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Volume: 118 No.45, JANUARY 28, 2021
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THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: PRICE–$1
NATIONAL EXAMS HEAD FOR DELAY
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
EDUCATION Minister Jeff Lloyd said yesterday it is likely this year’s national examinations will be held later than usual as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking to reporters, the minister said education officials continue to be engaged in discussions with Cambridge evaluators and assessors to finalise the dates for the examinations. This comes after the 2020 GLAT, BJC and BGCSE exams were postponed several times last year in response to the pandemic that resulted in the
closure of schools across the country. Given the late commencements of the 2020 exams among other things, Mr Lloyd said it is only “natural” that officials give some consideration to pushing back the tests for this year. He said a final decision will be made soon, at which point the public will then be informed. “I expect within a week or so that there would be a definitive statement by the Ministry of Education as to the firm dates for the conduct of the BJC and the BGCSE exams and the GLAT,” Mr Lloyd said. SEE PAGE THREE
THE Government has already started discussing potential income tax reforms, the IMF revealed yesterday, although it has admitted any changes will take “years” for The Bahamas to implement. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), in its full Article IV report on The Bahamas for 2020, again sought to nudge The Bahamas towards more progressive and “equitable” taxation options such as an individual and/or corporate income tax.
And it disclosed that the Government, in response to its findings, had confirmed that internal talks are already underway to explore the feasibility of an income tax system in The Bahamas. These revelations came as the Minnis administration voiced optimism it could achieve $300m in extra revenues and spending cuts if required - an increase upon the $200m it is targeting. “The authorities reiterated their commitment to fiscal discipline once the crisis subsides,” the IMF report said. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
ANOTHER round of employee furloughs and the Minnis administration’s extension of special emergency powers are pushing Atlantis employees like Areba Bridgewater to the brink. Employers would normally be required to give workers like her a redundancy package after 12 weeks of not paying them a salary. SEE PAGE THREE
MPS IN HOUSE GET READY TO RUMBLE
SEE PAGE EIGHT
GOVT TELLS IMF INCOME TAX REFORMS IN REVIEW By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
‘HOW LONG MUST WE HOLD ON?’
AG CONCEDES JULY OPENING ‘COST US DEAR’ By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
BODY IN THE BUSH A MAN was found dead yesterday on a track road off Graham Drive in Yellow Elder Gardens with apparent gunshot wounds. It is suspected the body had been there for about 12 hours. See page two for the full story. Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff
ATTORNEY General Carl Bethel insisted the government will not be caught with its guard down again, telling the Senate yesterday officials are now in a “critical” race against time to have all the population vaccinated. During debate on the extension of emergency orders in the Senate yesterday, Mr Bethel admitted that last July the country let its guard down, an error that “we paid dearly for”. SEE PAGE FOUR
FINLAYSONS LOSE $2M DEBT BATTLE By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
THE Finlayson family yesterday lost its bid to overturn a Supreme Court order compelling the sale of a downtown Bay Street property to settle a near$2.2m tax debt owed to the Government. The Court of Appeal refused to grant the former Commonwealth Brewery/ Burns House owners extra
GARET ‘TIGER’ FINLAYSON time to appeal Justice Indra Charles’ order despite their arguments another judge had granted a blanket
“injunction” against the Treasurer and attorney general to stop the Government selling or interfering with any of their property assets. That injunction, granted by Justice Keith Thompson in a separate action brought by the Finlayson family’s General Bahamian Companies entity, involved a claim for unpaid rent said to be owed by the Government for another property. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
OUT OF THE PANDEMIC, A NEW WAY TO TALK SEE PAGE NINE
PAGE 2, Friday, January 29, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
A BODY is removed from a track road off Graham Drive yesterday. Photo: Donovan McIntosh/ Tribune Staff
Body of man is found on track road By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
A MAN was found dead yesterday on a track road off Graham Drive in Yellow Elder Gardens with apparent gunshot wounds. Assistant Superintendent Audley Peters told reporters on the scene that the deceased seemed to be in his mid-30s and that there is no indication that he is a resident of the area. When questioned how long the body had been there, he said it appeared that rigor mortis had already set in and estimated the deceased had been there about 12 hours. Shortly before 7am officers from the Operations Unit were on routine mobile patrol on Graham Drive when they were alerted by a concerned citizen that a body was found unresponsive on a track road. “The officers went through that track road which runs parallel to Graham Drive and is commonly referred to as ‘The Gulf’. On their arrival, they found a Negro male lying on the ground unresponsive with apparent gun shot wounds. Emergency Medical Service was summoned. On completion of their examination, they pronounced the body lifeless.” A grey car was seen being towed away from the scene as police processed the area. ASP Peters said the victim was found about 30 feet from the vehicle, but police were not able to confirm whether that vehicle was owned by the victim.
ASP AUDLEY PETERS When asked if the victim was wearing an ankle bracelet, the press liaison officer said: “The victim has rights and (I) will respect the rights of the victim.” According to ASP Peters, this is not the first time a body has been found in the area. The area, which housed a former airport, has normally been used for criminal activities in the past, he said. “This is an area that we don’t suggest that individuals travel to. If you look at the terrain, anything notorious is liable to happen in an area such as this,” he said. “Normally this area would be used for, if you look behind you there’s a Junkanoo shack. One of our Junkanoo groups has a shack in the back here where they prepare themselves during the Junkanoo season. “However, school students from time-to-time would’ve traversed this area because it was a common area for them to traverse to go from the Englerston and Grove community to get to school. However, I guess through time the terrain
has grown and we see what we have here where it’s a shady area where persons can hide and do whatever notorious actions that come to their mind.” One long-time resident said he used to walk through the shortcut as a child, when the bushes were not so overgrown. “They need to clean it up,” the resident, who did not want to be named, said. “They (criminals) know once they are back here they can do anything they want to do and just get away.” He recounted a couple of bodies being found on the track road, particularly the discovery of two boys. Back in 2017, two teens were found shot to death on a dirt road off Graham Drive. It was reported Keishon Williams, 13, and Davante Lindsey, 15, were found side-by-side and appeared to have been shot execution style. The resident also said Yellow Elder Gardens is not safe at night as “fellas killing for nothing”. He says the community needs a police station for it to feel safer. “They need the police consistently because the fellas them, they’ll see when police coming through and then when they done pass through, every night you hearing all kinds of gun shots and stuff like that (sic),” he said. ASP Peters said police are seeing an increased use of firearms as a result of altercations and asked individuals to report people they know are in possession of these illegal weapons. This is the tenth homicide this year, according to The Tribune’s records.
THE TRIBUNE
Friday, January 29, 2021, PAGE 3
National exams head for delay from page one “I know that right now the ministry’s testing and evaluation department have been meeting with Cambridge assessment. I have also had a meeting with them and they are also further engaging the stakeholders, meaning our teachers and our educators by way of their advocates, the unions, to firm up precisely the dates for the conduct of these exams.” He added: “As you would expect, it is likely that those exams will start later in 2021 than in the (years) before for obvious reasons – the pandemic, the exams last year were conducted late and as a result, it would be natural for us to have some consideration towards pushing back the exams to start at a week, two weeks, three weeks later date.” With the resumption of face-to-face learning in schools in New Providence, Abaco, Eleuthera and Exuma still expected sometime next month, the
minister also said officials would like to utilise the time to help students better prepare for the exams. He said: “As you know we are going to begin the return of face-to-face instructions on New Providence, Abaco, Exuma and Eleuthera and we will like to exhaust as much face-to face time with our students on those islands as we could. “Our anticipation is sometime in next month, we would start those (instructions) and then we would want those students in those islands to really have the benefit of a month or two months of real faceto-face so that they could really catch up and get settled into the routine of attending a physical school unlike which many of them have been doing since October of last year, which was the virtual school.” The ministry’s decision to hold the exams last year received much pushback from parents and the Bahamas Union of Teachers, which recommended that
officials cancel the exams and use forecasted grades instead. Asked yesterday to respond to critics who feel the same way about this year’s examinations, Mr Lloyd replied: “I don’t have anything to say to those persons.” “My commitment is to the students of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, particularly the students in grade nine who would take the BJC and students in grade 11 and 12 who would take the BGCSE,” he said. “They deserve the opportunity to receive the credentials that many desire for the work that they have put in over their preceding ‘X’ number of years, nine years in the case of the BJC/BGCSEs.” He also said: “…How unfair would it be for the Ministry of Education to deny those students that opportunity. Our commitment is the access to quality education. Each year, hundreds of students, though registered, do not avail themselves of the exams for
various reasons. “Should we then cancel the exams because there is a percentage of students that are not interested? I don’t think so. What about the majority of those who want an exam, who need an exam and we the ministry must surrender to the critics who cannot seem to be interested in what is valuable, necessary and beneficial to those students? I think not.” Data released by the Ministry of Education in December showed that national exam results worsened in 2020 compared with 2019, with fewer students achieving A, B and C grades and more students receiving D, E, F and G grades compared with the year before. Fewer students also sat the exams compared with the previous year. Education officials have since defended the 2020 results, insisting the tests were a “success and remarkable accomplishment” despite the challenges of COVID-19.
ATLANTIS workers, above and below, speaking out yesterday amid the latest round of employee furloughs.
EDUCATION Minister Jeff Lloyd.
Photos: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff
‘HOW LONG MUST WE HOLD ON?’ from page one
But the grace period letting businesses retain employees without paying them is a source of intense frustration to some even as others believe the provision is a boon to many people hoping to find their job still available when the pandemic wanes. “I don’t know how much longer they’re going to expect us to hold on,” Ms Bridgewater said yesterday during a press conference involving several furloughed Atlantis employees. “What are we holding on to? Every time the emergency order is extended, it is in favour of the employers. What are the employees supposed to do?” The temporary layoff, or furlough period, during which companies can send employees home without paying full severance pay or other benefits expires some 30 days after the emergency powers end. Yesterday the Senate passed a resolution extending the emergency order to May 23. A waitress working at Atlantis for 13 years, Ms Bridgewater said she has been furloughed since March 16 last year. Her
two children, including one with “special needs”, are among her greatest responsibilities. Weekly unemployment benefits of $100 per week only go so far helping to pay bills, she said. She also noted that unemployment benefits, which have been extended until the end of February, have declined since the start of the pandemic, raising questions about whether cash-strapped workers will soon be receiving just $75 weekly. “I’m already up to here waiting on Atlantis, “ she said. “I’ve already reached out months ago, asked about the redundancy package, and I was told that, in a nutshell, Atlantis wasn’t moving in that direction. So, what am I supposed to do if National Insurance has already decided for me that unemployment benefits stop at 13 weeks even though I’ve been paying National Insurance for years? Without foreigners travelling, there isn’t much talk about travelling anywhere now. When is the government going to realise tourism is no longer our number one industry? Invest in your people. Why do the employers have the upper hand over the employees?”
