Friday, February 25, 2022
home crafts gardening fashion music history food interview
Weekend
NEW 3D ART Page 11
Hooked on cooking Bahamian chef takes on Charleston food festival page 07
02 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, February 25, 2022
HOME
Amanda Webster Design creates a big impression in a small space by using height
Studio Mcgee offers a hallway solution that opens onto a larger table when needed
In Pure Salt Interiors’ Port Streets project even a narrow hallway is an opportunity for beauty
THE ENTRY
a glimpse into what lies ahead
O
ne of the most overlooked parts of a home is the very first thing people see, your entryway. Just like with relationships when they say you never get a second chance to make a first impression, the entry is your only chance to make that first impression a lasting one. How you treat it depends on size and style but no entry is too small to make a statement. Here are a few tips on how to get started. First, declutter. If you currently think of your entry as the place where everybody drops everything they brought in from outside and won’t need until they leave the house again, you need to find an alternate spot for those keys, jackets, books, bills and chargers. Once you declutter, step back and study the space. Don’t rush. Think about what it will take to make the entry,
foyer or hallway to the Next, choose lighting. rest of your home a peek I recommend that into what lies ahead. decision even before If it is a small space, selecting wall treatment utilise the height. Use because lighting sets a mirror to make it feel colour and style tone. larger. It will enhance the If there is good natural experience of entering. light through a window You may want to add a or fixed pane near the narrow console table front door, for example, or a slim wooden bench a lamp on the console below which you can place table may be sufficient. attractive straw baskets, If the space is not BROOKE PYFROM one for each member of naturally lit, consider the household to toss hidden track lighting their stuff into where it will be or a dramatic chandelier that casts a convenient to pick up again on bright aura. If your taste runs more their way out yet out of sight. to the industrial, the entry way can If it is a large space, try to be a great starting point for can include more substantial seating lighting or your own drop lighting of some sort. Seating says welcome design. You’d be surprised how easy to my home, though truthfully, it is to make your own fixtures that it’s more about the message than reflect your unique personality. the usage. Just watch that it does Ask an electrician to wire if you are not become another place to uncomfortable doing so yourself. toss keys and dry cleaning. Now you just have the floors and
LIFE BY DESIGN
walls, choices that have to talk to each other as we described in furniture styles last week. Do you want cozy and warm, ornate and wow, mid-century renewal, classic colonial, a sense of hearth and home or artistic and whimsical? Good height allows for dramatic effect with a strongly patterned wallpaper, but tread carefully on flooring and keep it neutral. Or by contrast, choose an interesting floor tile or patterned carpet or rug that will command attention and use a neutral wall treatment so one does not clash with the other. In any entry space, there should be one stand-out feature rather than an attempt at several that end up chasing each other for attention. Adding a plant always adds life to any space so make room for a bit of greenery even if in a miniature painted ceramic pot on a console table. Remember, the entry way is more than a passage to the space that lies beyond. It’s your first opportunity to make a lasting impression so have fun with it and give it the attention it deserves. It’s easier thank you think and you’ll be rewarded every time you put your key in the door and welcome yourself home.
The Tribune | Weekend | 03
Friday, February 25, 2022
MUSIC
Dee the Entertainer
Nia Jay
IN TUNE WITH STATIC B
A
fter the untimely death of their manager, members of Static B had to regroup, get back to the drawing board and decide on the direction in which they wanted to take the band. Now they are back on track and performing gigs all over Nassau. “In 2019, we were called platinum band. We lost our manager – who was affectionately known as Burrows – this crushed us all, and to make matters worse, it was during a time when we began to thrive. So in our hour of hurt we decided that we wanted to continue the band. We renamed ourselves as Static B, the B for Burrows, and we became a unit again. The fanbase has grown tremendously from 2019 to now, despite the pandemic,” said Eddea Sturrup, Static B’s singer and manager. Eddea said remembering their manager Kensell Burrows inspires the band members to go harder. Static B performs many genres, including rake n’ scrape, reggae, soca and R&B. The singer said the band is making a name for themselves by constantly scouting for new and exciting venues where live music is welcome. Band members include drummer Shadae
By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Reporter acadet@tribunemedia.net Lawrence, Ontario Dames and Warshawski Smith on keyboards, vocalist Shenia Roberts, bassist Shaquan Cambridge, lead guitarist Darren Francis, and Eddea. A few weeks ago, Static B performed at the Margaritaville Restaurant, Paradise Island, for the first time. In an interview with Eddea, the singer said the crowd’s energy was awesome to work along with. “We are used to a sit-down crowd; making them get up and actually interact with us, that is our specialty. We make those who wouldn’t normally get up feel comfortable enough to do so. I’m up here doing the utmost and we invite you to come and do the utmost with us. For me, the energy on our end is natural. This is a normal regular night for us. Nothing is practiced, it is all live, you can’t fabricate or duplicate it. Either you got it or you don’t, and Static B we have it,” she said. “This year the band is trying to do less gigging and more business. You have to realise that music is an industry, and a lucrative
business. We don’t want to be all over the place gigging, we want to make a name and brand for ourselves. I don’t wait until an opportunity knocks, I kick down the door myself.” The Static B band can normally be found performing at Captain’s Deck in Downtown Nassau on Friday nights, with COVID-19 protocols fully in place. As the band’s leader, Eddea said the group keeps focused by staying closely connected to one another and the music scene in the country. “I don’t just wait for a gig or performance to come together; I’m constantly calling and seeing how my members are doing. They are my family and family cares. What can supporters expect from the band for the remainder of the year is consistency. We are looking forward to sharing our gift with the wider community. We love to perform for our people and as long as they will have us, we will have them,” said Eddea. While as a collective, the group does not officially have an album out as yet, Eddea said both her and Shenia Roberts currently have singles out. Eddea’s singles are called “Venom” and “Told You I Was Coming”, and Shenia’s two singles are called “Motivated” and “Disappear”.
