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VIRUS SPREADING IN YOUNG PEOPLE Govt lockdowns begin in outbreak islands as change seen in spread By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net NINE confirmed cases of COVID-19 in a single day on Andros and a COVID-19 positivity rate of 58 percent in Cat Island helped push the government to implement a two-week lockdown of those islands which began at 8pm yesterday. Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced the lockdown on Sunday during a national address, saying only essential workers will be allowed to visit those islands during the specified period. In-person
activities and burials are not permitted. In locking down the islands, Dr Minnis stressed their limited health resources. “Because of these limits, as a government, we cannot allow Family Island outbreaks of the pandemic to get out of control,” he said. Dr Merceline DahlRegis, special health adviser to Dr Minnis and chair of the National COVID-19 Vaccine Consultative Committee, said there are 33 active cases of the virus on Cat Island and 109 residents there are in quarantine. SEE PAGE FOUR
RESIDENTS BLAME TEST ‘BLUNDER’ FOR SURGE
By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE positivity rate of COVID-19 on Cat Island is staggeringly high and residents there say a government mishap with test results is proving to be a costly mistake, one that setting the local economy back just as things were starting to improve.
Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced a lockdown of the island on Sunday along with a lockdown of Andros. The lockdown took effect at 8pm yesterday. Government officials have not explained the origins of the latest outbreak on Cat Island, but residents are certain it stems from SEE PAGE FOUR
US PUSH FOR 15% TAX ON PROFITS
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
THE US Treasury Department has proposed a 15 percent minimum global corporate tax rate - and a Bahamas risk management specialist is calling on the government to state its position on the move in tomorrow’s Budget. Hubert Edwards, of Next Level Solutions, a Bahamas-based corporate governance and risk management consultancy, said it was vital the government provides “clarity” on how it plans to respond. The US proposed the move last week, although it said the 15 percent rate was “a floor” that should be pushed higher in negotiations. Mr Edwards said the push in concert with high-tax European states represented a direct challenge to The Bahamas’ long-standing ‘no tax’ business platform. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
‘ALL CLEAR’ GIVEN FOR RAW CONCH
CHANGING THE WORLD ONE BABY AT A TIME FELICITY Darville is still breastfeeding her toddler, Victory, pictured, and is proud to be taking part in efforts to raise awareness of the importance of breastfeeding in raising children. The Bahamas National Breastfeeding Association continues to encourage young mothers and to highlight the benefits of breastfeeding. See PAGE EIGHT for the full story.
THE Bahamas Agricultural Food Safety Authority’s Food Safety and Quality Unit has said vendors can resume the sale and preparation of raw conch dishes. However the unit continues to advise consumers to be vigilant when consuming raw/fresh conch and urged vendors to use best industry practices for hygiene and food safety. This comes after several reports of conch poisoning cases. SEE PAGE THREE
MURDERED KENM WAS HELPING HIS FRIEND By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
THE teenager who was fatally stabbed at Government High School last week was trying to help his friend when he was attacked, the boy’s father said. After he was stabbed, 15-year-old Kenm Paul ran to the school’s office where he collapsed before telling a friend “it’s alright”. The 11th grader’s final moments were retold on
KENM PAUL Friday during a national school prayer initiative in various schools, including GHS. The service was streamed on social
media. The 15-year-old died last Tuesday when he and another student were stabbed at the campus. The deceased’s brother, Stanley Paul, has said the teen’s close friend was the other student injured. At the service, students and staff were joined by pastors and representatives from the Royal Bahamas Police Force who gave encouraging words during this difficult time.
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
SEE PAGE THREE
WAY OUT OF PANDEMIC IS THERE TO SEE
SEE PAGE NINE
PAGE 2, Tuesday, May 25, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
Body found after blaze
THE FIRE Department on the scene of the fire in Ridgeland Park West, where a body was found. A MAN’S body was found after firefighters extinguished a structural fire on Friday night. Police said around 9.27pm, the Fire Department was alerted to a structural fire on Berkley Street in Ridgeland Park West. Officers responded and moments later they arrived at a two-storey stone structure that was engulfed in flames. After the flames were eventually extinguished, the officers conducted a search of the interior of the building and discovered the unresponsive body of a male, crouched in a bathtub on the top floor. Emergency Medical Services visited the scene and pronounced the body lifeless.
Investigations into this matter continue. Meanwhile, an unrelated fire at the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre (SRC) on Friday night was quickly contained resulting in no injuries to patients and minimal structural damage. In a statement, health officials said two staff members who assisted in bringing the blaze under control were treated at Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) for smoke inhalation and discharged. The fire started around 10.35pm on Friday in the gazebo known as “the Grill Pit” of the Child and Adolescent and Robert Smith
Photo: Racardo Thomas
(CARS) compound. The fire was extinguished with the help of the Royal Bahamas Police Force Fire Department. Acting hospital administrator Jessica Cartwright credited staff at the institution who she said quickly activated SRC’s fire response plan to guard patient and staff safety; this included the evacuation of patients and staff from the building. The CARS complex is comprised of the Child and Adolescent Unit which houses 11 patients and the Robert Smith Unit which houses 39 patients. The Grill Pit, which is a standalone structure, is located at the rear of the CARS compound.
ALEX KEMP, who died in a crash in Abaco.
21-YEAR-OLD KILLED IN ABACO CAR CRASH By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
ALEX Kemp was on his way to work in Abaco when he lost control of his car on Saturday and died after hitting a utility pole. The 21-year-old was one of two deaths on the island as a result of separate incidents. The other accident happened on Friday night. Since his son’s death, Andrew Kemp, who spoke to The Tribune from New Providence, said he has been unable to sleep. Mr Kemp learned about his son’s death from his daughter. “I can’t explain it,” he said. “(It is) something no parent want to go through.” Police said shortly before 8am they received information of a traffic fatality in the area of Cherokee Sound Highway, involving an aqua Suzuki Swift driven in a northerly direction by an adult male. “Further enquiries that the lone male driver, who attempted to overtake a vehicle, lost control and collided into a utility pole. EMS personnel attended the scene and pronounce the male lifeless.” Alex lived in Nassau but moved to Abaco in February. He was living in Winding Bay and worked as hotel concierge at the Abaco Beach Resort. “He was making friends,” his father said. “He was only there for three months and my daughter, and his co-workers and his roommate (were his friends).
“He’s a person you could get along with and make friends and he wanted the (different) experience from the city life.” He described his son as “full of life” and “a happy person at all times”. He said the two had a good relationship. Many friends and loved ones posted photos and messages about the 21-yearold’s devastating death on social media. Friday’s traffic accident happened shortly before 10pm at SC Bootle Highway, involving a grey BMW and a grey Dodge Caravan. Police said the BMW was heading west on the highway when the driver lost control, swerving into the eastbound lane and collided head on with the Dodge Caravan. Both male occupants of the BMW had to be extracted from the car using the Jaws of Life. The BMW’s male passenger was pronounced dead at the scene, while the BMW’s male driver and the Dodge Caravan’s female driver were taken to the area clinic for medical attention. The BMW’s driver received injuries to his leg while the woman driver in the other vehicle also received serious injuries, but is said to be in stable condition. The men in the BMW are said to be residents of Treasure Cay, Abaco while the woman driver is a resident of Murphy Town, Abaco. After the two accidents, police are urging the public to slow down and obey speed limits “to drive to arrive alive”.
MAN FOUND DEAD IN SINKHOLE By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
BIMINI police are investigating the apparent drowning of a Grand Bahama man found floating in a sinkhole on Sunday. The victim, a resident of Pinedale, Eight Mile Rock, was employed with a local construction company in Bimini. Superintendent Stephen Rolle reported the discovery was made shortly before 5pm when officers received a report that the lifeless body of a male was found in a sinkhole, near the Bimini International Airport. Supt Rolle said officers went to the scene to
investigate and received additional information concerning the victim. The investigating officers were told the man went to the area of the sinkhole, and when he didn’t return, co-workers became concerned and conducted a search. Supt Rolle said the man’s body was later found unresponsive, floating in a sinkhole. The body was retrieved and taken to the Bimini Clinic, where the victim was pronounced dead by a doctor. Police are awaiting the results of an autopsy report to determine the cause of death. Investigations are continuing into the matter.
VICTIM SHOT IN FACE BY GUNMAN NEW Providence police are investigating a shooting incident on Friday on Malaysia Way that left a man in hospital. According to initial reports, shortly before 8pm, a man was walking along Malaysia Way in Elizabeth
Estates when he was approached by a gunman. The suspect discharged the firearm in his direction, resulting in the victim being struck in the face. He was transported to the hospital in a private vehicle and is listed in stable condition.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, May 25, 2021, PAGE 3
Murdered Kenm was helping his friend from page one Kenm’s bereaved parents were in attendance and were presented with fruit baskets from students. His father, Emmanuel Paul, spoke to the crowd and remembered his son as a “lovely baby boy” who was always supportive of his friends. “I know it is very hard for me and his mom,” Mr Paul said. “We lost our loved one but we’re our brothers and sisters keepers. I know that not only me one lost him. All of us will miss
him, especially the Government High School staff and the students. (A lot of students) told me Kenm was (a) very lovely person and also his reputation and the community of The Grove where he grew up (people there have said) he is a very lovely person and (has) manners. “Never had no trouble with no one… Even you hurt him, he’ll never speak. Even you knock him, you throw the ball at him, they said he’ll never say nothing. He’ll just look at you and say he’s alright.” He recounted what a
student told him about his son’s last moments. “One of the students tell me when he tried to help his friend, was the fight, and then he got stabbed. Then he ran by the office, he fell at the office. After his friend start crying for him, he said ‘Now it’s alright. It’s okay,’” Mr Paul said. “I know Kenm is a lovely person. He grew up in the church, as myself, (I’m) a pastor in the Church of God in Christ. It is very hard for me but I let you know that Kenm grew up in church, he’s a church boy. When I
PLP leader Philip “Brave” Davis on a visit to Sweeting Cay, above, and, right from top, the opening of the Pineridge office of Ginger Moxey, the opening of the Central Grand Bahama office of Kirk Russell, and a PLP church service held at the weekend. Photos: Vandyke Hepburn
DAVIS TOUTS GB CANDIDATES PLP leader Philip “Brave” Davis was in Grand Bahama over the weekend where he touted his party’s five candidates for the island as the best choice. He accused the Free National Movement of making empty promises for the island. “Grand Bahama is in a bad state. For the past four years, Grand Bahama has been neglected by this heartless FNM government.
We cannot say it enough.... An inadequate hospital facility, an overdue hotel deal that is draining the public’s purse, and a shell of an airport with no money to fix it and no time line when it will be fully operational. “Grand Bahama has been given a bunch of empty promises.” He said the suffering still evident on the island two years after Hurricane Dorian is eye-opening. He
‘ALL CLEAR’ GIVEN FOR RAW CONCH from page one
In a statement released on the weekend, BAHFSA said in March to October, “sea temperatures are highest” providing conditions “favourable for microbial growth” and therefore the public can expect additional reports of illness during this period. “As investigations continue, however, BAHFSA will allow vendors to resume the sale and preparation of raw (fresh) conch dishes, but vendors are urged to engage in industry best practices for hygiene and to ensure food safety such as, the thorough washing of conch under potable running water; washing one’s hands; cleaning and sanitising counter tops, utensils and cutting boards; maintaining proper storage (keeping the conch out of the sun); and ensuring that the conch used is purchased from a reliable and trusted source,” BAHFSA said in a
press release. “BAHFSA also requires that all suppliers of conch provide a receipt of sale to their clients with their name and the name of their boat and/or business that can be used in future traceability exercises.” Last week, the unit asked that all conch vendors stop the preparation and sale of raw/fresh conch dishes immediately due to a spate of reported conch poisoning cases. And in April, consumers were warned against eating raw/fresh conch until the source of the contamination could be determined. Anyone who has consumed raw conch, other seafood or any food and experiences illness is asked seek treatment at the nearest clinic, hospital or doctor’s office. Contact BAHFSA at bahfsa@bahamas.gov. bs, christopherworrell@ bahamas.gov.bs or patriciajjohnson@bahamas.gov.bs for any additional inquiries.
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also said despite the governing party holding all four seats in Grand Bahama, the island’s people are still not in a better state four years after the last election. The PLP has ratified Obie Wilchcombe, the party’s former representative for West Grand Bahama and Bimini; Kirk Russell; Ginger Moxey; Curt Hollingsworth and James Rolle Turner for Grand Bahama’s constituencies.
tell him everything about his friend, he say ‘no Daddy I’ll always be there for my friends’ and before he died he shared an example with me that bringing tears in my eyes. (He said) ‘Daddy if you go in the shop, you would see a mash up can. They put the canned good (on the) side. When you open the can, don’t nothing be wrong with the can. They only get a little mash and they send it to the side.’ “I want to let you know that this morning students at Government High, they might criticise you. Keep
pressing forward with your education because education is the key. He said, ‘Daddy ain’t nothing wrong to have a friend. As I grew up in the church, I have to be an example for other friends - for all my friends.’” Although Assistant Superintendent Audley Peters could not say on the scene on Tuesday if the matter is gang-related or not, another RBPF representative at the service spoke about gangs as he discouraged students not to join one. “We need to be exposing
this gang culture now,” the officer said. “The more you keep silent the greater the gang grows. We have to expose the gang culture in our society. This is too small of a society. We can’t be a police officer just happy that we got two persons locked up. We tired of the killing.” On Thursday, police arrested two juveniles in connection with the matter. Yesterday, police said the boys were still assisting officers with the investigation. They are expected to be arraigned today.
PAGE 4, Tuesday, May 25, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
POLICE HANDING OUT FINES FOR EMERGENCY BREACHES By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
DESPITE emergency order restrictions banning social gatherings, police in New Providence continue to crack down and fine offenders who breach the law. In separate incidents recently, police cited a business and a host of an event at a home for breaches of the emergency order. Officer-in-charge of the COVID Enforcement Unit, Chief Superintendent Zhivago Dames confirmed
yesterday that a co-owner of a hookah lounge was cited, meaning they will have to pay fines — about $4,000 in total — or go to court. Meanwhile, video circulated on social media showing an event that occurred on Saturday at a person’s home. The video showed guests sitting at decorated tables with food on display. Police were filmed telling the guests they will be fined as well as the host. “So you’ll be ticketed $300 and the owner will be cited $2,000 plus $300 for
every person we ticket here today,” an officer says in the recording. “Now who’s the owner of the property?” CSP Dames said the fines for social gatherings start at $2,000. The person hosting the social gathering is also fined $300 for every attendee at the gathering. Persons attending will be fined $300. According to the latest emergency order, for second schedule islands, which includes New Providence, people cannot host nor attend a gathering in a private residence or facility
except for a wedding in accordance with order 50. CSP Dames said the officers visited the home on Saturday after being contacted by “concerned members of the public”. “Persons who live in the area and seeing what’s going on would’ve called and based on that officers went to the location,” CSP Dames said. “The officer went there based on information that they would’ve received... When they got there, they found that a breach was being conducted. Again,
they asked for the person who were hosting the event because he wanted to make sure that the person who was hosting the event was cited. “We have not only went to that location, over the weeks and months that has passed, we went to a number of places. Bars, private residence where persons were having functions, persons having parties, beaches and persons who would’ve had parties and they were all cited for breaches of the COVID-19 orders.”
In the case of the lounge, CSP Dames noted police cited the business on two occasions on Sunday. “On one occasion, they were cited for operating a prohibited business and then the other occasion, which was that day, they were cited for hosting a social gathering.” He was not able to say the number of persons police saw at the lounge. To report social gatherings or breaches of the emergency order, call police at 702-9967, 702-9968 and 702-9969.