A heartwarming scene emerged in December as Atlantis executives applauded hundreds of returning workers and media crews waited to interview them. But the resort has twice announced a new round of furloughs since then amid low occupancy rates and US President Joe Biden’s announcement that international travellers will have to quarantine on arrival in the United States, an announcement that sparked cancellations at the resort. Labour Director John Linder said in September that most employers do not have enough funds to give employees severance packages, adding that many would go bankrupt if forced to do so. “It would be comparable to the situation that happened to CLICO some years ago,” he said. Yet for Patrice Burrows, 49, the extraordinary COVID-19 pandemic does not justify suspending key provisions of the Employment Act. “I ain’ hoping to be made redundant, you know, I just want them to give whatever the law states we are entitled to get, that’s what I believe we should get,” she said. “If (redundancy) is what the law says, do what
the law says. I know with my (redundancy) funds, my children, my family and my husband and the church backing me, it will go a long way. “The challenges with not having a job, not having a salary is, you can’t do the things you normally used to do. My husband works for government and I say thank God for him, he handles the bills part of it. The part I used to deal with, he has taken it on.” Asked if furloughed workers are shortsighted for demanding they be made redundant, Dave Beckford, a long-time advocate for workers at Atlantis, cited the unpredictability of the pandemic. “Remember the last opening up in July? They opened up a couple weeks ago, they called workers back, but sent them home. It’s unpredictable,” he said. “Give the workers who want to be redundant, give them their package and be done with that. And when business returns to some normalcy, these same workers here, if they so desire and wish, they should be called back to work, but in the meantime, do what the law says. “The law ain’t only there for the employer. What about the workers?”
PAGE 4, Friday, January 29, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
CHANGING PLACES - DR BOISSON STEPS INTO DR DE DOURVILLE’S SHOES
THE Pan American Health Organisation and World Health Organisation has announced a change in their representative in The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands following the retirement of Dr Esther de Gourville. She served from November 2016 until this month. Dr Eldonna Boisson has been appointed as the new PAHO/WHO representative in The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands. Dr Boisson has been employed with PAHO/ WHO since 1998 and is well known for her work at PAHO/WHO’s Caribbean sub-regional office. Since January, she was also a member of the PAHO/WHO Incident Management System Team (IMST) for the COVID-19 response in which capacity she supported the English and Dutch speaking Caribbean countries and United Nations Agencies in the areas of surveillance and travel health measures. Yesterday, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis and Health Minister Renward Wells attended a farewell lunch for Dr de Gourville at Balmoral Club.
AG concedes July opening ‘cost us dear’
from page one
He also pointed to new, more infectious strains of the coronavirus which are spreading around the world. He said while officials don’t know much about how these new strains act, it was important to maintain restrictions until most of the country receives vaccinations. “The longer the bulk of humanity is not vaccinated there are going to be continual opportunities for this virus to mutate and possibly to become even more contagious, even more variant, meaning that it will kill more people,” Mr Bethel told the Senate. “So, the critical race now is to obtain vaccines and to vaccinate as many Bahamians as possible. “Pending that we will not drop our guard. We cannot drop our guard. We made that error once in July of 2020 and we paid dearly for it. “We will not drop our guards again until we have reached the level of vaccination of Bahamians and residents and when I say residents, I mean all populations in The Bahamas. All without discrimination or incrimination. All populations and when we reach that level, yes, we will drop.
We will ask the Governor General to please consider (revoking the state of emergency).” He further assured Bahamians the government’s aim was the protection of their lives, while making a case for emergency orders to be extended to May 23. The Senate passed the extension yesterday. A new variant of the coronavirus emerged yesterday in the United States, posing yet another public health challenge in a country already losing more than 3,000 people to COVID-19 every day, multiple news agencies said. The mutated version of the virus, first identified in South Africa, was found in two cases in South Carolina. Public health officials said it’s almost certain that there are more infections that have not been identified yet. They are also concerned that this version spreads more easily and that vaccines could be less effective against it. The two cases were discovered in adults in different regions of the state and do not appear to be connected. Neither of the people infected has travelled recently, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control said Thursday. Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said on
Wednesday the rollout of a COVID-19 vaccine will be “one of the greatest logistical challenges” the country has ever faced. The National COVID-19 Vaccine Consultative Committee, led by Dr Merceline Dahl-Regis, is expected to hold a press conference next week to give details about the vaccine distribution plan and an update on the vaccines. With help from the World Health Organisation and the Pan American Health Organisation, The Bahamas, he said, has secured enough doses to vaccinate 20 percent of the population once the vaccine becomes available. “The Bahamas is also looking into accessing vaccines through the African Medical Supplies Platform (ASMP) via CARICOM,” Dr Minnis said. “The government has also made direct contact with providers of approved vaccines. I wish to assure Bahamians that the vaccines approved for use in The Bahamas have met the strict and rigorous standards of the World Health Organisation.” He added: “To ensure all Bahamians and residents who choose to take the vaccine can be vaccinated safely and quickly, extensive plans are underway to ensure a safe and effective rollout of the COVID-19
TOTAL CASES
TOTAL DEATHS
8,167 175
NEWLY CONFIRMED CASES WEDNESDAY 6 CASES NEW PROVIDENCE 5 ABACO 1
TOTAL TESTS
59,551
HOSPITALISED
vaccine throughout The Bahamas. “The national rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine will be one of the greatest logistical challenges that the country has ever undertaken.” The distribution plan, he said, will cover “distribution at the national, district and Family Island levels; training and capacity building; implementation of an electronic immunisation
17
CASES IN ICU
0
registry; administration of the COVID-19 vaccine; vaccine logistics and storage management; communications and social mobilisation; and monitoring and supervision.” Health Minister Renward Wells has previously said cold storage equipment needed to preserve the vaccines will be in the country shortly. • SIX cases of COVID19 were recorded on
RECOVERED
6,764
Thursday. Five of the cases are in New Providence while one is in Abaco. According to the latest information from the Ministry of Health, 17 COVID patients are in hospital. There are currently 1,175 active cases. One hundred and seventy-five people have died from the disease while 15 deaths are under investigation.
NO BAHAMASAIR CANCELLATIONS AFTER US ANNOUNCEMENT By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMASAIR chairman Tommy Turnquest said yesterday the airline has not received any cancellations following the announcement of a new testing and quarantine requirement for travellers entering the United States. He also said neither has the airline seen an uptick in travel bookings. The new US policy— requiring all air passengers entering the US to produce a negative COVID-19 before arrival — took effect on Tuesday. Last Thursday, US President Joe Biden also signed an executive order directing federal agencies to require international air travellers to quarantine upon arrival in the US. The move comes after local hotels and resorts began to reopen, with tourism officials already saying the new policies could be a devastating blow to the Bahamian economy.
However, Mr Turnquest told reporters yesterday that the airline has yet to receive any cancellations, adding that officials are choosing to remain optimistic. “We haven’t seen any cancellations per se, but we also haven’t seen an uptick,” he said. “We had an uptick in the month of December which saw revenues go almost double from what it was in November prior to Thanksgiving and so we look at the four weeks prior to Thanksgiving and then the four weeks from Thanksgiving to Christmas, we saw almost a hundred percent uptick. “Now, that gives us cause to be positive or optimistic except when you compare that period against the period 12 months before that, that was only 25-30 percent of what that is so we’re still extremely challenged.” He added: “But, you have to put it into context in terms of a person needing a test to go to the United States. That costs
money. You then have to pay for your ticket. You then have to pay for accommodation. You have to pay for whatever else you do while you’re away. “And then, you have to get a PCR test to come back home and so obviously, only those persons who really have to go or those with a fair amount of disposable income are travelling.” With the roll-out of several COVID-19 vaccines, Mr Turnquest said officials are hopeful that things will get better heading into the spring. He also said the airline is currently looking at implementing flights to various new destinations. “We are extremely hopeful,” he said. “We think that as the US rolls out its vaccination programme, we’re going to see benefits in that so we’re extremely hopeful. We’re working in the Ministry of Tourism looking at new routes. “A lot of persons say ‘well why doesn’t Bahamasair fly into Atlanta or why don’t we fly into Charlotte
or why don’t we fly into New York?’ Well, those markets are very well serviced. What we need to do is look at opening new markets for Bahamasair and so why not look at Cleveland, Ohio? Why not look at Connecticut at the Bradley International Airport which services Connecticut and Massachusetts up north? “We’re looking at national Tennessee and then we’re looking at a Latin American market that the Ministry of Tourism, through its research, says it’s quite positive in terms of Mexico City.” As it relates to the airline’s financial affairs, Mr Turnquest admitted that while Bahamasair still has its challenges, officials have introduced several measures to generate more revenue. He pointed to the company’s decision to increase domestic fares last month as one of them. “We understand the challenges that Bahamasair faces but there are some opportunities and we’re
trying to take advantage of those opportunities,” he said. “We haven’t had a domestic fare increase in eight years and we’ve done that. Again, it’s still very early to tell the effect of that because well, you’re not comparing apples with apples. “You’ve got a reduced passenger load and also, we’re charging for the first bag on international travel. With respect to that, that’s just extra money…It’s not a competitive disadvantage to Bahamasair, We’re charging $25 for the first bag and the next lowest as I am aware of is $35 so we’re below the market on that and that’s adding to the revenue and then we’re looking at various cost containment, cost controlled factors.” He added that the agency has no plans to furlough or lay off any of its 550 staff members at this time. “The last thing we want to do is furlough or lay off staff,” he stressed to reporters yesterday. “I mean Bahamasair, through
retirements, through changing our business models and our schedules, we’re now down to 550 employees. “The salary cost though is still too high for Bahamasair. The industry average is around 24 percent. We’re around 32 percent and so we would like to get a little lower in terms of that but we don’t plan to have any mass layoffs or furloughs because that’s not productive.” He also said: “What we are looking at is an early retirement programme. We had a voluntary programme prior to the pandemic that was suspended and we’re going to look at that again. Bahamasair has around 140 persons, 55 years and older, and so we will see how many of them (would take advantage of that). “Obviously we can’t let all of them go because that’s their experience, but Bahamasair has been a pretty stable employer with the average person being there over 20 years.”
THE TRIBUNE
Friday, January 29, 2021, PAGE 5
ONE of the issues residents are concerned about is new construction of shanty homes in the Farm Road area - pictured here last year.
Residents to protest over issues in Abaco By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
A PEACEFUL demonstration is set to take place in Abaco tomorrow to allow residents to voice their frustrations about the post-Dorian rebuilding process as well as other issues. Event organiser Crystal Williams told The Tribune she decided to host the event after being contacted by various locals, who said their cries for help have been falling on deaf ears. This is not the first protest the long-time resident has planned. Saying Abaconians are
just tired and fed up, Ms Williams said they will be protesting against several issues like the immigration problem on the island and the government’s “failure” to live up to its promises. She said: “This particular platform is set for persons to be able to speak their views on how they’re being treated… but for me, this platform is mostly about our immigration (issues). “It’s as though the law is only put in place for Bahamians, but it shouldn’t be.” This comes after aerial surveillance, circulated online last week, shows new construction in the Farm Road shanty town located in the Treasure Cay community.
