04042024 NEWS AND SPORT

Govt escalating pressure on Port Authority over claim of money owed

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THE Davis administration has sent a demand letter to the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA), giving it 30 days to pay more

bers facing up to 25 years in prison. The legislation detailed how gang membership could be proven - with evidence, including people’s clothing, tattoos, body markings, signs or codes in their possession. Other evidence included confessions or evidence of criminal activity. Under the Anti-Gang Bill 2024, a police officer could also arrest a person without a warrant if there

Environmental concerns over Abaco barge stuck on reef

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According to residents, the barge and the tugboat were reportedly heading to Baker’s Bay, Abaco, last Wednesday with pea rock on board when it experienced rough seas and ended up stuck in Fowl Cay’s National Park, a protected area managed by the BNT.

The incident prompted area residents to carry out a rescue operation for some six people. Meanwhile, the BNT said it plans to conduct an initial damage assessment of the site to determine the extent of damage after the vessels have been removed.

“Our major concerns at this time are the direct impact to the reef and marine environment, and the risk of the sand onboard spilling into the water, which can smother corals and other organisms,” a senior official said.

Willis Levarity, who led rescue efforts, told The Tribune yesterday that he learned about the distressed barge and tugboat from a friend he had rescued in the past. The Abaco resident said when he arrived at the site, he met rescue teams there but “they were all afraid” due to the violent waves. He said crew members “didn’t realise how bad the waves were or how big the waves were until it was too late”.

“The seas were like 15-foot seas that day and they were coming, like I said earlier, under power and the waves took over the barge and the tug wasn’t able to gain control of the barge after the waves started washing in,” he said.

“When I got out there, the two guys on the tug because that was going down faster than the barge, they were getting into a rescue boat so I told them to get into it.”

Mr Levarity said he had to use a friend’s dinghy boat to rescue the remaining crew members on the barge.

“I was trying to figure out a way to get the guys off the barge, but I couldn’t get to

them so I had to go back into Guana Cay and I went and the first set of tourists I saw, I wanted to use their dinghy, but they were asking silly questions.”

The Abaco resident said someone else eventually helped him out, allowing him to rescue the remaining crew.

“So I got in and we went out there and that’s how we were able to rescue the other four guys off the barge by taking a dinghy and getting them one at a time and bringing them to my boat and we made that happen.”

Jeremy T Sweeting, chief councillor of the Hope Town District, said while officials are thankful that

nobody got hurt, they are concerned about the barge’s potential impact on coral reefs in the area. “That’s the big concern - the environmental repercussions that could happen if it stays there long term, possible oil and fuel spillage,” he added. “ As far as the district council is concerned, we definitely hope that operators of the barge remove this swiftly because we don’t want any further damage to the reef.”

The BNT said they are keeping a close eye on the situation and are in close communication with the vessels’ owners, the Port Department and the Department of

Environmental Planning and Protection.

“BNT’s chief park warden and enforcement staff are on-site daily closely monitoring the situation. We understand there is a salvage vessel onsite, and another vessel on the way, and teams are awaiting improved weather conditions to begin safe and effective salvage operations,” BNT added.

“After the vessels are removed, the BNT and our partners will conduct initial damage assessments to determine the extent and severity of the damage and determine the technical and financial resources needed for restoration and or mitigation.”

BARGE and tug boat encountered rough seas while on their way to deliver pea rock to Baker’s Bay ending up stranded on the reef in the Man-O-War Cay channel.

Up to 25 years jail for gang members in proposed law

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is “reasonable cause” to believe the person is a gang member, gang leader, or involved in gang activity.

The bill comes as the country continues to grapple with a murder rate that has seen 37 homicides so far this year. Many of the killings have been linked to gang retaliation. Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis in January promised his administration would introduce the “toughest anti-gang legislation ever”.

Within the bill, a “gang” is defined as a combination of three or more people formally or informally

organised and act alone or with each other in gangrelated activity. The Minister of National Security under the bill can make an application to the Supreme Court to declare that a group of people is a gang if there are “reasonable grounds” to believe the group is involved in gang activity. Any person aggrieved by the decision can appeal the decision to the Court of Appeal within 21 days.

In January, National Security Minister Wayne Munroe said the government was grappling with how to prove someone is a gang member.

Mr Munroe added there are times when it may be assumed a large group of people are in a gang, but there must be sufficient proof. He said redrafting the anti-gang legislation shouldn’t be rushed because it must first be fully effective.

The new bill has outlined evidence that could prove membership in a gang. The bill also states gang involvement could lead to imprisonment for several offences.

Under the bill, a person who is a gang leader or gang member can be jailed for up to 25 years. Additionally, a person

who commits an offence as a gang leader, or gang member, or intimidates another person into joining a gang could be jailed for up to seven years.

Gang activity was described as various acts of crime, including recruiting others to join gangs, retaliatory violence, kidnapping a person, threatening someone, or benefiting from a gang. A person engaged in gang-related activity could be liable to a fine of $100,000 or be jailed for up to 25 years. Any gang member involved in an act that leads to a death could face life in jail.

Anyone harbouring a gang member could also be jailed - with a possible sentence of up to 25 years. If the gang member or gang leader is a child, then the parent will be convicted for harbouring them. Meanwhile, young men being recruited to join gangs has been another ongoing challenge.

Some youths have joined gangs willingly while others have been intimidated to join. Police reported a 13-year-old boy in Grand Bahama was allegedly stabbed by a group of juveniles a few months ago after he refused to join a gang.

Within the bill, a person who recruits another person to join a gang could be jailed for up to 20 years. A person who recruits a child could face a 25-year sentence.

Anyone committing obstruction of justice by intimidating, threatening, or offering bribes to members of the justice system could also be jailed for up to 25 years. The bill also makes provisions for forfeiture of the property of a gang or property intended for gang-related activities. This also extends to anyone who knowingly benefits from gang-related activity.

Members of Parliament pay tribute to Don Saunders in House of Assembly

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THE murder of former Tall Pines MP Don Saunders is a clear sign that no one is safe from the carnage occurring in the country, said Central Grand Bahama MP Iram Lewis yesterday.

“We are all exposed; we are all vulnerable,” he said Wednesday in the House of Assembly as tributes were paid after Mr Saunders was shot dead last week in the Gambier Village area.

Mr Lewis said Mr Saunders was expecting to return to frontline politics.

“Don had plans of returning to this place, but we will never see that ever. He had so much more to give, and when I think about how it happened or what happened, it is just totally unbelievable,” he said.

MP Lewis said he was in total disbelief when a colleague called last week with the news.

“I said stop talking … something I can’t say in Parliament because I really did not believe it. When I found out it was indeed true, I mean shocked was putting it mildly in terms of my reaction.

“It was hard to believe such a young, brilliant,

enterprising nation builder was senselessly murdered.” Mr Lewis recalled when he first connected with Mr Saunders in 2017 on the campaign trail. He described him as a family man who was a very supportive husband to his wife, Tiffany, and a supportive father to his children, Danielle and Don, Jr. Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said the tragedy is an “unimaginable loss” for Bahamians and the nation.

“Don Saunders, former MP for Tall Pines’s death has cast a pall not only over

MITCHELL OUTRAGED BY ‘FILTHY STORIES’ OVER SAUNDERS’ MURDER

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunmedia.net

IN the wake of online stories following the death of former Free National Movement MP Don Saunders, Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell hit back at false narratives about the late MP’s death.

Mr Mitchell also dismissed claims that he attended a party of music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs. Mr Combs has been facing controversy due to sex trafficking allegations against him. Mr Mitchell said he doesn’t know Diddy from a “can of paint, adding it was another false story circulating.

these chambers, but over our entire nation. Today, as we endeavour to pay tribute to Don, the weight of sorrow and the struggle to comprehend this senseless loss are upon each of us.”

He said Don was a figure of immense integrity, a symbol whose light extended far beyond that of his political endeavours. “His commitment to our country, the principles of justice, and equity was unshaken. Yet, it is in the quiet reflection of his absence we find ourselves grappling with a profound sense of loss, a boy where

once stood a man of great conviction and even greater kindness.”

“The disbelief that grips us stems not from the manner of Don’s passing, but from the realization of all that has been stolen from us: wisdom, leadership, friendship. Don embodied the best of what we aspired to be as public servants.”

Mr Davis said Mr Saunders was dedicated, compassionate, and resolutely focused on the betterment of the Bahamas.

Mr Saunders was shot and killed in an armed robbery in Gambier Village on Wednesday of last week. Police said the former MP had brushed the hand of the culprit who held him at gunpoint during an armed robbery.

Mr Mitchell said there’s a view politicians have endless pockets of money just to give to anyone. “I say it in connection with this man’s death because knowing the personal circumstances of the sacrifice of his own life, you got to wonder what’s going to happen to this man’s family now,” Mr Mitchell said.

He added when tragedies happen that result in false narratives being spread, the deceased can’t defend themselves. He said it’s up to the family and friends of the deceased to protect their late loved ones.

Mr Mitchell explained by the law there’s no defamation of a dead person since defamation is considered an act to ruin someone’s reputation. The dead don’t have a reputation for ruin. He said the matter is something he and the Minister of National Security have been looking into. He didn’t give any further details.

Mr Mitchell said he was outraged by the “filthy stories” circulating about the tragic death of Mr Saunders. Mr Mitchell made his comments during the House of Assembly yesterday following other ministers who paid tribute to the former Tall Pines MP and deputy speaker of the House. “Then for the spinmeisters afterward to be running these nasty, filthy stories about this and that as if that excuses somebody being dead. Because the point is even if those things were the case that doesn’t excuse you being dead. It ain’t got nothing to do with it,” Mr Mitchell said.

