FREE | PAGES: 12 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com SIGN UP FOR OUR EPAPER @ epaper.jamaica-gleaner.com/na | PAGES: 12 | www.j maica-gleaner.com SIGN UP FOR OUR EPAPER @ epaper.jamaica-gleaner.com/na TRANS-CONTINENTAL ECONOCARIBE 147-46 176 STREET, JAMAICA, NEW YORK 11434 TEL: 718-244-7447, 718-341-2900 • BARRELS • CRATES • CARTONS • FURNITURE • APPLIANCES • BUILDING SUPPLIES • MEDICAL SUPPLIES • CARS KINGSTON, MONTEGO BAY, PORT OF SPAIN - TRINIDAD, GUYANA & OTHER ISLANDS WE SHIP DIRECTLY TO: SPECIALIZING IN RETURNING RESIDENTS for Toronto Pride Festiv P4-5: Five well-known Jamaicans receive honorary degrees in Toronto FREE NORTH AMERICA BRANDED CONTENT EDITION P6&8: Luminaries dazzle at UWI Toronto Benefit Awards gala P9: Grace Jamaica Jerk Festival NY launched with commemorative merchandise ACCOLADES APLENTY J’can nurse conferred with Presidential Medal of Freedom leads list of countrymen awarded JULY 7 - AUGUST 6, 2022 | VOL 2027 TRANS-CONTINENTAL ECONOCARIBE 147-46 176 STREET, JAMAICA, NEW YORK 11434 TEL: 718-244-7447, 718-341-2900 • BARRELS • CRATES • CARTONS • FURNITURE • APPLIANCES • BUILDING SUPPLIES • MEDICAL SUPPLIES • CARS KINGSTON, MONTEGO BAY, PORT OF SPAIN - TRINIDAD, GUYANA & OTHER ISLANDS WE SHIP DIRECTLY TO: SPECIALIZI G IN RETURNING RESIDENTS ‘ITWAS A SWEET VICTORY’ Jamaicans in Georgia welcome Senator W rnock’s win in runoff el ctions P4: Christmas in Canada’s northern territory P11: Black Uhuru’s Derrick Simpson gets Marcus Garvey award P10: Cornwall College alum -NY marks 63rd anniversary in style P6: Island recipes for that special Christmas meal >P2 DECEMBER 8, 2022 - JANUARY 5, 2023 | VOL 2034 IT’S CHRISTMAS TIME IN THE CITY New Yorkers officially kicked off the holiday season with the lighting of the Christmas Tree at the iconic Rockefeller Centre, New York City, on December 1. This year’s majestic Norway Spruce is adorned with more than 50,000 multi-colored LED bulbs, providing quite an illuminating spectacle that will be on display for the world to see, through to January, 2023. This year marks the 90th anniversary of the beloved tradition. PHOTO BY LEONARD MCKENZIE Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., arrives at the Capitol after defeating Republican challenger Herschel Walker in a runoff election in Georgia last night, in Washington, Wednesday, December 7. AP
2 Lester Hinds/Gleaner Writer JAMAICANS IN Georgia have welcomed Democratic Party Senator Raphael Warnock’s victory in the run-off elections on Tuesday as a big win for the party and the black community. Warnock received 51.4 per cent of the votes to dismiss the challenge of his Republican Party opponent Herschel Walker who amassed 48.6 per cent. Donna McLeod, Jamaica-born state representative whose term will end later this month, told The Gleaner that she was very happy with the results, which reflected solid support from the black communities. “We worked hard within the Jamaican and Caribbean community to ensure his victory. He was the best of the two candidates and we had to ensure his victory,” she said. For many, especially those living in Atlanta, it was a long-haul campaign, which saw them working to encourage persons to vote as well assisting in getting persons to the polls on election day. She reports that Jamaicans in Gwinnet County turned out in large numbers to vote in the run-off elections, beating their own turnout numbers in the November 8 midterm elections. “Our county came up big for the Warnock campaign,” she told The Gleaner. McLeod believes that the Republican party’s support of Walker’s candidacy was an attempt to cause a division in Georgia’s black community. She said Walker was a flawed candidate and should not have been put up to run. “I was highly offended by the actions of the Republican Party,” she said. She noted that despite this, the Caribbean community rallied, was united in its support for SenatorWarnock, and came out big for the Democratic candidate. “It was a sweet victory.” “I would have been extremely sad hadWalker won,”she told The Gleaner. ADDITIONAL SEAT Tony Gray, a well-known leader in the Jamaican community in Atlanta, especially commended the unity in the communities that he said ensured the win. “We in the Jamaican and Caribbean American communities banded together to secure this victory,” he said. Gray noted that many in the community were actively involved in the Warnock campaign, focusing particularly on outreach missions to turn out the votes for him. Connie Witter, another Jamaican community activist in Atlanta, said the win was well deserved and will benefit the black community. “Senator Warnock is from the John Lewis mould, and we know that he will do well by the community, so we had no hesitation in working to get him elected,” she said. The late John Lewis was a Georgia Democrat and stalwart of the civil rights movement in the US. He died in July 2020. Dr Joseph Redley acknowledged the value of Senator Warnock’s victory to strengthen efforts by Democrats in the Senate to get important legislation passed. “It was a good victory. He lived up to the policies that Democrats are trying to pass, and this additional seat in the Senate will benefit the Democratic Party,” Redley reasoned. Warnock’s win means that the Democratic Party now has have 51 seats in the new senate when it convenes in January while the Republican Party will have 49 seats. The pick-up of the one seat by the Democratic Party means that Democrats in the Senate will no longer have to rely on Vice President Kamala Harris to cast tie-breaking votes as is now the case in the 50/50 evenly split Senate. SenatorWarnock secured 1.8 million to Walker’s 1.7 million votes. ‘It was a sweet victory’ - Jamaicans in Georgia welcome Senator Warnock’s win in run-off elections Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., arrives at the Capitol after defeating Republican challenger Herschel Walker in a runoff election in Georgia last night, in Washington, Wednesday, December 7. AP THE WEEKLY GLEANER | DECEMBER 8, 2022 - JANUARY 5, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS Phyllis Barnes phyllis.barnes@gleanerna.net NEW YORK Garfield Grandison - Manager garfield.grandison@gleanerna.net Normadelle Rose - Office Supervisor normadelle.rose@gleanerna.net 92-05 172nd Street, Jamaica, NY 11433, 718-657-0788 Aubrey Campbell aubreycgleaner@gmail.com Aniceto Rodriguez Ruiz, first counsellor and head of cooperation for Jamaica, raps with Shaqwayne Williams (right) and Marcello Richards from the Regent Street Basic School located in Denham Town, Kingston. The European Union, along with JSIF, conducted a tour of the community on Wednesday. KENYON HEMANS/PHOTOGRAPHER
