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WALKING AWAY
ALICIA WALLACE: TOUCHING THE LIVES OF MANY
- SEE PAGE EIGHT
Govt pulls plug on Grand Lucayan deal and is now seeking other investors By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net THE agreement between the government and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines/ ITM Group for the acquisition of the Grand Lucayan resort has been cancelled. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation Chester Cooper yesterday cited bad terms negotiated under the Minnis administration and no clarity on how quickly the project will be advanced. In a statement, Mr Cooper said a Cabinet sub-committee
involving himself, Minister of Economic Affairs Michael Halkitis and Attorney General Ryan Pinder examined the deal and concluded “the way it was structured was not in the best interests of the Bahamian people.” He said on Monday the boards of Lucayan Renewal Holdings Limited and Lucayan Beach Casino Holdings “terminated by mutual consent the 2020 purchase agreement between themselves and the Bahamas Ports Investments Limited, the joint partnership between RCL and ITM Group.” SEE PAGE THREE
FORMER ATLANTIS STAFF TO GET $500 PAYMENT By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net SOME disengaged Atlantis workers can expect to receive a $500 stimulus payment from the National Insurance Board on Christmas Eve. According to State Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Myles Laroda, as many as 450 people will receive the benefit at an overall cost to the government of about $250,000. Mr Laroda, who has responsibility for NIB, said
the hardships experienced by these people was a major contributing factor in the Davis administration’s decision to approve the payout. He said the payment was expected to be made no later than noon Friday. “You all know over the past couple of weeks there has been an issue with some disengaged Atlantis workers; (they) were inquiring as to whether they were going to be receiving the $500 stimulus,” the minister said outside Cabinet yesterday. SEE PAGE THREE
WHAT WERE THEY THINKING? THIS picture from social media shows a reported gathering at the weekend of Bahamians - even as Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis prepares to update the nation on Thursday on the fight against COVID-19. Meanwhile, Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville warned there could be changes to COVID-19 protocols for large gatherings along with an adjustment at our borders for travellers. See PAGE FOUR for the full story.
DARVILLE RELAXED DESPITE PURCHASE OF NEW J&J COVID OUTBREAK ON SHIP VACCINES IS UNLIKELY By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
HEALTH and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville says he’s pleased with the COVID-19 protocols put in place by the cruise line industry, while confirming a ship that docked at
Coco Cay in The Bahamas suffered a virus outbreak among passengers on board. According to reports, at least 48 people tested positive for COVID-19 on Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas. SEE PAGE FOUR
By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
HEALTH and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said it is very unlikely the government will purchase additional doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, noting
challenges with uptake by the public. The country struggled to convince many Bahamians to receive the one-dose vaccine and faced the risk of the shots expiring due to a surplus supply that was available. SEE PAGE FOUR
MURDER SUSPECT SHOT DEAD BY POLICE By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
A 28-YEAR-OLD wanted murder suspect was shot and killed yesterday morning by police in Grand Bahama, ending a twoweek island-wide manhunt. Police said the suspect pointed a gun at officers. The deceased is believed to be Drexton Dominique Belony, who was wanted for the shooting death of a
DREXTON DOMINIQUE BELONY 17-year-old male resident of Pinder’s Point on December 3.
Belony was also being sought for another shooting incident on Monday evening in Freeport, several hours before he was discovered and shot dead by officers in the Hunters area. Assistant Superintendent of Police Stephen Rolle confirmed the Police Control Room received a report about a police-involved shooting in Hunters shortly after 7am. SEE PAGE FIVE
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PAGE 2, Wednesday, December 22, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
Fox Foundation gives to those in need By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net A MASSIVE crowd came to the Sports Centre grounds yesterday as the Fox Foundation gave away $250,000 worth of food vouchers to those in need. Adrianna Fox, cofounder of the Fox Foundation, said the group wanted to ease some of the hard times many people are experiencing this season. “We know that this is the Christmas season. We know we’re still in a pandemic. Persons are experiencing hard times and I can honestly feel the energy and the smiles on the person’s face where they are very joyful for the voucher and also we still wanna keep practising social distancing and practising COVID policies where we have sanitiser and you know everyone goes to the grocery store so we give them a grocery bag.” The foundation has been hosting the giveaway for several years. Yesterday’s event was a drive-thru giveaway. However, some people complained that because they did not have a car, they could not get any items. “That ain’t making no sense and people in the car, they coming around twice and getting it,” Anishka Albury complained. The mother-of-six had to catch the bus to the venue.
THE FOX Foundation giving out Christmas bags yesterday and, below right, Adrian and Adrianna Fox. Photo: Racardo Thomas/Tribune Staff
Among the masses was mother-of-two Tanya Gibson who has been unemployed for two years. “It’s really hard, but I go to NGOs and places like churches. They give me a little help,” the 32-year-old said. Her boyfriend, who has one leg, is also unemployed. “Our car broke down,” she told The Tribune. “Someone gave us a ride and we walked (the rest of the way).” She said the giveaway of the $50 voucher yesterday will help her family. “It will help with the kids to get their dinner for Christmas, snacks, whatever. A little goes a long way,” she said. Meanwhile, Lashanda Bain, 28, said she came with her sister and had been waiting at the site for about an hour. “I’m self-employed. I’m a beautician. I do hair, braiding and stuff like that,” the mother-of-four explained. She said the voucher would help her situation. When the issue of transportation was brought up Ms Fox said they were not going to turn people without cars away. “I understand that they are here and I’m gonna take my time eventually to go there and give them some (vouchers)... we wanna keep social distancing. The minute we start that we’re gonna have the problem of more persons coming in on their feet and then we break the COVID protocol with social distancing,” she said.
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, December 22, 2021, PAGE 3
Govt pulls plug on Grand Lucayan deal and is now seeking other investors from page one Mr Cooper said the Minnis administration’s agreement to lend BPI money to renovate and develop the property was a no-go. He later told reporters that six “very credible” potential investors for the property have been identified. He said the ideal candidate would be a company that has experience, significant resources, a vision for the property and a commitment to develop Grand Bahama as a destination. “The issue,” he said, “of the owner financing for the redevelopment, or the government providing funding for the redevelopment we thought was simply a no-go. It was a $50m loan to RCl and ITM Group in their subsidiary company Bahamas Ports Investments Limited. And then there was not a firm commitment to complete the redevelopment in the shortest possible time frame. We were not satisfied that they were committed with the timelines that the new government would like to see and there were various other elements of the deal that we simply did not find feasible, acceptable for the
THE GRAND Lucayan Resort. Bahamian people.” Mr Cooper said to maintain and operate the Grand Lucayan property, the government will likely continue to expend $1.2m to $1.5m per month, money he said is crucial to maintain the value of the property and the attractiveness of Grand Bahama as a tourism destination. “We’ve taken the decision as I’ve indicated to keep the property open to
maintain value, to maintain the property itself, to provide some employment for the few persons who continue to be employed and to really keep the destination alive,” he said. “But let me say to you that we want to sell the property in the shortest possible time frame. We are committed to doing a deal expeditiously.” The government has spent more than $150m on the Grand Lucayan resort.
Mr Cooper said in choosing a buyer, the Davis administration hopes the government will recover its investment in the project and restore the resort with “significantly more investment”. Former Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar blamed the struggling effort to nail down a deal for the resort largely on a “condition precedent” that required RCL to finalise its deal
with the Freeport Harbour Company for the port in Grand Bahama. Mr Cooper said conversations between Royal Caribbean and Hutchison Whampoa for the port are ongoing. “That, of course, is a private negotiation,” he said. “They’ve indicated that while they’ve made some progress, it didn’t advance as quickly as they would like. It’s a matter for them. The government supports the transaction and should they reach an agreement, the government will expeditiously process the application for approval.” Mr Cooper said the interest of new investors in the property will likely not depend on the status of the port development. RCL wants to develop the port into a world-class facility. “I don’t think that one has much to do with the other, quite frankly,” Mr Cooper said. “The more activity there is on the island, naturally the better it will be for a new investor into the property. But one is not contingent upon the other. It was a bad idea to couple them at the very beginning because here you have two private entities negotiating with each other on separate sets of circumstances that impact the
deal on the Grand Lucayan resort while we sit and while the property deteriorates and people continue to be unemployed. That was illconceived and we took quick steps to decouple the deal so that we could move on with a transaction on the hotel.” Mr Cooper said the government is open to local and foreign interests in the property. “The reality of it is we always have a preference for local participation but these are some very serious times in Grand Bahama and therefore we are going to pick the best buyer with vision, significant resources and who is willing and prepared to share in the overall strategic long-term direction for the island of Grand Bahama,” he said. The Minnis administration purchased the hotel for $65m in August 2018. Despite criticism over the move, the Minnis administration maintained it only planned to hold on to the hotel to preserve the island’s economy before selling it to a viable developer. However, the sale to Royal Caribbean/ITM was not finalised before the Minnis administration was voted out of office in September.
FORMER ATLANTIS STAFF TO GET $500 PAYMENT from page one
“The government has made a decision that they will - notwithstanding that these individuals would have (fallen) outside of the qualifications - that those stimulus would be paid to those individuals. “We think that it affects around 400 to 450 people and so they will receive their funds no later than 12 o’clock on Friday. “Approval has already been sent to the National Insurance Board and the process already has begun to ensure that those affected individuals (are paid) before Christmas.”
Asked what sparked the decision, Mr Laroda said: “The decision was made in consultation with individuals at the National Insurance Board and many calls from those people who are affected. “A lot of those individuals have not been working from last year, so some of them have been without work for the past year and a half. “They have been disengaged and so while they were paid their severances the National Insurance Board would have cut them off because once you are paying your contributions you are seen to be working. “They just got their notices,
which meant that the National Insurance Board was paying them for those weeks in advance and so they fell outside the law.” He continued: “But the reality on the ground was that these individuals have not been working for the past year and half that they were paid. If you were line staff you would have gotten six months’ worth of salary and a lot of that was just eaten up by banks. “So, it was hardship and the government made a decision that considering the circumstances that they would give these people a good Christmas.” This comes as the minister said
the government was still deciding on the future of the unemployment assistance benefit. “I would say around $250,000 for those,” he said in response to a question about the overall cost to give stimulus benefits to the former hotel workers. “Now this would be the stimulus. The government still has to make a decision as to whether we are going to continue with the unemployment assistance benefit that ends on the 31st of this month.” As for offering recurring stimulus payments to Bahamians, Mr Laroda said a decision, if any, would be based on the realities on the ground.
MEMBERS of FIDA are seen making a donation at the Rand on Friday. From left are FIDA members Clara Cleare, Charisse Brown, director; Rosanne Sweeting, vice president; Jethlyn Burrows, president; Sharon A Williams, hospital administrator; Hadassah Swain, community and social outreach committee chairperson, and Rengin Johnson, member.
LAWYER GROUP DONATES TO HOSPITAL BY DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
THE Grand Bahama Chapter of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) presented Christmas gifts to the Lula Knowles Paediatrics Ward at the Rand Memorial Hospital last Friday. Jethlyn Burrows, president of FIDA, Grand Bahama Chapter, said the organisation wants to bring smiles to the faces of children ages 5-12 years
who are in hospital during Christmas time. “For children especially, being in hospital at Christmas time can be extremely stressful and upsetting,” she said. We don’t want them to miss out on the festivities because they are in hospital, so we try to do as much as possible to create a nice, festive environment for them. It is a joy to see them smile when they are receiving gifts”. Hospital administrator Sharon A Williams thanked the FIDA Grand
Bahama Chapter for “supporting the Rand, especially during the COVID19 pandemic, and for not forgetting the precious children who are in our Paediatrics Ward during the yuletide season.” FIDA is an international non-governmental organisation in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, and works to establish friendly international relations on a basis of mutual respect and equality and to promote the welfare of women and children.
“I don’t want to preempt. It’s a collective decision. We made the decision to continue what the previous government has done. We looked at the circumstances. You look at Atlantis in particular. “I read in the newspaper today that they are saying that they have... 6,000 of their individuals back to work. “Baha Mar is saying the same thing. So, our decision would be made by the realities on the ground.” While Atlantis reported 6,000 staff are back at work and the hotel is running at full capacity, the Beach Towers remain closed.
PAGE 4, Wednesday, December 22, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
FOAM GIVES FAMILIES HOPE THE Families of All Murdered Victims (FOAM) organisation and its partners held a “Hope Fun Day” recently in the Nassau Village community where Christmas cheer was felt by all in attendance. Toys, clothing and food were given out to families and each child left with a Christmas gift or two. FOAM’s president, Khandi Gibson is seen in a photo dressed as Santa and the other photos show the arrival of the gifts and children enjoying the day. Photos: Racardo Thomas/Tribune Staff
Darville hints at changes over large gatherings By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
THERE could be changes to COVID-19 protocols for large gatherings along with an adjustment at our borders for travellers, Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said yesterday. The latter is in direct response to the more transmissible Omicron variant of the coronavirus, which is now spreading throughout the United States. Regarding large gatherings, the minister expressed “great” concern that in many instances ministryapproved events do not adhere to the measures set out by officials. He spoke after several large events were held over
the weekend. Among them was a Junkanoo rush out and an event at Botanical Gardens—a photograph of hundreds of people crammed together at that event circulated on social media this week. Dr Darville said: “For us, large gatherings, there is always a potential for community spread at super spreader events. “For us at the Ministry of Health we are trying our best. It’s a very difficult thing to juggle the economy while at the same time set protocols. “But one of the things that we’ve been noticing is that when we do approve an event and we give the necessary protocols sometimes when we look at the event many of the protocols are not adhered to and that
is of great concern. “We will be discussing some of those concerns today in Cabinet and possibly that may lead to some adjustments on how we move forward with large gatherings.” And despite fears of an impending fourth wave of the virus, Dr Darville said the government had no intention of closing the country’s borders, insisting there had to be balance to the economy and health and safety. His comments came as the United States’ Centres for Disease Control and Prevention lowered The Bahamas’ COVID19 Travel Risk Advisory Rating from level three to level two. The Ministry of Health and Wellness announced
the reclassification on Monday night. The minister said he was unsure how long the country would maintain the rating given that the Omicron variant has accounted for the lion’s share of new cases in the US. “We are concerned because the Omicron virus is roaming wild in many countries where our tourists come from. When we look at the state of Florida, we see the cases are going up there. “We’re concerned and we are now in deep discussions to adjust some of our protocols to ensure that we’re able to deal with issues at our borders while at the same time prevent community spread in the country.” Meanwhile, the new lowered rating sparked caution
from Tourism, Investments and Aviation Minister Chester Cooper who said Bahamians should not be “lulled” to let their guards down. “This is good news,” he said of the CDC’s decision. “The reality of where we are at the moment is we are able to attract even stronger numbers as a result of this change. Corporate groups (and) large events want to know that they are coming to a jurisdiction that is relatively safe and this is an indication to the world that we’re open for business and we have good protocols. “Now with the new variant coming we ought not to be lulled to sleep by this improvement in our grading by the CDC. “We should stay vigilant. We should follow protocols.
