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The Tribune
Volume:116 No.205, OCTOBER 18TH, 2019
Established 1903
Weekend
THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1
A COMIC’S VIEW: GOING FISHING FOR STORIES AT THE BAR
LOCK THEM UP Judge warns jail terms needed for illegal migrants By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net A JUDGE yesterday lamented that court fines do not seem to be a deterrent to illegal immigration and were “making things worse”, adding undocumented migrants will “go to jail for a longer time” if they keep coming to her court. The comments came from Senior Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans after she sentenced several undocumented migrants to prison for immigration offenses. Among them were five Haitian men who were sentenced to a collective ten months at the Bahamas
Department of Correctional Services for illegal landing. Torly Rafael, Flerice Honore, Jilean Octave, Gregoire Jude and Jimo Joseph were each sentenced to two months in prison for their actions. Joseph, 19, of Port de Paix, was living under the radar in The Bahamas for over a year up to the time he was captured by immigration authorities. Before receiving their respective sentences, Rafael, Honore, Octave and Jude each expressed remorse for their actions, with Honore and Octave saying they snuck in for a “better life” and to escape the “reality” of what is happening in Haiti. SEE PAGE FIVE
HEALTH officials are concerned post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression could be affecting a large number of Hurricane Dorian victims from Abaco and Grand Bahama. This is a “massive problem” that gives rise to the possibility of increased suicides among victims and even some first responders, according to Health Minister Dr Duane Sands yesterday. Officials have no definitive number of how many could be affected, but it is
speculated that as many as 10 percent of the 75,000 residents from those storm ravaged islands may be at risk. If this is so, Dr Sands said it would be a “logistic nightmare” as Ministry of Health officials would be left scrambling to identify their capacity to work with these individuals. “Some of us are not going to be able to manage,” Dr Sands told The Tribune yesterday as he underscored the seriousness of the issue. His sobering view of the situation followed a revelation in Parliament by Golden Gates MP Michael SEE PAGE SIX
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
A $727M damages claim against Renward Wells and others was yesterday branded as “finished” after the firm at the centre of the Letter of Intent (LOI) controversy withdrew its appeal. Gregory Moss, the nowCabinet minister’s attorney, told Tribune Business there was little prospect that Stellar Energy would be able to revive its action against his client and the co-defendants, Algernon Allen and Frank Forbes, who the company alleged had acted as government “agents” in its bid to develop a wasteto-energy plant at the New Providence landfill. Mr Moss, also a former PLP MP, said Stellar Energy’s attorneys filed the “notice of withdrawal of appeal” on Tuesday. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
WTO DELAY: ‘IT’S MUSIC TO MY EARS’
SUICIDE RISK AMONG DORIAN’S SURVIVORS By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
RENWARD’S FINAL WIN IN LANDFILL LAWSUIT
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
CATWALK CARES A MODEL strikes a pose during Runway for Relief II, a fashion event showcasing the work of 11 local designers and riasing funds for victims of Hurricane Dorian. See Weekend for more. Photo: The Cou Studios
SUPER Value’s principal yesterday said it was “music to my ears” to hear the Government’s WTO chief negotiator state The Bahamas is almost certainly not joining under this administration. Rupert Roberts, who has vehemently opposed becoming a full World Trade Organisation (WTO) member, told Tribune Business it “comes as a welcome relief” after Zhivargo Laing told an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) organised seminar that The Bahamas was “95 percent unlikely” to join under the Minnis administration. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
‘WE WANT OUT OF HERE’ By RIEL MAJOR Tribune Staff Reporter rmajor@tribunemedia.net AFTER living in shelters for over a month, many evacuees still have nowhere to go. Despite complaints about the quality of the bath water and living around so many strangers, one Abaco evacuee who spoke to The Tribune near the grounds of the
Kendal G L Isaacs Gymnasium yesterday said he wants to leave the shelter but has no options. The man, who gave his name as Mr Symonette, said: “My plan was to get a job, but nothing is happening for me. You have to know people to work over here.” Mr Symonette said he hates the living conditions in the shelter. “Living in the shelter is
bad. I don’t like nothing, the bathing water stinks, and it makes me itchy. I can’t take it. It dirty and it smells bad, I can’t take it living in there. “I’m not use to this, I hate waking up and seeing the same face over and over. It disrupts my spirit. Every day I leave the shelter to release some of the pressure.”
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
SEE PAGE SIX
DIANE PHILLIPS: IN DARK DAYS, WE NEED LIGHTER MOMENTS
SEE PAGE NINE
PAGE 2, Friday, October 18, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
THE STRAW Market on Bay Street - Opposition Leader Philip Davis has warned that vendors’ livelihoods are at risk amid threats and lock downs of stalls.
Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff
Davis warns of complaints and threats at Straw Market By RIEL MAJOR Tribune Staff Reporter rmajor@tribunemedia.net PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party leader Philip “Brave” Davis yesterday criticised the Bahamas Straw Market Authority for “playing tough, fast and loose with people’s livelihoods”. Mr Davis said his office received complaints about alleged threats by the authorities to workers at the market. “They have been told that their jobs are in jeopardy as (of) January 1, 2020. I would like to know why such a thing would be said and the reasons for laying off staff members. In addition, I am advised that the corporation may be in
violation of the labour laws in that they are demanding that employees show up on Saturdays and days off to attend what are called mandatory staff meetings without compensation or time off in lieu of compensation. This worries me because earlier this week, the corporation locked out scores of vendors because of rent payments being in arrears or so it is alleged, and they did so without warning, “ said Mr Davis. The Tribune canvassed the straw market yesterday and spoke to a disgruntled vendor about the lock down of stalls that occurred earlier this week. In fear of being victimised, the vendor did not want to be named. She said
she was locked out of her stall for owing $49 over the $200 rent agreement. “They say they add on the rent every Sunday, this week would have made it to $249 which on Monday was a holiday. When I came on Tuesday, they had the whole aisle lock, all of my neighbours,” the vendor explained. “For them to lock the shop for $49... at least give the people until Tuesday. If they had done the lockdown on Tuesday, we wouldn’t have mind, but they locked everybody shop and the people upstairs are not nice at all to the straw vendors.” She added: “They talk to us any type of how…say they want do something on Friday they would give out
a memo on Wednesday. A two-day notice, when you give a memo you should give people a week or so.” The vendor said the authorities forced her to sign a book after she paid her rent. She said, “Now this is a paper that they gave us to sign on Tuesday after we paid. All this (letter) saying is if we allow our shop to go over $200, the shop will be locked and you’d be suspended for a day or if you don’t have the monies to pay the next day then you’d be suspended for the next three days. It goes on and on, they can even take you to court. “Rent is $37.40 a week and to be honest we don’t even make it. I’m through
the aisle, we can’t even go out on the outside because they have complaint officers that says if we go out to bring in a customer, we get a citation. If we get three citations that’s suspension. If you get three suspensions a year, your license will be suspended that means you would lose your shop. It’s very hard.” The vendor said things are so bad, she has resorted to selling items for $1. “The tourist don’t want to come in because it’s very humid and very hot. It’s a hassle to go out and bring in tourists. It’s so bad that we are selling things for a dollar,” she explained. “We tell the tourists we have dollar items for them to come in and come see
our shops. It’s very difficult and they know that upstairs. They don’t care, they talk to you any type of way.” When contacted, Works Minister Desmond Bannister said stalls were opened midday Tuesday without the required payment. He added that some stall holders who were locked out decided to pay. Mr Bannister said: “The Straw Market Authority collected $22,351.77 on Tuesday. From the Bay Street location $21,401.77 was collected, $595 was collected from the Cable Beach location and $355 was collected from Fort Fincastle. “The majority of the delinquent accounts are at the Bay Street location.”
