Teenager's life hangs in the balance.... Girl, Anna-Kay Spurgon 17, needs US$20,000 to stay alive.....SPURGON in need of corrective surgery for knotted blood vessels in her head

BY DANIEL GORDON Sunday Observer writer

ANNA-KAY Spurgon's life is on the line and she is in desperate need of help.

The 17-year-old suffers from severe headaches as she has been diagnosed with a condition known as arteriovenous malformation (AVM) which is a tangled knot of blood vessels in her head.

If she is not able to raise US$20,000 (about J$2.2 million) to pay for corrective surgery overseas, the consequences could spell disaster and even end in death.

SPURGON... in need of corrective surgery for knotted
 blood vessels in her head

As the teenager sat on a chair in her yard at Sandy Bay in Clarendon last week, the pain was etched across her face.

"My head's blood vessels are not as usual as they used to be. The blood vessels are knotted and it tends to make my head hurt me as the blood is not flowing as it should," Spurgon told the Jamaica Observer.

To combat the searing headaches, Spurgon said that she has to take a painkiller, Metamisol, up to three times daily.

"I take it every day, at least three times a day or when my head is hurting me," she said.

Her mother Glasmin Banton, was a picture of worry as she peered helplessly at her eldest daughter.

The cost of the surgery has been a mental burden and after trying to raise funds in a variety of ways she is now at her wits' end trying to find a way to save her daughter's life and give her at least a reprieve from the constant pain that she bears.

The surgery is US$20,000 and it can only be done in the US. She also needs a passport and a visa to travel.

"I need assistance to help save my daughter," Banton said.

Anna-Kay is well-spoken and has a good command of the English language but, unfortunately, her condition results in her forgetting simple things and as such she was forced to drop out of school and was unable to complete her Caribbean Secondary Examinations Council (CSEC) examinations at the Bustamante High School.

"I tend to forget things easily. I could not even sit my exams," she said.

When asked if she knew the cost of the surgery, Spurgon replied: "I can't remember because I'm actually forgetting things." more 

Mangoes: edible sunshine.... Your Health Your Wealth ....From East Indian, Julie (St Julian) and Bombay mangoes to Black Mango, Tommy Atkins, Hairy or Stringy, Common, Number 11, Hayden, Sweety, Beefy, and Longy or Long Mango. They are great sources of vitamins A, C, E, and B-complex, as well as health-promoting flavonoids such as beta-carotene and alpha-carotene.

Sunday, June 29, 2014 Bena Nakawuki     

IF there were ever a food that tasted so good that it reminded me of summer, sunshine and feeling good, it would definitely be mangoes.

Everybody loves a good mango; in fact, I have yet to meet someone who doesn't like or eat mangoes, except for health reasons. Mangoes are juicy, sweet, creamy, colourful, alive, nutritious, filling, ready-to-eat and comforting. With so many varieties to choose from, how can one ever get bored?

EAST INDIAN MANGO

From East Indian, Julie (St Julian) and Bombay mangoes to Black Mango, Tommy Atkins, Hairy or Stringy, Common, Number 11, Hayden, Sweety, Beefy, and Longy or Long Mango. There are many more, each with their unique flavour.

So now that we are in one of the best seasons - and no, I'm not talking about the World Cup season - mango season, let's ditch the myth about mangoes being fattening and enjoy this fruity gift.

Too good to be true

* Mangoes are one of the most delicious and nutritionally rich fruits in the Caribbean. They are great sources of vitamins A, C, E, and B-complex, as well as health-promoting flavonoids such as beta-carotene and alpha-carotene.

* Mangoes help to alkalinise the body by helping to flush out toxic acids and rebuild the alkali reserves in the body.

* Mangoes are packed with enzymes and are a prebiotic food, meaning they contain compounds that stimulate and feed the good bacteria in the intestines which greatly aids in digestion and assimilation.

* Mangoes have been found to be a powerful anti-cancer food and are specifically known to help prevent lung, breast, colon, prostate, blood, and oral cancers.

* Mangoes are highly beneficial in the prevention of strokes, heart disease, arthritis, cognitive disorders, respiratory diseases, and kidney disease.

* Mangoes are known to help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol due to the significant fibre, pectin and vitamin C content.
 * Mangoes are also wonderful for skin health and can be used both internally and externally to help clear clogged pores, eliminate pimples and add a natural glow to the skin.

