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Friday, March 20, 2020

art books fashion music history food entertainment gardening

Weekend

MUSIC ICON SAYS GOODBYE Page 8 & 9

Vow to love

Living through good times and challenging ones

pages 14 & 15

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Friday, March 20, 2020

photography

SHUTTERS -A COLOURFUL SCENE

eauty is all around us in the Bahamas, on land and in the sea. But many of us are too busy with everyday life to pause and really see and enjoy the astonishing sights that surround us. Veteran photographer ROLAND ROSE captures both the ordinary and extraordinary and puts it in frame for us so we can see our environment in a new light. The myriad assortment of shutters present a painted display of ‘naive’ art all over the Bahamas.

Clockwise, starting top left: Harbour Island; Green Turtle Cay; Hope Town; Eleuthera; Guana Cay; Cherokee Sound, and centre: Fruit display on shutters.

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Inside Weekend 2 Photography Roland Rose turns his lens on shutters

4-5 Interview Life coach Sherika Brown

7 Food

My Bahamian quarantine Muschello Gordon Senior Associate, Enterprise Department Q: What items are you stocking up on? “Food. This Bahamian mama can’t do without conch salad, water, medicine if you have a chronic illness, and basic meds similar to those use for the you use for the common flu. Also, basic cleaning products.”

Cotton candy isn’t just for kids

8-9 Entertainment Farewell to Island Boy Eric Minns

10 Gardening Twenty minutes in the garden

11 Crafts Creativity in your hands

12 Entertainment St Patrick’s Day festivities called off

13 Carnival The Carnival will go on… just a bit later

14-15 Weddings Living the vow

16 Fashion Police The outfits at the Mulan world premiere

17 Books New releases this week

18 Books

Q: What shows or movies will you be binge-watching? “I would prefer any type of movie as long as it’s good and entertaining. The movies that are most interesting are usually thrillers or science-fiction.”

Q: If you could choose be quarantined with a celebrity, who would it be? “Richard Gere. He is romantically dreamy. Let us not forget that dimple in his chin.”

Q: What do you miss most having

The weekend in history

Bahamian author’s secrets of success

19 Entertainment Top 10 Netflix movies and shows in The Bahamas

20-22 Literary Lives Matisse in Morocco

23 History Blue Hills and Blue Hill Road in the past

24-25 History Misconceptions about the 1918 pandemic

26 Puzzles 27 Animals Saying goodbye to a friend

28 Art Defence Force gets arty

March 20 • In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte returned to Paris after escaping his exile on Elba, beginning his “Hundred Days” rule. • In 1854, the Republican Party of the United States was founded by slavery opponents at a schoolhouse in Ripon, Wisconsin. • In 1899, Martha M Place of Brooklyn, New York, became the first woman to be executed in the electric chair as she was put to death at Sing Sing for the murder of her stepdaughter. Today’s birthdays: Movie director Spike Lee is 63. Actress Holly Hunter is 62. Actor David Thewlis is 57. Actress Bianca

to practice social distancing? “The camaraderie with family and friends.”

Q: If you had to be stuck somewhere other than your house, where would it be? “With my significant other.”

Lawson is 41.Actress Ruby Rose is 34.

March 21

• In 1685, the famous composer Johann Sebastian Bach (Air on the G String; Goldberg Variations) was born in Eisenach, Germany. • In 1963, the Alcatraz federal prison island in San Francisco Bay was emptied of its last inmates and closed at the order of Attorney General Robert F Kennedy. • In 2006, the social media website Twitter was established with the sending of the first “tweet” by co-founder Jack Dorsey, who wrote: “just setting up my twttr.” Today’s birthdays: Actor Timothy Dalton is 74. Actor Gary Oldman is 62. Actor Matthew Broderick is 58. Comedianactress Rosie O’Donnell is 58. Actress Sonequa Martin-Green (”The Walking Dead”) is 35.

March 22

• In 1765, the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act to

raise money from the American colonies, which fiercely resisted the tax. (The Stamp Act was repealed a year later.) • In 1978, Karl Wallenda, the 73-year-old patriarch of “The Flying Wallendas” high-wire act, fell to his death while attempting to walk a cable strung between two hotel towers in San Juan, Puerto Rico. • In 1997, Tara Lipinski, at age 14 years and 10 months, became the youngest ladies’ world figure skating champion in Lausanne, Switzerland. Today’s birthdays: Composerlyricist Stephen Sondheim is 90. Evangelist broadcaster Pat Robertson is 90. Actor William Shatner is 89. CNN newscaster Wolf Blitzer is 72. Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber is 72. Sportscaster Bob Costas is 68. Actor-comedian Keegan-Michael Key is 49. Actress Reese Witherspoon is 44. Actress Constance Wu is 38. – The Associated Press

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Friday, March 20, 2020

INTERVIEW

The current pandemic has many Bahamians feeling discouraged, fearful and uncertain. But this life coach tells Cara Hunt that now, more than ever, it is important to reach out to one another and remain confident in one’s own faith and purpose.

Sherika Brown

he may be an accountant in her day job, but in her role as life coach Sherika Brown is determined to help others have every area of their life add up. And at a time where the world is in crisis due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, she says it is more important than ever that people know their purpose and not waiver in their optimism and their faith. “Basically, I am an accountant, but I became very involved with the ministry and teachings of the late Dr Myles Munroe and his message of discovering your purpose,” she told Tribune Weekend. “I realised that I was called to be an inspiration to people and that I can bring them a message of hope and a realisation of who they are. And so I started hosting various events and coaching people on discovering their purpose, and that’s really how it started.” The “it” in this case is her highly successful platform The Iron Network International Group, which includes the brands Iron Network, Uptown Cosmetics and Sherika Brown Ministries International, as well as her work as a motivational speaker, success coach, personal branding strategist, relationship mentor, and leadership guide. Along the way, she has hosted numerous events and conferences, written books,

“

We have to learn that events like these, while difficult, are a reality of life. We will always have seasons of highs, but then we will also have seasons of lows.” and even launched her own cosmetics line. “I first started hosting events designed to inspire women, but that has expanded to now include men as well,” she said. A lot of her work is ministry inspired, and her background certainly has helped her with going in this direction, as is actually a minister as well. “I grew up in the church and was always involved in some

form of ministry all of my life... serving in the children’s choir... I came up through the ranks in church and have been ministering for about 15 years now.” In the past few years, she has also been much more active in church ministry. In May 2009, she received the 10th Bahamas National Gospel Excellence Award in the ‘Women of Influence’ category in recognition of her

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commitment to impacting the lives of those around her. She is also the author of the book “The Principles and Purpose of Relationships”, released in July 2011. She presently serves as a minister at Word of Life Kingdom Ministries under the leadership of Pastor Rickeno Moncur. “I have a good following now of old and young, women and men, and professional and people from all arenas of life,” she said. “A lot of people struggle with issues of self-esteem and (the question of their) significance in the world. They struggle with where their life is going and a sense of fear that their life has no value and they have a fear of rejection,” she said. Additionally, she said people often struggle with their faith. “I don’t just mean their faith in God, but faith in their own confidence. The key to assisting people with these issues lies in helping them find value in themselves rather than letting them compare their lives to someone else’s. What can you see in yourself that that you may have taken for granted that is unique to you?” For Sherika, a strong relationship with God can also help with finding that sense of self and purpose, especially if you spend time in prayer. This week, Sherika said she wants to encourage people to not let the current

health crisis which is affecting the whole world lead to fear, doubt or discouragement. “We have to learn that events like these, while difficult, are a reality of life. We will always have seasons of highs, but then we will also have seasons of lows. “Yes, this is a crisis, but we have survived other crises before; we pushed through them and we made it through and we will make it through again.” Even as the nation continues to recover from the devastating affects of Hurricane Dorian which hit Abaco and Grand Bahama last September, she said the Bahamas is still surviving. Sherika is encouraging people to put their faith to work. “What God did for you in the past, He will do for you again,” she said. “This is indeed an uncertain time, she said, with the country having come to a virtual standstill, with tourism almost non-existent, schools and most businesses shut. She understands it will be easy to become discouraged and feel alone, but she said this is also a time when Bahamians will be able to draw strength from each, even as they practice social distancing.

“We will need each other much more in the next few weeks. I believe that in times like these God puts what we need inside of others. We will need each other to help u survive and hold on to the faith. Our nation has succeeded before because of our faith,” she said.

