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VOLUME:117 No.153, JULY 6TH, 2020

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SPORT: GARDINER SMASHES BROWN’S NAT RECORD

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SMOKESCREEN Companies accused of exploiting COVID to target specific staff By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net LABOUR Director John Pinder said while he believes most companies have had to lay off workers due to decreased business from the COVID-19 pandemic, he thinks there are some who have been using the pandemic as an excuse to get rid of certain employees. “I think there are one or two cases where there may have been employees who were terminated based on the fact that ‘I can right size now or downsize or get rid of persons I didn’t want during this time’,” he told The Tribune yesterday. “And again, they have to comply with the Employment Act as it relates to severance pay where they have separation packages.

I believe that is happening in one or two areas but for the most part, I have to say because of local business, employers are forced to make some decisions.” Mr Pinder said this is why he encourages Bahamian workers to put their best foot forward every day. “I try to encourage Bahamian workers to do the best you can to make it very difficult for an employer to make that decision on you,” he said. “We live in a global village now so we have to make sure that we’re producing at the highest expectation possible.” His comments come as mega resorts and other tourism businesses continue their process of terminating workers given the economic fall-out brought on by the pandemic.

DOCTORS Hospital has revealed the termination of 43 workers after aggressive cost-cutting measures proved insufficient to offset “diminished patient activity”. The healthcare provider warned it was “navigating some very blunt fiscal realities” created by the COVID-19 pandemic as it confirmed the 8 percent reduction of its 535-strong

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

AID SALES UP 20% BUT DROP-OFF IMMINENT

SEE PAGE THREE

full-time workforce. The job cuts come despite Doctors Hospital reducing non-patient care operating expenses by “as much as 46 percent”, and the voluntary 25 percent salary reduction taken by senior management, as it seeks to adjust to the post-COVID-19 reality. “We are delicately navigating some very blunt fiscal realities brought on by COVID19,” said Dennis Deveaux, Doctors Hospital’s chief financial officer, in a statement.

FIDELITY’S WARNING ON VISITS TO THE US

BAHAMIAN workers were yesterday warned they could find themselves taking unpaid leave if they fail to make “wise” vacation decisions amid the COVID-19 threat. Gowon Bowe, Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) chief financial officer, said the bank’s employees will, in the first instance, be treated as having taken additional vacation should they have to undergo a 14-day quarantine upon their return. And, should they have insufficient vacation time to cover this period or it be exhausted, he explained that it will be treated as “unpaid leave” - meaning the employee will suffer a reduction in their takehome pay and earnings.

DOCTORS HOSPITAL CUTS BACK 43 JOBS By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

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THE RBDF is still searching for a woman missing from an American vessel which was badly damaged after it ran aground near South Bimini. The incident last week left one man dead and two others injured. Full report - Page 7

MEXICAN HIRINGS ‘A SLAP IN THE FACE’ By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

IMMIGRATION Minister Elsworth Johnson has defended the government’s decision to grant over 100 work permits to Mexican construction workers who entered the country last week to work at the Baker’s Bay Golf & Ocean Club resort in Abaco. Their arrival comes at a time when thousands

MINISTER: Elsworth Johnson of Bahamian workers are being laid off due to the economic uncertainty brought on by the COVID-19 crisis.

Branding the move as “a slap in the face” to qualified Bahamians who are in need of jobs, Abaco resident Cay Mills said many on the storm-impacted island are “highly” upset about the situation. “Everybody is so upset about it here,” he told The Tribune yesterday. “The question is, could it have happened in Mexico? Would they have accepted Bahamians?” SEE PAGE THREE

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A MAJOR Bahamian retailer says its 20 percent “better than normal” sales performance has given it sufficient optimism to move ahead with an $8.2m investment. However Jason Watson, Automotive Industrial Distributors (AID) president, told Tribune Business that plans for constructing new stores at the company’s Blue Hill Road location and in Abaco could “change very quickly” amid expectations that current business volumes could drop-off as early as this month. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

INSIGHT Childhood traumas which lead to violence SEE PAGE TEN

PAGE 2, Monday, July 6, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Bodybuilder Kingsley Poitier is laid to rest By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net KINGSLEY Poitier, the man who brought international acclaim to The Bahamas by winning the Mr World bodybuilding title over 50 years ago, was laid to rest on Saturday in Woodlawn Gardens. His funeral service was held inside the Bahamas Communications Public Officers Union (BCPOU) Hall on Farrington Road. It was conducted by Brother Kenric Dean and the Discourse was done by Brother Carlton Wilkinson, both of the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah Witnesses.

It was a private ceremony for about 50 family members and close friends, as directed by the Bahamas government in the reopening of the economy from the coronavirus and the social distancing protocol. Mr Poitier, who died on April 19 at the age of 82, left behind to mourn his wife of 50 years of marriage, Eloise and their six children, nine grandchildren and one great grandchild. Following in the footsteps of his father, Ezekiel as they commuted back and forth between the United States and The Bahamas for the international exposure, Poitier went on to become Mr Body Beautiful in 1961, Mr

Universe Most Muscular Man in 1962, World Most Muscular Man in 1964 and Mr. Universe in 1965 in Montreal, Canada. His childhood friend from Grants Town, Dr. Robin Roberts wrote in the obituary that one cannot appreciate the magnitude of the personal victories for Poitier, a self-taught professional bodybuilder. “There were no sports scholarships at the time,” Dr Roberts said. “Many have yet to recognize the skill, discipline, determination, physical and mental training and preparation to excel as a bodybuilder to master the best form of God’s creation.”

Dr Roberts, who knew Mr Poitier for more than 60 years and served as his personal physician, said he was disappointed that persons didn’t know who this Bahamian icon was and that in his death, Mr Poitier still remained an unsung hero. However, Bahamas Bodybuilding Federation’s National coach Raymond Tucker said despite what didn’t happen, they will always cherish the legacy that Poitier left behind. “I got to know about Kingsley in 1983 when I started bodybuilding when I was hanging out with Paul Wong, Tony Mortimer and Tony Carroll,” said Mr Tucker, one of the

KINGSLEY POITIER, the man who won the Mr World bodybuilding title over 50 years ago, was laid to rest on Saturday in Woodlawn Gardens. Bahamas’ former premier bodybuilders. “I used to hang around the gym and I had the pleasure of hearing about Kingsley. I didn’t get to see him until around 1984 when I started working at BPL. That was when I had the distinct pleasure of not only meeting, but also working with Mr World at the company.” As a youngster trying to make a name for himself in the sport, Mr Tucker said he tried to absorb as much knowledge that he could from him. As a result of being around him, Mr Tucker said he was even more inspired to achieve some of those lofty goals that Mr Poitier achieved.

“Just knowing him and what he did for the country is mind blowing,” Mr Tucker said. “And even though he was elected to the Hall of Fame, I think the country could have done a bit more for him. “It’s amazing that for what he has achieved, he wasn’t recognised as he should have been.” In the absence of federation president Joel Stubbs and the executives, Mr Tucker expressed his condolences to the Poitier family for his contribution to the growth and development of the country. He hopes that the legacy of Mr Poitier will live on in the BBF.

Commission to begin work again shortly By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net ALTHOUGH the work of the Bahamas National Commission on Marijuana was placed on hold for more than three months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, group co-chairs Bishop Simeon Hall and Quinn McCartney yesterday said the commission plans to reconvene in short order. In an interview with The Tribune, Bishop Hall said although the virus has caused the commission to go on “recess,” the group will resume business in a short while. Earlier this year, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis tabled the commission’s report in the House of Assembly, bringing the country one step closer to marijuana reform. However, it is unclear what concrete steps have been taken in recent months to advance marijuana legalisation. “The commission was moved from the Ministry of Health to the Office of the Prime Minister, so that perhaps might add to the fact that the load of priorities does not favour the commission,” he said. “But I understand the commission will resume shortly.” When asked what progress the BNCM had made before the pandemic forced the country to shut down, he added: “If I remember correctly, we had initiated some statistical data from the Department of Statistics.” Mr McCartney added that the commission had “started dialogue” with the department so that it could

assist the commission with preparing a survey. “That would have been a very, very labour intensive exercise,” he told this newspaper. “So perhaps now in light of the COVID restrictions and protocols in terms of social distancing, we may have to look at the way we conduct the survey now. It may be slightly different from what we intended and so these are all things the commission would need to discuss to see how best we can achieve our objectives without putting anybody at risk.” Mr McCartney said that “nothing significant” had happened over the past few months because of the emergency orders put in place amid the pandemic. Still, he said the commission hopes to “reactivate in the coming months.” “We have nothing new to update at this time,” he said. “As you are aware, we submitted our report in January because the prime minister wanted to give his Cabinet a chance to have a look at our preliminary report. But of course in March, COVID-19 happened and we are basically just getting out of that period. “We hope to reactivate and to sort of tie up our work hopefully in the coming months, but again we will need to return to the Office of the Prime Minister that has responsibility for this project and get further directions in terms of which way the prime minister would wish for us to continue.” When asked, Mr McCartney said the BNCM did not have a specific time frame

to have its work completed. “Since we’ve been on pause for the past threeand-a-half months or so we need to reconvene,” he stated. “So I think the intent is to try to get direction from the prime minister in terms of which way he would like to see us go. Then we will get together and have a better idea of the way forward. “The commission won’t meet before the (Independence Day) holiday, but as soon as we would have had an opportunity to reconvene and meet, then we’ll be able to give an indication as to our next steps and what we intend to do.” The BNCM’s report recommends that those prescribed cannabis for medical purposes should have unlimited potential to grow plants to meet their needs. It also proposes that legislation be enacted to protect employees from discrimination or job loss for using cannabis for medical reasons. Still, the BNCM’s most talked about recommendation is that possession of up to one ounce of marijuana be decriminalised for people 21 and over. In recent times, there has been much debate worldwide revolving around the decriminalisation of marijuana. Locally, several people have recently been brought before the courts for simple drug possession. Many of those charged for having small amounts of the drug have been fined hundreds of dollars or ordered to attend drug counselling for up to a year to avoid the offence being placed on their records.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, July 6, 2020, PAGE 3

I am sure we will rise again, says Turnquest By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net AMID current economic uncertainty, Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest has expressed hope that Grand Bahama will move forward again in a positive direction. His comments came at a flag-raising ceremony in Grand Bahama as part of the country’s 47th anniversary of independence. He noted that Grand Bahama has shown its resilience time after time and will rise again, despite these current major crises. “The last couple of years have been rough, but we started to see progress. COVID-19 and Hurricane Dorian have put us all down on our knees again. But just as we did in the past we will rise again, and we will start moving again,” he said. Last September, Grand Bahama was devastated when monster storm Dorian hit the island, causing widespread flooding, destruction, and death. And during its recovery from the hurricane, the coronavirus

pandemic forced economic shutdown, impacting the island’s already beleaguered and struggling economy. The pandemic has also limited the country’s independence celebrations. The flag-raising ceremony held at the Office of the Prime Minister in Freeport will be the island’s only official public celebration this year. However a television programme will air Thursday to mark the occasion. Mr Turnquest stressed Grand Bahama continues to show its resilience. “Grand Bahama has a resilient spirit; we have been tested over and over again, and though we stumble and fall to a knee, we have not succumbed to the pressure, disappointment, and despair. We have raised again and again. And every time we hit a road bump or ‘buck our toe,’ we get up and start moving again, even if only at a snail’s pace,” he said. Mr Turnquest, who is also the Minister of Finance, commended the private sector for its support. “We could not do any of this without your support, encouragement

and your entrepreneurial spirit to believe despite challenges that we can and will overcome the challenge of Dorian, and the compounding challenge of COVID-19.” Minister of State for Grand Bahama Kwasi Thompson said the devastating events that have occurred in Grand Bahama over the last year were unimaginable. “Since we last met in this very spot last year, we could not have imagined what would have taken place in the next few months,” he said. Mr Thompson paid tribute and thanks to essential workers on the frontline. “As we celebrate…we must say thank you to our police, defence officers, doctors and nurses, and immigration and customs officers. All frontline workers, we must pay tribute to you. This is a time to celebrate you and thank you for your service,” he said. He also acknowledged those who served in the emergency operations centre during Hurricane Dorian even when the Harold

PETER Turnquest hopes Grand Bahama will move forward again in a positive direction DeGregory Complex was underwater. Additionally, the minister paid special tribute to the COVID-19 task force in Grand Bahama and New Providence.

“It is no small accomplishment that we in Grand Bahama have gone almost two months without seeing a case and in New Providence, it is also not a small accomplishment we have

gone 18 days without seeing a COVID case. We give God praise there is none presently, in hospital in the Bahamas being treated for COVID-19,” he said on Friday.

