06232020 BUSINESS

business@tribunemedia.net

TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 2020

$3.72 Hurricane Hole developer’s new $352m project

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net HURRICANE Hole developer’s has received initial approval for a $352.2m development on Matt Lowe’s Cay that promises a desperately-needed boost for Abaco’s Dorian-ravaged economy, it was revealed yesterday.

Dr Hubert Minnis, in his contribution to the 20202021 budget debate, told the House of Assembly that affiliates of Sterling Global Financial have received preliminary government permission to proceed with an investment that will create 250 full-time jobs and 2,970 posts across the life of the project’s construction.

Bahamas-headquartered Sterling, which is chaired

by David Kosoy, is already proceeding with its redevelopment of Paradise Island’s Hurricane Hole property into a high-end, mixed-use community featuring office, retail and residential components complete with an expanded marina targeted at mega yachts.

Dr Minnis said Sterling’s Abaco venture has yet to reach the Heads of Agreement stage, “and the requisite due diligence and approval measures will have to be done”, but he confirmed that the developer “took title” to Matt Lowe’s Cay last month ahead of its planned $40m acquisition.

The purchase will be completed through a Sterling affiliate, Sterling Montage Ltd, with the project to be known as Montage Cay and Marina. “The project is in the initial stage of designing plans. A Heads of Agreement is proposed to be executed later this year,” Dr Minnis said.

“The affiliates of Sterling Montage Cay - Sterling Global Developments and STAR Construction - will take the lead with respect to the proposed construction and development of the Montage Cay and Marina project. It is proposed that Montage Hotel & Resorts LLC will manage the operations and branding of the project. The estimated total capital investment is proposed at $352.2m.

“At present there are 12 persons working at Montage Cay inclusive of employees and independent contractors. It is anticipated that there will be 2,970 persons employed throughout the various phases of the proposed construction. At

SEE PAGE 5

$3.73

Bay Street warned: No cruise tourists this year

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

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ASSAU Cruise Port’s top executive yesterday warned that downtown Bay Street is “unlikely to see any cruise passengers” before year-end 2020 regardless of whenever the industry resumes sailing.

Michael Maura, its chief executive, told Tribune Business that the cruise lines will likely maintain tight control of their passengers’ onshore activities to ensure they remain COVID-19 free and do not bring the virus with them when they return to the ship.

As a result, he suggested that passengers will be directed to specific tours or excursions whose providers have satisfied the cruise lines they have implemented the necessary health and safety protocols during the first phase of the industry’s return.

This, Mr Maura added, will mean that downtown Nassau merchants, restaurants, taxi drivers, straw vendors, hair braiders and all others that rely on the cruise ship industry for their livelihoods will not see “passengers independently

• Port chief: They’ll go on ‘controlled’ tours • Warns: ‘Ain’t no way around tough 2020’ • Ship calls likely 40-50% off upon restart

MICHAEL MAURA wandering” along Bay Street or any surrounding areas prior to year-end.

Acknowledging that “it’s going to be a hard 2020” for those sectors of the tourism industry that draw a significant portion of their business from the cruise sector, Mr Maura said: “There ain’t no way around it. It’s going to be very, very difficult.”

The Nassau Cruise Port chief added that cruise ship traffic volumes were likely to be 40-50 percent below

pre-COVID levels once the industry sets sail again, with passenger numbers down by half.

His comments will likely make further grim reading for businesses, entrepreneurs and employees in the downtown Nassau/Bay Street area in particular given that they were last Friday greeted by the cruise industry’s announcement that it has again pushed back its restart to September 15, 2020, at the earliest.

That means cruisedependent businesses face having to survive another two to three months with minimal to zero revenue while fixed costs - utilities, rent etc - must continue to be paid. Mr Maura’s statements now indicate they will have to hang on even longer, with the Nassau Cruise Port chief reiterating that business levels - both for the port and other businesses - will probably not return to pre-COVID-19 levels until 2023.

Suggesting that the cruise

THE Bahamian economy “could be wiped out” if business owners and employees fail to take compliance and enforcement of COVID-19 health protocols seriously, a top private sector executive warned yesterday.

Jeffrey Beckles, the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation’s (BCCEC) chief executive, told Tribune Business that the “burden of responsibility” to safeguard this nation from further virus outbreaks had passed from individuals to the business community with the economy’s re-opening.

Having lobbied the government extensively to re-open the economy, Mr Beckles said individual businesses have to see their role in enforcing mask wearing and social distancing among

industry had signalled a “cautious, conservative approach” to its return, due to the uncertainty over when its COVID-19 health measures will satisfy the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Mr Maura said it was likely that the sector’s relaunch may be delayed beyond September 15.

“From our perspective, the cruise industry will return but return slowly and gradually,” he told Tribune Business. “The fact they have extended their re-opening until midSeptember provides some insight into how they may return in that I think there’s a real possibility they will come with fewer ships and have fewer ships sailing.

“But it’s what their itineraries look like and what the cruise passenger experience looks like when they return.

We are without a vaccine for COVID-19, and when the cruise industry returns they are likely to maintain

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Bahamas ‘obvious target’ for hackers

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net ATTORNEYS yesterday warned the latest Registrar General’s Department hack shows the government “cannot get away” with any IT system deficiencies, adding: “We’re an obvious target.”

Carey Leonard, the Callender’s & Co attorney, told Tribune Business that the government and its agencies must spare no expense in protecting themselves against intruders given that the consequences affected a far greater number of businesses and consumers.

He disclosed that the latest hack, and subsequent closure of the Registrar General’s online database, had been deeply “frustrating” as it had forced corporate Bahamas - and especially the financial services and real estate sectors - back to manual processes

• Attorneys urge: Fix Registrar General flaws • Shut down ‘just as we need to speed up’ • Govt urged to produce ‘plan of action’

CAREY LEONARD “just when we need to speed things up” as the economy emerges from its COVID19 lockdown.

“It really goes to show the necessity of the government updating its IT infrastructure,” Mr Leonard said of the situation. “It’s important the government spends time, energy and effort on

proper security. Everyone is going to get attacked, and especially ourselves and the likes of Cayman and Bermuda, because we have all these companies domiciled here. We’re an obvious target.

“What I do say is what lessons has the government learned from this, what are they going to do about it, and let us know how they plan to prevent it from happening again. We need to have a plan of action from the government that they will protect it going forward.

“It’s good that they’re trying to do everything electronically, but the government is going to have to make sure it protects all the data and that if functions efficiently,” the

Economy ‘wipe out’ if firms fail in complying

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

$3.80

• Chamber chief: COVID ‘burden’ passes to businesses • All must take on responsibility for ‘bigger picture’ • Says tourism re-opening ‘a must for survival’

JEFFREY BECKLES customers as part of “the bigger picture” in securing the economy and jobs against further threats from this pandemic.

The chamber chief, speaking after the prime minister unveiled a series

of fines and punishments for companies that failed to properly implement and supervise the necessary COVID-19 protections, voiced optimism that the private sector “understands what’s at stake”.

Acknowledging that the private sector “will not regain in one or two weeks what has been lost in three months” as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown, Mr Beckles said there was little money in the domestic economy despite its re-opening. This, he added, exposed why it was “a must” that The Bahamas opens its tourism industry on July 1, adding: “We’re not going to survive much

longer without it.”

Urging all businesses to play their part, with the economy’s re-opening only as strong as its weakest link, the chamber chief said: “One of the positions the chamber has held from the very beginning of this COVOD-19 discussion was individual responsibility when we were trying to get the average Bahamian to appreciate their obligation to comply with the health protocols, healthcare changes, measures to keep us safe, social distancing and not going out in crowds.

“We kept insisting one of the best things we can do for

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former Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) in-house attorney added.

“If one business gets hit it’s that business. If the government gets hit, it’s everybody business. It’s a much bigger knock-in effect if something goes down.

That’s the critical part of it.

The private sector can get away with it, the government can’t. It must protect and function at all times.

“It’s rough on government, but that’s the fact. If one bank goes out only its customers are affected, but if the Registry goes out it affects all the country. It’s more important that the government gets it right than the private sector.”

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$3.74 Jitney drivers seek 60% adult fare rise

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net JITNEY drivers yesterday confirmed they are lobbying for a 60 percent increase in adult fares to compensate for bus capacity being slashed in half due to COVID-19 safety measures.

Harrison Moxey, the United Public Transportation Company’s (UPTC) president, told Tribune Business: “We are making a pitch to the prime minister for a bus fare increase. We are glad to be able to operate, and we can go back to work, but operating at 50 percent only further exacerbates the hardships and economic strain that we already have.

“We have endured two VAT increases and the introduction thereof. It is just a very hard situation for us. Moving forward, we are going to have another recurring cost to sanitise the vehicles and keep them operational and functioning, along with a loss in revenue. So we feel that an increase in the fare is now going to be necessary to complement the way going forward.”

The prime minister yesterday said passenger capacity on both private and public buses will be cut by 50 percent once the industry resumes operations on July 1. These measures are designed to combat the risk of COVID19 infection spread by persons sitting next to each other, but reduced passenger volumes mean the jitney drivers are seeking to offset this through an increase in margins (fares).

Dr Hubert Minnis, in concluding the 2020-2021 budget debate in the House of Assembly, said: “Private and public bus services may resume, with 50 percent occupancy based on guidelines in the Ministry of Tourism’s Bahamas tourism readiness and recovery plan, effective Wednesday, July 1.”

He added that public service drivers will also be held responsible for ensuring only persons wearing masks are permitted to board their vehicles, and that the social distancing is adhered to.

Mr Moxey, meanwhile, said the industry has already submitted its fare increase proposal to the Minnis Cabinet. He explained: “Our petition is to increase the adult fare to $2, and leave the senior

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PAGE 2, Tuesday, June 23, 2020

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ROWN land can be defined as public land.

It is a territorial area owned by the state (government) that citizens can access and also have the right to use. In The Bahamas, the controversies surrounding crown land can be divided into two parts: Ownership and management. This article will address these issues in an attempt to explore the political, social and legislative sides of this matter. It will also provide an insight into digital solutions and technology-driven initiatives that can help resolve some of these issues.

MANAGEMENT Crown land is managed by the Department of Land and Surveys in The Bahamas. However, successive governments have failed to address an estimated 30,000-plus applications

by Bahamians requesting they be granted crown land for multiple purposes.

This speaks to poor management, and a lack of attention being given to this process, which hinders Bahamians from doing business and building homes in their own country. A properly-managed system could help spur economic growth in The Bahamas, especially for those living in the Family Islands since the cost of doing business there is higher than in New Providence due to extra transportation, utilities and shipping supplies costs. In 2018, the current government announced that, once enacted, the Economic Empowerment Zones Bill would help establish an inventory of crown land throughout The Bahamas in a bid to make low-cost housing available.

