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VOLUME:116 No.55, MARCH 13TH, 2019

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1

SPORTS: WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HEADS TO DECIDER

Renward’s relief in $700m lawsuit

Court brings end to waste project dispute

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE Supreme Court has dismissed a $727.364m damages claim brought against Renward Wells and two government “agents” by the firm at the centre of the Letter of Intent (LOI) controversy.

Deputy registrar Carol Misiewicz found that Stellar Energy and its affiliates were “from any angle unable to sustain an action” against the now-Cabinet minister and his co-defendants, Algernon Allen and Frank Forbes, “on the basis of the LOI”.

She determined that the LOI, the signing of which forced Mr Wells’ departure as Ministry of Works parliamentary secretary under the former Christie administration, “was not binding in law”.

The deputy registrar also branded Stellar’s claims against Mr Allen, himself a former Cabinet minister, and Mr Forbes, a businessman and accountant who ran Sigma Holdings, as “bad” given that they were not parties to the now-notorious LOI.

MEMBERS of the Progressive Liberal Party railed against the government’s handling of Grand Lucayan employees and the execution of the plan to sell the resort, calling for greater accountability in the spending of tax dollars.

Progressive Liberal Party deputy leader Chester Cooper questioned how much money has been

SEE PAGE FIVE

THE Bahamas must use its escape from the European Union’s (EU) tax “blacklist” to take the financial services industry to the “next level of growth”, the deputy prime minister urged yesterday.

KP Turnquest, speaking after it was confirmed that The Bahamas had avoided the EU’s 15-strong list, said that the country needed to exploit this outcome by repositioning the sector to focus on high-margin, value-added business.

Following the “arduous” effort to enact multiple laws bringing The Bahamas into compliance with the EU’s demands, Mr Turnquest said this nation now needed to attract companies to do real business with us.

MINISTER CONFIRMS SCHOOLS TB CASES

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

spent so far on what he called a “frolic”, adding the lack of transparency presented a myriad of questions surrounding the deal.

This, he said, was a breach of trust by Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis.

These concerns were further amplified by Englerston MP Glenys Hanna Martin, who also criticised the government’s treatment of Grand Lucayan employees.

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

HOW MUCH IS THIS ’FROLIC’ COSTING?

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

‘NOW IT’S TIME FOR US TO GO FORWARD’

BY RIEL MAJOR

ASIA’ S EYES ON CROWN

LITTLE Miss Galaxy Asia Laing waves to her supporters before the Bahamas Galaxy pageant crowns its queens. For a full report and more pictures, don’t miss The Tribune’s Weekend section, out on Friday.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

THERE are two separate confirmed cases of tuberculosis at Government High School and at AF Adderley, Education Minister Jeffrey Lloyd said yesterday.

Mr Lloyd told reporters outside Cabinet that once his ministry is notified of any such circumstances, there is a protocol between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health that immediately jumps into action.

“The TB is on the island of New Providence that’s at GHS and AF Adderley,” said Mr Lloyd.

SEE PAGE FIVE

‘HIS HAND NEVER LEFT THE PLOUGH’

By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net

THE late Monsignor Preston Moss was yesterday described by Catholic Archbishop Patrick Pinder as a man of “very deep faith” and an “engaging preacher with a deep, deep understanding and knowledge” of sacred scriptures.

The beloved priest died on Monday at the age of 79 after a battle with cancer.

Tributes have poured in

MONSIGNOR PRESTON MOSS from government officials and the Catholic community for a man who was seen

as a pillar of Catholicism in The Bahamas.

Msgr Moss’ accolades are numerous: in 2018, he was among the first group of recipients of the Bahamas National Honours, receiving the Order of Merit.

In 1999 he was made a protonotary apostolic, which is the highest rank of monsignor, by Pope John Paul II. In 1981, he was chosen by Pope John Paul II as part

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

SEE PAGE THREE

ALICIA WALLACE WE ALL NEED A LITTLE HELP FROM FRIENDS

SEE PAGE EIGHT

PAGE 2, Wednesday, March 13, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

THE BAHAMAS Music Academy performing at the Dundas Centre for the E Clement Bethel National Arts Festival.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

National arts festival gets into full swing

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, March 13, 2019, PAGE 3

VIDEO SHOWS POLICEMAN SLAPPING MAN IN CLUB

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

VIDEO footage has captured the moment a police officer slapped a man in a club downtown –– but according to the club’s supervisor, the clip tells only a small part of the story.

The 14 second clip, recorded at Tropicana over the weekend, shows police officers conversing with several men in a densely packed room.

One of the officers is seen slapping a man while saying: “Who you talking to

bey, ‘bout don’t touch me?

You stupid hey, ‘bout don’t touch you (sic).”

The officer is then restrained by his fellow officers.

“Muddoes (sic),” says a man near the camera.

The clip spread across social media yesterday.

It comes several months after another video went viral showing an officer slapping a man near Prince George Wharf, prompting outrage. Police have yet to disclose the results of their investigation into that incident.

As for the recent incident, a supervisor at Tropicana

bar told The Tribune yesterday the officer’s slap was justified in her view. She said police had been called to the bar about an alleged assault.

When they arrived, she said, the man in the video and his friends got heated with police. She claimed the officer slapped the man after he had been pushed.

“It was a forceful push,” the supervisor, who asked not to be named, said. “The slap was justified because it was three of them against that one officer and the officer was small compared to the three men. The (other officers) were standing off.”

The men, Bahamians who often frequent the bar, were arrested, according to the supervisor. “I was satisfied by how the incident was addressed,” she said. “I would’ve liked for the person who did the recording to get the full scoop of what happened instead of just posting the part where the officer hit the gentlemen.”

She said: “We have a public charge to get into the club starting at 9pm. I told the men it was a charge, $20 for locals. They started to argue and said they’re not paying to go upstairs so that’s what started the altercation.”

A VIDEO-grab of the incident.

TRIBUTES POUR IN FOR BELOVED PRIEST WHO DIED ON MONDAY AT THE AGE OF 79 MONSIGNOR Preston Moss officiating at the wedding of Robert Dupuch Carron and his wife Elizabeth in September 2013.

He was a man of deep faith and sought to live a simple life... He was also a wonderful preacher from page one of a two-man delegation to represent the Vatican at Belize’s independence celebrations. The choice of Msgr Moss marked the first time The Pope was represented at a Caribbean independence celebration by someone from the region.

Msgr Moss was born on October 19, 1939 to Preston and Veronica Moss. He received his early education at government public schools as well as St John’s College and St Augustine’s College. He was converted to Catholicism while a teenager, being received into the church in 1956.

Msgr Moss matriculated from St John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy in 1961, a Master of Divinity in 1974 and Master of Theology in 1976.

Msgr Moss was ordained to the Catholic priesthood on June 4, 1965 and served as a beloved priest for over 50 years before retiring as pastor of St Anselm’s

parish in Fox Hill in 2016.

Archbishop Pinder noted that Msgr Moss served at “a number” of parish assignments, including St Joseph’s and St Bede’s and also served as rector of St Francis Xavier Cathedral.

He was appointed Chancellor of the Catholic Diocese in 1973 and Vicar General in 1975.

Msgr Moss’ grandparents, Percy and Hannah Wilkinson, had a particularly strong influence on his life.

Regarding his grandmother, Msgr Moss said in a Tribune report in 1990: “A few days before she died she said, ‘Son you have put your hand to the plough, now keep it there. There will be difficult times but even when you bleed, ask the Lord to keep it there.’ I have often remembered that and when I’m in the midst of trying to grow as a priest and trying to serve people, these words of hers and her own presence come back to me.”

Msgr Moss served his people particularly well.

Archbishop Pinder told The Tribune yesterday: “Certainly, I think his strongest points—as a man he was a man of very, very deep faith. And he sought to live a very, very simple life.

