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Minister concedes more beds will be needed and tents may have to be used By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net HEALTH Minister Renward Wells said officials are looking for ways to add more bed space to the public health sector as the system continues to be challenged with capacity due to increasing COVID-19 hospital admissions, which jumped to a record breaking 191 as of Monday. This is the highest tally of hospital cases since the start of the pandemic. Of the 191 cases in hospital, 176 are moderately ill while 15 are in the intensive
care unit. Yesterday, the Ministry of Health added seven new COVID related deaths to the nation’s toll, which means 453 people have now died from the virus Mr Wells said officials are closely monitoring the situation and plan to increase bed capacity through makeshift arrangements if the surge worsens. “We are challenged but we are looking at a quick and rapid way to deploy beds as needed,” he said before going to a Cabinet meeting yesterday.
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net A FORMER finance minister yesterday warned Bahamians must hope “a small miracle happens” if the country is to avoid harsh post-COVID austerity measures and low growth in coming years. James Smith, also an exCentral Bank governor, said the nation faces “enormous challenges” to place its fiscal and economic affairs back on a sustainable footing.
SEE PAGE FOUR
AN alarming number of healthcare workers forced into COVID-19 quarantine has left Princess Margaret Hospital in a state of “unprecedented stress”, a senior Public Hospital Authority official said. Catherine Weech, PHA managing director, spoke to The Tribune yesterday and expressed grave concern with the state of affairs at public facilities regarding
the high influx of COVID19 patients and announced plans on addressing the public this coming Friday. “It’s tough,” Ms Weech said. “As it stands right now we’ve received an alarming number of COVID-19 patients requesting services in our hospital. We are experiencing high rates of staff being confined to quarantine and this has created an unprecedented stress on our ability to be able to staff our facilities (like) we would. SEE PAGE FOUR
- SEE PAGE EIGHT
PRAY FOR A MIRACLE TO AVOID NEW TAXATION
PMH BOSS WARNS STRESS ON STAFF AT RECORD HIGH By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net
ALICIA WALLACE: A WEEK TO GO - SO HOW WILL ELECTION DAY ACTUALLY WORK?
FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
GOOD AS GOLD THE GOLDEN “Goddess of Elyx” make her way through The Cove’s Sea Glass Lounge during an upscale speakeasy last Friday to close out the summer in style at the Paradise Island resort. The party was one of two major events on which The Cove, Atlantis partnered with the luxury vodka brand Absolut Elyx. See Friday’s WEEKEND section for more. Photo: Farreno Ferguson/AP
QUARANTINE VOTING - STILL NO DECISION By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net
ACTING Parliamentary Commissioner Lavado Duncanson was silent yesterday on whether quarantined citizens or COVID-19 patients will be able to vote in the upcoming general election. He was contacted after Damian Gomez, former state minister for legal affairs in the Christie
MARVIN Dames recently indicated quarantined people would likely not be able to vote. administration sent him a letter giving him 36 hours to confirm whether registered voters who are quarantined
or suffering from COVID19 will be prevented from voting. Mr Gomez said the letter was “in anticipation of litigation” and if the appeal to patriotism did not succeed, the Progressive Liberal Party would commence “expeditious prosecution of court proceedings.” Mr Duncanson, who spoke to The Tribune for just under two minutes, would not respond to the SEE PAGE THREE
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
BARBADOS EARLY POLL DAY DELAYED By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE Minnis administration has amended the Parliamentary Elections Act through an Emergency Powers Order to allow an advanced poll in Barbados to be rescheduled. The order, released yesterday, says: “For the purpose of the advanced poll to be held in Barbados on the 9 day of September, 2021, for persons voting as overseas voters pursuant to SEE PAGE THREE
TECHNOLOGY: ELECTRIC BOATS MAKING WAVES
- SEE PAGE NINE
PAGE 2, Wednesday, September 8, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
PLP candidate laments state of graveyard By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net PLP CANDIDATE for Central Grand Bahama Kirkland Russell raised concerns yesterday over the neglect of the Lewis Yard Public Cemetery, where graves are no longer accessible because of thick ground cover and overgrown shrubs. He said the graveyard — where many of the nearby communities’ legends and pioneers are buried — is left in a total state of ruin. “You have families who can’t even visit their loved ones and identify the tombs because trees that are 20ft tall have grown over the tombs,” he said. “The place looks like a jungle; there is no place in this country and the world
where you will find such desecration to happen,” he said. Mr Russell stressed that capital expenditure is required to restore the cemetery to an acceptable state for the families of those that are buried there. “My real concern is that we have an elected MP to ensure that this does not happen. This is a public cemetery owned by the government and the least we can do for the people and residents of the community is to ensure their loved ones rest in dignity,” he said. According to Mr Russell, who resides in the area, the cemetery was destroyed by hurricanes Frances and Jeanne, and Wilma. “We got them cleaned up and we erected new cemetery walls to try to control the forces of waves
to preserve the tombs, and the dignity and sanctity of the cemetery. However, this cemetery has been left to ruin. You can’t even see the tombs, and this has not been cleaned from 2005. Yes, Local government tries to maintain a portion of the cemetery and they do the best they can with what their budget allows.” Mr Russell said the cemetery is over 100 years old. “In this cemetery is the history of the communities of Hunters, Mack Town, Lewis Yard, Pinder’s Point, and some from Williams Town. “When you look at the people that lay in this cemetery such as Manisha who was a midwife; Rollin Bevans, who was a pioneer builder and carpenter on this island; Solley Russell, the mother of Sisters Mary
PLP candidate Kirkland Russell in Lewis Yard Public Cemetery. Photos: Denise Maycock/Tribune Staff Patricia and Madiene Russell – they were the legends of these communities. We also have Alonzo Williams, the founder of Travellers Rest, my grandparents, and Victor Bevans, who was instrumental in bringing the Catholic Church to Grand Bahama -- all of
these persons are buried in this cemetery.” He said the situation is not sitting well with residents. “Every five years we have persons offering to represent people in these communities. And if we can’t get cemeteries clean and prepared so families can visit their loved ones, then what are we doing? How are we serving the people that elected us to represent them? “I am not lambasting the current MP, even though I ought to because here he is investing monies and time into cleaning and preparing the Princess Property, which is a private property, but the public cemeteries where his voters’ families and loved ones are buried, (he) did absolutely nothing.
They leave it in a total state of chaos. This, I consider a desecration of these persons who lay here for eternity.” Mr Russell said that further east in the cemetery is the resting place for some US military persons who were buried there by the Americans. “That is the history of this community, and it has been left in total ruin, with no regard and no care, and we have serious concerns about it.” Mr Russell said if elected he will ensure the restoration of the cemetery. “I intend once elected within the first 100 days in office to begin a major project to rectify and retro-fit this cemetery so this could represent what it ought to represent,” he stated.
Graveside Service for Avril R. L. Elcock-Major, 43 of Pear Street, will be held on Saturday, September 11th, 2021, at St. Agnes Cemetery, Nassau Street. Officiating will be The Venerable, Arch’d Keith N. Cartwright. Due to current Government regulations in respect of Covid-19, masks and physical distancing are required. Graveside attendance is limited to thirty (30) persons. Left to cherish her memories are her Husband: Randy V. Major; Mother: Verna A. Elcock; “Sisters”: Ian Marie DarvilleMiller (Revd. Eric Miller) and Kendra Samuels; Sisters/Cousins: Ruth Bowe-Darville, Cheryl Bowe-Moss, Melvern Bowe-Seymour of Florida, Carol Dianne (Bradley) Watson, Claudette (Brian) Davis; Brothers/Cousins: Adrian (Theresa) Bowe, Christopher “Shaggy” (Francise) Bowe, Dwight Dorsett, Dwayne and Janet, Dorsett; Cousins: Lorca Bowe, Akiri (Ria) Bowe, Michael Darville, Dr. N’Tari (Yolanda) Darville, Giovanni (Cicely) Darville, Dr. Kristen Darville, Adrian, Xavier, and Hugh Bowe, Mia McIntosh, Christopher (Monique) Bowe, Carol Crystal (Kenyawn) Bowe-Carroll, ObieCheryl Peta Bowe, Ashley, Alicia and Stephen Moss, Dwight Caylen (Joia) Trotman, Jomel Barr, Bradley and Hebron Watson, Dominic Rigby, Blair and Paige Davis, Neville Johnson, Catherine “Cathy” Johnson, Mark Johnson, Nikisha, Tabitha, Sheniel, Antoine, Madrica, Wentworth and Ruth Johnson, Whitfield, Raynell, Ciji, Raquell and Osano Neeley, Anne and Howard Legore of New York, Latoya Pratt of North Carolina, Rabiah and Fayola Elcock of Canada, Alvin Elcock and family of Nigeria, Frank Assim, Sr. Frank, Jr., and Arthur Elcock families of New York, Lucille Belgrave and Esther “Anita” (Tom) Pinder of Maryland; Aunts: Monica Elcock of Barbados and Barbara Elcock of Canada, Julia Burnside, Willamae (Alphonso) Smith, Brenda Samuels, Elaine “Ditty” (Joseph) Patterson of New Jersey, Madge Wynter of Florida, Anne (Tracey) Whitehead of Texas, June Carey; Uncles: Peter M. Bowe, Gregory Major of Virginia, Donald Louis Major, Erskine Gray, Verdant Gray and Roderick Gray of Freeport; In-laws: Lenora and Vernal Major, Kevin (Sandra) Major, Bradley Major, Nadia (Andy) Doyle; Housekeeper: Winsome Saunders; Godchildren: Lamar and Lamia Taylor, Timothy Williams, Malik and Mia Strachan, Kaylee Musgrove, Janaye and Jayna Saunders-Forsythe, Prya, Petra and Peyton Armbrister, Tyler, Walter, Tazmyn and Levi Sawyer, Taneli Hall of Jamaica, Kellen Jervis, Reshado Bethel, Danielle, Diane and Jodi Dorsett, Meghan Bowe, Camry Wilson, Julian Brown, the Board of Directors, Management and Staff of the Benchmark Group of Companies particularly the staff of Alliance Investments Ltd., PureWater Ltd., and Premier Travel; The Directors, Management and Staff of IT Bahamas Ltd, Mangrove Network Company and Liquid Courage; Management and Staff of Alarms Unlimited; Commonwealth Law Advocates; The Tea Party: Torez (Corrie) Hanna, David Briggs, Keenan Johnson, Taran (Agatha) Mackey, Horatio (Ashley) Smith and Ryan Bastian; Cousins: The family of the late Livingston Bostwick; Kermit, Carmen, Julian (Candace) and LeKeisha Bostwick; Janet and Spurgeon Lightbourn, Nakia Williams, Winston, Bernadette and Faith Bunch, Elaine Bunch and Harry and Marcia Bunch and Semaj Bunch; Earl (Shirley) Bostwick; the family of the late Betty Stubbs; Andrea Archer, Esther Derykere, Edward (Sherry) Minnis, Jessica Minnis; the family of the late Leroy Gay; Lilian Gibson, Gladstone Gay, Esther and Carleton Blair, Harris and Carvey Gibson and family, Leroy and Mikhail McLean; the family of the late Olga Rhos, the family of the late Don Jordan, Margo and Gilberto Gongora, Dr. Larry, Dr. Carol, Amanda, Keenan and Melissa Carroll; Yasmin (Gabbie) Enache and Anna Alicia; Nathalie
and Dr. Helen Minnis of Scotland; Laurine Zoe Moss, Shona Knowles, Percy Moss and the family of the late Perciss Mackey; Yvonne Adderley and family; J. Henry Bostwick and Dame Janet Bostwick; Erma Colebrooke Thompson of Florida, Ursula and Catherine Coakley, Kyron (Coco) Strachan, Daisy French, Wilfred, Henry and Tyrone Minnis; Carnetta Clarke; Crystal and Darryl Won of New York, Jackie (Mike) Silva of North Carolina, Anne (Don) Cooke, David and Blaize Johnson, Renee Forsythe-Saunders, Christopher Johnson, China Ferguson, Gloria Gibson, Gary Johnson, Shadrach Johnson, Lilian Johnson-Lightbourne, Brenda Wilkinson, Wilhelmina Carter and Dr. Edward Robinson of Florida, Angela and Sylvester George; Godmothers: Rosemary Hanna and Alexis Smith of Florida; Godbrothers: Farley (Duane) Williams, Franklyn (Gillian) Williams and Dr. Francis, Raquel, Timothy, Danielle, and Emma Williams; Special Friends: Revd. Bernard Been and Mrs. Joanne Been of Barbados, Dwight Dorsett, Dwayne and Janet Dorsett, Revd. J. Kenneth Major of Florida, Shannon Hanna; Jonathan and Yvette, David and Kelli Knowles, Carol-Ann and Caylen Jervis, Michelle Wilson, Nhomsa Gibson, Preston Ferguson, Clarence Cleare, Andrew and Crystal Holder, Cyprian and Mikeiko Collie, Carson and Cara Collie, Patrick and Yashicka Carey, Clementine, Dominic, Frank, Damian and Martin Butler; Nelson Bevans, Samina Castillo, Roston Wallace, Candace Thompson, Shanita Johnson, Ivy Gates, Constance, Dionne and Andre Commery and Mioshi of Canada; Other Relatives and Friends: Robert Miller, Ahmad Miller of Florida, Aline, Bola and Noah LaBassiere of St. Lucia, Nikolai Battoo of Switzerland, Reverend George Knight, Rosina and Michelle Knight of Barbados, Sandra Knight, Bertel and Barbara Holder of Canada, Hon. Counsul for Barbados, Carleton Jones and Mrs. Gretchen Jones, Carol Creary and family, Miriam Adderley, Christine Adderley, Jackie Sands, Yolanda Fernander, Charles and Valda Hunt, Jaqueline Hunt Farrington, the family of the late Edwin Hunt, Pamela Christie Tabron of North Carolina and Jenna Christie, Sandra Christie and family, Kim and Philip Carey, Paul and Betty Barnett and family, Dr. Emily Osadebay and family, Angela Archer, Elma Campbell, Justice G. Diane Stewart, Anita Roberts, George Darville, Celeste, Donald and Callum Darville, Elsie Strachan, Thea, Patrick and Gianna Paul, Hubert and Roxanne Chipman, Hon. Elsworth and Cathy-Ann Johnson and family, Maurice and Lyn Glinton, Dr. Theodore Ferguson, Leonie Lockhart, Denise Reynolds-Petite, Carl, Damien and Jason Turnquest and Leann Turnquest Forbes, Presley Seymour, Crispin, Kimmie, Kristin, and Cadre Seymour; Michael, Monario, Leslia, Tyler and Trenton Seymour; Natalie Miller of Freeport; Winifred Butler and family, Patricia Thomas, Henry “Von Zipper” Sands, Sonia Thompson and Patrice Francis, Carver Garden Club; Young Women’s Christian Association; St. Agnes Anglican Church – Primary Choir, Youth Choir, Co-Co-Chair of St. Agnes Fair Committee, St. Ambrose Guild, Communications Committee, David’s Army, Youth Advisor, Christian Education Committee, Discovery Team, Ricardo and Charles (St. Agnes Securities), Patrick Johnson, John Eneas; St. Agnes Anglican Church Women Association; Gaol Alley Reunion; Maurice Minnis Family Reunion; Barry College Room-mates: Kwame LaBassiere of New York, Zamira Ramos of Florida, Nikki Wilson of Trinidad, Ray and Vanessa Vilca of Texas, Dierdre Dumont; Vidya Lackinsingh of Florida, William and Yvonne Wallace, The Bahamas-Barbadian Association; Sans Souci Crime Watch Association; Mr. Adrian White and the St. Anne’s FNM Constituency Association, Bahamas Girl Guides Association; Present and Retired American Embassy Staff; Clergy: Bishop Laish Boyd and Mrs. Joann Boyd, Archbishop Drexel Gomez and Mrs. Carol Gomez, Archdeacon Keith N. Cartwright, Archdeacon Kingsley Knowles and Mrs. Sandra Knowles, Revd. I. Ranfurly Brown and Mrs. Olga Brown, Canon Warren Rolle and Mrs. Thelma Rolle, Revd. James Moultrie and Mrs. Bernadette Moultrie, Revd. Basil Tynes and Mrs. Sonia Tynes, Revd. Denrick Rolle of Florida, Revd. Peter Ferguson, Revd. Ruel Strachan II, Revd. Chitan Thompson, Revd. Desiree Johnson, and Revd. Allison Dean. May Her Soul Rest in Peace! Friends may pay their last respects at Bethel Brothers Morticians & Crematorium, #44 Nassau Street, on Thursday September 9th from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Cremation will follow.