04 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, February 25, 2022
INTERVIEW
Crispin
HALL
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He is often the only person standing between a refugee being sent back to a country where they may be killed or being granted a new life. As an attorney who has always wanted to make a difference in the world, he tells Cara Hunt about his dream job at the local UN refugee office.
rispin Hall chose a career in law because he wanted to play a role in drafting policies that would result in making the world a better place “I was never attracted to corporate law,” the attorney told Tribune Weekend. “I knew I wanted to be an agent for social change, and the best way of doing that is to be a part of implementing legislation that can have an impact.” Crispin earned an Associate of Arts degree in Law and Criminal Justice in 2009 from the College of The Bahamas. He went on to the University of the West Indiesm where he graduated with an LLB in Law in 2013. Two years later, he graduated from the Eugene Dupuch Law School with a Certificate of Legal Education along with the Munroe & Associates Award for Best Performance in Trial Advocacy. After graduating In 2015, Crispin started working at Callenders and Co under the pupillage of human rights activist and attorney Fred Smith. “He has a passion and a love for human rights and constitutional law that has certainly rubbed off on me,” Crispin said of Fred Smith. During the five years he worked at the law firm – three in the Grand Bahama office and two here in New Providence – he had the opportunity to represent many clients whose basic human rights had been affected, even taking on the cases of clients who could not afford the firm’s services. The work cemented Crispin’s passion for advocacy, which made moving to his current position such
a natural fit and a dream career. He said he has always admired the work of the United Nations and dreamed of working there, but he didn’t know if that was even an obtainable dream. That is until a position became available in the Bahamian office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) agency. UNHCR is a global organisation dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people. The primary purpose at UNHCR is to safeguard the rights and well-being of people who have been forced to flee. Together with partners and communities, UNHCR works to ensure that everybody has the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another country. They also strive to secure lasting solutions. For over half a century, UNHCR has helped millions of people to restart their lives. They include refugees, returnees, stateless people, the internally displaced and asylum-seekers. The organisation says that protection, shelter, health and education has been crucial in healing broken pasts and building brighter futures. In 2020, Crispin became an associate protection officer for the organisation. He is only the second Bahamian to serve in this position. His primary responsibilities are to assist the government in building its capacity to assist refuges and asylum seekers and stateless people. “There are persons from all over the world who find themselves in the Bahamas and
The Tribune | Weekend | 05
Friday, February 25, 2022
other Caribbean countries who need assistance, who may be fleeing violence or persecution, sexual exploitation, or are just not able to return to the country of their birth,” he said. “My job is to ensure that their basic human rights are protected.” He explained that this includes ensuring they have access to shelter, food, water sanitary supplies, healthcare such as vaccines, and in the case of children, access to education. Additionally, it is also involves helping the government fulfil the requirements they have signed on to as a member state of the United Nations 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees, as well as implementing local legislation that protects both the government and refugees in this country. “The goal is to ultimately help then (let them) become self-reliant. These are individuals with unique skill sets and professions – doctors, engineers and architects who can bring those skills into the host community to make a difference,” he said. Crispin admits that xenophobia is a real challenge in his work, but says that education is an important tool to combat this. “More education is definitely needed to get past the notion that asylum and refuges seekers are, for want of a better word, persons who ‘just land’ in a country with nothing to contribute. These are people who are coming from dire situations. If they returned home,
often they could be killed. Our job at the UNHCR is to share the burden with the host government to accommodate these individuals,” he said.” His office also partners with civil society to help increase the public’s sensitivity to these individuals. Crispin said the past two years have been incredible and fulfilling. “The thing that I enjoy the most about my work is that it will have such a lasting impact long after I am no longer involved. There will be hundreds of thousands of persons who will benefit from the work that I have done. It will extend far beyond the Bahamas and the Caribbean,” he said. A challenging aspect to his work, Crispin said, is the fact that he is often the only person who is standing between a person being sent back to a country where they could be killed or them being granted a new life. The hardest part of the work, he said, is getting to know these individuals on a personal basis and learning of their situations. “They become more than a case number. These are very real people – fathers separated from their families, people in fear of their lives, persons who have been sexually exploited – and you see the pain in their eyes and the mental trauma they are going through and you just want to help them as best you can,” he said.
This weekend in history
moved to Germany in 1913.
February 25
February 26
• In 1836, Samuel Colt patents the first ever multi-shot revolving-cylinder revolver, which enables the gun to be fired multiple times without reloading in between bullets.
• In 1616, the Roman Inquisition demands that astronomer Galileo Galilei abandons his belief in the heliocentric theory, which states the Earth and planets revolve around the Sun.
• In 1932, Austrian immigrant and future dictator Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945) is given German citizenship. Born in Austria-Hungary, he was raised near the town of Linz. He lived in Vienna later in the first decade of the 1900s and
• In 1983, Michael Jackson’s sixth studio album “Thriller” goes to #1 and remains in the top spot for 37 weeks. The singer-songwriter said he wanted to put out an album where “every song was a killer”. Following his performance of the track “Billie Jean” at the “Motown
• In 1957, Buddy Holly made rock n’ roll history when he and his band, The Crickets, recorded “That’ll Be the Day”. It topped both the US and UK charts and was followed up with another huge hit, “Peggy Sue”.