“He certainly had a very, very profound sense of judgment as a pastor and he had a tremendous sensitivity for people, particularly in their needs.

“And he was also a very, very wonderful and engaging preacher with a deep, deep understanding and knowledge of the sacred scriptures which I think endeared him to many, many people.”

Msg Moss spent “endless hours” working with both premarital and married couples. He also completed an in-depth study on Family Life in The Bahamas as part of his master’s programme. He was also a champion for immigrants and those suffering from diseases such as AIDS. Msg Moss was also an advocate for responsible media. In 2000, he delivered remarks at a two-day

70-YEAR-OLD FACES CHARGES OF SEXUALLY ASSAULTING GIRL, 8

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

A 70-YEAR-OLD man accused of sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl is expected to be formally arraigned in the Freeport Magistrate’s Court this morning.

The suspect was arrested by police on Sunday, March 10. According to reports,

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it is not the first time the man was arrested as he was said to be convicted of similar charges several years ago.

Police Superintendent Walter Henderson confirmed a man had been arrested in reference to a sexual assault matter involving a minor and that investigations were conducted.According to Supt Henderson, the suspect is expected to be charged on one count of unlawful sexual intercourse.

Media Symposium held at the British Colonial Hilton.

“Persons in the media can help our country develop into a mature community,” he said at the time, also noting his own background in journalism as a paper boy for The Tribune and later a ZNS messenger. On rainy evenings, or when The Tribune, then an evening publication, was late, he often found himself on his paper route having to seek shelter for the night in the small Cable Beach police station.

Days before his silver jubilee in 1990, Msgr Moss said: “As I come up to this 25th, I find myself remembering more and more those people who have formed me. As weak and frail as I am, whatever has been done is because of God’s fidelity because I have always felt that I have

been loved by our people and they have accepted what God has called me to be.”

The inherent love the Bahamian people had for Msgr Moss has been evidenced by the many tributes written in the days since his death.

“His half a century of ministry coincided with our national development as a sovereign Bahamas,” Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said in a press statement on Monday.

“Monsignor Moss played an essential role in our country’s development, and the indigenisation of the local church. He was known for his holiness and pastoral care. His ministry of love, mercy and reconciliation touched many Bahamians over a number of generations. He walked with grace and dedication in the footsteps of Christ.”

Former Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes said he was privileged to have Moss’ friendship, and to witness the “flowering of his long and wonderful spiritual pilgrimage” over the decades.

Opposition Leader Philip “Brave” Davis said Monsignor Moss “faithfully pastored over his spiritual flock for many decades with a sense of humility, kindness, compassion and concern.”

A vigil for Msgr Moss will be held on March 19 at 7pm at St Anselm’s Church, Bernard Road.

Viewing of the body will begin at noon prior to the vigil.

Funeral services for Msgr Moss will take place at St Francis Xavier Cathedral, West Street on Tuesday, March 21, at 11am. Interment will be in St Anselm’s Church Cemetery.

PAGE 4, Wednesday, March 13, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

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Let us pick up the baton from Queen’s College QUEEN’S College needs a round of applause.

Not just for their recent BAISS win – although current and former students certainly cheered that victory last week – but for another event held at the school on Friday.

Young people sat down and talked to a host of leading figures from across Bahamian society – from politics and art, sports and business, religion and more.

It may seem a small thing, but giving young people the chance to meet people further along the paths they may themselves take is an opportunity to glimpse their own futures.

Would-be track athletes got to chat to Olympian Ramon Miller, those interested in art could meet Renbert Mortimer, while Sir Arthur Foulkes talked to pupils about the history of The Bahamas – a history that includes his own days working here in The Tribune.

As he modestly said: “If there is any little I can say or impart to them, I’m more than delighted.”

There were many more leading figures there too, each offering a little advice, a little guidance, and perhaps giving children a sense that where others have led the way along a path, they can follow – and even to go further.

We often underestimate the importance of role models, of the ability to see someone like ourselves who has gone before us and succeeded in their goals, but that is what this event offered. Role models.

So we tip our hat to Queen’s College for leading the way themselves – and we ask what more can we all do in that regard?

A nation’s greatest asset is its people, but can we mobilise ourselves not as an army for battle, but an army for education, to grow together. What are our individual talents, in what way can we be a mentor or a guide? And who would benefit from the knowledge we have to share?

Perhaps it’s fitting that relay runner Ramon Miller was part of such an event – because it’s time for us all to pick up the baton and carry it further.

We’d love to see other schools carry on with the next leg, but not just schools – churches too, the likes of Rotary and other organisations as well. It need not be limited to working with children either – but perhaps also spotlight adult education opportunities available. We’ll be more than happy to feature those who join any such campaign in our pages.

It would be wonderful if the Queen’s College event was just the starting line, and that we can all work together to go further, faster, together.

A true priest

WE ARE sad to note the passing of a man of deep faith, an inspiration to many over the years.

Monsignor Preston Moss died on Monday, aged 79. He was known as a very knowledgeable man, who lived a simple life and had a deep sense of holiness.

He was a man whose roots were important to him – from his time as a paper boy for The Tribune he continued to advocate responsible journalism throughout his life. But one note from his life touches us particularly. In 1990, he recalled his own grandmother a few days before her own death telling him: “Son, you have put your hand to the plough, now keep it there. There will be difficult times but even when you bleed, ask the Lord to keep it there.”

He said he often remembered that and as he tried to grow as a priest and tried to serve others, he said her words and presence came back to him.

May we all have such wonderful role models – and we hope that Monsignor Moss knew how much of a role model he was to many. A true priest.

Plenty of women in Bahamas have much to celebrate EDITOR, The Tribune INTERNATIONAL women’s day (March 8) is intended to highlight women all around the world. This is a day when accomplishments of women should be the focus of everyone’s attention.

Every newspaper should have a column dedicated to our heroines. But as I read the local papers I might have overlooked it but there was very little said about this day especially the accomplishment of the Bahamian woman. What happened, was it an oversight or have we forgotten Dame Doris Johnson, Ruby Ann Darling, Janet Bostwick, Dame Marguerite Pindling, Sylvia Scriven, Eileen Carron, Mother Pratt, Pastor Lavenia Stewart and the scores of other women, including the straw vendors, the janitresses and maids who have made invaluable contributions to the country.

Or is it because humanism is no longer a factor. I

must say the radio stations made an effort to showcase the importance of this day.

Hats off to one radio host in particular whose entire show was dedicated to this day. He placed great emphasis on how important women are to the stability of the family mentioning several of our heroines. As I listened to him it took me back to the days when every boy was quick to fight if you would say to him “das ya Ma.” In many cases your Pa might not be around he is either to work or no longer a part of the family, but ya Ma, oh Lord ya Ma was always there.

Throughout my daily commune I’m privileged to interact with elderly mothers and widows on a regular basis. While the majority of them are fortunate to have caring relatives who have not turned their backs or forgotten them. There is a noticeable number whose children pay little or no attention to them. In the homes for the elderly there

are pearls whose children even though they pay for them being there visit them very seldom or not at all.

And there are some whose children leave them alone in their homes all day. I’m talking about pearls that are severely handicapped some of them in disposable undergarments and confined to a wheel chair.

What is so distressing is if you see some of these children you would never think they would treat their family that way.

But come Mother’s Day you can see them parading their mom up and down in the church and to lunch and dinner all over the place hogging up the spotlight “bout what good chirren they is”.

Next day their Ma sitting to the table in a wheelchair with a jug of water and left over food from the Mother’s Day lunch that has to last them until six o’clock.

ANTHONY PRATT Nassau March 8, 2019.

Locking up our young people develops criminals EDITOR, The Tribune I HAVE said it before and I will say it again. The Royal Bahamas Police Force, under the stellar command of Commissioner Anthony Ferguson, ably assisted by the high command, inclusive of Senior Assistant Commissioner Stephen Dean and the outstanding Assistant Commissioners of Police, Clayton Fernander and Ken Strachan, et al, especially Chief Supt B K Bonamy, are doing a wonderful job in fighting and detecting crime.

