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SHOCK AND TEARS AT DEATH OF OBIE

A CASKET draped in the Bahamian flag arrived at the Odyssey Aviation Airport in New Providence from Grand Bahama

with the body of Obie Wilchcombe at 5.55pm yesterday. Friends and cabinet ministers looked on in shock, struggling to process the loss as honour guards carried the remains to a hearse

Court awards man $26k for wrongful arrest

THE Supreme Court has awarded $26,500 to a man police considered a gang leader after a judge found he was wrongfully arrested and detained in 2015 and 2016.

Chief Justice Ian Winder has awarded Daran Neely $7,500 as basic compensatory damages for his arrest and detention in December 2015; $14,000 as basic

Wendy’s resubmits plan for paradise island location

compensatory damages for his arrest and detention in February 2016; and $5k as aggravated damages to reflect the fact that his February 2016 arrest was unexplained.

National Security Minister Wayne Munroe represented Mr Neely in the case before the 2021

WENDY’S is urging the planning authorities to take “great care” to ensure approval for a Paradise Island restaurant, which could create between 75-100 total jobs, is not again derailed by procedural irregularities.

Psomi Holdings, the corporate vehicle seeking to redevelop the former Scotiabank branch into a combined 175-seat Wendy’s and Marco’s Pizza eatery, called on the Town Planning Committee to make sure “the correct procedures” for holding “a fair public consultation” on its application are followed.

SEE PAGE SEVEN FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

Shock and tears at the death of Obie

from page one

headed for the morgue.

When news broke early yesterday morning that the Social Services, Information and Broadcasting Minister had died, it sent his supporters reeling and shook the political landscape.

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis quickly flew to Grand Bahama, where he found crowds of people gathered at the Rand Memorial Hospital. In the following hours, some residents of West End Grand Bahama, Mr Wilchcombe’s constituency, participated in motorcades and commiserated at the Progressive Liberal Party’s office in Grand Bahama.

Mr Wilchcombe’s death at 64 came after he maintained a robust public profile.

On Thursday, he attended ZNS’ relaunch event. On Friday, he attended George Smith’s memorial in Exuma. On Sunday, he spoke at a Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) women’s branch meeting in Grand Bahama. Among other things, he urged those attending to help boost support for women’s issues.

The Tribune understands he was found unresponsive shortly before 7.30am yesterday. Efforts to provide him with CPR at the scene failed. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Mr Wilchcombe was first elected to office in 2002 as the representative for West End Grand Bahama and Bimini. He served as minister of tourism in the two Christie administrations.

Before entering politics, he was a journalist who joined the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas in 1975. During his journalism career, he held positions as deputy director of news, news director and assistant general manager.

His political career began in 1994 when former Prime Minister Sir Lynden Pindling appointed him as a senator.

In addition to his current ministerial profile, Mr Wilchcombe was the leader of government business in the House of Assembly.

Some praised his speaking abilities, remembering him as an effortless orator capable of engaging audiences with his typically unscripted speeches.

His death will trigger a bye-election in his constituency.

The entrance to the Rand Memorial Hospital was cordoned off yesterday as a large crowd gathered. Many West End residents stood in the southern parking lot, crying and hugging each other.

Mr Davis arrived around 11am with Education Minister Glenys Hanna-Martin and others.

He said Mr Wilchcombe’s contribution to developing the country was exemplary. He praised his accomplishments as tourism minister, noting he helped promote the film industry and sports tourism.

“We are still riding on that to this day and we are hosting international world-class sports events. And, yes, we have eight million tourists coming in today, but again it started with the foundation laid by him, and for that, we are always very grateful,” he said.

In a statement, Mr Davis said Mr Wilchcombe was an innovative broadcaster: “the first to report a story, not from behind a desk, but walking and talking to the camera”.

“This personal touch reflected the easy, intimate style with which he addressed everyone.

“He was resolute and courageous in his reporting and his defence of the Fourth Estate. He is perhaps the only journalist in the

country to have been sent to prison for refusing to reveal his sources, an episode that continued to traumatise him many years later.”

Jackson Wilchcombe Jr, the older brother, said his brother seemed fine when he saw him on Thursday.

“You don’t know because he is always just a smooth operator, he is just calm,” he said.

“I want people to remember his kindness and his love and care for people,” he added. “He was just like my mother. I always told him he took after mommy. He gives his heart and doesn’t worry about it.”

Grace Maycock, the vice chairman of the PLP women’s branch, said Mr Wilchcombe delivered an “awesome” speech hours before his death.

“This is so unreal because he looked like he was in perfect health,” said Lisa Higgs, centre manager at Pineridge Urban Renewal Centre. “Everyone is in disbelief and I don’t know how we will function for the rest of the day.”

Former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said he attended a luncheon last Friday at which Mr Wilchcombe was present.

“It could not have occurred to any of us present that Obie was not in stable health,” he said.

“When I recently spoke with him, he was elated that following cabinet changes, information and broadcasting had been added to his portfolio.”

Mr Ingraham’s successor, Perry Christie, said his friendship with Mr Wilchcombe lasted over three decades.

He said Mr Wilchcombe served with distinction as minister of tourism.

“On the partisan front, I will always cherish the memories of Obie’s steadfast loyalty to the great cause for which the Progressive Liberal Party has always stood,” he said.

Reflecting on the life of Obie Wilchcombe

A MENTOR, friend, and a force to be reckoned with is how cabinet ministers described Obie Wilchcombe after his shocking death yesterday.

When The Tribune visited the Office of The Prime Minister, the mood was sombre as several ministers shared memories about their former colleague.

“He was somebody that always believed in giving your best,” said Labour and Public Services Minister Pia Glover-Rolle.

“He would be somebody I would bounce my speeches off. He would

encourage me to participate as much as possible. But most importantly, he was a friend.

“I served as an employee of the Ministry of Tourism between 2013 and 2017, and he was my boss.

I understood his passion for not just political life, but his passion for serving our country, his passion for seeing young people advance and his passion for ensuring that the world knew about the best country in the world.”

Transport and Energy Minister JoBeth ColebyDavis said that during her last conversation with Mr Wilchcombe, he was preparing for the reopening of Parliament next month.

“He wanted to make sure that, like he did the first time, the women stood out again in our contributions,” she said. “Just to think that he was already preparing for that day and making sure that role was executed to perfection almost, and to make sure that he continued to realise the importance of what women lend to politics, and knowing that he carried such a role and his portfolio being gender affairs as well how much he believed in women excelling.”

National Security Minister Wayne Munroe said Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander notified him that Mr Wilchcombe was found

unresponsive. He said his death shocked him.

“I had the privilege of being his neighbour in Cabinet,” he said. “We sat next to each other in the Cabinet so we would have an occasion to share a joke now and again at the table at times. I also had the privilege to work with him as his ministry had intersected a lot of the work that my ministry was doing with identifying and assisting youth at risk, also to address domestic violence and sexual violence.

Health Minister Dr Michael Darville said Mr Wilchcombe was a great orator and historian for The Bahamas and the PLP.

“He was a leader in the world of journalism and a consummate politician,” he said. “Obie’s presence in Cabinet and in the House of Assembly will be sorely missed as he always added a depth of knowledge and the voice of experience to these forums.”

Free National Movement Leader Michael Pintard remembered the veteran politician for his extensive knowledge and wit.

“Those of us who operated opposite Obie Wilchcombe, we were keenly aware that if you were speaking on the same platform that he was speaking on, that you had to be thoroughly

prepared,” he said. “Once again, he brought his wit, sometimes his humour, but certainly a historical perspective to the various issues that he addressed.”

Several organisations paid tribute to Mr Wilchcombe as well.

“Before transitioning into the political arena, Minister Wilchcombe was first a broadcast journalist, who cast a long shadow with his dedication to journalistic ethics,” said Anthony Capron, president of the Bahamas Press Club. “He will forever be remembered for his four-day stint on Fox Hill Prison, rather than giving up his source of information.”

MEMBERS of Parliament shared their thoughts on the life of Obie Wilchcombe, speaking in Grnad Bahama (Photos; Vandyke Hepburn) and at the OPM (Photos: Moise Amisial)

Obie Wilchcombe’s death sets up first by-election since 2012

THE death of West End Grand Bahama and Bimini MP Obie Wilchcombe will trigger the first by-election in The Bahamas since 2012.

PLP insiders said there was no clear favourite for the nomination. However, FNM supporters close to party leader Michael Pintard see Bishop Ricardo Grant as the frontrunner to be their party’s standard bearer in the constituency.

The constitution and the Parliamentary Elections Act govern by-elections.

“The Speaker is expected to inform the Governor General in short order, probably (today), that there is a death,” David Forbes, the parliamentary clerk, said yesterday. “Once she does that, the Governor General will then issue a writ of election. When she sets the date, it cannot be less than 21 days and cannot be more than 30 days.”

Mr Forbes said Governor General Cynthia “Mother” Pratt will be expected to issue a writ of election “as soon as practicable”, adding: “I don’t imagine it taking more than two days to issue that writ.”

He said an election would likely be held in late October.

By-elections have, at times, had unpredictable results.

An election was held in 2012 after former Prime Minister and FNM Leader Hubert Ingraham resigned his seat. Renardo Curry, the PLP’s candidate, won the race.

In 2010, after the PLP’s Malcolm Adderly resigned his Elizabeth seat, nowAttorney General Ryan Pinder defeated now-FNM chairman Dr Duane Sands in a tight race for the seat.

In 1997, after former Prime Minister Sir Lynden Pindling resigned his South Andros seat, the FNM’s Ronald Bosfield defeated the PLP’s Neville Adderley.

In 1990, following the death of then-FNM leader Sir Cecil Wallace Whitfield, a by-election was held in Marco City that was won by the FNM’s candidate.

In 1989, the PLP’s Acklins and Crooked Island MP Wilbert Moss was forced to resign after being convicted of attempting to bribe a judge. The PLP’s Franklyn Walkine won the subsequent by-election.