3 Will Mr. Dainey St. Aubyn Laing whose last known address is 13 Torrington Road, Kingston, Jamaica or anyone knowing his whereabouts, kindly contact the Child Protection & Family Services Agency, 10 Hanover Street, Spanish Town, St. Catherine, Jamaica at 876-301-4983. N O T I C E ATLANTA (AP): DEMOCRATIC SEN Raphael Warnock defeated Republican challenger Herschel Walker in a Georgia runoff election Tuesday, ensuring Democrats an outright majority in the Senate for the rest of President Joe Biden’s current term and capping an underwhelming midterm cycle for the GOP in the last major vote of the year. WithWarnock’s second runoff victory in as many years, Democrats will have a 51-49 Senate majority, gaining a seat from the current 50-50 split with John Fetterman’s victory in Pennsylvania. There will be divided government, however, with Republicans having narrowly flipped House control. “After a hard-fought campaign – or, should I say, campaigns – it is my honour to utter the four most powerful words ever spoken in a democracy: The people have spoken,”Warnock, 53, told jubilant supporters who packed a downtown Atlanta hotel ballroom. “I often say that a vote is a kind of prayer for the world we desire for ourselves and for our children,” declared Warnock, a Baptist pastor and his state’s first Black senator. “Georgia, you have been praying with your lips and your legs, your hands and your feet, your heads and your hearts. You have put in the hard work, and here we are standing together.” In last month’s election, Warnock led Walker by 37,000 votes out of almost 4 million cast, but fell short of the 50 per cent threshold needed to avoid a runoff. The senator appeared to be headed for a wider final margin in Tuesday’s runoff, with Walker, a football legend at the University of Georgia and in the NFL, unable to overcome a bevy of damaging allegations, including claims that he paid for two former girlfriends’ abortions despite supporting a national ban on the procedure. Democrats’Georgia victory solidifies the state’s place as a Deep South battleground two years afterWarnock and fellow Georgia Democrat Jon Ossoff won 2021 runoffs that gave the party Senate control just months after Biden became the first Democratic presidential candidate in 30 years to win Georgia. Voters returned Warnock to the Senate in the same cycle they reelected Republican Gov Brian Kemp by a comfortable margin and chose an all-GOP slate of statewide constitutional officers. Walker’s defeat bookends the GOP’s struggles this year to win with flawed candidates cast from Trump’s mould, a blow to the former president as he builds his thirdWhite House bid ahead of 2024. Democrats’ new outright majority in the Senate means the party will no longer have to negotiate a power-sharing deal with Republicans and won’t have to rely on Vice President Kamala Harris to break as many tie votes. National Democrats celebrated Tuesday, with Biden tweeting a photo of his congratulatory phone call to the senator. “Georgia voters stood up for our democracy, rejected Ultra MAGAism, and ... sent a goodman back to the Senate,” Biden tweeted, referencing Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan. Warnock emphasised his willingness to work across the aisle and his personal values, buoyed by his status as senior pastor of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, where civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr once preached. IMAGE DISTRIBUTED COMMUNITY CHANGE - Grassroots organizers with Community Change Action rally outside of the United States Chamber of Commerce for the child tax credit on Tuesday, December 6 in Washington. AP ‘THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN’ Democratic Sen Warnock wins Georgia runoff against Walker Supporters cheer during an election night watch party for Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, Tuesday, December 6, in Atlanta. Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock speaks during an election night watch party, Tuesday, December 6, in Atlanta. AP PHOTOS THE WEEKLY GLEANER | DECEMBER 8, 2022 - JANUARY 5, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS DOMINICA DOMINICA LABOUR PARTY RE-ELECTED ROSEAU (CMC): THE RULING Dominica Labour Party (DLP) has been returned to power in Tuesday’s general election, even as two independent candidates won constituencies in the 21-seat Parliament following a boycott by the main opposition political parties. Preliminary results released by the Electoral Office showed that the DLP, which had entered the election already having six seats uncontested, had so far won 19 of the 21 seats. The Electoral Office had said that voters would be electing representatives for 15 constituencies after the main opposition parties – the United Workers Party (UWP) and the Dominica Freedom Party (DFP) – failed to nominate any candidate. The Electoral Office said 45 candidates contested the 15 remaining seats with the DLP contesting all seats, Team Unity Dominica five seats and there were 10 independents. CARICOM REPARATION PLAN GETS SUPPORT AT INAUGURAL FORUM OF PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT GENEVA (CMC): DELEGATES ATTENDING the inaugural United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent here have supported the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) 10-point reparation plan, calling for its adoption globally. Bahamian, Gaynel Diana Curry, one of the five experts appointed earlier this year to serve on the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, outlined the priorities for CARICOM faced by vulnerable and marginalised groups of people of African Descent, especially women, children andmigrants, and LGBTQI persons. These include reparatory justice, climate justice, systemic racism, and socio-economic opportunities, The forum comes two years shy of the International Decade for People of African Descent coming to an end and follows the General Assembly that in August 2021, adopted resolution 75/314, which operationalised the Permanent Forumon People of African Descent as “a consultative mechanism for people of African descent and other relevant stakeholders” and “as a platform for improving the safety and quality of life and livelihoods of people of African descent”. SURINAME CONFUSION OVER DUTCH APOLOGY FOR SLAVERY PARAMARIBO, SURINAME (CMC): THE SURINAME government says it has not formally receivedany apology from the Netherlands regarding slavery. Media report had said that Dutch Minister of Legal