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VOLUME:115 No.254, NOVEMBER 27TH, 2018
THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1
HEALTH: BREAKING THE BARRIERS FOR ALL ABILITIES
Equal pay? Not if you’re women 30% gender pay gap exposed in UN global study
By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net A UNITED Nation’s report has revealed a nearly 30 percent income disparity between men and women, ranking The Bahamas 75th on its gender inequality index. The 2018 Statistical Update report for the UN’s Human Development Index put the estimated gross national income per capita for men at $31,397, with women taking home
$22,156. The estimated average income for women is more than $4,000 less than the country’s gross national income of $26,681. When contacted about the figures yesterday, activist Alicia Wallace called on the government to improve public access to national statistics. She said women’s work is undervalued, and called for consideration of linkages between the gender wage gap and the poverty rate.
THE public war of words between Free National Movement chairman Carl Culmer and Pineridge MP Frederick McAlpine has portrayed the party as one shrouded by “division”, making it easier for the public to withdraw its support for the government,
SEE PAGE SIX
A TEAM of investigators from the Royal Bahamas Police Force and an attorney from the Department of Public Prosecutions are headed to Washington to meet with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation this week, according to National Security Minister Marvin Dames. The team will be briefed on the findings of the FBI’s two-year undercover investigation into allegations of visa fraud at the United States Embassy in Nassau, which unearthed bribery claims made against senior immigration officials. “We have a team consisting of officers from the Royal Bahamas Police Force and an attorney from the Department of Public Prosecutions,” said Mr Dames when contacted by The Tribune for an update.
SWINE FLU: THIRD CASE DIAGNOSED
SEE PAGE FIVE
former FNM Cabinet minister Frank Watson told The Tribune yesterday. Mr Watson, who served as deputy prime minister in a previous Ingraham administration, insisted yesterday a party should never air its differences in public, adding there are sufficient mechanisms present for grievances to be addressed.
By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
SEE PAGE THREE
By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
‘McALPINE QUARREL DAMAGING PARTY’ By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
POLICE TO BE BRIEFED ON FBI’S VISA PROBE
WHAT DO WE WANT?
RESPECT MEMBERS of Zonta Bahamas campaigning to end violence against women. For the full story, see today’s Tribune Woman.
HEALTH Minister Dr Duane Sands yesterday confirmed that a new case of the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, has been documented locally. The case is the third diagnosis since the onset of the 2018-2019 influenza season, one of which resulted in death. Addressing the new case yesterday, Dr Sands said practitioners across the country remain on high alert, given the common belief among Bahamians SEE PAGE THREE
MILLER BEGS BPL - LEAVE THE LIGHTS ON
By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
FORMER Bahamas Electricity Corporation chairman Leslie Miller yesterday urged executives at the Bahamas Power and Light to exercise leniency on those customers who have been disconnected or are experiencing difficulty paying bills. Mr Miller insisted BPL should take a page from the book of the former
FESTIVE LIGHTS Christie administration which believed it was better to keep people connected and collect something as opposed to disconnecting and receiving nothing.
According to him, the former government was able to reduce the number of those disconnected to around 2,000 or under because they understood many experienced hard times. However, the number has again shot up to 6,000, according to Works Minister Desmond Bannister last week, who told the Nassau Guardian that on a regular basis it could be as low as 4,500. SEE PAGE NINE
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
FACE-TO-FACE HOW CAN WE SAY WE LIVE IN A FAIR WORLD?
SEE PAGE EIGHT
PAGE 2, Tuesday, November 27, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
HMBS ROLLY GRAY
Bethel rejects claims of inoperable RBDF vessels By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net ROYAL Bahamas Defence Force Commodore Tellis Bethel yesterday dismissed tabloid reports that the majority of RBDF vessels are inoperable, explaining only three patrol crafts require maintenance or repairs. This is in direct contrast to the tabloid claims which alleged only three vessels are operational — while eight require repairs. “The Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) has nine Damen-built patrol craft and two Bahama class vessels that were refitted by Damen,” Commodore Bethel told The Tribune yesterday. Damen Shipyards is a Dutch-based shipbuilding
and defence company. “Six out of nine Damen-built vessels are operational,” Commodore Bethel continued. “Two of these are (non-operational) and require short-term maintenance due to normal wear and tear. “The remaining vessel requires long-term repair due to a grounding. The cost of repair for this vessel was grossly exaggerated and will be covered by insurance. “The two Bahama class vessels are operational and are having their air-condition systems assessed by Damen at Coral Harbour Base as part of Damen’s refit package. These systems are under warranty.” The commodore added there are “no challenges” with fuel payments for patrol boats, which was
alleged by the report. Commodore Bethel also responded to tabloid reports that the RBDF’s repair and maintenance contract with Damen has expired. “It was recommended by the RBDF that the contracted service for Damen’s field service engineer be converted from a ‘full time’ to an ‘as required’ basis as all patrol craft have been delivered and the RBDF engineers and technicians would have acquired necessary experience with new systems,” he said. “There is no requirement for contract renewal for the field service engineer.” The commodore did not respond to questions about which specific vessels require repairs, the cost of repairs or the timeline for completion.
In April, a clip went viral of Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis admonishing Commodore Bethel about marines “mashing up” defence force vessels, adding that officers must “learn to navigate”. At the time, Commodore Bethel indicated that seven of the nine Damenbuilt vessels acquired between May 2014 and July 2016 for the RBDF were operational. In total, three of nine Damen vessels, built in the Netherlands as part of the Sandy Bottom Project under the Christie administration, have experienced “groundings resulting in propeller damages with a total out of pocket expense to the RBDF being $198,000,” Commodore Bethel indicated at the time.
DOPPLER radar equipment being loaded onto HMBS Lawrence Major earlier this month for transport to Long Island.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, November 27, 2018, PAGE 3
SWINE FLU: HEALTH MINISTER REVEALS THIRD CASE DIAGNOSED from page one
that any case of the influenza, despite its severity, can be adequately treated at home. Dr Sands again used the opportunity to issue a plea for Bahamians to take advantage of free vaccines available at all public health facilities in the country. According to the Elizabeth MP, there are approximately “19,000 doses available cost-free”.
The United States-based Centre for Disease Control (CDC) has maintained that an annual flu vaccine is the best way to protect against influenza and its potentially serious complications. The organisation recommends that everyone six-months and older be vaccinated. Last week, Dr Sands strongly urged people, especially those in the high-risk category to get the shot. “The symptoms can sneak up on you, interestingly some of the people that
DR DUANE SANDS, Minister of Health.
succumb from the swine flu can be younger, stronger individuals,” he said. Those in this category are health care workers, day care providers and school teachers, children between six months and five years old, the elderly, persons with chronic, non-communicable diseases, women who will be pregnant during flu season and obese persons. Last year, the US estimated that more than 80,000 died of flu and its complications.
Police to be briefed on FBI’s visa probe from page one “I think they were set to travel to (the) US for full briefing this week.” Mr Dames continued: “They will look at what’s there and again they will review the evidence, the information the FBI had compiled that led to the arrest and charges, and determine whether there is anything they can work with and whether any laws would have been broken in the Bahamas. If yes, by whom and to see whether there are any lines they can follow.” The affidavit of special agent Kevin Gounaud, filed in support of a criminal complaint, details conversations the visa scam’s alleged lead conspirator, Edward Israel Saintil, had with undercover FBI informants concerning his ability to obtain fraudulent Bahamian work permits to shore up US visa applications. Saintil is alleged to have represented himself as a justice of the peace, and boasted of having relationships with top immigration officials. He also reportedly alleged that immigration staff did not process work permits unless they are paid to do so, with bribe payments said to be thousands of dollars. A search of the justice of the peace registry at the Office of the Attorney General indicated there was only one registered official with the last name of Saintil - but his name was Mark. After The Tribune broke the story about the FBI’s operation earlier this month, Mr Dames told reporters government officials have had “initial discussions” with American counterparts on the claims. At the time, Mr Dames said the FBI was expected to fully brief Police Commissioner Anthony Ferguson on the findings of its two-year undercover investigation. He said local law enforcement will then make a decision as to whether any Bahamian laws were broken, and take the necessary measures.
