FINDING MR. WRITE. (l-r); Michael Flannigan of Citigroup and chair of the AFUWI; Beverley East, author; Voza Rivers, Chair/CEO-Voz Entertainment Group, Harlem; AnnMarie Grant, Executive Director/AFUWI and Wes Wainwright, Vice Chair/AFUWI at last Wednesday’s New York launch of two books by Ms. East at the office of Ruder Finn, NYC. Ms. East announced that one of the book, Reaper of Souls: A novel of the 1957 Kendal Crash has generated some interest among movie producers in Hollywood, USA. Ms. East book launch was made possible through the American Foundation for the University of the West Indies (AFUWI) in collaboration with Date With A Book, Inc. - JIS Photo by Roland Hyde. *

Graphologist and best selling author, Beverley East reading from one of her books at her New York launch on Wednesday, April 8, 2009 at Ruder Finn, NYC. The two book to her credit are; Finding Mr. Write and Reaper of Souls: A novel of the 1957 Kendal Crash in Jamaica. - JIS Photo by Roland Hyde. *

CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP AND INSPIRATION. The Comets Club International (CCI), the overseas division of the Montego Bay Comets Athletics Club last Saturday, April 4, recognized one organization and four individuals for their contribution and inspiration to the development of track & field athletics in Jamaica. Boys & Girls Champs title sponsors, GreceKennedy Limited/Grace Foods, represented by Ricardo Bryan (third left), USA Regional Business Manager and Shelton Rose (third right), Marketing Manager, received the Corporate Partnership Award for their ‘outstanding contribution and exemplary leadership in sports and business development. Four individuals, Clement ‘Tino’ Bowen, Paul ‘Pablo’ Tomlinson, Barrington ‘Boca’ Campbell and Clive ‘Cornbread’ Walters, were presented with the President’s Award of Merit for providing the inspiration which led to the formation of the Montego Bay Comets Athletics Club in October 1977. Bowen, Tomlinson and Campbell were student athletes then at Cornwall College. Walters attended GC Foster College of Physical Education, St. Catherine. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Comets Club development and scholarship fund. - JIS Photo by Sharon Bennett. *

Bobsled Team tours Caribbean Foods Delight. *

UN GOODWILL AMBASSADOR. His Excellency Raymond O. Wolfe, Jamaica’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (right), offers warm congratulations to New Yorker Russell Simmons (left), Hip Hop Impresario, Entrepreneur and Philanthropist who was named Goodwill Ambassador by the United Nations for and on behalf of the Permanent Memorial in honor of the memory of the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade. The launch ceremony for the Permanent Memorial Fund was organized by the Permanent Mission of Jamaica and held at UN Headquarters on Wednesday morning. - JIS Photo by Sharon Bennett. *

PRINCE OF PRIEST. Consul General of Jamaica in New York, Mrs. Geneive Brown Metzger (left) pays tribute to The RT. Rev. E. Don Taylor (right), Vicar Bishop of New York City at a retirement mass in his honour at the Cathedral Church of St. John The Divine, in Manhattan, on Saturday, May 16, 2009. County Legislator (Orange), Noel Spencer (second left) and Bishop Cecil G. Riley (second right) of the Freedom Hall Church of God, Brooklyn joined hundreds of clergy, elected officials, diplomats and parishioners in saying a fond farewell to Bishop Taylor who returns to Jamaica at the ends of the month. - JIS Photo by Sharon Bennett. *

LEST WE FORGET. Entertainment Entrepreneur Extraordinaire and Philanthropist, Russell Simmons (right), is congratulated by Howard Dodson (left), Director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York at Wednesday’s official ceremony at the United Nations Headquarters, Manhattan, to launch the fund for the building of the permanent memorial honouring the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade. Simmons was named the Goodwill Ambassador for the Permanent Memorial which is being spearheaded by Jamaica’s Permanent Mission to the UN. The launch ceremony was chaired by Ambassador Raymond O. Wolfe (center), Jamaica’s Permanent Representative to the UN. - JIS Photo by Sharon Bennett. *

PROUD JAMAICANS IN CONTROL. New York City Comptroller and Mayoral hopeful, William C. Thompson, Jr., (left), on Tuesday evening, June 02, 2009, staged his annual awards presentation celebrating Caribbean Heritage and Culture at the SEIU 32 BJ Headquarters, lower Manhattan. The event recognized six individuals including three Jamaicans (l-r); Rev. Dr. Grace Cornish Livingstone, Minister & Psychologist; Dr. Jean M. Chin, OB/GYN, Mt. Sinai Medical Center and Anthony King, Regional Director/USA - Jamaica Tourist Board; for professional excellence and outstanding contribution to their communities and the city. The well attended event was co-sponsored by the Caribbean American Center of New York, the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CACCI), Caribbean Women’s Health Association (CWHA), and the West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA). - JIS Photo by Sharon Bennett *

THE CLEAR WINNER, USA. The Visa sponsored Men’s 100 meter dash at last Saturday’s fifth staging of the Reebok Grand Prix International Invitational Athletics meeting at the Icahn Stadium, New York City, on June 2, 2009, was won by American newcomer Mike Rodgers (not pictured) in 9.93 seconds, running in a somewhat strong tailwind of 3.1 mps. Also in the high powered line-up were (l-r); Steve Mullings (JAM, 3/9.98); Michael Frater (JAM, 8/10.15); Daniel Bailey (ANT, 6/10.02); Richard Thompson (TNT, 5/10.01); Asafa Powell (JAM, 7/10.10); Travis Padgett (USA, 2/9.96); Nesta Carter (JAM, 9/10.16). The sold out crowd was treated to seven world leading times by athletes looking for places on their respective national teams for the World Championship in Athletics in Berlin, Germany in mid August this year. – JIS Photo by Sharon Bennett *