Companies accused of exploiting COVID from page one Just last week, Baha Mar laid off hundreds of its workers in a move officials said was necessary to adequately align with projected business levels. This comes after Tribune Business revealed last month the mega resort planned to terminate up to 20 percent of its staff - a figure that corresponded to around 1,100 to 1,200 workers. Asked yesterday if he expects to see more layoffs in the tourism industry in the days ahead, Mr Pinder said he could not give a definitive answer as there is

still much economic uncertainty due to COVID-19. He said: “Well, it’s difficult to say if there would be more because everything right now depends on how quick the economy will open up as it relates to the airports and cruise lines. “Everything is how soon can these people make some money, so everyone is waiting to see what kind of bookings they gone get (and) even if that point, it still will take some couple weeks.” He continued: “But it also depends on how this COVID-19 turns out and whether we keep seeing increased cases and don’t come up with no cure or

remedies to lower the cases. That may be another issue but The Bahamas government, in my view, is prepared to ensure that the necessary steps are taken to prevent persons from coming in with it and to prevent Bahamians from getting it.” Last month, the Minnis administration began a phased re-opening of the travel industry in an effort aid the country’s economic recovery from COVID-19. However, in recent weeks, there have been concerns about a possible resurgence of COVID-19 due to travel resumption. Mr Pinder said Bahamians must learn co-exist

MEXICAN HIRINGS ‘A SLAP IN THE FACE’ from page one

“The problem here is housing and if they could provide housing to (more than 100 Mexicans) or however many they are, shouldn’t they have done the same for Bahamians? And it’s a lot of qualified Bahamians in this country who would’ve love to come and work, especially persons who have been let off from Baha Mar and elsewhere,” Mr Mills said. Photos and videos showing the arrival of the Mexicans in the country were circulated on social media last week, with some locals questioning why the government allowed the resort to bring in foreign workers given the country’s high unemployment rate. Labour officials have previously said the country’s unemployment rate could be as high as 40 percent. Defending the move in a statement on Friday, Mr

Johnson explained after Hurricane Dorian in early September, Baker’s Bay developers had expressed to government officials they wanted to bring in foreign workers to assist with reconstruction efforts at the exclusive resort. He said resort officials had initially applied for as many as 500 work permits, but the government only approved 135 permits based on its mandate to ensure that Bahamians are given top priority for employment opportunities. “All work permit applicants are to facilitate technical works, whose skill sets would also be shared with Bahamian workforce,” Mr Johnson said. “The vision of the developer is to bring the project back to a global standard and it is their goal to have up to 1,400 persons employed with vast majority of whom being Bahamians. Presently, there are 420 Bahamians employed on the project.”

In Friday’s statement, Mr Johnson also confirmed that all Mexicans who arrived in the country had tested negative for COVID-19. This came after top health officials expressed uncertainty about the test status of the workers during a Ministry of Health press conference on Thursday. However, after Thursday’s press conference, The Tribune spoke to Bahamasair Chairman Tommy Turnquest, who assured that workers had produced negative COVID-19 tests from an accredited lab upon arrival. “Every one of the 134 persons from Mexico was in possession of their Ministry of Health travel visa and each presented authorities with a negative COVID-19 tests result,” Mr Johnson added. “The government of The Bahamas remains committed to ensuring that Bahamians are afforded every employment opportunity.”

with the virus because the economy cannot remain stagnant for a long period of time. He said yesterday: “There’s still a lot of negative talk about bringing people in so I go back to my original statement I made four months ago - we have to co-exist with COVID-19 and we can’t keep the economy shut down.” With the country’s unemployment rate estimated between 30 percent to 40 percent, the labour director said he is hoping the economy will be able to rebound early next year. However, he said the situation will depend on the amount of cases happening

LABOUR Director John Pinder around the world. He said: “If it doesn’t continue to spread or it doesn’t increase in its spreading, then when the cold months come by, we should be in some position now to start getting much more

bookings than we are receiving now. “So, I say again, it depends on that but once things remain normal or come to some level of normalcy based on the control of the COVID-19, I believe that it’s safe to say that the beginning of next year we should see some things happening. “...But, I think the Bahamas is one of the safety destinations you can come to right now based on the protocols we have in place to control persons visiting and based on the fact that we are able to manage this thing very well.” Editorial View - Page 6

PAGE 4, Monday, July 6, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

SENATE FAILS TO DEBATE PROCLAMATION By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Senate failed to debate a new proclamation of emergency after concerns were raised by the opposition on whether the parliamentary session was properly constituted to meet. Opposition Senator Fred Mitchell raised the issue in the Upper Chamber on Friday after Attorney General Carl Bethel tabled the new proclamation of emergency. The proclamation was signed by Governor General C A Smith last Tuesday after the Attorney General’s Office failed to deliver

a resolution extending Dr Minnis’ emergency orders in time for last week’s sitting of the House of Assembly. The Senate was expected to debate the resolution on Friday. However, during Friday’s proceedings, Mr Mitchell expressed concerns with the legality of the session. The leader of opposition business said: “When the Senate adjourned on the 29th of June, it adjourned without a date, sine die (with no date for resumption). You will remember that I objected to adjourning sine die without a date. You would also remember, Madame President, that there was an exchange between the leader of the

government and myself about the question of whether it was 14 days or five days. “The leader for the government agreed it was five days. Assuming that the gazette was done and the proclamation was signed on the 29th, if you count five days that means you have to convene the House, this Senate, the 30th, the first, the second, the third, the fourth, the fifth. “That’s five days, that means Sunday, the fifth. So, the House should have, in my view, adjourned to a date within those five days. It did not and so the House was not due to meet.” He continued: “When you look at Article 29,

Article 29 says when the House is not due to meet, the Governor General shall...it says for any cause of matter those houses are not due to meet within five days, the Governor General shall by proclamation published in the gazette, summon them to meet within five days and they should accordingly meet. “I am asking whether or not the Governor General has published in the gazette a summons for the Senate to be here today for the laying of this proclamation within the five days and if not, are we properly constituted to be here this morning?” In response, Mr Bethel said he was of the view that

“had the Senate adjourned to a fixed date, it would’ve not have been possible to call the Senate back to deal with the proclamation”. “And it is also in my view that the fact of the Senate is able to because we had adjourned sine die, just give the requisite notice within the five days as we have done and convene the senate and that is a sufficient compliance,” he added. After Mr Mitchell reiterated his concerns for a second time, Mr Bethel moved to suspend the sitting for five minutes. However, when the Senate reconvened, Mr Bethel withdrew the proclamation of emergency and asked

SENATOR Fred Mitchell for the Senate to be suspended until 3pm. Giving an explanation in doing so, he noted: “I don’t want to take chances with the Constitution and on that note, I would wish to do two things. I would wish to withdraw this tabling with your consent if I may have the consent of the House to withdraw it.” When the Senate resumed after 3pm, the session was adjourned to Monday.

Same-day virus tests set to be introduced

By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

WITH Doctors Hospital announcing plans to introduce same day PCR COVID-19 testing, a local health official does not expect this to lead to a significant rise in confirmed virus cases because there is “no community transmission” occurring at the moment. Doctors Hospital CEO Dr Charles Sealy says the medical facility will offer same-day PCR COVID-19 testing, which is scheduled to begin today. He said the hospital now has the capacity to administer 12,000 tests a month. When asked whether he believed COVID-19 testing numbers would increase since Doctors Hospital would now be offering them, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Delon Brennen told The Tribune he believed it depended “on the response of the private sector”. “Doctors Hospital is one of the partners in our emergency operations centre throughout this response,” he said. “I think their market is slightly different from that of what the government is targeting so I think it could increase our testing numbers, but we’re testing for two different purposes. They are responding to a need

coming from the private sector and we are responding to the public health needs of when cases are identified.” Dr Brennen, pictured, also said he believed the additional tests would not increase the chance of the country experiencing a spike in reported COVID19 cases, since there was “no community transmission happening” in the country at the moment. Still, he reasoned if the country did see an increase in cases, the stricter emergency orders would be “reimplemented.” When asked if the public should be alarmed if the additional testing reveals more local COVID19 cases, he added: “The number of tests being done is not a reflection of the amount of transmission or lack thereof in the country.” In an interview with Eyewitness News last week, Dr Sealy said Doctors Hospital was aiming at administering up to 400 PCR COVID-19 tests per day. “We have the ability to ramp up beyond that as well,” Dr Sealy said. “But to start off that’s a number that will easily support the Bahamian populace and some of the things that need to be accomplished from a safety perspective.

“We are excited to be able to offer to the Bahamian people an opportunity where they can safeguard their institutions, both for their employees and their customers by using COVID-19 PCR testing as a way to identify whether those individuals would be positive or certainly what we hope are negative.” Dr Sealy said the hospital’s “increased capacity” has given the medical facility the ability to do same-day results. He said he believed this factor was a “huge plus” for many people who could now receive a four to six-hour turnaround on their results. “It gives them an opportunity to better manage through their organisations,” he said. “We feel very confident about being able to offer that to the Bahamian public, especially now as we start to open our borders.” To date, there have been 104 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country with 89 recovered cases and four active ones. According to the Ministry of Health’s latest COVID-19 dashboard, over two thousand tests have been administered locally. The number of virus-related deaths remains at 11.

CONGRATULATIONS, MY BOY

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis was present yesterday when his son Runako Aranha-Minnis was one of 35 new doctors to graduate from the University of the West Indies School of Clinical Medicine and Research, The Bahamas. The ceremony was held at Government House.

FAMILY ISLANDS RETURN TOURISM attractions, excursions and tours will be permitted to resume operations on all Family Islands effective today, the Office of the Prime Minister reminded in a press release. Facial masks and physical distancing protocols are mandatory, OPM stressed. On the islands of New

Providence and Grand Bahama, tourism attractions, excursions and tours may resume operations Monday, July 13. The reopening of attractions, excursions and tours is part of the phased re-opening of the country’s tourism sector. Commercial international travel resumed on July 1.

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THE TRIBUNE

Monday, July 6, 2020, PAGE 5

Change in teaching at university By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net UNIVERSITY of The Bahamas professors anticipate there will be a blended learning environment for students for the upcoming fall semester, one that could include limited face-to-face instruction and a continuation of virtual learning classes. During a recent interview, University of Tertiary Educators (UTEB) president, Daniel Thompson said as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, members expect to see several changes implemented for the 2020/21 school semester. However, he said the union is still waiting on further information from UB officials on the way forward. He said: “Certain things will be different because of the social distancing and it depends on what happens... (but) no matter what the outcome is, there will be a greater involvement of nonface to face (contact) and some other type of online modalities. “For example, the classroom will be limited in terms of their ability to accommodate 25 or 30 students. Our classrooms are designed for 25 to 30 students, most of them and it means that classes may only be able to hold

about 10 or 15 students. And so that means several things may have to happen whether the balance of the class has to be done through other media or what so there are a lot of implications involved and what UTEB expects is the university will come and sit with us and let’s reason together to find a way forward.” After the country recorded its first COVID19 case in March, UB announced the cancellation of its on-campus classes, shifting to online classes for students to continue their studies at home. Campus and business operations were also suspended, with staff working remotely. The university has since resumed office operations for employees at the Oakes Field Campus and Northern Campus in Grand Bahama as part of their transition into phase two of their reopening plan. The university said the plan was developed based on UB’s COVID-19 task force recommendations. It added: “The activation of each phase of the reopening plan is contingent upon national health protocols and emergency orders as well as the procurement and implementation of appropriate sanitisation systems.” Speaking on other changes anticipated for the

upcoming year, Mr Thompson said union members also expect to see greater student enrolment for the upcoming year. He continued: “That’s why it’s contradictory that if you anticipate increased student enrolment then the whole issue of faculty engagement should not be a question. You should be looking at making other opportunities to expand if you are going to have more students. “Because of the financial situation, you gone have an high unemployment level and this is an excellent opportunity for the government to invest in education so that four or five thousand persons graduating this year are fed into tertiary education whether it’s UB or BTVI or any other tertiary institution.” Last week, a local daily revealed that UB’s board of trustees is considering 20 percent salary cuts for its staff and sending faculty members of a specific age group and with a certain amount of years of service into retirement. However, Mr Thompson told The Tribune he could not comment on the information reported until an official proposal has been sent to the union. “We are awaiting communication from the university in regard to that proposal,” he said.

FOAM LAUNCHES RENTAL PLAN TO HELP FAMILIES By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

A LOCAL non-profit organisation is lending a helping hand to families affected by the COVID19 pandemic by providing rental assistance to those in need. The initiative was founded by Khandi Gibson, president of the local advocacy group Families of All Murder Victims (FOAM), in an effort to assist vulnerable families facing eviction during this difficult time. Ms Gibson said the programme, which was launched about two weeks ago, has assisted five families so far. She said she hopes to help as many people as she can. “So far, we have helped five persons to date,” she told The Tribune on Friday. “This comes in handy because a lot of people have been evicted and what they do is they would reach out to me. “We’re trying to keep a roof over families’ heads during COVID-19 times because it’s unfair to the children who when their mom gets put out, they get put out. A child should have a peace of mind during this time and should have food to eat and should have a roof over their head.” After the government ordered the closure of non-essential businesses in March to deter the spread of COVID-19 and travel was halted due to the pandemic, thousands of Bahamians were temporarily laid off. While non-essential businesses have since resumed operations, many hotels still remain closed, with officials saying they will not re-open until the latter part of this year. In an effort to assist people whose incomes have been affected by the pandemic, Prime Minister Dr

Hubert Minnis announced in April details of his rental assistance programme, revealing an initiative that will be based on deferrals and will apply only to residential rentals. He said landlords will not be able to evict tenants who were in good standing prior to April for a three-month period and will not be able to disconnect the electricity or water of tenants who were in good standing prior to April. At the end of the three-month period, people will have 12 months to pay back the deferred amount. However, some Bahamians have still been evicted from their homes since Dr Minnis’ announcement, calling for government intervention on the matter. But, Minister of Finance Peter Turnquest has previously told reporters the government does not plan to intervene in and settle disputes between landlords and tenants. Noting that FOAM is committed to helping as many families as possible, Ms Gibson told The Tribune: “We’re just trying to make sure that those ones who have a place already make sure that they remain in those places. So we’re just trying to work with the landlord and give them at least something on their rent because children are involved.” Due to the economic uncertainty of COVID-19, Ms Gibson said she hopes to continue the rental assistance programme until next year. “Right now, we don’t know how long COVID-19 is going to be upon us, so right now we’re going to start for a year. And so, it will be from now until next year 2021,” she said. To further the efforts of FOAM, Ms Gibson appealed to the public to donate. She said: “Mr Jamal Strachan from FOON,

(Future Of Our Neighbours), gave us a donation. But, we want to ask persons to donate and partnership with us. They can donate by downloading the cash app called Kanoo and donate to my first Caribbean account.” For more information, visit the organisation’s Facebook page (Families of All Murder Victims) or contact them at 603-4141.

