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VOLUME:117 No.117, MAY 13, 2020
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INSIDE: DON’T MISS YOUR 12-PAGE PUZZLE PULLOUT
THE Duchess of Cambridge and the Countess of Wessex chatted to nurses from Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre.
Zooming in... Kate, Sophie and the sisters
By EARYEL BOWLEG ebowleg@tribunemedia.net IN celebration of International Nurses’ Day, the Duchess of Cambridge commended nurses from Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre for the service they provide during the health crisis. Via video call, Kate Middleton spoke with three nurses from the centre about whether there is still stigma surrounding mental health in The Bahamas. “There still is a stigma SEE PAGE TWO
Rogue passenger now does not have virus DIONISIO:
DISINFECTED By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE Grand Bahama passenger who initially tested positive for COVID-19 has now tested negative for the disease, the Ministry of Health reported last night. The passenger arrived in Grand Bahama on Friday, May 8, and was part of the government’s exercise to return Bahamians and
residents home who were still abroad due to travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was discovered after the aircraft landed in Grand Bahama that this passenger was on the flight. Three individuals traveled with this passenger. On Sunday, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said the passenger tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of his arrival home
and should not have been on the flight. At the time, he said the passenger and three others with him had been retested and officials were awaiting the results. Last night, officials said the passenger has now tested negative for the disease. “The passenger was tested twice upon arrival in Grand Bahama by the Ministry of Health’s Surveillance Team,” the
Ministry of Health said last night. “Both test samples returned a negative result, as confirmed by the fully accredited National Reference Lab in New Providence. Health officials are satisfied that the passenger did not pose a risk to the other passengers traveling on the same aircraft.” The statement came hours after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced it was investigating how the
RESIGN WHAT FOR? By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
passenger was allowed on the flight. A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says Dr Minnis has asked that this matter be treated with priority. “Accordingly, the ministry is presently conducting enquiries into all matters surrounding the incident and will report its findings to the prime minister on
TOURISM Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar said yesterday he doesn’t believe he should have resigned along with former Health Minister Dr Duane Sands because of his involvement in allowing six permanent residents entry in the country nearly two weeks ago. Speaking ahead of a Cabinet meeting yesterday, he told reporters: “I honestly think enough has been said about this. I think it’s been ventilated. I think the prime minister has spoken to it and I think Dr Sands has
SEE PAGE THREE
SEE PAGE THREE
OPERATOR ERROR CAUSED BLACKOUT By EARYEL BOWLEG ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
RESIDENTS throughout New Providence were left angry yesterday after an island-wide blackout. With many people working from home and students completing classes and exams online, the blackout left thousands of people frustrated. Bahamas Power and Light said the power went off shortly after 1pm.
BPL HEADQUARTERS “We are investigating the matter now, and will keep customers updated
as we get information. We anticipate two hours’ restoration time from the onset of restoration efforts,” the company said 40 minutes after the blackout occurred. About an hour later, another release indicated power was restored at 2pm in a few areas including Wellington St, Hospital Lane, Laird St, Fleming St and Solomon’s Mines. Later in the day, BPL said areas
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
SEE PAGE SEVEN
ALICIA WALLACE NOW THINGS REALLY NEED TO CHANGE
SEE PAGE EIGHT
PAGE 2, Wednesday, May 13, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
CORONAVIRUS CRISIS
KATE AND SOPHIE VIDEO LINK WITH SANDILANDS from page one
in the community. So persons have to be basically at their wits end..,” one of the nurses answered. The Duchess responded: “I don’t know how you manage to do this and keep the show on the road despite the extra pressures you all are under in the challenging conditions. “You know, it just shows how vital the role that
nurses play across the world. So you should be so proud of the work you do and thank you all so much from all of us.” The call was a part of a video where other members of the Royal Family, such as the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke of Cambridge, and Princess Anne, showed appreciation to nurses across the Commonwealth. A press release from the Royal Family explained:
“Nurses and midwives are often the first and sometimes the only health professional that people see and the quality of their initial assessment, care and treatment is vital. They provide care that is sensitive to their local community – understanding its culture, strengths and vulnerabilities so can shape and deliver effective interventions to meet the needs of patients, families and communities.” This past Monday, the
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PRIME Minister Hubert Minnis also celebrated the day, saying: “On this International Nurses Day as the world and The Bahamas continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, I extend the gratitude, thanksgiving and support of the government and the Bahamian people to the nurses and nursing community in The Bahamas. Thank you for your dedication, service and compassion, and for your contributions throughout the year to public health and national development.” Several pictures were then posted on Facebook Duchess and Sophie, the Countess of Wessex also called other nurses in seven different Commonwealth countries such as Australia, India, and the United Kingdom. The Royal Family’s press release indicated the calls were facilitated by Nursing Now, a global campaign of which the Duchess is patron. In a separate release, British High Commissioner to the Bahamas Sarah
Dickson also gave thanks to nurses and compared them to “super heroes”. “The brilliant work that nurses do makes them superheroes in my book. Even more so now in this health emergency. Heartfelt thanks to all Bahamian nurses and nursing students who are working tirelessly in the fight against COVID19. It is no surprise that their Royal Highnesses included Bahamian nurses
in their calls, given their commitment to mental and physical health issues,” Ms Dickson said. The Queen was expected to mark the occasion yesterday by speaking to Professor Kathleen McCourt, the president of the Commonwealth Nurses and Midwives Federation and Fellow of the Royal College of Nursing. Editorial View - Page 6
GB NURSES ENCOURAGED TO ‘PUSH THROUGH THESE DIFFICULT TIMES’
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
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ON THE occasion of International Nurses Day, nurses in Grand Bahama were encouraged to be strong and push through these difficult times facing them in healthcare, particularly amid the COVID-19 crisis. At a special ceremony held yesterday, Pastor LaQuez Williams, of Jubilee Cathedral, stressed nurses play an important role in health care and provide essential services to the public. “People are praying for you, said Pastor Williams. “Even though you are going through this difficult time and we are all going through this difficult time as a family.” International Nurses Day is observed around the world every year on May 12. The theme for 2020 is: International Year of the Nurse and Midwife. The clergyman said
that too often nurses are not appreciated for their work. He noted they put their lives and lives of their family at risk. “We have to stay home and pray and you all are administering help unto the nation. What would we have done without you guys? We want to say thank you and that we appreciate you because many times you don’t get the thanks (you deserve),” Pastor Williams said. Mr Williams said that nurses are a “pillar of strength in our community”. “I want to encourage you at this time to continue to push. You serve on the frontline and sometimes it is challenging; sometimes you don’t want to come to work. Sometimes you are wondering how will you go back home and be with your families, but you still serve. “Many times, you feel like you want to give up; you feel like is it even worth it at times. But even in the midst of this, I want to encourage you to be strong
in the Lord. When your strength fails you and you feel like giving up, continue to be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might,” he stressed. Mr Williams said nurses have to deal with many difficult and stressful patients and remain calm while carrying out their duties. “We applaud you for the great work you are doing. Many people’s lives are much better because of you,” he said. We want to say thank you for your time and sacrifice from your family. You come out (to work) and you don’t know what you going to carry back home. So even during this time, I encourage you to stay strong,” he said. Cheryl Bain, Principal Nursing Officer, and Nurse Month Committee said that nurses decided to launch a foundation in honor of the late Paula Neymour, former Principal Nursing Officer, to recognise deserving nurses. The first recipient of the Paula Neymour Award was nurse Tameka Jennings.
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, May 13, 2020, PAGE 3
CORONAVIRUS CRISIS
Disinfected: Passenger now doesn’t have virus
from page one
completion,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The Tribune previously reported that the man who flew to Grand Bahama on Friday despite testing positive for COVID-19 was one of four people from the same household who were not on Bahamasair’s initial list of people slated to join the government’s repatriation exercise. Prior to boarding the flight, the other three people produced a negative
COVID-19 test result, The Tribune understands. Consulate General officials from Florida reportedly told the airline the four were cleared for travel, sources said. A foreign affairs official told a local daily on Monday that the man in question tested positive for COVID-19 “over a week ago”. The policy is that only people with a negative COVID-19 test result could return to the country.
LAST Friday’s arrival
Editorial View - Page 6
‘Focus is to get tourism industry back on track’ By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
TOURISM Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar
‘RESIGN - WHAT FOR? IT’S TIME TO MOVE ON’ from page one spoken to it. I don’t think I did anything wrong and I’ve moved on. I think we should all do the same.” His comments came a little over a week after Dr Sands offered his resignation to Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis for his actions related to the six residents who landed in the country with COVID-19 testing supplies and were allowed to quarantine at home before producing a negative COVID-19 test result. Former Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe connected Dr Sands with donors who supplied 2,500 test swabs that cost $11,250, prompting an effort by the health minister to get the swabs here. Dr Sands got approval from Mr D’Aguilar for an
aircraft to deliver the supplies to the country. He then contacted Immigration Director Clarence Russell who arranged his requests for the passengers. Mr D’Aguilar told Dr Sands officials had been insisting that people coming to the country provide a negative COVID-19 test to gain entry. The Freetown MP deferred to the health minister to make the call and Dr Sands allowed the passengers entry without testing them. Addressing the topic during a national address last week, Dr Minnis said the protocol for allowing Bahamians and legal residents to enter the country was breached. The controversial episode, however, is not the first time people have been allowed to disembark in the country since the government implemented a
lockdown. On Sunday, Dr Minnis announced that 12 people have been allowed in the country during the lockdown period. This does not include the government’s recent repatriation exercises of those Bahamians stuck abroad. Among those allowed in are the six permanent residents who brought test kits and were allowed to selfisolate in their home. Of the 12 people allowed in the country during the lockdown, two were Bahamian citizens, one was a permanent resident and three were work permit holders “being skilled technicians contracted to conduct specialised emergency work for utility services,” Dr Minnis said. Dr Minnis has since taken on the temporary role of minister of health.
THE government is looking at several dates to resume tourism operations in the country, Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar revealed yesterday. He added that officials are in constant discussions over the matter, but will not make any final decisions until given the “green light” by health professionals. In the meantime, the minister said tourism officials will be revisiting their marketing campaign and strategising on how to facilitate visitors to the country once the COVID-19 restrictions have lifted. He said: “My focus as the minister of tourism is to really get our tourism industry back on track. We have all of the industry partners meeting and strategising on how we’re going to open given these new COVID conditions. “It’s very inclusive and everybody’s participating looking at the airports looking at how you travel from the airports to the hotel, what’s the process going to be when you go into the hotel. What are the requirements for foreign visitors coming into the country?” He continued: “(We’re) looking at other destinations to see when they’re opening and when we want to open. (We’re) taking into consideration local concerns and so it’s a very robust and time-consuming conversation that is preparing our industry to re-open and get foreign currency coming back in and get foreign visitors coming back in the country to get people employed.” Last month, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis unveiled a phased strategy for re-opening the Bahamian economy, saying the country’s advancement to each stage will be determined by “metrics and advice by the healthcare professionals.” According to the plan, the country is currently in phase 1b, which allows businesses to offer pickup and delivery services if they are able to do so. It is not clear when the country will move to the next stage or even the fifth stage, which would allow The Bahamas’ borders to open for international
travel and for tourism to resume. Speaking on the matter yesterday, Mr D’Aguilar told reporters that officials had several dates “in mind” concerning the opening of the country’s borders and the restart of the tourism economy. He said: “So, we’ve got some dates in mind. I would prefer not to put them in the public domain yet. It’s a function of how we’re doing or how we’re perceived to be doing on the ground from a health perspective. “So, we’re working towards a reopening and just waiting for the green light from the Ministry of Health that we’re good to go. Obviously, that’s going to be balanced with economic considerations. Those are very pressing. People are looking to be reengaged and get back to work so these are all the difficult decisions in this current environment of governance.” Still, the minister said he was confident that the Bahamian economy will be able to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this, the Freetown MP said, will be based on the US’ ability to rebound from the pandemic, given the fact that most of the country’s visitors are Americans. “Our initial indication was that people want to
PM DR HUBERT MINNIS
travel but you can’t negate the fact that unemployment in the United States is now in excess of 30 million,” he told reporters yesterday. “They are very much going through the throes of opening that economy and they are trying to navigate that process and they are a little bit more open than other jurisdictions, so we have to come to grips with that because 82 percent of our foreign visitors come from the United States.” He added: “So, if we’re going to rebound, we’re going to have to rebound with America and so we have to sort of get comfortable with the way that they are conducting this whole or how they’re addressing this whole COVID-19 pandemic so its lots of pressing questions and lots of concerns.” “But I’m confident that if there’s a country that’s going to rebound, it’s going to be The Bahamas because we are wonderfully positioned next to the United States. They just have to get their economy back on track.” Asked yesterday whether his ministry could afford to keep its workers employed given the economic fall-out from COVID, the tourism minister replied: “I think that’s a general discussion across all of the ministries of the government and I’m sure that the government is looking at everything, taking into consideration the incredibly difficult times in which we face. “I mean the minister of finance has said that revenues are down 60 or 70 percent. It’s obvious some sort of adjustments are going to be necessary to either rebuild revenue and get our tourism industry back on track as quickly as possible and to get the revenue coming back in because you can’t run this type of deficit for too long or you either have to borrow or cut.”
