05272017 weekend

Friday, May 26, 2017

arts books film weddings gardening fitness history food

Weekend

BELLES OF THE BALL Pages 14&15

A modern romp Sparking a gender debate Fashion, pages 11&12 FREE iPhone SE 64GB

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02 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, May 26, 2017

life through a lens

Fashion forward at the opening of Parliament

T

he official opening of Parliament after a general election is always considered a grand affair. And an event of this nature calls for all those attending to don their finest fashions.

Enthusiastic spectators lining Rawson Square on Wednesday clamoured to catch a glimpse of the new Members of Parliament, but especially of the ladies’ styles, as they walked towards the House of Assembly.

The bright colours and designer silhouettes of the women’s dresses set the mood for an eagerly anticipated segment of the official opening ceremonies.

Popular was Pat Minnis, the wife of Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, who wore a white dress with a floral print and matching fuchsia accessories.

Other fashionable ladies included Robin Symonette, wife of newly-appointed Minister of Financial Services Brent Symonette, who stepped out in shades of white and silver.

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for Sea Breeze Lanisha Rolle was very formal in a classic black and white combo with silver accessories.

Have you taken a selection of photographs that might make a Life through a lens feature page? If so please submit it to weekend@ tribunemedia.net for consideration

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Friday, May 26, 2017

Inside Weekend Interview 4 - 5 Natario McKenzie talks to Lavardo Smith, a fitness enthusiast who overcame hardship to become a successful business owner.

Books 6 Abaco author celebrates ‘Those Who Stayed’ with special book signing

Food 7 Biggity Boutique and Bistro offers a home-grown menu

Weddings 8-9 Reality TV star is impressed with Bahamian bridal vendors

Fashion 10 - 11 Male rompers spark gender debate, plus local designers to showcase at New York’s Full-Figured Fashion Week

Art 13 Rotary Club of Sunset takes art enthusiasts on a special journey with their second annual Art Fusion social

Belles of the ball 14-15 Cancer Society of the Bahamas’ 16th annual gala ball

Desserts 17 All things ‘Sugar and Spice’

Gardening 19 Shrubs say, ‘No sex, please.’

Health and fitness 20 - 21

Regina Smith on the best post-workout stretches for walkers and runners

Literary Lives 22 - 25 How Father Jerome John Hawes became the hermit of Cat Island

Forgotten Facts 25 Are the waters off Bimini the site of the fabled lost city of Atlantis?

Animals 27 The tale of a green heron called ‘Poor Joe’, plus Pet of the Week

Cover photo | ACED Design

My perfect Bahamian weekend Rashante Bain Nail technician Q: Saturday breakfast or Sunday lunch?

“Sunday lunch, because it’s more relaxing and it gives me time to think about what I want to eat and not worry about rushing to work.”

Q: Wine, rum, cocktail or Kalik?

“Wine and cocktail, because I like variety.”

Q: Beach or sofa?

“Beach! There is more scenery on the beach and I can chill in a nice cool corner.”

Q: What is one thing you can’t live without?

“I cannot live without food. I’m such a foodie person. It’s so much more than just eating. I love trying new dishes.”

Q: Weekend away, where would you go and why?

“I would take a getaway to a nice quiet island to have fun and, relax

Things 2 Do this weekend Friday • Salsa and Spice Latin Night and Pig Roast Time: 7pm Venue: Sapodilla Enjoy live entertainment, salsa, samba, bachata and conga. RSVP by calling 327-2161

Saturday

• Special Olympics Bahamas Track and Field Nationals Time: 9.30am - 3.30pm Venue: Thomas A Robinson Stadium Special Olympics athletes from Abaco, Eleuthera, Exuma, Grand Bahama and New Providence come together to compete in traditional and developmental events. Admission is free.

• Lupus 242 Health Talk Time: 12noon - 2pm Venue: Harry C Moore Library at the University of the Bahamas Rheumatologist Dr K Neil Parker will be on hand to discuss the illness and

offer health screenings. Refreshments will also be served.

• Senior Wellness Day hosted by Jemi Health and Wellness Time: 12noon - 3pm Venue: Jemi Health and Wellness, The Caves Village This is a special event designed to help seniors develop healthy habits in and out of the gym. Admission is free.

• CurlyFest Bahamas Time: 2pm - 8pm Venue: Craft Cottage at Doongalik Studios, Village Road The one-day experience is dedicated to the natural beauty and hair magic of the Bahamas. General admission is $5 and kids under six are free. VIP tickets, which include a gift bag, are $10.

• Cookout & Family Fun Day Time: 12.30pm - 6.30pm Venue: RM Bailey Park Hosted by the Mothers and Daughters Vessels of Honour Ministries International, the cookout seeks to raise funds for its upcoming

global conference of kingdom women.

• Art After Dark Time: 9pm - 2am Venue: Bistro Underground A platform for millennials to exhibit, network, connect and party.

Interested persons are asked to RSVP prior to the event at www.cayradio1. com.

Sunday

• Yodephy Dance & Modelling Academy presents ‘Dance Now and Forever’ Time: 2.30pm Venue: Atlantis Theatre, Paradise Island

• Heineken Escape – Amsterdam Time: 4pm Venue: Twisted Lime, Sandyport Following the New Orleans’s Mardi Gras and 1930s New York experiences, Heineken is now recreating its Dutch home.

Experience an interactive brewery tour, live art, and Sandyport Harbour rides. The dress code is casual.

04 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, May 26, 2017

interview He is a product of rape, but Lavardo Smith did not let his rough start in life deter him from ascending to the heights he dreamed of. With hard work and dedication, he was able to launch a successful fitness company. Now, he tells Natario McKenzie, he hopes to inspire others to strive for ownership and even dreams of starting a foundation to assist local athletes who are without the financial resources to attend college.

Lavardo Smith

F

itness is about more than simply exercise for trainer and Get Fit With Smith founder Lavardo Smith. For the local entrepreneur, fitness is an art of expression and lifestyle, which over the past several years he has transformed into a movement, a business, and ultimately, a family affair.

The movement, he said, began in earnest after the birth of his daughter when his wife expressed a desire to lose weight.

“I would take her on the beach to work out. Although our core focus is not weight loss, but rather fitness, when people saw us working out together and how she went from a size 14 suit to a size 8, that piqued a lot of persons’ interest. My wife and I started with just three people on the beach.”

Their business was officially launched in 2013 and outgrew its first location within the first year. Today, the Smiths’ gym in the heart of the Carmichael Road community has 400 active clients.

Like many Bahamian entrepreneurs, Mr Smith, an ex-Marine with an inclination

“I want people to see that they can make it. They don’t need to make excuses or take on a victim mentality. I am the result of my mother being raped. I wasn’t aborted and I’m here today for the purpose I was created for, never mind the vehicle used to get me here.”

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Friday, May 26, 2017

for athletics, and his wife Rookmin, a former banker, left steady jobs to go all in for their business. And in fact, they credit it with saving their marriage.

“We used fitness to strengthen our relationship. We were literally on the verge of divorce. Working out together helped to solidify our bond, it opened the door for communication; to help us understand each other, our strengths and weaknesses.

Fitness was and still is therapeutic,” said Rookmin.

Get Fit With Smith offers more than just a workout, the couple said.

“Nothing is scripted; it’s a memorable experience that can’t be explained.

The workout comes from my head to the gym floor,” said Mr Smith.

Mrs Smith added: “What sets us apart is we’re not just a regular gym.

On no given day would any of our clients say they did the same workout. In one class you can do high-intensity cardio aerobics, military boot camp, and weight training. You’re not going to get that experience anywhere. There’s always an element of surprise.”

“We also do corporate fitness and athletic training. We welcome everyone. We have created wellness initiatives for many of our corporate clients, and on an ongoing basis we offer personal training for persons who may not want to be in a class setting. Our youngest client is our daughter, who is six, and our eldest is 72 and has a number of pre-existing conditions. The atmosphere is very welcoming and focused. We have beginners, intermediate and advanced.

We also provide modifications to the workout if we see that persons are not able to keep up with the pace.

The key is to keep moving” Mr Smith stressed that to be a successful business owner, one must have a vision and passion, but also pursue that vision consistently.

“There is no testimony without a test. A lot of people become discouraged, because while their eye is on the end goal, they don’t focus on the process to get there,” he said.

One of his goals is to create a foundation to assist local athletes who may not have the financial resources to go to college.

“I know what it was like being in that position and not have the money or anyone backing me to go off to college. I want to afford others the opportunity that was not given to me,” he said.

Mr Smith said he sees fitness as a way of expressing himself and hopes his story can help to inspire others.

“I want people to see that they can make it. They don’t need to make excuses or take on a victim mentality,” he said.

“I am the result of my mother being raped. I wasn’t aborted and I’m here today for the purpose I was created for, never mind the vehicle used to get me here.”

“No one should use the excuse that they didn’t have a father or mother or money or support. I’m still holding my head up with the support of my wife, family and others who continuously support me, especially Aliv Telecommunications, who saw the wisdom and necessity in what I am offering our Bahamian people.

Neither of us were born wealthy. I do not regret any experience I had in

“We used fitness to strengthen our relationship. We were literally on the verge of divorce. Working out together helped to solidify our bond.” my life. It has prepared for the man I am today.”

The Smiths want to urge aspiring and budding entrepreneurs to feel the fear and self-doubt, but to pursue their dreams anyway. They want people to invest in their passion.