As with most people, the coronavirus pandemic has thrown Sherika’s plans into disarray. “I was planning an event for April 1 through April 3 on ‘Realising Your Purpose’, and of course that has to be cancelled and will likely be held in June now,” she said.

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Friday, March 20, 2020

FOOD

A PUFF OF JOY By ALESHA CADET | Tribune Features writer acadet@tribunemedia.net

onae Reckley is literally putting a new spin on an old favourite: cotton candy. Instead of your average pink or blue coloured floss, she is attempting new with her Puffee recipes. And she’s going all out; not just adding two or three new flavours, but a total of 18. She is hoping to get adults to think of cotton candy as more than just a treat for kids. “The biggest trend a few years ago was the candy buffet, and it’s still pretty popular today, but I wanted to bring a unique interactive experience to the event market. Something your guests can see, smell and touch,” Jonae told Tribune Weekend. “Bahamians love different and unique products, and I love that about my people. Even if they are hesitant at first about it being too much sugar, when they give (Puffee) a try they always fall in love. Cotton candy always gets a bad rep because people

just think it’s just sugar, but fun fact: one puff of cotton candy actually contains less sugar than a can of soda.” Motivation for Jonae comes when her clients’ positive feedback. A patron

at a Hands For Hunger event, for example, told her how amazed she was at the salted caramel flavour Puffee offered. “The lady pulled me aside and just said how she didn’t know me but wanted to say how proud she was of me and how I should continue what I am doing. Sometimes it’s moments like that which make being an entrepreneur all worth it,” she said. “We have different flavours, adding unique toppings to create an even more tasty experience. We are constantly creating new products and

flavours, and we love when a client challenges us to create a new flavour for an event. Sometimes it’s so good we add it to our menu.” In addition to the myriad flavours and toppings, there is also the packaging: from keepsake glass jars, to dome cups, and the new and metallic pouches. “We also offer our unique cart services where we sit with our clients and have a taste testing for their event. During this time they get to choose what flavours they would like us to spin live at the event. For me, this is my favourite service because we get to interact with the guests, and they are always so amazed by how sugar can turn into something so ‘Puffee’,” said Jonae. Somewhere down the road, she would love to open a confectionery store and dessert café, but for now people can find them at pop-up events, hopefully starting in May. “I love building relationships with my clients. For example, we have created cotton candy for baby showers and gender reveals, and a year later we are invited back to create for the child’s first birthday and other milestones for the entire family,” she said.

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Friday, March 20, 2020

ENTERTAINMENT

Rest in peace, Island Boy

Saying goodbye to music icon Eric Minns By CARA HUNT

| Tribune Features Writer | cbrennen@tribunemedia.net

ric Minns, the singer-songwriter who wrote such iconic Bahamian songs as “Island Boy”, “Fox Hill Gal” and “I’m Coming Home for Junkanoo”, has died after a long illness. He was 89. Mr Minns died last Saturday at the Oshawa General Palliative Care Unit in Canada following a period of diminished health. Announcing his passing, the ‘Island Boy the Musical’ Facebook page described him as “the entertainer’s entertainer, the musician’s musician; a man who loved to make people happy, to see them laugh, who loved to see them tap their feet to his unforgettable music. His wit was quick and his jokes simple, but always left people with a smile on their faces.” Since his passing, tributes have been pouring in on social media from fans who remember his contribution to Bahamian culture. Camille Lorraine posted: “He was a wonderfully talented Bahamian man; he sang, he wrote loads of songs, he even did a comic colouring book.” Owen Bethel, producer of Island of the World Fashion

“...the entertainer’s entertainer, the musician’s musician; a man who loved to make people happy, to see them laugh, who loved to see them tap their feet to his unforgettable music.”

Week, posted a video tribute to Mr Minns, describing him as a Bahamian music legend – “gone, but never forgotten.” Artist Antoine Wallace posted a version of ‘Fox Hill Gal’ to YouTube, saying a cultural legend has passed. Mr Minns is survived by his wife Laura, children and spouses: Richard and Susan Minns (both deceased); Steve Minns; Jackie and David Cameron; Richard and Meredith Hamilton; Sarah Hamilton; grandchildren: Jacob and Jocelyn Minns; Jesse and Nicole Minns; Sierra Minns; Andrew and Rachel Cameron; ShonnLeigh Hamilton; Maxime Hamilton; great-grandchildren: Jude and Lincoln Minns; Nolan, Reese and Beckham, and many friends and families in Canada and the Bahamas. The family is in the process of creating an endowment fund at the University of the Bahamas to encourage youth to study and become enriched by pursuing a musical education. Details will be

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announced in the future. Any tribute monies will be added to the body of this award. For further information, contact the music department at UB. Eric Minns was born on April 2, 1930 to Esther Minns and Philip Vargas, on South and West Streets, but was raised by his grandparents, Sam and Ida (nee Dupuch) Minns, at the corner of Kemp and Shirley Streets in Nassau. At age 20, Eric followed the seasonal chefs of the Montagu Hotel to Toronto. They offered him a job and he sent his resignation back to Nassau. Over the years he worked in the food and grocery business, but that was not Eric’s calling. Upon meeting several other musicians from various Caribbean Islands, he formed a calypso trio and toured with different combo’s in and around the Toronto area and across Ontario. He performed as leader, singer and drummer for the group, working in smoky clubs and bars, which most likely contributed to his demise as his lungs became compromised later in life. After quitting the music business he worked at various jobs to pay the bills before landing a “real” job in the record department of the Toronto Dominion Bank. In 1984, he found his soul mate, and married his second wife, Laura Drake. Since they both retired in 1994, they have spent the winters in Nassau and the weather provided them with a happy and healthy lifestyle. Mr Minns is a legend in the Bahamian music community for turning simple elements of daily life into songs that people still sing decades after he first penned them. Some of his other hits include “Once is Not Enough”, “Sunday Christian”, “Sailboats in Nassau Harbour”, and “If You Can’t Find Your Friends”. And even people who may not know of him firsthand will probably recognise at least some of the lyrics of his hit songs, including such gems as “Once is not, even twice you don’t see all we stuff. Come back for some rum, peas n’ rice and guava duff, cause if you visit the Bahamas, once is not enough.” “I was in Toronto when I wrote ‘Once is Not Enough’, attending a meeting of the Association of Bahamians in Canada and talking about affairs at the Ministry of Tourism. At the time they were thinking of modifying the old ‘It’s Better in the Bahamas’ slogan and one of the ideas thrown out was ‘Once Is Not Enough’...‘Cause when

you visit the Bahamas, once is not enough...recorded it and used it for the album title,” Mr Minns told Tribune Weekend in a previous interview. Another popular song lyric is “If you can’t find your friends in Nassau, they in Freeport or they in jail.” His song “Island Boy” was featured in the 1994 Gerard Depardieu film “My Father the Hero”, which was filmed in the Bahamas. The song then became the basis for a book of the same name, and eventually was turned into a musical featuring many of his other songs. Mr Minns discovered his love of entertainment at an early age, first

performing as a member of the Peter Pan Club at the St Matthew Anglican Church, and then as one half of the comedy routine Bill and Sam, before branching into a career as an entertainment and performing throughout the Caribbean and Canada. In 2015, Tribune Weekend had the opportunity to meet the performer, who explained that “Island Boy” was written in 1981, and although not strictly autobiographical, it contained elements taken from his own life. “The story of ‘Island Boy’ is just as relevant today as it is when I wrote it. It is the story of someone who leaves

home and returns. It tells how the person changes and how he has to adapt. It can be the story of anyone who returns to their home and they are different people,” he said in that interview. The musical version of the ‘Island Boy’ story featured 25 of his songs. At that time, noted Bahamian musician Cleveland Williams told Mr Minns: “We have to do this; this is history, we have never had a musical that was written in the Bahamas, for Bahamians and performed by Bahamians.”

