07032020 WEEKEND

Friday, July 3, 2020

Weekend

art books entertainment film music food history puzzles travel BAHAMIAN LEGACY Page 28

Marching onwards

Designer finds strength in face of grief

pgs 14+15

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Friday, July 3, 2020

photography

A Rose-Coloured Lens

The culinary treasures of the Bahamas

B

eauty is all around us in the Bahamas, on land and in the sea. But many of us are too busy with everyday life to pause and really see and enjoy the astonishing sights that surround us. Veteran photographer ROLAND ROSE captures both the ordinary and extraordinary and puts it in frame for us so we can see our environment in a new light.

From top left clockwise: Conch salad, conch fritters, grouper fingers, Eleuthera pineapples, Woodes Rogers display, black eyed peas, and delicious crawfish.

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Friday, July 3, 2020

Inside Weekend

MY PERFECT BAHAMIAN WEEKEND MARYJANE Y98.7 DJ Q: What is the first thing you did after the weekend lockdown was lifted?

“I took a walk on the beach.”

Interview 4 - 5 At 17, Garvon Bullard has experienced a lifetime’s worth of pain. But despite losing his mother to breast cancer during the pandemic, he managed to graduate high school with a 4.0 GPA.

Beverages 7

The craft beer movement picks up steam during Summer

Food 8 - 9

A celebrity chef creates memories with his dishes and offers inhome dining during pandemic

Gardening 10

The casuarina dilemma

Travel 11

Staycation options for the hot months

Fashion 14 -15

Designer finds strength in grief and develops new social media “It” brand

Film 16, 18

Summer blockbusters move to August, plus Broadway sensation “Hamilton” hits streaming service

Books 20 - 21

Eleuthera poet finds outlet for pain with new book, plus this week’s page-turners

Forgotten Facts 22

Paul C Aranha finds letters describing the storm of 1908

Literary Lives 24 - 25 The British author and playwright behind the classic film “National Velvet” starring Elizabeth Taylor

Puzzles 26

Animal Matters 27 Last-minute dash to get Dorian dogs to their forever homes, plus Pet of Week

Q: What will you miss the most and what did you learn about your time in lockdown?

“That I have to have a lot of distractions for my kids because they will get bored easily.”

Q: If there is ever another lockdown, what is the one thing you will immediately stock up on?

“Definitely internet connection to have contact with the outside world.”

Q: Has COVID-19 affected your travel plans for 2020?

“Actually, it has put a big damper on everything, all my plans are now on the back bench, because I definitely will not be travelling for a while.”

Q: Now that the weekend lockdowns have come to an end, how will you spend your perfect Sunday?

“A great brunch followed by an afternoon watching football with my family, if football ever starts again.”

THIS WEEKEND IN HISTORY July 3

• In 1608, the city of Quebec (which comes from the Algonquin or Ojibwe word kébec meaning “where the river narrows”) in what became Canada was founded by French explorer Samuel de Champlain.

• In 1971, singer Jim Morrison of The Doors died in Paris at age 27. The official cause of death was listed as heart failure.

His death came two years to the day after the death of Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones and approximately nine months after the deaths of Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin — all

of whom died at the age of 27.

• In 2003, the US put a $25 million bounty on Saddam Hussein, and $15 million apiece for his two sons. (The $30 million reward for Odai and Qusai Hussein went to a tipster whose information led US troops to their hideout, where the brothers were killed in a gun battle.)

July 4

• In 1776, the US Declaration of Independence was adopted by delegates to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia.

• In 1826, 50 years to the day after the Declaration of Independence was adopted, former US presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, who signed the document, both died.

• In 1910, in what was billed as “The Fight of the Century,”

black world heavyweight boxing champion Jack Johnson defeated white former champ James J Jeffries in Reno, Nevada.

July 5

• In 1946, the world’s first bikini, created by Louis Reard, was modelled by Micheline Bernardini during a poolside fashion show in Paris.

• In 1954, Elvis Presley’s first commercial recording session took place at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee; the song he recorded was “That’s All Right.”

• In 1975, Arthur Ashe became the first black man to win a Wimbledon singles title as he defeated Jimmy Connors, 6-1, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4.

– The Associated Press

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Friday, July 3, 2020

interview

Garvon T Bullard At age 17 he’s already lived through a lifetime’s worth of pain. He was only 12 when he lost his father, and now just has he prepared to graduate high school during a worldwide pandemic, he had to watch his mother lose her battle with breast cancer. Despite the tragedy, he tells Cara Hunt about graduating with a 4.0 GPA and his dreams of attending university.

F

OR any student, grade 12 is a challenging year.

You are spending the last days with your school friends, preparing to sit national exams, and have to answer the all important question of what you’re going to do with the rest of your

life.

So imagine completing your senior year from home in the midst of a global pandemic while nursing your mother as she battles breast cancer and dies just four weeks before you graduate.

This was the situation 17-year-old Garvon Bullard found himself in. But he managed to fight through the stress and the grief and still graduate as valedictorian of his class with a 4.0 grade point average.

Garvon has always been an exemplary student. He attended primary school at Uriah McPhee, where he was a prefect and graduated in the top five of the school.

It was then that he experienced his first major loss.

His father, Garvon Bullard Sr, passed away.

“It was a very rough experience, because my family has always been close and I had a very good relationship with my father, but when he died I knew that he would want me to continue to do well and stay focused,” the teenager told Tribune Weekend.

Garvon continued on his path of excellence when he transferred to T A Thompson Junior High School.

“T A Thompson was my first time in a new environment and I really didn’t know what to expect in high school, but I also knew that it was time for me to explore my talents and so I entered the music programme at school,” he said.

Garvon learned to play the alto saxophone, eventually earning his Royal Academy of Music certification with distinctions.

Once again, his grades flourished and he graduated as the valedictorian of his junior high school.

During his high school years, Garvon consistently remained on the principle’s list with a 3.5 GPA. At C C Sweeting, where he attended senior high, he was also head boy.

The secret to his academic success, he said, has always been his drive to achieve excellence in every aspect of his life.

“We are what we repeatedly do, therefore excellence is not an act but a habit. That is a quote by Aristotle and they are words I live by. Even when you don’t feel like studying, it then becomes so ingrained in you that you do it anyway, because you remember what you are working for.”

He advises his fellow teens and students not to fall victim to outside influences.

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Friday, July 3, 2020

“We are what we repeatedly do, therefore excellence is not an act but a habit. That is a quote

by Aristotle and they are words I live by.”

“Peer pressure is a very serious thing that young people have to go through, but you have to stay determined and not fall into it or let things define you. For example, C C Sweeting has the stigma that it is in the ghetto and people would say, ‘Oh nothing good comes out of the ghetto.’ But I would say look at me, I am a product of CC Sweeting and I am coming out with a GPA of 4.0.”

Garvon is especially proud of his grades this semester. The COVID-19 pandemic of course meant that students had to complete their studies at home.

But Garvon had an additional challenge to contend with. His mother, Cindy Bullard, who was battling breast cancer, had been doing all right at the onset of the pandemic, but her health declined rapidly and she passed away last month.

“My sister and I were both at home taking care of her as I was finishing school. But I was still able to complete my work and become valedictorian. I am really pleased that this semester I earned a 4.0 GPA. This is the first time I was able to achieve it and it happened in spite of everything,” he said.

Garvon said the death of his mother was devastating. He is particularly saddened she was not around to see him reach such an important milestone in life.

“But she has been with me all through high school, and has seen me do well and so I know that she died knowing I am on the right track,” he said.

“I would definitely tell other young people who lose a parent to never give up. Death is not the end. Basically I feel that my mother’s death has been a sacrifice for me to be able to tell my story and encourage others. Doors are continuing to open for me even though she is not here.

So I would say to people, you know your loved one would not want you to live the rest of your life depressed, but to go out there and become the best person that you can be,” he said.

Garvon is now ready for adulthood, but sadly without his parents.

Fortunately, he still has his sister and is hopeful that he will be able to join her at university this Fall.

“My sister, Gardenia Bullard, is three years older than me. She is the first immediate member of my family to go off to school,” Garvon wants to follow his sister to the Middle Tennessee State International University.

“I want to study audio broadcasting and engineering,” he said. “I want to study the impact of sound and help musicians achieve their goals.

My ultimate dream job would be to work at Disney World because you know how Disney music has attracted people.”

He added that originally he wasn’t sure if he wanted to attend the same university as his sister.

“But what sold me is that they really do have a very good programme and the school is located near Nashville, which is one of the music capitals. And with everything that happened with my family, being near my sister was the perfect choice.”

Garvon was awarded the top international merit scholarship for MTSU. “The scholarship and the donations I have received do not quite complete the tuition, but I am remaining positive,” he said.

He is also unsure whether he will be attending in the Fall or Spring next year, as that depends on what will happen with the spread of the coronavirus in the US. “I am hoping that the US embassy will open so that I can get my US visa and for the school to decide how they will proceed,” he said.

But no matter not what happens, Garvon has proven that he is ready to face whatever life throws at him.