“Get started with what’s right before you. Remain consistent; work hard and believe in yourself. What people say to you and about you is not a factor, it’s what you say to yourself. Constantly keep your mind

sharp in your craft, ever evolving.

Always listen to motivational speakers,” said Mr Smith.

“I invested in my passion and my vision. I had to remain consistent and work hard to get where I am, getting up 3am every morning to work out.

Hard work will pay off in the end.

• Follow Natario McKenzie as he explores small to medium businesses in the Bahamas by visiting justbiz242.com.

06 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, May 26, 2017

books

Celebrating ‘Those Who Stayed’ New coffee table book explores the history of Green Turtle Cay

L

ogos Bookstore in Nassau’s Harbour Bay Shopping Plaza will be welcoming Bahamian author Amanda Diedrick for a book signing event on Saturday, June 10, starting at 11am.

Mrs Diedrick, a descendant of Hope Town founder Wyannie Malone, as well as rumoured pirate Matthew Lowe, is the author of a newly released coffee table book, “Those Who Stayed – The Tale of the

Author Amanda Diedrick Hardy Few Who Built Green Turtle Cay”.

The book tells the story of the Lucayans, Eleutheran Adventurers, Loyalists and others, who over centuries, sought safety and refuge on Green Turtle and the surrounding cays.

The full-colour, 185-page book includes 200 historic images of Green Turtle Cay, two dozen oil paintings by world-renowned Bahamian artist and historian Alton Lowe, and several never-before-published, first-hand accounts of 20th century Abaco life.

“So much of Green Turtle Cay’s past isn’t immediately obvious,” said Mrs Diedrick. “You’d never know, for example, that there was once a large Lucayan village near Bita Bay, on the island’s east coast. Or that pirates like Calico Jack Rackham, Anne Bonny and Mary Read hid out in Black and White Sounds. Or that in the late 1800s, the cay’s population was four times what it is now and New Plymouth’s streets were lined with large, elegant homes. There was a dance hall, a theatre and even an orchestra. It’s difficult to reconcile all of this with the quaint, low-key town we know today.”

Since its Green Turtle Cay launch in January, “Those Who Stayed” has proven popular, and not just with Bahamians. “It’s amazing how many orders we’ve received from the United States, Canada and even Europe,” said Mrs Diedrick. “Some folks have roots in Abaco. Others just love the Bahamas and want to learn more about our history.”

“I’m especially touched by the people who buy copies for their children and grandchildren, because that was my vision from the start – a book that would be handed down through families.”

“I’m especially touched by the people who buy copies for their children and grandchildren,” she added, “because that was my vision from the start – a book that would be handed down through families. Our ancestors were incredibly brave and resilient. It’s important that we preserve their stories and share them with younger generations.”

Ricardo Munro, owner of Logos Bookstore, agreed. “This book is a must-have for everyone who truly wants to understand Bahamian history and where we come from,” he said.

Due to anticipated demand, customers are encouraged to pre-order their copies of “Those Who Stayed” prior to the June 10 event. Logos Bookstore is now accepting pre-orders and books may be collected at or following the book signing To learn more about the upcoming signing event or to pre-order “Those Who Stayed”, contact Logos Bookstore at 394-7040. For more information about the book or author, visit www.thosewhostayed.com.

Readers can also keep up with Mrs Diedrick on her blog, LittleHousebytheFerry.com, where she writes about Abaco history and documents the restoration of Fish Hooks Cottage, her ancestral home in Green Turtle Cay, Bahamas, a project she and her husband, Canadian journalist Tom Walters, began in 2014.

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Friday, May 26, 2017

food

Caffé latte served with guava and coconut tartlettes

Pea soup and dumplings

Cheese burger salad with Johnny cake croutons, pickles, garlic, pepper jack cheese, and locally grown greens.

Buffalo mozzarella salad with tomato, asparagus, red onions, Kalamata olives and locally grown greens

New bistro offers homegrown menu

By CARA HUNT cbrennen@tribunemedia.net

I

t may seem a bit strange to expand your business from selling candles and pepper sauce to include a café, but for Amanda Ferguson, the owner of the new Biggity Boutique and Bistro, it was a natural fit.

“I know that it may not be that common, but we really wanted to expand

our brand, and branching off into a small bistro where we could offer both food and some of our other items was just a natural, cohesive transition,” she told Tribune Weekend.

The new space located on Bay Street opened on April 1.

“We wanted to create a naturally relaxed ambiance where persons could still have the convenience of being downtown, but at the same time feel that they were not directly in the hustle and bustle of it all.

“We want our guests to feel comfortable, whether they want to dine with friends, or just grab a coffee, sit by the window and watch the traffic pass beneath them,” she said.

To achieve the desired ambiance, Ms Ferguson used all recycled and repurposed materials for the décor, creating

a fresh, clean dining area.

The café’s interior features old-fashioned tin laundry tubs which were refitted to be lamp shades; the tables and benches are made from old doors and wooden planks, and the centre island began its life as a BEC wire spool.

There is even a board with a special message from street philosopher Potcake encouraging patrons to enjoy the restaurant.

Art and decorations from local artisans as well as her signature Bahamian scented candles with flavours like Sky Juice and Juicy Mangra Sauce also fill out the space.

As for the menu, it rotates each week based on availability of local produce and other ingredients.

“This way, guests can always enjoy coming in and experiencing something

different each time,” said Ms Ferguson.

Like the space itself, the menu features fresh organic and locally inspired options.

“We partner with vendors with that same ideal, for example, Abaco Big Bird and a farm company called From Field to Fork, which is where we get all of our greens. We have a local baker who supplies all of our bread, so we are all about helping other local business as well,” she said.

Biggity’s menu includes a variety of deconstructed salads, hot items such as pea soup and dumplings, which has become one of the crowd favourites, sloppy joes and chicken salad sandwiches. There is also a breakfast and children’s menu.

Biggity is open Monday through Saturday from 8am to 5pm.

PHOTOS/SHAWN HANNA

A boutique dining experience

08 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, May 26, 2017

weddings

New bridal trends favour simple elegance

Monte Durham, fashion director on TLC’s ‘Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta’

‘Say Yes to the Dress’ star impressed with Bahamian weddings

By CARA HUNT cbrennen@tribunemedia.net

I

t was an evening of fashion, surprises and prizes as the fifth annual Five Seasons Bridal Runway Show 2017 got underway at Atlantis last Friday.

Featuring TLC’s ‘Say Yes to the Dress’ star Monte Durham, the event presented by Tennille Darville, owner of the Five Seasons Bridal boutique.

Mr Durham is an image consultant and the fashion director for Bridals by Lori, the Atlanta bridal salon where the hit TLC show is filmed.

Dozens of excited brides and their entourages flocked to the Imperial Ballroom at Atlantis for the chance to not only meet the charismatic reality TV star, but also to see some of the hottest designs in bridal wear for the 2017/18 season.

Prior to the show, several bridal vendors were on hand to showcase their wares to help brides-to-be make decisions on other elements of their weddings such as beverages, cakes, makeup, alcoholic drinks, invitation and reception design.

Mr Durham told Tribune Weekend that he was delighted to not only get the opportunity to enjoy the Atlantis resort and beach, but to mingle with local brides as well.

“When you hear about Bahamian weddings in the US there is this mis-

“When you hear about Bahamian weddings in the US there is this misconception that it’s all casual, laid-back weddings under the palm trees. But having seen some of the vendors here, I can see that Bahamians know how to throw amazing, beautiful events. I am very very impressed.” – Monte Durham

conception that it’s all casual, laid-back weddings under the palm trees. But having seen some of the vendors here, I can see that Bahamians know how to throw amazing, beautiful events. I am very very impressed.”

When it comes to bridal trends, Mr Durham noted that he still expects brides to be all over the board with their choices. However, he did note that many are shying away from the bare shoulder, strapless look which has dominated the runway for the past several years. Instead, they are choosing simpler and more demure gowns with more coverage at the neckline and with sleeves.

“You are always going to have that bride who wants to be a princess on that day, but we are seeing a lot of

Friday, May 26, 2017

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(PHOTOS/SHAWN HANNA)

The latest trends for brides-to-be and their guests were shown on the runway. brides opting for a more pared down look and choosing styles that have that 1950s flair to them – similar to the styles that we saw in the recent movie ‘Jackie’,” he explained.

Another trend from the past that Mr Durham said he is seeing more and more of are bows as a major design element of a dress.

However, he noted that these are not the bows which made the ‘Worst Bridal Gowns’ lists of the 1980s.

“The way designers are doing them now, they are very clean, very classy and very stylish,” he said.

The runway show featured bridal and bridesmaids designs from designers such as Hayley Paige, Lazaro, Maggie Sottero, Dessy and Watters.

During breaks between scenes, Mr Durham and his co-host Torrianna Sands entertained the crowd by giving away a number of wedding related prizes.

The two highlights of the show were the make-over of one lucky bride on the spot.

Bride-to-be Ashley was not only given a full make-over, but also the chance to walk the runway in a stunning Lazaro gown – taking her from fashion show guest to runway star in a matter of minutes.

The second highlight was when Jewel Knowles and Brandon Bastian won the grand prize of more than $5,000 in wedding prizes.

10 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, May 26, 2017

fashion

Local designers of full-figured fashion to exhibit in NYC

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

T

HE Bahamian designer duo of Cardell McClam and Christopher John will be given the opportunity of a lifetime when their Cardellicious brand is featured in New York’s Full-Figured Fashion Week next month.

More specifically, the designers’ Island Blossom collection will be featured on the runway when the prestigious event kicks off on June 10.