Residents there have been sounding the alarm about the issue for months, noting the matter, if not dealt with soon, could mirror the pre-Dorian situation which saw several large unregulated shanty towns on the island. “We did an aerial and when we did it, I wanted to faint,” said Ms Williams. “Your eyes couldn’t imagine that all of that is going on in the back there... “You have some of those homes that have metal on their roofs and we only had one NGO on this island giving out metal roofs so all of these things make you question which direction is
the government actually taking?” Added to these concerns, according to Ms Williams, is the need for further extensions of the Hurricane Dorian tax relief measures, which are said to be critical to the rebuilding efforts on Abaco. Abaco and East Grand Bahama were declared special economic recovery zones by the government in 2019 following Hurricane Dorian’s devastation. The economic recovery zone plan provides businesses and homeowners in storm-ravaged islands with a variety of tax breaks and concessions. While several tax
concessions have been discontinued, the latest amendment to the Special Economic Recovery Zone Order allows for tax exemptions related to building materials, as well as the elimination of VAT on construction services to continue until June. Construction services on Abaco and Grand Bahama will be VAT-free through June 2021 provided they are fully paid for by the end of September. The import of VATfree vehicles has also been extended for an additional month, which was initially set to end in December. Ms Williams also said that residents there are fed
up with the Disaster Reconstruction Authority. The agency’s Small Home Repair programme was suspended after the suppliers did not receive payments from the time the initiative was launched last February. However, officials have already said that they expect the programme to resume in a matter of weeks. According to Ms Williams, protestors will also be joined by supporters of Bahamian Evolution, a group that has been agitating for change as it relates to the country’s natural resources. “So, I’m expecting a great turn out,” she said.
‘HIGH INTEREST’ IN GB AIRPORT PARTNERSHIP By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net AS negotiations on the Grand Bahama International Airport near the final stages, State Minister for Grand Bahama Senator Kwasi Thompson has revealed that there is high interest from investors to enter a publicprivate partnership with the government in the redevelopment of the facility. The government is in negotiations with the Hutchison Group and the Grand Bahama Port Authority to acquire ownership of the airport, which sustained severe damage during Hurricane Dorian. “We believe we are in the final stages, and we hope for a turnover and resolution very shortly,” Mr Thompson said recently. The government continues to meet with the two major stakeholders regularly, he added. “We believe the big issues have been resolved, and we are attempting now to finalise, but we are still in negotiations with (them). We expect that once that is completed, a complete assessment has to be done as to how we will rebuild.” Mr Thompson said there will be a complete redevelopment of the airport. “We are pleased the government has received a high interest from companies who want to have a PPP with the government in the redevelopment
of the airport. Once the process is completed, and we go through and assess the proposals, a decision will be made as to how we move forward to the PPP arrangement.” Despite the challenges facing Grand Bahama, Mr Thompson reported that the island is ranked 21 among the best destinations in the Caribbean to visit. He noted that attracting sufficient airlift and proper marketing of the island is very critical to the island’s success. Mr Thompson believes that 2021 is going to be better than 2020 in terms of the island’s economy. He noted that various foreign direct investments are shaping up, such as the new medical school for Grand Bahama. “We are very pleased to see significant progress on the West Atlantic Medical School, which is a project the government signed an HoA with the former principals of Ross University. We are just about completed (with) the agreements with the Public Hospital Authority who is providing the land, and we have completed other paperwork required to get started.” Minister Thompson said the government expects to see WAMS break ground in the coming weeks. In the maritime sector, he said the government has approved Clean Marine, which is an existing company in the Shipyard to transform used oil products into clean oil to
expand its facility. “It is an environmentally friendly business and they are going to be expanding and building a brand-new facility in GB,” he added. When asked about Carnival’s mega cruise-port project in East Grand Bahama, Mr Thompson said Carnival has indicated its desire to continue with the project. “The project at the moment is still in the regulatory stage where all permitting stages are with the Ministry of the Environment and they are continuing the work they need to do,” he said. Mr Thompson said Carnival has not as yet indicated to the government its new timeframe in terms of the project. Asked about investor interest in the Freeport area, particularly the former Royal Oasis Resort and International Bazaar, he said interest “is promising and hopeful.” “I will say we continue to have an interest by investors, which again is promising and hopeful. As the PM has announced those investments on the drawing board, we want to move them through the system as quickly as we can to remove the stumbling blocks…but there is interest with respect to the PPPs for the airport, and we continue to see some development interests that we are unable to talk about yet. “We are extremely pleased that post-Dorian and post-COVID we will have investors who are willing and able to come
and invest in GB. We’re focused on digitisation and tech companies that want
to come, and we have also seen interests with respect to that. We are hopeful
that this year is going to be better than last year,” he said.
PAGE 6, Friday, January 29, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
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Get on with holding examinations WHEN the last round of national exam results came out, they were announced as a success by the Education Minister and his team. Not so much for the results – which took a big drop – but for the very fact of being able to hold the examinations at all. So if the measure of success is simply to hold the examinations, what grade do we give the Education Ministry as they warn they may be held later than usual this year? How far back those exams may be pushed we don’t know yet – Education Minister Jeff Lloyd expects more information on that “within a week or so” – but there would be obvious concern on the effects of pushing exams back to a point into a holiday period, when children might not have the access to the teachers that they need in order to make the most of their preparation time. There’s also a question to be asked that with the hindsight of last year why exams have to still be the same format in a time of pandemic. Gathering students in a room together and setting them away writing and calculating might be a method that has been used for many years, but does it have to be that way? Businesses and organisations around the world have adapted to new ways of operating during the pandemic – so why not examinations? Sadly, it’s probably too late for that particular revolution – or for the call to be heeded to use forecasted grades instead of bringing children around others to sit the papers. In which case, there’s only one thing left to do: Get on with it. Whatever it takes in terms of resources to get the examinations done, make sure it happens. That includes looking for alternative buildings in some places so there is adequate spacing between students, for the health of both them and school staff. For some students – those in their final year – too much of a delay could seriously impact their chances to apply for colleges or for jobs. If a college wants to see your grades before confirming your acceptance, we don’t want to set Bahamian youngsters at a disadvantage
because at the start of the year we’re not sure if we can hold the exams as we should several months from now, even after we’ve started to administer the vaccine that we hope will keep COVID19 in check. So show us what you can do, Education Ministry – after all, you’ve set your own benchmark for success. If you can’t meet that, heaven help the students whose grades are somehow viewed as less important than the exams themselves.
Income tax
The government has started discussing income tax. So says the IMF, but you wouldn’t know it from the silence on the subject from politicians right here. “The authorities reiterated their commitment to fiscal discipline once the crisis subsides,” the IMF report said. If that sounds to you as if the government is nodding and saying oh yes, we’ll get right on that, and then kicking the can down the road again, then you’re not alone. That said, there would seem to be some nugget in there that the government has indicated a willingness to discuss it – and perhaps they should. It’s a topic that no one likes to talk about, and which frightens people worried it will drive away investors who have come here to avoid income tax elsewhere. There’s truth to that – but if the discussion is being had, it should be done in public, not just behind closed doors in meeting rooms with financial organisations. That way, everyone can have their input. If it were to happen here, what form would it take? More to the point, what does each party think of the idea and what would be their commitment. After all, we all know we’re in an election countdown now and there really isn’t going to be a sniff of any income tax while people are looking for votes. But the next government will perhaps have to face this question – whichever party wins the day – and it might be a good idea to know what the leaders think before we cast that vote.
Travel trouble EDITOR, The Tribune.
I HAVE just completed a virtual conference with other travel agents from Canada, eastern United States and England. We were discussing the ongoing travel challenges and how we are directing the clients who wish to travel. The Bahamas led the Caribbean area for decades. Previously The Tourism Ministry was on top of the situation, spent time in working with agents and “travel partners” encouraging tourism to the beautiful Bahamas. So many of us have been involved with your country for so long that many have purchased holiday properties and come on a regular basis. However, over the past few months much that had been built up has fallen apart. The Bahamas has dropped down to the bottom in interest and bookings. So many untruths have been spread by your Government officials and so much red tape has been introduced that few want to travel to you anymore. We all follow the Bahamas news. The great majority of residents from your main tourist markets are well. They are responsible and are taking all the necessary precautions. It is not us who are to wholly blame for COVID-19 entering your country. Your Government
jamaaltheartist@gmail.com
allowed Bahamians to return with no tests in July and the virus spread. Those of us who were actually able to gain entry all had to bring tests. Sadly there have been many nasty letters to your newspaper from Bahamians criticising visitors, the travel industry and even winter residents who want to come to their own properties. Yet we are your main economic driving force. Why has this been allowed to happen? As we discussed today the major problem in booking trips to The Bahamas is the Health Visa combined with a very short five-day entry period. It has created uncertainty because most prospective visitors simply cannot complete the requirements in time to travel. Having to wait in most areas at least two days for test results and then scan them to Nassau and be uncertain whether the Visa will arrive in time has caused the problem. The expense of the tests themselves as well as the time spent in getting such tests adds as a deterrent to travel. It would be far better to allow visitors to present successful COVID19 PCR test results at the airport and then receive boarding passes. All the extra layers imposed on people are counterproductive and do not bring
visitors. We have all been forced to send clients to other southern destinations who take seriously the administration of tests and carry out suitable protocols. The idea that other destinations are full of COVID-19 is not true. None of us are sending people to any unsafe places. We are sending them there because they are not burdened with such rules and restrictions which make tourism all but impossible. We are all looking with amazement at the recent pronouncements from your hotel, union and government people that tourism will rebound. This is very wishful thinking. Our unanimous opinion after our discussions this morning is that tourism will not recover in The Bahamas until the Health Visa is eliminated and the hostile environment caused by health and government officials changes dramatically. Your economy is now under severe strain with large numbers unemployed. You are now at a precipice. Common sense must prevail soon or the future looks very bleak indeed. That would be a tragedy not only for Bahamians but for all of your friends overseas. GEORGE HITCHCOCK Toronto, Canada January 23, 2021.
Jamaal Rolle is on holiday
Issues and ideas EDITOR, The Tribune. THE Gaming Industry and our economic recovery. This is my second article in a series of articles that I am writing with ideas that in my opinion would boost the Bahamian economy. Web Shop gambling is a legal operation in our country. The owners must be congratulated for their efforts in making it a thriving multi-million dollar industry, that employs scores of Bahamians. The owners are all now wealthy Bahamians, living in luxury and enjoying the fruits of their labour and investment. It would have been great for the people of The Bahamas if our government had instead decided to operate this lucrative business for the people. The millions would have been made for the people and the country. When our government was considering legalising the web shops, I wrote a letter to the late Minister Dr BJ Nottage advising that our government take over and operate the web shops and a weekly lottery. In the letter I gave details of Dr Eric Williams’ takeover of the gaming operations in Trinidad and Tobago. Williams’ party, the PNM, came to power in 1962. He became Prime Minister. At the time the numbers racket was illegal for decades. The Trinis called it “Weh Weh”. Police raids and prosecutions could not eradicate it. Williams knew
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net that the operators were financially successful, but illicitly controlled the draw and the winning number. The same applied to us here where certain number houses would not place the high selling numbers in the bag for the draw. The Williams government appointed the Trinidad & Tobago Gaming Corporation. The corporation operates and controls gaming in Trinidad & Tobago. The corporation operates the numbers racket, called “play web.” There are no web shops, the numbers are sold in qualified retail establishments, who earn a percentage of the sales. The weekly lottery is sold by street vendors, who purchase the books of tickets at a wholesale price. Tickets are available in food stores, drug stores and other retail establishments. Horse Racing is also controlled as the race tracks are owned by the government. The races are held by racing clubs that lease the tracks. They pay the government a rental fee and a percentage of the parimutuel sold. Off-shore Betting Shops and Casinos pay a huge licence fee. Dr Eric Williams and his People’s National Movement government ensured that all revenues earned from gaming are placed in a special fund. The government
referred to it as “The people’s money returning to the people.” Through Health Care, social services, education (free up to university level if the child passes the entrance exams and free laptop computers for children in the upper grades, and subsidies for religious and other private schools) and sports. Gaming has developed into a huge revenue earner for the Trinidad government. At the time when The Bahamas government was thinking of legalizing the numbers racket here, there was a Trinidadian man, who is married to a Bahamian residing and working in Nassau. He had been a director at one time in the Trinidad & Tobago Gaming Commission. I had informed Dr Nottage that this man was prepared to assist the Bahamas government if they wished to take over the gaming business. He has since returned to Trinidad where his children are entitled to receive free education through gambling. The Bahamas government should consider taking over the web shop gaming and add a weekly lottery. Expert help could be obtained from Trinidad. The millions would enrich our Treasury and boost our economy. PAUL THOMPSON, Sr, ACP-Ret. Nassau, January 14, 2021.