Protection, Franc Weerwind, who will be on a working visit to the Dutch-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country would offer an apology. Justice and Police Minister, Kenneth Amoksi, speaking in the National Assembly on Tuesday, said that that while a work programme has been agreed for the December1 5-20 visit, it does not include an apology on December 19 about slavery. “Nothing has been reported about apologies on December 19,” Amoksi said, amid criticisms about the unilateral decision of the Netherlands, with several legislators questioning him on the issue. “A position will be taken by the government. The council will also be involved in taking the position and as much as possible the community,” he added. GUYANA CUBA JOINS CARICOM TASK FORCE ON AGRICULTURE GEORGETOWN, CMC): CUBA HAS accepted an offer from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to join the Community’s Ministerial Task Force on Agriculture, according to a statement issued by the Guyanabased CARICOM Secretariat. CARICOM’s Special Ministerial Task Force on food production and food security was established to propel the region’s thrust towards reducing its food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025. “The participation of Cuba is a boost particularly to the technological aspects of the initiative. Closer collaboration with Cuba in the area of agriculture will include the establishment of a food terminal to provide a consistent supply of food items to Cuba,”the statement said. It said that in addition to joining the regional ministerial task force on agriculture, the two sides during their just concluded eighth CARICOM-Cuba summit in Barbados, have also agreed to observe October 6 as CARICOMCuba Day Against Terrorism. The statement said that Cuba also announced further assistance to CARICOM member states in the fields of health and environmental management. “This includes a supply of vaccines and training in epidemiological surveillance, nursing and medical specialties, the rehabilitation of coastal areas through a project funded by South Korea and the preservation of coral reefs,” the statement added. Regional News
4 Neil Armstrong/Gleaner Writer TORONTO: ALTHOUGH THEIR memories of Christmas in Jamaica are fond and vivid, that does not stop Jamaicans living and working in Nunavut from having a good time during the season. The area, a massive, sparsely populated territory of northern Canada, is now home to a small but vibrant Jamaican community that is very much involved in education and healthcare in the location. Calbert Hutchinson, an educator wi th over 20 years of exper i ence in Jamaica, travelled to Canada as an international student looking to gain residency and work as a teacher. Hutchinson was raised in Cockburn Pen, Kingston, and eventually relocated with his family to New Harbour Village 2 in Old Harbour, St Catherine. A student at Seneca College from 2015-2016, he pursued two separate postgraduate certificate courses in not-for-profit management and green business management back-to-back. But for the young man itching to get started, his life plans were unfurling slowly. “... it’s very difficult to get a full-time job as a teacher in Ontario, which is a pre-requisite for permanent residency. Instead of staying in Toronto and fighting to get a full-time job, I decided to take a full-time job as a teacher in the north,” he says of his decision to venture to unfamiliar territory. Today, he is a vice-principal and has been living there since 2017. He has so far worked in three communities, Arctic Bay in the northern Qikiqtani (Baffin) region, where he spent a year; Whale Cove, where he spent another year, before moving to Baker Lake, both in the Kivalliq region. He recalls his naivete about life in the northern territory in that after accepting the job in Arctic Bay, he asked a friend, who was already working there, how long it would take him to drive from Ontario to the community. His friend paused and then responded that he did not need to worry about that at the moment. Hutchinson says he would eventually realise that the area was a remote fly-in community. “There is no highway, there is no road that leads to these communities, so there was no way I would be able to drive,” says Hutchinson in between bouts of laughter. He says the journey was in fact quite the adventure. In his first year he travelled from Toronto to Ottawa; then from Ottawa to Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut. After overnighting there, he moved on to one other community before reaching his destination. STEEP LEARNING CURVE He says that for every leg of the journey the trees gradually disappeared. By the time he got to Arctic Bay, he thought that he was on the moon. “There are no trees, it’s all rocks. It was completely unfamiliar tome. I was like, ‘Where will I get the oxygen that I’m going to need’, because there are no trees.” But his anxiety soon subsided as he adapted and he is surviving. He says things have changed significantly since then. “I’ve learnt a lot about the culture of Nunavut, the people [Inuit], because even though I’m in the capacity of a teacher, it has been a steep learning curve for me.” “Being an educator is one thing, but being an educator in a completely different setting, context, culture, you have to relearn a lot of stuff, so it has been a humbling experience for me. I think I’ve grown significantly; I’m able to see things through multiple lens, which puts me in a position to make informed decisions that are best suited for everyone and not just one or two. It has been a tremendous experience.” Hutchinson says the Christmas holiday is spent differently according to each person’s particular circumstance. It can vary depending on whether the person lives alone, is accompanied by family, or has friends from down south or from within the community. For his tenure in Arctic Bay, he lived alone as his family had not yet joined him. But for the larger Nunavut, the holiday period is a totally immersive community experience. The season begins in December, right after the end of school, with a series of community events – community feasts. “This is where the elders, locals, everyone come together to take part in Inuit games, dancing, and eat country food - that is the local cuisine, and it’s just engaging for the entire community.” The community hall is the central place for the food, games, and square dance. “It’s just a joyous moment, and this is like for every single night of the week leading up to Christmas celebration. Even up to the New Year’s celebration you have an event