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VOLUME:116 No.223, NOVEMBER 13TH, 2019
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ALICIA WALLACE: TEAMWORK ISN’T ALWAYS EASY
I never asked Ash for money. He wanted to give to PLP accepted any money from By NICO SCAVELLA Mr Ash, or from DeboTribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net rah Bastian, his alleged intermediary, on the busiFORMER Cabinet nessman’s behalf. The minister Shane Gibson former parliamentarian denied soliciting thou- would only say “no comsands of dollars in bribes ment” when questioned from a local businessman on the issue. while under police interNonetheless, Gibson rogation, and instead said he “never” asked Mr asserted that their con- Ash for any money, versations were about the either directly or indialleged bribe payer want- rectly, much less for his ing to make campaign own benefit and not in donations. the discharge of his duties Gibson, when inter- as a public officer. viewed by police two “Listen to me,” years ago, said any con- Gibson said in the interversations about money view, “Jonathan Ash said he had with Jonathan he wanted to see the PLP Ash were sparked by win the next election. He the man’s desire to “see asked in terms of donatthe (Progressive Lib- ing to candidates in the eral Party) win the next south, and he asked me election,” and him conse- how much money I think quently offering to “give he should give various them donations”. candidates. A video of Gibson’s “He offered to give interrogation was played them donations. It ain’t in court yesterday. had nothing to do with Gibson declined to SEE PAGE THREE answer whether he ever
FORMER Cabinet minister Shane Gibson outside court yesterday Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff
TEACHERS SALARY WIN AND TOLD - NOW BACK TO WORK
DUTCH SHIP FIRM KEPT FEES SECRET
By SYANN THOMPSON Tribune Staff Reporter sthompson@tribunemedia.net
By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamas Union of Teachers declared victory yesterday after Justice Bernard Turner ordered that teachers’ docked salaries be restored in full, after a battle with the government due its alleged failure to address working conditions at two public schools. Justice Turner’s ruling is related to the government docking the wages of teachers employed at both the Carlton Francis Primary and CH Reeves Junior High Schools. For weeks, teachers at CH Reeves have been protesting against the
TEACHERS celebrate their win “unsanitary” conditions on that campus, citing the presence of mould as one of the key concerns. And concerning Carlton Francis Primary, teachers there have been calling for the removal of the school’s principal. BUT president Belinda Wilson previously claimed that for
some eight weeks, teachers reported to work only to be “locked out” of the gate at Carlton Francis. School officials also called police officers to that campus and erected barricades amid the dispute. The government cut salaries of 75 teachers at both schools and made an application to the Supreme Court to force them back to work. Yesterday, Justice Turner ordered that the cut salaries be restored in full while the government continues to pay CH Reeves and Carlton Francis teachers’ salaries in compliance with their contracts. He also ordered the teachers to return to work.
THE Dutch company that supplied nine Royal Bahamas Defence Force vessels misrepresented to the Dutch government how much it paid a foreign intermediary that worked on the project. The Netherlands government sometimes protects Dutch companies from nonpayment through an export credit guarantee (ECG) programme, which is provided by Atradius Dutch State Business (ADSB). When the Deutsche Bank loaned the Bahamas
SEE PAGE FIVE
SEE PAGE THREE
SEX ATTACKERS DUMP VICTIM IN SEA By LEANDRA ROLLE lrolle@tribunemedia.net
A WOMAN was sexually assaulted, beaten and thrown into waters at Potter’s Cay on Monday morning in a shocking attack, police said. A 41-year-old man is in custody in connection with the incident and police said they were searching for another suspect yesterday. The attack took place shortly after 1am on
Monday. Police said a Bahamian woman was at the waterfront at Potter’s Cay when she was beaten, sexually assaulted by two men and thrown into the ocean. Five hours later, she was rescued by a passing vessel and was taken to hospital and later discharged. It is unclear whether the woman knew her attackers. Police statistics indicated reported rapes increased last year by six percent over 2017. Police Commissioner
Anthony Ferguson’s 2019 policing plan, which was tabled in Parliament in April, signalled the organisation’s plans to put a greater focus on tackling sexual offences. Earlier this year, Chief Superintendent Solomon Cash said high visibility policing will continue throughout the capital. His comments were in response to the alleged abduction and sexual assault of two young women in May.
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TECHNOLOGY
DIGITISING ARTWORKS IN PUERTO RICO
SEE PAGE NINE
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, November 13, 2019, PAGE 3
DUTCH SHIPPING COMPANY KEPT ITS FEES SECRET from page one
$149 million in 2014 for the Damen Shipyard Group’s supply of nine RBDF vessels, its agreement fell under ADSB’s ECG, according to the Global Trade Review in 2014. The World Bank disbarred Damen for 18 months in 2016 for failing to disclose an agent and the amount of commissions due to the agent.
The Dutch government then temporarily suspended Damen from accessing its export credit insurance. Last month, Dutch Secretary of Finance Wopke Hoekstra said ADSB subsequently conducted an investigation and found 14 cases where Damen gave “insufficient or incorrect information in respect of paid agency commissions.” “On the basis of this additional information, the state has reassessed the 14 cases,” he said,
in response to questions in the Dutch parliament. “This has led to the imposition of measures on ten of the 14 transactions by the right to compensation for damages.” It is said that Damen’s project with The Bahamas was one of these cases. Damen used NSG Management & Technical Services LTD as its intermediary in the Caribbean. Stephen Hobson heads NSG. Dutch investigators believe Damen paid 12 percent of
its contract with the Bahamian government to NSG as commissions. It is not clear what NSG’s work on the project involved. On its website, the company says: “Other procurement, supply and commissioning projects in the region include the government of the Bahamas for the Royal Bahamas Defence Force…” Its website also features a photo from Curacao in March 2013 showing two Bahamian
government officials alongside Mr Hobson and Damen officials after a letter of intent to acquire the defence force vessels was signed. The photo is captioned: “The Bahamas, DAMEN and NSG Teams.” Dutch investigators are said to be examining whether Damen bribed foreign officials in multiple jurisdictions through their foreign agents. NSG is said to be at the centre of its inquiry.
I never asked Ash for money. He wanted to support the PLP from page one any personal thing. I think I may have given him the list of names. “…Any discussions we had, (they had) nothing to do with my personal benefit.” Gibson further denied that Mr Ash paid him $250,000 via Ms Bastian in exchange for his assistance in ensuring the man would be paid the $1m plus he was owed for Hurricane Matthew cleanup work. He also denied that Mr Ash personally gave him $50,000 cash in bribes on a particular occasion. Gibson also denied that he demanded “shingles”—the term the Crown asserts he used as a code name for the bribery payments—from Mr Ash. He also refuted assertions that on one occasion, he used his old government-issued cellphone to text Mr Ash and demand 25 “shingles” from him, which meant $25,000. Police interrogator ASP Debra Thompson asserted that Mr Ash subsequently met Gibson at a gun range off Gladstone Road and paid him the $25,000. “I have never, ever, ever, ever asked Jonathan Ash either directly or indirectly for money for me personally,” Gibson stressed during the interview. “…I have never solicited or accepted any advantage from Jonathan Ash for the discharge of my duties.” The former labour minister denied being involved in the decision to select Mr Ash as one of the contractors for the 2016 Hurricane Matthew cleanup efforts in the first place. In fact, Gibson said he did not know Mr Ash prior to that initiative, and only got to know him as a result of that project. Gibson said Mr Ash was initially selected as a contractor by Leyton Rahman, a chief engineer at the Ministry of Works. He said the National Recovery and Reconstruction Unit (NRRU) or the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), both of which he oversaw, had no input on the decision. After a while, however, and towards the “tail end” of the project, Gibson said each member of Parliament was asked to identify at least two contractors to assist in closing out the cleanup efforts. But even then, Gibson said Mr Ash was not a factor. “I gave names to my
ABOVE: Shane Gibson. Left: ASP Debra Thompson.
