05082024 NEWS AND SPORT

WEDNESDAY

‘SAVE DOLPHINS AFTER EIGHT DIE’

‘Living nightmare’ as five more suffer at Blackbeard’s Cay

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas was yesterday warned it faces a “PR nightmare” and severe tourism backlash unless it saves the five surviving dolphins at an abandoned project off New Providence’s north coast.

Ric O’Barry, the Dolphin Project’s co-founder

and director, told Tribune Business the “genie is out of the bottle” with “thousands” purportedly voicing outrage and threatening never to return to The Bahamas after his organisation posted details about the earlier deaths of eight dolphins at the former Blackbeard’s Cay development.

MURDER IN FOX HILL HOURS AFTER MITCHELL WARNING

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was murdered in Fox Hill yesterday morning, hours after area

MP Fred Mitchell warned constituents to expect titfor-tat killings following the murder of an alleged prominent gang member.

Chief Superintendent of Police Chrislyn Skippings told reporters that sometime around 8.30am yesterday, police were notified of a man found unresponsive in a dilapidated building in Dunkirk Road. Officers responded and

41 days laterstill stranded

THE Hope Town District Council said it is deeply disappointed that “no major efforts have been made to remediate” a disaster after a tug and barge got stuck in a protected area of Abaco 41 days ago. See PAGE THREE for story.

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net

CABINET formally recognised Palestine as a state yesterday, making The Bahamas the last

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE cousin of Long Island MP Adrian Gibson said yesterday that she never conspired with the former WSC executive chairman to defraud the corporation, adding that the courtroom was the first time she learned that WSC

CARICOM country to do so. The Bahamas joins at least 141 other countries in recognising Palestine, though the move is at odds with the United States of America, its main trading

contracts had been awarded to a company of which she was a shareholder.

Rashae Gibson, who was previously charged with the Long Island MP and four others, said this under cross-examination yesterday by Mr Gibson’s attorney, Damian Gomez, KC.

partner. Israel has repeatedly rebuffed efforts to recognise Palestine, with its government saying earlier this year that

By KEILE CAMPBELL

A 24-YEAR-OLD woman was taken into custody at the

RASHAE Gibson leaves court on Monday. Photo: Leandra Rolle

Great Commission Ministries seeks $40k help for fire damage repairs

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

AN electrical fire on Saturday damaged Great Commission Ministries’ building, sparking efforts to raise $40,000.

Great Commission Ministries founder and president Bishop Walter Hanchell said the fire that erupted just before midnight on May 4 “almost burned the building down”.

“Only the grace of God and the quick thinking of one of our employees, who lives nearby, to shut off all of the power in the building, saved the building from destruction,” he said.

Bishop Hanchell said two fire trucks were on the scene; significant smoke damage was caused to the western lower section of the Wulff Road complex. Goods were lost, and a refrigerator and freezer were damaged.

Great Commission Ministries helps the poor, homeless and at-risk youth with programmes that include feeding, sheltering, empowering people and youth outreach.

Bishop Hanchell said the fire was a “setback”, but operations have resumed despite the challenge. He is optimistic the organisation will be fully operational within the “next month or two”.

“The Lord miraculously preserved us and will restore the building,” he said yesterday.

“We will continue to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless and give caring hope to the hurting. Praise to the highest for His grace and mercy towards us.”

The organisation, which feeds roughly 600 people

Bahamas last CARICOM member to recognise Palestine as a state

from page one

recognition “would be a massive and unprecedented reward to terrorism and would prevent any future peace settlement.”

Recognition of Palestine has increased since war broke out in Gaza after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.

More than 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed since hostilities began, including over 14,000 children and 9000 women. The war has led to a humanitarian crisis, including the collapse of Palestine’s healthcare system.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday:

“The government of The Bahamas believes that recognition of the state of Palestine strongly demonstrates The Bahamas’ commitment to the principles espoused in the Charter of the United Nations and to the right of self-determination of peoples as articulated in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).”

“The Bahamas became an independent nation in 1973 as an act of self-determination. Therefore, The Bahamas supports the legal right of the Palestinian people

of self-determination ‘to freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development’.” Yesterday, former Foreign Affairs Minister Darren Henfield said the “government has probably taken a principled position on the view of statehood of Palestine, which governments are wont to do”. He added: “We understand and appreciate that most of the G-20 countries don’t subscribe to this. The US is our most important trading partner. When we make decisions like this, their views must always be a part of our consideration. Perhaps that’s why it took so long.”

daily, is appealing to the community for help in rebuilding.

Bishop Hanchell said donations are low, though the demand is

increasing.

are down,” he said. “We need more help.” He said the organisation is also seeking 50

volunteers who will be trained to assist with ministry outreach.

AN electrical fire on Saturday damaged Great Commission Ministries’ building, sparking efforts to raise $40,000.

A PROTESTER waves a Palestinian flag Friday at the Pentacrest in Iowa City, Iowa.

Photo: Geoff Stellfox/AP

Cousin says she never conspired with Gibson

Ms Gibson became a witness in the case after receiving immunity from prosecution.

She had previously testified that she had agreed to become a signatory for Elite Maintenance –– a company awarded WSC contracts when Mr Gibson was chairman –– after he called her about it in 2017.

Ms Gibson was a director of the company until December 2019.

When asked if she had ever signed contracts with the WSC on behalf of Elite Maintenance, Ms Gibson said she never did and claimed it was Alexandria Mackey, Mr Gibson’s ex-fiancée, who had conducted all the company’s business transactions. She denied involvement in alleged criminal activities at the WSC.

about Water and Sewerage and the contracts was in the courts,” she said yesterday. “I had no clue what Elite Maintenance was doing.”

The witness said she never bribed Mr Gibson to receive contracts for the company and that the Long Island MP never bribed her nor discussed WSC contracts with her.

Mr Gomez said to her: “I put it to you that the accused –– Mr Adrian Gibson –– never met with you and discussed any plan to commit fraud.”

Ms Gibson agreed.

She also claimed that she never spoke with Ms Mackey or Tanya Demeritte, the company’s director, about bribing Mr Gibson.

Mr Gomez asked her: “Would it be true to say, Ms Gibson, that you never witnessed any instances of fraud?”

“I put it to you that you never witnessed any instance of receiving Water and Sewerage Corporation’s money,” Mr Gomez said, to which she again replied “no”.

Mr Gomez said: “I put it to you that you never witnessed any instances of money laundering involving Mr Gibson.”

Ms Gibson, however, did not agree, recalling that when she transferred over $100,000 on Elite Maintenance’s account to Edwileno’s Company Holding’s account at Mr Gibson’s request.

She testified: “I would say, yes, because of the money that I took the account with and deposited it into Edwileno. That was the only transaction I’ve ever done so I don’t know if that’s called money laundering.”

“I know money laundering is washing money. That’s what they call the term,” Ms Gibson responded.

However, she agreed with the defence attorney’s suggestion that she never laundered any money with Mr Gibson and his co-accused to purchase vehicles or properties. She also testified that she did not know of instances where Mr Gibson received several cheques worth thousands of dollars from the WSC.

When asked if Mr Gibson ever told her how he obtained his home in Long Island, Ms Gibson said she was told he got it through a mortgage.

did not know how her cousin purchased it. Mr Gibson is facing several charges concerning his tenure as WSC executive chairman under the Minnis administration.

The charges stem from Mr Gibson’s alleged failure to declare his interest in contracts awarded by the WSC.

The FNM politician is charged with Mr Elwood Donaldson, Jr, former WSC’s general manager, Joan Knowles, Peaches Farquharson and Jerome Missick.

Mr Damian Gomez, KC, Mr Murrio Ducille, KC, Ian Cargill, Bryan Bastian, Ryan Eve, Raphael Moxey, represent the defendants.

Meanwhile, the Crown’s lawyers include acting Director of Public Prosecutions Cordell Frazier, Cashena Thompson, Karine MacVean and Rashied Edgecombe. from page one

“The first time I ever learned

“No,” she replied.

Mr Gomez asked the witness if she knew what money laundering was.

The Long Island MP also told her that his property in Shirley Park was mortgaged, she testified. As for his other property in Venice Bay, the witness said she

Council disapointed over ‘no major efforts’ to remove stranded barge

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter

THE Hope Town District

Council said it is deeply disappointed that “no major efforts have been made to remediate” a disaster after a tug and barge got stuck in a protected area of Abaco 41 days ago.

The council said it has not heard from the Port Department, the Department of Environment Planning and Protection or any other government agency.

“As each day goes by, continual destruction of the reef continues to occur as the barge and tug continue to break down the coral reef. I am wonering whether or not the remediation of the fuel in the fuel tanks of the tug has been properly carried out.”

Yesterday, Department of Environmental Planning and Protection director Dr Rhianna Neely-Murphy said the tug and barge remain stuck because of weather and equipment issues.

“We’ve had some challenges with weather as well as securing the appropriate equipment to lift the barge without causing further damage to the reef,” she said.

“So, once we have weather permitting as well as we have secured all of the equipment necessary, we would be in a better position to move the barge safely without endangering the coral reef.”

Dr Neely-Murphy did not give a timeline for when the barge and

tugboat would be removed.

In late March, the vessels got stuck in Fowl Cay’s National Park, a protected area managed by the Bahamas National Trust. The barge and tugboat were heading to Baker’s Bay, Abaco, when they experienced rough seas.

The incident prompted area residents to rescue about six people. However, the barge is still sitting atop a coral reef, and the tugboat remains partially sunken.

Asked about the environmental damage caused by the vessels, Dr Neely-Murphy said the damage appears to be minimal.

“Thankfully, the tugboat was dislodged away from the reef and so we’re not expecting much damage there,” she said. “But once both vessels have been removed, we will conduct a more comprehensive assessment.

“We have to exercise environmental due diligence to ensure that the environment is taken care of as well as life is not in danger of attempting to remove a barge in waters that have 12 feet waves. So, it’s very important for us to take all of that into consideration before a plan is commissioned, approved, and implemented. The salvagers have a plan that we have supported and once the conditions are optimal they will implement the plan.”

Dr Neely-Murphy has said that the vessels’ operators could face penalties.

ADRIAN Gibson’s cousin, Rashae Gibson, arriving at court during the trial of Adrian Gibson and five others in March.