We should avoid large parties and large gatherings because now that we have level two that doesn’t mean that we are completely out of the woods and that can change. So, the reality of where we are now at this point in time is that it’s good for business. There is a lot of pent-up demand and our numbers are exceeding what they were, pre-pandemic levels.” For his part, Dr Darville said the downgrade was the result of a lot of strategic planning. “First of all, to go from level three to level two requires a lot of strategic planning and work. At the Ministry of Health along with the Ministry of Tourism we believe we did our part and we are pleased that we are now at level two.”
made, according to Tourism, Investments and Aviation Minister Chester Cooper. “We know that that same vessel stopped in Coco Cay,” Dr Darville told reporters yesterday. “When it arrived in Coco Cay there was a report that there was 23 people on board who were in isolation. “I can say this much: in the early stages of me being minister we had the opportunity to visit just about every cruise ship. We went on all the cays and I am very pleased that the cruise
ship industry has a very robust protocol in managing COVID cases. “They have multiple negative pressure rooms on board their vessels. They have really strong contact surveillance techniques and they have the physicians on board and so we are quite pleased based on the regulations in place with the cruise ships. “We believe that they are capable to handle their cases. “And if we do have a case that may decompensate what is on board, we do have a programme here
in The Bahamas where that individual would be airlifted to a tertiary facility abroad.” Asked about the situation yesterday, Mr Cooper said the country has “excellent protocols”. He said in conversations with the cruise line, there was assurance that their measures are “exceeding” industry standards. “The ship did come to Coco Cay,” Mr Cooper said. “There were incidents. There is no report of new cases as far as I know on Coco Cay itself but suffice
to say it’s the nature of the business. “We hope that we can contain the COVID crisis because what we do not want to see is a shutdown of the cruise industry as we’ve seen several months ago. “If you look in the harbour we have five-six ships a day. This is a great time for tourism and it’s a little concerning but the Ministry of Health as you may already know we are revising our rules. “We are making them better as we go along and we are going to ensure
that we are competitive but we also protect the health and safety of the Bahamian people,” Mr Cooper said. There were 6,091 passengers and crew on board the ship in question. According to international reports, 95 percent of them were fully vaccinated. Of the 48 who tested positive for the coronavirus, 98 percent were fully vaccinated. Royal Caribbean said in a statement the passengers who tested positive either had no symptoms or displayed mild side effects.
DARVILLE RELAXED DESPITE COVID OUTBREAK ON SHIP from page one
The itinerary was a seven-night trip that left from Miami on December 11 and visited St Maarten; St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands; and Coco Cay, the cruise line’s private island in The Bahamas. Dr Darville said by the time the ship arrived at Coco Cay there were 23 people in isolation. The incident comes as officials are in the process of reviewing protocols to see where changes can be
PURCHASE OF NEW J&J VACCINES IS UNLIKELY from page one However, the minister confirmed yesterday there had been progress in using the available J&J supply, adding some of the doses had been sent to a neighbouring Caribbean island. He said he was unsure of how many were sent and where, but the initiative was headed by the Chief Medical Officer’s office. “Yes, we’re making progress,” he said when asked about the expiring doses. “Some of the Johnson & Johnson was sent to another country. We do see some uptick of the Johnson & Johnson locally and we encourage every Bahamian out there to come forward. “We are using social mobilisation to be able to capture that group of individuals who are still undecided but still willing and so we encourage everyone to go out and be vaccinated and take into consideration the Johnson & Johnson jab as well.” The minister also responded to critics who have said the country’s supply should not have been used for booster shots, but instead to increase
vaccine coverage. Last week, Dr Jarbas Barbosa, assistant director of the Pan American Health Organisation, expressed this view. “We (are) using the science,” Dr Darville said. “When it comes to social mobilisation it is a technique that has been used in virology and vaccination drives around the world. “This is scientific and we intend to use every measure to get vaccines in arms. “What is important for us is to really increase the amount of people vaccinated in our country so that we can keep people out of hospital and reduce the incidences of death as a result of COVID-19.” Dr Darville also told reporters the government was expected to ramp up its vaccination campaign. “The booster campaign is going extremely well. We still have a lot more work to do. “In the next few days, you will see us ramping up and trying our best to really get public education on board so that Bahamians could realise that we have a new variant that is highly transmissible that is coming our way and it is important
to get vaccinated. “Vaccinations save lives and vaccination in the event that you do get COVID19 reduces your chance of being hospitalised.” He was further asked about a CDC study that mentioned a preference for the Pfizer and Moderna brands over the J&J shot. “For us here in The Bahamas when we purchased the Johnson & Johnson (doses) in the country, we realised that the uptake was not as aggressive as we thought it would be when Pfizer came on stream. And so, for us who have a surplus of Johnson & Johnson now in our arsenal and having great difficulty to convince Bahamians to take Johnson & Johnson, it’s very unlikely that we will go ahead and purchase additional Johnson & Johnson at this time. “But I want the Bahamian people to know that Johnson & Johnson is an effective vaccine and there is also a programme in place for booster shots with Johnson & Johnson.” Health officials said 26 new cases of the virus were recorded on Monday. This brought the confirmed case toll since the start of the pandemic to 23,161.
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, December 22, 2021, PAGE 5
Murder suspect shot dead by police from page one
OFFICERS at the scene of the shooting in Hunters.
Photos: Vandyke Hepburn
He said officers were on inquiries in the settlement when they saw him emerge from a residence. “Upon seeing the officers, the suspect produced a firearm and pointed it in the direction of the officers. As a result, the officers, being in fear for their lives, produced their service weapons and discharged several rounds in the suspect’s direction, fatally wounding him,” ASP Rolle said. EMS was called to the scene and found no signs of life. ASP Rolle said officers recovered a loaded 9mm pistol from the deceased. Officers have also arrested a man at the residence in Hunters. Police have not officially identified the deceased as Belony. However, ASP Rolle said the dead suspect was wanted for murder and another matter involving a
shooting in Freeport. “The deceased was a suspect in last night’s (Monday’s) matter,” ASP Rolle said. “He, along with another man, was being sought when officers caught up with him in Hunters.” ASP Rolle said that shortly after 11pm on Monday, December 20, police received a report of a shooting at a business on East Sunrise Highway, Freeport. Officers went to the scene to investigate, he said. According to initial reports, a man had left a business and entered his vehicle. As the man was about to leave, two dark men, armed with firearms, approached him and discharged their weapons, shooting the man multiple times about the body. ASP Rolle said the male suspects fled the scene on foot in an unknown direction. He said the victim was transported to Rand Memorial Hospital via private
vehicle and is listed in serious but stable condition. On December 4, police issued an all-point bulletin for Belony, following the murder of a teenage boy in Pinder’s Point. Yesterday’s policeinvolved shooting comes after a man died on Saturday, hours after he was shot by police in New Providence. Police said that officers were called to an apartment complex on Bowe Avenue, Montel Heights shortly after 10am on Saturday, for a man who was said to be in possession of a gun. Police said the suspect “reached” for a weapon in his waistband as a responding officer approached him. The officer, fearing for his life, shot the suspect, police said. Police also said a gun was recovered from the suspect. The deceased in that matter has been identified as Nelson Vincent. He died in hospital.
LIVING WATERS AIMS TO BUILD COMMUNITY CENTRE By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
LIVING Waters Kingdom Ministries is building a youth and community centre with a target completion date of 2023. Raymond Wells, senior pastor of Living Waters Kingdom Ministries, estimated it will cost $1.8
million to build the centre. He said the Fox Foundation is a major partner, but added that other partners are needed as well. “They are partnering with us as we build this youth and community centre right in the Oakes Field area at the church. So they have been partnering with us to build this youth and community centre to help with
the young people in our community. You know our young people need help, so we’re building this facility and the Fox Foundation is partnering with us to help us with this initiative,” he told The Tribune. “The foundation is up out of the ground and we’re getting ready to pour the floor and next year, God’s willing, start bringing it
up out of the ground. (We are) building a three-story complex with an indoor basketball court. You’re gonna have a banquet hall in there. You’re gonna have a gym where persons can come and workout. You’re gonna have a deli.” Mr Wells explained the importance of the youth centre. He added: “The youth
SIBLINGS ACCUSED OF STEALING By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net A 28-YEAR-OLD man accused of stealing over $9,000 from Commonwealth Bank last year was granted bail ahead of his trial yesterday. Dexter Knowles appeared before Magistrate Kendra Kelly, charged with 11 counts of stealing and one count of money laundering for actions he allegedly committed between March and December of last year. Police said that Knowles, along with others, stole $9,000 from Commonwealth Bank through use of its gift card, which was allegedly used to purchase several housing and clothing items from CBS, the Sports Centre, Shoe Village, etc. His twin sister, Dexavier Knowles also appeared in court, charged with one count of stealing after officers said that she and her brother stole $651 from the local bank on November 9 to purchase an assortment of jewellery.
Knowles and her brother were also charged with money laundering after officers accused them of possessing certain items that represented the proceeds of crime. At the start of yesterday’s hearing, the duo’s attorney sought to raise the case that the bank erred by allowing additional purchases to go through despite the gift card exceeding its available limit. The attorney then went on to highlight the terms outlined in the bank’s contract, which, he said, stated that purchases which exceeded available balances will be declined. He said his clients were not aware of the balance on the gift card and again sought to blame the bank for the situation. In response, prosecutor Sgt Vernon Pyfrom told the court he was informed that Knowles had actually requested the bank to remove the limits on the card after claiming he was unable to make the purchases. After hearing both arguments,
Magistrate Kelly refused to listen to any further information, which she said could be potential evidence in the case. After both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges, Magistrate Kelly adjourned the matter to February 21, 2022 for trial. Bail was granted to Dexter Knowles at $9,500 with one or two sureties while his sister was granted bail at $6,000. The two were also ordered to report to the police station in their respective communities once a week before 6pm. Cairvins Telford, 55, was also arraigned yesterday. Telford is accused of stealing seven “Sea Best Shrimp” packages valued at $209.08 from Solomon’s food store on December 16. It is also alleged that he carried a knife while at the food store the same day. During his hearing before Magistrate Kelly, Telford denied the charges and the matter was adjourned to February 2 for trial.
FACE MASK DONATION
FROM left, vaccination centre manager Augustine Roberts, Rotarian Gina Bethel, Rotary Past Presidents Sheila Bethel, Stephen Dean, Rotary International Past President and National COVID-19 Vaccine Consultative Committee member Barry Rassin, Nurse Nishka McKenzie, Rotary Assistant Governor Carla Card-Stubbs, Rotarian Chantel Nesbitt, and Rotary Assistant Governor Kendal Strachan.
THE Templeton Religion Trust provided a donation of $75,000 to the Rotary Clubs of the Bahamas in September to assist with providing facemasks for Bahamians and residents who have been fully vaccinated. The masks will be handed out via vaccination centres to each person getting their second vaccination, or booster shot. 23,000 masks have been printed with the Rotary Bahamas logo and ‘I’ve been FULLY vaccinated’.
centre is really needed not only in our community but in other communities as well where the young people can go and be in a safe environment. “Where they can be in a clean place where they can also be empowered and mentored and that’s what we’re looking to do. So we encourage all churches to partner with
the government and see how they can begin to put initiative in their community to help with the young people.” As for the expected completion date, he said hopefully the building will be finished by the middle or end of 2023. “If the money comes in fast enough, we’ll finish it quicker,” Mr Wells said.
PAGE 6, Wednesday, December 22, 2021
The Tribune Limited
THE TRIBUNE
PICTURE OF THE DAY
NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”
LEON E. H. DUPUCH,
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Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .
Publisher/Editor 1919-1972 Contributing Editor 1972-1991
EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON,
C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B. Publisher/Editor 1972-
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A decision at last - but no solution for Grand Lucayan WELL, so much for the Grand Lucayan deal. After all the talk of an “imminent” conclusion to the deal or things being resolved “soon”, the government has finally pulled the plug on the agreement with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines/ITM Group. It has seemed for a long time as if something wasn’t quite right with the deal – or else it would have been done and sorted. Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper, who had been critical of the deal struck by the Minnis administration, was the one to announce the end of the agreement yesterday, saying “the way it was structured was not in the best interests of the Bahamian people”. Instead, the government is going to keep on financing the property, at a cost of up to $1.5m a month, to keep the value of the property and to prop up Grand Bahama as a destination. It’s a far from ideal solution – but credit to the government for making a decision and not just waiting forever. Mr Cooper says that six “very credible” potential investors have been identified. We must see how genuine such investors are – along with their interest in a potential purchase. Regardless, this puts us back at square one with years of time wasted on the Royal Caribbean deal. One of the problems is that the previous deal linked the Grand Lucayan progression with a deal for the purchase of the port in Grand Bahama by Royal Caribbean. Mr Cooper seems to be separating that link, saying: “I don’t think that one has much to do with the other, quite frankly.” He called the move “ill-conceived”. So we shall see what Mr Cooper can bring to the table. Deals must be negotiated from a fresh start, so don’t expect any of those “imminent” developments. It is sad that the matter could not be resolved – not least for employees whose future continues to be uncertain.
We hope Mr Cooper can very quickly bring some measure of certainty to those workers – and to a Grand Bahama community that is desperate for investment.
Super spreaders
Pictures of large gatherings at the weekend have been circulating on social media – causing consternation, frustration and bringing the prospect of changes to COVID regulations. It seems nonsensical that so much time was spent deliberating over the safety of the Christmas Carnival only for other events to be held that pack people in close quarters in the ideal circumstances for the COVID-19 virus to spread. Health officials must be infuriated looking at such gatherings – as we shall reap what we sow, and many of those who attended such events could end up in hospital themselves or spread the virus to more vulnerable relatives and friends. Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville has already said that these events could be “super spreader events” and expressed concern at events that have been approved but which do not adhere to measures set out by officials. He warned that there may be “some adjustments on how we move forward with large gatherings”. If there are, we can’t complain if we’ve brought it on ourselves by failing to follow even basic protocols that we all know by now. It makes no sense to sabotage our own success in bringing down numbers like this – and an increase in cases could harm people’s health, jobs and cost lives. We know it’s hard to keep showing patience and determination – but that’s what it takes. Do what you can to help those who are trying to take care of our health. Lives literally depend on it.
Fight for our country EDITOR, The Tribune. MANY persons know me as a youth advocate through my work as national director of the Governor General’s Youth Award. Post retirement, I have also come to identify as an environmentalist. Sir Lynden Pindling once said, “If Bahamians are not prepared to stand up and defend their own Bahamas, then you don’t deserve to have it.” I find this quote applicable to our slow response and lack of action when it comes to largescale, foreign development. Over the past 30 years, I have shepherded thousands of young people throughout the length of breadth of our beautiful Bahamas. I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to hike, run, camp, swim and just be a domestic tourist on almost all of our islands. During that time, I have witnessed the destruction of our coastlines, mangroves, pine forests, beaches, ponds and other areas critical to maintaining the health of our environment. I can no longer remain silent. Bahamians and residents, we must fight for greater environmental protection. Developers arrive on our beautiful shores with the promises of “jobs, jobs and more jobs” and we fall silent. It seems like we are rarely consulted before development begins. The public receives very little information about a proposed club or resort’s impact to wetlands, coastlines and
beach access until after approval is granted. By then, it’s too late. In the case of the Royal Caribbean Beach Club project on Paradise Island and any other massive projects in the pipeline, we still have time. RCI has left a number of questions unanswered. For this project and others like it, we must have real oversight and greater public input. I commend Protect Our Islands Fund (POIF), Save the Bays and other similar organizations for continuing to fight for our environmental rights. More of us must join them and support POIF’s online petition. How are we comfortable loaning out our Crown Land for pennies on the dollars for the next 150 years? Hiking on many of the Family Islands, I saw oil spills that impacted wetlands, coastal erosion not only by hurricanes but by building in or close to sea beds as was the case on one island where a resort and golf course were supposed to be constructed. I saw major tracks removed from the sea bed, trees destroyed and some historical artifacts ruined. Access to the beach? Denied. To date, no jobs were created. The development has yet to be completed. Equipment was left to rust in the sun and nothing more has been said or done. The property is now an overgrown wasteland. On another island, developers began marking out their territory long before
the public saw any plans or environmental impact assessments. Yet, another done deal. We cannot continue to make the same mistakes over and over again. We are losing too many of our shorelines to mega resorts and private home owners. If this trend continues, pollution followed by poor air quality will surely affect us for generations to come. The environment of all our islands must be protected. We must call on all governments to stop fast tracking major development. Stop leasing Crown land willy-nilly. Stop aiding pollution, coastal erosion and mangroves destruction. Stop selling off our beaches and coastlines. Protecting and caring for our environment is a battle we must all join. We must advocate for stronger environmental laws. We must demand public access to all environmental impact assessments for major foreign developments before they are approved, and we must stop selling off our coastlines. We must hold all governments to account so that they can hold developers accountable. And we, as citizens, must ensure that the public has a say when new, multi-million-dollar projects are proposed. Yes, we must fight for all things in this country. If we fail to fight, our failure could prove to be fatal. DENISE MORTIMER Nassau, December 20, 2021.