PAGE 4, Wednesday, May 13, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
CORONAVIRUS CRISIS By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT ts-cartwright @tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas Christian Council does not endorse threats against the prime minister, Christian Council president Bishop Delton Fernander said yesterday in the wake of a female pastor’s ultimatum on the opening of church during the COVID-19 lockdown. In a video with her husband, apostle Edison Nottage, prophetess Mattie Nottage, the lead pastor at Believers Faith Outreach Ministries International, expressed being disrespected by the government and wanting churches to be open so people can get help. “People are trying to get help and you are standing in their way,” Mrs Nottage said in the video posted online recently. “Listen to me prime minister! I give you seven good days, in the
Christian Council does not endorse PM threats name of Jesus Christ! The church must open in seven good days or the judgement of God, the hand of God will be against your government!” Bishop Fernander made it clear the opening of churches for full services is strictly in the hands of Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis. “Everybody has a right to have their own opinion and some might feel that it’s not moving fast enough,” the bishop said. “We have never endorsed threats to the prime minister. The Council does not
endorse that neither does it condone that. They (pastors) must be patient and understand that we are doing the very best we can in working together for a safe opening of churches in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.” Churches suspended services in March after the country recorded its first COVID-19 case. The Bahamas Christian Council was at first hopeful of an April 5 reopening but that didn’t happen. “Although there might be an impression given that there is some pressure put
on the prime minister, we are not pressuring him,” Bishop Fernander said. He said religious leaders have been in constant negotiations with Dr Minnis on the reopening of churches. “There is really no pressure. There is an understanding that we are in the next phase and we are the organisation that must put forth the criteria on how that will be done. We have sent this to the Prime Minister’s Office and he has accepted those things that we have put forth.” In the government’s phased plan for reopening
the economy, the resumption of worship services with strict social distancing and wearing of masks is in phase 2. The country is currently in phase 1b. The BCC has proposed several guidelines for social distancing and good hygiene for when churches can resume services. These guidelines were sent to the Office of the Prime Minister for consideration of the reopening, but to date churches remain closed. Asked when the churches will reopen, the bishop said. “We don’t know yet. The
BACK IN THE SWING
prime minister and I speak every week about the numbers and the cases and I get the updates. We believe it’s getting closer. We remain closed because of the advice of the medical team. I leave that in the hands of the prime minister. He has a date in mind, but obviously the numbers will have to weigh that out.” Bishop Fernander said it’s useless for him to give out dates for the reopening of churches with the possibility of dashing the hopes of congregants who are eager to get back into the routine of church attendance.
BIMINI DEATH WAS NOT DUE TO VIRUS BUT HEART FAILURE By EARYEL BOWLEG ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
TRIBUNE photographer Terrel W Carey Sr captures the mood as people start to get back to work
A WOMAN who died on Bimini this week did not test positive for COVID-19 before her death, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Delon Brennen said yesterday. An autopsy will be performed to determine the woman’s cause of death. Officials previously said they were investigating to see if her death was COVID related. Bimini has been designated as a COVID-19 hotspot due to a cluster of cases on the small island. On Monday, Dr Brennen told a local daily the woman who died this week had previously tested positive for the disease. Yesterday Dr Brennen said incorrect information initially came to health officials. “So the reports that were coming out first that came to us was that one of the persons who was on Bimini who’d been diagnosed with COVID had died. But that was what came to us at first,” he said. When officials looked into the details, it was revealed the woman had not previously tested positive. Chamell Hanna said her sister Dave’ette Rolle, 26, was never tested before her death and was upset by the initial reports. She added: “I know my sister was never tested. Now, I would’ve felt better if he had said it’s believed she has been around someone that has it and will need to be tested but I know that my sister was never tested - that I know for a fact. So when I saw it, I was highly upset.” Ms Hanna, who does not live with her sister, was not present when she collapsed and died Monday morning. “Everybody is just shocked because everybody wants to know how she just died so suddenly. No warning. No problems. No complications. No nothing.” She said a doctor in Bimini believed her sister died of a heart attack. She said her sister complained about her heart racing a few days before her death. Now the family is awaiting the autopsy results for answers.
TRIP FOR SOME SNACKS ENDS UP COSTING $400 By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
A MAN who claimed he violated the lockdown because he was trying to withdraw cash from an ATM to buy some snacks from the store before it closed was fined $400 yesterday. Charles Eneas, 46, appeared before Magistrate Andrew Forbes after officers found him on West Bay Street around 4.53pm on May 9. He pleaded guilty and was fined $400 which he paid that same day. Prosecutor Lakesia Moss told the court on the day in question, officers were performing static duty on Nassau Street and West Bay Street when they observed a grey Skyline vehicle travelling north. Inspector Moss said the officers beckoned for the vehicle to stop and questioned the driver, who identified himself as Charles Eneas. He told the officers that he was heading
to the Bank of the Bahamas ATM at Arawak Cay to get funds to purchase medication for his mother. When the officers asked the accused if he could name the type of medication his mother used, he could not answer. Eneas also told police that he had not called the COVID-19 hotline before leaving his house. As a result, he was arrested and taken to a nearby station. During an interview with police, he told the officers that he had only violated the lockdown because he needed to get money to go to the pharmacy and buy snacks and water from the shop before it closed. Three men also appeared before Magistrate Ambrose Armbrister for lockdown violations. 45-year-old Jasmin Brave was charged after officers found him on Peter Street around 8.55pm on May 10. He pleaded guilty and was
fined $500 or six months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. Prosecutor Kenny Thompson said at the time of his arrest, Brave told the officers he had run out of water at home and had gone out to get some more. Jamaio Johnson, 22, and Ashton Lopez, 21, were also charged after officers found them on Peter Street around 8.40pm. During the hearing, Johnson said that he was not aware of the 24-hour curfew and was under the impression the 9pm-5am curfew was still in effect. Lopez also told the magistrate that their electricity was off at home and they had no water in the house so he went “through the corner” to buy a soda, some water and a pack of cigarettes from a guy named ‘Scratchy’ who sold things from his home. They both pleaded guilty and were each fined $500 or six months at BDCS.
NIKIA CHRISTIE, CIBC FirstCaribbean marketing manager for The Bahamas and TCI; Dr Hilgrove Lightbourn, Ministry of Health; Dr Duane Sands, former Minister of Health; Patricia Cleare, The Sign Man representative Photo: ashley@serenawilliams-pr.com
$25,000 DONATION FOR PPE CIBC FirstCaribbean recently purchased $25,000 worth of personal protective equipment (PPE) to help the Ministry of Health meet the critical needs of the healthcare workforce. The bank has provided the government with thousands of plastic face shields to medical professionals as they battle against the coronavirus pandemic. The personal protective equipment was produced by local
manufacturer, The Sign Man. “We recognise the essential role of frontline medical professionals in maintaining a strong healthcare system. In hospitals, clinics, and homes around The Bahamas, these individuals unwaveringly continue to care for patients,” said the bank’s managing director Marie Rodland-Allen. “Aware of the risks presented, the face shields
donated are for their added protection as they continue to defend the health and safety of our country. Healthcare workers have our deepest gratitude and admiration.” Dr Duane Sands, who accepted the donations on behalf of the government before his resignation last week as minister of health, said: “These face shields couldn’t come at a more opportune time.”
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, May 13, 2020, PAGE 5
POLICE INVESTIGATE TRAFFIC FATALITY By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net GRAND Bahama Police are investigating a fatal traffic accident that occurred in Holmes Rock, West Grand Bahama. Officials reported that the accident happened at Section A Holmes Rock and that the victim had died at the scene. Police investigations continue .
Photos: Derek Carroll and Denise Maycock By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net WORKS Minister Desmond Bannister said it’s “impossible” for electricity to be fully restored on Abaco before the start of the 2020 hurricane season, adding the level of destruction left by Hurricane Dorian has created several challenges for officials. He said officials are considering bringing in foreign work teams to assist with the power restoration, who would be quarantined on arrival. Speaking ahead of a Cabinet meeting yesterday morning, the minister told reporters: “I think anybody who has seen the ravages in Abaco will understand that that’s impossible. “Remember now, all those buildings were destroyed and so first of all, people have to get their insurance pay outs and then they have to get plans and rebuild and then they have to have inspection by the Ministry of Works and inspections by BPL before their homes can even be connected. “So, what BPL has done is put in a number of solar lighting systems in the Marsh Harbour area but Marsh Harbour is, if you see the utter devastation that we had there, it’s going to take quite a while before you can see total restoration and that’s being realistic and it’s important for us to appreciate what people have been through.” His comments come amid public concern about the island’s readiness for the upcoming hurricane season, which is less than a month away. The island was left devastated following Hurricane Dorian in early September after the storm flattened homes, businesses and obliterated infrastructure, destroying a number of power lines in the community. Since then, Bahamas Power and Light has carried out a number of operations to restore electricity on
‘Impossible to restore power to Abaco before 2020 hurricane season’
Abaco. Officials have previously said that power would be fully restored to the island by the end of March. However, yesterday, the Carmichael MP could not give a definite timeline for when the storm impacted island will be fully electrified, telling reporters “it’s going to take quite a while before you can see total restoration.” While noting that power has been restored to several areas on the island, Mr Bannister admitted that the Marsh Harbour community, the island’s central hub, and its surrounding cays have been posing several challenges for BPL workers. “Much of North Abaco,
South Abaco is powered up,” he said. “The Marsh Harbour areas are challenged as are a few of the cays. Those cays weren’t underground utilities and that by nature is going to take a little while longer.” In light of these challenges, he added officials also had to be sensitive to the needs of its workers as the catastrophic situation in Abaco has taken a mental toll on some employees. He said: “We’ve had many numbers of workers from New Providence go to Abaco and after a while, many (of them) have had mental fatigue and so we have had to bring them
back to New Providence and send other crews in. “The CARILEC (Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation) workers who were here had to return to their homes and we’ve been actively trying to bring in another crew from another country and that is going to mean that if we bring them in, we’re going to quarantine them here and get them to do some of the things that they need to quarantine first.” He continued: “So, BPL has been actively looking at that. That is by no means certain, but that is something that has to happen because when you talk
about the qualifications for linesmen and the linesmen has to have at least eight years of experience before you could put them out there. “So, BPL has to be very, very careful.” Meanwhile, as it relates to BPL’s hurricane preparedness for New Providence, the minister said the power provider has been actively preparing for the upcoming storm season, adding that officials are “well-ahead” in their plans. “BPL is, if you go into a number of areas in New Providence, you will see that BPL is actively going about cutting trees,” he said.
“…There are too many yards overgrown around this country and that’s something we have to begin to look at because we can’t expect BPL to continue to maintain our yards. I see huge trees coming out of people’s yards that many are not taking care of.” He added: “So, BPL is doing the best that they can and if you go all throughout New Providence and you’ll see that they have been cutting trees and that they’ve been securing lines in a number of areas to ensure that they have the appropriate conditions for overhead lines. “And they’re also finished with their well drilling for the new Wartsila engines, so we expect all of those Wartsila engines to be working properly. Any challenges we have now, we’ve also brought in a spare crew for Wartsila.” Asked by reporters whether the government had any plans to cut staff in his ministry due to economic uncertainty amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the minister replied that he was not aware of any such plans. “Unless I hear that from the prime minister, that is not within my contemplation and people in my ministry are actively working,” he noted. “. . .We cannot afford not to keep those architects, engineers and those people who make us safe employed and we cannot afford not to. In many of the cases (what) they do is life and death.”
