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Volume: 119 No.27, December 30, 2021
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VIRTUAL CLASS ONLY - FOR NOW By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
HEALTH Minister Dr Michael Darville said the resumption of face-to-face learning in public schools has been postponed by at least two weeks as officials grapple with the fourth wave of COVID-19. The Ministry of Education, Technical and Vocational Training later said all public and private schools, including pre-schools and daycare facilities, may only reopen in January 2022 on a fully virtual basis. The ministry said this decision will be revisited within the next 14 days at which time a further assessment will be conducted in
conjunction with the Ministry of Health and Wellness. The Ministry of Education had planned to open public schools on a hybrid basis next month, allowing students to return to campuses for the first time since the start of the 2021/2022 school year. Education Minister Glenys Hanna Martin has characterised the return to school as essential because thousands of children have not engaged in online learning. Dr Darville, during a press conference, said the school plans are now being reconsidered as the country deals with yet another surge in COVID-19 cases. SEE PAGE THREE
MINISTRY of Health officials noticed a significant increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases from travellers about three to four weeks ago, acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Phillip Swain said yesterday. “About three to four weeks ago during our weekly review, the Ministry of Health noted changes in the source of
our numbers for reported positive cases,” Dr Swain said at a press conference yesterday. “We noticed that a greater proportion of our cases were among travellers ranging from 30 to 40 percent. It was at that time that we began conversations with fellow government agencies on steps to tighten the net around testing requirements to enter the country.” SEE PAGE FOUR
- SEE PAGE EIGHT
ATTORNEY FINED FOR CONTEMPT
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
GUNNED DOWN AFTER DEATH THREAT
‘WHY WE TIGHTENED THE NET FOR ENTRY’ By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
FRONT PORCH: HOPE IN A TIME OF DESPAIR
KENDRICK MCKENZIE, who was shot dead after having received a death threat. See PAGE SEVEN for the full story.
FUSION FINDING ITS WAY OUT OF A HOLE By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
AS FUSION Superplex’s financial woes persist, its chief executive officer, Carlos Foulkes, told The Tribune that officials were grateful for the holiday surge in business and equally hopeful this would allow the facility to break even this month. In a candid interview yesterday, Mr Foulkes said executives saw the business
FUSION SUPERPLEX boom as a light at the end of the tunnel “to help us to begin to climb out of the hole that we’re in”. The cinema and
entertainment complex managed to retain about 300 workers of its original staff complement since reopening earlier this year after being closed for about 11 months due to restrictions sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic. The employees who did not return sought more stable means of income to support their families, creating gaps in labour at Fusion. SEE PAGE TWO
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
A BAHAMIAN lawyer was fined $35,000 and ordered to pay an additional $20,000 in legal costs after she was found guilty of contempt of court. Justice Indra H Charles handed down her ruling to Donna Dorsett-Major who she said “knowingly and intentionally fabricated the contents of her affidavit with the objective of demeaning the judge and bringing the court into disrepute and prejudice the due administration of justice”. SEE PAGE SEVEN
FIRE HITS HOSPITAL ER ROOM SOME patients had to be evacuated from Princess Margaret Hospital’s Emergency Department early yesterday morning after a patient who had been placed in an isolation room started a fire. The Public Hospitals Authority said in a statement that no patients in the Emergency Department were affected by the incident, however some staff members displayed “minor respiratory symptoms”. SEE PAGE FOUR
STATESIDE - HAS ANYONE GOT AN ANSWER?
- SEE PAGE NINE
PAGE 2, Thursday, December 30, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
FUSION FINDING ITS WAY OUT OF A HOLE from page one
FUSION Superplex CEO Carlos Foulkes and co-founder Tecoyo Bridgewater.
Photos: Racardo Thomas/Tribune Staff
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“We have been grateful for the increase in business and the holidays are responsible for that,” Mr Foulkes said yesterday during an interview at the facility’s Pure VIP Lounge. “We did see some of the crowds that came in over the holiday weekends. We believe it’s because of Fusion being the only Over-the-Hill main entertainment facility during this period—the carnival was closed, there was no Junkanoo—and so there was indeed a surge and we are grateful for that and it’s going to help us to begin to climb out of the hole that we’re in, but it’s still a long ways off from getting back to normal. “I just hope that this allows us to break even this month.” Mr Foulkes also added that the busiess could not afford further restrictions by government as COVID19 cases increase in the country. Tecoyo Bridgewater, Fusion’s chief legal officer, also spoke of how the facility suffered financial loss due to the cancellation of its annual New Year’s party. He said executives of the facility wanted to be good corporate citizens and opted to cancel the event due to the rise in COVID19 cases in recent days. The cancellation resulted in Fusion having to forgo $50,000 in revenue that would have aided payments to vendors, employees and other commitments. “As a business we have a number of amenities being our movies, our restaurants, our arcade as well as our events department,” Mr Bridgewater said. “Of course, it’s a big part of our bottom line and so what we as a business who are providing those amenities to our customers, we decided that in our persistence in trying to aid the country as it relates to eradicating the spread of this new variant, we decided that we would put off our annual New Year’s event along with our partners. “We said, you know what, we are not going to host the
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mass event on the outside even though it affected our revenue, even though it’s something that we needed,” he said. Asked what was Fusion’s plan to continue operations outside of the holiday rush, Mr Foulkes said this created some “ambiguity”. He appealed to health officials to keep medium sized businesses in mind when enforcing restrictions if more were to come. “See, this is where we have the ambiguity. What we have asked the Ministry of Health to do is to at least give us sufficient time to react to some of the impending protocols,” Mr Foulkes said. “Business can’t be a knee jerk reaction. We must continue to operate for the economy to be stable, for the economy to grow, for people to recover economically and we largely depend on knowing that we have reasonable operating conditions ahead. “When we have these new variants popping up and cases rising quickly and the ministry is responding and those responses can be putting limitations on business activities that can have a significant negative impact on the business’ revenue and our ability to plan is also compromised, and so we are taking this one week at a time to be quite frank. “We hope that we have the capacity to continue normal operations. We hope that this new variant, even though it’s more transmissible, we hope that the reports of it being less deadly with less cases of hospitalisation, we hope those are accurate so that even if a person is catching it, they are not significantly ill and they can return to normal life faster. “So, there is maybe good news there, but I am cautious to set a long-term plan in place not knowing what’s going to happen next week by some government mandate or some change in the medical environment.” Fusion executives appealed to patrons to come early to purchase items from the concession stand, order tickets online to avoid large gatherings at the site and adhere to health measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, December 30, 2021, PAGE 3 HEALTH and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville outside Cabinet this week.
Virtual class only - for now from page one He said the government has “decided to postpone the opening of school for an additional two weeks as the Ministry of Health & Wellness’ epidemiological team assesses data that’s coming in.” He added: “It is not in our view a good thing to
open schools in the middle of a pandemic so we have decided to wait and act with a degree of caution to ensure that when we do open we open so that we can stay open.” Confirmed cases show the current outbreak of COVID-19 has so far been limited to New Providence. Health officials, however, said the
face-to-face reopening of schools in the Family Islands has been postponed as well out of an abundance of caution. “We’re still collecting data,” Dr Darville said. “We have some data and the whole issue of COVID-19 is very fluid and what we may see today may not be what we will see tomorrow so the
collection of epidemiological data is essential to policy making. “We’ve had discussion with the Ministry of Education, Minister Glenys Hanna Martin, we’ve looked at the fact that one hat doesn’t fit all, but on the degree of caution and the unpredictability of what we are seeing as we collect the data we felt it appropriate
UNION SAYS DELAY IN FACE-TO-FACE SCHOOL IS ‘UNDERSTANDABLE’ By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
THE president of the Bahamas Union of Teachers said it is “understandable” the government has delayed the face-to-face component for the reopening of schools next month. However, she raised the issue of students’ access to the virtual learning platform and the impact it had on them. “The concerns still exist as to how thousands of students who have not accessed education for almost two years will be accommodated,” Belinda Wilson said in a voice note sent to The Tribune. “In addition to the thousands of students, there are hundreds of teachers who were and still aren’t able to utilise the Ministry of Education’s virtual platform. So the Bahamas Union of Teachers, we await the plans with full details as to how quality education will be delivered by all of our teachers to all of our students. “A meeting is scheduled to address these academic concerns, but we’re still not convinced. The challenges and the glitches that have been experienced
by teachers, students and parents with the Ministry of Education’s Learning Management System, the LMS, we’re not convinced that (those have) been properly addressed and corrected to ensure that as we continue in a virtual mode, that education will be successfully imparted to the thousands of students throughout the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. “So, we await the information from the meeting to really see how we can best deal with all of these matters.” Yesterday, education officials announced all public and private schools, including pre-schools and daycare facilities, may only reopen in January 2022 on a fully virtual basis. In a release, the Ministry of Education stated officials “earnestly” pursued the reopening of schools on a hybrid basis in January, but plans shifted due to the current surge in COVID-19 cases. “Further, the repair of schools has been undertaken on an accelerated basis with the ministry being given the assurance from contractors that all schools will be ready to receive students on January
11, 2022,” the release said. “However, in light of what is being described as the country’s fourth wave of COVID-19, and acting on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the Ministry of Education and Technical and Vocational Training has decided that all public and private (including pre-schools and daycare facilities) may only reopen in January 2022 on a fully virtual basis (ie no in-person learning activities). This decision will be revisited within the next 14 days at which time a
further assessment will be conducted in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and Wellness. “In the interim, the MOETVT will execute its plan for education recovery for those thousands of students who have been absent from school for a sustained period of time. Going forward, we will intensify our partnership with parents and guardians to ensure that our children are given the best possible opportunities to maximise their potential despite the myriad of challenges.”
to postpone the opening of schools from the present date by two weeks and we will report to the nation as it relates to that.” Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Philip Swan added: “We are reporting low cases of RT-PCR positive cases on most Family Islands. We have outbreaks of cases every now and again that we track, but as
I mentioned earlier there are other parameters that we look at when we determine whether restrictions should apply. From the metrics that we look at that are internal to the Ministry of Health we find that there are some cases or some situations I should say… that warrant us to take a little more caution in opening up the Family Islands fully.”
BAHAMAS Union of Teachers president Belinda Wilson.
PAGE 4, Thursday, December 30, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
‘Why we tightened the net for entry’ from page one “The review of available data indicated that a reduction from five days to three days prior to travel was acceptable to both sides of the coin and that the movement to accept only RT-PCR would be best given the options available. Analysis of the reduction in time of testing before travel suggested that we could exclude up to 50 percent of persons who had tested positive in the five days after travelling to The Bahamas.” Health officials also acknowledged that a significant number of healthcare workers are in isolation or
quarantine due to exposure from the virus. Health Minister Dr Michael Darville said officials are monitoring what’s happening around the world to make certain that adequate numbers of healthcare workers are working on the frontlines. “It is moving in the direction where individuals who are vaccinated, who were exposed to COVID-19 and who subsequently become positive whether it’s a rapid antigen test or RT-PCR test may be eligible to have a shorter isolation time and get back to the affairs of the hospital in a shorter period,” he said. “We are seeing other countries
around the world doing it and for us with limited healthcare resources and manpower resources we have to be innovative in our approach, but like I said before we understand the potential shortage.” Dr Darville said the government will bring 12 additional doctors on board next week. “We are also in the final stages of recruitment exercise to add an additional 50 healthcare nurses to the healthcare system,” he said, adding officials hope contracts will be finalised by next week. He also said the government has negotiated with the University of The Bahamas to temporarily
DR Nikkiah Forbes warned that rapid antigen tests may be less likely to detect the Omicron strain.
acquire the “Grosvenor nursing building” and that a contract will be awarded next week for renovations to transform the building into a “much needed infectious disease ward to aid in the fight against COVID-19.” At completion, he said, officials expect to accommodate additional 100 COVID-19 cases should the need arise. He said this will free up the South Beach Clinic, allowing the clinic to provide primary healthcare services for the community. Dr Swain said that so far data shows the fourth wave of COVID-19 is affecting a “slightly younger demographic” than earlier waves,
with people ages 20-29 impacted the most. He said a significant amount of community spread is occurring in home settings and work places, suggesting people are “out and about” and not adhering to protocols. He said to date 10,299 booster shots have been given. He also agreed that churches have agreed to operate at 25 percent capacity in view of the surge in cases. “This concession is greatly appreciated and we know will augur well for protecting congregants during this challenging period,” he said. This comes as health
officials recorded 65 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, with three additional deaths. The deceased patients were all New Providence residents who died between December 20-28. They included two women — ages 54 and 60 — and a 42-year-old man. The cases pushed the country’s death count from the virus to 716. The country has recorded 889 new cases of COVID19 since December 23, with Christmas Day alone accounting for a recordbreaking 330 infections. The confirmed virus toll now stands at 24,269 with 1,574 active cases. At last report, 22 people were in hospital with the virus.
By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
information will be forwarded to our contact tracers and the necessary isolation as well as quarantine programmes will be activated.” Dr Darville said free antigen tests for asymptomatic people will be offered at multiple vaccination centres in New Providence “as part of (a) testing programme prior to the launch of the government’s free testing programme once the digital platform is completed and that we can finally marry once and for all free testing with contact tracing.” The focus on antigen tests comes even though early indications suggest the tests – always less accurate than PCR tests – are even less accurate at detecting the Omicron variant. Asked about this, infectious disease expert Dr
Nikkiah Forbes said: “Yes, there is early information that the rapid antigen tests may be less likely and accurate to pick up COVID-19 cases from the Omicron strain and what does this translate into when we were looking at our practice and what we do is that if you are having symptoms and you have done a rapid antigen test and it is negative you should follow that up with a PCR test and we do have to be mindful of that and our technical team is looking closer at that to see if we will change any guidance.” Meanwhile, Dr Cherita Moxey said some institutions are offering rapid antigen tests without authorisation from the Ministry of Health. It is not clear what enforcement measures are being undertaken to solve the problem.
