MONTEGO BAY, St James:
Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister with special responsibility for Local Government reform, Robert Montague, has commended the St James Parish Council for treating the elderly, homeless and indigent persons within the city of Montego Bay with care and compassion.
Following a tour of the council's Care Centre and the Night Shelter, operated in collaboration with the Open Heart Mission, Montague said he was impressed with the layout of both facilities, which offer day and night care for persons in need.
The state minister, who was in Montego Bay to address the opening of the eighth annual conference of the Caribbean Fire Chiefs Association on November 16, visited indigent facilities within the city.
"What they have done is a model programme that I have already recommended to the Commonwealth Local Government Forum, in terms of a model of how you look at, deal with and treat with our homeless persons," the state minister said.
Lorna Golding supports St Catherine early-childhood education
SPANISH TOWN, St Catherine:
Lorna Golding, wife of Prime Minister Bruce Golding, pledged $250,000 from the Jamaica Early Childhood Foundation to the St Catherine Early Childhood Resource Centre. She made the promise on Thursday at the opening ceremony, where Prime Minister Bruce Golding made the keynote presentation.
Speaking passionately about her dream to help improve early-childhood education, Golding handed over a first tranche of $150,000 from the foundation of which she is chairman, noting that it was important to invest in children during challen-ging times.
"We have an economic war, and when that happens we must take care of the children, we must look after the generation behind us," she said, recalling that that was a strategy used by European countries immediately following World War II.
PNP to host exec meeting Sunday
FALMOUTH, Trelawny:
The People's National Party (PNP) will be hosting a meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC) on Sunday, November 22, at the William Knibb High School, commencing at 10 a.m.
The NEC will receive and discuss reports from the party's six regions and its arms and affiliates, the PNPYO, the Women's Movement and the National Workers Union.
The party's general secretary, Peter Bunting, will present a report on the state of the party's organisation.
There will also be presentations by three of the party's spokespersons: Dr Omar Davies on the economy, Dr Fenton Ferguson on health and Bunting on national security.
Party leader Portia Simpson Miller will be absent from the meeting as she is attending a meeting of Socialist International in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.