05272016 weekend by tribune242

The Tribune

Friday, May 27, 2016

art film fashion music pageants food celebrity puzzles animals

Weekend

DESIGN YOUR WEDDING Page 19

A rare jewel Pearl Island opens for business Travel, pages 14&15

02 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, May 27, 2016

life through a lens

Rangers on parade

OTENTIAL future officers and marines of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force were put through their paces at the Rangers programme installation ceremony at the Coral Harbour Base last weekend. The young recruits went through fitness drills, marches, musical performances and received awards in front of proud parents, politicians and the force’s top brass. In all 370 students were on parade and among the award winners were Milton Santos (Director’s Award), Bradeisha McDonald (Commodore’s Academic Award) and Kelliesha McPhee (Minister’s Award).

Have you taken a selection of photographs that might make a Life through a lens feature page? If so please submit it to weekend@ tribunemedia.net for consideration

PHOTOS/SHAWN HANNA/THE TRIBUNE

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Friday, May 27, 2016

Inside Weekend Interview

4-5 Cara Hunt talks to Sasha Hanna about her experience with lupus, a complex and painful disease

Food 7-9 Team Bahamas gears up for Taste of the Caribbean, plus Shima restaurant serves up the vibrant flavours of Thailand

Art 10 -11 Young artists shine at Arts Pavilion 2016

Entertainment 12 ‘Overlooked’ Bahamians to be honoured in new award show, plus the Bahamas stars at China film festival

Celebrity 13 Reality TV shows get the down-home treatment

Travel 14-15 Pearl Island aims to be new getaway destination for Nassuvians and visitors

Music 17-18 Bahamian artists to rock NYC, plus Dyson Knight calls rake n’ scrape lovers to dance, and Keeya enlists heavy hitters for new music video

Design your lifestyle 19 Planning a wedding with style

My perfect Bahamian weekend Lindsay Thompson Senior information officer at BIS Q: Saturday breakfast or Sunday lunch? “Sunday brunch. I look forward to relaxing on Saturday and not having a time attached. So Sunday brunch after church caps off a weekend.” Q: Wine, Kalik, rum or cocktail? “Definitely wine. Though I’m not really an alcohol drinker, a glass of wine on a special outing is quite nice.” Q: Beach or sofa? “Ah...the sofa, because I enjoy relaxing in the buff, being home alone, snacking and watching TV.” Q: What could you not do without? “The one thing I can’t live without, that would be music. It just changes my whole world, every time.” Q: Weekend away: where would you go? “I would really check into one of those small hotels in one of our Family Islands; always seems like another world.”

Things 2 Do this weekend Friday

Film 22

• Willis & the Illest live in concert Time: 10pm Venue: Compass Point Tickets are $10 to hear one of the Bahamas’ most popular reggae live. Check out @compasspointbahamas on Instagram for updates.

“X-Men - Apocalypse” and “Alice Through the Looking Glass” reviewed

Saturday

Pageants 20-21 Miss Teen contestants channel their dream personalities

Mailboats 23-25 Captain Thomas Hanna rides the tides of sea business

Forgotten Facts 25 Paul Aranha on the rise and rise of Cable Beach

Animals 27 Kim Aranha on the sad story of the osprey, plus Pet of the Week

Cover Photo | Shawn Hanna

“(Music) just changes my whole world, every time.”

• The Bahama Humane Society Thrift Shop Time: 10am-2pm Venue: Minerva Shack, next to the main BHS shelter in Chippingham All proceeds go to the BHS. All books will be half price. • The Bahamas National Sailing School Annual Dinner Dance Time: 6.30pm Venue: Nassau Yacht Club There will be a silent auction, wine pull, raffle, the drawing of a Laser

sailboat and more. Tickets are $75. Cocktails start at 6.30pm; dinner at 8pm. All profits go to the National Sailing School. • Cancer Society of the Bahamas Time: 7pm Venue: Meliá Nassau Beach Resort “Hold My Hand” is the theme for the 15th annual fundraising CSOB gala ball. Cocktails start at 7pm; dinner at 8pm. Tickets are $225 per person. • Bel Canto Singers Spring Concert Time: 8pm Venue: Christ Church Cathedral, George Street. The concert will feature string musicians who are students and graduates of some of the leading conservatories and music schools in the US and Canada. • Dale K – Almost Evil Comedy Hypnotist Time: 8pm (and Sunday) Venue: Atlantis Theatre

Dale K performs his hilarious and exciting motivational show with volunteers from the audience. • Hustle & Flow Time: 10pm Venue: Hard Rock Café Presented by Absolut, the party event will feature shot specials and music by DJ Spuddy. Pre-sold tickets available at YNG and Hard Rock for $10. Admission before midnight is $10 for the ladies and $15 for the men.

Sunday • Cardellicious Spring + Summer 2017 Collection Time: 3.30pm Venue: Balmoral Club Aristo House, Sanford Drive Cardellicious presents its Spring/ Summer 2017 Collection called “Island Blosson”. “A Toast to Confidence” reception starts at 3.30pm, with the fashion showcase kicking off at 5.30pm.

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Friday, May 27, 2016

interview Lupus is a complex and poorly understood chronic, autoimmune disease which affects scores of Bahamians. This week, as Lupus Awareness Month comes to a close, Sasha Hanna tells Cara Hunt what it’s like to live with the painful condition and how the Lupus 242 support group gave her a lifeline to cling to.

Sasha Hanna I

n 2014, Sasha Hanna had just started a brand new job and was eager to make a good impression. Instead, she found herself starting a medical journey that will continue for the rest of her life. “I knew something was wrong for a while,” she told Tribune Weekend. “For months, I would wake up and my eyes would be black, my face would be pale, my lips turned pink and my fingers would be numb. I was weak and had no appetite.” The very week that she started a new job at a local bar, Sasha began experiencing pain in her leg. “It got very swollen and painful, but I had just started my new job so I didn’t want to ask for time to go to the doctor,” she said. Instead, she waited almost a week, working through the pain until her day off, to seek medical attention. “At first they asked me if I had cut myself and I said, well maybe I had bumped against the freezers at work and didn’t realise it, so they gave me a shot and that was it.” Unfortunately, it would not be that simple. Rather than get better, Sasha’s condition drastically worsened. “I started getting black spots, the leg would swell right up in the morning and then by the time I would get home the swelling would have gone down. But it had these little holes that would get filled with pus. I had dizzy spells and fevers

and my hair started falling out,” she said. She want back to the doctor who ordered a multitude of blood tests and referred her to a rheumatologist. “It got so bad that I had to go to the hospital emergency room before I got the chance to see the rheumatologist,” said Sasha. “When I told of some of my other symptoms, the nurse asked me if I had lupus because she said, “You look like lupus’.” The question was not that farfetched, as she had an aunt who has lived with the disease for the past 17 years and Sasha herself had begun to wonder if that could be what she was suffering from. “It was also in the back of my mind that it may have been that, because I know she had some of the same things that she had.” Sasha’s blood work eventually confirmed the suspicions – she had lupus, a chronic, autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body. There are two types of the disease – discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) which mainly affects the skin, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the more serious form of the disease which affects the skin and other vital organs, and can cause a raised, scaly, butterflyshaped rash across the bridge of the nose and cheeks that can leave scars if untreated. SLE can also affect other parts of the skin elsewhere on the body.

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Friday, May 27, 2016

Sasha said that she ended up staying in the hospital for two weeks. “The swelling in my leg was cellulitis and my white blood cell count was very low; they had to do a minor surgery to drain my leg,” she said. When she was released, Sasha travelled to Long Island with her mother to recover. “I had lost my job at that point.” The entire time, she felt fatigued and was barely able to move. “When I got back to Nassau I ended back in the hospital with a fever of 105 degrees. I had sweats and chills. That hospital stay lasted 12 days before doctors finally got her condition somewhat under control. Today, Sasha said her doctors are constantly working to control her symptoms. She will be on medication for the rest of her life; there is no cure, only management of symptoms. Finding the right combination in the right dosage remains an uphill battle. She said she was on medication to help with one symptom, but had to discontinue it because she was getting the side effects of diminished eye sight. The dosage of another pill has had to be adjusted three times before the right balance was found. And she still has the painful flare-ups associated with lupus. “Some days it can just be really hard,” Sasha said. “You are so painful that I will be honest with you, you just feel like you want to give up. I mean there are times when I want to get up and do things, but it is just not physically possible. There are days when I am work and I really just want to be in my bed. And because I work in a kitchen it’s a lot of physical work; lifting. There are some days when I have really bad headaches. You know how they ask you to describe the pain on a one-to-10 scale? Well, sometimes the pain is a 15.” Despite her challenges, Sasha maintains that she still has reasons to be thankful. “I am not as bad as some

“Some days it can just be really hard. You are so painful that I will be honest with you, you just feel like you want to give up...You know how they ask you to describe the pain on a one-to-10 scale? Well, sometimes the pain is a 15.”

other people with lupus. My organs have not been affected. My feet and my face swell, but with my aunt, her throat would actually swell up and you could her screaming from the pain,” she said. It was around the time of her second hospital stay that

Sasha discovered a lifeline – the Lupus 242 awareness group that seeks to both provide support for persons affected by the disease and promote awareness and advocacy. “The first event I went to was the Hope Floats last year

right before I had to enter the hospital for the second time. To see all the members who were going through what I was, was very moving and the support is inspiring. That very day they asked me for my number and they always keep in touch and check up on you, even if it’s just a post on the Facebook page to say, ‘Hi everyone, hope the weather is treating you OK,’ or to ask you how you are feeling or “Hope you feel better.” May is observed worldwide as Lupus Awareness Month, and to help bring awareness to the disease, members of the Bahamian public were asked to “POP” – put on purple for lupus awareness every Friday of the month. Other events this month included a Walk for Lupus, a church service at Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church and Hope Floats, a balloon release event held on Fort Charlotte designed to remember persons who have passed away from the disease. The final event will be the Purple Hat Tea Party this Sunday at 3pm at St Matthew’s Anglican Church.