25” event, where he debuted his signature moonwalk dance, sales for the album rocketed. • In 1993, the World Trade Center in New York City is bombed – over eight years before 9/11. A terrorist bomb explodes in the parking garage, leaving a massive, multistorey crater and causing the collapse of several steel-reinforced concrete floors. In March 1994, four Islamic fundamentalists were convicted by a federal jury for their role in the bombing, and each was sentenced to life in prison.
February 27 • In 1827, the first Mardi Gras celebrations are held in New Orleans. A group of masked and costumed students, inspired by their experiences in Paris, dance through the streets of the Louisiana city. Over a 100 years earlier, early French settlers had
brought the tradition of Mardi Gras to the US, and Mobile, Alabama, celebrated its first carnival 1703. However, Spanish governors banned the festival. • In 1844, the Dominican Republic, located on the eastern side of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, declares its independence as a sovereign state. The people were encouraged by its neighbour, Haiti, which had achieved independence in 1804. • In 1933, the burning down of the Reichstag, the German parliament building, in Berlin gives the Nazis the opportunity to suspend personal liberty with increased power. The fire was possibly set by the Nazis themselves, but Dutch Communist Martin van der Lubbe was blamed and executed for it.
4 Leaves; 5 Reissue;
variable (7)
06 | The Tribune | Weekend
ambassador a decoration (5) 6 Aggregation; 7 Ignorance; 24 Some rites having something February 10 them Arrangement; goingFriday, for (5) 11 Selective; 14 Consume; 16 Vacant; 19 Climb; 21 Ass.
er e B t G AG e
Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so the each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday
● The Target uses words in the main body of Chambers 21st Century Dictionary (1999 edition)
HOW many words of four letters or more can you make from the letters shown here? in making a word, each letter may be used once only. each must contain the centre letter and there must be at least one nine-letter word. no plurals. Verb forms ending in s permitted. TODAY’S TARGET Good 12; very good 18; excellent 24 (or more). Solution tomorrow
Yesterday’s call 0907 181 2585 Sudoku Answer for today’s target solution *Calls cost 80p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge.
BATTLESHIPS CRYPTIC PUZZLE Down 1 Doctor on a ship - on the rocks perhaps (4) 2 A case of building-up ready for the maiden flight (9) 3 First sign of the Greeks (5) 4 Getting used to ruining production (7) 5 Made a searching examination by all accounts (7) 7 She’s a help having turned up (5) 8 Training for employment (10) 9 Falling behind on the track (8) 14 Aids Alec if it is required (10) 16 Kindly feeling expressed by happy legatee (8) 18 Male reads about girl from Notre Dame (9) 20 A feeling it could be mine too (7) 21 Its root is chopped up in a dish (7) 23 The task is halved with a letter from Greece (5) 25 Alien without alternative means to act (5) 26 They may hold one in affection (4)
Across 1 Chalice man split unthinking (10) 6 Fringe is left off the shelf (4) 10 A bit of a fight (5) 11 Promise to look after one’s funeral? (9) 12 Bacon or Lamb for example (8) 13 Man designated as CIA plant? (5) 15 Eager for everyone to go back following a note (3,4) 17 Motoring clubs? (7) 19 Available to shoppers or about to arrive (2,5) 21 Troops didn’t finish the course (7) 22 Two in difficulties being pulled along (2,3) 24 Travelling after the game (2,6) 27 The present perfect? (5,4) 28 One comparatively unused to work (5) 29 Break a spell (4) 30 They don’t drop off easily (10)
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Yesterday’s Easy Solution Across: 1 Clean up, 5 Dross, 8 Real McCoy, 9 Emu, 10 Arch, 12 Ricochet, 14 Fracas, 15 Jaguar, 17 Asteroid, 18 Hear, 21 Gum, 22 Land of Nod, 24 Tangy, 25 Lesotho. Down: 1 Curia, 2 Era, 3 Name, 4 Picnic, 5 Day-to-day, 6 Open house, 7 Stutter, 11 Craftsman, 13 Fair play, 14 Fraught, 16 Signal, 19 Rodeo, 20 Toss, 23 Net.
Yesterday’s Cryptic Solution Across: 1 Polaris, 5 Bogus, 8 Engraving, 9 Orb, 10 Surf, 12 Roommate, 14 Cashed, 15 Outwit, 17 Contends, 18 Trap, 21 Inn, 22 Dray horse, 24 Tread, 25 Diamond. Down: 1 Press, 2 Lag, 3 Rear, 4 Saigon, 5 Bigamous, 6 Global war, 7 Subject, 11 Resonance, 13 Defended, 14 Cyclist, 16 Edward, 19 Plead, 20 Thea, 23 Rio.
