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VOLUME:117 No.201, SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2020

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1

WOMAN: BEREAVED AND BETRAYED BY CHEATING HUSBAND

FIRST VACCINES FOR KEY STAFF

80,000 chosen for mass innoculation against COVID-19 By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net THE country’s most vulnerable population, including medical workers, will be among the first to receive a COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available, Health Minister Renward Wells said yesterday, as he revealed the government will have to pay an initial $2m down payment to secure 80,000 vaccinations. Speaking during his ministry’s COVID-19 press conference, Mr Wells said the Pan American Health

ABOUT 1,000 teachers across the country called in sick yesterday in protest over what they described as a lack of COVID-19 health and safety protocols at schools, according to Bahamas Union of Teachers president Belinda Wilson. Her comments came hours after education director Marcellus Taylor told The Tribune that national examinations were not disrupted and in fact “went

SEE PAGE EIGHT

‘WE MAY AS WELL STAY GROUNDED’ By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Organisation will secure the vaccines, suggesting it was acting as an intermediary to ensure smaller nations can acquire it as first world countries are in a better financial position to secure them. “The Pan American Health Organisation is going to secure any potential COVID vaccine for The Bahamas,” Mr Wells said when asked about the government’s plan to acquire vaccines. “The World Health Organisation has required that all countries that would

MILLER IN ‘$10M’ COURT CASE VICTORY

SEE PAGE THREE

NUMBERS AT ODDS OVER TEACHERS ON ‘SICK OUT’ By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

BIRTHDAY BASH TURNED INTO FEEDING 1,000

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A FORMER Cabinet minister yesterday urged the Government to “execute the leases so my family and I can get on with our lives” after the Supreme Court awarded him nearly $10m in damages. Leslie Miller, the former Tall Pines MP, said he saw “no reason” why the Minnis administration should not give effect to the five contracts committing the Government to rent space at his Summerwinds Shopping Plaza off Tonique Williams Highway.

well”, despite several teachers calling in sick. “From what we know at this point, we didn’t have any challenges at this time,” Mr Taylor told The Tribune early yesterday afternoon. “All of our exams apparently started on time and no incident to report, so we are happy at this point that that’s how the day developed so far. We have very confident school administrators and teachers who execute this process.” SEE PAGE FOUR AN aerial photo from Abaco showing suspected unregulated structures in the Farm shanty town.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

NEW ACTION TO CLEAR SHANTY TOWNS By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE government is preparing to evict residents living in newly built illegal structures on Abaco, a move that could possibly displace hundreds. The announcement was made by government officials during a meeting held on the island on Friday, who noted that eviction letters would be given

specifically to those found in contravention of the latest Supreme Court order. The order, which blocks the government from clearing out existing shanty towns in the country, also prevents residents from altering or expanding those communities. Still, there have been concerns in Abaco about shanty town dwellers erecting illegal structures on government land, specifically the Farm Road,

despite the order. One official estimates unregulated structures in one community have grown from 200 to about 400 since July. In a bid to rectify the issue, Foreign Affairs Minister Darren Henfield told Abaconions on Friday: “The Cabinet of the Bahamas is attempting, according to the law, that we will move a notice to place upon homes that

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

SEE PAGE TWO

EUROPE SEARCHES FOR ANSWERS TO REFUGEE CRISIS

SEE PAGE NINE

PAGE 2, Tuesday, September 15, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

New action to clear shanty towns from page one were built illegally and take a period of two weeks for those homes to be removed or they will be removed by the proper authority. “This is an order of government approach to how we deal with irregular communities in the Bahamas specifically those that were built since the new building order was issued. So, we anticipate these notices will be placed by the Ministry of Works along with the Ministry of National Security sometime this week. “We hope that this will be placed this week. The attorney general is not here so we cannot report to him on how far along we are on that process,” Mr Henfield said at the Abaco meeting. North and Central Abaco administrator, Terrece Bootle-Laing, when contacted by this newspaper, said officials are keen on handling the matter carefully yet lawfully. “(The minister) said they will be issued letters of notice giving two weeks to vacate the premises and thereafter, the government will proceed to demolish the said premise if there is no stop order or anything on the part of the court. “But they are confident that they could proceed...” Before Hurricane Dorian decimated them last year, shanty towns across Abaco had more than 1,000 homes and an estimated population size of 3,500, according to government reports. One of the few shanty towns left in Abaco post Dorian was the Farm, located in Treasure Cay.

AN aerial photo from Abaco showing suspected unregulated structures in the Farm shanty town. According to Mrs BootleLaing, the community was estimated to house nearly 1,000 people before the Category Five storm hit the island in early September. She said those numbers have since increased due to the relocation of those displaced from the storm. She said: “Since Dorian, we have seen visually that there has been an escalation in building and the relocation of persons who may have resided in the Mudd and Pigeon Pea so we’re not certain of the numbers as is. “We know that we expect those numbers to increase from what we had preDorian. Pre-Dorian, the Farm area if memory serves me was nearing 1,000 based on what records have been made available to us in

terms of our count.” Chairman of Treasure Cay local government Stephanie Hield expressed similar sentiments to this newspaper yesterday, saying she estimated that some 400 illegal structures have been constructed in the Farm shanty town since Dorian last year. The figure is a 50 percent increase from what Ms Hield to The Tribune in July, where she estimated that some 200 new structures had been built at the time. After Dorian, the government issued a cease order with immediate effect for The Mudd, The Peas, Sandbanks and the Farm in order to prevent anyone from building in those areas. Asked if there were more

shanty town communities on the island, Mrs BootleLaing replied that they were. However, she said the government has already pledged to crack down on the issue. “There are still other areas of concern. Hope Town being one of them still has concerns with regard to its shanty town increasing in number post Dorian from about to 300 to well over 600,” she told this newspaper. “We know of areas that have re-routed away from the Sandbanks area to the other side but the concentration, as far as we are aware is the Farm now.” Residents in Abaco have been sounding the alarm over unsanctioned construction on the island in recent weeks, saying it

was unfair some people are being allowed certain liberties, while others are being treated like “fourth class citizens” in their own country. Others have expressed concern that if the matter was not dealt with soon, it could mirror the preDorian situation which saw several large unregulated shanty towns on the island. A community representative, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Tribune that many of the dwellers living in the Farm are Bahamians of Haitian descent. Others residing in the community, the local said, are undocumented migrants. The Abaco resident said the recent eviction announcement has left

many shanty town residents fearful and panicked, as they are uncertain where they and their families will move. He said while he does not believe residents should be given free property to build their homes, a plan should be put in place to house them in the interim. “People are panicking because they have nowhere to go and they don’t know what to do,” he said. “And one of the questions raised (during Friday’s meeting) was if you give the people two weeks but is there any plan? Is there any place where these people are going to go and (one MP) said they could stay by friends and other people. “And so, (a) pastor said one of the greatest concerns is during this pandemic, you have people all over the place and it’s going to become a panic.” The resident said there is also a stigma attached to the Haitian community in Abaco, with many locals blaming them for the frequent looting, theft and violence recently taking place on the island. “I know the problem with Haitians is illegal building, that I can confirm,” he said. “But as far as Haitian breaking in and this and that — Haitians have been in Abaco for the longest. We never had these sort of break ins. “So, they need to figure out whoever they allowing to come on these islands, the employers, it’s their responsibility to check on their police records. Everyone wants to come Abaco now because they believe this is a place to make money.” On Sunday, National Security Minister Marvin Dames, Police Commissioner Paul Rolle and Defense Force Commodore Raymond King along with other officials traveled to Abaco to address concerns by islanders in regards to crime and other issues. The meeting was held in Sandy Point, located in South Abaco.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, September 15, 2020, PAGE 3

First vaccines for key staff from page one

The bulk of cases are in New Providence which has 2,036 confirmed cases. be seeking the COVID-19 Grand Bahama follows with vaccine, one that has the 600; Abaco 101; Bimini 54; capacity to be able to do Exuma 25; Inagua 18; Berry what we expect it to, that Islands 15; Eleuthera 15; every country put a down 10 in Long Island; eight in payment so to speak to Cat Island; seven on Ackensure that at least 20 per- lins; five in Crooked Island; cent of its population (can three in Andros, three in receive it). Mayaguana and 108 cases “The Cabinet of the with pending locations. Bahamas has taken a deciThere have been 68 offision to move forward with cial deaths from COVID-19 that. and while ten are under “We do secure our vac- investigation. One addicines through the WHO tional death was recorded via PAHO and we’re guar- last night after a 72-year-old anteed to receive enough New Providence woman vaccines in the first tranche died yesterday. to vaccinate 20 percent of Officials said earlier yesour population, which if terday that 130 children you’re looking at 400,000 or adolescents have tested persons is about 80,000 positive, accounting for four individuals. percent of overall cases. “The overall cost is going Yesterday, Chief Medical to be somewhere in the area Officer Dr Pearl McMillan of perhaps $2m initially and revealed that in this second at the outset what we will wave of COVID-19, there do is we will seek to vac- were 27 times more cases cinate those who are most than the first round of cases. vulnerable — healthcare Dr McMillan said New workers, along those lines. Providence now accounts “But because there is for the largest number of such a demand new COVIDfor a poten19 cases each tial COVID ‘At this point in day, with data vaccine, and the second wave showing that you under- COVID-19 cases cumulative stand that first cases continue world coun- now stand at to reflect tries, because 1,797, which is increases in their monies almost 24 times the capital. are long and However, deep, have more than the she said, new the capac- total cases seen cases on the ity to be able island have in the first wave.’ to purchase been on a upfront more decline. On so, but the World Health average for the last week, Organisation is securing Dr McMillan revealed that and ensuring that all coun- 40 new cases are being tries have an opportunity reported in New Provito receive the vaccine and dence per day. there is a global agreement “Specifically by island, among all countries that we for New Providence which will receive at least 20 per- has the highest population cent initially to secure our density we had 76 cases populations.” in the first wave. At this Yesterday officials point in the second wave reported that confirmed COVID-19 cases now stand COVID-19 cases stood at at 1,797, which is almost 24 3,008 after 34 additional times more than the total cases were confirmed. Of cases seen in the first wave. that number, 1,391 have “Grand Bahama recovered, with 1,531 cases recorded a total number of active. Additionally, 66 eight cases in the first wave. of the active cases are in So far for this wave our hospital, according to Mon- second city has a total of day’s dashboard. 603 cases, which is 75 times

CHIEF Medical Officer Pearl McMillan speaking yesterday.

MISSING TEENAGER FOUND THE teenage son of a Bahamian woman who was reported missing has been found and is now safe at home in Florida. Yesterday morning, Sabrina Huyler-Ramsey said her 19-year-old son, Eureston Huyler, is doing fine. On Sunday, when she spoke with The Tribune, she said her son had not been seen since last Thursday at 9am when he left home for Palm Beach State

College to see his advisor to register. Before he was found, those concerned in the Bahamas started circulating the boy’s photo, when he was last seen, and his physical description. Former Bahamas Consul General to Atlanta Randy Rolle also shared his concern in a release about the then missing Mr Huyler. He prayed and hoped for him to be found safe.

MINISTER of Health Renward Wells speaking yesterday. more than their total cases in the first wave. “Bimini had four times more total cases in the second wave compared to the first. “The first wave we confirmed cases only on three of our islands. On the contrary during this wave, COVID-19 has impacted a larger proportion of our Family Islands and cays as referenced on the Ministry of Health’s dashboard.” She said contact tracing continues, with officials identifying almost 8,000 connections in the second wave. The ministry continues to retool the process to ensure the shortest possible time between confirmation of a positive test result and notification of a newly diagnosed case, Dr McMillan said. While there continues to be new cases almost daily, officials have repeatedly touted the success of the latest lockdown in Grand Bahama. However, asked if officials made the right decision to reopen most businesses in New Providence despite rising cases, Dr McMillan said lockdowns are not sustainable. “Whether or not we opened everything or just a few things certainly what we require to happen as we move forward is that we follow the necessary public health measures in order to decrease the likelihood of spread. “I think we often say when we are asked a

question like that that public health must always take into consideration other things that are happening in a particular environment and there has to be a balance. We would have had a number of

lockdowns, we had curfews, we had a number of very restrictive to minimally restrictive measures put in place early on and we did fairly well. “Doing those things indefinitely is not

sustainable so we have to balance the public health measures alongside the economic and the social measures and challenges that come along with the lockdowns,” Dr McMillan said.

PAGE 4, Tuesday, September 15, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Juggling work and virtual learning By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net IT has been a little over a week since some schools resumed virtual learning, and many parents are performing a juggling act with work from home demands and their children’s academic needs. For banker Tamara Rolle and her husband, Arien, it has been hectic balancing virtual learning in their dayto-day schedules. “On the whole, just being at home working, it is very hectic for both Arien and I,” Mrs Rolle said. “We have to balance what we need to do as well as try to ensure that our schedule lines up with the needs of the children and their breaks – having snacks prepared and ready etc.” Unreliable electricity and internet is also a major concern as well as limiting distractions and making sure the environment is comfortable for everyone at home, she said. Mrs Rolle said she has been lucky to have an employer that allows her to have a flexible schedule while the family adjusts to the new normal. “You are balancing a very demanding career and work environment,”

she continued. “I can have meetings consecutively throughout the day. It’s literally impacting your entire lifestyle. The kids will need to have dinner by a certain time, etc. Thankfully I do have a good employer who has really been flexible. My employer has provided counseling in terms of how to manage this work life balance with virtual schooling. We have had those types of sessions. As long as people have a good support system they can make it, but I really feel for those who do not have that.” The couple’s children, eight-year-old Ardyn and three-year-old Araya, are both enrolled in a private school. They are both on their second week of virtual learning, which is expected to continue for one one month before parents are informed of the school’s next step. Due to their ages, both children have a different set up for their classes: Ardyn uses a laptop and Araya uses a tablet. While Mrs Rolle understands the need for virtual learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic, she thinks her young daughter will benefit from face-to-face learning. She admitted it is a challenge ensuring her two children don’t get distracted

during virtual classes. “Araya is at a very critical age and I know that this is the best scenario at this time to have online sessions, but because she is at such a critical age, she, I’m sure, would benefit most from face-to-face engaged learning,” Mrs Rolle said. “She is now at the foundation of learning, when you are starting to write, etcetera, so right now with her it’s been a lot letters, the alphabet, numbers, the nursery rhymes and ensuring that they know the first letter of their names. I’m sure moving on, they really need to see their teachers because their attention span is so short. So, it’s a little challenging on that aspect. “With Ardyn, he is a bit more grown, but we have to assure that he remains

focused because his set up is in his bedroom and so he has access to his toys and all of that. So we have to make sure he is focused and paying attention and performing his assignments as required. So basically there are two different setups for each of the children.” Mrs Rolle said her son Ardyn is in a Google Classroom setting that starts at 8.30 am and runs until noon. Araya’s set up is a Zoom 20-minute session each day that involves the teacher, her assistant with five children at a time. Last week, the students spent time learning how to use the set up. Mrs Rolle’s main concern about virtual learning is consistent electricity and the

said. “The teachers exhibited solidarity and care for their colleagues in schools. The union is very concerned about the health and safety of teachers and the Ministry of Education must make sure that schools are properly prepared for COVID-19 environment.” The planned public sitout comes as teachers call for more COVID-19 safety protocols to be implemented at their respective schools. There have been concerns in recent weeks about possible COVID-19 exposure at several schools in the country, with Mrs Wilson saying that schools were unprepared for reopening on September 7. While teachers have been reporting to work, classes for students do not resume until October 5. The union president also claimed that some classrooms were not cleaned and that janitorial staff were not given protective equipment

or adequate training. The ministry has since rejected the claims, accusing Mrs Wilson of trying to deprive children of the chance to learn. Education officials have also insisted that all schools are safe and that protocols mandated by the Ministry of Health and the Department of Environmental Health for handling COVID-19 infections are being followed. Mrs Wilson said the union is also concerned about COVID-19 exposure at several schools in the country. “Very concerning is that in several schools suspected positive cases of COVID19 or persons who were exposed to COVID-19 positive persons were at school among their colleagues and peers before they were made aware,” she said. “The increase of COVID19 cases over the past two weeks is alarming and there is no testing for teachers

and or students. We have so many teachers who are still uncertain as to where they can get tested.” In a statement released yesterday, opposition spokesperson Education, Dr Michael Darville said the political party was “deeply concerned about the chaos in the publicschool system” and called on the education minister to meet with the union to resolve the issues. “The PLP calls on the minister of education to set aside ego and sit with the BUT executives in good faith with a view to ironing out and resolving the occupational health and safety issues that so concern educators that they find it necessary to take such drastic measures, negatively impacting the education of thousands of our students.” National exams resumed yesterday after being disrupted and postponed earlier this year.

NUMBERS AT ODDS OVER TEACHERS ON ‘SICK OUT’ from page one

Asked how many teachers did not show up for work yesterday, Mr Taylor said he could not say at the time, only telling this newspaper that “the numbers are not huge”. “What I’m being told in New Providence where some of the schools you have 70 or 80 teachers, maybe five or six called in sick,” he said. “But I don’t have the actual (figures) but I’m just telling you that’s the kind of thing I’ve heard and because the operations of the schools are largely going on as normal, I get the sense that it hasn’t been a challenge at this point.” However, Mrs Wilson yesterday claimed that some 1,000 teachers nationwide had not reported to work. “We had about 1,000 teachers throughout the Bahamas call in today,” she

internet. “In regards to BPL there was only the one mass outage, so far,” she continued. “Thankfully that occurred at the end of their virtual classroom day. And, fortunately we have a backup power supply. The most critical impact. . .for us is from time to time the internet would falter during a BPL outage. “That would be a crisis because we would have the power, but we wouldn’t have the access if something goes wrong on the internet side. So that is a concern. We do now have a WiFi box that helps supplement that. There are so many things

ARAYA Rolle taking a virtual class and, left, Ardyn Rolle.

you have to think to try to be prepared to really facilitate this because it’s literally an investment of time, money and emotions.” On Monday, October 5, all government schools will open and most of them will use a virtual learning system. Mrs Rolle said she is dreading what is going to happen in terms of internet traffic and the ability of the providers to maintain steady service when more students are using the services.

SIERRA FERGUSON

SIERRA’S THE STAR

AQUINAS College student Sierra Ferguson has been declared the overall winner and top scorer of the senior division of the 2020 Laws of Life essay competition. The competition is a joint venture between the Templeton World Charity Foundation and the Ministry of Education. The competition is in its 12th year since its resurgence in 2009. The 2020 competition was launched in December 2019 and concluded in mid-February. This year, the competition had an overwhelming response from students. Laws of Life committee member Liesl Wright said, “Following the passing of Hurricane Dorian in early September 2019, the Laws of Life committee made the decision to focus the 2020 competition on laws that espoused empathy, care, understanding and appreciation for what our country had experienced.” Students were required, as they are each year, to select a law, expound upon its meaning and offer reallife and personal examples of the law in action. Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s awards ceremony was

held virtually on Thursday, September 10. Dr Andrew Serazin, president of the Templeton World Charity Foundation, expressed gratitude to the students for their participation. “The ‘laws of life’ are what really matters during these challenging times,” he said. “The laws give us the courage to see what is real, to judge fact from fiction, and to see truth no matter where we find ourselves.” Education Minister Jeff Lloyd congratulated the finalists and commended their efforts while expressing his approval of the original intent of the competition. “I am particularly pleased with the diversity of topics, all which called for students to interpret, investigate, research and arise at conclusions. . .,” he said. In total, there were approximately 3,000 entries in primary, junior, senior, college and video divisions. This number has broken all previous records set by the competition, representatives said. The winners in the primary, junior, and senior categories each receive a scholarship prize of $1,000 as well as a $1,000 cash prize for their school.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, September 15, 2020, PAGE 5

Health Minister issues plea to families as morgue is too full By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net HEALTH officials are urging members of the public to make arrangements for the remains of loved ones to be removed from Princess Margaret Hospital’s morgue where the facility continues to be stretched to capacity. According to Health Minister Renward Wells yesterday, some people are using the morgue as a storage facility for uncollected remains. He said this practice cannot continue. In cases where funeral homes are refusing to collect remains, Mr Wells said storage fees will be applied. Currently, the morgue only has capacity for 55 bodies, but it now holds four times that number, Public Hospitals Authority managing director, Katherine Weech said. “Some persons are using the morgue at PMH as a storage facility for their

deceased loved ones,” Mr Wells said at a Ministry of Health press conference. “We understand that death and losing a loved one is an emotional and sensitive time. However, the morgue at the Princess Margaret Hospital continues to be stretched to capacity as a result of the delayed collection of loved ones who have passed. “Given the necessary restrictions due to COVID19 that had to be put in place as it pertains to funerals, some members of the public are opting to wait until restrictions have been lessened to collect the bodies of their loved ones.” COVID-19 guidelines have placed limits on the number of people who can attend funerals. “We encourage members of the public to arrange with a mortuary company to secure and retrieve their loved ones,” he added. “We are also again urging the local mortuary companies to collect the bodies that

persons have already paid them to transport to their funeral home of choice. The failure of these companies to comply will have to unfortunately result in the existing legal storage fees being applied.” For her part, Ms Weech said this is also an issue in Grand Bahama and made an appeal to members of the public to work with officials to have the situation rectified. She said: “I can say to you that today we are over capacity by about four times. We have a capacity in our main hospital for 55 bodies, but to date I think we’re running four times that amount. “I should also mention that at the Grand Bahama Health Services likewise we have a capacity of about 25 and at times our numbers can go up two to three times that amount. “Since the start of COVID-19 we instituted a policy to ensure that patients dying from COVID

were separated from the main population and those bodies were accommodated in the external coolers of the hospital. “To date we recognise that over time the morgue, as indicated by the minister, has been used by the general public as a storage facility until such time as bodies are ready for burial. To date and with COVID19 we want to continue to impress upon the general public to ensure that they work with us to ensure that those bodies are moved in a timely manner thus allowing us the opportunity to be able to properly manage those bodies that we have to hold requiring any examinations but certainly to ensure that we create environments where we can safely take care of the remains of loved ones.” She said the facilities are open Monday through Friday and the medical records department facilitates all discharge of bodies from the hospital.

DANTON WOODS

SHOOTING VICTIM FOUNDATION STEPS UP TO AID BAHAMIANS WAS ‘JOKESTER’ AND HARD WORKER THE Lyford Cay Foundations has announced $1.5m in grant funding to support the Bahamian community with food assistance. In May, its board and generous granted $275,000 to various local feeding organisations to support them during a spike in demand for food assistance. Six months into the pandemic, with record levels of unemployment and thousands of households needing support with food aid, the additional commitment of $1.5m — to be disbursed as monthly grants — will continue to supplement emergency food relief operations of Bahamian NGOs as they address the immense need of Bahamians across the archipelago. “The fight against hunger is a collaborative effort, and we are grateful to have a thoughtful and compassionate partner in Lyford Cay Foundations to allow us to further continue our mission of feeding the most vulnerable in our communities particularly those impacted by COVID-19,” said Sean Brennen, director general of the Bahamas Red Cross, which has received $105,000 in grants so far from Lyford Cay

PHOTO courtesy of the Bahamas Feeding Network. Foundations towards their food aid efforts. Also receiving $105,000 in grants from Lyford Cay Foundations, the Bahamas Feeding Network has since June distributed 40,000 food parcels with items totaling more than $1m in value to families in northeastern New Providence, as well as in eight southern Family Islands. “Since June, we’ve basically tripled our efforts, and our numbers are still rising,” said BFN executive director Philip Smith. “I praise Lyford Cay Foundations for their support during this time.” The chairman of the board of Lend a Hand

Bahamas, which has become the food zone leader for Nassau, echoed these sentiments. The group has benefited from Lyford Cay Foundations grants totaling $135,000 so far to supply food parcels to 13,500 households per week in the most densely populated area of the country. “It’s great to have this opportunity through the Bahamian government to feed people, but the reality is that the needs are so much greater than what we could ever ask for and requires private support,” said Lucas Metropulos. “It’s organisations like Lyford Cay Foundations that come in during a critical time to help

us address these needs, especially when we have a spike like we’ve seen recently. It’s a tremendous help.” Hands for Hunger is partnering with Showman E-Bistro to deliver food parcels to 6,500 families a week, and grant funding of $75,000 from Lyford Cay Foundations has assisted. Hands for Hunger multimedia manager Aarone Sargent said: “Donations like those from Lyford Cay Foundations go a long way in helping us to assist so many more people in a sustained state of food insecurity.” A further $125,000 has been granted to the Salvation Army for their food voucher programme, and grants from August through December will continue to feed 500 families a week. Lyford Cay Foundations has also provided grants to organisations on Eleuthera and the Abacos. IDEA Relief received $65,000 in grants so far, and is helping 13,000 Bahamians a week across the mainland and cays. Grants totaling $39,000 have also been given to the Eleuthera Feeding Initiative by the One Eleuthera Foundation, which provides food vouchers to 7,000 Bahamians.

