06192020 NEWS AND SPORT

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The Tribune

Volume:117 No.142, JUNE 19TH, 2020

Established 1903

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By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

TRAVELLERS coming to The Bahamas from English-speaking CARICOM member countries will not be required to produce a negative COVID-19 test for entry to this country, according to Tourism director general Joy Jibrilu.

She said travellers from those areas will instead be quarantined on arrival because COVID-19 tests are not available in their countries.

The countries this policy affects include Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia and Turks and Caicos islands.

Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar said Wednesday that the Minnis administration

initially intended to end the COVID-19 negative test requirement when commercial travel resumes on July 1, but rising infections in the United States forced a U-turn.

For his part, Bahamasair Chairman Tommy Turnquest said requiring travellers to produce a COVID-19 test to enter the country will “absolutely” cause the airline to re-examine its fiscal projections for the foreseeable future.

“People will determine how badly they want to come to The Bahamas and if they want to come to The Bahamas and get away from the stress of wherever they are, they will take the test and come, but I don’t know what that number is.

There will be others who will say this a hassle and I ain’ fooling with this right now. (Absolutely), this will make us look at our numbers again,” he said.

THE 2020-2021 Budget represents a missed opportunity to kickstart talks on progressive reforms such as personal and corporate income taxes, a University of The Bahamas (UoB) economics lecturer is arguing.

Rupert Pinder said The Bahamas needed to move

ARE WE NOW A MIRROR TO THE US?

SEE PAGE EIGHT

‘WE’LL LOOK OUT FOR OURSELVES’ ABACO residents say they are not waiting for the government to issue evacuation plans for the 2020 hurricane season but are instead making their own plans if another storm were to hit the island.

Speaking to The Tribune yesterday, island administrator for North and Central Abaco Terrece Bootle-Laing said this position appears to be the general consensus of most residents.

SEE PAGE TWO

‘CAN ANYONE OUT THERE HELP ME?’

SEE PAGE THREE

away from its regressive consumption-based taxation structure, centred on VAT and import tariffs, given it disproportionately impacts poorer Bahamians by consuming more of their income than higher earners.

Mr Pinder suggested COVID-19 had created an opening to initiate reform discussions that was not taken up by the Budget.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

pgs 8 + 9

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

‘BUDGET LOST CHANCE FOR TAXATION REFORM’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Pages 14 + 15

True colours

Photographer’s vision of Baham ian life

Carib visitors to face quarantine

FACE MASKS GO 3D

By EARYEL BOWLEG ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

THE INVESTOR behind a plan for a free trade zone in North Andros that would bring 10,000 construction jobs, Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong, pictured in 2013 hugging Kobe Bryant before a Lakers game against the Toronto Raptors in 2013. Soon-Shiong owns a minority stake in the team. Now it has emerged that there are two other projects planned for the island.

Photo: Danny Moloshok/AP

TWO OTHER PROJECTS LINED UP FOR ANDROS

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

AFTER a plan was announced for a North Andros free trade zone by a US-based billionaire, two more projects have emerged that could help to revitalise the island.

An aggregate limestone

mining and land reclamation development, featuring a $15m-$20m first phase investment and creation of 35 jobs, is aimed for North Andros.

Cameron Symonette, The Symonette Group’s chief executive, is one of the principals behind the Bahamas Materials Company Ltd project,

presented to the North Andros District Council on June 9.

And there is another proposal on the drawing board for North Andros in the shape of Bahamas Agricultural Resources (BAR), a farming project that is seeking some 25,000 acres of land in the Twin Lakes area.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

A WOMAN is desperate for help, saying she needs to pay her landlord more than $2,000 today or will be evicted.

The Tribune met 55-yearold Sharon Bain outside the Department of Social Services on Baillou Hill Road yesterday, where she was seeking assistance.

“I need somebody to help me before tomorrow,” Ms Bain tearfully pleaded, saying she needs to pay her landlord $2,500 owed SEE PAGE THREE

THIS PANDEMIC IS NO RESPECTER OF REPUTATION

SEE PAGE NINE

PAGE 2, Friday, June 19, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Abaco airport to be ‘clean and ready’ on July 1

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

AMID cleanliness concerns surrounding the re-opening of the Leonard M Thompson International Airport, the North and Central Abaco island administrator has assured the airport will “be back on its regular cleaning schedule” soon and will be ready for visitors on July 1.

Terrece Bootle-Laing’s comments were in response to concerns from Abaco residents, who told The Tribune yesterday the airport was not being properly maintained and was not fit for incoming visitors when the country re-opens to international travellers next month.

“People have been complaining that there is no a/c, the bathrooms are disgusting and things like that…. (outside) looks terrible and it should’ve been cleaned up because we were quarantined for a few months and Abaco really hasn’t been closed,” said one angry resident, who did not want to be named.

Other complaints included the grass not being cut, which locals say has not been trimmed since Hurricane Dorian last September. However, yesterday, The Tribune saw pictures on social media showing the lawn outside

the airport being mowed.

Speaking on the issue yesterday, Mrs BootleLaing noted that after Dorian, a number of cleanup contracts had to be suspended or cancelled, delaying the clean-up process at the facility. The situation, she said, was further delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

She said: “What has happened is a number of contracts had to be suspended or cancelled because persons were not in place to execute them. And so, there is a need to re-visit some contracts. Council has had to do that and make adjustments as to whether or not persons will return or anticipating returning in the near future to be able to execute a lot of these regular cleaning contracts and pick-up contract and so that has been ongoing.

“COVID brought a lot of disruption in the progress that was being made in getting verification that contractors are in place to execute their contract and they are returning. That is an ongoing process because we still have up a lot of persons that are displaced that are still under contractual terms, so the airport manager has assured me that that is being worked on by airport authority to bring that to a conclusion. “...So, we expect that to be on its regular cleaning

schedule in short order.

We expect that to happen before July 1. I expect that to happen as we speak and that is something, I was in communication with them up to last week to monitor the progress.”

Conditions at the Marsh Harbour airport had been challenged since last year when the monster storm hit, flattening homes and destroying infrastructure.

The airport had to run off a back-up generator for a number of weeks after the storm and at one point, there was also no running water.

To this day, the air conditioning system is still not working at the facility.

Speaking on the matter yesterday, Mrs Bootle-Laing said she hopes the problem, along with other outstanding issues, will be rectified soon.

“Those are issues that are still outstanding and not just at the airport facility but at other facilities that are here in Abaco where the contract for the overall repair and re-installation of those type of things has not yet been done and… so we are anxiously waiting for the execution for those major contracts.”

“We expect for the contract issues to be sorted out in a timely manner. I mean its delayed as we speak but I expect for that to be resolved by (the) Airport Authority.”

THE EXTERIOR of the Leonard M Thompson International Airport in Abaco in this image posted to social media.

evacuated over 3,000 people to New Providence for safety and shelter purposes.

Noting that many Abaco residents are still healing from the deadly storm, Mrs Bootle-Laing said she does not believe residents will wait on the government’s help to evacuate islands if another storm were to occur.

“I don’t think they would wait around for help for the government because even in adverse weather is still traumatic for them so they are still coping and trying to cope with the realities of their experiences in Dorian,” she told this newspaper.

Abaco resident Bishop Silbert Mills made similar comments to The Tribune, adding that he wouldn’t want his family to experience the harrowing ordeal

ever again.

“I suspect that I will not be here in a storm,” he said.

I don’t think I’ll stay here to put my family through it if there’s a storm traveling.

It’s just one of those things that affects you psychologically. I don’t want to put my grandkids through that.

“I had my ten-month-old grandson in my house with the roof flying off. I had all of my family there with exception of my son and it’s only by the mercies of God that we are still alive and I don’t want to put them through that again.

“If a storm were coming to (the) island, we have a plan to leave the island.

That’s personally my plan.”

Calls for a national evacuation plan have been stressed over the years after several natural disasters, but recently resurfaced after Hurricane Dorian

ravaged the northwestern Bahamas last summer, flattening homes while displacing thousands. In the aftermath of the storm, the Minnis administration passed mandatory evacuation legislation.

On Sunday, the National Emergency Management Agency singled out several communities for the government to consider implementing evacuation plans for the 2020 hurricane season. These include Central Abaco, Grand Bahama, Salina Point in Acklins and Spanish Wells in Eleuthera.

The agency revealed this in a list that identified hurricane shelters on islands throughout the country but excluded these four areas.

However, speaking on the matter yesterday, Mrs Bootle-Laing told The Tribune that as it relates

‘WE’LL LOOK OUT FOR OURSELVES’ from page one

“Even in speaking with residents underground, that should Abaco be threatened by another hurricane especially given the magnitude of Dorian, they would voluntarily evacuate given that a lot of persons are still traumatised by the experiences of Dorian,” she said.

“Many families have that as their only option which is to leave the island and they have expressed that emphatically to us a number of times.”

Her comments come amid public concern over the island’s readiness for the 2020 hurricane season, which began early this month.

After Hurricane Dorian devastated Abaco and Grand Bahama in early September, the government

to Central Abaco, officials have already eyed hurricane shelters in the storm ravaged community, including Central Abaco Primary School and Friendship Tabernacle Church.

She said: “We are working on, as it relates to hurricane shelters, is to continue to advance and progress in the repairs to those hurricane shelters that are not quite ready.

We do have that as the case in Central Abaco where CAPS Primary School is at about 80 percent ready and we expect for that, this section that is deemed the shelter section, we expect for that to be ready within the month.

“We’ve added another shelter for Central Abaco and that is in the process of being verified as a shelter and that is Friendship Tabernacle so that is under

assessment to be deemed an official shelter.

“And we also have in Green Turtle Cay where we are seeking to have another area verified and approved as a shelter and so we’re trying to progress and make as much progress as possible even though the season has commenced to have shelter areas ready.”

Asked about the evacuation plans for the island, the administrator said the decision would have to be made by the government.

She said: “When it comes to evacuation plans, Cabinet itself would have to make the call whether they will evacuate any particular group of persons from any of the cays or mainland Abaco and how they will facilitate the evacuations for example from the cays or by air into another island.”

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, June 19, 2020, PAGE 3

Carib visitors to face quarantine from page one During several early repatriation flights involving Bahamian residents leaving the United States, people complained about long wait times as a Ministry of Health official assessed their test results.

Mr Turnquest said the process implemented since June 15 should ensure no hiccups.

“Persons coming in to The Bahamas will go online and send a copy of their negative test. They get an email that’s generated and sent back to them and they must bring that email along with original COVID-19 test to the airport and we bring them,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Medical Association of The Bahamas (MAB) has said it supports requiring a negative COVID-19 PCR test result for travelers seeking to enter the country.

TOURISM director general Joy Jibrilu.

MAB president Dr Marcus Cooper said medical professionals need robust scrutiny of international travelers.

“PCR tests are readily available in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom and are even free in some areas,” he said in a press release this week.

“The interval between testing and travel should be determined by the average turn-around time to receive test results in the various jurisdictions. Test results should be presented prior to boarding any vessel whose final destination is The Bahamas.

“The policy should also take into consideration Bahamian citizens and residents who will be traveling abroad for short periods of time. Test results should also be required for any resort or hotel check-in where further examination may be necessary to verify

authenticity of test results.

Authorities must also have the ability to translate those test results that are not in English.”

Dr Cooper said for all the country’s success in flattening the epidemic curve of COVID-19, the war against the virus is ongoing.

He said: “Currently in the United States there are reports of a resurgence of new cases in Florida, Texas, North Carolina and Arkansas. Prior to the border closure, direct flights were available from multiple airports in Florida, Houston, Texas and Charlotte, North Carolina to Lynden Pindling International Airport.

The director of the Centres for Disease Control has also warned of a possible resurgence of COVID-19 in the fall that could result “in an even worse peak at the end of the year. History will show that when the US gets a cold, The Bahamas gets pneumonia.”

STEROID IS AVAILABLE FOR COVID-19 TREATMENT

By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net

BRITAIN has made a breakthrough with a drug for the treatment of COVID-19 and according to coordinator of the government’s COVID-19 task force the medicine is already here in The Bahamas awaiting approval to be used.

The drug, a low dose steroid, is the world’s first proven coronavirus treatment and has been approved by the British government for use by its National Health Services.

The Tribune spoke with Dr Dahl-Regis, consultant to the Office of the Prime Minister, yesterday and she confirmed the medicine is here in The Bahamas awaiting an Ethics Committee approval.

“We have that medication in health (Ministry of Health),” Dr Dahl-Regis said. “We have it in country, however, it is only to be used in a hospital and following specific protocols.

We are having our people look into it. It would have to go through the Ethics Committee. It’s just a matter of deciding how we are going to use it and where we are going to use it and under what conditions.”

After having success with the drug during a trial, UK experts say the treatment will now affect the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement, the British High Commissioner’s office said the treatment is going to save thousands of lives in the United Kingdom with its government immediately authorising the National Health Service (NHS) to use it. The drug is being touted as the world’s first coronavirus treatment proven to reduce the risk of death.

The coronavirus treatment, dexamethasone, is an anti-inflammatory drug, that has been immediately approved to treat all UK hospitalised COVID-19 patients requiring oxygen, including those on ventilators, as of Wednesday.

Dexamethasone has been proven to reduce the risk of death by as much as 35 percent in patients on ventilation and patients on oxygen by 20 percent, reducing the total 28-day mortality rate by 17 percent in Britain.

