CITIZENS ALERT GROUP OF TREASURE BEACH (CAGTB)
TREASURE BEACH P.O.
ST. ELIZABETH.
Tel: 864-8030 Email: tbcitizensgroup@yahoo.com



President’s Annual Report/Duration: Dec. 15, 2006 – Dec. 15, 2007


With the year just ending on a somewhat semi-successful note (2006 to 2007) it is nevertheless delightful to highlight our strengths, weaknesses, failures and success that we have experienced as a non-governmental organization.

With the Canal System being the most focused of our projects, it was becoming increasingly difficult to convince the residents of Treasure Beach who are always directly affected by flooding that the canal was ever going to be completed before the end of the calendar year 2007, what with all the piece meal and adhoc way the National Works Agency and their contractor was carrying out the work. I wish to quote a letter that was sent to Mr. Milton Hodlin (see letter attached in its entirety). No reply was ever received on this letter. After much communication via telephone, letters, emails, fax etc. one of the two box culverts (bridge) was completed in late December , 2006, making it passable for residents of Olde Wharf and employees at Tranquility Bay etc. to drive vehicles in traversing to and fro’ but still not allowing the flood water to be drained to the sea. However, on Friday 26th October, 2007, the Member of Parliament for South Western St. Elizabeth, Dr. Christopher Tufton, in whose constituency Treasure Beach lies and Minister of Works and Transport, the Honourable Mike Henry accompanied by personnel’s of the National Works Agency visited the site and Acting Chief Executive Officer of the NWA Mr. Milton Hodlin assured the Minister, the Honourable Mike Henry that two to three weeks time work would have restarted, nevertheless, nine million ($9,000,000.00) was allocated for the work during the first week of this month, (December, 2007) and in a telephone conversation with Mr. Stephen Shaw, the Public Relations Manager and Chief Marketing Manager, I learnt that a new contract is to be tendered and therefore, it is explained that work will re-commence early in the new year of 2008.

On January 25th, 2007, it became an absolute necessity to send a letter to Mr. Jay Kay, Managing Director for the Caribbean Centre for Change at Tranquility Bay, acknowledging and saying thanks for his cash contribution of Nine Thousand Jamaican Dollars (JA$9,000.00) towards the clearing from ruinate of the Cobweb Lane which our association undertook to restore.

On January 25th, 2007 also, we undertook to write to the Honourable Phillip Paulwell, Minister of Industry, Technology, Energy and Commerce requesting that electricity be installed within the Calabash Bay Postal Agency building. Copies were sent to the relevant persons including Mr. Micheal Gentles, the Post Master General. No replies were ever received.
Our letter to the St. Elizabeth Parish Council of February 12th, 2007, requesting that Cobweb Lane be formally incorporated into the parochial road network schedule came to naught when one Mr. Davis, a local government officer out of Kingston was sent to investigate or assess the status of Cobweb Lane. Mr. Davis gave us the shock of our lives when he informed us that before the Parish Council could accept Cobweb Lane, we would first of all had to have Cobweb Lane asphalted, install water supply mains, install fire hydrants and also electricity. Even our letters to the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) and the Office of the Public Defender came to nothing in this matter. Nevertheless, Cobweb Lane is traversed daily by members of the public, thank God for small mercies.

Our association’s effort to have government extend an existing road (Smith Lane at Great Bay) into the Pedro Hills has not yet borne fruit, but it is hoped that that letter drafted February12th, 2007 and addressed to the then Minister, the Honourable Dean Peart, Minister of Local Government and Environment will be entertained by the present administration.

In April of 2007, The Citizen’s Alert Group of Treasure Beach went on a membership drive issuing flyers (handbills) all over Treasure Beach and also on the internet, TreasureBeach.net. We highlighted the following among others:-
1. Progress report in the construction of the Canal System.
2. Progress report on plans for the Solid Waste Management.
3. Introduction of a preliminary draft of our constitution for ratification by our members.
4. The forum will include a guest speaker.
5. Opportunity for interested non-members to join.

Despite the immediate foregoing, our membership in terms of faces and numbers has not significantly changed since our inception two years ago, but we must say thanks to individual members who have introduced and encouraged others to join. It was even very bold of us to initiate the issuing of bulletin sheets, the first and only set was issued on June 1st, 2007, it was captioned, “Special Bulletin to CAGTB Members and to the Treasure Beach Community at Large”, consisting of two letter size pages on the community activities of the association on behalf of the residents, especially as it relates to public facilities and services that should be provided and maintained by government. It is intended to continue this medium.

