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Volume: 119 No.119, May 13, 2022

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: PRICE–$1

‘COVID SURGE HAS HIT THE BAHAMAS’

Death toll hits 800 and 200 new cases so far this month

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net HEALTH officials yesterday confirmed that the country is in another surge of COVID-19 infections after more than 200 cases were confirmed so far this month.

The revelation came as the country continued to record double digit numbers, with 27 cases on Wednesday and 24 on Tuesday, bringing the nation’s overall tally to 33,830 since the start of the pandemic.

There have also been two more virus related deaths confirmed, pushing the death toll to 800. The latest deceased victims were a 67-year-old woman and an 81-year-old man, both from Grand Bahama.

During a press conference at the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday, Dr Phillip Swann, registrar at the Ministry of Health and Wellness, attributed the recent increase in virus cases to mostly “COVID fatigue.”

SEE PAGE FOUR

....BUT NO RECOMMENDATION TO SHUT DOWN MORE SCHOOLS LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net THE Ministry of Health and Wellness does not recommend the closure of schools in New Providence at this time, despite having confirmed more than three dozen COVID-19 cases among staff and students over the last several weeks.

Dr Phillip Swann, the ministry’s registrar, told

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis and other officials dig the first shovels into the ground for the $200m Carnival Cruise Port.

Photo: Vandyke Hepburn

reporters that officials did not recommend the move because they felt the situation was still under control.

Since Monday, several private and public schools, including St Anne’s, St Augustine’s College and Queen’s College, have suspended face-to-face learning after reporting several positive virus cases on the campus.

SEE PAGE FOUR

FIRST STEP TO $200M PORT

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net OFFICIALS broke ground in East Grand Bahama for construction of the $200m Carnival Cruise Port that is expected to open in 2024, creating 1,000 permanent jobs for Bahamians.

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said the new port venture represents another major

development that is expected “to play a pivotal role in the re-emergence of the GB economy.”

“We are here today to celebrate with Carnival on yet another historic milestone in the company’s chapter with the groundbreaking of the new Carnival Cruise Port,” he said. “More importantly, we celebrate what it means to the people of Grand Bahama who just yesterday welcomed the news of the sale of Grand Lucayan Resort to

Electra America.”

Carnival acquired 300 acres of land at Sharp Rock for its new cruise port. The ground-breaking ceremony was held at the site yesterday. Construction will begin immediately.

Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper, Minister of Tourism, Investment and Aviation, Minister for Grand Bahama Ginger

VICTIM FOUND DEAD ON SEPTIC TANK

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net THE country recorded another homicide yesterday after a man was found dead at Butler’s Alley off Carmichael Road.

Superintendent Audley Peters said while investigators were unsure of the man’s identity, or the circumstances leading to his death, he was found dead lying on the septic tank of a residence.

A BODY being removed from the scene in Butler’s Alley yesterday.

Photo: Donavan McIntosh/ Tribune Staff Police received reports of the shooting shortly after 3pm.

In recent weeks, several murders have taken place during daylight and Supt Peters attributed this to perpetrators being aided by face masks making them more bold in breaking the law.

“Our officers were dispatched and when they came to the residence they were directed to the rear where they found a male lying on the septic tank.

He was unresponsive,” Mr SEE PAGE FIVE

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

SEE PAGES TWO & THREE

VACCINES DUE TO EXPIRE AT MONTH END

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net PFIZER vaccines that are due to expire at the end of this month may have to be thrown away if vaccine uptake does not increase soon, officials warned yesterday.

SEE PAGE FOUR

PAGE 2, Friday, May 13, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

First step to $200m port

SPEECHES FOR NEXT GENERATION TO STUDY

FROM left, Teresa Butler, Hubert Ingraham and Allyson Maynard-Gibson in attendance as Colina Insurance presents ten copies of Mr Ingraham’s speech collection, “I Say What I Mean and I Mean What I Say” to the University of The Bahamas library yesterday.

Photo: Donavan McIntosh/Tribune Staff

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, May 13, 2022, PAGE 3

with groundbreaking from page one Moxey were present.

Giora Israel, senior vice president of Port and Destination Development Carnival Corporation; and Arnold Donald, President and CEO Carnival Corporation; Christine Duffy, President of Carnival Cruise; and Sarah St George, chairperson of the Grand Bahama Port Authority, brought remarks.

Prime Minister Davis said the $200M investment at Grand Bahama was a welcomed project.

“The Grand Bahama economy is on its way up; The magic is returning to the magic city,” he told guests.

“The Carnival project will play a critical role in engineering the economic growth of Grand Bahama with direct employment and entrepreneurial opportunities.

“Altogether, we are talking about a projected 1,000 permanent jobs for the people of Grand Bahama,” Prime Minister Davis also said.

Additionally, Mr Davis said it will create many construction jobs for skilled workers during the construction phase.

He indicated that his administration has prioritised the development of the blue economy as a central pillar in the country’s national development strategy.

He noted that the tourism product is dependent on the marine and coastal environments.

Mr Davis said while many countries in the region enjoy a healthy flow of cruise ships into their ports, The Bahamas’ tourism model is dependent on cruise tourism in a way that its regional counterparts are not.

“Thanks to our strategic development of the industry, as well as our innate cultural and geographical advantages, we have figured out a way to tap into the economic potential of the cruise industry in a way that others have not,” he said.

He indicated that cruise lines make a very robust contribution to the local economy.

The prime minister said during the pandemic the country felt the shock of an absent cruise industry on

the economy.

For this reason, he said there is great cause for optimism as people get back to work and the engine of the island’s economy is restarted.

“I want you to know that my administration is not done yet. The development of Grand Bahama will continue to be a priority for us. We are all in this together. Partnerships and collaborative efforts are what will get us to where we need to be,” the prime minister said.

Mr Israel in his remarks said this cruise port represents a new chapter in the relationship and partnership of the government and people of The Bahamas.

He said: “It goes back many years, and we are now ready to start construction of this port and hopefully open it in 2024.”

Mr Donald for his part said the groundbreaking marks a big milestone for Carnival.

“This is an incredible day in the history of Carnival and hopefully for GB,” he said.

“We are working closely with the GBPA to bring the cruise port to life. This event is another important milestone in demonstrating that cruising is back and that the future for Carnival

is indeed sunny and optimistic.”

Mr Donald added that their investment is an indication of their confidence in Grand Bahama and revealed that earlier this week Carnival signed an agreement to build two new dry docks at the Grand Bahama Shipyard which should be operational and on site in 2024.

He said Carnival Cruise Line and Carnival Corporation are celebrating 50 years, adding their history is tied to the Bahamas.

“Over those 50 years, Carnival has invested hundreds of millions of dollars into the Bahamas, and from this project and others will invest hundreds of millions more,” he stated.

Mr Donald said Carnival has also brought many visitors and helped to create many jobs for Bahamians over the years.

Christine Duffy, Carnival president, said the new port project is opening the doors to a new era of cruising in the Bahamas. She said in addition to the delivery of Mardi Gras, a 6,600 passenger LNG vessel, the Celebration, the sister ship to the Mardi Gras 2, will come at the end of the year.

And a third will come in 2023.

Photos: Vandyke Hepburn

Funeral Service For

Deacon Brightman Bullard, 79 affectionately called

“Bullard” “BB” a resident of Nassau Village who died at The Princess Margaret Hospital on Monday, April 25th, 2022 will be held 11:00a.m. on Saturday, May 14th, 2022 at Temple Baptist Church Farrington Road. Bishop Ian Keith Brathwaite Sr. assisted by Pastor Salathiel Anderson, Pastor Godfrey Wood and other Ministers will officiate. Interment will follow in The Southern Cemetery Cowpen and Spikenard Roads.

PAGE 4, Friday, May 13, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

‘COVID surge has hit The Bahamas’ from page one “We’re seeing it’s basically more related to COVID fatigue,” Dr Swann said yesterday. “There are persons who are pushing for mask mandates to be removed and some of them are just going on and removing those mask mandates themselves, so the reality is we strongly believe in the science and science is proving true.”

According to Dr Swann, this surge is more manageable than previous COVID waves in that fewer people are requiring serious hospitalisation.

Because of this, he said officials are not as concerned as they feel they have the COVID situation in the country under control.

“There’s a surge occurring, but it’s not to the

DR PHILLIP SWANN threshold where we are too cases… and at this point concerned because it’s just and time, as being reported cases. If we look around by our numbers we have the globe, public health has zero persons who are actumoved away from the reac- ally in hospital requiring tive posture when there’s advanced care and the an increase in the number majority of persons who are of cases, you automatically in hospital who are on the shut down,” he told report- hospitalisation list are there ers yesterday. for another reason and not “So, we usually respond because they’re ill with to the burden of the health COVID.” system to respond to He was also asked about managing the number of the number of people

testing positive by way of the rapid antigen tests after concerns were raised about the issue last week.

However, Dr Swann replied: “That number changes and so that’s a reason why we don’t want to report that number... so that answer is no, I won’t say how much it was because when we looked at it last week, it was one number and then when we looked at it again for last week or the week before last rather, it had increased significantly.”

The slight rise in infection rates comes as countries around the world, including The Bahamas, continue to ease measures.

Yesterday, Dr Swann discussed the reasoning behind the relaxation of certain protocols in the country, especially as it relates to cultural events.

“I think what we are

trying to get across to the general population is that there is a measure of general responsibility that is required. We have experienced a pushback and the outcry from the public about being ‘under lockdown’ and ‘losses associated with that’ and with other finance and the ability to socialise and so when we make our decision and we take into consideration the applications that we received, we take into consideration the promises, I guess you can say, and the statements that are made by individuals in their applications,” he said.

He also spoke about the festivities planned for Survival Weekend set for May 20-22 and concerns about this event resulting in an outbreak or spike of COVID-19.“We’ve taken into consideration that it’s an outdoor event and that

it’s going over a long period of distance for say five to fifteen hundred persons and we’ve looked at other events that we would’ve approved in smaller confines to make a determination whether or not we feel that this event is substantially more risky than the other events and again, the approval to have the event is just that. It’s not a waiving of any of the public health measures that we have asked persons to adhere to.”

According to Dr Swann, event promoters have requested for more people to attend the event, which was initially approved for 500. However, he said officials have not yet given them their decision.

Earlier this month, organisers of the event said they were given approval for 1,200 attendees.

The event is set for May 20-22.

....BUT NO RECOMMENDATION TO SHUT DOWN MORE SCHOOLS from page one Stephen Dillet School also suspended face-to-face learning due to an increase in cases at the school.

The situation has

prompted concern that schools in the capital are once again experiencing a surge in COVID-19 infections and may need to return to fully virtual learning.

However, during a press

briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday, health officials said while there have been a number of infections confirmed in several schools recently, the cases do not reflect a community outbreak and

as such, does not warrant campus closures.

“As of 10th May, 2022 38 positive cases were reported over a four-week period via molecular testing (or RT-PCR),” the ministry said in a statement read during yesterday’s press briefing.

“These cases were dispersed over a number of schools and represent a small proportion of the overall COVID-19 caseloads. The Ministry also confirms that no clusters have been reported within schools in the Family Islands. While these numbers do not reflect an outbreak in our community the Ministry of Health & Wellness maintains that it is imperative that individuals continue to strictly adhere to the standard health safety protocols of hand sanitisation, the appropriate wearing of masks – especially in closed quarters, and to isolate or quarantine as appropriate if suspected of or testing

positive for COVID-19 infections.

“The Ministry wishes to further advise that contact tracing is an integral part of investigating cases and their possible linkages to others, which allows for the activation of isolation or quarantine measures…

That being said, the Ministry of Health & Wellness has not recommended the closure of any schools during the past several weeks.”

Asked about the decision to keep schools open, Dr Swann said: “The number of cases that we have reported from schools are not to the threshold where we feel the schools need to be shut down in order to control anything because there’s no outbreak in schools.”

In an audio message sent to The Tribune on Wednesday, Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) president Belinda Wilson had raised concern about the presence

of COVID-19 on school campuses.

She also revealed that BUT planned to meet with Ministry of Health and Wellness officials today on the issue.

“We’re always concerned about the health and safety of our teachers and by extension our students. So, we see the COVID numbers are rising and we’ve had a few cases at various schools, so we’re also closely monitoring those schools,” she said.

“So, we would’ve had Garvin Tynes, Stephen Dillet, we now have SC McPherson and a few other schools that have COVID concerns.

So, we are monitoring them closely, our union executives, in particular our area vice president…he’s been moving around to the schools checking on these matters, but we are always concerned because for us it’s safety first,” Mrs Wilson said.

VACCINES DUE TO EXPIRE AT MONTH END from page one The co-chair of the National Vaccine Consultative Committee, Dr Danny Davis, gave the warning and added that another batch of vaccines is expected to expire at the end of August.

While he was unable to say how many vaccines are nearing expiration, Dr Davis said officials are trying to encourage as many people as possible to get vaccinated before those doses expire.

This comes as the appetite for vaccinations in

the country continues to decline.

Last week, Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville told The Tribune that social mobilisation, inclusive of gifts and prices, were not effective in sparking uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in The Bahamas.

“Currently, in The Bahamas we only have Pfizer available,” Dr Davis said yesterday. “At the rate at which we are consuming vaccines, invariably if that doesn’t increase, I think we’ll see once again we’d be faced with having vaccine doses that would’ve expired

Death Notice For

Colin Dewitt Thompson, 78 a resident of Montague Bay Terrace passed peacefully at his residence on Friday, May 06, 2022.

He is survived by his wife: MaryJean “Jean” Thompson; children: Sean Colin Thompson and Coleen Thompson; siblings: Cherrie Carr, Diane Knowles, Mychal Thompson and Andy Thompson; brothers-in-law: Loran Carr and David Prudden; sisters-in-law: Julie Thompson and Dr. Dawn Thompson; numerous nieces and nephews and a host of other relatives and friends.

Funeral Service is scheduled for Saturday, May 21, 2022, 10:00a.m. at Central Gospel Chapel, Christie and Dowdeswell Streets.

The family requests casual attire and bright colours.

and we would stop administering those doses.

“There are two batches that we have in (the) country and one expires at the end of May and the other at the end of August.”

As for what happens next when those doses expire, Dr Davis has assured the public that officials will acquire additional vaccines that are up to date.

“The Ministry of Health is making a conscious effort to ensure that we always have vaccines available for the public. So, while a batch may meet its expiry date, we do ensure that another batch is ready to take over.

When your milk goes bad in the fridge, you purchase another one before that date hopefully and we’re doing the same thing to ensure the public always has available to them the vaccines that are required to ensure the public health response that we want to see as a result of this vaccine is in fact present and available.”

According to Dr Davis to date, 165, 837 people have been fully vaccinated against the virus, comprising just over 51 percent of the eligible persons in the country.

He added that officials have been focused on educating the public to get more people vaccinated.

It is not clear how many vaccines have expired in the country since the launch of the nation’s vaccination programme.

However, earlier this year, government officials confirmed that several Johnson & Johnson vaccines had to be discarded when the shots expired in December.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, May 13, 2022, PAGE 5

Victim found dead on septic tank from page one Peters said at the scene of the incident yesterday.

“EMS was called in and following their assessment of the male there were no signs of life.

“At the moment this incident is sketchy and so the details are not available to be shared with you, the media.

“However, we appeal to members of the public who may have any information to assist us with the furtherance of this investigation to contact the Criminal Investigations Department or Carmichael Road Police Station and furnish us with that information.”

He continued: “Again we want to say to members of the public who are aware of persons being in possession of firearms to inform the police so that we can take action and take these persons off the streets.

“In the last two weeks we would have taken more

than about 20 firearms off the road and placed a good number of persons before the court who are now either on bail or in custody on remand awaiting trial and all of this is in an effort by members of the public and the police working hand-in-hand to take firearms off the streets, to take dangerous drugs off the street and to avert other incidents with the use of firearms occurring.”

Mr Peters said that he was unsure of how many times the victim was shot, but he noted concern among authorities that murders were occurring during the daytime, whereas most murders often occurred at night.

“The pandemic has caused a shift in our country where individuals can be walking the streets with masks and that in itself appears to have given individuals some level of confidence or boldness.

“Members of the public won’t be able to recognise

them and so hence we’ve seen persons brandishing firearms as well as walking the streets with firearms, as well as using firearms against others in broad daylight having their faces disguised.

“So, it is a concern to us until we get out of this period of wearing the masks I hope that we don’t have much more of these, but I can say that the wearing of masks is a contributing factor in this happening and the boldness that we see from these individuals who are shooting at one another.”

While Mr Peters did not know if murders this year had outpaced last year’s number for this period, he was certain the authorities had taken more weapons off the streets.

“What I can say is we have more firearms off the road and more persons put before the court for being arrested with possession of firearms than last year,” he said.

‘POLICE ADVICE NOT VICTIM BLAMING’

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net POLICE advice issued after a sex attack was given to help keep people safe and not to blame the victim, National Security Minister Wayne Munroe said yesterday.

His response came after criticism of police advice issued in the wake of an attack on a woman jogging in New Providence in the early morning hours on Wednesday. A man pulled her into bushes and sexually assaulted her.

Superintendent Audley Peters told The Tribune a similar incident happened last week – and in a statement, police advised women to use necessary caution while exercising and to be aware of their surroundings when arriving at home. The statement also said that on arrival at home, a thorough search of the dwelling should be conducted and ensure that all doors and windows are properly secured.

Following that statement, there was criticism, suggesting it was victim blaming and questioning why women were being told what to do rather than directing comments at criminals or increasing police patrols to ensure people are safe.

Mr Munroe argued, however, that the statement was not blaming the victim.

He said: “Well, the one I saw is not unlike the advice that tells you during Christmas not to leave packages on the seat exposed, try to keep yourself safe, and the police give advice on that on all crimes, including if you would’ve seen the ones on counterfeiting. They actually physically went around and told people how to keep themselves safe from counterfeiting.

Nobody is suggesting that anybody is responsible for crime being committed against them.

“When the police give advice as to how people may act to keep themselves safe, that’s all it is.

That does not excuse the offender. So the fact that I leave my wallet in my car and an offender can see it, that doesn’t excuse him if he steals it. If he breaks in my car and steals my package, the police will arrest him and (the) courts will sentence him. How I view the advice police gives us is just to advise us of prudent steps to keep yourself safe. It’s not blaming you for anything. It’s just saying these are steps you may take to keep yourself safe.”

This latest incident follows an alleged rape and assault that took place off Prince Charles Drive in April. Asked whether there is a concern of a rise in sexual assaults against women, Mr Munroe noted that during COVID there were increases in instances of domestic violence and sexual assaults.

He said: “Well, that was a concern that was noted up by the Royal Bahamas Police Force from during COVID where they said that the instances of domestic violence and sexual assaults were increasing.

I’ve seen the alerts about it and as the police say they are asking for the assistance of the public in finding these persons. They’ve given advice too, it’s not just women who are the subject of sexual assaults, but increasingly now men as well and children as to how we may keep ourselves safe - but as I say, it is a form of a crime that is difficult to understand.”

Commissioner of Police Paul Rolle said he did not know if there is an increase, but noted there has been

conversations about the issue.

“I don’t know it’s an increase, but we’ve been talking a lot about it recently and so you sensitise the people about it and so it’s more in the consciousness and so we don’t want to see it all. We don’t want to see it all but they continue to happen off and on. We just want to encourage persons, when they are going out, as we’ve been saying, you try not to walk alone and walking in dark areas. You go exercising, make sure to have good support and a few persons with you to prevent these things from happening,” the police chief said.

“I don’t know it’s an increase, but we’ve been talking a lot about it recently and so you sensitise the people about it and so it’s more in the consciousness and so we don’t want to see it all. We don’t want to see it all, but they continue to happen off and on. We just want to encourage persons when they are going out as we’ve been saying you try not to walk alone and walking in dark areas. You go exercising, make sure have good support and few persons with you to prevent these things from happening.”