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, September 8, 2021, PAGE 3
Watson: It’ll be a close race - but FNM will win election By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net FORMER Deputy Prime Minister Frank Watson says he is confident the Free National Movement will be returned to office after next week’s general election, but predicts it will be a close race. In an interview yesterday, Mr Watson admitted the Minnis administration’s first term in office was not “milk and honey,” but given the circumstances, the administration did the best it could and deserves to be re-elected. The Minnis administration, elected in 2017, has navigated through major hurricanes such as 2017’s Irma and Dorian of 2019. Following this came the coronavirus pandemic, which led to travel
shutdowns and a major decline in tourism, triggered mass layoffs and had a serious affect on both public and private healthcare systems. Given these challenges among others, Mr Watson said he believes the September 16 election will be a “close” race between the FNM and Progressive Liberal Party. “I am confident that they will be returned,” Mr Watson said. “They’ll get the edge.” He told The Tribune he was of the view, however, that the handling of the pandemic would play into how Bahamians vote. “That is a problem, of course, and that’s why I figure it’ll be a close election. I don’t know what impact that is going to have on the outcome of the election.
“I think he (Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis) is going to win in the Family Islands, and he’ll probably pick up enough seats in New Providence to form a government. It’s going to be close I think. “I think through it all they have managed to handle it fairly decently,” he said. “Some things they didn’t do well and others they were better at but in a government, you have that kind of hit and miss. You think you are doing the right thing and then it turns out to be the wrong thing. So, given that, I think that they have in the circumstances, managed it really well. “They have tried to do the best that they can. It wasn’t one of the periods where it was all milk and honey, but through it all I
think they came out really well and deserve to be returned.” Mr Watson was National Security Minister in a previous FNM administration. The advanced poll is tomorrow and more than 10,000 people have applied to the Parliamentary Registration Department to participate in this vote, according to acting Parliamentary Commissioner Lavado Duncanson last week. In August, officials revealed some 30,000 people were eligible to cast their vote in the advanced poll. Mr Duncanson has said department officials are doing all they can to make early voting registration available for eligible voters before the application deadline which was on September 4.
FORMER Deputy Prime Minister Frank Watson.
QUARANTINE VOTING - STILL NO DECISION from page one
threat yesterday or answer questions about voters in quarantine. “I am in the middle of a meeting at this time and multiple persons are sitting before me,” he said. “I have before me team members that are scheduled to travel overseas this morning to conduct the advance polls overseas so it is unfortunate that the timeline that
we find ourselves in at the Parliamentary Registration Department dictates that we seek to facilitate all of the necessary measures of the department. “So I apologise in advance that I cannot sincerely give you a time when I would be available and tomorrow I cannot give you a time either.” Asked when a convenient time for an interview would be, he said, “I am certain you can appreciate the time
frame that we are in with an advance poll scheduled to be held on Thursday. Minister of National Security Marvin Dames recently indicated that Bahamians in quarantine or positive with COVID19 are more than likely not going to be able to participate in voting on September 16. However, the government has not released an official definitive statement on the issue. Mr Gomez’s letter on
Monday noted in part, “We are alarmed that you may be influenced by the outgoing administration to prevent Bahamian citizens who are duly registered in accordance with the Parliamentary Elections Act, (chapter) 7, sections 8 and 9 from casting their respective votes notwithstanding that they are not suffering from any legal incapacity as defined in section 10 of the Parliamentary Elections Act, (chapter) 7.
“To allay our clients’ fears, we write to request that you confirm within 36 hours that you will not prevent any registered voter from casting his or her ballot on the basis that he or she is quarantined or on the basis that he or she is suffering from COVID-19. We further request that you indicate what steps have been taken to ensure that such persons who are quarantined or persons suffering from COVID-19 may cast
their respective ballots in a facility that is safe to other members of the electorate. If no such steps have been taken, we request an explanation for such failure.” Mr Gomez also gave examples of countries, to include the Turks and Caicos Islands and Jamaica, which have conducted elections while ensuring that registered voters could vote regardless of their quarantine or infection status.
EX-DISCLOSURES CHAIRMAN SAYS BAHAMAS LAGS ON CORRUPTION By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
FORMER Public Disclosure Commission chairman Myles Laroda said The Bahamas lags far behind other countries in the region regarding anti-corruption legislation, adding the Progressive Liberal Party plans to enact a bill to change that. He was referring to the Integrity Commission Bill. It was tabled in the House of Assembly in 2017 by the Minnis administration, but was never read, debated or passed into law. Mr Laroda, who is the PLP’s candidate for the Pinewood constituency, pointed to the Bill as he was unpacking challenges he faced while heading the PDC, a post he held until February 18 of this year. He resigned shortly after being confirmed as a PLP candidate. George Carey replaced him with immediate effect. While in that post, Mr Laroda often spoke of being a “toothless tiger” as the Public Disclosure Act did not make the PDC autonomous. Yesterday, as a guest on Guardian Talk Radio show “Morning Blend” with host Dwight Strachan, Mr Laroda further suggested that there may have been politicians and high-ranking public servants who did not want their finances published. However, he said to his knowledge no one had ever faced fines or time in prison for failing to adhere to the law. “I always referred to myself, actually the name was coined by a good friend of mine, Philip McKenzie, that I was a toothless tiger,” Mr Laroda said in response
to a question by the show’s host. “If you read the Public Disclosure Act it really ties the hand of the commission because it’s not an independent commission. It doesn’t have autonomy. It has no budget. It is basically a department of the Cabinet Office. “The Prime Minister leads the executive team in the country. He is subject to the Public Disclosure Act and the secretary to the Cabinet, and we cannot have an effective anti-corruption agency if those who are required to be subjected to this piece of legislation and this Act are actually those who are in charge of the committee that is overseeing it. That is the reality. “During my last term at the commission during the FNM’s term I met with the Prime Minister and we as a body actually read those recommendations into our meeting with the Prime Minister and one of the things that we want to stress is this commission should be independent. The Public Disclosure Commission has no bank accounts. “Before anything is done it has to be done with written consent from the Attorney General and so this act that was passed in 1976, it’s (now) 2021. “There are certain positions that were subject to the Act that did not exist back then. Those positions or people now who are required to act when the Act was implemented, those positions did not even exist. “I have had the privilege to go to an anti-corruption integrity commission conference in the Cayman Islands and I could tell you The Bahamas lags far
behind other jurisdictions in our region with regards to anti-corruption and integrity.” He continued: “You have to have an independent group who is not dependent on the government to print those disclosures. I think from (when) I was there I may have had maybe one or two disclosures that were done. “We are years behind because we have a situation with not only with the 39 Members of Parliament and 16 senators, but you also have senior civil servants and it’s an office that is understaffed of resources and we need an Integrity Commission that stands alone that is independent that does not have to deal with the executive or the legislative and just let the cards fall where they may.” Asked if there were plans to change this should the PLP be elected to office, Mr Laroda said: “If I’m not mistaken before the House was prorogued, I think a bill was tabled – the Integrity Bill. “It was never read and passed, the next PLP government would have to deal with that. “I say this: I would have spoken to the leader of the party, and he has said to me that he has no problem in bringing that piece of legislation that deals with anti-corruption, Integrity Commission.” Mr Laroda added that he was of the view that people who did not adhere to the Public Disclosure Act should be exposed. The PDC should be given the ability to do this, he said. “Absolutely, politicians whether they be elected or appointed know the rules of the game.
BARBADOS EARLY VOTE DELAYED from page one
section 49A(1) of the Parliamentary Elections Act, the circumstances requiring the designated president officer to be quarantined in Barbados by the pandemic restrictions of that country and not available on that date shall be deemed to be circumstances beyond the control of the presiding officer which make it impracticable to take the poll on the designated date. “Section 50 of the
Parliamentary Elections Act is hereby modified for the purposes of paragraph (1) as if a reference to the words ‘continue the taking of the poll on that day, he may adjourn the proceedings until the following day’ includes a reference to the words ‘the taking of the poll on that day, he may reschedule the proceedings to the following day’.” Yesterday, Progressive Liberal Party chairman Fred Mitchell, the PLP’s candidate for the Fox Hill
constituency, said his party will refer the matter to its lawyers to determine the legality of the move. “The test for us with these emergency orders is whether or not it is reasonably justifiable in a democratic society,” he said. “There is an even more stringent test when it comes to tinkering with election laws. Given the government’s history of sleight of hand and smoke and mirrors, we immediately referred this to our lawyers.”
“They know this Act exists. They know that once they become a public figure that is one of the criteria and so there is no excuse for those individuals who
take on that responsibility not to disclose their assets. “If you don’t want your business in the public domain then don’t run for public office. That’s my
personal view. There is no excuse for individuals who are in public life having an issue with disclosing their personal wealth,” Mr Laroda said.
PAGE 4, Wednesday, September 8, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
How much more do hospitals take? from page one “We have some tents that (were) donated to us by the United States government that can be very quickly augmented to be able to assist in whether it’s a hurricane, natural disasters, emergencies or pandemics that we can outfit them very quickly to be medical facilities. “Obviously we’re looking at it because in this particular instance, those tents, they do not have negative air pressure, so the engineers are looking as to how we can get negative air pressures inside of those tents in the event that we do have another surge or circumstance where we end up with more cases of COVID going forward. “But, I’m truly praying and hoping that based on the measures that we would have put in place during the second wave when we didn’t have vaccines that helped us to bend the curve and flatten the curve of COVID and we continue with those
and some days it’s above but we are looking at a potential downward trend
and hopefully it continues in that direction.” The startling numbers come as the country’s third wave intensifies, with 575 COVID-19 infections already confirmed in just the first six days of September. Fifty-five new cases were recorded by health officials in the September 6 dashboard, bringing the nation’s overall count to 19,035 cases; 3,396 of which are still active. The latest deceased victims include three women and four men — all from New Providence — who died between August 29 to September 3. Yesterday, Mr Wells said virus cases as well as hospitalisations should soon trend downward due to climbing vaccination rates among other factors. “I think it’s the fact that we’ve had a lot of Bahamians who’ve been exposed to COVID — vaccinated and non-vaccinated persons — and I think after you’ve had an awful lot of your people exposed, those
who can potentially get the disease is reduced so we are vaccinating a whole lot of Bahamians and at the same time we have a whole lot of Bahamians who are exposed,” he said. “We got (over) 3,480 persons positive with COVID and the Bahamian people are adhering as much and I would say even more so now to the health measures. Given what we’re now seeing in the third wave, folks are stepping forward in getting vaccinated and folks are adhering to the health measures.” He said health officials are doing their part and urged Bahamians to do the same in helping the country defeat this third wave. “We put measures in place and we’re doing what we can on the health side to be able to bring the numbers down. We’re delivering the requisite care to COVID patients inside the clinical space and we are basically encouraging the Bahamian people to adhere to the current health protocols,” Mr Wells added.
more vulnerable in the population than others. This is a call to all Bahamians to be thinking about the next Bahamian standing next to you. “There are just too many persons dying unnecessarily. God put us here to take care of one another. We’re not doing that right now,” Nurse Walker said. The Tribune also reached out to Nurse Amancha
Williams, president of Bahamas Nurses Union, and Dr Sabriquet Pinder-Butler, head of the Consultant Physicians Staff Association, for a reaction to the state of the healthcare system, but both said that they were too tied up in duties to speak at the time. A video made the rounds on social media this week
showing some people in respiratory distress receiving treatment in rainy conditions under a tent outside the South Beach Clinic, further underscoring the country’s health crisis. Health Minister Renward Wells yesterday said officials were looking at ways to add beds to the healthcare system.
MINISTER of Health Renward Wells said cases should soon trend downwards. measures and we will begin to see some results. “There’s usually an up
and down circumstance taking place now. Some days, you see it’s below 100
Hospital Health System’s CEO Dr Charles Diggis recently revealing the overcrowded state at the private institution. Last week, Dr Diggis told The Tribune that Doctors Hospital is “overrun” with COVID-19 patients and continues to be pounded from the requirements of care required for people with the virus. This week, a voice note of a heart wrenching plea for prayerful coverage of those employed in the healthcare field made its rounds on social media. It is said to be the voice of Nurse Mary Walker, hospital administrator for PMH, interceding on behalf of her colleagues.
“Asking for prayer covering for all persons in healthcare,” Nurse Walker said in the recording. “Those who are healthcare providers as well as persons who are seeking healthcare and healthcare assistance in the COVID pandemic times. “These are unprecedented times. There is so much death and uncertainty around. Persons are actually sitting in their cars and trying to make up their minds whether or not to come into work. That’s how exhausted they are. “To the persons in the country who are not heeding the safety protocols, but instead are being selfish, there’s some of us who are
PMH BOSS WARNS STRESS ON STAFF AT RECORD HIGH from page one
“The increase in the numbers of deaths associated with the COVID-19 pandemic has now caused us to come out and arrange a press conference for Friday in an attempt to be able to further appeal to the public to understand the crisis that we are in and to take precautions that are necessary to help us to reduce the demand on our current overburdened and highly stressed public healthcare system.” The burden of COVID19 is not just isolated to the public healthcare system, with Doctors
POLICE SEARCH FOR MISSING MAN POLICE are searching for a missing 79-year-old man. Robert James Bethell, pictured, was last seen on Saturday, August 21, leaving his residence in New Hope Drive. He was seen at around 4.30am that day as he left. Mr Bethell is 5ft 9in tall, and has a slim build and dark brown complexion. If anyone has any information, contact the police on 502-9991, 502-9992, 5029968, 502-9971 or download the P3 Tips app.
