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VOLUME:116 No.180, SEPTEMBER 12TH, 2019
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INSIDE
L SOUR CE
MISSING: 2,500
And former PM Ingraham believes ‘100s’ are dead
FORMER Prime Ministers Perry Christie and Hubert Ingraham, left, offer their support during a tour of Abaco yesterday.
MINNIS ASKS - HOW CAN YOU HELP? By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis defended the government’s response to Hurricane Dorian during a national address last night, insisting officials reacted as quickly as possible to the Category 5 storm. He announced that Jack Thompson and Algernon
Cargill have been appointed hurricane relief and redevelopment coordinators in Abaco while Senate President Kay Forbes Smith has been appointed coordinator for Grand Bahama. He said a national day of mourning is being planned and has ordered that flags be flown at half-mast on public buildings. The government’s response to the storm has been criticised by
some Bahamians and scrutinised by the international press. Some said it took too long to mobilise first responders. Several Abaco residents said insufficient law enforcement officers led to looting while some relief providers have complained about red tape and disorganisation. Traumatised storm victims, waiting hours and sometimes days to leave storm ravaged areas,
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
criticised the post-storm evacuation process. Last night, Dr Minnis said his administration is shredding the red tape that has frustrated members of the public who want to help. Dr Minnis said: “Right after the all-clear was given by the Met Department, we began mobilising our search, rescue and recovery SEE PAGES TWO-THREE
PAGE 2, Thursday, September 12, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, second left, observing relief operations yesterday.
SOME of the damage in Abaco yesterday - as seen during a tour by former Prime Ministers Hubert Ingraham and Perry Christie.
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THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, September 12, 2019, PAGE 3
Minnis asks - how can you help?
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis at Odyssey Aviation yesterday. from page one efforts. We deployed security, food, water and other resources as quickly as was possible once the allclear was given so that first respondents were not put at risk. “Our search, rescue, and recovery efforts are one response with many parts. As soon as was possible, after the impact of the hurricane, the government deployed Bahamian rescue and security personnel, from the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and the Royal Bahamas Police Force. “At the invitation of the government of the Bahamas, we asked the US Coast Guard to immediately go into action, using their helicopters and other resources,” Dr Minnis said. In private, officials have noted the country
lacks valuable resources like helicopters for such disasters. The prime minister said the government is working to set up and secure temporary housing and shelters on the affected islands for people who lost homes. He praised the United States, saying President Donald Trump has authorised the full support of the US government for this country and noted that disaster management experts from the US are in the country to provide their expertise. “One of our closest allies and neighbour, is the United States of America,” he said. “The president of the United States, Donald Trump, has proven to be a true friend to The Bahamas, during this dark hour.” He also said: “Because of their specialty equipment
and resources, the US Coast Guard has been leading air rescuers and transport within the disaster zone. USAID is providing significant relief supplies. Members of the FBI are here too along with other US rescue, aid and security officials.” He also thanked the United Kingdom, which has sent its Royal Navy; CARICOM, which has sent security forces and aid officials; the Canadian government and the Royal Dutch Navy. He called on residents to help. “Instead of criticising those who are trying their best, day after day, in government, charities, churches and volunteers’ efforts, let us all join hands and hearts to focus on the needs of those who are suffering,” he said. “Those whose lives are devastated need hope, love and generosity, not needless
negativity. “How can you help? Volunteer at a reputable charity. Make a donation. Take in those in need.” Describing the destruction Dorian wrought, Dr Minnis said much of Abaco “no longer exists” while East Grand Bahama “has been laid to waste.” “No living Bahamian has ever seen anything like this in their lifetime,” he said. “But as horrible and vicious as Hurricane Dorian was, the bravery and resilience of the Bahamian people is even more powerful.” Dr Minnis also said incidents of looting and lawlessness post-hurricane will not be tolerated, adding law enforcement officials have secured Abaco. A private accounting firm will have oversight of storm relief donations to the government and will report on how the money is being spent, Dr Minnis said.
2,500 REGISTERED AS MISSING By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net SOME 2,500 people have been registered as missing after Hurricane Dorian ravaged Abaco and Grand Bahama, though the official list has not been cross-checked against records of evacuees and people staying at shelters. National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) spokesman Carl Smith said at a press conference yesterday that the government will look to reunite survivors with their loved ones after cross-referencing its datasets. Many people left the storm-struck areas by private planes and boats in the days after Dorian struck and some did not notify the government of their departure from the islands. More than 4,000 people have evacuated to the United States, according to the New York Times, and more than 5,500 people have evacuated to New Providence, according to the government. NEMA is encouraging people who evacuated Abaco and Grand Bahama to register with the Department of Social Services, which is managing the government’s missing persons register, so its lists can be accurately categorised. Donnette Henlon, 46, last spoke with her sister, Claudine Byfield Etienne, 54, on the morning of September 1. Yesterday she described a hectic, confusing process of getting information from the government about missing people. “I was in contact with NEMA from Monday when I gave them the information,” she said. “Each time I called I had to give the information over and over, my name, her name, my phone number and where she was living, etc. Every day it’s the same thing, the same process. “My cousin and I went to the hospital on Sunday but the nurses’ station said I’m supposed to contact NEMA. I went to the registration area, the
registration area said go to nurses’ station so I said it doesn’t make sense going back to the nurse station because they told us go back to NEMA. I went to NEMA personally and was told they don’t have a list, social services is the one that’s supposed to have a list. We went to social services and they said we don’t have a list, go to NEMA. I’m like, this is ridiculous.” Ms Henlon visited Odyssey Aviation on Sunday afternoon but her sister was not listed as having come over on any of the flights. She has visited local shelters but presumes her sister would have called relatives by now if she was at any of them. “None of us - her kids, sisters, brothers, nephews, niece, cousins - feel she is dead,” she said. “Actually, we just think she is somewhere unable to communicate, maybe disoriented. We don’t feel that sense of loss and we’re still hoping that she’s somewhere.” A website not affiliated with the government, dorianpeoplesearch.com, has been set up to list missing people. So far, hundreds of
names have been registered with the website, which is being regularly updated to note if the status of people has become known. Ms Henlon’s sister lived in Dundas Town, one of the most populated settlements on Abaco and one whose residents largely remained in their homes during the storm, believing they could withstand Dorian’s force. She said she has spoken to acquaintances of Mrs Etienne and has heard diverging stories about what happened to her sister. Two people, she said, told her that her sister was seen at the government complex in Marsh Harbour with a friend after the hurricane. Another person told her
Mrs Etienne was seen going to a church on the edge of Pigeon Peas shanty town and died when the building collapsed. “That does not make sense because the closest church to her was a Zion Baptist Church and that’s still standing,” she said. Someone told her she had a conversation with Mrs Etienne during the storm in which her sister indicated the water in her house was waist high. “That doesn’t make sense because why would she stay in a house in which water keeps rising?” Ms Henlon asked. Meanwhile the government of Guyana has said it will welcome storm evacuees to that country with open arms.
PAGE 4, Thursday, September 12, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
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We must all pull in the same direction THE more we learn about the impact of Hurricane Dorian, the greater the scale of the challenge facing the country becomes apparent. Speaking to reporters yesterday, former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham gave an idea of what he expects the final death toll to be: hundreds. He said it is his opinion, but added “I don’t make wild statements. I don’t make uninformed statements”. The sight of Mr Ingraham and former Prime Minister Perry Christie on the ground in Abaco, speaking to rescuers and lending their weight to recovery efforts, is comforting. Both former PMs have offered their services to the government during restoration efforts - but we need to make sure they are used in the right manner. They should be a help, not a distraction from efforts already under way. There seems to be some measure of distraction in what the two say - Mr Christie said his successor, Dr Hubert Minnis, hasn’t followed through on his offer of a meeting, while Mr Ingraham, for his part, said he did not think that Dr Minnis was minded to carve out a role for him. This doesn’t seem like a time to be quibbling about carving out roles rather a time for showing up and asking “How can I help?” We should be under no illusions about what we face. Vast numbers of Bahamians have been left without a home. Many also still wait anxiously to find out news about missing family and friends. The total number of registered missing people is 2,500 - but startlingly, that list of the missing has not yet been checked against the people already in shelters. We should be concerned too
about whether those lists include relatives of undocumented migrants, who might be reluctant to come forward to authorities to share details of missing friends and family. NEMA yesterday said that some of the names on lists were not even in a digital format, which is baffling. One family member yesterday told of the confusing process of going back and forth between different departments to try and find out if her sister’s name is on a list of those who have been rescued. Families left waiting deserve better than this - and it surely isn’t beyond our abilities to consolidate the lists that presently exist, especially for those in shelters who it should be a simple process to identify. That’s the kind of confusion we need to avoid - and that’s the kind of confusion that can come about if we don’t approach things with a united front. We can achieve more together than we can by sniping at one another. Criticisms from Mr Ingraham and Mr Christie don’t help the response in that regard, but nor should we ignore that they can be an asset if they are willing to give their support unconditionally. Mr Ingraham makes a crucial point when he says: “It’s big. It’s bigger than any one man. It’s bigger than any one government, bigger than any one group.” There are two ways to confront weakness - one is to point at it and label it as not good enough, another is to offer to help. If one person is being overwhelmed by a task, extra hands can make it manageable. That’s what we really mean by unity. Not squabbling over who gets to be in control, but all pulling together to make it easier. And that’s what our nation needs right now.