The Tribune understands the FNM’s public relations and leadership teams met last night to discuss the implications of Mr Wilchcombe’s death. Insiders described the party’s front runner, Bishop Grant, as a strong orator with deep ties to the community.

FNM chairman Dr Duane Sands said the party would address by-election issues later.

“We understand the implications of this untimely demise,” he said.

“It is important for us all to acknowledge the loss of a son of our nation. We shall make the necessary preparations at the appropriate time. To everything, there is a season. A time to laugh and a time to mourn. Today, we stand with the family and loved ones of Minister Wilchcombe.”

The Tribune Limited

A time to mourn and to remember

IT was the faces that told the story yesterday.

The death of the Minister of Social Services O bie Wilchcombe – who lately had Information and Broadcasting added to that title in the recent reshuffle – was a shock.

It was news that the country woke up to, and such was the shock that senior sources could scarcely believe it was true.

But as confirmation took place, shock turned to grief – and it could be seen clearly in the faces of those who arrived to mourn.

It was on the faces of those who gathered outside the Rand Memorial Hospital in Grand Bahama.

It was on the faces of Mr Wilchcombe’s colleagues in Cabinet, some of whom seemed truly heartbroken at this loss.

Mr Wilchcombe was a bastion for his party. A Parliamentarian who attracted praise from across the political divides.

O n social media, many took to praise him for personal moments in their lives where he had helped – be it steering careers or offering support during his time at the Ministry of Tourism, or for the help he has provided in his stint at Social Services.

O thers praised his debating skills and his ability with rhetoric.

Mr Wilchcombe comes from a background in journalism – even from his early days as a boy selling newspapers on street corners.

He also had the courage of his convictions in the profession – refusing to reveal his source for a suicide note

allegedly written by convicted murderer John Higgs, Jr. Higgs was due to be executed, but instead seemingly killed himself before the state could do the job. For refusing to reveal who gave him the suicide note, Wilchcombe was sent to prison for four days.

In a statement, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis made reference to that moment, saying: “He was resolute and courageous in his reporting and his defence of the Fourth E state. He is perhaps the only journalist in the country to have been sent to prison for refusing to reveal his sources, an episode that continued to traumatise him many years later.”

He attracted praise too from the other side of the political aisle –former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis calling his death “a profound loss to our nation”, and FNM leader Michael Pintard describing how “one of Minister Wilchcombe’s most notable attributes was his incredible ability to speak extemporaneously on a wide array of subjects”.

There will, of course, be political moments to come – a by-election will be held and there will no doubt be rivalries resumed when that time comes. But that time is not now.

For now, it is a time to pay respects to Mr Wilchcombe.

And to look again at the faces of those who mourn him.

May we all be as cherished in life and loved in our passing.

O ur condolences to Mr Wilchcombe’s family, and may he rest in peace.

One-term govt in the making

EDITOR, The Tribune.

HAS the question ever been asked about why we have not had at least a two term government in The Bahamas since the FNM administration of 1992-2002?

There are numerous reasons for this – no doubt. But the primary reason is due to the fact that no administration since 1992-2002 has impressed the Bahamian electorate to the point where they were given another term in a row.

Every government since 2002 has been shooting itself in the foot with lack of

accountability, reckless borrowing, more taxes on the people, outright arrogance and so on.

One recent example of absolute arrogance and insult on the Bahamian people by the present government – is, in my opinion, the recent announcement by the Attorney General of The Bahamas that the settlement of an oil spill incident between The Bahamas government and the guilty party is confidential!

It is fundamental matters like the oil spill settlement – which should gladly be shared with the Bahamian

public – but is kept a secret, that will result in another one term administration in The Bahamas.

The Attorney General of The Bahamas sounded like a private lawyer – making such an announcement. You are the people’s lawyer right now, Mr Attorney General! Account to the people, therefore!

Keeping a secret on basic matters of interest to the people – is only another nail in a one-term government’s coffin.

DENNIS DAMES

Nassau, September 23, 2023.

EDITOR, The Tribune.

WOMEN United (WU) expresses our profound sorrow and deepest condolences on the passing of Minister Obie Wilchcombe, the Minister of Social Services and Member of Parliament for West End and Bimini. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, the Progressive Liberal Party, his constituents, and the entire nation of The Bahamas during this difficult time.

Minister Obie Wilchcombe was not only a dedicated public servant, but a compassionate leader who championed the rights and welfare of women and girls in our country. Since assuming his role at the Ministry of Social Services, he collaborated closely with Women United, demonstrating a genuine willingness to understand our concerns, embrace our ideas, and work collaboratively to address the pressing issues affecting women.

“Minister Obie Wilchcombe was doing an amazing job ensuring that women and girls received the necessary protections

and support through the policies and legislative amendments that are currently being proposed and tabled in Parliament,” stated Prodesta Moore, President of Women United.

“He had promised to work with WU, and I believe that we were close to agreeing the recommendations which we made to amend the Protection Against Violence Act,” added Lisa Bostwick-Dean, a Vice President of Women United. “I am deeply saddened by the Minister’s sudden passing. I was filled with hope that we would achieve great things with him at the helm of Social Services. He seemed sincere about not just hearing us, but actually making necessary changes. He is already missed. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.”

Erin Brown, VP and Disability Chair for WU, also noted: “It was Minister Wilchcombe’s mission to ensure that disabled women and girls were

acknowledged, represented and included on all levels. He was intentional, strategic and action-oriented in this pursuit of our disabled community and those most vulnerable and living with diverse disabilities. He believed in creating an inclusive society. Our voices will forever honour his memory.”

Women United will continue to tirelessly advocate for the rights of women in our country. We are determined to continue working towards the creation of a society that honours, protects and respects the women of our nation.

We extend our heartfelt condolences once again to his loved ones, colleagues, and the people of The Bahamas. Minister Obie Wilchcombe’s passion for positive change will forever remain an inspiration to us all.

May he rest in eternal peace.

WOMEN UNITED Nassau, September 25, 2023

EDITOR, The Tribune. THE foreign policy of the Davis-Cooper Government is totally based around Climate change and Slave reparations - regret my grandson writing a paper at his High School blew both of these issues out of the deepest part of the Tongue of the Ocean off Andros. We, The Bahamas, don’t have a case in either to argue. Climate… Yes Oil Cos knew the use-burning, etc, of fossil fuels would pollute but in 1970 The Bahamas opened an Oil refinery in Grand Bahama — we continue to enjoy positive revenues from the trading

of oil so how can we argue or make a case for cash settlement against the polluters? Argument void.

Slaves … From where did slaves originate? No, the European traders did not go to Africa and round up people - far from it they went to the tribal Leaders, some Kings who traded captured persons who they had captured in their wars. So how can the Europeans be blamed? Of course, the obvious the indigenous Indians who inhabited eventually these islands and cays after Columbus arrived either died from European viruses or were taken south to the mines... today there are no descendants

of indigenous Arawaks, Taino or Seminole Indians who inhabited parts of the islands. That argument also void - unsubstantiated.

Hurricanes go back 245 years — average Bahamas hit every 11th year by a storm … by far more storms in the 1930’s through the 1990’s … since the 2000 more severe storms, yes. In the 1930’s were there any climate warnings? Argument - DOA again.

Time someone told the truth … thanks Jacob for showing me. Let’s hope those who govern read. P LOCKHART Nassau, September 23, 2023.

Court awards man $26k for wrongful arrest

and dented it.”

Former PM says police responsible for Dorian death count

general election.

According to CJ Winder, the plaintiff is allegedly gang-affiliated and known to the police. He had been charged with criminal offences before.

In 2014, a criminal charge led to him being released on bail and electronically monitored.

Mr Neely alleged that he was arrested at his residence on December 23, 2015, taken to the South Beach Police Station and held in police custody without charge until January 1, 2016.

He alleged that he was arrested at his residence around February 3, 2016, again taken to the South Beach Police Station and held in custody without charge until February 8, 2016.

He argued that his arrests were unjustified and that police officers threatened his life and damaged his property.

Police officers claimed during the trial that the defendant was held in custody only until December 26, 2015 and February 8, 2016.

The chief justice said the defendant did not provide discovery, which could have disclosed the records relating to Mr Neely’s arrest and detention.

The lawyer for the police said this happened because of difficulty getting information from the police concerning events in February 2016.

“That explanation warrants little sympathy, however, given the lengthy lead-up to trial,” wrote the chief justice.

Mr Neely said he was at home when he heard loud noises that appeared to be banging on his front gate and police officers shouting ‘open the f——— gate’.

“The police officers attempted to breach his gate with a maul,” the chief justice wrote. “In so doing, they damaged the outside lock on the gate

Mr Neely said he did not have evidence of the alleged damage to his gate because police took his security cameras.

After entering the house, officers, he alleged, took photos of the plaintiff and everyone and questioned them on their identities and why they were on the property.

Mr Neely said he was booked at the South Beach Police Station and later taken to the Grove Police Station. He said he was never questioned or interviewed. He said he slept on the concrete floor because there was no bedding. He provided fewer details about his February 2016 arrest.

“In cross-examination,” according to Chief Justice Winder, “the plaintiff said that he had been ‘continuously harassed’ by the police since being released on bail in 2014 but he had only brought proceedings in relation to his arrest and detention in December 2015 and February 2016 as he ‘thought it was time’ after the incidents.”

“The plaintiff said in his witness statement that Anthony Ferguson and other police officers made numerous threats on his life and that, while at his house, police officers told him ‘I will soon die; they will kill me’”.

Meanwhile, officers who testified during the case contradicted Mr Neely’s claims about what happened.

One officer, Inspector Hanna, said he was part of a unit that received instructions from “Superintendent Fernander” to go to the plaintiff’s residence and place him in custody on suspicion of armed robbery and possession of an illegal firearm.

