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BPL ‘HAS 14 DAYS’ Company told that it must solve issues or face union wrath By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net BAHAMAS Power and Light employees demonstrated outside the company’s headquarters yesterday, with the union representing line staff at the utility provider saying it is giving management 14 days to resolve all outstanding matters or face its “wrath”. Yesterday at 9am, dozens of BPL staff walked off the job in a show of solidarity against executive management. According to Bahamas Electrical Workers Union President Kyle Wilson, management has
disrespected and mistreated staff. He also claimed management has violated the industrial agreement between the company and the union. The union members said “enough is enough” and called upon the government to do something about their plight. “Try us, try the union and see if we joking,” Mr Wilson said yesterday. He said options on the table for the union include seeking remedy at the Industrial Tribunal, the Supreme Court or industrial action. SEE PAGES TWO & THREE
AG’S OFFICE SEEKS STAY ON CITIZENSHIP RULING By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE Office of the Attorney General on Friday filed documents asking the Court of Appeal to stay Supreme Court Justice Ian Winder’s consequential ruling on citizenship rights and to grant leave for the ruling to be appealed to the Privy Council. Kingsley Smith, a lawyer at the Office of the Attorney General, filed an affidavit in support of the application for leave. This comes after the Court of Appeal, in a three
to two decision last week, affirmed Justice Winder’s ruling that children born in the Bahamas out of wedlock to Bahamian men are citizens at birth, regardless of the nationality of their mother. It is thought that if the ruling stands, it will have major implications for access to citizenship in the Bahamas and could affect the status of thousands of people. Last week, Attorney General Carl Bethel said people turned up to the Parliamentary Registration SEE PAGE SEVEN
THE PROTEST outside Bahamas Power and Light yesterday.
Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff
$1 TO BUY - BUT AIRPORT TOURISM SURGE WILL SEE NEEDS $200M INVESTMENT ATLANTIS 90 PERCENT FULL By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
A $200M INVESTMENT is required for the “comprehensive redevelopment” of a Grand Bahama International Airport that lost more than $13m in the two-and-a-half years before
the government acquired it. The extent of the potential liabilities facing Bahamian taxpayers as a result of that purchase, for just $1, was fully exposed during yesterday’s briefing for private sector groups interested in bidding on public-private partnerships. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net
ATLANTIS will operate at “close to 90 percent occupancy” over the next few weeks, said president and managing director Audrey Oswell yesterday, with all properties apart from the
Beach Towers having reopened post-COVID. Ms Oswell said the resort is currently at 75 percent. She added: “All of the resort, with the exception of Beach, is now open and we expect to run close to 90 percent occupancy over the next few weeks.” FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
POLICE HUNT FOR IDENTITY OF STABBING VICTIM By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net A MAN was found dead with injuries consistent with stab wounds yesterday morning off Prince Charles Drive. Head of the Criminal Investigations Department, Chief Superintendent Shanta Knowles said shortly
after 7am (and) dispolice covered the received male who had reports that injuries to an unresponthe body and sive male was later he was found in the pronounced community deceased,” just off Pine A BODY being removed from she said. Barren Road. the scene yesterday. Asked if “Officthere was ers and medical personnel anything to suggest if the responded to this location individual was homeless,
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
she said: “We don’t want to say that he’s a vagrant. We believe that he lives in this community and so that’s the reason for us having our officers on the ground so that we can possibly find relatives who can eventually make a positive identification.” “We suspect that the SEE PAGE THREE
PAGE 2, Tuesday, June 29, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
BPL told that it must solve
from page one Mr Wilson and his union are asking for the removal of BPL CEO Whitney Heastie, who he says is a major part of the problem. “The previous environment of merit within BPL has been discarded by CEO Heastie and replaced with one of kisses by favour. This has resulted in the denial of expected benefits of deserving employees. What we now have is gross favouritism, unfair promotions, unfair hiring and reckless skip overs. Desmond Bannister, deputy prime minister and minister in charge of BPL and works, please step in now,” he said. “We give them 14 good days to fix our problems or face the wrath of the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union. We say enough is enough and we will no longer tolerate the disrespect levied at our union by the incompetent and failed leadership of BPL. Senior management led by
THE PROTEST outside BPL yesterday.
Mr Heastie has constantly demonstrated an inability to communicate in a respectful dignified manner with the union.” For some time now the union has complained about conditions at the power company, even taking some matters to court for judges to decide. Mr Wilson said the results of management’s unilateral and insensitive actions have created a division between management and the union. He said staff are at the point where they want Mr Heastie and a human resources official gone. “This unilateral disrespectful attitude by management is what the union pledges to eradicate and eliminate from our work environment,” Mr Wilson continued. “Either Mr Heastie and his team changes this counterproductive behaviour or the government has to remove them. Enough is enough. This day is the last day the union will tolerate their mean-spirited ways
Photos: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, June 29, 2021, PAGE 3
issues or face union wrath BPL REJECTS CLAIMS AND CALLS WALKOUT ILLEGAL
THE PROTEST held yesterday outside BPL. Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff and insensitive behaviour towards the membership.” The union has serious issues with what it deems as unnecessary hiring of expatriate workers; the failure, it says, of the human resources department towards solving union matters; the blaming of staff for the faults of the Wartsila plant; the mishandling of the COVID pandemic at BPL; sending workers back to hurricane affected islands when their homes were destroyed; allegedly breaching the industrial agreement and a faulty payroll system, among other issues. Mr Wilson also said
there are complaints about alleged sexual harassment within BPL, which he claimed have not been properly investigated. He also claimed staff at remote locations on the Family Islands have to defecate in bushes as there are no proper restroom facilities for them. He also cast doubt on officials’ prediction that BPL would not have issues with load shedding this summer. The walk out included BPL workers on the Family Islands as well. Their instructions were to leave whatever they were doing and step outside of the
IN response to unionised staff walking off the job yesterday to protest “unfair treatment”, Bahamas Power and Light issued a statement calling the walk out illegal and the claims unfounded. “Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) values and appreciates its line staff, many of whom have gone and continue to go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that our customers are serviced even in these trying and sometimes frightening times,” BPL said. “The company seeks always to treat our staff with respect and dignity, and to reward them according to their work and the terms of the industrial agreement. BPL takes exception, however, to a number of claims made during an illegal industrial action taken at the Peter I Bethel Building today, Monday, June 28, 2021. “It was falsely claimed that executive management has refused to sit with the line union and discuss employee benefits. The union president has, in fact, met with the chief executive officer, the executive director and the director of human resources many times, including a meeting that was held in the training room with union executives, BPL board and BPL executives.” BPL rejected the assertion that benefits have been denied to “many deserving employees” and rejected the claim that there exists at BPL an environment of “gross favouritism,” unfair promotions, unfair hiring practices, and what were called “reckless skip-overs.” The statement continued, “It was said that most departments in the main HQ have been affected by building until instructed otherwise. When The Tribune arrived on the scene of the protest, a serious police presence was noted and some press members were not allowed to come on to the property.
COVID-19, and that more than once the CEO has shut down remote workspace, forcing people to come and work in (the) office. We have established our COVID-19 protocols in accordance with recommendations of the health professionals and communicated those protocols to employees and their union representatives.” In response to claims BPL was “forcing” some Abaco staff to go home, the company said after the passing of Hurricane Dorian, BPL was the first to provide private air services for the evacuation of employees who wanted to leave Abaco and their families. “The employees were temporarily assigned throughout the operations in New Providence and to a lesser degree, the Family Islands, with the understanding that they were expected to return as needed in Abaco. In September 2020, the employees of Abaco that remained in New Providence were advised of the need for them to return to their duties in Abaco on November 1, 2020. Following a request from the employees and their union representatives to have employees remain until April 30, 2021, employees were advised to return to Abaco on June 1, 2021.” The statement did not address union allegations that staff at remote locations in the Family Islands have to defecate in bushes as there are no facilities for them to relieve themselves. BPL also said: “The assertion that BPL Station A plant, which is operated and managed by Wӓrtsilӓ, is ‘becoming unreliable’ and ‘constantly running out of fuel’ flies in the face
The BEWU had the full support of all other unions in The Bahamas, including the umbrella union, the National Congress of Trade Unions. “The union is trying to work with the company but we are constantly hitting a
of the truth and the record. Both SAIDI and SAIFI – industry standard metrics dealing with reliability of electricity supply – have significantly improved and Station A has and continues to be a reason for this improvement in reliability. “In addition, we reported a short time ago that a senior Wӓrtsilӓ official conducted an operational audit at Station A to ensure the best operation and utmost reliability of the plant. As a consequence, the company has implemented new systems designed to ensure the efficient operation of the plant. “And with regard to the assertion that there are ‘holes’ in the load shedding forecast, the engines cited by the union president were not included in the count given by the minister of public works in the House of Assembly. Without the engines the union president cited, we are still able to account for between 315 – 350 megawatts of power against a 250 megawatt summer peak load. If all things remain equal, we are confident that load shedding will not be necessary.” The BPL statement went on to note that while the company does not wish to comment further on matters before the court, it will say that it has conducted a number of promotions over the past year. BPL denies having “virtually disregarded” the industrial agreement which the union believes to be properly valid. The statement said the industrial agreement provides a mechanism for the settlement of disputes or breaches of the agreement, which include notification of one party to the other prior to the involvement of a third party.