A TEAM of investigators from the Royal Bahamas Police Force are expected to head to FBI headquarters in Washington this week.
FOUR DETAINED AFTER GUN AND DRUGS FIND FOUR men were arrested after police seized an illegal firearm, ammunition and a quantity of drugs on Sunday. Shortly after 5pm, Drug Enforcement Unit officers were on patrol on Miami Street when they observed a group of men standing near an abandoned building. The men begin acting in
a suspicious manner after they saw police. Officers conducted a search of the area where the men were standing and recovered a 9 millimeter pistol, seven rounds of ammunition and a quantity of suspected marijuana, police said. The men are in custody and the investigation continues.
HUNT IS ON FOR MISSING MAN POLICE are seeking the public’s help in locating a man reported missing by relatives. The missing man is Lavardo Davon Grant, 36, of Tobago Crescent, Elizabeth Estates. Mr Grant is about 5’9” with a slim
build and a dark brown complexion. Anyone knowing his whereabouts is asked to contact the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991, the Crime Stoppers hotline at 328-TIPS (8477) or the nearest police station.
PAGE 4, Tuesday, November 27, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
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My Caribbean flavour adds to Thanksgiving I HAVE always been intrigued by Thanksgiving like the one we have just enjoyed – the traditions, the meal, the idea of a holiday that is simply about being thankful. For my family, Thanksgiving is all about the food. Some foods, like turkey and mashed potatoes, may be familiar. But there are a few twists. Since I grew up in the Caribbean, I’m allowed a Caribbean dish or two. The reliability of the menu – with a little flexibility sprinkled in – seems to unite us as a family while acknowledging our different cultural backgrounds. Chances are you and your family have similar traditions. Filipino-American families might include pancit. RussianAmerican families might serve a side dish of borscht. That’s what makes Thanksgiving unique. It’s a holiday embraced by people regardless of their religion or ethnicity. Yet despite this adaptability, there’s a core part of the meal that almost everyone embraces. How did this come to be? Although few appreciate it, advertisers have shaped the meal as much as family tradition. When Sarah Josepha Hale, the editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book, first advocated for Thanksgiving as a national holiday in 1846, she argued that it would unify the country. In our research, my colleagues and I have been able to show that Hale’s vision for the holiday has been largely fulfilled: Inclusivity of people and traditions has been Thanksgiving’s hallmark quality. A reason for its broad appeal is that it lacks any association with an institutionalized religion. As one interviewee told us, “There is no other purpose than to sit down with your family and be thankful.” And after interviewing a range of people – from those born in the US to immigrants from countries like South Africa, Australia and China – it became obvious that the principles and rituals they embraced during the holiday were universal no matter the culture: family, food and gratitude. But as a relatively new holiday – one not tied to a religious or patriotic tradition – a shared understanding of the celebration and the meal is crucial to ensure its long-term survival. While there might be subtle variations, the Thanksgiving meal is the lodestone of the holiday, the magnet that brings people together. Today, familiar items constitute the meal: turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, gravy, alcohol, salad, apple pie and pumpkin pie. Many of our interviewees tended to serve some version of this list. But why these items and not others? What makes turkey, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie so special? My colleagues and I studied 99 years of Thanksgiving ads in Good Housekeeping magazine to find out. Starting with Thanksgiving’s early champion, Sarah Josepha Hale, the history of Thanksgiving is rooted in marketing. Marketers not only helped create many of the rituals and cultural
myths associated with the Thanksgiving meal, but they also legitimised and maintained them. Initially, the Thanksgiving turkey competed with other meats, like duck, chicken and goose, for centerpiece at the Thanksgiving table. But by the 1920s, turkey had become the only meat advertised. Early ads would focus on how to prepare and present the perfect bird, promoting branded tools like roasters, ranges, pop-up thermometers and oven-cooking bags. Iconic Swift’s Premium turkey ads focused on the sacredness of the meal by featuring families at prayer, giving thanks before the meal begins. The importance of the turkey to the Thanksgiving celebration dominates, helping to perpetuate the Thanksgiving turkey tradition. Meanwhile, early ads for the Eatmor Cranberry Company positioned their whole cranberries as a perfect complement to any and all Thanksgiving meat dishes. This brand dominated until the 1930s when another brand, Ocean Spray, entered with its canned gelatin cranberry sauce. Ads for both brands implied that cranberry sauce has been around since the first Thanksgiving dinner, which was highly unlikely. However, the brand positioning war successfully promoted cranberry sauce as the natural condiment for the Thanksgiving turkey. Ocean Spray would triumph and, to this day, promotes whole cranberries and canned gelatin. Considered by many to be the quintessential Thanksgiving dessert, pumpkin pie also wasn’t present at the first Thanksgiving meal. (The Pilgrims lacked the butter, wheat flour and sugar to make the pastry.) Nonetheless, beginning as early as 1925, a range of brands – for example, Borden’s, Snowdrift, Mrs. Smith’s and Libby’s – have competed fiercely to connect pumpkin pie to the season, the holiday and the meal. It’s a rivalry that continues to this day. Those early 20th-century ads for turkey clearly resonated: Today, nearly 88 percent of US households have turkey on Thanksgiving, and approximately 20 percent of the turkeys consumed in any given year are consumed at Thanksgiving. This is a testament to the enduring influence of marketing on the holiday. For brands like Butterball (formerly Swift’s Premium), Thanksgiving is big business. Whether you’re a turkey fan or not, prefer apple pie to pumpkin pie, enjoy canned gelatin over whole cranberry sauce, by celebrating Thanksgiving, you play a role as well. Marketers may have shaped many of the rituals of the holiday. But all Americans – from all backgrounds – certainly do their part to maintain them. After all, brands need customers to survive. By Samantha Cross of Iowa State University. This article first appeared on The Conversation.