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gardening

PURSLANE

SHEPHERD’s Needle

LADY bug - a natural predator of aphids

Twenty minutes in the garden By D Adam Boorman

ere I am doing my best to make 20 minutes out of the day to give some advice on what can be done to improve or to begin a garden in 20 minutes. Even if time is in short supply for you, it is still possible to establish or maintain a beautiful garden space. While it may seem that there is always something to do in the garden, and at times it can be overwhelming, one of my first suggestions would be to break things down into smaller tasks. There will always be weeds to pull. I am easily overwhelmed by garden weeds, but at the same time not all weeds are unwanted. Shepherd’s needle (Bidens alba) is a native “weed” that is quite beneficial to

have around. Not only does it flower continuously, it attracts many pollinators to the garden. It’s a favourite of bees and butterflies, and they both use the flowers as a food source for nectar and pollen (do not kill bees or butterflies! They are unlikely to bother you and they are only going about their own chores, helping you have more flowers and fruit). Shepherd’s needle also helps bees to make very tasty honey. I intentionally leave areas of our property to be covered with this weed as a food source for wildlife, and it will be quite something to walk through in several weeks when the butterflies really start showing up. Shepherd’s needle is used medicinally as well. It is used as a salve in hot water to

soothe skin irritations due to chicken pox, poison wood, et cetera. I remember well my childhood bouts of both of the aforementioned, and the Shepherd’s needle baths. Recently, I gave some to someone who claimed it helped them to soothe their psoriasis. Another beneficial “weed” is common purslane (Portulaca oleracea). Not only does it make an excellent ground cover, it is edible as well. It can be used in fresh salads as a nice crunchy, slightly salty, burst of nutrients, particularly potassium, magnesium and calcium. Aside from weeds, and the choice of which to pull and which to leave, now is the time of year that many plant pests start getting much more active. Whether it’s whitefly on sweet or hot peppers, leaf

miner on citrus, or mealybug on hibiscus, the damage they can cause can be much more severe at this time of year as the growth rate of many plants is increasing with the longer days and increases in temperature. Check the underside of leaves for whitefly, terminal buds of hibiscus for mealybug, and aphids, or the new leaves of citrus for signs of leaf miner infestation. Many plant pests are easily remedied by removing them by hand, rubbing them off, or removing infected parts of the plant, but typically by the time the pests are noticed it is usually a lot more effective to spray with a gentle non-chemical horticultural oil or neem oil spray. With non-chemical treatments, once is not usually sufficient, and a second or third treatment every two to three weeks

may be necessary to control the pest populations. While it may take a little more time, non-chemical treatment is a much safer option than chemical systemic treatments, both for you and your family, but it’s also safer and less harmful to our pollinator friends, the bees, butterflies and birds. All pests and weeds are part of a food chain that is much bigger than us, and all creatures serve their purpose. The goal is not to have a completely sterile garden, but rather to have one that supports all of the life in the food chain and to be a place of harmony for all creatures, great and small, while also being a productive place for fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, and flowering plants of so many wonderful kinds.

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crafts

Creativity in your hands

By ALESHA CADET

| Tribune Features writer | acadet@tribunemedia.net

atrina Nixon believes that we are all are born with a desire to create – whether it’s music, art, or in her case, crafts. What started out as a hobby of soap and candle making has now turned into a business venture. She began with handcrafting soaps and candles for herself, but started seeing the potential for more when a friend of hers requested she make her decorated candles. “I had no idea where I would go with it, but I took on the project. At first it was looking like a three-year-old child’s art project,” Katrina told Tribune Weekend. But before long, things started to take shape. “I had some half cut pearls and rhinestones, which I started to put into a design and I watched those candles come to life. Others who then saw them started to order,” she said. She initially called her new company Trinix Touch, and added decorative wine glasses made especially for brides and grooms to her assortment. “Every time I touch something, I get a little more creative. I started adding flowers, feathers and other dazzlers on the glasses. I was nervous about the first order. I had not seen it done and didn’t know how my client would receive it, but when she came by she loved it and ordered another. From there, decorated wine glasses took over in my business, and I love it,” she said.

“We are born with a desire to create, whether it is music, drawings, or any other craft. Art is a form of expression; your heart speaks through your work. What I love most is the freedom to bring life into things some may overlook.” She said if someone had told her a few years ago that she would be making candles, soaps and decorating wedding glasses for a living, she would have laughed. But here she is now, loving every minute of it. Katrina has high hopes for her company, which now operates under the new name of The Sycamore Tree. She wants to one day see her handmade soaps on the bathroom counters of at least one major hotel, and

her glasses on dining tables at a major televised event. “I love what I do and it is therapeutic at times. I would do this even if it wasn’t a business. I don’t

know how big the Father intends it to get it, but I know I will love it all the way there. My relationship with Yahweh, which still needs work, motivates me.

I am imperfect, but humble and repentant,” she said. Katrina said people can be on the lookout for new products this Summer.

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ENTERTAINMENT

St Patrick’s Day festivities called off By JEFFARAH GIBSON

| Tribune Features Writer | jgibson@tribunemedia.net

afety first, party later. That is the stance of the local Guinness representatives, which have called off their annual St Patrick’s Day festivities that were set to take place this weekend. The brand, in conjunction with Hard Rock Café, made the decision to postpone the event in an effort to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. And although the brand said it had planned an exciting celebration, the health and safety of its consumers ultimately comes first, according to Jadrian Turnquest, brand manager at Commonwealth Brewery. “We as a company decided to postpone the event due to the outbreak. Everyone’s health and safety is a major concern. Additionally, we spoke with representatives from Hard Rock and we all came to the conclusion that postponing was the best option,” he told Tribune Weekend. The event was expected to feature performances by Willis & The Illest, along with Judah The Lion. It was also have music by Playhouse DJs Ovadose and Unruly AJ, as well as Guinness specials and St Patrick’s giveaway items. Mr Turnquest said they have not yet set a new date for the event, but admitted they have a short window of time in which to do so due to the nature of the occasion. “March is still St Patrick’s time, however, we are not allowed to activate any events until late April. I am not sure it will be the same kind of environment or the same feel during that time,” said Mr Turnquest. “It might be a month or two after St Patrick’s Day. The movement and wave wouldn’t be there, so I don’t even know

if it would be feasible to bring the event back. But we have just decided to wait a couple weeks, go back to the drawing board, and if we don’t bring it back as a street party, then we will do it bigger and better next year.” The Guinness brand recognises the event annually because of its Irish heritage. St Patrick’s Day is a cultural and religious celebration held on March 17, the traditional death date of St Patrick, the foremost patron saint of Ireland. The day commemorates St Patrick and the arrival of Christianity on the Emerald Isle. Celebrations generally involve public parades and festivals, as well as the wearing of green attire and/or shamrocks. Though the event has been postponed, Guinness will still honour its St Patrick’s Day beer specials at 700 Wines & Spirits stores all month long.

Friday, March 20, 2020

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carnival

Have no fear, we will fete this year! By JEFFARAH GIBSON

| Tribune Features Writer | jgibson@tribunemedia.net

ven if Bahamas Carnival misses its usual season during the month of May due the outbreak of COVID-19, Bahamian revellers ought not worry, as they will definitely get to fete this year, if a little later. Bahamas Carnival organisers Polantra Media announced this week that they have postponed the event to a later date. It was originally set for May 1. “Once the government gives the green light that the country is safe and our people are safe to gather, we will be back on-line to prepare festivities and give the Bahamian people a reason to celebrate event more,” said Jayde Knowles, public relations officer of Polantra. One upside of the postponement is that it allows Bahamas Carnival representatives more time to release musical submissions by entrants in the Rising Star Music Competition – a new addition to this years’ festival. “Seeing that this happened, this will give the public more time to get familiar with the songs and have the opportunity to choose a favourite, so by the time the competition comes about everyone will be more in tune with the Bahamian artists and their music,” said Trevor Davis, president of Polantra.

“At this time, Polantra Media is being guided by the events happening in the country, therefore there has been a delay on the release of the songs. But once everything is cleared to a degree we will have those songs on air as soon as possible.” Artists had up until February 29 to enter the Rising Star Music Competition that is offering $10,000 in cash and prizes to winners. Mr Davis said the competition was held in the early days of Bahamas Carnival and was re-introduced this year to give artists a chance to have their music heard by a wider audience. A panel of industry experts will listen to every submission and narrow it down to a group of semi-finalists. Fan voting will also play an important part in the Rising Stars Competition. The audience score will serve as a percentage of the total score to determine which semi-finalists make the final six who then get perform on the big Carnival stage. Polantra said it is looking forward to hosting the event and providing people with an exciting time with concerts, contests and the road march. Mr Davis did not confirm a specific new date for Bahamas Carnival, other than to not that it will most likely take place late in 2020. The Bahamas’ Caribbean neighbour Jamaica has also rescheduled its Carnival events for Fall.

