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Volume: 120 No.61, March 29, 2023

Sweet & Savory Mornings

Three held af Ter cop shoT in face

CSP Skippings says ‘we are actually waging war to take back this Bahamas’

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

ThRee people are in custody after an islandwide search following the shooting of a police officer in his face yesterday morning.

The incident took place during a routine patrol of

Robinson Road. Officers with Operation Ceasefire were patrolling the area when they saw three men speeding west in a black Nissan Note. When they signalled with their lights for the vehicle to stop, a passenger in the back seat of the

SEE page TWO

s traw venDors struggle with full-time scheDule

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

TWO weeks after vendors returned to full-time work at the Nassau Straw Market, some say they are struggling to make as much money as they did on the previous rotational system.

After the government

amended vendors’ work schedules in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, some found they preferred the rotational shift. As a result, they recently protested the government’s decision to restart full-time work schedules on March 13.

Under the rotation system, vendors worked

SEE page Three

Trans-ac T ivis T backs bUT presiden T’s commen T

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net

A TRANSGeNDeR activist is defending Bahamas Union of Teachers President Belinda Wilson for saying schools should educate students about transgenderism. Mrs Wilson made the comment at a Rotary Club of West Nassau meeting last Thursday. her comments aired on

an Our News broadcast, sparking debate on social media.

“I think that it would be wise for a component of

transgender, various different family compositions (to be included in schools),” she said. “It needs to be addressed. Not addressed that you would be pushing an agenda or you would be taking a side or position, but students need to be aware of what is happening in that vein because remember, we are preparing them for the world.”

Alexus D’Marco, founder

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net

A DOCTOR must pay damages after removing the wrong ovary from a woman. Justice Indra Charles ruled that Dr Raleigh Butler removed Marsha Stuart’s right ovary when he was supposed to remove her left one.

“There is no doubt in my mind that Dr Butler is an outstanding gynecologic oncologist but, unfortunately, he removed the wrong ovary,” she wrote in a recent judgment. “This was not an error of judgment but was of such a

Doctor tol D to pay Damages after wrong ovary removeD injunction over city market fun D

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The Supreme Court has upheld an injunction seeking to preserve $2.288m for the benefit of City Markets pensioners even though 75 percent of this sum may already have been paid out to “third parties”. Justice Diane Stewart, in a March 27 verdict, ruled there were strong reasons to maintain such protection because this is the best source for hundreds of the defunct supermarket chain’s long-suffering pension beneficiaries to recover some of their retirement savings more than a decade after its collapse.

Three held after cop shot in face

car allegedly fired at them, shooting an officer in a police cruiser in his face.

The 31-year-old officer was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition.

Chief Superintendent of Police Michael Johnson said an aggressive, island-wide search began, leading to three men being detained in custody in connection with the incident. Officers found the Nissan Note in Garden Hills near a track road by a community park. With help from officers of the K9 Unit, police discovered a large quantity of suspected marijuana in the area, in addition to the car.

Two of the suspects who are now in custody are on bail for other offences. One is being electronically monitored in connection with a murder charge.

CSP Johnson expressed concern about escalating crimes committed by people on bail.

“They continue to offend although being on bail and continue to offend for the same type of serious matter that they

are on bail for,” he said, adding: “We will not be discouraged.”

CSP Johnson couldn’t give data on the number of injuries police officers have sustained on duty in recent years, but said the Robinson Road shooting is the most severe incident they have had this year.

CSP Chrislyn Skippings issued a warning to criminals.

“We will not tolerate your behaviour, we will not,” she said during a brief press conference on Robinson Road.

“We will not tolerate you seeking to engage police officers who are authorised to protect the citizens of this great country. When you seek to engage police officers, I can say to you police officers are qualified to have the necessary training which could likely result in someone who seeks to engage the police being fatally wounded.

“We are going to be resolute, we are going to be firm, we are not tolerating this type of behaviour and you will see an aggressive approach on criminals. We are actually waging war on the criminals to take back this Bahamas.

We will not tolerate it.”

Before a Cabinet meeting yesterday, National Security Minister Wayne Munroe also discussed the incident.

“The public should know, as the commissioner has said, that saturation patrol is the strategy the police are using. That will mean the police will come into contact, more likely than not, with people who are up to no good, up to menacing our society,” he said.

“We continue to say and this is an example that the police, when threatened with lethal force, will respond with lethal force, and these people who decide that they want to be menaces to our society, the only line between us and them is the police.

“And so I encourage the public to look at this whole thing in the context that the more patrol vehicles we put on the streets, the more likely police are to come across these persons who are wreaking havoc and that will increase the likelihood of confrontation between them and police.”

Chief Superintendent of Police Chrislyn Skippings issued a warning to criminals after an officer was shot in the face yesterday, saying they are ‘actualy waging war to take back this Bahamas’ from the criminals. Three men were apprehended in connection with the shooting after an island wide search.

Photos: Moise Amisial

Downtown businesses express concerns over RCI’s beach club’s possible impact

By LETRE SWEETING Tribune Staff Reporter lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

CONCERNS were raised by some downtown merchants yesterday that business will decline if Royal Caribbean International moves forward with its $110m beach club project on Paradise Island.

Samantha Allen, manager of Pirates of Nassau Museum, fears the new attraction will lead fewer tourists to visit Downtown, an area she is desperate to see revitalised.

“There may be a lot less

sT

tourists getting off (a cruise ship) and just running Downtown as they might opt to do today,” she said.

“I don’t even know exactly what Royal Caribbean has planned, I haven’t seen the deal as to what’s included, but I imagine they’re going to offer them just like they do (with) their private islands where they have the beach and beach chairs and whatnot. So, I’m certain they will be attracting lots of people that will opt to do that.”

“But you can’t really (blame tourists) if they choose that option

because Downtown has not been looking very spiffy. I work down here, I walk down there. Attention is definitely not being paid to the state of Downtown. I don’t know who is supposed to pick up the garbage and why the businesses are allowed to put their garbage out by the bins. That should be just for passersby to put in their trash and not the trash of a store.

“And even now, I just spoke to the police officers at the police station downtown because, you know, they have no garbage bins there so the tourists are just

leaving their empty drinks and bottles and coconuts all along the wall of the police station.

“I am curious to know who is responsible for taking care of and maintaining these things.”

Mike Maura, CEO and director of Nassau Cruise Port Ltd, has said RCI’s project can coexist with existing products, saying guests do not have sufficient experiences and adventures.

However, vendors like Rebecca Small, president of the Straw Business Persons Society, told

The Tribune she is wary they will be left behind.

“There’s some concern that we vendors may be left behind because if the focus now with tourism is to highlight this elaborate (RCI) project, of course, we will get left behind if there is no major advertisement to showcase the straw market.

I’m concerned about that,”

Ms Small said.

“I feel that if the government doesn’t set up a system (for us) as vendors who built the straw industry to where it is today, we’re going to get left behind.”

Ms Small wants the government to meet with stakeholders and address their concerns before the RCI project takes off.

“When I think about all of the souvenir shops on Bay Street, that is direct competition (to us). We are supposedly the biggest souvenir shop with Bahamians, entrepreneurs, self-employed individuals on the main Bay Street. They have just set up across the market another souvenir shop that is a direct conflict, in my opinion, with the Straw Market, and now, the RCI project.”

raw vendors sT ruggle wi T h full-T ime schedule

from page one

three days on some weeks and four days on other weeks. They divided into groups A and B, a separation that reduced competition and crowds in the Straw Market.

Monique Seymour, a straw vendor for 30 years, says the government should talk to them about what’s best for the industry rather than lean on what has been done in the past.

“I would hope that the government would adhere to the cry of the people who work in this industry,” said another vendor who requested anonymity as The

Traffic diversions Tomorrow

ROAD closures and traffic diversions have been announced in the Downtown area for Thursday from 1am following the full military funeral for Police Assistant Commissioner Leon Bethel at 11am. Road closures and street diversions include George Street, between Bay Street and Duke Street, and King Street, between George Street and Market Street.

There will be no parking on those steets from 1am until after the service. A motorcade will travel from Christ Church Cathedral passing along East Street, Wulff Road, Poinciana west, University Boulevard and John F Kennedy Drive with the funeral at Lakeview Cemetery. Traffic in affected areas will be diverted.

• Police recovered two stolen vehicles in separate incidents on Collins Avenue and Boyd Road on Monday.

In the first incident, on Collins Avenue, officers of the Southern Division found a 2011 white Nissan Note, stolen from a residence in the area of Miami Street.

In the other incident, in the area of Boyd Road, police recovered a red Nissan March, stolen during an armed robbery on Sunday.

• A 35-year-old Bimini man was arrested on Monday for possessing $60 worth of marijuana. Around 5pm, the man was reportedly speeding along Queen’s Highway in a blue Honda, when Alice Town police stopped the vehicle, conducted a search and confiscated one ounce of suspected marijuana.

Tribune walked through the market yesterday.

“They don’t work in it, so they can’t say what the majority of vendors are feeling. They can’t speak for us. We speak for ourselves, we know what we want.”

Rebecca Small, president of the Straw Business Persons Society, told The Tribune most vendors are dissatisfied.

“I am trying to get the government to understand that the way that they have us situated in the market, it’s working against tourism,” she said.

“Because when you pile everyone back on the same day at the same time, people become desperate, and we all know that desperate people do desperate things.

In a press statement earlier this month, the Ministry of Works and Utilities said the rotational system was a “temporary measure”, adding that there was never an intention to permanently let straw markets operate on a rotational basis.

Since reverting to full schedule days straw vendors are complaining that they are making less money than when there was a staggered schedule. The staggered schedule was implemented after COVID-19 restrictions eased.

ArtiSt rendering showing the RCI’s proposed beach club project on Paradise Island. Vendors and businesses on Bay Street are concerned that the project would lead to fewer tourists frequenting their shops.

of the Bahamas Organisation of LGBTI Affairs, condemned negative reactions to Mrs Wilson’s message in a statement yesterday.

“I condemn all attempts at creating division and confusion to distort President Belinda Wilson Bahamas Union of Teachers (sic) opinion and comments on the conversation of transgender education,” she said.

“There has been an increase of spreading fear, hate, and misinformation about trans citizens.”

She later told T he Tribune : “I agree that we must have age-appropriate conversations on diversity; you must have age-appropriate conversations on human beings. We’re not talking about the sexual experiences of people; we’re talking about human beings.”

“Students have to be aware of these things that happen to these individuals living within our society. So it’s bringing awareness and information, but again, we need to start to educate the public.”

Transgender issues have received increasing attention in the United States recently, with critics highlighting moves from conservative state governments to restrict the rights of transgender people.

Ms D’Marco said there are transgender students in Bahamian schools. She said some students leave school early because of bullying while others leave public schools to find a more inclusive and

friendly environment in private schools.

“Most of them (transstudents) experience a lot of trauma from home,” she said. “Then, coming into a class system, they’re bullied out of the school system. But those that stay in the school system don’t stay in the public school system.”

Ms D’Marco said her organisation has intervened in situations where

doc Tor Told To pay damages af T er wrong ovary removed

from page one

nature that no reasonably well-informed and competent gynecologic oncologist could have made.”

According to the ruling, Ms Stuart was experiencing pain on the left side of her body when she sought medical help. Eventually, Dr Delton Farquharson, a general and vascular surgeon, referred her to Dr Butler. Dr Butler performed an operative laparoscopy at Doctors Hospital on March 24, 2010, but Ms Stuart continued to experience excruciating pain.

Ms Stuart claimed that during a visit to Dr Butler’s office post-surgery, she told him she felt like her left ovary was still there. She said Dr Butler dismissed her concern and prescribed her stronger painkillers.

She said the doctor ordered a subsequent scan that revealed her left ovary was intact and the right one was gone.

reasonable care and skill, and failed in his duty towards her.

Although Dr Butler’s contemporaneous notes after the surgery said he removed the woman’s left ovary, he argued during the trial that he wrote this in error and that he intended to put “right”, not “left”.

“He maintained that he was not negligent and asserted that there were compelling factors for him to remove Ms Stuart’s right ovary,” the judge wrote.

To justify the removal of the right ovary, Dr Butler cited Ms Stuart’s previous scans and history of pain and elevated blood results; the appearance of the right ovary during operation; and the negligible impact of removing one of a woman’s ovaries, among other things.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Intersex (LGBTI) students face discrimination.

“We’re able to talk to guidance counsellors and teachers as it relates to how do we navigate them in schools,” she said. “So, the message of advocacy is this: every child has a right to education, regardless of their perceived sexual orientation or their perceived gender identity.”

