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Volume: 119 No.157, July 8, 2022

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: PRICE–$1

GOVT FUNDS FOR BPL TO AVOID PRICE RISE? LE ANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staf f Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net WORKS and Utilities Minister Alfred Sears says the government will have to provide a subsidy to BPL if the company is to avoid raising electricity costs on the Bahamian people.

His comments came after BPL CEO Shevonn Cambridge told The Tribune last month that the company will increase its fuel charge in “the next month or two”.

When asked about the matter yesterday, Mr Sears reiterated the government’s position that it will not cause further economic hardship for struggling Bahamians.

“BPL cannot absorb increases,” he said, “so there are only two options, one is to pass it on to the consumers or for the government to provide a subvention to pay and the Prime Minister has made it very clear that the government is committed to providing a measure of safeguard for the consumer given the fact that, in many homes, people’s lives have been disrupted by employment, through death and illness as a result of the pandemic. We still have a lot of climate refugees in our country, people who were displaced by Hurricane Dorian.”

SEE PAGE THREE

TAXI drivers want a 30 percent increase across the board to offset the rising cost of fuel.

Wesley Ferguson, Bahamas Taxi Cab Union president, told reporters yesterday the minister was receptive to their proposal to increase fares.

He said, however, officials were still mulling over the proposal.

The union initially proposed a 25 percent hike.

“The minister was very receptive to our proposal,”

Mr Ferguson said.

“We proposed to her to give us a 30 percent rise across the board to deflate the cost of rising fuel prices.

We threw some numbers around and it’s now in the process of being analyzed by the minister and those in the financial sector.”

In response, Transport and Housing Minister Jobeth Coleby Davis said yesterday: “Nothing has been done further on the request, we have to continue to speak to Cabinet on some of the requests that came in and they will SEE PAGE TWO

SEE PAGE NINE

QUESTIONS RAISED OVER FATAL CRASH

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS lmunnings@tribunemedia.net FAMILY members of two men killed in a traffic accident on Monday have expressed concern about the response time of first responders to the scene of the incident.

According to reports, the incident happened shortly before 5am.

SEE PAGE FIVE

TAXI DRIVERS CHASE 30% FARES INCREASE

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

DIANE PHILLIPS: THE MORE THINGS CHANGE...

TRIBUTES AT PASSING OF EX-SPEAKER SYMONETTE

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

BEAUTY UNVEILED MISS Grand Bahama Juanita Rolle during the unveiling of the newest Miss Bahamas Universe contestants at the Rosewood last weekend. Nine contestants are battling it out to win the title. See WEEKEND section for more.

BPL-OSBORNE DISCUSSING DEAL

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net DARNELL Osborne, former chair of the BPL board and two others are in the process of reaching an agreement outside of court with the government.

The process began just before the matter was to be heard in the Supreme Court yesterday.

Attorneys representing Mrs Osborne, Nick Dean

FORMER BPL chair Darnell Osborne.

and Nicola Thompson confirmed this to The Tribune yesterday.

While Mrs Osborne declined comment yesterday, legal counsel Damian Gomez, QC, and Valentino Hamilton said all concerned were coming to an understanding out of court.

They hope to settle soon.

Mrs Osborne was terminated from BPL during the Minnis Administration in 2018.

That same year, Works Minister Desmond SEE PAGE THREE

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

FORMER House of Assembly Speaker and government minister Vernon J Symonette, CMG, has died.

Mr Symonette was the former Member of Parliament for Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins and Long Cay. He was a former minister of state in the Ministry of Public Works with responsibility for Family Islands affairs.

SEE PAGE FOUR

THE NEXT EDITION OF THE TRIBUNE IS ON TUESDAY AFTER THE INDEPENDENCE HOLIDAY

PAGE 2, Friday, July 8, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

TAXI DRIVERS CHASE 30% FARES INCREASE

Minister Coleby-Davis said after numerous meetings with both the Taxi Union president and Livery Drivers Union president, it

was decided that in order to clarify union members as entrepreneurs, this process had to take place.

Yesterday, the ministry

empowered scores of taxi drivers by issuing them taxi plates and sorting out an issue that has enslaved taxi drivers for decades.

“We specifically really looking for persons who have been in the industry for 10, 15, 20 years and have been leasing. We want to give them their freedom today and give a little bit more empowerment to them,” the minister said.

“It’s not to take the plates away from who actually has them now and issue them to the persons that’s driving.

It’s just to give that driver their own plate,” she added.

Cabinet planned to make a decision on the matter in the summer.

When asked for an update on discussions yesterday, she said no decision had been made and added that until then, drivers will be given relief packages.

She said officials hope bus drivers will receive the relief packages before the end of this month.

However, she could not give a price tag for the initiative.

“We were discussing that for some time (and) for a few months now and because the task in that is

to really have a balance in that approach - because we know generally the area of society that depends on the public bus transportation - and so where we are now is that Cabinet has agreed for a relief package to be presented by the Ministry of Finance,” Mrs ColebyDavis said during a press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister.

“And so, I have just sent a last bit of documents that were requested from the financial secretary and the Minister of Finance, and they are reviewing and then they should be presenting

me with the relief package which we could begin to provide now to get us through this period and we will consider discussions related to the increase in fares.”

The current jitney fare for adults in New Providence is $1.25.

However, the sector has proposed a 60 percent increase, which, if approved, will push the current price to $2.

Asked when the government plans to reconsider the fare increase, the minister said: “I am hoping to re-engage that discussion

fro m page o ne direct me how best we can respond to the request.”

The comments came as The Ministry of Transport and Housing held a licensing opportunity yesterday at Loyola Hall, Gladstone Road, for taxi and livery drivers who have been working 15 years to 20 years with a leased license.

Mrs Coleby-Davis said “the process is an open and transparent one to illuminate and eradicate the under-the-table foolishness”.

JOBETH COLEBY-DAVIS, Minister of Transport and Housing.

The minister said a similar process has been launched on the Family Islands, such as Grand Bahama, Abaco, Eleuthera, and Exuma.

“It was a smaller process - so it didn’t have to be as big as this because a lot of them already had their applications in so they had a list sitting and waiting for that day to come. I think we have captured a bulk of them, and if not we will continue to assist where we can.”

Before this event, the minister of transport and housing said 180 plates

were distributed.

David Curry, a taxi driver of 23 years, said this initiative is a great moment in Bahamian history.

“It’s a great moment in the history of The Bahamas actually, that we could now come from just being workers and drivers to actually being owners and business owners of the industry we’re in,” he said.

Phillip Poitier, taxi driver of six months, shared similar views as he described the process as “a new day”.

Mr Poitier said: “All I could say is it’s a new day as I am very excited.”

probably in another six months. The relief package, I hope would carry us through the period until I am able to get back to a place where I could present more options that they would be able to consider.”

Mrs Coleby-Davis was also asked for an update on the government’s efforts in helping to introduce a unified busing system.

“We’re actually on a good path to getting some clarity on how we will manage our bus transportation,” she said.

“My team at transport has been on a fact-finding

trip. We went to Atlanta and we met with executives of MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) and we also went to New York and met with executives of MTA and both of them (have) quite very busy transportation systems and they provided a lot of information and guidance. So, we will be discussing more options at town halls, but preparing as well to present a scope to the Cabinet that they will consider for a unified, more controlled busing programme.”

RELIEF PACKAGES TO BE OFFERED TO JITNEY DRIVERS

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribu ne Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net GOVERNMENT will be offering relief packages to jitney drivers to offset the impact of increasing fuel costs, Housing and Transport Minister Jobeth Coleby-Davis announced yesterday.

The sector has been calling for the government to approve a passenger fare increase in recent months due to high gasoline costs.

In March, Mrs ColebyDavis told reporters

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, July 8, 2022, PAGE 3

‘Need for discussion’ on privacy for settlements

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net PRESS secretary Clint Watson says he believes there needs to be discussions about what sort of settlement agreements should be revealed to the public to ensure transparency while also protecting “people’s right to privacy”.

Mr Watson’s comment came after police Commissioner Clayton Fernander and Deputy Commissioner Leamond Deleveaux recently settled a 2019 lawsuit with the Davis administration.

The lawsuit was filed in response to their forced vacation leave under the former administration.

The details of their settlement, including the amounts awarded, have not been disclosed due to a confidentiality agreement, The Tribune understands.

Yesterday, Mr Watson was asked to respond to concerns that secret agreements demonstrate a lack of transparency on the government’s part.

“We, like you, have seen what’s been happening and you know Prime Minister Davis allows agencies to operate and conduct business in what he believes to be the best interest,” Mr Watson said during a press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday.

“I would quote what one of the ministers in the House of Assembly said when it came up and it was Myles Laroda and he said more importantly, it’s for the protection of citizens.

“Could you imagine if you have a settlement and that’s made public. The mentality of some people may make you a target. They believe that whether you’re walking around with money or not,

that you have something and sometimes it’s important, particularly when you recognising the season that you’re in, to protect people’s rights to privacy and also their safety and when you expose that kind of information, you make people targets.”

Mr Watson said while the Davis administration has not stated a position on the issue, he believes a discussion should be held so government could come up with a policy that equally ensures public trust and protects people’s right to privacy.

“Now, I have always been one that says transparency is important and so I think this is a good example perhaps of discussion as to how do we marry both to satisfy the need for and importance of people having transparency versus people’s security being compromised and I think transparency is important,” the press secretary added.

“But you know the transparency that people want to know, why do you want to know - just because you want to be able to give an account of the people’s money or you’re just nosy and you want to know how much money they get. The purpose of it is important right, and I think that has to be something that has to be addressed, but I do believe that if that’s the way governments will go, they ought to (tell) the Bahamian people in advance so people are aware and you know why and not just say well, it ain’t your business. I think it is important because it’s the people’s money to be able to explain what’s happening, but obviously the government has to make a decision and that’s a good question for the Attorney General to advise us on as to what’s the best way forward in that, but I do know one of the concerns has been security.”

PRESS secretary Clint Watson.

BPL-OSBORNE DISCUSSING DEAL from page one Bannister made damning allegations about Mrs Osborne.

After the shakeup of BPL’s board during the Minnis administration, Mr Bannister alleged that he intervened in the operations of the company to stop it from paying Mrs Osborne’s personal bills, including make-up services and the installation of a home security system.

It was later revealed that the make-up services were for a BPL photoshoot and that other top BPL officials encouraged Mrs Osborne to

set up a home security system after another board member mentioned a security incident at his home.

Mrs Osborne has alleged in her witness statement that she has been subject to enhanced scrutiny and is currently considered a politically exposed person (PEP). She further stated that the ordeal had taken a heavy toll on her family.

“This experience has affected me gravely in my personal life and relationships. At the time of my removal from the board, I had one child already in university and another one about to enter university. It has taken a toll on my

family, on my general health and my mental wellbeing and it is my belief that it has aggravated a dormant heart condition for which I now need to have a hospital procedure in June 2022,” Mrs Osborne said in a witness statement filed in the Supreme Court.

“I also lost the opportunity to join the group medical plan for retirees at my former place of employment by taking the public position at BPL and BEC. “As a result of the actions of Minister Bannister, I have lost the benefits of full medical coverage and group medical insurance.”

GOVT FUNDS FOR BPL TO AVOID PRICE RISE? from page one “So, we are in a very challenging time in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and we have to be sensitive that so many of our compatriots are hurting and challenged and trying to get their bearings.”

Yesterday, Mr Sears said in view of rising costs, it has become extremely important for the country to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels.

He said the Davis administration was taking aggressive steps to harness renewable energy, noting the country spends over

$1bn yearly on fossil fuel imports.

This comes as some islands, including New Providence, continue to grapple with power outages.