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Friday, March 20, 2020

CELEBRITY

The Weekend Fashion Report 'Mulan' world premiere

With Karin Herig and Cara Hunt

HIT

FAIL

SPLIT

HIT

SPLIT

Yifei Liu (Mulan)

Christina Aguilera (”Reflection”, “Loyal Brave True”)

Xana Tang (Hua Xiu, Mulan’s sister)

Ming-Na Wen (”Agents of SHIELD”)

Lana Condor (”To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”)

Karin says: “This is gorgeous! Absolutely perfect for the premiere of this film. I love the almost filigree looking gold pattern; it evokes the myth, the dragons, the magic. Because the dress is otherwise of a beige hue it was in danger of washing her out, but it doesn’t. It’s all fabulous.” Cara says: “This is such a Disney princess gown. I am in love with how much this gilded Elie Saab design sparkles in all the right places, and the ballgown skirt, and the way it fits her...just everything about it is perfect. And it really was the perfect choice for the event.”

Karin says: “I wasn’t going to listen to Xtina’s new song until I saw the film, but now since it’s been postponed to who knows when...anyway, this is a hot pink and red mess. The dress, presumably inspired by traditional Chinese garb, is a sloppy mess, and don’t get me started on the red, thigh-high latex boots...The only thing that works is the hair.” Cara says: “So Christina tried to mimic Mulan’s topknot; that’s OK, I guess. Then she tried to channel traditional Chinese dress (even though it looks more like a Japanese obi sash), and that’s where the problems start. When you try to dress ‘in-theme’ you can often look like you’re trying too hard. I get that vibe here. It’s just a bit too costumey for me.”

Karin says: “I love this shade of dark green; it’s so gorgeous on her. And I love when you lift up the train, as she’s doing here, it’s lined in this rich, contrasting gold colour. She looked all regal and like she was having fun. Great choice all around.” Cara says: “It’s an interesting colour combo, although I am not sure if I am feeling it 100 percent. The lining in the wrong light could end up looking like your silk gown is lined with a brown paper bag. But the shape of the dress is OK. It’s cute idea, but not enough to blow me away. She looks fine, I suppose.”

Karin says: “Twenty-two years after voicing Mulan in the original animated version of the film, she returns to the red carpet with this beautiful, extravagant number. This floral, silk ballgown is stunning. I love the colour combinations and the watercolour effect; I could stare at all the patterns for hours.” Cara says: “The fabric makes the outfit; it’s quite lovely with the multi-coloured watercolour patterns. As far as the gown, it’’s classic, simple and elegant – no complaints from me. Perhaps she could have gone a bit more dramatic with the hair?”

Karin says: “I hate to say this, but it looks a bit ‘mumsy’ for the 22-year-old actress. This blue velvet jumpsuit with the plunging neckline and gold beading on the shoulders would probably look fantastic on someone older, or maybe even taller. It kinda overpowers her. The colour is gorgeous though.” Cara says: “Royal blue is one of my favourite colours (I wore it at my prom), so I always love seeing it on the red carpet. This works for her; the fit is proportionate and the deep ‘V’ is just safe enough to be cute for a Disney event. I really like the detailing near the sleeves as well. I think she looks nice.”

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BOOKS

New releases hitting shelves

this week • BEHELD BY TARASHEA NESBIT (literary fiction) Ten years after the Mayflower pilgrims arrived on rocky, unfamiliar soil, Plymouth is not the land its residents had imagined. Seemingly established on a dream of religious freedom, in reality the town is led by fervent puritans who prohibit the residents from living, trading, and worshipping as they choose. By the time an unfamiliar ship, bearing new colonists, appears on the horizon one summer morning, Anglican outsiders have had enough. One of Vogue’s Most Anticipated Books of 2020, “Beheld” is about a murder and a trial, and the motivations―personal and political―that cause people to act in unsavoury ways. It is also an intimate portrait of love, motherhood, and friendship that asks: Whose stories get told over time, who gets believed―and subsequently, who gets punished? • THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA BY TJ KLUNE (fantasy) A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret. Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At 40, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth,

he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages. When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he’s given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas

Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

• MADE TO ORDER: ROBOTS AND REVOLUTION (sci-fi) A cutting-edge anthology, published on the 100th anniversary of the word “Robot”, exploring the impact it has had on the world, the possibilities

and place of robots in society going forwards. 100 years after Karel Capek introduced the word with his play R.U.R. “Robots” are an everyday idea, and the inspiration for countless stories in books, film, TV and games. They are often among the least privileged, most unfairly used of us, and the more robots are like humans, the more interesting they become. This collection of stories is where robots stand in for us, where both we and they are disadvantaged, and where hope and optimism shines through. Featuring stories by John Chu, Daryl Gregory, Alice Sola Kim, Rich Larson, Ken Liu, Carmen Maria Machado, Ian R Macleod, Annalee Newitz, Suzanne Palmer, Vina Jie-Min Prasad, Alastair Reynolds, Kelly Robson, Sofia Samatar, Rivers Solomon and Peter Watts. • THE LADY’S HANDBOOK FOR HER MYSTERIOUS ILLNESS BY SARAH RAMEY The darkly funny memoir of Sarah Ramey’s years-long battle with a mysterious illness that doctors thought was all in her head – but wasn’t. A revelation and an inspiration for millions of women whose legitimate health complaints are ignored. In her harrowing, defiant, and unforgettable memoir, Sarah Ramey recounts the decade-long saga of how a seemingly minor illness in her senior year of college turned into a prolonged and elusive condition that destroyed her health but that doctors couldn’t diagnose or treat. Worse, as they failed to cure her, they hinted that her devastating symptoms were psychological. This is a memoir with a mission, to help the millions of (mostly) women who suffer from unnamed or misunderstood conditions: autoimmune illnesses like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic Lyme disease, chronic pain, and many more.

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Friday, March 20, 2020

BOOKS

Bahamian author shares secrets of success By FAY KNOWLES

ward-winning best-selling Bahamian author Tanya R Taylor has worked hard over the years to achieve the success she now has with her books. She admitted: “A few years ago I was actually wondering if I was wasting my time in this career I’ve chosen. I love to write, always have, but I didn’t have a real following back then and I wasn’t seeing the fruits of my labour. Then the still, small voice inside of me prompted me to ‘keep writing’, and I trusted that inner voice.” Her 29th published book, “Blind Justice”, Book Three in her Lucille Pfiffer Mystery Series, will be released March 28. This cosy mystery, which also stars Lucille’s little Shih Tzu dog Vanilla and her best friend Merlene, is available now on Amazon for pre-order. Ms Taylor’s fans all over the world have been eagerly waiting for “Blind Justice” to be released. With the book’s many pre-orders, it’s already made Amazon’s Top 100 Bestseller’s list in Cosy Culinary Mysteries and is anticipated to be another No 1 Hot New Release, as were “Blind Sight” (Book One) and “Blind Escape” (Book Two). The heroine of this mystery series is Lucille Pfiffer, who sees everything, only not with her eyes. She lives with her beloved dog Vanilla in a cosy neighbourhood that is quite active due to what occurred in the distant past. Though totally blind, she plays an integral role in helping to solve pressing and puzzling mysteries, one right after the other,

TANYA R. TAYLOR AUTHOR

which, without her, might remain unsolved. The question is: How can she do any of that with such a handicap? In “Blind Escape” (Book Two), the town of Chadsworth has a real problem on its hand. A pharmaceutical mogul has dropped dead at a beautiful seaside resort. Lucille and Vanilla have to race against the clock to prevent becoming the victims of a pair of ruthless criminals with a half a million dollars on their minds.

And now, in “Blind Justice” (Book Three), the widowed Lucille Pfiffer will finally unravel the age-old mystery surrounding the murder of Chadsworth real estate tycoon Sir Clement Tucker. As difficult as it was at times to become a successful published author, Ms Taylor said she always pressed on. “When I saw the first orange ‘No 1 best-seller’ ribbon next to one of my books on Amazon I was thrilled!

