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SUPER SALARY - DISMAL JOB DRA blasted over MD’s pay package and recovery work

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net CENTRAL and South Abaco MP John Pinder says it is “shameful” there remain duties unfulfilled in storm ravaged Abaco while the former managing director of the Disaster Reconstruction Authority took home an “extravagant” salary.

Details of former DRA Managing Director

Katherine Forbes-Smith’s salary came to light this week after she filed a lawsuit against the government for allegedly breaching her contract after her termination from the role last year.

According to a writ filed in the Supreme Court in December, Mrs ForbesSmith is suing the DRA for $408,333.16 for that contract breach along with other allowances.

SEE PAGE FIVE

BAHAMIANS were yesterday told to brace for a 12-month minimum of higher food costs, noting global trends particularly those in the United States that largely affect The Bahamas.

Gowon Bowe, Fidelity Bank Bahamas’ chief executive, said as rising food

costs were foreshadowed for months, there should be no surprise from Bahamians who, he said, are at times too “lackadaisical” about the happenings of international markets.

Super Value’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Debra Symonette on Monday urged Bahamians to budget their money and brace for price increases on SEE PAGE THREE

- SEE PAGE EIGHT

ISLANDS’ SCHOOLS BACK TO ‘NORMAL’

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

MOST schools in Grand Bahamas and the Family Islands are ready for the full return of face-to-face instruction, according to the Bahamas Union of Teachers, however schools in New Providence need to individually determine their readiness due to their issues.

SEE PAGE TWO

BOWLEG DEFENDS CARIFTA TRIALS

FOOD INFLATION WILL STAY AT LEAST A YEAR

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

ALICIA WALLACE: WHY DON’T WE TALK ABOUT SALARIES?

By PAVEL BAILEY

DIRECTORS of the Disaster Reconstruction Authority’s, led by chairman Alex Storr, took a two-day trip to the Abacos last week to assess the state of current projects.

TRAFFIC DROP OFF ‘FREAKING OUT’ MARINAS

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE Association of Bahamas Marinas (ABM) president says “it’s kind of freaking me out” that there has been a “noticeable” slowdown in boating/ yachting traffic ahead of the Spring season’s peak.

Peter Maury told Tribune Business he fears that the Caribbean’s post-pandemic re-opening, combined with tightened COVID testing

HURRICANE HOLE MARINA protocols and bureaucratic entry requirements, are cutting into the increased business Bahamian marinas and related enterprises enjoyed in 2020 and 2021

after the most restrictive lockdowns were lifted.

“We’re hoping that in March that it picks back up, but it’s a little slower than it was last year,” Mr Maury said. “It’s noticeable. It’s kind of freaking me out to tell you the truth. I can tell you I know what we collected in January of last year in yacht charter fees, and we’re not even close to that this year. We’re way down.”

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

AFTER CARIFTA trials were disrupted last weekend by COVID-19 officers, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg said he fully supports athletes’ ongoing training efforts and that continued safety protocols will be enforced at future trials.

SEE PAGE FOUR

TECHNOLOGY: HIGH-TECH NAPS AT THE OLYMPICS

- SEE PAGE NINE

PAGE 2, Wednesday, February 9, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

MINISTER of Education and Technical and Vocational Training Glenys Hanna Martin with the winners of the National Awards for 2021.

Celebrating the best DURING her address at the National Examinations Awards Presentation, Glenys Hanna Martin, Minister of Education and Technical and Vocational Training, underscored the determination and sacrifice of students who earned outstanding results in the 2021 examinations, despite the impact of COVID-19 on education.

“You too have been subject to the shocks created by this pandemic. For you too, these have not been easy times. It is no doubt your focus and your determination, your discipline and your sacrifice that have you here today. Only you truly know your struggle. And so the stellar accomplishment of you, the students, which we celebrate today, is something you should all be extremely proud of, as I know are your families, teachers and schools,” she said.

Public and private school students who sat the 2021 Bahamas Junior Certificate (BJC) and Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) exams were celebrated on Monday at the National Examinations Awards Ceremony at Holy Trinity Activities Centre.

In the BJC exams, 205 candidates from government and independent schools nationwide received five or more A’s. Of these, 38 received eight or more A’s.

Leyhannah Rolle, a student of H O Nash Junior High School, received the award for Most Outstanding BJC Performance. She earned nine A’s and one B. Six students from three schools in New Providence: two from Nassau Christian Academy, one from Queen’s College and three from St John’s College

received the best 2021 BJC performance in Independent Schools.

Emma Sweeting, a student of Queen’s College, earned nine A grades in the BJC examinations in grade 8 and received an award for Best Overall BJC Performance from an independent school.

Amari Pinder, of Samuel Guy Pinder All Age School in Spanish Wells, is the best performing 2021 BJC male candidate in a public school.

Top achiever, Christopher Knowles, a student of Queen’s College, earned 13 A’s and received the Paul L Adderley Award for the Most Outstanding BGCSE performance in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas; the Carol Hanna Award for Top Student from an Independent School, and the Top Student New Providence award.

CHRISTOPHER Knowles and Leyhannah Rolle.

CHRISTOPHER Knowles chatting to Education Minister Glenys Hanna Martin at the awards.

ISLANDS’ SCHOOLS BACK TO ‘NORMAL’ from page one

BUT president Belinda Wilson made these remarks after Education Minister Glenys Hanna Martin said there are plans to begin the full rollout of face-to-face learning this week.

“Having met with union representatives and shop stewards from throughout The Bahamas, from Grand Bahama to Inagua, most

schools in Grand Bahama and the Family Islands are in a state of readiness for return to face-to-face instruction,” Ms Wilson said in a voice note.

“In fact, some of the small schools with student populations of 100 or less resumed face-to-face approximately one week ago.”

She said, however, there are a few schools in Grand Bahama and several

schools on Family Islands which are not ready to resume face-to-face instruction for various reasons ranging from teacher shortages, insufficient classroom space, and lack of furniture such as desk and chairs.

“At least two of the Family Islands schools since reopening faceto-face have been temporarily interrupted because of COVID-19 positive cases and teachers and

students being placed into quarantine,” she added.

“On the other hand, New Providence, the largest district with the largest student population and teacher complement will examine fully the health and safety protocols, the class capacity and teacher shortages.

“And after discussions with their principals and staff, each school will determine their readiness and/or suitability for the reopening

of each school face-to-face in a phased approach.

Obviously, large class sizes and teacher shortages are clearly impediments to increasing numbers, the number of students for face-to-face and/or 100 percent return in the midst of this COVID pandemic.”

She added: “I again I am urging the Ministry of Education to hire the new teachers who have been waiting from May 2021 to

be hired forthwith, find alternative venue for additional class spaces, utilise retirees and supply teachers and find volunteers—parents, guardians, persons in the community—who can supplement for the teacher shortage. This will be a stop gap measure and for the sake of the success of education. I’m urging the Ministry of Education to produce an education plan.”

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, February 9, 2022, PAGE 3

Food inflation will stay at least a year

from page one grocery items, as reported by a local daily. Ms Symonette said the price increases brought on by supply chain issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the 10 percent increase in value-added tax (VAT) on breadbasket items, present a double “whammy” for some shoppers.

Yesterday, Mr Bowe said as the increased cost of goods took several months to materialise, it was expected a return to what is considered normal pricing is also going to take some time.

He said: “It shouldn’t have been a surprise to The Bahamas because when the United States catches a cold, we catch pneumonia and our greatest trading partner being the United States means that as the cost of goods in the United States starts to go up the cost of goods in The Bahamas are going to go up as well.

“It may be a timing difference, which we were experiencing where we had the likes of Mr Roberts from Super Value who indicated that they had done a lot of advanced purchases in terms of during the summer months in particular to lock in prices.

“In terms of how long this is going to last, it’s a little bit of thinking about it as a freight train and that the train has left the station and it’s built up momentum in that inflation started because all of the money supply in the US created this euphoria and so spending increased but with a limited supply the price went up because

people were willing to buy higher or pay higher just so that they could get the things that they wanted.

“So, if you think about the weight and the momentum of a freight train, in order to slow it down it takes time and so this momentum that has led to inflation in the United States that is now having a knock-on effect in The Bahamas and global inflation that is taking place because of supply chain shortages really started to come through to The Bahamas.”

He continued: “We are

going to have to brace ourselves for at least 12 months if not slightly longer and the reason being is we’ve seen the build up of inflation over the last 12 months. So, it takes a long time to build momentum and it equally takes a long time to apply the brakes.

“The United States’ monetary policy of increasing interest rates is going to have the effect of starting to curtail spending, which then should have a knock on effect because if I have less to spend because my borrowing is now more costly and the environment

is more costly because of interest taking disposable income out of the system, so I can’t borrow at cheap rates any more, then what it means is that okay I am going to have to forego certain items and that’s going to bring prices back to normal.”

He said supply shortages have contributed to the current situation.

“There are less ships on the ocean because for whatever reason it may sound crazy but there are less containers available is what shipping companies are saying, meaning that being able to secure a 20ft

or 40ft container empty now, not even with things in it, is difficult because there is hoarding of those types of containers.”

Last month, Super Value’s principal Rupert Roberts warned Bahamian shoppers to brace for the possibility that increased food prices may be here to stay, warning: “I don’t believe in what goes up must come down.”

Mr Roberts told Tribune Business at the time that no one in the food industry knew whether the anticipated price rises, resulting from supply chain woes and

other post-COVID factors, will prevail for one or five years, but, he said, prices rarely came down after an increase.

While estimating that the 13-store supermarket chain has “put through” cost increases on a small minority of its 30,000 product lines up to that point, he added that the possibility of up to 20 percent price hikes “on most items” by year-end 2022 could not be discounted based on US inflation estimates and information he was receiving from suppliers in The Bahamas’ northern neighbour.

CARLYLE BETHEL Halkitis said ‘it’s something to look into but government can’t regulate

the market... and hopefully it’s one of those things that go in cycles.’

“This tells me that this government intends to take a completely hands off approach and turn a blind eye to the struggles of ordinary Bahamians. The statement that (the) government cannot regulate the market is just untrue.

One of the main functions and responsibilities of any government is to regulate markets and ensure that citizens and consumers are treated fairly. URCA

regulates the airwaves, the Securities Commission regulates the financial services industry and the Price Control Act provides the ability for the government to regulate the price of goods and services and matters incidental and or connected to the sale of these items.

“The government urgently needs to do more.

Bahamians are being crushed under the heavy weight of high prices that continue to climb and the government seems set on

taking a hands off, wait and see approach to the matter.”

Mr Bethel asked what is the government doing to ensure prices are not gouged on essential items.

“The FNM has repeatedly warned the government that their decision to add ten percent VAT on all breadbasket items, medicines and essentials will increase the hardship on lower- and middle-class

Bahamians while providing a two percent tax cut to the wealthy homeowners,” he said.

“The prices that we are seeing today are proof that the PLP’s 10 percent VAT increase is nothing more than a tax hike in disguise that has compounded the effects of inflation.

“Bahamians are suffering and the government must step up and do more.”

‘GOVERNMENT MUST TO MORE TO TACKLE INFLATION’ CARYLE Bethel, president of the Free National Movement Torchbearer’s Youth Association, says the Davis administration must do more to address inflation.

His comment comes amid warnings of rising prices for gas and grocery items.

Mr Bethel said in a statement: “When asked about the possibility of (the) government introducing legislation to alleviate the burden on consumers, the Minister of Economic Affairs, Hon Michael

NO DECISION ON EXTENDING BENEFIT THAT ALREADY EXPIRED

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

WITH the unemployment assistance benefit ending on December 31 last year a senior official said yesterday the government has not made a decision on whether to extend it.

“It is under consideration but no decision has been made yet,” State Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for the National Insurance Board Myles Laroda told reporters.

On January 11, Tribune Business reported that Mr Laroda said Cabinet

would likely decide that day whether to further extend the government-funded COVID-19 unemployment benefit.

When he was asked about extending the COVID-19 unemployment benefit again more recently, Mr Laroda said the number of individuals requesting unemployment assistance has been reduced due to the improving job market.

“The unemployment assistance benefit ended on December 31, 2021,” he said yesterday. “The government has not made a decision on whether to further extend. We are still awaiting information

DUNDAS CENTRE CORRECTION IN an article published in Tuesday’s Tribune, under the headline “Mario Bowleg Hopes To Redevelop Dundas” it was incorrectly stated that the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture has plans to develop the Dundas Centre for the Performing Arts.

However, The Tribune would like to clarify that Minister of Culture Mario Bowleg was referring to the government’s plans to develop the National Centre for the Performing Arts on Shirley Street, not the Dundas, which is privately owned.

from NIB with regards to the figures. We know that the number of individuals requesting the unemployment assistance has been greatly reduced due to the opening of Baha Mar, due to the opening of Atlantis and other properties in the country and as the economy opens further we expect those numbers to be reduced further,” he said.

He added: “The (NIB) fund is under severe pressure. I think the unemployment assistance along with the stimulus we are close to $200m of monies that were paid out. Looks like things are turning around. The pressure is being reduced and so hopefully moving forward as we replenish there, the fund will be okay.”

PAGE 4, Wednesday, February 9, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

Bowleg defends Carifta trials from page one

On Saturday, the Star Performers Time Trials Meet at the Thompson A Robinson Stadium was interrupted by COVID19 officers. This incident involved COVID authorities citing event organisers for having 2,500 people attending the event when in reality there were only 200 registered competitors with no spectators in the stands, according to Tribune Sports.

The minister wanted to clarify that while this incident was a result of miscommunication, the matter was resolved for this and future meets, as he sees the trials as essential preparation for the upcoming CARIFTA games. The

event on Saturday was allowed to go on.

“At the end of the day the meet continued on and there were athletes who competed and who qualified. In order for us to prepare our CARIFTA team we need to ensure that we have great keen competition taking place between now and over the next four weeks prior to us going to CARIFTA whether it’s swimming or track and field,” he said.

He explained that proper COVID safety protocols were enforced for the event and that he intends to continue to support future trials to bolster our athletes’ performance at CARIFTA. “These are outdoor events, and these are not full contact sports and so again I do support the

YOUTH, Sports and Culture Minister Mario Bowleg. initiative and the reason for there. It was a time qualifier these events taking place. and there are a few more Protocols were kept, they that have to be taking place took their negative COVID and we must do that. Other tests, who (was) vaccinated than that, we are just going or not and so at the end to waste money and time of the day there was some taking a team to represent miscommunication on what us at the CARIFTA level was really happening out who is not prepared.”

Photo: Donavan McIntosh/Tribune Staff He also said: “Some of and the swimmers and the these athletes have been water polo who are preout of commission for paring now for CARIFTA two years and so in order because I would like to to get them prepared we see us become CARIFTA must have time trial events champions when we leave that will prepare these here to go to Jamaica and athletes. “And I fully sup- Barbados in the next few port all of my trial athletes weeks.”

MINISTER SAYS NO PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT AS EVENT BLOCKED

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

AFTER promoters of a Dexta Daps concert failed to secure approval from the Ministry of Health and will not host the event, there has been renewed criticism about how differently the Davis administration treats events held at hotels versus those held off hotel sites.

Organisers wanted the Reggae Valentine event to be held this Friday at the Thomas A Robinson Stadium carnival grounds, but Health Minister Dr Michael

Darville said officials first rejected their application on January 17 and then rejected it a second time this week.

He said it is unlikely the promoters will gain approval should they submit a third application.

The promoters were also planning a concert in Grand Bahama on Saturday.

“We are in the middle of a pandemic, our hospitals are still under tremendous strain and it is important for us to get our schools opened fully,” Dr Darville said before heading into a Cabinet meeting.

“The only source of control that we can execute at the Ministry of Health is large gatherings and the science is clear that large gatherings, irrespective of the circumstances, are high risk for community spread and so we have to protect the country and we must execute the tools that we have in our toolbox in order to do so. With that being said it’s always a difficult thing to try to stop commerce and we are seeing some good signs in the country right now, we’re hopeful that they will maintain on the same trend. If

that happens, the Ministry of Health and Wellness as well as EOC will take into consideration the possibility of relaxing some of the rules but I do not want to focus on that at this time.”

Residents were quick to note the far more lax rules related to events at hotels. Bahamians are not barred from attending concerts on hotel properties and many have attended popular events in recent months, including a Doja Cat concert at Atlantis on New Year’s Eve. A Sheryl Crow concert is scheduled at Atlantis on May 28 and

a Shaggy concert is scheduled for February 25-27 at Resorts World Bimini.

“We have definitely spoken to all of the hotel properties and we have made our position very clear that we do not approve any of these concerts anywhere and record will reflect that the Ministry of Health and Wellness made that extremely obvious and clear and we hold that same position as we speak,” Dr Darville said when asked about the differential treatment.

Asked if promoters can carry on with events like

hotels do even after the Ministry of Health’s disapproval, he said: “The Ministry of Health is responsible for policy, the Ministry of Health is not responsible for enforcement. Once we lay the policy and we reject an event, it is the responsibility of the Ministry of National Security to move in and to address the issues.”

Yesterday, the promoters of the Dexta Daps event said the concerts will not be held after they were denied approval. They advised that full ticket refunds will be made available.

KIDNEY ASSOCIATION CALLS FOR SUPPORT

By PAVEL BAILEY

AMONG the projects supported by World Central Kitchen is Gedeon’s Farm in Abaco, where the first grant was used to purchase a tractor.

WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN PROVIDES NEW GRANTS WORLD Central Kitchen has announced its latest round of funding for nine food production projects in The Bahamas.

The recipients of its fourth round of grants are based in Abaco and Grand Bahama.

The recipients in Grand Bahama include Divine Harvest and Passion Way Farms. Also joining the programme are the fishing projects Fox Fisheries, God’s Favour, Linda’s Spartan, Seafood Delight, Tates Best Price Ferry, as well as fisher Alin Desir.

Additionally, WCK has awarded a second grant to Gedeon’s Farm in Abaco.

Operated by Brenda & Tigedeon Gedeon, the farm raises livestock and grows crops such as watermelon, goat and finger peppers,

eggplant, cucumber, avocado, and okra. Having used their first grant to purchase a tractor, Brenda and Tigedeon will use their second WCK grant to improve fencing around their farm.

The funds will be used by participants to finance capital improvements like upgrading food packing and storage facilities and to purchase walk-in coolers, motors for fishing boats, lobster traps, and other fishing equipment.

“Through this network, we have supported 39 small businesses and organisations in The Bahamas.

Nearly four years after launching FPN, we have concrete data showing that members of the Network can double production and sales within a year of joining

the programme. It is exciting to witness this progress firsthand, which motivates us to continue striving to advance the needs of small businesses within the food sector,” said Mikol Hoffman, Director of the Food Producer Network.

In 2020, to support food security in The Bahamas following Hurricane Dorian, WCK expanded its programme to Abaco and Grand Bahama where it has invested over half a million dollars in food-related businesses.

WCK will open a new call for grant applications in The Bahamas by March.

For details, visit wck.org/ fpn or follow WCK on social media facebook.com/ wckfpn. For a calendar of upcoming webinars, visit wck.org/fpn-events.

THE Bahamas Kidney Association is in need of support as the group aims to raise public awareness in the ongoing fight against kidney disease which they say is on the rise.

During an interview with The Tribune, founder of the Kidney Foundation of the Bahamas Dr Ada Thompson and Bahamas Kidney Association president Tamika Roberts discussed how they work to help people with kidney issues.

As the successor to the defunct Kidney Foundation of The Bahamas, the Bahamas Kidney Association has recently received official non-profit organisation status and continues the work of its predecessor of raising funds for people experiencing kidney disease.

Despite recent challenges that arose due to COVID-19, Ms Roberts spoke about how the association is still trying its best to help people suffering from kidney disorders in a variety of ways.

“Right now, with the new organisation we just got registered last year, with COVID, with the pandemic it’s made it a bit challenging,” she said.

“I can tell you what we have been doing so far.

Last year we started with kidney alerts and these alerts would take place monthly and we would just go to different places and test for high blood pressure and glucose (levels), as you know they are the

two main causes for kidney disease. Actually, some people that we tested did not even know they had high blood pressure or diabetes.”

She said that they have screened hundreds of people so far and have hosted several webinars to bring awareness to renal health. Ms Roberts also discussed how the organisation has noticed an alarming rise in kidney disease lately, and that they wish to raise awareness on the issue.

“We feel that more awareness or more information needs to be given concerning kidney disease.

It’s going up, it’s on the rise in The Bahamas but we don’t think a lot of people are aware of this.”

While the organisation already has plans outlined for fundraisers and events for the remainder of the year, including support group sessions, they also wanted to bring attention to the struggles of the average dialysis patient, as Dr Thompson explained the hardships these people face daily.

“It is a hard life. Three times a week to be hooked up to a machine for three or four hours and it does weaken your bones, your blood and so they need a lot of support. Financially sometimes, for rent or food, clothing. It strips you of your dignity as well as your substance and so they need a lot of support.

Many patients who have cancer and recover can go back to work and even work while they are taking

treatment, this is very difficult for the older dialysis patient, they need the care and support and encouragement,” she said.

Dr Thompson also cautioned that kidney failure was not only an old age disease as there are people as young as 20 who are on dialysis and that they too need the public’s support.

“So, I’d like the general public to know that they have young people on dialysis too, in their 20s, and so this is not an old age disease, this can happen at any age. Usually in the middle years, 40 to 50, but I say it can happen to young people in their 20s to old people in their 80s, so it’s a broad-spectrum condition, end stage renal disease or renal failure is the common term for it.

And so, we need more public exposure.”

As the Kidney Association is a fully private non-profit organisation, Ms Roberts urged the public to donate to their cause.

“At this time, we are looking for funding, we have different levels of funding that we have started to send out to corporate sponsors and that can be anywhere from $50 to as much as possible.

But our range is $1,000 to $10,000 to $25,000 and we would want this to be consistent throughout the years.”

For more information, visit www.bahamaskidneyassociation.org, contact Ms Roberts at 457-0990 or Dr Thompson at 808-9971, or by email at info@bahamaskidneyassociation.org.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, February 9, 2022, PAGE 5

DRA blasted over MD’s pay package and recovery work from page one Yesterday, Mr Pinder, who is also Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, said people continue to suffer in Abaco and Grand Bahama despite the disaster of Hurricane Dorian occurring more than two years ago.

Meanwhile, Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister Myles Laroda said in his view the matter was “sub judice” and he did not want to go into specifics about the case.

However, he said since the termination of the former Senate president, the salary of her replacement was reduced to less than half of that amount.

“My take on Kay ForbesSmith’s salary and the lack of duties fulfilled is, it’s shameful,” Mr Pinder said.

“To then sue the government for the extent of her contract when there’s still Abaconians and Grand Bahamians in dire need and could really use the help for almost half a million dollars.

