04012022 NEWS AND SPORT

WEEKEND FRIDAY

Mario Kart Happy Meal

HIGH 84ºF LOW 73ºF

i’m lovin’ it!

Volume: 119 No.91, April 1, 2022

Monday,

February

CARS! CARS!

8, 2021

The Tribune Established

Being Bound To

Swear To The Dogmas

1903

Of No Master

The Tribune L A T E S T

N E W S

tise Call

To Adver

-2351

601-0007 or 502

Starting at

$33.60

CLASSIFIEDS TRADER

ed

VAT includ

Established 1903

O N

T R I B U N E 2 4 2 . C O M

Biggest And Best!

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: PRICE–$1

MUNROE: SEX WITH GIRL, 14, ‘NOT RAPE’

WATSON SAYS GOVT HAS NO RECORD OF FOOD SPEND

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

A DAY after the head of the now disbanded National Food Distribution Task Force shared with the media a comprehensive database of its work to provide pandemic relief, press secretary Clint Watson insisted the government still has no record of how the task force’s money was spent.

He said he finds it “quite interesting” that data relating to the COVID-19 feeding programme can be shared with the press and not the sitting government.

Mr Watson spoke out after Mrs Susan Larson, who headed the task force, disclosed detailed records on the committee’s spending habits since the initiative’s start, inclusive of food purchases, trucking, shipping, stipends and other SEE PAGE FIVE

Minister says teen victim in court case consented despite being too young

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net.

NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe suggested yesterday that a 40-year-old man convicted of having unlawful sex with a 14-year-old girl received a sentence that was too severe, saying had he defended the case he would have argued it was not rape and that the girl consented.

His remarks prompted swift backlash from Free National Movement Deputy Leader

Shanendon Cartwright and others. Some activists have called on him to be fired.

Mr Munroe said he did not have all facts of the case, but told reporters he did not understand the controversy surrounding the sentence and anger about subsequent comments made by a prosecutor about the case.

“If I was advising the accused and somebody gets seven years for raping somebody I wouldn’t have been advising my client to agree to four years for unlawful intercourse because I would say

NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe yesterday.

Photo: Donavan McIntosh/ Tribune Staff

that if we go to court you would say to the judge ‘he didn’t rape her - she consented’. The fact is in law her consent is neither here nor there. If I was the defence counsel I wouldn’t have accepted a plea deal with that high a level of penalty and we would have gone to court,” he told reporters.

Earlier in the interview, Mr Munroe said sentencing guidelines for rape differ depending whether the victim is a “virgin” or a “prostitute”.

“If you were to rape a virgin, if you raped a prostitute, both are

rape, you’re likely to be awarded a higher sentence for raping a nun than raping a prostitute,” the former defence attorney said.

“That’s just what the case law says because you consider the impact of the offence and considering the impact of the offence you consider victim impact. So that’s a part of sentencing.”

His comments came when he was asked by reporters about Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Franklyn Williams’ SEE PAGE THREE

INTER-ISLAND TRAVEL TO BE TEST-FREE

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

PERSONS travelling from New Providence and Grand Bahama will no longer be required to take a COVID-19 test for interisland travel, press secretary Clint Watson announced yesterday.

Mr Watson said the rule will apply to both vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers and is set to take effect today.

Additional details, he added, are expected to be released soon.

SEE PAGE FOUR

CAT ISLAND RESORT CHIEF ACCEPTS FRAUD PENALTY

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE LEAD principal behind a proposed $60m Cat Island resort project has accepted the imposition of sanctions over his role in an alleged $122m investment fraud, Tribune Business can reveal.

Manjit Singh ‘Roger’ Sahota, in legal documents obtained by this newspaper, has consented to a lifetime ban on “acting as an officer or director of

MANJIT Singh “Roger” Sahota. a publicly-held entity” as well as a permanent bar on involvement with corporate

vehicles in the US oil and gas industry that are offering securities to investors.

Besides agreeing to these “permanent injunctions”, the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) also informed the north Texas federal court on Wednesday, March 30, that Mr Sahota will “disgorge” all ill-gotten gains from the scheme and pay interest on this sum, as well as having a further fine imposed on him.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

DIANE PHILLIPS: ACTIVISTS IN THE BOARDROOM IN THE BAHAMAS?

SEE PAGE NINE

PAGE 2, Friday, April 1, 2022

THE BOAT the men sailed from Andros in on Sunday.

THE TRIBUNE

‘I thought I was going to die at sea’

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net AFTER drifting for days unnoticed by planes above and at least one drone, Andrew Rolle said he began to accept that his death would come at sea.

Mr Rolle and Zephaniah Pennerman left Morgan’s Bluff, Andros, on Sunday but lost communication with relatives later that day on their way to Grand Bahama due to bad weather.

Mr Rolle, also known as “Conchalay Conchalar”, said with the vessel being tossed around and the engine bouncing in and out of the water, the boat’s fuel ran out much sooner than expected.

With the engine unable to restart and no cell phone service, he said they watched the sun set and then rise again and had to ration food. On the first day they shared one can of tuna fish and on the next day a can of mackerel. To their minds it was best to ration the food not knowing when help would come.

However, he said, he did not have much of an appetite.

The men were rescued on Wednesday morning after they were able to contact loved ones. The Royal Bahamas Defence Force and BASRA assisted in the search and rescue and the men were taken into a harbour in Grand Bahama.

“The amazing story about this whole thing is nothing happened until God was involved and I say it like that because after the boat went adrift and I had no cell service to call anybody and

ANDREW ROLLE I was out there for a couple of days in my mind I realised I was going through a tragedy,” he told The Tribune yesterday from Grand Bahama.

“I realised that I could meet my own demise. I was worrying about a lot of different things, but I wasn’t worrying about the spiritual and I said to myself ‘What you doing? You see what situation you in and you ain’t acknowledge God yet?’

“I apologised to God and I sat down and started praying.”

He continued: “You watch movies and see things and you believe in God and all that sort of stuff, but actually sit down and you really see God work - it changes you forever. I aint gonna ever be the same person no more.

“I saw planes flying for two days and they ain’t see us. No one see me yet until I pray.”

Not long after several prayers and his last “Amen”, Mr Rolle said wind began to pick up on Wednesday.

“The wind picked up a little bit and it got cool in the back of me all of a sudden. Before we were just sitting but all of a sudden, the boat just started moving.

“I went behind the wheel and pressed the GPS to see where I was going and saw the breeze was pushing me back into Grand Bahama.

The wind was pushing me out at first and then it started to push me into Grand Bahama. I decided to cut the GPS off and I started steering the boat right straight to Freeport with the wind pushing me.

“So, I cut my phone on even though I thought I wasn’t getting any cell service and in about half an hour all the text and everything started coming through.”

Mr Rolle said he called his friend Mandel Quant to let him know he was alive. Soon after speaking with the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, Mr Rolle and Mr Pennerman were rescued.

“This is a true God story,” Mr Rolle said of the ordeal.

ZEPHANIAH PENNERMAN

TWO INJURED IN SHOOTING TWO men are in hospital after a shooting on Wednesday.

Police said after 7pm, officers were alerted to gunshots in the area of Armbrister Street, Fox Hill by Shot Spotter technology.

Responding officers

were told two men were shot about their bodies and were both taken to the hospital by separate private vehicles.

Police said both men are in serious condition in hospital.

An investigation is ongoing.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, April 1, 2022, PAGE 3

from page one

to have sex multiple time over the course of several months. Police found the girl at the man’s home after an anonymous tip in early 2020 and met her putting on her school uniform. The child was examined at the hospital and where it was discovered she was pregnant.

In a statement issued yesterday, the FNM’s deputy leader said Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis needs to rein Mr Munroe in.

“I join with all rightthinking Bahamians in condemning the utterances of Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe with regard to how the law should be interpreted with regard to adults who prey on underage girls,” Mr Cartwright said.

“His opinions on consent are repugnant and have no place in a civilised country.

What the minister should be doing as a lawmaker is advocating for stronger laws to protect children, and a no tolerance approach as the minister of national security, as opposed to alerting child predators as to how they can beat the system.

“If he cannot advocate on behalf of protecting children and law-abiding citizens, then he should reconsider his current career choice.”

Minister says teen victim in court case consented despite being too young statements about a plea deal the convict received, which resulted in him getting four years in prison and three years’ probation upon release.

When contacted about the case, Mr Williams told a reporter on Wednesday: “We have a generation of highly sexualised young people, whether through media or association, and who because of parental inattention, lack of parental oversight and in some cases, tacit encouragement and acquiescence, engage in risky behaviours. The facts of this case dictated the course taken.”

He later said he was not victim blaming, however.

Mr Munroe said he was trying to understand “controversy” about the case.

When told the offence was unlawful sexual intercourse, he said: “Which means that it’s not rape.

Which means you are punished because as a big man you shouldn’t be having sex with anybody under 16. If the person under 16, if you force them, they would still charge you with sex with somebody under 16 but the sentencing court would say that you forced this person,

NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe speaking at the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s annual award ceremony yesterday.

Photos: Donavan McIntosh/Tribune Staff they didn’t initiate it, so Munroe disagreed with that you that the person can the sentence should be the you will get a higher sen- interpretation, saying “How consent. Just that in law, same whether the victim we say it doesn’t matter. consents it should be same tence than somebody who is that victim blaming?”

He also said: “Yes she can If it doesn’t matter having when the victim doesn’t initiates it with you. The general sentence for rape give consent. You can con- sex with (a) 16-year-old consent. One would hope where the person isn’t con- sent from seven years old. whether she consents or she that you would get a higher It’s just that law says if you doesn’t consent that being sentence when the victim senting is seven years.”

Some observers accused are under 16, if you read the case since that offence doesn’t consent.”

According to published Mr Williams of “victim the offence having sexual has those two possibiliblaming” and called for his intercourse with somebody ties, the victim consent or reports about the case, under 16 with or without the victim doesn’t consent. the girl and the man met resignation.

Asked to respond, Mr their consent which tells Who would believe that on Facebook and met up

COMMISSIONER: SCHOOL POLICING MAY BE EXPANDED

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

THE ROYAL Bahamas Police Force’s annual award ceremony held yesterday.

GOVERNOR General Cornelius A Smith and Deputy Commissioner Loretta Mackey.

DEPUTY Commissioner Clayton Fernander speaking at the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s annual award ceremony.

GOVERNOR General Cornelius A Smith and Assistant Commissioner Craig Stubbs.

GOVERNOR General Cornelius A Smith and Deputy Commissioner Clayton Fernander.

GOVERNOR General Cornelius A Smith and Commissioner Paul Rolle.

POLICE Commissioner Paul Rolle said school policing will be expanded to other campuses as necessary.

He spoke after officials revealed earlier this week that several officers were assigned to nine different public schools in New Providence, about a week after a stabbing at AF Adderley left a student in hospital.

The police chief said that at the request of the government they’ve made the decision to facilitate “those schools where we’ve (had some) challenges”.

“Already designated officers to be into those schools so they can help and can create some calm within the school based environment and that will be managed by our community policing service to coordinate activities,” he said.

As for plans to expand to other schools and other islands, the commissioner said: “We’ll expand as necessary you know based on the need that we find that there’s a challenge.”

Police have been dispatched to AF Adderley Junior High, CH Reeves Junior High, Government High School, RM Bailey Senior High, CC Sweeting Senior High, CV Bethel

Senior High School and Doris Johnson Senior High, among others.

Commissioner Rolle also said he has asked the deputy commissioner to investigate how a virtual police briefing about gang violence was recently released into the public domain.

“That was not intended for public consumption but somehow it was out and so I’ll wait to hear from them exactly how that happened.”

He added: “Ideally we would not want that type of information out there.

I don’t know if (that) compromised anything because it’s just information.”

Commissioner Rolle also addressed how two small protests that took place during the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s visit to The Bahamas last week were dealt with.

“We met with those folks and gave them good advice and I sent them perimeters through the officers that were out there. We didn’t stop them from demonstrating. We put them behind the security barricades where they were permitted to do their demonstration and to speak to the media as they wish. I think in one case they wanted to come on the inside (of a venue) and that was not allowed for the safety of the Royal Highnesses,” he said.

PAGE 4, Friday, April 1, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

INTER-ISLAND TRAVEL TO BE TEST-FREE from page one

“We’re pleased to announce that the Ministry of Health and Wellness will be further relaxing travel restrictions as it relates to COVID testing,” Mr Watson announced at yesterday’s press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister.

“By the end of the week, travellers from Grand Bahama won’t have to test to travel to New Providence or other Family Islands. The Ministry of Health and Wellness will put out a statement detailing the change. In essence, what we’re doing is removing Grand Bahama off the schedule that it’s on now and placing it on the other one so if you are travelling from Grand Bahama to the capital or to the Family Islands, you will no longer need to test.”

He added: “New Providence is also included in that and so you will no longer need testing if you are leaving New Providence to go to any of the Family Islands, you can do so without a test and that will be taking effect later this weekend...so that means testing will no longer be required for travel throughout the Bahama islands.”

According to Mr Watson, the government’s decision to eliminate testing requirements for domestic travel is in response to the continued downward trend in COVID-cases.

This comes after the Ministry of Health and Wellness reported only five new infections Wednesday, bringing the nation’s overall tally to 33,283 since the start of the pandemic.

However, COVID-19 concerns have reignited in some quarters due to a

new Omicron subvariant, called the BA.2, which is spreading in some parts of the world, including the US, Asia and Europe.

Addressing those concerns yesterday, Mr Watson said the government continues to be on high alert in view of the new strain, reminding Bahamians that officials can reintroduce measures if the need arises.

“So, they are watching but it’s good to know that we have protocols that are in place that have helped us get to what we’ve gotten through so far so our protocols are strong and they remain in place. Those that have been relaxed, we can bring them back should the need be, so that’s the good thing about it,” he said.