The incident was in the daily crime report a week after it happened. Asked why a sexual assault case was not included in the daily crime report, Mr Rolle gave an assurance that there was nothing to hide.

He said: “That may have been an oversight and we address that already and there’s no secret we send out the information advising persons to be cautious and we also increased our police presence - undercover.”

He also added that a suspect had been detained.

FIREARM DISCOVERED BY POLICE EIGHT Mile Rock police recovered an unlicenced firearm on Wednesday.

Police said sometime around 2pm, an adult male came into the Eight Mile Rock Police Station and handed over an unlicensed firearm.

Further, he said that while cleaning up an old dilapidated building near Holy Temple Church in Jones Town, he found the firearm buried in the ground. Upon inspection by officers, it was discovered to be a .40 pistol with no magazine. The firearm was later handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department for further investigations.

Later that night at around 8pm, a team of officers from the Marine Support Unit, acting on information, went to a service road on

Settlers Way, where they saw a small black vehicle and motorbike parked on the western side of the service road and two dark males standing nearby.

Upon arrival, both vehicles left the area at a high rate of speed in separate directions making good their escape. The officers then searched the area and found a blue cloth bag next to an old water heater. The bag was inspected and it contained a quantity of suspected marijuana. The suspected marijuana was later handed over to the Drug Enforcement Unit for further investigation.

Police in Abaco also recovered an unlicensed firearm and ammunition early Thursday morning.

Shortly before 1am a

team of officers from the Marsh Harbour Police Station, acting on information and armed with a search warrant proceeded to an apartment complex located in Murphy Town, Abaco.

Upon arrival, officers were assisted by the caretaker to gain access to the property.

Once inside, a search was conducted of the interior.

While searching, officers found a 12-gauge shotgun and a large number of shotgun shells.

Further, no one had permission to occupy the apartment unit. The suspect in this matter is being sought. The firearm and ammunition were handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department for further investigations.

A BODY being removed from the scene in Butler’s Alley yesterday.

Photo: Donavan McIntosh/Tribune Staff

PAGE 6, Friday, May 13, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

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The COVID problem - and the solution TWO news stories on our front page today represent a collision of problem, and solution.

First, the problem – it is confirmed that we are now in another surge of COVID-19.

It is, of course, a tragedy that we have come round to this again, but in truth another wave has seemed likely for some time. After all, another wave swept through Europe and then the US, so it was likely it was going to reach our shores at some point. We might well consider we have done well to avoid it until now.

But now it is here, and it comes as we reach another sad landmark in the story of COVID in The Bahamas, with the total number of deaths from the pandemic in our country now having reached 800. 800 of our brothers and sisters no longer with us because of this horrible virus.

So far this month, we have already seen more than 200 confirmed new cases, and as has been pointed out by both FNM chairman Dr Duane Sands and infectious disease expert Dr Nikkiah Forbes, the actual number might be higher still because that number comes from PCR tests rather than antigen positive tests.

This comes on the heels of the news this week that a number of schools have moved back to virtual learning – Stephen Dillet School, St Anne’s, St Augustine’s College and Queen’s College – although the Ministry of Health and Wellness does not presently recommend the closure of schools in New Providence. This is despite more than three dozen COVID-19 cases among staff and students over the past several weeks.

When a surge comes, one thing is for certain – cases are going to go up. We are in the surge now, and the question

is how high will it go? With that, there have to be concerns over how long the stance of keeping schools open will be the sensible one.

So what is the other story that presents a solution. Well, a number of Pfizer vaccines are due to expire at the end of this month. What’s the solution there? We should use them – before we lose them.

Efforts to boost vaccination rates have not been very successful – but now that a new wave is with us, perhaps that will focus the minds of some who perhaps haven’t rushed to get their boosters or their second shots. There are others still who haven’t had their first – but there’s no time like the present.

Around the world, and here on our own shores, it has been shown time and again that the vast majority of those who become hospitalised from COVID-19 are those who have not been vaccinated.

The vaccine may not stop everyone from catching the virus, but it has been shown to reduce the effects, and it can help slow, or stop the spread.

Our communities again have significant numbers of COVID cases in them, so take the sensible option – protect yourself, and in doing so, protect those you love.

Let’s make sure these vaccine doses don’t go to waste. If you’re due for a jab, go and get it. Ask your friends and family if they’re ready for their next shot, and encourage them to get it.

And in the meantime, keep following the guidance to wear masks, sanitise and keep our distance.

In the past few weeks, it may have seemed we had left the pandemic behind. We have not. It’s time for another push to stop the spread – and stop that number of people lost to the virus from ticking up higher and higher.

We need full explanation of Exuma deaths EDITOR, The Tribune.

I HOPE very soon that your government and Sandals Resorts will be forthcoming with a proper explanation of the sad deaths in Exuma and what measures will be taken to prevent more deaths. It was pitiful to read yesterday’s Tribune online with your Tourism Minister really avoiding the issue and spouting out about how tourism is increasing and the forthcoming months will see increasing visitor numbers.

Here our family’s travel agencies have had three days of cancellations for The Bahamas. The coverage in the local media and internationally should have

been far more seriously taken by your government.

Where is the crisis management at Sandals and in government agencies?

Screaming headlines like “Go to The Bahamas and die” and “Would you want to go to The Bahamas, pay exorbitant hotel rates and end up in death?” seriously harm your already challenged tourist product.

It is already very difficult to enter your country with unrealistic and expensive rules requiring health tests and a Health Visa that no longer make any sense.

Many clients coming into our agencies cannot be bothered going through all the time-consuming hassles just to come for a short holiday. Sadly we are having

to book them to other destinations who are only too pleased to take bookings which formerly went to you.

Immediately you need a complete rethink about how you are handling tourism.

Visitors want to travel where it is easy to enter, no hassles and a safe environment. We have sold trips to The Bahamas for fifty years, but for the past two years interest in coming to you has really fallen off not only due to the pandemic but the unfortunate assumptions on your part that tourists will still come to The Bahamas no matter how difficult you make it for them to come to you.

DAVID WILLIAMSON Connecticut, USA May 12, 2022.

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

ZILDA Maria de Paula, who said her 16-year-old son was killed during a police operation, holds a Portuguese “Black lives matter” poster during a protest demanding justice outside the Supreme Court in Brasilia, Brazil, yesterday, the eve of the anniversary of the abolition of slavery. Brazil abolished slavery on May 13, 1888, in Brazil.

Photo: Eraldo Peres/AP

GBPA must accommodate Electra group EDITOR, The Tribune.

GRAND Bahamians are both happy and cautiously optimistic about the pending sale of the state-owned Grand Lucayan Resort to Electra America Hospitality Group for $100m.

This investment group is coming to Freeport with deep pockets. Personally, I am relieved that the Progressive Liberal Party has entered an agreement to sell the beleaguered property to a reputable hotelier, rather than to the Numbers Boys, as was rumoured on the ground on Grand Bahama.

The unsubstantiated rumours on the ground were that the Numbers Boys were eyeing the casino. If true, their acquisition of the resort would’ve been an unmitigated disaster, similar to the sale of the Royal Oasis Resort and Casino to the Irish group Harcourt Developments in 2007. Electra America has billions in assets and an impeccable track record in the hospitality industry. The group’s willingness to pump $300 million into the redevelopment of the rundown property speaks volumes of its faith in the Grand Bahama economy, something that many Bahamian investors with deep pockets have refused to do.

I was pleased with Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation Chester Cooper’s announcement of the Grand Bahama International Airport (GBIA) being rebuilt into a world class facility, which is critical to the success of the new Grand Lucayan Resort.

The GBIA has the potential to become the next Lynden Pindling International Airport. It now seems

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net as if everything is setting up right for the rebirth of the Magic City. But there’s one important factor which must not be overlooked by the Davis administration; which is the Grand Bahama Port Authority’s (GBPA) massive role in insuring that Electra America Hospitality Group succeeds in Freeport.

This new development might be the biggest investment news in the tourism sector for Freeport in two decades. If this venture falls flat on its face, Grand Bahama might become another Mayaguana or Crooked Island; no disrespect intended to those Family Islands. Freeport is supposed to be the nation’s second city, yet it has been overtaken by Abaco, Bimini and Exuma, with Eleuthera and Andros now breathing down hard on its neck.

The GBPA should lower or outright eliminate whatever tax fees it has towards the prospective buyers of the resort, as the hue and cry of many investors to Grand Bahama has been the high, exorbitant costs of doing business in Freeport.

The narrative that it is cost prohibitive to do business in Freeport will become much louder, now that the Grand Bahama Power Company has been given permission by the GBPA to increase its electric rate to its consumers.

The GBPA, it seems, plays the role of the Utilities Regulation & Competition Authority in Grand Bahama. With

a projected 2,000 construction jobs and 1,000 permanent jobs, Electra America Hospitality Group has to succeed, as these much-needed jobs will give Freeport a massive shot in the arm. This cannot be emphasised enough.

While I am truly grateful for Freeport’s industrial sector, the closure of the Royal Oasis Resort in 2004 and Breaker’s Cay and the Grand Lucayan in 2016 have shown us the importance of a robust tourism sector in being the main engine of the economy.

Many women, who are in most cases the breadwinners of hundreds of households in Grand Bahama, eke out a living in tourism. The collapse of this vital industry has coincided with this demographic falling deep into poverty.

Loyal supporters of the Free National Movement, Democratic National Alliance and COI must set aside their political differences and work with the PLP to ensure that this investment succeeds.

Opposition supporters must resist the temptation to see this deal falls through, just to score a political brownie point. At the end of the day, far too many Grand Bahamians are living below the poverty line, while wealthy politicians and their cronies are financially set. If Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis is able to lead the charge in the resurgence of the Magic City, he will gain my fandom. But he must encourage the GBPA to do everything possible to see that this deal succeeds.

KEVIN EVANS Freeport, Grand Bahama, May 12, 2022.

The Davis administration EDITOR, The Tribune.

IN ALL things we give God thanks, look where we are nine months later after Minnis called an early election, isn’t God good?

We learn to thank Him for all things, His divine

intervention is like bringing the children out of Egypt to the promised land.

I may not be here to see the miracle that will replace the magic city of Freeport as it once was, but the Davis Government must be commended for their stellar

performance thus far, the last two days was nothing but good news for the people of Grand Bahama and more to come!

KELLY D BURROWS Freeport, Grand Bahama.

May 12, 2022.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, May 13, 2022, PAGE 7

MAN ‘T IED TO Kiosk eases access to USE VEHICLE sex offender registry TO ATTACK T EE PEOPLE’

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

By PAVEL BAILEY A MAN was granted bail in a Magistrate’s Court yesterday for an alleged vehicular assault on three people and causing damage to another car.

Fantino Johnson, 22, appeared before Assistant Chief Magistrate Carolyn Vogt Evans on three counts each of assault with a dangerous instrument and threats of death. He further faced charges of damage and assault.

At 10.30am on May 8 at Lincoln Boulevard, Johnson allegedly assaulted Romado Minnis, Romeika Dean and Romeo Dean with a vehicle as well as threatening their lives.

During this incident, the accused is further accused of physically assaulting Minnis and causing $450 worth of damage to Wilner Antoine’s 1991 Mitsubishi Cantre’s rear bumper.

While Johnson pleaded guilty to the assault and one of the vehicular

assault charges, both against Romado Minnis, he pleaded not guilty to the remaining six charges against him.

The accused then admitted to the court that he did have an argument with Minnis, who he referred to as his friend, on the day in question, but maintained his innocence for the remaining charges.

Although Johnson had a previous conviction from last year for disorderly behaviour, the court had no objections to bail. As a result, he was granted $6,000 bail with one or two sureties on condition he sign in at Wulff Road Police Station every Sunday by 7pm.

Magistrate Vogt-Evans warned the accused not to interfere with any of the witnesses upon his release from custody.

Johnson is expected to return to court on July 1 for sentencing and trial for his remaining charges.

MAN BAILED IN DRUGS AND FIREARM CASE

By PAVEL BAILEY A MAN was granted bail in a Magistrate’s Court yesterday for drug and firearm related charges.

Thomas Minnis, Jr, 26, who was represented by Wendawn Miller-Frazer stood before Senior Magistrate Samuel McKinney on five charges.

Minnis was charged with possession of a dangerous firearm, ammunition, component parts of a firearm, and drugs with intent to supply. He also faced a charge of money laundering.

On May 9 in New Providence, Minnis was arrested after he was found with

a green Smith & Wesson .40 pistol, serial number NVT272, 10 unfired .40 rounds of ammunition and 9mm magazine without a licence. Authorities also caught the suspect with an alleged eight ounces of Indian Hemp as well as $593 believed to be the proceeds of crime.

In court, Minnis pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The magistrate then granted him $7,500 bail with one surety. As a condition of his bail Minnis is expected to report to the Wulff Road Police Station every Wednesday and Friday before 6pm.

Minnis’ trial was adjourned to June 9.

CHILD ABDUCTION SUSPECT FACES CHARGES IN COURT A MAN was charged in Magistrate’s Court yesterday for allegedly attempting to kidnap a seven-year-old schoolgirl last March.

Alexander Coakley, 20, was represented by Quentin Percentie as he stood before Magistrate Kara Turnquest-Deveaux on a charge of attempted child stealing.

Shortly after 3pm on March 30, 2021, Coakley is accused of trying to abduct a seven-year-old girl from Nassau Christian Academy on Old Trail and Soldier Road.

Due to the serious

nature of his offence, the accused was not required to enter a plea in court and was informed that his case would proceed by way of Voluntary Bill of Indictment (VBI).

Coakley was also informed that his trial would be heard in the Supreme Court, where he can also make a formal application for bail.

Until bail is granted, the accused will be sent back to the Bahamas Department of Corrections.

Coakley is expected to return to the Magistrate’s Court on July 29 for service of his VBI.

PROBATION GRANTED FOR INDIAN HEMP POSSESSION

By PAVEL BAILEY A MAN was placed on six months probation for a drug-related charge in a Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

Ricardo Sifort, 18, appeared before Senior Magistrate Samuel McKinney on a charge of possession of dangerous drugs.

On May 10 in New

Providence, Sifort was arrested after being found with two grams of Indian Hemp.

In court, Sifort pleaded guilty to the charge.

As the accused has no prior convictions, Magistrate McKinney ordered Sifort to behave during a six-month probation period.

Failure to comply will result in a $300 fine or one month in prison.

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

A KIOSK has been unveiled as part of the process to digitise the Sexual Offenders Registry.

The kiosk was presented to the Wulff Road Police Station yesterday by National Security Minister Wayne Munroe, Acting Commissioner of Corrections Doan Cleare and other officials and will allow the information to be accessed electronically.

Mr Munroe said that as of July last year, there was a fully staffed section devoted to managing the sexual offenders register, to ensure that all sex offenders sentenced as of that date were added to it. This follows the passing of the Sexual Offenders Amendment Act in 2014, which came into effect in July 2019.

Offenders sentenced since July 24, 2019, are placed on the register – with 27 offenders to date on the register.

The registry unit is part of the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDCS). Seven months ago, the operations were manual and officials are now moving to fully digitise it.

With the new system, magistrates can log on in court and transmit information directly.

Mr Munroe said: “Upon the release from prison, the offender is required within 72 hours to say where they are going to reside. Again,

MINISTER of National Security Wayne Munroe with the new kiosk yesterday.

Photo: Donavan McIntosh/Tribune Staff that used to be manual, it’s now being digitised and the offender must now come to this system and register on a first instance.

“If the offender is moving, they have to keep us informed as to where they are. If they’re travelling anywhere for more than seven days, as the Act currently scheduled [says], they have to notify of where they’re travelling.”

Mr Munroe warned that the notification of sex offenders being released is not to permit retaliation or punishment of the offender – and said it should only be used for its legitimate purpose. He said if retaliation were to take place, “the experience in other jurisdictions have disclosed the judges will then remove people from the register

and we will lose the very valuable ability to track them”.

The Crisis Centre has been consulted on the issue of notification and the form it should take.

Mr Munroe said: “What I’ve asked the Attorney General to have a look at for us is whether or not for the person who may be in prison who were sentenced before July 2019, if we may not be able to give notification of them even if we can’t insist that they report where they are and that.

“So there’s a difference between an obligation the courts have found as a sentence and our ability even for sexual offenders before 2019 to notify the public or notify persons. As the commissioner has said this is a crime for which there’s very

little rational reason for, and to my mind, persons have a degree of disorder.

So we must exercise care.

Speaking to reporters at the event, Stephanie St Fleur, of Human Rights Bahamas and Rise Bahamas, said: “Make the law retroactive at least 20 years instead of 2017, include the first-time offender’s name, date of birth, current address, current photograph, identification marks, tattoos, scars, vehicle information, type of employment and address, sex offence for which the offender is being convicted for. So we suggesting they push it at least 20 years.

“There were so many grievous harms done to women and children before 2017 so who are we protecting putting this law to 2017?”

PAGE 8, Friday, May 13, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

By the Rev Canon S Sebastian Campbell, CM MARK Twain wrote a story called “The Great Catastrophe”. It concerns a group of people who get trapped in a tragic situation. They are doomed to die. They have no way to escape. They are, indeed, on the verge of a terrible catastrophe.

Mark Twain didn’t want the story to end unhappily. But he didn’t see how he could save the people.

It was like having them trapped in a plane that was seconds away from crashing into a mountainside.

And so, Mark Twain concluded his story with these two sentences: “I have these characters in such a fix that I cannot get them out of it.

Anyone who thinks he can is welcome to try.”

In one sense, that’s an unfair ending. But in another sense, it’s a good ending. It makes you think, it makes you get involved.

For example, suppose there was a plane about to crash into a mountainside. How would you have the passengers try to save themselves?

What would you do to try to save yourself if you were a passenger on that plane?

In the early 1970s, we found ourselves in a similar situation. The drug trade was spreading like wildfire, well into the eighties, nineties and even today. The nation was trapped. There was no way we could save ourselves. I was a young teenager, just arrived from Cat Island and plunged into New Providence, a student

at Harold Road (now AF Adderley) High School.

Break time and lunch time some of the male students would be crossing Blue Hill Road into bushes, where Town Centre Mall now stands. I thought it strange that they would be taking to the bush seeing that the plumbing was working perfectly in the school’s bathrooms. I was invited to join this exodus to the bushes, innocent island boy, I was. Then I was ordered to stay in the clearance of the shrubs and clap or whistle if anyone approached. I was the look-out man and didn’t know it. This plot was soon uncovered by a female prefect who had us reported to Mr Hugh Campbell, the principal. After due diligence, the cane talked a language every culprit clearly understood. It had only just begun.

Prime Minister Lynden Pindling said, way back then: “Bahamians are playing a game they don’t understand; in the process many will die.”

Truer words have never been spoken. Hundreds of lives have hit the dust, proving true to this prophecy over these many years.

Does it continue, does the drug business continue unabated? Is drugs the fuel that continue to energise our domestic ills? What is the relationship to gangs and the destruction of our ethical standards in our national quest to get rich quickly at any cost. How

DELIVERANCE FROM A TERRIBLE CATASTROPHE

is this influencing tribal warfare? Indeed, as we think on drugs as a monster devouring our moral life, then all must be honest with its elder sibling, alcohol. Many Bahamians have ascended the totem pole of richness and respectability from the days of bootlegging and rum-running. They have infiltrated life at every level of society, especially political life and we are to

Funeral Service For Lauran Melvern Whyte-Skeets, 54 a resident of Dean Street off Augusta Street & formerly of James Cistern, Eleuthera, will be held at Wesley Methodist Church, Grants Town, on Saturday, May 14, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. Officiating will be Rev. Lester Ferguson, assisted by other Ministers of the Gospel. Interment follows in Wesley Methodist Church Cemetery, West Street.