• If you are interested in assisting Garvon on his academic journey, an account has been opened at the Bank of the Bahamas: Garvon T Bullard; branch number 166; account number: 5975002545.

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Friday, July 3, 2020

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Friday, July 3, 2020

beverages

Raise a glass to Summer!

Craft beer movement picks up steam for the hot season

By ALESHA CADET

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Tribune Features Reporter | acadet@tribunemedia.net

ummer is in full swing and the restrictions on social gatherings have been eased, so it’s most definitely time to spend your free hours outside and with friends and family.

The perfect drink to go with this setting is a crisp and refreshing India pale ale (IPA) which has become so popular in recent years, said Christine Albury, owner of the Rip Ty’d Bahamian Craft Beer company.

An IPA with is citrus notes, or as an alternative, a light refreshing Pilsner, she added, are the perfect beer choices for the hot season.

But Mrs Albury said it’s important to not only match your beers to the seasons, but also with your food.

“Food pairings with craft beer can be quite delicious. For instance, a Porter – which incorporates chocolate and coffee notes – would be a great accompaniment for smoked foods such as barbecue and chilli; it is even awesome with pistachio ice cream. An IPA, which is a bit bitter, can have juicy citrus notes which pairs well with spicy foods. One of our favourite pairings is our Juicy IPA with fried chicken. Pairings can be endless with craft beer,” she said.

For those with a sweet tooth, Mrs Albury said the Porter is also an excellent choice as it has a smooth, creamy flavour. Their seasonal mango flavoured IPA is another option.

For people unfamiliar with craft beers, but wishing to try some, Mrs Albury advises them to first think of the type of beverage they typically drink. If they are already a beer drinker, they should ask themselves what kind of beer they enjoy. If they are a non-beer drinker, they should try to assess if they enjoy malty, hoppy, bitter, fruity or other flavour profiles. With these questions answered, Mrs Albury said she can serve up the perfect craft beer for any customer.

Mrs Albury’s foray into the world of beer started after the death of her husband, who had been brewing different craft beer at home as a hobby. During an outing to Rose Island, her friend and business partner expressed an interest in learning the brewing process. Mrs Albury located her late husband’s recipes and they started brewing on her stovetop.

“We wanted to name our beer with a nautical reference and came up with Rip Ty’d, which payed homage to my husband, Tyrone, by changing the spelling of tide into Ty’d. Almost six years later we are now a part of the craft beer movement. My business partner has an engineering background and I in finance and

A SEASONAL mango beer and other specialised craft beers are brewed at the Rip Ty’d Bahamian Craft Beer company.

retail. We both have an eye for detail and have enjoyed the process as challenging, as it has been at times,” she said.

“We are a small batch brewery which allows us to manufacture a product that we can custom create and ensure bold and rich flavours.”

As they are a small company, it can sometimes be difficult to source local products which are sold in commercial quantities to larger manufacturers. But they hope to continue to source enough fresh produce to incorporate in their small batch brews. Their latest release was the mango IPA made with fresh mangos, she said. It is a seven-hour process to brew beer from start to finish.

“There is a particular joy and sense of accomplishment to see a customer recognise and appreciate the taste and flavour profiles of Rip Ty’d Craft Beer, that’s what creates a memorable experience. We are unique in the fact that we are a small batch brewery. We get to be as creative as we wish. Our team remains innovative and modern by working together with our community as a team player. Our goal is to encourage persons to join the craft beer movement and enjoy a unique beer experience,” said Ms Albury.

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food

Friday, July 3, 2020

Creating memories through food

Celebrity chef offers in-home dining

By ALESHA CADET | Tribune Features Reporter acadet@tribunemedia.net

“

“

I remember the shock on their face as I explained to them that their pea soup and dumplings will be served deconstructed or that the gelato will taste like guava duff fresh from somebody’s grammy pillowcase.”

CREATIVE people create”, even in the midst of chaos. This is the motto of Bahamian Chef Jamall Petty, who launched a new in-home dining experience during lockdown.

“I believe that the times we are living in leaves you with little to no other option but to tap into the gifts and talents that you possess internally and to utilise some of the capabilities that may be lying dormant within you. This time is when some of the greatest ideas, music or projects are birthed,” said Chef Petty.

With many restaurants and eateries, including his own mobile gourmet food truck, having been hard hit during the COVID-19 pandemic and its resultant restrictions, Chef Petty said he quickly realised that “eating out” options were drastically dwindling. And he figured waiting in long lines for fast food was probably not the ideal option for people, especially those looking for something different to celebrate those special occasions in quarantine.

“This hit me during a conversation with a couple celebrating their anniversary. This in-home dining experience was not much of an adjustment for me because I quite naturally have been the personal chef, catering to private dinner events for persons who

would prefer to have a five-star experience at home. So I shifted my attention to creating this type of experience for people that love creating memories through food,” said Chef Petty.

He said the experiences were created and tailored to a customer’s preference. For example, for one couple, Chef Petty and his team delivered all the necessary ingredients for their dream meal, along with a link to an instructional video on how to plate the dish posted on his website.

“This made it easy for them to follow and it became an interactive date night for the couple. On the other hand, there was another couple that wanted the full experience, beginning with the décor and tablescape, a selection of amuse-bouche served by an immaculately dressed sommelier who paired fine wines with the outstanding courses that followed,” he said.

One particular experience that stuck in his mind was a couple who wanted down-home Bahamian food but presented as a gourmet meal.

“I remember the shock on their face as I explained to them that their pea soup and dumplings will be served deconstructed or that the gelato will taste like guava duff fresh from somebody’s grammy pillowcase,” he said.

Friday, July 3, 2020

Chef Petty has been in the industry for over 26 years. He has travelled the world and represented the Bahamas in many culinary competitions, ranging from the Orlando and Chicago Culinary Classics to the IKA International Culinary Olympics. He has been fortunate to have cooked for many celebrities, multi-millionaires and billionaires, allowing them to experience the way he creates memories through food. This year, he launched an online cooking class and a gourmet food truck called Foodplay to allow more people to experience his food and the flavours of the Bahama islands.

“Over the years I have become more and more comfortable with the many shades of myself as a culinarian. Some years ago I remember my colleagues laughed and teased me about being what they called a ‘TV chef’ or ‘celebrity’, because being on camera, having a cooking show and doing live interactive demonstrations were not the popular thing to do. I loved it nonetheless and pursued the things I was passionate about in spite of external opinions. I grew to become comfortable with myself and not feel that I had to fit into someone else’s idea of how I express my craft,” he said.

“I love the idea of using my gift to make people smile, especially with so many reasons not to. I actually put on a virtual egg battle during the lockdown months where noteworthy persons and influencers were challenged to create an egg dish live on Facebook.

Thousands of people viewed and and commented as we gave them a wellreceived relaxer and comedic relief to help them cope with staying at home.”

Despite the rough start to 2020, Chef Petty said he is excited about the rest of the year. He will be offering more online cooking classes and culinary entertainment.

“I am hoping to create this on any platform that allow locals and visitors to experience the fun and entertainment side of (all things) culinary, just as they would enjoy a live band or limbo dancer,” he said.

His gourmet food truck will also continue to evolve, he added, incorporating all that our local farmers are growing.

“Depending on my availability post COVID-19, I will make this in-home dining experience available so that people can have a Chef Jamall Petty fine dining experience crossed off their bucket list as the (restaurant industry) embraces a new normal,” he said.

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CHEF Jamall Petty brings gourmet dining to your home.

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Friday, July 3, 2020

gardening

To cut down or not to cut down

T

here has been a recent push by government to remove casuarina trees along the eastern shore of New Providence, and this has stirred up quite a debate it seems. The fact that casuarinas are an alien, exotic, invasive species is not up for debate. Introduced from Australia, these trees do more harm than good. They create monocultures of nothing but casuarinas and they inhibit the growth of native species. They do not hold onto the sand on the shoreline.

The Bahamas National Trust recently put out a video explaining, and showing, the damage that occurred on the shoreline of Grand Bahama due to the fact that casuarina do not in fact help to hold onto the sand on the shoreline, as compared to native trees. The science is out there and available, and the studies have been done. The conclusion is that casuarinas are harmful, not helpful. Many people are emotionally attached to these trees, and that tends to cloud their response and seems to make folks ignore the science. What is to be done with the areas where they have been removed is yet to be seen, but it is my hope that a native tree and shrub planting programme will be implemented to regreen the eastern shore of New Providence for the wider benefit of its inhabitants.

Onto the cultivated garden, the summer heat is putting a higher demand on the water and nutrient needs of plants, both edible and aesthetic. It has also got the bugs very active; this will be a common theme for the next few months. If your seed grown veggies are suffering a bit, this is perfectly normal for the time of year. Brown spots in your lawn grass is also perfectly normal, grubs and chinch bug are more active now than the cooler months. It is the also the perfect time to get fertilizing if deficiencies are showing. Pruning, maybe one of the most underutilised methods of prevention, plant growth, and safety of people and infrastructure. Remember to check your trees to see if they could be thinned out to allow increased airflow should one of those summer storms happen to show up. Cut out dead or damaged wood on fruit trees or plants, shrubs, and trees.