Heroism of Bahamians EDITOR, The Tribune.
FURTHER to Lynn Holowesko’s letter about the amazing hurricane disaster response at Odyssey Aviation, another extraordinary operation was taking place at White Crown Aviation and the North Eleuthera Airport. Reps from government agencies and NGOs and private citizens joined hands to offer hurricane evacuees transport, clothes, food, comfort and assistance in every form and in a most organised manner. Private boaters from Nassau, the Berry Islands, Spanish Wells and Harbour Island (and I’m sure other islands) risked their lives on
the turbulent seas to rescue hurricane victims. The support from the local and international communities and the governments of other countries has been overwhelming. There are too many good deeds and acts or heroism to list in this forum. The Bahamas government and NEMA have really shown their mettle, especially given our country’s limited resources and the magnitude of the destruction. They, along with so many private volunteers, NGOs and friends from abroad have worked tirelessly – the prime minister pressing on without a break despite a painful personal loss.
It must be discouraging to hear the unjust criticism and stupid rumours fueled by a core of malcontents, including what would appear to be a small segment of the so-called “media,” social media misfits and political mischief makers. As Mrs Holowesko said: All fair-minded Bahamians should be encouraged to appreciate what has been done, to use our time and energy in a positive manner, to assist those in need, to lift up our people and give us all hope for the future. ATHENA DAMIANOS Nassau, September 11, 2019.
Context of the hurricane EDITOR, The Tribune. TO explain the effects of Hurricane Dorian on The Bahamas. Our population is approximately 385,000. The population of Abaco, 2017, estimated 18,000; Grand Bahama, 51,000. Total approx 69,000 Abaco and GB is 18% of our population. The population of the
USA is approximately 327,000,000. 18% of the USA’s population affected by this hurricane would be about 59,000,000. Even with all of their resources they had tremendous problems dealing with hurricanes Katrina and Harvey (2017!) The damage that would need to be done in the USA in relation to The
Bahamas from Hurricane Dorian; the approximate total of the population 59,000,000 of the following states would have been affected. Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and 50% of the population in Tennessee. I DORSETT Nassau, September, 2019.
Don’t spread false stories EDITOR, The Tribune IN TIMES of national distress, thank God there are many Bahamians who spread hope and show gratitude for what is being done to help. Sadly, there are others among us who recklessly spread false information, and create resentment and despair. A letter to the editor in yesterday’s Nassau Guardian written by “JB” is an unfortunate example of false information. In writing about the manner in which homeless people from Abaco and Grand Bahama have been evacuated, JB wrote as follows: “It appears no triaging of evacuees was done.” (This is false) “People have been picked up or put on planes or mailboats and dropped off without any processing.” (False) “Clearly no coherent plan was in place to address this problem.” (False) “It seems to me,” says JB, “that those with pressing medical problems should have been evacuated first.” (This was done, to the extent possible, by medically staffed and equipped helicopters). “It would have been a simple matter to first ask Bahamians with relatives in New Providence to identify themselves, since this group of evacuees would have a place to stay while in New Providence.” Wrong. The most vulnerable, the elderly, those with babies and small children, the most shattered human beings, were brought out first. “People were picked up and dropped off without any processing.” (False, again) It would appear that the writer had no interest in checking the facts before he wrote such a destructive letter for publication. I wonder what he has done to participate in any of the rescue and relief efforts. If he had volunteered to help, this is what he would have learned: Early last week, an unprecedented collection of private citizens and businesses, together with NEMA and local and international NGOs, came together in a hangar at
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net Odyssey Aviation to collaborate and organize an immediate response to the catastrophic national emergency resulting from Hurricane Dorian. What was organized there is a fully-functioning evacuation centre, a disaster relief logistics centre and an evacuee welcome centre. As critically ill persons were identified in Abaco and Grand Bahama, they were picked up as soon as it was safe for planes and helicopters to fly, and brought to Odyssey. There, an enclosed, fully-staffed and equipped triage station was set up by the Ministry of Health, with an ambulance standing by outside to transport patients to the hospital as needed. A baby was delivered by the triage staff on Sunday night. The mother had gone into labour on the airplane bringing her there. As planes and helicopters arrived at the hangar carrying evacuees, volunteers greeted them and each individual, young and old, was offered water and food. In the evening hours, a hot meal was provided through the generosity of many individuals and local restaurants. Those in need of medical attention were guided to the medical section of the hangar, where nurses and aides cared for them. Those with babies were invited to visit a fully-stocked baby centre, where diapers were changed, milk and food was available and a lollipop given to older children to encourage them to smile. Every individual was electronically registered at Odyssey Aviation. Those without formal identification had their photographs taken for the database, and each was asked if they have family or friends in New Providence. Those who did, waited to be picked up. Those who did not were directed to a large air-conditioned tent, where they were cared for while awaiting assignment and transfer to government-approved shelters.
Up to last evening at 5pm, more than 4,500 people were landed at Odyssey from Abaco and Grand Bahama, and have been processed in this manner; more planes were due to land last night. Additionally, over 1,000 people who arrived in Nassau by boat were brought to Odyssey for processing, and they, too, are in the database. JB’s letter has not helped a difficult situation. That the Guardian would add a bold, negative headline to it in an effort to draw attention to the false news, is deplorable. The same can be said of Alfred Sears’ letter which was published on Saturday, September 8, which also contained false news and was headlined in a manner that would attract attention, thereby creating dissension and mistrust. Our country has been dealt a devastating blow. Dorian is now known to be the worst Atlantic hurricane in history to hit the northern Bahamas. No government in a country of 400,000-plus people could be fully prepared to manage such a disaster. God bless the British, American and Caribbean medical and military personnel, and the international NGOs, who have poured into our country by the hundreds to help us. Battle ships, hospital ships, planes, helicopters and good people are all around us. All fair-minded Bahamians should be encouraged to appreciate what has been done, to use our time and energy in a positive manner, to assist those in need, to lift up our people and give us all hope for the future. Storms have a way of bringing island communities together. Dorian, while unprecedented in its fury, will ultimately be no different. Bahamians from all walks of life are joining together to rescue, donate, evacuate, assist and rebuild. JB is encouraged to join this effort to unite and rebuild, instead of joining a minority intent on dividing. LYNN HOLOWESKO Nassau, September 11, 2019.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, September 12, 2019, PAGE 5
Ingraham: Death toll in the hundreds By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net FORMER Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham believes the death toll tied to Hurricane Dorian is in the “hundreds”, giving credence to widespread public opinion that the government has understated the number of lives lost to the deadly storm. “I speak for myself on the hundreds and I don’t make wild statements,” the former North Abaco MP said yesterday. “I don’t make uninformed statements.” The death toll associated with Hurricane Dorian has been one of the sticking points of this humanitarian crisis, with the Minnis administration having to repeatedly defend its reporting on the number of casualties. While the government has said death numbers were expected to increase as crews continue to search ruins in Grand Bahama and Abaco, the pace of the official death declarations has been slow. Cabinet ministers said Tuesday the process won’t be rushed and will be handled meticulously. Yesterday, Mr Ingraham said Dorian inflicted unprecedented devastation on the northern Bahamas and took “hundreds” of lives in Abaco and claimed “significant” others in Grand Bahama. He said: “Well we have not had devastation of this size before. Abaco has a significant population and so does Grand Bahama. We are not accustomed to having substantial deaths during hurricanes in the Bahamas. “Generally speaking, they have been very low numbers single digits at most. Whereas in this case hundreds of people have died in Abaco and there are significant numbers in Grand Bahama.” Asked to explain these comments further, Mr Ingraham said: “It is my opinion. The opinion of Hubert Alexander
FORMER Prime Ministers Hubert ingraham and Perry Christie with a resident in Abaco during their visit yesterday. Ingraham (and) based upon information that I have, based on my knowledge and what not, that hundreds of people have died. “I pay no attention to 50. I speak for myself on the hundreds and I don’t make wild statements. I don’t make uninformed statements.” As of Monday, the official death toll was said to be 50. Minister of Health Dr Duane Sands warned last week that the final death count could be “staggering”. Mr Ingraham spoke to reporters after touring affected areas with a delegation that included former Prime Minister Perry Christie. According to Mr Ingraham, there have been some on the ground who have criticised the government’s strategy to get people out of high-risk areas ahead of Dorian
making landfall in Abaco. “So when you talk about mandatory evacuation, we’re talking about places to which people can go and be safe and to give them confidence that they can go to these places and be safe. One of the points about Abaco is the criticism I’ve heard is many of the persons who died are Haitian nationals, many of them are of Haitian decent who are Bahamian citizens who are lawful residents. “The vast majority of them there were lawful residents of The Bahamas either lawful residents as in being citizens or as a result of having legal status in The Bahamas. “So having taken that into account, the reality is if they had been spoken to in a language I’m told that they could better understand, Creole, that more of them may well have sought shelter from the places.
