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PRISON INMATE WAS MURDERED By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe has confirmed “blunt force trauma” as the cause of death of an inmate who died at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services last month. Given the cause of death signals the man’s death was a “homicide”, according to the minister, the Royal Bahamas Police Force is now investigating the incident. Mikhail Miller, 29, was found dead at BDCS on Monday, November 1. His sister, Sherine Miller, told The Tribune yesterday the family was appalled at

THE United States has announced tightened entry requirements for travellers entering the country, requiring a negative COVID-19 test taken within one day of departure regardless of vaccination status.This begins next week. The US previously

- SEE PAGE EIGHT

the findings of the autopsy, insisting authorities needed to tell the family how her brother was killed at the facility. “It was found that he died from blunt force trauma and as that would indicate homicide then, yes, the police will have interviewed the persons who were in the immediate area and they would have carried out an investigation,” the minister said when contacted. “I haven’t seen the results of it as yet.” Mr Munroe said this raises immediate concerns. Among them is how people with mental illnesses are treated when committed to prison. SEE PAGE THREE

US STEPS UP TESTING RULE FOR ENTRY INTO COUNTRY By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

NAUGHTY: OUR HEATED PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES ARE NOT SO BAD

required travellers to show proof of a negative COVID19 test taken within 72 hours of travel. The new measure is in response to the Omicron strain, which was detected in the US this week after being found in other countries. Despite the US’ plans to implement stricter travel rules, Press Secretary Clint Watson said there is no SEE PAGE FOUR

OSCAR THE COVID CANINE DETECTIVE OSCAR, a three-year-old Belgian Malinois, is one of two dogs with the Dog World K9 Service that has been trained in COVID-19 detection. He is pictured at Edmund Moxey Park yesterday. Photo: Earyel Bowleg • SEE PAGE FOUR

CUBAN COUPLE ‘DON’T EIGHT MORE DEATHS QUALIFY FOR ASYLUM’ ATTRIBUTED TO VIRUS By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A CUBAN couple seeking political asylum in The Bahamas after fleeing their home country for fear of persecution claim

immigration officials have discriminated against them because of their nationality. The two also allege that they are being forced to endure unsanitary and inhumane conditions while SEE PAGE FIVE

THE country’s COVID19 death toll has risen by eight. According to the Ministry of Health, the deaths were previously under investigation but have now been confirmed as being COVID-19 related. The

country now has a COVID19 death toll of 685. The deceased—five men and three women—were all residents of New Providence. They died between September 6-16. Their ages ranged from 38 to 74. SEE PAGE FOUR

GB REEFS DECIMATED BY DISEASE

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

NINETY percent of coral reefs off Grand Bahama have been devastated by the lethal stony coral tissue loss disease – SCTLD – which threatens to ravage much of The Bahamas’ corals, affecting livelihoods and making the country less safe from storms. Rochelle Newbold, director of

CORAL in The Bahamas. environmental planning and protection, suggested yesterday the problem is significant enough that some Bahamians should begin rethinking career

paths that focus on marine systems. “When those systems collapse, we have no more protection and then if we have a climate change situation, these things are just going to roll right up on shore and then we’re gonna see increasing devastation beyond that which we saw with Grand Bahama and Abaco with Dorian,” she said during a press briefing

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

SEE PAGE FIVE

DIANE PHILLIPS: ART IN PUBLIC PLACES, LIFTING SPIRITS

SEE PAGE NINE

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, December 3, 2021, PAGE 3

PRISON INMATE WAS MURDERED

BDCS COMMITTING NAMES TO THE SEX OFFENDER REGISTER By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas Department of Correctional Services is in the process of committing names to the sexual offender register, National Security Minister Wayne Munroe confirmed yesterday. While he could not say how many offenders were currently on the list, the minister said there were now 70 inmates at BDCS for various sexual offences. He said officials were still mulling over whether offenders already released from prison would be committed to the register, adding they were also still looking at who would be notified when a sex offender is released. “The register is up now,” Mr Munroe said in a recent interview with The Tribune. “People are being registered in prison right now. “Currently we have 70 prisoners sentenced for various sexual offences.” Asked how notification of the release of offenders would be handled, he said: “The first thing that happens is the Minister of National Security has to make a decision about who to notify when a sexual offender is released. The jurisprudence of thinking is the more dangerous the person is, the wider the publication. “I’ve received representations that we should notify any schools near to where the person is going to live, things like that. So, we’ll take all of those on board when we make our decisions about it.” Last month, Mr Munroe said a public education campaign would come before the full implementation of the registry. Regarding this, Mr Munroe said his ministry was in the process of arranging meetings to coordinate that campaign. SEE PAGE EIGHT

THOMPSON: ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE IMPROVED FROM JULY TO SEPTEMBER By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

EAST Grand Bahama MP Kwasi Thompson is adamant that the former Minnis administration’s policies were working, pointing to increased revenues between July to September. The former State Finance Minister said the Davis administration appeared to be ignoring the facts as it related to the country’s improved fiscal period during the time period. He was speaking during his contribution to the 2021/2022 supplementary budget debate in the House of Assembly yesterday. “It cannot be right when everything wrong is the former government’s fault, but those things that are positive this government seems quite pleased to brag about and, in some cases, quite pleased to take the credit for,” Mr Thompson said. “Many of the government’s members spoke to the mismanagement of fiscal affairs, but here are the facts and they almost spoke to it like it was a script. You could almost anticipate during a part of their speech when they would speak to it, this mismanagement claim. “The government’s own fiscal snapshot, we introduced a practice in the Ministry of Finance. Something where every quarter the public would get a snapshot as to what was going on in the country and how were the SEE PAGE EIGHT

NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe.

FROM PAGE ONE Last month, Rose Miller, the victim’s mother confirmed that her son had “mental issues.” “Yes, we’ve been looking at it and it raises a number of issues,” Mr Munroe said. “The first is in terms of knowing what happens concretely in the prison, the issue of surveillance to show you exactly what happens. “It also raises the need – since this prisoner had been referred to psychiatry – of how we are detaining and treating prisoners with mental illness and that is a matter that the Commissioner and I are discussing just about bi-weekly.” Mr Munroe said Bahamians “have a very bad attitude towards” people with mental issues. “They get angry with you. It may prompt them to be violent towards you because they have no understanding of what you are dealing with and why you are reacting like you are reacting. “So, that is an issue that we are actively looking at.” The new revelation about her brother’s death has posed more questions than answers, Sherine Miller said. While the family had suspected foul play, to have it confirmed is startling, she said. His mother added that she struggled to understand what transpired because “my son was not sick apart from the mental problems that he had.” “Someone has to be held accountable for Mikhail’s death. “We are appalled and words cannot describe what we feel,” Sherine Miller said. “We were looking for help and this is what we got at the end of the day. A dead body that came back out to us and nobody wants to tell us what is happening and how did he arrive to the situation.”

She said the family was in the process of retaining an attorney to represent them. Mr Munroe said the situation made it evident that there needed to be a wider conversation about mental health in the country. “. . .There will be issues with, for instance, can you force medicate somebody who has a condition that requires medication if they aren’t voluntarily compliant? That is a matter of law we’re looking at and then the other issue, of course, is how do you deal with these folks when they become noncompliant.” The minister said there were many “horror” stories coming out of the correctional facility regarding the actions of mentally ill people there. “I’ve been hearing all kinds of horror stories about persons in the prison who are mentally ill (and) non-compliant. They stand up in there and bathe off with their own faeces and say they’re taking a bath. So, all of these are issues that the correctional officers have to address and deal with and we have to look at how best in the institution that we have in the environments that are there. “How do we address it particularly with the maximum-security prison block that has long outlived its usefulness. “I think it was built somewhere in the 50s and so we have to address how we deal with that.” “I don’t know that we have any padded cells. “I don’t know that we have the ability to pad cells. I know that when prisoners are referred to Sandilands for evaluation, I am advised that they are sent right back to the prison and so these are issues that we met that when I came into office, I met unaddressed. “Together with the executive team of the prison we are looking at,” Mr Munroe said.

HALKITIS HITS OUT AT FNM OVER VAT BILL AMENDMENT MINISTER of Economic Affairs Michael Halkitis accused the Free National Movement of continuing to “peddle its misguided tax policy” by trying to pass a last-minute amendment to the government’s Value Added Tax Bill in the House of Assembly last night. The amendment was put forth by Official Opposition leader and Marco City MP Michael Pintard, however it was not successful. During debate on the government’s amendment, Mr Pintard had suggested the Davis Administration consider a lower rate of VAT on certain breadbasket items, instead of placing a 10 percent tax on the items as planned. “Despite the abundance of empirical evidence and being denounced by local and international experts, the opposition continues to peddle its misguided tax policy by attempting to pass an eleventh-hour amendment to the government’s VAT Amendment Bill,” Mr Halkitis said in a statement last night. “The Davis Administration has looked closely at the evidence and consulted widely with local

and international experts to design a supplementary budget that balances restoring the nation’s fiscal health while providing economic stimulus and direct relief to the Bahamian people. “To upset that balance by retaining the ill-advised zero-rating regime would further deepen the government’s revenue shortfalls, and also hinder our ability to support middle-class Bahamians and the most vulnerable populations in our country through the relief measures proposed in the supplementary budget. “The evidence has shown that the last administration’s zero-rating policy allowed the rich to accrue more savings than any other group while lowerincome households accrued the least benefits. “The Bahamian people should consider the government’s approach holistically. Working together, each element is needed to support our goals for this supplementary budget. “We are eliminating zerorated items to ensure that the application of VAT is as fair and equitable as possible. “Simultaneously, we are introducing an overall

decrease from 12 percent to 10 percent to bring net savings to every household and business, stimulating consumption and protecting against rising global costs. “These changes have given the government leeway to bring further relief to the Bahamian people through the return of annual increments for civil servants, clearing up the promotions backlog, increasing pensions for civil service retirees, extending unemployment benefits, paying a $500 lump sum payment for all unemployment programme beneficiaries, and re-introducing the RISE programme for direct cash transfers to the most vulnerable. “The stated measures allow us to provide more targeted relief that does not have the unintended consequence of disproportionately benefitting higher-income households more, which was inherent in the previous administration’s approach.” Mr Halkitis accused the opposition of opting for political theatre instead of empirical evidence and expert advice.

MINISTER of Economic Affairs Michael Halkitis.

DARVILLE QUESTIONS MINNIS ON HOSPITAL UPGRADES DEAL By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

HEALTH Minister Dr Michael Darville said the Minnis administration negotiated a multimillion-dollar deal for hospital upgrades in which the loan was drawn down before construction began. Former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, however, said his administration approved a structure that would allow construction to finish much quicker than usual. During the budget debate earlier this year, Dr Minnis said funding for upgrades to Princess Margaret Hospital would be facilitated through a loan agreement between the government and Banco Santander. He has emphasised the low interest rate of the loan. He supported the loan during his contribution to this week’s debate on the supplementary budget in the House of Assembly. Dr Darville, nonetheless, tabled the agreement with Banco Santander yesterday. He said: “The agreement did confirm, sir, that the first utilisation of the loan shall be made in respect of acting strategic plans for the repairs of clinics and hospitals. Nothing in the report spoke about Royal Caribbean International, telemedicine or business incentives as outlined by you.

HEALTH Minister Dr Michael Darville.

“In section four, sub-section six repayment of the loan confirmed the first of the 13 equal instalments of the sum of $8,867,168.40, with the first payment due on April 28, 2020. I support the possibilities of low interest rates but the devil is always in the details. What is irregular about this deal is that the loan was fully drawn down before construction began and a portion of the principal combined with the interest will be paid before you get the first block in the ground. “What is so vexing is the fact that the member for Killarney left little or no records behind in my ministry to facilitate the proper analysis

of this transaction. So, for the sake of transparency, sir, I am asking you to lay in this House the additional information and reports about the deal and other workings of the loan so that we at the Ministry of Health and Wellness can complete the assessment in the appropriate time and we can make a determination, should we go or not go. If you have this information, give it to me, give it to your boy, so I can do some things.” Dr Minnis later said the structure of the loan is different from the usual. “We (drew) down $46,847,315… the PHA drawdown was $21m

and the SBDC was $20m. We did our second drawdown on the 30th of June of this year and that was $68,400,000. “That was essential because we are doing what you call designbuild, not the standard design, bid then build which would take three to five years. Yes, utilising that system, it would appear that money is sitting and not being utilised. However, if you do design build, design and move along, which means you’ll finish the complex and the changes in less than 50 percent of the time that you would have done had you used the standard design bid build and that’s why the money was drawn down. But the point is the money was still loaned at an interest rate of 1.89750 percent, that’s the point.” In May, Dr Minnis said his administration would invest $100m in upgrades to Princess Margaret and Rand Memorial Hospitals as part of a project that was to be pursued at an accelerated pace over the next 18 to 24 months. This $100m investment included $70m for PMH and $19m for the Rand. The then-Prime Minister said both facilities would be upgraded with “new modern multi-storey towers that will house the most cutting-edge equipment, expand their footprint, provide additional bed space and enhance day-to-day operations.”

PAGE 4, Friday, December 3, 2021

CENTRAL BANK UNIONS FILE SECOND TRADE DISPUTE By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net THE two unions representing Central Bank employees have filed a second trade dispute over stalled negotiations with management related to an outstanding industrial agreement and other issues. This is according to President of the Union of Central Bankers Theressa Thompson, who lamented the dissatisfaction of workers over the lack of progress made in discussions with the financial institution regarding its expired contract. Ms Thompson claimed that it was because of the “intractable and dictatorial” position of the bank’s management team that the two parties have not been able to make any headway in negotiations and insisted workers are now fed up. This comes after a number of Central Bank employees reportedly called in sick Wednesday to protest unresolved workplace grievances. According to Ms Thompson, bank employees are now prepared to take legal action if their long-standing concerns are not addressed.

Impasse “The Union of Central Bankers and the Bahamas Communications and Public Managers Union, respectively the bargaining agent for the non-management and management... collectively the unions have reached an impasse with our negotiations with the Central Bank of The Bahamas,” she told reporters during a press conference yesterday. “The unions have been in negotiation with the Central Bank for almost a year with little progress. In the union’s opinion, this lack of progress is due solely to the intractable and dictatorial stance adopted by the bank from the inception of negotiations. “In spite of the union’s numerous efforts to compromise, the bank has maintained its low-borne offers in its attempt to strip hard earned benefits negotiated by and with previous governors. Therefore, the UCB and BCPMU filed a trade dispute against the Central Bank on the 26th of November 2021.” According to BCPMU’s president, Ricardo Thompson, bank employees are also bargaining for better work benefits and seeking to resolve a breach in contract related to employees’ wellness bonuses. He said: “Just before and during our negotiations in the early stages, we know COVID sent a lot of folks to work from home. “During this work from home, many (things changed). One of the

main things that was concerning was that the union…is liability coverage and insurance coverage for workers. “In the workspace, the employers are responsible for creating a conducive and safe healthy environment for employees to work. When working from home, a lot of this falls away, including the National Insurance benefits and that would have (been given) to you if something happens on the job, including industrial accidents. “Industrial accidents wouldn’t really be considered carelessness at your home because a child left a toy on the floor but you sent me home to work from home and you’re not taking into account any of these things so we’ve got a number of outstanding issues with the Central Bank.” The union leaders said because the situation has become so serious, there is now a need for immediate government intervention. “We have asked Keith Bell, Minister of Labour, to intervene in these stalled negotiations. In addition, the president of both unions has canvassed the issues with Michael Halkitis, Minister of Economic Affairs,” Ms Thompson said yesterday. “It should be noted that this is the second dispute filed in these negotiations. UCB filed one on the 14th of June 2021. Given the Central Bank’s history of respectful and peaceful negotiations, the unions are hopeful that further action would not be necessary. We hope that the bank reconsiders its offers. “Central Bank staff are wary of the bank’s chorus of ‘no, no, no’ or ‘that’s not up for negotiations’ and ‘that’s not on the table’ and we are prepared to take all legal action at our disposal to get the outstanding issues resolved.” Meanwhile, Mr Thompson added: “We really don’t think this needs to escalate, but escalate it will if we have to because that’s who we are. We champion the cause of our members and we know when an injustice is being meted out and that’s exactly what’s happening in this case.” Last week, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis recommitted his government to addressing outstanding labour issues during a meeting with the country’s unions. Mr Bell, who was present at last week’s meeting, told reporters: “We had a meeting with the unions this morning and the...Prime Minister addressed the unions directly and indicated that this is a government which has heard their concerns, their issues…there are a number of agreements that have many outstanding issues – pay, issues relating to wage, hours of work, overtime, etc.”