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Friday, May 27, 2016

food

Team Bahamas whips up gourmet dinner to raise travel funds By CARA HUNT cbrennen@tribunemedia.net

he Bahamas National Culinary Team recently treated a group of lucky diners to a demonstration dinner ahead of their trip to Florida to compete in the annual Taste of the Caribbean culinary competition. The event, which was held at the Great Hall of Waters at Atlantis, was a chance to showcase the talents of the 10-member team who hope to defend their “Caribbean National Team of the Year” title. Taste of the Caribbean, which began in 1993, has become known as the premier Caribbean culinary competition, attracting some of the best culinarians in the region to compete against fellow elite chefs. This year’s event will take place in Miami from June 6 to June 10, and last week’s dinner served as a fundraiser to help with travel expenses.

The team members are: • Ron Johnson, the team’s captain, who is now a private chef for yachts, celebrities and athletes who visit the country • Sheldon Tracey Sweeting, who has participated in several culinary competitions and was recognised for the “Best Use of Chocolate”, and who earned four Pastry Hall of Fame distinctions from the event over the years • Marv Cunningham, who will be the team’s bartender. He works at the Aura nightclub at Atlantis and is the first Bahamian to win the gold medal in the Taste Competition last year • Charon McKenzie, who is the sous chef at the Lyford Cay Club. One of his favourite experiences is preparing a meal for Prince Harry during his visit as part of Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee. • Jamal Small, who has worked in private homes, yachts and luxury resorts. He won the “Best Chef” in the “Angus Beef” category in 2013 in the competition as well. • Richmond Fowler is the sous chef at Aviva Restaurant at Albany and has competed in several food competitions. He has also been inducted into the prestigious Chaine des Rottisseurs, where he won a gold medal in Puerto Rico in 2010. • Shelby Coleby, who works at the Lyford Cay Club as a pastry chef, the skill she will use to help Team Bahamas. She was also the pastry for the Junior National Team. The junior chef team includes Leonardis Moss, a Junior Chef Of The Year candidate; Savannah Adderley, who has been a chef for five years and has an affinity for fruit and vegetable carvings, and Marvonne Thurston, the youngest member of Team Bahamas.

Team Bahamas whipped up a six-course dinner to help defray travel expenses for their trip to the Taste of the Caribbean competition in Miami, Florida

Appetiser – Pressed marinated tomato with smoked and grilled shrimp variation, crispy crab lollipop, tropical salsa, tomato chutney, cilantro- jalapeño aioli and Avocado

Entrée – Textures of veal: tenderloin, tortellini and croquette with potato press, stuffed zucchini, parsnip puree, glazed carrot, tomato confit and tamarind- rosemary jus

Creamy pumpkin and leek soup, with stuffed chicken dumpling, sausage, chicken cracker, pumpkin seed oil.

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food

A rooftop journey to Thailand By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Writer acadet@tribunemedia.net

n the top floor of The Island House on the Mahogany Hill Western Road lies one of Nassau’s well-kept culinary secrets. The Shima restaurant offers not only an open-air dining experience featuring the vibrant flavours of the Southeast Asian cuisine, but also breathtaking views. It overlooks The Island House pool and patrons can even see as far as the ocean. “Shima is definitely very refreshing for the island and that is the beauty of it. It is one year old now, opening in April of last year,” said Anja Allen, of The Island House’s marketing department. “It was a five-year development process and we always knew it was going to be this amazing rooftop space and something unique and exciting. We mixed the interior with a beautiful John Cox mural.” She describes the restaurant’s atmosphere as warm and cosy, and no specific dress code is required; it is just a comfortable space. “If you come here on a Thursday or Friday, the whole balcony is like crazy full and that is the beauty of the space. You can put on your flip-flops or you can go and have a really beautiful date night. It should and

“The food on every plate at Shima is alive and makes your taste buds sing and scream.”

Crispy-skinned chicken with yellow beans and mandarin caramel

Shima is located on the top floor of The Island House

LEFT: King fish ceviche with lime, green hilli, Thai basil and coconut. RIGHT: Steamed pork and prawn dumplings with ginger chilli and black vinegar dressing.

Spicy beef salad with mint, tamarind, glass noodles and lime

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Friday, May 27, 2016

does feel comfortable for persons coming in. The after-work crowd always comes in and it is come-as-you-are,” said Ms Allen. Tribune Weekend visited the restaurant and sat down with David Rodgers, head chef at Shima, to talk about his love for the Thai kitchen. He was 21 when he began working at a Thai restaurant in Sydney, Australia, and tasting the food there made him fall in love with this fiery cuisine. “I am now 33 and I’ve been cooking Thai food for the last 12 years of my life. As soon as I worked in that restaurant I knew I wasn’t going back to a French or modern Australian style food anymore. When it comes to Thai food, it’s the sauces and flavours that made me fall in love,” said Chef Rodgers. He travelled through Europe for three years, always trying to stick with Asian food. When he returned to Melbourne in Australia he opened a restaurant with another chef. And this was how he attracted the attention of Bahamian Mark Holowesko, The Island House principal. “He ate at the restaurant and asked to get in contact with the head chef. Once he got in contact with me the stars aligned and I ended up coming to Nassau to open Shima. I have got a really passionate team here and they are all Bahamians. It was challenging in the beginning because it’s Thai food, and with what I am doing is very different from what the chefs are exposed to here. It was all new to them; the flavours and the ingredients. We make everything on-site and from scratch,” said Chef Rodgers. He defines his food as being very “in your face” and bold. It’s not mellow or comfort food, so to speak. “The food on every plate at Shima,” he said, “is alive and makes your taste buds sing and scream.” “For example, we use lot of tamarind which is something common to you guys in Nassau. Just thinking of the Italians and their pastas, it’s comfort food for people and nice to eat, but here you are going to get a salad that has sour lemon which is balanced with salty fish sauce and a good punch of hot chili and sweet sauce; all these really bold and alive flavours that hit you in the face.” He was delighted to prepare a selection of dishes for our table, starting with pork dumplings glazed with Chinese black vinegar, ginger and chili sauce. Then we were onto something more mainstream for brunch – eggs Benedict. There was also a mouthwatering apple salad and one of Shima’s signature dishes, the short rib with fried rice. “I’ve got eight Bahamian chefs in the kitchen and I’m giving them a little piece of something that took me 12 years to learn, and hopefully they can all branch out and encourage others. It has been a very big learning curve for them and it was hard in the beginning to get them all to conform. For

The open air bar at Shima overlooking The Island House pool

Green apple salad with crispy barramundi, caramelised pork, peanuts, and nahm jim dressing

Dave Rod

gers, head

Short rib, gai laan and oyster sauce omelette

chef at Shim

a, at far rig

example, it is a really big job when you are making curry from scratch. There are so many steps and avenues that you would have to adhere to before you end up getting the curry in a plate, so it was very educational for them,” said Chef Rodgers said. He said it has been a pleasure developing the restaurant. In addition to offering dinner from 5.30pm to 10pm, Tuesday through Saturday, Shima now also offers brunch every Saturday and Sunday between 11am and 3pm.

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art PHOTOS SHAWN HANNA

Young artists shine at Arts Pavilion 2016 By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Writer acadet@tribunemedia.net

t was initially intended as a visual component of the first Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival, but now more than a year on The Arts Pavilion has developed a life of its own and recently served as a platform for emerging artists to showcase their work. Located at the Antonius Robert Studio and Gallery at Hillside House, The Arts Pavilion exhibited pieces by new artists in the Bahamas who are looking to establish themselves on the local art scene. Participating artists included Allia Dean, Rosemarie Laing, Shashla Bethune, Kimetria Pratt, Edrin Symonette, Nowe Harris-Smith, Lemero Wright, Jeff Cooper, Shorlette Francis, Tina Maycock, Timothy Nottage, Jodi Minnis, Candis Marshall, Abby Smith, Spurgeonique Morley, Judith Papillon, Celeste Harding, Caroline Anderson, Jalan Harris, Lamaro Smith, Daleana Lynch, Dale Allen, Danielle Darville, Christina Wong, Trevor Tucker, Thomas Hairston and Nyles Neymour. Selena Munroe, an art major at the College of the Bahamas, said she was happy to take part in the 2016 Arts Pavilion after given the opportunity by Antonius Roberts to curate this year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What we seek to do is give young artists the opportunity and platform to expose their talents to the world â&#x20AC;&#x201C; artists

Curator Selena Munroe

Friday, May 27, 2016

“What we seek to do is give young artists the opportunity and platform to expose their talents to the world – artists that wouldn’t usually get the opportunity to do that or wouldn’t have access to those things.” that wouldn’t usually get the opportunity to do that or wouldn’t have access to those things,” she said. “Some of them are students and they don’t usually have the opportunity to have so much eyes on their work and I think its beautiful to see this work.” Ms Munroe said while the The Arts Pavilion was born out of Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival, it has always been a separate entity. “We were sponsored by Carnival last year, but we were not this year; it has all been us. We like the idea and concept and decided to keep it going and look forward to hosting it annually,” she said. While there was no specific theme for the recent show, Ms Munroe said each artist was asked to express themselves through anything that inspired them and creatively moved them most. “Everything here says something different, because everyone has a different voice. It is one of my favourite parts of the show, that there is no theme and everyone is true to themselves and what they are inspired by,” she said. There are 60 pieces of work of different mediums and disciplines on display, but Ms Munroe singled out a sculpture by Edrin Symonette as a very powerful piece. “I would hope The Arts Pavilion would grow and blossom into something that would be a community of young artists by young artists, and for young artists; where we can seek support and opportunities for each other and advance each other in anyway we can,” she said.

