Denis O'Brien at the Marriott Port-au-Prince opening: Second from left, the Digicel founder owns the $48 million hotel property that is managed by Marriott.
The Marriott Port-au-Prince, which officially opened its doors last week after a “soft” opening period of three months, is far more than just a symbol of Haiti’s post-earthquake recovery. It’s a living, breathing, job-creating economic engine in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince that sorely needs exactly that: jobs, vitality and the promise of further development to come.

Truth be told, were it not for the adjacent Digicel corporate headquarters, the 12-story Marriott might have found a home elsewhere in Haiti’s capital. Or it may not have happened at all.

Sen. Forry with President Michel Martelly: The two leaders met at a Port-au-Prince reception on June 18.

State Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry returned to Haiti for the first time since she was a child last week. Forry and her husband, Reporter publisher and editor Bill Forry, traveled on JetBlue’s inaugural direct flight to Haiti from Boston last Wednesday after the senator participated in a ribbon cutting to mark the new service.

Following the four-hour and 15-minute flight, Haitian-American Dorcena Forry made a whirlwind series of appearances that included meetings with Haitian Tourism Minister Stephanie Villedrouin, whom Forry hosted in Boston two weeks ago, to discuss boosting tourism trade between the two countries.

June 2015 editionThe latest edition of the Boston Haitian Reporter is now in circulation across Greater Boston!

The June edition is packed with new stories on travel and tourism, Senator Linda Dorcena Forry's recent visit to Haiti and the upcoming Gold Cup match between USA and Haiti.

Other features include:

• An interview with Haiti's dynamic Minister for Tourism and Creative Arts Stephanie Villedrouin, who visited Boston this month;

• An interview with Digicel founder Denis O'Brien, who discusses his vision for the new Marriott Port-au-Prince, which he owns;

• A report on how the new Marriott Port-au-Prince is recruiting and training Haitians and Haitian-Americans to run the hotel;

• Inside the beautiful, new-and-improved Kinam Hotel in Pétion-Ville, which is at the top of its class in Haiti's increasingly competitive tourism market;

• A visit to the spectacular Moulin Sur Mer beach resort, where you can soak up the sun and Haitian history at the same time.

Plus: The latest reports on the situation facing people of Haitian descent in the Dominican Republic.

This— and much more— in the Boston Haitian Reporter.

SANTO DOMINGO— Haitians and other non-citizens stood in long lines across the Dominican Republic on Monday in last-minute bids to secure legal residency, hurrying to beat a looming paperwork deadline along with the threat of possible quick deportation.

PORT-AU-PRINCE— Haiti's electoral council has released a final list of presidential candidates allowed to participate in the upcoming general elections.

Officials released the list of 58 names on Friday after rejecting 13 candidates.

Combining modern dance technique, Haitian folkloric dance, and live percussion, Jean Appolon Expressions’ full length production of Angaje will be held at Seven Hills Park in Somerville this Saturday (June 13) as part of the Somerville Arts Council’s third annual Dancing in the Streets Festival.

The performance, set the music of Haitian musical icon Toto Bissainthe and directed by founder Jean Appolon, is inspired by the struggle against homophobia and the power of Haitian folkloric culture in the fight for justice.

The performance begins at 8:30 p.m. and is free.

Monsieur Bonhomme, 105 years old, a small microphone clipped beneath the collar of his shirt, sits facing our cameras and lights.

He listens to me bombard him with questions about the United States Occupation of Haiti nearly a century ago; it is for our then untitled documentary. But old age has taken a toll on his hearing and his mind is not up the grueling task of plucking up days from long bygone decades.

Constructive visit: Minister Stéphanie Villedrouin with State Senator Linda Dorcena Forry.Haiti's Minister of Tourism and Creative Industries Stéphanie Balmir Villedrouin visited Boston and Brockton on Wednesday, June 3 as part of a national tour aimed at boosting the tourism trade in Haiti from the United States.

Mrs. Villedrouin, accompanied by a team of tourism officials and hoteliers, made a presentation to a room of Haitian American activists at the Thorny Lea Country Club in Brockton on Wednesday evening. In her remarks, Villedrouin pointed to significant progress in the numbers of visitors to Haiti over the last two years, with an 11 percent increase posted between 2013-2014 seasons.

Her visit to Boston comes at an auspicious time, as JetBlue prepares to launch its first-ever direct flights between Boston and Port-au-Prince on June 17. The new gateway has been hailed as a milestone moment for travel and commerce between Boston and Haiti.

Earlier in the day, Minister Villedrouin was a guest of honor at the Massachusetts State House, where State Senator Linda Dorcena Forry met with her in the Senate Reading Room.

FORT PIERCE, Fla. — A Haitian man is facing U.S. prison time after pleading guilty to illegally smuggling migrants aboard a boat from the Bahamas. Veronel Charles faces between three and 10 years in prison when he is sentenced in August in Fort Pierce federal court. Charles pleaded guilty to two alien smuggling counts last week.