While this appears to be a progressive attempt to address the issue of crown land distribution and ownership, it does not take away from the fact that Bahamians have not been a priority when it comes to reform in this area.

Many Bahamians allege their crown land

THE TRIBUNE

Crown Land inequity must be addressed

BY RODERICK A SIMMS II AN ADVOCATE FOR SUSTAINABLE FAMILY ISLAND DEVELOPMENT EMAIL: RASII@ME.COM applications seemingly disappear once submitted to the system. Obtaining a title search is also a tedious process, and there are complaints about a lack of transparency. In fact, The Bahamas has ranked extremely low (167 out of 190 countries) on land registration in the World Bank’s “ease of doing business” rankings for some years. This is one of the lowest rankings, and speaks to the need to tighten up the land registration process. With work clearly to be done, one of the solutions brought to the attention of the public and government is blockchain - a technology that can be programmed to track anything of value such as records, financial data and land titles. It is a nondestructive way to record data, and allows for transparency because changes are always recorded rather than destroyed or altered.

It allows for each step of the process to be recorded so that there is no guessing on who the land belongs to, or how it was obtained. It also cuts out the need for any

intermediaries, reducing costs and time. Since blockchain technology allows us to trust the data being used, it does not require someone to vet a document, which can take years in The Bahamas. Instead, it can be done the same day, and limits risk and exposure factors. Another way that blockchain can help is by allowing for this data to be shared with the public. It would still be a good idea, however, to have audited annual reports on how crown land applications/approvals

and land registration are progressing.

OWNERSHIP Crown land accounts for around 70 percent of all land in The Bahamas, but the ratio of Bahamian versus foreign grants/ leases is unclear. The issues surrounding ownership of crown land are quite simple. It is fair to say that Bahamians have always been second-best to their foreign counterparts in terms of applications being processed and/or approved.

Alfred Sears, the former attorney general, wrote in an article: “Significant crown grants, long crown leases and government conveyances and leases by the Hotel Corporation and the treasurer were made to Baha Mar; Baker’s Bay in Abaco; MSC in Ocean Cay; Resorts World/ Bimini Bay; Royal Caribbean’s seabed lease at Coco Cay; Sandals Royal Bahamian in Nassau; Sandals Emerald Bay in Exuma; Breezes at Cable Beach; and numerous islands and cays in the Exumas and Abacos.”

In 2018, Oban Energies, a company that proposed to build a $5.5bn oil refinery and storage facility in east Grand Bahama, was expected to lease 690 acres of crown land. Yet there are thousands of applications from Bahamians that have yet to be processed. This is when it becomes obvious that Bahamians are not the priority. While foreign direct investment is important to economic growth, allowing Bahamians to act as entrepreneurs, home owners and business owners is equally important. Earlier this year, the prime minister announced that Family Islanders who have been leasing crown land from the government would be given title to the properties they are leasing. This would include those who were impacted by the failed launch of the Bahamas Agricultural Research and Training Development (BARTAD) project. The failure of this project led

to leaving families living on large plots of land that they did not own. It is important that governments assess these sort of investments/ projects especially when it comes to leasing crown land to avoid instances such as this.

QUIETING TITLES ACT: ABOLISH OR STAY?

not favor the interest of the Bahamian people. Centreville MP, Reece Chipman, said he intends to call for a select committee to investigate all matters relating to the Quieting Titles Act since 1959. Its goal would be to assess if the Act should be abolished or amended to become more beneficial for Bahamians.

A quiet title establishes who owns a property.

Therefore, the Quieting Titles Act outlines the criteria determining how these decisions are made. The court provides a judgment on who owns the property, which is the final decision.

A quiet title “quiets” any questions or doubts surrounding who is the true owner of the property.

The need to bring matters of ownership to the court arises when there is a dispute over ownership, or when there is no probate or deed to ensure the property is owned by the person claiming to own the land. In The Bahamas, there are many instances where persons claiming generational property have lost their rights because there were no steps taken to transfer title. The Privy Council, the highest court in the Bahamian judicial system, has reiterated concerns about the Quieting Titles Act for quite some time. In October 2018, the Privy Council’s ruled on a land squabble involving Eleuthera Properties Ltd and a group who claims ownership based on their lineage to the slaves.

“All that can be said is that, however successful the machinery of the Act has been, and may yet be, in quieting title to other parts of The Bahamas, it has not proved to be an effective vehicle for that purpose in relation to the property (in question),” the Privy Council’s ruling said.

This case gives an insight into how damaging the Quieting Titles Act can be, especially in those instances where families who are not able to fight against large corporations who seek to take over a piece of land. The Act does

CONCLUSION In closing, there is a disparity in the granting and leasing of crown land to Bahamians when compared to that for foreigners. It raises this question: Why have past governments been so opposed to getting this process fixed? Is it a matter of technicalities, or is it because they simply do not want the average Bahamian to be in possession of this land? Bahamians faced with the high cost of living often appear to be excluded.

When the average household income for a Bahamian is $25,000 to $30,000, it becomes difficult to rent or take out a mortgage especially on the Family Islands. Mega projects that are developed on crown land can cause a hike in real estate prices in surrounding areas, making it more difficult for Bahamians to open businesses or buy homes.

In addition, crown land that was awarded to developers such as the I-Group in Mayaguana and Ginn in Grand Bahama should be returned to the Crown Land repository because of their failure to make good on their investment agreements. There are similar examples all over The Bahamas, and there needs to be a reversal of this failed approach to foreign direct investment (FDI). We have to start leasing land rather than unconditionally giving it away, especially when investors have not complied with their Heads of Agreement.

Bahamians and foreign direct investors should not be allowed to retain crown land when contractual agreements have not been met. There is a strong case for all these issues to be resolved sooner rather than later.

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Tuesday, June 23, 2020, PAGE 3

ARAWAK CAY VENDORS: WHY STILL PUNISH US?

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net

FURIOUS Arawak Cay restaurant owners yesterday questioned why they were being singled out as the only location where customers are not allowed to dine inside, arguing: “A restaurant is a restaurant.”

Rodney Russell, president of the Arawak Cay Conch, Fish, Vegetables And Food Vendors Association, questioned why the Prime Minister would announce that all other restaurants are permitted to open at 50 percent capacity with effect from yesterday but not his members.

He told Tribune Business: “We practice social distances.

We have made adjustments in our places so we can practice social distancing; we have put away some of our tables and chairs where we will only have a few persons inside. I don’t understand the disparity between dining in Arawak Cay and dining any place else?

“I’ve read the document where persons are allowed in restaurants to dine, but what makes the difference with Arawak Cay? It’s the same dining experience as a restaurant, it’s the same dining going on, and so what is the difference? Why does Arawak Cay make a

•SINGLED OUT BY PM FOR ‘NO INDOOR DINING’ •OTHER LOCATIONS CAN OPEN AT 50% SEATING

difference in dining? Because it sounds as though the Prime Minister is making Arawak Cay to be irresponsible and every other restaurant in the country is responsible.”

Dr Minnis, during his contribution to the 20202021 budget debate, specifically singled out Arawak Cay vendors as being allowed to continue outdoor dining - but not the indoor variety - at this time. He added that indoor dining will now be allowed at all other restaurants subject to the necessary physical distancing requirements, but the maximum seating will be based either on 50 percent occupancy or 30 square feet per person.

“These are responsible business people,” said Mr Russell of his members. “I don’t know why the prime minister is saying Arawak Cay is irresponsible and everybody else is responsible. It shows the disparity between the business people because you are in Arawak Cay and the people on the outside.

AN ARAWAK Cay vendor.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff “If you take these same business people and have their businesses outside they can function, but if you come to Arawak Cay, it can’t function on the inside. So why is Arawak Cay punished every time?”

Questioning why the same rules cannot apply to everybody across the board, Mr Russell asked: “Why is Arawak Cay being called out every time? Who is advising the Prime Minister that dining in Arawak Cay, and dining outside of Arawak Cay, are two different types of dining?”

Taxi drivers: Return a ‘double-sided coin’

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net TAXI drivers yesterday said they remain cautious about the tourism reopening and accepting fares from visitors due to the 2.2m COVID-19 infections plaguing The Bahamas’ major source market.

Wesley Ferguson, the Bahamas Taxi Cab Union’s (BTCU) president, told Tribune Business that drivers were concerned about the spike in cases now occurring across many US states, including Florida and others that generate thousands of annual visitors to this nation.

Disclosing that the sector had resolved its differences with the Road Traffic Department over how the government’s COVID-19 emergency powers orders should be interpreted, Mr Ferguson said: “Taxi drivers are ready and we are cautious. We realise that our main source of tourists is the United States, and

if you look at the news as early as yesterday morning you would see that the United States is going through their second wave.

“We have to be very cautious as we let these people in. We have to make sure that these people are not sick. If they are then we will also end up in a second wave and it will not be that easy for us to get ourselves out.

“It is all good and nice, and we are happy to be back on the strip, yet by the same token we don’t want to be infected. It is a double-sided coin. We need the income but, at the same token, we need to be careful because having income and being sick don’t go together.”

The prime minister, during his contribution to the 2020-2021 budget debate, said taxi drivers are to ensure all passengers wear masks while cab occupancy is to be limited to enable social distancing.

“Anybody who has been locked down for more than three months is ready to get

back to work, there is no doubt about it,” added Mr Ferguson. “I have been in a lockdown for the past three months with the taxi union because the taxi union is a tour company or transportation company just like anybody else; just like Leisure Tours and Majestic Tours and all of the rest of them.

“So we were under lockdown and we still have to adhere to the new protocols, but the whole point is we have to get back to work. I’m not sure that there is anybody who is saying that they are not ready to go back to work, unless you have a million dollars stashed somewhere and you don’t need any income at this time.”

“We also have to adhere to what the new law says about overcrowding taxis and so on and so forth.

So we have to be careful because we don’t want to end up with these exorbitant fines, but by the same token we have to get back to work because we need the income.”

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“On the other hand the prime minister is saying that you are only allowed to dine on the outside, but the reason I believe is that the restaurants he is trying to appease don’t have adequate space on the outside. So he is saying that hey, Arawak Cay, I will still give you the outside but you all can’t go inside. But for the other persons who don’t have the capacity to dine outside, they can dine inside.

This doesn’t make any sense to me.”

Mr Russell continued: “Make it one thing across the board. If you are

going to give restaurants an opportunity to dine inside and practice social distances, then you should not be excluding Arawak Cay, because a restaurant is a restaurant. Their license says restaurant and bar, so why is it that all of us can open up and operate, but all of us don’t have outside facilities?

