Berthia Parle knows how to do it right when it comes to accommodations in the Caribbean, and the new, four-star Bay Gardens Beach Resort in St. Lucia is a special place because of her experience.
“We are open for business, and are offering both vacationers and business travelers the quintessential Caribbean experience at a modern boutique property on Reduit Beach, the best on the island,” said Parle. The general manager of the property, she has served as the chairperson of the Caribbean Hotel Association and is a former Caribbean Hotelier of the Year.
The first phase of the four-star beachfront resort opened in April to catch travelers to the ICC Cricket World Cup semifinal matches held in St. Lucia. A grand opening for the property is set for December.
The new Bay Gardens Beach Resort joins the company’s Bay Gardens Hotel and Bay Gardens Inn.
Outside, the resort’s architecture features timbered verandas and balconies. Inside, the one-bedroom and two-bedroom suites are loaded with amenities such as cable television, spacious bathrooms, CD and DVD players, high-speed wireless Internet access and full kitchens.
Room rates start at $140, plus taxes and gratuities. There are vacation specials from June through November that include free daily breakfast (based on double occupancy).
Children 18 and younger stay free when sharing with adults, and other special offers are available.
For information, visit www.baygardensbeachresort.com, call 877-620-3200 or send an e-mail to res@baygardensbeachresort.com.
Scholarly entertainment
Entertainment and education are on the bill for the Caribbean American Center of New York’s Carnival All-Inclusive Event on September 2.
This year’s affair will be at the A. Williams Building, 225 Third Avenue (between DeGraw and Sackett Streets) in Brooklyn, from 4 to 11 p.m.
The sixth annual affair, which will feature music, scrumptious Caribbean cuisine and beverages, also boasts an education component – college scholarships and book vouchers for needy students. Applicants for scholarships and book vouchers are urged to apply by early this week.
The awards will be presented at a September event, and some of the affairs proceeds will help fund the scholarships.
The Caribbean American Center of New York, which has provided free immigration counseling, referral services, job training and other programs, is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
For the first time, the center will partner with another institution - Ram’s Roti Shop of Brooklyn – to add a new dimension to the event. The popular Flatbush restaurant, located at 1919 Church Ave. (between Ocean Avenue and St. Pauls Place), will serve up a host of island delicacies, such as curry goat, chicken, roti, Caribbean “wild meat” and vegetarian dishes. The soon-to-be completed Ram’s Roti Web site is at www.ramsrotishop.com.
Tickets are $40 in advance and $50 at the door. For information about the Carnival All-Inclusive Event or scholarship and book voucher applications, call the center at 718-625-1515 or Ram’s 718-287-7267.
Aid travels a long way
The Caribbean Tourism Organization Foundation handed out a record number of educational scholarships this year - 10 awards to people pursuing studies in the tourism and hospitality fields on a master’s degree level at institutions inside and outside the Caribbean.
There were recipients from Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, the Netherlands Antilles, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and two from Jamaica.
The winners received scholarships in amounts ranging from $2,800 to $8,000 and airline tickets on American Airlines if they are studying in a country the airline services.
The CTO Foundation also is offering study grants of $2,000 each to 10 nationals from Anguilla, Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, the Netherland Antilles, St. Kitts and Trinidad and Tobago.
For information about the scholarship initiative and the foundation, visit www.onecaribbean.org.
A salute to Africa
With all the new New Yorkers from Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Senegal, Liberia and a host of other nations, it is not surprising that there is a new parade in town - the African Day Parade, which will take place today in Manhattan.
The event will run from noon to 9 p.m. and include the procession and a performance stage in Morningside Park (Morningside Avenue and 114th Street entrance) with music, cultural groups, fashions and cultural dancers. Stage shows will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. There also will be vendors with food, arts and crafts and other wares for sale.
Marchers will gather at 112th Street and Malcolm X Boulevard (Lenox Avenue) in Harlem. From there, the parade procession will travel north to 116th Street, turn west on 116th Street and move south on Morningside Avenue to 114th Street and the park entrance. For information, call 212-283-2407. Reprinted from The New York Daily News.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Brooklyn-born Jared McCallister has written the “Caribbeat” column since 1983. The only feature of its kind in a major New York newspaper, the column appears on Sundays in The News editions in the five boroughs and on Long Island.