Unshackle our Family Islands EDITOR, The Tribune
Let’s use collective initiative EDITOR, The Tribune RICHARD Coulson’s excellent article on how Singapore has become a major player in the world of finance. I have lived in The Bahamas fir 48 years and twice I almost left because of issues with the immigration department. So why is Singapore of interest to the immigration situation here? And we can also look at Cayman and Bermuda in this context. All three countries appear to be prosperous with low unemployment and populations that are reasonably well off. What is the common denominator? A high level of expatriates - in Singapore according to the
article the rate is 40%, in Cayman perhaps 60% and Bermuda around 20%. In The Bahamas, governments since the 1970s have been unable to tackle the issue of immigration. There must be a lesson to be learnt from the countries mentioned above who prosper while The Bahamas trundles along with huge investment schemes trumpeted by government employing few people and often going broke instead of letting a large number of small entrepreneurs into the country to develop businesses and employ Bahamians. The unemployment level here is far too high and unnecessarily so as with the countries physical
position in the world there are markets close by which can be accessed both by manufacturing and service industries. Can the government therefore come up with a plan to bring in expatriates to provide employment both at the professional level, management level and to help those who can do lower level jobs and want to work. Let us use our collective initiative to make the Bahamas the major business centre in the Caribbean and high up in the world rankings. PATRICK THOMSON Nassau November 25, 2018
H
SOME writers have recently brought forth the importance of immediately acting on the idea of democracy, most especially the revision of our local government laws. As someone who lives in one of the Family Islands, it seems apparent that those who live in Nassau somehow forget the major differences and costs associated with living in the out islands. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t trade living in the Family Islands for anything. But, it must be said, that those who so heavily influence the true “cost” of living here seem completely out of touch with the realities of living, and making a living outside of Nassau. What are the true costs of living in the Family Islands? On top of the already overpriced goods and services we get in Nassau, comes additional fees for us here in the Family Islands. For instance, what value do you place on our time, the hours each week, whereby we must wait on the dock for the mailboats to deliver our already expensive products from Nassau? And, then pay freight on top of that? How about the hours spent in line at BoB just to cash a cheque? How about having to travel to Nassau to get a driver’s licence, or any other government service not available to us in the out islands? Anyone who shops online must realise that the government of The Bahamas exists in the dark ages of technology, whereby so much of our bureaucratic red tape could be eliminated with a simple and cheap software upgrade. The Bank of The Bahamas can’t even get its online banking right after how many years now? How about the cost of a gallon of gasoline, or a gallon of milk on our Family Islands? Ask around. The seven copies of customs paperwork to bring in anything from away is an embarrassment. The extra $60.00 for each invoice we must hand over to already well-paid customs officials
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net which they put directly into their pockets, is, in my opinion, a crime. This on top of the duty, VAT, stamp tax, who knows what else. I am not asking for price control, as I don’t believe in it. I believe that it would be best to be allowed to unshackle ourselves from the nearly non-existent representation of our tax money. We don’t see our MP except for photo ops. I suspect many of the other islands have similar complaints. If we truly believe in democracy, which seems more talk than reality with this new administration, we should implement a number of liberating measures such that all of us in The Bahamas can maintain some input, some control over the basics of our lives. I know this is a tall order. To ask our representatives to cede power to those who pay their salary. Yet, short of a full scale fight for independence, what else are we to do? Just sit and suffer at the hands of politicians who just don’t get it? Or, maybe they do get it, and they just don’t want to part with all the perks associated with their jobs. Jobs which they only half-heartedly do, if they do anything at all, while collecting a pretty pay cheque and who knows what else to “represent” us. The answer to the problems associated with local government are mostly those of transparency and accountability. Given that our central government is so slow to act on these measures, or is threatened by them, is only more of a reason to embrace them with immediate resolve. When I hear of the paltry amounts of money given by the central government to our local government here on Andros, I am appalled. Our Family Islands are suffering from many ills. Most complaints of these ills to our representatives seem to fall on deaf ears. I have heard that our own MP doesn’t like to come
here, “because all we do is complain”. And then, when other central government representatives come here and are asked why our clinic is in a state of shambles, or our dock is a disgrace, they say, “because nobody here is complaining about it.” I am under no illusions. The challenges to finding educated, internationally exposed, selfless, visionary leaders among our Family Islanders is no small feat. However, at least they have to face “the people” on a daily basis. Presently, the little nod to representation that we have as taxpaying citizens of The Bahamas borders on non-existent. With that said, isn’t it preferable to take the risk of increasing our limited direct democracy with an enhanced local government, than to suffer the indignation of continually being ignored by those who ostensibly have our interests as their obligation in central government? Give us the opportunity to raise funds, to decide how to spend more of our tax money locally, unshackle us from some of the documented inefficiencies, corruption and graft that currently exist in central government here in The Bahamas. Not that we will immediately do better, but, again, at least we can put personal pressure on our representatives, instead of writing letters to the editor, or to the prime minister’s office, that go mostly unheard by those in power over our lives. I think the bottom line is this. The differences between living in Nassau and living in the Family Islands are many and great. Decades of political promises have remained unfulfilled, no matter which party is in power. Do we sit and wait while nothing gets done, as has been the case? Or, do we rise up and sensibly request that more is done to improve our opportunities for a better life? NORMAN TRABULSY Jr Andros, Bahamas November 23, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, November 27, 2018, PAGE 5
UN study exposes 30% gender pay gap from page one “The gender wage gap has been glossed over for a long time,” Ms Wallace said, “largely due to lack of access to data, but also because of sensitivity around income and workplace culture that treats compensation as private information and discussing it as unprofessional. “This makes national statistics even more critical to advocacy at all levels and with all actors, including the government and employers, to our work in addressing it as a gender equality issue.” She continued: “Women’s work is undervalued in the public and private spheres, and highlighting this income disparity is not only key to gender equality in the workplace, but part of the work we must undertake specifically to challenge the gender division of labour that exists in households where women do all or most of the domestic and care work. “We need to make connections between the gender wage gap and the poverty rate as well as overall economic performance which is impacted by income and purchasing power and does not account for -- in measurement tools like GDP – a significant amount of unpaid work that underwrites the paid economy.” Meanwhile, the Bahamas placed 54th overall in the UN’s Human Development Index, which grouped the country among those with “very high human development”. The country topped the list of Caribbean nations but dropped one spot over last year’s ranking, switching places with the Eastern European country of Belarus in the survey of 189 countries and territories. The country stood at 58 in 2015. The index targets three basic dimensions of human development: the ability to lead a long and healthy life, measured by life expectancy at birth; the ability to acquire knowledge, measured by mean years of schooling and expected years of schooling; and the ability to achieve a decent
standard of living, measured by gross national income per capita. It listed the country’s life expectancy as 75.8 years. The report’s Gender Inequality Index highlights women’s empowerment, or lack thereof, across three dimensions: reproductive health, empowerment and the labour market. The country’s maternal mortality ratio, which indicates deaths per 100,000 live births, stands at 80. The adolescent birth rate represents the number of births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19, and was listed by the UN as 26.7. The percentage of men and women aged 25 and older with at least some secondary education were 87.4 and 87.6 respectively.
While labour force statistics show 82 percent of men aged 15 and older are working or actively looking for work, over 70 percent of women in that same demographic. Tracking population trends, 82.9 percent of the country was listed as living in areas classified as urban. Urban population is based on the criteria used by each country, the report noted. The Bahamas’ expected years of schooling stood at 12.8, while the mean years were recorded as 11.1. Norway, Switzerland and Australia all retained their rank as the top three countries, while South Sudan, Central African Republic and Niger held the lowest scores.
Of the 33 countries from Latin America and the Caribbean region, the Bahamas was only surpassed by Chile, 44, and Argentina, 47. The Human Development Report also includes three other composite indices: the Inequality-adjusted HDI discounts the HDI according to the extent of inequality; the Gender Development Index compares female and male HDI values; and the Multidimensional Poverty Index measures non-income dimensions of poverty. Based on available data, the country’s annual HDI grew by 0.17 percent between 2000 and 2010, and by 0.32 per cent between 2010 and 2017.
The UN report comes on the heels of the country’s state review by the UN’s expert committee on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in October. In its concluding observations, the committee highlighted deep rooted patriarchal attitudes and discriminatory stereotypes about the societal and familial roles of men and women. It furthered these attitudes were reflected in the insufficient public awareness and debate on women’s issues; adding that the state had not taken sustained measures to modify or eliminate discriminatory stereotypes - which are a root cause of violence against women.
ACCUSED WAS NEVER PHYSICALLY ABUSED, SAYS OFFICER By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
A LEAD police investigator testified in the Supreme Court in Grand Bahama yesterday that murder accused Renaldo Hudson was never physically abused by officers while in police custody following his arrest in connection with a double murder and attempted murder investigation two years ago. Detective Sergeant 772 Lorenzo Johnson said he never witnessed any officer in his presence put a plastic bag over the accused’s head or hold his legs down while at the Central Detective Unit. In fact, he said. the accused confessed to the crimes while in police custody, claiming it was the result of a robbery gone bad. Sgt Johnson conducted a record of interview with Hudson on April 8, 2016 at CDU in reference to police investigation into the shooting deaths of Noel Hamilton, 57, and Jacklyn Armbrister, 55, and the attempted murder of Agatha Gaitor during an armed robbery on March 21, 2016. Hudson, 21, is on trial facing two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder and armed robbery. He is represented by Mario Gray. According to the lead investigator, on March 21, 2016, he received information and went to Hearn Lane and Bruce Avenue where he met several officers. He said two ambulances were also at the scene preparing to take two victims - Gaitor and Hamilton – to the hospital.