The invitation to exhibit during Full-Figured Fashion Week came after weeks of promoting Cardellicious’ Island Blossom collection.

It is the brand’s new Spring/Summer 2017 line inspired by the local island flora, the chic and relaxed feel of the culture of the Bahamas, the serenity of its waters and the warm sunsets.

Pieces that will be exhibited during the fashion week include swimsuits, tailored jumpsuits, maxi dresses and separates. The colours for the collection are named after indigenous flora, such as citrus bougainvillea, periwinkle, lemon hibiscus and the optic jasmine.

“Our collection is resort in nature and captures the transparency of our local butterfly. We premiered the collection on Sunday, May 29, 2016, at the Balmoral Club. We received sponsorship of 15 per cent of fabric from Carey’s Fabric Store. We featured three Bahamian leading ladies at this premiere show: Loretta ButlerTurner; Minister Necole Watson and Mericha Walker. All of whom we thank for being a part of this collection process,” the duo said.

“We are filled with excitement and are therefore incredibly pleased to be the first to represent Cardellicious – the full-figured fashion brand of the Bahamas, the

islands of the Bahamas and all its beautiful curvy women. It is quite the responsibility, but we are more than able to accomplish this task.”

The two designers, who have worked tirelessly over the years to offer more voluptuous Bahamian women unique and trendy clothing, said they are proud of having been chosen for New York’s FullFigured Fashion Week.

“Showcasing at Full-Figured Fashion Week NYC is a goal achieved. It’s not the end but rather the beginning to our international tour. As designers, it is an honour. It has boosted and will boost our confidence in our product. It is a positive nod in the right direction. This has been and will be a huge learning curve filled with self-affirmation and growth.

We love growing. We look forward to negative criticism and feedback.

We look forward to learning from our fellow presenters...It is our aim to become a beacon within this region and globally,” the duo said.

“This is an extension of our existing voice. Women are beautiful at every size. We will continue to build women’s self-worth and visual appeal through fashionable, well-designed clothing. We will reflect the rights, fortitude and finesse of the Bahamian and global woman. Lastly, it means we will represent the Bahamian people at large, as the Bahamas is the home and inspiration for all of our past and future collections.”

Cardell and Christopher said they are grateful for the support and financial contributions of the Culture Division of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture; Island Game; Shaquille Coleby of The Coleby Company; Yeisha Forbes Beauty; Gregory Wilkinson; Bodine Johnson; Novie Pierre; Shekira Storr; Joe Stubbs, Constance Gibson; Perez Clarke; Elevise Munnings; Ronald Models; volunteers, and their family and friends.

Designers Cardell McClam and Christopher JohnCardell

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Friday, May 26, 2017

fashion

Male rompers light up gender debate Local designers question roots of backlash

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

HILE the now infamous male romper remains the subject of heated discussion on social media, Bahamian designers are speaking out in favour of the design and questioning if the local backlash in particular has deeper roots.

The ‘RompHim’ was recently introduced to the world by four American MBA students via their Kickstarter campaign.

And while many people thought that this unusual addition to menswear was nothing but a hoax, the ‘RompHim’ founders told The Chicago Tribune that they started this project because they really liked it, and they put “a lot of time and effort, blood, sweat and tears into it”.

Although the campaign has far surpassed its initial goal of $10,000 – raking in more than $350,000 – fashion watchers are doubtful that the male rompers will be a hit locally, simply because Bahamian men are considered “too behind” when it comes to new trends and often fail to see fashion for what it truly is – art.

Since its initial launch, many Bahamian men have weighed in on the topic, stating that they won’t be wearing anything that remotely resembles “woman clothes”.

“Art is subjective,” said Bahamian designer Theodore Sealy, who believes designers should have the freedom to create what they desire without needing to make gender specific distinctions.

“There will be some pieces of art that you tend to favour more than others; fashion is no different. If you don’t

ACED DESIGN / HANDOUT

W

ACED Design’s RompHim was created by four students at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, including Chip Longenecker, left, and Alex Neumann, right. They are with Russell Lowell, centre.

“Bahamian men have been living in the 90s since the 90s and refuse to move forward. This is a direct result of lack of exposure to different cultures and countries.”

find something appealing, just don’t buy it.

“I do not agree with the idea that fashion should set a clear distinction between men’s and women’s wear. Imagine if the fashion lines hadn’t been ‘blurred’ in 1919 when the first woman wore a pair of pants in public. Fashion is meant to push boundaries, introduce new ideas and silhouettes. It is up to the consumer to determine which cut and style best suits their aesthetic and body type. If we begin operating with the idea that designers should strictly operate within a certain silhouette for a specific sex, the freedom of creative expression will be stifled,” he said.

Joe Stubbs, a Bahamian stylist and founder of The Joe Stubbs Style Agency, said the backlash against the ‘RompHim’ is hypocritical because for many years women have had the freedom to wear both men’s and women’s clothing without fear of judgement.

“Why isn’t that same (freedom)

given to men? I personally won’t wear a T-back blouse. However, if a young man wants to wear a T-back blouse, why not let him,” said Mr Stubbs.

“What is completely hypocritical is that when society sees something that pushes the fashion boundaries for women, they are identified as ‘creative geniuses and innovative’. But the minute society sees something that pushes the fashion boundaries for men, they are immediately identified as ‘gay, flamboyant or womanish’. Could this be a case of reverse gender equality in a fashion context?”

Mr Stubbs said he does not understand why Bahamian men in particular are so opposed to the ‘RompHim’ as they have been wearing a version of male rompers for many years without realising it.

“They’re called Dickies overalls.

The only thing that’s changed is the name and the fit. Construction workers, hazmat specialists, mechanics, construction workers and military

Continued on page 12

12 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, May 26, 2017

fashion Continued from page 11 aviators have been pulling off this look for decades with traditionally manly aplomb. The issue has never been about the actual ‘RompHims’. The issue has been about the assumed sexual preference of those men pictured in those rompers,” he told Tribune Weekend.

Mr Stubbs said it is clear that the male rompers have rubbed many Bahamian men the wrong way. He speculated that this could be due to the fact that they are very attached to their wardrobe ‘basics’ and do not feel very adventurous fashion wise.

“Bahamian men have definitely been behind the worldwide market as it relates to fashion. Truth be told, a very popular clothing store in a local mall here in Nassau was the only store in the world which still ordered and sold wide-legged cargo jeans for Bahamian men when the world had already progressed into wearing a more fitted pant,” said Mr Stubbs.

“Of course, the brand was unable to

maintain producing the wide-legged jeans and so the Bahamian market was forced to adjust.”

Going even further, Mr Sealy said in his view men across the Caribbean are often not comfortable with their sexuality and therefore limit themselves in their fashion choices.

“If you are comfortable with your sexuality there is no need for hypermasculinity and the insane notions that

go along with it,” he said.

“Look at it this way, Jamaican men can walk the street in their country in a pair of capri pants, which are typically calf-length, and there is no issue. Bring that same man to the Bahamas in those same pants – big problem. Fashion and the appreciation of it definitely requires culture and maturity. The same applies to fashion and race. A white man can wear a collared white

shirt unbuttoned halfway down the chest with a pair of pants with a hem that rests on the thigh. Or an Asian male could wear a fitted ensemble and people would say that they both have a nice sense of style. Put those same looks on a black man and the jeers will begin to spew. So there is also a need of maturity and a cultured approach to fashion as black men as well.”

Mr Stubbs believes more exposure could help change the views Bahamian men have towards fashion.

“Bahamian men have been living in the 90s since the 90s and refuse to move forward. This is a direct result of lack of exposure to different cultures and countries. Travelling to Florida doesn’t count as cultural diversity.

What I do find interesting is the direct separation between those young men who’ve travelled abroad for an extensive amount of time versus those who’ve never left the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. This blatant separation can be seen in their respective styles,” he said.

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Friday, May 26, 2017

art

Art meets community for ‘The Journey’

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Reporter acadet@tribunemedia.net

B

ringing digital art, photography and poetry together, the Rotary Club of Sunset will be taking art enthusiasts on a special journey with their second annual Art Fusion social.

The event is scheduled to take place this Saturday at Rand Centre in Grand Bahama, with an intimate sip and paint to kick off at 7.30pm.

“The artists will creatively convey their perspective of the theme, ‘The Journey’. This will not be a traditional art exhibition, but rather an interactive night with the arts, with part proceeds going to the Genesis Academy,” said Benjamin Ferguson Jr, the fundraising chairman.

He said the Rotary Club of Sunset’s past president, Davina Rutherford, had the initial vision to use art as a means of highlighting a number of atrisk young men on the island of Grand Bahama, under the theme, ‘Emancipation: Freedom of Expression.’

As Ms Rutherford was engaged in after-school programmes with the students of Genesis Academy, she was able to bring artists such as Mr Ferguson, Steffon Grant and Matthew Wildgoose together to collaborate on an empowering mural.

“Apart from raising funds to support the initiatives at the Genesis Academy, the event’s main purpose is to reach its audience by challenging them to view a life’s journey as significant, whether it’s theirs or someone else’s. I am looking forward mainly to see how the fusion of the arts will all play out with a unifying theme. It’s always amazing to see what happens when creatives collaborates,” said Mr Ferguson.

He believes Grand Bahama could use more collaborative efforts when it comes to the arts, as he is always happy to see art and the community meet.

Guests enjoy the first Art Fusion social.

“Art and community are meant to be together.