FORMER MP DON SAUNDERS

Mitchell: Disclosures

‘none of your business’

that was granted to March 31, with Dr Minnis saying the need for an extension led to “people treating it as a joke”.

Mr Mitchell denied this, saying: “I want to assure the public that I take this matter deadly serious and I conform to the law as do all of my colleagues, we conform to the law.

“The Public Disclosure Commission has all the powers which it requires, if it needs to investigate anybody’s disclosure and can do so, free to look up and down inside and out, I ain’t got nothing no how, so. I just wanted to make that point.”

He reiterated his support

Increase in upper respiratory tract infections has been seen, says Darville

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

HEALTH Minister

Dr Michael Darville has noted an increase in upper respiratory tract infection in the country, noting that it is starting to trend downward.

“We are aware that there is an upper respiratory tract that is going around and we saw an uptick,” he said yesterday on the sidelines of the House of Assembly. “Our surveillance unit is monitoring the situation

and as you are aware the athletes during the swim meet there were circumstances, but we brought it under control. “I believe that now we are starting to see a downtrend, but there was a stomach bug that resulted in upper respiratory tract infections as well as vomiting and diarrhea.”

According to the Cleveland Clinic, an upper respiratory infection affects the upper part of your respiratory system, including your sinuses and throat. Upper respiratory infection symptoms include

a runny nose, sore throat, cough, fever, and fatigue.

Upper respiratory infections are contagious as it is passed from person to person through respiratory droplets or hand-to-hand contact.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness continues to reiterate the importance of adhering to essential preventative measures that limit the spread of the flu.

The public is encouraged to use clean water, wash their hands regularly and otherwise maintain good hygienic practices to prevent the flu.

for the public disclosure legislation not withstanding his “deposition to the press”.

Later during the evening session of Parliament, Mr Mitchell stood on a point of order to question Dr Minnis on “declaring one’s interest,” as it relates to a company connected to Dr Minnis, who, when asked if he owned the company, responded saying he is familiar with the entity.

Mr Mitchell said the company, as well as Dr Minnis’ father, Randolph Minnis, were beneficiaries of certain tax exemptions, and presented a document to Parliament with intentions to table it in the House.

Dr Minnis prompted

Minister Mitchell to table the document, to which Mr Mitchell asked: “I just wanted the member to say whether or not he is aware that these were beneficiaries of those exemptions because that’s what this table says, since you are a direct beneficiary of it, ought you not to have declared your interest when you spoke this whole policy?”

Dr Minnis responded saying he is not familiar with his father’s business adding that his father and family’s business has nothing to do with him. According to the Public Disclosure Act, the penalty for not disclosing is a $10,000 fine and/or up to two years in prison.

MPS PAY TRIBUTE TO DON SAUNDERS IN HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY

from page three

In his professional life, he said Don was a guardian of the law and an advocate for those without a voice. In his personal life, he was a source of strength and love for his family and friends.

Mr Davis said his passing has left a huge void, and called Mr Saunders “one of our own, a friend who laughed with us, debated alongside us, and dreamed with us for a brighter future for our beloved country”. He said: “The best way to honour Don’s memory is to continue this work with the same passion and commitment that he exemplified. In our collective mourning, let us also find collective

purpose inspired by the life and legacy of Don.” Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper, MP for Exuma and Ragged Island, said Don was a fellow Exumian whom he loved and respected.

“Don embodied the virtues of service, dedication, and integrity. As a fellow Exumian and alumnus of LN Coakley High School, he exemplified leadership and commitment from his early days as head boy,” he recalled.

According to Mr Cooper, the loss is not only a personal blow to his family, his wife, Tiffany, and their children, Danielle and Don, but also to the nation that has lost “a devoted servant”.

“I saw Don, Jr, at the Carifta Swim Championships last weekend. I congratulate Don, Jr, on his courage and strength as he persevered and competed despite this most tragic incident,” he said.

Mr Cooper said although he said a lot of things about the former administration, he never spoke ill of Don and vice versa. He believed that Don’s talents went unnoticed by the former administration. “Don could have done more had he been given more to do. In my opinion, his talents were unfortunately overlooked during the last administration which I found regrettable and unfortunate.”

FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER FRED MITCHELL

GBPA told to pay $300m in 30 days

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to follow its obligations under the Hawksbill Creek Agreement.

Representatives from the GBPA and the Office of the Prime Minister declined to comment when contacted by The Tribune yesterday.

Tension has been brewing publicly between the GBPA and the government since Mr Davis said last year that the authority is failing to maintain Freeport’s infrastructure and

facilitate the growth of the city.

The government has previously demanded that the GBPA reimburse it for costs incurred in providing public services in Freeport over and above what it has earned in tax revenues from the city.

The latest letter says the GBPA must pay the government within 30 days. It follows presentation of an account of costs to the government, plus 25 percent of those costs. The

total demand is $357m, and covers the years 2018-2022. However, Freeport’s quasi-governmental authority last June hit back by arguing that the sums sought by the government are “contested” and “it is yet to be satisfied”. The claims are said to be supported by credible evidence. GBPA’s president, Ian Rolle, said earlier this year that the two parties are engaged in dialogue regarding the island’s future.

“There’s no other island in The Bahamas who suffered like Grand Bahama was a result of these natural disasters, and so I think persons on the island have become frustrated and had communications with government, etc, and that caused the government, very passionate about every single island wanting development to happen, was very concerned,” he told reporters on the Bahamas Business Outlook’s sidelines.

“But we are pleased to actually say to everybody that we have well over $1.5 billion, almost $2 billion worth of projects now for Grand Bahama and I think the government has also said that recently, in fact, the PM said today, he reiterated what we’ve been saying for a while about the number of projects in the pipeline that will help transform the economy of Grand Bahama.”

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said in

November that the government informed the existing owners of Freeport’s quasi-governmental authority that it is prepared to acquire the GBPA and its affiliated assets if no suitable private investor or buyer emerges.

However, Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell later said the government had withdrawn an offer to buy out the GBPA’s two shareholders, the Hayward and St George families, in favour of arbitration action.

Govt aims to launch pilot Apprenticeship Programme

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

THE government aims to launch a pilot for maritime training before the end of the year as part of the National Apprenticeship Programme.

The news was announced yesterday by Labour and Public Service Minister Pia Glover-Rolle during her contribution to the National Apprenticeship Bill in Parliament.

She said: “Through NAP, we will provide employeerecognised, NAECOB benchmarked certifications in industries like construction, auto-mechanics, hospitality and tourism, information communication technology, and the maritime sector, as well as other high-demand areas identified in the labour market.

“NAP will be an inclusive programme for Bahamian citizens and legal residents aged 16 and up who will have opportunities to improve their academic skills, soft skills, and job-specific skills before entering into an apprenticeship where they will be paid a salary as they are trained.

“We have expedited all work to ensure that this lifechanging, career-building programme will be delivered as soon as possible for the Bahamian people.”

She added: “Given the emphasis on launching new careers, we can expect robust youth participation. This fits in perfectly with our administration’s

focus on youth through initiatives like the National Youth Council, National Youth Guard, the upcoming CAPAS School for the Performing Arts, Urban Renewal, and other youth outreach initiatives. This approach to training will address far more than you’d typically find in a jobs training programme.”

There will be two phases. The first will be the government provided and funded pre-apprenticeship training delivered through existing training providers. The pre-apprenticeship training will include academic skills, financial skills education, mental health support, and soft skills training, as well as job-specific technical training.

She added the programme will support an integrated country-wide approach to training, including existing training and educational agencies and institutions such as the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute, the University of The Bahamas and private sector partners.

Upon completion of preapprenticeship, trainees will go on to apprenticeship arrangements with employers.

“In addition to the maritime sector, target industries will include health and allied services, where we have an identified labour shortage in all areas. Construction and automechanics will be targeted areas of training,” the minister said. “Hospitality and tourism

says

obviously have a large role to play as the number one industry in our economy. And finally, information communication technology training will be available to prepare Bahamians for this rapidly growing sector. Other industries will be proposed as the programme matures and new opportunities are identified.”

The bill was supported by various MPs, including former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis. He said it was important to support efforts to help young people find productive work as he noted youth unemployment despite the positive boom in tourism.

“While the volume of cruise passengers has gone up dramatically, how much is this translating into expenditure for Bahamian businesses. Many businesses, such as small vendors, retailers, shops, tour and taxi drivers and others are not really feeling and seeing an increase in revenue given the rise and the number of cruise passengers,” he said.

“Yes, the growth in the economy has helped push joblessness down, however, we still have chronically high unemployment among young people. In the May 2023 labour force survey, it was noted that unemployment for young men was 19.2 per cent and for young women, the figure was 18.2 per cent. A well-organised and well funded, apprenticeship programme can help drive down with unemployment over time.”

Cabinet Minister Renward Wells has been discharged from hospital in Florida. In a statement issued by Oracle Media Consultants, it was reported that all tests have been completed and Mr Wells is medically cleared and fit to return home and to work.

lated community in the Gladstone Road area. Residents had speculated those living in the unregulated community were displaced after the previous shanty town demolition in the Kool Acres, All Saints Way and Area 52 communities. Yesterday, Mr Sweeting assured his team is continuing to move through New Providence to target shanty towns, noting notices were given to additional areas. There are ten unregulated communities in New Providence and the task force has pledged to strategically tackle shanty towns across the country.

Mr Wells had been taken ill last week and, after initial treatment in New Providence, was airlifted to Florida for further tests at the weekend.