Pertaining to BPL power disruptions, Mr Sears said the company is working to address the issue and has even developed a contingency plan for the summer peak.

He said: “I have asked BPL to prepare a contingency plan and, as you recall, I would have laid it out during my budget contribution. But BPL is acquiring and in fact, has already acquired some of the additional generators so

that it will have the capacity during this summer to serve New Providence up to 280 (megawatts) of power which will represent a surplus above what historically has been the peak consumption requirement and this is to ensure that there is redundancy in the system and during the projected highest consumption period, the demand could be met by BPL.” Last month, Prime Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis told reporters the country was petitioning for the US to lift the sanctions on Venezuela as a means to help alleviate high energy and fuel costs in the Caribbean.

“What is in our control and which I have been doing is letting our voice be heard about some of the initiatives and policies in some of the industrialised world that is causing the increase

in oil. Quite apart from the invasion of Ukraine there are also other issues like the sanctions on Venezuela that impacted the cost of fuel, particularly for us,” Prime Minister Davis said at the

time.

“So, if those sanctions are lifted it helps and so we have been agitating.

However, a US official recently said his country’s policy has not changed.

PAGE 4, Friday, July 8, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

Tributes at passing of ex-Speaker Symonette from page one He was also formerly appointed non-resident ambassador to Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama.

In a press statement yesterday, Official Opposition leader Michael Pintard expressed his condolences on the passing of a “statesman” noting his commitment to peace will be missed in this “political atmosphere where venom is spewed too often”.

Mr Pintard said: “Symonette hailed from Inagua, where he served as an executive at Morton Salt before successfully contesting the Inagua seat in the 1982 general elections. When

the two Parliamentary seats were combined in the southern Bahamas to create MICAL, the new seat was secured for the FNM by Vernon Symonette.

“As Speaker of the House of Assembly from 1992 to 1997, Symonette carried out his duties in an atmosphere of good will, while maintaining an orderly and courteous character: he indeed was a statesman. As a diplomat he served the nation as a non-resident ambassador to Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.”

The statement added: “He was beloved nationally by persons of all political stripes. He was seen as fair and balanced

in his commentary and although affable, he was regarded as competent, serious, and attentive to the needs of those that he served. His many years in New Providence did not rob him of an intimate knowledge of his upbringing and the needs of Bahamians in the Family Islands.

He dedicated his life to the improvement of these islands and our people.”

Mr Pintard also noted the role Mr Symonette played in the Free National Movement (FNM).

“In the Free National Movement, he served and continued to serve even in the recent years by encouraging, sharing and giving advice to many of us who now hold national party office.

Symonette was awarded the award of Meritorious Council Member, the highest level of award that can be conferred in the FNM. His unselfish contributions spanning decades, his voice of reason, his commitment to community and people are only some of the reasons we know MCM Symonette was a faithful FNM.” It was noted that Mr Symonette was an avid sailor and skilled carpenter. He was described as a man who “loved people and most often had that signature smile on his face.”

“His legacy of engagement and interactive disposition was appreciated and will be missed,” according to the statement.

“On behalf of my family,

including myself as well as the Official Opposition Free National Movement, we offer our condolences to his wife, Phyllis, and their children, grandchildren, his extended family, friends from MICAL, throughout The Bahamas, and indeed the world.”

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said yesterday: “A long-time resident of Inagua, Mr Symonette is well known for being one of the few Parliamentarians who lived in the constituency they represented.

“He served his party well, advanced their ideals and was a fair referee as House Speaker. I enjoyed Mr Symonette’s ongoing dialogue and debates with me and other House members

around the various interpretations of the House Rules and the protection of the rights and privileges of the minority House Members. At all times, Mr Symonette’s demeanor was calm, steady and his rulings well reasoned.

“No doubt Mr Symonette and I respectfully crossed swords on legislative and policy matters on any number of occasions, but overall, Mr Vernon Symonette was a good man who loved The Bahamas and served it well in several capacities.

“As he transitions into eternity to receive his just reward, we thank him for his public service and the contributions he made to our national development.

He will be sorely missed.”

ATTORNEY HAILS ECONOMY OF INDEPENDENT BAHAMAS

BY DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net GRAND Bahama attorney David Thompson believes that after 49 years of independence the Bahamas has “the third most envious economy” in the Western Hemisphere, after America and Canada.

He also noted that the country has received world recognition and respect because of the outstanding accomplishments of Bahamians in sports and academics.

“We are the third most envious economy on our side of the world, Mr Thompson said. Bahamas is a bless country, our country excels in sports and academics.”

Mr Thompson, a former Grand Bahama MP, said that in the Bahamas it is possible for “any barefoot boy or girl” to become anything they want to be.

“That is exemplified

by men such as Lynden Pindling, the first Prime Minister of the Bahamas who was a great leader and thinker; Mr Hubert Ingraham, a person who believes in modernisation and stability of the country, Mr Perry Christie who has moved us along, Dr Hubert Minnis who took us through Dorian and Covid-19 and now Mr Philip ‘Brave’ Davis,” he said.

According to Mr Thompson, The Bahamas has come a long way over the past 49 years.

“We had an influx of tourists from all around the world and we have seen our government evolved to where we went from a colony to women voting in 1960 and to Constitutional changes in 1962, and to where the whole country was on the move for Majority Rule in 1967. He also recalled how Randol Fawkes’ joining the PLP helped formed the majority government.

Mr Thompson said that independence in 1973 was a significant moment in the country’s history. “I think we have come a long way as a people and regarding our Constitution from 1972 to now. We have been the most law-abiding country, even though we still have crime running rampant around several islands, the Bahamas is a Christian nation and that we will strive to do our best for our fellowman and make life better for all Bahamians,” he said.

He wished all Bahamians a happy and safe independence.

On Saturday, July 9, the Independence Cultural Extravaganza will take place at Independence Park at 6.30pm. There will be live performance, junkanoo rush out, and fireworks On Monday, July 11, Coconut Fest 2022 will take place at 11am – 9pm at Pelican Point, East Grand Bahama.

GB FNM Council chairman David Thompson Wallace, and council vice chairman David Wallace with fellow FNMs.

FNM TO RENOVATE CENTRE

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THE Free National Movement Council in Grand Bahama is hosting major fundraising events to help renovate the Sir Cecil Wallace-Whitfield Community Building that sustained severe flood damage during Hurricane Dorian.

During the month of July, there will be a Father’s Day Sail-away Boat Cruise onboard the Margaritaville of the Sea Paradise, which will be held on Friday, July 22.

At a press conference held on Thursday at FNM Headquarters, it was announced that 50 deserving fathers will be honoured for their contributions over the years.

David Wallace said that the event is being hosted by the GB FNM Council, in conjunction with the FNM MPs and the constituency associations.

He said the sailing will commence at 6pm and check-in begins at 12 noon.

The vessel returns at 11pm.

Mr Wallace said onboard they will be honoring some 50 men, including businessmen Hugh Solomon and Gregory Laing, Bishop Kermit Saunders, retired taxi driver Harold McPhee, Darold Rolle, of the

Falcons Boys Club; Dudley Seide of Reach Out Youth Organization; and from Bimini Lloyd Edgecombe and Lorrick Roberts; Pat Grant, K. Vincent, Bishop Leslie Woodside, Bishop Ricardo Grant, and Simon Lewis.

Mr Wallace said the public is invited to come out and support the event.

He noted that a vaccinated person must produce within 24 hours a negative rapid antigen test and government issued ID. An unvaccinated person must produce a negative PCR Test within 24 hours and government ID. He said tickets can be purchased at any constituency association office and at the FNM Headquarters. VIP tickets are also available.

The following day, July 23, there will be a souseout fundraiser at Central Grand Bahama Association at 8am. And later at 1pm a Family Fun Day Grill, and 3pm Meet and Greet party leader Michael Pintard at FNM Headquarters.

“FNM will be coming together for a Homecoming at the FNM Headquarters grounds,” said GB FNM Council chairman David Thompson. “It is a free event, and we expect to have a large cross section of FNMs who will come out

to meet and discuss their concerns with the party leader, who will also share his vision and goals for the party.”

On August 1, the FNM party will hold a walkathon starting at the Lucaya Shopping Plaza at 7am to Taino Beach.

Mr Wallace said that sponsor sheets have been distributed to the various constituencies association and a prize will be awarded to the person who can collect over $350 in sponsors.

At noon, the GB FNM Council will host “Red Splash” at Taino Beach, Pirates Cove.

Mr Thompson said this is another major fundraising event that is being organised by the council. He noted that the headquarters needs upgrading, new AC units, and roof repair.

“The reason the FNM is raising funds in GB is primarily so we could renovate and upgrade our headquarters, the Sir Cecil Wallace Whitfield Community Building, which was under more than 8ft of water during Dorian,” he explained.

In October, he said, the council hopes to host another Boat Cruise event honoring the party’s MCMs (meritorious council members) and ACMs (advisory council members).

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, July 8, 2022, PAGE 5

Nearly one in five criminals reoffends, says minister

By JADE RUSSELL jrussell@tribunemedia.net THE recidivism rate at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services currently stands at 18 percent, according to National Security Minister Wayne Munroe yesterday.

The minister said the goal is to reduce the recidivism to 8 percent.

Mr Munroe noted that in

some cases where persons were killed before their trial, those persons would not fall under the statistics.

“You have to be careful with statistics because recidivism is marked by people who have been convicted and then come out and are convicted again,“ he said He also said: “We have to reduce recidivism.”

He made the comments

during the opening of a library at the women’s facility at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDCS].

“The primary objective is to decrease the likelihood of offenders reoffending while incarcerated or upon release. Under 2040 the agreed national development plan, this administration has pledged to execute that plan,”

Minister Munroe said.

“Included are improvements of the conditions of facilities that will reduce recidivism and develop suitable facilities.”

He said further: “Like I said in my remarks you can starve the mind just as you can starve the body.

When you have these opportunities, they will help and programme people.

They call it programming,

retraining their way of thinking so that when they are released, they can go on the right path. Life is a journey and, in that journey, sometimes you get on the wrong road. You don’t have to stay on the wrong road.

You can get off the wrong road on your own account or you can be caught up.”

The Minister of National Security said in accordance with vision 2040 the

government has committed to building a new correctional facility. It is said that it will be a high medium facility that will include housing, a hospital wing, and assistance for mental health.

As to COVID-19 cases, the minister noted inmates go through the necessary protocols and testing. This has allowed virus numbers at the facility to remain low.

LIBRARY OPENED FOR FEMALE INMATES AT PRISON

By JADE RUSSELL jrussell@tribunemedia.net THE Female Inmates’ Library was officially opened yesterday during a ceremony at the women’s prison yesterday.

Patron of the library, Lady Clara Smith, wife of Governor General Sir Cornelius A Smith, sought to make it one of her special projects. While giving remarks, she said the library’s opening was proof that dreams do come true.

The establishment of the library is a part of the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services’ (BDOCS) rehabilitation efforts for inmates. The department seeks to continue finding ways to provide opportunities and resources to empower the incarcerated.

The opening of the facility marked a glimmer of hope for the inmates by giving them a place to enhance their education.

“It has been my dream to contribute to helping inmates gain the skills and make it easier for them to make a positive

GOVERNOR General CA Smith greeting Deputy Commisioner of Police Leamond Delevaux ahead of the library opening ceremony at the women’s prison.

Photo: Austin Fernander contribution to the society to which they will return. It is my sincere hope that this library will in some small way help in that effort,”

Lady Smith said.

The occasion also saw comments from National Security Minister Wayne Munroe, who underscored

QUESTIONS RAISED OVER FATAL CRASH from page one However, family members have doubts of what the police reported against what was communicated to them by people on the scene in the moments after it took place.