The recent alleged abduction of an eight year old girl from her home in the dead of night is the tipping point. Bahamians must now stand up and demand that the state affords more robust efforts to protect our children. No one wishes to speculate the motive behind this alleged abduction, but when couples with non-intentional shooting deaths of minors, caught in the cross fire between alleged criminals, enough is enough. We have to save the children of this nation from criminal madness and mayhem. The buck has been passed around for too long.

The late Bernard Nottage, a former Minister of National Security and his Minister of State for that portfolio, once waxed eloquently for the necessity of a Sexual Convicted List....the so-called Marco’s Law, when they held sway.

It must be borne in mind that young Marco has long been dead and gone and successive politicians, most

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net of them putative fathers, have done next to nothing to advance this concept. In the meantime, countless numbers of our minor and younger children are being killed; sexually abused and mentally destroyed. Yet, our erstwhile politicians, across the political divide, continue to dither and play crazy with semantics and inordinate delays in bringing this proposed Bill into law.

The current administration has an opportunity to finally get this show on the road, for real the nation can ill afford another one of our little darlings to be done in while politicians pay lip service. The police investigations in this matter, no doubt, will play out to the conclusion and appropriate charges laid. Without pre-empting what the judicial system will do in such a case, it is a given that no bail should be granted and that the charged person should be placed in Cell Block B. I have withdrawn my political support from Mr Dames, who is the useless MP, in my view, for Mount Moriah where my family and I reside. He is, no doubt, a good human being, but he seems to be on cruise control. Mind you, I do believe that he is capable of more, if he focuses more on his portfolio and spending less time being buttered up by all and sundry. His public outburst towards his

so-called FNM colleague, McAlpine, ‘The Rejected One’, sends a terrible message to young Bahamian males who are, themselves badly conflicted with conflict resolution issues.

“Don’t butter me up...?”

Parliamentary language?

We urgently need to reform our criminal justice system as it relates to youthful offenders. To incarcerate a youngster of 18 years or so into the general prison population is a guaranteed breeding ground for vicious and dangerous hardened criminals.

To add insult to injury, it is alleged that over 65% of the male inmates are either being buggered or are doing the buggering. It is not likely that condoms are being used, generally speaking.

The results? A bunch of sexual dysfunctional male ex-offenders who find it difficult to start and maintain a stable intimate relationship with his/her peers. We then see the emergence of sexual predators who will seek out children and senior citizens. It would appear that we have some dead lazy or dead dumb lawyers within the Office of the Attorney General. I beg them to please properly research and draft a Bill that would reflect the mission statement of Marco’s Law. To God then, in all things, Who said, plainly: “Suffer the little children to come unto me” in all things, be the glory.

ORTLAND H BODIE Jr Nassau March 6, 2019

Is Disney deal worth $250m or $400m then?

EDITOR, The Tribune DISNEY Cruise port in Eleuthera an HOA signed, in private no press…very, very sad but after the OBAN mess and refusal to cancel I suspect PM was scared out of his wits plus he continues to run from the press. You only run when there is something to hide from!

Tribune ran an article on this…I have to question the value of this HOA…there is a whopping difference between $250 million

and $400 million! Which is it $250m or $400m?

Global Holdings their announced value of the investment $250 million - this writer does not believe that is accurate it is a total guess. Note Pointe project is valued at $250 million…far, far larger than Global’s proposal! More spin?

ABRAHAM MOSS Nassau March 12, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, March 13, 2019, PAGE 5

How much is this ‘frolic’ costing us, asks Cooper from page one

The senior PLPs slammed the Minnis administration the day after it was revealed that there was an ongoing impasse between officials and Lucayan managers.

The managers have demanded $5m for voluntary separation packages for those who have decided to leave the hotel. However, Michael Scott, chairman of Lucayan Renewal Holdings Ltd, the state-owned vehicle that owns the hotel, said only $3.1m can be offered.

Unable to reach an agreement, the union has sought intervention from the Industrial Tribunal in Grand Bahama.

“The government’s handling of the Grand Lucayan sale and the myriad of issues involved would be laughable were the stakes not so high,” Mr Cooper, the Exuma and Ragged Island MP, said in a statement yesterday.

“We are now learning that a settlement for managers who wish to depart the resort is being arbitrated by the Industrial Tribunal in Grand Bahama, and the voluntary separation involved in this tranche of layoffs will cost taxpayers $3m-$5m.

“This is in addition to the more than $3m already paid to separated line staff, plus a reported $3.5m for renovations. We can add to that amount the $30 million in cash paid to (former owner) Hutchison upfront for the hotel before the sale was completed.

“Added to that amount is the reported $35 million mortgage the government has executed with Hutchison, and the associated closing costs of the sale.

“On top of that is the running total of government subsidised operating costs for the hotel, at last

PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party deputy leader Chester Cooper questioned how much money has been spent so far on what he called a “frolic”, an estimation by the government to be just shy of $2 million per month.”

Mr Cooper questioned whether the combined total would rest at around $14m.

“The minister must say whether this is accurately reflected in government expenditure in a mid-year budget on which the government has suppressed debate.

“Perhaps now would be a pertinent time to ask the minister of finance to disclose to the Bahamian people just how much of their tax dollars have been spent to date on this frolic.

What exactly is the cost so

far? How many tax dollars, exactly, are we projected to spend before the sale closes?

“While the minister of finance is at it, we also ask that he states how many bidders for the purchase of the hotel have signed non-disclosure agreements versus the number of bidders who have actually submitted proposals.”

He said this is not what transparency looks like.

Meanwhile, Mrs Hanna Martin said the government was inconsistent in that it had no issues bowing to the demands of Hutchinson Whampoa, but is playing

hardball with Lucayan employees.

She said: “They say it’s the people’s time. That’s what the language was and the implication was that it was the time for the Bahamian people, but when we look at the facts on the ground and in this case with Grand Lucayan they are taking a dogmatic line in the sand approach to Bahamian workers who as I understand are requiring what they are entitled to under our law but on the other hand they are being so soft (with the former owners of the hotel).

CAMPBELL URGES GOOD PRACTICE AT UN

By MATT MAURA Bahamas Information Services

THE government believes that good practices and policies are those that are consistent, innovative and comprehensive, Minister of Social Services and Urban Development Frankie Campbell said on Monday.

Addressing a United Nations ministerial round table on good practices, Mr Campbell outlined a number of initiatives the government has undertaken through his ministry and its many departments, and in collaboration with the country’s many non-governmental organisations, to meet objectives.

“We are satisfied that good practices and policies are those that are consistent and so our efforts are, and have been geared towards ensuring that there are long term implementation plans and benefits,” Mr Campbell said.

“We also believe that good practices are those that are innovative. Those that will cause and allow us to think out of the box in terms of funding which is usually an impediment to

FRANKIE Campbell meets officials from the National Women’s Advisory Council in New York. women and girls, particularly those in the more rural areas, to become empowered and to be able to live out their dreams per se.

“Additionally, good practices and policies have to be comprehensive in nature and in order for them to be comprehensive, we must hear from our stakeholders

and so we have gone out and have held various discussions and consultations with our stakeholders and non-governmental organisations to ensure that as many voices come to the fore to ensure that we can implement as comprehensive a programme as possible.”

Mr Campbell said officials at the Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development have been working diligently to expand public/private partnerships while closely working with the country’s non-governmental organisations – quite a number of whom are included in the Bahamas’ delegation to the Sixty-Third Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW63).

“We have nurtured those partnerships to the extent that we are now working towards having the various groups focus on a particular subject matter to avoid duplication of efforts,” Mr Campbell said.