brick wall,” Mr Wilson said. “Three weeks after receiving the new industrial agreement proposal from the union, they claimed they lost the document. This was just days before we were to begin negotiations. There are so many
other issues we are trying to resolve and to this point we have got nothing done.” BPL in a statement called the industrial action yesterday illegal. By Monday afternoon, BPL union members were back on the job.
POLICE HUNT FOR IDENTITY OF STABBING VICTIM from page one incident occurred right in this immediate area and we’re working with this area. We have completed our work in this area and evidence suggests that the incident may have occurred in this area.” Police suspect the body may have been in the area overnight. The deceased appeared to be about 50 to 55 years old. This comes after a spate of murders last week. A single mother was fatally shot in the Coconut Grove area on Friday night a day after her uncle was killed at the same address. A close relative has
identified the deceased woman as 26-year-old Shavonna Adderley. Her uncle was identified as Gladstone Francis Jr. They were two of four people shot in two separate incidents outside the same home. Earlier on Thursday, around 4pm, a man was killed and a woman was injured at a shooting on Peardale Road. Police are appealing to members of the public who may have information that can assist with the investigations into these homicides or any other crime to contact the Criminal Investigations Department at 502-9991/2, Crime Stoppers at 328TIPS (8477) or the nearest police station.
POLICE PROBE MAN’S SUSPECTED DROWING By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
A BODY was found submerged in waters under a pier off Victoria Avenue yesterday morning. Assistant Superintendent of Police Audley Peters told The Tribune that police were called to the scene shortly after 7am yesterday. Foul play is not suspected at this time. “We went there and confirmed a male who was submerged in the water – the body was retrieved,” he said. “Emergency Medical Services examined it – there were no injuries found. “The body was later pronounced lifeless. We’re gonna await the identification of a next of kin and also an autopsy report to determine the exact cause of death.” Asked how long the body was estimated to be in the
water, ASP Peters said it appeared the man’s body had been submerged “no more than eight hours.” “He’s probably late 30s, early 40s,” he said when asked about the suspected age range of the deceased. Last Thursday, a man’s body was fished out of water at Potter’s Cay. Around 11am, police received reports of a body found submerged in water under a boat that was docked in the western area of Potter’s Cay. ASP Peters had previously said the matter is classified as a suspicious drowning and no foul play is suspected. He added that the deceased — someone who frequented Potter’s Cay — did not have any trauma or visible injuries to his body. Last week, police also said they are awaiting an autopsy to determine the man’s official cause of death.
A BODY being taken from the scene yesterday.
Photo: Donovan Mcintosh/Tribune Staff
PAGE 4, Tuesday, June 29, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
Munroe questions need for travel health visa By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net THE Progressive Liberal Party has doubled down on criticisms of the government’s travel health visa, demanding that officials release an audited accounting breakdown of the initiative. In a statement yesterday, Wayne Munroe, QC, the PLP’s candidate for the Free Town constituency, questioned the handling of fees associated with the travel visa since it came on stream. The statement came the day after the official opposition said it would immediately end the travel health visa requirement if the system remained on stream and the party wins the next general election. Mr Munroe said while the government initially said the visa was necessary, it has now become apparent that it is not, as it remains entirely possible to require a negative PCR test without a travel visa as countries in the region have shown. Calls made to Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar for a response to Mr Munroe’s statement were not answered up to press time. “We were told that there was no time to go through the usual procurement process, with its safeguards against corrupt practices, to choose a private digital payments company,” Mr Munroe said yesterday. “Again, not true. The government had months ahead of the November reopening of borders — our second reopening, after the failure of the July reopening — to make a plan.” He was referring to the government’s defence last week of a no-bid contract awarded to Kanoo Pays, an
electronic retail payment provider, to process travel health visa payments. Last week the PLP criticised the contract award and highlighted the company’s association with Dr Nigel Lewis, the co-manager of the Free National Movement’s general election campaign. In response last week, Mr D’Aguilar said the identity of those behind Kanoo was never considered when the company was selected to process visa payments, adding that the company’s fees are in line with other electronic payment providers and the quality of its services is high. Mr Munroe continued: “We are told that this travel visa covers costs such as the fifth day antigen test. That is not true, either, in a very large number of cases. Travellers who stay fewer than five days still pay the same for the visa. A substantial percentage of travellers required to take that test don’t, in fact, take the test – this is according to the government. “And fully vaccinated travellers are told on the fifth day that their travel visas don’t cover the cost of the test. This is a policy that was never announced publicly, by the way, nor has that information been shared with those purchasing the travel visa. “So, where has all that money gone? One place we know where it’s not – the national treasury... What is required now is a full, audited up-to-date accounting of money in and money out. Show us the receipts, as they say.” Mr Munroe continued: “The Ministry of Tourism is now claiming that it has access to the private bank account in which this money is kept. When I pay my passport fee, or vehicle registration, or real
property tax, does it go into a private bank account? Of course, not – it’s public revenue. “The government has not satisfactorily answered questions about why an arrangement with this company was structured this way. There are serious questions, too, about the legality of this arrangement. “More fundamentally, we don’t need a travel visa.” He argued that the visa is a “ridiculous” functioning tax on Bahamians. “Bahamians don’t need to pay for a travel visa or any fee to enter the United States but are required to pay a fee to return to their place of birth – this is ridiculous and makes absolutely no sense. It is hurting Bahamian businesses that require travel between our islands. “It is preventing family members from travelling to see each other. It’s bad for the economy. “The PLP will end the travel visa.” Last week, the Ministry of Tourism offered a defence of the travel visa system. It said the fees were imposed to pay for the rapid antigen test residents were mandated to take, the health insurance visitors were required to have while in the county and to cover the start-up costs associated with the website along with other operational costs. The ministry said funds that are earned are deposited into an account that Kanoo Pays shares with the ministry and that the account is at all times controlled and monitored by the ministry’s accounting department. The ministry said up to March 31, 2021, $2.4m surplus funds have been received from the visa system. Revenues were $9.8m, and expenses were $7.4m.
TOTAL CASES
TOTAL DEATHS
NEWLY CONFIRMED CASES
RECENTLY CONFIRMED DEATHS
12,586 246 SUNDAY
43 CASES
NEW PROVIDENCE 29 BIMINI & CAT CAY 11 GRAND BAHAMA 2 ABACO 1
TOTAL TESTS
106,472
HOSPITALISED
38
• A 79-YEAR-OLD MAN FROM NEW PROVIDENCE ON JUNE 26.
CASES IN ICU
5
RECOVERED
11,544
11 BIMINI CASES LINKED TO RESORT ELEVEN new COVID19 cases were recorded in Bimini/Cat Cay on Sunday, which health officials said is evidence of a “cluster linked to a local resort”. Overall, 43 new coronavirus cases were recorded
on Sunday. The other cases include 29 in New Providence, two in Grand Bahama and one in Abaco. Health officials also revealed that the country’s COVID-19 death toll rose by one to 246 after a 79-year-old New
Providence man died from the disease on June 26. Meanwhile, 38 people remain in hospital with the disease, five of whom are in the intensive care unit. The country now has 12,586 recorded COVID19 cases.