Left to mourn and cherish her passing is her dearly beloved husband of 33 years: Philip Skeets Sr.; Mother: Elsie Whyte; Sons: Alfred (Whitnell ), Philip and Mateo Skeets; her beloved daughter: Aleandera Skeets; Granddaughters: Angela Gaitor and Paige Skeets; Sisters: Rochelle, Renae (Grawill), and Ingrid Whyte; Brothers: Enoch, Quon (Lisa), and Rico (Tisa) Whyte; Adopted Sisters: Miranda Smith; Adopted sons: Valentino William, Kendal Ferguson, Robert Poitier, Charles Jones and Savion Davis; Aunts: Ednola Morris, Dorthy Lightbourne, Mavis Mackey, Vangy Lightbourne, Ruth Greene, Lillian Petty, Florie Greene, Norma Rolle, Virgie Rolle of Hollywood, Fl. and Dellarese Rolle; Uncles: Ricardo Lightbourne , Robert Lightbourne, Prince Petty, Peter & Harold Whyte and Christopher (Regina) Rolle; Nieces: Adreann Thompson, Ciara, Reshea, Averil , Tekell, Lisa , Enajae, Chellis, Chloe Whyte, Yasmaine Thompson, Alana Johnson, Rekeithra, Renell, Quontell, Niah, Tarae, Tamya & Kaynell Paul; Nephews: Aaron Thompson, Keno, Bradford D Jr., Renaldo Albury, Wilshire Jr., Stefan, Enock Jr., Christopher Paul Jr., and Levi Skeets; Grand nieces: Tann Cargill, Taliyah Thompson, Sa’Nyi, Ciandra, Destiny, Bradricka & Payden; Grand Nephews: Ashton, Keno Jr., Kendall, Romas Richard Jr., Mark Dean, Manassh, Manoah, and Malchail Dean; Sisters-In-Law: Denise Skeete Mortimer and Johnside Smith; God Children: Keva & Kimberley Sherman; God Brother: Theophilus Rolle. Numerous Cousin: Chesley & Deborah finely, Dennis Gayle Bethel, Sharon Delancy, Peter & Monique Saunders, Anna Skeete, Franklyn & Paula Burrows, Darren & Angela Johnson, Andre & Bridgette, Nicole Macke, Barbra, Helen, Linda, Dennis, Nelson, Delsie White, Dedrie, Petra, Lisa, Ernest, Ramano, Theodore, Judell, Jaynell, Nelly, Zuham, Loletta, Corey, Catherine, Benjamin, Jerry, Edgar, Sandra, Ezekiel, Sherry, Terry, Dornell, Dorcia, Becky, Aaron, Courtney, Jaynell, Joycelyn, Jackie, Myrna, Yolanda, Erica, Teveras, Oscar, Augustus, Clovis, Michelle, Brayan, Samuel, Sheena Rolle, Joycelyn Rolle, Jasmine, Elisha, Ja’Mari, Shirley, Joey, Avis, Vanessa, Van, Sue, Tahaddeus, Ezra, Indira, Lashanda, Windsor Jr., Keith, Gail, Tony, Besty, Cherry, Michelle, Ramon, Christopher Jr., Christia, Anthony, Andy, Monique, Nettie, Brian Smith, Nichole, Alvin, Fred Jr., Jason Mackey, Sharon Morris, Troy, Garvin, Rhonda, Ryan, Robert Jr., Robin, Marvin, Delano, Cecil, Dennis, Darren, Dion, Margo & Philip Jr., Zhivago, Janeen, Gaynell, Ossie, Sharleta, Kiko, Sherika, Devaldo, Andello Forbes, Rahim Whyte, Ariel Johnson, Khylynn Forbes, Alicia, Ghandicia, Elkenah Jr., Amos Daniels, Anishka Terese, Lloydesha, Terrance Jr., Ashanique; Best Friend: Maise Thompson. Other Family & Friends: Jeff, Delbert, Carlene, Bonnie-Ann, Peray, Joann, Curlein, Granville & Family, Peggy, Daisy, Judy, Maryann, Wendy, Shirley & Family, Gregory, Kevin, Donna, Brenda, Chester & Mortimer & Family, Deaconess Elmena Bethel & Family, Deborah, Gary, Toya, Ali, Deandra, Ashley, Pinder Tile & Family, PSI BETA CHI FRATERNITY, Breakfast Club Grant Town Wesley Methodist Church Family, Nurse Hannah, Nurse Harris, Nurse Coakley, Nurse Brown, Sister Roker, Dialysis Unit & Family, John & Judy Deveaux & Family, Pastor Orlando & Claris’s Thompson & Family, Rosemary Thompson & Family, Reverend Carla Culmer & Family, Sherman family, Newbold Family, Butler family, Poitier Family, St. Lovis & Esteve Family, Sharita & Family, Sharese Brown & Family, Patricia & Family, Pastor Ellison Greenslade & Family, Beth & Family, Deangelo Gaitor, Shantique Smitb & Family, Andy Rolle & Family, Cardinal Scott & Family, Mrs. Bowe, Bruno, Bruce of Dialysis Unit Johnson, Rolle, Bethels & Family, Howette Ingraham, Deborah & Jim Marshell, Billy Stubbs & Family, Isaac Johnson & Family, Doreen, Vernica, Melba, Felix, Ronald I & Whilfeild & Family, Nurse Bernadette Colebroke & Family, Kenneth Duncombe & Family, Bernice Rolle & Family, Emily Petty & Family, Vonnia Pearce & Family, Ruby Thompson & Family, Rosemary Johnson & Family, Shelia & Family, Mark Brown & Family, Bible Truth Ministry Family, Dean Street Family, James Cistern Eleuthera Family, James Cistern, Wesley Methodist Church Family, and a host of other relatives and friends too numerous to mention.

Friends may pay their last respects at Demeritte’s Funeral Home, Market Street, from 10-5:00 p.m. on Friday & at the church from 10:00 a.m. until service time.

call them honourable today.

We can go further back to piracy, shipwrecking and even slavery. The Bahamas has thrived on acts of nefarious characters all though the ages. Any wonder why Cat Island is still called and known by the name of one of the most evil pirates known in history, Arthur Catt. We have elevated so many corrupt characters as heroes of our land. We so quietly do this even in modern-day society.

Our National Honours system was born out of a desire to rescue real role models out of obscurity and elevate as heroes, those on whose shoulders we really stand. I had great hopes that our university, our lead tertiary, institution would lead the way in researching and documenting the real history of our land. Too much is hidden and needs excavation. We have been the recipients of evil from the dark ages of history. Many English Governors and Generals came to us and exploited and plundered and we call them heroes.

Any wonder Christopher Columbus could remain in statue form over us for so many years while progressive Caribbean nations are taking down statues of their exploiters, slave masters, masters of genocide. We are a brain-washed people in believing, even now, that all things foreign are better.

Even to this day Bahamians, out there, might very well venerate a foreign – white priest to a locally grown one from Crooked Island. We are indeed still in a catastrophe.

If Mark Twain had been alive, he would have summed up the situation the same way he summed up his story: “These people are in such a fix that I cannot get them out of it.

Anyone who thinks he can is welcome to try.”

I have great hope that our New Day government can emancipate us out of this tragic situation. There must be a way to save us in our mental and social

dilemma. We are in a mental bondage; we want to be independent and British at the same time. We want to be free, yet we enjoy the chains that are holding us captive. We say we want local leaders, yet we crown the foreign whites as lord superior. We say we are Christians yet enjoy ancient corrupt practices be they drugs, alcohol, and modernday piracy. When do we implement the true tenants of our Christian faith of trust in an all adventurous God who calls us to walk boldly with Him into the unknown.

Years ago, there was a thought–provoking Peanuts cartoon. The first picture of the cartoon shows Charlie Brown staring at a toolbox, saying to himself, “I can’t do it! I can’t do it.”

The second picture shows Lucy entering and saying to Charlie, “What’s wrong, Charlie? You seem unhappy.”

The last picture has Charlie answer Lucy, “I am unhappy! I want to build a work bench, but I don’t have a work bench to build it on.”

The point of the cartoon – when we apply it to our Christian faith – is clear.

God has provided us with a work bench upon which we can progressively do his work. A work bench of a great country with people, who properly led, has hope and aspiration of a New Day. God will not do for us that which can do for ourselves. The job of a New Day started at Emancipation in 1834 and it is incomplete, always, even having achieved Majority Rule and Independence. There is always an unfinished agenda. Every generation must achieve its planks or be deemed hopeless. God has given us a job to do in the ongoing advancement of this nation, currently we are slunking.

It is obvious that we need to kick old habits, we must advance to Republic, we must turn our backs on the privy council, we must... We

must press onward and stop kicking the can down the road. “Forward, Upward, Onward…but when?”

Our job in our country is to put into practice the fierce urgency of now. Not to stand idly, looking into space. Our job is to roll up our sleeves and get God’s work done. We are to use the work bench given to us by the master to: 1. Feed the hungry 2. Clothed the naked 3. Work for peace 4. Provide educational opportunities 5. Adequate housing for all 6. Feed the thirsty 7. Welcome strangers 8. Provide drinking water for all 9. Improve roadways and airports 10. And love one another therefore not to hurt with our bad habits Yes, all this to address our social life, as well, but too, to do some heavy lifting and take our country into the era that beckons a new Bahamas, that new destiny where progressive countries with progressive people will dwell as truly free and sovereign.

Let us close with a prayer: God our father, Your Son became one of us.

He saved us from the terrible catastrophe To which the world was doomed.

He built for us a work bench The Commonwealth of The Bahamas Upon which we are to build a newer world A world of peace, love, and endless progress.

He will come again to judge us all, on how well we Love and tried to make this peace love and progress real. Lord give us Faith To Work through our catastrophe.

(Rev Canon S Sebastian Campbell hails from Arthur’s Town, Cat Island and presently serves as the Rector of St Gregory The Great, New Providence)

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, May 13, 2022, PAGE 9

Cars, cars and more cars T

HERE are 145,000 registered vehicles, give or take a few, in The Bahamas, 90% of them likely on an island that measures 21x7 miles. The only thing we might have more of in terms of numbers is cellphones, but then there is one big difference.

Just about everyone knows how to use a cellphone.

It’s hard to hold someone’s attention when you announce you’d like to have a chat about road safety. It’s a lot more fun to watch a video of Snoop Dogg than one on car handling on roundabouts the right way.

But this week, everything seemed to come together in the world of cars and the drivers who love them, show them and race them.

It started in Miami with the Formula One Grand Prix last weekend, May 6-8, with trials and events and entertainment galore leading up to the main race on Sunday afternoon. F1 racing is huge, some say the most watched sport on TV (maybe because it feels like they are always racing somewhere or maybe it just refers to motor sport in general but no one questions that it outranks the Super Bowl and you thought that was big).

Back to Miami. The public went wild. Oracle plopped down a cool $500m to grab title sponsorship for Red Bull F1. Starting price was $500 a day for general admission before the clamour for glamour drove them skyward. Starting tickets for the Paddock were $12,000 for a three-day pass.

There were reports of scalpers selling tickets for the Sunday race for $35,000.

And demand exceeded supply.

A-listers were everywhere. Michael Douglas.

Tom Brady.

Michael Jordan. And when Bahamian Paolo Garzaroli, a pretty tall fellow himself, spotted the basketball great, he was ready. He whipped a cigar out of his pocked, and in a flash, reached over Jordan’s handlers’ hands and placed a Graycliff cigar in Michael Jordan’s hand at the end of an arm that extended the better part of a short city block. Paolo is no fool.

Along with the cigar, he passed MJ a business card.

And next thing he knew, the basketball legend was whatsapping him, thanking him for the great cigar.

Lest you get the wrong impression, you should know that Paolo is a smart businessman, not a fool or an A-lister paying thousands of dollars for the opportunity to smell the aroma of engine oil and burning rubber. He was the guest of FIA director and former race car driver David McLaughlin, a name you might remember from Bahamas Speed Week Revival. McLaughlin is also a friend of The Bahamas for the work he has done with edu-karting, making the experience of karting possible for hundreds of young Bahamians through cooperation with both the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture.

With the stars aligning in all things cars this week, McLaughlin was back in The Bahamas for the first time in more than two years, a separation induced

by COVID. His arrival was in the line of duty of assisting with the United Nations Road Safety Month with this year’s theme safety in school zones and wherever children play or roam.

If you don’t think road safety is important enough to spend time worrying about, consider this: there were more than 9,500 traffic accidents in The Bahamas in 2021.

That’s probably a higher number than all the people who bought new houses last year. Some of those accidents were probably minor, but they were bad enough to be reported. Imagine how many fender benders go unreported. Then think about this – imagine if one of those accidents involved a child or grandchild or spouse of yours. Imagine if they lost a leg or the ability to speak. Imagine if their spine was crushed and they would spend the rest of their lives in a wheelchair.

Mr Mclaughlin, please keep up the good work, even if you keep someone’s attention when you talk about road safety. Show the video of those crashes.

The number of traffic accidents was up 11 percent last year. Some 46 people lost their lives in one of those crashes. Some 11 percent of those, or a total of 1,239

SPORTS Minister Mario Bowleg tries a road safety simulator during the UN Road Safety Expo at Fusion Thursday while FIA Director David McLaughlin looks on. accidents, were hit-and-run.

There may be reason for hope. This year’s UN Road Safety event at Fusion yesterday drew good crowds, including a strong representation from the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the antique Auto Club, media, and instructors from just about every driving school in Nassau. It’s a good thing that cars can’t do wheelies, though I have seen some on 4-wheeler ATVs try.

One death is too many; 9,500 accidents in a country this size is unacceptable.

All it takes is the sight of a mangled body, a crushed child, a loved one bleeding to death to make road safety an issue we take seriously, even if it is not as entertaining as a Snoop Dogg video.

RED Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands crosses the finish line to win the Formula One Miami Grand Prix auto race at Miami International Autodrome, Sunday, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AFP, Brendan Smialowski via Pool)

Funeral Servic For Evelyn Rolle-Munroe, 66 affectionately called ‘Evie’ of Adelaide Road West will be held at Christ The King Parish Church, Ridgeland Park West on Saturday, 14th May, 2022 at 2:00 p.m.

Interment will follow at Lakeview Cemetery, John . ennedy ri e and ladstone Road. fficiatin will e r. wi ht . . Rolle assisted y Re .

Desiree Johnson and Fr. Stephen Davies She is survived by her daughter: Candia Fox (Stephen); grandchildren: Stefano and Sasha; sisters: ildred atrice Christine and I a Lorraine Rolle; brothers: the ate redrick inda awrence oy Ruth nn endal Re . echelle endall Sr. ewisher nthony Sa rina and e in Rolle aunt: loise ackey and family great grand aunt: ildred illie Ro inson and family; nieces: Doramae (Dazario), Raquel (Anthony), Lesa (Phillip) and family, Yvonne and family, Tiffany (Kevin) and family, Laurel (Robert), Christell (Alexander; Charis), Wendera and family, Natasha, Wenessa (Dylan), Weniska, Ariell, Savanna, Keniesha; nephews: redrick r. Renaldo ntoinette and family auren o a eisha and family enrick Te in Isaiah endrick Akeem (Lyawoni), Wendell Jr. (Pam), Mathew and Philip; numerous cousins including: urse inda a ian Stuart and family ichelle Chef on In raham and family Raymond aylean Rolle and family wi ht enise ohnson and family im utterfield nes arl Carey and family u usta Churchill c eil and family Iona eith arris and family eraldine and shley Christine Clarke and family ulice Smith a le Rolle re ory lone a ackey and family Ru in ackey ocelyn olden and family of iami a id i in ston Rolle enny eely and family eatrice rown and family ichelle and Charlene Rolle and family l ert rm rister and family, Andrew Armbrister and family, Pastor Jennifer (Pastor Sheldon) Newton and family ery astor atricia Rolle and family in. ranklyn arina Rolle and family Superintendent rian Shirley Rolle and family in. ario Sherrina Rolle inda illiams Theresa utler rendalee Raynardo inus Sheryl Fernander; god parent: Syl ia odie other relatives and friends: Life lon friends the late r. rs. oilo and orma llis and family of iami lorida aria Carolyn inda Rohelia ontrey oilo r. Clarice anney of iami lorida the late rs. rancina rake ale and Trenisha Sweetin and family the late ishop ewis and rs. e iticus Taylor and family Rolets Sarai a id Stella ishop hillip of alter oro South Carolina. ar ara ullard and family children of the late ertram and ernice rown and the late Syl ia ri ht Ruthmae Smith and family Ida Saunders and family udley rown and family orraine orton and family aisy Strapp and family Shelley ockhart Smith and family isa Ran er and family Rose ratt sworth and isa Smith and family uinton and elly Rolle and family the entire Communities of lack oint Staniel Cay and armers Cay and armers ill the orest and Rolle ille uma families The unroe family o family the mana ement and staff of mporium Sales and Ser ices the mana ement and staff of i ine Cafe The emp Road inistries family St. ames n lican Church rincess ar aret ospital ialysis nit and emale edical ard staff of inistry of Social Ser ices and r an e elopment staff of Carlton . rancis rimary School and Class of ordan rince illiam i h School. We apologize to those family and friends that were a part of the life of Evelyn “Evie” whose names were not mentioned. Trying to cope with the death of Evelyn some names may not have been mentioned, please pardon us it was not intentional. iewin will e held at the Serenity Suite at Restview Memorial Mortuary and Crematorium Limited, Robinson and Soldier Roads on Friday from a.m. at p.m.

PAGE 10, Friday, May 13, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

Surfside families still want answers despite near-$1bn settlement deal GATHERED at a ceremony yesterday to honor the 98 people who died in a Florida condominium collapse last summer, some of the victims’ family members said they are too deep in mourning to contemplate the nearly $1 billion settlement their attorneys negotiated on their behalf.

Families and local officials gathered at the chain-link fence surrounding the vacant lot where Champlain Towers South once stood for the unveiling of temporary banners adorned with the victims’ names and ages under the heading “Fathers, Mothers, Sons, Daughters, Brothers, Sisters.”

The ceremony took place a day after the surprise announcement that a $997m settlement had been reached in the families’ lawsuit against local officials, the developers of an adjacent building and

others whom they hold responsible for the collapse of the 40-year-old, 12-storey beachside building during the early hours of June 24.

For Ronit Felszer Naibryf, whose 21-year-old son Ilan Naibryf was killed in the collapse, it feels like she lost a limb with his death, so it is impossible to fathom the settlement.

“I am still processing that loss,” Naibryf said. “Everything else is a little bit of noise.”

Pablo Rodriguez, who lost his mother and grandmother in the collapse, said the settlement was the best result the families could hope for legally.

“The speed with which this was resolved was pleasantly surprising,” he said.

“My biggest concern is that there isn’t any accountability and the legislature hasn’t done anything to remediate the situation.”

Most of the Champlain

RONIT NAIBRYF, right, shows Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levina Cava, the name of her son Ilan Naibryf, yesterday in Surfside, Florida. A large banner with the names of the 98 people killed in the collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium nearly a year ago, was installed around the site.

Photo: Marta Lavandier/AP Towers South collapsed people survived the initial and the banners were to planned. suddenly about 1.20am collapse. No other survi- assure “we forever rememThe speed and size of on June 24 as most of its vors were found despite the ber and honour the lives the proposed $997m settleresidents slept. Only three around-the-clock efforts of lost”. ment stunned even Circuit rescuers who dug through Newly-elected Surfside Court Judge Michael Hanza 40ft pile of rubble for Mayor Shlomo Danzinger man, who is presiding over two weeks. Another three said the idea for the signs the lawsuit, when it was dozen people were in the came to him when he was announced at a hearing on portion of the building that driving past the site with his Wednesday. remained standing. teenage daughter, who had “It’s fantastic,” Hanzman The condominium’s resi- been in the area during the said during the hearing. dents and visitors formed collapse and got stuck in a “This is a recovery that is a melting pot: Orthodox dust cloud. Danzinger said far in excess of what I had Jews, Latin Americans, she confided that driving by anticipated.”

Israelis, Europeans and the area always makes her In comparison, the famisnowbirds from the sad. lies of the 3,000 victims of Northeast.