LOUIS BACON and to put the people, the economy and the natural environment on the road to recovery,” said Mr. Bacon, chairman of The Moore Charitable Foundation and Moore Bahamas, its local affiliate. “We are committed to accelerating the progress through important partnerships.” The first round of grants by Moore Bahamas, announced in December 2019, supported
organisations working primarily on recovery projects. This round of grants focus on building resilience and boosting economic recovery in Grand Bahama, including installing a green energy grid in East End, reviving the local fishing industry and restoring Lucayan National Park. Additionally, support is provided for Waterkeeper Bahamas to continue its assessment and mitigation efforts at the Equinox oil spill site in Freeport, where hurricane damage caused a 50,000-barrel oil spill. The green grid project will be undertaken by the Rocky Mountain Institute, which since 2014 has assisted the Government of The Bahamas design and implement its national energy transition strategy. The project aims to build a
locally-sourced electricity system that is low-carbon, resilient, sustainable, and cost-effective, according to Justin Locke, senior director at Rocky Mountain Institute. “Projects such as the green grid in East Grand Bahama are a part of the greater efforts to accelerate the clean energy transition across the Caribbean,” and will help “build resilience and stimulate economic recovery, Locke said. “We are extremely grateful to the Moore Bahamas Foundation for their vision and generosity in making this project possible.” The Nature Conservancy grant will assist hard-hit East Grand Bahama fishing communities rebuild and strengthen their capacity by replacing lost and ruined equipment and accelerating
their re-entry into the fishing industry. The project, in conjunction with the Red Cross, also will teach strategies to reduce community vulnerability and boost climate resilience going forward. With 30,000 visitors a year, Lucayan National Park is a major economic driver for the island. Moore Bahamas is supporting a Bahamas National Trust project to rebuild the park’s infrastructure, which was severely damaged by the hurricane. The project includes cleaning the park, restoring mangroves and repairing the park’s main boardwalk. The Waterkeeper Alliance, in collaboration with local affiliate Waterkeeper Bahamas, is spearheading the response to the Equinor oil spill. The Moore
Bahamas grant will support Waterkeepers’ ongoing environmental risk assessments and fresh-water testing around the site. The list of local grantees is: Bahamas National Trust (BNT) Bahamas Reef Environmental Education Foundation (BREEF) Friends of the Environment in Abaco (Friends) GiveDirectly Grand Bahama Disaster Relief Foundation (GBDRF) International Medical Corps (IMC) The Nature Conservancy Paradise Fund Ranfurly Home for Children Rocky Mountain Institute Waterkeepers Bahamas Waves For Water (W4W)
THE DEVASTATION caused to Abaco by Hurricane Dorian
NEW GRANTS WORTH $200K FOR DORIAN RELIEF THE Moore Bahamas Foundation (“Moore Bahamas”) has announced $200,000 in new grants for Hurricane Dorian relief and recovery, bringing their contributions thus far to more than $500,000 as part of conservation philanthropist Louis Bacon’s million-dollar pledge for hurricane repairs. The grants follow Moore Bahamas’ funding for emergency aid and a posthurricane needs assessment in the immediate aftermath of Dorian and will help alleviate emergency hardships and accelerate recovery of The Bahamas’ ecosystems and economy. “The Bahamas were devastated by Dorian and, despite steady progress, more needs to be done to repair homes, businesses and infrastructure
PAGE 6, Wednesday, May 13, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”
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Promises, promises from BPL IF ever there was a group of managers fretting nervously over their company’s performance, it would be the top executives at Bahamas Power & Light. Last year, we were told we would endure one last summer of hell – which duly arrived, with load shedding happening regularly for months on end. That summer of hell is about the only promise BPL managed to keep. Afterwards, with the arrival of the new engines, chairman Dr Donovan Moxey promised “No more load shedding”, yet how many of us were surprised when the power went out island-wide in New Providence yesterday? The official explanation is a switching error at a substation at Skyline Drive – which prompts one question. How does one switching error put out the power across the whole island? All of this of course comes when people have been told to stay at home. Students were trying to complete classes online, some were taking examinations, and food that people stocked up on to avoid extra shopping trips started to defrost in refrigerators. Repeats of this and it’ll drive people back to the
stores and risking catching the virus all over again. BPL’s leadership is running out of chances to show they can reliably deliver power to the nation – and that goes for the government too. It was government that appointed this leadership two years ago, and it will be government that will be left to carry the can if the promises aren’t delivered. We said time and again last year that the public’s patience was running out with BPL – and that last summer really had to be the end to the appalling power provision for the nation. It’s holding back the business community, it’s adding stress to the daily lives of citizens – and goodness knows how care homes managed through the heat of last year with no fans to keep the elderly cool. We hope that yesterday’s outage will be very much the exception to the rule for the summer ahead – but with yesterday’s outage adding to Monday’s power problems because of bad weather, our hopes aren’t high. Time to live up to those promises, BPL.
Royal recognition A ROYAL treat for staff at Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre was a perfect way to mark International Nurses Day yesterday. This year, more than ever, the importance of health workers deserves to be shouted from the rooftops. But it was notable that the Duchess of Cambridge took time to honour the work of those who deal with those who have mental health needs. Often overlooked, and with a stigma attached that doesn’t take place with physical wounds, mental health is very
much an issue that needs more attention in The Bahamas. That stigma was one of the things Kate asked about when she rang – and one that nurses are very much aware of in their work. So we echo what the Duchess had to say when she told nurses “you should be so proud of the work you do”. Indeed, we’d agree too with the British High Commissioner, Sarah Dickson, who called them “super heroes”. In our hour of need, that’s exactly what they are.
Crisis? What crisis? NOW you see it, now you don’t. It’s the case of the disappearing COVID-19 diagnosis. In his address to the nation, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis told us the passenger was COVID-19 positive. Now he’s tested negative. What a mess this has turned out to be. We’re glad the passenger is healthy. We wish the process was in such good health.
Everywhere needs new money for the economy to progress READERS have been posting their reactions to the stories making the news on tribune242.com. With no confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Cat Island, residents are anxious about the inevitable return of domestic and international tourists and do not want visitors on their shores right now, prompting Mandela to say: “With no new money coming in how is that supposed to work? Everywhere, including Nassau, needs new money for the economy to progress, old money just circulating from one hand to another is not going to cut it.” FORMER Chamber of Commerce chairman Gowon Bowe said the government’s 2020/2021 Budget will have to be
creative with its limited resources amid the COVID-19 crisis. Clamshell said: “No prob. We specialise in ‘creative’ budgeting.” Honestman had this to say: “I don’t envy government on this one. How do you set a budget for the next 12 months when, in all likelihood, there will be little or no tourist dollars flowing into the country for the rest of the year, and maybe for the first half of next year? We need a bail out from someone and,
realistically, only the USA has a reason (strategic) to help us. In the meantime, something has to be done to correct the huge strain on the pension fund. It was creaking even before the pandemic.” And ThisIsOurs referenced Mr Bowe’s quote: “. . . but do we have a product or a service that is going to reach two million people in the same way,” and posted this: “Hands down you’re talking about a technology product. They can reach millions, are scaleable and the work and resources involved do not need to grow exponentially with the amount of customers serviced. That’s where part of the the profits come in.” Don’t miss your chance to join the debate on tribune242.com.
Dispelling a few myths EDITOR, The Tribune IF I may give an address to the graduating students of 2020. First, let me dispel a few myths: The world is not coming to an end, you do not get a free pass and we can’t do this without you. Now here’s the deal. I know this is not the year you envisioned. I imagine you dreamt of 2020 being everything but a health pandemic or having to stay locked away in your homes for months without any clear indication of when things will return to normal. Over the last few months, and with the help of technology, you’ve had to attend classes, submit assignments, communicate with your teachers and talk to your friends via an electronic device or through a computer screen. You’ve had to rely on your own time management skills and self-discipline to get the work done without the piercing gaze or constant beckoning of your teachers. For many of you, going to school was your refuge, and you now find yourself having to stay for long periods of time in environments that aren’t safe, environments that are uninspiring and unfortunately don’t provide you with the resources you need to live a healthy and balanced life. Like having access to proper food and water, shelter and love. I am asking you to hold on a little longer. These are not easy times, and for your parents and guardians, I imagine these are terrifying times. Times that force you to look at the future with pessimistic eyes, because everything around you seems hopeless
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net and dark. Graduates, this is where you must rise. This is where you must become the light that our world needs more than ever. The truth is, this is not the first pandemic the world has faced. If you study history, you would discover that we have encountered dark times many times before. We share space on a planet with billions of people, animal and plant species and human inventions, and so quite frankly these kinds of things are inevitable. This is not the first and it most certainly won’t be the last. What you are experiencing right now is a lesson in living. You have a front row seat view of what it means to be an inhabitant in a world that is constantly changing. You are the lucky ones. You get to see and feel and share what most of us older folks experienced after leaving the comfort of the school walls and our parents’ embrace. You— graduates, are ahead of the game. In a few months, you will leave one world—which for the most part had a few guarantees, for a world that is slightly different. The world you are stepping into is one that at first will seem mean and unwelcoming. You will trip over a few times and hit brick walls and get a few bruises. Think of it as a rite of passage or a test (yes there are more tests) you must pass to arrive at your goal. Know this, these too shall pass. As the world works to end this COVID-19 health crises, we are going to
need new ideas, creative inventions and ingenuity to thrive in our communities, industries and countries at large. We need you—the youthful and energetic and bold new graduates to help us find ways to do things better. To better serve this planet by becoming champions of climate change, poverty, human rights, socio-economic inequalities and joblessness among the youth. We need you to not just complain about things not being done, but to take up your own causes, engage, debate and start movements that inspire action and serve as the catalyst for real change. Yes, this may seem like a big ask, but it’s nothing compared to the light and gifts and passion you have deep within you. You were created for this time and this era. This is your world. 2020 is not the year you envisioned, but it is the year you have. My question is— What are you going to do about it? Are you going to sit around feeling sorry for yourself, or are you going to make 2020 the year you decided to rise above fear and pessimism and became a force for good. I will end this the way I began by dispelling these few myths: The world is not coming to an end, you do not get a free pass and we can’t do this without you! I salute you as you join the rest of us who are fighting for a world we can all be proud of. Welcome to the fight! As always, dwell in the space of possibility! CLARENCE C. ALBURY Nassau May 11, 2020
Look at internet control EDITOR, The Tribune
For those of us who watch TV on WIFI, that familiar circling on screen as the image and sound lags behind due to inadequate bandwidth, it’s enough to drive you crazy. Of course as the peak use hours surge and retreat, you know that a few more users have connected to the network. Imagine if every time your neighbours turned on their A/C your electric
power dipped and the lights would dim, you would be on the telephone so quick to complain to BPL. At least with BPL, if it did happen, the electricity would not go through your meter and you would not be paying for it. Not so with Internet ! You sign up for 30 Mega Bits Per Second and if you are the only one on the line you might get it, but if you are sharing that 30 Mbps with one or one thousand other consumers, then you will get
commensurately less. Yet, unlike BPL the meter is on the Internet suppliers front door, and not on yours. You pay for what goes through their meter. Junior Roberts is complaining all the time about the Price Control people, why don’t they (Price Control) have a look at Internet Supply Control. BRUCE G. RAINE Nassau, May 11, 2020/
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, May 13, 2020, PAGE 7
OPERATOR ERROR CAUSED ISLAND-WIDE BLACKOUT from page one
such as Fire Trail Close, Mckinney Dr, Sunset Park (north & south of Carmichael Rd), Carmichael Meadows, and Jubilee Gardens had power. However some areas in western New Providence had no power up to press time. The fault was traced to a sub station on Skyline Drive and The Tribune understands was caused by an operator switching error.
Last night, BPL issued a statement saying the blackout was caused by a short in the system at a substation where a team was working. “. . .Earlier this afternoon, the team was making preparations to tie in a new substation on Gladstone and Firetrail Road. In order to complete the works, the team had to isolate the circuit at the Skyline substation the feeds the old Gladstone Road substation before tying in the new substation.