The Oxford University UK RECOVERY trial is the first clinical trial anywhere in the world to show a treatment that provides significant impact in reducing patient mortality.

The British government has taken action to secure supplies of dexamethasone in the UK, buying additional stocks ahead of time in the event of a positive trial outcome. There is already enough treatment for over 200,000 people from stockpiles alone.

“I’m absolutely delighted that we can announce the world’s first successful clinical trial for a treatment for COVID-19,” said Matt Hancock, British health secretary. “This astounding breakthrough is testament to the incredible work being done by our scientists behind the scenes.

“From today (Wednesday) the standard treatment for COVID-19 will include dexamethasone, helping save thousands of lives while we deal with this terrible virus. Guided by the science, the UK is leading the way in the global fight against coronavirus – with the best clinical trials, the best vaccine development and the best immunology research in the world.”

Mr Hancock thanked the scientists at Oxford University, the thousands of patients who took part in the study, and his team, led by Professor Jonathan Van-Tam. There are 8,423,81 coronavirus cases worldwide; 4,433,246 people have recovered from the virus and 451,743 have died from it.

In The Bahamas, there are 104 confirmed cases, 74 recovered cases and 19 active cases. One person is currently in hospital and 11 people have died. So far the Bahamas government has administered 2,326 COVID-19 tests.

SHARON BAIN

‘CAN ANYONE OUT THERE HELP ME?’ from page one

by today to avoid being evicted.

She is one of the many Bahamians facing hard times during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She said to The Tribune: “Right now, I sitting down here and I’ve been here since after eight waiting on them to see if they could help me ‘cause I’ll get put out my apartment.

“I feel bad, I can’t do nothing because the little money I’m putting in his hand (the landlord) it ain’t saying nothing.”

Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced back in April there should be “no evictions between now and the end of June unless the tenant had been legally eligible for eviction

before April”. The initiative gives tenants three months relief between April and June in which 40 percent rent payment is postponed. People have 12 months to repay the deferred amount.

However, the 55-year-old admitted she owed her landlord before the country went into a COVID-19 lockdown.

With tears streaming down her face, she explained her fears that her water and power might be turned off due to her inability to pay her rent.

Ms Bain said: “I can’t live without no water and light off…it ain’t off yet but by me ain’t having nothing to give him, he could turn it off.

“I don’t have no place to go. I can’t hurt myself. I can’t kill myself. I just need help. . .how in the world I could

find me $2,500 by Friday and ain’t nothing I could do,” she said. “I can’t carry him to court. He could carry me to court ‘cause he got that little change….he could put me out of his apartment today…”

Despite doing side cleaning jobs, she is still in desperate need as her family is not able to help her at this time. Only her cousin provides her with two days of work.

She said: “They have their own little stress….. no one giving you nothing.

My sister live with her husband…my two nephews…they ain’t in Nassau and ain’t no boat for them to send me nothing. I ask couple people for help but everybody crying poor mouth.”

If you would like to offer Ms Bain assistance, please contact ebowleg@ tribunemedia.net.

PAGE 4, Friday, June 19, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Counselling order over marijuana possession

By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net TWO men charged with marijuana possession were yesterday conditionally discharged after they agreed to attend drug counselling classes.

A woman who was charged with the same offence was also placed on six months’ probation after her attorney told the magistrate she was not a habitual smoker.

Frito Dorsaint, 22, appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes after he was found with one gram of Indian hemp on June 16.

Prosecutor Lincoln McKenzie told the court when officers searched Dorsaint that evening, they found a small Ziploc bag in his left pants pocket.

Sgt McKenzie said the bag contained a grassy-like substance officers suspected to be marijuana. Dorsaint was subsequently arrested.

During an interview with police at a nearby station,

he admitted to the offence.

During the hearing, Dorsaint was represented by attorney Jomo Campbell.

He told the magistrate that his client had a drug habit for four or five years and asked him to give Dorsaint an opportunity to “beat the bad habit and keep his record intact”.

He pleaded guilty and was conditionally discharged on the agreement that he would attend drug counselling classes at the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre (SRC) for 12 months. If he fails to do so, he will spend three months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

Demerco Smith, 22, was also charged after he was found with a quantity of Indian hemp on June 12.

During the hearing, he pleaded guilty and told the magistrate that he had a “drug problem”. He also said he had been smoking because he found out his mother had been “diagnosed with cancer the other day”. In response,

Magistrate Forbes told Smith he would give him the opportunity to address his addiction. He was subsequently ordered to attend drug counselling classes at SRC for 12 months. Still, Magistrate Forbes warned him that if he didn’t, he would be convicted of the offence and spend three months at BDCS. Wiltisha Dean, 26, was charged after she was found with three grams of Indian hemp on June 12. She pleaded guilty and was placed on six months’ probation.

However, if she fails to be of good behaviour during that time, she will spend three months in prison.

During the hearing, Dean’s attorney told the magistrate that his client started smoking in February and only smoked “once or twice a month”.

He also claimed that the marijuana the officer’s found in her bag had been there for weeks and insisted that his client only smoked on a “handful of occasions”.

TWO ACCUSED OF CAUSING HARM

By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net TWO men were charged in Magistrate’s Court yesterday with causing harm in two separate incidents.

In the first incident, D’angelo Adderley, 40, appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes after he was accused of punching his neighbour, Ryan Delva, during a dispute on June 14.

He pleaded guilty and was conditionally discharged for a period of 12

months on the agreement that he would attend anger management and conflict resolution classes. If he fails to comply with the conditions of his release, he will be sentenced to six months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

Prosecutor Lincoln McKenzie said the incident occurred because Mr Delva had parked his car in front of Adderley’s yard. He said when Adderley approached Mr Delva, the two got into an argument which escalated. Sgt McKenzie said during the disagreement,

Adderley punched Mr Delva in his face.

Meanwhile, Geovanni Adderley, 19, also appeared before Magistrate Forbes accused of causing harm to another male at Island Gal Restaurant and Bar on May 13.

During the hearing, he denied the allegation and the case was adjourned to October 21 for trial.

Bail was denied and the defendant was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services in the interim. He has a right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail.

EIGHT FISHERMEN GRANTED BAIL

By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net EIGHT fishermen from Spanish Wells and Eleuthera who were accused of using prohibited apparatus to catch fish were each granted $1,000 bail ahead of their trial.

Headly Sweeting, 70; Kirkwood Pinder, 51; Garrison Sweeting, 44; Michael Wood, 35; Andy Albury, 32; Travis Sweeting, 31; Trevon Smith, 23; and Kristian Saunders, 18, appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney after they were allegedly found with an air

compressor on June 11.

The prosecution said the defendants intended to use the apparatus to catch fish.

All of the defendants denied the allegation and the matter was adjourned to August 31 for trial in Eleuthera before Magistrate Kara Turnquest-Deveaux.

Meanwhile, Ernest Ferguson, 50, was arraigned before Magistrate Samuel McKinney after he was accused of stealing and receiving a white 30’ Proline motor vessel with two 300 horsepower four stroke Yamaha engines sometime between

March 20 and 21. According to the prosecution, the stolen items, which belonged to Kelsey Bridgewater, had a combined value of $143,000.

During the hearing, Ferguson denied the charges and the matter was adjourned to August 17 for trial.

Bail was denied and the defendant was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

His attorney, Donna Major, told the magistrate she was in the process of applying to the Supreme Court for bail for her client.

DAMALUS Curry outside court yesterday.

Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff

FRAUD ACCUSED FACES COURT

By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A 39-YEAR-OLD man was accused of defrauding the Securities Exchange Commission earlier this year.

Damalus Curry appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes charged with possession of a forged document and uttering the same, after he was found with a Securities Commission of the Bahamas cheque #021892 on January 6.

During the hearing, Curry denied the allegations and the case was adjourned to June 25 for trial.

Bail was denied and he was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services in the interim.

Curry’s lawyer, Bjorn Ferguson, told the magistrate that he was in the process of applying to the Supreme Court for bail for his client.

In March, a 41-yearold man was also charged with defrauding the Securities Exchange Commission of $850,000. At the time, Jeremy Pinder was charged with fraud by false pretences, conspiracy to commit fraud by false pretences and 20 counts of money laundering. He also denied the charges

during his arraignment before Chief Magistrate Joyann-Pratt.

Meanwhile, Curry, a businessman, was also charged in connection with a $1.2m Ministry of Tourism fraud scheme in March. At the time, former Cabinet minister Elma Campbell and her son were charged with fraud by false pretences and 18 counts of money laundering. Curry, who was arraigned with the pair, was also charged with one count of money laundering after he was accused of acquiring $465,000 on October 16, 2019 knowing that it represented the proceeds of crime.

He has also denied those charges.

MAN IN HOSPITAL AFTER SHOOTING A MAN is in hospital after he was shot on Wednesday, police said.

Shortly before 6pm, a man and a woman were sitting outside a home on Congo Court and Step Street in Fox Hill when a white Honda Fit drove

past. A man got out of the car and opened fire in their direction, police said, injuring the male victim.

He was taken to hospital, however, his condition was not known up to press time, police said.

Police are also

investigating an armed robbery that occurred on Wednesday. A man was in a parking lot on Windsor Field Road when he was accosted by an armed man. The thief robbed him of his 2016 white Acura sedan, cash and other personal items.

LYFORD CAY DONATIONS TO HELP FEED BAHAMIANS IN NEED

LEND a Hand Bahamas and Hands for Hunger have benefited from donations.

Photo: Lend A Hand Bahamas

LYFORD Cay Foundations has made two more $25,000 donations to Lend a Hand Bahamas and Hands for Hunger to help families receive food during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For both Lend a Hand Bahamas and Hands for Hunger, the virus has meant shifting their operations to handle record unemployment and food assistance requests.

At Hands for Hunger, which primarily used a food rescue model to redistribute food that would otherwise be discarded from hotels and restaurants to various agencies that feed communities, the hit sustained by the tourism sector has seen food production from their major donors vanish or become greatly reduced.

With thousands of new requests for food assistance, Hands for Hunger not only need to take on purchasing perishable items themselves but have also launched a food voucher programme through the digital wallet application Kanoo which to date has assisted more than 1,500 families.

“As a team, we have been trying to

figure out new and creative ways to address food insecurity issues because at the end of the day it is still our mantra that no one goes hungry,” says Hands for Hunger multimedia manager Aarone Sargent. “This donation from Lyford Cay Foundations helps to strengthen our operations sso we can continue to do our work.”

Lend a Hand Bahamas, which primarily offers educational programming to socio-economic disadvantaged Bahamians in the Grant’s Town area of Nassau through a community center, has shifted their operations as social distancing prevented gathering at the community centre and the appeal for food assistance during the pandemic increased from residents and donors alike.

In two months, they have expanded their reach to provide weekly food support to more than 2,000 individuals in the Adelaide, Grant’s Town, Gambier, and Mt Pleasant areas.

In the meantime, they are planning longer-term entrepreneurial and community development initiatives.

“Food is seen as a critical need now because its very hard to talk to families about how to enhance their lives or think long-term when they can’t feed themselves to survive, says Lucas Metropulos, chairman of the board for Lend a Hand Bahamas. “For us it’s a piece of the plan to build resiliency into these communities we serve— we are trying to find, for people affected by this pandemic, how they can get back to where they were but even better.”

“The continued extreme generosity and support by Lyford Cay Foundations allows projects like ours off the ground — they were one of the earliest supports of our educational programming, and have been there every step of the way since, through providing relief during Hurricane Dorian recovery and now food assistance during a pandemic,” says Lucas. “To see a group of people come forward and pool resources together into community investments and needs, that is a huge asset to the country.”

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, June 19, 2020, PAGE 5

Andros MP unhappy he was not consulted on project

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net NORTH Andros and the Berry Islands MP Carlton Bowleg said it is “high disrespect” for investors to pursue a massive development affecting his constituents without consulting him first.

He was referring to a proposed multi-million development in Morgan’s Bluff, Andros that would involve a new port, airport, healthcare research facilities and manufacturing facilities for harvested aragonite.

Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong, a philanthropist billionaire, is heading a group that wants to invest $200m

to $250m over the first two phases of the project, which is called the North Andros Green Free Trade Zone.

A formal submission has not yet been made to the Minnis administration but a leaked draft proposal requests work permits and promises more than 10,000 new construction, manufacturing and service jobs.

The Progressive Liberal Party came out against the project yesterday, saying it is not environmentally sustainable given the shallow water table in the area.

“The PLP does not support privatising the port at Morgan’s Bluff and therefore the shareholders in the Arawak Cay Port Development and the cruise ship port should also not be

allowed to add this to their ownership and control,” PLP chairman Fred Mitchell said in a statement.

Mr Bowleg, meanwhile, said he should have been contacted before information about the project began to spread.

“If people could go and put something out there like that without the MP knowing, they bold,” he said.

“It’s a high disrespect for someone to put out all these brochures of what they looking to do. And the project they looking at, it’s like they want to take the whole North Andros, that is really just crazy. For someone to put out a bold brochure like that and not contact me, definitely I have a problem with that. I live here in

Andros. Whatever decision is going to be made as far as North Andros is concerned this member will ensure the people have a voice.”

The draft proposal speaks to harvesting aragonite in a water concession area and getting thousands of acres in land concessions.

“Whatever we agree to has to be safe,” Mr Bowleg said, “not in a way that is going to be damaging as far as people coming in reaping awards that our children won’t benefit from at the end of the day. I am not for it.”