“We wanted to make sure 9/11 split $7 billion. The Miami-Dade County that people driving by or settlement still requires Mayor Daniella Levine walking by will see those final approval and will Cava, who visited the site names and will remember grow after the building’s lot daily during the search, what happened,” he said. is sold at auction later this said Thursday’s ceremony A permanent memorial is month.

INLAND MOVE TO A D OINING NATO DE PITE IAN T EAT KYIV, Ukraine Associated Press FINLAND’S leaders yesterday came out in favour of applying to join NATO, and Sweden could do the same within days, in a historic realignment on the continent 2 1/2 months after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine sent a shiver of fear through Moscow’s neighbors.

The Kremlin reacted by warning it will be forced to take retaliatory “militarytechnical” steps.

On the ground, meanwhile, Russian forces pounded areas in central, northern and eastern Ukraine, including the last pocket of resistance in Mariupol, as part its offensive to take the industrial Donbas region, while Ukraine recaptured some towns and villages in the northeast.

The first war-crimes trial of a Russian soldier since the start of the conflict is set to open Friday in Kyiv.

A 21-year-old captured member of a tank unit is accused of shooting to death a civilian on a bicycle

during the opening week of the war.

Finland’s president and prime minister announced that the Nordic country should apply right away for membership in NATO, the military defense pact founded in part to counter the Soviet Union.

“You (Russia) caused this. Look in the mirror,” Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said this week.

While the country’s Parliament still has to weigh in, the announcement means Finland is all but certain to apply — and gain admission — though the process could take months to complete.

Sweden, likewise, is considering putting itself under NATO’s protection.

That would represent a major change in Europe’s security landscape: Sweden has avoided military alliances for more than 200 years, while Finland adopted neutrality after its defeat by the Soviets in World War II. Public opinion in both nations shifted dramatically in favour of NATO membership after the invasion,

which stirred fears in countries along Russia’s flank that they could be next.

Such an expansion of the alliance would leave Russia surrounded by NATO countries in the Baltic Sea and the Arctic and would amount to a stinging setback for Putin, who had hoped to divide and roll back NATO in Europe but is instead seeing the opposite happen.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said the alliance would welcome Finland and Sweden with open arms.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry warned that Moscow “will be forced to take retaliatory steps of military-technical and other characteristics in order to counter the emerging threats to its national security”.

NATO’s funneling of weapons and other military support to Ukraine already has been critical to Kyiv’s surprising success in stymieing the invasion, and the Kremlin warned anew in chilling terms Thursday that the aid could lead to direct conflict between NATO and Russia.

A N ‘NO C OICE B T TO ACT’ TO C ANGE B E IT DEAL LONDON Associated Press BRITAIN’S foreign secretary warned the European Union yesterday that the UK will have “no choice but to act” to revoke parts of a Brexit agreement on Northern Ireland if the EU does not show flexibility.

Post-Brexit arrangements for border and customs checks in Northern Ireland have become “the greatest obstacle” to forming a new government in Belfast, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said during a call with European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic.

Border issues between Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, and EU member Ireland have long posed the thorniest problems in the UK’s divorce from the EU. They resurfaced after the Democratic Unionist Party refused this week to help form a powersharing government with Irish nationalist party Sinn

Fein unless the post-Brexit arrangements were substantially changed or scrapped.

An open Irish border is a key part of the peace process that ended decades of violence in Northern Ireland, which is the only part of the UK to share a land border with an EU country.

The EU and the UK agreed to keep the Irish border free of customs posts and other checks after Brexit, which became final at the end of 2020.

Instead, there are checks on some goods, such as meat and eggs, entering Northern Ireland from elsewhere in the UK. The Democratic Unionist Party is strongly opposed to the rules, saying the checks have created a barrier that undermines the British identity of its members.

Truss’ office said Sefcovic reiterated to her Thursday that “there was no room to expand the EU negotiating mandate or introduce new proposals to reduce the overall level of trade friction.”

“The foreign secretary noted this with regret and said the situation in Northern Ireland is a matter of internal peace and security for the United Kingdom,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.

“If the EU would not show the requisite flexibility to help solve those issues, then as a responsible government we would have no choice but to act,” the statement said.

Tensions over the trade rules, known as the Northern Ireland Protocol, were ramping up even before Northern Ireland held its assembly elections last weekend.

Northern Ireland has been without a functioning government since February, when the DUP’s leader at the time, Paul Givan, quit as first minister in protest over the trade rules.

UK officials have repeatedly warned they might unilaterally suspend the arrangements if the EU did not agree to major changes.

SPORTS PAGE 11

FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2022

Carl Hield, page 14

Miller-Uibo ‘trying to find perfect race model’

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

W

ith the Wanda Diamond League kicking off today in Doha, Qatar, quarter-miler Shaunae MillerUibo said she’s looking forward to running fast but, at the same time, she’s hoping to have some fun competing against her peers.

Miller-Uibo, preparing to add the World Championship title to her ledger this summer, was addressing the media yesterday, along with Great Britain’s sprinter Dina Asher-Smith and Sweden’s Olympic and World Indoor pole vault champion Mondo Duplantis.

Competing out of lane five where she will be sandwiched between Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino in four and Jamaican Stephenie Ann McPherson in six, Miller-Uibo said she’s expecting to run well.

“The main thing is I’m trying a new race model and I’m trying to find that perfect one before Eugene and we can go sub-48,”

said Miller-Uibo, who about her approach already posted a seaand she didn’t hesitate son’s best of 49.91. to point out that her “But for right now, it’s coach, Lance Braujust testing things out man, is taking it one and getting familiar step at a time. with it.

“The main thing “But I’m expecting is to make sure we some fast times, but train well and we’re overall, I’m just lookmaking decisions as ing forward to some we go, but right now, MILLER-UIBO good competition the main goal for us with the girls.” in Eugene is to try and take home Miller-Uibo, coming off her first the title,” she lamented. “So we gold-medal performance at the will see how it goes. But everyWorld Indoors Championships in thing is going very well right now Belgrade, Serbia in March, is one and we’re excited to see it.” of three Bahamian athletes comAt the last World Championpeting in the first of the Diamond ships in Doha in 2019, Miller-Uibo League series. lost out to Bahrain’s Salwa Eid She will be joined by World Naser, who has since been susIndoors’ 100m hurdles silver med- pended by World Athletics for allist Devynne Charlton and 60m two years for a doping violation. semifinalist Anthonique Stra- Miller-Uibo came back last year chan. “We opened and closed our and won the delayed 2020 Olymseason at the World Champs and pic Games crown and will now think I can’t complain about walk- go after the World Championship ing away with the gold medal,” crown in Eugene in July. said Miller-Uibo when asked As she opened her season last about her indoor campaign this year, Miller-Uibo did it with a vicyear. tory in Eugene at the Hayward As she prepares for this year’s Field, which will host this year’s season, Miller-Uibo was asked World Championships.

She’s looking forward to making her appearance in Oregon.

“It was the first time competing back there after the renovations and it’s a pretty quick track,” said Miller-Uibo about running in Oregon last year.

“I’m expecting to see some pretty fast times at both the Diamond League and the World Championships, so I’m excited about it and I hope things go very well because the competition is going to be pretty fast.”

When asked about her training session during the off-season, Miller-Uibo said they have been taking it easy.

“Obviously, we were coming off an injury after Tokyo, and the coach took a little more time getting me back into the normal schedule with training,” she pointed out. “We stepped it up throughout and we picked up a few knick-knacks here and there but it’s a part of sports.

“But we’ve been making our way through it and training has been going really well, we’re expecting great things this year and we will see what will come from it.”

Mavs rout Suns, force Game 7

By SCHUYLER DIXON AP Sports Writer DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 33 points and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Phoenix Suns 113-86 last night to force a Game 7 in the Western Conference semifinals.

The home team has won all six games, none with a final margin closer than seven points. The deciding game is Sunday in Phoenix.

The Mavericks won when facing elimination for the first time in three tries with Doncic, their three-time All-Star.

The two losses came against the Clippers the past two seasons, including Game 7 in Los Angeles last year after the visitors won the first six games, a first in the playoffs.

Dallas is playing beyond the first round for the first time since winning the title 11 years ago.

The Suns, seeking a second consecutive trip to the West finals, are going the distance in a series for the first time in two postseasons with Chris Paul and Devin Booker.

The previous three went six, including Phoenix’s

loss to Milwaukee last year in the NBA Finals.

Booker scored 19 points but was shut out from 3-point range (0 of 4) while going 6 of 17.

Deandre Ayton had 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Paul added 13 points.

The top-seeded Suns were held to a season low in scoring, regular season or playoffs, for the second time in the series.

Reggie Bullock scored 19 points and Jalen Brunson added 18 for Dallas.

Spencer Dinwiddie had a series-high 15, all on 3s (5 of 7).

Doncic played through an apparent left leg injury that sent him to the locker room when he would have been out of the game anyway in the second quarter.

He returned to the bench and rode a stationary bike before re-entering the game.

Soon after, the Mavericks went on a decisive 19-5 run to finish the first half, turning a two-point lead into a 60-45 halftime edge. It was a home-team replay of the third quarter from Game 5, when Phoenix went on a 17-0 run for an 18-point lead

SUNS centre Deandre Ayton shoots over Mavericks forward Reggie Bullock, left, during the first half of Game 6 last night.

(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) and ended up winning by 30. Doncic, who had 11 rebounds and eight assists, fought his shot while fighting the injury early, but had a 3 on the late firsthalf run and scored 10 in

the third to help the Mavericks push their lead to 22 (94-72).

Paul mostly avoided the problems with turnovers and fouls that cost the Suns in the first two losses

in Dallas. But the 37-yearold point guard was never much of a factor, getting just seven shots. Booker was stuck on eight points while Dallas pulled away in the second and third quarters, opening the second half with a miss on an ill-advised 3 and not scoring again until the Suns were down 21 late in the third.

TIP-INS Suns: Ayton got a technical for elbowing Doncic in the face when Doncic fouled him on a dunk in the third quarter. Doncic missed the technical free throw, and Ayton finished the three-point play.

Bismack Biyombo didn’t have the same impact as the replacement for JaVale McGee, who didn’t play for the first time in the series.

Biyombo had four points and three rebounds in 14 minutes.

Mavericks: This was the 10th consecutive time this season the Mavs have answered a loss of at least 20points with a win. Dallas recovered from a slow start from 3 to finish 16 of 39 (41%) while holding the Suns to 40% overall for the game.

Looking at the landscape of track and field right now, MillerUibo said the women’s 400m has certainly become one of the hotly contested events for fans to watch.

“Just to make the Olympic final last year you had to run sub-50, so it’s pretty hot,” Miller-Uibo said.

“Everyone is stepping up their A-game and I’m expected to push forward. I think the ladies coming up right now are exceptional and I think the 400m is going to go very far very soon.”

On competing at the Olympics without any spectators, Miller-Uibo said it was out of the ordinary, but she’s eager to see what the World Championships hold when they are expected to have the crowd back.

“It was a little different. I’m someone who feeds off the crowd.

That’s where I get my energy boost, so it did feel a little bit like training,” said Miller-Uibo about the difference in having fans in the stands at a meet.

“I guess I was fortunate that my 400m was more the ending of the track schedule and I had a lot of

SEE PAGE 13

BAHAMIANS RECEIVE POSTSEASON HONOURS

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net A GROUP of Bahamian players played a prominent role on the Tallulah Falls varsity boys’ baseball programme and were recognised with postseason awards for their outstanding 2022 season.

Seniors on this year’s roster included Norman Bastian and Joel Miller from New Providence and Malique Charlton and Kristian Williams from Grand Bahama.

Underclassmen included junior Frankey Moree from New Providence, sophomores Zaiden Cox from Grand Bahama and Caden Walker from New Providence, and freshman Danny Grant from Grand Bahama.

Bastian and Charlton received Region 8-A Private First Team honours while Moree was named to the Second Team and Miller received Honourable Mention.

Bastian, who has signed to play at Olivet Nazarene University, batted a team-high .424 with four home runs and 30

SEE PAGE 13

Rams to host Bills Nadal struggles to open NFL season, with foot injury in Broncos at Seattle Italian Open loss

By BARRY WILNER AP Pro Football Writer TO the Super Bowl winner goes the spoils of opening the entire schedule at home.

So the Los Angeles Rams will host the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night, September 8, to begin the 2022 season. It’s a juicy matchup of the team generally considered the title favourite by oddsmakers in the Bills travelling to SoFi Stadium, where the Rams won the championship over Cincinnati in February.

The Bengals are home to their division rivals, the Steelers, on Sunday, September 11 when all but two other teams get started.

Those two clubs playing on Monday night also offer an enticing storyline: Russell Wilson bringing his Broncos to Seattle.

By ANDREW DAMPF AP Sports Writer

FOX Sports television sideline broadcast reporter Erin Andrews, left, interviews then-New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady at midfield after an NFL football game between the Patriots and the New York Giants on October 10, 2019.

(AP Photo/Elise Amendola) The Seahawks traded their longtime quarterback to Denver in the offseason.

Sunday’s prime-time game features Tom Brady — unless he retires again

before September — and the Buccaneers at Dallas.

Brady’s decision to unretire after a short hiatus forced

SEE PAGE 14

ROME (AP) — With just 10 days to go before the French Open, Rafael Nadal is struggling with an injury again.

Nadal was hampered by a foot problem toward the end of a 1-6, 7-5, 6-2 third-round loss to Denis Shapovalov at the Italian Open yesterday.

At one point, the 35-year-old Nadal walked over and leaned on his towel box and grimaced in apparent pain. He also limped between points.

Nadal missed a large portion of last year with a left foot injury. “I hurt my foot again with a lot of pain,” Nadal said.

“I’m a player living with an injury. It’s nothing new. It’s something that is there, unfortunately. Day by day is difficult.

It was a worrisome scene for Nadal — especially with the French Open starting on May 22.

“What can happen in the next couple of days, I don’t know,” said Nadal, who has won Roland Garros a record 13 times. “What can happen in one week, I really don’t know now.”

Nadal returned to the tour last week following a rib stress fracture that kept him out for six weeks after a blistering start to the year that included his record 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.

“It’s difficult for me to accept the situation sometimes,” Nadal said. “Can be frustrating that a lot of days I can’t practice the proper way.”

Nadal was also beaten by 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals of last week’s Madrid Open.

Nadal double-faulted twice then missed a backhand long to hand Shapovalov a break of his serve and the second set. Shapovalov then took complete control when he won 14 straight points late in the third.

“Definitely tough to see him in pain there at the end,” said Shapovalov, who will face Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals. “I never want to see that, especially with a great legend like Rafa. ... He brings so much to our sport. Hopefully he’s fit and ready to go for the French.”

SEE PAGE 14

PAGE 12, Friday, May 13, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

Prep basketball prospect Rashawn Ferguson commits to Mounties

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net ANOTHER Bahamian prep basketball prospect will head to Canada to begin his collegiate and academic career.

Rashawn Ferguson was the latest signee of the Mount Allison Mounties to join its 2022-23 men’s basketball recruiting class.

“I selected MTA because all the coaches I asked really recommended it,” he said. “Coach [Steve] Chapman really helped me gain information and understand why it would be a

good fit for me as a student athlete.”

The Mounties finished last season 7-5 in the Atlantic University Sport and Chapman said he expects Ferguson to help the team’s development toward contending in the conference.

“Rashawn is a very athletic player with the ability to play more than one position which fits nicely with the style we wish to play.

He has an incredible work ethic, always puts the work in to improve his game, and is a coachable young man,” Chapman said. “His size, length, quickness, and versatility will really be an

FERGUSON asset for us this coming fall and we are excited and glad he has chosen our program here at Mount Allison.”

A former St Augustine’s College student, the 6’7”

Ferguson spent post grad time at Victory Rock Prep in Bradenton, Florida.

He also participated on the AAU circuit with International Basketball Academy and Lucayans Basketball Club.

Director of Empower Sports Network and head coach at Niagra Prep, Ollen Smith, said having another Bahamian in the pipeline is beneficial to both Canadian basketball and The Bahamas.

“It’s wonderful to see the changes within style of play and the number of international players getting opportunities to chase

their dreams of playing high quality of basketball,” Smith said.

“Rashawn is both a great student and athlete who will contribute significant minutes for Mount Allison.

Most importantly, Rashawn will be a good role model to the kids in his community and other Bahamians looking to study abroad.”

Ferguson joins 6’6 Gabe Powter of Ottawa, Ontario, 6’4 Connor Briand of Kingston, Ontario, and 5’11 guard Momar Niang from British Columbia as part of its 2022-2023 recruiting class.

US to host men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups for first time

By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer RUGBY’S biggest tournament is finally heading to the United States.

Now comes the hard part for the sport’s leadership: Generating enough interest and sustainability to secure the sport’s place in a crowded U.S. market.

The Rugby World Cup will be staged in the U.S. for the first time after being voted yesterday as the host of the men’s event in 2031 and the women’s tournament two years later.

It marks rugby’s biggest attempt to move into the wider American sporting consciousness and unlock what World Rugby — the sport’s international governing body — regards as an area of untapped potential, in both a commercial and sporting sense.

“The golden nugget that everybody wants to get hold of” was how World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont described America.

“What we will leave in the U.S.,” he said, “is an extremely sustainable, vibrant sport that will go from strength to strength.”

USA Rugby’s vision is of countrywide membership more than quadrupling to 450,000 by 2031, of stadiums “from coast to coast” staging matches — there have been around 25 venue bids, including from NFL and Major League Soccer arenas — and of significant investment in the domestic Major League Rugby so the U.S. Eagles are a competitive team in time for 2031.

A competitive, perhaps quarterfinal-bidding team, would crucially be necessary for the Eagles and the World Cup to get traction in the U.S. The

Rugby World Cup is staged during September-October, when America is already transfixed by the NFL and college football, the Major League Baseball pennant races and playoffs, and the start of the NBA and NHL. USA Rugby already has some experience. The Rugby World Cup Sevens at the baseball home of the San Francisco Giants in July 2018 drew more than 100,000 people across three days, and U.S.-decent TV ratings on NBC. “(The World Cups are) an invitation to increase our levels of awareness, to increase our sport’s fan base,” said Victoria Folayan, who played sevens rugby for the U.S. and is USA Rugby’s athlete representative. “The doors are opening. Being able to take that step is just the beginning.”

To that end, World Rugby’s experience of taking its men’s showpiece tournament to Asia for the first time in 2019 — when Japan was the host and reached the quarterfinals — will be key in getting the U.S ready for its debut. Not just the public, but the national team itself.

While the U.S. women’s team won the inaugural women’s Rugby World Cup in 1991 and reached the final in the next two events, the men’s national team has never got out of the pool stage in eight trips to the World Cup — three wins in 25 matches — and is basically shut out from playing the world’s top teams on an annual basis.

As it did successfully for Japan, World Rugby will pour coaching expertise into the Eagles and work to give them more test matches to improve. There is an ongoing attempt to

WALLABIES captain Michael Hooper stands with Wallaroos captain Shannon Parry ahead of the final vote for the hosting of the Rugby World Cups in Sydney, Australia, yesterday.

(AP Photo/Mark Baker) shake up the men’s international calendar so that emerging teams like the United States have more opportunities.

Hosting the two World Cups will cost around $500 million, and profits and losses will be shared between World Rugby and USA Rugby, which filed for bankruptcy as recently as 2020.

The bid received support from the White House, with U.S. President Joe Biden sending a letter to World Rugby last month giving government guarantees and his backing for the “development of rugby in the United States.”

The men’s Rugby World Cup is regarded by some as the world’s third biggest sporting event, after the

soccer World Cup and the summer Olympics.

The United States is hosting all three of those in a five-year span from 2026, starting with the men’s soccer World Cup that year — with Mexico and Canada as co-hosts — and then the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.

For the first time, World Rugby used a streamlined bid process to enable it to announce the hosts of all the World Cups from 2025-33, for both men and women.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge was lit up in green and gold after two-time champion Australia was awarded the men’s World Cup in 2027 and the women’s tournament in 2029.