taking place in the community hall.” ENGAGING Hutchinson says most of the communities are small, with Arctic Bay having a population of just over 300 persons. It sits in an isolated area. He reasons that the events are a very practical way to celebrate the season and nurture the community spirit. “Actually, that time of the year it is dark. It’s almost a 24-hour night, so it makes a lot of sense for the people to come out together to engage, because it allows the time to pass quickly. It was very engaging - the square dance, the games, the food; you’re talking about taking part in cooking seal. If it’s raw seal, frozen meat – this is what they call country food – so you engage in all those activities during the Christmas and it’s an amazing time,” he says. Most of the homes he has visited use artificial Christmas trees, imported pepper lights and ornaments for decorating the tree. He says the difference in Christmas celebrations for Nunavut and Jamaica are stark. Hutchinson says wherever one is in the world, nothing beats the Jamaican festivity in terms of the food, the music, the family, and the get-togethers. Although he was in Jamaica last summer, he says it has been a while since he celebrated Christmas on the island. Antoney*, has been working in Nunavut since the summer of 2021. He, however, travels regularly to Jamaica . He says that at the outbreak of COVID-19 he was living abroad and decided to relocate to the remote area, to be as far away as possible from the pandemic. “It’s quite cold here, but once you’re dressed for it, you’re fine. The food is somewhat different. For example, one thing, I’ve noticed is that I’ve never been able to get Scotch bonnet pepper inmy community, not in all of Nunavut.” He says there are many family gatherings, but as he has no family there he connects with friends during the season. This year, he is planning to bemore engaged in the church services and Christmas games organised by the community. Last year, he visited Jamaican and African friends there to immerse himself in the good vibe that reminded him of Jamaica. “I didn’t leave because travel in Nunavut can be quite difficult at times. What I wished I had done, though, was engage more with the community and learnmore about what happens at that time,” he says. Still, he is constantly reminded of home, as there is a significant contingent of Jamaican teachers at his school. “Jamaica has a large footprint in the education system up here. The assistant deputy minister of education for education programmes is a Jamaican, Sonia Osbourne, she is from St Elizabeth,” says the educator, who prefers to remain anonymous. Christmas in Canada’s northern territory Jamaicans in Nunavut celebrate the season with a difference Calbert Hutchinson The Inuit community shares in traditional Christmas games. Calbert Hutchinson with his students. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS Hutchinson’s first week in Arctic Bay. THE WEEKLY GLEANER | DECEMBER 8, 2022 - JANUARY 5, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS
THE MONTHLY GLEANER | DECEMBER 8 - JANUARY 7, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS 5 For more information visit – www.jnmoneyonline.com or call us: Toll Free 888-991-4065, North America – 866-735-6002, Cayman – 345-945-2014, UK – 0800-328-1622 & the Caribbean – 800-744-1163 Celebrate with SEND MONEY FOR A CHANCE TO WIN FROM AUGUST 1ST TO DECEMBER 24TH, 2022 VACATION INCLUDES TRIP VALUED AT $/£ 4,000 ROUND TRIP FOR TWO (2) TO JAMAICA A 3 NIGHT ALL INCLUSIVE STAY ADVENTURE TOUR CHAUFFEUR SERVICES TO & FROM THE AIRPORT AND BRONX, NY: McCall’s Bronxwood Funeral Home, north Bronx, New York, will again welcome patrons to its annual holiday cheer at the Eastwood Manor, 3371 Eastchester Road, Bronx, on Tuesday, December 13, at 6:00 p.m. A tradition for a quarter century, the annual holiday dinner benefits disadvantaged children in the surrounding communities as well as provides funding for the United Negro College Fund (UNCF). Patrons are encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy and a financial contribution – minimum $40 – for the fund while enjoying a full evening of fun and festivities for the holidays. “We may still be dealing with the pandemic, the political climate and the economy. However, despite our collective challenges and concerns, there are those among us far less fortunate, to whom an extension of grace, favour and a small act of kindness, will bring a better day,”offered James Alston, director of McCall’s Bronxwood Funeral Home. The concept of a holiday dinner grew from an intimate office party for 30 to 40 persons, to a much-heralded community event that now thrives on businesses giving back to the communities in need. “As we wish everyone a happy and safe holiday, we at McCall’s Bronxwood want our friends, neighbours and families to embrace the collective nature of our struggle with compassion for one another,” noted Alston, who admitted that the past two years have been a challenge for everyone, everywhere. The company looks forward to support from community groups and block associations, the faith-based sector, elected officials, business and community leaders. TOY STORY. James Alston is a happy man, sitting among the many toys donated at last year’s Holiday Charity Dinner, hosted by McCalls’s Bronxwood Funeral Home, Bronx. NY. CONTRIBUTED McCall’s to celebrate 25 years of Christmas cheer Sophia Findlay/Gleaner Writer TORONTO: MARY BISHOP hails from Clarendon, Jamaica, and the 77-year-old mother of three girls swears by her tried-and-proven rum punch recipe which Rum punch, anyone? THE WEEKLY GLEANER | DECEMBER 8, 2022 - JANUARY 5, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS Jamaican Rum Punch DIRECTIONS Mix the first four ingredients together. n Add the pimento seeds. n Serve on crushed ice. n Serves 10- 12 INGREDIENTS n 1 part sour- 1 cup lime juice n 2 parts sweet- 2 cups strawberry syrup n 3 parts strong- 3 cups white rum n 4 parts weak - 4 cups water or fruit juice one dozen pimento seeds Note: The strength increases when stored in bottles and left to ferment for days or weeks. she’s been using for years. In fact, she comes alive with excitement, especially in the days ahead of hosting her annual Poinsettia Party in November when, as expected, the beverage would be served and be a sure-fire hit. “I’m always delighted to share this unique blend, because I’ve had countless compliments and I want others to have that success!”Bishop says of the special elixir, perfect for the colder weather. As a seasonal entrepreneur, she’s busiest at Christmastime preparing for the festivities ahead, which includes her and husband Craig delivering the poinsettia plants to clients, selling Scotch bonnet pepper jellies, and having friends over. She recommends making the punch long before it’s needed, so that it’s one less thing on your to-do list. Jerked chicken and jerked pork are great appetisers to accompany the drink to add that spicy kick. MARY BISHOP