It raises awareness and strengthens culture. For example, the theme, ‘The Journey’, is based on the realisation that children are journeying through this part of their lives which usually is filled with a myriad of mistakes, especially those at Genesis Academy. As a society we sometimes look at others through a dim glass and a forgotten mirror. It is

our hope that we enlighten and sensitise our audience to their journeys and the journey of others,” said Mr Ferguson.

The Rotary Club of Sunset was founded in May 2010 with a mission to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.

16 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, May 26, 2017

celebrity With Karin Herig and Cara Hunt

SPLIT

HIT

SPLIT

HIT

Jessica Chastain “The Zookeeper’s Wife”

Rihanna “Ocean’s Eight”

Model Bella Hadid

Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai

Karin says: “I’m in love with the lilac colour! It’s gorgeous with her red hair.

Basically it’s like a full-length 1920s’ flapper dress, and I love it. It’s just so sweet and feminine looking. Very pretty.”

Cara says: “I don’t like it as a whole.

The top and the bottom are just a mismatch to me. I am not feeling it, sorry Jessica. Maybe there are just too many tassels at the bottom, but it doesn’t work for me.”

Karin says: “We know that Rih usually looks fab, and she owns this look as well...even if the look is her basically wrapped in a white sheet from her hotel room and trailing it behind her on the red carpet.”

Cara says: “Yes, it’s a bit bridal and a bit promo, but hey, she jazzed it up with the sleek hair and the sunglasses. So I am not mad at her.

My only complaint is that the dress is a bit wrinkled and could have been more fitted at the waist. Love her accessories.”

Karin says: “I know Bella is one of the fashion ‘It girls’ right now, but I’m not feeling her style at all. This dress (which was backless) looks like an oversized, shiny, quilted apron. The bizarre choice of the snake necklace also does nothing for me.”

Cara says: “I really like the snake necklace around her neck. Love the red of the dress. However, I have to say that I am personally not a fan of quilted fabric, at least not usually, but this is quite simple and lovely.”

Karin says: “Go big or go home!

I always love when stars take the opportunity to wear huge ball gowns and we can live our princess vicariously through them. And this one is especially pretty. I love the blue/grey colour and the intricate embroidery. It’s stunning!”

Cara says: “Oh it’s so huge and so blue and so sparkly. She’s looks like a Disney princess come to life. It is a lovely dress and she looks beautiful.

Love it!”

AP PHOTOS

The Weekend Fashion Report Cannes: ‘Okja’ screening

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Friday, May 26, 2017

desserts

All things ‘Sugar and Spice’

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Reporter acadet@tribunemedia.net

C

rystal Mortimer comes from a long line of culinary businesspersons, so it was almost inevitable that she would end up with a career in the food industry.

Her grandfather, Wendell Mortimer, operated the popular Model Bakery, and her parents Craig and Sandra Mortimer owned Dolce Pizza, Mid-Way Restaurant and a catering business.

“It’s the end of the political season, so its’s safe to say cooking and baking is in my DNA,” she jokingly told Tribune Weekend.

Crystal’s catering company, Sugar and Spice, offers all sorts of goodies – from signature cakes to wedding cakes and specialty cakes, as well as traditional Bahamian pastries such as guava, coconut, raisin, pineapple and mango duffs. Sugar and Spice caters to children’s parties, bridal showers, weddings, funerals, conferences, staff meetings and just about any gathering – all in partnership with Major Movements’ DJ Spleen, who provides the entertainment.

“You know, if you love what you do, if you’re passionate about it, then your job is not laborious at all. It gives you a sense of purpose.

I love new baking challenges and opportunities to be creative, and the end results are satisfied clients,” she said.

Crystal spent many summer vacations at her grandfather’s bakery learning how to make popular pastries such as twists, donuts, cinnamon buns and bread products.

Some of her earliest childhood memories are from helping out in the kitchen

and being around food.

“Throughout school, cooking and baking was my passion. And to tell you the truth, I found gratification in feeding others; watching them indulge themselves with delightful treats. Yes, I love pampering people with sweet treats. If you were to ask me what, or better yet who, inspired me, I would first say my God, for giving me such imaginative and resourceful skills and the pa-

tience to persevere to fulfill my dreams,” she said.

Before opening her own business, she worked at the Wyndham resort under the supervision Chef Edwin Johnson for two years. She also got experience working with Chef Michael Turner at the Jumper Brothers Bakery & Deli.

What she loves most about her job is having people share their ideal dream dessert or cake concept with

her. Crystal said she would pay a million dollars just to see the look on the faces of some of her clients when they see the manifestation of their ideas.

“I love meeting different people from all walks of life and cultures, and catering offers me that opportunity. So I dabble in Greek, Italian, Spanish and Haitian desserts to meet the needs of my clientele. I remember just last year at the Ministry of Tour-

ism’s ‘Christmas on The Cay’ event, a lady named Catherine from Philadelphia tasted our carrot cake and she soon came back for more, with accolades of, ‘This is the best carrot cake I’ve ever tasted’, and it must have been true because she put her money where her mouth is, buying all of the carrot cakes I had on hand. It’s moments like that I live for, not the money, but a well-satisfied client,” said Crystal.

18 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, May 26, 2017

film PETER MOUNTAIN/DISNEY ENTERPRISES

very believable ghost ship captain.

His full-throttled, single-minded fury recalls Ricardo Montalban in “The Wrath of Khan.”

The film also features the returns of Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley — but in tiny cameos only — as the lovers Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann. They missed the fourth installment because they were smart.

Directors Espen Sandberg and Joachim Ronning have been given the keys to the kingdom and they’ve thrown everything at it — a halfdozen big sea battles, a shotgun wedding, a joint execution, underwater sword fights and even a Beatle. Look carefully and you’ll find Sir Paul McCartney doing a cameo in a jail. (For those of you keeping score at home, this movie now co-stars one monkey and one Beatle.)

This fifth edition is all about a hunt for the Trident of Poseidon, which can break curses. But it’s also about Bardem and his ghost crew busting out of the Devil’s Triangle to hunt pirates, as well as Barbossa protecting his pirate empire, and the two young lovers fulfilling their destinies. Keep up: There’s a test at the end. Just kidding.

MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer

review

Fifth ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ flick fights bloat PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN RUNNING TIME: 128 MINS

T

HE opening scene of the new “Pirates of the Caribbean” is a fitting metaphor for where we stand in this long franchise: A creaky old galleon is unceremoniously yanked up from the ocean depths and the only things aboard are cranky old ghosts. A weary,

Even The Rock’s biceps can’t lift up ‘Baywatch’ BAYWATCH RUNNING TIME: 116 MINS

OF this, dear moviegoer, rest assured: Dwayne Johnson’s biceps still ripple and glisten in the sunlight. So do his triceps, pecs, abs, delts, quads, lats and the other 600 or so muscles of the human body.

But the dude isn’t a magician. And only a true magician could find a way to make something light and fun and

battered fifth chapter — “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” — lumbers into theatres this summer high on CGI tricks but with a hopelessly muddled plot and recurring characters basically running on fumes. Johnny Depp is back as Jack Sparrow, as is Geoffrey Rush as a well-bearded Barbossa, looking a lot like the Cowardly Lion, and his faithful capuchin monkey. Newcom-

fresh out of the unwieldy, derivative and mostly unfunny endeavor that is “Baywatch.”

Now, maybe the filmmakers weren’t thinking light and fun and fresh. They opted to make an R-rated film, upping the raunch factor of the ‘90s TV series starring David Hasselhoff and a slo-mo running Pamela Anderson.

But the R rating doesn’t mean they’ve gone all dark and deep; it just seems to mean lots of raunchy language, humping gags and extended crotch shots.

“Baywatch,” directed by Seth Gordon, begins by establishing the heart and brawn of our main guy, Mitch Buchannon, leader of the Baywatch squad and hometown hero. We see him hurtling into the water to save a kitesurfer from certain death.

But his PR-obsessed boss needs to embellish the Baywatch brand, so he brings in a new guy — Matt Brody (Efron), a gold-medal Olympic swimmer who has a bit of an attitude problem.

He may not be a team player, but he IS ripped, and so, after Brody

ers include Golshifteh Farahani as a pretty cool, punky witch, and Kaya Scodelario and Brenton Thwaites, who play young star-crossed lovers with serious daddy issues, adding vitality and maybe future franchise possibilities.

The bad guy this time is Javier Bardem as a ghost ship captain and he proves to be an extraordinary actor because he comes across as a

FRANK MASI/PARAMOUNT PICTURES

review

The villainous Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem) pursues Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) as he searches for the trident used by Poseidon.

This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Dwayne Johnson as Mitch Buchannon, left, and Zac Efron as Matt Brody in “Baywatch.” shows up on his motorcycle looking all James Dean, shirts come off and we get our obligatory macho competition, which includes lifting two refrigerators at once.

Brody joins the squad, which includes sexy blonde CJ (Kelly Rohrbach, running slowly), ambitious Summer (Alexandra Daddario), Mitch’s co-leader Stephanie (Ilfenesh

Hadera), and Ronnie (Jon Bass), chubby and awkward, in the young Jonah Hill role.

Now, if you never saw the TV show, a key point of the plot — though plot is definitely NOT key — is that these lifeguards don’t just save kids in deep waters. They’re also crime-solvers. So when a city councilman ends up dead in a boat fire, they figure out pretty fast that he was murdered.

