Sir Royston Hopkin, Grenada’s premier hotelier and owner of Spice Island Beach Resort, passed early this morning, Saturday, February 22, in Trinidad & Tobago where he was recuperating from a medical procedure. Sir Royston was 75 and attended the Grenada Boys Secondary School, GBSS, from 1959-1964. He is survived by his wife and three children.

Hopkin was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2005 for contributions to tourism.

     The son of hoteliers who operated Grenada’s Ross Point Inn, Hopkin served as a Grenada Board of Tourism member for 18 consecutive years and also held leadership positions at the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, the Caribbean Tourism Organization and the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism.

During this season of joy, we, at EVERYBODY’S, are mourning the loss of Hayden Roger Celestin, one of our photojournalists and a cherished friend. Personalities Celestin photographed for national and international publications included then private citizen Donald Trump playing a steelpan, then First Lady Hillary Clinton and Venus and Serena Williams.

Roger, as he was called, was born in Trinidad & Tobago 64 years ago. A promising high school athlete, he sustained a lifelong injury in a track & field event in Trinidad. Decades later, he underwent spinal surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan.  As a result, he remained in a rehabilitation center for more than a year. It was one of his happiest days when he finally went home determined to walk again and continue his photography. His willingness to think positive and love of live sustained him. During the summer of 2019, he went into a coma; he remained in that state until his passing on December 14.

Left to mourn is his sister, on her way to New York to arrange his final rites, other family members and friends.

 EVERYBODY’S PUBLISHER COMMENTS: “Roger joined EVERYBODY’S sometime in the 1980s. He planned to write articles but soon found another calling.

I encouraged Roger to take computer courses since personal computers (PCs) were becoming mainstream allowing newspapers and magazines to type manuscripts and do their design and layouts on them rather than sending the manuscript to cold typesetters and the galleys to designers. Within months Rogers became a pro. He designed EVERYBODY’S on our newly acquired PC.

Sitting in front a desk and a computer and mastering Microsoft and Apple software was not challenging for Roger. He told me he invested in a camera and planned to take a course in photography. Within a short time, he was “pestering” me to apply for a New York City Press Pass for him. Before I could count ten, Roger’s photographs were used by New York’s Daily News, New York Post, Washington Post and in overseas publications.

In 2018, when I had my own health issues, Roger called me almost every day with words of encouragement. He was the only person who knew how deeply I felt about the passing of calypsonian/soca artist Shadow and my pains. His fellow photographers brought him in the snow and rain to the tribute to shadow. I discouraged him from attending but he wanted to mourn with me and to salute a calypso icon. Sitting in his wheelchair, the photographs he took of the tribute were stunning.

This year 2019, Roger insisted on coming to the Oliver Samuels play in Brooklyn. His fellow photographers Hakim Mutlaq and Leonard McKenzie brought him. His photographs of scenes in the play were fabulous.

When I visited him at Maimonides Hospital on December 8^th, I realized the end was near. It will weigh heavily on my conscience if I do not publicly praise Jared McCallister, a Daily News journalist, for his selfless devotion to Roger by visiting him almost daily and for keeping Roger’s immediate family living in Trinidad aware of his condition.”

Who do you believe should be EVERYBODY’S, the Caribbean-American Magazine, PERSON OF THE YEAR for 2019? Send us your Choice by December 1, 2019. Send to:

[email protected]

The person must have grabbed public attention during 2019 – Positive or Negative; inspired others.

The person must be of Caribbean heritage residing in any part of the world.

SEND YOUR CHOICE FOR PERSON OF THE YEAR 2019 TO:

[email protected]

The 2019 Person of the Year will be (1) included in EVERYBODY’S 2020 GLOBAL CARIBBEAN CALENDAR due to mail to subscribers on December 16 (2) posted on our website www.everybodysmag.com on December 18 and (3) released to the media on December 23.

Since 1978 EVERYBODY’S “Caribbean” Magazine has been naming its PERSON OF THE YEAR. The magazine PERSON OF THE YEAR announcement is now anxiously awaited.

EVERYBODY’S MAGAZINE PERSON OF THE YEAR over the years include

Usain Bolt, Olympian

Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria (phenomenon)

Jumaane Williams, New York City Public Advocate   

Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm

Sir Arthur Lewis, Nobel Laureate

Prime Minister Eugenia Charles

Prime Minister Tom Adams

Congressman Mervyn Dymally

Clive Lloyd, Cricketer

The Mighty Sparrow, Calypsonian

Prime Minister Edward Seaga

BROOKLYN, NY — Candidates seeking public offices in Tuesday’s November 5^th general election in New York City are running for local offices to represent their communities except for the office of public advocate which is a citywide position.