7 THE WEEKLY GLEANER | DECEMBER 8, 2022 - JANUARY 5, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | ADVERTISEMENT
8 ZOSOs extended for 60 days THE HOUSE of Representatives has approved a 60-day extension of seven zones of special operations (ZOSOs) across Jamaica. THE AREAS are Denham Town, west Kingston; Norwood and Mount Salem, St James; Greenwich Town, Parade Gardens and August Town in St Andrew; and Savanna-la-Mar inWestmoreland. The current ZOSOs will expire on December 22. Resolutions for the extensions were moved by Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang during Tuesday’s sitting. Mount Salem and Denham Town will continue into the build phase, while Greenwich Town, August Town, Norwood, Parade Gardens, and Savanna-la-Mar will remain at the hold stage. Chang said areas under the ZOSO continue to record reductions in all major crimes. The national security minister said 86 residents in Savanna-laMar are set to receive new birth certificates. Clean-up activities have been conducted. “The Norwood ZOSO is earmarked for significant buildout of much-needed infrastructure, including supporting the rehabilitation of roads and water supplies. In the interim, several short-term initiatives are being executed,” Chang told lawmakers. “Currently, there are approximately $300 million in approved projects to be implemented in the community. These investments are projected to be implemented over the next 12 to 24 months.” PM Dispels Notion of Indefinite Detentions Under SOE PRIME MINISTER, Andrew Holness, says there is no truth to the notion that persons can be detained indefinitely under the State of Public Emergency (SOE). “Nothing could be further from the truth. Under the emergency powers regulations now in place, the Emergency Powers Review Tribunal – chaired by members appointed by the Chief Justice of Jamaica from among persons qualified to be appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court – must review the cases brought before them in order for any person to be detained for more than seven days,” he pointed out. “So, this notion that… the SOEs allow the security forces to scrape up or net fish and detain persons arbitrarily, without charge indefinitely, is absolutely not true,” he said. Holness, who was addressing a press conference at Jamaica House on Tuesday, December 6 , to declare SOEs across the island, said that the Emergency Powers Regulations that will govern the measures are different from those with which the court recently took issue. He noted that the Government has taken “a lot of care and diligence” to go through the various issues raised by the court and has made the relevant changes. “In the Roshaine Clarke case, the judgement of the Constitutional Court made it clear that the purpose for which the SOE had been imposed was a legitimate purpose, that is, the SOEs can be used for the purpose for which the Government is using them. “However, the court took issue with the emergency powers regulations under which Mr. Clarke had been detained; those regulations were made in 2018. The emergency powers regulations that will be in effect for this new declaration of the SOEs are different,” he explained. The Prime Minister noted that the SOEs will not cripple business or commerce. “In this iteration of the SOEs, bearing in mind that we are approaching the Christmas season, the powers that will be deployed in the SOEs will be mindful of commerce, entertainment and of persons’movement,” he noted. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister said that an upgrading of the Constitution is needed ,so that the security measure can be easily and effectively utilised to deal with modern threats. “Emergency powers have always been an executive tool because it is the executive that always has to respond and react. We need to, I think, upgrade and recraft how the emergency powers are used,” he said. The Prime Minister announced limited SOEs in Clarendon, St. Catherine, specified areas in Kingston and St. Andrew, St. James, Westmoreland and Hanover. The security measure, which has also been declared in the parish of St. Ann and the police division of St. Andrew Central, will last for an initial 14 days. - JIS Whistle Blower Act needs strengthening – Robinson MUCH MORE needs to be done to embolden persons working in the public sector to call out corruption whenever they come up on it during the course of their employment, according to Opposition Spokesman on Finance Julian Robinson. In addressing the recent Public Bodies Corporate Governance Awards at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston, Robinson delivered this charge to the public servants in attendance. “I ask you, as you continue to do your work, to be guardians of integrity in the public sector. We need to domore to ensure that the issues of good governance become the de facto standard throughout the public sector. There is clearly more that has to be done. There are pieces of legislation that need amendment ... that make it easier for persons who see incidents of corruption and report it. “For example, the Protective Disclosures Act, which is known as the ‘Whistle Blower Act’, is a piece of legislation that is severely underused. In the past five to 10 years, I don’t think we have had five or 10 disclosures using that piece of legislation. We have to make amendments so that you can do it unanimously, so that people feel protected. I believe this grouping represents the best of what we have in the public sector and can transform Jamaica into a society that we need.” News You May Have Missed Robinson Prime Minister Andrew Holness addresses journalists Tuesday during a JamaicaHouse press conference called toannounce the declaration of states of emergency. Also in photo areMinister of National Security Dr Horace Chang (centre) and Commissioner of Police Major General Antony Anderson. RICARDO MAKYN/CHIEF PHOTO EDITOR NEW YORK: AN ADDITIONAL eight asylum seeker resource navigation sites will be opened across New York’s (NY) five boroughs, to continue support for newly arrived individuals and families seeking asylum. Eight community-based organisations have been chosen and granted $2.1 million to run these sites