06-08-2018, 09:17 AM
I know one person affected by this but back when this all originally started I knew many people in Little Bay in general. I met John once I think in 2000, had lunch at Coconuts.
The issues started about 10 or 11 years ago and got very ugly very fast. My friend was burned out of her home. Other friends who owned a successful business for years in Little Bay had to literally pick up their house and move it to Negril. The lawyer representing the residents was murdered. John was murdered. The entire area became hostile to visitors - you could feel the tension just riding through on a motorbike. I had a long and wonderful relationship with the area and its residents for many years - but after my friend was murdered (unrelated to the property disputes) I pretty much stopped going to Little Bay. The veil of discomfort was lifting slowly, I spent the afternoon in Brighton this past winter and spent time at Blue Hole in Brighton a bit since they opened a few years ago and thought the tide had turned - I no longer felt "unwelcome".
John's wife has just upset that apple cart and the Jamaican Courts poured gasoline and lit a match. Shit will hit the fan. I hope against hope it won't be violent but for now its wait and see. It is my hope that the people living on those lands for generations prevail.
The issues started about 10 or 11 years ago and got very ugly very fast. My friend was burned out of her home. Other friends who owned a successful business for years in Little Bay had to literally pick up their house and move it to Negril. The lawyer representing the residents was murdered. John was murdered. The entire area became hostile to visitors - you could feel the tension just riding through on a motorbike. I had a long and wonderful relationship with the area and its residents for many years - but after my friend was murdered (unrelated to the property disputes) I pretty much stopped going to Little Bay. The veil of discomfort was lifting slowly, I spent the afternoon in Brighton this past winter and spent time at Blue Hole in Brighton a bit since they opened a few years ago and thought the tide had turned - I no longer felt "unwelcome".
John's wife has just upset that apple cart and the Jamaican Courts poured gasoline and lit a match. Shit will hit the fan. I hope against hope it won't be violent but for now its wait and see. It is my hope that the people living on those lands for generations prevail.