Mr Wells and his wife Sarah are expected back in New Providence in the next few days. The statement said: “Mr

Wells is up and about, energetic, feeling well, in good spirits and excited to return home. He is also looking forward to resuming his work schedule in the coming days and would like to once again thank the Bahamian people for their well wishes and prayers.”

LABOUR and Public Service Minister Pia Glover-Rolle during her contribution to the National Apprenticeship Bill in Parliament yesterday.

Photo: Dante Carrer

The Tribune Limited

Hands-free still not safe while driving

DO you ever use your cellphone while driving? Don’t feel too guilty about saying yes – nearly 60% of drivers admit to using their phone in hands-free mode while driving.

But don’t become complacent either. Using your cellphone in hands-free mode while driving is not a perfectly safe activity, despite the impression you might be getting from laws, marketing messages and the behavior of people around you.

Fatal crashes caused by driver distraction have not gone down significantly over time: Distraction caused 14% of fatal crashes in 2017 and 13% of fatal crashes in 2021. Given that these numbers are calculated based on police-reported crashes, many experts believe the actual number of crashes caused by driver distraction is much higher. For example, real-world crash data from teens indicates that 58% of their crashes are due to driver distraction.

I am a human factors engineer who studies how drivers interact with technology. I see a gap between what people are told and what people should do when it comes to using your cellphone behind the wheel. Most U.S. states ban hand-held cellphone use while driving but allow hands-free devices. However, handsfree devices are still distracting. Talking on a hands-free phone and driving is multitasking, and humans are not good at doing two cognitively demanding tasks at the same time.

For example, having a phone conversation in hands-free mode while driving causes you to stop looking out for hazards on the road and gets you into more close calls where you slam on the brakes than if you were not on the phone. These detrimental effects last even after you end your call. There is a hangover effect: You can remain mentally distracted nearly 27 seconds after you finish using your cellphone. At 65 miles per hour, you’ve traveled nearly half a mile in 27 seconds.

Third-party apps that connect your smartphone to your car’s interface, such ass Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, encourage you to use your phone in hands-free mode while driving. You can control things like music, navigation, text messaging and phone calls using voice commands and the car’s interface. IPhone users can connect their phones to more than 800 car models and Android phone users more than 500 models.

But is using these third-party apps while driving safe? Fifty-three percent

of people say that if carmakers put the technology in vehicles, they must be safe. Though these third-party apps make cellphone use hands-free, they unintentionally cause you to look away from the road for dangerous amounts of time and they slow your reaction time.

Recent advances in technology have made driving a safer activity. Systems such as Cadillac Super Cruise and Tesla Autopilot control your steering and acceleration in limited situations, but they don’t mean you can text at will. Though it’s often lost in the marketing and enthusiasm for the systems, you are still required to pay attention to the road when you’re using them.

Research has shown that drivers using Level 2 automation, which combines adaptive cruise control with lane centering, are more likely to take their eyes off the road. Research also shows that watching a video or doing anything distracting while using these systems is unsafe – you stop looking at the road, and when you need to respond, it takes more time.

Some systems work to keep you focused on driving by monitoring your eye or head position to make sure you’re looking straight ahead. If your eyes are off the road for more than a few seconds, the systems alert you to bring your attention back to driving. This makes it difficult to get distracted by your phone.

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Distracted driving – in hands-free mode, using a third-party app or when using driving automation –still claims thousands of lives each year in the U.S. Despite continual advances in vehicle technology, cellphone use while driving is likely to remain a challenging problem for the foreseeable future.

To discourage distracted driving, it’s important to look back to see what’s worked in the past to keep roads safe. Modifying the culture around distracted driving as well as comprehensive education, training and media campaigns, similar to “Click It or Ticket” to encourage seat belt use, are good examples of what works. To that end, on April 1, 2024, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched the “Put the Phone Away or Pay” campaign to discourage distracted driving. And for all of those who drive with children in the car, be sure to model safe behavior – they are watching and learning from you.

Shannon Roberts, UMass Amherst

PLP looking back, instead of forward

EDITOR, The Tribune.

ALLOW a small space to convey the following to the leadership of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP).

Over the past 30 months, your focus seems to have been primarily on engaging in a blame game and mastering the art of looking back, rather than on the productive action of building forward. Your extensive travels in search of solutions have been fruitless, mainly because the problems themselves remain undefined.

Your strategy document, The Blueprint for Change, upon which you were elected, now appears to have been merely an idealistic vision rather than a concrete plan of action.

Regrettably, there has been no real tangible progress toward fulfilling the promises outlined in this blueprint. What’s more, there is a glaring absence of documented plans or strategies for implementation. The lack of written policies, whether they be white, green, blue, or yellow papers, leaves citizens without a roadmap for their involvement in shaping the future of the Bahamas. At no point have you presented a viable plan for empowering the very people who are essential to the country’s progress.

My advice to you is this: ‘It is never too late to begin.’ Taking small steps at this moment holds more value

than remaining inert or, even worse, hastily executing imperfect endeavors for significant change.

It’s apparent to many observers that your focus seems to lean toward securing a second term, yet no substantial progress has been made toward fulfilling the promises of your current tenure. Rushing into another election while neglecting your present responsibilities only undermines your credibility.

Let’s prioritise quality over quantity as we move forward in our efforts to build A Better Bahamas Together.

C ALLEN JOHNSON Nassau, April 2, 2024.

Community suffers due to violence

there are low socio-economic conditions. Violent crimes are most often perpetrated in these neighbourhoods or they are committed by perpetrators who live in these areas for the most part. Violent crimes are symptoms of the failure of the institutions responsible for socializing young people. The family, the schools, the community and the church have all failed in demonstrating to the young people right from wrong. The principles of integrity, commitment and shared love have all been swallowed up in a maze of watered down ethics and morals thus weakening the social fabric upon which the communities were nurtured and developed.

I do not include the Fox Hill community among the high crime areas. Fox Hill has retained, more than most, the values of community and communal relationships. I was informed by a former senior officer in the Fox Hill Police Station that the Fox Hill district has had the lowest incidences of crime in all the other New Providence districts for the past several years. I am not surprised by this revelation. Yet, Fox Hill is burdened with more stigma than most of the areas. This stigma may be associated with the fact that most of the rehabilitation institutions in the country inclusive of the prison now renamed the Department of Corrections, Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre, and the Boys and Girls rehabilitation centres are located in the area. All of these were built in the southern portion of Fox Hill Road or South Beach Road as

we knew it in those days in far eastern New Providence. Most people regard these institutions as part of Fox Hill. The residents of Fox Hill have had to endure this stigma even though these institutions are not part of the Fox Hill community.

The stigma of an unsafe and violent-prone Fox Hill is also closely related to the cowardly assault on the Fox Hill residents on the evening of December 27th, 2013 when eleven persons were shot, four of whom died. It is the most egregious incident of random and indiscriminate shootings in Bahamian history or at least in my memory. It was a horrific case of a mass shooting incident by any standard. The Fox Hill community is still traumatized by this horrendous incident.

The residents of Fox Hill were unfortunately even further traumatized by an inefficient and incompetent criminal justice system. It took ten years to bring the alleged perpetrators to court. With the memory of the details of the shooting incident fading, some witnesses were reluctant to fully cooperate. This reluctance to cooperate was understandable and not surprising due to the fact that the accused were out on bail. They were on bail because of the criminal justice system’s failure to bring the accused to trial in a timely basis. To add insult to injury the prosecution’s case was weak and the accused were set free. It is little wonder that the people of Fox Hill believe that justice was not served.

The evidence that the community of Fox Hill is still traumatized is manifested in the hesitancy of the community to support community-based functions which are held in open air. It is also exhibited in the unwillingness to

hang out on the two parks located in the centre of the Fox Hill community, at least, not in the numbers that were commonplace before the shootings. In growing up in Fox Hill the basketball court on Freedom Park was seldom empty. When playing three on three or four on four, your team had better win or it would take hours before you get back on the court again. Now the basketball court is often empty and deserted.

To what extent this could be blamed on less interest in basketball in Fox Hill, or to the prevalence of electronic alternatives in the homes, I confess that I am not sure. But my anecdotal observation informs me that the decrease in both the hanging out on the park, which is a Fox Hill tradition, and the decline in the use of the basketball court are both related to the incident on December 27th, 2017. I know for sure that the Junkanoo group in Fox Hill is no longer comfortable with holding their practice sessions at its traditional location on the park and has moved those sessions elsewhere.

So with each murder in these communities today, a heavy toll is taken not only on the families of the victims, but, in fact, the entire community suffers. The communities suffer because essentially these communities still maintain a connection that is both traditional and filial. They retain the vestiges of a village where families knew and cared for each other. We should pray that we never sever those connections because they hold the remaining glue that cements our inter-relationships. The connections give us a shared purpose wherein we feel each other’s pain, and they offer the hope that we will one day grow out of the darkness of violence.

MAURICE TYNES

Nassau, April 3, 2024.

A RESCUE worker stands near the cordoned off site of a leaning building in the aftermath of an earthquake in Hualien, eastern Taiwan yesterday. Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in a quarter century rocked the island during the morning rush hour Wednesday, damaging buildings and highways.

Photo: Johnson Lai/AP

Beachlink Project aims to protect and preserve New Providence beaches

A BEACH clean-up project is planned in an island-wide initiative in New Providence. Scheduled for April 20, the Beachlink Project is a community initiative that aims to unite people from all walks of life for a common purpose: to protect and preserve the natural beauty of New Providence’s beaches.