He testified that when he arrived at Mr Neely’s residence, he noticed that the “heavily fortified gate” was open, and the plaintiff was present with

a blanket awaiting his arrest.

“Inspector Hanna,” wrote the chief justice, “did not accept that the police had the plaintiff ‘marked’ as the leader of the ‘Dirty South Gang,’ nor did he agree with counsel for the plaintiff’s suggestion that the police would treat the plaintiff differently (ie unfairly) if they believed he was a member of a street gang.”

In providing his findings of fact, CJ Winder said he generally found the defendant’s witnesses more credible than the plaintiff’s.

He said the plaintiff and his mother “appeared to have strong negative feelings towards the police and were not reliable witnesses on all matters”. He rejected Mr Neely’s assertion that police damaged his gate by beating on it with a maul or sledgehammer during the first arrest.

CJ Winder concluded that Mr Neely was not mistreated in custody but slept on the concrete floor and was not allowed to spend time with his family on Christmas day.

As for the second arrest, he said the plaintiff was arrested on suspicion that he committed an offence.

“However,” he wrote, “it is not possible to say much more on the limited evidence that is now before the court. I am not prepared to find that the plaintiff’s arrest was arbitrary or capricious. However, equally, it is not possible for me to say what precisely was in the mind of the arresting officer when the plaintiff was arrested on February 3, 2016.

“I accept the plaintiff’s uncontroverted evidence that he was kept in custody in a holding cell and that he was released without charge.”

Ultimately, the judge concluded the plaintiff’s arrests were unlawful. He noted that the officers could not explain the crimes the plaintiff was suspected of committing.

MAN SENTENCED TO 55 YEARS FOR MURDER OF 15-YEAR-OLD GIRLFRIEND LOSES APPEAL

A MAN sentenced to 55 years in prison for murdering his 15-yearold girlfriend outside a bar in Grand Bahama in 2014 had his latest appeal attempt dismissed.

Court of Appeal Jus-

tice Sir Michael Barnett dismissed Basil Black’s application to reopen his appeal. However, Sir Michael invited the public defender’s office to approach Black to potentially assist him.

Black, 43, was sentenced to 55 years in prison in

2016 after he was convicted of murdering Alexis Smith in the early morning of March 30, 2014, outside Platinum Sports Bar in Eight Mile Rock. During his trial, the convict admitted to being a coke dealer, but denied shooting the victim. While he acknowledged that he had an intimate relationship with the deceased and that the two lived together, he claimed he was unaware of the girl’s age. He testified that on the day of the shooting, the girl told him she was going outside to walk after being drunk. When

Ms Smith didn’t return, Black said he found the victim lying in a pool of blood on the ground. Although the convict said that he checked the deceased for a pulse, he fled the scene when he saw a police light, saying he had drugs at the time. The prosecution submitted that Black shot Ms Smith in a jealous rage after he saw her dancing with other men at the bar. It was also found that Black tested positive for gunshot residue on his hands and that a gun he tried to hide matched the bullets recovered from the victim’s head.

FORMER Prime Minis-

ter Dr Hubert Minnis said police are accountable for providing accurate information on how many people died because of Hurricane Dorian. His comment came after Central and South Abaco MP John Pinder expressed support for opening a formal inquiry into the matter, saying the number of deaths is substantially more than what officials have publicly confirmed.

“Reports of all missing people should have been made to the police,” Dr Minnis said yesterday.

“The police have the responsibility to make the necessary investigations and determinations.

“The police should have the official figure as to the dead and missing as it relates to Hurricane

Dorian.”

Opposition leader, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis pledged to launch a commission of inquiry into the number of people who died due to the storm. Still, whether or how the Davis administration will follow through on this is unclear.

Mr Pinder told The Tribune on Sunday an inquiry would be beneficial “to know the exact extent of the lives lost and the hurdles that came in terms of getting assistance and help to the northern islands in a timely fashion”.

FNM chairman Dr Duane Sands agreed, saying the matter is unresolved.

“We are now four years post-Dorian, and I believe that the wounds of Dorian remain unhealed in part because as a nation, we have not conducted the types of exercises necessary to get closure,” he said.

“One of those exercises is ensuring that all of the

missing persons are adjudicated to have either died or formally missing so that their families can move on and reaching out to those people who continue to say they have loved ones missing, to deal with their claims in a sensitive, compassionate way.

“We have officials’ numbers. These are based on bodies and remains that have been identified, but even in official government proclamations, we continue to say we don’t know how many people are missing and as a country, I think we can do better.

“Let us look at an approach to honour the victims of Dorian and codify it a bit more so it doesn’t seem to be as haphazard and as arbitrary as it is and I think we will do an awful lot to soften the continued trauma that families, loved ones of persons missing or dead from Dorian continue to suffer.”

Hubert ‘Chippie’ Chipman: A life centred around family

“FAMILY” is the key word that has shaped the life of Hubert Anthony Chipman. His nuclear family with his wife Roxanne; his wider Chipman family and the clans of his heritage; his high school family that he never let go of; his church family; his political ties; and his Junkanoo tribe are all testaments to his sacrifice and his commitment to giving his all to the people he loves.

Affectionately known as “Chippie”, Hubert’s nickname is one also shared with his uncle, the late great cultural giant, John “Chippie” Chipman. John, along with Chippie’s father Hubert, as well as a gang of Chipmans and others in the community, rushed on Bay Street religiously in the Junkanoo group, also known as Chippie.

He was at the tender age of seven when he first stepped foot on Bay Street. There began a love affair with Junkanoo that has never ended, and he mused: I was born into Junkanoo.” A statement like this brings pride today, but back in the 1960s when he was a child, a “Junkanoo” was a disgraceful term to some.

You ain’t nuthin’ but a Junkanoo” was a popular saying back then. Middleclass Bahamians tried to disassociate from what is now the country’s beloved cultural affair. They would say that “drunk” and “crazy” people were the main ones who participated in the Junkanoo parade.

But this little seven yearold knew that the people in his family, especially the men he looked up to like his father and uncle, were good people. The Chipman family is pregnant with amazing Bahamian cultural talent. Therefore, he found a safe space to enjoy this rich cultural legacy with his family. He recalls the fun he had as Chippie ‘dem portrayed Romans for Boxing Day and Greeks for the New Year’s parade that year.

Face to Face

This would be one of the first of many familial lessons he would learn that would shape his life into one of loyalty and respect. He was born on November 5, 1953 (Guy Fawkes Day), to Hubert and Hazel Chipman (nee Sargent) in Nassau, Bahamas. Like many young people in his day, he dreamed of attending St Augustine’s College (SAC). He got the opportunity to do so in 1966 - the last year that SAC would be an all-boys school.

Chippie was the first in his family to attend SAC, and for him, it was a huge honour. He says the discipline that SAC instilled in him, made him into the man he is today. When he arrived at SAC, Father Burton Blums served as principal. Students were taught by the Benedictine monks that lived on the property, at St Augustines Monestary. Father Bonaventure was Dean of students at that time, and Chippie got an immediate baptism in SAC pride and respect - values that just about every SAC student and alumnus has to this day. He recalls that his beloved school had the most immaculate grounds. No student would walk on the grass or disrespect their school, and none would dream of ever looking shabby in their uniform, even after school hours. When Father Blums moved to Puerto Rico to continue serving as a Catholic educator, Father Bonaventure became the principal, and he “ran SAC with an iron fist”, Chippie recalls. Not only did he require excellence from all students in their studies and pride in

themselves and their surroundings, he also taught them how to think and act as a unit. With an “all for one and one for all attitude”, he taught his SACAA students the value of commitment and camaraderie, instilling in them that they were all family. Back then, Chippie says, school began at eight in the morning and ended at 4:30pm. Students rode their bikes to school, as did Chippie. At lunchtime, the students sat together in a grassy area to eat and on Fridays, they were all treated to ice cream. By 1967, the girls from Xavier’s College were integrated into the SAC system. Initially, the boys schooled on the upper campus and the girls were on the lower campus. Hours changed and school ended at 3.30. Graduation numbers naturally skyrocketed. When Chippie arrived, there were 11 graduates. By 1971, when he graduated from SAC, 163 students walked the stage. The immense sense of belonging and school spirit never died in Chippie. In fact, he remained active in support of his school. Over the years, Chippie quietly provided financial assistance to The Big Red Machine’s sports department, in particular, track and field. Remembering the teachings of the Benedictine monks, “to always give back and to lift as we climb”, Chippie provided scholarships, and encouraged other alumni to join together to support students in need. The St Augustine’s College Alumni Association (SACAA) found it fitting to give Chippie their

highest honor - Alumnus of the year. He will receive his award on Saturday, October 21, 2023 at Baha Mar along with 38 other honorees during SACAA’s Red Diamond Soiree Lighthouse Awards and Gala Ball under the patronage of Prime Minister Philip E Davis under the theme: “Celebrating 78 Years of Excellence” (visit:https:// thesacalumniassociation. org/).

As he looks back on his school years, he credits his teachers like Father Theophile Brown, Deacon Leviticus ‘Unlce Lou’ Adderley, Vincent Ferguson and Father Elias for helping to shape his character, but most of all, Father Bonaventure, whom he says shaped him into the man he is today, and was the proudest black man he has ever met.

After graduating from SAC, Chippie worked as a waiter for a year in Grand Bahama in order to save up enough money to go to college. He was working part time as a busboy at a hotel while he was in school. His supervisor got a job in Freeport and took him along. Eventually, he moved in with a childhood friend and he had to sleep on the floor, but his young mind was focused as he saved his coins for higher learning. He just wanted to save up enough for his first year of college, praying that the rest would work itself out. It did.

Chippie attended Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting. There, he met the lovely Roxanne D’Orville, who ended up becoming his wife of 44 years. Mrs Chipman became one of the beloved SAC teachers and as a reading specialist, she helped shape SAC students for 14 years into individuals with excellent diction, a wide vocabulary, and great deportment.