That is one of the things that some people have said did not happen that ought to have happened.” However, The Tribune, while in Abaco ahead of Dorian’s landfall, witnessed officials speaking Creole and accompanied by officers as they warned shanty town residents to evacuate to safer areas. At the time, from this newspaper’s observations, many of them took the warning to evacuate lightly. Mr Ingraham also said: “Of course governments have tremendous influence and authority without the use of force, just by virtue of being the government and so the government can maximise the number of people who evacuate from a place. “There will always be some stubborn people who are not going to go no matter what happens but you can get a vast majority
of people to follow you if you tell them where they’re going to go, how they’re going to get there. Have you got a safe place for them to go?” As reports have persisted that many people died in shanty towns in Abaco, the debate has focused on the question of mandatory evacuation. In response, the government has announced the completion of an amendment to the Disaster Preparedness and Response Act to give the law teeth. If passed, the prime minister will have the ability to declare a local disaster area and make the necessary orders for mandatory evacuation. Speaking on this issue, Mr Ingraham said: “Let’s get something straight all mandatory evacuation means is that the government says you must move. If you do not move at a certain point in time we are
not going to come get you, but we cannot make you move. “How can the government pass a law that says if you do not come I’m going to arrest you, hand cuff you and carry you where? To a shelter and have the police watch you or take you to Fox Hill prison? So mandatory evacuation means that the government will say move, urge (or) urge you to move (and) if you don’t move I am not going to be able to come and get you at a certain time. “But don’t believe any story that says I’m going to lift you up and carry you. That ain’t going to happen. It doesn’t happen in America.” In the days ahead, Mr Ingraham said the country would have learned a valuable lesson. That is to take account of the need to have safe storm shelters in respective islands.
FORMER PRIME MINISTERS WILLING TO HELP By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
ALTHOUGH retired from public life, former Prime Ministers Perry Christie and Hubert Ingraham have made themselves available to the government to assist how they can with the restoration efforts in Hurricane Dorian ravaged islands. However, they are sceptical about whether Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis will have the former leaders, who have a combined 80 years in politics, take an active role in the recovery process. At such a fragile time in the country, they agreed the prime minister needed now more than ever to pull from the resources available. “Let me just say one point,” Mr Ingraham told reporters yesterday, “that may be perceived as criticism and if it is that’s too bad, too sad. Some people have the view that ‘listen, I have this job, I got this. So no I don’t need no help from you. I got it.’ “Well, it’s big. It’s bigger than any one man. It’s bigger than any one government, bigger than any one group and it’s our country all of our country and so we all have a duty to support.” According to Mr Ingraham, despite speaking with Dr Minnis in the days that have followed Dorian’s passage, he did not think that the prime minister was minded to carve out a role for him as efforts continue.
At the same time, Mr Christie told reporters that when he spoke to Dr Minnis, he suggested that they meet, but this meeting has not taken place. He insisted that if Dr Minnis did not respond positively to his and Mr Ingraham’s offer, the country could face a disastrous set of circumstances. They spoke moments after visiting several affected settlements in Abaco and flew over others. There were also plans to visit Grand Bahama this week, but weather did not allow this. That trip will take place some time next week. The work of volunteers headquartered at Odyssey Aviation was also applauded. For his part, Mr Christie said if he were prime minister now, he would have appointed Mr Ingraham as head of restoration efforts in Abaco. He said: “I spoke with Prime Minister Minnis on Sunday. He called me to make a suggestion as to what he thought I could do. I indicated to him that we should meet if circumstances warranted it. That didn’t happen, but I indicated at the time that based on the experience that I have had through four or five hurricanes that he would be overwhelmed by this. “I told him that he should exercise the greatest care because the reputation of the country was being assaulted, that he was personally being heavily
criticised and that it was just too much even if he was symbolic, for him to be the symbol of restoration in this country. I said if you were to make a bold decision, the people of The Bahamas would applaud you. “I want to stop right there with my conversation and say this to you, as a result of my visit today to Abaco I’ve seen the extraordinary amount of work that must be done physically. Knowing the resilience of the Bahamian people, the spirit that I spoke of as an indomitable spirit notwithstanding they are bewildered, they are despairing, they are deeply concerned and there appears to be uncertainty as to who they should turn to. “I concluded that if I were the prime minister today of a PLP government, knowing the politics of our country I would have invited Hubert Ingraham to lead the restoration process for Abaco.” He further suggested that the government establish an authority with the legislative power to deal with hurricane-related issues on both islands, adding that if he were involved in raising money, he would have ensured these funds were followed to their destination. “It is foolish not to recognise the strength of what I’ve recommended. It would be foolish because at the end of the day results are influenced heavily by people’s belief that restoration is on the way,” Mr Christie said. While Mr Ingraham said
he was willing to help in any way needed, he said he didn’t believe the prime minister would allow him a seat at the table. Mr Ingraham said: “Notwithstanding what Mr Christie said, I don’t see a role for myself being carved out by Prime Minister Minnis in this restoration exercise and so I will give such advice as I can and such aid as I can, but I do not think that Prime Minister Minnis
would be inclined towards having me take an active role in the reconstruction. That’s fine.” As for the way forward, Mr Ingraham said he hoped all Bahamians would use his and Mr Christie’s efforts as an example. “If Christie and I, he’s PLP and I’m an FNM, can come together, the same ought to happen down the line,” the former North Abaco MP said. “The government ought
to be seen to be operating without regard to politics (or) partisan politics and access talent wherever they can find it and to not have any concern among people that political decisions are being made with respect to this matter.” Mr Ingraham said both former leaders are paid handsome pensions by the people of The Bahamas and it is the least they can do to assist in storm recovery efforts.