“It isn’t fair what you are doing to the people at Arawak Cay. The same responsibility that the persons in the various restaurants have is the same responsibility here on Arawak Cay for the persons

that have their restaurants.

So there shouldn’t be any disparity.”

“I’ve noticed that the prime minister has extended opening hours to 8pm. We were closing at 7pm and he has extended now to the hour of 8pm. We appreciate the fact that we can be open an hour later, which we appreciate. But he needs to be more explicit in his reasoning why restaurants on Arawak Cay are different from the restaurants outside of Arawak Cay. There is no difference. A restaurant is a restaurant.”

Companies urged to focus on IT system weaknesses

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net A CYBER security specialist yesterday urged Bahamian businesses and government agencies to identify “extremely sought after” soft targets in their IT systems following the attacks on the Registrar General’s Department.

Philip Darville, SolveIT Bahamas’ managing director, told Tribune Business: “We [The Bahamas] have a long history of attacks; this isn’t something new for The Bahamas. We have had companies, banks and institutions held hostage until they release payments to international groups.

“This is a history of recurring exposure, and for a nation that thrives on information integrity with the offshore sector being a prevalent part of our economy, it is sad that we haven’t put cyber security as a number one priority given the amount of monies and investments made in this country by international groups and associations. We have to make cyber security

a number one priority so that information is secure, accessible and safe.”

Mr Darville added that hackers, in particular, seek to target perceived weak points within a company’s IT system and probe these areas continuously. He said: “It all starts with identifying targets. The way the Internet is set up now we all can find access to resources that store information.

“The platforms that are public facing, which have portals where people can login to either do business or gain access to information, is something that is extremely sought after. Banking institutions that have access to client accounts, they are at risk.

Information portals via government agencies, they have been more targeted because they are not as secure in many cases,” he added.

Whenever an intruder is successful, he advised businesses that “there needs to be a immediate cessation of any online access, and they should switch to a legacy system, which is just a manual way of doing things until this has been secured.

“But there has to be a top-down assessment, and that not only starts with the systems, both internal and external, but also the human element. How the users function, and how susceptible are users to this; which users can be grouped into levels or layers of susceptibility,” Mr Darville added.

He said solutions that “randomize testing within companies’” to detect system users who are more inclined to click suspicious links in their e-mail box, or who are unaware of company protocol when it comes to handling sensitive data, must be a primary focus for Bahamian companies.

Mr Darville added: “This is a combination of human resources, compliance, information technology to be able to look at business processes and identify who are exposed and what is going to be exposed. Some companies don’t know to what extent they are exposed and that is the most dangerous thing.”

PAGE 4, Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Social distancing key to gym re-openings

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net BAHAMIAN gyms and fitness centres yesterday acknowledged that social distancing will be critical to their safe COVID-19 reopening on July 1.

Jennifer Godet, owner of J-Line Fitness Bahamas, told Tribune Business that the permission granted by Dr Hubert Minnis for the sector to re-open on the same date that the tourism industry fully returns is “great”.

“I commend the prime minister on everything that he is doing; I think he is doing a great job,” she said. “I think he has kept our numbers nice and low, and I think under his leadership we have been able to get through this pandemic to this point with nice low numbers.

“I think it’s time now.

I know all of the gyms on the island are getting ready in terms of our COVID preparedness.

We are ready to do it properly, and open properly and open hygienically. It’s going to be up to the people when they come back to just adhere to the COVID-19 protocols, but I think it is time.”

Ms Godet warned patrons: “You just have to keep your six to eight feet distance from the person next to you. J-Line is actually quite adequate; we span over an acre. We have rooms, indoor, outdoor, weight room and aerobics room, so it is going to be no problem for people to stay their distance from

one another.”

Acknowledging that COVID-19 was primarily spread by droplets created when an infected person sneezes or coughs, she said: “In the gym you are going to have sweat and people breathing hard. I think the most important element is the distance, and for people to make sure that they look around and make sure there is no one within eight feet of you. I think the most important thing is the distance.

“You won’t be allowed inside the gym if you have the sniffles. You just won’t be allowed admittance into the gym under those conditions. Everything is going to be stepped up. We have had an 80 percent increase in our sanitisation stations, and the areas where we have the bottles and sprays where you clean down your machines, everything has been increased by more than double. Every ten feet we have stations.”

Dr Kent Bazard, owner of Empire Fitness, said: “This is absolutely good news. I don’t think we needed to be closed for so long to be honest. We sent a proposal from the beginning of the Phase two reopening from the Gym Owners Association that we were prepared to reopen.

“We sent a list of recommended protocols, and we requested a meeting with government, but we never got it. I understood they did receive our communication and I hope that they looked at what we recommended and

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made some decision based on that. We’re definitely ready to open. It has been three months, and we are absolutely ready to go.”

Dr Bazard said he was unsure about the COVID-19 health protocols that the government has settled upon, but said they likely focused on “managing entry into the facilities and, of course, maintaining social distancing. For example, if the gym has a foyer from the outside to the foyer inside, we recommended a number be allowed on the gym floors based on the size of the gym.

“Some gyms have a dance studio or a fitness studio and some gyms don’t. For those gyms that have a fitness studio we recommended a maximum 20 persons per class, temperature checks at the door, hand sanitisation and cleaning the machines.”

Dr Bazard added: “But, just to be frank, gyms have always done this type of stuff and that is why we proposed to open at Phase two. We have always been practicing cleanliness, because we are constantly fighting germs and different bacteria and conducting contract tracing. We are always aware of this in the gym.

“So managing COVID19 is a part of our industry, and it is something we are prepared for.

That is why we said we could open and manage this properly. We wanted to communicate to the COVID-19 committee so we can have some dialogue and work out how this can be done, but a decision was made without much interaction with the government authorities so we don’t know what to expect.”

Bay Street warned: No cruise tourists this year FROM PAGE ONE

strict controls over their passengers and ensure they remain in a sterile environment as much as possible.

“The cruise lines will have gone through extra measures to screen those passengers as they board their ships in Miami, Port Everglades and Canaveral, so I think it’s a fair assumption that the initial experience upon their return to Nassau will be one of pre-approved excursions where the cruise lines have been satisfied by a local excursion provider or tour operator that they meet very stringent safety protocols to ensure their passengers remain COVIDfree,” Mr Maura continued.

“I think it’s very reasonable to assume the cruise lines are going to stay away from cruise passenger interfaces with the general public. I think it’s safe to assume the cruise lines won’t let their passengers independently roam downtown Nassau.

“There’s no way way to ensure that the interactions those passengers are having with locals in New Providence, and that they are taking place with businesses and persons that are COVID-19 free and enforcing appropriate safety measures and social distancing. It’s a logical progression with its return for the industry to be very conservative.”

Mr Maura, though, argued that such an

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NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN as follows:

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN as follows:

(a) DAMATCO DEVELOPMENT INC. is in dissolution under the provisions of the International Business Companies Act 2000.

(a) WEST INDIES ENTERPRISES LTD. is in dissolution under the provisions of the International Business Companies Act 2000.

(b) The Dissolution of said Company commenced on June 19, 2020 when its Articles of Dissolution were submitted and registered by the Registrar General.

(b) The Dissolution of said Company commenced on June 22, 2020 when its Articles of Dissolution were submitted and registered by the Registrar General.

(c) The Liquidator of the said company is Zakrit Services Ltd. of 2nd Terrace West, Centreville, Nassau, Bahamas.

(c) The Liquidator of the said company is Zakrit Services Ltd. of 2nd Terrace West, Centreville, Nassau, Bahamas.

(d) All persons having Claims against the above-named Company are required on or before July 20, 2020 to send their names and addresses and particulars of their debts or claims to the Liquidator of the company or, in default thereof, they may be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before such debts are proved.

(d) All persons having Claims against the above-named Company are required on or before July 23, 2020 to send their names and addresses and particulars of their debts or claims to the Liquidator of the company or, in default thereof, they may be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before such debts are proved.

June 19, 2020

June 22, 2020

ZAKRIT SERVICES LTD.

ZAKRIT SERVICES LTD.

NASSAU Cruise Port. approach would enable both the cruise lines and the government to safely manage the industry’s return and minimise as much as possible the transmission of COVID-19 between cruise passengers and Bahamians.

“From the government’s perspective this kind of return is the right way to receive the cruise lines as they gradually bring persons back, and have this gradual interface with the local community,” he explained. “It gives the government an opportunity to manage and evaluate the way in which the cruise industry returns.

“I think it’s a sensible, reasonable approach that satisfies The Bahamas’ concerns and the cruise industry’s concerns.”

Describing the tightlycontrolled excursions and tours as akin to “phase one” of the cruise industry’s re-opening, Mr Maura said success here would give the government and likes of Carnival and Royal Caribbean “confidence and comfort” they could move to phase two.

This, he suggested, could involve cruise passengers being able to interact with businesses and their staff in a “controlled commercial environment area in town”. However, Mr Maura conceded that such a phased re-opening will have consequences for tourismdependent businesses and their staff.

“What we don’t know is how long phase one will last,” he told Tribune Business. “If you take September 15, as the industry communicated on Friday, while it’s possible that date could be moved further back, if you take it as the phase one start where we have a controlled environment, it’s very unlikely you will see cruise passengers wandering Bay Street this year.

“Cruise passengers, when they get off the ship, will be bussed for an appropriate excursion or tour that satisfies the health and safety requirements of the cruise lines but provides a degree of comfort and satisfaction to the government.

“It’s going to be a hard 2020. There ain’t no way around it. It’s going to be very, very difficult,” Mr Maura said of the impact on Bahamian businesses,

self-employed workers and employees. “I don’t think anyone downtown is going to see any cruise passengers.

They’ll be disembarking and going on special tours.

“I don’t think this year they’ll be wandering downtown after the cruise lines the cruise lines have spent all that time screening passengers to make sure they are COVID-19 free. We’re going to get over it in 2023.

I’m very, very confident that we’re going to be a much stronger destination by then, both on Bay Street and in our port.”

Cruise passengers, of whom some 5.4m arrived in The Bahamas last year, represent the tourism industry’s volume business. Even though their relatively low per capita spend, which lags well behind stopover visitors and many other Caribbean ports, is often viewed cynically by many Bahamians, they still represent a significant source of income, jobs and government revenues.

Mr Maura, though, yesterday also warned that the cruise industry’s global fleet will not put to sea at once whenever the all-clear to resume sailing has been given. With social distancing mandatory in all ports of call, he explained that the sector would “not necessarily” want five ships docked at the same time as often happened pre-COVID-19.

The Nassau Cruise Port chief suggested the sector might instead settle for three ships to be docked at the same time so that passengers from the different ships do not intermingle and spread the virus among themselves.