“So, the salary was extravagant and it shows the lack of compassion for the Bahamian people really,” he claimed.

The contract’s terms were that the DRA agreed to pay Mrs Forbes-Smith an annual salary of $110,000 in monthly installments of $9,166.66 and an annual housing allowance of $30,000 in monthly instalments of $2,500.

The contract also stipulated an annual duty allowance of $15,000 in monthly installments of $1,250 and a monthly fuel allowance of $250.

At the end of that contract, Mrs Forbes-Smith

was entitled to receive a gratuity of 15 percent of the sum received under the contract.

Mrs Forbes-Smith had a four-year, fixed-term contract that would have expired on November 30, 2023. Under the contract, she was required to provide six months’ notice of her intention to terminate the agreement before the expiration date, but it had no provision allowing the DRA to terminate it before its end.

Mr Pinder was also critical of the temporary housing for some Abaconians in the form of domes and said mainland Abaco was far from where it should be after the monster storm of 2019.

“Currently they (the domes) are still inhabited.

As MP, I’m working on housing initiatives to move those people out of there.

They were never installed properly meaning the cesspit was never hooked up and needs to be regularly pumped out. These are the same areas that kids play around. Some of them don’t have electricity. Some of them are mould infested, which is causing respiratory problems and on the whole, it was not only a bad decision, it was the wrong decision. It was something that is detrimental now to the health of Abaconians and the money we spent on that could have been utilised to put them in micro homes that would have been more suitable for a longer time frame.”

He added: “We are still in the rebuild and recovery stage. The cays - Hope Town, Man-O-War, Guana Cay, Green Turtle - are further along. However, mainland Abaco still needs a lot of work. We have

many, many challenges. I recently accompanied the DRA board on an assessment tour of Abaco and found that one of the debris management sites in North Abaco was not being tended to and the amount of money that was being spent on that monthly, I think it was just extravagant.”

Given the current realities in Abaco, Mr Pinder said he would sum up the DRA’s work on the island as dismal.

“Dismal, absolutely dismal,” he told The Tribune.

The DRA said in a post on its Facebook page yesterday that its new board of directors had viewed debris management sites in Elbow, Green Turtle and Treasure Cays as well as Spring City.

They also toured the temporary dome housing project also located in Spring City and were not

pleased with the current state. Directors visited the Central Pines construction site consisting of five new homes, which is near completion and the Abaco Centre Hurricane Shelter and Community Centre whose construction status was disappointing to all board members.

The statement said all DRA board directors were in agreement that visiting “Abaco was a real eye-opener. There is much disappointment with the mismanagement of several key projects aimed at assisting Abaconians. The work that needs to be done by the DRA is quite clear.”

This week the delegation will also tour the disaster zones in Grand Bahama as the new board completes their full assessments to develop a new vision and direction for a resilient Bahamas.

FTX DONATES $250,000 TO HELP IN GB

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@trirbunemedia.net

FTX Digital Markets, the world’s number two cryptocurrency exchange, has given $250,000 to assist some 20 local organisations and individuals that are making a difference on Grand Bahama.

Valdez Russell, vice president of FTX Digital Markets, and Zoe Gibson-Bowleg, director of corporate social responsibility, made the announcement yesterday at Pelican Bay Resort.

Also present were FTX COO Constance Wong, and Tristan Yver, head of strategy FTX. “Today, we come together to celebrate donating and making a difference,” said Mrs Gibson-Bowleg. “We all know Grand Bahama has been impacted by many natural disasters, most notably Hurricane Dorian. And we owe it to ourselves to commit to the rebuilding and preservation of Grand Bahama so that it can remain someplace where our children and grandchildren will be happy to live in decades down the line.

“We feel like the commitments we are making today, coupled with the very resilient spirit of Grand Bahamians, that the best days of our community are ahead of us.”

According to Mrs Bowleg, FTX Digital Markets was incorporated and started doing business in The Bahamas last year.

She said in 2021, the company donated to various organisations.

“As we donate this year, we intend to continue the work we started last year, making a difference in the lives of ordinary Bahamians each and every day,” she said.

She said that Sam Bankman Fried, the owner of FTX, subscribes to the effective altruism school of thought.

“Our goals are to continue to use our resources to try to effectively maximise positive impact in The Bahamas and in the world.

What is important to us at FTX is finding, building and nurturing community partnerships that will make a difference in the lives of Bahamians every single day.”

Mr Russell hopes that the funds given to the organisations will help them grow, thrive, and to excel.

FTX Digital Markets presented $250,000 in donations on Tuesday to some 20 local organizations and individuals on Grand Bahama. Seated third from left are Zoe Gibson-Bowleg, director of corporate social responsibility FTX Digital Markets; FTX COO Constance Wong, and Valdez Russell, vice president of FTX Digital Markets.

Standing at far right is Tristan Yver, head of Strategy at FTX. Photo: Denise Maycock/Tribune Staff “Today, we bring you Twenty Pearls where we thank FTX for recognising and other organisations a to continue our work in the together to simply say assist young women becom- what we do and giving us much-needed push we need community,” he said. thank you. We commend ing established, educated and salute your efforts and women for our future,” she we acknowledge what you said. do to make a difference,” Wende Hanna, president he said. of Grand Bahama Down He also said: “While Syndrome Society, said the we are pleased to make contribution by FTX will these contributions to assist their organisation. your causes, we note that “This will go a long way as they are intended for the we have World Down Syncommunity and the indi- drome Day coming up in viduals you serve, not the over a month and there is a individuals doing the ser- lot we plan to do with this vice. This means that it donation. This jumpstarts is our expectation that a us off to start planning for maximum of 15 percent our summer special needs of our gift be allocated for camp.” administrative cost and 85 Wadrina Wright, of percent must actually go Cancer Society of Grand to the individuals, causes Bahama, said she was very and commitments that surprised after learning drive for a better quality they would get such a genof life.” erous contribution.

Richeena Campbell, first “I want to thank FTX for vice president of Alpha this generous gift to help Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc, in the fight against cancer,” Pi Upsilon Omega Chap- she stated. ter, said the organisation Dudley and Katie is very grateful for the Seide of Reach Out Mincontribution. istries said the money “We believe in sister- will be used to help the hood, scholarship and community. service, and the funds will “We are going to be go towards putting on the starting a new project to largest HBCU College build a hurricane centre Fair outside of the conti- and indoor gym so 100 nental US, and also toward percent of the funds will our signature programme go towards that, and we

STATE MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR REV CHARLES SAUNDERS A STATE recognised memorial service will be held for Reverend Charles Wellington Saunders on Thursday at Salem Union Baptist Church.

The service will be broadcast live on ZNS TV and radio, beginning at 10.30am.

His body will lie in repose today in the foyer of the William Thompson Auditorium on Jean Street, Gleniston Gardens. Viewing for the general public will be from 12.30pm to 5pm.

Rev Saunders died last

month at the age of 91.

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis described the former educator as the “quintessential religious leader”.

Rev Saunders was the pastor emeritus of Salem Union Baptist Church.

PAGE 6, Wednesday, February 9, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

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Was the DRA’s work worth the salary paid?

THE argument over the salary of the former managing director of the Disaster Reconstruction Authority (DRA), Katherine Forbes-Smith, is missing the point.

Whether Mrs Forbes-Smith should be paid the remainder of her salary will play out in the court. Ultimately, $110,000 a year for being in charge of the reconstruction of the hurricane-hit islands is not an outlandish sum. That’s a big responsibility, and should have a pay packet that is appropriate to the task.

The real question is whether or not the work she did matched up to the salary that she was given. In short, was she worth it?

Central and South Abaco MP John Pinder sums up the work of the DRA as “dismal, absolutely dismal”.

One of the stories that became a symbol of the lack of progress in recovering after Hurricane Dorian was the acquisition of domes to set up as temporary housing in Abaco – but more than a year after the storm, more than half of the domes still had to be set up. The people waiting on those domes had to find somewhere else in the meantime – so what was the point of the domes?

Mr Pinder had further criticism of the domes yesterday, saying: “They were never installed properly meaning the cesspit was never hooked up and needs to be regularly pumped out. These are the same areas that kids play around.

Some of them don’t have electricity.

Some of them are mould-infested, which is causing respiratory problems and on the whole, it was not only a bad decision, it was the wrong decision. It was something that is detrimental now to the health of Abaconians and the money we spent on that could have been utilised to put them in micro homes that would have been more suitable for a longer time frame.”

Time and again, The Tribune has heard stories of slow progress in the recovery after the storm, with a difficulty in securing supplies for repairs a recurring feature.

Mr Pinder also told of debris sites that were untended, and “many, many challenges” in Abaco.

So while the focus is on the details of Mrs Forbes-Smith’s contract, and whether it was a waste of money, there’s a far bigger question of whether money has been wisely spent in the work of the authority itself. Of course, we would hope there are lessons to be learned from the drafting of such contracts, including break clauses for targets not being met, but there’s a bigger issue here.

Some of these things – such as the domes – looked like a disaster in the making from the start, and pointed

questions failed to bring satisfactory answers all through the process.

We would hope that the DRA will learn more than one lesson from all of this – about the contracts that are offered, but also about transparency and accountability. If some new scheme fails to deliver the way the domes project has done, we hope we hear the full story about it – not have to wait for another administration to come in to criticise it.

Most importantly, the people on the ground are still in need of help, and we ought to clear every obstacle out of the way in order to deliver it.

Hurricane Dorian was an event that shook the nation to its foundations, and recovering after that was always going to be a challenge. But this long after the event, we are still failing those who came through the storm. They need our support, and we need to deliver on our promise to be there to help.

Inflation There is a lot of worry at present about the prospect of inflation bringing higher food costs for the coming year.

It shouldn’t be a new worry – The Tribune has been reporting on concerns raised by SuperValue’s Rupert Roberts for many months now. Mr Roberts has been vocal in warning his customers of the prospect of rising costs.

It’s also not an issue only affecting us. You only need to look at warnings across the water in the US about rising prices, and inflation in the UK has hit a 30-year high this year, with residents warned they could face a rise of about $2,700 equivalent in the cost of living this year.

Some of this is down to increased fuel costs, some of it is down to supply chain problems, but one thing is for certain – we can’t avoid the increased cost so we’d best get used to it. If we want to ship food into the country, we have to pay what it costs for the container and the fuel to ship it.

So rather than stick our heads in the sand and try to ignore the problem, there is something we can do about it.

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of residents started their own gardens, growing food for their homes.

Why not take the initiative now and follow in their footsteps? Our gardening columnist, Adam Boorman, in the Weekend section is always worth a read for good advice as you go. And perhaps there might be a satisfaction to look forward to on the day you serve your family a meal grown in your own garden. It might not save a lot, but every little helps.

AI: Helping the lonely EDITOR, The Tribune.

COVID-19’s influence upon us all has been at times horrific. We have been called upon to do one thing that North Americans are not truly familiar with, and that is to isolate, separate ourselves from our family, friends and community.

Stay apart, and be well. Well with these medical suggestions made, a few symptoms of community health have risen. Depression, loneliness and separation anxiety have been experienced by many thousands of us. These symptoms can actually be long lasting conditions, even when COVID-19 has left us, staying with our victimised citizens.

What to do? Well there are the traditional methods to assist those feeling lonely, forgotten, unattached to the rest of us. Our scientists have found a use for AI (Artificial Intelligence).

Once viewed as toys for the well off, robots have become tools of health and safety. Robots within

a senior’s room or home can identify and interpret sounds and cues that maybe communicated to listening/ collection centres within a senior living home or a private home telling a trained professional a senior or youth is in peril, in need of attention and assistance.

Further skills can identify an individual’s psychological presence, that is to say an individual is too noisy, too silent, not moving about.

You may think of the commercial where someone falls down and calls out “I have fallen and cannot get up”. These robots can be far greater abilities than that.

Through someone’s speech patterns, the robot could evaluate the subject’s mind set, emotions and location.

Research has been going on in British Columbia studying the many uses of AI within senior living communities. Smart Algorithm’s are being developed to detect audio-visual cues, recognise emotion’s, and respond to programmed symptom’s of anxiety and depression.

These robots will have the ability to communicate with their subject’s since they will have programmed coping mechanisms.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified that loneliness is a significant predictor of depression and anxiety in both older and younger adults, but this loneliness is significantly higher among the elderly. Youth aged 15-24 are more likely than the general population to report mental health due to COVID-19.

Our governmental agencies, industry, Labour and scientific Organisations need to partner together to create a movement of ultimate opportunity. Assist our citizens, create employment opportunities in high tech, move labour towards these high tech positions and fully fund a domestic scientific lead industry here in North America.

STEVEN KASZAB Bradford, Ontario February 1, 2022.

Undermining values of Bahamians EDITOR, The Tribune.

DR MICHAEL Darville and Ministry of Health and Wellness officials must be commended for rejecting the concert request of Bahamian promoters of the Reggae Valentine’s Day event featuring Jamaican dancehall artist Dexter Daps. Although the basis of the Ministry’s rejection is that “large gatherings are prohibited under the Health Service Rules for COVID-19 protocols,” I am of the belief that the event would’ve undermined the traditional and moral values of The Bahamas, which is dominated by the Judeo-Christian traditional framework.

Despite the alleged economic boost the concerts would’ve generated for Nassau and Freeport, the cons would’ve far outweighed the pros from a moral and sociological standpoint, owing to Daps’ hedonistic message.

Daps was scheduled to perform at the Carnival Grounds in Nassau on February 11 and at the Goombay Park in Freeport on February 12.

This is probably a case of Bahamian promoters putting the cart before the horse. Approval should’ve been sought before booking the Jamaican artist, notwithstanding the perceived political pandering of those involved. Ironically, some six years ago, Jamaican attorney Helene Colely-Nicholson wrote an opinion piece in the Jamaica Observer in February of 2016, titled “Marriage matters.” Colely-Nicholson wrote that 100 Jamaican couples from Kingston, St Andrew and St Catherine had attended a Valentine’s Day banquet at Family Life Ministries in 2016, which was aimed at promoting marriage and to reduce the number of children being born out of wedlock. The Jamaica Observer writer said that a staggering 86 percent of children in her Caribbean country are born out of wedlock. Indeed, this is a shocking statistic. Yet this is the social and moral environment that Daps was raised in.

Born Louis Grandison in January of 1986, Daps is just one of many Jamaican dancehall artists to

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net dominate the music landscape of Jamaica and the Caribbean. Other notable dancehall artists include Sean Paul, Vybz Kartel, Elephant Man, Koffee, Lady Saw, Spice, Mavado, Shenseea and Buju Banton.

Jamaican musicologists have said that dancehall had evolved from the dub, roots reggae, ska, mento and rocksteady genres.

While many of the dancehall artists listed above promote illicit sex and violence in their music, roots reggae artists, such as Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Luciano, Lee Perry, Jimmy Cliff, Garnett Silk, Burning Spear and Capleton mostly sang about social, political and spiritual matters. For example, Tosh’s last recorded album before his violent death in 1987 was titled Nuclear War. While Tosh was a Rastafari, evangelical Christians would have no issue with him voicing his displeasure with nuclear war, high unemployment and child hunger and malnutrition. How to rid the world of these social ills, however, would probably be where Tosh and Christians part ways. Marley, Tosh and Wailer were the original members of the Wailers. All three, including Rita Anderson Marley, dabbled with Christianity before their conversion to Rastafari in the mid sixties or thereabouts. In fact, Rita claimed in her autobiography, No Woman No Cry, that she once taught Sunday school. Consequently, if one were to compare the work of dancehall artists to those of the Wailers and other roots reggae artists, the latter would look like English Puritans compared to Daps and his dancehall colleagues.

For example, Daps’ popular songs FU, Squeeze, Jealous Ova, Morning Love, Weak To You, Vanish, Wicked Gyal, Leader, one Minute and No Underwear are risque, vulgar, and in most instances, downright sexually graphic and demeaning towards women.

Small wonder Rastafari members of the Nyahbinghi Order and Bobo Shanti

reject dancehall music as being of the Babylonian system. Some of the members of the more puritanical Rastafari groups had interpreted Bob Marley’s untimely death in 1981 as judgment from their god, Haile Selassie I, for his deep involvement with Chris Blackwell’s Island Records and his collaboration with secular groups such as Lionel Richie and The Commodores. This is not to suggest that these Rastas are correct in their reasoning for Marley’s demise. My sole purpose in mentioning this is to show to the readership that not all Jamaicans support dancehall music. So why should we?

While Daps might be talented, his music undermines the message of sexual chastity, the importance of monogamous marriage and the nuclear family by promoting, knowingly or not, sexual promiscuity. In a December 2020 Jamaica Gleaner article, an official at the AIDS Healthcare Foundation Jamaica said that there was a “significant increase in STI infections among the 16-24 age group” in her nation during the COVID-19 lockdowns imposed by the Andrew Holness Jamaica Labour Party government.

Jamaican adolescents are constantly bombarded with the sexually suggested music of dancehall artists, who are adamant that it is morally acceptable to engage in premarital sex and other forms of sexual promiscuity. Ideas have consequences. This can explain the reason for the high rate of out of wedlock births and STIs in Jamaica. It also explains the prevailing hedonistic ethos of Jamaica.

Dexter Daps would’ve added absolutely nothing morally and socially worthwhile to The Bahamas. We have enough problems as it is. Many of the criminals in The Bahamas come from broken homes. Why should we allow a foreign entertainer to compound our moral dilemma?

Consider the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ denial as an act of God’s mercy towards the Bahamian people...

KEVIN EVANS Freeport, Grand Bahama February 8, 2022.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, February 9, 2022, PAGE 7

PROBATION FOR Woman says constable MAN FOUND gave her forged letter WITH MARIJUANA

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

A 33-YEAR-OLD man who was caught with a small amount of marijuana earlier this week was yesterday placed on probation for three months.

Dominique Wilson was arrested after police found one ounce of marijuana on him on February 5.

Sometime around 2pm officers were on mobile patrol in the area of Poinciana Drive where they observed three men, one of whom was Wilson.

Upon seeing the officers, the men drove off at a high rate of speed. However, they were eventually stopped and later searched by officers.

While searching the men, police found a clear plastic bag containing suspected marijuana estimated to have a street value of $70 near Wilson.

He was arrested and taken to the Drug Enforcement Unit, where he admitted the offence.

During yesterday’s hearing before Senior Magistrate Derence RolleDavis, Wilson pleaded guilty to drug possession and said the drugs were for his personal use.

Asked about his reasons for smoking, the 33-yearold told the court it was a “bad habit” he picked up in his younger years and added he smoked marijuana occasionally.

However, Wilson told the magistrate he was willing to change his ways and was sorry for his actions.

Having taken into consideration Wilson’s clean record, Magistrate RolleDavis placed him on three months’ probation.

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

The accused was warned failure to comply with the conditions of his release would result in three months behind bars.

“Your life is in your hands,” the magistrate said.

Also appearing in court on similar offences were 60-year-old Wilfred Meadows and his niece, Komecia Williams, 19.

The two were arrested after police found them with eight grams of cocaine on February 2.

Police said they were on mobile patrol when they noticed the duo acting in a suspicious manner.

The accused were stopped and subsequently searched, where they found a clear plastic bag containing suspected cocaine.

Williams told police she was given the drugs

by Meadows, who is her uncle.

After pleading guilty to the offence, their attorney asked the court for leniency, noting Meadows’ old age and clean record prior to his arrest.

He also noted Meadows, a father-of-seven, used cocaine for medical purposes and was remorseful for his actions.

The attorney also begged the court to have mercy on Williams, who he said was asked to conceal the drugs from police on the night in question.

The attorney said while her actions were “stupid”, she deserved a second chance as this was her first run in with the law.

In response, Magistrate Rolle-Davis acquitted Williams and she was subsequently discharged.

However, Meadows’ case was adjourned to a later date.

JAILED FOR THEFT OF TOOLS FROM UNIVERSITY

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

A 38-YEAR-OLD man who stole nearly $2,000 worth of tools and cleaning supplies from University of The Bahamas last year was sentenced to six months in prison yesterday.

Ricardo Neely, a former employee at UB, was arrested after being accused of stealing $1,742 worth of items from the school, including a trimmer, hedger, two lawn rakes and a broom among other things.

Police said a staff member at the university reported the missing items to them last November.

The court was told Neely, who regularly cleaned the university’s property, was asked about the missing tools. Neely told staff members he took the tools and lent them to someone.

As a result, he was arrested.

During his hearing before Senior Magistrate Derence Rolle-Davis, Neely pleaded guilty to one count of stealing.

He told the court he didn’t know he was breaching the school’s policy when he lent the items out and added he was unable to locate the person to whom he had lent the tools after falling sick days later.

“I did side jobs with the person, but I got swung… I learned from it and I regret

it,” he said, while asking for the court’s leniency.

However, Magistrate Rolle-Davis told Neely even if he couldn’t find the items, he could have used his personal money to replace the equipment, adding he had enough time to do so.

The magistrate said that while he commended him for owning up to the offence from the onset, there was no excuse for his behaviour which he called “unacceptable”.

As a result, he sentenced Neely to six months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

Neely was also told he has a right to appeal the magistrate’s decision within seven days at the Supreme Court.

Malek Sawyer, 20, was also charged in court yesterday after he threatened to harm another man while at a local bar on February 6.

Sawyer, who owned up to the offence, told the court that he had no previous convictions and was sorry for his actions.

He also asked Magistrate Rolle-Davis for a second chance, explaining he was the sole breadwinner for his family and wanted to be present in his son’s life.

As a result, he was placed on six months’ probation and told failure to comply with conditions of his release would result in one month behind bars.

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

A WOMAN yesterday testified how a police constable charged her $2,500 to help her get a letter of administration for the estate of her deceased husband last year only to discover the document was forged.

Denise Bowleg’s testimony came during the fraud trial of Stefan Rahming, a police constable.

The 40-year-old is accused of presenting a forged letter of administration for the estate of Syrille Morley and Dave Bastian between March and July of last year.

He is also accused of uttering the forged documents and stealing over $1,000 from Ms Bowleg by reason of service.

Witnesses allege Rahming committed the acts while he was employed at a local funeral home that was hired to assist with their loved one’s burial.

The police officer has denied the allegations.

Senior Magistrate Derence Rolle Davis is presiding over the case, while Inspector Lincoln McKenzie is prosecuting.

When Ms Bowleg took the stand yesterday, she testified how Rahming asked her last April if she needed help with finding someone in getting a probate following her husband’s death.

Ms Bowleg said after telling Rahming that she needed assistance, he told her he had a lawyer friend who could help and added the fee would be $2,500, which she later paid him at her home.

The witness continued that Rahming then told her he would bring

a letter of administration for her deceased husband’s — Syrille Morley — estate in about two to three weeks.

Ms Bowleg said weeks later, he eventually brought the document and told her to make copies.