TEN NEW GRAND BAHAMA RECRUITS FOR SORORITY THE Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, Pi Upsilon Omega Chapter made history for the seventh time and officially welcomed ten new women into the sorority recently in Grand Bahama. This induction of new members on May 16 also coincided with the chapter’s anniversary that was observed on May 23, celebrating 34 years of sisterhood and service in the Grand Bahama community. President Felisha Seymour said PUO is pleased to welcome ten “phenomenal women” into their organisation. The new members are Alisa Arthur, Heather Tynes-Lewis, Rickia Williams, Desiree Joseph, Colleen Coverley, Gabriella Bowe, Chevonia McBride, V Denise Maycock-Bowen, Rashema Ingraham, and
PI Upsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Incorporated president Felisha Seymour (seated front) and AKA members presented a cheque donation to Tamika Lightbourne, of Lupus Bahamas. Funds were raised during the ‘Let’s Talk Lupus’ webinar hosted in May. Taronya Wildgoose. “We are excited to have these ladies join our sisterhood as we continue our outreach here on the island through service,
scholarship, and sisterly love,” she said. “The ten women have already taken the bold initiative to donate funds as part of our ‘Let’s Talk Lupus’
webinar hosted on 15 May during Lupus Awareness Month, in conjunction with Sisters of Strength, to raise awareness about the autoimmune disease that mostly affect women,” Ms Seymour said. Ms Seymour, along with some of the new members, presented the funds to Lupus Bahamas president Tamika Lightbourne, who was appreciative of the small gesture of kindness. “It is always a good thing banding together to raise awareness about lupus and help us get information out there to educate the Bahamian public because many people have a misconception about the disease. And through the webinar, AKA was able to help us disseminate important information about what it is and how it affects people, and also allow us to share our
personal triumph and journey about Lupus, and about our organisation,” she said. Yvonne Pearson, vice president of PUO, said the lupus webinar falls under AKA’s Global Target Impact: Women’s Health and Wellness. “Lupus is not as widespread as many of the other diseases, and I think it was important to make people aware of what lupus is so they can know the symptoms and seek early treatment,” she said, adding that she lost a friend to the disease. During the month of May, Pi Upsilon Omega Chapter also received international recognition and awards during AKA’s virtual 30th International Regional Conference held May 21-23. The chapter won five awards, including Soror Throughout the Year for 2020; President for the
Year 2020; Graduate Soror of the Year 2020; and took third place for its Program Exhibit, and overall Program initiatives. Kerel Pinder, membership intake process chairman, said they continue to see increased interests from people wanting to become members of the sorority. “The main things that AKA stands for are sisterhood, service, and scholarship,” she said. “Different times throughout the years, we like to welcome a new group of women who exemplify these qualities. Women that have high morals standards, who are active in their community when it comes to service, and women we feel will make a great contribution to our sisterhood and what we can do in the community of Grand Bahama.”
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, June 29, 2021, PAGE 5
Extra security for Grove after double shooting By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net POLICE say they will beef up security in the Coconut Grove area after a 26-year-old woman and her uncle were killed in the community only a day apart last week. A police spokesman confirmed this when contacted by The Tribune yesterday. “That’s ongoing as we speak,” the police spokesman said, when asked about increased patrols/manpower in the area in view of the recent shootings which
killed two and injured two others. Shavonna Adderley, a mother of a seven-yearold boy, was killed after gunmen discharged shots at her and a group of other people outside a home on First Street around 8pm Friday. Her uncle, Gladstone Francis Jr, was fatally wounded at the same address a day earlier. In that incident, police said a light-coloured midsize vehicle pulled up to the Grove residence and discharged a weapon at a man and woman after 9pm
Thursday. They were both taken to hospital by private vehicle, however, Francis Jr died later. Close relatives said Shavonna was visiting family members that day to offer condolences concerning the death of her uncle, Francis Jr, before the shooting incident happened. “All of us was there giving our condolences to the family, sitting down talking and hanging,” her mother Yvonne Adderley told The Tribune on Sunday. “But then I left them
TEENAGER ACCUSED OF MURDER By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net A TEENAGER was charged with murder in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Audrick Colebrook Jr, 18, appeared before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt charged with the death of Andrew Medius on February 22. During the hearing, Colebrook Jr was not required to enter a plea and the case was adjourned to December 9 for service of a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI). Due to the nature of the charge, the accused was denied bail and remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional
Services until that time. He has a right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail. Meanwhile, Jameson Jacob, 26, was also denied bail after he was accused of attempting to murder Shavargo Curtis on May 23. During his arraignment, he was further accused of using a handgun to endanger the life of Mr Curtis on the same day. Jacob returns to court December 7 for the presentation of his voluntary bill of indictment . In the meantime, he was remanded into custody. He also has a right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail. Finally, Kingsley Holbert, 54, appeared before Magistrate FergusonPratt after officers alleged
A MAN who assaulted a police officer after punching another man in the face while they were both detained in police custody was yesterday fined $200. James Markland, 35, was arrested after he was accused of damaging the rear passenger glass of Laura Williams’ 2006 Toyota on June 23 and causing over $400 worth of damage to Leslie McCardy’s Ford Expedition on June 24. Police said when the accused was arrested and taken to the Southern Police Station in relation to the offences a day later, he assaulted Kareem Lightbourne who was also in
custody for another offence. The court was told that around 1.50am on June 25, Markland had an argument with Mr Lightbourne. The prosecution said during the verbal disagreement, the accused punched the man in his face. The court was told that Markland also began shouting, screaming and banging on the station’s wall sometime after the encounter. The court was also told that when Inspector J Adderley warned the accused to stop, he continued to behave in a disorderly manner which prompted the officer to try to restrain him. During his attempt to do so, the prosecution said Markland pushed Inspector Adderley, which caused him pain. The accused was eventually detained and charged
be confirmed by police yesterday. Family members believe the killings were an act of retaliation for a shooting that occurred in March, when several women were shot at on Second Street, the Grove. “From what I understand, (someone in the area) just got out of jail and I don’t know if you remember the shooting that happened a few months ago with the four girls in the car. Well, he was the one who (allegedly) do the shooting for that,” Mrs Adderley said. “He just come out of jail
and that’s who they want so that’s what it is. So, they just don’t care, and I guess they saying because they can’t get him, they will get whoever close to him.” Shavonna leaves behind a seven-year-old son, whose father was killed in 2019. Francis Jr also leaves behind several children, The Tribune was told. Police say they are still searching for suspects in connection with both shooting incidents. However, anyone with information is asked to call police at 5029991/2 or Crime Stoppers at 328-TIPS (8477).
HAITIAN ACCUSED OVER DEATHS AT SEA
he was found in Moss Town, Exuma, on June 25th with an unlicensed 9mm pistol in addition to nine rounds of 9mm ammunition. Police further alleged the accused used the firearm to put Christopher Clarke in fear of his life on June 21. Yesterday, Holbert denied all of the allegations and his matter was adjourned for a status hearing. He was granted $9,000 bail in the interim. As part of his agreement, the accused must have no contact with the virtual complainant. He must also sign in at the George Town Police Station every Wednesday leading up to his trial whenever the date is determined.
MAN PUNCHED POLICE OFFICER By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
there because I had another little job to do. So, I told (Shavonna) “I’m going now, I’m going to leave and make sure when Shawn come, y’all go home.” Shawn is her brother. “An hour later, I got the call and they told me that someone shoot up the yard again and my daughter get shoot.” Videos purporting to be of Friday’s incident circulated on social media, showing two men getting out of a white car and firing shots at a home before leaving the scene. However, this could not
with assaulting a police officer, behaving in a disorderly manner and assaulting a man. When Markland appeared before Senior Magistrate Derence Rolle Davis yesterday, he admitted to the assault. However, he said that Mr Lightbourne “started the fight first,” but stated he became “over aggressive’’ and “went overboard” at the time of the incident. He was subsequently fined $200 for the offences. Yesterday, Magistrate Derence Rolle Davis recorded two not guilty pleas on his behalf for the causing damage charges and adjourned the matter to August 24 for trial. He was denied bail and remanded into custody until that time.
