It's reigning Virgo

Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor

My darling dears, it's reigning Virgo all around!

Belated birthday wishes to: bespoke tailor Winston Wilson, who celebrated on the 25th of August.

The lovely Roseanne Delfosse-Newman; Brenda Belding-Topping; Una-May Lambert, formerly of Cuba, now residing in Ocho Rios; Gillian Belnavis; who all celebrated on August 26.

Zachary Harding, celebrated on Saturday the 27th, while Ravi Daswani celebrated on August 28.

Supermodel Nell Robinson celebrated her day on Sunday the 29th, and international journalist and chronicler of reggae music over the years, M. Peggy Quattro, celebrated on Monday, the 30th. As did the fabulously lovely Monique van Spankeren; Christopher Williams; and chef Moses McKenzie. The absolutely lovely Susan Shaw celebrated on Tuesday, the 31st, but hubby Finance Minister Audley Shaw, hosted a pre-birthday soirée the Saturday evening before was a very warm and intimate number.

Also celebrating on the 31st, were: Labour Minister Pearnel Charles; the lovely Natalee Robertson; and Ohio native and north coast habitué Jeremiah Wycuff.

Celebrating on Wednesday the 1st were: The very charming Jacqueline Sangster Brooks of the OPM; Marlon Creary; the charming Claudette Jackson-Rickards; the lovely Karen Bent; Garret Young; and the beautiful Nancy Fade, who celebrated her special day in her native Sweden.

World boxing great Lennox Lewis; businessman and head of the Urban Development Corporation Wayne Chen; the statuesque Sonja Sutherland Dumetz, of the Guardsman Group; the lovely Lystra Sharpe; and the affable Paul-Navarro Jackson, 'Chey' to family and friends and formerly of Linstead, St Catherine, now resident of the Big Apple; his nephew, Jamie Jackson, and international events planner and organiser, Michelle Facey, all celebrated their birthday, on September 2.

Now, in Kingston, the Guardsman honcho Kenny Benjamin and his GM, Valerie Juggan-Brown, threw a lovely do in honour of the lovely Sonja Sutherland Dumetz that saw only very close friends and members of the Guardsman 'family' in attendance. And it made for quite a charming outing.

In Negril, it was all about Hedonism II, as the oh-so-fabulous Michelle Facey, and a number of her friends and admirers jetted in from across the globe and made it a four-day, five-night smasheroni that was so very hot.

On September 3, the irascible Motty Perkins; businessman Christopher Nakash; Garth Barakatt; the fabulous Cecile Burrowes; Natalie Floyd Walsh; Claudet Blair and Gerry Green all celebrate their special day.

On Saturday, the 4th: attorney, Robbie Baugh; Gerry Neilson; Yehuda Rauer in Old Stony Hill; Peter Proudlock of Harmony Hall, near Ocho Rios; Gail Rickman in George Town, Cayman; Cee Wedderburn in New York; social commentator and cultural arbiter, Amina Blackwood-Meeks; and Peter Bovell; all celebrate their birthday.

It was the big 6-0 for Peter Proudlock. To mark the occasion, the Ocho Rios home of the north coast art and curio dealer was the place to be for the birthday party marking the occasion, and the buzz was it was all that!

On Sunday, the 5th, legal luminary Norman Wright and Claudette Powell both celebrated their special Virgo day.

Captain Michael Lyn; Dr Blossom O'Meally-Nelson; and Ingrid Walters celebrated, their very special day on Monday, the 6th.

On Tuesday, the 7th, investment banker and politician, PNP General Secretary Peter Bunting; the lovely Karen Allen-Sangster; Catherine Craig Handa; media personality Jenny Small all celebrated their birthday.

Then, on the 8th, the reigning queen of hotness, Yendi Phillipps; the esteemed Ena Jackson-Wray, of Mandeville; celebrated former sex education covers abstinence as a positive choice, but also teaches about contraception and avoidance of STIs when sexually active. A 2002 study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 58 per cent of secondary-school principals describe their sex-education curriculum as comprehensive.

Abstinence-only sex education tells teenagers that they should be sexually abstinent until marriage and does not provide information on contraception. In the Kaiser study, 34 per cent of high-school principals said their school's main message was abstinence-only.