Virus spreading in young people from page one She said seven people have been airlifted to New Providence for urgent medical care so far and six remain hospitalised. Dr Dahl-Regis emphasised the changing profile of COVID-19 in the country as younger people increasingly take ill with the virus. “This is no longer a virus that only affects older people,” she said. “It is now infecting younger persons. Many young people are contracting the virus. More young people are becoming seriously ill. More young people are being hospitalised and are dying from the virus.” Dr Dahl-Regis noted that in the past week, 76 percent of people receiving their first dose of the vaccine were between the ages of 18 and 50, a trend she expects to continue in the coming weeks. As for Andros and Cat Island, Dr Minnis said: “Every agency, business or establishment, shall remain closed, except for the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the Royal Bahamas
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis during his national address. Defence Force, govern- and 6pm after the mailboat ment community clinics, has arrived. Residents may and COVID-19 vaccination leave their homes to go to sites. No individual, other the food store during the than an essential worker, two days immediately folshall leave his or her place lowing the arrival of the of residence, for any pur- mailboat only.” pose other than, for the Farmers are permitted to purpose of seeking urgent water their crops between medical attention, to go the hours of 5am to 9am. to a vaccination site, or on “Subsistence fishing is prescribed days, to pur- permitted,” Dr Minnis chase food, water and other said. “The respective comessential items. The admin- mercial banks may reload istrator or a designee, is their automated banking permitted to distribute food machines. Gas stations may and water on behalf of the open on Fridays from 6am government. to 6pm for government “Food store owners may be permitted to restock their stores, after the arrival of the respective mailboat, and the Seacor. Food By RASHAD ROLLE stores may be opened for Tribune Senior Reporter two days, between 6am rrolle@tribunemedia.net
agencies only. Customs and immigration (officers) will be able to fulfil their duties as needed. Security guard services will be permitted. Hotel workers carrying identification, will be permitted to traverse, to and from their places of employment.” Hotels on the respective islands are able to continue operations providing their guests do not leave the property. Residents of North and Central Andros will be allowed to harvest crabs during the lockdown from 8pm to 5am. Dr Minnis said if the officer-in-charge on the island allows, people can harvest crabs outside these hours if the weather is favourable for harvesting. Dr Minnis said AUTEC’s Navy Base will be allowed to operate and Emile Knowles Construction Company will also be allowed to work on the government’s bridge project in
Stainard Creek between 6am and 6pm. On Cat Island, water delivery will be permitted by Donald Newbold from 6am to 6pm and ISD construction’s work on the government’s water project can continue between 6am and 6pm. Travel into and out of the respective islands is prohibited unless the person has written approval by the competent authority; has a medical emergency; is transporting goods as specified in the lockdown order; in respect of a provision of an essential service as noted in the order or the person is an international tourist. “Out of an abundance of caution, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force has already dispatched officers to Cat Island and North and Central Andros to ensure that residents are not leaving these areas, and risking the greater spread of the COVID-19 virus, to other
communities and islands,” Dr Minnis said. His national address came after the Office of the Prime Minister announced in a statement on Friday that Bullocks Harbour and Great Harbour Cay in the Berry Islands were to be placed under a 14-day lockdown effective Saturday at 8pm in order to slow and control the spread of the COVID-19 virus in those communities. The Bahamas recorded 28 COVID-19 cases on Sunday, including 25 in New Providence, bringing the nation’s case count to 11,579. At last report, the Berry Islands had 85 cases, Cat Island had 50 cases and Andros had 141; those islands did not report new cases on Sunday. The lockdown for Cat Island and Andros comes to an end 5am on Tuesday, June 8. The complete lockdown orders can be seen at opm.gov.bs.
TWO MORE DEATHS AND 129 CASES CONFIRMED OVER WEEKEND THE Bahamas recorded 129 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 over the weekend and two new deaths. The two deaths included a 37-year-old woman and a 75-old-man, both of New Providence. Currently, 45 people are hospitalised, including four in the intensive care unit. Health Minister Renward Wells said on Wednesday that 53 of the country’s COVID-19 deaths occurred during the third wave of the virus. The third wave, he told The Tribune yesterday, began on February 28. Since his speech on Wednesday, the country has recorded five additional
COVID-19 deaths, meaning 58 deaths can be attributed to COVID-19 during the third wave. Fifty thousand two hundred and forty-two people have received a first or second dose of the COVID19 vaccine in the Bahamas to date, according to the latest figures. These include 44,226 who have received one dose and 6,016 people who have received both doses. Dr Merceline DahlRegis, special advisor to Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis and chair of the National COVID-19 Vaccine Consultative Committee, said on Sunday that officials will start administering second doses to Family Islands during June. “We are pleased with the islands whose residents have come out in
large numbers to receive the vaccine,” she said. “In particular, the residents of Grand Bahama should be congratulated. The data show that the vaccine campaign there is working. The number of new cases of COVID-19 in Grand Bahama is decreasing. To date hospitalisations are at a low level and there are no ICU admissions. “The national COVID19 vaccination campaign has been ongoing for nine weeks. It began in midMarch with a distribution plan by priority groups. This included healthcare workers, persons 60 years of age and older and members of the uniformed branches. “The uptake among the 60 and above age group was strong. We see here that at the beginning of the
campaign the citizens and residents vaccinated were predominantly over the age of 60, at 52 per cent. However, in the past week, 76 per cent of those receiving the first dose of the vaccine were between the ages of 18 and 50. It is noteworthy that the uptake appears to be increasing in the 18-50 age group. This is expected to continue in the coming weeks. We take note of the data of the uptake among specific professional groups so far.” The country now has 11,579 confirmed cases. Experts have previously said the actual case count is likely higher than what is reported due to testing constraints. More than 95,000 tests have been completed, however. The death toll from the virus is 226.
RESIDENTS BLAME TEST ‘BLUNDER’ FOR SURGE from page one an incident in which several people were told they tested negative for COVID19 and were allowed out of quarantine only to later find that they had tested positive. Progressive Liberal Party Leader Philip “Brave” Davis referenced the incident in a statement last week. “They drop the ball when they made the mistake of sending persons in the community who were positive out of quarantine then coming back and saying something different,” said Melanie Rahming, a restaurant owner on the island, yesterday. “Had they kept those people under quarantine we would’ve kept this under control. Now I honestly don’t know what to expect. We were doing good before this.” Margaret Cleare, 70, owner of the Orange Creek Inn, the Orange Creek Food Store and the Orange Creek LP Gas on Cat Island, said the outbreak started when several residents returned from Harbour Island some weeks ago. “I have a friend, she was on lockdown because she was exposed to somebody,” she said yesterday. “These people went out there to Harbour Island on a charter for a party. Just about all of them that went out tested positive, at least three or four of them.”
Mrs Cleare recalled a conversation with the island’s doctor. She said he doubted the initial negative test result that the people received. “The doctor was at my shop and told me something was wrong with those results,” she said. “From then we’ve been flying out people. I think that was a tragedy. How many labs are testing these people that they could get these results mixed up? Are these people overworked or short-staffed? What’s going on?” Mrs Cleare said despite the mishap, the two-week lockdown Dr Minnis announced on Sunday is necessary. The lockdown comes after Dr Merceline DahlRegis, special advisor to Dr Minnis, noted that Cat Island has a COVID-19 positivity rate of 58 percent, far above the global directive to keep the rate below five percent. “It’s necessary,” Mrs Cleare said of the lockdown. “We had seven or eight people flown out of here on an emergency flight. I’m in Orange Creek. In Arthur’s Town, we have about 20 people in quarantine. I don’t know the exact numbers how many tested positive but I know at least four that have test positive and within a community like this, we have no proper medical facilities. We got one doctor and I know you have some idea of how
long this island is. When this doctor has to be called to Orange Creek and then to Old Bight Clinic, you know what that’s doing to that gentleman? No one’s taking that into consideration. Then these people on top of that have parties. Right now I am listening for this thing to get worse because you are looking for what, two-week lockdown? Yesterday would have been one week since this big party they threw in Arthur’s Town.” Mrs Cleare said the party in question had free food and rum. Residents like her are now bracing for an even greater increase in COVID19 cases because the party was well-attended. “You have BPL, BPL’s staff is highly challenged,” she said. “They have about four to five persons, one of them is in hospital in Doctors Hospital, one had to be airlifted to Doctors.” A BPL official said yesterday that in cases where COVID-19 impacts staff on Family Islands, employees are sent from other islands to ensure continuity of operations. Mrs Cleare said some residents have not been quarantining like they are supposed to, making the lockdown necessary. As for her businesses, she said the lockdown will hurt. “I had a gentleman in the hotel who left this morning because that’s the last flight out,” she said. “I had people coming Thursday, now it’s lockdown they
aren’t coming in. I have a food store but because it’s a holiday, the boat won’t land until Thursday. By the time I get my stuff, I’m not going to get much sales on Thursday. When other stores open on Saturday, I’m closed because I’m an Adventist. I asked for permission to open on Sunday and I was told no. Lots of revenue will be lost over the next two weeks.” For his part, Mr Davis, in a statement, accused the government of not testing enough to control outbreaks across the country. He said the lockdown for Cat Island and Andros will cause hardship to residents. “The lockdowns are a response to outbreaks that began earlier this month — outbreaks that could have and should have been stopped with testing, contact tracing and the isolation of positive cases,” Mr Davis said. He also said: “They have had 17 months to grasp how crucial a tool testing is in controlling the spread of the virus and may months of warning about the more transmissible variants that are not in circulation.” Mr Davis, who represents Cat Island, said his party offered free testing for residents before the lockdown began and will turn the results over to the Ministry of Health. According to the 2010 Census, Cat Island has a population of about 1,500 people.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, May 25, 2021, PAGE 5
Shanty homes ‘not in compliance’ By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net SEVERAL of the homes occupied by shanty town residents involved in a judicial review centred on the demolition of their communities were not constructed in compliance with the law and do not meet the standards outlined in the Building Regulations Act, according to Crown attorney Kayla Green-Smith. Mrs Smith made the comments as she continued her submissions before Supreme Court Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson, defending the government’s plans to destroy the unregulated communities throughout the country. During Friday’s hearing, she contended the affidavits of former chief building control officer Craig Delancey “refuted” the evidence produced by the applicants, which she argued did not give the judge a fair impression of the state of the structures in the communities. Mrs Green-Smith noted that the court documents filed on Mr Delancey’s behalf highlighted several discrepancies in one of the affidavits filed by Callenders & Co on behalf of the 177 residents and shanty town occupants involved in the case. “At paragraph 28 of the affidavit of Wislande Geffrard filed on August 10, 2019, it is stated that the sample of facts set out in her affidavit would give the court what she believed to be a fair impression of the circumstances of many of the individual residents in the shanty towns,” according to Mr Delancey’s affidavit. “I do not agree with this statement and in fact, the said affidavit is not accurate and does not give a fair impression to the court of the circumstances of the buildings themselves. In fact, the affidavit is skewed with regard to the buildings and their code worthiness.” Mrs Green-Smith said Mr Delancey spoke about a couple residing on Cowpen Road who claimed they applied for a permit for
DEMOLITIONS taking place in The Farm shanty town in Abaco last month. their 700-square foot home, despite the fact a search of the Building Control Division of the Ministry of Works revealed no evidence of them making an application for a permit in 2012 “or at any time going forward”. “Since the division has no record of the permit application of (the individuals) and they have not produced this said building plan, or a permit, or a copy of a permit issued by the division, they are in violation of the BRA rules and code,” he explained. Mr Delancey also said Ms Geffrard’s affidavit listed several building elements that gave the impression that the pair’s house was code worthy. Still, he stated, the building they resided in had not been inspected. “At paragraph 34.1 of the Geffrard affidavit, (another man) from Lazaretto Road stated that he started building his home and was served a warning notice advising him that he was in violation of the BRA and (needed) to come into the ministry,” the court documents continued. “(The man) said he had a low-cost plan done by Eddy Major, intimating that even the plans were drawn by Eddy Major who is not a draftsman or an architect. “I note that paragraph 65-67 of the exhibit of Geffrard shows a receipt of a low-cost home plan that has been stamped in the name Eddy Major indicating that it was purchased for the use of Eddy Major. However, there is no evidence of a valid permit being issued to either Eddy Major, or (the man) as
the set of exhibit plans do not show a permit number stamped on the plans.” Mr Delancy continued that while a building plan may have been purchased, the division had no record of a permit being issued to the man to construct his Lazaretto Road home. He also said that no routine inspections had been done to his building during construction which causes the structure to be in violation of the BRA. “Paragraph 35 of the Geffrard affidavit refers to a (woman’s) building located at Bedrock Court off of Bacardi Road. The occupant claims that the plans were stamped and approved by the Department of Environmental Health Services and there is a utility agreement with the Water and Sewerage Corporation and Bahamas Power and Light. (While) the records of the division indicate that a valid permit was issued on December 18, 2002...there are no records of approved building inspections by the inspectors of the division and no evidence of an occupancy certificate having been issued by this department.” Mr Delancey said he also reviewed the information provided for another woman who had a building in Bedrock West with “particular interest”. He said the evidence suggested the woman had a voter’s card that was issued to her by the government and had been living in Bedrock West with her family since 1990. However, he said that when he examined the address on the
voter’s card, he discovered it listed a residence in the Baillou Hill Road area. “I have come to the conclusion that (the woman’s) claim to be residing in Bedrock West since 1990 is a total fabrication as one’s voter’s card reflects the individual’s true address,” he stated. “Further there is no record in the division that the building (she) resides in was permitted or in receipt of an occupancy certificate.” In view of these facts Mrs Green-Smith stated: “The evidence that the applicant’s claim gives this honourable court a fair impression of the condition of these houses in the various shanty towns has clearly, in our humble submissions, been refuted by the affidavit evidence of Craig Delancey which clearly shows that in most instances these houses were not built in accordance with the law.” One of the arguments of the applicants raised the point of legitimate expectation. In their written submissions, they argued that the government’s initiative was unlawful as they applied a rigid policy with no exception as to how the discretion would be exercised. In response to this argument, Mrs Green-Smith said even if there was some statement the applicants could rely on to have some level of expectation, “given the overriding principle or issues regarding public health and safety,” that expectation could be “frustrated”. She also said the respondents had a “statutory duty”
to enforce the law. “At paragraph 83 of our submissions we note the second affidavit filed by Mr Delancey listed numerous violations to the rules and codes of the Building Regulations Act and submitted that the assessment of the buildings in shanty towns showed that the materials used for most of the constructions constructed did not meet the standard as outlined therein. “In order to (support) a claim for legitimate expectation, the applicants must show that there was a clear statement, but we say in this particular case, the principle or the doctrine of legitimate expectation cannot be invoked as it would obviously interfere with a public body’s statutory duty.” Addressing another argument, Mrs Green-Smith said the issue of consultation was always at the centre of the respondents’ plans “given the nature of the process”. She said this fact was especially evident with the establishment of the Shanty Town Action Task Force. “In June of 2018, the initial notices were saying to the residents – and this had nothing to do with the enforcement (because) we did not reach to the point of enforcement at that point – ‘come bring in your documents, allow us to see if you have the requisite documents (to see) whether or not the documents were in compliance with the law.’ “And so, all of that would have been a part of the consultation process (and) at that point, no houses were broken down. The members and residents in those communities had an opportunity through the various radio announcements, to the notices that were issued to come in.” Mrs Green-Smith also said the task force sent out many letters inviting various groups and organisations to meet to discuss the situation of unregulated housing developments in the shanty towns. She said correspondence was sent to a
representative of the Haitian Embassy, the president of the Haitian-Bahamian Association and Fred Smith, QC, among others. In response, Mr Smith said when the letter was sent to him, he told Labour Minister Dion Foulkes to “remove him from the inclusion” of the shanty town committee, because he did not want to be involved in an “eradication agenda” that was a part of the government’s “ongoing inhumane ethnic cleansing” of people of Haitian descent. During the proceedings, Justice Grant-Thompson also asked Mrs Green-Smith to respond to Mr Smith’s assertions that the actions taken by the government were “deliberately aimed at a nationality of persons”, as opposed to concerns about the social, economic and sanitary issues that plagued their communities. In response, Mrs Green-Smith stated: “This particular project is addressing the shanty town community... but certainly the work of the building control officer and his statutory duty to enforce the law of The Bahamas does not rest only within the Haitian community. It extends to the entire Bahamas ...and so the approach here is a holistic one where we’re enforcing the law on one hand, elevating the living standards of these persons throughout The Bahamas, and in particular the shanty town communities.” Before the matter was adjourned, Mr Smith pleaded with the government to cease demolitions in Abaco until the judicial review had been adjudicated. “Once again I can only invite the respondents to respect the process before the court and to not continue with any demolitions while the matter is before the court,” he said. “Your honour is actively deliberating on an application and out of respect for the court I would invite them to please stop the demolitions in Abaco in the meantime.” The case continues today.
BASTIAN APPOINTED IN DIPLOMATIC ROLE TO SOUTH AFRICA THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that Bahamian businessman and philanthropist Sebastian Bastian has been named as The Bahamas’ Non-Resident High Commissioner to South Africa. Mr Bastian has a number of successful business ventures and is the chairman of the Wyyse Technologies Group, the Verizon Media
Group and the Brickell Management Group. He is also the CEO of Playtech Systems Limited. “A recognised pioneer and innovator in the world of business, technology, media, telecommunications, gaming, real estate and construction industries, High Commissioner (designate) Bastian is passionate about philanthropy, especially as it relates to inspiring
and supporting Bahamian entrepreneurs to advance national economic and sustainable development,” a press release from the ministry noted. “He is committed to the empowerment of Bahamians through needs-based financial contributions and dedicated community initiatives. As one of High Commissioner (designate) Bastian’s primary
community initiatives, the OWN Bahamas Foundation established in 2014 is focused on offering entrepreneurial opportunities for persons who have new and exciting ideas within existing or new industries.” The release said Mr Bastian will bring his knowledge of Africa, and his particular knowledge of South Africa, to the post.
and South Africa share many similar views and collaborate effectively in the global arena, particularly at the United Nations, Agencies of the United Nations and the Commonwealth, the ministry said. Mr Bastian is expected to present his letters of credence to the President of South Africa at a date to be determined in the near future.