I will quickly introduce to you the South Sea Salad Tree, also known as bele, manihot, slippery cabbage, pacific cabbage, edible hibiscus, hibiscus manihot, or in its binomial (the only name that really matters and the only name for a true and correct identification), the Abelmoschus manihot.

This plant is an excellent substitute for spinach and can be used raw or cooked. We use it a lot in pasta sauces, stir fry, soups, and more. This plant has a relatively high nutritional content, with up to 20 percent protein. It also contains high levels of carotenoids, zinc, calcium, and magnesium. Aside from being nutrient laden, it is easy to grow and gives a yearround option for greens at little to no cost.

The manihot can be grown in full sun, part shade, or full shade. The larger leaved varieties will typically have slightly higher moisture requirements as the transpire more than the smaller leaved varieties,

AUNTIE Lilli’s (purple) and Chief Kubo’s Prize (green), two variants of the highly versatile South Sea Salad Tree.

especially in the full sun. When planted in the shade, plants will typically be a little more susceptible to pests than those planted in the sun. Regular pruning encourages growth. I pick two or three leaves (that’s all it takes, the leaves can get huge!) a couple of times a week and it is a very worthy green that we add to our meals. Slice some up and add it to omelettes. There are many other ways to incorporate this plant into your regular meal routine.

I love the stems as they can be used to give some almost celery-like texture to dishes.

All of this, and it is a beautiful landscape plant! The stems take on a lovely pink colour and the leaves are typically a lovely medium to dark green shade, with large texture (large leaves).

There are several cultivars available, and I grow three of these: Chief Kubo’s Prize, Kiko’s Crump, and Auntie Lilli’s which is (in my opinion) gorgeous, with maple leaf shaped foliage and striking red and pink variegated leaves.

Regardless of which variety or cultivar you can get hold of, I highly recommend this plant.

It is beautiful and edible, but not only the leaves. The flowers, stems, and seed pods are also edible.

Things to continue doing in the garden in July: Scout for pests and treat for control if needed, pull up casuarina seedlings, prune out dead or damaged wood on shrubs and trees, treat your lawn for grubs and chinch bugs, and try the South Sea Salad Tree (which is not really a tree). Gardening is fun, but at times it can be confusing, especially when something is not a tree, but it’s called a tree. Happy gardening!

• Adam Boorman is the nursery manager at the Fox Hill Nursery. You can contact him with any questions that you may have, or suggestions for topics that you might like to see discussed, at gardening242@gmail.com

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Friday, July 3, 2020

travel ENJOY the beautiful island of Eleuthera (Photo/True Love Travel)

Exploring closer to home

A

By CARA HUNT | Tribune Features Writer | cbrennen@tribunemedia.net

lthough the country has opened its borders to international travel, many Bahamians are heeding the Prime Minister’s advice not to leave the country unless it is absolute necessary. And with coronavirus numbers rapidly increasing in the US, and especially in Florida, a lot of people are opting to stay home this summer. No shopping in Miami, no fun in the Disney and Universal theme parks in Orlando.

This means that more Bahamians will be flocking to the Family Islands to enjoy a staycation in our very own paradise.

The Out Islands have a myriad of experiences to offer and there are many options to choose from in how you explore them, whether as part of a group or family, as a couple or alone.

True Love Travel is one company that is offering what they are calling “The Bahamas Bucket List”, with group trips planned to Long Island,

Eleuthera, Cat Island, Andros, the Berry Islands and even a New Providence staycation.

The TLT team maintains that the “2020 islands group trip experiences are perfect for persons who love to explore domestically but do not have the time to do all the scheduling and leg work for creating a seamless vacation to their dream island.”

“Guests are invited to sit back and relax as True Love Travel whisks them away on these carefully curated group trips exploring scenic landscapes and stunning natural wonders with other like-minded travellers. Explore the blue holes of Long Island, the pineapple fields of Eleuthera or take in the relaxing charm of the Berry Islands,” the organisers said.

The dates for the group trips are available on the TLT website and social media pages.

After months of being cooped up indoors, what better way to relax and feel pampered

than at a resort where the ocean is right at your back door?

The Ministry of Tourism is also once again offering its two fly/cruise free promotion, where residents can get two free airfares or Bahama Fast Ferries tickets when they travel to a Family Island and stay at a participating resort.

This is a great way to lower the cost of a family vacation or a romantic weekend getaway.

Many resorts are upping the ante this year by offering free water toys, bicycles and sporting equipment rentals.

If you want to remain in Nassau, but still have that ‘wanting to get away from it all’ feeling, checking into a local Airbnb is one option, but resorts like the Warwick on Paradise Island, the Sandyport Beach Resort out West, or Island House on Mahogany Hill near Lyford Cay, are also all offering resident rates throughout the summer months.

“Our team has completed rigorous safety training sessions and have put in place various precautionary measures, designed with your health and safety in mind,” said the team at Island House.

Meanwhile the Sandyport Beach Resort is promising lots of space to spread out and social distance with the ones you love.

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Friday, July 3, 2020

community

Bahamas Beverage Brewery, Greek organisations assist those need

By JEFFARAH GIBSON | Tribune Features Writer | jgibson@tribunemedia.net

O

ver the past few weeks there has no been shortage of examples of philanthropy in communities. Local companies and organisations have been reaching out to lend a helping hand to those in need in these difficult times.

One recent act of generosity came from the Bahamas Beverage Brewery and Tito’s Handmade Vodka, which sponsored Lend A Hand Bahamas (LAHB), an organisation that works closely with those who have been experiencing financial strain as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last week, BBB and Tito’s Handmade Vodka made a donation to LAHB, adding to the brand’s series of global philanthropic efforts.

“We love the fact that LAHB has been so instrumental in addressing the needs of the local communities,” said Joel Smith, Tito’s brand manager at BBB. “It was important to us that whatever donations we made would get directly into the hands of people who are most vulnerable and in the need of assistance.”

Launched in 2014, LAHB quickly developed a reputation for providing help and hope to residents of inner-city communities around New Providence. Through its Lewis Street community centre, the organisation launched a series of education-focused programmes for school-aged youth while also offering life skills training to job seekers. Those programmes have been outdone by the group’s widely successful feeding and food distribution initiatives which have assisted families throughout the island, providing

TITO’s Handmade Vodka has launched a series of both local and global philanthropic efforts designed to assist communities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

THE BAHAMAS Pan-Hellenic Council recently organised a Big Greek give-back. thousands of vulnerable members of the community with meals on a weekly basis.

These initiatives quickly caught the attention of both Tito’s Handmade Vodka and BBB, who reached out to offer additional assistance.

Local Greek letter fraternities and sororities also came together to do their

part in helping Bahamians. They recently gathered on what would have been “The Big Greek” weekend to package grocery items instead of holding the usual celebratory event.

The grocery gift packaging was led

by Bahamas Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) to help hurting families that have

experienced financial loss during this pandemic.

Ashley Larrimore, PR officer for NPHC, said: “Under normal circumstances we would have hosted our annual Greek weekend and the proceeds from that event would normally return to the communities in the forms of scholarship or initiatives similar to this project here today.”

Vincent Thompson, current president of NPHC, explained that the NPHC is the collaborative association for the historically black organisations fondly referred to as the “Divine Nine”. It represents a an umbrella under which all the Greek letter organisations can come together and collaborate on initiatives, and reach a wider audience than they would separately.

“Unfortunately, Greek organisations have a misunderstood reputation in some circles. Many only correlate us to parties and events. However, it is important that we remind the wider public that our organisations were founded on principals of service, giving back and bettering that which is around us. Something as important as the events of 2020 is the exact type of initiative that the Greek organisations and NPHC were founded for and should always be positively involved in,” said Mr Thompson.

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Friday, July 3, 2020

art

What does the crab say?

relatable, bringing smiles to people’s faces,” she said.

For her that was more than enough.

The cartoons took Tanya back to her earlier years, when she did much more pencil work.

“This was old but new for me because I have not done it in a very long time. It provided great inspiration. I intend on doing much more of those simple cartoons. I will be keeping up with what is happening in the news and ensure that my artwork definitely is reflecting the times,” she said.

Art is an avenue the artist has used over the years as a “refreshing outlet” to speak her opinions without words.

Growing up on an island, she said, it was the natural beauty of the environment that inspired her. And she has been increasingly moved to utilise more natural resources in her art, including sea grape leaves, seashells, almonds, and more. Through her art, she seeks to evoke appreciation for things that may be considered mundane.

She has also been seeking to marry her art with her faith. As a Christian, Tanya said she feels an urgency to create works for art that speak to her faith in God and her spirituality.

“I feel this is something on my heart that God is directing me to do.

There are so many things going on in our world and if my artwork can provide some level of hope, peace to people while also spreading God’s gospel, I would be truly fulfilled,” she said.

For more information, contact the artist at 242-565-5324.