Finally, I was beginning to see something positive come my way. Then a while after that appeared my first one-star review, under a different book. I laugh at it now, but I could’ve cried then. The funny thing is the book that I got my first one-star review on continued to sell really well and became a multiple times international best-seller,” the author said. Since then, she has written many more best-selling books. Last year, her first book in the “Cornelius Saga Series”, the popular, spine-tingling tale “Cornelius”, was the Silver Medal winner of the Readers’ Favourite 2019 International Book Awards in the Young Adult-Paranormal division. “In the past few years I’ve worked really hard. Now I’m finally seeing the fruits of my labour and my readership has

grown tremendously,” said Ms Taylor. “I say all of that to not only share my joy with you, but hopefully for it to be a source of inspiration to you to keep pressing on toward your goals, no matter how hard life gets. We all have goals and dreams, but we’ve never truly failed unless we’ve completely given up. Once you keep moving forward, you’ll eventually get to where you want to be.” Ms Taylor added: “Sometimes I look back at the times when my thoughts to stop writing were strong. If I had given in, I never would’ve seen that first orange No 1 ribbon and I certainly wouldn’t have been flying off to receive an international book award.” The support and encouragement from her readers, she said, helps her to keep going. One of her fans e-mailed her at the beginning of the year, saying: “I hope your success continues and you win more awards and maybe TV/film will show an interest in your work. You are a caring kind and creative lady and deserve all the success in the world and I hope I’m around when it happens for you.” A special feature in Ms Taylor’s regular author newsletters is a current list of subscribers’ birthdays, which she adds on request. Following “Blind Justice”, Ms Taylor will publish “I Didn’t Know I Was Beautiful: The Real & Raw Facts That Every Woman on The Planet Should Know” on April 30, and “Happy Town: Where Dogs Rule (A Cozy Conspiracy)” on July 21. Both books are available now for pre-order. For more information about Tanya R Taylor’s books go to her Amazon author page or visit www.tanya-r-taylor.com.

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Friday, March 20, 2020

entertainment

Top 10

Netflix movies and shows in the Bahamas

ith Bahamians practicing social distancing, working from home, and the kiddies stuck in the house, it’s time to turn to Netflix for some entertainment. Here are the top 10 movies and shows Bahamians are watching this week:

SPENSER Confidential

. On My Block (series; 28 episodes) This teen comedy-drama follows a quartet of bright, street-savvy friends who are navigating their way through high school, including all the of the triumph, pain and newness they experience along the way. Lifelong

LOVE is Blind friendships are tested as Monse, Ruby, Jamal and Cesar confront the challenges of adolescence and life in their predominantly Hispanic and black neighbourhood in South Central Los Angeles in this coming-of-age story. . Lost Girls (film; 1h 35m) Desperate to find her missing daughter, a mother fights to uncover the truth — and helps expose a string of unsolved murders. Based on a true story. Starring Amy Ryan, Gabriel Byrne and Thomasin McKenzie. . Into the Storm (film; 1h 29m) As a slew of tornadoes devastates a small town, most residents scramble for shelter -- but others defiantly try to capture the twisters on film. Starring Richard Armitage, Sarah Wayne Callies and Matt Walsh. . Spenser Confidential (film; 1h 51m) Spenser, an ex-cop and ex-con, teams up with aspiring fighter Hawk to uncover a sinister conspiracy tied to the deaths of two Boston police officers. Starring Mark Wahlberg, Winston Duke and Alan Arkin.

. Life (film; 1h 44m) The discovery of a single-celled organism in a sample from Mars causes excitement ... until the life-form starts displaying signs of Intelligence. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson and Ryan Reynolds. . Toy Boy (series; 13 episodes) After seven years in a Málaga prison, a male stripper Hugo Beltrán is released pending retrial and sets out to find proof that his lover framed him for her husband’s murder. . Love is Blind (series; 11 episodes) Nick and Vanessa Lachey host this social experiment where single men and women look for love and get engaged, all before meeting in person. . Go Karts (film; 1h 43m) A fearless teen leans into the rush of high-speed go-kart racing, backed by good friends — and a surly ex-driver who becomes his coach. Starring William Lodder, Anastasia Bampos, Darius Amarfio-Jefferson. . The Valhalla Murders (series; 8 episodes) An Oslo detective with a painful past returns to his native Iceland to help a dedicated cop hunt a serial killer with a link to a mysterious photo.

. The Boss Baby: Back in Business (series; 37 episodes) The Boss Baby brings his big brother Tim to the office to teach him the art of business in this animated series sprung from the hit film.

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Friday, March 20, 2020

LITERARY LIVES

Matisse in Morocco – Part I Sir Christopher Ondaatje

writes about the great French artist who, with Pablo Picasso, redefined the development of visual arts at the beginning of the 20th century – and was enormously influenced by months spent in Tangier, Morocco in 1912 and 1913.

enri Émile Benoit Matisse was born in Le Cateau-Cambrésis in Northern France on December 31, 1869 – the eldest son of a wealthy grain merchant. In 1887 he went to Paris to study law and worked as a court administrator in Le Cateau-Cambrésis after gaining his qualification. In 1889 while convalescing

HENRI Matisse (1869-1954) first visited Morocco in the winter of 1912 after an attack of appendicitis his mother brought HIM some art supplies. As he later said, he discovered “a kind of paradise”, rejecting any thoughts of further following a legal profession. Despite an extremely disappointed father, he decided instead to become an artist and made his way to Paris to study art at the Académie Julian, becoming a student of William-Adolphe Bouguereau and Gustave Moreau. From the beginning, Matisse painted still lifes

and landscapes with reasonable proficiency, and was influenced by earlier masters like Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin, Nicolas Poussin, and Antoine Watteau, as well as Édouard Monet and by Japanese art, but in 1896 he visited the Australian painter John Russell on the island of Belle Île off the coast of Brittany. Russell introduced Matisse to Impressionism and to Vincent Van Gogh. Matisse immediately changed his style forgetting forever his darker earth colours for the much

more expressive and brighter colours. “Russell was my teacher, and Russell explained colour theory to me.” – Matisse, 1896 The same year Matisse exhibited five paintings in the Salon of the Société National des Beaux-Arts, two of which were purchased by the state. Matisse had a daughter, Marguerite, with one of his models – Caroline Joblau – in 1894. He married Amélie Noellie Parayre in 1898, and together they raised Marguerite and had two sons Jean (born 1899) and Pierre (born 1900). The years 1898 to 1907 were times of material hardship for Matisse. It was difficult for him to support his family – but they were influential years of learning. On the advice of Camille Pissaro he travelled to London to study the paintings of JMW Turner. He worked with Albert Marguet, André Derain, Jean Puy and Jules Flandrin. He copied other artists’ work and adopted a Divisionist technique after reading Paul Signac’s essay “D’Eugène Delacroix au NeoImpressionisme”. Together with André Derain they started what became known as the Fauvism Movement – but it only lasted a few years. He exhibited at Ambroise Vollard’s gallery with little success. He continued with his deliberate bright colours travelling to St Tropez and Collioure. The “Fauve” group exhibited their paintings in the Salon d’Antomne in 1905 to harsh criticism, but his morale increased considerably when his painting Woman With a Hat (1905) was purchased by Gertrude and Leo Stein. Matisse, Derain, Georges Braque, Raoul Dufy and Maurice de Vlaminck were other members

of the “Fauvist” movement. Gustave Moreau, the young artist’s teacher, pushed them to follow their own visions outside the lines of formality. Following this advice seriously impaired Matisse’ acceptance and earnings. But he persevered. He travelled to Algeria in 1906 to study African art and Primitivism, and spent two months in Spain studying Moorish art. He went to Morocco in 1912 and again in 1913. It was while he was in Tangier that he made important changes to his work. The 42-year-old Matisse first set eyes on Tangier on January 29, 1912. “On a slightly rough sea, but of the purest blue, the ship glides without rocking or pitching. On the left, the horizon is lined with a few clouds; on the right by the mountains of the Spanish coast.” – Matisse in a letter to his daughter Marguerite, 1912. A wonderful new book written by Richard Hamilton was published in England by Bloomsbury Publishing in 2019. In it the author describes visiting the Grand Hotel Villa de France where Henri Matisse and his wife Amélie first stayed in 1912. “The entrance lobby and the bar are bedecked with Matisse reproductions, the wrought iron staircase is made from Fauvist leaf shapes and an abstract wavy line reminiscent of his collages, serving as a ceiling frieze. We walked up to the second floor where an arrow directed us to Room 35 ... A large, double mattress is encased in a mahogany bedstead and about it hang three more copies of works by the modernist painter, including one of his most famous, ‘Paysage Vu d’Une Fenȇtre (Landscape Viewed

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Friday, March 20, 2020

VASE of Irises PAYSAGE Vu d’Une Fenetre (Landscape Viewed from a Window) THE CASBAH Gate