“The beach for many Bahamians is a place that holds so much joy and positive memories, it’s where all Bahamians can find common ground, and similarly it’s a place that all Bahamians can do more to protect,” said organiser Ariannah Wells. Teams will gather to clean 12 beaches simultaneously. There will be BeachLink community leaders at each location to provide gloves, trash bags, and hydration for registered volunteers. Ava Turnquest,

organiser, said: “All of our problems won’t be solved at the beach, but we can work towards a collective goal. We can show support for positive initiatives and build new connections with other like-minded people, and organisations that are working on solutions. Come out, bring your friends and have some fun for a great cause.” Following the clean-up, participants and supporters will gather at the Tin Ferl Park on Paradise Island to celebrate. The project is supported by corporate sponsors Asure Win and The Newball Foundation, and community partners Flo Bahamas, the Organization for Responsible Governance (ORG Bahamas), and Sustainable Me. For more information and to register, visit beachlink242.com

Magistrate finds ‘case to be answered’ in claim of death threat against PM

life if his demands were not met. Acting Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley informed Isaac Roberts that his case would proceed despite his attorney Bjorn Ferguson having made a no case submission.

Mr Ferguson had claimed that the evidence against his client was “tenuous”. Although Roberts was given an opportunity to defend himself in court, he elected to remain silent.

Magistrate Reckley will make a decision in this matter later this month.

Inspector Deon Barr served as prosecutor.

MAN ACCUSED OF ATTEMPTED MURDER OVER EASTER HOLIDAY

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was remanded in custody yesterday accused of a botched murder bid in New Providence over the Easter holiday weekend.

Magistrate Samuel McKinney charged David Miller, 45, with attempted murder. Miller is accused of attempting to kill Antonio Knowles with a box cutter on March 29. Miller was told that his case would be moved to the Supreme Court by a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI). He will be sent to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until the higher court grants him bail. The defendant’s VBI is set for service on June 6.

MAN CHARGED FOR POSSESSION OF FIREARM AND AMMUNITION

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was taken into custody yesterday after he was accused of running from police while having a loaded gun on South Street last week.

Magistrate Lennox Coleby charged Tevin Bethel, 27, with possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of ammunition. Bethel allegedly fled from police after he encountered them walking on March 28. After being captured by police he was allegedly found with a black Austria Glock .40 pistol with eight rounds of .40 ammunition. After Bethel pleaded not guilty to the charges, prosecutor Sergeant Vernon Pyfrom objected to his bail resulting in it being denied. The defendant will be sent to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until his trial begins on May 2.

MAN GETS TWO YEARS JAIL AFTER GUILTY PLEA ON SHOPBREAKING

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was sentenced to two years in prison after admitting to breaking into the same store twice earlier this year.

After pleading guilty to all three charges, Strachan

Magistrate Raquel Whyms charged James Strachan, 57, with two counts of shop breaking and unlawful possession. Strachan reportedly broke into Janaees Uniform Centre on Chesapeake Road on January 3 and 24. The defendant was later arrested on March 27 on Bay Street with various grocery items reasonably suspected of being stolen.

ZAVIER SMITH LUDY CARTER

We are failing our children and youth

THE examples of social failure, national dysfunction, and decline are so ubiquitous that most of us have numerous and disturbing stories to recount from our daily interactions trying to utilize the most basic public and private services.

Small examples often reveal a broader landscape. A former sociology professor deployed his students to various sites ranging from bus stops to grocery stores to observe and record human behaviour in their journals.

Back in class, the students literally compared notes on the observed behaviour.

It was fascinating to see the patterns within a single journal and the broader patterns and anomalies across journals.

Last Saturday, at a popular fast food eatery in Oakes Field, a story unfolded that others have experienced. With numerous customers on the line, a cashier complained bitterly and openly that her shift was over for an hour but that she was still taking orders.

The cashier complained for more than half an hour and even as she was serving customers. Eventually, she abandoned the register and the approximately ten customers queuing on line. She went to the food preparation area to argue openly with her supervisor.

The cashier finally returned because the customers were shouting for someone to take their orders. She was still complaining under her breath as she took the new orders.

This open lack of decorum and even minimum professionalism was accompanied by a succession of customers checking their orders and realising they were incomplete. Because the number of incorrect orders at fast food restaurants is so high, most customers check their bags to see if something is missing.

The eatery had all of the trappings, food supplies and

procedures necessary to do business. While it looked like a first world food place, the operation was not world class.

The employees have clear guidelines how to prepare the standard fare, most of which comes frozen and only needs to be further processed. It is not the proverbial rocket science – or is it? The master problem seems to be the poor quality of employees upon which owners may rely.

Most managers of such businesses and other retail enterprises face grave difficulties in finding employees who are literate, numerate, capable of taking instructions, being punctual, honest and reliable. The Bahamas is not alone in this. But do our leaders recognise the degree of the dysfunction? And what are we doing collectively to socialise, educate and train our children and youth in the most basic skills and attitudes required for social cohesion and economic productivity.

Forgive this analogical and metaphorical leap. Just as with the fast food business, The Bahamas is not failing per se. It is the culture that is failing. We are failing as a people. The greater root cause of our deep-seated social

morass, moral lassitude, poor level of productivity, and paralysis is sociological and cultural. To put it colloquially: “What wrong with us?!”

We have various systems and institutions that have the capacity to serve us well. These include a wellestablished Royal Bahamas Police Force, our institutions of parliamentary democracy, universal primary and secondary education, the University of The Bahamas and BTVI.

They also include a free press, myriad business houses, non-profits, churches, and other institutions. But sadly, the quality of leadership running these institutions and systems has atrophied and is worsening.

We have myriad problems in the family. At root, many of our challenges are sociological and cultural. Still, one of our underlying fault lines is a political class and public service that is failing us in myriad ways.

Many of our institutions for remediation are unfit for purpose because of the lack of basic concern and policy imagination by leaders, alongside political interference and the encouragement of the cesspool of slackness that has indelibly soiled our culture.

Amidst this dizzying level of decay, political leaders continue to tout certain numbers as if they are proof of how well we

are supposedly doing, despite the realities beyond these numbers trotted out with grandiosity and self-satisfaction.

The gross domestic product of a country does not capture the ever-burgeoning social inequality seen in our horrific crime numbers. Nor does the number of cruise ship passengers or the latest tax receipts negate our deeper woes.

Here are some numbers of which we would like to hear the political class boast. They are big numbers which may transform our Bahamas.

How can we halve the number of annual murders? When will we have 70 percent of pre-primary students enrolled in pre-primary education? When will 100 percent of students in government-operated schools have access to free breakfast and lunch? Post the COVID-19 pandemic an even larger number of young men left the formal economy. Drive around New Providence throughout the day and you will find many of them idled.

This army of talent has few work or life skills. Many are engaged in destructive lifestyle and social behaviour. What are the plans to reduce these numbers and to promote social equality?

What are the ideas to reduce double-digit youth unemployment? What are the plans to reduce waiting

Salt Fest postponed

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

DELAYED but not denied is the stance that organisers of the inaugural SALT Fest are taking after the event due to take place tomorrow was postponed.

The new expected date for Salt Fest, according to Travis Edgcombe, of Edgy Management, will be during the summer.

Beach Front Co and Edgy Management had announced the inaugural SALT Fest, a dynamic gospel music festival, would be hosted by Gospel rapper Bazza, coinciding with the rapper’s birthday celebration.

times at the Princess Margaret Hospital? What are the plans to improve a variety of education numbers, some of which have improved, though other numbers are not improving at pace.

We should reach for grand and wonderful numbers. By example: What is our national vision to improve education, social and other developmental outcomes and numbers for boys and men?

Thankfully, there are encouraging numbers in the country. Over the Easter weekend, The Bahamas erupted in joy at the success of our Carifta athletes in the swim competition here at home and the track and field meet in Grenada.

We won our sixth straight swim meet and placed second in track and field. With a population of approximately 400,000, we beat Trinidad and Tobago, the twin-island nation of approximately 1.5 million.

How do we bring this success into our broader society and economy? We do have the capacity to improve our life in common. But it will require a sense of mission and specific policies by our leaders, alongside a national effort to help the children and young people we are failing, to succeed.

The Carifta success involves vision, communities and associations of concern, proper funding, coaching, mentoring, skill

development, practices of discipline and other life skills.

We may need to radically rethink our governmentoperated school system from the very nature of the core curriculum to instituting the most ambitious after-school infrastructure and programmes in our nation’s history.

We will need to encourage, help generously fund, and not politically interfere with faith-based and other youth development and intervention initiatives.

We are a small country with the power and the capacity to lift up the vast majority of our youth. The great tragedy of our current circumstance is that we lack the vision and will to significantly address the social inequality and lack of hope and opportunity resident in so many of our children and youth. Like the parents, coaches and officials who guide, mentor, and support our Carifta athletes, our National Youth Choir, Girl Guides and Boy Scouts, and other institutions of youth development, we can produce numbers even more profound and successful than the number of tourism visitors and our gross domestic product.

The ultimate measure of our success as a people will be found in numbers that attest to our commitment to equality and social justice.

Announced artists included Eman, Young WYSTM, DFLO, Shara J, Brieon, Chosen Soldiers, Beyond Dance Global, Cecil the Lit Guy, and more.