Photo: Dante Carrer

Demolition of shanty homes began yesterday in Eleuthera

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

AT least 50 unregulated structures were demolished yesterday in the Blackwood community on Eleuthera.

Buildings Control Officer Craig Delancey said many of the homes had been vacated when bulldozers arrived. He said officials hope to finish destroying the structures by the end of this week.

The Unregulated Communities Task Force will then destroy 20 structures in Spanish Wells.

The Ministry of Works issued over 200 eviction notices in Eleuthera shanty towns in March.

Since launching its demolition activities last year, the government has destroyed nearly 300 structures across New Providence and Abaco.

Assistant Director of Social Services Cherely Kelly said in March that those who qualify would receive food, rent, light, water and uniform assistance for up to a year.

She noted that only people who have permanent status or are Bahamian citizens will be helped.

“A number of persons that we would have interviewed would have a work permit, so automatically, they would not qualify to get any ongoing assistance from us,” she said.

She said many people had not taken advantage of the available shelters, with only five families living in New Providence shelters up to March.

Supreme Court Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson ruled last year that the Minnis administration’s 2018 shanty town eradication policies were legal. That decision helped pave the way for the government to initiate an airtight legal process under the Buildings Regulation Act.

Unlike in the past, the government has faced no significant court challenge to its shanty town actions.

MURDER IN FOX HILL HOURS AFTER MITCHELL WARNING

from page one

found a man with multiple gunshot injuries to the body.

CSP Skippings said police learned gunshots were heard around 1am in the area.

She said it was too early to say if the murder was connected to Monday’s killing of Michael Fox, Jr, on

Fleming Street. Police said Fox was a major player in the Outlaws gang, which is associated with Fox Hill.

Mr Mitchell warned his constituents in a WhatsApp message to anticipate increased violence.

He wrote: “Good morning, the commissioner of police spoke with me this morning about a heightened state of alert in the

AT least 50 unregulated structures were demolished yesterday in the Blackwood community on Eleuthera.

Photos: MOW

Woman held after fetus found in garbage bin

from page one

and determined it showed no signs of life.

The woman in question checked into the hospital, where she was receiving medical attention as investigations continued.

Management of the gas station instructed employees not to talk to the press.

One customer said the matter was “tragic” and expressed concern that Bahamians are becoming “desensitised” to such incidents because of their frequency.

A woman customer said she spoke to some who said they would have “saved the child” or given the boy to a relative.

A mother in her 30s, who spoke to reporters outside the gas station, said the extent of mental health issues in the country is underestimated.

MAN ACCUSED OF MOLESTING 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN 2022

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A 28-YEAR-OLD man was remanded in custody yesterday accused of molesting a 13-year-old girl twice in 2022.

Assistant Chief Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans charged Alexis Decius with two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse. Decius faced an additional charge of indecent assault.

Decius allegedly indecently assaulted the teenage girl.

Decius allegedly had unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl twice in New Providence between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022. In that timeframe,

The defendant was told that his case would proceed to the Supreme Court through a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).

His VBI is due for service on July 29.

Mark Penn represented the accused.

TWO TEENS ACCUSED OF ARMED ROBBERY

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

TWO teenage boys were sent to the Simpson Penn Centre for Boys accused of robbing a person of two phones and cash at gunpoint in Kemp Road last week.

The 12-year-old faced an additional charge of receiving.

The defendants were charged in the presence of their guardians.

The pair, while armed with a firearm, allegedly robbed Sean Green of a $440 iPhone 12, a $225

Magistrate Algernon Allen, Jr, charged a 12-year-old and a 14-yearold boy, whose names are being withheld because they are minors, with armed robbery and conspiracy to commit armed robbery.

iPhone 7 Plus and $400 on Cooper’s Terrace on April 28.

Later that same day, the 12-year-old defendant was allegedly found with the same stolen iPhone 7.

The accused were told their matter would move to the Supreme Court through a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).

The VBIs in this case are set for service on July 29.

MAN PAYS $4,000 FINE FOR BAIL VIOLATION

By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune

Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was ordered to pay a $4,000 fine yesterday after he admitted to failing to sign in at a police station while out on bail for murder.

Magistrate Kendra

Kelly charged Jeremey Dames, 31, with four counts of violation of bail conditions. While on bail for an alleged murder, Bullard failed to report to his local police station multiple times between January 1 and February 29. Following his guilty

plea, Dames was fined $4,000 and risks eight months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services if he does not pay the fine. He must pay $1,000 of his fine before release and make $200 weekly payments until his debt is settled.

MAN ACCUSED OF STEALING ATV GRANTED BAIL

By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was granted bail yesterday after he was accused of stealing an ATV from College Avenue in January.

Senior Magistrate Shaka

Serville charged Raymond Ward, 41, with stealing. Ward allegedly stole a white 2013 Yamaha YFM90RDW ATV motorcycle valued at $2,700 from Dwayne Heastie between January 26 and 28. The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The prosecution raised no objection to him getting bail, so his bail was set at $2,500. Ward must sign in at the Carmichael Road Police Station every Monday and Wednesday by 7pm.

The trial in this matter begins on October 15.

The Tribune Limited

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“Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”

LEON E. H. DUPUCH

Publisher/Editor 1903-1914

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

Publisher/Editor 1919-1972

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RT HON EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON, C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B.

Publisher/Editor 1972-

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Put legal wrangling aside to save the dolphins

FROM the outset, there were concerns over the welfare of the dolphins at Blackbeard’s Cay.

The news that now eight of the dolphins have reportedly died, with five more still at risk, shows the worst fears of activists worried about the animals at the abandoned project have come true.

Back in 2014, Sam Duncombe, of ReEarth, could be seen in a video during a fact finding expedition to the development, noting the lack of protection from the elements for the dolphins at the location and fearing that the pens were too shallow.

While the owners are seemingly gone from the location, the activists are still here, fighting to protect the animals that seem to have been abandoned as surely as the project itself.

There is still one person at the location – Luis Arturo Hernandez, the dolphins’ caretaker and trainer, who is said to be living there “like a homeless person” and being paid by a veterinarian in Mexico.

Ric O’Barry, of the Dolphin Project, is hoping to relocate the dolphins to a sanctuary site near Rock Sound – and he talked of bringing food to the caretaker, not just the dolphins themselves.

He cited a series of concerns at the site – a lack of electricity and running water with the generator out of action for the past six months, an inability to keep fish to feed the dolphins frozen or cool, expired medications for the animals – when there is any at all – and the five remaining dolphins being “seriously underweight, suffering from malnutrition and dehydration”.

Where are the owners in all this?

Well, there is another long tale.

The whole saga is tied up in US bankruptcy court proceedings, as well as litigation here in The Bahamas – and there is even a former Cabinet minister in the mix.

Blackbeard’s Cay was split 50/50 between foreign investors Samir Andrawos and Victoria Iglesias. Both are involved in personal bankruptcy proceedings.

The debtors of Mr Andrawos seem to think that Blackbeard’s Cay is their best chance of recovering what they are owed – but it gets more complicated. Mr

Andrawos’ share has been claimed by Damian Gomez, the former minister of state for legal affairs under the Christie administration, in recompense for outstanding legal fees owed to him to the tune of $1.25m.

Mr Gomez faced his own court challenge over that – from the trustee looking after Mr Andrawos’ bankruptcy affairs.

Where this leaves the efforts to save the dolphins is challenging – a proposal has been put forward to take them to the sanctuary, but there has been no permission granted yet by the government.

Lack of action is something of a common theme at Blackbeard’s Cay. Activists previously got a Supreme Court victory, ordering the location be effectively shut down. Justice Stephen Isaacs overruled the dolphin import licences, ordered the animals be moved to a suitable location, quashed the planning approval and ordered the site be restored to its previous use.

What happened? Nothing. Six years went by with no enforcement action – a Supreme Court justice’s orders ignored. When it did shut down, it was not enforced by the authorities, but by COVID-19. The pandemic brought Blackbeard’s Cay to an end.

The dolphins cannot wait for the cogs of justice to turn so slowly that they die while others argue in court. A decision can be taken to relocate the animals to a suitable location – hopefully with their devoted caretaker too so he can see them thrive the way they should.

Perhaps the plan that has been put forward is the right one, perhaps it isn’t – but something should be done other than standing and waiting for the bitter end.

Campaigners warned of the worst that could happen. Campaigners fought and won in court. And justice has never been delivered. The victims are the poor animals that people sought to help in the first place – and that should never be the case.

The government talks a good game internationally about taking care of the environment – it ought to show it is true to its word by protecting the animals within that environment right here at home. It is time to get something done.

Minnis’ bid not going to be successful

EDITOR, The Tribune

THE Nassau Guardian published another contribution from renowned radio talk show host Ortland Bodie on May 3. Bodie wrote about Free National Movement Leader Michael Pintard and former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis. Bodie, in my opinion, went out on a limb by confidently predicting that the Killarney MP will win the leadership election at the June 1 FNM Convention. I expect Bodie’s prediction to be as accurate as false prophet Jeane Dixon’s prediction that Richard Nixon would win the US presidential election in 1960. It actually was John F Kennedy. At his nomination at the FNM headquarters on Mackey Street on Friday, Pintard was flanked by Peter Turnquest, St Anne’s MP Adrian White, Brent Symonette and other FNM heavyweights. Also noteworthy is that Pintard, at least in November 2021, got the endorsement of former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham. With these significant endorsements, I cannot imagine a scenario in which the Marco City MP will lose.

Minnis has in his corner former Cabinet Ministers Renward Wells and Desmond Bannister. I understand that Long Island MP Adrian Gibson also supports Minnis. Even if Bahamas Press’s claim that FNM MPs Kwasi Thompson and Iram Lewis supports Minnis, I believe, based

on the massive crowd that showed up at the Pintard nomination, it would take an act of God, to use the words of Bodie, for Minnis to win. That Bodie would predict a Minnis victory is indeed confusing, judging by the continued unpopularity of Minnis throughout the nation. It would appear that Bodie is banking on Minnis to pull off the massive upset, which would most certainly guarantee an FNM loss in 2026.

Granted, Bodie did state that whether it will be Pintard or Minnis, Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis will win in 2026, which made his discussions about the FNM basically irrelevant. Having said that, Bodie’s political prognostications on Pintard are probably rooted in his dislike for Pintard, and not on any objective data. I think it was last year when Pintard called in to Bodie’s radio show on ZNS Radio to challenge him on a point he had made about the FNM. Pintard handled himself with distinction. Bodie might still be nursing a grudge for that encounter. I suspect that his recent anti-Pintard letter was his way of taking another cheap shot at Pintard for that incident.