It eventually gets wearisome, despite the best efforts of Efron and especially Johnson, who can enliven any scene. His disdainful mocking of Efron’s character is one of the more amusing themes, especially the nicknames he uses: “Hey, One Direction.” ‘‘Yo, ‘N Sync.” Best of all: “High School Musical.”

But darned if that quick reference to Efron’s breakout franchise doesn’t make you all nostalgic for some oldfashioned entertainment that didn’t rely on F-bombs, crude anatomical references, or toying with a corpse.

JOCELYN NOVECK AP National Writer

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Friday, May 26, 2017

gardening

No sex, please According to legend, it keeps people chaste, but that is not all the Vitex agnus-castus has to offer.

Jack Hardy explains the advantages of planting this Mediterranean shrub here in the Bahamas

I

f you survey your garden landscape and take for granted the beauty of hibiscus, oleander, bougainvillea and crotons. then you may be in need of a new shrub that is distinctly different – not even truly tropical – that will revive your aesthetic appetite. Perhaps Vitex agnus-castus will fit the bill. Its mass of blue flowers will certainly catch your eye.

Vitex is a Mediterranean shrub that adapts very well to our sub-tropic conditions in the Bahamas. It grows to 10 feet or so and spreads even wider.

The plant is salt tolerant and resistant to both diseases and insect predation.

It grows in a wide variety of soil conditions and is an excellent candidate for a large patio container.

Vitex flowers in late spring and

A Vitex agnus-castus shrub in bloom produces loose panicles of lavender to violet flowers. Once the best of the flowering is over the panicles can be pruned away and a new flowering will occur. The leaves are palmately compound which means they look like marijuana leaves. The foliage gives off a distinct sage smell that probably acts as a deterrent to most predatory insects. After the second flowering black olive-like fruits will appear.

The common names of Vitex agnuscastus give us a clue to its medicinal uses: lilac chaste tree, chasteberry, monk’s pepper. Compounds in the leaves and berries affect hormones and are generally anaphrodisiac – the opposite of aphrodisiac. If you go to the herbal section of your pharmacy where they sell bee pollen and St John’s wort (pronounced sinjin’s wert, by the way) you will find vitex products designed to alleviate pre-menstrual syndrome and other female conditions. Back in the days of the ancient Greeks, Athenian women would ritualistically take time off from their husbands’ attentions and use vitex potions to reduce unwanted libido. Monks, of course, were sworn to celibacy and found that chewing the fruits helped them remain that way.

I am sure that some readers – especially those with teenage daughters or overly amorous male companions – will be having some evil thoughts about what could be added secretly to

their diet round about now. You are on your own here.

Vitex is related to vervain and attracts both bees and butterflies – another good reason to have one or two in your garden. Vitex should be grown in full sun though some midday shade for potted plants in summer would be beneficial. The shrubs should be kept on the dry side and are remarkably drought tolerant. Their natural habitat is a proximity to brackish creeks so this indicates good salt tolerance through the roots but does not necessarily mean the plant can take spindrift salt in a beachfront location.

The umbrella-like silhouette of a vitex shrub encourages us to remove any growth on the lower parts of the trunk but before doing so ground layers can be easily made by bending the supple limbs and anchoring them in the ground to develop roots and produce independent plants. I mention this in case you have a gardening friend with vitex who is willing to give you a cutting but does not want to disturb the symmetry of the branchesbranches.

Normally cuttings are made in spring and need only be about four inches long, stems with a top cluster of clipped branches. Set these in pots and keep them very lightly moist (use the mist section on your sprayer) until well rooted. Vitex is a fast growing shrub that catches from cuttings very easily.

If none of your gardening friends can help you the next resource is your local nursery. We sometimes forget that nurseries are all willing to order the plants you want that they do not stock. If you can only get seeds you will find that they germinate readily and produce early.

A mussaenda would also be a great addition to your garden. Unfortunately, they are hard to come by and are rather tricky to propagate from cuttings. Mussaenda is a genus of the Rubiaceae family and about 200 species range from West Africa to Papua New Guinea. Their distinguishing feature is an enlarged sepal that looks very like a bract on a poinsettia. They were of limited interest to tropical plant collectors until Philippine botanists worked on hybrids in the 1940s that produced plants with five enlarged sepals. They made crosses between plants from Africa and Asia and developed many beautiful varieties, all of them named after Filipino women except one, named after Queen Sirikit of Thailand.

(Yes, there is one named for Imelda Marcos.) Recent species developed outside of the Philippines have abandoned the Filipina nomenclature.

The enlarged sepals come in many colours: white, red, yellow, pink, and many combinations. If you like poinsettias you will adore mussaenda, Small shrubs can be used as patio planters when young and then transferred to the garden. They bloom during the warm months of the year and are usually flowerless in winter but are evergreen and retain their leaves.

Here on Abaco it seems that everyone wants mussaenda. Whenever the local nursery gets a shipment it disappears quickly. If your nursery does not have any available, ask them to get some from Florida. Google up mussaenda and choose the variety (or varieties) you want to help them on their way.

In a few years’ time you will wander through your garden and wonder how you ever lived without vitex and mussaenda. They are great additions to your family of garden shrubs.

• For questions and comments e-mail j.hardy@coralwave.com

20 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, May 26, 2017

health & fitness

The best post-workout stretches for walkers and runners

By REGINA SMITH

Ankle stretch

A

lthough it feels as if it’s already here, summer is just around the corner. With the change in humidity and scorching temperatures comes less morning traffic and longer evenings. Summer days bring with them less time constraints and allow avid walkers and runners the opportunity to get outside and enjoy an evening walk or run. As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, recovery is a vital component to your overall workout activity. If you are planning to hit the road this week, try these recovery stretches to keep the sprains and strains away!

• Foot stretch Be sure to pack a towel for this one. This stretch once a day keeps the plantar fasciitis away!

How to do it: Begin sitting with your right leg stretched out in front of you. Your knee and back should be straight. Place a towel around your foot. Using your foot, ankle and towel, bring your toes toward your head until you feel a stretch through the arches of your foot, up the back of your calf and heel. Hold for 15 seconds. Repeat three times.

IT band standing stretch

Regularly stretching these muscles helps to prevent inflammation and adaptive shortening of the muscles overtime.

How to do it: Lie on your back and bend your right knee into your chest. Rotate your foot inward and place your left hand on your right foot. Start to extend your knee until you feel a stretch on the outside of your ankle. Extend the knee as far as you can without pain and provided you feel no more than a mild to moderate stretch. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat three times.

• IT band standing stretch

• Ankle stretch Ankle evertors and inverters play a crucial role in stabilisation of the foot as the heel strikes the ground.

The iliotibial tract is superficial sheet of fascia (connective tissue) that runs along the outer side of the thigh. Some of the actions of the IT band and TFL are hip flexion, medially rotation of the hip and abduction of the hip.

How to do it: Stand tall with your

legs together. Step your right foot behind your left leg. Ensure that your toes are pointed forward and your legs are straight. Put your left hand on your hip and reach your right arm up in line with your shoulder. Push your hips to the right and continue to reach your right arm overhead to the left. For an even deeper stretch, keep your feet farther apart. Bend the knee of your front leg and keep the back leg completely straight. Remember to try and keep your shoulders relaxed. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the opposite side.

• TFL seated stretch Tensor fasciae latae is a small superficial muscle located on the side of the upper thigh. Like the IT band it’s an area that is easily overlooked when stretching the muscles of the lower extremity.

How to do it: Sit on the floor with one leg extended. The leg to be

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Friday, May 26, 2017

PHOTOS/SHAWN HANNA

stretched is bent and the foot is on the outside of the knee of the opposite leg.

Use your hands to apply pressure as if trying to pull the bent knee across the other one. Hold for 30 seconds.

Repeat three times.

Fitness fact: When do you use your TFL? Running, cycling, squatting at the hips; raising your leg to climb into a car; the windup for a karate kick to the side. It’s a pretty important muscle!

Seated hamstring stretch

Glute stretch

Standing gastrocnemius and calf stretch

• Glute stretch How to do it: Lie on your back and cross your right knee over your left knee. Hold on to the front of your legs or your ankles and pull both of your knees towards your chest. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat twice on each side.

Lying adductor stretch

• Standing gastrocnemius and calf stretch The calf muscles are some of the hardest working muscles in the human body. Peeking over a fence? You’re using your calf muscles. Carrying a heavy back pack up a hill? You’re using your calf muscles. Staying balanced while you slay in those heels on a Saturday night? You’re definitely utilising your calf muscles!

Your calf muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus) are used during walking, running climbing and virtually all forms of ambulation. Show a little TLC to your hardworking muscles.

How to do it: Begin standing facing a nearby wall. Place the ball of the right foot against the wall and the right heel is firmly planted on the floor. You may bend the back leg in order to ensure that the full ball of the foot is on the wall. Begin to straighten the back leg and slowly lean in towards the wall in front of you until you feel a stretch in the back of the leg.

• Lying adductor stretch How to do it: Lie on your back.

Place your feet up against a wall. Bring the soles of your feet together. Allow

your knees to fall open to the side.

Take your hands and apply pressure to your thighs (not your knees). Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat twice.

• Lying quadriceps stretch How to do it: Begin lying on your right side. Hold your left foot with your left hand. Pull your left foot towards your left hip and hold for 15 to 30 seconds. For and even deeper stretch (and to stretch your deep flexors) tip your pelvis forward.