that will build on the ongoing work of the city’s first Asylum Seeker Resource Navigation Center, operated by Catholic Charities of New York. The development was announced by New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) Commissioner Manuel Castro. “The city’s first Asylum Seeker Resource Navigation Center has served nearly 7,000 individuals since opening a few short months ago, and I’m proud to expand the footprint of this important work across all five boroughs to support the asylum seekers arriving in our city every day,” said Mayor Adams. “In partnership with these eight community-based organisations, these additional centres will help support the more than 26,000 asylum seekers who have arrived here in New York City with a range of services, including legal assistance, medical care, and school enrolment. NewYork City will continue to do all we can to meet our moral and legal mandates and welcome and support asylum seekers arriving here, and these sites will play an important role delivering critical services directly to families and individuals who need them.” MOIA Commissioner Castro said,“New York City has led the nation’s response to the influx of asylum seekers, launching the first Asylum Seeker Navigation Center. Today, we take another stride forward by announcing several community organisations that will serve as satellite sites across the five boroughs to support our new neighbours. Through this effort, our administration will continue to lead with care and compassion and empower our newest NewYorkers with resources and services.” The selected organisations will provide individuals and families with in-person support — in Spanish and in other languages — including a variety of supplemental services, comprehensive case management, and immigrant rights workshops: Aid for Aids International African Communities Together (ACT) Catholic Charities Community Services, Archdiocese of New York Catholic Charities Neighbourhood Services Brooklyn & Queens Coalicion Mexicana La Colmena Mercy Center Mixteca Organization New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE) More resource sites opened for asylum seekers in NY NEW YORK: JAMAICA’S CONSUL General to New York, AlsionWilson, is applauding the strengthening of relationship between the health ministry and the Hartford Healthcare Corporation (HHC), which last week saw the signing of a memornadum of understanding to support healthcare delivery on the island. True to its obectives, which include the“facilitation of academic and professional exchanges between the parties to enable skill and knowledge transfer”, Hartford will host a team from The University of theWest Indies, (UWI) Mona campus’Faculty of Medical Sciences from December 6-7. The UWI teamwill tour the institution’s Center for Education, Simulation, and Innovation (CESI), an advanced medical training facility that provides remote access and in-person capacity-building for medical students and faculty. The centre also facilitates continuing education for doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals. As a special part of the visit, HHC will stream a session to Jamaica, where UWI medical students and faculty will be able to participate in a demonstration. “This is certainly a major step in the right direction, and I am exceedingly pleased with the immediate response from my dear friends and partners at Hartford Healthcare, including the CEO, Mr Jeffery Flaks, and his vice-president of operations, Mr Keith Grant, which started with our call for action in support of our Jamaican medical students,”said Consul General Wilson. She commended HHC for its continued support and commitment to the partnership. The institution contributed to the acquisition of 26 oxygen concentrators that were shipped to Jamaica last month. Ja’s health ministry to partner with NY’s Hartford Healthcare for skill, knowledge transfer THE MONTHLY GLEANER | DECEMBER 8, 2022 - JANUARY 5, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS
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10 NEW YORK, NY: T HE CORNWALL College Old Boys’ Association – New York (CCOBA-NY) broke the COVID-19 hiatus with the staging of its 63rd anniversary gala on Saturday, November 19 at the trendy Greentree Country Club, New Rochelle, NY. Patrons from a wide cross section of the community, including several alumni associations, were treated to a cocktail reception followed by a sumptuous fourcourse dinner and an awards ceremony which saw three persons being honoured, Jerry Dillon, Baldwin McIntosh and Neville Bell. They were duly recognised for service to humankind, community empowerment, and education, in that order. McIntosh, a certified IT specialist and president of the Maldon High School Alumni, said after the event that he was honoured to be so recognised by the Cornwall College Alumni, who are among some of his closest friends and associates. Following the awards ceremony, patrons attending the annual gala, the first since 2019, were treated to a rousing performance by Jamaican vocalist Nadine Sutherland, backed by New York’s True Tribute All Star Ensemble in a live concert segment. For a full 30 minutes, the reggae band, led by LeRoy Graham, Jr had patrons on their feet dancing and singing along to some of Nadine’s hits. Resident DJ Wilton Williams, aka ‘Prentice’ of Soultone Disco, took over from there and kept patrons on their feet until the wee hours of Sunday morning. The coordinating masters of ceremonies, John St Omer and Richard Lue, lived up to their promise of “less talk andmore action”as they kept the evening’s affair moving along very smoothly. BOSTON: THE AUTHENTIC Caribbean Foundation (ACF), a Boston-based not-for-profit organisation, marks 10 years of service to the CaribbeanAmerican diaspora this year and has planned a calendar of events to celebrate this milestone. The year-long celebration under the theme, “10 Years Authentic!” will shine a spotlight on the foundation’s record of sustained, high-engagement community activism, and on the impressive results. ACF will kick off“10Years Authentic!” with fundraisers; a“Fall Fish-fry”on December 3 and“Rooftop Glow”on December 9. The first event of 2023 will be the Afro-Caribbean Black History gala on February 25, followed by International Women’s Day on March 8. A series of community events is planned across various cities in April; and June will be Caribbean American Heritage Month, with its own calendar. The full annual calendar of events will be posted on the foundation’s website: www.authenticcaribbeanfoundation.org. A leading voice of the CaribbeanAmerican