THE TRIBUNE
Friday, October 18, 2019, PAGE 3
Justices: False affidavit by MP’s company unacceptable By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net A FALSE affidavit from Fox Hill MP Shonel Ferguson’s investment company was part of the reason why it was not given another chance to overturn its eviction from a building it never paid real property taxes on since assuming responsibility for it some 13 years ago. Appellate Justices Jon Isaacs, Roy Jones and Milton Evans said it was “totally unacceptable” for Turtle Creek Investments (TCI) to have filed an affidavit expressing its compliance with an order from the registrar, when it was “fully aware” that was “not an accurate statement”. And although TCI’s attorney apologised and said TCI did not intend to “deceive the court”, the appellate judges said such “infractions” coupled with the “prejudice” the respondent, Daybreak Holdings, suffered as a result “fortified” their view that the appeal should be refused. In any event, the appellate judges said they were not as “sanguine”, or optimistic that TCI would have overturned Justice Keith Thompson’s eviction order, as its claim to being the owner of the building “is not supported by the evidence”. The aforementioned was contained in a written ruling handed down on Wednesday, which outlined the appellate court’s reasons for refusing to allow the reinstatement of TCI’s appeal against Justice Thompson’s November 13, 2018 judgement and eviction from the building in Centreville. Last year, Justice Thompson ordered TCI, its agents, servants, assigns or subtenants to move out of the building in Centreville no later than close of business on December 15, 2018. That ruling stems from a legal dispute over a near 13-year-old hire purchase agreement between the two sides for the building in
question, which housed the Crab House and Seafood Emporium. According to a sworn affidavit by Donna Davis, president of Daybreak Holdings, it was agreed that TCI would pay Daybreak a $150,000 deposit and thereafter the sum of $1,350,000 in monthly instalments of $10,833 per month over a period of 264 months. In exchange, Ms Ferguson’s company was permitted to assume responsibility and operation of the building in question. TCI was also responsible for all maintenance, taxes, fees, and insurance over the building. TCI was also given the option to purchase the building for an amount to be agreed. And in the event that happened, TCI would receive full credit for the $150,000. According to court documents, TCI paid the $10,333 monthly sum for the most part until around December 2009, at which time there were some missed payments. TCI allegedly started making “reduced payments” in 2015, and by the end of September 2016, made no payments whatsoever. Daybreak claimed it served “many letters” on TCI, all of which contained “numerous requests and demands” for all outstanding sums pursuant to the hire purchase agreement, but to no avail. On July 31, 2018, Daybreak Holdings initiated legal proceedings, claiming that Ms Ferguson and TCI were in breach of the agreement. Justice Thompson ultimately ordered TCI to pay all outstanding sums it owes Daybreak Holdings pursuant to the hire purchase agreement. The judge also ordered both parties to engage an accountant to determine what TCI owes Daybreak pursuant to the agreement. TCI was also ordered to pay all of Daybreak Holdings’ costs associated with “the bringing of and
SHONEL FERGUSON MP, pictured in Parliament previously. prosecution” of the court along with an affidavit of matter, to be taxed if not compliance filed on March 29, 2019. agreed. According to the ruling, TCI subsequently petitioned the appellate court the record comprised some 38 items, however, seven on the matter. Thus, TCI tried to per- of those items were “omitsuade the Court of Appeal ted” from the filing. Despite to halt its eviction from the that, an affidavit sworn by Danielle McKenzie stated: building before its appeal. Ms Ferguson and her “I hereby confirm that attorney, Randol Dorsett, (TCI) has complied with argued that the “harm” the said order”. Daybreak Holdings, via would be caused if Daybreak Holdings followed its attorney Christina Galathrough with plans to nos, subsequently wrote a sell the building, while letter to the Registrar of also claiming that Justice the Court of Appeal, applyThompson’s ruling was ing for TCI’s appeal to be dismissed due to its “fail“flawed”. However, Justice Jones, ure” to include those seven in a December 18 ruling, documents in the record of found that TCI fell “far appeal. However, in an affishort of what is required to provide the grounds to davit sworn by Danielle enable me to exercise my McKenzie, Baycourt Chamdiscretion in this matter”. bers, the law firm that He further ruled that Ms represented TCI, said Ms Ferguson had given “con- Galanos’ letter came as tradictory reasons” to a “complete surprise”, as support her argument that not only did Ms Galanos’ TCI would suffer “irrepa- chambers not object to the rable harm” as she claimed. missing items after it filed Concerning the substan- the Record of Appeal, he tive appeal, pursuant to an office was “quite aware” of order made by the Regis- Baycourt Chambers’ “tiretrar, TCI filed a Record of less efforts to secure the Appeal on March 15, 2019 missing items”.
BLUE LAGOON OWNER MEISTER DIES BUSINESSMAN Alfred Meister, owner of Blue Lagoon Island/Dolphin Encounters, died peacefully in his home in Cofresi, Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic, on Tuesday, October 8. Mr Meister also owned the Treasure Cay Beach, Marina & Golf Resort in Abaco and Ocean World Adventure Park in Puerto Plata. Born on March 13, 1934 in Erbendorf, Germany to Ludwig and Maria (nee Mueller) Meister, Mr Meister was the youngest of five children. Although he is best known in the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic for his tourism ventures, his successful business career started when he took over his family’s local convenience store after returning from New York where he spent two years in the US Army. “His extraordinarily successful business career that spanned more than five decades, four countries and thousands of employees all began with apples,” a press release noted. “Meister had learned about the fledgling wholesale business in the United States and decided to try it in his family’s store. He knew that customers would buy apples and onions in bigger quantities and decided to attempt wholesaling one item to see if it would work. He chose apples because he felt they would look better in the windows. He bought truckloads of apples, put an ad in the local paper with the low price and waited. People came from surrounding towns and lined up the next day to take advantage of the apple sale and Meister never looked back. By the time he was 45-years-old,
ALFRED MEISTER, owner of Blue Lagoon, who has died, aged 85
there were 18 highly successful Meister Cash and Carry wholesale centres (similar to CostCo or Sam’s Clubs in the US) in different towns throughout Bavaria, Germany. “During a vacation to Nassau in 1973, Meister and his family fell in love with the Bahamas and its people and bought a second home on New Providence. They came every summer and winter to enjoy the beaches, fishing and boating throughout the islands. In 1978, he sold the Meister chain to Metro, the largest European retailer and moved to Nassau in 1979 to retire.” In 1980, while vacationing in Abaco, he bought a piece of property on the eastern tip of Guana Cay. The Guana Cay property was sold to developers more than 34 years later and it became what is now Baker’s Bay. His real estate holdings further expanded in 1980 when he bought the Treasure Cay Beach, Marina & Golf Resort in Treasure Cay, Abaco.
At the same time in 1980, Mr Meister purchased Salt Cay, a small island off Paradise Island, from the McCutcheon family. At first, it was simply another place for his family to enjoy but very quickly he saw that it would be a great vacation spot for visitors. He leased part of the island to Nassau Cruises and they began day trips to what they renamed Blue Lagoon Island. The island’s Dolphin Encounters attraction began in 1987 by Mr Meister. Mr Meister is survived by his sons Robert and Stefan Meister; sisters Gretl Meister and Lore Donhof; daughter-in-law, Kelly Meister; grandson Aidan Meister; former wife Christl Knapp, Kira Udovychenko and many nieces, nephews and close friends. Services will be on October 19, at the St Philip the Apostle Cathedral in Puerto Plata, the Dominican Republic at 9.30am and in Nassau on November 1 at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, Shirley Street, at 11am.
Photo: Terrel W Carey/Tribune Staff As to why the items were included in the record”. missing in the first place, The appellate judges said Baycourt Chambers blamed if such was the view held by the issue on the Court TCI, an application could Report Office not providing have been made to dispense the transcripts, and them with them being included consequently not receiv- in the record. However, no ing the transcripts in time. such application was made, Baycourt Chambers further the judges said. asserted that as the seven “We find it to be totally items were “not material” unacceptable that (TCI) to the substantive appeal would cause an affidavit and given past instances to be filed asserting that where appeals proceeded in the Registrar’s order had the absence of transcripts, been complied with when the Record of Appeal was they were fully aware that filed nonetheless. that was not an accurate However, the appellate statement,” the judges judges noted that the affida- said. vit of compliance “failed” “…We heard submisto disclose the absence sions from (Mr Dorsett) of the seven documents, on the prospects of success thus making it “difficult” however we were not satto understand the “basis isfied that they were such on which the (person who as to cause us to overlook swore the affidavit) could the infractions of (TCI). assert that (TCI) had com- Parties are expected to plied with the order of the comply with orders issued Court”. by Courts unless there are The appellate court fur- good reasons for them not ther reprimanded TCI being able to do so. for taking the liberty of “We also gave consideraassuming that the missing tion to the prejudice which documents were not neces- Ms Galanos asserted faced sary, as such a stance failed her client in this matter to “take into consideration which fortified us in our that the Court had order view that the application that those documents be should be refused.”