PAGE 6, Thursday, September 12, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
Power back in southern Abaco in three weeks By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net BAHAMAS Power and Light is anticipating electricity will be restored to the southern part of Abaco in three weeks, however it could be months before the rest of the island is reenergised. BPL acting director of operations Sterling Moss gave the estimates yesterday. He said the assessment for the northern part of the island and its 15 cays has not yet been completed, and therefore it is “difficult to pinpoint” a timeline for that area. Water & Sewerage Corporation Deputy General Manager Robert Deal said WSC has completed its assessment and is finalising an action plan to restore water supplies to the island. Mr Deal added there are eight systems across Abaco and the largest are “completely down”. He also said WSC has a “21-day” plan for Marsh Harbour. Regarding Grand Bahama, he noted the water system on that island is managed by the Grand Bahama Utility Company (GBUC) but added WSC is working with this corporation in its efforts. In a statement released Monday, BPL described the electricity situation in North Abaco following Hurricane Dorian as “dire”, after the monster storm completely “obliterated” infrastructure. In this statement, BPL said there are no standing electricity poles along the 16-mile stretch of road from Marsh Harbour to Treasure Cay. Additionally, one of two power lines running from Wilson City to Marsh Harbour is a total loss, while the other will have to be rebuilt as a great portion of it was damaged. “There is better news in the south,” the statement added. “From our Wilson City Power Station to the main road, there (are) two lines, one of which is in good condition. Less than 100 poles are needed between Sandy Point and Wilson City, which can be replaced within weeks.” When asked yesterday about a timeframe for restoration on the island, Mr Moss said, “For the south of Abaco…once our teams get on the ground and there’s no weather impacts…we’re anticipating for the south,
we can have the south restored in about three weeks. “The northern part of the island as well as the 15 cays that are affected, we’ve not completed assessment on those cays and so it’s difficult at this point in time to pinpoint the complete time for the restoration. You anticipate that with that, you can be a few months.” When asked whether the influx of survivors of Hurricane Dorian to New Providence has impacted load shedding on the island, Mr Moss replied, “We do not foresee any major impacts. “We do not anticipate that the shelters themselves, with extra persons coming on the island, will pose a problem for utility,” he added. Regarding the WSC assessment, Mr Deal said, “With respect to Abaco, the corporation has completed extensive assessments. Just yesterday (Tuesday) we had an assessment team there checking the water quality in the Marsh Harbour area, focusing on our well fields and some distribution sites. And so we are finalising an action plan to restore water supplies throughout Abaco. “Right now we have eight systems spread across Abaco. Of those eight we have intermittent supply or limited supply at five of them. Three of our systems are completely down and those are the largest systems. Particularly with respect to Treasure Cay and Marsh Harbour, those are completely down. “We have a 21-day plan we’re working on in Marsh Harbour to try and bring about some substantial return of water supply in Marsh Harbour within the next three weeks. And so we’re working with the government and international partners on that.” He added challenges also exist on the cays, particularly on Grand Cay, Moore’s Island, and Sweeting’s Cay - which is on the eastern end of Grand Bahama but managed from the Abaco operations. Regarding Grand Bahama, Mr Deal noted WSC has been in “close contact” with the GBUC, noting the two operations met last Saturday. “They are well on the way to bringing about some level of restoration. But similar to Abaco, most areas are without power supply. And therefore that means that
BPL trucks en route to carry out repairs in the hurricane zone.
we are deepening on generator supply at this time.” When asked if any biohazards contaminated the water supply, Mr Deal said on Tuesday, a WSC team in Marsh Harbour collected “extensive samples” throughout its well fields checking both for salinities, to determine whether there was any seawater intrusion, and also for the presence of hydrocarbons. The samples are at the WSC lab and will also be sent to international labs. “Based on those results, we’ll have a better idea of what is present,” Mr Deal said.
CABLE TV is restored after the passing of Hurricane Dorian in Freeport yesterday. Photo: Ramon Espinosa/AP
BAHAMASAIR ENDS RELIEF FLIGHTS BAHAMASAIR has discontinued relief flights into Abaco and has resumed its regular commercial schedule into that island. Customers can get into the island on a discounted Bahamasair fare up to Monday, September 16.
The airline said moving forward, Treasure Cay will be serviced from Marsh Harbour on Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday only. Effective Saturday, September 14, Bahamasair will stop relief flights into Grand
Bahama and resume its commercial fare there. The reduced rate for flights into Grand Bahama will be in place from Saturday until Wednesday, September 18. After these dates, the airline will resume its regular commercial fares.
KFC GIVES $20,000 DONATION KFC NASSAU, operated by Restaurants (Bahamas) Ltd, is donating $20,000 to HeadKnowles in addition to meals it has been donating for volunteers and victims. Will Grant, general manager of KFC Nassau, said he is confident that this
donation to HeadKnowles, a recognised, non-profit organisation, will be of immediate assistance in obtaining food supplies and trans-porting them to the areas of need. HeadKnowles is partnered with 15 other non-profits, as well as with
KFC Nassau, other businesses, and individuals. • Hotel resort A Stone’s Throw Away is accepting donations of relief items from 9am-6pm as part of its effort to help those affected by the storm. In addition, based on availability, the hotel may be able to accommodate people in need of somewhere to stay for free. Contact 327-7030 for more information. • Liberty Foundation has donated $25,000 to the C&W Charitable Foundation to help relief efforts. “These islands are now facing the same situation we were in two years ago in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Needless to say, there is a lot of empathy and goodwill in Puerto Rico for The Bahamas right now,” said Naji Khoury, president and CEO of Liberty Puerto Rico and president of the Liberty Foundation. The C&W Charitable Foundation has already pledged $500,000 for relief.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, September 12, 2019, PAGE 7
Orphanages need more volunteers and money By RIEL MAJOR Tribune Staff Reporter rmajor@tribunemedia.net ORPHANGES on New Providence are bracing for more children affected by Hurricane Dorian to be turned over to their facilities as they appealed for donations to help their operations. Representatives from the Ranfurly Home and Children’s Emergency Hostel said they need more volunteers and cash donations to offset the influx of children coming to their facilities from storm affected islands. Cally Wilson, a Ranfurly
Home volunteer, told The Tribune yesterday the home has taken in 21 children from Grand Bahama and two from Abaco. She said: “We are right in the middle with negotiations with all of the emergency services. We keep getting told by NEMA and the Red Cross that there are more kids coming and to prepare. We’ve been doing that and we’ve also been acting as a drop off centre for all the children’s homes that received evacuees such as the Children’s Emergency Hostel and the Nazareth Centre, so things are age-appropriate because the children that
we have here are aged seven to 17. “As things for babies come in, we send things that are appropriate on to them and if they have all they need, it goes on to the shelters. We are actively working on a needs list which will go out publicly. The interruptions haven’t stop for us to formulate that,” she explained. “Our big concern is that we don’t know how many children are coming into us. (The Department of) Social Services and the emergency services haven’t been able to yet get a grasp on how many sole surviving children and children separated
from primary caregivers are in the shelters and still alone.” She added: “...The situation as you can imagine, a lot of children may have been left in the care of extended family, friends or even strangers who out of the goodness of their heart taking care of them but their resources will run out or they’ll have to go back to lives and those kids would be entering into the system. We also have to be actively ready for them because kids alone in the shelters I mean there is such a high risk for so many horrors.” Ms Wilson said money is “most pressing thing”
needed at the home to pay for additional staff members. “We have a lot of special needs children that arrived with the group and we now need to provide round the clock nursing staff, cooking staff, general caretakers but also qualified childcare professionals. It’s not enough just to have people watching children they need to be parenting them,” she said. “Right now, we are interviewing people and we are relying heavily on volunteers because you can’t rush to hire someone who is going to be dealing with children. They have to be properly vetted and so it’s
a process. It’s going to take us a little while and we are relying on volunteers in the meantime.” Meanwhile, Lessie Smith, Children’s Emergency Hostel administrative assistant, said the home took in 15 children from Grand Bahama. She said: “We are over our limit which is 30 children and we now have 50. We need cleaning supplies, canned goods and sandwich items. We really need food now. “We need volunteer workers and we need money to pay staff. We also need childminders and maids.”
‘SIGNIFICANT’ HELP NEEDED TO REPAIR DAMAGED EAST GB By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
SIGNIFICANT support and assistance to rebuild the communities devastated in the east Grand Bahama district are needed, according to Administrator Gaye Antoine-Bowe, who reported that the damage to homes and property is very widespread. On Grand Bahama, East End was hardest hit by Hurricane Dorian. The Category 5 storm whipped 180 mph to 200 mph winds and powerful 25-ft storm surge that swept through all the settlements, including Sweeting’s Cay, and on the mainland from McClean’s Town to Gold Rock Creek. In addition to the massive property damage, Ms Bowe reported that 17 to 20 persons are still missing in the entire district – most from the High Rock area, where an entire family was swept by the flood. In McClean’s Town, a bonefisherman and his children, also reportedly died when surge water came in and flooded their home. The wife – who is the only one that survived – is in hospital. Ms Bowe said on Tuesday: “The last time I heard a report on missing persons it is somewhat between 17 and 20 persons unaccounted for in that area. Everybody on Sweeting’s Cay – all 33 that remained during the storm – are alive. However, from McClean’s Town to Gold Rock Creek, we had at least 17-20 unaccounted for, most of them in the High Rock area.” She reported that all
residents in east Grand Bahama received damage to their homes. She noted that some structures were totally destroyed, and those not totally destroyed sustained about 80 percent damage. “They (all) will have to start all over. So, support is really needed from private partners, the government and from outside to help them rebuild. If they don’t, it would be like a ghosttown,” she said. Road access has been restored into east Grand Bahama, and many of the residents commute between Freeport and the various settlements to asses and clean up what is left of their property, and return to Freeport in the evening, where they stay with relatives or at a designated shelter. About 95 residents from east Grand Bahama are staying in shelter at St George’s High School gymnasium. Overall, there are probably about 100 people that still remain in East End, said Ms Bowe. “We are trying to see if we can…open up feeding and washing stations where the residents go to a central location to have access to a kitchen and washing facilities, and cots set up for those who want to stay and sleep in East GB,” said the administrator. Debris is also a major issue in the area, she reported. “Most residences were reduced to rubble and the pine forest was destroyed, and now we have so much debris from the forest too,” she explained. The front road in High
Rock, some 500 ft along the coastline – has been destroyed. “We had to open another road for residents east of where the damage happened so that they could access their homes and also get down to Freeport,” she said. She also noted that work has been done to the gap in the road on GB Highway near the Lucayan National Highway, and that motorists can now travel on it. Ms Bowe said government buildings were also damaged. “I am feeling the people’s pain right now. Every building in the district received damage. Emotionally, it is hard because many people lost homes that they have built with money out of their pockets, and some of the homes were not insured,” Mrs Bowe said. She said another serious problem that needs to be addressed immediately is the situation at Stat Oil, where oil spilled from a storage facility during the hurricane. “We had an environmental hazard caused as a result of Dorian when the lids of the storage tanks (at Equinox) blew off and oil was dispersed in the area. That is a major problem for us, right now. “They have started the initial assessment, and I understand that they will start clean-up soon, but not soon enough. It needs to be done right away because it poses a risk to motorists in the area. We had a lot of rain and the road could be dangerous for driving,” she said. Officials from the facility have said clean up has begun.
