level’, and what I realised is that I had to apply myself,” she said. As her grades improved, so did her confidence. Already, she has secured her first corporate job as a communications person and currently now works as a property manager. On Saturday when Morrison Edwards’ degree is officially conferred, she will walk across the stage very cognisant of the fact that she is able to do so because of the support of her family and her faith in God. “When I got it (the degree), I got up and I did a hallelujah shout! I was, like, ‘Jesus, your word is true. It never came back void!” she said. And even though she acknowledges that the process of starting university may be difficult for mothers, the now 36-year-old mother of two is encouraging those who are considering it as a next step to ensure that they conduct thorough research and a have strategy before starting. But she gives the assurance that that is a decision that would lead to no regrets. “You can do it, do it just like NIKE. The experience and the wealth of knowledge gained from the courses I did, lecturers and fellow students sharing their stories, I can’t put a price tag on that,” she said. “The perfect time doesn’t exist.” ‘The perfect time doesn’t exist’ Mother of two basks in glory of university graduation Kay-Simone Morrison Edwards Kay-Simone Morrison Edwards with husband Rohan Edwards, daughter Kayle Edwards and son Neymar Edwards. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
THE MONTHLY GLEANER | NOVEMBER 2 - DECEMBER 2, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS 6 Helps in all matters of life/love/money/health. Call TODAY for a better feeling TOMORROW !!! Spell casting. 407-715-2541 PSYCHIC ELLA Asha Wilks/Gleaner Writer THE PASSPORT, Immigration & Citizenship Agency (PICA) has acquired the ‘.gov.jm’ website domain to become a part of the previously launched enterjamaica. com, which sparked public criticisms and security concerns in September. An information and communications technology (ICT) expert at PICA informed The Gleaner on Monday that the use of the domain was already active. “When you type it (enterjamaica. gov.jm) [in], it goes to the ‘.com’ [domain], but it’s [still] there; we have control of that,” the employee said, noting that users would still be redirected to the ‘.com’ site because it was already created and in use. The ICT employee said that it was eventually realised that certain security policies needed to be implemented, but that they were unable to provide further insight regarding the exact date of when this adjustment was made. The enterjamaica.com website was designed to make it easier for visitors to submit their C5 declaration forms online to immigration and customs authorities in Jamaica. It came under scrutiny after National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang, during a tour of the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston on September 5, revealed that fraudulent individuals had taken over the system and were selling unsuspecting persons the forms for US$35 (approximately J$5,400) on unauthorised websites. A slew of angered individuals later said they had been defrauded. VERIFY SITE’S AUTHENTICITY Speaking about the difficulties brought about by the deceptive behaviour, Chang made an effort to warn visitors of the need to verify the authenticity of sites and noted that the form was exclusively accessible through the Jamaica Customs website or at www.enterjamaica.com, which attracted no fees. PICA later stated that its site was not hacked and that no outside organisation or agent had been hired to supply the online immigration/ passenger declaration form. In a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the agency warned persons to be careful of sites that were mirroring its services. “Do not be lured to other sites that attract a cost and will put your information at risk,” the advisory stated. Gavin Dennis, a cybersecurity expert, informed The Gleaner that the value of using the ‘.gov.jm’ domain for Jamaican government websites shows official status. “The ‘.jm’ country code top-level domain (CC TLD) is the country code for Jamaica and is generally reserved for government entities, which helps people know they are visiting an authentic government site, not a fake or commercial site,” he said. A CC TLD represents a specific geographical location and is the most efficient way to show search engines and users which country or region you’re based in for example ‘.uk’ is for the United Kingdom and ‘.eu’ is for the European Union. Dennis continued that all government agencies must use the ‘.gov.jm’ domain as it aids in making people feel more secure when providing personal information. This, he said, was because such domains are usually strictly controlled and signify an official, trustworthy source. ‘MISGUIDED’ DECISION He deemed the Government’s nonuse of the ‘.gov.jm’ domain in the initial instance as “misguided”. “It makes the Government’s job harder to reassure people that the website they are interacting with is legitimate, especially considering the number of local entities being hacked, the new Data Protection Act, NIDS (National Identification System), and the fragile public trust,” Dennis said. He said that without this certainty that a site is legitimately owned by the Government, people could inadvertently end up using sites mimicking official websites, while exposing themselves to scams and phishers who steal their data. Rory Ebanks, director of cyber and information security at Symptai Consulting, admitted that when the enterjamaica.com site was first launched, he was“very sceptical”about it, noting knowing