ASTRELE JOSEPH, of Marsh Harbour. Abaco, outside court yesterday. Photo: Vandyke Hepburn By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net A HAITIAN man was arraigned on manslaughter charges in Freeport yesterday in connection with the deaths of two Haitian migrants in waters off Grand Bahama. Astrele Joseph, of Marsh Harbour, Abaco, appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Debbye Ferguson on two counts of manslaughter. It is alleged that on June 10 at Grand Bahama, the accused — being concerned with others unnamed and unknown — caused the death of Wedge Tilme by means of unlawful harm. It is also alleged that at the same time, place and date, the accused caused the death of an unknown female, also known as Jane Doe. This comes after the bodies of two Haitian migrants were discovered inside a vessel that capsized in waters
off Grand Bahama. Nine other migrants, including a sixmonth-old baby, were rescued. Uel Johnson represented Joseph, who is a Haitian national with Bahamian residency status. The accused was not required to enter a plea to the charges. A preliminary inquiry will be held to determine if there is sufficient evidence for him to stand trial in the Supreme Court. Inspector Anthony Sawyer said the prosecution intends to proceed by way of a voluntary bill of indictment. Deputy Chief Magistrate Ferguson did not grant the accused bail and remanded Joseph to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services in New Providence. She informed Mr Johnson that he may apply to the Supreme Court for bail on behalf of his client. The case was adjourned to September 29 for the preliminary inquiry.
PAGE 6, Tuesday, June 29, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”
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Power problems are last thing we need PERHAPS the last thing the country needed as we try to find a path out of COVID-19 and kickstart the economy is disruption at Bahamas Power and Light. Workers staged a very public demonstration outside the company’s headquarters yesterday – raising fears of whether we will be sitting with our lights out in a long, hot summer. The union has issued an ultimatum – deal with outstanding matters in 14 days or face the union’s “wrath”. Union president Kyle Wilson said “enough is enough” and called on the government to deal with matters, claiming that management has violated the industrial agreement and accusing BPL chief executive Whitney Heastie of creating an environment of favouritism and unfair hiring and promotion. These are certainly serious allegations – and there are more serious claims still, that alleged sexual harassment has not been properly investigated. In response, BPL has called the walkout illegal and said the claims were unfounded. Some of the claims are very specific to be unfounded – such as staff in the Family Islands having to defecate in bushes because there are no proper restroom facilities. BPL may take issue with the claims, but if all was well with workers, they wouldn’t be marching outside the offices and making ultimatums. Something needs to be investigated, and someone in management needs to sit down with workers and establish what is wrong and how to fix it. The union wants the Mr Heastie gone, calling him part of the problem – but they’ll have to sit down with him in this process too if they want to solve some of the outstanding issues. Either way, for those outside BPL there will be little sympathy if this leads to people sitting in the heat and the dark suffering because of other people’s disputes. And is it coincidence that such unrest starts to stir whenever election season rolls around? People have suffered enough over the years from the failings at BPL. Workers complain they are being blamed for some of the recent faults of the Wartsila
plant, but no one has been telling the full story of what has been causing our recent power problems. We urge all parties involved to follow every other means to resolve these issues without industrial action. Bring in the mediators. File in the courts. Sit down and talk. The union may be threatening wrath – but we suspect the last thing either side wants is the wrath of the Bahamian people.
Airport costs
When is a bargain not a bargain? The government may have trumpeted the deal to buy Grand Bahama International Airport for $1 but that was never going to be the only cost to the Bahamian purse. In today’s Tribune, more of the details of the costs to revive and transform that airport began to emerge. A briefing on public-private partnerships to redevelop the airport showed that in the past two and a half years, the airport lost more than $13m, while it needs a reported $200m investment for a comprehensive redevelopment. If it’s losing more than $5m a year, you can tell for yourself that’s an investment that will never get repaid without a massive turnaround in its fortunes. Now, some of those losses come from the damage from Hurricane Dorian, while the pandemic will contribute to more, but you can see why Hutchinson Whampoa was happy to wash its hands of the airport in that single dollar deal. You can also toss another $1m in costs on the taxpayer’s bill from the severance and other benefits paid by the government to the airport’s 60-70 staff. Previously, Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar estimated about $50-60m would be required for the redevelopment – while that $200m figure is a suggestion from the managing director of the consultants hired by the government to structure the partnerships. That’s quite a difference. So those are the costs – time to see the plan that would put the airport back in profit. Or is this another burden on the taxpayer for years to come?
Vaccines controversy EDITOR, The Tribune. YOUR columnist Simon hit the nail on the head in reference to people who do not get the vaccine. At the moment societies tolerate these people. I would argue governments most important function is to protect its citizens and in the long term people who refuse the vaccine will rightly become pariahs. Our lives/livelihoods/ economies and our whole way of life is endangered by the dreadful blight of COVID- 19. In the long term herd immunity is the only way back to normality. End of story. The idea that people should be allowed to jeopardise that return to normality will frankly not
be tolerated in the immediate future. If people refuse to take the vaccine how can they, for example, be allowed to work in the hospitality industry? How can hotel staff possibly infected be allowed to mingle with guests? Similarly taxi drivers, shop assistants and the like. How can the non-vaccinated be allowed on planes, cruise ships, trains , mass gatherings, concerts, sports arenas? It may take time, but society will be putting huge constraints on the non-vaccinated. The new strains of COVID look like being far more contagious and deadly why should nonvaccinated people mingle freely, possibly infecting and killing fellow humans?
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It could be considered criminal behaviour. If the people who are refusing the vaccine were basing their decision on research and intellectual reasoning maybe it could be understood, but there are 7,800,000,000 people on the planet and frankly many of those are incapable of intellectual reasoning. They believe anything that flashes onto their smart phone. Regardless as of today 2,800,000,000 people on the planet have received at least one dose of the vaccine. It’s sadly noticeable that the higher percent of persons vaccinated occur in first world countries with better educated citizenry. It’s an emotive issue for sure with one of your readers somehow drawing an analogy between the vaccine and Jim Crow? That one does baffle me. THE REALIST Nassau, June 24, 2021
The law has consequences EDITOR, The Tribune. THE Director of Labour, John Pinder, is a life long friend and fellow Fox Hillian. In fact, when he was yet a boy attending school on Bernard Road, LW Young, I often gave him and a group of other students a ride in my vehicle. He was always ambitious and eventually he became a leading unionist and is now the Director of Labour. Now it is being said that he is seeking the nomination of the FNM up in Fox Hill. Some even say that they have seen him campaigning up there in the red regalia of the FNM. In a pure democracy I have absolutely no problem with any Bahamian seeking and accepting a political nomination from any party. In fact, if my focus was now not on a different and higher prize I too would have sought to run in the upcoming general elections. The outcome of those elections will determine the future of The Bahamas for the next decade and beyond. Those elections will be, I submit, the most important one since back in 1927 and 1968. John Pinder has an apparent difficult decision to make or have it made for him. The law relating to the Civil Service is clear cut and there is no need for splitting hairs. Under that law any current civil servant who decides to seek a political nomination at certain level within the service viz-a-viz Permanent Secretaries and Directors of governmental agencies must step aside pending the outcome of a general election. Pinder and his handlers claim that since he has yet to be ratified he is able to continue to be the Director of Labour exercising the power and authority which come with that position not to mention the relatively huge stipend and perks. This stance, in my opinion, is clearly ultra vires of the intent and specific prohibition of the laws as they relate to civil servants. Pinder cannot have it both ways. He can chose to remain Director of Labour or simply resign the post, with all that he is entitled to, and simply offer for the FNM if that is his intention. It would be dead wrong in law and political optics for Pinder, however, to cling to the Director of Labour post, which is mandate to
