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VOLUME:117 No.125, MAY 25, 2020

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INSIGHT: HOW ITALY IS EMERGING FROM DARKNESS PAGES

‘ABACO FAMILIES NEED ANSWERS’ MP insists inquiry required to relieve pain of bereaved

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net CENTRAL and South Abaco MP James Albury has called for an inquiry into the process that led to the burial of 55 Hurricane Dorian victims on Friday.

Yesterday, Official Opposition leader Philip “Brave” Davis said Mr Albury should resign as parliamentary secretary in view of his concerns.

“He’s a parliamentary secretary which makes him a part of the executive. What happened was an executive decision and

for him to be questioning that executive decision puts him outside what I call the convention of collective responsibility that they all share and whenever you are questioning that decision then you can’t be a part of that team anymore,” Mr Davis said.

Free National Movement chairman Carl Culmer declined to comment yesterday on the matter and Mr Albury did not answer calls seeking comment.

Mr Albury attended Friday’s controversial ecumenical service.

SEE PAGE TWO

THE government is seeking “breathing room” by deferring debt repayments coming due as it last night confirmed it has applied for a $252m “emergency” International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan.

Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest said the decision to seek financial assistance did not signal The Bahamas is facing a

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

BEFORE he could officially accept his new job as the Technical Director for the Bahamas Football Association, former Queens Park Rangers (QPR) captain Marc Bircham found himself before the court of law in the United States facing a charge of aggravated battery.

The 42-year-old Londoner was arrested by police in St Petersburg, Florida, in the early hours of Friday morning, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, which listed Bircham’s bail at $10,000 following the incident, of which details are yet to be confirmed.

It is not yet known whether Bircham was SEE PAGE 15

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net FEW churches in New Providence held drive-up services over the weekend after Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis permitted them to worship under stringent new guidelines.

Some people, however, braved rainy weather to assemble in church yards yesterday after nearly two months of not being able to traverse the island’s streets on Sundays.

Instead of hand-clapping and dancing, car horns were often used as instruments of worship.

“worst case scenario” postCOVID-19 but is “taking advantage of attractive borrowing facilities”.

Emphasising the loan is not part of an IMF-led “structural adjustment” being imposed on The Bahamas, Mr Turnquest said the Minnis administration was “smartly availing ourselves” of a low-cost facility to help support the COVID-19 response and other government financial operations.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

TOP SOCCER COACH ON BAIL OVER US ASSAULT

CHURCHES HOLD OFF DRIVE-BY SERVICES

GOVT SEEKING DEBT PAYMENT DELAY - AND $250M IMF LOAN

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

HOME

THE MASS burial of 55 Hurricane Dorian victims

Photo: Disaster Reconstruction Authority

SEE PAGE THREE

AMERICAN HELD OVER CAY SHOOTING Don’t

By TRIBUNE REPORTER

AN American boat captain was detained by police on Friday after opening fire on officers during a tense stand off on Green Turtle Cay where crime is virtually unheard of.

The captain and another American had sailed into the cay from South Florida on what is understood to be their third or fourth trip bringing rebuilding materials to help with recovery

THE AMERICAN’S BOAT operations from Hurricane Dorian. When the vessel the Beast of Burden - sailed

into the Cay on Thursday evening it was met by two Customs officers and a Customs broker who it is understood had alleged he was owed money by the ship’s captain.

Shortly after the vessel docked a heated argument between the two parties broke out and the police were called. “The American was very irate and started cussing at the police

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

SEE PAGE FIVE

miss Your Health and Woman in The Tribune tomorrow

PAGE 2, Monday, May 25, 2020

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT ts-cartwright @tribunemedia.net THE Disaster Reconstruction Authority defended the government’s mass burial of 55 Hurricane Dorian victims amid criticism and protests from some in Abaco.

The mass burial cost in excess of $245,000, however officials revealed only three of those buried have been identified by DNA thus far. One official suggested some protesters at Friday’s service had ulterior motives and were not in any way tied to the victims.

The Disaster Reconstruction Authority, headed by Kay Forbes-Smith, held a Zoom press conference yesterday outlining steps leading up to Friday’s service. The mass burial took place in a public cemetery in Central Pines, Abaco while many victims of the killer storm remain unaccounted for.

Due to social distancing guidelines, only a handful of people were allowed at the graveside, however more than a dozen protesters gathered at the outskirts, some shouting to be let through barricades so they could grieve properly.

Some also jeered government officials, saying they did not know who were in the coffins and cannot visit their dead after burial.

The country’s coroner, Janeen Weech-Gomez, said

THE TRIBUNE

DRA defends burial of 55 Dorian victims there is no way for someone to visit one of those graves knowing who is in it.

“At this point the answer, simply put, is no,” she said.

“That won’t be possible until further DNA evidence has been obtained. There should have been three presumptive death certificates, but other than that there are the other fiftytwo bodies. So the answer to that is no. Once we get DNA then certainly that could be done. The bodies are identified currently in such a way that when DNA evidence is concluded, proper identification could be done at that point.”

Relatives of the deceased have to go in and give blood and other DNA samples to match the dead to make a positive identification.

For now the bodies and graves are just marked with numbers.

Randy Curtis, member of Bahamas Funeral Directors Association, seemed disappointed at the protestors and accused the media of spreading misinformation.

“I believe one of the

problems we had was that there was a lot of misinformation and propaganda, for whatever reason, being disseminated,” Mr Curtis said. “I hope though that after today, those persons who were propagandising people’s bereavement and persons who were most insincere in really not appreciating and valuing the lives that were lost would understand going forward that they could have contacted the relevant authorities to have the correct information.

“I was advised that some of the persons who were trying to disrupt the service did not even have a family or blood (connection) to persons who were being interred. I think the media houses now understand the negative impact of mis-information and the Bahamas is so small that if proper investigative contact was made a lot of the fears would have been answered.”

Mr Curtis said there were some glitches in communication in organising the

event, but the glitches were not because efforts were not made. He Abaconians were incited by people with ulterior motives.

Asked about a video circulated on social media with a coffin mishandled and slipping into a grave horizontally, President of the Bahamas Funeral Directors Association Kirsch Ferguson offered apologies to the bereaved for the mishap.

“With respect to what was witnessed on social media what you actually saw was personnel from the construction companies who were engaged by the funeral directors to assist,” Mr Ferguson explained.

“This is a standard practice throughout the Commonwealth whenever we are interring caskets. When there is a variable in the dimensions of the grave, you have to pause and the contractor becomes involved. The personnel from the funeral homes were on standby giving instructions. Unfortunately, two persons on that team lowered their ends too soon

hence causing the casket to go down vertically. Be mindful of the fact that while we had complete coordination of the lowering of the casket aspect, because the funeral was a community focused event, every effort was made to engage the services of local organisations and the like to be a part of the casket lowering aspect of the service.”

Mr Ferguson said unfortunately this did not come through as anticipated and the entire interment team from the association had to take on the weight of that burden.

“The caskets had to be lowered manually without the aid of any mechanical device that we would normally use in our cemeteries,” he further explained. “Many of our members got to the point of complete exhaustion due to heat and manual labour.

With that said and what was witnessed, we wish to offer a humble and sincere apology. The situation was corrected and the casket

SOME 55 Dorian victims were buried on Friday

was brought back up and properly lowered into the grave.”

Asked why some Abaco residents are upset over the service, Abaconian Silbert Mills said: “I think it was a snowball effect and you can’t identify one single element as to why there was this outrage and opposition.

“It started way back, prior to the DRA becoming the lead in this charge.

This hurt and anger started back in late September 2019 and people knew that they had brought relatives in and they were not being told why they could not get the remains, I think DRA ended up inheriting the situation.”

Mr Mills noted that there are a multitude of issues that the people in Abaco feel need to be addressed which includes not being able to receive the bodies of their loved ones to lay to rest in the cemeteries of their choice.

When asked, there was no explanation given for Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis’ noticeable absence

Photo: Disaster Reconstruction Authority

MP INSISTS INQUIRY NEEDED TO RELIEVE PAIN OF BEREAVED from page one However, he wrote in a letter on Saturday: “As you are aware, on Friday, May 22, the bodies of 55 victims of Hurricane Dorian were laid to rest at the Central Pines Public Cemetery.

Though some in Abaco feel a sense of relief and closure that the victims’ bodies have now been laid to rest, as we approach another hurricane season, there are many who will remain unsure of the location and fate of their loved one(s).

“Sir, I would be remiss if I did not request that a formal inquiry into this eight to nine month process and the timelines of this procedure be looked into by the appropriate agencies. I feel a review of this is

not only imperative for the families of Abaco, but also for the proper handling of any further mass casualty events––God forbid.

“I believe your assistance with this may help in bringing answers and further closure to the people of Abaco. Please know that I am appreciative of the ongoing efforts made by the Disaster Reconstruction Authority as they carry out their mandate, and this letter does not seek to reflect poorly on them, but to request clarity on the matter at hand.”

In a statement on Saturday, PLP chairman Fred Mitchell said Westminster conventions dictate that Mr Albury now break ties with the executive.

“There is recent precedent on this,” he said. “Mr Albury has fallen into the

same error as did his parliamentary colleague Travis Robinson, who by convention was bound by the Cabinet’s decision to hike value added tax by 60 percent, yet Robinson opposed and voted against the tax hike in Parliament. We all know what naturally followed under Westminster conventions.”

Mr Albury is parliamentary secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister in Abaco. Friday’s service was marred with controversy as some residents protested the event and were angered that due to social distancing guidelines, many who lost loved ones could not grieve properly. Some also claimed there was not enough communication from authorities ahead of time.

Editorial View - Page 6

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, May 25, 2020, PAGE 3

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS from page one Some pastors stood on porches outside their church buildings as their sermons blared from speakers while others remained in buildings as church-goers congregated outside.

According to new rules the Office of the Prime Minister released on Friday, the services can only be held as drive-up events where attendees are seated in their cars.

Vehicles must be parked at least three feet apart and communion is not allowed.

There has to be one offering station and offering baskets cannot be passed from vehicle to vehicle.

Those at high risk for COVID-19 or who have co-morbidities are not to attend the drive-up service.

Family Islands reopened to commercial activity can host church services under less restrictive guidelines.

After the OPM’s announcement, Bishop Laish Boyd, bishop of the Anglican diocese of the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos, as well as Archbishop Patrick Pinder, Catholic archbishop of Nassau, announced Anglican and Catholic churches will not resume services at this time. “It is wise to proceed with caution and to ensure that each step forward is firmly planted,” Bishop Boyd said.

Archbishop Pinder said the Catholic church needs time to assess and work out how best to “resume liturgical life given the specific conditions stipulated.”

Bishop Delton Fernander, head of the Bahamas Christian Council, suggested church officials were surprised

by Dr Minnis’ prohibition against communion.

“We’ve written to the Prime Minister so we were taken aback with some of the statements in the order which we already addressed with the Catholic and Anglican denominations,” he said, adding the rule against communion “was really challenging for us.”

“Some denominations use disposables (when having communion),” he said. “You get your all-in-one and you take the communion and discard it and there is no need to touch it or handle it.

It’s created to be sterile and it is sealed and broken only by the person partaking in communion. In denominations where they share a cup that has been discontinued so some of the concerns they thought they had about

Churches hold off drive-by services SOME churches in Nassau still hosted services while others continued to remain closed. Above and below: The Commonwealth Mission Baptist Church; right: Chief Apostle Leon Wallace of Voice of Deliverance Church.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

the church, the church has already advanced.”

Ryan Brown, the son of Apostle Leon Wallace, pastor of the Voice of Deliverance Church, said the drive-up service is for the moment the best of a difficult situation, noting that not even 20 percent of his church’s members showed up for yesterday’s service.

“We still have to practise social distancing and stuff like that,” he said. “People want hope and they want kind of a normalcy and this is the best we can do so the fact that people can still get that message of hope is good. We try to accommodate folks in any way that we can.”

Vernita Josey, member

of the Commonwealth Mission Baptist Church in Elizabeth Estates, said she is praying for the day she can fellowship with Christians in her church again.

“We don’t really like this but it’s the law of the land, it’s what the highest authority says we have to do and we’re not going to let anything stop us,” she said.

“We’ll worship no matter what.”

