With her first entry of championships now history, the early screams of stardom are being bellowed at her feet and the echoing of the name Lavanya Marion Williams, but the Rusea’s starlet remains grounded in her quest for success and fame as a track star.

Dubbed in some quarters as a likely replacement for senior ‘pocket rocket’, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce because of her bullet start and height, Lavanya, affectionately called ‘Lavi’ by her close friends, told the Western Mirror becoming a professional athlete and owning a lot of businesses, remain high on her agenda as she strives to become a recognized figure.

Lavanya, born in Westmoreland, where she resided for a brief while (Jerusalem Mount), is now a resident of the quiet and close-knit community of Upper Rock, Spring Blair’s Hill in the parish of Hanover where she started her schooling at Grange Hill Primary before matriculating to Rusea’s High.

A lover of Social Studies and a bit of Mathematics, depending on the topic, the second child for her parents, Constand Griffiths and Avion Williams, Lavanya divulged she has three siblings. The soft spoken Lavanya says she holds a strong desire while aspiring to be focused and have a good attitude towards whatever she’s doing.

Born December 8, 2005, Lavanya says the feeling she got crossing the finish line in both the 100 and 200 metres at the recent ISSA Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls Athletics Championships, was one of “pure joy”.

“I was really elated, overwhelmed and feeling satisfied, but to tell you the truth, it was expected (winning)” a confident sounding Lavanya said to the Western Mirror. “I had trained hard, pushed myself and was very confident going in, so to me it was no surprise when I crossed the finish line infront”, she pointed out.

With an eye on one day being a part of the Baylor University track and field programme, as she looks to further her career as an athlete, Lavanya, a grade 9 student, revealed she has 100% confidence in her now coach Rodrick Myles. She, however, adds that her mother plays a vital and very supporting role in her career as an athlete, ensuring that she is not want of anything, noting that she always has words of encouragement for her, pushing her all the time to give of her best.

The 16 year -old, who says she has been involved in track and field for some 9 years now, remembers being introduced to the sport by a teacher, Ms. Dillon, during a sports day event while she was a grade three student at Grange Hill Primary.

Known for her broad smile and pleasant appearance, Lavanya said COVID-19 has not really impacted her in any way she could say that was negative, “to be honest, it was just with school being on and off that really affected me plus having to train under the circumstances, Coach would also pressure me to do better and because I believe in him 100% I had to do better at training. But, other than that I cannot say COVID affected me”, she added.

Already with a taste of National representation, donning the colors of the black, green and gold at the NACA Under-15 championships in El Salvador back in 2019, Lavanya remembers finishing third in the 100 metres individual event before running the second leg on the sprint relay team which gained a silver medal. Just a week ago she crowned herself in glory, copping the sprint double at Champs, winning the class 3, 100 and 200 metres double, clocking times of 12.18 and 24.50 seconds respectively.

LAVANYA UP CLOSE:

Ques: What is your meal of choice?

Ans: Pork, chicken and curry goat, all with rice and sometimes Spaghetti

Qus: What is your favorite color?

Ans: Pink and blue

Ques: Do you have a favorite movie?

Ans: Yes, Twilight

Ques: Is there a favorite book you’ve ever read?

Ans: Little Red Riding Hood

Ques: Who would you say motivates you?

Ans: Definitely my coach, Roderick Myles, he pushes me towards success in life and is always there for me.
Ques: How tall are you?

Ans: 5’ 1’’

Ques: What would you say is your favorite quote?
Ans: “I am that I say I am”

Ques: Do you watch any other sport than track and field?

Ans: Yes, I lov e to watch Volleyball, I don’t play it but love to sit and watch it
Ques: Do you have a best friend?

Ans: Two actually, Kymani and Deshuani (both boys) we’ve been friends since Basic School, about age 4, I think

Ques: Do you have a favorite drink?

Ans: Yes, Tropical Rhythm

Ques: What would you say has been your most memorable day in track and field?

Ans: To be honest, champs….To know it was my first, the training I went through and the lateness of it, plus to have dipped at 24.5 seconds, I was expecting to run, 24.9….it was a great feeling, I was overwhelmed. Never had that feeling before

Ques: What’s the most used App on your phone?

Ans: Tik Tok and WhatsApp

Ques: Where is your favorite stadium to perform?

Ans: The National Stadium and Jamaica College field

Hunger and crime among St James youth

Andre Williams

May 12, 2021

1440

Clinton Pickering
Freelance Writer

A worrying picture has been painted of food security and depression among young people in the parish of St James.