Family members of Ashwood Rolle and Anthony “Fletcher” Coleby said it was “disappointing” to reach the scene before Emergency Medical Services.

Sally Rolle, mother of 29-year-old Ashwood Rolle claimed EMS took an hourand-a-half to respond to the crash scene.

“An off-duty officer called the ambulance and it took them an hour-and-ahalf to come. One day when they get that call it will be their mother, their wife, sister, brother, children and when they reach to the

house, what people feeling they are going to feel it,” she said, “They sit there a** down and do what they want to do. So, I hope one day when they get the call they don’t feel sorry.”

Ms Rolle urged the police to get their facts straight as she believes the incident occurred shortly after 2am, rather than shortly before 5am as the police have reported.

“Well, the police officers need to get their facts straight as they know they lied. The accident did not happen (at) 5 o’clock in the morning unless he was going to work and he wasn’t coming from work,“ she said, “That happened after two o’clock. So, they need to get their facts straight - tell the people the truth.”

When asked by The Tribune about this matter, Chief Superintendent David

Lockhart of the Royal Bahamas Police Force Traffic Division said he was unaware of the concerns by the family.

“I don’t know where they got that information from - we could only go on what was reported to us.

The incident was reported closer to 5am,” he said.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force traffic division is continuing investigations into this matter.

Tanya Gaitor, the aunt of Fletcher, said the news was devastating as she described him as a son more than a nephew.

She said: “Fletcher was more than a nephew, he was a son to me, because his mother lived in Andros and he lived here. Anytime he would get in any little trouble or anything it was always me he would call to come to his rescue,” she said.

the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“Education is regarded as a human right to all.

Irrespective of age, gender,

incarceration standard, or socioeconomic status, “ Mr Munroe said yesterday.

Mr Munroe explained that BDCS acknowledges and prescribes to the United Nations Standard Minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners also called the Nelson Mandela Rules.

“Inmates’ rights to access education inclusive of library services have long been ignored do to complex and a plethora of challenges faced by this department,” Mr Munroe said.

Mr Munroe added the opening of the library and resource centre will serve as a “critical” component in the rehabilitation and constructive use of time for female inmates.

The library will become an important part of the prison environment as it supports recreational, educational, and rehabilitative programmes.

“The library presents a window to the outside world and it will provide much useful information for those preparing for release for the outside world,” he noted.

The minister echoed thoughts that under vision 2040 the administration has pledged to execute the plan by improving the facilities for inmates.

Acting Commissioner of Corrections Mrs Bernadette Thompson-Murray described the library and resource centre as “essential” to the department’s new correctional services model. She said the library will aid in further enhancing the rehabilitative process as it relates to the treatment and management of offenders.

She said: “The rehabilitation of offenders is important for the protection of society. Therefore, we must prepare them for re-entry into society so that they can lead a fulfilling life productively and avoid falling into former bad habits.”

Inmates Chikmea Gibbs and Ernesta Butler who were present at the ceremony both expressed their gratitude for the new facility. Both women viewed the library and resource centre as an opportunity to better their minds and lives.

PAGE 6, Friday, July 8, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

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Just tell us what govt will do over BPL costs WILL they raise prices at BPL? Won’t they? Will the government throw a subsidy at BPL to avoid a price rise? Won’t they?

Don’t you get a bit tired of all this slow-drip way of telling us whether we will be dipping into our pockets to pay for BPL’s increased fuel bills?

Although make no mistake, we will be paying for those bills – it’s just a question of pay now directly in the bill or pay later when we have to fill up the government coffers that they’ve emptied to cover the costs in the meantime.

The issue comes up again after Minister of Works Alfred Sears pointed out the decision facing the government.

He said: “BPL cannot absorb increases, so there are only two options, one is to pass it on to the consumers or for the government to provide a subvention to pay and the Prime Minister has made it very clear that the government is committed to providing a measure of safeguard for the consumer given the fact that, in many homes, people’s lives have been disrupted by employment, through death and illness as a result of the pandemic. We still have a lot of climate refugees in our country, people who were displaced by Hurricane Dorian.”

Earlier this week, Mr Sears said that no decision had been made yet on whether to increase electricity bills.

Meanwhile, the BPL chief executive, Shevonn Cambridge, has previously said that a review is under way to determine whether there will be an increase by a fuel charge adjustment.

No decision is, however, still a decision. It is a decision to delay any action to tackle the problem at hand. If the bills being paid by customers don’t cover the cost of buying the fuel, it’s an extra debt that mounts up.

As Mr Sears noted yesterday, BPL cannot absorb increases anyway – so a lack of action even brings questions of legality.

Adding extra cost to electricity bills is, of course, politically unpalatable.

Mr Sears is absolutely right that there are many people still affected by the pandemic and Dorian. In yesterday’s Tribune, a report highlighted that Bahamians lost an estimated $2.4bn in wages in total between 2020 and 2023. That’s a big hole, and not in deep pockets.

Speaking of big holes, any subvention to cover BPL’s costs would leave a sizeable one in the Budget plans. There is no mention of such a fund in the proposals just presented.

And if there was going to be an announcement made on BPL costs, and the financial impact that would have on

BPL itself, its customers and the government’s Budget, we ought to expect it would come not from Mr Sears but from someone higher on the political scale – this would be one for the Prime Minister himself.

So as this will they, won’t they continues, and we get strung along while we wait for any supposed decision, it’s no surprise that we get frustrated and just want some straight answers.

We know fuel prices have gone up. So who’s going to pay for it? It’s a simple question.

Settlements Settlement agreements have been in the news lately – largely because of settlements reached with the new leadership in the police force.

Both new Commissioner Clayton Fernander and Deputy Commissioner Leamond Deleveaux recently settled a 2019 lawsuit with the government, just in time to take up their appointments.

The merits of the lawsuits themselves aside, and how much suffering individuals endured when they were still employed, even if not in the post they might desire, there is the question of whether such settlements should be secret.

Both the police leaders have confidentiality agreements on their deals, even though they are both public servants, settling with a public body in the government and if there is a financial component to the settlement, paid with public money.

Against that, there is the question of how much business it is of the public to know details of an individual’s settlement. Public servants or not, these people are also citizens.

Moving away from any individual case, and thinking more about general principles of government, the concern generally with settlements made with public money is to ensure such funds are not misused, that an incoming government doesn’t use those funds to put money into their supporter’s pockets.

That someone who is an opponent of one government doesn’t get an unknown amount of money awarded to them for no reason.

There is a balance to be struck – and that’s a balance we may not have at present. Transparency isn’t something government in The Bahamas is blessed with in abundance, and unknown outof-court payments does nothing to bring further clarity.

The question is, what will is there on either political side to change that?

A YOUNG performer at the opening of Winston Gus Cooper Manor yesterday, with tribute being paid to the famed Junkanoo legend. See PAGE TEN for more.

Photo: Austin Fernander

Why I am proud to be a Bahamian EDITOR, The Tribune.

LETTERS

PROVIDENCE MATURE Christian thought has led me to the conclusion that the God of our faith, who created and directs all things, did so for His ultimate glory.

A Bahamian citizen anywhere on this globe should affirm and assert his or her love for their country, primarily because this is the place God by divine providence ordained him or her to be.

It is puerile to wish one had been born anywhere else, because that contradicts what God has already done.

letters@tribunemedia.net world.

One of the greatest acts of freedom and liberation the last 100 years was the release of Nelson Mandela from a South African prison. The global accord to initiate Mr. Mandela’s freedom was signed in 1985 right here in our little Bahamas.

Personally, I was privileged to meet Mr Mandela on two occasions and each time He was the one to highlight that historical fact.

A FAVOURED PLACE I love The Bahamas because history and geography have favored our national development.

North of our Caribbean brothers and south of the great United States, I believe was God-ordained.

When Christopher Columbus was lost on his journey to “the New World”, providence directed his ships to land here in The Bahamas.

The rediscovery of this place was God’s way to redeem Mr. Columbus’ mistake to expand the new

THE BAHAMAS’ DIVINE CONNECTION Divine connection begets human possibilities. The fact that we call ourselves a Christian nation places us ahead of most of the world.

The pursuit of godliness has not yet influenced all areas of Bahamian life, but to declare ourselves Christian indicates that Christian ideals remain our goal.

It is that God-connection begets human possibilities on a personal and national level.

I love our Bahamas because the worst about us

cannot eclipse or erase the best about is.

I love this country because my personal aspirations are part of the collective aspirations of this country.

The ideals I hold for myself – hope, faith, excellence, and an indomitable spirit – are all high ideals I hold for my country multiplied four hundred thousand times over.

I love the place I was born and live - it’s many problems and challenges notwithstanding.

I am proud to be a Bahamian and work each day so this Bahamas will one day be proud of me.

As we celebrate the 49th anniversary of our independence, and head into our 50thgolden jubilee, let us rededicate ourselves to be patriotic to our nation’s highest ideals so that we give no space to exploitation, hatred, avarice and violence.

Our upward look to the God who created and placed us here will influence our positive, outward look towards each other.

I is a Bahamian...

BISHOP SIMEON B. HALL Nassau July 7, 2022

READERS HAVE SAY ON FNM GATHERING AFTER the FNM held a gathering outside Parliament to highlight the issue of crime, readers of www. tribune242.com had their own opinions to share.

JokeyJack said: “Did they have a permit from the police????

“Remember in this country you must keep your mouth shut unless you have permission to open it.”

Bahamianson added: “Zzzzz. Pintard’s comment about age old problems that both parties faced is outdated, lazy ,and arrogant.

If we, as bahamians, let the fnm and the plp, along with the commissioner of police banbozalle us with nonsense, we deserve what we experience.”

Birdiestrachan said: “These fellows are looking for power at any cost they should have the magic wand because they wrote the book and they are a crime within themselves a crying shame for sure ask the doc he knows.”

Cobalt added: “Wow! The FNM is in worst shape than I could have possibly imagined. I’m actually very fond of Mr Micheal Pintard as it relates to his character and personal values. But this latest effort by his administration is down right pathetic. Really FNM???? Is this all you can do??? This same ole nonsense of fingerprinting

and politicising the high crime rate???? It’s become blatantly obvious that the Bahamas is now without an effective opposition.

Michael Pintard is clearly out of his league. What a pitiful display of desperation, despair and hopelessness.”

• Have your say on issues at www.tribune242.com.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, July 8, 2022, PAGE 7

TWO FACE COURT OVER NIB reserves ‘in a state of decline’ MURDER CHARGES TWO men were charged in a Magistrate’s Court yesterday on two separate murder charges, one involving the death of a known murder suspect.

Demetrius Brown, 26, faced Magistrate Algernon Allen, Jr, accused of causing the death of Keishon “Shonnie” Bethel on June 19. Bethel was on bail for murder.

According to official reports, Brown is alleged to have shot Bethel at a bar on Nassau Street that Saturday night.

This incident resulted in Bethel later dying of gunshot wounds in the hospital.

Before his death, Bethel was awaiting trial for the January 5, 2020 murder of Lyndon Humes, who Bethel is alleged to have shot in his car while he drove along John Road.

Due to the nature of the offence Brown was not required to enter a plea in court and was informed that his case would proceed by way of a Voluntary Bill of Indictment (VBI).

The accused was further told that his case would be heard in the Supreme Court, where he can once again apply for bail after being denied it in court earlier that day.

Until such time as bail is granted Brown will be remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDCS).

The accused is expected to return to court for service of his VBI on September 22.

The other man, Janel “Fat Boy” Charles, 24, appeared before Assistant Chief Magistrate Subusola Swain on charges of murder and attempted murder.

On June 30 in New Providence, while being concerned with others, Charles is accused of killing Gregory Taylor and also on the same day of the attempted murder of Deanza Edgecombe.