Local artist gives beloved crustaceans a voice

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

I

f a crab could could talk, what would it say about everything going on in the world right now? That is a question Bahamian artist Tanya Evans-Mason seeks to answer with her latest work, which puts the crustaceans Bahamians love so much front and centre.

As a native of Andros, Tanya has spent countless summers catching crabs, and now she has made them the subjects of her tongue-andcheek art.

There are three cartoons in her series called “Crab Season 2020”. They feature crabs adorned in masks hiding from those seeking to catch them, throw them in a pen, fatten them up with food and then cook them for a delicious Bahamian meal.

“I have heard some people say if a dog could talk, what would it say? With it being crab season and seeing such an abundance of crabs in pens throughout Nassau, I wondered what crabs would actually have to say? What would they say about the pandemic, what would they say about being caught and thrown into and pen, and how would they react to being hunted,” she told Tribune Weekend. “So I simply used my imagination and gave the crabs a voice.”

Tanya released her cartoons on social media to a very positive reception.

“The whole idea came while we were lockdown and I just thought what could I actually do that and create. I got my pencil and began working because I felt I needed to express my artistic abilities. The work turned out being very

CRABS give social commentary in a new humorous cartoon series by artist Tanya Evans-Mason

16 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, July 3, 2020

film YIFEI Liu as Mulan in the upcoming live action Disney film.

‘Mulan’ follows ‘Tenet’ to August, ending Hollywood’s summer NEW YORK (AP) — Hollywood’s Cinemark — the three largest circuits in North America — had all set a timetable hopes for salvaging its summer for nationwide reopening in early to midseason have effectively ended after July with the aim of first playing ctalogue the releases of both Christopher movies (including Nolan’s own “IncepNolan’s “Tenet” and the Walt Disney tion”) and a smattering of smaller films as Co’s live-action reboot of “Mulan” a lead-in to summer tentpoles. were again delayed.

But with COVID-19 cases surging in With reported cases of the coroTexas, Arizona, Florida and elsewhere, navirus surging in parts of the US, those plans became uncertain. Rising Disney on Friday followed Warner cases in California forced Disney earlier Bros. in pushing “Mulan” to late this week to delay next month’s planned August. The film, initially planned to reopening of Disneyland in Anaheim. On open in March, had been slated for Wednesday, New York Governor Andrew ROBERT PATTINSON, left, and John David Washington in a scene from July 24. It’s now moving to August the time-twisting, mind-bending “Tenet” by Christopher Nolan.

Cuomo also said New York would delay 21. reopening cinemas while it continued to “We are choosing to open the movie mid“While the pandemic has changed our research the safety of indoor, air-conditioned week to allow audiences to discover the film release plans for ‘Mulan’ and we will continue venues. in their own time, and we plan to play longer, to be flexible as conditions require, it has not United Artists Releasing’s “Bill & Ted Face the over an extended play period far beyond the changed our belief in the power of this film and Music” also pushed back from August 14 to norm, to develop a very different yet successful its message of hope and perseverance,” said August 28. This will be the third instalment in the release strategy,” a Warner Bros spokesperson Disney co-chairmen Alan Horn and Alan Berg“Bill & Ted” film series and a sequel to “Bill & Ted’s said in a statement. man in a joint statement.

Bogus Journey” (1991) and will once again be Movie theatre chains had planned the wideLate Thursday, Warner Bros also postponed starring Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter. spread reopening of cinemas partially around “Tenet,” starring John David Washington and

By JAKE COYLE the return of new releases like “Tenet” and DisRobert Pattinson, from July 31 to August 12. The AP Film Writer studio stressed the need for flexibility. ney’s “Mulan.” AMC Theatres, Regal Cinemas and

The Tribune | Weekend | 17

Friday, July 3, 2020

entertainment - AP Film Writer Jake Coyle

MUSIC

THE 35TH anniversary commemorative 2 LP 12” vinyl collector’s edition of the self-titled album by Whitney Houston is now available. (Legacy Recordings via AP)

New this week: Whitney Houston, Willie Nelson and John Lewis

H

ere’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week.

MOVIES

— “John Lewis: Good Trouble”: “There are forces today trying to

take us back to another time,” says the Civil Rights leader and Congressman John Lewis in the opening of Dawn Porter’s documentary. “We have miles to go.”

Few voices have echoed louder and more truthfully through the last 55 years of American life than the 80-year-old Lewis. Porter’s film, debuting on-demand Friday, is a sturdy vessel for Lewis’ story.

—Whitney Houston: Thirtyfive years ago the icon Whitney Houston released her self-titled debut album, taking over radio station across the world with anthems like “You Give Good Love,” “Saving All My Love for You,” “How Will I Know” and “Greatest Love of All.” To commemorate its milestone anniversary, Sony’s Legacy Recordings is releasing a 2 LP vinyl version of the 13x platinum album on Tuesday.

The package will also include a second album — the US release of the “Whitney Dancin’ Special” EP/remix album — which was previously released only in Japan in 1986.

—Willie Nelson: Lucky No 70. You read that right.

The legend Willie Nelson will release his 70th studio album, “First Rose of Spring,” on Friday. The album was originally supposed to drop in April days before he turned 87, but was pushed back because of the coronavirus pandemic. “First Rose of Spring” features two new songs as well as Nelson’s interpretations of tunes written by others, including Chris Stapleton and Toby Keith.

— Jadakiss vs Fabolous: Grammy-nominated rappers Jadakiss of The Lox and Fabolous will go head-tohead in the latest “Verzus” series on Instagram Live. The skilled lyricists, often called on by R&B stars to co-star on songs, each have a good mix of pop hits and platinum albums, as well as respected lyrics and delivery that helped them rank among rap’s best performers. Jada and Fab even collaborated on the 2017 album “Friday on Elm Street.”

- AP Music Editor Mesfin Fekadu

YOU Should Have Left

Top 10 Apple Movies

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

. Trolls World Tour . Irresistible (2020) . The King of Staten Island . Jumanji: The Next Level

. The Invisible Man (2020)

. You Should Have Left

. Sea Fever (2019) . The Gentlemen

. Trolls: 2-Movie Collection . 1917

Independent:

. You Should Have Left

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

. Sea Fever (2019) . Capone . Go Back to China

. Midsommar

. The High Note

. Robert the Bruce . I Still Believe

. Becky . 28 Days Later

– The Associated Press

18 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, July 3, 2020

film

(l-r) Daveed Diggs, Okieriete Onaodowan, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr and Anthony Ramos in the filmed version of the original Broadway production of “Hamilton.” (Disney Plus via AP)

Review: Revolutionary ‘Hamilton’ arrives at an uneasy time

T

HAMILTON | 161 minutes

he revolution is finally being televised, thank goodness.

The long-awaited live-capture of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s shake-therafters musical “Hamilton” comes out Friday on Disney+, a chance to celebrate America’s independence with some of its Founding Fathers.

The timing seems ideal. Or, given all that’s shook this nation in the past few months, could it not be quite revolutionary enough?

The show features the original Broadway cast — who Miranda has called “an incredible ‘28 Yankees of actors” — and was filmed in the summer of 2016 at The Richard Rodgers Theatre in front of a raucous crowd. RadicalMedia, which taped the last night of “Rent,” recorded two performances of “Hamilton” and asked actors on their days off to come back and do close-ups.

The show won 11 Tony Awards, including best new musical, best book and best score. The cast album has been a blockbuster and the show has toured to packed houses. But only in this filmed version is the original cast once again married with Andy Blankenbuehler’s choreography and Howell Binkley’s lighting design. These were all the seeds of world-conquering greatness.

Thomas Kail, who helmed the successful “Grease: Live” on Fox and won a Tony for directing “Hamilton,” directed the filmed version. Kail’s camera captures actors’ intimate faces during

key moments in a way impossible for theatergoers and incorporates audience reaction to create an electric filmed version.

The musical charts the rise and fall of statesman Alexander Hamilton and stresses his orphan, immigrant roots — “Immigrants. We get the job done!” is one line that gets huge applause — as well as his almost Greek tragedy of a fall, fed by ambition.

It’s hard to underestimate how fresh “Hamilton” was just a few years ago: A reclaiming of America’s founding story by a multicultural cast using modern music, language and themes.

Based on a biography by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ron-Chernow and developed during the presidency of the first Black president, the show was optimistic and ambitious, tweaking Broadway traditions but respecting them, too. What other show would pit two Founding Fathers in a rap battle over whether to aid France?

Many in the brilliant cast were relatively unknown to the wider world when they hit the stage: Daveed Diggs, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Jonathan Groff, Christopher Jackson, Leslie Odom Jr., Okieriete Onaodowan, Anthony Ramos and Phillipa Soo. Even Miranda, who plays Hamilton and wrote the musical’s songs and story, wasn’t yet a brand name.

The music mixes R&B, hip-hop and show tunes. There are shards of songs by Gilbert & Sullivan, Grandmaster Flash, Rodgers &

Hammerstein, Jason Robert Brown, DMX and the Notorious B.I.G. It riffs on Shakespeare and the Bible. It could only come from a mind as brilliant and hungry as Miranda’s.