Professional support

Proponents of comprehensive sex education include the American Psychological Association, the American Medical Association, the National Association of School Psychologists, the American Academy of Paediatrics, the American Public Health Association, the Society for Adolescent Medicine and the American College Health Association, argue that sexual behaviour after puberty is a given, and it is, therefore, crucial to provide information about the risks and how they can be minimised. They also claim that denying teens such factual information leads to unwanted pregnancies and STIs.

Where do you stand on the question - should sex education be compulsory in Jamaican schools?

Send feedback/questions to heatherl@cwjamaica.com

journalist Carole Embden-Peterson; Keith Garvey; the eminent Sonjah N. Stanley Niaah; André Grange; the charming Pauline Veronica Archer; and Jason Johnson all celebrated their special day.

Author and former parliamentarian Arnold 'Scree' Bertram; the very elegant Debbie Hamilton; hotelier Lance Parrish, the lovely Gail Bell; Charl Baker; Rebecca Silvera; the lovely Juanita Sandiford; and Sulann Smith all celebrated on the 9th.

Celebrating on Friday, September 10 were: Brenton Shirley; former model and entertainer Marc Upton; the lovely Jackie Chin-Butler, 'Chirpy', to her friends and family; and the fab Debby Watson, of Mandeville.

On Saturday, the 11th, the lovely Natalie St Louis; Michele Roache; Angela Bonds of Washington, DC, and north coast habitué; and Cyrus Carter, her fellow DC resident and north coast habitué all celebrated their birthday!

Today, Sunday, the 12th, the charming Dawn Young; Jennifer Armond; the lovely Jessica-Leigh Marzouca; and Taneisha Allen, make it a Virgo quartet!

Advertising icon Robert MacMillan celebrates his day tomorrow, the 13th. On Tuesday, celebrated artist, Susan Shirley, celebrates her birthday along with twin brother Larry Roberts, who, along with wife Robyn and family, will be jetting in from Oregon for what promises to be one fine and fab Virgo celebration and family reunion as also celebrating his birthday this season is Brenton Shirley - son of Greg and Susan Shirley - whose birthday was on Friday the 10th.

The party to celebrate the milestone in both Susan and her sibling and other members of the family, is slated for today, at their Rio Nuevo home, and luvs, it promises to be all that so y'all know its a must attend!

But also celebrating on Tuesday the 14th, will be: the fabulous Jodi Wohl; the suave Terrence Lawrence, formerly of Kingston, now a Florida resident; and the lovely Comay Sewell, of Negril; and Leon Williams of Montego Bay; all celebrate their special day!

On Wednesday, the 15th, former editor-in-chief of The Gleaner, the charming Wyvolyn Gager; Lorraine Marcella Kenlock; Gracia Whyte; Tasha Hussey in Georgia; and Mary Self, in Annapolis, Maryland, will all be marking another special year!

The lovely Gabrielle Seaga, daughter of former Prime Minister Edward and his wife Carla, as well as businessman Peter Couch, celebrate their birthday on Thursday, the 16th.

Businessman Patrick Brady of Negril's Risky Business celebrates Friday, the 17th; as will the lovely Andrea Budhai-Solomon, beauty-turned-mortician, now a resident of the Big Apple; and Tyrel Grant of Runaway Bay.

Montego Bay beauty and premier socialite Fenella Kennedy-Holland; actress Audrey Reid; the lovely Alejandra Barcas of Miami, Florida and regular guest to these shores; and former radio personality Roger Hamilton all share the 18th.

Hotelier Diana McIntyre-Pyke celebrates her special day next Sunday, the 19th, as will: Richard Burgess; the lovely Sandra Gayle; and Michael Lennon Davis.

Dwight Ramsay and Reginald Crutchley celebrate on the 20th.

The charming Jacqueline DaCosta; the lovely Tameka Bradshaw; model Sashana Gray; the lovely Cinderella Branch of Chicago; Andrew Pileri of Las Vegas celebrate on the 21st.

Mario Machado; Christene King; the Reverend Joan Porteous; Craig-Anthony Scott, formerly of Ocho Rios, now a resident of Osaka, Japan; and the lovely Nadia Taylor all celebrate on Wednesday, the 22nd, thus ending the reign of Virgo, but what a fabulous season of parties!