Lawrence Tavern division turns on roads, crime – residents
THE LAWRENCE Tavern division in St Andrew West Rural is a very diverse space with each district having its own set of challenges, which will determine where residents place their ‘X’, come September 3.
Residents of Rose Hall, Mahoney and Mount Olive told that the issues of greatest concern to them were improved roads and curbing crime in the predominantly farming communities.
“I can’t make sundown catch me here,” a Rose Hall shopkeeper, who has been the victim of several robberies, told The Gleaner. “We have a couple of shootings in the area and I get rob more than once right here in Rose Hall square. The last robbery was two years ago and then a year and a half before that one.”
The lack of police mobility in the area has compounded the problem, the residents said.
“When it happen, we call the police, but the police only have one jeep and can’t always tend to the entire Lawrence Tavern. What I have to do is like 2, 3 or 4 p.m. I have to close the business. Right now, I am talking to you, my heart is scared,” explained the shopkeeper.
Another resident, who spent 21 years overseas and recently returned to Lawrence Tavern, recommended that the police do more foot patrols.
Journeying through the division, a works crew was observed repairing a 900-metre stretch of the Mount Olive main road.
Residents spoke glowingly of the surface under construction, expressing gratitude to the Jamaica Labour Party’s Juliet Cuthbert Flynn, who is seeking a second term as their representative in Parliament.
The People’s National Party’s (PNP) Krystal Tomlinson will be seeking to spoil the party.
“The MP (member of parliament) has been working. She has just been here for one term and she do a likkle bit of everything. Round ya suh couldn’t drive pon and look deh now, and it nuh done yet,” a resident said.
MORE WORK NEEDED
Throughout the districts, residents pointed to some of Cuthbert-Flynn’s achievements, but said more work was needed in improving access to water and better street-lighting.
“Juliet start out good, and if she a go continue on this good path, then she will get back her constituency,” one man said.
In the 2016 general election, Cuthbert-Flynn polled 2,292 votes to then PNP incumbent Paul Buchanan’s 1,446 in Lawrence Tavern, which had a voter turnout of 46.74 per cent, as the JLP won 16 of the 24 polling divisions there.
Some 8,358 electors are now eligible to cast votes in Lawrence Tavern on September 3, up from 8,096 in 2016.
Paul Nichol, supervisor at Ortiga Engineering Company Limited, was on hand observing the Mount Olive road project as passed by on Monday.
“We started on the work about March, and then NWC (National Water Commission) came and dig it up and lay pipes. So we had to stop and now we start again,” he shared.
Some residents, however, have taken issue with the roadworks not extending beyond 900 metres.
“She
(Juliet) doing good, but you can’t do the road halfway; it must go to the end. Road can’t finish pon a hill, then when rain fall, it a go wash down,” one resident opined.