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entertainment

‘Overlooked’ Bahamians to be honoured in new award show By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

newly launched award show seeks to celebrate the accomplishments of Bahamians in music, entertainment, acting, sports and community building. The Elevation Media Group recently announced its Elevation Awards, which they envision will assist in the development of the entertainment industry in the Bahamas. The Elevation Awards will honour the hard work of nominees in the following categories: New Artist of the Year, Male Artist of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Gospel Song of the Year, Music Video of the Year, Producer of the Year, Short Film of the Year, TV Show of the Year, Vlog of the Year, Party DJ of the year, and Radio Announcer of the Year. There will also be a People’s Choice Award and Lifetime Achievement Award.

Vincent “V-Mac” McDonald

Bahamian film kicks off regional festival in China THE Bahamas had a chance to shine at China’s first Latin American and Caribbean Film Festival held this month in Beijing, China. Three Bahamian films were selected for the event. The two feature films from director Gina Rodgers-Sealy had prominent places on the schedule. Her first film, “Trailblazer: The Mychal Thompson Story”, was the opening day film, while her second documentary, “Gentle Giant: The Andre Rodgers Story”, kicked off the festival on day two. Mrs Rodgers-Sealy was also featured on numerous news casts and cultural programmes on Chinese television. The award-winning filmmaker said:

Founder of the awards and CEO of Elevation Media Group, Vincent “VMac)” McDonald Jr, said the Elevation Awards are a long time coming. “In 2017, Elevation Media Group will celebrate 10 years of providing uplifting entertainment in the Bahamas. One of the things we’ve noticed over the years is that a lot of entertainers are working hard every chance they have to use their gifts and talents to create amazing music, videos, movies and stories, but go unnoticed and unrewarded. For this reason, we decided to launch the Elevation Awards as a platform for rising, aspiring and established entertainers to be awarded, seen, heard and embraced,” he told Tribune Weekend. The inaugural show is scheduled to air live on February 25, 2017, at 7.30pm. The venue will be revealed at the nominee announcement on October 4, at which time ticket sales will commence. “The show will have a feel similar to the BET Awards, but with a 242 twist. We are inviting entertainers and lovers of entertainment to join us for a night

“Trailblazer: The Mychal Thompson Story” was the opening day film at China’s first Latin American and Caribbean Film Festival “Our appearance in this film festival was validation to me that the topics of faith, family, hard work and determination are global issues that are held close to the hearts of many.” She said that both films were extremely well received and that she is “still in awe of the widespread popularity of the films throughout the US and the world.” Bahamian Ambassador to China Andrew Gomez said “clearly Baha-

mian director Gina Rodgers Sealy is at the top of her game with ‘Trailblazer’ and ‘Gentle Giant: The Andre Rodgers Story’, which were presented with Mandarin subtitles for the benefit of the Chinese audience and which were very well received. The audiences got to know a lot more about the best of the Bahamas.” The third Bahamian film shown was Tyler Johnston’s feature length

of excitement and celebration of Bahamian entertainment,” he said. V-Mac said an award show like this is needed because there are many trailblazers in their respective fields who often go without being properly rewarded for their contributions. “We definitely want to honour those people. Elevation Awards will be our contribution to the development of the Bahamas’ entertainment industry,” he said. “We are hoping to leave a lasting impression at the end of the night as we play a role in developing the entertainment industry, primarily by providing opportunities for entertainers to be heard and seen using our radio, online and television platforms, as well as honouring those that have worked so hard on their craft over the years,” he said. All entertainers (DJs, filmmakers, radio announcers and recording artists) are encouraged to submit their material. Submissions will be accepted until July 30, 2016. documentary “My Father’s Land”, which explored the story of a wellloved Haitian gardener Papa Jah as he returns to his homeland of Haiti from the Bahamas to visit his 103-year-old father. Clarence Rolle of the Bahamas Film and Television Festival said the acceptance of Bahamian films around the world and their prominence at the festival in China is another good indication of the growth of Bahamian film talent. He said the Film Commission aims to help Bahamian filmmakers have commercial success at home and abroad so that Bahamian entertainment will become a large-scale export of the country. The Latin American and Caribbean Film Festival was one of the the events of the China-Latin America Cultural Exchange year. The film festival was co-hosted by China’s Ministry of Culture and the embassies of the Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago in China.

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Friday, May 27, 2016

celebrity PHOTOS/SHAWN HANNA

Reality TV stars get downhome Bahamian treatment

Toya Wright of “Love & Hip Hop Atlanta” with RHOA cast member Shamea Morton

By CARA HUNT cbrennen@tribunemedia.net

he stars of some the most popular reality TV shows with Bahamians audiences – Love & Hip Hop Atlanta, Real Housewives of Atlanta (RHOA) and Basketball Wives – visited Nassau last weekend to take part in a special People to People event hosted by the Ministry of Tourism. The guests included husband and wife Rasheeda and Kirk Frost from “Love & Hip Hop Atlanta”; RHOA star Kandi Burruss-Tucker with her husband Todd Tucker and their baby Ace; “Atlanta Exes” star Monyetta Shaw, and Toya Wright, of “Love & Hip Hop Atlanta”. The group was in the Bahamas from May 20 to May 23 to celebrate the birthdays of Kandi and Rasheeda. Last Sunday, they were invited to the home of People to People ambassador Beverly Mortimer and her husband Collin Mortimer, the proprietors of Mortimer’s Candy Kitchen. They were greeted by real life Bahamian straw dolls and were entertained by a Junkanoo rushout with Carnival dancers. Singer Puzzle also performed his hit song “My Birthday Come Again”, to the delight of the birthday girls.

(L-R) RHOA star Kandi BurrussTucker, Monyetta Shaw and Shamea Morton of RHOA enjoy being serenaded by Bahamian entertainer Puzzle

RHOA star Kandi Burruss-Tucker and her baby Ace are entertained by a real life straw doll and Junkanoo dancers

Rasheeda Frost for “Love & Hip Hop Atlanta” enjoys the Bahamian cuisine

“Love & Hip Hop Atlanta” star Kirk Frost (far left) samples the Bahamian food

And since no real Bahamian party would be complete without food, the reality TV stars and friends were treated to a lunch of crab and rice, peas n’ rice, chicken, fish and mutton, as well as cupcakes and guava duff, and of course there was birthday cake Harrison Thompson, the Ministry of Tourism’s permanent secretary, was on hand to welcome the cast members, saying it was a pleasure to have them here and noting the close ties the Bahamas has with the Atlanta community. It was a fun-filled afternoon enjoyed by all, especially the guests of honour. Monyetta Shaw and Toya Wright told Tribune Weekend that they had a blast during their stay. They especially enjoyed getting to meet locals in a relaxed, intimate setting, even if it was an extremely hot weekend. The People to People programme is designed to match visitors with Bahamian ambassadors according to their occupation, interests, religious beliefs, age, hobbies, etcetera. Persons who wish to volunteer to be a host can contact the Ministry of Tourism. These volunteers are certified by the Ministry as to ensure that visitors get a better understanding of the country and its culture.

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Friday, May 27, 2016

travel

of A an pe a isl rl an d

PHOTOS/SHAWN HANNA

earl Island is the newest destination for Bahamians and visitors alike who want to enjoy a short getaway. Located in the middle of the turquoise ocean, but only a 20-minute boat ride from New Providence, the island will celebrate its official opening on Labour Day next month.

New getaway destination set for Labour Day opening By CARA HUNT cbrennen@tribunemedia.net

The island’s developers hope it will serve as an escape for hundreds of Bahamians and tourists, and provide an exotic yet nearby venue for weddings, private parties and special dinners. The management team last week invited the press to visit the small island ahead of its opening. “When we first started the redevelopment the island was in shambles,” said Henry Bain, Pearl Island’s managing director. “We had to do quite a lot of extensive work and repairs and landscaping of the area to get to this point.” The repairs included renovation work to the three-storey lighthouse which serves as the eyecatching centrepiece of the island. The lighthouse, which features a 360-degree ocean view, will be converted into a two bedroom/ one bathroom facility which can be rented by guests who wish to stay overnight on the island. “You will be able to rent the lighthouse to stay for $1,500 a night, which would also include a 24-hour butler

Henry Bain, Pearl Island’s managing director, and Marjorie Thomas, event coordinator

and island security,” Mr Bain explained. When the lighthouse is not being occupied, visitors also have the option to book the unique space, particularly the lantern room which features a straw-covered ceiling and chandelier, for intimate dinner parties of up to four persons or its surrounding deck for cocktail parties. “Particularly at sunset the views from the top are stunning,” said Mr Bain. The island also boasts two beach areas, coral reef access, swimming pools, several bars and a club house, which will hold a Pearl Island souvenir store and bathroom facilities, including accessible facilities. Additionally, Mr Bain explained that the island operates on generator for now, but the goal is to eventually switch to solar power. This would make Pearl Island one of the first

islands in the region to operate solely on solar. The island’s ideal capacity is 350 guests, although they have been able to accommodate more than 1,000 persons in a party setting. Guests to the island can expect welcome cocktails and a commemorative photo, as well as a tasty Bahamian lunch. Activities such as snorkelling and kayaking will be available at extra charge. Construction on phase two of the project – a 20-room boutique hotel – is expected to begin in 2017. The final touches are now being made to the property ahead of its official opening beach day on the Friday, June 3 – the Labour Day holiday. A day trip will be $50 for adults and $25 for children, inclusive of welcome drink and lunch. Boats will depart hourly, beginning at 10am, from the Woodes Rogers Wharf behind the Straw Market.