The men’s World Cup is

returning to Australia for the first time since 2003.

It is being viewed as a chance to rejuvenate rugby in the country as the World Cups come after the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia in 2025, bringing much-needed revenue to its governing body that was badly hit by the pandemic.

Rugby Australia chief executive Andy Marinos described it as “the start of a new era for Australian Rugby.”

“Australia will become the centre of the rugby world over the next decade,” he said, “and that is incredibly exciting.”

The 2027 tournament will be the 40th anniversary of Australia and New Zealand hosting the first Rugby World Cup in 1987.

SAGSTROM SHOOTS 63 TO TAKE LEAD IN LPGA FOUNDERS CUP

By TOM CANAVAN AP Sports Writer CLIFTON, N.J. (AP) — Madelene Sagstrom shot a flawless 9-under 63 during a round she felt holes kept getting larger to take onestroke lead over Megan Khang after the first round of the Cognizant Founders Cup yeterday.

Nasa Hataoka, who won in Los Angeles in April before taking time off, was third after a 65 on the Upper Montclair Country Club course, roughly 10 miles from New York City.

Bianca Pagdanganan, Amy Yang and Giulia Molinaro were tied for fourth at 66, a shot ahead of group that included Lexi Thompson and Minjee Lee. Two-time defending champion and top-ranked Jin Young Ko shot a 69.

Sagstrom, a runner-up last year in the Women’s British Open, made birdies in batches, finishing with nine in a bogey-free round.

The two-time European Solheim Cup from Sweden birdied the first four holes and had another run at Nos. 12-14.

“It was one of those days,” Sagstrom said. “Like everything was easy. It’s like I was hitting the fairways, hitting the greens, and I was making all the putts. The hole just kept growing.”

Sagstrom recalled turning to her caddie, Sean Codd, and telling him, everything felt like a tap-in.

“It’s one of those days,” she said. “You just trying to hold on to momentum and just keep it going.”

The round was her best of the season and one shot off her career best of 62 in winning the 2020 Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio. Yuka Saso had the low round on tour this year, a 62 at the LPGA Hondo in Thailand in March.

Khang, who like Sagstrom played in the afternoon, was almost as good, making eight birdies on the course laid bare because of soft, slowerthan-normal greens and a lack of wind.

“Definitely stroking it really well, reading the greens well,” said Khang, who tied for third at Palos Verdes in the last event.

The event, which is being played on its third course since 2019 — the pandemic cancelled the 2020 edition, honours the 13 founding members of the LPGA Tour. The field of 144 will be cut to the low 70 and ties after the second round of the 72-hole tournament today.

DE BRUYNE IMPERSONATES HAALAND WITH 4-GOAL BURST, ‘ZEN’ POSE WITH his four-goal burst and “Zen” celebration, Kevin De Bruyne did his best impersonation of a future Manchester City teammate on Wednesday.

Erling Haaland is joining City next season as one of the most sought-after strikers in world soccer and even he would be hardpressed to produce the kind of finishing demonstrated

by De Bruyne in a 5-1 rout of Wolverhampton to maintain City’s Premier League title charge on Wednesday.

After the Belgium midfielder completed his hat trick — his first for City — by the 24th minute, he celebrated with the “Zen” pose made famous by Haaland in recent years at Borussia Dortmund.

De Bruyne said it wasn’t necessarily a nod to Haaland — “I just did it because I’d scored three,” he said — but they already appear to be on the same wavelength.

That is for the future, though.

The short term is all about retaining the title, and City restored its threepoint lead over Liverpool

with the win at Molineux.

Pep Guardiola’s team needs four points from its final two games — against West Ham and Aston Villa — to guarantee first place but its superior goal difference of 7 might mean three points is now enough.

City might be running out of defenders, however, after Aymeric Laporte and Fernandinho — a midfielder who filled in at center back — came off with what Guardiola described as “problems.”

Center backs Ruben Dias and John Stones as well as right back Kyle Walker are already out for the rest of the season because of injury.

Guardiola does, though, have De Bruyne in sublime form.

“In the second part of the league, he has been beyond perfect,” Guardiola said.

“He was always a guy who is so generous and has the sense to make an assist, but I think this season he has the sense to be prolific and score goals.”

De Bruyne, who also struck a shot against the

post late in the second half, said the title race with Liverpool is “crazy.”

“The standard we both set, you can only respect it,” De Bruyne said. “Both teams have the ultimate respect. We play hard, it’s the only thing we can do.”

RELEGATION FIGHT It was also a big night at the bottom of the standings, with 10-man Leeds losing 3-0 to Chelsea to remain in the relegation zone in thirdto-last place and Everton drawing 0-0 at Watford to move two points clear of the drop zone.

Just like in its 2-1 loss at Arsenal on Sunday, Leeds was hampered by another first-half red card because of a reckless tackle — this time by winger Dan James.

Already trailing from Mason Mount’s fourthminute goal, Leeds was reduced to 10 men in the 24th when James made a wild lunge on the ankle of Mateo Kovacic.

Leeds’ American coach, Jesse Marsch, couldn’t hide his frustration on the sidelines and Chelsea made his team pay, with Christian

MANCHESTER City’s Kevin De Bruyne celebrates after scoring his third goal during the English Premier League soccer match against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux stadium in Wolverhampton, England, on Wednesday.

(Nick Potts/PA via AP) Pulisic and Romelu Lukaku adding second-half goals.

“We have to be aggressive against the ball,” Marsch said. “We have to try to win balls and sometimes now we’ve been a little too aggressive in certain situations and that has cost us.”

Leeds is behind Burnley on goal difference having played one game more, with its remaining two games against Brighton and Brentford. Kovacic is likely to miss the FA Cup final against Liverpool on Saturday, Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel said.

VARDY DOUBLE Jamie Vardy scored twice to help Leicester beat lastplace Norwich 3-0.

Leicester snapped a seven-game winless run in all competitions and moved into 10th place. Norwich has already been relegated along with Watford.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, May 13, 2022, PAGE 13

SHAUNAE

Heat beat 76ers 99-90, advance to East finals

By DAN GELSTON AP Sports Writer PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jimmy Butler knocked Joel Embiid out of the playoffs, then walked over to his former 76ers teammate and hugged him, told him he loved him and was proud of him.

Butler then walked off a familiar court a winner — and straight into another conference finals with Miami.

“Now I’m where I belong,” Butler said.

“Guess where I should have been a long time ago.”

Butler scored 32 points and waved “bye bye” to the Philly crowd as he sent Miami into the Eastern Conference finals with a 99-90 victory over Philadelphia last night in Game 6.

The Heat will play the winner of the Milwaukee-Boston series. The defending champion Bucks lead that series 3-2, with Game 6 tonight in Milwaukee.

The Heat reached the conference finals for the second time in three seasons, again with Butler leading the charge. Philly fans — and many inside the 76ers organisation — still can’t believe the franchise let Butler get away after the 2019 season. He did not mess around and scored 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting in the third quarter when the Heat used a 16-2 run to take control. Butler scored 33 points in Game 3 and 40 in Game 4 and took 29 shots in Game 6.

“I think he’s one of the ultimate competitors in this profession,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He was brilliant all series long. The challenges only get tougher here. He saw there was an opportunity to end this tonight and he wasn’t going to let this get to seven.”

Embiid, the NBA scoring champion, had no significant help and scored 20 points on 7-of-24 shooting.

Coming off a 35-point victory in Game 5, the Heat wore down a battered Sixers team. Embiid

FROM PAGE 11

the athletes come out and support, so I was able to hear a few people cheering. It was good, but it was definitely a different feeling. I’m looking forward to having the crowd come back.”

The crowd is expected to be in the stands in Doha as Miller-Uibo competes with the other Bahamian competitors.

Charlton, with her season’s best of 12.89, will run

out of lane seven in the women’s 100m hurdles.

She will be next to Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan (12.61) in six and American Gabriele Cunningham (13.06) in eight. American world record holder Kendra Harrison, with her season’s best of 12.56, is in lane four.

And Strachan, who has a SB of 22.55, will run out of lane three in the women’s 200m.

She will trail AsherSmith, who is in lane four, American Gabrielle Thomas in five and Jamaican Shericka Jackson in six.

PLAYERS FROM PAGE 11

MIAMI Heat’s Jimmy Butler, right, and Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid embrace after Game 6 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series last night.

(AP Photo/Matt Slocum) looked gassed as he gamely tried to carry the Sixers.

He had little lift and had a pull-up jumper blocked by Bam Adebayo in the third.

The Sixers parted with Butler in large part because they chose Ben Simmons over him. Simmons was unhappy and forced a trade this season to Brooklyn for James Harden.

Harden, a three-time scoring champion, was supposed to shoulder the load with Embiid for a potent postseason push. Harden instead all but disappeared in the playoffs.

He had a fantastic Game 4 at home against Miami but otherwise was a turnover machine. When he lost another ball that led to a Heat bucket and an 80-63 lead in the fourth, the Sixers were booed off the court.

“We tried to go for it right away,” Harden said.

“We just came up a little short.”

Harden scored all of his 11 points in the first half.

He had four turnovers and four baskets.

Harden, who has a $47.4 million player option for 2022-23, missed both shots in the second half and scored his last basket at the 3:31 mark of the second quarter.

Few in Philly would give The Beard a passing grade.

Harden said he would return next season.

Coach Doc Rivers implored his team to “fight for this!” in the huddle during the fourth. The 76ers just fell flat.

“I came to the conclusion at the end of this game that we were not good enough to beat Miami,” Rivers said.

Rivers is signed through the 2024-25 season and another early exit — the 76ers were the No. 1 seed last year and lost in the second round — and his job status is a hot topic of conversation.

“I don’t worry about my job. I think I do a terrific job. If you don’t, then you should write it,” Rivers said. “Because I worked my butt off to get this team here. When I first got here, no one picked us to be anywhere. Again this year, the same thing. If that’s how anyone feels, write it. I’m going to feel secure about it.”

Max Strus had 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Heat. Even another abysmal night from 3-point range — Miami missed 21 of 28 attempts —- failed to matter.

Embiid again gutted out a postseason game

in his mask (right orbital fracture) and with torn ligaments in his right thumb after he was only cleared to return last week from a concussion. He held the back of his head after he knocked it on the court after a fall late in the second quarter. Embiid still played 22 minutes in the first half and scored 14 points.

Embiid missed the first two games of the series as he recovered from the concussion. The Sixers lost both games in Miami.

Would a healthy Embiid have made a difference?

Maybe not but it’s still another sudden end to the All-Star cornerstone who has yet to taste a conference final. Maybe he would have played in one or two had Butler stuck around.

Wearing black sunglasses and a black bucket cap, Butler said no hard feelings, the NBA is a business.

“It didn’t work out,” Butler said. “I’m not complaining. I love being in Miami.”

TIP-INS Heat: Are 7-1 in closeout Game 6s since 2006. ...

Won their 30th career playoff series.

76ers: Have not advanced past the second round since 2001.

RBI. He set a new programme single season record with 36 hits. He heads to an Olivet Nazarene Tigers programme that finished 38-15 this season.

They recently capped off their 2022 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference season by pairing their regular season championship with the tournament championship.

The Tigers advance to the NAIA National Championship Opening Rounds scheduled for May 16-19.

“In my short time at TFS, I’ve not only furthered my education but I’ve become a new baseball player as well,” states Bastian.

“I have learned a lot from my coaches and teammates.

This is a special team and no matter the outcome of the season, I will be proud to say I was a part of the Tallulah Falls varsity baseball team. I am excited for what lies ahead of me in the classroom and on the baseball field at Olivet Nazarene University.”

Charlton registered a .354 batting average to go with 4 home runs and 20 RBI, and led the team along with Miller with a new programme record 14 stolen bases.

Moree was a .333 hitter with a pair of round-trippers and 20 RBI, adding 24 runs.

Miller had a .358 average, 4 homers, and 25 RBI, as well as 31 runs scored and 14 stolen bases. He also set a single-game programme record with a 7-RBI game.

Miller is also the TFS all time leader in stolen bases (26) and walks (34).

TFS had a record-setting offensive season and finished 12-13 on the season.

The Bahamian contingent helped TFS set new school records in runs scored (217), home runs (20), 10-plus run games (11), and single-game records for home runs (7),

FRANKEY Moree

MALIQUE Charlton

JOEL Miller

NORMAN Bastian hits (20), and runs (23), while even tying school records for win streak (4) and shutouts (2).

The TFS JV Baseball team also featured seven Bahamians on its roster, including the aforementioned Cox, Walker and Grant along with Rohajae Pinder, Davante Brown, Ashton Roache, from New Providence, and Justin Smith out of Andros.

The team finished 7-1-1 on the season.

TFS, located in Tallulah, Georgia, is an independent co-ed boarding and day school serving more than 500 students from grades 5-12.

Bucks, Warriors try to close out second-round series at home

By STEVE MEGARGEE AP Sports Writer MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks want to build off the momentum from a thrilling comeback and the Golden State Warriors seek to put an embarrassing loss behind them as both teams attempt to clinch their second-round series.

Both own 3-2 lead in their respective series and are at home Friday for Game 6.

The defending NBA champion Bucks rallied from a 14-point, fourth-quarter deficit to win 110-107 at Boston on Wednesday night while the Warriors squandered an opportunity to close out their series by losing 134-95 at Memphis.

“At the end of the day, we can’t get too high from this,” Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo said after the Buck’ Game 5 victory. “Obviously, it’s great to win the game, great to go back home and feel good ourselves, but the job is not done.”

Although Milwaukee is savoring an emotional win and Golden State is coming off a blowout loss, the trends of these series indicate the Warriors should feel more comfortable going home.

The home-court advantage hasn’t meant much in the Bucks-Celtics series.

The road team has won three of the five games,

including each of the last two.

Through the first five games of the other three second-round series, home teams owned a 14-1 record.

The Warriors are 2-0 at home against the Grizzlies after winning 142-112 in Game 3 and 101-98 in Game 4.

History suggests the lopsided nature of Golden State’s Game 5 loss shouldn’t have a carryover effect.

The Warriors are the sixth team in the past 10 years to lose by at least 39 points in a playoff game that didn’t end a series.

Four of the previous five losing teams won their next game. “Well, it doesn’t feel good losing by as much as we did,” Warriors guard Klay Thompson said.

“At the end of the day it is just a loss and you flush it from your mental and you remind yourselves who you are. You go in and play with 100% effort on Friday, and I like our chances.”

The Grizzlies also have reason to feel confident, even with Ja Morant likely out for the rest of the postseason with a bone bruise in his right knee.

The Grizzlies have gone 1-1 against the Warriors since Morant’s injury and are 21-6 in games their AllStar guard has missed this season.

“We know how to respond,” Grizzlies guard/

BOSTON Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) tries to pivot around Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday (21) during the first half of Game 5 of an Eastern Conference semifinal in the NBA basketball playoffs on Wednesday in Boston.

(AP Photo/Charles Krupa) forward Dillon Brooks said.

“We know how to play with each other better than any team in the NBA.” In the Celtics-Bucks series, the teams have alternated victories through the first five games. The Celtics’ season depends on that pattern continuing today.

The series has been full of comebacks already. The Celtics want to close it out by rallying from a 3-2 deficit and winning a potential Game 7 in Boston on Sunday.

“We had a golden opportunity,” Celtics coach Ime Udoka said after the Game 5 loss. “That’s the story here. It’s going to be tougher now. Got to go get two in a row. But what

we’ve done throughout this series and throughout this season is bounce back when we’ve been tested.”

CELTICS AT BUCKS Bucks lead 3-2. Game 6, 7:30 p.m. EDT, ESPN — NEED TO KNOW: The Bucks took the series lead with a Game 5 comeback as Bobby Portis scored the go-ahead basket on a putback of a missed Antetokounmpo free throw with 15 seconds left.

Jrue Holiday sealed the victory by getting a block and a steal in the last 10 seconds. Antetokounmpo had 40 points. The team that has led entering the fourth quarter has lost the last three games of this series.

— KEEP AN EYE ON: Rebounding. Over the past two games, the Bucks have outrebounded the Celtics 97-74 and own a 32-18 advantage in second-chance points.

— INJURY WATCH: Bucks F Khris Middleton will miss a ninth straight playoff game with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee.

Celtics F/C Robert Williams III has missed two straight games with a sore left knee and is questionable for Game 6.

— PRESSURE IS ON: Celtics F Jayson Tatum.

The three-time All-Star has been productive, scoring 34 points in Game 5 and 30 in Game 4. But he’s just 5 of 27 from 3-point range over his last three games after going 9 of 19 from beyond the arc in the first two games of this series. Tatum will need to regain his 3-point accuracy for the Celtics to win this series.

GRIZZLIES AT WARRIORS Warriors lead 3-2. Game 6, 10 p.m. EDT, ESPN. — NEED TO KNOW: Golden State committed 22 turnovers that led to 29 Grizzlies points in Memphis’ Game 5 blowout victory. Every starter for the Warriors had a negative plus-minus rating. Thompson’s minus-45 rating tied the worst plus-minus in any playoff game over the past 25 years with Andre

Drummond’s minus-45 against Milwaukee in 2019.

— KEEP AN EYE ON: Memphis used its size advantage with 6-foot-11 Steven Adams leading the way to outrebound the Warriors for the first time in this series with a 55-37 edge on the boards. The Grizzlies had an 18-4 difference on the offensive boards, leading to a 24-5 scoring advantage in second-chance points.

— INJURY WATCH: Golden State’s Otto Porter Jr. dealt with right foot soreness that kept him out the second half of Game 5. His status is uncertain. ... Warriors coach Steve Kerr could be recovered from his two-game absence with COVID-19 in time for Game 6, though that hadn’t yet been determined. He needs two negative tests first. ... Morant has missed two games and remains doubtful to return this postseason.

— PRESSURE IS ON: The Warriors. Memphis is the youngest team to reach this round in 25 years, so forcing this series to a sixth game already is a big accomplishment with Morant injured. Each team has had a blowout win with each of the other three games decided by five points or less. But over the last two games without Morant, Memphis has led for all but the final 45.7 seconds of Game 5.

PAGE 14, Friday, May 13, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

BO ER ARL HIELD SAYS HE ISN’T READY TO THROW IN THE TOWEL YET

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net AS one of the more seasoned amateur boxers in the country, Carl Hield said he is not ready to throw in the towel.

He still feels he has the ability to be one of the top boxers in the world.

Hield, the 36-year-old veteran, has his sights set on competing in the next Olympic Games in 2024 in Paris, France in the 69 kiloclass.

In his quest to go for the long haul, Hield is preparing to represent the Bahamas at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England July 22 to August 8.

If all goes according to plan, Hield hopes to represent the Bahamas along with lightweight Rashield Williams, who is currently training in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. “I want to give God thanks for allowing

NFL

FROM PAGE 11 NFL schedule makers to scramble and redo some of the game slots. The Cowboys visited the Buccaneers to open last season.

The rest of the opening Sunday has some eye-opening matches, such as Jacksonville, with new coach Doug Pederson, at Washington, with new quarterback Carson Wentz. Pederson coached Wentz in Philadelphia and won a Super Bowl with the Eagles, although Nick Foles was behind center with Wentz injured.

Several key division matchups are on tap for Sept 11: New Orleans at Atlanta, Indianapolis at Houston, New England at Miami, Las Vegas at the Los Angeles Chargers and Green Bay at Minnesota.

“Expecting to have an unbelievable crowd there,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell told the Vikings’ website.

“I’ve talked a lot about being on that visitor’s sideline, so I know what the Packers will be in store for on opening weekend.

I expect to see a stadium

me to continue to train,” said Hield, who is currently training in Tampa, Florida at the Signature Punch Boxing Gym under the supervision of Charles Jefferson Jr. “Training camp is going well. I am preparing for the Commonwealth Games, but it’s not easy because I can’t get to some of the competitions because of the lack of funding. When I talked to the Bahamas Boxing Federation president (Vincent Strachan), he told me that the funds are not available for me to be able to travel, so I just have to continue to train. But it’s hard just training and not being able to get in any competition to see exactly where I’m at.”