THE SUNDIAL near the Legislative Building is shown just after dusk yesterday at the Capitol in Olympia, Washington. Yesterday was Winter Solstice and the shortest day of the year. Although it wasn’t visible in the sky, the sun set just before 4.30pm yesterday. Photo: Ted S Warren/AP Jamaal Rolle is on holiday
Go tell it on the mountain EDITOR, The Tribune.
IN MY late teen age years I discovered the literary works of the late James Baldwin, a prolific African American writer and novelist. He wrote many books that became best sellers. One of his classics was: “Go tell it on the Mountain”. It described the path to emancipation by many black Americans back in the day. What he described therein was/is akin to conditions obtaining in The Bahamas today. Despite decades of independence we still have a great disparity in income and wealth. The rich or those connected with them are getting richer while the poor are getting poorer. The physical segregation of the races in conclaves still exist. You will never ever see a genuine white Bahamian living in an inner city area and even though so newly arrived black Bahamians may live in a gated community the apparent ease of socialisation may not necessarily exist. Real estate ownership is out of the reach of the majority of the population. access to affordable health care is beyond the reach of the masses. With the advent of the Philip “Brave” Davis administration it would seem that we Bahamians, regardless of colour may now have something to go to the mountain top and proclaim. A rational and workable response to the ongoing pandemic is being crafted even as you read this by the medical professionals under the leadership of the Hon Dr Michael Darville (PLP-Tall Pines). The long anticipated and promised National Health Care Initiative will become a reality under this government. Affordable health care for as many Bahamians as possible is critical to national productivity and wellness. Go tell it on the mountain. The economy was shuttered down by Dr Minnis and his misguided crew for almost 18 long months. The Emergency Powers Act allowed Minnis to run roughshod over Bahamians under the guise of ‘saving lives’. In the midst of the deadliest pandemic ever, Minnis, a medical doctor, appoint a non medical individual to lead efforts to combat and defeat the virus. They both crowed about “herd immunity” as if that would have been a panacea for all that ails us. Wells was voted out of his constituency big time. Minnis barely
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net clung to Killarney. Go tell it on the mountain. We see the deepening of the Inner Bar in the recent announcement that several well deserving and qualified individuals have been appointed Queen’s Counsel. I think that it was somewhere in the area of ten persons. This speaks well for the growth and progress of our legal and judicial systems. I am especially proud of the fact that Lady Sharon Wilson, the vivacious and talented wife of Sir Franklyn Wilson, former Senate President, has been elevated to this important rank. Good friend and benefactor, Obie Ferguson is also to be congratulated as well as all of the other appointees. The numbers are unprecedented. Go tell it on the mountain. The worldwide famous straw market closed for 18 months under Minnis’ watch has now reopened and vendors are back to work and earning some good money. They are again able to eke out a reasonable income and take care of themselves and families. The cruise ships are coming back and tourists are to be seen all over the downtown area. Traffic on Bay Street is backed up daily. Go tell it on the mountain. Under the Minnis regime in class room tuition was suspended and students obliged to study and learn online where they would have had access to electricity and computers. Those who lacked both are still fending for themselves. The newly installed educational team of the Hon Glenys HannaMartin (PLP-Englerston), Minister of Education; Science & Technology, and the Hon Minister of State in that ministry, Zane Lightbourne (PLP-Yamacraw) have hit the ground running since September’s general elections. It is anticipated, barring any unforeseen glitches, that in person teaching will resume in January, 2022. What a relief that would be for all stakeholders. Go tell it on the mountain. Vat will be reduced down to 10%. Some complain that certain goods that would have previously been exempted from attracting VAT will now attract the lowered 10% rate and negatively affect the ‘poor’. I beg to differ. It was always recommended by the New Zealand consultants that there should
be No Exemptions and that VAT should have been pegged @ 15% from its inception. The Christie led administration established it at 7.5%. Minnis in opposition cussed Christie stink and accused the old PLP of seeking to get a grip on the economy by excessive taxation. The minute he got into office he and crew increased VAT to 12% with little consultation. Now Brave will reduce it to 10%. Go tell it on the mountain. Under Minnis’ regime, parties; large gatherings; weddings; funerals and even church services were grossly restricted. Thousands of Bahamians were unable to send off their loved ones in traditional fashion. Church services were limited and the worship of God was curtailed under the Emergency Powers Act. Almost immediately upon coming to office Brave and his cabinet changed much of the above. It is, indeed, a New Day. Go tell it on the mountain. Shifting the direction of governance of any nation cannot be an easy exercise, but one is able to feel and senses a new direction. I do not agree that motorist whose vehicles were exempted from being licensed during the life of the Emergency Powers Act should not be subjected to being ticketed at this time of the year. The economy is just beginning to show signs of life and people are going back to work or starting businesses. Additional funding is being sourced for SMBs and while the Canadian banks are reducing their physical footprint here in The Bahamas our own national bank, The Bank of The Bahamas is rapidly expanding. I am firmly convinced that there is much that we can go and tell on the mountain as we prepare to exit this momentous and game changing year of 2021. Next year, 2022, if The Lord Jesus Christ continues to tarry, will he a banner year for the entire nation. In short order we will strike a viable deal for the divestment of Our Lucaya and the redevelopment of the port in Freeport and the one here in New Providence. Good and affordable government subdivisions and homes will come on stream. Rationalisation will be brought to the National Insurance Board and manna may even fall from Heaven. Go tell it on the mountain. ORTLAND H BODIE, Jr Nassau, December 21, 2021.
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, December 22, 2021, PAGE 7
Facebook con artist jailed for four years By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net CONVICTED con artist Shane Mackey will spend four years in prison for defrauding several people of more than $30,000 in connection with a Facebook Marketplace scam that occurred earlier this year. The 40-year-old received the sentence from Magistrate Kendra Kelly yesterday, a month after he pleaded guilty to nine counts of fraud and one count of attempted fraud for actions he committed between August and October 2021. According to court documents, Mackey defrauded Pleshette Mackey of $5,500 cash between September and October; Angelique CartwrightStuart of $2,200 between September 24 and September 25; Wayde Collins of $6,200 between August 3 and August 31; Roderick Carey of $5,000 on August 26; Darvin Russell of $3,000 on September 17; Jillian Edgecombe of $6,250 between August 17 and August 18 and Ali Zarazek of $4,250 on August 5. He also tried to defraud Pleshette Mackey of another $1,800 on October 8.
Magistrate Kelly told the court she found Mackey’s actions unacceptable. She said because of his fraudulent scheme, a number of innocent people no longer have access to their stolen funds. She also noted that Mackey had previous convictions of a similar nature, a fact she said that she had to take into consideration to assist with her sentencing. As a result, Mackey was sentenced to four years in prison. He was also ordered to compensate the six victims $32,400 within 60 days after his release. Magistrate Kelly warned him that failure to comply will result in an additional year in prison on each count of which he is charged for defrauding the individuals. During yesterday’s hearing, the 40-year-old asked the court to reduce the sentence to three years, but this was rejected by the magistrate. She informed Mackey that if he didn’t agree with her decision, he has the right to appeal it within seven days. Also appearing before Magistrate Kelly yesterday was 43-year-old Allen Mortimer, a former athlete. Mortimer was sentenced to two years in prison after he pleaded guilty to ten
counts of unlawful possession and one count of fraud by false pretences for actions he committed in July of this year. According to court documents, Mortimer was found with several items, including a hair removal tool, premium stove top and 32-inch flat screen television among other items, which were believed to have been stolen. Before delivering her judgment, Magistrate Kelly said while she took into consideration Mortimer’s plea for leniency, she could not overlook the fact he had several convictions of a similar nature, some of which were recent. The magistrate said his recent offences showed he was not trying to change his behaviour. As a result, Mortimer was sentenced to a year in prison for the unlawful possession charges and another year for fraud. However, Magistrate Kelly said she took into account the time he spent on remand and his sentence was subsequently reduced to one year and five months. Mortimer was also ordered to compensate Sky Vantage Corporation for the $1,000 he defrauded the company out of. Magistrate Kelly warned him that failure to do so would result in an additional year behind bars.
SIX MONTHS IN JAIL FOR $60 GROCERY THIEF By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net A 36-YEAR-OLD man who stole over $60 worth of supplies from a local grocery and retail store earlier this month and gave officers a fake name was sentenced to six months in prison yesterday. Sunny Brown, who initially claimed to be Terrence Adderley, was charged before Magistrate Kendra Kelly on Monday with stealing after officers caught him with three
packs of unpaid for Airwick mixed essential oils while he was leaving Cost Right on December 17. During his first appearance before Magistrate Kelly, Brown admitted to the offence. However, his sentencing was deferred after prosecutor Sgt Vernon Pyfrom told the court he needed to verify the accused’s identity which was later confirmed to be Sunny Brown. During yesterday’s hearing, Magistrate Kelly reprimanded Brown for
giving officers a false name, describing the offence as an egregious one. However, when given the chance to speak, Brown told the court he lied out of shame and also admitted to having a drug problem. As a result, Brown was charged with deceit of a public officer and sentenced to three months behind bars for the offence. He was further sentenced to an additional three months for the stealing offence and ordered to attend drug counselling.
FIREARMS IMPORT SUSPECT REMANDED By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
A 36-YEAR-OLD man was remanded to prison yesterday after he was accused of conspiring to import several firearms in the country over a nearly
three-year period. Larry Burrows appeared before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt charged with 15 counts of conspiracy to import a firearm. Police said the accused, along with others, agreed to import several firearms
in The Bahamas between November 2017 to September 2020. During yesterday’s hearing, Burrows denied the offences and the matter was adjourned to January 17 for a bail hearing. He was remanded into custody until that time.
PAGE 8, Wednesday, December 22, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
Touching the lives of many to help us create a better, fairer world ON WEDNESDAY of last week, bell hooks — who chose to write her name in lowercase letters to encourage people to focus on her work — died at her home in Berea, Kentucky at the age of 69. Feminist, writer, teacher, radical thinker, she touched the lives of many, encouraging deeper ways of thinking and engaging the world while working intentionally to keep her work accessible. Engaging in pop culture, bell hooks was relatable even while she was a critic. She did not obscure the truth in favour of being liked or popular. In fact, she shared positions that upset large fandoms and
FEMINIST, writer, teacher and radical thinker bell hooks.
Funeral Service for
Sean D. Pratt L.F.D&E, C.E.O
Villard Marcellus Brown, 82 Of Coconut Grove Avenue, will be held on Thursday, December 23rd, 2021, 12:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church, Market Street. Officiating will be Rev. Dr. Diana Francis, and other ministers of the gospel. Interment will follow in the Woodlawn Gardens Cemetery, Woodlawn Way and Soldier Roads, Nassau, Bahamas. Left to cherish his memories are, his wife: Melila Louidor; Sons: Tony Brown, William Brown, Tony Louidor, Dr. Emmanuel George (the life of the family) and Vincent Pettie; Daughters: Louzilia Jean, Villiane Brown, Jocelyn Brown, Rosalee Brown, Sharlene Brown, Yelene, Yolanda Joseph (deceased) and Florence Louidor; Adopted Children: Emmanuel Brown, Kenny Brown, and Emilia George; Grandchildren: Veniqua, Ashanti, Matarrie Isaiah Jean, Royalty Louidor Xayah Ferguson, Willnesha & Kayden Brown, Marvin and Nesley Tilme, Greatschiada and Kirkwood Poteau, Adlesha Pierre, Asia Evans, Willy, Meline and Tisha Joseph, Kebby, Shalton, Andrea, Toniqua, Jayden, Toniesha Brown, Alexia and Warren Louidor and Katrina Brown, Dieula Fenelus, Willy and William Anulus, Brenden Brown, Shaniece Williams, Kesha Williams, Tanisha Williams, Khareem Oliver, Isaiah, Makela and Malek Dorgil, Emmanuel Brown Jr., Isabelle Brown, Mandy Seymour, Shad Brown, Louisael Mesadieu, Cedner, Angelo and Darnell Calixte, Chervin, Darniska, Shameka, Cayden George; Great Grandchildren: Quentaisha Milford and Peyton Tilme, Tayless McKinney, Zacaria and Nesley Tilme Jr. Indya Fragilus, Keiari Poteau, Renesha Moss, Arlington Brown Jr., Olivia Mathurin, Christina Johnson and Eboni Johnson, Kenson Deronio, Ethan, Liam, Dereck and Wilkens Fenelus, Williesha Joseph, and Clinton Evans; Brother: Dino Brown Sr.; In-laws: Ancelot Jean, Jason Clarke, Patrick Poteau, Vanessa Brown, and Adley Pierre, Nieces: Dina, Shalda, Lucille, Gayline and Melony; Nephews: Harold, Franky, Rico, Sonny, De’Vano and Dina Brown Jr. (Deceased); Grand Nieces & Nephews: Kenya, Shaquille, Alexandria, Dion, Christopher, Destiny, Deaja, Gary, Armani, Eva, Jamesly, Maark, Kenny, Tamico, Diniesha, D’Jonae, D’jaette, Dinjinique, Harinique, Jayden, D’shawn, Kensly, Tino, Iesha, Ashley Isabella. Special Friends Family: Tomeka Hepburn & Family, The Pinders Family, Oscar & Family, The Market Street Family, Anelus Family, Darville Family, Sawyer Family, Patrick Ferguson & Family, Petra Clarke Family Moss Yard, Key West Street Family, Kevin, Kekete Presil & Paul Lubin, Alrie Family, Coconut Grove Family, Dales Satieny, Darlene Jospeh, Livingston Taylor, Cowboy, Gary Calixte, Melissa Calixte, Bejamin Dieujuste, Marie Dieujuste, Patricia Coakley Family, Ronald Yacinthe, Christine Etienne, Nacilian Yacinthe, Felicia Marcellus, Lexilien Yacinthe, Debby Marcellus, Dorelle and Family, Wardnell Pierre, Antide Pierre, Steven Taylor and Family, Walles Francois, Lolita Francois and other relatives and friends too numerous to mention. May His Soul Rest in Peace! Please forgive us if we inadvertently excluded your name. We thank everyone for your prayers and support during this time. Relatives and friends may pay their last respects in the “Rudolph Pratt Memorial Suite” at Amethyst Memorial, #534 East Street South (opposite Fresh Auto Car Lot) on Wednesday, December 22nd, 2021, from 10: 00a.m to 5:00p.m. Due to current Government regulations in respect of Covid-19, masks and social distancing are required and will be strictly enforced. There will be no viewing at the church.