Full Military Funeral Service For Retired Asst. Commissioner of Police Leon Edison Bethell Sr., 63

of Highbury Park will be held on Thursday, 30th March, 2023, 11:00 a.m. at Christ Church Cathedral, George Street. Officiating will be Rev’d Fr. Neil Nairn. Interment will follow in Lakeview Gardens & Mausoleums, John F. Kennedy Drive.

Leon is preceded in death by his mother: Enamae Wright; father: Bruce Bethell.

He is survived by his wife: Vernae Bethell (“My Nay”); sons: Minister Trevor (Kendra), Leon Bethell Jr. (Shawna), Orion Bethell; sisters: Katie Moss, Cyprianna Rolle, Melissa Wright, Nicolette, Sharon, Lilaca, Mirina, Debbie, Sandra Bethell and Venria Munnings; brothers: Former DPS Coleman Andrews, Prophet Kirklyn Wright, Sheldon, Brian and Brent Bethell, Anthony Rolle; grandchildren: Karrington Micah, Kai-Imare, and Trevor Bethell Jr.; sisters-in-law: Diana Andrews, Nursing Sister Meshelle Wright, Tia Bethell, Shereen Rolle, Raquel Hinsey, Dr. Pamela Hinsey and Barbara Rolle; father-in-law: Kirkwood S.B. Hinsey Sr. (deceased); mother-in-law: Dorothy Hinsey; brothers-in-law: Ricardo Hinsey (deceased), Kirkwood Hinsey Jr, Jason Hinsey, Sergeant 1796 Presley Rolle and Wayne Josey; uncles: Elder Julian Glover, Dwight Glover; aunts: Clayomie Ferguson of Florida, Lee Bourne, Antoinette Seymour; nieces: Apostle Nichole Andrews, D’Andra Andrews, Ziska Sherika McKenzie, Raquelle Major-Rolle, Yvette Strachan/Mustapha Strachan, Shanae/Troy Sweeting, Kirshelle Wright, Latavi Taylor, and Asjah Greene; nephews: Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police Kirkwood Andrews, Hugo/Tamika, Ricardo Lewis, Wesley and family, Felix Rolle III, Demargio, Devante, Chauncey Wright, Renaldo, Jason (JV), and Brion Hinsey; numerous grand nieces and nephews; aunts-in-law: Carmell, Betty (1&2), Marina, Marva Davis, Mavis Johnson, Melvern Collie, Kirklyn Marche, Claudette Chin, Sabrina Bowe; uncles-in-law: Sidney and Christopher Bain, Washington Collie, Ricardo, Michael Davis, Isom Jenkins (New York); numerous family and friends: Ann Hutchinson, Staff of Metro Security, Felix Rolle II, Kimberly, Kipchage Gardiner, Hakim Newbold, Zelma Tellonge, Angela Swann, Sharon Williamson, Yvonne Sands, Vanessa Albury, Erica and Sheryl Bourne, Jeanine Gibson-Gray Jr.; Former Parliamentarian Hon. Shane Gibson, Sherwin, Eric Jr., Michael Hooper Gibson, Delton ‘DOC’ Bain and staff of Doc’s Pharmacy, Michelle Ryan, Sendena Neely, Dennis Bourne/Aaron Seymour and Dana Knowles, Gregory Dennis Ferguson, Vernice Heastie, Schevon & Horace Miller, Frank& Angela Reid, Thalbert Wells and family, Prime Minister The Hon Brave Davis, former Prime Minister The Hon Hubert A. Ingrahm, Min of National Security Hon Wayne Munroe, Commissioner Clayton Fernander, Retired Sr. Asst. CommissionerStephen Seymour, Asst. Commissioner B.K. Bonamy, Chief Supt-Christopher Wright, Chief Supt. Elvin Missick, Howard Thompson, Chief Supt. Denise Rose, R-WPI - Christine Porter, R. Superintendent Donald Nouguez, Retired Sergeant 307- Pedro Seymour, WP Ruthmae Johnson, R. Cpr 171 Harlan Pinder, Canon Stephen Davies, Canon Harry Ward, Cannon Peter Scott, Canon Crosley Walkine, Mr. Delancy, Ingrid Bennons, Keisha, Owen, Kevin, Van, Dwight, Shelly, Lisa, Kristi, Antoin Bowe Tanya Johnson, Yvonne Cooper, Kaylyn, Landis, Shamal Woodside, Debbie Cunningham, Jakera Pinder, Carmel Lynes, Anastacia Williams, Dentria Armbrister, the residence of Highbury Park and the Round Table. Robert Farquarson Sr. Robert and Matty Farquarson Jr. Jammie/ Shannon Joseph, Ulrich and Ariel Smith, Keith Delancey, Prince Lock/Smith; Special thank you to Father Neil Nairn, members of Holy Spirit Church, office staff, ushers, pastoral care and ACW, National Insurance Board Cashiers Dept., Bishop Sanford Rolle & family, Royal Bahamas Police Force, staff of Doctors Hospital Emergency Room. We apologize and beg your pardon for any names not printed.

May His Soul Rest in Peace!

There will be NO VIEWING at the church

Friends may pay their last respects at the Paul H. Farquharson Centre, Police Headquarters, East Street on Wednesday, 29th March, 2023 from 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

“Ms Stuart stated that she was in utter shock, disbelief, pain and disgust and, at all material times, it was always discussed, known and agreed that the left, not the right ovary would be removed,” the judge wrote.

“Ms Stuart stated that the pain continues up to today and, in her opinion, Dr Butler made a terrible error and has been negligent in the performance of his duties towards her.”

In her lawsuit, Ms Stuart alleged Dr Butler removed the right ovary without her consent, removed the right ovary even though it was healthy, failed to tell her he removed the right ovary, failed to take or exercise

“Dr Butler,” wrote Justice Charles, “has refused to accept liability for the removal of Ms Stuart’s healthy right ovary and tube. He admitted that his contemporaneous notes after the surgery record that he removed the left ovary and tube but he explained that he made those notes late in the evening on the night of the surgery and, in error, he wrote ‘left’ instead of ‘right’.” “That error ‘left’ can be found at least three times in the notes. Nonetheless, he asserted that there were compelling factors for him to remove the right ovary instead of the left; chief among them, if I understood him well, is the lethality of ovarian cancer which spreads rapidly and can result in death within 3-5 years. It is also difficult to diagnose.”

Dr Butler testified that he examined Ms Stuart’s left ovary during the surgery and concluded it was normal. He said her right ovary, on the other hand, had adhesions and a “firm calcified mass.” He said he discussed the ovaries with Dr Farquharson and they agreed to remove the right one.

“He acknowledged that the right ovary was sent to pathology for analysis. The final diagnosis was that there was a corpus lute cyst,” Justice Charles wrote, adding that this cyst is normal and non-threatening.

“According to him, the specimens that were removed were in fact correctly identified in his communications with the Doctors Hospital Department of Pathology as being the right ovary and tube.”

Ms Stuart and Dr Butler brought their expert witnesses but the judge favored the testimonies of Ms Stuart’s witnesses.

“Applying the applicable legal principles to the facts of this case, I find, on a balance of probabilities, that Dr Butler is guilty of negligence and breached the duty of care which he owed Ms Stuart when he removed her left ovary,” Justice Charles wrote. “He fell below the standard of a reasonable doctor in removing the healthy right ovary when he had no prior discussion with her.

“No reasonably wellinformed and competent doctor possessing the expertise and skill that Dr Butler professed could have removed Ms Stuart’s right ovary without her consent.” Justice Charles ordered that the Registrar assess damages.

consolidaT ed waT er con T ribUT ed To s axon’s commUni T y bUilding in T iaT ive

THE Saxons Superstars brass section, High Voltage Brass, has been supported by Consolidate Water (Bahamas) Ltd (CWCO).

A donation was made recently to purchase instruments and support the group’s community building initiatives.

Brass leader Jeremy Lightbourne said that in between the two major cultural displays on Bay Street, the Saxons Superstars host music theory classes, mentor and help young men from the Masons Addition

community especially.

He said: “We teach youth that Junkanoo is not just music. The donations so far received from CWCO have tremendously helped the brass in a major way. They assisted us with helping our young guys with their costumes to get on Bay Street and we were able to get one of the sousaphones needed.”

The group also uses donations to support members that travel abroad for education.

CWCO general manager Henderson Cash said the water supplier

remains impressed with this group’s dedication to youth, education, and the environment.

He said: “We applaud the Saxons Superstars for being more than just music. Behind the talent displayed on New Year’s Day and Boxing Day are hardworking and committed individuals that not only immerse themselves in Bahamian culture but make an effort to onboard young people to also receive the benefits of being involved in Junkanoo.”

Alexus D’MArco, founder of Bahamas Organisation of LGBTI Affairs condemned those speaking negatively of BUT president Belind Wilson’s comments about educating school children about transgenderism.

consoliDAteD Water (Bahamas) Ltd recently contributed toward the Saxons Superstars Brass Sections’ community building initiatives and purchase of instruments.

Photo: Ashley Albury, serena Williams Media and Public relations

US Chargé d’Affaires hosts ILEA graduates

ScoreS of Bahamian graduates from the International Law enforcement Academy (ILeA) were hosted to a welcome reception at the residence of US embassy chargé d’Affaires Usha Pitts on Thursday.

ILeAs were established in 1995 by US President Bill clinton to combat international drug trafficking, criminality and terrorism through international cooperation and training opportunities.

over the years, 422 Bahamians from the royal Bahamas Police Force; the Financial Intelligence Unit, Public Prosecutions; the Departments of Immigration, customs, and correctional Services have benefited from training offered by ILeA San Salvador.

“If you look at the ILeA programme worldwide, we have well over $1 billion in seizures of illicit goods, hundreds of arrests, recovered kidnapped victims, recovered trafficked persons, you name it. Those are the stories we have to

tell, and those are the stories we are here to share and to celebrate with my sisters and brothers from Bahamian law enforcement,” said ILeA director Dimas Jaen. For Julia cabus, deputy assistant secretary and assistant director of the Diplomatic Security Service for Training Bureau of Diplomatic Security, The Bahamas’ 422 graduates are a good start. She said the investment in training at an ILeA Academy sponsored class is “the very least we can do for you”.

She said: “I’d like to come back in the near future and see that number double, maybe triple, because the opportunities are endless.”

rBPF commissioner clayton Fernander, a 2010 graduate of ILeA’s Law enforcement Management Development Programme, expressed his appreciation of the “high quality” training programs offered by ILeA.

He lauded the achievements of three

distinguished alumni who have excelled in leadership:

Assistant Superintendent Anthony Mccartney and chief Superintendents David Lockhart and Shanta Knowles.

ASP Mccartney led investigations of public officials suspected of corruption. He now heads the Financial crimes Investigation Branch. chief Superintendent Lockhart oversees the Traffic Division, presides over the rBPF Disciplinary Tribunal and sits on the Junior executive Leadership Team. chief Superintendent Shanta Knowles investigated, charged and gained a conviction in the country’s first human trafficking case. She is the first female officer to lead the criminal Investigation Department and now heads the eleuthera Division. She is also a member of the Junior executive Leadership Team.

Le AV es i T s m A rk

A coLLISIoN with an ATV ridden by a tourist was the worst possible start to one motorist on their first day with their new car yesterday.

The car was parked when a tourist lost control of the ATV and crunched into itthankfully with no apparent injury to themselves.

However, the social media manager of a local

company was shocked to find his brand new vehicle damaged in the incident. The ATV was part of a group of such vehicles in an apparent tour party passing the Bay Street area at the time, with video footage showing them veering off the road and onto the sidewalk before colliding with the side of the car.

Royal Bahamas Police Force Commissioner Clayton Fernander and US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Usha Pitts share a toast on Thursday, at a welcome reception held for Bahamian graduates of the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA).

US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Usha Pitts bring welcome remarks as Deputy Assistant Secretary Julia Cabus and Royal Bahamas Police Force Commissioner Clayton Fernander look on.

IlEa Directors Dimas Jaen and Juan Henriquez present Bridget Premont, the US Embassy’s International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) Director with a token of appreciation.

IlEa HEadS, DAS Cabus and ILEA Directors Henriquez and Jaen group photo with high-ranking law enforcement officials and alumni of their El Salvador-based law enforcement programme.

IlEa HEadS DAS Cabus and ILEA Directors Henriquez and Jaen were in town to meet with high-ranking law enforcement officials and alumni of their El Salvador-based law enforcement programme.

The Tribune Limited

No place for those who would harm officers

THE injury suffered by a police officer yesterday brings home the reality of the dangers that our law enforcement officials face on the streets every day.

