Jamaica The Land of My Birth, Will Regain It's Charm and Beauty Soon

Contributed

Everett Smith

I was born 75 years ago at home in Woodlands, Saint Elizabeth, Jamaica, so it breaks my heart to see the devastation that Melissa brought. And so it is that I wondered: if I were to return to my beloved Jamaica ten years from now, would the country have recovered significantly from Hurricane Melissa?

Jamaica has rebuilt after major storms before — Gilbert, Ivan, Dean, Sandy — and each time our nation restored its infrastructure, revived its tourism sector, and helped communities rise again. Ten years is a long time for a resilient people.

I imagine the roads, utilities, and public buildings would be fully restored, many of them improved by incorporating modern building codes. Each time I visited Jamaica, I would speak to anyone who would listen about the structures built without proper adherence to building standards — buildings that stood as ticking time bombs, waiting to be destroyed by the next major storm, let alone a Category 5 hurricane.

And so I believe that lessons would finally have been learned. Homes and communities would be steadily rebuilt, even if some areas still show the long-term effects of the storm. The environment would regenerate over time, and the tourism industry would likely be thriving once again.

By then, we would have recognized the historical value of restoring buildings such as Saint John’s Parish Church in Black River and Springfield Moravian Church, my boyhood church. In my memory, Springfield Moravian offered one of the most idyllic and serene views of any church. The majestic music rising from its massive pipe organs always felt as though a message was being sent straight to Heaven. Yes, we had pipe organs at Springfield long before we had electricity — with Mr. Samuels rocking back and forth to fill the organ’s bladder with wind, so that Mrs. Amanda Greaves could rock on her bench as she belted out melodies for hymns like How Great Thou Art and, of course, Amazing Grace. If I’m beginning to sound nostalgic, I am.

My alma mater, Cornwall College, would have been rebuilt, improved, and continuing its proud legacy of “converting boys to men of might,” as proclaimed in our school hymn. Other schools — such as Montego Bay High School, Mt. Alvernia High School, Manning’s High School, Munro College, and all the institutions damaged by Hurricane Melissa — would also have been restored and strengthened, carrying forward their mission of educating generations of Jamaicans.

Most of all, I know the strength of Jamaican communities. Even though the memory of Melissa would remain part of our story, I am confident that Jamaica would be standing strong — restored, vibrant, and moving ever forward.

Springfield Moravian Church before Melissa

Springfield Moravian Church after Melissa

Very truly yours,

Everett Smith, Esq.

Law Offices of Everett Algernon Smith, P.A.

POB 8487

Coral Springs, FL 33075

Tel: 954-693-3566

Fax:954-693-3567