By Alicia Wallace
this did not deter her. She love and, a few days ago, knew what she knew. Even someone commented that it if some people disagreed is such a special thing, as we and most people rejected grieve her death, we are all her positions without actu- talking about love. I have read and shared ally considering them, she decided it was important to many of the quotes others think anyway, to share her posted over the past week. thoughts anyway, to pro- I plan to reread a few of voke other people to think her books in the coming and discuss anyway. She weeks. One book club I am was not trapped by real- in has decided to select one of her books for ity as she knew January, and I it; instead, she ‘We have lost am sure many sought to create others are doing a new one. That a lot but we the same. As is the leap we all are pressing we head into need to take in on. Some of us the holidays, order to create talk of love, a better, more are suffering joy, and peace silently, not sustainable, abounds, so it is equitable world. wanting to fitting to share In May 1997, bell hooks wrote burden anyone some of bell hooks’ words, to a cover story else with ponder, to read on Lil’ Kim for our pain, not to others, and to Paper. In her act upon. Here interview with wanting to are five quotes Lil’ Kim, she appear weak, said: “We have not wanting to from bell hooks that, if you like, a lot of things in can guide you common. We’re be the topic of through the holiboth into being anyone else’s days and into bad girls, into conversation. 2022 with new fashion, into intentions. talking on the We often try 1. “Rarely, down low. So to heal on if ever, are any I’ve been really of us healed in pissed off.” She our own. The isolation. Healwent on to tell truth is that ing is an act of Lil’ Kim how we need help.’ communion.” other people had been talking about We have been through a her, and she suggested it difficult year. In fact, it has was unfair because women been a difficult two years should be able to talk about and for many reasons. From sex without being labelled Hurricane Dorian to the bad or immoral. She later COVID-19 pandemic, our asked her about the view lives have been impacted that she is “an example of in ways many of us never sexy feminism”. When Lil thought possible. We have Kim replied that people lost a lot but we are pressthink she set back women’s ing on. Some of us are liberation, bell hooks told suffering silently, not wanther she disagreed with that ing to burden anyone else position, but encouraged with our pain, not wanting to appear weak, not her to go on. The interview is interest- wanting to be the topic of ing and still relevant today, anyone else’s conversation. especially as we consider We often try to heal on our the reception of rappers own. The truth is that we like Cardi B and Megan need help. We need people Thee Stallion. It is an exam- to assure us that they ple of taking a feminist understand, that they know approach to a pop culture it is hard, that they will moment, icon and conver- help us through, and that sation, using real life and there is joy and comfort existing points and people on the other side. We need of interest to engage people to commiserate, to share intellectually. The example ideas, and work together to bell hooks set is still being build a different reality. We followed today by black need community. Rememfeminists who saw the value ber that you do not have in her work, her approach to be silent in your pain or and her engagement with struggle. Cultivate healthy the public. In this way, we relationships and trust your have not lost bell hooks. loved ones to support you Her influence is here, her when you need it most. 2. “Usually we imagwords stay with us and the future she helped us to ine that true love will be imagine is ours to continue intensely pleasurable and romantic, full of love and to create. Following the news of light. In truth, true love her death, there was an is all about work[…] The outpouring of love for her. essence of true love is People, especially black mutual recognition—two women, talked about the individuals seeing each ways her work impacted other as they really are.” their lives and work. Many True love is many things. bell hooks quotes are being It can feel like magic. At shared now and it is like a some point, however, there bell hooks festival as many are decisions to be made, of us read them for the first truths to be revealed, and time or for the hundredth changes to observe and contime, sitting in gratitude, front. It is not always easy. even in the midst of grief. To truly love is to see the Much of her writing was on other person and to show
yourself to them. Vulnerability is challenging, but it opens us up to the kind of love we deserve. Spend time being authentic, peeling back layers, and finding love in the truth of who you are and who you are with. Pretending and hiding is far too much work for too little gain anyway. 3. “Everyone needs to have a balanced life. Being balanced is crucial because it helps us not to overextend or to try to live up to other people’s expectations in ways that leave you feeling empty.” At this time of year, many people are making resolutions for the new year. We are going to workout more, save more money, cook more of our own meals, read more books, and scale up our side hustles. More, more, more. That tends to be the focus. Think about what you can do less. How can you save time? How can you prevent burnout? What sources of stress can you eliminate? We need to think about the value our activities and commitments bring to our lives. We need to strive for balance. Spend some time assessing your life and identifying the changes you can make to give yourself joy and peace outside of meeting other people’s needs, often to your own detriment. 4. “Hope is essential to any political struggle for radical change when the overall social climate promotes disillusionment and despair.” One of the things that keeps us from making progress is the thought that nothing can or will ever change, no matter what we do. This is a tool of oppression. We have the ability, particularly in community with each other and a shared vision, to create the change we need. Believe it. 5. “Knowing how to be solitary is central to the art of loving. When we can be alone, we can be with others without using them as a means of escape.” Sometimes we allow ourselves to be absorbed by relationships. They can take our time and attention, and we can use them to keep us from confronting ourselves. We deserve to know and be with ourselves. We deserve to be loved and have our company enjoyed outside of being someone’s illusion, procrastination, or distraction. If you have not been alone for a long time, it may be time to think about why that is, particularly if you are not able to define yourself for yourself or describe yourself outside of a relationship.
2022 AS A DREAM HOUSE
Last week, I read about bell hooks’ dream house for the first time. In high school, her art class was asked to build a dream house. Her articulation of the process is what I found most interesting. She wrote: “I began this assignment by making a list of all the aspects of a house I found most compelling: stairways, window seats, hidden nooks and crannies.” She explained: “On paper, my house exposed and revealed my obsessions. I was a constant reader[…]” Her dream house had many spaces where she could read, in private. She described it as “a place for the fulfilment of desire, a place with no sense of necessity.” What a dream. If your 2022 is a house, what elements would make it fit for the purpose of fulfilling your innermost desires? Perhaps your resolutions should start there—with the rooms and features that make you want to spend time there and allow you to do what your heart desires. I challenge you to design your dream house (or the year 2022) and start building it now.
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, December 22, 2021, PAGE 9
TECHTALK
HOW TO PREVENT MASS EXTINCTION IN THE OCEAN USING AI, ROBOTS AND 3D PRINTERS
FAA LICENSE BOOSTS GEORGIA SPACEPORT, BUT MORE REVIEWS AHEAD
WE will not meet biodiversity goals without harnessing new technologies. David Burdick/WorldFish, CC BY-NC-ND By SALEEM MUSTAFA Professor, Distinguished Fellow, University Malaysia Sabah theconversation.com THE ocean is the most defining physical feature of Earth, covering 71% of the surface of this planet. It is home to incredible biodiversity, ranging from microscopic bacteria and viruses to the largest animal on Earth, the blue whale. We still do not know how many species live in the ocean, but the disappearance of an increasing number of them suggests that extinction is taking place, perhaps at a faster rate than on land. The stakes for ocean biodiversity have never been higher than they are this decade, and now more than ever, we need results. A widely promoted target is to bring 30% of marine area under protection by 2030 – a major step that will contribute a great deal to marine biodiversity. But how can the world achieve it? •T HE NEED FOR NEW SOLUTIONS Saving the ocean will require a firm commitment from maritime countries.
There will be no single solution but a mix of several approaches to be applied, and we don’t have the luxury of time in which to do it. One measure that can be enforced without delay is slashing any form of government incentive that supports unsustainable fishing. Instead, allocated funds should be invested in sustainable aquaculture. Nature-based solutions that are historically rooted in sustainable conservation management, such as habitat-integrated fishing (a technique designed to preserve the ecosystem while fishing), are fundamentally important but cannot measure up to the challenge facing the ocean. It is in this context that the application of emerging technologies and eco-engineering solutions become most relevant. Older technology has driven human capacity to exploit resources, but emerging technologies have the potential to undo some of the damage to the ocean ecosystem. •T HE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY There is currently no possibility of the world reaching
the 30% target for marine protected areas (MPAs) with existing policies and systems of governance. Most countries have declared MPAs in their exclusive economic zones but due to poor enforcement the coverage, only 2.7% of the ocean can be considered highly protected. The reason for this is simple: most countries cannot afford the large number of marine park rangers and navigational equipment required to enforce the protection of these areas. But there is hope. Specific new technologies have enormous capacity to help the world reach its ocean targets. These technologies include sensors, drones, robots and artificial intelligence, all of which can use real-time information on ocean conditions and human activities to respond at a speed never seen before. Imagine a robotic fish equipped with sensors and AI collecting data in difficult-to-access ocean depths, or under rough conditions in the high seas, following marine creatures whose lifestyles are currently unknown
to humans and detecting biodiversity hotspots, as well as sources of pollution and illegal fishing. Other technology-driven solutions are already in use today. Drones are increasingly used in real-time monitoring of ocean fisheries, including the operation of fishing vessels. Habitat mapping and thermal imaging using infrared cameras are currently being deployed to survey populations of Atlantic scallops and tracking of whales in their migration. 3D-printed corals and seawalls made up of sustainable and environmentally friendly tiles are already available and in use, while 3D-printed substrates offer a stable foundation for newly planted seagrass beds or coral reefs. • MAKING IT HAPPEN Deploying emerging technologies at scale can make a huge difference in exploring the ocean and protecting marine life. Effectively enforced MPAs will contribute significantly to the replenishment of marine biodiversity and
HUBBLE TELESCOPE’S BIGGER AND MORE POWERFUL SUCCESSOR TO SOAR By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The Hubble Space Telescope’s successor is a time-traveling wonder capable of peering back to within a hair’s breadth of the dawn of the universe. And it’s finally on the brink of flight. It will be the biggest and most powerful astronomical observatory ever to leave the planet, elaborate in its design and ambitious in its scope. At a budget-busting $10 billion, it is the most expensive and also the trickiest, by far, to pull off. Set to soar after years of delay, the James Webb Space Telescope will seek out the faint, twinkling light from the first stars and galaxies, providing a glimpse into cosmic creation. Its infrared eyes will also stare down black holes and hunt for alien worlds, scouring the atmospheres of planets for water and other possible hints of life. “That’s why it’s worth taking risks.
That’s why it’s worth the agony and the sleepless nights,” NASA’s science mission chief Thomas Zurbuchen said in an interview with The Associated Press. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said he’s more nervous now than when he launched on space shuttle Columbia in 1986. “There are over 300 things, any one of which goes wrong, it is not a good day,” Nelson told the AP. “So the whole thing has got to work perfectly.” Liftoff from the coast of French Guiana in South America was set for Friday but has been postponed for at least a day, until Christmas at the earliest, because of high wind. The Webb telescope is so big that it had to be folded origami-style to fit into the nose cone of the European Ariane rocket. Its light-collecting mirror is the size of several parking spots and its sunshade the size of a tennis court. Everything needs to be unfolded once the spacecraft is speeding toward its perch 1 million
play a major role in rebuilding depleted fishery stocks and building resilience against the effects of climate change. To take advantage of the promise of technology, we will need advanced systems and platforms to be put in place, and this requires budgetary allocations and international agreements. The UN Convention on Biological Diversity contains five goals and 20 targets for preventing species loss, known as Aichi Biodiversity Targets. The Conference of the Parties, which is the governing body of the convention, should now review the progress of these targets, determine the causes for failures in implementation and suggest how to address continued biodiversity loss with technology. We need new governance TOP PAID iPHONE APPS inecraft, Mojang structures and consensus on 1. M action and accountability. 2. Bloons TD 6, Ninja Countries need to be able Kiwi to share information and 3. H eads Up!, Warner verifiable data metrics to Bros. track progress on preserving 4. Geometry Dash, ocean biodiversity. RobTop Games AB When all these activities Procreate Pocket, 5. and actions are in place, it Savage Interactive Pty will be nothing less than a Ltd revolution for the ocean.
THIS photo from 2020 shows the main mirror assembly of the James Webb Space Telescope during testing at a Northrop Grumman facility in Redondo Beach, Calif. (Chris Gunn/NASA via AP)
miles (1.6 million kilometres) away. “We’ve been waiting a long time for this,” said the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s planet hunter Sara Seager. “Webb will move our search for life forward, but to find signs of life we have to be incredibly lucky.” Named after the man who led NASA during the space-trailblazing 1960s, the 7-tonne James Webb Space Telescope is 100 times more powerful than Hubble. The 31-year-old Hubble — increasingly creaky but still churning out celestial glamour shots — focuses on visible and ultraviolet light, with just a smattering of infrared light. As an infrared or heat-sensing telescope, Webb will see things Hubble
KINGSLAND, Ga. (AP) — A federal agency on Monday granted a license for a launchpad that would fly commercial rockets from coastal Georgia. The Federal Aviation Administration’s approval of a launch site operator license for Spaceport Camden marks a significant milestone for the Georgia space project, though many reviews and permits are needed before any rockets can actually launch. A Camden County leader said Monday that the project propels Georgia into the space race that’s seen civilians and celebrities flown into space in recent months. “This once in a generation opportunity will provide a new frontier of economic prosperity for Camden, the region and the state of Georgia,” Steve Howard, Camden County Administrator and Spaceport Camden executive project lead, said in a statement after the FAA’s decision was announced. “Georgia is part of the new space race, and we will become one of the leaders,” Howard added. Even with the license, the FAA says that more comprehensive reviews would be needed before any rockets can be launched.
can’t, providing “an entirely new perspective on the universe that will be just as awe-inspiring,” said Nikole Lewis, deputy director of Cornell University’s Carl Sagan Institute. Webb will attempt to look back in time 13.7 billion years, a mere 100 million years after the universeforming Big Bang as the original stars were taking shape. Scientists are eager to see how closely, if at all, these initial galaxies resemble our modern day Milky Way. To out hustle Hubble, Webb requires a considerably bigger mirror spanning 21 feet (6.5 metres). It also needs a canopy large enough to keep sunshine and even reflections from the Earth and moon off the mirror and science instruments. The shiny, five-layered thin shade stretches 70 feet by 46 feet (21 metres by 14 metres), essential for keeping all four instruments in a constant subzero state — around minus 400 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 240 degrees Celsius).