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net THE man who was shot dead on Hawthorn Road on Sunday night has been identified by loved ones on social media as Danton Woods. According to reports, the 44-year-old victim worked in landscaping. “The preliminary facts indicate that sometime around 9pm (Sunday), police received reports that a male was shot on Hawthorn Road,” police said. Responding officers found the victim’s body lying face down on their arrival with a suspected gunshot wound. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. On Facebook, friends expressed their shock over the killing. “He was outspoken, that was his personality,” one person wrote. “He was also a jokester, a hardworking man and good friend from childhood. He did not deserve that at all.” This pushes the country’s murder count to 45 for the

year, according to The Tribune’s records. Sunday’s killing came after a man was fatally stabbed on Friday during an altercation on Raymond Road. According to police reports, shortly after midnight on Friday, police received reports of a physical altercation between two men. When they arrived at a residence, police spoke to one of the men allegedly involved. “Officers responded and, on their arrival, they saw and spoke to a male who stated that he was visiting the mother of his children, when a male with whom he was familiar was at the residence approached him,” police said. “An argument ensued which turned into a physical altercation, the male produced a knife, he was able to take the knife from the male. However, during the altercation he stabbed the male.” Anyone with information on these incidents is asked to call police at 502-9991 or 328-TIPS.

PAGE 6, Tuesday, September 15, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

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Planning as we wait for a vaccine WE do not yet have a COVID-19 vaccination – that much we all know. But as researchers around the world work on creating a vaccine, we need a plan for how we’re going to buy a vaccine – and how we will distribute it. Yesterday, Health Minister Renward Wells revealed a plan to pay an initial downpayment of $2m which will secure around 80,000 vaccinations. Now, that 80,000 is not every Bahamian – and so the obvious question is who will get the vaccine first. “At the outset what we will do is we will seek to vaccinate those who are most vulnerable,” said Mr Wells, “healthcare workers, along those lines.” COVID-19 has changed the thinking for many of who is essential in our society. While executives on high salaries work from home and remain in isolation, it is often some of the lowest paid in society who have been on the front lines keeping society going. Of course, there are the healthcare professionals, and anything that can be done to limit the risk of the people who care for those suffering this illness is of use to us all. The more healthcare workers fit and able to work on the front lines, the better. But we should also remember the others who have kept things going. The shop workers. The gas station workers. Indeed, as we see children return to school we might find teachers on that list of essential workers. Many might say well, what about me? But the goal of a vaccine is not just to protect the person who receives it, but those around them too. Each person who is resistant to the virus is one less opportunity for the virus to spread. If one fifth of the nation is vaccinated, that reduces the risk by a huge amount. It is, however, only the start. Further vaccinations will also be needed – with the goal of reaching something called herd immunity. That is achieved at around 60 to 70 percent of the population having some degree of protection – either through the vaccine or through developing antibodies having caught the virus. As it stands, we have just over 3,000 confirmed cases, less than one percent of our total population. So between the 80,000 vaccinations and cases, we would have to roughly treble the number of people protected in some fashion to protect the nation as a whole. Every person protected takes us closer. Every person protected makes it harder for the virus to take hold and

put others at risk. The point is that to protect anyone, we need to protect everyone. We may not have the vaccine yet. But we have a plan – and a place to start.

Shanty towns again A familiar story is playing out once more on Abaco. A number of illegal structures have been built, and the government is preparing to evict the residents, possibly displacing hundreds of people. One area being highlighted is the Farm Road area, where apparently around 200 dwellings have been built since July, swelling the number there to 400. A few things need to happen – first, the government needs to ensure these properties truly are not legal. We have had too many cases in the past where crackdowns have been announced and then it has turned out that people had rights in one manner or another to the land on which they were building the property. Abaco has presumably attracted a number of people who are living there in hope of finding work carrying out reconstruction – and as much as the government cracks down on illegal properties, so too should they be cracking down on illegal employers. We would also ask – given government reassurances of late despite local criticism that there are enough police on Abaco to prevent crime – how on earth did these properties get built unnoticed? A total of 200 houses built and nobody raised an eyebrow? We would also remind the government there needs to be a plan for where these people might go – because if you knock the house down but don’t have a plan for the people living in it, then you’ll find another illegal property springing up next month. We’re not the only ones saying it – one local resident asked the same, saying “Is there any place where these people are going to go and (one MP) said they could stay by friends and other people. And so, (a) pastor said one of the greatest concerns is during this pandemic, you have people all over the place and it’s going to become a panic.” We sincerely hope every aspect of this has been thought through – rather than just kicking the can down the road, and spreading the virus as we go.

Too hard to visit EDITOR, The Tribune.

I AM writing as a Canadian with Bahamian ancestry to express the hope that your Government will soon change the very difficult requirements to visit. For years, our family have been regularly coming to Nassau. It has always been very easy. We drive a fairly short distance to Toronto airport and have a simple check-in process with Air Canada and we are on our way with the three hour non-stop flight. It has been easy to come to our favourite destination. Now it has become a nightmare. We fail to understand why such harsh entry requirements for Canadians and others have been continued since the borders were reopened. There are far fewer COVID-19 cases in Canada than The United States yet we are lumped together with them. Most reasonable people will not travel if they are unwell. We have been attempting to find a government health care facility who will actually give us a

test. No private health care is allowed in Canada. Giving such tests is a very low priority and so dates are uncertain. All of this has to be coordinated with your new Health Visa and the very reduced airline flights. The tests for entry were to be ten but now five days. We were told written test results could take two days. We must send these by e-mail to Nassau and hope that the travel authorisation is returned rapidly. We heard from relatives that this is often delayed. We must purchase air tickets and pray we can actually take the flight. There is a good risk that there will be delays and you cannot travel. You are then facing costs for not using the air tickets and any other costs such as hotel cancellations. Our travel agent has strongly advised us not to book for The Bahamas because the requirements are too harsh and we should book elsewhere. Other countries are testing at the airport on arrival or have far fewer restrictions. For

us, it is family which directs us to Nassau. For nearly all other Canadians they will go to another “sun and sea” destination. They do not want to be in a quarantine and also pay for further expensive tests. Until The Bahamas Government comes to its senses and greatly eases their entry requirements there are very few people who will book. From a situation where traveling to The Bahamas was an easy and enjoyable experience it has become a nightmare. It is unbelievable that such measures could be introduced with little or no thought to how the average person with a busy schedule would have the time or inclination to carry out all the burdensome requirements just to travel to The Bahamas. I hope that a return to more sensible travel policies will come very soon. We are missing coming to beautiful Bahamaland. JOHN RUSSELL Ontario, Canada, September 11, 2020.

Elections in the time of COVID EDITOR, The Tribune. SEVERAL countries in the Caribbean have held early general elections in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. The trend for these pandemic elections started with St Kitts and Nevis on June 5. Team Unity which is a coalition party headed by incumbent Prime Minister, Dr Timothy Harris was returned to power winning nine of the 11 seats. This was followed by Trinidad and Tobago’s national election on August 10, where the incumbent Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley’s Peoples National Movement (PNM) was reelected by a slim majority. Jamaica held its general elections on September 3. Incumbent Prime Minister, Andrew Holness and his Jamaica Labour Party won a convincing victory taking 49 of 63 seats in the Jamaican Parliament. In Bermuda, general elections have been announced for October 1, and I expect that incumbent Premier, Edward David Burt’s Progressive Labour Party (PLP) will win re-election. This trend of early elections during the pandemic indicates several consistencies: • The power of incumbency. When elections are called early the incumbent party is best positioned to take full advantage. They usually have easier access to campaign finances and to government resources. Incumbent political parties will usually have more visible name recognition as well as a head start in any constituency boundary changes. • Incumbent governments are not being blamed for terrible economic conditions exacerbated by the pandemic. During the pandemic, electors in the Caribbean seem willing to look past the unemployment numbers, the GFC deficit figures and the poor fiscal and monetary projections and give incumbents the benefit of any doubt. So from that perspective incumbent governments have benefitted from the scourge of the virus. • Voter turnout was very low. Whether its voter apathy or frustration, people deciding not to participate, or whether people are afraid to stand on line to vote, the voter turnout in these pandemic elections has been lower than usual. In St Kitts and Nevis, 64 percent of the eligible voters actually voted. In Trinidad and Tobago, of the 1.1 million eligible voters 658,297 votes were cast for a 58 percent turnout. In Jamaica the situation was even worse with a voter turnout of 37 percent,

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net the worst since 1983. To be sure, voter turnout in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, the region’s two largest English speaking populations, is telling. The question then is will the Minnis administration or more accurately will Prime Minister Minnis see any benefit or value in calling an early election? Both Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica had gone past four years since their last election. On the other hand, Bermuda has barely gone by three years since its last election and St Kitts and Nevis had gone past five years since its last general election in February, 2015 although the election was held within the constitutional deadline. The Prime Minister indicated recently that he is not considering a snap election at this time as the government is trying to save lives. Now Bahamians could take that pronouncement as they want! But what I do know is the government has indicated that it will not be redrawing boundary lines; it has appointed the Constituencies Commission; and it intends to introduce legislation to establish a permanent register; voters card have been or are being printed all signs of an impending election. However, the political environment for calling an early election in the Bahamas is quite different for Prime Minister Minnis than it was for the Trinidadian and Jamaican Prime Ministers. There are three primary reasons. Firstly, Bahamians seem to be blaming the Prime Minister for the state of the Bahamian economy. They blame the irregular and sporadic lockdowns and curfews for the closure of local businesses and the resulting high unemployment numbers. Many of these businesses will not re-open. Secondly, Bahamians fault the Prime Minister for the explosion of new COVID-19 infections following the July 1st reopening of the borders to international travel. They feel as if the current increase in infections could have been avoided if only the reopening of the borders had been managed more responsibly. Moreover, many feel that the sporadic curfews, lockdowns and part opening of businesses assisted in the spread of the virus due to the long lines and chaos experienced at the food stores, gas stations and pharmacies. Thirdly, neither Jamaica nor Trinidad and Tobago experienced a category 5

Hurricane. Five months prior to the initial period of COVID-19 in the Bahamas Hurricane Dorian devastated parts of Abaco and Grand Bahama taking scores of lives, leaving hundreds missing and causing billions in damage and destruction. The government’s response to the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian has been mixed. While the government pats itself on the back and claims that it has done a good job even though it admits there is much more to be done, the people of Abaco and East Grand Bahama point to the mixed messaging of missing persons and the callous treatment of the bodies of relatives. They criticise the government for the slow progress in the restoration of utility services and infrastructure. They complain about the slow rebuilding of homes and businesses and for the absence of transparency in accounting for local and international donations. Free, fair and regular elections are seen as the pinnacle of a country’s democracy. The Bahamas has been fortunate in that it has had many cycles of elections with very high voter turnout and with very little record of violence. I would have no difficulty if the Prime Minister calls election any time after May 2021. His government would have had a record of four years to be judged by. I would prefer an early election as opposed to an election that was delayed beyond the normal five year period facilitated by trumped up emergency powers. Bahamians must decide whether they were deceived by the government in deliberately allowing the Proclamation of Emergency to expire in June which permitted them to enact a new Proclamation that could now extend the emergency powers to December of this year. Most signs point to an early election. I hope Bahamians will register and vote by whatever means the government puts in place. My hope is that the trend of low voter turnout we have seen in our sister Caribbean countries does not take hold here. The voter turnout in the past four elections was as follows: 2002=90 percent; 2007= 92.1 percent; 2012= 91.2 percent. However in 2017, the turnout fell to 88.3 percent. Let us pray that there is renewed faith in the electoral system, renewed confidence in our system of government and that we elect “honorable” men and women to represent us in Parliament. MAURICE TYNES Nassau, September 14, 2020.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, September 15, 2020, PAGE 7

MAN STOLE WATER TANK FROM PARK By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was fined $1,500 and placed on probation for two years yesterday for stealing a water tank from a community park last week. His co-accused, who denied committing the same offence, was denied bail ahead of her trial. Police arrested Kevin Cooper, 45, and Celia Lynes, 34, after an employee of the Edmund Spencer Moxey Youth and Community Centre accused the pair of stealing a 250-gallon storage tank from the property on September 11. The court heard that around 6.45am that day, the employee observed a burgundy coloured Passo

with a male and female passenger driving on the park. She told officers she saw both defendants leave the vehicle and head to the western side of the centre where they stole the water tank before strapping it to the top of their vehicle and driving off. Acting on information, officers on mobile patrol in the Grove area stopped a vehicle fitting the description of the complainant’s account. They beckoned for the car to stop and ordered the occupants to get out. Cooper and Lynes were subsequently cautioned and arrested. In an interview with police at the Grove police station, Cooper said he stole the tank because he wanted to make some type of trap, while Lynes denied

the offence. During the hearing, Cooper pleaded guilty. After accepting his plea, Magistrate Samuel McKinney fined him $1,500 or nine months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. He also placed Cooper on two years’ probation and warned him if he returned to court for a similar offence within that time frame, he would be sentenced to one year in prison. Because Lynes denied stealing the utility tank, her matter was adjourned to November 6 for trial. Due to the nature of the offence, she was denied bail and remanded to prison until that time. She has a right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail.

$1,200 FINE FOR MARIJUANA POSSESSION By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net A MAN who was last week found with over 11 ounces of marijuana was fined $1,200 in Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Antonio Thompson, 23, appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney charged with dangerous drugs possession with the intent to supply, after officers seized $1,100 worth of Indian hemp from him on September 10. The court was told around 6.15pm, officers

went to a residence on Step Street with a search warrant. The prosecutor said when Thompson opened the door, he was informed his house would be searched. Officers discovered a clear plastic wrap, containing a Ziploc bag with ten baggies all containing a quantity of suspected marijuana. The prosecution also said officers found $5,000 in Bahamian currency. Thompson was arrested and taken to the Drug Enforcement Unit where he admitted to the offence. During the hearing,

Thompson was represented by attorney Jomo Campbell. He told the magistrate his client had no convictions or pending matters and was gainfully employed before the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr Campbell said after Thompson lost his job, he decided to purchase some marijuana and insisted he was remorseful for his actions. Magistrate McKinney fined Thompson $1,200 or six months in prison. He also said the funds officers seized from the defendant on the day he was arrested would be forfeited to the Crown.

29 ARRESTED IN ABACO AFTER CURFEW By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net ABACO police arrested 29 people for curfew violations and shut down several businesses last week. Assistant Commissioner of Police Ashton Greenslade led a team of officers, along with members of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, on “Operation Curfew” in Abaco on Sunday. According to a police report, sometime after 10pm officers went to some businesses where they

observed large gatherings. All were made to shut down and patrons were warned of prosecution. Shortly after 11pm, ACP Greenslade and his team of officers also went to Marsh Harbour and Dundas Town communities, where they arrested 29 people found in breach of the COVID-19 Emergency Order. Superintendent of Police Terecita Pinder said all are expected to be arraigned in court early this week. Meanwhile, police on Bimini arrested four men in two separate incidents on Saturday. Between 4am and

7am, a team of officers from the Bimini district, armed with search warrants, executed those warrants at two homes in Bailey Town. At the first, officers discovered a black pistol with one magazine and two rounds of ammunition. Three males were arrested. At the second, officers discovered over $25,000 in US currency. One man was arrested and the cash was confiscated as proceeds of crime. A further search also uncovered a male undocumented immigrant. He was arrested and handed over to immigration authorities.

Private Funeral Service For (Exuma)

Gregory Gilford Farquharson, 61 of George Town, Exuma, will be held on Thursday, September 17th, 2020 at 10:00 am at St. Andrew’s Cemetery, Kitt’s Hill, George Town, Great Exuma, The Bahamas. Officiating will be The Rev’d Fr. Ethan P. J. Ferguson assisted by The Rev’d Deacon Welcott A. Bain. Left to cherish his memories are his 4 brothers: Walter Vernon Farquharson, Kendal R. Farquharson, Ricardo J. Morley, Anthony Ferguson; 7 Sisters: Sonia G. Bowe, Gratchlyn Burrows, Kimberley Greenslade, Judy Whyms, Patricia Morley, Antoinette Babb, Tanya Manos; 7 Brothers-in-law: Godfrey Bowe, High Commissioner-His Excellency Ellison Greenslade, QPM, R/ASP Ernest “Tilly” Burrows, Rudy Whyms, William Manos, Bercel Morley, Ronald Babb; 4 Sisters-inlaw: Marilyn Farquharson, Jacqueline Farquharson, Dale Morley, Dawn Ferguson; Aunts: Iva Cartwright-Mills of West Palm Beach Florida, Selina Cartwright of West Palm Beach, Florida, Iris Farquharson of Deadman’s Cay Long Island; Uncle: John Knowles of Clarence Town Long Island and Family; Numerous cousins, nieces and nephews including: Nicole Scott of Boynton Beach Fl. USA, Karla Farquharson, Rickera Morley, Sonita Sands, Martinque Bowen, Sonovia Bowe, Kishna Bowe, Kimel Lalanne of Farfield Conneticut USA, Brea Morley, Christina Manos, Deantrinique Whyms, Junique Whyms, Opal Bowleg, Oriel Bowleg, Kaylinda Ferguson, Jamie Bastian, Toni Ferguson, Kendrix Farquharson, Vernon Lamar Farquharson, Stephen Sands Sr., Byron Morley, Jayden Morley, Godfrey Bowe Jr., Navarro Bowe, Cpl. 3884 Kristoff Greenslade, Cpl. 3752 Chaz Greenslade, Davon Smith, Tanaj Manos, Oris Bowleg, Deondre Farquharson, Rudy Whyms Jr., Orien Bowleg, Carson Swan, Jamal Bastian, and a Host of other relatives and friends, too many to mention. Special Acknowledgement: Doctors and Staff of Exuma Health Center, Doctors and Staff of Princess Margaret Hospital, Dr. Nicholas Fox and Staff, Fr. Ethan P. J. Ferguson Rector and Members of St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, Graveside and burial details headed by Stephen Sands Sr., Merilien (Paul) Mareus, Stephen Sands Jr., Kyle Sands, and Tanaj Manos. Exceptional thanks to Mr. Keith McSweeney and Staff of Restview Memorial Mortuary and many others too numerous to mention. Viewing will be held in the St. Andrew’s Church, Kitt’s Hill, George Town, Great Exuma, The Bahamas on Thursday (TODAY) from 12:00 p.m. until service time on Thursday.

FROM left, Demetrius Bastian, Kelito Johnson and Mya Smith outside court yesterday. Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

Teenagers accused of robbery By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

THREE teenagers accused of robbing a man last week were yesterday denied bail. Demetrius Bastian, 19, Kelito Johnson, 18, and Mya Smith, 18, appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney accused of robbing a man of a $150 silver rope chain and charm along with $3,000 cash on September 10.

All denied the allegation and the matter was adjourned to October 27 for trial. Bail was denied and Bastian, Johnson and Smith were remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. They have a right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail. In a separate incident, a 40-year-old man was remanded to prison over allegations he assaulted two people with a cutlass last week. Lavardo Lightbourne

was charged with two counts each of assault with a dangerous instrument and threats of death, after he was accused of wielding the instrument at Patricia Gibson and Samuel Pratt on September 4. The prosecution alleged the defendant threatened to kill the two complainants. Lightbourne denied the allegations and the matter was adjourned to November 24 for trial. He was denied bail and remanded into custody.

Private Funeral Service For (Abaco)

Michael Willis Levarity, 78 of Green Turtle Cay, Abaco, will be held on Saturday, September 19th, 2020 at St. Peter’s Anglican Church Green Turtle Cay, Abaco, Bahamas. Officiating will be Fr. Bryton Ward, assisted by Catechist Joel Reckley. Interment The Public Cemetery Green Turtle Cay, Abaco, Bahamas. Michael was predeceased by Sister: Gay Bootle; Brothers: Anthony Adderley Sr. and Nathaniel Levarity. He is survived by his Wife: Susan Marguerite Levarity; Sons: Willis Paul Levarity, Dennis Roy Levarity, Rontonio Michael Sr. Levarity & Sirkirkland Pedican Levarity; Daughter: Cynthia Elbertha LevarityFord; Grandchildren: Michael Jr. Levarity, Crystal Cash, Dreson Levarity, Christian Levarity, Samantha Levarity, Danielle Levarity, Dennis Jr. Levarity, Darenique Ford, Cyniquetra Ford, Leando Newbold, Thejon Edgecombe, Alexis Rolle, Kirk Pedican Jr., Kenria Evans, Karell, Kierran, Kera Cephas, Kaywaan, Kaywaanya, Kelfaneko Pedican, T’shura Cornish, Tamara Pedican; Great Grandchildren: Mickenzie Levarity, Jordan Levarity, Chase Cash, Treasure Sargeant, Ashton Adderley Jr., Kieante, Kierran Jr., Kiemaih, Peter Jr., Michael, Rachel, Kirk III, Britney, Miracle, Vanissa, Daniecio, Antonio, Tammal, Tameko, Nyla,Karell, Nakera, Kera; Son-in-law: Darren Ford; Daughters-in-law: Emily Levarity, Theidra Levarity, Carolyn Pedican and Jacqueline Levarity; Sisters: Iris Miller, Adelaide Levarity, Judy Curry, Violet Smith & Brendalee Cooper; Sisters-in-law: Northalee Cash, Angela Bodie, Josephine Curry, Monica Adderley, Rita Roberts & Irma Levarity; Brother-in-law: Wilferd Curry, Greg Curry, Everett Cash, Perry Bodie, Aswell Roberts, Hubert Smith; Niece: Evette Moss, Carla Gilbert, Garland Williams, Hichi Ferguson, Tamara Roberts, Alicia Bodie, Julie Curry, Jasmine Curry, Jigeria Curry, Misty Laroda, Phylicia Smith, Ashley Smith, Emily Bootle, Lawanda Bootle, Latoya Davis, Loretta Harriott, Lasonia Bootle, Garnette Curry, T’vanna Curry, T’vara Curry, Whitney Curry, Tanya Mackey, Louise Butler-Simmons, Joan Levarity, Ingrid Levarity, Virginia Levarity, Elizabeth McMinnis, Marie Lyvonne Thorpe of Michigan, Christine Neely, Una Delancey, Alelia Adderley, Caron Green, LaTrese Torres, Tanya Mackey and Breanne Williams: Nephews: Richard Bain, Eugene Benjamin, Abraham Butler, Apostle Paul, Apostle David, Nathanie Butler, Michael Butler, Rev. Dr. Ivan F. Jr. Butler, Wrensworth Butler, Johnathon Butler, Supt. Samuel Butler, Nathan Butler, Rev. Emmanuel Butler, Kevin Butler, Earl Miller, Arthur Levarity, Rudplph Levarity, Rev. Patrick Levarity, Malcolm Levarity, Ademian Pinder, Alexian Pinder, Lester Levarity, Bernardo Levarity, Joemaine Curry, Otis Curry, Reginald Curry, Clint Curry, Ted Curry, Shawn Curry, Wilfred Curry, Dario Pinder, Mario Cash, Marvin Cash, Marco Roberts, Samuel Roberts, Brian Adderley, Thomas Adderley, Trevor Adderley Michael Adderley, Anthony Jr. Adderley, Nathan Bootle and Marvin Bootle Adopted Children: John Spencer & Family, Arnold Newbold & Family, Anwar Moss & Family, Jr. Roberts & Family; Adopted Sister: Iteah Ritchie, Ruby Davis, Carnetta Rahming, Jocelyn Hanna Minerva Benson and Edna Levarity; Adopted Brother: Livingston Stuart; Godchildren: Josephine Curry, Scott Russell, Luke McIntosh, Susan Jones, Brent Curry, Karen Curry; Nilda Albury, Napoleon Johnson, Martin Bootle; Other relatives and special Friends include: Right Honorable Hubert A. Ingram, Right Honorable Perry G. Christie, Honorable Philip B. Davis, Floyd Lowe (Decease) & Family, Jack Thompson, Cardinal McIntosh & Family, Lisa Levarity, Bridget Levarity, Agnes Saunders, Fr. Colin Saunders, Lincoln Jones & Family, Stafford Cooper & Family, Leroy & Leon Reckley & Family, Kola Wells, Chuck Luckrich, Godfrey McIntosh & Family, Joel Reckley & Family, Robertha Reckley & Family, Donnie Outten & Family, Pearl Lowe, Livingston Bodie & Family, Bollinger Family, Roland Albury & Family, Albury Family in Marsh Harbour, Leaniar McIntosh, Gary & Michael Smith, Christopher Roberts & Family, Dr. Charite, Dr. T. Ferguson, Nurse Trina & Green Turtle Cay Clinic Staff, Peter Sawyer (deceased) & Family, Jimmy McIntosh, Scott Lowe & Family, Craig Russell & Family, Erikland McIntosh & Family, Michael Naire, Forth Sawyer & Family, Esther Bethel & Family, Ken Boyer, Bob Wosley, Mark Skowaski, Jim & Charlene Grubbs, Paul & Anna Beach, Steven Day, Bob Brandon, Estelle Ford, Brain & Anetta Petty, St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Abaco. We apologize for any names we may not have mentioned. Viewing will be held in the Halcyon Suite at Restview Memorial Mortuary and Crematorium Ltd., Robinson and Soldier Roads Tuesday (TODAY) September 15th, 2020 from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and again at St. Peter’s Anglican Church Green Turtle Cay, Abaco, Bahamas on Friday from 2:00p.m until service time on Saturday.