This version reminds us of that talent but also its absence: Broadway kept being Broadway after “Hamilton” for the most part, returning often to dusty or safe shows. It turns out Miranda’s audacious step wasn’t the sharp end of the spear — it was just a glorious one-off. “Hamilton” dangled the possibility of a brilliant future and, now five years after its debut, Broadway has clearly wasted its shot.

So with theaters idle due to the pandemic, the film version’s fast-tracked streaming arrival — it was slated to hit movie theaters in October 2021 — is welcome. But a second societal spasm — the confrontation with racial injustice — makes “Hamilton” a problematic choice in the wake of George Floyd’s death.

The nation seems different from a few years ago, ready for another revolution, this time from the streets, not from the drawing rooms where it happened in the 1700s. We are reexamining our dark history and who it really holds dear. Statues are toppling, old heroes are being interrogated and past indiscretion brought into the light.

“Hamilton” — for all its progressiveness — is not immune to this reexamination. It looked at America’s past and raised its own statues. But it skirted the nation’s white supremacist origins, despite three minority actors playing white, slave-owning current or future presidents.

Thomas Jefferson is represented as the one bad Founding Father who did participate in slavery. “Your debts are paid ‘cuz you don’t pay for labor,” Hamilton teases Jefferson in a cabinet rap battle. “We know who’s really doing the planting.”

Yet George Washington’s ownership of slaves isn’t mentioned at all and Hamilton’s role as a slave owner has been whitewashed. “Hamilton” in 2020 crashes into Black Lives Matter and comes off less powerful, less revolutionary.

In the show, Miranda’s line: “Who lives, who dies, who tells your story?” was a plea to put Hamilton back into the history books, to reclaim this lost Founding Father. The genius of “Hamilton” is unchanged — how history remembers and changes.

But in 2020, the question of how we tell stories has shifted in meaning. Who tells our story? That would be white people — and the show’s lens might scramble the deck but it’s still about elite, white males. “Hamilton” once asked us to look again at the birth of America, but it’s hard not to think that it may soon face its own kind of reckoning.

It didn’t do all the work.

MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer

The Tribune | Weekend |19

Friday, July 3, 2020

entertainment DARK

Woman (film; 2.2hWonder 21m) Top 10 Netflix . The Snowman (film; 1h 9 59m) movies . Floor is Lava (series; 10 6 episodes) and shows in the . The Dark Tower (film; 3 1h 34m) Bahamas The Mirror Boy (film; . 365 Days (film; 1h 45m) 10.1h 25m) 7 When a pilot crashes and tells of conflict in the outside world, Diana, an Amazonian warrior in training, leaves home to fight a war, discovering her full powers and true destiny in the adaptation of DC’s Wonder Woman comics.

Starring Gal Gadot and Chris Pine.

With Bahamians still practicing social distancing, and many working from home with the kiddies stuck in the house, it’s time to turn to Netflix for some entertainment. Here are the top 10 movies and shows Bahamians are watching this week:

1

. Baby Driver (film; 1h 53m)

After being coerced into working for a crime boss, a young getaway driver finds himself taking part in a heist doomed to fail. Starring Ansel Elgort and Jon Hamm.

A boy haunted by visions of a dark tower from a parallel reality teams up with the tower’s disillusioned guardian to stop an evil warlock known as the Man in Black who plans to use the boy to destroy the tower and open the gates of Hell. Starring Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey.

Order (series; two 4. The seasons)

Out to avenge his mother’s death, a college student pledges to a secret order and lands in a war between werewolves and practitioners of dark magic.

Feel the Beat (film; 1h 5.49m)

After failing to find success on Broadway, April returns to her hometown and reluctantly is recruited to train a misfit group of young dancers for a big competition.

Teams compete to navigate rooms flooded with lava by leaping from chairs, hanging from curtains and swinging from chandeliers in this new popular reality TV show.

Massimo is a member of the Sicilian Mafia family and Laura is a sales director. She does not expect that on a trip to Sicily trying to save her relationship, Massimo will kidnap her and give her 365 days to fall in love with him. An erotic film for fans for the “Fifty Shades” series.

Dark (series; three 8.seasons)

The third and final series of the mind-bending show hits Netflix.

This is a family saga with a supernatural twist, set in a German

town, where the disappearance of two young children exposes the relationships among four families.

Detective Harry Hole investigates the disappearance of a woman whose scarf is found wrapped around an ominouslooking snowman. Starring Michael Fassbender and Rebecca Ferguson.

A mystical journey through Africa, seen through the eyes of a 12-year-old boy, Tijan. After a London street fight, in which a local boy is hurt, Tijan’s mother decides to take him back to their roots, to Gambia. On their arrival in Banjul, Tijan encounters a strange apparition, a boy smiling at him in a mirror and vanishing. Seeing the same boy in a crowded street market the next day sets in motion a chain of events, with Tijan finding himself lost.

20 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, July 3, 2020

books

New pageturners this week •

A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby (Rogues and Remarkable Women #1) by Vanessa Riley (romance) When headstrong West Indian heiress Patience Jordan questioned her English husband’s mysterious suicide, she lost everything: her newborn son, Lionel, her fortune—and her freedom. Falsely imprisoned, she risks her life to be near her child—until The Widow’s Grace gets her hired as her own son’s nanny. But working for his unsuspecting new guardian, Busick Strathmore, Duke of Repington, has perils of its own. Especially when Patience discovers his military strictness belies an ex-rake of unswerving honour—and unexpected passion...

A wounded military hero, Busick is determined to resolve his dead cousin’s dangerous financial dealings for Lionel’s sake. But his investigation is a minor skirmish compared to dealing with the forthright, courageous, and alluring Patience. Somehow, she’s breaking his rules, and sweeping past his defenses. Soon, between formidable enemies and obstacles, they form a fragile trust—but will it be enough to save the future they long to dare together?

Thin Girls by Diana Clarke (literary fiction) Rose and Lily Winters are twins, as close as the bond implies; they feel each other’s emotions, taste what the other is feeling. Like most young women, they’ve struggled with their bodies and food since

•

childhood, and high school finds them turning to food—or not—to battle the waves of insecurity and the yearning for popularity.

But their connection can be as destructive as it is supportive, a yin to yang. when Rose stops eating, Lily starts—consuming everything Rose won’t or can’t.

Within a few years, Rose is about to mark her one-year anniversary in a rehabilitation facility for anorexics.

Lily, her sole visitor, is the only thing tethering her to a normal life.

But Lily is struggling, too. A kindergarten teacher, she dates abusive men, including a student’s married father, in search of the close yet complicated companionship she lost when she became separated from Rose.

When Lily joins a cult diet group led by a social media faux feminist, whose eating plan consists of consuming questionable noncaloric foods, Rose senses that Lily needs her help. With her sister’s life in jeopardy, Rose must find a way to rescue her—and perhaps, save herself.

Cool Earth by Bart Kosko (science fiction) The year is 2080. The countdown to the end of the world has begun.

On an early June afternoon high up on the forested Sierra slopes of Mount Whitney, three scientists try to get to higher ground to avoid the ever bigger super-tsunamis wracking the coasts. On their perilous trek they encounter geneenhanced teen gangs and a variety of wilderness challenges.

There they also face the final fruits of their own misguided efforts to cool the earth—the world-wide geo-engineering “cool earth” project that attempted to gently move the earth-moon system a little farther out from the sun.

Goddess in the Machine by Lora Beth Johnson (young adult) When Andra wakes up, she’s drowning. Not only that, but she’s in a hot, dirty cave, it’s the year 3102, and everyone keeps calling her Goddess. When Andra went into a cryonic sleep for a trip across the galaxy, she expected to wake up in a hundred years, not a thousand. Worst of all, the rest of the colonists–including her family and

•

•

friends–are dead. They died centuries ago, and for some reason, their descendants think Andra’s a deity.

She knows she’s nothing special, but she’ll play along if it means she can figure out why she was left in stasis and how to get back to Earth.

Zhade, the exiled bastard prince of Eerensed, has other plans. Four years ago, the sleeping Goddess’s glass coffin disappeared from the palace, and Zhade devoted himself to finding it. Now he’s hoping the Goddess will be the key to taking his rightful place on the throne–if he can get her to play her part, that

is. Because if his people realize she doesn’t actually have the power to save their dying planet, they’ll kill her.

With a vicious monarch on the throne and a city tearing apart at the seams, Zhade and Andra might never be able to unlock the mystery of her fate, let alone find a way to unseat the king, especially since Zhade hasn’t exactly been forthcoming with Andra. And a thousand years from home, is there any way of knowing that Earth is better than the planet she’s woken to?

The Tribune | Weekend | 21

Friday, July 3, 2020

books “Poetry is a way for me to express my feelings and turn pain into words. My poems aren’t what you would consider traditional or standard poems, but I write based on actual events and experiences.”

The idea for the book came to her last AUTHOR, Anna year when she was Lewis going through a period of some soul-searching.

