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VOLUME:117 No.144, JUNE 23RD, 2020

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1

WOMAN: YOUR FATHER KNOWS BEST - OR DOES HE?

NOW, BEHAVE Minnis warns - follow the rules as he okays major relaxation step

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said his emergency powers will be extended into July as the country enters Phase Five of his reopening plan.

During his budget communication in the House of Assembly yesterday, Dr Minnis also announced the daily curfew has been shortened by one hour –– it will now be in effect from 10pm to 5am each day, with businesses allowed to operate until 8pm.

He said starting July 1, gyms, spas and outdoor group exercise will be permitted while public

parks and beaches on New Providence, Paradise Island, Grand Bahama and Bimini will reopen on June 29. “Gatherings greater than five people are prohibited,” he added with regard to those spaces.

On July 1, taxi services will be allowed to resume while public and private bus services will be permitted to operate with 50 percent occupancy.

Dr Minnis said while PCR COVID-19 negative tests will be required for people entering the country, an exception will be made for short-term travel periods of 72 hours or less involving Bahamians and

CRUISE PASSENGERS WON’T BE DOWNTOWN THIS YEAR

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net NASSAU Cruise Port’s top executive yesterday warned downtown Bay Street is “unlikely to see any cruise passengers” before year-end 2020 regardless of when the industry resumes sailing. Michael Maura told Tribune Business the cruise lines will maintain tight control of their passengers’ onshore activities to ensure they remain COVID-19 free and do not bring the virus back to the ship.

As a result, he suggested

BOSTON’S LIFELONG PARTY

SEE PAGE FOUR

passengers will be directed to specific tours 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.

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.”

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

BOSTON BLACKIE, who passed away on Sunday, was much-loved across The Bahamas. Above, he is pictured with Minerva, his wife of 59 years. Felicity Darville reflects on his life and legacy - Page 8

JITNEYS WANT 60% FARE FAMILY’S SHOCK AT BRUTAL RISE TO OFFSET NEW LIMITS MURDER OF GRANDMOTHER

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 president, said: “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 we already have. It is a very hard situation for us.”

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THE murder of a 79-year-old Haitian woman in Eight Mile Rock has left a family in shock over the brutal manner in which she was killed and left in bushes “like an animal”.

Elisia Theoc Loristol was found chopped to death in bushes on the family’s

property in Pinedale, Eight Mile Rock. She was reported missing to the police on Friday evening after she did not return home.

Police and family members searched for the elderly woman but could not find her. Her body was found around 7am on Saturday.

SEE PAGE THREE

TRUST SOUNDS ALERT ON ANDROS PLANS

By EARYEL BOWLEG ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS National Trust is sounding the alarm over concerns about three development proposals for North Andros which have grabbed headlines recently.

For one of those proposals, it has been reported Morgan’s Bluff is the target of a multi-million development.

Philanthropic billionaire Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong is heading a group that wants to invest

DR Patrick Soon-Shiong $200m-$250m over the first two phases of the project called the North Andros

Green Free Trade Zone.

The initial proposal aims to create more than 700 full-time jobs and 10,000 construction jobs.

In a statement, BNT noted the organisation has formally communicated its concerns about the proposed projects to the Bahamas Investment Authority, with copies sent to the Ministry of Environment and Housing, and the Bahamas Environment

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

SEE PAGE THREE

PETER YOUNG

WHY WE NEED TO ADDRESS GENUINE SOCIAL INJUSTICE

SEE PAGE NINE

PAGE 2, Tuesday, June 23, 2020

THE TRIBUNE NELLIE MOSS, left, and Julia Huyler received gifts to celebrate centenarian distinction on their birthday. Secretary to the Governor General Jack Thompson presented the gifts on behalf of Governor General CA Smith Photos: Letisha Henderson/BIS

NELLIE AND JULIA ENJOY CELEBRATING THEIR LONG LIVES SOCIAL distancing rules set to combat COVID-19 didn’t stop special recognition of Nellie Louise Moss and Julia Ann Huyler in honour of their longevity.

Governor General Cornelius A Smith maintained his practice of honouring the country’s men and women who have turned 100 years old or older, and showered Mrs Moss, 102, and Ms Huyler, 101, with gifts and praises.

Jack Thompson, secretary to the Governor General, visited the homes of the centenarians on Saturday, June 20 and presented them with flowers, fruit arrangements and official congratulatory letters on behalf of Mr Smith.

The Governor General – by virtual means — extended separate greetings to the women who both celebrate birthdays on June 20, and thanked God for their long lives.

“We must all give Him thanks,” he said. “Many of us will never reach that age.” He congratulated them and wished them many more years.

Ms Moss was born in Fairfield, Crooked Island and later migrated to Nassau. A mother of six children (three predeceased) she was married twice and both husbands have predeceased her.

A former entrepreneur who sold groceries and dry goods, Mrs Moss also worked as a housekeeper for 30 years.

Described as a great storyteller, she is the matriarch

of her family and church community.

A member of Kemp Road Ministries, before COVID-19 Mrs Moss was chauffeur-driven to church every Sunday compliments of the church.

Mrs Moss says she has a “beautiful” life, and enjoys making strawberry and watermelon jam, and baking bread and pies.

These days, however, she instructs her son as kneading dough isn’t as easy as it used to be.

Ms Huyler, the mother of 12 children and one adopted child (six living), was never married.

An ordained evangelist, she is a member of Little Jerusalem Apostolic Church and a 2004 recipient of the Pearl Award given for evangelism by Pentecostal Assemblies of the World.

As a valet steam presser in the hotel industry for 54 years, she cleaned and pressed the clothing of dignitaries before retirement.

Still very much independent, Ms Huyler plaits her hair, does laundry, irons and continues to keep the grandchildren in line. She even has a cellphone and uses it regularly.

Ms Huyler spends her days in prayer, meditation and Bible reading. She enjoys watching wrestling and eating cracked conch and KFC. She remembers nursery rhymes and the birthdays of all of her children. She can even recite the alphabet backwards.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, June 23, 2020, PAGE 3

from page one

National Trust sounds alert on Andros plans

Science and Technology (BEST) Commission. BNT said North Andros has six protected areas, adding that five of these areas are included in the mapping of several proposals: Blue Holes National Park, Crab Replenishment Reserve, Joulter Cays National Park, and North and South Marine Parks.

BNT’s executive director, Eric Carey, stated the proposals have the potential to impact the park and their surrounding environments.

Mr Carey said: “Joulter Cays is a critical habitat for endangered seabirds, such as the Piping Plover, and other native species. It also plays a significant role in the livelihoods of Androsian people whose eco-tourism businesses rely on bonefish flats for recreation.

“Marine animals are supported by the coral reefs of North and South Marine Parks to replenish populations vital to sustainable fisheries. Other

food-sources like land crabs in Crab Replenishment Reserve are at risk too.”

BNT noted Minister of Environment Romauld Ferreira’s contribution during the most recent budget debate and expressed the group’s support for his position in regards to the sustainability of aragonite replenishment.

The statement read: “Broad-scale exploitation of aragonite and sand is not renewable in our lifetime and therefore should not be considered sustainable.

“Requested copies of the proposals have been submitted by the BNT to the attention of the

Bahamas Investment Authority at the Office of the Prime Minister. BNT wrote to be involved in an environmental impact assessment (EIA), if plans are considered further.

Informed comments can be made on the specifics of these developments once The BNT is able to review the formal project documents and relevant EIAs. “These topics underscore the importance of having national parks and marine protected areas. National parks protect environments in all corners of the archipelago. The BNT helps protect biodiversity that are

essential to our Bahamian way of life.”

In a statement yesterday, the Office of the Prime Minister confirmed that the North Andros Green Free Trade Zone proposal has been submitted to the government for review but it has not been analysed as yet.

“The proposal had not been formally analysed nor reviewed to determine its viability, nor has it been presented to the National Economic Council for consideration,” OPM said.

“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.”

Other proposals for Andros include a proposed aggregate mining and land reclamation project that would generate more than 100 jobs - and a total $125m investment - at full build-out. Tribune Business reported last week that Bahamas Materials Company Ltd, which presented its project to the North Andros District Council on June 9 as part of an extensive feedback and consultation

process, is targeting a $15m-$20m first phase investment and the creation of around 35 full-time jobs as it responds to the government’s call for diversification amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The third and final proposal is that of Bahamas Agricultural Resources (BAR), a farming project that is seeking some 25,000 acres of Crown land and Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC) land in the Twin Lakes area, Tribune Business reported.

Editorial View - Page 6

Family’s shock at brutal murder of grandmother

LEFT: A relative points to where the body of 79-year-old Elisia Theoc Loristol, above, was found. Below, the area in her property where she was when she was attacked.

Photos: Vandyke Hepburn

from page one A “little boy” found the body and notified the family, a relative of the deceased told The Tribune yesterday.

According to Loristol’s daughter, her mother left home Friday morning and went down the street, not too far away to another property the family owns to do some yard work — weeding and tend her garden — but never returned home.

When asked how they were coping with the tragedy, the woman was too traumatised to speak, but her son Ricardo Prince interjected saying: “We are not too good, this is tough on everyone. We still can’t believe it.

“We are still shocked. To see someone you love just gone just like that; she did not die the proper way, she gone like an animal.”

Mr Prince said that his grandmother was a nice woman who did not deserve to die that way. He described her as a kindhearted person who would feed anyone who was hungry.

“It hurts because everyone know her and everyone love her a lot because she helps everyone. If she has her last, she will give it to you. If you need help, it does not matter who you are or where you come from, she will help (you).

To take a life like that of an elderly woman is not right

and a lot of people upset about that,” he said.

Wadner Destine, a relative, said how the elderly woman was killed has deeply hurt the family.

“We were searching for her all Friday evening, and a little boy found her the next morning,” he said.

“That hurt me, and I can’t even sleep. She was doing little work around the property weeding and a young boy take her life and chap her with her own cutlass.

And what make it so bad is he take off her clothes…” said Mr Destine. “That is an elderly woman whose life he took away. It hurt us a lot. And her daughter still ain’t catch herself good since Saturday.”

According to police, a Haitian man is in custody assisting them with their investigations into this latest homicide.

However, Mr Prince claims that news of man’s nationality is false. He claims that the young man in custody is a Bahamian whose family is from the Turks and Caicos. “I heard he recently got out of prison for armed robbery,” he said.

“The reports on the news about the suspect being a Haitian is not right; he is not a Haitian,” he said.

Investigations are still underway and police are urging people with information to assist them. The killing is the eighth murder on Grand Bahama for the year and the 31st nationwide, according to this newspaper’s records.

PAGE 4, Tuesday, June 23, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said the government aims to save $62 million in healthcare costs over the next five years by integrating public healthcare systems, using the National Health Insurance programme as the anchor.

He also said the Public Hospitals Authority must move to collect fees for services provided, “especially from those who have the ability to pay.”

The PHA should focus on revenue enhancing measures that include repealing and replacing “gazetted fees to reflect the true cost of care,” he said during his budget communication in the House of Assembly.

Dr Minnis said NHI currently has 77,000 enrolled beneficiaries, up from 55,000 a year ago. The budget allocation for NHI authority has increased from $20m to $38 million.

The 47.3 percent increase in funding demonstrates the success and popularity of NHI, he said, and signals reduced loads on public clinics. He said the programme grows by about 2,200 beneficiaries per month.

Dr Minnis said NHI delivers services at a cost of $217 per beneficiary each year, lower than the cost of service provided by other parts of the public healthcare system and private insurance companies. In fact, he said overall primary

Govt to save $62m in healthcare costs care delivery could increase by $44.4 million to $128 million by 2025 if the model is not significantly changed.

He said the healthcare system now is too fragmented, with the National Health Insurance Authority, the Public Hospitals Authority and the Department of Public Health all receiving funding. Those institutions “represent a duplication of services, inefficiencies in resource allocation, disconnected care delivery and a lack of consistent service standards,” he said. “Taken together, these result in excessive healthcare costs––among the highest in the region––and an overall lower quality of care being delivered to Bahamians.”

“Aside from reducing the burden currently placed on the public purse by this entity, major reform of the primary healthcare system in the Bahamas will be the central tenant of our health care spending, as we seek to provide accessible, affordable, accountable and value-driven health care for every Bahamian. We are on a journey to universal

health care, and improvements to our primary health system is a first step.”

Dr Minnis said the National Health Insurance Authority will lead a series of reforms known as NHI 1.1. “This initiative is estimated to save the government of the Bahamas approximately $62 million over the next five years,” he said. “It will require no additional taxation or employer mandate which would have included a mandated insurance premium, and will mean minimal disruption to the private health insurance industry.

“Indeed, it will ensure that every Bahamian and resident has consistent access to a family doctor without a co-pay or deductible. NHI 1.1 will be funded by the savings created by consolidating and reorganising programmes to eliminate identified inefficiencies in the primary healthcare system. The NHI 1.1 framework integrates primary care programme delivery under the existing NHI model by establishing a single standard primary care health benefit for all Bahamians and residents.

“This benefit will include existing NHI coverage for visits to a family doctor, laboratory tests, as well as new diagnostic imaging services, cancer-screening programmes and an emphasis on patient-centered care.

The NHIA will engage all providers of these benefits on a contractual basis, and all services will be made available without co-pays or deductibles. The changes will integrate the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) and the Department of Public Health (DPH) primary care clinics under the NHI model. It will extend the benefit of an electronic health record to all Bahamians and residents, and implement the NHI quality programme for all primary health care facilities in both the public and private sector.

“The estimated cost to deliver NHI 1.1 in 2025, which will provide additional benefits beyond what is currently provided, is $110 million. This represents savings of some $17 million over the next five years. We can realise these savings by reducing the

number of primary care clinics directly operated by the Department of Public Health and Public Hospitals Authority and engaging private sector capacity through public-private partnerships. NHI 1.1 will also reduce capital expenditures at public health facilities and decrease the burden at secondary and tertiary care facilities as a result of improved primary care access. With its innovative contractual reimbursements with private providers, NHI 1.1 will emerge as a model public-private partnership where public funding seeks to harness and leverage the efficiency, creativity, responsiveness and accountability of a privately delivered healthcare service. Over the near term, NHI will commence detailed planning discussions and mobilise a project transformation office in coordination with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance and Public Hospitals Authority. Shortly thereafter, NHI will once again undertake formal stakeholder consultations,

which will allow Bahamians to have meaningful input to the proposal.”