For her, attending driveup service is better than watching via Zoom or Facebook.

“Sometimes my internet freaks out on a Sunday morning and I’ve been missing some of the worship time. Now I’m here I can hear everything so I give God praise for that.”

REOPENING BEGINS STAGE TWO

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas has officially started the transition to stage two of Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis’ reopening plan.

Starting from today, medical facilities can provide non-emergency health services in accordance with guidelines by the Medical Association of the Bahamas and the Ministry of Health.

“The Bahamas has started to transition to phase two of the five-phase reopening plan,” the OPM said.

“This phase includes the

resumption of business operations in the Family Islands with no presence of COVID19, increase in delivery and curbside operations, the addition of the healthcare services and manufacturing industries and the opening of worship services.”

Plant nurseries will be allowed to open from 6am to 5pm on weekdays. Auto parts stores will be able to

operate on weekdays from 8am to 5pm. Clearing banks and post office savings banks, money transmission businesses, insurance companies, and financial services will be allowed to operate on weekdays from 9am to 5pm.

Dry cleaners have now been added to the list of exempted businesses. They can operate on weekdays from 9am to 5pm.

PAGE 4, Monday, May 25, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS

More people manage to fly back home MORE than 100 Bahamian citizens and residents returned to the country on a repatriation flight from the United States on Saturday, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

One hundred and thirtyfive nationals and residents, as well as three infants, were on board.

The Bahamasair flight, which originated in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, first touched down in Grand Bahama, where 60 people disembarked.

Afterwards it flew to New Providence, where the remainder of those on board disembarked.

Fourteen of these returnees are now at a government quarantine facility in Grand Bahama while 42 are at a quarantine facility in New Providence.

According to a press release, the consul-general and staff members of the Bahamas Consulate in Miami were present at the airport in Fort Lauderdale to monitor the process until the flight departed.

“Also present were two doctors from the Ministry of Health who verified the COVID-19 test results,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. “Returning nationals and residents were met in Grand Bahama and New Providence by government officials, inclusive of senior staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Health.

“All returning nationals and residents were taken to the government

RETURNING residents and nationals at LPIA quarantine facilities in Ministry of Health at covboth Grand Bahama and id19travel@bahamasogov.

New Providence, where bs. This will enable the assessments took place to Ministry of Health to make determine who would be an early determination placed in quarantine and regarding full quarantine who would be permitted to or self-quarantine. If the determination cannot be self-quarantine.

“With respect to those done in advance, people placed in the government will be placed automatically quarantine facilities, there in a government quarantine are 14 persons in the Grand facility.

If nationals and residents Bahama facility and 42 in the New Providence facility, plan to return home on respectively,” the ministry Bahamasair, the COVID19 test result should also be said.

This comes after another sent in advance of the travel group of residents and date to covid19@bahamanationals flew in from the sair.com, the ministry said.

“Nationals and resiUS last Thursday.

Other Bahamian nation- dents are also reminded to als and residents who are register with the nearest displaced abroad and wish Bahamas overseas office to return home should and to listen out for flight send their full contact details should they become information in The Baha- available. The addresses of mas (address and phone the overseas offices can be number) in advance to the found at mofa.gov.bs.”

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas reached a grim milestone on Saturday when three new COVID19 cases pushed the overall number of confirmed cases to 100.

The three latest cases include an eight-year-old New Providence boy isolating at home, a 25-year-old New Providence woman isolating at home and a 27-year-old New Providence man also isolating at home.

The number of recovered cases remains greater than the number of active cases, 46 versus 43, and six people are hospitalised. The country is currently averaging about 27 tests per day.

Dr Nikkiah Forbes, infectious disease expert, said the country is flattening the epidemic curve.

CONFIRMED CASES REACH 100 MARK “We are seeing an impact in terms of the efforts that everybody is making, individuals, the health sector, we are being a reduction of cases on a daily basis and we have flattened the curve,” she said in a recent interview on ZNS. “It is because all of the efforts (carried out) by everyone.”

Health officials said on Thursday that Grand Bahama has no active COVID-19 cases. But Dr Forbes said in her medical view it is too soon to reopen that island.

“Even though the last case there was April 30, when we look at the details around that case, she is a

case that well obviously had no known travel history in that our borders have been closed for a long time, so we do not know who was her contact who actually infected her with COVID-19.

“So that being said, there is enough information to make us (think) that there should be other persons with COVID-19 that should be asymptomatic or presymptomatic or having very mild symptoms in Grand Bahama possibly so we have to use caution.

“It’s not time for Grand Bahama to lift precautions at this time based on my medical opinion.”

TEENAGER FINED $550 FOR RETRIEVING PHONE CHARGER

By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A TEENAGER who claimed he violated the lockdown because he went to his neighbour’s house to retrieve his phone charger was fined $550 on Friday.

He was one of several people who appeared in the Magistrate’s Court for curfew and lockdown infractions. Many of those charged denied violating the emergency orders and had their matters adjourned for trial.

Tariq Flowers appeared before Magistrate Sandradee Gardiner after officers found him in Pastel Gardens around 11.15pm on May 16. He pleaded guilty to violating the lockdown and was fined $550 or one month in prison.

When given an opportunity to speak, Flowers told said he was by his neighbour’s house that morning and had left his charger there. Still, when asked why he couldn’t borrow one of his family member’s chargers for the time being since the lockdown was in effect, he said the people he was living with only had iPhone chargers and he had an android phone.

Meanwhile, Melvin Lavarity, 20, was charged after officers found him on Meadow Street around 11.45pm. He pleaded guilty and was fined $800 or two months at BCDS. According to the prosecution, on the night in question, officers on mobile patrol observed Lavarity walking in the Meadow Street vicinity. When they stopped and questioned him, he told them that he had just come from the studio and was heading to his mother’s house.

During the hearing, Lavarity told the magistrate that he is “usually at the studio all day, every day making music”. He also claimed he didn’t have a phone so he wasn’t able to keep track of time. In response, Magistrate Gardiner told Lavarity that people could not break the law and expect to be patted on the hand.

Ken Evans, 57; Rosevelt McKenzie, 48; Marcian Mackey, 35; Erika Gibson, 32; Gennera Miller, 31; and Kendra Davis, 23, also appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney for curfew violations after officers found them in Ideal Estates around 8.45pm on May 18.

Prosecutor Bridgette Strapp told the court that officers, acting on information, proceeded to a residence in Ideal Estates where they saw a large gathering. Sgt Strapp said the officers found more than 20 people at the residence and questioned Ken Evans, who said he was having a birthday party. At the time, Evans claimed that the persons had come to the house to hail him.

During the hearing, Evans was represented by attorney Ian Cargill. He told the magistrate the defendants were arrested before 9pm. He also noted that only six of them were charged and argued that people are allowed to have gatherings as long as it includes less than ten people.

Attorney Sherita Forbes, who represented Mackey during the hearing, also claimed that her client was arrested while he was in his own yard. As a result, Magistrate McKinney said he would enter not guilty pleas for the accused and adjourned the matter to September 3 for trial.

Brandon Cooper, 24, was charged after officers found him on Irish Spring Court off Lifebuoy Street between 12.45pm and 2.45pm on May 14. He was charged again after officers claimed they found him in the same area around 11.30pm on May 19. He denied both charges and the matter was adjourned to September 3 for trial.

He was granted $2,500 bail with one surer in the interim.

BIMINI MAN ARRESTED

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

BIMINI police have arrested a man for breach of curfew and possession of dangerous drugs on that island, which is currently under a two-week mandated COVID-19 lockdown.

Superintendent of Police Terecita Pinder reported that officers were on mobile

patrol shortly after 9am on Thursday in the area of Kings Highway when they saw a man walking in the streets.

The man ran into nearby bushes on seeing officers.

He was pursued and caught a short time later.

While searching the man, officers discovered a quantity of suspected marijuana in his possession. The man is expected to be charged in the court.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, May 25, 2020, PAGE 5

American held over cay shooting

POLICE HUNT MAN WHO ESCAPED FROM CUSTODY

from page one

A MANHUNT is underway in Grand Bahama for a male suspect who escaped from police custody at the Eight Mile Rock Police Station over the weekend.

Christopher Anthony Lee, aka Shaquille Aamal Lewis, 27, of Jamaica and Jones Town, EMR, was arrested for fraud and possession of dangerous drugs.

According to police reports, shortly after 8pm on Saturday, Lee escaped custody from the Eight Mile Rock Division.

Officers have launched a search in the Eight Mile Rock area and police are appealing to the public for assistance in capturing the escape suspect.

The suspect is about 5ft, 10 inches tall of slim build, weighs 175lbs, with dark brown eyes and dark brown complexion. He speaks with a Bahamian accent.

Superintendent Terecita Pinder strongly warned that it is an offence for persons to be harbouring and aiding a fugitive, and that anyone in breach of the law will also be arrested and charged.

Anyone with information concerning the whereabouts of Lee is asked to contact police Central Detective Unit at 350-3106/12, 919, 911, or Crime Stoppers at 328-TIPS (8477) (New Providence) or 1-242-300-8477 (Family Islands).

officers,” a local resident told The Tribune. “For 15 or 20 minutes he told them he was going to start his engines and leave. Apparently there was some alcohol involved which inflamed his temper.

“When he started the engines his friend who was with him got off the boat saying he didn’t want any part of what was happening.

“The police then started yelling at him to turn his engines off. This went on for another 20 minutes with the captain up in the cockpit of the boat.

For some reason when he came out of the cockpit they decided to grab him and subdue him.

“They decided to detain him for the night and figure out what they were going to do with him.”

The American was at this point taken off his vessel and placed in a building nearby.

“At some point between 1am and 2am he managed to get out of the house, ran down to the dock and jumped into the water. The police were quickly there and got some other folks who were moored there who’d come in from Key West to help them search for him in the darkness.

By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net THE Court of Appeal has upheld the 40-year murder sentence of a man accused of a nightclub killing in 2014, while overturning a similar sentence of another man accused of committing the same crime.

Milargo Humes and Anthon Meadows were accused of murdering Taran Greenslade at High Rollers Club in Coral Harbour on December 1, 2014. The men were convicted on March 26, 2018, and Humes was sentenced to 40 years’ imprisonment. Meadows, on the other hand, was sentenced to 40 years minus the two years and three months he spent in custody awaiting trial.

While both appealed their convictions, Justices Jon Isaacs, Roy Jones and Milton Evans chose to dismiss Humes’ appeal on the grounds that the jury could convict the appellant since gunshot residue was found on his hands. Still, the justices chose to quash Meadows’ conviction, due to “concerns regarding the safety of the verdict” against him.

According to a judgement posted on the Court of Appeal’s website, sometime after midnight on the night in question, the appellants, along with Gabrielle Rolle, went to the High Rollers Club in Coral Harbour.

That night, Ms Rolle danced with the appellants as well as her friends Jamaal Johnson and Taran Greenslade, who she met at the club. However, at some point, a fight occurred and Meadows and Humes, along with another person, were observed beating Mr

“Next thing we know he’s climbed back on to his boat, run into the cockpit and fired seven shots from his shotgun and of course the police started to run. At this point no one knew what was going on.”

The Tribune understands the police then called in Defence Force officers from Marsh Harbour, six of whom armed with machine guns subsequently arrived at the cay.

“The captain still wouldn’t cooperate and come off the boat so they secured the area and waited.”

Two other vessels arriving from Florida had to anchor offshore as the drama continued.

“At the end they called for another Go Fast boat from the Defence Force and when they arrived and pulled up at the dock he knew they meant business,” said the resident.

“At about 10.30 he knew he was in trouble and came out and surrendered.”

Yesterday a statement from police said: “In respect to the shooting incident which occurred on Green Turtle Cay, Abaco on Friday 22nd May, 2020. Police have arrested one male suspect for the offence of assault with a deadly weapon.

There were no injuries during this incident. He is expected to be formally charged within the week.”

THE AMERICAN’S boat moored at Green Turtle Cay

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

Court upholds one murder conviction and dismisses another Greenslade while he was on the ground.

Meadows and Humes then went over to Humes’ vehicle, which had been parked at the front of the club by Ms Rolle, where they retrieved something from the hood of the car. They then went to the crowd where Mr Greenslade was and a short time later, a gunshot was heard. The court documents said Meadows was seen putting a gun in his waist at the time. The three men then went to Humes’ vehicle, got in and told Ms Rolle to drive off. Mr Greenslade died at the scene.