UP TO $50K A WEEK PLANNED FOR FREE TEST PROGRAMME HEALTH Minister Dr Michael Darville said government hopes to spend no more than $40,000 to $50,000 per week on its pilot free COVID-19 testing programme in New Providence. He said it is “difficult to come up with an exact figure because it is directly tied into a response from the general population”. “Rapid antigen testing of asymptomatic individuals throughout New Providence is essential for individuals to know their COVID status,” he added. “We believe that many in our community are very compliant and if they do have a positive test and are asymptomatic, that
FIRE HITS HOSPITAL ER ROOM from page one
“On Wednesday, December 29, at 4.21am, staff in the Emergency Department of the Princess Margaret Hospital executed a partial evacuation of patients following a fire that was started by a patient who had been placed in an isolation room,” the Public Hospitals Authority said. At the time of the
incident, there were 48 patients and 20 staff on duty in the area. “No patients in the Emergency Department were impacted by the incident, however some staff members displayed minor respiratory symptoms. Several patients were subsequently relocated to the former General Practice Clinic area for further management and care. Other hospital services were not impacted.”
The statement said cleaning commenced after assessments by the relevant hospital officials and an investigation by members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s Fire Services Department. The hospital said it anticipates a full relocation of patients back to the area within 48 hours. Hospital officials also credited the quick action of staff in containing and extinguishing the fire.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, December 30, 2021, PAGE 5
AG’s office to investigate gas tanker sinking liability By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net THE Office of the Attorney General will investigate the environmental liability attached to a collision at sea that resulted in a gas tanker sinking off the coast of New Providence. Yesterday, Attorney General Ryan Pinder confirmed his office’s role in the investigation, adding it also planned to support the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP) from a legal standpoint. He was contacted after the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources said it was concerned about the state of the environment at the collision site and surrounding areas. The tanker M/T Tropic Breeze was struck at 10.03pm on Christmas Eve by the M/Y Utopia IV, a 207-foot super yacht, approximately 15 miles NNW of New Providence. A statement issued from Maritime Management LLC, which managed the Tropic Breeze, said the 160-foot tanker was travelling on its proper watch en route to Great Stirrup Cay when it was rear-ended by the yacht. “The catastrophic force of the collision pierced the stern of the tanker causing the tanker to sink to the ocean floor at an estimated depth of 2,000 feet,” the company said on December 25. The company said the tanker’s cargo included all “non-persistent materials” – LPG, marine gas and automotive gas – “all of which are lighter than water and will evaporate if exposed to surface air.” The Ministry of the Environment and Natural
THE SUPER yacht Utopia IV, which collided with the gas tanker off New Providence. Resources advised yesterday that the DEPP will be participating in a reconnaissance operation organised by the Ministry of Transport and Housing to conduct an assessment of the state of the environment and to determine the extent of any environmental impacts. The ministry said in a statement that follow-up assessments will be conducted as necessary and reports will be made to the relevant agencies.
“In keeping with the mandate of the DEPP, recommendations will be made to provide for, and ensure, the integrated protection of the environment of The Bahamas,” the ministry said yesterday. “We are particularly concerned about the state of the environment surrounding the collision site. After the assessment, and based on the finding, the standard operating procedures will be deployed.
Every avenue is being explored to make certain our marine environment has not been damaged or compromised.” The tanker, which is registered in Belize, was recently inspected in December of this year “and was found by the authorities to be fully compliant with all national and international safety and vessel integrity standards,” Maritime Management has said. “Due to the depth of the ocean at the location
of the sinking, it has been determined that the tanker cannot be safely salvaged,” the company said earlier this week. Maritime Management said the relevant Bahamian authorities have been notified. The company said it is working with local and international maritime authorities and marine experts “to ensure best outcomes with minimal environmental impact.” “Maritime Management has expressed its
sincere gratitude to Bahamian authorities for their support and assistance throughout this incident and are particularly grateful to the crew of the M/Y Mara who responded to the Tropic Breeze’s distress call and rescued all seven crew members on board the sinking tanker,” the company said. An update will be provided upon completion of the local investigation, the Ministry of Transport had said earlier.
TRIBUTES PAID TO DENNIS KNOWLES By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
THE Grand Bahama community is saddened over the loss of well-known Freeport businessman Dennis Knowles, who died early this week. Mr Knowles is believed to have suffered a heart attack and died on Monday, December 27. His sudden death has left many shocked. The businessman made many contributions to the Grand Bahama community through his involvement in the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, and Bahamas National Trust. Mr Knowles was president and owner of Microtech Sales & Services Ltd. Before starting his company in 1992, he was initially employed at Xerox (Bahamas) Ltd for 13 years from 1968 to 1981 and was promoted to branch
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manager. He was also vice president of operations at Bahamas Mariculture from 1985 through 1992. He was also a member and director of the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce and once served as its vice president. He was also an active Rotarian and was involved in community service and young development with the Rotary Club of Lucaya. Clifford Bowe, incoming assistant area governor for Rotary International District 6990 for 2022, and past president of the Rotary Club of Lucaya, said Mr Knowles made significant contributions to youth development. “He would definitely be missed as a result of his contributions to the Rotary Club of Lucaya, and Grand Bahama. There is a void left now,” Mr Bowe said. “Dennis’s passing was a surprise because I had just seen him at our last meeting, and we sat together,
and he was his normal jovial self,” he recalled. “I worked with him on the SECME and AIM programmes for several years, and even with selection for students to go off to Kettering University,” Mr Bowe said. Until his death, Mr Knowles served as programme coordinator for the SECME programme. Mr Bowe said the ‘Bottle Rocket’ and ‘Mousetrap Car’ were two competitions introduced to students on Grand Bahama interested in the sciences. The winner of the inter-school competitions went to compete in the United States. The Bahamas had placed 1st and 3rd nationally in the US several years ago. Mr Bowe said Mr Knowles was committed to developing young Bahamian engineers through the programme. “He and Dudley Powell started the programmes. They
were both instrumental in students going off and becoming engineers,” he said. He also said Mr Knowles gave tremendous support to the Interact Club—the youth arm of Rotary. “We would have several leadership seminars, and whenever called on, he would offer to mentor young people,” he said. Environmental activist Joseph Darville, of Save the Bays, was shocked to learn of Mr Knowles’ death. He said Mr Knowles was also very instrumental in the establishment of Bahamas National Trust’s branch in Freeport. He was a founding member of BNT and served as branch chairman. He volunteered for 11 years, from March 1982 to 1993. Mr Knowles was also a member of the board of advisors at the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute from January 2016 to the present.
PAGE 6, Thursday, December 30, 2021
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One test for travellers, another for citizens? MEASURES to combat the rise in COVID-19 cases are clicking into place – but they seem a bit mixed up. First of all, the move to postpone the reopening of schools is the right one. With cases surging, putting youngsters back into a class environment – many not having been able to get the vaccine because they are under 12 – would be an invitation to let the virus spread further. It’s not an easy decision to make, not least of all for the parents who now have to figure out how to juggle their own jobs and their children’s education from home. The current administration has also said how much children’s education has been harmed by virtual learning – and there will have been no appetite to continue that situation if it wasn’t essential for public health. So we applaud the bravery to make that choice, and to make it now rather than on the eve of the first school day. But elsewhere there are mixed signs. Take, for example, the tests being used to check for the virus. For international travel, The Bahamas now requires travellers to take the PCR test as it gives greater accuracy. For the proposed free testing programme, the rapid antigen test is being offered, despite infectious disease expert Dr Nikkiah Forbes confirming: “Yes, there is early information that the rapid antigen tests may be less likely and accurate to pick up COVID-19 cases
from the Omicron strain.” She urged people who have symptoms who get a negative rapid antigen test to get a follow-up PCR test to be sure. That, however, is a test that won’t be part of the free programme – and people may simply not have the money to pay for the more expensive test. To beat the spread of the pandemic, the government needs to have the most accurate information possible – and if people are not getting tested because they can’t afford it, they remain invisible to those trying to track the virus. These are the challenges facing the government in this latest round of the fight against the pandemic. Free testing was the big card being played by the PLP on the campaign trail – but it can’t be a token effort. It has to be widespread and thorough. People can spread this virus while not having any symptoms – free testing could help alert people if they are positive so they can take precautions and isolate. That is good, and worthwhile – but it has to be the right kind of test. The response of the government is developing – so let’s see how this test programme rolls out. One thing for sure, this wave of the pandemic is in this administration’s hands rather than its predecessor. It’s also in our own hands - and we have to keep playing our part in the fight. For all our sakes, we hope for success.
Dilemma of reopening the schools EDITOR, The Tribune.
AS THE proud parent of a University of The Bahamas student, like other parents; students and teachers we are all anxious that in-person tuition become the norm again in the shortest time possible. Many students, unfortunately, do not have access to electricity or computers. This greatly curtails their ability to be taught online. There is little doubt that this will negatively impact their grade averages and results of examinations if and when they are held. The Davis administration and the Ministry of Education are no doubt very anxious to reopen public schools as I am also. To do so as proposed in January, 2022 would not be a wise decision. In fact, it would be foolhardy and a gross display of mismanagement. We are now in the so-called fourth wave of the pandemic with a dose of Comicon, yet another highly infectious mutation of COVID-19. No one here at home or even world-wide seem to have a clue as to combating and eliminating these. Uncertainty is everywhere and we are all like headless chickens. It is my position that unless and until we see a drastic decrease in cases of the virus and mutations, public schools should/must remain closed to the general public. What might be a solution is to stagger school days and hours where classes could be
held in large auditoriums or even outdoor spaces so as to ensure observations of all recommended health protocols. For instance we have huge auditoriums at most of the high schools here in New Providence. In alphabetical order, students could attend in person classes twice or three times per week, inclusive of Saturdays where necessary. The enlightened Davis administration should urgently seek to source lap tops and tablets from the USA International Development Agency and the People’s Republic of China, etc. Bahamas Power & Light should be ordered by the Minister with responsibility, the Hon Alfred Sears (PLP-Fort Charlotte) not to disconnect services for the next month or so. The same should be applicable to the Water & Sewerage Corporation. These are both essential necessities and as we are all in this together the PM and his team must also rise to the challenges. In short, I suggest that in the abundance of caution public schools should not be reopened any time soon. In this same vein I would also recommend that large public gatherings should/must be curtailed. In my daily treks across New Providence, especially within the inner city areas, I have noticed scores of persons hanging around bars and liquor stores, most unmasked, enjoying their libations. Where I would have dared to stop, I have asked numerous
proprietors why they are allowing theses flagrant breaches of the law. Their responses, almost universally, is that they themselves are not vaccinated and that they do not believe in vaccinations seeing that even fully vaccinated persons who would have also have received booster shots are still prone to contracting and spreading the virus. This is a dangerous and deadly way of thinking. Once upon a time you’d see COVID patrol vehicles all over New Providence. For months now, long before the general elections if you were to see just one of them that would be a phenomenon of the highest order. These vehicles must return to 24x7 patrols. In addition to the above may I suggest that a 2:00am curfew be introduced. For the life of me I fail to see or understand why any sensible and prudent individual needs to be out that late if at all. Ordinary gatherings such as church services; limited funerals and weddings should be allowed to continue with strict protocols. Beaches and parks should also remain opened. But with strict enforcement by the once fabled Beach Police Officers. At the end of the day we Bahamians will be quite fine, But right now we are faced with challenges and dilemmas. ORTLAND H BODIE, Jr Nassau, December 29, 2021.
JONAS PAO, left, and Phela Durosinmi, of Palo Alto, California, build a snowman on the highway median while traffic was at a standstill in Pollock Pines, California, on Tuesday. Photo: Randall Benton/AP
Anglicans should not canonise Bishop Tutu EDITOR, The Tribune. SOUTH African Archbishop Desmond Tutu died on Boxing Day in Cape Town at the ripe age of 90. The recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, Tutu, along with Nelson Mandela and FW de Klerk, was instrumental in dismantling the Apartheid system implemented by the White South African National Party, after its ascent to high office in 1948. In 1991, de Klerk, who died in November of this year, repealed many of the Apartheid laws enacted by the late Prime Minister Henrik Verwoerd in 1959, or thereabouts. Verwoerd’s infamous Promotion of Bantu Self-Government Act of 1959 underscored the heinous nature of state-sanctioned White Supremacy in South Africa. It was built on the racist foundation of the 1913 Land Act that Verwoerd’s racist political ancestors had enacted. Over three million South Africans were forcibly relocated from their homes and dumped in the 10 Bustustan ghettos between 1961 and 1994, due to this Apartheid policy. While Verwoerd was busy legislating segregation laws in 1959, Tutu was studying theology at St Peter’s Theological College in Rosettenville, South Africa. Three years later in 1961, Tutu was ordained to the Anglican priesthood. He would serve as chaplain of the University of Fort Hare, a post he was appointed to in 1967. He also served as Anglican bishop of Lesotho and chairman of the South African Council of Churches. In 1985, Tutu was appointed the first Black Bishop of Johannesburg and the first Black Archbishop of Cape Town in 1986. Subsequent to news of his passing, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said that Tutu was one of several “outstanding South Africans who bequeathed to us a liberated South Africa”. The Dalai Lama described Tutu as a “true humanitarian”. According to former US President Barack Obama, the late South African Anglican
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net clergyman was a “moral compass” to him. And current Cape Town Archbishop Thabo Makagoba said that Tutu’s legacy was his moral strength. Born in October 1931 in Klerksdorp, Tutu was appointed as chairman of the African National Congress (ANC) government of then President Nelson Mandela’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 1994, which was tasked with investigating the atrocities committed by the Apartheid government and anti-Apartheid organisations. While Tutu used his massive religious platform to fight Apartheid throughout the 1980s, groups such as the Pan-African Congress, the ANC, the Congress of the People and the South Indian National Congress all engaged the White South African administration from a political standpoint, and in some instances, from a violent standpoint. One case in point is the ANC’s Umkhanto we Sizwe, a militia group founded by Mandela. This group was the HAMAS and Hezbollah of South Africa. Mandela’s involvement with this terrorist organisation was one of the reasons he spent 27 years in prison, between 1963 and 1990. Tutu found himself caught between the violent White South African administration and these Black revolutionary groups. In 1980, Tutu was arrested for his anti-Apartheid activism, which is a testament of his unwavering opposition to the racist system. The Anglican Church of South Africa will hold a requiem mass at St. George’s Cathedral in Cape Town. An interfaith service will also be held in his honour. All in all, Tutu lived a very productive life. Bahamian Anglicans can applaud his willingness to boldly confront an overtly racist system which was demeaning to Black South Africans and other ethnic groups. In this regard, remembering his anti-Apartheid activism is
a fitting eulogy. Having said that, however, Bahamian Anglicans must resist the temptation to canonise the famed South African cleric. In 2013, Tutu was quoted as saying that he “would not worship a God who is homophobic”. Calling South Africa a “rainbow nation”, Tutu would go to launch his anti-LGBTQ campaign, going as far as advocating for same-sex marriage. His acceptance of homosexuality tells me that he outright rejected the biblical injunction against Sodomy. Not only was Tutu at odds with the Christian Bible, but he was also at odds with the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion – the essential doctrinal beliefs of the Anglican communion, which appear to be Calvinistic in tone. In Article 7, which concerns the Old Testament, it is stated that “no Christian man is free from obedience of the Commandments which are called Moral”. Article 9, titled “Of Original or Birth Sin,” rightly stated that humanity is “inclined to evil”. This was especially evident with Tutu’s antiLGBTQ activism and his willingness to appoint and promote gay priests. Decrying opposition to homosexuality, Tutu conflated mere opposition rooted in love to hatred of gay people. In reality, however, not every form of discrimination is bad. For instance, no right-thinking parent would entrust their children to a known paedophile; nor would a sane woman feel comfortable sleeping in the same room with a known serial rapist. Evangelical Anglicans know that God loves sinners. That is why He made provision for their salvation by sending His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us. After salvation, the process of sanctification begins. This includes purity in the area of human sexuality. God will never compromise His infinite moral standards for anyone; and that includes the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu. KEVIN EVANS Freeport, Grand Bahama December 29, 2021.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, December 30, 2021, PAGE 7
‘My son was gunned down after death threat’ By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net THE mother of a man who was shot dead in Wilson Track on Tuesday night said he had recently been threatened by a friend. Jaynell Bethel, mother of homicide victim Kendrick McKenzie, 30, said a schoolmate of his had recently “threatened to shoot him.” Ms Bethel told The Tribune that her son reported the threat to police. She now wonders if this had anything to do with his death. According to the Royal Bahamas Police Force, around 7.30pm officers were alerted to the sound of gunshots by the Shot Spotter technology in the area of Wilson Tract. “A unit responded and on the officers’ arrival at the scene, they found an adult male suffering from wounds consistent with gunshots,” a police crime report said. “The victim was transported to the hospital by Emergency Medical Services, where he later succumbed to his injuries. “Initial investigations revealed that the victim was
KENDRICK MCKENZIE standing outside an apartment complex when he was approached by a lone gunman who discharged a weapon in his direction. He was struck several times about the body.” Ms Bethel said Wilson Tract was her son’s “stomping ground”. Asked how she felt when she heard the news of her son’s passing, she replied: “In a way, I was shocked because earlier he told me a friend who he went to school with, who I consider one of my sons, threatened to shoot him. “My son says it was over a female,” she added. “So, that’s what had him a little angry. He say ‘Man I don’t even know (the friend’s) girlfriend. I don’t even
know who is his girlfriend’ and I believe him.” She said her son was shocked by the accusation. “He said to me ‘Mum’, he used to call me mums, ‘I don’t even know who (the friend’s) girlfriend (is) so how (could) he just come out the blue and say I’m texting his girlfriend and I don’t even have a phone.’ That’s five months he didn’t have a phone and that was true.” Ms Bethel said he went to the police station and reported it. “I’m a little disappointed. You know I feel the police could do more. If you see someone (come) to y’all with a report of threat, y’all have to look into it.” Ms Bethel said while her son was not perfect, he never picked up a gun and had no gang-affiliation. “The old vehicles – that’s the only thing he used to do. Take parts off vehicles.” She described her son as always “cheerful” and “happy”. Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call police at 502-9991, Crime Stoppers at 328TIPS (8477) or the nearest police station.