“His understanding of the dynamics of the global economy and The Bahamas’ development will no doubt result to the benefit of all Bahamian nationals,” the statement said. The Bahamas and South Africa established diplomatic relations in 1994, during which time the friendship between both countries has been strong and cordial. The Bahamas
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THE TRIBUNE
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Lockdown is a warning for all of us IT’S back into lockdown for Cat Island and Andros – and that should be a warning sign for Grand Bahama and New Providence. A spate of cases in Andros and a high positivity rate on Cat Island was enough to convince the government that an extra lockdown was needed. Only essential workers are allowed to visit those islands, while in-person activities and burials are not permitted “As a government, we cannot allow Family Island outbreaks of the pandemic to get out of control.” The Berry Islands too are in lockdown, with that move announced on Friday and going into effect on Saturday. The government seems more reluctant to pursue a lockdown in New Providence particularly, trying to avoid doing so in order to keep the flickering flames of the economy going. But that doesn’t mean we might not follow that path if the outbreak gets further out of control here. Already, the numbers are high – and some people are not helping. On PAGE FOUR today, you can read about the continued citations being handed out by police to prevent social gatherings. One lounge was cited twice in one day – once for operating a prohibited business and the second time for hosting a social gathering. Why on earth are are we not shutting down the business if it hasn’t learned its lesson the first time round? This is, after all, a matter of life and death – both literally and for the economy. If we do end up with another lockdown, you can thank the organisers and attendees of those social gatherings. This isn’t over – but it could be. Take a look over at the United Kingdom, where there are predictions that by August the country could be declared virus-free. Make no mistake, the UK was hit hard by the virus, with 128,000 deaths from COVID-19. What has made the difference? Well, the UK has now administered more than 60 million doses of the vaccine, with around 38 million people having received at least one jab. Back in January, at one point there were more than 1,800 deaths in a single
day. Yesterday, there were five. So save the social gatherings until you’re fully vaccinated. Tell your friends to come on out when it’s safe. Then go book your jab if you haven’t already. There’s no shortcut. We can’t just wish the virus away. The only way out is through, so keep going and let’s get our own case numbers down in the same way the UK has managed to do so.
Tax move Again, the talk of tax increases is swirling – this time driven by the United States, which is reportedly pushing for a 15 percent tax on profits in The Bahamas. This isn’t the first time there has been talk of new taxes, and it won’t be the last – but it would be unwise to stick our heads in the ground and pretend the prospect will just go away. Now it’s not our job to jump when another country says jump – but it would be sensible to be aware of what consequences might follow. We’ve already had to wrestle our way off blacklists in the European Union, and goodness knows we don’t want anything to slow our recovery when we do finally emerge from the shadow of COVID. First thing first, this isn’t something that we are being specifically targeted for by the US – it’s an aim to introduce a global minimum corporate tax rate of 15 percent. That means if they are successful in pushing for it elsewhere, there’s not going to be any free pass for us. It may come, it may not – but we ought to be evaluating what it will mean if it does. Our financial services industry is not what it was – but it still plays a significant part in our economy – and we shouldn’t be caught on the hop by pretending this prospect doesn’t exist. We should know well enough from our place in hurricane alley – you don’t wait for the storm to reach before you start making preparations. And that’s what we should be doing now to work out what will be in our best interest if this happens.
Pollution on our roads EDITOR, The Tribune. A QUICK look at “About Nassau Container Port” lists all of the key dates and time frames of how shipping was relocated from the Downtown Waterfront to the Container Port. A key element of that move is identified following. 1990s-2011. As commercial shipping increased in Nassau, more than 60% of all containers and 80% of all less-than-container-load (LCL) cargo are discharged on historic Bay Street — the balance at Arawak Cay. Over time, noise and exhaust pollution negatively impacted the beauty, charm and experience of Downtown Nassau. It was a job well done, and provisions were made to ensure that the “noise and exhaust pollution that negatively impacted the beauty charm and experience of Downtown
Nassau” would come to an end. Yes, the roadways and highways were provided so that container trucks did not have to foul the downtown and residential areas of the island, but just like rats and mice there are those that will cheat the system for their own profit and benefit. And although the Government of The Bahamas has a stake in not only the Container Port and its success but indeed Downtown Nassau as well. Yet no Government has yet seen fit even to regulate and mandate that these godawful loud and polluting vehicles and their cheating operators do not drive through the heart of the City of Nassau. And without any law, nor any law enforcement, and with the acquiescence of their Supermarket Customers these road rats continue, not only to rumble through downtown, but roll all along East Bay Street and onto residential Eastern Road
and Yamacraw Hill busting down whatever foliage they meet along the way. These roads were never designed to support vehicles weighing twenty to thirty tons and the poor and cash strapped Water and Sewerage Corp is constantly having to dig up these roads as the freighters twist up their pipe joints and they start to leak. And all of this agro because of a single supermarket that allows this to happen, when they could quite easily insist that their trucking company should deliver via the highways that were built for that purpose. And the supermarket concerned is a BISX Listed public company. Maybe the shareholders should be asking questions about its Corporate Culture. SUPER AGGRAVATED Nassau, April 29, 2021.
Why foreign influence and policy matter EDITOR, The Tribune. IN THE US and other countries, we’ve heard about a popular word amongst political circles, simply called “Foreign Policy”. It’s usually the discussion on diplomatic, economic and military affairs with different nations and regions that are allied with your nation or are seeking to work with you on a variety of issues or open up opportunities. This matter is usually high priority for governments to ensure that the nation’s alliances remain secure and to make reasonable decisions on complex issues that not only affects your homeland, but the countries that work with you. Sometimes, through foreign policy, the nation will adopt some of the cultural elements from the same place that the national government is working with. Then it’ll eventually spread to the general population, changing the fabric of local society. Unfortunately, it seems that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has put the serious matters of international policy on the back burner for decades. COVID 19 has played a role in exposing the weaknesses of our social fabric and national security, and it’s especially worse in the Western Hemisphere as we have the nations with the highest density of COVID cases and equally high death tolls within the US, Mexico and the rest of Latin America. Even if the pandemic didn’t exist, the cracks were already showing in US as political polarization was at its peak with the 2020 elections and the Capitol Hill siege whilst Mexico and Latin America continue to suffer at the hands of extreme corruption and the drug cartels who rule over the region with terror and impunity. Then there’s the recent Cold War kerfuffle with Washington, DC, and Beijing, who are fighting for influence over frivolous matters and other nations.
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net Not to mention Venezuela and Cuba still serving the interests of Moscow and Israel and Iran fighting against each other in a seemingly infinite proxy war in the Middle East. As for the Bahamas’ performance on Foreign Policy? It is abysmal, a grade F sadly. The Bahamian government keeps making bad deals with the unstable nations in the Western Hemisphere, and we embraced the negative cultural influences as a consequence. Our strong relationship with the US, China, Mexico, and the rest of Latin America was convenient because of the close proximity to the US, our ties to some of Mexico and Latin America’s largest businesses and working with China’s long-term economic policy with the Caribbean. However, it appears to have serious drawbacks that have significantly crippled the development of The Bahamas. We decided to get caught up with Reagan’s failed policies of the drug war and having one of our cays being used by the Medellin Cartel, which in turn increased crime and brought forward the currently uncontrollable arms trafficking today that contributes to the Bahamas having one of the highest homicide rates in the world. Thanks to the drug money from the 1980s, corruption has also increased tenfold politically and culturally. In addition to the drug cartels seizing power in most territories in Central and South America, Mexico and Latin American nations provide nothing sustainable for the long-term future of the Bahamas. Just yearly food imports and simple work permits for minimum wage jobs. Cuba has slightly higher value than the rest of the Caribbean and Central America because of their doctors and teachers we
bring in to work in the Bahamas, but is it worth the risk when we deal with a nation that consistently ends up on the bad side of the US and working with Russia? Due to sanctions and embargoes, Cuba doesn’t contribute to The Bahamas’ future. Speaking of Cold War rivalries, China and the US have been engaged in a tugof-war over the Bahamas since the 1990s but it has gotten worse when the new Thomas Robinson stadium and Baha Mar was built. Although China provides economic development to this nation when needed, but there’s an agenda between both Beijing and Washington, DC, that the Bahamas needs to avoid. In a nutshell, The Bahamas’ strongest foreign allies have more cons than there are pros. That’s simply unacceptable and that will have to change. We have to re-evaluate our diplomatic strategies and review countries on what long term benefits they offer to the Bahamas and we must negotiate vigorously to achieve our goals if the country is willing to maintain its sovereignty. As it stands, Asian and Scandinavian countries are the best candidates for diplomatic relations. They seek to produce and build for humanity’s future for innovative tech rather than focus on frivolous things like the Cold War or wasting time and money on failed policies on the Drug War and allowing ourselves to fall for these agreements that earn us nothing but wasted investments. We don’t want to cut ties with the world and become a “Heisa-Koku” (which translates as “closed country” in Japanese), but we can’t blindly continue to accept bad deals and expect things not to affect us negatively. It’s time for the Bahamas to grow diplomatically and we mustn’t allow this opportunity to pass by. AMMAKA RUSSELL Nassau, May 22, 2021.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, May 25, 2021, PAGE 7
Suspects accused of murder and attempted killings face court By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net A 28-YEAR-OLD man was sent to prison on Friday after being accused of murdering a man in the Fox Hill area earlier this month. Dwayne “Gup Gup” Davis, appeared before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt charged with the murder of Deondre Knowles on May 15. According to police reports, shortly after 7am that day, a man was walking on Grant Street when he discovered the lifeless body of a man with several gunshot wounds. At the time, police said it appeared that the body had been there “for some time” and added that the victim was in his mid-20s to early-30s. During Friday’s hearing, Davis was not required to enter a plea to the charge and his case was adjourned to August 19 for service of a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI). Bail was denied and he was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services in the interim. Jamaal Ferguson, 21, also appeared before Magistrate FerDWAYNE “Gup Gup” Davis outside court on Friday. He is guson-Pratt charged with three accused of the murder of Deondre Knowles.
counts of attempted murder and six counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. Police allege that Ferguson tried to kill Rashad Sullivan, Rakemio Lightbourne and Tyrone Newbold on Friday, May 14. He was also accused of using a handgun to endanger their lives on the same day. Ferguson is also accused of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger three other lives, namely Dwayne Fox, Myesha Stuart and Malrinique Stuart, on April 26. During Friday’s hearing, Ferguson was not required to enter a plea to the charges and was subsequently remanded to prison until August 19 for a VBI. Anthony Bethel, 68, was also charged in Magistrate’s Court on Friday with attempted murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. Police allege that Bethel tried to kill Nikerlange Lazard in George Town, Exuma, on February 11. Officers also said he used a handgun with intent to endanger Lazard’s life the same day. Due to the nature of the charges, he was not required to enter a plea to the offences and his case was adjourned to August JAMAAL Ferguson outside court on Friday. 18 for VBI. Photos: Racardo Thomas
TWO IN COURT AFTER $7M OF MARIJUANA DISCOVERED By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
TWO men were arraigned in the Freeport Magistrate’s Court on Friday in connection with the discovery of a marijuana field in East Grand Bahama, with an estimated street value of $7m. Alan Newman, 50,
of Freeport, and Sean Solomon, of Bass Lane, appeared before Magistrate LaQuay Laing. They were charged with conspiracy to possess dangerous drugs with intent to supply. It is alleged that between March 24 and May 14, the accused men being concerned together, conspired to possess
dangerous drugs, namely Indian hemp, with intent to supply to another. The two were also charged with the cultivation of dangerous drugs. It is alleged that Newman and Solomon, being concerned together, were found cultivating dangerous drugs, namely Indian hemp. They both pleaded not
guilty to the charges. Carlson Shurland represented Newman. Prosecutor Inspector Calsey Arthur did not object to bail, but requested conditions be imposed due to the substantial amount of drugs in question. He requested the court order the accused men to report to Central Police Station, be outfitted with
PLP LEADER DAVIS MEETS US CHARGÉ D’AFFAIRS IN COURTESY CALL
an ankle monitoring device, and relinquish travel documents. Mr Shurland felt that the conditions requested were too harsh. He argued that having his client report to Central Police Station and also wear an ankle monitoring bracelet was duplicitous. He also argued that taking away his client’s
MAN ACCUSED OF THREAT TO HARM EX-GIRLFRIEND
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
PLP leader Phillip “Brave” Davis pictured during a visit to US Chargé d’Affaires Usha Pitts, accompanied by deputy leader Chester Cooper.
travel documents would infringe on his liberty and prevent him from his livelihood. Mr Shurland believed the conditions would in fact “imprison” his client. Magistrate Laing granted the pair $30,000 bail each with one or two sureties. He also ordered the men to report to Central Police Station on Mondays.
A 23-YEAR-OLD man accused of assaulting and threatening to harm his exgirlfriend earlier this month was arraigned in Magistrate’s Court on Friday. Aaron Mackey stood before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt after police alleged that he assaulted and issued threats of harm to his ex-girlfriend, Benielle Ferguson, on May 18. Mackey was also accused of stealing his ex-girlfriend’s iPhone and iPhone case, valued at $413.86 on the same day.
During Friday’s hearing, Mackey initially pleaded guilty to the stealing charge, but not guilty to the other two offences. He told the court that he and his then girlfriend had got into an argument when he walked away with her phone in his hand. Mackey claimed that after he realised he had the phone, he later returned it to her. Because of his claims, Magistrate Ferguson-Pratt told him she could not accept his guilty plea for the stealing offence and later recorded a not guilty plea. His case was adjourned to August 17 for trial. He was also granted bail at $1,500 with one surety.
PAGE 8, Tuesday, May 25, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
On a mission to change the world - one baby at a time
CURRENT BNBA president, Nurse Trineka Hall (left) and pioneering president, Nurse Carlotta Klass (right).
Face to Face
By FELICITY DARVILLE
Association (BNBA). Some mothers even breastfeed toddlers and newborns at the same time. However, this is not my goal. I have done my part! Victory exclusively breastfed for six months. I took this advice from the BNBA nurses. Some believe in offering solid foods much earlier. But I followed their advice and Victory did well without any food or water – only breastmilk for the first six months of her life. This chunky toddler is bright and smart with a vibrant personality. She has been healthy the whole time. Culturally, it seems practices like these are not necessarily accepted. Many elder Bahamian women would say, “Get that baby off the breast!” “She is too big!” “Leave that for the new baby!” I took these assertions to Nurse Trineka Hall, president of the BNBA, who assured me they were unfounded. It is still seen as culturally inappropriate to feed babies beyond the first year, but this is something the BNBA is working to change. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO): “Breastfeeding is the normal way of providing young infants with the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development. Virtually, all mothers can breastfeed, provided they have accurate information and the
FELICITY Darville receiving her Breastfeeding Champion award from Nurse Linelle Thompson (left) and Nurses Trineka Hall and Anna Forbes (right) with her husband, Victor and daughter, Victory.
support of their family, the health care system and society at large.” “Colostrum, the yellowish, sticky breast milk produced at the end of pregnancy, is recommended by WHO as the perfect food for the newborn, and feeding should be initiated within the first hour after birth. Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended up to six months of age, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to two years of age or beyond.” All over the world, there will be some cultural barriers to overcome. There is a possibility that colonisation affected the way Bahamians currently perceive breastfeeding. Prior to this period, breastfeeding was the norm. Bottles, sanitizing apparatus and formula were nowhere as readily available as it is today. There was a time when every baby that was born would be put on the breast as the natural, affordable, and sensible thing to do. That sensibility led me to breastfeed all of my children. For my accomplishment, I received the “Breastfeeding Champion” award from the BNBA. For many years, I have supported the nurses by promoting their events and helping to bring awareness to their causes through the media. But BNBA members are more than allies for a good cause. They are my friends... even like family. These nurses are truly unsung heroes. They work tirelessly to ensure that babies all over The Bahamas are breastfed. They talk with family members, they give out baby products, they offer sound advice, and they encourage parents on their breastfeeding journey. Even dad has a part to play. His support of the mother and willingness to assist in her needs is vital.
BREASTFEEDING mother Ronesha Mackey and, left, Felicity Darville’s daughter, Victory.