Due to the severity of the offence, Charles was not required to enter a plea in court and was informed that his case would proceed by way of Voluntary Bill of indictment.

The accused was further told that his case would be heard in the Supreme Court. Although he was denied bail in the magistrate’s court that day, he can apply again through the Supreme Court.

Until such time that bail is granted, Charles also will be remanded to BDCS. Charles’ VBI will be served on October 18.

MAN ACCUSED OF KNIFE ATTACK

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A MAN, accused of breaking into a home and assaulting a woman with a knife, was granted bail in a Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

Keaunu Rolle, 23, faced Assistant Chief Magistrate Subusola Swain on charges of unlawful entry and assault with a deadly weapon.

Between 2am and 3am on July 4 Rolle is accused of breaking into Shaquell Oliver’s residence on Spence Street and assaulting her with a silver knife.

In court, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charge.

While the prosecution initially objected to bail due to Rolle already having a similar conviction, the Magistrate granted it to him at $5,000 with one or two sureties. However, the conditions of Rolle’s bail states that he is expected to sign in at Central Police Station every Wednesday and Saturday before 6pm.

Rolle’s trial is expected to begin on October 13.

THE National Insurance Board yesterday said its reserves are in a state of decline because the amount of benefits paid out annually have exceeded the incoming contributions since 2016.

Given the current structure of the social security programme, the contribution rate and the number of pensioners receiving benefits, this trend will continue, and the differential between benefits and contributions will increase, NIB also said.

For the fiscal year ended December 2021, NIB said the benefits payments to the public exceeded the contribution income by $70m.

NIB gave a glimpse into the dire straits of the fund yesterday in a statement that sought to refute claims made in videos recently posted on Facebook by Lincoln Bain and lawyer Maria Daxon.

According to NIB, no decision has been made to increase the age of retirement from 65 years old to 67.

Additionally, the board said claims that it provided a bail out to Bank of the Bahamas were “unfounded”.

The claims were contained in videos posted to Facebook by Lincoln Bain and Maria Daxon. Both contested seats in the 2021 general election and lost as part of the Coalition of Independents.

“With respect to NIB operations, the public is advised that no decision has been made at this time to increase the retirement age from 65 to 67. The statement made is false,” a statement from NIB said yesterday.

“NIB further advises that while the reserves of the NIB have grown over the life of the fund (and now stand at $1.5bn), the reserves are currently in a state of decline, principally because the amount of benefits paid annually have exceeded the amount of annual contribution income received from 2016. Given the current structure of the social security programme, the contribution rate and the number of pensioners

receiving benefits, this trend will continue, and the differential between benefits and contributions will increase. For the fiscal year ended December 2021 the benefits payments to the public exceeded the contribution income by $70m.

“NIB also advises that the suggestion that NIB provided a ‘bail out’ for the Bank of the Bahamas is totally unfounded.

“With regard to the properties owned by NIB the public is advised as follows: During the period 2007 to 2014 NIB acquired several properties at a purchase

price of $6.6m for development and ultimate use of various Government departments. The resolution referred to in a social mediavideo related to just two lots purchased by the NIB. “A total of $6.6 million was paid for the other three lots. As a result of recent trespassers accessing the properties and causing damage thereto NIB found it necessary to place security guards at its properties. The NIB further advises that a matter is presently before the courts in relation to a trespassing on its property.

“The NIB refutes any claim

that the properties have been used by or for the benefit of officials or employees of NIB. It is also absolute fantasy to say that NIB obtained the properties from politicians or paid money to politicians for the property.

“The NIB requests that members of the public verify the accuracy of information before making and repeating false and unfounded statements. Such statements even though untrue erode public confidence in the work and management of the Fund that tens of thousands of Bahamians rely on for their safety net.”

PAGE 8, Friday, July 8, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

Safeguarding rights from authoritarian governments World View

By SIR RONALD SANDERS

THE rights of persons everywhere in the world have to be protected from authoritarian governments that suffocate them.

In the English-speaking Caribbean countries - 13 of which are the core nations of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) – there is an outstanding tradition of respect for human, political and civil rights.

Establishing individual rights, including freedom of speech, freedom of the media, the right to organize trade unions and political parties, and to practice religious faith, were hard won.

The people of these 13 countries won these freedoms by overcoming the shackles of slavery and indentured labour, colonial rule, expatriate control of economies, and exploitation.

Today, the 12 independent English-speaking countries of the Caribbean can, for the most part, boast of a record of upholding and respecting rights.

Respect for rights is obvious when a political party loses office in a general election. Power is handed over peacefully and orderly to the political party that wins the election through the ballot box. This was obvious recently in Grenada, where a party that had held office for decades under the leadership of the longest serving head of

government, accepted the decision of the electorate and handed over the reins of government.

Respect for rights also includes regard for criticism expressed in the media, and tolerance of social media where both supportive and opposing opinions and views are openly stated.

The benefit of respect and maintenance of these rights is that these 13 countries enjoy democratic freedoms in which the talents of individuals and groups can thrive without fear of repression. In large measure, it is the enjoyment of these rights that allows these small countries to prosper despite the economic constraints of size and the effects of natural disasters.

The protection of these rights is, therefore, important. Championing them abroad is as crucial as defending them at home.

When rights are violated and abused anywhere, threats are posed to them everywhere.

It is in this connection that CARICOM countries have to be concerned about human, political, and civil rights in neighbouring states and in the wider world. Disregard for rights by governments can spread like a pandemic if it is not stopped.

The current situation in Nicaragua should be a matter of grave concern.

THE SPANISH word for “Murderer” covers a mural of Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega, as part of anti-government protests demanding his resignation in Managua, Nicaragua, in 2018. Four months before scheduled 2022 municipal elections, Nicaraguan riot police have taken over the city halls of five municipalities that had been in the hands of an opposition party.

Photo: Esteban Felix/AP In November 2021, Daniel Ortega was re-elected as President in a process that trampled on rights. Almost 40 opposition persons were imprisoned, including seven potential presidential candidates; and several political parties were blocked from participation in the election. Additionally, independent media were stifled, journalists were jailed, and many non-governmental

organisations were hounded into oblivion. Peaceful demonstrations were ruthlessly broken-up, causing hundreds of deaths.

At the time of the November 2021 election, Ortega had been in power for 15 years since 2006. During that time, he became as autocratic as the Somoza family whom he had fought against four decades ago as head of the Sandinistas.

After the election, the restriction and suppression of rights continued, including by the harassment and imprisonment of some of the men and women who had fought with him to free Nicaragua from the tyranny of the Somoza dynasty. Many of them suffered atrociously in prison, denied adequate food and medicines. Charges were trumped up against them but their real crime in Ortega’s eyes was their expressed dissent to his government’s policies.

The current judicial system is corrupt and totally controlled by Ortega, incapable of delivering justice.

The legislature is also a sham, comprised mainly of members of his own party, opposition parties having been disqualified or eliminated.

In March 2022, this led to open condemnation by his Ambassador to the

Organization of American States (OAS), Arturo McFields. During a live webcast of a Permanent Council meeting, McFields described the Ortega government as a “dictatorship”, which, he said, is stifling civil and political freedoms in Nicaragua.

The situation in Nicaragua has steadily worsened since then. For example, the number of political prisoners has increased from 177 in March to 190 at the end of June. Additionally, on June 29, the government closed 101 civic and charity groups, including the local branch of the Missionaries of Charity established by Mother Teresa. This brought the number of forced closures of non-governmental organisations over the last four years to 758. Ortega’s government claims that these non-governmental groups were working on behalf of foreign interests to destabilise his government. Even if many of them were funded by foreign sources, the accusation that all 758 were working to destabilize his government rises to a high level of paranoia and strains credibility.

On July 6, the Nuns, from Mother Theresa’s missionary, which had been operating for 34 years as a children’s centre and a home for girls and a facility for the elderly, were driven

to the border with Costa Rica and ordered out of the country.

On July 4, four months before scheduled municipal elections, the riot police seized the city halls of five municipalities that had been in the hands of an opposition party, guaranteeing that Ortega’s party would win what will now be sham elections.

All this has had a deleterious effect on Nicaragua.

Tens of thousands of its people have fled across the borders to Costa Rica and Panama. Many more thousands have trekked through Mexico to the border with the United States, their lives in turmoil; their future uncertain. The prospects for Nicaragua dim every day, epitomizing why human, political and civil rights are imperatives and why freedom loving persons must safeguard them – everywhere.

• Responses and previous commentaries: www. sirronaldsanders.com (The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States of America and the Organization of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto)

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, July 8, 2022, PAGE 9

The more things change…

THE BAHAMIAN flag at last year’s Independence celebrations.

A

NNIVERSARIES, national or personal, become times of reflection.

In personal relationships, that reflection can evoke feelings of joy or sadness.

There are memories that jump right out at you – the first kiss, the birth of a child, a graduation ceremony, a fight when words that should never have been spoken rang out and would not stop ringing in your ear.

But national anniversaries are different. They may evoke pride, but not joy or sadness, mostly a feeling of sameness.

Past the first one with a ceremony in which one flag is lowered and another raised, a ceremony where thousands rise and shout in exuberance and celebration, exploding with a new sense of self-importance, it is hard to find those special moments in a country’s life that make one anniversary feel different from another.

Family dynamics change, but national objectives linger. That’s because it just takes sooooo long to get things done, yet we have this innate, unbridled need to celebrate every year, as if we were celebrating having gotten through it instead of what we got done going

through it.

If you need evidence, check dozens of passages in the 1,000-page Volume I of former Prime Minister Hubert A. Ingraham’s book, I Say What I Mean and I Mean What I Say. (The book, by the way, aside from weighing so much that carrying it could substitute for a gym workout, is extraordinary and should be required reading in every government school as well as every private school that really wants to educate its students).

But back to the point about getting things done.

Chapter title after chapter title, subhead after subhead, could be repeated today and we would think the news is current.

Titles like these: Increased Attention to Youth Development (Page 247), Bahamasair Intransigent Problems of Accountability (Page 391).

Modernizing the Judicial Process (Page 410). Job

Creation in the Bahamian Economy, an address in 1995. It is not just that the titles are general issues that could recur in any decade.

The actual content would still be relevant. That’s the crux of why celebrating national anniversaries without commiserate actions isn’t quite the same as family dynamics where you can point to a pivotal event and say, “Hey, look what happened this year.”

If you still don’t believe that the more things change, the more they stay the same, take these parts from the book by Mr Ingraham who first assumed office in August 1992. There’s the address to the nation on Local Government. Three years later, he was introducing a limited form of local government to the Family Islands, though not with taxing or spending authority, and a conciliatory nod to New Providence with the election of school boards as a first step. That means the

Poaching in Bahamian waters

W

hen an American couple was stopped for allegedly poaching and accused of, though not charged with, taking crawfish during the closed season in the Exuma Land and Sea Park where fishing of any kind is forbidden, two interesting things happened.

One, Bahamians were up in arms that such an affront could have happened, and cheering the fact that our marine resources were being protected.

Two, the couple was advised to go back to their vessel for the night as there was no place to hold them in Warderick Wells where the headquarters of the 176-square mile park managed by the Bahamas National Trust is located in the middle of the Exuma cays. The next day they apparently turned up in Grand Bahama and from there the story got even stranger.

Were they going to be allowed to go home with a slap on their wrist? Was being shamed punishment enough?

Did law enforcement take the case too lightly or was the embarrassment too severe for private sustenance fishing in a protected area, a place where you are not even permitted to swim away

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with a broken piece of sea fan?

All I see, and forgive me if this seems cynical, is a whole lot of hypocrisy.

Why didn’t the same people who cheered at the temporary capture of these crawfish “criminals” have the same strong reaction when this newspaper published a photo of a boat laden with hundreds if not thousands of conch?