* Mangoes are excellent for promoting good eyesight and helping to prevent night blindness and dry eyes.

* Mangoes contain a significant amount of pyridoxine (B-6), which is vital for the synthesis of serotonin and dopamine in the brain. Pyridoxine is also essential in maintaining hormonal balance and proper immune function as well as for helping the body break down sugars, fats and proteins.

Mangoes are so versatile and can be used in your smoothies, juices, salads, salsas, desserts, chutneys/sauces, and many other savoury dishes. Surprisingly, spices also pair well with mango - try experimenting with cinnamon, turmeric, curry, cloves, and chili pepper.  
 more

IN JAMAICA: Richie Spice teams with Food For the Poor (FFP) to refurbish basic school....Food for the Poor launched a school furniture campaign with the aim of distributing at least 15,000 desks and chairs to schools in need

Sunday, June 29, 2014    

REGGAE artiste Richie Spice has collaborated with Food for the Poor to refurbish Galilee Early Childhood Education Centre located in the Maxfield Park community in St Andrew.

Spice, whose real name is Richell Bonner, has already helped with a refrigerator.

Richie Spice (right) greets Food for the Poor Chairman
Andrew Mahfood. (PHOTO: COLLIN REID)

"I think with collaboration much more positive interventions will be made for the school," he said at Food for the Poor's 30th anniversary media and celebrity appreciation luncheon at Tracks & Records on June 18.

"The school approached me some time ago and stated their needs. I helped with what I could, and I will continue to help the school and others as best as I can."

He said an assessment will be done to find the cost of providing help for the school, which needs, among other things, classrooms renovated, appliances, and desks and chairs.

Meanwhile, Chairman of Food for the Poor Jamaica, Andrew Mahfood, said he is elated at the partnership.

"It is our mission to link churches, civic and other charity organisations already operating in areas of need in a manner that helps both the materially poor and the poor in spirit. There is certainly room for many more persons who wish to share our vision," Mahfood said.

And Principal Ferron Morgan-Howell is also looking forward to the future.

"I am excited about the partnership. We have many needs and I am happy to know that Richie Spice and Food for the Poor have both committed to assisting us in every possible way they can," she said.

For its 30th anniversary, Food for the Poor launched a school furniture campaign with the aim of distributing at least 15,000 desks and chairs to schools in need before the end of the current academic year. Galilee Early Childhood Education Centre will be one of the beneficiaries. FFP has also surpassed its target of building or upgrading 50 basic schools under the Jamaica 50 programme launched in 2012. more

IN JAMAICA: Perfect Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) score for St John the Baptist student, Rianna Blake....She gained an average of 100 per cent in the exams, earning her a place at Immaculate Conception High

BY KIMBERLEY HIBBERT Career and Education writer  Sunday, June 29, 2014    

THOUGH small in number, the outgoing grade six students from St John the Baptist Preparatory School have performed exceptionally well in the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), with one of the candidates gaining a perfect average.

When Career & Education visited the Harrad Crescent, St Andrew school last week, little or no noise was heard, as the school has a population of roughly 80 students.

BLAKE... when I saw I got perfect scores in everything
 I was happy. (PHOTOS: BRYAN CUMMINGS)

The grade six cohort has eight students who were all placed in traditional high schools.

But one girl, Rianna Blake, surprised herself and her teachers when she gained an average of 100 per cent in the exams, earning her a place at Immaculate Conception High -- her first choice.

Blake, who is also the head girl, said when she saw her results, words could not describe what she felt as she had worked towards it for the entire school year.

"I feel elated. The day before GSAT I told myself I was going to be the top girl. I had my rosary with me and I prayed and asked for God's guidance in the exam, so when I saw that I got perfect scores in everything, I was happy and thankful," Blake said.

For Blake, her greatest motivation was her family as she said they helped her to be more confident.

"My mom and dad always motivate me and tell me not to let anyone put me down. They usually say, 'do what you have to do and if you set your dreams now, you achieve it when you get older'," she said.

From left, Dana Williams, Briana Stephenson,
 Keymel Walcott, Rianna Blake, Janelle Cooper,
 Zoya White and Nikaya Horne stand around their
teacher Julian Gregory. Missing is Chris- Anthony Brown.