PAGE 4, Friday, October 18, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
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Migration problem is not going away ENOUGH was enough today in the courtroom of Senior Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans when it comes to illegal immigration. In sending a number of migrants who appeared before her to prison, she quickly dismissed the idea of a fine instead. “When we do the fine, that’s why they keep coming,” she said, “because we just keep fining them.” She went on: “Just couple of dollars, all the time, all the time. When is it going to stop? Because everybody is going to find the couple dollars for the fine. It’s beyond that for me now. It’s not getting through... if more keep coming, the more they’ll go to jail for a longer time.” One of the women who appeared before her had been living in The Bahamas for more than a decade without documentation, having arrived prior to 2006. She has a daughter who is almost 13 years old who was born at Princess Margaret Hospital. She was sent to jail for a year. Other women – including a mother and a pregnant woman – were also jailed. One thing is for certain - their sentences are certainly going to cost the public purse more than a couple of dollars. We will be the ones footing the bill for their stay in prison. We also do not know from the information at hand where these migrants had been living – whether they were among the refugees from Hurricane Dorian, for example. Whether they have gone from fleeing the storm to inside the walls of prison. Magistrate Vogt-Evans has followed the law with regard to how it applies to those who appear in her court, and at least those involved have indeed had their day in court to be able to argue their case. We do wonder though, between the cost of the case and the cost of the detention, if better ways really cannot be found. Ignorance of the law is of course no defence – despite one migrant saying he did not know our laws to the court. But for some migrants or their descendants, the paperwork and red tape that
confronts them makes trying to secure the right documentation a years-long hurdle. Imagine trying to live under the radar in this country for more than a decade. No driving licence, no NIB payments, a fear of dealing with authorities – including when needing medical treatment. It’s a life in the shadows, always hoping you won’t get caught. It’s no way to live - and looking at the chaos in Haiti at the moment, that’s the chaos that drives so many people to find their way here, to earn some money to send back to families. And yet, despite it being a life on the edge of the underworld and crime, it’s a life that’s better than the alternative for many. We often neglect to look at the conditions that people are escaping from when we talk about the story of migrants, and conditions in Haiti are currently getting worse, not better. There will be more fleeing to our shores, hoping to find a better life. In the case of the woman who has lived here for more than a decade without troubling authorities, it’s sad that it has come to the point where she has been jailed. Would deportation be any better for someone who hasn’t been back to Haiti in at least 12 years? There are no easy solutions in this. We do however still wonder if a pathway might be made available - as suggested in this column and echoed by politicians elsewhere - to offer a temporary permit in the wake of Hurricane Dorian. It would offer a moment of stability for those trying to rebuild their lives and perhaps give them a chance to come out of the shadows for the help they need. At the same time, if it only applies to those here and now after Dorian, it will not be available to some of those seeking to flee the current chaos in Haiti. We exist in a moment where international organisations are watching closely after the storm. We can hardly reach out for aid with one hand while pushing away those who need it with the other. The problems of migrants without documentation in our society is not a new one. Nor is it one that is going away. It is, however, one for which we must find a better solution.
Touched by human kindness EDITOR, The Tribune. AS I watched people dropped money into the receptacle it made me proud to be a Bahamian. And it gives me great pleasure in sending a big shoutout to the management and staff of KFC for the initiative they have taken to help bring relief to the victims of Hurricane Dorian. KFC has placed containers next to the cashiers appealing to their customers to please donate to the hurricane relief fund. Unfortunately because at face value it seems so insignificant some people do not see its worth. But it is more than just giving it is a symbol of unity and brotherly love. This bold and valiant gesture must be applauded And I believe other businesses are doing the same thing but thus far KFC is the
first one I’ve seen. While benefactors from countries worldwide and benevolent citizens throughout The Bahamas are donating to the cause–more is needed, much more. This is where the average sympathetic persons who are concerned about the welfare of brothers and sisters are willing to give whatever they can, enter the picture. This is where other businesses like KFC can play a major role in assisting them by placing containers (love symbols) strategically at their checkout counters and elsewhere. I am sure that even the youngest child will be willing to deposit whatever they can into the jars. Even if it means breaking of a lil piece of da lunch money. Every penny counts. Stop, pause, think about it. “Ask not what your country can do for you....ask what you can do for your country” – JFK. While we all join
in concerted prayers, we should also make sacrifices and give whatever we possibly can to bring relief to the victims and assist the government in rebuilding our country. Now is the time for every patriotic citizen to come to the aid of their fellowmen. Have you donated yet? No need to worry just stop by the nearest KFC and drop a dollar in “The love jar.” Thank you Kentucky Fried Chicken. These are my favorite verses of our national anthem “Pledge to excel through love and unity Pressing onward, march together To a common loftier goal;” God bless The Bahamas. Love you. ANTHONY PRATT Nassau, October 9, 2019.
Same sex marriages and abortion EDITOR, The Tribune. A LOCAL “failed“ politician who postures as a minister of The Gospel, Frederick McAlpine (FNM-Pineridge) had long sought entry into the House of Assembly as a representative from Grand Bahama. He tried to secure a nomination from the PLP, allegedly several times, without success. He then moved over or across to the FNM, no one is sure of which, shortly before the last general elections. To his surprise and that of many others, inclusive of myself, he was elected in the FNM’s landslide. Almost from day one, after being sworn in, this now FNM sought to embarrass the Prime Minister and his administration. He’s behaved like a loose cannon in the House and on the outside carries on like a natural political misfit, in my considered view. In almost two and a half years in parliament, he’s yet to sponsor a single piece of legislation designed to improve the lives of Bahamians in general and his Pineridge constituents in particular. His own constituency association has, apparently, abandoned him in the same manner the good people of the Centreville Constituency Association has jettisoned Chipman. Now, in a bald naked attempt to remain relevant and to set the tone of the debate going forward, this purported man of The Gospel is advocating homosexual and lesbian “marriages” and state sanctioned killing of innocent unborn human beings aka “abortion”.
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net This is beyond the pale and should and must be roundly condemned and called out by the so-called Bahamas Christian Council. I will not, however, hold my breath for this to happen. McAlpine’s congregation, if he has one, should get rid of him. This political crank, apparently, either does not know and practice the scriptural tenets of the Bible or he is an apostate of no mean order. The Bible and other sacred writings are clear: homosexuality is an abomination both to God and man. Abortion is the taking of a life created by God Himself, without any justification. Yes, the legal pundits and armchair scholars of jurisprudence make “exceptions” for abortions: where the life of the mother is in danger; the pregnancy is the result of incest or a rape and/or where there is medical evidence that the fetus is not viable....no more...no less. Personally I am against all forms of abortion save where it is necessary to save the life of the mother. Abortion cannot be, logically, regarded as a woman’s health option. Call it for what it is: murder of the unborn. God is not a God to be mocked and played with. In my opinion, McAlpine has acted the part of the arse who spoke to Bailam in biblical days and he used what should have been ‘“thus saith The Lord” to advance his demonicinspired secular agenda. As far as I am concerned, he
is a spent political and religious wimp. There are more pressing issues that we Bahamians should be addressing. The FNM should either invite the remaining so-called FNM Members of Parliament to a one day conclave or retreat down at the Sheraton or the Holiday Inn in the downtown area and read them the fabled Riot Act. They must be told, in no uncertain way, that they were elected on the FNM’s banner and platform and that if they no longer wish to support, constructively, the party’s agenda and the democratically elected leader of the party, the Most Hon Prime Minister, Hubert Alexander Minnis (FNMKillarney), they should be invited to simply leave the organisation and go their own way. The FNM and its leadership have to remain focused on recovery; reconstruction and redevelopment of many areas throughout the Abacos and Grand Bahama. We must not forget, in addition, that Ragged Island, et al, is still reeling from Matthew some years ago. This is no time for political and societal distractions. The welfare of the nation takes priority over any single individual. God, Who is a God of order and decency, said it well in the Bible: “Choose thous this day whom thou will follow”. To God then, the Giver of Life and the Creator of Adam and Eve (not Adam and Bobby) in all things, be the glory. ORTLAND H BODIE, Jr Nassau, October 17, 2019.