colleagues of individuals to clean each constituency,” Gibson explained in his record of interview. “Ash’s name wasn’t one of those, understand what I’m saying? He wasn’t selected by anybody; he was selected by the Ministry of Works. The names I gave to my colleagues, I have those names. He ain’t one of them.” Gibson added: “He was selected by Leyton Rahman
at the Ministry of Works. We had nothing to do with that selection. And at the time he was selected, I didn’t know him.” The revelations were made during Gibson’s bribery trial before Justice Carolita Bethel. Yesterday’s proceedings were devoted entirely to canvassing the four-hour long interview ASP Thompson conducted with Gibson at
the Central Detective Unit in August 2017. Towards the middle of the interview, ASP Thompson raised the issue of just how Gibson and Mr Ash came to meet. ASP Thompson asserted that Gibson wanted to meet with Mr Ash because of the large amount of money the government owed him, and if he actually did the work. The senior officer asserted that Gibson and Ms Bastian consequently met with Mr Ash at Gibson’s former office at the Ministry of the Public Service on Meeting Street where he questioned Mr Ash on his outstanding payments and to verify if he did the work. Gibson, in reply, said: “Yeah, we met, we had a discussion.” However, he said he could not remember if he questioned Mr Ash based on his concerns at the time, nor the details of that meeting. Nonetheless, ASP Thompson asserted that during the meeting, Gibson and Ms Bastian told Mr Ash that he would have to forego one of his payments in order to receive his outstanding money owed to him. In response, Gibson said: “I don’t remember the details.” However, when ASP Thompson asserted that Gibson and Ms Bastian demanded $250,000
56 HAITIANS CONVICTED OF ILLEGAL LANDING FIFTY-SIX Haitian migrants were convicted in Magistrate‘s Court on Monday for illegal landing. The group of 50 men and six women appeared before Magistrate Kara Turnquest-Deveaux and pleaded guilty to the charge of illegal landing, according to a statement from the Department of Immigration.
A check of the Border Control Management System revealed that 10 of the migrants were repeat offenders, the department said. They were fined $3,000 each, in addition to a one year sentence at Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. The rest of the migrants were ordered early deportation and
turned over to the Immigration Department. This group was intercepted on November 9 at approximately 2.30pm near Deadman’s Cay, Long Island, by Royal Bahamas Defence Force patrol craft, Cascarilla, and subsequently turned over to immigration officials for processing.
Photos: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff
as an inducement to or a reward for him giving assistance or using his influence in approving Mr Ash’s outstanding payments, Gibson said: “Absolutely not, absolutely not, absolutely not. Emphatically, I have never, ever asked Jonathan Ash for any money.” ASP Thompson subsequently asserted that after the meeting, Mr Ash met Ms Bastian at Commonwealth Bank—the Oakes Field branch according to the evidence—and gave her $50,000 as payment on the alleged $250,000 demand. “I can’t speak to what Ash and Debbie did,” Gibson replied. Meanwhile, towards the beginning of the interview, Gibson, in response to questions by ASP Thompson, explained that post-Hurricane Matthew, he was assigned responsibility for “some” aspects of NEMA and the NRRU. Gibson further explained that although he served as the hurricane czar at the time, he didn’t really have a clearly defined function. In terms of approving payments for hurricane cleanup work, Gibson explained that the Ministry of Works would negotiate the rates with whichever contractor/contractors performed cleanup work. The ministry would subsequently send the relevant information to the NRRU. Gibson said on a few
occasions, the NRRU tried to reduce the rates negotiated by the Ministry of Works, as he said he was concerned at the time that the rate sheet “was too high”. However, he said Cabinet advised them not to. As such, he said the NRRU simply forwarded the payment information to the Ministry of Finance for processing. However, ASP Thompson suggested that at some point, Gibson changed the procedure and instructed that all payments be submitted to Ms Bastian, who worked as a consultant in the NRRU, for processing and his ultimate approval. “No, the Ministry of Works always did that,” Gibson replied. ASP Thompson then suggested that on or about December 8, 2017, Gibson issued a stop order that prevented any cheques from being released without his “express permission”. In response, Gibson said he couldn’t remember whether any stop orders were issued specifically about payments, but said some three to four stop orders were issued against the actual work being done. “We stopped the work because we didn’t feel we are getting the kind of traction we should have been getting,” he explained. “So we stopped the work itself, because we wanted to put more controls in place.” The trial continues.
PAGE 4, Wednesday, November 13, 2019
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California wildfires signal the arrival of a planetary fire age ANOTHER autumn, more fires, more refugees and incinerated homes. For California, flames have become the colors of fall. Free-burning fire is the proximate provocation for the havoc, since its ember storms are engulfing landscapes. But in the hands of humans, combustion is also the deeper cause. Modern societies are burning lithic landscapes once-living biomass now fossilised into coal, gas and oil - which is aggravating the burning of living landscapes. The influence doesn’t come only through climate change, although that is clearly a factor. The transition to a fossil fuel civilization also affects how people in industrial societies live on the land and what kind of fire practices they adopt. Even without climate change, a serious fire problem would exist. US land agencies reformed policies to reinstate good fire 40 to 50 years ago, but outside a few locales, it has not been achievable at scale. What were lithic landscapes have been exhumed and no longer only underlie living ones. In effect, once released, the lithic overlies the living and the two different kinds of burning interact in ways that sometimes compete and sometimes collude. Like the power lines that have sparked so many wildfires, the two fires are crossing, with lethal consequences. As a historian of fire, I know that no single factor drives it. Flames synthesise their surroundings. Fire is a driverless car that barrels down the road integrating whatever is around it. Sometimes it confronts a sharp curve called climate change. Sometimes it’s a tricky intersection where townscape and countryside meet. Sometimes it’s road hazards left from past accidents, like logging slash, invasive grasses or postburn environments. Climate change acts as a performance enhancer, and understandably, it claims most of the attention because it’s global and its reach extends beyond flames to oceans, mass extinctions and other knock-on effects. But climate change is not enough by itself to account for the plague of megafires. Climate integrates many factors, and so does fire. Their interplay makes attribution tricky. Instead, consider fire in all its manifestations as the informing narrative. The critical inflection in modern times occurred when humans began to burn fossilised rather than living biomass. That set into motion a “pyric transition” that resembles the demographic transition which accompanies industrialisation as human populations first expand, then recede. Something similar happens with the population of fires, as
new ignition sources and fuels become available while old ones persist. In the US, the transition sparked a wave of monster fires that rode the rails of settlement – fires an order of magnitude larger and more lethal than those of recent decades. Land clearing and logging slash fed serial conflagrations, which blew up in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the waning decades of the Little Ice Age. Even climate history has become a subset of fire history. Humanity’s firepower underwrites the Anthropocene, which is the outcome not just of human meddling but of a particular kind of meddling through humanity’s species monopoly over fire. The interaction of these two realms of fire has not been much studied. It’s been a stretch to fully include human fire practices within traditional ecology. But industrial fire, unlike landscape fires, is solely a product of human finagling, and so has stood outside the bounds of ecological science. It’s as though the intellectual sink for understanding can no more hold the new realm of burning than nature can its emissions. Yet in humanity – the keystone species for fire on Earth – those two arenas of earthly burning, like smoke from separate fires drawn into a single convective column, are merging. Their give and take is reshaping the planet. In the developed world, industrial combustion arranges agriculture, built environments, peri-urban settings and reserves for wildlands – all the stuff available for landscape fire. Societies even fight landscape fire with the counterforce of industrial fire in the form of pumps, engines, aircraft and vehicles to haul crews. The interaction of the two realms of fire determines not only what gets burned, but also what needs to be burned and isn’t. It changes the road fire drives down. Add up all the effects, direct and indirect – the areas burning, the areas needing to be burned, the off-site impacts with damaged watersheds and airsheds, the unraveling of biotas, the pervasive power of climate change, rising sea levels, a mass extinction, the disruption of human life and habitats – and you have a pyrogeography that looks eerily like an ice age for fire. You have a Pyrocene. The contours of such an epoch are already becoming visible through the smoke. If you doubt it, just ask California. By Stephen Pyne, Arizona State University. This article first appeared on The Conversation