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PAGE 10, Wednesday, December 22, 2021
Putin blames West amid rising tensions MOSCOW Associated Press
THE Russian president yesterday reiterated his demand for guarantees from the US and its allies that NATO will not expand eastwards, blaming the West for “tensions that are building up in Europe”. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s speech at a meeting with Russia’s top military brass came just days after Moscow submitted draft security documents demanding that NATO deny membership to Ukraine and other former Soviet countries and roll back the alliance’s military deployments in Central and Eastern Europe. The demands — contained in a proposed Russia-US security treaty and a security agreement between Moscow and NATO — were drafted amid soaring tensions over a Russian troop buildup near Ukraine that has stoked fears of a possible invasion. Russia has denied it has plans to attack its neighbor but pressed for legal guarantees that would rule out NATO expansion and weapons deployment there. Putin charged yesterday that if US and NATO missile systems appear in Ukraine, it will take those missiles only minutes to reach Moscow. “For us, it is the most serious challenge — a challenge to our security,” he said, adding that this is why the Kremlin needs “long-term, legally binding guarantees” from the West, as opposed to “verbal assurances, words and promises” that Moscow can’t trust. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington is working with its European allies to address what he called “Russian aggression” with diplomacy but said President Joe Biden opposes the kind of guarantees sought by Putin. “The president has been extremely clear for many, many years about some basic principles that no one is moving back on: the principle that one country does not have the right to change by force the borders of another, that one country does not have the right to dictate the policies of another or to tell that that country with whom they may associate,” Blinken told reporters in Washington. “One country does not have the right to exert a sphere of influence. That notion should be relegated to the dustbin of history.” Putin noted that NATO has expanded eastward since the late 1990s while giving assurances that Russia’s worries were groundless. “What is happening now, tensions that are building up in Europe, is their (US and NATO’s) fault every step of the way,” the Russian leader said. “Russia has
RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin addresses a meeting of the Russian Defence Ministry Board at the National Defence Control Centre in Moscow, Russia, yesterday. Photo: Mikhail Tereshchenko/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP been forced to respond at every step. The situation kept worsening and worsening, deteriorating and deteriorating. And here we are today, in a situation when we’re forced to resolve it somehow.” Russia’s relations with the US sank to post-Cold War lows after it annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 and backed a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine that still controls territory there. Tensions reignited in recent weeks after Moscow massed tens of thousands of troops near Ukraine’s border. Putin has pressed the West for guarantees that NATO will not expand to Ukraine or deploy its forces there and raised the issue during a video call with US President Joe Biden two weeks ago. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu charged yesterday that more than 120 staff of US private military companies are currently operating in two villages in war-torn eastern Ukraine, training Ukrainian troops and setting up firing positions in residential buildings and different facilities. Putin said the US “should understand we have nowhere to retreat”. “What they are now trying to do and plan to do at Ukraine’s territory, it’s not thousands of
REP SCOTT PERRY, R-Pa, pictured in August.
PERRY DENIES JAN 6 PANEL REQUEST FOR AN INTERVIEW WASHINGTON Associated Press
REPUBLICAN Rep Scott Perry of Pennsylvania on Tuesday rebuffed a request for him to sit down for an interview and turn over documents to the House panel investigating the January 6 US Capitol insurrection, joining other allies of former President Donald Trump in trying to stonewall the committee. “I stand with immense respect for our Constitution, the Rule of Law, and the Americans I represent who know that this entity is illegitimate, and not duly constituted under the rules of the US House of Representatives,” Perry said in a statement. In a letter to Perry on Monday night, Mississippi Rep Bennie Thompson, the Democratic chairman of the panel, said the panel had received evidence from multiple witnesses, including then-acting Attorney
General Jeffrey Rosen and then-acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue, that Perry had “an important role” in efforts to install Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark as acting attorney general. The lawmaker’s refusal will test how far the committee is willing to go in its quest for information as members have so far resisted subpoenaing one of their own as they investigate the insurrection by Trump’s supporters and his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. The letter is the first time the panel has publicly released a request to a fellow member of Congress as the members inquire about the details of Perry and other congressional Republicans who met with Trump ahead of the Capitol attack and strategised about how they could block the results at the January 6 electoral count.
kilometers away, it’s happening right at the doorstep of our house,” he said. Putin added that Moscow hopeds “constructive, meaningful talks with a visible end result — and within a certain time frame — that would ensure equal security for all”. “Armed conflicts, bloodshed is not our choice, and we don’t want such developments. We want to resolve issues by political and diplomatic means,” Putin said. US Assistant Secretary of State Karen Donfried, the top US diplomat for Europe, said at a briefing yesterdy that Washington is “prepared to discuss those proposals that Russia put on the table”. “There are some things we’re prepared to work on, and we do believe there is merit in having discussion,” Donfried told reporters after a visit to Kyiv, Moscow and Brussels. “There are other things in those documents that the Russians know will be unacceptable,” she added, without specifying which ones. Donfried said bilateral USRussia meetings are likely to happen in January, and talks within NATO-Russia Council, as well as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, are likely to see movement in January as well.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said yesterday that he intends to call a new meeting of the NATO-Russia Council as soon as possible in the New Year. “Any dialogue with Russia needs to be based on the core principles of European security and to address NATO’s concerns about Russia’s actions,” Stoltenberg said. Yesterday evening, Putin talked about Russia’s proposals in phone calls with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. According to the Kremlin, Putin informed Macron about Moscow’s “diplomatic efforts on the subject,” and gave Scholz “detailed comments” on the drafts Russia-US security treaty and a security agreement between Russia and NATO submitted last week. In the conversation with Scholz, “hope was expressed that serious negotiations would be organised on all the issues raised by” Moscow, the readout said. The conflict in eastern Ukraine was also discussed in both phone calls, with Putin claiming that Kyiv was reluctant to implement the Minsk agreements — a peace deal brokered by France and Germany in 2015 that helped end large-scale hostilities in the region.
THE TRIBUNE
NYC MAYOR: ‘NO MORE SHUTDOWNS’
NEW York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he’s committed to keeping the city open as it grapples with a huge spike in coronavirus cases. The Democrat said Tuesday that New York can’t see schools and businesses close again like they did when COVID-19 first hit the city in 2020. De Blasio has faced questions over the past week about whether he would reinstate closures as the omicron variant surges in the city. “Adamantly I feel this: No more shutdowns. We’ve been through them,” de Blasio said at a virtual news conference yesterday. “They were devastating. We can’t go through it again.” De Blasio, in the waning days of his term as mayor, will decide by Christmas whether the annual New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square will continue as planned. The event was small and socially distanced last year but de Blasio had hoped to hold it this year at “full strength.” That was before reports of COVID19 cases ramped up again.
NO VERDICT YET IN WRIGHT SHOOTING CASE JURORS weighing the case of the suburban Minneapolis police officer who shot and killed Black motorist Daunte Wright asked the judge after a full day of deliberations yesterday what they should do if they can’t reach a verdict. Judge Regina Chu told them to continue working. The jurors resumed deliberations for about 90 more minutes, then ended for the day shortly after 6pm. The jury also deliberated for about five hours on Monday. Former Brooklyn Center officer Kim Potter, who is white, is charged with first- and second-degree manslaughter. If convicted of the most serious charge, Potter, 49, would face a sentence of about seven years under state guidelines, though prosecutors have said they will seek more. Potter said she meant to use her Taser on Wright rather than her gun, and the jurors also asked if they could remove zip ties keeping Potter’s gun in an evidence box so they could hold it. The judge said they could.
SPORTS PAGE 11
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2021
Clarke vs Mackey in final By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
W
ith a limited field of players in the women’s draw, top two seeds Sydney Clarke and Elana Mackey - both back home from college - made quick work of their opponents in their respective semifinal matches, advancing to today’s final of the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s 2021 Giorgio Baldacci Open Nationals. But kicking off today’s action at the National Tennis Centre at 9am, brothers Baker and Spencer Newman will clash in one half of the men’s semi-finals and veteran Marvin Rolle will square off against collegian Donte Armbrister in the other half of the draw. While Baker Newman is the men’s top seed, Rolle is No.2, Spencer Newman
is No.3 and Armbrister is No.4. All four have represented the Bahamas on the men’s team for Davis Cup where Rolle has been the longest active player and now team captain. The top two players who advance to the championship will automatically qualify for the Davis Cup team for 2022. By virtue of securing their berths into the final, Clarke and Mackey will be back on the Billie Jean King Cup team, formerly the Fed Cup. Before the teams travel, the BLTA intends to hold another tournament to select the remainder of both teams. Hopefully, some of the top players who opted not to participate in the Open Nationals this week will show up to earn the final two spots on both teams. For Clarke, she moved one match away from defending her title after she knocked off former
SYDNEY Clarke in action yesterday during the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s Giorgio Baldacci Open Nationals. Photo: Racardo Thomas/Tribune Staff Billie Jean King Cup teammate Sierra Donaldson 6-1, 6-1. It was Clarke’s first match of the tournament
after she was awarded a bye in the first round. “I set goals. I had some plans and I think I executed them
very well,” said Clarke, who returned home from the University of Alabama at Birmingham to provide a charitable food give-away for the Bahamas Children’s Emergency Hostel on Saturday. “I felt my execution was good. I was a little bit flat at times, but I got a chance to redeem myself.” Clarke, 20, was referring to Donaldson, who broke her in the first set for a 4-1 deficit and to start the second set. “Those moments, I had a lot of them, so I would have been really disappointed if I didn’t pull through,” she said. “I just knew I had to take my time and regroup and I would eventually win it.” If she can execute the way she did and remain focused mentally, Clarke said she is confident that she can prevail again when she takes on Mackey at 10:30am.
SEE PAGE 12
‘Buddy’ scores 18 points, but Kings fall to Warriors 113-98 By JANIE MCCAULEY AP Sports Writer SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors gave his son an early 5th birthday gift by allowing the boy to help on the sidelines running towels, shooting shirts and masks to Warriors players along their bench. And dad delivered his first triple-double of the season to boot. Green notched his franchise-leading 31st career triple-double with 16 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists with Draymond Jr an equally big star as Golden State held off the Sacramento Kings 113-98 on Monday night in a matchup of short-handed rivals because of COVID protocols. “You like that?” Green shared of his postgame chat with young Draymond Jr., or “DJ.” “It was fun, Daddy,” the boy answered before his father made clear, “We can’t do it all the time, we can do it sometimes.” Green was thrilled with the opportunity for his son,
who he praised for being “well-behaved” and doing just enough while staying out of the way. “This organisation is amazing to allow him ... to sit there and help,” Green said. “You miss so much doing this job and those are the moments where it’s all worth it. For him to have that experience, it’s special. I don’t take that for granted.” Stephen Curry had a nice night, too, scoring 30 points as the Warriors celebrated him for the 3-point record in his first home game since breaking Ray Allen’s mark. Curry received a video tribute in the first quarter with highlights of the two-time MVP setting the record during the Warriors’ 105-96 victory over the Knicks last Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. He passed Allen’s 2,973 3s that were tops for 10 years. Fans jumped to their feet during the first-quarter timeout to give the reigning scoring champion a long ovation. Curry returned to the court, patted his chest and waved to acknowledge the love and support.
ORLANDO, Florida (AP) — The moment offered great hope for the immediate future of Tiger Woods. Golf had gone all year without his blazing red shirt on Sunday and suddenly it had two of them. Woods and 12-year-old son Charlie, decked out just like Dad, headed down the 18th fairway tied for the lead in the PNC Championship, and for a moment the unthinkable seemed possible. Winning — no matter that it was a scramble — in his first tournament in the 10 months since a car crash that mangled his right leg? But then Woods missed the green to the right, both chipped too strong trying to hole it for eagle, both
missed birdie putts and par was never going to be enough. The championship belt went to John Daly and his college son. The words asked for restraint. “No, no, no, no,” Woods said with a smile. The topic was an observation from Matt Kuchar, who played with Woods in the final round and suggested that walking aside, his game and swing looked ready for the PGA Tour. “I totally disagree. I’m not at that level. I can’t compete against these guys right now. No,” Woods said. For those keeping track, that was his fifth “No.” “It’s going to take a lot of work to get to where I feel I can compete against these guys and be at a high level,” Woods said, and then he was gone.
NACAC AGE GROUP TEAM HONOURED By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net CALLING it a “Christmas gift,” Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ president Drumeco Archer gladly accepted the wrapped package of the North American, Central American and Caribbean Championship title they received from the eight-member team that competed in Nicaragua over the weekend. Archer and the BAAA executives, along with NACAC president Mike Sands and Timothy Munnings, representing the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, hosted a welcome reception for Team Bahamas at the Sapodilla Restaurant on West Bay Street. Among the athletes present were Keely Deveaux,
SEE PAGE 13
ANALYSIS: VIRUS CONCERNS CLOUD NBA CHRISTMAS SLATE By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer
KINGS guard Chavano “Buddy” Hield (24) drives to the basket against Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) on Monday. Hield had 18 points, five rebounds and two assists in 40 minutes. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn) Chavano “Buddy” Hield the final 12 minutes. And defensively and on the hit a go-ahead 3-pointer the Warriors needed a big boards, three steals, doing with 1:34 remaining in the fourth quarter to beat the what Gary does.” third before Gary Payton II Kings. Golden State missed scored five straight points, “The bench was great. starters Andrew Wiggins getting a steal — one of his Every guy who came off and Jordan Poole, with three — from Hield on the the bench played well for Damion Lee stepping into way to a layup and an 84-79 us,” coach Steve Kerr said. Warriors lead heading into “Gary was everywhere SEE PAGE 12
Column: Woods’ results inspire hope, his words offer caution By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer
Ayton, Page 12
TIGER Woods tees off on the second hole during the second round of the PNC Championship golf tournament on Sunday in Orlando, Florida. (AP Photo/Scott Audette) He at least ended the didn’t seem likely after year on an uplifting note. images of his crumpled This might not seem SUV at the bottom of a hill like much, but it was the in the Los Angeles suburbs 26th consecutive year that and words like “commiWoods played at least one nuted open fractures,” tournament as a pro. That medical speak for a bone
broken in at least three places that broke through the skin. Woods also has said amputation was on the table. Word on the medical street is the “Tiger Woods of doctors” were on duty when he was brought in. Lucky man. And then 10 months later, he and his son played bogey-free (that was one of their goals) and had a great time (that was the other goal), finished at 25-under par in 36 holes, made 11 straight birdies and nearly won the tournament. “The competitive juices, they are never going to go away,” Woods said. “This is my environment. This is what I’ve done my entire life. I’m just so thankful to be able to have this opportunity to do it again.”
SEE PAGE 14
ANTHONY Davis is injured and out for at least a month. Klay Thompson’s incredibly long recovery is not quite finished. Kyrie Irving is almost certainly not going to be ready to make his season debut. The NBA’s Christmas lineup was already going to be missing some stars. And then ... there’s COVID-19. The virus-related numbers around the league are skyrocketing, and there’s certainly a strong chance that some teams playing on Christmas this year will be without key players. Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Atlanta’s Trae Young, Golden State’s
SEE PAGE 12
NFL COULD BECOME TREND-SETTER FOR COVID-19 TESTING POLICIES By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer THE NFL’s decision to reduce COVID-19 testing for asymptomatic, vaccinated players could signal a trend for pro sports leagues and provide an example for society to follow heading into 2022. Despite a rising number of positive cases that forced three games to be rescheduled over the weekend, the NFL, in cooperation with the players’ union, agreed on Saturday to scale back testing for vaccinated players. The move aligns with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC recommends “diagnostic testing” only for symptomatic or close-contact
SEE PAGE 13
PAGE 12, Wednesday, December 22, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
BLTA
FROM PAGE 11 “I wished a lot more of the girls would have showed up, but they didn’t so I just did what I had to do,” she said. “Hopefully more of them will show up next year and the draw will be a lot better.” Back home from college at Mars Hill where she’s juggling her time with tennis and running distance races on the track and in cross country for the Lions, Mackey showed that she was in peak form as she swept aside youthful Sapphire Ferguson 6-1, 6-0. “I got off to a slow start and the wind played a factor with a lot of my balls going out, but as the match progressed, I started hitting the ball more and my shots were landing in,” Mackey said. After Ferguson held serve for a 1-1, tie, Mackey was unbeatable the rest of the match. But she admitted that she will have to bring her A game when she meets Clarke in today’s finale. “I just need to be more confident in some of my shots,” Mackey said. “I wished we had players like Kerrie (Cartwright) and Simone (Pratt) so the tournament could have been more competitive and I would have gotten more matches in.” Although she played about four tournaments before she came home, Mackey said when she returns on January 19, her season will swing into full gear and she will have to be prepared for the challenge
ELANA Mackey in action yesterday during the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s Giorgio Baldacci Open Nationals. Photo: Racardo Thomas/Tribune Staff ahead of her when they start on February 12. “They have a schedule for me where I would run in the morning and practice tennis in the afternoon when we don’t have any competition,” Mackey said. “So its been going good so far for me.” Brothers prevail On one court, Baker Newman had to battle it out with Rodney Carey Jr for a 6-3, 6-1 victory and on the other, Spencer Newman pulled off a 6-0, 6-1 decision over rising young star Michael Major Jr, Baker Newman had to rally from a 3-1 deficit after Carey Jr broke him. But once he got into a groove, he managed to complete the set without any problems, even though they had to play some long volleys.