Sgt Johnson said that the body of a female whom he recognised to be Armbrister was lying on the floor in a pool of blood, unresponsive. The officer said four 9mm spent gun casings and three projectiles were found at the scene. He said at about 12.11pm Sgt Rolle from CDU arrived with a doctor, who checked the body and pronounced the victim dead. The body was taken by morticians to the morgue. Sgt Johnson went to the trauma room at the Rand Memorial Hospital, where he received information from medical staff who had informed him that Hamilton had died. Sgt Johnson told the court that on March 23 he attended autopsies at 11am and 1.30pm of Hamilton and Armbrister, respectively, and collected the death certificates. He had also received information that Gaitor had been airlifted to New Providence for further medical attention. The lead police investigator said on April 8, 2016 after he received information regarding Renaldo Hudson he and several officers went to the residences of the accused’s aunt and grandparents in Freeport where the accused had lived before. Sgt Johnson said they found nothing of evidential value at a home on Bayberry Lane, where the accused had once resided with his grandparents. He said Raymond Hudson told them his grandson had moved out two weeks before, but he allowed them to search a room where he had stayed. Sgt Johnson said they also went on inquiries with Renaldo Hudson to Drake
Avenue where the accused told them he had resided with Trevor Evans, but found nothing. They took the accused back to CDU where they conducted a record of interview. Sgt Johnson said that he cautioned Hudson. A video and audio recording of the interview was also taken. “I told him he was suspected of committing the murders of Jacklyn Armbrister and Noel Hamilton and the attempted murder of Agatha Gaitor on March 21, and he admitted to shooting the persons and said it was a robbery gone bad,” Sgt Johnson told the court. Sgt Johnson said that Hudson, however, refused to sign the record of interview form. Sgt Johnson said that he conducted a second interview of Hudson on April 11, 2016 at 9.20pm in the presence of Det Corporal 3230 Demerritt at CDU. Hudson was questioned about clothing items police had recovered from blue Chevy 1995 Cavalier car. On April 12, Sgt Johnson said he charged Hudson with the double murders, attempted murder and armed robbery. He told the court he spoke to four to five suspects about the crimes in question. The officer said during the interview on April 11, 2016, which was around 11.45pm, the accused seemed “fine” and made no complaints. When the prosecution asked Sgt Johnson if at any time between 7.50pm and 10pm on April 8 he had taken the defendant into a room at CDU with Supt Kenri Stubbs and Corporal 2557 Russell, Sgt
Johnson said no he had not. “Did you produce a cutlass wrapped in duct tape in a room?” asked Mrs Kemp. “No, ma’am,” Sgt Johnson replied. “Did you assist or see Corporal Sgt 2557 Russell place a plastic bag over the head of the defendant?” she asked. “Did anyone hold the legs of the defendant while Russell put a plastic bag over his head?”
Sgt Johnson said, “No.” “Did you take him in a room and heard Sgt Russell say to the defendant tap me when you ready to talk as he placed a bag over his head?” asked the prosecutor. “No ma’am,” Sgt Johnson said. “Did you hear the defendant say to persons, ‘I have asthma; my chest is hurting me?’” asked Mrs Kemp.
“No ma’am,” Sgt Johnson replied. “Did you hear in a room that the defendant after supposedly having a plastic bag over his head say, ‘I am going to tell y’all what happened?’” asked Mrs Kemp. Again Sgt Johnson said no, it did not happen. The trial continues today. Justice Estelle Gray Evans is presiding over the matter.
‘McAlpine quarrel damaging party’
PAGE 6, Tuesday, November 27, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
PINERIDGE MP Rev Frederick McAlpine at the Enough is Enough march. from page one Given the “disruptive” nature of the backbench MP who has repeatedly chided the government – the latest being when he joined last Wednesday’s march against the government outside Parliament – former Cabinet minister Tennyson Wells believes Mr McAlpine’s fate with the FNM is already sealed. He crossed the line, Mr Wells said, which will ensure he is a one-time member of Parliament. The former MPs spoke out the day after Mr McAlpine fired back at the FNM chairman, suggesting Mr Culmer was not a real leader, adding the FNM was hypocritical because it has gone contrary to its campaign promises. This was his response on Sunday to Mr Culmer
who last week said the Pineridge MP was a hypocrite for standing with demonstrators and sharing their views. Mr Culmer has also criticised the protest from Baillou Hill Road to Bay Street as poorly organised and deemed it a Progressive Liberal Party event. The PLP has denied this. “It’s bad that they - the chairman and a member of Parliament – are airing their differences in public. It’s not good for the party. It shows division, which no party wants to publicly disclose at any time and at any place,” Mr Watson said. “Its easy to lose support now. There ought to be a mechanism and there is the council and many other opportunities for them to resolve their difference. “McAlpine apparently has the position that as an MP he has the right to
speak out about things he feels are not right in society. I guess that is a right, which he has, but normally these things are resolved behind closed doors and not necessarily in the public as is happening now. But he may feel like he has the right to say what he wants to say. “Obviously if he felt so aggrieved that he couldn’t discuss it in party circles, I think that somebody should call him in and get him to explain why is he taking these actions. What he feels may be right, the party may feel otherwise, but at some point somebody in the party should call him in ask him where he stands. “The things about parliamentary democracy is you try to fix what is wrong inside the party rather than public discord,” Mr Watson said.
Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff For his part, Mr Wells told The Tribune yesterday Mr McAlpine has never given the governing party a chance to get its ducks in a row. Mr Wells believes the MP may now have an agenda or may be upset because he hasn’t gotten something he wanted. If this is the case, Mr Wells, who is BAMSI’s president and chairman, said Mr McAlpine may never get what he wants. He said: “It would appear to me that Mr McAlpine has made his mind up to be disruptive because if you look and you analyse what has happened since the last election, he came out immediately. He didn’t give the party any time to put its ducks in a row and he was critical from day one so he must have an agenda that is not in accordance with what the FNM seems to want to
do and like he said he has been consistent. “Now whether he wanted something that he didn’t get I don’t know but I believe he has crossed the Rubicon now and crossed the red line because the way he is behaving he can’t expect to get anything anymore. “So he probably maybe decided that he’s going to go on his own or go to the PLP and be a one-time member. Because from what I know of the people in Grand Bahama they have been consistently FNM for many many years. I don’t see them going with them or supporting him in what he’s doing, at least that’s the report that I am getting from there. That they do not support him.” In an interview with this newspaper on Sunday, Mr McAlpine insisted he was not a hypocrite or antiFNM, but maintained it
was only right that he stood with those who marched on Wednesday as both he and they held the same views. He said if the party could not understand this, then it was hypocritical for refusing to see why many Bahamians are angry having voted for a government that has now gone contrary to what it promised. And he’s sure that’s he isn’t the only FNM member who feels the same. However he said he has not been afraid to speak publicly for voters because he doesn’t have to “sing for his supper” as others do. Asked if Mr Culmer’s rebuke was a testament of his standing in the party, Mr McAlpine said he remains a member of the FNM, but admitted there are many in leadership and others in Parliament who have shunned him for his opposing views.