Is it because the harvesting of conch, no matter how aggressively, is legal and the taking of four crawfish is not?

Was it really about the legality or is the truth that one act that violates our good stewardship of marine resources was committed by foreigners and the other, which

was far more abusive, was done by Bahamians?

Ask yourself. I know how I feel.

Both turn my stomach. Without the precious resources of the sea, our lives will change for the worse.

Future generations will hear stories of conch and see pictures of the mollusk as they digest some veg-pretend-meat-soywhatever mumbo jumbo that will never begin to compare with a fresh conch salad or scorch.

So long as hypocrisy wins, all of us lose. Not all that is lawful is right, it may be on the right side of the law, but not on the right side of the laws of nature.

FORMER Prime Minister Hubert A. Ingraham presents a copy of his book to Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis. promise of local government for New Providence, a contemporary subject now, was a contemporary subject then. And where are we with local government for the island now? Still opening downtown daily without a manager or mayor or authority in charge. If I am not mistaken, limited local government was intended to take effect in the 1995-1996 budget or approximately 9490 days ago, give or take a few hours.

There is another contribution in the book detailing

the work that must be done to correct the issues on Village Road. Thirty years later, that work is finally being done.

No one is blaming Mr Ingraham. Nor are we blaming anyone who followed. In government, as in most bureaucratic operations that operate with a shortage of resources and an abundance of demand, things, well, just take their sweet time.

Yet anniversaries come every year.

As Sir Arthur Foulkes writes in the Foreword to

what I can only praise as a vessel of crisp observation and a salute to struggle, “I commend these writings to current and future generations who will find them a treasury of ideas and policies, most of which will stand the test of time.”

Maybe the purpose of national anniversaries is to remind us what is still on the drawing board and send us back to it with renewed energy.

On the other hand, there’s always next year.

As I said, the more things change . . .

PAGE 10, Friday, July 8, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

Gus Cooper hailed as he is honoured

by Arawak Homes

By EARYEL BOWLEG ebowleg@tribunemedia.net FAMILY and loved ones gathered at the opening of the Winston “Gus” Cooper Manor yesterday, remembering the man best known as a visionary leader of the Valley Boys Junkanoo group.

Brian Adderley, the groups chairman, said they were grateful the Junkanoo icon was being honoured.

“As a member of the Valley Boys and as the chairman of the Valley Boys, Gus Cooper was a mentor to all of us. He was a man that had a high standards and discipline in every thing that he did,” he told reporters.

“So we’re grateful Arawak Homes is

honouring him in this regard and also by paying respect to his contribution and to his family for the sacrifices and contribution he made to The Bahamas, not just as someone who has been involved in culture in Junkanoo but also for his dedication of service to the country first as a teacher and then as a public servant working as the first Bahamian director of sports in the Ministry of Youth and Sports.”

His Mr Cooper’s wife, Cassandra, he would have been “elated” and “happy”.

“He did a lot of work for The Bahamas for us so I’m look forward to them doing something for him. Even though he’s gone, but the children, the grandchildren, the great-grandchildren

will remember but he’s gone but I would love to see more done for him.

Like other nations, Trinidad and all paid to do what he’s been doing for free for years. Using his own money - he did that for many years.

When he died, we’re married for 49 years. So I would appreciate if they did something else for him.”

While giving remarks at the event, former Prime Minister Perry Christie noted the work Mr Cooper did.

“The honour that you give him today must be the administer a step in the direction of elevating people who have given much to the strengthening the Greek call it the ethos of our country, but that characteristic spirit

THE OPENING of Winston Gus Cooper Manor yesterday. that binds us together as Bahamians. Gus Cooper contributed to that as Vola Francis is contributing in an extraordinary way that we truly cannot yet fathom simply because in every other country that I know of that has the kind of major cultural gatherings like Junkanoo the men who lead this groups earn a fortune from their leadership,” he said.

“Gus and those used to go (to) Trinidad, to Brazil, to look at what was happening there and when they went they knew that the people who lead those organizations were corporations. That they were able to earn a magnificent living from the full flowering of their talent and their effort. The nobility of Gus Cooper’s struggle, that’s what I call it, was to lead a

Photo: Austin Fernander group that with each changing generation questioned leadership… there were times when I wondered why he would want to continue doing it. There were times I would be invited to chair a committee to review the affairs of the group and always the certain conclusion was there was really no issue, no real issue with the leadership, the leader of the group.”

FORMER JAPAN PM SHOT IN ATTACK TOKYO Associated Press JAPAN’S former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot during a campaign speech in western Japan on Friday and was airlifted to a hospital but he was not breathing and his heart had stopped, officials said.

Local fire department official Makoto Morimoto said Abe was in cardio and pulmonary arrest after being shot and was taken to a prefectural hospital.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters that police arrested an alleged male attacker at the scene. “A barbaric act like this is absolutely unforgivable, no matter what the reasons are, and we condemn it strongly,” Matsuno said.

NHK public broadcaster aired footage showing Abe collapsed on the street, with several security guards running toward him, He was reportedly shot a few minuts after he started talking outside of a main train station in western Nara.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who belongs to the same political party as Abe, is on his way to Tokyo on a helicopter from his own campaign destination of Yamagata, in northern Japan. Matsuno said all Cabinet ministers are to return to Tokyo from their campaign trips.

Abe was giving a speech when people heard gunshots. He was holding his chest when he collapsed, his shirt smeared with blood, but was able to speak before he fell unconscious.

BRITISH PM BORIS JOHNSON RESIGNS LONDON Associated Press

PRIME Minister Boris Johnson announced his resignation yesterday after droves of top government officials quit over the latest scandal to engulf him, marking an end to three years in which he tried to bluster his way through one ethical lapse after another.

Months of defiance ended almost with a shrug as Johnson stood outside No 10 Downing St and conceded that his party wanted him gone. “Them’s the

breaks,” he said.

The brash, 58-year-old politician who took Britain out of the European Union and steered it through COVID19 and the war in Ukraine was brought down by one scandal too many — this one involving his appointment of a politician accused of sexual misconduct.

Johnson stepped down immediately as Conservative Party leader but said he would remain as prime minister until the party chooses his successor. That timetable will be announced next week.

SPORTS Hit, run, score Nadal,

PAGE 11

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

D

ay one of the inaugural Babe Ruth Region Caribbean Championships and Invitational featured both close games and lopsided results to set the tone for an exciting weekend of youth baseball at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

In the 12U division, Bahamas (Tournament) completed day one at 2-0, while Bahamas (Host) went 1-1.

Bahamas (Tournament) opened play with a 20-0 win over the Cayman Islands.

Javan Smith pitched a perfect game with nine strikeouts in three innings.

Offensively, Kaizen Dorsett went 3-3 with two runs and three RBI, Ajay Knowles went 2-2 with three runs and three RBI, Javez Coleby went 2-2 with two runs and two RBI, Carlton Storr went 2-4 with 4 RBI and Trae Neymour scored three runs with two RBI. Smith, Mario Dean and Jordan Miller also added RBIs. In game two, they recorded another shutout

FRIDAY, JULY 8, 2022

Page 14

Inaugural Babe Ruth Region Caribbean Championships Day 1 highlights with a 6-0 win over Puerto Rico. Mirko Gervasini took the mound and finished with six strikeouts while allowing just two hits through five innings.

Dorsett went 1-2 with a run and two RBI, Knowles was 2-3 with a run and two RBI and Jordan Archer drove in two RBI. Bahamas (Host) defeated Cuba 6-5 in their opening game. Nathan Fernander got the win and pitched six strikeouts in relief.

Sherman Ferguson went 2-3 with two RBI while Fernander and Nicholas Cox also drove in runs.

In the 16U division, the Bahamas won 4-1 over the Netherlands in their only game of the afternoon.

Breyas Dean blasted a two-run home run while Andru Arthur added a solo shot in the win.

SEE PAGE 12

TEAGAN COLEBY, left, and Ralph Burrows in action on day one of the inaugural Babe Ruth Region Caribbean Championships and Invitational. Yesterday featured both close games and lopsided results to set the tone for an exciting weekend of youth baseball at the Baillou Hills Sports Complex.

CULMER FILLS IN AS WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL TEAM HEAD COACH

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net DONILLO ‘Donnie’ Culmer, filling in as the head coach in the absence of Yolett McPhee-McCuin, likes what he sees with the make-up of the women’s national basketball team.

Culmer, assisted by Deven Johnson and Di’Asti Delancy, will take the 12-woman team into Havana, Cuba this weekend for the FIBA Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Women’s Championship.

Veterans Philicia Kelly (guard), Valerie Nesbitt (guard), Britenique Harrison (centre), Roberta Quant (centre) and Latoya Rolle (forward) will lead the team that will also

include Tiffany Wildgoose (forward), Lativia Brennen (forward), Antonicia Moultrie (guard), Valicia Demeritte (guard), Denika Lightbourne (guard), Lorraine Oliver (forward) and Karolyn Baptiste guard).

The team, which will be managed by Anastacia Sands-Moultrie with Charlis Robbins as the director of basketball operations, Latoya Silver as the head of delegation and Sasha Johnson as the trainer, is scheduled to play in the tournament at the Ciudad Deportivo Coliseum against teams from Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica.

It’s still not certain the exact date that the team will travel, but Culmer said they are expected to be in Havana by Monday and

DONNIE Culmer will use the next few days to gear up to play Cuba in their first game on Wednesday, July 13.

Following that game, the Bahamas will face the Dominican Republic at 5pm on Thursday, July 14 and Jamaica at the same time on Friday, July 15. The playoffs will take place on

Saturday and Sunday, July 16-17.

“We know that this is going to be a tough tournament and so we have to be ready,” Culmer said. “We feel we have a pretty good team that should be able to represent the Bahamas very well.

“We have some talented guards and that is going to be our strength. We feel if we can run the ball and wear down our opponents, our inside players will be able to do what they have to do. It’s not going to be easy, but we’re going to be ready.”

Culmer said he would have liked to have McPheeMcCuin return as the head coach, but after she made a commitment to work as an assistant for the men’s basketball team, he said he

still confided in her for her expertise.

“I invited her to come in and she came and worked with the team. She was able to give us a few plays to work on,” he said. “Anytime you can get a great mind like coach Yolett to work with you, it’s a pleasure.

“I had the opportunity to work with her as an assistant when the women’s team won the CentroBasket Tournament in 2015 and although she won’t be able to be a part of this team, I was happy that she was able to give us some pointers before we leave on this trip.”

Culmer, who has also worked under and alongside veteran coach Anthony Swaby, said he welcomes any coach who wishes to

come out and assist the programme because, at the end of the day, his only wish is that the Bahamas succeeds.

He noted, however, that it has been a struggle for the Bahamas Basketball Federation to fund the team and, at this stage, they’re still waiting on confirmation of exactly when they will travel.

The Bahamas will need to finish in the top three in order to advance to the next round of the championships, but Culmer said their goal is to go to Cuba and win the championship title.

“We feel we have a good team that can represent the country,” Culmer said. “We had some more veterans who tried out, but because

SEE PAGE 12

Raiders’ Morgan Tringale off to record is NFL’s first Black start with 61 to lead female team president the Scottish Open

By W G RAMIREZ Associated Press LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Las Vegas Raiders introduced a former Nevada gambling regulator yesterday as the franchise’s new president, the first Black woman to hold the title with an NFL team.

Team owner Mark Davis said Sandra Douglass Morgan topped his list every time after he spoke to candidates.

“Her experience, integrity and passion for this community will be invaluable to our organisation,” Davis said. “From the moment I met Sandra, I knew she was a force to be reckoned with. We are extremely lucky to have her at the helm.”