THE TRIBUNE

OSCAR THE COVID CANINE DETECTIVE By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net MAN’s best friend can possibly be a four-legged COVID-19 test sniffing for the virus. This ability has already been unleashed at the Miami International Airport and a Miami Heat game—now a local canine detection company hopes to bring the practice to The Bahamas. Adrian Forbes, from Dog World K9 Service, said the organisation is a fully certified detection canine company that provides service in narcotics, explosive, firearm detection and now bio detection. “The benefit of having a COVID-19 dog helps prove a counterfeit test. I know just recently we had over 1,000 counterfeit tests found right here in The Bahamas as well as it helps with the false vaccination documents. It also speeds up the process in testing…. the process takes less than five seconds versus a rapid antigen test takes maybe 20 minutes, 15 at least. So you speed up time,” he explained during a demonstration exercise at Edmund Moxey Park. “Companies or agencies that have a large workforce that don’t have time,

ADRIAN Forbes

OSCAR at Edmund Moxey Park. Photos: Earyel Bowleg this can speed up the process. It also helps with large events whether it is a concert. Weeding out people at concerts, the airport, cruise port. It can be applied to schools. Many numerous applications.” Oscar, a three-yearold Belgian Malinois, has been trained in COVID-19 detection for four weeks but the programme has been in existence for the last year.

“We have two canines now presently on the island that are fully trained and ready to hit the ground running,” Mr Forbes said. According to the University of Pennsylvania’s PennToday, research published in the PLOS ONE journal “suggests that specially trained detection dogs can sniff out COVID19-positive samples with 96 percent accuracy”. Oscar is 99.7 percent

accurate in finding the virus, said Mr Forbes. A New York Times article noted that dogs have 300 million olfactory receptors. Oscar put his own to the test in a demonstration yesterday. An obstacle course set up at the park had several containers but only one had a mask with the COVID-19 virus on it— the dog was able to find it in about four seconds. Despite these studies and empirical evidence, Mr Forbes has not heard back from officials, including those at the Ministry of Health about using his dogs in the fight against COVID19, but he is still hopeful.

TESTING FOR HIV/AIDS DECLINED 55% IN 2020

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

testing and there are testing opportunities. For example, we had several campaigns leading up to World Aids TREATMENT for HIV/ Day. AIDS has remained stable “There’s free HIV testduring the COVID-19 paning through the government demic but testing for the system, through our centre virus declined by 55 perand the National Reference cent in 2020, according to Lab. Dr Nikkiah Forbes, director “There are other options of the National HIV/AIDS that people can get testing, and Infectious Disease through the Public HosProgramme. pitals Authority and the Her comment at an DR Nikkiah Forbes clinics for example or at Office of the Prime Minisyour private doctor’s office ter press conference yesterday came as and we are in the process of validating the world marked World Aids Day on the HIV self-testing which is something Wednesday. that is needed and in theory it has been “When we had the outbreak (of supported across the Caribbean and in COVID-19) in March 2020 and the The Bahamas. difficult year that we had, we did con“It does require a validation step tinue to provide HIV care and other and we are looking at how it can be options,” Dr Forbes said. “In fact validated and look at the acceptabilour offices, our clinics, stayed open ity and accuracy for patients and how throughout those lockdowns. The good they’re linked to care. We hope that thing is that treatment did not decline we’ll be able to announce that that’s significantly. We were able to keep just available soon.” about the same amount of people on Dr Forbes said HIV/AIDS infectreatment, but testing did decline by tions declined 53 percent from 2010 about 55 percent in the year 2020. to 2019 while deaths from AIDS have “We are now making steps to expand dropped 52 percent.

At the end of 2020, she said, there were 4,700 people in The Bahamas living with HIV as new infections continue to decline. She said no cases of mother-to-baby transmission of the virus were recorded in 2020, 2019 or 2015. “Unfortunately, we do still have cases in the single digits in other years,” she said, “one or two babies are still sadly born with HIV because their mothers do not come and get prenatal care early and they are not on antiretroviral therapy or opt not to take antiretroviral therapy.” Dr Forbes said HIV medicine treatment has increased by 33 percent since 2013. However, she said the country has a long way to go to meet goals. Globally, the aim is to diagnose 95 percent of people by 2025, have 95 percent of people on antiretroviral therapy and 95 percent of them virally suppressed. “Sixty-three percent of people living with HIV were on antiretroviral therapy at the end of 2020 and 72 percent of those received the gold standard of care called an undetectable viral load,” she said. Antiretroviral therapy is free in The Bahamas.

US STEPS UP TESTING RULE FOR ENTRY INTO COUNTRY FROM PAGE ONE

need to add additional measures locally right now but the situation is being watched. In a statement yesterday on the White House’s website, it was stated that the new actions “will ensure we are using these tools as effectively as possible to protect the American people against this variant and to continue to battle the Delta variant during the winter months when viruses tend to thrive.” Testing protocols for international travellers are among the myriad of actions announced by the Biden administration to try to curb the spread of the new variant. “Early next week, the United States will tighten pre-departure testing protocols by requiring all inbound

international travellers to test within one day of departure globally, regardless of nationality or vaccination status. This tighter testing timeline provides an added degree of public health protection as scientists continue to assess the Omicron variant,” according to the White House statement. The US requirement for mask wearing during travel has also been extended. “The Administration will continue to require masking during international or other public travel – as well as in transportation hubs such as airports or indoor bus terminals – through March 18 as we continue to battle COVID-19 this winter. “The Transportation Security Administration will extend its implementing

orders to maintain these requirements through March 18. Fines will continue to be doubled from their initial levels for non-compliance with the masking requirements – with a minimum fine of $500 and fines of up to $3,000 for repeat offenders.” On Sunday, local officials announced The Bahamas has banned entry to nonresidents who recently visited Botswana, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe and South Africa after the Omicron variant was detected in South Africa. Those who are ordinary residents (citizens, permanent residents, individuals with work permits) may enter the country from those areas, but will be subject to

quarantine for 14 days. However, the Omicron variant has been detected in other countries, including Canada. When asked if travel restrictions will be imposed on European and North American nations, Mr Watson answered: “I spoke to the Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Michael Darville this morning regarding it. “. . .Right now there’s not a need for it, but they’re watching it. He spoke to PAHO. PAHO is not recommending it based on what the initial reports are. As you heard Dr Nikkiah Forbes said they’re still waiting on research. Right now, there’s not a need to add additional measures in place but they’re watching it and if there is a need to do so they will do so.”

EIGHT MORE DEATHS ATTRIBUTED TO VIRUS FROM PAGE ONE This comes as health officials recorded seven new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the nation’s toll since the start of the pandemic to 22,809. As concerns grow about the new variant Omicron, Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Michael Darville yesterday said the government has no immediate plans to let people who are not immunocompromised get a third vaccination shot through Johnson & Johnson shots that are about to expire at the end of the month. However, he said the government will also work to move the vaccines to countries that can use them. “I do not have the complete support from our technical people and advisors as it relates to us,” he said in the House of Assembly, when asked if the government will roll out booster shots. “I don’t, I would like to have it and the member for Killarney knows exactly what that means.”

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THE TRIBUNE

Friday, December 3, 2021, PAGE 5

Cuban couple ‘don’t qualify for asylum’ FROM PAGE ONE being detained at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre. The government on the other hand, contends the pair do not qualify for refugee status and are seeking for their court case to be dismissed so they can be deported back to Cuba. Attorneys for Maikel Rodriguez Jiménez and his girlfriend Nathalie Palacios Morffis said they escaped from Cuba because of political persecution and victimisation, prompted by their “civic and political activities” which oppose the current Cuban government. The activists fled the country in a vessel with the purpose of reaching Miami, Florida or any other jurisdiction that would grant them political asylum. They have both applied to The Bahamas government for refugee and political asylum status. However, after their vessel was apprehended in Bahamian waters, they were arrested and detained at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre where they have been since September 7. Senior Justice Bernard Turner recently granted the attorneys representing the couple leave to issue a writ of habeas corpus against the government, calling on officials to explain why the couple was being detained and to prove why they should not be released immediately. At that hearing yesterday, the Crown submitted two returns signed by the officer in charge of the CRDC, who said it was determined that Jimenez and Morffis were not migrants in need of protection in accordance with the UNHCR’s (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) 1951 Convention and 1957 protocol, after they were interviewed by the Refugee Administration Unit of the Immigration Department. In an affidavit filed in support of the couple’s habeas corpus applications, one of their attorneys, Philisea Bethel, noted the two were denied the opportunity to meet with her until five days after she had sent an email request to the relevant authorities. She said when she was finally allowed to meet with Jiménez and Morffis, they were taken to a “makeshift” meeting room with thin walls and a door that was “seethrough” in the middle. Ms Bethel said she spoke to the couple through a Spanish interpreter and was asked to document their story for the court to prevent them from being “expelled, repatriated or deported back to Cuba.” “Mr Jiménez described protests that he and Ms Morffis were both involved in while in Cuba between 2020 and 2021 as part of the Christian Democratic Party of Cuba,” Ms Bethel said. “I

NATHALIE Palacios Morffis and Maikel Rodriguez Jiménez. was told by both Mr Jiménez and Ms Morffis that it was thereafter difficult for them to find work and to make a living to survive during the last two years as a result. “In 2020, Mr Jiménez’s fishing boat was seized by officials of the Cuban government following the said political protests... Mr Jiménez stated it was hard surviving day-to-day after his boat was seized. (He said) after his boat was seized, he wired his mouth shut and refused to eat and drink until his boat was returned sometime later in 2020. “Mr Jiménez then lifted his shirt and proceeded to show me marked wounds and scars about his body that he got during protests opposing the current Cuban regime.” Ms Bethel said Morffis also told her that her life in Cuba was “extremely hard”. She said the woman took part in the protests against the Cuban government in July along with Jiménez and was forced to go into hiding to avoid being detained and incarcerated by Cuban police. Morffis’ family was also harassed and threatened with imprisonment for not disclosing her whereabouts, the court documents state. “Both Ms Morffis and Mr Jiménez detailed the discriminatory treatment of Cubans by immigration officers,” Ms Bethel continued. “On September 7, they were transported to and arrived at an unknown dock where they were required to take COVID tests which came back negative. Other detainees—non-Cuban nationals—were transported to CRDC almost immediately upon arrival. “..Ms Morffis also stated that upon her arrival, she was kept in a quarantine room by herself for about nine days despite having two negative COVID tests. Ms Morffis described the poor condition of the room and how the mattress in the isolation room had no sheets as she had to use the thin covering on the mattress as a blanket. She also stated that while in the isolation room she was given six bottles of water during the nine-day period. She drank two bottles and used the remaining four bottles to wash herself periodically. The bathroom in the isolation room had no running water.” Ms Bethel said the couple told her that Cuban detainees

at the CRDC were treated “differently” from other detainees. She said she was told Cubans were “treated poorly” by immigration officers and were not allowed to make phone calls. She also said the couple claimed that at CRDC they had to wear the same soiled clothing for approximately 21 days. Ms Morffis stated she was allowed to shower, however, she remained in soiled clothing for approximately six days from the date of arrival. Mr Jiménez further stated he had no shoes and was barefooted for 21 days after arrival,” she said. Ms Bethel said the few items of clothing the couple have were donated by other inmates who felt sorry for them not having anything to wear. She said when they complained about unsanitary conditions or requested to make calls, they were either shouted at, told to ‘shut up’ or were ignored”. Jiménez also broke a bone in his foot after slipping on a wet bathroom floor, but was not allowed to see a doctor until three days later. Although he was given a cast at Princess Margaret Hospital, when he returned to the CRDC it fell apart and he “was never given a replacement cast or proper bandaging around his foot,” she said. “...To make matters worse, Mr Jiménez also has glaucoma and described an episode he suffered at CDC,” Ms Bethel continued. “On one occasion he experienced excruciating pain while at CDC and thereafter informed immigration officers, but was not given medical attention/medication until some six days later… I was further told by Mr Jiménez that he and Ms Morffis were on a deportation list with seven other to be deported by November 25, and although they were not told they were going to be deported, he was informed by other detainees that’s what usually happens when you are ‘on the list.’” After filing the affidavit in support of the couple’s release, their lead counsel Fred Smith, QC, asked the judge for more time to review and respond to the government’s return claims. His request was acceded to and the matter was subsequently adjourned to December 16.

GB REEFS DECIMATED BY DISEASE FROM PAGE ONE

at the Office of the Prime Minister. “But we’ll also see it and feel it economically when the reefs are lost, these persons whose base economies are centred around the fisheries, there will be nothing for them to do. Where do they then move into now? Which sector will be able to take them on? These are the things that I’m talking about when I say we need to educate our kids about options that extend beyond the traditional things that we know about. This also applies to us as the adults that we need to see how we expand, curtail, change the way we are doing things in terms of our career and our livelihoods.” Ms Newbold said there is no current cure for the coral disease. “We thought about COVID in 2020, well we have a COVID of the sea and that is affecting our reefs at a rate of 50 meters per day, killing the reef,” she said. “The reef has fundamentally been tied to the lifeblood of The Bahamas and the Bahamian people. Everybody got a brother, father, uncle, cousin, somebody who is in the fishing business and the more south you go the more prominently involved are people with the issues of the fisheries and the marine resources.” She said the disease has been documented throughout the country, not just in Grand Bahama where 90 percent of reefs have been devastated. “The government of The Bahamas sought to engage a scientific team to go ahead and look at what’s going on and try to make recommendations for how this can be addressed,” she said. “We know that our neighbour to the south has had it from 2014 and what they have done, they have cut out their reefs and put them in their aquariums because this is how ferocious this is. How is this disease transported? By water. It’s in water and it’s transported by water.

“What we need to be very cognizant about and there’s been public education material shared with the fishermen, the divers, dive operators. “We cannot afford to dive on a sick reef and seek then to go onto a healthy reef because by virtue of the equipment and the gear that we would’ve dived with the sick reef, we will now be transporting this to the healthy reef and now this healthy reef will be starting to decay and to die. “There is no known cure for it, there is no vaccine for it and scientists are feverishly trying to figure out what it is, is it a bacteria, is it a fungus, is it a virus, we do not know. And so how are we going to treat it? There are several tests that are in operation in terms of trying to treat it to see if they can stop it. There are some corals that seem to be resilient to it, some that are resistant to it and how do we then utilise those to try to stem this tide of total reef loss? Keep in mind that reefs function like the forests of the sea. It’s not one pine tree that creates a forest, it’s a diversity of things, that’s what makes it robust and strong and then the reefs contribute to our fisheries. It contributes to our protection from hurricanes.” Ms Newbold said a coral gene bank workshop was held last week to discuss the issue and is in discussion with the Atlantis resort about how to protect the reefs. She said: “What the government is seeking to do, but maybe we can’t because of the fact that we have the largest expanse of marine area in this region, we can’t go about cutting up reefs and moving them into aquariums because we only have one aquarium and that would be Atlantis. So we are in direct discussions with Atlantis about how they can partner with the government as well as other private sector entities, scientists and donors about how they can help us cure and protect our reefs.”