As it relates to reports about the country’s travel health visa ending soon, Mr Watson told reporters he is still waiting to receive confirmation in that regard from the Ministry of Tourism.

Last week, Tourism, Investments and Aviation Minister Chester Cooper confirmed that the government plans to end the health travel visa soon, although he did not say when.

“We are hopeful that we have seen the end of COVID,” Mr Cooper said. “We are monitoring it in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, and when we make a determination that we no longer need the health travel visa, it will go away.

“So, I foreshadow this is a transition period, and during the transition period, if the determination is made that we are comfortable with the state of COVID in the world, then it will be eliminated.

It is not here to stay indefinitely, but I cannot give you a specific date at this time as to when it will be eliminated.”

Concern over illegal land clearances

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net ENVIRONMENT and Natural Resources Minister Vaughn Miller says his ministry is concerned about increased incidents of unlawful land clearing in the country, while vowing to clamp down on those engaging in the illegal practice.

“We want to sound an alarm and we want to make it clear to Bahamians, non-Bahamians, whoever, what they’re doing except having a permit to do it, it is wrong,” Mr Miller said during a press conference at the Office of The Prime Minister yesterday.

“It is illegal. It is unlawful and we intend to enforce the law and we do not wish that any Bahamians or anyone will end up before the courts for this so we have sounded an alarm to cease, desist and act according to the law.”

While officials were unable to say how many areas have been cleared illegally in the country, Attorney General Ryan Pinder said he knew of at least 50 individual land plots in the Carmichael Road area.

He said some of those areas have protected and endangered trees.

“A total of over 340 acres of land has been illegally cleared contrary to the Forestry Act and contrary to, certainly, trespass laws and other laws in The Bahamas,” he told reporters yesterday.

“In fact, the prior administration in August just before the election had gone to Cabinet on this issue because a lot of this illegal clearing had occurred during COVID

ENVIRONMENT and Natural Resources Minister Vaughn Miller. lockdowns where we were supposed to be locked down, but people were using that for nefarious reasons and clearing land illegally.

“The prior Cabinet had concluded that this should be deferred to the Department of Public Prosecutions. We have obtained those Cabinet conclusions and the backup information on that and we’re going to be advancing cease and desist orders and giving notice for everyone to get off the land and clear any structures that you have been on the land and to the extent to that that is ignored or not complied with, we will be proceeding with criminal prosecutions against those that are on the land illegally clearing

the land or trespassing on government land.

“The lands in question, they do not own nor do they have approval to be on the land nor do they have approval to clear the land and there are some endangered trees on the land that you need special permits for and none of those permits were even applied for and those are criminal violations of themselves,” Mr Pinder also said.

Yesterday, Mr Miller also identified areas of concern in North Abaco and North Andros.

Officials from the Ministry of Environment also addressed concerns of suspected deforestation of the former Perpall Tract wellfield located in western

New Providence.

“According to our records, that is a protected area,” said Danielle Hanek, officer in charge of the ministry’s forestry unit.

“And to our records, we have permits as well so even that we are taking note and our job is to report to say the amount of resources losses and the fact that they are in violation and don’t have a permit and we are to issue that to the commissioner of the police and also to the attorney general’s office who would then proceed with action.”

According to Ms Hanek, people found guilty of unlawful land clearing can face fines of up to $25,000 or two years’ imprisonment or both.

REAL ESTATE THRIVING, SAYS ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THE president of the Bahamas Real Estate Association said real estate sales in the country are on the rise and the trend is continuing.

“Real estate in The Bahamas is going very well,” Christine Wallace-Whitfield said. “Since COVID it has really taken a surprisingly

great turn for a lot of the real estate members. “Everyone has really kind of given kudos to the market.

“So being in the real estate field one cannot complain. We have been really enjoying that moment with the increase in sales and it is still continuing.”

According to Ms WallaceWhitfield, Freeport is also seeing some favourable activity in sales. “I understand that as well that Freeport is

seeing a little bit of excitement with some of the real estate sales. For me, having lived in Freeport for 15 years in the real estate field, it is so good to know that there is a glimmer of hope. So, this is very exciting,” she added.

Grand Bahama is known for its residential developments. However, the island is still recovering since Hurricane Dorian, and many homeowners are in the rebuilding and restoration

stage. Ms Wallace-Whitfield said it is definitely a buyer’s market in Grand Bahama.

“There are a lot of people looking to get away from their situations and because of COVID I think it has made a lot of foreigners and people aware and think it is time to invest.”

She said people are looking for a warm and sunny place, with beautiful waters and sand. “They look to The Bahamas and that has been a

great thing for the real estate industry, for sure,” she said.

When asked about interests from New Providence regarding real estate in Grand Bahama, Ms Wallace-Whitfield said there has definitely been an increase for investment by the local market.

“I think it is so important for Bahamians to invest in land and property if it is feasible for them. I just always urge and stress to Bahamians that if you can

afford it, it is so good to buy a piece of the rock. It is a beautiful country and land can only increase in value.”

Her advice to people wanting to purchase land is “make sure you do (your) homework, due diligence, and make sure you get and seek a licensed professional real estate agent who can guide you through the process making sure that you are purchasing in the area that you want.”

DONATION TO HELP BUY SEPTIC TANKS FOR SWEETING’S CAY

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THE Grand Bahama Rotary Disaster Relief Committee received a donation from the Bahamas Real Estate Association to

help acquire septic tanks for rebuilt and renovated homes on Sweeting’s Cay. Christine Wallace-Whitfield, president of BREA, presented a cheque to Rotary District 6990 Governor Billie Jane Ferguson yesterday.

She said: “I am so thrilled to be here in Freeport presenting this cheque, which was so graciously donated by the Orlando Regional Realtor Association to Rotary.”

Ms Ferguson said the GB Rotary Disaster Relief

Committee is once again assisting people in the Sweeting’s Cay area.

“We are assisting with septic tanks and this donation will go directly towards that,” she said.

Sweeting’s Cay was one of the areas devastated in 2019 during Hurricane Dorian. Most of the homes were swept off their foundations as a result of the surge, which was estimated between 20ft and 25ft.

Rotary Clubs on Grand

Bahama and Rotary International as well as other private benefactors, including The TK Foundation, donated building materials and funding to help restore the homes on the cay.

The GBRDRC launched a major home repair project in the community.

When asked for an update on Sweeting’s Cay, District Governor Ferguson stated that they have completed 17 homes there, with the renovation of 16

of them.

“We turned over the homes 80 percent completed, with the remaining 20 percent for the homeowners to complete,” she explained.

“Some of them were able to move in and complete the 20 percent, and some are still waiting for some assistance, and the assistance needed are the septic tanks. And so with this timely donation we will make sure we will get the reminder of those residents back home,” she said.

Additionally, Governor Ferguson said Rotary also assisted with the construction of two homes in West Grand Bahama.

“We had an anonymous donation to Rotary, and we were able to completely construct two homes — one in Sea Grape, Eight Mile Rock, and the other in West End,” she said.

The two homes were turned over during the Christmas and in the New Year.

Ms Ferguson said Rotary has made a significant impact in terms of home restoration on Grand Bahama. She said they have been able to assist in communities from East End to West End. “We renovated over 1,000 homes with building materials, and we partnered with various NGOs on the island, and persons from other areas to make an impact to Grand Bahama.

“So, we have given some sort of normalcy back to the community of Grand Bahama,” she said.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, April 1, 2022, PAGE 5

Watson says govt has no record of food spend from page one overhead costs with The Tribune.

Detailed records of the 54,107 households being assisted at the pandemic’s height and the criteria the taskforce used to identify vulnerable families were also included in its report, dated January 19,2019.

According to Mrs Larson, the complete database has been shared with both the Ministry of Finance and Department of Social Services.

However, Mr Watson denied this yesterday. He also claimed that workers at the various government agencies also had no information on the programme when approached on the issue.

He said: “It’s quite interesting that the former head of the task force is comfortable sharing whatever information she has with The Tribune, The Guardian but the government can’t get access to it.

“Government officials have said ‘we want to see the records.’ We need to be able to give an account for the records. We haven’t seen those. If you’ve seen records that show what was spent and who it was spent to, by all means please share with the government.

The financial secretary has gone on record, saying that they cannot get the answers that they need.”

The report’s release comes amid allegations by government officials about the national food programme, with an audit said to be still underway into the task force’s operations.

Earlier this week, Social Services Minister Obie

Wilchcombe claimed The Bahamas has not been able to provide information to the World Bank on how its $100m loan was used to provide pandemic relief to hurting Bahamians among other things.

Yesterday, Mr Watson said the former ministers of finance and social services are to blame for the situation, arguing it was their responsibility to ensure that records were accurate and kept properly.

“When an administration comes in,” Mr Watson said, “they shouldn’t have to be looking left, right and centre trying to find information if accounting was done accurately and properly. This was raised because there needs to be a satisfaction of how the people’s money was spent and there are no records to show how their monies were spent. That’s how this really came up so I don’t want us to lose track because this is not about an NGO. “This is about the fact that government spent $53m of the people’s money and the new administration that it’s in office cannot account for where that money went so the audit report was commissioned on the food programme.”

He continued: “The assumption was that the public officials and social services would have the information on the programme because it was being operated under the auspices of the Ministry of Social Services. They did not have the information and directed the auditor to the head of the food distribution task force, who informed the auditor that she didn’t have the

FOOD being distributed in May 2020. information which was requested by the auditor.

This is her word and (she said she) would reach out to the NGOs ​ participating. To date, the requested information has not been provided. Bits and pieces are being shared with the press but the government has no information.

“A report is not what we’re asking for. (What) we’re asking for is information as to where the money went, where did you buy the goods? How much money did you spend? That was not sent to the World Bank.”

According to Mrs Larson, the COVID-19 feeding programme, which began in

2020, distributed 474,420 food vouchers and 972,191 food parcels during its 70 weeks for a total of 1.447m units.

Mrs Larson said an initial 54,107 households were being assisted at the pandemic’s height but was later reduced to 18,000 towards the end of 2021.

“Every NGO had weekly dashboards for the 70-week programme,” Mrs Larson explained. “This dashboard template was shared with the financial secretary at the time (Marlon Johnson). He signed off on this, approved this as a method of record-keeping. The expenditure of each NGO was itemised.”

CANNABIS DRAFT LEGISLATION TO GO TO CABINET THIS MONTH

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

ATTORNEY General Ryan Pinder has said that draft legislation to govern a cannabis industry in The Bahamas is expected before Cabinet sometime this month.

Mr Pinder said there has been a slight delay as Cabinet was slated to receive the draft last month. However, he did not explain what led to the setback.

“We are just a couple weeks delayed on that,” Mr Pinder told reporters yesterday. “I promised by the end of March. By the end of this week, I hope to have the full benchmark and comments on the legislation that the

former administration had attempted to do and then we’ll formulate that through law reform and get that in front of Cabinet.

“We’re probably looking at April to get in front of Cabinet.”

The government said it would introduce a “regulatory framework” for the cannabis industry and expunge the records of young people convicted of minor offences related to use of the drug as part of its five-year legislative agenda.

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, while in opposition, expressed full support for both issues and said back in 2020 the Minnis administration should have already addressed the matter of legalising marijuana and expunging the records of people

convicted for possessing small amounts.

In January, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs Minister Clay Sweeting said he was of the view that the Family Islands would be ideal to support a cannabis industry.

In a statement at the time, the minister said many Bahamians were already looking for agricultural land to support the growth of cannabis.

His strong support for the industry followed confirmation by Latrae Rahming, director of communications in the Office of the Prime Minister, that the Davis administration intended to table draft legislation for the legalisation of cannabis in the first quarter of this year.

‘BREAD PRICE RISE SHOWS NEED TO REMOVE VAT’ FREE National Movement Deputy Leader Shanendon Cartwright MP said a leading wholesaler’s recent announcement about the increase in the cost of locally produced bread further exacerbates the need for the government to remove VAT on breadbasket items.

“It is clear that the disruption in the global supply chain is significantly impacting nations and their citizenry, The Bahamas being among them,” Mr Cartwright said.

“We continue to hear the cries of Bahamians from all sectors of society, particularly average Bahamian households who are struggling and continue to appeal for relief. It is absolutely necessary that individuals and families that have become burdened in the face of global challenges brought about as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and now, the war in Ukraine feel protected by its government in these most difficult and uncertain times.

“Island to island

Bahamians are experiencing more economic pressures as never before from the increase in gas prices to food on the shelves to increase of real property tax. This challenge globally, according to economists, will linger for some time and thus the importance of having not only a plan for the way forward, but action geared at bringing relief to the Bahamian people who are finding it increasingly hard to afford everyday items.

“I wish to reiterate that the increased burden on the poor, working class and middle-class Bahamians ought not be ignored and the government can act and must act to bring relief.

“We are strongly calling on the government on behalf of thousands of struggling Bahamian families to remove VAT off breadbasket items,” he said in a statement.

Last month, a representative of Purity Bakery told a media outlet that rising operational costs left it with no choice but to increase the price of its products by five to eight percent.

Death Notice For Brenda Kenny, 60

of Blue Hill Estates died at Princess Margaret Hospital on Sunday, March 27th, 2022.

She is survived by her husband: Godfrey Kenny; sons: Anthony Strachan, Kenron Kenny, Jamaal Kenny and Javaughn Kenny; daughters: Sheree Moss, Shacantila Kenny and Nikita Kenny; sisters: Ruthie Knowles and Dianne Knowles; brother: Elroy Knowles and a host of other relatives and friends.

Arrangements for the funeral service are being finalized and details will be announced at a future date.

PAGE 6, Friday, April 1, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”

Publisher/Editor 1903-1914

LEON E. H. DUPUCH,

Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .

SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH,

Publisher/Editor 1919-1972 Contributing Editor 1972-1991

EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON,

C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B. Publisher/Editor 1972-

Published daily Monday to Friday

Shirley & Deveaux Streets, Nassau, Bahamas N3207 TELEPHONES News & General Information Advertising Manager Circulation Department Nassau fax Freeport, Grand Bahama Freeport fax

(242) 322-1986 (242) 502-2394 (242) 502-2386 (242) 328-2398 (242)-352-6608 (242) 352-9348

WEBSITE, TWITTER & FACEBOOK www.tribune242.com

@tribune242

tribune news network

Biden bets a million barrels a day will drive down soaring gas prices (THE CONVERSATION) The Biden administration on Thursday, said it plans to release an unprecedented 180 million barrels of oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve to combat the recent spike in gas and diesel prices. About a million barrels of oil will be released every day for up to six months.

If all the oil is released, it would represent almost one-third of the current volume of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. It follows a release of 30 million barrels in early March, a large withdrawal until the latest one.

But what is the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, why was it created, and when has it been used? And does it still serve a purpose, given that the U.S. exports more oil and other petroleum products than it imports?

As an energy researcher, I believe considering the reserve’s history can help answer these questions.

Origins of the reserve Congress created the Strategic Petroleum Reserve as part of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 in response to a global oil crisis.

Arab oil-exporting states led by Saudi Arabia had cut supply to the world market because of Western support for Israel in the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Oil prices quadrupled, resulting in major economic damage to the U.S. and other countries.

This also shook the average American, who had grown used to cheap oil.

The oil crisis caused the U.S., Japan and 15 other advanced countries to form the International Energy Agency in 1974 to recommend policies that would forestall such events in the future. One of the agency’s key ideas was to create emergency petroleum reserves that could be drawn on in case of a severe supply disruption.

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act originally stipulated the reserve should hold up to 1 billion barrels of crude and refined petroleum products. Though it has never reached that size, the U.S. reserve is the largest in the world, with a maximum volume of 714 million barrels.

The cap was previously set at 727 million barrels.

As of March 25, 2022, the reserve contained about 568 million barrels.

Oil in the reserve is stored underground in a series of large underground salt domes in four locations along the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana, and is linked to major supply pipelines in the region.

Salt domes, formed when a mass of salt is forced upward, are a good choice for storage since salt is impermeable and has low solubility in crude oil. Most of the storage sites were acquired by the federal government in 1977 and became fully operational in the 1980s.

History of drawdowns In the 1975 act, Congress specified

that the reserve was intended to prevent “severe supply interruptions” – that is, actual oil shortages.

Over time, as the oil market has changed, Congress expanded the list of reasons for which the Strategic Petroleum Reserve could be tapped, such as domestic supply interruptions due to extreme weather.

Prior to March 2022, about 280 million barrels of crude oil had been released since the reserve’s creation, including a 50 million release that began in November 2021.

There have only been three emergency releases in the reserve’s history. The first was in 1991 after Iraq invaded Kuwait the year before, which resulted in a sharp drop in oil supply to the world market. The U.S. released 34 million barrels.

The second release, of 30 million barrels, came in 2005 after Hurricanes Rita and Katrina knocked out Gulf of Mexico production, which then comprised about 25% of U.S. domestic supply.

The third was a coordinated release by the International Energy Agency in 2011 as a result of supply disruptions from several oil-producing countries, including Libya, then facing civil unrest during the Arab Spring.

In all, the agency coordinated a release of 60 million barrels of crude, half of which came from the U.S. In addition, there have been 11 planned sales of oil from the reserve, mainly to generate federal revenue. One of these – the 1996-1997 sale to reduce the federal budget deficit – seemed to serve political ends rather than supply-related ones.

A better way to avoid pain at the pump President Joe Biden’s November decision to tap the reserve was also seen as political by Republicans because there was no emergency shortage of supply at that time.

Similarly, the latest historic release of 180 million barrels could also be seen as serving a political purpose – in an election year, no less.

But I believe it also seems perfectly legitimate in terms of fulfilling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve’s original purpose: reducing the negative impacts of a major oil price shock.

Though the U.S. is today a net petroleum exporter, it continues to import as much as 8.2 million barrels of crude oil every day.

But in my view, the best way to avoid the pain of oil price shocks is to lower oil demand by reducing global carbon emissions – rather than mainly relying on releases from the reserve.

• This article is by Scott L. Montgomery of the University of Washington.

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Health Visa and medical tests must be abolished EDITOR, The Tribune.

From all the coverage in the UK press the Royal Visit to the Bahamas has been an outstanding success. As my family are owners of travel agencies along the south coast of England and with family connections in Nassau we have always tried to promote your country to our clients.

Over the last two days we have had a huge spike in interest about booking holidays to your country.

How very unfortunate that your Tourism Minister and staff did not have the foresight to co-ordinate the anticipated success of the Royal Visit with your entry requirements.

Immediately - not in weeks or months - you must abolish the Health Visa and medical tests.

After over two years of rules and regulations for travel the public will not now tolerate all the rules

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net

being imposed. They will travel where it is easy to enter.

Clients believe that a double vaccination certificate shown at the airport check in should be sufficient to get a boarding pass and be on their way as in previous years.

How sad for us to have clients come into our agencies wanting to book for The Bahamas and be informed of all your rules and the ridiculous threeday time limit to entry for a rapid antigen test and the unreasonable cost of the Visa.

This causes too much uncertainty to travel. Clients also do not want their private information on websites which could be hacked.

Nearly everyone who

approached us expressed surprise and regret and have either not booked awaiting a change in your entry rules or booked elsewhere as nearly all other destinations are now very easy to enter without all your anti-tourist cumbersome requirements.

Complaints from other travel agents and visitors over the past two years were ignored by your Government.

The Bahamas needs business. Where is the common sense with COVID-19 definitely on the wane to be keeping these rules which are seriously affecting your tourist industry and economy?

Change must come immediately if we are to salvage the goodwill generated to your country by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

JOHN COOPER England, March 29, 2022.

Crime prevention and Consult with different people on crime prisoner rehabilitation EDITOR, The Tribune.

As the debates are being discussed as how to solve the crime problems in the Bahamas, here are some suggestions to deal with the vexing problems. The first way to deal with the crime problem is having a Police Task Force assigned to dismantling gangs in the Bahamas and be able to identify gang members so they can get them off the street from committing crimes.

The second way to deal with the crime problem is to have Police Officers patrolling on bicycles, cars and walking in all neighbourhoods to reduce home burglaries.

The Bahamas Government must implement a Rehabilitation Prisoners Programme for first time offenders by having the ability to get a high school diploma, learn how to be a chef, electrician, carpenter,

auto body repair and farmer.

With the help from Bahamian businessmen and companies that will help these prisoners after being reformed get a job and be productive citizens in the Bahamas.

The Bahamas Government must make Education the important tool and foundation to improve in making sure that children do not drop out of schools, and offer after school programmes to help them get a High School Diploma.

It is a known fact that most High school drop outs will either be drug dealers or criminals.

As crime can be a threat to the Bahamas’ economy if the Bahamian business owners are robbed this could cause their businesses to close down and Bahamians losing their jobs.

Also if tourists begin to get robbed, which can cause the United Stated Embassy and

State Department to make a public announcement warning that because of the high crime in the Bahamas American tourists should not travel to the Bahamas, this will severely impact Tourism and the Bahamas’ economy.

It should be remembered that is was the high crime wave in Jamaica in the 1880’s that the United States Department issued a Travel advisory that due to high crime it was unsafe for Americans to travel to Jamaica, it had major impact on the Jamaican economy resulting in the Jamaican currency eventually being devalued.

So it is very important for the Bahamas to get a handle on crime or it will destroy the Bahamas’ economy.

PEDRO SMITH Nassau, March 28, 2022.

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Crime, just like our finances, no Government has been willing to address the fundamental issues and continually play politics and most of the time knee jerk reactions – of course the blame game.

The majority of us live on a small rock 21x7... there are probably 220,000 of us on New Providence. The majority by far law-abiding.

So a “conclave” is called - you know love our use of that word as “conclave” is really the description of when the Catholics meet to elect a Pope.

Crime....There are probably 2,000 that would describe their occupation as ‘criminals’...they don’t respect law and order... are willing to contract kill for as little, I have been told, as $30....have access to any type of automatic fire-arm which seemingly pours into our country without any restrictions - guns solely come from the US. Ports of entry, official, are our airports or ports these are manned by RBPFRBDF-Customs. Surely the RBPF have noticed that the spate of murders over

the past years have not been for robbery - they seemingly were assassinations - violent retribution - you crossed me, you owe me - bang you dead. Persons charged incredibly are even on the ankle bracelet programme. Bail is granted with zero regard to the gravity or seriousness of the crime.

Pindling era had a crime problem as did Ingraham, Christie, Minnis and as has the Davis –- maybe consult with different people who have the guts to spell it out and direct some sense into Law Enforcement - it is worth trying as nothing has worked.

Oh, yes, we will hear the sobs - ma, ma exclaiming her boy was an angel, but the Police say ma ma’s boy was known to them.

We will get a further knee jerk policy - move some police around, demote, fire and politically appoint and watch out for the usual - National Committee.

STEPHEN MOSS Nassau, March 28, 2022.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, April 1, 2022, PAGE 7

New step in sanctions against Russian finance

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas will suspend the automatic exchange of financial information with Russia on its citizens, according to Attorney General Ryan Pinder yesterday.

This latest step in sanctions against Russia for its ongoing war on Ukraine was decided this week at Cabinet.

It follows a directive on March 9 by the Office of the Attorney General and financial services regulators that all licensed entities were to report whether they held individual or company sanctioned accounts.

He said on March 20 and 21, a report from regulators said there were very few sanctioned relationships in the country. Mr Pinder said there were less than five relationships and a small number of liquid assets meaning deposits, managed assets or securities valued at about $7.5m.

“What we decided to do this week,” Mr Pinder said in response to reporters’ questions about sanctions,

“Cabinet has decided to go one step further in its financial directives in that we have, consistent with the United Kingdom and other protected territories of the United Kingdom, decided from a public policy point of view to suspend the automatic exchange of financial information with the Russian Federation on Russian citizens.

“The goal of the policy position on that is that we wouldn’t want the Russian Federation to use funds of its citizens that are abroad in The Bahamas and in other financial centres but in The Bahamas for the purposes of the war on Ukraine.

“So, we have suspended the automatic exchange of information. That policy statement should be coming out from the Ministry of Finance if not today, tomorrow and so we’ll restrict the exchange of financial information on Russians with the Russian Federation.”

Asked whether the government would go further with its sanctions like restrictions at the airport, Mr Pinder said “not at this time”.

ATTORNEY General Ryan Pinder.

“We have advised both the Bahamas Maritime Association and private interest in maritime trade that they should be mindful of doing business with sanctioned individuals.

“It’s a very delicate position because there is legitimate commerce that occurs with Russian ties that aren’t related to sanctions and may not be related to people actually in Russia, they just happen to be Russian and we don’t want to disrupt legitimate commerce but we do want to take affirmative steps

to ensure that sanctioned individuals and the Russian Federation can’t pursue that matter in Ukraine.

“I would take note that these actions are unilateral and so these go further than any of the decisions of CARICOM and any of the actions of CARICOM members. We have taken unilateral steps so I would say in the region The Bahamas is leading the way. The message is loud and clear.

“I met with the EU Ambassador this morning (yesterday) and she

thanked us for leading the way on these matters and ensuring that The Bahamas is not a jurisdiction that would attract nefarious activity related to the war on Ukraine,” Mr Pinder said.

In March, the Central Bank said international banks and trust companies had about $420m in deposits and $2.5bn in custody or trust assets for which the ultimate beneficial owners were from or connected to Russia.

That information was up to February 28.

On Wednesday, State Legal Affairs Minister Jomo Campbell said following The Bahamas’ sanctioning of entities with Russian ties, one company was found to have an “overwhelming” value of $1.6bn in private company assets held in a Bahamian fiduciary structure.

The $1.6bn consisted of deposits, custody assets, assets held in a trust or other fiduciary structure and investment in companies and only $7.5m in assets were portfolio management custody assets.

ACCUSED ‘ASSAULTED GIRLFRIEND AND POLICE OFFICER’

By PAVEL BAILEY

A MAN was arraigned yesterday accused of assaulting his girlfriend and a police officer in two separate incidents.

Alvin Emmanuel, 28, stood before Senior Magistrate Carolyn Vogt Evans on multiple charges. These include assault, assaulting a police officer, deceit of a police officer, resisting arrest and two counts of damage.

On March 7 in New Providence, Emmanuel is accused of assaulting his

girlfriend. It is also alleged that he intentionally damaged her rose gold iPhone 7 Plus, valued at $490.

And on March 29 at Chances Plaza on Carmichael Road, he is accused of attempting to deceive Police Corporal Aviel Bodie by claiming to be “Alvin Curry”.

When asked to present an ID after giving this false name to Corporal Bodie, Emmanuel fled the scene only to be caught after he again resisted arrest.

It was during this struggle

that the accused reportedly assaulted Corporal Bodie and caused damage to the officer’s blue Samsung Galaxy A32 valued at $259.

In court, Emmanuel pleaded not guilty to all six charges against him. He also did not accept the facts that were stated in court.

He denied having lied to police about his name.

He was granted bail for the matter involving his girlfriend at $3,000 with one or two sureties. He was further granted bail for the police matters for another

EXUMA MAN ACCUSED OF MURDER BID

By PAVEL BAILEY

A MAN from Exuma appeared in Magistrate’s Court yesterday for allegedly attempting to murder another man in New Providence.

Robin Ferguson, 25, of The Forest, Exuma, stood before Senior Magistrate Samuel McKinney on charges of attempted

murder and possession of a firearm intending to endanger a life.