The BNBA has been a part of my life for many, many years now. It started with Nurse Carlotta Klass. Nurse Klass is known to me from my childhood, as I grew up in Holy Cross Anglican Church, where she is a long-standing member. She nurtured my gifts for many years as I was a member of her Brownies Brigade. Later on in life, when Nurse Klass saw that I began having children, she encouraged me to breastfeed and gave me all the ins and outs of its importance and what is required. I did it with my first child, and I continue on to this day. That trend continued when Nurse Linelle Thompson became BNBA President. These are very special nurses. Assisting women with breastfeeding is a lifestyle to them, and not just a job. Linelle found a way to get to know everyone in my family, and she encouraged healthy lifestyles and healthy eating in addition to breastfeeding. Her husband, media pioneer Bob Thompson, was featured in Face to Face shortly after his death, as he was dear to our hearts. Linelle, Bob and Carlotta were all at my wedding, and so it is obvious the kind of impact these nurses have had in my life. BNBA member Nurse Ampusam Symonette was in charge of the Maternity Ward at the Princess Margaret Hospital when two of my children were born, and she was outstanding from
FOR SALE
MY toddler, Victory, turned two just a few weeks ago and she is still breastfeeding. I have been slowly weaning her, and I have cut down her feedings significantly. but she refuses to give up. My milk supply is decreasing, but she doesn’t care. She will suck for comfort and accept whatever amount of nutritious milk comes out. That’s right nutritious. People seem to think that because it’s been two years, the milk isn’t good anymore. But studies show that it is still providing vital nutrients for the child as long as the child continues to consume it. Maybe I would not have been interested in weaning her if I wasn’t pregnant. But with another little one on the way, I am ready for her to move on to the next stage in her development. With patience, day by day, I see that I am nearing the goal. Breastfeeding is such a wonderful experience. The bond between Victory and I is special to me. Breastfeeding allows us to be close, and for her to feel secure. It gives me confidence knowing that I am giving my baby the best start in life. After giving birth, I chose not to use contraceptives. Breastfeeding allowed me 18 months of amenorrhoea – the absence of a monthly cycle and therefore, natural contraception. Two months after the return of my cycle, my husband, Victor and I conceived. We couldn’t be more elated and we look forward to welcoming the new baby. What I am doing is called tandem nursing, according to the nurses of the Bahamas National Breastfeeding
then until now. Nurses Anna Forbes, Debbie Munnings and Dr Lillian Jones were all guiding forces at different stages in my journey, providing genuine love and care. When Nurse Trineka Hall took over as BNBA president, that trend continued. As I wrote this story over the weekend, Trineka passed by with gifts for Victory. I look forward to her helping me when my little angel is born, because every breastfeeding journey is just as different as every pregnancy. This is why BNBA members become lifelong friends and family, committed to seeing your family grow and succeed. They are convinced that by giving babies the very best start in life through breastmilk, it lays the foundation for a healthy family, hence community, and a healthy nation. During the Breastfeeding Champions ceremony held at the Ministry of Health, other breastfeeding moms were honoured including: Geronique Mackey, a mother of a five-year-old boy and two month-old daughter; Rebecca Munnings, a mother-of-two from Exuma who managed to breastfeed from just one breast until her youngest was three years-old; Kelliann Rahming, a staff accountant in Tallahassee, Florida who came home to The Bahamas to have her baby; and Karasi Miller, mother to baby Bella. During the ceremony, keynote speaker, nutritionist and attorney Adelma Roach pointed out that the Breastfeeding Programme is one of the hallmarks of the success of the Maternal and Child Health Initiative that was started in 1993 by
the Ministry of Health. She said that breastfed babies get less sick and have a lower risk of allergies. Breastfed babies are on a path to optimal brain development and they receive nutrients that help strengthen and develop their immature immune system in a way no other substance can. They have a reduced risk of ear infections and gastroenteritis, and a lower risk of sudden infant death syndrome. Before the introduction of the Breastfeeding Programme, mothers who reported exclusive breastfeeding up to six months were at two percent. Eight years later, that rate was at seven percent. The hope is that it will continue to climb. They respond better to immunisation, and can be breastfed even if the mother has contracted COVID-19 or has any other type of disease. Breastfed babies have even scored better on cognitive development tests. They show a milder, calmer demeanour, which has led researchers to believe that breastfeeding has a connection to a decrease in violence in societies. Ms Roach told those gathered that breastfeeding has the potential to save the planet: “Breastmilk and breastfeeding does not require the use of fossil fuel to make and deliver this milk to the baby, because it is made in the human body by God. Therefore, there is no need for formula manufacturing plants. These plants require energy which more than likely is either coal or fuel, which are the largest amount of fossil to operate; thus emitting carbon into the atmosphere. There is no need to use fossil fuel to make breast milk. The only energy that is burned in the process of making breast milk and the delivery of breast milk to the infant is the kinetic energy that the body makes inside the mother.” The BNBA is on a mission to save the planet, one breastfeeding mother at a time. The association rounded off an exciting month last week with a breastfeeding class graduation. There were a total of 51 graduates, including 22 antenatal patients from the public clinic in Cooper’s Town, Abaco; one from Fresh Creek, Andros; four from Anne’s Town Clinic, Kemp Road; six from the Fleming Street Clinic and 15 adolescent girls from the PACE health clinic. Senior Nursing Officer Sherry Armbrister, Maternal and Child Health Coordinator brought remarks under the theme: “Supporting Breastfeeding for a Healthier Planet”. To reach out to the BNBA, email Nurse Hall at trinekahall1970@gmail. com.
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THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, May 25, 2021, PAGE 9
The way out of the pandemic is there for all to see - we just need to follow it AT LAST SOME RELIEF FROM THE WOKE BRIGADE
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis leading the way as he receives his second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine earlier this month, administered by nurse Bastian. THERE is so much information in the media about coronavirus and vaccines that further comment in this column might seem superfluous. But this week I should like to draw attention to the continuing effective rollout of vaccinations here at home as well as to the latest developments in Britain in case experience there might provide some useful lessons. The success so far of the Ministry of Health’s vaccination programme and the effective assistance and support of Rotary volunteers is there for all to see. Having had our first inoculations in late March, my wife and I received our second doses last week. The which means one third of whole process at Loyola the population is now fully Hall – registering on arrival, vaccinated. It is claimed the jab itself, the short rest that this in turn means sigperiod and collection of a nificant protection against certificate at the end – went any new mutations, includlike clockwork and it took ing the so-called ‘double less than an hour. mutant’ Indian variant All concerned surely which has been causing deserve much praise for concern, though medical this slick operation while experts have recently disdealing with large numbers missed fears that vaccines of people. On a personal might be ineffective against note, I want to single out it. Nurse Allison Levarity Hospitalisations and who gave us the actual jab. deaths attributable to the She could not have been virus, together with the more efficient and pleas- numbers of daily new cases, ant and her professionalism are now at very low levels. shone through during our So the AstraZeneca vacbrief encounter - to such cine is being described in an extent that we actually the UK as a ‘key weapon’ enjoyed an experience that in the global fight against can make some people a the pandemic, and Health little anxious! So, in empha- Minister Matt Hancock sising how much we both has been quoted as saying appreciated her care and the “new data shows the kindness, vaccine saves we should ‘While it is lives and prolike say a big tects you from impossible to “thank you” ending up in protect human to her. hospital with As for the beings against COVID-19”, UK, Public but the second all risks, the Health Engdose is vital in land (PHE), immediate need order to have an executive is for as many as the strongagency of the est possible possible to be Department protection. of Health vaccinated.’ Given and Social Britain’s vacCare, has now cination rollout is going reported that the British- according to plan, the next made AstraZeneca vaccine step is the government’s - which is, of course, also hope of being in a posibeing used in The Baha- tion for a full reopening in mas - is up to 90 percent England - with Scotland effective at stopping symp- and Wales having their own toms of coronavirus, and rules - by removing all legal two doses of it are as effec- limits on social contact from tive as a double-shot of the June 21. Prime Minister Pfizer vaccine. Boris Johnson said at the The most recent data weekend he saw no current shows that last week Britain reason for not adhering to passed the landmark figure this which would mean of 60 million vaccinations. scrapping the country’s last Of these, 38 million have lockdown curbs. received the first jab and Despite the optimism the other 22 million both about returning to a previthe first and second doses ous way of life, a debate
seems to have started about the background to decisions concerning virus restrictions, with some critics complaining that public health professionals tend to be interested only in public health itself and are blind to most things that make good health work and which are important to the lives of everybody else. Thus, it is argued, they seem indifferent to issues like mass unemployment, economic recession and the effects of lockdowns on education and on social needs. The debate shows, in the view of many, there is a constant danger of too much weight being given to the views of recognised experts who too often seek to force through what they regard as good for the rest of us without taking proper account of the wider picture. This is where the politicians have to assert themselves and move the issue forward in the broadest possible interest of the whole country – and it is why the debate includes concerns that governments should exercise extreme care before seeking to deprive people of their liberty that, with the benefit of hindsight, may not be justified. It appears that, as life gradually returns to some sort of normality in the UK, most people now seem to accept they are going to have to learn to live with the existence of COVID19 and that they should be allowed to make decisions themselves about how to conduct their own lives in relation to it, as they do in the case of any other health issue. But, while it is impossible to protect human beings against all risks, the immediate need is for as many as possible to be vaccinated. For, at a practical level, it may come to the point that, without this, people may be prevented from mixing with others in public places. What is more, it is likely that in the near future those who refuse the vaccine will not be able to travel internationally because the countries they are going to will not allow them in. So, one can only hope the successful rollout in The Bahamas will continue as rapidly as possible to ensure the majority of the population will be fully protected – and all will surely hope that Nurse Levarity and her colleagues will persevere with their excellent work!
HOW refreshing it was to learn of an imaginative and effective initiative by Britain’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in drawing attention to the importance of mental health and the help needed by charities across the world in dealing with this sensitive issue. The initiative was called the GlobalMile challenge which involved more than 2000 UK government staff in different parts of the world running a unique 24-hour global relay on 15 May. The event, which supported mental health charities across the world, was a repeat of the
contribution to raising awareness of mental health issues. The virtual baton was received from the team in Bridgetown, Barbados and handed on to colleagues in Mexico City to complete their leg of the challenge. In a statement, High Commissioner Sarah Dickson said that she was grateful to her team for taking part and she spoke of the impact of the pandemic on mental health while also emphasising the importance of exercise in relieving stress. What a splendid initiative this was and what fun it must have been to participate!
The Peter Young column
ALL IN A GOOD CAUSE DiploMile challenge first completed last year at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. This was a global relay which proved to be a good way of uniting staff and families separated by travel restrictions and of improving mental and physical wellbeing. It also allowed staff to connect virtually with their colleagues while social distancing measures were in place. Last Saturday, here in Nassau, staff from the British High Commission, including family and friends, participated in GlobalMile by running or walking a mile as their
HAVING written last week about “wokeness” and the British government’s intention to legislate about free speech in universities, there is a danger of repetition in returning to the subject. But there have been several recent developments that are seen as being hopeful and helpful in countering this insidious phenomenon. Being “woke” leads all too often to active protests by Left-wing activists against claimed racial and social discrimination. One manifestation of this is the tearing down of statues as a protest against the perceived iniquities of colonialism together with the horrors of slavery which are all too real. It is, of course, absurd to think that by removing reminders of the past one can somehow change history, and this will do nothing to address current racism, discrimination and other social injustice. It makes little sense to try to apply a sort of retrospective morality in relation to what happened in the past when values, beliefs and standards were different – in the words of the well-known aphorism, yesterday’s orthodoxy is today’s heresy. Only a fanatic can believe that the way to build a better society lies in destroying statues. Since history cannot be changed, surely the right way forward should be to recognise and jettison the bad parts of the past while building on the good and learning how to improve things in the future. But the army of woke zealots seek to crush any challenge to their ideology with hectoring intolerance and a refusal to debate an issue so that this has become a form of oppression by a minority over the majority. The first promising development was last week’s announcement of a decision by Oriel College, Oxford - citing “regulatory and financial challenges” - to rule out removal of the small statue of Cecil Rhodes from high up on the wall (and only properly visible from the other side of the street) above the entrance to the college. This followed an investigation after an earlier decision to remove it in response to a vociferous mob of political activists who linked Rhodes to slavery and the worst
aspects of colonialism as a 19th century diamond magnate, former Prime Minister of the Cape Colony of South Africa and founder of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). But all this took no account of the fact that slavery had been abolished before he had even been born and that apartheid was not imposed by a nationalist government in South Africa until after his death. Rhodes attended Oriel College and was a major benefactor. Despite the claims against him, he was known to favour equal voting rights for all, both white and black alike. Moreover, when he established the Rhodes Scholarships in his will, he stipulated that no student should be qualified or disqualified on account of race. The second is the recent move by a group of members of the National Trust to oust the organisation’s chairman in protest at the “woke” direction it has taken under his leadership. The Trust’s remit is to promote the permanent preservation of lands and buildings of beauty and historic interest. But many of its five million members are incensed that, instead of concentrating on this admirable work, the Trust is now trying to link the properties it manages to slavery and colonialism. To the dismay of many, about one third of these properties have been identified as such and blacklisted, including Winston Churchill’s family home in Kent on the grounds that he opposed Indian independence. This policy will now be challenged at the National Trust’s forthcoming AGM. The third development is the creation of a brand new “anti-woke” television channel in the UK called GB News. Launched by well-respected veteran journalist Andrew Neil, it promises to deliver unbiased news and opinion. It claims there will be an emphasis on free speech and honest debate, with people being allowed - within the limits of the law - to say what they think without fear of offending others and being censored as a result. It remains to be seen how this will work out, but many will welcome GB News as an antidote to the “woke” agenda – for, as George Orwell famously said, “If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not wish to hear”.
PAGE 10, Tuesday, May 25, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
14 DEAD AS CABLE CAR PLUNGES TO GROUND STRESA, Italy Associated Press
RESCUERS work by the wreckage of a cable car after it collapsed near the summit of the Stresa-Mottarone line in the Piedmont region, northern Italy, on Sunday, killing 14 people. Photo: Italian Vigili del Fuoco Firefighters
THE investigation into Italy’s cable car disaster that killed 14 people will focus on why the lead cable snapped and why the emergency brake didn’t engage and prevent the cabin from careening back down the mountain until it pulled off the support line and crashed to the ground. Verbania prosecutor Olimpia Bossi said: “The brakes of the security system didn’t work. Otherwise the cabin would have stopped,” she said. The lone survivor of Sunday’s crash, a fiveyear-old Israeli boy living in Italy, remained hospitalised in intensive care with multiple broken bones. His parents, younger brother and two great-grandparents were among the dead. Italian media identified all the other victims as residents of Italy.
India virus death toll passes 300,000 NEW DELHI Associated Press INDIA crossed another grim milestone yesterday with more than 300,000 people lost to the coronavirus, while a devastating surge of infections appeared to be easing in big cities but was swamping the poorer countryside. The milestone, as recorded by India’s Health Ministry, comes as slowed vaccine deliveries have marred the country’s fight against the pandemic, forcing many to miss their shots, and a rare but fatal fungal infection affecting COVID-19 patients has worried doctors. India’s death toll is the third-highest reported in the world after the US and Brazil, accounting for 8.6 percent of the nearly 34.7
A HEALTH worker collects a swab sample from a traveller to test for COVID-19 at train station in Mumbai, India, yesterday. Photo: Rajanish Kakade/AP million coronavirus fatali- total fatalities to 303,720. It ties globally, though the also reported 222,315 new true numbers are thought infections, which raised the to be significantly greater. overall total to nearly 27 The Health Ministry on million since the pandemic Monday reported 4,454 began. Both are almost cernew deaths in the last 24 tainly undercounts. hours, bringing India’s From the remote
Himalayan villages in the north, through the vast humid central plains and to the sandy beaches in the south, the pandemic has swamped India’s underfunded health care system after spreading quickly across the country. In the capital, New Delhi, residents have died at home with no oxygen as hospitals exhausted limited supplies. In Mumbai, COVID-19 patients have died in crowded hospital corridors. In rural villages, fever and breathlessness took people before they were even tested for coronavirus. While the megacities have seen signs of improvement in recent days, the virus isn’t finished with India by any means. It appears to have already taken a ghastly toll in the country’s vast rural areas,
where a majority of the people live and where health care is limited. In recent weeks, hundreds of bodies have washed up on the banks of the Ganges River in Uttar Pradesh state. Many others have been found buried in shallow graves along its sandy banks. It has prompted concerns that they’re the remains of COVID-19 victims. India’s vaccination drive has also slowed recently, and many states say they don’t have enough vaccines to administer. The world’s largest vaccine-producing nation has fully vaccinated just over 41.6 million people, or only 3.8 percent of its nearly 1.4 billion people. On Monday, the federal government enabled walk-in registration at government-run
vaccination centers for those aged between 18 to 44 to “minimise vaccine wastage”. The first known COVID19 death in India happened on March 12, 2020, in southern Karnataka state. It took seven months to reach the first 100,000 dead. The official toll hit 200,000 deaths in late April. The next 100,000 deaths were recorded in just 27 days after new infections tore through dense cities and rural areas alike and overwhelmed health care systems on the brink of collapse. Average daily deaths and cases have slightly decreased in the past few weeks and the government on Sunday said it is conducting the highest number of COVID-19 tests, with more than 2.1 million samples tested in the previous 24 hours.
PEOPLE gather on a stream of cold lava rock following the overnight eruption of Mount Nyiragongo in Goma, Congo, on Sunday. Photo: Clarice Butsapu/AP
15 DEAD AFTER CONGO VOLCANIC ERUPTION GOMA, Congo Associated Press
TORRENTS of lava poured into villages after dark in eastern Congo with little warning, leaving at least 15 people dead amid the chaos and destroying more than 500 homes, officials and survivors said on Sunday. The eruption of Mount Nyiragongo on Saturday night sent about 5,000 people fleeing from the city of Goma across the nearby border into Rwanda, while another 25,000 others sought refuge to the northwest in Sake, the UN children’s agency said.