Christmas thoughts EDITOR, The Tribune. I BELIEVE today the Bahamas Paradise Cruise Service commences...what a great Christmas present to our wholesalers and retailers. FNM Budget increased the returning resident allowance to $1,000 a year (230,000 residents travel to the US annually so that’s
$230m in duty lost!) now slam dunk facilitate the easy service of buying and importing when wholesalers and retailers are screaming hurting and still stung by the FNM VAT at 12 percent. Bar humbug... Happy Christmas Mr Prime Minister - aint sending you Christmas Greetings this year! Chamber please scream..
this is regressive against Bahamian business and entrepreneurship. BTC-Aliv... wonder how much revenue they will lose with the no use cell in car? Anyone thought of that? Understand the safety aspect. W THOMPSON Nassau, October 12, 2019.
THE TRIBUNE
Friday, October 18, 2019, PAGE 5
Lock them up from page one Jude, meanwhile, told Magistrate Vogt-Evans that the reason he committed the offense was because he was not aware that illegal entry was a crime. “I am sorry but I did not know the country’s laws,” he said through translator Charlene Jean. However, when Magistrate Vogt-Evans asked him why he didn’t go to the United States since he was unaware that his actions were illegal, Jude said: “The Bahamas is easier for me.” After being sentenced, a clergyman who was there
on behalf of Honore and Jude stood up in court and asked if their sentences could instead be commuted to a fine. However, the magistrate replied: “When we do the fine, that’s why they keep coming, because we just keep fining them.” She also said: “Just couple of dollars, all the time, all the time. When is it going to stop? Because everybody is going to find the couple dollars for the fine. It’s beyond that for me now. It’s not getting through. The fine is not a deterrent, it’s making things worse. And that is why. And if more keep coming, the more they’ll
GB AND ABACO HOMES ‘FAILED BUILDING CODE’ By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
WORKS Minister Desmond Bannister said many homes in Abaco and Grand Bahama contravened the country’s building code before Dorian made landfall. “I have seen so many homes in Abaco and in Grand Bahama that did not meet requirements of the code either because they were built before the code was amended or because they were built in contravention of the code,” he said in the House of Assembly yesterday during debate on new disaster preparedness legislation. He said his ministry will appoint additional inspectors to assist architects and engineers in the inspection process. Some contractors fear enhancing the building code will increase building costs. Noting the code contemplates protecting buildings from winds up to 150mph, Mr Bannister said his ministry will seek to strengthen regulations. He also revealed that 2,262 buildings have been assessed to date on Grand Bahama, these including residential, commercial, mixed use and public buildings. Of these, ,040 sustained some damage. One thousand and sixty of them received minimal damage with costs of about $2,500; 420 received moderate damage with costs of about $5,000; 350 sustained severe damage worth about $7,500 while 210 are non-salvageable. So far, 460 buildings have been assessed in Abaco, including 444 residential buildings and 16 commercial
buildings. Of these, 123 sustained minimal damage, 88 sustained moderate damage, 128 sustained severe damage and 95 are non-salvageable. With still many more buildings yet to be assessed, the total dollar amount of assistance required in relation to buildings already assessed is $12.1 million, Mr Bannister noted. Earlier, Englerston MP Glenys Hanna-Martin continued the Progressive Liberal Party’s criticism of the government’s response to the hurricane, saying the West End airport in Grand Bahama was not opened immediately to receive supplies and there were delays getting supplies to Abaco by Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) vessels. She said: “Do you remember that two years ago, the national airline Bahamasair was used to evacuate people in the days before landfall of Hurricane Irma out of Inagua and Ragged Island and Mayaguana and Acklins and Crooked Island in what the PM boasted as the ‘largest evacuation in history,’ sending aircraft after aircraft free of charge to evacuate more than 1,500 persons from harm’s way? It seems that evacuation policy was abandoned in the approach of Dorian despite knowing, assuming they got the briefing we got, that this would be an extraordinary storm with tremendous flooding three times the height of Killarney and that in Abaco there were hundreds living in low-lying shanty towns with substandard housing and people in the cays and those exposed to the shores in East Grand Bahama.”
go to jail for a longer time.” Meanwhile a Haitian woman who appeared before the judge yesterday was sentenced to a year in prison for sneaking into the country and living under the radar for over a decade. Philise Jerome, 40, of St Louis du Nord, was sentenced by Magistrate Vogt-Evans after revealing she snuck into the country sometime before 2006. Jerome said she has a child who is about to turn 13, who was born at Princess Margaret Hospital, placing her arrival in the country at 12 years ago at the very least. That child resides at a
home on Faith Avenue. The father used to assist Jerome in taking care of the child, but not anymore. She since got married, and also has a two-year-old, but not with her husband, the court heard. Another Haitian woman, 21-year-old Katianna Gee of Port de Paix, was sentenced to a year in prison after admitting to sneaking into the country sometime in 2011. Gee was caught hiding in a baby’s playpen with clothes draped over her to conceal her presence after officers stormed an apartment complex on Fritz Lane on Wednesday. Three other Haitian
women – Dieuna François, Nadia Delaise, and Malite Jean – were collectively sentenced to four months in prison for illegal landing. Delaise, of Cape Haitien, was sentenced to only one month due to the fact that she has a child. Jean also got only one month because she is pregnant. François, of Port au Prince, was ordered to serve two months in prison. However, a friend of her father stood up in court and said she didn’t actually sneak into the country. He explained that François, 27, has a Haitian passport, and had received two extensions to remain in the country. However,
he said, when immigration officers breached the residence François was in, someone who stayed there told her to give the officers a false name. Magistrate Vogt-Evans said she would adjourn the matter until today to allow him to speak with immigration officers on the matter. However, she said, she expects that by the time they return to court, a different charge may be levied against François. Thus, the magistrate told him to “make sure bring some money”. Immigration officers Avia Beckford and Shandeshia Marshall prosecuted yesterday’s cases.
MEMBERS of the Psi Upsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc helping with the clean up of the Regency Theatre.
SORORITY HELPS CLEAN UP THEATRE By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
GRAND Bahama lost its only theatre – The Regency Theatre – which sustained severe flood damage during Hurricane Dorian. The Psi Upsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc is lending a helping hand to clean and restore the 450-seat theatre on Yorkshire Drive, Freeport. The Regency is considered “the performing arts hub of the northern Bahamas and stands out as the only purpose-built performing arts theatre in the entire country.” With a massive stage, extensive lighting and sound
facilities, and large preparation areas, it serves not only as a resource for performing arts, but for concerts, visual presentations, conferences and other special events. Unfortunately, most of the costume pieces and props, and theatre sets were destroyed as a result of some six feet of flooding inside the building. Richena Campbell, vice president AKA Sorority Inc, Freeport, said the organisation and its members were eager to assist in efforts to restore the theatre. On Saturday, the women rolled up their sleeves removing debris from the mould-infested building and going through many containers of costumes and
props to see what could be salvaged. “One of our targets is the arts and we are really focusing on building the arts in Grand Bahama, and after the hurricane devastation we believe that what, in fact, we can do is help as much as possible with the efforts to restoring Regency Theatre as one of the greatest and finest theatres in the Bahamas,” she said. Ms Campbell said that it is important to restore the theatre as quickly as possible. “We are trying to help restore it as much as possible and as soon as possible… so we pulled out some of the debris, separated the clothing and items that can be saved, and bagged up things for disposal and pick
up,” she said. Kerel Pinder, AKA president, noted that one of the sorority’s initiatives is supporting the arts, adding that it is an important factor “to our organisation internationally and locally.” “That has been a big part of the things we have been doing throughout the year, like coming to theatre performances, and encouraging theatre and performing arts with our mentor organisation, Twenty Pearls. “And for me personally, I have been a member of the theatre community for years. I am a playwright and so when we realised the theatre was completely destroyed, AKA wanted to be a part of helping to restore it,” she said.