On March 6 at Ferguson Street off Dumping Ground Corner, Ferguson was arrested for reportedly trying to kill the complainant, Jawuan Armbrister, with a handgun.

The magistrate informed the accused that due to the nature of his charges he

would not be required to enter a plea.

Magistrate McKinney said the case would proceed by a Voluntary Bill of Indictment (VBI) and that the accused would have to apply to the Supreme Court for bail.

Ferguson is expected to return to court on May 11 when he will be served with a VBI.

$3,000.

As a condition of his bail he is expected to report to Carmichael Road Police Station every Sunday

before 7pm.

The magistrate warned the accused that he is not to have contact with any of the witnesses or complainants

in these matters while out on bail.

Emmanuel’s trial for these charges was adjourned to May 30.

PAGE 8, Friday, April 1, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

Religion and medicine Most physicians probably don’t fully acknowledge the despair and suffering that patients feel at the level of the soul. Medical Science can successfully eliminate the physical pain, but commonly ignores the pain deep within one’s soul - a how to integrate the fields (Psychiatrist), some 80 pain that can be much more of medicine, psyciatry, and years ago, in the United destructive and debilitatspirituality to truly heal States, experimented with ing than physical suffering.

ANCIENT Medicine was the human body, mind, and a training programme that The spiritual integrative practised by religious and spirit. eventually became known approach teaches one to spiritual leaders throughDr Herbert Benson of as Clinical Pastoral Edu- shift one’s fear and anxiout the history of mankind Howard Medical Schools cation. Seminary students ety to courage, hope and and shows a connection states that, “Anywhere in their final year were peacefulness.

Spirituality between mind and body. from sixty to ninety per- required to is an adjunct, The early Hebrew culture cent of visits to doctors are do a practi- ‘It is ironic that not a comfocused on disease as pun- in the mind-body-stress- cal year in science has come petitor to ishment for disobeying or related realm.” the hospitals, contradicting God’s Law. were back to religion - not conventional A research in America they medical therIn the New Testament shows that over fifty percent assigned to to blindly accept apy and has Jesus frequently deployed of patients on hospital beds given wards tremendous the term, “Your sins are can, “get up and walk”, and working its doctrine, but potential to forgiven” when affecting if preventative care was as a member to scientifically improve the healing. We continue to given, if they are ministered of the health investigate the life of the see the correlation between to spiritually. Research also care team. patient. sin and illness like obesity, shows that hospitals with a This course nature of religious Everyone some causes of Type II Dia- developed department in of study is experiences, such has a unique betes, Venereal Disease, Pastoral Care see patients now man- as prayer and spirit just like etc. for heal far more rapidly than datory meditation.’ we have a As science progressed those hospitals without. Ordination. unique perthrough many centuries a Departments of Pastoral This course is great separation occurred Care are rapidly developing also now available to both sonality or genetic make-up. between science and spir- in North America, Europe, the ordained and matured A patient in the presence ituality. Great progress and Asia. individuals of all faith- of someone of faith can was made in science, but Based on the premise groups. This course is also be greater strengthened in science lost its ancient con- that humans are first and required for persons going such an environment. Here nection to spirituality and foremost spiritual beings, into Chaplaincy. (This will the emphasis is on faith not denomination. religion. Health Care Pro- Richard Cabot (cardiolo- help to weed the “Quacks” religious Everyone identifies with a fessionals need to learn gist) and Anton Boisen out of the system). faith group, for everyone is spiritual.

In a 1952 poll in America, ninety three percent of physicians believed that they should consider their patients religious needs, yet only seventeen percent of these same physicians admitted to having significant religious discussions with their patients. C.P.E. would enable more health care givers to be equipped to deal spiritually with patients. Another study of two hundred patients Retired Registered Nurse / Nursing Officer Grade III showed that forty-eight percent wanted their physicians to pray with them. However, it is rare for patients to express that desire. Why of #12 Baldwin Avenue and formerly of George Town, does this dichotomy exist Exuma will be held on Saturday, April 2nd, 2022, between spiritual wants and 11:30 at St. Agnes Anglican Church, Cockburn Street. medical practice?

Officiating will be Venerable Archdeacon Keith N. Every human culture has Cartwright, Rector, St. Agnes Church assisted by Rev’d. used a form of religion or Fr. Ruel J. Strachan Assistant Curate, St. Agnes Church. prayer during periods of Interment will follow at St. Agnes Anglican Church stress, disease, and healthCemetery. crisis. Healing of disease “We are not human beings trying to be Spiritual, we are Spiritual beings trying to be human.” (Anonymous).

We are made in the image and likeness of God. (Genesis) “Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.” (Albert Einstein 1879-1952).

By the Rev Canon B Sebastian Campbell, CM

Funeral Service For

Mrs. Effie Caroline Sawyer, 89

Effie is survived by her children: Wayne Sawyer (Cherylyn), Dale and Pamela Sawyer and Donna Fisher; grandchildren: Lynn, Dermot (Vernice), Wayne Dario, Bradtesha, Waynette (Geno) Taurel, Alexcia, D’Shan, Wynter, Rasheed, D’haska, Mardeskia, Carl III, Lorenzo, Carlita and Carlisa; great grandchildren: Samaaj, Sedeeq, Dermott Jr., Bailee, Tristan, Jenee, Taurel Jr. and Savannah; adopted daughters: Patricia Mitchell and Sophia Pinder; brother: Ambrose Smith; sister: Rosalie Dillett; brothers-in-law: Andrew, Robert Sawyer and Basil Burrows; sisters-in-law: Dame Joan Sawyer, Delores & Sheila Smith, Eula and Antoinette Sawyer; nephews: Permanent Secretary; Luther Smith, Mike, Gary & Ricardo Smith, Ethan Rolle, Gregory, Mark, & Ashton Dillett, Kent & Gary Smith, Jasma Bain, Mario, Avery & Owen Burrows, Arthur, Michael, Raymond, Larry, Ashley, Samuel & Robertino Sawyer; nieces: Yvonne Wallace, Jennifer McPhee, Angelique and Coralee Coakley, Sabrina Carey, Renee Derind, Judith Smith, Debbie, Arlene, Kelly, Deatra and Ecarsha Smith, Cheryl Bevans, Michelle Burrows, Gladys, Diahann, Andrea, Judith, Samantha Sawyer, Rosalyn Nottage, Shamara Burrows, Oinka Rolle, Sophia Richardson, Robyn Roberts and Alison Garcia; and a host of other relative and friends including: Kerisha Davidson (Caregiver), Yvonne & William Wallace & Family, Helen Rolle & Family, Warren Rolle & Family, The Honourable Alfred Sears & Family, Marcella Mallory,Gerald, Dudley, Andrea, Linda (The Sawyers), Karen, Roslyn, Paula & Eugene (The Toote’s) and Moxey Families, Poitier Family, Derek Burrows & Family, Children of the Late Cynthia Smith, Children of the Late Ramona Smith, Deanka Edwards, Sharon Ellis & Family, Sharon Young & Family, Sean Gibson, Bradley Pratt & Family, Deind Pratt & Family, Cabbage Patch Family, Vanria Woodside & Family, Patricia Mitchell & Family, Henry Dean & Family, William Hepburn, Jr. & Family, Peter Williams, Jr. & Family, Florence Watson, Lynette Saunders, Carolyn Roberts, Pamela Moss, Crystal Dames-Roach, Suelyn Stuart, Ruth Darbouze & Family, Dorothy Johnson, Barbara Saunders, Shanelle Knowles, Monteigne Cunningham, Staff of Ministry of Tourism, Colina Insurance & Queen’s College, Archdeacon Keith Cartwright & Family, Rev’d Fr. I. Ranfurly Brown & Family, Rev’d Canon Warren Rolle & Family, St. Agnes Anglican Church Women (ACW), McLinda Bowe (ACW Daughter), St. Agnes Church Family, The Minus, Humes, Fox, Clarkes, Chipman, Blydens, Foulkes Families and the entire Chippingham Community.

Viewing will be held at the Serenity Suite at Restview Memorial Mortuary and Crematorium Limited, Robinson and Soldier Roads on Friday from 10:00 a.m. at 6:00 p.m

and illness were closely connected to the religious beliefs of human culture, despite the fact that some of these cultures were located on opposite sides of the earth. Remember, there were no telephones, television, e-mail, to connect these people, and there was no common language to allow verbal communication. Yet a common theme in these cultures was the ultimate connection between medicine and religion.

Cultures have combined these two disciplines in one person known as the Obeah-man, to whom people came for and were healed. The prescribed bush medicine will always be in our culture. In the Bible we see this coming together in the priest. He had to certify a cure. He was the Chief Medical Officer. Therefore, Jesus says to the cleansed lepers, “Go show yourself to the priest.” In Luke 10 Jesus sends out his disciples on a Mission of Healing.

He gave them authority to drive out demons and to cure diseases.

The word Medicine means mystery.

When translated from their tribal languages the practitioner of medicine was the mystery man. The mystery man used remedies including roots and herbs but also dealt with the mystery and charms. If the disease was not cured and death occurred; it was the will of the Great-Spirit. All these ancient cultures shared this common bond between medicine and religion.

It is ironic that science has come back to religion - not to blindly accept its doctrine, but to scientifically investigate the nature of religious experiences, such as prayer and meditation. Do prayer and meditation evoke similar biologic changes in the brain? Do measurable, physiologic changes occur in our brains during prayer, meditation, or mystic experiences? The answer, from experience, is a resounding yes. This study included Buddhists and Franciscan nuns at prayer.

Health care providers, like doctors, nurses, technicians, etc. can better help the healing process if they themselves are spiritual, thus giving a sense of the divine. Pray before and after a procedure thus reminding themselves that they depend on some greater power for success.

I appeal for us to help engineer a properly established Pastoral Care Department in our public hospital systems so as to bring greater meaning to holistic health care. Pray we catch up with more progressive health care facilities.

It is clear that the worlds of science and religion need to unite in the Bahamas and achieve even greater scientific and spiritual progress in the future. The great divide must vanish, so that we can embark on a journey of spiritual transformation and discovery that could change our delivery of health care for the better.

ADDENDUM

1. We must be mindful of Religious Rites. These are peculiar to every faith group and denomination.

Religious Rite is medicine to soul and body. It keeps a person in touch with the Divine. Some Rites are: Holy Communion, Baptism, Anointing.

2. The man of religion travels with a family long after the death of a loved one; his concern goes beyond the patient.

Too, long after a patient is discharged the person is ministered to as he moves towards total healing.

3. Can we consider a lifestyle centre in the Bahamas where we can combine religion and medicine? Together we can fight many preventative diseases. The Bible teaches that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

4. The Medical Evangelist - a proposed paper. How can we train qualified persons to take the message of healing and religion so as to flood our churches, schools, etc? With proper education? (Please contact me for a work-paper on this, so as to stimulate debate).

Death Notice For Luellan Munroe, 57

of Kelly Lane died at Princess Margaret Hospital on Monday, March 28th, 2022.

He is survived by his mother: Inez Munroe; sisters: Lillamae Knowles, Deaconess Vandolyn Moss; brothers: Pastor Allan Munroe, Daniel Munroe and Terran Munroe and a host of other relatives and friends.

Arrangements for the funeral service are being finalized and details will be announced at a future date.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, April 1, 2022, PAGE 9

Activists in the board room?

Can it happen in The Bahamas?

W

E may tout our advanced technology, our awardwinning cloud data saving capability, our internationally acclaimed Family Island beaches, but when it comes to knowing how to make a difference in something that could save our very country, we turn our backs on today’s tools and dig out yesterday’s toys.

Instead of taking our case to the board room, instead of making companies that have led to our woes live up to their responsibility by electing board members who would fight for social justice and environmental reform, we click on talk radio and listen to the jabber.

This is not a diatribe against talk radio. I remember clearly how we all celebrated freedom of broadcasting when then Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham opened the airwaves. But since then, what we have heard over and over again is a few voices with a rehearsed message interspersed with the occasional fresh point of view.

The result – talk radio has become our “out”, our main platform for getting a view about anything across.

By failing to look past the radio dial to make things happen, we have become lazy in how we fight to right whatever wrong demands attention. End child abuse, domestic violence, mitigate against climate change, save coral reefs – whatever it is, we are singing to the choir and largely taking our battle for justice to the neighbour next door instead of the world via social media platforms, electronic publications, wire services, international reporting and most importantly, the board room of public companies concerned about their profile, especially in the U.S. and Canada.

We would all be surprised at what impact a small but beloved nation like The Bahamas with a cause like saving its own future could

have if board rooms were part of the messaging.

Case in point. Climate change. This is not a war we created but one in which we are the unwitting victims.

The message is simple – you played around with our future. We are paying the price. It is up to you to right this wrong.

We may not be able to rewrite history, but you can help us write our future.

Industrialised countries abused fossil fuels, straining resources, polluting and slowly destroying the layer of protection that kept the sun from overheating the earth.

Now as the earth heats up and records continue to tumble, crop production will diminish. Coral reefs will suffer from increased algae blooms. Warmer waters will combine with sea level rise to produce stronger storms with less warning.

And one day, scientists predict, much of The Bahamas will be under water.

Every recent prime minister has recognized the danger and the importance of taking the message abroad.

Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis delivered a brilliant and impassioned speech at COP 26 in Glasgow late last year where world leaders, activists and NGOs engaged in the climate change fight heard his plea. His speech was stirring enough that the Duke of Cambridge Prince William recalled it when the two met in Nassau last week.

But what followed? Did The Bahamas continue to take our plea to the world?

Did we even stop building in low-lying coastal zones?

Please assure us that we did.

Let’s capitalize on what was started, nudging the needle of the conscience of our neighbours. Let us take our activism and our messaging to the boardrooms of the world where it can make a difference. Others are doing it with remarkable success,

PRIME Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis delivers his speech at COP 26 in Glasgow. changing traditional corporate behaviour by decisions made in the boardroom.