In the second set, Carey Jr held serve for the first point, but Newman stormed back and pulled off the final six points. “He was pretty well. He played a good four-five points in that first set. The conditions were tough out here today,” Newman said. “I just kicked it in gear in my mind and in my head. I just said let’s go. I knew I could do it because I’ve been playing and practicing a lot coming here.” With some of the top players not entered, Newman said he now finds himself facing Spencer Newman in another brother match-up in today’s semifinals. “It’s always unfortunate to be on the opposite side, but we didn’t expect it to be in the semifinal. We would like for it to be in the final,”
said Newman who, at 26, is two years older than Spencer, who is 28. If there’s any consolation, in the three matches they played against each other, Baker Newman won twice. But he’s hoping to avenge his only loss at 7-6 in their last encounter. The two brothers are now situated in Delray Beach, Florida, where they train with each other. In his match against Major Jr, Spencer Newman won 6-0, 6-1. After getting blanked in the first set, Major Jr held serve for a 2-1 deficit in the second set. But Newman went on a surge to close out the match. “I played really well. He applied a lot of pressure. He’s one of our up and coming young guys who is hitting the ball,” Newman pointed out. “But it was good to get out there and pretty much dictate the match.” Faced against his brother in another epic match, Newman said he’s anticipating an all out war today. “I’ve never had to play my brother here in the semis and that is only because some of the other top players are not here,” he said. “But big dog or not, the level is just as high as ever playing my brother again. We’ll see how it goes this time around.” Waiting to see who will emerge in the final will be Rolle and Armbrister when they face off in the other semis. Rolle whitewashed Shavano Hanna 6-0, 6-0 and Armbrister got by Denali Nottage 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) in their quarter-final matches.
PHOENIX Suns’ Deandre Ayton, left, has his shot blocked by Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James during first half last night in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C Hong)
AYTON SCORES 19 POINTS IN 108-90 WIN OVER LAKERS LOS ANGELES (AP) — Devin Booker continued to distance himself from a hamstring injury that cost him seven games, scoring 24 points with nine rebounds and seven assists as the Phoenix Suns earned a 108-90 victory last night over the Los Angeles Lakers. Booker played 32 minutes and went 8 of 16 from the field one game after he was on the court for 26 minutes in his return Sunday during a blowout victory over the Charlotte Hornets. Deandre Ayton had 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Mikal Bridges scored 14 as the Suns won their fourth consecutive game and improved to 2-2 on the road since the end of their 18-game winning streak Dec. 3. LeBron James scored 34 points for the Lakers, who lost their third consecutive game as coach Frank Vogel remained in health and safety protocols for the second straight. Four Lakers players also are in protocols,
HERRO, ROBINSON LEAD HEAT TO 125-96 WIN AGAINST PACERS
BUDDY
FROM PAGE 11 the starting lineup and rookie seventh overall draft pick Jonathan Kuminga making his second straight start and second of his career before his back tightened up and he was limited to six minutes. Lee made his first six shots and finished 7 of 8 for 18 points with four 3-pointers. Tyrese Haliburton had 24 points and 11 assists to lead Sacramento, which was down six players plus interim head coach Alvin Gentry. Assistant Doug Christie stepped in as acting coach. Harrison Barnes scored 19 points against his former Warriors team, and Hield wound up with 18. STAYING SAFE Rick Celebrini, Warriors vice president of player health and performance, met with the team before the game with reminders about being vigilant to stay safe given the recent coronavirus breakouts. “It’s nerve-racking for everybody,” Kerr said. “Rick Celebrini just addressed the guys in our walkthrough about the importance of just being as smart as possible and wearing masks as often as we can and doing all the things that are recommended. It’s tough to be back in this state, but tough for everybody all over the world.” EQUIPMENT KID Green’s adorable 4-yearold son got to work as
NBA
FROM PAGE 11 Andrew Wiggins and Brooklyn teammates Kevin Durant and James Harden — all scheduled to be showcased on Christmas this year — are all sidelined right now. It’s possible each may be back soon. It’s possible some may not be back by Saturday. Nobody knows. “This is not all happening again is it,” Hawks guard Kevin Huerter tweeted, the question that has undoubtedly been on plenty of minds in recent days. Sure seems like it is. A year ago at Christmas, the pandemic was only keeping fans away from most arenas. Phrases like “health and safety protocols” or “in the protocols” weren’t truly yet part of the NBA lexicon. Now, there are more players dealing
including starting guard Avery Bradley. Russell Westbrook had 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Lakers, who were without star Anthony Davis for the second consecutive game. Davis is expected to miss at least four weeks with an MCL sprain in his left knee. James injured his left ankle with 6:05 remaining in the third quarter when he came down on the right foot of the Suns’ Jae Crowder. He remained in the game but looked hobbled the rest of the way. Chris Paul had 11 points and nine assists for the Suns, who face the Oklahoma City Thunder at home Thursday before their Christmas Day showdown in Phoenix against the Golden State Warriors. JaVale McGee had 10 points and 10 rebounds. UP NEXT Suns: Home vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday. Lakers: Home vs. the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday.
GOLDEN State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) drives to the basket against Sacramento Kings guard Chavano “Buddy” Hield (24) during the second half on Monday in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn) helper to longtime Warriors equipment guru, director of team operations Eric Housen. “Little Dray DJ, tonight he was amazing, made a couple big plays in the second half,” Payton said. The boy handed Curry his mask during the second quarter and ran to help whenever needed, folding towels and shooting shirts under Housen’s guidance. “DJ” even got a pep talk and some acknowledgment
from associate head coach Mike Brown, then a timeout dance with Juan Toscano-Anderson midway through the fourth. “DJ was really solid, his hustle up and down the sidelines was very impressive,” Kerr said. TIP-INS Kings: Joining Gentry in the health and safety protocols are Marvin Bagley III, Davion Mitchell Terence Davis, Alex Len and De’Aaron Fox. …
Richaun Holmes also missed his seventh straight game with a right eye injury. ... Christie ran 15 sets of arena stairs before the game. Warriors: Golden State is 30-1 when Green gets a triple-double. ... Kerr was named U.S. coach for the 2024 Paris Olympics and was presented with a Kerr No. 24 jersey before the game by Grant Hill. ... Andre Iguodala reached 5,000 career field goals.
... Otto Porter Jr had a career-best four blocks but thought he had five “clean.” Golden State improved to a league-best 15-2 at home. UP NEXT Kings: Host Clippers tonight having won the first two matchups this season. Warriors: Host Memphis Thursday having lost in OT in the first meeting of the season in San Francisco on October 28.
with virus-related issues than there are injuries. And the NBA knows the numbers are almost certainly going to get worse before they get better; that’s one of the reasons why they are now allowing teams to replace players who test positive without any salary cap or luxury tax repercussions. The league memo announcing that decision said the amended policy will be in effect until mid-January, at least. “We have to make these adjustments because of the situation,” Phoenix coach Monty Williams said Monday. “Teams are at a competitive disadvantage when you have to lose a guy or two. Some of these teams, it’s happening every other week, every week. I think the league is just trying to help teams out. It speaks to the importance of the G League to have guys right there that are in shape and ready to go.” Officially, last season’s lineup of NBA Christmas
games had exactly zero players sitting out because of virus-related concerns. Through Monday, the 10 teams scheduled to play on Saturday had a combined 36 players known to be in the protocols — not including Los Angeles Lakers coach Frank Vogel. That number will obviously change by the weekend, but the odds of it going to zero are pretty much nonexistent. “It’s not the best situation in the world,” Williams said, “but nothing is right now.” There were two Chicago games postponed last week, two Brooklyn games postponed this week, and three other games shelved as well to bring the total for the season to seven. For now, the five Christmas games all remain on as scheduled, though the league told teams yesterday that the schedule may change to accommodate ABC’s needs if necessary. And the lineup for Christmas, picked by
the NBA months ago, sure seemed like it would be more sparkly than this. There’s Atlanta at New York, a rematch of a playoff series from last season. Boston at Milwaukee, the traditional Christmas appearance as part of the perk package for reigning NBA champions. Golden State at Phoenix, a matchup of perhaps the two best teams in the league to date this season. Brooklyn at the Lakers, a game that many thought would be a potential NBA Finals preview a few months ago. And Dallas at Utah, which will give Rudy Gobert fans in France and Luka Doncic fans in Slovenia something to watch at 4:30am on a Sunday. Right now, neither the Hawks nor Knicks would be playoff teams. The Celtics, Mavericks and Lakers are all hovering around .500. Doncic is dealing with ankle soreness, which might impede his availability for Christmas.
Davis won’t play for the Lakers until probably late January, at the earliest, with a knee problem. Irving hasn’t played for Brooklyn yet this season. “We’re all navigating uncertainty,” Williams said. There will certainly be arguments made by some suggesting that the league should pause, or postpone more games, since the numbers of players currently dealing with virus issues is massive — 15% of the league, give or take. When Gobert tested positive on March 11, 2020, the league shut down for four months. It’s obviously a very different world now and a very different NBA, with 97% of players vaccinated and more than 60% boosted. Yet the concerns are back and the future seems just as uncertain now as it did 21 months ago. So, enjoy the Christmas games. No one knows what comes next.
MIAMI (AP) — Tyler Herro had 26 points in his return from a three-game absence with a bruised thigh, Duncan Robinson also scored 26 to match a season high and the Miami Heat rolled past the Indiana Pacers 125-96 on Tuesday night. Miami tied a franchise record with 22 made 3-pointers, the fourth time the Heat have hit that many. Max Strus scored 18 points, and Kyle Lowry finished with eight points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists for Miami. Omer Yurtseven added 13 rebounds for the Heat. KNICKS 105, PISTONS 91 NEW YORK (AP) — Evan Fournier scored 22 points, Julius Randle and Kemba Walker each had 21 and New York won at home for the first time in almost a month, beating Detroit. Mitchell Robinson had 17 points and 14 rebounds for the Knicks, who had dropped five straight at Madison Square Garden since beating the Los Angeles Lakers on Nov. 23. They are just 6-10 at home. PELICANS 111, TRAIL BLAZERS 97 NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Brandon Ingram had 28 points, Nickeil AlexanderWalker scored 22 of his 27 in the second half and New Orleans beat Portland for its first three-game winning streak of the season. Josh Hart added 20 points for the Pelicans, who shot 52.5% while winning for the eighth time in 13 games following a 3-16 start — all while awaiting the return of All-Star forward Zion Williamsons from an offseason foot injury. MAVERICKS 114, TIMBERWOLVES 102 DALLAS (AP) — Jalen Brunson had 26 points, Dorian Finney-Smith scored 15 of his 19 in the second half and Dallas defeated Minnesota. A total of nine players, including three starters, missed the game because they are in the NBA’s health and safety protocol. Brunson scored 16 points in the first half. Finney-Smith hit two 3-pointers during a 10-0 run in the fourth quarter that wiped out Minnesota’s last lead.
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Wednesday, December 22, 2021, PAGE 13
Hurts has 3 touchdowns, Eagles come back to beat Washington By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Sports Writer
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts ran for two touchdowns and threw for another, helping the Philadelphia Eagles come back from an early deficit to beat virus-ravaged Washington 27-17 last night in a critical showdown with NFC playoff implications. In his first game back from an ankle injury, Hurts scored on a pair of 1-yard QB sneaks to set the singleseason franchise record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 10 and connected with Greg Ward on a 19-yard TD pass. He was 20 of 26 for 296 yards passing with the TD and a bad-luck interception when Dallas Goedert dropped a catchable pass and the ball bounced off his right foot and into the hands of Washington’s Landon Collins. That was a bad bounce for Philadelphia that helped stake Washington (6-8) to a 10-point lead after the first quarter. Behind a dominant effort from their offensive line, it was all Eagles (7-7) from there: They outgained Washington 435-136 the rest of the way and shut
NFL
FROM PAGE 11 vaccinated people, and “screening tests” only for unvaccinated people. The NFL previously required vaccinated players to get tested weekly before amending the protocols. The NFLPA had advocated for daily testing for vaccinated players but eventually agreed to “target” testing. The NBA didn’t require vaccinated players to get tested during the season but revised its policy to increase testing for a two-week period starting December 26. The NHL tested players every third day but returned to daily testing through at least January 7. “I think the NFL is actually going to be a really interesting and I think really safe real-world experiment on what our new normal is likely going to look like,” Dr Vin Gupta, a pulmonologist and professor at the University of Washington, said in an interview with the AP. “And, it’s safe to say that the NFL is obviously a large vaccine bubble, sans a few high-profile exceptions. “We can’t continue the status quo, ad infinitum, where we are testing regularly people that are
down an opponent missing a handful of starters because of COVID-19 protocol. Miles Sanders exploited the holes in Washington’s defence left by those absences and additional injuries, carrying the ball 18 times for a career-high 131 yards. He became the first Eagles player with backto-back 100-yard rushing games since LeSean McCoy in 2014. Well-rested coming off its bye week, Philadelphia finished with 238 yards rushing, becoming the first team with 175-plus yards on the ground in seven consecutive games since the 1985 Chicago Bears. That’s also a first in Eagles franchise history. Goedert made up for his early blunder and a later drop by catching seven passes for 135 yards, including a 45-yard completion. Despite the game getting pushed back 54 hours because of Washington’s coronavirus outbreak, the delay did not allow starting quarterback Taylor Heinicke or backup Kyle Allen to clear protocol in time to play. Garrett Gilbert, who signed Friday, completed
otherwise healthy, asymptomatic, triple-vaccinated, just to detect the asymptomatic individual who might be positive ... because then you’re going to quarantine that individual who might be asymptomatic or having mild symptoms, who is triple-vaccinated, who might for a small period of time, be infectious to others who presumably are also vaccinated.” Almost 95 percent of NFL players and nearly all coaching staffs are vaccinated. Gupta, an informal consultant for the Seattle Seahawks on COVID-19 issues and an adviser for baseball’s Seattle Mariners, says the NFL is “ahead of the curve” with target and voluntary testing. “I think they’re able to do things that the rest of the country is unable to do because they have a vaccine bubble, and they can control things to a certain degree that we can’t control across the public at large, and so it’s an interesting experiment,” Gupta said. “We have to build policies and procedures and case management protocols around positive tests that make sense, given our reality.” On Monday, the first day under the NFL’s revised protocols, 47 players were
NACAC
FROM PAGE 11 the silver medallist in the under-13 girls’ pentathlon, Jamiah Nabbie, the bronze medallist in the under-15 girls’ heptathlon, Demian Brice, fourth in the under-15 boys’ heptathlon and Kamron Henfield and Jonathon Higgs, who were fourth and eighth respectively in the under13 boys’ pentathlon. Simultaneously, a celebration was held in Grand Bahama for the remainder of the team. Kenny Moxey Jr, the bronze medallist in the under-15 boys’ heptathlon, joined Grand Bahamian native Keyezra Thomas, the gold medallist in the under-13 girls’ pentathlon and Phebe Thompson, who was fourth in the under-15 girls’ heptathlon. Clarita Hall, who assumed the manager’s job after Neko Demeritte was unable to travel, is also from Grand Bahama. She was assisted by Kenny Moxey Sr, Kenrid Munroe and Holly RileyWoodside from Andros. Team Bahamas accumulated a total of 26,787 points to win the overall title over seven other countries. Their nearest rivals were host Nicaragua with 25,125. Costa Rica finished third with 25,097. “This is a Christmas present for all of us, an early Christmas present,” Archer said as he congratulated the team. “I don’t know if there is any country in the world that can be compared to the Bahamas.” Archer said Team Bahamas’ performances was just an indication of what the Bahamas has to
PHILADELPHIA Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts throws during the first half against the Washington Football Team last night in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) COVID-19 ABSENCES nine of his first 13 passes Washington played and finished 20 of 31 for without five starters who 194 yards. Second-year running remained in NFL COVIDback Antonio Gibson 19 protocol: Heinicke, ran for Washington’s first 2020 All-Pro right guard touchdown and had 20 of Brandon Scherff, center his 26 rushing yards on that Tyler Larsen, cornerback drive, when he got the ball Kendall Fuller and safety on all seven plays. He was Kamren Curl. Reserve slowed by a toe injury, the defensive tackle Tim Settle same thing that derailed his and third-string tight end rookie season, and Jaret Sammis Reyes were cleared Patterson had the team’s but inactive. Philadelphia’s only virus-related absence other rushing TD.
