Caribbean News
Veteran Journalist, Lloyd B. Smith, Conferred with Order of Distinction
BY: SERENA GRANT
JIS
#MontegoBay, Jamaica, November 14, 2022 – The name Lloyd Barnes Smith is synonymous with the city of Montego Bay, St. James as is the popular and much sought-after community newspaper, The Western Mirror, which he has helmed for over 30 years.
Widely referred to as ‘The Governor’, Mr. Smith is renowned for journalistic prowess, sharp business acumen and unwavering generosity to his beloved city.
For these traits, he has, this year, unsurprisingly been conferred with the Order of Distinction in the rank of Officer (OD) for service in the field of Business, Media and Community Service.
The award was presented by Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, during the National Honours and Awards Ceremony at King’s House on Monday (October 17), which was celebrated as National Heroes Day.
Born and bred in Mount Salem, Montego Bay, Mr. Smith tells JIS News that he always loved to write.
The proud Cornwall College alumnus discloses that it was during his time in school that he discovered his love for writing after winning a national essay competition.
“I knew I had this innate ability to write and, interestingly, when I was at Cornwall, the boarders would seek to engage young ladies from [neighboring] Mount Alvernia High School for Girls and Montego Bay High School for Girls; in those days you had to write love letters. The letters sometimes took the form of poetry or quotes or just a play on words, and I ended up making quite a little fortune writing the letters for them,” Mr. Smith recounts with a chuckle.
After graduating from Cornwall College, instead of hurdling head-on into the writing career for which he was destined, Mr. Smith went the more traditional route of teaching.
He tells JIS News that he was among the first batch of students to attend the Church Teachers’ College in Manchester, “because the college had just opened and a few of us were selected. I think it was 75 of us in all, to start; later, I graduated with credit from the college.”
Among the schools at which Mr. Smith taught were Holmwood Technical High School and Craig Head Primary School in Manchester, and St. Georges College and Kingston College in Kingston.
He also served as Principal of Oxford Preparatory School. However, during his tenure there, he saw an opportunity to finally segue into his dream career.
“I saw an advertisement in the paper where this particular publishing firm was looking for an editor, and I was always keen on getting back fulltime into publishing and ultimately journalism. It was McGraw Hill, a very well-established publisher internationally, and Kingston Publishers was the local agent for them. So, I got the job and became the editor at Kingston Publishers. I was there for quite a while, editing a few books,” Mr. Smith informs
The journalist established himself as a literary exponent when he edited the first two books ever published about National Hero, the Right Excellent Sir Alexander Bustamante.
The first was entitled ‘Alexander Bustamante and Modern Jamaica’ by Professor George Eaton, which was published in 1975, while the second, ‘Bustamante and His Letters’ by Frank Hill, released the following year.
After making his mark at Kingston Publishers, Mr. Smith joined Jamaica Publishing House, a subsidiary of Teachers’ Book Store, in a sales and marketing position, based in Kingston. He was, however, promoted to the entity’s Western Regional Manager, which saw him returning to Montego Bay.
Now back home, Mr. Smith once again gave in to his urge to write. Always still in pursuit of his journalism dreams, he approached the editor of a small community newspaper based in Montego Bay, called The Beacon, to write a column.
“I started to write a column under the pseudonym ‘The Republican’. It turned out to be a very controversial column because I was hitting left right and centre, upsetting the status quo, making life miserable for those in authority,” the newsman says with a twinkle in his eye.
The stir created by Mr. Smith’s column reflected in paper sales, and the rest is history. Soon, destiny landed him a full time job at The Beacon, where he became the editor. However, when he started in his new job, he realised that the publication’s operations were collapsing.
The owner and director of the paper, who had welcomed Mr. Smith with open arms, unceremoniously left the entity.
The entity also suffered the misfortune of its printing press being seized by the bank funding its operations through a loan, for which the equipment was used as collateral, after the firm defaulted.
This made the newspaper heavily dependent on a popular printery in Montego Bay, a move which drained its then meagre funds. These misfortunes left a shocked Mr. Smith to pick up the pieces.
“The paper was crumbling, no ads; [for] many weeks, [the] staff didn’t get paid. I even went home for several weeks [with] no salary and the workers started to rebel; there was unrest,” he recounts.
“One day, one of the workers said, ‘Mr. Smith, you look like our only hope here; what can you do for us? We want you to take over the business’. I said ‘I couldn’t do that. If I were to move in such a position, you all would have to write a letter that clearly [states this]’; so they did the letter,” he says.
Thereafter, the editor formed a management team and got to work, and in 1980, out of the ashes of The Beacon, The Western Mirror was born, published by its own publishing arm, Western Publishers Limited.
It was not an easy undertaking, as rebuilding the company took grit, determination and, most of all, heart.
Mr. Smith recounts how the company finally acquired another printing press but, unfortunately, they could not afford to charter a vehicle to bring it the paper’s location. He emotionally recalls how dedicated staff members pushed the press on a cart across town to the Western Mirror’s location at the time.
Even with his running of the newly formed company, Mr. Smith was awarded a media fellowship by the then United States Information Service (USIS) to study mass media at the Newhouse School of Communication at Syracuse University, New York, USA, in 1985.