“While attempting to complete this activity, a short in the system at the Skyline substation initiated an island-wide blackout,” BPL said. Bahamas Union of Teachers president Belinda told The Tribune virtual classrooms will be impacted if BPL cannot keep the lights on in the coming days and weeks. “If BPL is unable to keep the electricity on that will be a major challenge,” she said, adding it was
not the only issue affecting students learning from home. “We anticipate not only the electricity cutting off but we also speak about the students who do not have electricity and then the other challenge too is the strength of the internet board. The weakness of that.” Ms Wilson estimated many hours of class time would be lost if the power cuts were to continue while schools are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She said
this could delay students completing the syllabus as prescribed for the school year. On Monday, BPL blamed bad weather for power outages in New Providence’s on Mother’s Day. Back in April, lightning strikes on the company’s overhead system caused outages in areas including Nassau East, Star Estates, McKinney Drive and Carmichael Road. Editorial View - Page 6
UNIVERSITY STUDENT ORDERED TO ATTEND DRUG COUNSELLING By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
JONATHAN ARMBRISTER, left, and Jovanan Armbrister outside court yesterday.
Photos: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff
PAIR ACCUSED OF MURDER By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
TWO 22-year-old men were charged in Magistrate’s Court yesterday with murdering another man last week. Jonathan Armbrister and Jonavan Armbrister appeared before Magistrate Andrew Forbes charged
with the death of Jeffrey Fowler on May 5. According to initial police reports, shortly before 6pm that evening, three men were at McQuay Street when they got into a fight. The fight escalated, resulting in one man being stabbed. He was pronounced dead by paramedics on scene. Family and friends of the
victim were outside of the court complex yesterday to see the two defendants. One girl screamed at the men and rattled the gate before breaking into sobs. Others called the men “young punks” and shouted expletives as they made their way up the steps. During the hearing, the men were not required to
enter a plea and the matter was adjourned to July 30 for service of a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI). Bail was denied and the defendants were remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services in the interim. They have a right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail.
ANOTHER SHOT DEAD BY GUNMAN
THE SCENE at last night’s shooting. Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff
A MAN is dead and another is in hospital after a shooting off Cowpen Road last night. Police said they were called to the scene of a shooting at a Haitian community after 8pm. Responding officers were told that two men were in the front of a home when they were approached by a gunman, who shot at them. Both men were injured and one died at the scene. The other man was taken to hospital by EMS. This latest killing pushed the country’s murder count to 26 for the year, according to The Tribune’s records.
SUSPECTS HELD OVER GB SHOOTING
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
GRAND Bahama Police have several people in custody in connection with the latest double homicides on Grand Bahama, a senior police official said yesterday. A man who was shot on Monday, along with a
woman who was shot to death in the Limewood Lane area, also died of his injuries in hospital on Monday evening. His death brings murder count to seven on GB for the year. Superintendent of Police Terecita Pinder said the male victim succumbed to his injuries shortly before 5pm on Monday at the Rand Memorial Hospital.
The identity of the man is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. However, sources revealed the woman is Kim Smith, the wife of gang leader Tony Smith, aka Jamal Penn, of New Providence. According to reports, shortly after 3pm on Monday police received reports of gunfire at Limewood Lane, where they
discovered a woman dead in a blue-colored vehicle, and a man lying on the ground with a gunshot wound to the head. The male victim was unconscious and rushed by EMS personnel to the hospital. Supt Pinder said police are questioning several persons who are in police custody at this time.
A 24-YEAR-OLD man was ordered to attend drug counselling sessions after he pleaded guilty to marijuana possession yesterday. Ralph Walker II appeared before Magistrate Andrew Forbes charged with possession of Indian hemp after officers found two grams of the drug in his pockets on May 8. He pleaded guilty and was discharged for six months on the condition he attends drug counselling classes at the Department of Social Services. Prosecutor Lakesia Moss told the court around 2.35pm last Friday officers in the Gambier area observed a group of men standing on the side of the street. Inspector Moss said when the men saw police, some of them ran away, arousing the officers’ suspicion. The officers then approached one of the males who didn’t run and told him that he would
be searched in reference to dangerous drugs and firearms. While searching him, they discovered two silver foil wraps containing suspected marijuana in the suspect’s right and left pockets. As a result, he was arrested and taken to the Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) where he admitted to purchasing the drugs for $10 for personal use. During the hearing, Walker II was represented by attorney Alex Morley. He told the magistrate his client had accepted responsibility for his actions and had cooperated with the police. Mr Morley also noted Walker had no previous convictions and was a university student specialising in electrical engineering. As a result, Magistrate Forbes said he would give Walker an opportunity to “get his house in order.” Still, he warned the defendant if he failed to attend the drug counselling classes he would be convicted of the offence and spend two months in prison.
TEENAGERS CHARGED WITH AMMUNITION & FIREARM POSSESSION By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
TWO teenage boys were charged with unlicenced firearm and ammunition possession in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. The teens, 17 and 16, appeared before Magistrate Andrew Forbes after officers seized a black 9mm glock 19 pistol and 14 rounds of unfired ammunition from them on May 7. The 17-year-old was also charged with causing grievous harm to a female minor that same day. According to initial reports from police, shortly before 5pm on the day in question, three males and two juvenile females were inside a home on Baillou Hill Road South, when one of the males produced a firearm and discharged it in the direction of a female, injuring her. She was transported to hospital where she was listed in stable
condition at last report. During the arraignment, both of the accused teens were accompanied by their parents. Magistrate Forbes opted to transfer the case to juvenile court and the matter was adjourned to June 2 to be heard before Magistrate Cara Turnquest-Deveaux. During the arraignment, the 17-year-old was represented by attorney Devard Francis, while the 16-yearold was represented by attorney Donna Major. Both lawyers told the magistrate they were in the process of applying to the Supreme Court for bail for their clients. Still, Magistrate Forbes told them if bail was not granted, the 17-year-old would be remanded to the juvenile section of the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services, while the 16-year-old would be sent to the Simpson Penn Centre for Boys.
WOMAN ROBBED OF $1K
POLICE are looking for a man who robbed a woman on Monday. Shortly after 3pm, a woman was in the area of Fowler Street between Market and East Streets, when a white Buick approached her. A male passenger exited the car and produced a black handgun before robbing the woman of $1,000 in cash and personal items. The man escaped in the white Buick. An investigation is ongoing.
INSTALLING NEW BRIDGE ‘A PRIORITY’ HEAVY RAIN AND WINDS ON THE WAY By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
NEARLY a week after the bridge connecting Spanish Wells and Russell Island collapsed, Minister of Works Desmond Bannister said yesterday that construction workers are “actively working” to deconstruct the damaged bridge and replace it with a new one. Mr Bannister told reporters that installing a new bridge between the two communities had been a priority for his ministry. However, he said
construction was delayed by losses incurred to the contractor’s equipment during Dorian and the recent COVID-19 restrictions. “In July of last year, the government and Cabinet approved of a contractor for Spanish Wells. That contractor has purchased what we call ‘a custom-made kit bridge’. A bridge was made just for Spanish Wells,” he said. “That bridge is sitting in nine containers right there in Russell Island, right now and it’s been sitting there. (However) with COVID-19 and all the shutdowns and with Dorian, the contractor had much of his
equipment destroyed. He is actively working now to be able to deconstruct the old bridge and to put the new bridge which is sitting right there in Spanish Wells and erect that there. “So, the thing is to ensure that that bridge is installed properly but I want all Bahamians to understand the critical nature of this infrastructure.” It is not clear when the new bridge will be installed. However, Mr Bannister maintained the government is committed to repairing and replacing all damaged bridges throughout the country.
By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net WEATHER officials predict extended periods of heavy rain and gusty winds for the northwest and central Bahamas over the next few days bringing the risk of flooding in low lying areas. Local meteorologist Basil Dean told The Tribune Bahamians can anticipate “long periods” of rain that could be heavy at times, as well as an “increased potential for the development of waterspouts” in the northwest and central Bahamas on Friday and a portion of Saturday.
“Presently we have a frontal boundary across the southeast Bahamas which we expect to back up over the central Bahamas and fall stationary through Thursday,” he said. “And then on Friday, we expect an area of low pressure to fall on that frontal boundary. That area of low pressure will then move north and northeast and eventually over the open waters of the Atlantic by Saturday.” Mr Dean said officials expect the skies to clear up and sunshine and more dryer conditions to return by Sunday.
“But until then, heavy rains will be the order of the day starting tomorrow afternoon and then it will be gradually increasing as we move into Friday,” he continued. “We’re also looking for flooding in low lying areas, so persons who live in flood prone areas are asked to prepare themselves and take the necessary precautions to secure their properties. That’s basically it. We’re looking at a rainy, wet (forecast) that can produce some flooding conditions over the next few days with clearing by next Saturday or Sunday.”
PAGE 8, Wednesday, May 13, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
W We knew what we were getting but things really do now need to change
E HAVE known for some time that we have a leadership problem. We have a political landscape problem. We have an electoral process problem. We have a system that does not work for us and has led to results, election after election, that have been subpar at best. The 2017 general election was truly a race to the bottom. The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) had lost the confidence of many voters during its five-year term that none of us will soon forget. The Free National Movement (FNM), as the official opposition, made no use of those five years or the material the PLP continually served it on a platter. It was a lazy, ineffective opposition that failed to challenge that administration and did nothing to inspire hope or build confidence in its 2017 candidates. The PLP is now going down the same path. In the 2017 general election, the FNM simply succeeded in not being the PLP (in name). The people voted for not-the-PLP and ended up with the FNM, led by Dr Hubert Minnis, and this has not been a pleasant experience. For the first year and a half, people insisted we needed to give him and the entire administration more time. They just got there. Give them a chance. They did not need much time to make arrests and put on a show in the name of accountability, transparency and anti-corruption, but certainly needed a long time to act in response to Hurricane Dorian. The COVID-19 crisis response was a bit faster, but has left much to be desired. During the general election campaign, it was repeatedly stated that Minnis lacks many qualities we need and expect from a leader. Supporters declared none of them were important enough to stop them from voting for him. The Out Da Box campaign highlighted the need to move
The
Alicia Wallace column away from the two-party system, to demand greater participation in candidate and leadership selection processes and to refuse to choose the lesser of the evils. The Bahamian people settled - and now we are saddled with - exactly what we knew we would get. On Sunday, I was reminded of the argument about whether or not Minnis’ lack of oratorical skills was relevant to his run for leadership. By now, we should all understand that the ability to speak with confidence, prove competence, show empathy and inspire a sense of calm, particularly in a time of crisis, is of great importance. We, at this difficult time, need someone who can at least make us feel confident in their ability to lead. In his speeches, the prime minister needs to stay on topic, move smoothly from one point to the next, and assure us he is both fully aware of what is taking place and implementing a plan to move us forward. He did not do this on Sunday. His speech was scattered, focused on the challenges we already know we are facing and was far too long. In addition, he spoke about six people who were allowed to enter The Bahamas
(before the people with the swabs), saying he was “advised” of this information. Who is the competent authority? Who is making these decisions? How long does it take for these decisions to be communicated to the competent authority? People are choosing not to watch the national addresses, partly because they are long and meandering and partly because they provide far less information than a press conference where journalists ask the questions we want answered. If the national addresses are to continue and people are expected to watch, we need tight, organised speeches that give us the necessary information. We need delivery that does not depress, but gives hope. Going forward, his writers and advisers need to ensure that Minnis is: 1. Honest about the current state and forecasts 2. Clear and concise in sharing the plan to move us forward 3. Forthcoming about the extent of his authority, delegation and mistakes 4. Focused on facts rather than depending on extensive use of quotes, scripture and sermons to cause distraction or evoke feeling.
PRIME Minister Minnis needs to be clear and concise in sharing the plan to move us forward.