ATTORNEY FINED FOR CONTEMPT from page one
Mrs Dorsett-Major was told she has until the end of next month to pay the fine and costs. According to the written ruling dated December 20, Mrs Dorsett-Major’s contempt citation stemmed from a civil case surrounding a property dispute where she was found guilty of professional negligence. Justice Charles had presided over the civil case. “In the civil action, Mrs Major was the third defendant and she was sued by the plaintiffs for professional negligence. She was found guilty of professional negligence,” the judge said. “Unhappy with the judgment, in addition to appealing it, she set out to scandalise the court by seeking my recusal in dealing with the assessment of damages and costs in the professional negligence claim. “Instead of this court proceeding to deal with the contempt of court expeditiously and fairly as the law requires, Mrs Major promptly instituted a constitutional motion in the Supreme Court… against the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Attorney General seeking, among other things, an order transferring the contempt
proceedings to (an)other judge of the Supreme Court. “ Justice Charles further noted that Mrs DorsettMajor filed an application in the Court of Appeal to stay the contempt proceedings without first seeking leave of her court, which she said she was required to do by law. “In other words, she was saddling other judges, and even the Court of Appeal with matters which were before this court,” she said. “These proceedings dragged on for over a year. The law is clear that, given the nature of contempt proceedings, it is critical that the court moves expeditiously to hear these matters and ensure that there is a fair hearing.” Justice Charles said during the proceedings, three character witnesses testified about Mrs Dorsett-Major’s “unblemished character”. However, their evidence relating to Mrs Dorsett-Major’s contrition was rejected after Justice Charles concluded she did not find Mrs Dorsett-Major remorseful for several reasons. The judge said: “If Mrs Major was indeed remorseful and apologetic, she could have done so herself. She remained adamant to
do so and always maintained that the contents of her affidavit are true and correct. It is, therefore, on that basis that the court must reject all evidence coming from her character witnesses relative to her contrition. In addition, I did not find Mrs Major to be an honest person.” Justice Charles also said even though the evidence was “glaringly” against Mrs Dorsett-Major, she continued in her efforts to scandalise the court. “The court considers fabrication of allegations and scandalising the court, particularly when it is committed by a practising attorney-at-law against a judicial officer, to be an affront to the administration of justice,” the ruling added. “The court must therefore rise to protect itself and send out a strong message that such behaviour cannot be tolerated.” As a result, Mrs DorsettMajor was ordered to pay a $35,000 fine by the end of next month. Failure to do so would result in her spending 90 days in prison. She was also ordered to pay $20,000 in legal costs to Assistant Director of Legal Affairs Kayla Green-Smith, who appeared as a friend of the court on behalf of the Attorney General.
To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394
THE FLIGHT taking Cuban migrants back to Havana yesterday.
CUBAN MIGRANTS REPATRIATED THIRTY-NINE Cuban migrants were repatriated to Havana, Cuba from New Providence yesterday. The group was escorted by a joint law
enforcement team of immigration officers and Royal Bahamas Defence Force marines. The Department of Immigration’s deportation
team led this escort onboard a Bahamasair charter flight with all COVID-19 protocols strictly observed, officials said.
PAGE 8, Thursday, December 30, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
In a time of despair came the hands that brought hope Front Porch by Simon’s Person of the Year: Susan Holowesko Larson and the National Food Distribution Task Force
“In this age of great cynicism, political silliness, and wide-spread negativity, it was singularly uplifting for me to work alongside these dedicated and indefatigable front-line workers. They are a source of profound inspiration for me. I admire them deeply and I encourage Bahamians everywhere to thank them for what they did. They averted a national crisis, and the nation owes them a great debt of gratitude.” – Susan Holowesko Larson on National Food Task Force
I
n early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the great historical pandemics, shattered then shuttered the global and national economy. International tourism came to a dramatic and unprecedented halt. Much worse than in the 2008 Great Recession, the Bahamas economy collapsed within months. The loss in GDP, tourism numbers, government revenue, savings, and other chilling statistical declines was equally measured in increased unemployment, greater personal and business debt and food insecurity for tens of thousands of Bahamians, many of whom were always a pay cheque or two away from requiring assistance. The pandemic exposed the degree of poverty and social inequality in the country. The Hubert Minnis Administration had to act quickly. It had to go big to provide unemployment, economic, business and social assistance. Nearly 100,000 Bahamians would eventually need sustained food aid across the archipelago. At the height of the public health crisis, 57,000 households registered for food aid. In the spring of 2020, a massive public-private partnership, the National Food Distribution Task Force (NFDTF), was constituted in response to the greatest socio-economic and food crisis in the nation’s history.
THE NATIONAL Food Distribution Task Force in action.
It would turn out to be a $54 million intervention, “and likely will be remembered as the largest and most successful social aid programme in our nation’s history.” Critically, many migrants in need were also provided with food. The Task Force proved an extraordinary partnership network. During 2020 it included the Bahamas Feeding Network, the Grand Bahama Food Assistance Committee, Hands for Hunger, IDEA Relief, Lend a Hand Bahamas, One Eleuthera Foundation and the Bahamas Red Cross. An army of volunteers supplied the dedication and energy required to make the programme an extraordinary success. The NFDTF required an extraordinary leader, a no-nonsense individual with business and NGO expertise, someone who had experience in times of crisis and the organizational and intellectual acumen to translate a passion for national and humanitarian service into empathy and action on the ground. In Susan Holowesko Larson, the country found the leader it needed. The Bangladeshi Nobel Prize Winner, Muhammad Yunus, an economist and banker, who founded the Grameen Bank, and who helped pioneer microfinance and microcredit notes: “Human creativity is unlimited. It is the
capacity of humans to make things happen which didn’t happen before. Creativity provides the key to solving our social and economic problems.” Through her decades of work in business, civil society and community service, Susan Holowesko Larson has become one of the country’s most creative, passionate and capable social entrepreneurs, blending private, public and personal enterprise into a resume of hope and help for those in need. She has helped “to make things happen”
in The Bahamas “which didn’t happen before!” There are many shallow talkers in the country but considerably fewer doers. Months before COVID-19 began to take its devastating toll, Mrs. Holowesko Larson sprang into action with others after the onslaught of Hurricane Dorian. She co-founded Bahamas Strong in response to the worst natural disaster in Bahamian history. Its founding directors of record also include: Happy Hall and Karla Wells Lisgaris. The initiative, formally constituted in 2020, helped to spearhead the private sector’s response to Dorian and assisted with the initial coordination of
the response by international NGOs. Mrs. Holowesko Larson was among those who helped to staff the evacuation centre at Odyssey Aviation which welcomed more than 6,800 displaced individuals arriving by sea and air from Abaco and Grand Bahama.
THE EFFORTS INCLUDED: “A disaster relief
logistics centre; a fullysupported and equipped sea rescue team, comprised of over 30 private boats, many of which transitioned from Nassau to North Eleuthera and carried out sea evacuations from Marsh Harbour and the Abaco Cays; and a medical centre, fully stocked by the National Drug Plan and able to provide prescription drugs for 60-90 days to evacuees arriving at the evacuation centre.” Mrs. Holowesko Larson understands that immediate charitable action as well as long-term and structural change is essential in addressing critical national issues. The work of Bahamas Strong included: “Working to create and maintain a national disaster resilience strategy and provide a national blueprint to identify and address vulnerabilities … and building a national repository of information which informs the general public, increases awareness of the merits of building resilience, and promotes participation.” Community service and patriotism are in Mrs. Holowesko Larson’s blood. For 25 years she worked with the Bahamas National Trust (BNT), joining as its Education Officer, eventually serving as Director of Education and then Deputy Director. Her meticulous and detailed approach to programme conceptualization and strategic planning were honed at the Trust, where she was a lead agent in crafting and implementing its first fiveyear strategic plan. She also honed her skills in policy development and working with government agencies in the growth and management of the National Park System. Collaboration and compassion are key to her vocation as a social entrepreneur. It is the quality of mercy, compassion and collaboration seen in her commitment to Ride for Hope, of which she is a Co-Founder along with her brother, Stephen. Through the Ride, she has helped to spur greater volunteerism, philanthropy and community service, appreciating the cycle and wheel of giving and generosity. She observed: “I think everybody knows that when someone is diagnosed with cancer that diagnosis comes with a lot
SUSAN Holowesko Larson
of fear and a lot of anxiety. The Ride for Hope does not think that it should also come with financial ruin to families.” And: “Cancer treatments are so expensive and there are so many Bahamians who are fighting cancer and really struggling to pay for their medicine. This treatment assistance fund was put together exclusively to help these Bahamians in need.” Established in 2006, the Ride for Hope Bahamas/ Bahamas Hope Foundation raises hope and resources for Bahamians fighting cancer. The Ride is a cycling and running event. A hundred percent of the funds raised go directly into programmes, with approximately $3.5 million raised to date. The programmes include a Family Island Mammogram Screening (FIMS) programme and the Treatment Assistance Fund. Through the Fund “direct cash contributions are made for chemotherapy and/or radiation for Bahamians who are fighting cancer but do not have the means to pay for their treatment.” Social entrepreneurs like Mrs. Holowesko Larson mobilize the power and joy of volunteers, the latent civic energy and goodness in people, and the desire by many to move beyond apathy and cynicism to cultivate the hero within. With enthusiasm she notes: “I would be remiss if I didn’t call deserving attention to the thousands of hours of work by dedicated volunteers associated with these NGOs. Their contributions, especially during the height of 2020’s need, were truly invaluable and should be widely acknowledged. … “While the term hero is often overused, the Task Force’s zone leaders truly earned that accolade as their efforts were nothing short of heroic. … “The zone leaders’ dedication to helping the most vulnerable among us day in and day out often meant the needs of people they did not know took daily precedence over their own families and loved ones — sometimes, over their own health and wellness. “That dedication continued for 70 weeks, over holidays, throughout lockdowns, in the face of great uncertainty, and around the clock.” And Mrs. Holowesko Larson is quick to tout the virtues of partnerships and networks in the promotion of what we might achieve together beyond
our narrow selves and mindsets: “In scope and scale, the Task Force is the largest Bahamian public private partnership ever crafted. It has elevated awareness of what can be achieved when the government embraces the private sector as a willing and able partner, and, in return, the private sector contributes its experience and knowhow for the greater good. “It has cemented the role such partnerships should play in national development as our country moves forward.” Even amid the social unrest and riots globally and as others went hungry throughout the world during the pandemic, Bahamians had sustained access to nutritious food because of the unprecedented partnership between the government, food programmes, churches, the private sector and volunteers. Mrs. Holowesko Larson says it best: “My work with the Task Force’s NGO zone leaders filled me with hope. “In an unprecedented time, they designed the largest-scale humanitarian aid programme our country has known and implemented it, not flawlessly but certainly with distinction.”
