My, my, my, time waits on no man and no event for that matter.

Photos by Janet Silvera - Moses 'Beenie Man' Davis (right) and friends at the Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest launch at Devon House recently.

It seems like it was only yesterday that Tina Davis was sleeping on a makeshift bed in the Summerfest Productions office at Parkway, not because she was homeless, but because the work was literally tumbling down on her.

Davis, who I would say is the backbone of the festival, had to make the office 'home' several nights, as not only was it safer to stay there after wrapping up at 3:00 a.m., but she might as well sleep until 6 o'clock, go home, take a fresh and come back ready to start over.

Up to five years ago, that was the case. Today, even if the Jamaica Public Service turns off the electricity in Rose Hall at 5:00 p.m., the Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest team can go home without panicking.

Johnny Gourzong can now take his family on vacation one week before the festival and turn off his cellular phones in the process, while Walter Elmore can work on a mega international event elsewhere before arriving to anchor the production of the world's biggest reggae festival.

These days there are hardly any fires outside of Robert Russell's kitchen that needs 'outing' and Joe Hilton sees the day drawing nearer when he will get returns on his investment.

Yes, Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest has arrived. Although still a 15-year-old teenager, a lot of water has crossed under her bridge, and while she has been hit by floods, none has had the capability to drown her.

kudos for business people

A strong swimmer, still very much the beacon of the tourism capital, this city and its citizens should pay tribute to the team of business people who went into their pockets 15 years ago and came up with the money needed to save the town after Reggae Sunsplash pulled out.

We should all be buying Red Stripe beer as well for the rest of our lives, as they changed the way sponsorship was viewed in this country and took the bull by the horn.

The sole woman on the team at the time - the late Lucille Lue, may God rest her soul - saw the festival's potential and threw her weight behind it.

Sidney Reid, Godfrey Dyer, Babsy Vassell, Junior Gordon, Mickey Morris, Walt Crooks, I congratulate you all for staying the course