Testing the drug waters EDITOR, The Tribune EXPUNGING past criminal records for the possession of drugs as put into the public media by ex-Commissioner of Police Farquharson simply is a pre-empted approach to indicate the way the Minnis Government intends to go…Testing the waters. The use of drugs for obvious reasons has been illegal and the US do not look well on that so the application for a US Visa is denied
and exceptionally difficult to rescind if you have a Bahamas or anywhere else record. The Marijuana Commission McCartney and Hall are taking an extraordinary time to report and conclude and recommend, but there seems to be some light here…Minnis has asked exCommissioner Farquharson to put this out and let’s see the reaction. Legalising possession for personal use there is an obvious issue to possess
you must have a source to obtain so surely if you legalise for personal use you legalise the wholesaler from whom you are acquiring. Bahamians going through LPIA TSA US Pre-clearance and their drug dogs get a smell of possession… the scent takes a long time to disappear! Think please before making a serious mistake. E STRACHAN Nassau November 6, 2019
Watch for the brain drain EDITOR, The Tribune Re: What grade do you deserve, Mr Lloyd? The Tribune, Editorial, November 6, 2019. LOOKING on the bright side —- our Ministry of Education is consistent in producing annual batches of officially
competent grade D “hewers of wood and drawers of water”. Although a supply of such dependable competence certainly augurs well for the future of our country, we must be ever vigilant against inevitable brain drain. KEN W KNOWLES MD Nassau November 9, 2019
Baby boomers are to blame EDITOR, The Tribune
AS I watched them playing vigorously on the court I listened intently as they teased each other. Shouting out in English, broken English, and Creole calling each other names. Teens and preteens, boys from all over the neighbourhoods. Bahamians, Haitians and Haitian-Bahamians cheered on by the crowd mingling under the pavilion. In the background the younger children are on the swings and see-saws running all over the playground having fun. We are all glued in front of the TV cheering on our Bahamians and Haitian-Bahamian athletes as they compete against other athletes from around the world, some of them unable to speak a “lick”of English embraces, encourages and congratulate each other before and after the competition. Scores of foreign nationals coming to our aid in our time of despair putting their own health and safety at risk, leaving their families at home to assist us in taking care of the victims of Hurricane Dorian. I listen to the talk shows
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net and tune into social media, read and hear the negative harsh comments about the Haitians. The children are on the basketball courts and on the playgrounds playing, having fun enjoying each other’s company doing what children do. While parents are complaining. We watch them on TV representing our country, competing against other nationalities in the universal language of love. And the moment the match is over, the moment the performance comes to an end we go back to our bitterness. We show our gratitude to the international mercy missionaries by treating the foreign sojourners in our land with disdain. Unfortunately this behaviour is not limited to the way we treat the antisocial uncivilised aliens in our land. It has taken root. No, it is embedded in us kindhearted, loving, civilised Bahamians. We, the adults, motivated by envy and greed are not speaking
to each other maligning each other’s character. Backstabbing and hating over some trivial matter that can be resolved by an easy explanation, review, a simple apology, a single handshake or a hug. But for us it’s not that easy. Not only are we practising it in front of our children we are encouraging them to grow into this behaviour. We let it go on for so long we forget why we are not speaking to each other. In the long run who are the losers? It is the nieces and nephews, the cousins that are being deprived of the companionship of their relatives, their parents, brothers’ and sisters’ children. Many growing up not speaking to or knowing who their families are. Sadly this trait is more prevalent amongst the baby boomers than in any other generation, but is slowly being secreted to them. If we are treating ourselves this way how can we expect to treat others differently. God bless the Bahamas I Love you. ANTHONY PRATT Nassau November 6, 2019
Fifty years of chicanery EDITOR, The Tribune IT IS not surprising that the country is up in arms about this latest piece of stupidity, coming on the heels of the worst summer ever, in terms of electrical supply. No, nobody has even the slightest confidence in anyone in the BPL hierarchy being a good steward of monies already paid in to BPL, much less a new and majorly skewed tax to be legislated. If we take the view, and most people do, that BEC/BPL has been the handmaiden of political chicanery for over 50 years now, why in God’s name are we only taxing the head of household and not the wider population,
who have, with their votes over the last half century, sustained malfeasance, misfeasance, cronyism, and just plain bad management of this State Owned Enterprise. Maybe the majority of people may feel that BPL is now running a little better than heretofore (but maybe they don’t) but what happens in two years when another political party takes over, and the money keeps haemorrhaging and the chicanery starts again? The Reduction Bond is a very good idea, but the people who pay the interest should be the people who created the debt. The Bahamian Citizens. Every damned one. So find a way to target every
man woman and child in every corner of these islands and tax them for their 50 years of iniquity. I appreciate that that may be difficult to do but why should foreign residents pay, and why should our tourists pay. Don’t want to increase VAT? Add an energy sales tax. Maybe charge it on Corned Beef and those other products that mostly Bahamians eat and shouldn’t. The main thing is for the BPL Board to stop thinking about debt solutions like they think about electrical generation. Isolate the problem and fix it. MONKEEDOO Nassau November 8, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, November 13, 2019, PAGE 5
TWO DEAD AFTER SEPARATE TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS By LEANDRA ROLLE lrolle@tribunemedia.net
POLICE are investigating two separate traffic fatalities in Exuma and New Providence that left a man and a woman dead. In the first incident, shortly after 11pm on Monday, three males were travelling in a black Chevrolet Cruz in the capital. According to police, the male driver lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a house at the junction of Robinson Road
and Podoleo Street. Fire services officers were called to the scene and were able to extricate the men from the vehicle. Two of the males were transported to the hospital with serious injuries. However, the third male, who was the rear seat passenger, died from his injuries on scene. Meanwhile, around 9am yesterday, police in Exuma were called to the scene of a traffic accident on Queen’s Highway, Bahama Sound at Georgetown, Exuma.
According to police, a grey Chevy Astro van and a silver Suzuki Areo crashed into each other, coming from opposite directions. The female driver of the Suzuki Areo, said to be in her late 40s, died instantly at the scene. These deaths came after two other traffic fatalities in Eleuthera and New Providence on the weekend. According to police, shortly before 2am on Sunday, a man was driving a red 2015 Honda Civic in Spanish
Wells, Eleuthera when he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a concrete wall. He was taken to the island’s community clinic where he was pronounced dead. The day before, police said a man was walking on East Street when he was hit by someone driving a Kia vehicle after 11pm. The victim was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead. These traffic fatalities have brought the count up to 48 for the year, according to police.