if it was an official site. Ebanks described the cloning incident of the website as a “social engineering attack”, and noted that it was perhaps successful because of the reputation of the attackers’ longerrunning domain which caused the fraudulent websites to rank higher than the PICA’s newly obtained domain owing to search engine optimisation (SEO). He noted, however, that ‘enterjamaica.gov.jm,’ could have been used as a subdomain, meaning that ‘enterjamaica’would be under the‘.gov. jm’ domain rather than solely having the ‘enterjamaica.com’ as the primary domain. Ebanks said that Internet users must also do their due diligence in ensuring that the sites they click on are legitimate. Kauna McKenzie, director of business development at PICA, told The Gleaner that she was unable to comment on whether the domain issue, saying that she wished to avoid confusing those who were just learning how to use the agency’s online services. “The system has been working very well,” she said, citing an increase in the public’s ease of use of the online platform. McKenzie further noted that the NMIA, Sangster International Airport and the Ian Fleming International Airport were equipped with quick response (QR) codes for persons to gain access to the form. “We also have immigration officers and immigration officer assistants to assist you with getting on. We’ve even set up a customer centre where if you send information, there is somebody to respond to you immediately with your queries [which have been posted on social media],” she said. PICA logs on to official ‘.gov.jm’ domain for immigration declaration site Andrew Wynter, (right) chief executive officer of PICA looks at Dr Horace Chang, minister of national security scanning the access online Immigration Customs C5 form during a tour of the Norman Manley International Airport. FILE
THE MONTHLY GLEANER | NOVEMBER 2 - DECEMBER 2, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS MISSED 7 [ NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED ] THE UNITED States Track & Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), has announced that Lincoln University track & field head coach Victor‘Poppy’ Thomas, a 14-time NCAA Division II champion, will be enshrined into the Coaches Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2023. The ceremony will take place at the Adams Ballroom, Denver Colorado, on Tuesday, December 12, at 6.00 pm, presented by Rekortan. Thomas, who is Jamaican, has guided Lincoln’s women’s track & field program to nine NCAA Division II Outdoor and five NCAA Division II indoor titles, has been named the National Coach of the Year five times in his 22-year career. The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association has named Thomas the MIAA Coach of the Year 10 times, and he was the 2004 Heartland Conference Coach of the Year. A graduate of Mico Teachers’College and the GC Foster College of Physical Education, Thomas’‘Blue Tigers’ have won 95 individual and 41 national relay titles and have recorded 671 United States Track & Field and CrossCountry Coaches Association All-Region awards. A 16-time USTFCCCA Regional Coach of the Year honouree, Thomas has led LU’s women’s and men’s track and field programmes to 11 total MIAA championships and finishes among the top-three of the NCAA Division II Championships 28 times. Between the years of 2003-2007, Lincoln won an unprecedented fivestraight NCAA Division II Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championships, and, in 2020, the LU men were ranked No. 1 in the country heading into the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships, which were ultimately cancelled due to COVID-19. In addition to their success in the field of competition, Thomas’ athletes have also been stellar in the classroom. Since Lincoln rejoined the MIAA in 2011, over 200 ‘Blue Tigers’ have made the MIAA Academic Honour Roll, and LU athletes have been the recipient of more than 50 MIAA Scholar Athlete Awards. Nine athletes have been named Google Cloud/CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, and 11 have earned spots on the Google Cloud/CoSIDA Academic All-District first team. Two Blue Tigers have been named the USTFCCCA Division II Indoor Scholar Athlete of the Year, and the Lincoln women’s outdoor track & field team was selected as the USTFCCCA Scholar Team of the Year in 2017 and 2018. Citing the challenges face by the traditional HBCU institutions, such as insufficient funding and limited facilities, Thomas offered that his success since arriving at Lincoln in 1999, is fuelled by his ability to motivate and inspire others. “The key to my success is believing in what I do and avoiding the negative energy from stopping me in accomplishing the task at hand.” “I am just happy to know that my hard work in track and field is finally being recognized by my adopted country. The impact I have made on a lot of young lives and the successes, especially for the Caribbean student athletes at Lincoln, is humbling and for that I am grateful. I do think that this singular recognition is the crème de la crème of my coaching career that has spanned over four decades. I thank God for the health and strength and all the Individuals that have played their part in my success at Lincoln”. Due to the success the ‘Blue Tigers’ have enjoyed under Thomas’direction, the Lincoln University Track & Field Program was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2013. Thomas himself was enshrined in the Drake Relays Hall of Fame in 2012. In 2021, Thomas was enshrined in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. Victor Thomas gets HoF nod from UST&F Coaches Association Victor Thomas CONTRIBUTED