BASKET of Oranges ( later bought by Pablo Picasso in 1940)

from a Window). The room is sparse, equipped only with a wardrobe, chair, mirror and dressing table. Next to the bed is a vintage telephone ... On another wall hangs a reproduction of a black and white photo of Henri and his wife Amélie. They are standing in the same room in front of a bed, a traveller’s trunk, an easel and the original canvas of ‘Paysage Vu d’Une Fenȇtre.” Hamilton explains that the view from the window has hardly changed since the painting was done more than 100 years ago. But, the view Matisse describes in his letter to his daughter was an ominous mirage. There followed weeks of torrential rain. “Shall we ever see the sun in Morocco? Since Monday at three when we arrived, until today, Saturday, it has rained continuously as in tropical countries. It’s been like that for 15 days. What’s to become of us? It’s impossible for us to leave our room.” – Matisse in a letter to Gertrude Stein, 1912 Matisse had been commissioned by the Russian art collectors, Sergei Shchukin and Ivan Morozov to paint Morocco – hinting a preference for figures. Matisse’s oldest friend Albert Marquet, the artist, had recommended Morocco to him and Matisse had been seduced by Marquet’s blue and white canvases of the Kasbah. But now, confined to his dark room, he felt like an inmate in an asylum and was reduced to painting still lifes. He found it difficult in this Muslim country to find people willing to pose for him – in the end recruiting a teenage prostitute, a bandit and a hotel boy. He painted “Vase of Irises” against an oval dressing table mirror, and “Basket of Oranges”, perhaps evoking something of Morocco that existed outside his hotel room. Pablo Picasso would eventually buy the painting many years later in 1940. His lover, Françoise Gilot, was stunned

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Friday, March 20, 2020

THE GRAND Hotel Villa de France in Morocco where Matisse and his wife Amélie first stayed in 1912.

‘Zorah on the Terrace’ was painted by Matisse during two visits to Morocco. It extremely difficult to find a sitter, because according to Muslim customs, women were prohibited from posing and uncovering their faces. when Matisse told her that the painting was “born of misery”. On February 12 the rain finally subsided. “Once the rain stopped, there sprang from the ground a marvel of flowering bulbs and greenery. All the hills around Tangier, which had been the colour of a lion’s skin, were covered with an extraordinary green under turbulent skies as in a painting by Delacroix.” – Matisse, 1912 Ferdinand Eugène Victor Delacroix was the main reason Matisse visited Morocco. Delacroix had landed in Tangier 80 years earlier to escape Parisian civilisation, seeking a primitive culture. He was accompanied by Count Charles de Mornay, an ambassador sent by King Louis-Philippe to negotiate a treaty with the Sultan shortly after the French conquered Algeria. Delacroix produced

more than 100 paintings, and added a new dimension to the contemporary interest in Orientalism. The Fanatics of Tangier remains one of Delacroix’s most disturbing images. Finally, in February 1912 the clear skies gave Matisse what he was looking for. “The vegetation has all the blazing brilliance of Normandy and such decorative force! How new everything seems, too and how difficult to do with nothing but blue, red, yellow and green.” – Matisse in a letter to Henri Manquin, 1912 Matisse was introduced to Jack Brooks, an Englishman who made his large property, Villa Brooks, available to the artist. He stored some of his materials in an outhouse in the garden and painted the acanthuses for the next six weeks with Amélie by his side. Matisse had received a promise

MATISSE and his wife in room 35 of the Grand Hotel Villa de France from his Russian sponsors to be paid 6,000 francs for each of 11 canvases. Richard Hamilton, in his book, explains that the quality of light in Tangier is exceptional because it bounces off two seas: the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. Artists have spoken of the marvels of reflected light dancing along a watery surface flickering off in all directions. When the light of the sun hits the water, it’s

like a mirror. If you go inland you don’t get this reflection. Artists valued the city of Tangier for its geographic position. He said that by the time Matisse visited Tangier, the city was already swarming with artists, who had followed in the footsteps of Delacroix in search of the exotic. In 1889 Edgar Degas had set up his easel in the nearby Hotel Continental. It looked as though half the Modernistes

in Paris might descend on Tangier, asking Matisse to reserve them a room. He received postcards from Marquet, Manguin, Signac and Apollinaire, but Matisse conspicuously avoided seeing them because people mistook him for a madman when they inspected his paintings. Tangier’s weather too was proving to be erratic and the city was not revealing itself to be the Oriental wonder that Matisse had dreamed it would be. NEXT WEEK: Matisse has a profound experience in Morocco • Sir Christopher Ondaatje is the author of “The Last Colonial”. He acknowledges that he has quoted liberally from Tangier (2019) by Richard Hamilton; Wikipedia; and Matisse in Morocco the Paintings and Drawings 1912-1913 by Jack Cowart, The National Gallery of Art (1990).

Friday, March 20, 2020

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history

The Blue Hills and Blue Hill Road Forgotten facts | Paul C Aranha

tarting many years ago, several Bahamian ‘authorities’, including Paul Albury, William Aranha, Sir Etienne Dupuch Seighbert Russell stated, unequivocally, that there is no such street as Baillou Hill Road. In spite of this, the National Insurance Board gives that mythical name to the location of their headquarters. Let’s add Michael Craton to the list of ‘authorities’, because he wrote on that subject in his 2007 book “A-Z of Bahamas Heritage” (’zed’ not ‘zee’; though how Bahamians pronounce the last letter of the alphabet is debatable. I was always taught ‘zed’.) According to Craton, “the Blue Hills are a 90-foot traverse ridge, in the centre of New Providence”. Today, Carmichael Road has displaced THIS postcard from c. 1910 says: On the Road to Blue Bay Street as the ‘Main Street’ Hills, Nassau, Bahama islands. of the island, but prior to the 1950s,many Bahamians never went further south than the Blue Hills. In spite of the opinions so often expressed by so many Bahamian historians, many of their fellow citizens might tell you that the road was named after Isaac Baillou, who owned acreage in the Blue Hills and on the Blue Hill Road. Craton says that in the 1740s, Governor John Tinker wrote: “The thriftlessness of his troublesome subjects would make a stranger, at first sight, imagine we had gold mines, no further than the Blue Hills.“ During the days of slavery, the Blue Hills were trackless bush, a notorious hideout for runaway slaves – including slaves owned by Isaac Baillou, who would advertise in the Royal Gazette and Bahama Advertiser, that he would pay a reward for the return of a runaway slave. The Surveyor General’s (l-r) The Duke of Windsor, William N Aranha and Urban Knowles in Office, where my parents the 1940s.

worked, recognised the ‘Blue’ spelling of the street’s name. After the death of William Miller, the Surveyor General’s Office was re-named the Crown Lands Office, and

my father, William N Aranha, was the promoted from Acting Surveyor General to first Crown Lands Officer of the colony. My father’s paradise on earth was Johnny Hill, on the Carmichael Road, and my siblings and I were driven there on countless occasions. and each time we were told like a stuck record, that the correct name of the road is Blue Hill Road. My father’s obituary, written by Sir Etienne Dupuch, described him as “a man of rare ability and great usefulness to the community . . . He was possessed of a photographic brain . . . he was a reference book for all kinds and conditions of people . . . It was to Mr Aranha that the leading lawyers turned, when all ordinary sources of information had failed to give them the clues they sought . . . It was a rare joy to take a motor ride with Mr Aranha. He seemed to make the very stones come alive. The ride was always a running commentary that covered a wide range of history . . .” His favourite peeve was the use of the name Baillou to describe the Blue Hill Road. • For questions and comments, e-mail islandairman@ gmail.com

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Friday, March 20, 2020

history

US Red Cross volunteers in 1918

10 misconceptions about the 1918 flu, the ‘greatest pandemic in history’

By RICHARD GUNDERMAN CHANCELLOR’S PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE, LIBERAL ARTS, AND PHILANTHROPY, INDIANA UNIVERSITY (THE CONVERSATION) – Pandemic: It’s a scary word. But the world has seen pandemics before, and worse ones, too. Consider the influenza pandemic of 1918, often referred to erroneously as the “Spanish flu.” Misconceptions about it may be fueling unfounded fears about COVID-19, and now is an especially good time to correct them. In the pandemic of 1918, between 50 and 100 million people are thought to have died, representing as much as 5 percent of the world’s population. Half a billion people were infected. Especially remarkable was the 1918 flu’s predilection for taking the lives of otherwise healthy young adults, as opposed to children and the elderly, who usually suffer

“The 1918 flu spread rapidly, killing 25 million people in just the first six months...(but) the vast majority of the people who contracted the 1918 flu survived.” most. Some have called it the greatest pandemic in history. The 1918 flu pandemic has been a regular subject of

speculation over the last century. Historians and scientists have advanced numerous hypotheses regarding its origin, spread and consequences. As a result, many harbour misconceptions about it. By correcting these 10 misconceptions, everyone can better understand what actually happened and help mitigate COVID-19’s toll. . THE PANDEMIC ORIGINATED IN SPAIN No one believes the socalled “Spanish flu” originated in Spain. The pandemic likely acquired this nickname because of World War I, which was in full swing at the time. The major countries involved in the war were keen to avoid encouraging their enemies,

so reports of the extent of the flu were suppressed in Germany, Austria, France, the United Kingdom and the US. By contrast, neutral Spain had no need to keep the flu under wraps. That created the false impression that Spain was bearing the brunt of the disease. In fact, the geographic origin of the flu is debated to this day, though hypotheses have suggested East Asia, Europe and even Kansas. . THE PANDEMIC WAS THE WORK OF A ‘SUPER-VIRUS’ The 1918 flu spread rapidly, killing 25 million people in just the first six months. This led some to fear the end of mankind, and has long fuelled the supposition that the strain of influenza was particularly lethal.