EASY PUZZLE
Across 1 Disagreeable know-it-all (5,5) 6 Side post of doorway (4) 10 To incense (5) 11 A reproof (7-2) 12 Fashion shop saleswoman (8) 13 Set of principles (5) 15 Subjugate (7) 17 Proposition to be proved (7) 19 Leave-taking (7) 21 Whole number (7) 22 V-shaped indentation (5) 24 Cutter of precious stones (8) 27 Voyager (9) 28 A corrupt inducement (5) 29 Dissolve (4) 30 The pirate flag (5,5)
Down 1 Feign (4) 2 Prime mover in starting a fight (9) 3 Weary (5) 4 Salad vegetable (7) 5 Assemble (7) 7 Contend in words (5) 8 Vodka and tomato juice (6,4) 9 Tactful (8) 14 Furtive voyeur (7,3) 16 Got down (8) 18 In respect of (9) 20 Italian astronomer 1564-1642 (7) 21 Put in jeopardy (7) 23 A beaten track (5) 25 Exclude from admission (5) 26 Sustain (4)
FIND where the fleet of ships shown is hidden in the grid. The numbers to the right of and below the grid indicate how many of the squares in that row are filled in with ships or parts of ships. The ships do not touch each other, even diagonally. Some squares have been filled in to start you off. Solution tomorrow 1
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X P L T A O C
I O J F T N X
V M O L E E H
P V Y G U A R
D I J D X P X
25, 2022
X G W F K R O
V E E F X N F
X S T H R D P
C U Q I O T F
THE ALPHABEA
TARGET Best described as a number crossword, the task in Kakuro is to fill all of the empty squares, using numbers 1 to 9, so the sum of each horizontal block equals the number to its left, and the sum of each vertical block equals the number on its top. No number may be used in the same block more than once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Kakuro increases from Monday to Sunday.
G N O E S S Z
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1 x Battleship
3 x Destroyer
2 x cruiser
4 x submarine
targEt thE alphap cAn you crack the Alphabeater? each grid across: QuadrupEd number represents a letter – or blackBrothel, square.Sho Vanquish, Stamen, adder aped dare dared dead As in Alphapuzzle, every letter of the alphabet To Midday, Vexation, Dia dear drape draped dread padre is used. grid too! Sterilethe (clue). pard pare But paredyou pearhave quadto complete down: Abject, Leere QUADRUPED rape letters read reap use the given and black squares below Migrant, Shaven, Thi urea the grid to start. the grid is ‘rotationally Manner, Scuffed, Drip symmetrical’ – in other words,Amazes. it looks the same if you turn the page upside down. Solution tomorrow A 11 3 12 40 B C 22 16 29 9 D E 27 17 9 16 F G 19 10 1 14 H I 28 2 16 34 J K 18 10 12 24 L M 5Yesterday’s 20 25 12 N Kakuro O 34 9 Answer 25 19 P Q 29 38 31 10 R S 39 9 2 9 T U 33 37 23 1 V W 14 31 34 32 X Y 38 36 8 19 Z
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The Tribune | Weekend | 07
Friday, February 25, 2022
FOOD
Chef Simeon Hall Jr to participate in
CHARLESTON WINE + FOOD FESTIVAL
C
HEF Simeon Hall Jr always has something cooking. And what’s currently boiling in the chef’s pot is an appearance at the prestigious Charleston Wine + Food Festival in South Carolina. The festival, which kicks off on March 2, was founded in 2005 by a group of loyal community leaders with a vision of creating an event to promote and elevate Charleston’s culinary brand. As a non-profit organisation, their goal was to put Charleston on the map as a culinary destination and bring both national and international attention to the city through the production of a multi-day wine and food festival. Host chef of the festival BJ Dennis, participated in Chef Hall’s “Ignite” event back in 2019 in Nassau. Given their connection, an invitation was extended for Chef Hall to participate in the overseas food festival. Charleston Wine + Food strives to offer homegrown flavours produced by top chefs, winemakers, authors, storytellers, artisans, experts, and food enthusiasts from around the
By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net globe for a five-day event that spans the first full weekend each March. More than just great food and wine, the festival is platform to share stories, elevate people and celebrate the city. This will be Chef Hall’s second invitation to participate in the festival. “I’m close friends with my event’s host chef. Chef BJ Dennis was a participating chef in my ‘Ignite’ event in 2019. We’ve been pursuing the connection of Geechee and Bahamian cuisine ever since,” he told Tribune Weekend. Geechee is the term used for African descendants of Sierra Leone, Liberia, Gambia and Senegal who reside in coastal South Carolina. “Being invited to any international festival is always huge. But Charleston and the Bahamas are super connected as port destinations in the slave trade. The Gullah Geechee people and
Chef Simeon Hall Jr is gearing up for several ventures this year, including the upcoming festival in Charleston, South Carolina. Bahamians are cousins and so I am honoured to be reconnecting with my heritage,” said Chef Hall. As the event is all about “fire”, Chef Hall said his culinary offerings will feature his take on Bahamian steamed chicken and Haitian pikliz (pickled vegetables)– “to demonstrate the plural culture now here in the Bahamas.”
And as to how that dish will be prepared, Chef Hall said: “Not sure yet, but definitely thinking coconut bark, love vine and Inagua rock salt.” “I’m always up to something. This event will also be the backdrop for something else I’m cooking up. That and I’ve already been asked to do some other appearances and interviews while in Charleston. I am also excited to connect with many other chefs that will be in attendance. These events create meaningful and beneficial relationships,” he said. Chef Hall has been keeping very busy over the past two years. “Last year, I entered the personal chef world having had only two clients in Albany and Ocean Club Estates. I also ended up 2021 being published in the world-famous Bon Appetit magazine, being a culinary producer for a YouTube food blogger whose video here in the Bahamas has received more than one million views, co-starring in a pilot episode for a National Geographic culinary show, being named chair of a culinary committee and a partner at the Bahamas Cruise project. So I’ve been a little busy,” he said. He hopes to soon launch a line of consumer products, start a cooking class series and finish his cookbook. In between all of that, Chef Hall is also currently planning an exciting Mother’s Day event, as well as “finalising ambassadorial discussions for a few local brands, working on my first restaurant and several other exciting projects.”