Noted Anthropologist of Social Violence and Senior Lecturer at the University of the West Indies, Mona, Dr Herbert Gayle, recently outlined to principals, teachers and parents of a large number of schools in western Jamaica, the results of a survey among young people aged 16 to 24 in the parishes of St. James, Manchester and St Catherine on Food Insecurity and Depression among youth.
The outcome brought into sharp focus the lyrics of Fantan Mojah song “Hungry” which says in part:

Bless di ghetto yute dem through stress and pain
Nuh matta how it tough and hard out there

My people cry
Tell dem momma hungry, poppa hungry
Bredda hungry, sista hungry
Do someting for di poor
Emerging from the survey was that 27 percent of boys between ages 16 and 24 in St. James were living with food insecurity that left them hungry very often, but 15 percent were hungry all the time. Among females in the age group, 15 percent were food insure with three percent a worse state of being hungry all the time.

At the same time, St. James urban youth are carrying a heavy economic burden with 17 percent for males and 7 percent for females bearing total weight for their families’ survival. A larger number of 70 percent of males and 36 percent of females have to help out for the families to survive.

HOMICIDE RATE
Regarding the state of young men in Jamaica, Dr. Gayle said his research found that a country with a homicide rate of 30 per 100,000 had civil war benchmark features with the expectation that “Your state agents are going to get killed, all kinds of stuff are going to be happening.” Against that background, he noted that the homicidal rates in St James and Kingston were higher than the homicidal rate of the US-led invasion of Iraq.
“The homicide rate of that war was 205/100,000; for Kingston and St James, their homicide rates and male combatants 15 to 34-year-old surpassed Iraq at full scale war,” he bemoaned. The homicide rate for St. James stood at 187/100,000 and combatants at 282/100,000.

The homicide rates for other parishes in the County of Cornwall were: Westmoreland 101, Hanover 96, Trelawny 55 and St. Elizabeth 31.

Twice as many males in St. James were said to be involved in illegal activities; with 14 percent for males and 7 percent for females. And, 7 percent of St. James boys were said to be homicidal compared to 8 percent for females.

Conroy Thompson:the nation builder extraordinaire

Andre Williams

May 12, 2021

110

Rashaun Stewart

The essence of life is to do good and assist others. 40-year-old Conroy Thompson personifies this statement. He has devoted himself to service-oriented leadership, providing impeccable representation and impactful outreach throughout the years he has dabbled in community development.

Born and raised in Montego Bay, Thompson pursued secondary education at William Knibb Memorial High School. He matriculated to Northern Caribbean University (NCU) where he obtained an undergraduate degree, later moving to the University of South Wales to complete an MBA. He later returned to NCU to pursue his second MBA.

Upon the completion of his educational aspirations, Thompson focused his efforts on assisting in community development, with an emphasis on youth empowerment. This resolution came in the aftermath of an epiphany in his youth, where he recognized that it takes a cohesive effort by all members of society to make a positive change. He has since committed himself to assisting in providing this change.

“At an early age I realized that it really does take a concerted effort by everyone to make the country the place we all can live. It makes no sense for us to always look for handouts, when most of the times we have the solutions sitting on to make the change,” Thompson told the Western Mirror.

Thompson serves as the President of the Graduate Students’ Council for NCU, a mentor with Minds of Jamaica, Training Manager for Half Moon, Jamaica and is the Education Chair for the Foundation Committee. He is also an Ambassador for the Governor General’s I Believe Initiative and a member of the Montego Bay City Run Committee. This extensive portfolio has facilitated Thompson in providing opportunities for youth development, in addition to the programmes that he has independently established.

“My passion project – ‘Suit Up Dress Up, Step Up, Youth Outreach’, is a project that I have been doing informally for years, but now that I have attached a name to it, it is ready to be launched officially,” Thompson added. “It will provide young people with some resources when heading into the work world. I will be partnering with institutions to do exit program workshops to help the young people with soft skills training needed to navigate the world of work.”

AWARDS
Thompson’s remarkable track record has netted him several awards over the years, foremost among them being the 2020 Governor General’s Achievement Award for Excellence. He received the award for the over-35 age category in St. James in recognition of his contributions to youth and community development. Thompson revealed that the receipt of these accolades is not the motivating factor driving him, but rather a two-fold intrinsic motivation. The satisfaction gleaned from a job well done and the desire to live up to what his grandmother taught him during his formative years are his driving forces.