Mr Bowleg said he laughed when he saw what is proposed.

“I laughed because I live here and if you see what the project is they’re looking to do, they’re not asking

for two or three miles,” he said. “I look at it and I don’t know what part of this lifetime, me being the MP, would let something like that actually take place. We would need to check out the EIA (environment impact assessment), make sure our water table is not going to be affected by that and it has to be brought to our people. Our people have to be aware about the pros and cos and yes it could be something sustainable, but it could also be a harm, so we’ll have to see.”

Mr Bowleg said North Andros residents are not desperate for an economic stimulus.

“I always say, under the PLP, we’ve been forgotten,” he told The Tribune. “This

is the first time Andros has gotten the look it’s getting right now so we’re used to surviving and we will continue to survive. We have a lot. We have our fishing industry and construction going on for a lot of buildings, we can sustain ourselves and that’s why we will be wise. Androsians are resilient people but my voice will be heard for my people. For those people out of LA who looking to do such a great job coming here, you can’t come half stepping, come through the proper channels. The main thing is we’ve been going good for ourselves and won’t put ourselves in danger as far as them doing that kind of mining here,” he said.

UNIVERSITY COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY GOES ONLINE THE 2020 commencement for University of The Bahamas may not have the traditional pomp and circumstance, but it will have an even more elevated significance for graduates who are closing one chapter of their lives and entering a new one during an unprecedented era.

UB has announced that its 2020 graduation ceremony will be a virtual event on Monday, June 29, at 4pm. The virtual ceremony will honour graduating seniors and celebrate their achievements in a manner that is safe and complies with national health protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic, UB said.

The 2020 class comprises approximately 500 students, UB said.

“Commencement is one of the most sacred and honourable observances in higher education. For us at UB, it is as much about building community and lauding perseverance and commitment as it is about marking the completion of an academic journey and affirming the rights and privileges of the degrees

and diplomas for which they have studied and rightfully earned,” says UB president Dr Rodney Smith.

“This 2020 virtual commencement ceremony is no less significant because we will not be physically together. We will be together online in a space that has come to be just as vitally important as the physical.”

The ceremony will honour and celebrate graduates in New Providence and Grand Bahama and will pay special tribute to the indomitable spirit of the UB-North community, which despite the adverse impact of Hurricane Dorian and COVID-19, remains resilient.

UB initially announced that its 2020 commencement ceremony would be postponed to Fall 2020.

However, that was before the subsequent support expressed for the virtual event, a first in the institution’s history.

“Understandably, many graduating seniors still want to experience the traditional rites of passage in which they walk across the

stage and accepting their diplomas,” UB said. “The university is deliberating on how it can safely provide that experience while protecting and preserving the health of the university and the public. Members of the 2020 commencement class will be able to collect their diplomas and completion letters when the university is permitted to resume onsite operations.”

UB’s 2020 class president, Ericka Reckley-Rolle expressed excitement and enthusiasm about the resilience of UB grads given the extraordinary challenges.

She also saluted their myriad achievements.

“The past several months have been a rough journey for all of us. Now the time has come to celebrate our graduates for their hard work and achievements,” said the nursing major.

The virtual ceremony will be accessible to audiences on the university’s website – www.ub.edu.bs – and its social media channels on June 29. It will also be accessible on demand thereafter.

SPOTLIGHT ON YOUNG ACHIEVERS IN AWARDS BTC’s New Providence Junior Achievement company won top awards at the JA end of year review virtual ceremony which took place on June 1.

BTC Horizon’s president, Noel Seymour won President of the Year, Most Distinguished Achiever and was awarded an $8,000 scholarship.

2020 has been an exciting year for BTC Horizon as earlier this year the group won the annual ‘open house’ and was recognised for its Garden Buddies product, which are self-contained home starter garden kits. The group successfully pitched the product to the Ministry of Agriculture, which purchased 500 Garden Buddies for use in primary schools. Sales of the kits continue throughout the pandemic.

In response to her win, Noel said, “I feel elated that I was able to make

my parents, my fellow achievers, the advisory team and BTC proud. My mantra this year was ‘you will only get out what you put in’. I am thrilled to see our company’s hard work acknowledged. I am really happy that BTC Horizon was able to win all of the major awards this year.”

BTC CEO Garry Sinclair commented on the company’s achievements saying, “The entire BTC family is indeed ecstatic about BTC Horizon’s performance this year. They are definitely embracing our LLA philosophy ‘we do it best and we do it with spirit’. I am especially proud of our president, Noel Seymour, who was recognised for her leadership and fortitude.”

Noel gave this word of advice to other achievers enrolling in the programme next year. “Treat Junior Achievement like it’s your

personal business. Step out of your comfort zone and find creative ways to market and sell your product. You won’t win every competition, but you get experience and guidance for success.”

Noel is a graduating senior from St Anne’s High School. In the fall, she will attend University of The Bahamas and pursue studies in veterinary science.

Earlier this year, BTC Horizon achievers Diamond Wilson, Da’Shante Bain and Gregranique Higgs also secured scholarships from Johnson and Wales as part of the programme. Last year, BTC’s Grand Bahama JA president, Ketora Clarke was awarded Most Distinguished Achiever and Most Outstanding President.

BTC has supported Junior Achievement since its inception over 40 years ago.

SHEILA JOHNSON SMITH, executive director of Grand Bahama Children’s Home.

CHILDREN’S HOME RENOVATIONS COMPLETE ‘BY END OF JULY’

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net RENOVATIONS at the Grand Bahama Children’s Home are in full swing again and are expected to be completed by the end of next month, according to a representative from the orphanage.

The facility was severely destroyed by Hurricane Dorian, leaving 31 resident children displaced last September. They are currently in New Providence.

The home’s executive director Sheila Johnson Smith said there was some construction delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic,

but the work is expected to be completed within several weeks.

According to Mrs Smith, donations have been pouring in from local and international donors to get the orphanage back up and open so the children can return home to Grand Bahama.

“The donors have been amazing; some have sent food supplies, some have given clothing and toys, and some have made monetary contributions. We have gotten help from England, the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean - they are giving to get the children back in their home in Grand Bahama,” she said.

“It is amazing to me how this home has become a ray of hope and a beacon to this community. I am getting people calling me and stopping me in the streets asking when our children coming back.”

Mrs Smith said the children are also eager to return to Grand Bahama.

“I am getting reports that the children are crying to come home. The excitement of going to Nassau was fine, but it has worn off now and they miss their playmates, families, and the staff, and we desperately miss them,” she said.

She stated that a possible date for the children’s return is July 30.

PAGE 6, Friday, June 19, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

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Andros projects show our potential LIKE buses, it seems you wait forever for a project in Andros, and then three come along at once.

Better still, as we look at a world where tourism has been destroyed by COVID-19, none of the new projects depend on that, offering a way to diversify the economy.

Each project has its own pros and cons, we are sure, but the most eyecatching one has been the proposal for a free trade zone by Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong.

Dr Soon-Shiong seems the real deal – a net worth according to Forbes magazine of $6.9bn, a part owner of the Lakers said to be a mentor to Kobe Bryant, owner of the LA Times and more. If there was a gold standard of investor that The Bahamas would like to attract, this is it.

This is the kind of investor who could have helped to breathe life into the likes of Grand Bahama again – and his project in Andros has the potential to bring a transformation.

Sadly, that proposal is attended by the kind of sniping that is unhelpful.

The North Andros MP, Carlton Bowleg, has complained of “high disrespect” because he wasn’t consulted first. Honestly, Mr Bowleg, a multi-billionaire brings a game-changing proposal to the table and your complaint is that you didn’t get an invite yet?

The PLP has also come out against the project. We hope this isn’t because it’s a proposal being brought under an FNM government and they fear a political cost at the ballot box.

The PLP cite environmental concerns, which given how slow they were to take action over environmental concerns at Peter Nygard’s home, is a little rich.

This isn’t to say of course that environmental concerns shouldn’t be considered. Of course they should – it should meet all the criteria but some of this seems like opposition for the sake of doing so. Sometimes, we need to lift our eyes to the horizon and see what could be.

That should hold true beyond this project. How can we bring this kind of investor to other islands – including Grand Bahama, including the Family Islands. In short, how can we transform The Bahamas to bring all the benefits of modern society to Bahamians while retaining the beauty of the country we love?

Political capital should not get in the

way of advancing the nation – and if that means more work permits for industries to help the nation grow, then why not?

Especially if we put in place ways for Bahamians to get into those industries too, with training and education.

Whether each of these projects in Andros come to completion, we will see.

Each will be subjected to the application process and have to deal with any problems along the way.

But that the potential is there is tantalising. Where can we turn our eyes next to make the most of the potential of our country? And what do we need to do to get there?

Taxes are inevitable - but which ones?

As Benjamin Franklin once said, nothing is certain except death and taxes. As we look at the bills we are running up in the wake of Hurricane Dorian and the economic storm of COVID-19, we know a time will come to pay them.

It is good to hear then the voices of people such as Rupert Pinder, in today’s Business section, speaking on the missed opportunity to start talks on tax reform in The Bahamas.

The University of The Bahamas lecturer points up what we already know – that our taxes are regressive, hitting poorer Bahamians disproportionately.

VAT and import tariffs are consumption-based, and tend to hit the smaller wallet more than the larger one.

Finance Minister Peter Turnquest has fought shy of reform now – saying it’s “too early” to talk about such reforms as we try to overcome our current woes.

But what of the future? If not this structure, then what? If not now, when?

Having the conversation costs nothing – and while no one enjoys paying money, and even less paying more money, having a broad discussion about how to fund society’s needs would help people to understand the merits and problems of each different approach.

International organisations have their own requirements – as anyone following debate about WTO membership can attest – but what do we want as Bahamians, and what do we want in return for the money we pay?

Let’s get that debate rolling – not least because it will tell us what we want as a society too.

Sands’ delay EDITOR, The Tribune.

I WRITE in connection with your Editorial of the 12th June in which you question the delay in former minister of health, Dr Duane Sands speaking out about his concerns over the government’s handling of the list of missing persons following Hurricane Dorian.

The editorial writer has a fundamental misunderstanding of the rules of Cabinet government which require that ministers share collective responsibility for decisions taken.

The editorial writer noted that, in the immediate aftermath of the storm, Dr Sands said publicly that he expected that the number of deaths would be staggering. If one understands the mechanics of cabinet government, it is simple to conclude that any walkback of that position would have been caused by a cabinet level decision.

In his address to the House of Assembly last Thursday, Dr Sands reaffirmed information that has long been in the public domain. Decisions by the cabinet moved

responsibility for the list of the individuals missing after the storm from the Department of Social Services to the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

The editorial writer is reminded that responsibility for the remains of unidentified victims of the hurricane, which were kept in a refrigerated container behind the Abaco Hospital until their burial last month, was also moved from the ministry of health to the office of the prime minister.

It is debatable whether Dr Sands should have resigned earlier in protest of the remove of certain responsibilities from his portfolio. A minister’s portfolio is determined by the prime minister. The prime minister is empowered by the constitution to appoint ministers, determine their areas of responsibilities and shift those as he sees fit.

If a minister were to resign each time the content of his portfolio is amended or each time cabinet makes a decision with which he is not completely in agreement, there would be no stability in government. Ministers have a duty to make their

views and recommendations known at cabinet meetings, but they also have a duty to accept decisions taken and to accept collective responsibility for their implementation.

The editorial writer is reminded that during his three years in the position of minister of health, Dr Sands has had the responsibility for the Marijuana Commission removed from his portfolio. He also had to accept that he could not have sight of the report of a forensic audit of the Public Hospitals Authority which fell within his portfolio responsibility as minister of health.

Dr Sands accepted all these decisions until he could no longer accept that words would be put in his mouth regarding the offering of his resignation.

Rather than too little too late, his record in cabinet reflects a man who put national interest above self and who continues to put service to his constituents, his patients and his country first.

PROUD ELIZABETH VOTER Nassau, June, 2020.

Lessons of COVID-19 EDITOR, The Tribune.

With the many negatives that covid-19 has and continues to leave in its wake, it is imperative for countries such as The Bahamas to derive as many positives from this period as possible.

In the wake of covid-19, The Bahamas is presented with an opportunity to use the current halt in global air travel as a time wherein it can rethink, clarify and/ or redirect its international aviation policy. It behooves The Bahamas to wisely use this halt in global air travel (which perhaps is a once in our lifetime opportunity) in advance of when it resets full-on air travel to and throughout The Bahamas.

The rapid spread of the deadly covid-19 virus was no doubt aided to a great extent by the welldeveloped and highly patronized vast global air travel network pre-covid-19.

According to Statista, in 2019 alone, the global airline industry recorded the boarding of over 4.5 billion scheduled passengers.

As a result of a delay in ascertaining the highly communicable nature of covid-19, the virus was not immediately designated by ICAO States for the purposes of regulating effective measures for the sanitation of aircraft to limit or prevent its spread. As a result, global air travel performed as normal and unabated.

In turn, in only approximately three months, the vast majority of the world’s nations were reporting cases of covid-19, at a speed only rivalled by and achieved from the likes of the very same jet-powered modes of modern global air travel.

In 1918, the last time that the world experienced a global pandemic of the proportions of the current covid-19 pandemic (Spanish Flu), international commercial aviation was still yet a fledgling. No more than five years prior to the 1918 Spanish Flu was the first commercial airline involved in just diminishing its flight capability.