UNIVERSITY of Tertiary Educators president, Daniel Thompson

PAGE 6, Monday, July 6, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

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The traumas that create killers WHEN you think of a murderer in this country, what do you think of? Is it the hardened criminal, with years of violence behind him? Who do you picture when you think of the word “murderer”? A new study finds that the average age of a murderer in The Bahamas is between 16 and 25 years old. The average age, bear in mind, so there will be some older. And some younger than 16. The study, by top psychiatrist Dr David Allen and local educators, looked at young people aged younger than 16 who were already embroiled in gang wars for turf, or were involved in bullying or disorder. Some of those were as young as ten years old. The story behind those offences is one where family life is “non-existent or extremely chaotic”. That means there are those without parents to support them, or who suffer abuse from a parent or guardian in their lives. Their school grades are often very poor, and gangs themselves often serve as a substitute for the parent figures missing in their lives. This comes at a cost, with the gang members living in fear that their own lives could be at risk from rivals. Some of the young people in the study had seen murders. Others showed no empathy or remorse, one saying when asked if he felt sorry for a stabbing victim “Why should I? He’s not one of my boys.” Are these young people monsters? Or are they traumatised? The latter, say the

experts, suffering from depression, posttraumatic stress disorder and more. Last week, Patricia Minnis, the wife of the Prime Minister, called for people to march in protest in the wake of shootings that left a two-year-old girl fighting for her life and killed a ten-year-old in separate incidents. “We need to really tell our young men who are killing themselves and who are killing innocent people to stop,” she said. “They have to stop because they don’t want it to happen to their mother, their sister.” Do we think the word “stop” is enough to reach these young men? What comes after that word? What needs to be done to lift people out of a life of violence, abuse, depression and stress? What future is there for people with next to no grades and a lengthy criminal record that doesn’t involve further crime? There are no easy solutions here, but each year we get a count of the number of murder victims, the number of robbery victims and so on. But we don’t know the true number of victims – including those who became victims during their path to become criminals. Those who have been victims of family, of those who call themselves friends, of those in their community. 16-year-olds should not be beyond hope. So what can we do to change their course, and prevent the cycle of violence from perpetuating? As we say, there are no easy solutions – but are we even trying?

Change the jobs market THE impact on jobs from COVID19 is continuing – but Labour Director John Pinder is wary that some employers are using the virus as an excuse. He suggests that some businesses are firing people because the pandemic is an excuse to get rid of them. Mr Pinder doesn’t name any specific businesses, and we would hope that it would be a minority of cases, but it is another sign of the overall impact of the virus on this country. With Baha Mar laying off staff last week, other businesses having closed entirely, and the unemployment rate soaring as high as 40 percent, much hangs on the restart of tourism.

Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis described the rise in unemployment previously as “greater than most of us have seen in our lifetime”. He also talked back in April of making this crisis “a crisis of opportunity” and of the need to change our economic structure. We don’t appear to have made significant movement in that regard so far. Economies have a turning circle much larger than the cruise ships we are still waiting for, of course, and such diversification will take time. But as we encourage employers to play by the rules, so too we could focus attention on ways to broaden our economy, and help those employers change too.

America’s leader is taking us to the edge EDITOR, The Tribune

some of our freedoms curbed, not only to save “LET’S protect each our lives, but the lives of other and our communities. our friends — yes, as it is a When you visit any BTC pandemic, curbing some of store to pay your bill in our own freedoms will not full, you will receive a free only save us, but it will save 3-layer protective mask.” mankind. How very thoughtIt is true that we have ful. This was the message rights and freedoms. We that I received on my cell also have duties. But so do phone this morning. And our neighbours. However, it was from BTC. The when the thoughtless use Corporation was taking of our own rights results its corporate responsibili- in the destruction of the ties seriously. We hope you rights — yes, even the life will too because, in fact, it of others — then we have a is for the protection of each duty to compromise. As the and every one of us. Again Bible so rightly says we are many thanks to B TC. indeed our brother’s keeper. I pray that Bahamians Look at the frightening will take the only precau- danger the United States tions that at the moment is in because too many are anyone knows of until a putting self before the survaccine is found to protect vival of the whole human us from this fatal pandemic. family. We have to be more Imagine resenting having than concerned, because as

the old saying goes: “When the United States sneezes, the Bahamas catches a cold.” However, this time it will be worse than a common cold, it will be fatal. It is frightening to witness America’s leader, who in my opinion is taking all of us to that fatal precipice because his only concern is what’s good for “me, myself and I “, and yes, that damned November election! Americans, you are smarter than that – please wake up before it is too late! Again many thanks to BTC for reminding us to protect ourselves. A TRUE BAHAMIAN Nassau, July 3, 2020.

We must turn our sights to other tourism markets in the world EDITOR, The Tribune WE’RE now a day away from July 1. Let’s try to carefully think about what’s going on. The US is clearly our biggest visitor market, but COVID has made a comeback in the states at a rapid rate. California, Texas and especially Florida are now the most contaminated states included in the spike in cases. However, we’re not certain about this reopening of air travel. It’s now too dangerous to have US flights to and from the Bahamas, and even more dangerous to allow flights from Florida. Even with the fourteen day testing and quarantine protocols, we don’t have the equipment or enough personnel to effectively test numerous American travellers. The Bahamas can’t stay closed and we can’t handle a similar spike in COVID-19 cases with our small hospitals. This is now the time to be the brave and the bold. We can’t tolerate the failure that Trump has allowed for the US to become the home for COVID-19. The only sane decision that we can make is not only stopping flights from Florida and Houston,

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net but all flights to and from the US and allowing no non-essential American travellers into the country completely, as well as from China with the same thing. We should change our destination markets accordingly. Largely, the European Union has also frozen all flights to and from the US as a failsafe with the cases in their countries slowing down and descending, and the Indo-Pacific region outside of China is one of the regions with the lowest active COVID cases being recorded in South Korea, Japan and Australia (In fact, New Zealand has no active cases). These are the regions we need for our tourism market to stay afloat. By all means, we need to expand and improve our own tourism product to meet their expectations. First; the airport has to be expanded with larger jet gates, longer runways and two more terminals with further modernisation of infrastructure. Bay Street must be revived in

the night and with the old half of the street being restored with new businesses without much of the Chinese workers or investors. The hotels will have to also offer more activities and rooms and the family islands must follow suit to improve the market. In fact, we can have bigger diplomatic relations with the new countries we’re dealing with in tourism. If the Trump administration is consistent in denying the facts about his failed COVID-19 response and intervention, then we must do what we can to stop the spike of COVID-19, even if we put a decade-long moratorium on non-essential US travellers. It’s not a cruel tactic or switching allegiance to the Chinese or Russians, it’s about standards and order. In a nutshell, we don’t have to bankrupt ourselves or cause a spike in COVID19 cases and deaths. Britain, the European Union and most of the Indo-Pacific region has the virus under control and is our best third option to keep the Bahamas alive and financially healthy. AMMAKA RUSSELL Nassau, June 30, 2020

We need trees on the beach - they provide us with shade EDITOR, The Tribune A MINISTER was on the news talking about removing trees from beaches. This is ridiculous as no one goes on the beach to sit in the hot sun. We need trees on beaches for shade. I did not hear this minister say

that they were going to plant fully grown trees to replace the ones removed. Be realistic! Beaches need trees! REEFAH FAITH Nassau, June 30, 2020.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, July 6, 2020, PAGE 7

WOMAN STILL MISSING AFTER BOAT RUNS AGROUND By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Royal Bahamas Defence Force is still searching for a missing woman from an American vessel that ran aground near South Bimini on Thursday, which left one man dead and two others injured. According to reports, the boat left Luna Beach

By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net TWO men were charged on Friday with the attempted murder of a two-year-old girl who has been in hospital in critical condition after being shot in Eleuthera more than a week ago. Marcus Saunders, 34, and Antonio Neely, 26, appeared before Magistrate

en route to Honeymoon Harbour with two men and two women on board. A short time later, the boat struck an object in the area of Turtle Rock and all four passengers were catapulted into the air, resulting in a man and woman falling overboard. The two were later reported as missing. The Royal Bahamas Police Force said officers at the Alice Town Police Station were notified of the

incident shortly after midnight when they received a distress call from a boater in the area of Turtle Rock – two nautical miles off Bimini. “Officers from the Marine Division stationed on the island were immediately dispatched, on the arrival of the coordinates given; the officers located a 32 feet everglades boat with two occupants aboard,” officials said in a statement on Friday.

Police said the two passengers – the captain and his companion — sustained injuries and were transported to the Bimini clinic for medical assistance and later airlifted to Florida. According to Florida news outlets, the patients are Josbel Fernandez and Violeta Khouri, who were at Broward Health North in Deerfield Beach on Friday evening. A search later conducted by RBDF officers

Two men charged with the attempted murder of girl, 2

Samuel McKinney accused of attempting to cause the death of Da’Nyla Roberts on June 27. The pair were also accused of being in possession of a handgun, which the prosecution alleged they intended to use to endanger the lives of Maxine Gibson, Terrance Taylor, Spencer Gibson and Navar Roker on the same day. As the suspects made

their way into the building on Friday, family members of the little girl could be heard crying and screaming at the men. The child’s mother was also held up by family members as she broke down in tears. According to initial police reports, shortly before 10pm, police in Eleuthera received reports of a shooting at Baby Johnson Lane in Hatchet Bay.

Officers who arrived at the scene discovered a toddler suffering from gunshot wounds to her lower abdomen. Initial reports said a woman was sitting on the porch of her residence holding her grandchild when a vehicle approached the residence and three men got out. Police said after making a comment, one of the men produced a handgun and discharged it

and the United States Coast Guard resulted in the the body of the missing man being found “with severe injuries.” The Tribune spoke to a RBDF representative yesterday for an update on the status of the missing woman and was told a search was still underway for her. The incident comes months after a Haitian vessel erupted into flames off Long Island, leaving six

people missing. The group along with three others were reportedly en route to Haiti from New Providence when — according to those on board — a passenger allegedly suffering from a non-COVID-19 related illness died. The dead passenger was reportedly left on board, while two men were able to swim ashore at Millers, Long Island, and assist the police.

ANTONIO NEELY, above, and Marcus Saunders, left, outside court last Friday.

in the direction of the child before leaving. Moments later, the grandmother discovered that her granddaughter had been shot. At the time, the child was airlifted to New Providence for treatment. During the hearing, Saunders and Neely were not required to enter a plea to the attempted murder charge and the case was adjourned to September 4

for service of a voluntary bill of indictment. Both men opted to have the four counts of firearm possession with intent to endanger life charges tried in the Supreme Court. Bail was denied and the accused were remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. They have a right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail.

JAILED FOR DAMAGING HOME By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A 20-YEAR-OLD man was sentenced to 18 months in prison on Friday after he pleaded guilty to causing damage to another man’s home. Shanton Munroe, 20, appeared before Magistrate McKinney after he was accused of assaulting Kentroy Evans with a handgun on June 25. Munroe was also accused of causing $1,470 worth of damage to David Francis’ home on the same day. During the arraignment, Munroe denied the assault charge and the matter was

adjourned to September 29 for trial. However, he pleaded guilty to the count of damage and was ordered to compensate Mr Francis for the damage he did to his home. Prosecutor Kendrick Bauld said Mr Francis told officers that he was at his residence when he heard a loud gunshot. When Mr Francis went to investigate where the sound came from, he discovered a hole in his wall that was not there before. He called the police. An investigation led to Munroe’s arrest. During an interview with police, Munroe denied the accusations. After listening to the

facts, Magistrate McKinney told Munroe that the offences of which he was accused were very serious. The magistrate insisted that he could not just go around shooting at people or their property. He also told the accused that he was lucky he did not hurt anybody as he had shot into a wooden home. As a result, he sentenced Munroe to 18 months in prison and ordered him to compensate Mr Francis $1,470. Magistrate McKinney warned Munroe that if he failed to do so, he would spend an additional six months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

WOMEN ARRESTED FOR FIGHTING By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

SIX women were arrested in Grand Bahama on Thursday after videos circulated on social media showing them displaying aggressive conduct near a business on the island. In the 30-second video several women can be seen fighting in separate brawls. In the beginning of the video, two women can be seen grabbing each

other as bystanders watch the scene unfold. After one woman walks away from the fight, she then confronts another woman and a second fight appears to break out. In a statement on Friday, police said: “Officers of the Central Division have arrested and charged all female suspects involved in a video that circulated on social media, showing a fight among females in the International Bazaar, near a business establishment.”

Police also said the six women were charged for the offence of fighting and violating the COVID-19 emergency orders. The statement continued: “They are expected to be arraigned before the Magistrate’s Court early (this) week. Police are determined to enforce the laws pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic order 2020 and also for violation of all laws in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.”

TWO TEENAGERS AND A PAIR DENY CHARGES OF MAN ACCUSED OF ASSAULT CULTIVATING MARIJUANA By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

TWO teenagers and a man were remanded to prison on Friday to await trial after they were accused of assaulting three men with a deadly weapon. Jemsley Hypolite, 18, Bryan Morely, 19, and Mario Elliot, 33, appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney after they were accused of using a handgun to assault Bryant Tinker, Andrew Nerenal and Iavon Dorsette on June 30. The three accused denied the charges and the matter was adjourned to September 1 for trial. Bail was denied and the men were remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services in the interim. They have a right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail.

A MAN and woman were charged in Magistrate’s Court on Friday with cultivating marijuana. Stancheh Tianardo, 26, and Shanice Butler, 20, appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney charged with the cultivation of Indian hemp after officers found seven marijuana plants at their residence on June 19. They were also accused of being in possession of dangerous drugs on the same day. During the hearing, Tianardo and Butler denied the allegations and the matter was adjourned to September 7 for trial. The accused were each granted $3,500 bail with one person to stand surety for them in the interim.