About an hour later, Humes and Meadows were arrested at the latter’s residence. They were interviewed and both denied being in a fight or killing Mr Greenslade.

Still, the men did admit to being at the scene of the crime. They were subsequently charged and convicted of Mr Greenslade’s murder.

In his appeal, Humes argued that “the verdict was unreasonable and could not be supported in regard to

the evidence provided”. His counsel also suggested that the trial judge erred when he failed to “warn the jury to approach the testimony of the hostile witnesses with caution”.

Still, in reviewing Humes’ case, the justices concluded that “although there was no direct evidence that the appellant Humes shot the deceased, given the circumstantial evidence, in particular the evidence of the residue on his hands the jury could on one view of the evidence convict”.

“In these circumstances, I am of the view that this ground of appeal must fail,” the court documents read.

“This finding would in my view also dispose of ground two as for the same reason on one view of the evidence the jury’s verdict cannot be said to be unreasonable.”

In his appeal, Meadows argued that the trial judge failed to give an “accomplice warning suitable to the testimony of Gabrielle Rolle”, since the judge did not give directions on the dangers of relying on a witness who was considered to be “hostile”.

In the judgement, the justices noted: “The evidence against Meadows was similar to that against Humes but not quite the same.

Meadows, unlike Humes, admitted being involved in a fight although he too denied the shooting. Additionally, the witness Jessica Charles was adamant that she saw Meadows who was previously known to her put a gun in his pants waist after the shooting.

“The video recording shows both appellants going over to the car where they appeared to take something from the hood of the car shortly before the shooting occurred. It was significant, however, that Jessica Charles did not see Meadows fire the gun and when tested no gunshot residue was found on his person.”

The justices concluded they found “one fundamental concern” which arose out of the evidence provided by Gabrielle Rolle.

“The Crown was not able to establish from the evidence who did the actual shooting and had to rely on the principle of joint

enterprise taking the position that the two men were ‘in it together’. However, as noted earlier Gabrielle Rolle had given the police a statement which contained damaging information against Humes.”

The court documents said that in her statement, Ms Rolle told officers that Humes and Meadows were involved in a fight with Mr Greenslade and that Humes went to the car to get a gun from under the car seat. She said that he later returned to the scene of the fight and a short time after, returned to the car with Meadows.

Ms Rolle also alleged that Meadows scolded Humes in the car and told him he didn’t have to shoot Mr Greenslade because they were beating him.

At the time, Humes was said to have responded in a manner which acknowledged that he had shot the deceased.

“However, when Gabrielle got to court she denied the veracity of some parts of the contents of the statement,” the justices noted.

“Her explanation was that she had been

arrested by the police for the murder and was prepared to say anything at the time to be released from custody. Additionally, she claimed to have been drunk and was not sure of what transpired that night. She further denied that the police accurately took down what she said to them that night.”

As a result of this fact among other concerns, the justices admitted they did have some apprehensions over the “safety of the verdict” against Meadows’ murder charge.

“This is not a case where in my view the proviso is appropriate as depending on what view a jury properly directed takes of the evidence of Gabrielle Rolle will determine the guilt or innocence of appellant Meadows,” the judgement read.

“I would therefore quash his conviction and sentence.

We will hear the parties on the issue of a re-trial.

Counsels are to supply the court with submissions as to whether the court should order a new trial within 21 days.”

STEALING FROM MATE’S UNCLE DAMAGE TO CAR WINDSHIELD PAIR ADMIT DRUGS OFFENCES

By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net A 20-YEAR-OLD man admitted stealing more than $7,000 from his friend’s uncle.

Brandon Neymour appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney on Friday accused of stealing $7,800 from Orkell Mathiex sometime between March 31 and April 1.

He pleaded guilty and was ordered to compensate Mr Mathiex for the stolen money or be jailed for 18 months.

Prosecutor Bridgette Strapp told the court on April 1, James Johnson went to the Fox Hill Police Station to report that someone had stolen $7,800 from his uncle’s residence. Mr Johnson also told police he did not give anyone

permission to move the money and requested police action. As a result, Neymour was arrested and taken to the Fox Hill Police Station. During an interview with the police there, he admitted to the offence.

When given an opportunity to speak, Neymour told the magistrate Mr Johnson had given him a key to enter his uncle’s home and had told him where to go to find the money. He also claimed that he had given half of the stolen funds to Mr Johnson.

In response, Magistrate McKinney reminded Neymour that he was an adult and did not have to steal the money if he didn’t want to. He also told the defendant that he was responsible for his own actions and gave him three months to pay Mr Mathiex back.

By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net A 50-YEAR-OLD man was charged on Friday with damaging the front windshield of a woman’s car with a bottle.

Michael Miller appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney charged with one count of damage after he admitted to damaging the front windshield of Lechee Knowles’ 2001 Lexus Jeep on May 20.

Prosecutor Bridgette Strapp told the court that at about 6.28pm on May 20, Ms Knowles went to the Wulff Road Police Station to report that a man known to her as Michael Miller or “Baldhead” intentionally damaged her car’s front windshield with a bottle. Sgt Strapp said the complainant requested

police action which led to Miller’s arrest. During an interview with police at a nearby station, the defendant admitted to committing the offence.

During the hearing, Miller’s attorney told the magistrate the incident was an “unfortunate situation where tempers flared”.

She also said the altercation that led to the offence occurred on her client’s property and claimed that it was a “volatile situation” between Miller and Ms Knowles. Noting that Miller has a 94-year-old father at home who he takes care of, she asked Magistrate McKinney not to impose a custodial sentence.

As a result, Miller was ordered to keep the peace for one year and to compensate Ms Knowles for her damaged windshield.

By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net TWO men were charged with drug possession in separate incidents in the Magistrate’s Court on Friday.

Luther Lundy, 46, appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney after he was found with one gram of cocaine on May 21. He pleaded guilty and was ordered to keep the peace for a year. Magistrate McKinney urged Lundy to seek professional help on his own and charged him to keep the peace. He also warned the defendant that if he failed to do so he would be fined $500 or three months at the Bahamas Department of Corrections.

Charles Williams, 29, also appeared before Magistrate McKinney on Friday,

after he was found with one pound of Indian Hemp on May 20. He pleaded guilty to the charge in court. The prosecution said the drugs had an estimated street value of $1,060.

During the hearing, Williams was represented by attorney Nathan Smith. He told the magistrate that his client was a young father who was gainfully employed as a bus driver. He also noted that this was Williams’ first encounter with the law.

Stating his client accepted responsibility for his actions, Mr Smith asked the court to give the defendant an opportunity to “right his course”.

He also asked the magistrate not to impose a custodial sentence, but rather to “temper justice with mercy”.

As a result, Williams was fined $800 or four months in prison.

PAGE 6, Monday, May 25, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

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Mass burial service brings no closure THE mass burial of 55 Hurricane Dorian victims in Abaco on Friday was an unsatisfactory conclusion to an unsatisfactory saga.

Eight months on from the storm, it seems almost contradictory to say that the final ceremony was hurried – and yet that was the feeling.

For months, bodies were stored in a refrigerated trailer while families tried to get answers over whether their loved ones were among the dead. Then, during the restrictions of the pandemic lockdown, notice came of the ecumenical service and laying to rest. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, families would not be able to come to the coffins. Indeed, protesters gathered at the site. One official suggested that protesters had ulterior motives and were not connected to the victims. That brutally disregards the stories of many Abaconians who have told of their struggles to find family members – such as Liann Key-Kaighin who told The Tribune her family feared her aunt’s remains laid in that trailer, and told how “we just keep getting lied to and put off” in the family’s search for information. Miriam Taylor, in today’s Tribune, says she was being supportive of a friend who lost a relative, and described seeing “so many crying, not just because they lost their loved ones, but because they have no idea who is in these coffins”.

Flags around the country remained at full mast during the service. Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis was not in attendance. Nor was his deputy. For those unable to travel to the ceremony because of the pandemic, it was not even broadcast on ZNS TV. In yesterday’s press conference by the Disaster Reconstruction Authority, its leader, Kay Forbes-Smith had no answer as to why the Prime Minister was not

present for the laying to rest of Bahamians after a disaster with the largest loss of life in modern times. “He can answer that question himself,” she said. We think he should.

At this point, according to the country’s coroner, Janeen Weech-Gomez, three of the 55 bodies have been identified by DNA. She told how the graves are marked in such a way that if a body is identified in future by DNA tests, it can be identified to the family. Relatives have to give blood and DNA samples to make a positive identification – but why are we still at that stage all these months on?

We would, however, salute Central and South Abaco MP James Albury, who has called for an inquiry into the process that led us here.

The PLP, predictably, leapt on the wrong horse, calling on him to resign in light of his concerns, saying that he can’t be a parliamentary secretary and question decisions while being part of the executive. That’s putting cheap political point-scoring ahead of what Mr Albury is actually trying to achieve – giving answers to the families who need them.

We would hope the government takes up Mr Albury’s call for a formal inquiry.

There should be nothing to fear from bringing everything to light – not least of all because it will help us prepare better should there ever be a next time.

In the meantime, we are left with a burial service that brings no one any closure, and we are no nearer being able to tell people where their loved ones are.

There is an old saying that success has a thousand fathers, but failure is an orphan. Take a look at the absence of prominent leaders from Friday’s ceremony and ask yourself – does it look to you as if the nation did its very best to say farewell to our fellow Bahamians?

A glimpse of hope IT IS with great delight that we feature an article today from Alessandro Sarno. Readers may remember that back in March, as COVID-19 gripped Italy, Mr Sarno wrote of how the virus had transformed life there.

Known in The Bahamas as The Lonesome Photographer, Mr Sarno brought his keen eye to the changes in daily life, calling it “an unprecedented human and economic tsunami”. It helped to ring a warning bell over what we would face in The Bahamas if we did not take the virus seriously.

At the time of writing, 32,785 people have died in Italy. In The Bahamas, the death toll has been 11.

Mr Sarno’s story today brings us a completely different view – one of hope.

Italy has started to reopen, and once more Mr Sarno was able to sit at an outdoors café, drinking a macchiato and reading an international newspaper.

It is a glimpse of the normal life we hope to return to – even with the spectre of economic loss hanging over it all. It lets us imagine our own country open again, welcoming visitors with safety precautions in place for all our sakes.

We agree with Mr Sarno in one other respect – this is indeed a time to polish and shine our country, to restore its beauty and make it look its best.

We must ensure we take care of the public good EDITOR, The Tribune ACCORDING to The Tribune of May 19, 2020, a group calling itself the Organisation for Responsible Government (ORG) apparently sees it as quite responsible that a country that runs itself on revenues representing a mere 18 percent of Gross Domestic Product (among the lowest on the planet) and that derives the bulk (more than 70 percent) of these revenues

from taxes that disproportionately impact the poor while exempting wealthier residents from worldwide norms of taxation on income, capital gains and property, should respond to the resulting fiscal imbalance by further downsizing the public sector.

Yet again, the message seems clear: we need tough, bitter, radical change – so long as it doesn’t touch us!

Rather than simply reporting such views (and thereby giving them a

respectability that they do not deserve), the Bahamian media should at least concern itself with presenting them in the wider context outlined above and possibly even ask questions about who funds them and whether the special interests that would benefit from their implementation are representative in any way of the broader public good.

ANDREW ALLEN Nassau May 21, 2020

Minnis & Co are just playing follow the leader EDITOR, The Tribune THE question which is baffling every Bahamian and resident in our wonderful nation is: ‘What is next?’ Obviously, no one in his/her right mind has a clue as to the thinking process of the Prime Minister much less that of the individual cabinet ministers and parliamentarians. The coronavirus has decimated the economy and the societal and mental dislocation caused by the effects of the same will wreak even more misery and pain on the average Bahamian.

There is very little that the PM and his team are doing now that they are able to do any differently.

They are playing follow the leader insofar as they seem to be copy catting whatever is being done by the major western nations like the USA and Great Britain. Some of the measures adopted have included social distancing and daily curfews and weekend mandatory lock downs.

Business houses and self employed persons have been obliged to close their respective sources of income down. As a direct result, tens of thousands of Bahamians are now without a guaranteed pay cheque.