However, more recent study suggests that the virus itself, though more lethal than other strains, was not fundamentally different from those that caused epidemics in other years. Much of the high death rate can be attributed to crowding in military camps and urban environments, as well as poor nutrition and sanitation, which suffered during wartime. It’s now thought that many of the deaths were due to the development of bacterial pneumonias in lungs weakened by influenza. . THE FIRST WAVE OF THE PANDEMIC WAS MOST LETHAL Actually, the initial wave of deaths from the pandemic in the first half of 1918 was relatively low.

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Friday, March 20, 2020

It was in the second wave, from October through December of that year, that the highest death rates were observed. A third wave in spring of 1919 was more lethal than the first but less so than the second. Scientists now believe that the marked increase in deaths in the second wave was caused by conditions that favoured the spread of a deadlier strain. People with mild cases stayed home, but those with severe cases were often crowded together in hospitals and camps, increasing transmission of a more lethal form of the virus. . THE VIRUS KILLED MOST PEOPLE WHO WERE INFECTED WITH IT In fact, the vast majority of the people who contracted the 1918 flu survived. National death rates among the infected generally did not exceed 20 percent. However, death rates varied among different groups. In the US, deaths were particularly high among Native American populations, perhaps due to lower rates of exposure to past strains of influenza. In some cases, entire Native communities were wiped out. Of course, even a 20 percent death rate vastly exceeds a typical flu, which kills less than 1 percent of those infected. . THERAPIES OF THE DAY HAD LITTLE IMPACT ON THE DISEASE No specific anti-viral therapies were available during the 1918 flu. That’s still largely true today, where most medical care for the flu aims to support patients, rather than cure them. One hypothesis suggests that many flu deaths could actually be attributed to aspirin poisoning. Medical authorities at the time recommended large doses of aspirin of up to 30 grammes per day. Today, about four grammes would be considered the maximum safe daily dose. Large

(Photo/US Navy)

PATIENTS receive care for the Spanish flu at Walter Reed Military Hospital, in Washington, DC. doses of aspirin can lead to many of the pandemic’s symptoms, including bleeding. However, death rates seem to have been equally high in some places in the world where aspirin was not so readily available, so the debate continues. . THE PANDEMIC DOMINATED THE DAY’S NEWS Public health officials, law enforcement officers and politicians had reasons to underplay the severity of the 1918 flu, which resulted in less coverage in the press. In

addition to the fear that full disclosure might embolden enemies during wartime, they wanted to preserve public order and avoid panic. However, officials did respond. At the height of the pandemic, quarantines were instituted in many cities. Some were forced to restrict essential services, including police and fire. . THE PANDEMIC CHANGED THE COURSE OF WORLD WAR I It’s unlikely that the flu changed the outcome of World

War I, because combatants on both sides of the battlefield were relatively equally affected. However, there is little doubt that the war profoundly influenced the course of the pandemic. Concentrating millions of troops created ideal circumstances for the development of more aggressive strains of the virus and its spread around the globe. . WIDESPREAD IMMUNISATION ENDED THE PANDEMIC Immunisation against the flu was not practiced in 1918, and thus played no role in ending the pandemic. Exposure to prior strains of the flu may have offered some protection. For example, soldiers who had served in the military for years suffered lower rates of death than new recruits. In addition, the rapidly mutating virus likely evolved over time into less lethal strains. This is predicted by models of natural selection. Because highly lethal strains kill their host rapidly, they cannot spread as easily as less lethal strains.

. THE GENES OF THE VIRUS HAVE NEVER BEEN SEQUENCED In 2005, researchers announced that they had successfully determined the gene sequence of the 1918 influenza virus. The virus was recovered from the body of a flu victim buried in the permafrost of Alaska, as well as from samples of American soldiers who fell ill at the time. Two years later, monkeys infected with the virus were found to exhibit the symptoms observed during the pandemic. Studies suggest that the monkeys died when their immune systems overreacted to the virus, a so-called “cytokine storm.” Scientists now believe that a similar immune system overreaction contributed to high death rates among otherwise healthy young adults in 1918. . THE WORLD IS NO BETTER PREPARED TODAY THAN IT WAS IN 1918 Severe epidemics tend to occur every few decades, and the latest one is upon us. Today scientists know more about how to isolate and handle large numbers of ill and dying patients, and physicians can prescribe antibiotics, not available in 1918, to combat secondary bacterial infections. To such commonsense practices as social distancing and hand-washing, contemporary medicine can add the creation of vaccinations and anti-viral drugs. For the foreseeable future, viral epidemics will remain a regular feature of human life. As a society, we can only hope that we have learned the great pandemic’s lessons sufficiently well to quell the current COVID-19 challenge. • This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com.

a nut (6) 9 En masse, 10 Saga, 12 Lip, 24 Manage to13find son in 14 Friday, Assault, Ewe, 15 March Echo, some trees (5)

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i t A Dmt G i 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 or verb forms ending in “s”. TODAY’S TARGET Good 20; very good 30; excellent 39 (or more). Solution tomorrow

Yesterday’s call 0907 181 2585 Answer forSudoku today’s target solution *Calls cost 80p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge.

BATTLESHIPS CRYPTIC PUZZLE Down 1 Elevating device that may go over well (8) 2 Identified the boy embracing the pretty girl (8) 3 Flat-iron? (4) 5 Unlikely to be patient much longer? (12) 6 Involved in a row, Rosa is upset (4) 7 A struggle between northern and southern sea forces (6) 8 Save cash (6) 11 Postponing a mistake on the green? (7,2,3) 15 Mark and pass on (5) 16 It may be used for coats of many colours (5) 18 Given, and ideally shouldn’t be paid back (8) 19 Crooked men about to plot in an underground vault (8) 21 Bad guys are taken in hand by bishops (6) 22 Resign because of one’s self-image? (6) 26 Ice in the drink (4) 27 Exchanged more foreign capital (4)

Across 1 They howl with distorted vowels (6) 4 Arrange chores on a ship (8) 9 Arrested outlaw sent back to bed (6) 10 Deeply impressed with burial place in final setting (8) 12 Swing till dizzy (4) 13 Tube holding a gold coin (5) 14 He inscribed ecclesiastical books in part (4) 17 Get a move on and stamp out garrulity? (4,2,3,3) 20 A butchery firm owned by a combine? (5,7) 23 Castle in the air? (4) 24 Quietly played at home? (5) 25 A man to turn to (4) 28 Miss finished appearance (8) 29 Horse and trap showing sign of neglect (6) 30 Push the boat out and depart (5,3) 31 Minded being watched (6)

10 11

20 21

Yesterday’s Easy Solution Across: 1 Guess, 4 Lasting, 8 Did, 9 Eagle-eyed, 10 Erratic, 11 Decry, 13 Shoddy, 15 Ardour, 18 Tenor, 19 Artisan, 21 Birdbrain, 23 Ego, 24 Oddment, 25 Otter. Down: 1 Godless, 2 Eiderdown, 3 Sweet, 4 Legacy, 5 Slender, 6 Ivy, 7 Giddy, 12 Crow’s-feet, 14 Durable, 16 Rancour, 17 Vacant, 18 Taboo, 20 Tango, 22 Red.

Yesterday’s Cryptic Solution Across: 1 Aided, 4 Reveals, 8 Air, 9 Miscreant, 10 Episode, 11 Oscar, 13 Yeoman, 15 Hearts, 18 Layer, 19 Theorem, 21 Midsummer Day, 24 Treadle, 25 Emend. Down: 1 Academy, 2 Dormitory, 3 Dumbo, 4 Rasped, 5 Verbose, 6 Aga, 7 Satyr, 12 Cartridge, 14 Aground, 16 Samoyed, 17 Stymie, 18 Limit, 20 Eerie, 22 Dye.