A Private Funeral Service for CHRISTINE ELAINE BECKLES, 54 of Foxdale and Mosquitoe Drive, will be held on Wednesday, July 8th, 2020 at St. Agnes Anglican Church, on Baillou Hill Rd. Officiating will be Archdeacon Keith Cartwright, assisted by other ministers of the Clergy. Interment will follow in St. Agnes’ Cemetery, Nassau Street. In compliance with current Government regulations, attendance will be limited to close family & friends. Left to cherish her memories are her Children: Christopher and Kristen Beckles, Crystal, Kyle and Kristina Hield; Grand-son: Kaylen Kelly; Daughterin-law: Charnise Beckles; Sister: Monique Beckles; Nieces: Nichola Cartwright and Nadiah Beckles; Grandniece: Sayuri Stauch; Grandnephew: Croix Porter; Aunts: Anne Cooke and Jacqueline Silva; Uncles: David and Blaze Johnson; Aunts-in-law: Vienna Johnson, Dr. Rhonda Chipman-Johnson and Yvonne Johnson; Uncles in Law: Don Cooke, Miquel Silva and Keith Outten; Grand Aunt: Patricia Sweeting (Charles); Cousins: Darlene Small (Hershell), Renee Saunders-Forsythe (John), Shelly Cooke-Seymour, Bobbi Cooke-McIver, Jasmine Robinson (Daryell), Desiree, Lynne and Tracey Johnson, Kirsten Outten, Dominique Johnson, Davina Bowe (Demetri), Makaya Johnson, Brenda Ferguson (Larry), Julian Brown (Erika), Sterling (Ericka), Anthony (Tameka) Cooke, Vaughn Burrows (Jennifer), Marvin Johnson, Blaze Johnson Jr. and Zonnace Johnson, Miguel Silva Jr., Na’eem McIver and Sergeant 1019 Rico Brown; Other Relatives & Friends: Cecil Boyd and Family, Liette Pratt, Judy Rolle, June Lees (Prune), Brenda Butler, Ingrid Bennons, Ernestine Seymour (Delmar), Kayla Darville (Richard), Brehon Bennons, Jacqueline Simmons-Sawyer, Christopher, Jeffrey, Anthony, Cedric and Andrea Beckles (siblings), Tyrone Tucker, Sam Carter, and the entire Beckles Family, The Eaves Family of Oklahoma, Dalla Michelle Newbold and Family, Sophia DeveauxMackey, Nurse Carol Cooper, Mavis Hutchinson and Family, Janet Williams and Family, Christine Lindsay and Family, Alvin Gardiner, Judy Strachan, Tony Moss, Otis Rolle, Louis Smith, Melony Ferguson, Teresa Lynes, Meralee Davis, Miles and Anthony Lynes, Rico Hart, Diallo Rolle, Deokin-nique Strachan, Bradnique Smith, Shanton Kelly, Antwonique Seymour, Gina Pratt, Dentre Nichols, Margaret Strachan, Debbie Gibson and Family, Gippy’s Printing and Family, Carl Hield, Mr. Quinton Brennen, Melissa Deveaux, Lawrence Hepburn, Selwyn Ferguson, Joan Henderson, Gary Grant, Prince Fowler, Latina Munnings, Rekell Bodie and the National Sports Authority Family, St. Anne’s Class of 84, Christopher Tynes, Gail McKinney and Family, Gabrielle Fraser and Family, Lisa White and Family, Dr. Rodd Cargill and Dr. Serville and Team of Princess Margaret Hospital, Accounts Control & Recovery and The Commonwealth Bank Family. The family offers sincere apologies for any names inadvertently omitted. We thank you for all your calls, prayers and kind words during this time of bereavement. Friends may pay their last respects at Bethel Brothers Morticians & Crematorium, #44 Nassau Street on Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 pm.

MONDAY, JULY 6, 2020

THE STORIES BEHIND THE NEWS

Can we all just get on the same page please By Malcolm Strachan LAST week’s confusion over the landing of 135 workers from Mexico brought in to help restore the hurricane-ravaged Bakers Bay led to quite a stir. Perhaps the biggest concern should have been the rising threat COVID-19 is becoming in Mexico. Certainly, though, we

should all be concerned about jobs that Bahamians can fill being outsourced to foreign workers. The clichéd messaging that Bahamians are lazy and unskilled and our expert counterparts are not up to the job, too often ends there without one administration after another doing anything about it. Surely, by now, Bahamians should have acquired the skills after myriad agreements

between successive governments and foreign investors. Nevertheless, while this is definitely an important discussion to be had, we are still in the middle of a deadly global pandemic, and the confusion we saw during a Ministry of Health press conference was alarming. Thankfully, all has been resolved and we’ve learned these Mexican workers did, in fact, take COVID-19

tests and all came back negative. However, the optics from the lack of coordination between the ministries of health, labour and immigration was concerning. Mexico’s coronavirus cases just surpassed France as the country with the fifth highest total in the world, topping the 30,000 mark this past week. The confusion from the two top medical experts leading our efforts against COVID-19 should not instil confidence with the questionable decision to remain open to travel from the US looming over our heads. Of course, we won’t find many who would agree to the government closing our borders to all inbound travel from the US. However, to not even consider restricting travel from hotspots buckling under pressure and going through shutdowns is worrying. Florida, partially shutting down having just recorded more than 11,500 coronavirus cases in one day on the Fourth of July, is still reluctant to pull the trigger on reining in its citizens. Florida’s governor is particularly headstrong despite a 13.3 percent increase from its previous single-day record just two days prior. As Floridians have already begun visiting the country, we must ask ourselves if the steps we have in place are enough to keep COVID-19 out of the country. With the current policies accepting visitors who can produce a negative COVID-19 test that is at least ten days old, we’re

THE BAHAMAS reopened for international travel last week. Photos: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff

allowing an entire week’s window for someone to contract the virus before coming to The Bahamas. Moreover, an extremely dangerous oversight is exempting Bahamians who take leisure trips not spanning 72 hours to re-enter the country without a negative COVID-19 test. The message is clear. As citizens, we do not know where the government stands on the protection of our country against the coronavirus. We can’t possibly know, as the decisions being made bring too much into question. Meanwhile, Bahamians have been subjected to months of lockdowns and curfews under a state of emergency, but somehow the government is either underestimating or ignoring the true danger – potentially allowing a deadly virus to waltz into the country by making it as easy as possible for visitors to come here. While many are seeking to downplay the effects of this virus – pointing to its mortality rate in comparison with other deadly epidemics of our time, our proliferation of non-communicable diseases and lack of healthcare capacity should place a footnote next to such declarations. In short, this is the point in the card game where we realise we’re playing with a losing hand and remove ourselves from the table. Unfortunately, our dependence on tourism has placed a gun to our heads and leaving the game is out of the question.

The only thing we can realistically do is to seriously reevaluate our priorities because as it stands, our thinking seems half-done, and the notion of ensuring the safety of Bahamians has somehow been lost in all of this. For a moment, let’s just consider the scenario of travelling into the country with a pet as an example. For those of you who are unfamiliar, please indulge me, as this should make perfect sense to anyone who has done this process before. The government currently imposes stricter guidelines around bringing an animal into the country than they do a Bahamian travelling abroad and returning within 72 hours during a pandemic. For your pet, you would be required to produce a health certificate authorised by a licenced veterinarian after examining your pet within a 48-hour period before your arrival. Conversely, there may very well be citizens returning to the country today after a Fourth of July weekend of fun and frolicking. Indeed, the logic is way off on this one. Still, it is my hope that after we potentially dodged a bullet last week that the government goes to the drawing board and simulate a multitude of scenarios to ensure its citizens will be kept safe. Otherwise, Bahamians ought to have a hard time being confident that our best interest is in the fore of the directorate’s minds.

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

By FREDERICK R M SMITH, QC SADLY, unnecessarily and illegally, the life of an innocent young Bahamian in waiting is in limbo! As the following news story evidences, Marchar Jean, the Valedictorian from C. R. Walker Senior High School, is caught in an illegal bureaucratic trap forcing her to live an illegal purgatory of statelessness and unconstitutional discrimination! Please view her story on this news report. https://www.facebook.com/ OURNewsREV/videos/valedictorian-uncertain-aboutfuture/750891492384881/ Need For Efficiency at Immigration I urge the Immigration Department to become more efficient in granting Belongers Permits to people born in The Bahamas of non-citizen parents, and to issue Certificates of Citizenship Registration to those applying between the ages of 18 to 19. There are thousands of children in her position, under 18, unable to apply for registration and locked in Discrimination Limbo Land illegally foisted upon the public in a policy dreamt up in 2014 by former PLP Minister of Immigration Fred Mitchell [now a PLP Senator]. The Bahamas is now visiting these unfortunate children with, as the Catholics say, “Original Sin”. They are being treated and presumed to be guilty as opposed to innocent. Pass a Simple Citizenship Law I urge this FNM government, as a matter of critical urgency to the lives of thousands of innocent children and adults, to pass a simple law that would make it so easy for thousands of people to live productive, positive, constructive lives instead of being overshadowed by a stupid, unnecessary, bureaucratic and cumbersome process of waiting for a piece of paper that says they belong in The Bahamas even though they are born here! There would be no need to amend the Constitution! All that would be necessary would just be political will to respect such a law. They would not have to apply to the Immigration Department for a Belongers Permit. Their lives would not be in limbo. They would not be constantly treated as second class citizens or outlaws! And this Valedictorian, who has done nothing wrong except to be born of non-citizen parents, could simply go to the University of The Bahamas! Such a law would reduce costs to the taxpayer of having to administer the Belongers Permit system at the DOI. It would avoid all these children having to bear the challenging paper production process and costs of translations and certified copies of documents and papers to present to the government. It would save time for Immigration and Cabinet who would not have to process applications which they have to approve by law anyway. What a waste of public officials’ time. It would also help to reduce the corruption that exists at the Immigration Department. Pass a simple law that says once born in The Bahamas you are automatically Bahamian and you don’t have to apply to anybody for a piece of paper. Simple, easy, no cost to the government and taxpayer of having to process thousands of applications which keep thousands of young and adult lives in limbo! End Mitchell’s Misery This would be a positive

INSIGHT

MONDAY, JULY 6, 2020 PAGE 9

Marchar Jean was her school’s star pupil today she’s trapped by a nonsensical system which is a stain on our nation step for this FNM government to take. It would end Mitchell’s 2014 policy that has made the lives of thousands of innocents miserable and unbearable. Before Fred Mitchell introduced the illegal policy of requiring everybody having to have a piece of paper to be treated as a Bahamian, the government recognized and publicized that having a Birth Certificate was Your Passport to Citizenship! We in the Bahamas need to be more compassionate, sensible and reasonable. We should return to the pre-2014 position where the presentation of a Birth Certificate, evidencing that a person was born in the Bahamas whether their parents are citizens or not, means they are automatically treated as citizens of The Bahamas and could contribute to the growth of our nation and gave them the dignity to be equal citizens of this country. We should stop this imbecilic, hurtful, inhuman and degrading treatment of children and adults who have done nothing wrong except to be born here of non-citizen parents! To this day, hanging in Government offices, is an Official Bahamas Government Notice from the Registrar General’s office which shows what the policy of ALL governments of The Bahamas was before Fred Mitchell introduced his policy in 2014 requiring everybody to have a piece of paper that says they’re Bahamian or face being in limbo, detention and or deportation to countries they have never been to. Ministers Johnson and Lloyd Very regrettably, this FNM government, elected in May 2017, has continued this vile, degrading, illegal and demeaning PLP policy. I cry shame on the FNM. But they have it in their power to change this overnight. Just like Fred Mitchell woke up one morning on the wrong side of bed and issued his illegal policy edict in November 2104, FNM Ministers Jeff Lloyd [Education] and Elsworth Johnson [Immigration] can wake up on the right side of bed and issue a policy statement and return us to normalcy. History will judge all of these Ministers. I hope Ministers Lloyd and Johnson put themselves on the right side of Bahamian history! I remind them that Karma can be a Bitch! This is a quick and easy fix. No legislation needed. President Dr Rodney Smith, UB I call on The University of The Bahamas to immediately end this policy and register Marshar Jean. This policy of the University of the Bahamas is unconstitutional and illegal. It’s not the law, and Dr. Rodney Smith, President of UB, can also, hopefully find himself and UB on the right side of Bahamian history by ending an illegal discriminatory policy. This is another quick and easy fix.

MARCHAR JEAN, the Valedictorian from CR Walker Senior High, is caught in a bureaucratic trap Prime Minister Minnis Until such a law is passed, the FNM Government should return to the situation where the presentation of a Birth Certificate, evidencing that a person was born in The Bahamas, whether to parents who are citizens or not, means that they are automatically treated as citizens of The Bahamas and can contribute to the growth of our nation and allow them the

dignity to be equal citizens of this country. As before 2014, they could then get a drivers’ licence, a wedding licence, open a bank account, get a business licence, get a US visa, get a passport, travel, register and get a National Insurance card and GET a JOB! And, they would not have to hide and lurk in the shadows, live as presumed outlaws and the daily terror and fear of being picked up illegally

by the Yellow Immigration Bus and carted off to the Carmichael Concentration Camp indefinitely. This is another easy step for the government to take. I invite PM Minnis to also put himself on the right side of history. Reverse Fred Mitchell‘s inhuman and degrading policy and revert to simply requiring proof of citizenship by a birth certificate. And pass the simple law. Frederick Smith born in

Haiti - yet Bahamian! How perverse and insane is it that a person like me, who was born in Haiti, and who does not [because I am not legally required to] have a piece of paper to say that I am Bahamian Citizen am treated and function as such. YET! A person born in The Bahamas, like this innocent Marshar Jean, who has a Bahamian Birth Certificate is not automatically treated as and deemed to be a Bahamian. This is the height of bureaucratic absurdity and Fred Mitchell is the culprit. I cry shame on Fred Mitchell for this perverted affliction visited on these thousands of innocent Bahamians-in-Waiting. It is the height of bureaucratic nonsense to require people born here to carry around a piece of paper proving they are Bahamian citizens. Most Bahamians do not have [and are not legally required to have] a paper that says “I am a Citizen of The Bahamas”. Being born in The Bahamas and having a birth certificate should be automatic proof, just like me, born in Haiti, to a Bahamian father means I am automatically Bahamian and treated as such. I beg my FNM government to revert to reason, common sense, respect for the dignity of others and compassion. Let the FNM be on the right side of Bahamian history.

