There have been unremitting complaints about uncollected garbage and thankfully 50 new trucks have arrived to tackle those long-standing piles of waste. Meanwhile, executive director of the Broadcasting Commission Cordel Green has declared other dangerous types of garbage not fit for airplay. The ban includes:

• any audio or video recording, live song, or speech which promotes and/or glorifies scamming, illegal use or abuse of drugs (for example, Molly), illegal or harmful use of guns or other offensive weapons, jungle justice, or any other form of illegal or criminal activity; and

• any edited song which directly or indirectly promotes scamming, illegal drugs, illegal or harmful use of guns or other offensive weapons, jungle justice, or any form of illegal or criminal activity. This includes live editing and original edits (for example, edits by producer/label) as well as the use of near-sounding words as substitutes for offensive lyrics, expletives, or profanities.

For over 30 years WMW Jamaica (formerly Women’s Media Watch) has presented studies on the damaging effects of such productions on our young people. These dangerous and dirty lyrics, it is believed, will normalise antisocial behaviour in the impressionable minds of our children. I remember one outreach worker saying that after she witnessed a concert in an inner-city location in which children under 10 were performing vulgar movements to sexually explicit lyrics, “I had to go home and take a long shower. There was so much filth on that stage.”

We applaud DJ Nikky Z, who posted on social media, “I have no argument with the Broadcast Commission ban … none of that is in my rotation anyway … any DJ who complains they have nothing to play now should not be in radio…” She shared some of her favourites who are “not just old school… Protoje, Sevana, Mortimer, Kranium, the dancing music, Kabaka, Jesse, Jada, Shenseea, Sean Paul, new Shaggy, new Beenie Man”.

Many of us have memories of the music our parents played, our favourites were the Queenie’s Daughter and Broadway soundtracks, Nat King Cole, and gospel. Today’s parents can make a difference in their children’s outlook with their choice of music. Those earbuds are convenient, but take them out and share some good music and moves with your little ones; you will be influencing the choices that will help them navigate this challenging world.

For the sake of our children, let us clean up our country, our streets, and our airwaves. Let the fresh air fill their lungs and sweet music soothe their minds.

SPAIN DAY AND LANGUAGE INITIATIVES

We joined in a merry Spain Day celebration hosted by Ambassador of Spain to Jamaica Diego Bermejo Romero de Torres and Mrs de Bermejo last Wednesday where Senator Tom Tavares-Finson toasted our Spanish friends on their long and supportive association with Jamaica.

We were able to get more information on the Spanish-Jamaican Foundation from their Manager Vanessa Meggoe. Founded in 2006, the foundation is a collaborative effort by several Spanish companies with current investments in Jamaica. These include Bahía Príncipe Hotels & Resorts, Excellence Group, Global Exchange, Grand Palladium, Hospiten, Iberostar Hotel & Resorts, Riu, and Secrets Resorts & Spas.

The foundation awards bursaries to students of tertiary institutions across Jamaica, and since 2013 has been paying the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations fees for oral Spanish for students in all government high schools. Bursary awardees have been teaching Spanish in summer programmes for at-risk children and the foundation is a $5-million donor to the Project STAR initiative.

Vanessa Meggoe enthused on the progress being made by their awardees and in particular those at the Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College. This augers well for the preparation of students to take their place among the ever-growing staff at Spanish hotels in Jamaica.

Learning Spanish is a skill that will serve you for a lifetime. My church sister Avril Shirley offers online classes and has authored useful learning tools. You can reach her via Instagram and Facebook. Jamaica is blessed in the support and investment which we receive from our international friends. Let us equip our students and ourselves to take advantage of the many opportunities they offer.

TRIUMPHANT SPECIAL OLYMPIANS

We gathered at the Special Olympics Jamaica (SOJ) Multi-Purpose Court last Friday to honour Jamaica’s Special Olympians for their triumphs in the USA Games in Orlando in June and those without disabilities who partnered for the SOJ football team who won the Unified Cup Championships in Detroit in August.

In Orlando the team copped 12 medals, five gold, five silver and two bronze. The SOJ football team had a spectacular campaign in Detroit. They conceded not a single goal and beat Paraguay in the final.

It was a pleasure to meet Golden Glove winner Omarion Brown (person without disability) of St Catherine High School. The Golden Boot winner was Dillion Richards, also a person without disability, who scored five goals overall. What lessons of respect and compassion these young players are learning by collaborating with their teammates with disabilities to bring glory to Jamaica.

Standing strong for our Special Olympians at the celebration were Aldrick McNab, chairman of SOJ; Lorna Bell, executive director of Special Olympics Caribbean; C Roy Howell, executive director of SOJ; and Charmaine Daniels, CEO of Digicel Jamaica Foundation. The foundation highlights special needs during the month of October and hosted the event, ensuring that such achievements by our special needs family did not go unheralded.

NATIONAL HONOURS

Congratulations to the recipients of national honours at today’s Heroes’ Day National Honours and Awards Ceremony at King’s House. We are especially proud of Jamaica Observer Executive Editor Vernon Davidson, Order of Distinction, Commander class (CD), and other friends and colleagues, such as Rita Humphries-Lewin, Order of Jamaica (OJ); Professor Maureen Samms-Vaughn, OJ; Professor Alvin Wint, OJ; Richard Pandohie, CD; Alok Jain, CD; Dr Audia Barnett, Order of Distinction, Officer class (OD); Dr Amina Blackwood-Meeks OD; Jeffery “Agent Sasco” Campbell, OD; Michael Anthony Clarke, OD; O’Connor Basil Dawkins, OD; Nayana Williams, OD; and Lloyd Williams, OD.

MY PERSONAL HERO

I was grateful that Observer Senior Business Reporter Dashan Hendricks featured my business journey in last Wednesday’s paper. Pressed for space, Hendricks was not able to include that part of the interview in which I related how my husband Hubie Chin became involved in the business. Please allow me to tell that story.

It was 1988 when we decided to adopt our second child and the business was getting even more demanding. Hubie, who is an engineer by profession and had a high-paying job, agreed to join the business, thus allowing for a better work-life balance. What a blessing that was. Hurricane Gilbert hit in September of that very year and thanks to his skills, the business was up and running in days. Hubie’s arrival at PROComm also coincided with the demands of information technology, which his scientific mind was quick to manage and to maintain over the past 34 years.

This man of God is a caring father and husband, the maths whiz and the do-it-yourself (DIY) star. He is as humble as he is brilliant so I may get in trouble for writing this.

Happy birthday to the rock of our family, our hero, Hubie Chin.

lowriechin@aim.com

www.lowrie-chin.blogspot.com