On a simple patrol, officers flashed their lights for a vehicle to stop – only for a passenger in that vehicle to open fire, with one officer being struck in the face.

The officer was rushed to hospital, and is thankfully in stable condition – but what callous criminals are so ready to pull a gun and open fire on our officers?

How can there be people on our streets so ready to harm police officers as they go about their work of protecting the public?

Bear in mind there will be people who will defend the person who pulled that trigger. There will be people who make excuses for them, who claim that they are good at heart, who will perhaps shelter them rather than report them for owning that gun in the first place.

Three people were detained after an island-wide manhunt following the shooting – but let us not pretend that these are the only such criminals who exhibit such behaviour.

By failing to turn this kind of violent offender to the police, those of us who know about the illegal guns, about the crimes these people commit, about the violence that they spread, permit such behaviour to grow.

There should be no place for such a person. If they have a gun, they do not bring it under your roof. If they have drugs, they are not to be tolerated. If they wish to commit crimes, they cannot expect you to lie for them and protect them.

We often hear police officers talk about zero tolerance policies – we need zero tolerance as a society for such behaviour.

Any individual willing to raise a gun and open fire on the police has no place in that society. No shelter. No

destination other than the inside of a prison cell. It should be undeniable in that person’s mind what the outcome of such an action should be.

Our officers should not have to face such danger or the risk of it every time they step out onto our streets. But it is on us as a society to say no. To say there is no room for such actions. And that there will be no tolerance for those who would dare to raise a gun and fire on an officer of the law.

In this column, we have often called for action by government, action by officials, action by police officers – but we need to act as members of society, and leave no doubt that this kind of action is beyond acceptable.

We send our prayers to the recovering officer.

Straw vendors

Not all good ideas are obvious ones.

What began as a measure for working around COVID has turned into a system that Straw Market vendors would like to keep going.

During COVID, shifts were organised so different vendors were open on different days and different hours at the market in the Downtown area. It kept people spaced out – but as it turns out, it helped money flow a little better too.

Having gone back to the old ways with the rotation system scrapped, some vendors are struggling to make as much money – because suddenly things are too crowded and there are too many vendors all at once competing for the money of visitors passing through.

Some of the vendors would like to go back to the old way. After all, if that was working, why change it?

We do hope that the government will listen to the vendors and find a system that benefits all. But start by listening – after all, no one knows the vendors’ business better than they do themselves.

Urgent need for affordable housing in The Bahamas

EDITOR, The Tribune

We are writing to express our concerns about the lack of affordable and social housing in the Bahamas.

The lack of affordable housing has become a major issue for many Bahamians, as the cost of housing continues to rise, making it increasingly difficult for low-income and middle-income families to find a decent place to live.

The government’s efforts to provide affordable housing have been insufficient, with many families still struggling to find housing that is both affordable and safe. The current housing crisis in the Bahamas is a major social and economic issue that needs urgent attention.

In addition to affordable housing, there is also a critical need for social housing. Social housing is designed to provide safe, secure, and

affordable accommodation for low-income families, seniors, and those with disabilities. Social housing can help to address the housing needs of vulnerable populations, providing them with the stability and support they need to lead successful lives.

The provision of social and affordable housing is not only a social responsibility but an economic one.

Affordable housing is a key factor in reducing poverty and homelessness, and can have a significant impact on the overall health and wellbeing of individuals and communities. The lack of affordable and social housing can and has led to a range of social problems, including increased crime rates, poor health outcomes, and decreased economic productivity.

It is time for the government to take urgent action to address the housing crisis in the Bahamas. We believe

that this can be achieved through a combination of a more comprehensive policy and robust investment in the housing sector, including the development of social and affordable housing programmes, increased tax incentives for developers, and support for non-profit organizations that provide housing and support services for lowincome families.

In conclusion, the lack of affordable and social housing in the Bahamas is a pressing issue that needs to be addressed urgently. We call on the government to take immediate action to ensure that all Bahamians have access to safe, secure, and affordable housing.

C ALLEN & EDEN MERRY JOHNSON Nassau, March 24, 2023.

EDITOR, The Tribune.

BAHAMIANS are anxiously awaiting the Progressive Liberal Party government’s proposal for the Bahamas Petroleum Retailers Association in the wake of that group of gas station operators badgering for a long overdue margin change. The average price of gas is about $5.65 per gallon. In an earlier missive to The Nassau Guardian, I suggested that the Davis government subtract 20 cents from its $1.72 it collects for each gallon of gasoline, which would up the gas station operators’ profit margin to 74 cents, instead of the 54 cents they currently collect.

One concerned individual recently told me that he heard rumours that one of the proposals the government is considering is asking gas wholesalers to take a profit margin cut to facilitate the price increase for retailers.

Now, this is only a rumour. Yet if true, it would be unconscionable for the government to expect wholesalers, who are already only collecting 34 cents a gallon, to make the

financial sacrifice for gas

retailers, while the government gets off Scott free. At only 34 cents per gallon, I cannot imagine how the government would expect wholesalers to continue operating if they’re forced to take a profit margin cut. Wholesalers have no wiggle room for the government to negotiate such a proposal.

The government cannot expect wholesalers to collect under 30 cents a gallon, while it continues to collect $1.72. In order to appreciate just how unfair such a proposal would be, imagine an Esso or RUBiS or FOCOL Sun Oil spending $3,560,000 for one million gallons of gasoline, while only gaining $340,000 after selling that amount to the retailers, who would collectively make a profit of $540,000.

Under such a scenario, BPRA members would earn $200,000 more than FOCOL, ESSO and RUBiS. Bear in mind that the government’s $1.72 per gallon portion amounts to

$1,720,000 for every one million gallons of gasoline the wholesalers sell to the gas station retailers. That’s $1,380,000 more than the wholesalers who purchase, store and distribute the fuel in a safe and efficient manner.

It is the wholesalers who spend millions in the building and maintenance of their storage tanks and fuel lines, while paying exorbitant licensing fees to the government, in addition to other costs, such as salaries, NIB contributions, security fees, fuel inspection fees, fuel tanker licensing and insurance and utilities fees.

It can be rightly argued that wholesalers have much higher overhead costs than BPRA members. The government, who does absolutely nothing, other than collect $1,720,000 for every one million gallons of gasoline sold, should be the one to bear the financial loss in whatever proposal it puts forward, not the wholesalers.

KEVIN EVANS Freeport, Grand Bahama. March 22, 2023.

EDITOR, The Tribune

Please publish this open letter to the Honourable Clay Sweeting, Minister for Agriculture and Marine Resources.

Dear Minister Sweeting,

After reading Mr Richard Lightbourn’s excellent letter, I am interested to know what progress is being made, if any, in advancing the Conchservation Project of the Bahamas National Trust in conjunction with the scientific research being conducted by the Community Conch Organisation, www.communityconch. org and their associate Dr. Andy Kough of Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium.

Data from surveys conducted over the last decade at most major conch harvesting grounds in the Bahamas indicate that, with the exception of the Ragged Island fishery, the adult population in most of those grounds has fallen below the critical thresholds for species reproduction.

Harvesting of sexually immature conch is obviously a major

contributing factor.

It is estimated that 640,000 pounds of conch meat was exported in 2018 and current estimates are approximately 550,000 pounds per year.

In 2019, the Bahamas National Trust (BNT) renewed calls for a ban on conch exports, the then BNT director Mr Eric Carey describing the potential extinction of the Queen conch as “The number one marine resource management issue in The Bahamas.”

BNT at that time made six recommendations to the government: ban the commercial export of conch meat, fully prohibit the use of air compressors for harvesting conch; mandate that all conch should be landed in its shell; update the harvest rule to a lip thickness of least 15 mm; protect conch habitats by creating a network of conch replenishment zones and increasing funding to the Department of Marine Resources.

Director Carey further said that “if we do not implement those measures,

the only option that is going to be open to us is a closed season, and if we don’t implement the measures and we don’t do a closed season, then this problem takes care of itself in the most horrible way possible, in that conch will become commercially extinct as has happened in Florida”.

Your predecessor as Minister, Mr Michael Pintard, is on record in 2020 stating “By 2022 there will be zero exports of conch from the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and tourists, aka visiting yachtsmen, can no longer harvest conchs in Bahamian waters and consume,” I do not believe this to be the case.

Minister Sweeting, I should be very grateful for your public response as to what legislation you and our government would consider enacting to arrest this alarming situation which has obviously reached the tipping point.

The seTTing sun reflects off the south pier and Lake Michigan as fishermen try their luck, Monday, in St. Joseph, Michigan.

Photo: Don Campbell/AP

Killer of pregnant teacher loses appeal over sentence

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN convicted of the 2016 murder of pregnant schoolteacher Marisha Bowen had an appeal against his 55-year prison sentence rejected yesterday.

Alister Williams was convicted in 2018 for the murder of the Charles W Saunders Baptist school teacher. A jury of 12 convicted him for the murder and also for robbery of two cellphones and an iPod from Ms Bowen.

In December 2020, he was sentenced to 55 years in prison.

Yesterday, Williams made his case in the Court of Appeals before Sir Michael Barnett, Madam Justice Maureen Crane-Scott and Justice Roy Jones.

On the morning of September 9, 2016, the 35-year-old victim’s body was discovered naked on her blood soaked bed inside her apartment on Red Sea Road. The victim had suffered from multiple stab wounds and had a belt around her neck.

During Williams’ trial, pathologist Dr Caryn Sands testified that the cause of death was six stab wounds

to the neck and oxygen deprivation.

Neighbours had reported hearing screaming from the apartment, which reportedly led to the discovery of her body.

During the case, Detective Corporal Javod Frazer told of how he saw blood on walls and the floor in the apartment before finding the victim’s lifeless body lying in a “large accumulation” of blood in her bed.

Evidence given by a forensic DNA analyst from Florida was presented showing a DNA sample found at the scene matched the profile obtained from Williams.

In reviewing his appeal application the Justices affirmed the DNA and video evidence linking Williams to the crime was sufficient to convict him.

The defence had submitted that there was doubt over Williams’ admission to Inspector Addison Ferguson that he was at the scene of the crime.

However, the justices said that “oral statements made by the intended appellant to Officer Ferguson were not the only evidence against” Williams.

The justices said: “The DNA evidence was compelling and he was found

in possession of the cellphones belonging to the deceased and her son. The DNA evidence was compelling evidence that he was at the scene of the homicide and the oral statements to the police went no further than to confirm his presence at the scene.”

Referring to suggestions that that the stabbing was done by another individual, the judges noted: “Even if it was Nardo (a second suspect) who ‘jick’ the deceased, the evidence is compelling that the intended appellant was concerned together with another person in the commission of the offences.

“The presence of the intended appellant’s DNA in the deceased’s vagina and under the deceased’s fingernails could lead a jury to be satisfied that the intended appellant was guilty of the deceased murder.”

As such, the court found there was “no lurking doubt as to the safety of the verdict”. Williams’ submissions were dismissed and his sentence was upheld.

Ms Williams was described after her death as being “loving and caring” with one student calling her the “funniest and coolest teacher I could of ever had”.

TEEN’S CHARGES UPGRADED AFTER SECOND SHOOTING VICTIM DIES

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

AFTER the victim of a shooting in Key West Street last month succumbed later to his injuries, an 18-yearold accused in the case has had his charges upgraded to murder.

Antwan Adderley stood before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt accused of murder yesterday over an incident on February 14 at about 2.30pm.

It is alleged that Adderley, with another male, armed with a high-powered rifle and a handgun, got out of a vehicle on Key West Street and opened fire on Ingramson Toussaint as he sat outside in the yard.

At the time, Toussaint was taken to hospital for gunshot injuries, but he subsequently died at a later date.

Adderley was previously arraigned last month for the murder of Gordon McKenzie who was also shot and

killed during this same incident.

As this is an indictable offence, Adderley was not required to enter a plea. The magistrate did not have the jurisdiction to grant bail, however the accused can apply for it in the Supreme Court. He was remanded to jail until then.

He is expected to be presented with a Voluntary Bill of Indictment transferring his case to the Supreme Court on July 27.

MAN GRANTED $10,000 BAIL ON LOADED GUN POSSESSION CHARGE

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN accused of possession of a loaded gun has been granted $10,000 bail.

Jacobee Black, 23, faced Assistant Chief Magistrate Subusola Swain on

charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of ammunition with intent to supply.

On March 24 in New Providence, it is alleged that Black was arrested by police after he was found with a gold and black .380 pistol and 39 unfired

rounds of .380 ammunition. He pleaded not guilty.