On September 11th, 2007, we opened a current account at the Southfield Branch of RBTT Bank Ja. Ltd in the amount of one thousand dollars ($1000.00) after a formal request in a letter dated June 26th, 2007. The account number is 0231370000760. We must remind the other three signatories Vincent Parchment, George Hill and Radkie Ebanks (all executive members of the association), that they have not as yet affixed their signatures to the account.
Much of our letters, emails, faxes to executive personnel’s of The National Works Agency went unheeded because they had no positive response or plans, neither resources it seems. For example, in a letter to Mr. Howard Hendricks, The Community Relations Manager for region 3 of the NWA dated July 2nd, 2007 containing our statement and seven questions under the caption, “Status of Roads and Canal System at Treasure Beach”, Mr. Hendricks has not up to now responded to us. Similarly, an email to Mr. Stephen Shaw, Chief Communications Officer and Marketing Manager of the NWA with similar concerns dated July 14th, 2006 went unheeded.
During this year our association got grossly involved in the national business of Solid Waste Management to the extent where we were able to secure fifty (50) forty five (45) gallon drums to be distributed within the Treasure Beach area as garbage receptacles. We must extend thanks to Mr. Stewart McConnell of Juciful Ltd. for the contribution of the drums where in which we only paid the transport cost of $20,000.00 for same from Bogwalk, St. Catherine to Treasure Beach. We must say thanks also to the Breds Foundation through its Chairman Jason Henzell for sponsoring the cost of the stenciled message printed on the drums, this cost totaled Eighteen Thousand and Eight Hundred Dollars ($18,800.00) for the forty seven drums done. Thanks must also be extended to Mr. Eric Morrison of REACT an arm of the USAID for arranging for us to obtain a grant totaling approximately J$1,218,246.20 for the fabrication and placing of garbage receptacles at pre-determined locations all over Treasure Beach. Mr. Morrison also was very instrumental in locating the forty five gallon drums for us at Juciful and for this we are indeed thankful.
Our fundraising effort has been very low keyed and almost nil. We now see that our fundraising committee will have to put in some more effort. A fund raising circular dated August 1st, 2007, with regards to Solid Waste Management, was never properly circulated by our members and to this date there has not been a single response.

On September 28th, 2007, the association went a little further afield by writing a letter to the Returning Officer, Electorial Office of Jamaica, South Western St. Elizabeth, Black River, requesting that PD #85 polling station located at Great Bay be removed to the Sandy Bank Basic School or somewhere nearby outside of the district because of the dangerous recurring violence that is staged almost every time there is an election. The polling station was finally relocated to Mr. Artie Swaby’s premises quite near to the Pedro Plains Police Station. We are indeed thankful that for the first time in many years there was no violence or intimidation in the ensuing elections of December 5th,2007.

Out of concern for the fishermen of Treasure Beach and indeed for the approximately 40,000 fishermen and 300,000 Jamaicans who survive from direct and indirect involvement in the fishing industry islandwide a letter was done to the Minister of Agriculture and Land, the Honourable Dr. Christopher Tifton on the 28th of September, 2007 under the caption, “Fisherman’s Request to Meet With Minister”. In brief, the opening address said, “The fishermen of the Treasure Beach area wish to meet with you to discuss a few points of interest within the Fishing Industry that they would like to see enacted or adopted as government policies in as short a time as possible. These policies would not only give the fishermen new and extended employment but would also give the over-fished, polluted, ravaged and abused Pedro Banks a rest.”

Throughout the year we also attended several workshops and or seminars sponsored by the Social Development Commisson, religious affiliated organizations and alos meetings organized by other non-governmental organizations. We hope to be very vigilant and hardworking for the coming year December 15th, 2007 to December 15th, 2008 and we hope by then that The Friendly Societies Organization will deem it fit to assist us in getting registered as a non-governmental organization.
We wholeheartedly thank Mr. Sean Chedda of the Breds Foundation for his unflinching help in organizing all out paper works, emailing, faxing and all other related services.
We also would like to thank Ms. Rebecca Weirsma for highlighting our activities on the TreasureBeach.net website.
And we thank you and wish you all a Merry Christmas.


Yours respectfully,

E. George Deleon 864-8030
President & Chief Convener
Citizens Alert Group of Treasure Beach

Very impressive! Nuff respect due to all involved. Thanks for all the hard work and diligence you all have put into this group and, therefore, the community of Treasure Beach.

Wishing you continued success in 2008!

P.S. I noticed the garbage drums the other day. Thanks to all who contributed whether in cash or kind for their efforts to help keep our environment clean.