‘TELL EMERGENCY STAFF IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE COVID’ THE National Emergency Medical Services is appealing to members of the public reporting a medical emergency through 919 to identify wherever possible the likelihood that they may be COVID positive. “The appeal comes as Emergency Services are recording increased instances of inaccurate information leading to delays in services and a misallocation of resources,” a press release from the Public Hospitals Authority said. “During an emergency call, the dispatcher asks basic questions about the nature of the medical emergency and seeks clarification regarding the COVID-19 status of the patient or whether they are displaying symptoms of the disease,” the statement continued.
Officials said these questions assist the dispatcher in ensuring that the appropriate first responder assistance team is dispatched to facilitate care and transport the patient to the hospital. Inaccurate calls can place a first responder at risk for exposure and lead to delays in accessing care, officials said. “The public is advised that if an EMS crew is assigned to respond to an emergency call and is not provided accurate information regarding a patient’s possible symptoms or COVID-19 status, they are placed at a higher risk of exposure. “Additionally, delays are imminent as the EMS crew will be required to don full personal protective equipment before resuming pre-hospital care. In
some instances, the crew may have to discontinue their response and call for another team as some EMS personnel have been exempted from COVID19 calls due to medical reasons. “This results in having two ambulance crews dispatched to a single call as a result of inaccurate or incomplete information, wasting valuable time and resources,” the statement noted. Officials said all calls for medical assistance will be responded to regardless of the nature of the call. Callers should not be fearful of providing full disclosure to the dispatcher at the time of the call. Accurate information assists NEMS in providing the most appropriate and timely care from first responders.
MIAMI DONATION TO SCHOOL Memorial Service for LAVERNE HADDON LOCKHART, 63 of Crystal Cay, West Bay St., Nassau, will be held Friday 10th September, 2021 at 11am at Curtis Memorial Mortuary Chapel. Officiating Apostle Benjamin Smith, Assisted by: Rev. Robert Lockhart, Rev. Burton Lockhart, Bishop Ross Davis, Dr. Dave Burrows, Apostle Lee Watson, and Apostle Ed Watson. He is survived by his Wife of 19 years: Dr. Susan Williams Lockhart. Son: Prince Lockhart. Daughters: Agatha and Josephine Lockhart. Mother: Evangelist Naomi Lockhart. Fatherin-Law: Retired Principal Mr. Mervyn Williams of Trinidad. Sisters: Dezarre Lockhart of Florida, Anishka Felber of Germany, Naomi, Yolande and Rev Adrana Lockhart. Brothers: Vonde, Rev Montgomery, Rev Robert, Rev Burton and Mr. Norton Lockhart 6 Nieces, 15 Nephews, 3 Grand Nieces, Aunts: Emerald Patton the late Mrs. Esther Ferguson, the late Mildred Moxey, the late Lillian Maycock, the late Minerva Cooper, the late Sybil Miller and the late Margarita Wallace. Uncles: The late Prince George and Harry Hall. The late Calvin, Edward, Haddon and Oris Lockhart. Numerous Cousins and friends. The body will repose Wednesday 8th September, 2021 from 1pm to 4pm at Curtis Memorial Mortuary.
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net A MIAMI foundation donated school supplies to a school in Grand Bahama yesterday. Beacon for Change Foundation made the donation to the Beacon School as part of an ongoing initiative that spans over a decade. Ravanno Ferguson, treasurer of Beacon for Change Inc, said they have been making donations to the schools for the past 11 years. He said the initiative is very important to Beacon of Change chairman Sonless Martin, Jr, a Grand Bahamian native who now resides in Miami, Florida. “This year is the 11th year we have been doing this, and unfortunately, Mr Sonless Martin could not be here today, but he wanted to supply the students here with the necessary resources for back to school. We adopted this school and every year wanted to supply them with the necessary supplies,” Mr Ferguson said.
RAVANNO Ferguson (centre) of Beacon for Change Foundation presents the Beacon School with a generous donation of school supplies. Also seen are Donovan Bowe (right) and Principal Titi McKenzie-Moss. Photo: Denise Maycock/Tribune Staff The Beacon School is an the continued support they institution that caters to have been receiving from special needs children. the organisation. She said Mr Ferguson said that the school is currently using the school principal made virtual learning. a request for notebooks, “The school is thrilled crayons, pencils and other that Beacon for Change has necessities for their primary been donating supplies to and junior students. the students for the past 11 He pledged that Beacon years. We are so grateful for for Change will continue this donation even though to support the school. our kids are doing virtual Last year, the foundation learning because these donated some 20 lap- are supplies they will still tops for the entire school need while they are home faculty. and when they come back Principal Titi McKenzie to school for face-to-face Moss was pleased about (learning).”
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, September 8, 2021, PAGE 5
Rolle: We kept our promises
PUBLIC Service Minister Brensil Rolle.
Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net PUBLIC Service Minister Brensil Rolle maintained yesterday the government has lived up to its promises to the Bahamas Public Services Union (BPSU) regarding the issue of increment pay outs after concerns were recently raised by the union. Mr Rolle spoke after BPSU told reporters last month the union is at an impasse with the government after meetings between the two parties over their longstanding concerns proved unsuccessful. The union has long called for salary increases, lump sum payments and salary reviews for members across the public sector. The issues were even outlined in a proposal sent to the government by BPSU president, Kimsley Ferguson in 2019. However, according to Mr Ferguson, many of the union’s outstanding financial matters have yet to be addressed. The union has
taken issue with the fact that no increments are being added to workers’ base salaries. “Increments are an entitlement,” Mr Ferguson told The Nassau Guardian in a recent interview. “And while the government may be paying retroactively, I think they could have come up with a better explanation as to why the increment is not being added to the base individuals’ salaries. “If you’re not going to give the public servants an increase, at least give them what they are entitled to, which is their increment.” Speaking on the issue yesterday, Mr Rolle insisted the government has lived up to its promises to BPSU, though he acknowledged that some issues are still being addressed. “The government of The Bahamas promised the BPSU that we would deliver to them an increment effective July. We lived up to that commitment and because the union is in negotiations, I suspect they may be unhappy, but we lived up to our
commitment to provide them for the increment that was lost and to pay them in lump sum,” he said. “We paid public officers who qualified for increments, those that missed their increments in 2020 as well as those who missed their increments in 2021. Some of the individuals were at their salary bar so they did not anticipate or expect an increment and that’s as far as I know so far. “We are in negotiations with the BPSU so I don’t want to commit or to disclose specifically as it relates to the bargaining unit but again, this is the season and sometimes in the unions they express their disgust to some degree of what is happening but I say to them the government is totally committed to improving the quality of life of all individuals, including those individuals in the public service and we demonstrated that during this pandemic where we paid every single public officer. They kept their vacations, notwithstanding the fact that we had a shutdown, so I understand their issues.”
NURSING UNION CHIEF THANKS GOVT FOR HONORARIUM By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMAS Nurses Union president Amancha Williams estimates more than 500 nurses have received an honorarium for work done during the COVID-19 pandemic and has thanked the government for the gift. She explained that nurses from areas such as the Department of Public
Health, Rand Memorial Hospital, Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH), Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre (SCR) and the Family Islands were among the hundreds who received the gift according to the criteria that the government put in place. Health Minister Renward Wells said last month that people who received an honorarium were recommended by a select committee within the
Ministry of Health. “This committee was to make the decision based on the criteria approved by Cabinet for those who willingly stepped forward during the period 19th March to 18th June, 2020, and for those who later joined the fight in the Ministry of Health,” he said. Mr Wells added that up to that point, 308 doctors, 644 nurses, 111 emergency medical services staff and
669 non-clinical staff have received honorariums ranging from about $1,000 to $5,000. The union president expressed gratitude for the payments and said nurses are “quite pleased”. “I think the Bahamas Nurses Union has been satisfied. It’s an honorarium and we can’t go out there and fight and carry on. We only can make the government live up to their promises. An honorarium
is a gift and we must beware of that. It’s a gift and someone saying thank you for the work that you’ve done. “I wanted it to be documented that we say thank you on behalf of the Bahamas Nurses Union and the nurses of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.” She declined to be specific about how much money nurses received. “Everybody got paid separately. Everybody got paid on a different sequence,”
she told The Tribune. “So there’s different times… according to their payroll... PHA is the last grouping to receive the honorarium and they’re completing their listing as of today.” She added: “Payment was given over a timeframe… The government had to send the funding to PHA in order for them to pay out. So as they send the funding then the payment was going to be made.”
14-YEAR-OLD SAYS SHE WAS ‘INDECENTLY ASSAULTED’ By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net A 14-YEAR-OLD girl has accused her cousin of caressing her near her private parts last year. The 26-year-old man is currently on trial before Senior Magistrate Derence Rolle Davis for the incident that was alleged to have taken place in July 2020. When Sergeant 2672 Desmond Rolle testified yesterday, he said he was on duty at the Criminal Investigation Department when the teenager’s mother told police that her daughter had been indecently assaulted by a relative. Sgt Rolle said he was also told that
the suspect was in custody. He said he then collected the man and placed him in an interview suite with the teen and her mother. The officer said during the confrontation, he reminded the minor of the complaint her mother had made on her behalf and asked her to explain what happened on the day in question. The court was told that the girl had told Sgt Rolle that her cousin, the accused, rubbed her thighs near her groin and placed his hands on her hips while they were laying in the bed. Sgt Rolle said when she was asked if she saw the man who inappropriately groped her sitting in the room, she pointed to the accused who was sitting
across from her and her mother. He said after the meeting, he escorted the accused out of the interview suite and took him back to the cell block. He said he then recorded a statement from the mother and daughter before informing the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s sexual offence unit of the incident. During cross-examination, Sgt Rolle said the only role he played in the investigation was hosting the confrontation. When asked, he also said the accused denied the allegations during the meeting and claimed the 14-year-old girl was lying. The case continues October 12.
THEFT ACCUSED TO FACE NOVEMBER TRIAL By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
A 22-YEAR-OLD man accused of stealing nearly $30,000 worth of car parts from vehicles parked in a mechanic’s yard is set to stand trial in November. Police arrested Eryq Forbes after they alleged he stole 13 catalytic converters and several mufflers on July 23. The court was told that the owner of the car parts said he was contacted by his neighbour who asked him if he had given anyone permission to enter his yard. He said when he replied ‘no’, he
was informed that someone was on his premises taking car parts and that the police had been called. The prosecution said when the man checked his yard, he noticed all of the mufflers and catalytic converters from 40 cars were missing. The court was told that the car parts had a combined value of $29,781.92. The prosecution said officers later arrested Forbes, who matched the description that the complainant’s neighbours gave police. When he was arrested and questioned, he said he was riding with his friends who he claimed were the ones who actually
went into the yard and stole the car parts. During the hearing, Forbes maintained his original explanation and stated that although he was aware of “what was going on” that day, he did not take any part in it. “I went in the area to do work, but my friends had different intentions,” he stated. In response, Magistrate Shaka Serville told Forbes that as his explanation suggested he was not the one who carried out the offence, he would record a not guilty plea and adjourn the matter for trial. Forbes was granted $5,000 bail in the interim.
POLICE ‘FOUND LOADED GUN’ ON SUSPECT By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
OFFICERS recovered a loaded gun from a man who fled when he noticed a marked police vehicle on patrol, a court was told. Police said Christopher Scott was found with a 9mm Glock pistol with 13 rounds of ammunition in December 2020. He denied the allegation when he first appeared before Senior Magistrate Derence Rolle Davis and the matter was adjourned for trial. When Police Constable
3940 Lamar Ash gave evidence yesterday, he told the court he was travelling east on Dorsett Street in the Fox Hill area, when he noticed Scott standing on the northern side of the street. PC Ash said when the accused noticed his police vehicle, he ran which prompted him to chase after him. He said as Scott was fleeing, he tried to hide behind a red vehicle. He said this is where he saw the accused pull out the loaded gun which caused him to fear for his life. He said he then heard shots and saw Scott throw the pistol and drop to the floor. PC Ash said other officers then
came and arrested him. When he was cross-examined, the officer said the gun was dusted for fingerprints; however, no prints were found on the weapon. Corporal Nelson Smith was the second officer to testify yesterday. He said he was the one who interviewed Scott when he was taken into police custody. Cpl Smith said when he questioned Scott and showed him the firearm and magazine, he denied the offences. He also said the accused declined to read over or sign his statement. The case continues on November 10.
Graveside Service For
Samuel Clarence Stubbs SC, M.B.E, Taxi-cab Driver #232, Singer, Labour Unionist, 91
of Pink Cassia Avenue, Garden Hills #2 will be held at Lakeview Memorial Gardens on Friday, September 10th, 2021 at 12:30 p.m. Officiating will be Pastors Stephen Knowles & Ron Shearer.
Left to cherish his memories are his children: Antoinette “Kendy” Stubbs-Harp; Danny (Deborah) Stubbs; Donna Stubbs, PLP Stalwart Councilor; Tommy (Makeva Wallace) Stubbs; Deacon Gregory (Evangelist Krista) Stubbs; Elder Brian (Maxcine) Stubbs; Oralee (Rodney) Smith; Lester (Nitza) Stubbs; Darren and Christopher Stubbs; grandchildren: Keno (Ephenette) Wong; Owen (Angela) Stubbs; Danielle (Kelechi) Anusiem; Krista Stubbs; Torkel (Jamaal) Dawkins; Kyle (Jacqui) Curry; Robbyn, Davardo, Kyle, Theo and Donnavan Stubbs; Ashley, Amber and Ryan Stubbs; Shanteka Rolle; La’Kera & La’Kesha Deveaux; Gregory Jr. and Gabrielle Stubbs; Paul Wilson; Kayla Alexandria Stubbs; Christopher Kadeem Perkins; Jacri, Kristen, Jamekka, Kristi and Cheron Stubbs; great-grandchildren: Kristofer and Saniyah Wong; Kelysta and Kaleb Anusiem; Aria and Action Curry; Renisha, Krishton and Riley Stubbs; Kevinique, Kevin, Kevonya, Kevanya and Akelyus Davis; Tocori Dawkins; K’Lia & Craven Longsworth III; Rodney Smith Jr., Albriano Munroe; Serenity Stubbs; 8 great-great-grandchildren; nieces: Antoinette Johnson; Patrelle Miller, Daphne Shearer, Yhonnick McKinney, Rochelle Sealy; Carol, Chanel & Nadene Wallace; Ancenette McCartney, Cyprianna LaTrese Jackson, Sharon Martin, Garnell Sturrup, Delores Frazier, Ann Nixon, Norma Lockhart-LarFrance; nephews: Harry & Wayne Rolle, Ormand Stubbs, Alvin & Patrick Duncanson; Garvin, Neil, Anthone, Dwain and Burton Wallace; Earl Lester Lumpkin II; David & William Mortimer Jr.; in-laws: Oralee Wallace, Pastor Perry & Marjorie Wallace, Cecil & Sherilyn Wallace, Elder Winston & Glennis Wallace, Bursil & Ethelyn Wallace and numerous other relatives, friends and colleagues. Viewing will be held at the PLP Head Quarters, Farrington Road (TODAY) Wednesday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and again at Celestial Suite at Restview Memorial Mortuary and Crematorium Limited, Robinson and Soldier Roads on Thursday from 10:00 a.m. at 6:00 p.m.