GB BUSINESSES BID FOR NEAR $4M IN BUSINESS GRANTS By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
OF the $10m allocated for business recovery grants/loans to assist small businesses post-Hurricane Dorian, applications totalling close to $4m in requested funding have been submitted to date by impacted businesses on Grand Bahama. This is according to Davina Grant, executive director of the Small Business Development Centre Access Accelerator programme, who reported that it represents an average of around $150,000 per applicant. “We have 30 applications from Grand Bahama and those needs are nearly up to $4m,” she said yesterday. “Again, we are assessing them to make sure it is what they need.” In Grand Bahama, over 63 percent of 200 businesses surveyed in Freeport following the storm were
uninsured, and 22 percent of them have been forced to reduce staff, according to a survey conducted by the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce. Many entrepreneurs lost their entire inventory and equipment in the business sector of Queen Highway, and in downtown Freeport due to flooding as a result of storm surge. Last week, business licensees lamented that their operations are on “life support” and that many of them do not know where or who to turn for help getting their businesses restored and reopened. Ms Grant, who travelled to Grand Bahama on Thursday, said that SBDC is here to help by making funds available to those small businesses who need assistance. The government has set aside $10m to assist with business recovery funding post Hurricane Dorian. While driving through the city, Ms Grant noted
that she was pleased to see the ‘open now’ signs, which shows that businesses are slowly, but surely reopening in Grand Bahama. She noted that Port Lucaya Marketplace would be reopening for business this weekend, for the first time since the storm in early September. Ms Grant said that SBDC is operating at the BAIC Building on Sunrise Highway between 8.30am to 5pm to assist anyone who would like access to the funding put aside. SBDC is offering grant and equity funding, and guaranteed loans. Businesses that required immediate assistance with some part of their business may also get access to $5,000 in stand-alone grants, said Ms Grant, that are not tied to a loan or equity investment. “This funding can help to buy lumber, equipment, or constitute in some way assistance with taking care of some of your
working capital while you get back on your feet,” she explained. Businesses requiring larger amounts, Ms Grant said would need to seek funding either through hybrid facility or direct facility. “Hybrid means that it would consist of part grant and part equity. And some persons may just want a loan for a short period of time because they are waiting on the insurance adjusters and the likes to pay off, and that might help bridge the gap,” she added. Those seeking assistance can access and download application forms online at accessaccelerator.org. She urged persons not to get discouraged by the forms which “looks like quite a bit of work.” “Don’t let that stop you; come and sit with one of our team members and let them walk you through the portions that are relevant to you,” Ms Grant said. “We want to assist you
and we want to ensure that we are covering your business…back to where you were before. So, if you were at two to three employees before, let’s try not to use the funding to get 50 employees. We are looking to get you back to the status quo, and then (you can) continue to work with SBDC to expand your business,” Ms Grant said. “So, we want to do it in phases: phase one is recovery and phase two is expansion.” Greg Laroda, of the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce, said the results of the group’s business survey were “surprising.” He said that in response to the question of whether they had insurance to cover the damage received during the hurricane, over 63 per cent said they did not have insurance or adequate insurance. “That it is a common thing among businesses, in general, especially when you are looking at small
micro businesses,” he explained. He indicated that most would not insure their contents when they are renting premises. “So, when you lost all your inventory or equipment that was not insured, then you can see where it could appear hopeless for a lot of them especially since struggling prior to hurricane, and now this comes along, and you have to start from scratch - that is the reality of it,” he said. The chamber is also concerned about layoffs due to the storm. “With the smaller businesses they may be able to pay and hold on to staff for a short period without income, but after that more and more of them would have to let staff go,” he said. Ms Grant explained that the programme offers funding to help carry businesses for a period to pay staff until rebuilding and getting inventory.
PAGE 6, Friday, October 18, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
‘We want out of here’ from page one A mother-of-one, who wanted to be identified as Ms Guillame, said she would like to leave the shelter but has no money to do so. She said: “We plan to get out and we are trying to look for an apartment. Most of our documents were destroyed and we need to replace them but, that’s money that we don’t have. We don’t have the money to do all of that. I was trying to look for a job, I just got a form from McDonald’s recently. “I feel bad because this is not the life I wanted. . .I was living in my own house now I’m living in a tent. I ate on time and I was working so I didn’t need to depend on anyone to feed me. Things was good and the money that I had saved I already spend it to buy food for my son.” The 19-year-old says she dislikes the treatment she receives living in the shelter. She also complained about the shelter’s bath water. “I don’t like living around a bunch of people and the way they are treating us in there. We can’t eat on time and if you want a bottle of water you have to ask for it. I also don’t like the bath water. My son had a rash growing under his arm and I’ve been putting Vaseline on it. The water also has a bad smell. We are trying to hurry up get out,” she said. Meanwhile another evacuee who preferred to be unnamed, said she wants to move back to Abaco. “I’m still at the shelter because I have nowhere to go. I can’t wait until Abaco is back up and running so I can go back. I don’t want to stay here anymore. I can’t get a job because they ask for too many things like a resume and references. I lost everything during the storm,” the resident said.
MS Guillame at the Kendall Isaacs Gym, who said she wants to leave the shelter but has no money to go. “My family (and of October 16, there were I) wanted to move to six shelters in New ProviEleuthera but we don’t dence with 830 residents. According to police, the have anybody in Eleuthera. It’s a lot to do, but thank official death toll from HurGod for life. I don’t know ricane Dorian is now at when I’ll be able to leave 65, after two bodies were recovered on Abaco on the shelter,” she said. According to the Depart- Tuesday and two more on ment of Social Services, as Wednesday.
MR SYMONETTE, whose plan was to get a job but he said “nothing is happening for me”. Photos: Terrel W. Carey Sr/Tribune Staff
SUICIDE RISK AMONG DORIAN’S SURVIVORS from page one
Foulkes who told the House of Assembly 60 percent of patients in the aftermath of the storm needed anti-depressants. Mr Foulkes, who is parliamentary secretary of the Ministry of Social Services, said he stumbled upon the details after spending a few weeks assisting at an emergency hurricane shelter. “On one occasion while at the Fox Hill shelter, medicine supplies were low and I was asked to assist in securing a list of 25 of them,” he told Parliament. “I suggested to Dr Petra Forbes that the most important medicines were to be identified. “Dr Forbes indicated that the most important of the 25 listed was the antidepression medication. She further indicated that over 60 percent of all the persons treated needed antidepressants.” Six weeks following Dorian’s passage, Dr Sands said this is only the tip of the iceberg. He said: “Just think about the number of people that have lost family members and how long it is going to take to help them get over it; to help them to be able function and then imagine the number of people that have lost their homes that have to start over. “This has been a defining moment for the people of The Bahamas and it is going to be particularly challenging to deal with the emotional psychological mental aspects. “You know the broken bones, the lacerations, they
were dealt with pretty easily but dealing with the problems that people don’t even realise they have as they have difficulty sleeping, as they have difficulty interacting with their families, their coworkers. When they find that they can’t concentrate, that they start having flash backs and that can happen now a month from now, six months from now. “We are trying to determine how to sustain this response but I will tell you that it is a massive problem.” Health officials don’t have an accurate account of those that could be affected and Dr Sands admitted they had not interviewed every single person to glean any numbers. “Based on sampling, if you look at sample size and look at the number of people in the sample size that have manifestation of anxiety, depression, PTSD (or) whatever, I think that as a rule of thumb it’s possible that that number (7,500) is realistic. “Bear in mind that we haven’t done a whole lot of canvassing people in New Providence, people in Exuma, people in Acklins (and) Crooked Island some of them can develop PTSD because of what happened in Abaco because of the images that they’ve seen and because of the conversations that they’ve had related to somebody who is now missing.” He said it was also possible that some members of Parliament, relief workers and first responders were also struggling with these issues. “There are a number of
people who have been at this for six weeks straight, police officers, defense force officers, nurses, doctors people working on the repair of the infrastructure and so on and so forth. Think about the people that are finding remains of dead persons. Think about the people who have had to deal with the anguish of people who have no clothes and have no food. “This isn’t an ordinary event in the life of the Bahamas. You add to that the baseline stress and drama that was high to begin with.” Dr Sands said efforts to combat this situation will have to increase. “We are acting as if we are not only aware of the problem, but we haven’t yet gotten our hands around it. So this is not an issue now where we can relax. “We’ve got to escalate our efforts and escalate it in a big way.” The Elizabeth MP said resources are available through a number of private sector psychologists and psychiatrists who have made support counselling services free of charge. Help is also available at Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre and Rand Memorial Hospital. The Bahamian Psychological Association has further established relationships with a number of nongovernmental organisations that are preparing to begin efforts to sustain to ensure help remains available. However, he said, this is not a sprint but a marathon, adding that there was a very long way to go.