Together, they are proud parents and parents-inlaw to Dr Candice and Oumarou Shaw, Dr Alaina and David Leeks, and are the proud grandparents of four grandchildren. With Junkanoo deep in his blood, Chippie made sure that by the age of seven, each of his

TOP left: Hubert ‘Chippie’ Chipman addresses Parlaiment as a representative for St Anne’s Constituency for the FNM.

TOP Right: Hubert and Roxanne Chipman in a recent photo with two of their children during a family trip to Rock Sound, Eleuthera.

MIDDLE left: Chippie dedicated 63 years to Junkanoo, and as One Family’s first chairman, he is happy to note that the group is now chaired by a woman - Christine ‘Muffin’ Fernander.

MIDDLE right: Hubert with his mother, Hazel and sisters Rhonda Chipman-Johnson and Monique Delancey.

BOTTOM left: Chippie proudly wears his red SAC shirt and hat as he cheers on SAC students as they compete in track and field each year

two daughters would have their rite of passage to rush on Bay Street, and that they continued to participate as they grew.

By 1979, Chippie was encouraged to join the Saxons by Jackson Burnside. He did so and with his accounting skills, he produced the first set of financials for the group, which allowed it to become viable for sponsorship, which allowed the group to become the Shell Saxon Superstars.

Eventually, he would move along with a breakaway group to form One Family Junkanoo Group. In the beginning stages, the group came fourth so many times that people would call members “Fort Fincastle” and “Fort Charlotte”, along with any other “fourth” joke they could make up. However today, as the reigning champion Junkanoo group, Chippie and the founding members of One Family have proven the group’s worth.

Chippie’s involvement in Junkanoo spans some 63 years. He was the founding chairman of One Family Junkanoo Group.

In recognition of Chippie’s contributions to Junkanoo, in 2021, he was awarded The Annual Independence Junkanoo Achievement Award and received his aquamarine jacket with pride.

With the same love and commitment, Chippie was engrossed with his family in their church as well, and they are faithful members of St Anslem’s Catholic Church for the past 35 years. He serves as church usher and is the former Chairman of the finance committee. He was former Chairman of the Audit Committee of the Catholic Archdiocese and former member of Archbishop Burke’s Advisory Committee. Chippie served on The Catholic Board of Education for 13 years; eleven of those as Board Chairman. For his selfless contributions, he was awarded the Papal Medal of St Gregory by the late Pope John Paul II

In his professional life, Chippie is a retired certified public accountant. He moved through the ranks at Ernst & Young, becoming a partner in 1991. Chippie was

named the Bahamas country managing partner of Ernst & Young on July 1, 2006a position he held until his retirement from the firm on March 31, 2012. During his tenure, he also served as a member of the executive committee of Ernst & Young, Bahamas, Bermuda and Cayman (BBC) region, and the leader of the Banking and Capital Markets Sector (BBC) region. Chippie received the lifetime achievement award for education from The Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Chippie has served on several boards: Industrial Relations Board as deputy chairman, Bahamasair; the Education Loan Authority as deputy chairman; independent member of the Legal Tribunal, first chairman of the Straw Market Authority; and he is the director of Campbell Shipping and International Investment Bank, Ltd.

On May 7, 2012, Hubert Anthony Chipman was elected as a Member of Parliament for the St Anne’s Constituency under the Free National Movement (FNM). He was also chairman of The Public Accounts Committee. While in the House of Assembly, he was the Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs and Education. He has fond memories of his time serving as MP for St Anne’s, noting that he is still close with many constituents to this day. He kept an open door policy, and was available in his constituency office every Thursday afternoon. He answered his calls and walked his area frequently, committed to providing the people with the best representation he could.

Now that Chippie is retired, he has time to enjoy his favorite pastimes - cooking and deep-sea fishing. He is even considering hanging up his Junkanoo hat to watch from the bleachers with the spectators, something he found impossible to do before. As he approaches age 70, he is humbled by the SAC Alumnus of the Year award he is set to receive. All he did was take great pride in himself in all he did, and he continued putting God first.

This year’s UN General Assembly reveals increasingly multi-polar world

IN previous columns I have drawn attention to the gradual increase of world summit meetings in recent years. But there is, of course, nothing to compare with the UN General Assembly (UNGA) which is the important gathering in New York of its 193 nations annually in September. It claims to provide a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the Charter of the United Nations, though there are also opportunities for bilateral meetings between individual countries.

This year, the meeting held last week was against a background of unusual division in a UN described by a BBC correspondent as anything but united. The 145 leaders who attended were faced with issues like the Ukraine war, the global cost of living crisis, the worsening climate emergency and disruption of new technologies such as artificial intelligence. In practice, while the agenda included these, some countries reportedly wanted to concentrate on sustainable development goals.

In particular, they wanted a greater emphasis on encouraging international financial institutions to focus more on the needs of developing countries.

The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, hosted a separate climate meeting and another to discuss the world’s faltering efforts to reduce poverty.

There are disagreements internationally about the relative importance of the issues under consideration, but at UNGA there was recognition that there was a pressing need to seek remedies. Nonetheless, since President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine attended UNGA this year, the Russian invasion of his country and the ongoing war dominated the exchanges.

In his opening remarks, Guterres stressed that “the poison of war is infecting our world”. He said that “geopolitical divisions are undermining our

The Peter Young column

capacity” to respond to global problems and that a new multi-polar world was emerging that was leading to “escalating tensions, fragmentation and worse”.

For his part, Zelensky warned the international community that the invasion of Ukraine and subsequent war, which had been perpetrated by a permanent member of the UN Security Council, was not only evil because of widespread attacks on civilians but was obviously in violation of the rulesbased international order, and it was seriously affecting people elsewhere in the world. He urged them to unite in order to bring a halt to Russian aggression; and, after Russia was defeated, no country in the world would dare to attack another in such a way. It was essential to hold Russia to account and punish it for its war crimes, in accordance with the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Putin last March which was partly precipitated by the abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.

Zelensky went on to say that the war was not just a European security issue but an economic crisis, not least because of the grain supply problem. Although he encountered a measure of war fatigue amongst some Republicans in Washington, he enjoyed a warm reception in Canada. He urged

UK ASSISTANCE FOR SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES

HAVING written a couple of weeks ago about two examples of Britain’s help to The Bahamas - in the shape of the Royal Navy’s assistance in the case of hurricanes and Chevening scholarships for aspiring Bahamian students – how good it is to report today another case of the nation’s aid and cooperation that will help Caribbean countries, including The Bahamas.

It was announced last week that the UK is launching a new insurance scheme to support Caribbean water companies through extreme weather conditions by providing a disaster insurance subsidy to them. This subsidy, which the British High Commissioner said last year was $3m, has now been increased to $25m. With a separate contribution from the IDB, water utilities companies in the Caribbean will reportedly now be able to access insurance coverage through CCRIF SPC – formerly called simply the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility - to protect themselves financially against extreme weather events such as hurricanes and tropical storms.

As so often, there is insufficient space today to go in to more detail about this. But it looks to me to be another fine example of the UK’s determination to play its part in helping SIDS (Small Island Developing States) build resilience to extreme weather events by contributing to their being able to access fair and reliable

funding.

The British Minister for the Americas and Caribbean at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London is quoted as saying that ‘The people of the Caribbean are on the frontline of natural disasters, which are increasing in frequency due to climate change. This first-of-itskind scheme will enable Caribbean countries to maintain essential services in the face of storms and floods, while greatly reducing the financial burden on individual governments’.

It is the case, of course, that SIDS are responsible for very low levels of carbon emissions but have to deal with the effects of climate change including hurricanes and rising sea levels and are vulnerable to biodiversity loss. So, the UK’s subsidy for this new insurance scheme seems to be money well spent, since the evidence shows that following natural disasters the infrastructure and equipment of water utilities may be damaged or destroyed and the availability of potable water affected.

In studying this, it is also interesting to note that the UK’s International Development Strategy places development at the heart of British foreign policy. According to official briefing which is publicly available, this Strategy sets out a new approach to development, anchored in long-term partnerships tailored to the needs of the countries with which Britain is working.

his existing allies – like the US as the leading donor and arms supplier and Germany and Britain - to maintain and increase their support despite concerns about the slow progress of the Ukrainian counter-offensive in the east.

Commentators point out, however, that there have been other recent Ukrainian military successes such as its missile strike last week on the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea fleet in Crimea in which senior Russian naval officers were killed. In praising President Biden’s speech to UNGA in which he warned of grave consequences if Russia was not stopped, President Zelensky also asked for fresh backing

from the leaders of countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. He was clearly making a pitch to countries in the so-called Global South like India, Brazil and others. Some of these had so far stayed on the sidelines on the issue of Ukraine. They refused to condemn Russia’s invasion and had even strengthened their economic ties with the Kremlin. I do not claim to be well informed about this relatively new emphasis on the development of a multipolar world. But, from everything I have read, it now seems that Western leaders recognise the existence of tensions between their security concerns and the economic worries of what has become known as

the Global South.

Meanwhile, commentators are suggesting that formation of the new grouping called BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), which I wrote about in detail in this column on August 29, could be more significant than at first thought, not least because six new countries – Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates –are due to join it early next year. They believe BRICS could become influential in creating a new world order to challenge and replace the dominance of the US and its Western allies - and already the group has a combined population of more than 3.2 billion or

40 per cent of the world’s roughly eight billion people Reportedly, Zelensky realized that many countries at UNGA wanted to focus on climate change and their economic difficulties rather than the war in Europe. For this reason, he concentrated on explaining that there is a real danger of the effects of a sustained conflict in Ukraine spreading further around the world and affecting those countries who have so far stood to one side and refused to condemn Russia. But things are not now going all his way, even with his traditional supporters; for example, Poland, a former steadfast friend, is now no longer supplying weapons to Ukraine.

Is another election in Britain now in prospect?

