Centenarian wants Epworth road fixed before he passes
Leaving here going to Ocho Rios to see a doctor, or if you have any business, you will get a taxi from Ocho Rios to Beecher Town; they do not want to come over here, they say the road is too bad ...
AT 105 years old, Solomon Emanuel Higgins has spent his entire life in Epworth district in southeast St Ann, often making his December 24 birthday and Christmas, the following day, a two-day celebration.
However, for the senior citizen, the one thing he would mostly love to celebrate at this time in his life is the repair of the road leading to his beloved community.
“One thing I would like to see happen in the district right now is to see the road fixed,” Higgins told The Gleaner.
“I would like that to happen right now,” Higgins asserted.
“Leaving here, going to Ocho Rios to see a doctor, or if you have any business, you will get a taxi from Ocho Rios to Beecher Town; they do not want to come over here, they say the road is too bad and if they really decide to come, you have to pay them extra.
“The same thing to St Ann’s Bay from here. You will get transportation that takes you right up to Davis Town, up to the woods, but they do not want to come up here. The complaint is, the road is very, very bad. So we would, like to see something done to the road.”
Higgins’ remarks came days after a community meeting with representatives from Jamaica Social Investment Fund, where it was revealed that the fund would be seeking approval for a $60-million grant to effect repairs to the road.
PERILOUS RIDE
Higgins said he really wants the amount to be approved so repairs can be done to the road, starting as soon as possible.
No major repairs have been done on the road in decades and the ride up the hill to the community proves rather perilous.
Ian Bell, councillor for the Beecher Town division in the St Ann Municipal Corporation, is also appealing to the authorities to repair the road.
Bell said he would be making representation to have the road renamed in honour of its oldest living resident.