More than 170 children were still feared missing Sunday, and UNICEF officials said they were organising transit centers to help unaccompanied children in the wake of the disaster. Goma ultimately was largely spared the mass destruction caused by the volcano’s last eruption in 2002. Hundreds died then and more than 100,000 people were left homeless. But in outlying villages closer to the volcano, Sunday was marked by grief and uncertainty. Aline Bichikwebo and her baby managed to escape when the lava flow reached
her village, but said both her mother and father were among those who perished. Community members gave a provisional toll of ten dead in Bugamba alone, though provincial authorities said it was too soon to know how many lives were lost. Bichikwebo says she tried to rescue her father but wasn’t strong enough to move him to safety before the family’s home was ignited by lava. “I am asking for help because everything we had is gone,” she said, clutching her baby. “We don’t even have a pot. We are now orphans and we have nothing.”
SPORTS PAGE 11
TUESDAY, MAY 25, 2021
SHAUNAE
ON TARGET FOR TOKYO
SHAUNAE Miller-Uibo winning the 200m at the Adidas Boost Boston Games, ahead of fellow Bahamian Tynia Gaither and American Kortnei Johnson. American Wadeline Jonathas is also pictured above. Photo: Matthew J Lee/The Boston Globe By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net REIGNING Olympic 400m gold medalist Shaunae Miller-Uibo showed that she’s ready to take on her assault of the 200m crown at the postponed 2020 games in Tokyo, Japan in July. In a show of pure dominance to match her performance in this year, Miller-Uibo took the lead from the start and was unchallenged as she slowed down at the end to take the win in the women’s 200m in 22.08 seconds at the Adidas Boost Boston Games on Boylston Street. “It was a pretty easy and comfortable run,” said Miller-Uibo of Sunday’s race on the temporary track set up near the Boston
Marathon finish line in Copley Square. Multiple Bahamian national record holder Miller-Uibo, who previously set world bests of 21.76 in her initial appearance at the games in the 200m in 2017 and 16.23 in the 150m in 2018, added her third title at the games with a 0.32 seconds margin of victory over her nearest rival American Kortnei Johnson. Johnson came through in a lifetime best of 22.40 for second, followed closely by compatriot Wadeline Jonathas in her personal best of 22.57. It was season’s bests for Trinidad & Tobago’s Michelle-Lee Ahye in 22.62 and fellow Bahamian Tynia Gaither in 22.96 as they rounded out the field in fourth and fifth respectively.
Gaither, 28, has had a relatively good season so far this year, qualifying for her second straight Olympics with a season’s best of 11.02 in the century and has ran 23.11 in the halflap race with a legal time of 23.11 and a wind-aided 22.70. The Grand Bahamian native made it to the finals of the women’s 200m in the past two World Athletics’ World Championships in London, Great Britain in 2017 and in Doha, Qatar in 2019, placing eighth in both attempts. Meanwhile, 27-year-old Miller-Uibo thanked God for allowing her the ability to continue to perform as well as she’s doing in an undefeated season so far. She said the goal is to remain healthy as she go to Tokyo and challenge for
the 200m title to add to the 400m gold she earned in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2017. “The last few weeks, we’ve been dealing with a few minor injuries, but we’re getting through it and just taking everything one step at a time,” admitted Miller-Uibo, whose last international showing produced a stunning silver medal performance at the World Championships in Doha in 2019. The meet was also expected to see a clash of the last two men’s world champions in the Epson men’s 200m as Bahamian Steven Gardiner (2019 400m world champion) took on South Africa’s Wayde van Niekerk (400m world record holder), who is now a training partner of Miller-Uibo and American
sprinter Noah Lynes in Florida. But 25-year-old Gardiner had to withdraw from the meet after he slipped and fell down in the final 10-15m at the USATF Open last week in Fort Worth, Texas and didn’t finish the men’s 400m race. His manager, Claude Bryan, the chief executive Officer of On Track Management Inc, said the Bahamian national 200 and 400m record holder had some issues with his ankle during the race and on Thursday he had to have an out-patient procedure done. “He should be back to 100 percent efficiency in short order,” Bryan said. In Gardiner’s absence in Boston, van Nierkerk competed in his first race since relocating to the United
States to train with MillerUibo under coach Lance Brauman’s Pure Athletics team. But after running a pair of performances in South Africa that included 20.38 and a 20.10 wind-aided, van Nierkirk suffered a slight muscle pull and coasted to the finish line in fourth in 20.86. Canadian Jerome Blake won the race in a personal best of 19.89. Gardiner has produced a season’s best of 20.71 on Februry 6, but he’s yet to contest a 400m where he’s the reigning world champion. He’s hoping to pursue his first Olympic medal in the one-lap race in Tokyo. The Abaco native, who train in Florida as well, was a member of the men’s 4 x 400m relay team that brought home a bronze medal from Rio in 2017.
FOUR SPRINTERS QUALIFY FOR CHAMPIONSHIPS AYTON DOMINATES By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net IN what turned out to be the biggest match-up of the 18th Star Performers Track Classic 2021 meet resulted in four sprinters attaining the qualifying standards for the World Athletics Under-18 and Under-23 Championships boys 100 metres. On Saturday at the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium after Fast Forward’s Wanya McCoy did the North American, Central American and Caribbean and World Athletes’ Under-20 standard in the 100m and Swift Athletics’ Wendell Miller did the same in the 400m, the two clashed in the middle of their races in the 200m. Miller, a 12th grader at St John’s College, had to storm back down the home stretch to take the half-lap title in an impressive time of 20.75, while McCoy of Queen’s College, faltered at the end after taking the early lead, to settle for second in 20.84. Not to be left out of the picture, Bahamas Speed Dynamics’ Antoine Andrews trailed in third in 20.19 and DTSP Wold Pack’s Lamont Moss got fourth in 21.27. When it was all said and done, the quartet surpassed
WENDELL Miller in action. the standard of 21.38 for the World Athletics Under-20 Championships, scheduled for Nairobi, Kenya from August 17-22. “It was a good race,” Miller said. “I just wanted to run a fast time because I knew it was going to be a good race.”
Photo: Chris Saunders McCoy said he has to give Miller credit for his stickability to come through at the end. “I ran hard and he ran hard too,” McCoy said. “We now know where we’re and what we have to do (to prepare for the international meets), but I wished that we
could practice together so that we could be better.” Not only have they qualified for the World Athletics’ Under-23 Championships, but Miller, McCoy and Andrews also booked their tickets to the NACC Under-18 and U-23 Championships in San Jose, Costa Rica from July 9-11. In addition to the quartet, Paige Archer had an exceptional showing on the girls’ side as she qualified for both the NACAC and World Athletics junior championships in both the 100 and 200m. Other qualifiers for NACAC were Carlos Brown in the under-18 100m and Tarahj Hudson in the under-20 boys’ javelin. Meanwhile, Larcartha Cooper and Shavantae Roberts both attained the World Athletics under-20 100m standard. While he topped the field in the marquee 200m, Miller was also the better man in the 400m where he clocked 46.33 to surpass both the World Athletics’ qualifying time of 47.35 and the NACAC under-23 time of 46.43. His nearest rival in the race was Omr Kelly of SPIA, who did 48.47 for second. “I feel great about my performance. I came out here to run 46 seconds SEE PAGE 12
IN PLAYOFF DEBUT By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net
DEANDRE Ayton and the Phoenix Suns made a dynamic return to the NBA playoffs and dominated en route to the franchise’s first postseason win since 2011. Ayton finished with 21 points and 16 rebounds as the Suns defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 99-90, Sunday afternoon at the PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona to take a 1-0 lead in their best of seven series. The Suns host game two tonight at 10pm, broadcast live on TNT. Ayton had a historic postseason debut and shot 10-11 from the field. He became just the second player in postseason history to shoot 90 percent (or better) in a 20-point, 15-rebound game against the Lakers, joining Bill Russell, who did it in Game 2 of the 1965 NBA Finals. The Suns, the No 2 seed in the Western Conference, had a true home court advantage against the No 7 Lakers with 11,824 fans in attendance for the team’s postseason return.
“The crowd was amazing. I had never seen anything like it. That was the most intense game I’ve ever seen in my life,” Ayton said, “I was just quiet the whole time trying to play hard, I was really just embracing everything that was going on. That was like a concert.” Ayton was lauded for his defensive effort against perennial All-Star forward Anthony Davis who finished with just 13 points on 5-16 shooting from the field. Eight of Ayton’s 11 rebounds also came on the offensive end. “I give [the credit] to my teammates having my back, telling me what to do, telling me where I’m at on the floor, they did a good job having my back on the backend when it was time to box out and rebound,” Ayton said. “It was a lot, it was intense, it was fun. My guys had my back helping me with AD, just trying to play hard and match the energy as best as I can throughout the game. Those are great players and you can’t tell when they will make great plays, but I was just trying to be ready.” SEE PAGE 12
PAGE 12, Tuesday, May 25, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
CARLOS BROWN, winning the 100m in the under-17s category on Saturday.
Photo: Derek Smith
FOUR SPRINTERS QUALIFY FOR CHAMPIONSHIPS from page 11
because I wasn’t able to run last week because of the funeral of one of our teammates,” Miller said. “I just came here to do my best.” Miller said he simply followed the instructions of coach Andrew Tynes and he got the job done. Now he can prepare for the major international meets after the Carifta Games were canceled. “It’s amazing. It feels good because I’m the only one in my family running track and I know I’m making them feel proud every opportunity I get to compete,” he said. McCoy, who trains with Frazer, said it was another good race for him. “At the start, I got out, but with about 60 metres left, I started to pull away from everybody, so I felt confident,” said McCoy, who has now qualified for all three sprints in the 100, 200 and 400m. “I’ve been working hard in practice and it’s showing in my performances.” Andrews said it was a good race and he’s elated about the qualifying performance. “From the start of the
meet, I had my mindset made up to go out there and qualify,” said the 18-yearold 11th grader at St John’s College. Brown Jr, also a student at St John’s College, returned to the track after the burial of his father Carlos Brown Sr last week. He said while he’s still grieving, he knew he had to continue for his biggest supporter, his father. “It was good. It was a bit windy, but I still did my best. I wanted to make my daddy proud,” he said. “I try not to worry about it. If I worry about it, it would only break me down, so I just try to keep my mind off it.” Brown Jr, also trained by Tynes, said he’s disappointed that Carifta is canceled, but he hopes to go to the other big meets and shine for The Bahamas. When she woke up Saturday morning, Paige Archer said the only thing she could do was pray to God to enable her to perform at her best in the meet. She ran 11.76 in the 100m to surpass the NACAC Under-18 standard of 1.77 and the World Athletics Under-20 time of 11.85. Star Trackers’ Nia Richards clocked 12.00 for second.
Archer, another competitor trained by Fraser, came back and took the 200m in 24.14, which was better than the NACAC standard of 24.22 and the World Athletics’ 24.35. Kenyan Knights’ Shatalyn Dorsette was second in 24.39 and Richards got third in 24.45. “I know I now have to remain humble after making the standards for the international meets,” said Archer, the 16-yearold 11th grader at Queen’s College. “There’s a lot of work to be done. I just have to continue going to practice, work hard and keep building on my faith in God and my relationship with him.” Cooper, in winning the under-20 girls’ 100m in 11.71 to pull Shavantae Robert through in second in 11.79 as they both surpassed the World Athletics under-20 100m qualifying time of 11.85, said she felt awesome. “I am so proud of myself,” said Cooper, who is trained by Tito Moss. “In the heats, I didn’t have a good start, but in the final, I just pushed out of the blocks and went hard in my drive phrase. “I’m proud. This isn’t
my race and I did it. So I’m happy.” On the field, Blue Chips Athletics’ Tarajh Hudson achieved the NACAC qualifying standard of 167-feet, 9-inches or 51.14m when he tossed the under-20 boys’ discus 180-0 (54.87m). Grand Bahamian Seth Thompson of Tabernacle Baptist Academy was a distant second with 123-6 (37.65m). In some of the other highlights from the meet on the girls’ side, Hurry Murray’s Sarai Forbes won the under-7 60m (11.54) and 80m (14.61); Swift Athletics’ Rocellis Moxey took the under-11 100m 13.73) and 200m (29.13). Road Runners’ Jasmine Thompson emerged as the under-13 200m (27.71) and 400m (1:03.83) champion; Spirit of Excellence’s Shekinah Johnson captured the under-15 100m (12.18) and 200m (24.43); Grand Bahama’s Heats Athletics’ Erin Barr dominated the under-17 800m (2:25.25) and 1,500m (5:02.13) and Blue Chips Athletics’ Latia Saunders won the open shot put with 29-feet, 4-inches (8.94m) and the discus with 98-7 (30.06m). On the boys’ side, George Brown, the younger brother
of Carlos Brown, posted a double triumph for Swift Athletics in the under-7 60m (10.33) and 80m (13.15). Hurray Murray’s Stafford Sweeting took the under-9 100m (15.61) and 200m (32.82). Also, Red-Line Athletics’ Eagan Neely picked up a pair of victories in the under-13 100m (12.53) and 200m (25.63) and Hurray Murray’s Raywind Winder claimed the under17 800m (2:04.31) and 1,500m (4:27.93). On the field, Blue Chips Athletics’ Kaden Cartwright took the under-17 boys’ discus with 115-7 (35.25m) and the javelin with 170-0 (51.83m) and his team-mate Abner Johnson secured the open shot put with 41-10 (12.75m) and the discus with 134-9 (41.09m). A number of elite athletes also competed as Alliance Athletics’ Keanu Pennerman won the open men’s 100m in 10.49 and Leap of Faith’s Kaiwan Culmer cleared 52-7 1/4 (16.03m) in the men’s triple jump. Tamar Myers, also from Leap of Faith, popped 44-2 (13.46m) in the women’s hop, skip and jump event, while Teshon Adderley had a clean sweep of the
open women’s 400m (59.17) and 800m (2:26.31) and Auston Clarke of Speed Dynamics took the exciting open men’s two-lap race in 1:55.93. Star Trackers’ founder and head coach David Charlton said the meet surpassed all of their expectations. “We had a phenomenal day of competition. We saw some fantastic times,” he said. “We had athletes qualifying and requalifying for the upcoming international events, so as an organization and as a federation, we did a fantastic job today.” Since the inception of the meet, JR McDonald was one of the principal sponsors and he continued to provide the support to the Star Trackers, despite the financial downturn in the economy due to the coronavirus pandemic. “It’s been a miserable year, but the kids need this, the parents need to see their kids compete, so let’s do what we can to get our lives back in order,” he said. “I didn’t get to do as much as I would like to, but we will get back on the bandwagon and hopefully get back to where we were when we first started sponsoring the meet.”
AYTON DOMINATES JONES HELPS SUN STAY UNDEFEATED IN PLAYOFF DEBUT By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net
from page 11
Ayton scored ten points in the first quarter to help the Suns get out to a quick start and a 32-25 lead. He had 14 at the half and the Suns maintained a 53-45 lead at the break. The Suns led 86-70 early in the fourth, but the Lakers quickly cut it to 86-77 with 9:02 left. Suns point guard Chris Paul was forced to leave the game with a “stinger” but retired to play 20 minutes in the second half. He told reporters he expects to play in game two. Ayton added that the Suns cohesion this season carried over from their performance in the NBA’s postseason “bubble” in 2020, where they finished 8-0 and fell just short of the postseason. “In the bubble what we brought out of there was us knowing each other, having your brothers back, building relationships that’s beyond basketball and bringing it to this new season, new players a team but it was really contagious but that’s what
we’re doing on the court, playing together and we’re standing by that,” he said, “Our focus for game two, just making sure we stay together, once we keep emphasising playing as a unit we’ll be fine.” The Suns won the regular season matchup between the two teams, 2-1. On March 2 the Suns took a 114 - 104 win. Ayton finished with 17 points and six rebounds. On March 21, Ayton had 26 points and eight rebounds in a Suns 111 - 94 win. The Lakers capped the series with a 123 - 110 win on May 9. Ayton had just six points and six rebounds. Ayton appeared in 69 of the Suns’ 72 games this season. He averaged a double double for the second consecutive season - 14.4 points and 10.5 rebounds per game The Suns finished the season with a 51-21 record. Phoenix won the Pacific division title for the first time in 14 years and one of the league’s longest playoff droughts when they earned a postseason berth for the first time in 11 years.