The PM, God bless his soul, has assumed near dictatorial powers in that he being the ‘competent authority’ is up in everybody’s business in that he, acting almost alone, has abrogated powers to severely restrict our freedom of assembly and freedom of movement, in defiance of The Bahamas Independence Order, 1973 which is our constitution.

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net Had I been at the Bar as a licensed attorney I would have long ago filed a motion for a Judicial Review of the Emergency Powers Act and all of the regulations made thereunder to date.

It is almost a certainty that there is a handful of practitioners who may wish to sue but they lack the fortitude, in most cases to file proceedings challenging the PM and his absolute powers.

Ordinary Bahamians who don’t already have any savings or sources of income are being arrested; charged and hauled before the courts for the slightest infractions of the Emergency Powers Act, even if they are able to demonstrate that they were unaware of some of the stringent requirements of the law. Once before the courts, these poor and black Bahamians, who form the bulk of those charged, are levied heavy fines that the powers that be would or should know that they are unable to afford.

If they are unable to pay the fine or have payment in full deferred the unlucky ones are sent straight to The Bahamas Correctional Centre. Only God knows what they might contract while a guest at that five star hotel. The convicted person also receives a criminal record and all that that entails. Where is the compassion and heart, PM? Basically, after no big tick in reported positive

cases of the Corona, Bahamians are ready to get back to work and gradually reopen the economy. Yes there are some Bahamians and others who are able to work the NIB system and claim unnecessary benefits and cash payments.

By and large, however, the average Bahamian would prefer to get out of the confines of his/her home and work for their income.

This continued and seemingly endless scheme of curfews and lock downs are literally sending Bahamians into states of severe depression and financial ruination.

Dr. Minnis wanted to become Prime Minister so badly that he took on all political challengers within the FNM and outside. Now that he is PM, with absolute and draconian powers, the ball is in his court. He appointed himself Acting Minister of Health after showing Duane Sands the door. He claims also to have an intimate insight into all other ministries!!

This man is a tireless machine, it would appear.

One thing is clear, however, and that is that if a poll were to be taken today, the PM may well receive an ‘F’ for his efforts so far, even if a few lives have been saved at the expense of the absolute ruination of the majority of Bahamians. That quest is: ‘What Is Next?’ Only Doctor Minnis appears to know. God help us all. To God then, in all things, be the glory.

ORTLAND H. BODIE, JR. Nassau, May 23, 2020,

THE STORIES BEHIND THE NEWS

MONDAY, MAY 25, 2020

Alessandro Sarno reports from Italy as the country looks to life after lockdown

“GOD save us” is how I ended my first report for The Tribune on the coronavirus situation in Italy and more specifically in my hometown outside Venice.

It was March 12 and the worst was yet to come.

The 6pm press conference of the Civil Protection authority marked the daily appointment everyone waited, anxious to hear about the number of new deaths and cases of infection. We reached a point where deaths were climbing at a rate as high as 1,000 per day.

They were dramatic days, people pumped up by the news, TVs and newspapers showing churches filling up with coffins and military processions taking the corpses to neighbouring regions that had the capability to cremate them.

We were learning everyday of heart breaking stories of elderly dying alone without the comfort of their families for a last goodbye. I can honestly say that during the height of the outbreak we lived in absolute fear, a fear which immobilised the country and people’s thoughts.

We were in a police state desperate to find a way out of a nightmare.

Slowly, the weeks went by and things finally started to improve. The country slowly reopened in phases, little by little, until the beginning of last week which marked an almost full re-opening, even though regulated by hundreds of - in many cases idiotic and contradictory safety protocols, but that is a whole other subject, an interesting one!

May 18, 2020 D.C. (During Coronavirus) was a very special day, the first time in two-and-ahalf months that we were allowed to leave our homes without a specific reason, with no need to justify why we were out and where we were going. It was the day we regained some kind of freedom.

Travel between regions is still restricted until June 2, but I feel lucky since Veneto is one of the most beautiful and diverse regions in Italy. We’ have it all. We can go to Venice, Verona, to the Dolomites, lakes, hills, wineries, historical towns, beaches, you name it. You could vacation in Veneto for a lifetime and not seeing it all.

Monday morning, the

Emerging from the darkness of a world where the virus claimed 1,000 lives a day 18th I decided to drive to Asolo, a little medieval town perched on the top of a hill, just a short drive from Montebelluna. Asolo is a special place, a place where I always feel like time has stopped running.

Asolo is known as the town of the hundred horizons, a favourite of the Queen of England, who visited a couple of times in her younger years. There are a couple of castles, a fountain, a church, a few antique shops and a historical cafe in the centre of the square.

I sat outdoors at the Caffè Centrale and ordered a macchiato, grabbed an international newspaper

Photos: Alessandro Sarno

and took a deep breath of contentedness. It was a lively morning, people were quite laid back, not too many face masks in evidence which made the atmosphere even more relaxed.

An elegant old lady came in to say ‘hi’ to a couple of her friends expressing her excitement about the appointment she’d just had with her hairdresser. Ordinary little things that in the darker times became impossible to do.

Conversations flow and relaxed, people are definitely trying to get back to life B.C. As the week went by my search for

normality continued. After the first espresso came a tennis match and then my first dining out with a friend in God knows how long.

We’d heard so many things, so many rules and restrictions for eating out, that I was honestly not so keen on going, but besides waiters wearing masks, some disinfectant at the entrance and a little distancing on the tables it was just fine. I was relieved, dining out was still a pleasure!

At restaurants face masks for patrons are not mandatory. Don’t get me wrong, we are still very cautious and fearful about this invisible enemy which is still out

there among us, but we are quickly adapting and learning to live with it.

May 22 - a good news day as in Veneto there are no new cases for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. Still, I think the toughest of challenges are ahead of us - the recession and economic crisis that is about to fall upon us.

Closing a country for so long has a huge impact on the economy, and now we are too late to stop what’s coming: we’ve already seen the Gross Domestic Product plunge nine percent in March. We know poverty indirectly cause death around the world.

I am worried about what is coming for my country and for The Bahamas too?

But let’s go back to my regained freedom. I had been craving to go to Venice for so long. While confined at home I had seen on the web images of the empty city, clear waters, silence, octopus and jelly fish swimming along the canals. It was a surreal Venice, quite sad I must say, a city without its people, for as pretty it may be it’s soulless.

Thursday was the perfect day, sunny, warm and breezy, ideal for a day trip to Venice.

As soon as we arrived we knew it was going to be an epic day. The city was lively, not crowded though, only a few boats on the water and some ferries. We took a water taxi and navigated the Canal Grande.

Venice was revealing

itself to us as never before.

No tourists, only locals, just the everyday life unfolding in its little things and acts.

The taxi driver told us he had never seen it like this before and that this is the opportunity of a lifetime to be able to enjoy the city only with its residents.

The historical cafes of Piazza San Marco like Harry’s Bar were still closed but the atmosphere was serene, a cautious joy. If it weren’t for people walking with masks we would have forgotten about the coronavirus.

We wandered around the whole morning and enjoyed the most beautiful and peaceful corners. One of my favourite restaurants “Do Forni” just re-opened that day and so we went there for lunch. We were welcomed and told we were the first customers since the reopening and they offered us a glass of Prosecco. It was an unforgettable lunch.

I really hope a positive effect of the pandemic will be to return to a more sustainable tourism, more respectful, conscious and kind. Venetians are showing a great care for their city, it’s so clean and businesses have been freshened up, getting ready for a new beginning. I think that in Nassau it could be the same, this unique time could be a wonderful opportunity to clean up, think forward and show love and care for the city and everyone’s business.

Time to polish and shine, waiting to welcome with enthusiasm the travellers who will return.

I keep following closely the phases updates in The Bahamas and I hope to be able to return soon to finish photographing some more amazing corners of the Exumas Cays for my new upcoming book.

Editorial View - Page 6

PAGE 8 MONDAY, MAY 25, 2020

BY MALCOLM STRACHAN IT has been, without any exaggeration, a gruelling two months of lockdowns and curfews. On one hand, the good news is that based on our coronavirus-related death toll and number of cases, the measures put in place have proven effective on the mitigation front – though this must be said with a footnote as a result of a lack of mass testing.

Nevertheless, while we recognise what has worked, we cannot deny the immense burden placed on the Bahamian people. And now, with reports of people clamouring for the opportunity to travel once international borders reopen, The Bahamas’ tourism industry may be on the verge of a muchneeded stimulus.

Still, our readiness remains in question.

Last week, Tourism Director General Joy Jibrulu expressed her surprise at the interest we’re already receiving from North American travellers.

“Airlines are indicating, particularly for July and August especially, the uptick in demand, people booking. It’s taken us a little by surprise, so I use that term cautious optimism that we will see a rebound.

Of course it’s going to be slow, it’s not going to be a quick one, but we’re seeing one,” she said.

Indeed, the fact we’re receiving this kind of interest in what is typically slow season alone is great news.

However, before we sing praises of joy from the rooftops, we should take a more detailed look at what Ms Jibrulu shared.

Noting that 90 percent of our visitors arrive to our shores from North America - the US in particular, our number one source market – we cannot look at their interest in coming here in isolation. While it is great that 75 to 83 percent of survey respondents in the US have said they are ready to travel, this is likely guided by an impulse to unshackle themselves after

INSIGHT

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

We need to tread very, very carefully however appealing opening the borders may appear

ALTHOUGH we are all keen to get back to work, we must make sure we do not rush things. being cooped up in their homes for months.

With countries exhausted from the stranglehold the coronavirus has had on the global economy, the fatigue of citizens around the world has created a golden opportunity for capitalists to exploit. With the conservative advice of health officials being tuned out on Capitol Hill, economic engines are revving up.

While our decision makers have leaned on the

conservative side, there has been no indication US visitors will be turned away.

We’ve already heard the Minister of Tourism say cruise ships, synonymous with nightmarish accounts amid the pandemic, will be accepted once they resume travel.

Certainly, it is easy to pretend we can all just go back to normal. Why not?

Cases are down and the hot weather minimises the spread of the virus, does it

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

not? More scientific minds and those erring on the side of caution may tell us not to move so fast.

Top infectious disease expert in the US Dr Anthony Fauci is one such person who maybe doesn’t see the cup as half full.

Rather, he just sees the cup for what it is.

With no vaccine coming before the potential of a second wave in the autumn, Fauci seemingly sees this as a powder keg moment.

Speaking about US states opening too quickly, he believes “consequences could be really serious”.

Not sure what the thinking has been around this for the brain trust at the health and tourism ministries here at home, but it doesn’t seem there is much concern with the US currently still being the epicentre of the virus.

The challenge that exists is that after being shut in, people are ready to break loose and get back to a normal life. Unfortunately, the disconnect is

that doing so right now is not feasible. But for policy makers, particularly those more concerned with high approval ratings, caution is being thrown to the wind.

That said, the Competent Authority must act in what is in the best interest for Bahamians. Surely, it is important for the economy to get up and running but doing so without good sense practices runs the risk of sidelining our labour force yet again.

In that vein, we should really be concerned about cases in our major source markets such as Florida and New York. For example, Florida’s cases spiked at the end of last week. And despite major festivities being cancelled for Memorial Day Weekend, South Floridians may likely put social distancing practices to the test.

Simply put, opening our borders for travellers from the US while they are leaning on numbers that imply decreasing cases without

mass testing ever taking place is a gamble.

Especially while we have yet to hear about mitigation strategies employed by the hotel industry and, even more importantly, at the border, people need not only focus on getting back to work. Getting back to work is the easy part. Staying there, however, may pose a significant challenge if infected people enter the country. And something we should not want to do is to open up unprepared, only to close everything back down and potentially damage consumer confidence.

While on the topic of confidence, the ragtag handling of people coming into the country and other mishaps did not do much to make the Bahamian people feel more comfortable with a July opening of the country.

Initially prescribed by the Prime Minister as a Phase 5 initiative in the reopening plan, we are currently still in Phase 2. And while we may be progressing well, we must not jump the gun, only to endanger our citizens and end up shutting the country back down. The reputational damage we may suffer for Americans giddy for the opportunity to travel before the potential second wave hits would likely be debilitating as Bahamians would again be unemployed.