As for opportunities to maximise revenue-enhancing initiatives, Dr Minnis said PHA should “pursue measures to correct systemic challenges to registering, billing for, and collecting on services rendered.” PHA should engaged the NHIA for healthcare services via “formal provider agreement that will allow PHA’s core laboratory at Princess Margaret Hospital and its primary care clinics to be registered as NHI providers,” he said, saying this would guarantee equitable access to care for NHI patients and generate revenue for the authority “in the form of capitation payments for PHA’s patient panels.”

Dr Minnis said PHA should implement bundled billing for services, target third-party payers, negate preferred provider status with insurance companies and review and revise policies and practices that impede revenue collection.

Follow the rules, warns Minnis as he okays major relaxation step from page one

DR Hubert Minnis speaking yesterday

Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff

residents, though such people may have be quarantined for 14 days on arrival as determined by the Ministry of Health.

“Indoor eating at restaurants will be allowed with physical distancing required, sanitisation, and mask wearing by all staff at all times, and patrons when entering and exiting the establishment,” Dr Minnis said. “Maximum seating will be based on 50 percent occupancy, meaning 30 square feet per person. Vendors at Arawak Cay may continue outdoor dining, but are not permitted for indoor dining at this time.”

Dr Minnis said funeral services or weddings in churches or religious facilities can be held in accordance with physical distancing protocols for Saturday and Sunday services while graveside services are still limited to 30 people.

He said establishments, taxi and bus owners will be held response for letting people in without masks and for ensuring that physical distancing takes place.

If the requirements are not followed, Dr Minnis said the owner will face a fine or possible prison time.

“A second violation will lead to a second fine at a higher quantum. A third violation will lead to a temporary closing of the facility until health officials can be satisfied that the continued operations of the establishment would not pose a health risk to the community,” he said.

Emphasising the importance of masks, Dr Minnis said: “The COVID-19 pandemic is not over. There is no vaccine as yet. The wearing of facial masks is absolutely necessity and has significantly helped to reduce the spread of the virus at home and around the world. We must all do our part and be personally

responsible by wearing our masks, maintaining physical distance and washing and sanitising our hands thoroughly and often.”

Dr Minnis also blasted official opposition leader Philip “Brave” Davis, accusing him of poor judgement when he said in March the COVID-19 restrictions applied at the time were an “overreach”.

“The leader of the opposition was dead wrong,” Dr Minnis said. “My government’s decision to act decisively at the time was taken after consultation with health officials. We acted quickly because we saw what was happening in the world and we wanted to get ahead of the deadly virus as quickly as possible.”

In response, Mr Davis said Dr Minnis told an incomplete story. He said the prime minister agreed with his assessment when the pair later met.

housing units in those zones. Two 60 acre sites in Marsh Harbour and Wilson City have been identified for permanent housing, he said. Residents of Abaco and Grand Bahama are still in rebuilding mode after Hurricane Dorian ripped through those islands last September.

Dr Minnis said prior to the COVID-19 crisis, the government began disseminating land grants within the southern Bahamas.

“As of March 2020, the Department of Lands and Survey prepared and finalised 49 Crown land grants for Bahamians, including on the islands of Inagua, Crooked Island and Mayaguana,” he said during his budget communication in the House of Assembly. “Now that some of the restrictions on travel concerning COIVD-19 have been lifted, surveyors will return to the MICAL islands and we will continue this important work

to empower Bahamians through land ownership.”

He said Baker’s Bay, a major employer in Abaco, is furthering its expansion plans which include $400 million in works over three years. “As of today, I am advised that 472 persons are employed propertywide, 80 percent of which are Bahamians,” he said.

He highlighted other indicators that the economy of Abaco will be restored, noting that a project, the Montage Cay and Marina, was approved on January 14, though the heads of agreement has not been signed.

He further said: “A heads of agreement for the proposed $300 million dollar five star residential, resort and marina development

by Tyrsoz Family Holdings Ltd was signed on the 13tg of February, 2020 in Sandy Point, Abaco. The developer has been progressing with the technical elements of the project.”

Editorial View - Page 6

ECONOMIC ZONE TO EXPAND HOMES FOR ABACO FAMILIES

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced yesterday that New Providence’s economic empowerment zone will be expanded to now include Englerston and Montel Heights, expanding access for some to tax concessions.

“This zone will now extend south past Wulff Road, all the way to Independence Highway; east to Claridge Road; and north to Collins Wall,” he said.

He said 90 applications have been made under the Economic Empowerment Zone Act to date, 50 of which have been approved.

“This has resulted in a total of approximately $1.246m in business licence, customs duties and real property tax concessions being provided to these businesses,” he said.

“To further aid in the economic empowerment of

residents in the Over-theHill community, the Small Business Development Centre designed and implemented two special groups of residents from the Overthe-Hill communities to participate in SME programmes. The first group of the OTH programme was an eight week course open to 25 participants.

Seventy-two percent of its participants were able to complete successfully and graduated July of last year from the course. Through this group, clients were awarded a total of $48,000 in capital assistance. The first group resulted in a capital infusion of $48,000 and represented an injection of approximately 42 jobs to the labour market.

“Total sales for all participants were $2,301,014. The second group of the OTH programme graduated in November 2019. This group doubled its class capacity, increasing the number of participants from 25 to

50. This group had a success rate of 62 percent with 31 of the participants successfully completing the course and graduating.

The second group of the OTH programme resulted in the capital infusion of $65,250.74 and represented an injection of approximately 100 jobs to the labour market. Furthermore, projected sales for the clients totaled $2,520,662.56.

Prior to COVID 19, preparations were being made, and will now be continued, for a third group.”

Dr Minnis also defended his decision to appoint an Economic Recovery Committee in April rather than rely on the National Development Plan which provides a roadmap for development. Dr Minnis supported the creation of the NDP when he was leader of the opposition but critics say the well-researched document has been sidelined during his administration.

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

FORTY-SIX families will be gifted homes in Central Pines, Abaco, according to Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis.

He said the land lease for the development of the homes is being finalised by the Office of the Attorney General and that a subdivision in Murphy Town is also under development.

Dr Minnis did not say how officials will determine who gets the free homes.

He said the Disaster Reconstruction Authority and Department of Lands and Survey are evaluating available properties for the development of permanent housing in Sweetings Cay, McLean’s Town and High Rock in Grand Bahama.

The DRA, which he said has identified temporary housing solutions for Abaco and Grand Bahama, will erect domes and container

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, June 23, 2020, PAGE 5

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY

MEASURES ARE NOT ENOUGH, SAYS DAVIS

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT ts-cartwright @tribunemedia.net

THE HOSPITAL was damaged during Hurricane Dorian last September.

By EARYEL BOWLEG ebowleg@tribunemedia.net MORE than $20m has been earmarked in the upcoming fiscal year for the phased redevelopment of the Rand Memorial Hospital in Grand Bahama, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said yesterday.

Dr Minnis, who is also minister of health, said $9m is allocated for the phased redevelopment of Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) and Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre (SRC) in New Providence. He said the Public Hospitals Authority allocation for the new fiscal year is $223,455,825 — a $12,233,817 decrease compared to the previous fiscal cycle.

While giving his contribution yesterday during the budget debate, Dr Minnis outlined budgets for the public health care sector.

Regarding the Rand Memorial Hospital (RMH), he said “it is anticipated that patients and staff will be able to reoccupy the hospital within the first quarter of the 2020/2021 fiscal year”.

The hospital was damaged during Hurricane Dorian last September.

“These restoration efforts are only temporary.

The extent of the damage is beyond allowing long-term

Rand set for $20m boost reoccupation of the existing facility.

“Based on preliminary assessments, it is anticipated that capital costs to restore core clinical and supporting administrative services will be approximately $4.6m. This does not include the cost to replace IT-related and other equipment lost as a result of the hurricane.”

He said the government has set aside funds to address the phased improvements to patient care areas at PMH. A $3.6 million contract was signed in November 2019 to assist with improving and reforming urgent and emergency care in New Providence.

Dr Minnis also said PHA “must rise to the challenge to collect fees for services rendered, especially from those who have the ability to pay” despite the issue of bed shortages.

“Currently, there is a need to accommodate

more than 21,000 admissions annually. This means that there are some 271,410 annual patient days. With social distancing requirements and the need to strengthen infection prevention and control (IPC) practices, there will be a reduction in the overall bed complement.”

He added: “Currently, there are 341 adult and paediatric beds and 56 neonatal beds. With a number of wards closed for renovations, the hospital is 50 beds short.”

Bed capacity will increase after ward renovations, but he pointed out it will be within the parameters of social distancing.

The Elizabeth Estates Clinic and the South Beach Health Centre are being upgraded to strengthen their capacity for the delivery of urgent care services at the community level, Dr Minnis said.

The developments are

considered to be critical for preparing these two facilities to diagnose and manage lower severity cases requiring urgent and emergency care.

“This will lead to a reduction in the number of patients needing to go to the Emergency Department at Princess Margaret Hospital,” he explained.

Dr Minnis also acknowledged the problem of recruiting and retaining nurses in the public system. “…The recruitment, training, and retention of nurses remain a major priority for the Ministry of Health. Consequently, funding will be expended in support of the Nursing Cadet Programme for high school students; the nursing finalists who transition to registered or enrolled nurses; and the nursing grant and trained clinical nurse programmes at the University of The Bahamas.”

DOWNTOWN GETS READY TO PARTY THE government is launching “Downtown Under the Stars” next month, an event aimed at stimulating the domestic economy.

According to Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, the event, which will take place over several weeks starting in the latter half of July, is a partnership between the government and the Downtown Nassau Partnership.

Bay Street will be transformed on Friday and Saturday evenings into an

outdoor pedestrian friendly café setting featuring Bahamian, Caribbean and Jazz music, along with gourmet food trucks and beverage pavilions, he said.

The government will facilitate small loans to encourage culinary entrepreneurs and to encourage the development of innovative food truck offerings. The Downtown Nassau Partnership will collaborate with local event planners, local entertainers and

the Bahamas Culinary Association to create an event we can all be proud of, Dr Minnis said. Proper health and sanitization protocols will be enforced.

Dr Minnis said “Downtown Under the Stars” will likely become an annual event that will cater to residents and visitors alike and will assist the process of transforming downtown into a world class entertainment and culinary destination.

MINUTES after Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis addressed the House of Assembly on further COVID-19 relaxations, PLP leader Philip “Brave” Davis said the measures do not provide enough relief for the “angst” people are experiencing.

In his contribution to the House of Assembly yesterday, Dr Minnis advised Parliament about the reopening of beaches on New Providence, Grand Bahama, Bimini and Paradise Island on June 29. He also announced the countrywide curfew now starts at 10pm nightly as opposed to the 9pm time previously enforced.

Among other changes, he said spas and gyms can also reopen on July 1, while restaurants — except for those at Arawak Cay — can immediately resume indoor dining with strict protocols.

Businesses can also now close at 8pm nightly, instead of 7pm. When asked for comment on the announcements, the PLP leader said Dr Minnis’ decisions “have continually produced chaos, pain and confusion.”

He added: “I don’t know what he intends to do now or not do anything to alleviate those three things that I said continues to afflict us confusion, chaos and angst.

One hour? Well I guess any relief that persons seem to be getting from this form of seemingly oppressive measure is a relief. But, what difference does an hour make?”

The opposition leader said he has admonished the government for some time to be wise in the decision making, but he is unclear about the extension of COVID-19 emergency orders to July.

“I’ve been admonishing them to be wise in their decisions,” Mr Davis continued. “I have to understand when he says he is extending the powers to July. I have to understand what that means in the specifics. It was very general in my view as to what he intends to do.

“We need to understand what that means and how disruptive that is going to be in the lives of our people

PHILIP Davis yesterday because we cannot continue the way we are. There is just too much pain and hurt in our communities where people are screaming from the pain that’s being inflicted.”

During Parliament, Dr Minnis criticised statements made by Mr Davis during the early stages of the pandemic. To this Mr Davis explained that he just wanted to be more informed on disease.

“He (the prime minister) indicated that I formed a COVID-19 task force myself,” Mr Davis explained. “My first press statement on the matter, I spoke to how it was an over reach and how the measures were inherently conflicting.

That was my response to his first emergency order.

Mr Davis continued by giving details of a meeting with government members and health authorities on COVID-19 that seemed not to have happened again.

“We met the Monday after that and sat for an hour or two to revisit what he had done, along with his Attorney General (Carl Bethel) and with Dr DahlRegis on the phone line and from that day we have not been able to have such a session again to lend our views on it. And, he is talking about me forming a task force? I wanted to form a vehicle so I could assure myself that I had proper advice on these matters so that I could inform others.”

PAGE 6, Tuesday, June 23, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

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The confusing tiptoe back to normality RESTRICTIONS are easing again – but not by much.

An extra hour before curfew will hardly be greeted with a great cheer, while we wait until next Monday for beaches and parks to reopen, just a couple of days before we’re inviting tourists to use them.

We do wonder particularly how the conclusion was reached to shift the curfew by just an hour. We’re not sure COVID-19 is any more dangerous at 10pm than it is at 9pm. Is it a matter of dealing with crime? If so, ShotSpotter technology has shown the sound of shots tends to be heard more often earlier in the evening rather than later. Besides, as we’ve said before in this column, if it’s being used as a tool to prevent crime, then it’s blurring the use of the emergency powers.

Still, there are other ways in which the reopening is slowly edging forward. Taxi services resume on the same day the country reopens – we would think doing so in advance would help drivers get their safety measures in place, though.

Jitney drivers too can resume running, although with only half the seats filled.

Half the seats will be filled too inside restaurants – although not at Arawak

Cay. We’re not sure what the difference is between distance measures at the Mall at Marathon compared to Arawak Cay, though.

That’s the curious thing about this piecemeal process to reopening. A wedding can now have as many people as the bride and groom like – as long as everyone keeps their distance in the same way as at church services – but no more than five people are allowed to gather or exercise together on the beach.

The Bahamian people are doing their part and following the instructions as best as possible – that can be seen by the lack of cases of COVID-19 – but it’s a bit of a headscratcher as to why one activity is deemed safe while another is considered dangerous.

One thing we can agree on – we want to drive out the last of this virus, and put as many measures in place as possible to prevent its spread when visitors arrive.

Those masks we’re all wearing, that distance we all ought to be keeping, the regular handwashing – all of that can prevent catching the disease if anyone inadvertently brings it to our shores.

We all want that same goal – it’s just how we get there that sometimes seems confusing.

Hear the whole story IT appears there is a rush to judgment taking place with regard to proposals for developments in Andros.