Class teacher Julian Gregory described the set as a unique and disciplined group who would set goals and work together to accomplish them without her having to dictate to them.

"We try our best to build their confidence and it's a disciplined group, and for a set of children they work with me and I have the support from their parents. Whatever they tell you they're going to do, they do it, and as their facilitator I don't have to tell them do this, do that. They come with their ideas, we have discussions, and we work towards goals," Gregory said.

Gregory said the students foster a sense of team spirit and help each other to grow.

"The stronger ones help the weaker ones. Selfishness is not displayed and they all want to learn," she said. more

9-year-old girl, Jaden Newman recruited by University of Miami (VIDEO)

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

TODAY — Jaden Newman spent three hours taking a tour of the University of Miami last week, where the women’s basketball coaching staff urged her to keep the Hurricanes in mind when it came time to make her college choice.

Jaden also happens to be 9 years old.

The fourth-grader, who has already played two seasons on the girls high school varsity team at Downey Christian School, a 300-student private school in Orlando, is now being actively recruited by Miami. She is believed to be the youngest girls player ever to get recruited by a Division I program.

“It did surprise me a little bit,” Jamie Newman, Jaden’s father and the coach of her basketball team, told TODAY.com. “When I first got the call [from Miami assistant coach Derrick Gibbs], I thought it was for my son. I understand why, though, because she has an amazing skill set at 9 years old, and her potential is through the roof.”

Jaden, who averaged 14.5 points and 7.5 assists per game this past season while playing against teenagers, is a 4-foot-7 point guard who has gained national prominence for her performance. The family is no stranger to attention for basketball precocity, as her older brother, Julian, 12, played on the Downey Christian varsity boys team this winter as a sixth-grader. Source: Grio.com

RASTAWIZDOM (SOHS) w/ ORIEL PON DI ZIGGY MARLEY FLY RASTA TOUR SHOW IN PITTSBURGH, PA....MASHING UP DA DRUMS. GWAAN MY BIG DRUMMER

IN JAMAICA: Ganja: ‘Too little too late’..... Bunny Wailer scolds Gov’t for slow pace on decriminalisation

BY RICHARD JOHNSON Observer senior reporter johnsonr@jamaicaobserver.com  Saturday, June 28, 2014    

VETERAN reggae artiste and ganja legalisation advocate Bunny Wailer is describing the Government’s recent move to facilitate the decriminalisation of small amounts of marijuana as “too little, too late”.

According to Wailer, Rastafari has already done the job that the Government is tip-toeing around and, therefore, efforts must be made to expedite the process.

Bunny Wailer

“For I and I, ganja has always been legal. My father was a distributor since I was born — the biggest in western Kingston in the 1940s and ’50s, up till his passing in the ’90s.

I grew up in the ganja trade, from it was donkey weed. It put us all in school as a family,” said Wailer, who is presently in Stockholm, Sweden on a European tour.

Earlier this month, Justice Minister Mark Golding announced that Cabinet approved certain changes to the law relating to the possession of ganja for personal use.

With the proposed changes, people caught in possession of ganja weighing two ounces or less will not be arrested, but will be ticketed and required to pay a fine.

These offenders will not be brought before a criminal court or attract a criminal record.

“In my life as a Wailer, I was unlawfully arrested and jailed — even though the charge was dismissed — which I only found out in my career as Bunny Wailer [when] applying for a US visa.

That matter is currently before the Public Defender’s office,” he said. Wailer, whose given name is Neville O’Riley Livingston, is the only living member of the famous Wailing Wailers that included reggae greats Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. more

Speedy striker Arjen Robben, Bayern Munich winger starring at World Cup Lightning Dutchman

 Saturday, June 28, 2014    

FORTALEZA, Brazil (AP) — Arjen Robben just seems to get quicker and quicker. The 30-year-old Bayern Munich winger has out-sprinted every defender he has faced at the World Cup so far and is scoring goals, too.

It is a far cry from the final four years ago, when he couldn't find the net and possibly win the tournament for the Netherlands.

SAO PAULO, Brazil — Netherlands forward Arjen Robben
 (left) vies with Chile defender Gary Medel during a Group B
World Cup match at the Corinthians Arena here on Monday.
 Netherlands won 2-0. (PHOTO: AFP)

Robben seemed doomed to be remembered at World Cups for the second-half chance he squandered against Spain in the final in Johannesburg, when Iker Casillas stuck out a boot and deflected his shot away from goal with the score still 0-0.