PUBLIC PARKS AND BEACHES ‘CONTINUED TO RUN RED LIGHTS’ IN LEAD UP TO ELECTION By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net THE Public Parks and Beaches Authority “continued to run the red lights” issuing contracts that far exceeded its ability to pay in the lead up to the September 16 general election, according to the Authority’s new executive chairman. McKell Bonaby told Parliamentary officials they have also found that some contractors do not have contracts to prove there was an agreement for them to work. Other contracts had no approval signature. In some other instances there was more than one contractor assigned to the same areas. He said that between August and September this year, there were an additional $11m in new contracts issued. In total, he said between July 1 and September, the entity’s obligations ballooned to $23m. Overall, the organisation’s financial obligation is now $37m from an initial approved $15.2m. This despite the stipulations of the Public Financial Management Act and the Public Debt Management Act, which would have stifled the authority’s ability to review any additional funding, he told the House of Assembly. This month alone, Mr Bonaby said the Public Parks and Beaches Authority has a shortfall of about $500,000 to $700,000. The situation has placed executives in a predicament because while they do intend to pay as many contracts as possible, “difficult” decisions will have to be made, he said. The authority has been the focus of much scrutiny since the Davis administration took office. Under the previous Minnis administration, St Barnabas MP Shanendon Cartwright was the authority’s executive chairman. Mr Cartwright defended his tenure on Wednesday

MCKELL Bonaby

night in the House of Assembly, saying he will not allow his integrity to be placed in the “political crosshairs” whether from “without or within”. It has been revealed the projected expenditure of the authority increased by nearly 150 percent in the months leading up to election, due to the award of contracts. During his contribution to the Supplementary Budget 2021/2022, Mr Bonaby laid bare the fiscal challenges the authority now faces.

Budget “The authority’s approved budget for this fiscal period is $15.2m starting from the first of July 2021. I am advised that $2m of that $15.2m is allocated for operational expenses. The other $13.2m was for contractual obligations,” the Mount Moriah MP said. “The $15.2m is the annual budget which allows the authority to pay its bills and meet its obligations. “Our obligations now far exceed the authority’s approved budget. While $15.2m was approved for 2021/2022, the authority’s obligation is now approximately $37m and so when we hear the rhetoric about financial restraint, we see what was happening at the Public Parks and Beaches Authority speaks to something different.

“The authority has exceeded the annual approved budget by $22m. To put this into context, that is larger than the budget for the Straw Market Authority, the Bahamas Development Bank and BAIC combined. Our obligations far exceed the approved funding allocated by Parliament. Our monthly obligation went from approximately $1.2m to now nearly $3m on a monthly basis.” He explained the time it took to see an explosion of obligations. “The first one, July, the monthly projected obligation was $1.3m. During the same month of July of this year the authority took on an additional approximately $10.6m in new obligations. “When I say new obligations, I am referring to contracts. Sometime between August and September the authority became aware of an additional $11m in new contracts and so between the first of July and September of this year the authority’s obligations, as I said, increased to $23m. “The authority was issuing contracts beyond what it was capable of paying based on the approved budget. Interestingly enough there were a number of laws that took effect on July 1, specifically the Public Financial Management Act (and) the Public Debt Management Act, which would have stifled the authority’s ability to receive additional funding after July 1. “But the authority continued to run the red lights. So, what that meant is that even though the authority’s debts and obligations were growing it was unable to raise more money to pay the debts or the obligations that it was incurring.” Mr Bonaby suggested this was a “war time” budget to be used for election purposes. Mr Bonaby said he was hopeful the new executive board could bring order to the affairs of the authority.

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PAGE 6, Friday, December 3, 2021

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‘The fire that’s here’: US is still battling delta variant While all eyes are on the new and little-understood omicron variant that is popping up around the country, the delta form of the coronavirus isn’t finished wreaking havoc in the U.S., swamping hospitals with record numbers of patients in the Midwest and New England. “Omicron is a spark that’s on the horizon. Delta variant is the fire that’s here today,” said Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the state Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Maine, where an unprecedented 334 people were in the hospital with COVID-19 as of midweek. The U.S. recorded its first confirmed omicron infection on Wednesday, in a Californian who had been to South Africa, where the variant was first identified a week ago. Several more cases were reported Thursday — five in the New York City area and one each in Minnesota, Hawaii and Colorado — under circumstances suggesting the variant has begun spreading within the U.S. But there is much that is unknown about omicron, including whether it is more contagious than previous versions, makes people sicker, thwarts the vaccine or more easily breaks through the immunity that people get from a bout of COVID-19. World health authorities have yet to link any deaths to omicron. For now, the extra-contagious delta variant accounts for practically all cases in the U.S. and continues to inflict misery at a time when many hospitals are struggling with nurse shortages and a backlog of patients undergoing procedures that had been put off early in the pandemic. The fear is that omicron will foist even more patients, and perhaps sicker ones, onto hospitals. “For me, it’s really just, I can’t imagine,” said Dr. Natasha Bhuyan, a family physician in Phoenix, which has also been hit hard. “Are we going to see another surge in cases that’s even higher than what we’re seeing now? What will that do to our health system? What will that do to our hospitals?” Two years into the outbreak, COVID19 has killed over 780,000 Americans, and deaths are running at about 900 per day. COVID-19 cases and deaths in the U.S. have dropped by about half since the delta peak in August and September, but at about 86,000 new infections per day, the numbers are still high, especially heading into the holidays, when people travel and gather with family. With the onset of cold weather sending more people indoors, hospitals are feeling the strain. “Delta is not subsiding,” said Dr. Andre Kalil, an infectious-disease physician at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Nebraska on Tuesday reported 555 people in the hospital with COVID-19 — the highest number since last December, when the vaccine rollout was just beginning. Vermont on Thursday recorded its highest daily number of COVID-19 cases at 604, two days after the hospital caseload hit a pandemic-high of 84. New Hampshire, once an early vaccination leader, is now second only to Michigan in the most

new cases per capita over the past two weeks. In Minnesota, which ranks third in new cases per capita, the Pentagon sent medical teams last month to two major hospitals to relieve doctors and nurses, and another team is set to arrive Friday. “This fourth wave, I can pretty clearly state, has hit Minnesota harder than any of the previous ones,” said Dr. Timothy Johnson, president of the Minnesota chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians. He said hospitals are struggling because of a combination of a lack of nurses, fatigue and patients undergoing treatments that had to be postponed earlier in the crisis. “Now those chickens are coming home to roost a little bit,” he said. At Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, where one of the military teams was sent, the number of COVID19 patients has doubled since September, although it remains below pandemic highs, spokeswoman Christine Hill said. “And it’s concerning with the holidays coming up,” she said. Military teams have also been into Michigan, where hospitals are grappling with more COVID-19 patients than at any other time during the pandemic. Dr. Pauline Park, who takes care of critically ill patients at the University of Michigan Health in Ann Arbor, called the latest surge “heartbreaking.” One patient, a woman in her 20s, died the week of Thanksgiving. Another, a mother with young children, is on a machine built to take over for her lungs. Arizona, where students in dozens of classrooms have been forced into quarantine, reported over 3,100 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, numbers similar to the disastrous summer of 2020. Hospital bed space has fallen to pandemic lows. “It’s just hard because it does feel like that we are actually going backwards in time, even though we have these vaccines, which are such a great weapon for us,” Bhuyan said. While about three dozen countries worldwide have reported omicron infections, including India on Thursday, the numbers are small outside of South Africa, which has confirmed more than 170 cases. The delta variant is still causing deep turmoil in Europe, too, including Germany and Austria. South Korea is also seeing a delta-driven surge that has pushed hospitalisations and deaths to record highs. On Thursday, Germany, where new COVID-19 infections topped 70,000 in a 24-hour period, barred the unvaccinated from nonessential stores and cultural and recreational sites. Lawmakers are expected to take up a general vaccine mandate in the coming weeks. Austria, meanwhile, extended its lockdown. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the measures are necessary because hospitals could become overloaded: “The situation in our country is serious.” • This article is by HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH of the Associated Press

The swearing in of Michael Pintard EDITOR, The Tribune. Marco City MP Michael Pintard is now leader of the Free National Movement (FNM), Her Majesty’s official Opposition. Over the past 29 years, the FNM has been elected to government four times. The FNM, in my opinion, carries as much political weight as the governing Progressive Liberal Party (PLP). Consequently, the swearing in of Pintard as FNM leader should be considered headline news by the Bahamian media fraternity. But it would appear that Eyewitness News Bahamas does not see it that way. In its November 29 evening broadcast, the first news item was Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis, during his supplementary budget debate in Parliament, announcing budget cuts in various government agencies, most notably at the Rand Memorial Hospital in Freeport. The second on Eyewitness News was Davis’ revelation that the Parks and Beaches Authority had a budget increase of nearly 150 percent

The Beaches and Parks Commission EDITOR, The Tribune. This week in the House of Assembly charges were made that the former Chairman of the Beaches & Parks Commission and his team may have spread around assorted contracts in the months and weeks leading up to the general elections. If this were in fact the case it would have been simply Bahamian politics as usual across the board. Mind you, I am not suggesting that the Hon Shannedon Cartwright (FNM St Barnabas) would have done anything criminal or remiss at any given time on a personal level. I have known this fine young man and patriot for decades when he was a law clerk within one of the largest law firms in the nation. He went on to university in the USA where he excelled on a basketball scholarship. Later when he

returned home he became a valued executive at the local McDonald franchise until his election to the House of Assembly. There has never been any public scandal attached to his name. The Hon Prime Minister, of course, is a very truthful and responsible individual. He is also my political leader and I am his greatest supporter next to his immediate family, bar none. He would have access to documents and files to which the average Bahamian would not have access. I would counsel all sides that unless and until the now beloved Prime Minister releases any suspicious documents or dubious contracts that we all simply sit back and wait for the chocolate chips to fall where they may.

There is no need to rush to judgement and make any insidious allegations. If at the end of the day Cartwright is found based on credible evidence to have done something amiss in his role as Chairman of the Beaches & Parks Commission, no doubt the fat lady will sing. Until then I will give him the benefit of the doubt. I suspect that if anything was done incorrectly that the then Minister of Finance may have some explaining to do in the House. Cartwright on his own could never have authorised the inordinate increase in the then budget for that commission. RTLAND H O BODIE, Jr Nassau, December 1, 2021.

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net

under the previous FNM administration. The third was former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis’ criticism of the PLP’s budget and its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The fourth was Minnis’ response to Sea Breeze MP Leslia Miller-Brice’s criticism of the Paradise Island land lease agreement. The fifth item was House Speaker Patricia Deveaux chiding a group of unruly MPs. The sixth item was Davis expressing his opposition to domestic abuse, as it was mentioned that Zonta Club members were in the gallery of the House of Assembly. The seventh item was Pintard calling for the state to address the issue of marital rape. The eighth item was the legal battle for the remains of Bella Walker. The ninth item was the weather forecast. The tenth item was news that Englerston MP Glenys Hanna-Martin is acting-prime minister, as Davis is away on official business in Barbados. The official swearing in of the Marco City MP was the eleventh news item on Eyewitness News. And so the news about Deveaux, Minnis, MillerBrice, Hanna-Martin and the weather forecast, among other items, were considered to be more newsworthy than the official swearing-in of the FNM leader. I believe it was a slight towards the official Opposition and Pintard. Had a foreigner watched the broadcast, he would’ve automatically assumed that the FNM is a fringe political party like the Democratic National Alliance, Bahamian Evolution and the Bahamas Constitution Party. Had the Democratic Party

elected a new leader during the former Republican President Donald Trump tenure, it would’ve been headline news on Fox News, especially with Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity. Why? Because, notwithstanding the ideological and political differences between the two main political organisations in the US, conservative media organisations still recognise the Democratic Party as a formidable force in politics that has staying power. I know this might come off sounding like a broken record, but it is important to remind the hundreds of employees at these private media organisations that their industry was essentially created by the Hubert Ingraham government subsequent to the August 19,1992 general election. Prior to that date, the only private electronic media house in The Bahamas was the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas (ZNS). And in order to work at ZNS at that time, one was assumed to have been a staunch PLP. Before 1992, there was no Eyewitness News; no JCN Channel 14; no ILTV Studios; no Love 97.5; no 100 JAMZ; no Peace 107.5; no Guardian Radio or Our News; no 102.9 Island FM; no Bahamas Christian Network and no Dove 103.7. I know the FNM has been put in the doghouse on September 16 by irate Bahamian voters. But with seven elected MPs and having governed The Bahamas in nineteen of the past 29 years, one would think that, at the very least, the Pintard swearing-in ceremony would’ve been within the first two items covered on the aforementioned Eyewitness News Bahamas broadcast. KEVIN EVANS Freeport, Grand Bahama. December 1, 2021.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, December 3, 2021, PAGE 7

27-YEAR-OLD IS MAN CHARGED WITH MURDER

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A 27-YEAR-OLD man was charged in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday with murder. Khristen Francis appeared before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt charged with the shooting death of Drew Storr on November 28. According to initial police reports, shortly after 2am that day, police were called to Three Island Road, Eleuthera, where an adult male was found lying in the street unresponsive. When officers arrived,

they were directed to where the body was discovered and observed injuries on the victim consistent with gunshot wounds. The local doctor later pronounced the victim dead. Due to the nature of the charge, Francis was not required to enter a plea and his matter was adjourned to 2022 for service of a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI). In the meantime, the accused was denied bail and remanded into custody. He has a right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail.