ARDASTRA TO HOLD CAMP FOR CHILDREN DISPLACED BY STORM ARDASTRA Gardens Zoo and Conservation Centre is putting out the call for volunteers, partners and sponsors as it looks to offer children displaced by Dorian a much-needed reprieve. Beginning on Monday, Ardastra will run a free children’s retreat from 10am to 2pm, Monday to Sunday for children five to 14 years old. The event is designed for a maximum of 50 children. “Given that Hurricane Dorian has so many farreaching consequences that haven’t even come fully to light yet, I started to think of what they may be: employment, schooling, transportation, just a hand to guide each lost individual to what the next step may be and giving people hope and a distraction. I thought, ‘Why not offer the children a reprieve from their lost lives as they knew them?’,”
said Katherine Solomon, Ardastra’s director. As hurricane survivors traverse the long road to recovery, Ardastra wants to offer children a safe haven, if only for a few hours, providing them with some semblance of normalcy. “In the weeks ahead, we can offer students some distraction and while doing so, their parents could have time to do whatever they need to do, to begin to get the family back on their feet,” said Mrs Solomon. Although Ardastra will rely heavily on its staff and education officers from other environmental agencies, it’s going to need at least one teacher and volunteer for every ten students. The goal is to run the retreat as long as it is needed while the Ministry of Education works to assimilate displaced students from Abaco and
Grand Bahama into schools in New Providence. Ardastra is banking on its unique setting – over 200 animals, representing 50 species – to bring children through these uncertain times, hopefully placing a few smiles on faces with arts and crafts projects and animal interactions. Not surprising, an undertaking of this magnitude will require some assistance. “We want to make this experience as easy as possible for hurricane survivors,” said Mrs Solomon. “To this end, we need transportation partners who are able to shuttle the children to and fro and we require food and drink partners so that we are able to offer free lunches.” Interested persons and companies are asked to contact Tishka Moss at 3942146 or Tishka@ardastra. com.
AYFON MINUS, eight, collects donated food that was brought by helicopter from Freeport to the community of High Rock, Grand Bahama. Photo: Ramon Espinosa/AP
PAGE 8, Thursday, September 12, 2019
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Oil spotted in ocean off Abaco By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net OIL has been spotted in the ocean near Abaco and may have impacted parts of the coastline, days after an oil spill occurred in Grand Bahama. Equinor, which operates the South Riding Point storage and transshipment terminal in Grand Bahama, said the source of the oil near Little Abaco Island is unknown. However, the company said it will be investigating the matter. “Aerial surveillance has identified potential product in open waters 70-80 kilometres north east of the terminal within Long Point Bight close to Little Abaco Island,” Equinor said in a statement released yesterday. “There are also indications that the product may have impacted a section of the coastline.” The company also underscored there is “currently no observed leakage of oil
to the sea” from the Grand Bahama facility. In its statement, Equinor also announced it will be donating $1m to “one or more” local relief organisations in the wake of Hurricane Dorian. Hurricane Dorian stalled over Grand Bahama for two days after hitting the island late on September 1. In the aftermath of the deadly storm, photos emerged showing oil leaking from the South Riding Point facility. According to Equinor, the terminal has a capacity to hold 6.75 million barrels of crude oil. During a National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) press conference on Tuesday, NEMA Spokesperson Carl Smith said initial assessments of the oil spill revealed the matter to be “no concern” to public health. He added since the storm, there has been “no continuous impact to the marine environment from that oil spill”. Yesterday, when asked to respond to reports that the
oil has traveled, Mr Smith defended his previous comments. “As soon as NEMA was able to get personnel in the air to do air reconnaissance, we recognised that there was an oil spill,” he said. “That information was conveyed to the company that owns and manages the facility. When that took place they indicated that they are aware of it and that they had already taken steps to mobilise a response to the spill. “When I spoke yesterday (Tuesday), I think it was, the information that we provided was information conveyed to us by the by the oil company. So it was the best information that we had at hand at the time.” In its statement, Equinor said its team working at the South Riding Point terminal includes “an advanced onshore response team with oil spill technical specialists”. It estimated more than 200 personnel are working with the response
in The Bahamas, the US, and Norway. “Two vessels are mobilised for the response at the South Riding Point terminal with 42 personnel and onshore oil spill recovery equipment,” the statement continues. “The first vessel arrived at the terminal in the evening of 10 September”. The second vessel is scheduled to arrive today. The vessels include containment booms and hundreds of bails of various absorbent pads/rolls, oil spill recovery skimmers, wash pumps, roll off boxes for collection generated waste, light towers, and smaller boats and protection equipment. “Operations are ongoing at the terminal to secure the oil at the facility,” the statement continues. “Oil from the damaged tanks has been moved to remaining tanks at the facility to reduce the risk of additional oil spills. An oil boom has been deployed to close the harbour at the terminal as a
precautionary measure, and to reduce the risk of oil spill to sea. “Two trucks have started recovery and transport of bulk free-standing oil on the ground to one of the tanks at the terminal. “Equinor has completed the initial surveillance of the terminal and surrounding areas from the air and the ground. There is currently no observed leakage of oil to the sea from the South Riding Point terminal. “Aerial surveillance has identified potential product in open waters 70-80 kilometres north east of the terminal within Long Point Bight close to Little Abaco Island. There are also indications that the product may have impacted a section of the coastline. “Although the source of this product is not known, Equinor will investigate and further evaluate necessary actions, including mobilisation of suitable equipment and resources.
“We will remain in dialogue with local authorities and will revert with more details as soon once updated information is available.” In a statement released earlier this week, Englerston MP Glenys Hanna Martin criticised Equinor’s seemingly slow response to the oil spill. “After the passage of the storm there were rumours and reports on social media about an oil spill at the facility shortly after Dorian made landfall. When we arrived there several days later, we saw the spill, but there was no evidence or visible signs all those days later that efforts were being made to arrest the emission, contain the spill, recover the oil and remediate the area to avoid contamination of the water table which could trigger a public health crisis.” She also asked: “Is the water safe? What is the extent of the environmental damage?”
DUTCH MOVE IN AS BRITISH VESSEL FINISHES MISSION THE RFA Mounts Bay has completed its ten-day Hurricane Dorian aid mission - with more than 6,000 people helped by British sailors, soldiers, marines and fliers during the mission. The Royal Navy vessel distributed all its stores - 3,000 ration packs, nearly 100 tonnes of water, more than 900 emergency shelter kits and 1,000 hygiene kits and is now moving to resupply in case of further disasters in the region. Replacing the vessel in aid efforts is a Dutch vessel, the HNLMS Johan de Witt, which has already brought its first soldiers ashore using Cougar helicopters. The Dutch ship reported it had “made contact with the advanced liaisons and local government” and were together making a plan to begin assistance. In addition, 100 Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force soldiers have arrived to offer assistance. Included in this group is Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of National Security, Stuart Young, and Chief of Defence Staff Commodore Daniel.
DUTCH troops inspecting Abaco after their arrival to offer assistance.
