Kingston, 23 April 2021 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has said that sadly the race of life is finished for Dennis Johnson and the nation must say goodbye to its first world record holder in the short sprint.

Dennis Johnson, passed away on Thursday night, April 22, 2021, at the age of 81.

Minister Grange said:

“He never set a world record. But, in a six-week period in 1961 he equaled the 100-yards world record on all of three occasions. This was but one measure of the man Dennis Johnson, who was honoured with the Order of Distinction in 2001.

“The passing of Dennis has closed the chapter on one who made an iconic contribution to the development of track and field in Jamaica not only as a sprinter himself but also through his efforts to develop other sprinters to world class standards right here at home. It was the genesis that changed us from the thinking that our athletes had to go abroad to become the best that they could.

“It is with irony, that we recall that it was the then Principal of the College of Arts, Science, and Technology, Dr Rae Davis, who himself died a few days ago, who invited Dennis to establish a collegiate sports programme at the institution.

 “The records show Dennis as serving as the first director of sports at CAST which later became the University of Technology, Chairman of the Sports Advisory Council, adjunct associate professor of sport science and head of the special projects for intercollegiate sports.

“His work at UTech as an administrator and coach has come to be regarded as a fundamental contributing factor to Jamaica’s consistent top performances in world sprinting.

"As I express my condolences to Dennis’ sons Peter and Johnny and his daughter Dawn, his friends and associates as well as the track and field community, I must also say how disappointed I feel that Dennis did not live to see the documentary on his life that has been commissioned by my Ministry to be produced by Clyde McKenzie, media and entertainment specialist.

“Dennis was a jovial, sharp witted person, who thought the only thing that he could do better than sprinting was to play dominoes. He was well liked and will be missed not just in sport circles but by the many who knew him or learnt of his exploits.

“Your record on the track has its own very special place in the history of track and field in Jamaica, Dennis Johnson. Rest in peace.”

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Kingston, 6 May 2021 (JIS) - The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, says no National Labour Day project will be held this year.

She said that Jamaicans are being encouraged to labour at home, adding that the theme for Workers’ Week and National Labour Day is promoting a clean and healthy environment.

Delivering a statement in the House of Representatives on May 5, she said the theme for National Labour Day 2021 is ‘Stay home, stay safe this Labour Day, clean up your space’.

She said the theme and activities have been developed in keeping with covid-19 restrictions under the Disaster Risk Management Act.

“As a Government that sets the example for our citizens by practising what we preach, the Cabinet has decided that in keeping with the restrictions, there will be no National Labour Day project this year. The National Labour Day project is normally led by the Prime Minister and includes the participation of the Leader of the Opposition,” she noted.

She said the Prime Minister has already announced that the curfew, which commences at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 23, will continue until Tuesday, May 25, as there will be an all-day lockdown on Labour Day, Monday, May 24.

“This means that in keeping with the theme, the public will be asked to stay home and clean up your space,” Ms. Grange noted.
She said Jamaicans should use the day to rid their homes of mosquito breeding sites, commence or restart their backyard gardens and plant trees.

“This Labour Day, particular emphasis will be placed on ridding homes and their surroundings of conditions or elements which will encourage the breeding of mosquitoes. This is guided by the recent announcements that the Ministry of Health and Wellness is on high alert for a possible increase in cases of dengue fever, especially with the forecast of rainfall in the ensuing months,” she said

Ms. Grange appealed to Members of Parliaments to encourage their constituents to start a backyard garden at home, “if they do not have one”.
She said she has reached out to the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Minister of Housing, Urban Renewal, Environment and Climate Change to provide support for citizens for their Labour Day projects and to raise public awareness about their initiatives.

“The National Labour Day Secretariat will be collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, and Rural Agricultural Development Authority to see how interested householders can be assisted with seedlings to establish their backyard gardens,” she said.

She noted, too, that the Labour Day Secretariat will also seek to intensify the efforts of reforestation and tree-planting by encouraging interested members of the public to collect ornamental and timber seedlings at the Forestry Department Nursery and to plant the trees in their yards on Labour Day.