No one above law EDITOR, The Tribune. IT IS very rare that I write to the newspapers regarding matters of current events. But I do so today as a Bahamian with a sense of responsibility and concern for my beloved country. I have read the press reports regarding the contribution made in the House of Assembly by the Hon Phillip “Brave” Davis on the extension of the Emergency Powers Regulations. Without being partisan, the comments are spot on. It is very serious that the Prime Minister, “The Competent Authority”, has trampled on one of the most serious requirements
of the Regulations by failing to submit reports to Parliament that detail the expenditures, suppliers for the goods and services procured and the reasons those suppliers were chosen. In my opinion it is a dereliction of duty by the Prime Minister and he should know that persons have resigned for far lesser abuses of their official powers. It cannot be that he is too busy to do so. He and his entourage have been flouting his own Emergency Regulations by flying up and down The Bahamas for beach walks and what looks suspiciously like campaigning, even though he’s using our tax dollars to travel. The Bahamian people
must demand an explanation from the Prime Minister. He broke every promise he ever made about accountability so we cannot trust him to hold himself to account. We must do it ourselves. Our lenders and external partners are watching and must, understandably, be concerned. In Greek mythology, there is a well-known adage, He whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make mad. There is no question in my mind that the Competent Authority has been made mad! A PATRIOT FOR OUR COUNTRY Nassau, January 28, 2021.
Not so simple to visit The Bahamas EDITOR, The Tribune. I HAVE just read Hotel Worker’s Union President Darrin Wood’s almost unbelievable statement that people “will think twice about jumping on a plane” and coming to The Bahamas. If it were only that simple! My wife and myself have been attempting to come to our Bahamian property for months. However, as so many letter writers to The Tribune have expressed similar problems in trying to make the journey, I simply cannot believe that leaders in the travel industry have sat back and allowed these difficulties to continue. Also why have not all the unions, the shop owners and businesses generally not spoken up against entry rules which
make it nearly impossible for most people to enter The Bahamas? Whoever designed the cumbersome Health Visa should be forced to resign. How could it be realistically thought that people could obtain COVID-19 PCR tests, wait two days minimum for written results, scan them to Nassau with the forms, be uncertain when permission to enter is granted and be on the ground in Nassau within five days. No wonder the hotels which are open are mostly empty and flights well below capacity. So many of the Bahamian officials refuse to acknowledge that these poorly thought out policies have seriously affected visitor arrivals. Blaming it all on the virus and other excuses now has little credibility. Until the Health Visa
is abolished and people are allowed to bring tests with them there will be no rebound. That is the only way travellers can arrive within five days if even feasible at that short time span. So much business has been lost and inconvenience caused for many as a result of these harsh measures. Most people here are well. Those who are unwell will not travel anyway. Many people are still travelling, but sadly very few to The Bahamas. For how long your economy can sustain itself with lack of tourism remains to be seen, but the problems have been mounting for months. Who is prepared to take the blame for the anti-visitor policies? MICHAEL HAMILTON, CA New Brunswick, Canada January 26, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
Bailed over deadly crash at Christmas By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net A MAN who was accused of causing a three-car collision that claimed the lives of a married couple on Christmas night was yesterday granted bail ahead of his trial. Last week, Alexander Butler, 33, appeared before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt charged with two counts of killing in the course of dangerous driving, after the prosecution alleged that he drove his vehicle on West Bay
Street in a manner dangerous to the public, which ultimately led to the deaths of Brent and Eulona Johnson. At the time, Butler was also charged for driving a car while he was not covered against third party risk insurance. During his first court appearance, the accused denied causing the couple’s death through reckless driving, but admitted to driving without third party risk insurance. He returned to court yesterday for a bail hearing.
MAN JAILED FOR AMMUNITION HE CLAIMED THAT HE FOUND By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net A 21-YEAR-OLD man who was found with illegal ammunition that he claimed he had found was yesterday sentenced to six months in prison. Police arrested Jermaine Mott after they found 50 rounds of unfired .40 ammunition in his home on January 25. He owned up to the offence during a hearing before Chief Magistrate Joyann Fergsuon-Pratt. The court was told officers went to Mott’s Chippingham residence armed with a warrant. When officers checked the south-western bedroom, they found a shoebox that contained one Federal Premium Law Enforcement .40 ammunition box, with the bullets inside. Mott was arrested. When questioned, he admitted the offence and said he found the ammunition through a shortcut
between Farrington Road and Boyd Road. He told officers he kept the contraband for about a week and had not turned it over to the police because he was afraid. The prosecution said the accused claimed he was unaware his actions were illegal. Yesterday, Mott’s attorney, Ian Cargill, told the magistrate his client made a stupid mistake. He also said Mott now understood ignorance was not an excuse to break the law. Magistrate FergusonPratt told the accused she hoped he had learned from the error of his ways. She said he should have already grown past his “boyish curiosity” as he was an adult. She advised him that there were certain things in life that he should run from and not embrace. She fined Mott $4,500 and sentenced him to six months in prison. She warned him if he failed to pay the fine, he would be sentenced to 18 months.
ARREST WARRANTS ISSUED By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
ARREST warrants were issued yesterday for several people who failed to appear in court after they were charged with breaching regulations outlined in the Emergency Powers Order. Yesterday, more than 100 people had been summoned to the Magistrate’s Court to be arraigned for breaking curfew, failing to wear a mask in public, refusing to practise social distancing, attending large social gatherings and operating prohibited businesses. The majority who were charged failed to appear. Those who did attend were either discharged or denied the allegations. Charmaine Sweeting, 42; Aaliah Knowles, 19; Tatyana Delancy, 23; and Milissa Lundy, 46, appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes after they were accused of going to a local bar around 7.28pm in
November. All denied violating social gathering protocols and the case was adjourned to May 17 for trial. They were each released on bail on their own recognisance. Eric Williams, 33, was charged with operating a bar and restaurant on Malcolm Road on December 15. During his hearing before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt yesterday, he denied the allegation and his case was adjourned to August 20 for trial. Williams was released on bail with one sureter. Brian Adderely, 52, also appeared before Magistrate Ferguson-Pratt for the same offence. However, after he pleaded not guilty, the prosecution offered no evidence and sought to withdraw the matter. He was subsequently discharged. Warrants of arrest were also issued for people who failed to appear in court and did not bother to pay the fixed penalty fines attached to their citations.
HAITIAN MEN ARE FINED By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net THREE Haitian men who could not verify their status when approached by immigration officers earlier this week were fined $300 in court yesterday. John Blanc, 33, Cloud Petite, 29, and Kutchner Guillaume, 31, appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes after they were found in New Providence on January 26, having landed in the country without leave of an immigration officer. They all pleaded guilty to one count of illegal landing. The court was told a team of officers were conducting patrols in the southwestern region of the capital when they approached and questioned the men regarding
their status in the country. After the accused told them they had travelled to the country illegally on a boat, they were cautioned and taken to the Detention Centre for further processing. The prosecution said checks of the Immigration Department’s system confirmed the accused were residing in the country without the required legal documents. They were subsequently charged. After they pleaded guilty yesterday, Magistrate Forbes fined each accused $300 or 12 months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. He said after the fine was paid or the sentence was completed, they would be turned over to the Director of Immigration for deportation.
After the prosecution had no objections to him being released prior to his trial, Magistrate Ferguson-Pratt granted Butler $12,000 bail with two sureties. The magistrate also dealt with Butler’s sole guilty plea and fined the accused $250 for driving without third party risk insurance. She said the fine was the maximum penalty that could be imposed for the offence as outlined in the regulations of the Road Traffic Department. Butler returns to court on September 1 for the opening of his trial.
Friday, January 29, 2021, PAGE 7
PM PAYS RESPECTS TO SIR WILLIAM ALLEN
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis signed the Book of Condolence for the late Sir William Allen, former Cabinet Minister, Deputy to the Governor General, Parliamentarian, and Governor of the Central Bank, in the foyer of the House of Assembly yesterday. Photos: Letisha Henderson/BIS
PAGE 8, Friday, January 29, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
Y D A E R T LET’S GE E L B M U TO R A Comic’s View
By INIGO ‘NAUGHTY’ ZENICAZELAYA
IF you missed Wednesday’s session in the House of Assembly, have no fear because I suffered through (most) of the debate to bring you the highlights and lowlights. What started as a debate on the latest Emergency Powers extension quickly turned into matchups even Vince McMahon (of World Wrestling Entertainment fame) couldn’t have scripted.
No one was put through tables or hit with chairs, but a few were kicked off proverbial ladders, and some imaginary briefcases got snatched.
THE UNDERCARD: DARREN HENFIELD VS CHESTER COOPER Earlier this week, as reported in this newspaper,
“The International Monetary Fund (IMF)... confirmed the Bahamian economy shrank by over $2bn last year to almost match the size of the country’s rapidly-growing national debt.” Was this bad news? Was this regular news? I guess it depends on who you ask. The verbal jousting between the combatants came as Cooper sought to sound the alarm while Henfield sought to point out that every country was experiencing the same financial woes. Their backand-forth didn’t produce a clear winner on the issue of whether we should whistle optimistically into our economic future or hunker down for dark days ahead because none of their blows landed. So let’s call it a draw. If there were a “winner”, it would be Henfield, who catapulted to the top of the list of potential deputies should current DPM Desmond Bannister decide not to contest the position. Cooper is already his party’s second-in-command
and seems to have that position “on lock”.
THE MAIN EVENT: ‘DOC’ MINNIS VS ‘BRAVE’ DAVIS Early on during Prime Minister Hubert “Doc” Minnis’ presentation, Opposition Leader Philip “Brave” Davis was on his feet with a point of order. And, as the young people say, plenty “slapping up” soon followed. Brave denied the PM’s accusation that early on during the pandemic the PLP leader advocated for bars to open. Doc reminded him that he did. Brave then landed a “Stone Cold Stunner” by calling out the PM, and the alleged favoritism shown to his alleged “special interest donors”. In a flurry, all I heard Brave say was, “Something, Something... Island House!” He followed with a quick, “Outside Lyford Cay, bar...ISLAND HOUSE!” Despite looking like
someone shocked at hearing “He Whose Name Must Not Be Spoken”, Doc quickly rallied to his feet. He accused the Opposition Leader of wanting the bars opened so people would “drink, dance and dine” during a global pandemic. Then, like The Rock with his trademark over- thetop finishing move (aka the Rock Bottom), Doc fired his own “unspeakable” accusation, saying Brave wanted “Bahamians to die!” Like I said, plenty “slapping up”. Did the PM show favoritism to “special interests”? Was Brave’s push for opening bars tied to a political calculation that open bars would mean more COVID cases, which would be bad optics for the PM? Again, I guess it depends on who you ask. I give a very slight edge to the PM in this bust-up only because he quickly recognised that there is no holding back when the gloves are off. Brave couldn’t (or wouldn’t) counter that severe accusation.