According to Bloomberg data, activists launched 220 campaigns against firms worth more than $1 billion in 2021. Even in COVIDstricken 2020, there were 183 boardroom campaigns for social and environmental justice.

Thanks to a thorough piece in the March 27 issue of Daily Upside, we know ex-actly how powerful a force boardroom activism can be. McDonald’s changed its practices after being accused of animal abuse and now sources up to 90% of its pork from suppliers who treat pregnant pigs humanely instead of raising them in crowded, confined pens. Toshiba, Bed, Bath & Beyond and

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

The International Criminal Court to open office in Venezuela

By JORGE RUEDA Associated Press

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The prosecutor’s office of the International Criminal Court said Thursday that it will open an office in Venezuela as it investigates allegations of torture and killings by the South American country’s security forces.

The decision to open the office was announced by ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan at the end of a three-day trip to the capital, Caracas.

In a televised appearance alongside President Nicolás Maduro, Khan said he welcomed the commitment of the Venezuelan government to explore cooperation and technical assistance as part of the efforts to investigate alleged crimes against humanity.

Among other measures, Khan said Maduro’s government agreed to provide visas to court officials and to the participation of international organisations and partners, including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

“Any state that encounters difficulties in complying with the rule of law must be respected,” Khan said. He added that he is “aware that the visit has not been easy, perhaps; but I feel very grateful for the commitment and the frank debates that we have had.”

Khan announced the investigation in November. At the time, the court and Maduro’s administration signed a memorandum of understanding in which the government agreed to cooperate to clarify the facts that led to the initiation of the process.

That announcement followed a lengthy preliminary probe started in February 2018

that focused on allegations of excessive force, arbitrary detention and torture by security forces during a crackdown on antigovernment protests in 2017.

Khan’s predecessor, Fatou Bensouda, had indicated there was a reasonable basis to conclude that crimes against humanity had been committed in Venezuela, echoing the findings of the U.N.’s human rights council last year. But she left the decision to open any probe to Khan, a British lawyer who took the reins of the ICC earlier this year.

Maduro on Thursday said the opening of the office in Venezuela will allow for an “effective level of dialogue” that will help clarify the facts in a timely manner.

“We are first interested in seeing justice carried out, and where a crime of the characteristics is committed, it be punished according to the law, on time,” Maduro said.

He added that the country’s judicial system is being overhauled.

Since its creation two decades ago, the ICC has mostly focused on atrocities committed in Africa.

It could be years before any criminal charges are presented as part of the court’s investigation.

In a written statement, Khan said the start of the process “is not a one-way street” and should also serve as the basis for stronger partnerships.

He said efforts to put into effect the memorandum of understanding will include providing technical assistance and knowledge transfer to Venezuelan authorities “to support the effective investigation and prosecution at the national level of alleged crimes,” as well as offering training and expert advice to help implement domestic legislation.

Apple are all feeling the boardroom do-better pinch.

No company has felt the impact more so than ExxonMobil, the $250 billion giant that was forced to revamp its entire business model based on three board members who earned their seats when a tiny hedge fund driven by supporters raised enough money to buy a small percentage of shares and worked diligently to get its representatives with a new kind of conscience elected to the board.

Starbuck’s did not decide to stop using the seven billion paper cups it contributes to landfills every year because employees or customers thought it was a good idea. It was part of a broader policy directive to reduce its waste by 50 percent by the year 2030. If

Starbuck’s can get its loyal public to switch to reusable plastic, something absolutely foreign to its brand, we can get a wider audience to take the cause of climate change in The Bahamas seriously.

But we have to go beyond talk radio and take it to the board room where decisions about electric vehicles and renewables are made.

If we want the world’s attention, we must create an advertising campaign that shows The Bahamas 50 years from now drowning, our sand being sucked out to sea, a confused and desperate sea turtle looking for a place to nest, an osprey searching for fish in an empty ocean.

Our message could be powerful. All we are asking for is friends, empathetic

friends in the boardroom who hold our future in their hands.

Daily Upside calls the “rambunctious” activism in the board room a new swash-buckling kind of investing and I quote, “When investors do anything, 99.9% of the time it’s because they are after the almighty greenback. But these days, many activist campaigns have been tinted an entirely new shade of green. First-time or infrequent investors accounted for about 75% of activist campaigns in 2021, according to Goldman Sachs, and those new activists are bringing an increasingly popular form of boardroom activism: one focused on environmental and social issues.”

We have seen the impact of impassioned pleas for international attention by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Sure, his cause, fighting back against an unprovoked takeover of his country by a superpower with no authority to do so but a desire for land and resources grab, is a million times more intense than the eventual swallowing of The Bahamas and the urgent fear of deadly storms. But in some significant ways, there is a parallel.

When you are trying to save a nation, you need an army of believers to walk alongside you.

Or better yet, take a seat in the board room where decisions are made and stand up for justice.

KARIM AHMED KHAN, International Criminal Court chief prosecutor.

(AP Photo/Marwan Ali, File)

Death Notice for WILFRED MINNIS SR., 77 of Vista Marina, died at his residence on Thursday, March 24th, 2022.

He is survived by his Wife: Evangelyn Minnis; Daughters: Tammy Miller and Monique Minnis Edwards; Son: Wilfred Minnis Jr.; 5 Grandchildren: Gennera Miller, Kessa Minnis, Craig Edwards Jr., Valerio Miller Jr., and Wilfred Minnis III; Sister: Daisy Minnis French; Brothers: Henry Minnis and Tyrone Daxon; and a host of other relatives and friends.

Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date.

PAGE 10, Friday, April 1, 2022

MIKE PENCE UNVEILS ‘FREEDOM AGENDA’ AS HE WEIGHS 2024 RUN

By JILL COLVIN ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK (AP) — Former Vice President Mike Pence is offering a “Freedom Agenda” platform for Republicans ahead of this year’s midterm elections, presenting a framework for GOP candidates — and possibly himself for a 2024 presidential run.

Pence’s platform, released Thursday, combines traditional Republican goals such as increasing American energy production, cutting taxes and rolling back regulations, with priorities pursued by former President Donald Trump on issues like trade and immigration.

Pence also offers plenty of culture war red meat for the GOP base, pledging, for instance, to save women’s sports by “ensuring that sports competitions are between those who share their God-given gender” and calling for all high school students to pass a civics test.

“Elections are about the future, and I think it’s absolutely essential that, while we do our FORMER Vice part to President take the Mike Pence. fight to the failed policies of the Biden administration and the radical left, at the same time, we want to offer a compelling vision built on our highest American ideals,” Pence told reporters ahead of the plan’s release. “It really is an effort to put in one place the agenda that I think carried us to the White House in 2016, carried two Bush presidencies to the White House and carried Ronald Reagan to the White House in 1980.”

Much of the 28-page plan reads like the platform of a presidential campaign, underscoring Pence’s ambitions and providing a clear road map of the themes and policies he is likely to pursue if he moves forward with a 2024 run.

While Pence in recent weeks has worked to distance himself from his former boss as he begins to reintroduce himself to voters and develop a political identity of his own, he has also been careful to tie himself to the policies of the TrumpPence administration, which remain extremely popular among Republican voters.

It’s part of what aides see as Pence’s unique opportunity, as a former talk radio host, congressman and Indiana governor, to merge the traditional conservative movement with Trump’s “Make America Great Again” agenda.

“There is a winning coalition for America that believes in the traditionally conservative values that the vice president has championed through his career,” said Marc Short, co-chair of Advancing American Freedom, the advocacy group Pence launched last year.

Still, Pence argues that “elections are about the future,” in contrast to Trump’s continued focus on his own false 2020 election claims.

Pence’s plan comes as the GOP has been at odds over the wisdom of offering voters a concrete policy agenda ahead of the midterm elections this year. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has been pointedly opposed to such efforts, arguing that Republicans should keep the focus on President Joe Biden, whose popularity has

THE TRIBUNE

Russians leave Chernobyl site as fighting rages elsewhere

By NEBI QENA and YURAS KARMANAU Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian troops handed control of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant back to the Ukrainians and left the heavily contaminated site early Friday, more than a month after taking it over, Ukrainian authorities said, as fighting raged on the outskirts of Kyiv and other fronts.

Ukraine’s state power company, Energoatom, said the pullout at Chernobyl came after soldiers received “significant doses” of radiation from digging trenches in the forest in the exclusion zone around the closed plant. But there was no independent confirmation of that.

The withdrawal took place amid growing indications the Kremlin is using talk of de-escalation in Ukraine as cover while regrouping, resupplying its forces and redeploying them for a stepped-up offensive in the eastern part of the country.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian withdrawals from the north and center of the country were just a military tactic and that the forces are building up for new powerful attacks in the southeast.

“We know their intentions,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address to the nation. “We know that they are moving away from those areas where we hit them in order to focus on other, very important ones where it may be difficult for us.”

“There will be battles ahead,” he added.

Meanwhile, a convoy of buses headed to Mariupol in another bid to evacuate people from the besieged port city after the Russian military agreed to a limited cease-fire in the area. But Russian forces blocked 45 of the buses, and only 631 people were able to get out of the city in private cars, according to the Ukrainian government.

Twelve Ukrainian trucks were able to deliver humanitarian supplies to Mariupol, but they were all seized

by Russian troops, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said late Thursday.

A new round of talks was scheduled for Friday, five weeks into the war that has left thousands dead and driven 4 million Ukrainians from the country.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said it had been informed by Ukraine that the Russian forces at the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster had transferred control of it in writing to the Ukrainians.

The last Russian troops left the Chernobyl plant early Friday, the Ukrainian government agency responsible for the exclusion zone said.

Energoatom gave no details on the condition of the soldiers it said were exposed to radiation and did not say how many were affected. There was no immediate comment from the Kremlin, and the IAEA said it had not been able to confirm the reports of Russian troops receiving high doses. It said it was seeking more information.

Russian forces seized the Chernobyl site in the opening stages of the Feb. 24 invasion, raising fears that they would cause damage or disruption that could spread radiation. The workforce at the site oversees the safe storage of spent fuel rods and the concrete-entombed ruins of the reactor that exploded in 1986.

Edwin Lyman, a nuclear expert with the U.S.-based Union of Concerned Scientists, said it “seems unlikely” a large number of troops would develop severe radiation illness, but it was impossible to know for sure without more details.

He said contaminated material

A UKRAINIAN soldier stands on top of a destroyed Russian tank on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday.

(AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) was probably buried or covered with new topsoil during the cleanup of Chernobyl, and some soldiers may have been exposed to a “hot spot” of radiation while digging. Others may have assumed they were at risk too, he said.

Early this week, the Russians said they would significantly scale back military operations in areas around Kyiv and the northern city of Cherni-

Donbas.

“Russia has repeatedly lied about its intentions,” Stoltenberg said. At the same time, he said, pressure is being kept up on Kyiv and other cities, and “we can expect additional offensive actions bringing even more suffering.”

The Donbas is the predominantly Russian-speaking industrial region where Moscow-backed separatists

DESTROYED Russian armoured vehicles are seen in the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) hiv to increase trust between the two sides and help negotiations along.

But in the Kyiv suburbs, regional governor Oleksandr Palviuk said on social media Thursday that Russian forces shelled Irpin and Makariv and that there were battles around Hostomel. Pavliuk said there were Ukrainian counterattacks and some Russian withdrawals around the suburb of Brovary to the east.

Chernihiv came under attack as well. At least one person was killed and four were wounded in the Russian shelling of a humanitarian convoy of buses sent to Chernihiv to evacuate residents cut off from food, water and other supplies, said Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner Lyudmyla Denisova Ukraine also reported Russian artillery barrages in and around the northeastern city of Kharkiv.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said intelligence indicates Russia is not scaling back its military operations in Ukraine but is instead trying to regroup, resupply its forces and reinforce its offensive in the

have been battling Ukrainian forces since 2014. In the past few days, the Kremlin, in a seeming shift in its war aims, said that its “main goal” now is gaining control of the Donbas, which consists of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, including Mariupol.

The top rebel leader in Donetsk, Denis Pushilin, issued an order to set up a rival city government for Mariupol, according to Russian state news agencies, in a sign of Russian intent to hold and administer the city.

The Red Cross, meanwhile, said its teams were headed for Mariupol with medical supplies and other relief and hoped to take civilians out of the beleaguered city, the site of some of the worst suffering of the war.

Tens of thousands have managed to get out of Mariupol in the past few weeks by way of humanitarian corridors, reducing its population from a prewar 430,000 to an estimated 100,000 as of last week, but other efforts to relieve the city have been thwarted by continued Russian attacks.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister

Iryna Vereshchuk said 45 buses would be sent to collect civilians from the encircled and bombarded city, where food, water, medicine and fuel were running low.

“It’s desperately important that this operation takes place,” the Red Cross said in a statement. “The lives of tens of thousands of people in Mariupol depend on it.”

With talks set to resume between Ukraine and Russia via video, there seemed little faith that the two sides would resolve the conflict any time soon.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that conditions weren’t yet “ripe” for a cease-fire and that he wasn’t ready for a meeting with Zelenskyy until negotiators do more work, Italian Premier Mario Draghi said after a telephone conversation with the Russian leader.

In other developments, Ukraine’s emergency services said the death toll had risen to 20 in a Russian missile strike Tuesday on a government administration building in the southern city of Mykolaiv.

As Western officials search for clues about what Russia’s next move might be, a top British intelligence official said demoralized Russian soldiers in Ukraine are refusing to carry out orders and sabotaging their equipment and had accidentally shot down their own aircraft.

In a speech in Australia, Jeremy Fleming, head of the GCHQ electronic spy agency, said Putin had apparently “massively misjudged” the invasion.

The Pentagon reported Thursday that an initial half-dozen shipments of weapons and other security assistance from the U.S. have reached Ukraine as part of an $800 million aid package President Joe Biden approved this month.