BELINDA Wilson can’t hide her delight after yesterday’s decision. Above, with Attorney Kahlil Parker from page one Outside court yesterday, Mrs Wilson told reporters she is happy with Justice Turner’s ruling. “It shows that no one is above the law including the Ministry of Education and the government of The Bahamas. So, we look forward to our teachers’ salary being restored, we look forward to them continuing getting their pay, we look forward to Carlton Francis teachers walking in the gate this morning, so they can go to their little darlings as the judge ordered forthwith. “All we wanted was justice and fair play and all teachers want to do is teach the nation’s children in a safe, healthy, peaceful environment. This is a victory not only for CH Reeves and Carlton Francis teachers, but for workers in this country and I say, ‘solidarity forever,’” said Mrs Wilson. While the judge’s order that the teachers return to work could be seen as a victory for the Ministry of Education, the union insists that teachers continued to show up to work in the midst of the dispute. The union maintains that the government’s
• THREE armed men robbed a take-away restaurant on Brougham Street on Monday night, police said. According to a police report, shortly after 7pm the three assailants entered the take-away, held employees up and robbed the place of cash and cell phones before running away. Central Detective Unit officers who were on patrol in the area responded to the
incident. Officers saw one of the suspects running on Dunmore Street and and observed when the suspect pulled a firearm from his trousers and threw it to the ground along with a pink purse and a cell phone. Officers caught the 19-year-old male and took him into custody. They also recovered a .45 pistol which contained six rounds of ammunition, a cell phone and a purse containing cash.
Photos: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff
Victory for teachers who are then told to get back to work decision to “intimidate” teachers with police officers and barricades prevented them from entering school premises. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education Lorraine Armbrister said she was pleased with the order for teachers to report back to their respective schools. “Teachers are ordered to return immediately to the schools where they have been placed, redeployed or transferred. Teachers are required to go where the Department of Education determines they would go,
teachers at CH Reeves as I understand it will return to CH Reeves. We have done transfer letters, so teachers are required to go where they have been transferred to,” Ms Armbrister said. When asked about the teachers’ health and safety concerns at CH Reeves, Ms Armbrister refuted such complaints. She said while there are funding constraints, there is no school which is unsafe. “There are no health hazards at CH Reeves. We have a public analysis report which verifies that and that is upheld by an
overseas analysis,” she said. The education official responded to reports of the ministry not being willing to meet with the BUT. She said the ministry has always been willing, but was concerned that the press was involved at those meetings. For his part, the BUT’s attorney Kahlil Parker said while teachers are to report to work, they must be returning to a healthy working environment. The Bahamas Bar Association president said: “The order is that they are allowed to resume their duties, so we don’t expect
barricades, we don’t expect police, we expect teachers to be able to report and resume teaching at Carlton Francis in particular. Now the issues at CH Reeves remain outstanding and the government will have to make sure that when the teachers report to work that they are reporting to a safe environment and that the union is allowed to conduct the inspection to certify that issue. “The fact that we have attempted that (inspection) previously is a matter of public record, other than that we have to wait for
the written reasons for his lordship’s decision that may shed further light, right now all we have is his orders.” For some eight weeks teachers have been protesting against unacceptable working conditions at both schools and both parties have not been able to sit down at the negotiating table to come to an agreement forcing the industrial action to be played out in court. Nevertheless, the BUT president said that teachers will show up to work this morning as they have been during this entire process.
SANDS: NO RISK FROM UNACCREDITED PHARMACISTS By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
HEALTH Minister Dr Duane Sands said the public faced no significant risk from people who were employed as pharmacists despite not being educated at an accredited institution. The Pharmacy Council in 2017 refused to renew licences for people who had obtained their qualifications from the McHari Institute, ruling the council previously erred in originally issuing the licences because the
institution was not accredited. Philippa Finlayson challenged the decision but was denied Supreme Court relief, so she subsequently appealed the ruling along with 12 other applicants. The matter is still before the Court of Appeal. However, the court denied the applicants’ application for a mandatory injunction pending appeal. “Even if it was accepted that the applicants have some prospect of succeeding on their appeal it could not be said that it was a strong case,” Justice Roy
Jones wrote. “The dominant factor in deciding whether to grant the mandatory interim injunction sought by the applicants was that the respondent’s decision was made in the exercise of its statutory powers for the public good. The public interest and the balance of convenience would not be served by granting the injunction sought by the applicants.” Asked about the matter yesterday, Dr Sands said: “At no time do we believe there was any significant risk to the general population because there has been
tremendous scrutiny over the industry as a whole. “I think the ruling of the justices have vindicated the existence of the Pharmacy Council. The Pharmacy Council is a fairly recent addition, I believe it came into being around 2009 and shortly after coming to existence would have raised the question about a group of individuals that have trained at a local school and was granted degrees in pharmacy. The individuals would have initially been registered by the Pharmacy Council, but subsequently their registration was
MINISTER Duane Sands revoked. It has been a very contentious matter and now the court has ruled that views of the Pharmacy Council should be upheld
and these individuals must now sit a licensing exam. In the meantime, they will be allowed to function as pharmacy technicians. “This has been a very unfortunate, contentious, challenging episode. I think the courts have now spoken, we are minded to follow the judgment of the courts. Until such time as the appeal is launched however, the court’s instructions are explicit and that is that these individuals no longer have the option to have provisional licences as pharmacists to be given to them.”
PAGE 6, Wednesday, November 13, 2019 By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net A MEMORIAL wreath was released into the sea at High Rock on Sunday for the missing victims in East Grand Bahama who were swept away by storm surge during Hurricane Dorian. Most of the unaccounted for victims on Grand Bahama were from the High Rock community, where more than a dozen persons are still missing and feared dead. Many gathered for a service of reflection in honour at the Government Park in High Rock on Sunday at 2.30pm, where candles were lit in remembrance of the missing. Pastor Pedyson Baillou, one of the organisers of the event, said that it was a time of remembrance for the eight missing persons - Monique Munnings, Henilee Mackey, Havard Bevans, Clarence Jones, Roswell Pinder, his wife Sybil Pinder, and their daughter Tanae Pinder, all of High Rock, and George Laing, of McLean’s Town – who have not been seen since the storm on September 3. Persons from as far as West End, Grand Bahama and Abaco attended the memorial service, he said. Also, in attendance were Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest, the MP for East Grand Bahama; Senator Katherine Smith; Minister of State for Disaster Preparedness, Management and Reconstruction Iram Lewis, and Rickey Mackey, the MP for North Eleuthera. Pastor Baillou said that the East End community is still going through the healing process in the aftermath of the ordeal. “It is a process that everybody is going through, and we are hoping to see our loved ones again. But in all things, we give thanks to God,” he said. “After the service, we threw a wreath where all had gone in the water. It symbolised the love, hope, and light that they had given to the community, and we hope to see them again on the other side of Jordan,” Pastor Baillou said. Speaking of the missing, he said Henilee Mackey was a promising young lady who appeared on an early morning talk show on ZNS. Monique Munnings
THE TRIBUNE
Ceremony for the people swept away by Dorian
was an employee at Urban Renewal who helped many in the High Rock community, he said. George Laing was a fisherman in McLean’s Town. Roswell Pinder was a well-known insurance agent for many years, and his wife, Sybil, worked for a Brokerage firm on the island. Clarence Jones was a former teacher and avid sportsman. As the communities in East Grand Bahama cope with loss of missing loved
ones, Pastor Baillou said they are also trying to restore life and hope back in their communities that were devastated by the storm. Mr Turnquest, who brought remarks, said that the loss of life witnessed in the community is devastating. “Our hearts are full with grief and saddened, even as we hold out hope that our love ones will be found alive through the mercy of God or, if He suffers it to be so, deceased, as we increasingly must come to accept,” he said. “We all hope and pray for closure even as the possibility that this peace may not be ours. Let me assure you all here today, on behalf of the government, that we will not give
up on the search for your loved ones until all possible avenues and reasonable chance of success has been exhausted. “To the families…who have missing love ones, I want to encourage you in this difficult time to continue to hold onto one another and to the hand of the almighty Jesus Christ, who does all things well. Even in our disappointments and questioning, He remains faithful and sure. Relying on such sure support you can rise with boldness and confidence, that it is and will be well...you will come through this with clarity and peace of mind.” The ceremony coincided with Remembrance Day, when those who have
lost their lives in war are honoured. He said the memorial “is fitting to memorialise those from this community, who have lost their lives in another kind of war. That being a relentless and often invisible war against the very real and evident effects of climate change, an enemy not of our making but nonetheless
one that we are forced to fight, sometimes alone with limited resources,” he said. Mr Turnquest said the lessons learned from these experiences must be documented, analysed and a detailed plan for pre-storm resilience building of physical infrastructure, financial and social infrastructure must be undertaken.