The reality is, in politics (as in life), when you pull your punches, sometimes you get knocked out.
SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES BY: Lanisha Rolle, who seemingly spent most of her time launching a rambling, barely-veiled attack on her rumored future opponent Leslia Brice. Leslia is the likely PLP standard bearer for the Seabreeze constituency. Travis Robinson, who has adopted a strange speaking cadence, essentially becoming a caricature of himself. He quoted R Kelly, of all people. (Take a timeout, Travis. You’re better than that). Miriam Emmanuel, who (thank the Lord) didn’t try to count any numbers larger than 100 but instead treated her contribution like an American Idol audition. She sang. Yes, sang! “Imaaaaaginnneee!” Frederick McAlpine, who only got out three words before he was interrupted, then interrupted, then interrupted several times more. It felt like the last two hours of debate was McAlpine saying a word and then being interrupted. Stand up, sit down, stand up. Indeed, the night was long.
BONUS MATCH: HALLY VS GLENYS
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By now, most Bahamians recognise that whenever Speaker of the House Halston Moultrie and Englerston MP Glenys Hanna Martin are in the same room, there is a high probability of a showdown. But the Speaker’s assertion of the existence of an imaginary “algorithm” that proves she is the most disruptive member of the House was really... weird. Was he tired? Was he hungry? Was he cranky from a long day of playing referee? Who knows, but this fight came out of nowhere. Hopefully, after all the chaos we saw yesterday, the Speaker heeds the great Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s advice to always “know your role” and, well, you know the rest. Until next week, here’s hoping our leaders remember the goal is to fight against the pandemic and not each other.
THE TRIBUNE
Friday, January 29, 2021, PAGE 9
Out of the pandemic, a new way of talking
By Diane Phillips
TEN years ago, unless you worked in the WebEx division of Cisco, you would never have heard the name Eric Yuan. Heck, even five years ago he was just one of those Silicon Valley geeks, an engineer with a dream, to create a better video conferencing system that was easy to sign in and out of, operated with low over- us out of our offices and head expenses, offered high into seclusion with the quality virtual interaction command that we find a and was inexpensive for the way to keep working, who dreamed we would become consumer. Unlike its early predeces- a world of Zoom-addicted, sor, Skype, that allowed one Zoom-dependent communications junkies? person to connect And now that with another and ‘All I could we have it, we later increased its capacity to think was out wonder ‘How did we ever live with50 persons on a of the doom out it?’ call, Yuan’s video and gloom Today, Yuan, communications the founder and platform, some- of the worst CEO of Zoom thing he called medical CommuZoom, could crisis in our Video nications is the accommodate unlimited partici- lifetime came pandemic-era saviour of our sanity. pants at a time, the gift of He’s Alexander hundreds, even Graham Bell, tens of thousands, Zoom.’ Steve Jobs and on a call or in a conference. It wasn’t just Bill Gates rolled into one, about the numbers. The new perceiver of a need before Zoom solution would have anyone knew they needed better-than-ever-before fea- it, creating the product and tures like screen sharing, perfecting it to ramp up the chat availability, options to very demand he created. For all of us who are turn video or audio on or off, to mute others if you Zoom-hooked, and that are the host, to wave if you would be about 97.5 perwant to speak up. It would cent of the population, we don’t even stop to think be fast and reliable. In a word, Zoom would about life before Zoom. No revolutionise the way we wonder - the history of this communicate. But who phenomena is surprisingly short. knew we needed it? Yuan, a Chinese-born Before COVID locked
American, left Cisco in 2011, taking about 40 engineers with him, to form a new company with a smarter video communications solution. Back then, the idea must have seemed almost silly to anyone outside that peculiar California enclave. People were free to travel. Going to meetings in the far reaches of the world was one of the perks of a job, especially if those meetings and conferences came with opportunities to explore foreign lands and cultures at the company’s expense. Let’s face it. What would you rather do? Go to a conference in Paris or stare at the four walls of the office and talk about next quarter’s strategy? True, there were always impediments to in-person meetings, but they weren’t insurmountable. Still, Zoom started to grow its following, giving WebEx and Skype a good run for their money. In April 2019, when Zoom (ZM) went public, no one predicted that a pandemic would alter our lives as it has. A video conferencing solution was sensible but not urgent. At the time of the IPO, shares
A STORY THAT WILL BREAK YOUR HEART A WOMAN is scheduled to give birth next week. Before the pandemic, she had a relatively decentpaying job at an upscale resort. Even after the resort closed, they kept her on part-time salary equivalent to two days a week. But as hotels remained closed and her older child, who is four, developed worsening
medical issues that needed frequent attention and care, life got harder. Determined to keep a roof over their heads no matter what, unlike some she knew who were forced to live in cars, she kept up her rent payments by selling household items. When she gives birth next week, the baby will come
home with her but there will be no bed, no mattress, no refrigerator, no stove. They will sleep together on the concrete floor. Mother and child, unintentional victims of an economic vortex sucking in the innocent with the guilty. If you want to help, please reach out to dpa@ dpa-media.com.
were valued at $36. Less than one year later, the world of communications became as important to our lives as a hot meal on a cold day. Shares skyrocketed to $380 plus change this week. Why all the interest in Zoom? It’s a far cry from the normal outpouring of words in a column like this. Maybe because there are only a handful of inventions or discoveries that we pay enough attention to even though they have truly changed our lives. Last weekend, I saw how Zoom empowered nearly 500 people in The Bahamas to live a healthier life.
For three days, week before last, we hit the airwaves, print and electronic media to announce a healthy habits webinar sponsored by Cleveland Clinic Florida with local fitness guru Craig Walkine, Dr Susan Lockhart-Williams, Nassau and chief of internal medicine at CCF Dr Gabriela Gavrilescu. It was the fifth time the Florida facility had sponsored one of these events for The Bahamas and we had hit the airwaves, print and electronic media to promote it, but only for three days leading up to the January 23, the Saturday morning it was scheduled.
When such events were still held in person, 150 or so would show up. This time, more than 450 people signed up to link in on Zoom, listen and start the year off right with healthy habits. And all I could think was out of the doom and gloom of the worst medical crisis in our lifetime came the gift of Zoom, a way we can stay connected with the world when disease tried to drive us apart. Thank you, Eric Yuan. May your name someday be as familiar as Steve Jobs who brought us Apple or Bill and Melinda Gates who are trying to bring us all the vaccine.
PAGE 10, Friday, January 29, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
CICELY TYSON DIES, AGE 96
CICELY Tyson at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards in 2009 in Los Angeles.
Photo: Matt Sayles/AP
CICELY Tyson, the pioneering Black actor who gained an Oscar nomination for her role as the sharecropper’s wife in “Sounder”, won a Tony Award in 2013 at age 88 and touched TV viewers’ hearts in “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman”, died yesterday at age 96. Tyson’s death was announced by her family, via her manager Larry Thompson. “With heavy heart, the family of Miss Cicely Tyson announces her peaceful transition this afternoon. At this time, please allow the family their privacy,” according to a statement issued through Thompson. A onetime model, she began her screen career with bit parts but gained fame in the early 1970s. “I’m very selective as I’ve been my whole career about what I do. Unfortunately, I’m not the kind of
PEOPLE protest against new anti-abortion laws, near the ruling Law and Justice party headquarters in Warsaw, Poland.
person who works only for money. It has to have some real substance for me to do it,” she said in 2013. Besides her Oscar nomination, she won two Emmys for playing the 110-year-old former slave in the 1974 television drama “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.” A new generation of moviegoers saw her in the 2011 hit “The Help.” In 2018, she was given an honorary Oscar statuette at the annual Governors Awards. “Sounder”, based on the William H Hunter novel, was the film that confirmed her stardom in 1972. Tyson was cast as the Depression-era loving wife of a sharecropper (Paul Winfield) who is confined in jail for stealing a piece of meat for his family. Her performance evoked rave reviews, and Tyson won an Academy Award nomination.
Photo: Czarek Sokolowski/AP
Polish protests over near-total abortion ban WARSAW, Poland Associated Press A NEAR-TOTAL ban on abortion has taken effect in Poland and triggered a new round of nationwide protests three months after the constitutional court ruled that the abortion of congenitally damaged fetuses is unconstitutional. Led by a women’s rights group, Women’s Strike, people poured onto the streets of Warsaw, where they demonstrated in front of the court, and in other cities and towns on Thursday for the second evening in a row. In Warsaw, the atmosphere was tense and police detained three people who they said “had invaded the territory of the Constitutional Tribunal.”
Women’s Strike insisted that a total five people had been detained and said one of them was Klementyna Suchanow, one of the leaders of the movement. Protesters insisted that women should have the right to decide about their own bodies. One banner in Rzeszow stated that an “abortion ban is discrimination against the poorest,” because poorer women will not be able to travel abroad for abortions, as Polish women who can afford to already do. “I wanted to have more children, you killed this desire,” read a banner held by one woman among the demonstrators in Warsaw. Some Polish women said that if they are denied the right to terminate pregnancies in cases of badly
deformed fetuses, they would not try to have children at all. Poland’s top human rights official denounced the further restriction of what was already one of the most restrictive abortion laws in Europe, calling it a tragedy for women. “The state wants to further limit their rights, risk their lives, and condemn them to torture,” said Adam Bodnar, the human rights commissioner, or ombudsman, whose role is independent from the Polish government. “This offensive is opposed by civil society.” The only remaining legal justifications for abortion under Polish law are if the woman’s life or health is at risk or if a pregnancy results from rape or incest.
To date, about 98% of all legal abortions in the country — of which there were 1,110 in 2019 — were performed on the grounds of fetal malformations. Poland’s constitutional court on Wednesday issued a justification of a controversial October ruling that bans abortions in cases of fetuses with congenital defects, even ones so severe that there is no chance of survival upon birth. The government then published the court’s ruling in a government Journal of Laws. Those steps were the formal prerequisites required for the new law to enter into force. Members of Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party, which is aligned with the Roman Catholic Church, had sought the new restriction. They argued
that it was a way to prevent the abortion of fetuses with Down syndrome, which have made up a significant share of the legal abortions in Poland. Women’s rights activists consider the new law to be draconian. The protesters are demanding a full liberalization of the abortion law and the resignation of the government, neither of which seem likely in the short term. In the meantime, women’s rights groups are seeking new strategies to help women. The Federation for Women and Family planning says it will seek redress in international courts, arguing that the new law violates prohibitions of cruel treatment and torture. It is also assisting women
who want to obtain abortion pills or travel abroad for the procedure. Some protesters Wednesday covered their faces with green bandanas, which are the symbol of the abortion rights movement in Argentina. The South American country recently legalized abortion, a historic change in deeply Catholic Latin America. In a more than 200-page ruling, the constitutional court argued that allowing abortion when there are congenital defects is unconstitutional because the Polish Constitution protects human life. The constitutional court is made up mostly of Law and Justice appointees who ruled on a motion brought by lawmakers from the party.