DPP SUCCESSFULLY APPEALS RULING THAT RAPE ACCUSED’S VBI WAS INVALID By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

THE Director of Public Prosecutions has been successful in appealing a Supreme Court judge’s ruling that stated that a rape accused’s voluntary bill of indictment was invalid as it was signed by a nonBahamian prosecutor who cannot practice at the Bahamas Bar. Canes Villus was served a VBI earlier this year after he was charged with four counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a young girl. When the document was presented to him, it was signed by a lawyer in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions who is not a legal practitioner as defined by the Criminal Procedure Code. Villus’ attorney, David Cash, then made an application in the Supreme Court challenging the validity of the VBI, with reference to section 258 of the CPC. According to court documents, at the time, Mr Cash contended the matter should be reverted to the Magistrate’s Court for a preliminary inquiry to be conducted, or for the provisions of section 258(2) CPC to be “strictly complied” with by the Director of Public Prosecutions. Justice Deborah Fraser later ruled the VBI was invalid and remitted the matter back to the Magistrate’s Court. Weeks later, DPP Garvin Gaskin appealed that decision after arguing the judge “erred in law” when she declared David Bakibinga could not sign a VBI “for” the DPP, pursuant to Article 78A (4) of the Constitution. After reserving their decision, Justices Sir Michael Barnett, Jon Isaacs and Maureen Crane-Scott yesterday granted Mr Gaskins’ appeal. Nonetheless, the panel said the “dispute” should have never happened and was caused by the DPP acting through people who were not legal practitioners, when he had people in his department who matched that description. In their judgment, delivered by Sir Michael, they noted section 258 had to be considered “against the background of the constitutional authority of the Attorney General and the DPP”, in order to “properly construe” the effect of the section. “Article 78 specifically provided that the powers of the Attorney General may be exercised by him personally to or through other persons as he has instructed to exercise powers in his name and on his behalf. There is no limitation of the width of this power to delegate,” Sir Michael stated. “The submission that the words ‘or on his behalf by any legal practitioner acting on his instructions’ are restrictive on the wide power and therefore ultra vires. “Article 78 (does) not find favour with me and

such a finding is in my judgment unnecessary.” Sir Michael insisted if those words were ultra vires, then certain words in section 54 of the CPC would also be considered ultra vires. “Section 258 as well as section 54 of the CPC should be construed in a manner consistent with this wide power of the Attorney General to delegate the exercise of his power ‘to any person,’ he continued. “Section 258 empowers the Attorney General/DPP to exercise his powers personally by signing the VBI through any person he authorises to sign in his name. “There is nothing in that section which prevents the Attorney General/DPP from authorising any person from acting as his agent in signing the VBI. It specifically authorises a legal practitioner to do so, but in my judgment it would be impermissible to construe it as restricting the Attorney General/DPP from exercising his constitutional right to act through any other person he chooses.” In the panel’s ruling, Justice Isaacs also stated a “plain reading” of sections 54 and 141 of the CPC made it very clear the Attorney General could “authorise any person to institute and undertake criminal proceedings and to sign on information”. He said this fact was “consonant” with the provisions of Article 78(2) of the Constitution prior to the 2017 Act. “Although there may be occasions when the personal signature of the person is required, I am satisfied that in the construction of this procedural provision, that is section 258(2) of the CPC the maxim - “He who acts through another does the act himself’ is applicable and appropriate so as not to frustrate the breadth of the powers of the DPP pursuant to Article 78A(4) of the Constitution,” he stated. He said in view of this fact, Mr Bakibinga was competent to sign the VBI “for” the DPP. Sir Michael went on to say that because the VBI was valid, the Supreme Court could not treat it as a “nullity” and instead was “obliged to act on it”. “Having said that, I am obliged to note that this dispute ought never to have arisen,” he said. “The DPP has caused it by acting through persons who are not legal practitioners when he has persons in his employ who are in fact legal practitioners. “Moreover, it is unclear why the DPP has not invited Parliament to amend section 258 by providing that the VBI may be signed by the DPP of any legal officer in his employ. “This would make it consistent with sections 54 and 141 of the CPC as it relates to proceedings on Information otherwise than through the VBI. I would allow the appeal.”

PICTURED (left to right are); Christopher Johnson, Bahamas Waste Health & Safety / IT Manager, Gina Archer, Co-chair Ministry of Health vaccination committee, Dr. Danny Davis, Vaccine Committee, Ernestine Seymour, Bahamas Waste Human Resources Manager, Thomas Knowles, November BW raffle winner, Ed Fields, Vice Chairman, vaccination committee and Francisco de Cardenas, Bahamas Waste General Manager.

GINA ARCHER, Co-chair Ministry of Health vaccination committee, was happy to lend a hand in pulling the consolation prizes at the Bahamas Waste raffle event, giving four employees $50 gas vouchers.

BAHAMAS WASTE RAISES VACCINE AWARENESS AND REWARDS TEAM MEMBERS WITH vaccine hesitancy a major concern in the fight against the coronavirus, corporate citizens like Bahamas Waste are doing their part to allay fears, raise awareness and even incentivise the process for members of its team. “We understand that making this kind of decision can be difficult and even frightening for some,” said Bahamas Waste General Manager Francisco de Cardenas. “For the past several weeks and months we’ve been making sure that our employees have all the information they need to make a decision and that they are aware of all the options available to them.” In addition to raising awareness, the company

also set out to reward team members who got or will get vaccinated. For three months, Bahamas Waste employees are being given three chances to win cash prizes as part of its inhouse ‘Get Vaxxed Raffle’ with the first of the three drawings taking place on November 30. “The support from our team has been great so far,” noted Bahamas Waste Health and Safety/IT Manager Christopher Johnson. “We’re expecting even more participation as we move into our December and January drawings.” Employees opting to take any of the available vaccines throughout the country were able to enter to win $500 in November,

BAHAMAS Waste Human Resources Manager was on hand to help announce the winner of the November in-house raffle winner, Thomas Knowles, the first of three winners for the company in-house ‘Get Vaxxed Raffle’. with chances to win another $500 in December and $1,000 in January drawings too. “We have also allowed the names to roll over if they do not win in the first or second drawings,” Mr Johnson said. “In addition, we gave out four consolation prizes for this month of $50 gas vouchers all drawn by members of the Bahamas National Vaccination Committee.” About 78 employees entered the raffle but for

Thomas Knowles having his name drawn meant a $500 payday just in time for the holiday shopping season. “I initially went back and forth about taking the vaccine but after paying attention to the trends, the statistics and heeding the advice of healthcare professionals, I’m glad I made the decision and even happier that I can be rewarded for it,” he said. • Photo courtesy of J.Co Photography & Film for Barefoot Marketing

PAGE 8, Friday, December 3, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

Our heated parliamentary debates are not so bad THIS week, thanks to YouTube and a few spare minutes I managed to grab by playing Hide and a Seek with my ten-year-old (note to parents: the laundry room is a great hiding spot), I was able to watch how the Brits get down in their parliament.
 I couldn’t resist. After all, our parliament derives Come here and tell me to from the Westminster sit down!”
 Apparently, no one puts system. To judge how our parliamentarians’ behav- Doc in a corner.
 There were a few other iour measures up to those memorable moments, such in the “motherland,” I felt it my duty to as when the Speaker of seek out the source.
the House sought to bring And boy was I entertained.
 “order” in her own way and If you Google ‘controver- ended up sparring with the sial UK Speaker,’ the top Official Opposition about hits will direct you to one who was acting shameful, John Bercow, who, from disrespectful, and childish, 2009-2019, was Speaker of and who was following the their House of Commons. rules.
 Still, with the rough and Mr. Bercow’s videos, viewed by millions of people, had ruckus videos of the UK titles like “The Best Ever parliament in the back of Put-Downs from House my mind, I realized that the heated debates in our parSpeaker John Bercow.”
 Three million liament were not so bad.
 people watched that.
 The VAT decrease (and Another popular video is increase) was the cata“John Bercow Gives Boris lyst for all the tension that Johnson A Telling Off.” made for must-see TV, but Boris Johnson, by the way, by the end of yesterday’s is the current Prime Minis- session, a handful of memter of the United Kingdom.
 bers had made meaningful To say that the videos contributions.
 Most of this happened are wild compared to our Speaker Patricia parliament is an understate- once ment. For example, there’s Deveaux decided to step a supercut where Bercow out of the partisan ring screams the word “Order!” and into her actual role as with the variance and referee. By Thursday, she venom of a practised shock- showed some capacity to jock. Which made me envy keep members on track, him and reflect on the fact both FNMs, and PLPs. If that I may have missed my Madame Speaker continues down the road of correctcalling.
 My general takeaway is ing both sides fairly, she that the source is always will see order. If not, the more intense than whatever Speaker will find herself yelling “Order!” to deaf derives from it.
 And that helped temper ears so many times that my opinion on what tran- even Bercow might blush.
 
 
 spires right here in our little old House of Assembly.
 For one, I was someDuring his contribution what amused and surprised to the House, Central and early in the week when our former Prime Minister, Dr. South Abaco MP John Hubert Minnis, basically Pinder decided to answer dared our new minister of the call and produce his health, Dr. Michael Dar- paperwork showing he had ville, to a WWE-style cage thoroughly denounced his match with the words, “You United States citizenship, telling who to sit down? and has sworn his total

A Paper Trail

loyalty solely to the 242.
 As someone who - along with other Bahamians- had called on Pinder to do precisely that, I’m happy that he saw the wisdom in finally being fully transparent.
 In years gone by, cries by Bahamians to ‘show us, don’t tell us’ have gone unanswered. (Ahem, Ryan Pinder). But maybe - just maybe- the New Day crew SPEAKER Patricia Deveaux. will be better.
 Hopefully, John Pinder will serve as an example to his colleagues. If not, I will reserve column space for anyone who thinks they are above answering the public they are supposed to serve.

Nuttin’ But Road

Our Prime Minister is out of the country, and the Deputy Prime Minister is out of the country. The minister of foreign affairs, number three, just got back home.
 All this travelling and spelunking resulted in Glenys Hanna-Martin, minister of education, assuming the role of Acting Prime Minister.
 For the record, this is only the third time in the country’s history that a woman has acted in this capacity. Dame Janet Bostwick and former DPM Cynthia ‘Mother’ Pratt have also done so in the past.
 It’s a big moment in time for us.
 It’s no secret that I’m fond of Mrs. Hanna Martin, so I certainly think we were left in capable hands.
 I’m not even mad that PM Brave Davis decided to take a detour to Florida after witnessing the historic moment

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CENTRAL and South Abaco MP John Pinder. Barbados transitioned from a constitutional monarchy to a republic. I’m just mad he didn’t invite me to tag along as he partied with Rihanna. Or in Miami with J-Lo, Cardi B, and Lizzo at Art Basel.
 I’m putting in my request now for the Super Bowl, Brave. Judging by our PM’s newfound wanderlust, I know he won’t miss that.

Pintard Going Hard

One last thought on the proceedings from the

ACTING Prime Minister Glenys Hanna Martin.

House this week; Michael Pintard was the right choice for the Free National Movement.
 In parliament, Pintard, the now leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition, presents as a new kind of politician.
 It was interesting to watch him debate, seeking out the common ground where he could and standing on principle when he felt it was necessary.
 It’s not often we see politicians willing to admit their mistakes while also presenting suggestions to the party opposite.

The next few years will prove whether or not this ‘new breed’ of politician can survive in a country where party allegiance decides whether you get a job, promotion, or a verbal beat down and your walking papers.
 Even Progressive Liberal Party members seem unsure whether to go ‘beast mode’ on Pintard or accommodate him. In any event, should he survive the next leadership convention, Bahamians will have the final say on what leadership style will best serve us in the future.

DROWNING IN EIGHT MILE ROCK

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net GRAND Bahama Police are investigating a drowning that occurred this week in Eight Mile Rock. Assistant Superintendent of Police Stephen Rolle said the body of a man was discovered shortly before 5pm on Wednesday at a beach in Holmes Rock. Officers at the Eight Mile Rock Police Station went to investigate and found an

adult male unresponsive on a beach. ASP Rolle reported that initial investigations revealed the man who frequented the beach was seen going into the water for a swim, leaving his bicycle on the beach. He said checks were made for the man which led to the discovery. The body was taken to the Rand Memorial Hospital, where he was examined and pronounced dead by the doctor. Investigations are continuing into his death.

THOMPSON: ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE IMPROVED FROM JULY TO SEPTEMBER FROM PAGE THREE country’s fiscal affairs being managed. “The last one that was produced by this government, but it spoke to what took place during the last three months of the former government. “So, it speaks to what took place during the months of July to September and I just want to quote the first line of the executive summary of this report. ‘The Bahamas’ improved economic performance during the first quarter of financial year 2021/22 is reflective of the accelerated pace of recovery in the domestic economy. As COVID-19 vaccination and containment efforts improve both domestically and internationally.’ “It confirms that there was an improved economic performance during these last three months. In almost every area the revenue of the country increased despite the claim of mismanagement and tough economic times and bad decisions - that was made in almost every area the revenue of

the country increased. “In a budget debate where it seems like no one from the government even articulated that revenue actually increased during the last three months. The snapshot revealed ‘the total revenue receipts for the first quarter (of) the financial year 2021/2022 increased by $271m or 90 percent to $572m when compared period over period.” He also noted that a reduction of the VAT rate from 12 percent to 10 percent would only provide a slight improvement in the real gross domestic product, unemployment and poverty levels. However, he said the VAT reduction would cause a worsening of the current account, the fiscal deficit and debt to GDP ratio. Still, if the priority is to benefit the economy even if only slightly, the reduction “should be pursued”, he said. At the same time there must be compensation tax revenue initiatives to address the rise in deficit and GDP ratio, Mr Thompson added.

BDCS COMMITTING NAMES TO THE SEX OFFENDER REGISTER FROM PAGE THREE

“The Ministry of National Security is looking to arrange a meeting between the registrar of the sexual offenders registry, ourselves and the Office of the Spouse because that’s going to be the coordination for the public education and, of course, we are going to be asking people to make any representations that they

might wish to do so, especially the NGOs as we go forward. “I am still looking at whether we can insist on going on the register, the people who have already been released without being formally put on it and made to report. “We should have a resolution on that in a week or two.” Asked how long the

campaign would continue, Mr Munroe said: “I would anticipate it’s going to be very intensive when we first start, but it’ll have to continue throughout the programme to remind people about things.” The minister has said previously that the education campaign will include explaining under what grounds a judge can remove an offender from the list.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, December 3, 2021, PAGE 9

Art in public places, lifting spirits and boosting revenue, bank on it THERE’S a new reason to smile while driving along Eastern Road. It’s a painting of a young woman with eyes like giant saucers, glowing cheeks and silken skin, a face of innocence amid a swirl of bubbles. Artist Allan P Wallace transformed the erstwhile ordinary cement block wall on the north side of the busy street, adding colourful joy that captures our gaze and lifts our spirits as we pass. Wallace, who studied under Antonio Roberts at the then College of The Bahamas, has taken his large mural talent to several sites in Nassau, including the long wall at the National Art Gallery. With his latest work on a strip of residential roadway, he awakens in us a desire for more street art at a time we are hungry for happiness and grateful even if it comes in fleeting doses. The portrait of the young girl awakens a thirst for more art in public places. Seeing Wallace’s portraiture on a wall where it is free and open to the public at all hours, we ask ourselves, why must we go to a museum or gallery to ‘visit’ art? Natural art is everywhere, in the draping of a deep purple bougainvillea, the ambitious climb of tiny green leaves on a dilapidated wooden fence. Natural art does not discriminate, nor should that which is created by the hand of man, woman or child. Interestingly, a growing number of cities around the world are discovering the intrinsic pleasure of a feast for the eyes also beefs up their economy. Art in public places attracts visitors, encourages new businesses, especially those catering to a young professional crowd, and boosts revenue along with quality of life. Nowhere is that more evident than in Wynwood, a neighbourhood that once served as part of Miami’s flourishing garment district. A mixture of warehouses and housing for the Puerto Rican labour that made Miami one of the leading clothing manufacturers in the 1920s, Wynwood was known

as Little San Juan. Over the years, as factories moved to places like New York, New Jersey and Boston where new immigrants were cheaper to hire, Wynwood’s warehouses emptied. They became windowless, dark, dank, multi-level vacuous hellholes. Parts of Wynwood were so rough you had to be tough just to drive through and praying wasn’t an unreasonable reflex. That is when the early graffiti started. The first to use a wall might have done it out of frustration, anger, a release of emotion of some kind. Then, in 2009, two men, Tony Goldman and Jeffrey Deitch, saw the abandoned warehouse walls of Wynwood as giant blank canvases on which to create what Goldman called “the greatest street art ever seen in one place.” He

started with a two-block area, invited artists and a little more than a decade later, Wynwood Walls, Wynwood Doors and the sidewalk cafes and galleries of the art district are legendary. At one time before the pandemic, Wynwood boasted of 70 art galleries. This week Wynwood was in the spotlight again as part of Art Basel, the citywide art show that naysayers dismissed, saying it would never work in a cultural vacuum like Miami and now is the largest art exhibition and sales event of its kind in the world. As one journalist noted, Art Basel is where the wealthy meet the super wealthy. The event brings tens of thousands of visitors who leave footprints in the sand and millions in the city’s business and hospitality coffers.