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:1;( <1=%;%&( $1>=#4%=#?4( >1=(@?"( A%2?3"( B%&(?C14#4<( By CARA HUNT cbrennen@tribunemedia.net

Henry Bain, Pearl Island’s managing director, and Marjorie Thomas, event coordinator

16 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, May 27, 2016

fashion The Weekend Fashion Report amfAR Cinema Against AIDS benefit

With Karin Herig and Cara Hunt

PHOTOS/AP

HIT

SPLIT

FAIL

HIT

FAIL

Katy Perry, singer

Jourdan Dunn, model

Heidi Klum, “Project Runway”

Helen Mirren, “Trumbo”

Kirsten Dunst, “Midnight Special”

Karin says: “OK, despite this looking like Muppets were sacrificed to make a flamenco dress, I think I like it. The huge bunches of ‘rose petals’ on the sleeves are a bit too much, but I do like the look of the rest of the gown. The silhouette is fantastic, the red colour is nice with her dark hair, and I love the train. If only she could cut off those sleeves it would be perfect.” Cara says: “I love it. It’s so red and ruffly, like rose petals threw up on her. It could potentially be a bit much, but since it is an amfAR event this is like the ultimate red ribbon, so I like it.”

Karin says: “Jourdan was slaying Cannes this year. Earlier she wore a blue and white ball gown that was to die for, so in contrast this is a bit boring. I’m not a fan of the dramatic 80s Joan Collins-esque ruffle on the one shoulder, but the slit is sexy and she still looks good.” Cara says: “This dress has a bit of a dated look and it may just have too many flounces for me. The one shoulder with the huge split has been done too many times before to be exciting. I don’t hate this version of the trend, but I don’t love it either.”

Karin says: “The good: this pale yellow looks stunning on her. The bad: what possessed her to wear that necklace? I don’t mind the colour contrast with the turquoise stones, but it’s just too much. It doesn’t look right. Also, the shape of the dress is neither original, nor all that flattering. Heidi has worn much worse in recent times, but she’s still got a long way to go before she achieves red carpet redemption.” Cara says: “Well, kudos to Heidi for not looking her usual hot mess. This dress is a lot tamer than some of the creations she usually wears. The yellow is pretty, even if the dress style isn’t. I love the necklace, I don’t even care; it’s great.”

Karin says: “There is a bit more going on with this dress than what we usually see Helen wear. But why shouldn’t more ‘mature’ stars experiment with fashionforward styles? I’m not in love with the material they used for the sheer sleeves or that you can see the bra (?) straps, but otherwise I think it’s cool dress for a cool event. The contrast of patterns – the squares on the skirt and the floral design on the top – works very well.” Cara says: “Helen Mirren is one of my ‘can do no wrong’ red carpet ladies. Her hair in this photo is not the best, but the dress is sexy. Go Helen! I love all the intricate metallic details. There is so much going on with this dress, but in a good way. It’s interesting to look at.”

Karin says: “Was she going to a funeral? Did she have to borrow this at the last minute? Because otherwise I don’t understand. It’s ill-fitting and depressing. The whole look, including her makeup, just makes her look way older than her 34 years. It’s just such a stuffy, church lady look. And for some reason her shoes make her feet look really awkward; almost like they’re too big or something.” Cara says: “It is a very costume-y look. It’s not hideous, but it doesn’t really work in real life. It’s also very boring. I know this is a serious event, but this outfit is such a downer. And was she wearing anything underneath that blazer or did she have to keep on the entire night?”

The Tribune | Weekend | 17

Friday, May 27, 2016

music

New Dyson Knight track calls rake n’ scrape lovers to dance By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

AHAMIAN entertainer Dyson Knight wants to incite a national flash mob for which all lovers of rake n’ scrape stop what they are doing, wherever they are, and grab a partner to dance to the beat of his newest single. “Let’s Dance (I Wanna Dance)” officially hits local airwaves today and is a true representation of the entertainer – upbeat, sassy and fun. “I’m heavily influenced by KB’s earlier work, songs that tell pleasant stories or depict a modest way of Bahamian island life,” Dyson told Tribune Weekend. “So in this song, like much of my other work, I wanted to pay tribute to the beauty that exist in things that made the Bahamas one of the most easy-going, hospitable nations of

Bahamian artists to rock NYC at Caribbean concert THE Bahamas will take centre stage at the legendary BB King’s Blues Club and Grill in Times Square, New York City, next Sunday, presenting a special showcase of local music and talent. Stileet, D Mac, Fanshawn, Puzzle, and Ira Storr and the Spank Band will perform at Caribbean Rocks NYC – TEMPO Turns 10 Anniversary Celebration on June 5. The concert is a part of Caribbean Tourism Organisation’s (CTO) Caribbean Week, which attracts thousands of people from all

brotherly love. I want to continuously remind my supporters that love, fun and safety still exist in the Bahamas. I believe this is needed to bring the good people together so that we drown out those that continue to tarnish the country’s reputation.” As always is the case with his songs, Dyson was intentional about the mood and vibe he wanted to portray on the track. “I like the tempo. It’s not so fast that the veteran rug cutters can’t dance to it all night, and it’s not so slow that the young rake n’ scrape fans can’t catch a good sculling session. It’s also a great mix tempo for DJs to blend it in with other popular music within the regional and international market,” he said. It is too early to say whether or not there will be a music video for the single, the singer said. “I’ve been approached by some major brands that are interested in sponsoring my artistry, so I will say yes

Stileet over the world. Stileet said when he hits the Caribbean Rocks stage next week he will show the world why he’s been nicknamed the “Rake n’ Scrape General”. “By the end of this concert they will know about Stileet and Bahamian music – Bahamian rake n’ scrape. They will say, ‘Wow we have to watch out for the Bahamas because you guys (have) what it takes’,” he said. Stileet, who is also a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer, has a retro style that incorporates elements of indigenous Bahamian rake ‘n scrape, soul, dub, R&B and dance.

to a video. But I always prefer that my music grows according to the initial reaction of my listeners. A video on top of an already loved song takes the experience up several notches,” he said. Being a member of two popular Bahamians groups, Baha Men and Visage, means that Dyson is the usually inundated with new projects. “I’m working on a few charitable and non-charitable causes and campaigns. I’m also working with private organisations on a few youth and community projects. I’m gaining recognition and promoting my recent works in parts of Canada, the US and the Caribbean,” he said. “Visage is embarking upon a few collaborative exercises that will open us up to more of the international market. And Baha Men is now focusing on finalising work we’ve started with some major international sporting organisations. All of that along with an exciting election season ahead is what’s going

Puzzle D Mac, who is best known for his song “Da Gaulin”, said he intends to put more energy into his performance than the spectators can handle. He said the concert will provide Bahamian artists an opportunity to bring its unique sound to the world stage. “It’s all about the Bahamian thing,” D Mac said. “My performance is just pure energy; energy and the sensation of Bahamian music, that’s what it’s going to be about,” said. Preston Wallace, or Puzzle, as he is more commonly known, said he’s going to have a party on the stage. The artist behind the song “Barefoot

Dyson Knight on in my world,” he said, Later this year, the entertainer will produce a “Dyson Knight Live” concert which will take audiences through about 12 of the 50 plus songs he has recorded over the years. “Let’s Dance” will be available for purchase on June 3 on iTunes and other digital stores.

D-Mac

FanShawn Taylor

Bandit”, said he hopes the increasing popularity of Bahamian music locally will be replicated internationally. Puzzle said that’s the bottom line for all of the featured artists. “We’re going to perform down home rake n’ scrape,” he said. “The world needs to know about it and I think this will be good for the Bahamas.” International media, travel agents and hundreds of potential visitors to the destination will attend the event that showcases Caribbean music, entertainment and destinations. Caribbean Week is the largest regional tourism activity in New York.

C g p C

18 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, May 27, 2016

music

New artist enlists heavy hitters for music video By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Writer acadet@tribunemedia.net

he may be relatively new on the music scene, but Keeya is already working with some big names in the entertainment industry to further her career and her craft. For the music video for her single “Faded”, the Bahamian singer worked with an acclaimed cinematographer out of New York as well as with awardwinning Bahamian filmmaker Kareem Mortimer. And last Friday, Keeya impressed music lovers with a stripped down performance during her “Unplugged Session” at the new Studio Café on West Bay Street. When she was approached to be the featured singer for the event, Keeya said it seemed like the natural choice to yes, particularly because the venue was the former site of the famous Compass Point Studios, which saw many musical greats record there over the decades. “If you’ve ever been there, especially at night, the venue really lends itself to that sort of intimate, stripped down, vibey performance, and to be honest, I loved it,” Keeya told Tribune Weekend. “It really gives me as an artist the opportunity to connect with the audience in a different way and that’s a really cool experience.” The performer also gave Studio Café guests a taste of her new music video which was officially released last Monday. Her unique vocal style which is deeply rooted in traditional R&B and

“What started out as purely the rake n’ scrape or Junkanoo style is now being infused into other styles and genres, and Bahamian artists are finding ways to reach the international market while staying true to their Bahamian roots, and that’s a beautiful thing.” amplified by hip-hop and trap music is matched by Keeya’s edgy personal style; a nod to the ultimate 90’s girl – cool, confident and self-assured. Her music successfully weaves the relatable themes of pleasure, pain and lost love into a series of memorable hooks laid over catchy beats and stunning vocals. She said the song “Faded” is about that moment when you’re out and you see that ex-lover who is not really out of your system yet and you make that call that you know you probably shouldn’t.

