Kingston, 17 September 2021 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has met with the Mayor of Falmouth, His Worship Colin Gager; and the Member of Parliament for Northern Trelawny, Tova Hamilton, to advance culture and heritage projects in the parish.

Minister Grange said the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport is working with the local authorities and representatives to implement several projects including, a monument to the supercentenarian, the late Violet Moss-Brown in Duanvale; a monument to the great sprinter, Usain Bolt, in Water Square; and the restoration of the family home of the former Prime Minister, Hugh Shearer in Martha Brae.

Minister Grange, Mayor Gager and MP Hamilton toured proposed sites in Duanvale for the erection of a life-size bust of Mrs Moss-Brown who lived for 117 years and 189 days. Mrs Moss-Brown was the record holder for world’s ‘Oldest living person’ and ‘Oldest living woman’.

The Minister, the Mayor and the Member of Parliament also inspected the storyboard which was erected by the Ministry and the Municipal Corporation at Mrs Brown’s home on Wednesday, September 15 — the fourth anniversary of her passing.

Minister Grange announced that the bust, done by Jamaican sculptor Pamrie Dwyer, has been completed and the Ministry “would continue to work with the Municipal Corporation to finalise arrangements to put it on permanent display by Mrs Moss-Brown’s birthday in March 2022.”

Regarding the Bolt monument in Water Square, Mayor Gager informed Minister Grange that the design, incorporating a replica of the Bolt statue at Independence Park, has been approved by the Municipal Corporation. The next steps will include the construction of the base and the environment for the monument, as the replica statue has already been completed.

Minister Grange also had discussions regarding the proposals for the Shearer boyhood home.

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