AS PART of our mission to be the People Paper, THE WEEKEND STAR has been highlighting problem areas across the island. Our reporter, Carolyn Johnson, along with photographer Norman Grindley, will focus on a particular area until the problem is fixed. Now we will have a rough idea of how long the relevant authorities take to deal with some of the problems affecting our country.

After more than five months, a general and local election, Hurricane Dean and weeks of rainfall, the broken ford in Platfield, St Mary, has been repaired. A resident told THE WEEKEND STAR that the $2.1 million ford was finished last Thursday, "an we kill goat an eat". Hats off to Councillor Richard Creary and the St Mary Parish Council who lobbied for funds to fix the ford. With that out of the way, they can now focus on the Mount Vernon main road.

Back in Kingston, we have been told that the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) signed a contract on January 15 to start redeveloping the St William Grant Park. When will the work begin? That is now the million-dollar question.

Until then, $90 million has been to improve and enhance the landscaping of the park, provide and maintain adequate sanitary facilities, modify and redesign the fountain, improve lighting, and improve the administrative facilities as part of a plan for sustained management and maintenance of the park.