“We are thrilled to bring together a diverse line-up of gospel pop & hip-hop artists for SALT Fest,” said Bazile J Silverny, also known as Bazza, the visionary behind the festival. “Our aim is to provide a platform for worship, spiritual growth, and community fellowship in a dynamic and engaging environment.” Admission to SALT Fest is free, with attendees encouraged to bring a love offering to contribute towards the event’s expenses, and prize giveaways offered throughout the evening. Bazza, an Edgy Management gospel artist and ordained

minister, brings over 11 years of experience in youth outreach and ministry to his work. As the founder of Beach Front Co, Bazza is deeply committed to fostering social connections among believers and positively influencing culture through various mediums, including music, festivals, films, and more.

“SALT Fest is inspired by Matthew 5:13, which emphasises the importance of maintaining our impact as believers in promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Through dynamic performances and engaging experiences, SALT Fest seeks to empower attendees to remain steadfast in their faith and to be the salt of the earth in their communities,” he said.

BAZZA CHAZ

D FLO NEJA

Bin Laden’s legacy of fear in Baltimore bridge crash

YOU have probably seen the YouTube video by now. It was filmed at 1:30 in the morning on a still night in Baltimore harbour. In the distance across the black water of the harbour, the extensive steel superstructure of the Francis Scott Key bridge is clearly visible, backlit by the incandescent lights of many large cranes and other waterfront structures along a busy dock.

Creeping into the video image is the hulking dark shape of a giant container cargo ship moving at deliberate speed in the harbour and toward the bridge. The ship swerves to the right as it approaches the bridge, and the viewer watches, mesmerised, as the giant vessel now makes a beeline for one of the massive concrete bridge supports.

At impact, the towering steel superstructure crumbles, collapsing into the water hundreds of feet below and crashing over the forward deck of the cargo ship.

Soon thereafter, the video action stops. There are no explosions, no giant fireball appears. The weather remains placid. There’s just no Key bridge across Baltimore harbour anymore.

In the following days, the governor of Maryland and the US president promised that the wreckage would be removed so the port could be reopened, and that the vital bridge would be rebuilt expeditiously. Experts

STATESIDE

estimated that the bridge rebuilding would take years, but authorities were preparing to rapidly establish a temporary alternate channel to allow “commercially essential” ships to navigate through one of the nation’s busiest ports. A unified command structure headed by a Coast Guard captain was set up to manage the reconstruction process. The cargo ship Dali, built in South Korea by Hyundai ten years ago and operating under Singapore registry, was embarking on a journey to Sri Lanka when it hit the bridge. The Dali weighs 95,000 tons when empty, and it was carrying nearly five thousand loaded containers when it rammed the Key Bridge nine days ago.

The crew, realising they had lost control of the ship due to a power failure on board, issued a mayday alert moments before the collision, allowing authorities to halt vehicle traffic before the bridge collapsed. Six workers patching potholes on the bridge could not be warned in time and were

tragically killed. Authorities are scrambling to reopen the Port of Baltimore, blocked by the crumbled, 1.6-mile-long bridge and the damaged but apparently seaworthy Dali. The port handles more cars, heavy trucks and agriculture equipment than any port “inside this country,” the Maryland governor said.

“We have a ship that is nearly the size of the Eiffel Tower that is now stuck within the channel that has the Key Bridge sitting on top of it,” the governor said Sunday CNN’s “State of the Union.” He provided no timeline on clearing out the mass of debris.

One can only imagine the bureaucratic bedlam that ensued in the aftermath of the crash. Hundreds of civil servants, politicians, journalists and no doubt a few pundits were roused from their sleep to try to respond.

And from subsequent reports, the first question to be asked: “Was this sabotage?” A fair question in the lingering aftermath of the savage but clever

attacks on America’s physical and psychological sense of security on September 11, 2001.

The answer seemed to come pretty quickly. There was no sabotage. It was just a tragic accident. For some, the Baltimore crash recalled a similar calamity in May 1980. Then, one span of the Tampa Bay Skyway bridge was destroyed when a freighter rammed a support stanchion. In that incident, 35 people died, most of whom were driving across the bridge at precisely the wrong time.

The Tampa Bay incident

wasn’t sabotage either. And it was 44 years ago. But it does make you wonder what would happen if saboteurs actually targeted some of America’s most critical infrastructure. It gets

WOMEN’S NCAA BASKETBALL GRABBING THE SPOTLIGHT

LUCKILY for many Americans, there’s a giantsized distraction on their TV screens and in their sports pages these days. It’s March Madness, and it has spilled over into April too.

And this year, for the first time, there’s arguably more buzz and controversy about the concurrent women’s NCAA basketball championship tournament than there is about the men.

This is not to say that the men’s tourney is boring or routine. The University of Connecticut men’s hoops team is the defending champion, and they have again reached this weekend’s Final Four in relentless fashion. In one game, they ran off 30 points in a row. In another, they whipped San Diego State by another 30 points, and in so doing they dispatched a squad hungry for revenge after losing the 2023 final to UConn.

The Huskies are heavy favourites to repeat as titlists. On Saturday, they will face Alabama, an underrated team that upset top-rated North Carolina last weekend and will be big underdogs against the

defending champs.

In Saturday’s other game, regional top-seed Purdue reached the semifinal game by beating Gonzaga, a Catholic school from Spokane, Washington that is playing in its 25th consecutive NCAA tournament and lost the championship games in 2017 and 2021.

The Boilermakers are the Big Ten champions and are led by a 7’ 4” center named Zack Edey, who weighs 300 pounds, is the national player of the year and is originally from Toronto, Canada.

Purdue’s advance to the Final Four was largely expected, as was that of UConn. Alabama’s victory over North Carolina was not regarded as a huge upset. But Purdue will face a real Cinderella team in 11th-seeded North Carolina State on Saturday.

NC State beat heavily favoured Marquette and Duke last weekend, and has piled up nine straight wins to get to this point. The Wolfpack actually had a losing regular season record in its conference, lost 14 regular season games overall, was seeded only 11th

in its region and needed to win five games in the five days of its Atlantic Coast Conference tournament to even snag an invitation to this year’s “big dance”.

NC State is led by 6’9”, 275-pound talisman DJ Burns Jr, who doesn’t look like Karl Malone or LeBron James and indeed appears rather unathletic until you watch him play. But he has carried his team on its very improbable run.

All signs point to a Purdue-UConn final on Monday. And yet it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if at least one of them didn’t make it. The guess here is that team is UConn, despite is consistently dominant play so far in the postseason. NC State magic could carry this team at least to one more victory before they run out of miracles in the final and Purdue notches its first national title during its first Final Four appearance in 44 years.

The women’s teams from NC State and UConn also advanced to their Final Four, marking the 14th time overall but the first in seven years that a school has sent both its men’s and women’s teams to the Final Four. It’s the first time two schools have ever accomplished this rare feat in the same year. The Wolfpack women knocked off higher seeded Stanford and Texas to reach this point, but UConn’s matchless experience and superstar guard Paige Bueckers should prevail.

It’s the other semifinal that has really attracted more attention than any other Final Four matchup, men’s or women’s. This features national player of the year Caitlin Clark of Iowa, the all-time men’s or women’s collegiate scoring leader, against undefeated and top-ranked South Carolina.

But to get there, Iowa and Clark had to defeat a Louisiana State team that is the defending champion and knocked Iowa out of the tournament last year. LSU still has last year’s tournament MVP, Angel Reese, who is arrestingly sassy with her comments and conduct, and who also rebounds well.

Clark prevailed on Monday, scoring 41 points to again drive her team to victory. Her team isn’t undefeated like the Gamecocks, and isn’t coached by a legitimate superstar player and coach like Dawn Staley, but this feels like a year of destiny for Clark.

To beat South Carolina and then UConn with all those teams’ historic and current success, seems improbable. But that’s routine for Clark.

pretty scary, pretty quickly, if you let your imagination run wild. And that’s what Osama bin Laden and his co-conspirators left behind as America’s legacy of fear and insecurity.

with Charlie Harper

SALVAGE work continues on the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge on Tuesday in Baltimore.

Photo: Julia Nikhinson/AP

THURSDAY,

Cayman Islands packs 1-2 punch in open water swim

A“It was a great event. I want to thank the Bahamas Aquatics for hosting us. For me it was a great experience overall. It was a good experience for the Cayman Islands.”

As the defending champion, Hilton said he didn’t want to lose his title, but if there was anyone to lose it to, it was his close friend and team-mate Macdonald. “We had a lot of stiff competition, but we were

fter losing out to Team Bahamas in the CARIFTA Swimming Championships at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex, the Cayman Islands wanted to make sure that they made their presence felt in the open water 5K swim in Goodman’s Bay. On Wednesday, one day after Team Bahamas clinched its sixth straight swim title, the Cayman Islands got a 1-2 punch in the boys’ 16-18 division. Connor Macdonald snatched the gold from defending champion Dominic Hilton. Macdonald won in 1:02.29 with Hilton getting the silver in 1:02.30. The bronze went to Kaeden Gleason of the US Virgin Islands in 1:03.18. “I’m pretty happy with my performance,” said 17-year-old Macdonald, who also got two silver and a bronze in the pool. “Me and my team-mate Dominic were pretty much racing together the whole time.

BAHAMIANS Valdez

“VJ” Edgecombe and Donovan Freeman took the court for the 2024 McDonald’s All-American Game at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on Tuesday.

The Bahamian duo fell to the East 88-86. The East has now won the prestigious exhibition game 23 times and the West has come out on top on 21 different occasions.

Bimini native VJ Edgecombe chipped in nine points and shot 4-for-8 from the field. He managed to pull down five rebounds and blocked two shots in 22 minutes played. Meanwhile, Syracuse commit Freeman scored six points after knocking down two triples in 13 minutes

played. He also picked up one rebound and one steal in the contest.