• Seated hamstring stretch Hamstring stretches are an important to any workout or rehab programme. Having tight hamstrings can put you at risk for knee or back pain and or long term injuries. Most people have some degree of tightness in their hamstrings, particularly if they sit all day. I chose the following hamstring stretch because of its accessibility and there is less chance of misalignment and torso contortion (which you tend to find when participants perform a

lying hamstring stretch).

How to do it: Sit on the edge of a chair and or wall (if outdoors) with your left knee bent. Put the right leg out in front of you. Lean forward and keep your back straight until you feel a stretch at the back of your thigh.

Helpful hamstring tip: Remember, when you perform hamstring stretches you should feel a stretch and in the middle of the thigh, and no pressure or pain at the knee joint. Should you feel pressure or pain at the knee joint stop and place a slight bend in the knee.

Improving your flexibility not only improves your walking or running experience, but it is a vital component to your overall fitness. Research confirms that poor quad and hamstring flexibility were found to increase the risk of patellar tendon injury, adaptive shortening and muscular imbalances that affect the entire kinetic chain.

Implement these stretches after your walk or run this week. Let’s keep you injury-free, walking and running for years to come.

Get fit! Get healthy! Stay active!

• Regina Smith is a certified personal

trainer by the National Academy of Sports Medicine. She can be reached for personal training and consultations at regina.tonia.smith@gmail. com. Follow her on instagram: ginag_cpt or her fitness tips and tweets on Twitter @ginagcpt. You can also find her on Facebook under ‘Regina Smith’.

22 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, May 26, 2017

literary lives father jerome john hawes

The Hermit of Cat Island, part one A visit to Mount Alvernia on Cat Island allows Sir Christopher Ondaatje to examine and appreciate the extraordinary life of a reclusive Franciscan priest.

I

doubt if I would ever have visited Cat Island if I had not been given the assignment to do a short biography of the reclusive Franciscan priest who built and rebuilt many churches on Long Island and New Providence, before building his own Mount Alvernia Hermitage.

Cat Island, officially known as “San Salvador” before it received its present name by an Act of Parliament in 1926, is almost certainly where Christopher Columbus first landed in 1492. It is in the central Bahamas and is rumoured to be named after the pirate Arthur Cat, who used it as his headquarters in the 1600s, with other privateers and pirates, as a hiding place to prey on unsuspecting vessels sailing past on their way to the Old World.

In 1783, Loyalists fleeing the American Revolution established a permanent settlement on the island, taking advan-

tage of the fertile soil.

Cat Island is a fishhook-shaped island, 48 miles long and four miles wide at its widest point. Near the Tropic of Cancer, the island is located between Eleuthera and Long Island and is 130 miles southeast of New Providence. Cotton plantation ruins lie scattered around and remains of slave huts dating back to the 1700s can still be seen.

Treating myself, and my wife, to an unexpected luxury, we booked into an idyllic small hotel, Shannas Cove, run by a charming German couple, Frank and Gabrielle Wolff, on the very northern outskirts of Arthur’s Town at the north end of Cat Island. Overlooking an enormous south-facing beach and with only five available double rooms, the hideaway offered us isolation and superb gourmet continental cooking.

It was the perfect place from which to do my research on Father Jerome.

At the top of Como Hill, 206 feet above sea level – the highest point in the Bahamas – is the Mount Alvernia Hermitage built by the architect hermit Father Jerome. It is at the peak of a steep rocky incline. The small, stone, medievalstyle monastery is where he lived for the last decade of his life, and also his final resting place.

Father Jerome John Hawes was born

“People here have no idea how prolific Father Jerome was and the extent of his work in other countries.

He introduced the concept of masonry vaulting with a keyed arch into these islands. A key characteristic of his work was to build in stone with buttressed walls. This architectural language in the Bahamas is unique” - Orjan Lindroth

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Friday, May 26, 2017

near London, England, in 1876 to an upper middle-class family. He qualified as an architect before entering Theological College in 1901 and, in 1902, he became an Anglican priest vowing that he would emulate the life of St Francis of Assisi. For a brief time he lived as a tramp, but in 1908 - the year of a devastating hurricane in the Bahamas – he travelled to Long Island preaching and rebuilding six of the destroyed churches.

“It is interesting to note that people here have no idea how prolific Father Jerome was and the extent of his work in other countries - as well as the Bahamas. He introduced the concept of masonry vaulting with a keyed arch into these islands.

A key characteristic of his work was to build in stone with buttressed walls. This architectural language in the Bahamas is unique,” wrote Orjan Lindroth, architectural land planner in New Providence.

Father Jerome had found a useful and almost idyllic lifestyle in the Bahamas, which so thoroughly suited his missionary and architectural passions, but personal conflict over his religious direction led him to abandon Long Island. He struggled to determine whether to remain with the Church of England or to become a Catholic.

An article in 1910 entitled “The Necessity for Certitude” published in ‘The Lamp’ in the United States finally compelled him to make his decision.

On January 29, 1911, the Sunday after the Feast of the Conversion of St Paul (January 25), Hawes said his first and last service in the restored St Paul’s Church at Clarence Town and left Long Island on the mailboat for Nassau.

There, he stayed with Father Lowndes, of St Mary’s, and, after informing Bishop Hornby of his intentions, left the Bahamas for New York and entered a Franciscan Friary there.

During this emotional and uncertain time he traversed the width of Canada and crossed the Atlantic three times by boat. He worked as a mule-driver, a fox-terrier breeder, a cowpuncher and a sailor. Four years later he was ordained as a priest in Rome and then left for Geraldton, in Western Australia, working as a missionary and diocesan architect for the next 25 years. The years Hawes spent in Australia were by far the most productive architectural period of his life.

John Hawes arrived in Cue, Western Australia, in December, 1915; moved to Geraldton in March, 1916; then was

Photo of Father Jerome from ‘Between Devotion and Design - the architecture of John Cyril Hawes 1876-1956’ by John J Taylor

A Station of the Cross on the climb to the Hermitage. Photo Alessandro Sarno

transferred to Mullewa at the end of 1916 where he remained until 1938, living in the burning heat of the dusty interior. He was responsible for small town churches and bleak isolated homesteads, the design and construction of churches, and fund raising from the more prosperous towns adjacent to the Murchison Gold Fields.

“I have said Mass daily at six, but after breakfast it felt too hot to do anything but alternately drink out of the water bag and lie down in the bath. I feel too exhausted even to start saying my Office until after sunset. Of course it is possible to sit in a draught between doors and windows, but the burning winds dry you up!”

Incredibly, Hawes worked on the building of over 40 churches, missions, chapels and homesteads in Western Australian towns and outposts including Geraldton, Mullewa, Yalgoo, Perenjori, Northampton, Perth, Morawa, Wiluna, Kojarena, Carnarvon, Utakara, Tardun, Thee Springs, Bluff Point, Gretna, Nanson, Werribee, Greenough, Carnamah, Walkaway, Wonthella and Coorow. His dedication and coverage was extraordinary. So in 1939 when Hawes was 63, it was not surprising that he was allowed to retire to the Bahamas, not only to gain solitude and to emulate his Franciscan ideals, but also to gain respite from the demands his abilities generated in Australia.

In a letter to Sr Mary Magdalen at Peekskill, New York State, he wrote: “I no longer think of a striving or combative life on Long Island, but picture an entirely new field – some smaller out-of-the-way and unfrequented island where the people are not visited by other missionaries, Anglican or any Protestant sect, but retain their own primitive unsophisticated type of Baptist or ‘HolyRoller’ meeting under ignorant local preachers. I have in mind’s eye the island of Mayaguana, quite isolated out in the ocean, and marked on the chart with an apparently high hill - Abram’s Hill - and two lesser summits. I can picture an isolated palm thatched cell beside a tiny stone church on Abram’s Hill whence the hermit would descend on week-ends into the settlements or village to minister to Catholic converts in their former Baptist (or whatever it might

Continued on page 24

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Friday, May 26, 2017

An illustration of Mount Alvernia from ‘Between Devotion and Design - the architecture of John Cyril Hawes 1876-1956’ by John J Taylor Continued from page 23 be) meeting house, transformed into a humble Catholic place of worship, and from which village the hermit-priest would in true Franciscan style beg his food, such as maize, potatoes and bananas. Sunday Mass and Benediction for the converts in their village: the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle and the hermit’s only daily Mass in the little church on top of Abram’s Hill.”

For his important work as a missionary priest and church builder in Australia Hawes had received the Papal title Monsignor. When he came back to the Bahamas he was called Father Jerome. Having already had experience working in the Bahamas he understood the threats to buildings: hurricanes, fires and termites. His earlier work for Bishop Hornby had mostly been to repair hurricane damage and he had observed the failure of existing Bahamian structures. He knew from his travels and studies that the older classical and medieval buildings were more robust and he understood Gothic flying buttresses, stone vaulted roofs, barrel vaults, groin vaults, pendentive vaults and other developed forms of stone roofing.

He greatly admired the monastery and cathedral building in the 13th century. This led to his experiments in

“That night he borrowed a hurricane lamp and a small blanket and made his way through the bush by starlight, fought his way slowly up over the rocks to the top of Como Hill and lay down to sleep on a narrow ledge of rock only partly sheltered by bushes.”

An illustratio n architecture of of Mount Alvernia from ‘I slan the Bahamas’

by Robert Dou d Heritage - glas

rock roofing. He had also discussed a possible location for himself with his future Bahamian Bishop - Bernard Kevenhoerster, then at St Anselm’s Priory in New York - where he had spent some time in 1920. They had a friendly relationship and Kevenhoerster suggested that he tour the Bahamian islands before making any recommendations for prospective missions.