13 STOLEN SHOTGUNS RECOVERED By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
POLICE have recovered 13 shotguns stolen from Abaco Hardware sometime before the passage of Hurricane Dorian. National Security Minister Marvin Dames told The Tribune yesterday officers are still searching for seven more guns on the island. “Officers recovered about 13 shotguns somewhere in the area of The Mudd that were taken out of the hardware store,” Mr Dames said.
“What we’re learning is there may have been 20 of them, and they may have information as to where others are but they don’t have anyone in custody.” Reports that stolen weapons were being used for looting emerged in the days following Dorian’s deadly jaunt through the Abacos. Yesterday, Mr Dames said police have spoken with the store’s owner, who is no longer on the island, and discovered the guns were not secured in a vault. He continued: “We suspect the remaining guns are somewhere on the island,
so they are trying to track that down. The good thing is they have the majority of them, it’s a good sign. “This incident took place just before the storm, those weapons were not secured. The owner apparently left town and the officers had to reach him overseas to get some information. Weapons are usually stored in vaults. The fortunate thing is the officers were able to recover the majority of them and they feel the other handful may be somewhere on the island so they are following some other leads.”
THE AGATHONISSOS returns to Grand Bahama Shipyard.
FIRST VESSEL RETURNS TO SHIPYARD GRAND Bahama Shipyard yesterday announced it has officially resumed operations and welcomed back its first commercial vessel, the 57,062-ton Agathonissos owned by Greece-based Eletson, returning to the yard to complete repair work that began before Hurricane Dorian arrived. The shipyard also announced it remains on track for the next planned cruise ship visit, Carnival
Cruise Line’s Carnival Ecstasy, scheduled to arrive on October 5. The shipyard had no significant damage, limited primarily to some erosion with no effect on berths. “It was extremely important to get up and running as quickly as possible and begin taking in vessels to help support the employees and families at the shipyard, along with economic contributions and rebounding activity for the
island,” said CEO David Skentelbery. “This is a significant sign of positive progress for the island, and we look forward to continuing our normal operations while also supporting the Bahamian recovery with direct support, including to island utilities, along with increased economic activity from our operations, and also from the industry’s collective efforts to support The Bahamas with immediate and long-term relief.”
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, September 12, 2019, PAGE 9
Thunder and rain may hamper restoration By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net HEAVY localised showers and strong thunderstorms could hamper restoration efforts in hurricane ravaged Grand Bahama and Abaco over the next few days. The Bahamas Department of Meteorology is closely monitoring three weather systems, but none with any high chance of developing into a tropical depression or storm over the country. At a National Emergency Management Agency briefing yesterday, Chief Meteorologist Arnold King stressed it was too early to predict whether any of the systems would develop into Tropical Storm Humberto, the next named storm on the 2019 roster. “Long range forecasts are inherently inaccurate,” Mr King said, “it’s impossible for anyone to say that there is going to be Humberto passing through with this system that is passing through the Bahamas now. It might be Humberto
when it’s passing through the Gulf of Mexico. But it’s impossible to say this far out that we are going to have a storm that will form and take the direct path of Dorian, that’s impossible.” The first system was moving across the southeast Bahamas yesterday, and is expected to bring widespread showers and thunderstorms to the capital sometime today. The system is forecast to move over Abaco, Grand Bahama and Bimini tomorrow and Saturday. It has a 20 percent chance of developing into a tropical storm over the Bahamas within the next 48 hours, and a 60 percent chance of developing over the next five days. Those chances increase once it moves into the Gulf of Mexico, he said. While the system will bring localised showers, Mr King told reporters the heavy rain won’t be consistent in all areas. But still he noted lowlying and flood-prone zones could experience flooding, and on battered islands, this could “hamper restoration
efforts for a short time”. “Also in the tropics,” Mr King continued, “we have a broad low pressure system associated with a tropical wave located 650 miles east of the Lesser Antilles. It’s accompanied by large but disorganised area of cloudiness and thunderstorms. This system forecast to move westward into unfavourable conditions for tropical cyclone formation. Formation chance through the next 48 hours is ten percent, and through the next five days it is also low at ten percent.” As for the third system, Mr King said: “A tropical wave located between the west coast of Africa and the Cape Verde islands is forecast to move quickly westward over the next couple days. “Some slow development is possible over the weekend or early next week when system is moving through the tropical Atlantic,” he added. This system had zero chance of developing into a storm over the next 48 hours, and 20 percent over the next five days.
WARNING OF INCREASED RISK OF SKIN CONDITIONS THE public is advised that following the passage of Hurricane Dorian there is an increased risk of skin infections associated with flooding and contaminated water. The Public Hospitals Authority advised that skin and soft tissue infections can develop when injured skin is exposed to floodwaters contaminated by sewage, chemicals and other pollutants. People exposed to
contaminated flood waters may potentially experience: wound infections, contact dermatitis or injuries from debris hidden by floodwaters. Dehydrated or malnourished people are at a higher risk of infection, as even a small, superficial cut, when exposed to contaminated water, can result in a potentially dangerous infection. Residents of Grand Bahama and Abaco and evacuees are advised to seek medical assistance if a
rash appears or if a wound or injury appears inflamed or infected. Hurricanes, floods and other emergency situations can aggravate existing dermatologic conditions such as eczema or psoriasis. Persons with these conditions should take prescribed medications to treat their skin conditions and keep these medications with them during evacuations to reduce the opportunity for a flare.
SAFE AND SOUND - FAMILY FINDS DOG LOST IN STORM A BAHAMIAN couple has finally found their family dog days after she was reported missing during the passage of Hurricane Dorian in Abaco. Dr Jim and Mrs Kristi Hull of Marsh Harbour, Abaco, were vacationing in Canada when they received word that their dog, Candy, disappeared during the eye of Hurricane Dorian. In their relentless search for her, the Hulls took to social media to get the word
out. A missing notice was also posted in The Tribune to help the Hulls locate Candy. Mrs Hull told The Tribune that after the dog was sighted by her husband on Tuesday in Abaco, their neighbours were able to retrieve her. Candy is now “safe and sound” in Nassau with family members of the Hulls and is expected to be reunited with the couple very soon.
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Time to think the unthinkable - even when running for the presidency HURRICANE Dorian moved off the major American front pages yesterday, replaced by news of US President Trump’s firing his fourth National Security Adviser, John Bolton. Bolton insisted he had resigned; he wasn’t fired. Maybe that was part of the communications problem between the two men. More on that later. Dorian may have moved – slowly, of course – off the front pages in Washington and elsewhere. The heinous hurricane left behind a rising body count in Grand Bahama and Abaco, with every property damage estimate exceeding the one it replaced. American and other international relief efforts continue, and we can only hope that the foreign assistance is maintained long enough to make a real difference. In the storm’s wake, questions are being asked anew about global warming. Most reputable science supports the notion that human activity is contributing to the evident overheating of earth’s atmosphere, and the resulting frequency and intensity of major weather events such as hurricanes. Are the nations that are most responsible for atmospheric overheating able to learn anything from tragedies like Dorian? There’s evidence on both sides of this question from right next door in the US, which still has the world’s largest economy and is, by any measure, a major culprit. The good news: less than a week before Dorian wreaked its human and property destruction on the northern Bahamas islands, most of the remaining Democratic candidates for the American presidency participated in what TV sponsor and host CNN billed as a “Climate Town Hall”. These Democrats are all vying first and foremost for their party’s nomination,
DEMOCRATIC presidential candidate Sen Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass, at a campaign event on Monday. She set the tone among Democratic candidates for the conversation on climate change in a “Climate Town Hall” event on CNN. Photo: Elise Amendola/AP change and the need for stringent federal carbon government policies that dioxide emissions standards were greener. as a measure that would She never mentioned a raise the cost of anything carbon tax. that must be transported to Questioned by CNN the marketplace. about her support for a Support for a carbon tax carbon tax, Warren jumped would thus increase the in with a strong, affirma- price of almost everything, tive response. She had not especially in a diverse, itemised this in the official supercharged economy with Charlie Harper policy proposal handed like the United States. It’s cost as much as $17.3 tril- out to reporters before the not surprising that Barack so their comments and donations, set the tone. “You may remember that lion spread over decades. town hall. positions must be filtered Obama, idealist but also Several of Warren’s rivals pragmatic politician, made through the lens of appeal- Gov Jay Inslee (of Wash- Inslee, who had based ing to their party’s most ington state) said, ‘Let’s his candidacy on the fight joined her in their support only a cursory attempt to active, left-wing base. But get tough on this (issue of against the deleterious for a carbon tax. Among impose a carbon tax on even taking their remarks climate change)’,” Warren consequences of climate them were Senators Amy American industry, even with a big grain of Great reminded the TV audience. change, dropped out of the Klobuchar of Minnesota with a Democratic majority and Kamala Harris of Cali- in both houses of Congress Inagua salt, there is sig- Warren then unveiled a race weeks ago. The significance of all fornia. Most of the others at the beginning of his term. nificance and some hope in plan calling for $3 trillion to be spent on various envi- this is less the astonishing are leaning toward support what they had to say. The Democrats, like proposed price tags than for a carbon tax. Massachusetts Sena- ronmental initiatives. all politicians, want to get Why is this important? re-elected. That they see Extensive as such a plan the fact that these Demotor Elizabeth Warren, who is rising slightly in might be, given its price cratic hopefuls are talking Carbon taxation support potential gain in promotthe polls because of - or is tag, Warren’s proposals about the issue at all. Just has long been viewed as ing measures like a carbon it despite? - her earnest seem almost trivial com- three years ago, for exam- political suicide. Opponents tax is encouraging for those candidate Hillary have been successful in por- who believe human activity dedication to clear policy pared with those of some ple, positions and refusal to of her rivals, who are sug- Clinton uttered countless traying a levy on business is accelerating the earth’s accept most corporate gesting plans that might platitudes about climate and industry that exceeds overheating.