With over 45 years in media and contributions to several other fields, Mr. Smith’s accolades and professional accomplishments read like the making of a well-rounded man of excellence.
In addition to being Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of the Western Mirror, Mr. Smith holds the distinction of being the longest serving columnist of the Jamaica Observer, writing for the publication since its inception in 1993. He also copped the Pegasus News Chief Award and the Advertising Agencies Association of Jamaica (AAAJ) Media Personality of the Year and lifetime achievement Award, in 2008.
The veteran also received the Sam Sharpe Award for Journalism from the St. James Municipal Corporation and Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry Award for notable contribution in the field of Journalism.
Under Mr. Smith’s leadership, the Western Mirror has received numerous awards and citations, including the Press Association of Jamaica’s Best Small Publication Award on six occasions, the Marcus Garvey First Memorial Achievement Award, Print Media and the St. James Parish Council Trailblazer Award in recognition of Montego Bay’s 35th Anniversary of its attainment of city status.
In addition to his media career, Mr. Smith is a former Member of Parliament and was Deputy Speaker of the House of the House of Representatives in 2011.
In the area of philanthropy, Mr. Smith was the chief sponsor and organiser of the Lloyd B. Smith Community Football League in St. James from 1979 to 2019. He is also an honorary director of the Committee for the Upliftment of the Mentally Ill (CUMI), and a Justice of the Peace (JP).
He is an accomplished theatre actor and was first from western Jamaica to cop the local Actor Boy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
Mr. Smith is married and the proud father of two children.
While his list of accolades keeps growing, the veteran newsman remains the undisputed ‘Governor’ of Montego Bay.
Contact: Serena Grant
Release: JIS
Photo Caption: Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of the Western Mirror, Lloyd B. Smith.
Serena Grant Photo
Caribbean News
Turks and Caicos Retains Championship at 28th Annual Caribbean Classic Golf Tournament
Please note:
Photos by TCI Sports Commission
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – In an historic showing, the Turks and Caicos Islands Golf Association (TCIGA) dominated the 28th annual Caribbean Classic Golf Tournament, held in Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic, from April 25th to 27th, 2024. The victory marks a turning point for TCI golf, and much of the credit goes to the exceptional team of players assembled by Sean Wilson the Head Professional at the Royal Turks and Caicos Golf Course.
56 golfers, playing under the banner of the TCIGA were rewarded for their enthusiastic participation across both the Men’s and Women’s divisions.
“This back-to-back win is an indication of the growing interest and increased participation in the sport of golf in TCI,” stated TCIGA President Fraser Dods.
“We’ve been competing at this tournament since its inception almost 30 years ago, and finally bringing home the George Noon Cup two years in a row is a truly proud moment for Turks and Caicos golf.”
Clean Sweep for Team TCI
The team’s success was based on strong and determined performances in every flight and category.
The Turks and Caicos men’s team secured the Robert Grell Trophy, while the ladies claimed the Jodi Munn Barrow Trophy.
This clean sweep across all team divisions highlights the growing depth and talent within the TCI Golf Association membership.
The “Classic”organized by the Caribbean Golf Association, brings together golfers from the twelve membercountries of the CGA. The Caribbean Classic is an individual and team event, competed for by teams of unlimited number of players from each participating member country, playing eighteen holes of golf each , over 3 days.
Team Turks and Caicos amassed the most points overall and won the George Noon Cup last year, for the first time in 27 years of competing at this event. To repeat as champs is a proud moment for TCI sports in general and for TCI Golf specifically.
Individual Accolades Abound
Beyond the team triumphs, individual golfers from TCI shone brightly. Female players, namely Wendy Ayer, Christine Dickenson, Tazmaraa Gowans, and Andrea Todd, all secured podium finishes in their respective divisions
The men’s side also saw impressive performances from Justin Simons, Mark Fulford, Arthur Lightbourne, Mervin Cox, and Simon Dobbs. Their individual excellence contributed significantly to the overall team victory.
Looking Ahead: Building on Success
TCI Director of Sports Jarrett Forbes is optimistic about the future. “This win exemplifies the immense potential of golf in the Turks and Caicos,” he stated. “We encourage young islanders to take up this fantastic sport.”
Head Golf Professional at Royal Turks and Caicos Golf Club, Sean Wilson, echoed the sentiment. “This is a monumental achievement for TCI golf,” he said. “Bringing home trophies in all three divisions is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the TCIGA and its players.”
The Caribbean Classic second victory creates a new legacy for golf in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The TCIGA is administrated by a golf-loving volunteer executive comprised of Fraser Dods, Mark Fulford (VP), Denise Douglas (Secretary), Paul Murray (Treasurer), Andrea Todd and Roberto Stipa.Through their collective efforts, and the growing participation of TCI golfers, the future looks bright for this sport in the region.
The Caribbean Classic is one of the highlights of the Caribbean Golf calendar. Organized by the Caribbean Golf Association, it allows participation of amateurs from 12 countries, including the Turks and Caicos, Puerto Rico, Guadalupe, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominican Republic, Barbados, the Cayman Islands, Martinique, St Lucia, and USVI.”
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