“We realise that there must be inclusion. There are many minority groups that for a very long time, have not had a voice and so we seek, through our NGOs that we have partnered with – and whom we have given some financial assistance to albeit limited based on resources, but to show the commitment - to ensure that they are able to cause those voices that are not ordinarily heard, to have an opportunity to be heard.’

MINISTER CONFIRMS SCHOOLS TB CASES from page one

“We had two confirmed cases, those are being addressed and the same thing with Harbour Island school... the hand, foot mouth disease which is also being addressed.

“You remember the same thing happened with the school in Inagua with the scabies, same thing. Immediately once we get some confirmation or suspicion that there might be a circumstance involving the students or teachers…we immediately jump into action with our protocols.”

Regarding other education matters, Mr Lloyd, pictured right, was asked about the state of ongoing negotiations with Bahamas Union of Teachers.

“There has been some movement within that respect,” Mr Lloyd said.

“We have already assembled the team, there have been preliminary discussions already. We have received from them a proposal, we have prepared a counter proposal and that is now in the process.

“Also, the union executive team has met with the administration to discuss basically money issues which of course as you all know is always the sticking point.”

Mr Lloyd also told reporters there is no real concern regarding the air conditioning system in Ministry of Education’s building.

He said: “There was no air conditioning yesterday and you know the Ministry of Education’s building

actually belongs to the National Insurance Board and so their technicians were supposed to come yesterday.

“I’m advised they’re going to be there this morning to address the air conditioning concerns. Seems as each time the lights go off, the power goes, that particular feature is tripped and it doesn’t come back on, they have to reset it so that’s the main address, no real concern.”

In reference to other complaints, the minister also said the only school in the Family Islands that made a complaint about a teacher shortage recently was in Acklins and the ministry has supplied the needed teacher to that particular school. Mr Lloyd said: “The teacher started yesterday.”

“The issue has arisen as to whether we were ripped of with Grand Lucayan and there was no transparency with that either, no transparency and no clearly.

“This administration is duplicitous. They are not consistent. This is not the people’s time, actually it’s the people’s time to wake up very quickly because we do not know what is going on with this administration.”

“It’s a very dangerous situation where they are doing things and we are catching up at the end of the day and frankly we don’t even

know what it means,” she continued.

“What is happening is it seems this country has no rhythm or logic. You just seem to be one day just hearing suddenly about something. It’s very disconcerting, the nature of governance of this administration.

“It appears to me that they are taking a hardline.

“They make these superman moves, but they’re not consistent. They aren’t philosophically rooted and it’s just populism and it’s really paper thin,” she said yesterday.

PAGE 6, Wednesday, March 13, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

Bahamas has no Boeing 737 MAX planes

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net CIVIL Aviation officials yesterday confirmed the country does not have any Boeing 737 MAX airplanes in its registry following the model’s fatal plane crash in Ethiopia over the weekend.

However, there are MAX 8 planes with routes to The Bahamas operated by Southwest Airlines. According to international reports, flight attendants from Southwest Airlines and ground crews have asked the company to take the airplane model out of service.

Up to press time, more than six countries had moved

to ground the model with temporary suspensions as investigations into Sunday’s crash - which claimed the life of 157 passengers - continue.

Seven countries had suspended the whole Boeing 737 MAX range up to press time.

Yesterday, Safety Oversight Manager Juliea Brathwaite-Rolle said it was still too premature to determine the cause of the crash, but noted the Civil Aviation Authority was closely monitoring the incident.

She explained while other countries have taken precautionary measures, the crash investigation was still in its preliminary stages for the American manufactured airplane.

“As it stands right now,

everybody is waiting for more information before any decisions are made,” Ms Brathwaite-Rolle said.

According to reports, the new Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane had just taken off from the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa when the pilot reported technical problems and asked for permission to turn back. It crashed six minutes after takeoff, and marks the second crash for this model in less than six months.

Last October, 189 people were killed when a new Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX 8 went down over the Java Sea off Indonesia.

In February, Bahamasair commissioned a new Boeing 737790NG jet, an $11.4m investment

with a seating capacity of 138 and a flying range of over five hours.

It also seats 18 more seats than its “sister jets”.

The acquisition of the new aircraft brought the fleet count to nine: four jets and five turbo props.

Bahamasair’s Managing Director Tracy Cooper said the national airline does not have the model in question in its fleet.

“The 737 Max are the brand new 737s that are just rolling off of the assembly line and Bahamasair doesn’t have any of those models in its fleet. So consumers do not have anything to worry about,” Mr Cooper said.

The UK, Oman, Singapore, Australia, Ireland, France and Norwegian Airlines have

suspended the whole Boeing 737 MAX range, according to CNN. China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Iceland, Germany and the airlines: TUI Airways, GOL Linhas Aereas, Aeromexico, Aerolíneas Argentinas, Cayman Airways, Comair Airways, Eastar Jet, Jet Airways, Mongolian Airlines, China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, Lion Air and Silkair have reportedly suspended the MAX 8 model.

Turkey and Poland have suspended the 737 MAX 8 and 9.

Airlines still flying 737 MAX planes include: American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Fiji Airways, Icelandair, Flydubai, Spicejet and WestJet.

Photos: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff

Queen’s College hosts Bahamian Exchange and hears their stories

By RIEL MAJOR QUEEN’S College and KBII Communications hosted their third annual Bahamian Exchange under the theme “Meet the people, Hear their Stories” on Friday night.

The Bahamian Exchange gave participants the

opportunity to sit down for 15 minutes to select from two groups of panellists all ranging from backgrounds in politics, religion, sports, history, culture, art, business and education.

The panellists were Ramon Miller representing sports, Camille Barnett representing humanitarianism,

Funeral Service For

Everette Earl Sands, 94

of Eastern Road, Nassau, The Bahamas, who died at Doctors Hospital, Collins Avenue, Nassau, on Saturday, 9th March, 2019, will be held at Christ Church Cathedral, George Street, Nassau, on Saturday, 16th March, 2019 at 10:00 a.m.

The Very Reverend Patrick L. Adderley will officiate and interment will follow in St. Matthew’s Church Cemetery, Shirley and Church Streets, Nassau.

He was predeceased by his brother, Dudley Sands and sister, Barbara Albury.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia Marceline Sands; sons, John Everette Sands and James Andrew Sands; grandsons, Gary Sands and James Sands; granddaughters, Carlynn Sands, Laura Graham, Kelly Sands and Mallory Sands; daughters-in-law, Linda Sands and Clare Sands; grandson-in-law, John Graham; brother-in-law, Kenneth Albury; sister-in-law, Valeria Sands and many other relatives and close friends.

Arrangements by Kemp’s Funeral Home Limited.

Felicia Archer representing religion, Renbert Mortimer representing art, Sir Arthur Foulkes representing history, Alfred Sears and Travis Robinson both representing politics and community, Samuel Moss representing personal triumph, Darron Turnquest representing youth development, Dr Desiree Cox representing education, Arlene Nash Ferguson representing culture and Nancy Kelly representing business.

Katherine Beneby said the idea originated in Denmark and locals wanted to bring the same concept in the Bahamas.

Ms Beneby said: “It is actually a worldwide event where you bring different people of different backgrounds and they share their experience. It’s an exchange, you’re not only learning from the feature but the feature is learning from you…so it is a unique opportunity no other opportunity like it in the Bahamas.

“When people see events like this they think it’s either a panel or a keynote but you’re actually able to sit arm’s length from the

features and ask them anything you want. It is one of a kind.

“The aim is to inspire learning, growth development. People have actually launched a book from last year just from being in this space. We tell people to come open to what opportunities lie because just being in this space your opening yourself to positivity in your life moving forward.”

Dr Reginald Eldon, dean of the school’s Centre for Further Education, said this event presents the idea of opening up personalities to ordinary Bahamians who would never get the opportunity to meet these people.

Dr Eldon said: “I just think it’s unique…it’s a unique thing that we are doing.”