It is early days indeed for the three proposals that have been put forward for the island – the most eyecatching being the free trade zone project put forward by US-based billionaire Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong.

Since that proposal was put forward, it has drawn opposition from the local MP, Carlton Bowleg, who complained of the “high disrespect” in brochures being put forward before consulting him. The PLP has come out against the project, saying it is not environmentally sustainable. And in today’s Tribune, the Bahamas National Trust sounds the alarm about all three proposals on the table for the island.

There is a long way to go before these proposals come close to being turned

into reality – so why not pause before judgment? Let’s see more details of each of these proposals before we dismiss them so readily. There may very well be issues that need to be tackled before any approvals, but that’s a conversation to have rather than shouting “No” at the start.

There is a process – and that process includes protections for the environment. Let’s follow it.

We wonder how many people are responding before they know the full details. Once we hear them, then if a particular scheme is inappropriate, we can always say no then, once all the details have been considered. Deciding without the full information is a sure way to make the wrong choice.

So more information, please. And a good deal more patience.

Why can’t people obey the rules on social distancing?

EDITOR, The Tribune AS A permanent resident ln the Bahamas I am reluctant to express my views, but suffice it to say I am so disappointed and frustrated with the country’s, and in particular the Government’s, reaction to the COVID 19 situation that I am compelled to put pen to paper.

I observe the COVID regulations religiously so I go out only when necessary and that is infrequently. On every occasion that I have been out I find the public’s attention to the COVID regulations disturbing and the government seems to have its head in the sand as to what is actually

going on in the community. Social distancing is either not understood or simply ignored and the wearing of face masks while being observed by many, but not all, is for the most part a joke.

Despite instructions as to proper manner of mask usage this seems to be ignored, misunderstood, or both. For example – I was in the Super Value store at the top of Mackey Street this morning.

Social distancing was not evident and the staff and some of the customers that were actually wearing a mask clearly did not know how to wear it or did not care.

On the way home I passed the government

office on Shirley Street across from Bank of The Bahamas. At a Government office the regulations were not being observed. These are not isolated instances I understand that the experiment at Arawak Cay over the weekend was another failure of COVID regulation observance.

If we wish to emulate what is happening in the US and if that is the preferred course of action then simply go ahead and open up the country because at the present absence of community participation it will not happen.

FRUSTRATED Nassau, June 18, 2020.

Columbus: Let a noble Lucayan family look him in the eye EDITOR, The Tribune AT the moment, we are disconnected from those whom we love. We are living with deep uncertainty, a future unknown.

As we tepidly peer into that forward way, we are also being forced to look at the past anew. Life is one big contradiction, opposing forces wrestle with each other constantly in a fight for supremacy. As I write this letter, I am, as are you, both living and dying. This duality, this tension is what shapes how we see and approach life.

Currently, in the public consciousness is the issue of Christopher Columbus and the statue that reigns above us from the steps of Government House. History has shown that radical events that upend the very fabric of everyday life tends to heighten the problems that already existed.

What will be the purpose of removing Christopher Columbus from the steps of State power? Will it give way to us truly addressing the broader issue of a collective sense of powerlessness that the average citizen feels?

In my opinion, the arguments being advanced to remove the statue of

the original inhabitants of The Bahamas, the Lucayans. Columbus came with a mandate to dominate and letters@tribunemedia.net to exploit the bounty of the “new world” for the enrichChristopher Columbus ment of his benefactors. miss the central point. Top- The imposition of the other pling him will not dismantle is still felt by many in this inequality and the many society today. deep-seated challenges we We need not celebrate face in this country. him. We need to look I am by no means dis- at what he did and what missing the power of occurred as a result and symbols, they do indeed weigh it. matter for they give expresThis conversation we are sion to deeper truths. now having is a fantastic The truth of Columbus opportunity for us to allow is that his story is central to our artists to tell OUR the story of The Bahamas. story and not have it told We must reframe the lan- through the eyes of another. guage and the symbols we Yes, I agree that we must use to tell this story. How- take Christopher Columever, we must not erase bus off of his pedestal. He him from our collective is not a paragon of virtue, memory. His encounter, for along the way he lost for better and for worse his moral compass. Allow changed the trajectory of him to remain on the steps the world. The clash of of Government House and the “old” and “new” was complete the story. Have explosive. Mr Christo- him to confront his deeds. pher Columbus brought Have a majestic rendition with him the tangible and of a noble Lucayan family the invisible. He brought look him in his eyes. Let with him both “progress” this be his legacy. and pestilence. The European imports of guns and NATASHA horses helped to radically TURNQUEST shape the world in which Adjunct Professor, we now live. That “proUniversity of The gress” came with a price Bahamas, and as we know, resulted Nassau. in the total eradication of June 15, 2020.

LETTERS

A fantastic statue EDITOR, The Tribune

THE Bahamas was discovered by Christopher Columbus. In 1492 Columbus sailed the Ocean blue, they had three ships: the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. After many years of trying he managed to persuade the King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castile to sponsor him to travel across the sea to what is now known as San Salvador, an island in the Bahamas where he discovered a friendly people known as Tainos.

The next island he went to (so I am told) was what we call Long Island. If you

look at some of these Long islanders you might catch a glimpse of some of these people!

In certain islands there are statues placed where Columbus may have landed such as on San Salvador and Long Island, etc. The statue in front of the steps leading to the entrance to Government House is very daring of Columbus as he probably did not wear any of the clothes he is depicted in, but nevertheless it is a great statue and I for one will stand in front of it to defend it from all comers!

The reason I am writing this is to state that in

Barcelona there is a fantastic statue of Christopher Columbus which is taller than the statue of Horatio Nelson in Trafalgar Square.

The base is quite humongous as it houses several portraits of various persons and includes the fact of his voyages. One can go into the base and check out all the facts displayed in the circumference. But the real statue is of Christopher Columbus looking West.

Such a shame that we here do not have anything that can compete!

STEPHEN KNOWLES Nassau, June, 2020.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, June 23, 2020, PAGE 7

TWO MEN PUT ON PROBATION WOMAN ADMITS ASSAULT AND AFTER CONFESSING TO FRAUD THEN PLEADS FOR LENIENCY

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

TWO men were yesterday placed on probation and ordered to repay a marketing agency which they defrauded nearly two years ago.

Tristian Rolle, 33, and Travado Taylor, 35, appeared before Magistrate Andrew Forbes, charged with possession of forged documents, uttering forged documents and fraud by means of false pretences, after they were accused of defrauding HR Business Solutions of more than $4,000 with fraudulent FirstCaribbean International Bank (FCIB) cheques between August and September 2018.

The arraignment comes after several people were charged last week for defrauding the same company of more than $40,000.

During yesterday’s court hearing, the prosecution said Rolle was found in

possession of a fraudulent FCIB cheque on September 14, 2018. It is alleged he uttered the forged document to draw $3,500, which he then made payable to himself to obtain the cash that same day.

Taylor was also accused of committing the same offences. It is alleged that he, on August 2, 2018, uttered a forged $1,200 cheque to obtain money from the same company’s account, which he also made payable to himself the same day. Both defendants pleaded guilty to the offences.

Prosecutor Lincoln McKenzie said the owner of HR Business Solutions told police she was reviewing her cheque logs on September 24, 2018 when she noticed several written cheques that she had not approved.

He said she filed an official complaint with the Financial Crime Unit and an investigation was launched. This then led to

the arrest of the defendants.

Attorney Tamara TaylorStorr, who represented both Rolle and Taylor, said her clients are both fathers and were extremely remorseful for their actions. She said they pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.

She added that both men had no previous convictions and asked Magistrate Forbes for leniency with his sentencing.

After listening to the pleas in mitigation from the defendants’ counsel, Magistrate Forbes warned them about the seriousness of their “selfish” actions, which carried a penalty of five years’ imprisonment for each offence.

“We just had Father’s Day and y’all were locked up for Father’s Day. What type of message does that say to the children?” he asked.

He told them that they needed to realise that their decisions not only affected themselves, but the Bahamian society at large.

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

A 38-YEAR-OLD woman was ordered to pay $1,300 yesterday after being charged with assault and threats of death. Ventina Turnquest, stood before Kara Turnquest-Deveaux, accused of unlawfully assaulting Sasha Dorsette and threatening her with death on June 16 while at Frank Edgecombe Estates.

Turnquest, who pleaded guilty to the offences, told the court that her actions had stemmed from an altercation with Ms Dorsette over a personal matter.

Turnquest, who said she has not been in any problems since 2016, asked Magistrate TurnquestDeveaux for leniency.

“I promised my father I wouldn’t get into any problems and I’m trying to get my life in order. I have my own house ma’am and I’m a Turnquest,” she said.

Turnquest was

subsequently ordered to pay $1,000 or spend nine months in prison for threats of death and she was also fined $300 or three months in prison for the assault charge.

Bradley Flowers, 36, also appeared before Magistrate Turnquest-Deveaux yesterday for assault related charges. It is alleged that Flowers, on June 20, assaulted a police officer at about 8am and also tried to resist arrest while in Pinewood Gardens.

Flowers pleaded not guilty to both the assault charge and resisting arrest and his matter was adjourned to September 5. He was granted a $1,500 bail with one surety.

Kendal Farquharson, 46, was accused of unlawfully assaulting Curtis Dorsette on June 19 while at Elite’s Barber and Beauty Shop.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge and the matter was adjourned to September 7 for trial.

Two other men, Lindyn

Homere, 32, and Sammero Wilson, 31, were also charged with assault.

Homere, who pleaded not guilty to assaulting Brittany Williams on June 19, was granted $1,500 bail with one surety. His matter was adjourned to September 7.

Meanwhile, Wilson was given a conditional discharge after being accused of assaulting his sister Lexi Wilson on June 20 while at Jacaranda Street on Pinewood Gardens.

According to the prosecution, at about 7.50 pm on the day in question, Wilson and his sister were involved in an altercation “when he charged at her and knocked the glass out her hand,” which resulted in her receiving a laceration in her right toe.

In response, Wilson, who said he would never hurt his sister, claimed the glass “slipped.” He was ordered to attend counselling and anger management sessions and his matter was adjourned to September 7.

PICTURED L-R: Perry Knowles, LCPOA; Michele Lodge, LCPOA; Mrs. Minnis; Philip Smith, BFN Executive Director; Salvation Army Divisional Commander Clarence Ingram, BFN Director; and Mary Braithwaite, LCPOA

RESIDENTS of Lyford Cay have pledged a $50,000 donation to the Bahamas Feeding Network. The volunteer-based programme has provided parcels for more than 9,000 families since the coronavirus pandemic caused widespread unemployment and fueled an already high hunger rate.

The Lyford Cay Property Owners Association’s (LCPOA) contribution will be paid in five equal installments of $10,000 monthly through October.

The first $10,000 was deposited in June.

“Every dollar we receive goes directly to food, whether it is in the parcels we are distributing or food coupons, but the timing of this donation was especially important given the Prime Minister’s (recent) announcement,” said Philip Smith, BFN executive director.

Mr Smith was referring to the announcement by Prime Minister Hubert Minnis that the government

was budgeting some $16 million to the Food Security Task Force with major programmes funded by it required to contribute to assisting the task force as well.

“Thanks to the Lyford Cay Property Owners Association, the Bahamas Feeding Network will be better able to meet our obligation to the Food Security Task Force, demonstrating our ability to raise funds from private donors rather than being totally dependent on government,” Mr Smith said.

The LCPOA said it was impressed and touched by the work of the Bahamas Feeding Network. “The residents of Lyford Cay want to thank the Bahamas Feeding Network for its support of the most needy people of this beautiful country we call home,” the residents’ association said in a statement. “We have donated $50,000 to this worthy organisation to help in their efforts and hope that this will inspire others to contribute as best they can.”

DUMPING OF DERELICT VEHICLES CAUSING CONCERN

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THE illegal and improper dumping of derelict vehicles, particularly in Freeport following the passing of Hurricane Dorian, is causing concern for city officials who have now identified a designated plot of land for their disposal.

The Grand Bahama Port Authority Limited, which manages the Freeport area, has secured land in the civic industrial area for storage of derelict vehicles until the borders are reopened to transport them to US for crushing.

In the meantime, GBPA officials are calling for “illegal automotive operators” to stop their improper disposal of derelict vehicles in areas not zoned for dumping.

“We want to send a clarion call to illegal operators to cease and desist,” warned Nakira Wilchcombe, director of building and development services and chairperson of the GBPA’s Keep Grand Bahama Clean Committee.

According to officials, vehicles are being disposed of on verges in the civic industrial/commercial area, and in residential areas, such as Queen’s Cove.

Last September, thousands of vehicles were destroyed as a result of

flooding during Hurricane Dorian. Disposal of those vehicles has been a huge challenge, with the lack of a proper disposal facility on the island and due to the closing of borders since the COVID-19 shutdown, officials reported.

In a statement issued, GBPA said it is partnering with the Royal Bahamas Police Force and Department of Environmental Health “to bring resolve to the dangerous and unsightly problem of dumping derelict vehicles in and around residential and commercial areas and on verges.”

The company noted that since the storm many vehicles still remain on private property or in public areas on verges, and that some residents have hired tow truck drivers to remove and discard their vehicles.

“Disposal of the vehicles presents a challenge as, to date, residents have not had a facility for them, and the borders of the country have been closed during the emergency order. In addition, licensees in this category of service are few,” it said.

GBPA President Ian Rolle said: “To bring immediate resolve to this matter, we have identified and designated a plot of land to store vehicles.”

Troy McIntosh, deputy director of building and development services,

said company representatives were able to secure “appropriate space” in the civic industrial area to “safely store derelict vehicles from around the island.”

“We will be working with licensed automotive tow truck companies to

arrange the coordinated delivery on behalf of the owners. The vehicles will be stored at the site until such time as the island’s borders open to allow their transport to a facility in the United States for crushing,” he said.

Mrs Wilchcombe

reported that they have received numerous complaints from residents in Freeport about the improper discarding of vehicles at illegal automotive operations in residential areas. She urged people in this category to come into compliance and

obtain a license to conduct business in an area zoned for this type of operation.

“Our customer relations team and commercial department can guide interested persons with setting up proper operations, among other things,” she said.

PAGE 8, Tuesday, June 23, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Boston Blackie’s final count

HE IS A BAHAMIAN ICON - A UNIQUELY GIFTED BAHAMIAN ATHLETE - ALVIN SARGENT LEONARD Joseph ‘Boston Blackie’ Miller spent his last Father’s Day on Earth, this Sunday past.