Morgan, the former chairwoman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board,

SANDRA Douglass Morgan.

(AP) is the third woman and third African-American to become president of an NFL team.

She is also the latest Raiders hire to break barriers. Former Raiders coach Tom Flores was the first Hispanic head coach to win a Super Bowl title and former coach Art Shell was the first Black head coach

of the NFL’s Super Bowl era.

Morgan, who spent eight years with the city of North Las Vegas, was also the first Black city attorney in the state of Nevada when she served in that role from 2013 to 2016.

“I definitely never want to be the last,” Morgan said, “and I want to get to a point where there is no more firsts.”

Morgan emphasized leadership and full transparency during her introductory press conference at Allegiant Stadium.

“We have so much more to do, and I’m excited to be at the helm of that growth and look forward to ushering in the new chapter for the Raiders,” said Morgan.

“The fact is I have accepted this role because I believe

SEE PAGE 12

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer NORTH BERWICK, Scotland (AP) — Cameron Tringale has played 331 times on the PGA Tour without winning.

His career-best round of 9-under 61 might help him change that at a tournament run by the European tour.

Tringale ran off six straight birdies to start the back nine at The Renaissance Club yesterday and had a three-shot lead in the Scottish Open, the first European event co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour. Former U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland saw work with putting coach Phil Kenyon pay off in his round of 64, the only one close to Tringale.

NORWAY’s Viktor Hovland on the 10th tee during day one of the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club, North Berwick, Scotland, yesterday.

(Steve Welsh/PA via AP) “I haven’t had a professional win on my own, and obviously Scotland is where golf started, so this place is special,” Tringale said.

And it was relatively benign, at least for Tringale. That wasn’t the case yesterday afternoon,

SEE PAGE 14

PAGE 12, Friday, July 8, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

Pogacar wins 6th stage of Tour and takes yellow jersey LONGWY, France (AP) — Tadej Pogacar is back in the yellow jersey at the Tour de France. And it’s earlier than perhaps even he expected.

On the way to his wins in the 2020 and 2021 Tours, Pogacar took the yellow jersey in the mountains, but yesterday all he needed was the modest Côte des Religieuses hill in the border town of Longwy.

Asked about the prospect of being back in yellow, which wasn’t confirmed when he was speaking, Pogacar said in televised comments that for now he was focused on the stage win and “anything else is just a bonus.”

After an imposing sixth stage of nearly 220 kilometres (137 miles) through Belgium and northern France — the longest of

this year’s Tour — Pogacar pulled away in the sprint finish on the crest of the Côte des Religieuses to take his first stage victory this year ahead of David Gaudu and Michael Matthews yesterday.

Pogacar now leads the Tour by four seconds ahead of American rider Neilson Powless, thanks to the bonus seconds based on stage placings.

“Every time I win it’s even better,” Pogacar said.

“We rode the last two climbs really hard, it was above our thresholds. It was super hard for the final climb and hectic and everything. I guess I had good legs to push in the end.”

Wout Van Aert was the leader heading into the stage and was the focus of attention with a breakaway, but was caught with

11 kilometres remaining.

Van Aert dropped off on the hilly final section of the stage and eventually lost more than seven minutes.

It’s the earliest that Pogacar has worn yellow on the Tour after taking the lead on the 20th stage in 2020 and the eighth stage last year.

Today sees the Tour’s first mountain stage and a return to a place where the UAE Team Emirates rider made his name. The 176-kilometre seventh stage runs from Tomblaine to a summit finish on La Planche des Belles Filles, where he surged to victory to take the yellow jersey from fellow Slovenian Primož Roglic in the penultimate stage in 2020. Despite the imposing length of the stage, the pace was relentlessly fast from the start.

SLOVENIA’S TADEJ POGACAR, wearing the best young rider’s white jersey, celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the sixth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 220 kilometres (136.7 miles) with start in Binche and finish in Longwy, France, yesterday.

(AP Photo/Thibault Camus) Van Aert, Quinn Simmons and Jakob Fuglsang broke away and had a four-minute gap to the peloton at one stage, but were gradually reeled back in. Fuglsang dropped back and the advantage was down to two minutes with 50 kilometres to go. Simmons couldn’t keep up with Van Aert, who kept his lead stable at just over a minute with 25 kilometres remaining, but the Belgian didn’t have enough energy

left to stay in front on the repeated climbs.

Pogacar said he had thought Van Aert could take the stage win on his own and credited his team’s “incredibly good job” getting him into position to fight for the stage win on the uphill finish of the Côte des Religieuses.

Van Aert had led since the second stage Saturday, with a series of impressive rides and a stage win along the way. The Belgian will

now swap his yellow jersey for green as leader of the sprint classification.

“For sure the yellow jersey is nicer than the green one but I’ve enjoyed the yellow and I’ll enjoy the green as well,” he said.

“At the end of the day, we were only three at the front, so I was well aware that it would be a mission to stay up there till the end. But I’ve wanted to honour the Maillot Jaune and share the moment with the crowd.”

JAVAN Smith pitched a perfect game with nine strikeouts in three innings on day one of the inaugural Babe Ruth Region Caribbean Championships and Invitational.

The day featured both close games and lopsided results to set the tone for an exciting weekend of youth baseball at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

AJAY KNOWLES, front, went 2-2 with three runs and three RBI.

JORDAN Miller in action yesterday at the newly refurbished Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

RAIDERS FROM PAGE 11

in the promise of the Raiders, I believe in the future of the Raiders, and I believe in this organisation’s tenets of community, integrity, and most of all, commitment to excellence.”

She takes over a team that has endured tumultuous times in its front office, with two presidents and several longtime executives leaving the organisation in less than a year.

After Marc Badain resigned as president last summer, Dan Ventrelle took over in July 2021 on an interim basis and was promoted to the full-time role in January.

But Ventrelle was gone less than a year after joining the organisation.

In a statement to the Las Vegas Review-Journal,

Ventrelle said he was fired in retaliation for bringing concerns from multiple employees to the NFL about a “hostile work environment.”

“It’s no secret that this organisation has faced some recent challenges, but I want to be clear, I am not here to sweep anything under the rug or avoid problems or concerns that need to be addressed,” said Morgan.

“It is not lost on me that this is a critical and defining moment in the NFL. It’s important to me and it is my intention to make a meaningful contribution well beyond the Raiders family.”

Star defensive end Maxx Crosby, who attended Morgan’s introduction, said Raiders players are excited to start a new chapter.

“It’s incredible,” Crosby said. “First off, just breaking barriers and Mark has

done an incredible job and it started with his father.

You know, just being transparent and giving everyone an equal opportunity. She’s honestly the best for the job and it’s going to be awesome, we’re excited for the future.”

Coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler welcomed Morgan in a prepared statement.

“We congratulate Sandra Douglass Morgan on her historic hiring as team president and are excited to welcome her into the Raiders family.

“Sandra brings impressive leadership experience to the organisation and we are thrilled to work with her as we continue to build a championship-calibre culture and team,” the statement said.

Morgan’s husband, Don, played with the Minnesota Vikings and the Arizona Cardinals between 1999 and 2002.

BABE RUTH FROM PAGE 11

The 12U Division continues to play today at 9am when both Bahamas teams square off.

At 11am, Aruba will take on Cuba, followed by the Cayman Islands against Puerto Rico at 1pm.

Bahamas (Tournament) takes on Cuba at 3pm and the Cayman Islands concludes the day with a matchup against Aruba at 5pm. The 16U division

CULMER

FROM PAGE 11 of the fact that some of them could only get time off, but not with pay, they opted not to travel because they feel the bills will still be there when they return home.

“We have to find a method in which we allow these players to play on the national team and still get compensated for the time they take off to represent the country. A lot of our best players can’t afford

will feature Aruba and the Netherlands in the 9am matchup followed by Puerto Rico and The Bahamas at 11am and Aruba against the USA at 1pm.

Puerto Rico and St Marteen will face off at 3pm and The Bahamas will conclude the day with a matchup against Aruba.

The 1pm and 3pm games will be broadcast live on Rev throughout the group stage. They will also broadcast the semifinals and medal games on the final day.

Play in the group stage continues from 9-5 tomorrow.

The single-game elimination round takes place on Sunday with Monday slated for gold and bronze medal games.

Ticket packages for the event can be purchased at the NSA office at the Thomas A Robinson Stadium.

Five-day packages for adults are available at $65 for adults and $20 for children. Daily rates are $15 for adults and $5 for children.

to travel and not get paid because of their financial commitments.”

Despite what they’re dealing with, Culmer said the team assembled will represent the Bahamas very well.

“We have some veterans on our team, but how much of the load they will carry will depend on what we face in Cuba,” he said.

“That’s one of the reasons why we have added some of the younger players.

“We anticipate that the younger players will be able

to hold their own, but for the system that we expect to utilise, we will have to rely a lot more on the younger players to carry the load.

“So, it’s going to be tough, but I feel we will be ready for the challenge,” he added.

In addition to winning the CBC Championship for Women in 2015, the Bahamas also won the 1998 Caricom Basketball Championship for Women and placed third at the CBC Women’s Championships in 2018.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, July 8, 2022, PAGE 13

Mackey Jr to continue pro basketball career in Europe

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net AFTER completing his first year with Mulhouse Basket in France, Grand Bahamian native Willis Mackey Jr is looking forward to returning to Europe in August to continue his professional basketball career.

Mackey Jr, who averaged 11.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.6 blocked shots, is currently in town. He’s assisting former pro JR Cadot with his NEXT Basketball organisation’s inaugural Dream Again Basketball Camp at the Remnant Tabernacle of Praise auditorium on Carmichael Road.

Now in his fourth year on the pro circuit, Mackey Jr said it has been quite a rewarding experience so far.

“These countries treat so well, it’s really a good life out there,” Mackey Jr said.

“I’ve been playing pretty good out there too, just trying to find my space, so it has paid off for me.”

As a late bloomer who got started playing basketball at the age of 18, Mackey Jr said he’s seen such a vast improvement in his game from year to year.

“I just really want to see how far I can go,” he stated.

Looking back at his tenure, Mackey said a knee injury this year has caused him some setback, which included not being able to suit up and play for the men’s national basketball team that played and lost to the Dominican Republic on Monday in the FIBA Americas Basketball Championship at Baha Mar. “I was having a great season and I was really looking forward to things getting even better,” he said. “But it’s life. You get a setback, but you don’t allow it to keep you down.

“I really would have liked to have played on the national team this year, but the injury forced me to have to sit out. I hope that I will be able to play in the next round in August before I head off to France to play in the upcoming season.”

Although all of the focus on the international basketball has been centred around the National Basketball Association (NBA), Mackey Jr said Europe is just as competitive, although the salary earned may not be as lucrative.

“We know that not everybody will get to play in the NBA,” Mackey Jr

WILLIS MACKEY JR, of Grand Bahama. said. “But in Europe, you get to play a high level of basketball and you make some money. So once I

can support my family, I’m satisfied.”

Mackey, a 28-yearold 6-foot, 8-inch power

forward, said he’s just eager to continue to play wherever his talent takes him and he can make a contribution to the growth and development of the sport in the country. He noted that he was just thrilled to have been invited by Cadot to lend his assistance to his basketball camp.

Hopefully, he can share his expertise with some of the other camps while he’s home. Mackey, who played for Northwestern Ohio Racers in the NCAA college basketball, went on to play for Bordeaux during the 2020/21 season where he averaged 12.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists before he ended up at Mulhouse.

On November 05, 2021, Mackey Jr tied his career high in points in a Mulhouse 81-64 win over Besancon with 23 points, shooting 8-for-8 from the two-point line, 1-for-2 from three for a 90.0% from the field. He also shot 4/4 from the freethrow line and added nine rebounds and an assist.