Nassau is slowing waking up to the value of art in public places. Graycliff’s colourful display of hanging umbrellas over West Hill Street, the recent art on the walls of a small outdoor bar just east of Mackey Street on Bay, Allan P Wallace’s work elsewhere, even in the least likely spots, is all making a difference, paving the way, I hope, for more to come. For unlike the billboards which adorn another property on Eastern Road much to the anger of residents who feel betrayed by the man who allows it, art is good for the soul and Lord, know we are grateful for every little bit of feel-good that comes without a hefty price tag this year. Thank you Allan P Wallace for the early Christmas present you gave us. It’s a perfect fit, just the right size and colour.

ROLLE ON A ROLL

CONGRATULATIONS go out to Central Bank Governor John Rolle for making the Bloomberg 50 list of those who made a difference in their field. The Governor’s support for the Sand Dollars and promotion of the digital wallet, critical in remote islands where traditional banking is unavailable, earned him the honour. As banks struggle with 20th Century business models based on salary deduction consumer lending and increasingly look to fees to boost their bottom line, the public might be turning to Central Bank asking it to play another role – that of consumer protector. Meantime, it’s comforting to know that one of our leading thinkers has caught the attention of the world. Remember Bloomberg Green also lauded Beneath the Waves for their marine resource work that included The Bahamas.

SAD FAREWELL TO SILENT PARTNER SKIPPER, KING OF THE WATERFRONT LUNDY Robinson is pictured hauling a boat.

LUNDY ROBINSON, the man dubbed King of the Waterfront in a column earlier this year, died suddenly of a massive stroke on Monday, sending shockwaves and disbelief throughout the sailing and marine industry community. Tough sailors who competed against him in regattas from Mayaguana to Grand Bahama called each other, openly crying over the loss of a man his brother, Clyde Rolle, called “a quiet giant.” He was the epitome of the man of the sea, working the boatyard by day, racing native sloops at every regatta. Lundy skippered every class of sloop, his famous red hull Silent Partner and Red Stripe in A class, Crazy Partner in B class, others in Class C.

He was 16 when he started working on Nassau’s waterfront. He stayed for the next 53 years, driving a travel lift, hauling boats, squeezing them in like “a living jigsaw puzzle” on the concrete pad where they would be repaired, refinished, painted and ready for him to re-launch. Lundy loved his work, never

knew what it was like to wear anything but his white V-neck t-shirt, Sportif shorts and baseball cap. To those who worked with him, he was the soft-spoken man of few words who always got the job done no matter how early or late, how complicated, or weather condition, an unsung hero whose hard work made others’ pleasure possible. Lundy Robinson, a man to whom the sea was his earth and whose dedication and sportsmanship shall long be remembered. Maybe now, native sloop sailing will become the official national sport of The Bahamas, and Lundy, wherever you are, we will send word on a wave and feel your spirit at the start line.

PAGE 10, Friday, December 3, 2021

US WILL RESUME POLICY FOR ASYLUM-SEEKERS TO WAIT IN MEXICO By ELLIOT SPAGAT ASSOCIATED PRESS SAN DIEGO (AP) — Migrants seeking to enter the United States will again have to stay in Mexico as they await immigration hearings, as the Biden administration reluctantly announced plans Thursday to reinstate the Trumpera policy and agreed to Mexico’s conditions for resuming it. Revival of the “Remain in Mexico” policy comes even as the Biden administration maneuvers to end it in a way that survives legal scrutiny. President Joe Biden scrapped the policy, but a lawsuit by Texas and Missouri forced him to put it back into effect, subject to Mexico’s acceptance. Mexico’s foreign relations secretary said in light of U.S. concessions Mexico will allow returns, expected to begin next week, “for humanitarian reasons and for temporary stays.” Mexico’s conditions include COVID-19 vaccinations for migrants, more protection in dangerous Mexican border cities, better access to attorneys and quicker resolution of cases. About 70,000 asylumseekers have been subject to the policy, which President Donald Trump introduced in January 2019 and which Biden suspended on his first day in office. Illegal border crossings fell sharply after Mexico, facing Trump’s threat of higher tariffs, acquiesced in 2019 to the policy’s rapid expansion. Asylum-seekers were victims of major violence while waiting in Mexico and faced a slew of legal obstacles, such as access to attorneys and case information. Migrants are expected to be returned starting Monday in one border city, which has not been identified. It will eventually be done in seven locations: San Diego and Calexico in California; Nogales, Arizona; and the Texas border cities of Brownsville, Eagle Pass, El Paso and Laredo. The Homeland Security Department said Thursday that it was acting to comply with a court order but that Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas believes the policy “has endemic flaws, imposed unjustifiable human costs, pulled resources and personnel away from other priority efforts, and failed to address the root causes of irregular migration.” “Deeply flawed,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday when describing the policy. “We’re working to implement under the court order,” she said. The dual announcements follow intense discussions between the U.S. and Mexico after U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee in Amarillo, Texas, ordered the policy be reinstated, subject to Mexico’s participation. The policy’s new iteration, outlined in a briefing for reporters and a court filing Thursday, promises major additions and changes that Mexico demanded.

THE TRIBUNE

Multiple cases of omicron virus variant detected in New York By MICHELLE L. PRICE and BOBBY CAINA CALVAN Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Multiple cases of the omicron coronavirus variant have been detected in New York, health officials said Thursday, including a man who attended an anime convention in Manhattan in late November and tested positive for the variant when he returned home to Minnesota. In addition to the conventioneer who was vaccinated for COVID19, government officials said tests showed five other people recently infected with the virus had the variant. They included a person in the city’s Long Island suburbs who had recently traveled to South Africa, residents of Brooklyn and Queens and another case possibly linked to travel. At least one person had received a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine but officials did not have details about the vaccination status of the four other cases. Gov. Kathy Hochul at said at a news conference with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio that officials were still gathering details on the cases but there was “no cause for alarm.” “We just want to make sure that the public is aware of information when we receive it,” she said. De Blasio said the geographic spread of the positive tests suggested the variant was undergoing “community spread” in the city, and wasn’t linked to any one event. “We gotta assume there’s a lot more behind that and that it has been here for a meaningful amount of time,” he said. The news came a day after the U.S. announced its first known case of the variant had been detected in California, in a person who had recently traveled to South Africa. Officials reported another case Thursday in a Colorado woman who had recently travelled to southern Africa. The Anime NYC 2021 convention Nov. 19-21 drew about 50,000 people, according to event

IN this image from video provided by the New York Office of the Governor, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks during a news briefing, in New York, Thursday. (New York Office of the Governor via AP) organisers, and attendees were required to wear masks and show proof of having received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The man who attended the event had not travelled outside the U.S. and began experiencing symptoms the day after the convention, which Minnesota Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said made it “perhaps the most likely,” that the man contracted COVID-19 at the New York City convention, but officials did not know for sure. Officials in New York said they were working to trace attendees of the convention, which was held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center as New York City prepared to host the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and braced for throngs of tourists to return after the U.S. opened up to vaccinated international travelers. Officials in the city of 8.8 million said they expected it would be only a matter of time before the new variant was reported in the city. City Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi urged people who attended the event to get tested. “This is not just due to people

who are travelling to southern Africa or to other parts of the world where omicron has already been identified,” Chokshi said Thursday. The Minnesota man began experiencing mild symptoms Nov. 22. He had been vaccinated and received a booster shot in early November, according to health officials in his home state. He sought COVID-19 testing Nov. 24, and his symptoms have subsided, officials said. Nov. 22 was the same day the person infected in the California case returned to the U.S. from South Africa. The California traveler, who was vaccinated, developed mild symptoms and tested positive Monday. Much remains unknown about the new variant, including whether it is more contagious, as some health authorities suspect, whether it makes people more seriously ill, and whether it can thwart the vaccine. Omicron is classified by the World Health Organization as a “variant of concern” as scientists work to determine how it may compare with the predominant delta

variant in terms of transmissibility and severity. Scientists also are studying the degree to which existing vaccines and therapies protect against omicron. Scientists in South Africa first reported it, but the samples came from several countries in southern Africa. And health officials in the Netherlands now say it was found there prior to the South Africa detection. As comfort over air travel returns, it’s inevitable that new variants like omicron will spread from country to country and state to state, said professor Danielle Ompad, an epidemiologist at New York University’s School of Global Public Health. “We shouldn’t panic, but we should be concerned,” she said. Hochul said the case involving the Minnesota visitor underlined the need for everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated against COVID19 or receive a booster shot if they have not already. “There is one way to address this — New Yorkers, get vaccinated, get boosted, and get ready,” the Democrat said.

GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel makes a speech at the Defence Ministry during the Grand Tattoo (Grosser Zapfenstreich), a ceremonial send-off for her, in Berlin on Thursday. (Odd Andersen/Pool Photo via AP)

GERMANY’S MERKEL AT FAREWELL CEREMONY: DON’T TOLERATE HATE

Death Notice For Selanie Louis, 38

of Carmichael Road, died at Princess Margaret Hospital on Wednesday, November 24th, 2021. She is survived by her mother: Siltane Louis; son: Tyrone Lafleur; daughters: Cathalyia Lafleur & Antonique Smith; sisters: Julie Louis, Rose-Myrtha Louis, Joceline Louis, Jocelaine Louis, Charline JeanGille, Fedline Cepoudix; brothers: Kenny Louis, Marc Paul & Tamario Cepoudix; grandparent: Syanie Louis and a host of other relatives and friends. Arrangements for the funeral service are being finalized and details will be announced at a future date.

BERLIN (AP) — Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Germans to stand up to hatred, at a military ceremony Thursday bidding her farewell after 16 years in office. Merkel was honoured with a traditional military musical performance and march in front of almost all the country’s political elite — save for the far-right Alternative for Germany, who weren’t invited. “Our democracy also lives from the fact that wherever hatred and violence are seen as a legitimate means of pursuing one’s interests, our tolerance as democrats has to find its limit,” said in a speech ahead of the ceremony. The event, which was held at the Defense Ministry rather than in a more public setting due to pandemic constraints, involved a parade and a brass band playing three songs of Merkel’s choice. The first piece was “You

Forgot the Color Film” released in 1974 by East German-born punk singer Nina Hagen. In it, the singer recounts a young woman’s lament that her boyfriend failed to take color pictures of their beach holiday. Hagen, like Merkel, grew up in East Germany, but emigrated to the West in 1976 after clashing with the communist country’s authorities.

Song Merkel explained that the song was “a highlight of my youth, which is known to have taken place in the GDR.” East Germany was officially known as the German Democratic Republic. “By chance, (the song) is also set in a region that was in my former constituency” on the Baltic Sea, she added. “As such, it all fits together.” Her second choice was

a popular chanson by German singer Hildegard Knef called “It Shall Rain Red Roses for Me.” She was presented with a bouquet of the flowers. The final piece chosen by the daughter of a Protestant pastor was an 18th century Christian hymn, “Holy God, we Praise thy Name.” Merkel remains caretaker chancellor until her successor, the Social Democrat Olaf Scholz, is sworn in next week. She wished him and his new centreleft government “all the best, good luck and much success.” The long-time leader also urged her audience to “always see the world through the eyes of others too” and to work “with joy in your hearts.” Before Thursday evening’s ceremony, she met other federal and state leaders to agree on new measures to curb coronavirus infections in Germany.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, December 3, 2021, PAGE 11

Medvedev puts Russia back in Davis Cup semifinals By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer MADRID (AP) — Daniil Medvedev maintained his perfect record at the Davis Cup Finals to put Russia into the last four. Medvedev defeated Mikael Ymer 6-4, 6-4 yesterday to give Russia an insurmountable 2-0 lead over Sweden in the quarterfinals of the revamped team event. Andrey Rublev earlier outlasted Elias Ymer, Mikael’s older brother, in a 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (3) win at the Madrid Arena. Russia will face Germany in the semifinals on Saturday. Serbia and topranked Novak Djokovic will face Croatia in the other semifinal today. It was the third consecutive straight-set victory for the second-ranked Medvedev after group-stage wins over Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta and Ecuador’s Emilio Gomez. Medvedev broke serve twice in the first set and three times in the second against No. 94 Mikael Ymer, Sweden’s topranked player. “Today I should’ve served better, but I’m really happy to bring the point to the team,” Medvedev said. “The most important thing is that we are winning a lot of matches. We didn’t lose a tie in the group and we are really looking forward to Saturday.” Russia beat Serbia in the quarterfinals of the event’s first edition in 2019 before losing to Canada in the last four. Russia is seeking its third Davis Cup title after triumphs in 2002 and 2006.

RUSSIAN Tennis Federation’s Daniil Medvedev returns the ball to Sweden’s Mikael Ymer during a Davis Cup quarter final match between Russian Tennis Federation and Sweden at the Madrid Arena stadium in Madrid, Spain, yesterday. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) The Russian team is “Serving for the match, I his second straight victory after playing in a group officially being called RTF relax a bit when I shouldn’t after opening with a loss won by Kazakhstan and (Russian Tennis Federa- do this,” Rublev said. “I against Spain’s Feliciano that included Canada, the tion) in the competition missed some easy fore- López. Elias Ymer had runner-up in 2019. amid its ongoing doping hands that normally if won both of his groupShamil Tarpischev, the suspension in international you’re focused and you’re stage matches. longest-serving captain in sport. doing everything right, Sweden last made it to Davis Cup history, is parThe fifth-ranked Rublev you’re not going to miss the last four in 2007, when ticipating in his 100th tie had a much harder time them. I bring him back to it lost to the United States. with Russia. than Medvedev in his sin- the game. Then he starts This was its first quarterfiMadrid was the sole host gles match against the to believe in himself, he nal appearance since 2011. of the team event in 2019, 171st-ranked Elias Ymer. starts to play much, much It is trying to win its eighth but this time Innsbruck in After breaking serve better.” Davis Cup title, and first Austria and Turin in Italy twice to win the first set, he The Swede saved seven since 1998. also held matches. served for the match at 5-4 break points in total in the Russia won a group that The competition did in the second but couldn’t decisive set to keep it tight, included Spain and Ecua- not take place last year close it out as Ymer won but Rublev ultimately pre- dor, while Sweden was the because of the coronavirus three straight games. vailed in the tiebreaker for best second-place team pandemic.

UNLV, FRATERNITY SUSPEND CHAPTER AFTER FATAL BOXING EVENT By KEN RITTER Associated Press LAS VEGAS (AP) — The fraternity that organised a charity boxing match where a University of Nevada, Las Vegas student competitor collapsed and later died of head injuries has been suspended both by the school and its national organisation pending the outcome of investigations. Kappa Sigma executive Mitchell Wilson said the international office began a review Monday of “whether Kappa Sigma’s internal policies and standards of conduct were followed” by the UNLV chapter. “Kappa Sigma Fraternity expects all of our chapters to conform with all applicable state and local laws,” Wilson said in a statement yesterday. UNLV President Keith Whitfield issued his order late Wednesday for the school’s oldest fraternity to “cease all operations and activities.” “Its status as a registered student organisation is revoked pending the outcome of an investigation by the university and its Office of Student Conduct,” Whitfield said. Nathan Tyler Valencia, a 20-year-old junior from Las Vegas, died November 23, four days after he collapsed at the boxing event at an off-campus venue in Las Vegas. Attorneys Ryan Zimmer and Nick Lasso, representing Valencia’s parents, called suspending the fraternity “a step in the right direction” and said the family is cooperating with investigators. Valencia’s mother has said her son had no previous boxing experience.