The Bayern Munich forward still gets asked about that miss, but he has silenced critics at this World Cup with three goals in as many matches and a perfect assist to set up the team's second goal against Chile as the Dutch topped Group B with three straight wins, scoring 10 goals in the process.

"I think Arjen has done a great job so far and at the moment I wouldn't change him with any other player in the tournament," said Dirk Kuyt as the Dutch prepared for Sunday's round of 16 clash with Mexico in Fortaleza. "He's scored great goals ... hopefully he can give this performance until the end."

Robben is one of the old guard in the Dutch team -- along with strike partner Robin van Persie, he's scored at three successive World Cups -- and he has earned the respect of the youngsters snapping at his heels to get into the starting line-up.

"Robben is fantastic," said Memphis Depay. "It's fantastic to train with him every day. I can't believe my eyes what he can do with the ball. It's unbelievable how fast he is with the ball. He's a great player."

Depay should know.

In the Netherlands' final group match against Chile, he had to sprint toward goal as Robben set off on a lightning-fast counterattack down the left wing. The 20-year-old PSV Eindhoven striker managed to catch up with him -- just -- and was on hand at the far post to tap in an inch-perfect cross.

Robben had been on the pitch more than 90 minutes at the time of his dash, Depay was a second-half substitute. more

Tessanne Chin - "Count On My Love" (Sampler)

1. "Count On My Love" : This song is very close to home for me because I thought a lot about my husband when I was singing it.  The words are so true to our life right now, that no matter how far away we are from one another, he can count on my love and I can count on his.

2. "Heaven Knows": For me, this song is a moment to just get lost in the groove.  I love the lyrics and the incredible melodies but most of all I love the "boom, ba boom!"

3. "I Heart U" : Every time I hear "I Heart U" I smile, it captures the gratitude and love I feel towards my family, friends, and fans.  It was so easy to get into this and just let go on that feel-good reggae beat.

4. "Loudest Silence" is like a movie track and trailer all in one.  It tells a story, not just with the words, but the melody and dynamics of the song. Definitely one of my favs. 

5. "One Step Closer"  is all that I love about music :) It's everything in one and it's my personal anthem.  Every time I hear it I get fired up and free.  The lyrics speak about finding your way one step closer to where you are meant to - what's better than that? Success is a journey. 

Bolt for relay only at Commonwealth Games

Thursday, June 26, 2014 | 7:29 PM PAUL A REID Observer Writer     

KINGSTON, Jamaica -- The world’s fastest man Usain Bolt could compete at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland in August but says he is only available for the relays.

BOLT

In a release posted on the Games website this afternoon, Bolt said he had submitted documents to the JAAA but does not want to take the place of anyone who will be competing at this weekend’s National Senior Championships.

The full statement:

“I am not ready to compete at the Jamaican Championships this weekend but I have informed the JAAA that I am available for selection for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and have submitted the relevant documents. I do not wish to take the place of anyone who qualifies this weekend in an individual event but am available for relay duties if the selectors feel I can be an asset to the Jamaican team in Glasgow. I have received lots of requests, invitations and messages of support from my fans in Scotland who are looking forward to a great event.”

Six Jamaicans with a ton of ganja intercepted in Antigua waters.....the drugs had a street value of over EC$37 million.

 Friday, June 27, 2014 | 7:20 AM    

ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) – Law enforcement authorities say they have intercepted a vessel originating from Jamaica with more than 2,300 pounds of marijuana worth more than EC$30 million (One EC dollar = US$0.37 cents).

A statement from the Office of National Drug and Money Laundering Control Policy (ONDCP) said it participated in a joint operation involving the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force (Coast Guard) in intercepting the 65ft vessel on Wednesday.

It said the vessel, which it did not name originated from Jamaica and “was being operated by six Jamaican men whose ages range from 38 years old to 67 years old.

“The Captain and his crew are assisting the officers with their investigations,” the statement said, noting that the drugs had a street value of over EC$37 million.

