This monument was erected in memory of citizens of St Ann who died for their country in 'The Great War' of 1914-1918. - PHOTOS BY ANDREW WILDES

A bustling rural metropolis on Jamaica's north coast with a rich history, strong business activity and incredibly interesting people …

Eighty-year-old Cowell Pinnock and 14-year-old Sashel Brown have one thing in common - they have both been residents of St Ann's Bay all their lives.

Apart from that, their concerns for the present and their hopes for the future state of their town are as dissimilar as they are significant to note.

Very few people in St Ann's Bay today know the spirit and history of the town like Cowell Pinnock; he has lived there for almost 81 years. Not long after entering the town, The Gleaner sat with Pinnock outside a small pub where he shared his insight.

Danger of losing status

Pinnock: The town was bordered by two properties … So we didn't have any room for expansion.

According to Pinnock, St Ann's Bay is now a town frozen in time, and in danger of losing its status and prominence as the capital of St Ann. He argued that because of how poorly the town was built during the days of British occupation, the roads could not be widened, nor has the town been able to make any meaningful expansions.

"The town was bordered by two properties: Seville property to the west and Windsor property to the east. So we didn't have any room for expansion," Pinnock said.

"Now, if you look at Priory, you have development taking place on both the west end, at Richmond, and on the east end, at Seville. Suh yuh soon find that Priory becomes a big, big, big village, bigger than the capital," Pinnock explained.

Sashel Brown, who was also born and raised in St Ann's Bay, has other concerns, like the fact that there is no apparent programme for youth development.

"We need a programme for the youth nowadays. I attend the St Ann's Bay Police Youth Club on a Wednesday and you have lots of schoolchildren in their uniforms going into jails, and mothers are crying," the 14-year old Steer Town Primary and Junior High student said.

Port should be reopened

On Main Street, buildings crowd both sides of the road, leaving no room for the town to grow.

The two also suggested different things they believed were critical to improving the town.

Pinnock insisted that if the port was reopened and small cargo ships were allowed to come like before, the life of the town would be radically transformed.

"If we have the port opened it would be the beginning of expansion! It would increase the livelihood of the town," Pinnock remarked.

Sachel, however, saw development as coming through education and targeted programmes to help youth.

"We need more fun activities, more functions to educate the youths because a lot of what is going on these days is just bad things," Sachel said.

andrew.wildes@gleanerjm.com