NURSING HOME DEATHS UNDERCOUNTED IN NEW YORK ‘BY THOUSANDS’ ALBANY, New York Associated Press NEW YORK Gov Andrew Cuomo’s administration confirmed yesterday that thousands more nursing home residents died of COVID-19 than the state’s official tallies had previously acknowledged, dealing a potential blow to his image as a pandemic hero. The surprise development, after months of the state refusing to divulge its true numbers, showed that at least 12,743 longterm care residents died of the virus as of January 19, far greater than the official tally of 8,505 on that day, cementing New York’s toll as one of the highest in the nation. Those numbers are consistent with a report
released just hours earlier by Attorney General Letitia James charging that the nursing home death count could be off by about 50 percent, largely because New York is one of the only states to count just those who died on facility grounds, not those who later died in the hospital. “While we cannot bring back the individuals we lost to this crisis, this report seeks to offer transparency that the public deserves,” James said in a statement. The 76-page report from a fellow Democratic official undercut Cuomo’s frequent argument that the criticism of his handling of the virus in nursing homes was part of a political “blame game”, and it was a vindication for thousands of families who believed their loved ones were being omitted from
counts to advance the governor’s image as a pandemic hero. “It’s important to me that my mom was counted,” said Vivian Zayas, whose 78-year-old mother died in April after contracting COVID-19 at a nursing home in West Islip, New York. “Families like mine knew these numbers were not correct.” Cuomo’s office referred all questions to the state health department. Several hours after the report, State Department of Health Commissioner Howard Zucker released a lengthy statement attempting to refute James’ report but which essentially confirmed its central finding. Zucker’s figure of 12,743 nursing home resident deaths included for the first time 3,829 confirmed
COVID-19 fatalities of those residents who had been transported to hospitals. Those figures could be even higher, but the health department said its audit was ongoing, didn’t break out deaths presumed but not confirmed to be caused by the virus, and omitted those in assisted living or other types of long-term care facilities. Zucker, however, still took issue with James’ characterisation of his department’s official tally as an “undercount”. He said “DOH was always clear that the data on its website pertains to in-facility fatalities.” James has for months been examining discrepancies between the number of deaths being reported by the state’s Department
of Health, and the number of deaths reported by the homes themselves. Her investigators looked at a sample of 62 of the state’s roughly 600 nursing homes. They reported 1,914 deaths of residents from COVID-19, while the state Department of Health logged only 1,229 deaths at those same facilities. Yesterday’s release backed up the findings of an Associated Press investigation last year that concluded that the state could be understating deaths by as much as 65 percent. State Sen Gustavo Rivera, a Democrat who has blasted the Cuomo administration for its incomplete death count, said he was “sadly unsurprised” by the report. “Families who lost
loved ones deserve honest answers,” Rivera said. “For their sake, I hope that this report will help us unveil the truth and put policies in place to prevent such tragedies in the future.” Cuomo, who last fall released a book touting his leadership in dealing with the virus, has not been shy about using New York’s lower nursing home death count to make the argument that his state is doing better than others in caring for those in such facilities. “There’s also no doubt that we’re in this hyperpolitical environment so everybody wants to point fingers,” Cuomo told CBS in October. “New York, actually, we’re number 46 out of 50 in terms of percentage of deaths in nursing homes ... it’s not a predominantly New York problem.”
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BACH REFUTES SPECULATION OLYMPICS WILL HAVE TO BE POSTPONED AGAIN
SEE PAGE 15
FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2021
DOUBLE DOUBLE
AYTON AND SUNS SNAP 3-GAME SKID, ROLL TO 11493 WIN OVER WARRIORS
By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net INTERNATIONAL Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach refuted speculation that the games of the XXXII Olympiad will have to be postponed for a second time. The IOC Executive Board met this week to discuss the organisation’s intention to move forward with the Tokyo Olympics as scheduled this summer, July 23 to August 8 and the Paralympic Games, August 24 to September 5 2021. “We are fully concentrated on and committed to the successful and safe delivery of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, starting on 23 July with the Olympic Games and 24 August with the
By DAVID BRANDT AP Sports Writer
SEE PAGE 14
COLLIE MAKES HIS OFFICIAL DEBUT WITH WARRIORS By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net DOMINIQUE Collie Jr made his official debut on the field with the Webber International University Warriors baseball programme. Collie tripled to left centre in the eighth inning to drive in two runs, but the Warriors’ rally fell short in a season opening 6-3 loss to Keiser University in Babson Park, Florida. Keiser, the No.15 ranked team in the NAIA, took a 1-0 lead at the end of the first inning. In his first appearance, Collie drew a walk to open the second
SEE PAGE 14
PHOENIX Suns centre Deandre Ayton (22) shoots as Golden State Warriors guard Kelly Oubre Jr (12) tries to block but is called for a foul during the second half last night in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
PHOENIX (AP) — Mikal Bridges scored 20 points, Deandre Ayton posted another double double - 12 points and 13 rebounds - and the Phoenix Suns pulled away in the second half to beat the Golden State Warriors 114-93 last night. Ayton also dished out four assists and had a steal in 23 minutes on the floor. He also had five turnovers. The Suns snapped a threegame losing streak and
SEE PAGE 13
Clarke and Blazers suffer 7-0 loss in season opener By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
A
lthough they expected a better start to their spring season with the UAB Blazers women’s tennis team, freshman Sydney Clarke said she anticipates that things will get better for the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The UAB Blazers suffered a 7-0 loss in their season opener at home at the RAB Tennis Facility in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. “Since I came back to school, I’ve been very busy trying to juggle my academics with athletics,” said Clarke, who is studying business and journalism. “So far, it’s going well, but it’s going to be long. I’m just grateful to be back in school and the opportunity to be back in
class in person and In doubles play, online and be able Clarke teamed up to play tennis. with Dominika “So I’m very Hrabalova, but fortunate to be they lost 6-1 to back in school in Alabama’s combo my environment of Sydney Riley where I can train and Anne Marie as well as go to Hisert. school.” “My first perforAfter spendmance went really ing the Christmas well. I improved break here at tremendously home where she since last semeswas able to do ter, implementing some charitable some new things work for the Chilin my routine,” dren’s Emergency said the Bahamas’ Hostel, Clarke got immediate past SYDNEY CLARKE into action, splittop junior female ting the first two player. “Unforsets against Anna Parkhomenko tunately, me and my teammates 6-4 and 4-6 before falling in a didn’t get the win over Alabama, breaker 1-0 (11) at No. 4 singles. but for me personally, all of the
goals that I set, I accomplished, so I am just looking forward to improving as we go.” The Blazers will return to action today (Friday, January 29) when they travel to Atlanta for a matchup with Georgia Tech. But with the way she and her team-mates are clicking on and off the court, Clarke said she expects nothing but great things ahead for the UAB. “We are on the same page, which is to make our conference finals,” said Clarke of the Conference USA Championships scheduled for April 22-25 at a site yet to be determined. “So all of us are working together to accomplish that and whatever situation or problems and hiccups, we will just work around it to get to where we want to be.”
SEE PAGE 13
Bahamas vs USA in FIBA AmeriCup 2020 Qualifiers By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas recently released its pool of players for the third and final leg of the FIBA AmeriCup 2020 Qualifiers and we are now starting to learn about the team they will be facing in game one as the United States begins to put its roster together. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported that former NBA All-Star guards Isiah Thomas and Joe Johnson have confirmed their participation
for Team USA at the competition set for February 19-20, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The current window of qualifiers runs concurrently with the NBA season and the G-League “bubble” in Orlando, Florida, leaving USA Basketball with a smaller pool of players to select from. Thomas, 31, currently a free agent, is a two-time All-Star, All-NBA Second Team selection and AllRookie Second Team selection. He has played for
SEE PAGE 14
MLB icon Hank Aaron dies at the age of 86 By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net SOME memories are worth cherishing, especially one when reflecting on the passing of persons who have impacted their lives. Hank Aaron, who had played in 23 seasons in Major League Baseball as a right fielder from 19541976, died on January 22 at the age of 86. I recall, on one of his many visits to the Bahamas, the legendary late Henry
Louis Aaron, affectionately known as ‘Hammerin’ Hank,’ personally autographed a baseball for me. At the time, I had just recently started my journey as a sports reporter at The Tribune. It was on Friday, October 19, one day before my birthday, I was invited by former tourism executive and Bahamas Baseball Association Commissioner Athama Bowe to do an interview with Aaron over
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THE TRIBUNE
Friday, January 29, 2021, PAGE 13
KENTUCKY DERBY WINNER AUTHENTIC WINS HORSE OF THE YEAR HONOUR
DETROIT Pistons forwards Jerami Grant (9) and Blake Griffin (23) high-five each other as the Pistons defeat the Los Angeles Lakers, 107-92, last night in Detroit. (AP Photos/Carlos Osorio)
Pistons hand Lakers their second straight loss, 107-92 By The Associated Press DETROIT (AP) — Blake Griffin scored 23 points and the Detroit Pistons took advantage of Anthony Davis’ absence in a 107-92 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers last night. LeBron James had 22 points and 10 assists, but only two of those points came after halftime. The defending champions have lost back-to-back games, the first losing streak of any kind for the Lakers since before last year’s playoffs. Davis was out with a right quad contusion, and Los Angeles — which lost by a point at Philadelphia on Wednesday night — faded in the fourth quarter against the Pistons. Detroit led by one before Griffin’s 3-pointer with 6:54 remaining started a 16-0 run. The Lakers went nearly seven minutes without scoring. Wayne Ellington added 20 points for the Pistons.
ROCKETS 104, TRAIL BLAZERS 101 HOUSTON (AP) — Victor Oladipo scored 25 points and Houston shook off a terrible first quarter and held on late to beat Portland. The Rockets were down by 20 points in the first quarter before using a big second to take the lead and hold on down the stretch for their fourth straight victory. Christian Wood finished with 22 points and 12 rebounds in his return after missing three games with a sprained right ankle. John Wall had 20. Damian Lillard had 30 points and nine assists for Portland. CLIPPERS 109, HEAT 105 MIAMI (AP) — Nicolas Batum scored 18 points and Los Angles used a 20-2 run in the third quarter to beat short-handed and reeling Miami. Lou Williams had 17 points for the Clippers, who were again without
LOS Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) drives as Detroit Pistons centre Isaiah Stewart (28) defends during the first half. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George because of the league’s virus protocols and Patrick Beverley with right knee soreness. The Clippers won despite trailing by 18 early.
Tyler Herro returned after missing seven games with neck spasms and scored 19 points for Miami, which dropped its fifth straight. The Heat welcomed back about 1,500
fans, all of whom had to get past virus-sniffing dogs or pass a rapid coronavirus test, for the first time since last season was suspended on March 11 as the pandemic was beginning.