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THE TRIBUNE
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Tax talks ahead - no matter who wins THE comments of James Smith about our economy shouldn’t come as a surprise. It doesn’t take a former Finance Minister and ex-Central Bank governor – two titles Mr Smith has had in his career – to recognise the amount of spending to cope with the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian and the ongoing costs of the pandemic. But as Mr Smith says, “From a policy perspective we’re going to be facing enormous challenges for a couple of years out unless something extraordinary from the outside comes in to change our outlook. Bahamians can only cross their fingers and hope that, like in the past, a small miracle happens. It’s not reflected in the policy positions from my point of view.” A miracle isn’t something you can count on – so if the reality of the situation isn’t reflected in the policies, then some of those promises simply aren’t going to happen. One of the areas Mr Smith points out is the number of people working in the civil service. The FNM says no civil servants were laid off during COVID’s peak, while the PLP are said to have “no appetite” for spending cuts. So if neither side is cutting spending, where are the savings coming from as we continue to bring in less money as a result of the pandemic? And, of course, on the election trail, candidates will be reluctant to tell public workers that their job might be gone in cutbacks after the pandemic – but that might be the truth. Take a look at the nation’s Budget and already the amount we are spending on servicing debt is the highest item in there. You know yourself if you have a loan that you have to pay it back. The same with the nation. And if your income
drops while the debt rises? Well, that can only go on so long. So are we being promised cake tomorrow when we barely have enough for bread? Mr Smith said: “Sometimes you have to be open and transparent, and treat people as intelligent and articulate. It’s a challenge that many of us are prepared to meet, and there is no point in sugar coating it because it will reveal itself in short order.” He added: “How much of the debt is from international agencies, how much is from private investors? What is the tenor of the debt – is it five, ten, 15 years? To lower your debt service charges, you might have to reschedule it or stretch it out so that the monthly payments are less or interest-only. “You need to give yourself some breathing room until tourism rebounds. You’re looking at flow, not the stock. Debt servicing is already the highest line item in the Budget, and it’s going to be by far the highest item in the Budget.” As we go into this election, the nation stands at a precarious point. Whoever wins will have to address our finances. That might very well mean changes in taxation to bring more money in to reduce the deficit. So if a candidate tells you there won’t be any changes in taxes, they had better be forthcoming about where the money to pay our debts will be conjured up from. Famously, political advisor James Carville quipped in the 1992 US election, “It’s the economy, stupid” in terms of what was important in the election. It’s the same here – alongside dealing with the pandemic because that’s holding back the economy too. This isn’t a game, and we need to have very clear answers about how our would-be leaders plan to deal with the very serious problems that lie ahead. Don’t let them wriggle off the hook.
Different views on ivermectin EDITOR, The Tribune. WHEN I read the article written by Dr. Pinto under the headline “You are not a horse - FDA warns against the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19”, I was surprised to see how little of what he said was evidenced by any science. The FDA consumer article that he quotes from states that “The FDA has not reviewed data to support use of ivermectin in COVID-19 patients to treat or prevent COVID-19!” So how can the FDA make its bold claims? The FDA even states “Using the drug ivermectin to treat COVID-19 can be dangerous and even lethal”. This is surprising indeed, as Ivermectin is a drug that has been around for more than 30 years, one of the most distributed drugs on Earth, with more than 2.5 billion doses given out to humans. It is so safe that it is listed as one of WHO’s essential medicines! The Nobel-prize winning scientist, who won his prize for developing Ivermectin, Satoshi Omura, reported that the rate of serious adverse events for ivermectin is one per million doses. Dr Pinto also says that “Ivermectin is not even an antiviral application.” I have found three studies that refute his statement. The June 2020 issue of the journal Antiviral Research
“The FDA-approved drug ivermectin inhibits the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro” indicated a single treatment of ivermectin was able to cause a 5,000-fold reduction of SARS-CoV-2 in a cell culture within 48 hours. A September 2020 article in the journal Cells, “Ivermectin as a BroadSpectrum Host-Directed Antiviral: The Real Deal?” reported that “cell culture experiments show (ivermectin exhibits) robust antiviral action towards HIV-1, dengue virus (DENV), Zika virus, West Nile virus, Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus, Chikungunya virus, Pseudorabies virus, adenovirus, and SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19.)” A research article published by the Lancet on 17 June, 2001 determined the “Antiviral effect of highdose ivermectin in adults with COVID-19: A proofof-concept randomized trial”. Furthermore, there are over 70 studies showing its effectiveness as a prophylaxis and treatment. Not one of these studies states that ivermectin “can be dangerous or even lethal.” In fact, Theresa Lawrie’s meta study on Ivermectin’s dated 21 June, 2021 concluded “Moderatecertainty evidence finds that large reductions in COVID-19 deaths are possible using ivermectin.
Using ivermectin early in the clinical course may reduce numbers progressing to severe disease. The apparent safety and low cost suggest that ivermectin is likely to have a significant impact on the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic globally.” There are at least five protocols using Ivermectin as a combination therapeutic currently being used by physicians with positive results (with up to 85% reduction in hospitalizations): 1/ Thomas Borody triple therapy, 2/ I-MASK+ Prevention & Early Outpatient Treatment Protocol for COVID-19, 3/ Dr. Peter McCollough COVID Treatment, 4/ The Zelenko protocol, and 5/ Ivermectin + Iota-Carrageenan protocol. Instead of demonising Ivermectin, why don’t we take some time and review the mounting evidence. If the protocols described above are effective, should we not be trying them here? Could they possibly save lives? I challenge our physicians to think outside the box. Even the Wall Street Journal recently questioned the FDA’s science when it published an oped piece on 28 July, 2021 entitled “why is the FDA attacking a Safe, Effective Drug?” Dr Pinto would be well advised to read it. MARK PALMER September 2, 2021.
Gibson’s unintended damage to the FNM EDITOR, The Tribune. WATER and Sewerage Corporation (WSC) executive chairman Adrian Gibson is running in the very safe Free National Movement (FNM) stronghold of Long Island. The only time that the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) was ever successful in winning a seat on Long Island was in 1977 with P P Smith in the northern district of that Family Island, I think. Back then, the White establishment had split Long Island, with its small Out Island population, into two constituencies. This was gerrymandering. James Knowles first won in Clarence Town as the FNM’s standard bearer in 1977. Like his predecessors Peter Graham and Donald D’Albenas, Knowles was a member of the Bay Street oligarchy. I believe it was Larry Cartwright, as an Independent candidate, who was successful in out-gaining Knowles at the polls in the 2002 electoral contest. However, prior to the 2007 general election, Cartwright would join the FNM under Hubert Ingraham. Long Island, prior to the advent of the FNM in 1970, was a stronghold of the defunct United Bahamian Party. Its transition to the FNM was seamless. This can explain Loretta
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net Butler-Turner’s decision to relocate to that Family Island ahead of the 2012 general election, from her Montagu constituency in Nassau; a seat she won in 2007. For Butler-Turner, the decision to move was both strategic and safe. For what it’s worth, Gibson will most certainly emerge victorious on September 16, notwithstanding the flurry of allegations of nepotism at the WSC involving a company called Elite Maintenance. The press’s unrelenting pursuit of this issue has failed to gain traction, however. With over 3,400 active COVID19 cases in the month of August and into the first week of September, coupled with nearly 450 casualties caused by the virus, Bahamians have more important matters to worry about. My family just lost a young member to COVID-19 over the weekend. What I find ironic about the Gibson situation is that he is probably more safe than Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis in Killarney. While Minnis wasted no time in punishing Travis Robinson, Vaughn Miller, Reece Chipman and Frederick McAlpine, he has
chosen to reaffirm his strong support for Gibson. Maybe Minnis’ approach in dealing with Gibson has more to do with timing than his perceived loyalty to the WSC executive chairman. Had this issue arose in 2018, Minnis, in all likelihood, would’ve sacked Gibson. For the FNM hierarchy, the nepotism allegations couldn’t have arisen at a more inopportune time. Yet the allegations have the potential of causing collateral damage to the governing party in Nassau, in areas such as Bamboo Town, Pinewood Gardens, Garden Hills, Mount Moriah, Southern Shores, Sea breeze, Nassau Village, Golden Gates, Marathon, Golden Isles, Fox Hill, Fort Charlotte, Centreville, Elizabeth, Tall Pines, Yamacraw and South Beach – 17 seats. The FNM, based on what I can tell, was already in trouble in those areas. The Adrian Gibson matter makes matters worse, for a party whose capital has already been spent in Nassau. The FNM standard bearers, in the foregoing Nassau areas, all have an uphill battle – a battle made much more difficult by the WSC allegations. KEVIN EVANS Freeport, Grand Bahama, September 7, 2021.
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THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, September 8, 2021, PAGE 7
PAGE 8, Wednesday, September 8, 2021
THE TRIBUNE FNMS at a rally in Inagua.
A week to go and there’s no clue on how election day will work THE general election is in one week and we still do not know how the process will be managed given the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the country. By now, we should know the measures being taken to keep us all safe and what is required of us to keep each other safe as we exercise our rights to participate in the election. There are usually long lines and an abundance of loud, sometimes obnoxious, banter between party supporters. Necessary documents pass through people’s hands, unused ballots are handled, the same writing utensil is used, and thumbs are plunged into indelible ink. Will there be any changes to this process? We have seen guidelines change as new information emerged. We have seen backtracking on a few changes, and we continue to see inconsistencies in measures put in place all over the world. Not only do we need to ensure everyone is wearing a clean mask at the polls, but that we reduce contact between voters themselves and between voters and poll workers. We also need to ensure surfaces are consistently sanitized. All of this will require preparation and planning for what we know will go wrong and for what may occur. That includes having masks available for those whose masks do not meet requirements, markers to indicate where people need to stand to maintain social distance, clear barriers where people need to speak with one another, speaker systems to compensate for the loss of volume through masks and barriers, and people to advise, remind and enforce protocols. The Prime Minister reportedly said: “The polls are safe. You will not catch COVID at the polls,” at a rally in Grand Bahama. We know that we cannot take him at his word. We know the polls will not be safe just because we say they are or just because we need to go to participate in this exercise. They have to be made safer. Nowhere that people gather is safe. Space can only be made safer by measures put in place, and the safety depends on every single person that enters the space. We have to depend on each other to keep the polls as safe as possible. Some may not even know they are putting others at risk. We know people can have COVID-19 and be asymptomatic. Because testing is not free, many people have not been tested, do not plan to test, and will never know whether or not they have or have had the virus. There are many variables and we cannot simply assume the polls or people showing up to vote will be “safe”. Will there be separate lines for vaccinated people? Will there be
By Alicia Wallace
separate lines for people with negative results from a test within a certain time period? How many people will be able to stand in line at a time? Will there be a number system so people waiting in their cars to join the line will be kept in the right order? How will car traffic be managed since this process is likely to take longer than usual and cause parking lot overflows? Will there be drive-thru options? Will senior citizens and people with compromised immune systems be fast-tracked or accommodated in another way? How will people who are quarantining be accommodated? What is being done to ensure people affected by Hurricane Dorian are not disadvantaged in this process? There are more questions than answers, and the snap election has not helped. We have been wronged, many times over, by the Prime Minister who campaigned on (among other empty promises) fixed election dates, relished the power of his office, and played games with the public — which suspected an early election would be called — by refusing to give a direct answer to the question, only saying the election is due in May 2022. The election is now taking place in the middle of a surge that has stressed the healthcare system and the education system as well as other frontline workers. Adding an election to the mix was completely unnecessary and suggests the Prime Minister expects to lose even more popularity.
It could be that this surge is expected to get worse and take a long time to peak. Perhaps more job loss and increases in the cost of living are expected. We have been warned for months that the cost of groceries will go up by the end of this year. There is a reason this risk is being taken now. A calculation has been made and it has been determined that it is somehow better to risk lives with an election next week than wait for circumstances to devolve and result in a rapidly decreasing support that would ultimately impact the results of a later election. It has been suggested a lockdown is coming. There are more cases now — and worse cases — than there were in the first phases during which there was a strict lockdown. The Prime Minister may have set this election date knowing an increase in restrictions is necessary, but would affect the way people vote. Instead of suffering the fallout from what could be considered a good decision to save lives, he has moved the election up — regardless of the consequences for public health — in hopes of winning and being able to mandate another lockdown. This is definitely strategic, and not something to simply wave away and go about things as usual. If we believe this to be true, we must consider that this decision was made based on prioritisation of the number of votes that could be
received over and to the detriment of human lives. Win the election now, and worry about the impact of the exercise on the public health system and people’s lives later? Is that what we want from a Prime Minister? This election, as in many before it, we need to think about character. We need to think about motive. Last year, transparency and accountability were buzz words bandied about by many, and we have endured more than four years of very little actual transparency and accountability. We continue to play guessing games because information is not readily available and accessible to us. We continue to be unclear on the decisions being made and what prompts them. We continue to be cogs in a wheel, pawns in a game, easily traded for personal gain. There is no clear path to better governance within the context of the election. It has never been simple. The major parties are interchangeable, lacking in identity, and full of people whose priorities are led by their focus on the longevity of their political careers. Better governance depends on us and our consistent, active participation. Democracy is not limited to the singular act of voting every five years. Governance is not limited to 39 Members of Parliament along with senators. We are the people, we are the employers and we are the ones being represented. Decisions are not to be made for us, but by us and then communicated and acted upon in the House. This has not been happening. Once our votes are cast and the seats allocated, we are largely absent from the process and this has to change, no matter who forms the next administration.