“My grandmother taught me to always be respectful and to become a solution. That is the way I have been leading my life so far. As an adjunct lecturer and Student Council President, I get to appreciate teaching and learning from both sides. I can properly advise my students, and at the same time and advocate on their behalf more effectively,” Thompson affirmed. “With my community involvement activities, I get a sense of pride when I can assemble a team to provide meaningful assistance.”

Thompson’s background in education has inspired in him a desire to see a mentorship programme for secondary-level students up to the tenth grade. This mentorship programme would take the form of a Big Brother/Sister Mentorship, wherein students would be paired with an individual who would provide guidance and act as a role model. This programme is one that he is eager to see effected at the national level in order to help address the spate of juvenile delinquency, particularly where young men are seduced by the allure of criminal activities.

In addition to his engagement in nation building, Thompson is also an author. He labelled his book – which is a self-help literary work – as his magnum opus. “My most significant achievement is my book that I recently published Rejected, Redirected for Purpose. It is a book that was designed to help the readers to deal with topics ranging from self-esteem issues to handling grief. It is a book that have been getting rave reviews and I know it will help many individuals who struggle with issues we as humans grapple with and sometimes ignore.”

For the future, Thompson wishes to complete the additional MBA that he is presently pursuing and publish a second book by the end of the year. He also wishes to complete a PhD and establish a youth resource centre as more long-term goals.
“I would advise youths to really see and accept that their lives are valuable. I know that many factors are at play that can be a deterrent to pursue good, but believe me, pursuing nonproductive activities will only lead to your detriment. See your life as one that is great!” Thompson concluded.

Rygin King releases ‘Inna Mi Mind’

Andre Williams

May 12, 2021

150

Dancehall star Rygin King has released a new song, ‘Inna Mi Mind’, as a precursor to his heavily anticipated album later this year.

“Mi ah still ‘Dancehall’s Baddest Ting‘, mi just a ketch back the flame, we no gone nowhere, ah just one king, any other king, a muss a napkin,” a confident Rygin King said.

King, 25, whose real name is Matthew Smith, returned to the scene last year after being hospitalised following the attack on his entourage that left him severely injured.

He will continue to celebrate his survival with last Wednesday’s release of the reflective ‘Inna Mi Mind’ on the Zukie Records imprint via all digital download platforms. Zukie Records is managed by Jamari ‘Sinco’ Sinclair.

“With this single, mi ah remind myself of the process, mi a remind myself that it all started inna mi mind before I could make it a reality. So when mi sit down and meds by myself more time, mi realize seh mi did have to conceive it first inna mi mind, that’s where it begins, with an energy and a dream,” he said.

King continued, “So this song is like a message to myself and the youths out there that no matter the fight, you have to keep trying.”
There are plans to shoot visuals for the project soon.

The artiste has made an arduous journey from death’s door after being shot three times by men in Struie district, Westmoreland in June 2020. The entertainer was reportedly chased into a gully and shot by a gunman, and suffered injuries to his back and leg.

During the attack, 28-year-old customer service representative Sashalee Blackwood, who was sitting inside the vehicle with two children, was shot and killed.

Blackwood was the mother of Rygin King’s manager’s children.

“God give me strength and life. Once we have life, we can work to make everything else better. My album is going to be big. Mi have a testimony to tell the world. Mi just did a regain mi confidence, dem shot a lot of energy outta me,” he said.

He did a series of major operations, the last procedure taking place in July 2020.

Since his dramatic return a few months ago, King has been releasing new music and videos, defying all talk of possibly losing his ability to walk. His team also directly denounced rumors that King was paralyzed after he completed a second surgery in July.

The star came to prominence in 2018 when he was the closing act for Reggae Sumfest. He is known for songs including ‘Tuff’, ‘How Me Grow’, ‘Ruption’ and ‘Things Go Change’.

‘Compre’ bags medal

Andre Williams

May 12, 2021

Noelita Lawrence-Ricketts

In a very different and spectator less showpiece event, Bogue-based Herbert Morrison Technical High School (HMTHS) became the first MoBay team to put points on the board at the 110th staging of the five day ISSA Boys and Girls Athletics Championships at the National Stadium.

On yesterday’s (Tuesday, May 11) opening day of competition, the lanky and accomplished Daniella Anglin cleared the bar at 1.78 metres to cop the silver medal in the Class One Girls High Jump event.

On the track, the talented Carleta Bernard moved through to Friday’s semi-finals of the Class 2 Girls 15-16, 200 metres finishing third in her heat as Western athletes had mixed showings on the day.

Bernard running out of Lane 6, with a heavily strapped right hamstring clocked a time of 25.44 seconds to secure one of the three automatic spots on offer.