For her part, Ms Archer said: “I was more than humble to be a part of this. I actually wanted the opportunity to have a dialogue with people that have been following my ministry so that they can see outside of being on the platform I’m human. I’m relatable, I’m very transparent, and I’m very down to

earth and honest as well as opinionated.

“I like this approach to ministry because outside of preaching I think people need to know that as a minister we are reachable we are approachable and people have real questions that they want answers for and so that’s why I decided to accept the invitation.”

Mr Robinson, Bain and Grants Town MP, said he think this event has the opportunity to allow members of the public to be able to speak with individuals who are considered to be influential persons in society.

He said: “The event allows for local citizens, high school students, primary school students etc, to have that one-on-one conversation with individuals who are making progress to try further the society country at large in various sectors so when I got the invite to be apart it was a no-brainer for me because I enjoy sharing the knowledge I have with other persons and trying to build a society together.”

Mr Turnquest, director of youth at the Ministry of Youth, said he has

never really told his story and doubted he had a story to tell but was convinced his story is very relevant.

Mr Turnquest said: “People should hear what it is to be the youngest deputy permanent secretary, the youngest director…how did you get to that to that particular place? I think a lot of people see where you end up but no one knows the journey of how you got there and so really getting the opportunity to share with parents and to share with young people.”

Sir Arthur, former governor general, said: “I’m always delighted to do anything to help young Bahamians that is primarily why I’m here. If there is any little I can say or impart to them I’m more than delighted.”

Jerchovia Moxey, a participant, said: “I think tonight was really much needed in the community.

These are people that have transformed spaces and changed lives. Not only for myself but also for the Bahamas as a whole. . .We got to ask them some very hard questions, get real feedback.”

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, March 13, 2019, PAGE 7

Final six poachers free to go

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

THE remaining six of 46 Dominican poachers previously convicted of plundering Bahamian waters of some 33,000 pounds of fish last year are now free men.

Howard Thompson Jr, their attorney, confirmed his clients were “free to go” following a hearing in the Court of Appeal yesterday for more time in which to appeal their year-long prison sentence.

Mr Thompson said his clients technically should have been released when their other 40 compatriots were set free after serving six months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDCS).

However, he said due to an “administrative oversight” and mix-up concerning his clients’ names, they were left off the original notice of appeal - that resulted in them all receiving shorter sentences with the exception of their captain - with the other 40.

On July 8, Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) vessel HMBS Madeira apprehended a Dominican fishing vessel attempting to flee into Cuban waters.

After receiving information of three foreign vessels in the area of Guinchos Cay, HMBS Madeira was dispatched into the area to investigate.

Boat captain Radhames Hernandez and crew, on board a 70-foot steel hull fishing vessel, were apprehended and approximately

33,000 pounds of fisheries were confiscated. Two other fishing vessels which were in the vicinity fled into Cuban waters.

The captain and crew of the apprehended vessel were caught, and each charged with engaging in illegal foreign fishing within the exclusive fishery zone of The Bahamas.

They were also charged with being in possession of 142 pounds of undersized Nassau grouper weighing less than three pounds each; being in possession of 29,104 pounds of fresh crawfish during the closed season (from April 1 to July 31, 2018); and being in possession of 12,973 pounds of undersized crawfish that measured less than three and one-quarter inches from the base of the horn to the end of the jacket.

Hernandez was further charged with possession of an unlicensed, black pistol grip 12-gauge shotgun and nine rounds of shotgun ammunition.

At the August 10 hearing before Magistrate Kara Turnquest-Deveaux, all of the poachers pleaded guilty and were consequently convicted and fined $53,000, or face prison time. The fines totalled $2.3 million. Hernandez was sentenced to one year for possession of ammunition and 18 months for possession of an unlicensed firearm, the sentences to run concurrently.

In December, the Court of Appeal ruled that all of the poachers minus Hernandez would serve six months behind bars as opposed to 12.

DOMINICAN fishermen heading to court to be charged with poaching.

FIVE WOMEN FINED FOR OVERSTAYING

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

FIVE foreign women - three Venezuelans, a Guyanese, and a Jamaican - were collectively fined $5,000 for overstaying in The Bahamas, with the Jamaican woman said to have worn out her welcome by almost two years.

Jamaican national Terrian McPherson, Venezuelan nationals Beatriz Castro, Yanneris Caicedo and Deymilis Aragor, along with Guyanese native Chelsea Alexander were fined $1,000 each by Acting Deputy Chief Magistrate Subusola Swain after admitting to overstaying.

McPherson was landed at Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) on June 30, 2017 for eight days. However, she admitted to not applying for an extension and ended up overstaying by one year and eight months at the time of her arrest.

Castro overstayed by some nine months and tried to use the excuse that her passport was stolen on July 25, 2018 as the reason she overstayed. However, it was revealed that she reported

THREE IMMIGRANTS IN COURT

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net THREE immigrants were arraigned in Freeport Magistrate’s Court for various breaches of the Immigration Act. Jamaican Claudia Ricketts, 49, appeared before Magistrate Charlton Smith on the charge of overstaying and pleaded guilty.

According to the particulars, Ricketts had entered the country legally on November 2, 2018 from Jamaica, and was initially landed for a period of five days.

She received an extension which had expired on November 21. She was arrested

by Department of Immigration officials.

Magistrate Smith ordered Ricketts to

pay a fine of $1,800 or in default serve 18 months in prison.

Also appearing before Magistrate Smith were Haitian nationals Jerome Esperance, 53, and Ivania Oblibrice, 36. Esperance pleaded guilty to the charge of harbouring an undocumented migrant. Esperance is married to a Bahamian citizen and is the holder of a spousal permit. He was ordered to pay a $2,000 fine or in default serve two months in prison.

Oblibrice pleaded guilty to illegal landing and was fined $300 or in default serve two months in prison.

All the accused paid their fines and the undocumented migrants were turned over to the Immigration Department for deportation.

her stolen passport to police some two months after she overstayed.

The acting deputy chief magistrate did not believe her story in any event, asserting that Castro likely figured it was “safer” to report her passport as stolen so that in the event she was picked up, she would have a sound alibi.

Conversely, the senior magistrate said if Castro’s passport was in fact stolen, she could have applied for an emergency travel certificate from her embassy.

“If she intended to leave, she would have gotten one.

Everybody knows about emergency travel certificates,” the acting deputy chief magistrate said.

They each must pay the fines or serve nine months in prison.

Another five women, namely Beatriz Marquez, Mallesia Cadogan, Tavanna Bennett, Tameka Clair and Tomay Clarke, were similarly fined $1,000 apiece for being caught with fraudulent extension stamps in their respective passports.

Those women, who hail from Venezuela (Marquez), Guyana (Bennett and Cadogan) and Jamaica (Clair and Clarke), were

all apprehended during “Operation Lockdown” conducted by Department of Immigration and police officers at the Sugar Hill nightclub on Thompson Boulevard on Saturday.

During that operation, Marquez, who entered the country legally on December 24, 2018 and was admitted for one month, was found to have two fraudulent visitor extension stamps in her passport, both of which were previously issued to two Jamaican nationals on January 2 and 3.

When questioned by the acting deputy chief magistrate as to how she got the fake stamps, Marquez, with the assistance of a translator, said she met someone in this country who told her they would help her with getting them. When asked why she didn’t go to the immigration directorate herself to make an application, she said she didn’t know about that option.

Meanwhile, a review of Cadogan’s passport by law enforcement officials showed that she entered the country legally on December 7, 2018 as a visitor and was admitted for one week.

She subsequently got an extension to stay in Nassau

on December 15 that would last up to January 13, 2019.

However, her passport showed two fraudulent visitor extension stamps, one of which was previously issued to a Jamaican woman, and the other was never issued because the number associated with it does not exist.

When asked by the acting deputy chief magistrate where she got the stamps from, Cadogan said she got them from a friend named “Brian”, and that she had no idea they were fake.