“The song really starts at that moment. It’s a very real moment. It’s a really honest and vulnerable moment, something that a lot of people can relate to because it has happened to us all at some point,” the singer said. When it comes to the visuals for the music video, Keeya said she knew from the very beginning that she wanted it to have a strong narrative and cinematic approach, so she enlisted the help of director Kareem Mortimer. Together, she said, they created an amazing product. “We actually shot the video at Studio Café, whose management was so kind in allowing us to come in and really transform the space to get the vibe and feeling we wanted. We had an amazing team of Bahamian production heavyweights, and our producer Henrietta Cartwright was able to recruit Brooklyn-based Michael Belcher who was our director of photography. One of his last major projects was working on Snakehips’ “All My Friends” video featuring international artists Tinashe and Chance The Rapper, so we were all extremely excited to have him on board,” said Keeya. So far the singer said she has received amazing feedback and support from all over the country, as well as from abroad; from other artists, aspiring musicians and music lovers in general. For Keeya, the support just makes her want to work even harder to make the next single better than the first. “I’ve been really busy. I’ve been back in the studio working on single number two called ‘Hella Good’ that’s set to drop this summer. I’m really excited about that because it’s a more up-tempo song than ‘Faded’. It’s really

fun and a perfect summer anthem, so I can’t wait for people to hear it. We’ll also be shooting a video for that single as well, so I’ve been keeping busy,” said Keeya. She said it has been an extremely humbling experience and it is almost unreal to her how excited she is about the fact that people have responded so positively to her work. It’s something she realises couldn’t have happened without the help of her collaborators. “This first single alone was a masterclass in collaboration. From the amazing writing from Rashad Leamount to the stunning visuals which Kareem directed, I couldn’t be happier. I’m very optimistic about where we’re headed. What’s great about the evolution of Bahamian artists is the fact that it’s a never-ending process. What started out as purely the rake n’ scrape or Junkanoo style is now being infused into other styles and genres, and Bahamian artists are finding ways to reach the international market while staying true to their Bahamian roots, and that’s a beautiful thing. I think we still have a long way to go, but I think we’re getting there slowly but surely, and I’m glad to be doing my part to push it forward in whatever small way I can, in a style that is my own,” said Keeya “Faded” is currently available on iTunes as well as on SoundCloud and Youtube under “justkeeya”.

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Friday, May 27, 2016

design your lifestyle

Planning a wedding with style BY VICTORIA SARNE

LANNING your wedding should be fun; a pleasurable journey to the important day. It’s all part of the process. For some it can be fraught with anxiety, and it shouldn’t be. Be clear in your goals of exactly how you want your day to be; whether you want your ceremony small and intimate or bigger and grander. Either way – formal, informal, funky or traditional – each wedding requires a certain amount of planning and clear thinking. Try and organise your thoughts and write them down so that you can either proceed in an orderly way yourself or can communicate what you want to a wedding planner. If

you are unsure about design or colour, or the types of flowers you want, there is plethora of information available on the internet, in magazines and books, and of course there are usually friends and family ready to give advice. Wedding planners can take much of the burden if you find yourself overwhelmed

or needing expert advice. Sometimes it’s not easy for you as the bride to see or handle all the details which go into making up the big picture or how time consuming this can be. This expert assistance leaves you free to relax and enjoy the anticipation of the day. No worries about whether chairs or tablecloths will arrive, whether they are paid for or where the photographer is. At The Nassau Florist, we can give you as much or as little help as you need with coordinating other vendors as well as budgeting for the ceremony and your reception and making the requisite payments to the sub-contracted supplier. Coordination and timing are key: from setting up the ceremony area; engaging musicians, photographers, etcetera, the delivery of personal flowers and the staging of the reception so that everything

is in place in good time. All you have to do is get into that beautiful dress and show up. We offer expert advice on all the necessities for a ceremony and reception. We are there to give you confidence and advice on colour choices, and of course on flowers. We are lucky to have a team of excellent flower designers, as well as décor and all the current trends for the year. Best of all, the first consultation with us is free. We take a personal interest in each wedding, large or small and you will always have the expertise of one of the principals to call upon. We strive to create a unique occasion for each couple; to put your personal stamp on everything – from choice of flowers and flower styling to creating the desired overall ambience. Whether you decide on simple elegance, barefoot

informality or glamour and bling, romance is the order of the day – the setting for a magical and memorable time for just the two of you as you pledge your vows to each other. “Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be.” These are words from a famous poem by Robert Browning and I always hope that even if the words are unspoken, the intent is there between bride and groom to be each other’s lover, best friend and companion for life, and that the memories of this special day last a lifetime.

• Victoria Sarne is a certified

wedding and event planner with Jim Whitehead at The Nassau Florist, located on Dowdeswell Street. For consultations and questions, call 302 6121 or e-mail designyourlifestyle@tribunemedia.net

20 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, May 27, 2016

pageants

Miss Teen contestants channel their dream personalities By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

Gabriela Collie

HE anticipation is building as the 18 Miss Teen Bahamas International contestants get closer to the big finale on Sunday night when the pageant’s winner for 2016 will be revealed. But until then the teen contestants have a few more phases of competition to complete. The pageant’s last preliminary event was held at SuperClub Breezes last Saturday night. The young beauties took to the catwalk to showcase fashion-forward evening gowns and whimsical designs. Contestants were tasked with channelling their dream personalities through fashion – a concept which the pageant’s national director Anthony Smith said fully “came to life” on the night. “Some of the country’s top designers demonstrated their creativity and genius in those one-of-a-kind personality garments,” he said. Contestants channelled fictional characters like Cruella de Vil from Disney’s “101 Dalmatians” and comic book vixen Poison Ivy, while one beauty queen picked a costume to invoke pop star Katy Perry. Mr Smith said the contestants have been proving themselves over the past few weeks and have been working hard to stand out from the crowd. He also once again hailed and emphasised MTBI’s partnership with Liberty University, a private Christian

Ambreia Seymour

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Friday, May 27, 2016

Ariannah Wells-Bain institution located in Lynchburg, Virginia. It has been a major highlight of the pageant this year. “Liberty University has come on board as Miss Teen Bahamas International’s academic partner. This means that the young ladies will be awarded up to $90,000 in scholarships to attend the prestigious university in Lynchburg. The queen, runner-up and special title winners will also have the chance to represent the Bahamas at international competitions around the world,” Mr Smith said. Liberty’s annual enrolment includes more than 14,000 residential students and over 100,000 online students as of May 2013. The University will offer a $90,000 academic scholarship over a four-year period to the winner of the title Miss Teen Bahamas International 2016. Additionally, combined scholarships equivalent to $30,000 will be awarded to the first runner-up, and a combined $22,000 in scholarships will go to the second runner-up. Liberty University’s is also prepared to offer scholarships to each contestant who otherwise meets MTBI’s and the university’s criteria for admissions; these scholarships combined are worth $12,000. The couture fashion segment will be repeated Sunday night at the Meliá Nassau Beach Resort before the field is narrowed and a new queen is crowned. Outgoing queen Britney Wells was the first Bahamian recipient of an international scholarship from Hollis University following her win. Sponsors for the pageant this year include Liberty University, Biore, Kemis. net, The Ultimate Fitness, Commonwealth Fabric, Debonniare Boutique, The Beauty Shack, Shoreline Distributors, Suntime, Galleria, ORS Oils, Idyllic and Dr Veronica McIver.

Duranique Minus

Azavia Jones

Tayjha Deleveaux

Acacia Rolle

Lezlia Jones

Ianna Cartwright

Danielle Albury

Tess-Ann Smith

22 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, May 27, 2016

film PHOTO/AP/TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX

Scott Summers/Cyclops (Tye Sheridan) and Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) are among the students learning to control their powers. The professor’s friend and rival, Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto (Fassbender), put his mutant powers aside to live as a family man in Poland. But when personal tragedy strikes, he goes on a destructive streak. Magneto and other disillusioned mutants — Storm (Alexandra Shipp), Angel (Ben Hardy) and Psylocke (Olivia Munn) — join forces with Apocalypse. Professor X and his protégés, including Raven/Mystique (Lawrence) and fellow blue person Kurt Wagner/ Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee), unite to try to stop them. The standouts, in both character and performance, are Jean Gray and Peter Maximoff/Quicksilver (Evan Peters). Peters shines as Quicksilver, a dorky-cool, ultra-’80s Marty McFly who provides both playful comedy and zippy action sequences. Magneto also inspires awesome special-effects action, imploding and pulverizing historic sites. The X-Men had a lot to accomplish in this film before Captain America and his crew swooped in with their own movie a couple weeks earlier. And even if the Avengers may have worn it better, the X-Men are doing just fine.

review

X-MEN: APOCALYPSE 147 MINS

IT’S a bit of bad timing for “X-Men: Apocalypse” coming third in this summer’s superhero lineup. Director Bryan Singer invigorates his latest X-Men film with vintage 1980s charm in an origin story about how the mutant supergroup unites and divides in response to the villain Apocalypse. And while battles between heroes are an X-Men tradition, warring among the ranks has become a superhero trope this season, at play

review

‘Alice Through the Looking Glass,’ a curious sequel ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS 113 MINS