WOMEN’S TENNIS’ CHINA STANCE COULD BE UNIQUE, COST MILLIONS By STEPHEN WADE and HOWARD FENDRICH AP Sports Writers WTA President and CEO Steve Simon did not set out to lead the way for how sports should confront China when he announced that the women’s tennis tour would suspend tournaments there because of concerns about former Grand Slam doubles champion Peng Shuai’s well-being. And based on initial reactions yesterday to the WTA’s ground-breaking stance, including from the International Olympic Committee — which is set to open the Beijing Winter Games in two months — along with the men’s tennis tour and International Tennis Federation, no one seems too eager to follow suit with the sorts of actions that would come with a real financial hit. “I’m not looking to send a message to any other sport bodies or influence their decisions or evaluate their decisions. This is a WTA decision that affected the WTA athlete and our core principles,” Simon said in a video call with The Associated Press on Wednesday. “And I think it goes beyond that, into obviously something very, very sensitive on a worldwide basis for women, in general. So as

the leading women’s sports organisation, and having a direct effect on this, we’re focused on that. “Now I will encourage everybody that has supported us to date — and those that haven’t — to continue speaking out and talk about this very important topic. But as far as what they need to do for their business interests and for their reasons, they need to make their own decisions. And I’m not looking to influence that.” The WTA is the first sports body to publicly and directly challenge China’s authoritarian government, which is a source of billions in income across sports based elsewhere, such as the Olympics, tennis, the NBA and golf. Dr Audrye Wong, a political scientist who researches Chinese politics at the University of Southern California, is sceptical that Simon’s group will have company. “This is a brave and commendable move by the WTA, but I doubt that many other sports bodies or businesses will follow in the WTA’s footsteps,” Wong wrote in an email to the AP. One indication came from the world of tennis in statements issued Thursday by the ITF, which oversees the Grand Slam tournaments and other events globally, and the

CHINA’s Peng Shuai serves to Japan’s Nao Hibino during their first round singles match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, on Jan. 21, 2020. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill) CEO of the men’s ATP from the Politburo StandTour: Neither made any ing Committee, the apex of mention of China or the political power in China. WTA suspension. Her accusations, posted Wong said Chinese citi- on social media, were zens might be asked to scrubbed from China’s boycott foreign products tightly censored internet connected to tennis — and within a half-hour. Peng it’s possible the WTA’s then dropped from public move could lead to more view. The first #MeToo political repression. case to reach the political “Unfortunately, foreign realm in China has not been pressure will also heighten reported by the domestic CCP (Chinese Com- media; online discussion of munity Party) fears that it has been highly censored. social movements such as Indeed, it appears few #MeToo pose a threat to in the country even know regime stability and have to about Peng’s allegations or be cracked down on more the fallout — or why they harshly,” she wrote. might see less tennis there The 35-year-old Peng, a next season. three-time Olympian and Simon — who noted former No. 1-ranked dou- that he had the full backbles player, dropped out of ing of the WTA Board of public view after making Directors, players, tournasexual assault allegations a ments and sponsors — said month ago against Zhang the tour would not hold Gaoli, who retired in 2018 events in China until the

government there agrees to conduct a full investigation of Peng’s allegations and offers the WTA a chance for direct communication with her. He said that could extend beyond 2022. There are about 10 WTA tournaments annually in China, including the season-ending Tour Finals, which are scheduled to be held there for a decade. “I don’t know how to give you a number of what the actual effect will be, but it will be millions of dollars, for sure. And, you know, time will tell, based upon what comes our way, how deep and how much further that goes. I’ll just say that it’s significant, for sure. It’s going to be significant,” Simon told the AP. “And it’s something that we’re going to have to manage and work our way through. But I’m confident we’ll find a way to manage and work our way through it.” There was barely a reaction from China’s government yesterday to the WTA’s move. Asked about the tournament suspension and Peng’s safety, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin refused to address either. “We are always firmly opposed to acts that politicise sports,” Wang told journalists at a daily briefing. The IOC said yesterday it held a second call with

Peng; there also was one on November 21. In both instances, the IOC did not release any audio, video or a transcript, explain how the contact was arranged, nor say if there was any discussion of Peng’s sexual assault allegations. The IOC said it would “stay in regular touch with her, and have already agreed on a personal meeting in January,” shortly before the lucrative Beijing Games are scheduled to start on February 4. After the initial IOC call with Peng, Dr Mary Gallagher, a China expert at the University of Michigan, said: “The IOC response is unpersuasive to everyone except to the Chinese government, which is the entity that it most needs to please.” Dr Diana Fu, who teaches at the University of Toronto and researches China state control, said any communication Peng has had so far likely was scripted. She said the messaging was aimed outside China; if Peng’s case were widely known about inside the country, according to Fu, it could serve as a catalyst for the #MeToo movement. “A sex scandal, in itself, is not crippling for the Party,” Fu said. “But viral online discussion of it, with the possibility of reigniting a fledgling #MeToo movement in China, is feared by Beijing.”

De Silva and Embuldeniya give command back to Sri Lanka GALLE Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka started the day three runs behind the West Indies and finished an imposing 279 ahead after a last-gasp stand by centurymaker Dhananjaya de Silva and No. 10 batsman Lasith Embuldeniya in the second test yesterday. Their unbeaten 107run partnership tore the momentum from the West Indies on day four and put back in charge the home side, which leads the twotest series 1-0.

Sri Lanka was 221-8 in its second innings and leading by only 172 when Embuldeniya joined de Silva, who was on 80 and facing a new ball only three overs old. But they got to tea, and kept on going, frustrating the tourists to still be there at stumps on 328-8. De Silva reached his eighth test century and at the close was 153 not out from 259 deliveries. He’s hit 11 boundaries and two sixes.

Embuldeniya, working just as hard in support, was 25 not out after 110 balls in his 14th test. His only hit over the rope, a six back over the head of spinner Roston Chase, brought up their century stand in the day’s second-to-last over. De Silva was also involved in important partnerships of 78 runs for the fourth wicket with Pathum Nissanka, and 51 for the sixth with Ramesh Mendis. Nissanka’s second halfcentury of the match ended

on the last ball before lunch, lbw for 66 off 154 deliveries. He made 73 in the first innings. Sri Lanka resumed on 46-2 and went to lunch at 151-4, leading by 102 runs. The West Indies seized the initiative when Dinesh Chandimal was caught and bowled by Chase for 2, Mendis was caught in the deep off captain Kraigg Brathwaite, Suranga Lakmal was trapped for 7, and an injured Angelo Mathews batted at No.

SRI Lankan batsman Dhananjaya de Silva plays a shot against West Indies during the fourth day of their second test cricket match in Galle, Sri Lanka, yesterday. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) 9 and edged to the slips and put the series victory on 1. But de Silva and in hand. Veerasammy PerEmbuldeniya wrestled the maul had the best bowling advantage back and appear figures of 3-100 off 39 overs, to have made a draw safe, and Chase had 2-82 off 27.

PAGE 12, Friday, December 3, 2021

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MINISTER of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg at the opening of the 1st annual IL Cares Grand Bahama Secondary Schools Basketball Challenge at St George’s gym in Grand Bahama yesterday.

MINISTER BOWLEG ATTENDS OPENING OF 1ST ANNUAL IL CARES GRAND BAHAMA SECONDARY SCHOOLS BASKETBALL CHALLENGE By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net MINISTER of Youth, Sports, and Culture Mario Bowleg expressed his excitement to see contact sports finally back on the move in the northern Bahamas. The minister was in Grand Bahama attending the opening of the 1st annual IL Cares Grand Bahama Secondary Schools Basketball Challenge at the St George’s gymnasium yesterday. The tournament is only open to vaccinated players, and school fans and parents will watch it virtually via live stream. Minister Bowleg reported that 70 percent of the athletes participating in the various schools are fully vaccinated. “It is a privilege to be here to see sports finally getting back to some sort of normalcy,” he said.

“As you know, the pandemic has put a damper on sports in the country. The athletes here on GB in the sport of basketball, about 70 percent participating in the various schools, are fully vaccinated and would have met the qualifying marks as it relates to the Ministry of Health protocols. The MYSC supports this and encourages all to go and be vaccinated.” “We know it is a personal thing and it is not mandated by this government, but we ask you to please go and be vaccinated as a fourth wave is on the way. But, sports is back on the move, and I am proud to know that in the north, we started to get contact sports back moving,” he said. Minister Bowleg commended the organisers, the Ministry of Education, and IL Cares for supporting Grand Bahama’s youth. In the Bahamas, he stated that the

government is finalising protocols for some sporting disciplines, especially when it comes to contact sports. “The non-contact sports we see no reason why they won’t be able to play come next year,” Minister Bowleg said. The minister stressed that Bahamians, including athletes, must follow the protocols. He said that the rules and regulations are to ensure the protection and safeguard Bahamians against the coronavirus. “We know there is a fourth wave on its way. It is in the United States, and we are right next door. Again, I encourage persons to go and get vaccinated,” he said. He urged parents to safeguard their children. “The mere fact that most of the youths in GB are vaccinated is not because of the schools. It is because the parents made that decision, and I

encourage all parents throughout the Bahamas to safeguard their kids and themselves.” “It is a personal thing, but it gives you a greater chance of surviving. None of us know when we will come in contact with this virus, but the chances of survival are greater once we take this vaccination.” Minister Bowleg indicated that in January and February, the country should see more activities of the non-contact sporting disciplines, such as baseball, softball, soccer, volleyball, golf and tennis. However, he stated that for contact sports like basketball, protocols will be more stringent. Davina Rutherford, IL Cares representative, said they are proud to be partners in the tournament providing kids the opportunity to compete and be active. “The children of Grand Bahama have been through

a tough time from Dorian to COVID, and so we are happy to give back tangibly. It is always our goal to impact the community in ways that would make a difference.” Norris Bain, the tournament organiser, said the tournament is being held in the safest possible manner for athletes on GB. “We are pleased about the support from the MOE, MYSC, and also the support received from Minister of Health and Wellness Michael Darville,” he said. Mr Bain said that safety protocols are in place, including temperature checks and sanitisation. “We are not allowing any fans into the gymnasium, only the players,” he said. According to Mr Bain, all schools were provided a link for the live stream to view the games from 4pm through 7:30pm.

James out of COVID-19 protocols, cleared to return By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James has been cleared to return to the Los Angeles Lakers after missing one game under the NBA’s health and safety protocols. The league said yesterday that James is not positive for COVID-19 despite a series of tests that produced conflicting results earlier

NO. 21 AUBURN EARNS 85-68 WIN OVER UCF By JOHN ZENOR AP Sports Writer AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Walker Kessler and freshman Jabari Smith had big games on offence and Auburn turned up the defensive intensity in the second half. Kessler had 17 points, a career-high 14 rebounds and six blocks, Smith scored 20 points, and the 21st-ranked Tigers beat UCF 85-68 on Wednesday night. Auburn (6-1), which won two of three last week at the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas, held UCF (4-2) without a field goal for nearly nine minutes to take control in the second half. The Tigers led by three points at halftime, and coach Bruce Pearl told his team it was getting outhustled. Smith had seven rebounds, four assists and three steals while making three 3-pointers and 5 of 6 free throws. K.D. Johnson added 11 points for Auburn. Darius Perry led UCF with 18 points but also committed eight turnovers. Cheikh Mbacke Diong had 10 of his 11 points in the first half while C.J. Walker had 10 points and seven rebounds. Leading scorer Darius Green Jr was held to eight points, half his season average. Brandon Mahan was 1-of-10 shooting for five points after Pearl challenged his team to contain Perry, Green and Mahan. In this case, two out of three wasn’t bad. UP NEXT UCF hosts BethuneCookman on Sunday. Auburn hosts Yale on Saturday.

this week. Additional testing cleared James to play when the Lakers host the Los Angeles Clippers tonight. James got an initial positive test from a sample collected Monday. The sample was retested twice, producing one positive and one negative result. James underwent additional testing Tuesday, but those tests returned one negative result and one clinically

inconclusive test likely would result, according have kept James to the league. away for 10 days James subseor more. quently had two James has negative PCR missed 12 of tests conducted the Lakers’ more than 24 23 games this hours apart, season, with 10 meeting the cridue to injuries. teria necessary He also missed LEBRON James to return to play. one game James said earwhile serving lier in the season that he is the first suspension of his vaccinated. A clear positive 19-year NBA career for an

altercation with Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart. James is the third-leading scorer in NBA history with 35,651 points. He is averaging 25.8 points, 6.8 assists and 5.2 rebounds in his 11 games this season. The Lakers are 5-7 without James and 7-4 with him. They began yesterday in sixth place in the Western Conference despite their thoroughly overhauled roster around James and

WASHINGTON ST ROUT ARIZONA ST 51-29 TO OPEN PAC-12 By JOHN MARSHALL AP Basketball Writer TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Washington State sputtered through an awful first half on offence, shots bouncing away — if they hit anything at all — passes sailing into the stands. Coach Kyle Smith had a simple message through the offensive abomination: keep playing defence and rebounding. The Cougars did, giving them an eight-point halftime lead despite going 11 scoreless minutes. Then the shots started to fall, at least a little. Noah Williams returned from a neck injury to score 14 points and Washington State held Arizona State to its fewest points in 75 years with a 51-29 win Wednesday night. “It was obviously an odd game, based on the texts I received from friends and family,” Smith said. “What a defensive effort. Didn’t expect that at all, so really pleased,” he said. Arizona State played without forward Marcus Bagley (knee) for the fifth straight game, but it may not have mattered who was on the court. The Sun Devils (2-6, 0-1 Pac-12) exasperated coach Bobby Hurley and had the fans booing most of the night with an unseemly display of one-on-one offence. Arizona State had 10 points at halftime, shot 21 percent and went 3 for 26 from the 3-point arc in one of their worst offensive performances under Hurley. DJ Horne had 12 points to lead the Sun Devils,

Anthony Davis, along with significant injury problems for several expected regulars. At least 17 players have entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols since the start of the season. Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton are among the big names who have missed significant playing time while dealing with the coronavirus.

NO. 22 MICHIGAN STATE TOPS LOUISVILLE 73-64 By LARRY LAGE AP Sports Writer

WASHINGTON State forward Mouhamed Gueye (35) celebrates with guard Michael Flowers (12), centre Dishon Jackson (21), and guard Tyrell Roberts (2) after scoring against Arizona State in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday night. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) who even struggled on free throws, going 2 for 8. Arizona State finished with its fewest points since its season finale in 1946. “It was disappointing for us on offence,” Hurley said. “I’ve had a lot of teams here that could put some points on the board and tonight was as ineffective offensive performance that I’ve been a part of ever, as a player or a coach. It was epically bad.” Arizona State was coming off a difficult trip to the Bahamas, capped by a 77-59 loss to Loyola Chicago to go 0-3 at the Battle 4 Atlantis. Arizona State missed nine of its first 10 shots and kept misfiring, going

4 for 24 overall, 2 for 15 from 3. The Sun Devils heard a sarcastic cheer from their fans after hitting their second shot of the half and didn’t crack double figures scoring until the 4:56 mark. “Guys not hitting shots right now that we usually hit, easy shots that we’re not hitting right now, I think guys are starting to get in their head about that,” said Arizona State’s Marreon Jackson, who had two points on 1-of-10 shooting. How bad was the first half? Washington State’s Williams hit the first free throw in 12 combined attempts with 1:55 left. The teams went 2 for 13 from the line and

split their 18 combined turnovers. Washington State found an offensive rhythm of sorts in the second half. Arizona State did not. The Cougars scored eight straight points during a 14-2 run to go up 37-16 and the Sun Devils kept clanging to spoil any hope of a comeback. Arizona State shot 1 of 11 from 3 in the second half. “The play sheet got a lot of work today,” Hurley said. “We tried a lot of things, but nothing really worked effectively.” UP NEXT Washington State hosts No. 20 USC on Saturday. Arizona State plays at Oregon Monday.