Ms Bowleg also confirmed she was arrested after presenting the document to workers at Ansbacher House, where the Supreme Court is located, who later discovered the document was fake.

During cross-examination, Rahming’s attorney Terrel Butler suggested Ms Bowleg had purposefully presented a forged letter of administration to the Supreme Court to get her husband’s $50,000 cash bail.

However, this was rejected by Ms Bowleg yesterday who insisted she worked for her own money.

She also said she never would have presented the letter to officials if she had known it was fraudulent.

Asked if she ever received a receipt from Rahming, Ms Bowleg replied “no”.

The next witnesses to take the stand were Quaneka Morley and Marisol Morley, Ms Bowleg’s daughter and sister-in-law respectively.

Both women testified to being present at Ms Bowleg’s home when Rahming collected the funds from her and handed over the letter of administration weeks later.

Druscilla Bain and her daughter, Tameka Bastian-Campbell, were also among those who gave evidence against Rahming yesterday.

Their testimony was in relation to a forged letter of administration for the estate of Dave Bastian which

was allegedly presented to them by Rahming.

Bastian’s sister, Ms Bain, told the court how Rahming handed her an envelope at Lowe’s Pharmacy sometime in June of last year to give to her daughter.

She said she took the envelope to her daughter’s house and placed it on a shelf.

Meanwhile, Mrs Bastian-Campbell testified to receiving the envelope but did not detail its contents based on objections from the defence attorney.

Also taking the stand yesterday was Assistant Superintendent of Police Yvette Deveaux, attached to the RBPF’s Financial Crime Investigations Unit.

The assistant superintendent testified of her role in conducting confrontations last year between Rahming and his accusers, who claimed he gave them the false documents.

However, ASP Deveaux said when questions were put to Rahming concerning the allegations, he vehemently denied them all and claimed the $2,500 funds he received from the Morley family were for funeral expenses.

The assistant superintendent also told the court how she listened to a voice note alleged to be of Marisal Morley asking for Rahming to get the letter of administration.

She said the person responded “ok” and asked for the address of her location.

ASP Deveaux said while Rahming admitted that the number in question was his, he again insisted that his business dealings with the Morely family were strictly funeral related.

The case continues on March 23.

PAGE 8, Wednesday, February 9, 2022

OVER the past few days, Bahamian Twitter has been talking about pay. The conversation seemed to have started with the observation that salaries are not included in job postings.

Throughout the course of the conversation, participants have touched on salaries and wages in general terms, ability to negotiate and the secrecy around remuneration among peers. The general consensus was people over 40 are less willing to disclose their income while younger people are more open and see this transparency as beneficial.

The salary secret is a norm in The Bahamas.

People are very hush-hush about their incomes. I know many people who do not even want to check a box on a form that asks for a salary range. People regularly lie about their incomes, for various reasons and for no reason at all. It is particularly interesting these days when a job letter which must include salary - is required for so many ordinary transactions. To open a bank account, a job letter must be produced. In some cases, a job letter is requested in order to rent an apartment. Documents of this kind and the information they can contain, of course, ought to be kept confidential. That said, we end up putting our information in the hands and systems of various people and institutions. Still, we are not minded to give up salary information.

THE TRIBUNE

Why are we so reluctant to talk about salaries?

By Alicia Wallace What might be the reasons that we have learned to keep this information private? Are people embarrassed that they make so little? Do some people intentionally lead people to believe they receive less income than they really do? Are many of us happily in the grey, with people unsure exactly how much money we make, but fairly certain we are getting by?

Do people on relatively high incomes want to avoid being asked for money?

Are those with relatively low incomes protecting themselves from judgment of other people? How many people are trying to avoid or control competition in the job market?

There is no good reason for keeping salary secrets and it really does not serve employees.

We know unfair hiring practices are widespread.

People doing the same work are paid different salaries. Nepotism, gender bias, ageism, racism and xenophobia all contribute to these practices. Some employers and hiring managers suggest it is the (prospective) employee’s job to sell themselves and negotiate. They do not

understand it to be their duty to fairly compensate employees and be clear about remuneration from the beginning of the process. Businesses want to extract as much labour as possible while paying as little as possible in order to maximise profit.

This is capitalism. It does not care about people; it uses people. Why should the same people keep its secrets?

We participate in capitalism very well. Having met this system in place and observed that everyone cannot win, we recognise ourselves as factors of production and others as our competition. Why would I tell my coworkers about my $25 when I know, if they make less, they will try to get $25 or more. The employer may blame me for it, or it could keep me from getting a raise.

In a world of limited resources, people want to get as much as they can.

Someone getting more means someone else getting less, whether that change happens now or later on.

At the end of the day, we expend our energy competing with people in similar positions, doing nothing to

make the change we actu- of being transparent and ally need. making a higher offer. It Having conversations was reported she was fired about income is an easy that week. place to start, once employYes, we can ask higher. ees can get over the shame, Yes, we can negotiate insecurity and secrecy better. Yes, we can try to around the topic and the do research and get stuck idea that their value is because no one wants to reflected in that number. talk about their salaries.

Knowing what people in The other thing we can similar positions take home do is push for a change in at the end of the week or systems, and that includes month can help people to hiring practices and mininegotiate for mum wage. better pay in As has been current posi- ‘The salary secret discussed in tions and in is a norm in The recent years, new roles. Bahamas. People we need to In addition, move to a are very hushemployers living wage. need to make hush about their The minia change, incomes. I know mum wage stating the of $210 per salary - at many people who week is not least provid- do not even want enough to ing a range to check a box on a live here.

- for positions In 2015, during the form that asks for a the minirecruitment salary range. People mum process. No regularly lie about wage was one should increased go through their incomes, for from $150 the consid- various reasons and to $210 per erable work - the for no reason at all.’ week involved in first change applying for since 2002. a job without being clear on At a press conference held compensation. Sometimes at the Progressive Libit is not worth the effort eral Party headquarters and applicants should know in December 2019, then that upfront. It would save Leader of the Opposition them as well as recruiters Philip ‘Brave’ Davis said: and hire managers time. It “I think the time has come is easy to say people should for us to do a complete stop applying for jobs and comprehensive study where information on com- of what is a liveable wage pensation is not provided, in this country.” Asked but job seekers are already if minimum wage should at a disadvantage. Employ- incrementally increase ers know this, and they every few years, he said exploit the vulnerability of economic growth needs unemployed and underem- to be considered first. “If ployed people. the cost of living is going There are small things up and your salaries for some of us can do to help example have not kept others along. Last week, I pace, it may be because saw someone share on Twit- of your lack of growth in ter the position they left your economy.” It remains and the minimum salary to be seen what Davis, anyone applying for the now Prime Minister, will job should ask for. She also do to foster economic shared her own salary and growth and ensure people other benefits. On the other receive appropriate side, someone shared that remuneration. they offered a candidate In August 2019, Bahamas 65 percent of the budget Chamber of Commerce and for a position “because Employers’ Confederation that’s what she asked for,” (BCCEC) Chief Execuand her message was that tive Officer Jeffrey Beckles people should ask for the said: “We cannot have a amount they want and conversation about wage deserve. She was taken to increases outside the contask for doing this instead text of long-term impact

on many small companies who already find it difficult to keep their doors open.”

He said businesses were already struggling and an increase would negatively impact them.

If businesses, however, cannot pay fair wages, they cannot afford to have employees. The owners need to come up with an alternative because exploiting people is not acceptable.

No one should be working full time and unable to sustain themselves because their income is no match for the cost of living. We need more people in positions of power to care about people at least as much as they care about profit.

In December 2019, Trade Union Congress (TUC) president Obie Ferguson said a minimum of $350 per week is a liveable wage. According to a September 2020 study by University of The Bahamas’ Government and Public Policy Institute, a monthly living wage in New Providence would be $2,625 ($656.50 per week) and $3,550 ($887.50 per week) in Grand Bahama.

This was followed by the 2021 Speech from the Throne which included: “My Government will increase the minimum wage and phase in a liveable wage.” Then, “[…] my Government will work to ensure that every Bahamian has life skills, food to eat, clean water and a roof over their heads.”

As we are being warned that the price of food is going up and the price of gas is also increasing, it is critical we talk about the state of the labour market. We cannot settle for old school practices that continue to do what they were designed to do - keep employees silent, prevent their organizing and maximizing profit while disregarding the humanity of employees, including their most basic needs which can only be met, within this system, with money.

If money is what we are going to continue to depend on to sustain us, we are going to have to be more intentional and unabashed in talking about it.

Recommendations 1. Home Economics.

In this television show airing on ABC, three adult siblings have different financial circumstances.

Tom is the oldest sibling, an author, and married with three children. Sarah, the middle child, is a child therapist and unemployed at the start of season one.

She is married with two children.

Connor, the youngest, has a private equity firm and is in the top 1%. He is getting a divorce and has one child.

The spouses are featured heavily, and there is less emphasis on the children.

From ruining their childhood friend’s wedding to pregnancy scares, it is interesting to see how the adults in the family relate to one another and the effort they put into having an engaged, happy

extended family life. The entire show is narrated

by Tom who is (secretly) writing a book about the family and the financial disparities.

2. Amapiano. This style of house fuses with jazz and lounge music. It is said to have emerged from South Africa. Check out Abalele by Kabza de Small and DJ Maphorisa featuring Ami Faku, LiYoshona by kiwis SA featuring Njelic, MalumNator, and De Mthuda, Siyathandana

by Cassper Nyovest, and Hamba Nobani by Boohle featuring Busta 929, Reece Madlisa and Zuma.

3. Support small businesses. Go to farmers markets and buy locally grown produce. Order bread from the small bakery, buy greeting cards from artists, support the

young people producing sugar scrubs and lip balms, and think about the people doing excellent work from home before you go to a large store or order online.

Supporting small Bahamian businesses helps everyone.

4.

Follow @morganharpernichols on Instagram.

She posts quotes and prompts to help people to relax, reflect and reset. She has an app and a store with merchandise including art prints with helpful reminders. One of the quotes from January is: “The future will arrive when it is meant to arrive and you do not have to exhaust yourself in the present moment trying to figure out how you will get there. Her new book Peace is a Practice is now available for pre-order.

PAGE 10, Wednesday, February 9, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

POWER OF THE DOG AND DUNE TOP OSCAR NOMINATIONS

AFTER a pandemic year that hobbled movie theaters and saw streaming services make new inroads into Hollywood, the Academy Awards put its strongest support yesterday behind two films made with big-screen grandeur that were also streamed into homes: Jane Campion’s gothic western “The Power of the Dog” and Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic “Dune.”

Netflix’s “The Power of the Dog” led nominations to the 94th Academy Awards with 12 nods, including best picture, best director and recognition for all of its top actors: Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee.

Campion, a nominee for 1993’s “The Piano,” became the first woman to ever be nominated twice for best director. Last year, Chloé Zhao became just the second woman to ever win the award.

Campion’s director of photography, Ari Wegner, also became the second woman ever nominated for best cinematography.

“Dune” followed closely behind with ten nominations spread out largely in the technical categories that rewarded the gargantuan craft of Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel, yet unexpectedly bypassed Villeneuve’s direction. The Warner Bros. release debuted simultaneously in cinemas and — against the strenuous objections of its director — on HBO Max.

BOMB THREAT SEES FIRST GENTLEMAN WHISKED AWAY DOUG Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, was whisked out of an event yesterday at a Washington high school by Secret Service agents following a bomb threat.

Emhoff was at Dunbar High School to help commemorate Black History Month and was in the school’s museum for a few minutes when a member of his security detail approached him saying, “We have to go.” Emhoff was hustled out into his waiting motorcade and whisked away.

An overhead announcement then instructed students and teachers to “evacuate the building”.

District of Columbia Public Schools spokesperson Enrique Gutierrez, who was at Dunbar for Emhoff’s appearance, said there had been a bomb threat.

It was not known whether the threat was related to Emhoff’s visit or Black History Month.

‘PUTIN WON’T ESCALATE THE UKRAINE CRISIS’ FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron said that Russian President Vladimir Putin told him that Moscow would not further escalate the Ukraine crisis.

Macron also said it would take time to find a diplomatic solution to the rising tensions, which represent the biggest security crisis between Russia and the West since the Cold War. His remarks on a visit to Kyiv came as the Kremlin denied reports that he and Putin struck a deal on deescalating the crisis. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that “in the current situation, Moscow and Paris can’t be reaching any deals”.

Macron met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy amid mounting fears of a Russian invasion.

Moscow has massed over 100,000 troops near Ukraine’s borders, but insists it has no plans to attack.

The Kremlin wants guarantees from the West NATO will not accept Ukraine and other former Soviet nations as members.

SENATE Minority Leader Mitch McConnell speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington yesterday.

Photo: Susan Walsh/AP

McConnell calls Jan 6 ‘violent insurrection’ WASHINGTON Associated Press

SENATE Republican Leader Mitch McConnell is criticizing the Republican National Committee for censuring two House GOP lawmakers investigating the “violent insurrection” on January 6, 2021, saying it’s not the party’s job to police the views of lawmakers.

As former President Donald Trump has downplayed the attack by his supporters last year — the worst attack against the Capitol in two centuries — the RNC last week took a voice vote to approve censuring Reps Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois at the party’s winter meeting in Salt Lake City. The two Republicans sit on a Democrat-led House committee that is aggressively investigating the siege and has subpoenaed many in the former president’s inner circle.

The RNC resolution censuring Cheney and Kinzinger accused the House panel of leading a “persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse” — words that drew outrage from Democrats and firm pushback from several GOP senators. The rioters who broke into the Capitol through windows and doors brutally beat law enforcement officers and interrupted the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory over Trump.

“It was a violent insurrection for

the purpose of trying to prevent the peaceful transfer of power after a legitimately certified election from one administration to the next,” McConnell said Tuesday. He said he still has confidence in RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel, but “the issue is whether or not the RNC should be sort of singling out members of our party who may have different views than the majority. That’s not the job of the RNC.” The dispute is the latest tug of war within the party over issues that McConnell and others see as politically beneficial and would prefer to talk about in an election year – inflation, for example — versus the discourse over the insurrection and Trump’s election lies.

The rioters who broke in to the Capitol were repeating Trump’s false claims of widespread voter fraud and a stolen win, even after election officials and courts across the country repeatedly dismissed those claims. McConnell and his closest allies have said for months that they want to look forward to November 2022, when they have a chance of taking back the Senate, and not back to January 2021.

Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas said Monday that the RNC has said it wants the party to be unified, “and that was not a unifying action.” Alabama Senator Richard Shelby said he believes the GOP should be a “big tent”. Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Mitt Romney of Utah

both contacted McDaniel to discuss the censure.

Romney, who is McDaniel’s uncle, told reporters that it “could not have been a more inappropriate” message from the party.

“Anything that my party does that comes across as being stupid is not going to help us,” he said.

Maine Senator Susan Collins said the rioters who “broke windows and breached the Capitol were not engaged in legitimate political discourse, and to say otherwise is absurd”.

Collins said the GOP started out the year with an advantage on issues that could decide the election, but “every moment that is spent re-litigating a lost election or defending those who have been convicted of criminal behavior moves us further away from the goal of victory this fall”.

The censure was approved last week after an RNC subcommittee watered down a resolution that had recommended expelling the pair from the party. McDaniel denied that the “legitimate political discourse” wording in the censure resolution was referring to the violent attack on the Capitol and said it had to do with other actions taken by the House committee investigating the January 6, 2021, insurrection. But the resolution drew no such distinction.

Cheney said Monday that she had been receiving a “tremendous amount of support” in the wake

of the censure vote. “I think every American who watched the video of that attack and who watched that attack unfold knows that it was really shameful to suggest that that what happened that day might be legitimate political discourse,” she said.

McConnell has maintained his strong criticism of Trump over the insurrection, though he voted to acquit the former president after the House voted to impeach him one week after the attack. In a speech after that vote, McConnell said “there is no question that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of that day,” and that “a mob was assaulting the Capitol in his name. These criminals were carrying his banners, hanging his flags, and screaming their loyalty to him”.

His use of the word “insurrection” — the act of rising up against established authority — is significant. Many in his party have insisted that it was not an insurrection, downplaying the attack or trying to portray it as a peaceful protest.

Still, the GOP leader doesn’t often mention January 6 and did not participate in remembrance ceremonies on the anniversary of the attack last month. He has emphasised to his conference that they should focus on the future and issues that will help them win back the Senate.

RETIRED POPE ASKS PARDON, BUT ADMITS NO WRONG ROME Associated Press RETIRED Pope Benedict XVI asked forgiveness Tuesday for any “grievous faults” in his handling of clergy sex abuse cases, but denied any personal or specific wrongdoing after an independent report criticised his actions in four cases while he was archbishop of Munich, Germany.

Benedict’s lack of a personal apology or admission of guilt immediately riled sex abuse survivors, who said his response reflected the Catholic hierarchy’s “permanent” refusal to accept responsibility for the rape and sodomy of children by priests.

Benedict, 94, was responding to a Jan. 20 report from a German law firm that had been commissioned by the German Catholic Church to look into how cases of sexual abuse were handled in the Munich archdiocese between 1945 and 2019.

Benedict, the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, headed the archdiocese from 1977 to 1982.

The report faulted Benedict’s handling of four cases during his time as archbishop, accusing him of misconduct for having failed to restrict the ministry of the four priests even after they had been convicted criminally. The report also faulted his predecessors and successors, estimating there had been at least 497 abuse victims over the decades and at least 235 suspected perpetrators.

The Vatican on Tuesday released a letter that Benedict wrote to

POPE Emeritus Benedict XVI pictured in 2015. respond to the allegations, alongside a more technical reply from his lawyers who had provided an initial 82-page response to the law firm about his nearly five-year tenure in Munich.

The conclusion of Benedict’s lawyers was resolute: “As an archbishop, Cardinal Ratzinger was not involved in any cover-up of acts of abuse,” they wrote. They criticised the report’s authors for misinterpreting their submission, and asserted that they provided no evidence that Benedict was aware of the criminal history of any of the four priests.

Benedict’s response was more nuanced and spiritual, though he went on at length to thank his legal team before even addressing the allegations or the abuse victims.

“I have had great responsibilities in the Catholic Church,” Benedict said. “All the greater is my pain for the abuses and the errors that occurred in those different places during the time of my mandate.”

Benedict issued what he called a “confession”, though he didn’t confess to any specific fault. He recalled that daily Mass begins with believers confessing their sins and asking forgiveness even for

“grievous faults”. Benedict noted that in his meetings with abuse victims while he was pope, “I have seen firsthand the effects of a most grievous fault.

“And I have come to understand that we ourselves are drawn into this grievous fault whenever we neglect it or fail to confront it with the necessary decisiveness and responsibility, as too often happened and continues to happen,” he wrote. “As in those meetings, once again I can only express to all the victims of sexual abuse my profound shame, my deep sorrow and my heartfelt request for forgiveness.”

His response drew swift criticism from Eckiger Tisch, a group representing German clergy abuse survivors, who said it fit into the church’s “permanent relativising on matters of abuse — wrongdoing and mistakes took place, but no one takes concrete responsibility.”

Benedict “can’t bring himself simply to state that he is sorry not to have done more to protect the children entrusted to his church,” the group said.

The retired pope’s response will likely complicate efforts by German bishops to try to re-establish credibility with the faithful, whose demands for accountability have only increased after decades of abuse and cover-up.

The head of the German bishops conference, Limburg Bishop Georg Baetzing, had previously said that Benedict needed to respond to the report by distancing himself from his lawyers and advisers.

SPORTS PAGE 11

FIBA, Page 15

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022

‘Buddy’ Hield traded to Pacers in 6-player deal

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

I

n an expected move in the National Basketball Association yesterday, Grand Bahamian Chavano “Buddy” Hield was traded from the Sacramento Kings to the Indiana Pacers in a two-team, six-player deal.

Hield, 29, was traded along with Tyrese Halburton and centre Tristan Thompson to Indiana.

In exchange, Sacramento received centre Domantas Sabonis, guards Justin Holiday and Jeremy Lamb, along with a 2027 secondround pick.

The six-foot, four-inch, 200-pound Hield was selected out of the University of Oklahoma with the sixth pick in the first round of the NBA draft in 2016 by the New Orleans Pelicans.

On February 20, 2017, Hield was traded, along with Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway and 2017 first-round and second-round draft picks to the Kings for DeMarcus Cousins and Omri Casspi.

Over his five years in the league in Sacramento, Hield averaged 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game.

He leaves the struggling Kings, who are currently in 13th place in the Western Conference.

On Saturday, Sacramento knocked off the Oklahoma City Thunder

SEE PAGE 16

TRADED TO INDIANA - Grand Bahamian Chavano “Buddy” Hield has been traded from the Sacramento Kings to the Indiana Pacers in a two-team, six-player deal.

(AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL PLAYERS GET IN LINE FOR SEASON OPENER

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net WHILE there have been a number of local players signing professional baseball contracts over the past few months, a number of international players are looking forward to their high school season opener this weekend at the same school.

The Tallulah Falls School Indians, with eight players combined from New Providence and Grand Bahama on their roster, will begin play on the road against Clarke Central on Friday, February 11 before their home opener on Tuesday, February 14 against Rabun County at the Higgins Baseball Complex.

Tallulah Falls School, based in Tallulah Falls, Georgia, is an independent, co-educational boarding and day care school serving more than 500 students from grades 5-12.

The Indians’ baseball team, coached by Justin Pollock, who took over at the helm in 2021 and assisted by Dustin Rogers, is hoping to build on their fourth-place finish in the standings that earned them a berth into the playoffs.

“Our goal is to build on the foundation we laid last season and continue to take our programme to new heights,” says Pollock of his debut with the team.

“Making the playoffs in 2021 was exciting, but this year our expectation is to host and win series in the

SEE PAGE 12

Bengals now feel they’re in Super Bowl after flying to LA

By The Associated Press THE Cincinnati Bengals finally, really feel as if they’re in the Super Bowl now.

The Bengals flew into Los Angeles yesterday, a nice switch from preparing for Sunday’s game back home in frigid Ohio to being in warm and sunny California.

Cincinnati offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said being on-site helps make the game real and tangible after feeling like something far away last week when the Bengals went about their usual routine back in Ohio.

“It’s cold and miserable and all those things,” Callahan said. “It’s the wintertime in Ohio. Had a snowstorm and all that. It just felt like the normal process.”

The Bengals were greeted with plenty of cameras at the airport, and Super Bowl logos are

everywhere. They announced their arrival with a simple tweet saying, “We’ve made it to California.”

“Now it feels real,” Callahan said. “It feels like we’re getting ready to play the Super Bowl. It’s exciting. It’s fun, trying to enjoy every moment of it.”

Callahan said the Bengals have earned all of the attention and the opportunity to showcase themselves to the world. That doesn’t mean they’ve forgotten why they’re here.

“Once we start the prep, we’re back into it, ready to go win a football game,” Callahan said.