After that, it would be several more decades, to the 1950s-60s, before air travel became common place and therefrom steadily make increases and become more commonplace year on year.

As such, it is important to note the novelty of the covid-19 induced global aviation shutdown which was brought about by States

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net imposing travel bans along with airspace and border closures for public health and safety reasons.

This remarkable shutdown, which brought global air travel to a grinding halt, was evidenced by airport closures, cancellation of flights, and huge airline furloughs to an extent never before witnessed in the airline industry. On March 19, 2020 the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) published a joint statement regarding the covid-19 outbreak outlining updated advice regarding the virus and civil aviation.

A country’s international aviation policy is, by nature, shaped by the international aviation agreements (whether bilateral or multilateral) in which it enters.

Upon becoming an independent nation in 1973, specifically in the first five years of doing so, one is able to deduce a clear and identifiable policy of The Bahamas at that time to rethink, clarify and/ or re-direct its international aviation policy. The Bahamas achieved this by succeeding to a number of multilateral air law instruments, namely: 1929 Warsaw Convention, 1944 Chicago Convention, 1961 Guadalajara Convention, 1963 Tokyo Convention, 1970 Hague Convention, 1947 Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Specialized Agencies, and 1944 International Air Services Transit Agreement.

Since this period in its history, The Bahamas’ record with its international aviation policy has not been as robust. In particular, since then, it has acceded to only two multi-lateral air law instruments, namely: 1971 Montreal Convention and 1991 Convention on Plastic Explosives in 1984 and 2008 respectively. Although the Bahamas became a signatory to the 1999 Montreal Convention on the 28th May 1999 it has refrained for more than 20 years from ratifying the same, which remains without force in The Bahamas.

The 1999 Montreal Convention is an international air law treaty concerned with passenger claims. As

this treaty is not limited to affording rights and obligations to only state actors or entities with international legal personality, it is required to have domestic effect to be enforceable for such purposes. As The Bahamas is a dualist and not monist State, an international treaty does not acquire domestic effect upon its signature alone, but rather requires approval and incorporation through domestic legislation by its Parliament.

Additionally, for some time, various proponents have encouraged The Bahamas to implement an international aircraft registry so as to enable the Bahamas to reap the spin-off financial services benefits. To an extent The Bahamas has also expressed an interest in this course of action, however, this too is subject to action by The Bahamas on its international aviation policy front. This is because the implementation of an international aircraft registry is effected by The Bahamas first acceding to the 2001 Cape Town Convention which relates to international interest in mobile equipment such as aircraft.

The above highlights two instances with multi-lateral treaties which call for The Bahamas to rethink, clarify and redirect its international aviation policy.

While this short piece addresses multi-lateral treaties, it is important to note that there are also bilateral arrangements which give The Bahamas an opportunity to update its international aviation policy.

In closing, upon the backdrop of a global picture, which at present, appears dim, this author finds it helpful to lift up the illuminating words of renown novelist Margaret Drabble, “when nothing is sure, everything is possible!”. In that context, though these times are surely unprecedented and fraught with uncertainty; even still it is imperative for The Bahamas to draw a precedent of rethinking, clarifying and redirecting its international aviation policy from its earlier self to a certain end of deriving a benefit from our present circumstances.

KEITH O. MAJOR JR Nassau, June 15, 2020.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, June 19, 2020, PAGE 7

Bahamian choked to death is remembered in New York

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net A BAHAMAS-born man who was choked and killed by American police more than 40 years ago was remembered in New York City on Sunday.

Thrity-year-old Arthur Miller was killed on June 14, 1978, in New York City by local police after an officer “choked him into submission,” while using a nightstick.

Mr Miller, who had relocated to Brooklyn from The Bahamas in 1960, was a community leader, business owner and entrepreneur before his life was

snuffed out during that fatal night.

According to international reports, Miller’s death came at the hands of white police officers, who were initially searching for his brother, Samuel, during that summer night.

Officers had wanted to serve Miller’s brother with a court summons for reports stating that debris had piled up at a construction site the Millers were using to transfer into a wedding hall.

Having found Samuel on the day in question, officers discovered a license check which showed that he was driving with a suspended license.

According to reports, Samuel denied the issue, claiming he had paid his fines. This then caused officers to call for more manpower, when two more officers arrived to the scene to arrest him.

After Samuel fled from the officers, escaping arrest, more cops rushed to the area. According to reports, Miller’s two brothers, Arthur and Joseph, also eventually arrived at the scene.

Officers confronted them and saw Arthur with a licensed handgun at his waist.

“In the ensuing chaos, police subdued and choked Arthur Miller. Witnesses

said foam was coming from his mouth, and they could see his feet sticking out of a police car window as it drove off, the Times reported.”

According to reports, Miller died at the 77th Precinct station house.

Nine of the officers connected to the incident refused to speak with police investigators concerning the matter, according to reports. As a result, none of the them was charged.

“Mr. Miller was the first ‘I can’t breathe’ in modern times,” Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams was quoted by the New York Daily News as saying on Sunday,” an international

NEW OFFICERS COMPLETE TRAINING

BY DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

FIFTY-FOUR police recruits, including 35 Bahamians and 19 from the Turks and Caicos Islands, completed their training at the Police College in Grand Bahama amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Minister of National Security Marvin Dames attended the passing out ceremony held on Thursday at the Bishop Michael Eldon Auditorium.

It marked the first training and graduation of foreign police recruits of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force in GB. The ceremony was streamed live for persons in the Turks and Caicos Islands, with Police Commissioner Paul Rolle delivering brief remarks from Police Commissioner Trevor Botting of the RTCI Police Force, who described it as a “momentous event” and an important milestone for their recruits as they embark on their policing career.

The 54 recruits of the A&B Squad 2020 for completed 18 weeks of “rigorous and grueling” training - the first GB recruit training programme for 2020.

Minister Dames said: “Thanks for answering the call to be part of the noble professional called law enforcement for the maintenance of law and order and protection of life,” he told the graduating recruits.

I am delighted to stand and congratulate the newest

members of the RBPF and RTCIPF.” “When you began training some 18 weeks ago, I am certain many of you wanted to give up…,but all of you persevered. And the 35 Bahamians and 19 TCI - the first foreign group who trained in GB – have earned the right to be called police officers.”

Mr Dames explained they have enlisted in a very strenuous profession. “You are enlisting at a critical junction in the landscape of our nation and indeed the world. You are joining at a time when this island and Abaco are still recovering from the ravages of Dorian last year which left in its path a loss of lives, missing persons, and damage, according to some estimates, in excess of $3b.”

“You are signing up at a time when the world is in the midst of coronavirus pandemic that caused widespread suffering and immeasurable deaths, that has caused nations to close,” he stated.

“You are pledging your service to the citizenry at a time when a movement against police brutality has gained international attention and is causing many police agencies around the world to re-examine their policing practices,” the minister said.

Mr Dames told the recruits that they must be “models of conduct,” understanding the use of force and adhering to the policies and protocols established.

He stated that the use of cutting edge technology such as the CCTV cameras and shot spotter are already

NATIONAL Security Minister Marvin Dames and Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest bump hands during the ceremony alongside Police Commissioner Paul Rolle.

Photos: Derek Carroll providing dividends as suc- compassion,” he stressed. cessful crime-fighting tools.

“The public demands a He added that the test phase police force that is responof Police Body and Dash sive to their needs and cries.

Cams is completed and offic- I am of the view that the ers will soon be equipped time has come for policing with body and dash cams as a profession to be redethat would provide a greater fined,” he said. level of transparency.

He encouraged recruits Commission Paul Rolle to “go forward with pride, also noted that there are hold your head high, and some in policing who have always put God first.” lost their way. He also Receiving the Director’s stated that many recruits Awards for the highest forget the words of the oath academic achievement was they sworn to soon as they Constable 4289 Janae leave the college.

Douglas of A Squad, and “You must do your part Constable 4310 Camille to retain public trust and Turnquest of B Squad. perform your duties in The Baton of Honor went a manner that respects to 4290 Constable Walter individual human rights Henderson Jr of A Squad and which respects, fair- and Constable 4302 Joshua ness, sensitivity, and Rolle of B Squad.

report stated.

“If we had responded then, we’d be living in a different city and country today. A young child left without a father because the institution supposed to help and protect decided to hurt and murder.”

Miller’s death sparked activism against police brutality and excessive force in New York.

It even led to the creation of a patrol system against local police in the community, which was organized by two organizations, the Black United Front and the East.

“Though Miller’s death sparked protests and petitions, a grand jury refused

to indict any of the officers involved,” a report added.

And, it wasn’t until decades later that the use of chokeholds by police was officially banned in New York.

“A police ban on chokeholds in New York did not happen until last week, when in the wake of national protests over the choking to death of George Floyd and before him, Eric Gardner, New York finally moved to pass police reforms that included a ban on chokeholds.”

“Miller’s son, Lamor Miller Whitehead, said of the decades delay in passing a ban: “It’s ludicrous, ludicrous…it hurts.”

PAGE 8, Friday, June 19, 2020

Are we now a mirror to the US? THIS week we saw our borders being prepared for re-opening, and a police involved shooting, clouded in controversy and conspiracy theories, in which three young Bahamian males lost their lives.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, once again we seem to be mirroring the actions of our neighbours to the north.

Let’s have a closer look!

ORDER AT THE BORDER Minister of Tourism Dionisio D’Aguilar made the announcement in the House of Assembly on Wednesday.

“The current protocol requires that all visitors and returning residents must have a negative COViD19 test for entry into Bahamas.”

This was the responsible

A Comic’s View

By INIGO ‘NAUGHTY’ ZENICAZELAYA

and correct decision to make in this regard, in my opinion.

But I do know, however, there are many of you out there, especially business owners, that don’t share the same opinion, and I respect and understand your valid concerns in not agreeing with the decision made by Mr D’Aguilar.

And I need the borders to open ASAP, just as bad as anyone else.

Jokers Wild remains closed until things return to some semblance of normalcy in the tourism sector.

However, we can’t miss the big picture, premature openings, relaxed social distancing and testing requirements have led to spikes in COViD - 19 cases across the United States.

A perfect example with a similar tourist model, is Florida.

Florida reported 3,207 additional coronavirus cases on Thursday, the largest single-day count in the state since the pandemic began, according to the state health department. Florida’s total reported cases climbed to nearly 86,000.

THE TRIBUNE

TRAVELERS wear masks as they wait at the American Airlines ticket counter at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago earlier this month. The US continues to grapple with COVID-19 - bringing problems for us here in The Bahamas.

Photo: Nam Y Huh/AP The ‘Sunshine State’ has all the components to become the next large epicentre of coronavirus transmission, according to projections from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania.

Florida, along with Alabama, Arizona, California, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina and Texas, are now seeing record high seven-day averages of new coronavirus cases per day, since relaxing social distancing protocols, and re-opening businesses.

This according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

According to the tourism minister, the present model, requiring negative tests for entry into the country, for all, returning residents and tourist alike, and will remain in place after the July 1 opening, given the spike in US cases, where the bulk of The Bahamas’ tourist market comes from.

(Smart move).

Again this was a very tough call, a catch 22 even, but it appears Mr D’Aguilar made the right call.

Additionally, it’s easier and far more affordable, to get tested in the US for $100 with rapid results, than here, and given the choice between travelling to Florida, where COViD-19 is rife, or to The Bahamas, where there is almost no COViD19, many Americans will gladly hop this extra hurdle, but they will more than likely choose a different destination, if we are giving Florida competition for new COViD-19 cases.

Do the math, it may be a tough pill to swallow, but it’s much more palatable despite the hardships, to gut it out until October or November as things balance out in the tourism sector, rather than having to wait until mid-2021.

LIGHTS, BODY CAMERA, ACTION Minister of National

Security Marvin Dames, amid public backlash, regarding this past Saturday’s deadly police involved shootings, which claimed the lives of three young men, offered these remarks in the HOA: “Yes, we had a shooting over the weekend. All shootings are very concerning and unfortunate and that shooting like every shooting will be looked into. And at the end of the day, justice will prevail.”

Marking yet another deadly police-involved killing, the three young men were killed by police on Cowpen Road on Saturday after an officer was “ambushed” by a gunman, police said.

This is eerily similar to the three men killed by the RBPF, last year in Blair Estates.

Police Commissioner Paul Rolle told the press that Saturday’s shooting involved suspects, who “ambushed” and “engaged” police.

Rolle also added: “If persons want to engage the members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force they need to be prepared to meet their maker. I’m not training my officers to go out there, I would like for them to return home at the end of the day when they come to work.”

With all due respect, I would much rather hear a crime-related report from Commissioner Rolle, with body and dash cam footage from the officers in question, accompanying his report.

So there is no longer a grey area in relation to police arrests, suspects in custody and police involved killings, in the line of duty, in The Bahamas.

No more incidents with police, like numerous others in earlier years that live on in local street lore.

No more stories about the Sea Breeze canal, and like those of ‘Little Ounce’, ‘Skeva’, ‘Jim Rat’ and more recently ‘Lil Dee’ just to name a few. All four were well known to the police, whose killings at the hands of the RBPF were inevitable,

due to their numerous criminal offences and enterprises, however their killings are eerily similar to extra judicial killings, as seen in South America and the Philippines.

And there is no place in any civilised society for that, especially The Bahamas.