In any case, I believe Bodie’s claim that the FNM Leader is unable to think on his feet is a

very inaccurate appraisal of Pintard. Interestingly, this was a common charge made against Minnis. Pintard, though, is one of the more informed, eloquent and conversant politicians in the entire country. His ability to think on his feet is apparent to Bahamians with no political dog in the fight. Bodie’s claim is either rooted in ignorance or spite - or both. Detractors of Pintard cannot with a straight face scold him on his superb speaking ability, so they speak condescendingly of his past as a poet. The astonishing claim of Pintard not being able to speak on his feet is totally without foundation. As for the loss in the West Grand Bahama and Bimini by-election last Fall, I have opined in the past that the FNM has only won that constituency twice in its 57 years of existence. Pintard can hardly be blamed for failing to win a seat in a strong Progressive Liberal Party stronghold, where PLPs were motivated to rally around their party after the death of Obie Wilchcombe. Moreover, Kingsley Smith had the sheer weight of the entire government backing his campaign, while the FNM continued to rebuild its brand after the devastating general election loss in 2021. Hopefully, Pintard will remain focused on leading the FNM, while ignoring inaccurate prognosticators like Bodie.

KEVIN EVANS Freeport, Grand Bahama May 5, 2024.

Two heads at war in FNM party

EDITOR, The Tribune.

IN ancient Greek mythology there was a double-headed person/ creature called Hydra. There were two heads on one body. At any given time one head would be looking to the right side while the other focused on the left. Occasionally, one head faced the front while the other was looking backwards. The two heads never both looked in the same direction at the same time... I submit that a twoheaded person or creature is at a grave disadvantage considering his/its natural predators. With heads looking all over the place, save and except the right position, any predator could sneak up, unawares, on an opposing side. This is the dilemma which has and is causing a tremendous amount of confusion and lack of unity within the hapless rump party known as the Free National Movement. This is a great pity and a grave disservice to the wonderful people of this nation, if we adhere to democratic principles, as I submit that we do. Mind you, even if the FNM were all together, it would not make much of a difference in its ability to politically challenge the incumbent Progressive Liberal Party. With its Hydra qualities,

on the one side we have some pygmies while on the other hand we are witnessing the political posturing of the return to the leadership by the Most Hon Hubert Alexander Minnis, whose so-called era was declared ‘finished’ by the Hon Michael Pintard, the Hon Dr Duane ‘seat-less wonder’ Sands. Sands postures as an election expert, but he was unable to retain Elizabeth despite the Herculean electoral efforts of the former Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Hubert

A Ingraham, whose era was correctly called by Minnis, in a most ungrateful manner, with all due respect, in my view. In fact, Ingraham is like yesterday’s news from a long forgotten time …

The sooner the rump FNM amputate one of its Hydra like heads, the better for that party and, of course, democracy. A double-minded person, or a party is unstable and doomed to fall head long into the political ditch. The head which looks like Pintard comes across as unfocused; weak and long winded … just like the late James Brown used to sing … talking loud, but saying Nothing!

The head, which most favours Minnis has the gravitas and the experience. But one is still

able to sense a degree of arrogance and possibly dictatorial traits. His return to the FNM’s leadership is inevitable. But it will not be a walk in the park, Messrs Pintard and Sands should both be aware that once Minnis is back, their front line political careers will be over for the foreseeable future. The only current leader of the FNM whose future is assured under a Minnis-led FNM is the Hon Shanendon Cartwright, the current Deputy Leader and MP for the great constituency of St Barnabas. In any event, I submit that the political and other blows which Dr Minnis inflicted on Messrs Pintard and Sands are too deep for he/them to heal easily. The way in which Dr Minnis’s photograph was allegedly removed from the general hall at the FNM’s headquarters was dismissive; uncouth and very rude. Tit-for-tat is just how it is in Bahamian politics. Hydra, remember, has two heads and they are both at war with each other. To God then, Who reigns and stands Alone, in all things, be the glory

ORTLAND H BODIE, Jr Nassau, May 5, 2024.

PICTURE OF THE DAY

CHINA’s President Xi Jinping’s wife Peng Liyuan, right, and French President Emmanuel Macron’s wife Brigitte Macron pose in front of the clock as they visit the Orsay Museum on Monday in Paris.

Photo: Aurelien Morissard/AP

New recycling company celebrates Earth Day with Centre for the Deaf

ON Earth Day, executives from Eden Recycling & Manufacturing took part in a special assembly at the Centre For The Deaf in Oakes Field. At the event, students showcased the Earth Day 2024 theme Planet vs. Plastics with a skit on the dangers of plastic pollution in our country. They also displayed upcycled projects using recycled materials.

Company CEO Andrew McFall greeted the students by signing his name. He shared how plastic materials are formed and why recycling is key to reducing the impact of plastic on the planet.

“Today, we celebrate planet earth. This is our home. This is all that we have and so we are all responsible and should be involved in this fight against plastic pollution. Just as we take care of our home, we are also responsible for taking care of our planet,” he said.

McFall and his team are just weeks away from breaking ground on The Bahamas’ first end-toend recycling plant on three acres of land at the Bahamas Agricultural & Industrial Corporation’s (BAIC) Gladstone Road industrial park.

Garth Rolle, Eden’s Director of Marketing & Sales commended students for their innovative creations and shared the company’s plans to transform plastic waste products into long-lasting items for

everyday use. “Recycling is important because what we are doing is we are protecting the earth for generations to come. Earth Day is about creating a greater awareness of what each of us can do to prolong the earth that we live on.

Rolle continued: “We are going to do our part by placing receptacles in schools, in hotels, at the mall and in high traffic areas to collect and bring back to our facilities where we can make many items including garbage bins, construction supplies and even toys.”

School Principal Michaela Smith, said since 2021, Earth Day has become an annual celebration at the Centre for the Deaf. “Earth Day serves as an important educational moment for our students, empowering them to learn how they can contribute to lessening the effects of climate change. It’s a time when they step beyond the confines of the classroom to explore their surroundings, realizing the significant impact they can have, even within their own small corner of the globe.”

To round out the event, students thanked Eden Recycling & Manufacturing for celebrating Earth Day at the school. Next year, the company plans to extend an invitation for students from the Centre for The Deaf to tour its facility to see recycling from start to finish.

STUDENTS from Centre for the Deaf thanks Eden Recycling & Manufacturing for Celebrating Earth Day at their school.

EDEN Recycling & Manufacturing marks Earth Day at Centre for The Deaf Special Assembly. Pic-

tured l to r: Andrew McFall, chairman and CEO, Eden Recycling & Manufacturing, Michela Smith, principal of Centre for The Deaf, and Francine McKenzie, senior mistress, Centre for The Deaf, and

Garth Rolle, director of marketing & sales, Eden Recycling & Manufacturing.

Photos: Centre for The Deaf

UPCYCLED and Recycled items made by students from Centre for the Deaf to Commemorate Earth Day.

Qualities we need from those who would lead

AS the conversation about political party leaders picks up, it is a good time to think and talk about what it means to be a leader. We have seen, over and over again, that it has meant power and control. It has meant being the lesser of two evils. It has meant popularity. It has meant backing by influential people. It has not been about leadership qualities. It has not been about vision, values, competence, or commitment to the people.

There are many qualities we need to look for in leaders, and to develop if we want to be leaders, whether in the political sphere or elsewhere. Leadership is not a pageant sash anyone can put on like a costume. It is a responsibility that can only be met with the right tools, preparation, and support. Here are twelve qualities that we need to look for in supposed leaders.

Authenticity. Leaders need to have a real, intimate knowledge of themselves. They are aware of their histories and how the past has shaped them and their relationships. They know their strengths and weaknesses. They can name their fears. They know that selfawareness is a prerequisite to authenticity. A leader’s understanding of self and commitment to honesty enables them to be authentic in presenting as a real person to the world. Selfawareness is a prerequisite to authenticity. Willingness to learn. Leaders are aware of their fallibility. They recognize

By Alicia Wallace

their mistakes. They accept it when others point out their failings. They are not only prepared to acknowledge their mistakes, but work to learn from them, course correct, and share what they learn with others. Active listening. Leaders do not know everything, and they are highly aware of this fact. They dedicate a considerable amount of time to listening to other people. They call on experts and researchers to present information and analyses. They create opportunities for stakeholders to share their experiences, highlight needs, and make recommendations. Members of their teams are confident and capable of weighing in on issues and proposing action. Leaders welcome ideas and are not so afraid of new methods that they immediately shut them down. They are willing to not only hear about different approaches, but to put them into action. Respect. Leaders know that they do not instantly get the respect and allegiance of anyone by holding a title. They are prepared to work, share evidence of the work and outcomes, and be assessed on that basis. They know that respect is not

JOB OPPORTUNITY

uni-directional. They have to not only speak about, but demonstrate respect for people’s time and expertise. They are on time for meetings. They make eye contact and are attentive when people speak to them. They respond to requests and acknowledge receipt of messages. They are not above anyone else, and they make this clear through their communication and behaviour.

Values. Leaders work with agreed values at the center. Teams, communities, and the general public contribute to the identification of values. These values then serve as a guide for all decisions and activities. Leaders name shared values and refer to them often. They do not betray the people by acting outside of the identified values.

Vision. Leaders have a shared vision with the people. They do not act aimlessly. They are not making disparate decisions. Decisions and actions move everyone toward the realisation of the vision. Leaders do not, in isolation, draw a vision. They meaningfully engage with the people and develop processes for the people to participate in the visioning process. They

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• Performs scheduled preventative maintenance of refrigeration, building, plumbing, electrical and mechanical systems to ensure optimal performance at all times.

• Checks refrigeration, buildings, grounds, equipment, and machinery for

problems and takes necessary corrective action.

• Maintain adequate inventory of spare parts for all machinery and equipment.

• Maintain adequate inventory of tools for maintenance jobs.

• Prepares and submits estimates for materials and equipment for repair

jobs and assists with the sourcing.

• Treats all maintenance requests with urgency and provide feedback on completion.

• Completes job sheets to determine usage of materials and time work.