His life and legacy is one of a nation builder in athletics in The Bahamas, and mentor to many.

As he was writing the final chapter of his life, I was busy learning his story, speaking to his family and friends in order to write this feature in his honour. His story, like so many of the great leaders of our country who are falling one by one, must be recorded for the sake of a youth who will need the knowledge of their past to guide their way toward a great future.

I started working on Boston Blackie’s story weeks ago, but something kept holding it back like a Divine intervention. One thing after the other affected its publication. But today, as his name is brought up with affection and sympathy as love pours into his family on the event of his death, they will have this testament to be proud of.

Boston Blackie was born on July 20, 1937, on East St behind The Pelican Bar, to Marie Armbrister; he was raised by his aunt. He was a young boy when his athletic prowess was first discovered. By the time he was 12-years-old he had already become the junior champion in boxing in the country.

Matches were regularly held during his era at places like the Silver Slipper, Zanzibar and The Nassau Stadium where large crowds gathered to witness the sport.

As Leonard grew in age, he moved up the ranks and divisions in boxing. By the time he was 23, he had already claimed the heavyweight championship title of The Bahamas. Boston said that the defending champion, Cleveland “KO” Paris would not defend his championship by taking him on in another fight.

At age 25, Boston held both the light heavyweight and middleweight titles

after a series of events held at the Stadium on Wulff Road, The Oakes Field Hanger, and Zanzibar.

The 1960s were fantastic years for Boston in the sport of boxing. He enjoyed the status of heavyweight champion and he gained experience fighting against competitors from around the Caribbean as well as from America. He won against Joe Moss of Miami in April of 1966, and won again in June against Sanford Harris of Jamaica in a Freeport event.

Boston enjoyed a career in boxing that spanned nearly three decades, took him around the region and won him the adoration of scores of fans along the way. By the time he was 40-years-old, he had defended the West Indies Heavyweight Championship title once again. He did that in a knockout performance against Sherwin Johnson at AF Adderley Gym. He did it with flair and his famous ‘bolo’ punch that caught many of his competitors by surprise.

For some, that would be the end of the story. But not for a consummate athlete like Boston Blackie.

This rising star was cutting out a path in cycling during the same time that he was keeping in top shape and form for boxing. His cycling career erupted with great fanfare in 1956 when he raced to a dead heat with defending champion, Leviticus “Romeo” Farrington.

He continued his trek to stardom by racing to top place finishes over the next decade, according to a Ministry of Finance tribute. He continued his domination in the 1960s and 1970s, representing The Bahamas at

the West Indies Goodwill Championships in 1965 when he nearly equalled the performance of fellow competitor Roger Gibbon, a British Commonwealth Champion. He also competed at the World Cycling Championships in 1970 in London, England.

In 1974 he returned to the World Championships in Kingston, Jamaica. There he was aided by team mates Nathaniel Munroe and Derek Bethel.

He did all of that before 1977 when he retired from active boxing. His charisma, agility and strength, combined with an enigmatic personality, made people want to see this athlete in action. This inner city legend then made it a point to immediately start to pass on his skills and passion to the next generation.

He remained active in sports and was known to have an effervescent energy that he rubbed onto his students. For many years, he coached at Government High and CC Sweeting High schools and played a pivotal role in the students’ ability to dominate in sports in national events.

Some under his tutelage have gone on to become world class athletes. He gave unselfishly in service to many Bahamian Olympic teams as a coach and medical trainer. Throughout his life, he has travelled to almost every continent as an athlete, coach, or support staff for his country.

“Boston Blackie is a Bahamian icon – a uniquely gifted Bahamian athlete,” says Alvin Sargent, former president of the Amateur Boxing Association, the Boxing Federation and the Boxing Commission. “His

ABOVE and left: National Sports Hall of Fame alumni Leonard Joseph “Boston Blackie” Miller during his career; right, with his granddaughter, Minerva

THE BAHAMAS Olympic Commission’s Women in Sports honoured him in December last year.

He was at his wife’s funeral at the time life was totally dedicated in all aspects of boxing. He believed in mentoring and teaching young men to be the best they could be. At one point, he established a youth boxing club at the Simpson Penn School for Boys. Boston was among the first Bahamians qualified as an international referee judge. That was in 1982… along with Basil Hanna, Terry Goldsmith and myself. He was the national coach for many years and traveled extensively to a number of boxing tournaments around the world. In 1977 when Fred Stirrup decided to resign as president, Boston was instrumental in ensuring I was elected as president.

He mentored and encouraged me.

“Boston had training sessions at Jumbey Village, Zanzibar, Bird Land on Montrose avenue, and at the Nassau Stadium. I was his protégé, as well as Freddie Major lightweight champion of the Bahamas; Sammie Whymms, the welterweight contender; Stephen Larramore, the Commonwealth champion; Ernie Barr; Marvin Smith; Darold Dorsett, and Wellington Miller.”

It was Wellington Miller who had been trying to pay his dear friend Boston a visit so that he could video chat with me, but COVID19 has changed the way we do so many things. Boston was 83-years-old, and was suffering from ailing health; therefore it was better for him to not have visitors.

The last time I saw Boston Blackie was in 2013 when then-Member of Parliament for Carmichael Daniel Johnson opened a community centre. It included a boxing programme and that summer, Boston Blackie would spend one of his last summers giving his all to the kids. I remember him being a hilarious person, filled with life and someone the kids took to readily even at his age.

Fred Stirrup and

BOSTON Blackie dazzled crowds with his boxing style for three decades Wellington Miller went from his students to his lifetime friends and they learned so much from him in the process.

Wellington shared fond memories: “A team of boxers had trained hard, and had qualified to travel to compete in the Pan Am Games. The Olympic Association told them, they didn’t have the money.

Boston called me and told me to pick him up 8am.

I picked him up, and he told me to take him to the insurance company. Boston actually cashed in his life insurance so that team of boxers could go off. He said, ‘the boxers have to go!’ I have never seen or heard of anyone doing anything like that ever again.

He has given of himself so many times - his time, his money, his home. These boxers came from Cat Island, and Boston would cook and take them food every single day. Boston has literally built sports in the Bahamas. When it comes to sports, there is no one who could outshine Leonard Boston Blackie Miller.”

His light shone until the age of 83, passing quietly at the Princess Margaret hospital. He and Minerva lived with their daughter Maria prior to their deaths His granddaughter Minerva called me right away to share the news. She was overcome with emotion and

she let me know that the family was taking it hard at the time. He meant so much to them and she is calling for the government and the public to do more to honour her grandfather.

While giving so much of himself to sports and to the kids, he didn’t neglect his family. He lived fully with the love of his life, wife of 59 years, Minerva Miller (nee Moss). She died on November 25, 2019 at the age of 84. Their living children are Maria Miller, Latoya Stuart, Theresa Williams, Flossie Cooper and Charles Miller. They were predeceased by their children Leonard Miller Jr and Mavis Bodie, and one deceased grandson, First Officer Frahkan Cooper, a pilot.

Boston’s dear friend, Sam “Marathon Man” Williams called me consistently to make sure that his legacy could be captured in my column. He wanted Bahamians, and the world to know about someone who was a husband, father and friend to many – the epitome of a man who deserves to receive his flowers on Father’s Day. His nickname Boston Blackie is tried and true.

As the popular sitcom of the late early 1900s, Boston Blackie states, he was “an enemy to those who make him an enemy, and a friend to those who have no friend”.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, June 23, 2020, PAGE 9

MERGER SHOULD NOT AFFECT UK’S CONTRIBUTION

THE major announcement by the British Prime Minister last week of the merger of the UK government’s Department for International Development (DFID) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has been received with praise and criticism in almost equal measure.

Mr Johnson said this merger would unite diplomacy and development, bringing together Britain’s international effort in a new super-department called the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office. It will be an opportunity for the UK to have a greater impact on the world stage as the country recovers from the coronavirus pandemic and to place it

PM Boris Johnson in a stronger position as it holds the presidency of the G7 next year and also hosts a major UN climate change conference.

Aid will be given prominence in the country’s new ambitious international policy and spending on it will now be in line with Britain’s priorities overseas.

The

Peter Young column LAST week in this column, I covered the issue of criminal vandalism of statues and monuments in Britain and stressed the need for the police to enforce law and order. I return to the subject today because of a more recent development that, in the view of many, has reached a new low of craven submission by authority.

The governing body of Oriel College, Oxford has voted to remove a small statue of the 19th century diamond magnate Cecil Rhodes, who attended the college and has been its major benefactor, from the entrance to its building in the centre of the city.

Many regard that as an act of cowardice by those concerned who have been intimidated by a vociferous mob demanding the statue should be torn down. The college authorities have rolled over to appease the mob by agreeing to obliterate history to satisfy the feelings of an unrepresentative minority – and this in a place of learning that is supposed to teach the importance of logic and rational argument.

First, however, a brief look at the background.

People wonder how demonstrations about racial injustice and discrimination against minorities in Britain - in the wake of the killing of an unarmed African-American by the police in far-off Minnesota - can have turned in to controversy about vandalised statues, the nation’s imperial past and its involvement in the slave trade. How is it, they say, that within the space of a month these demonstrations have been taken over by political activists and seem to have become an assault on society as a whole.

Justifiable as the original protests were, they have escalated, through the organisation Black Lives Matter (BLM), in to demands for the toppling of statues across the country – including, to name just a few, those of such notables as former prime ministers Winston Churchill and

William Gladstone, Clive of India outside the Foreign Office, Francis Drake who defeated the Spanish Armada, Robert Peel who established London’s police force and Horatio Nelson, the nation’s most famous admiral whose column towers over Trafalgar Square in central London.

As for Cecil Rhodes, it is interesting that some four years ago Oriel’s own students voted to keep his statue in place. He made a lot of money and was a generous benefactor, though no saint. He was clearly an aggressive empire-builder in acquiring land for his mining operations both in the Cape Colony of South Africa – of which he was prime minister for six years - and later in Rhodesia, the territory that carried his name. But historians say his declared motto was equal voting rights for all, white and black alike, subject to being able to write one’s name and having property or a job. Moreover, when he established the Rhodes Scholarships in his will, he stipulated that no student should be qualified or disqualified on account of race. To link him to apartheid is patently absurd since he died in 1902 and that evil regime was not imposed in South Africa until 1948.

Overall, it is surely unrealistic to apply a sort of retrospective morality to someone who lived 150 years ago, but the protesters have little interest in such arguments because they claim they are offended by people like him and that, in order to build a more diverse and inclusive future, the country has to get rid of symbols like Cecil Rhodes.

Throughout Britain, there are statues of politicians, generals, admirals, merchants, artists, philanthropists and others which are now under threat – and, perhaps most sinister of all, is the establishment by the Mayor of London of a ‘Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm’ to review all the capital’s landmarks for their socalled politically correct

The nation will continue to be a leader in the international development community and will stick to its commitment to spend 0.7 percent of its GNI (Gross National Income) on overseas development, a target that has been enshrined in UK law. However, with a contraction of the UK economy following the coronavirus meltdown, a reduction of the aid budget may follow.

In typically robust and colourful language, Mr Johnson commented separately that for too long UK overseas aid had been treated like a giant cashpoint in the sky that arrives without any real reference to the country’s interests and that large

sums of taxpayers’ money should not be spent in this way without greater accountability.

Since DFID was created more than 20 years ago with the aim of alleviating poverty and promoting sustainable development, Conservatives have wanted it to be reabsorbed into the Foreign Office - and many consider this is timely when Britain is reshaping its role on the global stage post-Brexit.

Nonetheless, critics have accused the government of jeopardising Britain’s global standing because DFID was seen as the world’s leading aid agency and enhanced the nation’s reputation accordingly.

Predictably, NGOs (non-governmental

organisations) like ‘Oxfam’ and ‘Save the Children’, which receive significant funding from DFID, have reacted with horror saying the merger is a brazen challenge to the aid sector.

Many believe bilateral developmental aid should be linked to foreign policy strategic objectives and priorities since it makes no sense to be spending taxpayers’ money without considering what Britain is trying to achieve overall in relation to the recipient country. But bilateral aid is, of course, separate from the UK’s contribution to multilateral bodies like the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation

and Development (OECD) whose aims are to eradicate poverty and to improve the global economy.

I imagine the merger will not affect Britain’s contributions to multilateral organisations, nor to her emergency aid in response to disasters which is so important on the world stage. One has only to look at Britain’s impressive response here in The Bahamas in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian in September last year orchestrated so effectively by new High Commissioner Sarah Dickson - to appreciate the value of such humanitarian assistance to countries in distress, particularly fellow members of the Commonwealth.

Removing reminders of a country’s past will do nothing to address genuine social injustice A STATUE of Cecil Rhodes stands mounted on the facade of Oriel College in Oxford, England,

acceptability. But the big question is who will sit on such a commission and what criteria will it use?

Where does this collective madness end? For example, what about royal statues and war memorials?

Will there be calls to tear those down as well? Even the Rugby Football Union is considering stopping the traditional singing of ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’ at Twickenham because of its connection with slavery.

Then, what about books, plays, paintings and journals that are deemed not to be politically correct?

Already, the classic film ‘Gone with the Wind’ has been dropped because of its racial overtones and Rudyard Kipling’s ‘Jungle Book’ is said to be under threat.

The staid and traditional Bank of England is removing the portraits of 11 former governors who were said to have profited from slavery. Other British banks were also involved in financing the slave trade as were major companies of the period. But nobody mentions that it was Britain herself who outlawed the Atlantic slave trade at the start of the 19th century and used the Royal Navy to stop it.

As a result of all this, some are now saying Britain is teetering almost on the brink of a cultural revolution - shades of China in the 1960s and ISIS’s destruction of relics of the past in the Middle East.

BLM UK claims to be campaigning against systemic racism that still exists

in parts of British society, with ethnic minorities affected by economic and social inequality. But it is clearly not the case that the nation is dominated by bigotry and race hatred.

Thus, many people consider claims of oppression and exploitation in order to justify a wave of cultural vandalism are unwarranted – and, in the words of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, it is better to stop focusing on the symbols of racism and discrimination and to look instead at the wider situation in order to improve it. But BLM’s GoFundMe webpage reveals that it has a far-Left agenda with other goals besides lobbying against racism – for example, among others, being committed to dismantling capitalism, abolishing the

police and closing prisons.

So it appears to have been infiltrated by political ideologues and agitators with a more dangerous agenda.

