Hanover 300th anniversary committee now a subcommittee of the HMC

WESTERN BUREAU:

The special anniversary committee, which was established to plan, organise, coordinate, promote and implement events for the 300th anniversary of the parish of Hanover, is now officially a subcommittee of the Hanover Municipal Corporation (HMC). The decision was taken at a special sitting of the HMC on Tuesday, where a motion was moved and adopted for the acceptance of the “Hanover 300 Committee” as a subcommittee of the HMC.

This means its operations now fall under the full administration of the corporation.

A terms of reference document for the committee, which states an effective date of January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2024, and outlines several restrictions and conditions under which the committee will be operating, was also tabled and accepted at the meeting.

Events marking the 300th anniversary of the establishment of the parish of Hanover will commence on November 12, 2023. They will continue to the end of November 2024. The parish was established in November 1723, when sections of the parishes of Westmoreland and St James were cut off to form a new parish.

According to the document, the membership of the committee shall comprise the Reverend Glenroy Clarke and Lucea’s Deputy Mayor Andria Dehaney-Grant, who will serve as co-chairs of the committee; along with all the elected councillors, the corporation’s chief executive officer, department heads, the parish’s two members of parliament, and representatives from civil society and the business sector.

In a move to ensure transparency, the special meeting also agreed that all future committee meetings would be open to the media.

While preparatory work has started for various activities that will take place across the parish during the year of celebrations, Dehaney-Grant said the budget is yet to be decided.

“The committee shall have no authority to commit or authorise public expenditure, except where funding has been provided for in the budget of the HMC and has been duly approved and disbursed to the committee,” she said.

The deputy mayor said some members of the committee have already been given specific tasks for events and are in the process of developing those plans.

Among the activities to be undertaken are: the beautification of the parish capital Lucea; special school and community activities; the observance of a Hanover Day; an ecumenical church service; a business exposition; a run/walk sporting event, and the completion of the refurbishing work being carried out on the Noel Holmes Hospital Courtyard.

“Come Thursday, July 27, we will be having a meeting at the HMC along with Minister Homer Davis (representing the Office of the Prime Minister West), to further discuss this grand celebration that Hanoverians and persons associated with the parish of Hanover are looking forward to,” said Dehaney-Grant.

The committee has extended an invitation to persons interested in contributing to the celebratory events, or with ideas for enhancing the celebrations, to contact the CEO of the HMC, David Gardner, until the secretariat for the special committee is fully established.