The Bishop suggested that he thought that the northern half of Long Island and Cat Island might provide suitable locations.

Arriving in Nassau on November 12, 1939, and receiving a warm welcome, Father Jeome planned his suggested tour and boarded the mailboat ‘Monarch of Nassau’ heading for Long Island. On November 17, after a very rough passage, he anchored off Arthur’s Town at the north end of Cat Island and then travelled south down the west coast towards The Bight that afternoon. He observed two things from the deck of the ‘Monarch of Nassau’: “The high hill at the back, and a large square ruin in the centre of the settlement, the latter a fine place for the Catholic Church, and the hill top for a retired hermitage.”

Father Jerome landed in a small boat from the Monarch and began his lifechanging exploration just north of The Bight on Cat Island.

“I found a rough track that led eastwards from the settlement and curled through the bush until I had reached a good way up and was at the foot of the last bit of steep summit - leaving the track I fought my way through the thick bush, climbing over irregular jagged faces of rock. It was about a mile and a half from the sea front ... a wild and lonely spot, known as ‘Como Hill’, with a magnificent view, including the east side of the island.”

He left Cat Island and after another rough journey reached the island of San Salvador the next morning, continuing on to Clarence Town on Long Island, where he had been 29 years before, eventually reaching Nassau, and then making further arrangements to see more of the out islands, including Harbour Island, Eleuthera and Abaco, where he purchased a small sloop renamed the ‘Roma’ - and sailed it with Victor Ferguson, a 25-year-old Acklins islander - to Nassau. After meetings with Bishop Kevenhoerster he received permission to establish himself at the beautiful summit he had seen at The Bight on Cat Island, and that he could start a new mission station on the Island.

Father Jerome arrived at Port Howe on Cat Island on February 4, 1940.

He didn’t waste any time. On Shrove Tuesday, two days later, he walked 14

The Tribune | Weekend | 25

Friday, May 26, 2017

Forgotten facts Paul C Aranha miles from Port Howe to The Bight and negotiated the purchase of Como Hill, which he gleefully named Mount Alvernia after the celebrated Franciscan sanctuary in Tuscany.

That night he borrowed a hurricane lamp and a small blanket and made his way through the bush by starlight, fought his way slowly up over the rocks to the top of Como Hill and lay down to sleep on a narrow ledge of rock only partly sheltered by bushes.

The next morning, Ash Wednesday, he celebrated his first Mass at Mount Alvernia, and then walked back to Port Howe.

Eight days later, on February 14, Father Jerome hired a local workforce and started building the Hermitage and the Chapel of the Holy Spirit on Como Hill. He measured out the oratory foundation and laid the four corners of his little chapel in cement mortar.

“Widened the bush track and approach from the sea. Men with ponies ‘tote’ up water, sand, lime etc. and others clearing bush on summit. Planned out a water-catchment, cleared all the bush, earth and loose rock off a section of steep slope and a few days later built up a low retaining wall at the side, excavating a cistern in the rock, blasting out rock.”

About 300 metres from the Hermitage he found a large cave on the northern slope of the summit. Gathering branches of trees Hawes made a bed in the cave, which he called St Francis’ Grotto, and took his possessions and Mass things and built a rough altar of loose rocks. He slept in the cave every night from then on, and celebrated the Silver Jubilee of his Catholic Priesthood on February 27, 1947, at his altar in St Francis’ Grotto.

The cave can still be found

today although the entry has been walled up with stones and the approach track overgrown. Later that month Father Jerome discovered a much smaller cave under the south wall of his Hermitage - but it was to be two years before he formed the entry and gate to what was eventually to be his Burial Crypt.

In March, 1940, the walls of the oratory of the Chapel of the Holy Spirit were four or five feet high and three feet thick at the bottom. He upgraded his living conditions by constructing a small timber cabin to which he moved, saving the trek to and from the Grotto cave. In April he built a small stone kitchen close to the timber cabin - which one can still see today. A stone boundary wall, which already existed, was repaired and he built a gateway in the old front boundary wall. The archway, still visible, was crowned with the lettering “Mount Alvernia” with two medallions on either side in recognition of the Benedictines of St Augustine and his own version of the Third Order of St Francis. As a final flourish, nine months later, he added a round Angelus tower to his Hermitage, pointing heavenward, cementing in the apex stone of the conical roof a fragment of rock he had brought from the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem.

NEXT WEEK: Part two - privacy and privations at the Hermitage • Sir Christopher Ondaatje is an adventurer and writer resident in the Bahamas. A Sri Lankanborn Canadian-Englishman, he is the author of several books, including “The Last Colonial”.

He acknowledges that he has quoted liberally from “Between Devotion and Design” by John J Taylor

Bimini – a lost continent?

Are waters off Bimini the site of the fabled lost city of Atlantis?

T

he ‘discovery’ of the socalled Bimini Wall, about 50 years ago, reignited interest in the Bermuda Triangle, though I can’t imagine why the two should be linked.

In fact, I don’t believe there is anything sinister about three invisible lines linking Bermuda, Miami and Puerto Rico.

In more than 60 years of flying, most of it within that ‘mysterious’ triangle, I have noticed nothing strange.

I do believe in the existence of the Bimini Wall and one other underwater ‘structure’, both easily seen from the air, but I do not accept that the wall was made by man.

Near the northern end of Andros, in very shallow water, there is a roughly 50ft x100ft rectangular structure, with two rectangular ‘rooms’, that appears to be manmade. Because the corners of the main walls, as well as the walls of the rooms, are near-perfect right-angles, I find it hard to believe that it was

built in the sea, perhaps to hold live turtles. It looks like it had to be built when that part of Andros was dry land. At least one writer refers to it as the ‘Andros temple’ and compares it with the layout of some Mayan ruins.

In 1968, I was asked to help Dimitri Rebikoff and Dr Manson Valentine get permission to explore these finds and, together, we dived both sites. Each was fascinated by the dream that the lost continent of Atlantis might rise from the waters off Bimini, as predicted by ‘The sleeping Prophet’, Edgar Cayce.

Dr Valentine, Curator of the Science Museum of Miami, struck me as a serious scientist with a need to know the truth - whether these finds were manmade or natural. Mr Rebikoff, inventor of a one-man ride-on submarine called Pegasus and of sophisticated underwater cameras and said to be the first man to fit a diving mask with prescription lenses, was Russian by birth and French by citizenship.

He was hell-bent on revealing Atlantis to the world.

When I left home to fly in West Berlin, Germany, I lost contact with this project, but not before I had helped arrange a two-speaker talk at the Lyford Cay Club.

Rebikoff and Valentine stayed at the Montagu Beach Hotel and, on the day of the lecture, Dimitri and his wife, Ana, and I drove around New Providence, while Manson and Anna Valentine rested in their room. I was told that we would all meet at Lyford Cay but, when we got to the club, there was no sign of the Valentines. They were still waiting for Dimitri to pick them up and it was now too late.

Apologising to his audience, Mr Rebikoff managed on his own, all the while revelling in their undivided attention.

• Comments and responses to islandairman@gmail.com

26 | The Tribune | Weekend

L F U TARGETE F LTHE Friday,

Best described as a number crossword, the task in Kakuro is to fill all of the empty squares, using numbers 1 to 9, so the sum of each horizontal block equals the number to its left, and the sum of each vertical block equals the number on its top. No number may be used in the same block more than once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Kakuro increases from Monday to Sunday.

Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so the each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

R Y A L F U E F L

body of the alphabet is Chambers you have to co 21st May 26, 2017grid too! Use t letters and bla Century below the grid Dictionary grid is ‘rotatio (1999 symmetrical’ – edition) words, it looks

A

you turn the p HOW many words of four letters down. Solution or more can you make from the CAN you crack the letters shown here? In making a Yesterday’s word, each letter may be used Black squar Alphabeater?

Each grid 9, 10, 11, 16, 1 once only. Each must contain the number represents 27, 32, a 35,le 3 centre letter and there must be at Across: Sho least one nine-letter– word.

No square. or black As in Absorber, Jo plurals or verb forms ending in “s”.

The Target uses words in the main Excavate, Alphapuzzle, every lettAb Ec body of TARGET the alphabet isTsunami, TODAY’S used.

Bu Disliked, Qui Good 16; very good 24; excellent Fells.

Chambers you have to complete t 32 (or more). Solution tomorrow.

Down: Adze Hijab, Cry, R 21stYESTERDAY’S SOLUTION grid too! Use the given Quack, Ibex, and black square dengue doge dong letters dough dung Cheap, Frivo Century edge enough geed gene genet Ouzel, Urge, below the grid to start. gent geode ghee gone goth gout Dictionary Extra let hedge henge huge grid hung is nought ‘rotationally (1999 0907 18 nudge ogee ought thong thug symmetrical’ – in(Deduct other three tong tongue tongued tough edition) each extra clue toughen TOUGHENED tung it looks the words, sam

you turn the page upsid HOW many words of four letters Call 0907 181 2585 for 18 down.

Solution 0907 tomorr today’s Target solution *Calls cost 80 or more can you make from the*CallsYesterday’s Yesterday’s cost 80p per minute plus your teleph your telephone company’s network acc letters shown here? In making plus a Kakuro network access charge.

Yesterday’s solutio Sudoku Answer Answer word, each letter may be used Black squares: 4, 5 *SP: the Spoke – Helpline 9, 0333 20211, 3390 PLAY 10, 16, 17, 22, M 2 once only. Each must contain 27, 32, 35, 37. centre letter and there must be at Across: Shock, least one nine-letter word. No Absorber, Joys, plurals or verb forms ending in “s”.