The Secretariat will also be encouraging members of the public to participate in the two programmes and to work on their backyard gardens and plant trees.

Providing the proposed list of activities for Workers Week and National Labour Day 2021, Ms. Grange said on Sunday, May 16, there will be a supplement in the print media with messages related to workers week, while on May 18, there will be a ceremonial wreath-laying at the Aggie Bernard monument in downtown Kingston, led by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

On Wednesday, May 19, there will be an industrial relations webinar hosted by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

For Sunday, May 23, there will be a virtual Labour Day/Workers Week Church Service hosted by the Mandeville Church of God. There will also be national observances in churches virtually islandwide.

On Monday, May 24, there will be a floral tribute where, symbolically, two wreaths will be laid at the monument of the Right Excellent Sam Sharpe at National Heroes Park and Sam Sharpe Square.

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Kingston, 5 May 2021 (Ministry of Local Government) - Local football fans will soon be able to enjoy the thrill of competition, as approval has been given for the resumption of Premier League football. The announcement was made by Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, the Honourable Desmond McKenzie.

“This decision came at the end of a meeting I chaired today involving representatives of the Ministries of Health and Wellness, and Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Premier League Clubs Association, the Jamaica Football Federation, the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management and the Social Development Commission. We have been meeting for some time, to ensure that all possible mechanisms concerning the efficient prevention and management of COVID-19 are applied to all aspects of Club competition, including the health and safety of players, referees and Club workers and administrators. Further details regarding the starting times and the conditions under which the competitions will be held, will be disclosed at a later date.

“Even as the management of COVID-19 remains paramount, the Government is keen for sport to resume in a phased, orderly manner, consistent with the continued reduction in the country’s positivity rate. The impact of sport on social well-being and social development is well recognised, and the Government will support all efforts to promote the enjoyment of sport in the safest way possible. In this regard, the Government is actively considering applications from a range of sporting Associations.”

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Kingston, 21 April 2021 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has joined the celebration of Groundation Day which commemorates the 1966 visit to Jamaica of Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia.

In her message, Minister Grange said:
“That April 21 was an unforgettable day in Jamaican history when 100,000 Rastafari from all over Jamaica descended on Palisadoes Airport in Kingston playing drums, smoking chalices and chanting Nyabinghi songs as they waited for His Imperial Majesty.

It has been 55 years, yet it has not faded from the memory or importance to the Rastafari community, at home and abroad. The Emperor's visit was a significant moment in the development of the Rastafari religion. Having been treated as outcasts by Jamaican society, the respect and attention the Emperor gave them caused Rastafari to gain a measure of respectability for the first time. Building on that, the Rastafari's Reggae music gained more interest and became commercially viable, leading in turn to the further global spread of the Rastafari movement.

I am happy to see that Jamaica has finally come to accept the positive presence of Rastafari citizens in our nation and their contribution to the development of our country. Our relationships continue to improve, hard barriers have softened and broken fences been repaired. My Government continues to play its part in all this, most recently with our work to repair the wrong done in the Coral Gardens Incident 50 years ago.

It is my pleasure to join the celebration of Groundation Day. I especially welcome this new album of Sacred Rastafari music, adding yet another important milestone for this unique Jamaican community.”

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Kingston, 20 April 2021 - The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, said today that, “Sadly, ‘Sharpe Talk’ has come to end with the passing of Michael Sharpe, easily one of the country’s most influential broadcast journalists.”

Michael Sharpe, the longest serving journalist in the RJR/GLEANER Group, died this morning at the age of 65.

Minister Grange said:
“Michael will be remembered for his special brand of journalism which saw him becoming an outstanding talk show host as well as one who provided insightful political coverage and commentaries.

In fact, he played a large role in popularising night time talk radio with the introduction of his legendary Sharpe Talk show. It is on record that Sharpe Talk reached out to many disadvantaged persons who brought their needs and concerns to Michael and whom he helped through his fund raising efforts.

