Hello Portmore, Hello World:
Welcome to my weekly blog on life and living in Portmore, St Catherine, Jamaica.
I have been living in Portmore for the last 2o years and so content, I can pretty much say I don’t want to live anywhere else at this point in time. I love Portmore, heat and mosquitoes and all. Well, … maybe not the mosquitoes so much. But everything else — the ubiquitous sunshine, conveniences and accessibility of urban life facilities, minus the crowds, noise and pollution of neighbouring congested Kingston. Portmore is where I most love to hang out (at least next to off- the-map villages like Alligator Pond in Manchester, where I go when I really want lone time and total peace). How about you?
So, this is the story about this blog. In 2015, I started reporting on community matters for a radio show in Manchester on a weekly basis. However, for various reasons, some weeks the shows host was unable to take a report and then I was left wondering what to do with all this information so relevant to the Portmore community. And many times, it wastime-sensitive information.
After couple weekends left clutching my bag of community news bytes, and I decided not to let the time, money and great information I had painstakingly gathered for Portmore listeners go to waste. I decided to blog it. Hence here I am. In June 2015, I set up this blog under the name, OutandAboutPortmore.
Fast track to June 2016, I’ve changed the blog name to Portmore Citizens News. The focus has changed a little. My original vision for the blog was to serve as a community guide to fun events, leisure spots and other resources for Portmore families. I was unable to deliver on that for the blog readers.
A year later, I have to accept it. Citizenship journalism is really what I am most passionate about and want to focus on. My dream has always been to to publish community news.
My blog will therefore emerge as a citizenship and lifestyle blog. Essentially, I want to be the community watchdog, even while I cover and feature the relevant issues, people and offerings within the Portmore municipality. My aim with Portmore Citizens News is to educate residents and visitors on news and current affairs and features on living and doing business in Portmore. When I can, I’ll review some of the fun places and events for kids and families in and around Portmore as well.
The resources you’ll find here will be children and family-centric, however, as that’s my bias and interest. So you won’t find much on the party scene unless you’re looking for kids birthday venues and supplies providers.
I’ll share news, stories, reviews and opinion about
- municipal and citizens association matters, meetings and activities
- city-wide health, sanitation and environment alerts and education
- things to do in the town
- food and shopping
- news-makers
- homegrown heroes
- upcoming family events
- real estate and city development
- security and safety
- parks and community facilities
- reviews of commercial and government service providers
- recreation, entertainment and fun guides for kids
- guide to summer camps and classes
- Portmore schools
- church circuit news and entertainment
From time to time, look out for some rich historical snippets on the community and little known facts about popular landmarks.
I’ll try to maintain a weekly schedule, so let us meet here twice weekly to learn where I’ve been and what’s on my mind.
Have a fun event or educational programme or business that serves the Portmore family or know of news unfolding where you live in Portmore? Share it via the contact form below or email me at gee4214@gmail.com.
And don’t forget to leave a comment or question on each post. Feel free to disagree. Just do it politely.
I hate when I write and the crickets chirp. So help me make some noise, Portmorians!
From the town called the Sunshine City in Jamaica,
One Love
Karen Taylor Bennett
Blogger
P.S. Want to check out my other family blog? Go to karentaylorministries.wordpress.com or search Google for Kids Who Love the Lord.
Portmore Citizens News 
The roads in Portmore are turning us into milk shake. they are so bumpy and needs to be fixed.
LikeLike