JONQUEL Jones and the Connecticut Sun are off to a historic start in the 2021 WNBA season and are currently the league’s lone undefeated team. Jones recorded her fourth consecutive double double 19 points and 11 rebounds - to lead the Sun to a 72-65 road win Sunday over the Las Vegas Aces. This is only the second time in franchise history that Connecticut has started the season at 5-0 (2018). Jones is currently averaging 18.4 points, 10. 8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 55 percent from the floor, 50 percent from three point range and 75 percent from the free throw line. Her field goal percentage is sixth in the league while her rebounding numbers are ranked second. The fifth year forward now has 43 double doubles on her career. The Sun look to extend their win streak tonight when they face the defending WNBA champion Seattle Storm at 10pm local time. ESPN, the Associated
CONNECTICUT Sun’s Jonquel Jones during a WNBA basketball game against the Indiana Fever on Wednesday last week. Photo: Stew Milne/AP Press and Sports Illustrated all had the Sun ranked No. 8 in their preseason polls. After Jones opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns, the Sun went 10-12 and advanced to the WNBA Semifinals. “It just feels good to be back, playing with my
teammates, playing with my sisters, definitely missed out on a great year last year and I was watching a lot of games and I wanted to be out there with them but I’m happy to be out there, happy to have this jersey on and happy to play in front of the fans again, she told CBS Sports Network
following a May 16 win over the Indiana Fever, “It’s a lot of selfless people playing on the team I think we understand that and its helping our chemistry really quickly. There is still a lot of room left for improvement but I’m happy where we’re at, we just know we have to grow on it.” In the league’s 25th season, they are also hosting the inaugural Commissioner’s Cup competition. According to a league press release, “the Commissioner’s Cup is an in-season competition that designates a portion of regular-season games in the first half of the season - ten per team, 60 total - to count toward Cup standings. The Cup will have prize money of $500,000.” The Cup games will be the first home game and first road game each team plays against its five conference rivals. The standings then determine an Eastern Conference team and a Western Conference team to meet for the championship, which will be played August 12 on Amazon Prime Video The Suns are 2-0 in Commissioner Cup games thus far. Their next matchup is May 28 against the Washington Mystics.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, May 25, 2021, PAGE 13
Break-outs for Bahamas baseball minor leaguers By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net SEVERAL Bahamian baseball players had breakout performances for their respective clubs throughout various levels of minor league baseball. Chavez Young hit his first career home run at the AA level. Young’s two-run home run helped power the offense for his New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Blue Jays affiliate), but the Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox affiliate) rallied with four runs in the top of the ninth inning to steal a 7-6 win over the on Saturday night at Delta Delta Stadium. With one on and two out, Young’s home run drove in his team’s first runs of the game and trimmed
the deficit 3-2 in the third inning. They went on to score two runs in the fourth and another two in the fifth, including Young’s score on a pass ball, to take a 6-3 lead. The No 29 prospect in the Blue Jays pipeline, Young is hitting .250 with a .377 OBP, .786 OPS, 11 hits, 10 RBI, eight runs and three stolen bases. In his last full season of baseball, Young appeared in 111 games in 2019 with the Lansing Lugnuts in Single A-Advanced baseball and was named a Midwest League All-Star. Mired in a hitting slump for much of the season, Keithron Moss also hit his first run at a new level in Low-A baseball. Moss hit a solo home run with two outs in the fifth inning, but his Down East
Wood Ducks suffered a 7-2 loss to the Charleston RiverDogs Friday night at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park. It was Moss’ fifth hit, and first RBI of his debut season at the Low-A level. The 28th ranked player in the Rangers’ organisation, in 34 AZL games in 2019, he hit .308 with a .425 OBP, .442 slugging percentage, and an .866 OPS. Lucius Fox had his best stretch as a member of the Kansas City Royals organisation and produced two multi hit games within a three game span for the Omaha Storm Chasers at the AAA level. In a May 15 win over the Columbus Clippers (4-2), Fox entered as a designated hitter and singled through the right side for his first hit as a Storm Chaser. He later scored on an RBI single.
Two nights later, Fox paced the 10-hit attack by the Storm Chasers with two doubles and a single in a May 19 loss to the Iowa I-Cubs. He went 3-5 with one RBI and scored one run. On the season, Fox is hitting .280 with a .419 OBP, .819 OPS, seven hits, five runs and three RBI. He was listed at No.26 for the Kansas City Royals in the team’s prospect pipeline. Last season, Fox was traded for the second time in his career when the Tampa Bay Rays sent him to the Royals in exchange for outfielder Brett Phillips. In 119 games last season Fox hit .221 with a .331 OBP and a .657 OPS. He totaled 90 hits including 16 doubles, nine triples, three home runs, 34 RBIs, and scored 66 runs.
Both Bahamian pitchers in the MiLB have also produced quality outings on the mound. After struggles in his previous appearances, Chavez Fernander was an important part of a West Michigan Whitecaps bullpen that tossed a six-hit shutout Sunday as part of a 4-0 victory over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Fox Cities Stadium. Fernander took his spotstart and pitched three scoreless innings with four strikeouts for the Detroit Tigers’ Low-A affiliate.. In seven appearances this season, Fernander is 1-1 with 14 strikeouts and a 4.66 ERA. Fernander last appeared with the Connecticut Tigers in the New York-Penn League in the 2019 season. In 11 appearances with
eight starts, he went 2-2 with a 2.31 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 35 innings. Tahnaj Thomas continues to lead the Greensboro Grasshoppers bullpen in strikeouts. The Pittsburgh Pirates’ No. 7 prospect in High-A had a no decision in his latest start, but struck out five in five innings of an 8-5 win over the Hickory Crawdads. In three appearances this season, Thomas has 20 strikeouts in 12 innings and allowed just five hits, three earned runs and five walks. Last season with the Bristol Pirates of the Appalachian League, Thomas finished with a 2-3 win-loss record which also included 59 strikeouts - the most for any Bristol pitcher since 2012. In 12 starts, he pitched 48.1 innings with a 3.17 ERA and 1.12 WHIP.
URIAS HELPS SEE OFF GIANTS WITH BOTH BAT AND BALL SAN FRANCISCO Associated Press
JULIO Urías has shared his thoughts on how hard it is to hit at the major league level. He certainly kept the Giants off balance from the mound and did some rare damage in the batter’s box with a pair of key swings. “That was really fun,” he said. Gavin Lux launched a grand slam, Urías drove in three runs to help back his pitching gem, and the Los Angeles Dodgers pounded the Giants 11-5 on Sunday for their seventh straight win and a weekend sweep of rival San Francisco. Urías didn’t allow a baserunner until Mike Tauchman’s one-out infield single in the sixth, then Austin Slater hit a two-run homer one out later as the Giants made things a little interesting after falling behind 11-0. “It would have been something really incredible to hang your hat on,” Urías said of joining the no-hit crew of 2021. Urías (7-1) struck out 10 over six stellar innings to beat San Francisco for the first time in 10 career starts and 16 appearances after three no-decisions in 2020. He hit a two-run double in the second and an RBI single in the Dodgers’ seven-run third that chased starter Anthony DeSclafani (4-2) after 54 pitches. With two hits on the day, Urías has already set a career high with four this season. He delivered his third double-digit strikeout game of the year, didn’t walk a batter and gave up three hits and two runs in all. “Julio, he’s a veteran big league pitcher now — and there’s no more project, there’s no more prospect,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. Lux hit his second career slam after his first came Tuesday against Arizona. Max Muncy had a fullcount homer in the fourth, going deep for a second straight day. Mike Yastrzemski hit a two-run double in the eighth and Donovan Solano had a sacrifice fly for the Giants, who lost their third straight game following a five-game winning streak. “We got beat every which way in this series,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. “They made more pitches than us, they got more big hits than us, they played better defense, converted more plays into outs than we did.” DeSclafani, who won his previous two starts, yielded
INJURIES HAVE LIMITED SOME OF BASEBALL’S BIGGEST STARS By NOAH TRISTER AP Baseball Writer
FOR the first few weeks of the 2021 season, Mike Trout looked as impressive as ever, and Jacob deGrom was dominant on the mound. It would have been something to see what they could have done over a full season, but that won’t happen now because both are sidelined with injuries. Availability could play a major role in this year’s award races. Trout is hitting .333 with eight home runs and an OPS of 1.090, but he went on the injured list Tuesday with a strained calf. DeGrom has an 0.68 ERA through six starts, but he has pitched only once in May because of side tightness. He’s expected back Tuesday. Aside from Trout, several other recent MVPs have spent time on the IL this season, including Jose Altuve, Cody Bellinger, Christian Yelich and Giancarlo Stanton. Young stars Fernando Tatis Jr. and Juan Soto have also missed time. The good news is that it doesn’t necessarily take these players long to find their rhythm when they return. In four games since returning from COVID-19, Tatis has 11 hits, four homers and 12 RBIs. Tatis, who also dealt with shoulder problems earlier in the year, has 13 home runs, just two behind major league leader Ronald Acuña Jr.
San Diego swept a nine-game homestand and leads the Dodgers, who have won seven straight, by a game atop the NL West. ROUTS Amid all the talk about dominant pitching and low hit totals, there were actually a handful of offensive breakouts over the past week. The White Sox beat the Twins 16-4 on Monday, the Rays beat the Orioles 13-6 on Tuesday, and the Giants beat the Reds 19-4 on Thursday. Then on Friday, the Braves hammered the Pirates 20-1 and the Padres beat the Mariners 16-1. LINE OF THE WEEK There were two more no-hitters this week — ho hum — by Spencer Turnbull of the Tigers and Corey Kluber of the Yankees. With all due respect to them, let’s focus on some batting exploits. Miguel Sanó and Jesse Winker each had a three-homer game. Winker’s performance gets the nod because he added in additional hit as well, going 4 for 4 with a walk in Cincinnati’s 9-4 victory over Milwaukee on Friday night. COMEBACK OF THE WEEK Up 5-0 in the top of the fifth, the Baltimore Orioles had a 95.6% chance to beat Tampa Bay on Wednesday, according to Baseball Savant. Back-to-back homers in that inning by Mike Brosseau and Randy Arozarena brought the Rays
LOS Angeles Dodgers’ Julio Urias hits an RBI-single against the San Francisco Giants on Sunday. Photo: Jeff Chiu/AP ten runs — all earned — on nine hits in 2 2/3 innings. He is one of three Giants pitchers since at least 1906 to allow 10 or more earned runs against the Dodgers, joining Jim Barr (10) on July 3, 1977, and Max Lanier (10) on April 19, 1952, according to Sportradar.
“It’s certainly frustrating,” DeSclafani said. PUJOLS’ IMPACT Roberts has noticed his players doing their best to impress veteran slugger Albert Pujols. The 41-year-old Pujols is making a noticeable impact already in the
LOS Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout walks back to first base during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Indians yesterday. Photo: Ashley Landis/AP within two, and then Arozarena tied it with a two-run shot in the seventh. Tampa Bay eventually won 9-7. HIGHLIGHT Triple plays are rare enough. It’s even more remarkable when one happens with the game on the line. The Yankees and White
clubhouse and on the field after just six games in Dodger Blue. “We got him not only because we expected him to perform on the field but his impact with the guys has been immediate,” Roberts said. “Everyone is on their best behavior when he’s around and I say that a little tongue in cheek. The way he prepares each day, his demeanor, guys want to kind of please him because he sets the bar, that’s a Hall of Fame bar. I think the level of play, the focus, which has always been good, Albert has enhanced that.” TRAINER’S ROOM Dodgers: OF Mookie Betts was a late scratch with a shoulder issue that came up while taking pregame swings. He should return Tuesday. ... Los Angeles placed reliever Jimmy Nelson on the injured list with forearm inflammation.
Sox were tied at 1 in the top of the ninth Friday night when Chicago put men on first and second with nobody out. Then Andrew Vaughn bounced into a 5-4-3 triple play, abruptly ending the threat. New York scored a run in the bottom of the inning to win.
... Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen was off regardless after pitching three of the previous four days, four of six and earning saves in each of those outings, including his 11th Saturday night. ... CF Cody Bellinger, who hit a home run in his rehab game for TripleA Oklahoma City as he works back from a bruised left calf, and utilityman Zach McKinstry (strained right oblique) are closer to returning. ... AJ Pollock (strained left hamstring) has been running in recent days and Roberts is hopeful of him rejoining the team early in the week or perhaps getting a short rehab stint. Giants: 1B Brandon Belt got a day off but was available off the bench. ... LHP Scott Kazmir’s status in the rotation beyond his start Saturday is unclear as the Giants wait on the health of two other pitchers. RHP Logan Webb, on the injured
list with a strained shoulder, played catch Saturday out to 75 feet and was scheduled to throw again Sunday. RHP Aaron Sanchez (right biceps tightness) played catch out to 60 feet Saturday and again Sunday. ... INF Wilmer Flores hit off a tee Saturday, played catch and took grounders and is expected to be activated close to on time as he deals with right hamstring tightness. ROSTER MOVE The Giants recalled lefty Sam Selman from TripleA Sacramento as RHP Matt Wisler was placed on the bereavement list following the death of his grandmother. UP NEXT LHP Clayton Kershaw (6-3, 3.18 ERA) takes the mound Tuesday at Houston opposite RHP Zack Greinke (4-1, 3.77) in a potential interleague pitchers’ duel.
PAGE 14, Tuesday, May 25, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
ONE MORE THRILL: MICKELSON WINS AT 50 IN RAUCOUS PGA
By BEN NUCKOLS AP Sports Writer STANDING on the 18th tee with a two-shot lead in a championship he refused to imagine himself winning, Phil Mickelson took one last violent swing with a driver — the club that betrayed him 15 years earlier in the US Open. His tee shot Sunday in the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island landed only a few yards off the fairway, but it still nestled among the people — the gallery packed tightly between the ropes and a row of hospitality tents — screaming the name of their aging hero. After Mickelson’s approach shot settled on the green, assuring the 50-year-old of becoming the oldest major champion in history, the crowd swallowed him up entirely. Phil Mickelson, the people’s champion. “It’s an incredible experience. I’ve never had something like that,” Mickelson said. “It was a little bit unnerving, but it was exceptionally awesome, too.” Golf can be cruel to veteran, sentimental favorites.
NBA AFRICA UNVEILED BY LEAGUE NEW YORK Associated Press THE NBA announced yesrerday that it has formed NBA Africa, which will oversee all league business on the continent, including the Basketball Africa League. At least five former NBA players — Junior Bridgeman, Grant Hill, Joakim Noah, Congo native Dikembe Mutombo and South Sudan native Luol Deng — are investors in the venture. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum will be on the board of directors. Silver said the current enterprise value of NBA Africa is “nearly $1 billion,” though amounts of the league and individual investments were not disclosed. The league said some of its primary areas of focus with the venture are to grow the BAL and to launch additional NBA academies in Africa. “The growth and development is something we’re all enormously proud of,” Silver said. There are at least 55 players currently in the NBA who were either born in Africa or have a parent from there. The NBA has played three summer exhibitions in Africa in recent years and there are hopes for more, but there are no firm plans yet to bring preseason or regular season games to the continent.
Ben Hogan at the 1955 US Open. Greg Norman at the 1996 Masters and the British Open a dozen years later. And, perhaps most heartbreaking, 59-year-old Tom Watson at the 2009 British Open. Mickelson, too, has had as many close calls as major victories — most of them at the US Open, where he’s been runner-up six times. Winged Foot — where he gave away a one-shot lead on the 72nd hole in 2006 — wasn’t the first, or the last. But now, the two biggest stars of their generation have a signature late-career win. Tiger Woods overcame four back surgeries, turmoil in his personal life and 11 years of frustration in major championships to win the Masters two years ago at age 43. Mickelson — happy at home and injury-free — merely stretched the limits of what’s possible after a half-century on Earth. “There’s no reason why I or anybody else can’t do it at a later age. It just takes a little more work,” Mickelson said. Nine days earlier, Mickelson accepted a special
exemption to play in the US Open at Torrey Pines in his hometown of San Diego. Now he’s assured at least five more cracks at the lone major that has eluded him. The victory makes him exempt at the US Open through 2025. Already a Hall of Famer, Mickelson joined Nick Faldo and Lee Trevino as six-time major winners. Only 11 players have won more. If he somehow won another in his 50s, he’d match Arnold Palmer, Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead and Harry Vardon. “I don’t know how to describe the feeling of excitement and fulfillment and accomplishment to do something when — you know, of this magnitude when very few people thought that I could,” Mickelson said. The record will show Mickelson closed with a 1-over 73 for a two-shot win over Brooks Koepka (73) and Louis Oosthuizen (74). That doesn’t begin to describe the wild fluctuations of Sunday on the menacing Ocean Course, where Mickelson and Koepka hit shots
that were both spectacular and shocking, sometimes on the same hole. Between them, Mickelson and Koepka made 16 pars, ten bogeys, nine birdies and one double bogey. Five of the first ten holes had swings of two shots or more — and that didn’t include the par-three fifth, when Mickelson holed out from a waste bunker with Koepka safely on the green. Even with three bogeys in a five-hole stretch on the back nine, Mickelson hit enough good shots to avoid bigger numbers and hold off Koepka. Then came the bedlam on 18, where Mickelson and Koepka fought their way through the crowd to get to the green. There were no fans at last year’s three major championships. Patrons returned to the Masters last month to cheer Hideki Matsuyama’s breakthrough win. But this was golf’s rowdiest gallery since before the COVID19 pandemic, and it came at a time when the virus is receding in the U.S., with well over half of adults at least partially vaccinated. Masks were rare among the crowd, which the PGA
of America said was limited to 10,000 people a day. Fans pressed five-deep against the ropes, stumbled atop steep dunes and clambered into trees on the sprawling Ocean Course. Golf, which surged in popularity last year as a sport with built-in social distancing, returned to something approaching normal, with fans celebrating an extraordinary champion. “It was like the Phil that I remember watching just when I turned pro and it was great to see,” Oosthuizen said. The records Mickelson shattered were numerous. Julius Boros for 53 years held the distinction of golf’s oldest major champion. He was 48 when he won the 1968 PGA Championship. Mickelson became the first player in PGA Tour history to win tournaments 30 years apart. The first of his 45 titles was in 1991, when he was still a junior at Arizona State and Koepka was eight months old. Mickelson joined Woods — who sent a tweet of congratulations — among the 10 players who’ve won
majors in three decades. Lefty spent very little time talking to reporters before Sunday’s post-tournament news conference and refused to discuss what a win would mean to him. Instead, he pounded extra balls on the driving range — even on Sunday, he was rehearsing swing positions in between shots — and spent time meditating to recapture the mental sharpness he said he’d lost earlier this year. “Anybody who really thinks they can win on a Sunday is going to be feeling that pressure and the nerves,” said 49-year-old Padraig Harrington, who closed with a 69 to tie for fourth. “I’d say Phil is full to capacity, but that’s where he likes to live.” This was Mickelson’s first major win with his brother, Tim, as his caddie. Could there be more? “It’s very possible that this is the last tournament I ever win. Like if I’m being realistic,” Mickelson said. “But it’s also very possible that I may have had a little bit of a breakthrough in some of my focus and maybe I go on a little bit of a run.”