Recently the government signed a $1m contract for 400 body and dash cameras, to be used by police officers this year.

Mr Dames added previously when signing the contract that with the new technology, officers will be placed under “greater scrutiny unlike ever before”.

While giving his contribution to the budget debate, Dames announced in the HOA: “They’re now on island and in order to meet our projected roll-out period, training is continuing online and this is as a result of COVID-19 so we don’t want to lose any time.

Meanwhile, the signalling units for the dash cams have been installed in the new police vehicles; $232,357 will be invested during this month while the duplicate amount will be paid during the upcoming fiscal period for maintenance.

“Mr Speaker, this cutting edge police technology is expected to provide critical evidence for both internal and external investigations.

It is anticipated that projected roll out period will be August of 2020, not long now.”

Now the waiting game continues, amid public outcries against police brutality and police involved shootings, which has left three men dead and brought the country’s police-involved killings for the year to eight, according to The Tribune.

Until next week I will leave you with the words of Malcolm X: “If you aren’t careful, administrations and certain media outlets, will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.”

should test every person who comes into The Bahamas, at the airport, or the Port of Entry they use. Don’t talk about cost. The Bahamas should buy these tests and than charge the visitors for them. Just like any other of the many fees, taxes, and levies we charge. Waive some other fee if you wish. But, everyone should be tested here. This negative test three days prior or whatever time frame makes no sense. What if they are infected in the Miami airport? Why do we allow our ministers to think like five-year-olds, and get away with it?”

WETHEPEOPLE said: “I think we all know that we can’t afford to inconvenience every visitor that wants to come here. There are other options to The Bahamas and guests may simply go there. Lets keep in mind unemployment is high in the U.S right now. The average American saves almost a year to go on vacation once within that year,

and given the economic climate in the U.S. most people are trying to stretch their dollar, not spend it on a COVID test from a COVID testing centre The Bahamas Govt deems legit. Let’s be real, we need their money, we going to have to take the risks, not vice versa.”

Minister of Tourism and Aviation Dionisio D’Aguilar said Bahamasair is being “implored” by the COVID-19 crisis to increase revenues by $7.5m annually through the levying of “nominal” ticket price rises and baggage fees.

Sweptaway had this to say: “Round trip to Nassau from Abaco already 225 – they stretch the truth on everything with the VAT and have to feed the pig fees. It used to be 160 long time ago. Trips to the States have gone up 100 bucks on average too!”

And there was this from OMG: “People still ‘going’ to Florida to shop? Even Americans have been doing all their shopping online for many years. I haven’t been to Florida in over 10 years, and have absolutely no intention of going anytime in the foreseeable future!”

• Join the debate on tribune242.com.

READERS REACT TO TESTING RULE THE news that travellers will need a COVID-19 negative test result to enter the country when international commercial flights resume on July 1, prompted a lively reaction from readers on tribune242.com.

Immigrant posted this comment: “What kind of test and how many days ahead of travel? Come on Bahamas government . . . if you’re going to make requirements, be clear! DO BETTER!” Castaway said: “I agree that if we are going to allow visitors into our country, then everyone needs to have a negative COVID19 test. They also need to have their temperatures taken upon arrival and everyone needs to be required to wear a mask. People in the United States are refusing to wear a mask. People in many Asian countries are required to wear a mask. Look at the numbers.

MASKS HELP STOP THE SPREAD OF COVID19. The government must require everyone to WEAR MASKS. This is not rocket science.”

There was this comment from Porcupine: “They have a 15 minute turnaround COVID test available. We

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, June 19, 2020, PAGE 9

THE SHADY LADY, powered by an Evinrude motor. The motor manufacturer is just one of many economic victims of COVID-19.

This pandemic is no respecter of reputation WE see the statistics, the staggering numbers of new cases in places where beer taps flow freely again or people gather in peaceful protest convinced their moral conviction could keep COVID at bay.

We read the headlines, we gaze at the lines of people awaiting food parcels and NIB cheques so we know it’s real.

And yet it’s the oddest things that make us stop whatever we are doing and gulp. It’s things like reading that Hertz which announced it was filing for bankruptcy and this week said it was selling off thousands of cars around the world cheap that literally drive home the impact of a global pandemic in tangible ways.

Filing for bankruptcy in May, fending off creditors, laying off 14,000 employees is one thing, admission to selling off thousands of cars this week was the jolt that made it feel real. Watching Hertz go under, taking with it its oh-so-familiar yellow and grey signage and branding across every city with an airport and some without was one of those moments that reminded us COVID is not someone else’s issue.

Even if you never rented PLEASE allow me to apologise to someone I admire and inadvertently offended this week.

We sometimes do things that are so out of character we cannot believe we did them and this time, I did it twice and of all the unlikely odds, the same person was the unintended target both times.

I honked at a traffic

By Diane Phillips

from Hertz in your life, watching it fail as a result of lack of travel was like standing by and watching a waiter with a tray piled high with hot dinner platters slip on grease, loosen his grip and gasp as the whole pyramid of plates comes crashing down. It’s happening before your eyes and there isn’t a thing you can do to stop it.

Hertz, once so prominent that #2 Avis based its “We try harder” ads on trying to catch up to the unstoppable #1, became the roadside detritus of a crisis that is testing every economy.

The bigger shock for anyone who ever had the joy of running a powerboat was the end of the era for Evinrude which announced on May 29 it was discontinuing production.

Evinrude invented the outboard motor. The company was founded in 1939, introduced its first 10 horsepower outboard motor at

the 1947 New York Boat Show, celebrated its 75th year in 2014 and continued holding its own for 81 years despite newcomers to the market - Johnson (later its partner), Mercury, Yamaha and most recently Suzuki.

To most, Evinrude was the staple of powerboating for decades. It was, to the runabout, what Chevy was to America. When its outboard engine and another early entry into the market made by Johnson became so similar, there was little surprise they merged to become OMC in 1936 and while Johnson was still being manufactured, their parts were interchangeable.

Stunned by Evinrude’s announcement, I called Robert Brown whose family has hauled and repaired powerboats with outboard motors at Brown’s Boat Basin along Nassau’s harbourfront for more mango seasons than anyone can remember. His uncle

A PUBLIC APOLOGY light that had changed, seconds went by and I assumed the person in the vehicle ahead was texting so honked again to alert them. Such was not the case and I humbly apologise.

I’ve even been in cars with people who honked and begged them not to.

This time, I had just come from many hours of a stress that I cannot explain and I beg the gentleman’s forgiveness.

WHERE DO THEY GET THOSE STREET NAMES? SINCE I’m on the subject of driving, the Ministry of Works announced recently it was engaging in a repaving exercise. Among the streets affected would be Bird Court, Sisal Road, Weasel Court and Muttonfish Drive.

When it comes to street names, I don’t think there is

a place in the world that can compete with The Bahamas for weird and wonderful ways to identify a piece of pavement. Bird, Weasel and Muttonfish are pretty cool, though my all-time favourite street name in the does-not-belong-here category remains Lovers Lane.

It would be fine if the lane

wound up at the end of a remote road with a view of the sea like inspiration point.

Unfortunately, Lovers Lane in Nassau runs between a seminary and a cemetery which takes a little of the pleasure out of the idea of it being a thoroughfare for lovers.

Sidney, who founded the busy boatyard on East Bay Street, had a boat called Shady Lady, a speed demon of her day back in the mid-60s.

In the heyday of MiamiNassau powerboat races, a local race followed the next day and Shady Lady, only about a 21-footer, was so hotly-powered that to keep from porpoising (a nautical term for leaping in and out of the water), the Brown family placed young Donald, Robert’s cousin, on the bow as human ballast.

Yes, he is still alive.

Shady Lady was powered by a Johnson, Evinrude’s sister motor. As Robert told me this week: “Evinrude and Johnson, they were the only game in town.” Johnson stopped production in 2007.

‘When history records the victims of COVID and light is shed on those who suffered because visitors did not come to our shores – the jitney, taxi and limo drivers, hotel workers, owners and operators of small businesses who had to sneak inventory out because they could no longer pay the rent, remember it took down giants, too.’

Now they are both gone.

So when history records the victims of COVID and light is shed on those who suffered because visitors did not come to our shores – the jitney, taxi and limo drivers, hotel workers, owners and operators of small businesses who had to sneak inventory out because they could no

longer pay the rent, remember it took down giants, too.

Hertz and Evinrude, on the streets and in the water, industry leaders who once set the bar and, in prolonged crisis, could not hold on.

It turns out this pandemic is an unwelcome equaliser with an appetite that does not discriminate. It devours big and small alike.

Private Funeral Service For

Mr. Neko Carlson Grant II, 43 of #13 Epsom Road, Freeport, Grand Bahama.

Officiating will be Pastor Kyle Maycock, Elders Marvin Rolle, Randall Cooper and Gordon Adderley and Rev. Dr. Keith Russell.

A Public Memorial Service will be held as soon as possible.

Precious memories will linger in the hearts of his loving wife: Rinada; daughter: Nahla Melissa; son: Neko Carlson III; foster son: Daniel Ashley Grant; stepchildren: Tania Wilmott and Phillando Williams; devoted parents: Neko Carlson I and Barbara M. Grant; father-in-law: Holton Rigby Sr.; uncles: Gerald (Elsie) Evans, Charles (Jerissma) Adderley and Valentino Adderley; aunts: Marie (Peter) Whitfield, Jane Knowles, Violet (Mervin) Wright, Jackie (Richard) Rolle and Venola Rolle; soul brothers: Brian Evans, Jamaal Usene Wright, Ricardo Martin, Kurt Pintard, Wally Smith Jr. and Jeffrey Pattron; soul sisters: Jaquel Missick, Leah Malcom-Shrine, Janell Missick and Raquel Ferguson-McCreary.

A host of other family members and friends will be identified in the Memorial Service Announcement and Booklet.

Viewing will be held in the “Serenity Suite” at Restview Memorial Mortuary and Crematorium Limited, #11-A Coral Road, Freeport, Grand Bahama on Monday, June 22nd, 2020 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

PAGE 10, Friday, June 19, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Men of the cloth in the frontline against racism REV WILLIAM J BARBER II

By LAWRENCE BURNLEY Vice president for diversity and inclusion, University of Dayton

W

HEN the Rev Al Sharpton implored white America to “get your knee off our necks” at the memorial of George Floyd, his words were carried by news outlets across the globe. Meanwhile in the US, the Rev William J Barber II has been an ever-present voice in the protests, prompting some to place him as the successor to past civil rights greats.

That people of the cloth are at the forefront of the current protests over police brutality should not be a surprise.

From the earliest times of the United States’ history, religious leaders have led the struggle for liberation and racial justice for black Americans.

As an ordained minister and a historian, I see it as a common thread running through the history of the United States, from black resistance in the earliest periods of slavery in the antebellum South, through the civil rights movement of the 1960s and up to the Black Lives Matter movement today.

As Patrisse Cullors, one of the founders of Black Lives Matters, says: “The fight to save your life is a spiritual fight.”

SPIRITUAL CALLING For many black religious leaders in the United States, civil rights and social justice are central to their spiritual

calling. Informed by their himself at some times respective faith traditions, to the Old Testament it places religion within the prophets, at another point black American experience to Jesus Christ.” In his dictated while also being informed “Confessions,”

by African culture and the to a white lawyer after his traumatic experience of the 1831 arrest, Turner quoted Transatlantic trade of Afri- the Gospel of Luke and alluded to numerous other can people.

We see this in Malcolm passages from the Bible.

Turner had visions he X’s 1964 exhortation that black Americans should interpreted as signs from form bonds with African God encouraging him to nations and “migrate to revolt.

Africa culturally, philosophically and spiritually”.

Malcolm X’s desire to internationalSuch ise the struggle ‘There is not prophetic in the US after some separation visions were not uncomhis 1964 pilmon to early grimage to between Jesus Mecca also and justice; to be anti-slavery – speaks to the Christian is to be leaders Sojourner role he saw Truth and Islam having in concerned with Jarena Lee the civil rights what’s going on were both movement. in the world.’ spurred to “America action after needs to understand Islam, because this God revealed himself to is the one religion that them. Lee’s anti-slavery erases from its society the preaching is also an early race problem,” he wrote in example of the important a letter during his visit to role that black religious Saudi Arabia. The strug- female leaders would gle of black Americans have in the civil rights informed Malcolm X’s struggle.

In arguing for her right reading of the Quran.

Similarly, the interac- to spread God’s message, tion between religious Lee asked: “If the man may text and real-world strug- preach, because the Saviour gle informed earlier black died for him, why not the civil rights and anti-slavery woman? Seeing he died for her also. Is he not a whole leaders. Slave revolt leader Saviour, instead of a half Nat Turner, for example, one?” saw rebellion as the work Sojourner Truth was of God, and drew upon driven to anti-slavery activbiblical texts to inspire his ism by spiritual visions. actions.

GHI Vintage/Universal As the historian and History Archive/Universal Turner biographer Pat- Images Group via Getty rick Breen noted in an Images article for Smithsonian These early anti-slavery Magazine, “Turner readily activists rejected the “othplaced his revolt in a bib- erworld” theology taught to lical context, comparing enslaved Africans by their white captors, which sought to deflect attention away from their condition in “this world” with promises of a better afterlife.

Instead, they affirmed God’s intention for freedom and liberation in both this world and the next, identifying strongly with biblical stories of freedom, such as the exodus of the Hebrew community from Egyptian enslavement and Jesus’ proclamation to “set the oppressed free”.