SO DO WE HAVE TO LIKE A PERSON TO HEAR THEIR CRY? OVER the weekend, videos circulated regarding the government quarantine facility. There was one video in particular that many found very upsetting. In it, a person who came on the Bahamasair flight of Bahamians returning to Nassau complained about the conditions in her room. She said there was mould, the bed was too hard and the air conditioning was not working. She showed several items she considered inferior including a sandwich, packaged snack and apple, a case of water she said was dirty (meaning the plastic wrapping), and a broom that did not have a handle. At first, the video might be seen as funny. The way she goes on about the supplies is a bit ridiculous. The part that should obviously have raised concern is the complaint about mould. No chances should be taken, and even if it was just a musty smell, she should have been given another room. The way this issue was dismissed, presumably because people did not find her tone or attitude appealing, is unfortunate and says a lot about us as a people. Do we have to like a person to hear their cry? Part of the issue, in this case, is we do not understand the obligations of a government. It did not do the people a favour by bringing them back to The Bahamas. They are Bahamian citizens who should be able to leave and return and they were not able to return due to the
closing of the border which came without warning. According to authorities, it was required that passengers show evidence of a purchased ticket they were not able to use due to the closed border. This means the flight was not a “free trip home”. They had already paid for it. It is good the government established protocol for the repatriation flights. They included mandatory COVID-19 testing and ensuring only people who tested negative were allowed to board – which we now know was not followed, putting others at risk – and a mandatory two-week quarantine. People with homes meeting the requirements were able to go home while others must quarantine at the government facility. It is important we understand this is a form of detention. The government requires this group of people to stay in a place that prevents them from coming into contact with other people. This means having their own bedrooms and bathrooms. It is a not a “free hotel stay”. They are not “lucky” to receive three meals every day. It is mandatory quarantine at a government facility which requires the government to make provisions for them which includes a bed, bathroom and food. Yes, the people who came in on Friday are in their home country now. Yes, some people may “have it worse”. That does not diminish the fact they
were not able to re-enter The Bahamas for weeks – however we may choose to justify that – and we do not know the circumstances they were in for that period. The 59 people in the government facility are closer to home, but they are not home yet, and we do not know what they have endured to this point. Sometimes people need to vent. Sometimes people want to commiserate. Sometimes people are so tired and frustrated their delivery overshadows their message. It is unclear whether or not that video was intended, at the time of recording, for public consumption, but it is certainly unfortunate that it went viral. While we may criticize the person recording the video, we should be able to understand her discomfort. Another video was shared with a container of food on the floor outside of a room. Many tried to excuse this, but understand that 59 people are staying in this facility. Shoes and luggage have been all over that floor. When the container is picked up, it will be touched by bare hands and then sit on a surface that will be touched over and over again. At the very least, the food containers can be placed on trays outside the room doors. Being upset about the first video is one thing. Encouraging proper sanitation and hygiene practices within the quarantine facility is minimal requirement. It is not difficult, so let it be done.
PAGE 10, Wednesday, May 13, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
BRAZIL DEPLOYS SOLDIERS TO PROTECT AMAZON RAINFOREST BRAZIL has deployed thousands of soldiers to protect the Amazon rainforest, taking precautions to avoid spreading the novel coronavirus, as the government mounts an early response to surging deforestation ahead of the high season for forest fires. The armed forces, alongside environmental officials, police and other government agencies, began with an operation in a national forest in Rondonia state, near the Bolivian border, Vice President Hamilton Mourao said at a news conference.
Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon surged 55 percent in the first four months of the year compared with the same period of 2019, according to government data released last Friday. The destruction hit an 11-year high last year, spurring outcry that Brazil was not doing enough to protect the world’s largest rainforest. President Jair Bolsonaro authorised the deployment, sending in troops three months earlier than in 2019, when Amazon fires grabbed global headlines. Defence Minister Fernando
Azevedo said the armed forces are establishing bases in three Amazon cities, with 3,800 troops mobilised against illegal logging and other crimes, at an initial operational cost of $10 million. Azevedo said each base was also assigned five specialists in chemical warfare to help avoid spreading the novel coronavirus through the operations. The military is currently authorized for deployment for 30 days ending June 10. That could be extended with the approach of the dry season, when forest fires
generally spread, and the military will seek to assist in fire prevention, Mourao said. “We have no doubt this problem will continue to exist,” he said. “We don’t consider this the best job for the armed forces, to be always engaged in this type of action, but unfortunately it’s the means we have to limit these crimes from happening.” The armed forces will continue to be used until environmental agencies, like the main enforcement agency Ibama, increase their staff, Mourao said. An economic
downturn and budget restrictions have prevented Ibama from hiring new agents, thinning its ranks. Environment Minister Ricardo Salles acknowledged that government data showed rising deforestation this year. He said that the coronavirus outbreak had “aggravated” the situation, without elaborating. Salles said he was confident the government’s actions under Mourao’s direction would succeed in lowering deforestation from the elevated levels seen in the last two years
THOUSANDS GETTING SICK WHILE AT WORK NEW YORK Associated Press
TOP: Members of the T-Rex Walking Club walk through a neighborhood in Michigan as they attempt to bring a little bit of cheer to their fellow residents who remain under quarantine; left: An emergency worker disinfects people leaving a hospital near a fire in St. Petersburg, Russia; below: Dr Anthony Fauci speaks remotely during a virtual Senate committee hearing.
Fauci warns of ‘suffering and death’ if US reopens too soon WASHINGTON Associated Press DR Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, yesterday warned bluntly of “really serious” consequences of suffering, death and deeper economic damage if state and local officials lift stay-at-home orders too quickly, even as President Donald Trump pushes them to act to right a freefalling economy. Fauci’s testimony before a Senate committee came as more than two dozen states have begun to lift their lockdowns as a first step toward economic recovery. Underscoring the seriousness of the pandemic that has reached Congress and the White House, Fauci and other experts testified by video from their homes. Sen. Lamar Alexander chaired the hearing by video from the study in his cabin in Tennessee, though several
members of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee did attend at the Capitol. Fauci and other health officials stressed that pandemic danger persists, even as testing increases and work toward a vaccine and treatments continues. More COVID-19 infections are inevitable as people again start gathering, but how prepared communities are to stamp out those sparks will determine how bad the rebound is, Fauci told the senators. “There is no doubt, even under the best of circumstances, when you pull back on mitigation you will see some cases appear,” Fauci said. And if there is a rush to reopen without following guidelines, “my concern is we will start to see little spikes that might turn into outbreaks,” he said. “The consequences could be really serious.” In fact, he said opening too soon “could turn the clock back,” and
that not only would cause “some suffering and death that could be avoided, but could even set you back on the road to try to get economic recovery.” Fauci was among the health experts testifying to the Senate panel, as Trump has been praising states that are reopening after the prolonged lockdown aimed at controlling the virus’s spread. Committee chairman Alexander said as the hearing opened that “what our country has done so far in testing is impressive, but not nearly enough.” Worldwide, the virus has infected nearly 4.2 million people and killed over 287,000 — more than 80,000 in US alone. Asked if the US mortality count was correct, Fauci said, “the number is likely higher. I don’t know exactly what percent higher but almost certainly it’s higher.” Fauci, a member of the coronavirus task force charged with shaping
the response to COVID-19, testified via video conference after self-quarantining as a White House staffer tested positive for the virus. With the US economy in free-fall and more than 30 million people unemployed, Trump has been anxious to reopen states for business. A recent review determined that 17 states did not meet a key White House benchmark for loosening restrictions — a 14-day downward trajectory in new cases or positive test rates. Yet many of those have begun to reopen or are about to do so, including Alabama, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Utah. Of the 33 states that have had a 14-day downward trajectory, 25 are partially opened or moving to reopen within days. Other states that have not seen a 14-day decline, remain closed despite meeting some benchmarks.
EVEN as President Donald Trump urges getting people back to work and reopening the economy, an Associated Press analysis shows thousands of people are getting sick from COVID-19 on the job. Recent figures show a surge of infections in meatpacking and poultryprocessing plants. There’s been a spike of new cases among construction workers in Austin, Texas, where that sector recently returned to work. The developments underscore the high stakes for communities nationwide as they gradually loosen restrictions on business. “The people who are getting sick right now are generally people who are working,” Dr. Mark Escott, a regional health official, told Austin’s city council. “That risk is going to increase the more people are working.” Austin’s concerns will likely be mirrored in communities nationwide as the reopening of stores and factories creates new opportunities for the virus to spread. To be sure, there are plenty of new infections outside the workplace — in nursing homes, and among retired and unemployed people, particularly in densely populated places such as New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia and urban parts of New Jersey and Massachusetts. Yet of the 15 US counties with the highest per-capita infection rates between April 28 and May 5, all are homes to meatpacking and poultry-processing plants or state prisons. The county with the highest per-capita rate was Tennessee’s Trousdale County, where nearly 1,300 inmates and 50 staffers recently tested positive at the privately run Trousdale Turner Correctional Center. In the federal prison system, the number of positive cases has increased steadily. As of May 5, there were 2,066 inmates who’d tested positive, up from 730 on April 25.
ELON MUSK BECOMES CHAMPION OF RUSSIAN PRESIDENT’S SPOKESMAN DEFYING VIRUS STAY-HOME ORDERS HOSPITALISED WITH CORONAVIRUS Associated Press
TESLA CEO Elon Musk has emerged as a champion of defying stay-home orders intended to stop the coronavirus from spreading, picking up support — as well as critics — on social media. Among the supporters was President Donald Trump, who yesterday tweeted that Tesla’s San Francisco Bay Area factory should be allowed to open despite local health department orders that it stay closed except for minimum basic operations. “It can be done fast & safely,” the president tweeted, joining many of Musk’s 34 million Twitter followers who back the defiance. Among Musk’s biggest critics is California Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, who used an expletive to describe the CEO after his threats to relocate his operations to Texas or Nevada. She said
MOSCOW Associated Press
TESLA’s San Francisco Bay Area factory the company is disregarding worker safety and bullying public officials. Tesla’s factory reopened on Monday with Musk practically daring local authorities to arrest him. The plant apparently continued operations on yesterday. The company met a Monday deadline to submit a site-specific plan to protect worker safety, which the Alameda County Public Health Department is reviewing.
The restart defied orders from the county health department, which has deemed the factory a nonessential business that can’t fully open under virus restrictions. The department said it warned the company was operating in violation of the county health order, and hoped Tesla will “comply without further enforcement measures” until the county approves a site-specific plan required by the state.
KREMLIN spokesman Dmitry Peskov has been hospitalised with the coronavirus, the latest in a series of setbacks for President Vladimir Putin as Russia struggles to contain the growing outbreak. “Yes, I’ve gotten sick. I’m being treated,” Peskov, a key Putin aide said on Tuesday. Also infected was Peskov’s wife, Olympic ice dancing champion Tatyana Navka. She told reporters that Peskov’s condition was “satisfactory” and that the couple decided to enter the hospital so as not to expose the rest of their family. “He brought it (the virus) from work,” Navka was quoted as saying by the Daily Storm online outlet. Peskov, 52, has been Putin’s spokesman since 2008 but began working him with in the early 2000s. The Tass news agency
DMITRY PESKOV quoted Peskov saying he last saw Putin in person “more than a month ago.” Reporters from the Kremlin pool said on Twitter that Peskov was last seen in public on April 30 at a meeting with Putin. It was not clear whether the two were in the same room because Putin has been conducting his meetings via teleconference in recent weeks from his residence in Novo-Ogaryovo, outside Moscow. Peskov is not the only top government official to come down with the coronavirus.
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin revealed April 30 that he had tested positive for the virus. The next day, Construction and Housing Minister Vladimir Yakushev, was hospitalized with it, and Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova said last week she was self-isolating after getting infected. The announcement of Peskov’s hospitalization came a day after Putin said Russia was slowing the outbreak and announced he was easing some of the nationwide lockdown restrictions. But new questions are being raised about just how successful the response has been. Health officials reported thousands of new infections, many health care workers are falling ill with the virus amid complaints that protective gear is in short supply, and deadly fires have broken out at two hospitals for virus patients, apparently from defective breathing machines.