MOMENTUM BUILDER No team in the NFL has been as productive as the Bengals at scoring late in the first half.

That’s been especially true in the playoffs when the Bengals have scored in the final two minutes of

CINCINNATI Bengals’ Markus Bailey (51) and Austin Calitro arrive at Los Angeles International Airport yesterday in Los Angeles. The Bengals face the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI on Sunday.

(AP Photo/Mark J Terrill) all three games to get to the Super in the wild-card round, Evan Bowl.

McPherson kicked a late field Joe Burrow threw a TD pass to goal to give the Bengals a halfTyler Boyd against the Raiders time lead over Tennessee in the

divisional round and Burrow’s TD pass to Samaje Perine started the comeback from 18 points down in the AFC title game at Kansas City.

Those scores give the Bengals a league-high 74 points in the final two minutes of the first half in the regular season and playoffs, the fourth most in a season since 2000.

“It’s something we were really built for,” coach Zac Taylor said.

“What I mean by that is one of our first installs is really on the ball, no huddle. So it doesn’t really affect the communication process.

It’s something we’ve invested a lot of time in. Joe does a great job managing that.

“The receivers and the other skill guys understand the urgency to get set and be where you need

SEE PAGE 13

UCLA SETTLES GYNECOLOGIST SEX ABUSE SUIT FOR $243.6 MILLION

By ROBERT JABLON Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — The University of California has agreed to pay $243.6 million to settle allegations that hundreds of women were sexually abused by a former UCLA gynecologist, lawyers and the university announced yesterday.

The settlement covers about 50 cases involving 203 women who said they were groped or otherwise abused by Dr James Heaps over a 35-year career. Each will receive $1.2 million, attorneys said.

The deal was reached with the assistance of a private mediator after substantial litigation, the parties said.

The lawsuits said that UCLA ignored decades of complaints and deliberately concealed abuse.

“The conduct alleged to have been committed by Heaps is reprehensible and contrary to the university’s values,” a UCLA statement said.

“We express our gratitude to the brave individuals who came forward, and hope this settlement is one step toward providing healing and closure for the plaintiffs involved.”

Two women who said Heaps abused them spoke at an afternoon news conference.

“I’ve been waiting 20 years for this day,” said Julie Wallach, who said she was abused by Heaps in the late 1990s — but when she reported it to UCLA and the state medical board, “no one listened.”

“There was no one else to go to. I mean, who do you fight?” she said. “The emotional toll it’s taken over the years has been tremendous.”

FORMER UCLA gynecologist James Heaps. (AP) Kara Cagle said she was assaulted by Heaps eight years ago at a time when she’d been undergoing gruelling treatment for a rare form of breast cancer.

“I could never have imagined that someone would have taken such despicable advantage of me during that time. It was so traumatic that I left in tears,” she said, adding that “my heart breaks

for all the women who were not spared.”

The University of California, Los Angeles, began investigating Heaps in 2017 and he retired the next year after the school declined to renew his contract. Heaps also was criminally charged last year with 21 counts of sexual offenses involving seven women. He has pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing.

John C. Manly, one of the plaintiffs’ attorneys, called Heaps a sophisticated predator who committed abuse under the guise of normal medical procedures such as pelvis and breast examinations.

Many of the people who made accusations of abuse were cancer patients, he said.

“Perpetrators are not the drooling ghoul that the media portrays them to be overtly,” he said.

“They’re nice people, they’re

gregarious, they’re polite, they have good reputations, and that’s what these women faced.”

Manly said University of California system regents made the decision to resolve the claims rather than “unnecessarily inflicting further damage upon these survivors” and it should be a model for other universities facing similar claims.

Manly said there are thousands of practicing doctors nationwide who have administrative and criminal convictions for molesting their patients and he urged federal lawmakers to take steps to protect the public.

The lawsuits were among hundreds filed that allege abuse by Heaps. In that case, more than 100 women said that between 1983 and 2018, Heaps groped

SEE PAGE 13

PAGE 12, Wednesday, February 9, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

SUPER BOWL 56: A VIEWER’S GUIDE TO GET YOU THROUGH SUNDAY

QUENTIN Fillon Maillet of France leaps on the podium after winning the men’s 20-kilometer individual race at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China.

By JOE REEDY AP Sports Writer THE Super Bowl between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, will as usual be the biggest day of sports broadcasting in the United States.

But this year might be the biggest of them all since this is the first time the country’s biggest sporting event is happening at the same time as the Winter Olympics, one of the biggest events in the world.

• Here are some things to know about the game as well as Super Bowl-related programming on other networks: WHICH NETWORK HAS THIS YEAR’S SUPER BOWL? This marks the 20th Super Bowl broadcast for NBC, which is second among all networks. CBS leads with 21 followed by NBC, Fox (9) and ABC (7).

Of the seven previous Super Bowls held in Los Angeles, NBC has aired four, including the last one in 1993 when Dallas beat Buffalo. CBS and NBC both aired the first Super Bowl, which was at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

HOW DID NBC GET THIS YEAR’S GAME? CBS originally had the game this year under the league’s rotation between CBS, NBC and FOX, but NBC and CBS agreed in 2019 to trade spots. CBS carried last year’s Super Bowl from Tampa instead of NBC. CBS didn’t want to compete against the Olympics while NBC could market two major events to advertisers.

WHAT IS NBC’S SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY? All times are Eastern: 8am: 2022 Winter Olympics Noon: NFL Films “Road to the Super Bowl” 1pm: Super Bowl Pregame Show 6:30pm: Super Bowl kickoff 10:45pm: Winter Olympics Primetime 12am: Late Local News (West coast will remain with Olympics) 12:30am: Winter Olympics Prime Plus WHO ARE THE ANNOUNCERS FOR NBC? Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth team up for their fourth Super Bowl.

Michaels is handling the play by play for the 11th time, which ties him with the late Pat Summerall.

This is Michaels’ fifth Super Bowl for NBC after his first six were with ABC. Collinsworth, who played eight seasons for the

SEE PAGE 14

(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

STRIKING GOLD IN BEIJING BEIJING (AP) — A roundup of gold medals from Tuesday, February 8, at the Beijing Games: ALPINE SKIING MEN’S SUPER-G Defending champion Matthias Mayer of Austria won the men’s super-G, capturing a third Olympic gold medal.

Ryan Cochran-Siegle of the United States was 0.04 seconds behind in second and World Cup super-G leader Aleksander Aamodt Kilde of Norway was 0.42 behind in third.

Mayer broke Norway’s 16-year grip on the men’s Olympic super-G title when he won in 2018. That was four years after winning the downhill in Sochi.

The 31-year-old Mayer also claimed bronze in the men’s downhill on Monday.

BIATHLON MEN’S 20KM INDIVIDUAL Quentin Fillon Maillet of France won decisively in the 20-kilometre individual biathlon, adding a gold medal to the silver he won in the mixed relay over the weekend.

Fillon Maillet has dominated the biathlon world lately. He’s had 10 World Cup podium finishes this season. Half of those were wins. He missed two of 20 targets yesterday and finished the course in 48 minutes, 47.4 seconds.

Anton Smolski of Belarus shot clean, hitting all 20 of his targets, but came in 14.8 seconds behind the Frenchman.

Defending individual Olympic champion Johannes Thingnes Boe of Norway also missed two targets and took the bronze medal.

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING MEN’S SPRINT FREE Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo of Norway defended his Olympic cross-country sprint title at the Beijing Games on Tuesday, leading the final for the entire race and punching the air when he crossed the finish line.

Klaebo won the race in 2 minutes, 58.06 seconds. Frederico Pellegrino of Italy took silver, .26

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL PLAYERS CAN’T WAIT TO PLAY IN SEASON OPENER FROM PAGE 11 playoffs.”

The team has the recipe to be successful, as they return a plethora of experienced hitters and will be deeper in the pitching department than they’ve been in quite some time.

Among the list of players suiting up for the Indians this year are seniors Norman Bastian and Joel Miller from New Providence and Malique Charlton and Kristian Williams from Grand Bahama.

The other Bahamians on the team are junior Frankey Moree from New Providence, sophomores Zaiden Cox from Grand Bahama and Caden Walker from New Providence, and freshman

Danny Grant from Grand Bahama.

Miller is expected to be a big piece back for the lineup, as he hit .250 with 13 RBI and had 5 doubles along with 21 runs scored. He will be joined

by Moree (.239) who had 15 RBI and scored 10 runs and Bastian, a transfer student, to help lead the charge for the Indians.

“We have 11 seniors who all have varsity experience that we are going to lean on this season,” says Pollock about his expectations for the team.

“Pitching depth is also a strength, last year we had four pitchers who threw 90 percent of our innings.

This year we feel like we have nine or 10 guys who can contribute for us on the mound.”

Roundup of Olympic gold medals from Tuesday, February 8

NATALIE GEISENBERGER, left, and Anna Berreiter, of Germany, both of Germany, celebrate winning the gold and silver medals in the luge women’s singles at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, in the Yanqing district of Beijing.

(AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin) seconds behind. Russian skier Alexander Terenteva earned bronze, 1.31 behind.

WOMEN’S SPRINT FREE Jonna Sundling of Sweden won the race in 3:09.68, finishing 2.88 seconds ahead of teammate Maja Dahlqvist on Tuesday. Jessie Diggins of the United States took bronze, 3.16 seconds behind.

Sundling is a first-time Olympian but has two world championship sprint titles, and team sprint titles with Dahlqvist.

CURLING MIXED DOUBLES Italy won the gold medal in mixed doubles curling, completing a near-perfect Olympics.

The 8-5 win over Norway on Tuesday at the Ice Cube capped a dominant performance for Amos Mosaner and Stefania Constantini.

The Italians were undefeated in the round-robin and then advanced to the gold medal match with an 8-1 victory over Sweden.

Kristin Skaslien and Magnus Nedregotten will take a silver medal back to Norway four years after claiming bronze in Pyeongchang.

Sweden won the bronze medal in mixed doubles curling, bouncing back from a semifinal blowout to dominate Britain 9-3 in six ends in the third-place game.

FREESTYLE SKIING WOMEN’S BIG AIR American-born Eileen Gu of China cranked out the first 1620 of her career on her final jump, stunning France’s Tess Ledeux and earning the first of what she hopes will be three gold medals in women’s freestyle big air.

Nicknamed the “Snow Princess,” Gu is a medal favorite in big air, slopestyle and halfpipe. Her first stab at gold came down

KJELD Nuis of the Netherlands celebrates after breaking an Olympic record during the men’s speedskating 1,500-meter race at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, in Beijing.

His time stood for the gold medal.

(AP Photo/Ashley Landis) to the last round. Ledeux is the only other woman to ever land a 1620 -- 4 ½ spins -- in competition, and she stomped one out with a slight wobble on the landing in Round 1.

Ledeux won silver and Mathilde Gremaud of Switzerland won bronze.

SNOWBOARDING MEN’S PARALLEL GIANT SLALOM Second-seeded Benjamin Karl of Austria held off Tim Mastnak of Slovenia for the gold.

Russian athlete Vic Wild picked up the bronze as the No. 9 seed in the bracketed field. Wild, who is from the United States and was granted Russian citizenship in 2012, won gold in the event at the 2014 Sochi Games.

WOMEN’S PARALLEL GIANT SLALOM Ester Ledecka of the Czech Republic defended her Olympic snowboard parallel giant slalom title with a quick final run on a sun-splashed course.

Four years ago in South Korea, Ledecka became the first competitor to win gold in two different sports at the same Winter Games.

She has a chance to accomplish the feat once again in China. The women’s superG ski race is scheduled for Friday at the Yanqing Alpine Skiing Center.

In the gold-medal race, the top-seeded Ledecka opened an early lead on Daniela Ulbing, putting pressure on the Austrian snowboarder along the side-by-side course at the Genting Snow Park. Ulbing made a mistake up top and later veered off course.

Gloria Kotnik of Slovenia earned the bronze.

SPEEDSKATING MEN’S 1,500 METRES Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands became the first speedskater since 1994 to successfully defend his Olympic title in the men’s 1,500 metres, edging countryman Thomas Krol at the Beijing Games.

Krol, the reigning world champion, broke the 20-year-old Olympic record in his race. Nuis went even faster in the very next pair, crossing the line with a blistering time of 1 minute, 43.21 seconds.

There were still three pairs to go, but no one came close to the Dutch duo. Nuis took his country’s

third gold in four events at these games, while Krol’s runner-up finish of 1:43.55 gave the Netherlands a total of six medals in a competition that is shaping up as another rout for the Big Orange Machine.

The bronze went to South Korea’s Kim Minseok, who was more than a second behind the winner in 1:44.24.

LUGE WOMEN’S SINGLES Natalie Geisenberger is the first three-time Olympic champion in women’s luge.

The German great won the gold medal Tuesday at the Beijing Games, her third consecutive title.

Germany’s Anna Berreiter was second and Tatiana Ivanova of the Russian Olympic Committee was third.

Berreiter was a half-second back of Geisenberger.

Ivanova was a full second back. In luge, those time gaps are massive.

That speaks to how dominant Geisenberger was.

No woman in luge history has more Olympic golds, or world championship golds, or World Cup race victories than Geisenberger.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, February 9, 2022, PAGE 13

National School Golf Championships March 21-25 THE Bahamas Golf Federation in conjunction with The Ministry of Education and The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, are expected to host the 2022 National School Golf Championships March 21-25 at the BGF facility.

The year 2021 was the inaugural year for the championships with about 248 players from 23 schools, both private and public, participating in the championships hosted at the BGF golf facility in the sports centre complex.

“We saw a number of great performances by students from various schools,” the BGF said. “In the senior boys’ division, St Andrew’s took first place.

The senior girls’ division didn’t have any teams but did field some individual players.

The junior boys’ division was won in playoff style by the Windsor School at Albany. And the junior

girls’ division was won by Queen’s College.

“The upper primary boys’ division was won by Lyford Cay International School. The upper primary girls’ division was won by Eva Hilton Primary School.

The lower boys’ primary division was won by The Windsor School at Old Fort.

The lower girls’ primary division was won by Gavin Tynes Primary School,” according to a press release.

For more information on the school golf championships, contact Gina Gonzalez-Rolle at: ginagrolle@hotmail.com The championship is open to teams of up to five players for each division, and individuals from schools which do not have enough players to field a team.

Interested players are urged to contact their school if you would like to play on their team for the championships.

BSSAA KICKS OFF BASKETBALL SEASON

OFFICIALS and players at last year’s press conference for National School Golf Championships.

SCHOOL golf championships players in action.

PELICANS ACQUIRE MCCOLLUM IN 7-PLAYER TRADE

Celtics win 6th straight, send Nets to ninth straight loss NEW YORK (AP) — Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart each scored 22 points and the Boston Celtics rolled to their sixth straight win, beating the star-less Brooklyn Nets 126-91 last night.

Without Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving, the Nets weren’t competitive in their ninth straight loss.

Boston jumped to a 28-2 lead in a game that was never in doubt.

Harden missed his third straight game with left hamstring tightness.

Durant remains out with a sprained knee ligament and Irving is still ineligible to play home games because he isn’t vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Jayson Tatum scored 19 points as the Celtics continued their strong stretch and moved past the Nets into seventh place in the Eastern Conference.

SUNS 114, 76ERS 109 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Devin Booker scored 35 points and Chris Paul had 16 points and 12 assists to lead Phoenix past Philadelphia for its NBA-high 44th win.

The Suns rallied from a 14-point deficit to win for the 14th time in 15 games, raising their record to 44-10. Joel Embiid had 34 points and 12 rebounds for the Sixers, though he mishandled the ball twice in

BENGALS

FROM PAGE 11 to be. Of course, we got a lot of playmakers. That’s why we’re in the position we are.

“Those guys have done a great job at the end of the half, giving us some really positive momentum going into halftime.”

SUPER BOWL BABY WATCH Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr is keeping his phone close by at all times. As he puts it, he’s on call for baby watch.

He and his girlfriend Lauren Wood announced in November that they were expecting.

Beckham signed with the Rams in November after being released by Cleveland. When a reporter asked what would happen if the baby arrives Saturday

the final minutes to doom their comeback try. Embiid had his fifth straight 25-point, 10-rebound game, the longest streak in the NBA over the last two seasons and the longest for a Sixers player since, well, Embiid hit six straight in 2018-19.

HAWKS 133, PACERS 112 ATLANTA (AP) — Trae Young scored 34 points and Atlanta regained its 3-point touch, overwhelming trade-depleted Indiana.

After making only 5 of 25 3s in Sunday’s 103-94 loss at Dallas, the Hawks sank 17 of 33 long-range shots.

John Collins added 20 points as the Hawks regrouped after losing two straight games and three of four. Young, Collins and most starters sat out the fourth quarter.

Chris Duarte led the Pacers with 25 points.

Lance Stephenson had 24 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in his first start of the season.

MAVERICKS 116, PISTONS 86 DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic had 33 points with 11 assists while coming up three rebounds shy of his third consecutive triple-double, Jalen Bruson scored 21 points and Dallas overwhelmed Detroit.

The Mavericks never trailed after 3 ½ minutes remaining in the first

night ahead of the Super Bowl.

“I don’t need you to put the energy in the air about the Saturday night or the Sunday thing because, I think God’s got a different plan,” Beckham said.

“I don’t need it during the Super Bowl. I want to be able to see my child being born, so I’m on watch, I’m on standby.”

Beckham’s hope?

That his baby arrives by Wednesday at the latest.

LANDRY CHATS WITH OBJ Odell Beckham Jr couldn’t quite place the voice at first.

But within a few seconds of listening to the person on the other side of the Zoom call, the Los Angeles Rams wide receiver realised it was his buddy and former LSU and Cleveland

THE Bahamas Small Schools Athletic Association kicked off its 2022 basketball season on Monday at the Hope Centre’s Michael ‘Scooter’ Reid Basketball Courts on Monday with a pair of games played.

Junior Boys Believer’s Faith Christian Academy knocked off the International School of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology 33-12.

D’Mario Moncur led the game for Believer’s Faith with 15 points, five rebounds and a steal.

Zhyon Thompson led ISBET with six points, five rebounds and three steals.

Senior Boys Teleos Christian School routed the San Pedro’s International School 72-9.

Michael Albury led the game with 31 points, two rebounds and eight steals.

William Darling led San Pedro’s with 6 points and five rebounds.

The league will continue with games each afternoon during the week at the Hope Center.

By BRETT MARTEL AP Sports Writer

BOSTON Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) reacts after his team takes a 30-point lead during the second half against the Brooklyn Nets last night in New York.

(AP Photo/John Minchillo) quarter and won their third game in a row.

Hamidou Diallo had 18 points to lead the Pistons, who have lost five in a row and nine of 10. Jeramie Grant had 15 points, and Isaiah Stewart had 14 points and 15 rebounds.

The Pistons played their fourth game in a row without standout rookie Cade Cunningham, their leading scorer who missed the chance to play before family and friends because of a hip injury.

GRIZZLIES 135, CLIPPERS 109 MEMPHIS (AP) — Ja Morant had 30 points and Jaren Jackson Jr added 26 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks to lead Memphis past Los Angeles.

The offensive production from Morant came on 12 of 19 shooting from the field and marked the ninth time in the past 10 games the All-Star guard reached the 30-point mark. Brandon Clarke finished with 16 points for Memphis.

Reserve centre Isaiah Hartenstein led the Clippers with 19 points, while Norman Powell added 16 points. Terance Mann and Robert Covington finished with 14 points each.

NUGGETS 132, KNICKS 115 DENVER (AP) — Rookie Bones Hyland scored 22 points, Nikola Jokic had 21 and Denver sent New York to a fourth consecutive loss and the 10th in its last 12 games.

JaMychal Green and Will Barton added 20 points apiece and Aaron Gordon had 19 for Denver, which has won successive games after losing three in a row. It was their ninth win in a row against the Knicks and 14th straight against New York in Denver.

Julius Randle had 28 points for the Knicks. Evan Fournier scored 21 and RJ Barrett added 18.

PELICANS 110, ROCKETS 97 HOUSTON (AP) — Brandon Ingram scored 26

points and New Orleans beat Houston to extend its winning streak to four games.

Rookie Herb Jones had 10 points and 11 rebounds for his first career doubledouble for the Pelicans, who led for most of the game and by as many as 19 points when Ingram’s 15-foot pull-up jumper made it 106-87 in the fourth quarter.

The Pelicans were playing their first game since agreeing to a trade earlier yesterday that will bring guard CJ McCollum to New Orleans.

While McCollum was not yet available to play, the deal meant New Orleans had to play without prominent regulars Josh Hart and Nickeil AlexanderWalker, who’ve been dealt to Portland.

Kevin Porter Jr. scored 27 and Christian Wood added 19 points for the Rockets, who lost their third straight and seventh in eight games.

Browns teammate Jarvis Landry.

Beckham broke out in a huge smile as Landry, a surprise guest during the Rams’ media session Monday, told him how happy he is he’s playing in the Super Bowl.

“I ain’t got no questions, man, but I want to start by saying, you’re deserving of this moment,” said Landry, who played with him in college and then for three seasons in Cleveland until Beckham was waived in November.

Beckham’s drama-filled stint with the Browns included his father sharing a video on social media highlighting times when Baker Mayfield didn’t throw Beckham passes and ended with the wide receiver being told to stay home from practice.

Beckham was signed by the Rams a few days later

and has become a key contributor during Los Angeles’ Super Bowl run.

“You put countless hours to where you are today and I’ve witnessed it all firsthand,” Landry said.

“You have scars to show for where you are today.

This is a dream that you are actually turning into a reality and I wanted to come on here and just let you know that I’m proud of you, bro. There are so many people supporting you every step of the way bro.

“Continue to use your light, continue to be a blessing to others.”

Landry also pointed out that his buddy is living out a quote from Martin Luther King Jr that Beckham has on his left arm: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he

stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

Beckham tapped his heart and said, “You’re giving me chills,” before thanking Landry.

“If it wasn’t for you and I really mean this from the bottom of my heart, and I always tell you this, bro,” Beckham said. “But besides Pop, there’s no man who ever came into my life and has had the effect and impact that you have had to make me a better person, player, a man, soon-to-be father, brother, lover. You’ve shown me the light, dog, and I love you so much, bro.

“And this moment, it’s for us, bro. This is everything we ever talked about, dog, so I appreciate you coming on here. You know it’s nothing but love.”

Landry said the feeling’s mutual and added: “Go get that ring, dude!”

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Pelicans acquired guard CJ McCollum from the Portland Trail Blazers as part of a seven-player trade yesterday that comes as the Pelicans make a push to qualify for the NBA postseason.

The Pelicans also received forwards Larry Nance Jr and Tony Snell in the deal, while the Trail Blazers get forward Josh Hart, and guards Tomas Staoransky, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Didi Louzada, as well as draft compensation in the form of a 2022 protected first round draft choice and two future second-rounders.