“I was asking the Lord to show me my purpose and what I should be doing. I had also shared a few of my poems with one of my friends and she suggested that I should put some of them into a book. I actually had 30 to 40 pieces of poetry I had written on my phone. And that is how the book came about,” she said.

“The poems in the book aren’t just issues that I may have personally experienced but things other people have gone through as well and told me, with themes such as unemployment, relationships, spirituality and deeper issues like abuse and molestation.

“It is my prayer that readers be blessed, inspired and moved by all that God has deposited in me. I want them to know that even if they think that they are alone in what they are going through, someone else has gone through it and they aren’t alone.

You can hold on to your hurt or you can let it go, so I hope that they find something in the book that they can relate to, “ she said.

Anna says her debut in the world of publishing was very easy.

“Everything fell into place. I was trying to find a publisher and one of my friends had just published a book of her own and so I was able to use her publisher. I did have to postpone things a bit due to Hurricane Dorian last year and I am currently waiting for my books to arrive on Eleuthera so I can do my book launch. I would definitely consider writing another book,” she said.”

As for the title of the book, Anna said: “I am a deep thinker and these poems are my thoughts, and because I speak about life, that is where the ‘Life of Poetry’ comes in.”

Audible best-sellers Fiction . Once More Upon a Time: A Novella by Roshani Chokshi

1 2

. Henrietta & Eleanor: A Retelling of Jekyll and Hyde: An Audible Original Drama by Robert Louis Stevenson, Libby Spurrier – dramatist

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

. Forget Nothing by Jason Anspach, Michelle C Meyers . Beyond Strange Lands: An Audible Original

by David Peterson, Simon Taylor

. Ghostsitter - A Crazy Inheritance by Tommy Krappweis

. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

. The Summer House by James Patterson and Brendan DuBois . The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: A Hunger Games Novel by Suzanne Collins

. The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey

by James Lecesne . The Vanishing Half: A Novel by Brit Bennett

Nonfiction . The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir by John Bolton

Eleuthera poet finds outlet for pain in new book

1 2 3 4 5

P

6 7 8 9 10

By CARA HUNT | Tribune Features Writer cbrennen@tribunemedia.net OETRY has always been an important outlet for Eleuthera native Anna Lewis to work through her pain and other emotions.

And now it is the focus of her new book, “Thoughts of A Thinker, Life of Poetry”, a collection of poems that are emotional, spiritual, reflective and personal.

|

The book is a collection of about five dozen poems that speak on a variety of topics which she hopes will inspire her readers.

“Poetry was something that I dabbled with a lot in high school,” she told Tribune Weekend, “but after school I put it to the back of my mind for a while and I didn’t write as much.”

. In Search of Black History by Bonnie Greer . Nut Jobs: Cracking California’s Strangest $10 Million Dollar Heist by Marc Fennell . History of Bourbon by Ken Albala, The Great Courses

. White Fragility: Why It’s so Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo, Michael Eric Dyson . How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X Kendi

. Herbie by Rich Cohen . The Tea Shoppe by Josie Adams

. Beginning with Gratitude by The Big Quiet . Mind Like a Sunrise by Bram Barouh – The Associated Press

22 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, July 3, 2020

history

Ancient teenager the first known person with parents of two different species Michelle Langley ARC DECRA Research Fellow, Griffith University

A

n ancient DNA study published in Nature reports the first known person to have had parents of two different species. The studied remains belonged to a girl who had a Neanderthal mother and a Denisovan father.

Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) lived throughout Europe and Western Asia until around 30,000 years ago. This species lived in several different ecological zones, survived three glacial periods, and were excellent hunters and tool-makers.

Denisovans (Homo sapiens denisova), on the other hand, we know very little about. Thus far they have only been found in Denisova Cave in Siberia as tiny bone fragments. We don’t yet know what they looked like – nor exactly what they were capable of.

Neanderthal, Denisovans, and modern humans all shared a common ancestor more than 400,000 years ago.

Found in Denisova Cave, this child — known as “Denisova 11” — was at least 13 years of age at the time of her death. Analysis of a piece of her bone found that the girl died around 90,000 years ago.

This discovery occurred through ancient DNA analysis, whereby a small piece of the teenager’s bone was pulverised, the DNA extracted, and then sequenced. The sequence was then compared to previously analysed samples from Neanderthals, modern humans, and Denisovans. Her genetic traits could only be explained if her mother was a Neanderthal and her father was a Denisovan.

Denisova 11 was a first generation NeanderthalDenisovan woman – perhaps we could call her a “Neandersovan”?

NEIGHBOURS OF MODERN HUMANS Neanderthals and Denisovans inhabited Eurasia until about 40,000 years ago when they were replaced by modern humans (Homo sapiens). But before this replacement occurred, there appears to have been a fair bit of mingling going on whenever the different groups met.

Indeed, the ancestors of modern-day Oceanians and Asians contain Denisovan DNA, while presentday non-Africans contain two to four percent Neanderthal DNA. The DNA of this girl — Denisova 11 — also suggests that there was some quite significant movement of Neanderthal groups between Western Europe and the East. Analysis of her DNA found that rather than being more closely related to a

IS this what Denisova 11 looked like? (Artist’s impression of the teenage “Denny”/John Bavaro/earlyman.com)

WHERE ancient people roamed: the valley above the Denisova Cave archaeological site, Russia.

(Photo/Bence Viola)

Neanderthal who lived in her home cave sometime prior to her birth, she instead showed more connections to those recovered in Western Europe.

This finding is interesting because most archaeological evidence indicates that Neanderthals — unlike modern humans — were not interested in long-distance movement. They don’t seem to have moved much beyond relatively constrained territories which provided everything they needed for day-to-day life.

Denisova 11 suggests that at least some major movement of ancient humans occurred between west and east. But when? And why?

And how did a Neanderthal woman meet a Denisovan man? How did their respective communities interact? These are questions that now must be asked and investigated.

MYSTERY GIRL While this young girl has told us so much about her ancestors, we know very little about her.

Because it was only a small piece of one of her long bones found, we don’t know how she died.

We can’t know if she suffered any serious illness in her short life, nor if she ever broke a bone.

We only know that she lived.

• This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.

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Friday, July 3, 2020

history

The storm of 1908 Forgotten facts | Paul C Aranha

I

n 2020, we talk about administrators. They used to be known as commissioners in 1950) and, before that, resident justices in 1920, but “a rose, by any other name, would smell as sweet”, and I have, in front of me, letters written from Watling’s Island by my grandfather, Henry Oswald Wright, when he was serving there.

The first letter, addressed to the acting colonial secretary, is short, and to the point:

All of the letters have the same format, but I shall skip the ‘honours’ and cut to the content of what he wrote:

November 2, 1908 – “Report on the state of Watlings Island – (1) I have here about 100 dwelling houses, blown down in the gale. The men have been very busy all the last month, putting up some kind of shelter for their families. They have been much hindered by want of leaf, for thatching, but I consider they have done very well, in the large majority of cases.

I regret that, in almost every case, the houses are built much smaller than those which were destroyed, but I don’t quite see how to blame the people, for they were really out of leaves.

(2) There is a truly remarkable number of widows, with large families, who have not yet begun to rebuild & Mr Solomon (of the Lighthouse) has given me a list of eight at United Estates, who, he considers, will be unable to do much for themselves. I find his figures are correct, for that settlement and he has a good knowledge of the people near him. In my tours,

during November, I intend to make notes of the hard cases in other settlements, so as to be ready, if any help should be forthcoming.

(3) All the provisions have been distributed and the people profess themselves to be very grateful for the help they have received.

(4) The fields are looking very promising, owing to the fine rains we are having and, if the people could be induced to let their crops ripen, before gathering, they ought to have a good winter crop. Also, there is considerable Board of Works money to be spent now (if my requisitions are attended to) and that will help them along. But, there are a considerable number of quite old people, some cripples, and the numerous widows, referred to, who are really in need of a little more help. So, if the Government is intending to send any more provisions, they can be sure that there are at least fifty people here, who are in need. On the whole, the island is recovering slowly, but it will be years before the inhabitants will be as well off as they were, before the gale. The roads are, in many places, in very bad condition, but if the Appropriation Act, for next year is as liberal as

the one for this year, I think that most of the damage will be repaired.

Your Obedient Servant, etc, etc, etc.

The storm mentioned may not have been as devastating as Hurricane Dorian, but the report does give in insight to life on a small Bahamian island.

• For questions and comments, e-mail islandairman@gmail.com

24 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, July 3, 2020

literary lives – Enid Bagnold

IRISH-American editor and writer Frank Harris, Bagnold’s first lover ENID ALGERINE, Lady Jones, CBE (née Bagnold); 1889 – 1981

From ‘scallywag’ to national treasure

Sir Christopher Ondaatje introduces the British author and playwright best known for her 1935 story “National Velvet”.

“I was born with the first motor cars, and I never thought I should die. Death is so unnatural.” – Enid Bagnold

Enid Algerine, Lady Jones (née Bagnold), was born in Rochester, Kent on October 27, 1889; the daughter of Colonel Arthur Henry Bagnold and his wife Ethel (née Alger), and was brought up mostly in Jamaica. Her father was a senior army officer who was given a governor’s position in the West Indies, which amounted

SIR RODERICK JONES, chairman of Reuters, who Bagnold married in 1920.