PAGE 8, Tuesday, September 15, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

When the Wilsons’ birthday bash turned into the feeding of 1,000 FINDING food to put on the table has become a lot harder for many families in recent times. There is no doubt the pandemic has led to a downturn in the economy so much so that people from all walks of life are seeking financial assistance and food aid. So when one couple - facing uncertainty just like everyone else decided to find a way to help feed people in need, I wanted to share their story. Kenneth Wilson Jr and his wife Margarita both celebrated their birthdays in August. Close friends and family know this usually means a party in the backyard at their home with fun times, great music and tasty food. But, the pandemic put a temporary end to such gatherings. The Wilsons came up with another way to share the love and this time they would go beyond the walls of their home. Initially, they thought they would try to cook their popular Bahamian meals for about

Face to Face

By FELICITY INGRAHAM

a hundred people in need of a hot plate. Instead, they ended up feeding nearly a thousand. This amazing feat was accomplished when some of those same family and friends got wind of their initiative. They got some help to pull it off, but the Wilsons still had to put in some serious elbow grease to cook that much food for so many people. It’s a kind gesture that would have gone unnoticed as they sought no publicity. PREPARING hundreds of meals.

But after hearing of their kind-hearted gesture - and having attended their down-home parties before I wanted to share the story of two people who have been selflessly serving their fellow country men and women for decades. I contacted Margarita, affectionately known as “Muggy”, to find out how it all began: “In honour of our birthdays, Ken and I decided to give back to our community. We contacted a few community organizations, namely Pilgrim Baptist Church, Mt Nebo Baptist Church, Blessed Hope Baptist Church, Families for All Murder Victims (FOAM), and the Royal Bahamas

Private Funeral Service For

Retired Corporal Portia Corrine Lewis-Bain, 54

of Harmony Street, Spikenard Road, will be held at 11:00 a.m., at Woodlawn Gardens, Soldier Road on Thursday, September 17th, 2020. Officiating will be Rev. Dr. Sean Adderley.

Left to cherish memories are her Husband: Lester Bain; Children: Embria Roker, PC3988 Derron Ahmad (Darnisha) Lewis, PC 4225 Darron Rashad Lewis, Tre Letrelle Bain and Stafford Higgs Jr.; Grandchildren: Ras Cates, Brianna O’Brien, Harmony Lewis, Melody Lewis, Abia O’Brien, Symphony Lewis, Darron Lewis Jr, Darion Lewis, Derron Lewis and Noah Lewis; Father: Elder Wilbert ( Pastor Idamae) Lewis; Motherin-law: Esther Burrows; Sisters: Dorothy Stubbs, Natasha Gittens, Yolanda (Brian) Huyler, Janet (Frederick) Rolle Sr., Nicola Stubbs, Monique Lewis (Rev. Chauncey) Jones, Keva (Larry) Beckman, Aspostle Shantel (Nathaniel) Ferguson, Carla (Andy) Fowler, Renishca Lafleur, Renica Lafleur, Evangelist Allison (Apostle Carlos) Wallace, Kimberly Arnett, Toni Sears and Deidre (Anthony) Hamilton; Sisters-in-law: Dawn Stubbs, Patricia Taylor, Deglica Wilson, Franklee Turnquest and Yvonne Gould; Brothers: Alexander Gould, Fabien (Ann Marie) Sears, Derick Lewis, Floyd (Pamela) Lewis, Don (Deaconess Julien) Lewis, Shayne (Evangelist Nadia) Lewis, Rzepka (Mildred) Lafleur; Brothers-in-law: Ralph Daxon, Marcus Burrows, Rudolph Taylor; “Twins of another mother”: Sharon Gardiner- Taylor; Aunts: Sarah Earns, Delores Gould and Alrena McKinney; Uncles: Prescley and Gerald Gould, Wilmore and Nalfred Lewis; Grand Aunts: Doreen Finch, Ceta and Pleasant Gould, Brenetta Evans, Deaconess Susanna Russell, Mary Doris Lewis, Evangelist Loretta Lewis and Triphenia Lewis; Grand Uncles: Pastor Alphonso Lewis and Bishop John Lewis; Numerous nieces including: Toyza Stubbs, Deandra McPhee, Samara and Portia Sturrup, Shadea Gittens, Deavion Knowles, Peash and Racazia Stubbs, Arianne Skinner, Jenae Rolle, Shante McNeil, Shenika, Christine and Shavonne Gould, Kimbrae Bethell, Vanessa Dean and Alexandria Gould; Numerous nephews including: Don Knowles Jr., Troy McNeil, Valentino Gittens, PC 4032 Tenaj Rolle, Brendon Stubbs, Sanchez Gittens, Brian, Brandon and Blake Huyler , Frederick Rolle Jr. and Creswell Gould Jr.; Numerous Grand nieces, nephews and cousins including: ASP Shavago Earns, Alonzo Lewis, Edmund Lewis Sr., Superintendent Demeritte, Desmond Earns, Theodore Burrows, Perry Gould, Jareel Gould, Gloria and Inez Earns, Latitia Sturrup, Raquel Woodside, Shareen Burrows Sharnell Gould, Rochelle Gould, Dianna Gould, Katura Gould, Althea Gould, Destiny Gould, Alfreda Gould, Jason Saunders, Christopher Griffin, Maltese Davis and Paul Lewis; God children: Perry and Dan’ar Taylor, Faith Saunders, Reanno Todd, Francisca Faubert, Keanna Smith, Donarease Murphy, Jaleel Cambridge, Rashon Johnson and Nevaeh Faubert; Close Friends including: Rev. Dr. Sean and Monique Adderley, Valerie Burrows, Pastor Cesserine Whyte, Sharease Johnson-Curtis, Xaviera Roach, Joseph and Nelda Fox, Sophia Whyms, Sharise Clyde, Jill Cleare, Yvonne (Papa) Felton, Waheed Bain, Lee Capron, Stacey Dames and Tiffany Gaitor; Extended Family and Friends: Bishop Arnold Josey, Pastor Reginald (Patricia) Saunders, Kerlande Williams, Elizabeth, Roland (Mack) Albert, Beulah, Bernard, Lynn, Sandradee, Selena Sweeting, Des, Myrthis a.k.a “Mammy”, Nixon, Sabrina (Sobi), Jerome, Chris, Dean, Deon (Minga), Tammy, Dr. Tyrone Butch Bartlett, Vaughn Miller (MP), The Hon. Frankie and Kathryn Campbell, D. Shane (Jackie) Gibson, Don Knowles Sr., Conrad (Monalisa) Whyms, Floyd and Norman Bastian, Delano Ferguson, Jeffrey and Blanch Neeley, Ricardo Major, Ryan Richardson, Raquel Antonio Adderley, Sharelle (Stanley) Bernard, The Royal Bahamas Police Force Choir and Band, People of Destiny World Outreach Ministies, True Essence of Man Ministry, C. C. Sweeting Cobra Alumni, ‘C’ Squad 85; and many more too numerous to mention.

Police and Defence Forces to assist with identifying persons in need.” Once they did that, they realised the need was great and that the best way to make a contribution would be to ask family and friends if they would like to be a part of a venture to give back. It was more than about feeding people; it was about reaching out and letting others know that you care. It was about KENNETH and providing a tradiMargarita Wilson tional Bahamian and, top, with hot meal and nourtheir family. “Pancho” ishing bodies and Rahming souls. Track and Although it’s a Field Chamtime when you can’t pionships, and I give a hug or pat someworked with him on one on the shoulder, you can hand them a plate of one of the very first meets, food and give them a good which was a success. This word, letting them know event brings together priwe can all get through this mary school students from around the country to together, one day at a time. For the Wilsons, that day compete at the Thomas A was August 31 and that day Robinson Track and Field they were able to give 900 Stadium. It mimics the people hot meals - a feat BAISS event and because even they did not know of it, future track and field they could pull off. Not only stars in the country are did they feed the commu- molded for greatness from nity members, they turned an even younger age. They around and fed 100 Police have an opportunity to and Defence Force offic- show off their skills and, ers. Police officers from as expected, the event is Fort Charlotte, Sea Breeze wildly anticipated and and Fox Hill also helped attended by parents. The Wall of them to idenFame, which tify people ‘Although it’s a highlights in their comtime when you Bahamian munities who athletes at could benefit can’t give a hug the Lynden from the meals. or pat someone Pindling Hot plates International comprised of on the shoulder, Airport, was chicken and you can hand instituted with fish, peas and them a plate of assistance rice and pickfood and give from Ken, who led beets. believes in the The commu- them a good promotion nity response word, letting of sports and was overthem know stellar athletes whelming in The Bahaand the Wil- we can all get mas. Under sons’ gift of through this the Division giving back was of Youth, truly appreci- together, one his passion ated. But it’s day at a time.’ for empownot the first ering kids time they have found ways to pour into others. I have blossomed through the known them both for many coordination of countless years and this is just their summer programmes. He served as manager of the modus operandi. Ken is an upbeat, Kendal GL Isaacs Gympassionate, generous indi- nasium and manager of vidual whose charismatic the South Beach Pools. He and organized style has was also the government’s made him a protocol officer liaison officer for Track for many international and Field, Golf and Bodyevents that have taken place building. Now retired after in New Providence. His pro- 30 years of service, Ken tocol skills even garnered still works in a consultancy him a special commenda- capacity. It was at Ministry if tion from the Secretary of the Cabinet. As an official Youth, Sports and Culfor the Division of Sports, ture that Ken met his wife, Ministry of Youth, Sports Margarita. The couple celand Culture, Ken has made ebrate their tenth wedding significant contributions to anniversary this month. the organisation and even Muggy was instrumenimplementation of sporting tal in the Summer Youth events and monuments in Programme, where I met her decades ago. She was the country. For example, he was vibrant and fun, and made instrumental in the intro- youth like me want to be duction of the Frank a part of the meaningful

In the words of Portia Lewis- Bain:” Life is too short. The time we take to fight against one another, is the time we could take to make sure someone in my family and your family find God… find Christ”. ( Lewis- Bain August 9th, 2019). Please accept our humble apologies if your names were inadvertently omitted. Relatives and friends may pay their respects at Cedar Crest Funeral Home and Crematorium Ltd, Robinson and Baillou Hill Roads on Wednesday from 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m.

MARGARITA, centre, called on friends and family to help her help those in need.

programmes organized by the Ministry of Youth. She is known for her vibrant personality and commitment to the empowerment of young people. She moved from the Division of Youth to Sports, where she helped organize major events such as the CAC Championsips and the IAAF World Games. She served as the office manager during the construction of the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium. Muggy even served as liaison officer between the Bahamas and Chinese government during the process. Her diplomatic skills were honed over the past 20 years, as she is an active participant in the Ministry of Tourism’s “People to People” programme. She was a recipient of a Cacique Award in 2004 - the Minister’s Award. Of all her accomplishments, Muggy is most proud of being mother to her three sons - Kai, Joshua and Kenneth III. With such a rich background in national and community service, it came natural to the Wilsons to give back and prepare meals for others. Distribution of meals took place at Blessed Hope Baptist Church, pastored by Willis and Yvette Johnson. Donations for food came from people and places including: Candy Rolle, El Greco restaurant; Elvis Wilson, Ocean Blue Seafood; Commodore Raymond King; Sea Breeze Member of Parliament Lanisha Rolle; Pastors Charles and Laverne Rolle; Suzanna Rolle; Shantae Kerr-Richardson; Edison Deleveaux; Fort Charlotte Member of Parliament Mark Humes; Bernadette and Cherece Clarke; Shanice Colebrooke; Todd Beneby; Maria Thompson; Jamie Bethel; Stephanie Pintard; and Zina Butler. “Due to the impact of COVID-19, a lot of people lost their jobs,” she pointed out. “We wanted to do something. We didn’t have much money, but we are good with our hands, and we love to cook. So, we decided to cook for those who needed it. Initially, we wanted to supply 200 meals. But after we reached out to the churches and NGOs, we realized there was a greater need, and we ended up feeding over 900 people.” Once the donations of food supplies were in, Ken and Margarita prepared the food along with Shenell Ferguson of Delicious Occasions, Sgt Dawson Smith, Reserve Sgt 123 Clarke, Ricshawn Thompson, Lavantae Russell, Esther Rolle, Genice Rolle, and Polly Daxon. Ken and Margarita served the food themselves along with their sons Joshua and Kai. They were assisted by Holley Sands, Ashley Thompson, Thomasina Clarke, Willandria Clarke, Sherell Storr, and Suzanne Rolle.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, September 15, 2020, PAGE 9

HOLDING OUT A HELPING HAND

MIGRANTS take part in a rally near Mytilene town, on the northeastern island of Lesbos, Greece, Friday. Thousands of protesting refugees and migrants left homeless on the Greek island of Lesbos after fires destroyed the notoriously overcrowded Moria camp gathered on a road leading to the island’s main town, demanding to be allowed to leave. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

WHEN 13,000 MAKESHIFT HOMES GO UP IN FLAMES EUROPE ONCE AGAIN SEARCHES FOR AN ANSWER TO A REFUGEE CRISIS

VEN allowing for anti-immigrant sentiment in Europe and what has been termed ‘compassion fatigue’, what is happening currently to refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos is truly shocking and has caused international outrage. Last week, fire destroyed the largest refugee camp in Europe, designed to house 2,000 but occupied by up to 13,000 migrants from Syria, Afghanistan and other countries. TV footage of their plight is being beamed around the world and it is hard to believe such a humanitarian catastrophe is taking place in modern-day Europe. Located at Moria in the east of the island facing the nearby Turkish coast, conditions at this former army camp set up some four years ago were said to have deteriorated into squalor made worse by COVID-19 infections among refugees. After fleeing conflict or poverty in their own countries, migrants had travelled to Lesbos seeking a safer and better life in Europe. The camp was left a smouldering ruin, made worse by another smaller fire later, leaving thousands who had lost all their possessions without shelter, sanitation, food or other provisions and being forced to sleep outside on the streets. Their present living conditions have been described as chaotic and inhumane so that the situation has become unbearable. Reportedly, the Greek authorities are doing all they can to relieve this suffering and are talking of rebuilding the destroyed camp against the wishes of local people in Lesbos who resent having large numbers of refugees in their midst – and, for the longer term, the European Commission has announced that a new ‘pact for immigration and asylum’ will be unveiled by the end of the month containing new robust measures to manage the 27-member EU’s external borders. The Greek government has complained that as a frontier country it has been compelled to take disproportionate responsibility in

dealing with migratory flows from the Middle East, Asia and, increasingly, Africa. The migrants continue to arrive from the Turkish mainland which has become a sort of waiting room, despite an emergency deal between the EU and Turkey in 2016 whereby the latter, in return for substantial EU aid, agreed to prevent migrants inside its country from trying to reach Greece and to take back any who succeeded in travelling there. Greece’s situation is not unlike that of Italy which has been left to shoulder alone the burden of excessive migration because its proximity to North Africa makes it a prime destination – particularly the island of Lampedusa – for those willing to cross the Mediterranean. On a broader front, it is now generally accepted the refugee crisis in Europe of recent years has stemmed from the decision by Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2015 to allow up to 1.5 million Syrian refugees into her country. Her catch phrase was ‘we can do it’ while she urged the German people not to harbour ‘prejudice, coldness and hatred’ towards refugees. She argued that the nation was opening its doors because it was strong enough politically and economically to do so and it was the right course of action for a civilised people. The immediate result was an increase of

those trying to reach Europe where Germany and Sweden, in particular, gained a reputation as welcoming countries. Some in Europe consider globalisation has made immigration almost unstoppable and it creates economic benefit to the receiving country. They also maintain there is a moral imperative to help those in distress. But others believe mass immigration to Europe - some of whose countries are the most densely populated in the world - brings with it cultural problems and a strain on public services, especially welfare and medical facilities, schooling and housing. With the rise of nationalism, the EU’s policy of sharing responsibility by spreading refugees throughout its member states and forcing migrant quotas on them is opposed by countries like Austria, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia - and elsewhere in Europe public opinion against mass immigration appears to be hardening. A major factor in this migrant crisis is the failure of multiculturalism while integration of many into the way of life of their new countries - including respect for and adherence to their values has not worked as well as had been hoped. So the basic question now is whether Europe should continue to be a haven for those fleeing war or seeking a better standard of life. Meanwhile, short-term assistance to those in Lesbos left homeless following the two fires is clearly an urgent priority for the Greek government, and critics of the EU consider that its inability to find a solution to the wider problem in the longer term is a stain on the bloc’s international reputation. For those interested in the subject, I recommend the bestselling book by Douglas Murray entitled ‘The Strange Death of Europe’. Published in 2017, it attracted much praise - with one reviewer saying that his overall thesis that ‘a guilt-driven Europe is playing fast and loose with its precious modern values by embracing migration on such a scale’ is hard to refute.

BRING ABOUT THEIR OWN EXTINCTION

t is hardly surprising that many people in Britain are becoming increasingly fed up with the Extinction Rebellion group, known as XR, which has been protesting, mainly in London and Manchester, about climate change. Established in 2018, it calls itself a non-violent civil disobedience activist movement and, after major protests last year, the group has been largely inactive due to the coronavirus pandemic. But its leaders maintain that climate change is an even bigger issue than that crisis and so its campaign has been renewed. The group has just completed its so-called ten-day ‘autumn uprising’ when protesters marched on Parliament Square and defaced Churchill’s statue, blocked roads, staged sitins, and glued themselves to the ground. But it also went further this time by staging a blockade outside two newspaper printing plants preventing the overnight deliveries of several national newspapers. The activities of XR have been condemned as an attack on the free press, society and democracy by

EXTINCTION Rebellion activists march along Parliament Street, as part of a climate change protest, in London last week. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) an intolerant minority and delighted to learn that a thus completely unaccepta- former XR spokeswoman ble. As always, the public has left the group to camhas a right to protest but paign for nuclear power. not to cause disruption She now claims to recogto communities. So, ordi- nise that it is an unrealistic nary citizens are reported option to replace fossil fuels to be delighted that one entirely with renewables so result has been tougher there is no alternative to police action with some 700 relying on nuclear power to arrests, together with the keep the lights on. government seeking new It is surely unlikely that powers to protect what is XR’s loss of this spokesperbeing described as ‘critical son will affect its activities, national infrastructure’. since, like the Black Lives The irony of all this is that Matter movement, it seems Britain’s performance in to have been taken over by relation to climate change political activists. has been relatively good. Its tactic of creating maxiIts Climate Change Act of mum disruption, to keep 2008 committed it to cut- climate change and global ting carbon emissions by 80 warming in the forefront percent (on a 1990 baseline) of public awareness and to by 2050 – and the evidence secure its support, has backshows that the UK is on fired. In the longer term track to achieve that with people will not tolerate such emissions already some 40 lawlessness. Sadly, the inevipercent lower than in 1990. table result is that XR’s key Amid the disruption, message and objective have many people have also been been weakened.

o follow up my short piece last week about the merger in Britain of its Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development, I hope readers may be interested in further commentary about UK aid and the importance of linking this to the nation’s overall national objectives. As I mentioned, it is no exaggeration to say the UK is an acknowledged global leader in international development. It has the third largest aid budget in the world and outstanding development expertise and partnerships in a programme that is at the heart of foreign policy decision-making in order to ensure that the nation is acting as a force for good in the world. It is also a leading provider of emergency humanitarian aid in a crisis – as was shown in its effective response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Dorian in Abaco and Grand Bahama in September last year.

Diplomacy The newly-created Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) will unite development and diplomacy to fulfil its mission statement to promote the interests of British citizens, safeguard the UK’s security, defend its values, reduce poverty and tackle global challenges with its international partners. It seems to me that aligning aid more closely with those objectives is the right way forward, and it is interesting to watch Britain seeking to play a larger role overall on the world stage after being freed from the constraints of EU membership. From what I have read, the new FCDO will use all the tools of British influence to have a greater impact in international affairs as the country recovers from coronavirus and prepares to hold the G7 presidency and

host next year’s UN Climate Change Conference in Scotland. It is also interesting to see the UK’s renewed emphasis on ensuring the world’s poorest are not left behind. An important example is its call for a stronger consensus to tackle coronavirus and the increasing risk of famine in developing countries. According to reports, global communities most at risk from the impact of coronavirus, due to long-term conflict, food and water shortages and crowded living conditions, will receive vital funding from the UK government. I think it is admirable that the UK is committed to working with like-minded donors, NGOs and foundations in order to ensure coordinated action to save lives - as is its pledge to continue to provide core support to the UN’s humanitarian agencies and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Notwithstanding all this, Britain’s foreign aid budget of nearly $20 billion has always been opposed by some as being bloated and wasteful; for example, it is claimed too much is paid to consultants and channelled through multilateral agencies and the EU while spending on projects in countries like India, which has its own space programme, and in China as the world’s second largest economy, is unwarranted. But the nation’s commitment in 2012 to spend 0.7 percent of its gross national income on foreign aid is enshrined in UK law – and the then-Prime Minister, David Cameron, justified it as a moral obligation of the better-off countries to tackle world poverty. In July, the government announced a foreign aid spending cut of 2.9 billion pounds in anticipation of a potential shrinkage in the UK’s economy in the coming months. But the O.7 percent commitment remains and the emphasis will continue to be on poverty reduction.

Private Funeral Service For (Abaco)

Darlene Marcel Roker, 54 affectionately called “Madarlie”

of Sandy Point, Abaco will be held on Saturday, September 19th, 2020 at Sandy Point Public Cemetery Sandy Point, Abaco, The Bahamas. Officiating will be Pastor Jason Neil Roberts assisted by Rev. Dr. Napoleon Roberts and other Ministers. Darlene was predeceased by her Sister: Nancy; Brother: Valentino; Grandmother: Nollie (Peggy) Adderley and uncle: William Adderley. Darlene has left a special impression on each of her children. We all will miss her greatly, and her legacy will forever live on in their hearts and those of her loved ones: Husband: Rovel “Cashie” Roker; Parents: Leslie and LaGloria Adderley; Son: Shawn Robins; Daughters: Lakira P. Miller, Lesly and Yontala Roker; Grandchildren: Shachan Rahming Jr.; Paris Bootle, Gzai Knowles and Zaria Robins; Brothers: Thomas and Robert (Bobby) Adderley; Sisters: Charlene, Pamela, Kathleen and Mercilita Adderley; Brother-in-law: Terrel and Vandyke Roker; Sisters-in-law: Judy and Jill; Adopted brothers: Fairlon “Cow” and Don “Terrible T”; Nephews: Valentino Jr, Mikhail, Amilio, Vano, Trivette, Dayton, Jornal, Denrodo, Elsworth Tyrese, Kaylen; Nieces: Kiatra, Valene, Charmile, Blair, Shalisa, Precious, Shandaniqua, Karli, Aliah, Melinda, Cassie, Bionca, Tornkia, Tylyn, Sherrel, Jonita; Rodenia, Miracle, Jernita; Uncles: Henry, and Thomas (Links) Adderley and Edward (Junior) Bain; Aunts: Lorriane Smith, Shawan and Virgina Adderley, Beryl Bain, Barbara Lightbourne, Diane Smith, Kelly Russell & Deloris Adderley; Grand-aunt: Hilda Smith; Grandnephews: Kori, Amir, Aryon, Tafari, Siah, Mikye; Grandnieces: Caiya, Tylah, Lauryn, Cali, Saylor; Cousins especially: Macevans, Peggy, John, Penny, Tanya, Perry, Bernadette, Kevin, Nekie, Nioshe, Norma, Tiffany, Travis, Treven, Edward, Trevan, Trevain, Ttaherah, Shemar, Michelle, Adrian, Adrianna, Aneka, Shagerra, Shaniska, Lakiska, Lyle, Ingrid, Evette, Vanessa, William, Timothy, Miguel, Karen, Shawn, Scott, Lisa, Lovie, Hope, Jameel, Rudolph Jr., Rudolph, James and Tim; Godmother: Isamae Stuart; Other relatives and friends including: Rev. Jason Roberts & Family, Bishop Carrington Pinder & Family, Catechist Benjamin Pinder & Family, Rev. Morris Bain & Family, Rev. Erskine Wells & Family, Philip Miller and Family, Shachan Rahming Sr. & Family, Rhonda Saunders & Family, Zhivargo Bootle, Fred McKinney, Hugo Knowles, Denisia Aranha, Michelle Fox, Gardenia Fox, Willimae Cooper, Bonnie, Mikey, Katherine, Daphne Bain, Royann, Boo and Alice Walker, Hercules Clarke & Family, Patrick Roberts & Family, Geron Edgecombe, Portia Bethel, Lottie Rolle, Della Kelly, Greg Bain & Family, Diane Smith & Family, Barbara Lightbourn & Family, Lessie Rolle & Family, Emaline Butler & Family, Olevia Nesbitt & Family, Linda Sawyer & Family, Kathleen McIntosh & Family, Birdie Newbold & Family, Elvinette Isaacs & Family, Isadora Blyden & Family, Portia Bethel & Family, Oscar Pinder & Family, Joe Darville & Family, Mary Wells & Family, Luceal Walker & Family, Stanley White & Family; Ramon Lightbourn & Family, Calvin Edgecombe & Family, Tony (Q) Thompson, Bonnie O’Brien, Dolly, Freddy, Solomon Russell & Families, Mari Rolle & Family, Gardenia Fox & Family, Ezekiel Adderley & Family; George ‘Ole G’ Bain, Jay Dean & Family, Emil Saunders & Family, Armbrister Family (Freeport), Pinder Family (Sandy Point), Mr. Fred Cooper & Family, Monica Adderley & Family, Aladice Fritzgerald & Family, Reggie Cunningham, Rev. Mervin Burrows, Shanquel Roker, Rizpah Edgecombe, The staff of the Administrator’s Office - Mr. Rolle (Administrator), Leona Greene, Claudia (Rev. Paul) Pinder, Shawn Roberts, Faith Bain; The Communities of Abaco - from Sandy Point to Crossing Rocks; the staff of the Loan Administration Unit of Fidelity Bank, and numerous others too many to mention. Viewing will be held in the Halcyon Suite at Restview Memorial Mortuary and Crematorium Ltd., Robinson and Soldier Roads, Tuesday (TODAY) September 15th, 2020 from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and again at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Sandy Point, Abaco on Friday from 2: 00p.m until service time on Saturday.