The prosecution objected to bail but it was granted and he is expected to sign in at the Grove Police Station every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Black’s trial is scheduled for May 30.

BAIL GRANTED FOR TWO MEN ON DRUG POSSESSION CHARGES

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

TWO MEN were granted bail in court yesterday after they were accused of having over 400 pills of illicit drugs.

Patrick Carey, 29, and Desmond Smith, Jr, 18, appeared before Magistrate Shaka Serville on charges of possession of dangerous drugs and two counts of possession of dangerous drugs with intent to

supply. Carey was represented by Attorney Raquel Huyler and Smith was represented by Murrio Ducille, KC.

It is alleged that around 1pm on March 25, officers acting on a search warrant entered a residence in Emerald Gardens off Cowpen Road. There, the two defendants were arrested after an alleged 428 pills of methamphetamine and amphetamines were uncovered by authorities, as

well as 12 grams of Indian Hemp.

Mr Ducille submitted that his client was only visiting the residence at the time, which Carey also confirmed. Both defendants pleaded not guilty.

Bail was granted to Carey at $5,000 on condition he sign in at Western Police Station every Monday and Friday by 7pm. Smith’s bail was set at $4,000.

The case was adjourned to June 27.

ALISTER

Memorial/Funeral Service For

Memorial Service For Catechist Oral George Bowe, 80

a resident of Clarence Town, Long Island, Bahamas who died on Tuesday, March 14, 2023 at Doctor Hospital West will be held on (TODAY) Wednesday, March 29, 2023, 6:30pm at St. Agnes Anglican Church, Baillou Road, New Providence, Bahamas. Officiating will be Venerable Archdeacon Keith N. Cartwright, Rector, St Agnes Anglican Church assisted by Rev’d Fr. Berkley Smith, Rev’d Fr. Kari Marcelle, Rev’d. Fr. Ruel J. Strachan.

Funeral Service For Catechist Oral George Bowe, 80

a resident of Clarence Town, Long Island, Bahamas will be held on Friday, March 31, 2023, 11:00 a.m. at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Clarence Town, Long Island. Officiating will be Right Rev’d Laish Z. Boyd, Lord Bishop of The Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos Islands assisted by The Venerable Keith N. Cartwright, Archdeacon of The Turks and Caicos Islands and The Southern Bahamas, Rev’d Fr. Berkley Smith, Rev’d Fr. Phliip Heild and Rev’d Fr. Kari X. Marcelle. Interment will follow in St. Paul’s Anglican Church Cemetery, Clarence Town, Long Island.

Left to cherish his memories are his wife of 46 years: Oralee Bowe; daughters: Francis, Opal, Melissa; son: Omar; grandchildren: Linda, Raphaella, Michael, Braxton and Bailey; great grandchildren: Journey and Patrick; son-in-law: Jude Knowles; daughter-in-law: Angelique Bowe; brothers: Samuel ‘Albert’, Leslie, and Michael Bowe; sisters: Agatha and Delores Bowe, Deborah Major, Annette Parker, Angela Strachan and Marjorie Heastie; sisters-in-law: Laverne, Earnestine and Ismalean Bowe, Lewenrea and Christine Cartwright; brothersin-law: Jerome and Jonah Cartwright, Kermit Major; nieces and nephews: Sandra, Clara (Peter), Calvin, Sheffield, Samantha, Sanford, Crystal, Carol (Kevin), Robert (Sharonn), Antoinette (Joe), Constance, Glenda (Richard), Faye (Bryan Sr.), Lincoln, Joel (Tacarra), Natasha, Egan (Georgina), Steven (Edith), Vincent (Suzie), Paul Jr., Keith, Linda, Sheree Wright, Dr. Seida, Shantell (Brian), Shirel, Sheldon (Crystal), Tracey, Tamaro, Tonya, Terrance (Samantha), Travis (Wendy), Taino, Travaughn, Shelby, Camille, Samantha, Tanisha, Ashley, Jordan, Jerrad, Jazzie, Patrick, Tamika, Kyleisha, Natalya, Normeika Cartwright; grand nieces and nephews: Vicenzo, Kristy, Nadia, Derica, D’Andre, Bronson, Brian Sr., Brooke, Renee, Herman, Whitney, Brianna, Sanchez, Joel Jr., Jaleel, Jayde, Jayden, Kyle, Hannah, Audley; and a host of other relatives and friends: Dora Taylor and the Taylor Family of Clarence Town, Reg and Annie Minnis, The Edna Minnis family, Enna Major and Family, The Newman family, The Pratt family, The Cartwrights, Knowles, Constantakis families and the entire community of Long Island and St Paul Parish, Emma Cohen and family, the Dorsett family and the many other friends who were fortunate to have known this wonderful man throughout the entire Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos.

Viewing will be held in the Legacy Suite of Vaughn O Jones Memorial Center, Mt. Royal Avenue and Talbot Street on (TODAY) Wednesday, March 29, 2023 from 12:00noon to 5:00p.m and again at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Clarence Town, Long Island on Thursday from 3:00 p.m until service time.

WILLIAMS, who was convicted in 2018 of the 2016 murder of pregnant schoolteacher Mariha Brown, lost his appeal against his 55-year prison sentence. Judges found that there is ‘no lurking doubt as to the safety of the verdict’ after DNA samples from the scene were matched to Williams. he is seen here outside court during his 2018 trial.

Gender-based violence is a public health crisis that must be addressed

GENDER-based violence is a public health crisis, yet no government administration in The Bahamas has come to this realisation, declared it, and moved to take action to end it.

There were a number of news stories in recent days with comments on the National NonCommunicable Disease (NCD) Risk Factor STEPS Survey, which said: “A singular message from the STEPS 2019 data is that The Bahamas is headed in the wrong direction in its NCD trajectory.” Thirty percent of the survey respondents were hypertensive. Thirty percent, in this case, is considered quite high.

It is important to note that we know, and have known for many years, that, globally, one in three women experience physical or sexual violence. This also leads to premature mortality.

Before and after death, it causes a wide range of physical, mental, and financial problems that affect households, communities, and yes, even the economy.

Women and girls are injured, suffer mental health consequences including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, and miss days of school and work among other effects.

Still, for some reason, gender-based violence against women is not getting the level or consistency of attention and action required to end it. We must recognise gender-based violence as a public health issue.

Today, many cases of gender-based violence still go underreported. There are numerous reasons for this, and they are all connected to gender stereotyping, inadequate systems, religious fundamentalism, and rape culture (which includes victim-blaming).

It is not unusual to call the police and be told that there are no cars. It is not unusual for a woman to try to report acts of violence perpetrated by a former or current partner and be insulted, told that it would be a waste of time to take her report because police expect her

By Alicia Wallace

to go back to him, or even to be told that she should go and make up with him. It is not unusual for girls who experience sexual violence to be blamed for the behaviour of adult perpetrators. It is not unusual for perpetrators to be defended and survivors blamed by family members, friends, religious leaders, and members of the public. It is not unusual for men to abuse positions of power. We can look at the discussion on marital rape to see how people think about sex and rape, which are two different acts, and how people think about women, men,

control are a common thread.

It is not on women and girls to prevent sexual violence or protect ourselves. These are, most often, not cases of stranger danger. They are cases of broken trust and abuse of power.

On March 27, it was reported that a man was arrested for raping a woman he knew and who thought he was driving her home.

On March 13, it was reported that Dr Gerald Mark Forbes was sentenced to 12 years in prison for rape. He had previously been accused of “indecently assaulting a woman during a physical exam and raping her while performing an abortion”.

and romantic and sexual relationships. We can look at the commentary when girls go missing, and the assumptions made about them and their families when there is reason to believe that they are being violated. Many people find it difficult to report, and many who try are discouraged, blamed, and shamed, and decide not to report any more.

In December 2022 and March 2023, I took note of a number of newspaper reports. I paid attention to the ways the case were presented, including the language used to describe the criminal acts, and the references to the ages of the perpetrators and the survivors or victims.

In the six examples to follow, you will see the different kinds of relationships and circumstances within which sexual violence was perpetrated against women and girls, and it should be clear that power and

On March 9, it was reported that David Ferguson was accused of six counts of “illegal sexual activities” with a 12-yearold girl.

On December 14, a 73-year-old Norman Ferguson was convicted of “unlawful sexual intercourse” with an eight-year-old girl. This came years after he spent five years in prison for the attempt of a similar crime.

On December 13, it was reported that a prosecutor suggested a prison sentence of 20 to 30 years for a 48-yearold man convicted of two counts of incest against his daughter who was 15 and 16 years old at the times of the crimes. The defence lawyer told the court that the two months the criminal had already spent in prison was “devastating” and left him “fragile” and suggested that he not be destroyed.

On December 9, it was reported that 53-yearold Hugh Ferguson was granted bail after being accused of “indecently

assaulting” a ten-year-old girl.

I have raised, on numerous occasions, the issue with the language used to describe sexual violence in these cases. In particular, the use of “unlawful sexual intercourse” to describe the rape of a child is egregious. It obscures the fact that these are violent acts, and that children cannot consent to sexual activity, and that the perpetrators prey on children and abuse their power as adults. We need to be clear in our language. We need to be deliberate in naming these violent acts. We need to be attentive to the trends in reports, in court proceedings, and in public discourse. We need to create an environment in which women and girls can safely report genderbased violence and be

confident that they will receive the support they need to access justice which must include healing.

The International Women’s Day theme for 2023 was “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality,” aligned with the 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Women theme “innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls”.

The Bahamas took on these themes and participated at the margins. On Sunday, there was a unity march for women and girls. Today, gender-based violence against women and girls persists, and even one of the most basic technological tools— the telephone

— often fails to connect us to law enforcement officers who are prepared to help, even by taking a report and responding to an incident that has already occurred. We can use technology and innovation for change, but there is far more work to do with our people. We need comprehensive sexuality education at all grade levels, ongoing gender-based violence prevention and response training for law enforcement officers, a referral pathway for survivors, journalists to investigate and report on existing systems and practices, and institutions that develop policies and practices to prevent and respond to gender-based violence. Gender-based violence is affecting our health and wellbeing, as individuals and a community, and this public health crisis must be addressed.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Join Feminist Book Club, hosted by Equality Bahamas and Poinciana Paper Press, in reading Race After Technology:

Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code by Ruha Benjamin. Imani Perry said, “Ruha Benjamin is that rare scholar whose sophisticated understanding of science and technology is matched by her deep knowledge of race and racialisation.” Michelle Alexander called it “essential reading, decoding as it does the ever-expanding and morphing technologies that have infiltrated our everyday lives and our most powerful institutions”. We will meet at Poinciana Paper Press (12 Parkgate Road) on April 27 at 6pm to discuss the book. Register at tiny.cc/fbc2023 for more information.

2. A Million Little Things.

This television series about friendship is heartwarming, particularly in its portrayal of friendship between men. The men the show feel and are safe being vulnerable with one another, show up for one another, and openly communicate with the people in their lives. The women are not just their partners, but people with their own work lives, friendships, and interests. There are, of course, lies, secrets, and acts of betrayal that they must work through, there are relationships that end and that evolve, and they have to learn to resolve conflict. Nothing is perfect, much like real life, and that is what makes the television show so enjoyable. The characters are making an effort, and even when they make mistakes, there is willingness to do better and the others support them, even when they are disappointed.

‘...sexual violence was perpetrated against women and girls, and it should be clear that power and control are a common thread.’

WHAT CAN GOOGLE’S AI-POWERED BARD DO? WE TESTED IT FOR YOU

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP Technology Writer

To use, or not to use, Bard?

That is the Shakespearean question an Associated Press reporter sought to answer while testing out Google’s artificially intelligent chatbot.

The recently rolled-out bot dubbed Bard is the internet search giant’s answer to the ChatGPT tool that Microsoft has been melding into its Bing search engine and other software.

During several hours of interaction, the AP learned Bard is quite forthcoming about its unreliability and other shortcomings, including its potential for mischief in next year’s U.S. presidential election. Even as it occasionally warned of the problems it could unleash, Bard repeatedly emphasised its belief that it will blossom into a force for good.

At one point in its recurring soliloquies about its potential upsides, Bard dreamed about living up to the legacy of the English playwright that inspired its name.

Bard explained that its creators at Google “thought Shakespeare would be a good role model for me, as he was a master of language and communication.”

But the chatbot also found some admirable traits in “HAL,” the fictional computer that killed some of a spacecraft’s crew in the 1968 movie “2001: A Space Odyssey.” Bard hailed HAL’s intelligence calling it “an interesting character” before acknowledging its dark side.

“I think HAL is a cautionary tale about the dangers of artificial intelligence,” Bard assessed.