(AP) – Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Authentic was honoured as Horse of the Year at the 50th annual Eclipse Awards last night. The ceremony was held virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic. Authentic received 224 out of 238 first-place votes. Monomoy Girl received seven votes. Swiss Skydiver, the filly who beat Authentic by a neck in the Preakness, finished third with six votes. Vekoma received one vote. Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Authentic also won 3-year-old male honours. The colt won five of seven starts last year, including a 1 1/4-length victory in the Kentucky Derby over odds-on favourite Tiz the Law. Another Baffert-trained colt, Improbable, won the Eclipse for older dirt male. A third Baffert trainee, 3-year-old Gamine, was honoured as female sprinter of the year. Baffert was nominated for trainer of the year, but lost to Brad Cox. Other human winners were: Irad Ortiz Jr as jockey of the year; Alexander Crispin as apprentice jockey; Godolphin as owner of the year; WinStar Farm as the year’s top breeder. Essential Quality was honoured as 2-year-old male, while Vequist won as 2-year-old filly. Swiss Skydiver took 3-year-old filly honours, while Monomoy Girl was named older dirt female. Whitmore received an Eclipse for male sprinter. Channel Maker was named male turf horse, while Rushing Fall took female turf horse honours. Moscato was honoured as steeplechase horse of the year. The awards are voted on by the Daily Racing Form, members of the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.
CLARKE FROM PAGE 12
PHOENIX Suns centre Deandre Ayton (22) drives as Golden State Warriors forward Kevon Looney defends during the second half last night in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
DEANDRE AYTON AND SUNS SNAP 3-GAME SKID, ROLL TO 114-93 WIN OVER WARRIORS FROM PAGE 12 moved back above .500 at 9-8. The Warriors fell to 10-9. Phoenix turned a fivepoint halftime advantage into an 85-71 lead by the end of the third. The Suns have struggled to hold leads over the past few weeks but didn’t have a problem last night, pulling ahead 100-81 after Abdel Nader hit back-to-back 3s on passes from Frank Kaminsky. The Suns did some of their best work when the bench was in the game. Kaminsky narrowly missed a triple-double with 12 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists, and Nader
added 16 points and five rebounds. Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 27 points on 10-of-20 shooting, including 5 of 10 from 3-point range. Andrew Wiggins had 16 points, and Eric Paschall 12. Golden State shot just 38 percent from the field, going 29 percent from 3-point range. Phoenix built a 14-point lead by late in the first quarter but Golden State pulled to 52-47 at halftime. TIP-INS Warriors: Kelly Oubre Jr had four points and four rebounds in his first game against his former team. He shot just 1 of 11 from the field.
Oubre was part of the trade with Oklahoma City that brought Chris Paul to the desert. Oubre was then traded to the Warriors about a week later. Suns: All-Star guard Devin Booker missed his third straight game with a sore hamstring. Coach Monty Williams said Booker has done some shooting during practice but hasn’t tested the hamstring with full-speed drills. ... Paul had 13 points and four assists. UP NEXT Warriors: Host Detroit on Saturday night. Suns: At Dallas on Saturday and Monday nights.
As for her game, the 18-year-old member of the Bahamas Fed Cup, now renamed the Billie Jean Tournament, said if she can improve on her backcourt and forehand with her foot work, she will be a big factor in the Blazers success. “So far, it’s been going good. Since last semester, it’s been getting better and better,” she pointed out. “So by the end of this spring season, I hope to accomplish that goal and these small things will help me in my success for the team and help to prepare me for the Fed Cup in June.” With a busy two months ahead of her with more than 15 matches on the schedule, Clarke said she’s just going to take everything in stride and make the best of her initial college season. “For the rest of the season, I just look to learn and improve each match and try to take away something from each match,” said Clarke, a former student of CR Walker who graduated from the Windsor High School and the Albany Tennis Academy last year. “I want to make each match better than the last, which is my main focus and my expectations for the rest of the season. Even if we don’t accomplish our goal of making the conference final, just being able to have it as a goal and be focused on it, is more than enough.” Clarke, who celebrated her 19th birthday on November 18, is the
FRESHMAN Sydney Clarke said she anticipates that things will get better for the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB),Blazers women’s tennis team. The Blazers suffered a 7-0 loss in their season opener at home at the RAB Tennis Facility in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. oldest daughter of Shayvon and Bernard Clarke and her younger sister Sarai Clarke is following
in her footsteps now as one of the top rising tennis players in the Bahamas.
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PAGE 14, Friday, January 29, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
Liverpool beats Spurs 3-1 to revive faltering title defence By ROB HARRIS AP Global Soccer Writer
COLLIE JR from PAGE 12
inning but was eventually caught stealing at second. The Warriors evened the game at 1-1 in the third inning and both teams went scoreless over the fourth and fifth. Keiser pulled ahead with two runs in the sixth and three runs in the seventh to take a 6-1 lead. Collie’s triple scored teammates Angel Diaz and Norberto Navarro to cut into the deficit but were unable to manufacture any other runs in the remainder of the eighth and the duration of the ninth inning. After just two seasons in Minor League Baseball with the Arizona Diamondacks organisation, Collie joined the Warriors in the offseason. He spent last season as a redshirt and Webber was 18-11 in last season before the season was suspended in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Collie spent last summer with the Palm Beach Diamond Ducks in the South Florida Collegiate Baseball League (SFCBL). The SFCBL is a summer league for current collegiate players from across the nation. With 10 teams spanning from West Palm Beach to Fort Lauderdale in a 44-game regular season. In 18 games he hit .237 with 11 runs and four stolen bases. At 17-years-old, Collie was an international signing by the Diamondbacks in March 2017. He spent his first season of pro baseball in the Dominican Republic Summer League with the DSL Diamondbacks. In 37 games he hit .245 with a .717 OPS, with 18 runs, six RBI and 33 total bases. In 2018, he advanced to the Arizona Fall League where he hit .127 with a .445 OPS four RBI and 10 runs. Now 20, as an international signee he has taken advantage of the opportunity to retain his NCAA eligibility and play collegiately. Webber competes in the Sun Conference of the NAIA. They open a threegame series tonight against Florida National University.
BACH
FROM PAGE 12 Paralympic Games. In the last couple of days, we had consultation calls with the International Federations and the National Olympic Committees, also getting reports from the athlete representatives. We could experience there today, again, that all of them are fully united and committed; all 206 National Olympic Committees, all the International Federations and the athletes are standing behind these Olympic Games. We see the same commitment on the Japanese side with the Japanese government, the Organising Committee and the Japanese Olympic Committee.” Bach said to the media following the board meeting: “The organisation of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, as such, is already an extremely complex challenge. But this complexity is multiplied when it comes to organising postponed Olympic Games for the first time ever, and this under the conditions of a pandemic. So, there is no blueprint for this, and we are learning every day. This fight against the virus, as you all know from your personal circumstances, is a tough one. But we are fighting this fight for, and like, Olympic athletes. This means with full determination, with a will to win, with hard work every day, and with all the physical and mental strength we have.” Stakeholders listed three main reasons behind the
LONDON (AP) — Roberto Firmino ended Liverpool’s 483-minute goal drought in the Premier League to set the champions on their way to a 3-1 win over Tottenham yesterday and revive their faltering title defence. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Sadio Mane also netted as Liverpool ended a five-game winless run in a league it dominated so resoundingly last season. “We were really up for the game, everyone was at it,” Alexander-Arnold said. “No one put too much of a foot wrong and it was an unbelievable performance from the lads.” The victory, which lifts Liverpool into fourth place, started with VAR ruling out an opener for Tottenham when Son Heung-min was adjudged to be offside. Pierre-Emile Højbjerg reduced the deficit to 2-1 with a powerful strike shortly after AlexanderArnold scored at the start of the second half, but the Liverpool right back set up Mane for the third that sealed the win. While Liverpool moved within four points of leader Manchester City, Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham is eight points adrift in sixth after its first defeat in 2021,
LIVERPOOL’s Sadio Mane celebrates scoring his side’s third goal yesterday during the English Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. (Nick Potts/Pool via AP) albeit with a game in hand. And Mourinho faces an anxious wait to discover the extent of Harry Kane’s injury after the striker twice went down in the first half clutching his left ankle before being replaced at the interval. “He is injured in both ankles,” Mourinho said. “He said to compete with one pain he probably could, but both — it was very painful and very sore and he couldn’t. He just couldn’t. “He is a guy with
AMERICUP FROM PAGE 12
seven franchises over the course of his nine-year career and last appeared for the Washington Wizards in the 2019-20 season. Johnson, 39, played 18 seasons for 7 NBA franchises. He was a seven time All-Star, All-NBA Third Team selection, and AllRookie Second Team selection. Team Bahamas will be selected from the list of the following players: Elyjah Clark, Lynden Rose Jr, Dominic Bridgewater, D’Shon Taylor, Michael Carey Jr, Travis Munnings, Kentwan Smith, Mychal Thompson Jr, brothers Kadeem and Dwight Coleby, Willis Mackey, Nashad Mackey, Tavario Miller, David Nesbitt, Jaron Cornish, Godfrey Rolle III, Zane Knowles Shaquille ‘Shaq’ Cleare, Ahmad Pratt, Ronnie ‘JR’ Cadot, Corey Sands, Adam Johnson and Kemsey Sylvestre. While head coach DeMarco will not be available because of his commitment to the Golden postponement from its original 2020 date in order to “protect the health of the athletes and everyone involved, and to support the containment of the COVID-19 virus; To safeguard the interests of the athletes and of Olympic sport; The global international sports calendar.” The new dates are exactly one year after those originally planned for 2020. The IOC said the postponement and new date was also aimed at limiting any disruption to the remainder of the international sports calendar. “Nobody at this moment can predict the health situation in 206 National Olympic Committees for the time of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, from late July until September of this year – not even the most prominent scientists in this area. This leads, you may say naturally, you can also say unfortunately, to much speculation. But all this speculation is hurting the athletes in their preparations, who have already overcome the challenges in their daily training and competition with all the restrictions they are facing, either in their country or when it comes to travelling,” Bach said, “So there is speculation about cancellation; I heard about a plan B, about everything. Some even make the proposal to postpone the Olympic Games in Tokyo to the year 2032. I want to say good luck, if you would have to discuss this with an athlete who is preparing for the Olympic Games in 2021.
a good sacrifice spirit, he can fight against pain, but it was difficult for him.” There are problems at the back too for the north London club, which is in danger of failing to qualify for the Champions League for a second consecutive season after reaching the final in 2019 — losing to Liverpool. Liverpool was forced to play midfielder Jordan Henderson at centre back due to injuries and also lost Joel Matip at halftime with
State Warriors where he is an assistant coach, the team is expected to be led by Norris Bain. At the last window in November, the Bahamas lost 99-59 to the USA and 91-85 to Puerto Rico. The Bahamas dropped to 1-3 at the group stage of the qualifiers and moved into a tie with previously winless Puerto Rico. In the next window of qualifiers, The Bahamas faces the United States on February 18, followed by a February 20 matchup against Puerto Rico. The Bahamas would need a win over Puerto Rico or two losses from Mexico to have an opportunity to qualify. The Bahamas holds the tiebreaker over Mexico by the aggregate score of the first window last February. The top three teams from each group will qualify for the FIBA AmeriCup 2022. AmeriCup is the FIBA Americas championship. United States won the last edition of the event in 2017. Team USA is currently 4-0 and guaranteed a top three spot and AmeriCup berth.
