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THIS WEEK’S TOP NEWS STORIES
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PNP ANNOUNCES CANDIDATE TO FORMALIZE JAMAICAN CITIZENSHIP
Dr. Shane Alexis, the People’s National Party (PNP) by-election candidate in St. Mary South Eastern, plans to immediately formalize his status as a Jamaican citizen. The party noted that Alexis was nominated according to the provisions of Jamaica’s Constitution and that he is a registered voter who has consistently voted since 2008. The announcement came in response to accusations from Daryl Vaz, Member of Parliament for Portland Western, that Alexis was born in Canada and did not hold Jamaican citizenship.
SON OF MARCUS GARVEY TO JOIN CELEBRATION OF JAMAICAN HEROES
Dr. Julius Garvey, the son of Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jamaica’s first national hero, will be among those celebrating the country’s outstanding contributors at National Stadium on October 13, 2017. The celebration is part of National Heritage Week, which has been in effect since October 8. During his visit to Jamaica, Garvey will witness a National Reparations Youth Baton Relay and activities related to the island’s rich music, sport and literary heritage. The celebrations will culminate with a concert entitled “From Kete to Reggae” on October 14, 2017.
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THIS WEEK’S TOP CARIBBEAN NEWS
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CUBA CONTINUES TRADITION OF READING TO CIGAR-FACTORY WORKERS
Since 1865, workers at Cuban cigar factories have been entertained during their work day by “lectores,” people who divert them with readings of the news, horoscopes, recipes, and works of literature. Gricel Valdes-Lombilio, who began her career in 1992, has read “The Count of Monte Cristo” to audiences of “torcedores,” cigar rollers, three times. The popularity of this work is where the Montecristo brand of Cuban cigars originates. Despite the rise of television and internet access in Cuba, there are some 200 lectores still working in Cuba. The workers choose the lectores, which one employee calls “the only job in Cuba that is democratically decided.” The workers also vote on what material will be read. Many lectores, including Valdes-Lombilio, go beyond their official duties and become counselors, confidantes and community leaders.
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THIS WEEK’S TOP JAMAICAN DIASPORA NEWS
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JAMAICANS IN CANADA ENCOURAGED TO STRENTHEN TIES WITH HOME ISLAND
The wife of Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness, Juliet Holness, has called for members of the Jamaican Diaspora in Canada to make stronger connections with their home country so it can achieve prosperity. According to Juliet Holness, Jamaican nationals overseas have a role in helping Jamaica through meaningful investments that will help the island nation achieve improvements in health care and other sectors. She said that the care of vulnerable populations, strong family values and the preservation of cultural norms are top issues for the government, and it is especially important for young Jamaicans to become involved in these efforts. She made her remarks during a speech to the A-Supreme Foundation Grand Charity Gala 2017 in Toronto on October 7, 2017. The foundation provides subsidies for home care, educational programs, and advocates for improved quality of life for vulnerable senior citizens in the Greater Toronto Area.
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THIS WEEK’S TOP BUSINESS NEWS SUMMARY
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SANDALS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TOURIST BOARD IN U,S, RADIO BROADCAST
In a significant boost to the Jamaican tourist industry, millions of people in the United States heard their favorite disc jockeys broadcasting from Sandals Ochi Beach Resort in St. Ann. The exclusive radio event ran from October 2 to 6, 2017. It was organized by Sandals with sponsorship from the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) and included live interviews with the elite team of Sandals Resorts and executives of the JTB. The disc jockeys had the opportunity to experience island culture through visits to some of its major attractions, including Mystic Mountain, Dunn’s River Falls, and rafting on the Martha Brae River. The broadcasts were part of efforts by Sandals and the JTB to promote tourism in Jamaica and to remind potential visitors that the country is open for business in spite of the recent hurricanes in the region.
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THIS WEEK’S TOP ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
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FIRST PETER TOSH MUSIC FESTIVAL EXPANDS HIS LEGACY
Thirty years after Peter Tosh was murdered in Kingston, his legacy will be celebrated at the first ever Peter Tosh Music Festival. The festival is scheduled for October 19 through 22, 2017, in Kingston. Presented by the Peter Tosh Museum, the festival represents a partnership between Kingsley Cooper, the founder of Pulse Investments Limited, Andrea Marlene Brown, who was Tosh’s common law wife at the time of his death in September 1987, and the Peter Tosh Estate. Events at the festival will include a VIP Gala on what would have been Tosh’s 73rd birthday on October 19. Awards will be given to honor individuals who continue Tosh’s social activism in legalizing marijuana and advancing the arts. Nelson Mandela will be honored with a posthumous award, the first Equal Rights and Justice Award. His grandson, N’daba Mandela, will accept the award.
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THIS WEEK’S TOP SPORTS NEWS
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USAIN BOLT PREPARED FOR “HEROES IN ACTION” RUN/WALK
Jamaican’s Usain Bolt, three-time Olympic champion and the world’s fastest man, will start the Heroes in Action Run/Walk on October 15, 2017, at the Falmouth Cruise Port in Trelawny. The event, which is being stated by the JN Foundation and the Usain Bolt Foundation, is not a competitive event, but one in which family and friends can celebrate heroes and run for a good cause at the same time, according to Bolt. Proceeds from the event will be presented to the Trelawny Infirmary for refurbishing and upgrading its facility, which is home to 62 senior citizens.This will be the third staging of the event.