Of course, we cannot continue to live like this in perpetuity. However, well-reasoned strategies must guide us – not just responding to what America is doing. Because as we can see, a mixture of cabin fever and false confidence is leading to a lot of brash decisions.

Just as slow and steady wins the race, a tempered approach will also save lives and, in the long-run, the economy.

Graveside Funeral Service For

Vernal Earns Jr. will be held at Woodlawn Gardens located Soldier Road on Thursday, 28th May at 11am. Officiating will be Craig McHardy and other ministers of the gospel.

He was predeceased by his brother: Edward Vernal Earns.

Left to morn his fond memories are his loving Wife: Julimae; Adopted Mother: Mavis Gaitor; Chlidren: Jennifer and Kevin Armbrister, Ella, Elva, Shekera, Andrea, Joesph Brown, Pastor Keva and Craig McHardy, Ingrid, and Ezra Bodie; Adopted children: Dorien Bowe and Elleanor Miller; Grand Children: Armaad Jr., Jermaine Brown, Ashton, Asha, Ashaad Armbrister, Pachino and Natisha Earns, Janae Eden, Tavara, Tristin, Tremeeah Thompson, K’hairi, Shaquan and Chloe Bowe, Kayonita and Akari Murray, Archarne and Cordero Tucker, Craig Jr., Ashley, Cody, Corey, Cohen, Astrah McHardy, Ezranda, Ezra Jr., and Ezranique; Great Grand Children: Armaad Jr., Tniayah, Zamari, Kiaya, T’naj, Nirriah, Sá, Malya, Omari, Asia, Malik, Raheem, Alicia, André, Chanel, Xavier, Kayden, Peyton, Pria, August, and Brooklyn; Nieces Inez, Gloria, Tamika (Quentin), Krishanna, Edlisa, Rodrese, Ameka; Nephews: ASP Zhavigo (Torrel) Desmond Sr., Renrick, Sean, Shaveras (Rolanda) Elvardo, Lamero (Prestina), Larando, Ellington Jr., and Antonio; Grand Nieces and Grand Nephews: Shekeva and Leroy Brooks, Lakiesha Woodside, Desmond Jr., Deniro, Kenya, Destiny, Courtney, Zion, Quentin, Edgar, Breanna,Wayj, Blair, Marion, Jeremiah, Skye, Desmond III, Leanna, Leroy, Ashley, Aaliayah, Shamar, Jayden, Ethan and Neveah; Sisters-in-law: Stephanie Sears, Luella Wright, Tanya, Michelle and Louise Bowe and Sarah Earns; Brothers-in-law: Edsil and Ellington Bowe; Aunt: Veronica Curtis. A host of other relatives and friends including House of Prayer and Deliverance Ministry Family, Veizel, Beth, Arthur, John, Felix, Pauline, Rev. Samuel and George Fowler and Family and Maude Romer.

Friends may pay their last respect at St. Ambrose Funeral Home Wednesday 10am2pm and at the graveside Woodlawn Gardens Soldier Road.

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

CARIBBEAN countries are, once again, being placed in a difficult position as they try to navigate a course between the United States (US) and Cuba – two countries of great importance to them and for each of which they have great respect.

In 1972, the four then independent member states of what is now the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) – Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago – broke a US embargo to establish diplomatic and economic relations with Cuba, charting the course for a foreign policy based on independence, courage and concerted action. Since then, every government of a CARICOM country, that achieved independence, has kept to that policy, with only one brief exception.

Recently efforts have been made, without success, to persuade CARICOM countries to turn away from Cuba.

The attitude of the government of the US to Cuba departed from the détente in force when President Donald Trump came into office in January 2017.

Renewed efforts to isolate Cuba followed.

On May 12, the US government’s approach to Cuba hardened still further when it certified to the US Congress that Cuba did not cooperate fully with US counter terrorism efforts in 2019.

An unnamed senior official in the US administration reportedly told Reuters News Agency on May 14 that consideration is being given to returning Cuba to a US list of state sponsors of terrorism.

The governments of the Caribbean regard the region as “a zone of peace” and they were openly relieved when the former government of the US, under President Barack Obama, softened a 50-year hard line policy on Cuba, including a trade embargo. In December 2014, Obama declared,

INSIGHT

MONDAY, MAY25, 2020 PAGE 9

The US and Cuba: Caribbean chooses cooperation, not confrontation “We will end an outdated approach that for decades has failed to advance our interests, and instead we will begin to normalise relations between our two countries”. The new deal, he said, will “begin a new chapter among the nations of the Americas” and move beyond a “rigid policy that is rooted in events that took place before most of us were born.”

The Caribbean, and the world, including US states and companies, long locked-out of the Cuban market because of US government policies, looked forward to “the new deal” between the two neighbouring states whose relations impinge on the entire Hemisphere.

In 2015 and 2016, three historic events occurred, under Obama, that evinced further belief that the hemisphere and the world had become a safer place. First, the US and Cuba reopened diplomatic Embassies in each other’s capitals, reestablishing official lines of communication and dialogue that were terminated

in 1960 when the corrupt regime of military dictator, Fulgencio Batista, was overthrown. Second, the US State Department removed Cuba from its list of state sponsors of terrorism – a designation that was first imposed in 1982. And third, Obama became the first sitting US president in nearly ninety years to visit Cuba, meeting its then president, Raul Castro, and opening the way for US airlines and cruise ships to ply their trade in Cuba.

However, many of these measures of cooperation have been reversed. In 2017, President Trump reinstated restrictions on Americans traveling to Cuba and US business dealings. Then in 2018, former US National Security Advisor, John Bolton, labelled Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela the “Troika of Tyranny”.

Shortly thereafter, the US government announced a raft of sanctions against Cuba including banning cruises and curtailing direct flights.

Now comes the May 12 certification that Cuba did

not cooperate fully with US counter terrorism efforts in 2019. Even more troubling to hemispheric peaceful cooperation is the assertion by a senior US official that there is a “convincing case” to put Cuba back on the US blacklist.

For its part, the Cuban government has rejected the US certification, saying it “disregards that there is concrete evidence, some of them very recent, of bilateral collaboration between the two governments in the fight against terrorism, and joint law enforcement efforts”. The Cuban statement also claims that “as part of this collaboration, recent actions of particular interest to the US

government have been carried out, recognised by its own law enforcement agencies”.

Political observers in the US have attributed two reasons to the U.S government’s renewed tough stance toward Cuba.

The first is the forthcoming US Presidential elections in which the State of Florida is crucial to who is elected. Florida is the home of Cuban, Venezuelan and other dissidents whose support is important to the election outcome.

Pandering to their desire for regime change in their birth countries compels the attention of any Presidential candidate.

The second reason is

TOUGHER stance: President Donald Trump

satisfying the government of Colombia which has been urging the US government to add Cuba to the list of countries “not fully co-operating with counterterrorism efforts”. The Colombian government wants to use that designation as justification for abandoning protocols to an arrangement with the Cuban government which facilitated peace talks between the Colombian government and the dissident group, Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN). Those talks broke down in January 2019. Since then, the Colombian government has been demanding the extradition of the ELN members who were left in Cuba. Consistent with international law, Cuba has declined to extradite them.

Venezuela is also tied-up in all of this. Colombia’s President, Iván Duque, and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro are at daggers drawn and the US administration disapprove of the close Cuba-Venezuela links.

In February this year, CARICOM heads of government collectively reiterated their concern over “the enhanced sanctions announced by the US Government” and they denounced as “unjustifiable” the application of laws and measures of an extra-territorial nature that are contrary to international law.

They did not choose Cuba over the US They chose international law, hemispheric cooperation, and peace – principles to which the region’s people are devoted.

The writer is Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda to the United States and the Organisation of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and at Massey College in the University of Toronto. The views expressed are entirely his own. Responses and previous commentaries: www. sirronaldsanders.com

PAGE 10, Monday, May 25, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

WSC CHIEF SIGNS TWO CONTRACTS WORTH $2M WATER and Sewerage Corporation Executive Chairman Adrian Gibson signed two groundbreaking contracts worth more than $2m last week to further the corporation’s work in Abaco following the devastation of Hurricane Dorian.

Mr Gibson said the May 22 signing represented “a continuation of WSC’s objective to fully restore, construct and effect rehabilitation works to the water and sewerage networks in Treasure Cay and Marsh Harbour, Abaco.”

The contracts are funded by a $15 million allocation by the government that is derived from an IDB loan post-Hurricane Dorian.

These funds are particularly directed towards restoration and reconstruction efforts in the hurricane ravaged islands, according to a WSC press release.

Notably, Hurricane Dorian caused significant damage to the corporation’s water and sewerage infrastructure in Abaco, both on the mainland and those surrounding cays that are serviced by the corporation.

During Friday’s event at the corporation’s headquarters, Mr Gibson signed a contract for $961,250.45 with Island Site Development (ISD). This contract will result in the supply and installation of approximately 1,600 feet of twoinch pipe, 1,000 feet of four-inch

WSC Executive Chairman Adrian Gibson (right) and General Manager Elwood Donaldson.

Upon signing both contracts, Mr pipe and 2,500 feet of 10-inch installation of approximately 1,600 pipe (PVC) in Treasure Cay, the feet of two-inch pipe and 8,000 feet Gibson encouraged both contractermination and reinstallation of of four-inch pipe (PVC) in Marsh tors to give opportunities for jobs approximately 600 service laterals Harbour (east and west), the ter- to local Abaconians. Both comand valve installations and explora- mination and reinstallation of panies expressed their support for tory excavations in accordance with approximately 800 service laterals local communities and committed the scope of works and technical and valve installations and explora- to providing jobs to locals.

As for the contract, the works specifications. tory excavations in accordance Further, Mr Gibson signed a with the scope of works and tech- are expected to be completed contract with Bill Simmons Con- nical specifications. The contract is within 90 days from the date of commencement. struction for the supply and valued at $1,418,474.40.

GB RESIDENT AIMING FOR SENIOR UNION POSITION

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net GRAND Bahama resident Alexander Burrows Jr, and members of the People Organizing With Effective Results (POWER) Team, are seeking to be elected during the 2020 Bahamas Public Services Union Elections in September.

Mr Burrows, a candidate for union president, said his goal is to rebuild and restore the BPSU membership, which has significantly declined over the past several years due to the exodus of various government departments.

The Power Team

launched its campaign in February.

On Friday, Mr Burrows and his team provided lunch to essential workers in the Emergency Medical Services Department who are on the frontline in the COVID-19 crisis.

He noted that a similar initiative was also being done for EMS personnel by members of the Power Team in New Providence.

“I am running for president of the BPSU, and we decided to coordinate our efforts…to give back to frontline workers in the EMS Department,” he said.

“It is a small act of kindness and we want to tell them…that we feel for

you out there risking your lives and your family’s lives trying to create a safer environment for our community. We wanted to do our small part in the fight against COVID-19,” Mr Burrows said.

In Grand Bahama, the Power Team provided lunch for some 35 EMS personnel around noon at their base off Queen’s Highway.

Mr Burrows, an employee of Bahamas Customs in Freeport, noted that the BPSU needs to be made “whole again.”

“We are trying to make whole again the organization as not so many years I warned our membership that this union was the

fastest dying trade union within the Bahamas; we saw it happen, and not only did we lose Customs and Immigration, but just last year April we saw the exodus of the Bahamas Agricultural Industrial Corporation (BAIC), and so haemorrhaging is now an understatement.

“We need to rebuild our organization and bring back persons by building trust among the membership and those that have departed,” Mr Burrows said.

Other candidates of the POWER Team are Martha Mackey, of Road Traffic Department who is vying for the northern region vice president position for

Grand Bahama, Abaco and Bimini District; Ms Leotha Coleby of Princess Margaret Hospital is the candidate for General Secretary; Arison Wilson of Public Hospital Authority Corporate New Providence, is the candidate for executive vice president; Mr Theophilus Dean, of the Ministry of Works, is vying for Trustee; Judith Hamilton, of the Registrar General Department in NP, is the candidate for Assistant General Secretary; Quincy Strachan of the Post Office Department in New Providence, and Marilyn Cartwright of Public Hospital Authority Corporate is the candidate for vice president.