PAGE 10 MONDAY, JULY 6, 2020 By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net MANY of the adolescents who are brought before the courts for minor infractions suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a pilot study conducted by leading psychiatrist David F Allen and local colleagues. In their work the authors noted the average age of a murderer in the country is between 16 and 25 years and involves young men who have been “traumatized by abuse and social deprivation”. The study also concluded that many people who exhibited violent behaviour as adults were once victims themselves who had experienced childhood trauma in their developmental years. In 2016, the authors recruited youth between the ages of 10-15 who were involved in misdemeanours such as bullying, disorderly behaviour and gang/ turf wars. Those who participated were referred to the programme by social workers, probation officers and guidance counsellors “in conjunction with the courts”. Once referred, the adolescents and their guardians were interviewed and a “thorough history” of their backgrounds were recorded. The programme ranged from six months to two years depending on the severity of each child’s circumstances. Arguing that a “hurt child” ultimately becomes a “dangerous adult,” the study sought to “intervene in the lives of troubled adolescents to prevent them from entering a life of crime and violence.” “Meeting twice a week, Mondays and Thursdays from 4pm-5.30pm, the adolescents would share their stories of trauma and shame in the presence of two facilitators,” an excerpt from the study read. “Their parents were mandated to attend a separate meeting on Wednesdays from 4pm-5.30pm.” Noting that family life was “non-existent or extremely chaotic” for the majority of the adolescents, the study revealed that many of those participating in the programme had experienced some form of physical, sexual or verbal childhood abuse or trauma from a parent or guardian. “While some of their grade point averages (GPA) were unknown to the programme facilitators, those that were known were very poor and ranged from 0.51.00,” the authors noted. “... The adolescents displayed attention and behavioural issues, but facilitators were adept at maintaining good dialogue and participation. The group process was made more difficult by the gang dynamics amongst some participants. After each meeting, the participants would often gather in their various gang groups to ensure their safe journey home.” Both of the facilitators were trained in psychotherapy. In many ways, they served as “mother and father figures” for the youths. The male facilitator was also a former gang leader who had obtained a college education after turning his life around. In the sessions, the facilitators found that the friend association was the “leading theme” discussed by the adolescents. This was because they believed that friendship was about safety rather than loyalty.

INSIGHT

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

Uncovering the early childhood traumas that lead to violence

LEADING psychiatrist David F Allen To them, friendship could mean people could be close friends today, but enemies tomorrow if an altercation arose between the parties. “Sadly, some of the participants live under serious threats because of gang involvement. They have shown us pictures of hitmen dressed in hoodies sent to their phone. The gang often represents the masculine part of the single-parent family. In other words, the gang is a perverse rescuer in that it promises the participants relief, but at the same time exposes them to greater danger and destruction.” The authors also realised that it took a significant amount of time before some of the adolescents shared things that were “really troubling them.” For example, it took a year for one participant to say that he had witnessed another young man being murdered. “Some of the adolescents also showed a lack of empathy and remorse,” the study noted. “After a severe stabbing at one of their schools, one of the young men was asked if he felt sorry for the victim. He said ‘Why should I? He’s not one of my boy’s.’ The implication was that unless there is a direct association, there’s

no reciprocal empathy.” Twenty-five of the courtordered adolescents took the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Questionnaire. The results indicated that eight of them scored four or higher. According to research, any score greater than three is significant. 15 males and 8 females participating in the programme also took a PTSD Self-Test. The results indicated that three of the adolescents did not have PTSD; seven had moderate PTSD; and thirteen had severe PTSD. The test results also indicated that 87-percent of the adolescents in the program had moderate or severe PTSD. “These results are significant because they support our hypothesis that many of our adolescents who are brought before the courts for minor infractions are in fact so traumatized that they have a bona-fide diagnosis of PTSD. “This means that they have flashbacks, murderous rage, poor impulse control, and feel hopeless about their life and future. As a result, when they are enticed, either by an individual, gang, or personal desire, they may do the most destructive acts.” A cohort of 23

Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff court-ordered adolescents took the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The results showed that 52-percent of the adolescents suffered from moderate to severe depression involving “deep-seated anger and rage.” The test also showed that seventeen percent of the participants suffered from borderline clinical depression, while 9-percent showed signs of a mild mood disturbance, and 22-percent had normal ups and downs. The study noted that all of these scores proved that the adolescents had “significant levels of PTSD and depression.” It also highlighted five specific case studies that supported their findings. In the first case, a 13-year-old girl scored 19, the highest score for the PTSD Self-Test. She also scored 38 on the BDI which indicated that she was severely depressed and showed signs of “strong suicidal ideation.” During the programme, the young girl claimed that she had given up on life although she had a 3.78, which indicated that she had a high level of intelligence. Moreover, while she was being cared for by her mother, the girl had little attachment to her and did not know her father.

She was referred to the programme by her mother because of her history with self-harm. A 16-year-old boy scored 13, the second highest score for the PTSD questionnaire, which indicated that he was suffering “severely” from the disorder. The young man, who was referred to the program by the courts for fighting, also scored 40 on his BDI, indicating severe depression. The authors believed the boy’s Haitian ancestry might have been a “contributing factor” to his depression. During the programme, the boy was convinced that Bahamian males were “out to get him” and was also very hostile. In the third case, a 14-year-old girl scored 12 on the PTSD questionnaire and 23 on her BDI which suggested she was suffering from moderate depression. She was also referred to the programme by the courts for fighting. The facilitators noted that the girl was “extremely impulsive and could easily self-destruct if not encouraged to change.” She was from a dysfunctional home and displayed a high level of anger. She was also failing school and was reading at a sixth-grade level.

A 15-year-old male scored eleven on the PTSD Self-Test. His score indicated that he was “severely traumatized.” During the programme, the boy did not seem to understand the “danger and vulnerability of his behaviour.” His reading ability was also at a third-grade level since he had dropped out of school and refused to attend another institution because of his Haitian nationality and gang affiliation. The authors noted that the boy had “explosive anger and expressed no remorse” for harming others. In the fifth case, a 14-yearold male scored nine on the PTSD Questionnaire and 20 on the BDI, which indicated that he was suffering from borderline clinical depression. The young man appeared to be very angry. His two brothers had been murdered and he was a gang leader who had a “cruel revenge streak.” He was diagnosed with severe PTSD and had “deepseated murderous rage.” The results of the pilot study proved that most of the adolescents in the courtordered program were born into difficult circumstances and had “estranged or non-existent relationships” with their parents. The programme also confirmed that many of the participants’ choices were influenced by friends or gang members. “Some of these adolescents have been sexually abused by a family member, leaving them extremely traumatized and shamed. Others have witnessed traumatic events such as the murder of a close friend or relative. Unfortunately, exposure to trauma, especially witnessing violence, is the norm for delinquent youth in juvenile detention. “Some of the participants are grieving the loss of a parent or sibling and their lives are characterized by mood swings, distrust, and depression...their trauma leads to severe anger which they self-medicate by abusing substances, stealing, and fighting. Many of them have experienced the Evil Violence Tunnel and have been violent towards themselves self-mutilation or attempted to fatally wound others.” Notably, the major issue that stood out in all of the adolescents was the “traumatized nature of their lives.” This proves that if the “early trauma” many young offenders experience is not addressed, it will lead to more destructive behaviour like murder in “later teenage years.” A Social Intervention for Court Ordered Adolescents - The Family: People Helping People Project David F. Allen, Keva Bethell, Denie Fountain and Marie Allen Carroll Editorial View - Page 6

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SO IS KANYE REALLY IN THE RUNNING TO BE PRESIDENT? US RAPPER Kanye West has said he wants to be president, potentially pitting him against a man he says he admires, Donald Trump. “We must now realise the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future,” he tweeted. “I am running for president of the United States!” His wife Kim Kardashian West and entrepreneur Elon Musk endorsed him. But it’s unclear whether West is really running. In his tweet on Saturday, US Independence Day, West, 43, did not say if his supposed run would be affiliated with a particular political party. In any case, contesting the nomination of one major parties would be impossible at this stage, with the election only four months away. In order to appear on the ballot as an independent candidate, West would have to gather a certain amount of signatures and register in states by a particular deadline. The deadline has already passed in some major states but the music star would still technically have time to file in many others. In 2018, West made a bizarre appearance at the White House with President Trump during which he wore a Make America Great Again hat and made an expletive-filled rant that Mr Trump described as “quite something”.

Monday, July 6, 2020, PAGE 11

13 killed, 59 wounded as Chicago ‘celebrates’ Fourth of July weekend CHICAGO Associated Press AT LEAST 13 people, including a 7-year-old girl at a family party and a teenage boy, were killed in Chicago over the Fourth of July weekend, police said. At least 59 others were shot and wounded. In one shooting, just before midnight on Saturday, four males opened fire on a large gathering in the street in the Englewood neighborhood, police spokesman Tom Ahern said. Two males died at the scene and two more, including a 14-year-old boy, died at a hospital, Ahern said. Four others were injured; one was in critical condition and the other three were in fair condition, Ahern said. The four attackers fled the scene. No one was arrested. The 7-year-old girl was fatally shot in the head while standing on the sidewalk at her grandmother’s house during a Fourth of July party around 7pm in the Austin neighborhood, police said. Suspects got out of a car and began shooting, police said. No one has been arrested. “Tonight, a 7-year-old girl in Austin joined a list of teenagers and children whose hopes and dreams were ended by the barrel of a gun,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said on Twitter late on Saturday. The mayor added: “As a city, we must wrap our arms around our youth so they understand there’s a future for them that isn’t wrapped up in gun violence.” The shootings this weekend that killed young people followed tragedy the weekend before when victims included a 1-year-old boy riding in a car with his mother and a 10-year-old girl who was inside her home when a bullet fired a block away pierced a window and struck her in the head as she sat on a couch.

OFFICERS investigate the scene of a shooting where a 7-year-old girl and a man were fatally shot in Chicago yesterday • ON A day meant for unity and celebration, President Donald Trump vowed to “safeguard our values” from enemies within — leftists, looters, agitators, he said — in a Fourth of July speech packed with all the grievances and combativeness of his political rallies. Trump watched paratroopers float to the ground in a tribute to America, greeted his audience of front-line medical workers and others central in responding to the coronavirus pandemic, and opened up on those who “slander” him and disrespect the country’s past. “We are now in the process of defeating the radical left, the anarchists, the agitators, the looters, and the people who, in many instances,

BIDEN LOOKS TO ACCELERATE SOUTHERN POLITICAL SHIFT ATLANTA Associated Press

FROM Mississippi retiring its state flag to local governments removing Confederate statues from public spaces, a bipartisan push across the South is chipping away at reminders of the Civil War and Jim Crow segregation. Now, during a national reckoning on racism, Democratic Party leaders want those symbolic changes to become part of a fundamental shift at the ballot box. Many Southern electorates are getting younger, less white and more urban, and thus less likely to embrace President Donald Trump’s white identity politics. Southern Democrats are pairing a demographically diverse slate of candidates for state and congressional offices with presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden, a 77-year-old white man they believe can appeal to what remains perhaps the nation’s most culturally conservative region. “There’s so much opportunity for everyone in this region,” said Jaime Harrison, Democratic challenger to South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and a 44-year-old black man. Decades of economic

GUARDS fold the retired Mississippi state flag after it was raised over the Capitol grounds in Jackson one final time development have coaxed new residents to the area. That includes white people from other parts of the country, Black families returning generations after the Great Migration north during the lynching and segregation era, and a growing Latino population. Harrison noted that even younger native Southerners, black and white, are less wed to hard-partisan identities than their parents and grandparents were. “Sometimes we get held back by leadership that’s still anchored in old ways,” Harrison said. But “all of these changes are starting

to move the dynamics in so many communities. … That’s not to say we’re forgetting our past. But it won’t be the thing that’s dragging us back.” The November elections will determine the extent of the change, with competitive races in the South affecting the presidency, US Senate control and the balance of power in statehouses from Raleigh, North Carolina, to Austin, Texas. Democratic victories would redefine policy fights over health insurance access and overhauling criminal justice procedures, among other matters.

COLUMBUS STATUE TOPPLED BY PROTESTERS

BALTIMORE Associated Press

BALTIMORE protesters pulled down a statue of Christopher Columbus and threw it into the city’s Inner Harbor on Saturday night. Demonstrators used ropes to topple the monument near the Little Italy neighborhood. Protesters mobilised by the death of George Floyd at the hands of police have called for the removal of statues of Columbus,

Confederate figures and others. They say the Italian explorer is responsible for the genocide and exploitation of native peoples in the Americas. According to The Baltimore Sun, the statue was owned by the city and dedicated in 1984 by former Mayor William Donald Schaefer and President Ronald Reagan. A spokesman for Baltimore Mayor Bernard C “Jack” Young told The Sun the toppling of the statue

is a part of a national and global reexamination over monuments “that may represent different things to different people.” “We understand the dynamics that are playing out in Baltimore are part of a national narrative,” Lester Davis said. Statues of Columbus have also been toppled or vandalized in cities such as Miami; Richmond, Virginia; St. Paul, Minnesota; and Boston, where one was decapitated.

have absolutely no clue what they are doing,” he said. “We will never allow an angry mob to tear down our statues, erase our history, indoctrinate our children. “And we will defend, protect and preserve (the) American way of life, which began in 1492 when Columbus discovered America.” He did not mention the dead from the pandemic. Nearly 130,000 are known to have died from COVID-19 in the US. Even as officials pleaded with Americans to curb their enthusiasm for large Fourth of July crowds, Trump enticed the masses with a “special evening” of tribute and fireworks staged with new US coronavirus infections on the rise. But

the crowds wandering the National Mall were strikingly thinner than the gathering for last year’s jammed celebration on the Mall. Trump did not hesitate to use the country’s birthday as an occasion to assail segments of the country that do not support him. Carrying on a theme he pounded on a day earlier against the backdrop of the Mount Rushmore monuments, he went after those who have torn down statues or think some of them, particularly those of Confederate figures, should be removed. Support has been growing among Republicans to remove Confederate memorials. “Our past is not a burden to be cast away,” Trump said.