diaspora in the northeastern US, ACF is immersed in resource and capacity building, spearheading initiatives on a broad spectrum of community needs, while building solid partnerships with like-minded organisations, community leaders and political leadership. ACF advocates on social and political issues in the US and the Caribbean, bridging the ambassadorial and corps, Caribbean governments, and the people of the diaspora, a release notes. RICH HISTORY, DIVERSITY The foundation’s core work focuses intently on the disabled community in Massachusetts and across the Caribbean. Its grassroots work is carried out through health fairs, vaccination drives, food drives, summer heat relief with free AC units, and heaters for the winter months, and more. During the COVID-19 pandemic ACF collaborated in a series of online fora to discuss the economic, social and healthcare related impact of the pandemic on individual countries and on relief efforts. In 2021 the foundation took on an ambitious programme in partnership with Lesley University, based in Cambridge, Mass, titled“Building Inclusive Teaching and Learning Classrooms”, to provide neuro-divergent training to over 500 teachers across the Caribbean, empowering them to better serve children on the autism spectrum. Closer to home, the children’s programme Pickney Time, which highlights elements of Caribbean culture, is an ACFproduced full immersion experience at select elementary schools in Massachusetts. In its quest to propagate the culture, ACF produces numerous annual events such as the AfroCaribbean Black History Gala, Caribbean American Heritage Month celebrations, and the Caribbean-American Rum Festival, all showcasing the rich history and diversity of the community. ACF founder and CEO Andrew Sharpe has been recognised for his leadership in ACF’S work in the community. No recognition has been more gratifying than that of President Joe Biden, bestowed during Caribbean American Heritage Month 2022. Sharpe notes, “It is tireless work but we proudly carry the mantle for Caribbean nations and their diaspora. Our mission is largely directed at the disability community but we represent all sectors. We have much to offer as a people and we want to highlight that.” Authentic Caribbean Foundation marks 10th anniversary Mayor of the city of Brockton, Robert F. Sullivan (right), officially presents to Andrew Sharpe and Donna Frett of ACF, the Proclamation observing June as “National Caribbean American Heritage Month” at a flag-raising event recently. CONTRIBUTED DONOVAN WILSON, vice president of Blackbird Worldwide has been appointed president of the Union of Jamaican Alumni Associations USA Inc. Wilson is the immediate past president of St. Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) Alumni Association USA Inc, a corporate transportation professional and a tax professional who has been registered with the Internal Revenue Service and New York State for over 15 years. He became a director of UJAA in 2015 and was elected vice president in 2018. He graduated from Bernard M. Baruch College with a bachelor of arts degree in corporate communications and a minor concentration in industrial psychology. He has worked in the transportation industry for over 20 years and is adept at travel supplier relationship management. AS UJAA moves into the next year it is his vision that the organisation will continue to be a voice in the education space for the children of Jamaica and that it will work, in conjunction with various stakeholders, to create and deliver new and better ways of advancement in education for our children. Donovan Wilson is new UJAA president WILSON CCOBA-NY delivers on ‘more action, less talk’ at reunion gala Baldwin ‘Bunny’ McIntosh (right), president of the Maldon High School Alumni, accepts his award for community service from Barry Harvey (left), president of Cornwall College Old Boys’ Association/NY chapter, during the ceremony at the Greentree Country Club, New Rochelle, NY on Saturday, November 19. CONTRIBUTED THE WEEKLY GLEANER | DECEMBER 8, 2022 - JANUARY 5, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS
11 Sophia Findlay/Gleaner Writer TORONTO: GRACE CARTER-HENRY Lyons is founder and musical director of Heritage Singers (Canada), and seemingly is revered in equal portions as a CitiBank Canada banker and a real estate professional in the Re/Max Hall of Fame. THAT IS the magic of the Jamaicaborn Lyons, who traverses her business industries effortlessly with stellar performance and discipline. But it is the work and impact of the melodic Heritage Singers, her brainchild, that garnered her the 2022 Heritage Award at the Excellence Awards organised by Afroglobal Television on October 29, at the Meridian Arts Centre, in Toronto. “To me, the receipt of this Heritage Award means recognition and appreciation from not only the Caribbean community, but the African and global community as we lovingly interface, interact, worship, and share our cultural values,” Lyons told The Gleaner. The Heritage Singers’ music is steeped, unmistakeably, in Jamaican culture, tradition, and nostalgia of simpler times.The group of dedicated members reflects, too, the Canadian mosaic, their repertoire ranging from sacred to secular, and includes work songs, lullabies, seasonal ditties, and perennial ballads. They have performed worldwide, including in Holland, Germany, Taiwan, Mexico, and Venezuela. Lyons studied piano in Jamaica through The Royal School of Music (London, England) and was tutored in singing by the late Joyce Britton, a Julliard School of Music graduate. She served for 15 years in the banking industry, including management, and has been a realtor for the past 35 years. She has also received the Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA) Harry Jerome Award for Business Excellence, the Women of Excellence Award from the Congress of Black Women, and was recognised in the Who’s Who of Black Canada. She is also on the board of directors of the Community Folk Arts Council of Metropolitan Toronto. HIGH ACHIEVERS Fifteen other excellence awards were given to individuals in various capacities. The 100 Most Influential Black Canadians: Celebrating Black Brilliance was also a feature at the swanky event, which attracted top-tier black community business and organisations leaders, politicians, sponsors, stakeholders, and well-wishers. The excellence awards recipients were Jeffrey Orridge, Leadership; Hon. Wanda T. Bernard, Lifetime Achievement; Dr Opiyo Oloya, Renaissance; Claudette McGowan, Science and Technology; Andrew Enofe, Enterprise; Kenneth