ABACO MEN ON FIREARM CHARGES

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net TWO Abaco men were arrested for possession of illegal firearms and ammunition on Thursday, police reported. Reports are that shortly after 9pm, officers of the Abaco District were on patrol when they saw a crowd of people reportedly consuming alcohol at a business that was open.

Superintendent Terecita Pinder said officers made inquiries and observed a man who dropped an object into nearby bushes and quickly left the area.

She said officers went to the area and discovered a black and silver firearm with five rounds of ammunition.

Upon conducting further inquiries, Ms Pinder said officers arrested two men of Seven Hills, Abaco, in connection with possession of illegal firearm and ammunition.

Ms Pinder said the men are expected to be charged in court next week.

SUICIDAL WOMAN SAVED BY POLICE POLICE and paramedics were able to save a woman who allegedly tried to take her own life on Thursday.

According to police, shortly before 2pm, officers at the West End Division received information that a woman was attempting to take her own life in the area of Taino Beach. Uniform and plainclothes officers quickly responded and saw a blue 2005 Toyota vehicle parked on Taino Beach with a woman driver who appeared to be unconscious.

An Emergency Medical Services unit arrived on the scene and rendered medical assistance. She was then taken to Rand Memorial Hospital where she was seen by a doctor and listed as ill, but in stable condition, police said.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, May 25, 2020, PAGE 11

HOLIDAY AMID PANDEMIC: AMERICANS DIVIDED ON HOW TO RESPOND NEW YORK Associated Press

PRESIDENT Donald Trump played golf at one of his courses on Saturday during the Memorial Day weekend as he urged US states to reopen after coronavirus-related lockdowns. Yet many Americans remained cautious as the number of confirmed cases nationwide passed 1.6 million.

In California, where many businesses and recreational activities are reopening, officials in Los Angeles County said they would maintain tight restrictions until July 4. Some religious leaders

took issue with Trump’s declaration that houses of worship are “essential” and should resume inperson services this weekend.

“Being at the epicentre of this pandemic and in order to protect our flock, we advise that congregations remain closed until more accurate and uniform information is provided,” said Bishop Paul Egensteiner, who oversees the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s congregations in the hard-hit New York City region.

Statewide, New York reported its lowest number of daily coronavirus deaths — 84 — in many weeks in what Gov. Andrew

Cuomo described as a critical benchmark. The daily death tally peaked at 799 on April 8.

“For me, it’s a sign that we’re making real progress,” Cuomo said.

Rain dampened the start of the holiday weekend in the northeastern US, where newly reopened beaches were expected to attract throngs of people and test the effectiveness of social distancing rules. At Orchard Beach in the Bronx, which was crowded a weekend earlier, parking lots were mostly empty except for large puddles.

To the south, Trump played golf

at one of his private clubs for the first time during the pandemic — the Trump National Golf Club in Virginia. He has been pushing for state and local leaders to fully reopen after months of closures and tight restrictions.

Parts of New Orleans stirred to back life, with some restaurants and businesses opening for the first time in over two months. Some remained closed, especially in the French Quarter, which relies largely on tourist dollars.

At least a few out-of-towners trickled in. Greer Falls of Augusta, Georgia, wore a mask

as he entered the Royal House restaurant for lunch. After weeks at home, he said he was ready for a change of scenery and didn’t want to miss a birthday celebration with friends he’s known for decades.

Some amusement parks, such as Mt Olympus in the Wisconsin Dells and Lagoon amusement park in Farmington, Utah, opened for the first time in months. The Facebook sites for both parks were flooded with comments from visitors excited to ride go-karts or roller coasters, though some complained about Lagoon’s policy of requiring masks.

GRAVEDIGGERS OVERWHELMED

BY SPIKE IN VIRUS DEATHS ADEN, Yemen Associated Press

LEFT: Pensacola Beach in Florida, is full of people; above: Bishop of Lyon Emmanuel Gobilliard leads mass, the first since lockdown restrictions were introduced, at the Saint-Jean Cathedral, in Lyon, central France; right: Visitors ride the Roller Coaster at Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington, Utah.

Now Trump adds Brazil to banned list WASHINGTON Associated Press President Donald Trump yesterday further limited travel from the world’s coronavirus hotspots by denying entry to foreigners coming from Brazil, which is second to the US in the number of confirmed cases. Trump had already banned certain travelers from China, Europe, the United Kingdom and Ireland and, to a lesser extent, Iran.

He has not moved to ban travel from Russia, which has the world’s third-highest caseload.

Trump had said last week that he was considering limiting travel from Brazil.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany cast the step as another “decisive action to protect our country” by Trump, whose management of the crisis has come under sharp scrutiny.

The US leads the world with more than 1.6 million confirmed coronavirus cases and a death toll that is expected to surpass 100,000 later this week, according to a tally

by Johns Hopkins University.

Brazil, now Latin America’s hardest-hit country, is second, with more than 347,000 cases and more than 22,000 deaths. Third on the list is Russia, with more than 344,000 reported cases and more than 3,500 deaths.

HONG KONG POLICE FIRE TEAR GAS AT PROTESTERS

RIOT police detain a protester in Hong Kong yesterday.

HONG KONG Associated Press HONG Kong police yesterday fired tear gas and a water cannon at protesters in a shopping district as thousands took to the streets to march against China’s move to impose national security legislation on the city.

Pro-democracy supporters have sharply criticised a proposal, set to be approved

by China’s rubber-stamp parliament this week, that would ban secessionist and subversive activity, as well as foreign interference, in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.

The pro-democracy camp says the proposal goes against the “one country, two systems” framework

that promises Hong Kong freedoms not found in mainland China.

Crowds of demonstrators dressed in black gathered in the Causeway Bay district, chanting slogans such as “Stand with Hong Kong,” “Liberate Hong Kong” and “Revolution of our times.”

The protest was a continuation of a pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong that began last year and has at times descended into violence between police and protesters.

Police raised blue flags, warning protesters to disperse, before firing multiple rounds of tear gas. They later fired a water cannon at the demonstrators. At least 180 people were arrested, mostly on charges of unlawful assembly, police said.

The White House did not immediately respond to queries about whether a travel ban would be imposed on Russia.

“Today’s action will help ensure foreign nationals who have been in Brazil do not become a source of additional infections in our country,” McEnany said.

Filipe Martins, who advises Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on international affairs, said the US was treating Brazil as it had other populous countries and suggested the news media were overplaying Trump’s ban.

“By temporarily banning the entry of Brazilians to the US, the American government is following

previously established quantitative parameters that naturally reach a country as populous as ours,” Martins tweeted.

Bolsonaro has downplayed the coronavirus by repeatedly calling it a “little flu” and insisting that closing businesses and issuing stay-at-home recommendations will ultimately cause more hardship by wrecking the economy. Bolsonaro fired his first health minister for going against him and backing restrictions put in place by Brazil’s governors. His second minister also resigned after openly breaking with Bolsonaro over widespread prescription of the antimalarial drug chloroquine for coronavirus treatment.

AT A cemetery in Yemen’s largest southern city, dozens of fresh graves were a testament to a spike in deaths amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The cemetery workers who bury them don’t know what killed the newly deceased. But there’s no denying that there’s been an increasing number of people getting sick in the port city of Aden — likely from the coronavirus.

Many are buried with few precautions and only a small number of attendees. Workers wear masks or cover their faces with a cloth.

Mohammed Ebeid, a gravedigger in Aden, said there’s been five times the normal traffic, with 51 burials in the last week at the cemetery where he works.

“This is something strange, we’ve never seen it before,” he said.

The international aid group Doctors Without Borders has reported a spike in deaths and infections from coronavirus, including health workers at a facility it runs in the city. Residents of Aden had previously said several hospitals shut their doors, as health care workers feared contracting the virus while lacking protective equipment.

The spike has also exposed the extent of the virus’s spread in the wartorn country.

Caroline Seguin, Doctors Without Borders’ operations manager for Yemen, said the mortality rate at their facility treating COVID-19 patients was “very, very high,” and that a lot of people have arrived “almost dead, or already dead.” The group said in a the high number of deaths at its COVID-19 treatment center in Aden “speaks to a wider catastrophe unfolding in the city.”

PAGE 12, Monday, May 25, 2020

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Page 16

MONDAY, MAY 25, 2020

Athletes named on Academic All-Summit League teams

NORTMANN RE-SIGNS WITH NEW CLUB IN ICELAND

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

ahamian quarter-miler Bradley Dormeus, high hurdler Sasha Wells and sprinter Kayvon Stubbs were among six Oral Roberts University athletes named on the 2020 Outdoor Track and Field Academic All-Summit League Teams.

The league made the announcement on Thursday as Oral Roberts set a programme record for most honourees with Dormeus, Wells and Stubbs were joined by teammates Bryce Choate, Matthew Robbins and Makayla Ayres.

To be eligible for the Academic All-League team, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.30 (on a 4.0 scale), completed at least one full academic year at the current institution.

Nominations are brought forth by sports information directors from the league’s eight institutions that carry track and field, and voting is conducted by both the SIDs and facility athletic representatives (FARs).

Each team is made up of the 15 student-athletes receiving the most votes with all ties standing.

Dormeus, Wells nor Stubbs got a chance to display their skills on the track this year as the NCAA shut down the outdoor season in March due to the spread of the COVID19 pandemic.

Dormeus, a graduate of CR Walker Secondary High, recently completed his sophomore season as one of the top sprinters in The Summit League as a six-time league champion in just two years.

In the classroom, he has posted a 3.32 GPA while majoring in international business with a Spanish minor.

Dormeus scored 10 points at the 2020 Summit League Indoor Championships after scoring 18.5 points in 2019, thanks to a league record in the 400 metre dash, and posted 11 points at the 2019 Summit League Outdoor Championships.

Dormeus had a pretty good 2019 campaign where he earned AllSummit League outdoor title as a member of Oral Roberts’ 4 x 400m relay team and was runner-up in the 400m.

Indoors, he doubled as champion in the 400m and on the Golden

MEN’S senior national basketball team member Robert Nortmann re-signed in Iceland for another year with a new club.

The 32-year-old veteran forward will join Fjolnir Reykjavik of Iceland’s Division I. It will mark his second season in the country’s top division after he spent last season with Sindiri. In nine games with the club he averaged 16.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.

Prior to Iceland, he competed for the Guelph Nighthawks in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL).

The nine-year veteran has played professionally across three continents, including stints in Australia (Maitland Mustangs), Germany (Gladiators and Walter Tigers), Italy (Francavilla) and Canada (Halifax Rainmen, Island Storm and Windsor Express).

The former Dalhousie Tiger was a member of the programme’s Atlantic University Sport’s Tournament championship winning teams in 2009 and 2011.

Nortmann was also voted All-AUS 2nd Team back in 2012. Prior to his time in Australia, Nortmann was in camp with the Raptors 905 NBA D-League team and also served as a development player for the Harlem Globetrotters.

At the national team level, Nortmann has competed for The Bahamas at various tournaments in recent years.

He made his national team debut in 2018 as the Bahamas competed in Group D of the first two windows at the FIBA Basketball World Cup – Americas Qualifiers, both at home and in the Dominican Republic. He also represented Bahamas at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Barranquilla, Colombia, where the team finished sixth.

B

SASHA WELLS

BRADLEY DORMEUS

KAYVON STUBBS

Eagles’ 4 x 400m relay team, while placing third in the 200m.

He has also made it to the NCAA Outdoor West Preliminaries Qualifier where he placed 38th in the 400m in 47.73 and on their Golden Eagles’ 4 x 400m relay team that was 21st in 3:11.49.

Dormeus has posted a lifetime achievement of 21.43 seconds in the 200m, 46.65 in the 400m and 1:12.86 in the 600m, Wells, who was home-schooled before she enroled at Oral Roberts, now has been named to the academic team in every season eligible in her ORU career, earning the honour twice for indoor and twice during the outdoor season, along with the league honour roll three times.

A perfect 4.00 GPA as a History major, Wells was recognised as the Most Outstanding Championship Performer at this year’s indoor meet and Track Championship MVP at both the league’s 2019 indoor and outdoor meets.

The daughter of Oral Roberts’ alumni and former sprinter Renward Wells (now the Minister of Transport and Local Government), was chosen as The Summit League Women’s Indoor Track and Field

Athlete of the Year in 2019 and 2020 and is a 13-time All-Summit League honouree.