Mackey came back and established his career high in rebounds with 14 in a 77-69 win for Mulhouse in a home game against Caen.

He also produced a doubledouble with 16 points, an assist, a steal and a block.

JOE LEADS 76ERS PAST THUNDER IN SLC SUMMER LEAGUE 80-79 ISAIAH Joe made a goahead 3-pointer with 25 seconds left, his fourth of the game, and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 80-79 on Thursday on Day 3 of the Salt Lake City Summer League.

Tre Mann missed a 3-pointer in the closing seconds and Paul Reed

secured the rebound to hand the Thunder, who rested No. 2 pick Chet Holmgren in their third game in three nights, their first loss in three games.

Joe finished with 19 points and Reed had 14 points and seven rebounds for Philadelphia.

Mann scored 13 points.

Josh Giddey, coming off a

triple-double, had 10 points, five rebounds and seven assists for the Thunder.

Oklahoma City scored the first six points of the game but Philadelphia answered with a 19-2 run.

GRIZZLIES 95, JAZZ 84 Ziaire Williams scored 10 of his 19 points in the third quarter and Memphis

closed out the SLC Summer League with a victory over Utah.

Memphis trailed 50-38 at halftime. Williams scored six straight points to cut the Grizzlies’ deficit to single digits midway through the third quarter and David Roddy — one of Memphis’ two first-rounders in the 2022 draft — had a dunk

and a three-point play late to help knot the score at 68 heading into the final quarter.

Roddy finished with 16 points. Santi Aldama scored 14, while Xavier Tillman added 10 points and 14 rebounds.

Jared Butler had 22 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for Utah.

JUDGE HITS SLAM FOR MLB-LEADING 30TH HOME RUN PITTSBURGH (AP) — Aaron Judge hit a grand slam for his major leagueleading 30th home run and the New York Yankees routed the Pittsburgh Pirates 16-0 on Wednesday night to split their twogame interleague series.

Luis Severino pitched six dominant innings and Aaron Hicks also had a grand slam as New York scored 11 runs in the eighth and ninth and halted a twogame skid.

Judge became the first Yankees player to hit 30 home runs before the AllStar break twice in his career when he turned on a pitch from Pittsburgh reliever Manny Banuelos in the eighth for his third career slam.

Hicks cleared the bases in the ninth when he went deep against Pirates utility infielder Josh VanMeter.

Giancarlo Stanton, Josh Donaldson, Joey Gallo and Kyle Higashioka also homered for New York to boost the Yankees’ season total to 139 homers, easily tops in the majors.

Severino (5-3) allowed four hits while striking out three without issuing a walk to pick up his first victory in more than a month.

Mitch Keller (2-6) worked in and out of trouble over six innings, allowing four runs on a season-high 10 hits with a walk and seven strikeouts.

DODGERS 2, ROCKIES 1 LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cody Bellinger scored the winning run on Mookie Betts’ infield single with the bases loaded in the ninth inning, and Los Angeles completed a three-game sweep of Colorado.

Dodgers starter Mitch White and three relievers combined to allow only one hit — a single by Brendan Rodgers in the sixth.

Bellinger, who had three hits, and Gavin Lux opened the ninth with back-to-back singles. Lux hit a bleeder to the open left side of the

infield with the shift on that allowed Bellinger to reach third.

The Rockies then went to a five-man infield, bringing in center fielder Garrett Hampson and leaving only Kris Bryant and Charlie Blackmon to patrol the outfield. Pinch-hitter Will Smith drew a walk to load the bases for Betts with nobody out.

Betts hit a bouncer over the head of reliever Daniel Bard (3-3). The speedy Bellinger dashed home safely, and the Dodgers improved to 5-8 in one-run games this season.

Los Angeles closer Craig Kimbrel (2-4) returned after taking a line drive off his back last week and retired the side in the ninth for the win.

GIANTS 7, DIAMONDBACKS 5 PHOENIX (AP) — Austin Slater hit a tiebreaking bases-loaded double in the ninth inning and San Francisco rallied from an early four-run deficit, beating Arizona and snapping a six-game skid.

Darin Ruf hit a two-run, pinch-hit homer off Joe Mantiply (1-2) in the eighth inning, tying the game at 4.

Slater, also pinch-hitting, led off the inning with a bunt single.

In the ninth, Mantiply hit Mike Yastrzemski with a pitch and Sean Poppen came on for Arizona.

Pinch-hitter Wilmer Flores singled and, after a forceout, Tommy La Stella walked to load the bases.

Slater then drilled a line drive past first base, scoring the go-ahead runs. Austin Wynns followed with a sacrifice fly to push the lead to three runs.

John Brebbia (4-1) retired Arizona in order in the eighth and picked up the victory. Sam Long earned his first save.

The Diamondbacks raced to a 4-0 lead against Giants starter Alex Cobb.

David Peralta had an RBI single in the first inning, and

NEW York Yankees’ Aaron Judge hits a double off Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh on Wednesday night.

(AP Photo/Gene J Puskar) Arizona added three more in the second.

Merrill Kelly allowed just two hits and two runs, struck out six and walked three in 6 1/3 innings for Arizona.

CUBS 2, BREWERS 1 MILWAUKEE (AP) — P.J. Higgins hit a tiebreaking two-out double off Josh Hader in the ninth inning, and Chicago rallied to beat Milwaukee.

After Brewers starter Corbin Burnes threw seven shutout innings, the Cubs broke through against Milwaukee’s bullpen by scoring in each of the last two frames. The Cubs took two of three at Milwaukee and have followed a 10-game losing streak by winning four straight series.

Patrick Wisdom led off the ninth with a walk for Chicago and stole second one out later. Higgins brought home Wisdom by sending a 1-1 slider from Hader (0-2) just inside the right-field line.

David Robertson retired the side in order for his 12th save in 16 opportunities.

Keston Hiura homered for the Brewers. Mychal

Givens (5-0) worked the eighth for Chicago.

ANGELS 5, MARLINS 2 MIAMI (AP) — Shohei Ohtani allowed one unearned run in seven dominant innings and had the go-ahead hit as Los Angeles snapped Miami’s six-game winning streak.

The reigning AL MVP won his fifth consecutive start, limiting the Marlins to two hits. Ohtani (8-4) walked three and struck out 10 before 18,741, the fourth largest crowd at loanDepot Park this season.

Three-time AL MVP Mike Trout was hitless in four at-bats and had an RBI. Max Stassi doubled and reached base three times to help the Angels snap a four-game skid.

Ohtani’s two-RBI single with the bases loaded chased Miami starter Trevor Rogers (4-7) and capped a three-run fifth that put Los Angeles ahead 3-1.

Run-scoring singles from Taylor Ward and Luis Rengifo in the seventh padded the Angels’ lead.

Rogers allowed three runs, four hits, walked two,

struck out five and hit two batters in 4 2/3 innings.

METS 8, REDS 3 (10 INNINGS) CINCINNATI (AP) — Brandon Nimmo’s three-run homer capped a five-run 10th inning and New York rallied to beat Cincinnati.

Starling Marte grounded an RBI double over third base off Hunter Strickland with one out in the ninth, scoring Nimmo from first to tie the game at 3.

Dominic Smith’s double off Dauri Moreta (0-2) drove home pinch-runner Ender Inciarte from second base with the go-ahead run in the 10th.

James McCann delivered an RBI single before Nimmo’s shot sent the NL East leaders to their 20th series win this season.

Pete Alonso went 4 for 5 with a double. Nimmo had three hits and scored three times from the leadoff spot as New York remained 2 1/2 games ahead of secondplace Atlanta.

Nick Senzel hit a two-run homer for the Reds, who have the worst record in the National League.

PANDEMICDELAYED WORLD GAMES OPEN A YEAR LATE BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Delayed a year because of the COVID19 pandemic, the World Games opened yesterday in Alabama featuring more than 3,600 athletes participating in nonOlympic events including sumo wrestling, gymnastics, martial arts and tug of war.

The opening ceremony, set for last night at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, includes performances by Nelly and the band Alabama.

It will kick off 10 days of competition around the metro area in nearly 40 sports with participants from about 100 nations.

Organisers said more than 350,000 tickets have been sold, and events will be available for viewing by livestream.

CBS Sports will televise 12 hours of coverage.

Some competitions already have been held.

Hundreds of people turned out in Oxford, about 60 miles (97 kilometres) east of Birmingham, for exhibition games between the USA Softball Women’s National Team, Team Australia and Team Japan.

Some streets in downtown Birmingham have been shut down for security, but the city also has added new features, including a park constructed beneath the rebuilt Interstate 20/59.

Most athletes are being housed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham or Birmingham-Southern College.

“Yesterday, the Egyptian karate team arrived at Birmingham-Southern. Today I was getting reports of the Canadian lacrosse team and others,” World Games chief executive Nick Sellers said Tuesday.

Initially scheduled for 2021, the World Games were delayed a year because of the pandemic.

Cases of COVID-19 and hospitalisations are again on the rise, but state hospitals are far below capacities that stretched staff and intensive care units at the worst of the crisis.

BRAVES 3, CARDINALS 0 ATLANTA (AP) — Marcell Ozuna and Eddie Rosario hit back-to-back homers, Max Fried threw six strong innings and Atlanta beat slumping St. Louis. Fried (9-2) and Miles Mikolas (5-7) each threw four scoreless innings before Ozuna led off the fifth with his 17th homer deep into the left-field seats. Rosario followed with his first homer. Austin Riley and Travis d’Arnaud added back-to-back doubles off Mikolas in the sixth, giving Atlanta a 3-0 lead.

Fried gave up only five hits, including two to Albert Pujols, with one walk and four strikeouts in winning his nine consecutive decision after losses in his first two starts. Left-hander A.J. Minter pitched the ninth for his second save.

ROYALS 7, ASTROS 4 HOUSTON (AP) — Whit Merrifield, Hunter Dozier and Emmanuel Rivera homered as Kansas City roughed up Cristian Javier early and snapped Houston’s major-league best eight-game winning streak.

Javier (6-4) had trouble with the Royals almost immediately.

Merrifield sent Javier’s third pitch into the seats for his fourth homer.

Javier walked Andrew Benintendi before Dozier’s two-out shot made it 3-0. Rivera homered to left-centre in the second.

PAGE 14, Friday, July 8, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

Injured Nadal out of Wimbledon, Kyrgios advances to final

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Rafael Nadal withdrew from Wimbledon because of a torn abdominal muscle yesterday, a day before he was supposed to play Nick Kyrgios in the semifinals.

It is the first time since 1931 that a man pulled out of the oldest Grand Slam tournament before a semifinal or final.

“I made my decision because I believe that I can’t win two matches under these circumstances,” Nadal said at a news conference at the All England Club. “I can’t serve. It’s not only that I can’t serve at the right speed, it’s that I can’t do the normal movement to serve.”

The 22-time major champion sighed occasionally while answering questions in English, then Spanish, for more than 20 minutes total. He twice described himself as “very sad.”

Nadal said trying to continue to compete could make the injury worse.

The only other time in his career that Nadal gave a walkover to an opponent by pulling out of a Grand Slam tournament prior to a match came at the 2016 French Open, when he withdrew before the third round because of an injured left wrist. The 40th-ranked Kyrgios, a

27-year-old from Australia, advanced to his first title match at a major tournament and becomes the first unseeded men’s finalist at Wimbledon since Mark Philippoussis, who lost to Roger Federer in 2003.

“I hope your recovery goes well and we all hope to see you healthy soon,” Kyrgios wrote in an Instagram post addressed to Nadal.

Kyrgios will meet either three-time defending champion and No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic or No. 9 Cam Norrie of Britain for the championship on Sunday; their semifinal will be played today.