Full so

CRYPTIC PUZZLE Across 1 Where soldiers serve one may well find bull (2,3,5) 6 Widely grown, but it’s not used (4) 10 South African doctor goes to a group of islands (5) 11 A play group organised a short race (9) 12 Humiliating return from a summit meeting? (8) 13 Scholastic fees? (5) 15 One must be free to enjoy it (7) 17 It puts us in the shade, naturally (7) 19 Joined in, harmoniously (7) 21 Saws off the tongue (7) 22 Nerve broken? Not at all (5) 24 Instruction for barristers and aircrew (8) 27 Succeeded, to some degree (9) 28 Diplomat taking part in maiden voyage (5) 29 One may win it by a head (4) 30 Publicity man rates Verdi differently (10)

1

2

3

4

Down 1 This month in an abbreviated way (4) 2 Procrastinate when it’s time to get up (9) 3 Delete an article in Gaelic (5) 4 Raw material used in pig production (4,3) 5 Permit for doing whatever one chooses (7) 7 In the meantime I’m after it (5) 8 New stars never cross (10) 9 People agree in thought (8) 14 Absconder gives advice on economy air travel (3-2-5) 16 Meat for sale at a bargain price? (8) 18 Ancient writers made their points with them (9) 20 Indeed it’s 12Ω cents charged to one’s account (7) 21 Do wrongly (7) 23 Five sail out in vessels (5) 25 Quick! It’s nearly all run away! (5) 26 He changes colour (4)

5

6

7

8

9 10

11

12

13

14 15

16

17

19

22

20

23

24

18

21

25 26

27

29

28

30

Yesterday’s Easy Solution Across: 1 Somehow, 5 Basil, 8 Mercurial, 9 Inn, 10 Exit, 12 Cheerful, 14 Voodoo, 15 Vision, 17 Tactical, 18 Stag, 21 Coo, 22 Golden age, 24 Nasty, 25 Torment.

Down: 1 Somme, 2 Mar, 3 Haul, 4 Weight, 5 Bulletin, 6 Skinflint, 7 Lanolin, 11 Iron Cross, 13 Jokingly, 14 Vatican, 16 Hamlet, 19 Greet, 20 Bear, 23 Ace.

Yesterday’s Cryptic Solution Across: 1 Liberal, 5 Alpha, 8 Denigrate, 9 Ill, 10 Ajar, 12 Indicted, 14 Castor, 15 Around, 17 Ethelred, 18 Byre, 21 Pat, 22 Traveller, 24 Raced, 25 Emended.

Down: 1 Lydia, 2 Ben, 3 Rage, 4 Learnt, 5 Ateliers, 6 Point duty, 7 Alluded, 11 Aesthetic, 13 Polluted, 14 Creeper, 16 Rebate, 19 Erred, 20 Were, 23 Lid.

TODAY’S TARGET Good 16; very good 24; excellent 32 (or more). Solution tomorrow.

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION dengue doge dong dough dung edge enough geed gene genet gent geode ghee gone goth gout hedge henge huge hung nought nudge ogee ought thong thug tong tongue tongued tough toughen TOUGHENED tung

Call 0907 181 2585 for today’s Target solution *Calls cost 80p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge.

Excavate, Abort, Lu Tsunami, Ecru, Pylo Disliked, Quiz, Whisk Fells.

Down: Adze, Dawn, Hijab, Cry, Ritualism Quack, Ibex, Errs, Cheap, Frivolity, Use Ouzel, Urge, Gown.

Extra letter clue

0907 181 256

(Deduct three minutes each extra clue letter he

Full solution

0907 181 255

*Calls cost 80p per min plus your telephone comp network access charg

EASY PUZZLE

Across 1 Replica (6,4) 6 Put away (4) 10 Excel (5) 11 Forerunner (9) 12 The face (8) 13 Comments on text (5) 15 Without assistance (7) 17 Pain in lower back (7) 19 Agreement (7) 21 Get in touch with (7) 22 Competitor (5) 24 Deprived of courage (8) 27 Widespread (9) 28 Parasitic insect (5) 29 Sodium chloride (4) 30 Without question (10)

Down 1 Actors in a play (4) 2 Kick up a fuss (5,4) 3 Evident (5) 4 Remained united (7) 5 Careful reading (7) 7 Cramped (5) 8 English Lakeland poet (10) 9 A spice (8) 14 Take risks to save time (3,7) 16 House (8) 18 Consequently (2,1,6) 20 Holiday industry (7) 21 Keep secret (7) 23 Indispensable (5) 25 An antiquity (5) 26 Depend (4)

*SP: Spoke – Helpline 0333 202 3390

PLAY MORE C

The Tribune | Weekend | 27

Friday, May 26, 2017

animals

The “Poor Joe” stand-off, or Gaulins in the garden

E

very evening when I open the front door for the last “walkies” of the night the same scenario plays out over and over again.

Boss is always first at the door asking to go out. When let out, he bounds after our resident Poor Joe, or “Gaulin”. This bird takes off with the shattering cackling sounds it makes and flies to perch on the wall. Poor Joe is well beyond Boss’s reach and continues to cackle and tease Boss for a short period before taking off, flying through the neighbourhood and breaking the silence as he moves down the road.

So who exactly is Poor Joe? He is a bird; he is actually a small green heron, who feeds on tiny fish and crustaceans . Like most of the other herons he frequents the wetlands.

I read on the internet (I now will quote Wikipedia) that my Poor Joe is technically a green heron (Butorides virescens) – a small heron of North and Central America. “Butorides is from Middle English butor ‘bittern’ and Ancient Greek -oides, ‘resembling’, and virescens is Latin for ‘greenish’. It was long considered conspecific with its sister species the striated heron (Butorides striata), and together they were called ‘green-backed heron’. Birds of the nominate subspecies (no matter which taxonomic arrangement is preferred) are extremely rare vagrants to western Europe; individuals from the Pacific coast of North America may similarly stray as far as Hawaii.”

They clearly are able to travel long distances. However, this Poor Joe of mine doesn’t bother to go far.

Sometimes during the day he conducts extremely impressive balancing acts on the mooring rope of the boat.

This tightrope dance becomes incredibly impressive when there is a wind blowing. He also enjoys hanging out

Meet the brindles

By The Bahamas Humane Society

PET OF THE WEEK

“A

ilsa and Alauro here! We’re four months old and we’re ready to be adopted. We’re waiting for you to come and check us out. We’re two of about 70 pups available for adoption at the Bahamas Humane Society. We’re playful and friendly, and have lots of experience playing well with others since there were six of us in the litter. We’re included in the current Puppy Adoption Special that the BHS is running until the end of May. Special, you say? Why yes! For $30 you can adopt one of us. For $50, you can adopt two. Two’s always more fun, in our opinion, and since the usual fee is $50, you’re getting quite a bargain!

“We’re spayed and neutered and looking forward to making you our own. Won’t you come in and visit? Adoption hours are 11am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, and 10am to 4pm on Saturday, or you can call 323-5138 for more information. We look forward to meeting you!”

• Are you a BHS member

Alauro and Ailsa with a BHS volunteer yet? Membership helps the BHS feed the shelter animals, keeps the ambulance running, and so much more. The form is available online at Color/RTF r0 g0 b233bahamashumanesociety.com or you can pick one up at the shelter. All adult members receive a discount card valid for many local businesses. Thank you to those who already support us through membership!

PATRICIA VAZQUEZ

Animal matters Kim Aranha

during the day on the diving board, gazing fanatically into the swimming pool, watching for the fish that never swim by. It is a commanding spot for him to watch out for any of my dogs who take huge exception to his residing in “their” garden. As he swoops low over the pool, his cackling at the dogs resonates loudly and drives them crazy.

I have always assumed that this perky and biggity feathered visitor was young, but he has been around for several seasons now and gets no bigger, just more audacious.

For those of you who remember the talented TV show host Ed Sullivan on Sunday nights way back when, you might understand when I say that Poor Joe is the avian version of Ed Sullivan with his shoulders hunched up.

As we know that Poor Joes enjoy wetlands and fishing, I do wonder why he has decided to settle into a builtup community like Lyford Cay. Yes, we are on a canal, but no paddling is available to him, even at low tide. I do lay the blame of the death of one of my baby turtles (terrapins) at his big feet.

The babes were out in a plastic kiddie pool getting some sun; they were all well when I put them out to play. Half an hour later one was dead. Did Poor Joe spy the moving targets and feel the urge for turtle stew? I will never know, but have been much more careful ever since. I guess he must fly over to the golf course for lunch. Wetlands in their purest form are few and far around here now, though in my youth the entire area was almost one big wetland.

Whatever his reasons, whatever his lifestyle, Poor Joe is definitely an integral part of this household. His antics and his cackling are a source of pleasure to me daily. After researching a little on his species for this article, I am now more knowledgeable about him and especially his very distinctive calls. I hope that soon he will find a beautiful lady, Poor Josephine, and bring her to our home so we can hear the different courtship calls that I have read about, and watch them build their elaborate nest on a platform of sticks usually in shrubs or trees. They are seasonably monogamous…that sounds rather convenient for my visitor. I hope he will bring a lady friend, or then again, perhaps he is Josephine? Will we ever know, as they are very similar in looks?

One thing is for sure, my poor dogs would probably choose to move house if an entire family of little Poor Joes ever took up residence!

28 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, May 26, 2017

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