Incorporating religion

VISIONS

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into the black anti-slavery movement sowed the seeds for faith being central to the struggle for racial justice to come. As the church historian James Washington observed, the “very disorientation of their slavery and the persistent impact of systemic racism and other forms of oppression provided the opportunity – indeed the necessity – of a new religious synthesis.”

AT HEART, A PREACHER The synthesis continued into the 20th century, with religious civil rights leaders who clearly felt compelled to make the struggle for justice central part of the role of a spiritual leader.

“In the quiet recesses of my heart, I am fundamentally a clergyman, a Baptist preacher,” the Rev Martin Luther King Jr. wrote in a 1965 article for Ebony Magazine.

Racial justice remains integral to black Christian leadership in the 21st century. In an interview earlier this year, Rev Barber said: “There is not some separation between Jesus and justice; to be Christian is to be concerned with what’s going on in the world.”

Recognising the rich legacy of black religious leadership in the struggle of racial justice in the United States in no way diminishes the role of historic and contemporary secular leadership. From WEB DuBois to A Philip Randolph, who helped organise 1963’s March on Washington, and up to the current day the civil rights movement has also benefited from those who would classify themselves as freethinkers or atheists.

But given the history of religion in the black protest movement, it should be no surprise that the killing of George Floyd has unleashed an outpouring of activism from black religious leaders – backed by supporters from different faith traditions.

• Originally published on theconversation.com

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, June 19, 2020, PAGE 11

Florida shatters daily record for new virus cases - again

BARTENDERS HOLLY MACKINDER, left, and Jessica Dawkins, hold signs during a “Right to Work” rally outside of the Elbo Room bar, which remains closed during the new coronavirus pandemic, on Tuesday, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Across Florida, bars were part of the Phase 2 reopenings that occurred earlier in June, except in three counties in South Florida.

Photo: Lynne Sladky/AP ORLANDO, Florida Associated Press

Monroe County commissioners voted Thursday to make facial coverings mandatory, effective immediately. All employees and customers in businesses and other public places where there is a roof overhead must now wear face coverings over their nose and mouth, according to the new ordinance. Patrons in restaurants and bars are permitted to remove their masks to eat and drink.

Commissioners also recommended that anyone age six and older should carry a mask when they leave home and wear it “whenever they come within six feet of another person”. Violation of the mask requirement is punishable by fines, but not jail time, the commission said in a news release.

The Florida Keys reopened to visitors at the beginning of the month after being closed to nonresidents starting in

mid-March in order to stop the virus’s spread.

Just north in Miami, 30 healthcare workers at a Veterans Administration hospital tested positive for the virus. In Orlando, seven firefighters tested positive for the virus, forcing a total of 64 firefighters to self-quarantine out of exposure concerns.

In St Petersburg, where the coronavirus infections are spiking, Dr Larry Feinman, the chief medical officer for HCA Health Care West Florida Division, implored Pinellas County Commissioners yesterday to enact an ordinance requiring people to wear face masks in public. He said during a recent visit to the grocery store, twothirds of shoppers were unmasked.

“I have no qualms walking through our COVID units,” he said he told the commissioners. “I’m more afraid to go into Publix.”

ATLANTA POLICE CALL OUT SICK TO PROTEST

FACEBOOK REMOVES TRUMP ADS WITH SYMBOLS ONCE USED BY NAZIS

ATLANTA police officers called out sick yesterday to protest the filing of murder charges against an officer who shot a man in the back, while the interim chief acknowledged members of the force feel abandoned amid protests demanding massive changes to policing.

Interim Chief Rodney Bryant told The Associated Press in an interview that the sick calls began on Wednesday night and continued yesterday, but said the department has sufficient staff to protect the city. It’s not clear how many officers have called out.

“Some are angry. Some are fearful. Some are confused on what we do in this space. Some may feel abandoned,” Bryant said of the officers. “But we are there to assure them that we will continue to move forward and get through this.”

Prosecutors brought felony murder and other charges against Garrett Rolfe, a white officer who shot Rayshard Brooks after the 27-year-old black man grabbed a Taser and ran, firing it at the officer, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said.

Howard said that Brooks was not a deadly threat at the time and that the officer kicked the wounded black man and offered no medical treatment for over two minutes as he lay dying. Another officer, Devin Brosnan, who the district attorney said stood on Brooks’ shoulder as he struggled for his life, was charged with aggravated assault and violation of his oath.

Rolfe and Brosnan turned themselves in Thursday. Jail records show Brosnan was released on a $30,000 signature bond, meaning he only has to pay if he fails to show up for court, while Rolfe was being held without bond. Rolfe has been fired and Brosnan placed on desk duty.

Less than 24 hours after Friday’s shooting, police chief Erika Shields resigned, and Bryant took over on an interim basis.

FACEBOOK has removed a campaign ad by President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence that featured an upside-down red triangle, a symbol once used by Nazis to designate political prisoners, communists and others in concentration camps.

The company said in a statement that the ads violated “our policy against organised hate”. A Facebook executive who testified at a House Intelligence Committee hearing yesterday said the company does not permit symbols of hateful ideology “unless they’re put up with context or condemnation”.

“In a situation where we don’t see either of those, we don’t allow it on the platform and we remove it.

That’s what we saw in this case with this ad.”

FLORIDA’S confirmed coronavirus cases shot up again yesterday, setting another one-day record of more than 3,200 new infections, the fifth time in eight days a new mark has been set.

The increases have come as the state’s economy reopens from a partial shutdown that began in March when the pandemic spread across the nation. Federal officials announced yesterday that 86,000 Floridians applied for new jobless benefits last week, the lowest number since the shutdown began. It’s a drop of almost 30 percent from the previous week and 80 percent since 500,000 claims were filed in mid-April.

Dr Scott Brady, a senior vice president of Advent Health Ambulatory Systems, a Florida-based

hospital chain, said that with the economy restarting, many Floridians have stopped wearing masks and practicing social distancing when in crowded, face-to-face situations, leading to the increased spread. According to the state health department, the seven-day average for positive tests is now 7.4 percent, almost double what it was two weeks ago and triple the average in late May. Brady said Florida’s hospitals are fortunately much better prepared and equipped to treat those seriously ill with COVID19 than they were in March.

“What we’re seeing is the folks who are coming in with COVID aren’t quite as sick as they were a couple of months ago,” Brady said.

The Florida Department of Health yesterday reported 85,926 coronavirus cases statewide, a daily

jump of 3,207 cases. The previous record — 2,783 cases — occurred Tuesday.

Before last week, the daily record had been 1,601 set in mid-May. The state has had at least 3,061 COVID-related deaths and is averaging about 30 per day the past week, about half the rate of early May. Gov Ron DeSantis has cited this lower death rate as part of his contention that the increased daily infections are caused in part by testing more young adults, who are less likely to become seriously ill or die if they catch the virus.

The state’s death rate for people under 35 who are confirmed with the virus is about 1 per 1,330 infections.

For those 65 and older, the state’s rate is about 1 per 7 confirmed infections.

Early in the national outbreak, DeSantis, a Republican, ordered that

travelers arriving in Florida from then-hard-hit New York City and its suburbs quarantine themselves for two weeks, giving them a lot of the blame for spreading the disease in his state. But New York’s statewide daily infection-rate has dropped by 90 percent since late April and is now about one-fifth Florida’s even though the states have similar populations.

New York’s Democratic Gov Andrew Cuomo took a veiled shot at DeSantis on Thursday, saying he might order Floridians into quarantine if they travel north.

“I’m considering it,” Cuomo said, “You want to talk about a full 180.”

DeSantis’ press office did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor announced yesterday that she was ordering a mandatory mask policy for the city of Tampa.

In the Florida Keys,

ATLANTA Associated Press

PROTESTERS yells “Black Lives Matter” in the street near a Wendy’s restaurant on Wednesday, June 17, 2020 in Atlanta. The restaurant was where Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed by police.

Photo: Brynn Anderson/AP Bryant wore a navy blue shirt killing set off nationwide pro- Atlanta, and divisions over the role Thursday, rather than the white tests that have urged an extensive police should play are becoming a shirt typically worn by command rethink of policing and an examina- major flashpoint. staff, to show solidarity with the tion of racism in the United States.

Georgia Gov Brian Kemp, a Since then, lawmakers have Republican, issued a strong mesofficers.

In the roughly three weeks since passed police reforms, Americans sage of support for police on protests first broke out in Geor- have reconsidered statues com- Thursday. gia’s capital after George Floyd memorating controversial figures, “We remember those who died in was killed by police in Minnesota, and ideas like defunding police the line of duty and their families, officers have worked shifts of 12 or have become part of the national who still mourn their passing,” he more hours and have been yelled conversation. The largest labor added in a video his office posted to at, spit on and had things thrown at group in the Seattle area voted social media. to expel the city’s police union them, Bryant said.

While some have hailed the pros“At some point, people get tired, Wednesday, saying the guild rep- ecutor’s office for moving quickly in I recognise that, and physically resenting officers failed to address the Brooks killing, Bryant said he exhausted,” he said. “We will defi- racism within its ranks, and Cali- was surprised at the speed, noting nitely get beyond it, and I’m certain fornia’s police chiefs on Thursday that the Georgia Bureau of Investhat we will see our sick-outs drop endorsed a plan to more aggres- tigation hadn’t yet finished looking sively weed out cops who break the into it. back to normal, average.”

The decision to prosecute the law or have a history of complaints.

He would not say how many But the drive for change has officers called out, but just one officers came less than five days after the killing rocked a city — and also drawn pushback, as seen with officer showed up for work yestera nation — still reeling after Floyd’s Thursday’s callouts by police in day in one police precinct.

COURT SAYS YOUNG IMMIGRANTS CAN STAY THE Supreme Court yesterday rejected President Donald Trump’s effort to end legal protections for 650,000 young immigrants.

Immigrants who are part of the eight-year-old Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program will retain their protection from deportation and their authorisation to work in the United States — safe almost certainly at least through the November election, immigration experts said.

The 5-4 outcome, in which Chief Justice John Roberts and the four liberal justices were in the majority, seems certain to elevate the issue in Trump’s campaign.

PAGE 12, Friday, June 19, 2020

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SPORTS SECTION E

FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2020

PAGE 16

Team captain Jodie earns unprecedented achievement

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

4

-D Stallions Track Club’s team captain Jodie Ritchie earned an unprecedented achievement as the middle distance runner graduated in the Queen’s College Class of 2020 with academic awards.

Although the ceremony was a virtual one last week Friday, due to the coronavirus pandemic, it was a momentous occasion celebrated

by Jodie and her parents, Stan and Patrice, and some family members at their home in the central eastern area of the island.

The 17-year-old Ritchie received the David Pickersgill Memorial Award for excellence in art, the PTA prize and the Principal’s Lighthouse award. She also collected prizes for creative craft, economics, office procedures, religious education and AP Studio Art (3D).

As a perennial Principal’s List and Honour Roll recipient, Ritchie was also honoured for her accomplishment in the Arts. After being selected as the best young artist during the Central Bank of the Bahamas’ Art Contest while in the ninth grade, Ritchie came out with honourable mention last year.

Although apart from her friends, Ritchie still enjoyed and cherished the moment at the virtual ceremony. “It was pretty disappointing (that the graduation ceremony wasn’t held as usual), but I felt that the school put a lot of effort in making it a memorable experience,” Ritchie said.

“The good thing about the ceremony is you can always watch it again, so you can take the bad with the good. It’s still something for you to cherish, even though it wasn’t what we expected if we had the formal ceremony.”

Now heading to the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she has been accepted into their honours programme, Ritchie said she intends to pursue a degree in computer science.

“Balance is always an important aspect, so I just have to make

NCAA OUTLINES TIMELINE FOR RETURN OF MEN’S, WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE: Jodie Ritchie in front of her graduation poster. sure I take care of myself and try to make sure I am investing my time where I should,” said Ritchie about juggling her time between her academics and athletics.

“I try not to waste time. When I finish practice, I hit the books and make sure that I revise everything before I go to bed.”

Undoubtedly, it worked.

“I was very pleased with everything,” lamented Ritchie, who hoped to come back and get involved in cyber security.

“This year, I had the pleasure of taking economics and I really enjoyed it.

“I also enjoyed taking physiology and I was able to take my APs this year, so most of the courses, I was able to dive deeper into it and we even did calculus, which will help me for college this year, so I really enjoyed that.”

For the budding future Olympian, athletics was a different story.

“I liked competing in the 800 metres more than the 1,500 metres because it’s a bit shorter and I could compete in it more,” she stated. “But I will continue to do the two. I want to see where track will take me and what I can do with it.”

Looking at her current résumé, nobody was more thrilled about her accomplishments than her mother. “I’m very happy because I know how hard she worked. In 2019, she made the CARIFTA team. It was really hard because I remember Ann (Thompson from the BAAAs office) told me that Jodie was studying while she was at CARIFTA,” Patrice Ritchie recalled. “She wanted to make sure she didn’t miss too many classes because she was doing BAISS and

Nationals, so I was elated last year when she did all of her BJCSEs in grade 11 and she got seven As and three Bs. That was really good.”

At the CARIFTA Games in the Cayman Islands, coming off a slight injury she sustained in a physical education class, Ritchie finished 10th in her debut in the under-18 girls’ 1,500m.

