MoBay mayor urges St James residents to uphold resilience post-Melissa

WESTERN BUREAU:

Ahead of the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Melissa’s devastating impact on western Jamaica, Montego Bay Mayor Richard Vernon is urging residents of St James to continually embody the resilience and determination that the parish displayed during and after the Category 5 hurricane’s October 28, 2025 passage.

Vernon made the call on Monday while addressing St James’ National Heroes Day Civic and Awards Ceremony in Sam Sharpe Square, Montego Bay, held under this year’s theme ‘Resilient People with a Proud Heritage’.

“Our parish survived the crisis of Hurricane Melissa in a remarkable way, so much so that many people in many places regarded our situation as stable, at a time when our backs were against the wall. Notwithstanding, we managed because the tactical sharpness, structural coordination, and selfless dedication of our ancestors were activated on the ground by you, our everyday citizens,” said Vernon.

“Let the systemic coordination, resilience, and neighbourly love demonstrated before, during, and after Melissa become the permanent blueprint for our daily lives and religion of progress. Let future generations say that when adversity visited our parish, we stood together. Let them say that we honoured our heroes not merely with ceremonies, but with action. Let them say that we inherited a proud heritage, protected it with courage, and passed it on stronger than we received it,” Vernon added.

St James was one of several parishes that suffered catastrophic infrastructural damage as a result of Hurricane Melissa, with multiple homes, schools, and business-places being affected, and light and water sources being disrupted. The Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay also suffered significant damage during the storm.

TRIBUTE TO THOSE LOST

Vernon also paid tribute to citizens of St James who lost their lives during Hurricane Melissa, and called for a brief moment of silence to honour their memory.

“As we stand together on the eve of the anniversary of Hurricane Melissa, we are starkly reminded of the fragility of our infrastructure and the immense weight of human loss. Before we proceed to celebrate the triumph of our recovery, it is only fitting that we pause to remember those who were taken from us by the fury of the hurricane,” said Vernon.

“From the rugged hills of our Maroon communities to the bustling streets of Montego Bay, the story of St James has always been the story of resilient people meeting extraordinary challenges with courage and determination. The trajectory of our history proves that our collective survival has never been accidental; it is the product of structural order, negotiation, and an uncompromising civic duty,” the mayor added.

During Monday’s ceremony, 10 persons received the Sam Sharpe Award for 2026, while four persons received the Mayor’s Special Award for 2026. In addition, several other individuals and organisations from around St James were given the Hurricane Melissa Medal of Honour for their roles in providing disaster relief and community outreach in the immediate and long-term aftermath of the hurricane.

One of the Hurricane Melissa Medals of Honour was awarded posthumously to Courtney Campbell, a resident of Westgreen in Montego Bay who contracted leptospirosis, from which he later died, while rescuing his neighbours from floodwaters during the hurricane.

christopher.thomas@gleanerjm.com

Awardees for National Heroes Day Civic and Awards Ceremony

. The St James Sam Sharpe Awardees for 2026 included:

Roxanne Hayles, public cleansing inspector for the National Solid Waste Management Authority’s Western Parks and Markets (awarded for service in the field of Community Service)

. Miriam Williams, company director at the Western Mirror (Media/Journalism)

. Denham McIntyre, retired principal of Cornwall College (Education)

. Maureen James, executive director at the Montego Bay Convention Centre (Tourism)

. Bishop Leroy Gordon, pastor of the Christian Fellowship Church (Religion)

. Roy Edward Graham, photographer and operator of Ventura Photo Studio (Industry and Commerce)

. Althea Allen-Keene, operations manager for immigration at Sangster International Airport (National Security)

. Alex Grey, music teacher and classical pianist (Arts and Culture)

. Dr Diahann Campbell-Stennett, regional technical director at the Western Regional Health Authority (Health)

. Owayne Gordon, former professional footballer (Sports)

The recipients of the Mayor’s Special Awards for 2026 included:

. Dr Maxine Coates-Brown, principal of Barracks Road Primary School (Education)

. Sandrene McGhie, learning and development manager at Hyatt Ziva and Zilara Resorts (Tourism)

. Dwayne Ambusley, assistant coach of the Montego Bay United football team (Sports)

. Nicola Thomas, director of projects at VIP Attractions (Community Service)