10 | The Tribune | Weekend
GARDENING
G
The Incredible
HULK OF CATERPILLARS
ood day, gardeners. So, you check your garden in the morning and all is well and then ‘hi ho, it’s off to work you go’. You think about those lovely, plump tomatoes that ought to be ready to pull when you get home later today after they have one more day of sunlight to ripen them. You think about how awesome it is that the tomato plants are so green and lush and healthy, so beautiful. You get home and step into the garden to decompress and to check on the days’ bounty. The tomatoes are ready! Tastier than anything
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KLG Investments Ltd.
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Friday, February 25, 2022
imported, by miles. You get closer, but wait, hold on, where have all the leaves of the tomato plant gone?! Closer still, scanning the plant or what seems to be left of it. It doesn’t become apparent that there’s anything there. Wait, did something move? Then you see it and it is not a branch, it is the dreaded hornworm! It raises its head, did that thing just growl at me?! If you listen close enough on a quiet day you can hear them munching. These are the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta
deliv y! Order online for free home delivery!
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The tobacco hornworm (butterfly moth, hawk moth, and sphinx moth), or the tomato hornworm, Manduca quinquemaculata (five spotted hawkmoth). Both of these caterpillars feed only on plants in the Solanaceae family which consists of tomato, tobacco, eggplant, pepper and potato, amongst many others. They are also capable of ravaging any of those Solanaceae in a day. Body markings and horn coloration are used to distinguish between the two species. The tobacco hornworm has whitish diagonal lines on the body and a reddish horn, whereas the tomato hornworm has V-shaped markings on the body and a black horn. Most commonly the tobacco hornworm is what we see destroying tomato plants in our region, not the tomato hornworm. There are parasitic wasps that are natural predators of hornworms. These wasps lay their eggs inside the caterpillar and the larvae infect the caterpillar and cause death before spawning a new generation of parasitic wasp. To avoid exterminating the beneficial wasp by spraying for the hornworms, scout for hornworms with white protrusions on their bodies. These are the cocoons of the parasitic wasp that have extruded from the caterpillar. It’s gruesome if you think about it too long. This is the sign that the caterpillars’ bridge toll has already paid, and death is imminent. If that’s the case, then spraying is a moot point and not needed. There are biological controls available that are very effective at control of the caterpillar stage of these beasts. Both
Bacillus thuringiensis and Spinosad are proven effective and safe for organic gardening. Please avoid poisons and chemicals, they really do more harm than good and there is no need to target anything but the hornworm when they are present. The adult stage of these hornworms is a large bodied moth that is active at night. These moths fly nimbly from flower to flower seeking nectar and can act as pollinators which contradicts their voracious appetite at the larval stages (when they are caterpillars). If you’ve ever heard one, they can very much sound like hummingbirds, hence one of their common names. Fortunately, for the home gardener, hornworms are easily managed. Spending ten minutes a day in the garden eyeing over the plants while scouting for pest damage or signs of eggs, larvae, or flying adults is a good way to detect garden pests before the damage get too far along. If your tomato plant does get defoliated by a hornworm, and you have treated for them, the leaves will grow back. Keep up your regular watering and fertilizing programme and many more tomatoes will bear. There is still time to get tomato plants in the ground or into containers. Grafted tomato plants will extend the growing season a couple of months longer than seed grown! As always, I wish you happy gardening. • Adam Boorman is the nursery manager at the Fox Hill Nursery. You can contact him with any questions you may have, or topics you would like to see discussed, at gardening242@gmail.com.
The Tribune | Weekend | 11
Friday, February 25, 2022
ART
E
Former martial arts Olympian displays her
XPRESSIONIST artist Melanie Christie hopes when people have a oneon-one encounter with her artwork they are at the very least entertained by her unusual three-dimensional creations. Melanie, who is also a martial arts master in Taekwondo as well as Goju-ryu, will be displaying her ‘3-DG’ art as well as more traditional paintings – an assortment of East Asian inspired – at her Flamingo Courtyard residence on Harbour Drive, Paradise Island, from 4.30pm -7.30pm today. The general public is invited to spend their happy hour with the artist and learn more about her style and technique. Melanie was born in Chillicothe, Missouri, and started martial arts at the age of 15. She graduated from Missouri Western University in 1993, and was the first female black belt in Taekwondo to earn a master level fifteen-degree black belt from Kukkiwon Headquarters in South Korea. She was a state and national champion for ten years, was on the US’s Olympic Team in 1988, and opened up a successful chain of ‘Melanie’s Martial Arts’ centres. She came to the Bahamas in 1996, where she met her husband. Melanie was originally scheduled to debut her exhibition in November, but was unable to after the sudden and unexpected passing of her husband of 30 years, Charles Christie of CA Christie Real Estate. She believes her late husband would be proud to see her finally deciding to display her unique art style and fascinating creations. “ ‘3D-G’ is a style of expressionism and visual arts. The 3D stands for three-dimensional, in relation to the objects and textures made to stand out in each piece,” she told Tribune Weekend. “It’s not the method of modelling air-dry clay from Italy and painting on fascinating shapes of character, nor is it the colours and textures that make you want to reach out and touch each piece. One would not really say that I am an exceptional artist. Any artist would tell you my work is simple or amateur.