“ALICE Through the Looking Glass”, like its predecessor, owes very

Magneto, portrayed by Michael Fassbender in both “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Captain America: Civil War.” Like similarly dressed beauties in celebrity magazines, it becomes a case of who wore it better, and that’s an unfair burden on what is ultimately a satisfying conclusion to the rebooted trilogy. Even with an ensemble that includes Jennifer Lawrence and Michael Fassbender and Poe from “Star Wars” (Oscar Isaac, unrecognisable as Apocalypse), it can’t match the magic of the latest Avengers movie, with multiple characters carefully inter-developed over a dozen films. “X-Men: Apocalypse” is also a prequel, so the fate of its characters isn’t a mystery. That’s not to say “Apocalypse” isn’t a fun flick on its own. It has a grand little to Lewis Carroll. Textual adherence is somewhat beside the point when serving as a sequel to something that also cherry picked. But, lest you think that a six-year gap and the absence of Tim Burton in the director’s chair might have allowed for a return to the gleeful absurdity of Carroll, it doesn’t. Screenwriter Linda Woolverton (“Beauty and the Beast”) has again disposed of the source material in favour of something more linear — a story about Alice (Mia Wasikowska) looking for Hatter’s (Johnny Depp) family. Director James Bobin’s (“The Muppets”) film trudges on through the lushly designed world answering questions we never asked, like, “What was the Mad Hatter’s childhood like?” And, “Why does the Red Queen have such a large head?” In other words, it’s an Underland origin story. We meet Alice some years after the

scope, great special effects and doesn’t require knowledge of its predecessors to enjoy. Those who know the characters get even more payoff. As hinted at during the credits for 2014’s “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” this film brings on Apocalypse, a superpowered mutant who can transfer his essence from one being to another and was revered as a god when he existed millennia ago. Resurrected in 1983 after centuries of lying dormant, Apocalypse is disgusted at the state of the world. He wants to wipe out greedy, intolerant humans and restore the mutants to their deified status. He magnifies the power of any mutant who sides with him. Meanwhile, Professor X (James McAvoy) has renewed his focus on his School for Gifted Children, where

Johnny Depp returns as the Mad Hatter first film faced again with the prospect of losing her independence. Last time she was fleeing a proposal. This time her livelihood is in jeopardy (she’s a sea captain now, and a good one). So when life gets frustrating in the real world, Alice climbs through a mirror and is transported back to Underland. Her old friends have been waiting for her to fix another problem: The Mad Hatter. The nightmarish Hatter, who has

SANDY COHEN AP Entertainment Writer

PHOTO/DISNEY VIA AP

‘X-Men: Apocalypse’ satisfies in superhero summer

developed a more pronounced (and annoying) lisp, is wallowing in lifethreatening depression (manifested in combed hair, a sicklier pallor and a grown up wardrobe) because he’s found an object that makes him believe his family is alive. Alice decides be a noble friend and take on Time to get to the bottom of what really happened on the day when the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) unleashed her Jabberwocky on their village. There are some inspired visuals, like a landscape of glimmering pocket watches suspended in air, but many of the set pieces are executed with too much remove. Alice, for instance, must walk across the enormous hands of a ticking clock to gain entry to Time’s headquarters. It’s a great idea and looks wonderful, but it’s just airless and void of suspense in execution.

LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer

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Friday, May 27, 2016

mailboats ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CAPTAIN Eric Wiberg is a marine and naval historian, author and a maritime lawyer who grew up in Nassau in the 1970s and 1980s and is a regular visitor to The Bahamas. In 2009 Capt Wiberg began the first of three books on U-Boats in the Bahamas and Bermuda and in 2012 began a blog focusing on mailboats and their contribution to Bahamian history. He is the author of ‘Tanker Disasters’, ‘Round the World in the Wrong Season’ and ‘U-Boats in the Bahamas and Turks & Caicos’ and is working on a book about mailboats in the Bahamas. He is writing a series in The Tribune on the glorious history of mailboats, their place in island life, the characters that define them, the variety of craft, the dozens of islands they serve, the mailboat ‘dynasties’ and the challenges facing the modern fleet.

Hanna rides the tide of sea business A 200-yearold dynasty in Acklins has survived resourcefully, Captain Eric Wiberg finds

rom the early 1800s to 1911, members of the Hanna family owned ten vessels of various sizes in the Bahamas. The patriarch of the clan in the Bahamas appears to have been John Hanna, who was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, and set sail for the colony with three children, John, George and James, with Edward Tobias being born on the voyage (his nickname was “Salt Water”). John Hanna Sr went on to become a Member of the Houses of Parliament in the Bahamas; however most of his descendants appear to have settled in the southern island of Acklins. J Hanna was listed in the Bahamas Gazette as a slave owner on Crooked Island in 1799. One of his grandsons was named Thomas. In 1868 William H Hanna, of Long Bay, Crooked Island, owned a 19-ton schooner named Augusta Justina. In 1935 Castell Rivas Hanna, of Pompey Bay, Acklins, owned the sloop Delightful. By 1911 five other Hannas from Acklins owned the locally-built schooners Barbara Ellen, Charm, Excite, Mary, and Sea Bird. Their

M/V United Star offloading cargo near Spring Point, Acklins. The “TH” in the cross bars above the ramp presumably stands for “Thomas Hanna”. Note the men trying to keep the drywall from breaking as it was rushed ashore by the vehicle. The anchor is ready for deployment. The man-made jetty was custom-built for this kind of vessel to lower its ramp and work cargo. owners were John James, Philip Hannah, Conrad C, William H and Thomas Benjamin Hanna. J E Hanna owned the schooner, Molly, registered to Grand Bahama. So 100 years ago, the family were already a vessel-owning dynasty, however modest some of the craft may have been (all were from four to 18 tons). Additionally Alexander Hanna owned the nine-ton schooner, Venus, in Crooked Island. He was born in 1840 and passed away in Pompey Bay in 1923, five years before Arthur Dion Hanna, later Governor General of the Bahamas, was born there. While little is known about his exact connection to the Hannas of Acklins 200 years ago, Captain Thomas (Tom) Hanna has been a substantial ship owner in his own right, contributing significantly to inter-island as well as international seaborne trade between the Bahamas as well as Florida in the last quarter century. Capt Hanna has owned at least five large vessels, most of them with bow-ramps - roll-on, roll-off (Ro-Ro) types which are shallow draft and well suited to cargo work to remote islands with limited infrastructure like Spring Point, Acklins. Over his career, some of Hanna’s

trading firms have gone under but he has managed to rebuild under new names, sometimes with the same vessel. His business has also survived one of the deadliest accidents in recent Bahamian history – the collision of Sea Hauler with the United Star in 2003, resulting in four deaths, an amputation and 25 injuries. On a more positive note, following Hurricane Irene in August 2011, his vessel the KCT was one of the first to bring relief to Cat Island, and last year the New G, which he designed, commissioned and had built, was introduced as the newest mailboat into the Bahamian fleet. Past vessels have included the United Star (served 1996-2007), Sea Spirit II (exUnited Spirit), VI Nais, KCT, and New G - all still operating today for Carib-USA Ship Lines Bahamas Ltd, of Nassau, with Hanna as president. Though not all are always strictly mailboats, they fill in for each other and provide essential services to the Bahamas and are Bahamian owned and operated. The motor vessel United Star was built in 1996 by either Chauvin Shipbuilding or Portier Shipyard in Chauvin, Louisiana. She is 178ft

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Friday, May 27, 2016

The “United Star” was renamed the “Coimar Transport”, also known as the “AJ Transport” in Honduras, her new flag state after the accident in the Bahamas in 2003.

The broken crane which killed and injured so many people on the Sea Hauler, pictured docked in Nassau in August, 2003.

The “New G” working cargo at the west end of Potter’s Cay Dock. She went into service February 2015. She is a truly new member to the Bahamas mail and freight service.

Sea Spirit II leaving Nassau in front of Paradise Island.

long, 36ft 5in wide, 417 gross tons, 500 deadweight or cargo carrying tons. It is a Ro-Ro cargo vessel with accommodation and bridge aft made of steel. She was owned and operated in the Bahamas by Hanna from launch to 2007. The ship served the Bahamas on long-haul voyages to Mayaguana, Acklins, Crooked Island, Long Cay (Fortune Island), and Inagua. In 2003 her master was Capt Rodney Miller. On August 3 2003, she was in a severe collision with the Sea Hauler 14 miles south of Eleuthera. The Prime Minister termed the event a tragedy of national importance. A committee was formed to investigate the incident. That report, through a government-appointed Wreck Commission, was presented to the Minister of Transport and Aviation on January 4, 2005; however efforts by this author to unearth it have so far been unsuccessful. The incident led to a number of lawsuits, including at least nine civil actions filed in the

Supreme Court against the government. In 2007, United Star was sold to the Compania Internacional Maritima (Coimar Transport) of Roatan, Honduras. The Sea Spirit II was built as Russell Portier in 1999. In September 2007, she was renamed the United Spirit until August 2008, when she reverted to Sea Spirit II. She is 498 gross tons, 750 cargo-carrying tons and was built of steel at Russell Portier Shipyard, Chauvin. Hanna has been her owners since 2007, under different companies. She serves Acklins, Long Cay and southern Long Island, leaving Nassau on Tuesday afternoons. According to a Tribune article from February 7, 2011, Hanna was chased by a number of creditors and removed his vessel from the Bahamas Maritime Authority Registry in December 2007, changing ownership from Carib-USA to Ro-Ro Company Ltd. Despite all this, the vessel’s trading seems to have been uninterrupted. The boat VI Nais is 487 gross tons, 587 cargo-carrying tons, 190 feet long, powered by two Mitsubishi engines rated 927 hp at 1,400 rpm. The engine manufacturer stated that “it provides owners with much better fuel consumption than the older engines that [Hanna] had been operating.” They related that the engines are rated Tier 3 with the US Environmental Protection Agency. Portier Shipyard built her in 2007. The vessel serves North and South Cat Island, taking about 24 hours, and costing $60 each way. Over her career it appears she was also chartered to GG Shipping to ply from Florida to the Bahamas. For a time her owners were MMS Ship-management of Palm Beach.