What is now happening is against Britain’s traditions of pluralism, tolerance and freedom. The nation’s history is complex – some good and some less so with episodes of glory and shame. Generally, the majority of people are quietly proud of their country - its history and culture - and have no appetite for extremism which is the antithesis of democracy with its acceptance of dissenting opinion and the right to speak out freely and fearlessly. They do not want to destroy capitalism and the structure of society. They do not like ideological fervour and the sort of bullying fanaticism that is now playing out. However, it seems that minority activists are being allowed to set the agenda; and the supreme irony is that removing reminders of the country’s past will do nothing to address genuine social injustice that could even be made worse by today’s extremism.

I heard one young demonstrator shout out in front of a TV camera that ‘if you are not with us, you’re racist’. In other words, no debate, no reasoning and no respect for an alternative or opposing view. That about sums it all up. But why, people ask, is more not being done officially to rein in the activities of what looks to be a minority seeking to destroy society. That is a debate for another day.

DAME VERA, A FORCE FOR GOOD IN EVERY WAY IN THIS column in late March, I took the opportunity of congratulating Dame Vera Lynn on the occasion of her 103rd birthday.

Famous as the Forces’ sweetheart during the Second World War, she had become one of Britain’s best-loved singers and entertainers and was regarded as a national treasure.

Now, some three months later, the nation is in mourning after she passed away last week. The outpouring of public grief, mixed with praise and adulation, has been extraordinary but thoroughly deserved because this iconic figure had captured the hearts of the British people as a beacon of decency, kindness, compassion, love and hope. The Queen, who was said last week to be ‘very, very sad’ to learn of Dame Vera’s passing, led the tributes to her and, reportedly, sent a private letter of sympathy to her family – and, significantly, Her Majesty had quoted her most famous song “We’ll Meet Again” during the monarch’s

poignant nationwide address at the height of the coronavirus pandemic in April.

It is generally agreed that people warmed to Vera Lynn because she was seen as being genuine and caring. During the war she bravely travelled to places like Egypt, India and Burma giving outdoor concerts in war zones to the troops - the lonely boys overseas - who were encouraged and helped to keep going by the message of love and hope she gave them about returning home at some time in the future and meeting family and friends again.

She herself was quoted as saying that hope remains even in the most difficult of times.

Amid Dame Vera’s large repertoire, in addition to “We’ll Meet Again”, two other patriotic songs are especially well known -- “The White Cliffs of Dover” and “There’ll Always be an England”, together with the love song “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square”. Her music may seem

THE Queen led the tributes to Dame Vera Lynn, who has died aged 103

tame and dated to the modern ear accustomed to rock bands, but her music lived on and found new audiences, and that was evidence of her enormous success.

As I mentioned in the article in March, I was fortunate to have met Dame Vera when I was running the civilian side of the VE-Day 50th anniversary events in 1995 and I can attest at a personal level to what a wonderful person she was. At the age of 78, she played the main role in a concert to mark the occasion and gave an amazing performance, leaving many in the huge audience in tears with a mixture of joy, sadness and nostalgia but also deep gratitude and appreciation.

Among so many tributes, the Prime Minister is quoted as saying Dame Vera’s ‘charm and magical voice entranced and uplifted our country in some of our darkest hours’. She will surely be remembered as someone who was quite simply a force for good in every way.

PAGE 10, Tuesday, June 23, 2020

by LUKE MOFFETT Senior Law Lecturer in Transitional Justice and Human Rights, Queen’s University Belfast TWO major British businesses have said they will make undisclosed payments to black and minority ethnic groups to atone for their past owners’ involvement in the transatlantic slave trade. Pub group Greene King and insurance broker Lloyd’s of London have both apologised for what they respectively call “inexcusable” actions and “indefensible wrongdoing”.

This comes as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has called on countries to confront their past involvement in colonialism and slavery to make reparations for those still affected. It also follows the University of Glasgow’s announcement last year of a £20 million fund to make amends for benefiting from the transatlantic slave trade.

So what is the legal position when it comes to slavery reparations and where is corporate liability likely to go from here?

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Slavery reparations: There’s little legal basis to make companies pay for historic actions

The legal case Reparations for slavery have been demanded for centuries for African American, British Caribbean and Caribbean peoples.

In 2001, the UN Durban World Conference against Racism recommended reparations for racism, but the momentum was lost as these debates were quickly overtaken by 9/11 and the war on terror.

Since then, research has uncovered numerous individuals and companies that have benefited from slavery in the past. Besides Greene King and Lloyd’s of London, the UK banks HSBC, Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland are all known to have had similar links. In the US the list has included JP Morgan, Bank of America and the clothing retailer Brooks Brothers.

None have paid reparations, although, for example, JP Morgan set up a scholarship fund and apologised for the involvement of its predecessor

companies in slavery in 2005. A legal case seeking reparations from the bank and other insurance companies then collapsed in 2006.

The payments by Greene King and Lloyd’s of London are not reparations in the legal sense either.

In the past few decades, reparations have become a key part of international law in ensuring an effective remedy for those who

suffer violations. Reparations are intended to vindicate victims’ rights, to reaffirm their dignity as human beings, and to reproach those responsible for their wrongdoing.

Reparations are not so much about money – though money can certainly give victims new opportunities – as confronting those responsible with their wrongdoing and getting

them to recognise the value of their victims as human beings.

In the past two decades, there have been increasing reparations paid by corporations for their involvement in historic violations. These have mainly concerned the Holocaust, such as the French and Dutch train operators that transported Jews to concentration camps, Swiss banks that withheld Jewish accounts, and various German corporations, including Bayer and Volkswagen, that benefited from forced labour during the second world war Yet these successful cases occurred when survivors were still alive or there was sufficient evidence to find a responsible actor to make reparations. Time makes legal claims go stale. All the victims of the transatlantic slave trade are now long dead, so it is difficult to legally speak of a direct victim who would have standing to bring a claim. Unless new evidence emerges clearly implicating a corporation for it historically profiting from slavery, it is unlikely there will be a basis for a legal case to proceed.

There have been more general reparation claims under domestic law for colonialism, such as the Mau Mau settlement from the British government in 2013, and this year a case which resulted in compensation being awarded in Holland for the killing of Indonesian civilians under Dutch colonial rule.

But these claims were against states, which are

more permanent entities than corporations and have different international legal obligations. The 2011 UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights speak of corporations “respecting” human rights by avoiding infringing them and to “address adverse human rights impacts”.

States, on the other hand, have clear obligations to offer reparations in such situations.

Yet if the legal claim against corporations is quite weak, many may still be seen as morally or politically obliged to consider making amends.

What reparations require Reparations can be framed in other ways if legal avenues are closed.

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has for years been calling for collective and moral reparations from the European former colonial powers for the continuing harm felt by its 15 member states from the transatlantic slave trade, colonialism and indigenous genocide.

The group’s ten-point plan focuses on collective measures in the form of an apology, repatriations to Africa, educational and research opportunities to rebuild cultural institutions, psychological rehabilitation, and debt cancellation.

However, no European power has made any efforts to meet the demands – including the UK, which refuses to apologise.

At the same time, the “reparations” announced

by Lloyd’s and Greene

King do not perfectly correspond to victim-centred reparations as understood under international human rights law. There is a risk that just paying money and apologising for past wrongdoing can absolve oneself from the past. Such payments risk being seen as a self-serving public-relations exercise rather than a genuine attempt to atone and prevent the wrongs from happening again.

Instead, a key legal requirement of international reparations is to ensure that the victims participate, so that compensation can be as effective as possible and not simply charity. This is also to avoid replicating power dynamics of benefactor and beneficiary, so that the victims are treated as rights-holders with agency.

How far can such claims making over the past go?

Perhaps in dealing with slavery and its pervading effects today we need to revisit the 2001 Durban conference findings. This would involve having a broader conversation about the continuing consequences of historical injustice, and how we can identify and remedy the continuing effects.

Reparations cannot provide a complete solution. No amount of money, memorial or apology can fully remedy the past.

Nonetheless, they are a way of acknowledging wrongdoing and victimhood, while seeking justice and social transformation so that such violations do not recur. theconversation.com

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Tuesday, June 23, 2020, PAGE 11

SEATTLE WILL MOVE TO DISMANTLE ‘OCCUPIED’ PROTEST ZONE SEATTLE Associated Press

racial inequity and police brutality. She said the city is working with the community to bring the “Capitol Hill Occupied Protest” zone to an end.

“The cumulative impacts of the gatherings and protests and the nighttime atmosphere and violence has led to increasingly difficult circumstances for our businesses and residents,” Durkan said. “The impacts have increased and the safety has decreased.”

A shooting ON Sunday night was the second in less than 48 hours at the edge of the zone, named for the Capitol Hill neighborhood near downtown that

FACED with growing pressure to crack down on an “occupied” protest zone following two weekend shootings, Seattle’s mayor said Monday that officials will move to wind down the blockslong span of city streets taken over two weeks ago that President Donald Trump asserted is run by “anarchists.”

Mayor Jenny Durkan said at a news conference that the violence was distracting from changes sought by thousands of peaceful protesters seeking to address

emerged during nationwide protests over the police killing of George Floyd.

The 17-year-old victim, who was shot in the arm, declined to speak with detectives, police said.

Gunfire early on Saturday left a 19-year-old man dead and another person critically wounded. It was not apparent if the shootings had anything to do with the protest.

Protesters cordoned off the several-block area, known as CHOP, near a police station after clashes with officers. Seattle riot squads unleashed tear gas, pepper spray and flash-bangs on large crowds of mostly peaceful

protesters, drawing condemnation from many city leaders and a federal court order temporarily banning the use of the weapons on demonstrators.

After police largely abandoned the East Precinct building, protesters took over the area — with demonstrators painting a large “Black Lives Matter” mural on the street, handing out free food, playing music and planting a community garden. Its existence incensed Trump, who criticised Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, both Democrats.

Peacefulness has prevailed

during the day. Yesterday, people lounged on the turf at a park, while volunteers handed out food, water and toiletries. Artists painted designs on wooden barricades, and a few candles burned in front of a sign on the police precinct listing people killed by officer.

At night, however, the atmosphere becomes more charged, with demonstrators marching and openly armed volunteer guards keeping watch. Among the demands are calls to shift funding for police to community health or other social justice causes.

TEAMMATES BACK WALLACE AS FBI INVESTIGATES NOOSE ALABAMA Associated Press IN AN extraordinary act of solidarity with NASCAR’s only black driver, dozens of drivers pushed the car belonging to Bubba Wallace to the front of the field before yesterday’s race as FBI agents nearby tried to find out who left a noose in his garage stall over the weekend.

The stock car series was left reeling and angered by the racist act that came less than two weeks after it banned the Confederate flag on its properties at Wallace’s urging. It has vowed to permanently bar the person responsible, but the investigation was in its early stages.

The 26-year-old Wallace was surrounded by all 39 other drivers in the moments before the race and they were joined by

their crews in a march down pit road as they pushed his No. 43 to the front of the line. Wallace climbed out of his car and wept.

It was a stirring move to support Wallace at a track in the heart of the South where flags have flown for decades and were seen outside the superspeedway all weekend long by fans opposed to NASCAR’s ban.

Standing alongside Wallace for the national anthem was Richard Petty, the 82-year-old Hall of Fame driver known as “The King.” Wallace drives for Petty, who issued a scathing rebuke after the noose was found that called for the “sick person” to be expelled from NASCAR forever – a move NASCAR President Steve Phelps insisted would happen should they be caught.

DRIVER Bubba Wallace takes a selfie with himself and other drivers that pushed his car to the front in the pits of the Talladega Superspeedway prior to the start of the NASCAR Cup Series auto race at the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama yesterday

Surging US cases raises fear progress is slipping FLORIDA Associated Press ALARMING surges in coronavirus cases across the South and West of Anerica yesterday raised fears that the outbreak is spiraling out of control and that hard-won progress against the scourge is slipping away because of resistance among many Americans to wearing masks and keeping their distance from others.

Confirming predictions that the easing of state lockdowns over the past month and a half would lead to a comeback by the virus, cases surpassed 100,000 in Florida, hospitalisations are rising dramatically in Houston and Georgia, and a startling 1 in 5 of those tested in Arizona are proving to be infected.

Over the weekend, the virus seemed to be everywhere at once: Several campaign staff members who helped set up President Donald Trump’s rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, tested positive, as did 23 Clemson University football players in South Carolina. At least 30 members of the Louisiana State

University team were isolated after becoming infected or coming into contact with someone who was.

Meatpacking plants were also hit with outbreaks.

“It is snowballing. We will most certainly see more people die as a result of this spike,” said Dr. Marc Boom, CEO and president of Houston Methodist Hospital, noting that the number of COVID-19 hospital admissions has tripled since Memorial Day to more than 1,400 across eight hospital systems in the Houston metropolitan area.

He warned that hospitals could be overwhelmed in three weeks, and he pleaded with people to cover their faces and practice social distancing. “It is possible to open up at a judicious pace and coexist with the virus, but it requires millions and millions of people to do the right thing,” Boom said.

Texas is among a number of states — including Arizona, Alabama, Florida and South Carolina — whose governors have resisted statewide mask requirements, leaving the matter to local authorities.

The number of new coronavirus cases across the country per day has reached more than 26,000, up from about 21,000 two weeks ago, according to an Associated Press analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Over 120,000 deaths in the US have been blamed on the virus, the highest toll in the world. In Georgia, the number of people hospitalised because of COVID-19 rose to 1,000, erasing a month’s worth of progress.

Infections are at their highest level since the outbreak began, nearly two months after Georgia began lifting restrictions on businesses. Gov. Brian Kemp has required face coverings by waiters, barbers and others working face-toface with customers but has largely let businesses decide whether customers must wear masks.

In Orlando, 152 coronavirus cases were linked to one bar near the University of Central Florida campus, said Dr. Raul Pino, a state health officer in the tourism city.

“A lot of transmission happened there,” Pino said. “People

are very close. People are not wearing masks. People are drinking, shouting, dancing, sweating, kissing and hugging, all the things that happen in bars. And all those things that happen are not good for COVID-19.”

Countries such as Brazil, India and Pakistan are also seeing surging cases.

Dr. Michael Ryan, the World Health Organization’s emergencies chief, said the outbreak is “definitely accelerating” in the U.S. and a number of other countries, dismissing the notion that the record-breaking daily levels of new cases simply reflect more testing.