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THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, November 13, 2019, PAGE 7
By LEANDRA ROLLE lrolle@tribunemedia.net SEVERAL storm victims yesterday criticised members of Operation Sovereign Bahamas for their decision to protest against migrants staying at Kendal GL Isaacs Gymnasium in the wake of Hurricane Dorian, calling the move “disrespectful” and “heartless.” Ellen Petit, 53, recalled when protesters first visited the gym on Saturday, shouting at them “to go back home.” The protest, which went on despite bad weather on Saturday, Mrs Petit said, brought back harrowing memories of the powerful storm for many hurricane victims staying at the shelter. “They were (initially) standing where they were selling the food and they marched back. Then they come stand in the rain (protesting) because they saw us outside,” she said. “It put people in tears. Some people said it feel like the storm coming back. It feel like the hurricane. They remembered their loved ones who died in the storm and people started crying. It wasn’t nice,” she added. “It was not right because what we been through, I think some people should have come out and support us and help us and not protest against us. We had someplace where we were staying, we didn’t mean for (our) house to be broken.” Some storm victims said they don’t want to return to Haiti because there is no future for them there. One of them is Merlande Theophile. Mrs Theophile said she has been living in Treasure Cay, Abaco for 17 years without papers. “I can’t go (back to) Haiti because I have three kids and Haiti is difficult. If we go Haiti, we gone die,” she told The Tribune yesterday. To help ease increasing tensions in the country over illegal migration, Mrs Petit, who a Haitian-Bahamian, said the government should send undocumented Haitians to Abaco to help with the rebuilding process. “Them Haitians ain’t lazy, give them a work permit for a year or three years. Then after a year, if they ain’t find
THE TRIBUNE canvassed people at the Kendal Isaac Gym yesterday following Saturday’s protest. Far left: Ellen Petit; near left: John Maurin Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
Storm victims upset by protesters outside gym someone to renew it then you got to go back. These people have children. Haiti is always at war. They can’t go back,” she said. Another shelter resident, Eronne Lubin, 46, also criticised the group for the protest on Saturday. Although she was not at the gym when the group demonstrated, Mrs Lubin said when she heard the news, it disheartened her. “What they did on Saturday was not called for. They should’ve had a meeting or gone to government
(in) private. It made them feel bad and even me when I came from the seminar. It makes you feel bad,” she said. “We don’t have no family over here (and) everything we have has been destroyed and if they put us out, where are we going? We don’t want to stay here forever. The only reason we here is because (of) Dorian.” Another shelter victim, who did not want to be named, added: “I think the protest was disrespectful. We’re all human. We might not have the same
nationality, but we’re all human. It’s not only Haitians in there. They have (tents) in the back full of Bahamians. Why they make it seem like only Haitians here? That’s so heartless.” The gym has been housing storm victims since Hurricane Dorian displaced thousands of residents from Abaco and Grand Bahama in early September. But, Operation Sovereign Bahamas founder Adrian Francis said his group is pushing for the government to clear out the gym of
undocumented immigrants. “We are not trying to denigrate any innocent human beings; at some point we are going to have to get our gym back. Allow them to go home and come back through the front door. If they have no documents, the door is locked, it’s as simple as that,” he said in a Facebook live video on Saturday. Speaking to reporters on the matter on Monday, acting Prime Minister Peter Turnquest noted that the gym was only meant to
be a temporary shelter for hurricane victims and therefore he anticipates that those persons will make every effort to leave the shelter as soon as possible. Mr Turnquest said he understands the frustration of groups like Operation Sovereign Bahamas, but they must allow the government to do its job. Two weeks ago, the National Emergency Management Agency said there were more than 700 people living in five shelters across New Providence.
LEWIS: FARM ROAD RESIDENTS ARE POSING US A CHALLENGE Funeral Service For Maris Hilary Major Wallace, 77 of 26A McKinney Drive and formerly of Clarence Town, Long Island will be held on Thursday, November 14th, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. at Good News Seventh - day Adventist Church, Flamingo Gardens. Officiating will be Pastor T. Basil Sturrup assisted by other ministers of religion. Interment will follow in Lakeview Gardens, John F. Kennedy Drive and Gladstone Road.
VIEWING residential damage in the Treasure Cay area. By SYANN THOMPSON Tribune Staff Reporter sthompson@tribunemedia.net THE Farm Road shanty town in Abaco remains occupied, hindering cleanup efforts in that area, according to Minister of State for Disaster Preparedness, Management and Reconstruction Iram Lewis. He made the statement when updating reporters outside Cabinet on Tuesday on the restoration of Abaco since Hurricane Dorian. He confirmed that operations are underway to clean-up Abaco and four shanty towns, including The Mudd, Pigeon Pea, Sandbanks and Farm Road areas. “I can confirm that the Pigeon Pea is 100 percent cleaned, it will be declared a no-build zone and will be fenced in. The Mudd is about 45 to 50 percent completed. Sandbanks is about 80 to 90 percent done and it being well done,” said the member of Parliament for Central Grand Bahama.
Mr Lewis confirmed that occupants in the Farm Road shanty town are posing a challenge and that his ministry will handle the matter humanely as officials are eager to begin clean-up. “There are a lot of occupants in that area. Somehow, we have to clear out, so we can get to do the necessary clean-up. We are not demolishing, because everything is demolished. There are residents in the area that needs to be managed. We cannot allow residents to be in the area when we are doing our work. So, we must ensure that we are able to do our work in a safe manner in the obstruction of the persons who may be there whether they are NGOs or persons seeking shelter and we must ensure that we do it humanely,” he said. Clean-up efforts have faced obstacles due to the proliferation of unsanctioned construction in the shanty towns. “One of the issues we are
Photo: Patrick Hanna/BIS faced with because of the illegal construction, there were a lot of open pits and septic tanks all over the place, so as you can imagine contractors even after clearing a particular area of all the area, it’s risky,” said Mr Lewis. The Central Grand Bahama MP said the government does not yet know the exact dollar amount the restoration will cost but says it will definitely be in the billions. He spoke to reporters after touring Abaco for a post-storm assessment on Monday. A 2018 Abaco census by the Shanty Town Action Task Force found there were 449 households in the Mudd; Pigeon Peas, 184; Farm Road, 146; Sandbanks, 80; L & H, 16; and Elbow Cay, 37. In September, two weeks after Hurricane Dorian, the government issued an immediate ban on the construction of any new buildings in the four major shanty towns on Abaco.