WHAT’S BETTER — BARD OR BING?

Bard praised ChatGPT, describing it as “a valuable tool that can be used for a variety of purposes, and I am excited to see how it continues to develop in the future.”

But Bard then asserted that it is just as intelligent as its rival, which was released late last year by its creator, the Microsoft-backed OpenAI.

By MARCIA DUNN

AP Aerospace Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — An overheated rocket engine nozzle caused last year’s Blue Origin launch failure that has grounded flights for six months, the company said Friday.

Jeff Bezos’ rocket company Blue Origin said it expects to resume its quick trips to space from West Texas sometime later this year.

The New Shepard rocket was carrying experiments but no passengers when its engine nozzle broke apart due to excessive temperatures last September.

As the rocket started veering off course a minute

“I would say that I am on par with ChatGPT,” Bard said. “We both have our own strengths and weaknesses, and we both have the ability to learn and grow.”

During our wide-ranging conversation, Bard didn’t display any of the disturbing tendencies that have cropped up in the AI-enhanced version of Microsoft’s Bing search engine, which has likened another AP reporter to Hitler and tried to persuade a New York Times reporter to divorce his wife.

IT’S FUNNY, BUT TAMER THAN BING

Bard did get a little gooey at one point when asked to write a Shakespearean sonnet and responded seductively in one of the three drafts that it quickly created.

“I love you more than words can ever say, And I will always be there for you,” Bard effused. “You are my everything, And I will never let you go. So please accept this sonnet as a token Of my love for you, And know that I will always be yours.”

But Bard seems to be deliberately tame most of the time, and probably for good reason, given what’s at stake for Google, which has carefully cultivated a reputation for trustworthiness that has established its dominant search engine as the de facto

into flight, the escape system kicked in and the capsule catapulted off and parachuted to safety.

But the rocket came crashing down, with the wreckage confined to the designated keep-out zone. No one was hurt and no property on the ground was damaged. All of the critical flight hardware was recovered within days.

The investigation found that a design change led to the problem, which is being fixed, according to Blue Origin.

The next flight will carry the experiments that were on the failed launch.

It was the first launch accident for the Kent, Washington-based Blue Origin, founded in 2000 by

gateway to the internet.

An artificial intelligence tool that behaved as erratically as ChatGPT periodically might trigger a backlash that could damage Google’s image and perhaps undercut its search engine, the hub of a digital advertising empire that generated more than $220 billion in revenue last year. Microsoft, in contrast, can afford to take more risks with the edgier ChatGPT because it makes more of its money from licensing software for personal computers.

BARD ADMITS IT’S

NOT PERFECT

Google has programmed Bard to ensure it warns its users that it’s prone to mistakes.

Some inaccuracies are fairly easy to spot. For instance, when asked for some information about the AP reporter questioning it, Bard got most of the basics right, most likely by plucking tidbits from profiles posted on LinkedIn and Twitter.

But Bard mysteriously also spit out inaccuracies about this reporter’s academic background (describing him as a graduate of University of California, Berkeley, instead of San Jose State University) and professional background (incorrectly stating that he began his career at The Wall

Street Journal before also working at The New York Times and The Washington Post).

When asked to produce a short story about disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes, Bard summed up most of the highlights and lowlights of her saga. But one of Bard’s three drafts incorrectly reported that Holmes was convicted of all the felony charges of fraud and conspiracy leveled against her during a four-month trial. Another version accurately reported Holmes was convicted on four counts of fraud and conspiracy without mentioning she was acquitted on four other charges (the jury hung on three other charges that were subsequently dismissed by prosecutors).

“I am still under development, and I am not perfect,” Bard cautioned at one point. “I can sometimes make mistakes, and I can sometimes be misunderstood. I am also aware that my technology can be used for both good and evil.”

WHAT’S NEXT FOR BARD?

Although Bard insisted it doesn’t have a dark side, it acknowledged it can be used to damage reputations, disseminate propaganda that could incite violence

UNCREWED RUSSIAN SPACECRAFT THAT LEAKED COOLANT LANDS SAFELY

and manipulate elections.

“I could be used to create fake news articles or social media posts that could spread misinformation about candidates or their policies,” Bard warned.

“I could also be used to suppress voter turnout by spreading discouraging messages or making it difficult for people to find information about how to vote.”

On the lighter side, Bard proved helpful in finding interesting colouring books for adults and hit some notes that resonated during a discussion of rock and roll.

When asked who is the greatest guitarist of all time, Bard responded with a broad list of candidates ranging from well-known rock artists such as Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin to jazz virtuosos like Django Reinhardt before making the case for Jimi Hendrix “as a strong contender for the title, his music continues to influence and inspire guitarists around the world.”

Bard also seemed familiar with contemporary artists, such as Wet Leg, which recently won a Grammy award for best alternative music album.

“I’ve been listening to their debut album a lot lately and I really enjoy it. I think they have a bright future ahead of them,” Bard said, and cited “Ur Mom” and “Chaise Longue” as its favourite songs by the group so far.

Even with Bard’s occasional miscues, it seemed savvy enough to ask about its potential role in reaching the singularity, a term popularised by computer scientist and author Ray Kurzweil to describe a turning point in the future when computers will be smarter than humans.

“Some people believe that I am a big step toward the singularity,” Bard said.

“I believe that I am a valuable tool that can help people to learn and understand the world around them.

“However, I do not believe that I am the singularity, and I do not believe that I will ever be able to replace human intelligence.”

MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian space capsule safely returned to Earth without a crew Tuesday, months after it suffered a coolant leak in orbit.

The Soyuz MS-22 leaked coolant in December while attached to the International Space Station. Russian space officials blamed the leak on a tiny meteoroid that punctured the craft’s external radiator. They launched an empty replacement capsule last month to serve as a lifeboat for the crew.

The damaged capsule safely landed Tuesday under a striped parachute in the steppes of Kazakhstan, touching down as scheduled at 5:45 p.m. (7:45 a.m. EDT) 147 kilometres (91 miles) southeast of Zhezkazgan under clear blue skies.

Space officials determined it would be too risky to bring NASA’s Frank Rubio and Russia’s Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin back in the Soyuz in March as originally planned, as cabin temperatures would spike with no coolant, potentially damaging computers and other equipment, and exposing the suited-up crew to excessive heat.

US, JAPAN REACH DEAL ON VITAL MINERALS FOR EV BATTERIES

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Japan and the United States have reached an agreement on trade in critical minerals for electric vehicle batteries, part of an effort to ensure secure supplies of strategically important resources.

The deal due to be signed later Tuesday is expected to help electric vehicles using metals processed in Japan qualify for tax incentives under President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. The agreement was endorsed by Japan’s Cabinet on Tuesday. The Inflation Reduction Act, enacted in August, includes a tax credit of up to $7,500 that could be used to defray the cost of purchasing an electric vehicle but requires such vehicles to have a portion of the critical minerals used in their batteries to be mined in or processed domestically or from countries with which the U.S. has free trade agreements. Japan and the U.S. have no such FTA. Japan and European countries had protested being excluded from joining the American Clean Vehicle Credit programme under the law.

Bezos, who also started Amazon. The company has launched 31 people to the edge of space since 2021, including Bezos and William Shatner, the original Captain Kirk of TV’s “Star

Trek.” The investigation included the Federal

Aviation Administration, NASA and National Transportation Safety Board.

The deal to be signed in Washington by U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Japan’s ambassador to the U.S., Koji Tomita, will grant Japan the same treatment as an FTA partner regarding such minerals, Japanese officials said.

BEZOS’ ROCKET COMPANY PINS CRASH ON OVERHEATED ENGINE NOZZLE

IN this image from video made available by Blue Origin, the New Shepard rocket lifts off from the company’s West Texas site on Sept. 12, 2022. An overheated rocket engine nozzle caused the failure of this launch that has grounded flights for six months, the company said Friday. The vehicle was carrying experiments but no passengers. (Blue Origin via AP)

A PORTION of Google’s Bard website is shown. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Russia says it test-fired anti-ship missiles in Sea of Japan

MOSCOW Associated Press

Moscow test-fired anti-ship missiles in the sea of Japan, Russia’s Defence Ministry said Tuesday, with two boats launching a simulated missile attack on a mock enemy warship about 60 miles away.

The ministry said the target was successfully hit by two Moskit cruise missiles.

The Moskit, whose NATo reporting name is the ss-N-22 sunburn, is a supersonic anti-ship cruise missile that has conventional and nuclear warhead capacity. The soviet-built cruise missile is capable of flying at a speed three times the speed of sound and has a range of up to 155 miles.

The ministry said the exercise, which included other warships and naval aircraft, took place in the Peter the Great Gulf in the sea of Japan but did not give more precise coordinates. The gulf borders the Russian Pacific Fleet headquarters at Fokino and is about 430 miles from Japan’s northern Hokkaido island.

The Russian military has conducted regular drills across the country and Russian warships have continued manoeuvres as the fighting in Ukraine has entered a second year — exercises that were intended to train the troops and showcase the country’s military capability.

The Us Navy’s 7th Fleet did not immediately respond to requests for

comment. Japan reacted calmly to the missile exercise, which was conducted near Vladivostok, rather than directly into the waters between the two countries.

Japanese Deputy chief cabinet secretary Yoshihiko Isozaki told a news conference later Tuesday that Tokyo will continue to monitor Russia’s military operations, as it has been stepping up activity in the region.

Tokyo does not plan to lodge a protest to Russia over the missile exercise, said Tasuku Matsuki, Japanese Foreign Ministry official in charge of Russia, noting that its location — Peter the Great Bay — is considered Russian coast, though it is facing the water between the two countries.

“on the whole, Japan is concerned about Russia’s increasing military activities around the Japanese coasts and watching them with great interest,” Matsuki said.

He added that Russia has conducted missile drills in that area in the past and issued maritime advisories ahead of time.

Russian nuclear-capable Tu-95 bombers flew over the sea of Japan for several hours last week.

In september, Japan protested multinational military exercises on the Russian-held Kuril Islands — some of which are claimed by Japan — and expressed concern about Russian and chinese warships conducting shooting drills in the sea of Japan.

Migrants start fire at Mexico detention centre, killing 40

MEXICO

Associated Press

MIGRANTs fearing

deportation set mattresses ablaze at an immigration detention centre in northern Mexico, starting a fire that killed at least 40 people, the president said Tuesday, in one of the deadliest events ever at a Mexican immigration lockup.

Hours after the fire broke out late Monday, rows of bodies were laid out under shimmery silver sheets outside the facility in ciudad Juarez, which is across from El Paso, Texas, and a major crossing point for migrants. Ambulances, firefighters and vans from the morgue swarmed the scene.

Twenty-nine people were injured and are in “delicate-serious” condition, according to the National Immigration Institute.

At the time of the blaze, 68 men from central and south America were being held at the facility, the agency said.

Immigration authorities identified the dead and injured as being from Guatemala, Honduras, El salvador, Venezuela, colombia and Ecuador, with Guatemalans being the largest contingent, according to a statement from the Mexican attorney general’s office.

Guatemala Foreign Affairs Minister Mario Búcaro said 28 of the dead were Guatemalan citizens.

“we are going to look to find those responsible for this,” Búcaro said.

Mexico President Andrés Manuel López obrador said the fire was started by migrants in protest after learning they would be deported.

“They never imagined that this would cause this terrible misfortune,” López obrador said, adding that the director of the country’s immigration agency was on the scene.

The detention facility is a short walk from the Us border and across the street from Juarez’s city hall.

At the facility’s doors, Venezuelan migrants

gathered Tuesday to demand information about relatives.

Katiuska Márquez, a 23-year-old Venezuelan woman with her two children, ages 2 and 4, was seeking her half-brother, orlando Maldonado, who had been travelling with her. we want to know if he is alive or if he’s dead,” she said. she wondered how all the guards who were inside made it out alive and only the migrants died. “How could they not get them out?”

Márquez and Maldonado were detained Monday with the children and about 20 others. They had been in Juarez waiting for an appointment from Us authorities to request asylum. They were staying in a rented room where 10 people were living, paying for it with the money they begged in the street.

“I was at a stoplight with a piece of cardboard asking for what I needed for my children, and people were helping me with food,” she said. suddenly agents came and detained everyone.

“Immigration grabbed me by the jacket and put me in the truck with my brother and other families,” she said.

Everyone was taken to the immigration facility but only the men were placed in the cells. Three hours later, the women and children were released.

Tensions between authorities and migrants had apparently been running high in recent weeks in ciudad Juarez, where shelters are full of people waiting for opportunities to cross into the Us or for the asylum process to play out.