Bennett, Cleare, and Clarke meanwhile each entered the country via legal means between December and February, but were each found with fraudulent visitor extension stamps in their passports.

The one found in Bennett’s passport was previously issued to a Cuban man; the one in Cleare’s passport was previously issued to a Polish minor; while the one found in Clarke’s passport was previously issued to a Russian native.

Each woman admitted to the offence and were consequently fined $1,000 or otherwise serve nine months in prison and the fraudulent stamps were ordered cancelled.

PAGE 8, Wednesday, March 13, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY AROUND THE WORLD

ABOVE: A woman holds a sign that reads “Stop killing us,” during a march to mark International Women’s Day in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Below: a picture during a march in Santiago, Chile,

THOUSANDS of demonstrators gather at Plaza del Castillo square during the International Women’s Day in Pamplona, Spain.

They can’t get by without a bit of help from friends LAST week Friday was International Women’s Day, and several events were held in Nassau and other cities all over the world. It was interesting to see what agencies, organisations and individuals did in their acknowledgement of the internationally recognised

Funeral Service For

Carlyle Winston Cartwright, 78

of Cable Beach, Nassau, The Bahamas, who died peacefully at his residence, on Sunday, 3rd March, 2019, will be held at Calvary Bible Church, Collins Avenue, Nassau, on Friday, 15th March, 2019 at 3:00 p.m.

Pastor Allan R. Lee will officiate and interment will follow in Ebenezer Methodist Cemetery, East Shirley Street, Nassau.

He was predeceased by his parents, Samuel and Maud Cartwright; son, Christopher Cartwright; brother, Donald Cartwright and his sister, Elizabeth Cartwright.

He is survived by his wife, Alice Cartwright; son, Kevin Cartwright; daughterin-law, Carolyn Cartwright; granddaughter, Jessica Cartwright; sister, Patricia Cartwright of New Zealand; nephews, Gregor (Ingrid) Cartwright, Jeffrey (Lisa) Knowles, Theordore (Teddy) Knowles, Lance (Adrienne) Knowles, Ryan and Rohn (Wendy) Knowles; nieces, Moira Cartwright, Sophie Tranquilini, Joye Byers-Lennox, Deborah (Charles) Burrows, Jennifer (Ricardo) Treco, Linzi (Daniel) Belton, Rianne Knowles; sisters-in-law, Eleanor Cartwright, Winifred Knowles, Rosemarie Rodgers, Nancy Marcel, Miriam Knowles-Culmer and Rosemary Cartwright; cousins, Basil, Godfrey, Michael (Monica), Douglas Minns, Eilene Mabon, Kenny (Sonia) Cartwright, David Cartwright, Ian (Athena) Mabon, Allan (Beth) Mabon, Susan Lawrence, Donna Knowles, Steven and Bonnie Nottage, Bruce and Beth Nottage, other family, Pastor Allan and Nancy Lee, Jerome and Janette Cartwright, Krystal, Jeremy, Zakary Cartwright and Natasha Fox, Winston and Violet Cartwright, Randolph and Hazel Wells, Jerry and Violet Wirth, Barry and Diane Matsas, Adina Vikin, Hildred (Hillie) Knowles, Elizabeth Knowles, Patrice (Steven) Jones, Garrette and Sanara Knowles, Alexander Alvarez, Johnny and Desiree Cartwright; close friends, Jenifer (Jenny) Lloyd, Dennis and Arline Rossi, Dennis and Nikki Cole, Thelma and Elizabeth Lim, David and Beryl Sheasby, Tony and Claire Howarth, Marguerite King, Monique Wszolek, Chantelle (Joseph) Eutenuer, Lavette Campbell, Doug (AJ) Ackerman, Anne Rollins and family, Matthew Sams and Christopher Darville, other friends, Betty Von Hamm, Alice McKenzie and family, Elva Rolle and family, Bruce and Cathy Ferguson; caregivers, Sandra Felix, Nadia Campbell and Nicky Jones and many other relatives and close friends.

Special thanks to Dr. Graham Cates and the Staff of Family Medicine Center, Blake Road, Nassau.

There are a host of other relatives and friends too numerous to mention. We apologize to anyone whose name may have been omitted. Please know that it was not intentional. We love and appreciate you all.

Instead of flowers the family request that donations be sent to Christian Counselling Centre, P.O. Box S.S. 6106, Nassau in memory of Mr. Carlyle Winston Cartwright.

Relatives and friends may pay their respects at Kemp’s Funeral Home Limited, Palmdale Avenue, Palmdale, on Thursday, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Arrangements by Kemp’s Funeral Home Limited.

day. I know it can be difficult for some organisations to host events due to limited resources, and this limits the range of activities they can participate in yearround. It is important for us to think about why nonprofit organisations exist, who they serve and what they need to keep doing their work and increase their impact.

Equality Bahamas’ Women’s Wednesdays event held two days before International Women’s Day focused on women’s rights advocacy. We heard from women experienced in regional solidarity building, policymaking, social work, campaigning, and LGBT+ advocacy over the past few decades. As they shared their experiences and insights, it was easy to see the difference between then and now. It seems as though we have been moving away from informal organising and the development of intimate communities.

There are some organisations and groups that retain some of these qualities, but they are not in the majority in The Bahamas. Even informal groups are largely working toward formalisation for various reasons, not the least of which is access to funding. This led me to think about the support Bahamian non-profit do and do not receive, and the need to boost the signal on the work being done every day, often by volunteer teams, incurring personal costs.

We do not often talk about it, but advocacy and community service have a cost. It is time intensive, associated with varying levels of risk, and usually requires money. This frequently pushes people to register non-profit organizations which comes at its own cost. All of these organizations do not have ongoing programmes or large amounts of money to manage, but need to be able to receive funds to provide refreshments at meetings, place newspaper ads, produce public service announcements, and support community members.

Unfortunately, the need for funding can lead to compromising values and outcomes as funders have their own agendas. I have seen this in my own work, and have had to make significant adjustments in order to continue without the support of a funder or partner.

International Women’s Day and similar annual events (such as 16 Days of Activism Against

Gender-based Violence) are often recognized with sit-down meals for invited guests, award ceremonies, symbolic displays, and one-time visits (usually to schools). There are far less events and initiatives that are accessible to and centre the needs of our most vulnerable community members. Community-centred events do not often feature prominent figures and are not planned with photo opportunities in mind. Instead, they are responses to the needs that exist every day of the year.

Many organisations do this work year-round without us noticing. It is important, however, for the Bahamian public to be as aware of these organisations and groups. These organisations need volunteers to deliver programmes, food donations for their pantries, cash donations to cover bills and make necessary purchases and administrative support.

Many of them have wish lists that include items we are getting rid of every day, from furniture and clothing to printers and books.

To support them, we have to know they exist, so I am highlighting four organizations every Bahamian should know about and support as best we can.

The Tribune recently covered the graduation ceremony of the literacy programme offered

by Families of All Murder Victims (FOAM). FOAM, founded by Khandi Gibson, provides supported to the family members — especially children — of murder victims. The organisation fundraises and collected items to ensure children have necessary supplies for school at the start of the academic year, helps young men to find jobs, provides assistance with cover letters and resumes, and supports people as they grieve the loss of loved ones.

Lend a Hand Bahamas recently merged with Lignum Vitae, working to provide economic opportunities focusing its efforts

in the Bain and Grants Town community. Among their projects are a sewing programme, 4H, mentoring, and maintenance of a community library.

This organisation, led by Shelagh Pritchard, actively engages young people in a range of activities, and is open to collaboration with other organisations and groups with similar goals.

The Dignified Girl Project started when Phillipa Dean recognised, through her volunteer work, the issue of period poverty. In response, this organisation provides menstrual care products to girls in need.

Volunteers join the organisation in putting together packages with basic items including underwear and pads. The Dignified Girl Project is always collecting care items for their kits which are distributed through several centres.