The couple had four children.

Their great-granddaughter is Samantha Cameron, the wife of the former British Prime Minister David Cameron.

to three years in Jamaica with many horses and servants. It was an idyllic childhood. She returned to England when she was 14 and was immediately sent off to Julia Huxley’s Progressive Prior’s Field School in Godalming, Surrey, after which she went to finishing school in Switzerland.

Bagnold then went to art school in London, and worked for a while in Camden for the artist Walter Sickert and then for the writer Frank Harris, who became her lover.

“Eager to be seduced but ‘terrified to be touched’, she lost her virginity in 1914 ... to the great cocksman of the age, Frank Harris. She felt, she said, ‘Like a corporal made sergeant.’

She picked up from Harris (now a very old and rather beaten-down dirty dog) tricks of the journalistic trade.” – John Sutherland, Lives of the Novelists, 2011

Bagnold worked as a nurse and an ambulance driver during the First World War, but criticisms of the hospital service in her book “A Diary Without Dates” (1918) led to her dismissal. She also wrote about her experiences as a driver in “The Happy Foreigner” (1920). After the war she began serious writing, and when she sent her father her first novel “Serena Blandish or The Difficulty of Getting Married” (1924) he sternly forbade publication, saying that he couldn’t go into his club in London: “I should feel as if she’d been raped under a hedge by a sergeant.” – Colonel Arthur Henry Bagnold

In 1920, Enid Bagnold married Sir Roderick Jones, chairman of Reuters, but continued to use her maiden name for her writing. He was 12 years her senior.

They lived at North End House, Rottingdean, near Brighton – previously the fine home of the artist Sir Edward Burne-Jones, the garden of which inspired her later play “The Chalk Garden” (1955). The couple were well attended by a full staff of nurses, gardeners and grooms, and had four children. Their great-granddaughter is Samantha Cameron, the wife of the former Prime

The Tribune | Weekend | 25

Friday, July 3, 2020

Minister and leader of the Conservative Party David Cameron.

“In between children and social engagements, Bagnold wrote a number of well-received plays and novels, notably the much revived ‘Chalk Garden’ (1955) and the best-selling ‘National Velvet’ (1935). The last is a Cinderella-in-jodhpurs story of a 14-year-old Velvet, one of three sisters with ‘zulu bodies and golden hair’, who masquerades as a male jockey to win the Grand National on a piebald horse she bought at a fair. The tone of the work is illustrated by its first sentence: Unearthly lumps of land curved into the darkening sky like the backs of browsing pigs, like the rumps of elephants.”

– John Sutherland, Lives of the Novelists, 2011

“National Velvet” went on to be adapted for the stage, as well as being filmed in 1944 starring Elizabeth Taylor. By 1975 the book had sold over two million copies in American paperbacks.

Bagnold was a very spirited woman. In her youth she was determined to live her own life as a new breed of woman of character and career. She began life as a rebel and wound up as a lady of the manor.

“She moved from Chelsea and Bohemia to the butler and the garden trug. Virginia Woolf described her as ‘a scallywag who married a very rich man’ ... She had to make shifts, Woolf said, ‘from self to self’, and it was these uneasy transitions which inspired much of her best writing, and which provide the staccato wit of her most successful play, ‘The Chalk Garden’ ... She wrote on the cusp, and provided considerable unease. Was she old-fashioned or avant-garde? It was hard to tell.

Woolf was jealous of her, frightened of her, and at times contemptuous of her. She did not know how to place her; and literary history has been equally uncertain.” – Margaret Drabble, “Upstairs, Downstairs”, The Guardian, May 31, 2008

Margaret Drabble goes on to say that Bagnold was fascinated by H G Wells’ heroine Ann Veronica, which was based on his mistress Amber Reeves who lived adventurously, seeking independence from her suburban family. Bagnold crossed that threshold when she was seduced by the notorious Frank Harris – a self-acclaimed Casanova. He was 56 and she was 22. She saw pluck, energy and wit in this ageing disreputable cad. “He made sin seem glorious. Sex was the gateway to life. And so it was.”

“She worked for him for a while as assistant editor on one of his magazines, stood by him while he went briefly to prison, and then moved on from café society to high society, to an affair with (among others) the suave Romanian Prince Antoine Bibesco, to friendship with Lady Diana Cooper and Violet Trefusis and Vita Sackville-West and, in 1920, to a lasting marriage with the wealthy head of Reuters, Sir Roderick Jones. She had a busy life.” – Margaret Drabble, “Upstairs, Downstairs”, The Guardian

A 12-year-old Elizabeth Taylor was the star of the 1944 film adaptation of Bagnold’s beloved novel “National Velvet” from 1935.

THE 1955 theatre programme for Bagnold’s “The Chalk Garden” Bagnold continued to write well into old age.

She wrote several novels of which the best is perhaps “The Squire” (1938), and eight of her plays were performed, not all successfully. Her autobiography (1969) records her many fights with theatre managers and casting directors. She was a control freak but she paid a price for her control. After several battles with her New York manager Irene Selznick, “The Chalk Garden” was finally put on in 1955 with

Siobhan McKenna and Gladys Cooper. Bagnold observed that before the first reading Gladys Cooper called her Enid, and after it, Miss Bagnold, and later on, Lady Jones.

“As I ascended in social position and went down in contempt I realised she had classed me as a social character who by luck (and possibly ghosted) had got some fool to put on my play.”

– Enid Bagnold, Autobiography, 1969

After the Broadway triumph, much to Bagnold’s satisfaction, the play was produced at the Haymarket in London with Edith Evans and Peggy Ashcroft, directed by John Gielgud.

Enid Bagnold was much more than the “scallywag” that Virginia Woolf called her. As Margaret Drabble concludes, “She was a pioneer rather than an anachronism.”

She faced death in much the same way she had lived – with humour and courage – writing to the very end. She called death “a terrible old nuisance”.

She died in her home North End House aged 91, and is interred at St Margaret’s churchyard in Rottingdean.

NEXT WEEK: An artist and writer who penned a cult classic of modernist literature

• Sir Christopher Ondaatje is the author of The Last Colonial. He acknowledges that he has quoted liberally from Wikipedia; The Lives of the Novelists (2011), by John Sutherland; Autobiography (1969) by Enid Bagnold; and “Upstairs, Downstairs” by Margaret Drabble, The Guardian, May 31, 2008.

26 Deep problem involving conclusion on new church weakness (10) 27 Stuart is framed by banner (4)

26 | The Tribune | Weekend

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

22 Provoked, without 23 Thus. first 26 H I N W D A M D S U down: 1 Optician;(4) 2 Spurn; R S R A C P R X R T couple being employed Sleepy; 5 Obstreperous; U E T F M A D N C M 23 Almost lure4 office July 3, 2020 Inferno; 7 Harm;Friday, S E I E W X A D U O worker (4) 6 8 Effervescent; 12 Asbestos; 14 Crouton; 16 Edible; 18 Blush; 19 Plum.

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● The Target uses words in the main body of Chambers 21st Century Dictionary (1999 edition)

HOW many words of four letters or more can you make from the letters shown here? in making a word, each letter may be used once only. Each must contain the centre letter and there must be at least one nine-letter word. no plurals or verb forms ending in “s”.

TODAY’S TARGET Good 10; very good 15; excellent 21 (or more). Solution tomorrow

Yesterday’s call 0907 181 2585 Sudoku Answer for today’s target solution *Calls cost 80p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge.

BATTLESHIPS CRYPTIC PUZZLE Across 1 It states a firm with two thousand has no rival (10) 6 Row of drunks (4) 10 Stone cast in attack (5) 11 Hold back the power, or increase it (9) 12 As I’m the chosen one, I go to make complaint (8) 13 Birds from other nests (5) 15 People returning help in hotels (7) 17 Important individual rendered powerless (7) 19 Cursed, having spilt the salt in bed (7) 21 Takes uncertain steps (7) 22 Not left straight (5) 24 Crumbs are slung out (8) 27 It’s done at random for medicinal purposes (9) 28 I break bail in order to prove I was elsewhere (5) 29 Beaten hollow (4) 30 Nevertheless there’s a lack of variety (3,3,4)

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Yesterday’s Easy Solution Across: 1 Fearful, 5 Visit, 8 Straw poll, 9 Rum, 10 Yoke, 12 Disciple, 14 Choose, 15 Strict, 17 Bulletin, 18 Stop, 21 Add, 22 Bete noire, 24 Enemy, 25 Loyalty.

Down: 1 Fishy, 2 Air, 3 Fowl, 4 Look-in, 5 Velocity, 6 Sore point, 7 Tempest, 11 Knowledge, 13 Assembly, 14 Cabbage, 16 Pistol, 19 Piety, 20 Envy, 23 Ill.