UNIQUE 3D ART By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net
That I agree with, it could be easy for anyone to recreate it, but it’s my imagination and invention of my ‘3D-G’ style that’s mine and mine alone. ‘3-DG’ is all about the secret ingredient that I apply that makes it all stand out.” Her pieces, she said, seem to have a gravitational pull towards
everyone who has seen them. “They are very fragile and are not to be handled roughly,” she said. As for the ingredient that symbolises the ‘G’ in ‘3D-G’, Melanie said it’s “top secret”. In fact, she has never seen anyone use this material as she does. “It began when I decorated Halloween masks for my godsons. It proved to be shockingly entertaining,” she said. She designed a few more, gave them all away, and has only recently begun trying to incorporate the ‘G’ into all of her works. “When you look at my art, the ‘G’ is invisible, but it is present. It is like night vision. Only the owner can activate it with solar power and their focus. You don’t see it, but you do,” she said. Melanie has been an artist for most of her life. “I’ve been colouring and drawing on everything for as long as I can remember. In high school, I won first place in a local art show, and it felt like the biggest deal in the world to me. I’d like to experience that feeling again when people see my art.” She believes her showcase tonight will invoke those same feelings. “I think that at Friday night’s show I will be at my most ‘playful best’. I’ve never created art for money, or to show or share with others on a wide scale, but on the outside section of Friday’s show, I hope that others will find my crafts and creations entertaining. I want others to view my things and allow adults to feel like kids again. I want to shine a light on all ages and all walks of life, to stop and enjoy, and most of all, stop minds, and use their imaginations,” she said. “What stimulates me the most about my art is how I execute it – with patience, focus, sound body, and total mind. I feel that being in my studio is as close to practicing martial arts as I can be. Lately, I’ve filled up my studio. I have no room to get into my zone. My art looks lonely, and I’m hoping that someone will take it home and keep it company.” For more information about the art showcase, contact 242-363-5722.
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LITERARY LIVES – JAMES DEAN
An enduring icon who lived
FAST AND DIED YOUNG Sir Christopher Ondaatje remembers the tragic story of the young American actor who became a symbol of teenage disillusionment and social estrangement in films before he died in a car crash. “Reality doesn’t have any preconceived ideas. You’ve got to learn to smoke the cigarette, not act smoking the cigarette. You need to drink the drink, not act drinking the drink.”
Beware (1952), and Has Anybody Seen My Gal? (1952). He also roughed it as a parking lot attendant at CBS Studios – which was where he met Rogers Brackett, a radio director for an advertising agency, who offered him guidance in his career – as well as a place to stay. He helped Dean get his first main role on Broadway in See the Jaguar.
– James Dean James Byron Dean was born on February 8, 1931, at the Seven Gables apartment on the corner of 4th Street and McClure Street in Marion, Indiana. He was the only child of Mildred Marie Wilson and Winton Dean. He claimed that his mother was partly Native American. Six years after his father left farming in Indiana the family moved to Santa Monica, California. He was enrolled first in Brentwood Public School but later transferred to McKinley Elementary School. He was close to his mother who died of uterine cancer when Dean was nine years old. Unable to look after his son, Dean’s father sent him to live with his aunt and uncle in Fairmount, Indiana. In his adolescence, Dean sought the counsel of the Rev. James DeWeerd, who had a considerable influence on the young Dean. Their alleged sexual relationship was suggested in Paul Alexander’s 1994 book Boulevard of Broken Dreams: The Life, Times, and Legend of James Dean. Later Dean confided to Elizabeth Taylor on the set of Giant that he was sexually abused by a minister two years after his mother died. Dean was a popular student, played on the varsity baseball
James Dean was just 24 years old when he died
In July 1951, Dean appeared in Alias Jane Doe, produced by Brackett. That October, on advice from actor James Whitmore and Brackett, he moved to New York City where he worked as a stunt tester for the game show Beat the Clock. He was fired for performing his stunts too quickly. He did however get small parts on CBS TV in The Web, Studio One, and Lux Video Theatre, before gaining admission to Actors Studio to study method acting under Lee Strasberg. He was friends with Carroll Baker with whom he would later star in Giant. In 1952, he got a small nonspeaking part in the movie Deadline – U.S.A. starring Humphrey Bogart.