W
hile no programme is flawless, the work of the Task Force was done with tremendous competence and integrity. They provided another form of sustenance for which our nation is hungry amidst “great cynicism, political silliness, and wide-spread negativity.” Respair is an old word rarely used. It is defined as: “fresh hope; a recovery from despair.” When we are tempted to despair we might remember the stellar example of hope and goodness and kindness and participation – and respair – by the food programmes, courageously led by Mrs. Holowesko Larson, who did not allow the naysayers and negativity to distract from her mission. As the social entrepreneur Yunus reminds: “Creativity provides the key to solving our social and economic problems.” How might we use the example of the Task Force to respond to hunger and other national problems and to impart greater respair? In gratitude for their work over the past two years, this year’s Person of the Year includes those who constituted and served as an army of hope and generosity: the Bahamas Feeding Network, the Grand Bahama Food Assistance Committee, Hands for Hunger, IDEA Relief, Lend a Hand Bahamas, One Eleuthera Foundation, the Bahamas Red Cross, scores of volunteers and Mrs. Susan Holowesko Larson, a social entrepreneur who helped to lift our vision and to inspire our imagination of what is possible.
THE TRIBUNE
Has anyone out there got an answer?
STATESIDE
with Charlie Harper
IF YOU’RE Joe Biden you really need a tough skin and determination in the face of daunting adversity these days. The American President seems beset with intractable problems, insoluble divisions in his own party and economic and political trends that do not bode well for a rise anytime soon in his slumping popularity. Headlines announce almost daily increases in the rate of inflation of the US dollar, with recent rises to over six percent the highest recorded since the early days of Ronald Reagan’s presidency 40 years ago. Most economists quoted in the mass media seem united in the belief that this economic measure of instability will abate in a few months, but the trend doesn’t make people feel better about their or the country’s intermediate economic prospects. As the inflation rate climbs, Biden’s ratings in the public opinion polls are remaining in the low 40s, a range that was widely – and often incorrectly – cited as evidence of broad dissatisfaction with Biden’s predecessor. But looking at the current situation in the US, why would people feel particularly optimistic? Whether you agree with
IS Joe Biden the man to see the US through stormy weather? their policies and tactics or not, the major political parties can hardly agree on anything. The country seems to be stagnating in a political standoff that seems to presage little good news in the near future. It is easier than at almost any time in recent memory to be either pessimistic, or at least not optimistic, about what lies ahead. Faith in Congress to lead the country out of the current wilderness is almost impossible to detect. Biden’s basic decency and bedrock optimism about achieving political solutions for present problems seem to most people to be outdated and profoundly misguided at best, and wilfully dismissive of contemporary reality at worst. The President is properly devoting a lot of his time and public attention to COVID-19 and its numerous variants, but it seems every time health officials make headway against one
variant, another appears ominously to renew the dire threat of severe illness or death. Disharmony and disunity in the major political parties magnify relatively insignificant issues at the expense of serious public policy debate. The Supreme Court is rapidly losing its status as the last line of defence for the rule of law and instead is slipping into a vaguely disreputable position as just another partisan branch of the government, along with the highly polarized executive and legislative branches. One political analyst pointed to a simple lack of trust as the basic element of instability in the current US political environment. “Who or what can you really rely upon now?” she asked. “There is almost unprecedently widespread cynical disbelief in the positive potential of government. There is no national purpose around which to rally support. It’s far too easy to slip into a somnolent state of unfocused unease about both the present and the future. Who or what we see now or on the horizon will lead us out of the present morass?” Most people don’t believe Biden has the answers.
IT HASN’T been easy, but the National Football league has reached the end of 2021 having played all 480 of its scheduled 544 games. Each of the league’s 32 teams has played 15 games despite several having been postponed recently due to COVID outbreaks among players. With only two games remaining for every team and last year’s playoff expansion to seven teams in each conference being carried over to this season, there are plenty of reasons for the league’s millions of fans to stay engaged. After last year’s dismal empty and partially-filled stadiums, 2021 has seen a return to live action by fans throughout the league, and television ratings have remained strong. The NFL is still the most popular game in the US. Our “local” team, the Miami Dolphins, has been generating excitement in recent weeks as it has done something never before accomplished in the 102 years since the NFL was founded. The Dolphins have experienced both seven-game losing and winning streaks in the same season. After edging New England in Patriots QB Mac Jones’ professional debut back in September, Miami lost seven games in a row. Many sceptics were questioning the team’s black general manager, black head coach and black starting quarterback. Then, as suddenly as the losing streak began, it was replaced by seven straight wins – and counting – that has helped restore faith in the team’s management and QB Tua Tagovailova in particular. If this 8-7 team can beat Tennessee and win its season-ending rematch with the Patriots, it is assured of making the playoffs. That’s only part of the excitement in the American Conference, where only defending conference champion Kansas City has clinched a playoff spot so far. Buffalo and New
England could join the Chiefs this weekend, but for the rest, the wait may extend to the season’s final weekend. Things are less suspenseful in the National Conference, where five of the seven playoff spots are already settled. Defending league champion Tampa Bay is well-positioned to go far in the playoffs, as are the division-leading Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Rams. Only three other teams have winning records at this point, so a team with a losing record might make the postseason for the second straight year. Meanwhile, we may be witnessing a period of significant ascendancy for English soccer football. Three of the very best club teams in the world play in England, and the national team looks better than it has in years. The English Premier League has reached the halfway point in its marathon 38-game season. While several games have required postponement due to high rates of COVID infection in several teams, the league seems determined to push ahead and adhere as closely as is possible to its demanding schedule, which is notoriously onerous at Christmas time when the other European leagues are on vacation. So far, Manchester City is setting the pace and looks likely to repeat as league champions. Still artfully directed by manager Pep Guardiola, the Citizens haven’t been too badly hurt by injuries or COVID absences so far and are enjoying a sixpoint lead over Liverpool and Chelsea. City have few weaknesses and will be tough to catch. Relentless Liverpool and balanced Chelsea are both coached by brilliant German managers who are skilful at navigating their teams’ too-busy schedules and should see out the season where they currently sit in second and third place
in the EPL. Then things get more speculative, but may result in few changes by season’s end in May. Resurgent Arsenal now are in fourth place in the standings, a situation few had anticipated when the Gunners lost their first three games by shutout. The team has settled down since, though, and has steadily risen in the standings behind the surprising performances of several talented young players whose future success should help return Arsenal to the top of the league after an absence of excellence for almost a decade. Tottenham and Manchester United, the remaining two members of the EPL’s “Top Six,” won’t win the championship this season, but under new managers, both teams have stabilized after uneven starts and should be in line for the chance to chase European championships next season. So despite the fact that “the more things change, the more they stay the same” at the top of English club football, interest is still running high in the birthplace of the world’s most popular sport. English clubs are also prospering in the Champions League early rounds that will ultimately produce the 2022 European champion. All four English teams advanced to the tournament’s Round of 16, with Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea all favoured to advance to the quarterfinals and Man United at least an even bet to do so as well. Last year’s final was contested between two English clubs, and there is a reasonable chance that 2022 will see a similar result. As an extra bit of good news, the England national team has easily progressed in qualification for the upcoming 2022 World Cup competition to be held in Qatar next summer. The Three Lions have reached the Round of 16 and should be favoured to advance further. The team has strength and depth at several key positions and is fun to watch.
THE STORY SO FAR
Thursday, December 30, 2021, PAGE 9
PAGE 10, Thursday, December 30, 2021
Man fined $5,000 for bid to tamper with jury By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net A 26-YEAR-OLD man was fined $5,000 yesterday
for asking a female juror to declare the man whose trial she was judging as innocent. Sharano Davis, also known as Rano Rahming,
was charged with obstruction of justice after he threatened and intimidated a woman on May 4 on account of her
appearance as a juror in a criminal matter in the Supreme Court. The woman said she was first contacted by Davis via
GN 2652
Z Yh ^d &KZ yWZ ^^/KE^ K& /Ed Z ^d
Senior Software Developer
Government Digital Transformation to Strengthen Competitiveness: Senior Software Developer Country: The Commonwealth of The Bahamas Supporting Institution: Inter-American Development Bank Programme: Government Digital Transformation to Strengthen Competitiveness Project Number: BH-L1045 Loan Number: LO-4549 / OC-BH Sector: Reform / Modernization of the State Sub-Sector: E-Government Deadline: 6 January, 2022 Post: Senior Software Developer Post Location: Nassau, Bahamas Reports to: The ICT Specialist The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas has received financing from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), toward the cost of the Government Digital Transformation to Strengthen Competitiveness and intends to apply part of the proceeds for the consulting services of three (3) Senior Software Developers. The consulting services (“the Services”) include leading the development, testing and implementation activities while assisting in the design of software applications to meet both functional and technical requirements. The contractual position is 12 months renewable annually based on satisfactory performance. Main responsibilities include: ● Managing the execution of multiple concurrent software development activities ensuring deadlines are being met, including metrics for software quality and security ● Participating throughout all stages of the software development lifecycle ● Leading the design, development and/or modification of front-end applications and integration with services ● Leading the planning, designing, developing and deploying of new applications and enhancements to existing applications. ● Leading DB analysis/design, including writing queries, views, stored procedures, and triggers ● Leading user experience and system design and specifications, programming logic and flow-charting, developing, testing, debugging, documenting, and supporting ● Ensuring and monitoring the systems security. ● Enabling the sustainability of the systems by documenting, updating and using industry standards such as version control systems, security copies, code scans or vulnerability scans of the solutions. ● API design, development, testing and documentation using SOAP or REST technologies. ● Working independently on complex programming tasks and perform code reviews of various development tasks ● Assignment of software development tasks to the Junior Developer(s) ● Providing analysis of problems and recommending solutions ● Overseeing and setting direction for the front-end team, ensuring reliable, secure software with minimal bugs ● Evaluating and suggesting industry standard tools and methods. ● Establishing and tracking metrics related to key performance objectives and service levels ● Developing, implementing and enforcing best practices and operating standards ● Identifying and escalating potential concerns and recommending viable solutions ● Maintaining proficiency with Application Security requirements and best practices ● Reviewing Software Requirements documentation and providing feedback to the Business Analysts to improve the quality of the documentation ● Assisting Business Analysts with the development of User Acceptance Tests ● Assisting Business Analysts and Testers with the execution of User Acceptance Tests Z Yh ^d &KZ yWZ ^^/KE^ K& /Ed Z ^d ● Implementing automated unit and integration tests and ensures the practice is followed consistently SoftwareTeam, Developer ● Analysing issues escalated by L2 Help Senior Desk Support recommending solutions including code fixes ● Recommending process, feature, and code changes based on analysis of recurring customer issues ● Implementing approved code changes ● Performing other duties as required
The successful candidate should have the following ●
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Mandatory Passing of Software Development Test Associate’s degree or equivalent in Engineering, ICT, or Applied Mathematics Excellent and demonstrated programming skills in at least one computer language. Fast learner and quickly adaptable in a dynamic, rapidly changing team-oriented environment. 1 or more years of experience developing and trouble-shooting software for commercial public facing web applications such as MyGateway At least 3 years’ working experience with PHP, JavaScript, Python, SQL, and HTML. At least 3 years’ working experience with Linux and cloud environments Strong problem solving and analytical thinking skills. Solid testing and debugging skills. Ability to multi-task in a data-intensive environment with accuracy. Talent, drive and the ability to work independently and in team settings within a deadline-driven environment. Strong organizational skills and able to effectively prioritize work and manage projects. Strong communication and interpersonal skills. Good time management skills. Willingness to learn new languages/platforms as needed. Working knowledge of cloud based software development Exposure to web development using React and CSS3 Familiarity with Scrum methodology or other agile development processes.
The Office of the Prime Minister now invites eligible Consultants to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. Consultants will be selected in accordance with the National Competitive Bidding Selection procedures set out in the IDB’s: Policies for the Selection and Contracting of Consultants financed by the IDB and it is open to all eligible bidders as defined in these policies. Consultants will be selected in accordance with the International Competitive Bidding Selection method set out in Selection and Contracting of Firms Policies. Only Short-Listed Individuals will be contacted. Further information can be obtained by E-mail: DTUPROCUREMENT@bahamas.gov.bs. All CVs and qualification documents must be submitted Re: Senior Software Developer to E-mail: DTUPROCUREMENT@bahamas.gov.bs on or before 5:00 pm on 6 January 2022.
Facebook Messenger on May 3. The court was told Davis greeted her online by saying, “Hey, what’s up.” To which she replied, “Nothing much.” The next day, the woman said Davis contacted her again with the same greeting. She said after giving her reply, Davis then asked her if she knew his cousin had selected her as a juror to stand on his trial. She claimed the accused also asked her to “please say that he was not guilty” because he claimed his cousin was not a “troublesome” person. Davis had initially denied the offence but changed his plea to guilty during yesterday’s hearing before Magistrate Samuel McKinney. In mitigation, his attorney asked the court for leniency, noting Davis was extremely remorseful for his actions. In response, Magistrate McKinney fined him $5,000 and also placed him on two years’ probation. Davis was told failure to pay the fine would result in a one-year prison sentence. He was further warned that if he failed to be of good behaviour for two years, he would spend nine months behind bars. Brandon Watkins, 22, was also fined yesterday after he acted unruly, resisted lawful arrest and assaulted a police officer on September 15. According to the prosecution, a police inspector reported that while she was leaving Super Wash on Nassau Street, she observed a vehicle pulling into the establishment blocking the driveway. The court heard the officer used her horn and
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demanded the driver pull over in an attempt to leave the area. However, the defendant exited the vehicle and approached her, waving his hands in her face. Watkins was warned about his behaviour, but he continued to act disorderly. As a result, the police inspector informed Watkins he was under arrest, but in response, he turned away and walked off. During his hearing before Magistrate Kendra Kelly, Watkins pleaded guilty to the offences. However, his sentence was deferred after Magistrate Kelly told the court she wanted to review the video capturing the incident to assist with her judgement. When asked yesterday what was going through his mind on the day of the incident, Watkins said he didn’t think before acting because the argument happened so quickly. In response, Magistrate Kelly reprimanded Watkins, telling him that he engaged in “ridiculous behaviour” over nothing. She also told him that he needed to learn to control his behaviour and re-evaluate his life. As a result, Watkins was ordered to attend anger management classes and fined $500. He was told failure to pay the fine would result in three months behind bars. If he also failed to attend the anger management classes, he would spend a month at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. “Get your life together. Be an example. You’re still young and have time,” the magistrate said.