On the boys side, the Herbert Morrison Technical High pair of Michael-Lee Hill and Chance Segree both failed to get going in their boys 200 metres races, ejected for false starts in back to back heats as did Shamani Whyte of Rhodes Hall and Farel Lewis from Petersfield.

All four got up way ahead of the starters gun and were shown the red card.
Antonio Watson gearing down with some 15 metres to go, cruised into the semis with a smooth display, storming to 21.78 seconds in winning his heat in the 200 metres Class 1 where Mark Daley of ‘Compre’ also progressed finishing second with a time of 21.92 seconds.

Devantae Heywood out of Rusea’s in Hanover failed to make progress after slowing after 15 metres jogging from the blocks and did not finish also in the Class 1 200 metres while his teammate Rahiem Scott, ran a superb opening 100 metres before fading back into 4th, clocking 21.99 seconds.Five finals are on for todays second day with action also in the semi finals of the sprint relays and the 1600 meters medley relay.

Fire at abandoned police station

Andre Williams

May 10, 2021

305

Fire of unknown origins destroyed a section of the old abandoned police station building in Falmouth, Trelawny on Wednesday.

Reports are that at about 11 a.m., a security guard stationed on the property raised an alarm after discovering smoke rising out of a section of the former divisional headquarters building.

The Fire Brigade responded with three units, two from Falmouth and one from the Ironshore stations. Upon arrival they found flames coming from a section of the building. They quickly got into operation and managed to subdue the flames before it could totally destroy the building.

However, they could not prevent a large section of the building being affected after battling the flames for hours.

The Brigade also managed to prevent any spread to a nearby building which serves as an isolation center for residents of the infirmary which is located in close proximity.

No cost has been ascertained as to the damage as yet but the building, despite being abandoned, was of cultural significance as it is built in the Georgian style and was constructed with brick and stone.

The Fire Brigade indicated that investigations will continue into the matter. – S.B.

Barnett St. Fire Station almost complete

Andre Williams

May 10, 2021

1181

Managing Director of the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), Omar Sweeney, says the Barnett Street Fire Station in Montego Bay is close to 90 per cent complete.

“We are continuing to work on the finishes and some painting is happening right now,” he disclosed.

“We are cautiously moving towards an end-of-June/early July completion, simply because [with] the magnitude and scale of the facility, there are a lot of minor details that we are trying to ensure are done to the highest standard,” he said, noting that JSIF is working closely with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) on the project.
Mr. Sweeney said that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted the completion schedule, due to delays in the delivery of some of the equipment and furnishings that were being imported.

“The global impact of COVID has slowed down a lot of manufacturers and so that has impacted our schedule more than anything else. When you construct something like a fire station, there are a lot of specialised equipment that have to be put in that facility and they are not really locally available. So, we have had some challenges with that, but nonetheless, everything that we are physically able to do we have been doing that,” he said.

Mr. Sweeney noted that the responses from the firefighters have been positive.

“They are involved in the process and that is one of the reasons why we want to ensure that as the users of the facility, it is to their comfort and practicality, so they have been very positive,” he said.

Construction of the Barnett Street Fire Station is being undertaken at a cost of $550 million and Mr. Sweeney said that, so far, the project is within budget.

“There are some changes in specifications and things like that because things are not available and we have to be looking at alternative specifications, and so once we have pinned down and finalised all those details then we will be able to determine the final cost. But overall, our budget is being maintained,” he said.

Reuben Shaw- Reggae’s Hot New Exploding Star

Andre Williams

May 10, 2021

145

While his name may be new to some, the lineage of Reuben Shaw is probably very familiar to many. Shaw has just won over thousands of new Jamaican fans on Instagram with his riveting appearance a few days ago on ER, the award-winning entertainment show on Television Jamaica. His edgy interview covered a range of highlights from acting to dancehall music to hip hop.

Reuben Shaw is the latest arrival on the reggae block with a dual career in music and Hollywood films. He is the first grandchild of reggae & R & B icon Denroy “I’ll Do Anything For You” Morgan. His mother, Janet (Morgan) Shaw, is one of the founders of the reggae Grammy-winning group Morgan Heritage. And many of the uncles on his father’s side like Gramps and Peetah Morgan are group members. His youngest uncle Laza Morgan is the reggae/ hip hop trailblazer that gave the world the smash single “One By One”.

Miqueal-Symone is ready for the universe

Andre Williams

May 10, 2021

1613

Miss Universe Jamaica 2020, Miqueal-Symone Williams jetted off to Florida yesterday as she sets her sights on taking on the universe on the main stage at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood Florida, Sunday, May 16, 2021.