Dean and Elizabeth Taylor in the film ‘Giant’ and basketball teams and studied drama. After graduating from Fairmount High School in May 1949 he moved back to live with his father and stepmother. He enrolled in Santa Monica College before transferring to UCLA for one semester before changing
to drama, which caused an estrangement from his father. He dropped out of UCLA to pursue a full-time career in acting. His first television appearance was in a Pepsi Cola commercial. Eventually he got three walk-on roles in the films Fixed Bayonets! (1951), Sailor
Dean’s TV career picked up in the early 1950s with performances in Kraft Television Theatre, Robert Montgomery Presents, the United States Steel Hour, Danger, and General Electric Theatre. One early role in Omnibus saw him portray the puzzled wayward youth he later played in Rebel Without a Cause. In playing a pandering homosexual in André Gide’s The Immoralist (1952) he received good reviews that caught the attention of Hollywood. During the production he had an affair with
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actress Geraldine Page, which went on for three and a half months. “I’m not gay. But I’m not going to go through life with one arm tied behind my back.” – James Dean In 1953, film director Elia Kazan was looking for a young actor to play Cal Trask in John Steinbeck’s novel East of Eden (1954) – a seemingly troubled twin brother who discovers that his dead mother is still alive running a brothel in Monterey. Steinbeck did not like the moody Dean but thought him perfect for the part of Cal Trask. Screenwriter Paul Osborn adapted the film script and recommended the young Dean, who got the part and left New York on 8 April 1954 for Los Angeles to start shooting. Dean made the most of this opportunity and took advantage of unscripted parts of the film, where he danced in a bean field, rode a train boxcar in a suggestive foetal position, and hugged a shocked Raymond Massey (his father) in an emotional family scene. It was a good and unexpected acting performance that earned Dean a posthumous nomination for Best Actor in the 1956 Academy Awards – the first official posthumous acting nomination in the history of the Academy Awards. Dean followed up his role in East of Eden (the only film starring Dean released in his lifetime), starring as Jim Stark in Rebel Without a Cause (1955) – a film that was hugely popular among teenagers. There has been much discussion about James Dean’s private life in Hollywood. Screenwriter William Bast, who was one of Dean’s closest friends, was Dean’s roommate at UCLA and later in New York. Dean dated Beverly Wills and Jeanette Lewis while at UCLA, and Bast, who was Dean’s first biographer, confirmed in his 2006 books Surviving James Dean that they had been lovers one night while staying at a hotel in Borrego Springs. Both actress Liz Sheridan and Barbara Glenn talked about relationships with Dean in New York before he left for Hollywood,
The wreckage of James Dean’s ‘cursed’ Porshe but he is best remembered for his relationship with the young Italian actress Pier Angeli after he signed a film contract with Warren Bros. in 1954 and she was shooting The Silver Chalice (1954) on an adjoining Warner Bros. lot. Warner Bros press releases also grouped Dean with actors Rock Hudson and Tab Hunter as eligible bachelors who had not yet found themselves. After finishing East of Eden Dean left briefly for New York in October 1954, and Pier Angeli unexpectedly announced her engagement to singer Vic Damone whom she married in November. She divorced Damone, as well as a second husband, and died from an overdose of barbiturates in 1971. Dean also dated Swiss actress Ursula Andress who was with him the day he bought the car in which he died. After Rebel Without a Cause, Dean took the role of Jett Rink, a Texas ranch hand who strikes oil and becomes wealthy in Giant, with Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor. Giant would prove to be Dean’s last film. At the end of the film Dean was supposed to make a drunken speech at a banquet. To make the scene more realistic by actually being drunk, Dean mumbled so incongruously that George Stevens, the film’s director, had the scene overdubbed by Nick Adams, who had a small role in the film, as Dean had been killed
only two days after filming on Giant had been completed. James Dean had always been interested in developing a career in motorsport racing, and had purchased various vehicles after East of Eden filming had ended in 1955, including a Triumph Tiger T110 and a Porsche 356. He competed in Palm Springs in March 26-27, and in Bakersfield a month later. His final race was in Santa Barbara on May 30, 1955, after which Warner Bros banned him from racing during the production of Giant. “Live fast, die young, leave a good-looking corpse.” – James Dean, 1955 Dean traded in his Porsche Speedstar for the new, more powerful and faster 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder and entered the upcoming Salinas Road Race event scheduled for October 1-2, 1955. Accompanying Dean to the Salinas track was stunt coordinator William Hickman, Collier’s photographer Sanford Roth, and Rolf Wütherich – the German mechanic from the Porsche factory – who encouraged Dean to drive the car from Los Angeles to Salinas. He got a speeding ticket at 3.30pm. “You are who you are meant to be. Dance as if no one’s watching. Love as if it’s all you know. Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today.” – James Dean At nearly 5.45 p.m., as the cars
were driving westbound on US Route 466 (currently SR 46) near Cholame, California, a 1950 Ford Tudor driven by a 23-year-old student, Donald Turnupseed, was driving east, and then made a left turn onto Highway 41 headed north, towards Fresno – ahead of the oncoming Porsche, driven by Dean. Unable to stop in time Dean crashed into the passenger side of the Ford. Dean’s Porsche was hurled across the pavement onto the side of the highway. Dean’s passenger, Rolf Wütherich, was thrown from the Porsche. Dean, however, was trapped in his car with numerous fatal injuries including a broken neck. Turnupseed escaped with minor injuries Several people saw the accident. Dean was pronounced dead shortly after he was taken by ambulance to Paso Robles War Memorial Hospital at 6.20pm. “Remember! Life is short, break the rules.” – James Dean By October 2, news of James Dean’s death had spread widely through radio and television from domestic and foreign media outlets. His funeral was held on October 8, 1955 at the Fairmount Friends Church in Fairmount, Indiana. Over six hundred mourners attended the funeral, while another two thousand fans gathered outside the church. He was buried at Park Cemetery in Fairmount. Three days later, the sheriff-coroner’s jury delivered a verdict that Dean was entirely at fault due to his speeding car. A James Dean monument has been placed at Shandon, next to Highway 46, and remains there to this day. • Sir Christopher Ondaatje is the author of The Last Colonial. He acknowledges that he has quoted liberally from Wikipedia; Boulevard of Broken Dreams: The Life, Times, and Legend of James Dean (1994) by Paul Alexander; James Dean: The Biography (1997) by John Howlett; and Surviving James Dean (2006) by William Bast.