The ONDCP said that the seizure is the third successful interdiction during this week and that law enforcement authorities have embarked on a programme specifically targeting young people about the consequences of illegal drugs. more

IN JAMAICA: CDA report says sex manual in children's homes breached laws.... Six private facilities involved in programme got money

Thursday, June 26, 2014    

YOUTH and Culture Minister Lisa Hanna says appropriate action will be taken against human rights lobby group Jamaicans For Justice (JFJ) and the six children's homes where children were exposed to controversial sexual content.

File Photo

In a release to the media yesterday, following receipt of the Child Development Agency (CDA) report on the controversial sex education programnme, Hanna said she was particularly upset that JFJ did not advise the CDA about the 'Realising Sexual and Reproductive Health Responsibly' programme — the title given to the JFJ's pilot intervention in children's homes — and that the programme represented possible breaches of the Child Care and Protection Act and the Offences Against The Person Act.

Hanna, meanwhile, questioned why the homes did not advise the CDA about the programme, although they were visited by the agency's monitoring officers.

"A review of the content of the material found that parts of the training material were inappropriate for the age cohort and a departure from that approved by the Ministry of Education for use in public schools. Legal advice will have to be sought to determine if its presentation contravened any existing laws [as] information gleaned from the focus groups sessions in the homes confirmed that the training material was delivered," the minister said.

The offensive material was imparted to children at:

* Alpha Boys' Home;

* St John Bosco;

* Jamaica National Children's Home;

* Sunbeam Children's Home for Boys;

* Elsie Bemand Home for Girls; and

* Best Care Foundation.

"The administrators of the facilities gave approval to the JFJ for the implementation of the sexual education programme through MOUs. It was confirmed that the six homes each received a monetary contribution from the JFJ for use of their premises for the training," Hanna said.

Each home received at least $10,000 from JFJ, the CDA's investigation found. more

MOST BIZARRE STORY: Missing boy, 12-year-old Charlie Bothuell found alive in parents’ basement, father finds out on live TV.....Was This a Miracle?

DETROIT — An 11-day search for a missing Michigan boy came to a bizarre conclusion Wednesday when he was discovered alive and well, hidden in the basement of his father’s home in Detroit.Finding 12-year-old Charlie Bothuell resolves the key issue in the missing-child case, but the circumstances of his discovery leaves numerous other questions hanging. “I’ve never seen anything quite like this,” Detroit Police Chief James Craig told CNN affiliate WXYZ. “We found him barricaded in the basement, behind boxes and a large five-gallon drum. There’s no way he could have erected this makeshift area of concealment.”Father told on live TVAdding to the drama, Charlie’s father, Charles Bothuell IV, heard the revelation that the child had been found during a live TV interview with HLN’s Nancy Grace.When Grace told him the news, Bothuell became visibly upset, looking dazed and bewildered, breathing hard and clutching at his chest. When he recovered enough to speak, he said he had no idea how his son could have turned up in his house.“I checked my basement,” Bothuell said. “The FBI checked my basement. The police checked my basement. My wife checked my basement. I’ve been down there several times. We’ve all been checking.” more

"JAMAICAN MAFIA" OFFICIAL TRAILER STARRING PAUL CAMPBELL, MYKAL FAX....OUT AUGUST 24, 2014

Post by Bring Back Our JAMAICA, #BBOJ.
"Jamaican Mafia" Official Trailer 2014...Gangster Thriller movie
Coming August 2014......Starring PAUL CAMPBELL, MYKAL FAX, NARDO RANKS, BOBBY CLARKE & More...Jamaican Mafia is a gangster-thriller movie in the vein of Goodfellas and Shottas, which follows Zoolian Anderson (Zoo-Zoo), a frustrated Car Salesman who desperately desires riches and respect, and discovers he's the nephew of a powerful crime-boss when he decides to quit the corporate world to join the illicit organization better known as the 'Jamaican Mafia'.

KINGSTON, JAMAICA: 42 y-o woman, Audrey Taylor accused of pimping 13-year-old out daughter into prostitution denied bail....Taylor's common-law husband threw her out of his house where she and the complainant were living in Mountain View in Kingston.

Thursday, June 26, 2014    

A domestic helper, accused of pimping out her 13-year-old daughter who has not attended school since last September, was yesterday remanded when she appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court.

File Photo

The accused, Audrey Taylor, 42, of no fixed address, is facing charges of living off the earnings of prostitution, failure in her duty to provide care and education for the child, as well as human trafficking.