He noted that numerous countries have seen marked increases in hospital admissions and deaths. “The epidemic is now peaking or moving towards a peak in a number of large countries,” he warned.

In the US, Arizona, in particular, is seeing disturbing trends in several benchmarks, including the percentage of tests that prove positive for the virus. Arizona’s is the highest in the nation.

TRUMP EXTENDS VISA BAN TO NON-IMMIGRANTS WASHINGTON Associated Press THE Trump administration yesterday said it was extending a ban on green cards issued outside the United States until the end of the year and adding many temporary work visas to the freeze, including those used heavily by technology companies and multinational corporations.

The administration cast the effort as a way to free up jobs in an economy reeling from the coronavirus. A senior official estimated the restrictions will free up to 525,000 jobs for Americans.

The ban, while temporary, would amount to major restructuring of legal immigration if made permanent, a goal that had eluded the administration before the pandemic.

Business groups pressed hard to limit the changes, but got little of what they wanted, marking a victory for immigration hardliners as Trump seeks to further solidify their support ahead of the November election.

HUGE CLOUD OF SAHARA DUST BLANKETS CARIBBEAN SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico Associated Press

US HONEYBEES ARE DOING BETTER Associated Press

AMERICAN honeybee colonies have bounced back after a bad year, the annual beekeeping survey finds.

Beekeepers only lost 22.2% of their colonies this past winter, from Oct. 1 to March 31, which is lower than the average of 28.6%, according to the Bee Informed Partnership’s annual survey of thousands of beekeepers. It was the second smallest winter loss in the 14 years of surveying done by several different US universities.

Last winter’s loss was considerably less than the previous winter of 2018-2019 when a record 37.7% of colonies died off, the scientists found. After that bad winter, the losses continued through the summer of 2019, when beekeepers reported a 32% loss rate.

That’s much higher than the average of 21.6% for summer losses. Those summer losses were driven more by hives of commercial beekeepers than backyard hobbyists, said bee partnership scientific coordinator Nathalie Steinhauer.

While the summer losses are bad, winter deaths are “really the test of colony health,” so the results overall are good news, Steinhauer said. “It turned out to be a very good year.”

Populations tend to be cyclical with good years following bad ones, she said. The scientists surveyed 3,377 commercial beekeepers and backyard enthusiasts in the United States.

Beekeepers in the US also may be taking more of their colonies indoors in the winter, helping them survive.

A VAST cloud of Sahara dust is blanketing the Caribbean as it heads to the US with a size and concentration that experts say hasn’t been seen in half a century.

Air quality across most of the region fell to record “hazardous” levels and experts who nicknamed the event the “Godzilla dust cloud” warned people to stay indoors and use air filters if they have one.

“This is the most significant event in the past 50 years,” said Pablo Méndez Lázaro, an environmental health specialist with the University of Puerto Rico. “Conditions are dangerous in many Caribbean islands.”

Many health specialists were concerned about those battling respiratory symptoms tied to COVID-19. Lázaro, who is working with NASA to develop an alert system for the arrival of Sahara dust, said the concentration was so high in recent days that it could even have adverse effects on healthy people.

Extremely hazy conditions and limited visibility were reported from Antigua down to Trinidad &

Tobago, with the event expected to last until late Tuesday. Some people posted pictures of themselves on social media wearing double masks to ward off the coronarivus and the dust, while others joked that the Caribbean looked like it had received a yellow filter movie treatment.

José Alamo, a meteorologist with the US National Weather Service in San Juan, Puerto Rico, said the worst days for the U.S. territory would be Monday and Tuesday as the plume travels toward the U.S. southeast coast. The main international airport in San Juan was reporting only five miles of visibility.

The mass of extremely dry and dusty air known as the Saharan Air Layer forms over the Sahara Desert and moves across the North Atlantic every three to five days from late spring to early fall, peaking in late June to mid-August, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It can occupy a roughly two-mile thick layer in the atmosphere, the agency said. Alamo said a small tropical wave headed to the Caribbean was expected to alleviate conditions by Thursday.

SPORTS

PAGE 12, Tuesday, June 23, 2020

MARCUS Davis and Crono.

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NORTH American Team Jumping Winners Youth Olympics Buenos Aires 2018.

Equestrian Bahamas takes part in a virtual Zoom discussion AGAINST the backdrop of civil unrest being played out across North America in recent weeks, questions about underlying ideals and values and systemic discrimination are being raised… not only regarding race, but also in gender and in other forms. Athletes in various sports have spoken out on this topic. Last week, Equestrian

Bahamas participated in a virtual Zoom discussion about diversity and inclusion in horse sports which was hosted by Heels Down Magazine.

The discussion featured four Black equestrians who shared their experiences as horseback riders in America, and their ideas on improving diversity and

inclusion in the sport. The panelists represented a cross-section of black participants in equestrian sport, including an amateur rider, an agricultural entrepreneur with over 15 years horse experience in reproduction and barn management, a successful trainer and activist, and a professional Grand Prix rider.

Mrs Bonnie Davis, secretarygeneral of Equestrian Bahamas, participated in the Zoom discussion and described it as “an eye-opening experience”.

One hot topic of discussion was the financial constraints which pose a major challenge for Equestrian athletes from all small island nations, particularly athletes

aiming to compete at the highest levels. These challenges can be met through stronger support at the corporate levels. During the panel discussion Davis addressed the issue of sponsorship, noting that, “Many of the large equestrian clothing companies, for example, have limited diversity… how do we change this mindset?”

PM: SPAS, GYMS AND OUTDOOR GROUP EXERCISES MAY REOPEN ON JULY 1 FROM PAGE 16 of the day for an hour or so and right after work when the gyms are pretty much packed,” he stated. “So we will have to see how the gym owners strategise their plans to accommodate the persons at those specific times.

Nonetheless, we are just grateful for the Bahamas Government for the opportunity that we are now given to get back into the gyms to train after this long time of being locked down.”

At present, there are at least seven gyms that were in operation prior to the lockdown, but Stubbs said it’s uncertain what will happen in the aftermath as

to whether or not all of them will reopen and if they do, at what expense.”

Among the list of public gyms are Ironman and J-Line Fitness Centre, both on Shirley Street, Total Fitness in the Golden Gates Shopping Centre, Fanatic-C on Prince Charles Drive, Empire Fitness Centre in the Sea Grape Shopping Centre, Max Fit in the Harbour Bay Shopping Centre and Club 1 Fitness Centre in Sandyport. There are also a number of private operations, but Stubbs said there is no regulation by the federation for the gyms which allow the public to utilise their facilities.

Stubbs said he’s grateful to the support of the gyms to enable

their bodybuilders to train and prepare for the federation’s national and international events.

“We’ve had a few zoom meetings during the lockdown to discuss our present situation,” said Stubbs about the federation’s executive plight in the aftermath of COVID-19.

“We know that the CAC (Bodybuilding Championships) has been rescheduled and is planned for November 19-22 in Bridgetown, Barbados,” Stubbs said.

“It was originally scheduled for Colombia, but they had cancelled because of the outbreak there and the lack of finances from the government.

“Hopefully all of the countries will still be able to bring s team,

whether it be small or great, to compete and display their talent.

As a region, we are working very hard on making that happen.”

On the local front, Stubbs said the federation has rescheduled its National and Novice Bodybuilding Championships to September 25-26, but it all hinges on the roll out of the Bahamas economy and the social distancing policy that will be in place.

“We don’t know if we will be able to accommodate a large mass of people in an auditorium by then or if we will have to continue to limit the amount of persons,” he said. “If we can’t allow persons to come in with their masks on and sit down and enjoy the competition, then we will probably

just go with the competitors competing in front of the judges and show it virtually on social media,” he added.

Without the support of corporate Bahamas to cover their expenses, Stubbs said they rely on the grant they receive from the government and that is expected to be slashed by about 20 per cent, which means they will have to find a way to fund their national team travel expenses.

Stubbs said there are also plans to attend one or two other international competitions, but it will also depend on the funding they can generate and whether or not they will still be staged based on the effect of COVID-19 around the world.

What Would Have Been: Red Sox-Cards and a CWS title

By STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Sports Writer MOST of the games played between the Boston Red Sox and St Louis Cardinals have been in the World Series. If not for the coronavirus pandemic, they would have been playing a regular-season series next weekend at Fenway Park.

There also would have been a College World Series title won in Omaha, Nebraska.

The Associated Press looks at some of the sporting events that had been scheduled the week of June 22-28: MLB: The Red Sox and Cardinals have met in four World Series, a total of 24 postseason games. St Louis beat the Red Sox in a seven-game series in 1946 and then 1967 when Bob Gibson’s win in the clinching game was his third that series.

Boston won its first World Series title since 1918 by sweeping the Cards in 2004, and won a six-game series in 2013. They have evenly split 16 regular-season games, the last in 2017 when the Red Sox won all four.

Nick Castellanos finished last season with the Chicago Cubs before the outfielder/ third baseman signed a $64 million, four-year deal with the Cincinnati Reds.

The Reds were scheduled to host a series against the Cubs for the second time in a three-week span.

CWS: The end of the road in Omaha with a bestof-three series to determine the NCAA baseball champion. The College World Series begins with eight teams split into two fourteam brackets playing a double-elimination format.

The two bracket winners then meet for the

BOSTON Red Sox players celebrate after defeating the St Louis Cardinals in Game 4 to win the World Series in St Louis on October 27, 2004. The Cardinals and the Red Sox would have had one of their rare regular-season series this week. They have met in four different World Series. They would have played a three-game series at Fenway Park this week if not for the coronavirus pandemic. (AP) championship series. Vanderbilt won its second title in six seasons last year by taking two-of-three from Michigan.

TRIVIA BREAK: Which school has won the most NCAA baseball titles since the College World Series went to the current best-of-three championship series format in 2003? (answer at bottom).

NBA DRAFT: The 2020 draft that was originally scheduled Thursday night in Brooklyn has been pushed to October 16.

The top two picks in last year’s NBA draft are waiting for the resumption of

the season with their teams still in playoff contention.

Zion Williamson was the No. 1 overall pick by the New Orleans Pelicans out of Duke last summer, and Ja Morant went No. 2 to the Memphis Grizzlies from Murray State.

NHL DRAFT: The last time American players were taken No. 1 overall in consecutive NHL drafts was 2006 and 2007.

Jack Hughes, an 18-yearold from Orlando who excelled in the USA Hockey National Team Development Programme, was the top pick by New Jersey in last year’s draft.

This year’s draft was scheduled Friday and Saturday in Montreal. Hughes’ rookie season is over because the Devils aren’t among the 24 teams in the NHL’s postseason plan. He had seven goals and 14 assists in 61 games.

TRIVIA ANSWER: Oregon State with three, winning the championships in 2006, 2007 and 2018. The Beavers and South Carolina (2010 and 2011) are the only teams under the current format to win consecutive titles. Vandy is the only other team with multiple championships since 2003.

CARDINALS’ Dexter Fowler (25) scores as Boston Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez is unable to catch the ball during the third inning of a baseball game in St Louis on May 16, 2017. (AP)

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Tuesday, June 23, 2020, PAGE 13

Aguero gives Man City injury scare during 5-0 win vs Burnley MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Sergio Aguero handed Manchester City a huge injury worry inside the first week of the English Premier League’s resumption by hobbling off with a right knee problem during their 5-0 thrashing of Burnley yesterday.

“It doesn’t look good,” City manager Pep Guardiola said of the injury to the club’s all-time top scorer.

“We will see tomorrow.

He felt something in his knee. He was struggling in the last month about some pain in his knee.”

The Argentina striker already appeared in discomfort after having a blocked shot midway through the first half, when he was fouled by Burnley defender Ben Mee in the area in stoppage time to earn a penalty.

Aguero stayed down, clutching his knee, and soon left the field. As he walked past Guardiola in the technical area, Aguero pointed to a region behind his right knee and the coach reacted by shaking his head. Any lengthy absence would leave City

with just one recognised striker, Gabriel Jesus, as the team looks to negotiate its way through a hectic schedule since the resumption of soccer after the coronavirus outbreak.

City has eight more league games to play before July 26 and is also in the FA Cup, which resumes at the quarterfinal stage at the weekend.

City is also still involved in the Champions League, which will restart at the last-16 stage in August.

Aguero’s injury aside, it was a good night for City against an injury-hit Burnley that was overwhelmed in every department.

Wide midfielders Riyad Mahrez and Phil Foden both scored twice, while Spanish playmaker David Silva — winding down his career at City after 10 years at Etihad Stadium — also netted.

Foden, a highly rated 20-year-old midfielder, showed why he is being tipped as the long-term replacement for Silva with a performance he described as his best for the club.

MANCHESTER City’s Sergio Aguero reacts as he lies on the pitch during the English Premier League soccer match against Burnley at Etihad Stadium yesterday.

(AP Photo/Shaun Botterill) He started the scoring in the 22nd minute with a fierce, low drive from 25 metres and completed it by forcing home a finish at the back post in the 63rd.

Mahrez, one of three players to keep his starting place from the 3-0 win over Arsenal last week, scored a superb individual goal in the 43rd and converted the penalty won by Aguero.

Leroy Sane, who has turned down two contract offers from City and could leave in the offseason, entered as a 79th-minute substitute for his first appearance of an injury-hit season.

Second-placed City’s victory ensured Liverpool cannot clinch the league title against Crystal Palace at Anfield on Wednesday.

COWBOYS’ PRESCOTT SIGNS $31M TAG, STILL TIME FOR LONGER DEAL

If Liverpool wins, the title could be sealed a day later if City loses at Chelsea.

Off the field, Burnley issued an apology and a strong condemnation of those responsible for a banner reading “White Lives Matter Burnley” being towed behind an aircraft over the stadium at the start of the game.

The aircraft circled moments after the players and coaches of both teams took a knee on the field before kickoff in support of the “Black Lives Matter” movement.

“This, in no way, represents what Burnley Football Club stands for,” the club said in a statement, “and we will work fully with the authorities to identify those responsible and issue lifetime bans.”

All players at Premier League teams have replaced their names on the back of their shirts with the words “Black Lives Matter” in support of a movement that has gained popularity worldwide since the killing of George Floyd in the United States last month.

By STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Sports Writer

DAK Prescott plans to be at training camp with the Dallas Cowboys, if and when it starts, on the richest one-year contract in franchise history.

There is also still time to work out a long-term deal for the star quarterback.

Prescott signed his $31.4 million tender under the franchise tag yesterday.

That comes just over three weeks before the July 15 deadline to agree on a longterm deal.