While the Commonwealth Games, the biggest sporting event outside of the Olympic Games, is set for this year, Hield said he’s expected to have an active 2023 as he will get a chance to compete in the Pan American Games and the

full of purple. It’s a great opportunity for us and a challenge.

“What a way to start your season — a challenge but also a great way to kick-start what is hopefully going to be a great 2022.”

Also, it will be Cleveland at Carolina, San Francisco at Chicago, Philadelphia at Detroit, Baltimore at the New York Jets, Kansas City at Arizona, and the New York Giants at Tennessee.

Teams that will open on the road and will be home in Week 2 include Kansas City hosting the Chargers in the first Amazon Prime Video game on Thursday night. Also, it will be Miami at Baltimore, the New York Jets at Cleveland, Indianapolis at Jacksonville, Tampa Bay at New Orleans, Carolina at the New York Giants, New England at Pittsburgh, Seattle at San Francisco, Houston at Denver, Arizona at Las Vegas, Chicago at Green Bay at night, Tennessee at Buffalo on Monday night, followed by Minnesota at Philadelphia.

Finally playing at home in Week 3 will be Indianapolis against Kansas City, Minnesota against Detroit, New England vs.

BAHAMIAN boxer Carl Hield is flanked by Irina and two daughters Carlina and Carolina.

World Championships, which serve as qualifiers for the Olympics in 2024.

Baltimore, and Tampa Bay vs. Green Bay, with Brady facing Aaron Rodgers.

Previously revealed was that one of the Christmas Day tripleheader games, Denver at the Rams, will be televised by Nickelodeon as well as CBS. Slime, anyone?

The other Christmas games are Green Bay at Miami in the 1 p.m. slot, then Tampa Bay at Arizona at night.

Christmas Eve will also have a contest, with the Raiders at the Steelers.

The traditional Thanksgiving games will have Detroit hosting Buffalo, Dallas at home for the Giants, and New England at Minnesota at night.

More holiday fare: 14 games on New Year’s Day, which will force some bowl games to adjust away from January 1.

The likely top matchups to begin 2023 include San Francisco at Las Vegas, Miami at New England, and Denver at Kansas City.

Also previously announced were the international games: — November 13, the first regular-season NFL game in Germany, Tampa Bay vs.

Seattle in Munich.

“I’m just trying to stay focused on this journey because this Olympics is

— October 9, Green Bay becomes the final team to play in Europe, facing the Giants at the home of Premier League soccer team Tottenham in London.

The previous week, Minnesota plays New Orleans there.

— October 30, Wembley Stadium will host the Broncos against the Jaguars.

— Nov. 21, San Francisco and Arizona at Mexico City.

Week 15 has a tripleheader on Saturday, Dec. 17, though which of five matches will be switched from Sunday won’t be decided until closer to that weekend.

The possibilities are Miami at Buffalo, Baltimore at Cleveland, Indianapolis at Minnesota, Atlanta at New Orleans, and the Giants at Washington.

The final weekend, Jan. 7-8, 2023 — all intra-division matchups — will also have two games moved to Saturday. Those will be determined early in Week 18.

“For months, we’ve known who we’re playing and where,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said, “but to see how it unfolds, where

going to probably be my last chance to compete,” Hield said. “I want to be able to qualify for the Olympics next year, so it’s important that I get a good showing this year at the Commonwealth Games to see exactly what I need to do for next year.”

Without the financial support, Hield said he’s limited to just training right now.

But he’s confident that he will be ready to represent the Bahamas to the best of his ability in Birmingham in July.

“It’s disappointing that I don’t have the funding to go to any tournaments to prepare for the Commonwealth Games,” Hield said.

“Training is one thing, but getting the competition is another thing. You need to be able to get in the competition to get ready to compete.”

Unlike in the past, Hield said the only way he can compete as a foreign competitor in the United States

our bye week is and where our division opponents are is fun for our coaches. That first opponent is something you look at so you can start to work on their coordinators, understand what they’ve done and try and get a head start on that game.”

Only one franchise is not set for prime time: Detroit.

But the league’s flex schedule could change that if the Lions show significant improvement.

In contrast, the Rams, Packers, Bucs, Broncos, Eagles, Cowboys, Chargers, Chiefs, Steelers, 49ers, Patriots and Bengals each have five night games.

Oddly, the AFC champion Bengals face all three division foes (Cleveland, Baltimore and Pittsburgh) on the road in prime time.

Las Vegas has three straight night games in December.

Nine teams will enjoy three-game homestands: the Cowboys, Giants, Bears, Lions, Vikings, Panthers, Buccaneers, Rams and 49ers. Four must endure three-game road trips: Kansas City, Miami, Green Bay and Philadelphia.

Byes begin in Week 6.

Démare wins Giro 6th stage in photo finish, López keeps lead SCALEA, Italy (AP) — French cyclist Arnaud Démare beat Caleb Ewan in a photo finish yesterday to win a second successive Giro d’Italia stage, while Juan Pedro López kept hold of the leader’s pink jersey after the race’s sixth leg.

In a contest between three of cycling’s very best sprinters, Démare was behind both Ewan and Mark Cavendish as they approached the finish.

But Démare used the slip stream behind Ewan to perfection to pull alongside his rival just before the line and then threw himself forward to edge his rival by the smallest of margins.

Cavendish was about half a bike length behind in third.

None of them celebrated immediately after crossing the line, unsure who had got the victory. Cavendish was talking to Démare when the results were confirmed and hugged the Groupama–FDJ rider.

“It was very tight. I had the feeling that I had won but it was hot so I waited for the photo finish,” Démare said. “A win is sometimes decided by very little. ... I only had 100 metres to overhaul Cavendish. I threw my bike on the line and it made the difference.”

It was a seventh Giro stage win for Démare, more than any other Frenchman.

“Many people underestimate me but it’s my 86th (career) victory today, my seventh at the Giro d’Italia.

It counts. It’s wonderful,” he added.

Most of the overall contenders crossed the line safely in the peloton at the end of the flat 192-kilometre (119-mile) route from Palmi to Scalea as the race moved to the Italian mainland following three stages in Hungary and two in Sicily.

López maintained his 39-second advantage over Lennard Kämna. Rein

NADAL

Marcos Giron with a 6-3, 6-2 victory. It will be the first meeting between Djokovic and Auger-Aliassime.

In the women’s tournament, top-ranked Iga Swiatek was tested before pulling out a 6-4, 6-1 victory over former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka to reach the quarterfinals and extend her winning streak to 25 matches.

Azarenka took a 3-0 lead before Swiatek won five straight games in a gruelling first set that lasted 1 hour, 20 minutes.

“My first serve wasn’t working properly,” Swiatek said “But I’m happy that I could kind of win ugly in the first set, then improve in

FROM PAGE 11 Nadal, who has won the Italian Open a record 10 times, said his foot started hurting midway through the second set, adding: “Then (it) wasn’t playable for me.”

Earlier, top-ranked Novak Djokovic was untroubled in a 6-2, 6-2 win over Stan Wawrinka, who was playing only his second tournament after undergoing two surgeries on his left foot.

Djokovic, a five-time champion in Rome, will next play Felix AugerAliassime, who ended the run of American qualifier

ATHLETES pedal during the 192 kilometres 6th stage of the Giro D’Italia cycling race from Palmi to Scalea in southern Italy yesterday.

(Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP) Taaramäe was third, 58 slower pace than even the and the lack of eagerness seconds behind López. lowest estimates of the race for a breakaway could be “I don’t know why it was organisers. partly explained by what so slow today but for sure Diego Rosa was the awaits the riders on today’s I enjoyed the day,” López lone breakaway rider for seventh stage, a day of said. almost four hours although almost continuous climbing “For sure tomorrow he knew he had almost no and descending. is a more hard stage but chance to get the win.

There are hardly any flat we’re ready with the team Rosa rides for Eolo- sections on the 196-kilometo defend the maglia rosa Kometa, which is the tre (122-mile) route from (pink jersey).” second-division Italian Diamante to Potenza and There was little action team run by Alberto Con- four categorised climbs. for most of the stage, with tador and Ivan Basso. The The Giro finishes on the peloton cruising at a slow pace in the peloton May 29 in Verona. the second. It gives me confidence that even when my game is not 100% good, I can still win matches.”

Swiatek is attempting to win her fifth straight tournament and defend her title in Rome.

The last player to win more consecutive matches was Serena Williams, who had a streak of 27 in a row over 2014 and 2015. “(The streak) doesn’t really matter for me because every match is different,” Swiatek said.

“In many matches, I struggled this season, even though I won them. Anything can happen. Every match is a different story.”

Swiatek’s run makes her a favourite to win a

second French Open when the year’s second Grand Slam gets underway in 10 days. When Swiatek won at Roland Garros in 2020 she was ranked No. 54 — making her the lowestranked woman to win the Paris major in the Open era.

In a sign of how challenging it was for Swiatek to hold serve on the red clay court at the Foro Italico, she played more than twice as many points on her serve than Azarenka did — 98 to 47.

Azarenka was rattled when a spectator entered the front row of the mostly empty VIP section just behind her as she was

facing a break point late in the first set. When she then double-faulted to hand Swiatek control of the set, she slammed her racket in frustration and complained to the chair umpire about the mid-game interruption.

Swiatek will next face 2019 U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu, who eliminated Croatian qualifier Petra Martic 6-4, 6-4.

The loudest cheers of the day were for Jannik Sinner, the 20-year-old Italian who beat Filip Krajinovic 6-2, 7-6 (6) to reach the quarterfinals for the first time at his home tournament.

Sinner will next face Stefanos Tsitsipas, who rallied past Karen Khachanov 4-6,

is if he has a record book, which details his fights in the USA. Right now, because he doesn’t have one, it makes it even more difficult for him to compete.

“Training is going alright, but I am trying to get in some fights,” he said.

“You can spar, but it’s good to get in that competition before I go to the games,” said Hield, who has a vigorous training session that starts at 5am and 5pm daily for about two hours.

When it’s all said and done, Hield said he would like to hang up his gloves as a World Championship and Olympic medallist.

“I want to leave my legacy behind so that I can motivate the younger guys to go forward in the sport,” Hield said. “I want to encourage them to never give up. That is one of the reasons why I decided to stick around and compete for as long as I am doing now.”

ETTING PANEL TA ES OUT ANDIDATE AHEAD OF BO ING ELE TION

By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer GENEVA (AP) — The challenger to the Russian incumbent in a presidential election at the troubled International Boxing Association was ruled ineligible yesterday, a day before the vote.

Dutch boxing federation president Boris van der Vorst was taken out of today’s election by an independent vetting panel after an investigation of complaints that included claims of “prohibited collaboration” and campaigning, the IBA said in a statement.

Four other candidates to join IBA’s board of directors were also ruled ineligible.

The decisions by the fiveperson Interim Nomination Unit working on behalf of IBA can be challenged at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the boxing governing body said.

However, an appeal would have to be filed, heard and judged before the scheduled election today on the sidelines of the women’s world championships in Istanbul, Turkey.

It is the third presidential election for the controversial boxing body in less than four years, a period marked by open conflict with the International Olympic Committee.

IBA president Umar Kremlev is standing for reelection and seeking more legitimacy amid widespread sanctions on Russian sports from Olympic governing bodies during the country’s war in Ukraine.

The IOC also has concerns that the IBA now seems financially dependent on Kremlin-backed energy firm Gazprom.

The boxing body has been regularly criticised by the IOC in recent years about the integrity of governance and finances, and potentially improper judging of bouts at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

6-0, 6-3 for a tour-leading 29th win of the year.

Also, 2017 Rome champion Alexander Zverev, who is also coming off a run to the Madrid final, beat Alex De Minaur 6-3, 7-6 (5). Zverev, who is still seeking his first title of the year, has his father and coach, Alexander, back on the circuit with him after a prolonged absence for reasons the family has kept personal.

When Zverev won the ATP Finals in November, his older brother and fellow pro, Mischa, was coaching him. “I was missing a coach for six months,” Zverev said. “That’s what was missing.”

PAGE 16, Friday, May 13, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

TE LA T ITTE

By TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writer DETROIT (AP) — Shares of Tesla and Twitter have tumbled this week as investors deal with the fallout and potential legal issues surrounding Tesla CEO Elon Musk and his $44 billion bid to buy the social media platform.

Of the two, Musk’s electric vehicle company has fared worse, with its stock down almost 16% so far this week to $728. Twitter shares fell 9.5% for the week, closing Thursday at $45.08. Both stocks have taken a bigger hit than the

A E D OP A ELON M

S&P 500, which is down 4.7% for the week.

Along with malaise in the broader markets, investors have had to weigh legal troubles for Musk, as well as the possibility that his acquisition of Twitter could be a distraction from running the world’s most valuable automaker.

The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that U.S. securities regulators are investigating Musk’s tardy disclosure that he had bought more than 5% of Twitter shares. Musk now owns more than 9% of the San Francisco company.

The SEC wouldn’t comment, and a message was left for Musk’s lawyer.

A lawsuit filed last month by some Twitter shareholders alleges that Musk’s stake hit 5% on March 14, so he should have filed forms with the SEC disclosing that by March 24.

Instead, Musk didn’t make the required disclosure until April 4, hurting lesswealthy investors who sold Twitter stock in the nearly two weeks before he disclosed his stake and drove up the price, the lawsuit alleges.

Also Wednesday, a federal judge in California handed a group of Tesla

’ LEGAL I

shareholders a major victory, unsealing his ruling that Musk falsely and recklessly tweeted in 2018 that he had funding secured to take Tesla private when the deal wasn’t final. The tweets pushed up Tesla’s share price at the time.

The ruling means that jurors in a shareholder lawsuit will start off knowing that the judge has ruled that Musk’s tweets were false.

At the time of the Aug. 7, 2018 tweets, Musk was in talks with the Saudi Public Investment Fund about bankrolling the deal. But Judge Edward Chen determined that it wasn’t final when Musk tweeted: “Am

E GO

considering taking Tesla private at $420. Funding secured.”

Chen wrote that there was “nothing concrete” about funding from the Public Investment Fund, and that discussions were clearly preliminary.

“There had been no discussion about what the purchase price would be for a share of stock. Nor had there been any discussion about what percentage of the company the PIF would own or the total amount of money the PIF would contribute,” Chen wrote in his ruling.

Musk’s lawyers have asked Chen to reconsider,

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-DAY FORECAST

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 67° F/19° C

TAMPA

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

An afternoon thunderstorm in spots

A few showers early, then a t-storm

Couple of thunderstorms

A shower and t-storm in the morning

Sunny intervals, a t-storm or two

A morning t-storm; sunny intervals

High: 82°

Low: 74°

High: 84° Low: 75°

High: 83° Low: 74°

High: 84° Low: 73°

High: 84° Low: 75°

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

90° F

76° F

91°-77° F

93°-78° F

97°-81° F

97°-82° F

The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.

N

ALMANAC

E

W

ABACO

S

N

High: 81° F/27° C Low: 75° F/24° C

6-12 knots

S

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 71° F/22° C

7-14 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 72° F/22° C

E

W S

E

W

WEST PALM BEACH

N

| Go to AccuWeather.com

TONIGHT

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 70° F/21° C

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 72° F/22° C

MIAMI

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 73° F/23° C

4-8 knots

KEY WEST

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 75° F/24° C

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 74° F/23° C

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2022

N

UV INDEX TODAY

The higher the AccuWeather UV IndexTM number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.

TIDES FOR NASSAU High

Low

Ht.(ft.)

6:03 a.m.

6:35 p.m.

2.6 3.0

12:05 a.m. 0.1 12:17 p.m. -0.2

Saturday

6:51 a.m.

7:22 p.m.

2.6 3.2

12:57 a.m. -0.1 1:02 p.m. -0.5

Sunday

7:40 a.m.

8:10 p.m.

2.6 3.4

1:48 a.m. -0.3 1:48 p.m. -0.7

Monday

8:29 a.m.

8:59 p.m.

2.6 3.5

2:39 a.m. -0.5 2:35 p.m. -0.8

Tuesday

9:19 a.m.

9:50 p.m.

2.6 3.5

3:30 a.m. -0.5 3:24 p.m. -0.8

Wednesday 10:11 a.m.

10:44 p.m.

2.5 3.4

4:22 a.m. -0.5 4:16 p.m. -0.7

Thursday

2.5 3.3

5:17 a.m. -0.4 5:12 p.m. -0.5

11:07 a.m.

11:40 p.m.

SUN AND MOON Sunrise Sunset

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 76° F/24° C

N

S

E

W S

7-14 knots

6:27 a.m. Moonrise 7:46 p.m. Moonset

5:23 p.m.

4:40 a.m.

Full

Last

New

First

May 16

May 22

May 30

Jun. 7

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 77° F/25° C

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 78° F/26° C

N

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 73° F/23° C

S

LONG ISLAND High: 84° F/29° C Low: 77° F/25° C

8-16 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 85° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures

H

E

W

TRACKING MAP

L

Ht.(ft.)

Today

CAT ISLAND

E

W

6-12 knots

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 79° F/26° C Low .................................................... 64° F/18° C Normal high ....................................... 84° F/29° C Normal low ........................................ 71° F/22° C Last year’s high ................................. 88° F/31° C Last year’s low ................................... 75° F/24° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.00” Year to date ............................................... 10.77” Normal year to date ..................................... 7.09”

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 76° F/24° C

contending that they aren’t aware of cases in which a court has taken similar issues out of a jury’s hands “where the statements were at best ambiguous and were issued in the wordconstrained and informal context of posts on Twitter.”

The August 2018, tweets already have landed Musk in legal trouble. The SEC brought a securities fraud charge, which Musk and Tesla settled in 2018. Each agreed to pay a $20 million fine and that a company lawyer would review any Musk tweets that could affect the stock price.

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS

are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

RAGGED ISLAND High: 83° F/28° C Low: 79° F/26° C

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 79° F/26° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 84° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

N

E

W

E

W

N

S

S

8-16 knots

8-16 knots

MARINE FORECAST ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR

Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday:

WINDS SE at 7-14 Knots SE at 8-16 Knots SE at 6-12 Knots SSE at 6-12 Knots SE at 8-16 Knots ESE at 8-16 Knots ESE at 10-20 Knots E at 8-16 Knots SE at 8-16 Knots SE at 8-16 Knots SSE at 6-12 Knots ESE at 6-12 Knots SE at 7-14 Knots SE at 6-12 Knots SE at 8-16 Knots E at 7-14 Knots ESE at 8-16 Knots SE at 8-16 Knots ESE at 10-20 Knots ESE at 8-16 Knots SE at 7-14 Knots SSE at 7-14 Knots SE at 8-16 Knots SE at 7-14 Knots SE at 8-16 Knots SE at 7-14 Knots

WAVES 3-6 Feet 4-7 Feet 0-1 Feet 0-1 Feet 4-7 Feet 4-7 Feet 4-7 Feet 3-5 Feet 4-7 Feet 3-6 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 0-1 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-3 Feet 3-5 Feet 2-4 Feet 6-10 Feet 4-8 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-3 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet

VISIBILITY 6 Miles 5 Miles 6 Miles 7 Miles 7 Miles 8 Miles 5 Miles 4 Miles 7 Miles 6 Miles 7 Miles 7 Miles 5 Miles 6 Miles 7 Miles 7 Miles 7 Miles 7 Miles 6 Miles 8 Miles 7 Miles 7 Miles 6 Miles 7 Miles 8 Miles 7 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 78° F 77° F 82° F 83° F 81° F 80° F 82° F 81° F 81° F 79° F 76° F 77° F 82° F 82° F 82° F 81° F 83° F 81° F 81° F 80° F 82° F 80° F 82° F 81° F 81° F 80° F

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, May 13, 2022, PAGE 17

SOURCES: HYUNDAI TO SET $7B US PLANT DURING BIDEN ASIA VISIT

By JEFF AMY AND AAMER MADHANI Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Group is expected to announce next week that it's building a massive electric vehicle plant near Savannah, Georgia, according to a U.S. official familiar with the anticipated announcement.