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net serve all Bahamians regardless of political affiliation or none. Not only must Caesar’s wife Be clean she Must appear to be clean. What if an issue involving a PLP or DNA business establishment comes across Pinder’s desk in his capacity as Director of Labour? Even if he were to decide within the law, his decision if it goes against an opposition owned business could be interpreted the “wrong” way. This is but one instance where the regime acts as if the laws of the land do not apply to it or its adherents, but to all the rest of you all. Another case in point is the bogus and lame claim by the learned Attorney General that the recent ruling by the Court of Appeal was wrong. In opposition brother Carl W Bethel was all over the landscape clamoring for all children born to a Bahamian parent, inclusive of the putative father, should be registered at birth as a Bahamian. I stand to be corrected and will eat humble pie if necessary. Then the other day we had the political and legal spectacles of both the learned Attorney General and the Minister of Works “attacking” a decision by Mrs Justice Grant-Thompson relative to shanty towns over in Abaco. As government ministers they should have exercised better judgment in their very public utterances. The attacks almost seemed to be personal. Mind you anyone, especially Bahamians, are entitled to question or even appeal a judge’s decision or ruling. What makes a difference, however, is the manner and way which it is done. Carl Bethell and Bannister would appear to be undermining the Supreme Court Justice intended or not. Please cease and desist. It sends a wrong message. They are both out of order Big Time. What will they now say relative to the Court of Appeal? I do not dare to suggest that they were intending to undermine the Justice. We have the novel case of Toby Smith relative apparent to dual leases for the same Crown Grants? Why has Smith’s lawyers not
sought an injunction? Why is Smith waging a public relations campaign which he knows that he cannot win outside the ambit of the Supreme Court? Where is his lawyer of record and what is the status of the recent case management to the hearing? In my 40 odd years at the Bar and within the profession itself I have never seen or witnessed litigation and confidential correspondence being played out so publicly. This, in my view, as I have told Smith, is a potential abuse of the judicial process. Of course he and the media have paid me scant attention. Lastly, Minnis and Marvin Dames, et al, sent scores of high ranked police officers on ‘vacation’ or pre-retirement leave a year or so ago with no logical reasons as far as I am aware. They still hold their ands and perks, but why the charade? Several weeks ago both the COP and Assistant COP Solomon Cash said that they knew who the suspects were in the Jerome Avenue massacre. From then to now they have failed to arrest a single one of those “suspected” persons much less charge them before the courts!! The learned AG appeared to be publicly crying to say that prosecutors in his ministry were burned and stressed out! Mudda sick!! He said with a bold face that many of them would have been physically and verbally in the execution of their duties! Is this man for real? One would have thought that with close to 100 members on the AG’s department’s payroll that at least one or two of them would have been competent to handle the stress. I for one cannot take the heat so get the hell out of the kitchen! Simple. Lastly and most disturbing, the Competent Authority has yet to disclose or report to parliament on a single contract issued by him in 19 months and counting. The law requires it. But the learned AG is as quiet as a rattle snake and an Androsian vulture. No witch hunt? What goes around comes around. To God then, in all things, be the glory. The law has consequences. ORTLAND H BODIE, Jr Nassau, June 26, 2021.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, June 29, 2021, PAGE 7
AG’s office seeks stay on citizenship ruling from page one Department to register to vote on the basis of the ruling. He pleaded with people to be patient and wait until the matter has been dealt with at the Privy Council. In its new submissions, the Office of the Attorney General said the majority members of the Court of Appeal erred in numerous ways with its ruling. Government lawyers said: “The majority of the Court of Appeal erred in law in holding that Parliament only intended Article 14(1) to apply to articles in which direct reference is made to fathers. In accordance with the canons of construction and the principles of statutory interpretation, it is clear that this provision must apply where any reference is made to a father in the provisions of Chapter II of the Bahamas Constitution, whether direct or indirect. “More specifically, whether the reference in Article 14(1) of the Constitution to ‘father’ could not be read to apply to the interpretation of the word parent in Article (6). “The majority of the Court of Appeal erred in law in affording too much weight to authorities where the facts indicated that their constitutional framework
are significantly distinguishable from the instant case and therefore misinterpreted the scope of Article 6 and Article 14(1) of the Bahamas Constitution. “The majority of the Court of Appeal erred in failing to give sufficient weight to the Status of Children Act, 2002 which acknowledges the existence of the rule of construction that words of relationship signify only legitimate relationships and moreover, the Act preserves the provisions of the Constitution as it relates to citizenship, as noted by honourable President Justice Sir Michael Barnett in his dissenting decision. “The majority of the Court of Appeal erred in applying a broad liberal construction of the Bahamas Constitution in their determination that Article 14(1) did not apply to Article 6 of the Bahamas Constitution. “The majority of the Court of Appeal erred in law in misapplying or not putting sufficient weight to the canons of construction and/or the principles of statutory interpretation when construing what the true intention of Parliament was as it relates to the use of the word parents in Article 6 of the Bahamas Constitution. “The majority of the Court of Appeal erred in
law and fact in failing to give any weight to what was said in Fisher that ‘In Nationality Acts, which provide for acquisition of nationality by descent, the assumption is a strong one that ‘child’ means legitimate child,’ as noted by the President Justice Sir Michael Barnett in his dissenting decision. “The majority of the Court of Appeal erred in not recognising the intention of framers of the Bahamas Constitution in not giving the right to citizenship at birth to every person born in the Bahamas after 9th of July 1973, having regard to the Bahamas Nationality Act which came into force on the 10th of July 1973. “The majority of the Court of Appeal erred in not giving weight to the concept of legitimation in determining the intention of Parliament in 1973, and more specifically, the concept of legitimation that meant that the male in child could only become legitimated by the father marrying the mother of the child as noted by Justice Milton Evans in his dissenting decision,” the application filed by the government states. Attorney Wayne Munroe, QC, who represented the respondents in
PRESIDENT of Rotary Club South Ocean Zelma Wilson, a director at EY Bahamas Limited (seated centre), with club members.
SOUTH OCEAN BECOMES NEWEST ROTARY CLUB THE Rotary Club of South Ocean is the newest and tenth Rotary club in the country. RCSO was formed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and was officially chartered on February 17 with 33 members. On June 23, RCSO held a charter and installation ceremony in preparation for the commencement of the new Rotary year which starts on July 1. During the ceremony, the board of directors, officers and members of RCSO received their Rotary pins and membership packages. At the event, president of RCSO Zelma Wilson, a director at EY Bahamas Limited encouraged RCSO
members to remain focused, committed and prepare themselves to take action in order to advance the goals of RCSO to impact their local, regional and international communities. RCSO consists of a diverse group of professionals from a variety of industries. Over the past year, RCSO members have participated in a blood drive, facilitated book donations to three local schools, volunteered to assist with the local COVID-19 vaccination efforts and held a virtual STEM seminar to expose students to potential STEM career options. RCSO has also held monthly networking socials
at various local restaurants and the club currently holds virtually meetings on the first and third Thursdays of each month. Rotary is one of the oldest civic organisations, having been in existence for 110 years, with a global network of 1.2 million people. The activities of Rotary focus primarily on sustainable projects that assist in solving some of the socio-economic issues in communities and Rotary’s global mission is to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through a fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.
ROTARIANS PUT FOCUS ON THE ENVIRONMENT THE first day of July marks the beginning of a new Rotary year - and this year it also marks the addition of a new focus for Rotarians. The Rotary Club is to add “supporting of the environment” to its other six areas of focus for community projects. A statement from Rotary clubs said: “The significance of this move by Rotary International is that it acknowledges that people and the planet are inextricably linked. “The issues facing every living thing on the planet like climate change, biodiversity, sustainable fisheries, conservation and resource management are uppermost in the minds of many Rotarians who can now access global grant funding to tackle these initiatives head on.” In recognition of this new emphasis, the Rotary Club of East Nassau (RCEN)
MEMBERS of the Rotary Club of East Nassau and their families joined with the Bahamas National Trust to clear the plot of land to plant a fruit forest for the Fox Hill Community. has declared July as Envi- local speakers and handsronment Month and are on activities. As a service planning a number of organisation still giving events which include having aid to victims of Hurricane Rotary Foundation trustee Dorian, Rotarians are very Brenda M Cressey speak aware of the impact of clion why Rotary supports the mate change on Bahamians. environment at their lunchThe club continues to suptime meeting on July 9. port the Bahamas National Ms Cressey was instru- Trust’s fruit forest in Fox Hill mental in having Rotary near Sandilands Primary International formalise pro- School, through a tree planttecting the environment as ing campaign that it hopes another area of focus. to broaden to other comRCEN was the first club munities. Anyone interested in The Bahamas to have in working with RCEN on a a committee with an envi- tree planting campaign can ronmental focus and this reach them through their July they will be hosting Facebook page.
the citizenship case which sparked the ruling, is not expected to oppose the
government’s attempt to get leave to appeal the judgement, however he does not
think the Attorney General’s Office should receive a stay.