Williams will be aiming to be Jamaica’s first winner of the prestigious Miss Universe pageant which is staging its 69th edition this year; after Yendi Phillips came closest to snagging the coveted crown when she placed second in 2010 to eventual winner Ximena Navarrete of Mexico.

The twenty-four-year -beauty, an international fashion model by profession representing high-end fashion design brands in Paris, London, Spain and New York, is also a graduate of the University of the West Indies with an undergraduate degree in Marketing.

She won the local competition in a virtual finals at the Bahia Principe Hotel in Runaway Bay Jamaica on December 12th from a field of ten semi finalists narrowed down from over ninety applications – the most in the pageant’s history under the present franchise managers and in a pandemic year!

“After withdrawing from the competition in 2017, I was determined to rejoin at a later date and 2020 was definitely my year! And what a year it has been! The Miss Universe Jamaica 2020 competition was not a typical pageant experience, since we had to navigate the uncertainty of the Covid-19 virus. Some of our educational sessions were held on video conferences rather than in person, and when we were together in person we had to be mindful of health protocols. We still formed lasting friendships and took away invaluable experiences. For instance, we had the unique challenge of adapting our altruism projects to potentially solve or alleviate issues stemming from the corona virus outbreak,” Miqueal-Symone commented.

Contestants from 74 countries and territories are expected to compete. The competition will be hosted by Mario Lopez and Olivia Culpo; Lopez last served as host during Miss Universe 2007, while Culpo was crowned Miss Universe 2012.

I’m confident in my ability to do well at the upcoming 69th Miss Universe pageant. I am always working to improve myself and I have a team that invested a lot in me, so I’m positive that I will represent myself and my country well!”, Williams said.

The reigning Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi of South Africa will crown her successor at the end of the event.

Evans calls for resumption of sports

Andre Williams

May 10, 2021

1412

Noelita Lawrence-Ricketts

Outspoken longtime administrator George Evans is the latest among many calling for the resumption of sports and in particular his beloved sport, football in the island.

Evans in an interview with the Western Mirror said despite the welfare and health of the nation being first and foremost, “it is a bit unfair that some events have been allowed to restart while others have been left languishing”.

“ it seems somewhat disjointed how some sports, some such as Track and Field, at certain meets have taken place, also Horse Racing, all of this whilst Football, and I refer specifically to the Premier League, has not re-started, despite several dates set and attempts made”, Evans noted.

The former two-time President of the St. James FA and ex Vice President of the Jamaica football Federation (JFF) the local governing body for football in the island, Evans has long been known for his no-nonsense approach and he thinks with so many important competitions including the World Cup qualifiers fast approaching a decision to allow for the return of football should be made in the swiftest manner.

Evans says if something does not give, Jamaica’s footballers could be left behind.

“In an important calendar year, such as this when the Gold Cup and World Cup qualifiers are to be contested and where almost every country worldwide has re started sport, we seemingly are being left behind, an annoyed Evans said, something has to give or we as a nation and our players will be left in the wake” he noted.

“Not withstanding the spikes, and though we cannot be blasé about it, there should have been a way to have overcome the Football challenge, he further added, It has been a difficult and fine balancing act by the powers that be in keeping Sports active, but a solution must come, the businessman said.

Evans who stepped down as President of the St. James FA back in 2010 following his second stint in the position, is an intellect of the game, and believes a secured bubble should have been made possible to facilitate the resumption of at least the premier league in the country, “by all accounts, the new football entity armed with funding would have been well prepared with all protocols observed, at one secure venue in a bubble, and yet time seems to be running out on them for this season”.

“Other working environments have continued, people have been crammed into more confined areas since, like markets and supermarkets, more than what is being proposed by the footballing bodies and all this continues daily, Evans remarked, we must find a common ground and way to get our players back on the field and in action”.

“With that said, am of the opinion there should have been a concerted effort to have Football played in a secure and protocol controlled area, no matter the cost”.

Despite several dates and proposals being bandied about, footballers remain idle and unclear when they will return to the pitch.
Football has not been played on the island in more than year because of the Pandemic.

Meanwhile the lack of playing time has also seen the withdrawal of Portmore and Waterhouse form the CONCACACF Champions Cup in recent months.

DECISION COMING
Meanwhile just hours after the interview news came that the government had given the green light for the return of the Premier League. A date is now to be set for the definite start.
The Premier League Football Jamaica Limited (PFJL) got the news following detailed, lengthy talks over a sustained period.

The decision at the moment surrounds whether the league will take place in a controlled or sanitized environment.

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