MINNIS: WE’LL PUT MONEY INTO DISASTER FUND ONCE THE COUNTRY HAS A SURPLUS By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE government plans to set aside a small percentage of future fiscal surpluses to help fund disaster recovery efforts, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said yesterday. He was speaking in Washington during an Inter-American Development, International
Monetary Fund and World Bank conference centred on the theme “building resistance to disasters and climate change in the Caribbean” by improving risk transfer. Discussing catastrophe insurance solutions, Dr Minnis said: “By being the provider of technical assistance for innovative catastrophe insurance solutions, donors can promote the emergence
of innovative risk financing solutions, including indexbased insurance products, national and regional catastrophe insurance pools and risk transfer vehicles. (Bodies) such as the IMF can help to subsidise insurance premiums in the context of a country putting together a sound macro-fiscal framework. For example, with the assistance of the IMF and CARTAC, The Bahamas
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has passed fiscal responsibility legislation which aims to bring discipline to the government’s fiscal agenda with a view to attaining future fiscal surpluses. With this in our tool kit, the government has pledged to set aside two to three percent of these surpluses in a fund that can be used to pay the CCRIF premiums and assist to rebuild after a natural disaster.” Dr Minnis noted Hurricane Matthew in 2016 led the government to borrow $150m, widening the fiscal deficit from one percent of the GDP before the storm to 1.9 percent of GDP afterwards. “Subsequently,” he said, “we recognised that in post-disaster and recovery, we should have the resources and means at our disposal to finance our direct contingent liabilities more efficiently, and to be better able to provide additional aid to small businesses and lowincome farmers, who are disproportionally impacted by disasters. As the frequency and severity of disasters increase due to climate change, the intensified shocks could create debt burdens on future generations, and erode development progress.” Dr Minnis said it is
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, left, arrived in Washington, DC on Sunday for a climate change conference. He is pictured with Bahamas Ambassador to the United States Sidney Collie, centre, and Fox Hill MP Shonel Ferguson. important to promote that despite the imporinsurance solutions for tance of reducing disaster homeowners as he dis- risk, few countries like The cussed the possibility of Bahamas “have approintroducing natural disaster priate measures in place insurance for homeowners. because other policy issues “The solutions in place require greater attention in different countries range and funding”. from comprehensive com“This,” he said, “has pulsory natural disaster resulted in insufficient covers offered by govern- earmarking of financial ment-sponsored insurance resources for risk transfer entities to privately organ- measures. Policymakers are ised voluntary disaster in need of clear evidence, insurance products. How- including cost-benefit analever, pooling of risks at the ysis, to convince the public regional level may be the and various stakeholdsolution to overcome any ers that a commitment to shortcoming in any particu- risk transfer is as practical lar country.” and necessary as any other Dr Minnis acknowledged priority.”
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, November 27, 2018, PAGE 7
WEST Indian Whistling-Ducks on Long Island. One of the rarest ducks in the Americas, the West Indian Whistling-Duck is a large, graceful, mostly brown duck with black and white speckling on its flanks, long neck and legs, a black bill and large feet. Photos: Bahamas National Trust
Training bird guides to boost tourism THE Inter-American Development Bank and Bahamas National Trust have once again teamed up to train residents of Long Island and San Salvador as bird guides. Led by BNT officials in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, the training began in October with 21 participants from both islands learning about bird identification, bird biology, bird migration, bird conservation, basic guiding skills and more, a press release explained. They have also been introduced to E-bird, an online database for bird observations, which helps people learn about bird distributions, bird sightings, species diversity and population fluctuations.
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LONG Island birders looking for wetland birds in Clarence Town. This data provides researchers with information on birds from around the world. Field training is ongoing on both islands as participants hone their skills in bird identification and guiding. Along with bird education, participants also received tourism training through the Ministry
of Tourism’s Bahama Host programme as well as logistical support through the ministry’s Long Island and San Salvador offices. This year’s bird guide training involves on the ground training as well as an innovative, distance learning modular training on San Salvador. The
distance learning training involved conducting presentations using online webinar based software to simultaneously train participants on San Salvador and Long island. Both islands benefited from the presentations and participants could interact with the instructor during question and answer sessions. This mode of training could eventually be used for other Family Islands in the future as it can maximise attendance and minimise travel costs, the BNT said. Scott Johnson, science officer of the Bahamas National Trust and lead trainer of this year’s cohorts, said: “The training thus far has been very rewarding. I love seeing the expression on the participants’ face
when they spot birds and can identify them based on their body shape and feather characteristics. I am also excited to see what the future holds for the participants and their islands with regards to bird tourism and conservation.” In 2014, the BNT led a training programme with partners from the National Audubon Society and Ministry of Tourism to train residents on Inagua and Andros about birds and promote bird tourism. The training resulted in 43 participants receiving certification in basic bird guiding, with nine participants becoming advanced bird guides in 2016. The Inter-American Development Bank was a major sponsor for this work.
“Birds are the most wellknown and charismatic of all animals in the Bahamas and iconic species such as the Bahama Parrot and the Caribbean Flamingo are attractive lures for visitors interested in more than just sun, sand and sea,” the BNT said. “With over 340 species of birds recorded in The Bahamas, our islands are one of the most bird diverse countries in the West Indies. In 2014, birdrelated activities in The Bahamas brought in $39m into the Bahamian economy. People are definitely interested in Bahamian birds and seeing species that they never saw before. This opens up an eco-tourism niche for Bahamians to capitalise on.”
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V
IOLENCE against women and girls (VAWG) is one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations in our world today and it remains largely unreported due to the impunity, silence, stigma and shame surrounding it, according to the United Nations. On Sunday the UN marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women with this statement from UN Secretary-General António Guterres: “Not until half of our population represented by women and girls can live without fear, violence and everyday insecurity can we truly say we live in a fair and equal world”. Here in the relatively small population of The Bahamas, incidents of violence against women are staggering. Take for example in the last few days a woman treated at the Princess Margaret Hospital, the victim of an acid attack by a man who allegedly used the chemical substance to burn and eat away at her face and other parts of her body. This nation has been in shock many times – 38-year-old Shenique Hart, mother-of-three shot dead near her home in October 2017; the 9- year-old mother killed over a cellular phone in January of this year, a day after her birthday; the gruesome murder of Heart Foundation member Nellie Brown-Cox in 2011; the 2005 brutal murder of softball star Jackie “lil Stunt” Moxey; the murder of Tribune employee Ericka Fowler, mother-of-five, an incident which left the entire Tribune staff in shock as the life of the office was cut short; and the countless before and in between. This week we celebrate National Women’s Week and note the achievements of many great Bahamian women, but that must be balanced with noting the fact that much needs to be done to empower disenfranchised women, protect women from abuse, and allow them proper recourse from the courts. I mention the courts because both of my interviewees this weekend, educated women of affluence who suffered abuse – physical, emotional or mental from their partners - felt they did not get fair treatment from the courts. In the first case, a divorce which has been dragging on before the courts for years is still unresolved. The woman told me the court never ordered her husband to pay maintenance for the dependent child (one of three they have together), that her savings have been completely depleted, and she has yet to get recompense through the courts. Their youngest child, still in college, is facing the disappointment of not being able to continue college if the matter is not resolved soon. This woman, after more than two decades of dedicated hard work as a wife, mother and equal partner in providing for the family, is running out of steam as her divorce battle has been dragging on for years. She was not able to reveal her name or the details of the case because she is desperately seeking closure from the courts. Her husband, meanwhile has moved on with his life and is having more children although the court has not granted them a decree absolute. She dealt with infidelity and lengthy emotional abuse, as well as threats of death that led her to call it quits. During proceedings over the years, the remarks of certain judges led her to believe that court officials allow themselves to be “swayed by society’s perception of women than to simply try on the facts of the case”. One judge advised her to take what she said would have been pittance, and not
THE TRIBUNE
How can we say we live in a fair and equal world? enough to survive on, because her husband was not willing to offer her any more of the vast estate they amassed together. Another judge, she said, looked at her jewellery and appearance and remarked that she “didn’t look like a woman in need”. She asked: “What does a woman in need look like? Do I need to be dragging slippers or appear in an untidy state for the courts to deem me worthy of what I have worked hard for and deserve? I was an equal partner in the marriage, and they expect me to walk away with nothing.” One woman did just that – walked away with nothing. My second interviewee is in her 50s, living in her parents’ home and starting life over, having left everything she and her husband worked hard for “just for peace of mind”. In her case, just like my first interviewee, her husband is well-known in the community and seems to have been able to sway attorneys and court officials in their perception. Both women say that when their partners told lies about them in court, it seemed to have been taken for the truth, and that their husbands’ societal status also made it harder for them to be properly heard or respected during proceedings. The second interviewee, a woman with a master’s degree, said her sanity, her sense of respect and self-worth is all she is left with, as the courts allowed her ex-husband to have their house and all the assets they
worked hard for together. The courts even allowed her husband to keep the children on the grounds that “she left the marital home”. She felt she had to. The second time after what started as emotional and mental abuse turned physical, she decided to leave, not wanting the third time to be the last. In the first incident, her husband pushed her out of the house and she received a gash. Her children helped her up and got her help, but her husband never apologised, which she took as a warning sign. After more than 20 years together, he began seeing someone else and what was a loving, open relationship turned into a cold, bitter routine of “just doing what needed to be done for the children”. “Even though I knew he was cheating, I stayed,” she said. “I focused on myself and the children, and thought that we were more important to him than anyone outside of our marriage. We never shouted at one another in our marriage. We talked about everything. We discussed any issues we had. It was a loving relationship and we loved our children.”