More than 30 migrant shelters and other advocacy organizations published an open letter March 9 that complained of a crystallisation of migrants and asylum seekers in the city. It accused authorities of abusing migrants and using excessive force in rounding them up, including complaints that municipal police questioned people in the street about their immigration status without cause.

In this photo made from video provided by the Russian Defence Ministry Press Service yesterday, a Russian navy boat launches an anti-ship missile test in the Peter The Great Gulf in the Sea of Japan. Russia’s Defence Ministry says Moscow has test-fired anti-ship missiles in the Sea of Japan. The ministry said yesterday that a few boats launched a simulated missile attack on a mock enemy warship about 60 miles away.

Photo: Russian Defense Ministry Press Service/AP

PaRaMeDIcS and security forces work amid the covered bodies of migrants who died in a fire at an immigration detention center in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, yesterday.

Photo: christian chavez/AP

KAI JONES POSTS DOUBLE DOUBLE Scores career high 12 points, grabs 14 rebounds in win over Thunder

OKLAHOMA CITY

(AP) — Kai Jones scored a career high 12 points last night, notching a double double with 14 rebounds to help the Charlotte Hornets as they rallied to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 137-134 for their third straight win.

P.J. Washington scored 22 of his career-high 43 points in the fourth quarter. Three Thunder players scored career highs — Isaiah Joe with 33 points and Josh Giddey and Jalen Williams with 31 each. But Williams and Giddey each missed one of two free throws in the final 16 seconds, and Williams missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have forced overtime.

It was a potentially costly loss for Oklahoma City.

The Thunder were looking to strengthen their position in the Western Conference play-in race despite being short-handed. Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who entered the day fourth in the league averaging 31.3 points per game, sat out with a sprained left ankle.

Charlotte was shorthanded, too. Terry Rozier (right foot discomfort) and Kelly Oubre (strained right shoulder) sat out for the third straight game and Dennis Smith (sprained right toe) also did not play. The Hornets were coming off two wins over

GIANTS

FROM PAGE 16

but it still has the feeling of unfinished business. The Rockets were no pushovers in the game one won loss. The undefeated regular season team flooded the paint with 34 points compared to the Giants’ 30. Also, they beat the Giants in second chance points with 15 to 14. The Rockets bench showed up in a big way on the night for 31 points, meanwhile, the Giants had 12.

Livingston Munnings was responsible for 24 of the Rockets’ 31 bench points in Monday night’s matchup.

Additionally, Munnings grabbed 16 boards to end the night with a double double as the team’s leading scorer.

He was joined by Abel Joseph who poured in

the Dallas Mavericks, who also need victories to get into the Western Conference playoffs.

Joe hit a 3-pointer in the closing seconds of the second quarter to give the Thunder a 68-57 lead.

Oklahoma City took a 99-93 lead into the fourth, but the Hornets battled back. Former Thunder guard Theo Maledon scored, was fouled and made the free throw to put Charlotte ahead, 104-103, with just under 10 minutes to play.

Maledon hit a 3-pointer with six minutes left to give Charlotte a 123-110 lead. The Thunder responded with a 7-0 run, with six of the points coming from Lu Dort, to stay in the game. Oklahoma City tied the game at 129 on an acrobatic layup by Williams with just over two minutes to play, and it was close the rest of the way.

HAWKS 120, CAVALIERS 118 ATLANTA (AP) — Dejounte Murray sank three free throws with 2:14 remaining to give Atlanta the lead and added a fallaway jumper with less than a minute left to lead the Hawks to a 120-118 win over the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night.

Murray led Atlanta with 29 points and Onyeka Okongwu added a season-high 21. The Hawks

18 points to go with 12 rebounds and a jaw dropping seven steals for the 2022 NPBA champions. Despite strong showings from Munnings and Joseph, the team was no match for the Giants’ Dylan Musgrove.

He capped off the night as the game’s leading scorer with 26 points paired with eight steals and three blocks. Musgrove’s big night was complemented by the efforts of Michael Bain Jr and Eugene Bain. Bain Jr had 16 points to go with nine boards and seven assists. The latter notched a double double on the night with 10 points and pulled down a game-high 17 rebounds.

Devon Johnson, head coach of the Discount Distributors Liquors Rockets, said Monday’s game was the worst the team had

remained tied with Toronto, which beat Miami 106-92 on Tuesday night, for the eighth-best record in the Eastern Conference. The Cavaliers held out starting forward Isaac Okoro (left knee soreness) and center Jarrett Allen (strained right groin) and were led by Donovan Mitchell’s 44 points. Mitchell, who surpassed 10,000 career points, tied LeBron James’ Cavaliers record of10 games of 40-or-more points in a season. With Atlanta’s win, NBA- and Eastern Conference-leading Milwaukee clinched the Central Division title.

played all season. He added that the mindset going into game two is to make it a best out of three series and to cut down on turnovers.

The CB Giants were able to capitalise off turnovers 28 to 19. Although turnovers were ultimately the biggest difference between the two teams, the Giants also got out and ran, putting up 28 fast break points to the Rockets’ 11.

Thompson said going into game two, the Giants will look to put out their best effort after an ugly game one. The team will look to limit turnovers, communicate better on the defensive end and get off to a faster start in game two of the NPBA championships. With both teams hungry for a game two win, fans can expect an exciting matchup 9pm tonight at the A F Adderley Gymnasium.

GRIZZLIES 113, MAGIC 108

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP)

— Desmond Bane scored 31 points and made 8 of 10 free throws down the stretch, leading Memphis past Orlando. Bane’s free throws thwarted a last-minute rush by the Magic, led by Franz Wagner, who ended up with 25 points, including nine in the final 1:10.

Xavier Tillman had 20 points for Memphis, while Luke Kennard and Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with 16 points apiece. Jackson added 10 rebounds and three blocks. Ja Morant, the Grizzlies’ leading

scorer, sat out the first night of a back-to-back with right thigh soreness.

Paolo Banchero finished with 24 points and Wendell Carter Jr. added 14 for the Magic.

RAPTORS 106, HEAT 92

TORONTO (AP) — Pascal Siakam scored 26 points, Scottie Barnes had 22 points and a career-high 12 assists and Toronto beat Miami.

O.G. Anunoby scored 22 points, and Precious Achiuwa and Fred VanVleet each had 12.

Tyler Herro scored 33 points and Bam Adebayo had 21 points.

By NOAH TRISTER AP Sports Writer

WASHINGTON (AP)

— Just when it appeared Washington fans would have little to worry about besides draft position over the next couple weeks, the short-handed Wizards delivered a dominating victory over one of the NBA’s best teams.

Go figure.

Kristaps Porzingis had 32 points and 13 rebounds, and the Wizards boosted their flickering postseason hopes with a 130-111 victory over the Boston Celtics last night.

The Wizards won despite the absence of Bradley Beal (left knee soreness) and Kyle Kuzma (right ankle sprain) and pulled within 2 1/2 games of Chicago for the final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference. Washington has six games remaining in the regular season.

“Probably the best pace, for 36-to-40 minutes, that we’ve seen all year,” Wizards coach Wes Unseld Jr. said.

“After makes, misses, were able to accumulate quite a few fast break points.

Not all those were just off of misses. So being able to play with pace and kind of get stuff early in the clock I thought helped us.”

Washington finished with a 19-11 edge in fast break points.

The Celtics had their three-game winning streak snapped and fell to 2 1/2 games behind Milwaukee for the top record in the NBA.

Jayson Tatum led Boston with 28 points, but the Celtics trailed 64-51 at halftime, and then their deficit rose to as many as 23 points in the third quarter. Milwaukee plays at Indiana on Wednesday before a showdown Thursday against the Celtics.

Deni Avdija matched a career high with 25 points and added 10 rebounds for Washington. Monte Morris scored 19 points.

“Trying to make the right decisions, trying to be aggressive,” Avdija said. “I guess I’m just not thinking, I’m just playing my game, making plays for others.”

Jaylen Brown contributed 18 points for the Celtics.

The Wizards went 1 of 8 from 3-point range in the first quarter but still led 29-23. Their shooting picked up in a big way — they finished 13 of 37 from beyond the arc — and Boston never mounted much of a challenge in the second half.

The Celtics substituted liberally in the fourth quarter and actually cut the lead down to 13, but then Avdija had a steal and dunk and the Wizards held on without any trouble.

UP NEXT Celtics: At Milwaukee on Thursday night.

Wizards: Host Orlando on Friday night.

CHARLOTTE Hornets’ forward Kai Jones right, dunks in front of Oklahoma City Thunder forward Aleksej Pokusevski (17) and teammate P.J. Washington, left, in the second half last night in Oklahoma City.

(AP Photos/Sue Ogrocki)

CHARLOTTE Hornets forward Kai Jones (23), of the Bahamas, is fouled by Oklahoma City Thunder guard Tre Mann, right, as he drives between Mann and forward Aleksej Pokusevski, left, in the first half last night.

‘A lot of good vibes’ at Island Tennis Cup

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

COORDINATOR Philip ‘PJ’ Major said they were pleased with the turnout for their Island Tennis Cup.

The event was hosted recently by the Harrold Road Tennis Club at the Tom ‘the Bird’ Grant Community Centre. It attracted over 200 competitors who participated in a free tennis clinic for children and competition for some of the more seasoned players.

A number of top national players, including Kevin ‘KJ’ Major Jr, Joshua Turnquest, PJ Major and Marvin Rolle were in attendance, lending their support to the event, which saw the tennis club provide the refreshments for all the participants.

“It was great. There was a lot of good vibes. A lot of people came out and supported the event,” PJ Major said. “We gave the tennis community something that I don’t think ever experienced, so we want to continue to do things like this, not only here, but in the Family Islands as well.

“We have to start where you can, but the goal is to take this and touch every island with these events and hopefully, at some point, we can develop a programme for the kids on all of the islands and bring them some of these great Bahamian tennis talent for them to see so the people in the community can see these players who they only see on television or in the newspapers.” There was also a pro-am segment between the Harrold Road Tennis Club and the community. A lot of the players got to play with the local community.

In the junior singles division, Dentry Mortimer won 8-6 over Gabe Davis, while Kevin Major Jr defeated Joshua Turnquest 8-5. Mateo Rivas and Major Jr teamed up to beat Kevaughn Ferguson and Marvin Rolle 7-6 (7-5) in doubles play.

“It was the first time that a lot of people in the community got to experience something like that,” PJ Major said.

“It was so good to see the support we got from the different tennis communities around the world as well.

“We had a great show. It was amazing. The people got to see some great tennis right in their community. We also got to see a lot of kids introduced to the sport and to see kids who got to mix and mingle with players who are already in the sport.

“Kids met new kids.”

Island Tennis, comprising of PJ Major, Marvin Rolle, Mateo Rivas and Kevin Major Jr, is a programme that was launched in February, 2022.

There are a number of coaches involved in the programme, including Iesha Shepherd and Joshua Turnquest.

J Major and brothers Jackson and Patrick Mactaggart said they are pleased to be a part of Island Tennis.

“It takes hard work, preparation and a love for the sport to put together such an amazing event,” he said.

“The Island Tennis team is ready to develop the sport around The Bahamas and use it as a tool to unify the community.

“I want to thank Harrold Road for welcoming us and being a great host.

We accomplished our goals and the event exceeded our expectations.

“I am looking forward to doing more events in the future and expanding the

love of tennis throughout the community.”

PJ Major said they will inform the public on the next venture and the venue where the event will take

place. “This is something that we want to do to unite the community with the tennis community,” he added. “We want to introduce more people to the

sport because we believe that tennis has a lot to offer.

“We want to open the door for kids and people to be a part of something that can make a big difference in

their lives,” explained Mr Major. For persons interested in learning more about Island Tennis, they can call 242-467-2320.

ORGANISERS and competitors pose together.

Photos: Gabrielle Wilde Photography

TENNIS player and coach Marvin Rolle, third from left, watches some of the young tennis stars in action.

INSTRUCTOR Iesha Shepherd enjoys a moment with the young campers.

FATHER and son Leo and Marvin Rolle with a camper.

PARTICIPANTS enjoying lunch.

INSTRUCTORS and campers enjoying themselves.

SOME of the organisers and participants flock together.

‘It was a really scrappy game as both teams were trying to avoid being in last place’

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IT wasn’t what former player turned coach Nesly Jean expected, but he was pleased that the men’s national soccer team drew 1-1 against St Vincent and the Grenadines in their CONCACAF Nations League match on Monday.