PAGE 10, Tuesday, September 15, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Nevada city fines Trump rally venue $3,000 in COVID-19 flap By KEN RITTER Associated Press LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Nevada city where President Donald Trump held an indoor campaign rally said yesterday the venue owner is being fined $3,000 for violating coronavirus prevention mandates imposed by the state’s Democratic governor. Henderson officials told Xtreme Manufacturing owner Donald Ahern that the event that drew thousands of people to a warehouse in suburban Las Vegas violated Governor Steve Sisolak’s coronavirus emergency directives. State rules prohibit gatherings larger than 50 people, require “social distancing” of six feet (1.8 metres), and mandate masks or face coverings in public to prevent

PRESIDENT Donald Trump arrives to speak at a rally at Xtreme Manufacturing on Sunday in Henderson, Nevada. (AP Photos/Andrew Harnik) the spread of COVID-19. Ahern’s attorney, Michael Van, acknowledged receiving a notice from the city and said Ahern will decide

whether to challenge it. He has 30 days. “It’s interesting that if it’s a demonstration, it’s OK. If it’s a rally, it’s not OK,”

SUPPORTERS cheer as President Donald Trump speaks at a rally at Xtreme Manufacturing. Van said, casting the dispute as a First Amendment fight. “There’s just inconsistent application of that declaration.” Ahern, a local heavy equipment rental mogul and hotel owner has a separate lawsuit pending against Sisolak after being fined more than $10,000 for hosting an “Evangelicals for Trump” rally and a separate beauty pageant last month at his renovated casinoturned-convention hall. In an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett, Sisolak accused Trump of knowingly violating coronavirus directives and endangering Nevada residents. “He knew what the rules were. He chose to show callous disregard in a reckless, selfish, irresponsible way. There’s no other way to put it,” the governor said. He added that it was “absurd for him to think that the rules didn’t apply to him.” Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh yesterday called the rally crowd, “great Americans who supported their fellow citizens in wanting to hear from the president of the United States.”

Henderson city spokeswoman Kathleen Richards said that Ahern was warned verbally and in writing before the event. A business compliance officer observed six violations amounting to fines worth $500 each among the mostly maskless crowd. During the rally, Trump derided Sisolak, with whom he has clashed in the past, as “a political hack,” and urged Nevada residents to “tell your governor to open up your state.” Trump’s campaign is suing Nevada’s Republican secretary of state in federal court to try to block a new state law and prevent mailin ballots from going to all active Nevada voters amid the coronavirus pandemic. Nevada wants the court to throw out the lawsuit, arguing that vote-by-mail does not lead to election fraud and the virus could make voting in person dangerous. Trump told his supporters the governor was “playing around” with ballots. He blamed Sisolak for forcing the Trump campaign to abandon plans to hold two outdoor rallies last weekend at a private air facility

at McCarran International Airport and at an airport hangar at Reno-Tahoe International Airport. The northern Nevada event was moved to an outdoor airport venue in Minden, more than a onehour drive from Reno, where Nevada GOP party Chairman Michael McDonald made a point of calling the event a protest. Trump told the crowd that Sisolak “tried very hard to stop us from having this event.” “They can have riots and they can all sorts of things and that’s OK. You can burn up the house, that’s OK,” Trump said. “If you call it a protest, you’re allowed to have it. So, if anybody asks you outside, this is called a `friendly protest.’” Douglas County, where Trump held that rally, could also face punishment. Nevada agreed to allocate the county $8.9 million in federal relief dollars on the condition that safety directives be enforced. Nevada COVID-19 response chief Caleb Cage told reporters yesterday he didn’t know whether the state would withhold or claw back relief given to Douglas County.

DIACK’S SON CLAIMS CONSPIRACY AS CORRUPTION VERDICT NEARS By BABACAR DIONE Associated Press DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — The son of the former head of world athletics denounced the corruption and money laundering charges against himself and his father yesterday and called their trial in France a “conspiracy” by the “Anglo-Saxons.” Papa Massata Diack’s comments came at a news conference he called in their home country of Senegal two days before a verdict is expected in the trial. Diack’s father, Lamine Diack, was president of the IAAF, now known as World Athletics, from 1999-2015. Papa Massata Diack worked under his father as a consultant for the athletics body. The two men are charged with corruption, money laundering and breach of trust, and are alleged to have used their positions to enrich themselves to the tune of millions of dollars. Prosecutors say Lamine Diack directly or indirectly solicited 3.45 million euros ($3.9 million) in bribes from athletes, many of them Russian, to cover up their positive doping tests. He also used his authority to enable his son, who he employed as a marketing consultant, to siphon off millions of dollars from sponsorship deals, the prosecutors allege. Yesterday, Papa Massata Diack complained that the trial in June was held without him, yet he had refused to attend the proceedings having fled to Senegal in 2015 as charges were prepared. Senegal declined to extradite him after an international arrest warrant. The 87-year-old Lamine Diack did attend the trial and testified. His son was tried in his absence. They both denied the charges. “I refused to come to the French courts because they lacked impartiality,” Papa Massata Diack said at the news conference in Dakar, where he wore a white robe. “To submit to French justice is to put myself at the disposal of my enemies.” The younger Diack also said the French court had no jurisdiction to try him because the world athletics body was based in Monaco and the alleged offences happened in Russia, Qatar, Senegal, Japan and Turkey. He denied taking any money illegally. Although he said he earned $10 million from his consultancy work at the IAAF, he said all of his money was “traceable.”

PAPA MASSATA DIACK, son of Lamine Diack the former president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) now known as World Athletics, speaks at a press conference in Dakar, Senegal, yesterday. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui) He called the charges against him “the biggest lie in the history of world sport” and said that, despite all the documents, there was no evidence against him and his father. “The mountain gave birth to a mouse,” he said. But Lamine Diack appeared to turn on his son at the trial when he testified that Papa Massata had “conducted himself like a thug” while at the IAAF. The Diacks’ trial exposed how corruption was seemingly rife behind the scenes at the world body at a time when Usain Bolt was thrilling audiences and making athletics hugely popular. Prosecutors alleged in the Paris court that top athletes paid millions of dollars in illicit payoffs to corrupt administrators led by Lamine Diack to cover up their doping. About two dozen Russian athletes were allegedly involved, with Russian marathon runner Liliya Shobukhova testifying that she paid 450,000 euros ($506,000). Papa Massata Diack, who already earned $1,200 a day from the job his father gave him, is accused of personally profiting off sponsorship deals. One contract alone, with Russian bank VTB, allegedly enabled him to turn a profit of about $10 million, prosecutors said. World Athletics is hoping to recoup 41 million euros ($46 million) in lost revenues via the court. The prosecutors have asked for a fiveyear prison sentence for Papa Massata Diack and a four-year sentence for his father, and fines of more than half a million dollars for both men.

BODY AND MIND

HIGH RISK OF PROSTATE CANCER FOR MEN IN BAHAMAS PROSTATE cancer is the most common cancer in Bahamian men. Present statistics show that one in six men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime. The COVID-19 pandemic is on the forefront of all of our minds but prostate cancer continues to lead to the death of more than 200 men in The Bahamas every single year. Diagnosis of prostate cancer in its early stage leads to an excellent cure rate. Sadly, far too many men are diagnosed with prostate cancer at a late and incurable stage. The prostate gland is a walnutsized organ located underneath the bladder and its primary role is related to male fertility and aiding the sperm to fertilise the ovum. Many Bahamian men are at a greater risk of developing prostate cancer due to their racial profile, genetics, overall high obesity rate and high alcohol intake. Studies have shown that men who drank at least seven drinks per week between ages 15 to 49 had a more than threefold greater likelihood for developing highgrade prostate cancer than men who did not drink. Bahamian men who are obese or overweight put themselves at a greater risk of developing a more aggressive form of prostate cancer. A study from Norway, that followed 950,000 men for an average of 21 years, found that a Body Mass Index [BMI] of greater than 30kg/m2 increased the risk of prostate cancer by nine percent. However, obese men aged 50 to 59 years at study completion had a 58 percent increased risk of prostate cancer; no other age group had such a statistically significant increased risk. African ancestry is in itself a high risk factor for developing prostate cancer. African American men are two to three times as likely to develop prostate cancer than their Caucasian counterparts and more than twice as likely to die from prostate cancer and more likely to develop prostate cancer at an earlier age than their other racial counterparts. Men of Indian, Hispanic and Asian ancestries also have a lower risk profile for prostate cancer than men of African ancestry. There is insufficient evidence to determine whether men of mixed race with a single African

descended parent have the same risk profile of men with two parents of African ancestry. But multiple British and French studies have shown that men of Afro-Caribbean and African Ancestries have a higher incidence of prostate cancer, a higher likelihood of an aggressive variant of prostate cancer and a worse prognosis when diagnosed with both early and advanced prostate cancer, than other men of other racial backgrounds. The exact reason behind African descended men having all these greater risks related to prostate cancer is currently being extensively scientifically studied but it likely due to multiple contributing causes and not just one. Economic, social, environmental and cultural factors certainly play some role but it is strongly believed that the disparity in prostate cancer amongst African male descendants is related to genetics. There is a known strong link between the BRCA 1 gene mutation and more aggressive forms of prostate cancer. This BRCA 1 gene mutation is disproportionately prevalent in the Bahamian population, leading to a higher incidence of breast cancer and a more aggressive form of breast cancer in Bahamian women and, though to a much less extent, in Bahamian men. Germline mutations in BRCA 1/2 and HOXB13 gene’s have been shown to have an increased associated risk in developing prostate cancer. The disparity of prostate cancer in African ancestry men compared to other racial ancestry men is nothing new but previously prostate cancer research has been based on men of European ancestry. The University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine researchers are leading the research charge into investigating the variables between men of African ancestry and prostate cancer. This research group has a $26.5m grant to extensively study prostate cancer in black men. The study is actively recruiting ten thousand African American men who have recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer. The Keck School of Medicine researchers aim to gain insight into the genetic nature of aggressive prostate cancer and how genetic variants might interact

with environmental and social factors in African American men who develop prostate cancer. Men of African and Afro-Caribbean ancestry who are diagnosed based on prostate biopsies as having the earliest pathological stage of prostate cancer [Gleason 6 out of 10] have a worse prognosis than their Caucasian male counterparts who are diagnosed with the exact same pathological prostate cancer stage. African ancestry men have a one in three chance of being understaged with prostate biopsies; therefore a low pathological prostate cancer score is actually higher in about 33 percent of such cases. One of the reasons for this understaging of prostate cancer is the anatomical location of the prostate cancer. Prostate cancer often does not have a uniform distribution within the prostate gland in terms of the pathological stage so that a low pathological stage might be biopsied but a higher pathological stage of prostate cancer can be missed elsewhere in the prostate. Many men of African descent have prostate cancer in the apical area of the prostate and this area is more difficult to biopsy, particularly in men with very large prostates. This apical area of the prostate often harbors a more advanced prostate cancer and therefore can be under evaluated in routine prostate biopsies. This understaging of prostate cancer during biopsies can be limited by the use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging [MRI] of the prostate gland with special computer software that allows an urologist to fuse the MRI prostate images with the ultrasound and

in real time do prostate biopsies that are directed at any suspicious lesions determined on the MRI. The risk of understaging prostate cancer or missing prostate cancer lesions on ultrasound guided 12 core prostate biopsies, is significantly reduced with the use of this MRI/Ultrasound fused technology. Early prostate cancer, most commonly, has no symptoms. The cause of most middle aged men having urinary symptoms is more likely due to noncancerous benign prostate hyperplasia [BPH] than prostate cancer. Many men who have prostate cancer, have no symptoms until the prostate cancer is advanced and beyond the scope of cure. Early diagnosis of prostate cancer has a 98 percent five year survival rate, even in men of African ancestry. Therefore men of African ancestry older than 40 years old should definitely have an annual prostate specific antigen [PSA] blood test. Further PSA blood tests can be requested if necessary such as the PSA Free to Total

Ratio and the PSA density or PSA velocity may be calculated. The PSA blood test result can be elevated for reasons other than prostate cancer, such as an infection of the prostate, prostatitis or a very large benign prostate, and incomplete emptying of the bladder. It must be emphasised that a large number of Bahamian men, unfortunately, have a very high risk for prostate cancer and they also have increased risk of developing a more aggressive form of prostate cancer and at an earlier age than their other racial counterparts. Fortunately, early detection of prostate cancer has an excellent cure rate. Confirmed low volume, low grade prostate cancer can be actively surveilled if all the criteria are met. Active surveillance involves monitoring a patient until the prostate cancer upstages in volume or stage, then curative treatment can be employed. Prostate cancer curative management does not always necessitate surgery. Surgery is an option, as is brachytherapy. Brachytherapy involves placement of radioactive seeds into the prostate minimally invasively, whereby the prostate cancer cells are killed but the normal prostate cells and gland are left intact. Brachytherapy has the same or greater cure rate for low risk prostate cancer, when compared to radical prostate cancer surgery. External beam radiation is another curvature management option for prostate cancer. High intensity focused ultrasound [HIFU] is also a prostate cancer curative option. Advanced prostate cancer could potentially lead to a prolonged painful death that may result in kidney failure, painful spread of prostate cancer to bones, paraplegia from spinal cord compression, secondary to prostate cancer metastasis and many other devastating complications. The emotional, physical and financial toll of advanced prostate cancer can be profound. Patients and their families suffer together. The key to a cure: early detection. Seek the confidential and compassionate consult of an urologist and start annual routine PSA blood tests at the age of 40 years old.

Obesity and Dentistry By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Reporter acadet@tribunemedia.net ALTHOUGH THERE may be various causes of obesity in children, a local oral health professional is using the month of September to help inform and educate Bahamians on the risk factors that links obesity and dentistry. “Dentists are very much interested in obesity, not only because of its precursor effect to co-morbid diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, but because it shares common-cause factors with tooth decay and other conditions that can be identified through oral examinations such as sleep apnea,” said Dr Shamika Strachan, of Impressions Dental, Harbour Bay. She said it is because of these predispositions that dentists play a critical role

in giving parents dietary advice. This starts by educating parents in “food acceptance patterns”, which is the exposure to types and frequency of foods. The timing at which foods are given and how regularly will determine a child’s affinity for it. “As a friendly dentist, I wanted to inform, or perhaps remind you of thousands of tiny receptors on your tongue called taste buds. These tastes buds are in training from infancy and develop a preference for what they like. Without any influence from adults, infants naturally respond positively to sweet flavours and negatively to bitter ones.” Picture an infant’s face when they taste something sour or bitter. These preferences are noticeable even in newborns and by four months they begin to show a liking for salts. Because of these innate preferences,

children need to be trained to desire certain foods. The tastes and flavours your infant is exposed to will play a large role in shaping their eating habits for the rest of their life,” said Dr Strachan. She said it is the early introduction of commercial products and sugars that formulate a desire for these types of foods, that if consumed too frequently, may result in obesity. Some examples of commercial foods include: packaged or canned items such as condensed milk in which many parents dilute and give to their toddler as a source of milk, artificially flavoured and concentrated juices, sodas, biscuits, chips, Little Debbie pies, rolls and cakes and cereals high in sugar. “Various surveys conducted on Bahamian children and adolescents between the ages of two to 20 between 2001-2013 showed a trend that obesity

increased with age over years and was highest in females at all age levels. The highest and most current available recorded rate of obese/overweight adolescents was recorded in 2013 among students 13-14 years at 45 percent. Based on my observation, the rate of obesity has increased in children since I was child and I feel that there are more overweight females in our society than there are males. This observation is consistent with the data discussed above,” said Dr Strachan. She added that it is recommended children have regular exposure to a variety of healthy foods. This would mean inviting children to try foods by giving them an opportunity to have it over and over without punishment or reward if they do not or do, respectively. She said as with most things, children emulate what they see. In this

CANDY, if consumed too frequently, may result in obesity. regard, it is important for them to see their parents enjoying an assortment of healthy foods. “Unhealthy snacks should be limited and sodas for example should be completely eliminated out of a child’s diet. Some good healthy snack or drink options for kids are, unsweetened milk, yogurts (check sugar content), string cheese, carrot sticks, fruits, banana-oat cookies (if there are no allergies), and even sweet potato fries, baked of course. A very tasty snack if they are not allergic, are apple slices with peanut butter, my son loves it.

“I feel that many Bahamian parents have a laid-back approach to what foods they offer their children. It may be because it’s what our parents offered us in some instances. Our culture is accustomed to the macaroni, peas n rice, potatoes salad and all the other dishes and delights that are indigenous to the Bahamian palate. “We display that preference in front of our children and the cycle continues. So it starts with us and it all boils down to modelling and shifting our children’s mindset regarding food from an early age,” said Dr Strachan.

PAGE 12, Tuesday, September 15, 2020 THE DEATH of a spouse is certainly a devastating blow to be dealt as the emotional pain for those living through the ordeal can seem insurmountable. Some people are faced with the even more unique circumstance of not only having to cope with the loss of their life mate but also navigate through the pain of discovering their deceased spouse was carrying on an extramarital affair. As is the case with Kimiya Glover (see story on page 13), a widow who found out about her husband’s ongoing affair after his death, it can make it even more challenging to cope. Bahamian clinical psychologist Dr Tracey King said circumstances such as these add a greater level of complication to the grieving process. “These types of situations tend to complicate the grieving and healing process on many different levels. Not only is the person dealing with the loss of a loved one, but also the aftermath of these revelations. Therefore, creating additional emotional distress that can compound the grieving process. Moreover, they can make it harder for the person to heal, especially when the person is unable to reach a sense of understanding about why or maintains a strong desire to confront the person,” she told Tribune Health. It is not clear how frequently these situations occur as many people do not willingly open up about a spouse’s affair after their death. “It is hard to determine how common these incidences are for a variety of reasons such as they are not typically tracked, willingly shared, or and even openly discussed.” Nevertheless, circumstances such as these can cause a plethora of emotions depending on the

COPING WITH A SPOUSE’S EXTRA-MARITAL AFFAIR AFTER DEATH BY JEFFARAH GIBSON | TRIBUNE FEATURES REPORTER JGIBSON@TRIBUNEMEDIA.NET “Usually, people will experience several feelings at once, oscillating between them, which can create an emotional rollercoaster.”

THE TRIBUNE person, circumstance, and the type of relationship. “Some emotions may include denial, shock, betrayal, embarrassment, frustration, humiliation, confusion, resentment, hate, anger, insecurities, mistrust, sadness, and even relief. Usually, people will experience several feelings at once, oscillating between them, which can create an emotional rollercoaster,” she said. As a clinical psychologist, Dr King has worked with people struggling with a wide variety of emotional and psychological issues, including coping with the loss of a spouse and their relational transgression of infidelity. She said initially, these persons did not cope well, but through therapy they were able to achieve a level of acceptance and healing. “It is hard to measure if persons in these situations suffer more, as emotional pain is so subjective. However, I will say that they will report experiencing higher than normal emotional distress than the average person. When it comes to coping with the unique situation of finding out about a spouse’s unfaithfulness after death, Dr King said there is no right or wrong way. “Situations like these are not black and white. Therefore, there is no right or one way to handle these types of revelations. The best way to deal with them will depend on multiple factors like what is the extent of the impact of the revelation, what those involved would like to do, and the choices available to them. “If you are struggling emotionally or psychologically with a situation like this or know someone who is, seek help. There are both public and private resources available. If you need to reach me, you can contact me at info@thrivinghaven.com.”

‘Women have to stand together and shouldn’t have to feel unprotected’ FROM PAGE 13 enduring as a result of the shooting. It’s abuse. I mean. What the world be speaking about it more if he had killed her? She’s alive and well enough to tell the story. She should be shown more love than hate. Women have got to stand together and we shouldn’t have to feel unprotected in this world.” Celebrities such as Halle Berry took to Twitter in support of Megan, saying: “Peace. Protection. Respect. For all Black Women. Always @theestallion, we stand with you. #ProtectBlackWomen.” After Megan confirmed Tory had shot her, singer JoJo tweeted: “Love, respect, peace and protection to @theestallion.” Jojo also responded to a fan, saying she would take Tory off her song that featured him in the deluxe version of her album entitled Good To Know. Ahead of a music video for a song that featured Tory, singer Kehlani didn’t feature Lanez in the video. “ I stand with women, believe women, and I love my friends. If that’s something that turns you off from

me or makes you no longer support, bless you for real. You have no reason to have ever supported me in the first place, I’m not your cup tea,” she said. Also in support, actor Michael B Jordan tweeted: “Meg I admire your courage and applaud you for speaking up. We must support black women, protect black women, and believe black women.” Rapper Chance The Rapper also noted: “I hope Meg really gets justice for what Tory did to her. And that we can all learn from this, how near and constant and serious, the threat of lethal violence and abuse is for every Black woman.” In a new report according to TMZ just last week, Tory “attempted” to “apologise” to Megan via a text message following the incident by blaming his actions on alcohol. The text message read: “I know u prolly never gone talk to me again, but I genuinely want u to know I’m sorry from the bottom of my heart. I was just too drunk. None the less s--- should have never happened and I can’t change what did. I just feel horrible.”