In the public advocate race, Councilman and Republican Joseph Borelli, a former member of New York State Assembly and City University of New York professor is challenging incumbent Jumaane Williams.

Libertarian candidate Devin Balkind, a technologist, is not expected to win. The race is between Borelli and Williams.

Earlier this week presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren endorsed Williams.

Williams, the first Caribbean-American to hold a citywide office, was born in Brooklyn. The Williams family hail from St. John’s and St. Andrew’s, two parishes in the nation of Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique.

BROOKLYN, NY —   Nine days for early voting is happening in New York State. Early voting commenced on October 26^th and ends on November 3^rd.  Voters across the state who did not vote on early voting days can vote on election day, Tuesday November 5^th.

While early voting is a novelty in NY, many other states have implemented early voting.

It decreases long lines on election day and it provides voters who are out-of-town, too busy or ill on election day to vote early. One voter, Miss Chin, who voted at one of the supersites in Brooklyn on Wednesday welcomed the idea. “I am away every first week in November; the last time I voted was in November 2016. That’s why I’m here today to vote early,” she remarked at a supersite located in a vibrant Caribbean neighborhood in Brooklyn.

In New York City there are supersites in each of the five boroughs for early voting only. There are 18 supersites in Brooklyn. Voters were informed of their respective supersite.

However, on Tuesday, November 5, election day or general election, votes will go to their customary poll sites.

Election officials in New York City and across the state are using early voting and electronic poll books to test the system. With a low turnout of voters expected for this year’s general election, election planners have an opportunity to test the early voting technology without much public outcry.

They hope to be very efficient and thoroughly prepared for early voting next year when there will be the presidential primary, municipal and state primary and the presidential election.

PHOTO CREDIT: New York 1

  

NY – Election history was created in New York State on October 26, 2019 when early voting across the State came into effect. While early voting is new in New York many other states such as MA, GA, FL and MD have been conducting early voting for several years.

Early voting allows a voter to cast his or her vote days, and in some states’ weeks, before the election allowing the voter who is not available to vote on election day to vote early. It also prevents congestion and anxiety at poll sites on election day.

General elections in the U.S. is the first Tuesday in November of each year. It is when the winners of political party primaries have been determined and each winner, mainly Democrats and Republicans, face each other in the general election. This year’s General election is November 5^th.

In New York Early election is conducted for 9 days, October 26 to November 3 as mandated by the New York State Legislature and signed into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo.

In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio voted on October 26, therefore, he cannot vote on November 5.

Senator Zellnor Myrie who represents the 20^th Senate District with a very large Caribbean population in Brooklyn was the first person to cast a vote in early voting. He voted at a mega poll site, Brooklyn’s Clara Barton HS. Early voting was symbolic for him since it was Senator Myrie who introduced legislation for early voting.

Throughout the day political leaders across New York voted to draw awareness of the opportunity to vote early. If Governor Cuomo did not cast his vote on October 26 chances are, he will do it before November 3. “Early voting is just one of the many steps we’ve taken to break down barriers to democracy, and I encourage New Yorkers to take advantage of this opportunity to skip the lines on Election Day and ensure their voices are heard at the ballot box,” the governor remarked.

Not only political leaders are attracted by early voting.  Marilyn, a voter in Brooklyn who was born in Guyana, said she heard of early voting on the radio and received her early voting poll site address in the mail . “I wanted to be part of history so I rushed to Clara Barton HS to vote.”

In addition to early voting in New York there is another newness. There are no longer poll books listing voters’ names and addresses. Finding someone name sometimes take a very longtime. The traditional poll books will now find a place in museums and libraries. Effective October 26, a voter signs his or her name on an electronic poll book.

“I love it,” said 85-year old Mary who voted at Tilden HS, Brooklyn. “It makes me feel young, I gave them my name and in an instant, I saw my name and address and I was asked to signed something my great grandchild says is a tablet.”

Off the record, election officials in New York City consider early voting and the electronic poll book a test for the big one – the general election of 2020 better known as the presidential election. A number of Caribbean-American voters such as Marilyn from Guyana was overheard saying, “I can’t wait for next November to throw Trump out of office.”

In New York , early voting applies for primary elections too. In April 2020, there will be early voting for the presidential primary followed by municipal, state and federal primary in June and the general or presidential election on November 3.

Jamaica’s leading actress and comedienne Andrea Wright known worldwide as Delcita is bringing her new play, “Honeymoon” to the Bronx, NY. “Honeymoon” starring Delcita and Patchie with a cast of six will be staged at Richard R. Green Campus School, 3710 Barnes Avenue, Bronx, NY on Saturday, October 19 at 8pm.

It is the only performance of the play in New York City.