We need people who are can assess now or monitor prepared to listen to us, and and evaluate later. They we need to be people who barely even use the terms are prepared to speak up. “climate change” or “disasWe need people who are ter” which tells us much of going to fully represent us, what we need to know as and we need to be clear, we continue to live through inclusive, and united in the a global pandemic and positions we communicate the effects of Hurricane to our representatives. We Dorian. Are their priorities need to demand better our priorities? What does mechanisms to facilitate it mean that they are not our participation in govern- the same? What does this ance. We need widespread require of us? consultation on issues of One way to have our say national conis to participate cern, civic ‘We have to in processes education for developed by depend on each non-governmental all residents, and constitu- other to keep the organizations ency offices polls as safe as that are comthat are mitted to open during possible. Some making The and beyond may not even Bahamas a office hours know they are better place to facilitate all of its putting others at for engagement residents, pribetween the risk. We know oritising those people and our people can have who are most representatives. vulnerable It is our right COVID-19 and be and excluded. to participate asymptomatic.’ There is still in governance. time to conIt is also our tribute to the right to reject the options Feminist Standards for presented to us. In general Governance — a commuelections and in many other nity-sourced set of priorities areas, we are presented and demands in the areas of with severely limited health, education, women options and expected to and LGBTQI+ people, choose, but we can demand social services, youth, envimore. It is not enough to ronment, economy and cast a ballot and sit on the labour, climate change, sidelines. It is not enough gender-based violence, for political parties and and disaster management candidates to post signs — being developed by and distribute parapherna- Equality Bahamas. The lia and then tow the party survey can be accessed at line. In fact, that is unac- tiny.cc/feministsgtiny.cc, ceptable. It is not enough participants can answer to present manifestos and some or all of the quescharters, thrown together tions, and responses are without our involvement, anonymous. and expect us to make a We have to reject the decision we will live with empty promises of polifor five years. The docu- ticians and call them to ment themselves are lousy, meet the demands of the low-level lists of vague people. We are, indeed, promises that are not the government. We are evidence-based, rights- the employers. We bear based, strategic, inclusive, the cost. We have to set or connected to any set the standard – and that of actions or timelines we requires more than a vote.
PLPS at an event in Crooked Island.
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, September 8, 2021, PAGE 9
TECHTALK
ELECTRIC BOATS
NASA CONFIRMS MARS ROVER’S FIRST ROCK SAMPLE GRAB, 40 TO GO
ARE MAKING WAVES WITHOUT THE NOISE
By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer
THIS photo provided by Jeff Helmkamp/LakeExpo shows Vision Marine Technologies’ Vision Marine Bruce 22 boat with one of their E-Motion motors. The electric boat is capable of reaching speeds of 49 mph. (Jeff Helmkamp/LakeExpo via AP) By JOHN MARSHALL Associated Press THE auto industry has raced ahead on an electric wave with more manufacturers joining the race seemingly every day. The boating industry has sputtered far behind, bogged down by lowhorsepower engines and batteries that take up nearly half the boat. That’s in the process of changing. Bolstered by new technology, the electric boats are now faster, have smaller batteries with longer ranges and are still zero emission. “Electric boats used to be good for just cruising around,” said Alex Mongeon, CEO of Montreal-based Vision Marine Technologies. “Now they have more power and last a long longer.” Vision Marine has helped lead the charge in more powerful electric boats. Other companies riding the
electric motor wave include Swedish luxury boat builder X Shore and Arc, started by former SpaceX employees. An avid boat racer and electrician by trade, Mongeon and Vision Marine began working in 2015 on developing a more powerful yet still efficient electric outboard motor. They created the E-Motion 180, the first electric boat engine to use lithium batteries.
Engine The electric outboard boasts 180 horsepower and can reach speeds of 60 mph, a first in electric boating. The E-motion 180, which costs about $5,000 more than a standard internal combustion engine, can be used with any boats that use a 180 HP outboard gas engine, typically between 18 to 26 feet. The engines can fully
charge overnight and all that’s needed is a 220-volt outlet — a boating version of plug and play. Maintenance is far less than ICE engines because there are fewer moving parts. The electric engines are noiseless, odorless and smokeless, so there’s no more yelling at each other while onboard or leaving a layer of smoke in your wake. Sales of the E-Motion 180 started in May with delivery expected later this year. “It is so cool because nobody has gone to this comparable horsepower,” said Randy Truesdale, chief operating officer of SBX Marine, a Florida-based custom boat builder and brokerage company. “You see some of the electric motors, you might get one that says it’s, you know, 50 to 70 horsepower equivalent, but nobody’s done what we’re doing with the new 180.”
Electric boating has been embraced by celebrities like Drake, Robert De Niro and Greta Thunberg, according to Vision Marine. Many tour operators have turned to electric boats, and so have cities for rental and water taxis.
Cleaner Many waters have been designated marine protected areas — 26% in the United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — which ban motorised boats. Many allow electric boats because they are cleaner and emit no sound. “The only sound you’ll hear is the water hitting the hull and people enjoying themselves,” Mongeon said. And a lot more people have been enjoying themselves on the water during the pandemic.
According to National Marine Manufacturers Association, sales of powerboats were up 12% in 2020 with more than 310,000 new sales, the highest numbers since before the recession of 2008. Boat rental companies have seen their numbers soar as well, including a 700% growth year-over-year growth for GetMyBoat, the world’s largest boat rental company. “In the rental cycle, it has become hugely popular because of the great activity for people who don’t necessarily want to buy a boat,” Truesdale said. “You can kind of relate to what’s going on with COVID and allowing people to get outside. Boats are kind of like the perfect tool for social distancing.” The new era of electric boats, with the added power and limited environmental impact, are making it even more enjoyable.
EXPLAINER: WHAT IS APPLE DOING WITH ITS APP STORE? By MICHAEL LIEDTKE and MATT O’BRIEN AP Technology Writers OVER the past week or so, Apple has eased some longstanding restrictions that helped make its App Store into a big moneymaker for the company. The company has long required app developers to pay high commissions to Apple on the sales of paid apps as well as purchases of subscriptions or digital items inside their apps. Apple is facing some significant pressure to open up the App Store further. A federal judge is soon expected to return a verdict in an antitrust lawsuit filed by Epic Games, the maker of Fortnite, that seeks to strike down much of Apple’s commission system. And earlier this week, the South Korean legislature passed a law that would allow developers to sidestep payment systems run by both Apple and Google — and the commissions of 15% to 30% they charge. But Apple hasn’t always explained its moves very clearly, leaving some iPhone users with
unanswered questions as to what exactly Apple is doing and whether and how they’ll be affected. SO WHAT EXACTLY IS APPLE DOING? Last week, Apple agreed to App Store changes starting next year to resolve an investigation by Japanese regulators. For the first time, Apple will allow Spotify, Netflix and other apps that sell digital subscriptions to music, video, magazines, newspapers, books and audio to include an in-app link to their own sites, where users can sign up outside Apple’s payment system. Apple took a more limited step
in the same direction the week before when it agreed to let app developers email their users about ways to sidestep Apple when signing up for subscriptions. Such efforts could previously have gotten apps kicked out of Apple’s store. That change resulted from a preliminary settlement in a classaction lawsuit that still requires court approval. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek applauded the Wednesday move as a “step in in the right direction” in a tweet last week. But he lamented that Apple isn’t granting the same freedom to all apps, including those that make video games. “Our goal is to restore competition once and for all, not one arbitrary, self-serving step at a time,” Ek tweeted. WILL THIS MAKE APPS CHEAPER FOR USERS? Probably not. In theory, subscription apps could lower their prices, although there’s little reason to think they will. Netflix, for instance, has been steadily raising prices for reasons that have nothing to do with Apple’s commissions. The
video streaming service says the price increases help it pay for a steady stream of new original programming. But the changes could make life easier for some users of services like Spotify and Netflix, which had simply blocked sign-ups in their iPhone apps because they didn’t want to share that revenue with Apple. Instead, users have had to visit the companies’ websites to start a subscription they could then use with their iPhone app. WHY DOES APPLE RUN ITS APP STORE WITH AN IRON HAND? The company maintains the fees it charges help it recoup the more than $100 billion it has spent on its iPhone ecosystem. And it notes that most of the 1.8 billion apps on its store pay nothing because they rely on ads instead of subscriptions and other user purchases. Apple also insists that control over its app ecosystem helps protect the privacy and security of its customers. Critics, however, say that’s just a pretext for preserving a commission system that unexpectedly turned into a gold mine,
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s newest Mars rover has completed its first sample grab, tucking away the tube of rock for return to Earth. The Perseverance rover team confirmed last week’s successful drilling and collection, after reviewing photos of the core sample. NASA wanted to be certain the sample was safe inside the titanium tube, before sharing the news Monday. During Perseverance’s first sampling attempt in early August, the unexpectedly soft rock crumbled. Flight controllers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, sought out harder rock for the second try. Perseverance arrived in February at Mars’ Jezero Crater — a former lakebed and river delta — in search of rocks that could contain evidence of past Martian life. Future spacecraft will collect the specimens and deliver them to Earth a decade from now. The rover has more than 40 sample tubes.
TOP PAID iPAD APPS: oodNotes 5, Time 1. G Base Technology Limited 2. Procreate, Savage Interactive Pty Ltd 3. Notability, Ginger Labs 4. Minecraft, Mojang loons TD 5. B 6, Ninja Kiwi eometry Dash, 6. G RobTop Games AB 7. Fantasy Football Draft Kit ’21, Roto Sports, Inc. oca Life: Hospital, 8. T Toca Boca AB oca Kitchen 2, 9. T Toca Boca AB rue Skate, True 10. T Axis
even though company co-founder Steve Jobs didn’t envision making money from the store when it opened. Apple doesn’t disclose the app store’s financial performance in its financial results but it is major component of the company’s services division, which generated $54 billion in revenue the last fiscal year. WILL APPLE’S ACTIONS AFFECT THE RULING IN THE EPIC LAWSUIT? It’s unlikely, although Apple’s changes appear to address one of the key concerns that U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers raised during the Apple-Epic trial in May. During the trial, she had seemed troubled by a provision that forbids in-app notifications pointing out that purchases can also be made through web sites and other means, not just within the app. Such notices, she mused, wouldn’t be much different than a merchant’s display of the different credit cards — Visa, Mastercard, America Express or Discover — that has long been a staple at cash registers.
PAGE 10, Wednesday, September 8, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
PRESIDENT Joe Biden during a tours of neighborhood impacted by Hurricane Ida, in Manville, New Jersey, yesterday.
Photo: Evan Vucci/AP
Biden talks climate change as he surveys storm damage MANVILLE, New Jersey Associated Press
POINTING accusingly at climate change, President Joe Biden toured deadly Northeast flood damage Tuesday and said he was thinking about the families who suffered “profound” losses from the powerful remnants of Hurricane Ida. Biden traveled to New Jersey and New York City to survey the aftermath and call for federal spending to fortify infrastructure to better defend people and property from future storms in the region and beyond. He spoke with distressed residents whose homes were badly damaged or destroyed amid the flood. “Every part of the country, every part of the country is getting hit by extreme weather,” Biden said in a briefing at the Somerset County emergency management training center attended by federal, state and local officials, including New Jersey Gov Phil Murphy. Biden said the threat
from wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding and other extreme weather must be dealt with in ways that will lessen the devastating effects of climate change. “We can’t turn it back very much, but we can prevent it from getting worse,” he said. Biden added that scientists have been warning for decades that this day would come and that urgent action was needed. “We don’t have any more time,,” he said. Biden’s plan to spend $1 trillion on infrastructure nationwide is pending in Congress., and the White House asked Congress on Tuesday for an additional $24bn to cover the costs of Hurricane Ida and other natural disasters. In New Jersey, he also walked along a street in the Lost Valley neighborhood of Manville, where cleanup continues after the Raritan River overflowed its banks. Many front lawns were covered with water-logged couches, pianos, crumbled plaster and other debris. One home displayed
a hand-painted sign that said, “Manville will be back better”. Biden, wearing a mask, spoke to adults and children, including Meagan Dommar, a new mother whose home was destroyed by fire as the flood occurred. She told the president that she and her husband, Caesar, had left because of the baby, then returned to find destruction. “Thank God you’re safe,” Biden replied. As he walked the route, the Democrat was taunted by supporters of Republican former President Donald Trump, who yelled that Biden was a “tyrant” and worse. Biden did not look in their direction. At the briefing, Biden focused on the personal calamities, saying, “The losses that we witnessed today are profound. My thoughts are with all those families affected by the storm and all those families who lost someone they love.” Before he arrived, Cristel Alvarez said she expected losses at her home to climb
as high as $45,000. She has lived in Manville for a decade and the flood was her family’s second. Alvarez said she planned to apply for federal assistance but also intended to move away. “Let him see everything that we’re going through and hopefully we can get the help that we need because there’s a lot of loss,” she said. Lou DeFazio, a contractor and three-decade resident of Manville, sat on his porch with a small Trump flag waving beside him and Kaycee, his dog barking through an open window. DeFazio said the town needs better planning instead of presidential visits. “I think their efforts could be better spent in other areas. I don’t know what they’re gonna do for us,” he said. At least 50 people were killed in six Eastern states as record rainfall last week overwhelmed rivers and sewer systems. Some people were trapped in fast-filling basement apartments and cars, or were swept away
as they tried to escape. The storm also spawned several tornadoes. More than half of the deaths, 27, were recorded in New Jersey. In New York City, 13 people were killed, including 11 in Queens. Biden’s visit follows a Friday trip to Louisiana, where Hurricane Ida first made landfall, killing at least 13 people in the state and plunging New Orleans into darkness. Power is being slowly restored. Manville, situated along New Jersey’s Raritan River, is almost always hard-hit by major storms. It was the scene of catastrophic flooding in 1998 as the remnants of Tropical Storm Floyd swept over New Jersey. It also sustained serious flooding during the aftermath of Hurricane Irene in 2011 and Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Biden has approved major disaster declarations, making federal aid available for people in six New Jersey counties and five New York counties affected by the devastating floods. He is open to applying the declaration
to other storm-ravaged New Jersey counties, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said. Biden also used his appearance in Louisiana to argue for his infrastructure plan. Past presidents have been defined in part by how they handle such crises, and Biden has seen several weather-induced emergencies in his short presidency, starting with a February ice storm that caused the power grid in Texas to fail. He has also been monitoring wildfires in the West. As president, Trump casually lobbed paper towels to people in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria’s devastation in 2017, generating scorn from critics but little damage to his political standing. Barack Obama hugged New Jersey Republican Gov Chris Christie after Superstorm Sandy in 2012, a brief respite from partisan tensions that had threatened the economy. George W Bush fell out of public favor due to a poor response after Hurricane Katrina swamped New Orleans in 2005.