JAMAICAN PAIR ARRAIGNED OVER $600K MARIJUANA HAUL By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
TWO Jamaican men were arraigned on several drugrelated charges yesterday in connection with last week’s seizure of over $600,000 worth of marijuana that was found in Inagua. Nerhu James, 34, and Devon Richards, 50, appeared before Magistrate Samuel Mckinney yesterday after they were allegedly found with 611 pounds of suspected marijuana in Inagua on December 24. According to initial police reports, around 4.30pm that day, officers from the Drug Enforcement Unit and the United States Coast Guard — who were in the area of Great Inagua on routine air patrols — observed a speed boat beached on the northern shoreline of Great Inagua. The officers became suspicious when they noticed two men standing near the boat and as a result, they approached them. Upon arrival at the boat, one of the officers noticed a number of packages a short
distance away from the men in low bushes. Police searched the area and found 34 large packages, some of them wrapped in black plastic and the others in white bags. A field sampling of the content of some of the packages revealed a grassy substance, suspected to be marijuana. Police said the drugs have an estimated street value of $611,000. During yesterday’s hearing, the men pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to supply, possession of marijuana with the intent to supply, conspiracy to import dangerous drugs, and importing a quantity of marijuana into the country. After recording the accused’s not guilty pleas, Magistrate McKinney adjourned the case to February 22, 2022 for trial. However, the two men are scheduled to appear before court on January 14, 2022 for a bail hearing. They were remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services in the interim.
MAN DENIES BREAKING INTO SCHOOL TO STEAL $100 OF FOOD By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
A 22-YEAR-OLD man who denied breaking into a local school and stealing food was yesterday granted bail before his trial. Christian Sargeant appeared before Magistrate Kendra Kelly after he was accused of breaking into Saint Augustine’s College and stealing over $100 worth of food items sometime between December 24 and December 25. During the arraignment, he denied the allegations and the matter was adjourned to February 4, 2022 for trial. Sergeant was granted $3,000 bail with one or
two sureties and he is also required to sign into the Fox Hill Police Station on Mondays. Also appearing in court for similar offences was 39-year-old Belony Charles. Police alleged that Charles caused a combined $600 worth of damage to Karen Gardiner and Ochea Flowers’ vehicles and stole their handbags on December 22. However, the accused denied the offences and the matter was adjourned to February 14, 2022 for trial. Bail was granted at $5,000 with one or two sureties. He was also ordered to wear an ankle monitoring bracelet and report to East Street South Police Station twice a week.
THE TRIBUNE
Ghislaine Maxwell guilty in Epstein sex abuse case NEW YORK Associated Press
THE British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted yesterday of luring teenage girls to be sexually abused by the American millionaire Jeffrey Epstein. The verdict capped a month-long trial featuring sordid accounts of the sexual exploitation of girls as young as 14, told by four women who described being abused as teens in the 1990s and early 2000s at Epstein’s palatial homes in Florida, New York and New Mexico. Jurors deliberated for five full days before finding Maxwell guilty of five of six counts. As the verdict was read, Maxwell appeared to show little reaction behind a black mask. She stood with her hands folded as the jury filed out, and glanced at her siblings as she herself was led from the courtroom, but was otherwise stoic. She faces the likelihood of years in prison — an outcome long sought by women who spent years fighting in civil courts to hold Maxwell accountable for her role in recruiting and grooming Epstein’s teenage victims and sometimes joining in the sexual abuse. The defence had insisted Maxwell was a victim of a vindictive prosecution devised to deliver justice to women deprived of their main villain when Epstein killed himself while awaiting trial in 2019. During the trial, prosecutors called 24 witnesses to give jurors a picture of life inside Epstein’s homes — a subject of public fascination and speculation ever since his 2006 arrest in Florida in a child sex case. A housekeeper testified he was expected to be “blind, deaf and dumb” about the private lives of Epstein, a financier who cultivated friendships with influential politicians and business tycoons, and Maxwell, who had led a jet-setting lifestyle as the favorite child of a media mogul. Pilots took the witness stand and dropped the names of luminaries — Britain’s Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton, Donald Trump — who flew on Epstein’s private jets. Jurors saw physical evidence like a folding massage table once used by Epstein and a “black book” that listed contact information for some of the victims under the heading “massages”. There were bank records showing he had transferred $30.7m to Maxwell, his long-time companion — one-time girlfriend, later employee. But the core of the prosecution was the testimony of four women who said they were victimised by Maxwell and Epstein at tender ages. Three testified using first names or pseudonyms to protect their privacy: Jane, a television actress; Kate, a former model from Great Britain; and Carolyn, now a mom recovering from drug addiction. The fourth was Annie Farmer, a psychologist who chose to use her real name after being vocal about her allegations in recent years. They echoed one another in their descriptions of Maxwell’s behaviour: She used charm and gifts to gain their trust, taking an interest in their adolescent challenges and giving them assurances that Epstein could use his wealth and connections to fulfill their dreams. They said the script would darken when Maxwell coaxed them into giving massages to Epstein that turned sexual, encounters she played off as normal: After one sexual massage, Kate, then 17, said Maxwell asked her if she’d
had fun and told her: “You are such a good girl.” Carolyn testified that she was one of several underprivileged teens who lived near Epstein’s Florida home in the early 2000s and took up an offer to give massages in exchange for $100 bills, which prosecutors described as “a pyramid of abuse”. Maxwell made all the arrangements, Carolyn told the jury, even though she knew the girl was only 14 at the time. Jane said in 1994, when she was only 14, she was instructed to follow Epstein into a pool house at his Palm Beach estate, where he masturbated on her. The lone count on which Maxwell was acquitted, enticing a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, applied only to Jane. “I was frozen in fear,” she told the jury, adding that assault was the first time she had ever seen a penis. She also directly accused Maxwell of participating in her abuse. Maxwell’s lawyer asked Jane why it had taken so long to come forward. “I was scared,” she said, choking back tears. “I was embarrassed, ashamed. I didn’t want anybody to know any of this about me.” The last to testify, Farmer described how Maxwell touched her breasts while giving her a massage at Epstein’s New Mexico ranch and how Epstein unexpectedly crawled into bed and pressed himself against her. Maxwell, 60, vehemently denied the charges through her lawyers. Still, she declined to take the risk of testifying, telling the judge: “The government has not proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt so there is no reason for me to testify.” “The charges against Ghislaine Maxwell are for things that Jeffrey Epstein did,” one of Maxwell’s lawyers, Bobbi Sternheim, emphasised to the jury. “But she is not Jeffrey Epstein and she is not like Jeffrey Epstein.” Maxwell’s legal team questioned whether the accusers’ memories were faulty, or had been influenced by lawyers seeking big payouts from Maxwell and from Epstein’s estate in civil court. During their two-day presentation, they called as a witness Elizabeth Loftus, a University of California Irvine professor who has testified as a memory expert for defense lawyers at about 300 trials, including the rape trial of movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. She said memory can be contaminated by suggestions made by an interviewer, particularly law enforcement or the media. Maxwell’s family — faithfully in attendance each day of the trial — complained she was under duress from harsh conditions at the Brooklyn jail where she’s been held since her arrest in July 2020. She had repeatedly, and futilely, sought bail, arguing that she was unable to adequately contribute to her defense. The legal fights involving Epstein and Maxwell are not over. Maxwell still awaits trial on two counts of perjury. Lawsuits involving the abuse allegations also continue, including one in which a woman not involved in the trial, Virginia Giuffre, says she was coerced into sexual encounters with Prince Andrew when she was 17. Prince Andrew has denied her account and that lawsuit is not expected to come to trial for many months.
Thursday, December 30, 2021, PAGE 11
GHISLAINE Maxwell with Jeffrey Epstein.
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Government Digital Transformation to Strengthen Competitiveness: Public Relations Officer Country: The Commonwealth of The Bahamas Supporting Institution: Inter-American Development Bank Programme: Government Digital Transformation to Strengthen Competitiveness Project Number: BH-L1045 Loan Number: LO-4549 / OC-BH Sector: Reform / Modernization of the State Sub-Sector: E-Government Deadline: 6 January, 2022 Post: Public Relations Officer Post Location: Nassau, Bahamas Reports to: The Programme Manager The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas has received financing from the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB), toward the cost of the Government Digital Transformation to Strengthen Competitiveness and intends to apply part of the proceeds for the consulting services of a Public Relations Officer. The consulting services (“the Services”) include assisting in the publicity initiatives of The Government Digital Transformation to Strengthen Competitiveness Project directed at mass audiences. The Public Relations Officer shall monitor and develop the corporate reputation of the Digital Transformation Unit, have editorial responsibility for the project executing unit’s website and all other related collateral. The contractual position is 12 months renewable annually based on satisfactory performance. Main responsibilities include:
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Contributing to the development of The Digital Transformation Unit’s public and stakeholder communication strategies and associated budgets with a focus on mass audiences Conceptualizing, planning, executing and evaluating The Digital Transformation Unit’s public relations initiatives (with a particular focus on audio-visual material) and events in conjunction with the parties involved and on the basis of researching, managing, and controlling all aspects including the production of any sub-contracted elements as appropriate Performing contract administration for the designated Public Relations Firm to ensure that they are performing against set performance criteria Monitoring and actively developing the corporate reputation of the Digital Transformation Unit and its attendant project (s) inclusive of building links with sectoral stakeholders Taking responsibility and advising the development for the various digital assets. This includes coordinating with the colleagues responsible for providing support services Acting as the main point of liaison and co-ordination with assigned Public Relations Firm and the Digital Transformation Unit and actively participate in the implementation of the various projects Performing crisis management on all matters related to the Digital Transformation Project Liaising with, and answering enquiries from media, individuals and other organizations, often via telephone and email Researching, writing and distributing press releases to targeted media Collating and analyzing media coverage Writing and editing in-house magazines, speeches, and articles Preparing and supervising the production of publicity brochures, handouts, direct mail leaflets, promotional videos, photographs, films and multimedia programs Devising and coordinating photo opportunities Organizing events including press conferences, exhibitions, town halls and press tours Developing written content on the organization’s website, and manage the design updates to the website. Creating, maintaining, and managing the delivery of the relevant aspects the master project plan (and other project Z Yh ^d &KZ yWZ ^^/KE^ K& /Ed Z ^d management products (e.g. action logs, risk registers, monthly progress reports) for the assigned work stream Managing the development of creative deliverables
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Performing other duties as required
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The successful candidate should have the following ● ● ● ● ●
A minimum of a Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Relations, Communications, Journalism and English or Business would be considered an advantage Minimum of three (3) years of relevant professional experience in the public relations or media environment Minimum of three (3) years working knowledge of branding Specialized training in the field of media/TV/press, public relations, radio or print production/design would be considered an advantage Experience in the full management cycle of media/public relations projects, from strategic planning, concept to on-time and on-cost delivery would be considered an advantage
Competencies and Attributes ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Self-starter, ability to take the initiative and operate independently; Ability to work in a team setting with high sense of confidentiality, solidarity and flexibility; Ability to operate within a fast-moving environment and react appropriately to change; Excellent drafting and reporting skills, and the ability to present information in a clear and concise manner; Excellent oral and written English; ICT skills commensurate with the scope of the post including Microsoft packages; Excellent interpersonal skills to operate in a multicultural environment and to deal with challenging circumstances;
The Office of the Prime Minister now invites eligible Consultants to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. Consultants will be selected in accordance with the National Competitive Bidding Selection procedures set out in the IDB’s: Policies for the Selection and Contracting of Consultants financed by the IDB and it is open to all eligible bidders as defined in these policies. Consultants will be selected in accordance with the International Competitive Bidding Selection method set out in Selection and Contracting of Firms Policies. Only Short-Listed Individuals will be contacted. Further information can be obtained by E-mail: DTUPROCUREMENT@bahamas.gov.bs. Submit all CVs and qualification documents must be submitted Re: Public Relations Officer to E-mail: DTUPROCUREMENT@bahamas.gov.bs on or before 5:00 pm on 6 January 2022.
SPORTS PAGE 14
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2021
COVID-19 surge forces NCAA Div. I Basketball programmes to postpone scheduled openers by RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net
T
he surge of COVID-19 cases due to the omicron variant has forced several NCAA Division I basketball programmes to postpone their scheduled conference openers. Head coach Yolett McPheeMcCuin and her Ole Miss Rebels were in the midst of a recordsetting, 12-game win streak and expected to head into Southeastern Conference play before a pair of postponements were announced.
In what was expected to be their first game of 2022, Ole Miss was scheduled to face No. 1-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks on January 2. However, the contest was postponed due to a combination of positive tests, contact tracing and subsequent quarantining of individuals within the Ole Miss women’s basketball programme. The Rebels were scheduled to open SEC play today against the Arkansas Razorbacks but that game was also postponed as a result of several positive tests. Makeup dates have yet to be determined.
The Rebels won their 12th consecutive game - a 61-53 win over the No.18 ranked South Florida Bulls on December 21 - in their final game of the West Palm Beach Invitational in West Palm Beach, Florida. Defence has been the team’s identity en route to a 12-1 record and have held 10 of those opponents below 55 points. Sammy Hunter and the Ole Miss men’s programme are also facing postponements. Due to COVID issues within the Florida Gators’ programme, yesterday’s SEC season opener
against the Gators was postponed, consistent with the Southeastern Conference COVID-19 management requirements. A make-up date has not been determined at this time. The Rebels are 8-4 on the season. Hunter has appeared in 12 games, averaging 2.8 points per game on 40 percent shooting from the field. According to the SEC, “An SEC men’s or women’s basketball team will be required to play if it has at least seven scholarship
SEE PAGE 15
‘Buddy’ Hield scores 21 to help Kings quiet Thunder By MICHAEL WAGAMAN Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton had 24 points and 10 assists, and the Sacramento Kings held off the Oklahoma City Thunder 117-111 on Tuesday night. Chavano “Buddy” Hield added 21 points off the bench for the Kings. Harrison Barnes scored 17 and De’Aaron Fox had 12 points and eight assists. “We needed a win in any kind of way,” said Kings interim coach Alvin Gentry, who was highly critical of his team following a 25-point loss to Memphis on Sunday. “We have some things that we have to correct and we have to correct immediately. (But) we got back on track and did a really good job of finding a way to close the game.” Haliburton played a big role in that while handling point guard duties much of
the night, same as he did when Fox was in the NBA’s health and safety protocol. “With guys out I knew I had to step up and be better,” Haliburton said. “I hold myself to a high standard and work really hard. That’s just a (result) of how hard I’ve been working.” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points for the Thunder. Earlier in the day, Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault, rookie Josh Giddey and forward Derrick Favors entered the health and safety protocols. Assistant coach Mike Wilks ran the team in Daigneault’s absence. “Unique situation,” Wilks said. “We had some lows but we kept fighting, kept coming until the end.” The Kings withstood a scoring flurry by the Thunder in the third quarter, built a 17-point lead early in the fourth and made three free throws over the final 32 seconds to end a three-game losing streak.