“There are a lot of moving parts to this,” Mr Maura told Tribune Business. “From a commercial perspective, businesses that rely on cruise ship passengers are going to find the return of business is gradual. We don’t expect in our projections to get back to 2019 levels until 2022 or 2023.

“I would say initially we’re probably going to ship calls at 50-60 percent of pre-COVID traffic volumes, and I think we’re going to see ships calling with half as many passengers while we just get through this period with no vaccine.”

LIQUIDATOR OF THE ABOVE-NAMED COMPANY

LIQUIDATOR OF THE ABOVE-NAMED COMPANY

LEGAL NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE

NOTICE

HOCHSTEIN CORP.

TERANO PRIVATE SOLUTIONS LTD. In Voluntary Liquidation

Notice is hereby given that in accordance with Section 138(4) of the International Business Companies Act. 2000, HOCHSTEIN CORP., is in dissolution as of May 18th, 2020. International Liquidator Services Inc. situated at 3rd Floor Withfield Tower, 4792 Coney Drive, Belize City, Belize is the Liquidator.

Notice is hereby given that in accordance with Section 138(4) of the International Business Companies Act. 2000, TERANO PRIVATE SOLUTIONS LTD., is in dissolution as of May 26th, 2020. International Liquidator Services Inc. situated at 3rd Floor Withfield Tower, 4792 Coney Drive, Belize City, Belize is the Liquidator.

L I QU I D A T O R ______________________

L I QU I D A T O R ______________________

LEGAL NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE

NOTICE

NOTICE

RENMARK NEW INVESTMENT LIMITED In Voluntary Liquidation

Hamdi Business Corp.

METROPOLITAN OVERSEAS INC.

In Voluntary Liquidation

In Voluntary Liquidation

Notice is hereby given that in accordance with Section 138(4) of the International Business Companies Act. 2000, RENMARK NEW INVESTMENT LIMITED, is in dissolution as of June 8th, 2020. International Liquidator Services Inc. situated at 3rd Floor Withfield Tower, 4792 Coney Drive, Belize City, Belize is the Liquidator.

Notice is hereby given that in accordance with Section 138(4) of the International Business Companies Act. 2000, Hamdi Business Corp., is in dissolution as of June 4th, 2020. International Liquidator Services Inc. situated at 3rd Floor Withfield Tower, 4792 Coney Drive,Belize City, Belize is the Liquidator.

Notice is hereby given that in accordance with Section 138(4) of the International Business Companies Act. 2000, METROPOLITAN OVERSEAS INC. is in dissolution as of June 8th, 2020.International Liquidator Services Inc. situated at 3rd Floor Withfield Tower, 4792 Coney Drive, Belize City, Belize is the Liquidator.

L I QU I D A T O R ______________________

L I QU I D A T O R ______________________

L I QU I D A T O R ______________________

In Voluntary Liquidation

PUBLIC NOTICE

INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL The Public is hereby advised that I, MARVIN SELENTO RHODRIQUEZ of Carmichael Road, P.O. Box N-33056, intend to change my name to MARVIN SALENTO RODRIGUEZ. If there are any objections to this change of name by Deed Poll, you may write such objections to the Deputy Chief Passport Officer, P.O. Box N-742, Nassau, Bahamas no later than thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, June 23, 2020, PAGE 5

Bahamas ‘obvious target’ for hackers FROM PAGE ONE

it manually, certificates of good standing and things like that. It’s been frustrating, trying to get things done. That’s all. If you want to do a search or pull put a document the portal has been down, and we have not been able to access it for weeks and weeks.

“That’s a problem with title stuff, as you may not be able to see a key document. It slows everything down just at a time when, as a country, we truly need to speed things up to get revenue in. I think it’s fair to say we have been frustrated by it.

“In all fairness they [the government] have been working on it, but the problem is it should not have happened in the first place. They don’t have a fall back position if things

are compromised. So that’s another thing the government has to look at: How it recovers of one portal gets hit.”

Mr Bethel said the Registrar General’s Department will likely re-open by week’s end once “several layers” of new cyber security defences have been deployed. He added that he was seeking to split up the Registrar General’s Department’s electronic database into several separate ones based on their functions.

This, he explained, will mean that the companies registry will be separate from that of births, marriages and deaths. With these on separate servers, Mr Bethel said any hacker able to penetrate one of these databases would be unable to access all - as they can presently.

Economy ‘wipe out’ if firms fail in complying

Jitney drivers seek 60% adult fare rise

Mr Leonard spoke out after Carl Bethel QC, the attorney general, confirmed exclusively to Tribune Business that the government had again been forced to shutdown the Registrar General’s Department’s online portal and database after the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) detected two further attempted incursions that were linked to internet protocol (IP) addresses in Russia and Bulgaria.

These “probes” followed two previous hacks of the same agency, the first by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) in 2016, and the second earlier this year by the Distributed Denial of

FROM PAGE ONE our economy is comply.

Now we’ve gone through COVID-19, and the transition has gone from individual responsibility to corporate responsibility where business owners must be seen as partners. They cannot be seen as anything else.

“When we lobbied the government to re-open the economy, we did so in a spirit of partnership, and now we’re re-open we must all understand what our role and responsibilities are. For businesses to see another day, their contribution to the bigger picture is to enforce the rules and compliance with the rules.”

Mr Beckles continued:

Secrets group. Fortunately for The Bahamas, both groups only obtained Companies Registry information that is publicly available for a fee, such as the names of all Bahamas-domiciled corporate vehicles and their directors.

However, the shutdown has again impacted the efficiency, time and cost associated with the ease of doing business in The Bahamas. Mr Leonard was yesterday backed by fellow attorney Thomas Dean, of Dupuch & Turnquest, who told Tribune Business: “You have no idea how bad it is.

“Some of our checks as attorneys are done on the CRIS system, both title documents and deeds. Any time the Registry is down is a great hindrance. That is one of an attorney’s best

“There are two things we are trying to protect: Jobs and the economy. If we lose sight of this it’s on us.

The government has got us open. The burden of responsibility lies on us as business owners in terms of managing employees and customers in our space to ensure we stay safe.

“It’s a critical partnership and necessary partnership. Whether you are self-employed or a business owner of a substantive entity, the rules apply equally to you. The most important thing is that this is a partnership that has to be strengthened and where everyone has to realise they have an obligation. The downside of it is we could take it for granted and be wiped out. There’s no

resource checks. Instead of writing the lawyer’s letters and waiting for confirmation, you can go on the Registry and determine if that is correct. It’s not functioning now, I can assure you.”

The Registrar General’s Department is the hub around which much of corporate Bahamas and, in particular, the financial services industry functions. It plays a critical role in the incorporation of companies and other Bahamas-domiciled vehicles, such as International Business Companies (IBCs), all of which are key cogs in structures employed by high net worth and institutional financial services clients.

The agency handles annual company filings/ returns, and the payment of

economy to be had.

“Everyone understands what’s at stake and we have to be prudent. We’re not going to regain in one or two weeks what has been lost in three months. It’s a careful pace that has to be maintained in concert with compliance.”

Food store customer traffic has slowed significantly in recent weeks, based on observations of customer traffic and vehicles in the parking lot, indicating there is little money and reduced consumer spending/demand within the economy as persons focus on essential items. Many persons will likely have exhausted what little savings they had in March, April and May at the height of the COVID19 lockdown, while the

associated fees and name reservations/searches.

Patent applications and approvals; the recording of deeds and documents, such as real estate conveyances; and births, marriages, deaths and adoptions are among its other core functions, meaning the Registrar General’s Department touches every Bahamian and resident at some point in their life.

The closure of the online portal and database has thus meant that attorneys and the private sector have been forced, at least temporarily, back to a manual system for performing daily corporate functions, which Mr Leonard said has caused significant frustration in the private sector.

“It’s a bit of a pain,” he told Tribune Business.

“You’ve got to go and do

unemployment rate is thought to be around 40 percent.

Mr Beckles said this further highlighted the importance of the tourism industry’s July 1 re-opening, given that the sector accounts for 50 percent of Bahamian economic output (gross domestic product), some 40-50 percent of jobs, and is the country’s main foreign exchange earner.

“It’s going to be rough going,” he added. “It’s one thing to get the domestic economy up and running, but when there’s no money in the domestic economy it doesn’t make a difference.

It’s [re-opening tourism] a must. We’re not going to survive much longer. We’re out there working with our partners and will see

how it goes.”

Mr Beckles spoke out after the prime minister yesterday warned that business owners will be held responsible for letting mask-less people enter their premises and/or failing to comply with social distancing guidelines.

Dr Hubert Minnis, in his contribution to the 20202021 budget debate, said companies risk being fined up to $10,000 or up to 18 months in prison if they are found guilty of these breaches. A second violation will lead to another fine, and a third violation will lead to a temporary closure of the company until officials are satisfied that continued operations will not pose a health risk to the community.

Hurricane Hole developer’s new $352m project FROM PAGE ONE completion of the project, permanent direct employment is expected to be 250 people.”

Matt Lowe’s Cay is located in the Sea of Abaco, in close proximity to Marsh Harbour, with Hope Town to the east and Man O’ War Cay to the north. One source familiar with Abaco said much of the required infrastructure, including a marina, was already on-site prior to Hurricane Dorian’s arrival.

“That would be a big plus,” they said of the project. “My only question would be where are they going to put those workers.

We need to get going. The only problem is all these projects are so far off.”

Dr Minnis, meanwhile, said the Baker’s Gay Golf & Ocean Club on Great Guana Cay was already beginning $400m worth of post-Dorian reconstruction via a project that will last three years.

In a nod to concerns about several hundred work permits being granted to specialist Mexican

construction workers, the prime minister added: “As of today, I am advised that 472 persons are employed property-wide, 80 percent of whom are Bahamians.”

The government, meanwhile, yesterday confirmed it had received no formal application from a Los Angeles-billionaire philanthropist over his proposed North Andros Green Free Trade Zone project.

Dr Minnis’ office, in a statement referring to Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong’s project, said: “The Office of the Prime Minister wishes to acknowledge that a draft proposal was submitted. The proposal has not been formally analysed nor reviewed to determine its viability, nor has it been presented to the National Economic Council for consideration.

“There is a well-established process for review and consideration of all major investment projects, which requires review and input from various agencies of the government and public consultation prior to approval by the Government of The Bahamas.”

Dr Soon-Shiong, who was said by Forbes to have a net worth of $6.9bn as at March 2020, would appear to be the sort of legitimate, bona fide investor that The Bahamas needs to attract to reignite its economy and employment in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A part-owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, and owner and executive chairman of the Los Angeles Times and The San Diego Union-Tribune newspapers, his initial proposal - which as reported

by Tribune Business has yet to be formally submitted to the government and its investment agencies - aims to create 750-plus full-time jobs, and 10,000 construction jobs over the build-out.