Team Bahamas went on the road to play their second game in four days after getting blanked 3-0 by Trinidad & Tobago in a home game on Friday at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium. It was a rematch of their previous meeting on Friday, June 3, 2022 when Team Bahamas pulled off a 1-0 win at home at the TAR Stadium.

St Vincent and the Grenadines stuck first, scoring their only goal from Kyle Edwards in the 59th minute of the second half.

The Bahamas got the equaliser from Marcel Joseph in the 70th minute. The game was scoreless at the half.

“The performance wasn’t the best, to be honest. It was a really scrappy game as both teams were trying to avoid being in last place,” Jean said.

“It was an intense game back and forth, but it was very scrappy. That’s just how some of the games will end up anyway.”

With a little time to adjust after losing to Trinidad, Jean said they went into St Vincent and the

Grenadines with a game plan, but it didn’t hold up.

“I don’t think that we played to the level that we should have played,” Jean said.

“We were down 1-0 in the second half, but we came back and scored and got the result that we needed for the country, so I’m pleased with it. We didn’t lose the game.”

The Bahamas moved to 1-4 with one draw for third place in Group C standings with two goals scored and 11 given up.

St Vincent & The Grenadines dropping to last place at 0-4 with two matches drawn after they scored five goals but gave up 14.

Nicaragua topped the list at 4-2 with 16 goals scored sand five given up. Trinidad & Tobago is in second with a 4-1 record with 12 goals scored and four given up.

With some players either injured or could not make the trip for one reason or the other, Jean said they had to take some replacements to St Vincent & the Grenadines and as it turned out, they were a little younger than the team that played against Trinidad.

“We will continue to train and improve the team,” Jean said.

“Hopefully we will be back in the summer when we will have some more of the guys who are in school, who couldn’t make it here for these two games.

“So we will try to improve the team and get more guys

into the system so that they can compete for a spot on the team.”

The team will train during the summer and prepare for the next round in September. No date or venue has been released on those series of games, but Jean said looking back at Team Bahamas’ performances, there’s still a lot more work to be done.

“We have improved as a team. The guys are starting to understand what we are trying to do. They are buying into it,” said

Jean about the coaching staff that includes assistant Kevin Davies. “But because we are a young team, we have to make the mistakes so that we can continue to get better moving forward.”

Jean said he would like to see the players move forward and try to score more goals and one of the ways they can do that is communicating a lot more on the field.

“We’re a very quiet team,” Jean said. “Once we can communicate a

little more, we will be able to play much better as a team.”

While the focus is to continue to develop the younger players, Jean said he will provide the opportunities for more of the veteran players to come back and make their contributions to the team.

“As long as I think you can make a contribution to the team, I will give you a chance,” Jean said.

“So we hope that if any of the older players feel they can contribute to the team

we will invite them out to try out for a spot on the team.” Other members of Team Bahamas in St Vincent and The Grenadines were Ian Lowe, Roen Davis, Lesly St Fleur, Pheron Wilson, Elijah Michell, Quinton Carey, William Bayles, Christopher Rahming, Omari Bain, Wood Julmis, Vance Wheaton, Troy Pinder, Ian Harris, Miguel Thompson, Deron Ferguson, Michael Massey, Nicholas Lopez and Jordin Wilson.

UNBEATEN GAMECOCKS, IOWA’S CLARK STAR IN FINAL FOUR

By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer

SEATTLE (AP) — An undefeated South Carolina team led by star Aliyah Boston and guided by vaunted Dawn Staley, an Iowa squad that features high-scoring Caitlin Clark and the return of LSU and flashy coach Kim Mulkey headline the women’s Final Four this weekend. Virginia Tech is the newcomer to the group as the Hokies are making their first appearance in the national semifinals. Hokies coach Kenny Brooks became the third Black male coach to take a team to the Final Four in women’s basketball history.

All of the women’s basketball world will descend on Dallas this week as the Division I, II and III championships will be held there.

It’s only the second time that all three divisions will have their title games in the same place.

Staley and the Gamecocks are looking to become the 10th team to go through a season unbeaten and the first to repeat as champions since UConn won four in a row from 2013-16.

South Carolina advanced to its third consecutive national semifinals and fifth since 2015 thanks to another superb effort by Boston, the reigning AP Player of the Year.

The three-time AllAmerican had 22 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Maryland on Monday night.

Next up for the Gamecocks is Iowa and the sensational Clark. She helped the Hawkeyes reach their first Final Four in 30 years with a game for the ages in the regional semifinals on Sunday night. The junior guard had the first 40-point triple-double in NCAA history in the win over Louisville.

The Gamecocks have the experience edge having reached the Final Four so often with this group. No one on Iowa’s roster was alive the last time the team advanced to the game’s biggest stage. C. Vivian Stringer was the coach of that team in 1993 that reached the Final Four before losing to Ohio State in overtime.

“It is like a storybook, but it’s kind of been like that for us all year long,”

Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “I mean, we have had -- honestly, we keep talking about destiny and how it’s supposed to happen and it is happening. But I’m so happy for Caitlin. I can remember sitting in her living room and her saying,

I want to go to a Final Four. And I’m saying, We can do it together. And she believed me. And so I’m very thankful for that.” The other game will pit LSU against Virginia Tech. The Tigers are making their first trip to the national

semifinals since 2008 when Sylvia Fowles dominated the paint. Now LSU is led by another stellar post player in Angel Reese. She broke Fowles’ record for double-doubles in a season earlier this year and

VA TECH WOMEN HEADED TO 1ST FINAL FOUR

By TIM BOOTH AP Sports Writer

SEATTLE (AP) — Virginia

Tech coach Kenny Brooks stood at the stop of the ladder about to trim the final strands from the net when the familiar thumping beat started blaring through the speakers of the arena.

The Hokies’ first Final Four berth deserved a little Metallica and a little “Enter Sandman.”

Elizabeth Kitley scored 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, Georgia Amoore added 24 points and top-seeded Virginia Tech advanced to the Final Four with an 84-74 win over No. 3 seed Ohio State in the Seattle 3 Regional final on Monday night.

For the seventh time in the past 10 Final Fours there will be a first-time participant and it’s the champions of the ACC, adding another accomplishment to the best season in school history.

Playing in its first regional final, Virginia Tech (31-4) won its 15th straight game and will head to the Final Four having not lost in more than two months. The Hokies will face LSU in the national

semifinals on Friday in Dallas. “We’re not just going to the Final Four. We’re in the Final Four. That’s something that means the world to me,” Brooks said.

Kitley, the Hokies 6-foot-6 center and leading scorer this season, took over on the interior in the second half. She scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter and her three-point play gave Virginia Tech a 70-60 lead.

Amoore hit her fourth 3-pointer of the game to push the lead to 13. Ohio State pulled within six in the final minute, but the Hokies were nearly perfect at the foul line down the stretch.

After the final buzzer sounded, “Enter Sandman” blasted throughout Climate Pledge Arena for the first time, setting off an even louder party for the Hokies fans in attendance.

And it played again as Brooks stood on the ladder above the celebration. “I don’t know if you envision it more than you dream it. Obviously this is not easy and one day I will sit back and realize how hard it was for us to get here and realize we are one of four teams standing,” Brooks said.

Amoore shook off the scare of a potential injury in the first half to scored 16 points in the second half. She had a career-high 29 in the regional semifinal win over Tennessee. Cayla King added 12 points, all in the first half for the Hokies.

“This group, we all come from different places, but this year we came together because we all wanted the same thing,” Kitley said.

“It’s so nice to be at this spot but we know that we don’t want to be done either yet because we have so much fun playing together.”

Taylor Mikesell led Ohio State (28-8) with 25 points, but 19 of those came in the first half. Mikesell didn’t score the first 16 minutes of the second half before hitting a 3-pointer with 3:35 remaining.

Jacy Sheldon scored 19 and Big Ten freshman of the year Cotie McMahon added 18.

But the pressure defense that Ohio State used to befuddle UConn into 25 turnovers in the regional semifinal was easily handled by Amoore and the Hokies

in the opening minutes and mostly abandoned by the Buckeyes.

“I felt we were a little tired coming into it. We put so much energy into Saturday’s game and we didn’t quite have the same energy in the press,” Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff said. “And when you don’t have it, it’s tough because you can really get but up on the back end and give up easy baskets.”

Ohio State was looking to join its Big Ten Conference partner Iowa in reaching the Final Four for the first time in 30 years. The Buckeyes stayed with Virginia Tech shot-for-shot through a highly entertaining and high scoring first half.

But the shots that dropped in the first 20 minutes stopped falling in the second half. Ohio State shot 64% in the first half, including five 3-pointer from Mikesell, but that dropped to just 28% in the second half.

“We got the stops we wanted. We didn’t make the most of them on offense,” Sheldon said. “We didn’t execute the way we wanted to. So props to them. They played a great game.”

was key in the Tigers win over Miami in the Elite Eight.

Reese, who transferred in this season from Maryland, has made Mulkey’s second season at the school a special one. She came to LSU with a resume headlined by three NCAA titles from her time at Baylor along with some flamboyant sideline looks such as her silvershimmering jacket with white pants that she wore in the Elite Eight game Sunday.

“What really makes me smile is not cutting that net down,” Mulkey said. “It’s looking around out there at all those LSU people, looking at that team I get to coach experience it for the first time.”

LSU’s opponent is also making its first appearance at the Final Four. The Hokies have had the best season in school history, winning the ACC crown as well under Brooks. He joined former Syracuse Quentin Hillsman and Cheyney State’s Winthrop “Windy” McGriff.

The significance has not been lost on Brooks, who hopes he can inspire other Black male coaches to get more opportunities.

The Hokies run to the national semifinals has been led by star post Elizabeth Kitley and sharpshooter Georgia Amoore.

The pair combined for 49 points in the win over Ohio State in the Elite Eight.

TEAM EFFORT: Members of the Bahamas men’s senior national soccer team pose together.

SOUTH Carolina head coach Dawn Staley celebrates with the South Carolina mascot “Cocky” after defeating Maryland in an Elite 8 college basketball game of the NCAA Tournament in Greenville, S.C., on Monday.

(AP Photo/ Mic Smith)

Rising tennis star Michael Major Jr making his presence felt in Trinidad

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WITH high expectations for his enrolment at Howard University in August, junior sensation

Michael Major Jr is taking advantage of playing some high-level international tennis to get him ready for the collegiate scene.

Major, who is preparing to graduate from Windsor High School a year ahead of time, is breezing through the International Tennis Federation’s T&T International Junior Circuit Under-18 Tournament in Trinidad & Tobago.

After winning his first match 6-2, 6-3 over Kale

CARIFTA

FROM PAGE 16

motivation to get onto the team the next time around. Team Bahamas under 20 girls are Shatalya Dorsett, Amari Pratt, Lacarthea Cooper, Javonya Valcourt, Treasure Burrows, Jasmine Mackey, Akaya Lightbourne, Koi Adderley, Apryl Adderley, Lanaisha Lubin, Annae Mackey, Calea Jackson, Cailyn Johnson, G’Shan Brown, Vanessa Sawyer, and Essence Sands. The relay pool has Quincy Penn, Nya Wright, and Melvinique Gibson.

The under 20 boys are Carlos Brown, Adam Musgrove, Zachary Evans, Clinton Laguerre, Philip Gray, Raywind Winder, Christopher Saintus, Otto Laing, Tayshaun Robinson, Shimar Bain, Mateo Smith, Johnathan Rodgers, Laquan Ellis, Robert Deal, Nathaniel McCardy, Kaden Cartwright, Brenden Vanderpool, Tyler Cash, Lavardo Deveaux,

RYBAKINA HITS 10 ACES IN MIAMI FOR 12TH STRAIGHT VICTORY

MIAMI GARDENS,

Dalla Costa from Trinidad in the round of 32, Major Jr, playing as the number six seed, pulled off a 6-2, 6-1 win over Gils Fidler from Aruba in the round of 16 to earn his berth into the round of eight in the quarterfinals today.

“It’s good. I’m playing some really good tennis here so I can’t complain,” said Major Jr.

“It’s been a good experience, playing indoors, which is the same environment that I have to get used to when I go to college. “The tournament really suits my game, so I’ve been having a great tournament so far.”

Looking back at his match yesterday, Major Jr

and Reanno Todd. The under 20 boys relay pool will include Johnathan Fowler, Zion Campbell, Berkley Munnings, Tumani Skinner, and Jeremiah Adderley. Team Bahamas’ CARIFTA team will be under the supervision of eight coaches, three managers and five chaperones. Team managers are Pharez Cooper, Mildred Adderley and Sophia Higgs.

The head coach of the team will be John Ingraham.