KINGS’ Chavano “Buddy” Hield scored 21 points off the bench as they held off the Thunder 117-111 on Tuesday night. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak) Haliburton had 10 points six games Haliburton has in the fourth, including had at least 20 points and a clutch 3-pointer after 10 assists. Oklahoma City pulled to “The only one that has 106-96. It’s the fifth time in been able to stop him was
me by taking him out of the game the other night (against Memphis),” Gentry said. “He’s playing at a real high level.” Gilgeous-Alexander kept Oklahoma City close and scored 15 points in the final 12 minutes, but the short-handed Thunder had just two players reach double figures. The Thunder started a lineup that included Isaiah Roby making his second start of the season after not playing four of the last five games due to coach’s decision, and Paul Watson, who was making his third career start and first this season. Roby had eight points and six rebounds, while Watson scored five points. Sacramento led by 10 early in the third but Aaron Wiggins had eight points as part of a 17-3 run to give Oklahoma City the lead. The Kings scored the next 13 points and led 87-71 going into the fourth.
INTERNATIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYERS HEAD INTO BREAK WITH WINS By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net TAVARIO Miller helped his club extend their win streak, David Nesbitt scored a season high, and Jaraun Burrows led his club into the break with another season high to highlight Bahamian basketball players in various leagues across Europe and South America. Miller, in his first season with Minas Belo Horizonte of Brazil’s Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB), helped the club to a seven-game win streak and improve to the league’s second best record at 11-2. He finished with 12 points and nine rebounds on a perfect 6-6
shooting night from the field in a 71-68 win over Unifacisa. Miller is averaging 10.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. In the FIBA Champions League Americas, Miller is averaging 12.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. He also posted 11 points and four rebounds in a 79-63 win over Caxias Do Sul. Miller had a season high 19 points and seven rebounds in a 109-75 win over Mogi and scored 10 points in just 18 minutes of a 79-67 win over Pato Basquete. In his first season with Boca Juniors in Argentina’s Liga Nacional de Básquet, Nesbitt has averaged 9.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game and averaged 55 percent
shooting from the field and 38 percent from three-point range. His season high 22 points ended a two-game losing streak and powered Boca Juniors to a 94-74 win over Union SF. Boca is currently in the seventh position in the league standings at 7-4. In the Champions League, Nesbitt is averaging a team high 14 points per game, including a 22-point effort in a 71-62 win over Universidad de Concepion. He continued his momentum from the first window of the FIBA World Cup ‘23 Americas Qualifiers last month when he averaged 15 points per game in a pair of losses to Canada.
Kino Burrows and his St Thomas Basket Le Havre club improved to 10-5 at the winter break and third in Group B in France’s NM1 League. Burrows scored a team high 24 points on 11-17 shooting from the field. He also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out four assists in a 90-77 win over topranked Caen (12-3). After a slow 2-4 start to the season, Le Harve has won eight of their last nine games and three in a row. On the season, his first with the club, Burrows is averaging a team high 14.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game on 64 percent shooting from the field.
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STEVEN GARDINER SENIOR MALE ATHLETE OF YEAR By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net IN a year where we’ve had some extraordinary performances by players on their various international teams, Steven Gardiner managed to prevail above them all with his Olympic gold medal to earn The Tribune Sports’ 2021 Male Athlete of the Year. The 26-year-old Gardiner’s Bahamas national record-breaking feat outshined the efforts of Miami Marlins’ infielder Jasrado ‘Jazz’ Chisholm in Major League Baseball, Phoenix Suns’ centre Deandre Ayton in the National Basketball Association, Arcada Galati’s Eugene Stuart as a member of the men’s champions in the Romania Division A1 League and collegian swimmer Izaak Bastian. The only thing that was missing from his masterpiece this year was another
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THIS YEAR’S BAHAMAS BOWL MOSTWATCHED EDITION OF EVENT IN FOUR YEARS By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net THE 2021 Bahamas Bowl was the most-watched edition of the event in four years. The Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders claimed the Prime Minister’s Cup with a 31-24 win over the Toledo Rockets at the Thomas A Robinson Stadium on December 18 and was just one of the games to benefit from college football’s increase in viewership across the board. According to Sports Media Watch, the Bahamas Bowl drew a rating of 0.6 an increase of four percent and 851,000 viewers, an increase of 15 percent from the previous year. Freshman quarterback Nicholas Vattiato completed 23-35 passes for 270 yards and two scores to earn Offensive MVP honours for the Blue Raiders. Senior linebacker DQ Thomas won Defensive
SEE PAGE 15
Candace Parker voted AP Female Athlete of Year for 2nd time By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer CANDACE Parker wrestled with the decision to make a huge change in her life and leave Los Angeles — where she had played her entire WNBA career — and head home to Chicago. In the end, the appeal of a homecoming was too much for Parker to ignore, and it couldn’t have worked out better. The 35-year-old Parker staved off Father Time to help the Chicago Sky win the franchise’s first WNBA championship and capped
off 2021 by being named The Associated Press’ Female Athlete of the Year for a second time. “There was something about going to where you started playing the game,” Parker said in a phone interview. “It’s exciting to play in front of the people who first saw me pick up a basketball. To win at home, I’m just now recognising it a little bit. How special that really is. Something that is top on my list.” It’s a list that keeps the working mom and basketball analyst for TNT pretty busy. Parker is finally beginning to appreciate bringing
CANDACE Parker. (AP) a title to her hometown in the twilight of her career. As the final seconds ticked off the clock in the
WNBA Finals, Parker sprinted to the corner of the court where she hugged family and friends, celebrating becoming one of the rare elite athletes to return home and win a championship. It was a long shot ending not many saw coming when Parker made the move. Winning it all seemed an even more remote possibility at the start of the WNBA season when the Sky lost seven of their first nine games. Parker was sidelined with an ankle injury, but when she returned, Chicago
SEE PAGE 15
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, December 30, 2021, PAGE 15
Ja Morant, Grizzlies rally to beat reeling Lakers 104-99 MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Ja Morant scored 41 points, Desmond Bane added 20 and the Memphis Grizzlies overcame a 14-point second-half deficit to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 104-99 last night. LeBron James led Los Angeles with 37 points — a day short of his 38th birthday — and 13 rebounds and a season-high eight 3-pointers. Russell Westbrook added a triple-double with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists. The Grizzlies improved to 22-14 with their third straight victory, while the Lakers fell to 17-19 with their sixth loss in seven games. Memphis trailed in the second half until Tyus Jones hit in a floater for a 93-92 lead with 6:50 left. Morant followed with consecutive 3-pointers for a 99-92 advantage with 4:28 to go. Bane sealed the win with two free throws with 5.1 seconds to go. CLIPPERS 91, CELTICS 82 BOSTON (AP) — Eric Bledsoe scored 10 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, hitting a key 3-pointer down the stretch, to help los Angeles beat Boston. Marcus Morris had 23 points and 10 rebounds, and Terance Mann and Luke Kennard also scored 17 apiece for the Clippers. Los Angeles ended a twogame skid and completed a season sweep of the Celtics on a night both clubs were short-handed. Jaylen Brown led Boston with 30 points. Robert Williams had 16 points and 14 rebounds, and Al Horford added nine points with 10 rebounds. The Clippers were without star forward Paul George for a third straight game with a torn ligament in his right elbow that could keep him out up to a month. But Los Angeles, which had lost five of six, led most of the game. Boston was missing scoring leader Jayson Tatum,
MEMPHIS Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane (22) defends against Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) during the first half of an NBA basketball game last night in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman) who was placed on the COVID-19 health and safety protocols list on Monday, and starting guard Marcus Smart, who was out with a hand injury. KNICKS 94, PISTONS 85 DETROIT (AP) — Alec Burks scored a season-high 34 points to lead a huge night from New York’s bench and the Knicks beat short-handed Detroit. Immanuel Quickley added 18 points as the Knicks’ reserves combined for 65 points. RJ Barrett was the only starter in double figures at 15 points. New York outscored
BOWL
PARKER
MVP honours with a team-high eight tackles, 1.5 tackle for loss and a pass broken up. Trailing 17-14 after three quarters, the Blue Raiders scored 17 consecutive points in the fourth quarter to rally for a 31-17 lead. The Bahamas Bowl kicked off the college bowl season and featured two teams making their second trip to The Bahamas. MTSU lost the 2015 Bahamas Bowl appearance to Western Michigan Broncos, 45-31. Toledo came up a field goal short in the 2018 Bahamas Bowl to FIU, 35-32 – the Rockets’ most recent bowl game appearance. The 2015 matchup between the Broncos and Blue Raiders drew in 2.1 million viewers on ESPN. The Bahamas Bowl is owned and operated by ESPN Events, a division of ESPN. ESPN Events owns and operates a portfolio of 35 collegiate sporting events nationwide. The roster includes five early-season college football games, 17 college bowl games, 12 college basketball events and a college softball event, which accounts for approximately 400 hours of live programming, reaches nearly 64 million viewers and attracts over 800,000 attendees each year. Nine of the first 12 bowl games this season saw an increase in viewership. ESPN’s top bowl game on its schedule thus has been the Armed Forces Bowl which featured Army and Missouri and averaged 2.57 million viewers. It represented a 14 percent increase from the 2020 game and was the most watched edition of the game since 2018.
started winning and earned a No. 6 seed in the playoffs. “I’m really thankful for those who made my journey and the people who supported me making it as smooth as possible. My daughter, my wife, my immediate family, we rolled with it. We wanted it,” she said. “Things are going to get hard, but stick with it.” It is an approach to life that made Parker secondguess her decision. Parker was concerned that she would be viewed as a quitter by leaving Los Angeles. This despite being named the AP award winner her rookie year with the Sparks in 2008, when she was honoured as the WNBA’s MVP and top rookie. She also guided the Sparks to the championship in 2016 and is one of 14 players to have won a college, WNBA and Olympic title. She played college ball at Tennessee, where she won two titles. “I’m a big believer when you start something you finish it. When you say something, you do it. I’m not perfect, as I do say stuff and don’t follow through,” said Parker, a two-time Olympic gold medallist. “My parents taught me don’t quit. I wanted to finish my career in LA, but I also finished my contract, I committed to that amount of time. I didn’t ask to be traded. The better opportunity for me and my family was to go back home.” The 13 years since her first AP athlete of the year honours ties Parker with Babe Didrikson Zaharias for the longest time between winning in the 80-year history of the award. The award was voted on by a panel of sports editors. Parker
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Detroit 30-14 in the fourth quarter. Saddiq Bey had a careerhigh 32 points for Detroit, and Hamidou Diallo had a season-high 31 points with 13 rebounds. The NBAworst Pistons have lost four in a row and 18 of 19. BULLS 131, HAWKS 117 CHICAGO (AP) — Zach LaVine scored 25 points and Chicago beat Atlanta for the second time in three nights. The Bulls extended their winning streak to a season-high five games. The Hawks, who are playing without 15 players due to
the NBA’s health and safety protocols and injuries, lost for the fifth time in six games. Trey Young scored 26 points, and Clint Capela added 18 for the Hawks in the opener of a six-game trip. The Bulls shot 61.9 percent and had a season-high with 38 assists. They beat the Hawks 130-118 on Monday night in Atlanta. HORNETS 116, PACERS 108 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Terry Rozier scored a season-high 35 points, LaMelo Ball added 21 points and 12 rebounds and Charlotte beat Indiana.
Ball also had nine assists, falling just short of his third triple-double this season and the fourth of his career. The Hornets won their third straight overall and fifth in a row in the series, including all three matchups this season. SUNS 115, THUNDER 97 PHOENIX (AP) — Devin Booker scored 38 points, surpassing 10,000 for his career, and the Phoenix Suns beat Oklahoma City to end a two-game losing streak and tie for the NBA lead. The Suns rebounded from home losses to Golden
State and Memphis to pull even with the Warriors atop the league standings at 27-7. Booker made 12 of 24 shots from the floor, going 6 of 12 from 3-point range. JaVale McGee and Cameron Payne each scored 16 points, with McGee adding eight rebounds and Payne a team-high seven assists. Cam Johnson finished with 12 points, and Jalen Smith had 11 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. Ty Jerome scored a career-high 24 points for the Thunder. Both teams were without several key players and their head coaches.
NCAA
FROM PAGE 14
FROM PAGE 14
LOS Angeles Sparks’ Candace Parker, left, drives past Connecticut Sun’s Tan White during the first half of a WNBA basketball game in Uncasville, Connecticut, on June 13, 2012. (AP Photo/Fred Beckham) received 11 first-place votes, edging out swimmer Katie Ledecky and gymnast Simone Biles. “You couldn’t write a better story than the one of Candace Parker bringing the WNBA championship to her hometown in her first season with the Chicago
Sky,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said. “On top of her accomplishments on the court and in the studio, she has continued to be a leader and role model to many, including working moms around the world. The WNBA is proud to have players like Candace
who continually raise the bar and elevate the game and our league to the highest level.” Parker is the only WNBA player to win the AP Female Athlete of the Year award. She hopes that changes soon as the league continues to get more national exposure.
student-athletes and one (1) countable coaching staff member available to participate. The impacted institution has the option to play the game with fewer than the seven players and/ or one countable coach, if it elects to do so. Otherwise, upon approval by the Commissioner, the game will be rescheduled or declared a no contest…If a contest is postponed, efforts will be made to reschedule the game. If a contest cannot be rescheduled, the Commissioner shall cancel the contest and it will be recorded as a no contest.” Garvin Clarke and his Akron Zips had two games postponed this week as they were expected to open play in the Mid-American Conference. The Zips were expected to travel for the MAC opener at Bowling Green yesterday and were expected to host their first MAC game scheduled on New Year’s Day against Northern Illinois. Both games have been postponed and will attempt to be rescheduled on a to-be-determined date. Akron’s next scheduled game is set for Tuesday, January 4, against Ohio. Clarke is averaging 3.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game in 10 appearances off the bench. He scored a career high 12 points in a November 18 win over Wheeling.