The West team outscored the East 21-16 in the first quarter of the ball game. Edgecombe got it going in the second quarter when he threw down a big dunk which was answered by Duke commit Cooper Flagg in the second quarter.

At this point, the West was ahead 30-19 with 6:21 remaining on the clock.

The five-star prospect was once again involved in a highlight reel moment after receiving a lob from Texas commit Tre Johnson in transition. This play was followed by a big three which gave the West a 42-25 advantage at the 1:25 mark.

The East managed to gain some ground and shaved the deficit down to just seven points (44-37)

DEVYNNE CHARLTON MASTER OF HER FEET, FATE, AND SOUL

TATTOOS are rarely meaningless. Every day, we glimpse the most precious things dyed across the skin of strangers, whether it’s pets, children, or proverbs. But few have burned ink messages as potent as 28-year-old Bahamian hurdles star Devynne Charlton.

In typewriter font crossing both legs, it reads: “Master of my fate, Captain of my soul” – the last two lines from the famous poem “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley. These words are Devynne’s daily shot of wisdom. They serve as a constant reminder that, while the universe is chaos, she will always have control over herself.

This healthy and hardworking philosophy on life has served her wonderfully. In early March, she took gold in the women’s 60 metre hurdles during the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Scotland, powering over five barriers in 7.65 seconds to shatter the previous mark of 7.67 that she set in New York the month prior. She will take this

THE SPORTS CALENDAR

The East ultimately outscored the West 25-22 in the third quarter.

With under two minutes remaining on the clock, Edgecombe committed a costly turnover which led to Maryland commit Derik Queen scoring a quick layup to give the East an 86-83 lead.

The West had a chance at a game-winning three-point attempt down the stretch but were unable to connect.

Queen scored the most points for the East with 23 and Rutgers Dylan Harper scored a team-high 22 points for the West.

The McDonald’s AllAmerican Game MVP honours were given to both players. Edgecombe and Freeman joined a shortlist of Bahamians to play in the game including Deandre Ayton and Harbour Island native Lashann Higgs.

RUGBY: MATCH DAY

THE Bahamas Rugby Union is scheduled to host a friendly match between the Bahamas Renegades and the visiting Toronto Bay St. RFC at the Winton Rugby Pitch, starting at 3pm on Saturday.

Food and drinks will be on sale as the BRU uses the event as a fundraiser for its Red Eyes Youth Rugby Club.

VOLLEYBALL:

NPVA PLAYOFFS

THE New Providence Volleyball Association playoffs is currently underway at the DW Davis Gymnasium. Games will be played on Friday, starting at 7:30pm and again on Sunday at 3:30pm.

ROAD RACE:

MOTHER ME MINISTRY THE Mother Me Ministries presents a fun run/walk race on Saturday, April

April, 2024

13, starting at 5:30am at Goodman’s Bay.

The race will travel to Sandyport and return to Goodman’s Bay where free glucose and blood pressure testing will take place. The entry fee is $25 per person and $20 each for groups of 10 or more. Interested persons can call 324-0034.

VOLLEYBALL: BBSF TOURNEY

THE Bahamas Baptist Sports Federation is set to hold its final registration meeting for for all churches wishing to participate in its volleyball tournament at 7pm on Thursday, April 18. The tournament is scheduled for April 24-27 at the DW Davis Gymnasium. The registration fee is $200 per team for a total of 12 players. Awards will be presented to the winners at the completion of the tournament.

MASTER OF HER FEET, FATE, AND SOUL

FROM PAGE 11

winning mentality with her when she joins the 4 x 100-meter relay this May 4-5 at the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24. It will be her first time participating in the event, and her main goal is to secure a place at the Paris Olympics this summer and win a medal for the country.

On Top of the World

With back-to-back world records, there’s no denying that Devynne Charlton is very much the athlete of the moment. Ecstatic headlines like “Devynne’s on top of the world!” indicate not only her elevation as a local hero but also how she is elevating Bahamians with her.

She’s been honoured by the Minister of Tourism Chester Cooper for the recent 60m hurdles record and told news reporters that she’s “in the best shape of her life and only getting better.”

But it hasn’t all been sunshine and rainbows for Devynne. The biggest challenge in her career came in 2016, when the 20-yearold qualified for the Rio Olympics but then a stress fracture curtailed her dreams.

“It would have been my first Olympics, but I found out quite late that I had to wear a very restrictive brace. I wasn’t cleared to run,” she said.

On her route to success, she’s been blessed with some highly accomplished mentors.

For example, she is close with Bahamian “Golden Girl” Debbie Ferguson, who coaches where Devynne trains at the University of Kentucky.

result, she maintains strict daily habits to maximize her performance. For example, by 8:00pm, all devices are shut down, and by 9:00pm she is in bed.

Fortunately, breaking world records hasn’t stopped her from being a well-rounded person.

Outside the sport, Devynne is into fishing, detailing cars and she’s learning the guitar.

To relax, Devynne loves spending time with her 3-year-old dog Mila and her corn snake named Aries.

Alas, like all elite athletes, the days of high-intensity training and globetrotting are numbered.

So, what lies ahead after competitive sports?

Although Devynne graduated in 2018 from Purdue University with a degree in Fish and Aquatic Science, she admits that “it doesn’t look like I’ll be using that.

I’m thinking I’ll end up in sports and health coaching, and personal training.”

For now, maintaining the hot streak is front of mind.

Paris would be her first Olympic medal, as she finished sixth in the 100m hurdles at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Devynne hopes to inspire the next generation by improving her performance and taking home more medals for The Bahamas.

Her advice to young athletes chasing their dreams is to:

“I was four years old,” Charlton recalled. “I remember watching the Golden Girls and thinking, ‘That’s what I want to do.’”

“I definitely feel like I’m walking in the footsteps of the greats before me,” she said. It was Debbie’s performance at the 2000 Sydney Olympics that inspired Charlton to push herself as an athlete.

Staying Sunny Devynne is particularly thrilled that the upcoming World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 from 4-5 May will be held in her sunny hometown. Cabbage Beach is one of her favorite places to visit when she’s back home, along with the Fish Fry and Ardastra Gardens. Devynne is the middle of three sisters, all of whom were blessed with sporty DNA.

Her father Dave Charlton – who serves as Head Coach for Team Bahamas at the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 this May – was a professional athlete in his own right and excelled in hurdles just like his daughter.

“Focus on the little things. Getting the right amount of sleep. Staying hydrated. Mental health.”

But her parents gave her a lot more than the running gene. They instilled discipline, a positive outlook, and good manners. As a

Then again, she can always point down to her tattoos – a permanent reminder that when you boss up and embrace her philosophy, you too can become an unconquerable soul.

LSU star Angel Reese declares for WNBA draft

By BRETT MARTEL AP Sports Writer

BAYOU Barbie is WNBA bound. LSU star Angel Reese, who is known for her eyelash extensions, painted fingernails and ferocious play in the paint, formally declared for the WNBA draft yesterday. Her announcement comes two days after the Tigers’ season ended with a loss to Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the Elite Eight round of the women’s NCAA Tournament. Reese, whose career interests also include modelling and fashion, announced her decision via a photo shoot in Vogue, saying she was inspired by tennis great Serena Williams announcing her retirement in 2022 in a similar manner.

Up until LSU’s season ended, Reese publicly left open the option of returning to the Tigers. But she acknowledged having made up her mind to turn pro

before March Madness began. “Of course, I like to do everything big,” Reese told the magazine. “I didn’t want anything to be basic.”

“I’ve done everything I wanted to in college,” added Reese, who also has expressed interest in playing professionally in Europe during the WNBA offseason. “I’ve won a national championship, I’ve gotten (Southeastern Conference) Player of the Year, I’ve been an All-American. My ultimate goal is to be a pro — and to be one of the greatest basketball players to play, ever. I feel like I’m ready.”

Reese, a dynamic, 6-foot-3 forward who can run the floor, guard the perimeter and block shots anywhere, likely will join Clark, the expected No. 1 pick by Indiana, as one of the top players drafted on April 15. Draft analysts have projected Reese as a seventh or eighth overall choice. An undeveloped

outside shot is among the few questions about her game as she leaves college. Reese spent the evening after the announcement taking in an NBA game in New Orleans between the Orlando Magic and the Pelicans. She sat courtside with former LSU teammate Amani Bartlett, known for placing a crown on Reese’s head during pregame introductions this past season. Reese was shown on the arena video board, drawing enthusiastic applause.

Reese grew up in Baltimore and began her college career at Maryland, where her brother, Julian, plays for the men’s team. She transferred to LSU in 2022 and the Tigers won the program’s only national title in Reese’s first season. “She helped transform our program,” LSU coach Kim Mulkey said. “We are all indebted to Angel Reese for the contributions she has given to this program, helping us win our first national championship,

and the contributions she made on our university as a whole.”

Reese registered 61 double-doubles for the Tigers in two seasons. Only Sylvia Fowles had more doubledoubles at LSU.

Reese averaged 20.9 points and 14.4 rebounds per game at LSU, including seven games with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds.

Reese became the first SEC player since Vanderbilt’s Wendy Scholtens in 1989 and 1990 to lead the league in both scoring and rebounding in consecutive seasons.

This season, Reese was named the SEC Player of the Year. Reese has played four college seasons but was among those athletes granted an additional year of eligibility by the NCAA because their careers overlapped with the COVID-19 pandemic. “When she came here, she said she wanted to be here for two seasons and she has lived up to that,” Mulkey said. “What a

remarkable two years it has been. “She not only helped grow our program but had an impact on growing the game of women’s basketball across the country,” Mulkey added. “We wish her good luck as she moves to the WNBA and look forward to see all that she accomplishes.”