EASY PUZZLE

Across 1 Interrupt and harass (6) 4 At a far-on stage (8) 9 Sanity (6) 10 As good as secured (2,3,3) 12 Such as (4) 13 Spacious (5) 14 Take flight (4) 17 Act independently (2,4,3,3) 20 Gain most applause (5,3,4) 23 Sad to say! (4) 24 Lure into a trap (5) 25 A sharp blow (4) 28 Strict disciplinarian (8) 29 Open to all (6) 30 Progressively worse (8) 31 Elaborately ornate (6)

Down 1 Art of clockmaking (8) 2 Crazy and unworkable (8) 3 Weaving apparatus (4) 5 Religious sect (12) 6 Continuous dull pain (4) 7 Hard silvery metal (6) 8 Grimly persistent (6) 11 Mexican volcano (12) 15 Small-minded (5) 16 Falter (5) 18 Exciting story (8) 19 Deceitful (3-5) 21 Stuck (6) 22 Constricted (6) 26 Under influence of drugs (4) 27 Special influence (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

9 10

2 2

1 x Battleship 2 x cruiser

black squares: 22, 23, 24, 29, 3 Across: Chain, Beryllium, Zip, F Vixen, Sweep, 3S cAn you crack the Alphabeater? Each grid Down: How, Ink Extra lette TArgeT number represents a letter – or black square. Sequin, Dinghy, 0907 181 AsPeTuLANce in Alphapuzzle, every letter of the alphabetJoke,(Deduct Ego.three m isacne used. acute But youcane havecant to complete the grid cape caul centtoo! each extra clue le use theclap givenclean letters and black squares full solut Do clan cleat clue cult cutebelow croSS the grid to start. the grid is ‘rotationally 0907 181 eclat elect enact enlace lace lance Across: STORM symmetrical’ – in other words, it looks the *Calls cost 80p per lancet lucent pace pact yourFLOOD telephone c Down: same if you turn nucleate the page upside down. network access peace pecan peculate pence pentacle Solution tomorrow PETULANCE place puce talc teacup SummIT Auncap 29 4 25 87 20 and 27 77 3 15 16 9 8uncle37unlace 1

THE ALPHABEATER

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.

THe ALP 20, 2020

17 Meddler, 19 Trilby, 20 Newlyweds. Down: 1 Crescent, 2 Ulna, 3 Sum, 4 On standby, 5 Miscue, 6 Remit, 8 Supports, 11 As well, 13 Aware, 16 Head, 18 Lee.

3 x Destroyer 4 x submarine

B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

15 37 12 7 Yesterday’s

31 30 19 13Answer 36Kakuro

30 31

34 35

■

● Alternatively, for six Extra Letter clues to your mobile, text DXBEAT to 84901. Texts cost £1 plus your usual operato

WORD BUILDER Answer the clues so that each word contains the same letters as the previous word, plus or minus one.

Solution tom

1 atmosph

2 Indian g

3 Pours

4 Wrench

5 Duads

6 File

7 average

The Tribune | Weekend | 27

Friday, March 20, 2020

ANIMALS

Saying goodbye to a friend Animal matters | KIM ARANHA

n March 2, the animal world in the Bahamas went a little quieter, the colours were a little dimmer and the sun shone less brightly. A gentle soul with a heart of gold towards God’s creatures left his earthly life and ascended into heaven: Gregory Lightbourne moved on to a better place, but left a void in the lives of his family, friends, co-workers and the animals he cared for and loved. Gregory came to the Bahamas Humane Society as an 18-year-old volunteer. His love and gentleness for animals was apparent on day one and when he asked for a full time employment we were so happy to welcome him on board. Over the many years that Gregory worked at the Bahamas Humane Society he became a very well-known face to those seeking to adopt a pet. He worked in the adoptions department for a long time, and got to know all the dogs and cats, and their stories. He could tell you how they got to be at the shelter and was quick at reading their personalities. This is a gift that helps so very much when matching animal to a potential new family. Gregory had a quick smile and a keen sense of humour. He was never afraid to speak the truth; Lord no. If he didn’t like somebody’s new hair cut he was the first one to advise them to change barbers. He was a smart dresser when he got his work scrubs off, and appreciated others dressing with flair. If you had a speck of thread or lint on your clothes he would tell you to “hold still” and remove it, so the picture was perfect, so to speak. Some of my personal best memories of Gregory involve office parties or staff get-togethers. Here was a young man who turned up dressed as if he had walked off the very page of a glossy fashion magazine, looking very dapper, and ready to have himself some serious fun. He would have everyone around him laughing and have a good time. Life was precious and he shared that sense of urgency with others that you should have fun today because there were no guarantees for tomorrow, and alas that was the case with Gregory. He had been feeling unwell before Christmas but he rallied and did a tremendous job as acting receptionist at

he was at recognising the shelter animals, he is greeting each and every one of them by name. I know that Gregory will enjoy that encounter just as much as his four footed friends who wait there. One of Greg’s favourite pastimes at work was to help volunteer photographer Patricia Vazquez take the pictures for our adoption album. He would choose which ones to bring out, and help position the animal at his or her best angle, all the time talking to it and making sure it was not frightened. The pictures will still be taken but it will just not be quite the same anymore. The iconic photo of a small puppy in a man’s hand seen here is of Gregory’s hands, the message is very clear, it speaks of love and gentleness. Yes we have lost a gentle, animal loving soul, and the world is a little duller without his smile, and we all miss him. Rest in peace, Gregory.

GREGORY Lightbourne loved to help pose animals for the photos that go into the BHS adoption album. (Photos/Patricia Vazquez) the shelter, greeting people by name and assisting them with advice and service. Then again he was not well, and very quickly slipped away from us all. It came as a shock; a terrible surprise for so many who knew and worked beside him. In the animal world, we believe that there is a rainbow bridge that all animals cross when they pass away. Beyond that bridge are green pastures and cool running streams; all the animals become young and healthy again when the cross the rainbow bridge. This is where animals wait to be reunited with their humans when the human passes away. I have a beautiful mental picture of Gregory – tall and smart, walking to the green pastures to be greeted by the hundreds of animals he was kind to during his years at the Bahamas Humane Society. I see him smile as they take turn to greet him, and remembering how good

(Photo/Patricia Vazquez)

PET OF THE WEEK

Amazing Archie

By THE BAHAMAS HUMANE SOCIETY

o Jughead in sight, but Archie is at the Bahamas Humane Society looking for an awesome home. This seven-month-old is friendly and attentive, and would likely make a good guard dog. He’s OK with other dogs (just don’t ask him to share his food; separate eating area, please!) and most likely cats. Archie, like most teens, gets along with other teens, even those of the human variety, but isn’t so keen on younger children. He’s very smart and trainable and would be a great protector for your home! If you’ve needed a new guard for your home, Archie might just fit the bill. Come in to the BHS to meet him or call 323-5138 for more information. Adoption hours are 11am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, and 10am to 4pm on Saturday. Archie looks forward to meeting you! • The BHS Thrift Shop jewellery sale has postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus outbreak.

28 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, March 20, 2020

ART

Defence Force gets arty for 40th anniversary

major milestone in the history of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) was observed in grand style last weekend as officers and marines participated in a cocktail reception and silent art auction at the Coral Harbour base. As the RBDF celebrates 40 years under the theme “Beyond the Horizon, into the Future,” a large crowd was in attendance to view an array of over 30 pieces of art created by the men and women of the Force, as well as by RBDF veterans, Rangers, community members, and also from the students at the Bahamas Association for the Physically Disabled (BAPD). Part proceeds from the event, which is one of several planned in observance of the organisation’s anniversary celebrations, will benefit the BAPD. In attendance were the Minister of National Security Marvin Dames and the Acting Commander Defence

Force, Captain Raymond King. In his brief remarks, Minister Dames commended Captain King along with his executive team and the officers and marines for the awesome showing. “What you are doing here this evening speaks volumes. And it certainly sets the tone for what all law enforcement agencies ought to be doing,” said Minister Dames. “You and your executive team and members of the planning committee ought to feel proud of what you have accomplished here today. I hope that this is the beginning of what is to come.” The Acting Commander Defence Force also commended Lieutenant Floyd Moxey, chairperson of the event, along with his committee team members for making the night a success. He noted that along with performing its normal duties of protecting the territorial integrity of the Bahamas, the RBDF is also about giving back to the community.