STATESIDE
IF ONLY WE’D LISTENED AMID all the political noise about climate change and the tragic reports of hurricane-related death and destruction in The Bahamas, it’s perhaps ironic that the most influential environmental economist of recent times passed away a couple of weeks ago. Dr Martin Weitzman, a Harvard professor and indefatigable advocate for the potential for economic remedies to mitigate the effects of climate change, wrote a seminal paper 45 years ago entitled “Prices vs. Quantities”. Weitzman’s Harvard department boss said the treatise was “the most often cited paper in environmental economics”. The central thesis was that use of macroeconomic measures such as a carbon tax could help to protect the earth’s environment. The free market, Weitzman believed, would adjust accordingly. Eco-friendly would become profitable, so business would find reasons to reduce carbon
emissions. Carbon tax and other environmentally friendly ideas like cap-and-trade have largely languished until now on the US political front. But while Weitzman did not live to see his favoured policies enacted in law or regulation, he had awakened the American academic community to the dangers of climate change. He could have been speaking right now in Nassau or Freeport or Marsh Harbour when he told a Harvard interviewer years ago that “most economic models are far too conservative”. Climate change is “outside the range of most of our models. They’re outside the range of our usual thinking, so there’s no way we can really pin down the probability or magnitude of a catastrophe.” Amen. Weitzman’s wisdom will be missed. Maybe his words will now inspire greater action on climate change.
EXIT STAGE LEFT JOHN Bolton never gave much evidence that he cared about climate change. This brilliant but prickly conservative hawk had staked out for decades a warlike position to the right of many in his adopted Republican Party. Skilled in the political gamesmanship that often determines success in Washington policy debates, Bolton served for decades in senior policy positions at the State Department, the United Nations and the White House. Enthusiastic in advocating the use of military force against nations whose policies he judged to be inimical to America’s national interests, he may be best known
for his prescriptions to bomb Iran, Iraq and North Korea as those nations displayed unacceptable behaviour. Few thought his tenure as Trump’s National Security Adviser would be long-lasting, and their doubts were well founded. In resisting Trump’s instinct to broker some kind of peace agreement on Afghanistan, Bolton ultimately ran afoul of Trump’s great hallmark: he keeps his campaign promises. And one of those promises was to bring back American troops from illadvised foreign conflicts. Another famous Trump campaign promise: Build the Wall. Bolton should have known better.
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Thursday, September 12, 2019, PAGE 11
Another fire at BPL By LEANDRA ROLLE
AN investigation is underway at Bahamas Power & Light’s Blue Hills Power Station after a generator caught fire yesterday. BPL has said it does not expect this fire to have a significant impact on ongoing load shedding throughout the capital. Head of Police Fire Services, Chief Superintendent Walter Evans said shortly before 1pm yesterday, police officers received a call concerning a fire at BPL’s Aggreko site. “When we got here, it took us about seven minutes or less than seven minutes (to extinguish the fire) because once we got
FIRE services at BPL after reports of a generator on fire. Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff here, we made an aggressive attack as I’ve said earlier,” he said at the scene. “Particularly with the suppression team, they know of what is happening particularly with regard to
US MAN SENT TO JAIL BUT THEN GIVEN BAIL By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net
AN American man sentenced to 18 months for stabbing his ex-boss’ son was not sent to prison as ordered, but instead granted bail by the chief magistrate, a police inspector has said. Inspector Ferguson confirmed in open court that instead of being imprisoned for stabbing Jak HannabyCummins, Peter Albee was removed from the cell block and granted bail by Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt last week. Such a move was beyond the chief magistrate’s jurisdiction, according to the sentencing magistrate, Carolyn Vogt-Evans. In response, Insp Johnson said he did not know the chief magistrate did not have that power. Insp Ferguson, in response to questions by Magistrate Vogt-Evans, further confirmed that both Albee’s conviction warrant and his release document bore the same case number: 1254 of 2017. The revelations were made on Thursday, the day after Magistrate VogtEvans handed down her sentence on Albee after convicting him of causing grievous harm to HannabyCummins on July 6, 2017. The incident took place at the guesthouse at Hannaby-Cummins’ residence in Port New Providence. Albee had been hired to repair a boat belonging to Hannaby-Cummins’ parents, Paul Cummins and Joeanne Hannaby Cummins. He was fired the day before the incident,
however, and ordered to vacate the guest house. Shortly after midnight on July 6, Hannaby-Cummins ended up climbing onto the guest house’s balcony and entering an unlocked door after Albee refused to honour his and his father’s requests to open the front door. While Hannaby-Cummins was removing furniture from in front of the door, Albee grabbed him from behind. When Hannaby-Cummins pushed Albee off, the man stabbed him in the side. Hannaby-Cummins ended up receiving a 12-inch scar as a result. Sometime after Albee was sentenced, Insp Ferguson was made to appear before Magistrate VogtEvans’ court. While there, the senior magistrate stated that she understood that Albee had not been sent to prison to begin serving his sentence, and questioned if the senior officer knew his whereabouts. “Yes ma’am, to my understanding he is on bail,” came the reply. When asked who granted Albee bail, Insp Ferguson replied: “Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt, the magistrate in court number nine.” Magistrate Vogt-Evans then specifically questioned Insp Ferguson if Albee was “removed from cell block and given bail by the chief magistrate,” to which he replied: “Yes, your honour.” When asked if he was aware that she did not have that jurisdiction, the officer said “no”. According to news reports, Albee’s attorney Murrio Ducille has said he plans to appeal the decision.
PLANE IN EMERGENCY DIVERSION A JETBLUE aircraft made an emergency diversion to Lynden Pindling International Airport yesterday due to mechanical concerns with the aircraft. JetBlue flight 1706 was travelling from Punta Caucedo, Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic and headed to Orlando, Florida when it was diverted to Nassau. The aircraft landed safely at LPIA and passengers were deplaned by chute, LPIA posted on its
Facebook page. There were 176 people on board with six crew members. No major injuries were reported. The airport remains open with normal operations. After the incident, Passengers were being accommodated in the holding room of LPIA’s international terminal as they awaited a new aircraft to continue their flight on to Orlando. That flight was expected to depart at 3.30pm yesterday.
the amount of other equipment that were around, and it was important that we extinguish that fire quickly because we didn’t want it to spread to any of the adjacent generators.”
CSP Evans told reporters that the generator experienced significant damage, but he could not say to what extent as the generator was still in a ‘hot zone’. According to CSP Evans, there were no BPL workers present in the area when the incident occurred. However, as noted by CSP Evans, several generators were nearby in the vicinity, but none were impacted by the fire. “There is nothing untoward with any of the other generators. All of the other generators appear to be safe. There was no fire damage, there was no charring, there was no smoke being emitted from any of the other generators.
We’re pretty much comfortable that the generator of focus was the one that we had extinguished the fire to and we feel pretty much good that that is where the problem was, and we kept it confined just to that one particular generator,” he said. CSP Evans could not say what caused the fire. In a statement released yesterday, BPL said the fire damaged a one-megawatt rental generator owned and operated by Aggreko at BPL’s Blue Hills Power Station. “BPL will be advised by Aggreko once the fire investigation at their site is completed with the assistance of the Royal Bahamas
Police Force Fire Department. It is not anticipated that the loss of this rental unit will significantly impact the need for load shedding,” BPL said. Meanwhile, CSP Evans cautioned the public regarding the use of personal generators. He said: “We want to say to persons that they need to ensure that the generators are not to be fueled while they’re hot and persons ought to ensure that persons who would be conducting the wiring… are trained and certified. And also, we want to make sure that persons do not have generators stored on the inside of their facilities or at their bedrooms.”