PAGE 8, Tuesday, June 29, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
Brave Peyton won’t allow scoliosis to work against her I
T’S amazing the things you will learn if you sit down and have a heart to heart with a child. I did this the other day with 11-yearold Peyton Gomez. In the simplest, purest way, she shared an outlook on life that everyone should apply to their own. Her way of handling life and the curveball it threw her is nothing short of phenomenal. In March of this year, Peyton’s mother, Desiree Roberts, took her to the doctor for her annual physical. She has been attending the same health centre since she was six. This time, she was seen by a different doctor. Immediately upon entering the room, the doctor pointed out something unusual and asked Peyton’s mother if she noticed it. Peyton nor her mother knew what the doctor was referring to. Honestly, it took a trained eye to pick up on it. Peyton had a curvature in her spine. This curvature caused her body to be asymmetrical, but just looking at her, one may never notice it. The doctor asked her to take off her shirt and turn around. When the doctor asked Peyton to touch her toes, the truth was revealed and it became obvious that something was misaligned. Peyton was officially diagnosed with Scoliosis. It is a three-dimensional abnormality that occurs when the spine becomes rotated and curved sideways. It occurs most often during the growth spurt just before puberty. However, there is infantile, juvenile and adolescent scoliosis. Some may think that carrying heavy backpacks or sleeping on the side causes scoliosis, but this is not the case. When discovered in adolescence, rapid growth is occurring, and the detection of a curve at this stage should be monitored closely for progression as the child’s skeleton develops. The doctor who thankfully made the discovery is Dr Yolanda Jones-Griffin. She ordered an x-ray and immediately upon seeing the image, she and Desiree could see the dramatic curve. A mild curve is considered to be 20 degrees or less. Peyton’s curve was 33 degrees. Since then, a follow-up X-ray showed that the curve progressed to 36 degrees. Peyton was then seen by Dr Dane Bowe, followed by Dr Valentine Grimes, who prescribed her a brace. It would cover her entire chest, back and torso. The makers of the brace said they had back orders, because there was a spike in the number of children diagnosed with scoliosis between January and April. Symptoms usually include one shoulder blade that is higher than the other or sticks out more than the other, uneven hips, a rotating spine, breathing problems, and back pain. On April 8, Peyton was sculpted for her brace and it was ordered by Lewis Orthopedics. Dr Valentine Grimes is her orthopedic physician. By May 12, she was fitted and began wearing the brace, which has changed the way she lives. Just imagine having to wear a hard plaster brace that runs from under the arm to the bottom of the torso. It has affected her mobility, and has changed the way she sleeps. But, surprisingly, Peyton is very upbeat and optimistic about the change that has come to her life. “I am thankful that the doctor caught it when she did,” Peyton told me. “She said I could have had this since I was six. They say that once you get to 40 degrees, you have to consider surgery or they
may not be able to fix it anymore.” Desiree says that the process has been very costly. The additional physician’s visits, the tests including x-rays and an MRI, and a brace that cost $2,500. Some parents, she said, may not be able to afford it. For this reason, she agreed with Peyton that if parents can catch it early, children would have the best chance of proper, and hopefully less expensive care. Peyton says that some people with scoliosis may choose to have surgery with only a ten-degree abnormality of the spine. However, she chooses to be patient and hopes that the brace and additional therapy will correct her condition while she is still young and her spine is still growing.
“Peyton hopes that by sharing her story, all parents would take time out and study their children’s spine, and take them for regular checkups to ensure that they don’t have a condition like hers – one that could have gone undetected for even longer.” She blew me away with her confidence in dealing with a condition that affects 3 percent of all adolescents. Without intervention, scoliosis can be disabling. “I don’t really worry about it at all,” Petyon said. “I am just taking it as it comes. I just try to be happy about it because it could have been worse. I just deal with it and stay positive. It doesn’t hinder me too much from my normal activities. It can be a bit uncomfortable when I go to sleep, and I can feel the pad inside the brace pushing me one way when my spine is trying to push the other way. I have to wear it basically 24 hours
PEYTON won’t allow scoliosis to work against her and is ready for the challenges of high school and beyond.
a day except when I go to bathe. But sometimes my mother would let me have a small break when I really feel like I need it. But I don’t mind wearing it; it doesn’t bother me at all. I haven’t had to worry about any bullying, and I wouldn’t even let that bother me because I know I am doing this to get better.” “I told my physical education teacher about it and he was like, ‘You are still going to do all of these exercises!’ He asked if I could play dodgeball. When you play dodgeball, you are not allowed to hit upper areas like the face. You can only hit from the waist down. When I was playing, someone hit me at the waist and I didn’t feel it. They said, ‘Peyton got hit!’ I was like, ‘No, I didn’t’. They said, ‘That’s not fair!’ I said, ‘Yes it is!’ I didn’t feel it. That was funny. I just kept on playing.” “When my teacher told the class about it, most of the kids said ok, and then two second later, they forgot,” she said, laughing.
A
lthough she claims to be a bit shy, this brave recent grade six graduate of St John’s College says she wanted to tell her entire school about scoliosis. Since becoming aware of her condition, she has thought of other schoolmates whom she feels should be checked out also, because “they lean to one side, too”.
Peyton is an avid swimmer and a member of Blue Waves Swim Club. Doctors have told her that swimming is therapeutic for her condition and her coaches are very supportive. She has found herself looking out for the signs of scoliosis in other children, knowing that the earlier it is caught, the better. I asked her if she is happy that the brace, which has to be worn for about two years, will be coming off in her teenage years, when looks seem to become even more important to a girl. She told me that it didn’t matter what age she was when she found out. She would wear it with pride knowing that it would help her to get better. “I wouldn’t mind,” she replied. “I would probably be brave enough to wear this with a crop top. I would make an outfit out of it!” Peyton hopes that by sharing her story, all parents would take time out and study their children’s spine, and take them for regular check-ups to ensure that they don’t have a condition like hers – one that could have gone undetected for even longer. She dreams of being able to attend a scoliosis camp in the United States one day soon, to meet other children with the condition and to receive innovative therapy treatment.
Peyton is also very artistic and says she may want to get into art and design in the future. She also has a great love for animals. Personally, she wants a cockatoo. As an adult, Peyton says she wants to have many animals as pets, including dogs. For now, she has been avoiding dogs since wearing the brace. She feels it makes her a bit more vulnerable because she wouldn’t be able to run away if necessary. However, she isn’t allowing it to deter her from her love of dogs or wanting to own them in the future. She also dreams of having an orphanage with “at least 30 children” one day. Before adopting them, she says she will “get rich first”! A beautiful girl with an amazing smile and a confident character, Peyton has received accolades from her teachers and coaches. “I’ve only been working with Peyton a few months; however, her willingness to improve is quite commendable,” says her swim coach Sherwaine Arthurs. “She would never shy away from any workout and displays an attitude of an athlete that any coach would love to work with.
She listens well and does an excellent job of following instructions. Her diagnosis has never influenced her drive, dedication and determination to learn and improve. She always displays and exemplifies the mannerism of a true and quality athlete.” Ms Bernard of St John’s wrote this note to Peyton upon her graduation: “Your respectful attitude and humility will be missed. I was lucky to have been your teacher this year. A little bit of you will always be with me.” Peyton also loves poetry. She has even done duet poetry with another classmate. Her teacher Ms Clarke sent her this note at graduation: “You are a special girl with an amazing sense of humour. You are super cool! Keep Writing, because with your focus and technique, you’ll soar!” With everything going for her, Peyton won’t allow scoliosis to work against her. She is ready for the challenges of high school and beyond, confident that her cool and calm attitude towards any challenge will help her to continue to rise above them all.