JUDGING from the feedback I receive, some readers want to be kept informed about developments in Britain as they like to know what is going on in the former colonial power - and they seem to be interested, in particular, about political issues affecting the running of the country.

With this in mind, it might be interesting to examine the current speculation about an early general election being held in Britain as early as May next year. Some commentators in the UK press are saying that recently there has been a change of pace, or rather gear, in politics. This is not just because it is the season for political parties to organise their annual conferences - with the Conservatives holding theirs next week in Manchester - but because of various pointers towards an early election which has to be held at the latest by the end of January, 2025. The most recent one was in December, 2019 when the Tories under the leadership of Boris Johnson won a landslide victory and a majority of 80 seats.

With the first anniversary of Rishi Sunak’s tenure as prime minister coming up at the end of October, some analysts are talking about a new, rarefied political atmosphere in which he has moved up a gear. During the course of the past year he has successfully overcome the chaos and demoralisation following last autumn’s political upheaval and has steadied the government and the country. Reportedly, he has sketched out a map for the

months ahead, saying that the “real choice confronting us is do we really want to change our country and build a better future for our children or do we want to keep carrying on as we are? I’ve made a decision. We’re going to change, and in the coming months I’ll set out a series of long-term decisions to deliver that change”.

So, despite the opposition leader, Keir Starmer, and his Labour Party being well ahead in the polls, Sunak has now taken the bull by the horns after seeing that his government is not about to collapse but is instead gaining strength. The lesson for election watchers seems to be that he has carefully studied the situation, weighed things up and decided to go on to the offensive. But clearly the challenges he now faces will be huge.

The prime minister has made several important decisions recently that indicate a new firmness in governing in accordance with Tory principles. First, he has shifted policy on “green” issues by delaying the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles until 2035, saying that moving too fast on green policies “risks losing the consent of the British people”. This seems to have tapped in to the mood of Conservative voters who are averse to banning anything and like a commonsense approach to environmental change. Polls show that a majority of the public favour cutting carbon emissions to net zero by 2050 but are reluctant to make lifestyle changes to achieve this.

Nonetheless, it remains to be seen whether other measures to reduce emissions may be introduced.

In addition, Sunak has unveiled plans to slash the much-disliked inheritance tax; retain the so-called triple lock for assessing public pension increases; consider whether to leave the controversial European Court of Human Rights if his policy for handling illegal immigrants is thwarted by legal challenge; and, possibly, cancel part of the excessively costly rail extension called HS2. He also, of course, has plans to tackle other major issues, but this alone is a heavy agenda in the UK context and the signs are that taking on the eco-zealots is a bold move that could

transform Tory fortunes at the ballot box.

Meanwhile, for many people Keir Starmer does not inspire much confidence as a potential prime minister. Regarded by some as a somewhat dull and unattractive figure, he leads a divided party and therefore finds difficulty in taking a clear and firm line on policy matters.

It remains to be seen how all this will pan out. But, suddenly, politics in Britain has become top of the agenda again with renewed uncertainty and intrigue as election speculation - if not fever - is in the air once more. All concerned will surely await the coming Conservative Party conference with particular interest and anticipation.

Darvile: DNA testing protocols for citizenship to soon be finalised

HEALTH and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said protocols concerning genetic testing for people entitled to citizenship following a landmark Privy Council ruling should be finalised soon, though he could not give a precise date for the roll-out.

The Privy Council

affirmed in May that children born to Bahamian fathers are Bahamians at birth, regardless of their mother’s nationality.

While many such people have since obtained passports, those whose father is not identified on their birth certificate remain in limbo.

“Much work is being done behind the scenes to finalise the protocols associated with genetic testing for immigration purposes,” Dr

T EEN ACCU S ED OF A SS AULTING A MAN WITH A S HOTGUN

A 19-year-old youth allegedly assaulted a man with a shotgun last week.

Magistrate Algernon Allen, Jr, charged Deandre Williams with assault with a deadly weapon yesterday. Williams is accused of assaulting Alcott Forbes with the weapon on September 18 in New Providence.

Following the defendant’s not-guilty plea, he was granted $5,000 bail with one or two sureties. His trial is set for October 27.

A 21-year-old American tourist, meanwhile, was fined $300 after admitting to having $60 worth of marijuana.

Magistrate Samuel McKinney charged Camron Lewis of Illinois with possession of dangerous drugs. Lewis was arrested at the Nassau Cruise Port on September 20 after he was found smoking a marijuana cigarette. A search of his luggage uncovered marijuana-infused edibles with an estimated street value of $60.

After pleading guilty to the charges, Lewis was fined $300 or risk one month in prison.

Darville said yesterday.

“One of the things that the ministry is looking at is the ethical use of DNA for the determination of citizenship. We just want to make sure that we don’t break any major protocols.

“So we’re working very closely with the attorney general’s office around two main principles: one, the accreditation of the lab, and the whole business of sample taking and

third-party presentations.

“So the meetings continue. We are making steady progress. We realise it’s something that needs to be resolved in the short term, but we want to make sure we do it right from the start so that there are no legal ramifications or backlash. We have to make sure things are done in order and in an ethical fashion.”

Dr Darville said protocols concerning DNA

M AN GRANTED $7,500 BAIL ON UNLICENCED FIREARM CHARGES

A M A N was granted $7,500 bail yesterday after he was accused of having a loaded gun in the Nassau Village area last F riday.

Magistrate Lennox Coleby charged A ndreaz Evans, 24, with possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of ammunition.

I an Cargill and Levan Johnson represented the accused. Police on mobile patrol stopped the defendant

in the Nassau Village area around 6pm on September 22. Evans was arrested after police allegedly found him with a black Smith & Wesson Springfield 9mm pistol and five rounds of 9mm ammunition.

A fter Evans pleaded not guilty to the charges, his bail was set at $7,500 with one or two sureties for each charge. He is expected to report to East Street South Police Station every Monday, Wednesday and F riday by 6pm. His trial begins on O ctober 26.

testing should be finalised after an upcoming meeting with the Office of the Attorney General.

A couple weeks ago, I spoke about some of the potential red flags to ensure we have the sample, to ensure the lab is accredited, and to make sure that if there is a third-party collection, that particular third party is registered,” he said.

“So putting these protocols together is a bit

technical, but we are working as fast as we possibly can to bring closure to this matter in the short term. So it’s not going to be lingering around much longer, but there’s still a little bit more work to be done for some of the concerns that we have drafted,.”

The Passport Office began accepting applications from many affected people on June 26, approving hundreds since then.

M URDER ACCU S ED PLEAD S GUILTY TO CURFEW BREACHE S

A MAN on bail for attempted murder was jailed for six months after admitting to breaching his curfew five times.

Assistant Chief Magistrate Subusola Swain charged Jarvis Joseph, 24, with five counts of violation of bail conditions.

Levan Johnson represented the defendant.

Joseph was on release for an attempted murder charge. He and two others allegedly killed Vernal Johnson as he sat in his

car on Graham Drive on August 7, 2020. The victim drove his car to the hospital, where he was successfully treated for his injuries.

Vernal Johnson has since been sentenced to 32 years in prison after he was convicted of the 2018 murder of Rico Taylor at the El Rancho Bar on Hutchinson Street. Joseph failed to obey his court-ordered residential curfew five times between May 13 and July 9. After pleading guilty, he was sentenced to six months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

SIX YOUNG ACTIVIS T S GET DAY IN COURT AFTER CLIMATE FIGHT WITH 32 GOVERNMENT S

PORTUGAL Associated Press

SOFIA Oliveira was 12 years old when catastrophic wildfires in central Portugal killed more than 100 people in 2017. She “felt it was now or never to raise our voices” as her country appeared to be in the grip of deadly human-caused climate change.

Now a university student, Sofia and five other Portuguese young adults and children between 11 and 24 years of age are due on Wednesday at the European Court of Human Rights, where they are accusing 32 European governments of violating their human rights for what they say is a failure to adequately address climate change. It’s the first climate change case filed with the court and could compel action to significantly slash emissions and build cleaner infrastructure.

Victory for them in Strasbourg would be a powerful instance of young people taking a legal route to force their governments to adopt a radical recalibration of their climate measures.

The court’s rulings are legally binding on member countries, and failure to comply makes authorities liable for hefty fines decided by the court.

The courts are increasingly seen by activists as a way of sidestepping politics and holding governments to account. Last month, in a case brought by young

environmental activists, a judge in the U.S. state of Montana ruled that state agencies were violating their constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment by allowing fossil fuel development.

When the Portuguese group decided in 2017 they would pursue legal action, Sofia wore braces on her teeth, stood taller than her younger brother André and was starting seventh grade at school. The braces are long gone and André, who is now 15, is taller than her by a few centimeters (an inch or so).

The past six years, André noted in an interview with The Associated Press, represent almost half of his life.

What has kept them going through the piles of legal documents gathered by the nonprofit group supporting them and through lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic is what they call the pressing evidence all around them that the climate crisis is getting worse.

The Praia do Norte beach at Costa da Caparica near where Sofia and André live, just south of the Portuguese capital Lisbon, was about 1 kilometer (3,000 feet) long when his father was his age, André says. Now, amid coastal erosion, it measures less than 300 meters (1,000 feet). Evidence like that led him to attend climate demonstrations even before he became a teen. The other four members

of the Portuguese group — Catarina, Cláudia, Martim and Mariana — are siblings and cousins who live in the region of Leiria in central Portugal where summer wildfires are common.

Scientists say the climate of the Sahara is jumping across the Mediterranean Sea to southern European countries like Portugal, where average temperatures are climbing and rainfall is declining. Portugal’s hottest year on record was 1997, followed by 2017. The four driest years on record in the country of 10.3 million people have all occurred since 2003.