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Spence has second successful bone marrow transplant in US By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net week before the United States of America shut down the country because of the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, Bahamian coach Fritz Spence had his second successful bone marrow transplant surgery to help him overcome his battle with leukemia (AML). The former triple jumper who was originally coached by Fritz Grant in South Andros before he came to Nassau where he was then coached by Minister of Works Desmond Bannister, Mark Hall and Sterling Moss, was diagnosed with cancer in 2008, Spence had a relapse in 2013 and again last year. Spence, now in his 14th year as an assistant coach at Penn State, said he’s coping day by day with the support from his family and the administration and staff at school. “My wife has been my rock. She has gotten me through the tough times, so I rely on her for a lot of things,” said Spence, who is married to Teri and the proud father of four children and a granddaughter. “I try to work my way back each time. So I’m on the upside. Penn State has been there with you throughout the lapses and I am grateful to be a part of a programme that takes care of its people.” The latest surgery was done on March 11 at the Penn State Milton S Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania, a week before President Donald Trump shut down
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the American economy to deal with the coronavirus. Had he not done it then through an unrelated donor, Spence said he would have been on a waiting list as he dealt with the current lockdown. “I’m feeling pretty good. I’m on the upside,” Spence said. “I am ready to get back to work. I’m working from home, still recruiting and doing stuff. I’m feeling good. “Some days are better than others, but I just have to continue to push through. I’ve been through it before, two times already. So I know what it takes to get back to where I need to be. It’s a good and a bad thing, but it’s good that I have that experience to fall back on.” Spence, now 47, was first diagnosed at 35, but that has not kept him from fulfilling his long-time dream of being a coach and giving back to his country and the community. “Having an opportunity to coach at Penn State is just my second school. I’ve only been coaching at two schools, so I’m very fortunate, not to have been all over the place,” he said. “I started at Missouri State and now I’m at Penn State. But having the opportunity that I have here at Penn State, it’s unbelievable and I’m thankful to my mentors like Mark Hall, Desmond Bannister and Fritz Grant. They are responsible for where I am today.” One day, Spence said he would like to come back home and make a contribution to the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations, who gave him a head start as a triple
PILOT 3-ON-3 BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT ‘IS COMING’ IN AUGUST By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
jumper on the CARIFTA Games’ team back in the late 1980s before he headed off. “I will continue to work and to improve myself and let everything take care of itself,” Spence said. At present, Spence said he’s abiding to the lockdown measures, considering the fact that they
are so close to the hot spot in New York where the majority of the coronavirus cases in the United States have occurred. “I’m working remotely at home with our studentathletes on a daily and weekly basis,” he said. “I’m still dealing with them. We’re finally done with school because we are on
the summer break. But I’m still recruiting, so we’re still functioning as if we are preparing for the fall semester in August.” Spence, however, said Penn State unfortunately doesn’t have any studentathletes on their roster, following the departure
WHILE no definitive date has been set yet for the resumption of sporting activities in the country, the Bahamas Basketball Federation is looking forward to hosting a pilot 3-on-3 basketball tournament in August that is mandated by FIBA - the governing body for basketball worldwide with the view of returning to the regular 5-on-5 basketball tournaments. Eugene Horton, the first vice president of the federation, said their committee, comprising of persons from throughout the Bahamas, are targeting the weekend of August 1-3 for the tournament, geared for players in three different categories inclusive of 18-35, 36-45 and 46-and-over for male and female players. “We’re not sure when everything will be opened, but during the month of August, we will try to play the 3-on-3 basketball tournament throughout the Bahamas,” Horton said. “We have committee members assigned to each island, so we want to ensure that everybody is aware of the rules and regulations.” Committee members, according to Horton, will be assigned to the different islands and will work closely with players, coaches and those interested in participating in 3-on-3 basketball and to get them registered in a database for FIBA through https://playfiba3x3. com.
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TV special on ‘Tiger Slam’ to air after Woods’ charity match By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer GOLF Channel was going to wait until a few hours after the Masters was over to show the latest project from its Golf Films unit called “Tiger Slam.” But it wasn’t going to wait until November. The timing turned out to be even better. The one-hour special, which chronicles Woods winning all four majors in a span of 294 days, will be shown two hours after Woods is seen in live competition for the first time in three months. “Tiger Slam” is scheduled to air on May 24 at 8pm EDT, right after Woods and Peyton Manning face Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady in a charity exhibition for COVID-19 relief efforts. The film originally was set to be shown on April 12, the Sunday night after the Masters. But then the new coronavirus put a stop to sports, and the Masters eventually was rescheduled for two weeks before Thanksgiving. Golf Channel decided to wait until the right moment. It helps, too, that “Tiger Slam” will be shown one week after the conclusion of “The Last Dance” documentary on Michael Jordan and his championship runs with the Chicago Bulls. For Woods, the one-hour special covers four tournaments — his 15-shot victory in the US Open at Pebble Beach in 2000, his eightshot victory in the British Open at St Andrews to complete the career Grand
TIGER Woods tees off on the 18th hole on his way to winning the 100th US Open Golf Championship at the Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California, on June 18, 2000. Golf Channel is airing a one-hour special on May 24 of Woods winning all four majors in a span of 10 months. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola) Slam, his playoff victory over Bob May in the PGA Championship at Valhalla and his battle with Mickelson and David Duval to win the Masters. Woods remains the only player to hold all four professional majors at the same time. The film, with limited commercial interruption, is narrated by Emmy Awardwinning actor Michael Kenneth Williams. It features insight from caddie
Steve Williams and swing coach Butch Harmon, along with sports media personalities at the majors. Steve Williams talks about the time they nearly ran out of golf balls to finish the fogdelayed second round on Saturday morning because Woods was putting in his hotel and left three balls in his room. Golf Films began in 2014 with the four-part series on Arnold Palmer, which was shown right after the
Masters that year. It also has produced a three-part series on Jack Nicklaus and a two-part film on Ben Hogan. TULSA TIME Tiger Woods was 31 when he won the PGA Championship at Southern Hills during a scorching week in 2007. He will be 54 the next time the PGA returns to Tulsa, Oklahoma. The PGA of America announced yesterday that
Southern Hills, which has hosted seven majors, will hold the 2030 PGA Championship. The PGA said three years ago the Perry Maxwell design was on the rotation for another PGA, and it was simply waiting for the year. Southern Hills once held three majors in a span of 13 years — the 1970 PGA Championship (Dave Stockton), the 1977 US Open (Hubert Green) and the 1982 PGA Championship (Raymond Floyd).
TRACKING FANS The PGA Tour has said only that the first four events upon its return at Colonial next month will not have fans. That means the Memorial — now scheduled as the sixth event (July 16-19) — is planning to have spectators. Just not as many. Dan Sullivan, the tournament director, says there will not be grandstands — Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio, didn’t need that many, anyway, because of the landscape — and beverages will be sold only in bottles. Most interesting about his discussion last week with the Greater Columbus Sports Commission was the concept of chips inserted in badges to determine how fans are gathering. “At any time we can know around the golf course how many people are collecting in a certain area,” he said. “We’re going to use that technology to make sure that we’re protecting everyone around us, protecting the folks that are inside those various venues and make sure that we’re monitoring effectively and producing a tournament that everyone can be comfortable with.” PGA WEEK The PGA Championship was supposed to be played this week at Harding Park in San Francisco, easy to overlook since this would have been only the second year of the championship
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3-ON-3 FROM PAGE 11
Eventually, Horton said the federation intends to host a national tournament where the federation will be able to select a national team to represent the Bahamas in upcoming international events. As for the pilot tournament in August, Horton said they are looking at hosting the first 20 teams with registration closed about two days before they start. They are looking at the possibility of playing in the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium where they can play up to four games at a time and, if necessary, utilise the courts on the outside.
TIGER from PAGE 11 moving to May. Its two networks are still going to fill the void with recaps of four PGA Championships on ESPN2 and full final rounds from two others on CBS Sports this weekend. ESPN plans to show Justin Thomas winning in 2017 at Quail Hollow (noon EDT) and Rory McIlroy winning his second Wanamaker Trophy in 2014 at Valhalla (2:30pm EDT), when it was a fourman race on the back nine that featured Phil Mickelson, Henrik Stenson and Rickie Fowler. CBS has two of Tiger Woods’ most exciting runs in the PGA Championship on the weekend — one a win, the other a loss. It starts Saturday at 2:30pm EDT with Brooks Koepka holding off a strong rally by Woods at Bellerive in 2018. Woods shot a career-low 64 in a major. Koepka shot 66 and won by two with a record score of 264. On Sunday at 3pm EDT is Woods’ 2000 victory at Valhalla,
FRITZ SPENCE from PAGE 11 of Eleuthera native and St Augustine’s College sprinter Keianna Albury, who graduated last year. Albury followed on the footsteps of another SAC graduate, triple jumper Danielle Gibson, who left Penn State a few years ahead of her. Penn State is also the alma mater of quarter-miler Mike Sands, the new president of the North American, Central American and Caribbean region of World Athletics, the global governing body for track and field. “I would say to Bahamian student-athletes, give Penn State a choice to consider,” Spence said. “You can go online and take a virtual tour and check out our top-notch facilities indoors and outdoors.
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The tournament is expected to use a double elimination format with about 39 games played in each category based on the first come, first serve of 20 teams signed up. All players, however, must be registered in the FIBA database. “We just want to let people know 3-on-3 basketball is coming,” Horton said. “It’s important for players, coaches and teams to sign up and get registered with FIBA. When we had the workshop with FIBA last year, they had mandated that we start playing 3-on-3. We now have a committee to implement it.” Although the landscape of sports will take on a different look due to social distancing as a result of the
coronavirus, Horton said they are just in the planning stages of putting on the pilot tournament. He said if they have to critique their plans a little more as it pertains to how they will abide by the recommendations by the health officials, then they will do that. “Right now, we just want to have something in place once we get the okay to go ahead with sporting activities again,” Horton said. “Our committee is working and once we would have finalised all of the details and have the date set, based on when the economy opens up, we will provide more details to the public.” Like it was done worldwide, sports was closed down in March
due to the coronavirus after the National Basketball Association (NBA) was forced to halt their regular season after centre Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz was the first international athlete to publicly test positive for the virus. The BBF at the time was preparing to host their national basketball championships in April between its member island associations. But, as a result of COVID-19, they were forced to cancel the tournament. The New Providence Basketball Association, at the time, was into its playoffs, while the New Providence Women’s Basketball Association was preparing for the start of its championship series.
where he holed what he considers the biggest putt of his career, a 6-foot birdie to force a three-hole playoff against Bob May. Woods won for his third straight major, becoming the first player to win back-to-back at the PGA Championship in stroke play.
and stirred a nation that became a powerhouse in women’s golf.
of Furman were voted top college golfers for the season. Theegala won the Fred Haskins Award, while Srinivasan won the Annika Award. ... The PGA Tour of Australasia says it will extend its season until March 2021, and such a wraparound season could become the norm. ... Renate Grimstad of Miami has been awarded the Dinah Shore Trophy, given to female college players who have a 3.2 GPA or better and maintain a scoring average of 78 or lower. Grimstad, a senior from Norway, broke the school record by a full stroke with a 71.0 scoring average.
THIS WEEK IN HISTORY The LPGA rookie class of 1998 included a 20-year-old named Se Ri Pak. Most players didn’t know much about her. Laura Davies was the exception. She had seen the South Korean play in Europe the previous year, and when she discovered Pak’s odds at the season-opener were 66-1, she put 100 pounds on her to win before leaving England. Davies was four months too early. It was this week 22 years ago when Pak opened with a 65 in the LPGA Championship while playing alongside Nancy Lopez and JoAnne Carner. She shared the 54-hole lead and then pulled away with a 68 for a three-shot victory. Seven weeks later, Pak won the US Women’s Open in a playoff at Blackwolf Run. She became a star,
“We have a great educational system. We’re known for producing great student-athletes because we push our students and our athletes. “So we just don’t focus on student-athletes coming in and just being successful on the track. We also want to be successful in the classroom.” At the end of the day, Spence said that is what will sustain the student-athletes when they depart and will have to support their own families one day. As one of the Bahamians in the coaching fraternity in track and field in the United States, Spence said he’s very fortunate to be able to do something that he enjoys doing. During his tenure, he has been named five times as the USTFCCCA Assistant Coach of the Year. He has also produced 30 All-Americans, including 21 individual conference champions. At Penn State, Spence has also had the opportunity to rub
MICKELSON AND MICHAEL Phil Mickelson has found a place to hang his clubs when he moves to South Florida: Michael Jordan’s place. Mickelson said on the “Dan Patrick Show” on Monday that he was in the process of joining The Grove XXIII, the ultra-exclusive club that Jordan created. “It’s a cool place,” Mickelson said. “He did an exceptional job there.” Mickelson says joining the club is invitation-only, but that he knows a number of members. Mickelson, who lives in San Diego, says he and his wife have bought a lot about 10 or 15 minutes away from Jordan’s club. Golf Channel reported in January that Mickelson plans to move to Florida next year after his youngest child graduates high school.