F
OR this reason, she thought they could weather any storm. But a second occasion arose and this time she was on the phone when she was struck in the head. She didn’t know what he hit her with, but her head became very warm as she fell to the ground, and the words he uttered cut her deeper than a knife. She went to the hospital and after being seen, she never returned to the marital home to live. “My sister and I would get the kids every Sunday, we would take them to church and they would spend the day with us. Sometimes they even came to stay by me at my parents’ house. We would all sleep on the floor, but we were together.” She is finding it hard to secure employment as companies continue to tell her that she is over qualified, she said, and without a job, life is hard. Her children are grown now and she says she is financially embarrassed that she has nothing to call her own
and that her children “are doing better financially” than she is, but her peace of mind is priceless. “I didn’t hide anything from my children,” she said. “I never said anything against their father. I told them my hurts and struggles, missing them on special occasions… but because I did everything I could for them whenever I could, they understood when I didn’t have to give them. I took out loans to pay their tuition. I bought my sons their first set of music instruments and went to their gigs when their father didn’t - which they appreciate. Now they have relationships of their own and I am so proud of them.” What really touched her was when one of her sons said publicly: “I didn’t just grow up, my mother raised me! I can cook, clean, do laundry, fold clothes, hand stitch, hem pants and speak basics in four different languages before I was 16 because of her. Perhaps if we focused on raising more princes there would be more kings in the world for you queens… facts!” The Ministry of Social Services and Community Development, in opening its Department of Gender and Family Affairs, called for more men to return to the homes and for men and women to become more respectful of each other, noting the importance of children seeing how partners should treat one another. As we celebrate National Women’s Week, let’s take the time to honour women. The Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, issued by the UN General Assembly in 1993, defines violence against women as “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.” The UN states that violence against women continues to be an obstacle to achieving equality, development, peace as well as to the fulfilment of women and girls’ human rights. All in all, the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to leave no one behind - cannot be fulfilled without putting an end to violence against women and girls.
First, we should decide if health care should be free AFTER the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation urged the government to “scale down” National Health Insurance’s basic benefits by up to 50 percent, readers gave their reaction on tribune242.com. TimesUp posted these thoughts on health care: “Before we get into all of this surely we must first have a real discussion of if health care should be free (by free I mean paid for by all) or if it is the responsibility of the individual. If we are to be like Canada and England we have to look at how we would make it work. The NHS soaks up between 13-19% of everyone’s salaries with a rough estimate that each resident costs about 2800.00. However this is based on a huge population base with a massive budget for healthcare with a better ratio of healthy people compared to us.
“We will never be able to afford first world medical facilities to each island as our population base is too small. Of course if we somehow became super efficient in our governance and attained such lofty goals then people should be overjoyed at the prospect of such amazing healthcare.” To which K4C responded with: “Contrary to the myth that healthcare in Canada is FREE, in 2016, the average Canadian unattached (single) individual, earning an average income of $42,914, will pay approximately $4,257 for public health care insurance. An
average Canadian family consisting of two adults and two children (earning approximately $122,101) will pay about $11,494 for public health care insurance.” Pineridge MP Frederick McAlpine’s criticism of FNM chairman Carl Culmer prompted this response from Tell_it_like_it_is: “Chile McAlpine, although I don’t agree with many things you say . . . speak ya mind! No one cares what ‘tired’ Culmer has to say - a total kiss up.” The news that the government is investing $3.5m in pre-sale upgrades at the Grand Lucayan prompted this reaction from Watcher: “I would rather they knock $3.5m off the selling price. I say this because the purchaser will doubtless have a better grasp of the true costs of ‘face lifting’ than our historically incompetent governments.”
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, November 27, 2018, PAGE 9
Miller begs BPL - leave the lights on from page one
As there is a temporary spike in the cost of electricity, Mr Miller called on BPL to “give people a break”. This comes after the government last week tabled an amendment to value added tax legislation to allow the VAT-free ceiling on electricity to be raised to $300. “We just told Bahamians to come in and renegotiate their bills but our view was very simple, it is better for everybody to pay $200 a month than to have them taken off the grid and pay nothing,” Mr Miller told The Tribune yesterday when he was contacted. “It’s minuscule what the regular household uses that it makes no sense to have them off. You have to turn them off so they know, listen you have a bill here that you have to pay. Then you call them in and you negotiate and give them a new package to pay and
everybody would be happy to pay it because Christmas is on the way. That’s what we did. “We went in with the premise that first of all the corporation belonged to the Bahamian people. These are very difficult economic times, so you work with them. “But you can’t have people who are stringent and hard ass like a lot of people in BEC think they own the company. Their lights off so the hell with you this is what you will pay or you off. You have to be able to give and give the people a break. If most people are on the grid you making money anyhow because you generating more money but if they off you get nothing.” Mr Miller also shared the sentiment of Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants President Gowon Bowe that light bills are now comparable with paying a mortgage.
“If there are people who spike up to 60 percent and you have trouble paying the first bill how the hell they going to pay the second bill? “It’s like having a second mortgage. If I can’t pay $800 a month mortgage and you put me up to $1,400 you know I can’t pay it because your price have limited my ability to pay the bill. I just think we need to work them, show some leniency. Get your people downstairs who are always hard on the people to go easy and let everybody be on for Christmas.” Last week, BPL chairman Donovan Moxey revealed the corporation was considering a review of BPL’s disconnection policy in view of the temporary hike in electricity costs. Mr Miller, former Tall Pines MP, left BEC in 2015 before the government owned utility provider transitioned to BPL under a new management structure.
FORMER Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller.
MORE THAN 300 HOMES REPAIRED THANKS TO URBAN RENEWAL PLAN By RIEL MAJOR
MORE than 300 homes have been repaired in the past few months through Urban Renewal’s Small Homes Repair programme, according to an official. David Cates, permanent secretary of the Urban Renewal Commission, said this covered mostly roof damage that homes sustained during recent hurricanes. He spoke during Urban Renewal’s post-Thanksgiving luncheon for senior citizens at St Joseph Parish Hall yesterday where he highlighted other Urban Renewal initiatives. “These programmes are important to us because it’s part of the outreach programmes that we have into the communities and I think it’s important to recognise senior citizens because of the contributions that they have made to the country,” Mr Cates said. “‘In all things give thanks’ is a scripture verse
and I think it is important to give thanks especially for health and happiness… for friends and families especially heading into the Christmas season.” Mr Cates highlighted the efforts of the Urban Renewal Commission trying to combat issues poor people in the Bahamas face. He said there are currently nine Urban Renewal centres in New Providence, five in Grand Bahama and eight in the Family Islands. “We are hoping to have a full homework programme in the new year. We are trying to get computers for reach of the centres. “We have the Small Homes Repair programme and in the past few months we have repaired more than 300 houses, mostly roof damage from hurricanes, and it is important in my opinion it’s a very important programme that we have.” During his remarks, Social Services Minister Frankie Campbell expressed his gratitude
for senior citizens paving the way for younger generations. Mr Campbell said: “Today we have gathered our senior citizens...we have sponsored a luncheon for them. It’s an opportunity for us to say thank you to the people whose shoulders we stand on. Thank you to the people who would have paved the way for us to enjoy some of the comforts we are enjoying today. “Thank you to the people who worked in the straw markets and other domestic careers to send us off to universities to enhance our own abilities and to (put) us in the position to contribute to a developing Bahamas. “How we treat our vulnerable, our young and our elderly is how we will be judged as nation and so it’s a pleasure for me personally to extend my gratitude to them and on behalf of the government of The Bahamas for what they have done and many of them continue to do.”