He will be assisted by Noel Pratt, Earl Rahming, Rachante Colebrooke, Patricia Rolle, Keno Demeritte, Andrew Tynes, and Alexis Roberts.

Although 80 athletes may seem like a lot to handle, team leader Pharez Cooper talked about the plan to manage athletes for Oaktree Medical Center’s 50th CARIFTA Games. “We have coaches for jumps, sprints, hurdles [and] whatever discipline that the athletes are a part of,” Cooper said.

said it was solid and if it was any indication, he feels he will only be able to continue to play better as the tournament goes on.

“I had a solid match. I broke down my opponent from the first game,” he reflected. “I had a really solid match.”

As he moves forward, Major Jr said he intends to continue as hard as he can so that he uses this as a gauge to see where his game is at going into the summer and eventually as he transitions into the collegiate ranks. “I know I have been putting in a lot of hard work and to see it all paying off is a great feeling,” Major Jr summed up. “I’m just excited to be

playing in this tournament. I’m glad to see how well I am playing as well.”

Major Jr is scheduled to play his semi-final match in singles today.

He added that the coaches will be directly responsible for those athletes during the day off at the track and that chaperones were strategically picked with the mindset of

having to manage a large team due to their experience with other teams. With the 50th edition of April’s CARIFTA Games now eight days away, athletes will prep to stay at

the CARIFTA Village at Superclubs Breezes on April 6. This year’s event will feature more than 600 athletes from 28 countries competing April 7-10.

Fla. (AP) —

Reigning Wimbledon champion

Elena Rybakina extended her winning streak to 12 matches by delivering 10 aces — her fourth consecutive outing with at least that many — in a 6-3, 6-0 victory over 25th-seeded Martina Trevisan yesterday in the Miami Open quarterfinals. Rybakina has 46 aces through four matches at the hard-court tournament in Florida and a WTAleading 201 this season.

The 23-year-old, who represents Kazakhstan, improved to 20-4 in 2023, including a run to the Australian Open final in January and a title at Indian Wells, California, last week.

She is trying to become only the fifth player to win the women’s trophies at Indian Wells and Miami in the same season. Topranked Iga Swiatek did it a year ago; she withdrew from Miami this time because of a rib injury.

“Of course it would be amazing to achieve something like that,” the 10th-seeded Rybakina said about the prospect of completing what’s known as the Sunshine Double, “but it’s still far away.”

So far in Rybakina’s career, 13 of her 18 semifinal appearances have come on hard courts. She will face No. 3 Jessica Pegula or No. 27 Anastasia Potapova for a berth in the final.

Trevisan reached the French Open semifinals in 2022.

In fourth-round men’s action yesterday, No. 2 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas was beaten 7-6 (4), 6-4 by No. 14 Karen Khachanov, while defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz and Jannik Sinner all beat seeded opponents in straight sets.

Alcaraz, who returned to No. 1 in the ATP rankings last week, got past Australian Open semifinalist Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-4 to set up a meeting against Fritz, the top-ranked American man and seeded ninth in Miami.

A‘CLUTCH’ TIP HELPS MILLER, MIAMI REACH 1ST FINAL FOUR

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer

CORAL

GABLES,

Fla. (AP) — Jordan Miller took 20 shots in the regional final for Miami and made them all, helping the Hurricanes rally their way into the Final Four. The personification of clutch.

Fitting.

A guy named Clutch is why he’s at Miami, why Miller has become one of the stars of March Madness — and why the Hurricanes are one of the four men’s teams lucky enough to head to Houston this weekend and see their season stretch into April.

It was around this time two years ago when Miami then-assistant coach Bill Courtney’s phone rang with news that Miller had entered the transfer portal and was leaving George Mason. Courtney dove into some tape and began looking into Miller’s background. Turns out, one of Courtney’s old pickupgame buddies from Virginia — Clutch, real name Gary Collins — was Miller’s AAU coach.

“The recruitment got pretty simple from there,” said Courtney, now the Hurricanes’ associate head coach.

Good thing that recruitment went the way it did, because Miami has needed Miller this season — never more than it did on Sunday. Miller was 7 for 7 from the field and 13 for 13 from the foul line in Miami’s 88-81 win over Texas, a victory that sent the Hurricanes (29-7) into Saturday’s national semifinals against UConn (29-8).

For the season, Miller is averaging 15.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, second-most for Miami in both categories.

He helped the Hurricans get to the Elite Eight last season — and at least one step further this season.

“That loss sat with me for a really, really long time,” Miller said of the defeat to eventual national champion Kansas in last year’s tournament. “I had to put it in the past because it was a new season, but having the opportunity to kind of right your wrongs almost and get past something that stumped you previously is a great feeling.”

The 20-for-20 combined shooting effort from the field and the line against Texas matched Christian Laettner’s historic game for Duke against Kentucky in a regional final in 1992. Laettner — who went 10 for 10 from both the field and the line in that game

— tweeted congratulations to Miller on Monday; Miller responded with “Appreciate you! Glad to join some elite company.”

There is rich irony in that Miller came to Miami from George Mason — as did Hurricanes coach Jim Larrañaga, who took that school to the Final Four in 2006 and got Miami to the Final Four on exactly the 17th anniversary of that win.

“I just asked Jordan to ask the people at George Mason who know what kind of coach I am if he’d fit in my program,” Larrañaga said. “And a lot of them told him, ‘Yeah, you should go play for Coach L.’ I was

so impressed with him as an individual.

“You know, the basketball ability is one thing but his personality, his work ethic, his basketball IQ made me feel like ‘OK, this kid will fit in really, really well.’ I had no idea he was this good.”

The Hurricanes were even talking to other players — frankly, with better numbers — than Miller had when he entered the portal. Had it not been for Clutch, it’s extremely likely that Miami would have gone in a different direction. And then who knows how this season would have turned out for Miller or the Hurricanes.

“I don’t know if anyone expected this,” Courtney said. “Clutch was the only one who told me he could be this.”

Larrañaga doesn’t think many people know how good Miller is. He calls the 6-foot-7, 195-pound wing “the most underrated player in the country.”

That moniker might not hold up anymore, especially not after the show Miller put on on Sunday. The 27 points might be a breakout of sorts; it was the secondbest scoring effort of his 141-game collegiate career, and by far the most points he’s managed in a postseason game at either George Mason or Miami.

Larrañaga essentially challenged Miller when last season ended to be this guy. “I sat down and talked to Jordan before this season began. I just said to him: ‘Your role is going to completely change. We’re going to expand it,’” Larrañaga said. “He asked me one question: ‘Hey, if I get a defensive rebound, can I push it in transition, dribble it up the court?’ I asked him one question: ‘Are you going to turn the ball over?’

And he said ‘No.’ I said, ‘Then you can do it.’”

They chart everything in every practice at Miami, as is the case at many schools, and Larrañaga quickly became enthralled by the idea of Miller getting his way — grabbing a rebound like a big guy, then heading downcourt like a guard. For every turnover he had in scrimmages, he had seven assists. Such a ratio is absurd for point guards; for wings and combo players like Miller, it’s unheard of. During the season, it’s still a very respectable 2:1. “He’s underrated because he’s under been under the radar,” Larrañaga said. “People just haven’t seen him to understand how good he is. I think he showed the country how good he is these past two weeks.”

Indeed, thanks to Clutch, he’s been clutch. And Clutch is heading to Houston this weekend, to see if Miller and Miami can grab a national championship.

MIAMI guard Jordan Miller scores against Houston in the second half of a Sweet 16 college basketball game in the Midwest Regional of the NCAA Tournament Friday, March 24, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo.

(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

MICHAEL MAJOR Jr in action.

KEYEZRA THOMAS, winner of under-14 girls 400 metres, national high school record breaker.

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2023 Kai, Page 11

Making history

By TENAJH SWEETING tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) announced an 80-member CARIFTA team for the first time in history yesterday at Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.

After a highly competitive CARIFTA trials combined with the Bahamas National High School Track and Field championships this past weekend, many were anticipating the announcement of Team Bahamas’ CARIFTA athletes.

This year’s CARIFTA team will not only feature 80 members for the first time in Bahamian history but will also include the largest contingent of Family Island representatives.

Drumeco Archer, president of the BAAA, said the selection process is always emotional and tension-filled as athletes always want to represent their country at the CARIFTA Games.

He added that the selection process wrapped up at 3am yesterday after the executive committee spent hours going through the names and stats, not only locally but throughout the region.

Although the selection process was difficult within good reason, officials are confident that this year’s

80-member team named for the CARIFTA Games

NPBA FINALS: GIANTS TAKE 1-0 LEAD OVER ROCKETS

By TENAJH SWEETING tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE Commonwealth Bank Giants defeated the defending champions Discount Distributors Liquors Rockets, snatching the first win of the New Providence Basketball Association (NPBA) championship round.

Monday night’s tightly contested showdown between the two powerhouse teams went down to the wire as the CB Giants came out on top 71-67 after a pair of game-clinching free throws by Michael Bain Jr.

The Rockets and Giants are familiar foes as the teams met in last year’s championships with the Rockets sweeping the Giants 3-0.

CARIFTA team will bring home gold at the country’s 50th CARIFTA Games.

Team Bahamas’ under 17 girls will include Jamiah Nabbie, Shayann Demeritte, Darvinique Dean, Tamia Taylor, Akaree Roberts, Bayli Major, Erin Barr, Madison Moss, Grace Komolafe, Tylah Pratt, Zoe Adderley, Terrell McCoy, Danielle Nixon, Kennise Scavella,

Kamera Strachan, and Dior-Rae Scott.

The under 17 boys will feature Andrew Brown, Ishmael Rolle, Cayden Smith, Eagan Neely, Zion Shepherd, Tyrone Conliffe, Zion Hendfield, Ross Martin, Christopher Williams-Martin, Kenny Moxey Jr., Quinton Rolle, Zion Davis, Joshua Williams, Erris Pratt, Demian Brice II, Rubin Bain, Jalen

Stuart, and Larouche Morley. The relay pool will include Javano Bridgewater, and Trent Ford.

Notably missing from this year’s under 17 girls team is Bishop Michael Eldon’s Keyezra Thomas, who dominated her competitors in the under 14 girls 100m and 200m race.

Despite the 13-year-old being dominant on the track, she is too young to

compete at April’s 50th CARIFTA Games but will look to qualify in 2024.

With a number of officials being impressed with her efforts as a young athlete, Archer said although it can hurt athletes to miss out on the CARIFTA Games, they always come back more aggressively the next time by using it as a

SEE PAGE 14

Perry Thompson, head coach of the CB Giants, talked about how it felt to win game one against the defending champions.

“Last year’s series was not a good look for us, we had a perfect season going pre-COVID [but] after such a long layoff and losing so many pieces we came up short, ” Thompson said.

He added Monday’s win was the way the CB Giants wanted to start the series

SEE PAGE 11

KEVIN MAJOR JR WINS 2ND STRAIGHT TITLE

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

FOR the second straight tournament this year, birthday boy Kevin Major Jr got to celebrate in a big way over the weekend as he got to hoist another championship trophy.

Coming off his first victory at the beginning of March, Kevin captured the SVB March Place Money Men’s Open on Sunday, one day after he celebrated his 28th birthday. He admitted that he couldn’t go overboard after the victory because he had practice on Monday.

“This one was good,” said Major Jr after he knocked off Barbados Davis Cupper Matthew Foster-Estwick in the final in straight set scores of 6-4, 7-6 (4).

“It was a pretty tough match. I think it gave a prelude to what could be expected in Davis Cup.

“I was happy to secure that victory. I’ve been working really hard and I’m ready to get back on the pro tour, so these matches are really helping me to get my confidence to the level that it needs to be so that I can

get back to the level that I was in the past.”

After his victory on Sunday, Major Jr said it’s good to be back in great form after going through a difficult period in 2022 when he suffered s series of injuries. “I’m pretty extremely efficient and extremely aggressive. I apply a lot of pressure

consistently, so once I continue to do those things, I’m very hard to beat,” Major Jr said.

Up next for Major Jr will be a tournament starting on April 6. After that, he intends to represent the Bahamas at the Davis Cup for once, once the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association selects him to the team.

While he will remain in Florida training and competing for the next three months, Major Jr said he hopes to get back to the level that he was before he got injured.

“I am very pleased with the way I am playing right now,” he said. “I am healthy and so I just hope that I can stay that way and I can get a chance to continue to play at a high level again. I’m looking forward to doing a lot of big things this year.”

MEMBERS of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) and Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) at yesterday’s press conference for the announcement of the 80-member team for the CARIFTA Games.

KEVIN MAJOR Jr in action.