Yesterday’s Cryptic Solution Across: 1 Groused, 5 Ought, 8 Dalliance, 9 Oil, 10 Yeti, 12 Well done, 14 Shadow, 15 Rapids, 17 Sediment, 18 Stop, 21 Ego, 22 Retrousse, 24 Taste, 25 Demands.

Down: 1 Godly, 2 Owl, 3 Skit, 4 Denied, 5 Overload, 6 Geologist, 7 Tellers, 11 Trap doors, 13 Commerce, 14 Suspect, 16 United, 19 Pleas, 20 Boom, 23 Son.

EASY PUZZLE

Across 1 Firm trust (10) 6 Depressed (4) 10 Edge (5) 11 A radioactive element (9) 12 Detective story (8) 13 Heathen (5) 15 Cause of great affliction (7) 17 Fortress (7) 19 Cautious (7) 21 A good buy (7) 22 Give opportunity for (5) 24 Source of wealth (4,4) 27 Inappropriately (3,2,4) 28 Aesthetic discernment (5) 29 Part of an egg (4) 30 Pretend to be asleep (4,6)

Down 1 Shape of a dice (4) 2 Fellow human (9) 3 Annoyed (5) 4 Cost incurred (7) 5 Bitterly sarcastic (7) 7 Yet to be paid (5) 8 Area between battle lines (2,4,4) 9 Data-processing device (8) 14 Science of human behaviour (10) 16 Rabble (8) 18 Deduction from symptoms (9) 20 Hoax (3-4) 21 Pretentious nonsense (7) 23 Ruinous (5) 25 Maxim (5) 26 Shaft of light (4)

FIND where the fleet of ships shown is hidden in the grid. The numbers to the right of and below the grid indicate how many of the squares in that row are filled in with ships or parts of ships. The ships do not touch each other, even diagonally. Some squares have been filled in to start you off.

Solution tomorrow 1

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THE ALPHABEATER

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

G J T B I

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The Tribune | Weekend | 27

Friday, July 3, 2020

animals

PET OF THE WEEK

Last-minute dash – Dorian dogs find forever homes Animal Matters | KIM ARANHA

T

EN sweet little faces were all lit up with excitement as they prepared for the trip of a lifetime.

These potcakes were ready to take the mailboat to Freeport to connect with a charity flight that would airlift them to certain happiness with ten families already approved to provide each of these Bahamian orphans a good home.

They are the last of the Dorian dogs. It has been a very slow and arduous task to get these poor abandoned sweeties the good homes that they deserve.

Ten wet noses, ten waggy tails. Passage booked, cages ready, almost zero hour... the the unthinkable takes place.

The mailboat to Grand Bahama had to postpone their sailing date by 24 hours. Disaster for our furry passengers.

We had to look at ten sad little faces as we realised that they were not going to be able to fly out to the eager arms of the families waiting to adopt them. How do you tell them they have to wait another few months or they have to hope somebody from Nassau wants them? Dorian was almost 10 months ago, a long time to be in a shelter and still wag your tail and be a happy dog. What a disappointment. But wait!

One of our board members put it on Facebook and all of a sudden the mechanisms of hope swung into full force...phone calls, texts, WhatsApp. Different affordable offers were presented to get the dogs over to Freeport in time to be airlifted.

Captain Byron Knowles and his wife Anna stepped up to the plate and for a vastly reduced price offered to give these babies a boat ride by private charter to Freeport.

What a lucky break that the weather was absolutely gorgeous without a ripple on the sea.

The hours leading up to the morning departure were full of organisation: making sure there was enough water, coolers, ice, towels, change of cage liners, leashes, collars, and BHS staff.

AWARD-winning music producer and philanthropist Ric Browde at the airport in Freeport collecting the last of the Dorian dogs.

THE LAST of the Dorian dogs are loaded on to a Sun Up Sun Down boat.

Wednesday morning the ten Dorian survivors, the last of so many displaced dogs, were loaded on to a sleek and very fast boat to carry them in style to Grand Bahama. There was lots of space to accommodate all ten cages that were secured in case of unexpected waves.

Looking on was a Dorian survivor, the Knowles’ own dog that they adopted after the storm.

Once everybody was secure, the two BHS inspectors made one last check before speeding off with their precious cargo.

The dogs settled right down to the vibration of the engines and slept the entire way across the blissfully calm seas. Every hour they would idle the engines, offer the dogs a drink, make sure everybody was doing well and then the “go fast” boat would speed ahead again.

They arrived in Grand Bahama ahead of schedule. All the dogs were taken out of their cages and given a nice walk to stretch their legs and heed the call of nature.

Once in Freeport, step two was to be united with the Humane Society of Grand Bahamas dogs, who were also heading to Florida. Who knows what those sweet Dorian survivors must have been thinking when they were settled down for the night.

Then Thursday afternoon brought the big excitement of boarding one of the Wings of Rescue flights operated by music

producer mogul Ric Browde, who has more gold and silver records than most of us have handbags.

Now the sweet and patient potcakes are in Florida, in certified, no kill shelters, being checked out and awaiting collection by the new forever families. What a long road they have travelled, and what a last minute panic!

This article cannot conclude without a very serious thank you to Byron Knowles and his Sun Up Sun Down boat charters; their willingness to help so that we could afford it, with very little warning at all. Everybody stepped up and made it happen.

The Bahamas Humane Society staff pulled it off under the leadership of shelter manager Percy Grant, and volunteers were there assisting all the way.

The expression “it takes a village” is very appropriate when dealing with animal rescue. Every step of the way there are people who make it possible. This final airlift of the Dorian dogs closes a chapter for the BHS. We wish them long and happy lives.

But we are still full with dogs who need homes because of the COVID-19 crisis and resultant economic downfall of so many.

We operate a food bank, but some people preferred to surrender their dogs and cats. With this in mind we are already in touch with Wings of Rescue and Ric Browde to do a lift for COVID crisis canines (and felines) who need loving homes.

Incidentally, the Bahamas this will continue to face this problem until we have a yearly nationwide spay and neuter programme.

(Photo/Patricia Vazquez)

A lovely slice of Naan

By The Bahamas Humane Society

“H

mm. I don’t think the humans will be travelling any time soon, but maybe they’d like a small reminder of a place called India. My name is Naan, yes, like the bread!

But I’m anything but flat. I’m about six months old and growing up to be a lovely little lady. I love to play with the other pups here at the Bahamas Humane Society and I’d really like to add you to my list of really close friends. Do you have room in your life for me to play?

Come in to the BHS to meet me or give them a call at 323-5138. Adoption hours are 11am to 3pm. I look forward to shaking your paw.”

• Our Thrift Shop is back! Opening hours are Wednesday/Thursday/ Friday 11am to 3pm and Saturday 10am to 2pm.

Be sure to wear your mask. Donations gratefully accepted.

28 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, July 3, 2020

community

A family legacy continued

URBAN Knowles and his daughter Kristen Pratt

The new generation of Bahamian Peppersour

By CARA HUNT | Tribune Features Writer | cbrennen@tribunemedia.net

T

here is a popular saying that when life hands you lemons, make lemonade.

But when life handed Urban Knowles limes and peppers, he turned it into a lucrative business.

As the owner of Bahamian Peppersour, Mr Knowles has been helping families season their pots for almost four decades with his marinated peppers in lime juice.

He got into the business by accident on a visit to Long Island, he told Tribune Weekend.

“I saw all these peppers and limes on the ground just rotting and going to waste, and I thought there must be something that you can do with them. My mother used to bottle tomatoes and so I asked

her if I could have some of her bottles and I made up some bottles of peppers in lime juice. I did about two cases and brought them back to Nassau with me.”

Mr Knowles was working as a butcher at the Joe and Berlin food store at the time and his boss agreed to let him stock the bottles.

“They sold out in about three weeks and I figured I was onto something. That was the start of a long and lucrative business,” he said.

“I was able to sell them at quite a few of the grocery stores and I was selling 10 to 15 cases at a time.

It was a lot of work to squeeze all the limes by hand and securing the bottles, clean them and bottle them, but I love to work and I think

that this has been the secret to having a long business.”

The company was a side business for Mr Knowles who continued to work as a butcher, first at Joe and Berlin for 20 years and then at City Market until his retirement. He was considered the number one butcher in the country.

“I was a butcher all my life and I loved it,” he said.

In fact, he loved it so much he worked for many years past retirement before finally stopping.

Now that his health has started to decline, he decided it was time to hand the reins of Bahamian Peppersour to his daughter, Kristen Pratt.

She is excited to add to the legacy of her father’s company.

“Right now we have been using recycled beer cans and selling then wholesale in cases of 24,” she explained. “But we will now also be selling it in gallon-sized containers.

That size is perfect for restaurants or catering companies who would benefit from larger amounts.”

The product is 100 per cent Bahamian made, as the company currently gets their limes and peppers from BAMSI. “It may seem like a simple concept, but what sets us apart is that we allow our peppers to really steep, which pulls out the flavour,” she said.

Kristen loves using it on fresh tossed salad or coleslaw, while her dad says it really enhances the taste of meat and seafood.