It’s a similar story across Europe, and the legal arguments of the six Portuguese are backed by science. The Earth sweltered through its hottest Northern Hemisphere summer ever measured, with a record warm August capping a season of brutal and deadly temperatures, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

The world is far off its pledge to curb global warming, scientists say, by cutting emissions in line with the requirements of the 2015 Paris climate accord. Estimates say global average temperatures could rise by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius (2.6 to 7.2 Fahrenheit) since preindustrial times by 2100 at current trajectories of warming and emissions reductions plans.

Among the specific impacts listed by the young

Portuguese are being unable to sleep, concentrate, play outside or exercise during heat waves. One of their schools was closed temporarily when the air became unbreathable due to wildfire smoke. Some of the children have health conditions such as asthma that makes them more vulnerable to heat and air pollution. They are being assisted

by the Global Legal Action Network, an international nonprofit organisation that challenges human rights violations. A crowdfunding campaign has drawn support from around the world, with messages of support coming from as far away as Japan, India and Brazil. Gerry Liston, a GLAN legal officer, says the 32 governments have “trivialised”

the case. “The governments have resisted every aspect of our case … all our arguments,” he said.

André describes the governments as “condescending”. Sofia adds: “They don’t see climate as a priority.”

Portugal’s government, for example, agrees the state of the environment and human rights are connected but insists the government’s “actions seek to meet its international obligations in this area” and cannot be faulted.

At the same time, some governments in Europe are backsliding on commitments already made.

Poland last month filed legal challenges aimed at annulling three of the European Union’s main climate change policies. Last week, the British government announced it is delaying by five years a ban on new gas and diesel cars that had been due to take effect in 2030.

The Swedish government’s state budget proposal last week, meanwhile, cut taxes on gas and diesel and reduced funding for climate and environmental measures.

Amid those developments, the courts are seen by activists as a recourse.

The London School of Economics says that globally, the cumulative number of climate change-related cases has more than doubled since 2015 to more than 2,000. Around one-fourth were launched between 2020 and 2022, it says.

BJ Murray, Smokies take 1-0 lead in series

After sweeping the Chattanooga Lookouts in their best-of-three playoffs last week, Bahamian third baseman BJ Murray and the Tennessee Smokies moved one away from duplicating the feat in the Minor League Baseball’s Double A Southern League Championships.

Murray and the Smokies, playing on their home field at the Smokies Stadum in Kodak, Tennessee on Sunday, doubled up the Pensacola Blue Wahoos 8-4 to snatch a 1-0 lead in the championship series.

In that game, Murray went 2-for-4 with a run batted in (RBI) and scored a pair of runs for a .400 average.

“It feels good to be in this position with my teammates and friends,” said Murray after the game. “We want to win and I think we showed that in game one.”

With the team on the road travelling yesterday, they will prepare for game two of the series today at the Blue Wahoos Stadium in Pensacola, Florida. If necessary, the third and deciding game will take

place on Wednesday again in Pensacola, Florida.

“We’re going out there and going to play the same game we’ve played all year,” Murray said. “We are going to go out there, play hard, have fun and let the rest take care of itself.”

In advancing to the championship, Murray and the Smokies swept the Chattanooga Lookouts 2-0 in their best-of-three playoff series last week. They won 5-1 in the clincher on Thursday, September 21 after taking game one 3-1 as they played both games on the road at the AT^T Park in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

“It felt good,” said Murray about the sweep of their playoffs series. “We wanted to win in two games and we played like we did.”

Batting second in the line-up, Murray went 0-for-3 with a walk, a strike out and a run batted in for a .333 average in game two on Thursday, September 21.

He enjoyed a 2-for-3 outing with a walk, a RBI and a run scored for a .667 average in the opener on Tuesday, September 19.

The 23-year-old 5-foot, 10-inch Murray Jr, who was drafted in round 15 with the 454th pick overall

by the Cubs in the 2021 Major League Draft, has produced 452 at-bats with 119 hits, 16 home runs, 14 stolen bases, 74 RBI and 71 runs for an .263 average.

“I’m feeling good about it. I still got a game, maybe two left to play, so I’ve got

to keep it rolling,” said Murray about his individual stats. “I want to get better at everything so I’m going to work on every aspect of the game.”

Murray, who played and won his first championship series last year in High-A,

DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL ALL SET FOR THIS WEEKEND

AFTER hosting a successful inaugural event last year, the Bahamas Chinese Dragon Boat Association is looking forward to making the second annual Bahamas Dragon Boat Festival bigger and better.

Association vice president Susie Chan said the two-day festival on Saturday and Sunday in Goodman’s Bay will be one for the crowd to attend as they watch the dragon boat races in the water as well as participate in the food, drinks and music on shore.

“We expect a good turnout. We have close to 30 teams participating, four coming from the US and the rest of them are local teams,” Chan said.

“We have some youth teams, we have the Immigration, Police and the Defence Force all coming on board.”

said he’s eager to see if he can duplicate the feat in his promotion to Double-A this year.

“We got a good shot at winning and we all believe that, now we just have to go do that,” Murray summed up.

NPPPSSA HOSTS GENERATION AMAZING WORKSHOP

THE New Providence Primary School Sports Association (NPPPSSA) recently hosted an impactful Generation Amazing (GA) workshop to provide training and equipment to enhance primary school sports programmes across New Providence.

The full-day workshop, held at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium, was attended by GA local facilitators Codisha Brown-Colebrook and Harold Romer, NPPPSSA president Latoya Sturrup, Ministry of Education assistant director of education Dwayne Higgins, and over 50 physical education teachers from Bahamas public primary schools.

BFA technical director Bruce Swan presented the new format for the upcoming primary school soccer tournament.

The tournament will feature two age groups, under 10 and under 12, with games played over a fourweek period.

The 23 participating schools are grouped into north, south, east and west divisions, with three groups of six teams and one group of five.

Matches will be played twice per week. The tournament kicks off on October 17.

The interactive workshop provided an in-depth overview of the GA methodology and how to incorporate social values into local school sports programmes. GA facilitators demonstrated how to facilitate development through football and led handson practical sessions for attendees to experience first-hand.

“This invaluable workshop provides our schools with the methodology, training and resources to strengthen sports programmes and develop essential life skills in our students,” said NPPPSSA president Sturrup. “We look forward to seeing

the positive impact in our community.”

The workshop is part of an ongoing partnership between the BFA and GA to provide comprehensive coach education and implement impactful youth football programmes across the Bahamas. BFA

and GA will continue collaborating to expand training and provide ongoing support for local coaches and sports programmes. The workshop marked an important step in empowering primary schools to leverage sports for youth development.

Uruguay rugby players aim to shrug off Italy defeat with win against Namibia

LYON, France (AP) — Uruguay’s players must put the disappointment of defeat to Italy behind them if they are to leave the Rugby World Cup with at least one win.

Uruguay had made no secret of the fact it was targeting Italy and Namibia to record two wins in the tournament for the first time in its history.

Leading the Azzurri 17-7 after a memorable first half last Wednesday, Uruguay appeared on course but Los Teros faded mentally and physically to lose 38-17.

“We finished the match dead, it was a long day and we are turning the page quickly,” forwards coach Oscar Durán said.

“Obviously we are hurting. It is a moment that we have to pass and hope it passes as quickly as possible.

“We worked hard for this match and made mistakes that we cannot make at this level. We are sad, anguished, going through this hurt to immediately think about Namibia.”

Coach Esteban Meneses has made four changes to his starting lineup for Wednesday’s match against Namibia, which was crushed 96-0 by France last week for a record-extending 25th straight loss at the World Cup.

Prop Diego Arbelo and No. 8 Carlos Deus replace Ignacio Peculo and Manuel Diana, while Bautista Basso comes in for Gaston

Mieres on the right wing and Felipe Arcos Perez will make his World Cup debut in place of Tomas Inciarte at centre.

Uruguay beat Namibia 26-18 when they met in August and there are nine players in Los Teros’ starting lineup that featured in that match.

Namibia also starts with nine players from the match after coach Allister Coetzee made eight changes following the drubbing by France.

Alcino Izaacs, Tiaan Swanepoel, Damian Stevens, Richard Hardwick, Tiaan De Klerk, Torsten Van Jaarsveld, Jason Benade and Tjiuee Uanivi

Competition will begin on Saturday at 9am with the preliminary rounds in all divisions with the finals taking place on Sunday at the same time. The festival on Sunday will start at noon and will conclude with the awards presentation.

Performances of lion dancing, kung fu masters in action, the breast cancer society presentation and special music by Stalette before a junkanoo rush out takes place with a kids corner filled with activities.

The Dragon Boat Festival is known worldwide and now it’s fast becoming a popular event in the Bahamas.

SEE PAGE 13

FIDELITY BAHAMAS OPTIMIST SAILS ON SATURDAY

YOUNG Bahamian sailors from Nassau, Eleuthera, Harbour Island, Abaco, Exuma, Long Island and Grand Bahama will compete in the Fidelity Bahamas Optimist Championships for the title of national optimist champion this coming weekend.

The event will be held at the Nassau Yacht Club. The opening ceremony is scheduled for Friday from 6-8pm. Competition starts on Saturday at 9am and continues on Sunday at 10am. The dinner awards presentation will take place on Sunday from 5-7pm at the Nassau Yacht Club.

Sailors from the United States as well as the Cayman Islands will also be competing in this international event being held in Montagu Bay. This will be the first Optimist class National Championships held since sailing became the official national sport of The Bahamas.

Sponsors include title sponsor Fidelity Bank. Other important sponsors include J.S. Johnson and Campbell Shipping. Panama Jack, Shoreline Distributors, Aquapure, Thompson Trading and Home Fabrics are also on board to help ensure a successful event by donation of their products.

Eagles thump Buccaneers 25-11 to remain unbeaten

TAMPA, Florida (AP)

— Jalen Hurts threw for a touchdown, ran for another and led the Eagles on a game-ending drive that lasted more than nine minutes as Philadelphia remained unbeaten with a 25-11 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last night.

The defending NFC champions, who won their first eight games a year ago, are off to a 3-0 start in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1992-93.