More than just a game THE TRIBUNE
The Peter Young column IN the US it is called soccer. Elsewhere in the world it is known as football, and in Britain it carries the affectionate sobriquet of the “beautiful game” which folklore suggests was a phrase first coined by the Brazilian footballer, Pele, known as perhaps the most famous footballing hero of them all. Whatever name is applied, the sport is currently in the spotlight because the quadrennial European international men’s football championships are now taking place. They are called Euro2020 because they were supposed to have been held last year but were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Today is significant for millions of football supporters in both England and Germany because, during the course of it, the two countries will face off in the knockout round of the last sixteen of the tournament. After successfully navigating their way through their respective group matches, they will now be battling for
Tuesday, June 29, 2021, PAGE 9
ENGLAND’s Harry Kane and Germany’s Thomas Muller are both important figures for their teams.
a place in the quarter-finals. What is more, the match will be played at the iconic Wembley Stadium in London which was the venue for the epic struggle between the two countries in the final of the World Cup in 1966 that went right down to the wire but ended with a memorable win for England. Of course, there have always been other fine national football teams in Europe, but there is something special about the historic rivalry between Germany and England, which, like Scotland and Wales, is always represented separately rather than being part of a British combined team. In the intervening fifty-five years since England’s World Cup victory, the outcome of matches between the two has been clearly in favour of the Germans who, overall, have won four football World Cups and have been champions of Europe three times while 1996 has been England’s solitary success. So, Germany has been a world-beater for years and that has inspired the old joke about the definition of football being twenty-two
men chasing a ball around for ninety minutes and then Germany always winning. Nonetheless, there has always been a keen competitive edge about encounters on the pitch between these two sides which have invariably been close, with the outcome often being decided by penalties when the scores have been level at the end the match. The record shows that – in the intimidating heat of battle, under the glare of the TV cameras and millions watching as individual players take free shots at goal with only the goalkeeper to beat – the Germans have been better than their English opponents. Famous examples were the World Cup semifinal in 1990 when Germany prevailed over England through penalties, and the semi-finals of the Euros in 1996 when the current England manager, Gareth Southgate, infamously missed his penalty shot and Germany went on to win the final and emerged as European champions. As for the result of today’s match, the current German team is said to be a shadow of the great champions of the past while England
has made steady if unspectacular progress at the group stage of Euro 2020. Be that as it may, another stirring struggle is on the cards and the outcome is hard to predict. For some people, all this leads on to reflection about the broader significance of international football which is said to be more than just the game on the pitch. Many believe it has a wider dimension since it manifests a variety of emotions, passions, loyalties and attitudes based on a mix of history, patriotism and current relationships. Agreeing to bury the past while battling it out on the football pitch, the differences between Germany and England are well known. The latter is perhaps more of a nation of freedom and tolerance with an emphasis on personal responsibility and a sense of humour while Germany tends to
be more regimented, disciplined and wedded to what has been described as ‘inflexible perfectionism’ and a preoccupation with ‘correctness’. There is also a genuinely different view about nationalism. It is hardly surprising that, after the horrors of Nazism during the 1930s that led to war, nationalism is seen in Germany as a source of shame and it is fiercely opposed. So, many there regard the constraints on nationhood through the European Union as a means of preserving peace and boosting prosperity while in Britain those who voted to leave the bloc see it as a threat to national rights.
There are those who discount such deeper considerations because they believe that what happens on the field of play is the only thing that matters. Despite the warnings about the current German team’s supposed inadequacies, its superior record in numerous earlier matches means that England remains the underdog for today’s meeting. That said, there seems to be a general expectation that the rivalry between them will ensure another memorable encounter. The anticipation is said to be palpable. Let’s just hope it does not go to penalties again!
new publicity, it might be interesting to offer some comment. The Brexit issue has dominated political discourse in the UK to such an extent that it feels more like fifty years rather than five since the unexpected vote to quit the EU. As a reminder, 52 percent voted to leave and 48 per cent to stay, in a high turnout. So a small but clear majority rejected the advice of the then Prime Minister David Cameron and his colleagues, who scared everybody with their socalled Project Fear about the threat to the country’s economy. Despite these warnings, some of which were later exposed as lies, a majority opted for what they saw as the nation’s freedom from the tentacles of an EU which was continuing its
quest for ever closer political integration towards a federal super state. The referendum result was contested by Remainers who included many MPs seeking to overturn it. But it was heavily supported in the General Election of December 2019, which gave the Tories a thumping 80-seat majority and left no one in any doubt that a majority of electors favoured Brexit and a return to full sovereignty. In a statement to mark the fifth anniversary, Boris Johnson has said ‘this government got Brexit done and we’ve already reclaimed control over our money, laws, borders and waters’ – and, according to the most recent polls, some Remainers are now saying that, if asked again, they
would vote to leave. That does not mean, of course, that the debate is finally over. The case for and against EU membership is finely balanced, as is shown by the relatively narrow margin of the referendum and only time will tell whether the government’s vision of a thriving global Britain, trading freely with the rest of the world, will be achieved. But the signs are positive in relation, for example, to fresh levels of inward investment and to a series of new bilateral international trade deals; and the UK’s successful rollout of its COVID-19 vaccination programme has been remarkable compared to what has been described as a shambles in Brussels. Furthermore, it is reported that there are
new streamlined rules for business in the pipeline compared to the EU’s complex rulebook. However, disagreement remains with the EU over issues like the Northern Ireland Protocol and fishing rights and it is partly the case that obstacles have arisen because of the belligerent stance of the EU in its alleged determination to punish Britain for leaving the bloc lest other members should see it derived benefit from doing so. Looking at this five years after the referendum, it appears that the British people had come to the conclusion that they did not want to be governed any longer by others. The European Economic Community, known as the Common Market, which Britain formally joined in
January 1973, developed into the European Union. One effect was to give EU law supremacy over UK national or domestic law, which, in the view of many, was no longer acceptable – so, at the risk of oversimplifying the issue, it seems that the public have welcomed a return to full self-government under the nation’s well established system of parliamentary democracy. To rehash a quotation that caught my eye while researching this issue, one cannot help thinking that Brussels has forgotten the words of one of the founding fathers of a new Europe who told the National Press Club in Washington as long ago as 1952 that ‘we are not combining states, we are uniting them’.
FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF UK BREXIT REFERENDUM IN DECEMBER last year, I wrote about Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s signature of a trade deal with the European Union – the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement – after a long and gruelling period of intense negotiations. This deal may be unsatisfactory in certain respects, but I suggested then that it ought to mark the end of the great Brexit war and, to the relief of everyone, this vexatious issue would no longer be top of the news agenda. But, unsurprisingly, the subject was back on the front pages again last week because June 23 was the fifth anniversary of Britain’s 2016 referendum on the nation’s future relationship with the EU – and, since this has attracted much
PASSING OF AN AFRICAN POLITICAL ICON THE death earlier this month at the age of ninety-seven of Kenneth Kaunda, the long-serving first President of Zambia from 1964 to 1991, seems to have received little media attention this side of the Atlantic. But he was a highly significant figure in African politics. Not only did he dominate his country politically but he was revered for his immense contribution to the decolonisation process, particularly in southern Africa. Having led the British territory of Northern Rhodesia to independence in 1964 as the new state of Zambia, at the height
of his political power during the 1970s Kaunda was faced with a particularly difficult period for his country after the white minority government in the then Rhodesia (formerly Southern Rhodesia) declared independence unilaterally in 1965. As a landlocked country, Zambia depended on transport links through Rhodesia for both its exports – mainly copper – and its imports. Being a political pragmatist, he accepted that his country had to live in peace with this neighbour and with apartheid South Africa. However, that did not stop him from joining
with President Julius Nyerere of Tanzania in the struggle by the OAU (Organisation of African Unity) against colonialism and apartheid. They were the leading members of what became known as the “front line states” who played an important role in working successfully with Britain to bring white minority rule to an end in Rhodesia – which became the independent state of Zimbabwe in 1979 – and in maintaining pressure on the government of South Africa to release Nelson Mandela from prison and scrap apartheid.
Kenneth Kaunda was involved in politics as early as the 1950s when he was a key figure in opposing Britain’s illfated plans for a federation of the two Rhodesias and Nyasaland (now Malawi). He then governed his country for nearly thirty years. However, unlike so many leaders in Africa who have refused to relinquish power, he stepped down when he was voted out of office in 1991. He was considered a pioneer of African independence and – as a man of exceptional vision, strength and courage – a hero of his time.
PAGE 10, Tuesday, June 29, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
SEARCH and rescue personnel look for survivors through the rubble at the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Floridaa, on Sunday.