By signing the offer under the franchise tag, Prescott is obligated to report for all team activities or risk being fined. He didn’t participate in the club’s virtual offseason programme while unsigned.

Prescott played the final year of his rookie contract on just a $2 million salary. He was the 2016 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year while leading the Cowboys to the NFC’s top seed in the playoffs and won his first postseason game two years later.

There has never been a question of whether Prescott is the franchise quarterback in Dallas.

Owner Jerry Jones has repeatedly made that clear as the sides have spent more than a year trying to agree on a long-term contract.

Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence has the highest per-year average in Dallas history at $21 million. The two-time Pro Bowler signed a $105 million, five-year deal last year.

VIRUS-HIT DYBALA STILL DANGEROUS FOR TITLE-CHASING JUVENTUS

By ANDREW DAMPF AP Sports Writer ROME (AP) — Paulo Dybala remains as dangerous as ever despite nearly 50 days with the coronavirus.

Cristiano Ronaldo had already given Juventus an early advantage by converting a penalty when Dybala doubled the lead with a splendid, curving effort in a 2-0 win at Bologna in the Serie A restart for both clubs yesterday.

Resuming its chase for a recordextending ninth straight Italian league title, Juventus moved four

points clear of Lazio, which visits Atalanta on Wednesday.

It was a welcome complete performance for Juventus after being held scoreless over two Italian Cup matches and losing the final to Napoli last week — when Dybala’s saved kick in the penalty shootout proved key.

“It was essential to win,” Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci said.

“It was tough to restart after so long. Those two matches were underwhelming. This is the right path. We need to have the desire to bring home the result at any cost.”

Dybala was isolated for 46 days starting in March when he continued to test positive for the virus week after week -- even though he was reportedly without symptoms.

Dybala’s girlfriend also tested positive.

“To tell you the truth, I didn’t really feel that great today,” Dybala said. “But I’m happy that I played a great match. During the time when I was idle I tried to stay in form by eating nutritiously.”

Ronaldo, meanwhile, continued to struggle from missed chances.

Matthijs de Ligt earned the penalty that Ronaldo converted then

also started the play that led to Dybala’s goal, which was set up by a backheel pass from Federico Bernardeschi.

From just beyond the area, Dybala bent in a left-footed shot inside the left post.

After the break, Bernardeschi hit the post from the edge of the area and Ronaldo was unable to finish on the follow up.

Dybala also had another chance with his right foot but just missed the target. Juventus finished with 10 men when second-half substitute Danilo picked up his second yellow card.

MLB PLANS 60-GAME SLATE, SHORTEST SINCE 1878 AS UNION BALKS

By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball plans to unilaterally issue a 60-game schedule for its shortest season since 1878 after the players’ association rejected a negotiated deal of the same length, putting the sport on track for a combative and possibly unhappy return to the field amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Six days after baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and union head Tony Clark negotiated to expand the playoffs from 10 teams to 16, widen use of the designated hitter to National League games and introduce an experiment to start extra innings with a runner on second base, the deal was rejected by the Major League Baseball Players Association’s executive board in a 33-5 vote.

“Needless to say, we are disappointed by this development,” MLB said in a statement. “The framework provided an opportunity for MLB and its players to work together to confront the difficulties and challenges presented by the pandemic. It gave our fans the chance to see an exciting new postseason format.

And, it offered players significant benefits.”

MLB’s control owners approved going unilaterally with the 60-game schedule if the final arrangements can be put in place, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement was made.

MLB asked the union to respond by 5pm EDT today as to whether players can report to training and whether the players’ association will agree on the operating manual of health and safety protocols.

The schedule would be the shortest since the National League’s third season.

The union announced its rejection, and the vote total was confirmed by a person

familiar with that meeting who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the balloting was not made public. The decision likely will provoke what figures to be lengthy and costly litigation over the impact of the coronavirus on the sport, similar to the collusion cases that sent baseball spiraling to a a spring training lockout in 1990 and a 7 1/2-month strike in 1994-95 that wiped out the World Series for the first time in nine decades.

It also eliminates a $25 million postseason players’ pool, meaning players will not get paid anything above meal money during the playoffs and World Series, and $33 million in advance salary that would have been forgiven for 769 players at the bottom of the salary scale with lower rates of pay while in the minors.

“It’s absolute death for this industry to keep acting as it has been. Both sides,” Cincinnati pitcher Trevor Bauer tweeted in a rare instance of a player criticising the union. “We’re driving the bus straight off a cliff. How is this good for anyone involved? Covid 19 already presented a lose lose lose situation and we’ve somehow found a way to make it worse.

Incredible.”

The union said in a statement that the “board reaffirmed the players’ eagerness to return to work as soon and as safely as possible.”

“To that end we anticipate finalising a comprehensive set of health and safety protocols with Major League Baseball in the coming days, and we await word from the league on the resumption of spring training camps and a proposed 2020 schedule,” the union said.

With the collapse of a negotiated deal, playoffs are set to remain at 10 teams rather than expand to 16. The framework had included the expanded playoffs for both 2020 and 2021, and Manfred offered to drop its inclusion in the

second season if players feared it would decrease their future leverage.

Spring training was suspended on March 12, two weeks ahead of scheduled openers, and the sides have reverted to the familiar financial infighting that fractured the sport in the past. An initial deal March 26 called for players to receive prorated salaries and gave Manfred power to set the schedule, but that agreement did not require MLB to play in empty ballparks.

Players refused to alter from their insistence on prorated salaries, and MLB finally agreed last week during the one-on-one meeting between Manfred and Clark. While Manfred called it framework for an agreement, Clark said it was merely a proposal and further angered MLB. At that point, the sides remained about $275 million apart after weeks of talks. MLB offered 60 games and $1.48 billion from salaries that originally totaled $4 billion, plus a $25 million postseason players’ pool. The union wanted 70 games and $1.73 billion plus a $50 million pool.

Players are expected to file a grievance, claiming MLB violated a provision in the March agreement requiring both sides to “work in good faith to as soon as is practicable commence play, and complete the fullest 2020 championship season and postseason that is economically feasible” consistent with several provisions. MLB is expected to file a grievance accusing the union of negotiating in bad faith.

Arbitrator Mark Irvings would hear the case. If the union proves more games had been feasible, each game on the schedule would be worth $25 million in salary across the 30 teams.

All the while, the coronavirus upended plans of many clubs to resume training at their Florida facilities due to a rise in virus cases

in the state. Twenty-nine teams intend to work out in their regular-season ballparks, with Toronto awaiting additional talks with the Canadian federal and Ontario provincial governments.

More bickering and turmoil lies ahead. Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement expires on Dec. 1, 2021, and the virus damaged the already deteriorated relationship and became just another of the financial issues that point toward a spring training lockout ahead of the 2022 season.

“If there’s going to be a fight the time for that fight is after the ‘21 season when

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a new CBA is negotiated. 5 years of potential change,” Bauer tweeted. “We’re doing irreparable damage to our industry right now over rules that last AT MOST 16 months.”

This dispute has played out following five straight years of relatively flat salaries, a failed grievance alleging the Chicago Cubs manipulated the service time of Kris Bryant to delay the free agency of the star third baseman and accusations some teams did not use revenue sharing money as the labor contract specified, part of the union’s claim teams are “tanking.”

MLB says clubs have the right to determine when

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prospects are ready for the majors and also are free to lower major league payrolls for rebuilding.

Further, the failed negotiations sparked criticism of Clark and chief negotiator Bruce Meyer by agents, though there is no evidence yet that the displeasure has extended to players.

Until now, the latest openers have been was May 1 during five seasons in the 1800s, according to Elias Sports, but since 1900 it had been April 25 following the end of the 1994-95 strike.

Players interrupted the 1981 season with a strike that started June 12, and the second half of a split season started on Aug. 10.

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PAGE 14, Tuesday, June 23, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Wizards GM to AP: Bertans to sit out restart of NBA season

By HOWARD FENDRICH AND TIM REYNOLDS AP Sports Writers WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Wizards forward Davis Bertans will skip the Disney-based resumption of the NBA season, making him the first known example of a healthy, eligible player sitting out.

Bertans can become an unrestricted free agent this offseason and is expected to command a big contract as one of the league’s top 3-point shooters.

Washington general manager Tommy Sheppard told The Associated Press on Monday that Bertans had informed the team of his decision. The Wizards are allowed to sign a replacement player for Bertans as early as Tuesday, and Sheppard said

the club “will look at it closely.”

Bertans’ plan to miss the remaining games was first reported by ESPN. In his first season with Washington after being acquired from the San Antonio Spurs as part of a three-team deal in July 2019, the 6-foot-10, 225pound forward from Latvia was averaging 3.7 made 3s per game, tied for fourth in the NBA when play was suspended because of the coronavirus outbreak. He was shooting 42.4 per cent from beyond the arc.

His 200 total 3s in 201920 rank seventh in the NBA and — in just 54 games — put him 23 from tying Bradley Beal’s Wizards franchise record for makes in a season.

The 27-year-old was averaging 15.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists as a reserve for Washington

WASHINGTON Wizards forward Davis Bertans (42) reacts during the first half against the Utah Jazz on January 12 in Washington.

(AP Photo/Nick Wass) when the season was halted in March.

The league intends to resume its season in late July with 22 of 30 teams playing eight games apiece in a “bubble” set up at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports complex near Orlando, Florida, before the playoffs begin there in mid-August.

Bertans is in the second season of a $14.5 million, two-year contract he signed when he was with the Spurs, and based on his $7 million salary this season he would be forfeiting around $600,000 in gross salary for the eight games that he definitely would be missing.

If the Wizards were to reach the playoffs, the total lost salary could rise to as much as approximately $900,000, depending on how many games Washington plays.

Bertans would be classified as an “excused player,”

which means he forfeits salary but is not subject to any disciplinary action from the league for choosing not to play.

The National Basketball Players Association and the NBA have been in agreement for some time that any player who does not feel safe being part of the restart would not have to participate.

The Wizards are 24-40 and in ninth place in the Eastern Conference.

That puts them 5½ games behind the Orlando Magic, who currently hold the eighth and final playoff spot in the East.

But the NBA’s format for the restart of the season gives Washington some more playoff hope, because it only will need to shave 1½ games off that gap to reach a play-in series that will determine the No. 8 seed in the East.

Convictions of FIFA officials upheld by US appeals court

By RONALD BLUM AP Sports Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The criminal convictions of former soccer officials Juan Ángel Napout and José Maria Marin were upheld yesterday in a 3-0 decision by the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals.

The pair were among the group arrested in 2015 at FIFA meetings in Zurich. US prosecutors alleged bribes were received in exchange for awarding media rights to the Copa América, Copa Libertadores and Copa do Brasil tournaments along with World Cup qualifiers.

“Appellants principally contend that their convictions for conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud were based upon impermissible extraterritorial applications of the wire fraud conspiracy statute,” Judge Robert D Sack wrote.

“US wires provided a — or the — key means of paying those bribes,” Sack wrote. “In other

words, in the relatively straightforward quid pro quo transactions underlying these schemes, the quid was provided through the use of US wires.”

Sack was joined by Judges Peter W Hall and Joseph F Bianco.

Napout was convicted on December 22, 2017, of one count of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of wire fraud conspiracy, and he was taken into custody that day. He was sentenced to nine years the following August 29 and the 62-year-old is being held at the low-security Federal Correctional Institution in Miami.

Napout was president of the South American governing body CONMEBOL from August 2014 until December 2015, president of the Paraguayan Football Association from 2007-14 and a member of FIFA’s executive committee.

Sack detailed the trail of money through the marketing company Full Play Group SA.

“Napout was often bribed with American banknotes from US bank accounts that had been wired to a cambista (money changer) in Argentina, delivered to Full Play’s safety deposit box, and then given to Napout by hand,” he wrote.

“Napout was also bribed with luxury items including, for example, concert tickets and the use of a vacation house, which, wherever located, were paid for with money wired from a US bank account.”

Marin was convicted of three counts of wire fraud conspiracy, two counts of money laundering conspiracy and one count of racketeering conspiracy, charges related to the Copa America, Copa Libertadores and Copa do Brazil.

He was sentenced to four years in prison in August 2018 and left the Allenwood Low Federal Correctional Institution in Pennsylvania on April 2, three days after his request for compassionate release was granted by US District

Judge Pamela K Chen. Marin turned 88 on May 6. “We are of course disappointed with the outcome,” Marin’s lawyer, Charles A Stillman, wrote in an email to The Associated Press. “However, while awaiting this decision our client was granted compassionate release for which he is grateful.”

Marin and Napout could ask for a rehearing by the panel or by all 13 active judges of the circuit, or could file for a US Supreme Court review.

“This case was an unprecedented expansion of US law enforcement into entirely foreign private employment relationships,” Marc A Weinstein, a lawyer for Napout, wrote in an email to the AP. “Congress has never indicated an intent to reach so far, and neither the government nor the court has identified a single instance of such an expansive reach of US law. We are analysing the lengthy opinion and are considering all options.”

KOBE BRYANT HIGH SCHOOL FOOTAGE TO BE AUCTIONED ON JULY 23 LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kobe Bryant’s time in high school will be showcased when about 22 hours of footage of the late basketball star playing games and giving interviews will be sold on July 23 by the auction house Profiles in History.

The footage is from the media library of Stu Ross, who produced “High School Sports Show,” a syndicated weekly television series seen in 35 cities.

About 60 per cent of the Bryant footage is of games involving the Lower Merion Aces from the Philadephia suburbs.

Ross’ library includes 130 hours and more than 700 athletes, including LeBron James, Tom Brady, Michael Phelps, Ryan Braun, Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal. The footage will be sold in one lot, and the auction house estimates the price will be $250,000 to $350,000.

Bryant, a five-time NBA champion and 18-time AllStar, died in a helicopter crash on January 26. He was 41. The auction will take place at Profiles in History in Calabasas, outside Los Angeles.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, June 23, 2020, PAGE 15

New sponsorship categories could help Olympic federations

By JAY COHEN AP Sports Writer CHICAGO (AP) — Elk Grove Village is holding its own version of “The Bachelor.” It has a nice green rose with five zeroes behind it.

Now it’s looking for the right partner.

With Olympic leaders concerned about funding heading into the Tokyo Games, Elk Grove is looking to sponsor a US federation in another bid to generate exposure for the Chicago suburb after attracting some lucrative attention for its partnership with college football’s Bahamas Bowl.