The vulnerabilities of gender THE pandemic has revealed a great deal about our small island developing state, some of which we knew before; some of it is new. The pandemic and hurricane Dorian have opened a large screen onto the deep and widening inequalities in Bahamian society. They have both revealed how little regard is paid to these inequalities and their related and resultant vulnerabilities. This week I want to focus on two gender specific vulnerabilities that are plaguing our nation. Research locally and internationally has revealed how gender/ sex make people live their lives differently and impact people in different ways. In our world, men and women experience inequality differently and this is a focus on two aspects of that: women’s reproduction is used against them; men’s nature and cultural construct imprisons them. Structural and slow through the failure of state apparatus destroy more lives than we acknowledge. The danger or vulnerability of risk. Society insists that men take risks. Men riding motorbikes fast, popping wheelies down a line of traffic is required to be a man. Smoking and drinking are ‘male’ or masculine activities. More men than women smoke grass, because it is a gendered cultural construct: it’s seen as masculine. We have heard a great deal of talk of expunging young men’s record who have been apprehended with a joint or small amount of marijuana. This initiative has been much debated as a part of a national task force’s work to explore decriminalising marijuana. Meanwhile, the pandemic, and the emergency orders that easily criminalise more young men, have swept focus away from this work. Young men, especially those in vulnerable communities, continue to be detained and criminalised for possession of a joint. What does criminalisation mean?

arrest must be included or they will have lied. Decriminalising marijuana

MARIJUANA BUDS We see that poor communities are overly represented in the criminal justice system because they are less educated, less well off, and less able to access representation in court. This is particularly problematic with poor, young men who are targeted by law and order because many of them will smoke grass; they are represented as undisciplined and naturally wayward. In communities where many youth do not graduate high school, their parents also did not graduate high school, there is little awareness of how to avoid being criminalised. This group is often targeted by drug dealers and law enforcement officers equally because the former can get people to peddle drugs, while the latter know that these are vulnerable or easily impressionable youth without a great deal of direction who are easy fodder for prison. Community leaders are often the drug dealers

and gangsters who prey on these youngsters and promise them the world. We see this in Hollywood films and in popular music. We also see this in studies that explore the incidence of incarceration for petty crimes in ‘ghetto’ communities. This vulnerability is increased when one’s father, uncle, cousin or brother has already been incarcerated. Yet, society does little to mitigate against this kind of social influence. In fact, the system exploits this vulnerability because it ignores it. The intentional arrest and charge for possession of drugs destroys these young men’s lives. It also destroys the system because it creates a vacuum in which only ‘criminal’ activity becomes possible. Criminalisation means that these young men are struck out for the rest of their lives. They will be unable to find positive work because they have a record. Even after they serve their time, when they apply for work their

It is all well and good to decriminalise marijuana, and to say that we are allowing people to expunge their records based on certain criteria. But these operations have to be clear, easy and transparent. Sadly, even this is not true. The onus is once again placed on them to navigate a system that is hard for someone who reads and understands legal documents and forms, Imagine how hard it is so for someone who is marginally literate! Do we really expect them to do this? We also know that police reports disappear into a vapor of nothingness. This confabulation of facts/ reports frustrates people who function within the law; they cannot pursue legal avenues for redress because the officials work against them. On a good day, the Bahamas government system is built for stubborn oxen determined to get things done. Most normal minded people are put off by its intentional obfuscation and hindrance, not to mention humbug and rudeness. Most young men will be frustrated and give up. Because the system is so awful, it makes them give into the chaos. How can we teach them patience and persistence? Meanwhile, we have a bunch of boys who are willing to move on, but systematically they are discriminated against for a petty crime the authorities say should not be a crime and should not be used against them, but can’t organise themselves to make it not a crime. When will this change? Women’s vulnerability Society treats many women like animals. They are denied rights and tend to be most horribly abused by structural silence around women’s vulnerability depends; ministers ignore the particular threats to women’s health and social services treats many with less than human dignity,

we are not surprised by the recent violence against women in the public health system. The disregard for human life is astonishing. The lack of official reports is not surprising. The reports of young women dying in childbirth are mounting. More reports are mounting of women being mistreated during pregnancy and delivery, which ultimately results in them losing their babies. Infant mortality has been greatly reduced in The Bahamas, (one of those markers of success in the international community). Yet the treatment within the public system has deteriorated. We ignore the slow, structural violence based on being a woman as women are exposed to abuse and neglect when they are pregnant. Of course, the system denies any breach of trust and in service to those in vulnerable communities. Of course, these will be brushed over. Of course, the comment will be ‘those’ people bread too much. The result is a racialised, class-based, gendered discrimination, (intersectionality), that specifically targets women who are most vulnerable. Pregnancy exposes women to great vulnerability, and this is worsened on Family Islands. Why does the system hold such contempt for women? Young women who are exposed to mistreatment tend to be poor, workingclass and vulnerable, which means they have little recourse to fight public system abuse. This is why they are abused. It takes one authoritarian voice to shut most women down. In these cases, the male authority denies any knowledge of the problem. This is a serious use of violence to ignore and then disregard the human rights abuses occurring. Poverty and being female, exposes many women to the sneer of ‘those’ people, which is often accompanied by the denial of care. Yet, government claims that they have access to medical care. It is also not surprising that over-worked and mistreated medical staff, who are themselves exploited by the public system and suffer other aspects of slow

structural violence, respond to their patients with violence. Structural violence, as Johan Galtung notes, produces cultural violence. A culture of violence follows the mistreatment, abuse and exploitation of vulnerable communities. Then law enforcement officials want to know why violence is increasing. Surely, these abuses are clear. As systemic abuse grows, and more people are denied access to care, they are more likely to respond with violence; they have nothing to lose. Young men and women from poor, vulnerable communities experience gender specific vulnerabilities in significant ways and are constantly under attack in a classist, racialised system. In the United States research is clear that Black women experience structural neglect and mistreatment far more, and are more likely to miscarry due to neglect or mistreatment in the public system, than White women. One would have thought, albeit erroneously, that women in The Bahamas would not experience similar episodes of systemic failure, as do their American sisters. However, poor Black bodies are as discriminated against here as they are over there and their vulnerabilities equally exploited. How can this system be changed, especially in the current neoliberal structures that choose to deny access to increasingly more people? When a minister denies the exploitation of poor women without any compassion, he uses gender-based violence and racialised and class-based discrimination, which Kimberlé Crenshaw refers to as intersectionality, to further abuse the people who were already violently mistreated. Can we stop systemically abusing vulnerable peoples?

PAGE 13

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2020

Bereaved & Betrayed BY JEFFARAH GIBSON | TRIBUNE FEATURES WRITER | JGIBSON@TRIBUNEMEDIA.NET

HEN Kimiya Glover’s husband died unexpectedly but “peacefully in his sleep” she thought his death would be the only blow dealt to her and their five daughters. Sadly, revelations about Dylan Glover’s extramarital affairs were unearthed before his funeral, before she and her children had an opportunity to bid him a final farewell. Kimiya was in one of the most heart-wrenching positions a widow could ever sit - bereaved and betrayed. Simultaneously she had to cope with the pain of losing her spouse and the burden of his extra-marital affairs. Kimiya was born and raised in North West Indiana, USA. She met her husband, Dylan, when they were 16 years old and started a romance that spanned 30 years. “I always felt like we were defending our relationship more so than having one. He was the popular one in these parts, a roughneck which was definitely a turn on and me an innocent little loner. He’s this chocolate man with the most vulnerable eyes,” she told Tribune Woman. Their love for one another continued to bloom and the couple welcomed five daughters into their life. “I always say we did

KIMIYA AND DYLAN GLOVER everything backwards.” “We decided to get married on my birthday, December 23, 2012. All I can say is there was never any pressure on my end when it came to marriage, I just basically wanted him to know for himself,” she said. Like many married couples, Kimiya and Dylan had happy moments and sad moments. And in the sad moments Kimiya always fought for their love and family. “My husband gained his wings peacefully in his sleep of a heart attack on November 19, 2017, just days away from Thanksgiving. My

daughters and I found him unresponsive on the living room couch. His last words to me, the night before was ‘Baby u got this couch warm’. I laughed, blushing at the same time, not knowing I wouldn’t hear his voice again. It was just shocking. “I feel incomplete and robbed.” The widow feels incomplete because her love was cut short and robbed because she feels her husband’s love was not fully her own. “Two months after his passing, two of my cousins, whom are more like my

sisters, revealed to me that this woman approached them saying my husband was the father of her child. I have always heard rumors of him and this particular woman throughout our relationship. “My cousins told me the woman said she should have gotten a blood test and child support from him. In hindsight though I knew something happened with those two, but just felt helpless like I didn’t have no more fight in me. Then more revelations came to the surface. “I will never forget the day of the visitation service

(the wake). I was fighting hard to keep myself strong and console my daughters at the same time, then in comes an unknown woman and she looked at me with pure evil in her eyes and had the nerve to walk over to one of my in-laws give them a hug, then left,” the widow said. The unknown woman Kimiya later found out was also one with whom her husband had an affair. “I was also told another woman had to be removed from the funeral home because she was making it very known that she had a fling with my husband,” she said. Kimiya admitted the revelations of Dylan’s affair at the point of his death were not the first time the couple had to wade the waters of infidelity in their marriage. “The downside to this love affair – cheating,” she said. “Some of the cheating happened in our own circle of friends which was very embarrassing and messy. The worst case was in my own sister circle - sometimes at our doorstep. “Did I ever confront the women? No, because he was my husband, the beef I had was with him. As a man, he was supposed to lead and protect his family.” Before Dylan’s death, Kimiya said her husband owned up to past

indiscretions. However, she did not think after his death she would have to face them all over. “I told him ‘I still love you and I forgave you, even if you were not sorry’. I always felt that he did not invest enough in us. He was more focused on pleasing the outside world more so his family...no closure,” she said. Kimiya is a part of the Widows In Stilettos network started by Bahamian Wainger Flowers to offer support and comfort for women dealing with the death of their spouse. Kimiya said in spite of the difficulties she faced, she still loves her husband. “I loved being married and I believed he did as well, but also, I felt maybe he had something to prove. I don’t regret loving him as hard as I did.” Kimiya said as she looks to the future in hopes of possibly engaging in a new love story, she is adamant the lessons she learned will be carried through. “I could love another man the same way but I will not force myself to endure unhappiness just because it’s the right thing to do to keep your relationship intact - no way, not this time, not ever, because looking back, my daughters were watching the whole time,” she said.

‘Women have to stand together and shouldn’t have to feel unprotected’ BY ALESHA CADET | TRIBUNE FEATURES WRITER | ACADET@TRIBUNEMEDIA.NET IT was an event that shocked music fans and caused wild speculation on social media - in July this year, Houston female rapper Megan Thee Stallion was shot in the foot. Later, she claimed Canadian rapper Tory Lanez was responsible. Following an investigation, Los Angeles Police Department officers arrested Tory Lanez and charged him with having a concealed firearm in a vehicle. The artist was booked into Hollywood jail and bonded out later. As the news hit social media, many came to their own conclusions as to what may have happened in the vehicle that led to Megan’s shooting. Some assumed it was a lover’s spat that turned ugly, some took the reports lightly, made distasteful jokes and memes and speculation flew left and right. As Megan kept her silence, not initially naming Tory as her shooter, she received much scrutiny and not so much sympathy. At this point, the victim became the person who had to protect herself and her peace. All the while and up to this date, there has been no official statement from Tory and his team. In a tweet regarding her recovery, Megan wrote: “Black women are so unprotected and we hold so many things in to protect the feelings of others without considering our own. It might be funny to y’all on the internet and just another messy topic for you to talk about but this is my real life and I’m real life hurt and traumatised.” While much of the incident was unclear to the public, the treatment, and lack of respect and empathy Megan received from the public was awful. During a

MEGAN THEE STALLION

CELEBS TWEET SUPPORT FOR MEG AND BLACK WOMEN time she has been continuously topping charts in a male-dominated field with her own music, and celebrating having a number one song on the charts - Cardi B’s WAP that features Megan - she was instead forced to defend herself. The female rapper took to social media to post pictures of her gunshot wounds, as well as an Instagram live video to speak out. “What I have learned about the majority of the people on social media is y’all like to hear bad news before good news, a lie spreads quicker than the truth, and y’all really be believing the sh– y’all make up. I got hit at the back of my feet because when I got

shot I was walking away facing the back. Why would I lie about getting shot? Why are y’all so upset that I don’t wanna be in the bed sad? “Why y’all upset that I can walk ? I got my stitches out my feet like two weeks ago and I was ready to go celebrate WAP going number 1. I usually don’t address internet bull— but y’all people are so sick. God was really watching over me and I’m healing

so well. Sorry I’m not as sad and miserable as a lot of y’all but ima keep being Megan.” In a live Instagram video that came later, she acknowledged that when police first responded to a report of a shooting and found herself and Tory outside an SUV, she did not tell the responding officers she had been shot because she was afraid of the legal repercussions and afraid for her safety.

“I didn’t tell the police nothing because I didn’t want us to get in no more trouble,” Megan said, as she explained she also wanted to initially spare Tory the trouble by not making it known to officers how she became injured. She told officials on the night of the incident, she thought she thought she had suffered a glass cut. “I didn’t immediately tell the police what happened right then because I didn’t

want to die. The police is really aggressive. You think I’m about to tell the police that we, us black people, that we’ve got a gun in the car? You want me to tell them we’ve got a gun in the car so they can shoot all of us up. I’m scared. Why would I tell them there’s a gun in the car and I got shot so you can get shot, he can get shot, she can get shot,” said Megan. She further opened up on the live video by admitting: “Yes, Tory shot me. You shot me and you got your publicist and your people going to these blogs lying. Stop lying. Why lie? I don’t understand. Ask him why he not sayin’ nothin. What he going to get on here and say? ‘Yeah, I shot her.’ Why? Tell ’em why you shot me. No reason. Stop lying on me. Stop acting like black women is the problem.” One Bahamian woman, Jessica Johnson, tells Tribune Woman she was absolutely disgusted by the public treatment given to Megan. “Why did the details even matter to people before knowing the why, if and or but? She was shot, she said she was shot and people failed her. There should never have been a feeling to have to prove your trauma. I felt so bad and I still feel so bad that she had to prove herself like that, while Tory sits in silence on social media. He’s a notso-silent rapper but now he has nothing to say.” With similar thoughts, another woman, Christina Bowe, said: “I pray peace and love for what she has endured, and is still

SEE PAGE 12

wordSEarch

PAGE 14, Tuesday, September 15, 2020

JUDGE PARKER

C M K P G P E M B R O K E H H

CARPE DIEM

MARVIN BLONDIE

Daily Express Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Puzzles

E Y O Z M Y D N E G D I R B A

K H B N T I R R F K Z C A C B

H J E N M H T R O P W E N A E

THE TRIBUNE

N L Z F E O X E A G M L S E R

A O W G H T U L F B N L Q R Y

R O E R H D R T A J O A B P S

B P W O T S P E H C C N B H T

M Y I Y C G S N I I E E I I W

W T D M C N H X W T R L U L Y

Find all the Welsh towns listed Solution tomor

ABERYSTWYTH ● BANG CRUSADER PRIZE BRECON CROSSWORD ● BRIDGEND ●

HAGAR

TIGER

CARDIFF ● 2CHEPSTOW 1 3 4● DOWN 1 Traveller finds sponsor LLANELLI ● MONMOUT has included wolves (10) NEWPORT ● PEMBROKE 2 Vital emu gets treated 9 10 after copper is PONTYPOOL ● PORTHCAW increasing (10) TENBY ● WREXH 4 Fortunate the registrar has anaesthetic (5) 11 12 5 Note damage – not quite so unattractive (9) 6 Drink after European way of cooking bread (6,5) 15 16 7 Stream doesn’t start in castle (4) 8 Tramp sees sharp Quick wordSEarch 18 19 increase (4) croSSword 12 Pretty names devised for D T X S C E N short fuseacross: (5,6) 1 Pass; E R O M A N O 13 Endure spa that’s only9 Garrotte; 8 Philistine; L O N 20 P E E N used out of 10 Body; 12 Coerce; A F A E R R D desperation (4,6) 14 Stormy; 15 Hiatus; 23 22 D E S M P J E 14 Its absence commuters 17of Canine; 18 Semi; is an attraction! (5,5) 24 19 Obsolete; 21 Chivalrous; Y U E M H U D 16 Kidnapping E Q M E I S P 22sailor Heel.on the Channel; press without down: 2 Antagonise; L O R N L H D resistance (9) 3 Spur; 4 Little; 5 Divers; S R A T L G S 21 A step taken quickly (5) 26 6 Stubborn; 7 Rely; N L P A Y I R 22 The editor has to pay attention 11 (4)Diminutive; 13 Retrieve; E K J L V E M 16 request Slowly; 17 23 Pale sort of (4)Custom; W V J O Y B C

acrOss 1 Composer gets taxi back with husband (4) 3 Her chef not deployed from now on (10) 9 Search for top stylist (4) 10 Expression with reserve at the language it contains (6,4) 11 Madam is, but sir is not (11) 15 Icy aspect depicted in skyline (9) Rubbish time to get THE 17 HORRIBLE impetuous (5) 18 Jealousy gets hold of old representative (5) 19 Mark has steed running round philosopher (9) 20 Can the men broadcast about books for a spell? (11) 24 I’ll place it in another way and shape (10) 25 Thus get attorney a drink (4) 26 Late, caterer doesn’t start double (4,6) 27 This tune contains shock (4)

CALVIN & HOBBES

18 Suck; 20 Lash.

G R X C A M E S T I L T O N M O Z Z A R E

THE ALPHABEATE

TARGET

B i P no l lAt

cAn you crack the Alphabeater? Each grid targEt thE alp Ex number represents a letter – or black square. 09 across: Down AsrEcuMbENt in Alphapuzzle, every letter of the alphabet (Ded been But beeryou beet bent beret berm Piston, each is used. have to complete the grid too! Meand brut letters brute bunt burn squaresAim, usebrunt the given and black belowSad, Pity butene theburnt grid to start. crumb the gridcube is ‘rotationallyStanza, Drivel 09 cumber curb encumber down: Longh symmetrical’ – inember other words, it looks the *Calls numb number rebut RECUMBENT you same if you turn the page upside down.Aquavit, Bloss ne rube tube tuber umber Mollify, Tame, Solution tomorrow Kindred, Ouze A 4 8 37 28 27 37 31 27 16 38 B HOW many words of four letters or C 11 22 39 11 25 39 13 35 15 37 more can you make from the letters D shown here? E 2 40 29 8 31 37 3 4 26 20 in making a word, each letter may be F used once only. Each must contain the centre letter and there must be at G 8 37 34 20 21 7 23 6 30 15 least one nine-letter word. no plurals H or verb forms ending in “s”. I 40 30 21 11 22 4 5 36 7 32 J TODAY’S TARGET K 18 24 20 28 17 5 Good 20; very good 30; excellent 39 22 13 29 38 (or more). Solution tomorrow L M 29 4 25 37 19 20 6 20 14 11 N call 0907 181 2585 for today’s target solution O 10 5as a37 15 crossword, 35 10 the 26task2 in Kakuro 37 17 Best described number *Calls cost 80p per minute plus your telephone is to fill P all of the empty squares, using numbers 1 to 9, so company’s network access charge. Q 35 14 horizontal 20 16block 22 equals 5 the 15 number 2 29 the sum of each to its33 R the sum of each vertical block equals the number left, and on its top. No number may be used in the same block more5 S 30 37 31 30 4 14 5 39 19 than once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Kakuro T increases from1Monday U 14 16 to5Sunday. 7 30 37 36 27 3 FIND where the fleet of ships shown is hidden V in the grid. The numbers to the right of and W 21 4 8 37 30 19 1 25 40 5 below the grid indicate how many of the X squares in that row are filled in with ships or Yesterday’s Yesterday’s parts of ships. The ships do not touch each Y 26 5 25 24 21 4 8 31 20 27 other, even diagonally. Some squares have Sudoku Z Answer Kakuro Answer

DENNIS THE MENACE Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so the each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

● The Target uses words in the main body of Chambers 21st Century Dictionary (1999 edition)

BATTLESHIPS

been filled in to start you off. Solution tomorrow 2

9 10

CRYPTIC PUZZLE 1 Making one’s name as a writer (7) 5 Pole at the Highland Games (5) 8 One has to be uncommonly rich to do so (4,4,1,4) 9 Poems about salts (5) 10 Feeling fed-up? (7) 11 Stick around at home like a dog (6) 12 Dedicated but possibly scared (6) 15 Having poor taste (7) 17 Arrived with nothing but got relief work (5) 19 What a laconic judge may pronounce (5,8) 20 She upsets Diana (5) 21 Watches teachers marking correctly? (7)

1 Loves somehow to find an answer (5) 2 Promises but donates only a single weapon (5,4,4) 3 One mill in ruins is a bad sign (3,4) 4 Ark got into difficulty; alternative transport required (2-4) 5 Number having an inclination for restraint (5) 6 You may get a ring back to confirm this (6,7) 7 Communist leader is a flaming capitalist (7)

13 He’s austere and sour about one point (7) 14 The arrival of a commercial airway (6)

16 An apt variety of longgrained rice (5) 18 Some unusual point in portents (5)

Yesterday’s Easy Solution

Across: 1 Hardy, 8 Elevator, 9 Spray, 10 Staccato, 11 Dense, 12 Goa, 16 Minute, 17 Simple, 18 Lap, 23 Tease, 24 Restored, 25 Habit, 26 Mountain goats, 27 Hedge.

Across: 1 Usury, 8 Badinage, 9 Put up, 10 As good as, 11 Crude, 12 Pun, 16 Muffle, 17 Of late, 18 Tad, 23 Shake, 24 Homeland, 25 Abhor, 26 Castaway, 27 State. Down: 2 Square up, 3 Round off, 4 Nassau, 5 Bigot, 6 Handy, 7 Least, 12 Pet, 13 Nod, 14 Alphabet, 15 Stakeout, 19 Anneal, 20 Thick, 21 Smash, 22 Bleak.

Across 1 Made available for sale (7) 5 Recapitulate the main points (3,2) 8 Get past a crisis (4,3,6) 9 Prickle (5)

Down 1 Group of eight (5) 2 Finally (3,4,3,3) 3 Important person’s attendants (7) 4 Happily abstracted (6)

10 Handcuff (7)

5 Derision (5)

11 Scotland’s patron

6 As-new state (4,9)

saint (6) 12 A richly figured wood (6) 15 Disparage (3,4) 17 Porcelain (5) 19 Frankness (5,8) 20 Of the sun (5) 21 Love story (7)

7 Omen (7) 11 To the point (7) 13 Public praise (7) 14 Concealed marksman (6) 16 Proprietor (5) 18 To dispute (5)

4 x submarine

2 x cruiser

14 15

3 x Destroyer

1 x Battleship

11 I’m held in scorn turning bright red (7)

Yesterday’s Cryptic Solution

Down: 2 Apple pie, 3 Draws out, 4 Blotto, 5 Evict, 6 Strap, 7 Proof, 12 Gel, 13 Asp, 14 Amperage, 15 Flushing, 19 Alexis, 20 Tramp, 21 Issue.

30 31

34 35

Down

EASY PUZZLE

Across

■

● Alternatively, for six Extra Letter clues to you text DXBEAT to 84901. Texts cost £1 plus your usu

KEIJO 4 4 4

SPORTS PAGE 15

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2020

NFL

Page 18

‘Jazz’ and Marlins win finale 6-2 in seven-game set against Phillies By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

MIAMI Marlins second baseman Jazz Chisholm, top, throws to first to put out Philadelphia Phillies’ Phil Gosselin after having tagged second base to put out Alec Bohm (28) for a double play during the fourth inning of the second game of a their baseball doubleheader on Sunday in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

he Miami Marlins continue to solidify their position in the National League East standings with another win against the Philadelphia Phillies in the season finale between the two teams. Jazz Chisholm went 1-4 with one RBI on the afternoon. The Marlins won 6-2 over the Phillies at Marlins Stadium in Miami, Florida. With the Marlins trailing 1-0 in the second inning, a seven pitch at-bat against Vince Velasquez culminated in Chisholm’s game-tying RBI single. Chisholm fell behind 1-2 in the count with strikes from a knuckle curve. After a ball evened the count 2-2, Chisholm fouled off another knuckle curve to keep the at-bat alive. Velasquez delivered another ball on pitch six and on pitch seven, he threw the third knuckle curve of the at-bat which

ADAM JOHNSON GOES PRO IN FRANCE By BRENT STUBBS high-flying, sharp-shooting Senior Sports Reporter defensive young prospect. I bstubbs@tribunemedia.net think the sky is the limit for him. IT has been a long and “It’s exciting because tedious journey with so when these kids get into many disappointments these types of situations, for Adam Johnson. But they take off. So it’s good through Jaraun ‘Kino’ to open the opportunities Burrows’ Raw Talent pro- for these young kids. I will gramme, Adam Johnson is continue to mentor and now playing professional manage them and always basketball in France. preach character and He has signed with Fos making use of your opporProvence Basket Club tunity. Hopefully, we can where he’s developing get scores of young people through their No.5 team, the same opportunity in but according to Burrows, years to come.” they anticipate that the Looking back at his situ6-foot, 6-inch forward will ation, Burrows said after get the chance to advance Johnson was denied a colthrough the ranks very lege visa a few times to get quickly. into the United States, he’s “He’s still young. It’s happy that he could get him a development base and off. “He’s a very humble, we expect big things out but hungry individual,” of Adam,” said Burrows, Burrows said. who plays out of the Fos Provence pro team. “He’s a SEE PAGE 18

ADAM Johnson in action.

BRIDGEWATER MAKES IMMEDIATE IMPACT By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net DOMNICK Bridgewater is having an immediate impact in his progression to France’s Nationale Masculine 2 (NM2) League. Bridgewater finished with 10 points in his regular season debut to lead Sapela Basket 13 to an 87-72 win over La Ravoire Challes Basket. Bridgewater, a member of the For-Sur-Mer Provence Byers Club, was placed on loan to Sapela Basket 13 this offseason and his promotion to NM2 is the highest of his career thus far. In preseason matchups for Sapela against the Byers and St Valliers thus far, Bridgewater has seen substantial playing time at

point guard. It has been a seamless transition to the professional level for the 20-year-old Bridgewater after standout seasons as a member of the Byers’ Epoirs (Junior League – U21) and NM3 League teams. “We are pleased to be able to official the loan of our young leader Bahamian, Domnick R Bridgewater,” the Byers said in the official announcement. “Domnick will be able to complete his training in NM2 under the orders of the former assistant of Giuitta Rémi, Alexandre Casimiri.” In March 2019, an 18-year-old Bridgewater made history when he became the first Bahamian player to make the jump straight from high school

SEE PAGE 18

Chisholm drove to centrefield and scored Matt Joyce. The Marlins added two runs in the third and another in the fourth to go ahead 4-1. Chisholm struck out in two consecutive plate appearances and grounded out in the eighth inning. Miguel Rojas and Starling Marte each delivered solo home runs to give the Marlins their biggest lead of the game. Chisholm started the game in the field at shortstop but also saw time at secondbase after an injury to starter Isan Diaz. Brian Anderson came in at third, Rojas shifted to shortstop and Chisholm moved to secondbase. The Marlins won seven of 10 games against the Phillies this season and five of the current seven-game series. Chisholm is hitting .161 with five hits, six runs scored and three RBI since his MLB call-up. For the remainder of the season, the Marlins are scheduled to play everyday through September with a

series against the Boston Red Sox, Washington Nationals, Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees. The 2020 MLB playoffs are less than two weeks away and the Marlins have sole possession of second place in the division (NL East) at 24-21 and the No.5 seed overall in the National League. The final four series of the season will feature games pivotal in the wild-card positioning and postseason seeding as teams jostle for playoff position in the new expanded format. The MLB playoffs will feature 16 teams for the first time in league history. According to ESPN, “The top two teams in each division, plus the two remaining teams with the best records in each league, will make up the eight-team fields in the American and National Leagues. The division winners will be the top three seeds in each league, with the secondplace teams slotted as seeds four through six, and the remaining two qualifiers seeded No.7 and No.8.”