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PAGE 16, Thursday, December 30, 2021
GARDINER FROM PAGE 14
national record, but getting back on top of the podium with another gold medal more than suffices for Steven Gardiner as he clinched his second Bahamian year-ending award. Just last month, the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture awarded Gardiner the Male Athlete of the Year honours in their awards banquet at the Baha Mar Convention Center. He didn’t get included in
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the World Athletics’ top list for the Male Athlete of the Year won by Norwegian 400m hurdles world record holder and Olympic gold medallist Karsten Warholm. But Gardiner accomplished his national recognition by stretching out his 6-foot, 4-inch frame around the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan on August 5 in an impressive time of 43.85 seconds, just shy of his national record of 43.48 when he captured the gold at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar.
Prior to the Olympics, which was delayed from last year because of COVID-19, Gardiner was undefeated in eight races in the 400m, but suffered his only loss when he participated in a 200m race in Lausanne on August 21. On his return home in October, Gardiner, flanked by his family members (parents Theresa and Steven Gardiner Sr and younger sister Mesha) and coach Anthony Williams from Murphy Town and Moore’s Island, Abaco as well as his agent Juanita Bryant,
received a lucrative oneyear contract from BTC as a brand ambassador for their “Elevate What’s Next” campaign. Ayton soared to 2nd place All eyes were on the Phoenix Suns as they emerged out of the Western Conference in the 2020/2021 season to get into the NBA Finals, only to have their hopes for the title dashed by the Milwaukee Bucks in six games. The talk was about the maturity of Bahamian 6-foot, 11-inch centre
GN 2654
Z Yh ^d &KZ yWZ ^^/KE^ K& /Ed Z ^d
Junior Software Developer
Government Digital Transformation to Strengthen Competitiveness: Junior Software Developer Country: The Commonwealth of The Bahamas Supporting Institution: Inter-American Development Bank Programme: Government Digital Transformation to Strengthen Competitiveness Project Number: BH-L1045 Loan Number: LO-4549 / OC-BH Sector: Reform / Modernization of the State Sub-Sector: E-Government Deadline: 6 January, 2022 Post: Junior Software Developer Post Location: Nassau, Bahamas Reports to: The ICT Specialist The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas has received financing from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), toward the cost of the Government Digital Transformation to Strengthen Competitiveness and intends to apply part of the proceeds for the consulting services of three (3) Junior Software Developers. The consulting services (“the Services”) include participating in the development, testing and implementation activities while assisting in the design of software applications to meet both functional and technical requirements. The contractual position is 12 months renewable annually based on satisfactory performance. Main responsibilities include: Modifying, developing, writing and implementing software programming applications. Analysing technical application requirements and meaningfully contribute to design reviews. Assisting in the collection and documentation of user's requirements, development of user stories, and estimates. Maintaining, documenting and supporting existing client websites and applications. Resolving bugs and improving the performance of existing software. Providing software installation and updates for various environments. Ensuring and monitoring the systems security. Enabling the sustainability of the systems by documenting, updating and using industry standards such as version control systems, security copies, code scans or vulnerability scans of the solutions. Developing new features and functionalities. Testing and debugging applications before production release. Analysing and resolving technical and application problems. Working on the development of internal tools. Participating in the planning, designing, developing and deploying of new applications and enhancements to existing applications. Developing, supporting and maintaining APIs. Performing DB analysis, writing queries, views, stored procedures, triggers, etc. Evaluating and suggesting industry standard tools and methods. Collaborating on projectsZ Yh ^d &KZ yWZ ^^/KE^ K& /Ed Z ^d in an agile, team-driven environment. Working with other team members to find innovative and efficient solutions. Junior Software Developer Communicating and collaborating with Support and Development teams. Working with teammates in maintenance tasks and upgrades on existing systems. ● Providing support to senior developers and business users. ● Performing other duties as required
The successful candidate should have the following
Mandatory Passing of Software Development Test A minimum of an Associate’s Degree or equivalent in Computer Science or Technology At least two (2) years working experience with one or more of the following: PHP, JavaScript, Python, SQL, and HTML. At least two (2) years working experience with APIs in a Linux and/or cloud environment. Strong problem solving and analytical thinking skills. Solid testing and debugging skills. The ability to multi-task in a data-intensive environment with accuracy. Must possess the talent, drive and the ability to work independently Must be a quick and adaptable learner, with the ability to perform in team settings within a deadline-driven and a rapidly changing environment. Strong organizational skills. Effectively prioritize work and manage time and projects. Strong communication and interpersonal skills. Willingness to learn new languages/platforms as needed
Bonus Skills At least two (2) years’ experience with Object Oriented Languages using REST services and databases. Previous experience in Customer support. Previous experience working on SaaS projects. Exposure to web services development ● Any web development certifications such as AWS, MuleSoft, Oracle, Azure. The Office of the Prime Minister now invites eligible Consultants to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. Consultants will be selected in accordance with the National Competitive Bidding Selection procedures set out in the IDB’s: Policies for the Selection and Contracting of Consultants financed by the IDB and it is open to all eligible bidders as defined in these policies. Consultants will be selected in accordance with the International Competitive Bidding Selection method set out in Selection and Contracting of Firms Policies. Only Short-Listed Individuals will be contacted. Further information can be obtained by E-mail: DTUPROCUREMENT@bahamas.gov.bs. All CVs and qualification documents must be submitted Re: Junior Software Developer to E-mail: DTUPROCUREMENT@bahamas.gov.bs on or before 5:00 pm on 6 January 2021.
Deandre Ayton, Hurmos in the the first overall Mestaruusliiga pick in the 2018 league in Finland. draft, thanks to the After graduating addition of talented from St Augustine’s point guard Chris College in 2015 Paul to help stabias a basketball/ lise the young team volleyball combo coached by Monty star, the national Williams. team member In a continuation went on to play for GARDINER of their success, the University of the Suns remained Charleston, West a hot topic in the Virginia where he 2021/2022 season. graduated with his At the end of the bachelor of science five-game treat on degree in sports Christmas Day on business. Saturday, DecemStuart, in 2013, ber 25, Phoenix represented the dropped to second Bahamas on place in the Westthe men’s junior ern Conference national team AYTON at 26-6 with a at the Carib116-107 loss to bean Volleyball the front-running Championships in 27-6 Golden State Guadeloupe. Fast Warriors. forward to 2016 In 31 minutes, when he was menAyton produced tioned on ESPN a package with 18 as the “player to points and seven Watch” for a regurebounds right lar season match around his conagainst Loyola Unisistent average of versity of Chicago. 7 points and 11.1 The following CHISHOLM rebounds with year in 2017, he 1.6 assists for the suited up for the 23-year-old. men’s national volAt the beginleyball team that ning of the season, played in the Carthere was some ibbean Volleyball off the court issue Championships in with Ayton failTrinidad & Tobago ing to secure a and in 2018, he was rookie extension named the Defenbefore the season. sive Player of the However, if they Week for the EastSTUART can duplicate last ern Intercollegiate season’s perforVolleyball Assomance, he could ciation (EIVA) seal a lucrative deal against Princeton for his future in University, while Phoenix. again representing Chisholm turned the Bahamas on heads in 3rd place the men’s national Had it not been team that played in for the gold medal Suriname at the Carat the pinnacle of ibbean Volleyball sports, Jasrado Championships. BASTIAN Chisholm’s flamBastian splash boyant style of play in top five for the Miami Marlins could Now in his senior year have been celebrated by at Florida State University, many. He hit .248/.303/.425 Izaak Bastian is coming with 18 home runs, 53 RBIs into his own as the next and 23 stolen bases. male swimmer to watch on A mid-season injury the international scene. prevented him from comThis year, the 20-year-old pleting the season with an Bastian qualified for the historic 20/20 home run/ delayed 2020 Tokyo Olymstolen base feat. He did pic Games, which was held finish the year with the fast- in August and he capped est sprint speed of all major off the year as a competitor league second basemen, at at the FINA World Short 29.1 feet/second. Course Championships Miami also missed out on in Abu Dhabi December a trip to the postseason as 16-21. they completed the season In Tokyo, Bastian musin 12th place overall in the tered a 40th place finish National League and fourth in the men’s 100m breastin their Eastern Confer- stroke in 1:01.87 and he was ence with a 65-97 win-loss 36th in the 200m breastrecord. stroke in 2:17.40 as he made Chisholm, traded by the his median voyage to the Arizona Diamondbacks world’s greatest sporting to the Marlins for Zac spectacle. Gallen on July 31, 2019, was Then, as one of four assigned to the Jacksonville athletes representing the Jumbo Shrimp where in 112 country at the year-ending games between Jackson meet in Abu Dhabi, Bastian and Jacksonville, he slashed lowered his national record .220/.321/.441 with 21 home in both the 50 metres runs, 54 RBIs, and 16 stolen breaststroke from 27.60 to bases. 27.24 for 24th overall and But following the 2019 the 100m breaststroke from season, the 23-year-old 1:00.87 to 59.61 for 30th Chisholm was added to the place. Marlins’ 40-man roster and Bastian also teamed up was promoted to the major with the other three memleagues for the first time on bers – Joanna Evans, Lilly September 1, 2020. Higgs and Lamar Taylor In 2021, Chisholm made to participate in the mixed 4 the Marlins out of spring x 50m freestyle relay, clocktraining as the team’s start- ing 1:36.43 for 12th place ing second baseman and overall. has been a starting infielder Prior to those meets, between second base and Bastian placed first in all shortstop. of his events at the TYR Stuart spiked his way Fall Classic, including meet into 4th place records in the 400 medley As one of three Baha- relay, 100 breast (54.34), mians currently playing and 200 medley relay along professional volleyball, with winning performances Eugene Stuart helped the in the 200 free relay and 200 Arcada Galati men’s vol- breast (2:01.33). leyball team clinch the He helped the SemiRomania Division A1 noles to a win and set the League championship title Morcom Aquatics Center in April. record in the 200 medley Stuart, along with five relay and finished second in other foreign players, the 100 breast (53.47) and helped Arcada pull off a 200 breast (1:58.21) against clean sweep three-set vic- Auburn. tory over SCM Zalau (Sport Bastian also recorded Club Municipal) over the second-place finishes in the weekend. Arcada finished 100 breast in 53.74 and the the season with an impres- 200 breast in 2:00.54 and sive 28-2 win-loss record secured a win in the 200 atop the team standings. medley relay against GeorThe 24-year-old 6-foot, gia Tech. And he placed 7-inch Stuart, who played third in the 100 free (47.18) middle blocker, completed and the 200 free relay just his first year with against Florida Southern Arcada and he celebrated and contributed to the new in grand style as the league 200 medley relay school champions, the first accom- record at the Georgia Tech plished by any Bahamian. Invitational and finished Prior to going to Arcada, second in the 100 breast Stuart spent the previ- (52.27) and sixth in the 200 ous season with Karelian breast (1:57.27).
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Thursday, December 30, 2021, PAGE 17
CAVALIERS GUARD RICKY RUBIO OUT FOR SEASON WITH TORN ACL By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers guard Ricky Rubio suffered a seasonending left knee injury, a devastating blow to a Cleveland team that he helped moved into playoff contention in the Eastern Conference. The Cavs said an MRI taken yesterday confirmed a torn anterior cruciate ligament, which was feared after Rubio got hurt late in Tuesday’s 108-104 loss at New Orleans. The 31-year-old Rubio had a major impact in his first season with Cleveland,
providing leadership and depth to a young squad. The Cavs have already won 20 games after going 22-50 last season. Rubio’s injury is the second significant one to Cleveland’s backcourt. Collin Sexton suffered a season-ending knee injury on November 7. At the time, Sexton was the team’s leading scorer. Rubio, who was acquired during the summer in a trade from Minnesota, slipped while driving in the lane as the Cavs were trying to protect a lead with two minutes left. Rubio’s knee buckled and he collapsed to the floor.
CAVALIERS guard Ricky Rubio (3) is assisted off the court by teammates on Tuesday night. (AP Photo/Derick Hingle) He grabbed his knee and on his left leg while being Rubio was in obvious dis- assisted by teammates Isaac tress before being helped to Okoro and Kevin Love. his feet and walked to the Before getting hurt, locker room for evaluation. Rubio, who was starting He didn’t put any weight at point guard against the
Pelicans because Darius Garland was in the league’s health and safety protocols, scored 27 points while adding 13 rebounds and eight assists. The Cavs fell apart after Rubio left and the Pelicans completed their rally from a 23-point deficit. Rubio’s infectious playing style has rubbed off on Cleveland’s young players and he’s been both a quality backup and mentor to Garland. He’s also had a positive effect on Love, his former Timberwolves teammate, who is thriving in a reserve role. “Him and I have such a history,” Love said
Curry makes 3,000th 3-pointer, Nuggets edge Warriors 89-86
following the game. “I really care for him. I’m just praying that he’s going to be OK. We don’t know what the near future is going to hold for him. We’re just completely gutted. He was having such a great season.” Rubio picked up where he left off after starring for Spain’s Olympic team last summer in Tokyo. He’s averaging 13.1 points, 6.6 assists and 4.1 rebounds in 34 games. Rubio is only under contract through this season. It’s the second time Rubio has torn his left ACL. The first was as a rookie when he collided with the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant.
By BEN ROSS Associated Press
DJOKOVIC NAMED BEST BALKAN ATHLETE FOR RECORD 7TH TIME
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Stephen Curry became the first player in NBA history to make 3,000 career 3-pointers on Tuesday night in a game where the Denver Nuggets barely held off the NBA-leading Golden State Warriors 89-86. Denver’s Nikola Jokic blocked a potential gametying shot by Jonathan Kuminga in the final seconds to preserve the win after his team nearly blew a 24-point halftime lead. The Warriors got one more chance to tie the game, but Andre Iguodala missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer. “I couldn’t be more proud of our guys,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “I thought Will Barton, down the stretch, made a couple of big, big plays.” Barton had 21 points, while Jokic led Denver with 22 points, 18 rebounds, five assists and four steals. “Nikola having 18 rebounds, 22 points and making a key, key play down the stretch is why he’s a great player,” Malone said. “You need those types of plays to pull out wins like this.” Andrew Wiggins had 21 points and eight rebounds for Golden State in his first game back from the league’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Curry, who scored 21 of his 23
SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Novak Djokovic was named the Best Balkan Athlete of the year yesterday for a record seventh time. The 34-year-old Serbian tennis great is ranked No. 1 in the world and won three of the four Grand Slam tournaments this year. The results of the annual poll were published by the Bulgarian News Agency. Greek basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo, the NBA Finals MVP with the Milwaukee Bucks, was second in the poll. Another Greek, long jumper Miltiadis Tentoglu, was third after winning Greece’s first Olympic gold medal in the event in Tokyo. Distria Krasniqi, a judo competitor from Kosovo, was fourth, followed by Serbian judo athlete Jovana Perkovic. Ivet Goranova of Bulgaria (karate), Bilyana Dudova of Bulgaria (wrestling), Martin Sinkovic and Valent Sinkovic of Croatia (rowing), Mete Gazoz of Turkey (archery), and Nicoleta-Ancuta Bodnar and Simona Geanina Radis of Romania (rowing) rounded out the top 10. The Balkan poll was conducted among the national news agencies of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Turkey.