The trade marks the end of an era in Portland, where McCollum has been paired with Damian Lillard in the backcourt since 2013. Portland has reached the playoffs every season since they drafted McCollum. However, the Blazers struggled in the postseason, reaching the Western Conference finals only once while being eliminated in the first round five times.

The 30-year-old McCollum is averaging 20.5 points, 4.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds this season.

He gives the Pelicans a needed outside shooting threat at a time when New Orleans appears to be on the upswing under first-year coach Willie Green — despite playing this season without star forward Zion Williamson.

UCLA

FROM PAGE 11 women, simulated intercourse with an ultrasound probe or made inappropriate comments during examinations at the UCLA student health centre, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center or his oncampus office.

Under that class-action settlement, some 6,600 former patients were to receive between $2,500 and $250,000, with the higher amounts involving the extent of bodily injury and emotional distress as decided by a panel of experts.

UCLA didn’t acknowledge wrongdoing in reaching that settlement but did agree to change its procedures for preventing, identifying, investigating and dealing with sexual misconduct.

PAGE 14, Wednesday, February 9, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

Manchester United out of top 4 as Ronaldo’s dry spell continues

By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer OUT of the FA Cup, now out of the Premier League’s top four.

Manchester United is going through a rough spell under Ralf Rangnick — and Cristiano Ronaldo currently isn’t in good enough scoring form to get the team out of it.

Ronaldo didn’t even start the 1-1 draw at last-place Burnley yesterday, only appearing as a secondhalf substitute and failing to score for a fifth straight game. That’s his worst run without a goal at club level since 2010.

The problems run deeper than the scoring slump of one of the world’s great strikers, though.

The way United dropped off in the second half was alarming, just like the team did in the second half of its FA Cup game at home to second-tier Middlesbrough on Friday. United lost a penalty shootout on that occasion.

Also alarming was the defending by England centre back Harry Maguire that allowed lanky striker Wout Weghorst, Burnley’s new signing, to turn him in the middle of the field and play in Jay Rodriguez for the equalizer in the 47th minute.

That cancelled out the 18th-minute opener by Paul Pogba, starting for the second game after a long injury layoff and probably United’s best player in the first half.

United actually scored three times before halftime but two were ruled out, first for an offside against Maguire — before he blocked off Rodriguez prior to Raphael Varane heading home — and then for an innocuous-looking foul by Pogba.

United fell to fifth place, a point behind West Ham, which was a 1-0 winner over Watford on Tuesday.

“A frustrating night for us because we should have won that game comfortably,” Rangnick said.

“We scored three goals in the first half so I couldn’t blame the team for not

FROM PAGE 12

MANCHESTER United’s Paul Pogba celebrates after scoring his side’s opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Burnley and Manchester United at Turf Moor, in Burnley, England, yesterday. having a killer instinct in the first half.

“In the end it was also a little question of luck. One point for a performance like this is just not enough.”

ZOUMA JEERED Jarrod Bowen’s secondhalf goal secured victory for West Ham but the main talking point was its inclusion of Kurt Zouma, who was named in the starting lineup despite a video — shared widely across social media — showing him kicking and slapping a cat.

West Ham had earlier said it “unreservedly condemns the actions of our player” and Zouma had apologized.

West Ham manager David Moyes said Zouma will remain available for selection, adding: “The club will sort the other side of it out and I’ll look after the football side.”

Watford’s visiting fans relentlessly booed Zouma’s every touch and chanted, among other things, ‘RSPCA, RSPCA’ — referring to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Watford dropped one spot, to next-to-last place.

MANCHESTER United’s Cristiano Ronaldo looks out during the English Premier League soccer match between Burnley and Manchester United at Turf Moor, in Burnley, England, yesterday.

(AP Photos/Jon Super) NEWCASTLE ON RISE Newcastle beat Everton 3-1 in the other game to climb out of the relegation zone and move four points ahead of Burnley.

Everton, meanwhile, is sinking closer to the bottom three, with only three points separating

the team with third-to-last Norwich.

Frank Lampard’s first game in charge of Everton was a 4-1 win over Brentford in the FA Cup on Saturday but he was given a reality check, despite his team going ahead through Jamaal Lascelles’ own-goal.

Mason Holgate also scored an own-goal a minute later for Newcastle’s equaliser, before second-half goals by Ryan Fraser and Kieran Trippier, one of the Saudi-owned club’s five signings in January.

It was Newcastle’s third win of the season.

INTER BEATS ROMA 2-0 IN CUP, SPOILS MOURINHO’S RETURN MILAN, Italy (AP) — A pair of brilliant goals from Edin Dzeko and Alexis Sanchez ruined Jose Mourinho’s return to his former club yesterday as Inter Milan beat Roma 2-0 to reach the Italian Cup semifinals.

The match marked the first time Mourinho faced Inter at San Siro since he left after leading the club to the Serie A-Italian CupChampions League treble in 2010.

Mourinho received a warm welcome from the fans, who deployed a banner that read: “Welcome back home, Jose.”

Roma players did not receive the same friendly treatment. Inter got off a perfect start to open the scoring on its first move.

Facing his former team, Dzeko connected with a cross from the edge of the box from Ivan Perisic and beat Roma goalkeeper Rui Patricio with a right-footed volley after only two minutes.

Roma’s sluggish defence looked more solid

SUPER BOWL 56: A VIEWER’S GUIDE TO GET YOU THROUGH SUNDAY

as the game progressed, but Mourinho’s team was too clumsy up front and failed to convert its rare occasions against the Serie A leader.

Sanchez doubled Inter’s lead in the 68th minute with a superb long-range strike into the top left corner that Patricio could not touch and left Mourinho ruminating.

Under Mourinho, Roma is having an inconsistent season. The team dropped to seventh in the Serie A standings over the weekend after a 0-0 draw at home to struggling Genoa and its hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League are looking slim.

Inter’s celebrations were dampened by defender Alessandro Bastoni’s injury.

He was helped off the field after hurting his right ankle and is now at risk of missing the Champions League round of 16 match against Liverpool next week. “We hope Bastoni

INTER Milan’s Alexis Sanchez, centre, celebrates with his teammates his goal against Roma during the Italian Cup soccer match between Inter Milan and Roma at the San Siro stadium, in Milan, Italy, yesterday.

(AP Photo/Antonio Calanni) doesn’t have anything serious, unfortunately you could see he fell badly,”

Inter coach Simone Inzaghi said. “Now the medics will have the tests and we hope

not to lose him for too long, as he is a very, very important player for us.”

ATHLETIC BEATS ESPANYOL 2-1 TO MONACO REACHES FRENCH CUP SEMIS WITH 2-0 WIN OVER AMIENS MOVE CLOSER TO EUROPEAN SPOTS MONACO (AP) — Monaco progressed to the French Cup semifinals by defeating second-tier side Amiens 2-0 yesterday with goals from Aurelien Tchouameni and Kevin Volland.

Monaco was the heavy favourite and was in control throughout.

Tchouameni, a France midfielder with seven caps, put Monaco in the driver’s seat after five minutes with a half-volley from a poorly cleared corner kick.

The goal spurred the visitors on but Amiens forward Aliou Badji missed a

couple of chances to level while Chadrac Akolo had a goal disallowed for an offside position.

Volland made it 2-0 from close range in the 54th from teenager Maghnes Akliouche’s assist.

Monaco was French Cup runner-up last year to Paris Saint-Germain and is chasing its first cup title since 1991.

Southern rivals Nice and Marseille meet in the Riviera city while fourthtier sides Bergerac and Versailles face off in the other quarterfinal scheduled for today.

MADRID (AP) — Athletic Bilbao moved closer to the European qualification places in the Spanish league after beating Espanyol 2-1 on Monday.

Oihan Sancet and Iñigo Martínez scored in the first half to lead Athletic to the home victory that left it one point behind seventh-placed Real Sociedad. Athletic was four points behind fourthplaced Barcelona in the final Champions League spot.

It was the second consecutive league win for Athletic, which last week eliminated Real Madrid in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey. It will host Valencia on Thursday in the first leg of the semifinals.

Espanyol, which took the lead with a goal by Tonny Vilhena in the third minute at San Mamés Stadium, stayed 13th in the league standings. It hasn’t won five straight games in all competitions, including the last four in the league.

Bengals and appeared in both of their previous Super Bowl trips, will be an analyst for the fifth time. His first was with Fox for the 2005 game between Philadelphia and New England.

Rules analyst Terry McAulay, who refereed three Super Bowls, and sideline reporter Kathryn Tappen are Super Bowl TV rookies. Sideline reporter Michele Tafoya is doing her fifth Super Bowl in what is her final appearance for NBC. HOW MANY CAMERAS WILL NBC USE FOR THE SUPER BOWL? Executive producer Fred Gaudelli didn’t want to give exact numbers, but NBC had a total of 106 for its last Super Bowl four years ago in Minneapolis. CBS had 120 last year in Tampa.

For the first Super Bowl at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 1967, NBC had 11 cameras.

Gaudelli did say that “in terms of cameras that shoot the game, that actually shoot the field and the play and the players — we’ll probably have 40 cameras.”

All those cameras will be recorded and can be used for replay.

NBC will also be debuting a brand-new graphic look, a new score bug, as well as utilising a lot of virtual reality and augmented reality graphics.

Gaudelli and director Drew Esocoff are working their seventh Super Bowl together and fifth on NBC. Their first two were with ABC. THE OLYMPICS HOST IS ALSO DOING THE SUPER BOWL PREGAME SHOW? Yes. Mike Tirico is doing double duty. He left Beijing on Monday night to fly to Stamford, Connecticut, to host Olympics coverage today and Thursday before going to Los Angeles on Friday through Sunday.

Tirico will host the Super Bowl pregame and postgame presentation of the Vince Lombardi Trophy before going to a set outside SoFi Stadium to host Sunday night’s Olympics coverage.

WHAT IF I ONLY WANT TO WATCH THE HALFTIME SHOW? The first half of a normal NFL game usually takes 90 minutes, but if there are a lot of running plays, it could be done in 1 hour, 10 minutes.

With kickoff at 6:30pm EST, it would probably be a good idea to tune in around 7:40pm so you don’t miss Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J Blige, and Kendrick Lamar.

HOW CAN I WATCH THE GAME IF I AM A CORD CUTTER? NBC’s Peacock streaming service will have the game for OTT devices and services, smart TVs and mobile devices. It will also be available for free on the NFL website/apps as well as Yahoo Sports. DirecTV Stream, Sling TV, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV and fuboTV also have NBC. WHO HAS THE SPANISH LANGUAGE BROADCAST? Telemundo will be the first Spanish-language broadcast network to air the Super Bowl. The pregame show begins at 5pm EST with Miguel Gurwitz, Ana Jurka, Karim Mendiburu and special guest Rolando Cantu, a former Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman. The game will be called by Carlos Mauricio Ramirez with Jorge Andres providing analysis.

WILL THE GAME BE ON RADIO? Sirius XM Satellite Radio will have four channels dedicated to the game — the Westwood One national feed, a Spanish-language channel and the Rams and Bengals broadcasts.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, February 9, 2022, PAGE 15

NO. 23 MURRAY STATE SET TO PLAY WITH 1ST RANKING SINCE 2015

By AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer

COACH Moses Johnson gives some instructions to players on the court.

GUARD Domnick Bridgewater defends Canada’s Aaron Best.

BBF secures funding for national men’s baskeball team travel to FIBA Americas World Cup Qualifier

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net WITH just about all of the funding secured, the Bahamas Basketball Federation is now preparing to assemble the men’s national team that will represent the country in the final two games of the second leg of the FIBA Americas World Cup Qualifier.

Federation president Eugene Horton confirmed that with the assistance of the Bahamas Government and some anonymous donors, they have accounted for the majority of the estimated $50,000 to make the trip to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, February 26-27.

Still winless from the first two games played against Canada in November in Group C of the Americas’ tie, the Bahamas will need to win at least one of the two games they will play against the host Dominican Republic and the US Virgin Islands heading into the final leg of the qualifier in July.

“We received some funds, some assistance from the government and some private folks and so we are getting ready to go,” Horton said.

“We are just putting the team together to travel in a few weeks. We should have sufficient funding to go.”

At one point, the federation was considering withdrawing from the competition, or worse-case scenario, they would have asked FIBA to delay the tournament because they didn’t have the necessary funding to travel.

“It’s been a challenge, but we managed to get some funding, thanks to the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and some private donors,” said Horton after they made a plea for assistance once the word got out that the team would not be able to make the trip. “Hopefully by June, we will be more prepared. We were under the impression that window was covered. So we’re putting some things in place so that we won’t have to go through this again.”

The team, which is expected to be finalised by

EUGENE Horton next week, will be coached once again by Moses Johnson. He noted that based on the funding they will secure in total, it will determine who else will get to travel on the coaching staff.

“It’s a breath of fresh air because I think we have a great team to compete in these games coming up,” said Johnson, who coached the last two games in November against Canada.

“We can now move ahead and plan to compete in this next window.

“We will have a revamped team with some of the guys returning like Devario Miller, Danrad Knowles, Travis Munnings, Kentwan Smith, David Nesbitt and Rashad Davis.

We will have about eight or

nine of the top 24 players with an influx of some new talent we will reveal when the team is announced.”

Johnson noted that two key players, guard Domnick Bridgewater won’t be released from his team in Europe for this window, and with forward Dwight Coleby just signing a new contract, won’t be available to play as well.

With the team they are assembling, Johnson said he’s convinced that the Bahamas should be able to prevail against the Dominican Republic and the US Virgin Islands,

By Friday, Johnson said the federation will release the list of 24 players in the pool before they name the final 12-man roster next week during a press conference.

“We are all set to go.

We’re just waiting on the amount of funding that is levied so we can pick the travel delegation based on the funding provided,” Johnson said.

“But we are preparing a team to win. The Dominican Republic will pose a challenge because they are playing at home, but we

feel confident that we can beat the US Virgin Islands.

We’ve beaten them in the past and they have beaten us, so we expect a fairly good game with us coming out on top.”

The Bahamas will have to split to take the pressure of having to win two games when they play in July. The good thing is the US Virgin Islands is also winless and will take on Canada in their other game played, while the Dominican Republic is 2-0 and will face Canada (2-0) in their other game in this window.

If they are successful this window, Johnson said it would bode well going into the summer when they are expecting to have National Basketball Association’s Phoenix Suns’ centre Deandre Ayton and newly acquired Indiana Pacers’ guard Chavano “Buddy” Hield (formerly of the Kings), who have already made a commitment.

They are expected to be joined by NBA D League’s Kai Jones, along with collegians Lourawls ‘Tum Tum’ Nairn Jr, Samuel Hunter and Garvin Clarke, just to name a few.

MATT McMahon doesn’t want his Murray State team dwelling on earning an AP Top 25 ranking for the first time in nearly seven years.

Then again, he doesn’t want his 23rd-ranked Racers to just ignore it, either.

“Yeah, it’s a big deal,” McMahon said Monday night.

The Racers cracked Monday’s poll for the first time since spending a week at No. 25 in March 2015.

Best known recently for the Ja Morant-led group that won an NCAA Tournament game in 2019, this Murray State team has its own big moment on the AP Top 25 national schedule, first with Thursday’s trip to Tennessee State, followed

by Saturday’s visit to Morehead State.

“I think you can enjoy the success that you’re having and the recognition that comes with that, but also stay committed to why you’re successful,” McMahon said. “The hard work, the toughness, the unselfishness, the balance that we have offensively and defensively.

“We have a mature team.

They’ve done a great job all season long with those things.”

Murray State (22-2, 12-0 Ohio Valley Conference) hasn’t lost since falling to now-No. 1 Auburn on December 22, with its other loss coming to East Tennessee State in November.

The 2019 team grabbed national attention behind Morant’s brilliance, with the guard averaging 24.5 points and leading the Racers to a first-round NCAA win against Marquette before becoming the No. 2 overall NBA draft pick.

Asian players Lee, Padilla making case for NBA, WNBA looks

By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer DAVIDSON, N.C. (AP) — Davidson junior forward Hyunjung Lee grew up in South Korea watching the Korean Basketball League.

It wasn’t until he turned 15 that Lee had his first opportunity to watch Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and the thenworld champion Golden State Warriors on TV for the first time when his perspective changed on how the game of basketball is played at the next level.

“When I saw that I was like, ‘wow, this is just a totally different game,’” said the 6-foot-7 Lee, who is averaging a 15.5 points and 6.3 rebounds for Davidson College. “After that I was like, ‘I want to play in the NBA.’” Lee is among the Asian players who are excelling at the NCAA level and have a realistic shot to play professional basketball in the United States.

Kayla Padilla is lighting up the scoreboard on the women’s side.

The 5-9 Penn sophomore leads the Ivy League in scoring at 19.7 points per game, shooting 37% from 3-point range.

The list of Asian players getting it done in the NCAA also includes UCLA’s Johnny Juzang (Vietnamese) and Natalie Chou (Chinese).

It’s another sign of the game’s impact around the globe, but players face big odds to overcome — only 0.4% of NBA players and 1.4% of the WNBA players in 2021 were players of Asian descent, according to reports compiled by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports.

Lee and Davidson (19-3 overall, 9-1 A-10), which has won 18 of its last 19 games, stand alone atop the Atlantic-10 standings and could earn an NCAA Tournament berth.

His stock has been on the rise since last season when he accomplished something as a sophomore that even Curry never did at the school — shooting at least 50% from the field, 40% from 3-point range and 90% from the foul line. He was just the 11th Division I player to accomplish that feat since the 1992-93 campaign, and the NBA began to take notice.

There were seven league scouts at Davidson’s recent home game against VCU, and Wildcats coach Bob McKillop — who helped Curry along the way to the NBA — said Lee continues to get better with each passing week, saying his IQ and immeasurable talents are off the charts.

“Every coach should have an opportunity to coach a player like Hyunjung Lee,” McKillop said. “He’s exceptional. He puts the team first and holds himself to a level of accountability for a mistake, or for improvement at a level that very few people do.”

Lee is succeeding despite the pressure of carrying the hopes and expectations of an entire nation on his back. He has become a wildly popular figure in South Korea, and Davidson assistant AD for athletic communications Joey Beeler has been inundated with dozens of interview requests for Lee from South Korean media over the past few weeks.

If Lee were to make it to the NBA, he would become only the first South

VIRGINIA Commonwealth forward Levi Stockard III (34) fouls Davidson guard Hyunjung Lee (1) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game on January 26.

(AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman) Korean-born player since Ha Seung-Jin was selected in the second round of the 2004 draft by the Portland Trail Blazers.

He has more than 24,000 followers on Instagram.

“There is a lot of pressure, sure,” Lee said. “But I am just trying to enjoy this moment and improve myself as a basketball player and a person.

“Davidson is doing pretty well right now, and that is what is most important to me.”

Lee realised early in high school that if he planned to reach his expectations he would need to play against better players, which meant leaving South Korea.

That’s why he jumped at the opportunity to join the NBA Global Academy in 2018 in Australia.

Before his arrival there, Lee had modelled his game after Kevin Durant because he’d always been the tallest

player on the court in South Korea and had strong ball skills. But he quickly realised he was going to have to find a different niche.

“I went to the academy and I realised, ‘Oh, I can’t be K.D. No way,’” Lee said with a laugh. “There were a lot of guys taller than me and a lot more skilled.”

His father, who was a high school basketball coach for 35 years, advised him to focus on his 3-point shooting.

So Lee began to study Thompson’s shot, patterning his game after the Warriors’ sharpshooter.

Lee has played on the South Korean senior national team for the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 qualifiers and in the 2020 Olympic qualifying tournaments — following in the footsteps of his mother Jeong A Seong, a silver medallist in basketball for South Korea in the 1984 Summer Olympics.

Lee’s journey has been challenging.

He had to work overtime to learn English his senior year of high school because he said “communication is key” in basketball, and added that he felt his physical abilities were behind some of his teammates when he arrived at Davidson in 2019.

“My freshman year, I was still struggling with the guys and playing the game,” said Lee, one of 10 finalists for the Julius Erving Award given to the top small forward in the nation. “This is probably a stereotype, but all of the guys are like white and Black, and I’m Asian.

So I’m probably the least athletic. I was trying to find a way to get over that situation. But that is why I came to America. So I’m learning a lot.”

Like Lee, Padilla is beginning to garner attention at Penn and is hoping

to inspire other Asians to play basketball.

She has time to work on her game and better improve her prospects of making the WNBA with two more full years of eligibility remaining. The guard who grew up Torrance, California, was the Ivy League Rookie of the Year in 201920. (She didn’t play last year because all Ivy League sports were cancelled due to the pandemic.)

“If I had a chance to be one of the first AsianAmericans and the first Filipino to play in the WNBA, that is something I definitely wouldn’t turn down if the opportunity came about,” Padilla said.

Filipino Chanelle Molina had signed a contract last year with the WNBA’s Indiana Fever, but was waived in training camp and hasn’t played in a game.

While the WNBA remains a goal, Padilla is preparing herself for life beyond basketball in case things don’t work out.

She has established an online platform called “The Sideline Post,” where college athletes can share their stories through their own words, a concept similar to The Players’ Tribune.

She also has a merchandise line called “HCExKP” that she runs along with her longtime basketball trainer Jared Lloyd, as now allowed by the NCAA’s new “name, image and likeness” deals.

Padilla said, “One of the main reasons I came to Penn was to have opportunities beyond just thinking about basketball.”

She can check off that box on her to-do list while basketball fans keep an eye on her and other Asian players.

PAGE 16, Wednesday, February 9, 2022

‘Splash brother’ Klay Thompson finding his groove

By CLIFF BRUNT AP Sports Writer OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Klay Thompson is finding his groove.

In his 12th game back from injury, Thompson scored 21 points and the Golden State Warriors beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 110-98 on Monday night for their ninth straight win.

Thompson went down with a torn ACL in his left knee in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals. While rehabbing from surgery, he tore his right Achilles tendon in November 2020. He’s been slowly adding minutes to his workload, and it appears the five-time AllStar might be ready for the stretch run.

After the Thunder rallied late in the fourth quarter to cut Golden State’s lead to five, Thompson hit two 3-pointers — including one with just over a minute remaining — to put the Warriors up nine.

“It was great to see Klay hit those back-toback 3s to kind of seal the win,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. “Just fun to have him back, and he looks great out there. He’s moving great. It’s fun to be able to play him.”

Thompson’s late shots came in the same building where he made 11 3-pointers during a playoff win over the Thunder in the Western Conference finals back in 2016 that forced a Game 7. He said that didn’t cross his mind during this game.

“No, that was a long time ago, although that is a dear memory of mine,” he said.

Oklahoma City’s Darius Bazley said Thompson is still tough to guard, even at age 31 and after all the setbacks. “He’s so good at shooting the ball, I feel like my hand doesn’t really do anything,” Bazley said.

