To friends of the Coconut Times:
    Some bad news has just been relayed to me this morning. 16-year-old Kameron Chandler succumbed to a long hard battle with leukemia today. Our deepest sympathies and thoughts here at The Coconut go out to the Chandler family and their many friends. Some of you may know Kameron as the son of Rob ‘DJ Wax’ Chandler. Rob is well known and well loved around this city as an all-around great guy. His commitment to his son and battling this illness has been unparalleled. A parent’s love for their child is like no other. Kameron was a tough-as-nails young man, fighting for his life for the last 5 years. Those years have been a bit of a roller coaster ride, ups and downs, improvements and declines, in his condition. Our friend WAX has been busy organizing fundraisers and even a bone marrow transplant; unfortunately, none of the donor match candidates were compatible. Only three percent of donors screened are ever matched with a marrow recipient. You can help bring that number up. Visit www.marrow.org to become a donor. Be A Match tells us there is no fee to register until June 22nd. For minorities there is never a fee. This is key because someone like Kameron with a unique ethnicity would have greater difficulty matching a donor! To Rob and The Chandler Family - most of us can’t even grasp the unimaginable grief involved in the death of a child. You are in our thoughts and in our hearts. This news is very upsetting to all of us.
    Maybe Kameron’s death is not in vain. The community rallied together and became more aware of the particulars attached to this kind of cancer. Multiple marrow donors are now on the network because of Kameron. We all know we can come together and fight. In that aspect, this isn’t all for nothing.
    This Father’s Day will be extra tough. We all need to appreciate our dads and our kids because life can change in a split second without warning. Funeral arrangements have not been released. However, I’m sure they will emerge before Friday’s publication of this paper. Obviously, this isn’t something anyone could ever want to write, but it needed to be written. If you have kids, hug them hard and spoil them every chance you get. About six years ago, I learned a valuable lesson. A friend was faced with a similar situation and despite some personal hurdles I was experiencing at the time, I snapped completely out of it. I realized my problems were trivial as compared to this guy; I had no problems. Keep that in mind; appreciate what you have!
    With the above mention of Seacrets, this came to mind. Congrats to Seacrets management and staff on their upcoming 21st Anniversary Celebration. Leighton and the gang have a huge party planned with fireworks and ‘90s alt-rock sensation Jimmie’s Chicken Shack. This all happens on Mon., 6/29. The concert is free, the fireworks are at 9:30 - and everything will be 21% percent off that day.
    This Monday, check out ‘SOJA’ (Soldiers of Jah Army), a reggae/ska band out of Washington D.C., citing Caribbean influences and that of yet another D.C. great, Bad Brains. In July, all you Springsteen fans need to witness The Boss tribute band, ‘Bruce In The USA.’ The show is well worth it! Bruce In The USA comes to Seacrets on Thursday, July 9.
    Look for Pompous Pie this weekend at The Plim Plaza Pool Bar (2nd St.) this and every Fri. at 7:30pm, a happy hour show at Micky Fins (Rt. 50 at the OC Fishing Center) at 5pm (Sat.,6/20), and we’re back at Duffy’s (130th, Montego Bay) at 9pm Thurs., 6/25.
    Don’t forget to call your Fathers, and to my own Dad, Happy Father’s Day, Pop!
    Til next week, Tah! – Marco Ink