According to the police, Taylor and the complainant, who has lived with her mother for almost all her life, were left homeless in February after Taylor's common-law husband threw her out of his house where she and the complainant were living in Mountain View in Kingston.

Taylor and the complainant reportedly went to live on the streets, sleeping in an abandoned building and begging strangers for food.

Police also reported that while they were homeless, the complainant formed a relationship with three men who she would have sex with the minor in exchange for money.

According to the police report, the men usually pick up the complainant and take her to their homes after first consulting with her mother, who would then collect money from the complainant on her return.

On May 21, a concerned citizen notified the police of the situation and the mother was taken into custody and charged.

Yesterday, when the matter was mentioned in court, Attorney Shane Williams, who is representing the accused, asked for her to be admitted to bail while indicating that she had an alternative place to stay, but the investigating officer told the court that she would have to verify the address.

Taylor was then remanded and is scheduled to return to court on July 14. more

IN JAMAICA : Lisa Hanna releases CDA report on JFJ's sexual education programme - Homes had no authority to allow lessons

Minister of Youth and Culture,
 Lisa Hanna

Wednesday, June 25, 2014 | 1:02 PM    

Kingston, Jamaica - The Minister of Youth and Culture, Lisa Hanna has received an interim report from the Child Development Agency (CDA) surrounding the circumstances under which the group Jamaicans for Justice implemented its unauthorised sexual education programme in six privately-operated children’s homes. Hanna had instructed the CDA, which has responsibility for the regulation of children’s homes and places of safety, to explain:

A. the circumstances which led to the programme being implemented for eight

or nine months without the Agency’s knowledge;

B. the suitability of the material for the children.

The CDA found the following:

1. The training programme “Realising Sexual and Reproductive Health Responsibly: JFJ’s Pilot Intervention in Children’s Homes” was held in: The Alpha Boys Home; St. John Bosco; Jamaica National Children’s Home; Sunbeam Children’s Home for Boys; Elsie Bemand Home for Girls and Best Care Foundation.

2. The six facilities indicated that they were contacted directly by representatives of Jamaicans for Justice via telephone and later by email and letter.

3. The administrators of facilities gave approval to the JFJ for the implementation of the sexual education programme through MOUs.

4. It was confirmed that the six homes each received a monetary contribution from the JFJ for use of their premises for the training.

5. At no time did the administrators inform the CDA or the Minister, as required by the Child Care and Protection (Children’s Homes) Regulations, 2007.

Regulation 15(2) states:

“Where educational programmes are provided at the home, the licensee shall ensure that-

(a) those programmes are in accordance with a curriculum approved by the Minister;

(b) any substantial deviation from the approved curriculum is entered in the daily journal and a notification thereof is sent forthwith to the Minister; more

GRANNY GETS HELP FROM SCHOOL BOY TO GET AROUND....HOW NICE! #BringBackOurJamaica

Give a helping hand today, so that 
we can laugh and play.

IN JAMAICA: Where's My Baby? Family's Search Continues Days After 3-Y-O, Samunya Bloomfield Vanishes....After falling asleep at 11 p.m., Yanisha awoke around midnight to use the bathroom and noticed her elder daughter, whom she affectionately called 'Poochy', was gone, along with her cell phone.

Martin Baxter, Gleaner Writer Published: Wednesday | June 25, 2014

The pattering of little footsteps, a child's laughter, singing, and occasional crying - all sounds that breathed life into the green board house in Grove Farm, St Catherine - have been replaced by a deafening silence.

Samunya Bloomfield

The quietness occupying Yanisha Brown's two-bedroom home in Old Harbour was yesterday mixed with a solemn disposition that its occupants have been forced to wear since the household's firstborn, three-year-old Samunya Bloomfield, vanished without a trace minutes before midnight last Friday.

On arrival at the cosy yard with two houses standing beside each other,The Gleaner was told the distraught mother of two would soon be out. Almost bedridden by the tragedy that has befallen her small family unit of four, the slow-moving 22-year-old stepped out on to the veranda in a vibrant multicoloured dress that contradicted her mood.

She cut a broken figure as she tried to compose herself and conjure the strength to recount how her family came to be missing its life and soul.