Left to cherish her precious memories are her Husband: Dennis Wallace; Sons: Derek, Albert and Craig Wallace; Daughters: Paulette McKenzie and Karen Dugay; Grandsons: Ladario Brown, Philano Williams, Caz Perez Wallace, Tisar Wallace; Granddaughters: Ronique Cash, Tarez, Abigail and Atiya Wallace; Great grandchildren: Jade Gibson, Felicia Williams, Israel Wallace and Rashante Brown; Daughter-in-law: Sharon Wallace; Son-in-law: Jeffery Dugay; Sister: Sylvia Major; Brothers: Cleavland Major and Vincent Bowe; Uncle: Elvin Major; Nephews: Dennis Young, Vincent Bowe Jr., Kenrick Riley; Nieces: Monique and Natasha Riley, Michelle Major, Vinclee and Kera Bowe, Vanessa Bowe and Nikia Adderly; Brothers-in-law: Priest Wellington Wallace, Bishop Simeon Wallace, Pastor Preston Wallace; Sisters-in-law: Joyce Small, Princess Pinder, Miriam Beryl, Sylvia and Vernita Wallace; Godchild: Chris; Other relatives and friends: Alexis Moss and Family, Gertrude Williams, Bridgette Bartlett, Donna Mackey, Lakeisha, Shawn, Jermaine Rahming, Cpl. 100 Terrance Collie, Leroy, Ricardo Collie, Rochelle Cartwright, Cindy and Val Gardiner, Stella Rolle, Vernice Davis, The McKinney Family, Lightbourn Family, Ismae Smith and Family, Mr. Keith Cartwright, Rochelle, American Airlines and Envoy Family at the Airport, Ineta Cooper and Family, Rulame Cooper, Kenneth and Carol Pinder, Sybil Hepburn and Family, Cornelius Gray and Family, Security Dept. at S.R.C., The Artisans Salon, The Cash Family, Good News S.D.A. Church Family, Barbara Thompson and Family, Vera Deal and Family, Tony Morrison, Pastor McIntosh and the Greater Bethel Mission Church Family, Marjorie Wallace and Family, Karen Belle and Family, Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Adderly and Family, Henry and Michelle Guerrero, Graceann Gibby and Family, Kermit Major and Family, Kayncia Dames and Family and many others too numerous to mention. The family of the late Maris Hilary Major Wallace sincerely apologizes if your name was inadvertently omitted from her obituary. We acknowledge your friendship and thank you for your prayerful support during our time of bereavement. Viewing will be held in the Serenity Suite at Restview Memorial Mortuary and Crematorium Ltd., Robinson and Soldier Roads on Wednesday (TOADY) from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and at the church on Thursday from 8:30 a.m. until service time.
PAGE 8, Wednesday, November 13, 2019
G
ROUP work is one of the most dreaded parts of high school and university for anyone who cares about earning good grades and fair share of input. I remember complaining about group work and how it would affect my grades, emphasising my preference for being solely responsible for my academic outcomes. My father, who I generally thought of as fully invested in my success, was less sympathetic than I expected, insisting that group work would never stop and it was helping me to develop skills necessary for the work world. I thought it an unfair assessment, completely irrelevant to the case at hand and an indication of the need for change in the way we assign, do and reward work. Today, I am just as annoyed by the people who put minimal effort into group work, but now have greater appreciation for multiple perspectives, inputs and even the process of team formation, decision-making, ideation and follow-through. I still believe the way we assign, do and reward work is tremendously flawed, but see the value in putting resources into the development of strong, effective teams. I have spent the past week participating in an innovation lab that brought 1,000 young people together from 162 countries to work in teams of up to six people. Never having met before, it was difficult to organise ourselves solely based on shared interest in one of eight Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) covered here. We all arrived with our own ideas, some of us more flexible and open to new ideas than others. While some teams worked together almost seamlessly, others struggled to complete the simplest of tasks and at least one team has completely fallen apart. Most of the team conflicts
THE TRIBUNE
Working with strangers on a group project (and no internet) what could go wrong? Alicia Wallace in Shenzhen, China seemed to be due to inability or unwillingness to put personal projects or ideas aside in order to work on something new. The innovation process demanded we put ego and personal interest aside in order to maximise team buy-in at the beginning in order to work together on a problem that is inspiring enough to drive the team through the entire innovation process, resulting in a solution and, if lucky, funding. The innovation process typically takes months and requires a cohesive team, so it is quite ambitious to try to get from the problem-framing stage through ideation, prototyping and testing in one week with two to five other people. The members of my group of four were from four different countries, speak three different first languages, have four different religious affiliations or perspectives, and work in four different fields. We struggled to work together from the very beginning and three of us would say the
fourth person was the primary problem. One group member constantly tried to make peace and force the rest of us to get along while two of us wanted to get on with the work at hand and not intentionally put time or attention into interpersonal conflicts. Both options seem to have been a waste of time because not only is team cohesion is necessary for every step of the process, but the time constraint discouraged us from addressing root issues. This meant the tension remained and there was little room for creative thinking, brainstorming and sharing. It was interesting to see the widely varied team dynamics within our SDG track of 25 teams. Some were completely happy to be together, even having their meals together every day. Other groups came together only during work hours. Most groups seemed to fall somewhere in the middle, working together during the day and sometimes spending more time together to work through
challenges in the process or share light moments. During the pitching session – an opportunity for two of the teams to progress to the Dragons’ Den - it was easy to see which had developed good relationships outside of the work. It clearly resulted in better pitch performances, but did not necessarily mean they were able to develop the
best solutions relative to less cohesive teams. At the end, my team was able to frame a problem multiple times, explore three ideas, and pitch a reasonably inspired solution. We did not have a good time together, but all had an appreciation for the process and the skills we gained along the way. We might have done much
better with healthier team dynamics, but our success may be that we did not give up, nor did we get left behind by the other teams in our track. We have no doubt we would have had greater success had we been able to have more productive conversations and make better use of the many hours we had to work together.
THE INNOVATION lab and experiences in navigating Shenzhen have proven that human connection and empathy are critical and have no replacement.
The Great Firewall of China BEYOND being in an intense innovation lab where emotions ran as high as passion for the work, limited internet was a stress point. There is nothing quite like travelling to the other side of the world and experiencing another culture, a language barrier, lack of sleep and high work demands while unable to use the usual channels to keep in touch with loved ones and up to date on national, regional and international news. Without a properly functioning VPN, it is not possible to use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Whatsapp, or any Google product including Gmail. Most participants struggled to keep up with university assignments and work tasks due to the inability to send or receive messages or access the most frequently used platforms. What used to be readily available at the touch of button and with little thought suddenly required creative thinking and assistance from multiple people. Throughout this experience, it has been great to see how willing people are to help others, whether they know them or not. Upon learning that I wanted to go to the grocery store for a few things, my Chinese
roommate wrote a series of phrases that I could show to the staff. For example, “Does this have meat?” was an important one as many Chinese products do not appear to have meat, but they do. I learned this at a group dinner where someone announced that the tofu had pork in it. I did not ask my roommate to create this translation tool for me, but she knew I intended to go on my own while she was out meeting a friend, so she took the initiative to list important phrases as well as questions with “yes” or “no” so people could point to the answer for me. She was also helpful in navigating the city of Shenzhen which, unlike Beijing or Hong Kong, does not have many English speakers or signs. I observed that Chinese people typically do their best to accommodate nonMandarin speakers, even when they do not speak English. They present laminated menus with photos and encourage customers to point to what they want. Many use translation apps on their personal mobile phones to facilitate communication. In a few cases, people have helped me to access wifi by entering their phone numbers and giving me the passcode they
receive via text message. The language barrier can feel impossible to surpass, but the kindness and determination of people who want to help has proven that we do not need to speak the same language to understand or demonstrate care for one another. No one has expressed frustration with any of us for not speaking the language, nor has anyone dismissed us or given up on finding a way to help. A technological firewall has proven much easier navigate and overcome than the interpersonal conflicts that are created by our unwillingness to work around differences. There are many things that feel impossible in China, but the difficulties here less pronounced when people are willing to help. The innovation lab and experiences in navigating Shenzhen have proven that human connection and empathy are critical and have no replacement. They cannot be reserved for a particular class, and they must not be withheld as a weapon against those perceived to be outsiders. They have to be cultivated and consistently practiced to become a part of the culture of a people or a place. Who and what we are is reflected in this.
