AS PART of our mission to be the People Paper, THE WEEKEND STAR has been highlighting problem areas across the island. Our reporter, Carolyn Johnson, along with photographer Norman Grindley, will focus on a particular area until the problem is fixed. We will then have a rough idea of how long the relevant authorities take to deal with some of the problems affecting our country.

While waiting on the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) and the National Works Agency (NWA) to twiddle their thumbs before responding to our queries on Kew Road and unpainted islands on Washington Boulevard, we will move on to other issues.

Our roving has led us to downtown, Kingston, to the corner of Barry and King streets, opposite the post office where there is a deep pool in the sidewalk. Yes, in the sidewalk. We advise that pedestrians beware as what seems to be a broken pipe, has filled a large drain with water.

When THE WEEKEND STAR visited the area, one vendor selling bammy nearby told us that many persons have fallen in the drain. She explained that it was once filled with garbage, so persons thought they were simply walking through a garbage heap (on the sidewalk). "It look like a de madman coke head dem clean it out (the garbage). De water clean so dem use it to wash car," she said.

"A cover (piece of ply board) was on it and dey took it off," another lady explained, joining in on the conversation as she took breakfast to her friend. She estimates that the drain has been open for about a year. "A lady had hurt her foot and they were investigating...We report it to all the police, everybody."

Looks like they forgot to call the National Water Commission (NWC).