AFGHANISTAN EVACUEES: ‘WE ARE IN SOME KIND OF JAIL’ WASHINGTON Associated Press
VETERANS’ groups, Democratic lawmakers and Afghans called yesterday for urgent Biden administration action on a weeklong standoff that has left hundreds of would-be evacuees from Afghanistan desperate to board waiting charter flights out of the Taliban-ruled country. They say several dozen Americans, along with a much larger number of US green card holders and family members, are among vulnerable Afghans waiting to board pre-arranged charter flights at the airport in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif that are being prevented from leaving. “We think we are in some kind of jail,” said one Afghan woman among the would-be evacuees gathered in Mazar-e-Sharif. She said elderly American citizens and parents of Afghan-Americans in the U.S. are among those being blocked from boarding evacuation planes. The woman, an employee of a US-based nonprofit, Ascend, that works with Afghan women and girls, spoke Tuesday on condition
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday. Photo: Olivier Douliery/AP of anonymity for her security. She said those in her group have proper passports and visas, but that the Taliban currently are blocking them from entering the airport. She said she has been waiting for eight days. At one point last week, alarm spread through the women’s side of her hotel in the city when warnings came that the Taliban were searching the would-be evacuees on the men’s side, and had taken some away. “I am scared if they split us and not let us leave,” she said. “If we can’t get out of here, something wrong will happen. And I am afraid of that.” Secretary of State
Antony Blinken said Tuesday the US was working with the Taliban to resolve the matter. He rejected an assertion from a Republican lawmaker, Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, over the weekend that the standoff at Mazar-e-Sharif was turning into a “hostage situation” for American citizens in the group. “We’ve been assured all American citizens and Afghan citizens with valid travel documents will be allowed to leave,” Blinken said in Doha, Qatar, a major transit point for last month’s frantic US military-led evacuations from Afghanistan. Later, 12 Democratic lawmakers added to the
pressure for evacuees, in a letter urging the administration to disclose its plans for getting out all of the hundreds of at-risk people remaining in Afghanistan, including American citizens. “Our staff have been working around the clock responding to urgent pleas from constituents whose families and colleagues are seeking to flee Afghanistan, and they urgently require timely, post-withdrawal guidance to best assist those in need,” Reps Jerrold Nadler, Zoe Lofgren, Gerald Connolly and nine other lawmakers from President Joe Biden’s party wrote. Blinken, in Doha, said the Taliban had told US officials that the problem in Mazar-e-Sharif was that passengers with valid travel documents were mixed in with those without the right travel papers. “We have to work through the different requirements, and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” Blinken added. Taliban leaders, who named a new Cabinet Tuesday in the wake of their lightning takeover of most of the country last month, also say publicly that they will allow people
with proper documents to leave the country. Taliban officials insist they are currently going through the manifests, and passenger documents, for the charter flights at Mazar-e-Sharif. A US-led evacuation out of the airport in the capital, Kabul, flew out tens of thousands of Afghans, Americans and others last month before ending Aug. 30, with the withdrawal of the last U.S. troops and diplomats. The Biden administration says the current holdup is the fault of the Taliban, but some private organizers of the flights are skeptical. They say the State Department and other U.S. agencies have been slow or outright unresponsive to pleas for help despite assurances that Washington would work with the Taliban and others to get people out. On Monday, the State Department said it had helped a family of four US citizens escape Afghanistan via a land route. An array of American men and women and groups -- many of them with some past experience in Afghanistan, or other ties -- have been working for weeks to try to help
evacuate at-risk Afghans. Much of that effort is focused now on the planes in Mazar-e-Sharif. Some of those Americans pushing for US action said Tuesday they fear the Biden administration will help out American citizens, and leave behind green card holders, Afghans who used to work with Americans, and others vulnerable for their work, including journalists, women’s advocates and rights workers. Last month’s US-led flights weren’t limited to citizens and green card holders, said Marina LeGree, the American head of Ascend, the nonprofit for Afghan women. “The game changed partway through,” she said. Blinken, in Doha, said the US has been in contact with the Taliban “in recent hours” to work out arrangements on charter evacuation flights. Alex Plitsas, a representative of a group called “Digital Dunkirk”, which is serving as an umbrella group for several organisations arranging the private evacuation efforts since the completion of the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan, welcomed Blinken’s words.
SPORTS Sun beat Wings for 10th win in a row PAGE 11
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2021
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Brionna Jones had 18 points, 10 rebounds and three steals and Connecticut beat the Dallas Wings 83-56 on Tuesday night for the Sun’s 10th win in a row. January and Natisha Hiedeman had 13 points apiece for Connecticut and Jonquel Jones and DeWanna Bonner each scored 11. Jonquel Jones added seven rebounds, five
assists and three blocks. Connecticut (22-6) played frenetic and smothering defence, led by Briann January who helped limit the Wings to 27% shooting from the field. The Sun moved two games ahead of Las Vegas in the standings. Dallas’ Arike Ogunbowale finished with eight points on 2-of-17 shooting. The No. 5 overall pick in the 2019,
Ogunbowale had her string of 65 consecutive games scoring 10-plus points — the fifth longest streak of its kind in WNBA history — snapped. The Sun never trailed, used an 11-0 run to take a 25-8 lead late in the first quarter and led by as many as 33 points. Marina Mabrey led the Wings (12-17) with 16 points. Dallas is fighting for one of the final two playoff spots.
THE US OPEN PAGE 12
JONQUEL Jones in action for the Sun. (File photo)
WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR SPORTS AFTER THE GENERAL ELECTION? OPINION
By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas 2021 General Election on Thursday, September 16 will have candidates running for the various constituencies from all walks of life. There are many former and current athletes, officials and executives that have put their names in the political fray, but the question for once the votes are in and counted, is will sports get its just due from those elected to power? Over the years, there have been persons with sporting backgrounds who have been placed in the role of Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, but it appears that very little is done on a consistent basis to advance the growth and development of athletes. As we continue to linger through the COVID-19 era, it will be vital for the government elected to appoint a minister who can thrust the sports agenda forward in Cabinet to get sporting programmes off the ground and running again. Sporting leaders have been crying out for a national forum where they can come together and voice their sentiments on sports and the way forward. So while it’s too early to speculate who could and should be the new Minister of Sports with the elections still a week away, let’s take a look at the list of some of the more prominent sporting personalities whose names are on the dotted lines for their constituencies. • FREE NATIONAL MOVEMENT Noted incumbents Deputy Prime Minister Desmond Bannister, the current Member of
Parliament for Carmichael, is a former middle distance runner, who moved into the top of the sport of track and field where he served previously as the president of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations and the legal advisor for the Bahamas Football Association. Current Minister of Sports, Iram Lewis, is seeking another term as the Member of Parliament for Central Grand Bahama. The Grand Bahamian native is a two-time Olympic track and field sprinter, who also served as a vice president for both the BAAA and the Bahamas Olympic Committee. Minister of Health Renward Lewis, seeking to be re-elected in Bamboo Town, is also an Olympic sprinter, who competed along with Lewis on the local and international scene. He also held the Bahamas national records in the 60m and 100m. Shanendon Cartwright, the MP for St Barnabas, had a promising career as one of the top junior basketball players. But after returning from college, he never excelled to the senior level as one of the potential national team players. Newcomers Drumeco Archer, the candidate for Fort Charlotte, is also a former sprinter who represented The Bahamas at both the Carifta Games and the Junior Central American and Caribbean Championships and is the current president of the BAAA. Felicia Knowles, running for the constituency of Cat Island, Rum Cay and Salvador, hails from the field of basketball and netball. She was a former national team player and an executive of the New Providence Women’s Basketball Association. Jennifer Isaacs-Dotson, running for Exuma and SEE PAGE 12
QUARTER-MILER Wendell Miller and sprinter Carlos Brown.
MILLER AND BROWN PUSH EACH OTHER TO SUCCESS ON THE TRACK By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
IT was a season to remember for quartermiler Wendell Miller and sprinter Carlos Brown. But their Swift Athletics Track Club’s coach Andrew Tynes said what they did this year was just the tip of the iceberg. Miller and Brown, two of the top junior athletes in the country, culminated their season by representing The Bahamas on the nine-member team that participated in the World
Athletics’ Under-20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya from August 2-7. The duo made it to the semifinal of the 100 metres where Miller posted a personal best time of 10.45 seconds for 11th overall and Brown followed in 12th with his lifetime best of 10.47. They came back in the 200m to get to the semis as well with Miller clocking 20.69 for 9th and Brown was 15th with 20.92. Both competitors said under the supervision of Tynes, they are able to push each other in practice and that has transcended
to the competition. Miller, an 18-year-old graduate of St John’s College after transferring from CR Walker Secondary High, said he couldn’t ask for as better performance, considering the fact that he wasn’t at full strength, having had to deal with COVID-19 days before he left with the team. “My experience was good. I got to see some of the challenges I will get to face in the future,” said Miller, who was is looking forward to returning to the Under-20 Championships in Cali, Columbia from
August 2-7, 2022. “So it was a good experience running against some of the best junior athletes in the world.” Not known for his speed, which has limited him from running the 100m, Miller said he was extremely impressed with his performance in the straight away race. But if there was any disappointment that he took away from the championships, it was the fact that he didn’t produce a PB (personal best) in the 200m. SEE PAGE 12
PAGE 12, Wednesday, September 8, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
FORMER NATIONAL VOLLEYBALL TEAM PLAYER HUBERT WILLIAMS DIES AGE 66 By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
COACH Andrew Tynes (centre) gives some instructions to Carlos Brown (left) and Wendell Miller.
MILLER AND BROWN PUSH EACH OTHER TO SUCCESS ON THE TRACK FROM PAGE 11
“In the heats, I felt my hamstring, but I still ran the semi-finals,” he said. “I started to feel the injury, so I just decided to slow down.” As for the 400m, Miller said having had to deal with COVID-19, he wasn’t at full strength and so it was a decision by coach Tynes and the staff for Team Bahamas for him to run the 100/200m combo rather than the 200/400m. “I didn’t have the strength to run the 400m, so we agreed that I would just do the sprints,” Miller said. “But I know if I had done the 400m, I would have done better than I did in the 100 and 200 metres. I just have to wait to wait until next year when I will get a chance to do it again.” Looking back at his experience, Miller said he’s grateful for the opportunity to travel to Kenya to represent the Bahamas. He said he went there and did the best he could under the circumstances that he was under. “It just showed me that I have to go out there and work hard because the other athletes are working hard to win,” he said. “I just have to continue to work hard and focus on my training because they want it just as much as I do.
Focus “I just need to train more, focus more and eat more healthy foods because I really have a bad eating habit. I can’t let anything distract me from what I have to do to be successful so that I can be prepared for the battle.” Under Tynes, Miller said he feel he’s in the right environment to succeed because “he’s been there and done that” as an athlete and now a coach and he knows what they need to do to get to the next level. At 15, Brown was the youngest member of Team Bahamas at the championships, but he didn’t allow it to get to him. He said he had dedicated his season to the memory of his deceased father, Carlos Brown Sr, who passed away earlier this year. “The competition was stiff, so I got to experience what it was to run at a higher level,” he said. “It was good, but what I didn’t like was the air was very thin. But I had to cope with it.” It was an even greater accomplishment for Brown to get his feet wet and to set the stage for next year when he hopes to go to and win both the 100 and 200m. “I just need to work harder and stay focussed,” he said. Reflecting on Tynes’ days as one of the top sprinters in the country and on the international scene, Brown said he too is honoured to be a part of the 60-plus members in the Swift Athletic Track Club and even training with Miller.
“He’s one of my training partners, so I’m not feeling any ways about it,” Brown said. “In practice, we challenge each other. Depending on the workout we do, each one of us get the better of the other. But that is what makes us better.” Miller agreed. “Depending on the workout we do, we push each other,” he stated. Brown, now entering the 11th grade at St John’s College, said he’s looking forward to one day enrolling in college and eventually entering the professional ranks. Miller, on the other hand, is waiting to make a decision on his future. Tynes said he’s gotten a couple of offers from colleges and universities, but there’s also two shoe company sponsorships that they are considering that would allow him to enter the pro ranks. “He’s going to sit down with his parents and make the right decision that is in his best interest,” Tynes said. “The good thing about the shoe contracts is that they will also be taking care of his education, so I think he will be looking at one of them very soon.” Having had the opportunity to train Brown since he was eight- years-old and Miller just for the past year, Tynes said their IQ for track and their abilities to get through their workout sessions has been the key to their success so far. ‘They want it,” he said. “When they come to practice, they separate themselves from the crowd and go at it. When practice is finished, they rejoin their peers and they are all one big happy family. But they are two special athletes with a bright future.” Looking back at their performances in Nairobi, Tynes said it was remarkable, especially Miller, who couldn’t train in the lead up to the trip because of being exposed to COVID-19. “His performance was really good, considering the circumstances that he was faced with,” Tynes said. “Carlos, on the other hand, for just 15 years old, he performed very well, running 10.5. They both ran faster than me when I was their age. “As a coach, who has been there and done this, I know I can break them back down and build them back up to get them ready for next year. “We just have some little things to work out and they will be ready to go.” Hopefully, the duo will not only get to run at the junior level at the Carifta Games and the World Under-20 Championships, but Tynes said they should be a position to also compete at the senior level, even if it’s just as members on the men’s 4 x 100 and 4 x 400m relay teams at either the World Championships or the Commonwealth Games next year.
THE Bahamas Volleyball Federation and the New Providence Volleyball Association is mourning the passing of one of its long-time former national team players, Hubert Williams, who was considered a gentle giant and a consummate team player. Williams, a Land Surveyor by profession, died on Sunday at the age of 66. He leaves to mourn his wife, Vesta, and a host of other family members and friends. Oswald Moore, who coached Williams for about 10-11 years on the Paradise Giants men’s volleyball team, said it was so sad to hear of his passing. “He was an excellent player who always put out his best. He was a hard worker and was easy to coach,” Moore said. “He did well. I heard the news on Sunday and we were all distraught about his death.” In 1971, Leslie ‘Russia’ Cartwright said he and Williams joined the NPVA, albeit on opposing teams. While he went on to win the Rookie of the Year award with the Wardrobe Stars, Williams was the runner-up with the Giants. At the time, Stars were the undefeated high school team from Jordan Prince William, coached by Caswell Thompson, who also was the men’s national coach. Both Cartwright and Williams played together on the men’s national team coached by Thompson. “Hubie came into volleyball bringing height for the national team,” Cartwright said. “He and I travelled throughout the Caribbean and South America at that time because volleyball was on the rise and we played in most international competitions, including the CAC Games, the Pan American Games and the English speaking Caribbean Tournament. “He brought height and used it as
ABOVE: Hubert Williams is pictured in the centre back row with his Paradise Giants’ volleyball teammates. RIGHT: Hubert Williams a middle block defender,” Cartwright recalled. “After about four years playing with the national team, he went off to school. But he was always involved in assisting us with whatever it was to do with volleyball when he returned home.” Williams’ childhood friend Leon Evans said the news came as a shock to him. “Hubie was a tall, kind gentle giant, very helpful and considerate,” Evans said. “Whatever you was doing, Hubie was there for you. If you needed help, Hubie was there. I know for me, Hubie would come sit down and we would talk for hours. “He had a wealth of information, very bright and intelligent.” Living in close proximity of two blocks in between in the Pyfrom Road area, Evans said they normally went walking on Paradise Island Bridge,” he
said. “He was a walker. He always liked to walk.” Evans also noted that back in the 1970s, they created their own dark room in his home where they developed black and white photos. He noted that just about two months ago, he went back into the dark room to re-create a studio type operation. “We go way back,” he summed up. “He will be missed.”
WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR SPORTS AFTER THE GENERAL ELECTION? FROM PAGE 11 Ragged Island, was one of the country’s most versatile athletes, having played volleyball, softball, netball, field hockey and a little bit of basketball. She also represented the country as a national team player in a number of those disciplines. John Pinder, like IsaacsDotson who come from the Labour Movement, he is running for Fox Hill where he was standout basketball player in both the park league and for the Saints in the New Providence Basketball Association. He also ventured into football where he played in the Commonwealth American Football League. • PROGRESSIVE LIBERAL PARTY Notable Returnees Obie Wilchcombe, back in his bid to regain the seat of West Grand Bahama & Bimini, is a former quarterback in the CAFL, of which he also served as a president. He is also a former president of the Grand Bahama Basketball Association. Coming over from the FNM as the MP for Golden Isles, Eleuthera native Vaugh Miller will be seeking to be re-elected
DESMOND BANNISTER as a PLP candidate. He is a former outstanding basketball player for the Beck’s Cougars in the NPBA. An array of newcomers Mario Bowleg, the candidate for Garden Hills, is also a former basketball player, who emerged as a championship coach with the CC Sweeting Cobras in the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association and the NPWBA. He is the current president of the Bahamas Basketball Federation and a head and assistant coach on the men’s national basketball team. Grand Bahamian native Wayde Watson is seeking the seat of Bains Town & Grants Town. He is a former basketball player, who has established himself as one of the top
OBIE WILCHCOMBE coaches, winning championship titles in the Bahamas Government Departmental Basketball Association; the NPBA and the NPWBA. He was also an assistant coach for the BBF’s national team. As the candidate for South Beach, Bacchus Rolle is a versatile basketball/baseball/softball player, who now holds the position as the head coach of the University of the Bahamas Mingoes men’s basketball team. Ronald Duncombe, the candidate for Killarney, has enjoyed a successful run as a former volleyball player in the New Providence Volleyball Association with the champions, Beck’s Condors, and the Intruders in his prime. Grand Bahamian native
Curt Hollingsworth is running for Marco City. Before he ventured into politics, he played basketball and participated in track and field. But he’s known for his role as a high school coach in Grand Bahama and New Providence as well as serving as an interim president of the BAAA. Jamahl Strachan, running for Nassau Village, competed in track and field as a hurdler and pole vaulter, and represented the Bahamas as a member of the Carifta team. Coming in as the candidate for North Andros and the Berry Islands, Leonardo Lightbourne’s claim to fame was in basketball where he excelled as a member of the men’s national basketball team and professional player, who took his talents throughout the Caribbean, Latin America and Europe. Christopher Saunders, the candidate for St Anne’s, is a noted journalist from both the print and electronic media. He was a former swimmer, who emerged as one of the country’s certified basketball referees and an internationally certified statistician and table official.
TWO WINS AND TWO LOSSES FOR BAHAMAS MANTAS The Bahamas Mantas Water Polo team competed at the Texas Shootout Tournament for the Under-12 mixed age group over the weekend in Texas. The team finished in seventh place with two victories and two losses. According to coach Lotty Borbely, he’s only been able to train the next generation of water polo players since August 10 at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex, but he was pleased with the way they performed and the valuable lessons that they learned from the experience. In their first game on Saturday, September 4, Bahamas Mantas won 11-6 over Triumph, but they lost 8-4 to Pegasus in their second game of a double header. On Sunday, Bahamas Mantas played another double header and after getting nipped 15-14 by Zilla, before they bounced back to take out their frustrations out on Alamo Area in an 18-6 rout.
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Wednesday, September 8, 2021, PAGE 13
DONE IN SINGLES, US STILL HAS SOME HOPES IN US OPEN DOUBLES By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Sports Writer NEW YORK (AP) — While the Americans are all done in singles at the U.S. Open, there’s still some home hopes in doubles. In fact, at least one U.S. man is already guaranteed to play for the title. Sam Querrey and Steve Johnson reached the semifinals of the men’s draw after a 6-2, 7-6 (5) victory over the No. 6-seeded team of Kevin Krawietz and Horia Tecau on Tuesday. No Americans reached the quarterfinals in singles, the first time that’s ever happened at the U.S. Open, first held in 1881. Given a wild card into the tournament, Querrey and Johnson will face the fourth-seeded team of American Rajeev Ram and Britain’s Joe Salisbury in the semifinals. Coco Gauff and Caty McNally can reach the women’s semifinals Wednesday. Seeded 11th, the teenagers play the top-seeded team of Elise Mertens and Hsieh Su-Wei. • BACK AGAINST THE WALL Before he was a top tennis star, Daniil Medvedev sometimes felt crowded on the court. Unlike Arthur Ashe Stadium, where he won Tuesday to reach the U.S. Open semifinals, many smaller courts don’t have much space beyond the baselines. Without that extra room, Medvedev couldn’t always move as far back to return serve as he likes when he was a lowerranked player who didn’t get to play on the biggest stage. “That’s not good,” Medvedev said. “I was not feeling good, because I could lose matches just because I felt like I was, if I can say, discriminated that I couldn’t use my position on the return.” Sometimes standing well behind the line, Medvedev broke six times in Botic van de Zandschulp’s first eight service games en route to his 6-3, 6-0, 4-6, 7-5 victory Tuesday. There’s no guarantee Medvedev will continue to take the same position. He said when he reached the final of the Australian Open this year, he stood much closer to the line because he felt it was working better. “If you see all of my matches, sometimes I change it up. Depends the opponent,” Medvedev said. “Being far back just gives me time to react to the serve. That’s as easy as that.”
NOVAK DJOKOVIC, of Serbia, left, greets Jenson Brooksby, of the United States, after beating Brooksby during the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
FOR THE FIRST TIME, NO US SINGLES PLAYERS IN US OPEN QUARTERFINALS By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — On the day that the U.S. Open quarterfinals began without any Americans left in singles — the first time that’s ever happened at an event first held in 1881 — the man in charge of finding and grooming the country’s Grand Slam champions sought to look on the bright side. Sure, Martin Blackman, the U.S. Tennis Association’s general manager of player development, acknowledged Tuesday in an interview at Flushing Meadows that having no men or women in the draws with nearly a week of play to go is “very disappointing; there’s no ifs, ands or buts about it.” And then, moments later, he got around to beginning a sentence with one of those words: “But when we look at where we’re heading, especially on the men’s side, we’re in the best place that we’ve been in 15-20 years.” His justification for that lies, in part, in the numbers: There are 14 Americans in the top 100 of the ATP rankings, the most since 1996; the 13 men who got to the second round last week were the most since the 15 in 1994. “We’ve got a huge group of guys there. We just don’t have the world beaters,” said Reilly Opelka, an American who was seeded 22nd and lost in the fourth round Monday. “I don’t think we will have a SamprasAgassi era of, just, dominance like that again. It’s rare for any country.” That’s part of Blackman’s take on things, too. There is, simply, a lot of competition from everywhere. “In the ‘70s, you had five countries playing professional tennis,” he said, wearing a blue jacket with “USA” in white capital letters above his heart. “It’s a completely different world. The standards for American tennis have not dropped, at least from our perspective. Our standards are always going to be Grand Slam titles and top-10 players. But the challenges have multiplied. The game is more global than it’s ever been.”
LLOYD HARRIS, right, of South Africa, is congratulated by Reilly Opelka, of the United States. Part of his optimism comes from the eye test. In the women’s game, he likes what he sees from 21-year-old Sofia Kenin (the 2020 Australian Open champion who missed the U.S. Open after testing positive for COVID19), 20-year-old Amanda Anisimova (a 2019 French Open semifinalist), 17-year-old Coco Gauff (a 2021 French Open quarterfinalist) and a crop of other teenagers Blackman thinks can make moves a year or two from now, such as Robin Montgomery (who won a second-round juniors match Tuesday) or Hailey Baptiste. The men he’s hopeful about include 20-year-old Jenson Brooksby, who flirted with an upset of No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the fourth round Monday night; 21-year-old Sebastian Korda, who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon in July but stopped during his first-rounder in New York because of food poisoning; and 20-year-old Brandon Nakashima, who beat highest-ranked American
SHELBY ROGERS, of the United States, reacts to losing a point against Emma Raducanu, of Britain.
John Isner in the first round. Plus, Brooksby, 24-year-old Opelka and 23-year-old Frances Tiafoe gave the U.S. three men in the fourth round of the nation’s Grand Slam tournament for the first time in a decade. Djokovic was impressed enough by Brooksby to tell the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd after beating him 1-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-2: “America has a bright future in tennis, for sure.” This U.S. Open was, it turns out, as good an opportunity as ever for new folks to get a seat at the table, perhaps at least in part because of the absences of Serena Williams (“We didn’t have The Queen here,” is how Blackman put it), Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Djokovic is the only male quarterfinalist with a Grand Slam singles title (he has 20), and Barbora Krejcikova is the only female quarterfinalist with one (this year’s French Open). Karolina Pliskova is the only other
woman in the last eight with even one appearance in a major final; she was the runner-up at the U.S. Open in 2016 and at Wimbledon in July. Plus, two players came through qualifying to get to the quarterfinals: Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands and Emma Raducanu of Britain. Three quarterfinalists are teenagers: Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz of Spain are 18; Leylah Fernandez of Canada turned 19 on Monday. Blackman is well aware, of course, that one has to go all the way back to 2003 to find a Grand Slam title, at the U.S. Open or elsewhere, for an American man: Andy Roddick’s triumph in New York. “Look, we’re all about winning. That’s our culture and that’s our business and everything we do is very binary at the end of the day. Either you win or you lose,” Blackman said. “We need,” he said, “to see better results in the Slams next year.”
CANADIAN TEEN FERNANDEZ INTO US OPEN SEMIS WITH FANS’ HELP
By HOWARD FENDRICH AP TENNIS WRITER
NEW YORK (AP) — With no players from the United States left to pull for in the U.S. Open, the fans are adopting a neighbour from the North to treat as one of their own: Leylah Fernandez, an unseeded Canadian teenager with an exciting game and enthusiasm to match. A day after turning 19, Fernandez reached her first Grand Slam semifinal — and became the youngest player to get that far in the women’s bracket at Flushing Meadows since Maria Sharapova in 2005 — by adding a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5) victory against No. 5 Elina Svitolina on Tuesday to earlier wins over past U.S. Open champions Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber. “I obviously have no idea what I’m feeling right now,” said Fernandez, a left-hander with quick baseline reflexes who is ranked 73rd and participating in only the seventh major tournament of her nascent career. “I was so nervous. I was trying to do what my coach told me to do.”
LEYLAH FERNANDEZ, of Canada, reacts after defeating Elina Svitolina, of Ukraine. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola) That coach is her father, who isn’t in New York; he stayed home and is offering tips in daily phone conversations. That helps, certainly, as does the loud backing she’s been receiving from the spectators, who rose and cheered wildly each time Fernandez raised a fist high above
her head or wind-milled both arms after winning a key point in Arthur Ashe Stadium. “Thanks to you, I was able to push through today,” she told the crowd after edging Svitolina, the Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist whose two Grand Slam semifinal runs include at the 2019 U.S. Open. Not requiting any encouragement to get out of his seat was Fernandez’s fitness coach, who would leap and shout, pointing fingers or waving clenched fists. Svitolina’s husband, two-time major semifinalist Gael Monfils, offered similar support from Ashe’s other guest box. It was touch-and-go down the stretch — even after Fernandez grabbed the opening set, even after she led 5-2 in the third. One way in which she held a clear advantage: Of points that lasted more than eight shots, Fernandez won 26, Svitolina 16. Five times, Fernandez was two points from winning but failed to collect the next point. Finally, at 5-all in the tiebreaker, she moved to match point when she smacked a down-the-line passing shot that
got past Svitolina with the help of a bounce off the net tape. Fernandez put up both palms, as if to say, “Sorry about that bit of luck,” while Svitolina put a hand to her mouth in dismay. Svitolina’s backhand contributed to her undoing late, and when a return from that side landed long, it was over. Fernandez dropped to her knees at the baseline and covered her face; Svitolina walked around the net to come over for a hug. Next on this magical ride for Fernandez will come yet another test against a player who is ranked higher and has more experience success on the sport’s biggest stages. On Thursday, she will play either No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, who reached the Wimbledon semifinals in July, or No. 8 Barbora Krejcikova, who won the French Open in June and was the only woman in the round of eight at the U.S. Open with a Grand Slam title. Sabalenka and Krejcikova’s night match was to be followed by the men’s quarterfinal between another young Canadian, 21-year-old Felix Auger-Aliassime, and 18-year-old
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain. The winner of that will face No. 2 seed Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals. Medvedev, a 25-year-old from Russia, earned a spot in the final four at Flushing Meadows for the third consecutive year by stopping the surprising run of Dutch qualifier Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3, 6-0, 4-6, 7-5. As in the women’s draw, only one man in the quarterfinals already owns a major trophy: Novak Djokovic, who not only is seeking a record-breaking 21st but also trying to become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win a calendar-year Grand Slam. Medvedev has come close. He lost to Djokovic in this year’s Australian Open final and to Rafael Nadal in the 2019 U.S. Open final. The only way he could meet Djokovic this time would be in the title match on Sunday. But first things first. “I don’t think about him, because as we saw, anybody can beat anybody,” Medvedev said. “If he’s in the final, and if I’m there, I’m happy. He’s also happy, I guess.”
PAGE 14, Wednesday, September 8, 2021
DENMARK’S ANDREAS CORNELIUS, left, scores his side’s fifth goal of the game. (Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)
DENMARK BEAT ISRAEL 5-0 IN WINNING RUN, SCOTLAND UP TO SECOND COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Five players scored as Denmark beat Israel 5-0 on Tuesday to put the Danes on the verge of securing a place at the 2022 World Cup with barely half of the qualifying games played. After reaching the semifinals at the European Championship, the Danes now have a perfect record of winning all six of their World Cup qualifying games so far without conceding a goal. One more win could secure a spot at next year’s tournament in Qatar.