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Malik Hall was the best player No. 22 Michigan State had on the court for stretches, showing flashes of his potential that coach Tom Izzo would like to see more often. Hall scored eight of his 15 points in a 1:34 stretch early in the second half, helping the Spartans build a big lead they needed to hold off Louisville 73-64 Wednesday night in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. “Malik is a real good player,” Izzo said. “What we’re looking for him is some consistency.” Hall had a career-high 24 points in last week’s win over Loyola Chicago, then scored just two points in a win over then-No. 22 Connecticut and three points in the loss to No. 4 Baylor, in part because of an ankle injury. “It was hurting,” Hall said. “I’m not going to lie.” The truth is, the Spartans (6-2) overcame an ongoing problem with 19 turnovers by playing well in spurts and making 10 of 18 3-pointers. The Cardinals (5-2) led late in the first half, trailed by just two points shortly after halftime and fell behind by 20 midway through the second half. UP NEXT Louisville: Plays at North Carolina State on Saturday. Michigan State: Hosts Toledo on Saturday night.

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TRACK FROM PAGE 16 positively to society at large through athletics. “We selected a venue that was conducive to the COVID19 protocol, which was outdoors, which allowed us to space out,” Moss said. “We also thought it was necessary to speak to the whole athlete. “We wanted to speak to their state of mind, we wanted to motivate, we wanted to encourage them about what they are putting into their bodies to get the absolute best performance possible. So as a track club, we want to speak to the whole athlete.” Despite the COVID-19 environment that the athletes are faced with, Moss said he was thrilled by the efforts made to attend all of the sessions and he admitted that each speaker left a wealth of knowledge for the athletes to prepare them, both mentally and physically, for the road ahead of them. Hopefully when they do it again next year, there will be a wider range of topics for the student-athletes to digest. But he said this year’s event provided more than enough information to sustain them until then. As they have done in the past as well, Red-Line Athletics is now gearing up for their annual Scholar Athletic and Academics Awards where the studentathletes will be honoured for their performances in the classroom and on the track. “So to tie in with this event, which has just culminated, it is our goal to continue to speak to the whole child – their mind, body and spirit,” Moss said. “We will continue to work and motivate the kids in Red-Line Athletics,” said Moss. During each session of the month, which featured more than 50 of their athletes in attendance, Moss said the coaching staff was encouraged by the amount of parents who chimed in and were able to get some information that they could enforce with their children at home. Based on the response from their athletes, Moss said he’s confident that Red-Line Athletics Track Club will go on to produce another stellar season in 2022 with both the local and international competition on the agenda. Red-Line Athletics, born out of the dismantled Club Monica Track Club and which features the majority of athletes from St Augustine’s College, is not even five years old, but they have already made an impact on the local track and field scene. In addition to doing a number of projects to help motivate their athletes, the club also made a donation to the Great Commission Ministries International in April of more than 500 pounds of food, including rice, grits, corned beef and tuna. A cheque for $1,000 was presented as well to help with their daily distribution of food and other essentials to the needy at their Wulff Road headquarters.

DERBY

FROM PAGE 16 Mets), Ian Lewis (Miami Marlins), D’Shawn Knowles (Los Angeles Angels), Keithron Moss (Texas Rangers), DJ Collie (Webber University), Ellison Hanna (Hood College - Assistant Coach), D’Vaughn Knowles (New York Yankees), James Rolle (Baltimore Orioles) and Dax Stubbs (Baltimore Orioles). The international players will be headlined by Rookie of the Year prospect, Wander Franco Tampa Bay Rays. He will be joined by Triston Casas (Boston Red Sox), MJ Melendez (Kansas City Royals), Akil Baddoo (Detroit TIgers), Dylan Carson (St. Louis Cardinals), Jeremiah Jackson (Los Angeles Angels), Marcus Wilson (Seattle Mariners), Justin Wylie (New Jersey Jackals), Zack Veen (Colorado Rockies) and Dalton Combs (San Francisco Giants). Team Isaacs will include several

Friday, December 3, 2021, PAGE 13

Ayton and Suns top Pistons, win franchise record 18th straight By BOB HUHN Associated Press PHOENIX (AP) — Cam Johnson and Cameron Payne both scored 19 points to lead the Phoenix Suns to their franchiserecord 18th win in a row, beating the Detroit Pistons 114-103 last night. Johnson and Payne sparked a stellar effort from the Suns bench, which finished with 48 points. Deandre Ayton had 17 points and 12 rebounds as Phoenix improved to 19-3 for the season. He also had a steal and dished out two assists. Phoenix won despite not having leading scorer Devin Booker for the first time this season. The twotime All-Star suffered a left hamstring injury in the second quarter of Tuesday’s game against the Golden State Warriors. Phoenix shot 76% in the second quarter and led 69-51 by halftime. Payne had 11 points in the second quarter. The Pistons fought back in the third on a 17-0 run to get within 80-79 after a 3-pointer by rookie Cade Cunningham. It appeared that Detroit tied it at 82 moments later, but a 3-point shot by Hamidou Diallo was ruled to have come after the 24-second clock expired. Phoenix stopped the rally when Payne hit two free throws and Landry Shamet made a 3, enabling

PHOENIX Suns centre Deandre Ayton (22) defends against a shot by Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant (9) during the first half last night in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D Franklin) The Suns feel Booker’s Phoenix to take a six-point hamstring injury is minor, lead after three. Detroit did get within but they still expect him to five points in the fourth miss a few games. Coach Monty Williams quarter a few times, the last with 2:57 remain- said they’ll monitor him ing at 104-99 on Saddiq and see how he progresses. GRIZZLIES 152, Bey’s 3-pointer, but Jae THUNDER 79 Crowder connected from MEMPHIS, Tenn. behind the arc to keep the (AP) — The Memphis Pistons chasing. The Suns have not lost Grizzlies broke the NBA since October 27, when record for margin of vicSacramento Kings for- tory last night, beating the ward Harrison Barnes hit Oklahoma City Thunder a 3-pointer as time ran out 152-79. The 73-point spread for a 110-107 victory. Jerami Grant had 34 easily topped the previous points for Detroit, which mark, which was Clevefell to 2-10 on the road. land’s 68-point win over Cunningham — last year’s Miami. The Cavaliers beat the No. 1 overall draft pick — scored 19 points on Heat 148-80 on December 17, 1991. 8-of-15 shooting.

RAPTORS 97, BUCKS 93 TORONTO (AP) — Fred VanVleet scored 29 points, Pascal Siakam had 20 and Toronto took advantage of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s absence to stop Milwaukee’s eight-game winning streak. Antetokounmpo was out because of soreness in his right calf, a day after he scored 40 points as the Bucks beat Charlotte 127125. The two-time NBA MVP sat out for the first time since November 12, when he missed an OT loss at Boston because of a sprained ankle. BULLS 119, KNICKS 115 NEW YORK (AP) — DeMar DeRozan scored 34 points, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic each added 27, and Chicago held off New York. Those three were the only Bulls players to score in the fourth quarter, but it was just enough after the Knicks had erased a 21-point deficit to take the lead. DeRozan scored 18 points in the fourth, including the Bulls’ final six. LaVine had given Chicago the lead by making two free throws with 53 seconds left after the game was tied at 111. Julius Randle had 30 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, but missed two free throws and had a turnover that led to LaVine’s free throws.

Defence lifts Dallas to 27-17 victory over sinking Saints By BRETT MARTEL AP Sports Writer NEW ORLEANS (AP) — CeeDee Lamb had 122 yards from scrimmage, Tony Pollard had a 58-yard touchdown run and the Dallas defence produced timely sacks and turnovers in the Cowboys’ 27-17 victory over the New Orleans Saints last night. The Cowboys intercepted Saints quarterback Taysom Hill three times in the final 6:32 of the game, including defensive tackle Carlos Watkins’ pick-6 on a screen pass that made it 27-10 with 2:52 left. The Saints gave the dual threat Hill his first start this season in hopes that he could help New Orleans end a four-game skid. He was effective in spurts, passing for 264 yards and two touchdowns — and running for 101 yards — but he threw four interceptions. Dak Prescott passed for 238 yards and a 1-yard touchdown to Michael Gallup as Dallas (8-4) won without coach Mike McCarthy and five first time local participants including the most recent members of the last international signing and MLB draft class. BJ Murray (Chicago Cubs), Kristin Munroe (Los Angeles Angels), Andre Arthur (Miami Marlins), Adari Grant (St. Louis Cardinals) and Stephen Adderley (Miami Marlins) will all make their derby debut. The group also includes veteran Anfernee Seymour (Kane County Cougars) and minor leaguers Chavez Young (Toronto Blue Jays), Everette Cooper (Houston Cougars), Trent Deveaux (Los Angeles Angels), and Davonn Mackey (Oakland Athletics). Former Don’t Blink champion Lewis Brinson of the Miami Marlins will highlight the international group for Team Isaacs. The group also includes Miguel Rojas (Miami Marlins), Will Benson (Cleveland Guardians), Dominic Smith (New York Mets), Khalil Lee (New

assistants because of positive COVID-19 tests. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn was the Cowboys’ acting head coach. Prescott was intercepted by Marshon Lattimore in the middle of the fourth quarter, but the Cowboys cancelled that turnover out when Jourdan Lewis hit Hill’s arm as he released the ball and Damontae Kazee intercepted. That was the first of Dallas’ three late interceptions. The Saints’ next drive stalled on a pick by Travon Diggs, his league-leading ninth. And Watkins’ interception came on the drive after that. Deonte Harris turned a short pass into a late 70-yard TD for New Orleans (5-7), but the Saints could not recover an onside kick and the Cowboys ran out the clock. The Saints were trying to close within one score early in the fourth quarter. Rookie outside linebacker Micah Parsons squelched the life out of that drive when he sacked Hill for an 11-yard loss back to the York Mets), Richie Palacios (Cleveland Guardians), Josh Palacios (Toronto Blue Jays), Christian Koss (Colorado Rockies), Nick Gordon, and Mason Wynn (St. Louis Cardinals). After several years of involvement, the Atlantis resort came on board as the title sponsor for this year’s event. Stakeholders also include REV, International Elite Baseball Academy and California based nonprofit - Magical Builders. Magical Builders is a non-profit corporation that has managed the construction and renovation of dozens of charitable facilities. Isaacs said the unique concept showcases the natural aesthetic of the Bahamas and the country’s young baseball talent. “Our goal of the event is to always use this as a platform to highlight our Bahamian baseball players, our Bahamian athletes, and just show what the Bahamas consists of - our natural beauty and these beaches.

New Orleans 40-yard line on fourth down. The 10th sack of the season for Parsons, drafted 12th overall out of Penn State, forced a punt. The Saints have started slowly throughout their skid and this game was no exception as they failed to score in the first quarter for the fifth game in a row. The Saints’ first scoring threat came on their second drive, but Brett Maher’s 56-yard field goal attempt drifted wide right.

Dallas broke through on its third possession, highlighted by Prescott’s 41-yard pass over the middle to Cooper and a lateral pass to Lamb that went for 33 yards to the New Orleans 1. Prescott then tossed a fade to the right corner, where Gallup made a leaping, twisting catch over cornerback Bradley Roby and narrowly touched both feet in bounds. The Saints tied it on Lil’Jordan Humphrey’s 24-yard TD catch early in the second quarter, but never led. After Greg Zuerlein’s 55-yard field goal put Dallas up 10-7, the Saints threatened late in the second half when they drove to the Dallas 26. But Hill’s pass toward the left sideline was tipped by receiver Kenny Stills and intercepted at the 5 by Jayron Kearse, who dived to snag the fluttering ball while dragging his toes on the turf before falling out of bounds. UP NEXT Cowboys: Visit Washington on December 12. Saints: Visit the New York Jets December 12.

We have the best beaches in the world,” Isaacs said. “Being a baseball player, you wanted to really bring the beaches. “So we decided to do something extremely crazy. Set up a stage and hit balls into the water.” Traditionally hosted in early January, the derby has grown in stature to be showcased prominently by several international media outlets, including the MLB Network, and features both minor and major league prospects from around the league. Bo Bichette, of the Toronto Blue Jays, won the inaugural event in 2018 and repeated as champion in 2019. Brinson captured the title in 2020. On Friday December 17, the participating players will host the annual kids’ clinic at the Atlantis resort in Paradise Harbour for aspiring student-athletes. In 2020, the partnership with the Charles Johnson Foundation brought with it Major League Baseball’s

Play Ball Initiative, the branch of the organisation which hosts kids’ camps around the world. The day will also feature another first on the Don’t Blink calendar, a celebrity softball game featuring derby participants and local influencers. Saturday, December 18 will be the main event at the Atlantis resort. For more information and VIP tickets to The Don’t Blink Home Run Derby in Paradise, please visit: www.atlantishomerunderby.com. “Atlantis Paradise Island is committed to growing and promoting sports tourism in The Bahamas. “Global events like the Don’t Blink Home Run Derby in Paradise generates exposure, buzz, and most importantly opportunities for young athletes to experience professional events – right here at home,” said Audrey Oswell, president and managing director of Atlantis, Paradise Island.

COWBOYS wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) runs last night. (AP Photo/Brett Duke)

WILLIAMS FROM PAGE 16

kilometre, which is about 2:06 for the marathon. Not that I’m going to run 2:06, but I am in shape to run very fast next weekend.” During his last marathon in Izmir in April, Williams suffered an Achilles injury, but he noted that he is now fully recovered and is eager to go to Zurich and prove his point. He’s aiming to run two hours and 15 minutes, which would shatter his Bahamian national record of 2:29:36 that he established on October 20, 2019. “If everything goes well, I should have the best performance of the season,” he said. “In fact, I’m hoping that this performance will be one of the best that I’ve had since I broke the national record.” Back on board with the Royal Bank of Canada with their ambassador programme, Williams said he’s grateful for RBC’s purchasing of his ticket to Zurich, but a lot will hunch on how well he does in determining whether or not he will be accepted full time as an athlete’s representative with RBC. “I just want to get this race out of the way to see how things go,” he said. “This will also determine if I should continue in the sport, or I just drop back and start my retirement.”

HERO FROM PAGE 16 care of those, so that’s something I’m going to need to do over the next three days because I can’t rely on doing what I did today. I made three twos out there, one on a par four. I need to take care of the par fives just to make it a little more stress free.” McIlroy finished with a five-under-par 31, including an eagle on the par four 14. “On the 9th I pulled my tee shot but got away with it and sort of kicked around that fairway bunker and had enough club to get there in two, so I was trying to pull a shot off and I didn’t and ended up making a double from it,” he said. “Happy with how I responded on the back nine after that. Played the back nine in five under par. It was a nice little response to not quite a mental error. I mean, I committed to the shot, I just didn’t make a great swing. Yeah, it was nice to play the back nine the way I did and put myself back in the tournament. Brooks Koepka is among a group of three players, along with Webb Simpson and Justin Thomas, tied for fourth at -5. “I thought the first 14 holes were pretty good, or 13, whatever it was, up to the par three. Then just got a little sloppy with the driver. Made that bogey and then didn’t birdie the drivable par four, the par five. So a little disappointing, but at the same time I didn’t shoot myself out of it, so I’m all right,” Koepka said. “I think especially with like the equipment changes I’ve made, I’m very, very happy, very pleased. It’s been very easy, which is a good thing. Just need to start swinging it good. I’m pretty close, not all the way there, but it’s very, very close.” Thomas is playing his first rounds of golf since he had LASIK surgery approxiamately a week and-a-half ago. “I’ve been wanting to do it for a while and it finally just worked out with the schedule to get it done. That’s why I keep walking around with the sunglasses. I don’t wear those too often, just trying to protect the eyes. Yeah, it was nice to get that done a week and a half ago and try to put it to the test here this week,” Thomas said. “I mean, it obviously was a poor finish, but I mean, I played well. Got off to a good start and just kind of hit a lull there in the middle, but hit a lot of really, really good putts that didn’t go in or felt like it could have been a really, really low round. It was windy enough out there to where five under’s a good score.” Round two begins today with defending champion Henrik Stenson and Harris English in the first group at 10:55am.