The shipments included Javelin anti-tank weapons, Stinger anti-aircraft missile systems, body armor, medical supplies and other materials, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said.

U.S. intelligence officials have concluded that Putin is being misinformed by his advisers about how badly the war is going because they are afraid to tell him the truth.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the U.S. is wrong and that “neither the State Department nor the Pentagon possesses the real information about what is happening in the Kremlin.”

UKRAINIAN COMMUNITIES IN US PREPARE TO SUPPORT REFUGEES

By KATHLEEN RONAYNE Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif.

(AP) — As the United States prepares to accept up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees following Russia’s invasion of their country, existing communities in cities like Sacramento and Seattle are already mobilising to provide food, shelter and support to those fleeing the war.

The federal government hasn’t said when the formal resettlement process will begin, but Ukrainian groups in the U.S. are already providing support to people entering the country through other channels, including on visas that will eventually expire or by flying to Mexico and crossing over the border.

“No refugee is waiting for you to be ready for them,” said Eduard Kislyanka, senior pastor at the House of Bread church near Sacramento, which has been sending teams of people to Poland and preparing dozens of its member families to house people arriving in California.

Since the war began in late February over 4 million people are estimated to have fled Ukraine and millions

EDWARD KISLYANKA, right, senior pastor at the House of Bread Church near Sacramento, Calif., meets with other church members Tuesday, to discuss efforts to assist Ukrainian refugees.

(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) more have been displaced within the country. President Joe Biden said last week that the U.S. would admit up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees and provide $1 billion in humanitarian assistance to countries affected by the exodus.

The federal government has yet to provide a timeline for refugee resettlement — often a lengthy process — or details on where refugees will be resettled.

It’s unlikely the United States will see a massive influx of Ukrainians on charter and military flights like

happened with Afghan refugees last year.

Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, said the White House commitment of accepting up to 100,000 Ukrainians does not come with a minimum.

Aside from the refugee resettlement program, their main avenues will be seeking humanitarian parole and appearing at the border with Mexico, she said.

Many who reach the United States will likely go to cities that already have strong Ukrainian communities.

The Sacramento region is home to the highest concentration of Ukrainian immigrants in the country, with about 18,000 people, according to census data analyzed by the Migration Policy Institute.

The Seattle, Chicago and New York City areas are also hubs.

Word is spreading about the resources available in Sacramento, where churches like House of Bread are connecting Ukrainians who have already arrived with host families who can offer shelter and help access government resources and transportation.

Kislyanka called the church’s actions a “stop gap” measure designed to help as people await more clarity about the formal government resettlement process.

“Most of these people do not have any relations, like they don’t know anybody here,” said Kislyanka, who came to the U.S. as a child in the early 1990s.

“Having somebody who can help them navigate the cultural shock and navigate the system. . . it just makes things a lot easier and smoother.”

Sacramento has been a destination for Ukrainians

since the late 1980s and early 1990s, when many of those arriving were Christians taking advantage of a U.S. law offering entrance to anyone escaping religious persecution in the former Soviet Union.

Another wave of refugees began arriving after Russia’s initial invasion of Ukraine in 2014. Of the 8,000 Ukrainians resettled by the organisation World Relief since then, 3,000 have come to Sacramento, said Vanassa Hamra, the group’s community engagement manager in Sacramento.

Beyond the dozens of Slavic churches in the Sacramento region, there are schools that serve mainly Ukrainian and Russian students. Eastern European grocery stores and restaurants offer favourite foods like borscht, a type of beetroot soup, and varenyky, a boiled dumpling. Businesses started by Ukrainians try to hire others from their country.

All of that makes it easy for younger people to maintain a sense of connection to their heritage and for older immigrants to adapt without having to become fluent in a new language and culture.

CENSUS TO BEGIN IN JANUARY - A

THE TRIBUNE

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

April start for census

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net THE Census of Population and Housing will begin this month and end in June, with some 115,000 households targeted to be surveyed for the data collecting exercise.

Chief Census Officer Kim Saunders said this year’s census will take a digital format for the first time in the country’s history and is projected to cost some “$6m plus.”

She also reminded people that there will

be three ways for individuals to complete the census questionnaire — online, by telephone and in person — and further encouraged all to participate.

“The information we obtain is used by policymakers for social outreach programmes.

“It also gives an idea to our planners and investors to the progress that our country is making,” she said at yesterday’ press conference at the Office of the Prime Minister.

“We are a developing country, so statistics and

valuable data is very essential to our future… so be on the lookout for our census workers.”

Census data also helps to determine school zones, the location of housing developments, and helps the government make decisions about the allocation of public resources.

Ms Saunders said once the census has been completed, officials are hoping to have a preliminary report released by September.

She also revealed that Bahamians can expect

THE Census of Population and Housing will take place starting January and people have a2022 survey on the will nation’s the option to complete unemployment rate to the be questionnaire online, via held “not too soon after the telephone or in person. census.”

Chief Bahamas Census Officer Kim The National Saunders said yesterday Statistical Institute, forthe digital format as will the not merly known only transformofhow data is Department Statistics, managed analysed, the but has been and conducting also change way data is is census since the 1970, which collected. held every ten years.

“Census workers do The census was will schedall data diguled to collection take placeusing in 2020 ital devices, whichdue means but was delayed to all census data, pandemic, no matter the COVID-19 which other collection among reasons.method is Over used,1,600 willworkers be directly have uploaded, and been hired validated to assist with processed in real-time by data collection for this a robust software solution year’s census. that was pioneered and co-financed by the World Bank,” she said.

“For the online census, there will be a questionnaire that individuals can complete from the comfort of their homes, anytime of the day, and at their leisure.

Via telephone, census enumerators will administer the questionnaire over the

Friday, April 1, 2022, PAGE 11

CHIEF Census Officer Kim Saunders. phone. Finally, traditional in-person interviews will also be conducted.”

But in order to choose, individuals must first take part in the pre-census listing exercise. Census listers are currently in the field conducting the exercise to create a National Register of Households and to

collect household contact information.

Listers will ask three to five short questions and will have brief talks about obtaining individuals’ household contacts. Assistant Director Clara Lowe added that people will not have to come outside to answer questions and can

$25 OF MARIJUANA? FINE

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A 23-YEAR-OLD man who was found with $25 worth of marijuana must pay 20 times that amount to avoid spending a month in

prison.

Police arrested Dario Dawkins after they found five grams of Indian hemp on him on August 12.

He pleaded guilty to one count of possession of Indian hemp when he appeared before Senior

Magistrate Derence Rolle Davis.

The prosecution said officers on mobile patrol observed Dawkins walking on Ferguson Street in a suspicious manner. As a result, they approached him and informed him

SPORTS PAGE 12

School Golf, Page 17

FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2022

FTX makes donation to teams ahead of CARIFTA

ENGLAND VS AUSTRALIA IN WOMEN’S CRICKET WCUP FINAL

By STEVE MCMORRAN AP Sports Writer

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

incredible things they do in meaningful ways,” he said. “We are committed to doing our part to making an impressive difference in our communities. We will continue to do this and

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Defending champion England will face six-time champion Australia in the final of the Women’s Cricket World Cup after beating South Africa by 137 runs yesterday in the tournament’s second semifinal at Christchurch.

Australia beat the West Indies by 157 runs in the first of the semifinals Wednesday.

England began the tournament with three straight losses but sealed its place in back-to-back finals with a massive form reversal which culminated Thursday in its fifth consecutive victory.

Opener Danni Wyatt made a career-best 129 from 125 balls as England posted 293-8 after being asked by South Africa to bat first.

Anya Shrubsole claimed the critical wicket of opener Laura Wolvaardt for a duck in the second over South Africa’s reply and Sophie Ecclestone took 6-36 — the best figures of the

SEE PAGE 13

SEE PAGE 15

F

TX Digital Markets made a major contribution to youth development and the CARIFTA movement as the country’s elite junior athletes prepare for regional competition.

The organisation announced a donation of $120,000 which includes an allocation of $100,000 to the overall effort of being present at CARIFTA and $10,000 each to the respective federations that will be participating.

Both events will be hosted concurrently April 15-18, with the Swimming Championships hosted in Bridgetown, Barbados while Track and Field takes place in Kingston, Jamaica.

“This is the first gift that FTX is going to be making as it specifically relates to athletics here in The Bahamas. We are finding ways to make a contribution and support the government of The Bahamas and their efforts to get our athletes

SHOWN, from left to right, are Kelsie Johnson, Mike Sands, Valdez Russell, Zoe Gibson-Bowleg, Mario Bowleg, Eugene Poitier, Gena Culmer-Taylor and Drumeco Archer. to the CARIFTA Games,” said Valdez Russell, FTX vice president of communications and corporate social responsibility. “In addition to the funding we will provide to the Government of The Bahamas we are also going to inject

$10,000 to the Bahamas Swimming Federation and another $10,000 to the BAAAs specifically to go toward the athletes and the causes that will go toward them delivering impressive performances in the coming weeks.”

Russell added that FTX will continue to seek ways to solidify its position in the Bahamian community as a socially responsible corporate citizen.

“At FTX our commitment is to support Bahamians and the

RISING HOOPS STAR RHEMA COLLINS HAPPY TO RETURN HOME

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net AFTER helping Webb School clinch their second consecutive senior girls basketball title in Cookeville, Tennessee, rising young basketball sensation Rhema Collins was happy to return home to spend time with her family and get some good old home cooking.

Collins, the 17-year-old, 6-foot, 2-inch forward, played an integral part in Webb’s 68-48 win over Middle Tennessee Christian School on March 5 in the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association Division II Class A championship.

The 11th grader, in her first year at Webb, has been playing basketball for the past 10 years, including a stint at both Jordan Prince Williams High and St John’s College before she left to go to Schoolhouse Prep in Miami, Florida, and eventually transferred to Tennessee.

“It’s a great feeling. This has been my dream since I was little,”

Collins said. “I always told my brothers that I want to win a state championship and we did.”

Playing on the team coached by Matt Shewmake and Eric Brewton, Collins was called upon to do a lot of rebounding and to keep her opponents from imposing their will inside the paint.

“The competition was tough,” Collins admitted. “The girls play with a lot of hunger. Nobody just lays down and allows you to beat them. We had to fight for everything we wanted.”

Home on spring break before she returns to Tennessee on Sunday, Collins said she just wanted to spend some time with her family, including her parents Angela and Steve Collins and four brothers, whom she hasn’t seen in a while.

Of course, the other thing she was excited to do at home was to eat a lot of Bahamian food, especially her favourite being snappers and peas and rice, which she claimed she can’t get in Tennessee.

When she returns to Tennessee, she will prepare to play in

RHEMA COLLINS, left, with her mother Angela Collins. the AAU Tournament from April to July. Then it’s back to Webb to begin preparing for her senior year and the journey to college where she intends to pursue a

degree in sports medicine, if her goal of playing professionally in the Women’s National Basketball Association as a pro overseas doesn’t work out.

To those Bahamians, whom she played with and against and are still trying to live out their dreams of playing basketball, Collins advised them not to give up.

“Just keep going, Don’t give up.

You can’t just sit around and do nothing because it’s not going to come just like that,” she said.

“Hard work brings talent and talent doesn’t work hard.”

Her mother Angela Collins said she’s overwhelmed by the achievement of her daughter.

“I am so blessed to have a talented daughter like her. She’s focused,” she noted. “I’m very excited and I am one very proud parent. It’s very good to have her home because she lives so far away and I really don’t travel like that.”

Angela Collins said eventually the goal is to be in the stands watching and cheering her on.

“She’s growing up and she has a mind of her own, so as long as

it’s something positive to take her through life, I’m happy for her,” the elder Collins lamented.

“I believe she will be going to the WNBA.” She noted that they are looking forward to Rhema Collins setting the sporting platform for the family and after earning the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture Rising Star Award last year, the younger Collins acknowledged that she is ready for the challenge.

Collins admitted that school has been going great so far off the court and she’s looking forward to completing the year in May. And after playing on the junior national team at the age of 14, Collins said she will be willing and ready to represent the Bahamas again if her number is called to make another international trip.

Collins thanked coaches Terrance ‘Red-Eye’ McSweeney from the Diamond Basketball Development Programme, Varel Davis from the Bahamas junior girls national team, and the faculty and staff of St John’s College for the role they all played in her life.

FIFA sets World Cup Final Four coaches draw seedings with feel transfer portal is ‘out of control’ updated rankings

By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The United States received a boost for the World Cup draw and Canada took a hit in yesterday’s updated FIFA rankings.

The Americans, who failed to qualify for the last World Cup, will be in Pot 2 after being ranked 15th in the world.

Canada, which won the North American qualifying group and will play at the tournament for the first time in 36 years, missed a chance for a rankings boost by losing at Panama 1-0 in its final qualifier.

Instead, Canada will be among the lowest seeded teams in Pot 4. The eight groups for the tournament in Qatar

SEE PAGE 15

FLAGS of some of the qualified countries for the World Cup wave at the seafront in Doha, Qatar on Tuesday. The draw for the World Cup will be held in Doha on April 1.

(AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jeff Walz has had a lot of success getting players to transfer to Louisville over the last few years, including three starters on his Final Four team this season.

He’s not the only coach in the Final Four who has bolstered the roster by using the transfer portal as both South Carolina and UConn have found supplemental players from it.

Still Walz, Dawn Staley and Geno Auriemma think the amount of players looking to change schools is getting out of control.

“I always like to say, ‘The grass is greener on the other side because it’s fertilized with a bunch of bull,’”

Louisville coach Jeff Walz said.

“I think there are a lot of players that will jump into the portal after one year that don’t really have a good grasp of why they’re doing it.”