Junkanoo icon Anthony ‘Stick-A-Tone’ Johnson dies THE sporting fraternity of softball and baseball as well as the junkanoo world is mourning the loss of Anthony ‘Stick-A-Tone’ Johnson. Johnson passed away last week. He joined the Saxons in 1967 and brought with him a group of men from Market Street called ‘The Lollipop Boys,’ who included Jay Fox, Katanga Johnson, Kenny ‘Mary’ Fox and KC Campbell. Working from his yard, Johnson and ‘The Lollipop Boys’ helped the Saxons win its first third place prize in the New Year’s Day parade under the theme ‘Time Clocks.’ Johnson played an integral role in the making of the Saxons who, by 1978, became a force to reckon with. His brother David ‘Kiday’ Johnson was a top artist and designer. While he was classified as an icon of junkanoo, Johnson also got involved in both softball and baseball where he was instrumental in recruiting a number of players to the Saxons. Known as a utility player on the field, Johnson went on to coach and manage a

ANTHONY JOHNSON number of teams in both sports. He also managed Transfiguration Baptist Church men and co-ed teams to numerous softball titles in the Baptist Sports Council. With such players as Stephen and Bradley Sands, Kermit Mackey, Nelson Farrington, Stephen ‘Slugger’ Brown, Eddie Russell, Cherry Elliott, Maxine Curling, just to name a few, Johnson guided Transfiguration Baptist as they became one of the most dominant teams in the BSC. May his soul rest in peace.

Want to increase your Sales? DOMNICK Bridgewater in action.

Advertise your Business in The Bahamas leading newspaper in circulation, or on Tribune242.com. Call our Advertising Department on 502-2350/502-2394 for more information.

PAGE 16, Tuesday, September 15, 2020

FIFA OPEN TO HELP FUND ANTICORRUPTION AGENCY FOR SPORTS VIENNA (AP) — FIFA would help fund a global agency to tackle corruption in sport, its president Gianni Infantino said yesterday. Creating a body like the World Anti-Doping Agency to address financial corruption, match-fixing and the influence of organised crime in sport has been talked about for more than a decade without a detailed proposal. “We at FIFA are ready to invest in it,” Infantino said, suggesting “maybe the creation of such an agency would help make sport safe in the decades to come.” As Infantino spoke at a United Nations event in Austria, the corruption trial was opening in Switzerland of three men, including Qatari soccer and television executive Nasser al-Khelaifi and former FIFA secretary general Jérôme Valcke. Their case arose from years-long American and Swiss investigations of suspected corruption in soccer that removed a generation of international leaders from office and helped lift Infantino to the FIFA presidency in 2016. His funding pledge was made when signing a cooperation agreement between FIFA and the Vienna-based UN Office on Drugs and Crime, which connects international officials and programs. Speakers at the event included diplomats from Russia and Qatar, winners of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosting votes in 2010 that FIFA later asked Swiss federal prosecutors to investigate.

THE TRIBUNE

Chelsea wins 3-1 at Brighton in English Premier League BRIGHTON, England (AP) — A Chelsea team featuring just two of its slew of high-profile and expensive signings got off to a winning start in the English Premier League by beating Brighton 3-1 yesterday. Timo Werner and Kai Havertz — signed for a combined $160 million — didn’t manage to score at Amex Stadium, either, with Chelsea’s goals coming from Jorginho, Reece James and Kurt Zouma. James’ was the most spectacular and the most crucial, the right back’s swerving piledriver from 30 metres regaining the lead for Chelsea at 2-1 in the 56th minute, just two minutes after Brighton equalised through Leandro Trossard. Zouma’s deflected volley from a corner in the 66th then gave Chelsea some breathing space. “I thought we were OK,” Chelsea manager Frank Lampard said. “I liked the work ethic and discipline of the team. We have been together for four days. ... To expect everything to click on day one would have been difficult.” While Havertz was fairly ineffective in his position on the right

CHELSEA’s Reece James reacts after scoring his team’s second goal during the English Premier League soccer match against Brighton at Falmer Stadium in Brighton, England, yesterday. (Richard Heathcote/Pool via AP) of midfield, fellow Germany international Werner — the lone striker — was more impressive and earned the penalty that was converted by Jorginho to break the deadlock in the 21st minute.

Brighton midfielder Steven Alzate lost possession in central midfield as the hosts tried to play the ball out from the back, Werner was played through and was brought down by goalkeeper

Mat Ryan. Jorginho sent Ryan the wrong way. Much-criticised goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga was handed a start by Chelsea manager Frank Lampard but his failure to keep out Trossard’s 54th-minute shot from outside the area will likely keep the scrutiny on him. Kepa seemed slow to get down as the ball squirmed beyond his outstretched right hand. James quickly put Chelsea back in front with a stunning strike that flew into the roof of the net, and the right back sent in the corner that Zouma met with a volley that ricocheted in off Brighton defender Adam Webster’s right foot. Of Chelsea’s other offseason signings that combined to cost $250 million, left back Ben Chilwell and playmaker Hakim Ziyech were injured and centre back Thiago Silva wasn’t ready after only recently joining up with the squad. “The players are still working each other out a little bit,” Lampard said. “Today we weren’t as fluid as we could be .. I want us to have a lot more movement up front than we did today.”

MATCHDAY: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, ENGLISH LEAGUE CUP RESUME By The Associated Press •A look at what’s happening around European soccer today: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE The competition resumes at the third qualifying round stage today, and Belgian league runnerup Gent prepared by firing coach Laszlo Boloni yesterday. Boloni had just 25 days and three games in charge before the club intervened ahead of hosting Rapid Vienna in a single-leg elimination game. Three games are scheduled, all featuring runners-up in their domestic leagues last season: PAOK Thessaloniki hosts group stage regular Benfica, and Dynamo Kyiv is home to AZ Alkmaar.

AZ was perhaps the unluckiest team during the early stages of the pandemic, being edged for the Netherlands title on goal difference by Ajax when the season was curtailed. All UEFA competition qualifiers are being played without spectators, including Dynamo using the cavernous Olympic Stadium that staged the 2018 final. Real Madrid beat Liverpool 3-1. Winners today advance to the two-leg playoff round starting next week that will complete the 32-team group stage draw being made October 1. Five more third qualifying round games are played on Wednesday. ENGLAND Premier League clubs enter the English League Cup at the

second-round stage for the first of three straight weeks of action early in the remodelled domestic calendar. Much focus will be on West Ham, which started the season with a chastening home loss to Newcastle 2-0 in the league on Saturday after an offseason when the club struggled to bring in any major signings. Newcastle, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace are also in action against lower-league opponents. Newcastle and Palace won in the league at the weekend, while Villa was not in action. English teams playing in European competition enter the League Cup in round three, which take place next midweek. Rounds two, three and four are all being played

early — and in successive weeks — rather than spread out over the first half of the season in a pandemic-induced change to a typical competition schedule. There will be no extra time in the first five rounds. The semi-finals in January will be played over one leg instead of two. FRANCE Lyon visits Montpellier in its latest catch-up game in Ligue 1 after starting the season late because of the team’s run to the semifinals of the Champions League last month. It will be Lyon’s third game of the league campaign — it has a win and a draw so far — and will bring Rudi Garcia’s side up to date in terms of fixtures.

ROGLIC, POGACAR BRACED FOR SLOVENIAN SHOWDOWN ON TOUR DE FRANCE FINALE By SAMUEL PETREQUIN AP Sports Writer THERE is only one big question left to be answered at the Tour de France: Which Slovenian will stand on the top of the podium on Sunday on the Champs-Elysees? Barring a crash, or an unexpected event like a

positive COVID-19 test, the final week of racing should offer a showdown between the Jumbo-Visma team leader Primoz Roglic and his young challenger Tadej Pogacar, who rides for the UAE Emirates team. The two rivals from Slovenia have proved their superiority on the big climbs that punctuated the

route over the past two weeks. They are only separated by 40 seconds in the general classification ahead of the race’s six remaining stages, which will provide more action in high mountains and an individual time trial before the traditional procession into Paris. “It’s been a long time since I have not been at

home, especially in Slovenia, but for sure it might be really crazy and nice,” Roglic said. After defending champion Egan Bernal cracked during Sunday’s gruelling ascent to the Grand Colombier to lose more than seven minutes in the Jura mountains, the pair’s closest opponent is another Colombian, Rigoberto Uran, who is lagging 1:34 behind Roglic overall. Ahead of today’s mountain stage to the ski station of Villard-de-Lans, fourthplace Miguel Angel Lopez has a 1:45 deficit, while Adam Yates, Richie Porte and Mikel Landa trail by more than two minutes. The time difference is not that big, but the way Roglic’s team has been controlling the race so far does not bode well for Uran and the handful of riders who still hope they can turn things around. Using an efficient and simple strategy displayed by the mighty Ineos team in previous years, JumboVisma has dethroned the British outfit as the most potent squad. Their attrition technique is not tactically complicated, requiring a group of strong riders capable of setting a fast and steady tempo in ascents to break up the pack and prevent rivals from launching attacks. That’s exactly what they managed on the Grand Colombier. On the steep ascent of the mountain, Roglic’s Belgian teammate, Wout van Aert, put in an impressive stint that proved fatal to Bernal and Nairo Quintana’s ambitions. Tom Dumoulin, a former Tour runner-up now riding in support of Roglic, then led the reduced pack of favourites until the final 600 metres, when the race leader finally attacked. Unlike Roglic, Pogacar has to deliver alone. His

SLOVENIA’S TADEJ POGACAR, wearing the best young rider’s white jersey, crosses the finish line to win stage 15 of the Tour de France on Sunday. (AP) team is lacking collective strength and the 21-yearold Tour rookie has drawn praise for his aggressive and clever racing. Pogacar beat Roglic in a sprint at the top of the Grand Colombier to claim a second stage win Sunday and reduced his overall deficit thanks to a time bonus. But his options to seize the yellow jersey are not many. He first needs to try to isolate his compatriot in the Alps, then gain more time in Saturday’s race against the clock at the Planche des Belles Filles. Pogacar beat Roglic in the Slovenian time trial championships earlier this year. “The perfect scenario would be to take it on the evening of the final time trial but we live in a real world,” Pogacar said. “If there’s a chance to take it I will try.” Yesterday was a rest day as riders underwent more coronavirus tests that could rule some out of contention if they return a positive result for COVID-19. If a competitor is confirmed positive, he will be automatically excluded while any team that registers two or more positives could be sent home today when the results will be unveiled.

YATES HOLDS OFF THOMAS TO WIN TIRRENOADRIATICO SAN BENEDETTO DEL TRONTO, Italy (AP) — Simon Yates held off a final-stage challenge from Geraint Thomas to win the eightday Tirreno-Adriatico race yesterday and set himself up as one of the favourites for the Giro d’Italia. In the concluding 10-kilometre (6.2-mile) individual time trial, Thomas finished 22 seconds ahead of Yates but that wasn’t enough for the 2018 Tour de France champion to overcome the 39-second deficit he opened the day with. Yates, a British rider with the MitcheltonScott team who won the 2018 Spanish Vuelta, finished 17 seconds ahead of Thomas in the overall standings. “I was not the favourite today so this result is even more important to me,” Yates said. “I went full gas. I gave my best in every stage.” Rafal Majka dropped from second to third overall, 29 seconds behind. Italian champion Filippo Ganna, a teammate of Thomas’ with Ineos, won the time trial in just under 11 minutes. Victor Campenaerts finished second, 18 seconds behind, and Rohan Dennis was third, 26 seconds behind. Thomas finished fourth in the time trial, 28 seconds behind Ganna, while Yates was 18th, 50 seconds behind. The entirely flat time trial started and ended in San Benedetto Del Tronto along the Adriatic coast. Yates and Thomas are expected to be among the favourites for the Giro d’Italia next month.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, September 15, 2020, PAGE 17

Celtics’ Walker, Heat’s Butler waited years for East finals By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida (AP) — Kemba Walker and Jimmy Butler entered the NBA on the same night. They’ve paid their dues since the 2011 NBA draft. Butler is a five-time AllStar, Walker a four-time selection. Walker has the better scoring numbers, Butler the better defensive numbers. Butler leads with a style that’s often erroneously perceived to be gruff, Walker likes to show a lot more emotion. And both went to new homes in the summer of 2019, looking for something better. Here they are: For the first time, Walker and Butler are headed to the Eastern Conference finals. Walker and the thirdseeded Boston Celtics take on Butler and the fifthseeded Miami Heat tonight in Game 1 of the East title series. Miami is looking for its first East championship since 2014, Boston its first since 2010. “We all think that we’re supposed to be here,” Butler said. “And that’s the way that I think, that’s the way that I love, the way that our guys think as well. Because I think confidence and your mental (approach) is the majority of this thing. ... Going into these games, it’s about us. We’re in control of our destiny right now.” The Celtics could say the same, of course. They went 2-1 against Miami in the regular season, swept Philadelphia in the first round and then needed seven games to oust reigning champion Toronto in the East semifinals. Walker has faced Miami in the playoffs before, losing in seven games in 2016 when he was in Charlotte, and said he has a respect for Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and the franchise. “We’ve just got to be locked in,” Walker said.

BOSTON Celtics’ Kemba Walker shoots against the Toronto Raptors during the second half of an NBA conference semifinal on September 11.

MIAMI Heat’s Jimmy Butler (22) passes in the first half of an NBA conference semifinal playoff against the Bucks. (AP Photos/Mark J Terrill)

“We’ve got to do it all for a very long time, especially defensively. Those guys have so many different ways they can score the basketball. We’re going to have to be really locked into their shooters, really locked into Jimmy, obviously Bam (Adebayo), who’s just a different kind of big who can do pretty much everything. So, we’re versatile, but so are they. We’re just going to have to figure ways out to get stops consistently.” • Here’s some of what to know going into the Eastern Conference finals:

Riley’s stint as Miami’s top executive (going 2-1). Riley and Celtics President Danny Ainge have had a less-than-friendly history as well, which only adds to the spice of this series.

BUBBLE’S BEST Phoenix went 8-0 in the bubble and Toronto went 14-5 — the best records of any team at Disney since the season resumed July 30. But those squads are home

now, so the best records of any club remaining in the bubble belong to Boston (13-6) and Miami (11-6). Both teams are shooting 36 per cent from 3-point range in the bubble, both shooting 46 per cent from the field in the bubble, Miami is shooting 82 per cent from the foul line while Boston is at 80 per cent. THE HISTORY Heat President Pat Riley played against the Celtics only once in the playoffs — and that was in the last playoff appearance of his career. That was just the start of the Riley vs. Celtics rivalry, however. He faced them three times as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals (going 2-1), and the Heat have played Boston in the postseason three times during

CONFERENCE FINAL EXPERIENCE The Celtics have seven players who have been on teams that reached the conference finals before, with Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart’s 12 games in this round before leading the way. Miami also has seven players who have been part of conference-final teams, with Udonis Haslem’s 38 appearances and Andre Iguodala’s 22 leading their list. All told, players from the current Heat roster has appeared in 80 conferencefinal games, the current list of Celtics in 47.

PROVEN WINNERS Among current NBA franchises, only the Los Angeles Lakers have a better record in playoff series than the Celtics and Heat. The Lakers have won 71 per cent of their series all-time, the Celtics 68 per cent and the Heat 61 per cent. FRESHER HEAT All three games of their regular-season series were the second night of backto-backs for the Heat. None of them were backto-backs for Boston, which had two days off before one of the games and a single off day for the other two contests. And obviously, there are no back-to-backs in the playoffs.

CLIPPERS, NUGGETS FACE OFF By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida (AP) — Denver started its season by talking about winning a championship way back in training camp, knowing very well that few would believe in the Nuggets’ chances. The doubters fuelled them then. The doubters still fuel them now — even though they’re one win from the Western Conference finals. Game 7 awaits the Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers tonight, with the winner headed to the West title series against the Los Angeles Lakers. “Everybody can’t wait for the L.A. Western Conference finals,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said yesterday. “But there’s a little city in Colorado called Denver, and we’re trying to do our part to make some noise and kind of further cement our position in the Western Conference and NBA hierarchy because we feel we belong there.” It’s tough to argue. The Nuggets were down 3-1 to Utah in the first round and advanced; they were down 3-1 to the Clippers this series and are still at Walt Disney World, now 5-0 in elimination games so far this season. Win today, and they’ll become the first team in NBA history to successfully erase a pair of 3-1 deficits in the same season — or the same decade, even. And they rallied from 16 points down to win Game 5, then 19 points down to win Game 6. Nikola Jokic controlled the game at both ends in the second half, and Denver has plenty of life headed into its fourth consecutive Game 7 — two last year, two this year. “When I see Nikola emotional and yelling and screaming and pounding his chest, I know we’re in a good place,” Malone said. The Clippers have never been to the conference finals; they’ve had seven chances to get there in their franchise history, going 0-7 in those games.

WNBA PLAYOFF FIELD SET WITH LAS VEGAS EARNING TOP SEED By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer THE WNBA playoff field is finally set and will tipoff today now that the league’s abridged 22-game season has come to an end. The postseason will begin today with the Chicago Sky facing Connecticut Sun. Defending champion Washington Mystics will face Diana Taurasi and Phoenix in a single elimination game in the opening round in the other opening round tonight. It went down to the last day — and the last game — of the regular season before the field was set. Las Vegas and Seattle already knew Sunday they would be the top seeds in the postseason before their matchup on the season’s final day. The Aces clinched the No. 1 seed beating the short-handed Storm, who were missing stars Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird to foot injuries. Both have have a week to rest as Seattle and Las Vegas both earned double-byes into the best-of-5 semifinal series that will begin on Sunday. It’s the first time that the Aces are the top seed. They were in a three-way battle for No. 1 spot and over a 24-hour span had to beat Los Angeles on Saturday and Seattle on Sunday to secure the berth. “Who would have thunk it?” coach Bill Laimbeer said after the win Sunday. “We end up with the best record in the league for the regular season. That’s a pretty good accomplishment for our basketball team. ... We realise we’ve won nothing. We put ourselves in a position to get into a series with only four teams remaining and that’s an accomplishment in itself.”

second round by finishing third and fourth and await the winners of tonight’s games. Some other playoff tidbits to know:

ACES head coach Bill Laimbeer While Las Vegas and Seattle played for seeding on Sunday, the Mystics were playing to get in. Washington needed a victory in its final game, beating Atlanta, to give the Mystics the final spot in the playoffs and a chance to repeat as WNBA champions — a feat that hasn’t been accomplished since Los Angeles did it in 2001-02. “The work we’ve done the last few weeks when most teams would have quit has paid off,” Mystics Coach Mike Thibault said. “It’s a great, great testament to how they’ve hung in. It’s just a wonderful feeling anytime you win. But to do it how we’ve done to get in, it’s a great feeling.” The Mystics, who lost 12 of 13 games during a stretch in the season, have now reached the playoffs four years in a row and in seven of the past eight years. This might have been their most improbable appearance over that stretch since the team was missing four starters from last season’s championship run including league MVP Elena Delle Donne. There is no margin for error in the postseason. The league switched to the single-elimination format for the first two rounds of the playoffs in 2016. Los Angeles and Minnesota earned byes into the

TOP SEED ADVANTAGE Since the league changed its playoff format, only once has a team not seeded in the top two advanced to the finals. Washington did it as the three seed in 2018 beating second-ranked Atlanta. The last three years the No. 1 seed has won the championship. That could change this year since the playoffs are being played in the bubble in Bradenton, Florida and there is no travel between games. Also with no fans, teams have no real home-court advantage except for the artificial one created by the league. RESERVE ROLL Las Vegas has been able to wear down teams with its incredible bench, led by reigning sixth-woman of the year Dearica Hamby. The Aces set a WNBA record with its reserves averaging 35 points a game — topping the old mark held by Minnesota of 33.9 set in 2008. Las Vegas has been able to stay healthy all season as the Aces are the only team that didn’t lose any players to injury once they entered the bubble. GETTING HEALTHY The Minnesota Lynx are expected to have Sylvia Fowles back for the playoffs after the star centre missed the last month as she dealt with a calf injury. “We were already in a place with her when we were managing her calf where she had short stints anyway,” Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said. “If we’re fortunate enough to have her that would be

the mind set. No way am I bringing Sylvia Fowles off the bench. If she’s healthy enough, she’s starting.” TIP-INS Connecticut became the third team in league history to start a season 0-5 and still make the postseason. The

Sun’s backcourt of Jasmine Thomas (foot) and Briann January (hand) were bothered by injuries down the stretch and for Connecticut to make a run in the postseason the pair will need to be healthy. Diana Taurasi is 6-0 in single-elimination games

since the league changed its playoff format. Chicago has the top playmaker in Courtney Vandersloot, but struggled down the stretch once they lost Azura Stevens (knee) and Diamond DeShields (personal reasons). The Sky lost six of their final eight games.

PAGE 18, Tuesday, September 15, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Steelers cut Giants down to size, 26-16 By BARRY WILNER AP Pro Football Writer EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Ben Roethlisberger did a very Pittsburgh thing in his return to the lineup, riding the Steelers’ defence and running game to victory. Oh, Big Ben did plenty to help the cause. Roethlisberger, who missed the final 14 games last season after elbow surgery, threw for three scores in a 26-16 win over the New York Giants at an empty and eerie MetLife Stadium last night. The keys, though, were several defensive plays and the running of backup Bennie Snell, who rushed for 113 yards on 19 carries — his first 100-yard performance in his second NFL season. The defence, while not quite on the level of the famed Steel Curtain, was plenty stingy and physical. It not only held Saquon Barkley to 6 yards on 15 carries, it also swarmed him in the backfield nearly all night. Three Steelers stars got them their first touchdown. All-Pro linebacker T.J. Watt made a clever interception at the New York 36. Roethlisberger beat a blitz with a perfect throw to JuJu Smith-Schuster for a 10-yard second-quarter

score. Chris Boswell’s extra point hit the upright, leaving them behind 10-9. They got the lead with 7 seconds remaining in the half as Roethlisberger connected with James Washington, who dived into the end zone for a 13-yard score. Boswell made the PAT this time, and added a 36-yard field goal early in the final quarter. That came following the night’s biggest play. Even though the Pittsburgh defence broke down as the Giants marched 87 yards on 19 plays in just under nine minutes in the third quarter, it still came up with a major stop. Bud Dupree pressured quarterback Daniel Jones as he rolled left from the 4 and deflected his pass. Edge rusher Cam Heyward practically made a fair catch in the end zone for the interception. Roethlisberger then took Pittsburgh 62 yards for the field goal and a 19-10 lead. He hit Smith-Schuster again for a 10-yard touchdown and a 26-10 lead before New York got a late TD. SLOPPINESS Not unexpectedly, sloppy play was the order of the evening early on. New York had a dropped pass by Evan Engram and a

remaining in the game and had six receptions for 102 yards. PREGAME SCENE Nineteen of the Giants’ 48 active players kneeled during the national anthem, mostly defensive players. Defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson was on a knee with a hand across his heart. The Steelers stood side by side while a group of players held a white banner with the words “Steelers Against Racism.” Only tight end Eric Ebron raised his arm. The Steelers remained in their locker room and the Giants stood in an end zone some 25 minutes earlier when the Black anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” was played.

PITTSBURGH Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (19), offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva (78) and wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) celebrate after Smith-Schuster scored a touchdown against the New York Giants during the fourth quarter last night. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) managed a 21-yard field Not exactly made for delay-of-game penalty on goal by Graham Gano. prime time — until the fourth-and-1. There were three drops beginning of the second The first time a Steeler and Darius touched the ball this season, and the muff in the first quarter post pattern it was a muff by punt half of the opening period, Slayton’s returner Diontae Johnson and neither team could run touchdown reception of 41 deep in Pittsburgh territory. the ball successfully in Joe yards for a 10-3 Giants lead. Slayton caught a Oshane Ximines recovered Judge’s debut as Giants 7-yard TD pass with 1:52 at the 3, but New York only coach.

INJURIES Steelers starting running back James Conner left in the second half with an ankle injury. Guard Stefen Wisnewski sustained a pectoral injury one play before right tackle Zach Banner hurt his right knee in the fourth quarter. NEXT UP Steelers: Host the Broncos on Sunday. Giants: Visit the Bears on Sunday.

