R.I.p. Dr Manley west - Canasol pioneer

Portland has produced its fair share of outstanding Jamaicans, and one of them was laid to rest on Saturday last, in the church yard in his native district of Friendship. A prior engagement kept this writer form attending the service, but it had been the talk of the area all that week, and no doubt will remain so for a while.

An alumnus of Portie's Titchfield High School, Prof. Manley West was later Professor Emeritus in the department of Pharmacology at the University of the west Indies. Beginning in the late 70s West, and Dr. Albert Lockhart, overcame loads of scepticism by successfully formulating a topical treatment (eye drop) for the degenerative disease glaucoma. The drug’s name Canasol, belied its source material, the cannabis, or ganja plant. The United States Food & Drug Administration, in its “great wisdom” has decided that Canasol – developed in 1983 and successfully used around the world – can be sold as a prescription item in the US, even though it has no demonstrable side effects.

They also developed Asmasol, another cannabis-derived pharmaceutical useful, as the name suggests in combating the respiratory disease now fairly widespread in Jamaica nad indeed many other countries.


West, was by all accounts, an assuming yet affable man, a "country gentleman" who possessed a mind sharper than many sophisticates, yet did not let his lofty status as a an academic and pioner go to his head.

Jammin on Titchfield Hill, a live music showcase with a distinctly Portie vibe continues on the Titchfield Peninsula of Port Antonio this and every Sunday.

As the organizers say " its a get together at the moment, but we can turn it into Sunsplash if we  feel like it.

Drinks and soup will be on sale, as well as Blue Mountain Coffee (as you might expect)

Ambiance resumes with "Billz"

Sherine Smith, manager, Ambiance Lounge

The Ambiance Lounge, situated atop the Royal mall at the base of Port Antonio's Titchfield Peninsula, will officially "re-present" itself to the entertainment public this Saturday (March 10) via an event approrpiately billed as "Billz". Cover charge will be $100 dollars (or a "billz" in local parlance), and mixed drink coctails will be offered at the special price of......you guessed it! $100.

Newly installed manager Sherine Smith explained that the popular lounge had been closed for some five weeks or so, during which time a number of improvements had been affected, and it was now time to publicly acknowledge the recreated entity.

The Ambiance will now open daily for lunch, but evening operations will be concentrated Wednesdays through Sundays, with an assortment of themes for each night including Latin (Thurs) Open Mic (Friday) and Karaoke (Sunday).

The club's location affords patrons handy views of the town's western harbour and the adjacent Titchfield Hill. 

Two Portie schools in the Top 10- well done Buff Bay & Titchfield

From the Jamaica Observer:

However, Oberlin High retained their title with 590 points, overtaking early leaders Buff Bay (587.5). St Mary High were third with 351, ahead of Glengoffe (225.5), Morant Bay (218.5), Titchfield (169), Yallahs (168) Seaforth (143) and St Mary's College (124) for the top 10.

"I'm overwhelmed and I just want to say thanks to my coaches. I told my coach that by the time Boys and Girls Champs comes around I want to run 23secs as I've been running 24s," Williams told the Observer.

Meanwhile, 18 records were broken over the two days, with Williams accounting for two. Christopher Shakespeare of Morant Bay leaped 6.47m to do likewise in the Class 2 Boys long jump, while Trudy McCalla (15.23secs) broke the 100m hurdles Class One mark.

Buff Bay's Romario Grapine-Rodney broke his own record of 1.80m — along with St Mary High's Anthony Clarke (1.85) — and went on to clear 1.93 in the Class 2 high jump

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport/Williams-was-awesome--but-Oberlin-repeat_10853633#ixzz1n7Q5MDrQ