Staley likened the portal to Twitter, Instagram or TikTok. “It’s a big ol’ fad that just keeps continuing,” she said. “Is it out of hand? It absolutely is. I don’t know how you control it. But it’s their way. It’s their way of controlling their own destinies.”

Both Staley and Auriemma noted that there were currently more players seeking to transfer than

there were scholarships available across the country.

“You know those 850 people in the portal? Three hundred of them are not going to find a school to go to because they’re going to realise it’s not the school they just left,” Auriemma said.

Despite the reservations, they’re still playing along.

Emily Engstler (Syracuse), Kianna Smith (California) and Chelsie Hall (Vanderbilt) have been key for Louisville. Engstler and Hall just joined the program this season.

When Engstler was considering the Cardinals, Walz

SEE PAGE 13

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, April 1, 2022, PAGE 13

ORJAN LINDROTH MEMORIAL OPEN CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP

Local chess community hosting several masters of the sport, 3 grandmasters

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net THE local chess community is currently hosting several masters of the sport from across the globe at the Orjan Lindroth Memorial Open Chess Championship.

Hosted through April 3 at the Old Fort Bay clubhouse, the event will include three grandmasters and is the first international chess tournament held in The Bahamas to be organised and hosted by Bahamians.

To open the tournament, Norwegian grandmaster Johan-Sebastian Christiansen played a simultaneous exhibition match against 20 Bahamians, including 10 juniors.

Christiansen was awarded the titles International Master, in 2015, and Grandmaster, in 2018, by FIDE. This year’s tournament features a cash prize of $16,500. The event format will be a seven-round Swiss tournament with 90 minute + 30 second increment.

The sections will include open and U1700. Prizes will be awarded to - best performance rated U2200, bet performance rated U2000 and best local performance (floating trophy).

Carver Moncur, president of the Bahamas Chess Institute, said the tournament provides exposure for local players at all ages an opportunity to asses their skill level against elite competition.

“We have a lot of title players at this event. It gives the local players

an opportunity to play against high-classed players. These players at this level, we would have to travel to compete against and that requires great sponsorship,” he said. “It makes it difficult for us to grow just competing against each other, we are in a small pool in competition with the local community, but it is good to receive this kind of exposure against this talent.”

Lindroth was described as an avid chess player and supporter of the Bahamas Chess Federation.

“Mr Lindroth’s generous contributions to The Bahamas Chess Federation gave inner city kids an opportunity to learn chess and to travel to compete for The Bahamas at international competitions,” the organisation said in a release.

“His support assisted the BCF in outreach efforts, made it possible for the first female Bahamas Olympiad team to participate at the 2018 Olympiad and enabled BCF to host a grandmaster in The Bahamas to train senior and junior players. Mr Lindroth’s love for The Bahamas and his love for chess manifested itself through his donation of books and software to the BCF and the annual sponsorship of numerous BCF events and tournaments most notably the Old Fort Bay Tournament.

In 2017, in recognition of Orjan’s significant contributions to the growth of chess in The Bahamas, BCF named the trophy for the National Chess Championship ‘the Orjan Lindroth Floating Trophy’.

THE ORJAN Lindroth Memorial Open Chess Championship is being hosted at the Old Fort Bay clubhouse through April 3. The event, which stars several masters of the sport from across the globe, will include three grandmasters and is the first international chess tournament held in The Bahamas to be organised and hosted by Bahamians.

BUCKS TOP NETS, GIANNIS PASSES KAREEM FOR TEAM SCORING LEAD NEW YORK (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become Milwaukee’s career scoring leader on a 3-pointer that forced overtime, and then made two free throws in the final seconds to give the Bucks a 120-119 victory over the Brooklyn Nets last night.

The defending NBA champions clinched a return to the postseason with the win, in which Antetokounmpo had 44 points, 14 rebounds and six assists. Jrue Holiday added 19 points and Khris Middleton had 16 before being ejected for a flagrant foul midway through the third quarter.

Kevin Durant had 26 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds for the Nets, but missed a 3-pointer that would have won it. Kyrie Irving scored 25 points and Bruce Brown had 23.

Antetokounmpo entered the game 39 points behind Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA’s career scoring leader who had 14,211 points after beginning his career in Milwaukee. Antetokounmpo passed him with a 3-pointer with 18 seconds left.

HAWKS 131, CAVALIERS 107 ATLANTA (AP) — Trae Young scored 30

points and surging Atlanta never trailed while beating short-handed Cleveland and clinching a spot in the Eastern Conference playin tournament.

Cedi Osman led Cleveland with 21 points. Darius Garland had 18 points and eight assists while sitting out the final quarter of the blowout loss. Cleveland has lost two straight and five of six as it attempts to keep the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference.

Young had nine assists as the Hawks’ fourth consecutive win clinched no worse than the No. 10 spot in the Eastern Conference. Kevin Huerter had 23 points and Clint Capela added 12 points with 14 rebounds.

PISTONS 102, 76ERS 94 DETROIT (AP) — Saddiq Bey scored 10 of his 20 points in the final 4:23 as Detroit pulled away down the stretch and beat Philadelphia.

Cade Cunningham scored 27 points for Detroit, which snapped a three-game losing streak and had a 39-8 edge in scoring off the bench. Joel Embiid had 37 points and 15 rebounds and James Harden finished with 18 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the 76ers.

PORTAL

The women’s team at that time played in a smaller gym, the Pavilion, next door to Williams Arena where the Minnesota men’s team has played since 1928.

A water pipe burst that winter, moving the women’s team into the bigger venue.

The Gophers were on a roll, and the first game in the building known as “The Barn” was packed to the rafters.

“From that point on, we continued the rest of the season playing in the Barn in front of unbelievable crowds,” Walz said.

SOUTH CAROLINA SUPPORT The Gamecocks have led the nation in average attendance for seven straight years, buoyed by a base of more than 10,000 season tickets.

Despite the 1,200-mile distance from campus to downtown Minneapolis, there will be plenty

FROM PAGE 12 went to Mykasa Robinson to discuss how her role would likely shrink if Engstler were to come and gauge her comfort level.

“She looked at me, and she’s like, ‘I’m tired of guarding her. If we can get her, yes, because she likes to win, and she wants to play with other good players,’” Walz said.

FOND MEMORY Walz spent one season at Minnesota on his climb up the coaching ladder, serving as an assistant under current Maryland coach Brenda Frese.

That was 20 years ago, when Hall of Fame finalist Lindsay Whalen was a sophomore for the Gophers on a breakthrough team that reached the Final Four two seasons later.

MILWAUKEE Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) is defended by Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant and Patty Mills (8) during the second half of an NBA basketball game last night in New York. The Bucks won 120-119 in overtime.

(AP Photo/Noah K Murray) BULLS 135, CLIPPERS 130, OT CHICAGO (AP) — DeMar DeRozan scored a season-high 50 points and Chicago rallied to beat Los Angeles in overtime.

DeRozan finished two points shy of his career high. The five-time AllStar scored 17 in the fourth quarter, though he missed the go-ahead free throw in the closing seconds of regulation after making the first

of garnet-and-black-clad South Carolina fans voicing their support tonight when the Gamecocks take on Louisville.

“They’ve been with us when we weren’t a popular team or we weren’t a whole lot to cheer about,” Staley said.

“This is my 14th year being at South Carolina, but the last probably 10, the fans have given us a ride that’s kind of irreplaceable.”

One of the catalysts for the attendance boom was giving fans as much as access to the programme as they could, to build relationships and let the locals get to know the players as people.

“You really feel the love in the community,” guard Brea Beal said. “You can go to the store and run into somebody and they’re like, oh my gosh, just freaking out. It’s like a family.”

two attempts to tie it. He then scored 10 in overtime.

Chicago moved a half-game ahead of sixthplace Toronto with five remaining.

Nikola Vucevic added 22 points and 14 rebounds.

Zach LaVine scored 21 as the Bulls won for the third time in four games.

JAZZ 122, LAKERS 109 SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points and Rudy Gobert had 25 points and 17 rebounds as the Utah Jazz snapped a five-game losing streak with a 122-109 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Jordan Clarkson scored 19 points, Mike Conley added 18 and Bojan Bogdanovic 11 in his return from injury as the Jazz continued their fight to stay out of a Western Conference play-in game.

Utah led wire-to-wire, the fourth game of the season in which it never trailed. But, the Lakers stayed within striking distance until Gobert slammed down Mitchell’s miss to make it 120-104 with 2:54 to play.

Russell Westbrook scored 24 points and Dwight Howard had 21 points and 14 rebounds for LA, who were without LeBron James (ankle sprain) and Anthony Davis (foot sprain). Howard even hit a step-back three as he reached double figures for 2nd time in last 12 games.

CARIFTA

FROM PAGE 1 we will continue to partner with organisations that are influencing change to improve the quality of lives for Bahamians. It is my hope that as they return to The Bahamas in the next few weeks, they will bring home every possible gold medal.”

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg said both teams will look to continue their recent levels of success after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID19 pandemic.

“The Bahamas are the defending champions in swimming. It is unfortunate that our water polo teams will not get an opportunity to defend their titles because that segment of the championships was cancelled due to insufficient team entries. Our swimmers will definitely make a splash, will successfully defend their title and return home with the title as expected.

“The Austin Sealey award is presented to the most outstanding athlete at the track and field championships and the Bahamas has won this award seven times. We are looking forward to adding another to our collection,” he said. “These achievements by our athletes will not go unnoticed and I am pleased to know that companies such as FTX have taken up the baton and have partnered with the Government of the Bahamas and federations to ensure that these teams can make this trip possible.”

Bahamas Aquatics recently named a 36-member team to compete in Barbados. Team Bahamas is hoping to go for their fourth title after winning three straight before the event was halted for the past two years.

Travano McPhee is the head coach, assisted

by Camron Bruney and Andrew Loveitt.

The team manager is Andrea Strapp.

Courtney Barr is the female chaperone and Patrick Ferguson is the male chaperone.

In 2019, The Bahamas scored a total of 889.5 points to take the title with a total of 73 medals - 35 gold, 18 silver and 20 bronze.

At the conclusion of the CARIFTA trials this weekend, the BAAA is expected to select, ratify and name the final team that will represent the country at the return of the games in Jamaica.

The trials are scheduled to begin 5pm Friday and conclude with the final session, starting at 2pm on Saturday.

BAAAs President Drumeco Archer added his thanks to FTX for the investment in both programmes.

“My heart is warmed and my soul is dining with glee to see that through your contributions today, we have invested in the future prospects of team Bahamas.

As we pack our bags with tennis shoes and spikes, with the aquamarine, black and gold uniforms, with the BAHAMAS written on the front of our shirts, we intend to bring a bountiful yield and a glorious return on your investment.”

PAGE 14, Friday, April 1, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

To Publish your Financials and

Legal Notices Call: 502-2394

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, April 1, 2022, PAGE 15

FLOWERS: CLUBHOUSE WILL SEPARATE JUNIORS FROM THE ADULTS

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net WITH the driving range and nine-hole golf course now in full operation, businessman Craig Flowers said they will now focus on the construction of a clubhouse that will separate the juniors from the adults.

Flowers, who took on the responsibility of creating the present facilities at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex, was making his remarks as he watched the completion of the BGF’s National High School Championships on Monday.

“We just submitted a document over the week or two for the construction of a clubhouse,” Flowers revealed. “The clubhouse will encompass and achieve the one thing that we feel is needed here, a separation of a golf academy for the juniors and the adults who are here.

“We would like to put the grown ups in an area where they can enjoy themselves with a bottle of beer or a glass of wine and does not impede the presence of the junior golf programme.”

Flowers, the owner of FML Group of Companies, is seeking approval for the construction of $4 million

clubhouse that we are going to includes a sports see some amazbar complex on ing things come the top level and out of this facility at the bottom here.” level will be the It is hoped that golf academy. through the facilIn the golf ity when fully academy, the completed, the golfers will Bahamas can have access to see the next Roy locker rooms Bowe, Prince FLOWERS with showers, a ‘Zorro’ Stubbs computer room and a gym- and Jim Duncombe, who all nasium and an educational passed away, but left their and study hall. “We want to mark on the golfing fraterprovide everything that is nity from the old par-three needed for a golf academy Baillou Hills Golf Course. for the juniors,” he said.

No doubt, Flowers said “Then we want to move they are also looking for the to the level where we have next golf executive to fill qualified instructors, who the shoes of the late Fred have gotten their certifica- Higgs, Calvin Cooper and tion, in order to teach the Ambrose Gouthro, who game of golf.” pioneered at the adminisWith the influx of players trative level. participating in the junior “The good thing is that development programme, we didn’t allow the one headed by Gina Gonzalez- game that gave us some Rolle and the Fourteen pleasure to get away from Clubs Golf Academy, the us,” he said. “It’s certainly brainchild of Georgette an honour for me to have Rolle-Harris, Flowers said been chosen to lead in some the construction of the way to produce a facility clubhouse comes at the like this. ideal time.

“I know there are some “It’s all about the future,” others in the federation he said. “It’s a bright and who would be seeking to gloomy and glittering try and emulate or provide future that is ahead of us some of the energy that and we just need to pay our forefathers produced, attention and give the kids including Ken Francis and access to this property and Cyril Vanderpool.”

In 2000 when Agatha Delancy became the president of the BGF, Flowers was serving as the vice president and together, they lobbied to the government for a piece of property for the BGF. After they declined the offer of a parcel of land on Blake Road, Flowers said they agitated with Neville Wisdom, the then Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, granting the BGF to construct just a driving range.

Initially, the idea was to construct the driving range in the opposite direction that it presently sits from south to north, rather than west to west to ensure that the golfers were not adversely affected by the sun in their faces.

With a lot of debris and heavy equipment on the ground, Flowers said Emile and Irving Knowles were contracted to remove the rubbish before efforts were made to contact a group out of Lyford Cay to provide consultation on an irrigation system to be implemented in the ground.