CHICAGO Bears acting head coach Chris Tabor directs his team during the first half against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. (AP Photo/Nam Y Huh) placed on the reserve/ “We want someone to COVID-19 list, the most in return after they are no a single day since the pan- longer a risk for themselves demic began. or a risk to others,” said Dr Several players were Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief asymptomatic and vac- medical officer. “We’ve cinated, a person familiar looked at our data very with the results told The carefully there. We have Associated Press. obviously continued to The league says Mon- evolve that definition over day’s results are evidence time and we believe we its new “smarter” and more can bring a further degree “strategic” testing policy of precision to that process is working. Positive cases on how people can return were identified and the by fine-tuning that in a way players were isolated. Play- that fits into the protocols.” ers who test positive must But many people have quarantine until they’re questioned the league’s cleared to return. Under motives for changing testthe new procedures, vacci- ing protocols at a time nated players can return in when the number of posifewer than 10 days. tive cases have increased
offer and he’s looking forward to these athletes continuing to make the national teams in the future as they carry on the legacy that has been created over the years. In his capacity as the NACAC president, Sands said the people in Nicaragua treated Team Bahamas with first class once they arrived after undergoing a huge challenge in flying out of Miami, Florida. He said the people were astonished and even intimidated by the size of the Bahamian athletes, including Moxey Jr, who stood taller than he was and was only 14. And although he told them that he couldn’t openly cheer for them in his role at the championships, he was able to encourage them to put their best foot forward when he met with them during a practice session. He too said he was extremely proud, especially as the NACAC president of their accomplishments. Munnings, who spoke on behalf of Minister of Sports, Mario Bowleg, who was unable to attend as he was in a Cabinet meeting, said Team Bahamas’ performance speaks volumes for the success that stemmed from past national teams. “Who doesn’t know that through sports you can travel around the world,” said Munnings, a former quarter-miler who represented the Bahamas in various countries, but not Nicaragua. “So through sports, you are travelling to places that many people will never get to go.” In welcoming them to their mega resort, Gandhi Pinder said her mother and proprietor Elaine Pinder would be very proud of their achievements and that was
KEELY Deveaux smiles yesterday as the BAAA celebrated the gold medal performance of Team Bahamas at the NACAC Age Group Championships in Nicaragua, Photo: Donavan McIntosh/ Tribune Staff why when they were asked to host the event, they didn’t hesitate. Pinder, a member of the Bahamas Journalism fraternity, took the opportunity to invite each member of the team present at Sapodilla to come to the microphone and introduce themselves and tell the audience about their experiences at the championships in Nicaragua. Deveaux, a student of CH Reeves Junior High School, said this was her second national team, but she enjoyed this one because she made some new friends. She also noted that she’s going to add the 400m to her repertoire of the 100 and 200m. Deveaux earned her silver with 2,550 points behind Thomas’ gold medal performance with 2,616 points.
RAMS GET 20-10 VICTORY OVER SEAHAWKS By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer
was starting left guard Landon Dickerson. KING MAKES HISTORY With Washington running backs coach Randy Jordan unavailable because of COVID protocols, assistant Jennifer King made history filling in for him. King became the first Black woman to serve as a position coach for an NFL game. INJURIES Washington: CB William Jackson left late in the second quarter with an ankle injury and did not return. ... DE Daniel Wise injured his right knee on a cut block in the first half and was ruled out early in the second. WR Curtis Samuel (hamstring) was inactive, and RB J.D. McKissic (neck) was put on injured reserve before the game. Eagles: TE J Stoll was shaken up early in the fourth quarter and walked off the field gingerly after getting medical attention. ... WR DeVonta Smith limped off late in the first quarter after an incomplete pass into the end zone but came back on the following drive.
rapidly due to the Omicron variant. “The other side is that they’re going to have more players that are out there that are infected that are potentially transmitting to other players and leading to a greater burden of infections,” said Dr David Hamer, professor of global health and medicine at Boston University. “This change in plan makes me nervous mainly because of Omicron surging.” It’s fair to wonder if the NFL is putting its desire to finish the season uninterrupted ahead of health and safety. But the league and its team of doctors point to science and data. “We are always analysing our data and particularly our outcomes,” Sills said. “We are looking at our protocols, together with our experts, together with the Players’ Association. We are looking at them to see how we achieve the safest possible environment for everyone and that causes us to need to constantly respond to adapt the protocols. And so clearly, with the emergence of this new variant, which, as I said, in many ways seems like a new disease, has been an opportunity to reevaluate every aspect of our protocols, and has led to some of the changes.
It was always Nabbie’s dream to make a national team and the Queen’s College student said as she hopes to follow in the footsteps of her role model, Shaunae Miller-Uibo, she will concentrate on the 100 and 200m right now. With 3,560 points, Nabbie earned the bronze medal, while Thompson was fourth with 3,490 points. Brice, whose forte is the long and high jumps, said he enjoyed the trip because the people treated them so nicely and he “did my best” in representing the country “as best as I could and help my team.” He came in fourth with 4,478 points as Moxey Jr took the bronze with 4,729 points. Henfield, who specialises in the 100 and 200m, said he was delighted to have represented Team Bahamas. He was fourth with 2,804 points and Higgs was eighth with 2,560 points. Higgs, a 12-year-old eighth grader of HO Nash Junior High, was a gold and silver medallist in his specialties in the 100 and 200m respectively after he placed eighth overall with 2,560 points. He said he liked the competition and how “my team cheered for me.” One day, he said he hopes to make it to the Olympics. Bahamas Coaches Association president Shaun Miller said not because COVID-19 came, that it was the end of track and field in the Bahamas. “These kids just showed the whole world that we’re back and we’re here,” he said. “So I’m asking them to continue to support track and field in the Bahamas because we put a lot of time and energy into it.”
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Cooper Kupp caught two touchdown passes from Matthew Stafford in the second half, and the Los Angeles Rams held off the Seattle Seahawks 20-10 last night in a rescheduled game between two COVID-19-depleted teams. Kupp broke Isaac Bruce’s single-season Rams receptions record in the third quarter with a 6-yard TD catch that was also the 120th of his spectacular year. The NFL’s receiving leader then scored a tiebreaking 29-yard touchdown with 10:48 to play on a pictureperfect throw over the middle from Stafford to cap an 88-yard drive. Stafford passed for 244 yards and Sony Michel rushed for 92 for the Rams (10-4) in a game postponed from Sunday, while Kupp had nine catches for 136 yards in the third straight victory for Los Angeles following a winless November. With its third victory over Seattle in 2021, Los Angeles pulled even with Arizona atop the NFC West with three games to play, although the Cardinals hold the tiebreaker on division record.
“We believe what we are doing actually now will mimic what we have been doing in health care for quite a while now. ... We are not routinely testing asymptomatic, vaccinated health care workers, doctors, etc. We are testing those who become symptomatic and meet certain criteria. So, we are really just joining what has been done in health care based on our own experience and the experience in health care up to this point.” Along with new testing policies, the league over the past week has emphasized booster shots for players, mandated the boosters for coaches and other staff, and provided options for virtual meetings. All players are provided home tests and anyone can be tested whenever they want. “I think there is a lot we have learned from health care and I think it is very relevant to try and use some of the exact same strategies that are routinely used in health care when it comes to the NFL population as well,” said Dr Deverick Anderson, Professor of Medicine at the Duke Center for Antimicrobial Stewardship and Infection Prevention and co-founder and co-owner of Infection Control Education for Major Sports.
Miller, whose own daughter Shaunae Miller-Uibo was once a product of the NACAC Age Group Championships, lauded the coaches and the parents for the countless hours they sacrificed to achieve the success they did at the championships. “This just didn’t miss and happen. These kids spent their time, the parents spent their time, the coaches and the administrators spent their time in the evenings for years and now this is the end product,” Miller said. “I’m so proud to call these athletes a part of our federation. I don’t think you understand what you bring to the table. In time, you will be the ,man. You don’t have to be afraid to say that you feel entitled. This is the platform that the federation lays out for you, so continue to make us proud.” Although he didn’t get to travel with the team because of personal reasons, Demeritte said with the athletes assembled for the championships, he had every confidence that Team Bahamas would perform exceptionally well. He said he was in constant communication with the coaching staff before and during the meet to ensure that they were all on the same page as it pertains to ensuring that the athletes were primed and ready for the task ahead of them. Munroe, one of the coaches in Nicaragua, said he was very proud of the athletes and he thanked the Bahamas Coaches Association and the BAAA for selecting him as a coach. He said he had a really good time interacting with the other coaches. He said the experience was great.
PAGE 14, Wednesday, December 22, 2021
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Coe discusses adding meet in China in state-of-track talk By PAT GRAHAM AP Sports Writer WITH track and field adding another Diamond League event in China, World Athletics president Sebastian Coe addressed the human rights issues in the country during his state-of-the-sport Zoom meeting yesterday. The Diamond League, an annual series of track and field competitions, confirmed earlier in the day it would hold an event in the Chinese city of Shenzhen on August 6, in addition to one a week before in Shanghai. The announcement comes in the wake of the Women’s Tennis Association suspending tournaments in the country over concerns for Peng Shuai, the Chinese tennis star who in a November social media post attributed to her accused a former top Communist Party official of forcing her into sex. In a video posted by Lianhe Zaobao, a Singaporean Chinese-language newspaper, Shuai recently denied saying she was sexually assaulted. “We are, of course, concerned for the welfare of all athletes,”
Coe said. “I believe all athletes should be free to voice their concerns and sports should never flinch from making those points. But it is still better to have open dialogue and sporting relationships than pulling up the drawbridge. Very few other sectors choose to do that. Sport has always played a very important part in the deft diplomacy that has been historically proven to be very successful at times.” He added that he’s “philosophically opposed” to boycotts in sports. As a middle-distance runner for Britain, Coe won the 1,500 metres at the 1980 Summer Games in Moscow after the Americans led a boycott. He won the 1,500 again at the ‘84 Games in Los Angeles when the Soviet Union led a boycott. “They tend not to achieve what they set out to achieve,” Coe said. “Diplomatic boycotts, while not really impacting the athlete, are not really particularly strong gestures. “It’s really important the Diamond League has a foothold in all our big athletics nations,” he added. “You make all sorts of
SEBASTIAN COE, president of World Athletics. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama) balances and judgments when you are looking at your competition schedule and your programming. We consider that to be an important part of our sport.” During the Zoom call, Coe also discussed how next summer was a golden opportunity to extend track’s footprint in America with
the world championships being held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. It marks the first time track’s biggest competition outside of the Olympics will be held in the US. It’s a chance to gain exposure with the 2028 Olympics being held in Los Angeles. It’s also a chance to showcase the next generation of American standouts such as teenage sprinter Erriyon Knighton and Tokyo Games 800metre champion Athing Mu. “The runway really starts now,” Coe said. Coe noted there are no plans to expand the number of events for female runners with differences of sex development (DSD). Two-time Olympic 800-metre champion Caster Semenya of South Africa didn’t compete in Tokyo due to the World Athletics’ testosterone rules. Semenya took a late shot at qualifying for Tokyo in the 5,000, an event not affected by the hormone regulations, but came up short. “We’ve always made it clear that our regulations are always under review,” Coe said. “The reality of it is that we’ve always
made it clear that if, in the course of those reviews, there is overwhelming evidence that some other events are massively impacted, such that they alter the integrity of the sport and particularly the overall principle of protecting female sport, women’s sport, then we have to be clear that is potential but there’s nothing at this moment.” Coe also addressed the largerthan-life persona of retired Jamaican sprinter and world record holder Usain Bolt — and how hard that is to replace. “You’re not going to replace Usain Bolt,” he said. “Usain Bolt is Usain Bolt.” Instead, World Athletics is relying on a bevvy of exciting standouts such as Karsten Warholm of Norway and American Sydney McLaughlin, who each set 400 hurdles world records in Tokyo. “We’re not reliant on just one key figure,” Coe said. “So spreading the joy, a little wider and a little deeper, I think is good for the sport. I think it’s good for for competition. I think it’s good for the fans.”
Two Ashes tests, 2 losses: Not much is going right for England ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — After lopsided losses in the first two Ashes tests, England captain Joe Root says he’s frustrated by three components of his team’s performance. Unfortunately for Root, they’re the three main ones in the game — batting, bowling and fielding. “You have to be able to put the ball in the right areas for long enough,” Root said after England’s 275-run loss to Australia in Adelaide on Monday. “You have to be able to score big runs, and if there’s chances, you have to take them.” The Adelaide loss followed a nine-wicket defeat in the opening match in Brisbane. There, England only scored 147 in its first innings and Australia notched 425, leaving the visitors 278 runs in arrears going into their second innings. “The frustration within our dressing room is that we have missed out or we’re not quite executing those basic things well enough for the second game in a row,” Root said. “And we need to respond very quickly.” The next match begins Sunday, the traditional Boxing Day test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, followed by matches in Sydney and Hobart in January. With Australia holding the Ashes, the visitors now need to win all three to regain the urn. That won’t happen if their fielding doesn’t improve. In the first two tests, England’s total of dropped catches was in double figures and they’ve taken two wickets from no-balls.