The second-seeded Nadal, a 36-year-old from Spain, is 19-0 in Grand Slam action in 2022, including trophies at the Australian Open in January and the French Open in June. That put him halfway to a calendar-year Grand Slam for the first time in his career.

Nadal has been bothered by a stomach muscle for about a week, and the pain became nearly unbearable in the first set of his 4-hour, 21-minute victory via fifthset tiebreaker against Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

After that match, Nadal said he had considered stopping before it was over — and could not be certain whether he would feel well enough to play again Friday.

SPAIN’s Rafael Nadal sports tape on his stomach following a medical timeout as he plays Taylor Fritz of the US in a men’s singles quarterfinal match on day 10 of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, on Wednesday. Nadal has announced he has withdrawn from Wimbledon due to injury, handing Nick Kyrgios a walkover into Sunday’s men’s singles final.

(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) He wore two strips of athletic tape on his lower stomach and took a medical timeout to take painkilling pills; his father and sister motioned from the stands for him to quit.

On Thursday’s off day, Nadal went to the All England Club for a light practice session. He was

signed up on the official schedule to train on one of the competition courts but did not show up there, instead opting for practice courts to which fans don’t have access.

Mostly content to hit forehands and backhands, Nadal did attempt a few serves — the part of his

game that revealed the most obvious inability to play with full force and, he said, caused the most discomfort against Fritz.

Those practice serves Thursday were generally tapped in, by Nadal’s standards, not with any of the body-torqueing effort he usually uses.

“I was thinking during the whole day about the decision to make,” Nadal said.

It’s not far from what went on with Nadal at Roland Garros, where he took repeated injections to numb the chronic pain in his left foot and insisted he had no idea when he might reach the point of not being able to take the court.

He tried a new treatment after leaving Paris, and that worked well enough, Nadal said, to allow him to walk without limping.

His level of play through five matches on Wimbledon’s grass was such that he thought he had a chance to win a third title at the tournament, after those in 2008 and 2010.

The injury changed things, of course.

“I don’t want to go out there, not be competitive enough to play at the level that I need to play to achieve my goal,” he said.

Nadal said he thought he might be sidelined for about a month or so. The year’s last Grand Slam tournament, the U.S. Open, starts August 29.

LOOKAHEAD: DJOKOVIC TO PLAY NORRIE IN SEMIS WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — LOOKAHEAD TO TODAY NOVAK Djokovic will be back on Centre Court in the Wimbledon semifinals on Friday. Djokovic is a sixtime champion at the All England Club and has won the last three. He will face No. 9 Cam Norrie for a spot in Sunday’s final against Nick Kyrgios. Rafael Nadal had also advanced to the semifinals but he withdrew from the tournament because of an injury. Both Norrie and Kyrgios are at this stage of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time.

FRIDAY’S FORECAST Sunny. High of 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius).

THURSDAY’S KEY RESULTS Women’s Semifinals: No. 3 Ons Jabeur beat Tatjana Maria 6-2, 3-6, 6-1; No. 17 Elena Rybakina beat No. 16 Simona Halep 6-3, 6-3.

Mixed Doubles Final: Neal Skupski and Desirae Krawczyk beat Matthew Ebden and Sam Stosur 6-4, 6-3.

STAT OF THE DAY 60 — Number of years since the women’s final at Wimbledon featured two first-time Grand Slam finalists.

QUOTE OF THE DAY “I made my decision because I believe that I can’t win two matches under these circumstances.

I can’t serve. It’s not only that I can’t serve at the right speed, it’s that I can’t do the normal movement to serve.” — Nadal in announcing he was withdrawing from Wimbledon.

Jabeur 1st woman from Africa in pro Slam final

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Ons Jabeur’s steady progress from year to year — up the tennis rankings, through the draws of various tournaments and, now, at Wimbledon — has carried her to a Grand Slam singles final, the first African woman and Arab woman to make it that far in the professional era.

The No. 3-seeded Jabeur, a 27-year-old from Tunisia, got past her good friend Tatjana Maria 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 in an up-and-down semifinal at a sun-splashed Centre Court yesterday.

“I want to go bigger, inspire many more generations. Tunisia is connected to the Arab world, is connected to the African continent. ... I want to see more players from my country, from the Middle East, from Africa,” said Jabeur, who sat on her sideline chair and threw her head back after the biggest victory of her career.

“We didn’t believe enough, at a certain point, that we can do it.

Now I’m just trying to show (we can). Hopefully people are getting inspired.”

On Saturday, she will face another player making her major final debut, No. 17 seed Elena Rybakina, for the championship.

Rybakina, a 23-year-old who was born in Moscow but began representing Kazakhstan four years ago, overpowered 2019 Wimbledon champion Simona Halep 6-3, 6-3 in the second semifinal.

SCOTTISH OPEN FROM PAGE 11

when the average score was more than three shots higher.

Flags were crackling in 30 mph gusts that felt even stronger along the shores of the North Sea, conditions best described by the clubs that were used.

Some players barely reached the fairway on the par-5 16th, if they did.

Patrick Cantlay had 231 yards for his second shot on the 483yard closing hole. He hit 3-wood, and even that wasn’t enough.

Cantlay did well to close with three straight pars, which were at a premium. He had a hard-earned 70.

U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick opened with 71, while PGA champion Justin Thomas held on as long as he could.

“I already did a lot,” Rybakina said, “and it’s just time to enjoy.”

This is the first Wimbledon final since 1962 featuring two women both appearing in their initial Grand Slam title match.

After a surprising first-round loss at the French Open in May, Jabeur is on quite a run: She has won 11 consecutive matches, all on grass courts, and 22 of her past 24.

Since pro players were first admitted to major tennis tournaments in 1968, never had an African woman or Arab woman been to a Slam final. Jabeur has been rising in the tennis world in recent seasons.

In 2020, at the Australian Open, she became the first Arab woman to reach the quarterfinals at a major.

Last year produced all sorts of milestones: first Arab player to break into the top 10 of the men’s or women’s rankings; first Arab to win a WTA title; a quarterfinal at Wimbledon.

Now she’s done that two steps better.

“I really don’t know what to say. It’s a dream coming true from years and years of work and sacrifice. I’m really happy it’s paying off,” Jabeur said through a wide smile. “One more match now.”

When their semifinal ended, she and Maria — a 34-year-old mother of two from Germany who is ranked 103th — met at the net for an extended hug. Jabeur whispered something in her pal’s ear. Then, after depositing her Thomas bogeyed three of his last five holes for a 73.

The low score from the afternoon was Kurt Kitayama at 66, and only five other players who faced the afternoon wind managed to break par.

Tringale had the lowest score of his PGA Tour career and matched the course record set three years ago by Bernd Wiesberger when The Renaissance played to a par 71.

That took some of the attention away from an early contender, Justin Harding. The South African was among four players added to the 156-man field by winning a temporary stay against the European tour suspending him for playing a Saudi-backed LIV Golf event outside London without seeking a release.

Harding was in the first group off as a twosome with Adrian Otaegui of Spain, another LIV Golf player who asked a court for the stay.

racket on the sideline, Jabeur returned to the middle of the court for the usual victor’s wave to the crowd — except, instead of going alone, she playfully tugged Maria along with her, an uncommon gesture, and encouraged the spectators to salute the player on the wrong end of the scoreline.

“I definitely wanted to share the moment with her at the end, because she’s such an inspiration for so many players, including me,” Jabeur said. “Coming back after having two babies — I still can’t believe how she did it.”

Rybakina, who upset Serena Williams in the 2021 French Open’s fourth round, drew several questions from reporters about her Russian background. Players from Russia and Belarus were banned by the All England Club from competing this year because of the war in Ukraine.

“I feel for the players who couldn’t come here,” Rybakina said, “but I’m just enjoying playing here on the biggest stage, enjoying my time and trying to do my best.”

Rybakina, never beyond a major quarterfinal until now, leads the tour in aces this year and added five to her total Thursday. More surprising was the way Halep never got going, especially on her serve, double-faulting nine times.

Halep had won her past 12 matches at the All England Club, a streak that began with her title run three years ago. Wimbledon was cancelled in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, and Halep was unable to compete a year ago because she tore her left calf muscle.

Before their semifinal, Jabeur and Maria stood beside each other, waiting to take the walk through the halls of the stadium that lead to the court. Close

as they are, the pair avoided exchanged any glances or chatter.

Close friends, yes. On this day, opponents, too, with quite the setting, stage and stakes.

Neither had been to a Grand Slam semifinal previously. Maria never had been past the third round in any of her 34 prior majors — and she only got that far once, at Wimbledon in 2015.

They are, to use Jabeur’s term, “barbecue buddies.”

Jabeur knows Maria’s two daughters so well that the German referred to her as “Aunt Ons.” “She’s part of our family,” Maria said.

Both offer unusual brands of speed-mixing, variety-filled tennis. On the second point of the match, Jabeur won a point by using a drop shot on a return of serve. Maria loves to hit slice forehands; Jabeur, quite capable of powerful groundstrokes, joined in on that occasionally.

“Very tricky player,” Rybakina said about Jabeur. “It’s not going to be easy to play against her.”

After a strong first set, Jabeur was far less effective in the second. Suddenly, mistakes began accruing rapidly. Her serving was less self-assured. Maria took full advantage. And then, just as suddenly, Jabeur switched back to her best self, pulling out to a 5-0 edge in the third in 20 minutes.

After 17 unforced errors in the second set, Jabeur made a remarkably low total of three the rest of the way. Maria simply could not keep up.

“I’m trying my best to just play golf, put food on the table,” said Harding, the No. 114 player in the world who has made just over $1.1 million in two LIV events. He said he has not signed a contract with LIV Golf and was invited through his ranking.

“I was a little upset I was told I could not play. I have supported the European Tour for a long period and I’m happy to continue to do so,” Harding said. “There’s times when it’s a little uncomfortable, but we have to look after ourselves.”

Jordan Spieth set an early pace by running off five straight birdies, only to drop three shots over his last 10 holes for a 68. He called it a tale of two nines based on course knowledge.

“The nine I had never seen before went really well, and the nine I played yesterday went poorly,” Spieth said, who is playing a week before the British Open for the first time since 2015,

the last time the Open was at St. Andrews.

It made sense this year with the PGA Tour co-sanctioning the tournament for the first time, which led to 14 of the top 15 in the world at The Renaissance, a course that looks like one and is plenty fast without having true links soil.

Tringale, who has reached the Tour Championship only once in his 12 previous years on the PGA Tour, is having one of his better years. He missed a playoff at Torrey Pines by one shot and was a distant runner-up to Hideki Matsuyama in the Zozo Championship last fall.

The conditions along the North Sea could not have been more ideal for him, with only a mild breeze and a full blue sky in the morning. Tringale took advantage with one key club in his bag.

“Golf is more fun when the putts are going in, and they were for me today,” he said.

He made a pair of birdie putts from the 40-foot range, and only four of his nine birdies were inside 6 feet. Equally important were a few midrange par putts he made at the start.

It was a struggle for Masters champion Scottie Scheffler, who made double bogey from the 18th fairway by going from rough to rough, and lost more ground on the front nine for a 73.

The Scottish charge was led by Ewen Ferguson (67) and Russell Knox (68), who heeded some strong advice from his wife, a former tennis pro. Knox has been struggling with his putter when he was persuaded to try a long putter.

“My wife said, ‘You’ve been playing professional golf for 15 years and you’re horrible at putting. Try something different,’” Knox said. “The best putt of my life was a 3-footer for par on the first hole because if that didn’t go in, we were in for a long day.”

TUNISIA’s Ons Jabeur narrowly avoids touching the net after making a return to Germany’s Tatjana Maria on day 11 of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, yesterday.

(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)