THE TRIBUNE
Friday, October 18, 2019, PAGE 7
‘Get a mammogram - it might just save your life’ By LEANDRA ROLLE lrolle@tribunemedia.net WITH high rates of breast cancer in the country, a local surgeon is urging Bahamian women to get routine mammograms. In support of breast cancer awareness month, Cleveland Clinic, Florida, hosted its first symposium on Wednesday to address the high prevalence of breast cancer in The Bahamas. Held at Baha Mar, the event included presentations from a number of leading health professionals, who also spoke on breast cancer preventative measures and breast cancer advances and research. One of the speakers, Dr Locksley Munroe, said: “People often ask me the question why breast cancer is so pronounced in Bahamian women in the Bahamas…the truth of the matter is about 20 percent of any particular disease is congenital, another 20 percent is related to environmental factors and in between there, that 60 or 70 percent is a combination of both. “In The Bahamas, we have genetics, we have our
environment and then it’s our cultural part, I think, that plays a significant part in the development of breast cancer in this country and I don’t know the answer, but, of course, there’s the hypothesis.” According to data released by the World Health Organisation earlier this year, there were 933 new cases of cancer in 2018, The Nassau Guardian reported. Of this figure, there were 200 new cases of prostate cancer, 60 cases of colorectum cancer and 25 cases of lung cancer recorded among men. There were 166 new cases of breast cancer, 55 cases of colorectum cancer and 39 cases of corpus uteri among women. The WHO data also found that 482 people died of cancer in The Bahamas last year with the leading killers being prostate cancer, with 80 deaths, and breast cancer with 77 deaths. But despite high rates of breast cancer in the country, Dr Munroe noted that such cases do not have to yield negative outcomes. “Twice a day, women (usually) look at their body. Why is it that (women)
don’t make a move at what they’re looking at? During breast cancer (awareness) month, those gambling houses offer mammograms for free. I think seriously that we need to take advantage of it…,” he said. Health Minister Dr Duane Sands, who was also in attendance at the event, spoke about the importance of early detection for breast cancer. “Breast cancer in The Bahamas is not the same as it is elsewhere. We have already established that… We recognise that public awareness and education are paramount in this fight. We realise that the government cannot do it alone,” he added. It is for this reason, Dr Sands said, why forming partnerships with NGOs and organisations like the Cleveland Clinic are important in tackling the issue. “Such alliances can boost the spotlight given to the prevention of breast cancer and emphasise the importance of early detection of this disease. Regardless of the therapeutic advances to treat late stage cancer, survival remains most favourable when you have early detection,” he continued.
Another fundamental part in the fight against breast cancer, Dr Sands said, is the importance of research. “(While) we still believe that prevention is better than cure, there is a need to establish a more robust machinery for local breast cancer research…. such access will permit Bahamian researchers to improve our outcomes and to answer thought provoking questions such as why do so many women have breast cancer in the Bahamas,” he said. “Our data collection efforts must inform the way we develop policies and with the assistance of the national cancer registry, data sources will be enhanced and advanced… While we are proud of the strides The Bahamas has made in the field of cancer research, screening, diagnosis and treatment, much more remains to be done.” In 2017, Dr Sands told the House of Assembly that women in The Bahamas have the highest incidents of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes “which is 800 per cent higher than the world average.” These genes increase a woman’s chances of getting cancer.
DR LOCKSLEY MUNROE
MAN ACCUSED OF GUN POSSESSION By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
A FREEPORT man was arraigned on firearm and ammunition possession charges in the Freeport Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
ROTARY HANDED DONATION BY LYFORD CAY SCHOOL CLUB THE Rotary Clubs of The Bahamas are continuing their efforts to help victims of Hurricane Dorian and the relief effort - and have been handed a bonus by schoolchildren. The Lyford Cay International School Interact Club donated $1,465, which was raised through a school fundraiser. The entire school
YOUR
community had the opportunity to dress in Bahamian colours to recognise families affected by Hurricane Dorian. Participants donated funds to the relief effort. The funds were donated to Rotary Club Old Fort. Members of the Interact Club also assisted with coordinating a Vision Board Party at the Ranfurly
Home. That event saw the Old Fort club collaborate with Hadassah’s Helping Hands and other community partners to help 60 displaced children at the Ranfurly Home enjoy a fun day. Rotary is welcoming financial donations. You can make a donation at https://www.7020.org/page/ hurricane-dorian.
CHOICE FOR THE FAMILY WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/JOYFM1019
Brandon Miller, 24, appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Debbye Ferguson and faced charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of ammunition. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and the matter was adjourned to March 23,
2020. He was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until that time. Also appearing in court was Larry Artillus, 22, for a bail violation. He pleaded not guilty and was granted $2,500 cash bail. The matter was adjourned to April, 4, 2020.
PAGE 8, Friday, October 18, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
Fishing for a few good stories
AFTER downing a few cold beers with fellow comedian Frankie Paul, down at Green Parrots, the topic of fishing came up. Frankie is an avid fisherman, as were several of the “bar flies” huddled up at the bar, that we were trading jokes and fishing stories with. I can’t lie, those were some tall tales and extremely funny, fishing stories. When asked to tell my story, I didn’t hesitate. I was quite eager to share my one and only fishing story. (Tall tale.)
CATCH AND RELEASE To make a long story short, the one and only time, that I went fishing and caught something, was a Cuban with live bait, but he was under sized so I threw him back. It’s all about catch and
release with me! After a good laugh and a few eye rolls, the flood gates opened on “fishing jokes”. In fact, Frankie and I were caught in a tsunami of bad one liners and fishing jokes, that we should use in our acts, according to the “bar flies”. A few were funny enough to make me laugh, (which isn’t easy) so I thought I’d share them with you. Especially since we all need a laugh, considering all what we’ve been through recently, and what lies ahead for us as a nation.
FRESHLY
CAUGHT FISH Alex had a terrible day fishing on the lake, sitting in the blazing sun all day without catching a single one. On his way home, he stopped at the fishmonger and ordered four rainbow trout. He told the fishmonger, “Pick four large ones out and throw them at me, will you?” “Why do you want me to throw them at you?” asked the fishmonger? “So that I am able to tell my wife, in all honesty, that I caught them,” said Alex. “Okay, but I suggest that you take the salmon,”
chimes the fishmonger. “Why’s that?” replies Alex. “Because your wife came in earlier today and said that if you came by, I should tell you to take salmon. That’s what she’d like for supper tonight,” replied the fishmonger with a robust grin.