“You’ve kind of like just got to bank on him missing.

There’s some players that are just so good that they don’t even see you.”

Stephen Curry added 18 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds for the Warriors, who shot 50 percent from the field.

Lu Dort scored 26 points and Bazley matched a

season high with 20 for Oklahoma City.

Josh Giddey added 16 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.

The Thunder led 23-20 after one quarter before Golden State made 14 of 23 shots in the second to take a 56-46 lead at the break.

Andrew Wiggins scored 13 of his 15 points in the first half.

Jonathan Kuminga’s nasty two-handed putback jam early in the fourth pushed Golden State’s lead to 87-74.

Oklahoma City continued to battle. On one possession, the Thunder collected four offensive boards before Dort threw down a powerful twohanded putback dunk to trim Golden State’s lead to 95-83.

A steal and layup by Giddey sliced Golden State’s lead to 101-94 with just under three minutes remaining. Another layup

by Giddey cut it to five before Thompson’s pair of 3-pointers. Curry punctuated the win with a 3 on which he turned around and walked the other way before it went in.

TIP-INS Warriors: F Draymond Green remained out with a lower-back injury. ... F Otto Porter returned after missing three games with tightness in his back. He scored two points in 16 minutes. ... Kuminga had 16 points.

Thunder: F/C Mike Muscala sat out with a sore right ankle. ... F Aaron Wiggins and F Isaiah Roby missed the game with sprained right ankles. ... Dort wore a shield to protect his broken nose. ... Rookie G Tre Mann started and scored 11 points. Leading scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains out with a sprained right ankle.

IGUODALA EXITS Andre Iguodala played for the first time since January 20 but exited with lower-back tightness and did not return. He had been out with a left hip injury. Iguodala finished with three points and three rebounds in six minutes.

“We need him,” Kerr said. “You could see how good he was in that first half. He just does so many

Pacers deal All-Star Sabonis to Kings in sixplayer trade

By MICHAEL MAROT AP Sports Writer INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Pacers will look completely different when they return home later this week while Sacramento Kings are getting an All-Star.

The two teams agreed to a six-player trade yesterday that will send star forward Domantas Sabonis to Sacramento and emerging point guard Tyrese Haliburton to the Pacers, a person with direct knowledge of the details told The Associated Press.

The Kings will get Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb and a second-round draft pick

in addition to Sabonis. Indiana is adding Haliburton, Chavano “Buddy” Hield and Tristan Thompson, the person told AP, speaking on condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been announced.

Sabonis gives the Kings an immediate upgrade in the paint. He averages 18.9 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game, and has become a double-double machine. Sacramento’s top rebounder before the deal was Richaun Holmes at 7.9 per game.

Sabonis could make a difference for a team that already has some young, talented players such as point guard De’Aaron

THE TRIBUNE

LEVERT THRILLED TO BE CHASING NBA TITLE WITH CAVS

Scores 21 points as late 3-pointers lead Golden State past Oklahoma City

By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer

GOLDEN State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) shoots over Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey (3) in the first half Monday night in Oklahoma City.

(AP Photos/Kyle Phillips)

KLAY THOMPSON, left, shoots the ball over Thunder guard Kenrich Williams in the first half on Monday night. things for us. So it’s definitely a concern.”

QUOTABLE Bazley on his play this season: “I’ve been shooting

the ball trash this year. My finishing at the rim hasn’t been great, either. I think there’s starting to be a little bit of a turnaround.”

UP NEXT Warriors: Visit the Utah Jazz tonight.

Thunder: Host the Toronto Raptors tonight.

KINGS guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) drives to the bas- PACERS’ Domantas Sabonis (11) shoots ket as Thunder forward Darius Bazley defends during against Cavaliers’ Jarrett Allen (31) during the second half Sunday in Cleveland. the second half in Sacramento on Saturday.

(AP Photo/Randall Benton) (AP Photo/Ron Schwane) Fox and Davion Mitchell.

Sabonis also could serve as mentor to other young players — or his arrival could free up the Kings to make even more moves.

The Pacers aren’t waiting to begin what could be a major overhaul.

An injury-depleted roster has Indiana, which started this season with playoff aspirations, lagging near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. Attendance also has declined this season and some fans have been clamouring for significant changes.

Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin

Pritchard appears to be siding with those fans after making two key trades in less than 48 hours.

The first deal — sending Caris LeVert to the Cleveland Cavaliers for the injured Ricky Rubio and three draft picks, including a lottery-protected first-round selection this summer — came Sunday.

Rubio has already been ruled out for the rest of this season and has an expiring contract.

Now, Pritchard has pulled off another major trade by getting Haliburton, a promising 21-year-old point guard who the Kings took with

the No. 12 overall pick in 2020. He’s averaging 14.3 points, is 11th in the NBA with 7.4 assists and tied for sixth with 1.7 steals.

Indiana believes Haliburton can become the elite point guard they’ve been seeking.

They’re also getting Hield, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard who is third in the NBA in 3-pointers.

Thompson could provide depth in the post, where Indiana has been extremely thin lately. And his expiring contract was also attractive because it could help free up salary-cap room to help the Pacers become a player in free agency this summer.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Just minutes into his first practice since joining the Cavaliers, Caris LeVert reconnected with one of his former Brooklyn teammates.

He threw lobs to Jarrett Allen. “Just like old times,” LeVert said, smiling.

And now new ones in Cleveland, where LeVert has already learned that the goals are vastly different than when he was with Indiana.

“Here,” he said.

“We’re playing for a championship.”

LeVert, who has been on a unique basketball odyssey over the past two years, spoke excitedly about his situation yesterday, two days after being acquired by the Cavs in a major trade ahead of this week’s NBA deadline.

Cleveland sent guard Ricky Rubio (and his expiring $17.8 million contract), and three second-round draft picks to Indiana for LeVert on Sunday — hours before hosting the Pacers.

The league’s biggest surprise, Cleveland acquired the 27-year-old LeVert to bolter their offence and get the Cavs closer to an Eastern Conference title.

“It makes us more dynamic,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of LeVert’s arrival. “It makes us a really dangerous basketball team.”

It’s the latest adjustment and emotional swing for LeVert, who was part of the blockbuster deal involving star James Harden last season, a trade that altered his career and may have saved his life.

During a routine physical, the Pacers found a cancerous tumour on LeVert’s left kidney. He underwent successful surgery, is now healthy and playing the best basketball of his life.

Mostly, he’s grateful.

“It’s been a long for 14 months,” he said.

“But I think ultimately, I’ve been through a lot and I’ve grown a lot through it.

And I have amazing people in my life who have helped me through it. And right now, I’m in a place where I feel like I’m where I’m supposed to be.

BUDDY

FROM PAGE 11 113-103 as Hield logged 20 minutes, scoring nine points with three rebounds, a steal and three turnovers, while committing a pair of personal fouls.

As he moves to the Eastern Conference, Hield will suit up for the Pacers, coached by Rick Carlisle, who are also in 13th place with a 19-36 record. He brings a lot of firepower to the Pacers’ backcourt that includes Malcolm Brogdon, Chris Duarte, TJ McConnell and Ricky Rubio.

The Pacers next game is scheduled for Friday when Hield should be available to play in a rematch against the Cavaliers.

Hield grew up in Eight Mile Rock before he left the Bahamas to attend Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Wichita, Kansas, before he went on to Oklahoma where he starred for the Sooners from 2012-2016.

At present, Hield is one of three Bahamians currently playing in the NBA alongside centre Deandre Ayton, who is holding his own with the league-leading and Western Conference leading Phoenix Suns, who are 43-10.

And Kai Jones, selected with the 19th pick in the 2021 NBA draft by the New York Knicks and immediately traded to the Charlotte Hornets.

Jones, 21, was dropped to the G-League where he was impressive before he was returned to the Hornets.

PAGE 18, Wednesday, February 9, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

PELOTON CO-FOUNDER STEPS DOWN AFTER ROUGH RIDE

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN AND ANNE D'INNOCENZIO AP Business Writers PELOTON is replacing its CEO, cutting jobs and reining in ambitious expansion plans after badly misjudging the staying power of the exercise-at-home trend that propelled its sales early in the pandemic.

John Foley first pitched the idea for Peloton in 2011, hoping to disrupt the industry. He will give up the CEO position and become executive chair at Peloton Interactive Inc. The company is also cutting almost 3,000 jobs.

Barry McCarthy, who served as CFO at Spotify as well as at Netflix, will take over as CEO, the company said Tuesday.

Peloton's shares surged about 25% Tuesday, despite the company reducing its annual outlook for sales and subscriptions and reporting a big loss for its fiscal second quarter.

Peloton has been on a wild ride for the past two years during the pandemic.

Company shares surged more than 400% in 2020 amid COVID-19 lockdowns that made its bikes and treadmills popular among customers who pay

a fee to participate in Peloton's interactive workouts.

But nearly all of those gains were wiped out last year as the distribution of vaccines sent many people out of there homes and back into gyms.

Peloton's initial success also created competition, with companies peeling away customers by selling cheaper bicycles and exercise equipment. Highend gyms also jumped into the game, offering virtual classes that once were Peloton's biggest draws.

All the while, Peloton misjudged the slowing demand and kept churning out its products.

"The problem for Peloton isn't that it has a bad product. Nor is it that there is no demand for what it sells," said Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail in a note published Tuesday.

"The central problem is one of hubris and bad judgment. Peloton incorrectly assumed that the demand created by the pandemic would continue to curve upward."

In a conference call with analysts on Tuesday, Foley acknowledged that the company expanded its operations too quickly and overinvested in certain areas of the business.

"We own it. I own it, and we are holding ourselves accountable," said Foley, noting he will be working closely with the new CEO. "That starts today."

Peloton has had to address previous missteps. In May, it halted production of its Tread+ treadmills, after recalling about 125,000 of them less than a month after denying they were dangerous. One was linked to the death of a child, while others were linked to 29 injuries. Last August, the company cut the price of its main stationary bike — the product that was the cornerstone of its original popularity — by $400 because of slower revenue growth.

Peloton also found itself entangled in a marketing debacle in December. Its stationary bike was used in the first episode of "Sex and the City" spinoff "And Just Like That," but not in a flattering way. One of the characters, Mr. Big, dropped dead after a ride on a Peloton. The company reportedly knew about the product placement but not the plot line, leaving it scrambling to respond to the negative attention.

And last week, there were reports that Amazon or Nike might buy the company. Those that pushed for

PELOTON CEO John Foley, left, is seen behind one of his company’s fitness machine along with others gathered for the groundbreaking for the company’s first U.S. factory, Monday, Aug. 9, 2021, in Luckey, Ohio. The co-founder of Peloton is stepping down after an extended streak of tumult at the exercise and treadmill company. John Foley will no longer serve as Peloton’s CEO as of Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2022. Barry McCarthy will take over the role and will also serve as president and a board member.

Photo:John Seewer/AP the sale of Peloton continued to do so this week, with activist investor Blackwells Capital asking again for the company to be sold despite the change in leadership.

Wall Street analysts were divided over whether the latest moves set up Peloton for a sale or position it to remain independent.

"I think the moves, as a whole, do not signify that Peloton is throwing in the towel. I believe this means they are going to slim down, refocus, and stay independent," said Raj Shah, North America lead for tech, media, and telecom at digital consulting firm Publicis Sapient.

Others maintain the change-up means a sale is more likely to occur: "We believe Foley leaving makes it more likely that

Peloton ultimately sells the company and the board clearly has major decisions to make in the days/weeks/ months ahead," wrote Wedbush analysts Daniel Ives and John Katsingris.

Also on Tuesday, Peloton announced that it was cutting 2,800 jobs, including approximately 20% of corporate jobs at the New York City company. The instructors who lead interactive classes for Peloton will not be included in cuts, nor will the content that the company relies on to lure users.

Peloton said it's winding down the development of its Peloton Output Park factory in Ohio. It will also reduce its owned and operated warehousing and delivery locations and will

instead ramp up its thirdparty relationships.

Peloton is looking to reduce its planned capital expenditures for this year by about $150 million.

The restructuring program is expected to result in approximately $130 million in cash charges related to severance and other exit and restructuring activities and $80 million in non-cash charges. The majority of the charges will be recorded in fiscal 2022.

The company also slashed its full-year sales outlook and now expects a range of $3.7 billion to $3.8 billion. That's down from a prior range of $4.4 billion to $4.8 billion, which it announced last November.

It originally had expected $5.4 billion.

House OKs bill easing budget strains on Postal Service

By ALAN FRAM Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress would lift onerous budget requirements that have helped push the Postal Service deeply into debt and would require it to

continue delivering mail six days per week under bipartisan legislation the House approved Tuesday.

The election-year bill, coming at a time of widespread complaints about slower mail service, would also require the Postal

Service to display online how efficiently it delivers mail to communities.

The Postal Service is supposed to sustain itself with postage sales and other services, but has suffered 14 straight years of losses. The reasons include growing

workers' compensation and benefit costs plus steady declines in mail volume, even as it delivers to 1 million additional locations every year.

Postal Service officials have said without congressional action, it would run

MARKET REPORT www.bisxbahamas.com

TUESDAY, 8 FEBRUARY 2022

BISX ALL SHARE INDEX:

CLOSE

CHANGE

%CHANGE

YTD

YTD%

2248.44

-0.06

0.00

20.20

0.91

(242) 323‐2330 (242) 323‐2320

BISX LISTED & TRADED SECURITIES 52WK HI 6.70 40.05 2.05 2.90 2.60 6.05 10.05 3.60 9.02 3.50 7.01 13.00 2.71 10.10 11.06 10.75 15.00 4.00 9.91 16.50

52WK LOW 4.50 32.12 1.46 2.10 1.30 5.50 6.00 2.82 4.25 2.27 5.00 9.75 1.99 6.50 9.50 8.40 13.10 3.42 8.00 15.50

SECURITY AML Foods Limited APD Limited Benchmark Bahamas First Holdings Limited Bank of Bahamas Bahamas Property Fund Bahamas Waste Cable Bahamas Commonwealth Brewery Commonwealth Bank Colina Holdings CIBC FirstCaribbean Bank Consolidated Water BDRs Doctor's Hospital Emera Incorporated Famguard Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) Limited Focol Finco J. S. Johnson

PREFERENCE SHARES 1.00

1.00

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00

1.00 10.00 1.00

1.00 10.00 1.00

Bahamas First Holdings Preference Cable Bahamas Series 6 Cable Bahamas Series 8 Cable Bahamas Series 9 Cable Bahamas Series 10 Colina Holdings Class A Fidelity Bank Bahamas Class A Focol Class B

CORPORATE DEBT - (percentage pricing) 52WK HI 100.00 100.00

52WK LOW 100.00 100.00

SECURITY Fidelity Bank (Note 22 Series B+) Bahamas First Holdings Limited

SYMBOL AML APD BBL BFH BOB BPF BWL CAB CBB CBL CHL CIB CWCB DHS EMAB FAM FBB FCL FIN JSJ BFHP CAB6 CAB8 CAB9 CAB10 CHLA FBBA FCLB SYMBOL FBB22 BFHB

BAHAMAS GOVERNMENT STOCK - (percentage pricing) 115.92 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 102.00 100.22 96.09 99.44 100.11 100.70 100.43 100.58 100.06 100.36

104.79 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 96.09 99.44 100.11 100.00 99.98 100.58 100.00 100.36

Bahamas Note 6.95 (2029) BGS: 2014-12-7Y BGS: 2015-1-7Y BGS: 2014-12-30Y BGS: 2015-1-30Y BGS: 2015-6-7Y BGS: 2015-6-30Y BGS: 2015-10-7Y BGRS FL BGRS67023 BGRS FX BGR139140 BGRS FX BGR141240 BGRS FL BGRS76025 BGRS FL BGRS84033 BGRS FL BGRS71023 BGRS FL BGRS75023 BGRS FL BGRS92028 BGRS FL BGRS98031

BAH29 BG0107 BG0207 BG0130 BG0230 BG0307 BG0330 BG0407 BSBGRS670233 BSBGR1391402 BSBGR1411408 BSBGRS760257 BSBGRS840331 BSBGRS710237 BSBGRS750233 BSBGRS920281 BSBGRS980319

LAST CLOSE 5.30 39.95 2.04 2.39 2.31 6.05 9.50 3.15 8.00 2.86 7.00 13.00 1.98 10.06 11.52 10.75 15.00 3.95 9.85 15.51 1.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 1.00 LAST SALE 100.00 100.00 107.31 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 96.09 99.44 100.11 100.15 99.98 100.83 100.00 100.47

CLOSE 5.30 39.95 2.04 2.39 2.31 6.05 9.50 3.15 8.00 2.86 7.00 13.00 1.98 10.06 11.45 10.75 15.00 3.95 9.85 15.51

CHANGE 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 (0.07) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

1.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 1.00

VOLUME

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

CLOSE 100.00 100.00

CHANGE 0.00 0.00

107.31 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 96.09 99.44 100.11 100.15 99.98 100.83 100.00 100.47

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

EPS$ 0.239 0.932 0.000 0.070 0.070 1.760 0.369 -0.438 0.140 0.184 0.449 0.722 0.102 0.467 0.646 0.728 0.816 0.203 0.939 0.631 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

VOLUME

DIV$ 0.170 1.260 0.020 0.110 0.000 0.000 0.260 0.000 0.000 0.120 0.220 0.720 0.434 0.060 0.328 0.240 0.540 0.120 0.200 0.610 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

INTEREST Prime + 1.75% 6.25% 6.95% 4.50% 4.50% 6.25% 6.25% 4.50% 6.25% 4.25% 4.62% 5.60% 5.90% 4.53% 4.68% 4.53% 4.46% 4.34% 4.30%

P/E 22.2 42.9 N/M 34.1 N/M N/M 25.7 -7.2 57.1 15.5 15.6 18.0 19.4 21.5 17.7 14.8 18.4 19.5 10.5 24.6 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

YIELD 3.21% 3.15% 0.98% 4.60% 0.00% 0.00% 2.74% 0.00% 0.00% 4.20% 3.14% 5.54% 21.92% 0.60% 2.86% 2.23% 3.60% 3.04% 2.03% 3.93% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 6.25% 7.00% 6.50%

MATURITY 19-Oct-2022 30-Sep-2025 20-Nov-2029 15-Dec-2021 30-Jul-2022 15-Dec-2044 30-Jul-2045 26-Jun-2022 26-Jun-2045 15-Oct-2022 8-Apr-2023 15-Sep-2040 17-Nov-2040 18-Jan-2025 22-Sep-2033 22-Oct-2023 7-Sep-2023 10-Nov-2028 26-Jul-2031

MUTUAL FUNDS 52WK HI 2.48 4.59 2.19 207.86 207.68 1.72 1.82 1.80 1.05 8.92 10.81 7.44 16.64 12.76 10.57 10.00 10.43 14.89

52WK LOW 2.11 3.30 1.68 164.74 116.70 1.68 1.73 1.75 1.03 6.41 7.62 5.66 8.65 10.54 9.57 9.88 8.45 11.20

FUND CFAL Bond Fund CFAL Balanced Fund CFAL Money Market Fund CFAL Global Bond Fund CFAL Global Equity Fund Leno Financial Conservative Fund Leno Financial Aggressive Fund Leno Financial Balanced Fund Leno Financial Global Bond Fund RF Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Secured Balanced Fund RF Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Targeted Equity Fund RF Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Prime Income Fund RF Bahamas International Investment Fund Limited - Equities Sub Fund RF Bahamas International Investment Fund Limited - High Yield Income Fund RF Bahamas International Investment Fund Limited - Alternative Strategies Fund Colonial Bahamas Fund Class D Colonial Bahamas Fund Class E Colonial Bahamas Fund Class F

NAV 2.48 4.59 2.19 204.67 199.97 1.72 1.82 1.80 1.02 8.92 10.81 7.44 16.64 12.73 10.57 N/A 10.43 14.89

YTD% 12 MTH% 3.60% 4.38% 3.43% 3.47% 2.22% 2.69% 1.37% 3.18% 8.18% 14.94% 2.70% 2.70% 1.63% 1.63% 2.39% 2.39% -2.79% -2.79% 5.11% 6.98% 7.77% 9.88% 2.28% 3.71% 19.64% 29.95% -0.81% -0.62% 5.19% 2.28% N/A N/A 3.00% 25.60% 7.90% 48.70%

NAV Date 31-Oct-2021 31-Oct-2021 29-Oct-2021 30-Sep-2021 30-Sep-2021 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 31-Aug-2021 31-Aug-2021 31-Aug-2021 31-Aug-2021 31-Aug-2021 31-Aug-2021 31-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021

out of cash by 2024, a frequent warning from the service. It has estimated it will lose $160 billion over the coming decade.

Those pressures have brought the two parties together for a measure aimed at helping the Postal Service, its employees, businesses that use it and disgruntled voters who rely on it for delivery of prescription drugs, checks and other packages. Tuesday's vote was 342-92, a rare show of partisan agreement, with all Democrats and most Republicans backing it.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., chairwoman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, said the Postal Service "provides service to every American, no matter where they live, binding us together in a way no other organization does."

Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, that committee's top Republican, said "the days of letters alone driving Postal Service revenue are not coming back." The bill, he said, will "help it succeed into the 21st century."

Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said he expects his chamber to "move quickly" on the measure.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he's planning a vote before a recess that starts after next week. The bill has 14 GOP sponsors and, with strong Democratic support expected, seems on track to gain the 60 votes most bills need for Senate passage.

Over the years, some lawmakers have wanted to impose tougher requirements for faster service by the Postal Service, while others have favored privatizing some services. The compromise omits controversial proposals.

There has been talk over the years of reducing deliveries to five days per week, which could save more than $1 billion annually, according to the Government Accountability Office, the accounting agency of Congress. That idea has proven politically toxic and has not been pursued.

The bill would also require the Postal Service to set up an online "dashboard" that would be searchable by zip code to show how long it takes to deliver letters and packages.

The measure is supported

by President Joe Biden, the Postal Service, postal worker unions, industries that use the service and others.

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said the bill would help "provide the American people with the delivery service they expect and deserve." Mark Dimondstein, president of the American Postal Workers Union, called the bill "outstanding" in an interview.

One of the bill's few critics was Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., who said its changes fell short.

"It has failed to make a profit, it has failed the American people, and everyone who has a mailbox knows it," he said.