Hyundai is finalizing those plans as President Joe Biden is set to travel to South Korea next week as part of his first visit to Asia during his presidency.

The White House and Hyundai have been in discussions about the project, which is expected to bring thousands of new jobs to Georgia, and the formal announcement is likely during Biden's scheduled May 20-21 visit to Seoul, according to the official who was not authorized to comment and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The official stressed though that details of the formal announcement are still being worked out.

The plant could grow to include 8,500 employees and would be built on a 2,200-acre (890-hectare) site that state and local governments own near the hamlet of Ellabell, Georgia, said two people familiar with Georgia's talks with Hyundai. The location's about 25 miles (40 kilometers) inland from Savannah. The second person said Hyundai would invest more than $7 billion and could also build some cars powered by gasoline engines at the site, with an announcement in Georgia set for May 20. The people

spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the confidential talks.

It would be the second huge electric vehicle plant announced in Georgia in less than a year. Rivian Automotive in December announced it would build a $5 billion, 7,500-job electric truck plant about 45 miles (70 kilometers) east of Atlanta.

"Hyundai Motor Group is committed to accelerating electrification in the U.S.," said spokesperson Michelle Tinson. "We will announce the location of our new US EV plant soon."

Biden is heading to South Korea and Japan for talks with those two countries' leaders. He also will meet during that trip with leaders from the Indo-Pacific strategic alliance with the U.S. known as the Quad: Australia, India and Japan.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who took office earlier this week, pledged during his campaign to strengthen U.S.-South Korea ties.

U.S. Sen Raphael Warnock, a Georgia Democrat, met with Kia officials Tuesday. "I tell business leaders regularly: Georgia is open for business," Warnock said, not mentioning the possibility of the plant.

Hyundai's interest in Georgia was first reported

by Reuters, while The Atlanta Journal-Constitution initially reported the announcement plan.

The company sells cars under the Hyundai and Kia brands.

The announcement would come in the closing days before Georgia's May 24 primary elections

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that PIERRE ST GERMAIN of Cowpen Road, New Providence, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 6th day of May, 2022 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

and could be a last-minute boost to Gov. Brian Kemp.

The Republican incumbent leads in polls in his effort to hold off a challenge from former U.S. Sen. David Perdue and others in the GOP primary. Perdue has repeatedly attacked the Rivian deal, in which Georgia and local governments have pledged $1.5 billion of incentives and tax breaks, saying the state is transferring money to liberal financiers and should have consulted with local residents who oppose the plant because it threatens their rural quality of life.

The South Korean automaker would add a third American assembly plant to the Hyundai factory in Montgomery, Alabama, and a Kia factory in West Point, Georgia.

THE COMPANY logo hangs over a long row of cars at a Hyundai dealership Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020, in Centennial, Colo.

Georgia officials could announce a second massive electric vehicle plant to be built by Hyundai near Savannah in coming days.

Photo:David Zalubowski/AP

NOTICE

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that MACKENZIE MCDOWALL of 28 Seapointe, New Providence, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 6th day of May, 2022 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE is hereby given that JASON GODFRED QUASHIE of P.O. Box AB20746, 33 Casuarina Point, Marsh Harbour, Abaco, The Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 6th day of May, 2022 tothe Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that MONICA ETIENNE of Fredrick Street, Marsh Harbour, Abaco, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 13th day of May, 2022 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE is hereby given that GREGORY WAYNE FRANCIS of P. O Box CR-55750, Faith Avenue, Carmichael Road, New Providence, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 13th day of May, 2022 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

MARKET REPORT www.bisxbahamas.com

THURSDAY, 12 MAY 2022

LEGAL NOTICE

International Business Companies Act (No. 45 of 2000)

AMC Investments Ltd. (the “Company”)

In Voluntary Liquidation Notice is hereby given that, in accordance with Section 138 (4) of the International Business Companies Act, (No.45 of 2000), AMC Investments Ltd. (the “Company”) is in Dissolution. The date of commencement of the Dissolution is the 10th May, 2022. Luciane Ribeiro Moreno is the Liquidator and can be contacted at Rua Afonso Braz, 747, AP 41D, Vila Nova Conceição, CEP 04511-011, São Paulo – SP, Brazil. All persons having claims against the above-named Company are required to send their names, addresses and particulars of their debts or claims to the Liquidator before the 10th June, 2022.

Luciane Ribeiro Moreno Liquidator

BISX ALL SHARE INDEX:

CLOSE

CHANGE

%CHANGE

YTD

YTD%

2350.81

-8.84

-0.37

122.57

5.50

(242) 323 2330 (242) 323 2320

BISX LISTED & TRADED SECURITIES 52WK HI 6.70 53.00 2.05 2.90 2.60 6.05 10.05 3.50 9.02 3.10 8.00 15.30 2.71 10.25 11.25 10.85 15.00 4.10 11.00 16.50

52WK LOW 4.75 32.12 1.46 2.20 1.30 5.50 6.96 2.82 4.25 2.27 5.93 9.75 1.99 6.50 10.02 9.01 13.10 3.50 8.00 15.50

SECURITY AML Foods Limited APD Limited Benchmark Bahamas First Holdings Limited Bank of Bahamas Bahamas Property Fund Bahamas Waste Cable Bahamas Commonwealth Brewery Commonwealth Bank Colina Holdings CIBC FirstCaribbean Bank Consolidated Water BDRs Doctor's Hospital Emera Incorporated Famguard Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) Limited Focol Finco J. S. Johnson

SYMBOL AML APD BBL BFH BOB BPF BWL CAB CBB CBL CHL CIB CWCB DHS EMAB FAM FBB FCL FIN JSJ

LAST CLOSE 5.35 39.95 2.04 2.31 2.25 6.05 9.25 3.30 7.52 2.75 8.00 15.18 2.15 10.25 11.80 10.75 15.00 3.99 10.00 15.50

CLOSE 5.35 39.95 2.04 2.31 2.25 6.05 9.25 3.30 7.52 2.68 8.00 15.18 2.16 10.25 11.63 10.85 15.00 3.99 10.00 15.50

CHANGE 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 (0.07) 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.00 (0.17) 0.10 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

VOLUME

12,000

2,000

166

EPS$ 0.239 0.932 0.000 0.140 0.070 1.760 0.369 -0.438 0.140 0.184 0.449 0.722 0.102 0.467 0.646 0.728 0.816 0.203 0.939 0.631

DIV$ 0.170 1.260 0.020 0.080 0.000 0.000 0.260 0.000 0.000 0.120 0.220 0.720 0.434 0.060 0.328 0.240 0.540 0.120 0.200 0.610

P/E 22.4 42.9 N/M 16.5 N/M N/M 25.1 -7.5 53.7 14.6 17.8 21.0 21.2 21.9 18.0 14.9 18.4 19.7 10.6 24.6

YIELD 3.18% 3.15% 0.98% 3.46% 0.00% 0.00% 2.81% 0.00% 0.00% 4.48% 2.75% 4.74% 20.09% 0.59% 2.82% 2.21% 3.60% 3.01% 2.00% 3.94%

PREFERENCE SHARES 1.00

1.00

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00

1.00 10.00 1.00

1.00 10.00 1.00

Bahamas First Holdings Preference Cable Bahamas Series 6 Cable Bahamas Series 8 Cable Bahamas Series 9 Cable Bahamas Series 10 Colina Holdings Class A Fidelity Bank Bahamas Class A Focol Class B

BFHP CAB6 CAB8 CAB9 CAB10 CHLA FBBA FCLB

1.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 1.00

1.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 1.00

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 6.25% 7.00% 6.50%

CORPORATE DEBT - (percentage pricing) 52WK HI 100.00 100.00

52WK LOW 100.00 100.00

SECURITY Fidelity Bank (Note 22 Series B+) Bahamas First Holdings Limited

SYMBOL FBB22 BFHB

LAST SALE 100.00 100.00

CLOSE 100.00 100.00

CHANGE 0.00 0.00

107.31 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 90.79 100.54 99.98 100.00 100.00 89.08 89.62 100.00 100.00 100.00

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

VOLUME

INTEREST Prime + 1.75% 6.25%

MATURITY 19-Oct-2022 30-Sep-2025

BAHAMAS GOVERNMENT STOCK - (percentage pricing) 115.92 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.54 99.98 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.98 100.00

104.79 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 90.76 100.00 99.98 91.00 90.95 89.02 89.62 89.00 90.24 90.73

Bahamas Note 6.95 (2029) BGS: 2014-12-7Y BGS: 2015-1-7Y BGS: 2014-12-30Y BGS: 2015-1-30Y BGS: 2015-6-7Y BGS: 2015-6-30Y BGS: 2015-10-7Y BGRS FX BGR134150 BGRS FL BGRS79026 BGRS FL BGRS78024 BGRS FX BGR125238 BGRS FX BGR127139 BGRS FX BGR127149 BGRS FX BGR129249 BGRS FX BGR131249 BGRS FX BGR132249 BGRS FX BGR136150

BAH29 BG0107 BG0207 BG0130 BG0230 BG0307 BG0330 BG0407 BSBGR1341506 BSBGRS790262 BSBGRS780248 BSBGR1252380 BSBGR1271398 BSBGR1271497 BSBGR1292493 BSBGR1312499 BSBGR1322498 BSBGR1361504

107.31 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 90.79 100.54 99.98 100.00 100.00 89.08 89.62 100.00 100.00 100.00

6.95% 4.50% 4.50% 6.25% 6.25% 4.50% 6.25% 4.25% 5.00% 4.53% 4.50% 5.00% 5.00% 5.50% 5.55% 5.60% 5.65% 5.69%

20-Nov-2029 15-Dec-2021 30-Jul-2022 15-Dec-2044 30-Jul-2045 26-Jun-2022 26-Jun-2045 15-Oct-2022 15-Oct-2038 28-Mar-2026 22-Sep-2024 15-Oct-2038 15-Jan-2039 15-Jan-2049 15-Apr-2049 15-Jul-2049 15-Oct-2049 21-Apr-2050

MUTUAL FUNDS

Effective Immediately Mr. Bjorn Munroe is no longer employed by Purity Bakery Ltd. Therefore, he is NOT authorized to conduct any business on behalf of Purity Bakery Ltd.

52WK HI 2.52 4.69 2.22 207.86 212.41 1.73 1.83 1.82 1.05 9.37 11.83 7.54 16.64 12.84 10.77 10.00 10.43 14.89

52WK LOW 2.11 3.30 1.68 164.74 116.70 1.68 1.73 1.75 0.99 6.41 7.62 5.66 8.65 10.54 9.57 9.88 8.45 11.20

FUND CFAL Bond Fund CFAL Balanced Fund CFAL Money Market Fund CFAL Global Bond Fund CFAL Global Equity Fund Leno Financial Conservative Fund Leno Financial Aggressive Fund Leno Financial Balanced Fund Leno Financial Global Bond Fund RF Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Secured Balanced Fund RF Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Targeted Equity Fund RF Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Prime Income Fund RF Bahamas International Investment Fund Limited - Equities Sub Fund RF Bahamas International Investment Fund Limited - High Yield Income Fund RF Bahamas International Investment Fund Limited - Alternative Strategies Fund Colonial Bahamas Fund Class D Colonial Bahamas Fund Class E Colonial Bahamas Fund Class F

NAV 2.52 4.69 2.21 197.44 202.39 1.73 1.82 1.82 0.99 9.37 11.79 7.54 15.94 12.47 10.74 N/A 10.43 14.89

YTD% 12 MTH% 0.99% 4.22% 0.36% 5.78% 0.67% 2.74% -2.97% -2.35% -4.72% 6.04% 0.83% 2.82% -0.18% 3.72% 0.76% 3.55% -3.55% -3.85% -0.02% 10.36% -0.33% 18.23% 0.22% 3.05% -3.89% 14.76% -1.04% -2.57% 0.81% 4.20% N/A N/A 3.00% 25.60% 7.90% 48.70%

NAV Date 31-Mar-2022 31-Mar-2022 25-Mar-2022 31-Mar-2022 31-Mar-2022 31-Mar-2022 31-Mar-2022 31-Mar-2022 31-Mar-2022 31-Jan-2022 31-Jan-2022 31-Jan-2022 31-Jan-2022 31-Jan-2022 31-Jan-2022 31-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021

MARKET TERMS BISX ALL SHARE INDEX - 19 Dec 02 = 1,000.00 52wk-Hi - Highest closing price in last 52 weeks 52wk-Low - Lowest closing price in last 52 weeks Previous Close - Previous day's weighted price for daily volume Today's Close - Current day's weighted price for daily volume Change - Change in closing price from day to day Daily Vol. - Number of total shares traded today DIV $ - Dividends per share paid in the last 12 months P/E - Closing price divided by the last 12 month earnings

YIELD - last 12 month dividends divided by closing price Bid $ - Buying price of Colina and Fidelity Ask $ - Selling price of Colina and fidelity Last Price - Last traded over-the-counter price Weekly Vol. - Trading volume of the prior week EPS $ - A company's reported earnings per share for the last 12 mths NAV - Net Asset Value N/M - Not Meaningful

TO TRADE CALL: CFAL 242-502-7010 | ROYALFIDELITY 242-356-7764 | CORALISLE 242-502-7525 | LENO 242-396-3225 | BENCHMARK 242-326-7333

PAGE 18, Friday, May 13, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

US STOCKS END MIXED AFTER ANOTHER DAY OF ERRATIC TRADING

By DAMIAN J. TROISE AND ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writers NEW YORK (AP) — Another erratic day of trading on Wall Street ended with an uneven finish for the major stock indexes Thursday, after the market reversed most of an early slide in the final hour of trading.

The S&P 500 closed only 0.1% lower after having been down 1.9% earlier in the day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3%, while the Nasdaq rose 0.1%. Trading on Wall Street has been volatile, with indexes prone to sharp swings from one day to the next, or within a single day, as investors try to shield their portfolios from the impact of the highest inflation in decades and rising interest rates as the Federal Reserve moves to tame surging prices.

Another dire readout on inflation sparked a wave of selling early Thursday, with technology stocks weighing down the S&P 500 index the most. The sector made solid gains during the pandemic amid a broad shift to working and shopping from home, but it has seen sharp declines as inflation worsens and interest rates head higher. Apple and chipmaker Nvidia each fell 2.7%, while Microsoft dropped 2%.

"The pullback in growth stocks, tech in particular, has been dramatic," said Brian Price, head of investment management at Commonwealth Financial Network.

"We have a reckoning, if you will, that maybe we did

go too far too fast" with many of those stocks.

The S&P 500 fell 5.10 points to 3,930.08. The Dow dropped 103.81 points to 31,730.30. The Nasdaq rose 6.73 points to 11,370.96.

The indexes are all on pace for sharp weekly declines, extending the market's slump so far this year. The benchmark S&P 500 is now down 17.5% this year, while the Nasdaq is down 27.3%.

Smaller company stocks held up far better than the rest of the market. The Russell 2000 rose 21.24 points, or 1.2%, to 1,739.38.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 2.87% from 2.92%. The Labor Department on Thursday reported that wholesale prices soared 11% in April from a year earlier. Many of the costs at the wholesale level are being passed on to consumers as companies try to cover higher expenses. That has raised more concerns about a potential pullback in spending that could crimp economic growth.

Inflation pressure has been building for consumers. On Wednesday, the Labor Department's report on consumer prices came in hotter than Wall Street expected. It also also showed a bigger increase than expected in prices outside food and gasoline, something economists call "core inflation" and which can be more predictive of future trends.

Rising inflation has prompted the Federal Reserve to pull its benchmark short-term interest rate off its record low near zero, where it spent most of the pandemic.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, May 13, 2022, PAGE 19

TEN PERCENT RISE IN CONSTRUCTION COSTS PREDICTED THIS YEAR FROM PAGE 24 prices will increase by summertime, but I do not think it is going to increase by more than 10 percent.”

Rejecting projections made by shipping and logistics professionals earlier this week with them estimating that due to the war the cost for containers will double by the summer time, Mr Sands said: “I don’t see container costs rising to $6,000 for a 40ft container. The cost right now is $3,500 for a 40ft container and I don’t see it doubling by the summer time.”

Robert Plank, managing director for Kelly’s lumber yard, added that it is hard to estimate by how much building materials would increase by, because some with some materials like lumber there are several types, from treated pine to hardwoods and they are all having different fluctuations in pricing.

He added: “I will say the bigger issue is the limited supplies. If I had a crystal ball on how long this will last I would tell you. We thought this would have been over by this time this year and we were wrong.”

Noting the possibility of rising shipping costs adding to the problem of material availability, Mr Plan also said: “It would surprise me if we see shipping charges double. I could see a fuel surcharge because increased or added in the case where you don’t have it. But everything has gone up, inflation has impacted all aspects of our lives.

“But right now it is not about the price, it is about who has the product.”

Quentin Knowles, the Bahamas Society of Engineers president, also said

he “wouldn’t be surprised” if building materials went up again. “As an electrical contractor we have to check pricing daily when we are bidding on projects. We cannot risk that our quotation that we got from a supplier a month ago is valid because it has been very volatile.

“But as for a specific price increase I haven’t heard anything generally, but there has been so many price increases over the past year it has been hard to keep up.”

TO ADVERTISE TODAY IN THE TRIBUNE CALL @ 502-2394

PAGE 20, Friday, May 13, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

L CA AN OLD B T ‘GB NEED MO E’ ‘ONE MO E BIG FROM PAGE 24 renovations to take place at the resort along with the sale.

This $100m sale will provide a boost for the island of Grand Bahama in the wake of Hurricane Dorian in 2019 along with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The project will also generate 2,000 construction jobs and another 1,000 permanent jobs on the island.

Mr Carey said “this is exciting news” to see the Grand Lucayan sale finalised and is a “positive” move in the right direction for the island.

He added: “I listened to the Minister for Grand Bahama (Ginger Moxey) and she said that we will have a world class hotel by 2025. Our airport is nothing to speak of and quite

frankly it needs some interim work to make it workable in order to get some traffic in here. We need airlift. We do desperately need an airport.

“But this sale is a positive step in the right direction, but we need more than the Grand Lucayan sale even though they said they will create some 2,000 construction jobs and an additional 1,000 permanent jobs.

“This helps some of the displaced workers in the hospitality industry, but I think there is a lot more that need to be done in order to cause the flow of dollars through this town, but this certainly helps.”

The previous administration, led by Dr Hubert Minnis, purchased the resort for $65m in 2018 and failed to secure a deal with the Royal Caribbean

Cruise Line led group for $150m, with RCCL walking away from the deal after the government changed in August, 2021.

Russell Urban, president and chief executive officer of Electra, said about the purchase: “We saw this as a very unique opportunity in a world class location to create energy and to revive a community that has been so ravaged over recent years. So we are very, very pleased and humbled to be chosen for this for this amazing opportunity.”

James Rolle, Dolly Madison’s general manager, also told Tribune Business: “I have not done any research on this company to find their track record, but it sounds good that they are purchasing the resort.”

The additional matter of concern is how Electra

will spend the $300m to renovate the resort and how many Bahamians they hire to help along with this renovation, but there is hope that it would “turn into a Baha Mar style investment”.

Mr Rolle added: “I think the next thing that needs to happen is that they really need to get the airport up and running. You can’t have a hotel without an airport.

“So we just need to see what kind of progress and arrangements will be made on the airport and getting that back up and running to an international level.”

He added: “I’m cautiously optimistic, but they are creating 2,000 construction jobs. I just want to also see now what’s going to happen with this Carnival Cruise Line deal.”

LOVE BEAC P O ECT TALLED FROM PAGE 24 “The project is in the building design stage for building permit application. A foundation can be built only once building approvals granted.”

All of these permits will be secured by “the second half of the year” as the project architects are “working on all of the details”, Dr Groeger added.