Photo: David Santiago/Miami Herald via AP
Crews spend fifth day searching for survivors in collapsed condo SURFSIDE, Florida Associated Press RESCUERS searching for a fifth day for survivors of a Florida condo building collapse used bucket brigades and heavy machinery Monday as they worked atop a precarious mound of pulverised concrete, twisted steel and the remnants of dozens of households. Authorities said the efforts are still a searchand-rescue operation, but no one has been found alive since hours after the collapse on Thursday. Ten people have been confirmed killed, and more than 150 others are still missing in the community of Surfside, just outside Miami. The pancake collapse of the 12-story building left layer upon layer of intertwined debris, frustrating efforts to reach anyone who may have survived in a pocket of space. “Every time there’s an action, there’s a reaction,” Miami-Dade Assistant Fire Chief Raide Jadallah said during a news conference. “It’s not an issue of we could just attach a couple of cords to a concrete boulder and lift it and call it a day.” Some of the concrete pieces are smaller, the size
ETHIOPIA DECLARES CEASEFIRE NAIROBI, Kenya Associated Press ETHIOPIA’S government yesterday declared an immediate, unilateral cease-fire in its Tigray region after nearly eight months of deadly conflict as Tigray forces occupied the regional capital, soldiers retreated and hundreds of thousands of people continue to face the world’s worst famine crisis in a decade. The cease-fire could calm a war that has destabilised Africa’s second most populous country and threatened to do the same in the wider Horn of Africa, where Ethiopia has been seen as a key security ally for the West. It comes as the country awaits the results of national elections that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed promoted as the centerpiece of reforms that won him the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize. Abiy’s transformation from making peace to waging war has appalled many observers since the fighting in Tigray erupted in November. Since then, the world has struggled to access much of the region and investigate growing allegations of atrocities.
of basketballs or baseballs. Underscoring the dangerous nature of the work, he noted that families who rode buses to visit the site on Sunday witnessed a rescuer tumble 25 feet down the pile. Workers and victims must both be considered, he said. “It’s going to take time,” he said. “It’s not going to happen overnight. It’s a 12-storey building.” The intense effort includes firefighters, sniffer dogs and search experts using radar and sonar devices. Early yesterday, a crane lifted a large slab of concrete from the debris pile, enabling about 30 rescuers in hard hats to move in and carry smaller pieces of debris into red buckets, which are emptied into a larger bin for a crane to remove. The work has been complicated by intermittent rain showers, but the fires that hampered the initial search have been extinguished. Jimmy Patronis, Florida’s chief financial officer and state fire marshal, said it was the largest deployment of such resources in Florida history that was not due to a hurricane. He said the same number of people were on
the ground in Surfside as during Hurricane Michael, a devastating Category 5 hurricane that hit 12 counties in 2018. “They’re working around the clock,” Patronis said. “They’re working 12 hours at a time, midnight to noon to midnight.” Andy Alvarez, a deputy incident commander with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that rescuers have been able to find some voids, or spaces, inside the wreckage, mostly in the basement and the parking garage. “We have over 80 rescuers at a time that are breaching the walls that collapsed, in a frantic effort to try to rescue those that are still viable and to get to those voids that we typically know exist in these buildings,” Alvarez said. “We have been able to tunnel through the building,” Alvarez added. “This is a frantic search to seek that hope, that miracle, to see who we can bring out of this building alive.” Others who have seen the wreckage up close were daunted by the task ahead. Alfredo Lopez, who lived with his wife in a sixthfloor corner apartment
and narrowly escaped, said he finds it hard to believe anyone is alive in the rubble. “If you saw what I saw: nothingness. And then, you go over there and you see, like, all the rubble. How can somebody survive that?” Lopez told The Associated Press. While most rescue teams were from the area, others came from elsewhere, including a small group of rescue workers from the Mexican group Cadena International. The group was using a suitcase-size device that uses microwave radar to “see” through concrete slabs and pick up heartbeats and other sounds up to 40 feet inside and under the rubble. But as of Monday, the group had not detected any heartbeats or sounds, said Ricardo Aizenman. “We are still working all the way, and we are hopeful for a miracle,” he said, adding that the best window for rescue is in the first 72 hours. After that time, hydration becomes the biggest challenge, he said. He added that the on-and-off rain happening since the collapse could actually help as a source of water.
“People can live up to 15, 16 days with only water, drops of water,” he said. “There are still chances. We have to keep up the high hopes.” Authorities yesterday insisted they are not losing hope. “We’re going to continue and work ceaselessly to exhaust every possible option in our search,” Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said. Deciding to transition from search-and-rescue work to a recovery operation is agonizing, said Dr. Joseph A Barbera, a professor at George Washington University. That decision is fraught with considerations, he said, that only those on the ground can make. Barbera coauthored a study examining disasters where some people survived under rubble for prolonged periods of time. He has also advised teams on where to look for potential survivors and when to conclude “that the probability of continued survival is very, very small”. “It’s an incredibly difficult decision, and I’ve never had to make that decision,” Barbera said. As time goes on, he said, teams will begin a process
called “rapid delayering, where you take more risk by moving larger amounts of rubble, because you recognise you’re running up against the time factor for survival”. How long a person can survive depends on a host of issues, including the availability of water, the severity of any injuries and the degree to which they are trapped, Barbera said. “The human dimension is huge -- the uncertainty that you could be leaving someone alive behind by ending too early,” Barbera said. “Families continue to have hope, as do rescuers, which is why you continue to see them pushing so hard within these difficult conditions.” The ultimate decision to move into the recovery phase, he said, will have to be made “with the involvement of the political authority because they’re the ultimate authority over this.” The building collapsed just days before a deadline for condo owners to start making steep payments toward more than $9m in repairs that had been recommended nearly three years earlier, in a report that warned of “major structural damage”.
HONG KONG TO BAN PASSENGER FLIGHTS FROM UK HONG KONG Associated Press
HONG Kong says it will ban all passenger flights from the UK starting on Thursday as it seeks to curb the spread of new variants of the coronavirus. It said in a statement yesterday that the UK has been classified as “extremely high risk” because of the “recent rebound of the epidemic situation in the UK and the widespread delta variant virus strain there”. More than 95 percent of COVID19 cases in the UK are of the delta variant, which was first identified in India. Cases have spiked in recent weeks as British authorities have relaxed coronavirus restrictions, allowing indoor gatherings and businesses including restaurants, cinemas and gyms to reopen. Scientists say the delta variant is much more transmissible than previous versions of the coronavirus, although it is uncertain if it is more deadly. Under the classification, people who have stayed in the UK for more than two hours will be restricted from boarding passenger flights to Hong Kong. It is the second time that the Hong Kong government has banned flights from the UK, following a restriction imposed last December. Dr Julian Tang, a virologist at the University of Leicester who previously worked in Hong Kong, said the ban makes sense from a scientific point of view. “The UK has never been good at
A WOMAN receives a COVID-19 test at a testing station in Nelson Bay, Australia, yesterday. Australia is battling to contain several COVID-19 clusters. Photo: Mark Baker/AP controlling the virus and overconfidence in the vaccine is likely now spurring this (latest) wave,” he said, adding it makes “perfect sense” for Hong Kong to ban travel from Britain. He said previous surges of COVID-19 in Hong Kong have been tiny and that exported cases in a largely unvaccinated population would be worrying. “They want to keep that Chinese territory as pristine as possible until they can persuade people to get
vaccinated,” Tang said. “And that’s going to take a long time.” He estimated that countries need to have at least 80% of their populations immunized to stop the spread of the delta variant. The ban comes amid heightened tensions between the UK and China over semi-autonomous Hong Kong, which was a British colony until it was handed over to China in 1997. • Australia was battling to contain several COVID-19 clusters
around the country yesterday in what some experts have described as the nation’s most dangerous stage of the pandemic since the earliest days. Sydney in the east and Darwin in the north were locked down on Monday. Perth in the west made masks compulsory for three days and warned a lockdown could follow after a resident tested positive after visiting Sydney more than a week ago. Brisbane and Canberra have or will soon make wearing masks compulsory. South Australia state announced new statewide restrictions from today. Australia has been relatively successful in containing clusters throughout the pandemic, registering fewer than 31,000 cases since the pandemic began. But the new clusters have highlighted the nation’s slow vaccine rollout with only five percent of the population fully vaccinated. Most of the new cases stem from a Sydney limousine driver who tested positive on June 16 to the delta variant, which is thought to be more contagious. He was not vaccinated, reportedly did not wear a mask and is suspected to have been infected while transporting a foreign air crew from Sydney Airport. New South Wales state on Monday reported 18 new cases in the latest 24-hour period. The tally was fewer than 30 cases recorded on Sunday and 29 on Saturday. Authorities warned that a twoweek Sydney lockdown that began on Friday would not reduce infection rates for another five days.