SPORTS SECTION E

MONDAY, JULY 6, 2020

BLTA, PAGE 17

Gardiner obliterates Brown’s national record in the 300m By BRENT STUBBS Senior S[ports Reporter bnstubbs@tribunemedia.net

A

dd the Bahamas men’s national 300 metre record to the list of accomplishments for Steven Gardiner. Fresh off his season opener at the B3R Sports Invitational last weekend in 31.95 seconds, Gardiner came back on Sunday during the American Fourth of July Independence holiday weekend at the same venue in San Juan, Florida and won the V12 Summer Games’ race in a blistering time of 31.83. In the process, Gardiner obliterated Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown’s national record of 31.91 that he posted in 2007 in Osaka, Japan. Gardiner’s time was posted as the fastest for the year and 23rd on the world’s all-time list. Asa Guevara of Trinidad & Tobago was second in 32.60 behind Gardiner and Quantavious Poole was third in 33.48 on Sunday, just as they did in the same position last weekend. This time, Evan Miller of the Speed Starz Track/ Running Club was fourth in 35.44 as Gardiner’s new Bahamian training partner Kinard Rolle didn’t participate. “It feels good,” Gardiner told The Tribune after yesterday’s race. “We started out early this morning warming up and coach (Gary Evans) telling me what I had to do at the start and coming off the turn. “It was a good race. I think I could have done better on a better track. But I’m very happy with the way I performed.” The 24-year-old native of Abaco added the 300m to the list of Bahamas national records that includes the 200m straight in 19.88 at the Adidas Boost Boston Games on May 20, 2018, the 200m in 19.75 at the Hurricane Alumni Invitational in Coral Gables, Florida on April 7, 2018 and the 400m in 43.48 to win the gold medal at the World Athletics’ 2019 World Championships on October 4 in Doha, Qatar. “I feel good about it. I feel we are right on track to

STEVEN GARDINER, right, is congratulated by meet director Daniel Medley yesterday. where we could have been if we didn’t go through the coronavirus pandemic,” Gardiner said. “I know it was tough for us in training, but we were still able to

train and to do.” The Gardiner definitely how fast

do what we have 6-foot, 5-inch said the sky is the limit on just he can go. He

anticipates that he will contest a 200m this weekend and see what happens. “I definitely want to continue to surprise myself,” said Gardiner when asked about

the race yesterday. “My start and the turn was much better. This time, I actually ran the turn. The first time, I almost fell because the track was tight.”

Back in lane five again, lightning struck twice for Gardiner. But Evans said this race was just the tip of the iceberg. “He ran well. He has more in the tank,” was how Evans summed up the performance. “I think he could have set up the race a little bit better, but he came home strong. “He didn’t start the way he started the previous race. It could have been better, but we take what God gave us and move on to our next challenge, which will be possibly a 200m.” At some point, maybe this season because it’s an off year with the Olympics postponed until 2021 because of the coronavirus, Evans said Gardiner could possibly make an assault on Brown’s 800m record of 1:49.54 that he set at the Central American and Caribbean Games on August 17, 1998 in Maracaibo, Venezuela. But for sure, Gardiner will participate in a 200m race this weekend either in Florida, Georgia or North Carolina, once he can get to compete against a different crop of pro athletes. “You put your race together and you work on it the way you do in practice,” said Evans about the possibility of trying to lower the national 200m record. “You just hope the clock stops at what you would like it to stop at. “I think it’s still early because we haven’t been doing a lot of speed work. With the season being messed up the way it was, we had to go to grass to train. We have only been on the track about two days a week since March.” With just about nine sessions on the track in that span of time, Evans said he’s amazed and astonished by Gardiner’s performance as he continues to improve with each passing year. In preparation for the race, Gardiner said he stayed home on Saturday, watched television and cooked up a meal of baked chicken with white rice and cole slaw. To celebrate his feat, he said he did some ribs for his Sunday meal.

Miller-Uibo has double dose of victory By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net IN her first meet since settling for the silver in the women’s 400 metres at the IAAF World Championships last October, Shaunae Miller-Uibo was back on the track with a double dose of world-leading performances in the 200 and 400 metres. Celebrating the USA’s Fourth of July Independence on Saturday at the Showdown in Otown Meet at the Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida, Miller-Uibo used her sixfoot, one-inch frame to easily blow away the field in the one-lap race in 50.52 seconds. The nearest rival to the Adidas-sponsored Bahamian in the opening event of the meet was Nike’s Kaylin Whitney in 51.99. Carline Muir of Puma was third in 53.26. In one of the two final events to close off the meet, Miller-Uibo came back in

the 200m and ran 22.61 to win the half-lap race well ahead of Lynn Irby, another Adidas representative, who finished second in 23.06. Shacarri Richardson of Nike was third in 23.14. “I’m happy with my performances,” Miller-Uibo told The Tribune. “This was our first competition back in nine months and with all the setbacks we had to encounter this year, we’re pretty pleased with where we are at.” Miller-Uibo, 26, also got to watch as her husband Maicel Uibo, the Estonian decathlete also representing Adidas, competed in the 200m, placing 14th overall in the men’s 100m in 11.27. He trailed American world and Olympic triple jump champion Christian Taylor, who was 13th overall in 10.80. Kenny Bednarek of Nike won the race in 10:14. Taylor, representing Puma, was the lone competitor in the men’s triple jump, clearing 16.75 metres or 54-feet and 11 1/2-inches.

Miller, who ran an area and national record of 48.37 on October 3 in Doha, Qatar, only to lose out to Bahrain’s champion Salwa Eid Naser’s blistering time of 48.14 at the World Championships, said her performance was just an indication of what to expect this year. “I’m not sure exactly what all meets we will have lined up for the year, but I’m’ very happy that we

SHAUNAE Miller-Uibo reacts in this file photo after winning the 200 metres at the Weltklasse IAAF Diamond League international athletics meeting in Zurich. (AP)

are at least getting a chance to compete this season,” Miller-Uibo said. The meet was a prelude to the ‘Weltklasse Zurich Inspiration Games on July 9 when Miller-Uibo will compete against Allyson Felix of the United States and Mujinga Kambundji of Switzerland in a race against the clock simultaneously in the 150m from their respective locations. During the race, MillerUibo will be showcased from Miramar, Florida, while Felix, the six-time Olympic champion, will compete from Walnut, California, and Kambundji will be in Zurich, Switzerland. “The goal for the rest of the year is to stay healthy and use the year as a build up for 2021 and as always have some fun,” MillerUibo summed up. As she prepares for next year, Miller-Uibo will be looking at duplicating her gold-medal winning feat in the 400m in 49.44 at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

PAGE 14, Monday, July 6, 2020

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NBA emphasises mental health as teams await Disney ‘bubble’ By BRETT MARTEL AP Sports Writer NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jrue Holiday expects basketball to be the easy part. The Pelicans guard will be living in the NBA’s “bubble” when 22 teams gather near Orlando, Florida, this month to resume their suspended season. Holiday’s wife, Lauren, a former US national team soccer player, is pregnant with the couple’s second child at a time when much of society has been shut down by the coronavirus pandemic. The veteran New Orleans player might be away from home for more than a month. Meanwhile, Memphis rookie Ja Morant expects to miss his daughter’s first birthday next month. Boston’s Gordon Hayward may leave the team when his fourth child is born in September. And players like Washington’s Bradley Beal and Portland’s Damian Lillard wonder how intense NBA restrictions on player movement will be received. These are but a few examples of why the NBA, its teams and the players’ union are making mental health and wellness resources available to players now and once they arrive at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex. “It is going to leave the guys with a lot of time on their own, and challenges with families, newborns and whatever else they have going on in their personal lives are going to be magnified because they’re going to be in confined spaces for prolonged periods of time,” said William Parham, a Loyola Marymount psychology professor and director of the National

NEW Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday (11) handles the ball against Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant in the first half of an NBA basketball game in Memphis, Tenn. on January 20. The unusual resumption of the NBA season during the coronavirus pandemic is making mental health a priority. Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday expects basketball to be the easy part of living in the NBA’s “bubble” when 22 teams gather in Central Florida to resume their suspended seasons later this month. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill) Basketball Players Association’s mental health and wellness programme. “There’s no way around it, so I would anticipate some increased anxiety, some increased tension, some increased restlessness.” There will be no fans at Disney. There also will be restrictions on where players can go, plus rules keeping families away until at least the second round of the playoffs. The hope is to significantly limit exposure to COVID-19 inside the bubble. Even under normal circumstances, Holiday sees family time as a cherished respite. Life at Disney will clearly complicate that. “This is one of the mental parts about it that guys have to adjust to, where someone like me, I go home and it’s where I kind of relax,” Holiday said.

“I try my best not to bring my work home with me so I can hang out with my wife, my dog, and my daughter and I can do things like that. ... I think that’s going to be a little bit of a challenge, especially after like seven to 10 days.” Likewise, Beal said living in the bubble will hardly be “a walk in the park.” “We can’t just leave. We can’t just order whatever food we want. We can’t just do activities we want to do. We can’t go to our teammates’ rooms,” Beal said. “You’re restricted, and you can’t do the things that you’re normally used to doing.” The Pelicans’ mental health and wellness programme is led by team psychologist Jenna Rosen, and New Orleans general manager David Griffin calls it “critical.”

“Let’s not kid ourselves. This quarantine situation is going to be very difficult,” Griffin said. “We will work through mindfulness training with Jenna literally every day. ... It’s going to be about who can keep themselves in the best frame of mind, quite frankly.” Mental health has been a priority for the NBA and the NBPA, especially after players like Cleveland’s Kevin Love and San Antonio’s DeMar DeRozan opened up about their inner struggles. DeRozan knows it won’t be easy at Disney. “It’s tough,” he said. “You’re taking guys who’ve been with their families every single day for the last few months and all of a sudden separating everybody into this one confined space and taking away a lot

SACRAMENTO Kings coach Luke Walton says guard Chavano “Buddy” Hield is “doing much better” after testing positive for COVID-19. (AP) of joyful things that we do outside of basketball.” Milwaukee forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has played for Greece’s national team, said being away for three weeks during international tournaments was challenging. This trip to Disney could last three months if the Bucks make the NBA Finals. “Not being able to see your family, being there for three months, playing games with no fans, it’s going to be mental,” Antetokounmpo said. “You’ve got to push yourself through this.” Daniel Medina, the Wizards’ chief of athletic care and performance, said some players are concerned that an interrupted season might make them more prone to injury, which could be career-altering to players with expiring contracts. Some have decided not to play, notably Indiana’s Victor Oladipo. Parham, who helped launch the NBPA’s mental health programme in 2018,

expects many players to handle the resumption well. He noted that after three months of relative isolation at home, they’ll be eager to satisfy their appetite for competition. Still, the unprecedented nature of the bubble, born out of a pandemic blamed for about a half-million deaths worldwide, will present challenges. Another issue, Parham said, is how the restart coincides with the political and social upheaval spawned by the death of George Floyd, a Black man, while in police custody. “Prior to COVID, and prior to these social justice demonstrations, there were sufficient daily distractions for people to not really even think about their stuff. They were just sort of on automatic pilot,” Parham said. “You know what they say: A person will never see their reflection in running water. It is only when the water is still that their reflected image begins to emerge.”

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU WINS ROCKET MORTGAGE CLASSIC BY 3 SHOTS By LARRY LAGE AP Sports Writer DETROIT (AP) — Bryson DeChambeau pounded protein shakes and lifted iron to transform his body, adding 40 pounds of mass, and changed his game to put a premium on power. The plan is working. With jaw-dropping drives and some clutch putts, DeChambeau won the Rocket Mortgage Classic

by three strokes yesterday for his first victory of the season and sixth overall. He became the first PGA Tour player since 2004 to lead a tournament in driving distance, along with shots gained off the tee and putting. “This is a little emotional for me because I did do something a little different,” the 26-yearold DeChambeau said. “I changed my body, changed my mindset in the game and I was able to accomplish a

win while playing a completely different style of golf. And, it’s pretty amazing to see that. I hope it’s an inspiration to a lot of people.” DeChambeau shot a 7-under 65 at Detroit Golf Club, birdieing four of the first seven holes and closing with three straight. He finished at a career-best 23-under 265. Matthew Wolff (71) was second. He started the day with a three-shot lead and

hurt his chances with five bogeys over his first 10 holes. Kevin Kisner (66) finished another stroke back as part of a relatively weak field that continued to trend of exceptional play since the PGA Tour restarted. “The level of play on tour in these first four weeks has been incredible, cuts at 4 and 5 under every week,” Kisner said. With a strong finish, DeChambeau removed all

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doubt that he would win the second Rocket Mortgage Classic. He made a 30-foot birdie putt at No. 16, which he said was his shot of the day. He also had a short putt for birdie on the next hole. And finally, he uncorked a 367-yard drive to set up another short putt at 18. DeChambeau came into the week with six straight top-eight finishes and was the only player with top 10s in the first three events after the restart from the coronavirus pandemic. He won for the first time since the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in November 2018. DeChambeau has dramatically altered his body, packing about 240 pounds on his 6-foot-1 body, and took advantage of the extra time he had to work on his physique during the COVID-19 pandemic. “He understands what is the key to gaining the biggest advantage and that’s distance, and mega distance,” Kisner said. “He just has too much time on his hands. He needs to start getting married and having kids and feel like the rest of us.” DeChambeau’s power was on full display in the Motor City with drives that went 351 yards on average after looking like he might swing out of his spikes. When DeChambeau was on the tee box at the 399yard, par-4 13th, he waited

for the next group to leave the green before hitting his drive so that he didn’t hit any fellow competitors. “No, I’ve never done that,” he acknowledged. “I really could have gotten there.” His drive on the 621yard, par-5 fourth went way left and landed in greenside rough on an adjacent hole. He cleared towering trees and landed just short of the green, sending his approach 276 yards and he twoputted from 37 feet. “That was probably my second best moment of the day,” DeChambeau said. “I got really quite honestly pretty lucky being able to get over these trees and let it land and roll onto the front edge of the green.” As his body and power becomes a fixation for those who follow golf, more eyes are on him and it bothered him during the third round. On Saturday, DeChambeau had a testy exchange with a TV cameraman after a bogey on the sixth hole. After the third round, he bristled that it isn’t right showing a potential vulnerability and hurting someone’s image. DeChambeau, though, tried to soften his stance on the issue Sunday by saying the cameraman was just trying to do his job. During the final round, he was also briefly distracted by a commotion outside the course. While a Black Lives Matter protests was gathering outside the Detroit Golf Club, breaking the silence of the fan-free event with chants and air horns, DeChambeau took some time to reset before hitting a 366-yard drive. “I know there’s a lot of strife and trouble going on right now,” he said. “I love that everybody’s voicing their opinion and I think that they deserve to do so. “We’re golfers here trying to provide the best entertainment. I think that’s the most important thing that we can do.”