PAGE 14, Friday, December 3, 2021

RONALDO REACHES 800 CAREER GOALS AS UNITED DEFEATS ARSENAL 3-2 MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo reached 800 career goals with a double that secured Manchester United a 3-2 victory against Arsenal in the Premier League yesterday, as interim manager Ralf Rangnick saw his new team triumph from the stands. A lot has changed at Old Trafford since United’s last home game 26 days ago, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer losing his job after that loss to Manchester City was compounded by a shocking defeat at Watford. Michael Carrick, Solskjaer’s assistant, has steadied the team during an unbeaten three-match caretaker stint that ended with an entertaining win featuring a bizarre opening goal and another demonstration of Ronaldo’s enduring excellence on his return to the side. He scored the winner from the penalty spot after his first goal allowed him to reach 800 for his career for club and country Rangnick’s first game in charge will be against Crystal Palace this Sunday. The German has signed a deal until the end of the season and yesterday’s game will have given him food for thought, having seen the team’s quality and ongoing defensive concerns from the directors’ box. Finding a way to keep clean sheets will be key if this season is to be a success for United, although there was little that could be done to prevent Emile Smith Rowe’s bizarre opener. David De Gea was rolling around in apparent pain on the goalline when Smith Rowe struck a volley from the edge of the area, with the VAR instructing referee Martin Atkinson to award the goal as it was the Spaniard’s teammate, Fred, who hurt the goalkeeper by treading on his foot at a corner. Bruno Fernandes, making his 100th United appearance, equalised in the 44th, before Ronaldo turned home Marcus Rashford’s cross to bring up his landmark early in the second half. Arsenal took just two minutes to bring the match back level as Martin Odegaard found the net with a low finish, good work he undid 16 minutes later with a rash challenge on Fred inside the box. Atkinson awarded the penalty after the VAR advised him to watch the pitchside monitor, with Ronaldo keeping his cool in front of the Stretford End to lash home what proved to be the winner.

THE TRIBUNE

TIGER WOODS’ HERO WORLD CHALLENGE

McIlroy, Berger, Ancer in 3-way tie for lead after day 1 By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Rory McIlroy has gone from tears at the Ryder Cup to some of his best golf of the year, and right now his only complaint is the calendar. “I wish it was the end of March,” McIlroy said yesterday after a 6-under 66 to share the lead with Daniel Berger and Abraham Ancer in the Hero World Challenge. McIlroy was referring to the Masters, the only major keeping him from the career Grand Slam, and there is plenty of golf to be played between now and the first full week of April. But he’s been on a roll since spilling his emotions about how much the Ryder Cup means after a rough week at Whistling Straits.

He won the CJ Cup in Las Vegas. He was leading the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai after 68 holes until a bad break led to a sloppy finish and Collin Morikawa passed him by. And then on a warm and blustery day in the Bahamas, he had six birdies and chipped in for eagle on the reachable par-4 14th for another good start. It was far from perfect, and he only has to point at a double bogey on the par-5 ninth when he hit his second shot into the water. He failed to birdie two other par 5s, so this wasn’t exactly a round where he got the most out of it. But it was enough to make him slightly wistful the year was coming to and end. “I wish it was a different time of the year the way I’m playing,” McIlroy

JUSTIN THOMAS, of the United States, top, and McIlroy in action yesterday during the first round of the Hero World Challenge. Photos: Donavan McIntosh/Tribune staff

ANCER

BERGER

RORY MCILROY, of Northern Ireland, shot a 6-under 66 yesterday to share the lead with Daniel Berger and Abraham Ancer, insets, during the first round of the Hero World Challenge PGA Tour at the Albany Golf Club in New Providence, Bahamas. Photos: Donavan McIntosh/Tribune staff said. “But there’s no reason night. “I’m just happy,” he why I can’t pick up again in said. “It’s going to be a speJanuary and keep playing cial date for us. It’s going to the way I’m playing. I’m be a great week no matter still going to keep myself what.” ticking over these next few Webb Simpson oneweeks. I’m not going to putted his last seven completely shut the clubs greens, five of them for away. ... My game’s in good birdie, one for bogey on shape and I want to keep it the 18th after hitting his tee there.” shot into a palmetto bush. On the opposite end of He was one shot behind the spectrum is Berger, along with Brooks Koepka who hasn’t even played and Justin Thomas, who since the Ryder Cup. He suffered a worse fate than showed up on the pracSimpson. tice range at Albany on Thomas, wearing sunMonday, cell phone resting glasses for the first time on his bag to play music, because of laser surgery striped one drive and on his eyes a few weeks proudly announced, “Still ago, reached 7 under for got it!” the round until also taking He was kidding on a penalty shot from the Monday, not so much ABRAHAM ANCER, of Mexico, bushes right of the 18th yesterday. on the 18th hole during the fairway. He failed to get Berger birdied his open- first round. up-and-down and made ing four holes, made an double bogey. eagle on the par-5 11th and break I’ve had in my proKoepka played with him stayed ahead of the 20-man fessional career,” he said. and was keeping pace until field most of the day until “It was a little scary taking he bogeyed the 13th, failed the end. From the 18th over a month off because to birdie the reachable fairway, into the wind with I haven’t done that in a par-4 14th and the par-5 water guarding the left side while, wondering if you’re 15th and had to settle for of the green, he missed going to come back and 67. well to the right, his chip still have it. But mentally “Trying to find it, man,” didn’t reach the green and and physically, I needed Koepka said. “It feels like he had to make a 5-footer the break.” the last two years have Collin Morikawa had a been a struggle except for to escape with bogey. It was the first time every reasonable start in his bid the majors or WGCs.” shot counted on his card to cap off his year with a He left out the whipsince September 4 when he win that would take him to ping he put on Bryson closed with 64 at the Tour No. 1 in the world. DeChambeau in the madeHe shot 68 with a pair of for-TV match in Las Vegas Championship. There’s been a lot of pool sloppy 8-iron shots from last week. time, and more time on the the fairway that led to “Sometimes when you tennis court than the golf bogey. No matter what he don’t have it, it feels like course. He played with does on the course, his year you’re never going to get it his father, former Davis keeps getting better. again,” Koepka said. “But The British Open cham- just got to keep going, keep Cup player Jay Berger. “It’s probably the longest pion got engaged Tuesday fighting and figure it out.”

Lee Elder, 1st Black golfer to play Masters, dies at age 87 By PAUL NEWBERRY AP National Writer LEE Elder played through the scourge of racism. He broke down enormous barriers. He carved a path for Tiger Woods and others to follow. Finally, in the waning months of his life, he took his rightful place at Augusta National. Alongside the greats. Elder, who fought through numerous obstacles to become the first Black golfer to play in the Masters, died at the age of 87, the PGA Tour announced. “The game of golf lost a hero,” 18-time major champion Jack Nicklaus said. His death was first reported by Debert Cook of African American Golfer’s Digest. No cause was given, but Elder had been in poor health and wore an oxygen tube when he attended the Masters in April. The tour said he died early Sunday in Escondido, California. At this year’s Masters, Elder was given the honour of hitting a ceremonial

opening tee shot alongside Nicklaus, a six-time Masters champion, and Gary Player, who won the green jacket three times. Sadly, Elder was not well enough to take a swing at a ball he once hit with so much power. But he stood briefly to acknowledge the cheers of the gallery, holding up his driver, and watched proudly from a chair at the first tee as Nicklaus and Player hit the shots that traditionally open the first major championship of the year. “For me and my family, I think it was one of the most emotional experiences that I have ever witnessed or been involved in,” Elder said. “That morning, you could see the joy in Lee’s face,” Nicklaus said. “Gary Player and I were honoured to enjoy that moment with him.” A Texan who developed his game during segregated times while caddying and hustling for rounds, Elder made history in 1975 at Augusta National, which had held an all-white tournament until he received an

invitation after winning the Monsanto Open the previous year. Elder missed the cut at his first Masters but forever stamped himself as a groundbreaking figure in a sport that had never been known for racial tolerance. Twenty-two years later, Woods became the first Black golfer to capture the green jacket, launching one of the greatest careers in golf history. “Lee Elder was a pioneer, and in so many ways,” Nicklaus wrote on his Twitter account. “Yes, he was the first Black golfer to play in the Masters Tournament, but that simply underlined the hard work Lee put in to further the cause of everyone who has a dream to play on the PGA Tour and perhaps thinks there were too many barriers before them.” After Woods’ record 12-stroke victory in 1997 — the first of his five Masters titles and 15 major championships overall — he reflected on the contributions of Black golfers such as Elder and Charlie Sifford, the tour’s first

Black player. “I thought about those guys coming up 18,” Woods said that evening. “I said a little prayer and said thanks. I wasn’t the first. I wasn’t the pioneer. I thank them. I think that’s why this victory is even more special. Lee, because of what he did, I was able to play here. Because of Charlie, I was able to play on the PGA Tour. I lived my dream because of those guys.” Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National and the Masters, called Elder “a true pioneer in the game of golf.” “Lee was an inspiration to so many young men and women of colour not only through his play, but also through his commitment to education and community,” Ridley said in a statement. “His presence will be sorely missed, but his legacy will continue to be celebrated.” Elder got into golf as a caddie, since that essentially was the only conduit Black players had to be permitted on the course. He was able to polish his game while serving in the Army and, after his discharge,

MASTERS champion Tiger Woods gets a hug from Lee Elder, left, after the final round of Masters play at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, on Sunday, April 13, 1997. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta) joined the United Golf Association Tour for Black players in the early 1960s. He developed into one of the UGA’s best players, winning 18 of 22 tournaments in one dominating stretch, but meagre prize money made it tough to earn a living. Finally, at the age of 33, Elder had saved up enough to afford PGA qualifying school, where he earned his first tour card for the 1968 season. The highlight of his rookie year was a memorable loss to Nicklaus on the

fifth hole of a sudden-death playoff at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. Elder would go on to capture four PGA Tour victories and eight more wins on the PGA Tour Champions for 50-and-over players. He played in all four major championships, tying for 11th at both the 1974 PGA Championship and the 1979 US Open. His best finish in six Masters appearances was a tie for 17th in 1979. That same year, he was a member of the winning US team at the Ryder Cup.

THE TRIBUNE

THE FIRST round of legendary golfer Tiger Woods’ Hero World Challenge PGA Tour got underway yesterday at the Albany Golf Course. Rory McIlroy, of Northen Ireland, shot a 6-under 66 to share the lead with Daniel Berger and Abraham Ancer. Photo: Donavan McIntosh/Tribune staff TOP - McIlroy hits out of a bunker on the 5th hole yesterday. (AP Photo/ Fernando Llano)

Friday, December 3, 2021, PAGE 15

SPORTS PAGE 16

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2021

AYTON, Page 13

Hero World Challenge ‘Elite 20’ tee off at Albany By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

D

aniel Berger, Abraham Ancer and Rory McIlroy lead the field by a single stroke and are tied atop the leaderboard following day one of the Hero World Challenge. The trio shot an opening round 66 (-6) at the Albany Golf Course yesterday. In a field where 17 of the 20 players are ranked in the top 25 in the world, Daniel Berger returned from a two-month break to have an impressive showing on day one. “I thought the course was in unbelievable shape. The greens have slowly gotten better and better as the week has gone on. I mean, if you hit the putt where you’re looking, there’s a good chance they’re going to go in,” Berger said following the round. “I took a little over a month completely off for golf, didn’t touch a golf club, and slowly started ramping it up, and the last two or three weeks I’ve been playing more golf here and there, and the last 10 days I played every day and I’ve been playing really nicely. And it’s just tough when you haven’t played competitively to kind of get back in the rhythm of things, but obviously, I got off to a good start and that made it easier.” Berger will enter 2022 without a FedEx Cup point after not playing any tournaments in the fall. “I think you have to listen to your body and you have to listen to how you feel mentally,” he said. “The Ryder Cup was gruelling and it took so much out of me physically and emotionally that I just didn’t feel I

3-way tie for lead after day 1 could go to a golf tournament to prepare the way I wanted to the best of my ability, so for me it was the only decision to make. McIlroy, who previously competed at Hero events in Sherwood, said his return to the Albany course was a welcome one as he overcame a slight miscalculation at the backend of the front nine. “It was great. I’ve played this course a lot over the years being a member here for a few years and it’s a little different. You don’t quite see the trouble and the water as much in practice as you do when you’ve got a scorecard in your hand. “Yeah, it’s a little different. I always used to think this place was very wide open and could sort of just wail on drivers everywhere, but once you get a card in your hand and you start to play the way you normally play in a tournament, everything just starts to tighten up a little bit. “It was good. The wind got up a little bit, it was tricky coming in there, it was a tough finish and I was happy with how I played,” he said. “I think I played well enough to shoot a better score than that. I played the par fives in even par and like five par fives here, I should be taking

SEE PAGE 13

COLLIN Morikawa

XANDER Schauffele

JUSTIN Thomas

BRYSON DeChambeau

RORY McIlroy

VIKTOR Hovland

JORDAN Spieth

ABRAHAM Ancer

HARRIS English

TONY Finau

BROOKS Koepka

DANIEL Berger

SAM Burns

SCOTTIE Scheffler

TYRRELL Hatton

MATTHEW Fitzpatrick

WEBB Simpson

PATRICK Reed

JUSTIN Rose

HENRIK Stenson

TEAMS ALL SET FOR DON’T BLINK HOME RUN DERBY IN PARADISE

WILLIAMS LOOKS TO SMASH HIS RED-LINE ATHLETICS TRACK CLUB HOSTS ANNUAL TEACHING SESSIONS NATIONAL MARATHON RECORD

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE teams for the Don’t Blink Home Run Derby in Paradise have been set for Team Fox and Team Isaacs as they prepare to decide the 2021 title. Event organisers Todd Isaacs Jr and Lucius Fox Jr made their selections at the annual Don’t Blink Draft show with 42 hitters expected to compete at the fourth edition of the event, to be hosted on December 18 at the

Atlantis resort on Paradise Island. Each team will include 10 local prospects and 10 visiting players from various levels of baseball, including independent leagues, the minor leagues and the MLB. The local prospects for Team Fox will be headlined by Miami Marlins infielder Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr, the first overall pick in the draft. Other local Team Fox prospects include Warren Saunders (New York

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IN an effort to ensure that they are caught up to date on the relevant information for their success on and off the track, the RedLine Athletics Track Club hosted its annual monthlong series of teaching sessions for its members. Dubbed “Health and Wellness Month,” the athletes heard from a panel of speakers, including Olympian Andretti Bain, who spoke on “The Winning Mentality,” Donovan

Ingraham on “Nutrition,” Ashley Mortimer on “Social Media: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” and Harrison Thompson Jr on “Mental Health.” The sessions were held every Friday during the month of November in the VIP stands of the original Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium. The event, according to club founder and head coach Tito Moss, was to continue to work towards building young adults who will be able to contribute

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By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net RETURNING to action on the international scene next weekend, O’Neil Williams said he would like nothing better for Christmas than to smash his Bahamian national marathon record. Williams, still training in Kenya, is scheduled to compete in the Zurich Marathon in Zurich, Switzerland, on Sunday, December 12. The event will take the competitors from Lake

Zurich throughout downtown Zurich. “I’ve been doing some really good (training) sessions over the last two and-a-half months in preparation for the marathon,” said Williams, who will depart for Switzerland on December 8. “I’ve been able to increase my mileage so that I can get back to the shape that I was before the injury in March up to about 110 miles. I was doing a pretty good pace of about three minutes per

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