Hurts improved to 20-1 over his last 21 regularseason games. He tossed a 34-yard TD pass to Olamide Zaccheaus that helped Philly build a 13-3 halftime lead, and his 1-yard scoring run gave the Eagles a 17-point advantage early in the second half.

The Eagles led 25-3 by the time the Bucs finally got into the end zone on Baker Mayfield’s 1-yard TD throw to Mike Evans.

A 2-point conversion

trimmed Philadelphia’s lead to 14 with 9:22 remaining, but Hurts and the Eagles never let Tampa Bay get the ball back.

Hurts was 4 of 5 passing and ran for a first down on that final drive.

The Bucs (2-1) lost for the first time with Mayfield at quarterback, turning the ball over twice after playing turnover-free against Minnesota and Chicago.

The Bucs’ usually reliable defence struggled, too, yielding 201 yards rushing.

A week after rushing for a career-high 175 yards, D’Andre Swift ran for 130 yards on 16 attempts for Philadelphia. Hurts was 23 of 37 passing for 277 yards and two interceptions, while A.J. Brown finished with nine receptions for 131 yards for the Eagles — one of just three NFL teams that remain unbeaten, along with Miami and San Francisco.

Mayfield completed 15 of 25 passes for 146 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Evans had five receptions, giving him 700 in his career.

BURROW SHAKES OFF CALF INJURY, THROWS FOR A SEASON-HIGH 259 YARDS AS BENGALS BEAT RAMS 19-16

CINCINNATI (AP) —

Joe Burrow shook off a lingering calf injury, throwing for 259 yards as the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Los Angeles Rams 19-16 last night to get their first win after starting the season with two losses.

Joe Mixon’s 14-yard touchdown run in the third quarter gave the reigning AFC North champs their first lead of the season.

Meanwhile, Logan Wilson picked off Los Angeles quarterback Matthew Stafford twice and the Bengals sacked him six times.

Stafford threw a 1-yard scoring pass to Tutu Atwell with just over a minute left in the game, and the PAT

DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL SATURDAY

“There’s usually 14 people on the boat, including 10 paddlers, a drummer and a steers person,” Chan said. “They go out and race and it’s all about unity and being in sync. You might be strong, but then you might be together. So it takes a lot of practice together and cooperation. Everybody is in one unison. “It’s been for breast cancer survivors, who use the sport as a way to bond with each other and to get some exercise. It’s a therapeutic sport in that aspect.” In an effort to foster a good relationship and encourage as many people to get involved, Chan noted that the Chinese Embassay provided all of the boats for the inaugural competition last year.

GOOD OMEN

Twelve of the past 14 teams to start 3-0 have gone on reach the playoffs.

HALFTIME CEREMONY

Ronde Barber’s 92-yard interception return for a touchdown that sealed Tampa Bay’s victory over

the Eagles in the 2002 NFC championship game in Philadelphia is perhaps the most memorable play in Tampa Bay franchise history.

The former Bucs star was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August and received

his Hall of Fame Ring of Excellence at halftime last night.

UP NEXT

Eagles: Back at home to face NFC East rival Washington on Sunday.

Buccaneers: At NFC South rival New Orleans on Sunday.

“That turned out quite well, considering that it was the first time we sponsored that event,” Chan said. “Our executive committee is all made up of volunteers, who dedicate their time and even sometimes their monies to brace the gap between the Chinese and the Bahamian people.” Spectators from North America, Canada and other parts of the world have been here last year and Chan said they anticipate that the numbers will increase because of the tremendous success from last year.

got the Rams to within three points, but Mitchell Wilcox fell on the ensuing onside kick to seal the win for the Bengals (1-2).

Burrow seemed to get better as the game went on and completed passes to nine different receivers.

It wasn’t clear until just before the game whether Burrow would play.

The star quarterback has been dealing with a calf injury but was a full participant in warmups without any obvious discomfort and went out for the Bengals’ first offensive series.

The injury occurred early in training camp, and he aggravated it late in the Bengals’ loss to Baltimore last week.

Burrow returned to practice on Thursday on a limited basis, and on

Saturday the team listed him as questionable. Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase had 12 catches for 141 yards, including a 43-yarder during a thirdquarter drive that led to the third of four field

goals in the game by Evan McPherson. The Cincinnati defence was outstanding. Stafford was sacked twice by defensive end Trey Hendrickson, and Wilson intercepted him once in each half.

Stafford finished 18 for 39 for 269 yards as the Rams slipped to 1-2.

UP NEXT Rams: At Indianapolis (2-1) on Sunday. Bengals: Plays Sunday at Tennessee (1-2).

STEELERS TOP LAS VEGAS RAIDERS 23-18

LAS VEGAS (AP)

— Even picking up first downs was a challenge for Pittsburgh’s offence in the first two games, so much so that fans loudly chanted for a change in the offensive coordinator.

All is not settled after the Steelers’ 23-18 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday night, but Kenny Pickett said it was something to build upon after he passed for 235 yards and two touchdowns.

The Steelers had 333 yards and 17 first downs, fairly pedestrian by modern NFL standards, but Pittsburgh totalled just 494 yards and 24 first downs through its first two games.

“I think we’re on track to getting (the offensive mojo) back,” Pickett said. “There’s never a perfect game. There are things we wished we had back, and that’s always going to be the case, but I think we’re definitely heading towards that stuff we need to have back.”

In the first meeting between the franchises in Las Vegas, the Steelers earned their first road win against the Raiders since 1995, though it didn’t feel much like an away game

with about half the crowd waving Terrible Towels.

“To have a team on the silent count in their own stadium is pretty demoralizing,” said Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt, who had two sacks. “It also helps the pass rush so much more. I’m very appreciative of everybody that came out tonight.”

Las Vegas trailed 23-7 going into the fourth quarter. It had a chance to tie the game in the final minutes, but coach Josh McDaniels settled for a short field goal instead of trying to convert a fourthand-4 at the 8. Pittsburgh (2-1) struggled offensively in its first two games, but it looked much better against Las Vegas (1-2). Pickett completed 16 of 28 passes, and George Pickens finished with four receptions for 75 yards.

“(Pickett) made the necessary plays,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “I thought he was good in the environment. I thought he was a good communicator. He did the job tonight.”

Watt had another sensational game, recording half of Pittsburgh’s four sacks less than a week after returning a fumble for the winning touchdown on Monday night against the Cleveland Browns.

The Raiders were the only team that hadn’t allowed a sack through the first two weeks. Chris Boswell made three field goals for the Steelers, including one from 57 yards. His longest is a 59-yarder against the Dallas Cowboys three years ago.

Las Vegas was hurt by three more interceptions for Jimmy Garoppolo, running his total to an NFL-high six on the season. Garoppolo was evaluated for a concussion after the game. “Those are plays obviously we don’t want to make,” McDaniels said. “Jimmy makes a lot of good plays, but obviously when the quarterback holds the ball, he holds the

fortune of our team also in his hands when he’s doing those things. ... A big key obviously was for us to take care of the ball. We didn’t do a good enough job of that tonight.”

Garoppolo was 28 for 44 for 324 yards and two touchdowns, both to Davante Adams in another impressive performance for the receiver. Adams finished with 13 receptions for 172 yards.

The NFL’s reigning rushing champion, Josh Jacobs, had nowhere to run once again. He finished with 62 yards on 17 carries for the Raiders, giving him just 106 yards through three games.

Not that the Steelers’ rushing attack has been much better, but Najee Harris did gain 65 yards on

19 rushes. He entered the game with just 74 yards.

Both teams came out with long touchdown passes. Garoppolo converted a fourth-and-1 with a 32-yard pass to Adams, and Pickett launched a 72-yarder to Calvin Austin.

The Steelers grabbed control late in the third quarter. Trailing 16-7, the Raiders drove to Pittsburgh’s 48-yard line. Garoppolo dropped back and had plenty of time, but couldn’t find an open receiver. He lobbed a pass into double coverage that was intercepted by Patrick Peterson.

The Steelers then drove 81 yards on six plays, with Pickett completing a 13-yard pass to tight end Pat Freiermuth for a 23-7 lead with 3:56 left in the third. But Las Vegas closed to 23-15 with 5:41 left in the game. Garoppolo completed a 1-yard TD pass to Adams, and then found tight end Michael Mayer for the 2-point conversion.

Daniel Carlson made a 26-yard field goal with 2:22 remaining to make it 23-18, giving him more than 600 career points.

UP NEXT Steelers: Visit the Houston Texans on Sunday. Raiders: Visit the AFC West rival Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

Last year, Chan said there were 23 teams entered and there’s expected to be at least 33 teams participating, including the juniors, armed forces and the corporate citizens this year. For more information, persons interested in participating in the event can WhatsApp 242-426-1001 or log onto www.bcoragonboat.com.

RUGBY WORLD CUP

FROM PAGE 11

all come in, with the latter named as captain following Johan Deysel’s red card against France. Cliven Loubser moves from flyhalf to the right wing, while Prince Gaoseb switches from No. 8 to flanker.

Prop Johan Coetzee and wing Gerswin Mouton, who scored the team’s only try of the tournament, are the only players to have started all four matches for Namibia at the World Cup. Uruguay impressed in its World Cup opener, a 27-12 defeat to France. With New Zealand also to play in Pool A, the match against Namibia is Los Teros’ best opportunity to turn the plaudits it has received into a positive result.

“Winning the next game would be the confirmation of the good World Cup we are having,” Durán said.