NFL REMINDS TEAMS TO FOLLOW SIDELINE RULES ON FACE COVERINGS By BARRY WILNER AP Pro Football Writer THE NFL yesterday reminded team personnel on the sidelines about the COVID-19 requirements for wearing face coverings, saying such carelessness or disregard could put the season “at risk.” There were several games Sunday in which team members other than players did not use face coverings. Troy Vincent, who oversees the league’s football operations, sent a memo to the 32 clubs. He stressed that teams “must remain vigilant and disciplined in following the processes and protocols put in place by not only the league, union and clubs, but also by state and local governments.” After congratulating the teams for overcoming coronavirus challenges and beginning the regular season on time, Vincent

ADAM JOHNSON from PAGE 15

“So we expect some big things from him.” The 21-year-old Johnson journeyed through high school in New Providence playing for the SC McPherson Sharks from 2010-2013, the CV Bethel Stingrays from 20-13-2015 and the

strongly cautioned against undoing that work. He referred to the gameday protocols developed by the league and the NFL Players Association that reflect the advice of infectious disease experts, club medical staffs and local and state governmental regulations. Those require all individuals with bench area access, including coaches and members of the club medical staff, to wear face coverings at all times. “Failure to adhere to this requirement will result in accountability measures being imposed against offending individuals and/ or clubs,” the memo said. “The face covering must be worn as designed so that it securely fits across the wearer’s nose and mouth to prevent the transmission of the virus.” Punishment for not adhering to the protocols

has not been announced, but could include anything from fines to ejection from the sideline. During the Sunday night game between Dallas and Los Angeles, Rams coach Sean McVay often was shown on camera without a face covering. He hardly was the only coach or team member with a bare face during the 13 games Sunday. “I figured that memo was directed at me. I’ve got to do a better job about that, and so, moving forward, there will be a conscious effort to do that,” McVay said. Would he switch to a face shield like Chiefs coach Andy Reid wore? “That’s a good question,” he replied. “I haven’t decided that yet. I might even try one of the gaiters. I don’t know. I just know I’ve been getting blasted about it all day.

Jordan Prince Williams Falcons from 2015-2017. As one of the most prolific scorers in the system, Johnson couldn’t get off to college to continue his career and eventually ended up playing with the JD Seafood Shockers and the Commonwealth Bank Giants in the New Providence Basketball Association. Two years ago, Johnson said he was approached by Burrows about joining

his programme, which was geared towards assisting young players in the country to get to the professional level. One of the requirements was for him to play in the Bahamas Basketball Federation’s Summer of Thunder against the visiting college teams where they were able to assess his skills. That began the process that culminated with him going to France on August 8.

PHILADELPHIA Eagles head coach Doug Pederson and members of his coaching staff work on the sidelines wearing masks during the second half against the Washington Football Team on Sunday. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) I just love it. ... I will do better.” Raiders coach Jon Gruden also knew who the NFL was referring to. “I’m sure they’re directing that at me,” he said. “I got to do a better job keeping my mask on over my face. It was really hot, and you have a headset on and

it’s hard to communicate at times with that mask. I just got to do a better job. I got to do a better job with that mask.” The “Bench Area” under the 2020 league protocols is the sideline on each side of the field and is delineated with a yellow dotted line between the 30-yard lines.

“The journey definitely was a long one physically, emotionally and especially mentally,” Johnson said. “Being denied (a visa) five times did something to my confidence and having lost my role model, Peron Bain, was hard. “But training with Kino and playing this season with the Commonwealth Bank Giants helped me a lot with that, having national team members Furly (Michael Bain), D’Shon (Taylor) and Jackson (Jacob), along with our great coach Perry Thompson Jr, made me believe that I’m good enough to keep trying and someone will notice and that’s exactly what happened.” The son of Lena Darling said it was a promise he made to Bain not to give up, although he was preparing to enrol in the Royal Bahamas Defence Force when he got the call from Burrows that the deal was done. “I feel great. Finally all of the hard work is paying off,” Johnson said. “All the blood, sweat and tears that went into it wasn’t a waste of time. Now I just have to prove I deserve to be here.”

The season started this past weekend for Johnson, but having to iron out one or two matters, he won’t officially start playing until this weekend. “My team is expecting me to bring my leadership skills to the table along with my offensive and defensive skill set,” Johnson noted. “The atmosphere here in France is amazing. “I can’t wait until things are back to normal to really experience what France has to offer. I’m adjusting great. I got some people here guiding me, making sure my transition goes as smooth as possible. And having Kino (Burrows) and (Domnick) Nardo (Bridgewater) here with me makes everything better.” Bridgewater, who got his break about two years ago with Burrows when he went to France to play in their developmental league just as Johnson is now doing, has just signed to play with their Fos Provence Basket pro team. However, because the team was so loaded, Burrows said Bridgewater was loaned to Sapela Basket to play in the N2, which is the 4th league in France as he continues to develop his game. Johnson publicly thanked Burrows, Jeffrey Henfield, Sherrone Johnson and Bain, along with his family and friends, for believing in him and ensuring that he stayed focused. But he said the journey has just begun. “I want to climb the ladder as quickly as God allows,” he said. “My aspirations still is the NBA (National Basketball Association). “I’m not aiming for anything less.

Team personnel with Bench Area access must stay within the 32-yard lines, which are delineated with a white line. “All individuals with Bench Area access, except for players, shall be required to wear masks at all times,” the rules say. “Coaches must wear either a mask, neck gaiter, and/ or face shield to satisfy this obligation. Players who are not substituting into the game are strongly encouraged to wear masks on the sidelines, except for at games played in stadiums with state or local regulations that make the wearing of masks mandatory. In such cases, players on the sidelines must wear masks. “Becoming careless or ignoring face covering and physical distancing requirements will put the 2020 season at risk,” Vincent said.

Bridgewater makes immediate impact in France FROM PAGE 15 to the professional basketball ranks when he signed a junior pro contract with the Byers. He spent his first season as a member of the club’s Epoirs (Junior League – U21). In 28 games, he averaged 15.7 points, 4.1 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game. After a promising start to his second season in the U-21 ranks, he was made eligible to the A roster with a call up to participate in the LNB Pro B Leaders Cup. The team was eliminated in the semifinals to Nancy. At the time of his call up, Bridgewater dominated the NM3 league at 23.7 points and 7.5 assists per game. To the local players who are still in the Bahamas, waiting on their dream to come true, Johnson offered this advice: “Just keep pushing. If you work hard enough and keep God in the mix, someone will notice what you’re doing and want to help. “That’s what the Raw Talent programme is all about. It’s about giving the kids nobody wants a chance to succeed.” No doubt, Johnson hopes to make the most of his opportunity in France.

PAGE 20, Tuesday, September 15, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

BRITISH Prime Minister Boris Johnson has strongly defended his controversial plan to override sections of the Brexit deal that he negotiated with the European Union, arguing that the bloc has an “extreme” interpretation of the treaty that could jeopardise the future of the UK. In a column on Saturday in The Daily Telegraph, Johnson said the Internal Market Bill is required to end EU threats to impose a “blockade” in the Irish Sea that he argues could “carve up our country”. PHOTO: Kirsty Wigglesworth/ AP

UK’s Johnson defends planned law, says EU ‘unreasonable’ LONDON Associated Press BRITISH Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday defended his plan to unilaterally rewrite Britain’s divorce deal with the European Union as an insurance policy against the bloc’s unreasonable behaviour — even as his former attorney general joined the ranks of once-loyal lawmakers condemning the contentious move. Johnson said a planned law designed to override portions of the Brexit withdrawal agreement was needed because the EU might “go to extreme and unreasonable lengths” in its treatment of former member Britain. “I have absolutely no desire to use these measures,” Johnson told lawmakers as he introduced the Internal Market Bill in the House of Commons. “They are an insurance policy.” Johnson’s Conservative government has acknowledged that the bill

breaches the legally binding withdrawal treaty that Britain and the EU have both ratified. The legislation threatens to sink the already-foundering negotiations between Britain and the EU on a post-Brexit trade deal. The UK formally left the bloc on Jan 31, but existing trade rules remain in effect until the end of this year under a transition designed to provide time to negotiate a long-term trade agreement. Ed Milliband, business spokesman for the opposition Labour Party, accused Johnson of “trashing the reputation of this country and trashing the reputation of his office”. With an 80-seat majority in the House of Commons, Johnson is expected to have enough votes to push his legislation through Parliament despite opposition anger. The bill easily cleared its first House of Commons vote by 340 to 263 yesterday. It will now face attempts to amend or overturn it during several days

of detailed scrutiny by lawmakers before another vote. There is wide unease within Johnson’s party about the law-breaking move. Geoffrey Cox, who was the government’s top legal officer when Johnson negotiated the Brexit withdrawal agreement less than a year ago, said reneging on the deal would be an “unconscionable” breach of international law. “I simply cannot approve or endorse a situation in which we go back on our word, given solemnly,” Cox, previously a strong supporter of Johnson on Brexit, told Times Radio. “The breaking of the law ultimately leads to very long-term and permanent damage to this country’s reputation.” Sajid Javid, a former Treasury chief in Johnson’s government, also said he would not vote for the bill, because “I cannot support the UK pre-emptively reneging” on the withdrawal agreement. As part of the Brexit divorce deal, Britain and the

EU agreed to keep Northern Ireland — the only part of the UK to share a border with the bloc — bound to some EU rules on trade, to avoid the need for border checks on goods moving between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Both sides accepted the compromise to protect the open border, which helps underpin the peace process in Northern Ireland. The Internal Market Bill would give the British government the power to override the EU’s agreed role in oversight of trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. Johnson claims the EU has threatened to use “an extreme interpretation” of the withdrawal agreement to “blockade” food shipments from the rest of the UK to Northern Ireland unless Britain agrees to accept EU regulations. The EU denies threatening a blockade and says it merely wants Britain to live up to the terms of the agreement. EU leaders are outraged at the prime minister’s proposal and have

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CORPORATE DEBT - (percentage pricing) 52WK HI 100.00 100.00

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got Brexit done,” said Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London. “I think it possibly was the case in some senses that it was ‘make the agreement in haste and then repent at leisure.’ And what we’re seeing now is the repentance.” Johnson’s move has dynamited he dwindling trust between Britain and the EU as they try to negotiate a new trading relationship. Talks are due to continue this week in Brussels despite the chill in relations. Both sides say any deal must be agreed by next month so there is time for it to be ratified by Dec 31. If there is no deal, tariffs and other impediments to trade will be imposed by both sides at the start of 2021. That would mean huge economic disruption for the UK, which does half its trade with the bloc. A nodeal exit on Jan 1 would also hit some EU nations, including Ireland, France, Belgium and the Netherlands, especially hard.

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MARKET REPORT 52WK HI 4.10 22.65 2.00 1.79 2.46 6.00 6.75 5.47 8.59 4.50 6.16 12.77 3.64 5.49 10.88 8.44 16.99 4.25 9.40 15.21

threatened the UK with legal action if it does not drop the proposal by the end of the month. Two former Conservative UK prime ministers, John Major and Theresa May, have condemned the legislation. Yesterday a third, David Cameron, said he had “misgivings”. Conservative lawmaker Rehman Chishti quite as the prime minister’s special envoy on freedom of religion in protest over the bill. He tweeted yesterday that as a former lawyer, “values of respecting rule of law & honouring one’s word are dear to me”. What mystifies some observers is that Johnson is repudiating a treaty that he himself negotiated and hailed as an “oven-ready” deal that would “get Brexit done”. That declaration of victory was key to Johnson’s successful December 2019 election campaign. “There was a political imperative on the government to get an agreement and then to go to the electorate with the claim that they had, to coin a phrase,

FUND CFAL Bond Fund CFAL Balanced Fund CFAL Money Market Fund CFAL Global Bond Fund CFAL Global Equity Fund Leno Preferred Income Fund Leno Growth Fund Leno Diversified Fund Leno Global USD Bond Fund Royal Fidelity Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Secured Balanced Fund Royal Fidelity Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Targeted Equity Fund Royal Fidelity Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Prime Income Fund Royal Fidelity Int'l Fund - Equities Sub Fund Royal Fidelity Int'l Fund - High Yield Fund Royal Fidelity Int'l Fund - Alternative Strategies Fund Colonial Bahamas Fund Class D Colonial Bahamas Fund Class E Colonial Bahamas Fund Class F

NAV 2.34 4.41 2.12 196.40 163.60 1.68 1.81 1.76 1.07 8.30 9.90 7.08 11.27 12.71 10.23 N/A 8.93 11.27

YTD% 12 MTH% 2.54% 4.13% 1.12% 2.44% 1.38% 2.55% 0.65% 2.50% -1.88% 3.33% 1.10% 2.34% -2.43% 1.49% 0.34% 2.43% -11.07% -9.92% -0.45% 8.36% -3.20% 11.46% 2.10% 5.15% -6.17% 3.54% 2.92% 5.55% -4.66% -3.81% N/A N/A -4.20% 0.20% -8.60% -2.90%

MARKET TERMS

BISX ALL SHARE INDEX - 19 Dec 02 = 1,000.00

YIELD - last 12 month dividends divided by closing price

52wk-Hi - Highest closing price in last 52 weeks

Bid $ - Buying price of Colina and Fidelity

52wk-Low - Lowest closing price in last 52 weeks

Ask $ - Selling price of Colina and fidelity

Previous Close - Previous day's weighted price for daily volume

Last Price - Last traded over-the-counter price

Today's Close - Current day's weighted price for daily volume

Weekly Vol. - Trading volume of the prior week

Change - Change in closing price from day to day

EPS $ - A company's reported earnings per share for the last 12 mths

Daily Vol. - Number of total shares traded today

NAV - Net Asset Value

DIV $ - Dividends per share paid in the last 12 months

N/M - Not Meaningful

P/E - Closing price divided by the last 12 month earnings

TO TRADE CALL: CFAL 242-502-7010 | ROYALFIDELITY 242-356-7764 | COLONIAL 242-502-7525 | LENO 242-396-3225 | BENCHMARK 242-326-7333

NAV Date

31-Jul-2020 31-Jul-2020 31-Jul-2020 30-Jun-2020 30-Jun-2020 31-Jul-2020 31-Jul-2020 31-Jul-2020 31-Jul-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 30-Jun-2020 30-Jun-2020 30-Jun-2020

The Public is hereby advised that I, JIMMY PASCAL of Flax Terrace, Malcolm Road P.O. Box SP-60333 Nassau, Bahamas intend to change my name to JIMMY PASCAL EVANS . If there are any objections to this change of name by Deed Poll, you may write such objections to the Deputy Chief Passport Officer, P.O. Box N-742, Nassau, Bahamas no later than thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice.

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that YASMINE DALEAN, Lou Adderley Estate, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 8th day of September 2020 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE Canopus II International Inc. 165035B

NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION Notice is hereby given that the in accordance with Section 138(4) of the International Business Companies Act, 2000 that the above Company commenced dissolution procedures on the 7th date of September, 2020 and that Mr. Craig A. (Tony) Gomez, of The Deanery, 28 Cumberland Street, P.O. Box N-1991, Nassau, Bahamas has been appointed the Liquidator thereof. Notice is also hereby given that that the Creditors of the above named Company are required within 14 days of the date of this notice to send their names, address and the particulars of their debts or claims to the attention of Craig A. (Tony) Gomez, Liquidator of Company, or in default thereof they will be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before such debts are proved. Craig A. (Tony) Gomez Liquidator

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, September 15, 2020, PAGE 21

Airlines: We’d be better grounded FROM PAGE 24 “That’s summer travel. People want to give their family a little vacation before they go back to school. We missed all that business. Nobody wants to travel until we get the COVID-19 situation under control, the world and The Bahamas included.” Bahamasair was due to receive a $19m subsidy during the 2020-2021 fiscal year, but Mr Turnquest confirmed that this will significantly increase due to the loss of revenue and business from the COVID19 restrictions. With the national flag carrier’s operating costs estimated at $7m per month, he said of the greater subsidy ask: “I do have an idea, but it’s not for me to tell you at this time. I have to provide it up the line. In wouldn’t want that in the paper.” Anthony K Hamilton, president of the Bahamas Association of Air Transport Operators, told Tribune Business that the liability for Bahamasair’s further losses following the

resumption of inter-island travel last Wednesday, September 9, will again fall on long-suffering taxpayers. “When you think about it, Bahamasair taking on just four passengers going out, just imagine how much is lost to introduce that flight. Who’s paying for it? The taxpayers,” he said, revealing that “not even a handful” of privately-owned domestic airlines and operators have resumed flying because the low load factors meant it was just not financially viable. “There’s minimal traffic because of the COVID-19 restrictions. You have the quarantine period and fee associated with securing the negative COVID-19 PCR test result,” Mr Hamilton added. “That’s the sentiment that’s emanating right now. Nothing has changed. “As a matter of fact, some operators have not even moved. It’s a miniscule amount that are seeking to execute; not even a handful. We will see how things go by later this week, but I suppose everybody is going to scale back a bit.” Mr Hamilton disclosed

Ansbacher hit with $1.1m client payout FROM PAGE 24 investments transferred into the account later that year were beneficially owned by Stonedene, whose trustee was Appleby Trust (Cayman), the trust arm of the well-known international financial centre (IFC) law firm of the same name. A fresh set of investment goals and guidelines (IGGs) were agreed for the Stonedene assets with its nominee, Artemis, seeking “aggressive long-term capital growth with a higher risk approach”. The target allocations were 70 percent of the assets invested in a diversified portfolio of established global equity stocks; 25 percent in fixed income securities, such as bonds; and five percent in alternative investments such as “lower risk” funds-of-funds structures. However, Stonedene alleged that in September 2008 - at the global financial crisis’ peak with Lehman Brothers’ failure - that the value of its investment holdings plunged by 65.6 percent. It blamed the fall, from $5.051m to $1.739m, on Ansbacher (Bahamas) “acting outside the scope” of the IGG guidelines.

It claimed that this amounted to “breach of contract and/or negligent management” of its assets, and initiated legal proceedings before the Supreme Court. Stonedene, which was represented by attorneys Sean Moree and Vanessa Smith of McKinney, Bancroft & Hughes, hired Clarus Risk Ltd to review Ansbacher (Bahamas) performance as investment manager. “In the report, Clarus Risk found that although part of the decline in value may have been due to capital outflows, the absolute figure for the loss attributable to the decline in value of the assets within the portfolio during this period was $1.849m, a loss of 39.96 percent,” Stonedene alleged. The $1.849m was the compensation it ultimately sought to claim at trial, rather than the full $3.3m fall in the value of its investments. Clarus Risk also constructed an asset portfolio that met the IGG terms, with the results and comparisons allegedly showing that Ansbacher (Bahamas) “under-performed the benchmark by $606,717” or 17.6 percent via investments that gave lower returns and were more volatile.

that the decisions by Baha Mar and Sandals Royal Bahamian to delay their re-openings beyond the October 15 date recommended by the Ministry of Tourism for the hotel industry’s return would negatively impact domestic aviation operators by causing the major international airlines to reduce airlift/ seats into Nassau. “The major hotels not opening any time soon is going to impact in terms of bulk traffic,” he explained. “The domestic operators operate as a feeder system for the bulk traffic. That’s a big component we rely upon for traffic to move. Once the large resorts are closed we have to rely on domestic traffic, and domestic traffic is thin because they don’t have cash flow.” Mr Hamilton echoed Mr Turnquest in acknowledging that airlift was “absolutely necessary” for the economic and social viability of the Family Islands, but said this will “take some time to rebuild” due to the fall-out from COVID-19. “We need to take a good hard look at the industry,” he continued. “When we

think of inter-island relationships, we need a very strong programme of interconnectivity for the Family Islands. A very strong infrastructure needs to be in place.” One airline that resumed commercial operations on September 9 was Western Air, albeit with the same lowered expectations for load factors and business volumes due to COVID-19. Sherrexcia “Rexy” Rolle, the company’s vicepresident of operations and general counsel, told Tribune Business in a statement: “We are flying daily between our domestic locations - Marsh Harbour, Freeport, San Andros, Congo Town, Bimini, Cat Island, Georgetown and Nassau. “The travel requirements, mainly the negative COVID-19 PCR test to depart Nassau and the 14-day quarantine upon arrival for all locations, has deterred or made it difficult for many to travel. The usual business traveller whose normal travel pattern is same-day excursions or two to three-day trips is reluctant to fly because they

would not be permitted to conduct business upon their arrival even with a negative COVID-19 test. “We have received a number of calls pertaining to that. Nevertheless, there are passengers on board. It’s not the usual volume, and we don’t expect it to be with the current requirements. We trust that as things progress and there is more accessibility to the PCR test, more travel will proceed, or the requirements are adjusted to better suit domestic travel while balancing both health and economics.” Ms Rolle said Western Air was following all COVID-19 cleaning and health and safety protocols. She added: “Prior to the late July (COVID) resurgence, domestic travel was able to operate while cases were indeed contained without the need of PCR tests to depart Nassau. “Airlines are one of the safest forms of travel due to the high efficiency air filtration and ventilation systems that allows fresh air to circulate within the cabin. Western Air jet aircrafts, similar to those operated

by other international carriers, are equipped with the high efficiency filtration and ventilation systems that significantly increases the quality of air in the cabin, which makes it less likely to transfer communicable diseases. “Aircrafts, like the ones Western Air operates, were equipped with these air systems prior to the pandemic because aircraft manufacturers would have planned this to combat the threats of tuberculosis, SARS and other communicable diseases in the past. And while everyone must still travel and interact with an abundance of caution, it is important for the flying public to know this.” Faron Sawyer, Cherokee Air’s chief executive, told Tribune Business the company had resumed commercial flights “on a smaller scale” since the COVID-19 inter-island travel restrictions were lifted. “The only thing that is making business a little slow is that people have to quarantine wherever it is they have to go and they are not wanting to travel because of it,” he added.

While Stonedene alleged that Ansbacher (Bahamas) acted as a “static” rather than active investment manager, and did not invest its holdings in accordance with the percentage guidelines set out in the IGG, the bank vehemently denied the allegations against it and said no loss had resulted from its actions or inactions. The Bahamian financial institution argued that its management of the account “was in accordance with the industry standard”, and that Stonedene failed to account for the fact that withdrawals from its account impacted the ability to meet the IGG allocation guidelines. It added that the financial crisis also impaired its ability to redeem various fund investments made on the client’s behalf. Both sides called their respective witnesses, with each providing an “expert” in financial services/investment management. Justice Winder noted that both experts agreed that Stonedene’s investments were being managed outside the IGG limits, although a five percent variance either side was the equivalent of a “passive breach”. He found that much of the controversy between the two sides revolved around whether gold was considered as an alternative investment, as this impacted the asset allocation within the portfolio. Justice Winder cited a January 21, 2009, letter from Jillian Dames (then Dorsett), Ansbacher

(Bahamas) ex-director and head of investment services, as admitting the IGG guidelines had been breached. Equities at end-September 2008 were 56.85 percent of Stonedene’s investment holdings, rather than the target 70 percent, while so-called “alternative investments” made-up 43.15 percent as opposed to the 25 percent goal. Justice Winder said the evidence showed Ansbacher (Bahamas) was treating gold as an “alternative investment” and that the portfolio was being managed in breach of the asset allocation guidelines, dismissing the bank’s arguments to the contrary. He also found that the Bahamian bank breached its “duty of care” with respect to over-investing Stonedene’s assets in the III Fund, which at one time represented 40 percent of the portfolio. That fund “indicated periods of extreme illiquidity and made it unreasonable for Ansbacher to have invested 25 percent of its alternative asset allocation in a single holding of the III Fund”. Stonedene alleged that it was not informed of III Fund’s December 2008 suspension of redemption requests until January 2009, while Justice Winder said

there was “no dispute” that the valuations of its investment holdings were “laced with errors”. Ms Dames said manual work was required to provide these because the “banking system” that Ansbacher (Bahamas) relied upon did not produce timely pricing and data feeds since it was not designed for investment management. “I readily accept the submission of Stonedene that the production of timely and accurate valuations to the client is the duty of any investment manager, and this was not done in this case, resulting in a breach of duty,” Justice Winder ruled. “Ansbacher accepts that it has not preserved documentation relative to arrangements between itself and Stonedene. Ansbacher bemoans a change in ownership in 2011 which it says caused material to be misplaced. I did not accept Ansbacher’s response as acceptable in all the circumstances.. “Ansbacher had been put on notice of this complaint since January 4, 2010, and threatening a claim. Whilst the sales agreement for the sale of Ansbacher may have been entered into in February 2009, the sale was not concluded then. One would have thought due diligence

in the purchase would have flagged this potential claim.” Summing up, Justice Winder concluded: “I am satisfied that in all the circumstances, Ansbacher failed in its duty to exercise such skill, care and diligence as is usual or necessary in or for the ordinary or proper conduct of the profession of investment management. “A reasonably competent and experienced investment manager would have provided accurate valuations, acted in accordance with the asset allocations in the IGGs, notified the client in the event the IGGs moved far outside the allocations, and preserved its documents in relation to the managed investments.” However, given that the saga occurred during the market volatility caused by the 2008 financial crisis, Justice Winder cut Stonedene’s compensation by 40 percent from the $1.849m claimed, dropping it to $1.109m.

