Bolt’s Sherwood Content in transition

Before 2002, Sherwood Content, nestled in one of the valleys in the Cockpit Country, in Trelawny, had no special appeal; it was just another rural community.

However, when its 16-year-old native Usain Bolt won the gold medal in the 200 metres at the 2002 World Youth Championships at the National Stadium, in Kingston, the community suddenly became a place of great interest.

When Bolt created more heroics in the 2008 Olympics Games in Beijing, China, where he won gold medals in the 100 metres, 200 metres and 4x100 metres [later stripped due to a failed drug test from a colleague], Sherwood Content, especially Bolt's home, was transformed into a tourist attraction, as visitors from all over the world came seeking to get an insight into his early life.

" Visitors from TV stations, newspapers and magazines regularly come to Sherwood asking questions about Usain and his early diet," Jennifer Bolt, the mother of the star athlete, told THE WEEKEND STAR.

While Bolt is now retired, Sherwood Content remains a place of interest for visitors. However, for the locals, who were once heavily into farming, things are not looking good.

"The livelihood of the residents has changed," said Harris Daley. "I remember when Ralston Brown owned a banana farm ... on Fridays, a truck load of bananas would leave his farm for the boxing plant in Latium, St James. Sugar cane was widely grown and lots of people were employees at Long Pond Sugar Factory, which is no longer in operation."

"Today, with six hotels in Trelawny, many persons are employed in the tourist industry," said Daley, in explaining the move away from farming. Sherwood Content, which is divided into several small districts such as Piedmont, Coxheath, and Sherwood Corner, is largely a Christian community. There are three churches in the Seventh-day Adventist denomination, the New Testament Church of God, and the Waldensia Baptist, which was built in 1871.

Edgar Harrison, another resident, recalled when the Waldensia Baptist Church opened its basement to serve as a primary school for the community. That school continued until 1955 when the current primary school was built. Over the years, much has changed in Sherwood Content. The houses, which were primarily made of wattle and daub are now being replaced by modern concrete structures.

"Those houses were strong and the Prayer Houses of Waldensia, though no longer in use, are still standing, despite Hurricane Gilbert," said carpenter Roy Burns.

One of the most interesting features about Sherwood is the vast number of persons over 80 years old, including two centenarians. Sylvia Bernard, 104, Hortense Henlon, 100, Iris Taylor, 98. and Zachariah Powell, 98, were four such persons THE WEEKEND STAR encountered on a recent visit to the community.

"Eat good food and nuh drink nuh rum and you will live long," said Bernard, in explaining her longevity.