• Maintains accurate records of maintenance activities, updating logs and preparing reports in accordance with established procedures and schedules.

• Always ensures adherence to safety regulations, and standards set out in

the Health and Safety at Work Act, and in all areas and takes corrective actions when necessary to prevent accidents.

• Reports accidents and hazardous situations promptly (or fix where applicable).

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ensure that the people have access to the resources necessary for visioning. The vision is owned by everyone. It is the destination on the map.

Effective communication. Leaders understand the importance of clear communication, and they prioritise it in their writing and speech. They use language that their audiences understand. They expect people to speak in their own languages and do not penalise or insult them for their way of speaking. They do not aim to use the biggest words or the most technical terms. They do not alienate or confuse people. They do not speak in riddles or parables. They carefully construct messages with the main goal of that messaging reaching the intended audience and being received with understanding. Community-focused. Leaders are not working for themselves, and they know this. They keep a connection to the people, and the vision for a healthy, thriving community. They not only think about one person, or 100 people, but all of the people, and they intentionally consider people in situations of vulnerability. Competence. The leader is capable of driving change. They understand the challenges. They have the knowledge and skills to support a team in working to address them. They are not merely “good speakers” or

“charismatic”. They are able to do the work, and to do it with consistency and at a high quality. Consent. Leaders are chosen by the people they serve. They do not selfappoint. They do not inherit. They do not bulldoze. They may put themselves forward for consideration, but they do not assume leadership without the support of the people. If the people decide that the leader is unfit or otherwise unsatisfactory, the leader knows that their exit must come, and they do not delay. Transparency. Leaders do not work in secret. They do not hide their work. People do not have to guess their positions, wonder what they have done, or jump to conclusions about what is to come. Leaders are not ashamed of what they are doing because they are acting in the best interest of the people, based on a true understanding of the context, the needs, and the possibilities. There is no pretending. There are no lies. There is trust, there is honesty, and the work of a leader is public work.

Succession. Leaders know that they cannot hold a position forever. They do not plan to hold positions forever, or for the rest of their lives. Their goal is to do the best that they can to meet the goals set by the people, and to ensure that there are people equipped

to continue the work when they leave. People need to be trained. People need to be supporting in continuing their education. People need to gain experience. People need to build their confidence. People need to have opportunities to lead at increasing levels. Leaders need to create these opportunities. Leaders develop leaders.

A key to leadership is knowing the people. You have to understand their needs and interests, and know what is required of you to meet their needs. Create a culture of feedback. Make it not only possible, but easy and desirable for the people to interact with you. If people are afraid to make direct contact with you, and if you are unreachable, you are not a leader. Distance between a leader and the people is not prestige, but failure. Communicate clearly and with predictable frequency, determined by the needs of the people, recognising that a substantial part of the communication is your listening. As a leader, it is important to know yourself. This sounds simple, but it does require work. You have to know yourself in order to present yourself as you truly are. Authentic presentation is a dependable sign of confidence. If you do not like yourself as a person, it is not possible to truly present yourself as a leader.

FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA, PALESTINE WILL BE FREE

On Monday, May 6, the Network of Caribbean Feminists released its statement, against Israel’s settler colonial project and ongoing genocide in Palestine. It noted that, since October 2023, more than 35,000 Palestinian people have been killed, most of them are women and children. It connected the genocide with gender-based violence, drawing attention to the sexual harassment assault, denial of access to medical care, menstrual products, and hygiene products, unsanitary and inhumane conditions, and the increased burden of care work on women who, along with their families, are experiencing consistent violence, loss, grief, and mental health crises.

The statement called on CARICOM to “support the Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel) case at the International Court of Justice for measures to be

taken against genocidal actions by Israel” and it named several international human rights mechanisms that CARICOM States have ratified and which obligate it to take a clear, strong position for a permanent ceasefire, the end of the genocide, and support for the human rights of Palestinian people. The solution, it noted, is “decolonisation, liberation, and the Palestinian right of return”.

Over the past few weeks, CARICOM States have, one by one, recognised Palestine as a State. The Bahamas, the last to do so, recognised Palestine as a State on Tuesday, May 7. This is a step in the right direction. It must not be the last step, and the next step must not take years, months, or weeks. The lives of Palestinian people depend on The Bahamas, on CARICOM, on countries all over the world, to support Palestine and to condemn and cut ties with Israel immediately.

Apple unveils new iPad Pro and M4 chip

WITH the world’s most advanced display and outrageously fast M4 performance, the new thin and light iPad Pro takes a huge leap forward.

“iPad Pro empowers a broad set of pros and is perfect for anyone who wants the ultimate iPad experience — with its combination of the world’s best displays, extraordinary performance of our latest M-series chips, and advanced accessories — all in a portable design. Today, we’re taking it even further with the new, stunningly thin and light iPad Pro, our biggest update ever to iPad Pro,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. “With the breakthrough Ultra Retina XDR display, the next-level performance of M4, incredible AI capabilities, and support for the all-new Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard, there’s no device like the new iPad Pro.”

The new iPad Pro — the thinnest Apple product ever — features a stunningly thin and light design, taking portability to a whole new level. The 11-inch model is just 5.3 mm thin, and the 13-inch model is even thinner at a striking 5.1 mm, while both models are just as strong as the previous design. The 11-inch model weighs less than a pound, and the 13-inch model is nearly a quarter pound lighter than its predecessor — allowing pro users to extend their workflows in new ways and in more places.

The new iPad Pro is available in two gorgeous finishes — silver and space black — both with 100 percent recycled aluminum enclosures.

The new iPad Pro debuts the Ultra Retina XDR, the world’s most advanced display, to provide an even more remarkable visual experience. The Ultra Retina XDR display features state-of-the-art tandem OLED technology that uses two OLED panels and combines the light from both to provide phenomenal full-screen brightness.

The new iPad Pro supports an incredible 1000 nits of full-screen brightness for SDR and HDR content, and 1600 nits peak for HDR. No other device of its kind delivers this level of extreme dynamic range. Tandem OLED technology enables submillisecond control over the color and luminance of each pixel, taking XDR precision further than ever.

Specular highlights in photos and video appear even brighter, and there’s more detail in shadows and low light than ever before on iPad — all while delivering even more responsiveness to content in motion. For pro users working in high-end, colormanaged workflows or challenging lighting conditions, a new nano-texture glass option comes to iPad Pro for the first time. 1 Nano-texture glass is precisely etched at a nanometer scale, maintaining image quality and contrast while scattering ambient light for reduced glare.

With its breakthrough tandem OLED technology, extreme brightness, incredibly precise contrast, brilliant colors, and nanotexture glass option, the new Ultra Retina

XDR display is the world’s most advanced display, giving iPad Pro customers an unparalleled viewing experience.

The incredibly thin and light design and game-changing display of the new iPad Pro is only possible with M4, the next generation of Apple silicon that delivers a huge leap in performance. M4 is built on secondgeneration 3-nanometer technology that’s even more power efficient, which is perfect for the design of the new iPad Pro. With an entirely new display engine, M4 introduces pioneering technology for the stunning precision, colour, and brightness of the Ultra Retina XDR display.

The new CPU offers up to four performance cores and now six efficiency cores, two with next-generation machine learning (ML) accelerators, to deliver up to 1.5x faster CPU performance over M2 in the previous-generation iPad Pro. 3 M4 builds on the GPU architecture of M3 — the 10-core GPU includes powerful features like Dynamic Caching, and hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray tracing, which come to iPad for the first time.

Coupled with higher unified memory bandwidth, pro rendering apps like Octane will see up to 4x faster performance than M2. 3 M4 also delivers tremendous gains and industry-leading performance per watt. Compared to M2, M4 can deliver the same performance using just half the power, and compared to the latest PC chip in a thin and light laptop, M4 can deliver the same performance using just a quarter of the power.

4 A new advanced Media Engine includes support for AV1 decode, providing more power-efficient playback of high-resolution video experiences from streaming services.

The new iPad Pro with M4 features Apple’s most powerful Neural Engine ever, capable of 38 trillion operations per second, which is 60x faster than Apple’s first Neural Engine in the A11 Bionic chip. Combined with next-generation ML accelerators in

the CPU, a high-performance GPU, more memory bandwidth, and intelligent features and powerful developer frameworks in iPadOS, the Neural Engine makes the new iPad Pro an outrageously powerful device for AI. With iPad Pro with M4, users can perform AI-enabled tasks even faster, like easily isolate a subject from its background in 4K video with just a tap with Scene Removal Mask in Final Cut Pro®. With this advanced level of performance, the Neural Engine in M4 is more powerful than any neural processing unit in any AI PC today.

iPadOS also has advanced frameworks like Core ML that make it easy for developers to tap into the Neural Engine to deliver phenomenal AI features locally, including running powerful diffusion and generative AI models, with great performance on device. iPad Pro also supports cloud-based solutions, enabling users to run powerful productivity and creative apps that tap into the power of AI, such as Copilot for Microsoft 365 and Adobe Firefly.

The updated camera system on the new iPad Pro delivers even more versatility, and with its rich audio from four studio-quality mics, users can shoot, edit, and share all on one device. The 12MP back camera captures vibrant Smart HDR images and video with even better color, improved textures, and detail in low light. It also now features a new adaptive True Tone flash that makes document scanning on the new iPad Pro better than ever. Using AI, the new iPad Pro automatically identifies documents right in the Camera app, and if a shadow is in the way, it instantly takes multiple photos with the new adaptive flash, stitching the scan together for a dramatically better scan.

On the front, the TrueDepth® camera system moves to the landscape location on the new iPad Pro. The Ultra Wide 12MP camera with Center Stage makes the experience of video conferencing in landscape orientation even better, especially when iPad is attached to a Magic Keyboard or Smart Folio.

NINTENDO TO ANNOUNCE SWITCH SUCCESSOR IN THIS FISCAL YEAR

JAPANESE video-game maker Nintendo said on Tuesday that it will make an announcement about a successor to its Switch home console sometime before March 2025.

In reporting its financial results, Nintendo gave no details about the announcement, including about whether it would launch that successor product during this fiscal year, or just announce its plans for it.

“We will make an announcement about the successor to Nintendo Switch within this fiscal year. It will have been over nine years since we announced the existence of Nintendo Switch back in March 2015,” the company’s president, Shuntaro Furukawa,

said in a statement.

