By Chester Francis-Jackson, Gleaner Writer
It was a bag of laughs for (from left) US Ambassador Sue Cobb, Sue Miller of United Way Miami, and Winsome Wilkins, President/CEO of United Way of Jamaica, at a buffet dinner hosted by Ambassador Cobb for members of United Way at her Long Lane residence at Stony Hill, St. Andrew Thursday night. - Ricardo Makyn/ Staff Photographer
LUVS, IT'S way early in the yuletide party season and already it is buzzing like a runaway train of fabulousness! And luvs, trust moi, the fabulous are partying, as partying is the only game in town!
On Sunday, restaurateur and businessman, Rajiv Bakshi, celebrated another year in his life, with his lady love throwing him a 'swelleganza' of a luncheon at her St. Andrew residence; with the affair being a hush-hush one, however, it is sufficient to say champagne wishes.
The Sunday before, however, it was the lovely Jennifer Coombs who celebrated her special day, as family and friends gathered at her Washington D.C. residence to celebrate the affair and celebrate they did!
And speaking of celebrations - it's all systems go for the November 29 wedding of beauty/model and radio and television personality Kristina Newman to long time beau, the multi-talented musician Gordon Scott.
SIMPLY PRECIOUS
Dears, the invites are simply precious and the wedding planners are promising an even more precious do, mark the occasion.
On this same date, however, the fabulous Cherise Francis Windle, of Long Island Dana Point and Discovery Bay residences will be celebrating another birthday, with hubby John Windle, promising one almighty shindig at the couple's southern Californian home to mark the occasion.
Now nobody's saying just exactly how many candles will be on the cake, but this has not stop friends from guessing.
On November 23, however, there will be no guessing game for businessman Chris Nakash and his fabulous wife Zein Issa, as on this day the couple will be celebrating the fourth anniversary of their tying the marital knot in what has been one of the most fabulously lavish wedding ceremonies and receptions ever seen by this here metropolis.
Daahlings, believe-you-moi, as indeed, this was no mere wedding and reception but a gala celebration of life, love, family and friends and awash with Caribbean jetsetters and leaders and was so hot, it was the talk, not only of Jamaica, but also of the Caribbean community for weeks!
Now, no word yet on the anniversary celebrations, but the buzz is, it too will be another study in regal 'eleganza'!
And speaking of the regal and the elegant! Well, last weekend it was regal and elegant and then some, with a number of visiting international bigwigs and movers and shakers to boot! Doves, people are still talking about that absolutely smashing eleganza of a buffet dinner and reception American Ambassador Her Excellency Sue Cobb hosted at her Stony Hill, Long Lane official residence last Thursday evening, as a part of her Building 'Bridges Leadership Exchange' initiative!
ENVOYS
Now, there are ambassadorial envoys who regard their postings as a way of chalking up diplomatic postings on their social resumés, for the cache and 'in' it provides, and there are those who regard any such posting as a true honour, and an opportunity to serve.
Jamaica has been blessed with both breeds.
Naturally, for many a Jamaicans, the latter of the two is the most welcomed of the species as indeed, whilst not particularly clean on hand-outs, most well-thinking and committed Jamaicans welcome any opportunity and initiative from any and all sources that will contribute to the quality of life enjoyed by most of the island's people.
Now, by nature of their role as the world power, and from back in the days when they were a contending superpower, Americans ambassadors here, have, for the most part, played a dynamic and engaging role in not only fostering good relations and bilateral ties between the US Government and it people and the Government and people of Jamaica, the majority have been formidable emissaries, with a number rising above the call of duty to exemplify the call to service!
STRONG TIES
In this respect, Ambassador Sue Cobb, a native of California, with strong business ties in the states of Florida and Texas, and some say even stronger ties to both Governor Jeb Bush of Florida and his elder brother, the American President G.W. Bush, is an ambassador with more than a penchant for service. A dynamic and politically/socially/economically resourceful person, Ambassador Cobb is not merely content to just sit here idly in the sun and enjoy the hospitality afforded her by reason of her posting.
And so, her tenure has been punctuated by a number of initiatives geared towards the improvement of life and governance through aid, grants and technical assistance. One of her more recent initiatives, however, is dubbed 'The Building Bridges Leadership Exchange', a programme designed to facilitate the exploration of mutually-rewarding business opportunities, programmes and or other areas of developmental assistance.
To facilitate this exploration, the charming ambassador has been hosting a series of receptions/symposiums with a number of high-powered Floridians and Jamaicans, with the expressed view of facilitating a greater awareness of each other's potential and capacity, in her quest to promote more business/trade between both. And so it was, that last Thursday, her tres-fab Long Lane residence was the venue for what was a fabulous buffet dinner under the auspices of the Building Bridges Women's Leadership Exchange, that saw a number of high-powered women from Florida and a number of their Jamaican counterparts and their spouses in attendance for what proved a spectacular affair!
Doves, the list of guests from Florida was nigh unto a Who's Who of the leading women in the business community of Florida, and included such luminaries as: Jayne Harris Abess; Lourdes Arriola; Vivian Dimond; Lynn Griffin; Claudia Grillo; Soledad Juncadella; Anne L. (Missy) Kardonski; Tamara Klinger; Susan M. Klock; Alesia Cruchley Mogul; Dr. Diane Walder; Jennifer Carrcarte Penton; Beverly A. Parker; Alexandra Villoch; Toni Randolph; Susan Miller; Hilarie Bass; Barbara Garrett and Sara Barli Herald; plus a number of others, guesting with a number of Jamaican women of business and professional substance - as they explored areas of co-operation. And daahlings, with CVs that read like an international property rights dossier, y'all know we are talking a high-powered/high-finance pow-wow, here!
STILL TALKING
And, people are still talking about the power-dinner and gaggle businesswoman and premier socialite Thalia Lyn hosted at her ooh soo swanky Old Stony Hill residence, as she seeks to enlist international high-profile help for the Mustard Seed charities, here in Jamaica.
Now, Mustard Seed is one of those noble charity organisations founded some 25 years ago by Father Gregory Ramkisoon, that has since seen outgrowths into Haiti and, Zimbabwe plus a number of other Countries on the African continent, that is a wholly charitable organisation dedicated to sharing Christian charity with the dispossessed, the hungry, homeless, and the weak, wherever they are to be found.
Such is the ministry of the Mustard Seed charities that the organization's service is not only in constant demand nationally, but there is an increasing international demand for the charitable services of the organisation.
And so it was, to sensitise the business community here as well as the international community, that the ever-so-charming Thalia Lyn hosted what was one fabulous dinner party last Saturday to enlist assistance for the organisation.