ankle ligament damage. But it was Tottenham’s back three looking more fragile, “We were punished by our individual mistakes,” Mourinho said. “It’s nothing new for us.” How different, though, this game might have gone had Son not been marginally offside when he was released by Kane before scoring. Liverpool was more threatening going forward after that, with Mane
AARON from PAGE 12
lunch at Herbie’s Place. Aaron, a keen friend of the Maynard Family and the late Andre Rodgers, the first Bahamian to play in MLB, was a soft spoken, kind-hearted person, who was well-liked by all whom he came in contact with. The Bahamas was considered a “home away from home,” for Aaron, who was personally instructed by Bowe to be invited by then Minister of Sports, the late Peter Bethell, to attend the official ceremony and rededication of the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium on Friday, June 9, 1989. A year later, in a less formal visit to the Bahamas, I had my personal encounter with Aaron as he signed the autographed ball for me on Friday, October 19, 1990. I won’t disclose where the ball is now, but it was one of those many memories that I would cherish
for the rest of my life. Thanks to Aaron, who played in 3,298 games and produced a career batting average of 755 from 12,364 at-bats with 3,771 hits, 2,297 runs batted in (RBI) with 755 home runs, 1,402 walks and 1,383 strikeouts with 2,174 runs scored. Although he was known as a right fielder, Aaron played several in and outfield positions and finished his final two years as a designated player. He remained in baseball after his retirement by holding front office roles with the Atlanta Braves, including senior vice president. After he was inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1988, MLB introduced the Hank Aaron Award in 1989 to recognise the top offensive players in each league. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002; was named a 2010 Georgia Trustee by the Georgia Historical Society in recognition of accomplishments that reflect the ideals of Georgia’s founders. Aaron, who played with the lte Wentie Ford in 1973, resided near Atlanta until his death.
THOMAS Bach, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President, speaks during the joint press conference between IOC and Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) in Tokyo November 16, 2020. (AP) There are some proposals to move it to another city. Everybody who knows about the complexity of Olympic Games knows this is not possible. They’re in such a short period of time. For all these reasons, we are not losing our time and energy on speculation. We are fully concentrating on the Opening Ceremony on 23 July this year. We are not speculating on whether the Games are taking place. We are working on how the Games will take place.” This marks the first time the Olympics have been postponed because of a global pandemic. Previous editions in 1916, 1940 and 1944 were cancelled due to World Wars I and II. “We have to put the COVID countermeasures
together for every possible scenario. And in this, we are relying on the advice of all the different authorities. There’s the Japanese government, the health authorities, the World Health Organisation; we are talking with the manufacturers of vaccines – with all the experts. From these consultations, we can conclude that it is too early to tell which of the many COVID countermeasures will finally be the appropriate ones when it comes to the time of the Games. We just have to ask for patience and understanding – from the athletes, from the National Olympic Committees, the International Federations, the Japanese people, the Organising Committee, everybody. We
testing Hugo Lloris with tame shots before setting up the opener in the fourth minute of stoppage time at the end of the first half. Firmino tapped in after Mane passed across the face of goal, scoring Liverpool’s first league goal since December 27. It was clear from Mourinho’s post-match comments that it was a tense atmosphere in the dressing room at halftime. “It is the mood of a team that is difficult to accept that you are losing,” Mourinho said. “It’s a mood where people are not happy. But then we have to move on.” But Liverpool doubled its lead two minutes into the second half when Lloris spilled Mane’s shot into the path of Alexander-Arnold. Tottenham threatened an immediate comeback when Højbjerg powered in a shot from outside the area. There was another break for Tottenham when Mohamed Salah’s goal was ruled out because Firmino was adjudged to have handled in the buildup despite Eric Dier grappling the Brazilian. But Liverpool restored its two-goal cushion in the 65th when AlexanderArnold’s long cross came off Joe Rodon and fell for Mane to strike into the roof of the net.
have to be patient and diligent in the same way.” Bach also noted that what he called “playbooks” on the way forward will be presented to the various NOCs in February. These guidelines will outline the fundamental measures each stakeholder group will have to follow before, during and after Tokyo 2020 to ensure the safety and success of this year’s Games. All Bahamian Olympic Qualifiers thus far have come from athletics: including Gardiner, Wilson, Shaunae Miller-Uibo, Tynia Gaither, Pedrya Seymour, and Samson Colebrooke. “In this we are gaining even more confidence from the effectiveness of the countermeasures which are being applied right now
at sports events across the world. We have seen this during the winter season: more than 7,000 events have been organised by the International Federations, with 175,000 COVID tests, and only 0.18 per cent were positive. The competitions could be run, could be organised, and none of the competitions developed into a hotspot or anything like this. We also see many summer sports already back with competitions, with the same results, with the same care for the safety of everybody involved. And this is why we are so, so confident.” The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has earmarked a fund of $800 million dollars to bear the costs of the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics and support “the wider Olympic movement.” According to a press release issued by the organisation, the fund will include “an aid package $150 million for the Olympic Movement, including the International Federations (IFs), the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and the IOC-Recognised Organisations, to enable them to continue their sports, their activities and their support to their athletes. The bulk of the fund, $650 million, is set to cover the cost for the organisation of the postponed games. International Federations, National Olympic Committees and IOC-Recognised Organisations are able to benefit from the aid package.
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PLAYERS WHO OPTED OUT LOOK TO SHAKE OFF RUST AT SENIOR BOWL By JOHN ZENOR AP Sports Writer MOBILE, Alabama (AP) — Former Wake Forest quarterback Jamie Newman hasn’t played in a game in about 400 days since first switching schools and then opting out of the 2020 season. Newman is hardly alone among the players trying to shake off the rust after long layoffs leading up to Saturday’s Senior Bowl for senior NFL prospects. A number of the Senior Bowl players had shortened seasons or none at all because of the coronavirus pandemic. Some chose to opt out of the season and start preparing for the draft — including Newman, Michigan wide receiver Nico Collins and Washington defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike. Others had their seasons postponed to spring or their teams played few games, if any. The lack of 2020 game film makes this week, and Saturday’s game, more important than usual. It will be Newman’s first live game action since the Pinstripe Bowl against Michigan State on December 27, 2019. He passed for 2,868 yards and 26 touchdowns against 11 interceptions that season. There are number of players at the Senior Bowl returning after a long absences from the field. A number of small-school prospects had their seasons moved to the spring, not optimal for players preparing for the draft. That group at the Senior Bowl includes offensive linemen Dillon Radunz (North Dakota State), David Moore (Grambling State), Quinn Meinerz (Wisconsin-Whitewater) and Spencer Brown (Northern Iowa), along with Northern Iowa defensive lineman Elerson Smith.
Friday, January 29, 2021, PAGE 15
Chiefs trying for first Super Bowl repeat win in 16 years By BARRY WILNER AP Pro Football Writer DO it again? Not in the NFL, at least not lately. On February 7, the Kansas City Chiefs will be the latest franchise to attempt winning successive Super Bowls when they take on the Buccaneers. In Tampa, of all places. Against Tom Brady, of all people. It’s an achievement simply to get this far once again. “The thing I can see as a positive is the record, that we’ve persevered through some tough games,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, “and so the mental toughness to do that individually each week was important, knowing that you’re going to get people’s best shot, and there’s the respect factor. “They didn’t question each other, they didn’t question the coaches, they stayed focused and delivered. However, that falls in, I’m not sure how to categorise that, but I just think that might have been the biggest challenge. You’ve seen that with teams, when things aren’t going right, they just kind of fall apart there. Our guys have not done that, they all stuck together and trusted.” Only twice since the Patriots pulled off the most recent repeat in the 2003 and 2004 seasons has a champion gotten back to the big game. Seattle failed in the 2014 season — against New England, no less; remember Malcolm Butler’s goal-line interception? — and the Patriots in the 2017 season, the Super Bowl featuring the Philly Special. Super Bowl repeats once were relatively common. The first two went to the
Lombardi Packers. Don Shula’s Dolphins soon replicated the feat, even throwing in a perfect season for 1972. And Pittsburgh’s Steel Curtain not only went back to back in the 1974 and ‘75 seasons, they did so again in 1978 and ‘79. We’re not done. The Bill Walsh/Joe Montana 49ers were the 1988 and ‘89 champions; Dallas and its Hall of Fame Triplets of Emmitt Smith, Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin pulled off the double in 1992 and ‘93; then John Elway finished off his illustrious Broncos career with two straight NFL titles in 1997 and ‘98. But since Tom Brady took New England to the top 2003 and ‘04, nothing. “It’s hard, you know?” Brady has said — and he is heading to his record 10th Super Bowl. Brady led New England to its first NFL title in the 2001 season, a second-year backup until Drew Bledsoe suffered a chest injury in the second game of the schedule. After missing the playoffs entirely in 2002, the Patriots were primed for another championship challenge the next year. They put together a leaguebest 14-2 record sparked by the defence (238 points allowed, an NFL low) at a time when Brady was not yet an offensive force. That defence featured one Pro Football Hall of Famer, cornerback Ty Law; a 2021 finalist for the hall, lineman Richard Seymour, and such other notables as Tedy Bruschi, Rodney Harrison, Willie McGinest and Mike Vrabel. But Brady was the man in a weird Super Bowl in Houston, when no points were scored in the opening or third quarter. But
61 points were packed into the other two periods, and Brady went 32 for 48 for 354 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. After the Panthers tied it 29-29, John Kasay kicked off out of bounds. From there, Brady led the winning drive to Adam Vinatieri’s 41-yard field goal. “I don’t know how I do it,” Brady said then, with a laugh. “We just were trying to keep our poise. You realise in games like this you’ve got to play for 60 minutes. We made enough plays toward the end to win it. ... That’s what happens in Super Bowls.” As it did against the Rams a couple of seasons before. “Maybe it was a little deja vu of two years ago,” Vinatieri said then. “Tom did it again, he’s amazing. This supporting cast did it again and gave me a chance.” After winning the 2001 title, New England faltered and failed to make the postseason the next year. Applying lessons they learned from that
disappointment, the Patriots again went 14-2 in 2004. Brady was becoming more of a presence as a passer, though his targets weren’t standouts; Randy Moss, Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman weren’t yet aboard. Corey Dillon rushed for 1,635 yards and 12 touchdowns in support, and the defence again was stout. Unlike in the previous postseason when the playoff games were close, the Patriots weren’t challenged in the AFC chase to the Super Bowl, not even by a Steelers team that went 15-1 in the regular season. They were tested by the Eagles in the championship match, though. Philadelphia, coached by Reid, had lost three consecutive NFC title games before beating
Atlanta to advance to the Super Bowl in Jacksonville. Brady did not win a third MVP in this Super Bowl — that would have to wait 10 years for that to happen. He finished 23 for 33 for 236 yards with two touchdowns, one to linebacker Vrabel. Deion Branch, coming off a mediocre season, had 11 receptions for 133 yards to earn MVP honours. “We’re champions now. That’s it,” Harrison said. “I don’t know about dynasty.” Pretty much everyone else knew. So now, the man mainly responsible for the previous repeat will try to prevent the next one, and perhaps the next NFL dynasty. Against the same coach he secured the most recent double.
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