Her time of five minutes and 36.86 seconds was well off her personal best of 5:12. Ritchie had hoped to improve on her performance this year had the top regional junior track and field competition been held in Bermuda.

But COVID-19 forced officials to call off the games after sports worldwide was shut down in March. As a competitor since she entered grade six at Queen’s

SEE PAGE 14

THE NCAA Division I Council has outlined the projected timeline for a return to action for both men’s and women’s basketball programmes.

Following Wednesday’s conference call, the council announced plans based off the recommendations from the oversight committees, a move that will affect several Bahamian players and coaches at the Division I level.

Under the current rule, voluntary athletics activities and up to eight hours of virtual non-physical activities are extended for another month through July 19.

Beginning July 20, summer athletics activities may begin and can last up to eight weeks or until the school’s first day of classes or September 15, however, virtual and in-person activities cannot exceed a combined eight hours per week.

The oversight committees recommended that the list of summer athletics activities also includes “enhanced in-person nonphysical activities,” which include team meetings, individual meetings and film review. Those activities can also include on-court practices, though skill instruction cannot exceed four hours per week and the total amount of work (including weight training and conditioning) cannot exceed eight.

“The Council worked to balance the desire to get student-athletes training again with the need to

SEE PAGE 14

Serena trying to make the best of life in Iowa

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net WITH the resurgence of racism and another spike in the coronavirus in the United States, Bahamian female national discus record holder Serena Brown is trying to make the best of her living situation in Iowa.

The St Augustine’s College 2016 graduate is adjusting to her new environment after she made the transfer from Texas A&M, where she completed her first two seasons for the Aggies, to the University of Iowa in the fall of 2019, although she has yet to suit up for the Hawkeyes.

Brown made the transfer as a red shirt junior while she was recuperating from surgery in College Station, Texas, to repair her right rotator cuff.

Now fully healthy again, she was forced to take the sidelines again due to the deadly coronavirus. “Like everybody else, it isn’t easy,” Brown told The Tribune yesterday. “They still haven’t opened the facilities here so that I can continue my training and I don’t have a backyard to do my training.”

While she witnessed the protests going on as a result of the death of African American George Floyd by a white policeman on May 25 in Minnesota, Brown said she has to be extra careful whenever she

ventures outdoors. “I have to make sure that nobody tries to do anything to me, so that has added another level of difficulty for me,” Brown pointed out. “I normally go around the neighbourhood to train, but now I have to be extra careful.

“I am just trying to take it day by day and just stay close to my house. When I do go out, I try to go out and do what I have to do as quickly as I can and get back home. It’s really easy here, but that’s how it is all over.”

After forfeiting her indoor season to train, Brown was preparing for the outdoor season at Iowa when the coronavirus spread in the United States in March, forcing a complete shutdown of all sporting activities.

“Now with this second wave of the coronavirus in the United States, I’m just trying to take it day by day,” Brown said.

“I’m thinking about the future, but there is so much uncertainty right now that I just have to take it day by day.”

With those uncertainties, Brown has to put all of her dreams and aspirations on hold as well.

“I know the BAAA (Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations) is getting ready to hold their nationals at the end of July,” Brown said. “So I might just decide to come home and compete in it just so that

BAHAMIAN female national discus record holder Serena Brown is trying to make the best of her living situation in Iowa.

I can have something to gauge off since I didn’t have an indoor season.

“But I’m concerned that if I come home to compete and I get hit in a second wave of the virus, I will

have to be quarantined. So I’m just trying to take it one day at a time. It’s so frustrating not knowing what will happen. I am just trying to get my mental game together.”

Nevertheless, she’s thankful for the support base that she has. “My friends and my team-mates and the coaches here are all really supportive,” Brown said.

“I could really go to my coach (Eric Werskey, the assistant coach for throws) with any problem that I have and he would encourage me to try to do this and do that so that I won’t be overwhelmed.

“So I’m just trying to be a better person for me and I feel that the environment that I am in is very conducive for that. I was expecting for the Olympics to happen this year because I was training for it, but it won’t happen until next year. So I am just trying to use this time to be a better person.”

In communicating with her parents, Whittington and Sonjia Brown, on a daily basis, Brown said if there is one thing that she misses from being in Texas after she left home, it’s the weather. “I didn’t expect it to be this cold here in Iowa,” she said. “Plus, I really didn’t get to spend as much time as I wanted with the team as I wanted to because we practice in groups at different times.

“And since I didn’t compete indoors, I was training getting ready for the outdoors and to be able to bond with everybody. But this corona thing happened.

So I just have to try to deal with getting adjusted to the weather here in Iowa.”

The move from Texas to Iowa also saw Brown make a change in her major from construction to business and technology.

But like the move from one athletic programme to the next, Brown said she’s enjoying it.

“I moved here because I felt I could succeed very well in this environment with the coaching staff and they have the national champion at this school, so when we train and compete, there is someone that I can rely on to help push me because we are both around the same age,” Brown said.

The 21-year-old Brown said her ultimate goal right now is to stay healthy and injury free. She admitted that she misses being at home, not just because of the weather in Iowa, but the fact that so many things are going on in the United States.

While she didn’t get to compete since moving to Iowa, Brown was able to concentrate a little more on her studies as she completed the semester on the Dean’s List.

Once she gets back in competitive mode in the field, she’s looking to improve on her Bahamian national record of 198-feet, 1-inch or 60.39 metres in the discus that she set in 2017 and her lifetime best of 47-6 1/4 (14.17m) in the shot put. But only time will tell how things will play out in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

PAGE 14, Friday, June 19, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Players at 70 games, MLB at 60, Manfred says deadline near

By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball players proposed a 70-game regular-season schedule yesterday, a plan immediately rejected by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred with the sides 10 games and about $275 million apart on plans to start the coronavirusdelayed season.

As part of the union proposal, players would wear advertisement patches on their uniforms during all games for the first time in major league history.

“This needs to be over,” Manfred said. “Until I speak with owners, I can’t give you a firm deadline.”

Both sides envision spring training resuming June 26.

Counting back, that means pitchers and catchers would have to travel Monday for the start of medical intake testing the following day.

While the gap has narrowed, both sides remain opposed to additional concessions, The path toward an agreement remains uncertain and difficult.

“We believe this offer represents the basis for an agreement on resumption of play,” union head Tony Clark said in a statement.

Manfred met with Clark in Arizona for about five hours Tuesday, and MLB said Wednesday that they had reached a framework for the season. The union disputed that, saying it was merely another proposal.

“We had a list of issues.

We stated positions on each of those issues. We then made trades and compromises across and within those issues,” Manfred said. “At several points in time, I went back to the list of issues with Tony and reviewed where we were,

and I did that again at the end of the meeting. We shook hands and we both agreed we were going to -push was the word -- push our sides to reach an agreement consistent with that framework.”

That plan included a 60-game regular-season schedule that would have $1.48 billion in salaries plus a $25 million players’ postseason pool, people familiar with the framework told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because details were not announced. MLB for the first time agreed to pay full pro-rated salaries with games in empty ballparks.

“He was clear that it wasn’t going to be easy and we were both clear that we needed approval from our respective constituencies,” Manfred said. “Tony in fact informed me last night on the phone that he could not sell the framework even to his subcommittee, and that it was going no further and it was not going up for a vote of the players or anything like that because the subcommittee had rejected it. He then encouraged me to offer improvements in the framework. I told him I was not going to do that, but if he could make whatever counter-proposal he wanted to make any topic.”

The union proposal would have $1.73 billion in salaries, plus a $50 million postseason pool, people familiar with that plan said.

“In my discussions with Rob in Arizona we explored a potential prorata framework, but I made clear repeatedly in that meeting and after it that there were a number of significant issues with what he proposed, in particular the number of games,”

MAJOR League Players Association Executive Director Tony Clark, answers questions at a news conference in Phoenix on February 19, 2017.

(AP Photo/Morry Gash) Clark said. “It is unequivocally false to suggest that any tentative agreement or other agreement was reached in that meeting.”

MLB’s plan would have players receive about 37 per cent of salaries that originally totalled $4 billion, and the union’s proposal would have them get roughly 43 per cent. “I told him 70 games was simply impossible given the calendar and the public health situation, and he went ahead and made that proposal anyway,” Manfred said.

Both MLB and the union proposed starting the season on July 19, and players said it should end September 30, three days later than management.

Citing Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, MLB does not want to extend

playing deeper into the autumn.

“Dr Fauci’s out there telling us that football should playing in a quarantine. The other two sports are playing in a quarantine,” Manfred said, referring to plans for the NBA and NHL. “Our guys want nothing to do with that. Number two, Fauci says we shouldn’t be playing in October and their proposal contemplates lengthening the season.”

MLB also does not want to bunch more games into the same time period.

“We told them we’re not playing doubleheaders,” Manfred said. “Our public health guys tell us you should not put people together for that number of hours in the day. It’s not safe. But they just keep ignoring those things.”

Baseball’s postseason would expand from 10

teams to 16 this year, and the two wild-card games would transform into eight best-of-three series. That would create a minimum of 14 new playoff games whose broadcast rights could be sold, and MLB would have the option of 14 or 16 postseason teams in 2021.

Manfred said MLB would give the additional playoffs games to broadcast partners for free this year to make up for the shortened regular season and MLB would sell the games for 2021.

Players proposed they split broadcast revenue 50-50 from the additional 2021 games. That was a change in stance for a union that has steadfastly resisted sharing revenue because of fears it would become a step toward a salary cap system. Players also would

allow MLB to move postseason games this year to neutral sites if needed because of the coronavirus.

Both sides would expand use of the designated hitter to games involving National League teams.

The luxury tax would be suspended for 2020, which with a 70-game schedule projects to save the Yankees $9.95 million, Houston $1.52 million, the Dodgers $506,000 and the Cubs $135,000. At 60 games, New York is projected to save $8.5 million, the Astros $1.3 million, the Dodgers $434,000 and the Cubs $116,000.

Players with so-called split contracts, who get paid at a lower salary rate when sent to the minor leagues, would not have to repay the advance they already received: $16,500, $30,000 or $60,000, depending on their contract, for a total of about $33 million.

MLB would contribute $10 million to social justice initiatives from funds not needed this year for the welfare plan used for health benefits.

Players would allow $50 million to be transferred to the commissioner’s discretionary fund from the international tax fund collected from teams that exceeded their signing bonus pools.

As part of a deal, both sides would waive claims against each other. MLB has the right to unilaterally set the schedule, but without a deal would have the risk of grievance hearings and possibly damages.

“We want to play. We want to reach an agreement,” Manfred said.

“We’re committed to doing whatever is necessary to find a way to play, hopefully by agreement.”

Team captain Jodie earns unprecedented achievement FROM PAGE 13 College, Ritchie has also produced a lifetime best of 2:25.75 in the 800m, a time she eventually aims to lower at the collegiate level.

Mother Patrice is thrilled about her move to the next level. She’s pleased to see how she has matured along with her older sister, Jayda, in helping her to overcome her battle with cancer.

In fact, her mother said Jodie, as the president of the Anchor Club at Queen’s College, was not only there for her, but she got her classmates involved by assisting in the operation of the Cancer Society of the Bahamas’ annual walk race.

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“Her and my daughter, Jayda, have gotten involved in the Cancer Society because of my illness,” said Patrice, now a cancer survivor.

“The people there really know them very well. This year, when she was off, she worked on the front desk helping them out.”

Looking back at where she came from, Ritchie couldn’t help but thank everyone who played a path in her success, including God. “When I had my lacklustre experience in track because of my injury and even from my academic standpoint when I struggled, God was there to help me,” Ritchie said. “I thank God for everyone who

played a path in my life, including my mom, who is a cancer patient. Even though I am getting ready to go to college to continue my career, I will miss everyone, but we will still be able to talk with technology.”

One of those persons she singled out and plans to maintain contact with is coach Franklyn Williams, the head coach of the 4-D Stallions.

Ritchie was under his tutelage for the past two years after leaving the Fast Forward Track Club, headed by Everette Fraser, who is also the head coach of the Comets’ track team at Queen’s College.

“I’m very proud of her accomplishments, making

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CARIFTA for the first time last year,” said Williams, who watched as Ritchie was the only student-athlete of his 32-member team to graduate from high school this year.

“Moving forward, I expect nothing but great success for her. Academically, she is A-1, but athletically, I am expecting her to eventually make the Olympic cut in the future.

I’m looking for great things from her.”

After the graduation ceremony, Jodie enjoyed a special meal with her family, but once the curfew is over, mother Ritchie said they will certainly enjoy the festive occasion in a more formal way before

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JODIE Ritchie flanked by her parents, Stan and Patrice Ritchie. her daughter heads off to college.

She’s following in the footsteps of Jayda, who has already made her mark as a student at Georgia Institute of Technology.

Also a graduate of Queen’s College, Jayda

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re-populate our campuses and athletics facilities gradually and safely, within all campus, local and state mandates,” said Council chair M Grace Calhoun, athletics director at Penn.

“Student-athlete health and safety should remain a top priority.”

These activities will be regulated based on COVID-19 regulations and preventative measures.

State regulations will also determine access to facilities, group size and other restrictions.

Ritchie completed her sophomore year with the distinction of Faculty Honours for the spring 2020.

This designation is awarded to undergraduate students who received a 4.0 academic average for the semester.

A decision on changes to the recruiting calendars will be decided in short in the coming weeks.

According to ESPN: “The proposed changes to the fall recruiting calendar would include live evaluation periods added to August and September since the live periods in April, June and July were cancelled.