Wells, whose older brother Sethren Wells graduates this year as a hurdler, currently holds the school’s records in the indoor 60m hurdles at 8.30 and the 100m hurdles outdoors at 13.39.

Among her other career honours are All-Summit League outdoor champion in the 100m, 100m hurdles and 4 x 100m relay as well as the 200m runner-up. Indoors, she was the All-Summit League 60m and 60m hurdles champion and 200m third place finisher.

And she capped off the year by ending up 19th in the NCAA Outdoor West Preliminaries Qualifier in the 100m hurdles. That came off her freshman year in 2018 when she didn’t finish her race in the 100m hurdles in the same meet.

Also two years ago, Wells was runner-up in the 60m hurdles at the All-Summit indoor and ended up in third place in the All-Summit League outdoor 100m hurdles.

Stubbs, another former home schooled student, is honoured with the academic award for the third time in her career, earning a 3.80 GPA while majoring in cinema

television digital media. A 10-time All-Summit League selection, including four times last outdoor season, she has been named to the league honour roll all three years.

Stubbs claimed the league title in the 200 metre dash for the second consecutive championship during the indoor season and won the 200 metre dash, 4 x 100 relay and 4 x 400 relay at last year’s outdoor meet.

She was a three-time All-Summit League outdoor champion in the 200m and as a member on both the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400m relay teams, while earning runner-up honor in the 100m.

During the All-Summit League indoor, Stubbs won the 200m and competed on the Golden Eagles’ 4 x 400m relay team.

In 2018, she was the runner-up in the 200m indoors at the All-Summit League championships.

She has produced lifetime best times of 7.70 in the 60m indoors and 11.85 in the century and 23.62 in the half-lap race outdoors.

Dormeus, Wells and Stubbs were all former representatives of the Bahamas at the CARIFTA Games, the top regional track and field event.

Studd: Izaak Bastian ‘is a model student-athlete’

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net IZAAK Bastian continues to receive academic accolades for the past season, most recently by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

The Florida State Seminoles sophomore was named to the organisation’s 2020 Academic First-Team All-District team which recognises the nation’s top student-athletes for their

combined athletic and Bastian, along with other academic achievements.

First-Team selections “Izaak is a model stufrom district four, (which dent-athlete,” FSU head includes NCAA Division coach Neal Studd said.

I institutions from Ala“He’s one of those kids bama, Georgia, Florida, you want 10 more of on South Carolina and Puerto your team. We emphasise Rico) will advance to the the importance of workCoSIDA Academic Alling hard in the classroom America ballot. Academic and that’s reflected in our All-America honourees BASTIAN team GPAs this year. I will be announced from am so proud of Izaak for June 16-19. He was also what he’s done both in and out of a member of the 2020 All-ACC the pool this year.” academic team.

In the pool, Bastian was named an All-American by the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America for 100 Breast, and 400 Medley Relay.

Within the Seminoles programme he was also given the Coaches’ Award.

At ACC Championships, Bastian highlighted his performance with a pair of medals, including a bronze medal in the 100 breast.

He reached the medal podium in a personal best time of 52.36 seconds. He now stands at second

all-time in Seminoles history, several tenths off the record of 52.11 set in 2015.

It was the first individual ACC Championship medal of Bastian’s two-year collegiate career. Bastian also swam the 50 free and finished 25th overall in 20.02.

He was also 14th overall in the 200 breast in 1:57.42. He was also a member of the silver medal winning 200 medley team that finished in an NCAA provisional time of 1:24.51. Bastian split 22.93 on his leg of the relay.

PAGE 14, Monday, May 25, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

MESSI’S BACK: SPANISH SOCCER LEAGUE SET TO RESUME IN JUNE

By JOSEPH WILSON Associated Press BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Lionel Messi’s Barcelona and the rest of the Spanish league can resume play in June after three months of waiting for the coronavirus pandemic to subside.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced Saturday that the nation’s wildly popular La Liga and other professional sports competitions will be allowed to resume from June 8, providing Spain keeps its coronavirus outbreak in check.

While the top tier can play from this date, which is a Monday, it has already said it wants to restart on June 12, a Friday. It is unclear when the first games will be held.

“Of course, play will resume under conditions that guarantee the maximum health security for all the competitors,” Sánchez said.

There has been no play in the top tier since March 12 due to the coronavirus crisis.

“We are very pleased with the decision. It is the result of the great work

of clubs, players, coaches, CSD (Spain’s sports authority), agents, etc,” Spanish league president Javier Tebas wrote on Twitter.

“But we cannot lower our guard. It is important to follow health regulations and ensure the pandemic doesn’t come back.”

Barcelona tops the table at two points above Real Madrid after 27 of 38 rounds. Messi recently said that he thinks the hiatus could “end up benefiting us.”

Teams have recently returned to training at club facilities, but with players practicing individually.

Players are also undergoing regular tests for the coronavirus, a decision that has brought criticism given the scarcity of tests for average citizens.

Earlier this month, the league said five players had tested positive for the virus and were confined until they recover. They were all without symptoms and recovering from the disease, according to the league. They were to be allowed to resume practicing after testing negative in two consecutive tests.

The interruption to the season forced

several clubs, including Barcelona, to reduce player salaries because of a drop in revenues.

Barcelona’s first match is scheduled to be at Mallorca but there is still no date set.

The German league resumed last week with teams playing in stadiums without fans.

Spanish authorities have yet to announce what health measures will be in place when play restarts.

But before the Spanish league was stopped there were plans to hold games without fans as the virus began its spread into Europe.

The league has said the total losses for not finishing the season because of the pandemic could reach nearly 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion). The losses if the league resumes with matches in empty stadiums would be about 300 million euros.

Spain has confirmed more than 28,000 deaths from COVID-19. The health situation, however, has improved in recent weeks as a strict government lockdown that has closed stores and kept people indoors greatly reduced the spread of the virus.

CARDBOARD pictures of fans ahead of the German first division Bundesliga football match Borussia Moenchengladbach and Bayer 04 Leverkusen on Saturday in Moenchengladbach, western Germany.

(Ina Fassbender/pool via AP)

THOUSANDS OF REPLICA FANS TAKE OVER BUNDESLIGA STADIUM

By J ELLINGWORTH AP Sports Writer DÜSSELDORF, Germany (AP) — Even when German fans are stuck at home, they can still be seen in the stadium.

Around 13,000 cutouts filled the stands on Saturday as Borussia Mönchengladbach hosted Bayer Leverkusen in a Bundesliga game which could help decide Champions League qualification.

Gladbach fans took pictures at home in a shirt or scarf and paid 19 euros ($20.70) to be turned into one of the “Pappkameraden” or “cardboard companions.” Season-ticket holders have their cutout placed in their usual spot, though some fan groups denounced the idea.

“It’s better to play in front of dolls than nothing at all,” Leverkusen coach Peter Bosz said before the game.

It was Gladbach’s first at home since the Bundesliga restarted without spectators amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The cutouts didn’t do Gladbach much good on Saturday. Leverkusen won 3-1 to overtake Gladbach for third in the table, as Gladbach missed good chances to score late on.

“Despite that it still looks really super,” Gladbach right back Stefan Lainer said. “It creates a certain atmosphere.”

Coach Marco Rose and some of his players were also in the stands in twodimensional form, along with greats of the club’s past. They include Günter Netzer, who won the West German title with Gladbach in 1970 and 1971 and the World Cup in 1974.

There’s even an away end with pictures of supporters from Leverkusen and other clubs.

Gladbach said it was a nonprofit initiative with proceeds going to charity.

Gladbach’s form this season has echoed its golden age from the 1970s.

The club led the table early in the season and is still fighting for a Champions League spot.

Not all of the real-life fans like their cutout counterparts.

Some groups oppose continuing the season without spectators and feel the cutouts legitimise that.

“Football without fans is nothing,” read a large banner placed at one end of the stadium on Saturday.

“For Borussia, against ghost games,” read another.

“The bleak backdrop of empty stadiums is exactly what these games represent and deserve,” the Sottocultura group of Gladbach fans said in a statement.

“We consider the initiative with the cardboard figures to be counterproductive.

We understand the wellmeaning, charitable idea behind it, but we consider the signal to be the wrong one.”

Gladbach isn’t the first club to try replacing fans with doppelgangers during the coronavirus pandemic.

Before the Bundesliga restarted, Belarus was the only country in Europe playing league games.

Champion club Dynamo Brest printed off photos sent by supporters abroad and attached them to shop mannequins wearing a motley variety of old shirts.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, May 25, 2020, PAGE 15

NBA says it is talking with Disney about resuming season

RUSSELL WINS VIRTUAL F1 MONACO GP, LECLERC 3RD

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer

By The Associated Press

THE NBA is in talks with The Walt Disney Company on a single-site scenario for a resumption of play in Central Florida in late July, the clearest sign yet that the league believes the season can continue amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The National Basketball Players Association is also part of the talks with Disney, the league said Saturday. Games would be held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, a massive campus on the Disney property near Orlando.

NBA spokesman Mike Bass said the conversations were still “exploratory,” and that the Disney site would be used for practices and housing as well.

“Our priority continues to be the health and safety of all involved, and we are working with public health experts and government officials on a comprehensive set of guidelines to ensure that appropriate medical protocols and protections are in place,” Bass said.

The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is a 255-acre campus with multiple arenas that could host games simultaneously and

has been home to, among other things, the Jr NBA World Championship in recent years. ESPN, one of the NBA’s broadcast partners, is primarily owned by Disney.

Space won’t be an issue, even if Major League Soccer — which is also in talks to resume its season at Disney — is there at the same time as the NBA. The entire Disney complex is roughly 40 square miles, with nearly 24,000 hotel rooms owned or operated by Disney within the campus.

The NBA suspended its season March 11, becoming the first of the US major pro leagues to do so after it was revealed that All-Star centre Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz tested positive for COVID-19.

The list of NBA players who were known to test positive eventually grew to 10 — not all were identified — and Commissioner Adam Silver said last month that the actual total was even higher.

But the league has been working on countless return-to-play scenarios for several weeks, all with the caveat that testing would be an integral part of any resumption of the season.

It remains unknown where the NBA is in the process of securing tests

BIRCHAM, FROM PAGE 1 carrying a weapon at the time of the offence. But aggravated battery with a deadly weapon is a second-degree felony in Florida, and if found guilty can result in a prison sentence of up to 15 years for first time offenders, as well as a fine of $10,000.

Reports indicated that Bircham was appointed as technical director of the BFA in March, in a role which he oversees the men’s, women’s and youth teams, as well as a centre of excellence.

But according to BFA’s president Sealey, they had not yet officially inked the deal on Bircham’s two-year contract, which allowed him to replace former TD Garry Markham.

“We made an offer to him, which he accepted, but we haven’t signed a contract,” he said. “An offer was made, which he accepted, but the

SILVER (AP) or developing large-scale testing protocols. Also unclear: how many regular-season games would be played before the postseason begins — or if all 30 teams would be playing. The league has asked team general managers for additional input on those matters.

Jared Dudley of the Los Angeles Lakers said in a conference call with reporters on Wednesday that he believes the playoffs, whenever they start, will be the traditional bestof-seven format.

“That’s the moneywinner when it comes

to Disney,” Dudley said.

“That’s why we’ll be in Orlando. Disney owns ESPN. That’s where they make their money. During the playoffs and finals, it will all be seven games.

That one I’m almost 100 per cent sure of.”

Central Florida has been known as a viable option to host an NBA restart since at least mid-April, and other cities — such as Las Vegas, which also has a longstanding relationship with the NBA — were known to be considered as well.

Florida has confirmed just over 50,000 COVID19 cases, though more than half of those are in MiamiDade, Broward and Palm Beach counties and not in the Orlando area.

Governor Ron DeSantis has said he wants the state open for pro sports, even telling franchises not based in Florida that they could come to the Sunshine State and train if restrictions preventing it existed in their own locales.

“Places are opening up.

Let’s not forget COVID isn’t magically less contagious now,” Malcolm Miller of the Toronto Raptors tweeted Saturday.

“The virus itself didn’t get better... stay safe.”