WARRIORS guard Stephen Curry runs up the court after shooting a 3-point basket - the 3,000th of his career - against the Denver Nuggets during the second half in San Francisco on Tuesday night. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) points in the second half, made a corner 3-pointer late in the third quarter to give him 157 consecutive games with a 3-point field goal. It ties his own NBA record, which he set from 2014-16. The Warriors trailed 60-36 at the half, but kept Denver down offensively while opening the third quarter on a 17-5 run to cut Denver’s lead to 65-53. They pulled within
five on a Curry step-back 3-pointer with 7:20 remaining in the fourth quarter before he made back-toback 3-pointers to cut the Nuggets’ lead to 84-82 with 2:08 left. Golden State tied the game at 84 on a dunk by Gary Payton II with 1:04 remaining. Barton put the Nuggets back in front 86-84 with a tip-in on the ensuing possession and Denver held
on to win despite scoring just 29 points in the second half. “They were the aggressor from the start,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “I loved the way we fought back in the second half and gave ourselves a chance. ... Really proud of the guys for the effort, but obviously we’ve got to play better.” The Nuggets started the game on a 10-0 run and built a 31-16 lead after
the first quarter. Curry remained scoreless deep into the first half, finally getting his first points with 2:08 remaining in the second quarter. Golden State’s 86 points were a season low, and the team made just 16 of 31 free throws. “We just came out flat,” Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson said. “We sucked in the first half.”
WORLD CUP HOTEL SHORTAGE FOR SUPPORTERS PLANNING QATAR TRIPS By ROB HARRIS AP Global Soccer Writer QATAR wants to attract 1.2 million people to the World Cup but will struggle to accommodate many of them. With ticket sales beginning in January, supporters are in for a shock when they look for somewhere to stay: Qatar already looks sold out. Extensive searches by The Associated Press of leading hotel chains and aggregation websites found only one property with availability for the entire tournament which runs November 21 to December 18. Most rooms have already been block-booked by World Cup organisers, in part to prevent price gouging, but mainly to ensure availability for teams, FIFA officials, sponsors and media. “If a team is qualified, it’s now that people are trying to find accommodation,” Ronan Evain, executive director of the Football Supporters Europe group, told the AP. “And at the moment there is nothing.” Qatar’s Supreme Committee, which in charge of World Cup planning, has provided the first details to the AP acknowledging the accommodation challenges after weeks of questions. Only approximately 90,000 rooms will be made available to the public via a website. That is around the same number of fans from
the United States who had tickets for the 2018 World Cup which was spread across Russia and had hotels available on the open market. Yet the AP has been told that surveys and data modelling by Qatari officials based on travel to previous World Cups show they now anticipate 850,000 overseas visitors will require rooms. World Cup organisers have also said more than 1.2 million visitors will come. The most recent data from the Qatar Tourism Authority said there are 33,208 rooms in hotels and hotel apartments. What Qatar boasts as being its key selling point — the most compact World Cup ever with the eight stadiums within a 30-mile radius of Doha — could prove the barrier to visitors going or being able to make lengthy trips. “It becomes a bit of a dystopian World Cup if the stadium could be anywhere in the world ... in the middle of the desert and then you just fly in and out,” Evain said. “That’s certainly not the experience of the majority of fans are looking for.” Despite the pressures on hotel stock in Qatar, there will be no system in place to equitably split the rooms between fans of participating nations or prevent them being bought up for the entire tournament en masse. “There will be no ballot,” the Supreme Committee
told the AP. “Visitors will be able to book on the accommodation portal on a first come, first served basis.” Further restricting the availability, Qatar will not allow one night stays for fans to make short trips and free up rooms for others. No prices have been disclosed. “As is standard practice in many events around the world minimum and maximum lengths of stay will be applied,” the Supreme Committee said. “This will be a minimum of two nights for the group stages — the same as in Russia. Long stay bookings will be possible, and even more so for visitors keen to stay for the entire tournament.” There will be 4,000 cabins on cruise ships that will dock in Doha for the tournament. While camping in the desert had previously been touted as a means of finding space for fans, that is now being downplayed as a significant option. “The campsite availability will make up a small
percentage of the overall accommodation options in Qatar,” the Supreme Committee said. “We have always viewed the ability to camp as an offering of traditional Qatari hospitality, not as a solution to speculation around accommodation shortages.” Flying in and out of the country for each match could prove to be the only viable option for many fans. “We might end up in a situation where, at least for the European, and some of the Asian teams, the best option for fans will be to travel in and out on matchday which would come with a cost,” Evain said. “But also it would come with quite an extraordinary environmental footprint.” Direct return flights from London and Paris for next November and December currently exceed $1,000; from New York it’s more than double that price and from Sao Paulo even higher. “If the focus remains on premium accommodation and if the flight prices remain where they are,”
Evain said, “then there will be people that will just not be able to afford travelling to Qatar. “We know that FIFA operates on the basis that there is this fantastic fan base somewhere in the world that is ready to pay a fortune to follow the World Cup. But previous tournaments don’t show that. There are games at every tournament that are not sold out.” The group stage features 32 teams with games across 12 days when Qatar anticipates 559,000 flying in with a peak of 276,000 ticket holders around November 27 and 28 requiring an estimated 128,000 rooms — more than the country’s entire hotel stock for fans. Just taking November 27, after searching leading travel portals, only three hotels could be booked on the open market on the internet. The cheapest available rooms there would cost $1,028, $1,431 or $5,276 for the night. The Supreme Committee pointed out that Moscow and St Petersburg did not sell out the hotels reserved by organisers, but those are cities larger than Qatar with far more rooms. “No one is seriously arguing that Qatar should build a million hotel rooms,” Evain said. “There is probably some sort of middle ground and solution, temporary housing or anything like this, but for the moment it’s hard to see this happening.” When trying to book for the entire tournament
on travel portals, the only room the AP could find on the open market was $1,056 a night at a four-star hotel near to the airport through Agoda. The Accor, Hilton and Intercontinental, Marriott and Wyndham chains, which run most of the leading hotel brands, are all showing no rooms available during the World Cup at their 28 properties in and around Doha — the only built-up areas in the oiland-gas rich desert nation. The lifting of the economic, diplomatic and travel boycott of Doha by Gulf rivals does open up the possibility of fans commuting from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia or Dubai, which are both about a 90-minute flight from Qatar’s single airport. “They are countries with an even worse human rights record than Qatar,” Evain said. Some fans will also be put off by the Gulf nations’ anti-LGBTQ+ laws. Even opting to go to Qatar at all could present fans with a moral quandary given the well-documented poor working conditions and human rights violations which have only been partially addressed with changes to labour laws after scrutiny of the abuses and deaths of the low-paid, largely migrant worker population building facilities for the World Cup, including hotels. “It’s a dilemma every fan will have to deal with,” Evain said.
PAGE 18, Thursday, December 30, 2021
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India eyes final-day victory in 1st test CENTURION, South Africa (AP) — India will go in search of a final-day victory in the first test after Jasprit Bumrah’s two late wickets saw South Africa struggle to 94-4 at stumps on the fourth day yesterday, chasing a daunting 305 to win. Bumrah bowled Rassie van der Dussen (11) with a ball that cut back sharply to hit the off stump while van der Dussen didn’t even play a shot at it. Soon after, Bumrah sent a yorker down to also bowl Keshav Maharaj (8) with what turned out to be the last delivery of the day. Aiden Markram (1) and Keegan Petersen (17) were also back in the dressing room and India has three full sessions remaining at SuperSport Park in Centurion to wrap things up and take the lead in the three-test series. India is on its latest quest for a first test series victory in South Africa and was in a strong position to take an initial step toward achieving that. India was bowled out for just 174 in its second innings earlier in the day but still had enough runs in the bank after making 327
batting first and bowling South Africa out for 197 in its first innings. South Africa captain Dean Elgar was 52 not out at stumps and had been the backbone of South Africa’s second-innings resistance after battling his way through 122 deliveries. Elgar and van der Dussen ground out a 40-run partnership for the third wicket but Bumrah’s two strikes at the end of the day tilted the match firmly in India’s favour. South Africa faces the prospect of getting another 211 runs on a wearing and tricky pitch in Centurion or batting out an entire day for a draw, with a close eye on the weather. The entire second day of the test was washed out by rain. Rishabh Pant top-scored for India with 34 in its second innings, while Kagiso Rabada and test debutant Marco Jansen took four wickets each for South Africa to limit the damage. Their performance with the ball gave the home team a sliver of hope that it might save the test but that was hanging by a thread by the end of the day. All three
INDIA’s bowler Jasprit Bumrah in action during the fourth day of the Test Cricket match between South Africa and India at Centurion Park in Pretoria, South Africa, yesterday. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) tests will be played without fans variant in South Africa, where limited number of spectators but because of COVID-19 and spe- it was first identified. Organisers that was foiled by the emergence cifically the spread of the omicron had initially planned to allow in a of the new variant.
THE GREAT BAHAMAS SHOOT OUT POOL TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
Jerome Wright wins The Great Bahamas Shoot Out Pool Tournament JEROME Wright’s name will forever be etched in history as the first winner of The Great Bahamas Shoot Out Pool Tournament. The Exuma native won the title during the early morning hours of December 23, bringing an exciting close to a fiercely contested fourweek tournament which featured some of the country’s top pool players in a 64-bracket competition. Wright, who moved to Nassau at an early age, states he fell in love with pool after seeing how much money was there to be made from it. “When I was able to gain constant access to a pool table at 15, I started practicing every day, because I wanted to one day be good enough to be labelled ‘the Hustler’. At age 16 when my parents separated, my
EXUMA NATIVE BEST OF A FULL FIELD OF 64 BRACKETS mom was no longer able to sustain the lavish lifestyle my siblings and I were accustomed to. So, I started sneaking into pool halls to hustle players, to avoid having to take from the little she had for my brother and sister. Since then, the love has only grown stronger and I now consider pool one of my supplementary incomes.” Wright won the overall first place trophy, $1,500 cash prize, a TGBSO finalist medal and a Poop Deck gift certificate. Although fearless and sometimes cocky, Wright’s very good mechanics and discipline proved necessary skills to defeat second place finisher Winston Hanna Jr, who did not make the win easy for
him. The entire tournament came down to one game, in which Hanna Jr had several opportunities to put it away but came up a little short. Hanna Jr received the overall second place trophy, $700 cash prize, a TGBSO finalist medal and a Poop Deck gift certificate for his efforts. For third place, Ferlando, also known as “Sifu” Lockhart, defeated Laverette Sweeting who finished fourth. Lockhart’s winnings included the overall third place trophy, $300 cash prize, a TGBSO finalist medal and a Poop Deck gift certificate. The tournament was held at Da Chill Spot located at the South Beach Fish Fry in Nassau, Bahamas.
ALEXANDRIA PINDER, far left, host/promoter, with the 16 finalists - Everette Newry, Ferlando Lockhart, Eugene Wallace, Jerome Wright, Donico Brown, Michael Demeritte, Robert Rahming, Terrell Florvill, Dario Woodside, Winston Hanna Jr, Antonio Lewis, Author Deveaux, Alfredo Rolle, Sammy Poitier, Stario Thurston and Laverette Sweeting.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, December 30, 2021, PAGE 19
MANCHESTER City’s Kevin De Bruyne attempts an overhead kick during the English Premier League soccer match against Brentford at the Brentford Community Stadium in London yesterday. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
City strengthens grip on EPL title by taking 8-point lead By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer MANCHESTER City’s grip on its Premier League title hasn’t been this strong all season. A 1-0 win at Brentford, coupled with Chelsea conceding a stoppage-time goal to draw 1-1 against Brighton, left the defending champions with an eightpoint lead heading into the new year. It has been an almost perfect 24 hours for City, which saw Liverpool — another rival for the title — surprisingly lose 1-0 at injury-hit Leicester on Tuesday. Chelsea has moved a point ahead of third-place Liverpool before their meeting at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, when at least one of the teams will drop points. Liverpool has a game in hand, but will soon lose star forwards Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane to the African Cup of Nations. City wasn’t at its fluent best against Brentford — Pep Guardiola’s team came into the match having scored 17 goals in its last three matches — but still did enough to earn a 10th straight win in the league. “I am not going to believe
you when you say it is already done,” Guardiola said. “There are 54 points still to play for.” Yet City is even winning when not playing its best. Phil Foden grabbed the only goal in the 16th minute, diverting a cross from Kevin De Bruyne into the net from close range. Video review showed Foden was just onside when he applied the finish. It was the perfect way for Foden to mark his return to the starting lineup, alongside Jack Grealish, after both forwards were dropped to the bench for City’s last two games for disciplinary reasons. “Around Christmas you have to keep your foot on the gas and keep focused,” Foden said. “This team is doing that.” City concluded a calendar year when the team has set English top-flight records for the most victories (36) and the most away wins (19), while its tally of 113 goals is also a Premier League record. CHELSEA DENIED It’s three draws in four league matches for Chelsea, whose strong early-season form has disappeared. Danny Welbeck earned Brighton a point that was
deserved on the basis of the visitors’ second-half showing when he headed in a cross from Marc Cucurella in the first minute of stoppage time Romelu Lukaku scored for the second straight game to put Chelsea in front in the 28th minute. Making matters worse for Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel was the sight of right wing back Reece James hobbling off midway through the first half with a hamstring injury. Chelsea also had to replace another defender, Andreas Christensen, because of a back injury at halftime. Tuchel sounded like he has given up on winning the title, given the number of his players out through injury and illness. “How should we be in it?” he said. “We have seven COVID cases. We have five or six players out for six or more weeks. How should we compete in a title race? “Everyone else who has a full squad, everybody in training has the full power to come through this league. We would be stupid to think we can do it out of COVID and injuries and just play.”