The weekends of August 15-16 and September 5-7 were proposed for nonscholastic events, and August 22-23 and September 19-20 for scholastic events.

Only two members of each staff will be allowed on the road.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, June 19, 2020, PAGE 15

Real Madrid beats Valencia 3-0 to keep pace with Barcelona

By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer MADRID (AP) — Karim Benzema scored twice and Marco Asensio added another on his return from a 10-month injury layoff as Real Madrid beat Valencia 3-0 yesterday to keep pace with leader Barcelona in the Spanish league.

The home win left Madrid two points behind Barcelona, which defeated Leganés 2-0 on Tuesday for its second straight win after the pandemic break.

Madrid took control of the match after a lacklustre first half in which Valencia had the most significant scoring chances and a goal disallowed by video review.

Benzema opened the scoring in the 61st minute after a pass by Eden Hazard, who again was decisive for Madrid in his second match after a long injury layoff.

Asensio, making his first appearance since a serious knee injury last year, scored with his first touch about 30 seconds after entering the match in the 74th. “That’s the way to come back,” his teammates

could be heard saying during the goal celebration at the empty Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium.

“I couldn’t wait to come back after so many months of hard work,” said Asensio, who was injured in a friendly last July. “I’m glad that I’m back and that I was able to score.”

Asensio also set up Benzema’s third goal with a one-touch cross on a counterattack and the French striker finished off the move sublimely — using his right foot to flick the ball away from a defender and then his left to hammer it into the top of the net. It was the Frenchman’s 16th league goal to leave him five behind scoring leader Lionel Messi. It was the fifth double this season for Benzema, who passed Ferenc Puskas to become Madrid’s fifth leading scorer all-time.

Valencia went a man down in the 89th after a straight red card was shown to South Korean midfielder Lee Kang-in for a foul on Madrid defender Sergio Ramos. A few moments later, midfielder Francis Coquelin had to leave injured after the

REAL Madrid’s Karim Benzema, second from right, celebrates with his teammates after scoring his side’s opening goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match against Valencia at Alfredo di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, yesterday.

(AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) team had already made all five substitutions.

Valencia is winless after the break and dropped to eighth place.

It had the best chances early on, with Rodrigo hitting the far post after a breakaway in the 14th. His goal a few moments later was disallowed by video review after a close offside call.

It was Madrid’s second straight game at its training centre, which is being used while the Santiago

Bernabéu Stadium remains under renovation until the end of the season.

REAL SOCIEDAD STALLS Real Sociedad failed to regain fourth place after a 2-0 loss at Alavés in which it couldn’t get a single shot on target.

Borja Sainz opened the scoring with a goal awarded following video review in the 56th, and Martín Aguirregabiria sealed the victory deep

in stoppage time at the Mendizorroza Stadium.

A victory would have sent Sociedad past fourthplace Atlético Madrid, which won 5-0 at Osasuna on Wednesday. It stayed in sixth instead, two points from the final Champions League spot.

Sociedad went a man down in the 81st as defender Joseba Zaldúa was sent off with a second yellow card, but Alavés was also reduced to 10 men six minutes later when midfielder Tomás Pina was shown a second yellow.

Sociedad had won four of its last five league games before the break, with its only setback a loss at Barcelona. Its first match after the league resumed was a 1-1 draw against midtable Osasuna at home.

“We didn’t play our best today, and we hadn’t played our best in the previous match either,” Sociedad midfielder Igor Zubeldia said. “We need to improve for our next match.”

Sociedad will next host Real Madrid, while Alavés visits Celta Vigo. Alavés, which hadn’t won in three straight league matches, moved to 11th place.

SPORTS BODIES CAMPAIGN TO REOPEN SAFE LIVE EVENTS, CLUBS

By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer GENEVA (AP) — A group of sports governing bodies have teamed up to help local governments and policy makers speed up the safe return of live competitions and reopening of grassroots venues.

The governing bodies for skiing, basketball and ice hockey were among those who helped launch the Sport4Recovery campaign

yesterday. They are offering to help governments and health officials come up with suitable protocols that protect athletes, officials and spectators as the pandemic lockdown eases.

“We are at their disposal,” International Ski Federation (FIS) secretary general Sarah Lewis said.

“This expertise is in place and communication with the necessary authorities already exists.”

The campaign wants to help pave the way for organised sports

events to return, and support local authorities in opening grassroots facilities safely for their communities.

A key step is easing travel and accommodation restrictions for athletes and fans as many sports prepare to start their seasons in September and onward into the European winter.

“This campaign is trying to align messages across the continent,” said Patrick Comninos, chief executive of the Basketball Champions

League overseen by the sport’s governing body FIBA. “This is a very dynamic environment.

“Every week we get different information about what is required in a specific country,” Comninos said.

Lewis said the new campaign group aims to give “compelling reasons and arguments that sport can be trusted and be a leader and role model” to help communities emerge from the pandemic.

UEFA ADVISES ON PROTECTING KIDS FROM HEAD INJURIES NYON, Switzerland (AP) — Seeking to protect young players from head injuries, UEFA published guidelines yesterday for safely heading the ball in soccer games and practice.

Using foam balls in training drills, low-pressure balls in games, and educating coaches to strengthen players’ neck muscles were suggested.

One week’s rest is recommended for youths who show effects “such as dizziness, headache, unsteadiness,” and to educate coaches in recognising those symptoms.

“It is acknowledged that scientific evidence at this moment does not allow for more detailed guidelines,” UEFA said.

The sport has been trying to better prevent, identify and treat concussions.

The UEFA Heading Guidelines aim to guide national federations to limit heading in youth soccer to the minimum level needed to promote the sport.

A ban on children up to the age of 12 heading a ball in practice was proposed this year in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

PAGE 16, Friday, June 19, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

4 SPORTS JOIN 2022 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS, STILL NO SWIMMING

TIGER Woods hits his tee shot on the 15th hole of the North Course at Torrey Pines Golf Course during the first round of the Farmers Insurance golf tournament on Thursday, January 23 in San Diego.

(AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

MUNICH, Germany (AP) — Organisers of the 2022 European Championships yesterday added four sports to the programme for the games in Munich.

The nine-sport line-up now includes the Olympic events of beach volleyball, canoe sprint, sport climbing and table tennis.

Swimming remains absent from what organisers said is a finalised programme despite talks involving broadcasters to integrate it.

The European aquatics body will hold its own championships in Rome on the same dates — August 11-21 — as Munich also hosts track and field, cycling, gymnastics, rowing and triathlon.

The Olympic Park in Munich will be the focus of the multi-sport European Championships, which will involve 4,400 athletes from 50 countries.

WITH MAJORS LATER, WOODS SHOULD BE IN NO HURRY TO RETURN

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — When it comes to Tiger Woods returning to the PGA Tour, it’s all about the calendar.

Nothing raised hopes that he would be at Hilton Head like a website tracking yachts that showed his Privacy on its way to Sea Island off the Georgia coast, about 80 miles south of the RBC Heritage, this week.

Woods played Hilton Head only in 1999 (he tied for 18th), but this is a different kind of year.

Then again, it was also the 13th birthday of his daughter yesterday, and that’s likely what Woods was doing around Sea Island.

But there’s more to the calendar, and there’s no need for Woods to be in any rush.

True, the PGA Tour has been shut down since March 12 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Everyone at Colonial was eager to get back to the competition, and some mentioned a need to start making up for lost ground.

“Guys are looking to get off to a fast start because it’s actually a fast finish to

the season,” Jordan Spieth said. He was referring to 10 tournaments on the schedule before the FedEx Cup postseason begins, 12 tournaments before Ryder Cup qualifying ends (if it’s played).

None of that is likely to be a priority for Woods.

The focus figures to be primarily on the majors, and those are all in the back end of the year.

The PGA Championship is August 6-19, the US Open is September 17-20 and the Masters is November 12-15.

So even now, the first major is just under two months away.

Woods has never played the Travelers Championship and is unlikely to play the Rocket Mortgage Classic — remember, Quicken Loans ended its involvement with the Tiger Woods Foundation and started a new tournament in Detroit.

If he returns at Memorial, which would be the logical return, that means five months without competing on the PGA Tour.

But then, what’s the rush?

LPGA IN OHIO The LPGA Tour is moving back by one week the restart of its season and adding another tournament.

Ultimately, it means a lot of professional golf for Northwest Ohio.

The LPGA says the Marathon Classic, originally scheduled for July 23-26 in Sylvania, a Toledo suburb, will now be August 6-9. It will have spectators at Highland Meadows following recent approval by Ohio’s governor.

Meanwhile, the LPGA will host a new 54-hole event called the LPGA Drive On Championship at Inverness Club in Toledo, on July 31 to August 2.

Inverness, where Paul Azinger won the 1993 PGA Championship, is hosting the Solheim Cup next year.

The new event is to give LPGA members an additional playing opportunity during a shortened season.

It will have 144 players and a $1 million purse and will be held without sponsors, pro-ams or spectators.

That means Ohio will have back-to-back PGA Tour events at Muirfield Village from July 9-19, and after a week break, back-toback events on the LPGA Tour.

PAN’S BACK C.T. Pan never thought he would have a chance to defend his title at Hilton Head, so he was thrilled to see it back on the reconfigured schedule.

And he felt good about playing.

Pan was the first player to show how concerned he was about COVID-19 when he withdrew before the first round of The Players Championship.

The PGA Tour announced later in the day that no fans would be allowed the rest of the week, and the next day it began cancelling tournaments in a shutdown that last three months.

“It was a really tough decision. In my whole career, including junior golf,

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I’ve never withdrawn from a tournament,” Pan said Tuesday. “I think the tour has put out so much efforts the last two months to create a safe environment for us to play. Last week I was totally impressed by how they do things.”

As for the travel? No problem.

Pan said he and his wife bought an RV so they don’t have to fly.

FATHER’S DAY Golf loses another longtime tradition on Sunday with the US Open having moved to September because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

That ends 44 consecutive years the US Open has been played on Father’s Day, dating to 1975 at Medinah.

Father’s Day was on June 15 that year, and the tournament went to a Monday playoff as Lou Graham beat John Mahaffey.

What’s curious about that is the US Open finished on Father’s Day when it went to a four-day tournament in 1965. The previous year, the 36-hole final was on a Saturday.

Michael Trostel at the USGA believes it might be related to the fact that while Father’s Day was first celebrated in 1910, it was not recognised by Congress until 1972, and US Open venues are decided years before they are played.

Minutes from the USGA executive committee by senior historian Victoria Nenno seem to bear that out.

The committee on January 27, 1972, discussed potential sites for the 1975 and 1976 championships, with the acting chairman leading toward Chicago in 1975, preferrably Medinah.

In a letter to the executive committee dated April 24, 1972 — the day Congress passed a resolution recognising Father’s Day as an official holiday — championship director Frank Hannigan discussed an invitation to host the 1975 US Open at Medinah. A month later, the USGA announced it was going to Medinah.

One week after Father’s Day. GENERAL LEE Bubba Watson used to watch “The Dukes of Hazzard,” and among the toys he bought with his PGA Tour success was General Lee, a 1969 Dodge Charger that was featured in the TV series. He even drove it into the parking lot at the Phoenix Open in 2012.

With so much civil unrest over racial injustice, Watson now wants to give it to a museum.

He already painted over the confederate flag on the top of the car in 2015.

“We’d love to give it to a museum because we believe that it’s TV history,” Watson said at Colonial.

“It’s nothing against race on that show. I didn’t buy the

car based on race. I bought it based on my family, me and my dad, me and my mom watching that show, but obviously there’s no flags around that car. The flags have been removed from that car.”

MUIRFIELD VILLAGE, TAKE ONE The first of two straight tournaments at Muirfield Village will be called the Workday Charity Open, with the title sponsor pledging $1 million to the Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and $500,000 to the “Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation” in Oakland, California. The purse will be $6.2 million.

The July 9-12 tournament will have a full field of 156 players.

Muirfield Village will host the Memorial the following week, with its regular status of 120 players and a $9.3 million purse.

Workday stepped in as title sponsor of a new event that week when the John Deere Classic was cancelled for this year. The Deere returns to the schedule next year.

DIVOTS Two teams of athletes, celebrities and executives — including Morgan Pressel, Tiffany Joh and LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan — will have a live ride with Peloton host Alex Toussaint on Saturday in a race for charity.

One team represents “PGA Works,” which is geared toward acceptance and inclusion in golf.

The other will ride for LPGA-USGA Girls Golf and the Renee Powell Grant, which provides access to young children in black communities.

Pledges can be made to teams at www.raceforunity. com . ... The return of the PGA Tour to network TV attracted 3.091 million viewers, up 50 per cent from last year.

The national average household rating was 2.1 with a 6 share, also a 50 per cent increase. ... Golf Canada has cancelled all its amateur competition for the rest of 2020. It would have been the 107th edition of the Canadian Women’s Amateur and the 116th playing of the Canadian Men’s Amateur.

STAT OF THE WEEK Jim Furyk is the only player since 2009 to be outside the top 200 in the FedEx Cup with nine weeks left in the regular season and make it to the playoffs. Brooks Koepka is at No. 204 going into the RBC Heritage.

FINAL WORD “My hat size didn’t change. There’s not very many muscles up here that I can train around the brain.”

— Bryson DeChambeau, who has gone up two shirt sizes in his bid to get stronger.