Kyoto-based Nintendo Co reported a 13% rise in profit for the fiscal year that ended in March, boosted by solid demand for Switch software like “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.”

Nintendo’s net profit for the fiscal year through March 2024 totaled 490.6 billion yen ($3 billion), up from 432.7 billion yen in the previous fiscal year. Annual sales rose 4% to 1.67 trillion yen ($11 billion), nearly 80% of it from outside Japan.

Besides “The Legend of Zelda,” whose global sales for the fiscal year totaled 20.6 million units, “Super Mario Bros. Wonder” sold 13.4 million units, and “Pikmin 4” sold

nearly 3.5 million, according to Nintendo.

The release a year ago of the film, “The Super Mario Bros Movie,” also helped sales.

The yen’s weakness against the dollar, which lifts the value in yen of overseas earnings of Japanese exporters like Nintendo, also helped. The US dollar has averaged about 151 Japanese yen over the past fiscal year, up from 133 yen in the previous fiscal year.

Nintendo, which did not break down quarterly numbers, was less optimistic about its financial results for the fiscal year through March 2025, forecasting net profit to fall to 300 billion yen ($1.9 billion).

US QUIZZES TESLA OVER AUTOPILOT RECALL SUCCESS

FEDERAL highway safety investigators want Tesla to tell them how and why it developed the fix in a recall of more than two million vehicles equipped with the company’s Autopilot partially automated driving system.

Investigators with the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have concerns about whether the recall remedy worked because Tesla has reported 20 crashes since the remedy was sent out as an online software update in December.

The recall fix also was to address whether Autopilot should be allowed to operate on roads other than limited access highways. The fix for that was increased warnings to the driver on roads with intersections.

But in a letter to Tesla posted on the agency’s website Tuesday, investigators wrote that they could not find a difference between warnings to the driver to pay attention before the recall and after the new software was released. The agency said it will evaluate whether driver warnings are adequate, especially when a driver-monitoring camera is covered.

The agency asked for volumes of information about how Tesla developed the fix, and zeroed in on how it used human behaviour to test the recall effectiveness.

Phil Koopman, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University who studies automated driving safety, said the letter shows that the recall did little to solve problems with Autopilot and was an attempt to pacify NHTSA, which demanded the recall after more than two years of investigation.

“It’s pretty clear to everyone watching that Tesla tried to do the least possible remedy to see what they could get away with,” Koopman said. “And NHTSA has to respond forcefully or other car companies will start pushing out inadequate remedies.”

Missy Cummings, a professor of engineering and computing at George Mason University who studies automated vehicles, said NHTSA is responding to criticism from legislators for a perceived lack of action on automated vehicles.

“As clunky as our government is, the feedback loop is working,” Cummings said. “I think the NHTSA leadership is convinced now that this is a problem.”

The 18-page NHTSA letter asks how Tesla used human behaviour science in designing Autopilot, and the company’s assessment of the importance of evaluating human factors.

It also wants Tesla to identify every job involved in human behaviour evaluation and the qualifications of the workers. And it asks Tesla to say whether the positions still exist.

AI STUDY TOOLS DEBUT

PEARSON’S AI beta study tools will expand to dozens of English-language Pearson eTextbook global editions and Canadian adaptations of US-originated content in science, engineering, mathematics, and business. AI study tools will also be available in dozens of science titles within Pearson’s Mastering study platform.

A survey of US students who used Pearson’s beta AI study tools in the August – December 2023 semester showed strong levels of engagement with 75 percent of respondents saying the tools were helpful or very helpful to their studies.

THE NEW iPad Pro.

How to tell if a conspiracy theory is probably false

By H COLLEEN SINCLAIR Louisiana State University

CONSPIRACY theories are everywhere, and they can involve just about anything.

People believe false conspiracy theories for a wide range of reasons – including the fact that there are real conspiracies, like efforts by the Sackler family to profit by concealing the addictiveness of oxycontin at the cost of countless American lives.

The extreme consequences of unfounded conspiratorial beliefs could be seen on the staircases of the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and in the self-immolation of a protestor outside the courthouse holding the latest Trump trial.

But if hidden forces really are at work in the world, how is someone to know what’s really going on?

That’s where my research comes in; I’m a social psychologist who studies misleading narratives. Here are some ways to vet a claim you’ve seen or heard.

Step 1: Seek out the evidence

Real conspiracies have been confirmed because there was evidence. For instance, in the allegations dating back to the 1990s that tobacco companies knew cigarettes were dangerous and kept that information secret to make money, scientific studies showed problematic links between tobacco and cancer.

Court cases unearthed corporate documents with internal memos showing what executives knew and when. Investigative journalists revealed efforts to hide that information. Doctors explained the effects on their patients. Internal whistleblowers sounded the alarm.

But unfounded conspiracy theories reveal their lack of evidence and substitute instead several elements that should be red flags for skeptics:

Dismissing traditional sources of evidence, claiming they are in on the plot.

Claiming that missing information is because someone is hiding it, even though it’s common that not all facts are known completely for some time after an event.

Attacking apparent inconsistencies as evidence of lies.

Overinterpreting ambiguity as evidence: A flying object may be unidentified – but that’s different from identifying it as an alien spaceship.

Using anecdotes – especially vaguely attributed ones – in place of evidence, such as “people are saying” such-and-such or “my cousin’s friend experienced” something.

Attributing knowledge to secret messages that only a select few can grasp – rather than evidence that’s plain and clear to all.

Step 2: Test the allegation Often, a conspiracy theorist presents only evidence that confirms their idea. Rarely do they put their idea to the tests of logic, reasoning and critical thinking. While they may say they do research, they typically do not apply the scientific method. Specifically, they don’t actually try to prove themselves wrong.

So a skeptic can follow the method scientists use when they do research: Think about what evidence would contradict the explanation –and then go looking for that evidence. Sometimes that effort will yield confirmation that the

explanation is correct. And sometimes not. Like a scientist, ask yourself: What would it take for you to believe your perception was wrong?

Step 3: Watch out for tangled webs

When theories claim large groups of people are perpetrating wide-ranging activities over a long period of time, that’s another red flag.

Confirmed conspiracies typically involve small, isolated groups, like the top echelon of a company or a single terrorist cell. Even the alliance among tobacco companies to hide their products’ danger was confined to those at the top, who made decisions and enlisted paid scientists and ad agencies to spread their messages.

False conspiracies tend to implicate wide swaths of people, such as world leaders, mainstream media outlets, the global scientific community, the Hollywood entertainment industry and interconnected government

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agencies. The online manifesto of Max Azzarello – the man who self-immolated on the steps of a New York courthouse in April 2024 –railed against a conspiracy allegedly including every president since Bill Clinton, sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, even the writers of “The Simpsons”.

Remember that the more people who supposedly know a secret, the harder it is to keep.

Step 4: Look for a motive

Confirmed conspiracies tell stories about why a group of people acted as they did and what they hoped to gain. Dubious conspiracies involve a lot of accusations or just questions without examining what real benefit the conspiracy nets the conspirators, especially when factoring in the costs.

For instance, what purpose would NASA have to lie about the existence of Finland?

Be particularly suspicious when conspiracies allege an “agenda” being perpetrated by an entire sociodemographic, which is often a marginalized group, such as a “gay agenda” or “Muslim agenda”.

Also look to see whether those spreading the conspiracy theories have something to gain. For example, scholarly research has identified the 12 people who are the primary sources of false claims

about vaccinations. The researchers also found that those people profit from making those claims.

Step 5: Seek the source of the allegations

If you can’t figure out who is at the root of a conspiracy allegation and thus how they came to know what they claim, that is another red flag. Some people say they have to remain anonymous because the conspiracists will take revenge for revealing information. But even so, a conspiracy can usually be tracked back to its source – maybe a social media account, even an anonymous one.

Over time, anonymous sources either come forward or are revealed. For instance, years after the Watergate scandal took down Richard Nixon’s presidency, a key inside source known as “Deep Throat” was revealed to be Mark Felt, who had been a highlevel FBI official in the early 1970s.

Even the notorious “Q” at the heart of the QAnon conspiracy cult has been identified, and not by government investigators chasing leaks of national secrets. Surprise! Q is not the high-level official some people believed.

Reliable sources are transparent.

Step 6: Beware the supernatural

Some conspiracy theories

– though none that have been proven – involve paranormal, alien, demonic or other supernatural forces. People alive in the 1980s and 1990s might remember the public fear that satanic cults were abusing and sacrificing children. That idea never disappeared entirely. And around the same time, perhaps inspired by the TV series “V,” some Americans began to believe in lizard people. It may seem harmless to keep hoping for evidence of Bigfoot, but the person who detonated a bomb in downtown Nashville on Dec. 25, 2020, apparently believed lizard people ran the Earth. The closer the conspiracy is to science fiction, the closer it is to just being fiction.

Step 7: Look for other warning signs

There are other red flags too, like the use of prejudicial tropes about the group allegedly behind the conspiracy, particularly antisemitic allegations. But rather than doing the work to really examine their conspiratorial beliefs, believers often choose to write off the skeptics as fools or as also being in on it – whatever “it” may be. Ultimately, that’s part of the allure of conspiracy theories. It is easier to dismiss criticism than to admit you might be wrong.

• Originally published on www.theconversation.com

Scenes from Israel and Gaza reflect dashed hopes as imminent cease-fire seems unlikely

JERUSALEM Associated Press

AN announcement by Hamas late Monday that it had accepted a ceasefire proposal sent people in the streets of Rafah into temporary jubilation, as Palestinian evacuees in the jam-packed town felt their first glimmer of hope the war could end.

For families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, the announcement raised the possibility that their long wait was coming to an end — that they might soon see their loved ones.

But the fervour was short-lived.

A few hours after Hamas’ announcement, Israel rejected the proposal — which was different from one the two sides had been discussing for days — and said it was sending a team of negotiators for a new round of talks.

By Tuesday morning, Israeli tanks had rolled into Rafah, cementing the dashed hopes among Israelis and Palestinians of any imminent cease-fire.

In Rafah, disillusioned Palestinians spent Tuesday packing up their belongings and preparing to evacuate. Families of Israeli hostages were incensed, too, and thousands of protesters demonstrated late into the night across the country.

GAZA: PALESTINIANS EVACUATE, CONDEMN COLLAPSE OF DEAL

Across Gaza, Palestinians have been demanding a cease-fire for months, hoping that a stop to the fighting will bring an end to the suffering.