The Tribune | Weekend | 25

Friday, May 27, 2016

Forgotten facts Paul C Aranha PHOTO/PAUL C ARANHA

Another owner was the Ro-Ro Company of Nassau. She is flagged to Panama. Hanna’s fourth vessel, the KCT, is 165 feet long, powered by Mitsubishi engines rated 630 hp at 1,600 rpm. She serves Fresh Creek and Central Andros, spending Wednesday to Saturday there and Sunday to Tuesday in Nassau. She has also served Acklins at $90 each way for a 26-hour voyage every ten days. Since she was built in 2012, she has been owned by Hanna under either the Ro-Ro or CaribUSA brands. In August 2011, the KCT was one of the first ships to arrive in Cat Island with relief supplies from the Bank of the Bahamas following Hurricane Irene. KCT brought “a container packed with love and crammed with proof that people cared. It bore furniture, paper goods, cleaning supplies, food, toiletries, clothing and more. The owners of the M/V KCT, refused to accept pay for shipping relief supplies.” Furniture donated from homes in Lyford Cay were re-purposed for those in need on Cat Island. The ship New G is indeed new: it is 178 feet long, 40 feet wide, 10 feet (aft) to 6ft 6in deep forward. Her speed is 10.5 knots, and holds crew, 486 gross tons, 145 net tons, and 587 cargo tons. New G is a landing craft type Ro-Ro vessel, flagged to Panama. She was built of steel in 2015 and delivered in February. According to a Carib-USA spokesperson, New G was “designed and engineered by Tom Hanna at a private shipyard”. Officially her owners are the Consolidated Marine Group located in the United Building, Soldier Road, Nassau. As well as being a relief ship on other routes, the New G serves North and South Cat Island, arriving in Nassau on Monday, taking freight Tuesday and leaving Wednesday evenings. I hope this vessel has an illustrious and successful career in the Bahamas. Overall Capt Thomas Hanna is an exemplar of those owners who adapt to changing market conditions, take immense risks by expending considerable funds for new-built ships in foreign yards (the US is a cabotage shipping market, protected from foreign competition, and thus an expensive place to build vessels), and providing innovative design solutions custom-fit for the Bahamas, as well as forward-looking propulsion technologies which are better for the environment and also more fuel-efficient. Though Hanna’s maritime roots can be traced to remote Pompey Bay Acklins (also the site of the largest Lucayan settlements in the country), and go back hundreds of years, including a dozen or so vessels, this entrepreneur’s outlook is thoroughly modern and practical. He

“Captain Thomas Hanna is an exemplar of those owners who adapt to changing market conditions, take immense risks by expending considerable funds for new-built ships in foreign yards and providing innovative design solutions custom-fit for the Bahamas, as well as forwardlooking propulsion technologies which are better for the environment and also more fuelefficient.” has shown that even in legal and financial adversity he and his colleagues can re-invent themselves and survive, rising from the ashes. Hanna is one of the most private owners I have contacted - as in, not even a website. When we finally met the captain was busy cleaning up his company’s small working area on western Potter’s Cay with a forklift and by hand in person, working alongside the officers and men from his ships. • Comments and responses to eric@ ericwiberg.com

This 2011 photograph shows a Thai restaurant on West Bay Street, Cable Beach, which was formerly Eva Schaffner’s Dicky Mo’s and the local police station.

The rise and rise of Cable Beach IN 1892, an undersea telegraphic cable was laid between Jupiter, Florida, and New Providence to connect Nassau with the outside world. That cable came ashore “out West”, on waterfront property owned by J S Johnson, who gave permission to erect an iron building on the beach to house the cable. J S Johnson and Co owned and operated a pineapple plantation on a part of the old Cunningham Track. Known as Chapman’s, this land extended from Lake Cunningham to the sea. In 1922, Mr Johnson was on the point of selling a comparatively unprofitable venture when his nephew, W C B Johnson, suggested that the land be divided into lots and sold as ideal beach locations. So, the land between West Bay Street and the sea east of Cable Beach Manor and extending to the old Cable Beach police station was divided into 63 lots, of 100 feet each, and offered at £200 ($1,000 in those days) each. The new development was given the name ‘Cable Beach’. In those days, there were few cars on the island and West Bay Street was nothing more than a track road so, at first, the market was strictly Nassau and buyers were hard to find because Cable Beach seemed “so far out of town”. Eventually, Nassuvians began selling out to winter residents until the greater portion of Cable Beach homes were owned by non-Bahamians. Undeveloped lots, which once sold for £200, could fetch

£30,000 and prices kept rising, but the name was slow catching on. In his 1934 book ‘Bahamas: Isles of June’, Major H MacLachlin Bell does not mention Cable Beach, but says that “two miles further west is the Country Club ... and right next door, so to speak, are the race track and Emerald Beach”. The name Emerald Beach refers to the beach on which the Emerald Beach Hotel was built, in 1954, the site now occupied by the Meliá Nassau Beach Resort. When government sold the Emerald Beach, a new beach had to be provided for public use, so one was built at the Western Esplanade. The map of New Providence, in Helen Burns Higgs’ 1936 book ‘Presenting Nassau’, does not show ‘Cable Beach’ and she wrote that “the race track is situated four miles west of Nassau”. A 1940 press report, about a ‘Flight to Harbour Island’ on the Bahamas Airways’ Douglas Dolphin, mentioned Mr and Mrs Troy Jones, of Philadelphia, who were staying at the McCoy cottage on Cable Beach. Three years later, in the introduction to the book ‘The Murder of Sir Harry Oakes, Bt’, mention is made of a poem by John Hutton, published in the Nassau Daily Tribune on July 7, 1943, which referred to the golf course at “Cable B”. The name Cable Beach is now applied to a far bigger, and seemingly ever-growing, area than Mr Johnson ever imagined. • islandairman@gmail.com

Best described as a number crossword, the task in Kakuro is to fill all of the empty squares, using numbers 1 to 9, so the sum of each horizontal block equals the number to its left, and the sum of each vertical block equals the number on its top. No number may be used in the same block more than once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Kakuro increases from Monday to Sunday.

CRYPTIC PUZZLE Across 1 Socialist soccer player (4-6) 6 The favourite is making no effort we hear (4) 10 Do a rough job of cleaning (5) 11 Touching on a combination with an indifferent result (9) 12 Spring a lock outside and make an entry unlawfully (8) 13 After a drink half the band provide dance music (5) 15 She killed herself out of shattered hope and returning trouble (7) 17 Showed no respect and ate greedily (7) 19 We yearn for change at the beginning of January (3,4) 21 Unusual glee shown after getting a pass in school (7) 22 Dark disturbing thing (5) 24 Neat and honest (8) 27 Not bubbly but nevertheless a grape product (5,4) 28 Transport from the East is not in time (5) 29 One doesn’t have to have it (4) 30 Payment for one episode of a serial (10)

12 14 15

C A B B TARGETE C THE

CHECK (down)

26 | The Tribune | Weekend

Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so the each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

Yesterday’s Easy Solution

Down 1 Getting drunk? Across: 1 Refusal, 5 Shift, That’s rich! (4) 8 Paralysis, 9 Cup, 10 Lull, 2 Down-to-earth 12 Forensic, 14 Bombay, 15 Israel, 17 Solution, 18 Itch, entertainment? (5,4) 21 Fig, 22 Consensus, 24 Let be, 3 Factory 25 Expanse. labours (5) Down: 1 Repel, 2 For, 3 Salt, 4 Falls for 4 Lissom, 5 Suspense, a redhead 6 Incessant, 7 Topical, once more 11 Limelight, 13 Particle, and uplifted (7) 14 Bashful, 16 Pounce, 19 Haste, 20 Deep, 23 Sin. 5 How time flies! (7) 7 Churned up mud at the starting line (5) 8 Their union offers security (4,3,3) Yesterday’s Cryptic Solution 9 A cleaner fuel that draws well (8) Across: 1 Lyrical, 5 Light, 14 It’s bright and early (7,3) 8 Ascertain, 9 Via, 10 Heap, 16 Speak falsely yet 12 Denounce, 14 Rotten, be quiet! (3,5) 15 Relief, 17 Pretoria, 18 Weed, 18 Newcomer 21 Pas, 22 Gladstone, 24 Reset, with a healthy 25 Dailies. complexion (5,4) Down: 1 Loath, 2 Roc, 3 Cure, 4 Leader, 5 Londoner, 6 Given 20 Badly run, as is this time, 7 Tea leaf, 11 Actresses, East Slavonic 13 Besought, 14 Repaper, language branch (7) 16 Lizard, 19 Deeds, 20 Asti, 21 Running dog on hire (7) 23 Obi. 23 A leading publication? (5) 25 Thought the trainee perfect (5) 26 Cried quietly in the rain (4) Down Across 1 Heathen 1 Rashness (10) god (4) 6 A pace (4) 6 7 8 2 Unwieldy (9) 10 Had (5) 9 3 Excessive (5) 11 Deliberately 4 Himalayan misleading (9) mountain (7) 12 Deeply 5 Oppose (7) respectful (8) 7 Implied but not 13 Paper 13 said (5) money (5) 8 Having 15 Scheme (7) nothing in 17 Gather from 18 common (5,5) various 9 Ultimate (8) places (5,2) 14 Bewitched (10) 19 Survive (4,3) 16 Operated at a 21 Reinforce (7) profit (8) 22 A gambling 18 Harm (9) game (5) 20 Drinking 24 Keep in good 25 glass (7) condition (8) 21 Steady 27 Without 26 accumulation restraint (9) 28 (5-2) 28 Perfect (5) 23 Swedish 29 At the proper philanthropist (5) time (4) 25 An object (5) 30 An aid to plant 26 An aspersion (4) production (10)