FISH FOOD FOR THE BRAIN A customer at a local fish market, marvelled at the owner’s quick wit and intelligence. “Tell me, Wilson, what makes you so smart?” “I wouldn’t share my secret with nobody,” Wilson replies, lowering his voice so the other shoppers won’t hear. “But since you’re a good and faithful customer, I’ll let you in on it. “The secret is, fish head. You gat ta eat enough of them, if you eat da head,
you ga be brilliant.” “You sell them here?” the customer asks. “Only $5 apiece,” says Wilson. The customer buys three. A week later, he’s back in the store complaining that the fish heads were disgusting and he isn’t any smarter. “You didn’t eat enough,” says Wilson. The customer goes home with 20 more fish heads. Two weeks later, he’s back and this time he’s really angry. “Hey, Wilson,” he complains, “you’re selling me fish heads for $5 a piece when I can buy the whole fish for $3, you swinging me!” “You see?” said Wilson, “it looks like you’re smarter already.”
PET FISH After a long day of fishing, Trevor is approached by a Water Conservation Officer who asks him for his
fishing licence. Trevor replies to the environmentalist, “I was not fishing and I did not catch these brown trout, they are my pets. “Every day I come down to the water and put these fish into the water and take them for a walk to the end of the pier and back. “When I’m ready to go I whistle and they jump back into the bucket and we go home.” The officer, obviously, does not believe him and he reminds Trevor that it is illegal to fish without a licence. Trevor turns to the warden and says, “If you don’t believe me then watch,” and he throws the trout back into the water. The warden says, “Now whistle to your fish and show me that they will jump out of the water and into the bucket.” Trevor turns to the warden and says, “What fish?”
FOUR BUILDINGS DESTROYED AS GAS STATION GOES UP IN FLAMES POLICE in Eleuthera are investigating a blaze that left four buildings destroyed in Harbour Island. A press statement released by the Royal Bahamas Police Force yesterday said shortly after 6pm on Wednesday, police
responded to reports of a fire at Briland on the Go Service Station, located on Colebrook Street. “When officers arrived at the service station, they met the service station fully engulfed in flames,” police said. “Officers and volunteers
from the community attempted to extinguish the fire but were unsuccessful. A total of four structures, including a dwelling house were destroyed. No injuries were reported.” Officials could not say what caused the fire. An investigation is ongoing.
THE TRIBUNE
Friday, October 18, 2019, PAGE 9
In such dark days we all need a lighter moment By Diane Phillips
TO THE average reader, Page One of a newspaper contains the news they most need to know to get through the day. But in newspaper parlance or the world of those who have worked in the extremely underpaid and overworked world of journalism, there is only one part of Page One that truly matters. It’s called above the fold. The expression comes from the days when papers were sold in metal boxes on a sidewalk. As the prospective customer, you decided whether or not to plunk your quarter into the slot on the box in front of you based on the headlines you were able to read through the glass and since the paper was folded all that mattered was what appeared above the fold. Above the fold also earned its prominence through the good graces of the street-side newspaper sellers who shouted the headlines, waving the paper enticing you to buy when all you could see was the top half of Page One. Although it seems obsolete now when so many readers get their news online, the placement of a headline is still an indication of importance just as Page 3 is better read than Page 2 because 3 is a righthand page and the eye naturally falls on the right. What’s the purpose of
going through all this explanation which everyone over the age of 29 already knows and probably no one under that age cares? It’s because what happens above the fold allegedly tells us the most important things we need to know about the state of our world and in recent weeks, the state of our world both here and abroad seems to lie somewhere between dismal and disturbed. If we care, if we feel emotion when we read, then what we have been reading of late cannot help but upset us, sadden us, depress us. Take a typical Tribune of last week, headlines like 5 People Missing on East End, Man Found Hanging, Security Guard Gets 6 Years for Shooting…You can’t blame The Tribune or The Nassau Guardian or any editor. No editor worth his or her title is going to give above the fold status to a story about a child earning good grades or a couple saying their vows, unless they are a Tinseltown celeb duo overcoming some scandalous titillating behaviour and currently vowing to be good for the foreseeable future until their true inner selves reemerge and their new scandalous behaviour grabs above the fold placement. It’s not just in The Bahamas nor because of the freshness of monster storm Dorian’s wrath and
JULIA Aylen wades through waist deep water carrying her pet dog as she is rescued from her flooded home during Hurricane Dorian in Freeport - one of the heartwarming stories to emerge after the hurricane of survivors and, in this case, their pets. Photo: Tim Aylen/AP aftermath that the head- Good Morning America are as the news grows more the must-know madness lines which colour our world so popular and that the most threatening. So here is my will eat it up. of news are shocking, sad, watched TV news show, suggestion: Getting an advertiser to upsetting, or incite anger. NBC Nightly News with Editors, find a one-liner sponsor would be a snap. The New York Times, Lester Holt ends with an that delivers a sprig of Bad news may be in your Sunday Times, papers Inspiring America segment. humour, a pinch of wisdom face every day, but a little around the globe carry headWe are crying out for or a positive thought to humour could go a long lines that make us worry. It relief. We want a happy munch on for the day. way toward making all of us is for that very reason that ending. That desire never Place it above the fold feel better about the world TV shows like Today and ceases and only deepens and the rest of us weary of around us.
DOG FLEA ALLEY WITH increasing talk of changing street names to honour those whose deserve to be remembered even if being caught in traffic seems an unlikely place to do so, please never change the name of Dog Flea Alley. It’s the most photographed street sign in The Bahamas and it’s no wonder. What I want to know is who gave it that name so, if
you know please share. It’s just like who decided to name the road that runs between a seminary and a graveyard Lovers Lane? In case you are not familiar with that one, it’s off Shirley Street west of Mackey near the St Matthew’s Cemetery running northward to Dowdeswell Street and what not too long ago was a religion-based institution supported by the
Templeton Fund, founded by the late Sir John Templeton, a pioneer in the fund business who never lost the common touch when it came to worshipping the beauty of nature in bloom. Not sure how he felt about an address on Lovers Lane as neither the seminary nor the cemetery seem fitting for a wedding ceremony or a romantic rendezvous.
SPEAKING OF HONOREES... IT WAS a long and well-fought battle to get a government to declare Heroes Day to celebrate national heroes and few among us would not applaud that effort. But while we honour those and hope some are chosen for their worth and not merely their politics, I also believe we are making a drastic mistake by not emphasising Discovery Day. We do not need to continue calling it Columbus Day. I get that. The man, not intentionally perhaps, but the man and his men and their ways decimated the Lucayan
population. However, no other country in the world can claim what The Bahamas can – being the place where the New World was discovered. If landfall was made on October 12, 1492, that day should be marked with celebrations galore. Other destinations would be quick to recognise its value had they been the one place that occupied a singular spotlight in history. They’d have parades and music and imagine if we did here – the gateway to the modern history and conveniently in October, a slow tourism arrival month
when we could make the most of history and economic benefit. Our heroes could be honoured with a parade, with song, with a rush-out and an historic re-enactment. Congratulations to the well-deserving heroes who were recognised on Monday at Government House with performances by the RBPF Band, all the pomp and circumstance, a goosebump-producing version of Wind Beneath My Wings by Roney Armbrister. But remembering our present-day heroes does not necessitate forgetting our past.
PAGE 10, Friday, October 18, 2019
KURDS ‘WILL ABIDE BY CEASEFIRE’
THE TRIBUNE
White House: Ukraine aid held up in election quid pro quo
CEYLANPINAR, Turkey Associated Press THE commander of Kurdish-led forces in Syria yesterday said they will abide by a ceasefire agreement announced in Turkey by US Vice President Mike Pence. But his comments suggested a smaller “safe zone” than Ankara has demanded, underscoring the ambiguities in the American-Turkish deal. Mazloum Abdi, speaking on Kurdish Ronahi TV, said the extent of the ceasefire stretches about 60 miles along the middle of the border — between the towns of Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ayn. That is the region where Turkey has largely made its gains in nine days of fighting. Turkey demands that all Kurdish fighters pull out of a zone stretching the entire length of the border from the Euphrates River to Iraq, more than 250 miles. That covers most of the region were Syria’s Kurdish population is concentrated. The ceasefire appeared to be a significant embrace of Turkey’s position by the US in the week-long conflict.