We will also recall that he won national recognition for his coverage of the one-party parliament in the 1980s. Also very popular was his “Inside Gordon House” review which spoke about happenings in the Lower and Upper Houses.

Not only had his voice become familiar to the nation, so was his face as he became one of Jamaica’s top prime time television news presenters.

In his latter days, not only was Michael News Operations Manager at Jamaica News Network, but he took to teaching. That was the measure of the man.

For Michael Sharpe, Journalism was not merely a profession but was his passion. We certainly will miss the voice and face of a man who through this passion provided us with news, views and much more.

My sincerest condolences to his family, to the RJR/Gleaner Group and to his colleagues, friends and associates inside and outside of the media fraternity.

May his soul rest in peace."

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Kingston, 18 April 2021 - The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has said she is deeply saddened by the sudden death of former Reggae Boy, Tremaine Stewart.

Stewart, who represented Jamaica in 2012, died after collapsing while playing football this morning.

Minister Grange said:

”My spirit fell when I received the news about Tremaine this morning. We have lost yet another of our sportsmen whose contribution added much.

Tremaine did well from early, representing his school, Eltham High, in the Manning Cup competition, and later all of three clubs: August Town, Portmore United and Waterhouse. Death came following his recent signing with another club, Dunbeholden.

I am proud of the fact that Tremaine was a product of Gordon Pen, Spanish Town, which is in my constituency of Central St. Catherine.

The citizens were so proud of him and the young people saw him as an inspiration. I am so sorry that he won’t be around to see the completion of the Gordon Pen Sports and Entertainment Complex, now being built, and the critical role he would play in the  transformation of the surrounding communities through this facility.

My heart goes out to his family, his friends and associates and to the entire football fraternity.

Rest in peace Tremaine.”

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Kingston, 15 April 2021 (OPM) - Prime Minister Andrew Holness says the Government plans to invest in the entertainment industry.

Kingston, 12 April 2021 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has congratulated Ricky Skerritt, Cricket West Indies President, his Vice President, Dr Kishore Shallow, and the rest of the CWI administration on being re-elected unopposed.

Minister Grange said, “I wish the President, the Vice President and the other members of administration all the very best as they seek to keep their promise to ‘work untiringly to help achieve sustainable improvement, both on and off the field, for West Indies cricket.’”

The Skerritt Administration was re-elected at the 22nd Annual General Meeting of CWI, held on Sunday, April 11, 2021.

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Kingston, 9 April 2021 - Registration will open on Thursday, April 15, 2021, for the forum which will start the mental health programme being conducted by Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport to help the nation’s athletes to cope with the effects of covid-19.

The forum with the theme, Elevate the Game…Building the Muscle of the Mind of Jamaica, will look at mental resilience in sport and sport performance post-covid-19.

The Registration period will run from April 15 up to April 21, the day of the event, until half an hour prior to the start.

Applicants should download the Whova app from the App Store for iPhone users and from the Play Store for Android users. A link will be sent directly to the applicant after registration is completed. The applicant will then be able to access the webinar. Registration is complimentary via a #MCGESgamechanger ticket.
 
There will be use of subtitles for the hearing impaired athletes.

In her earlier announcement of the mental health programme for Jamaican athletes, Minister Grange said: “The covid-19 pandemic has seriously disrupted the lives and livelihood of our athletes, coaches, and their support staff; and we feel that it is extremely important to provide them with the support.

“We’ve provided financial support and we also think that they need support through a mental health programme to help them to deal with the existing situation,” said Minister Grange.

Minister Grange said the Ministry was staging the forum in collaboration with Optimisation Hub, which operates out of Australia. They have worked closely with the Olympics and other international bodies in these matters. Our local partners include mental health specialists such as psychologists and psychiatrists, led by Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr Saphire Longmore.

Dr Longmore is available to provide counselling and information that any athlete, coach, or federation/association may require.

The mental health programme is the latest in a series of actions by the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport to “assist athletes, coaches, and their support teams to go through this trying period,” Minister Grange said.

The Sport Minister said the Ministry will continue to provide financial support to the sports sector.

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