Over 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed by Israeli fire and airstrikes since the war erupted on Oct. 7., According to the Hamas-run Health

Ministry. That day, Hamas militants killed about 1,200 in Israel and took around 250 hostages.

An estimated 100 hostages and the remains of 30 others are still held by Hamas, which insists it will not release them unless Israel ends the war and withdraws from Gaza.

Hundreds of thousands in Gaza have been displaced, many sheltering in nylon tents in Gaza’s south, as “a full-blown famine” develops in the north of the enclave, according to the United Nations.

camp. “As you can hear,” she said, “this was happening all night long.”

Al-Sisik said she had lost all hope of an eventual deal.

“(Israel) doesn’t care about us or our children,” she said. “It only cares about its people. And (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu only cares about being at the top.”

feels like countless rounds of cease-fire negotiations end with no deal, have grown jaded.

“We won’t believe there’s a deal until we start to see some hostages return home,” said Michael Levy, whose 33-year-old brother, Or Levy, remains in captivity.

Haifa, and Beersheba.

Hostage families slammed the government’s inaction on a possible deal in a hearing at Israel’s parliament Tuesday.

father, Oded, is a hostage, said she believed the differences between the proposal Hamas had accepted and Israel’s “core demands” were not so wide.

“Hamas are shrewd operators,” she said. “Now it’s going to be hard for Israel to just say ‘no.’”

So when the news came out that Hamas had accepted a cease-fire proposal put forward by Egypt and Qatar, Palestinians poured onto the streets, carrying children on their shoulders and banging pots and pans in excitement. For a moment, it seemed life would get easier.

Raef Abou Labde, who fled to Rafah from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis earlier in the war, rode atop a car packed with belongings, headed to what was sure to be yet another temporary refuge. Labde said he had little faith that Netanyahu’s far-right government sincerely wanted a cease-fire deal.

“I hope to God that the truce happens,” he said. “But what I see is that Netanyahu doesn’t want

But in the early hours of Tuesday, Israeli tanks entered the edge of Rafah and took control of one of the key border crossings between Israel and Gaza. Palestinians in the city loaded their belongings onto large trucks and fled.

“They kept giving us hope and telling us tomorrow, or after tomorrow, a truce will take place,” said Najwa al-Siksik as drones buzzed over her tent

a cease-fire. He wants to displace the Palestinian people to Sinai, destroy Gaza and occupy it.”

ISRAEL: PROTESTS GROW, DEMANDING NEW DEAL NOW

In Israel, the Hamas announcement did not provoke the kind of immediate celebrations seen in Gaza. Many relatives of hostages held in Gaza, who have seen what

Still, the back and forth between Israel and Hamas led to boisterous and sustained protests Monday night. Protesters, led by hostage families, blocked the main highway into Tel Aviv, lighting fires on the road.

Demonstrations also broke out in Jerusalem,

“We see all sorts of explanations — this isn’t the deal that we gave them, Hamas changed it,” said Rotem Cooper, whose father Amiram Cooper was kidnapped Oct. 7. He questioned whether military pressure was an effective bargaining tactic to force Hamas to release additional hostages.

For some, the news indicated that a deal was closer than ever before. Sharone Lifshitz, whose

Others said they hoped Israel’s movement into Rafah Tuesday was a tactic to pressure Hamas into a mutually agreeable deal.

“This is a way to show that Israel is serious about its demands,” said Levy. “Hamas can’t just declare they have agreed to a deal with changed terms.”

JOB OPPORTUNITY GROCERY CONSULTANT

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• Develop and assist in the execution of action plans that identify specific measurable actions to improve the retail operation.

• Analyze and implement strategies to improve merchandise assortments, financial and margin management, inventory productivity, retail best

practices, store layout, Point of Sales (POS) sales analysis.

• Provide insight on different consumer groups within the market, evaluating and implementing value proposition to satisfy customers.

• Analyze consumption patterns and other trends that shape consumers’ purchasing behavior.

• Implement strategies to manage store portfolio and maximize productivity.

• Develop strategies to assist with improving product knowledge.

• Evaluate existing systems and processes to identify workflow, communication and resource utilization issues and create improvement plans.

• Assess performance data to improve daily operations, target current business conditions, and forecast needs.

• Assess and implement measurable data, KPI’s, and P&L statements to identify opportunities for improvement.

• Provide exemplary day-to-day business consulting service within assigned district.

• Conduct in-store training sessions to execute annual plan, product category management plans as well as new programs and procedures.

• Conduct frequent meetings on various topics and present compiled research data to the executive and management team findings along with recommended optimizations.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• 10+ years’ experience in Retail.

• Experience maximizing profitability.

• Experience with research analysis a strategy implementation.

KEY COMPETENCIES

• Detail-oriented.

• Strong communication skills.

• Computer literate with proven knowledge of Microsoft Office.

Interested persons are invited to send an updated resume to careers@saywersfood.com with the position in the subject of the email by May 17, 2024. Please also include a copy of the relevant qualifications

AN ISRAELI mobile artillery unit fires a shell from southern Israel towards the Gaza Strip, in a position near the Israel-Gaza border yesterday.

Photo: Leo Correa/AP

PALESTINIANS celebrate in the streets following Hamas’s announcement that it accepted a ceasefire proposal in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip on Monday. Despite the Hamas announcement, Israel said later Monday it would move forward with its planned offensive on Rafah, in the south of the strip. Photo Abdel Kareem Hana/AP

PALESTINIANS look at the destruction after an Israeli strike on residential building in Rafah, Gaza Strip yesterday.

Photo: Ismael Abu Dayyah/AP

record in the men’s high jump, said he was pleased to be a part of the “golden oldies” as they got to reminisce on the past.

“I think that evening was beyond spectacular.”

Strachan, however, said it touched the hearts of so many of the people present to hear that Munroe passed away the same night that he got his award.

“His last memory on this earth was with us. He got to see all of these athletes who he helped to see rise up and become great citizens,” Strachan said. “He took his award home with him and then he passed away.

“He was there with us from the beginning in September when we started planning this and he was there to the end. He was a sponsor for the event and he was going to sponsor the farewell party at his home on Sunday. We couldn’t have it anymore, but we are thankful for all that he and his wife did for us.”

Troy Kemp, still holding the Bahamas national

“I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was really nice to see some of the individuals who got the awards, including my old coach Neville Wisdom and some people who passed away like Tommy Robinson.

“It was bittersweet to hear of Cheryl’s passing right away when he went home right after he got his award.”

Kemp said he was also delighted to get a chance to view the performances of the athletes at the sixth BTC World Relays Bahamas 2024.

“I thought it was an honour to be there to watch some of our athletes like Shaunae Miller-Uibo and Steven Gardiner,” Kemp said. “This was my first time actually getting to see them run in person.

“So it was thrilling and what was more thrilling was to see how much the Bahamian people were

so intrigued by it. Just watching them cheer on the athletes brought a lot of goosebumps for both myself and my wife Mary, and my daughter, Myria.”

Michael “Boy Blue” Newbold, one of the country’s premier male sprinters, congratulated the organising committee for putting on a splendid event and he indicated that it will become an annual event.

“It was well worth it,” said Newbold, who now resides in Memphis, Tennessee. “I didn’t expect it to be as big as it was. But once you got there and you saw how everybody was flowing with it, I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.”

Wisdom, coach of so many of the top athletes in the country, said he was honoured to be asked to give the keynote address and to be honoured at the same time.

Speaking on the topic of “Intentionally Grateful,” Wisdom told the audience about the early stages of track and field in the Bahamas that included

names like the late Charlie Major Sr, Henry Crawford, Skeeter Dames and the generation that followed with Doyle Burrows, Tom “The Bird” Grant and Charlie Wright and then the era of Perry Christie, Dr Timothy Barrett, Bernard Nottage, Gerry Wisdom and Leslie Miller. He then got to the fourth generation of persons like Troy Kemp, Michael Newbold, Lavern Eve and the “Golden Girls.”

In being intentionally grateful, Wisdom apologised for the challenges they experienced in the past with sports politics, which he said could sometimes be more detrimental than the real politics of the nation. Wisdom, a former minister of youth, sports and culture, called for people to give more back to the country and not try to make the sport an elitist one where they forget about the grassroot communities that

produced so many former athletes who excelled over the years. If there is more inclusion of athletes throughout the country and they are given more exposure, he doesn’t see why the Bahamas can not be contenders with Jamaica at CARIFTA, having beaten them before at least four times and to produce more Olympic and world champions like Troy

Hurdler Pedrya Seymour is making a comeback

FROM PAGE 16

brought some intensity to their warm-up, so that was good to be in that atmosphere with them.”

Seymour’s goal this year is to qualify for the 100m hurdles.

Already, her longtime rival and friend Devynne Charlton and triple jumper Charisma Taylor, both of whom ran on the 4 x 100 relay team, have qualified.

Collegian Denisha Cartwright is also close to attaining the standard.

So Seymour said it should be an interesting

showdown when the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations hosts its National Championships at the end of June.

“This is the first time that we have so many athletes who could qualify for the Olympics,” Seymour said.

“So it would be good if we can shock the world.

“I expect to come back to the nationals and bring the energy and put on a show for the Bahamian people.

It’s our national trial and I think this trial will be different. It was either me or Devynne

on top and we knew that we were going.

“But I think this time, it will come down to the nationals, like the USA trials, to determine who will be going to the Olympics. I think it will come down to who performs at their best and makes the standard at the trials.”

This weekend, Seymour said she just wants to enjoy Mother’s Day with her mother Cecily Seymour.

At the same time, she will enjoy being with her father Pedro, something she hopes to cherish just as she is making her comeback on the track.

A PORTION of the crowd can be seen during the Bahamas Track and Field Alumni inaugural Gala and Awards Dinner at the Balmoral Club on Friday night.

Photos by Fabian Whymns

COACH Neville Wisdom receives his award from Carmetta Mackey-Christie, Shonel Ferguson, Cherly Munroe-Jones, Whelma Colebrooke and Onesimus Strachan.

ROLANDO “Lonnie” Greene, Michael ‘Boy Blue’ Newbold and Hubert Omebler at the banquet.