Some $200m-$250m will be invested over the first two phases of a development targeted at the Morgan’s Bluff area in North Andros. The project is focused on “value-added”

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

manufacturing involving the creation of finished products from aragonite and other Bahamian natural resources, rather than simply exporting the raw material.

Besides an airport and seaport, the project’s other components include eco-tourism and medical tourism based on a medical research centre and clinic. Dr Soon-Shiong, who is based in Los Angeles, is heavily involved in the global healthcare sector

through three foundations, visiting professorships at universities and his NantWorks network of health and technology start-ups.

It is also understood that the project has been significantly scaled-down in size compared to the 500,000 acres detailed in the initial proposal, and would require a much smaller footprint - especially since it would only be developed in stages should it receive the go-ahead from the government.

FROM PAGE ONE citizens and school children at the same minimal fee.

“We want a permanent increase because we are affected on many fronts, and this COVID-19 shutdown just brought everything to light. This is just for adults. School children and senior citizens remain the same.”

The adult fare is currently $1.25 per journey, and he added: “To the passengers we understand that it is a hardship, but we have to deal with fuel and the operational costs in order for us to stay in business. So, we are going to be making that pitch. We understand that it impacts everybody, but we have endured the greater part of it and that’s what we’re up against right now.”

PAGE 6, Tuesday, June 23, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF THE CHILDREN AT RANFURLY

T

he Ranfurly Homes for Children has been a safe haven for thousands of Bahamian children since 1956. The Home provides a safe, structured environment for children who have been orphaned, abused, neglected or abandoned.

YOU can make a difference in the lives of the children at Ranfurly. With your support children can have nutritious food, warm beds and a safe environment where they can discover the joy of being children. For years the children living and learning at Ranfurly have made great social and academic strides.

Their further development requires additional support in the form of a Transitional Home, planned for construction on the Ranfurly property.

This residence will cater to teenagers and young adults who are beyond school age, but need accommodation while they find work and gain independence from the Home.

We look forward to your continued support in this worthwhile endeavour.

SUPPORT THE BLOOD BANK

SAVE A LIFE GIVE THE GIFT OF

MEMBERSHIP PACKAGES Individuals, Families & Corporate Sponsors Children Helping Children - $5 (Individual children from ages 6 - 18) Individuals Helping Children - $50 (Individual adults 18 years and over) Families Helping Children - $100

BLOOD

CIRCLE of FRIENDS Silver: $1,500 - $2,499 Gold: $2,500 - $4,999 Platinum: $5,000 plus

OPPORTUNITIES • • • •

Invitations to Ranfurly events Assist with fundraising events Involvement with special activities Adults are eligible to join the Board after three months • Stay in touch with Ranfurly through website and newsletters

BECOME A REGULAR DONOR

1 PINT CAN SAVE 3 LIVES

BENEFITS

• Personal fulfillment in knowing you are impacting lives • Ranfurly children’s appreciation and positive response • Continued support provides stability and constant care

For more information visit: www.ranfurlyhome.org Please “Like” us on Facebook

GIVE BLOOD - GIVE LIFE

Ranfurly Home for Children, Mackey Street P.O. Box 1413 Nassau, Bahamas 242-393-3115

SOME HELPFUL TIPS BEFORE YOU DONATE:

4 You must have eaten at least once for the day.

4 You need at least 30 minutes between your last meal and donating blood.

4 You will need at least 10 minutes rest after donating blood.

4 You can donate blood every 8 weeks.

4 The Blood Bank will do FREE Pre-screening tests to make sure you are healthy enough to donate blood.

BECOME A REGULAR DONOR

PLEASE ENCOURAGE YOUR COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT THE BLOOD DRIVES

MARKET REPORT www.bisxbahamas.com

(242) 323-2330

MONDAY, 22 JUNE 2020

(242) 323-2320

ALL SHARE INDEX: CLOSE: 2,137.85 | CHG: 0.14 | %CHG: 0.01 | YTD: -93.75 | YTD%: -4.20 BISX LISTED & TRADED SECURITIES 52WK HI 4.43 22.65 7.00 6.75 2.58 2.00 5.47 12.77 6.16 4.50 10.30 3.64 5.10 10.88 8.44 16.99 9.40 4.25 15.21

52WK LOW 3.23 20.91 5.50 5.39 1.78 0.67 2.00 11.05 5.60 3.62 5.41 2.53 2.20 8.00 7.10 13.04 6.98 3.20 13.90

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

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

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00

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

CAB6 CAB8 CAB9 CAB10 CHLA FBBA FCLB

PREFERENCE SHARES

1.00 10.00 1.00

1.00 10.00 0.90

CORPORATE DEBT - (percentage pricing) 52WK HI 100.00

52WK LOW 100.00

115.92 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00

104.79 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00

SECURITY Fidelity Bank Note 22 (Series B) +

SYMBOL FBB22

Bahamas Note 6.95 (2029) BGS: 2015-1-3Y BGS: 2014-12-5Y BGS: 2015-1-5Y BGS: 2014-12-7Y BGS: 2015-1-7Y BGS: 2014-12-30Y BGS: 2015-1-30Y BGS: 2015-6-3Y BGS: 2015-6-5Y BGS: 2015-6-7Y BGS: 2015-6-30Y BGS: 2015-10-3Y BGS: 2015-10-5Y BGS: 2015-10-7Y

BAH29 BG0203 BG0105 BG0205 BG0107 BG0207 BG0130 BG0230 BG0303 BG0305 BG0307 BG0330 BG0403 BG0405 BG0407

BAHAMAS GOVERNMENT STOCK - (percentage pricing)

LAST CLOSE 3.23 17.43 6.00 6.75 1.78 1.62 3.00 11.26 6.16 4.00 6.01 2.89 5.10 9.52 8.44 14.50 8.97 4.00 15.20

CLOSE 3.23 17.43 6.00 6.75 1.78 1.62 3.00 11.26 6.16 4.00 6.01 2.90 5.10 9.67 8.44 14.50 8.97 4.00 15.20

CHANGE 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.00 0.15 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 0.90

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 0.90

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

CLOSE 100.00

CHANGE 0.00

107.31 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00

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

LAST SALE 100.00 107.31 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00

VOLUME

700

VOLUME

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

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

P/E 13.5 18.7 N/M 18.3 N/M N/M -6.8 15.6 13.7 21.7 42.9 28.4 10.9 15.0 11.6 17.8 9.6 19.7 24.1

0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

YIELD 5.26% 7.23% 0.00% 3.85% 0.00% 1.23% 0.00% 6.39% 3.57% 3.00% 0.00% 14.97% 1.18% 3.39% 2.84% 3.72% 2.23% 3.00% 4.01% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 6.25% 7.00% 6.50%

INTEREST Prime + 1.75%

MATURITY 19-Oct-2022

6.95% 4.00% 4.25% 4.25% 4.50% 4.50% 6.25% 6.25% 4.00% 4.25% 4.50% 6.25% 3.50% 3.88% 4.25%

20-Nov-2029 30-Jul-2018 16-Dec-2019 30-Jul-2020 15-Dec-2021 30-Jul-2022 15-Dec-2044 30-Jul-2045 26-Jun-2018 26-Jun-2020 26-Jun-2022 26-Jun-2045 15-Oct-2018 15-Oct-2020 15-Oct-2022

YTD% 12 MTH% 1.04% 3.87% 0.61% 2.93% 0.50% 2.50% -1.34% 2.23% -12.71% -5.79% 0.94% 3.72% -3.46% 2.09% -0.11% 3.43% -3.33% 1.53% -0.45% 8.36% -3.20% 11.46% 2.10% 5.15% -6.17% 3.54% 2.92% 5.55% -4.66% -3.81% N/A N/A -10.90% -4.30% -18.80% -12.00%

NAV Date 31-Mar-2020 31-Mar-2020 27-Mar-2020 31-Mar-2020 31-Mar-2020 31-Mar-2020 31-Mar-2020 31-Mar-2020 31-Mar-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020

MUTUAL FUNDS 52WK HI 2.31 4.40 2.10 198.39 168.29 1.67 1.85 1.76 1.24 8.34 10.26 7.08 12.15 12.71 10.81 10.00 8.98 11.79

52WK LOW 1.67 3.30 1.68 164.74 116.70 1.61 1.75 1.70 1.14 6.41 7.62 5.66 8.65 10.54 9.57 9.88 8.45 11.20

FUND CFAL Bond Fund CFAL Balanced Fund CFAL Money Market Fund CFAL Global Bond Fund CFAL Global Equity Fund Leno Preferred Income Fund Leno Growth Fund Leno Diversified Fund Leno Global USD Bond Fund Royal Fidelity Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Secured Balanced Fund Royal Fidelity Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Targeted Equity Fund Royal Fidelity Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Prime Income Fund Royal Fidelity Int'l Fund - Equities Sub Fund Royal Fidelity Int'l Fund - High Yield Fund Royal Fidelity Int'l Fund - Alternative Strategies Fund Colonial Bahamas Fund Class D Colonial Bahamas Fund Class E Colonial Bahamas Fund Class F

NAV 2.31 4.39 2.10 192.52 145.55 1.67 1.79 1.75 1.16 8.30 9.90 7.08 11.27 12.71 10.23 N/A 8.31 10.01

MARKET TERMS

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

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

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

31-Mar-2020 31-Mar-2020 31-Mar-2020

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PAGE 8, Tuesday, June 23, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

BODY AND MIND

Learning to coexist with COVID Free Zoom webinar to teach Bahamians about safeguarding their health

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Reporter acadet@tribunemedia.net

may be experiencing. The participants of Wednesday’s Zoom webinar will also have the opportunity to ask Dr Gavrilescu questions pertaining to the topic.

Shaundra Sawyer, health promotion associate at Generali, added: “In the Bahamas, chronic non-communicable diseases are prevalent, particularly diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. Additionally, a large percentage of the population suffers from obesity.

Research has shown that risk factors for these diseases can be modified with changes to diet and exercise, and in some instances, medication. Dr Gavrilescu will discuss how taking an active approach to managing chronic conditions can prevent heart disease and obesity, both of which lead to a poorer quality of life and increases mortality.

“The overall goal of the virtual session is education, awareness, and encouragement. It is our hope... that at the end of the virtual session the participants will apply the information shared and use it to help them make better decisions about their health. COVID-19 is not going anywhere; we now have to learn how we can survive and beat it. Knowledge is power and once we continue to equip ourselves with knowledge we will be better enabled and prepared to overcome the health challenges associated with it.”

