CELEBRATING CARIBBEAN HERITAGE. New York City Comptroller and mayoral hopeful, William C. Thompson, Jr., on Tuesday evening, 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, for professional excellence and outstanding contribution to their communities and the city in a range of disciplines including healthcare, law enforcement, tourism, academia, social work and journalism. 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). Pictured are; l-r/seated; Honouree Rosalind McLymont, Editor-in-Chief of the Network Journal; Briding Newell, Executive Director/WIADCA; Honouree Dr. Jean M. Chin, OB/GYN, Mt. Sinai Medical Center; Honouree Rev. Dr. Grace Cornish Livingstone, Minister & Psychologist; Dr. Eda Hastick, CACCI. Standing l-r; Honouree Anthony King, Regional Director/USA, Jamaica Tourist Board; special honoureesCurtis Nelson & Keith Marcelle of Sesame Flyers International Steel Orchestra, Brooklyn; Cheryl Hall, Executive Director/CWHA; Honouree Sergeant Herve Guiteau, NYPD; Hon. William Thompson, Jr.; Professor Dennis Derryck, Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy and Rev. Mel Holder, Christian Cultural Center, Brooklyn, NY. Caribbean heritage will be celebrated throughout the month of June across the USA. – JIS Photo by Sharon Bennett *

TOP CELEBRITIES. New York area celebrities defeated their Jamaican counterparts 3 goals to 2 in extra time after playing to a 1-1 tie in regulation time at Monday’s Irie Jam Celebrity Soccerfest at the Roy Wilkins Park, Queens. The NY team prevailed behind a good game from ‘Dubmaster Chris’ (standing left) and Reggae Boy – Freddie Butler (stooping/front row/second left). ‘Rich Kid TC’ (seated/right/front) was the team manager. The tenth anniversary of the soccer festival was presented by Irie Jam Media Group and Asylum Night Club/Jamaica in association with Western Union, Jamaica National and Air Jamaica. - JIS Photo by Sharon Bennett. *

RESPONDING TO DUTY’S CALL.The Mount Industry Civic Association (MICA) recognized three individuals for professional excellence and outstanding contribution to community development at its 19th Anniversary Dinner Dance at Antun’s Banquet Hall, Queens Village, NY, on Sunday, May 24, 2009. The honourees; Sandra M. Mitchell(Healthcare); Joseph Pravato (Business) and Michelle S. Rodney (Legal); were congratulated by Cecile Christie (left), Vice Consul/Consulate General of Jamaica in New York and Dorret Aarons (right), president of MICA. Partly hidden at top, right is Andrene Bonner, who co-hosted the event. - JIS Photo by Sharon Bennett. *

TOGETHER WE BUILD. Michelle S. Rodney, Esq., (left), Dean of the School of Criminal Justice at Munroe College, NY, accepts a token from Ms. Cecile Christie (right), Vice Consul at the Jamaican Consulate, Manhattan at Sunday’s 19th Anniversary Dinner Dance & Awards Ceremony for the Mount Industry Civic Association (MICA), at Antun’s Banquet Hall, Queens Village, NY. Ms. Rodney was the keynote speaker and one of three honourees. Vision Band provided entertainment. - May 26, 2009 - JIS Photo by Sharon Bennett. *

FOR SERVICE ABOVE SELF. The Queens/New York Chapter of the Jamaica ExPolice Association (JamExPol) used the occasion of its 12th Anniversary Dinner Dance on Saturday, May 23, 2009, to recognize a number of community leaders from its membership rank. Deputy Consul General of Jamaica in New York, Mrs. Tracey Blackwood (fourth right) who brought greetings on behalf of the Government, assisted with the presentations of citations from Councilmember Leroy Comrie’s office. Councilmember Leroy Comrie was represented by Mr. Wilkinson (left). In picture are (l-r); Gladstone Samuels, Sam Bartley, Marlyn Freemantle-Smith, Veronica E. Thompson-president, Venise Noble and Denzil Jackson. The event was held at the Elmont Jewish Center, Elmont, NY. - May 26, 2009 - JIS Photo by Sharon Bennett. *

THANK YOU MR. HEADMASTER. David Pennant (right), President of the Dinthill Technical High School Alumni Association-NY Chapter presents current school principal Dennis M. Clarke with a citation for outstanding and dedicated service to the school at last Saturday’s 18th Anniversary Reunion Banquet at the Adria Hotel & Conference center, Bayside (Queens), NY. The event also recognized three Jamaican high achievers in; Olympic Games sprint queen Veronica Campbell Brown, Dinthill Alum and US Armed Forces Lieutenant Colonel Robert M. Nugent and Irwine G. Clare, Sr., for outstanding service to the US Jamaican Diaspora. - May 26, 2009 - JIS Photo by Sharon Bennett. *

IRIE CELEBRITY SOCCER FESTIVAL. Consul General of Jamaica in New York, Mrs. Geneive Brown Metzger (second left) gets comfortable with the broadcast team of Ludlow ‘Pretty Boy Floyd’ Peynado (left), Kingsley ‘ Ragashanti’ Stewart and Nicole ‘Nicky Z’ Duhaney at Monday’s celebrity soccer festival at Roy Wilkins Park, Queens, NY. US Celebrities led by Dubmaster Chris defeated the Jamaican celebrities led by ‘Elephant Man’ on penalties to take the Irie Jam Media/Asylum Nite Club/Western Union trophy and bragging rights for the next year. The match was watched by a bumper crowd and featured track & field events by the Team Jamaica Bickle sponsored Awesome Power Track Club of Queens, NY. - May 26, 2009 - JIS Photo by Sharon Bennett. *

THE MAKING OF FLIGHT 779. (l-r); Robin Hayes, Chief Corporate Officer/Jetblue Airline; Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism; Dave Barger, Chief Executive Officer/Jetblue Airline and John Lynch, Director of Tourism/Jamaica teamed up for the official announcement of Jetblue service to Montego Bay, Jamaica, starting with the inaugural flight on Thursday morning, May 21. An overflow crowd attended the launch reception at Thrillist Jam’n In The Sky, on Manhattan’s West Side on Wednesday evening and was treated to give-aways, refreshment by Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery & Grill and entertainment by the Kevin Bachelor ensemble. - JIS Photo by Sharon Bennett. *

MIGRATION AND THE ECONOMIC CRISIS. Dr. Harold Mignott (second right), immediate past chair of the Jamaica Diaspora Advisory Board/Northeast USA and a physician in residence at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, discusses the role of migrants and the diaspora community at a seminar hosted by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) at the Permanent Mission of Nigeria New York on Thursday, May 21, 2009. The outcome document from the seminar will be part of the UN Human Development Report due out in October this year. Panelists included (l-r); Sarah Rosengartner, UNITAR/NY; Prof. Lindsay Lowell, Georgetown University; Lorena Mucabuag, Migrant Forum in Asia; Mignott and Dominique Bush, Office of the High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR). - JIS Photo by Sharon Bennett. *