Daniel, Marcus Mosiah Garvey; Shola Alabi, Humanitarian; Michael and Diane Clemons, Global Impact; Charles Osuji, Professional; Dr Rustum Southwell, Visionary; OlunkeW. Adeliyi; Emannuel Jal, Entertainment; Dr Roz Roach, Community; Joan Jenkinson, Media; and Steve Anderson, Legacy. In his publisher’s note, Moses A. Mawa, publisher and CEO of Afroglobal Excellence Magazine, themed: The Pulse of A Determined People, says: “The sixteen recipients of each year are role models for youth in the Crossover Mentorship Program. The premier cable network also runs the 100 Most Influential Black Canadians initiative, who are celebrated at this year’s Excellence Awards gala. This new initiative features high achievers in all sectors across Canada … . My hope is that it will inspire you to aspire to achieve more before you expire.” Mawa and his wife, Patricia Bebia Mawa, executive vice-president of Afroglobal Television, are at the helm of the 24-hour superchannel that ‘informs, empowers, uplifts, and entertains’, with programming focused on Africa and the diaspora. The channel reflects the experiences of people of African descent. Excellence, Destiny, Envision, Diversity, Legacy, Discover and Afroglobal are brands associated with Silvertrust Media and the Transformation, a non-profit institute that runs the Crossover Mentorship Program. Included on the list of the 100 Most Influential Black Canadians were Jamaicans - Wes Hall, Kingsdale Advisors, founder of Black Initiative; Al Ramsay, Market Segment, TD Bank Financial Group; billionaire and philanthropist Michael Lee-Chin, chairman and CEO of Portland Holdings Inc; Michael Forrest, founder of Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce; Chris Campbell, vice-president, Carpenter’s District Council of Ontario; Michael Tulloch, judge, Ontario Court of Appeal; Donovan Bailey, sprinter and gold medallist, Howard Shearer, president and CEO of Hitachi Canada; Denham Jolly, founder BBPA and Milestone Enterprises; Mary Ann Chambers, author and chancellor, Guelph University; Nadine Spencer, CEO of Black Business and Professional Association; Selwyn Richards, chef of Art of Catering; and Evelyn Myrie, president, Afro Canadian Caribbean Association. WASHINGTON, DC: THREE JAMAICANS were among nine Caribbean nationals who were honoured by the Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICS) in Washington, DC, for their contribution to various fields, ranging from music and education to science and technology. Leader of Jamaica’s renowned Grammy award-winning group Black Uhuru, Derrick “Duckie” Simpson received the Marcus Garvey Lifetime Achievement award, founder and CEO of Bailey’s Medical Supplies Dr Trisha Bailey received the Luminary award, and the chief visionary officer and lead innovator of the aerospace company ParagonVTOL, Dwight Smith, received the Forerunner Award. They were honoured at the 29th annual Caribbean American awards gala sponsored by the ICS on Friday, November 18, at the JW Marriott Hotel in Washington, DC. In commending the awardees, United States Vice President Kamala Harris also hailed the work of the institute.”Since 1993, the Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICS) has worked tirelessly to uplift the voices and needs of Caribbean Americans and immigrants. “Thanks to you and your work, including your efforts to elevate Caribbean American Heritage Month and advance civic participation, ICS continues to strengthen communities and democracy.” In the message read by Danielle K. Decker, adviser, Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs in the Office of the Vice President, Harris said the Biden-Harris administration was“proud to forge the next chapter in the special and enduring relationship between the United States and the Caribbean region, one based on common bonds, shared values, and generations of families who have called our nation home”. “As vice president of the United States, and as someone deeply proud of my own Caribbean heritage, I thank you for all that you do to strengthen our nation. And to tonight’s honorees, thank you for proving once again that through big dreams, hard work, and unwavering optimism, we can secure a future filled with opportunity and prosperity for us all,” Vice President Harris declared. INDOMITABLE SPIRIT ICS president and founder Dr Claire Nelson, said, “Through the Caribbean Heritage award, we highlight leaders who represent the ideal of excellence and whose genuine and hard work demonstrate the American success story as a nation of immigrants. “As we go forward, we see ourselves as a vital thread in the network of relationships needed to weave a successful tapestry in 21st century Caribbean. Tonight, we honour those among us who gave credence to the saying that the ‘light of God lives within each of us’. Our honorees are beacons of hope, exemplars of the indomitable spirit of the Caribbean. As we see their light, we reflect on our own potential to become more.” In his response, Black Uhuru’s Duckie Simpson said: “I have received many awards including the Grammy. Every award means something to me. But receiving the Marcus Garvey’s award is something special to me as it represents an outstanding Jamaican who has lobbied and fought on behalf of the masses.” The other awardees are Eric Adolphe, Professor Carol Davis, Josanne Francis, Ainsley Gill, Biharil Lall, and Stacey Mollison. Institute of Caribbean Studies honours three Jamaicans as ‘beacons of hope’ Leader of Jamaica’s Reggae Grammy Award winning group Black Uhuru, Derrick ‘Duckie’ Simpson accepts the Marcus Garvey Lifetime Achievement Award from Gloria Davis-Simpson of the Jamaican embassy in Washington at the 29th Annual Caribbean American Heritage Awards Gala at the JWMarriott Hotel inWashington DC. PHOTO BY DERRICK A SCOTT Heritage Singers founder Grace Carter-Henry Lyons receives 2022 Heritage Award From left: Warren Salmon, First Friday; 2022 Science and Technology awardee Claudette MC Gowan, CEO Protexxa & Global It Leader; Patricia Bebia Mawa, executive vice president of Afroglobal Television and Nadine Spencer, CEO of Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA), at this year’s Excellence Awards gala. PHOTO BY SOPHIA FINDLAY Grace Carter-Henry Lyons, founder and musical director- The Heritage Singers (Canada) receives the 2022 Heritage Award from Chris Campbell, vice president Carpenters’ District Council of Ontario Carpenter’s Union Local 27. CONTRIBUTED THE WEEKLY GLEANER | DECEMBER 8, 2022 - JANUARY 5, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS
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