Offside Israel came into the game in second place in Group F but the closest it came to scoring was when Eran Zahavi put the ball in the net early on, only for it to be ruled out for offside. Otherwise, Israel didn’t record a shot on target. Yussuf Poulsen got Denmark going in the 28th minute with a goal on the rebound after Israeli goalkeeper Ofir Marciano failed to hold Mikkel Damsgaard’s volley. Three minutes later, Denmark captain Simon Kjaer headed in his team’s second goal from a free kick, before goals from Andreas Skov Olsen and Thomas Delaney. Andreas Cornelius capped the win with a fifth goal in stoppage time, Denmark’s 22nd in just six qualifying games. Denmark leads the group by seven points from Scotland, which beat Austria 1-0 to move up to second in the group.
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FRANCE’S Antoine Griezman celebrates after scoring his side’s first goal during the World Cup 2022 group D qualifying soccer match between France and Finland at Decines stadium in Lyon, France, Tuesday. (AP Photo/Laurent Cirpiani)
France fine without Mbappé, in control of group after win By ANDREW DAMPF AP Sports Writer ROME (AP) — The way Antoine Griezmann and Karim Benzema linked up together for France on Tuesday, the injured Kylian Mbappé was hardly missed. Griezmann scored twice and was set up by Benzema both times in a 2-0 win over Finland that put the defending World Cup champions in control of their qualifying group for the 2022 tournament. Also, European Championship semifinalist Denmark extended its perfect start by dominating Israel 5-0, and Memphis Depay and Erling Haaland each had hat tricks as both the Netherlands and Norway, respectively, won in routs. Denmark has scored 22 goals and conceded none.
With his 39th and 40th goals for France, Griezmann matched Michel Platini for third place on the team’s all-time list behind only Thierry Henry (51 goals) and Olivier Giroud (46). France leads Group D with 12 points, seven points clear of Ukraine and Finland, which has played two games fewer. Midway through the first half, Griezmann traded passes with Benzema before giving France the lead. The second goal came on a play that was started by Benzema, with an assist from Léo Dubois. The match in Lyon was played in familiar territory for Griezmann, who grew up nearby. Only the group winners directly qualify for the World Cup. Second-place finishers face a playoff.
PORTUGAL players celebrate after Diogo Jota scored his side’s third goal during the World Cup 2022 group A qualifying soccer match between Azerbaijan and Portugal at the Olympic stadium in Baku, Azerbaijan, Tuesday. (AP Photo/Aziz Karimov)
PORTUGAL OVERCOME RONALDO’S ABSENCE, BEAT AZERBAIJAN 3-0
Results Depending on results elsewhere, Denmark could guarantee first place and a qualifying spot in its next game — Oct. 9 against Moldova. Denmark beat Moldova 8-0 in their previous meeting. Scotland managed a win in Vienna thanks to a 30th-minute penalty from Lyndon Dykes, awarded for a foul on Che Adams following video review. Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon kept his team ahead with a superb save to deny Christoph Baumgartner at a corner in the 79th. The Austrian crowd booed the team at the final whistle. Finishing second in Group F would give Scotland a playoff spot and a shot at reaching its first World Cup since 1998. The Faeroe Islands beat Moldova 2-1.
FRANCE’S ANTOINE GRIEZMAN, centre, scores his sides first goal. (AP Photo/Laurent Cirpiani)
PORTUGAL’S Diogo Jota celebrates after scoring his side’s third goal. (AP Photo/Aziz Karimov)
BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — Portugal overcame the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo to comfortably defeat Azerbaijan 3-0 and take the lead in its World Cup qualifying group on Tuesday. Bernardo Silva, André Silva and Diogo Jota scored a goal each to give Portugal a two-point lead over Serbia, which conceded late in a 1-1 draw at Ireland in the other Group A match. The away victory gave Portugal 13 points from five matches. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic gave Serbia the lead in Dublin with a 20th-minute header off a corner kick but the hosts equalised with an 87th-minute owngoal by defender Nikola Milenkovic. Ronaldo was serving a
suspension for accumulation of yellow cards. He was released from the squad after netting his 110th and 111th goals in Portugal’s 2-1 win over Ireland last week, becoming the men’s all-time top scorer in international soccer. He had been tied with former Iranian striker Ali Daei at 109 goals.
Chances “We could have scored more goals, we created several chances,” Portugal coach Fernando Santos said. “If we had been more efficient in front of the goal, the score would have been even better.” Bernardo Silva opened the scoring from inside the area in the 26th minute by
flicking the ball into the top corner with the outside of his left foot. André Silva, playing in Ronaldo’s position up front, added to the lead from close range five minutes later, and Jota sealed the victory with a header in the 75th. In the final minutes of the match, some fans entered the field and took photos with Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes. Winless Azerbaijan stayed in last place in the group with one point from five matches. It hosts Ireland in the next round in October. Serbia will next visit Luxembourg, which is also Portugal’s next opponent. Luxembourg is third in the group with six points from four matches.
PAGE 16, Wednesday, September 8, 2021
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MULLINS HOMERS AGAIN, ORIOLES HIT 3 TO BEAT ROYALS 7-3
By TODD KARPOVICH Associated Press BALTIMORE (AP) — Cedric Mullins homered for the third consecutive game and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Kansas City Royals 7-3 on Tuesday night. DJ Stewart and Austin Hays also connected for Baltimore, which evened the four-game series at one apiece. “I did like how we swung the bat early,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “Nice job of scoring first and getting the lead for our young pitching staff.” Orioles right-hander Mike Baumann, rated the team’s No. 10 prospect, was promoted from Triple-A Norfolk prior to the game and made his major league debut in the fifth inning. Baumann (1-0) retired 11 of the 14 batters he faced. “I didn’t really know what the moment would be like,” Baumann said. “There was a lot of adrenaline, everything was just kind of a blur. Looking back on it, I don’t even know if I remember much of what happened on the mound. Just the feeling of walking off the field after, hearing the fans, that was a cool moment. It was definitely something to remember.” Carlos Santana hit his 19th home run for the Royals, who are 9-4 in their last 13 road games after going 19-37 in their first 46. Kansas City left nine runners on base, its most since Aug. 27 at Seattle (also nine). The Orioles took a 4-0 lead against rookie Jackson Kowar (0-3) on an RBI single by Anthony Santander, a fielder’s choice by Hays and a two-run homer by Stewart that was just out of the reach of center fielder Michael A. Taylor, who crashed into the wall. Kowar allowed six runs and five hits with seven strikeouts and four walks over six innings. “He did a good job of staying in the game by pitching a very uncharacteristic game for him,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “He used the slider more than he has ever used in his life. He couldn’t execute the fastball like he wanted to.” A two-out bloop single by Nicky Lopez cut the lead to 4-1 in the third against Orioles rookie Alexander Wells, who made his fourth start of the season. Wells gave up two runs and five hits with two strikeouts and two walks over four innings. Hays responded in the bottom half with a two-run shot that extended his hitting streak to a career-high 14 games. The Orioles did not manage another hit until Mullins led off the seventh with his 27th homer. The Royals scored their third run on an error by third baseman Kelvin Gutierrez on a grounder by Taylor in the eighth. MOVES Orioles: RHP Manny Barreda had his contract selected from Triple-A Norfolk. RHP Zack Burdi was optioned to the Tides. TRAINER’S ROOM Orioles: Jorge López’s sprained right ankle is a potentially season-ending injury, according to Hyde. López was injured attempting to cover first base during Monday’s game. … 1B/DH Trey Mancini missed his second straight game with general soreness. … SS Ramón Urías was also held out of the lineup with soreness in his upper right leg. … LHP Bruce Zimmermann (sprained right ankle) is scheduled to throw in the bullpen in the next couple of days.
CINCINNATI Reds starting pitcher Wade Miley watches a throw during the first inning of the team’s baseball game against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Miley goes 7, Castellanos and India homer as Reds stop Cubs By JAY COHEN AP Baseball Writer CHICAGO (AP) — Wade Miley pitched seven effective innings, Nick Castellanos homered and the Cincinnati Reds got a sorely needed victory, topping the Chicago Cubs 4-3 on Tuesday night. Cincinnati had dropped seven of nine to lose ground in the NL playoff race. The Reds began the day one game back of San Diego for the second wild card. They rebounded behind Miley (12-5), who was coming off one of his worst performances during an impressive season. The veteran lefthander allowed one run and five hits, struck out eight and walked none. Miley, tagged for five runs and 12 hits over four innings during a 5-4 loss to the Cardinals last week, improved to 6-1 with a 2.67 ERA in his last 11 starts. Willson Contreras, Rafael Ortega and Ian Happ homered for Chicago, which had won a season-high seven
straight. Happ, who finished with three hits, is batting .367 (33 for 90) in his last 24 games. The Reds were clinging to a 2-1 lead when they pushed across two runs in the eighth. Jonathan India, who homered in the first, doubled and scored on Mike Moustakas’ twoout single off Manuel Rodríguez. Kyle Farmer tacked on another RBI single. Ortega and Happ connected in the bottom half against Michael Lorenzen, but Mychal Givens worked the ninth for his sixth save. Right before Happ’s 20th homer, Farmer robbed Frank Schwindel of a hit when the shortstop made a terrific catch in short center field. India drove Adrian Sampson’s third pitch into the bleachers in centre for his fifth leadoff homer and No. 19 overall in his first big league season. After Tyler Naquin bounced to third, Castellanos connected for his 27th homer. India’s homer travelled an estimated 422 feet, and Castellanos’
drive went even further at 446 feet — landing on a green roof in center. But then Sampson (0-2) settled down nicely, allowing six hits over a seasonhigh five innings in his second start of the year. The Cubs got one back on Contreras’ 18th homer, a two-out drive to left-center in the third. They almost got the tying run in the sixth, but the Reds caught a break. With two out and Happ on first, Patrick Wisdom’s drive to left-centre got lost in the ivy for a ground-rule double. That meant Happ had to go back to third, and Matt Duffy tapped back to Miley for the final out of the inning. TRAINER’S ROOM Reds: OF Jesse Winker (intercostal strain) had to slow down for a day or two after he felt “a little something,” according to manager David Bell. But the All-Star slugger could appear in some minor league games within the week. “It’s the last step, really. It’s just being able to swing, take full swings,” Bell said. “That’s a big step
with that injury.” Cubs: RF Jason Heyward was scratched due to right hamstring cramping. Wisdom moved from left field to right with Heyward out, and Alfonso Rivas entered the lineup in left. ... OF Michael Hermosillo is dealing with some left forearm soreness. He entered as a pinch-runner in the ninth. ... Bench coach Andy Green said INF Nico Hoerner (right oblique strain) is doing well after working out Monday. “He’s still got a few more hurdles to clear before I think the medical staff feels good about him being out in a competitive setting again,” Green said. UP NEXT Right-handers Vladimir Gutierrez (9-6, 4.17 ERA) and Alec Mills (6-6, 4.25) pitch Wednesday in the series finale. Gutierrez has dropped his last two starts for Cincinnati, allowing eight earned runs in 6 1/3 innings. Mills is 2-2 with a 3.66 ERA over his last six outings for Chicago.
ALBIES, DUVALL GO DEEP IN BRAVES’ 8-5 WIN OVER NATIONALS By GEORGE HENRY AP Sports Writer
ATLANTA (AP) — Ozzie Albies hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer off Ryne Harper in the seventh inning, Adam Duvall took Paolo Espino deep with an early three-run shot, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Washington Nationals 8-5 on Tuesday night. Albies, who had four RBIs and went deep for the fourth straight game, put the Braves up 5-1 in the fourth with a sacrifice fly, before the Nationals scratched back to score four runs in the top of the seventh against Tyler Matzek on Juan Soto’s RBI single and Yadiel Hernandez’s eighth homer, a three-run shot. Albies’ 28th homer, which sailed into the seats in leftcentre, made it 7-5. Duvall, the NL RBIs leader with 97, gave the Braves a 3-1 lead in the first inning with his 32nd homer. Atlanta, the three-time NL East defending champion, began the day with a 1½-game lead over Philadelphia in the division, but it had lost six of nine. Will Smith recorded his 31st save in 35 chances after facing the minimum in the ninth. Freddie Freeman doubled
Albies added an RBI single in the eighth to make it 8-5.
ATLANTA Braves’ Ozzie Albies (1) follows through on a two-run home run next to Washington Nationals catcher Riley Adams (25) during the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) in the third and scored on Travis d’Arnaud’s double to make it 4-1. Duvall was tagged out at home on the play to end the inning. Braves starter Max Fried pitched out of a jam in the second when he struck out Lane Thomas to strand a runner at third, and escaped trouble in the fourth when he stranded two runners on Thomas’ groundout. The lefty left a runner at third in the fifth when he picked off Carter Kieboom at first. The pickoff was Fried’s sixth, and his 20 pickoffs since he debuted in 2017 are most in the major leagues.
Fried gave up one run and six hits with four walks and five strikeouts in six innings. He has a 1.97 ERA in his last 10 starts, a span of 64 innings. The Nationals led 1-0 in the first when Alcides Escobar doubled, advanced to third on a fielder’s choice and scored on Kieboom’s single to right-centre. Espino allowed five runs and seven hits with two walks and seven strikeouts in five innings. Luke Jackson (2-2) earned the win after replacing Matzek. Harper (0-2) took the loss.
TRAINER’S ROOM Nationals C Keibert Ruiz (left knee bone bruise) was to perform all baseball activities, catch a bullpen and take batting practice before the game. Manager Dave Martinez said Ruiz still has some swelling, He popped up as a pinchhitter in the sixth. ... SS Jordy Mercer, sidelined since July 21 with a left calf strain, took batting practice. HOMER HAPPY The Braves, who are second in the NL with 204 homers, have the first infield since the 2008 Florida Marlins to have each starter hit at least 25 long balls. 2B Albies (27) and 3B Austin Riley (29) homered Sunday at Colorado to keep pace with 1B Freeman (28) and SS Dansby Swanson (26). The Marlins had Mike Jacobs, Dan Uggla, Hanley Ramírez and Jorge Cantú reach the mark. SCORING A LOT Freeman, last year’s NL MVP, leads the league for the second straight season in runs scored. He has 103 this year and is attempting to
become the first first baseman to have consecutive seasons leading the league in that category since Albert Pujols in 2009-2010. HAPPY TO STAY Before accepting a new $20 million, one-year contract the day before with Atlanta, RHP Charlie Morton said he had to decide if he wanted to return next year for a 15th season at age 38. The toughest part was knowing he will continue to miss being with his family of four in Bradenton, Fla. “It was getting hard for me to look at next year and think I wasn’t going to play, and I love it here,” he said. “The group is awesome. It really did take me a little while to decide because it’s a big decision. It involves more than just me, but I’m extremely appreciative. The Braves have been nothing but great. I’m excited.” UP NEXT LHP Sean Nolin (0-2, 5.71 ERA) will pitch for the Nationals against a yet-tobe-determined starter for the Braves as the teams play the second of a three-game series. Touki Toussaint (3-2, 4.19) and Drew Smyly (9-4, 4.71) are candidates to start.