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

PAGE 22, Tuesday, September 15, 2020

BTVI chief urges jobless to seek out skills training THE Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI)’s president is urging persons who have lost their jobs or been furloughed due to COVID-19 to apply to it for retraining. Dr Robert W Robertson, adding that BTVI’s courses mirror international industry standards, said: “As we continue to experience the residual effects of

COVID-19, I implore persons who are furloughed or not working to apply to our institution to prepare for employment or entrepreneurship. “This pandemic has certainly highlighted the importance of possessing a skill that can provide an income even when businesses are closed. BTVI will be offering a series

of short employmentfocused courses over the next few months that will be designed specifically to assist those individuals looking to upgrade their skills in technology.” Dr Robertson spoke after BTVI was recently approved to offer two more City & Guilds qualifications. These are the introductory award in

employability skills and certificate in employability skills. The institution also offers the City and Guilds Level 3 Diploma in Engineering maintenance, installation and commissioning. Considered one of the leading skills development organisations, City and Guilds provides training services to multiple sectors

in a bid to meet the needs of today’s workforce. It offers a wide range of vocational qualifications in several occupational areas, ranging across eight levels - from entry to high-order - which are designed for cross-border employment. BTVI staff have participated in City & Guilds training workshops since the institution acquired the

THE TRIBUNE

DR ROBERT ROBERTSON accreditation from the UKbased institute in 2018. City and Guilds has a presence in more than 80 countries, and is considered one of the leading skills development organisations, with its qualifications valued by employers.

WEBINARS TO ADDRESS POST-COVID PROGRESS THE Bahamas Business Outlook (BBO) webinar series returns today with a focus on how the country’s economy can progress amid the COVID-19 uncertainties and upheavals. Gregory Pepin, Deltec Bank & Trust’s deputy chief executive, will join adjunct professors in economics and finance at the University of The Bahamas, Robbyn Thompson and Rupert Pinder, to discuss Options for a Better Economic Outlook. Mr Pepin, who appeared in the series’ Moving the Economy webinar earlier this year, said then that “if The Bahamas takes some serious decisions and really bold movements, the country could really get out of this crisis as a leader instead of a follower. And it means thinking outside the box”.

Citing the COVID-19 pandemic as a “unique opportunity to reset the game”, Mr Pepin called for innovation in tourism, real estate and agriculture, but also challenged The Bahamas to look at new revenue streams. “These are the kinds of thought-provoking conversations we expect to have during our upcoming webinar, so we are pleased to have Mr Pepin back. He has an extensive and impressive career in international finance, and since 2017 The Bahamas has been benefiting from that expertise,” said Joan Albury, president of TCL Group and organiser of the Bahamas Business Outlook. “We are equally as honoured to have Rupert Pinder, a trusted voice in the economic field, and Robbyn

Thompson, who is a qualified educator and seasoned entrepreneur.” At the age of 26, Ms Thompson is an experienced businesswoman. In 2012, she launched a hair and beauty retail business to fund her college education. She obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Economics, with distinction, from the nowUniversity of The Bahamas (UB) and went on to earn a Master of Science (MSc.) in international trade, strategy and operations, with distinction, from the UK’s University of Warwick. “Ms Thompson is also the recipient of the 2018 Government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas Minister’s Cup Award, and the National Youth Award in Education, and was selected as the national

youth delegate for the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting,” Mrs Albury added. “We have a diverse panel that promises to bring a variety of different perspectives to the conversation. This makes for a provocative discussion that will challenge and inspire us as we all seek to move forward in a new post-COVID-19 reality. We must bring everyone to the discussion table and look at how we can improve all sectors of the economy for the betterment of all.” The webinar series will continue on Thursday, September 17, with Entrepreneurship and its role in the economy. This will feature Brandon Kemp, co-founder of Tin Ferl and Hello Culture; Santina McKinney, co-founder and chief executive of Mediabox

Bahamas; and Quinn Russell, co-founder and marketing director of Louis & Steen’s New Orleans Coffeehouse. Mrs Albury said of Thursday’s webinar: “When we are talking about the economy, we have to examine the impact of small and mediumsized business and the real potential that they have to build an economy. “The safety measures that have been utilised and put in place by the government over the last few months have been effective in flattening the curve and slowing down the spread of the virus, but they have also had a drastic negative impact on the ability of small businesses to survive and keep their doors open. Where do these businesses go from here? “During this webinar, our

panelists will discuss not only the importance of small businesses and the creativity of entrepreneurs, but also the need to support and invest in small businesses in the effort to revive the economy during this time period.” Philip Simon, host of Bahamas at Sunrise and a former Bahamas Chamber of Commerce executive director, will host Options for a better economic outlook on Tuesday, September 15. Benjamin Moultrie-Grant, social architect and Christian artist, will host Entrepreneurship and its role in the economy on September 17. Both webinars will run from 10.30am to noon. The free webinars will be hosted on Zoom and Bahamas Business Outlook’s Facebook page. For access details, visit tclevents.com.

Ex-MP tells govt: ‘Let us get on with our lives’ FROM PAGE 24 by the former Christie administration are “valid and binding” upon the government. He also accused

the latter and Bank of The Bahamas of participating in an alleged “unlawful conspiracy” to seize that his Tonique Williams Highway property.

Those leases were among the contracts identified by K Peter Turnquest, deputy prime minister, during the 2018 mid-year budget

debate as “handcuffing” the government’s financial plans. It was one of two cases he cited where the government owed between $13m-$14m for property leases and had “no exit clauses”, even though “not one single government worker has ever set foot in the building”. However, Damian Gomez QC, Mr Miller’s attorney, previously told this newspaper that the government and Bank of The Bahamas’ conduct had been “really catastrophic” for Mr Miller and his companies. He said the former’s failure to follow through on executing the leases, and the refusal of both to finance contractuallyagreed upgrades to the property - as well as the loss of rental income - had left the companies’ unable to repay the loan with the BISX-listed bank.

Besides claiming damages for the loss of multi-million dollar rental income, Mr Miller also accused the Minnis administration of deliberately refusing to follow through on the leases signed by its predecessor knowing it “would trigger a default” on $25m$28m worth of loans owed to Bank of The Bahamas, thereby paving the way for the bank and the Bahamas Resolve bail-out vehicle to seize control of Summerwinds Plaza. Mr Miller has described the leases that were entered into in December 2016 as “a win-win” for all parties given that the rental rate was 45-55 per cent lower than that typically enjoyed by the government. The outspoken added that the main potential tenant was the Immigration Department, which had been lined up to lease

some 98,000 square feet at the former Robin Hood store. Other government departments supposed to join it were the Registrar General’s Department, Public Parks and Beaches Authority and Parliamentary Registration (voting) Department. Despite Mr Bethel’s threatened appeal, the present outcome of Mr Miller’s case is also likely to encourage those with similar legal claims against the government. One such action involves businessman and accountant Kingman Ingraham, who is seeking at least $30m against the government based on its alleged breach of an irrevocable lease agreement to rent the former Kelly’s Warehouse on Soldier Road for the Department of Public Health - a situation that has placed his family home in jeopardy.

‘Battle 4 Atlantis’ fate bound up with reopening

The “Battle 4 Atlantis”, featuring eight top National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) teams, has been billed as the top Division One NCAA preseason event for US college basketball. This year’s version, which is supposed to be held from November 25-27 in Atlantis’ Imperial Arena, is scheduled to feature Utah, Duke, Creighton, Ohio State, West Virginia, Memphis, Wichita State and Texas A&M. However, US sports reporters have suggested that plans are underway to move the tournament to a different location. One of the sites said to be under discussion is the Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota,

although others are also said to be under consideration. Such a move would come as little surprise in the COVID-19 environment. The National Basketball Association (NBA) has been forced to complete its season without fans in the so-called Orlando “bubble”, making it unlikely that any of the eight college teams would seek to bring their supporters to The Bahamas given the health and safety risks. And the logistics of such an undertaking, as well as The Bahamas’ own COVID-19 restrictions such as the 14-day quarantine and negative COVID-19 PCR test, represent further obstacles to holding Battle 4 Atlantis here in 2020.

take a decision on whether to extend the individual and business assistance initiatives launched to lessen COVID-19’s worst effects beyond end-September 2020 as funding has only been budgeted up to this point. The government has already financed a 13-week extension to the National Insurance Board’s (NIB) unemployment benefit, taking such welfare to 26 weeks in total or six months (half a year). Mr Turnquest last week voiced hope that the recommended October 15 tourism re-opening will reduce the social security lines, but Baha Mar and Sandals Royal Bahamian

promptly said they were delaying their returns beyond that month. Should there be no further extension of the temporary lay-off period, employers will be mandated to pay workers they do not bring back their full severance pay as mandated by the Employment Act. Yet weeks and months of COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions, with no revenue coming in, will likely leave many companies struggling to afford this. And many workers may not want to accept severance packages given the difficulty in finding new jobs amid the depressed COVID-19 economy.

FROM PAGE 24

the Thanksgiving weekend in the US due to travel demand. And, the previous year, Mr Markantonis said: “In 2012, that tournament generated advertising value of $9.2m and publicity value of $27.6m. We expect it to be at least the same this year. A lot of this comes from the live TV coverage of all the games across North America, and also print media across the US, including all major news outlets.”

‘Make a deal’ on temporary lay-off end before too late

FROM PAGE 24

lay-offs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the government to extend this so-called “grace period” twice, the last one taking the timeline to end-September, in a bid to slow additions to a national unemployment rate thought to be approaching at least 40 percent. Yet K Peter Turnquest, deputy prime minister, has indicated that the government has yet to

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, September 15, 2020, PAGE 23

US HALTS IMPORTS FROM CHINA’S UIGHUR REGION FOR FORCED LABOUR WASHINGTON Associated Press

FOUR companies and a manufacturing facility in northwestern China were blocked yesterday from shipping their products to the US because of their suspected reliance on forced labour from people detained as part of a massive campaign against ethnic minorities in the region. US Customs and Border Protection issued orders freezing imports from companies that produce cotton, clothing and computer parts in the Xinjiang region of northwestern China, where authorities have detained more than one million

people in detention camps as part of the crackdown. CBP also halted imports of hair products made at a manufacturing facility where authorities believe Uighurs and other ethnic minorities are forced to work. Ken Cuccinelli, the acting deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, dismissed the notion that the facility is a “vocational” centre as has been portrayed by Chinese authorities. “It is a concentration camp, a place where religious and ethnic minorities are subject to abuse and forced to work in heinous conditions with no recourse and no freedom,” Cuccinelli

said. “This is modern day slavery.” The treatment of people in Xinjiang has become a source of friction between the US and China amid broader tensions over trade and the response to the coronavirus outbreak. The Trump administration has over the past year issued eight of what are known as “withhold release orders”, on goods from China to block goods tainted by forced labour and is considering further steps amid ongoing disputes over trade and other issues between the two countries. Among the measures under consideration is an order banning cotton and

tomatoes from the entire Xinjiang region, a move that could have significant economic effects. Cuccinelli said the administration was still studying the proposal. “We are gathering more evidence there but also just doing a more thorough legal analysis to make sure we can withstand any legal assault once we proceed with it,” he said in a conference call with reporters. The US issues the orders under the 1930 Tariff Act, which prohibits imports produced with prison or slave labour to ensure fair competition with US manufacturers and keep tainted products out of the supply chain. Enforcement has

increased since the law was strengthened in 2016 under President Barack Obama. Acting CBP Commissioner Mark Morgan said US businesses need to do “extreme diligence” when acquiring goods from overseas, especially China and other places with a history of using forced labor. American consumers can do their part by demanding information on how products are made. “We can use our economic power to tell businesses that we will not stand idly by and allow foreign companies to prey upon vulnerable workers while harming American businesses that respect human rights and the rule of law,”

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 74° F/23° C

TAMPA

TONIGHT

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Partly sunny with a shower in spots

Patchy clouds with a shower nearby

More clouds than sun

Partly sunny and pleasant

Mostly sunny; a stray shower

Partly sunny, a t‑storm possible

High: 88°

Low: 78°

High: 88° Low: 79°

High: 88° Low: 78°

High: 89° Low: 77°

AccuWeather RealFeel

99° F

87° F

97°-88° F

99°-88° F

100°-87° F

101°-87° F

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 76° F/24° C

The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.

almanac

ABACO

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 82° F/28° C

6‑12 knots

WEST PALM BEACH High: 89° F/32° C Low: 77° F/25° C

3‑6 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE E

FREEPORT

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 78° F/26° C

MIAMI

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 78° F/26° C

7‑14 knots

KEY WEST

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 83° F/28° C

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 78° F/26° C

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 81° F/27° C

uV inDex toDay

The higher the AccuWeather UV IndexTM number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.

tiDes For nassau High Today

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

6:30 a.m. 6:59 p.m.

3.1 3.6

12:35 a.m. 0.7 12:41 p.m. 0.4

Wednesday 7:21 a.m. 7:47 p.m.

3.3 3.7

1:22 a.m. 1:34 p.m.

0.4 0.1

Thursday

8:11 a.m. 8:35 p.m.

3.6 3.8

2:08 a.m. 2:26 p.m.

0.1 0.0

Friday

9:00 a.m. 9:23 p.m.

3.8 3.7

2:53 a.m. 0.0 3:18 p.m. ‑0.1

Saturday

9:51 a.m. 10:12 p.m.

3.8 3.6

3:40 a.m. ‑0.1 4:11 p.m. 0.0

Sunday

10:42 a.m. 11:03 p.m.

3.8 3.4

4:27 a.m. ‑0.1 5:05 p.m. 0.1

Monday

11:36 a.m. 11:58 p.m.

3.8 3.1

5:17 a.m. 6:02 p.m.

0.0 0.3

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:56 a.m. 7:13 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

4:47 a.m. 6:19 p.m.

New

First

Full

Last

Sep. 17

Sep. 23

Oct. 1

Oct. 9

CAT ISLAND

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 81° F/27° C

6‑12 knots

7‑14 knots Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 88° F/31° C Low .................................................... 77° F/25° C Normal high ....................................... 88° F/31° C Normal low ........................................ 75° F/24° C Last year’s high ................................. 92° F/33° C Last year’s low ................................... 78° F/26° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.04” Year to date ............................................... 45.06” Normal year to date ................................... 26.97”

Morgan said on the call. The facility was identified as the Lop County No 4 Vocational Skills Education and Training Center in Xinjiang, where CBP says it has information that “reasonably indicates” the use of prison labour to make hair products. In its orders, CBP named the Yili Zhuowan Garment Manufacturing Co, Ltd and Baoding LYSZD Trade and Business Co, Ltd, which make clothing in Xinjiang. It also halted shipments from the Junggar Cotton and Linen Co, and Hefei Bitland Information Technology Co, which it says uses prison and forced labour to make computer parts.

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 80° F/27° C

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 81° F/27° C

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

W S

LONG ISLAND

tracking map

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 80° F/27° C

6‑12 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 87° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 85° F/29° C Low: 81° F/27° C

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 81° F/27° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 88° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

7‑14 knots

marine Forecast ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR

Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday:

WINDS E at 3‑6 Knots ESE at 6‑12 Knots SE at 6‑12 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots ENE at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 4‑8 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots ESE at 4‑8 Knots ESE at 6‑12 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots NE at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots

WAVES 4‑7 Feet 3‑6 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 3‑5 Feet 3‑5 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 3‑6 Feet 3‑6 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 4‑7 Feet 3‑6 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet

VISIBILITY 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 86° F 86° F 86° F 87° F 86° F 86° F 86° F 86° F 86° F 86° F 86° F 86° F 86° F 87° F 86° F 86° F 86° F 86° F 86° F 86° F 86° F 86° F 85° F 85° F 86° F 86° F

business@tribunemedia.net

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2020

$4.01

ATLANTIS PARADISE ISLAND

‘Battle 4 Atlantis’ fate bound up with reopening By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net ATLANTIS last night said the fate of the Thanksgiving US college basketball tournament it traditionally hosts every year is inextricably tied to when the resort re-opens. Responding to Tribune Business inquiries, after multiple US media outlets reported that Battle 4 Atlantis will likely be moved to an alternative location, the Paradise Island mega resort said in a brief statement: “Any decision on Battle 4 Atlantis 2020 will be confirmed once we have made a decision regarding a re-opening date.” Atlantis last week said it was still “evaluating” when to re-open as it assesses COVID-19 infection rates in major US source markets such as Florida, New York and Texas, as well as here in The Bahamas. No date has yet been forthcoming, and the likelihood of Battle 4 Atlantis being held at its normal location will grow less with each day that one is not announced. One Atlantis insider, speaking on condition of anonymity, told this newspaper “that’s a big loss” when informed of the uncertainties surrounding the eight-college tournament. “That’s huge,” they said. “It’s a great thing for Atlantis; advertising, publicity and business.” Battle 4 Atlantis has been used by the mega resort for the better part of a decade to help kickstart the Thanksgiving holiday weekend that traditionally signals the start of the peak winter tourism season. The college teams and their fans boost occupancies and other revenue streams at Atlantis, which also benefits from the TV coverage and resulting publicity with millions of potential visitors. George Markantonis, Atlantis former president and managing director, said in 2014 that the tournament would result in 100 percent occupancy at the Paradise Island resort over the key Thanksgiving holiday. He added that it also helped counter the effects of high air fares, which peak over

SEE PAGE 22

$4.01

Ex-MP tells govt: ‘Let us get on with our lives’ By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Cabinet minister yesterday urged the government to “execute the leases so my family and I can get on with our lives” after the Supreme Court awarded him nearly $10m in damages. Leslie Miller, the former Tall Pines MP, told Tribune Business he saw “no reason” why the Minnis administration should not give effect to the five contracts committing the government to rent space for multiple public agencies at his Summerwinds Shopping Plaza off Tonique Williams Highway. Speaking after Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson determined the initial damages at $9.8m, Mr Miller pledged that “the truth will come out” as he denied that the five leases agreed under the former Christie administration represented a “sweetheart deal” or provided him with any favours. Declining to go into detail on the award, he told this newspaper: “I just want to get the matter resolved on

• Miller awarded nearly $10m on lease breach • Urges administration to follow through on deal • AG: ‘Leave to appeal’ bid already underway

LESLIE MILLER

CARL BETHEL QC

behalf of my family and employees at Mario’s Bowling and Entertainment, and carry on with life.... “We have been vilified in media but I can take the blows, ridiculing me and my family. The truth will come out. People will see that we got no special privileges. We simply did our job, that’s all we did. We didn’t take advantage of the government or the Bahamian people.” Mr Miller added that with “COVID-19 going to be around for some time”, the government and its agencies

will need all the accommodation and office space they can get especially given the need to comply with social distancing and other virus counter-measures. “Execute the leases so we can get on with our lives,” the former Cabinet minister pleaded with the government. “We see no reason why they [the government] would not go ahead with those leases. “Those leases were executed by the treasurer of The Bahamas. Finish the lease so that we can get the building ready for them.

Go ahead and do it. Let us go ahead and get the buildings finished. You need the space.” Tribune Business reported earlier this year that Justice Grant-Thompson had given a given a verbal pre-Christmas 2019 ruling in Mr Miller’s favour, with just the amount of damages and the written verdict awaited at that time. Carl Bethel QC, the attorney general, in a messaged reply to this newspaper’s inquiries last night, confirmed that the government plans to appeal the ruling and damages award. “Yes, we do intend to appeal,” he said. “We applied for leave to appeal to the judge because the rules require that we apply to the judge first. I have no further comment on a live matter.” Mr Miller’s lawsuit, filed last July, had been seeking a Supreme Court declaration that the five leases entered into on December 1, 2016,

SEE PAGE 22

Ansbacher hit with $1.1m client payout By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net A MAJOR Bahamian bank has been ordered to pay more than $1.1m to a former client for negligence and breach of contract over the management of its multi-million dollar investment portfolio. Justice Ian Winder, in a September 7, 2020, ruling found that Ansbacher (Bahamas) “failed in its duty to exercise such skill, care and diligence as is usual or necessary” for an investment manager in handling assets belonging to Stonedene Ltd, a corporate client whose beneficial owners were not identified. The Supreme Court ruling disclosed that valuations provided by Ansbacher (Bahamas) for Stonedene’s investment holdings were “laced with errors”, with a senior executive at the bank admitting

• Bank failed to use ‘necessary skill and diligence’ • Portfolio valuations ‘laced with errors’, says judge • Awards total $1.4m after two verdicts this sum it was relying on a “banking system” - rather than an investment management system - to produce these calculations. And Justice Winder said it was “unacceptable in all the circumstances” for Ansbacher (Bahamas) to blame its 2011 sale to AF Holdings, the former Colina Financial Group, for its failure to preserve all documents and materials relating to its management of Stonedene’s investment portfolio. He also queried whether due diligence related to the sale “flagged this potential claim” against the bank. The Stonedene dispute erupted at the start of the 2008-2009 global financial crisis and subsequent recession, coinciding with

the collapse of Wall Street investment bank, Lehman Brothers. It also occurred when Ansbacher (Bahamas) was still part of the worldwide group bearing the same name, and before its acquisition by AF Holdings. AF Holdings and its principals, attorney Emanuel Alexiou and investment manager, Anthony Ferguson, thus inherited a dispute that has ultimately resulted in Ansbacher (Bahamas) having to pay substantial compensation twice to two former clients within a fourmonth time period. This newspaper revealed in July how the Supreme Court, this time through Justice Indra Charles, ordered Ansbacher

(Bahamas) to pay $317,000 in lost profits to a UK investor, Steven Chromik, over a bungled Netflix share trade he claims cost him his townhouse. The Stonedene award takes the collective pay-out by Ansbacher (Bahamas) to its former clients to more than $1.4m. The former’s relationship with the Bahamian bank began in October 17, 2016, via an investment management agreement for Ansbacher (Bahamas) to handle its assets. This agreement was superseded when another entity, Artemis Asset Holding, opened an account with Ansbacher (Bahamas) in February 2008. Cash and

SEE PAGE 21

$3.95

PETER GOUDIE

‘Make a deal’ on temporary lay-off end before too late By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net EMPLOYERS, trade unions and the government are being urged to “make some kind of deal” to avoid the pitfalls and uncertainty that could occur when the temporary lay-off period finishes at month’s end. Peter Goudie, the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation’s (BCCEC) labour specialist, told Tribune Business that reaching some agreement on the way forward was becoming more urgent by the day with time running out and several major hotels confirming they will not re-open in October. “That’s an interesting question,” Mr Goudie replied when this newspaper raised the impending temporary furlough’s close at end-September. “What my concern is, if you let this go without making a deal with some of the major employers, the likes of Atlantis and Baha Mar, where are you going to go from here with redundancies? “I don’t know. I really don’t know. I can’t see them [the employers] affording to make everybody redundant, but I can’t see where we’re going with this. It seems to me we should be making some type of negotiated agreement. You maybe have to make some kind of deal between the government and large employers as to what we’re going to do.” Mr Goudie also raised the prospect of including those industries that remain shut as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as bars, cinemas and nightclubs, in any such arrangement. “This is really a difficult situation,” he added. “Personally, I don’t know what the answer is, but the government, employers and the unions where necessary - need to sit down and talk about what the future is going to be.” Reforms to the Employment Act in 2017 mandate that once workers have been sent home for a 13-week, 90-day period, an employer either has to recall them or terminate them with full compensation as required by law. However, the unprecedented scale of temporary

SEE PAGE 22

Airlines: We’d be better grounded By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAN airlines yesterday suggested they may be better off remaining grounded with COVID-19 restrictions transforming the return of inter-island travel into “a loss leader”. Tommy Turnquest, Bahamasair’s chairman, conceded “that’s a question you have to ask” when Tribune Business queried whether it was financially worthwhile for the lossmaking national flag carrier to return to the skies when the typical flight was carrying “under ten” passengers. Such volumes represent less than 14 percent and 24 percent, respectively, of the load factors available on Bahamasair’s 72-seat and 42-seat ATR turbo prop aircraft, but Mr Turnquest said it was nevertheless vital that

• Restrictions make inter-island travel ‘loss leader’ • Bahamasair to seek extra subsidy, loads ‘under 10’ • ‘Not even a handful’ of private operators return the airline fulfill its mandate to provide vital transportation links between Nassau and all the Family Islands. “I didn’t expect any traffic really from Nassau to the island destinations because of the negative COVID-19 PCR test requirement, the cost of it and the 14-day quarantine,” he told this newspaper. “I figured that in itself would dampen demand. I thought there would be some pent-up demand to come to Nassau, but there isn’t even that. In the south-east Bahamas, Acklins, Crooked Island, we had a flight back with 30. There were people down there that wanted to come

back, but that was just one flight. We’re taking a dozen to Marsh Harbour but the numbers are really, really low. “But I think it’s important for the government to begin to provide some transportation links, which is the purpose for why Bahamasair was formed, but it’s definitely a loss leader,” Mr Turnquest added. “Somebody’s got to do it. The government has to show we’re beginning to assist in terms of opening up the islands of The Bahamas. That’s one of the reasons Bahamasair gets its subvention.” Acknowledging the further financial losses, and

additional burden this will likely impose on Bahamian taxpayers, Mr Turnquest said the Government had provided the national flag carrier with some $6m during August when the airline was totally shutdown amid the travel suspension designed to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. And he lamented that Bahamasair had also lost one of its revenue rich (by comparison) periods that is typically the July-August period of vacations and back-so-school. “We’re normally awash with cash in July and August; that is normally the boom time,” he added.

SEE PAGE 21