Root said one positive was England’s resistance on the final day, led by Jos Buttler. Buttler got through 207 balls before backing into his stumps and was out for 26. Chris Woakes also had a good innings and scored 44. Only one team has ever come from 2-0 down to win an Ashes series: Don Bradman’s Australians in 1936-37. Root is undeterred, despite England not having won a match in Australia since 2010-11, when it won the series 3-1. In two series since before this one, it’s been 5-0 and 4-0 with a draw for the home side. “We have to absolutely believe,” Root said. “And have that same attitude that we went out today with. “Because if we do that, I’m convinced we have got we need to win test matches out here.” Buttler’s role is one of several that selectors will discuss before the MCG test. He is expected to retain his spot in England’s team, but could lose the wicketkeeping role to Jonny Bairstow after Buttler dropped three catches in Adelaide. Ollie Pope (5 and 4 in Adelaide) is also under pressure to keep his spot at No. 6, potentially creating room for Bairstow to come in. Haseeb Hameed (6 and 0 in Adelaide) and Rory Burns are under threat at the top of the order, although Burns fought hard on the fourth night in Adelaide to put up 34 after
TIGER
cart at the PNC Championship. Augusta National is the prettiest garden and the toughest walk. Ian Poulter was contemplating this while watching Woods play on Saturday. Up the steep hill on No. 1, down the hill on No. 2, up the hill on No. 3, down and then up on No. 4. On and on he went until it was suggested the par-3 12th over Rae’s Creek was a fairly easy walk. “You do have the bridge,” Poulter said, grinning because the point had been made. Southern Hills, the site of the 2022 PGA Championship, is a fairly easy walk, once players get down the massive slope from the first tee, meaning they eventually have to go back up. The steepest climb at St. Andrews, which is holding the 2022 British Open, is getting out of the pot bunkers (Woods didn’t hit into any of them when he won
FROM PAGE 11 Golf doesn’t often make the front of sports pages, and never in December. Welcome back, Tiger. And so the next step, naturally, was to wonder when he would return. Woods doesn’t know, and neither does Lee Trevino. The second question is where, another mystery. Woods is forever linked with the Masters, where he delivered a watershed moment in golf history with his 12-shot victory in 1997 at age 21, and where he returned from four back surgeries to win a fifth green jacket in 2019. The first round of the 2022 Masters is 107 days away, and Woods said he never took a day off during rehab. So who knows? But walking is a big part of playing, and Woods was in
ENGLAND’s captain Joe Root adjust his hat at the end of the fifth day of their Ashes cricket test match against Australia in Adelaide, Australia, on Monday. Australia won the match by 275 runs. (AP Photo/James Elsby) scoring just 4 in England’s first innings. To heat up the bowling, England could bring
back rested paceman Mark Wood for Melbourne. “He is always going to offer something with that
extra bit of pace he has,” Root said of Wood. “Hopefully, he is raring to go for the rest of the series.”
TIGER Woods hugs son Charlie Woods on the 18th green after the second round of the PNC Championship golf tournament on Sunday in Orlando, Florida. (AP Photo/Scott Audette) by eight shots as a 24-yearAbout all Woods knows old in 2000). concerning his future is
that he won’t be playing a full schedule ever again. He will have to pick the spots. “And even then,” he said, “my body might not cooperate.” Justin Thomas sees more of him than any other player, and he was alongside for the opening round when Woods stuffed a towering 4-iron from 220 yards to 8 feet, and when Woods outdrove the 28-year-old on the 11th hole. “In terms of hitting shots and all that stuff, he’s not that far away,” Thomas said. “But in terms of being able to compete and walk 72 holes multiple weeks in a row? Yeah, that’s a different story. And he’s the only one that can answer that.” One answer could be found in his easy smile when it was over. Woods doesn’t smile often when he finishes second. But this was simply about playing with his son. He was happy with that.
NKETIAH TREBLE, PATINO DEBUT GOAL AS ARSENAL ADVANCES IN CUP LONDON (AP) — Even after scoring a hat trick for Arsenal, Eddie Nketiah was momentarily upstaged by another academy graduate. It’s not often a teenager scores on his debut. Eleven minutes after coming off the bench, Charlie Patino completed a 5-1 victory over Sunderland to send Arsenal into the semifinals of the League Cup yesterday. The stoppage-time goal at Emirates Stadium saw the 18-year-old midfielder prod in a shot after Nicolas Pépé rolled the ball into the penalty area. Pépé was also Arsenal’s second scorer in the first half after Nketiah netted the opener from close range in the 17th minute against the third-tier side. After Nathan Broadhead pulled one back, Nketiah’s back-heeled flick restored Arsenal’s two-goal advantage four minutes into the second half. Nketiah completed his treble in the 58th minute after getting on the end of Pépé’s cross. It’s another encouraging result for Arsenal, which is fourth in the Premier League as it tries to end a five-season exile from the Champions League. “When you win football matches everything looks much better,” manager Mikel Arteta said. “We have to be consistent with the decisions that we make, keep trying to improve all the time the way we play, perform better and better and the results will come. “They are coming right now and now it is about consistency. There are a lot of games coming up and we want to maintain that form.” Nketiah should expect to get more playing time, Arsenal’s manager said. “We’re going to need him and he’s going to play more minutes,” Arteta said. “He wants to be the best and works all the time to do that. He’s a player that has come through our system and that’s why we want to keep him.” The League Cup semifinal lineup will be completed today when Chelsea goes to Brentford, Liverpool plays Leicester and Tottenham hosts West Ham.
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, December 22, 2021, PAGE 15
‘It’s definitely good to be home in this warm weather’ By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net AFTER getting her feet wet during their collegiate indoor season a week ago, University of Kentucky’s junior quarter-miler Megan Moss said she was so delighted to be able to come home to celebrate the Christmas holidays. “It’s definitely good to be home in this warm weather. I’m really excited because I will get to train with my dad a little bit too,” said Moss about her father and coach of the Red-Line Athletics Track Club, Tito Moss. On Saturday, December 11, in the Louisville Cardinal Classic at the Norton HealthCare Sports and Learning Center, 19-yearold Moss was one of three Bahamians representing the Wildcats women’s track team. She moved up to the 500 metres in which she placed second overall in one
minute and 13.21 the 400m for the seconds. National Collegiate The other two Athletic Assomembers of the ciation’s National University of Championship in Kentucky’s team, June and the World coached by BahaAthletics’ World mian Rolando Championships in ‘Lonnie’ Greene August. and assisted by “I want to be able “Golden Girl” to represent our Debbie Fergusoncountry, not just McKenzie, are in the relays, but sprinters Anthaya MEGAN Moss in the 400m in any Charlton (freshinternational meet man) and Jaida Knowles that I can compete in,” (sophomore). said Moss, who began her “It was a great season national trip experience at opener and I’m really the Central American and excited about next year Caribbean Youth Champibecause I’m in great shape,” onships and the CARIFTA said Moss about her perfor- Games. mance in the meet. Three years ago when “This is probably the best Red-Line Athletics Track shape that I’ve been in since Club hosted its first awards I came here to Kentucky.” presentation and ChristComing off her appear- mas party, Moss was named ance at the 2020 Olympic the Athlete of the Year. Games in Tokyo, Japan Last year, the award went where she ran on the to sprinter/hurdler Shimar women’s 4 x 400m relay Bain. team, Moss said her goal At this year’s awards next year is to qualify in on Saturday, Lacarthea
Cooper, who would have been a part of the women’s 4 x 400m relay team at the Olympics, but couldn’t travel after she came down with a case of COVID-19, was the recipient of the prestigious award. Moss, who was named the Collegiate Athlete of the Year once again, said she’s proud of the strides her younger team-mates are making. “It is so, so exciting and I am so happy,” Moss said. “There are so many young athletes coming up in the sport and are excelling, Lacarthea in particular. We are so close and so I’m so happy with the success that she is having.” The two were originally scheduled to travel to Tokyo, but on the eve of their travel, it was discovered that Cooper contracted COVID-19 and was unable to leave the country. “It was really an unfortunate event, but hopefully
we both will be on the 2024 team and get to run together (on the relay team),” Moss projected. As for next season at Kentucky, Moss said she has been anticipating another banner year for the Wildcats. “The team is looking great. We’re definitely going to have an awesome tear,” Moss said. “It’s always an honour to have other Bahamians there showing it off for our country, so it’s just great.” Although she’s on a break, Moss said she’s going to indulge herself in some good old Bahamian cooked food by her mother, Nekeva, but she’s looking forward to staying trim and fit for the upcoming season by working out with her father and members of Red-Line Athletics, which includes her younger sister, Madison, who is following in her footsteps. “Indoors, I want to run 51 seconds (in the 400m) and
outdoors I want to 50 high or 51 low (in the 400m) so I can qualify for the World Championships,” said Moss of the standard of 51.35 she will need to attain in order to compete in the biggest meet on the schedule next year in Eugene, Oregon, August 6-15. When she returns to Lexington, Kentucky in the new year, Moss will have to get right back in action as Kentucky hosts their first meet at the Jim Green Invitational over the weekend of January 14-15. She is expected to run in her first 400 metres for the season. “I want to be ready,” said Moss, who is majoring in human health science. To the athletes looking up to her and preparing to head off to college, Moss advised them to “remain focused and always have their end goal in mind and to stay motivated” because their time to shine will come.
PAGE 16, Wednesday, December 22, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
FOOD AND CLOTHING DRIVE FOR CHILDREN’S EMERGENCY HOSTEL
NO. 6 ARIZONA HEADS TO NO. 19 TENNESSEE FOR TOP 25 SHOWDOWN By DAVE SKRETTA AP Basketball Writer
ARIANNA Wells providing some items as she is assisted by Sydney Clarke, right, who staged a food and clothing drive for the Bahamas Children’s Emergency Hostel - for the second year in a row.
SYDNEY CLARKE MAKES HER DONATION By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net ALTHOUGH she came home with her mind focused on participating in this week’s Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s Giorgio Baldacci Open Nationals tennis tournament at the National Tennis Centre, collegian Sydney Clarke didn’t want to pass up another opportunity to make her charitable gesture to the Bahamas Children’s Emergency Hostel. For the second year in a row, Clarke hosted a food and clothing drive. This time, however, it was limited to just a drive-up and drop-off process at the hostel on Saturday. And while the response from the community was a little down from last year, Clarke was still grateful to all who showed up to lend a helping hand. “I felt to help the Children’s Emergency Hostel, so I reached out to Mrs (Charlene) Gibson and she told me what they needed and I tried as best as I could to get those items for them,” Clarke said. “The response wasn’t as good as last year, but there’s always room for improvement, so maybe next year it will be bigger and better.” With her time limited to getting the project complete before the Christmas holidays, Clarke said she got some items before hand and others had pledged to assist. While not everyone
did, Clarke took the opportunity to thank all of those who did on behalf of the hostel. “I know a lot of people have been busy this time of the year, so I am thankful for all those who made a contribution,” Clarke said. “Going forward, I will just be more flexible and I can reach out to more people as best as I can.” Gibson, the business manager at the Bahamas Children’s Emergency Hostel for the past two years, said she was happy when Clarke approached her about making another contribution to the home that houses 26 children between the ages of one and 15. “We wanted to get some clothing this year because with COVID-19, they didn’t have much interaction in the community or in their schools and some of them gained a lot more weight, so clothes was an issue,” she said. “Everything they had, they basically out grew. So clothing was our major issue and even snacks. We still could use the food because the kids are eating three times a day here at the hostel. So I told her yes she could do it and our board gave her the approval to do the driveby right here. It wasn’t as much as last year, but we thank everybody who supported us this year.” Arianna Wells, one of the persons who stopped by to assist Clarke, said every year she tries to do her
SYDNEY Clarke and Charlene Gibson, also shown top left, display some of the items they received on behalf of the Bahamas Children’s Emergency Hostel. own Christmas initiative and because she didn’t do anything last year because of COVID-19, when she heard what Clarke was doing, she thought it would be a good idea to assist her. “This year, its been a little better so when Sydney’s cousin reached out to me, I decided to do this for the Children’s Emergency Hostel, along with giving out gift certificates to random people at Super Value to buy them some grocery,” Wells said. “I just do it because I love Christmas and I love people. I think it’s good to see people like Sydney who care about people. “Everybody posts a flyer on social media about their concern about people, but what are they really
doing. I think Sydney really cares and that is why I reached out to her with this venture.” While the gesture by Clarke will go a long way, Gibson said the public can still contact the hostel and make arrangements to provide clothing and other basic necessities for the children. Persons can email Gibson at bchfinance@ gmail.com or call her at 807-6155. “We are discouraging persons just dropping off items right now without getting our approval because of COVID-19,” she said. “But interested persons can just call us in advance so that we can be able to assist you when you bring your items to the hostel.”
With her work at the hostel now complete, 20-year-old Clarke will turn her attention on the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s Giorgio Baldacci Open Nationals at the National Tennis Centre this week. She is the defending champion and the top seed in the women’s division. “This is just more motivation for me to get out on the court and be ready for the tournament,” she said. “I hope that I can have another successful tournament because I know I’ve been playing very well while I was away in school,” said Clarke, who plays for the University of Arlington at Birmingham Blazers women’s tennis team.
SIXTH-ranked Arizona has surpassed just about everyone’s expectations besides those in Tucson this season, winning its first 11 games under new coach Tommy Lloyd and even wrestling a No. 1 vote away from defending national champion Baylor. Beginning this week, the Wildcats have an opportunity to prove just how good they are. One of the toughest two-week runs in college basketball this season begins tonight, when the Wildcats head to Knoxville to face No. 19 Tennessee in one of this week’s marquee non-conference matchups. They follow with back-to-back road games against fifthranked UCLA and No. 8 Southern California just three days apart. Indeed, the Wildcats are among just six remaining unbeatens in Division I men’s basketball after surprising San Francisco was edged by Grand Canyon last week. That’s pretty heady stuff for a team picked fourth in the Pac-12 this season. It’s not as if Arizona hasn’t already passed plenty of tests, though. It won a tough game against Wichita State, blew out then-No. 4 Michigan and edged Illinois in a brutally tough road environment in Champaign. You can bet the Volunteers (8-2) are happy for the test, too. They were supposed to have one against Memphis last week, but that game was called off with fans already inside Bridgestone Arena in Nashville because of COVID-19 issues within the Tigers’ programme - Vols coach Rick Barnes decided to hold an impromptu team scrimmage for those fans instead. “It was frustrating for everyone, for us and also the people in the building,” Tennessee guard Santiago Vescovi said, “but that’s the world we’re living in today. It is what it is and we’re focused on the next game.” SPEAKING OF COVID Tennessee was hardly the only school to deal with fallout from the spreading omicron coronavirus variant last week, and plenty of teams in the Top 25 already are scrambling to reschedule their last couple of games heading into conference play. The most unusual case might be No. 15 Seton Hall. It had to forfeit its game against St John’s on Monday night, only to pick up a forfeiture win over DePaul when the Blue Demons were forced to call off their Thursday night game due to an outbreak. Big East policy states that “if a conference game cannot be played on its originally scheduled date due to an insufficient number of available players (including as a result of COVID), that team shall be deemed to have forfeited with a loss assigned to that team. A win will be assigned to its opponent. The win and loss will be applied to the league standings.” Yet with more and more games in jeopardy, the Big East is under pressure to revise its policy, perhaps including a provision that the Pac-12 has allowing schools to reschedule games if they are willing and able to do so. DePaul also had its game against Northwestern last Saturday called off and forfeited Monday night’s conference opener against Creighton. The Blue Demons have not played since beating Illinois-Chicago on December 14. SPEAKING OF COVID, PART II The Diamond Head Classic also begins tonight in Hawaii, though without a whole lot of star power. BYU is the headliner in a tournament that includes Liberty, Hawaii, Northern Iowa, South Florida, Stanford, Vanderbilt and Wyoming.