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HISTORY
The corner of Christie and Dowdeswell
Reminiscing
TOO I
n 2005, my friend Ron Lightbourn, published his book “Reminiscing II - Photographs of Old Nassau”, – my favourite source of Bahamian history. The title of this article is inspired by that man and his book. One of the pleasures of writing this article is hearing from readers, many of whom send me information and photographs that inspire more articles. The photo on this page of the Solomon family’s home, on the corner of Dowdeswell Street and Hall’s Lane, is the latest example; it is a gift from Richard Kimble. Today, the Solomon property, which extends all the way to Shirley Street, is an overgrown jungle. Just west of Hall’s Lane is the somewhat confusingly named Bay Street Garage. It was aptly named when it started life on Bay Street
(behind Malcolm’s Tyre Service). West of the Bay Street Garage is the firm Charles E Carey & Son (partly seen in this photo). The PAUL C ‘Dutch barn’ was ARANHA built be T G Johnson, FORGOTTEN FACTS Ron Lightbourn’s grandfather, in the 1880s. I don’t remember who lived in this typically Bahamian house on the southeast corner of Dowdeswell and Christie Streets, but the neighbourhood was not improved by its destruction in 2008. The Hanna family lived in the white two-storey house and, between the Hannas and the redroofed building, lived my Aunt Maud. I hope somebody can tell me the exact location of the Modern Steam Laundry that opened in 1936. • For questions and comments, please send an e-mail to islandairman@gmail.com
The Dutch barn house
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ANIMALS
FAREWELL TO A FRIEND By KIM ARANHA Animal Matters
S
ometimes it is very difficult to understand why things happen in life. I absolutely understand how, but I often find it difficult to get my mind around why. Last week, we were all so very excited by the wonderful recovery our gentle Boss was making. He gradually regained his strength and the will to live; he began to eat and enjoy his snacks. He went out for walks around the garden as he did before, without the running around, sniffing every leaf and enjoying the sun. We had been away in Florida and came home to a splendidly happy Boss. Gis soft fur beneath my finger felt softer than ever, his tail wagged circles and he went over to my suitcase and nudged the bag as he always has done to look for the anticipated treats. I had bought his most favourite ones and gave him a few. He wolfed them down; it was so good to see my boy back again. That night he climbed easily onto his couch in my study and I went to sleep with a smile on my face. I slept as I haven’t for a while, knowing how well he was doing. In the morning, Boss was right there asking to share my toast. I made a mental note to get the dog steps out so he could climb up on the bed easily. With his enlarged heart we had to be mindful of too much exertion. That morning I had to go to work on Paradise Island. I left my three senior pups with kisses on the nose and again noticed how amazingly soft Boss’s fur was. A couple of hours after I left, Boss went out for a garden walk, sniffed the plants and enjoyed the sun, he came in had some treats and settled in his bed by the sliding glass doors
and went to sleep, comfortable and cozy. That’s when the angels came, he simply never woke up. He was home where he loved and was loved, and he just floated up to Rainbow Bridge, leaving his earthly “suitcase” behind. What a terrible shock for the humans and his canine friends he left behind, but could anybody wish for a better way for their beloved pet to leave them? I can just imagine the scenario at Rainbow Bridge: Chief with newly arrived Buddy standing there watching through the clouds, waiting for Boss to find his way through the white fluff…I am sure the boys were excited when they heard that Boss was on his way. They were such good friends on earth, imagine how happy that reunion would be? As they saw each other I am sure that their noses were twitching and their tails were wagging… such a happy moment for the boys. As they scamper around in their new-found young bodies, and
The late beloved Boss
Chiefie with four legs again, they will have to decide if they are going to be Three Wise Men or the Three Musketeers. What I do know is that my personal angel squad is full of love and I have three wonderful fur angels up there watching over me as I go about my earthly duties. I wonder what job Chief will give Boss to do. With his beautiful coat and pink nose I think he may be
in charge of getting new arrivals healthy coats of fur, totally mangefree, finding exactly the right tint, and of course noses are very important in Rainbow Bridge. Dogs’ noses are always very powerful, but when they look down at us they can even tell what flavour ice cream we are eating with just in one sniff. So now when I wake up at night and I think I caught a glimpse of golden fur, I will know that it is my gentlest of potcake giants, Boss, checking in to make sure that everything is in order. I wish we had had more time to love him. Eleven years is not very long for that little puppy who came in a box one Boxing Day. He had the sweetest inquisitive little face. He was a totally unplanned child; he was meant to stay for two nights and never left. He ate his way through more expensive Ferragamo shoes than I could ever count. He was a mischievous puppy, and grew and grew and grew, topping out at over 85lbs. We never knew that that he had a heart problem until three weeks before he died. He could climb any fence, open most doors and howl better than any wolf around. To lose three magnificent fur friends in nine months is devastating, but what a privilege it has been to live with three such different and wonderful personalities. Garmin and Bella are healthy and feisty 12-year-olds who continue to give great love and joy, and we all hold the past in our hearts.
pet of the week
SWEET LIKE HONEY By THE BAHAMAS HUMANE SOCIETY “Well, I’m as sweet as honey, and very playful. It’s probably because I’m still a very young pup, and I’m very curious about the world around me. I love being around people, and other dogs aren’t too bad, either. I’m sure I could get along with your cat, if your cat gets along with me! And in spite of my slightly feminine name, I’m a boy! Do you need a little extra sweetness
in your life? Give the Bahamas Humane Society a call at 3235138 and ask them for all the info about me, Honey, or any one of the other awesome pups available for adoption. See you soon!”
If you can’t adopt, foster. If you can’t foster, volunteer. If you can’t volunteer, donate. If you can’t donate, educate. Help make a difference!
Photo/Linda Gill-Aranha
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