TWO MONTHS TO GO TO OLYMPICS - AND JAPAN UNVEILS MASS TESTING CENTRES TOKYO Associated Press
JAPAN mobilised military doctors and nurses to give shots to elderly people in Tokyo and Osaka yesterday as the government desperately tries to accelerate its vaccination rollout and curb coronavirus infections just two months before hosting the Olympics. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is determined to hold the Olympics in Tokyo after a one-year delay and has made an ambitious pledge to finish vaccinating the country’s 36 million elderly people by the end of July, despite skepticism it’s possible. Worries about public safety while many Japanese remain unvaccinated have prompted growing protests and calls for canceling the games, set to start on July 23. Suga’s government has repeatedly expanded the area and duration of a largely voluntary request-based virus state of emergency since late April and has made its virus-fighting measures stricter. Currently, Tokyo and nine other areas that are home to 40 percent of the country’s population are under the emergency and a further extension is deemed unavoidable. With COVID-19 cases still high, Suga now says vaccines are key to getting infections under control. He has not made vaccinations conditional for holding the Olympics and has arranged for Pfizer to donate its vaccine for athletes through the International Olympic Committee, while trying to speed up Japan’s inoculation drive as anti-Olympic sentiment grows. Suga, speaking to reporters after a brief visit to the Tokyo centre, said accelerating the vaccine rollout is an “unprecedented challenge”.
ELDERLY residents of Sumida Ward rest at box seats after receiving their first dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine at the Ryogoku Kokugikan sporting arena, in Tokyo, yesterday. Photo: Eugene Hoshiko/AP “We will do whatever it takes to accomplish the project so that the people can get vaccinated and return to their ordinary daily lives as soon as possible,” he said. At the two centers, staffed by about 280 military medical staff and 200 civilian nurses, the aim is to inoculate up to 10,000 people per day in Tokyo and 5,000 per day in Osaka for the next three months. In hardest-hit Osaka, where hospitals are overflowing, with tens of thousands of people becoming sicker or even dying at home, dozens began lining up before the inoculation centre opened early Monday. In Tokyo, some vaccine recipients said they took taxis or shuttle buses to get to the center to avoid packed commuter trains. People inoculated at the two centres were the first in Japan to receive doses from Moderna Inc,
one of two foreign-developed vaccines Japan approved on Friday. Previously, Japan had used only Pfizer Inc, and only about two percent of the population of 126 million has received the required two doses. Japan began vaccinating health care workers in mid-February after delays resulting from its decision to require additional vaccine clinical testing inside Japan — a decision many experts said was medically meaningless and only slowed the inoculation process. Vaccinations for the next group — the elderly, who are more likely to suffer serious COVID-19 effects — started in mid-April but have been slowed by reservation procedures, unclear distribution plans and shortages of medical staff to give shots. The completion of Japanese-developed vaccines is still
uncertain, but government officials hope the approvals on Friday of Moderna and AstraZeneca will accelerate inoculations. “Speeding up the rollout makes us feel safer because it affects our social life and the economy,” said Munemitsu Watanabe, a 71-yearold office worker who got his first shot at the Tokyo centre. “If 80-90 percent of the population gets vaccinated, I think we can hold the Olympics smoothly.” That goal seems impossible to meet. Those currently eligible are 65 years or older, and some officials say it may take until next March before younger people are fully vaccinated. Japan also has a dire shortage of medical staff who can give shots since only doctors and nurses can legally do so — and they are already busy treating COVID-19 patients. Under pressure, Suga’s government has allowed dentists and retired nurses to perform inoculations, and on Monday asked for pharmacists’ help. Suga said he is also considering adding paramedics and clinical laboratory technicians to create a pool of “several tens of thousands” of medical personnel. There are worries, however, that loosening the criteria may increase vaccine hesitancy in the public. Also Monday, Tokyo’s downtown Sumida district organised a one-time inoculation event at the Kokugikan sumo arena, a venue for Olympic boxing, to attract elderly people with a lottery to win sumothemed souvenirs. Several other local governments, including Aichi in central Japan and Gunma near Tokyo and Miyagi in the north, also were to open their own large vaccination centres on Monday.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, May 25, 2021, PAGE 15
Atlético look good - doubts surrounding Barcelona and Madrid
CELEBRATIONS for Atletico Madrid as they clinch the league title ahead of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer BESIDES winning the Spanish league title for the first time in seven years, Atlético Madrid also left rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona with plenty of questions to answer. Atlético, led by striker Luis Suárez and coach Diego Simeone, won its 11th league title and ended another period of domination by Madrid and Barcelona even though both challengers had chances to take the lead in the final weeks of the season. Atlético needed come-from-behind victories in its last two matches to outlast Madrid and win the league trophy for the first time since 2014. Sevilla also was in the title chase at one point in a season in which it broke the club record for most points ever with 77. Real Sociedad, Real Betis and Villarreal
BARCELONA’s Lionel Messi. finished the season celebrating European spots. The three relegated teams were Eibar, Huesca and Valladolid. Here’s how the top teams fared and what’s ahead for them next season: ATLÉTICO MADRID Atlético’s season culminated with only its third league title in the last 25
years, and there are signs the club will keep challenging Madrid and Barcelona at the top. The team led the league for most of the season but endured some tense final matches after blowing a big advantage. Atlético was able to clinch the title thanks to two winning goals by Suárez, who was key all season after being let go by Barcelona against his wishes. Atlético’s setbacks came when it was eliminated by third-division club Cornella in the second round of the Copa del Rey, and when it lost to Chelsea in the round of 16 of the Champions League. Atlético is the team with fewest doubts going forward as it already went through a revamping process a couple of seasons ago. Simeone is set to return for the final year of his contract and his squad will remain mostly the
same, led by Suárez, Koke Resurrección, Jan Oblak, Marcos Llorente and João Félix. “We have to stay on this same path,” Atlético president Enrique Cerezo said. “Atlético won’t look a lot different next season.” BARCELONA There’s plenty of uncertainty regarding Barcelona’s future, as it’s still unclear if Lionel Messi will return and if coach Ronald Koeman will remain in charge. Messi had his request to leave the club denied last season and he has yet to say whether he will return after his contract ends in June. Koeman has been under fire and could lose his job for how Barcelona finished the season, squandering a few good chances to take the league lead and needing a last-match victory just to finish in third place. Its only title this season came
in the Copa del Rey. The team was eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16 of the Champions League. There have been widespread talks about former player Xavi Hernández taking over for Koeman next season. The club has been struggling financially because of the coronavirus pandemic and may not be able to boost its squad, although there are rumors about the possible arrival of Memphis Depay. Club president Joan Laporta said a cycle has ended. “We are entering a process of renovation,” he said last week. REAL MADRID There are also doubts surrounding Madrid, which finished without a title for the first time in more than a decade. It ended the league two points behind Atlético
while trying to repeat as champion for the first time since 2007-08. Like Barcelona, Madrid also got off to a slow start and then failed to capitalize on its chances to take the lead. The team was plagued by injuries to key players such as Eden Hazard, Sergio Ramos and Dani Carvajal. Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane hasn’t said if he’s coming back next season, with Spanish media saying he has already made up his mind about leaving. Ramos may be on his way out as well as contract negotiations with the club reportedly have not advanced. It’s unclear if Gareth Bale will return after his stint on loan with Tottenham. Fans have been calling for a blockbuster signing to boost the team, but Madrid has also struggled financially because of the pandemic.
LIVERPOOL AND CHELSEA QUALIFY FOR CHAMPIONS LEAGUE By ROB HARRIS AP Global Soccer Writer
EVEN though the Premier League finale produced oscillating fortunes in the chase for the Champions League, a chaotic season ended fairly predictably on Sunday. Liverpool and Chelsea squeezed out Leicester to secure top-four finishes that seemed out of reach at times in a pandemiccompressed season that stretched squads to the limit. Chelsea could even afford to lose 2-1 at Aston Villa and still take fourth after Leicester was beaten 4-2 by Tottenham. “There are no celebrations now around the dressing room,” Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel said. “It’s a big relief.” Jumping into third was a triumph reflecting Liverpool’s readjusted targets in a season of struggles and injuries after surrendering the trophy to Manchester City, while Manchester United was runner-up.
LIVERPOOL’S SADIO MANE, right, celebrates scoring his side’s second goal against Crystal Palace at Anfield on Sunday. Photo: Paul Ellis/AP “From nowhere to the Champions League in five weeks — that’s a massive achievement,” Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp said after Sadio Mane’s goals clinched a 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace. “I’m really happy for the Champions League they don’t have to play without us.” That sentiment wasn’t evident a month ago when Liverpool and the rest of the eventual top-four finishers were part of a hastily
abandoned bid to split from the UEFA competition to launch a breakaway Super League. Of the two other English rebels who tried to kill off the Champions League, Arsenal missed out on qualifying for Europe completely with a second successive eighthplace finish despite beating Brighton 2-0 and Tottenham will have to settle with contesting the new thirdtier Europa Conference
League after taking seventh. It was just the type of wild climax to a domestic season that would have ended with a Super League locking in permanent places for 15 clubs, including the six from England, without the need for annual qualification. Leicester, which wasn’t invited to join the breakaway, spent more days in the top four than any other team before dropping out after losing to Chelsea in the penultimate round. Ultimately those 242 days counted for nothing after surrendering the lead to Tottenham when a victory would have dislodged Chelsea. “We are lucky Tottenham did the job for us,” Tuchel said. It was an agonizing conclusion for Leicester, which also missed out on breaking up the established elite last season on the final day. At least Europa League-bound Leicester got to parade a trophy on the pitch after winning its first FA Cup last weekend.
CITY CELEBRATES The day’s biggest celebrations were in Manchester where City received the Premier League trophy for the fifth time in 10 seasons after signing off in style with a 5-0 win over Everton. The title was won by a 12-point margin that seemed unthinkable in December when Pep Guardiola’s side fell five points from the top. A treble will be completed on Saturday if City beats Chelsea in the Champions League final. Fittingly, Sergio Agüero scored twice as a substitute after the striker came off the bench for his farewell at the Etihad Stadium after netting the goal that clinched the first of those titles in 2012. The Argentine’s sendoff came in front of the first crowd allowed into the stadium since the start of the pandemic in March 2020 as 10,000 were welcomed back. FUTURES UNRESOLVED Harry Kane netted his
23rd goal of the season in Tottenham’s win at Leicester to finish as the league’s top scorer, one ahead of Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah. It could be his last goal for Tottenham. Winning the Premier League Golden Boot for a third time — on top of a leagueleading 14 assists — leaves Kane ruing them failing to deliver a first team trophy in his career. The offseason will feature a European Championship beginning next month for the England captain and the 27-year-old striker pushing for a transfer from the club where he has spent his entire career. Joining Leicester in the Europa League will be West Ham, which had been in contention for a top-four finish until recently. Still, the 3-0 victory over Southampton sealed sixth for the east London club’s highest finish since 1999. “Get your vaccines, get your passports, we’re going to Europe,” West Ham manager David Moyes told the crowd.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, May 25, 2021, PAGE 13
How to lower your risk of prostate cancer
THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported that 200 Bahamian men were diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2019, and that number is likely underestimated, as several Bahamians seek prostate cancer screening and treatment abroad and they are often not captured in local statistics. WHO data showed that 249 men died of cancer in the Bahamas in 2018 and 80 of those men died of prostate cancer. Bahamian men in general have many of the high-risk factors for prostate cancer, including being predominantly of African ancestry and having a high rate of obesity, which places them at a higher risk of developing high grade prostate cancer. There is a highly suspected genetic predisposition for men of African ancestry to develop a more aggressive form of prostate cancer and to have prostate cancer six to seven years earlier than their other male racial counterparts. There is a recognised increased risk association between the gene mutations for the BRCA 1 and 2 genes, particularly in the case of BRCA2 gene mutation. Studies in the Bahamas related to women with BRCA mutations have shown a relatively high incidence in The Bahamas. One in six Bahamian men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime. The occurrence of prostate cancer does not need to be inevitable, as there are several life style changes, behavioral modifications, dietary changes and medications that reduce the likelihood of developing prostate cancer.
Finasteride can safely lower prostate cancer risk According to the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT), Finasteride, a five alpha reductase inhibitor medication, can safely lower the chances of developing low risk prostate cancer. The PCPT enrolled about 19,000 men between 1993 and 1997. In 2003, trial results were published that concluded that Finasteride reduced the incidence of low-risk prostate cancer by about 25 percent but slightly increased the risk of developing high-risk prostate cancer. However, newly released trial results have continued to show the effectiveness of Finasteride reducing the chances of low-risk prostate cancer, with less than 100 men in the trial dying of prostate cancer. Most importantly, newly released trial data has shown that there is no statistically relevant increased risk of developing higher risk prostate cancer with taking Finasteride. Finasteride is also known as Proscar, or in a lower dose it is marketed as Propecia, a
male pattern balding blocking drug. Finasteride and Dutasteride are widely prescribed to potentially reduce the size of obstructive prostates that often lead to numerous urinary issues, such as a weak stream, frequent urination and incomplete bladder emptying. Bahamian men and men worldwide can safely take Finasteride or Dutasteride and effectively reduce the chance of lower risk prostate cancer by approximately 25 percent. Finasteride (Proscar) and Dutasteride (Avodart ) artificially reduce the prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood value by half. After taking one of these medications for a minimum of five months, a PSA value for example of 2.5 ng/ml is in reality 5.0 ng/ml. Prostate cancer screening using PSA values must take into account Finasteride and Dutasteride in calculating the true PSA value, otherwise many early prostate cancers could potentially be missed.
tea, ginger and oregano, reduced prostate cancer cell growth in their laboratories by 78 percent. The herbal mix is sold as Zyflamend and it is believed to inhibit the activity of COX-2, a protein linked to prostate cancer progression. Future studies are needed regarding these promising findings.
Twenty-one ejaculates per month An Australian study involving 2,338 men showed that men who ejaculated five or more times a week, had a thirty four percent 34 percent less likelihood of developing prostate cancer by the age of seventy years old. Self-love or with a partner, the act of ejaculating can lower your prostate cancer risk.
High blood pressure medication Researchers at the Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City found that the high blood pressure medication Atenolol reduced the risk of intermediate and high-grade prostate cancer by nearly half. These results were recently presented at the 2019 American Urological Association annual meeting. Atenolol is a beta blocker antihypertensive medication that blocks the effects of the hormone adrenaline, so that the heart beats slower and with less strength and it relaxes blood vessels and improves blood flow. Other beta blocker medications such as Metoprolol/Lopressor and Carvedilol/Coreg did not provide the same reduction in prostate cancer as Atenolol. The results of this study appear promising, but it is too early to categorically promote the use of Atenolol as a prostate cancer risk reducing medication.
Spice up your diet New York researchers at the Center for Holistic Urology at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center recently determined that a herb blend of rosemary, green
Use a condom There is a recognised higher risk between having gonorrhea and human papillomavirus-16 and developing prostate cancer.
Diet and lifestyle modifications There are several dietary tips related to reducing the risk of developing prostate cancer but the evidence is weak. There is a weak correlation between a high intake of protein from dairy products and the risk of prostate cancer, according to the European Association of Urology (EAU), but the EAU provides no specific preventative or dietary advice to reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer. Also, according to the EAU, cigarette smoking was associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. Bahamian men must have a healthy balanced diet with routine exercise at least three times a week. Obesity is a risk factor for high grade prostate cancer. Prostate cancer screening for Bahamian men starting at the age 40 is imperative as early prostate cancer diagnosis can lead to 99 percent survival rate at five years and 97 to 98 percent survival at ten years. Seek confidential, compassionate and comprehensive prostate cancer screening and management. • Dr Greggory Pinto is a boardcertified Bahamian urologist and laparoscopic surgeon. He has trained in Germany, South Africa and France, and is a member of the European Association of Urology. He can be contacted at OakTree Medical Center, #2 Fifth Terrace & Mount Royal Avenue. Telephone: (242) 322-1145 (6) (7); e-mail: welcome@urologycarebahamas.com, or visit the website:www.urologycarebahamas.com.