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Monday, July 6, 2020, PAGE 15

Ayton looks to NBA restart as opportunity to make history By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net A rejuvenated Deandre Ayton looks ahead to the NBA restart at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida as an opportunity to make history. The second year Phoenix Suns centre met with a myriad of media outlets via Zoom and addressed the issues ahead to a return to the court including his personal goals, team goals and glaring health issues amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “I trust the league. It is dangerous. It is a thing. I think if we just follow the rules correctly, we will be good,” Ayton said. The league restart in Orlando will feature the 16 teams currently in playoff position and six teams within six games of eighth place in each conference. Each team will play eight “seeding games” followed by the traditional playoff format. In the race for the eighth and final playoff spot in the

Western Conference, The Suns are No.13 in the conference at 26-39, six games behind the No.8 Memphis Grizzlies (32-33). If the No.9 seed finishes more than four games behind the No.8 seed, No. 8 will make the playoffs. If they are fewer than games behind the teams will complete in a play-in tournament. Despite pundits showing little favour of the Suns’ chances of getting into the playoffs, Ayton said his organisation remains singularly focused. “It’s a little window to make the playoffs and make some history,” he said. “That’s all that’s on our mind. We’re young and hungry, and we’re ready to play.” On July 31, the Suns will face the Washington Wizards. They will go on to face the Mavericks (August 2), Los Angeles Clippers (August 4), Indiana Pacers (August 6), Miami Heat (August 8), Oklahoma City Thunder (August 10), Philadelphia 76ers (August 11) and the Mavericks for a second time (August 13).

PHOENIX Suns centre Deandre Ayton (22) plays in the second half of a game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday, January 26, 2020, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill) The Suns leave for Orlando tomorrow to begin training camp, which includes a trio of scrimmages. In his second NBA season, Ayton is averaging 19 points, 12 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 54 per cent from the field in just 30 games. According to Basketball Reference, his player efficiency is ranked at No.35 in the league at 20.5. Ayton has had several challenges this season, most

notably when he missed time with a 25-game suspension due to violating the NBA’s substance abuse policy. He also missed seven games this season due to an injured ankle, including a withdrawal from the 2020 NBA Rising Stars game at NBA All-Star Weekend. “I could have been stopped a lot, and I didn’t stop. I stayed on the positive path, and I have the Suns community and the Suns organisation that kept

me taking the right steps to where I am today,” Ayton said. “It was a humbling experience, and it gave me some humility in a way. That’s why I think I enjoyed my family and them being there for me. I’m just ready to work now, ready to show them that their comforting (me) and support didn’t (get taken) for granted. It really helped me. It helped me get up every day and be consistent.” The former No.1 overall pick has been much maligned in the media and said he looks to change his public perception with some changes on the court to his defensive effort and a three pointer that he says he now shoots “like a [mid range jumper]. “I’ve been in the dirt in the media. Me, I think I’m on my way on closing the media’s mouth shut completely in a way for them to rock with me. Not that I want them to rock with me but that’s just the right thing to do,” Ayton said. “I tried to block every shot this season,” Ayton

said. “Even on ball switches, I was trying my best to press up no matter what. Every opportunity that I had to really show my defence (I took), because I know everybody’s watching me on defence no matter what….I just tried to prove everybody wrong coming back. It was just a big chip.” During his downtime since the league suspended play on March 11, Ayton said his time away from basketball allowed him to focus on his personal development. “I felt like I was back in high school. I didn’t really have a hard time. I definitely took advantage of taking that break, taking that load off, and I think that’s why I have so much energy,” he said. “I try to just focus on controlling what I can control..I try to just live the best way I can live.” Ayton also joined several philanthropic efforts, including an initiative to feed employees of the Talking Stick Resort Arena while it remained inactive due to the COVID-19 fallout.

CORONAVIRUS BEHIND HIM, UTAH’S RUDY GOBERT LOOKING FORWARD By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer THERE were the tweets from strangers. “I hate you.” “You ruined the whole world.” “You deserve it.” And there was the scorn from inside his own locker room, the presumption that he infected a teammate with coronavirus, the suggestion that his recklessness somehow caused the entire sporting world to come to an absolute standstill. Utah centre Rudy Gobert is still standing tall, after all that and more. Plenty of eyes will be on Gobert when the NBA season, the one that shut down March 11 when he became the first player in the league to be diagnosed with the coronavirus, takes a giant step toward returning by having teams gather at the Disney complex in Central Florida over the next few days. The Jazz will be a fascinating case study during this restart, particularly regarding whether or not Gobert and Donovan Mitchell — a fellow All-Star who was diagnosed with the virus shortly after the shutdown began and did not hide his anger with Gobert about it all — can coexist peacefully again. “I’m happy now. I’m in a good place, you know,” Gobert told reporters Friday. “And I’m happy

that I get the joy back from playing basketball with my team and the competitiveness is back. I’m ready to try to go out there and try to win the championship. That’s the goal. And to be honest, after everything we’ve been through as a team and as human beings, it would be a great comeback.” Gobert answered questions for about 11 minutes. He talked about the relationship with Mitchell. (”It’s never going to be perfect,” he said, acknowledging strains that have been no secret.) He talked about the potential of signing a lucrative extension — he’s supermax-eligible — with the Jazz, which could happen before next season. (”I don’t plan on leaving right now,” he said.) He talked about his recovery from the virus, which is ongoing, at least in how his sense of smell hasn’t totally recovered. (”Smelling, I took that for granted too. It’s back now, it’s back at 80%, I’m not worried,” he said.) He spoke softly, calmly, thoughtfully. And even though he is the two-time reigning NBA defensive player of the year, he didn’t swat any question away. “Obviously, when you have the whole world judging you and threatening you or sending you a lot of negative energy and stuff like that, it’s something that I would say is not easy as a human

UTAH Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) talks with guard Donovan Mitchell. (AP) being,” Gobert said. “But at the same time, people just judge you on the perception they have and the perception they get. Sometimes it can be one picture, one video, one interview, one action.” In this case, that’s pretty much exactly what happened. A picture, a video, an interview, an action. It was the start of the downfall. It was the morning of March 9: Before leaving a media session at shoot-around in Salt Lake City on Monday in advance of a game against Detroit, Gobert touched all the tape recorders that were

placed before him on a table, devices that reporters who cover the Jazz were using. He meant it as a joke. When he tested positive two days later, it was no laughing matter. The Jazz were in Oklahoma City, just moments away from starting a game against the Thunder, when word came that Gobert tested positive. The game was called off. The season was suspended that same night. Just like that, Gobert was a center of negative attention. “First of all, you make sure he’s OK,” said Orlando guard Evan Fournier, a fellow French national-team player, who reached out often to check on Gobert. “You know, you call him and once we’re on the phone or just talking, text, whatever, you just ask him a few questions. How is he feeling, blah, blah, blah. And then once he starts to open up and say things about how he sees the whole situation, then you just try to give your best judgment to him. And you know, that’s what I did.” Gobert immediately started trying to show remorse. He donated $200,000 to a fund established to help those who work part-time at Jazz games, people who lost income because contests were canceled. More money — about $310,000 — went to families affected by the pandemic

in Utah and Oklahoma City, plus in his native France. He taped a public-service announcement for the league. “I won’t be able to control everyone’s perception of me, but I can control my actions,” Gobert said. “I can control, you know, the things I do for the people around me, for the community, the things I do for my teammates on the court, off the court. All that stuff, I can control and that’s what really matters to me.” For his part, Mitchell said the relationship with Gobert has improved. “Right now, we’re good,” Mitchell said Thursday. “We’re going out there ready to hoop.” The Jazz have secured a playoff berth. They’ll be without the injured Bojan Bogdanovic for the remainder of the season, yet still have enough depth to be considered a contender in the Western Conference. And Gobert expects he and Mitchell, on the court anyway, will be fine. “As long as we respect one another and we both share the same goals and we both do what’s best for the team, that’s what matters,” Gobert said. “And, you know, I think over the last few years that’s what we’ve been doing and that’s what we plan on continuing doing.”

HARVICK TAKES ADVANTAGE OF HAMLIN’S CRASH TO WIN BRICKYARD By MICHAEL MAROT AP Sports Writer INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Kevin Harvick turned up the pressure on Denny Hamlin late in the Brickyard 400. And on a cooling track, Hamlin’s worn tires simply gave out. As the sun set Sunday over Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Hamlin seven laps from one of the few victories that has eluded him, he went careening into the first turn wall with a flat right frontside tire, and Harvick beat Matt Kenseth off the final restart to win his second straight Brickyard. “We had great tire wear today, so I was able to really push my car as hard as I could,” Harvick said after his third 400 title. “I was able to push him a little harder that last run than earlier in the race and when the sun went down the track was cooling and speeds were going up in the turns.” The strategy worked out perfectly — just like Stewart-Haas Racing’s holiday weekend. Not only did Harvey race to his 53rd victory to move within one of tying Lee Petty for 11th on NASCAR’s career list, teammates Aric Almirola and Cole Custer, a rookie, finished third and fifth Sunday. Fellow StewartHaas driver Chase Briscoe won the Xfinity Series race Saturday or the road course.

Harvick tied Hamlin with a season-high fourth victoy and lead in the points. The California driver has four straight top-10 finishes. And for the third straight race, it looked as if it would be another one-two finish for Harvick and Hamlin. But until the late, stunning twist, Hamlin looked as though he would take his first Brickyard. “It’s just, it’s tough. I hate it for the FedEx team,” the frustrated Hamlin said. “It was just kind of roulette if it (the tire) stays together or not and mine didn’t.” How dominant have Harrvick and Hamlin been recently? After trading victories and runner-up finishes at Pocono last week and Sunday’s result, they’ve combined for seven of 12 victories since the season restarted at Darlington in mid-May and it’s only the second time in seven races Hamlin and his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing entry hasn’t finished in the top seven. But as Childers plotted strategy and monitored tire wear, he sensed Hamlin was on borrowed time. “We tried to play it a little safe and we had backed down ours down a little bit to save our tires,” he said. “It just depends on how that situation plays out at the race and it just so happened we were out there a long time on tires so backing down was the way to go.” Kenseth couldn’t catch him.

“We were really fast,” the Chip Ganassi Racing driver said. “I think if we were in front, would have been tough to beat. One person was noticeably absent: Seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson in No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports car. Johnson watched the race from his Colorado home as the series’ longest active streak of consecutive and fifth-longest in series history ended at 663. Johnson was hoping to become the third driver to win five races on the 2.5-mile oval. Instead, Justin Allgaier replaced him in the car and he didn’t stick around long. Allgaier was involved in a six-car pileup near the entrance to pit road that brought out a red flag on Lap 16 when one of Ryan Blaney’s crew members was pinned between two cars. Track workers put Zachary Price on a stretcher. He was eventually transported to a nearby hospital but there was no immediate post-race update. Two laps later, Allgaier’s day was over. “I didn’t know if I got the gentleman on the No. 12 or not,” Allgaier said. “Once the wreck started happening in front of us and we all got bottled up there, one car after another was getting run into. It’s just a shame. I hate it for these guys.” Kurt Busch also had a rough day after making his 700th career start. After starting second, his hopes for winning one of the Cup’s

crown jewels faded with an early pit stop mistake. A plane flew over the track during pre-race activities to celebrate the milestone, which broke a tie with Hall of Famer Buddy Baker for No. 16 on the series career list. NASCAR’s weather problems also continued, this time with the start

delayed 55 minutes for lightning. But once the race started, it was clean sailing for Harvick. He led for most of the first stage before giving way to William Byron, who chose not to pit with nine laps to go, and then won the second stage before earning the big prize.

“We weren’t going to get by him (Hamlin) unless he made a huge mistake and obviously his tire was wearing out,” Harvick said. “His car was a little better than me on the long run. We were better on the restarts so we would have needed a caution we couldn’t have beaten him on a green.”

PAGE 16, Monday, July 6, 2020

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MATCHDAY: SPURS FACE RESURGENT EVERTON IN EPL (AP) — A look at what’s happening around European soccer today: ENGLAND Separated by one point, Tottenham and Everton are languishing in midtable and struggling to secure European qualification for next season ahead of their meeting in the Premier League. With just one win in three matches since the restart, 10th-place

Tottenham has slipped 10 points adrift of the Champions League places and realistically is fighting for a spot in the Europa League now. Jose Mourinho’s team is four points behind seventh-place Arsenal. Everton is unbeaten since the resumption and seeking a third straight win. SPAIN Sevilla can move closer to securing a Champions League spot

when it hosts relegation-threatened Eibar. A win will give Sevilla a sixpoint gap to fifth-place Villarreal with four rounds to go. Seventhplace Real Sociedad visits midtable Levante looking to stay in contention for a Europa League spot at least. GERMANY Heidenheim can push Werder Bremen out of the Bundesliga

for the first time since 1981 in the second leg of their promotion-relegation playoff. The first leg in Bremen on Thursday finished 0-0. That leaves everything to play for in the second leg in the small southern city of Heidenheim, which has never hosted top-flight soccer. Werder is without captain and centre back Niklas Moisander after he was sent off in the first game.