“We’re the bachelor and we’re going out to the bachelorettes, or we’re the bachelorette going out to the bachelors,” Mayor Craig Johnson said.

While Elk Grove is looking to have a little fun with the project — it’s asking for potential suitors to send in videos it plans to post

online and show on its TV station — the Olympic movement also could benefit from a blueprint for more creative advertising and marketing deals.

The Tokyo Games were pushed back to 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic, and the next Winter Olympics begin about six months later in Beijing — creating a challenging situation for some national governing bodies of summer and winter federations.

The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee announced last month it was eliminating 51 positions and furloughing 33 more as part of a dramatic cut in staffing designed to trim up to 20 per cent of its budget.

“Traditionally for an NGB or a sports team, there’s a set amount of categories or, you know, kind of more standard categories of companies that would spend,” said Dan Migala, the co-founder of 4FRONT,

THE OLYMPIC rings are displayed in Tokyo on March 30. (AP) a sports marketing firm that is helping Elk Grove with the project.

“But then when you open up a new category, I think it opens the door to creativity.

It opens the door to doing something that’s never been done before.”

There are signs that Olympic federations might be casting a wider net when it comes to potential sponsors. USA Triathlon

announced a three-year deal with Connecticutbased Athletic Brewing Company last week, opening a new category for the NGB in non-alcoholic beer.

Chuck Menke, the chief marketing officer for USA Triathlon, said the coronavirus pandemic and the longer Summer Olympics cycle have affected how the federation works with its partners and potential

sponsors. “In the sense that we have to be sensitive to the landscape and to how different brands are being impacted,” he said.

“So, for example, we were having several conversations prior to the outbreak of COVID19, and many of those conversations have had to be paused, you know, and understandably so. So we’re trying to be very flexible.”

Elk Grove, which is just northwest of Chicago and borders O’Hare International Airport, is pivoting from college football to the Olympics after two years.

The Bahamas deal — the first time a non-tourist municipality sponsored a bowl game, according to ESPN — led to valuable earned media for the village and a new Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores fuelling station.

Elk Grove trustees held a special meeting yesterday morning and cleared the way for the village to send

a formal request for a proposal to Olympic governing bodies. The sponsorship is worth $100,000 to the US federation, and Elk Grove also plans to spend approximately $200,000 on commercials and digital marketing as part of its “Makers Wanted” campaign promoting a local industrial park.

Johnson said the bowl partnership worked out well for Elk Grove, but “it ran its course with us.”

Patriotism is one of the biggest appeals when it comes to the possible connection with the Olympics.

“We’re supporting, we’re basically marrying ourselves with American-made products and American athletes and Elk Grove, the biggest business park in North America, we’re one of the biggest (makers) of American products in America,” Johnson said.

“What a perfect marriage.

So I think that’s where the value is going to come out.”

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP CONFIRMS NO FANS FOR HARDING PARK

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer BROOKS Koepka will try to become the first player to win the PGA Championship three straight times in stroke play, and there won’t be anyone at Harding Park to cheer him on.

The PGA of America confirmed yesterday the first major of this most unusual year won’t have spectators.

The PGA Championship, originally scheduled for May 14-17 in San Francisco, now is set for August 6-9 and will be the first of three majors this year.

The US Open moved from June to September 17-20 in New York, with the Masters moving

to November two weeks before Thanksgiving. The British Open was cancelled.

Still to be determined is whether the other two majors have fans. The PGA Tour resumed its schedule following its coronavirus-caused shutdown two weeks ago without fans, and it is not planning to have them until a reduced number July 16-19 at Memorial.

The PGA of America submitted its plan to not have spectators a week ago, and the San Francisco Chronicle said government and health officials approved it.

Mayor London N Breed said the city was “thrilled” to welcome the century-old major to San Francisco.

PGA of America officials were prepared to go elsewhere if playing in San Francisco would not allow health standards to be met.

“We are able to safely take this step toward reopening because of the ongoing sacrifices of our citizens,” Breed said.

Those sacrifices now include watching only on TV for those who had planned to attend. This is the first major for Harding Park, the public course across the street from Olympic Club and now part of the TPC network. It previously held two World Golf Championships (won by Tiger Woods in 2005 and Rory McIlroy in 2015) and the Presidents Cup in 2009.

“While the local community cannot be with us physically on

site, we will certainly carry their spirit of resilience and unity with us as we stage our major championship, on their behalf, for all the world to see and enjoy,” said Seth Waugh, the CEO of the PGA of America.

Koepka won in 2018 at Bellerive Country Club in St Louis, and he joined Woods as the only back-to-back champions in stroke play when he won last year at Bethpage Black on Long Island.

Woods tied for 29th, 14 shots behind, when he was going for a third straight PGA Championship title in 2001 in Atlanta.

He did not have a chance at three in a row in 2008 because he had knee surgery and missed the last two majors.

Walter Hagen won four straight times from 1924-27 when the PGA Championship format was match play.

“We’ve got to do what we got to do to make us safe, keep the fans safe,” Koepka said last week about a major with no fans.

“Obviously, you’d like to have fans, but I understand with what’s going on it might not be possible.”

Meanwhile, the PGA of America is contacting those who bought tickets in advance to set up refunds.

It said it will not process refunds for tickets bought from a secondary market platform.

The PGA Championship next year goes to Kiawah Island in South Carolina.

SPORTS SECTION E

TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 2020

MLB, PAGE 13

Jonquel Jones to sit out WNBA season

PM: SPAS, GYMS AND OUTDOOR GROUP EXERCISES MAY REOPEN ON JULY 1

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

C

onnecticut Sun star Jonquel Jones has officially announced her intention to forego the upcoming shortened WNBA season amid COVID-19 pandemic concerns.

Jones, who comes off a 2019 season where she was named to the AllWNBA Second Team, the All-Defensive Team and an All-Star for the second time, cited personal reasons and uncertainty around the pandemic.

“After careful thought and consideration, I’ve decided to forego the upcoming WNBA season and use this time to focus on personal, social, and familial growth. This was one of the toughest decisions I’ve made but the resurgence and unknown aspects of COVID-19 have raised serious health concerns that I do not feel comfortable competing in,” the veteran forward said in her statement via Instagram. “I’d like to thank the Connecticut Sun organisation, my teammates and fans for their unwavering support and understanding.

While I won’t be competing this year I’m looking forward to lacing up with my teammates in 2021 and continuing the pursuit for a WNBA Championship.

Wishing the entire league and everyone involved a healthy and enjoyable season. Go Sun.” The Sun front office voiced their full support of Jones’ decision.

“On behalf of our entire organisation, we fully support JJ’s difficult decision to sit out the 2020 WNBA season during these unprecedented times,” said Sun general manager and head coach Curt Miller.

“We recognise the amount of unique challenges, sacrifices, and unknowns this season presents, and from the top

down, there is an unwavering commitment to support each player’s respective decision. We look forward to having JJ back leading us next summer.”

Last week, the WNBA announced it will host a 22-game regular season, at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. The season is set to begin sometime in July, but no confirmed dates have been announced.

To press time, Bradenton, located in Manatee County, has recorded 1,977 confirmed cases of COVID-19, up 39.1 per cent since last week. It has also recorded 126 deaths, up 9.5 per cent since last week.

Jones became the second WNBA player to opt out of the upcoming season after Atlanta Dream guard Renee Montgomery announced last week that she was sitting out the season but to focus on social justice initiatives.

Players must inform their teams by Thursday whether they are playing this season.

“The top priority continues to be the health and safety of players and staff, and the league is working with medical specialists, public health experts, and government officials on a comprehensive set of guidelines to ensure that appropriate medical protocols and protections are in place,” the league announced in an official press release.

“Due to the fluid situation resulting from the pandemic, the league and players will continue to review the appropriate health and safety protocols and make necessary changes to the plan prior to arriving on-site for the start of training camp and throughout the season.”

The league will be played with no fans in attendance but will work closely with broadcast partners ESPN, CBS Sports Network and NBA TV.

CONNECTICUT Sun star centre Jonquel Jones has decided not to play in the WNBA this season because of concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.

The WNBA regularly hosts a 36-game regular season from May to September, with the playoffs concluding in October.

This season, the league intended to introduce a midseason tournament, the Commissioner’s Cup, however, the amended season halted those plans.

Jones signed a multiyear contract with the Sun in February as the league’s free agency period commenced.

The Sun fell one game short in their historic run toward a WNBA

Championship last season, but Jones established herself as one of the premier players in the league with her standout season.

In addition to her aforementioned accolades, she finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting and was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week four times.

Jones finished the regular season with starts in all 34 appearances, averaged 14.6 points, and posted career highs in steals (1.5 per game) and minutes played (28.8 per game).

She also won her second rebounding title in four seasons.

Jones led the league in rebounds with 9.7 boards and blocked shots at a career-high 2.0 per game.

She also finished fourth in defensive rebounds with 6.4 per game. She grabbed 10 or more rebounds 16 times, including a seasonhigh 22 rebounds on May 31.

In the offseason, Jones was a member of UMMC Ekaterinburg in the Russian Women’s Basketball Premier League.

WITH the Bahamas Government announcing the reopening of gyms and spas, the Bahamas Bodybuilding Federation is now looking forward to preparing for the proposed National and the Central American and Caribbean Championships.

After being locked down since March due to the social distancing as a result of the spread of COVID-19, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced in the House of Assembly during his wrap up of the debate on the 2020/2021 Budget that spas, gyms and outdoor group exercises may reopen as of July 1.

Federation president Joel Stubbs said the announcement was like sweet music to their ears.

“It’s an opportunity for many of them to get back to doing what they have not been doing, especially those who have those adminicle diseases that were given the mandate to get cracking and to get your health in order,” Stubbs said.

“Because of the pandemic, everything had to be shut down, so some of those persons would have had an opportunity to go outdoors to do something and some may not have had the opportunity to get in the mindset to do anything because as you know, the gym is a feeding ground for persons to feed off other persons to get motivated and so they can now get cracking.”

Stubbs, however, said while the opening is imminent, they will still have to wait and see what procedures the various gyms will put in place for their patrons to adhere to whenever they come in to patronise their businesses.

“We know that the three busiest times are in the morning before the start of the work day, in the middle

SEE PAGE 12

Miller ‘was one of the most outstanding fighters in our history’

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net FORMER boxing champions Patrick ‘the Centreville Assassin’ Strachan and Arthur Buchanan, along with the Progressive Liberal Party, joined those who remembered national boxing/cycling legend Leonard ‘Boston Blackie’ Miller.

Miller, 82, died on Sunday (Father’s Day) shortly after 2pm at the Princess Margaret Hospital.

The Bahamas National Hall of Famer left an indelible mark as a former athlete turned community builder and renowned coach.

Strachan, the former Bahamas cruiserweight champion, said he always looked up to Miller as a teacher from the ‘old school’ who demanded the best out of his fighters.

“I started boxing at the Southern’s Lounge at the Zanzibar on Kings Street and Blue Hill Road in the 1970s,” Strachan said. “Reny Pinder (also deceased) introduced me

to boxing. He was the middleweight champion of the Bahamas.

“That was when I met Boston. Those were the glory days of professional boxing when we had guys like Bert Woods, Kid Cruise, Kid Nassau, Garlin ‘Killer’ Moss and Freddie Major, all of whom trained at the Southern’s Lounge.”

During those days, Strachan said he always felt that Miller was a strong, focused disciplinarian, who trained hard to become the Bahamas’ heavyweight champion before he passed on their dame type of dedication and commitment to coaching.

“I think he was one of the most outstanding fighters in our history,” Strachan said. “He was also an outstanding cyclist. He was much older than me. He was always my senior, but I trained under him at the Southerns Lounge before they moved to the Bird Land on Mt Royal Avenue.

“In 1979, I attended the Caribbean Golden Gloves Championships in Coconut Grove, Florida with Boston

LEONARD Miller.

‘Boston

Blackie’

as the head coach and Sonny Boy Rahming as the assistant coach,” Strachan recalled.

“On that team, we had Vincent Strachan, Roscoe Rolle, Arthur Buchanan, Boston’s sons Lenny and Glen Miller.

We participated in those championships and we developed a good relationship from then.

“He was from the old school. He believed in hard work and he was a straight up guy. He was definitely an asset for amateur boxing.

He helped to make amateur boxing in the country what it is today. Trainers like

them come around once in a lifetime.”

Buchanan, a former Bahamian welterweight boxing champion who grew up under the tutelage of Miller, said he had a recent chat with ‘Marvelous’ Marvin Smith about taking him to see Miller so that he would present him with a few things.

“I waited too long, now Boston is gone. It just made me cry,” Buchanan said.

“Boston Blackie made it to become the amateur welterweight boxing champion in 1978. I am so proud to be in the record book, thanks to Boston Blackie.”

Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, the leader of the PLP, called Miller one of its charismatic, fearless and outspoken elder statesmen.

Davis said Miller was known and revered by throngs of boxing fans for his fighting style of cutting off the ring as he cornered his opponents and delivering repeated overhand lefts and rights he called the ‘Bolo Punch,’ which pounded many of his opponents into submission.

“Miller, like many of his boxing contemporaries (such as Charlie Major Sr, Bert Perry, Baby Boy Rolle, Dynamite Fritz and Sugar Kid Bowe), never achieved and enjoyed the international fame and success in boxing as other Bahamian boxing luminaries such as Yama Bahama, Elisha Obed, Sherman ‘the Tank’ Williams, Ray Minus Junior and Tareano Johnson enjoyed, but his contribution to the sport of boxing locally was profound and paved the way for a generation of participants in the ‘sweet science’,” Davis said.

“Leonard Miller was a husband and father who was a disciplinarian by nature and a common man who lived in the Yellow Elder community.

He would spend his latter years as a physical education teacher within the public school system of the Ministry of Education.

“This appointment by the Pindling government provided Mr Miller with the opportunity to teach our student athletes the values of teamwork, self

confidence and self discipline as important building blocks of success not only in sports, but in life.”

As a community leader, Davis said Miller molded many of our youth into responsible and productive adulthood. He thanked him for his service to the country in the areas of community and youth development through the instruments of sports and athletics.

“He has left with us an enduring and rich legacy of excellence and leadership and giant shoes to be filled,” Davis said.

“On behalf of the Progressive Liberal Party, I express heartfelt condolences to his family and the sporting community generally.”

Miller was not only remembered for his exploits as a boxer, but also as a cyclist who represented the country in a number of major international events.

He later became a school teacher at Government High and CC Sweeting High Schools.

He was also a police reservist.