In partnership with the Cleveland Clinic in Florida, Generali Worldwide is set to host a huge virtual wellness event to help Bahamians recover from the quarantine and to safeguard themselves from any potential future outbreaks of COVID-19 and other viruses. Titled “Routine Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic”, the event will take place this Wednesday on the Zoom app for free.

Bahamian society is plagued with non-communicable illnesses that put them at high risk for contracting infectious diseases like the coronavirus. These illnesses range from heart disease to diabetes and hypertension.

Organisers of the upcoming virtual event said it’s vitally import to provide opportunities for Bahamians to receive knowledge on how they can safeguard their health as the country seeks to adjust to the “new normal” and learns to co-exist with COVID-19.

Facilitated by Dr Gabriel Gavrilescu, chair of the Internal Medicine Department at the Cleveland Clinic, the virtual event will provide a detailed presentation on the importance of ensuring that individuals who fall in the highrisk categories continue to seek medical care from their providers, to take their prescribed medications, and inform their providers of any changes to their health or alert them of any symptoms they

This Wednesday’s session Zoom meeting ID is: 977 3879 1395; the password is 583865. For more information, e-mail shaundrasawyer@ generalibahamas.com.

One Eleuthera Foundation to lead the island-wide food distribution for 12 weeks The One Eleuthera Foundation (OEF) has partnered with the government to coordinate the National Feeding Network’s Programme in Eleuthera. The 12-week programme, announced by the Prime Minister, came into effect after weeks of planning.

The One Eleuthera Foundation is a member of the National Task Force and is represented by CEO Shaun Ingraham and COO Jim Richard. The feeding programme is divided into zones, and OEF and its supporting agencies are responsible for locally implementation throughout Eleuthera.

Mr Richard, appointed in September 2019, is responsible for daily operations and coordinating the work of the Foundation and will serve as the project’s lead. He said the programme is island-wide, including Harbour Island, Spanish Wells, and Current Island.

“We are working with partner agencies in each settlement to set up the infrastructure that will allow the programme to run smoothly,” he noted.

OEF was already engaged with numerous outreach programmes during COVID-19.

Maisie Thompson, the outreach coordinator for OEF, is familiar with relief work, having spearheaded outreach with the Cancer Society for several years. Currently leading OEF’s Breast Cancer Outreach programme, Ms Thompson managed OEF’s Hurricane Dorian Relief programme, where she implemented a feeding and housing scheme that assisted residents of Abaco and Grand Bahama who had relocated to

Photo: pressfoto / Freepik Eleuthera following Hurricane Dorian.

A team of five staff from OEF will provide management and give oversight in coordinating the food distribution along with Mr Richard and Ms Thompson. As the programme gains momentum, additional staff, as needed, will be added to ensure effective management of community needs.

Mr Richard assured residents on the island that every legitimate need will be met with a pragmatic response.

“We are working with partner agencies in each settlement, and we are also working with Social Services and NIB to ensure that help will be available for those in greatest need,” he said. To determine the applicant’s level of vulnerability, OEF will utilise the criteria established by the National Committee.

One Eleuthera will work with the already established Harbour Island Food Bank, which will service North Eleuthera as far south as Gregory Town. An integral component in this work will be

OEF’s commitment to ensure that the Eleuthera settlements benefit from the project. Every effort will be made to purchase groceries locally, including the small grocery stores, usually referred to as ‘mom and pop’ stores.

“We intend to spread the benefits to reach small and medium-size businesses as well as the larger grocery distributors on the island,” said Mr Richard.

A programme of this scale, OEF representatives said, calls for cooperation, sharing, and partnerships with every church, civic and

community organisation, every leader, and all concerned residents on the island.

Speaking to One Eleuthera’s history, Mr Ingraham noted that the Foundation is committed to working with the government and private enterprises to ensure the well-being of the people of Eleuthera, especially the elderly and the children.

“We realise the seriousness of the COVID-19 crisis and how the weeks of lockdown and unemployment have rendered many families on the island, desperate for everyday basics like food and water. One Eleuthera has been helping throughout the lockdown, and now we are pleased that we can join hands and partner with the Government in this major feeding programme over the next 12 weeks,” he said.

As the zone leader, One Eleuthera will coordinate the island-wide programme; the actual distribution of food parcels and food vouchers will be done with supporting partner organisations in each settlement.

“The next 12 weeks will call for an unprecedented commitment to the community and will call each of us to be ready to help our brothers and sisters,” said Mr Ingraham. “These times will call for kindness and the will to build on the unity that has often been displayed between community partners. This is a time to move from the sidelines of inactivity to a place of participation, and I assure you there is a place for every one of us to help build a better island, a better country.”

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, June 23, 2020, PAGE 9

Testicular cancer: rare but serious Self-exams are key for early diagnosis Testicular cancer is relatively rare. There are about 9,000 cases of testicular cancer in the United States every year.

Men in general have about a 0.4 percent chance of developing testicular cancer in their lifetime. About one in 250 men will develop cancer of the testicles in their lifetime; whereas about one in six men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime.

It is, however, the most common cancer found in men between the ages of 15 and 40 years old, when few expect to be afflicted by cancer.

Testicular cancer makes up about one percent of cancers in all men, but it accounts for 13 percent of cancers in men age 15 to 40 years old. The average age at diagnosis is 33 years old.

There are several misconceptions regarding testicular cancer; it is not caused by wearing tight underwear or by frequent masturbation.

Risk factors

The risk factors of testicular cancer include a first degree relative having a history of testicular cancer or a personal history of testicular cancer involving the other testicle; the occurrence of an undescended testicle that is not surgically treated by age 13; material exposure to certain toxins or hormones during pregnancy; reduced sperm formation; infertility, and certain gene mutations and hypospadias which is a congenital abnormality of the penis and urethra.

Caucasian men have a much higher incidence of testicular cancer than men of African ancestry. Being white is a risk factor for testicular cancer.

Studies have shown, however, that men of African ancestry usually present for treatment at a more advanced stage than their Caucasian counterparts.

Almost all testicular cancers originate in the germ cells. There are two main types of germ cell tumours: seminomas and non-seminomas.

Seminomas have an excellent prognosis for cure and there is no poor prognosis even when there is advanced spread of the seminoma cancer throughout the body.

Non-seminoma testicular cancer also has a slightly less promising but still a very good cure rate. Non-seminomas usually are more aggressive and spread more rapidly than seminomas.

Testicular tumours may have a non-seminoma and seminoma component, mixed germ cell tumours and they are treated as non-seminomas. Seminomas are more sensitive to radiation.

Rarer forms of testicular cancer include lymphomas, rhabdomyosarcomas or even rarer metastatic spread from another primary cancer.

As with all cancers, early diagnosis leads better cure rates. Most germ cell testicular tumours have

a 99 percent, five-year survival rate when diagnosed at an early stage.

Fear, embarrassment or at times ignorance often leads men to hide or ignore signs of a testicular cancer.

Men often mistake early signs of testicular cancer with a wrongly self-diagnosed sexually transmitted disease and there is often a prolonged delay in seeking the attention of an urologist.

Ninety percent of testicular cancers are painless and usually present as a pea or marble-sized small mass in one or rarely both testicles. Men with testicular cancer often experience a vague heaviness on the affected side of their testicle or an increase in fluid around the affected testicle and they may have breast enlargement or pain. Advanced prostate cancers may present with abdominal pain or back pain, possible enlarged lymph nodes in the neck and lung metastasis that could present with shortness of breath, cough, or chest pain.

Let’s get moving Bahamas!

Health coach Ethan Quant, of Elite Wellness Solutions, has succeeded in his weight loss journey and now wants to share his methods with the Bahamas in an effort to foster a culture of wellness and conquer the obesity epidemic.

We know that gross inactivity is one of the major contributing factors to being overweight and obese. We also know that physical activity is simply movement of the body, so if we want to become more physically active we only have to look at ways that we can move more. This could be cleaning up around the house, doing some gardening outside, or even just dancing around your living room Exercise is a form of physical activity, but is much more structured, planned and intentional, and really used to improve or maintain physical fitness.

Both regular physical activity and exercise are important to living a health

Sweet relief! Four reasons to reach for fresh cherries when coping with stress (BPT) - Stress is a common part of anyone’s life, and individuals have long sought natural remedies to alleviate it. Surveys have shown that Americans are turning to plant-based diets for reasons such as improving overall well-being and mood, and with good reason. Many fruits and vegetables contain specific wellness-boosting properties, with the cream of the crop touted as superfoods. Sweet cherries are certainly among them.

and fit life. When I was 306 pounds I really didn’t do much. I would sit behind my desk all day and then go home and lay on the couch. I was very inactive in my daily routine and exercise was a word never spoken in my presence.

It wasn’t until I started on my health, wellness and fitness journey that I took my exercising seriously. But I know how hard it can be when you don’t have the time or the money to commit to an exercise routine. I wish that there was easy access to programming that I could just turn on and work out. Even going on YouTube was a chore because I had to first figure out what type of workout I could do and then find something that was fun. By the time I found the workout I was going to do, my workout window was closed.

My personal journey has given me a better appreciation for the struggle of trying to improve your health and wellbeing. This is why I am super excited to be a part of a brand new show “Morning Moves with Bowflex Barbie”. As the show’s producer I really wanted to give the masses regular and easy access to fitness programming and wellness education. It really is all about having a positive impact on Bahamians by reducing the obesity rate. I also wanted to create a platform for professionals and businesses in the health, wellness and fitness industries to be able to showcase their products and services directly to

Cancer of the testicles can spread to the lymph nodes around the aorta, the main artery of the body. Advanced cancer of the testicles could lead to a deep vein thrombosis of usually the legs, which present with pain and swelling but less commonly the upper limbs may be affected.

Early diagnosis of testicular cancer does not require regular visits to your urologist or routine screening blood tests; it simply involves men doing self testicular exams in the shower, for example, once a month.

If a man detects an abnormality, then promptly seek the confidential opinion of an urologist.

Early diagnosis could mean a straightforward outpatient curative surgery versus advanced testicular cancer requiring often multiple surgeries with chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

How to do a testicular self-exam: Take hold of your testicle between your thumbs and forefingers and then gently roll it, feeling for lumps and masses.

Then repeat the process for the other side. In the shower the warmth and humidity relaxes your scrotum and makes the process easier.

Any change in size, consistency, texture of the testicle or if lumps or masses are felt, should initiate a prompt visit to an urologist.

An urologist would start with a thorough history then a physical exam and imaging of the testicles with an ultrasound may be ordered with a staging CT scan or MRI scan.

There are specific testicular tumour markers blood tests that may be taken that may be elevated depending on the type of testicular cancer. These testicular tumour marker blood tests are not routine screening tests but

the people who want and need them the most.