MARKET TERMS

BISX ALL SHARE INDEX - 19 Dec 02 = 1,000.00

YIELD - last 12 month dividends divided by closing price

52wk-Hi - Highest closing price in last 52 weeks

Bid $ - Buying price of Colina and Fidelity

52wk-Low - Lowest closing price in last 52 weeks

Ask $ - Selling price of Colina and fidelity

Previous Close - Previous day's weighted price for daily volume

Last Price - Last traded over-the-counter price

Today's Close - Current day's weighted price for daily volume

Weekly Vol. - Trading volume of the prior week

Change - Change in closing price from day to day

EPS $ - A company's reported earnings per share for the last 12 mths

Daily Vol. - Number of total shares traded today

NAV - Net Asset Value

DIV $ - Dividends per share paid in the last 12 months

N/M - Not Meaningful

P/E - Closing price divided by the last 12 month earnings

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A WORKER carries a large parcel at the United States Postal Service sorting and processing facility Nov. 18, 2021, in Boston.

Congress would lift onerous budget requirements that have helped push the Postal Service deeply into debt and would require it to continue delivering mail six days per week under bipartisan legislation that approached House approval Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022.

Photo:Charles Krupa/AP

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, February 9, 2022, PAGE 19

AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION PAYS COURTESY CALL AT MOTIA THE Agricultural Development Organisation (ADO) met with Chester Cooper, deputy prime minister and minister of tourism, investments and aviation, at his offices on Monday.

Also present were Clay Sweeting, minister of agriculture, marine resources and Family Island affairs, and Reginald Saunders, permanent secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation.

Pictured are Mr Cooper (at the head of the table) and, from left: Philip Smith, executive chairman, ADO; Buck Ross; Karen Casey; Dr Ana Everitt; Shawn Smith; Tyrone Fowler; Dion Smith; Nekia Brice; Michelle Lodge; Diane Phillips; Reginald Saunders; and Mr Sweeting Photo:Kemuel Stubbs/BIS

DPM MEETS WITH CRUISE PORT CHIEFS

CRUISE SHIP ARRESTS: ‘NO COST TO THE GOV’T’ FROM PAGE 24 “There’s absolutely no cost to The Bahamas’ government,” he said, adding that every commercial vessel should also possess insurance to cover situations such as this. “There’s no timeline for how long they will be under arrest.

It all depends on whether they’re able to settle the debt or the court orders the vessels to be sold.

“Right now our obligation is to control and secure the ship, and to have the crew repatriated. It could go from a couple of days to couple of weeks, but we’re not certain of the timeline.”

Confirming that both Crystal vessels are “in the anchorage just outside the harbour” in Freeport, Commander Wright added: “There’s private security on board and all the ships’ documents have been secured.

They are really no good without those documents; they can’t travel anywhere without those documents.... all the certifications.”

He was also waiting on “a precise figure” for how many crew will have to be left on both vessels to maintain them, something known as “the safe manning requirement”, which is determined by the cruise ships’ “character and capacity”. That will determine how many of the 900 total crew will be repatriated, with “small numbers” already leaving the ships to head to their home countries.

Commander Wright said that, while both Crystal ships already have a port/ shipping agent to take

care of their food provisioning and fuel needs, it is uncertain who will be paying them. Genting, the conglomerate that owns Resorts World Bimini, is the ultimate owner, while Peninsula Petroleum is the fuel supplier that moved for their arrest.

Jobeth Coleby-Davis, minister for transport and housing, said of the cruise ships’ arrest: “What happened is the owners of the ship had a warrant that was issued in the US, and they came into our jurisdiction because they’re registered as a flag ship under the Bahamas Maritime Authority. As a result, they have that right to come here.

“Now, it’s a delicate balance that has to be placed because they are one of our registered ships. All of their certifications are still in good standing, their insurance has to be in good standing, and so we have to balance BMA’s relationship with our ships as well as warrants that are placed on assets. The ship is an asset of the actual owner. And the assets have been seized in the US. “We, through the Supreme Court here, issued a writ for the ships to be arrested here because of the existing warrant in the US, and so then they assigned an admiralty marshall, who is our port controller, Berne Wright, who went and assisted with the arrest of the ship due to the fact that the warrant exists in the US in that jurisdiction. So that’s what’s happened there.”

This is a “normal procedure,” she added. Crystal Cruises has another ship

that has been arrested in Argentina, and Mrs ColebyDavis said: “So it’s nothing unusual that has happened.

It’s just a process that we have to go through, and then we have to make sure that we’re in alignment with the issuance of warrants.”

Chester Cooper, deputy prime minister and minister of tourism, investments and aviation, wished Crystal Cruises well as it had been a “good partner”. He voiced hope that its financial troubles is a will be resolved soon.

“The matter with Crystal Cruises is a commercial matter I believe that the attorney general has spoken to it or will speak to it,” he added. “But from a tourism perspective, Crystal Cruises has been a good partner.

“They had implemented home porting and traveling around the islands of The Bahamas. That product was well received with reasonable degrees of successes in some of the islands, and we wish them well.

Mr Cooper continued: “The numbers that they brought were relatively low in comparison to the five million pre-pandemic cruise visitors that we received. So we don’t expect a significant impact in the number of visitors as a result of their departure.

“However, we want them to do well and they’re having some financial issues clearly at the parent level.

They’re practically out of business, and it’s a commercial matter between them and the people they owe.

We wish them well for the future.”

ONE OF CRYSTAL CRUISES’ VESSELS DETAINED IN THE BAHAMAS.

CHESTER COOPER, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, held discussions with Nassau Cruise Port executives when they made a courtesy call at his offices on Monday. Pictured from L to R are: Mehmet Kutman, chairman, Nassau Cruise Port; Mr Cooper; Reginald Saunders, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation; and Mike Maura, chief executive, Nassau Cruise Port.

Photo:Kemuel Stubbs/BIS

PAGE 20, Wednesday, February 9, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

COSTS CLIMB AGAIN FOR CALIFORNIA’S HIGH-SPEED RAIL PROJECT

By KATHLEEN RONAYNE Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif.

(AP) — The cost to build California's ambitious but long delayed high-speed rail line has once again risen, with rail officials now estimating it could take up to $105 billion to finish the line from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

The new cost estimates, released Tuesday as part of the California High Speed Rail Authority's biennial business plan, are up roughly $5 billion from two years ago. The increases are due in part to new commitments aimed at minimizing community disruption, such as building enhanced noise barriers and distancing the train from the Cesar E. Chavez National Monument in the Central Valley, project officials said.

The project's price tag has steadily risen since voters first approved nearly $10 billion in bond money for it in 2008, when the total cost was pegged at $40 billion. In the years since, the costs have kept climbing amid struggles to obtain the necessary land and other delays. The first part of the line will run through the Central Valley; construction is underway, but no track has yet been laid.

Chief Executive Officer Brian Kelly said Tuesday the possibility of a fresh infusion of cash from the federal government puts the project on a stronger path.

California should be in a good position to compete for as much as $6 billion in grant money under the federal infrastructure bill Congress passed last year.

During the Obama administration, California won roughly $3 billion for

A FULL-scale mock-up of a high-speed train, is displayed at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., on Feb. 26, 2015. The California High-Speed Rail Authority’s biennial business plan, released Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, shows the estimated cost of the project rising by about $5 billion, compared to the 2020 plan, up to as much as $105 billion.

Photo:Rich Pedroncelli/AP

the project, then former Republican President Donald Trump revoked about $1 billion of that. It's been returned by the Biden administration.

Receiving billions more in federal dollars would allow the project's first

operational track to be a double track, not a single one, and help the project move forward on design and other work, Kelly said.

"We just think that this is a great opportunity to really move the project forward," he said.

Still, the project faces challenges. Last year, the state Legislature did not agree to Gov. Gavin Newsom's budget request to release $4.2 billion that's left in the voter-approved bond fund for the project.

Democratic leaders in the

state Assembly have been hesitant to release the money due to skepticism about the project's overall approach and lack of sustained funding.

Newsom, a Democrat, proposed releasing the money again in his January budget proposal. His spokespeople did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the status of the negotiations.

JUSTICE DEPT. ANNOUNCES $3.6B CRYPTO SEIZURE, 2 ARRESTS

By ERIC TUCKER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department announced Tuesday its largest-ever financial seizure — more than $3.6 billion — and the arrests of a New York couple accused of conspiring to launder billions of dollars in cryptocurrency stolen from the 2016 hack of a virtual currency exchange.

Federal law enforcement officials said the recovered sum was linked to the hack of Bitfinex, a virtual currency exchange whose systems were breached by hackers nearly six years ago.

Ilya "Dutch" Lichtenstein, a 34-year-old citizen of Russia and the United States, and his wife, Heather Morgan, 31, were arrested in Manhattan on Tuesday morning, accused of relying on various sophisticated techniques to launder the stolen cryptocurrency and to conceal the transactions. They face federal charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to defraud the United States.

"The message to criminals is clear: Cryptocurrency is not a safe haven. We can and we

will follow the money, no matter what form it takes," Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said in a video statement released by the Justice Department.

At an initial court appearance, a magistrate judge ruled Lichtenstein could be released into home detention on a $5 million bond co-signed by his parents; the bond amount for Morgan was set at $3 million. They were to remain in custody until the bail conditions were met.

Prosecutors had argued defendants should be denied bail, calling them flight risks who still potentially have access to vast sums of money. In addition, during a search of their home, investigators found a folder labeled "passport ideas" that contained information on how to get fake IDs, along with a stash of burner phones, the prosecutors said.

Defense attorney Anirudh Bansal countered by telling the judge his clients had no intention of fleeing.

He said they had known they were under investigation since late last year, "and still they sat tight."

He also called the charges "thin" and overblown.

"I don't think you'll find that billions of dollars have

AN AMERICAN flag flies outside the Department of Justice in Washington, March 22, 2019. The Justice Department has announced its largest-ever financial seizure — more than $3.5 billion — and the arrests of a New York couple accused of conspiring to launder billions of dollars in cryptocurrency. It says the cryptocurrency was stolen from the 2016 hack of a virtual currency exchange.

Photo:Andrew Harnik/AP

been laundered," Bansal said.

The couple was not charged in the Bitfinex hack itself, during which a hacker initiated more than 2,000 unauthorized bitcoin transactions that sent stolen funds to a digital wallet under Lichtenstein's control. About $71 million in bitcoin — valued today at more than $4.5 billion — was stolen, prosecutors say.

Authorities say they ultimately traced the stolen

criminal marketplace that was dismantled by the Justice Department in 2017, as an opportunity to conceal their transactions and make them harder to trace, prosecutors said.

Millions of dollars of the transactions were cashed out through bitcoin ATMs and used to purchase gold and non-fungible tokens as well as more mundane items like Walmart gift cards for personal expenses, prosecutors said.

Justice Department officials say that though the proliferation of cryptocurrency and virtual currency exchanges represent innovation, the trend has also been accompanied by money laundering, ransomware and other crimes.

The Justice Department last year announced the formation of the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team in recognition of the trend.

Hydrogen incentives get cold reception in New Mexico

Environmental groups and consumer protection advocates said the proposal would undermine climate protection goals of the state's Renewable Energy Act, while relying on unproven carbon capture techniques.

Muñoz said the bill could help New Mexico become a staging ground for an emerging hydrogen industry. Proponents of hydrogen research and development predict a path to cleaner sources of fuel for industrial sectors and the deployment of fuel-cell vehicles in heavy, long-haul trucking.

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A panel of state legislators on Tuesday rejected a bill that would have provided new financial incentives in New Mexico for the hydrogen fuel that is derived from natural gas.

A Senate panel suspended the bill from further consideration on a 7-2 vote amid lengthy and impassioned public comments.

funds to more than a dozen accounts that were controlled by Lichtenstein, Morgan and their businesses. Court documents accuse them of relying on classic money-laundering techniques to hide their activities and the movement of the money, such as setting up accounts with fictitious names and using computer programs to automate transactions.

They also relied on AlphaBay, a dark web

The initiative — sponsored by Democratic Sen. George Muñoz of Gallup — would treat some hydrogen and hydrogen-fueled generating stations for electricity much like renewable energy sources such as wind turbines and solar-panel arrays that get favored treatment in the procurement process for electricity by utility companies.

PUBLIC NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE

CAROPAN COMPANY S.A. Company No. 1573634 (In Voluntary Liquidation) NOTICE is hereby given pursuant to Section 204 (1)(b) of the BVI Business Companies Act, 2004 that CAROPAN COMPANY S.A. is in voluntary liquidation. The voluntary liquidation commenced on 2nd February 2022 and Querube C. De Nuñez of MMG Tower, Ave. Paseo del Mar, Costa del Este, Panama City, Rep. of Panama been appointed as the Sole Liquidator.

Dated this 3rd day of February 2022 Sgd. Querube C. De Nuñez Voluntary Liquidator

The preferences would only apply to hydrogen made from "responsibly sourced" natural gas where climate-warming pollution from hydrogen production is captured and stored underground. Some carbon dioxide emissions still would be allowed at hydrogenfueled power plants, though at lower rates that gas-fired power plants.

PUBLIC NOTICE

INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL

INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL

The Public is hereby advised that WE, DANISE SEYMOURLEWIS AND ALEXIS LEWIS SR. of Huyler Street, Nassau, The Bahamas, parents of KAIDEN LEONARDO ALEXIVIER SEYMOUR a minor intend to change our child’s name to KAIDEN LEONARDO ALEXIVIER LEWIS. If there are any objections to this change of name by Deed Poll, you may write such objections to the Deputy Chief Passport Officer, P.O. Box N-742, Nassau, Bahamas no later than thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice.

The Public is hereby advised that I, CAMERON ANTONIUS MILLER of #9 South Beach Estates, Faith Avenue, South, P.O. Box N-16740, Nassau, Bahamas, intend to change my name to CAMERON MILES CARTWRIGHT. If there are any objections to this change of name by Deed Poll, you may write such objections to the Chief Passport Officer, P.O.Box N-742, Nassau, Bahamas no later than thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice.

NOTICE

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that RUTH VANIA OMNIS of Hanna Hill, Emr, Grand, Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 2st day of February, 2022 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE is hereby given that PAUL BARRINGTON HUNT of 8 Bayshore Circle, Freeport, Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 9th day of February, 2022 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

PAGE 21, Wednesday, February 9, 2022

MARINA SLOWDOWN CAUSING ‘FREAK OUT’ FROM PAGE 24

Category Five storms down there, so we got a lot of business in 2019. In 2020, everything was very shaky, but when we did open boats started coming fast, and 2021 was tremendous because the Caribbean was still closed. Now the boats are going back,” Mr Maury said.

“This is what I don’t understand about politicians. They say where the boats are going to go, but the Caribbean is already beating us on occupancy.

One of the previous financial secretaries said: ‘Where are they going to go?’ I said: ‘The same place where they always go’. The Caribbean gets two-thirds of the business, we get one-third, and now they’re back to the Caribbean.”

The ABM chief said the “scarcity” of COVID tests in Florida, which is The Bahamas’ core boating market, had caused a problem over the Christmas/ New Year period with some boaters unable to obtain

tests and the results in time to meet the then five-day pre-day travel window set by this nation.

That was subsequently narrowed to three days, which increased the challenge associated with boats and yachts being able to obtain approved Health Visas for passengers and crew - and make the crossing to The Bahamas in time - especially during rough weather.

Asked what improvements he would like to see The Bahamas make, Mr Maury said “a very clear Customs clearance process”, and a much easier way to obtain cruising permits and pay charter fees, was required.

He described the process for obtaining a charter licence, and paying the associated fees, in particular as “so disorientating right now”. Incoming boats and yachts previously had to obtain a cruising permit, then get their charter

Rejected Post Office PPP may be revived

2024. In the meantime, it is seeking “expressions of interest” from developers, contractors and others with the necessary expertise to develop a new location.

Confirming that the Government is “definitely” hoping construction can begin this year, she added: “The RFP (request for proposal) comes in at the end of this month, and so we’ll go through all of the proposals and then take it to Cabinet and get a final approval on who will be carrying out the construction on that project.

“Once we have that we hope for them to start as soon as possible. “I’m asking for less than 18 months for completion.”

Mrs Coleby-Davis justified the move on the basis that the existing lease “strains” taxpayers, and that Post Office services will be expanded if the Government ultimately owns the

into summer” and result in several strong months for the sector and associated industries prior to the traditional slowdown at the peak of hurricane season.

“We’re hoping that the boats stay, and don’t go south or north, and hang around The Bahamas more,” he added. “That’s what we’re hoping. I don’t think we’re going to be as good as last year, I can tell you that. We’re waiting for them to come back for March.

“There’s room to change in policies and procedures on our end. It would be nice if we got rid of this testing and Health Travel Visa, and back we go to business. The testing is definitely a complaint. We’re behind the times. We could have made some changes but that’s beyond us now.

“Nothing is going to be like last year because the Caribbean was closed. In 2018, they had all those

FROM PAGE 24 just one day before it was voted out of office on May 10, 2017. However, the businessman told this newspaper he was not responsible for the timing, and had warned the then-government against “leaving me out in the cold” with a multi-million dollar exposure.

He was subsequently forced to seek damages from the Government for alleged “breach of contract” via the Supreme Court. When this was pointed out to Desmond Bannister, former minister of works, he replied: “The Post Office challenge is one

where they were building without a building permit.

“They were actually moving ahead on that project without a building permit. The building control officer had to go in there after a number of warnings to stop them. That Post Office had drawn protests from the Garden Hills community, and created problems with traffic. There were a litany of problems it created. It’s going to be litigated, I guess, and we’ll see what happens.”

Meanwhile, Mrs ColebyDavis said the Government will see out the remaining two years on the Post Office’s current Town Centre Mall lease which expires at end-February

THE TRIBUNE

licence and pay the associated fees.

Now, Mr Maury said, in addition to these steps they have to pay a $75 transire fee, which relates to a Customs document detailing cargo onboard as well as the senders and receivers.

Only once this is obtained can the charter licence, and payment of associated fees, be concluded.

The Bahamas’ private boating/yachting market, together with private aviation and Airbnb-style vacation rentals, were the first segments to rebound and lead tourism’s postCOVID recovery. Boating, especially, was seen as ideal for a socially-distanced COVID world as vessels could moor offshore or visit remoter islands.

In addition, the sector was seen as driving higher spending, higher yielding visitors to The Bahamas who spread their money around multiple Bahamian islands rather than being

confined to just one resort or destination.

However, Mr Maury voiced disappointment that the $2.5m in yacht charter fees collected last year via the online portal established by the marina industry had not been “put back” into the sector’s training and development.

“One of the things we had been saying is if they [boats] have to pay charter fees, let’s have an online portal where they pay, or the broker pays, when they get money from the client,” he added. “We put that in place, and it’s working, but we didn’t get the money back.

“Most of the boats chartered in The Bahamas are Cayman or Jamaican registered. They do most of their business here, but the fees go to countries outside The Bahamas. How does that make sense?”

Arguing that the Government is too focused on mass stopover and cruise tourism, Mr Maury said

the ABM and its partners have teamed up to stage a two-hour “pop-up” training session this Friday, February 12, at 12pm at Bay Street Marina to introduce Bahamians to the range of career opportunities presented by the industry.

He added that Bahamian boat captains, crew and chefs would all be present to inspire new recruits, adding that the marina/ yachting rate’s growth was outpacing the labour market’s ability to supply workers. Maritime plumbers and engineers were just some of the professions the ABM chief identified as suffering from a worker shortage.

“That’s the only way to grow our industry,” Mr Maury said. “If the boats come here and can’t get everything they need in our country, they will go back to the Caribbean. It has to be a whole co-operative effort to grow the industry in our country.”

JOBETH COLEBY-DAVIS

The then-Opposition Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) blasted the deal as a ‘conflict of interest’ given his Cabinet position, even though this was fully disclosed and the matter debated in Parliament. The lease terms also appear relatively favourable for the Government given its weak financial position.

Mr Symonette also said he was not present in The Bahamas when the Minnis Cabinet voted to move the Post Office to Town Centre Mall, as he was attending the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) Latin American regional conference.

“The lease takes a lot of strain, and puts a lot of strain on the public purse, and we don’t actually own the building. With the Post Office having its own building, we can also expand the services,” she added.

“We can modernise the

services, we can change what we offer, we can add new services and that brings a larger revenue stream, which would in turn take care of itself.

“But if we continue to lease it would be 20, 30, 40 years where you’re just dumping and paying out for no real ownership. So, I think it’s important for them to have their own home, and that gives us another avenue to expand our revenue streams. With the Post Office, the postal service and modernisation of it.”

However, the PPP arrangement with a private sector developer will still likely see the Government rent the Post Office for the length of time mentioned

by Mrs Coleby-Davis to ensure the former gets a return on their investment.

property following the expiry of a lease with the PPP developer.

The lease aroused significant controversy because Brent Symonette, then a sitting Cabinet minister, is among the Town Centre Mall’s owners with himself and his brother, Craig, holding a 50 percent equity stake in the property. The other 50 percent is owned by the Darville family.

PAGE 22, Wednesday, February 9, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

OLD FORT BAY DEVELOPER LOSES MARINA EXPANSION APPEAL BID FROM PAGE 24

adjoining property owners be consulted - before the Supreme Court would give the go-ahead to a marina expansion that was approved nine years ago.

Justice Charles said it was “untenable” for New Providence Development Company to argue that the court was “usurping” the statutory planning functions of the executive - namely the Ministry of Works, Town Planning Committee and Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP) - by ordering that an EIA be conducted by an “expert” agreed by all sides.

Rejecting the arguments by the developer’s attorney, Gail Lockhart-Charles QC, Justice Charles wrote: “The court is not precluded from obtaining an objective Environmental Assessment report merely because it is relevant to the planning approval phase.

“Mrs Lockhart-Charles’ suggestion that the court has usurped the functions of the Subdivision Planning Approval Committee is untenable because the court has not set aside planning approval - and cannot do so. It is a matter that the court will consider in determining this discrete issue of the marina expansion. It is for the court, not counsel, to determine the issues.”

Site visits to the Lyford Cay and Albany marinas were also part of the conditions imposed by Justice Charles in determining whether to approve an Old Fort Bay marina expansion that has been halted for nine years, despite all the necessary permits having been obtained in 2013 for what the developer asserts is merely the installation of additional floating docks.

Mrs Lockhart-Charles last night said she and her client remained steadfast in their belief that the marinarelated orders effectively mean the court is taking the place of the executive when it comes to making planning permit decisions.

“It is within the jurisdiction of the DEPP to determine issues relating to EIA assessments, and with regard to permission to build,” she argued. “The developer took all the steps required to be taken in the permitting process prior to commencement of this action, and obtained its permits prior to this action.

“We do not agree that it is the role of the court to determine whether a developer can be permitted to build, modify or expand a marina that the court has said belongs to it. That is a matter for the Ministry of Works and DEPP.... The court is not the decision-maker. In our view it is not correct for the court to take on the role of decision-maker. Let the decision-maker make the decision, then intervene.

“This is about process, and we do not think it a correct process for the court to be requiring an EIA and public consultation. These are matters within the jurisdiction of the DEPP director under the EIA regulations and the Environmental Planning and Protection Act.” Emphasising that she nevertheless respected Justice Charles’ ruling, Mrs Lockhart-Charles added that statute law gave the DEPP director the discretionary power to determine whether an EIA was required for a specific development and a “public meeting to be held”.