"My babies were on the bed sleeping, both of them. I have a bath and I get out of the bathroom and I still have to pass them, and I stop on the way and I fix them on the bed," she explained, her voice cracking with exhaustion and raw emotion.

After falling asleep at 11 p.m., Yanisha awoke around midnight to use the bathroom and noticed her elder daughter, whom she affectionately called 'Poochy', was gone, along with her cell phone.

NOWHERE TO BE FOUND

"I went to see if I could use the bathroom and come back, and when I enter the room, I didn't see Poochy on the bed, so I turn back inside my room because normally, if she gets up in the night, that's where she would come and curl up in the middle, or she would wake us up. I start calling and I start to look for her when I really saw that she wasn't in the house. I went to the front door, and when I opened it, the lock flied. The door was still closed."

Kris-Nieve Bloomfield (forefront),
father of three-year-old Samunya

Yanisha's common-law husband, 28-year-old Kris-Nieve Bloomfield, was out of the house at the time, but he rushed back home on hearing that his daughter, who will celebrate her fourth birthday on July 2, was missing and called the police.

"That question bubbling over and over in me: 'Why?'" he mumbled toThe Gleaner.

"Not even words can explain. Mi can't even find the words still. Mi nah tek any odda option. Dem gwine find mi daughter."

Neighbour and sister of the missing girl's father, Tashana Henry, was left distressed and despondent about the disappearance of Poochy, who often played with her youngest child, two-year-old Amari. more

Etana, Vegas, Maxi Priest For Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival....The 14-year-old event is set for the Roy Wilkins Park in Queens, New York on Sunday, July 20

Leighton Levy, Gleaner Writer Published: Wednesday | June 25, 2014

Live performances from entertainers Etana, Mr Vegas and Maxi Priest, organisers have said, are a sure bet to make the 2104 Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival one of the most memorable events.

ETANA

The 14-year-old event is set for the Roy Wilkins Park in Queens, New York on Sunday, July 20, and the organisers are promising that the family-oriented event will be better than ever.

"Our primary focus is to heighten the experience of our patrons, and we have introduced a new layout of the event to allow for easy access into the festival," said founder Eddy Edwards, who, along with Sydney Roberts, staged the festival for the first time at the C.B. Smith Park in Pembroke Pines back in 2000.

"We have increased the number of food vendors, which reduces lines and provides faster service in the food court area. The 'kidz' zone will have more rides, and we will introduce some traditional games and other cultural activities to engage the children as well as keep them in touch with their Caribbean heritage. There are always some new exciting acts on the cultural stage and the Jerk Cook-Off Pavilion will feature some interesting celebrities as well as chefs demonstrating creative jerk recipes", he added.

MAXI PRIEST

On the entertainment side, Edwards said they went for a line-up of artistes that would appeal to the wide cross-section of patrons that usually turn up for the event. "Selecting acts for the main stage is always a very thorough and deliberate action for us as we try to book acts to cover the diverse audience as well as provide good entertainment for the patrons. Although the event is a food festival, we know that the main stage entertainment plays a vital role, as we want patrons to leave feeling very satisfied from the food, music and the general festival experience," he said. The entertainment package will also feature comedian/actor Christopher 'Johnny' Daley.

The festival had very humble beginnings back in Florida where the first staging had a turnout of an estimated 4,000 patrons. more

ASK THE US EMBASSY: Applying for a student visa....Q: I applied to my dream school in the US and I got in! Now I need to get my visa; how do I do this?

Wednesday, June 25, 2014    

Q: I applied to my dream school in the US and I got in! Now I need to get my visa; how do I do this?

A: Congratulations! American universities and colleges are among the world's best and you should feel very proud of your accomplishment.

Your course of study and the type of school you plan to attend
 determine whether you will need an F-1 visa or an M-1 visa.

First, you'll need to determine the type of visa required for your study. Your course of study and the type of school you plan to attend determine whether you will need an F-1 visa or an M-1 visa. Generally, if you will attend a university or college, high school, private elementary school, seminary, conservatory or other academic institution such as a language training programme, you will need an F visa. If you will attend a vocational or other recognised non-academic institution, you will need an M visa. The embassy and consular officer can also help you confirm this when you come in for your interview if you're unsure of your visa type.