THE MONTHLY GLEANER | NOVEMBER 2 - DECEMBER 2, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS 8 EPISCOPAL HEALTH Services (EHS), in partnership with Ross University School of Medicine, held a ribboncutting ceremony on September 14, to mark the completion of a new Clinical Learning Center (CLC). The CLC, located at 19-09 Plainview Avenue on the St John’s Episcopal Hospital Campus, Queens, NY, will provide an innovative learning environment, including the latest teaching technologies and much-needed meeting space for medical students who train at the hospital. The CLC features state-of-the-art simulation labs to support medical training. Each Sim Lab is equipped with standard furniture and equipment found within a hospital facility, from computer technology to diagnostic tools. There are sophisticated mannequins controlled by an operator to emulate situations our medical students will face in the real world. There is also a skills lab where students can learn the basics and hone their skills and a Scrub Sim area to teach good practices for the Operating Room (OR). In addition, to being a teaching facility, the Clinical Learning Center will be home to the St John’s Ambulatory Clinic, currently located on the fifth floor of St John’s Episcopal Hospital, a Medical Library, and the organisation’s Information Technology Department. “This building is extremely important to EHS,” said the CEO of Episcopal Health Services, Jerry Walsh. “We are a growing organisation and expanding not only in terms of care but by educating tomorrow’s medical leaders. When looking at our strategic priorities, we look at how we can enhance the experience of patients, our students, and our team members. This building reflects this priority!” In attendance at the ceremony was The Rt Rev Bishop Lawrence C. Provenzano, EHS Chair, Board of Trustees; Jerry Walsh, CEO of Episcopal Health Services; Renee Hastick Motes, SVP & Chief External Affairs Officer & President of S John’s ICARE Foundation; Dr Donald T. Morrish, EVP & Chief Medical Officer; Dr Heidi Chumley, University Dean at Ross University School of Medicine; Pedro L. Delgado, MD, the Dean of the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC); Christopher Callahan, Head of Healthcare for M&T Bank; and Queens Borough President, Donovan Richards Jr. “Any time I can wake up to come to an event like this where we are improving healthcare opportunities and outcomes, creating jobs, and eliminating disparities for our families, is a good one, and there’s no better place to do that than right here in the Peninsula,” says Donovan Richards, Queens Borough president. “Congratulations, Jerry, you had a vision, and vision is the act of seeing what is invisible to others.” “At Ross Med, we exist because there are inequities in access to quality medical education in healthcare. Our role is to expand access to quality medical education and support our students through graduation and residency, said Heidi Chumley. We believe that fostering a diverse position pipeline begins in prospective students’ home communities. We want our students to return to their communities and to the very people who inspired them to be physicians in the first place.” Episcopal Health Services opens new clinical learning centre Jerry Walson CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS Heidi Chumley Don Richards Renee Hastick-Motes PANAMA CITY (AP): FACING A second week of impassioned, nationwide protests, Panama’s National Assembly has nearly passed a new law revoking a controversial mining contract in an environmentally vulnerable part of country. The bill passed a second debate late on Wednesday and faced a final vote Thursday in which no changes can be made. Panama’s legislature first agreed a contract extension with Canadian mining company First Quantum and it’s local subsidiary, Minera Panama, in March. The resulting protests – the largest since a cost of living crisis last July – have sparked a series of backtracks from President Laurentino Cortizo. The new bill not only repeals that contract but extends a moratorium on all concessions for mining activities until the country’s Code of Mineral Resources is reformed. Before legislators debated the extraordinary measure, Cortizo first proposed a national referendum on the contract. Eight lawsuits were also filed with Panama’s Supreme Court arguing it was unconstitutional. Initially it was unclear how persuasive environmental objections would prove against the mine’s demonstrated economic promise. It is the largest private investment in Panama’s history and already creates roughly three per cent of the country’s gross domestic product. Now, however, popular protests have materialised into serious legislative and legal challenges, which pushed First Quantum’s shares into a 47 per cent freefall since markets opened on the Toronto Stock Exchange at the start of this week. Critics warned using a new law to revoke the contract could leave the government liable to legal action from Minera Panama. If, however, the Supreme Court declared the contract unconstitutional, lawyers said it would be annulled without the risk of possible multimillion-dollar lawsuits. The contract would allow 20-40 more years of open pit copper mining across 13,000 hectares of forested land just 75 miles (120 kilometres) west of the capital, in the state of Colon. Environmentalists argue continued mining would imperil drinking water and destroy more forest. Assembly to revoke contract for Canadian mining company after public outcry PANAMA
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