Teams have been allowed to welcome

contract was not offiSince hanging up his cially signed.” boots in 2009, the LonAlthough the BFA’s doner has held a number offer was made in March, of coaching roles - includSealey said they are ing as caretaker manager aware of Bircham’s inciat Loftus Road for one dent last week, but they game alongside Kevin are still not clear as to all Gallen that same year. of the circumstances surHe has also worked rounding his arrest. at Millwall - as well as “We have to wait until stateside as an assistant BIRCHAM they get the details and manager at MLS side the facts surrounding Chicago Fire - as well as the incident before we can really Arizona United. comment any further,” Sealey said.

Sealey said while Markham’s “We don’t want to presume the guy contract ended a year ago, they guilty until he’s proven as such. kept him as they worked on getting “But we are aware of the inci- a replacement for him this year. dent and we will discuss the way He noted that they were waiting forward with our committee once on Bircham’s arrival to complete we have all of the facts and make the new deal, but the Bahamas a determination one way or the government closed the borders other.” due to the spread of the coronaviAfter starting his career with rus before he could get in town.

Millwall, Bircham spent five years As they now contemplate their at Loftus Road between 2002-2007 next move, with or without Birwhere he became a fan favourite. cham, depending on the outcome

players back to their training facilities for voluntary sessions since May 8, and more than half of the league’s franchises have taken advantage of that opportunity.

The next steps along a return-to-play path would likely include a loosening of the restrictions for those voluntary workouts — no more than four players are currently allowed inside any facility at a time — and then a plan for when training camps could open. If the league plans to resume play in late July, then camps conceivably could open around the start of that month.

Rescheduling at least some regular season games could be a major perk for players, even though some teams are out of the playoff mix.

The league can take about 1.08 per cent of a player’s salary for each regular season game that is not played if what the collective bargaining agreement between the league and its players describes as a “Force Majeure Event,” the legal term for unforeseeable circumstances such as an epidemic or pandemic, is enacted.

The more regular season games played, the less money the players will lose.

of his case, Sealey said the BFA is abiding by the rules initiated by the health officials and are working on the resumption of sports in the country.

“We have written to the BOC (Bahamas Olympic Committee) and the Ministry of Sports to see whether our national team can resume training, but we haven’t heard anything from them yet,” he said.

“But like everybody else, we have shut down everything and just waiting on when we can resume our activities in some form, shape or fashion. We are in the process of putting the necessary protocols in place like the sanitation stations and other items in our bathrooms once we resume again.”

The BFA’s head office is located on Rosetta Street, but their main field of operation is at the Roscoe Davies Developmental Center at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

JERRY SLOAN, COACHING GREAT OF JAZZ GLORY DAYS, DIES AT 78

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer JERRY Sloan walked up the steps to the stage at the Basketball Hall of Fame to give his enshrinement speech in 2009, almost as if he were dreading what the next few minutes would bring.

He never wanted the spotlight.

“This is pretty tough for me,” Sloan said that night.

Talking about himself, that wasn’t easy. But basketball, he always made that seem simple.

Sloan, who spent 23 years as coach of the Utah Jazz and took the team to the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998, died Friday at 78.

The team said that for four years he had Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia.

Sloan presided over the glory days of the John Stockton and Karl Malone pick-and-roll-to-perfection era in Salt Lake City. He is fourth on the NBA’s victory list.

“Before coming to Utah, I was certainly aware of Coach Sloan and what he meant to the NBA and to the coaching world,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder said Friday.

“But, upon living in Utah, I became acutely aware of just how much he truly meant to the state.”

Sloan was a two-time All-Star as a player with the Chicago Bulls, led his alma mater, Evansville, to a pair of NCAA college division national championships and was an assistant coach on the 1996 US Olympic team that won a gold medal at the Atlanta

Games. He fell in love with the game as a student in a one-room Illinois schoolhouse, never forgetting his roots.

“His more than 40 years in the NBA also paralleled a period of tremendous growth in the league, a time when we benefited greatly from his humility, kindness, dignity and class,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said.

Sloan often said numbers meant nothing to him.

That’s a shame, because he has so many to marvel.

Sloan had 1,221 NBA coaching wins, behind only Lenny Wilkens, Don Nelson and Gregg Popovich.

And Sloan’s 23 seasons with the Jazz are the second-longest string with one team in NBA history; Popovich is in his 24th season with the San Antonio Spurs.

“We lost one of the giants of basketball, not only of the NBA variety but basketball in general,” said longtime NBA executive Rod Thorn, who hired Sloan as coach of the Bulls in 1979.

“No one ever played harder. He was a very, very good player and then became one of the top coaches in the history of the NBA.” Out of Sloan’s 23 seasons with the Jazz, the team finished below the .500 mark only once. He’s one of five coaches to roam the sidelines for at least 2,000 games, and the only one of those five with a winning percentage better than .600.

And he was revered as a player with the Bulls, and

JERRY SLOAN (AP) his No. 4 jersey was the first retired by the franchise.

“Loyalty was his badge of honour and his nononsense approach to competition was perfect for the game,” said Miami Heat President Pat Riley, the fellow Hall of Famer who called it a privilege to coach against Sloan.

“Jerry will go down in history as one of the most admired great winners and respected teachers of basketball ever.”

Sloan spent 34 years in the Jazz organisation, as head coach, assistant, scout or senior basketball adviser.

Sloan started as a scout, was promoted as an assistant under Frank Layden in 1984 and became the sixth coach in franchise history on December 9, 1988, after Layden resigned.

“Like Stockton and Malone as players, Jerry Sloan epitomised the organisation,” the Jazz said in a statement.

“He will be greatly missed.”

Sloan retired as coach of the Jazz abruptly in 2011, amid reports of conflict with Deron Williams, the team’s point guard at the time.

Williams, in an Instagram post Friday, said he was “blessed” to play for Sloan.

“I know things didn’t end well between us in Utah, however I’m glad that I got the chance to sit down with him before it was too late,” Williams wrote. “Definitely something that would have haunted me for the rest of my life.”

FORMULA One driver George Russell won the virtual Monaco Grand Prix race by a large margin on the day the iconic race would have been held.

The 22-year-old British driver, who races for the Williams team in F1, finished 39 seconds ahead of former F1 driver Esteban Gutiérrez of Mexico.

Charles Leclerc, who is from Monaco and lives near the actual race track’s start line, finished in third place.

He was 15 seconds behind Gutiérrez.

The 22-year-old Leclerc’s younger brother, Arthur Leclerc, was fifth — behind F1 Red Bull driver Alexander Albon.

F1 has been holding virtual races because the real series has not started this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The first 10 races have been either postponed or cancelled outright.

Monaco was cancelled for the first time in 66 years.

Virtual racing has proved popular during lockdowns around the world, and Sunday’s event featured prolific Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, and big-wave surfer Kai Lenny. ___ BATE Borisov has won the Belarusian Cup with thousands of fans watching in a rare case of a soccer trophy being decided during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Belarus soccer federation said that 5,761 tickets were sold for the game.

That was only a fraction of the stadium’s capacity so that fans would be spaced around the arena. However, many supporters ignored the seating arrangements to sit in groups and most did not wear masks. BATE beat Dynamo Brest 1-0 with a goal from defender Zakhar Volkov from a corner right at the end of extra time.

Belarus has not stopped holding public gatherings with spectators. ___ New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says teams in his state can return to their facilities for training after a pause of more than two months. “Starting today, all the New York professional sports leagues will be able to begin training camps,” the Democratic governor said during a news conference Sunday.

The New York City area was one of the hardesthit parts of the U.S. by the coronavirus pandemic, but COVID-19 deaths and new infections in the state have been trending downward.

Major League Baseball, the NBA and the NHL are discussing the resumption of their seasons with their players’ unions.

“I believe that sports that can come back without having people in the stadium, without having people in the arena — do it!

Do it!” Cuomo said. “Work out the economics, if you can. We want you up. We want people to be able to watch sports. To the extent people are still staying home, it gives people something to do. It’s a return to normalcy.”

PAGE 16, Monday, May 25, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Woods, Brady win a TV charity match as good as real thing

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer TOM Brady delivered the shot of the match that made it easy to forget the rest of his swings. Tiger Woods didn’t miss a fairway and earned a small measure of revenge against Phil Mickelson.

The PGA Tour is set to return in just over two weeks, and it has a tough act to follow.

In the second and final charity match that brought live golf to TV, this exhibition was as entertaining as the real thing.

Woods lagged a long birdie putt close enough that his partner, Peyton Manning, didn’t have to putt. That secured a 1-up victory over Mickelson and Brady in “The Match: Champions for Charity.”

The goal was to raise $10 million or more for COVID-19 relief funds, and online donations sent money climbing toward about twice that much.

This made-for-TV exhibition would have have worth pay-per-view, the model Woods and Mickelson used for a $9 million winner-take-all match in Las Vegas over Thanksgiving weekend in 2018 that Mickelson won in a playoff under lights. It felt forced, lacked banter and turned out to free because of technical issues.

Throw in two NFL greats in Brady and Manning, and this allowed viewers to ride along for 18 holes at Medalist Golf Club among four of the biggest stars in sport.

Justin Thomas pitched in as an on-course reporter, bringing a mixture of humour and insight with the right amount of words.

Woods and Manning took the lead on the third hole

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and never trailed, building a 3-up lead in fourballs on the front nine, with Manning making two birdies (one was a net par).

Brady, whose six Super Bowl titles are more than any NFL quarterback in history, took a beating on social media and in the broadcast booth from Charles Barkley, who twice offered $50,000 of his own money toward charity if Brady just hit the green on a par 3. He missed so far right it would be comparable to a pass that landed three rows into the stands.

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton weighed in on Twitter, noting Brady signing as a free agent with Tampa Bay by saying he liked the “Florida” Brady much better.

Brooks Koepka offered $100,000 if Brady could just make a par.

One shot shut everyone up.

Never mind that Brady had to take a penalty drop before getting back to the fairway on the par-5 seventh. With his fourth shot, with Barkley needling him relentlessly, Brady’s shot landed beyond the pin and spun back into the cup.

“Shut your mouth, Chuck,” said Brady, whose microphone piece dangled off the back of his pants.

Woods still thought he won the hole with a 25-foot eagle putt that instead spun hard off the back of the lip.

All that, and they ended up halving the hole.

Donations for COVID19 relief funds kept piling up, and the entertainment didn’t stop even as the rain returned. It caused a 45-minute delay at the start, and as Woods said on the practice range, “I don’t normally play in conditions like this.”

TIGER WOODS, left, and Phil Mickelson share a laugh on the 11th tee box while playing a practice round for the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. on April 3, 2018. (AP)

NEW England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, left, and Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning speak to one another following the NFL football AFC championship game in Denver on January 24, 2016.

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski) Mickelson brought out Tour. Woods shot 75 that putt to stay 1 down with his “Tiger Slayer” putter day. two to play. that he used to shoot 64 at It didn’t help Lefty with The back nine was modiPebble Beach in 2012, the a few critical birdie putts to fied alternate shot — all last time they were in the square the match, though players hit tee shots, and final group on the PGA he rolled in a 15-foot par it was alternate shot from

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there. It was key for the quarterbacks to find the fairway for the pros to hit shots into the green, and Brady came through until the 18th.

Woods was playing for the first time since February 16 when he finished last at Riviera in Los Angeles.

He chose not to play the next four weeks with his back not feeling just right, and then the pandemic shut down golf and sports worldwide.

Woods looked sharp for the most part, with his game and his words. Mickelson on the fifth hole asked Woods to mark his ball from some 80 yards away.

“You want me to mark with a US Open medal,” said Woods, a three-time champion of the only major Mickelson hasn’t won.

“Do you have one? I have some silver ones,” Mickelson said, referring to his record six runner-up finishes.

Mickelson boasted about taking Woods down on his home course at Medalist, and now their TV matches are tied at 1, even with each getting a little help. Mickelson says he was a little nervous on the front nine until he found his groove, driving the green on the par-4 11th with Brady making a 20-footer for eagle that began their rally.

“Phil said he was nervous. I know Tom and I were comparing notes,” Manning said. “To be behind the ropes in these guys’ worlds, to be in the arena with them, it was really a special experience. I was not comfortable the entire time. Knowing $20 million was raised and helping people going through tough times, it was an honour to be invited. “It’s something I’ll always remember.”

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