VACANCY NOTICE
Broadcast IP Video Specialist Cable Bahamas Limited is seeking to employ an experienced Broadcast IP Video Specialist. The successful candidate must be a highly motivated person, organized and detailed oriented. SUMMARY The position of Broadcast IP Video Engineer will be responsible for the installation and maintenance of all video equipment within the Headend and at field locations. This position is responsible for troubleshooting activities for outages in conjunction with the technical teams, and ensuring acquisition routing and quality control of incoming and outgoing video feeds. The position also requires occasional extended work in and around a typical data center, telecommunications facility, and/or Central Office. These environments may include loud machinery/fan noise, chilled temperatures and wind, and lowered humidity working with and around highamperage AC and DC power. JOB DESCRIPTION • Configuration, installation and management of Core Video Multiplexers, Edge Video Switches, Routers, IP Video Modulators; • Configuration and Management of IPTV, OTT, ATSC and all IP related video equipment. • Ensure the integrity of video and encoding hardware and software; • Perform analysis, diagnosis and troubleshoot root cause of issues/ outages related to IP video content; • Assessing the impact of content issues that arise as part of daily operations; • Review current IP video environment, product requirements, and determine gaps; • Liaise with new equipment vendors and middleware service providers; • IP Video Headend system monitoring and management; • Troubleshooting of all alarms in relation to IP video broadcast generated from the Headend monitoring systems; • Work closely with IP Engineers and Headend Technicians to identify and resolve issues that impact the IP video network; • Development of MOPs, Testing Procedures, Labs with ticket creation; • Meticulous documentation of video network infrastructure; • Liaising with internal and external clients to deliver new products and initiatives; • Working within a team with a focus on delivering the company’s yearly objectives; • Help facilitate new network projects ensuring minimal disruption to live services; • Ensuring the video network infrastructure is fit for effective and efficient service delivery and aligned with the company’s objectives; • Assisting in the maintenance and tracking of hardware and software owned by the company; • Perform all other Headend related duties as determined and assigned by management. SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED • A bachelor’s degree in Computer Science/Engineering, Electrical Engineering or equivalent; • Two or more years of strong understanding and experience working with MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 (H.264) compression, MCPC and IPTV platforms, video transmission/reception equipment, video monitoring equipment and ancillary video equipment; • Two or more years of strong experience working with multicast and next-generation Video delivery technologies (IPTV, ABR HLS, Smooth Streaming, etc.); • Two or more years exposure with various test equipment, including: MPEG analyzers, optical power meters, RF signal level meters, RF spectrum analyzers; • Must have knowledge of and experience with a wide range of technologies including routers, multiplexers, switches, RF uplink and downlink hardware, and associated redundancy hardware; • A fundamental understanding of Linux command line; • Comprehensive understanding of IP Video Technologies and Network Environments; • Networking and IP multicast routing; • CCNA/CCNP, Comp TIA Network +; • IP transport of MPEG-TS over UDP/RTP multicast; • Strong understanding and experience working with TCP/IP technologies desired, including IPv4, addressing/subnetting, IP unicast routing and IP Multicast routing and associate technologies; • Able to Diagnose Network Connectivity Issues; • An understanding of digital modulation technologies (QPSK – 256 QAM) is desirable; • Working knowledge of RF systems, including: general understanding of the EIA spectrum, general understanding of RF performance requirements in a QAM environment, basic RF troubleshooting techniques, Working knowledge of the OSI model, specifically layers 1, 2 & 3; • Knowledge of multi-vendor middle-ware software such as Imagine, Arris, Builtwrite, Minerva, Anevia and TiVO/ROVI; • Ability to effectively use engineering NMS tools such as Solarwinds, Wireshark etc.; • Experience with MS Office and MS Visio; • Ability to isolate problems and troubleshoot issues down to the hardware level. PERSONAL COMPETENCIES • Ability to exercise judgement within broadly defined practices and select methods and techniques for obtaining solutions; • Excellent attention to detail and methodical approach; • Ability to self-motivate and work independently; • Strong decision-making & analytical skills; • Customer service orientated approach; • Strong oral & written communication skills; • Ability to manage multiple tasks and priority levels; • Proactive approach to changing technologies; • Be able to work outside normal work hours; • Be able to travel periodically to perform work/maintenance at all digital Headend sites in The Bahamas and United States; • This position requires on call support (Tier 2/3) and off-hours maintenance activities (weekends, weeknights and/or Holidays); • Possess personal traits: Friendly, mature, factual, honest, meticulous, self-starter. Qualified applicants should submit Resumes on or before Tuesday, December 11, 2018, to the Director of Human Resources, PO BOX CB-13050, Nassau, Bahamas or send electronically with Ref: Broadcast IP Video Specialist to humanresources@cablebahamas.com.
PAGE 10, Tuesday, November 27, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
UKRAINE TO IMPOSE MARTIAL LAW SCIENTISTS WARN BRAZIL PRESIDENT AS DISPUTE WITH RUSSIA WORSENS MAY PUSH TOO FAR INTO RAINFOREST KIEV Associated Press
UKRAINE’S parliament voted yesterday to impose martial law in parts of the country to fight what its president called “growing aggression” from Moscow after a weekend naval confrontation off the disputed Crimean Peninsula in which Russia fired on and seized three Ukrainian vessels amid renewed tensions between the neighbors. Western leaders and diplomats urged both sides to de-escalate the conflict, and the US blamed Russia for what it called “unlawful conduct” over Sunday’s
PRESIDENT Petro Poroshenko incident in the Black Sea. Russia and Ukraine blamed each other in the dispute that further ratcheted up tensions ever since Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014 and threw its weight behind separatists in eastern Ukraine with clandestine
support, including troops and weapons. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko asked lawmakers in Kiev to institute martial law, something the country did not do even during the worst of the fighting in the east that killed about 10,000 people. After a five-hour debate, parliament overwhelmingly approved his proposal, voting to impose martial law for 30 days starting tomorrow morning in 10 of Ukraine’s 27 regions — those bordering Russia, Belarus and Moldova’s pro-Moscow breakaway republic of Trans-Dniester.
SAN PAULO Associated Press
SCIENTISTS warn that Brazil’s president-elect could push the Amazon rainforest past its tipping point — with severe consequences for global climate and rainfall. Jair Bolsonaro, who takes office on January 1, claims a mandate to convert land for cattle pastures and soybean farms, calling Brazil’s rainforest protections an economic obstacle. Brazil contains about 60 percent of the Amazon rainforest, and scientists are worried. It’s nearly impossible to overstate the
importance of the Amazon rainforest to the planet’s living systems, said Carlos Nobre, a climate scientist at the University of Sao Paulo. Each tree stores carbon absorbed from the atmosphere. The Amazon takes in as much as 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide a year and releases 20 percent of the planet’s oxygen, earning it the nickname “the lungs of the planet”. Stretching 10 times the size of Texas, the Amazon is the world’s largest rainforest. Billions of trees suck up water through deep roots and bring it up to their leaves, which release water vapor that forms a thick
mist over the rainforest canopy. This mist ascends into clouds and eventually becomes rainfall — a cycle that shapes seasons in South America and far beyond. By one estimate, the Amazon creates 50 percent of its own rainfall. Now the integrity of all of three functions — as a carbon sink, the Earth’s lungs, and a rainmaker — hangs in the balance. Last month, Brazil elected Bolsonaro, a far-right candidate who channeled outrage at the corruption scandals of the former government and support from agribusiness groups.