WASHINGTON Associated Press THE White House acknowledged that President Donald Trump’s decision to hold up military aid to Ukraine was linked to his demand that Kyiv investigate the Democratic National Committee and the 2016 US presidential campaign, a shifting new explanation about events at the heart of the impeachment inquiry. The admission yesterday from acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney undercut the president’s position that there was no quid pro quo during Trump’s phone call with the Ukraine president that sparked the House investigation. The sudden turn of events had immediate fallout. Trump’s lawyer distanced the president from Mulvaney’s account. The Justice Department said the explanation was news to them. And Democrats cast Mulvaney’s remarks as further evidence of wrongdoing as Trump sought a “favour” from Ukraine. Trump, traveling in Texas, appeared to stand by
his top aide, calling Mulvaney a “good man”. “I have a lot of confidence” in him, Trump said. But Mulvaney’s initial remarks, made during a rare appearance by an administration official in the White House briefing room, spun open a new phase of the impeachment inquiry. He indicated that a quid pro quo was at play for the military aid — but a different one than Democrats initially highlighted as they probed Trump’s efforts to have Ukraine investigate a company linked to the son of his Democratic rival Joe Biden. Trump, as shown in a rough transcript of the July call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, sought help in investigating not only the firm tied to Biden, but also a security company hired by the DNC that discovered that Russian agents had broken into the committee’s network. The stolen emails were subsequently published by WikiLeaks ahead of the 2016 election. “The look back to what happened in 2016 certainly
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WHITE House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney speaking yesterday. was part of the thing that he erase what Mulvaney said was worried about in cor- as House Democrats dig ruption with that nation,” into their investigation. Democratic Rep Adam Mulvaney told reporters, delivering the White Schiff, the chairman of the Committee House’s most granular Intelligence explanation yet of the deci- leading the impeachment sion to withhold military probe, said, “I think Mr Mulvaney’s acknowledgassistance. “Did he also mention to ment means that things me in the past the corrup- have gone from very, very tion that related to the DNC bad to much, much worse.” Mulvaney, who has server? Absolutely, no question about that,” Mulvaney already received a subcontinued. “That’s why we poena for documents in the impeachment probe, held up the money.” Trump’s personal lawyer will now likely be asked by Jay Sekulow issued a investigators to appear for a pointed statement distanc- deposition. “I believe that they’re ing the president’s legal team from Mulvaney’s getting closer to basically admitting a crime,” comments. “The President’s legal said Rep Joaquin Castro, counsel was not involved D-Texas, who said Mulvain acting chief of staff Mick ney should testify. “Where Mulvaney’s press briefing,” he talks about politics being attached to foreign policy. it said. Within hours, Mulvaney I mean, you’re going up to issued a separate statement the water’s edge there.” Mulvaney during the claiming his remarks were press briefing defended misconstrued. “Let me be clear, there Trump’s request to Ukraine was absolutely no quid by casting it as part of an pro quo between Ukrain- ongoing Justice Departian military aid and any ment investigation looking investigation into the 2016 into the origins of the invesinto Russia’s election,” he said. “The tigation president never told me to interference in the 2016 withhold any money until election. He said the investigation the Ukrainians did anything was one of several rearelated to the server.” But it may be difficult to sons Trump held up nearly
Photo: Evan Vucci/AP $400m in military aid to Ukraine, including a desire for European nations to increase their own assistance to Kyiv. Funding was eventually released. A senior official at the Justice Department said if the White House was withholding aid in regard to cooperation with any investigation at the department, it was news to them. Trump’s request to Ukraine for an investigation into the 2016 election appears linked to unfounded conspiracy theories about a Ukraine link to the DNC hack that began circulating almost immediately after the breach was discovered. Some were propagated in stories online and by Russian media and included mention of a supposed “hidden DNC server”, which acolytes of the Republican political operative Roger Stone picked up and circulated. Mulvaney defended Trump’s decision to tap Giuliani to help lead Ukraine policy, saying it was the president’s prerogative. “You may not like the fact that Giuliani was involved,” he told reporters. “It’s not illegal, it’s not impeachable.”
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ACCOMPANIED by First Lady Martine Moise and acting prime minister Jean Michel Lapin, President Jovenel Moise, centre, arrives to lay flowers to mark the anniversary of the death of Haitian revolution leader Jean Jacques Dessalines, at Champ de Mars, adjacent to the National Palace, in Port-auPrince, Haiti, yesterday. Photo: Rebecca Blackwell/AP
HAITI PRESIDENT MOISE KEEPS DESSALINES CEREMONY PRIVATE PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti Associated Press HAITI’S embattled president was forced yesterday to hold a private ceremony amid heavy security for what is usually a public celebration of one of the country’s founding fathers. Jovenel Moïse and other officials appeared at the National Pantheon Museum in downtown Portau-Prince as hundreds of armed police officers closed down the surrounding area while protesters who demanded his resignation began to gather nearby. “This is not how a government should be functioning,” said Mario
Terrain, who is 29 and unemployed. “The president is in hiding.” Moïse left after the brief ceremony to commemorate the death of Jean-Jacques Dessalines, whose rule ended in 1806 following a military revolt. Protesters had prevented Moïse from visiting Pont-Rouge, the site north of the capital where Dessalines was killed and where the ceremony is usually held. Anger over corruption, inflation and scarcity of basic goods including fuel has led to large demonstrations that began five weeks ago and have shuttered many businesses and schools.
Thousands of protesters gathered in Port-au-Prince while a smaller crowd turned up at Pont-Rouge as they criticised Moïse. “We dare the president to come,” said 28-year-old Joel Theodore. “It will be his last day in office.” The president held a surprise press conference on Tuesday and said he would not resign as he once again urged unity and dialogue. Opposition leaders, however, said protesters would remain on the streets until he steps down. Yesterday, Moïse answered only a couple of questions from reporters before leaving the museum.
THE TRIBUNE
Friday, October 18, 2019, PAGE 11
John Bull helps displaced students JOHN Bull Group of Companies recently made a donation that will go towards uniforms for displaced students who are victims of Hurricane Dorian. Inga Bowleg, director of business development at John Bull Group of Companies, presented Patricia Minnis, wife of the prime minister, and Khrystle Rutherford-Ferguson, chairman of the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers’ Confederation (BCCEC), with a cheque that will go towards the BCCEC’s #fitforschool initiative of the Office of the Spouse of the Prime Minister.
The presentation took place at the Office of the Spouse on Thursday. Mrs Minnis, who is the patron of the initiative, expressed her appreciation for the donation that will go towards uniforms for around 50 students, displaced by Hurricane Dorian who are now residing in New Providence, to attend school. She praised the initiative as well as those businesses giving back, noting that students will feel more comfortable in the classroom wearing a uniform like their fellow classmates rather than standing out dressed in their own clothes. Carey’s Fabric &
Uniform Store, which was represented by manager Kim Gibson is also extending a 25 percent discount to displaced students. The #fitforschool initiative was created with the intention of sourcing and equipping students displaced by Hurricane Dorian with essential items as they return to school. These items include textbooks, uniforms, and footwear. The BCCEC has partnered with a number of influential women in the business sector, as well as philanthropists, who have agreed to assist in the sourcing of funding. This is the first of many donations expected to be received.
FROM left, Inga Bowleg, director of business development, John Bull Group of Companies; Khrystle Rutherford-Ferguson, chairman of the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers’ Confederation (BCCEC); Patricia Minnis, wife of Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis and patron of the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers’ Confederation’s #fitforschool initiative; Kim Gibson, manager, Carey’s Fabric & Uniform Store; Kim Sawyer, deputy director, Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development; and Charlamae Fernander, assistant director, Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development. Photo: Derek Smith/BIS
PAGE 12, Friday, October 18, 2019
THE TRIBUNE