Reese burst onto the scene during LSU’s championship run last year as an extremely talented basketball player and dynamic personality — accessible and engaging with fans and media off the court, and trash talking in the faces of her opponents on it. Reese grew up playing basketball with her brother and other boys in Baltimore, and she has said that forced her to become physically and mentally tough on the court.

Since winning the title, Reese said there has been increased scrutiny of her, but she maintained that she would continue to be “unapologetically me.”

A VIEW of Devynne Charlton’s tattoos in typewriter font crossing both legs. It reads: “Master of my fate, Captain of my soul” – the last two lines from the famous poem “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley. She can be seen at left sharing a special moment with her pet snake. Devynne’s advice to young athletes chasing their dreams is to “Focus on the little things. Getting the right amount of sleep. Staying hydrated. Mental health.” Then again, she can always point down to her tattoos – a permanent reminder that when you boss up and embrace her philosophy, you too can become an unconquerable soul.

LSU forward Angel Reese (10) brings the ball up court during the first quarter of an Elite Eight round college basketball game against Iowa on Monday, April 1. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink)

Donald Saunders

Jr: ‘I was kind of emotional’

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ALTHOUGH he went out with a heavy heart, Donald Saunders Jr said he was determined not to let his father down by not competing in the open 5K water race for the 2024 CARIFTA Swim Championships.

Saunders, a 16-year-old student of St John’s College, completed the gruelling event yesterday in eighth place overall and fourth in the boys’ 18-and-over division in one hour and 07.14 seconds as he represented Team Bahamas in the final event of the competition.

Surrounded by his mother Tiffany, sister Daneille, uncle Dion and other family members and friends, Saunders Jr said he knows his father is “looking down at him” and is “very proud of him.” Saunders said through the support of his coaches, he managed to get through the gruelling race and make his father proud, as well as The Bahamas, in the process. “I was kind of emotional,” said Saunders, who noted that he’s finally glad to see that swimming and open water swimming is getting the kind of support that is needed from the government. Despite the loss of his father, who had indicated that he wanted to go out on a boat with a flag to cheer on his son before his tragic death, Saunders Jr said he was thrilled for the

tremendous support behind him as he went out and competed.

“I still had to clear my head up about swimming and not wonder what I would do,” he said.

“I paced myself with a guy from the Cayman Islands. I knew that if I stayed with him, I could just strategise the rest of the way.”

Head coach Mancer Roberts was one of the first to commend Saunders Jr for his “courage and pride.”

“Some of us might know what it is to lose a loved one, but it goes without words. Just to see him go out there and to hold it together, being there all week supporting his teammates in the pool and here now representing his country and being one of the top 10 in the region, I’m really proud of him,” Roberts said. His team-mates also expressed their delight in watching Saunders Jr perform.

Giada Bertoldo, the first Bahamian female to complete the course, said it showed Saunders Jr’s true strength. “He did it for his father. I know his father is proud of him and he did it for the Bahamas and so we want him to know that everyone is there for him,” she stated.

Malcolm Menzies, who competed with Saunders Jr, said he was so proud of his team-mate. “He was such a strong competitor. He came in right behind me. I was so

glad to see him out there competing,” he said. And Jack Barr, another competitor in the boys division, said he was amazed by Saunders Jr. “I don’t know. He has to have some serious integrity and mental capacity to be able to come out here,” Barr said. “Just to see him out there and go after it was amazing and inspiring for so many people.”

Harrison Thompson, the chairman of the Local Organising Committee, said while it was an emotional time for Saunders

Jr, he wanted to congratulate and console him on participating.

“He was under heavy stress, but we’re so proud of him. He’s represented the Bahamas very well and we ought to encourage him and his family to stay focused in this serious time in their lives.

“We are praying for them and we hope that God will take control of their lives and help them to move on from this point. We know that it is not easy, but we are confident that they will make it through this.”

Rev. Dr Kari Marcell, the chaplain and Dean of Students at St John’s College, said that Saunders Jr serves as the chaplain of their boys’ club.

Rev Marcell was also on hand with members of the club to lend their support.

“We just want him to know that we are a part of his village, trying to get through this,” said Marcell. He brought about 20 of the 50 boys into the club.

“We had an excellent turnout of the boys and parents, especially our leadership.

“Our country is trying to get our young men to do more positive things and so we came out here to teach the boys the value of being a village.

“Not all boys are engaged in crime and violence and negativity, but there are some of us who truly believe that we are here to support and encourage each other.

“So we just want to inspire our parents because most of us don’t know how to swim, but to support Donald Saunders Jr in his efforts today.”

DONALD Saunders Jr is flanked by members of St John’s College.

DONALD Saunders Jr is flanked by his collegiates from St John’s College.

DONALD Saunders Jr is consoled by LOC chairman Harrison Thompson.

DONALD Saunders Jr chats with his uncle Dion Saunders.

DONALD Saunders Jr is embraced by his mother Tiffany as sister Danielle looks on.

BLUE CHIP ATHLETICS CLUB FIELD ATHLETES EARN FIVE MEDALS AT CARIFTA GAMES

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE Blue Chip Athletics Club’s athletes and coaches have a reason to celebrate after reeling in five out of six possible medals at the 51st CARIFTA Games. The club’s field athletes brought home a total of three gold medals, one silver medal and one bronze medal in St George’s, Grenada.

Additionally, DiorRae Scott took down Kamera Strachan’s former CARIFTA record in the under-17 girls’ javelin throw and set a new mark over the Easter weekend. The throwers club is led by coach Corrington Maycock who is assisted by Laquel Harris said he is the happiest coach in the world.

“We set out our goals from earlier in the year and put things into perspective and goals in place for them to break records or win. This is just their hard work and determination coming to fruition and you only could be the happiest coach in the world right now, especially with all of them doing well, placing in the top eight and medalling as well,” coach Maycock said. The trio of gold medals were won by Scott, Taysha Stubbs and Kaden Cartwright.

The newest CARIFTA record holder had an intense battle in the under17 girls’ javelin throw event with teammate Kamera Strachan, who posted a

record-breaking mark of 46.07m last year.

One year later, Scott got the best of Strachan and notched a record-setting throw of 52.53m for the gold medal.

Coach Maycock praised the under-17 girls’ CARIFTA gold medallist for her brilliant performance.

“She wanted to throw 55m. Earlier in the year, she had a back problem that we were dealing with and she dealt with that and we got over it and now she is back to full health. I expect even more later on in the season as we prepare for the World U20 Championships. I expect her to qualify because she is now going to the 600g and she did an exceptional job just battling the back problems and getting herself ready for CARIFTA. She achieved what we had set out,” he said.

Stubbs made her under20 girls’ debut in a powerful way at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium. She won the CARIFTA gold medal after tossing the javelin a personal best 50.94m.

For the boys, Kaden Cartwright defended his crown in the under-20 boys’ javelin throw with a heave of 67.34m for yet another gold-medal finish.

“It is very good to have an under-17 champion and under-20 champion because it is a building block for your programme and they did exceptionally well. We set some goals in place for what they needed to do and both of them achieved it

and it cost me some throwing shoes that I now have to make available to them. Three gold medals, a silver and a bronze, you cannot be more happy as a coach,” he said.

Annae Mackey earned a silver medal in the under-20 girls’ shot put event with a throw of 13.58m. Additionally, Jaylen Stuart secured the third podium spot in the under-17 boys’ shot put event. He posted a personal best 15.28m for bronze.

The six medals chipped in by this year’s Blue Chip CARIFTA team members helped the club to improve to 21 total CARIFTA medals since being founded in 2016.

Coach Maycock shed light on what separates Blue Chip athletes from everybody else.

“I think it starts from those before the Latia Saunders, Acacia Astwood, Keyshawn Strachan, Rhema Otabor, Michael Angelo Bullard and Tarajh Hudson, all of those instilled a certain fortitude for the kids behind them. They press them to do well and they make competition within the club. The club has a pedigree that I think is far beyond none and it is gonna continue to be that way where the alumni come back and make sure the ones behind them are successful,” he said.

Coach Maycock and Harris already have their sights set on improving for the 52nd CARIFTA Games to be hosted in Trinidad and Tobago.

ANTHONY DAVIS LEADS LAKERS TO THEIR 8TH WIN IN NINE GAMES

WASHINGTON (AP)

— Anthony Davis scored 19 of his 35 points in the first quarter and had 18 rebounds, helping the Los Angeles Lakers beat Washington for their eighth victory in nine games. LeBron James had 25 points and nine assists, and Rui Hachimura scored 19 points for the Lakers against his former team. Davis was 10 of 17 from the field and made 15 free throws without a miss. Jordan Poole led Washington with 29. The Lakers are ninth in the Western Conference, meaning they’d have to win twice in the play-in tournament to make the main playoff bracket. But they’re making a push to move up. Los Angeles trailed Phoenix and Sacramento by 1 1/2 games entering Wednesday. CELTICS 135, THUNDER 100

Jayson Tatum finished with 24 points and Jaylen Brown added 23 points and seven rebounds for Boston, which won its 11th consecutive home game and improved to 60-16 on the season. The Celtics trailed for only 62 seconds in the game. Boston led by as many as 16 in the first half before an Oklahoma City cut it to six points in the third quarter. Leading by 10 after three, the Celtics opened the fourth with a 12-4 run to stretch their lead to 105-87.