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, November 13, 2019, PAGE 9
TECHTALK
A DEPICTION of ‘Goyita’, a 1953 painting by Rafael Tufiño Figueroa of his mother that broke from conventional portraits of the time, is placed in front of Google’s Art Camera in San Juan, Puerto Rico. (AP Photo/Dánica Coto)
GOOGLE DIGITISES ARTWORKS IN PUERTO RICO
By DÁNICA COTO Associated Press
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The 1953 painting by Rafael Tufiño Figueroa features his mother with a red scarf on her head, a determined look on her face and heavy expression lines, a depiction of a working-class woman that broke from conventional portraits of the time that focused largely on wealthy men. “Goyita” is one of more than 350 paintings from Puerto Rico that Google Arts & Culture digitised for the first time with help from “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, who unveiled late Thursday the online exhibition that features work from four Puerto Rico art institutions. The aim is to expose the world to Puerto Rico art, preserve it and help museums in the U.S. territory that are struggling to exhibit paintings given space constraints and budget cuts amid a 13-year recession. “It’s a flare out to the world that there’s incredible art here,” Miranda told The Associated Press. “There’s no reason why Puerto Rican art should not be seen on the same stage as the Louvre, the Met and all the incredible other places where Google has come with its cameras to digitise the artwork.” Puerto Rico artwork joins Google’s current online exhibitions and stories from around the world including “Rings from 500 BC,” an
Google Arts & Culture. He traveled to Puerto Rico in July to see the artwork for the first time. “What I was surprised by was the diversity, depth and richness of all these collections,” he told the AP, adding that they only digitised the art that the four museums had selected.
Audience
VISITORS walk into the Museum of Art ahead of the announcement by Google Arts & Culture that it digitised more than 350 artworks in San Juan, Puerto Rico. (AP Photo/Dánica Coto) up close view of the “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” and a virtual tour of Chichen Itza in Mexico. As part of the project, Google brought its so-called “art camera” for the first time to Puerto Rico, which required special permits, Miranda said. “I’m sure I’m on some kind of watch list,” he said with a laugh. The camera has an extremely high resolution thanks to a 400 millimetre zoom that unveils details invisible to the human eye, including brush strokes.
It also allowed those at the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture to find the signature of a pioneering female artist, said executive director Carlos Ruiz, adding that the institute was forced to close its national gallery in 2013, leaving works without a permanent space. The camera took thousands of pictures to digitise 48 pieces of Puerto Rico art as it went inches by inches to cover an entire painting, a job that took 30 minutes to several hours depending on the size of the artwork, said Simon Delacroix, U.S. lead for
As Delacroix demonstrated the power of the zoom on a painting called “El Gobernador Don Miguel Antonio de Ustáriz,” by José Campeche y Jordán, a collective “Wow” escaped from the audience attending the project unveiling at the Museum of Puerto Rico. The crowd could appreciate details in the background including someone that appears to be laughing from a balcony. Another Puerto Rican artist featured online is Olga Albizu, whose abstract paintings became internationally known when they appeared on the album covers of well-known Bossa Nova singers. Google Arts & Culture already allows users to explore more than 2,000 museums and historic sites including Nelson Mandela’s prison cell. In total, it offers more than six million photos, videos and other documents. Next year, the company expects to launch a larger project with more Puerto Rico artwork.
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JOINING THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE REVOLUTION: DISCOUNT DISTRIBUTORS WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT IS YOUR BUSINESS? My name is Ryan Turnquest and I am the Director of Operations and part owner of Discount Distributors, an innovative wholesale food grocery concept with a technological edge. We offer three methods of shopping: walk-in purchasing or pick up at our location off Chesapeake Road in Pyfrom’s Addition, or even grocery delivery for those who place their orders through our app. With options beyond food, we are the local “Amazon” market that saves people time and money on their everyday purchases. WHEN DID YOU MAKE THE SWITCH OVER TO 100% ELECTRIC VEHICLES? I heard about the electric vehicles (EVs) through word of mouth from a family member, and since grocery deliveries make up a large part
of our growing business we decided to start with two BYD Delivery Vans in August of this year and kicked those big gas hogs to the graveyard. WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO USE EVS FOR YOUR COMPANY NEEDS? Discount Distributors is expanding its inventory and delivery options as more and more Bahamians use our app to make their lives easier. We were spending so much on maintenance and fuel with our gas vans that couldn’t keep up with our needs. There’s a lot of driving to do and we want to save money on gas and look good doing it—the electric vehicles are the perfect cars to match our expansion and align with our innovative vision to offer something new to The Bahamas. HOW HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE BEEN SO FAR USING THE BYD DELIVERY VAN? Honestly, I haven’t even driven my own car since
we got these vans. They’re great—a smooth ride, no noise, and they look good. Discount Distributors drivers are comfortable with all the usual amenities of cars plus additional technological perks like charging stations and Bluetooth. We have saved so much on gas already and have almost no maintenance issues—if anything comes up, we experience excellent service from Easy Car Sales to address it quickly and painlessly. WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ADVICE TO OTHER BUSINESS OWNERS CONSIDERING MAKING THE SWITCH OVER TO 100% ELECTRIC VEHICLES? Electric vehicles are the way to go, especially for a company that has big fleets like ours, because it saves you time and money. It’s a big upfront cost, but Easy Car Sales gave us a financing option that was beneficial to our business, and I bet they’d be willing to make it work for you, too.
• WICHITA will add the state’s first electric buses to its public transit fleet in hopes of saving hundreds of thousands of dollars and reducing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. The first bus is expected to hit the road this month, while an additional 10 should come into service next year, KCUR reported. The city’s transit director, Mike Tann, won a $2 million federal grant that allowed the city to purchase four new electric buses from manufacturer ProTerra. Tann also bought seven smaller electric buses from a company called Custom Coach Works, and those vehicles will replace aging buses that look like old trolleys and run downtown Wichita routes. “The ultimate goal is to get people to use the (bus) system because they want to,” Tann said. “And electrifying it seems to get people thinking about it and it also gets us off the fossil fuels too.” Transportation emissions make up the largest source of planet-warming greenhouse gases in the United States. Wichita Transit has also remodeled its bus barn and placed charges for 14 buses. Transit workers will plug in buses to charge overnight, which should prepare buses to run for about 150 miles (240 kilometres) by morning. The agency estimates each electric bus will run for 12 years and save the city $462,000 in that time compared to its diesel counterpart. The Kansas City Area Transportation Agency serves seven counties in Missouri and Kansas. Although it hasn’t been able to win federal grants to purchase electric buses, it decided to buy two. • THE most distant world ever explored four billion miles away finally has an official name: Arrokoth. That means “sky” in the language of the Native American Powhatan people, NASA said Tuesday. NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft flew past the snowman-shaped Arrokoth on New Year’s Day, three-and-a-half years after exploring Pluto. At the time, this small icy world one billion miles (1.6 billion kilometres) beyond Pluto was nicknamed Ultima Thule given its vast distance from us. “The name ‘Arrokoth’ reflects the inspiration of looking to the skies,” lead scientist Alan Stern of Southwest Research Institute said in a statement, “and wondering about the stars and worlds beyond our own.” The name was picked because of the Powhatan’s ties to the Chesapeake Bay region. New Horizons is operated from Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Lab in Laurel, Maryland. The Hubble Space Telescope — which discovered Arrokoth in 2014 — has its science operations in Baltimore. The New Horizons team got consent for the name from Powhatan Tribal elders and representatives, according to NASA. The International Astronomical Union and its Minor Planet Center approved the choice. Arrokoth is among countless objects in the so-called Kuiper Belt, or vast Twilight Zone beyond the orbit of Neptune. New Horizons will observe some of these objects from afar as it makes its way deeper into space.