Mourning rituals in the COVID era - the psychological impact By NICORA STUBBSYOUNG, PhD Bahamas Psychological Association MOURNING rituals are ubiquitous across cultures. In The Bahamas, the death of a loved one usually results in an elaborate multi-faceted community affair. This celebration of loved ones forms a major part of our cultural expression. Given the current COVID-19 pandemic, governing bodies across the globe have issued orders concerning public gatherings, including funerals, to manage the spread of this vicious virus. The Bahamas is no different. While there have been fluctuations in the restriction guidelines, funeral services have been reduced to ten persons in attendance, at the very least. Compliance with government directives has been the major focus, and hence the impact of restrictions on mental health has not been fully addressed. This discourse summarises key aspects of coping that have been reduced or completely diminished, and the psychological impact on mourners. The loss of a loved one is irreversible, and the consequences of that loss alone can be devastating. While grief is a normal response to death, COVID-19 and subsequent restrictions surrounding funerals and burials have further complicated the grieving process for many. The exaggerated grief associated with the pandemic can inhibit an individual’s ability to function in everyday activities ranging from personal care to work commitments and therefore
impact one’s psychological well-being. Gradually, this can result in the onset of mental illnesses including depression, anxiety, panic disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder. As many have become accustomed to gatherings in various forms, a commitment to protecting oneself and one’s family during the pandemic can mean an isolating experience for the bereaved, becoming even more traumatic where immediate family members are few. For example, an only child remaining after the death of a parent or an elderly husband who is now widowed with no children or grandchildren in the home. The presence of others during grief brings a sense of support; a physical touch on the shoulders or an embrace can offer far more consolation than words. And, while immediate family members can provide solace for each other, the absence of extended family and friends can create an experience of loneliness. This physical expression of comfort is equally important for those extending it, as it affirms their ability to offer support during a difficult time. Failure to show such care can cause wellmeaning individuals to feel useless and helpless. One important aspect of cultural expression for Bahamians is singing. Singing at the wake, ‘setting up’, funeral, or graveside service, brings encouragement and restores joy. Many find comfort being sung to or singing along with others. This custom has waned due to COVID-19. Bahamians are thus restricted in this regard, which can
lead to internalisation of emotions. Food also plays a critical role in offering comfort during grief. Acts of bringing or serving food to those mourning are universal. In The Bahamas, this is no less true as food has become a source of therapy during the most difficult circumstances. Often coupled with fellowship, eating alongside the bereaved usually demonstrate love and concern. Additionally, food usually loses its appeal for the bereaved, and thus partaking with company is beneficial for nourishment. The presence of COVID-19 has resulted in decreased contact between persons of different households and subsequently, fellowshipping with food has been limited, if not completely extinguished. Preparation for funerals can be a tedious and very involved task. COVID-19 has added a new dimension to funeral planning as family members are forced to eliminate attendees due to the number requirements for services. This is a painstaking process. It can be difficult deciding who is eligible to attend and by what criteria. What about large families? For instance, the death of a mother with twelve living children – Who decides which child is fit to be included among the ten attendees? This is quite unfair and has far-reaching emotional consequences for all involved. Family reunions often occur during funerals in The Bahamas. Relatives from near and far use this opportunity to re-connect. Travel restraints serve as an immediate barrier but worse than this is the fact
that close relatives who reside overseas may not be included on the final list of attendees. Furthermore, the deceased’s impact may have extended beyond the family and there may be close co-workers and friends who are also automatically excluded. This is nothing short of gutwrenching and can stir up any number of emotions including disappointment, embarrassment, hurt, and sadness. Live streaming of services has become the alternative; however, it remains inadequate. Some families are marginalised as they are unable to afford this option. The bereaved and wellwishers alike anticipate the repast. This occasion not only provides an opportunity to eat and fellowship but is also critical in helping loved ones transition or move on with life. With this culminating event taken away, it can delay the return to life as usual or present further challenges. Those in mourning usually benefit from this extra support at the repast. As individuals grapple with COVID fatigue they can become nonchalant and irrational in their behaviour. This is true for the bereaved as well as those offering support. Grieving individuals, for example, are usually not readily aware of their behaviour at funerals. The closing of the coffin at the funeral or the lowering of the same into the ground at the graveyard, are pinnacle events that can elicit emotional expressions such as crying, shouting, and uncontrollable movement. Therefore, little to no discipline is exercised concerning COVID-19,
and employing precautionary measures is the last thing on the minds of the bereaved. Therefore, it is quite easy to infect others or become infected with COVID-19. Funerals are known to be super-spreader events that eventually lead to panic and fear among funeral and graveside service attendees as they await their COVID-19 status. The Kubler-Ross Grief Model (2005) postulates five stages that can naturally occur within the grief cycle; one of which is anger. However, further infuriation can ensue due to COVID-19 restrictions and is usually directed to the systems in place to maintain law and order. Mismanagement of anger can negatively affect one’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviours and manifests in various forms including non-compliance with COVID-19 protocols, acting out at home or
school, involvement in physical fights, and engaging in criminal activity. wNo doubt, Bahamian households have become well-acquainted with death, particularly during the COVID-19 crisis. This pandemic presents an unfortunate situation, and awareness of the psychological consequences of COVID-19 restrictions concerning funeralising loved ones is the first step toward managing the impact. If you or a loved one has experienced loss and find it difficult to resume normal activities especially after a prolonged period, contact the Bahamas Psychological Association’s support lines: 816-3799, 812-0576, 815-5850, and 819-7652. As we conclude our activities surrounding Mental Health Awareness Month this May, the BPA reminds the public that mental health matters and is equally as important as physical health.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, May 25, 2021, PAGE 15
Girl bosses set to spill the tea from page 16
the team have established connections to between female entrepreneurs and support one another by sharing flyers, making purchases, giving out referrals and taking part in other outreach activities. The members recently held what they called “GBE Feeds”, an event held at the Macedonia Baptist Church in Fox Hill which helped feed 150 to 200 people free of charge. “This organisation is about helping each other and the general public at large. There is a common
misconception that a group of women together will not get along or will not operate smoothly, and that is false. We want to make it known in society today, as women, we are not who the world showcases us as. Instead, we are what we make ourselves to be. It is vital that we show our nation that a group of women can empower one another, strengthen one another, and most certainly support one another,” said the GBE members. They explained that theme of the tea party was inspired by the phrase “Girl, what’s the tea?” that is often used to get the
THE FIRST GBE Feeds Initiative event.
latest news and gossip. “We thought what better way to bring about conversations about empowering women and learning the key ways to make, save and invest money. Hence the name, ‘Spill the Tea’,” said the GBE members. “We would like each person to take home as much information as possible to better themselves and their businesses. Whether it is key points from the speakers’ messages or simply the social and networking part of the event. Our main goal is for each attendee to step out with more knowledge than what they came with.
THE WEATHER REPORT
5-Day Forecast
TODAY
ORLANDO
High: 91° F/33° C Low: 67° F/19° C
TAMPA
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
Breezy in the morning; sunlit, nice
Patchy clouds
Partly sunny
Nice with abundant sunshine
Mostly sunny and pleasant
Mostly sunny, a shower in the p.m.
High: 83°
Low: 74°
High: 84° Low: 74°
High: 84° Low: 74°
High: 84° Low: 74°
High: 85° Low: 75°
AccuWeather RealFeel
AccuWeather RealFeel
AccuWeather RealFeel
AccuWeather RealFeel
AccuWeather RealFeel
AccuWeather RealFeel
88° F
72° F
88°-75° F
91°-75° F
93°-76° F
94°-78° F
The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.
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High: 80° F/27° C Low: 74° F/23° C
7-14 knots
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High: 87° F/31° C Low: 75° F/24° C
6-12 knots
FT. LAUDERDALE
FREEPORT
High: 85° F/29° C Low: 75° F/24° C
E
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E
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WEST PALM BEACH
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| Go to AccuWeather.com
TONIGHT
High: 92° F/33° C Low: 73° F/23° C
High: 83° F/28° C Low: 70° F/21° C
MIAMI
High: 86° F/30° C Low: 75° F/24° C
6-12 knots
KEY WEST
High: 83° F/28° C Low: 77° F/25° C
ELEUTHERA
NASSAU
High: 83° F/28° C Low: 74° F/23° C
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2021
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The higher the AccuWeather UV IndexTM number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.
tiDes For nassau High Today
Ht.(ft.)
Low
Ht.(ft.)
7:18 a.m. 7:52 p.m.
2.8 3.6
1:26 a.m. -0.5 1:28 p.m. -0.9
Wednesday 8:11 a.m. 8:44 p.m.
2.7 3.7
2:21 a.m. -0.6 2:19 p.m. -0.9
Thursday
9:05 a.m. 9:37 p.m.
2.7 3.6
3:15 a.m. -0.7 3:11 p.m. -0.9
Friday
9:59 a.m. 10:30 p.m.
2.6 3.5
4:09 a.m. -0.6 4:04 p.m. -0.7
Saturday
10:55 a.m. 11:25 p.m.
2.5 3.3
5:03 a.m. -0.5 4:59 p.m. -0.5
Sunday
11:53 a.m. -----
2.5 -----
5:59 a.m. -0.3 5:57 p.m. -0.2
Monday
12:22 a.m. 12:54 p.m.
3.1 2.4
6:56 a.m. -0.1 6:58 p.m. 0.1
sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset
6:22 a.m. 7:52 p.m.
Moonrise Moonset
7:16 p.m. 5:36 a.m.
Full
Last
New
First
May 26
Jun. 2
Jun. 10
Jun. 17
CAT ISLAND
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High: 81° F/27° C Low: 73° F/23° C
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7-14 knots
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8-16 knots Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 81° F/27° C Low .................................................... 66° F/19° C Normal high ....................................... 85° F/29° C Normal low ........................................ 72° F/22° C Last year’s high ................................. 86° F/30° C Last year’s low ................................... 71° F/22° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.00” Year to date ................................................. 3.46” Normal year to date ..................................... 7.95”
High: 81° F/27° C Low: 74° F/23° C
We are looking forward to the speakers sharing their knowledge. This entire event is to embark knowledge and ensure that women entrepreneurs are well equipped to tackle their respective fields. We are also looking forward to seeing women safely network by following protocols which can ultimately expand their businesses or help them with the necessary information to begin their business.” The GBE group said it is also planning several other future events, including beach clean-ups, back-toschool giveaways, a second ‘GBE Feeds’, outreaches, seminars and more.
ANDROS
SAN SALVADOR
GREAT EXUMA
High: 81° F/27° C Low: 73° F/23° C
High: 82° F/28° C Low: 75° F/24° C
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High: 83° F/28° C Low: 74° F/23° C
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LONG ISLAND
tracking map
High: 83° F/28° C Low: 75° F/24° C
8-16 knots
MAYAGUANA High: 83° F/28° C Low: 77° F/25° C
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 82° F/28° C Low: 76° F/24° C
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GREAT INAGUA High: 85° F/29° C Low: 77° F/25° C
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High: 83° F/28° C Low: 75° F/24° C
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10-20 knots
10-20 knots
marine Forecast ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR
Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday:
WINDS E at 6-12 Knots ENE at 6-12 Knots E at 7-14 Knots E at 7-14 Knots ENE at 8-16 Knots ENE at 7-14 Knots ENE at 10-20 Knots ENE at 8-16 Knots ENE at 7-14 Knots ENE at 7-14 Knots E at 7-14 Knots E at 6-12 Knots NE at 8-16 Knots ENE at 8-16 Knots NE at 10-20 Knots ENE at 10-20 Knots ENE at 8-16 Knots ENE at 8-16 Knots ENE at 8-16 Knots ENE at 8-16 Knots E at 7-14 Knots E at 7-14 Knots NE at 10-20 Knots ENE at 8-16 Knots NE at 8-16 Knots ENE at 7-14 Knots
WAVES 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 3-5 Feet 2-4 Feet 3-6 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-5 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 3-5 Feet 2-4 Feet 3-5 Feet 2-4 Feet 4-7 Feet 3-6 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-5 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet
VISIBILITY 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles
WATER TEMPS. 78° F 78° F 80° F 80° F 79° F 79° F 81° F 81° F 79° F 79° F 80° F 81° F 80° F 80° F 81° F 81° F 80° F 80° F 80° F 80° F 79° F 79° F 80° F 80° F 79° F 79° F
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TUESDAY, MAY 25, 2021
Are you a lady in waiting?
MINISER ALEACHA MILLER, author of Woman in the Wait, and below, pictured with her husband, Apostle Kelson Henry Miller.
By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net THERE are many single women in church anxiously waiting to meet their “godly husband” – a man who catches their eye, tickles their senses and is especially meant for them by God. They have prayed many nights and been prophesied to concerning his expected arrival. In the interim, they have been self-aware and diligent when it comes to working on their internal flaws. They have also talked to married women to learn what it takes to master the role of wife, a role they hope to soon step into. But in spite of their best efforts, faithfulness in prayer and service, these Christian singles cannot override or accelerate what the Bible calls “the appointed time” for destiny to be fulfilled. And for many of these women this is where the frustration, anxiety and impatience associated with long periods of waiting surfaces – God, it seems, is taking too long to make good on his promise of a suitable mate. Many of these women have quizzed Minister Aleacha Miller, co-pastor of Born-Again Deliverance Ministries, on how to get through the waiting period in their lives. Having first-hand experience in this area, and waiting on God in other areas of her life, Minister Miller decided to release a new book, “Woman in the Wait”, to help her fellow women make the most of their lives while they wait for the promises by God to manifest. In the book, Minister Miller details how, after escaping from occult influences, God made her many promises, including giving her a godly husband. She also went through many challenges in her life, during which she at times doubted these promises, because they never seemed to come to pass. However, she remained steadfast and waited on God, and finally the promises were fulfilled. “My inspiration came from being a woman in ministry who knows what it is to have waited for a long time for some of the promises of God to be fulfilled in my life, including believing God (would provide) for a godly husband,” she told Tribune Woman. “Now, being married and having so many single women in my ministry that come to me for advice as it relates to waiting on God, also from me waiting on many promises of my own from God, some of which I thought would never come to pass because of how long they were taking... (I decided to share my story).” Like so many others, she said, she also found herself thinking God had forgotten her. “I understand now that my wait was not for me, but it was to help someone else to know that whatever they are waiting for to not give up in the wait because God can and will manifest it,” she said. When she threw off the occult beliefs that governed her in her younger years, one of the first promises she said God made to her was that of a godly spouse. This man would be the spiritual leader of their family. “After being single for more than eight and a half years, I prayed and told God what I wanted. I was not afraid to ask because I was faithful and everything I had asked lined up with His word. God told me he would send me a godly husband. Someone who loved God more than he would love me first of all, and if he came with that, I knew it was going to be someone who wouldn’t want me to compromise my walk with God but who was willing to wait for marriage for sex, as I had waited on God all these years. I watched God bring me all that I had asked for, prayed for, waited for in the man that is now my husband. Apostle Kelson Henry Miller,” she told Tribune Woman. Minister Miller said many women lose hope and grow impatient when their desires seem like they will not be fulfilled.
“People lose hope because they fail to continue to wait, they lose faith in the wait. They feel as though what they are waiting on will never come to pass. It almost seems impossible, so they become weary and compromise or give up. Some question God if it was Him who spoke to them in the first place or was it their own desires or their mind,” she said. And for those who may be losing hope in their season of waiting, Minister Miller hopes her book will be a great source of encouragement to stay strong. “While they are waiting, love God with all their heart, mind and soul, love their neighbour as themselves, work on becoming a better person, and if they are waiting on a husband, become that person they desire. While they are waiting, don’t listen to the noise in the market, don’t allow persons to rush their promises; staying focused is the key. Remember what God told you. Not everyone will believe in your promise, but believe in God and His words and know that he will not fail or let you down. And when God delivers, celebrate and remember not everyone will be happy for you, so practice celebrating your own victories,” she said.
Girl bosses set to spill the tea By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Reporter acadet@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMIAN girl bosses will be “spilling the tea”, giving women the scoop on all they need to know about finance, branding, customer service and more during a special tea party next Sunday. The May 30 event, “Women and Money”, will be the inaugural edition of “Spill the Tea” party for the
SPEAKERS Chantel O’Brian and Latoya Flowers. new Girl Boss Empowerment organisation. It will feature as speakers entrepreneurs and community
leaders like Chantel O’Brian, C Allyssa, Enise Dalisma and Latoya Flowers, who will share tips and
tricks on how to run a successful business venture. As guests enjoy a threecourse meal, not to mention a variety of teas, important topics like marketing, business etiquette and how to tap into talent will be discussed. “The Girl Boss Empowerment organisation is fairly new. What started as a WhatsApp business group in September 2020 with intent to serve as a marketplace to limit
‘It is vital that we show our nation that a group of women can empower one another, strengthen one another, and most certainly support one another.’
out-sourcing and supporting one another, has now evolved today into a
mind-blowing organisation strongly built on the belief and the act of empowering like-minded females in business and in life,” said members of the group’s administrative team. “This organisation is... a sisterhood. From the outside you can see us uplifting, motiving, supporting and building each other.” Using the platforms WhatsApp and Facebook, SEE PAGE 15