HAWKS 121, PISTONS 113

ATLANTA (AP) —

Jalen Johnson had 28 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists for his first career triple-double and Atlanta Hawks overcame a 50-point effort by Detroit’s Malachi Flynn for a win over the Pistons on Wednesday night that clinched a berth in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament.

De’Andre Hunter scored 26 points and Dejounte

BOSTON (AP) — Kristaps Porzingis had 27 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks, helping Boston power past Oklahoma City to secure the best record in the NBA and homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs.

Murray finished with 24 points and 11 assists for the Hawks, who have won six of their last seven games.

Flynn, whose previous career high was 27, was 18 for 25 from the floor and 9 for 12 at the line. The 50 points was a franchise record for a reserve. He also had a seasonhigh six rebounds, five assists and five steals in 34 minutes.

The Pistons have lost 10 of their last 11 games.

NETS 115, PACERS 111

NEW YORK (AP)

— Cam Thomas scored 27 points, rookie Noah Clowney had a career-high 22 and Brooklyn outlasted Indiana to split a homeand-home set.

The Nets were eliminated from postseason contention when Atlanta beat Detroit at home to wrap up at least a spot in the NBA PlayIn Tournament. Brooklyn last missed the playoffs in 2017-18.

Mikal Bridges added 17 points, and Nic Claxton had 14 points and 13 rebounds. The Nets had lost their

previous two games, the last a 133-111 loss in Indianapolis on Monday night. Pascal Siakam scored 26 points and Tyrese Haliburton had for Indiana. The Pacers had won three in a row.

TIMBERWOLVES 133, RAPTORS 85

MINNEAPOLIS (AP)

— Anthony Edwards scored 28 points, Naz Reid added 23 and Minnesota routed short-handed Toronto to move into a tie for first-place in the Western Conference. The Timberwolves began the day tied with Oklahoma City for second in the West, one-half game behind firstplace Denver. Minnesota’s win moved it into a tie with the idle Nuggets with six games remaining for both teams.

Rudy Gobert had 11 points and 15 rebounds for Minnesota, whose 48-point win marked its largest margin of victory this season.

MAGIC 117, PELICANS 108 NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Paolo Banchero scored

32 points and Orlando defeated New Orleans. Franz Wagner scored 24 points and Moritz Wagner added 18 points for the Magic, who’ve won three straight and moved a half game ahead of the idle New York Knicks for fourth in the Eastern Conference.

CJ McCollum had 36 points and 10 rebounds for New Orleans, which has lost three straight and four of five, slipping from fourth to sixth in the Western Conference, just half a game in front of seventh-place Sacramento.

SUNS 122, CAVALIERS 101

PHOENIX (AP) —

Devin Booker scored 40 points, Kevin Durant added 32 and Phoenix beat Cleveland. The Suns have won six of their past eight, moving up to the No. 6 spot in a crowded Western Conference playoff race, which would allow them to avoid the play-in tournament.

Booker — coming off a 52-point night in a win against New Orleans on Monday — shot 13 of 25

from the field, including 5 of 9 from 3-point range. Durant shot 13 of 23 and added seven assists.

It’s just the second time this season that Booker and Durant have both scored at least 30 in the same game. Bol Bol added 15 points off the bench, making 3 of 4 3-pointers.

GRIZZLIES 111, BUCKS 101

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 35 points to lead Memphis to a victory over Milwaukee. The Bucks lost for the fourth time in their past five games as they’ve faltered while trying to hold on to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Jackson dominated in the second half, scoring 25 of his points while lifting the Grizzlies to their fifth straight victory over Milwaukee. Brook Lopez paced the Bucks with 25 points and 10 rebounds while Giannis Antetokounmpo added 21 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. Bobby Portis had 19 points and Malik Beasley 10.

CARIFTA record holder Dior-Rae Scott alongside Blue Chip Athletics Club head coach Corrington Maycock. TOP: Shown, from left to right, Blue Chip throwers Jaylen Stuart, Robert Deal, Kaden Cartwright, Dior-Rae Scott, Annae Mackey and Taysha Stubbs represented The Bahamas at the 51st CARIFTA Games in St George’s, Grenada.

DEANDRE AYTON HAS MONSTER GAME WITH 24 POINTS AND 16 REBOUNDS IN WIN OVER HORNETS

By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer

CHARLOTTE, N.C.

(AP) — Scoot Hender-

had 22 points and 10

and the Portland Trail Blazers beat Brandon Miller and the Charlotte Hornets 89-86 last night in a matchup of two of the league’s top three draft picks.

Henderson, the third overall pick, shot 9 of 17 from the field as the Trail Blazers snapped a 10-game losing streak. Deandre Ayton had a monster game against the Hornets with 24 points and 16 rebounds and Jabari Walker had 14 points and 22 rebounds.

With Charlotte’s two 7-foot centres out, the Blazers held a 55-36 edge on the glass. Miller finished with 21 points to lead the Hornets, but struggled from long range finishing 1 of 8 from 3-point range. Charlotte shot 5 of 31 from beyond the arc just hours after Steve Clifford announced that he is stepping down as head coach after the season.

The stage was then set for the rookies and a fantastic ending, but both came up short in the clutch. Henderson was fouled with 18.5 seconds left and missed both free throws. That opened the door for Miller to put the Hornets ahead, but he missed a floater over Ayton. After Walker made two free throws, Davis Bertans missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer that would have sent the game into overtime. Both teams played short-handed.

With the game tied at 81, Henderson drove and dished to Walker for the go-ahead layup. After Tre Mann missed his sixth straight 3-pointer on the other end, Henderson hit a foul line jumper to make it a two-possession game with 1:09 to play. Miller, who had missed his first seven 3s, finally knocked one down from the top of the key bringing the crowd to its feet. Ayton’s putback pushed the lead back to three, but Miller answered with a short jumper.

The Hornets played without a number of key players including leading scorer Miles Bridges, point guards Vasa Micic and centre Nick Richards due to injuries.

LaMelo Ball has already been ruled out for the season, while Mark Williams, Seth Curry and Cody Martin remain out as well.

The Blazers are without Malcolm Brogdon, Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons, Matisse Thybulle, Shaedon Sharpe and Robert Williams. UP

son

assists

CHARLOTTE Hornets forward Grant Williams (2) guards Portland Trail Blazers centre Deandre Ayton (2) during the first half. (AP Photos/ Jacob Kupferman)

FROM PAGE 11

able to break away from them at the halfway mark. Me and Conner are great friends. We competed against each other in the Caymans finishing one and two, so it was great to be here to be the king of the open water swim.”

The 17-year-old Conner, who won a silver in the 200m breaststroke and a bronze in the 400m IM, thanked Bahamas Aquatics for hosting what he considered the best CARIFTA ever.

Malcolm Menzies was the top Bahamian competitor, coming across the line in seventh place in the same division in 1:06.30, just ahead of Donald Saunders Jr, who did 1:06.53 for eighth place.

“It was rough, but I found my pace and I gave it everything I had in the last lap,” said Menzies, a 15-yearold 10th grader at Windsor Academy. “It was pretty flat out there. It was a good condition to swim in. I felt good. I was even more happier that I got to watch The Bahamas win the sixth straight. I just wanted to do what I had to do for the team.” Saunders Jr, 16, is still mourning the death of his father Donald Saunders Sr last Wednesday.

Jack Barr emerged as the champion in the boys 19-and-over division with his victory in 1:08.15. “It was an okay performance. I came here with the mindset that I would go out and win my division,” Barr said. “Congratulations to the other swimmers. It was a long race. It was harder than the last one I competed in, so I’m glad that I finished and that I finished strong.” Barr said he was really impressed with how many points The Bahamas won in the swimming championships. He said he’s looking forward to the team’s seventh straight next year in Trinidad & Tobago.

Joey Schvartz of SaintMartin won the boys 14-15 division in 1:06.49.92. Noham Eustache of Martinique got the silver in 1:07.24.30 and the bronze went to Lennox Turnham-Wheatley

of the Cayman Islands in 1:07.26.55..

Giada Bertoldo, a 16-year-old 10th grader at St Andrew’s School, produced the best showing for Team Bahamas, winning the girls 16-and-over title in 1:09.27.

“I’m proud of myself.,. I was able to find the right strategy and I stuck with a nice pace,” said Bertoldo, who had to shake off the fatigue from just sitting around watching the swim team compete for four days.

“I was tired at the start, but I finished strong. This was home court, so I knew I had to prepare for the five laps. But I think I got sick jumping in the pool during the celebrations last night. But I had to get over it to compete today.”

Grenada’s Tally Collymore got the silver in 1:10.28 and the bronze went to Cayman Island’s Teagan Nash in 1:10.32.

Two other Bahamians competed in the division with Alanna Murray placing sixth in 1:17.25 and Laylka Saidi seventh in 1:17.27.

There was also a sweep in the girls 14-15 division by Martinique with Sayne Guivissa and Maylis Lewstrade posting identical times of 1:09.07. Riley Watson of the Cayman Islands took third in 1:09.11.

Three Bahamians trailed each other through the finish line with Alexia Zatarain leading the way in eighth place in 1:17.21, Madison Gilbert was ninth in 1:17.46 and Alyssa Burrows was 10th in 1:35.03.

“I’m really proud of the team’s overall performance. It’s something that we have been trying to build for the past couple of years, so it’s good to see Bahamians really gaining some interest in this open water swim,” said head coach Mancer Roberts.

“Good performances from top to bottom. Really happy with the way they went out and swam today. I don’t know if people realise that they just swam an hour in the ocean against the current and all of the other factors. I was really proud of what our swimmers did.”