Next, complete the online application. You'll be pleased to know the application for a student visa involves exactly the same procedures followed for a visitor's visa. All applicants must fill out the DS-160 visa application, pay the application fee, schedule an appointment to interview for the visa, and bring the standard visa application documentation to the embassy (a passport valid for the next six months, any previous passports/visas, DS-160 confirmation sheet, appointment confirmation page, a passport photo and proof of visa application fee).

Then, prepare some documentation for your visa interview. While the online application form is the same as the application for a visitor's visa, you'll also need several other items at your interview that are associated uniquely with the student visa. These include:

1. The I-20 form, which your school will send to you once they have processed your admission. Make sure the entry date specified on the I-20 is a date that has not yet passed. If the entry date listed on the I-20 has already passed, or will pass before the visa issuance process is complete, you should obtain a new I-20 from your school or request a letter from the school indicating that you have permission to arrive at school after the date indicated on the I-20. more

TODAY IS 5 YEARS SINCE MJ DIED: King of pop Michael Jackson still reigns five years after death

Michael Jackson died five years ago Wednesday. His music did not.Jackson’s music continues to live on in ways it didn’t, in ways it couldn’t, when he was alive. His death freed his music and allowed it to be appreciated in ways it wasn’t in Jackson’s final years, when he was a tabloid curiosity whose personal baggage overwhelmed his entire artistic output.Now it’s commonplace to hear “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” or “Billie Jean” as the warm-up music at any number of concerts, or “Rock With You” blaring out of a car passing by. In the years leading up to his death, Jackson’s music was appreciated but seldom heard in the public square, as his persona and allegations of child molestation hung over him and sullied his reputation — and his music. This presented a problem: How would younger generations ever understand Jackson and his talent, and would they be able to separate the music from the tabloid caricature he’d become?
But when he died, in the early afternoon of June 25, 2009, many of Jackson’s eccentricities were forgiven or forgotten, and people gravitated once again to his amazing body of music. The drama that surrounded his life hasn’t slowed in his death, through the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray — he was sentenced to prison for four years for involuntary manslaughter and was released last October — and in the Jackson family’s lawsuits over his death. The music, however, drowns it out and can once again be the singer’s ultimate legacy.

That legacy continues to grow. A new album of Jackson’s music, “Xscape,” was released last month, debuting at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart. Songs were assembled from odds and ends left over by the singer and cobbled together by a team of producers, including Timbaland. It has sold 309,000 copies to date, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and has been hanging around Billboard’s Top 10 since hitting stores. Source Detroit News

 

Neville Garrick Puts Colour In Reggae...Garrick is renowned for designing a number of covers for albums produced by Bob Marley and the Wailers in the 1970s,

Melville Cooke, Gleaner Writer Published: Tuesday | June 24, 2014 

Neville Garrick, contributor

Neville Garrick is happily a part of the Jamaican support group for Brazilian football. Just before Mexico tackled Brazil last Tuesday, he told The Gleaner, "I have been cheering for Brazil since Pele days."

Having played as a defender for the University of Carolina, Los Angeles, the team reaching the 1971 and 1972 National Collegiate Athletic Association finals, Garrick is well qualified to speak about football matters. But there is a special link between artistry and football that he has been privy to - off the formal field of play.

Garrick is renowned for designing a number of covers for albums produced by Bob Marley and the Wailers in the 1970s, as well as more than 20 backdrops for the Reggae Sunsplash Festival, from 1981 to 1988.

His album art was not restricted to the Tuff Gong, as Garrick also did visuals for Jimmy Cliff, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Burning Spear, The Wailers, Steel Pulse and the I-Threes. There was also the standout Haile Selassie I backdrop for Marley's tours. On those trips, the beautiful game was not left behind.

With Marley, Garrick said, "we never went on tour without a football". In the hotel rooms they played 'money ball' - what you broke you played for.

Ziggy Marley

Garrick literally drew his way into reggae's history, honing an art skill which was nurtured at Kingston College and shaped at UCLA, where the 'Black Experience' mural he co-painted with six other students, has been recently restored.

On returning to Jamaica, initially, Garrick was art director at the Daily News. Then, he said, "I created my job with Bob Marley. Nobody was looking at the art."

At that time, Garrick said, there were artistes who would send their music to a company and the packaging would be done without their input.

"They did not have any influence on the cover," Garrick said. more