About $4 million later, Flowers said they have provided the driving range and a nine-hole golf course that is now being used as an alternative.

“As government changes, the most promising cycle I can speak to was when Charles Maynard was the Minister of Sports and he was told that Craig Flowers, a stewart of the PLP, was in the back here digging up the ground without a permit,” Flowers recalled.

“When Charles came, the driving range had already been completed and we were putting the rocks around the trees to preserve the landmark there.

He called me and told me that he changed his mind and with or without any documents, you have my support.”

Maynard, according to Flowers, advised him that any land he needed up to the National Park in Big Pond, which is adjacent to the facilities, he could utilise and that was how the construction of the ninehole golf course got started.

“He came here every month, at least once a month and inquired as to how I was progressing,” Flowers said. “If there was one minister who took an interest in how this place was progressing, it was Charles Maynard.”

Unfortunately, Maynard passed away before Flowers completed the facility.

He tipped his hat off to

Cyclists continue season with 30-mile cycling race around Clifton Heritage Park

THE New Providence Cycling Association continued its cycling season on Sunday with a 30-mile cycling race around the Clifton Heritage Park site.

Kevin Daley emerged as the winner in one hour, 14 minutes and 31 seconds. He was followed by John Cox in 1hr:19.12 and Felix Neely in 1hr:19.13.

The other finishers in the open male category were

Dorian Roach, Gordon McKenzie, Eddie Bethell, Giles Sawyer, Barron Musgrove Jr and Jeff Tynes.

In the divisional categories, Daley took the seniors over Cox, Neely, McKenzie and Sawyer in that order.

Roach took senior II over Bethell and Tynes, while Musgrove Jr was the junior winner.

Adam Potter claimed the masters crown.

CRICKET

which clinched its semifinal spot.

Still, it was the underdog when the semifinals began and Wyatt upended expectations with an extraordinary innings which unfolded with the assistance of the South Africa fielders who dropped her five times, at 22, 36, 77, 116 and 118.

Wyatt wasn’t used as an opener at the start of the tournament but was forced into that role and came into her own at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

South Africa’s bowlers either were too full or too short and Wyatt reveled in the opportunities the errant length and width provided.

She hit powerfully through the offside forward of point and rifled short balls to the boundary behind square.

“My plan was to capitalize on any width and run well between the wickets, just play my game,” Wyatt said. “There have been a few good catches taken off me in the tournament.

It was nice to have a few dropped today.”

FROM PAGE 12 tournament — as England bowled out the South Africans for 156 in 38 overs.

Wolvaardt had been the leading batter at the tournament with scores of 41, 75, 77, 67, 90, 3 and 80, for 433 runs at 61.8, prior to the semifinals. Her early loss was a massive blow to South Africa’s hopes of reaching its first World Cup final.

South Africa came into the tournament ranked second in the world behind Australia and played to that ranking. Its only loss in the eight-team round-robin was to Australia, which is unbeaten ahead of Sunday’s final.

England, after its early losses to Australia, the West Indies and South Africa, steadily improved and, playing knockout cricket through its last five matches, fully turned the corner with wins over host New Zealand and India

England lost opener Tammy Beaumont in the fourth over but Wyatt held together the innings and built partnerships whenever possible. The best produced 116 runs for the fifth wicket with Sophie Dunkley, who made 60 from 72 balls.

Wyatt finally was out in the 45th over but England’s total was made more substantial by Sophie Ecclestone, who hit 24 runs from 11 balls before falling to the last ball of the innings.

Shrubsole then knocked off the top of the South Africa innings when she dismissed Wolvaardt and Lizelle Lee within the first four overs.

Ecclestone then produced an outstanding performance to ensure South Africa had no chance of recovering, living up to her billing as the No. 1-ranked bowler in women’s one-day internationals.

“Sophie has been brilliant for us,” England captain Heather Knight said. “That’s her first fivefor in international cricket

and I thought she bowled outstandingly.

She and Charlie Dean were really good on a wicket which had a little bit in it for them.”

Knight said England would start as long shots again in the final against Australia on Sunday.

“I think we’re going in as underdogs for sure but it’s

Maynard, who encouraged him to continue in creating the facility to what it is today.

At present, Flowers said he nor the BGF have any official documents from the government, who had indicated that they would assist in constructing a proper clubhouse and the landscaping.

But without any commitment from any government since he began the project, Flowers said he has now decided on the construction of the clubhouse over the next year and-a-half, once they can get the approval.

In addition to Delancy, who was around with him from day one, Flowers said the late Yvonne Shaw, a former secretary of the BGF, left her signature on the facility by planting the flowers and fruit bearing trees that are flourishing on the property. He also noted that the bridge on the lake bore a Poinciana tree that Shaw begged Flowers not to uproot it and after her death, they named the area, the Yvonne Shaw Island.

“She made an impact on their facility and nobody can ever question her love for this property,” he said.

“She will forever be here as long as these grounds are opened to play golf.”

FIFA

FROM PAGE 12 will be drawn today from four pots. Qatar gets the top-seeded slot given to the World Cup host nation despite being ranked No. 51.

The other top-seeded teams are Brazil, Belgium, defending champion France, Argentina, England, Spain and Portugal.

Brazil took over as the No. 1 team from Belgium, the first change as the top in three years. Sixth-ranked Italy is the only team from the top 10 that failed to qualify.

Besides the United States, Pot 2 includes Mexico, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Uruguay, Switzerland and Croatia, while in Pot 3 it’s Senegal, Iran, Japan, Morocco, Serbia, Poland, South Korea and Tunisia.

Three of the 32 entries are still unknown because qualifying hasn’t been completed. Those three entries have all been placed in Pot 4 regardless of the rankings of the teams involved.

No. 18 Wales is the highestranked of the eight teams left in the playoffs.

The rest of Pot 4 includes Cameroon Ecuador, Saudi Arabia and Ghana along with Canada.

Teams from the same continent will be placed in different groups, except for some Europeans.

Europe has 13 teams in the tournament and five of the eight groups will each get two teams from the continent. The other three groups each get one European team.

Qatar kicks off its home World Cup in the opening game of Group A on November 21. The final is scheduled for December 18 — the host’s National Day.

a fresh slate isn’t it?” she said. “It’s a fresh slate on the morning of the game and what a story will be written for us if we can do it,” she added.

PAGE 16, Friday, April 1, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

MINISTER BOWLEG PRESENTS AWARDS AT

MINISTER of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg presented a number of awards to participants in the Bahamas Golf Federation’s National School Golf Championships at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex Golf Range on March 28.

Photos by Eric Rose/BIS

Masters ‘22: Anticipations of roars, and plenty of mystery

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — The anticipation is greater than ever for the return of the roars to Augusta National. Even greater is the mystery surrounding the Masters, on so many levels.

It’s not just about trying to get a sense of who might be best suited for a green jacket on the second Sunday of April, especially with the choices running deeper than ever.

Ten of the top 20 players in the world already are major champions.

It’s about who might be playing — Tiger Woods.

And to a lesser extent, it’s about who will be missing — Phil Mickelson.

Mind you, the Masters never needs a bump. Mainstream sports fans get in the mood at the start of the year upon hearing the opening three chords of “Augusta”

by Dave Loggins, the theme song CBS plays in promotional commercials.

TO ADVERTISE TODAY IN THE TRIBUNE CALL @ 502-2394

The warmth of the Florida swing brings golf’s annual rite of spring that much closer.

And then social media accounts came alive Tuesday — nine days before the April 7 start of the 86th Masters — with screenshots of various charts tracking a plane from South Florida to Augusta, a private jet registered to Woods.

He played 18 holes, according to a person on the grounds, presumably to see if his body could handle walking and playing the undulating terrain of Augusta National.

Is the five-time Masters champion really going to play just 14 months after his right leg was so badly damaged in a car crash outside Los Angeles that Woods said doctors contemplated amputation?

“I think for golf and for the Masters tournament and for everyone, to have Tiger there would be phenomenal,” Rory McIlroy said. “Anything Tiger Woods does in the game of golf is heightened whenever he’s there. It would be awesome for him to be there.

“Obviously, no one knows but him if he can make it around and if he believes he can compete.”

His only competition since the 2020 Masters in November was the PNC Championship with his son, Charlie. They played a scramble format. Woods

rode in a cart on a flat Flor- 25-year-old from Texas winida course. They finished ning against three strong second. fields in the last six weeks.

If he decides not to play, Eight of the top 10 playit would be the first Masters ers in the world are 30 or without Woods or Mickel- younger. The exception is son since 1994, when Woods 37-year-old Dustin Johnwas a senior in high school son, who has been No. 1 and Mickelson was out with longer than any player since a broken leg from skiing. In Woods, and McIlroy, that the last 25 years, they have grizzled veteran at age 32. combined for eight green Scheffler took over the jackets. top spot from Jon Rahm, Mickelson got into so the 27-year-old U.S. Open much hot champion water with a and the betseries of comting favourite. ments that Right behind managed to them is Collin offend just Morikawa, about evewho won two ryone — the majors before Saudis puthe was 25 and ting up the old enough money, Greg to rent a car.

Norman using Behind him that money is Viktor to push for Hovland, the PHIL Mickelson (AP) a rival golf 24-year-old circuit, and from Norway. the PGA Tour that MickelThe depth of young son accused of “obnoxious talent hasn’t been this progreed” — that Lefty is sit- nounced in some 40 years. ting this one out. He hasn’t Justin Thomas already has been seen on the golf 14 wins — a major, Players course in two months.

Championship and FedEx All this drama, and Cup title — and he comes there’s plenty of the con- into the Masters having ventional variety inside the gone more than a year since yellow ropes that line the his last title. emerald green fairways of “It just goes to show the Augusta National. level of golf that’s being Most striking about this played,” Thomas said. “I’ve year is how clearly youth played some pretty damn has taken over. Scottie good golf, and if you’re Scheffler arrives at the Mas- not winning tournaments, ters as the No. 1 player in you’re getting lapped right the world, the result of the now.”

If there is a sense of urgency, it might belong to McIlroy. And few others would benefit as much if Woods were to play and cast his enormous shadow over the sport.

McIlroy was 25 when he won the 2014 British Open at Royal Liverpool for the third leg of the career Grand Slam. He has come to the Masters every year since then — this is No. 8 — with expectations of joining the most elite group in golf.

Only five players have won all four majors.

He has not finished closer than six shots the previous seven attempts. A year ago, McIlroy missed the cut for the first time since 2010.

“I’m way more comfortable with my game, I’m happy with where everything is,” he said.

While there is no shortage of candidates among the game’s best, finding players in great form is a little more difficult. Scheffler is riding high, no doubt.

But unlike some years when all the best arrived at Augusta with that winning feeling, only two players from the top 10 — Scheffler and Cameron Smith of Australia — have won this year.

Among the early winners was the defending champion, Hideki Matsuyama, who won the Sony Open in a playoff in January.

But his road to Augusta took a detour when he felt

soreness in his neck and shoulder and skipped two big events.

He returns to a louder Augusta National. There were no paying fans in November 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

A limited gallery was allowed last year — the best guess was about 8,000 — to see Matsuyama become the first Japanese player to win a green jacket.

Now it’s back to being a full house for the first time since 2019, when Augusta National was rocking with chants of “Tiger! Tiger!

Tiger!” Woods completed a most remarkable comeback from four back surgeries to win a fifth Masters, one short of Jack Nicklaus.

Is another possible?

Can he compete at age 46, with twice as many surgeries as green jackets?

Padraig Harrington wonders if it even matters, so long as expectations are tempered.

“If he wants to come back and do nothing but wave to the crowd, we’re all thrilled. If he wants to come back and play nice golf and wave to the crowd, we’re all thrilled,” Harrington said.

“If he’s good enough to come back and win majors, we’re all thrilled.

“You don’t want him falling into the category of getting frustrated, or other people expecting him to come back and wanting him to be what they remember.”

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, April 1, 2022, PAGE 17

NATIONAL SCHOOL GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS

NATIONAL SCHOOL GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS - Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg presented a number of awards to participants in the Bahamas Golf Federation’s National School Golf Championships at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex Golf Range on March 28.

Photos by Eric Rose/BIS

Osaka rallies, tops Bencic to make Miami Open women’s final

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Sports Writer MIAMI GARDENS, Florida (AP) — Naomi Osaka’s eyes welled with tears when her match ended, an all-too-familiar scene for her in recent years. These were of the happy variety.

For the former world No. 1, that’s major progress.

The unseeded Osaka defeated No. 22 Belinda Bencic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 yesterday in the Miami Open semifinals. She’s in a championship match for the first time since the 2021 Australian Open, and will meet either No. 16 Jessica Pegula or No. 2 Iga Swiatek on Saturday.

“Damn, I’m almost crying,” Osaka said.

Maybe not even almost.

She hid her face in an orange towel a few times right after the match ended, at least one tear clearly making its way down her right cheek. Osaka entered this tournament ranked No. 77 in the world, will leave Miami no worse than 36th and would be back in the

top 30 if she wins the title.

It has been a long, trying and often emotional ride for Osaka since her win in the 2018 US Open final over Serena Williams. She was rattled during a loss at Indian Wells on March 12 following a derogatory shout from a spectator, withdrew from last year’s French Open to address her mental state and left last year’s US Open in tears.

But in South Florida, one of the places she considers home, it’s been all support from the fans. “From the bottom of my heart, thank you,” Osaka told them in her on-court interview.

Daniil Medvedev came into the tournament as the No. 2-ranked men’s player in the world. Hubert Hurkacz ensured he will stay there.

Hurkacz — the No. 8 seed and defending Miami champion — wore down the top-seeded and crampriddled Medvedev 7-6 (7), 6-3 yesterday in a men’s quarterfinal.

“Every muscle just went ‘cramp, cramp, cramp, cramp,’” Medvedev said.