PAGE 12, Thursday, September 12, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
UK COURT RULES BORIS JOHNSON’S SUSPENSION OF PARLIAMENT UNLAWFUL By JILL LAWLESS ASSOCIATED PRESS LONDON (AP) — A Scottish court dealt another blow to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Brexit plans Wednesday, ruling that his decision to suspend Parliament less than two months before the U.K. is due to leave the European Union was an unlawful attempt to avoid democratic scrutiny. The government immediately said it would appeal, as the political opposition demanded Johnson reverse the suspension and recall lawmakers to Parliament. With Brexit due in 50 days, the court ruling deepened Britain’s political deadlock. Johnson insists the country must leave the EU on Oct. 31, with or without a divorce deal to smooth the way. But many lawmakers fear a no-deal Brexit would be economically devastating, and are determined to stop him. Their case got a boost late Wednesday as the government gave in to a demand from lawmakers and published a document showing that a hard exit could lead to logjams for freight, shortages of some foods and medicines, major travel disruptions and possible rioting. The document’s release was the day’s second setback for Johnson and followed the surprise judgment by Scotland’s highest civil court, which found that the government’s action suspending lawmakers was illegal
“because it had the purpose of stymieing Parliament.” Johnson claims he shut down the legislature this week so that he can start afresh on his domestic agenda at a new session of Parliament next month. But the five-week suspension also gives him a respite from rebellious lawmakers as he plots his next move to break the political impasse over Brexit and lead Britain out of the EU by Oct. 31, “do or die.” But a panel of three Court of Session judges in Edinburgh said “the only inference that could be drawn was that the U.K. government and the prime minister wished to restrict Parliament.”
Policy One of the judges, Philip Brodie, said it appeared the suspension was intended “to allow the executive to pursue a policy of a no-deal Brexit without further parliamentary interference.” The judges declared the suspension “null and of no effect,” but said Britain’s Supreme Court must make the final decision at a hearing starting Tuesday. Johnson denied he was being anti-democratic. “If opposition members of Parliament disagree with our approach, then it is always open to them to take up the offer that I’ve made twice now — twice! — that we should have an election,” he
said in an online questionand-answer session. “There is nothing more democratic in this country than a general election.” Opposition politicians, however, insisted that the government must recall Parliament. Lawmakers were sent home this week despite the objections of House of Commons Speaker John Bercow and opposition lawmakers, who held up signs in the chamber saying “Silenced.” “He should do the right thing now, which is to reopen Parliament, let us back to do our job and to decide what to do next,” said Labour Party Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer. Dominic Grieve, one of 21 lawmakers kicked out of the Conservative group in Parliament by Johnson last week after voting against the government, said it was possible the prime minister had misled Queen Elizabeth II — whose formal approval is needed to suspend Parliament — about his motives. He said if that turned out to be true, the prime minister would have to “resign — and very swiftly.” The court ruling came after more than 70 opposition lawmakers challenged the government’s decision to shut down Parliament until Oct. 14 — just over two weeks before Britain is due to leave the EU. Last week, a court in Edinburgh rejected the lawmakers’ challenge, saying it was a matter for politicians,
BRITAIN’S Prime Minister Boris Johnson, centre right, gestures during his first Prime Minister’s Questions, in the House of Commons in London, last week. (Jessica Taylor/House of Commons via AP) not the courts, to decide. But that was overturned Wednesday on appeal. The British government said it was disappointed by the decision and would appeal to the Supreme Court. It noted that another challenge to the suspension, brought by transparency campaigner Gina Miller, was rejected at the High Court in London last week by judges who said the decision was inherently political and “not a matter for the courts.” Catherine Haddon, a senior fellow at independent think-tank the Institute for Government, tweeted that the Scottish ruling “does not (yet) change the prorogation itself. Though of course will add to pressure.” Britain’s 2016 decision to leave the European Union has left the country’s politics gridlocked and tested to the limit the U.K.’s largely unwritten constitution. With a no-deal Brexit looming, rebel members of the governing Conservatives joined with the opposition to deliver a series of blows to Johnson in the days before
Parliament was suspended. They passed a law that orders the government to seek a three-month delay to Brexit if no agreement has been reached by late October, and twice rejected Johnson’s call for a snap general election.
Setback The latest setback came with the forced release of the government’s own assessment of the fallout from a hard Brexit, which found that the number of trucks crossing the main freight route between Calais and Dover would drop by between 40% and 60% within a day, with disruptions possibly lasting with up to three months. The supply of certain types of fresh foods and essential medicines would decrease, prices would go up and poor people would be hit hardest. The paper, dated Aug. 2, sets out the government’s “reasonable worst-case planning assumption” for a no-deal Brexit and describes major disruption for travelers between Britain and the EU, uncertainty for U.K. citizens living in Europe, and says attempts to maintain an open border between Ireland and Northern Ireland would probably fail. It also says a no-deal exit could trigger major protests and even riots. The government refused to comply with another part of Parliament’s demand — that it hand over emails and texts among officials and aides discussing the decision to
suspend Parliament. Michael Gove, the minister in charge of Brexit planning, said the request was inappropriate and disproportionate. More than three years after Britain voted to leave the EU, voters of all stripes are fed up and both the Conservatives and main opposition Labour Party are divided. Johnson, one of the leaders of the 2016 “leave” campaign, is trying to deliver Brexit and counter an electoral threat from the newly founded Brexit Party. Its leader Nigel Farage took out newspaper ads Wednesday, offering an electoral pact with the Conservatives if Johnson backed a “clean break” — a no-deal Brexit. But Johnson’s office said “the PM will not be doing a deal with Nigel Farage.” Johnson says he wants to strike a new deal with the bloc after the agreement made by his predecessor Theresa May was rejected three times by Britain’s Parliament. He said Wednesday that talks with the 27 other EU nations were making progress. “The mood is changing, the ice floes are cracking,” he said. But EU officials say the U.K. has made no concrete new proposals. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday that “we still have a chance to achieve this in an orderly way,” but that Germany was also prepared for a no-deal Brexit.
A WOMAN wipes away tears as she stands next to the north pool prior to a ceremony marking the 18th anniversary of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 at the National September 11 Memorial, Wednesday. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
18 YEARS LATER, AMERICA VOWS TO ‘NEVER FORGET’ 9/11 By KAREN MATTHEWS AND JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — People who were too young on 9/11 to even remember their lost loved ones, and others for whom the grief is still raw, paid tribute with wreath-layings and the solemn roll call of the dead Wednesday as America marked the 18th anniversary of the worst terror attack on U.S. soil. “Eighteen years. We will not forget. We cannot forget,” Bud Salter, who lost his sister, Catherine, said at ground zero. President Donald Trump laid a wreath at the Pentagon, telling victims’ relatives: “This is your anniversary of personal and permanent loss.” “It’s the day that has replayed in your memory a thousand times over. The last kiss. The last phone call. The last time hearing those precious words, ‘I love you,’” the president said. Later, former President George W. Bush, who was in office on 9/11, and then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld attended another wreath-laying at the Pentagon. Near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, the third site where planes crashed on Sept. 11, 2001, Vice President Mike Pence credited the crew and passengers who fought back against the hijackers with protecting him and others in the U.S. Capitol that day.
Courage “I will always believe that I and many others in our nation’s capital were able to go home that day and hug our families because of the courage and selflessness of your families,” said Pence, who was an Indiana congressman at the time. Officials concluded the attackers had been aiming the plane toward Washington. Nearly 3,000 people were killed when terrorist-piloted planes slammed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the field in Pennsylvania. After reading part of the long list of names, Parboti Parbhu choked up as she spoke from the ground zero podium about her slain sister, Hardai. Even after nearly two decades, “there’s no easy way to say goodbye,” she said. By now, the heritage of grief has been handed down to a new generation, including children and young adults who knew their lost relatives barely or not at all. Jacob Campbell was 10 months old when his mother, Jill Maurer-Campbell, died on 9/11. “It’s interesting growing up in a generation that doesn’t really remember it. I feel a connection that no one I go to school with can really understand,” Campbell, a University of Michigan sophomore, said as he attended the ceremony.