Residents want Rose Duncan Park restored
Published:Tuesday | March 29, 2022 | 12:09 AMRuddy Mathison/Gleaner Writer
Once a beautiful recreational area for citizens and event planners, the run-down Rose Duncan Public Park in Linstead, St Catherine, is now a dumping ground where some of the town’s homeless and vagrants find refuge.
Named after an educator and former parish councillor, there are hopes that the park, which sits in the centre of the town, will be restored as the island celebrates 60 years of Independence in August.
“It’s sad to see the park looking like this. I would love to see it come back for everyone,” Donovan Lee, a Linstead resident for 42 years, told The Gleaner, reflecting on the state of the park
“It would be a wonderful project to be undertaken as part of Jamaica 60,” said Devon Smith, chairman of the Linstead Community Development Committee.
He noted that the park serves a useful function, providing a suitable venue for civic functions and the erection of the annual Christmas tree although its current state was cause for concern.
The poorly maintained facility last received some major attention in 2012, when the island celebrated 50 years of Independence. That undertaking included brick paving in one section as well as the restoration of the water fountain. A statue of Duncan was also erected at a strategic point.
Herbert Garriques, councillor of the Linstead Division, is also hoping the Rose Duncan Park will be returned to its former glory soon.
“After I was elected in the local government elections, I initiated a plan to transform Linstead. The renovation of the market and the Rose Duncan Park were major aspects of the transformation, which was initiated by the Government at the time to coincide with Jamaica 50,” he told The Gleaner.
Bemoaning the present condition of the park, Garriques said that he has approached the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDC0) to assist in funding a restoration project, adding that he was not sure how the agency would treat with vendors operating around the park.
“It does make sense that these vendors be organised so as not to make the area around the park unsightly. I am not sure how TPDCo will want us to deal with this situation for them to come on board fully, but this I will find out in a meeting that is planned with them,” Garriques disclosed.
The councillor added that finding a venue to relocate the vendors would not be an issue as the Clarendon Municipal Corporation owns available space which could be utilised.