OLYMPIC team-mates Timothy Munnings and Carl Oliver, right. WILLIAM “Knucklehead” Johnson, left, and Rolando Greene. NATIONAL high jump record holder Troy Kemp with his wife.

SPENCE Finlayson accepts award on behalf of his deceased brother Alpheus ‘Hawk’ Fiunlayson during the Bahamas Track and Field Alumni inaugural Gala and Awards Dinner at the Balmoral Club on Friday night.

by Fabian Whymns

AWARDS DINNER

FROM PAGE 12

Kemp, Frank Rutherford, Pauline Davis, Tonique Williams, the “Golden Girls” and the Golden Knights and now Shaunae MillerUibo and Steven Gardiner.

“We have to continue the legacy. We can’t let it go,” he insisted. “Many of the people in the room benefitted from it. There were so many people there that I haven’t seen in a long time. It was a wonderful reunion.”

He also praised and offered his condolences to the Munroe family on the loss of Adam, who would have been a pillow to the sport as a supporter and financial contributor. He noted that he and Adam sat at the same table at the banquet.

Carmetta MackeyChristie, who worked along with Strachan, Whelma Colebrooke, Jackie Edwards-Flowers, Philippqa Arnette and Munroe-Jones on the steering committee, said it was a collective effort and personal sacrifices to make the event a success.

“It was great to be a part of something that united a group of wholesome individuals who continue to give of themselves,” she summed up. “Next time we meet, I would certainly love to grill and chill for all the committee members in this group.”

Strachan said there are plans for the Alumni to do a lot more, including going into their alma maters and encouraging the athletes to be able to compete at their best for their respective schools.

He also indicated that they hope to provide incentive meets where athletes get to compete across the length and breadth of the Bahamas so as to showcase their talent on the national scene.

The Bahamas Track and Field Alumni also sat together and watched the World Relays in the eastern grandstand at the Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium on Saturday and Sunday nights.

Among the sponsors were Fabian Photography, Cakes by Adam, Bahamas Track and Field Alumni, Mexicana Restaurant, Co.ina Insurance, Onesu=imus Strachan, Davis & Co Law Firm, Livingstone Marshall and All Kids Dentistry Inc.

Photos

COACH Frank Rahming receives his award from Carmetta Mackey-Christie, Cheryl Munroe-Jones, Velma Colebrooke and Onesimus Strachan.

COACH Keith Parker receives his award

DOYLE Burrows receives his award.

ELAINE Thompson receives her award.

Mitchell’s game-high 33 points not enough for Cavs in 120-95, Game 1 loss to Celtics

GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER HAS 29 POINTS TO HELP THUNDER ROLL PAST MAVERICKS IN GAME 1 OF WEST SEMIFINALS

By CLIFF BRUNT AP Sports Writer

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai GilgeousAlexander had 29 points, nine rebounds and nine assists to help the topseeded Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Dallas Mavericks 117-95 last night in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series.

Chet Holmgren added 19 points, seven rebounds and three blocks for the Thunder.

Jalen Williams struggled with his shot for three quarters but scored 10 of his 18 points in the fourth to help Oklahoma City remain unbeaten in the playoffs.

Gilgeous-Alexander got the best of the matchup with Dallas’ Luka Doncic, a fellow

MVP finalist. Doncic scored 19 points on 6-for19 shooting and had five turnovers. Lu Dort got most of the work guarding him, with rookie Cason Wallace getting some of the action and Holmgren pestering him near the rim.

Kyrie Irving scored 20 points and Daniel Gafford added 16 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks for the fifth-seeded Mavericks.

Game 2 will be Thursday night in Oklahoma City.

Gilgeous-Alexander rested briefly at the start of the second quarter before subbing in at the 8:20 mark. He scored 11 points in the period to help the Thunder take a 62-53 lead at the break. He scored 19 points in the first half, while

reserve Aaron Wiggins scored 12 of his 16 points before the break. Dallas opened the second half on a run, and a 3-pointer by Irving cut Oklahoma City’s lead to 66-65 and forced the Thunder to call a timeout.

Isaiah Joe and Dort hit 3-pointers when play resumed, then Dort ripped Doncic, leading to a dunk by Williams that put the Thunder up 74-67. Gilgeous-Alexander’s 3-pointer with Doncic in his face put Oklahoma City up 80-69. Irving hit a 3-pointer as the third quarter expired, but the Thunder still led 89-79. Williams scored eight straight points for the Thunder in a run that put Oklahoma City ahead 102-87.

the first cut and will be able to make the second and third cuts. We have about four guys in Grand Bahama that I think have a good chance to make this team but a majority of the talent is in the USA. We have a lot of Bahamian high school players in the USA that are really good. It is just a matter of trying to bring them all in together within the next month or two to be able to represent the country at the upcoming junior national tournament,” he said.

The next stop for the Bahamas junior boys’ national basketball team tryouts will be Abaco and then officials will make yet another stop in New Providence and Grand Bahama before making final decisions on the team roster.

“We plan to have a tryout in Abaco as well. I do not think the budget allows us to go to Bimini or another Family Island but what I do have is friends on those different islands that are basketball coaches and I rely on them heavily as far as their recommendations on who they think can give themselves a chance.

“Definitely, Abaco will be the next stop for us and then we will come back to New Providence and Grand Bahama again,” he said.

Coach Philippe is looking to pick the top 24 players which ensures that he has two teams in the event that, if there are any holes in the rotation, they can be filled without issue.

BOSTON Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) shoots as Cleveland Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell defends during the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series yesterday. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

OKLAHOMA City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) works the floor against Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving during the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series last night. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

MIAMI Marlins’ Jazz Chisholm Jr., right, has his helmet removed and a hat put on as he enters the dugout after

solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning of a baseball game last night. (AP Photo/ Marcio Jose Sanchez)

‘SHOWDOWN IN PARADISE’ PROVIDES SNEAK PEEK OF ATHLETICS FUTURE

By TENAJH SWEETING

Reporter

THE 2024 BTC World Athletics Relays pre-game show “Showdown in Paradise” did not disappoint as Kids Athletics competitors, CARIFTA Games medallists, high school students and Special Olympics Bahamas athletes put on a show before the global main event over the weekend at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

Pharez Cooper, the pre-game show organiser, believes that the future is bright for athletics, not only in The Bahamas but also the entire Caribbean region after this weekend’s action.

“The future is bright for athletics in our country. If we channel the potential that we have now, we can achieve success that has not been seen before in our country.

“We have to make the next few moves very calculated by finding ways to bring out the best in our youth, junior and post collegiate athletes.

“This transition sometimes can make or break the athletes where they are propelled to success or leave the sport altogether,” Cooper said.

Athletes from New Providence and Grand Bahama upped the ante to build the excitement before the actual World Relays.

The St Augustine’s College (SAC) Big Red Machine got a personal best performance out of Zaria Stapleton, Bayli Major, Darvinique Dean and Nya Wright in the high school girls’ 4x100m relay finals. The quartet came away with a time of 46.29 seconds in the win.

The relay team of Khalon Christie, Trent Ford, Morgan Moss and Eagan Neely ran a time of 41.34 seconds in the boys’ 4x100m relay finals to also make SAC proud.

SPORTS CALENDAR

FROM PAGE 16

University of the Bahamas Lady Mingoes and the Black Scorpions at 7pm. That will be followed by a massive awards presentation from the previous seasons and the honouring of more than 80 persons who have made some invaluable contributions to the sport over the years.

The league will then officially begin the 2024 season on Saturday night. Two of the four men’s teams are registered so far and two of the six ladies’ teams entered facing off.

In the ladies’ opener at 7pm, the RAB Operators will take on the Sunshine Auto Wildcats and in the men’s feature contest at 8:30pm, the Cyber Tech Blue Marlins will meet the Renegades.

The other four teams registered in the ladies’ division are the University of the Bahamas, Johnson Lady Truckers, Black Scorpions and the Cyber Tech Ladies Blue Marlins.

The Big Red Machine’s Shavano Nixon, Daveigh Farrintgon, Moss and Dean won the 4x400m mixed relay event in 3:36.56 for gold once again.

The CH Reeves Raptors’ relay team of Mariah Joseph, Janae Bain, Raniyah Smith and Samantha Gottshalk made their presence felt in front of the world in the under-15 girls’ sprint medley relay. They secured the gold medal with a time of 1:55.85.

CARIFTA teammates Javano Bridgewater, Keyezra Thomas, Neely and Alexis Roberts represented The Bahamas well in the 4x400m mixed relay event. They pulled off a winning time of 3:26.36.

“As for the rest of the Caribbean, there are many junior athletes that are on centre stage on the world scene. Guyana has a rising star in the female 400m event.

“Trinidad and Tobago has a set of twins on the female side that are showing great potential and this year it seems like the entire Caribbean has gotten one step closer to Jamaica.

“With that being said, Jamaica is far beyond and leads the pack when it comes to track and field in our region but the potential is there and I see more exciting performances in the near future,” he said.

Trinidad and Tobago’s team of Che Wickham, Mikhail Byer, Kadem Chinapoo and Dylan Woodruffe took home a strong win in the boys’ 4x100m

The two other men’s teams are the Chances Mighty Mitts and the Titans. According to Stevens, who is serving in his final year as president of the NPSA, games are expected to be played every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday nights.

AQUATHON 3RD BEAUTIFUL

BAHAMAS AQUATHON

THE Sea Waves Triathlon Club is all set to hold their 3rd Beautiful Bahamas Aquathon on Saturday, May 11 at 9am at the Windsor School at Albany. The event is being sanctioned by the Bahamas Triathlon Association.

The event is open to all ages - 8-and-under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-15 and 16-19and will serve as a qualifier for the 2024 CARIFTA Triathlon and Aquathlon Championships.

Event registration will be held in person at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex today and on Tuesday between the hours of 4:30 and 7pm.

Persons can also contact Shirley Mireault at smireault@msn.com or 242359-0480 to psyu online.

The registration fee is $20 per person.

TRACK RED-LINE FIELD

CLASSIC

THE Red-Line Athletics Track Club is scheduled to hold its 2024 Field Event Classic on Saturday, May 18 at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium from 9am to 3pm. The event is geared strictly for field events, including the high, long and triple jumps and the javelin, discus and shot put throwing events.

Interested athletes are urged to contact Red-Line Athletics’ coach Tito Moss at 425-4262 for further details.