“Morning Moves” is a daily morning exercise show.

Certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor Bowflex Barbie takes viewers through a 20-minute workout that they complete right in the privacy and comfort of their home.

Each show also has a health and lifestyle segment where I along with other experts from the health, wellness and fitness industries share tips and strategies on how to improve your health and well-being.

The show is currently previewing on OurTV Channel 212 every morning; this week at 6am and 9am and Saturday morning at 8am and 10am. You can follow “Morning Moves” on Facebook and Instagram @morningmoves242 or e-mail the show at morningmoves242@gmail.com

I encourage any and everyone who wants to improve or maintain their physical fitness and learn strategies and tips to improve your overall health and wellbeing to tune in. This show is an excellent resource for you to use.

So get up and get moving with “Morning Moves”. It’s the perfect way to start your day!

PROFES SIONAL fitness • Health coach Ethan Quant, trainer Dekel of Elite Wellness Solutions, has Quant, better succeeded in his weight loss jourknown as ney and now wants to share his ‘Bowflex Barbie’, is bringing methods with the Bahamas in an effort to foster a culture of her workout routine directly wellness and conquer the obesity epidemic. to your TV

screen.

1. Make stress-eating healthy eating

Stress can influence factors that contribute to hypertension. For instance, stress can encourage the nervous system to produce hormones that constrict blood vessels (vasoconstrictors) and make it more difficult for blood to circulate, causing blood pressure to rise and increasing risk of cardiovascular disease.

Eating sweet cherries has been associated with lower blood pressure, both systolic and diastolic measures.

Consuming sweet cherries is correlated with a decrease in vasoconstrictors, but even better, the fruit increases the effectiveness of compounds that help widen blood vessels for easier blood flow.

3. inflammation

specific blood tests requested only when there is an abnormal physical exam or abnormal imaging result.

Do not let fear, embarrassment or misconceptions prevent you or a man you love from seeking treatment.

Monthly self-exams are key, along with the willingness to seek immediate confidential and compassionate urology care when any concerns present themselves.

• Dr Greggory Pinto is a board certified Bahamian urologist and laparoscopic surgeon. He has trained in Germany, South Africa and France, and is a member of the European Association of Urology. He can be contacted at The Surgical Suite, Centreville Medical Centre, #68 Collins Avenue/Sixth Terrace; telephone: 326-1929. Please note that after July 1, Dr Pinto will no longer by at The Surgical Suite. Further details will follow.

HEALTH COACH

2. Take the pressure off blood pressure

According to Harvard Medical School, persistent exposure to stress may result in the release of cortisol, a hormone that increases appetite. People under stress often turn to comfort foods that are high in fat or sugar, and the associated relief can create a feedback loop that leads to overeating and weight gain.

If stress eating is an issue, reach for sweet cherries. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition of 2002 shows that cherries are rock stars when it comes to their glycemic index of just 22 (on a scale of 0 to 100, with less than 55 considered low) and a glycemic load of just three (below 11 is low). The former number indicates how

Dr Greggory Pinto

ETHAN QUANT

sugary a food is, while the latter adjusts for serving sizes. Plus, about 2.5g of fiber in each cup of sweet cherries means glucose is released more slowly, helping to stabilize sugar levels. Crunchy, cold and sweet, fresh cherries make an ideal snack fresh from the fridge or frozen.

A growing number of studies published on the benefits of sweet cherry consumption supports these findings. Researchers from around the world, including the USDA, have identified a host of benefits including effects on certain types of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and even gout. And they’ve also uncovered qualities that can help boost stress response.

Here are four top reasons to reach for sweet cherries in times of stress:

THE UROLOGY DOCTOR IS IN...

Reduce

In times of stress, the body will instigate a “fight or flight” response and produce stress

hormones, redirecting resources from other functions. With prolonged stress, that continuous state can create an inflammatory response and introduce the potential for chronic diseases.

Research shows that the dark red of sweet cherries comes from anthocyanins, which have antiinflammatory properties that rival NSAIDs like Ibuprofen. These powerful antioxidants have been shown in studies of sweet cherry consumption to help reduce oxidative stress that contributes to inflammation.

4. Get a good night’s sleep

Stress and sleep are closely intertwined. When experiencing stress, sleep can be interrupted or cut short as anxious thoughts rise to the surface. At the same time, prolonged sleep disruption can increase stress, as the body has insufficient time to recharge and repair.

Sweet cherries are a good source of tryptophan, serotonin and melatonin, compounds that have a hand in regulating sleep cycles and contributing to feelings of well-being. Experts suggest enjoying a serving of the fruit about an hour before bedtime to benefit.

PAGE 10, Tuesday, June 23, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Makeup therapy

Local cosmetologist offers escape from daily grind

LUCENA “Lucy Lu” Sawyer has found her calling in makeup

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Reporter acadet@tribunemedia.net If there is one thing that Lucena “Lucy Lu” Sawyer’s time in quarantine really taught her is that makeup is often an escape and a source of happiness for many woman.

Forced to take the virtual route with her makeup classes during lockdown, the local beauty entrepreneur utilised the Zoom app to teach women the proper application of foundation, eyeshadow, lipstick and more.

“Makeup is therapy for some of us; it makes us happy and creates an escape. To be able to sit and chat with someone as though we were friends and learn about something that they truly enjoyed for a moment during a worldwide pandemic was rewarding,” Lucy told Tribune Woman.

Research in recent years has shown that the application of makeup can be therapeutic. In a way, it is similar to art therapy. It can give people a creative outlet, soothe their anxiety by being a daily routine, and generally just make people feel better about themselves. Makeup can also connect women to one another.

Lucy’s online one-on-one “Master Your Own Beat” sessions aim to teach women everything from proper eyebrow grooming to how to achieve a polished everyday look.

“I was actually in the process in planning a hands-on class before COVID even happened and stopped those plans, so I thought why not offer them online? At first I was terrified to offer it because of everything that was going on, but persons were very receptive to it because everyone was looking for something to do,” she said.

“How it works is that I find out what it is women want to learn with makeup and then I’ll customise a class and teach them new techniques and help them to understand it better, all in the comfort of their own home. I believe it is beneficial because I come across women all the time in my line of work that have the desire to learn how to apply their own makeup. I wanted to create a space where they had my undivided attention, complete access to my knowledge, and we went at their pace. Like I said, people were looking for things to do or new skills to learn during the lockdown, so my classes were the perfect outlet.”

In the virtual sessions Lucy has been able to teach women from

all over the Bahamas, and even some from different parts of the world.

“I made sure they received a lot of value during their short time with me. I plan to continue what I’ve started because there are a lot of women still out there who love makeup and want to learn.

Once things have died down I’m definitely going to revisit my plan for the hands-on interactive class experience. I have lots of others things up my sleeve, so stay tuned,” she said.

Lucy said her young daughter, Elayna Lewis, is her biggest inspiration in everything that she does.

“I started my business when she was born and they have both been my ‘babies’. Everything I do, it’s for her, to provide and be a role model to her. She gives me the strength to keep going to pursue my dreams,” she said.

Lucy is also a hairstylist, and she says when one stream of income slows down she is glad to have another talent to fall back on.

“I was originally self-taught (in makeup) in the beginning, but then I obtained my cosmetology diploma from BTVI in 2017. I have been self-employed in this industry for six years now. My craft has definitely moved up in stages and I’ve loved watching the evolution. It began as a hobby, side hustle, then I moved to sales.

Next, I freelanced and built my own company. Now I’ve perfected my craft enough to want to teach other persons what I know,” she said.

Her company is called LucyLu Brides and specialises in bridal hairstyles and makeup for both local and destination weddings.

“Being home during COVID19 and not being able to do either, makeup or hair, has shown me that there’s other ways for me to make money using my skills. I’ve learned that I don’t only have to always be behind the chair because there’s many other ways like teaching, selling products, and more,” she said.

10 secrets to younger looking skin Can someone in their 20s or early 30s be affected by aging skin? Of course they can. The youthfulness of your skin is determined more by the way it has been treated than age. In other words, if your skin is exposed to environmental aggressions, poor lifestyle habits, and a stressful life, your skin will start experiencing real signs of aging, loss of collagen, glow and elasticity.

Here are 10 ways to prevent or repair aging skin: • Protect your skin from sun damage, using UVA and UVB protection. The number one cause of aging is due to the sun.

• Quit smoking and avoid exposure to cigarette smoke.

Researchers have proven that smoking contributes significantly to skin wrinkles and dryness by constricting blood vessels and decreasing oxygen to the skin • Use an AHA or BHA (also known as retinol) daily. Alpha hydroxy acids remove dead skin cells. When used consistently it can erase fine lines and remove up to 10 years off your skin. To avoid sunburn it is important to use sunscreens when using retinoids.

• Use an exfoliant at least once a week. Exfoliants vary from a mild scrub, to enzymes and chemicals or acids. The type of exfoliants is determined by one age and skin type. If you’re thirty and over chemical exfoliates such as glycolic and salicylic acid works better and faster.

• Use an eye cream daily with SPF to protect the skin from the

Kenya MortimerMckenzie

sun. The eye area is very thin and one of the first areas on the face to age.

• Antioxidants supplements are key to age prevention. Take oral and topical antioxidants. Examples of some antioxidants are vitamin C, alpha-lipoic acid and coenzyme 10.

• Get sufficient sleep. Sleep gives the body an opportunity to rest, rejuvenate, replenish, and regenerate itself. Any damage that is done that could possibly contribute to premature aging is

repaired. during sleep. During sleep, free radicals are dissolved, which are known to cause premature aging.

• Reduce levels of stress. The skin reflects the general health of the body, so what goes on inside is eventually reflected outwardly.

Stress speeds up the aging process.

Stress and worry can cause frowning; eventually, the facial muscles conform to that movement.

• Limit your intake of alcohol.

Alcohol dilates blood vessels.

Over time these blood vessels become permanently damaged.

• A regular exercise programme is important. An exercise routine has many physical benefits, and those are eventually seen on your face and help you look younger, at any age.

A few extra points to fight aging skin: • Cleanse your skin gently, but properly daily • Moisturise your skin, especially at night

• Stick to a healthy diet, a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables • Drink at least eight glasses of water • Hydrating your skin with nutrients is increasingly important. Dry skin is more prone to forming wrinkles than any other skin type. Essential fatty acids are unsaturated fats that are essential to the diet because the body does not produce them. Essential fatty acids are found in vegetables, nuts, and some fish. Essential fatty acids contribute to the health of the cell membrane in order to prevent damage of free radicals.

Free radicals are known primarily to cause premature aging.