The Bahamas Crisis Centre is well-known for its support of all victims of abuse. The centre offers free counselling for survivors of abuse and those experiencing family, relationship, or behavioural problems.

It connects clients to range of other resources. Outside of its office space, Bahamas Crisis Centre goes on community walkabouts to engage with people in their neighbourhoods and delivers programmes to various groups including the healthy relationships programme for high school students.

These are not the only organisations doing important, necessary work in The Bahamas. Many others are operating with limited resources and could use your help, whether you can offer a donation or a few hours of your time.

If International Women’s Day made you think about the challenges women and girls face today, think about what you can do to improve our current state, and find people to do it with you. We can get more done when we do it together.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, March 13, 2019, PAGE 9

At age 30, World Wide Web is ‘not the web we wanted’ GENEVA Associated Press AT THE ripe old age of 30 and with half the globe using it, the World Wide Web is facing growing pains with issues like hate speech, privacy concerns and statesponsored hacking, its creator says, trumpeting a call to make it better for humanity.

Tim Berners-Lee yesterday joined a celebration of the Web and reminisced about his invention at CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, starting with a proposal published on March 12, 1989. It opened the way to a technological revolution that has transformed the way people buy goods, share ideas, get information and much more.

It’s also become a place where tech titans scoop up personal data, rival governments spy and seek to scuttle elections, and hate speech and vitriol have thrived — taking the web far from its roots as a space for progress-oriented minds to collaborate.

As of late 2018, half of the world was online, with the other half often struggling to secure access.

Speaking at a “Web@30” conference at CERN, Berners-Lee acknowledged that a sense among many who are already on the web has become: “Whoops! The web is not the web we wanted in every respect.”

His World Wide Web Foundation wants to enlist governments, companies, and citizens to take a greater role in shaping the web for good under principles laid out in its “Contract for the Web”.

Under the contract, governments are called upon to make sure everyone can

ENGLISH computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee, best known as the inventor of the World Wide Web. Photo: Fabrice Coffrini/AP connect to the internet, to keep it available and to respect privacy. Companies are to make the internet affordable, respect privacy and develop technology that will put people — and the “public good” — first.

Citizens are to create and to cooperate and respect “civil discourse”, among other things.

“The Contract for the Web is about sitting down in working groups with other people who signed up, and to say, ‘Ok, let’s work out what this really means,’” Berners-Lee said. It was unclear, however, how such rules would be enforced.

Berners-Lee cautioned it was important to strike a balance between oversight and freedom but difficult to agree what it should be.

“Where is the balance between leaving the tech companies to do the right thing and regulating them?

Where is the balance between freedom of speech

and hate speech?” he said.

The conference, which brought together internet and tech experts, also gave CERN the chance to showcase its reputation as an open-source incubator of ideas. Berners-Lee worked there in the late 1980s, and had been determined to help bridge a communications and documentation gap among different computer platforms.

As a young English software engineer at CERN, Berners-Lee, who is now 63, came up with the idea for hypertext transfer protocol — the “http” that adorns web addresses — and other building blocks for the web.

The “http” system allowed text and small images to be retrieved through a piece of software — the first browser — which Berners-Lee released in 1990 and is considered the start of the web. In practice, the access to a browser on a home computer made the

internet easily accessible to consumers for the first time.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Berners-Lee recalled how his research was helped by his former boss at CERN, Mike Sendall, who wanted a pretext to buy a then-new Next computer by Steve Jobs’ Apple needed for his research.

Berners-Lee said Sendall told him to “‘pick a random programme to develop on it ... Why don’t you do that hypertext thing?’”

Berners-Lee has since become a sort of father figure for the internet community, been knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and named as one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century by Time magazine.

While he now wants to get the debate going, other panelists expressed concerns like the increasing concentration of control of the internet by big corporate players, and fretted about a

possible splintering of cyberspace among rival countries.

“The challenges come from the same things that make it (the Web) wonderful, and that’s the difficulty,” said conference panelist Zeynep Tufekci, an associate professor at the University of North Carolina’s School of Information and Library Science.

“The openness is wonderful, the connectivity is wonderful, the fact that it was created as a network for academics who are kind of into trusting each other...” she said.

Now with the Web, “there’s an enormous amount of centralisation going on, with a few big players becoming gatekeepers. Those few big players have built, basically, surveillance machines,” she said.

“It’s based on surveillance profiling us and then targeting us for ads — which wasn’t the original idea at all.”

Puerto Rico looks to rebuild with AI, ‘internet of things’ BAYAMON, PUERTO RICO Associated Press PUERTO Rico’s governor said on Monday that he hopes a new technology centre can help the US territory incorporate artificial intelligence and internet-connected devices as it rebuilds from Hurricane Maria.

Gov Ricardo Rossello said the lab located in the northern city of Bayamon will be completed in four months and will be run by a local company, Engine-4. It will receive resources and help from companies including Intel, AT&T, IBM, Microsoft

PUERTO RICO GOVERNOR RICARDO ROSSELLO

and Hewlett-Packard.

“The opportunities are enormous,” he said. “It allows us to take these ideas and give them shape.”

He said Intel will create an innovation centre within the lab to focus on artificial intelligence technology, “internet of things” devices and drones.

Rossello said he expects some projects will help create “smart cities” with features that might include technologies to detect flooding in the event of a storm, adding that the lab will be open to high school and university students.

Construction of the lab comes as Puerto Rico

continues to rebuild from a deadly Category 4 storm that hit in September 2017 and caused more than an estimated $100bn in damage.

“This is what’s going to help us move forward,” said Glorimar Ripoll, Puerto Rico’s chief innovation officer.

The city of Bayamon is investing nearly $560,000 to build the lab, along with $250,000 in incentives from Puerto Rico’s Department of Economic and Commercial Development, plus $50,000 donated by Puerto Rico’s Science, Technology & Research Trust and $48,000 in incentives from AT&T.

• ONE of General Motors’ first self-driving test vehicles is going on display at an automotive history museum in suburban Detroit.

The Henry Ford history attraction announced Tuesday that it has acquired a modified pre-production Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicle.

The GM-donated vehicle originally made its debut testing on the streets of San Francisco in 2016.

Now it will be displayed at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn.

The camera- and sensorequipped vehicle is the first autonomous car to be added to The Henry Ford collection. It’ll be next to a 1959 Cadillac El Dorado at the “Driving America” exhibit, which chronicles the history of the automobile.

The Henry Ford President and CEO Patricia Mooradian says self-driving capabilities “will fundamentally change our relationship with the automobile”. She says the acquisition “is paramount in how we tell that story”.

• FAR from competitors tackling the frozen wilderness in Alaska’s Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, a dozen people are holed up inside an Anchorage hotel behind banks of computers, tracking the punishing route and connecting with global fans seeking a real-time link to the off-the-grid sport.

From last Friday, 51 mushers are traveling long stretches between remote village checkpoints with no other company but the dogs pulling their sleds. But they’re not competing in a vacuum on the 1,000-mile trail that spans two mountain ranges and the frozen Yukon River before it heads up the wind-scrubbed Bering Sea Coast to the finish line in the Gold Rush town of Nome.

Their progress is monitored from several hotel rooms whose 24/7 occupants are the Iditarod’s electronic eyes and ears. Technology has increasingly made the 47-year-old race more immediate to fans and safer for competitors, said Chas St George, acting CEO of the Iditarod Trail Committee, the race’s governing board.

“This is a really low-tech event when you look at it from that perspective, but high-tech research has always been a huge part of the race,” he said today during a tour of the Iditarod’s hotel command post.

This is where volunteers and race contractors monitor the dog teams through sleds equipped with GPS trackers that allow fans to follow them online in real time and organisers to ensure no one is missing.

Some serve as aircraft dispatchers for a cadre of pilots who ferry supplies as well as mushers and dogs that drop out.