Madrid moves closer to Spanish title with 7th straight victory By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer MADRID (AP) — With another decisive penalty kick from Sergio Ramos, Real Madrid extended its perfect run after the coronavirus break and moved closer to its first Spanish league title in three years. Ramos scored his fifth goal since the season resumed as Madrid defeated Athletic Bilbao 1-0 on Sunday to keep a four-point lead over Barcelona, which beat fifth-place Villarreal 4-1. Luis Suárez and Antoine Griezmann were among the scorers for Barcelona after assists from Lionel Messi. Ramos converted a 73rdminute penalty to give Madrid its seventh straight victory and it remained the only team with a perfect record since the league resumed. “These three points are very important, we knew this was going to be one of the difficult matches we had left,” Ramos said. “This was a key victory to try to put some pressure on Barcelona. We only depend on ourselves.” It was the third straight 1-0 win by Madrid. It has

four matches left as it chases its first league title since 2017. “We can’t relax or think about the title until we clinch it mathematically,” Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said. “But I admit that winning seven games in a row is impressive.” Ramos had already scored a late winner from the penalty spot in Madrid’s 1-0 win against Getafe on Thursday, and he also netted from the spot in the 2-1 win at Real Sociedad last month. Ramos converted on Sunday after video review determined there was a foul when midfielder Dani García stepped on left back Marcelo’s right foot inside the area. Athletic wanted a penalty for a similar foul by Ramos away from the ball a few moments later, but the game was allowed to continue. “I’m tired of always talking about the same thing,” Zidane said. “It seems like we only win thanks to the referees, and that’s not true. The players deserve respect.” Eighth-place Athletic was coming off two straight victories and had won three

FC Barcelona players celebrate their opening goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match against Villareal at La Ceramica stadium in Villareal, Spain, yesterday. (AP) of its last four matches, with the only setback a loss at Barcelona. Madrid was without forward Eden Hazard and defender Raphael Varane because of minor injuries. Zidane said James Rodríguez asked not to be in the squad for personal reasons but did not elaborate. BARCELONA REBOUNDS Two-time defending champion Barcelona ended its two-match winless streak with Messi setting up goals by Suárez in the 20th and Griezmann in the 45th. It had opened the scoring with an own-goal

by Pau Torres in the third minute, and Ansu Fati netted the final goal in the 87th. Gerard Moreno scored for the hosts in the 14th. “These points were important to keep us in the fight for the title,” Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué said. “We will keep pushing even though we know it’s going to be complicated.” Suárez’s strike was his 194th goal with Barcelona, tying him with Ladislao Kubala as the club’s third all-time highest scorer, behind César Rodríguez (232) and Messi (630). Griezmann, back in the starting lineup, hadn’t

scored since February. Messi had a goal disallowed for offside in the 69th and hit the crossbar with a free kick in second-half stoppage time. Barcelona led when the league was suspended but had drawn three of its six matches since the return, including the last two. It entered the match against Villarreal with coach Quique Setién under pressure because of the team’s poor run of results. Villarreal had won five of its six matches after the break. It stayed three points behind fourth-place Sevilla, which hosts relegation-threatened Eibar on Monday.

FRANCES TIAFOE HAS COVID-19, EXITS TENNIS EVENT IN ATLANTA ATLANTA (AP) — Frances Tiafoe has tested positive for the coronavirus and withdrawn from the All-American Team Cup tennis tournament. Tiafoe was scheduled to face Tennys Sandgren on Saturday in the weekend tournament involving eight top American men’s players at Life Time Fitness in Peachtree Corners. The event is allowing a limited number of fans and not requiring masks, though will provide them if requested. Tiafoe defeated Sam Querrey on Friday, but was showing symptoms after the match and a test was positive. Tiafoe, a 22-year-old who reached the 2019 Australian Open quarterfinals, left the event site and was replaced by Christopher Eubanks. Tiafoe was captain of Team Stars, playing against John Isner’s Team Stripes. Top-ranked Novak Djokovic and three other pro players had tested positive for the virus after playing in a similar exhibition event in Europe. The pro tennis tours are suspended until August. The No. 81-ranked Tiafoe wrote on Twitter that he had been training in Florida and had tested negative there as recently as a week ago. He said he has begun the quarantine protocol recommended by the tournament staff and will be retested next week. Tournament officials said they had begun deep cleaning and sanitising the event site, along with alerting people who may have been exposed.

CORONAVIRUS TESTING A STRESS THREAT FOR ATHLETIC BUDGETS By ERIC OLSON AP College Football Writer COASTAL Carolina already had one of the smaller athletic budgets in the Football Bowl Subdivision, and that was before a 15% spending cut was ordered because of projected declines in state funding and student fees stemming from the coronavirus pandemic. Facing the prospect of having to pay for testing of returning athletes and staff for the virus this summer, athletic director Matt Hogue went to work finding a way to defray costs. His 19-sport program includes about 450 athletes, and with individual tests currently

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costing about $100, testing could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars by the end of the 2020-21 academic year. Hogue found help from a local health care company — a longtime sponsor of Coastal Carolina athletics — that will provide free tests, at least while athletes are coming back to campus this summer. “Some of the tools and tactics you have to employ because you are at an institution where you have to watch your dollars, that already may have you prepared to see some solutions you might not if you’re at a school that can just simply write a check,” Hogue said. “We have to be creative,” he added.

Athletic departments can’t always count on their insurance carriers or those of the athletes’ families to pay for testing. According to federal guidance issued June 23, insurers are required to cover individuals who show symptoms or have been exposed to someone who is symptomatic; so-called surveillance testing is not part of the mandate. A few hours’ drive from Coastal Carolina, East Carolina is dealing with managing the cost of testing and safety protocols amid financial problems that led the American Athletic Conference school to cut four varsity sports in May. Athletic director Jon Gilbert said the school has already

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budgeted $100,000 for coronavirus expenses that include testing and supplies such as masks; he expects to exceed that amount and said some schools could end up spending $500,000, depending on the number of cases. “It is extremely challenging because of the unknown,” Gilbert said. “And the unknown is: We can bring a team back in August when school starts, and we can test them and everybody be negative – but as soon as they leave their bubble and they go into the general population, then we’re all vulnerable to being infected.” Nebraska’s $140 million budget in 2019-20 is more than five times greater than

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Coastal Carolina’s $25.5 million. The Cornhuskers’ 24-sport program has about 600 athletes and is one of a handful that makes money. Though a 10% budget cut was announced recently, the program is able to absorb the cost of testing, in part because of its affiliation with the university’s medical school. Athletic director Bill Moos and Hogue both said following best practices for testing, as recommended by NCAA and conference medical experts, is the only option when dealing with the health of athletes. “We’re not going to skimp,” Moos said. “That is a legitimate expense and it’s something we are prepared to incur.” Coastal Carolina and Nebraska have taken similar approaches in bringing athletes back to campus for voluntary workouts. Each athlete is tested upon their return and, if the result is negative, there is no plan to test the athlete again unless they show symptoms. Temperature checks are done on everybody entering athletic facilities. Neither school has announced plans for inseason testing procedures. Experts have said football players should be tested at least once or twice a week in order to be cleared to play in that week’s game. The financial burden could be eased in time: Laboratories are developing methods for testing multiple athletes simultaneously, a process known as pooled testing and commonly used to screen blood donors for diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. Sean Murray, president of Eurofins laboratory in Des Moines, Iowa, said pooling screens a large group of asymptomatic people when there is an expectation few of them will test positive; it would not save time or resources in virus hot spots. An example: Nasal or saliva samples are taken from 10 athletes. Half of each sample is combined with the others and run

through a singular test. If it comes back negative, all 10 athletes are cleared. If it’s positive, the remaining sample from each athlete would be tested separately to identify the infected athlete or athletes. Assuming the pool test is negative, Murray estimated the cost at about $150 — $15 per athlete — to test 10 samples together as opposed to $1,000 to test 10 samples separately. Labs offering sample pool tests for coronavirus would need to apply for emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration, which has not yet cleared the technique. The FDA issued some early guidance on the testing method, but wants to first determine that mixing samples doesn’t reduce accuracy. “That’s the big limiting factor from us actually doing it,” said Brett Lewis, East Tennessee State director of sports medicine. “The people we go through right now, they prefer not to do it until the FDA kind of gives the go-ahead, like yeah, this is a good avenue to go through.” Dr. Brian Hainline, the NCAA chief medical officer, said sample pool testing has proved successful when testing for HIV among pooled blood donors. “Similar strategies, assuming high sensitivity, are also very promising for COVID-19 testing,” he said. Dr. Greg Stewart, team physician for Tulane athletics and the head of the American Athletic Conference’s COVID-19 medical advisory team, said sample pool testing makes sense and can save a “ton of money.” Stewart did note the importance of timing: If a pool test were done the Thursday before a Saturday game and it turned up positive, there might not be enough time to process the individual tests to identify the infected athletes.

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Monday, July 6, 2020, PAGE 17

NEWLY elected BLTA president Perry Newton (centre in neck tie) poses above with his executives.

BLTA: NEWTON’S ENTIRE SLATE OF OFFICERS ELECTED UNOPPOSED By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net AFTER a landslide victory for the president’s post, Perry Newton’s entire slate of officers went in unopposed during the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s election of officers at the annual general meeting. Just before the elections took place in front of a huge crowd at the National Tennis Centre, outgoing president Darnett Weir and her executives were summoned to court in a legal battle over the legality of the proceedings. Immediately after getting the mandate to proceed, Vincent Strachan, president of the Bahamas Boxing Federation, conducted the elections that saw Newton win 117-15 over former female national team player Dyphany Mortier. “If there’s such a thing as being overconfident, I was confident that I had the support from the tennis community,” Newton said. “I feel like I’ve touched a lot of lives in a positive way, so it was just humbling that people saw the plans that me and my team had and

they wanted to see us go out there and accomplish them.” One by one, it was a domino effect as Newton’s list of candidates filled the spots available with Michael Butler voted in as the new first vice president, Chilean Burrows as second vice president, John Laramore as general secretary, Cameel McDonald as assistant secretary, Timothy Dames as treasurer and Yvette Godet as assistant treasurer. Elected as council members were Tara Mactaggart, Everette Munroe, the husband/wife team of Bernard and Shayvon Clarke and Steve Taylor. Mickey Williams and Corey Francis will serve as NTC directors. “This is such a relief. I am happy and excited. Me and my team have been planning for a while. Now it’s all done. It’s now all about putting our feet to the road and getting the job done,” Newton said. “It was a really good feeling with the support that I got from the tennis community. It was overwhelming. So it’s humbling for me to be here as the new president.”

He said his executive team made the task so much easier because they all bought into the vision that he presented to them and they brought some positive attitudes to the lead up to the elections. Through Weir, his sisterin-law, Newton got started in tennis as an appointed public relations officer. He was then elected as the treasurer. And then in the last administration, he was elected as a council member where he also made an impact as junior development coach. In his new role up the ladder as the president, Newton said he’s looking forward to getting their junior development programme up and running coming out of the lockdown from the coronavirus. In 5-6 months, he said they intend to host their first coaching clinics conducted by the International Tennis Federation to get more persons exposed to the development of the game. As far as the teams selected for the Davis and Fed Cup competitions, which were postponed this

year until next year due to the spread of the coronavirus, Newton said more than likely they will keep them intact unless there are some unforeseen circumstances to change any of the players. Based on the plans presented to him, Butler indicated that he was excited that he gladly accepted the opportunity to work with Newton and his list of candidates. “I’ve always been active in the community, particularly in tennis, more so in the Carmichael community,” said the former baseball/softball player turned tennis coach. “I think we have started a very good work where there is a lot of interest, particularly among the youths, and we see the interest and we see the spike in the young people wanting to play tennis.” When he was approached by Newton, Butler said he gladly accepted because when he thought about expanding the programme into the community, he felt it was the right fit to get involved. “This entire team is working. You have people like Cameel McDonald, the president of the Abaco

Association, all of these people are already engaged and were actually on the ground working prior to the election,” Butler said. “So we feel that we can do even more moving forward on behalf of the BLTA.” Weir, who opted not to seek another term in office, said despite the court hearing and the inclement weather, they got the election done. “Everybody came out and it turned out to be one of the best elections that we ever had,” she said. “We couldn’t ask for a better crowd and for their participation in making the event a success. “I think the stakes were high and people wanted the continuity. Perry was on the board before as a treasurer and council member and he’s been in the trenches with the junior development programme.” Weir said they passed a resolution at an extraordinary meeting to wait until the Bahamas Government relaxed the orders in the country so that they could reconvene the annual general meeting. But once that was done, the opposing side

took the BLTA to court to get an injunction to stop the AGM. However, the BLTA won and the AGM and elections were allowed to proceed. Mortier claimed that when they arrived, she was told that some of their candidates were not allowed into the NTC. She said they were disgusted and annoyed in the manner in which the elections were conducted. “I feel disrespected. There’s just a myriad of emotions because when you come to the National Tennis Centre and someone tells you that you are not a member, it does something to you,” she said. “The players, whom I had on my slate, were all tennis players who contributed all of our lives to the sport and to hear people turn them away saying they are not members, was disheartening.” Despite what transpired, Newton said he’s just thankful to God that everything worked out in his favour with his executive team and he’s looking forward to working with his opposition in helping to push the sport further.

PAGE 18, Monday, July 6, 2020

THE TRIBUNE