Touchdown on Mars
NASA spacecraft lands on red planet after journey of six months CAPE CANAVERAL Associated Press A NASA spacecraft designed to burrow beneath the surface of Mars landed on the red planet yesterday after a six-month, 300-million-mile journey and a perilous, six-minute descent through the rose-hued atmosphere. After waiting in white-knuckle suspense for confirmation to arrive from space, flight controllers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, leaped out of their seats and erupted in screams, applause and laughter as the news came in that the three-legged InSight spacecraft had successfully touched down. People hugged, shook hands, exchanged high-fives, pumped their fists, wiped away tears and danced in the aisles. “Flawless,” declared JPL’s chief engineer, Rob Manning. “This is what we really hoped and imagined in our mind’s eye,” he said. “Sometimes things work out in your favour.” A pair of mini satellites trailing InSight since their May liftoff provided practically real-time updates of the spacecraft’s supersonic descent through the reddish skies. A quick photo sent from Mars’ surface was marred by specks of debris on the camera cover but showed a flat surface with few if any rocks — just what scientists were hoping for. Much better pictures will arrive in the hours and days ahead. “What a relief,” Manning said. “This is really fantastic.” He added: “Wow! This never gets old.”
InSight, a $1 billion international venture, reached the surface after going from 12,300 mph to zero in six minutes flat, using a parachute and braking engines. Radio signals confirming the landing took more than eight minutes to cross the nearly 100 million miles between Mars and Earth. Viewings of the televised activity inside the JPL control room were held coast to coast at museums, planetariums and libraries, as well as New York’s Times Square. NASA last landed on Mars in 2012 with the Curiosity rover. “Landing on Mars is one of the hardest single jobs that people have to do in planetary exploration,” InSight’s lead scientist, Bruce Banerdt, said before yesterday’s success. “It’s such a difficult thing, it’s such a dangerous thing that there’s always a fairly uncomfortably large chance that something could go wrong.” Mars has been the graveyard for a multitude of space missions. Up to now, the success rate at the red planet was only 40 percent, counting every attempted flyby, orbital flight and landing by the US, Russia and other spacefaring countries since 1960. The U.S., however, has pulled off seven successful Mars landings in the past four decades, not counting InSight, with only one failed touchdown. No other country has managed to set and operate even a single spacecraft on the dusty surface. InSight was shooting for Elysium Planitia, a plain near the Martian equator that the InSight team hopes is as flat as a parking lot in Kansas. The stationary 800-pound
DELIGHT at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena yesterday as the InSight lander touches down on Mars. Below, from the left, are NASA officials Jim Bridenstine, Michael Watkins, Tom Hoffman, Bruce Banerdt, Andrew Klesh and Elizabeth Barrett.
lander will use its 6-foot robotic arm to place a mechanical mole and seismometer on the ground. The self-hammering mole will burrow 16 feet down to measure the planet’s internal heat, while the seismometer listens for
possible quakes. No lander has dug deeper on Mars than several inches, and no seismometer has ever worked on the planet. Germany is in charge of InSight’s mole, while France is in charge of the seismometer.
An ecstatic Philippe Laudet, the French Space Agency’s project manager, said at JPL that now that the seismometer is on Mars, a “new adventure” is beginning. By examining the interior of Mars, scientists hope to understand how our solar system’s rocky planets formed 4.5 billion years ago and why they turned out so different — Mars cold and dry, Venus and Mercury burning hot, and Earth hospitable to life. InSight has no life-detecting capability, however. That will be left to future rovers, such as NASA’s Mars 2020 mission, which will collect rocks that will eventually be brought back to Earth and analyzed for evidence of ancient life.
CONCERN AS HAWAII HUMPBACK WHALE SIGHTINGS DECLINING HONOLULU Associated Press
RESEARCHERS are gathering to compare clues on the reasons behind a significant decline in the number of sightings of North Pacific humpback whales in their traditional breeding grounds in waters around Hawaii. The trend doesn’t necessarily mean the iconic giants are dying off, or that they’re not still migrating to the islands. But the apparent disappearance of many whales from a historically predictable location is causing concern and some researchers believe there’s a link between warmer ocean temperatures in Alaska and the effect that has on the whales’ food chain. While scientists say it’s too early to draw any conclusions about the phenomenon, the decline has sparked enough interest that a consortium of whale experts are meeting this week in Honolulu to compare data and attempt to better understand what’s happening and what to do about it. The drop in sightings is estimated at 50 percent to 80 percent over the past four years.
Researchers use a variety of monitoring methods to count the whales, including visual observations conducted aboard ships that follow specific coordinates and acoustic monitoring that listens for whale songs from fixed underwater locations. There is also a less scientifically rigorous count done each year where residents on shore report their sightings. The humpbacks traditionally migrate each autumn from Alaska, where they feed during the summer months, to Hawaii, where they mate and give birth during the winter. Based on the latest largescale population study , it is estimated that half of all
North Pacific humpbacks make the journey to Hawaii each year, putting the total number of whales making the 6,000-mile round trip migration at around 11,000 annually. Most humpbacks were taken off the endangered species list in 2016 but are still federally protected. Officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hope this week’s meetings will help them to form a consensus about what to do going forward to help ensure the species’ continued success. NOAA conducts research, creates federal regulations and enforces laws meant to protect the whales and their habitats.
PAGE 12, Tuesday, November 27, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
COURT COMPLEX IN GB TO RECEIVE $2M RENOVATION By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
MINISTER of Works Desmond Bannister signed a $2m contract on Monday for the extensive repair and renovation of the Garnet Levarity Justice Centre in Grand Bahama. The building - which houses two Supreme Courts, three Magistrate’s Courts and the Industrial Tribunal, is in poor physical condition with major roof damage, which has led to severe mould infestation that has affected staff and personnel of the judiciary. During a visit to the island earlier this year, Mr Bannister was very troubled by the “deplorable” condition that judges,
MINISTER of Works Desmond Bannister. magistrates, court personnel and the general public faced on a daily basis at the courthouse building. At the time, Mr Bannister said the government would restore the building. He said Cabinet has approved the issuance of a
contract to Noula Investments Limited, operated by Maxwell Quant, to carry out extensive repairs and renovations to the building in the amount of $1,994, 154.41, inclusive of value added tax. The minister said that major interior repair works will be carried out, including removal of all carpeting with the replacement of tiles or hardwood engineering flooring, complete interior painting, reconstruction and renovation of all office spaces, upgrade to staff break room areas, and also the restrooms, which will be made handicap accessible, and upgrading of the prisoners’ holding cell. Mechanical, electrical and plumbing works will also be executed. The flat room system and minor repairs to
the existing metal standing seam roof will also be carried out, and all windows and exterior glass doors will be replaced with hurricane impact windows and doors. Additionally, he said that all the termite-infested wooden column claddings will be replaced with high density polyurethane foam cladding. There will be exterior painting and the eradication of bee colonies throughout the building. Mr Bannister was first made aware of the poor conditions at the courthouse during a visit in April. “To my dismay, I was able to witness firsthand the deplorable conditions that judges, magistrates, court personnel, and general public are faced with every day as they dispense and
seek justice in our courts,” he said. In July, staff at the court staged a sit out to protest to mould infestation, expressing concern for their health and safety, and frustration over the conditions of the building. At the signing ceremony yesterday, Mr Bannister said it was in keeping with the commitment made by the government to restore the building. He noted that technical officers of the Ministry of Public Works collaborated with the stakeholders to develop the scope of works, and in July contractors were invited to submit tenders. Mr Bannister stated that a provisional sum has been included in the contract so that during the renovation,
there will be extensive mould removal and remediation to the building. He said the renovations will take nine months and staff will experience some inconveniences. “It is anticipated that the end product will be one that we will all be proud of,” Mr Bannister said. Also speaking was Minister of State for Grand Bahama Kwasi Thompson. He said the planned renovation will represent the largest refurbishment the court has seen since it was constructed. “This will bring relief to staff members, lawyers and the general public. In addition, it will also bring much needed economic activity to Freeport creating some employment,” Mr Thompson said.