• Kenya Mortimer-McKenzie is an anti-aging skin care specialist at the Baha Retreat Anti-Aging Spa. Visit www.baharetreat.com or e-mail kenya@baharetreat. com.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, June 23, 2020, PAGE 11

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 93° F/34° C Low: 75° F/24° C

TAMPA

TONIGHT

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Some sun with a stray thunderstorm

Partly cloudy

Variably cloudy

Partly sunny

A shower in the a.m.; partly sunny

Breezy in the morning; mostly sunny

High: 89°

Low: 77°

High: 89° Low: 78°

High: 89° Low: 78°

High: 88° Low: 78°

High: 89° Low: 78°

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

101° F

86° F

100°-86° F

100°-85° F

99°-85° F

100°-85° F

High: 92° F/33° C Low: 77° F/25° C

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

N

almanac

E

W

ABACO

S

N

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

6-12 knots

S

WEST PALM BEACH High: 91° F/33° C Low: 77° F/25° C

6-12 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE E

W

FREEPORT

High: 91° F/33° C Low: 80° F/27° C

N

S

E

W

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 78° F/26° C

MIAMI

High: 92° F/33° C Low: 79° F/26° C

4-8 knots

KEY WEST

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 82° F/28° C

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 77° F/25° C

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2020

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

N

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

tiDes For nassau Low

Ht.(ft.)

10:02 a.m.

10:27 p.m.

High

2.4 3.2

4:15 a.m.

4:03 p.m.

0.0 0.0

Wednesday 10:50 a.m.

11:14 p.m.

2.5 3.2

4:59 a.m.

4:51 p.m.

0.0 0.0

Thursday

11:41 a.m.

-----

2.5 -----

5:46 a.m.

5:44 p.m.

0.0 0.1

Friday

12:03 a.m.

12:36 p.m.

3.1 2.6

6:35 a.m.

6:41 p.m.

0.0 0.3

Saturday

12:56 a.m.

1:35 p.m.

3.0 2.7

7:26 a.m.

7:44 p.m.

0.0 0.4

Sunday

1:52 a.m.

2:37 p.m.

2.9 2.8

8:20 a.m.

8:51 p.m.

0.0 0.4

Monday

2:52 a.m.

3:39 p.m.

2.8 3.0

9:16 a.m. -0.1 9:59 p.m. 0.4

Today

Ht.(ft.)

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:21 a.m.

8:03 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

8:28 a.m.

10:26 p.m.

First

Full

Last

New

Jun. 28

Jul. 5

Jul. 12

Jul. 20

CAT ISLAND

E

W

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 80° F/27° C

N

S

E

W

6-12 knots

S

6-12 knots Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 84° F/29° C Low .................................................... 79° F/26° C Normal high ....................................... 87° F/31° C Normal low ........................................ 74° F/23° C Last year’s high ................................. 94° F/34° C Last year’s low ................................... 77° F/25° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday .................................. trace Year to date ............................................... 23.88” Normal year to date ................................... 12.32”

uV inDex toDay

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 80° F/27° C

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 81° F/27° C

N

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

E

W S

LONG ISLAND

tracking map

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

6-12 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 87° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

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

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS

tonight’s lows.

RAGGED ISLAND High: 86° F/30° C Low: 81° F/27° C

H

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 81° F/27° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 89° F/32° C Low: 81° F/27° C

N W

N E

W

E S

S

7-14 knots

8-16 knots

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

Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday:

WINDS SE at 6-12 Knots SSE at 4-8 Knots SE at 6-12 Knots ESE at 6-12 Knots ESE at 6-12 Knots ESE at 6-12 Knots E at 7-14 Knots E at 7-14 Knots ESE at 6-12 Knots SE at 6-12 Knots S at 6-12 Knots S at 4-8 Knots SE at 6-12 Knots ESE at 6-12 Knots E at 8-16 Knots E at 8-16 Knots E at 7-14 Knots ESE at 7-14 Knots E at 7-14 Knots E at 7-14 Knots ESE at 6-12 Knots ESE at 6-12 Knots E at 7-14 Knots E at 7-14 Knots SE at 6-12 Knots ESE at 6-12 Knots

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SECTION B

TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 2020

Father knows best?

Bahamian dads open up about relationships, intimacy, and raising daughters

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net LAST week, in honour of Father’s Day, Tribune Weekend interviewed several Bahamian women who shared with readers the best advice given to them by their fathers.

Our original intent for the story was to feature the advice fathers give to their daughters specifically about matters of the heart: love, sex and intimacy. But in talking to the women we learned that many Bahamian fathers seemingly never share any wisdom with their daughters regarding topics like falling in love, choosing a partner, first sexual encounters, heartbreak, or relationships in general. That kind of advice seems to be reserved for the sons, if it’s given at all.

The women were also of the opinion that if their fathers had been more open with them, a lot relationship mistakes and heartbreaks they experienced in their lives could have been prevented In our quest to find out why men seem to be so reluctant to talk to their daughters about love and relationships, we spoke to several fathers who appeared as panellists on the “Fatherhood Talk” series, an online talk show created in collaboration with the University of the Bahamas, the Pico Brand, and hosted by husband and father-of-four Derek Smith.

Over the course of three weeks, this panel of both single and married fathers discussed traditions, and the highs and lows of parenting. They shared with Tribune Woman some of the advice they would give their daughters regarding matters of the heart and the delicate subject of sex.

Derek Smith, father of one girl and three boys

Mr Smith was the first to answer our questions. He is a compliance officer at a local leading law firm. He is also the public relations chairman for the Bahamas Association of Compliance Officers and is heavily involved in Rotary. He is the current president of the Rotary Club of Old Fort.

Q: Why do you think so many men shy away from having conversations about sex with their daughters?

A: “Unresolved issues with their past or even current actions and thoughts related to sex. Fear of discussing the ‘naked truth’ with their daughter, i.e. learning about their thoughts and/or actions. Also, a lot of parents did not speak to us about sex. This was

not my experience as my dad was very open and created a space for the discussion.”

Q: Many women have negative experiences in their dating lives/relationships because they lack the wisdom to make the right choices or navigate the roadblocks along the way. What advice would you give to your daughter/s about choosing a partner, falling in love, handling heartbreaks and other matters of the heart?

A: “In choosing a mate, I would ask my daughter to allow a man to enter her space that respects her, who treats her... the way I have treated her. Look past the bells and whistles and search his heart. I would encourage her to pray for the God-ordained man and not the man of her desires. With reference to heartbreak, I would encourage her to learn from the hurdles, take the good of the (failed) relationship and accept that the person has already completed their ordained task in her life.”

Q: What is the one piece of advice you would give to your daughter regarding the topic of sex?

A: “I would advise her that it is ‘no game’.

I would advise that sex is not only physical. but emotional, mental and spiritual. I would ask her to discuss with Daddy if she feels the urge, interest or is approached. I would always remind her that we can talk through anything. I would encourage her to search her standards. I would also let her know that sex has layers, and that if she is not prepared, it can result in major emotional and psychological adjustments.”

Q. What would you say to men who don’t know how to have the conversation about sex and intimacy with their daughters?

A. “It is better she has this conversation with you as the father than with a man who has other intentions.

Do not allow somebody else to teach your daughter about something so personal and sacred.”

Jamal Smith, father of one daughter and one son

Mr Smith has been a maritime professional for 15 years and is a community-minded individual.

His 15-year-old daughter and four-year-old son think of him as a “funny” dad with old school values but with a modern approach to parenting.

Q: Why do you think so many men shy away from having conversations about sex with their daughters?

A: “This is very difficult because daddy has to view his daughter in another light.

We are used to “daddy’s little girl”, but now we have to face the reality that she will be a woman. It also makes dads reflect on their experiences... I shudder to think of it as I answer this question.”

Q: What is the one piece of advice you would give to your daughter regarding the topic of sex?

A: “I would advise my daughter not to take sex lightly. Society has imparted the message that it’s for fun, live free, enjoy et cetera. But sex can lead to so much more.

For one, you can be tied to someone for the rest of your life when mentally you just pictured them for the moment. Spiritually, this can lead to ramifications and bring strain to you emotionally, economically and physically.”

Rodney D Bain, Jr, father of one daughter and one son

Mr Bain is the co-owner of Service Culture, a management consultancy firm. He is also an author, trainer, youth speaker, regulator and former teacher. His daughter is 10 and is son is seven.

Q: Why do you think so many men shy away from having conversations about sex with their daughters?

A: “Probably because of the discomfort.

Not many fathers want to imagine their baby girl having sex. But it is valuable advice that should be shared, as a father will have his daughter’s best interests at heart. Also, he would be able to guide her as to what she should look out for.”

Q: What advice would you give to your daughter/s about choosing a partner, falling in love, handling heartbreaks and other matters of the heart?

A: “I was taught the mate your daughter chooses reflects the man she observed her father to be. Matters of the heart are difficult yet are full of lessons... Find someone who values you, honours you, respects you, one who does not impede your growth nor inhibits your dreams; find someone who makes you feel equal, never less than.”

Q: What would you say to men who don’t know how to have the conversation about sex and intimacy with their daughters?

A. “Just start. Your daughter will appreciate the effort. Also, be honest. They know more than you realise. It is better for you to teach her than for the world to take advantage of her.”

Donovan Rolle, father of teenaged twins and expecting second set of twins Mr Rolle is the manager for Fox Hill Community Centre.

He is also an entrepreneur, author, and president of the Earnest T Strachan Advance Toastmasters Club.

Q: Why do you think so many men shy away from having conversations about sex with their daughters?

A: “Men generally shy away from having sensible conversations about sex with anyone. So the first challenge we face deals with altering our language software from male lingo to female speech. Then there’s the further challenge of coming to the realisation that your baby girl isn’t a baby anymore.”

Q: What advice would you give to your daughter/s about choosing a partner, falling in love, handling heartbreaks and other matters of the heart?

A: “Let’s face it, by the time children realise that their parents were making sense they are well into adulthood. There’s a saying that says, ‘Dad - a son’s first hero and a daughter’s first love.’ Even though I am intentional with keeping the lines of communication open, it is my wish that through observation (my daughter) focuses on my positive attributes and uses those as a foundation for her mate selection, while recognising my shortcomings and using those to safeguard her from the wrong kind of partner.”

Q: What is the one piece of advice you would give to your daughter regarding the topic of sex?

A: “Let Daddy and your godfathers interview him and do background checks first.”

Q: What would you say to men who don’t know how to have the conversation about sex and intimacy with their daughters?

A: “Seek guidance from fathers in your inner circle on how they went about it, read up on how to approach the conversation, or just start the conversation. Parenting for most is on-the-job learning. It’s better an uncomfortable conversation is had with dad than a comfortable one with a jerk.”