Lineups:

Uruguay: Baltazar Amaya, Bautista Basso, Felipe Arcos Perez, Andres Vilaseca (captain), Nicolas Freitas, Felipe Etcheverry, Santiago Arata; Carlos Deus, Santiago Civetta, Manuel Ardao, Manuel Leindekar, Felipe Aliaga, Diego Arbelo, German Kessler, Mateo Sanguinetti. Reserves: Guillermo Pujadas, Facundo Gattas, Reinaldo Piussi, Juan Manuel Rodríguez, Eric Dosantos, Agustin Ormaechea, Felipe Berchesi, Juan Manuel Alonso. Namibia: Cliven Loubser, Gerswin Mouton, Alcino Izaacs, Danco Burger, JC Greyling, Tiaan Swanepoel, Damian Stevens; Richard Hardwick, Tjiuee Uanivi (captain), Prince Gaoseb, Tiaan De Klerk, Adriaan Ludick, Johan Coetzee, Torsten Van Jaarsveld, Jason Benade. Reserves: Louis van der Westhuizen, Desiderius Sethie, Haitembu Shifuka, PJ van Lill, Max Katjijeko, Adriaan Booysen, Jacques Theron, Andre van der Bergh.

Stubbs pleased with Team Bahamas’ efforts

DESPITE having some uncertainty about whether or not they will get to travel this year to the Central American and Caribbean Bodybuilding Championships in Aruba, Bahamas

Bodybuilding and Wellness Federation president Joel Stubbs said he was pleased with the 10-member team’s performance.

The team, managed by Leonardo ‘Nardo’ Dean, produced a professional card with four gold, three silver and two bronze medals along with eight additional top six finishers for a total of 17 medals for

a total of 125 points for seventh place.

Costa Rica topped the field of 10 countries with 238 points, followed by Aruba with 194 and Mexico finished the top three with 155. But Stubbs said going up against such powerhouses, Team Bahamas stood its ground.

“I am grateful once again to the almighty God for giving us the strength, courage and fortitude to perform to the best of our ability,” Stubbs said. “This performance speaks volumes to the success of our federation and the disciplined athletes within.”

While Terrion Kemp led the way for Team Bahamas becoming the latest Bahamian to earn his pro card as the overall winner in the men’s physique, Stubbs said that all of our athletes made the finals in their respective categories.

Former 100 metre hurdler Ivanique Kemp, who competed in the CAC Championships in athletics, made her debut on stage with a gold in the women’s wellness. Derica Thompson

came out with the bronze and Andrecka Dames was fourth.

Also, Briceston Anderson picked up a pair of silver in the men’s fitness and physique, both Judah Forbes and Ricardo Gibson were fifth in the men’s physique and assistant coach Jason Johnson, as a pro competitor, displayed his strength in the men’s fitness challenge where he placed fifth.

Veteran Stephen Robinson got fourth in the men’s middleweight category after he got fifth in the men’s masters over 50 category and Grand Bahamian Orick Nesbitt also finished fourth in the men’s heavyweight to add to his sixth place earlier in the day in the men’s masters under 50 category heavyweight.

Stubbs, however, thanked the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture for serving as their major corporate sponsor, coming through just in the nick of time, at the eleventh hour, to make their trip possible.

“I’m grateful that sponsorship arrived at the 11th

hour, as we were uncertain about the entire team going on this mission,” said Stubbs, who wanted to make sure that history didn’t repeat itself after they failed to travel last year because of the lack of funding. “Nonetheless, we are determined to continue in the pursuit of excellence and greatness.”

Stubbs, however, praised the commitment of the entire team for pulling it all together for the success of the Bahamas. “Thanks to our team manager, coaches and judges who contributed in their capacity and lastly, but most importantly, the athletes who represented the turquoise blue, black and gold during the two days of fierce battle,” Stubbs said. “The team returns in high spirits knowing that they have accomplished a mission set forth. We look forward to bigger, brighter and better things to come in 2024.” Team Bahamas is due home today and will start the preparation for next year’s championships that will be held in Guyana.

Why seeing mom again makes such a difference

CHILDREN of women incarcerated at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDCS) were allowed to spend the day visiting with their mothers through the Grow Your Child Programme.

BDCS launched the initiative on August 31 as part of their rehabilitative efforts and participants were allowed to kickstart the new school year by reconnecting with loved ones.

Khandi Gibson, president of Families of all Murder Victims (FOAM), said that the programme allows children to spend the day with their mothers once a month to bond over activities. She added that children are not responsible for the crimes committed by their parents and are suffering the effects of missing a parent from the home.

She said: “One Saturday per month they get to watch movies with their children, they get to help with homework, they get to hug and

kiss and touch their children, which I think is good for both of them.

“It’s so important because kids came into the world and they are not responsible to enforce a blow that their parents get. They’re not responsible that an unfortunate blow that they have been dealt and their homes are missing a mother figure or father figure due to the prison.

“We have to bear in mind these perpetrators, they will be returning back to society. How do they return to society and show their children love when they weren’t allowed to bond or visit or hug and hold them?”

She explained that children with incarcerated parents are often “broken” by the realisation that their parents are not able to be as

active in their school lives as their peers are.

She said: “People don’t understand what this does to the children when the parents are incarcerated, they don’t understand how broken the children are.

“It harms them mentally when they realise that their mothers can’t take them shopping for back to school or a PTA, and is missing out on events because she is incarcerated.”

FOAM donated 37 backpacks filled with school supplies for the mothers to gift to their children for the new school year. Ms Gibson said the children enjoyed a fun-filled day bonding with their mothers and that it was important for them to receive something tangible from their parent to take with them on their educational journeys.

She said: “We thought it was really important for the children to receive something tangible for school from their mothers. We were able to donate 37 knapsacks with school supplies that the mothers can give to their children.

“They had the bouncing

BREAKFAST PROGRAMME TO FUEL STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE

THE national breakfast programme is set to launch in October with eight schools across the country.

Glenys Hanna-Martin, Minister of Education, announced last week that the $1m national breakfast programme will cater to 2,500 students across eight New Providence and Family Island schools.

The primary schools identified for the pilot exercise are Columbus Primary, Ridgeland Primary, Sandilands Primary and Albury Sayles Primary in New Providence

and Rolleville Primary in Exuma, Holmes Rock Primary in Grand Bahama, Cherokee Sound Primary in Abaco and Old Bight Primary in Abaco.

Ms Hanna-Martin explained that all children attending participating schools will be able to take advantage of the programme and that initiates such as this help to provide support for underprivileged families and nutritional support for students.

“Now research has shown globally that breakfast programmes provide support for struggling families, fuel students’ health and learning, provide nutritional support for children, lead to better

attendance rates and fewer missed days, and higher student performance,” she said.

“This pilot programme will allow us in those select schools to be able to monitor and collect data and to test the outcomes, because these are the outcomes that we would anticipate and expect.

“The purpose will be to provide free breakfasts to all students, not a select few. The traditional lunch programme caters to students in need, but the breakfast programme will cater to all students attending a school.

Students will be provided with a balanced breakfast on Monday, Thursday and Friday.

Ms Hanna-Martin said that those days were chosen because many families suffer a food deficit on the weekend.

She said: “The government is doing this because there is a commitment to doing whatever is necessary to ensuring first of all that children are in school. That’s a priority - get children in school.

“Secondly, to ensure that they receive quality instruction while they’re in school, for their human development and for securing the overall well-being and the future of our nation. And thirdly and importantly, is to ensure that children have access to food as they attend school.”

APPRENTICES SHINE THROUGH ON TRAINING PROGRAMME

A GROUP of apprentice service technicians successfully completed the training programme at Machinery and Energy Limited (M & E).

The apprentices graduated from the CVA Inspections and Preventative Maintenance training program in CATERPILLAR® Heavy Equipment and Electric Power Generation.

They participated in a month long theoretical and hands-on, instructor-led, and web-based training programme that covers inspections, preventative maintenance, and troubleshooting and equipes apprentices with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in their future careers. The rigorous programme provided the apprentices with a holistic understanding of industry best practices, advanced machinery inspection techniques, and preventive maintenance strategies.

Alan Osorio, general manager at M&E Limited said that investing in the apprentices education and training will enhance the nation’s

skilled work force and development.

He said: “At M&E Limited, our primary focus lies not only in delivering high-quality heavy construction machinery and energy solutions but also on nurturing and developing the country’s youth through training programs such as these.

“We believe that investing in the education and training of our Apprentices is pivotal for

building a better Bahamas and ensuring a talented and skilled workforce for the nation’s development and future.”

Nia Mills-Bethel , HR Lead at M&E Limited, said that the programme helps to company to meet their employment needs and grow local talent. She added that the apprenticeship allows the company to tap into ‘fresh talent’ that is ‘hungry and eager’ but lacking the necessary skills.

“This apprenticeship program helps to meet the company’s employment requirements while marrying the need to grow our own local talent.

“Within the HR space, we have observed that the employment market is identifying a need to upskill potential candidates who may have been ordinarily precluded for certain positions.

“This apprenticeship has opened the door for us to invest in fresh talent who are hungry and eager to learn but have not yet garnered the skills needed. We are pleased to do our part in bridging the skills gap.”

castle there, so they were able to play with the children in the bouncing castle, they had lunch cooked by the staff, they were able to play and color and watch movies it was so much fun to watch them.”

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

ARIANA Slater, above, is graduated from the sixth grade at Castle Christian Academy.

Her favorite subject is reading and she loves to go outdoors with her sister and their dogs, swimming, watching movies and playing games.

Ariana enjoys taking care of young children and would one day like to work at a preschool. She is also interested in cooking and baking and would one day like to own her own bakery.

She also attends youth group and Bible Club, where she enjoys participating, memorising her verses and seeing her friends.

Paul Wong, below, is a proud member of the 13th Bahamas Scouts Group at Holy Cross Church, Junior Achievement Juniors, KidCode242.com Masters League and a Sunday School Student at Evangelistic Temple.

He enjoys playing lawn tennis, golf, swimming, singing, playing the drums and the scrapper.

Paul has embraced the homeschool experience through the Time4Learning Curriculum and enjoys spending more time with his family while receiving a formal education.

He looks forward to a fulfilling high school experience.

• Do you know a student you’d like to nominate for Student Spotlight? Email details to jsimmons@ tribunemedia.net.