PAGE 10, Wednesday, November 13, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
MORALES IN MEXICO AS SUPPORTERS MARCH
SNOW AND SIBERIAN WINDS HIT US Associated Press SNOW and cold records fell as an arctic airmass that started in Siberia spilled over a big chunk of the eastern half of the US, including the normally mild South, yesterday. The mid-autumn taste of winter brought record single-digit temperatures to Chicago, set snowfall records in Buffalo and Detroit, dusted cars with snow in Memphis, Tennessee and froze lakes in Minnesota weeks earlier than usual. “This is an air mass that’s more typical for the middle of January,” National Weather Service meteorologist Kevin Birk said in Chicago.
LA PAZ, Bolivia Associated Press
COAL, a highland steer in Lanesborough, Massachusetts
Hong Kong pushed to brink of collapse HONG KONG Associated Press PROTESTERS in Hong Kong battled police on multiple fronts yesterday, from major disruptions during the morning rush hour to a late-night standoff at a prominent university, as the five-month-old anti-government movement takes an increasingly violent turn. Gasoline bombs and fires lit up the night at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, while police massed for a possible clearing action with a water cannon truck. It was the second
straight day of weekday protests and followed an especially violent day on Monday in which police shot one protester and a man was set on fire. Bus tires were punctured and debris thrown on railway tracks. Police fired tear gas at protesters who littered roadways with bricks and anything else they could get their hands on — even merchandise still wrapped in plastic and tossed out from boxes. Commuters got off one stopped train and were escorted on foot along the tracks.
“Hong Kong’s rule of law has been pushed to the brink of total collapse,” said police spokesman Kong Wing-cheung, calling those who defend or maintain ties with violent protesters “accomplices.” Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam, speaking to news media after a weekly meeting with advisers, called the blocking of the morning commute “a very selfish act.” “People from different sectors in society are holding fast to their positions and refusing to concede to violence or other radical
HONG Kong protests. actions,” she said. “I hereby express my gratitude to those who are still going to work and school today.” Many office workers turned out in support of the protesters, who rallied for a second day on Pedder Street in Central, a business and high-end shopping district. A few thousand people took over several blocks, chanting “Five demands, not one less” while holding up one hand with five outstretched fingers. Their demands include democratic changes and an independent investigation
of police treatment of protesters. Traffic was blocked on two major roads, with buses and half a dozen of Hong Kong’s famous trams lined up unable to move. The words “Join Us” were spray painted on the front window of a halted doubledecker bus abandoned by the driver and passengers. The driver-side window was shattered, with a message reading “Sorry” added later. Police fired tear gas to disperse protesters and onlookers who were hurling abuse at the officers. At least one person was injured when he was struck on the head by a tear gas canister. But protesters returned by evening and were again blocking roads with bricks and commandeered buses. Protests ebbed and flowed all day at several universities. Classes were canceled, and clashes were particularly intense at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
EVO Morales, who sought to transform Bolivia as its first indigenous president, flew to exile in Mexico yesterday as thousands of his supporters clamored for his return in the streets of the Bolivian capital. Military fighter jets flew repeatedly over La Paz in a show of force that infuriated Morales loyalists who were blocked by security forces from marching to the main square. “We’re not afraid!” shouted demonstrators, who believe the ouster of Morales following massive protests was a coup d’etat as well as an act of discrimination against Bolivia’s indigenous communities. “Evo was like a father to me. We had a voice, we had rights,” said 35-yearold Maria Apasa. Like Morales, she is a member of the Aymara indigenous group. Despite their anger, the demonstrators were peaceful. The march followed weeks of clashes and protests against Morales, who was accused by his many detractors of becoming increasingly authoritarian and rigging an election. His resignation Sunday led to a power vacuum in the Andean nation. Morales was met at Mexico City’s airport by Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard after a flight from Bolivia on a Mexican government plane and repeated his allegations he had been forced to resign by a coup. “The president of Mexico saved my life,” Morales said, thanking President Andrés Manuel López Obrador for granting him asylum. He vowed to “continue the struggle.”
MOARALES arrives in Mexico
CHILE ENTERS 26TH DAY OF PROTEST WITH STRIKE AND HUGE MARCHES
SANTIAGO, Chile Associated Press
PROTESTS against social inequality continued for a 26th day with huge demonstrations across Chile and a national strike that brought much of the country to a standstill yesterday, while the value of the national currency fell to a record low. Thousands of people marched peacefully in Santiago rising in the air. But groups of hooded protesters also confronted police, who used water cannons and tear gas to disperse them, and smoke rose from the plaza in the afternoon. The strike drew widespread participation across the country, generating a holiday atmosphere in many cities. Classes were canceled and some government offices scaled back their services. The coastal city of Valparaíso ground to a halt, with government offices and public and private transport shut down. Protesters threw rocks at some shops in the morning, prompting many to remain
PROTESTERS in Santiago yesterday closed, while hooded agitators erected barricades and looted. People hurled rocks at the Hotel O’Higgins, an iconic building in Viña del Mar, and ransacked one of the main grocery stores. Large demonstrations also occurred to the south, in Concepción, where a government building was evacuated after a fire broke out. In Antofagasta, in the north, barricades impeded traffic, while in Punta Arenas, in the Patagonia region, hundreds of people took to the streets to express their anger. Silvia Silva, a
demonstrator in Santiago, called the strike “historic” and one that “will mark a before and after in our country” as Chileans continue to push for a new constitution drawn up with the direct input of citizens. “No more abuse. Today we are saying enough, in the most peaceful way possible, to politicians and to those who are in charge of drafting laws in our country,” said Luis Casas, who was at her side. Karla Rubilar, the government spokeswoman, said, “A strike is not the road forward.”
SPANISH KING, CUBAN PRESIDENT MEET IN HAVANA
HAVANA Associated Press
SPANISH King Felipe VI and Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel have met at the start of the first modern state visit to Cuba by a member of the royal family that once ruled the Caribbean island. The king and Queen Letizia began their official activities yesterday morning by offering a wreath at a monument to José Martí, a
hero of Cuba’s 19th century fight for independence from Spain. After their meeting in Cuba’s Palace of the Revolution, the king and president signed an agreement whose details were not immediately disclosed. The queen and Cuban first lady Lis Cuesta then toured colonial Old Havana. The trip has sparked criticism in Spain from right-wing politicians and conservative-leaning newspapers over a trip seen as a step forward for normal relations.