Others process live video streamed from checkpoints along the rugged trail, using satellite dishes.

PAGE 10, Wednesday, March 13, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

UK PARLIAMENT REJECTS PRIME MINISTER MAY’S BREXIT DEAL LONDON Associated Press

WITH just 17 days to go, Britain’s departure from the European Union was thrown into chaos and doubt yesterday as Parliament delivered a crushing double blow to Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit divorce deal and to her authority as leader.

Lawmakers rejected the deal 391-242, ignoring May’s entreaties to back the agreement and end the political chaos and economic uncertainty that Brexit has unleashed. It was a narrower outcome than the historic 230vote margin of defeat for the agreement in January, before May secured changes from the bloc — but not by much.

Top EU officials warned that the defeat had increased the chances of a chaotic “no-deal” British exit, which could mean major disruption for businesses and people in the UK and many of the 27 remaining EU countries.

The stinging 149-vote defeat stripped away May’s control over the course of Brexit and handed it to Parliament, which is divided about what to do next.

A drawn and hoarse May admitted defeat — again — and confirmed that Parliament will vote today on whether to leave the EU on March 29 without an agreement. If that is defeated — the likely outcome — lawmakers will vote on Thursday on whether to delay Brexit, something that needs to be approved by the EU nations

too. May warned lawmakers that “voting against leaving without a deal and for an extension does not solve the problems we face.”

“The EU will want to know what use we mean to make of such an extension. This House will have to answer that question.

Does it wish to revoke (Brexittriggering) Article 50? Does it want to hold a second referendum? Or does it want to leave with a deal but not this deal?

These are unenviable choices,” she said.

The EU, which had warned there would be no more changes or negotiations if Parliament threw out the deal, expressed exasperation at yet another Brexit crisis.

In a statement, the European Commission said the member

DEFETED: PM Theresa May

states “have done all that is possible to reach an agreement.”

“If there is a solution to the current impasse, it can only be found in London,” it said, adding that “today’s vote has significantly increased the likelihood of a ‘nodeal’ Brexit.”

European Parliament Brexit coordinator Guy Verhofstadt tweeted: “Brexit was about taking back control. Instead the UK spiralled out of control.”

The defeat came after May and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker announced changes on Monday designed to overcome lawmakers’ concerns about provisions designed to ensure the border between EU member Ireland and Britain’s Northern Ireland remains open after Brexit.

TV celebrities charged in college bribery scheme BOSTON Associated Press FIFTY people, including Hollywood stars Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, were charged yesterday in a scheme in which wealthy parents allegedly bribed college coaches and other insiders to get their children into some of the nation’s most selective schools.

Federal authorities called it the biggest college admissions scam ever prosecuted by the US Justice Department, with the parents accused of paying an estimated $25 million in bribes.

At least nine athletic coaches and 33 parents, many of them prominent in law, finance, fashion and other fields, were among those charged. Dozens, including Huffman, the Emmy-winning star of ABC’s “Desperate Housewives,” were arrested by midday.

“These parents are a

catalog of wealth and privilege,” US Attorney Andrew Lelling said in announcing the results of a fraud and conspiracy investigation code-named Operation Varsity Blues.

The coaches worked at such schools as Yale, Stanford, Georgetown, Wake Forest, the University of Texas, the University of Southern California and the University of California at Los Angeles. A former Yale soccer coach pleaded guilty and helped build the case against others.

Two more of those charged — Stanford’s sailing coach and the college-admissions consultant at the very centre of the scheme — pleaded guilty yesterday in Boston.

No students were charged, with authorities saying that in many cases the teenagers were unaware of what was going on. Several of the colleges involved made no mention of taking any action against the

ACTRESS Lori Loughlin, centre, with daughters Olivia Jade Giannulli, left, and Isabella Rose Giannulli. students. The scandal is certain to inflame longstanding complaints that children of the wealthy and wellconnected have the inside track in college admissions — sometimes through big, timely donations from their parents — and that privilege begets privilege.

College consultants were not exactly shocked by the allegations.

“This story is the proof that there will always be a market for parents who have the resources and are desperate to get their kid one more success,” said Mark Sklarow, CEO of the Independent Educational Consultants Association.

“This was shopping for name-brand product and being willing to spend whatever it took.”

The central figure in the scheme was identified as admissions consultant William “Rick” Singer, founder of the Edge College & Career Network of Newport Beach, California.

He pleaded guilty Tuesday, as did Stanford’s John Vandemoer.

Prosecutors said that parents paid Singer big money from 2011 through last month to bribe coaches and administrators to falsely make their children look like star athletes to boost their chances of getting into college. The consultant also hired ringers to take college entrance exams for students, and paid off insiders at testing centers to correct students’ answers.

Parents spent anywhere from $200,000 to $6.5 million to guarantee their children’s admission, officials said.

“For every student admitted through fraud, an honest and genuinely talented student was rejected,” Lelling said.

Several defendants, including Huffman, were charged with conspiracy to commit fraud, punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Lelling said the investigation is continuing and authorities believe other parents were involved. The IRS is also investigating, since some parents allegedly disguised the bribes as charitable donations.

2,200 PEOPLE QUARANTINED OVER MUMPS OUTBREAK PHOENIX Associated Press OVER 2,200 people exposed to the mumps virus in at least two immigration detention facilities have been quarantined, authorities said Tuesday.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say the 25-day quarantine began March 7 at facilities in Pine Prairie, Louisiana, and Aurora, Colorado.

The outbreak has renewed long-held concerns over access to medical care at immigration facilities, especially at a time when more immigrants who are crossing the border are being held and for longer periods of time. There are nearly 47,000 immigrants currently detained around the country, according to an ICE spokesman.

ICE says 236 detainees have had confirmed or probable cases of mumps in 51 facilities in the past year.

There were no reported cases between 2016 and 2018 at any ICE facilities.

Mumps is extremely rare, and infections have dropped by 99 percent since vaccinations began in the late 1960s.

VENEZUELAN GOVERNMENT TARGETS GUAIDO AS SOME POWER RETURNS CARACAS, Venezuela Associated Press

VENEZUELAN officials reported blackouts easing in some areas yesterday, while the chief prosecutor said opposition leader Juan Guaido is being investigated for allegedly sabotaging the national power grid, whose collapse last week has inflicted misery on millions.

The announcement

by Tarek William Saab, the attorney general, escalated the socialist government’s standoff with Guaido, although there are questions about how aggressively authorities would move against a man who is staunchly supported by the United States as well as many Venezuelans.

Guaido, who is trying to oust President Nicolas Maduro and hold elections, blames corruption and incompetence for nearly a

A MEMBER of the Bolivarian Militia, wearing a shirt that reads in Spanish “Yes, Chavez stays.” week of nationwide blackouts that deprived most of the already struggling population not just of electricity, but also water and communications.

Adding to tension over Venezuela’s fate, the United States said it was

withdrawing its last diplomats still in Caracas.

The US has dismissed the Venezuelan government accusations that it triggered the power crisis with a “cyberattack.”

Venezuelan’s information minister, Jorge Rodriguez, said the power grid had been almost completely restored and that water service was also returning.

However, anecdotal reports indicated continuing outages for many Venezuelans, who were already suffering from hyperinflation and shortages of food and medicine.

On Tuesday, long lines of people converged again at springs in the mountains of Caracas to collect water in bottles because water pumps have been out of service without power.

Even some relatives of Maduro couldn’t stand the power outages, according to authorities in Colombia.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, March 13, 2019, PAGE 11

A day to remember CHARLES W Saunders Baptist School held a Commonwealth Day service under the theme A Connected Commonwealth. Left: Shania Brown a 12th grade student and deputy head girl gives the Queens Address.

Photos: Terrel W Carey Sr/ Tribune Staff

PAGE 12, Wednesday, OCTOBER 25TH, 2018March 13, 2019

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