She argued that the court’s proper role was to determine any Judicial Review challenge that might be brought by the Old Fort Bay Property Owners Association, and its individual members, to the marina permits once they were granted. Justice Charles, though, did not see it that way.

In what was a near-total victory for the Association and its members, she also rejected New Providence Development Company’s efforts to “stay” the enforcement of other orders in her initial ruling.

These included damages the developer must pay for selling an area of common property belonging to the Association, as well as that it transfer all such areas to the homeowners including the lands by Old Fort Bay’s security gate. Both sides have agreed, though, that the “status quo” on the gated community’s security gate be maintained until the appeal on this issue is heard.

Sean Andrews, the Old Fort Bay Property Owners Association’s chairman, told Tribune Business via a written statement last night that it was “unconscionable” for New Providence Development Company to drag out the Beach Reserve’s return given that it should have been handed over “more than a decade ago”.

“The court denied the developer’s request for leave to stay the aspects of the court’s judgment that were in favour of the Property Owners Association, more particularly the long-awaited handover of the common areas which is vitally important to the Property Owners Association along with the payment

of damages for the sale of the designated beach reserve by the developer,” he said.

“It seems unconscionable that the developer would now refuse to hand over the common area that ought to have been handed over to the Property Owners Association more than a decade ago.”

As for the marina, Mr Andrews added: “The developer also sought to appeal the court’s case management powers in relation to the developer’s proposed marina installation at a stage when the developer has sold virtually every lot in the development and hand over of control to the Property Owners Association has occurred.

“The court has clearly acted prudently with respect to the developer’s proposed marina, and the Property Owners Association remains confident that the court will determine this issue in their favour having regard to the surrounding facts and the overwhelming wishes of the owners and residents of Old Fort Bay who oppose the proposed marina installation.

“It remains the Property Owners Association’s overreaching intention to bring closure to this matter in the interests of the residents of Old Fort Bay.” Justice Charles, meanwhile, made clear she was less than impressed by “spurious and unsubstantiated allegations” contained in Mrs Lockhart-Charles’ submissions.

These suggested that the court “conspired” with the Property Owners Association’s attorney, Krystal Rolle QC, to alter the “draft” version of the original January 4 judgment in favour of the latter’s clients.

Justice Charles, as a result, issued a reminder about contempt of court proceedings brought against other Bahamian attorneys, namely Donna DorsettMajor, over similar claims.

“This is a serious indictment on the court and a highly-respected Queen’s Counsel. Mrs LockhartCharles does not have a shred of evidence to substantiate her baseless and speculative allegations.

This kind of behaviour is disturbing,” Justice Charles wrote.

“In addition, it is also not healthy for the administration of justice in this country. The court is the last bastion of hope for preserving and protecting the constitution, the ultimate guardian of democracy, justice and people’s fundamental rights.

“Correspondingly, judges should be above reproach in the eyes of a reasonable observer, for their conducts and behaviours are the key to maintaining public faith in the judiciary..... I do hope that Mrs Lockhart-Charles will retract these speculative and fanciful allegations which have no place in a court of law. I say no more.”

Pointing out that it was clear to all parties that the initial verdict circulated to them, prior to the January 4 final version, was a “draft” that was subject to change, Justice Charles also dismissed claims by New Providence Development Company that “the inordinate delay of 18 months to deliver the judgment compromised the court’s understanding of the issues”.

“Mrs Lockhart-Charles QC, appearing for the developer, submitted that the delay is exacerbated by a further eight years

COMPETITIVENESS BOOST ON 70% OF CIVIL DISPUTES FROM PAGE 24 “The majority of civil court proceedings are covered by these Rules, which have now been released for consultation to the Bar Association and all stakeholders. That’s a big step in and of itself, and we’ve been working tirelessly on this.”

Sir Brian said a series of workshops, seminars and webinars will be held to discuss the proposed Rules between now and April to ensure that attorneys, judicial officers and court staff are trained and brought up

to speed on the changes and what they will mean for litigants and the court system.

Suggesting that further amendments will flow from the consultation, he added: “By the time we get to the first or second week of May, I hope to promulgate those Rules - either by the end of April or early May. It is a massive process.”

Sir Brian said the Rules are designed to make The Bahamas more competitive when it comes to resolving commercial and other disputes, which is a key factor considered by investors in

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choosing where to deploy their capital, as well as being vital to this nation’s reputation as an international business centre and international financial centre (IFC).

He added that it will also bring The Bahamas into line with world practices and its Caribbean rivals, disclosing: “Virtually every other country in the region has moved to the new Civil Procedure Rules. All countries have some variation, but the model has been adopted in Barbados, Trinidad, Cayman, Guyana and the eastern Caribbean states.

“We are really the last one, or one of the last countries, in the region to move to Civil Procedure Rules.

So to that extent we are catching up and modernising our procedures for civil litigation in The Bahamas.”

In particular, Sir Brian said the reforms will make case management more “judge or court driven”, thereby reducing the ability of attorneys and their clients to stall cases and clog up the judicial system for months and even years.

“The objectives are one, to streamline the process

where possible; two, to simplify the process where possible; and three to introduce a strenuous case management mandate to accelerate the disposition of cases and applications whether it’s a judge or judicial officer, sometimes the registrar,” he told this newspaper.

“They will become a much more active player in the case so that litigation is no longer lawyer driven or party driven, but judge driven. This effort to make it more expedited, more streamlined and more efficient, with stronger case management processes included in the Rules, are intended to accelerate the disposition of cases, reduce the amount of time and thereby reduce the cost.”

Sir Brian said the Bahamian judicial system already possesses strong case management powers via the Supreme Court’s rules, but these will now be further “strengthened” via the new Rules. He acknowledged that the changes are “not a panacea; they will not solve all problems, but will provide a much more modern and contemporaneous

PUBLIC NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE

CAROPAN COMPANY S.A. Company No. 1573634 (In Voluntary Liquidation) NOTICE is hereby given pursuant to Section 204 (1)(b) of the BVI Business Companies Act, 2004 that CAROPAN COMPANY S.A. is in voluntary liquidation. The voluntary liquidation commenced on 2nd February 2022 and Querube C. De Nuñez of MMG Tower, Ave. Paseo del Mar, Costa del Este, Panama City, Rep. of Panama been appointed as the Sole Liquidator.

Dated this 3rd day of February 2022 Sgd. Querube C. De Nuñez Voluntary Liquidator

platform for addressing civil litigation”.

The Chief Justice added there are “significant changes” proposed for the exchange of evidence between parties to a legal dispute and their attorneys, which is known as “the discovery process” and forms “a big part of litigation”.

And, with cross-border lawsuits on the rise, the Rules will also facilitate the ability of Bahamas-based parties to bring litigation against entities and individuals residing in foreign jurisdictions. “That is being added to us up to date with jurisdictions in the region, to make us more competitive, compliant with best practices and ensure our court system is comparable to any in the region with regard to commercial matters,” he added.

“I would say it’s going to greatly enhance the ability of the country to deal with commercial and civil cases in a shorter period of time. It’s going to result in stronger monitoring and tracking of cases by the judiciary because it’s not going to move at the pace of lawyers or the parties. They

between the commencement of the action, which has prevented the developer from developing his own land in accordance with the Planning Approval granted in 2013... and the commencement of the trial,” Justice Charles noted.

While acknowledging that the delay was “inordinate”, Justice Charles said the COVID-19 pandemic and complexity of the case, together with a 13-day trial and the volume of evidence produced by both sides, were mitigating factors.

And she noted that both sides were responsible for pre-trial delays.

“The court, very cognisant of the legal maxim ‘justice delayed is justice denied’, and that judgments ought to be delivered in a timely manner, strives to achieve that goal but this is not always possible, especially with a busy calendar and administrative challenges. But no reason is a good reason for any delay,” Justice Charles wrote.

“I do not agree with Mrs Lockhart-Charles that the court’s understanding of the issues was compromised by the delay in the delivery of the judgment.

In fact, it seems odd to me that the developer was satisfied with the issues which were decided in its favour but found that the judge fell into obliviousness when it came to those issues which were not in its favour....

“In any event, the 17 months’ delay in rendering the judgment did not compromise my understanding of the facts and issues. In my judgment, the developer’s preliminary objection with respect to inordinate delay is hopeless and is doomed to fail.” will move at the court’s pace.”

Sir Brian said the new Supreme Court commercial division rules are “intended to provide a more modern and more sophisticated approach to dealing with large commercial cases” involving sums over a certain amount, although he declined to specify this threshold on the grounds it might change after consultation.

“This combination of new Civil Procedure Rules and new commercial division rules will make the jurisdiction more competitive with regard to dispute resolution,” he added, confirming that the creation of a Mediation Unit to provide alternative dispute resolution is also included in the Rules.

“No court system is able to take every case filed to trial in a reasonable period of time,” Sir Brian explained. “It’s important because of volume that the courts try to provide alternative methods of resolving disputes. We want to end up where we’re maybe taking only 60 percent of cases to trial, which is a more manageable amount than taking all cases to trial.”

PUBLIC NOTICE

INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL

INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL

The Public is hereby advised that WE, DANISE SEYMOURLEWIS AND ALEXIS LEWIS SR. of Huyler Street, Nassau, The Bahamas, parents of KAIDEN LEONARDO ALEXIVIER SEYMOUR a minor intend to change our child’s name to KAIDEN LEONARDO ALEXIVIER LEWIS. If there are any objections to this change of name by Deed Poll, you may write such objections to the Deputy Chief Passport Officer, P.O. Box N-742, Nassau, Bahamas no later than thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice.

The Public is hereby advised that I, CAMERON ANTONIUS MILLER of #9 South Beach Estates, Faith Avenue, South, P.O. Box N-16740, Nassau, Bahamas, intend to change my name to CAMERON MILES CARTWRIGHT. If there are any objections to this change of name by Deed Poll, you may write such objections to the Chief Passport Officer, P.O.Box N-742, Nassau, Bahamas no later than thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice.

NOTICE

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that RUTH VANIA OMNIS of Hanna Hill, Emr, Grand, Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 2st day of February, 2022 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE is hereby given that PAUL BARRINGTON HUNT of 8 Bayshore Circle, Freeport, Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 9th day of February, 2022 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, February 9, 2022, PAGE 23

BAIC Board meets minister, managers A CABINET minister and parliamentary secretary yesterday met with the newly-appointed Board of Directors at the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC).

Clay Sweeting, minister of agriculture, marine resources and Family Island affairs, and Leonardo Lightbourn, parliamentary secretary, were introduced to the new directors by executive chairman, Leroy Major.

From L to R are: Kirt Neily; Donna Moxey; Mr

Major; Mr Sweeting; Mr Lightbourn; Sonia Moss-Sands; Nolan W. Carey; Phillip Davis Jr; and Troy Sampson, BAIC’s general manager. Not pictured are directors Zellamae Baer and Paul Turnquest.

BAIC, in a statement, said the minister urged the Board members to work closely with the agency’s management and the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) to enable the Government to implement its election manifesto

commitments and improve The Bahamas’ food security.

Mr Major gave an overview of BAIC’s, its functions and plans for improving the commercial entities under its management - the produce exchange; packing houses; fish and farm store; and the animal feed mill. Members of BAIC’s executive management team were also present for the introduction of Board members.

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 67° F/19° C Low: 43° F/6° C

TAMPA

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Periods of sun with a brief shower

Partly cloudy

Mostly cloudy

Clouds and sun with a shower

Partly sunny with showers around

Partly sunny with heavy showers

High: 79°

Low: 67°

High: 78° Low: 67°

High: 79° Low: 68°

High: 78° Low: 68°

High: 80° Low: 64°

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

85° F

68° F

82°-68° F

81°-70° F

85°-68° F

84°-60° F

The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.

N

almanac

E

W

ABACO

S

N

High: 76° F/24° C Low: 70° F/21° C

8-16 knots

S

High: 70° F/21° C Low: 57° F/14° C

6-12 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 71° F/22° C Low: 58° F/14° C

E S

E

W

WEST PALM BEACH

W

uV inDex toDay

TONIGHT

High: 66° F/19° C Low: 46° F/8° C

N

| Go to AccuWeather.com

High: 76° F/24° C Low: 63° F/17° C

MIAMI

High: 71° F/22° C Low: 58° F/14° C

8-16 knots

Statistics are for Nassau through 1 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 79° F/26° C Low .................................................... 68° F/20° C Normal high ....................................... 77° F/25° C Normal low ........................................ 64° F/18° C Last year’s high ................................. 83° F/28° C Last year’s low ................................... 71° F/22° C Precipitation As of 1 p.m. yesterday .................................. trace Year to date ................................................. 3.74” Normal year to date ..................................... 1.79”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 79° F/26° C Low: 67° F/19° C

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2022

High: 78° F/26° C Low: 72° F/22° C

N

KEY WEST

High: 71° F/22° C Low: 63° F/17° C

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 73° F/23° C

N

S

E

W

4-8 knots

S

4-8 knots Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

High

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

2.3 1.8

8:28 a.m.

8:23 p.m.

0.6 0.2

2:58 a.m.

3:09 p.m.

2.3 1.7

9:30 a.m.

9:18 p.m.

0.6 0.2

Friday

3:54 a.m.

4:06 p.m.

2.3 1.7

10:27 a.m. 0.5 10:12 p.m. 0.2

Saturday

4:46 a.m.

4:59 p.m.

2.4 1.8

11:18 a.m. 0.4 11:02 p.m. 0.1

Sunday

5:33 a.m.

5:46 p.m.

2.5 1.9

12:04 p.m. 0.3 11:49 p.m. 0.0

Monday

6:16 a.m.

6:30 p.m.

2.7 2.1

12:45 p.m. 0.1 ---------

Tuesday

6:56 a.m.

7:11 p.m.

2.8 2.2

12:33 a.m. -0.1 1:23 p.m. 0.0

Today

2:01 a.m.

2:11 p.m.

Thursday

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:48 a.m. Moonrise 6:00 p.m. Moonset

12:14 p.m.

1:14 a.m.

Full

Last

New

First

Feb. 16

Feb. 23

Mar. 2

Mar. 10

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 74° F/23° C

High: 79° F/26° C Low: 75° F/24° C

N

High: 78° F/26° C Low: 70° F/21° C

E

W S

LONG ISLAND

tracking map

High: 81° F/27° C Low: 74° F/23° C

6-12 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 81° F/27° C Low: 75° F/24° C

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures

L

tiDes For nassau

CAT ISLAND

E

W

The higher the AccuWeather UV IndexTM number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS

are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

RAGGED ISLAND High: 80° F/27° C Low: 76° F/24° C

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 76° F/24° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 83° F/28° C Low: 75° F/24° C

N

E

W

E

W

N

S

S

4-8 knots

6-12 knots

marine Forecast ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR

Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday:

WINDS SW at 6-12 Knots NNE at 7-14 Knots NE at 4-8 Knots NNE at 7-14 Knots SE at 7-14 Knots ENE at 4-8 Knots ESE at 8-16 Knots ESE at 6-12 Knots SE at 4-8 Knots NE at 6-12 Knots NW at 7-14 Knots NNE at 7-14 Knots SE at 4-8 Knots NE at 4-8 Knots SE at 6-12 Knots E at 4-8 Knots SE at 7-14 Knots E at 4-8 Knots ESE at 8-16 Knots SE at 7-14 Knots WNW at 4-8 Knots NE at 6-12 Knots S at 4-8 Knots NE at 3-6 Knots SE at 6-12 Knots NE at 4-8 Knots

WAVES 3-5 Feet 3-6 Feet 0-1 Feet 1-2 Feet 3-5 Feet 2-4 Feet 3-5 Feet 2-4 Feet 3-5 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-3 Feet 0-1 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-2 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-3 Feet 4-7 Feet 3-6 Feet 0-1 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-2 Feet

VISIBILITY 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 7 Miles 7 Miles 8 Miles 9 Miles 10 Miles 9 Miles 10 Miles 8 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 9 Miles 10 Miles 8 Miles 6 Miles 8 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 77° F 76° F 79° F 80° F 77° F 77° F 77° F 78° F 77° F 77° F 78° F 76° F 78° F 79° F 80° F 81° F 80° F 80° F 78° F 78° F 77° F 78° F 79° F 80° F 78° F 78° F

business@tribunemedia.net

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022

$5.05

$5.09

$5.05

Marina slowdown causing ‘freak out’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE Association of Bahamas Marinas (ABM) president says “it’s kind of freaking me out” that there has been a “noticeable” slowdown in boating/yachting traffic ahead of the Spring season’s peak.

Peter Maury told Tribune Business he fears that the Caribbean’s post-pandemic re-opening, combined with tightened COVID testing protocols and bureaucratic entry requirements, are cutting into the increased business Bahamian marinas and related enterprises enjoyed in 2020 and 2021 after the most restrictive lockdowns were lifted.

Competitiveness boost on 70% of civil disputes

• January yacht charter fees ‘way down’ • ABM president says drop-off ‘noticeable’ • Caribbean ‘booming’; Bahamas ‘a bit slow’ “We’re hoping that in March that it picks back up, but it’s a little slower than it was last year,” Mr Maury said. “It’s noticeable. It’s kind of freaking me out to tell you the truth.

I can tell you I know what we collected in January of last year in yacht charter fees, and we’re not even close to that this year.

We’re way down.

“Last year [2020], the Caribbean was dead. This year we

knew they were opening up and, of course, the boats that came in October, November 2020 and were just staying, that definitely did not happen this time. They went back to the US and the Caribbean because of the issues getting in and out with the testing.

“When the Caribbean was closed, all the boats came over here and stayed. It was the whole month of January and

February last year. Right now, a lot of boats have gone off and are doing charters in the Caribbean. I’ve heard the Caribbean charter market is booming, but we’re a little slow.”

With Easter falling in midApril this year, Mr Maury, who manages Bay Street Marina, voiced optimism that the spring boating season “will lead right

Old Fort Bay developer loses marina expansion appeal bid

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net A SUPREME Court judge yesterday rejected the bid by Old Fort Bay’s developer for permission to appeal her ruling on its marina expansion as battle with the community’s homeowners continued.

Justice Indra Charles said the move by New Providence Development Company, and its Old Fort Bay Company affiliate, “has no prospect of success” because she had “wide and unfettered powers” to require that further evidence be obtained before deciding whether the marina expansion can proceed.

The verdict reveals that New Providence Development Company, within two weeks, sought to appeal all aspects of Justice Charles’ January 4, 2022, ruling deemed unfavourable to it amid its longrunning legal dispute with the Old Fort Bay Property Owners Association and two individual homeowners, Matthew Chance Hudson and Zsuzsanna Marta Foti.

That decision, while confirming the developer owns the Old Fort Bay Club and marina, and had the right to sell-off two other parcels of land, ordered that “a comprehensive” Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) be conducted - and all

SEE PAGE 21

SEE PAGE 22

SEE PAGE 22

FORMER GENERAL POST OFFICE replied: “I think that company has placed a proposal before us, and so they probably will be one of the ones that we are looking to consider.”

It was reported that businessman Scott Godet, who entered into a public-private partnership with the Perry Christie Progressive Liberal Party administration for the relocation of

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

the Post Office just prior to the,2017 general election to the Independence Highway Plaza, took legal action against the former Free National Movement government alleging breach of contract.

Mr Godet’s $17.415m PPP was signed off by the Christie administration

SEE PAGE 21

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net A CABINET minister yesterday said the Post Office public-private partnership (PPP) entered into by the Christie administration may be revived after a proposal was resubmitted to the Government.

Jobeth Coleby-Davis, minister for housing and transport, indicated to reporters that the PPP arrangement with Bahamian investor, Scott Godet, for the former Independence Drive Shopping Plaza site - just across from the Post Office’s present Town Centre Mall location - is on the table once again.

When asked whether the Independence Highway location was being assessed by the Davis administration, Mrs Coleby-Davis

• Chief Justice targets early May to effect reforms • ‘More sophisticated’ on big commercial litigation • Mediation Unit to cut cases going to trial by 40%

THE Chief Justice yesterday said wide-ranging reforms to the Bahamian courts’ Civil Procedure Rules will “make the jurisdiction SIR BRIAN MOREE more competitive on dispute resolution” in 70 percent of such cases.

Sir Brian Moree QC told Tribune Business that the 412-page Rules, which were released for consultation last week, should be “promulgated” and in effect by end-April/early May as efforts to address the costs and speed at which commercial cases are resolved gather pace.

Disclosing that the reforms will apply “a more sophisticated and more modern approach” to dealing with commercial cases involving sums over a certain amount, which he declined to close, Sir Brian added that they also involve the creation of a “mediation unit” within the judicial structure in a bid to provide alternative dispute resolution (ADR) so that only 60 percent of cases must go to trial.

Company winding-ups and bankruptcies will not be covered by changes as they have their own rules. Proceedings begun under a specific law that details the procedures to be followed, such as the Quieting Titles Act, are also exempt, as are noncontroversial probate matters and family cases covered by matrimonial law.

While criminal cases are also excluded, Sir Brian confirmed that the new Rules will cover all other commercial and contract disputes; mortgage-related actions; money lenders and multiple other categories. “In a grand sense, it really regulates the procedures for probably 70 percent of non-criminal litigation,” he told Tribune Business. “That’s just a guess.

Rejected Post Office PPP may be revived OLD FORT BAY

$4.99

Cruise ship arrests: ‘No cost to the Gov’t’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE Port Department’s acting controller yesterday confirmed that the arrest of Crystal Cruises’ two vessels comes at “absolutely no cost to The Bahamas’ government”.

Senior Commander Berne Wright, who as admiralty marshall is responsible for detaining and securing both the Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony, told Tribune

Business that the detentions will not further burden already hard-pressed Bahamian taxpayers.

Tribune Business sources said the attorneys who obtained the Supreme Court order authorising the vessels’ arrest, in this case Callenders & Co, have to give an undertaking that they will cover all the admiralty marshall’s costs until the ships involved are either released or sold to repay creditors what they are owed.

Attorneys in such cases usually obtain a guarantee, or indemnity, from the creditor client that the latter will cover any bills incurred. However, this newspaper understands that many Bahamian attorneys were reluctant to accept the Crystal Cruises assignment because of the complexities involving the bankruptcy of its Hong Kong parent company.

“This is a perfect storm,” one source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said. “You have the bankruptcy in Hong Kong,

court proceedings in the US, and the vessels arrested in The Bahamas. The jurisprudence of this is going to be interesting. This is not a run of the mill arrest.”

Commander Wright, meanwhile, acknowledged that the costs associated with the two cruise ships’ arrest could be significant and extend to the millions of dollars if the situation remains unresolved for some time.

SEE PAGE 19