TRACK RED-LINE YOUTH

CLASSIC

THE Red-Line Athletics Track Club is slated to hold its 3rd Annual RedLine Youth Track Classic on Saturday, May 25 at the original Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium. The event will cater to all of the track and field events for the age group athletes ranging from 8-and under-20. There will also be one or two events for the open category.

Interested persons can contact Red-Line Athletics’ coach Tito Moss at 4254262 for further details.

BASKETBALL

NEX-GEN

THE third annual Nex-Gen Elite Training Basketball Camp, hosted by JR Basketball Academy, is all set for June 24 to July 13 from 9am to noon at the Telios Indoor Gymnasium on Carmichael Road.

The camp, powered by Frazier’s Roofing, will provide training for game situations, shooting, passibng, ball handling, defense and footwork for boys and girls between the ages of 8-19 years.

Registration is now open. Interested persons can contact Cadot at 535-9354, email jrcbasketballacademy.com or go online to

relay invitational with a time of 40.42 seconds.

Jamaica trailed behind for second with a time of 40.48 seconds. The host country dropped to third, stopping the clock at 40.65 seconds.

Jamaica managed to get the gold in the girls’ 4x100m relay invitational. Habiba Harris, Theianna Lee Terrelonge, Natrece East and Mickayla Gardener teamed up to run the relay event in 44.11 seconds.

The USA collected a second place finish and Trinidad and Tobago got the bronze medal.

Over the weekend, World Athletics president Lord Sebastian Coe admitted to reporters that he would like to adopt The Bahamas as the home of the World Athletics Relays.

With that being said, Cooper is optimistic that the pre-game show will continue to precede the World Relays if hosted in The Bahamas in the future.

“It is our goal to always be inclusive of our grassroot athletes and rising stars in some form or fashion. We have always included our young athletes and I believe this will continue in any edition of the World Relays.

“With that being said, this year we have made the ‘Showdown in Paradise’ a part of the World Relays as one event which was never done before.

“I hope that it can continue with the right moves being made in the preliminary planning,” the pre-game show organiser said.

According to Cooper, minor adjustments will be made to future editions of the pre-game show, including the addition of more events in efforts to display a larger variety and number of athletes.

“Showdown in Paradise” hosted athletes from as young as under-7 up to under-20 on Saturday and Sunday.

www.jrcbasketballacademy. com FAST TRACK INVITATIONAL FAST Track Athletics announced that its third annual Spring Invitational will take place over the weekend of May 10 and May 11 at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex. The entry fee will be $10 for adults and $5 for children. For more information, persons are asked to contact 242-727-6826 or fasttrackmanagamentoo@ gmail.com

SEIZING THE MOMENT: Bahamian athletes showed up and showed out during the BTC World Relays pre-game show “Showdown in Paradise” at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium over the weekend.

Photos: Tenajh Sweeting/Tribune Staff

at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium over the weekend.

SPORTS

PAGE 16

WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 2024

Awards dinner ‘bittersweet’

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

It was a bittersweet weekend for the formation of the Bahamas Track and Field Alumni on their inaugural Gala and Awards Dinner on Friday night at the Balmoral Club.

After receiving an award that he shared with his wife, Maxine Munroe, for their commitment and service to track and field over the past 50 years, Adam Munroe passed away when he returned home.

The Adams were honoured along with Doyle Burrows, Martin Lundy, Keith Parker, Frank “Pancho” Rahming, Elaine Thompson, Neville Wisdom and Ronald Cartwright.

Also honoured posthumously were the late Livingstone Bostwick, Winston ‘Gus’ Cooper, Alpheus ‘Hawk’ Finlayson, Thomas A. Robinson and Monica Woodside.

Former athlete Cheryl Munroe-Jones, who returned home to attend the event that honoured her parents, said her 82-yearold father left the banquet and suffered a heart failure at home.

The news was anticlimactic to what was truly a night to remember for the many

former athletes, coaches and executives who helped to shape the development of the sport in the country.

Munroe, through his family’s popular company - Cakes by Adam, located at No.22 Lobster Avenue, Golden Gates No.2 - made some invaluable contributions to track and field.

Munroe-Jones, who benefitted as well as one of the country’s top athletes coming out of St Anne’s High School, said her father had a CRT device placed in his heart on March 20 in Florida and he wasn’t feeling well and he wanted to go home to take his medication.

“My dad did a lot for athletes financially when they were going off to compete or to school,” she remembers.

“He was alway there supporting track and field.

“I was proud of both of them because my mom used to go as a chaperone on the CARIFTA team with Mrs (Moniva) Woodside. So

they were all champions of track and field. I was really proud of them.

“I am going to miss my dad. When he picked me up from the airport, I didn’t think anything like this would have happened. We had tickets for the World Relays. We were at CARIFTA because I always come home, but I didn’t think this was going to be my last with him, so it hurts.”

Onesimus Strachan, who ran with an idea that was conceived in the mind of the late Finlayson, said they had no idea that those persons in the steering committee would emerge as the forerunners to carry out the vision of the former long-time Bahamas Association of Athletic Association executive.

“We exceeded the mark when it comes to putting on an event that is representative of that group of athletes and the work that they all put in,” Strachan said.

Hurdler Pedrya Seymour making a comeback

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ALTHOUGH she’s been inactive since she made her second appearance at the Olympic Games in 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, former Bahamian 100 metre hurdles record holder Pedrya Seymour is looking forward to giving it another shot.

Now back in training with her original coach George Cleare in Louisiana, Seymour is working towards making the team that will represent the Bahamas at the Olympics in Paris, France, July 27 to August 11.

“I took a year off. I needed a break. I’ve been running at a high level since the age of 13 when I made my first CARIFTA team,” she said. “I’ve been running for the Bahamas ever since.

“But a lot of things happen. Life happened and

I just needed a break from it. I took a year off with no intention of coming back, but I felt like I left prematurely and now I’m back training hard to try and make my third Olympics, so we will see what happens.”

Home for a couple days to represent the Bahamas at the sixth BTC World Relays Bahamas 2024 over the weekend at the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium and to enjoy Mother’s Day this weekend, Seymour is working out with local coach Daron Lightbourne.

On going back to Cleare, Seymour said she’s found the “perfect match.”

“When I took my year off, I really had to find myself outside of track and I decided to go back to the place where I first loved competing and that was with coach Cleare,” Seymour said.

“He was like a father-figure to me and he knows me.

THE SPORTS CALENDAR

FRITZ GRANT INVITATIONAL THE Ambassadors Athletic Track

Club is set to hold the 14th Fritz Grant Invitational Track Meet on Saturday at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium.

The event will begin at 9am with competition in the field events and at 11am for the track events.

General admission is $8 and $12 for the VIP stand. Athletes will be able to achieve the qualifying standards for the Olympic Games, the NACAC Open Championships and the World Under-20 Championships.

FAST TRACK

SPRING INVITATIONAL

THE Grand Bahama Sports Complex will be buzzing this weekend as

May, 2024

the Fast Track Athletics Spring Fling is scheduled to take place.

The two-day event will begin on Friday at 6pm and continue on Saturday at 9am. Teams from New Providence, Bimini and Andros are expected to attend.

SOFTBALL NPSA OPENING THE New Providence Softball Association will begin its 2024 season on Friday night in the Bankers Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex as they take care of some unfinished business from last year.

The NPSA, headed by Dwayne Stevens, will complete the women’s championship series between the

SEE PAGE 15

By TENAJH SWEETING

THE tryouts for the under-17 boys’ junior men’s national basketball team made its way to the DW Davis Gymnasium here in New Providence over the weekend as the team’s head coach Jay Philippe scouted out the talent pool.

It was the first tryout hosted in New Providence for the respective national team and the third tryouts overall with the first two editions being held in Grand Bahama. The exercise attracted a total of 60 potential national team members coming from both the private and public school systems. Coach Philippe shared what he saw in particular from this group of under-17 basketball players.

I went back to him. Honestly, it’s been refreshing. We have wholesome conversations. It’s just good to be with a coach who knows you and who is from where you’re from.”

Knowing the type of coach that Cleare is, Seymour said the workout sessions have been intense - something she had to gear herself up to go through.

“Every day has been like a fight to get back to the top,” she pointed out.

“I didn’t realise how hard I worked to make it to the Olympic final in 2016, so when I stopped and started again, I thought it was going to be easy.

“I thought I was going to bounce back quickly. But I’m getting older. I’m about to be 29 at the end of this month. So I’m not old, but like I said, I’ve been running at a high level since I was 13, so my body is trying to get used to

“I was pleased to see the amount of talent here in New Providence. Unfortunately, a lot of the kids that came out to the tryouts for this age group were kids that are in the ninth and 10th grade so they do not have a chance to play a lot. Moving forward it is going to be difficult to find

me competing again after taking the break.”

Seymour, who celebrates her birthday on May 29, has already done five meets for the year, posting a season’s best of 12.03 in the 100m and 13.35 twice in the 200m hurdles. She has not yet qualified for the Olympics, but with about six weeks to go, she hopes to surpass the standard of 12.90 in the 100m hurdles.

“The next time the Bahamas sees me, I should be a qualifier for the Olympics,” said Seymour, who came home for the World Relays but wasn’t disappointed that she didn’t get to run on the women’s 4 x 100m relay team.

“There were four women who were running faster than me and I felt they did a good job. They ran 43.17. It was good to see them. I warmed up with them. I

PAGE 12

the guys that give us the best chance in in-game situations but overall I was pleased. We will be back in the next two weeks,” he said.

The group engaged in full court and half-court sets which involved transition drills and executing offensive plays. The young men also got the opportunity to put their skills on display in scrimmage games in hopes of making the cut for the national team.

The national team coach, who is also the head coach of Sunland Baptist Academy, has his sights set on about 10 potential national team members so far, but will continue to expand the tryouts to the Family Islands and try to include Bahamian players that are overseas in high school. “I saw about 10 guys overall that I think passed

PEDRYA SEYMOUR, left, shares a special moment with Devynne Charlton.

Photo: Dante Carrer

THE WIFE and husband team of Maxine and Adam Munroe can be seen receiving their award during the Bahamas Track and Field Alumni inaugural Gala and Awards Dinner at the Balmoral Club on Friday night.

Photo: Fabian Whymns

HONOUREE Adam Munroe listening intently at the Bahamas Track and Field Alumni banquet before he passed away.