K H N C A B E C B

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The Tribune | Weekend | 27

Friday, May 27, 2016

animals Animal matters By Kim Aranha

The sad story of the osprey

An osprey stoned to death near Go Slow Bend

n Osprey is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. This magnificent bird is also referred to as a “fish eagle”. They fish for live food from the sea during the day. These splendid creatures use their sight to help them catch their prey. They can see a fish underwater from 130 feet in the air. They build vast nests that are like watch towers. These nests are dotted all around the Bahamas. There is one at Little White Bay Cay, in the Exumas, that my sister-in-law remembers seeing some 70 years ago. It still stands and is still used by mother Ospreys to hold the eggs and the young. Close to the sea, the mother can easily swoop off when she sees a fish and return quickly to feed her young. Recently my son took me to see the splendid nest on Green Cay near Rose Island. The mother bird could be seen from afar sitting on her nest, head up, attentive, as our boat approached the island. The father bird flew slowly circling to protect. We clearly did not want to upset them so went no closer. There are established nests all over the Bahamas and frequently the same couple returns year after year to have their babies in the same nest. These nests are built of driftwood picked up on the beach, sticks, and seaweed. They invariably like to be on a rocky point, definitely an apartment with a view. The osprey is on the IUCN red list of protected animals. Though through the responsible attention that they have been receiving around the world their numbers are increasing. The Bahamas National Trust is

however very vigilant and protective of this beautiful creatures.. The osprey reaches maturity at around two years old. They are famous for their fidelity to each other, and everywhere I have researched they are described as devoted parents. By the time the babies are six weeks old they are fully grown and they leave their nest at eight to ten weeks to start flying and hunting. They are magnificent, striking and glorious in flight and at rest. Most people count themselves blessed to have come close enough to see their majestic beauty. Which makes the story I am about to tell you even more terrible. Last week the rescue group the Pink Potcake were driving past Go Slow Bend when they saw an absolutely dreadful thing taking place. A young man on the rocky beach was stoning a bird to death. They ran towards him, yelling at him to stop, but alas it was too late. This splendid sea bird of the Bahamas, the osprey, did not survive despite the best efforts of the Bahamas Humane Society veterinarians. The young man who killed the bird was unable to give a reason when asked why he had done it. This brings me to a story I was told that took place some years ago at Union Wharf. There was a splendid egret in the parking lot one day. Several little boys were playing with their marbles, one of them spotted the bird: “Wow,” he exclaimed, “what a beautiful bird. “Yes,” agreed the friends, “Let’s kill it!” And they ran toward the bird. Fortunately, the person who told me the story intervened But this brings me to the

biggest question of them all – why? There appears to be a deep-rooted culture to kill that which we do not know or understand. Facebook was full of people wanting to chop a pencil thin snake to pieces just because it was a snake, not because it was dangerous. A beautiful, young sea bird, an osprey, probably newly out of his nest, flying his first flights, zooming over the flat turquoise sea, looking for fish, or perhaps he had caught one and made the mistake of having a picnic on the shores of New Providence; this island that holds so many dark secrets and sad events. Perhaps the bird should have felt the negative vibes of violence and despair. Nevertheless, this protected creature was killed for no reason whatsoever and the perpetrator was unable to give a justification. Some said he must have had a mental disability. Why? Because he killed an animal for no reason? That happens daily in this country; people aim cars at dogs, put out poison, throw rocks at cats and dogs, chop them with a cutlass and dump or tie them up in the bush to starve. Why do we assume that this young man was of diminished responsibility and not just exercising his self imagined rights to do what he wants, and at that moment is was to kill a bird? Violence escalates, it is a known fact. He who kills and maims for fun starts with small animals, then progresses to dogs and cats, and eventually to kids and women. We need to be very careful of the “killing culture” that is thriving in our country.

Joyful Jemma

PET E H OF TEK WE

By The Bahamas Humane Society

PHOTO/PATRICIA VAZQUEZ

emma is a very friendly, young potcake seeking an upbeat loving family to call her own. This young lady is just over a year old. She would be a good family dog as she’s quite sociable, and she gets along well with other dogs, too. Do you have a place in your heart and home for Jemma? If so, come

in to the Bahamas Humane Society to meet her or call 325-6742 for more information. Adoption hours are 11am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, and 10am to 4pm on Saturday. Jemma’s tail will be joyously wagging when she knows she’s adopted! • The BHS Thrift Shop will be holding a

patio sale under its new Minerva Shack, right next to the main shelter in Chippingham, this Saturday from 10am to 2pm. Great prices that are too good to be missed and all proceeds go to the Bahamas Humane Society. Come and see what treasures you might find. All books will be half price on that day as well.

28 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, May 27, 2016

gardening

Preparing for summer Warmer temperatures bring an increase in scale insect infestations. Jack Hardy advises not to neglect certain plants when it comes to pest control.

wo weeks ago I wrote about preparing for summer by moving certain plants – Mediterranean herbs in particular – into the shade to help their survival. Many plants cannot be moved but can be prepared to thrive in the July, August and September temperatures that are on their way. I think we are all a little guilty of taking our flowering shrubs for granted and leaving them to their own devices. For yellow elder and other native shrubs this may be the way to go, but hibiscus is typical of the non-native species that need sustenance on a regular basis in order to do their best. I suggest feeding your fruit trees every season and your flowering shrubs in May and October. Treat them similarly by applying chelated iron as a spray or as Sequestrene 138 to the soil, then adding granular fertilizer; the dessert is a minor nutrient spray. This treatment gives your flowering shrubs all the sustenance they need to survive and thrive. The biggest threat to flowering

Brown scale infestation

Hibiscus is a particularly sweet shrub which attracts scale insects shrubs comes in the form of scale insects. These attach themselves to the bark and suck the sweet juices – ambrosia – that pulsate between the bark and the woody interior of a limb. Hibiscus is a particularly sweet shrub and is related to mallow – as in marshmallow. Insects, and scale insects in particular, love sweet plants so be diligent in your walks around your garden and inspect your hibiscus regularly. The presence of scale insects is often revealed by blackened leaves caused by the excretion of ambrosia and its infection by mould. Sooty mould is a symptom rather than a disease but will kill many leaves if left untreated because it prevents sunlight reaching the leaf and activating photosynthesis. If a jet of water and rubbing with your fingers will not remove the sooty mould, you may as well pick off the leaves. In February of this year I discovered one of my 10-foot tall hibiscus shrubs was riddled with brown scale. The natural pattern of the hibiscus bark has brown dots so from a distance

all looked well. Close up the sinister brown scale was evident. Scale can be removed by three means: spraying with dormant oil, spraying with a systemic insecticide, and using a systemic drench. A systemic insecticide is absorbed into the plant and kills any scale insects that are feeding on the plant; dormant oil kills. Unfortunately dormant oil can also kill your shrub, or at least defoliate it substantially, when used in the warmest times of the year. In the case of my hibiscus I used dormant oil and lost quite a bit of foliage. At this time of year I would not dream of using dormant oil except for spot treatment using a small sprayer. Even then, the application should be done after the heat has gone out of the sun and next morning early the area should be thoroughly washed off with a hose. From now through to the end of October I would use a systemic insecticide to remove scale insects. During the cooler months I would use dormant oil. The one exception is snow scale, a killer of papaya, hibiscus

and other shrubs. Snow scale initially looks like a sprinkling of fine sand or sugar on the bark of plants, usually found just above the soil line. It looks innocuous and if you have sandy soil you may give it no heed. But if left untreated snow scale will – definitely will – kill your infected plants. Snow scale needs intense treatment which means both systemic and dormant oil. There used to be a product – Ethion and Oil – that dealt with snow scale effectively but it was taken off the home-use market because of its danger to gardeners breathing the fumes. Snow scale tends to form at the base of the north side of trees and shrubs and will develop from a sprinkle to a matt of solid white, by which time the plant is a goner. The use of both a systemic insecticide and dormant oil is recommended for snow scale but I have never been able to save any plants that were extensively attacked. Healthy plants are less susceptible to attack from insects and disease than weak plants. Your fertilizer regimen will go a long way to maintaining good health but good aeration is also important. A shrub that resists allowing air to circulate through it is a candidate for disease. Instead of the usual practice of trimming for shape, it is the central limbs that need to be pruned away in order to promote good circulation of air. The branches should be cut as low as possible and enough of them removed to do the job properly. Do not worry about overdoing the interior pruning; your shrub will love it. In the event of a hurricane a shrub that allows the wind to pass through easily is more likely to survive than one with a dense growth. There seems to be an urge by some gardeners to fertilize a plant after pruning. This is not necessary. During the pruning process the plant is made smaller, its need reduced. The roots stay the same size. We rarely experience true drought conditions in the Bahamas and an established shrub should never need watering. With the present conditions in the Caribbean area, however, it might be well to look for signs of stress after a month or so without rain.

• For comments and questions e-mail j.hardy@coralwave.com