However, Dr Groeger told this newspaper last year December that Dr Kovats was given full approval in September to start the project in January of this year. The project was initially rejected by the Town Planning Committee only to be approved by the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board.

Maria Ageeb, a resident of the Love Beach area, also told Tribune Business: “I haven’t seen anything happening at the property yet, but we can’t do anything about it when it does start.

“We have another development going on right behind our house for the past two years, so we had to live with that.”

The Westend Love Beach Bahamas is half completed and is said to be on track for an early 2023 completion date as said on the company’s website.

The project does not interfere with the view of the beachfront and easement the way The View at Love Beach has been reported to do.

Ms Ageeb also said however with regard to the Westend development: “You can see the huge

concrete gray development and concrete buildings, they are building right up to the border. You don’t have any more privacy and traffic is going to be a pain now.

Traffic is already bad now, but it is going to get a lot worse now than it ever was.

But this is all for progress, right?”

Dominique Strachan, another resident of Love Beach, added: “Dr Kovats was supposed to start building in January, but I haven’t see anything from him yet.

We are just waiting.”

Dr Kovats has been accused of land speculation as an earlier bid for the old

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South Ocean property was rejected by the government in 2014 for fear he would just sit on the property and do nothing with it.

INVE TMENT’ TO T N A O ND GB O T NE FROM PAGE 24 these jobs are a welcomed site.

Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, also said the cruise line is preparing for the addition of the Carnival Celebration ship coming on stream at the end of the year, she added: “Of course with this project, we are opening the doors to a new era of cruising in the Bahamas with Carnival. Our guests love The Bahamas and when this port is complete, I can assure you we will be coming back again and again.

“As I said to Giora (Israel, senior vice president for the Carnival Corporation) if you build it we will come. A million a year, Giora. So we are very proud at Carnival to be the leader in year round cruising to The Bahamas.”

Cassius Bowe, owner/ operator of C&V Car Rental Company Limited, also said: “We’re definitely moving in the

right direction in terms of the growth for the economy.

I have heard there are more things that will be coming on stream.”

He also said: “I’m optimistic that all of these things can come to fruition and that a new day will be in Freeport.

“The airport is very vital.

That’s the heart of the tourism product here on Grand Bahama. I just came from Nassau on Tuesday and the little makeshift airport we have cannot hold any large amount of people.”

The Grand Bahama International Airport is seen as the lynchpin for the Grand Bahama economy and has been in a state of disrepair after Hurricane Dorian, with some arguing that Hurricane Dorian just pushed it over the edge as little to no investment was being made into the GBIA for years prior.

“What they have to do is build it 15ft higher off of the ground to escape all of the flooding,” Mr Bowe asserted.

�s Bank o� the Baha�as �i�ited (the “Bank”) closes its third quarter �or �iscal year ����� the Bank re�ains stead�ast in its on�oin� operations� The i�pact o� the Covid��� pande�ic is still in�luencin� econo�ies around the world however� there has been a noticeable increase in recovery initiatives� The continuous vaccination and �ree testin� e��orts have yielded positive results in the Baha�as with Covid��� cases re�ainin� �odest resultin� in the rela�ation o� �any restrictions� This has i�pacted the touris� industry and by e�tension the reopenin� o� businesses causin� an increase in touris� nu�bers and consu�er de�ands� �lthou�h we are co�ni�ant o� the potential �lobal econo�ic da�a�e �ro� the war in �kraine and possible in�lationary trends� the Bank re�ains positive about the �uture o� its operations� �dditionally� as �lobal econo�ies continue to �ake strides to recuperate �ro� the i�pact o� the Covid��� pande�ic� the Bank is also seein� si�ns o� a recovery� �or the nine �onths ended �arch ��� ����� the Bank recorded hi�her �et �nco�e o� ���� �illion co�pared to a net loss o� ���� �illion �or the nine �onths ended �arch ��� ����� This is pri�arily due to the increase in the Bank’s total operatin� inco�e o� ���� �illion (������) �or the current quarter and ���� �illion (������) �or the current �iscal year to date� coupled with lower i�pair�ent losses by ���� �illion (��������) �or the current quarter and ���� �illion (�������) year to date� The a�ore�entioned was partially o��set by an increase in operatin� e�penses o� ���� �illion (�����) year to date� The increase in operatin� e�penses year to date was a result o� hi�her �T related e�penses� as the Bank invested in syste� innovation and up�rades to support planned �rowth and strate�ic ob�ectives� �ther increases were also noted in occupancy and depreciation e�penses as the Bank re�ains co��itted to i�provin� its products and custo�er service while �aintainin� a sa�e environ�ent �or its sta�� and custo�ers� �i�her total operatin� inco�e year to date is driven by hi�her net interest and non�interest inco�e� The increase in interest inco�e is due to an overall �rowth in consu�er loans which was �ainly due to the i�pact o� our loan ca�pai�ns� �dditionally� inco�e �ro� loan �ees and co��ission� Card �ees and �erchant services �ees all recorded increases durin� the period� The si�ni�icant decrease in net i�pair�ent losses is pri�arily attributable to loan recoveries recorded durin� the period as the Bank continues to �ocus on its loan collection throu�h i�proved overall delinquency �ana�e�ent� The Bank continues to �aintain a robust �inancial position with total assets o� ������ �illion with the co�posite o� loans and advances o� ������ �illion (net) and cash � cash equivalents o� ������ �illion as at �arch ��� ����� Total equity closed at ������ �illion� with C�T� ratio o� ����� which is well above the Central Bank’s �ini�u� require�ent o� ����� The Bank’s capital and liquidity positions re�ain stron�� The Bank re�ains persistent in �akin� substantial develop�ents to reach a position o� sustainable pro�itability and re�ain �ocused on enhancin� our products and services with advance technolo�y and everyday e�ceptional custo�er service� ��perience �ained in respondin� to the pande�ic will unquestionably be a �echanis� �or continuous chan�es now and in the �uture� �urin� this ti�e� we continue to be dedicated to keepin� the sa�ety and health o� our stakeholders� which includes our co��itted and quali�ied B�B tea� o� e�ployees� our �irectors� our shareholders and �ost i�portantly our loyal custo�ers� �e also take this opportunity to convey our sincerest thanks to each o� the� �or their consistent contributions to our on�oin� success�

�enrick �� Brathwaite �r�� �ana�in� �irector

Head Office Claughton House Charlotte & Shirley Streets P. O. Box N-7118 Nassau, Bahamas

NOTICE TO SHAREHOLDERS Bank of The Bahamas Limited (“the Bank”) is pleased to announce that its Quarterly Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements as at March 31, 2022 are available and a copy of the statements can be accessed from the Bank’s website, www.bankbahamas.com

BANK OF THE BAHAMAS LIMITED Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements Quarter ended March 31, 2022 Excerpts Only Unaudited Consolidated Statement of Financial Position as at March 31, 2022 Total Assets

$918,573,411

Total Liabilities

$754,468,106

Total Equity

$164,105,305

Unaudited Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income for the nine months ended March 31, 2022 Net interest income

$26,718,891

Net income

$5,827,270

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, May 13, 2022, PAGE 21

CONTRACTORS SEEK TO MEET CLIMATE CHANGE OBLIGATIONS

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas Contractors Association has launched the Climate and Environment Committee to help country meet climate change obligations.

Deborah Deal, trustee for the BCA, in a letter to the media, outlined some of the failings of The Bahamas in meeting its obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) and subsequent National Determined Contribution.

She said: “In the past year or so, reports have come in with surprising information.

First of all, the global statistics for Green House Gas (GHG) emissions shows that the construction industry contributes 38 percent of that. Here in The Bahamas, with the fact that, we do not manufacture anything

DEBORAH DEAL and must ship all goods in, those GHGs most likely increase our percentage, not to mention LULUCF which is Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry which creates 70 percent of our overall GHGs. I am sure one would assume the major contributions would be through our energy production and our vehicles but this is not true. “

She added: “We have laws in place to protect our environment, land, forests, etc. But they are not abided by. The Forestry Act of 2010, the Forestry Regulations Amendment 2014 and the Subdivision Act of 2010 all speak to how we are to, and not to, clear property, excavate land, cut down hills and deforest our land.

“Who clears land, excavates, cuts down hills and bulldozes trees? The Construction Industry.

The Prime Minister has committed our country to keep the temperature raise at a maximum of 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), he has been fighting for SIDS Small Island Developing States around the world and in particular in this and the Caribbean region with the intent to have the larger contributors of GHGs help to financially support our necessary and immediate need to move our infrastructure, repair our

reefs (our first defense for storms), to improve, change and adapt our building code to support what our future looks like at this particular moment. The Prime Minister has recently announced that we will be selling our blue carbon credits as a new form of income but we must not destroy the areas where our 'carbon sinks' are otherwise his efforts are futile.”

She added: “The construction industry must be a part of this change and we must adjust our building practices to enhance the work that the country is doing in the fight of climate change and the efforts of this administration. We, as a country cannot go internationally looking for funding to assist us with the much needed infrastructure changes that are necessary to save us as a country ( and or course we are many islands not just one) and continue in the

SEAPLANE COMPANY OFFERS SCHOLARSHIPS A NEW fast-track scholarship programme has been announced for qualified Bahamian pilots by COCO Bahama Seaplanes.

The move comes as the company expands its fleet of seaplanes and adds a new venture, Seaplane Safaris and Adventures.

Director Michael King-Hew said: “COCO intends to not only be a ‘starting-point’ for career-minded young Bahamians wanting a career in seaplane aviation but through a series of ‘Best in Class’ local and international training partnerships, but to help advance the careers of Bahamian pilots who wish to become seaplane-rated and have a career with COCO Bahama Seaplanes.”

Applications are accepted from today until June 30 and are only open to Bahamian pilots, with scholarships to a value of $5,000 to include course and equipment rental.

Applications can be sent to kristin@klkconsulting.com. For more details, visit www.

FlyCOCOBahama.com.

WHITE COAT CEREMONY TO CELEBRATE MEDICAL STUDENTS THE Western Atlantic University School of Medicine will be holding two white coat ceremonies in Freeport on Saturday to celebrate students during their first year of medical school.

The event will see ceremonies held for the Charter and May 2022 classes at the university’s Freeport campus.

It marks the beginning of medical students’ journey toward achieving the long white coat when they graduate and become MDs. “We’re excited to conduct this ceremony for both our January Charter Class, and WAUSM’s second cohort of newly enrolled May students,” said WAUSM president and chief medical officer Dr Joseph Flaherty.

“We expect great outcomes, for our students and WAUSM alike. For a new medical school as a whole, this is a moment of remarkable significance.”

Guests will include Minister for Grand Bahama Ginger Moxey, Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Michael Darville, Minister of Education Glenys Hanna Martin and permanent secretary Harcourt Brown.

Executive dean and chief academic officer Dr Paula Wales said: “Today signifies a rite of passage for our students who have already dedicated their lives to the care of others. I am honored by my part in being able to help them enter this profession and become outstanding medical doctors.”

“This is indeed a proud day for WAUSM, and the first of many such milestones,” added founder and chief executive officer Peter Goetz.

WAUSM students spend five, 15-week semesters in Freeport (20 consecutive months) before moving to the United States for clinical clerkships at the university’s partner teaching hospitals. The school has three cohorts starting each year in January, May, and September, and is currently accepting applications for the September 2022, January 2023, and May 2023 semesters.

COCO BAHAMA SEAPLANES

same fashion as we always have done things.

“The BCA is committed to work toward engaging with our own community as well as architects, engineers, subcontractors and suppliers of building materials to adapt our trade to assist the Prime Minister in his mission. The construction industry over the years has supported many persons in this country and given us great opportunities should we chose to take them; it is time we give back!

“The BCA has initiated The Climate and Environment Committee, which will commit to educating, training, building relationships

and improving our trade so that we too, can be a part of the change, we must be stakeholders and sit at the table to offer suggestions and receive guidance as to how we must not be the statistics that are shown and our mission is to ensure that all persons in the industry are aware of where we are, what our situation is and exactly how we will make the needed difference…for the country, for the Prime Minister and for the Bahamian people. Our goal, by finishing the last part of the Contractors Act of 2016 and having the Board put place, is to empower the Bahamian construction industry as a whole.”

PAGE 22, Friday, May 13, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

A new vision for Grand Bahama I

had the honour and privilege of attending the groundbreaking ceremony for the Carnival Cruise Line’s port terminal for the island of Grand Bahama yesterday and what a celebration it was.

To witness the unveiling of a vision revealing the manifestation of muchneeded relief for the island of Grand Bahama, was immensely refreshing and exciting. What was more encouraging was to see on full display, the collaboration and partnership of different entities - with their own personal mandate - galvanise around a common mission. This was public private partnership in its finest form.

This grand event, coupled with the sale of the Grand Lucayan Resort and Casino and the eminent

construction of the state of the art airport terminal will undoubtedly serve as the catalyst for incredible touristic and business development on the island of Grand Bahama. After all, when tourism flourishes, all other sectors should as well. The residual benefits of Tourism and her allies, bodes well for many primary, secondary and tertiary industries that naturally and organically supplement our main industry.

These major investments must begin to help us formulate new ways of strategizing towards maximizing the benefits and profits from these investments. As construction ensues and when the cruise companies begin to touch down, we must ask ourselves, ‘how can we reduce

leakage from the economy?’ How do we keep the lion share of the hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue we are projected to earn from the cruisers who will come?

There is a real simple science to this. Those of us who serve in the sector must support and buy local and those of us privileged to serve the visitors, must sell authentic products made by Bahamian hands using Bahamian products.

Everyone going to Jamaica comes back with jerk sauce. Everyone traveling to Grenada comes back with an assortment of spices. Everyone traveling to Trinidad returns home with the famous pepper sauce. Well, in like fashion, every cruise visitor to the Bahamas should come looking for- and return

Cambridge confirmed as BPL chief executive SHEVONN Cambridge has been confirmed as the new chief executive officer of Bahamas Power & Light, according to a statement issued yesterday.

BPL said Mr Cambridge was "an accomplished

businessman, attorney and leader".

The move has caused some controversy, because of Mr Cambridge's previous post as director of utilities and energy at the Utilities

Regulation & Competition Authority (URCA).

FNM leader Michael Pintard said last month there were "real questions" over the energy regulator's objectivity given the link

home with a flavored or decorative bag of salt and some of the amazing conch shell jewelry, and a piece of coconut art, and an assortment of bush teas, after having experienced a number of our exciting tour and excursion offerings.

Here we have a beautiful head-start to prepare the most amazing experiences and products for the millions of visitors who will descend on Grand Bahama in the coming years. What a perfect opportunity for Grand Bahamians living in Bimini, Abaco, New Providence and the other islands of The Bahamas to begin making preparations to invest again, to dream again and to believe again in the revitalization- rejuvenation and diversification of Grand Bahama. Imagine the possibilities, with a few with Mr Cambridge taking on the BPL role.

He said the URCA Act, the regulator’s governing legislation, stipulates that its executives must undergo a year-long ‘cooling-off’ period upon leaving the agency before they can take up a post with any private sector entity they once were responsible for supervising. However, this condition can be waived if approved by URCA’s Board, which is appointed by the government.

Mr Pintard said should such a waiver be exercised, and Mr Cambridge became BPL chief executive, it would raise “serious doubts” over URCA’s approach to dealing with allegations that the stateowned energy company may be breaching the law over its fuel charge.

However, Mr Cambridge said at the time that URCA was not investigating whether the fuel charge was being subsidised.

Prior to his appointment at URCA, Mr Cambridge spent 25 years at the Bahamas Electricity Corporation working through the ranks

acres of land, some Grand Bahamian can grow all of the parsley, thyme, rosemary and other seasoning spices required for every hotel and food and beverage outlet on the island and across the islands. Two years is great lead time.

As our counterparts across the region would say, ‘talk-shop done’. Its time for action. We appreciate the direct foreign investment, but it is time for locals to take the risk, do the homework, engage the organisations funded to assist, and make Grand Bahama and the other islands of the BahamasGrand Again.

IAN FERGUSON -

-

-

-

SHEVVONE CAMBRIDGE of assistant engineer, senior manager, regional manager, assistant general manager and deputy general manager.

In a statement yesterday, BPL said: "At this critical juncture, Cambridge brings a methodical level of leadership, experience and qualifications needed to manage and champion the transformation envisioned for the company."

BPL chairman Pedro Rolle said: "The company is excited to welcome

Shevonn Cambridge back to BPL. We are mindful that the challenges we face as a company and the direction we need to go, coupled with the government's mandate to produce a more consistent, efficient, and cleaner energy for the Bahamian people will require his skills set if we are to achieve these targets.

We are convinced that he is the right person for the job."

Mr Cambridge starts new role today.

business@tribunemedia.net

FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2022

$6.30

$6.35

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$6.33

‘One more big investment’ to turn around GB fortunes

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis addresses the attendees at the Carnival Cruise Line groundbreaking yesterday in Grand Bahama.

Photo: Vandyke Hepburn

GRAND Bahama businesses are “optimistic” on the prospects the Carnival Cruise Line groundbreaking ceremony for its new port destination gives for the island, but say that the island needs one more huge investment for it to turn the fortunes of the residents.

Alfredo Bridgewater, owner/ operator of Coco Nutz, told Tribune Business yesterday “it’s always good to hear positive news” for Grand Bahama as the island has been suffering for the better part of the last ten years with successive hurricanes and neglect from

Love Beach project stalled

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net THE controversial The View at Love Beach project has not yet started despite earlier reports that it was to start in January.

Alexander Christie, partner at McKinney Bancroft and Hughes and attorney acting on behalf of Dr Mirko Kovats on The View at Love Beach project, told Tribune

Ten percent rise in construction costs predicted this year

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas Contractors Association president said that rising shipping costs will continue to drive construction materials prices higher this year by ten percent at least.

Leonard Sands, told Tribune Business: “You can say that shipping lines have indicated that container costs is projected to go up, which means that the price of things that come in the container is going to slightly rise, which means that it will have an effect on some building materials that come in containers.”

Mr Sands said that this is the information he is getting from his shipping contacts.

“As president of the BCA I have indication that shipping

LEONARD SANDS costs are going to increase because of the war between Russia and the Ukraine and increased demand. So if you bring in a good then shipping costs are going to be tacked on to that.”

He added: “I think its hard to say by how much

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expect the Carnival Cruise sport to play a pivotal role in the reemergence of the Grand Bahama economy.”

He added: “The government of The Bahamas welcomes Carnival Cruise Lines $20m investment into Grand Bahama as a sign of true economic partnership with the island of Grand Bahama.”

Carnival’s new port destination is pegged to add 1,000 permanent jobs in Grand Bahama along with hundreds of constriction jobs, and having dealt with the economic blows of Hurricane Dorian and the COVID-19 pandemic where many Grand Bahamian businesses have still yet to recover,

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Lucayan sold - but ‘GB needs more’

Business everything is moving smoothly with the project and the negative propaganda about his clients business practices have not put him off from investing in The Bahamas.

The project was reported to begin construction in January, but this has been put back.

Dr Wolfgang Groeger, speaking on behalf of the Kovats Family Office in Vienna Austria, also told Tribune Business by email:

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previous governments. However, it’s going to take a lot to turn Grand Bahama around and he hopes that the current Progressive Liberal Party has at least “one more” large project up their sleeve for the island.

He also said: “I’m hoping this island can turn around in three years, but these two projects along with the airport would be the top priorities now.”

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said at the launch ceremony: “The skills and confidence exercise in negotiating such a grand deal for Grand Bahama. The Grand Bahama economy is on its way up. The magic is returning to the Magic City. We fully

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net AS the Grand Lucayan Resort’s sale was announced on Tuesday, the Grand Bahama chamber president, James Carey, said “more is needed” for Grand Bahama than just the sale.

Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper, speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, announced the sale of the resort to Electra America Hospitality Group, and said that there will be an additional $300m in

GRAND LUCAYAN RESORT

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