ALMOST PARADISE - Pimento Hill only needs good roads

The roads are far from smooth in Pimento Hill, a quaint community located in St Mary Central. In fact, a resident who has lived in the district for many years said he has never seen the area with paved roads. However, he said that he would not have chosen a better location to raise his family.

"No crime at all no gwane here suh," beamed Morris Ricketts.

The unpaved road, he said, is something that he grown accustomed to, although he longs for the day when that will change.

Road issues aside, Ricketts said that life in Pimento Hill is quite relaxing and he would never trade his community for anywhere in the world.

"The place peaceful to the point where if mi want, mi can sleep outside. Is not a lot of people live here now, but all when the district did full, people could sleep with them doors open," he said.

Located approximately 30 minutes away from Port Maria, Pimento Hill is a farming community that attracts visitors who have interest in hiking to Kwame Falls. The community is its own breadbasket. Plantains, bananas and jackfruit are in rich supply, and so too, sweet juicy guineps that hang from many trees.

"People come here all the time and everyone always fall in love with the place, enuh," said Ricketts, adding that the visitors are not harassed.

"Not a soul nah trouble dem. We more friendly than anything else. This morning (last Friday) mi drop a sleep out here at mi gate, and is after three mi wake," he said.

Everton, a farmer and fisherman, said that while people may have disagreements, residents have always found a way to resolve them peacefully.

"Man and man mouth will meet, enuh, but no war nah guh gwane. Mi can't tell yuh why di place always dis nice, but from mi a yute a grow, a suh mi see di elder dem live, and people just adopt to it," Everton said.

"People love to fish so yuh always a find people going to the sea. Something always in season so people can't go hungry, and the children dem safe too," Everton added.

Dr Morais Guy, in whose constituency Pimento Hill falls, sang the praises of the community when THE STAR contacted him yesterday.

"From Pimento Hill, you can see the northern coast of the island, and the people who live there are very nice. It is a farming community and they are very proud and productive. They will not beg for anything, except roads. They are very independent," Guy said.

The MP said that the unpaved roads are the responsibility of the St Mary Municipal Corporation.