STAT OF THE WEEK The Champions for Charity match will be the 11th time Tiger Woods has played exhibition matches dating to 1999. His record is 2-4 when going head-to-head, 3-2 in team formats.
DIVOTS In a season cut short by the new coronavirus, Sahith Theegala of Pepperdine and Natalie Srinivasan
FINAL WORD “Thursday and Friday will be no different for me except my wife won’t be watching.” — Joel Dahmen, on the prospect of playing with no fans.
shoulders with Bahamian coaches Rolando ‘Lonnie’ Greene and Norbert Elliott. As arch-rivals in the Big Ten Conference, Greene served previously as the head coach for the Purdue Boilermakers while Elliott was an assistant coach. Greene has since left Purdue to take up the head coaching job with the University of Kentucky where Bahamian “Golden Girl” Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie is now his assistant. In his departure, Elliott has been promoted to take over the head coaching chores at Purdue. For now, Spence said he’s quite content making his contribution at Penn State, coaching the Nittany Lion women’s jumpers and multievent athletes. He has had outstanding results in his time with the Nittany Lions, overseeing 22 All-America efforts, nine top-5 NCAA finishers, six Big Ten champions, also contributed to two top-four finishes at the NCAA Championships (2008 and
`10) a Big Ten triple crown (2009 and `10), USTFCCCA Scholar Team of the Year (2010) and nine Big Ten titles. Prior to coming to Penn State, Spence coached 14 conference champions, 10 NCAA qualifiers, and eight All-Americans at Missouri State University. He was a part of a coaching staff that won four Missouri Valley Conference Team Championships in both the indoor (2003 and `04) and outdoor (2002 and `03) seasons. In December of 2015, Spence graduated from Missouri State University with a Mas ter of Science in Administrative Studies (MSAS)/Applied Communication. He is also certified in CPR, First Aid and as a Fitness Trainer through the International Sports Sciences Association. Spence and his wife, Teri, reside in State College. They have three daughters, Ashlie, Keiva and Ale’ka one son, Ashton and a granddaughter, Aria.
MAC ELIMINATING AND SCALING BACK POSTSEASON TOURNAMENTS By RALPH D RUSSO AP College Sports Writer THE Mid-American Conference is eliminating postseason tournaments in eight sports, including baseball and softball, and men’s and women’s basketball are among nine sports that will have postseasons scaled back. The MAC’s announced the cost-cutting move yesterday in response to the financial crisis being brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Postseason tournaments will also be discontinued in field hockey, women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s tennis and men’s and women’s soccer. Champions in the 12-team conference will be determined by regular-season results in sports without postseason tournaments. Men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will only include the top eight teams in the final regularseason standings. Regular-season basketball schedules will increase to 20 conference games and opening round, on-campus tournament games will be eliminated. Volleyball, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field and men’s and women’s golf will also have postseasons with fewer participants. The postseason changes cover the next four seasons and will be “evaluated as the economic situation stabilises and improves,” the conference said in a statement.
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EPL TO ADDRESS PLAYERS’ FEARS, LONDON MAYOR RESISTS RESTART By ROB HARRIS AP Global Soccer Writer MANCHESTER, England (AP) — The English Premier League will seek to allay players’ concerns about health risks as the government prepares to release protocols allowing a phased resumption of contact training as coronavirus restrictions are eased. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday set out how elite sports could resume in June if there is not a new spike in COVID-19 infections. But, with hundreds of people still dying each day, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said yesterday it was too early for games to be staged again in the capital which contains five Premier League clubs. “Sadiq is ... concerned about the welfare of players competing in all
professional sports, not just football,” the mayor’s office said in a statement. “There are huge questions to be asked how players could train safely, how they would travel to matches and how they could play competitive matches without the risk of spreading infection.” The government is planning to release a strategy this week that allows players to resume group training even as social distancing is being encouraged in wider society. “It’s about the building blocks — how long before we can go back into full contact training?” Premier League chief executive Richard Masters told reporters. “It does depend on what sort of contact because obviously you’re trying to ensure the players keep themselves safe even during that contact training
THE NOVEL Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 causes COVID-19. (AP) situation and that will have to be dealt with on a case by case basis.” It is two months since the last games were played before the league was suspended during the pandemic. “One thing is for sure,” Masters said, “all clubs will
have to be safe and secure in the knowledge that their players are going to be fit before a decision on going back on the pitch is taken, given that they have had such a long layoff. “We have talked about four weeks of training but haven’t agreed yet as we
haven’t agreed to go back to training.” Masters said players will be consulted about how a safe environment can be created at training and then games. “It is right that they will have concerns and questions and we need to hear those first,” Masters said. Manchester City and England forward Raheem Sterling has broader concerns. “The moment we do go back we need to make sure it’s at a moment where it’s not just for footballing reasons, it’s safe for not just us footballers but the whole medical staff, referees,” Sterling said on his YouTube channel. “I don’t know how that’s going to work. I feel like once that side of the people’s safety and the player’s safety is secured and their well-being is being looked
after, then that’s the right time to go back in. “Until then, I’m … kind of reserved and thinking what the worst outcome could be, but at the same time looking forward to it.” Players and coaches will be regularly tested at training venues for COVID-19. Masters does not envisage full squads having to self-isolate if there is a situation like at Dynamo Dresden last week. Two players at the German second division side tested positive for the coronavirus, forcing the entire squad, coaching and supervisory staff to enter 14 days of quarantine at home. “If a player tests positive,” Masters said, “providing he has been socially distanced in the protocols, he would be isolated for a period but there would be no need for the rest of the group to be.”
VIRUS SPARKS DEBATE ON WHETHER MORE PROSPECTS WILL STAY HOME By STEVE MEGARGEE AP Sports Writer CONCERNS about the coronavirus are preventing football prospects from visiting campuses this spring and keeping coaches from travelling to evaluate them. North Carolina coach Mack Brown said he believes this could cause more 2021 recruits to stay closer to home, though that remains up for debate. “I do think all the kids being at home with their families, there is a little concern,” Brown said. “You love your family, you’re wanting everybody healthy. So I do think that this is encouraging people to stay closer to home.’’ Brown built the Tar Heels into a power in the 1990s by making sure North Carolina’s best recruits didn’t leave the state. He is doing it again in his second stint at Chapel Hill. Eleven of the top 13 verbally committed 2021 prospects from North Carolina have chosen the Tar Heels, according to composite rankings of recruiting sites
compiled by 247Sports. That same database shows that, so far, recruits are not necessarily sticking closer to home because of the pandemic: More than 60 per cent of verbally committed prospects to Power Five schools who made their decisions on or before March 11 — the day the NBA suspended play to trigger the general shutdown of the sports world — chose schools within 300 miles of their hometowns. Yet, more than half the recruits who committed to Power Five schools since March 11 selected a college over 300 miles away. Whether they’re opting to stay near home or not, prospects are deciding earlier than ever. 247Sports reported that 627 players in the 2021 class had committed by May 6 — more than twice the number of 2020 prospects who had announced decisions by that date. “Kids want to get settled and feel like they’ve got a scholarship locked up,” said Barton Simmons, the 247Sports director of scouting. “On the other side, colleges (see
that) with the writing being on the wall that the evaluation period is essentially done, their board is what their board is. They’re feeling a little bit of pressure to go ahead and get guys committed, get some guys locked in and then go from there.” Many prospects aren’t hesitating to pick a school far away. Minnesota’s list of 11 verbal commitments since March 11 includes three players from Texas, two from Georgia and one from Arizona. Tennessee’s flurry of 12 verbal commitments since April 10 includes three players from Florida schools or academies, one from Texas and none from the state of Tennessee. “I feel the pandemic will be over by the time I get to Tennessee,” said De’Shawn Rucker, a defensive back from Tallahassee, Florida. Rucker at least got a chance to visit Tennessee before the pandemic hit. Defensive back Steven Ortiz of Goodyear, Arizona, committed to Minnesota without having seen the campus.
Ortiz’s father, Steven Ortiz Sr, said his son did get a “virtual tour” of campus from his home. “They would show us footage of the facility, then a coach would come and speak to us about the programme itself. It was definitely a different experience, but most schools — the facilities, the weightlifting and the cafeterias are all state-of-the-art — so you’re not looking at anything (with) too big of a difference in terms of the facilities,” Ortiz Sr said. Ortiz Sr said his son got a sense of the culture of Minnesota’s programme through conversations with Gophers coach P.J. Fleck. Rucker said he liked Tennessee in part because Jeremy Pruitt was more active than any other head coach in contacting him. While some staffs have shown they can draw players from all over the country even during a pandemic, Simmons believes more prospects eventually will decide to stay closer to home. Part of the reason is the NCAA instituted a recruiting dead period through May 31, preventing
programmes from getting an up-close look at out-of-state prospects. No wonder 13 of North Carolina’s 14 verbal commitments are from in-state. “A lot of kids, they can drive to your campus, come for games, come for camps, so we’ve gotten to really know these kids,” Brown said. “So if it’s a no-brainer and we really want him, we’re already a year-and-a-half ahead of schools that are out of state that haven’t seen the kids.” Simmons predicts there won’t be as many examples of guys going all the way across the country. For example, four of the 247Sports Composite’s top nine 2020 prospects from California signed with Alabama, Georgia or Clemson. Maybe more of those players stay in Pac-12 country this time. “I think across the board, I would expect a little bit more of a trend of kids staying, not
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Column: Punch away, but at least baseball has a plan By TIM DAHLBERG AP Sports Columnist EVERYBODY has a plan, Mike Tyson liked to say, until they get hit in the face. Major League Baseball signalled on Monday that it’s ready to let the pummelling begin. A plan to open an abbreviated season over the Fourth of July weekend isn’t exactly set in stone, and whether it actually happens is far from guaranteed. Still, just setting a starting date has to make fans everywhere excited about the prospects of baseball taking its traditional place alongside fireworks and hot dogs on America’s birthday. The plan is not complete, and it’s not perfect. There are so many moving parts that it could all fall apart and leave fans with nothing but late-night Korean baseball on the holiday weekend. But if there was ever a time to wave the flag and cheer the possible return for the boys of summer this summer, it’s now. An 82-game season that would have seemed awfully weird just a few months ago looks just fine now. So do expanded playoffs, with 14 teams making it into the postseason. And even hardened traditionalists will be fine with the DH in the National League, as long as the coronavirus subsides and pitchers are hitting for themselves in 2021. Most everyone, it seems, wants to see baseball return. Now we’ll see how much the players want it. MLB officials were expected to present their reopening agenda to the players’ union yesterday, and they may not be
GROUNDS crew members mow Monday in Seattle as work continues to keep the Seattle Mariners’ field in playing shape as the ballpark goes into its seventh week without baseball played because of the coronavirus outbreak. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) welcomed with open arms. Teams want players to agree to have salaries tied to a 50-50 split of revenues from the shortened season, a proposal that may be a non-starter among players who agreed in March to a contract modification that pays them a prorated portion of their salaries depending on how many games are played. With no fans in the stands, the haircuts could be deep. That, and the fact it would be a de facto salary cap, could make it a tough sell to players used to big salaries, even at a time millions of Americans have no income at all. But it’s not just economics. There’s not much upside for players to make millions of dollars if they end up dying from contracting the virus in a
clubhouse or on a team bus. And, as Washington Nationals pitcher Sean Doolittle noted on Twitter, details on player safety are notably absent — at least in the details of the plan released so far. “Bear with me but it feels like we’ve zoomed past the most important aspect of any MLB restart plan: health protections for players, families, staff, stadium workers and the workforce it would require to resume a season,’’ Doolittle said. Those, of course, are not only the most crucial details to be resolved — and also the most difficult. That was evident over the weekend when UFC resumed without fans in Florida, only to have a fighter and two cornermen test positive for the
coronavirus on the eve of the event. It figures to be a lot harder to test teams with over 50 players on rotating rosters, along with all the personnel it takes to put on a Major League Baseball game than it did to test a few fighters and referees for UFC. Testing could be problematical, as could the reality that any plan advanced by baseball will have to be approved by local authorities in various states and municipalities. That includes the state of California, which houses five MLB teams and has been stricter than many states in efforts to tame the spread of the virus. “We’ll see where we will be in July,’’ California Governor Gavin Newsom said. Indeed, the plan could fall apart even before July,
even if players eventually agree to terms and local authorities sign off on play. Health officials have warned against the virus roaring back as social distancing restrictions are relaxed. And a second wave of infections would be a knockout punch that might be impossible to block. Still, the fact there is a plan is cause for optimism in a world where optimism is in short supply. Baseball has a target date to return and a season it wants to play, not in Arizona as originally speculated but in MLB stadiums across the country. America’s favourite pastime returning on America’s holiday. There’s a lot to like about that. Now let the punching begin.
WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC TO BE POSTPONED UNTIL 2023 By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The World Baseball Classic will be postponed from 2021 to 2023 because of the new coronavirus, a person familiar with the planning tells The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Monday because no announcement had been made. The decision, first reported by ESPN Deportes, must be approved by the WBC board of directors, which is expected. The board includes representatives of Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association, the World Baseball Softball Confederation, Nippon Professional Baseball and the Korea Baseball Organization. The fifth edition of the tournament was scheduled for next March 9-23 in Taiwan, Tokyo, Phoenix and Miami. The Marlins were to host the semi-finals and final along with half of the quarterfinals, which also were to be played in Tokyo. Qualifying had been scheduled for this past March but was postponed due to the pandemic.
Pandemic could change landscape of minor league sports By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Sports Writer AS North America’s pro football, basketball, baseball and hockey leagues try to play again in a pandemic, minor league sports face a more treacherous climb to return. While the NFL, NBA or Major League Baseball can run on television revenue, it’s virtually impossible for many minor leagues to survive with empty stadiums. The possibility of no games in 2020 could put some teams in jeopardy and change the landscape for attendance-driven sports in the short- and long-term future. “There’s no future for minor league sports with
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empty stadiums. There’s zero,” said Gary Green, who owns Triple-A and Double-A baseball teams and an expansion franchise in the United Soccer League that plays in suburban Omaha, Nebraska. “If some of the teams don’t have deep-pocketed ownership groups or owners, I don’t know how they’re going to pay their bills.” It is by far the most pressing question facing Minor League Baseball, the American Hockey League, ECHL, USL and others. The minors are deeply baked into the North American sports landscape as talent developers for the majors and cheap, familyfriendly entertainment
in towns big and small. Experts are divided on how they will survive and how soon they can bounce back. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred estimated a 40 per cent loss of revenue if baseball is played with no fans and Herrick Feinstein sports law group co-chair Irwin Kishner estimated it is probably twice that for minor league sports. As it is, Green doesn’t expect minor league baseball this year, while both the ECHL and the AHL cancelled the rest of their hockey seasons. Plans for 2020-21 include the grim possibility of empty or near-empty arenas. “There’s a million questions that need to be answered,” minor league
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hockey player Nathan Paetsch said. “What’s next season going to look like? What’s the possibility of it starting? What type of season is it going to look it? Is there going to be fans or no fans? Is it going to be the same length of the season?” Smith College economics professor Andrew Zimbalist agreed with Green that ownership will affect which teams survive. He also pointed to the ill-fated second attempt by the XFL as a cautionary tale. “Some of the younger leagues that are out there I think are really, really fragile,” Zimbalist said. “I suspect that we’re going to see a lot of organisations
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and some leagues going out of business.” There already were 40 minor league baseball teams scheduled to lose their MLB affiliations before the pandemic under a restructuring plan that would have to try to make it independently. Beyond those teams, Syracuse University sports analytics professor Rodney Paul is worried about the status of others as the crisis goes on. He said there could be a redistribution of teams in multiple sports around the US and Canada — and perhaps smaller leagues. “Maybe it’s the same number of teams, but it’s in different cities based upon how things have changed over time,” Paul said. “Some of those areas that can’t afford that level of team because of either population change or income change in the area or something like that changes to a different area. But my guess gets to be that the longer this goes out, the fewer of those minor league teams in total we’ll have.” That worries Professional Hockey Players Association executive director Larry Landon because jobs will be lost if teams fold, and players like Cameron Gaunce might be left trying to make ends meet. “I think you’d be naive if guys weren’t worried about it,” Gaunce said. “I’ll make sure that I plan far enough in advance and I’ll have a contingency plan in place, whether that’s getting something to supplement my income or whether that is playing in a league that is going.” Pro leagues elsewhere could be operating, providing other opportunities to baseball, hockey and soccer players short of the elite level. Foreign prospects could stay home longer to play. Or North American minor leagues could discover different ways to make money. Kishner suggested mascot, coach or player appearances or
selling ad space outside stadiums or arenas, and Paul pointed to gambling or daily fantasy game possibilities as potential sources of revenue. AHL Rochester Americans GM Randy Sexton said he thinks minor league hockey teams can get going as long as 1,000-2,000 people are allowed in buildings. It might not be a full season, either. “I think it may force us to be more creative,” AHL president and CEO David Andrews said. “I think we need to be really flexible as we look ahead as to what the league might look like and be open to whatever we need to be open to to do the best we can.” Green already has thought ahead to what “socially distanced” crowds might look like and hopes that treatments and a coronavirus vaccine gets things back to normal eventually. But the end of the pandemic may not be enough to pack minor league arenas and stadiums if Zimbalist is correct about the situation and economic downturn changing people’s behaviors. “It’s just going to take several years to get through it all, in my view, and while that adjustment or recuperation is happening, it means that there’s going to be higher rates of unemployment, lower rates of income and people are going to be more careful about how they spend their free income, their leisure income,” Zimbalist said. “So I don’t expect the leagues to really start flourishing again for several years.” Paul, whose parents are season ticket holders for the Single-A baseball Daytona Tortugas, is more bullish on minor league sports in the near future because of their affordability and value to communities. “Those types of entertainment experiences, we’re still craving those type of things,” he said. “Hopefully this doesn’t destroy that for the super long term or forever.”
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Wednesday, May 13, 2020, PAGE 15
UFC’s return could provide blueprint for other pro leagues By MARK LONG AP Sports Writer JACKSONVILLE, Florida (AP) — UFC President Dana White wanted a major fight card weeks ago. He was confident his team could pull it off whether it took place on a tribal land, on a private island or in any of the 10 states offering to host it. Coronavirus testing. Fan-free arena. Social distancing. Self-isolation. White looked at all those unprecedented details that seemed too complex and too risky to some outsiders as merely extra challenges. “I knew we could do this,” he said following UFC 249 on Saturday night. “I knew we could figure it out. Even with all the hurdles that we had early on, this has been fun. It’s been challenging and it’s been fun. “I know that sounds a little demented to say I’ve had fun going through this. It’s been challenging and I’ve enjoyed the whole game of it, if you will.” White and the UFC look like the big winners following their rousing show at Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, an event that could serve as a blueprint for other sports leagues around the country and the world as they start to resume during a global pandemic.
The NFL, NBA, NHL, Major League Baseball and NASCAR, all of them had to have an eye on how the UFC approached and handled the first major human-centric sporting event in the U.S. since the new coronavirus shuttered much of the country nearly two months ago. The UFC created a 25-page document to address health and safety protocols, which included disinfecting the octagon between bouts and mandating tests and masks for nearly everyone in attendance. The spotlight only intensified when one fighter, Jacaré Souza, and two of his cornermen tested positive for COVID-19 a day before the stacked card. Souza was pulled from the fight and removed from the hotel where hundreds of UFC employees are staying this week. The UFC’s medical team continues to provide assistance and is helping with necessary treatment, White said. The UFC has two more fight nights scheduled this week in Jacksonville, beginning today, and plans to administer more than 1,000 more coronavirus tests for everyone scheduled to take part. “However it was handled this week, this was our first week,” White said. “It will only get better. And we
can share what we learned here doing three events with other sports leagues who are reaching out to us and asking. “A lot can be learned by what we’re doing here. Not just for professional sports but for sending people back to work and lot of other things in life.” White said he never considered postponing UFC 249 following Souza’s positive test and got support from the Florida Athletic Commission, the governor and local authorities. The show went on and, by most accounts, got rave reviews. Justin Gaethje stunned Tony Ferguson in the main event, earning a TKO in a lightweight bout that set the winner up to fight titleholder Khabib Nurmagomedov next. Henry Cejudo, with blood gushing from his head and dripping down his chest, defended his bantamweight title against Dominick Cruz and then announced his retirement. Heavyweight contender Francis Ngannou pummeled his fourth straight opponent, this one in 20 seconds. Former NFL defensive end Greg Hardy won for the sixth time in eight fights. And former welterweight champion and fan favourite Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone lost on the undercard, his
CARLA ESPARZA, right, lands a punch on Michelle Waterson during a UFC 249 mixed martial arts bout on Saturday in Jacksonville. (AP Photos/ John Raoux)
A WORKER sprays sanitiser in the octagon between bouts during a UFC 249 mixed martial arts competition on Saturday. fourth consecutive defeat. About the only negative was the empty arena, where punches, kicks, grunts, steps, trash talk, corner coaching and TV commentary echoed off metal beams and vacant seats. “It was weird,” White conceded. “There’s so many things that you love about live sports, whether you’re
home, in a bar or there live. One of the big, key components to live sports are the group of people that you’re with and the energy that you get when cool things happen. “Tonight was an amazing event, but that was definitely missing tonight, these moments. … It’s all part of what makes this so great.”
Finding a way to recreate those missing moments could be the next challenge, one White surely would welcome as long as the show goes on. “We’re still figuring this whole thing out,” he said. “This was the first one. It was a success. Wednesday will be better. Saturday will be better than that.”
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‘Be Like Mike’ jingle almost didn’t happen, says creator By GARY GERARD HAMILTON Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — “The Last Dance,” ESPN’s docuseries detailing the 1998 and final season of the Chicago Bulls championship dynasty, has served as a reminder to basketball fans of the greatness of Michael Jordan on the court. While it has showcased Jordan’s dominance between baselines, it’s also shed light on his worldwide marketing allure. Although the Hall-ofFamer starred in many memorable commercials throughout the 1990s for major brands such as McDonald’s “Nothing But Net” spot and Nike’s “Failure” ad, one of his most famous may be Gatorade’s “Be Like Mike” commercial. But if it weren’t inadvertently for the Walt Disney corporation, the melodic jingle would’ve never been made. “My whole goal in advertising, I told my wife right when I got into it, was I
CHICAGO Bulls’ Michael Jordan looking up at the score during the third quarter of their NBA Finals game against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City on June 14, 1998. (AP Photo/Mark J Terrill)
just wanted to create a little sliver of pop culture somewhere along the line,” said Bernie Pitzel, the advertising executive who created the song. “Everybody knows I’ve been saying that for years. And they go, ‘Well, I think you did it’.” In 1992, Pitzel was working for Chicago-based ad agency Bayer Bess Vanderwarker and tasked with overseeing a spot for Jordan that they had already created. Pitzel thought it was lackluster and too similar to Jordan’s early Nike commercials. But he became inspired as his children watched Disney’s 1967 film “The Jungle Book.” After changing a few lines of the song “I Wanna Be Like You” and presenting a mock-up, all parties settled on his idea. After filming visuals for the commercial, there was one last hurdle to cross: convincing Disney to allow them to use the “Jungle Book” music; Pitzel said they wanted too much money to approve it (a rep for Disney said they could not confirm Pitzel’s account as it was decades ago). With the season scheduled to start soon and the agency unsure of the next move, Pitzel went to a favourite restaurant where he frequently brainstormed.
He jotted down the lyrics for the jingle on a paper tablecloth, and then faxed a few music production houses while still at the restaurant. He settled on a melody the next day with the music and singing all performed by session singers. “I heard that instrumental opening that I’m like, ‘Oh, my God. We got it,’ Pitzel said. “As it turned out, it was way better that I wrote the song because that’s what people remember. If we’d just done it with the ‘Jungle Book’ music, it would have been a cute little spot, but it never would have resonated like it did.” Now retired in Phoenix, Pitzel had fond memories of working on that project - his kids appear in the commercial and played one-on-one with Jordan during takes. While he thought the spot was great and witnessed it become a pop culture staple, he couldn’t have predicted it would still be discussed nearly three decades later. When asked what goes into a creating an iconic ad, he says it’s not much different than the ingredients of winning a championship. “You just gotta believe in it. You gotta put your soul into it,” Pitzel said. “You gotta put your heart in it, and then you’ve gotta get some luck.”