07142020 BUSINESS, WOMAN AND HEALTH

business@tribunemedia.net

TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020

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Pawn shops see business pick-up

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net PAWN shops yesterday said they were starting to see a business uptick as jobless Bahamians seek to unload gold and electronic goods for much-needed cash.

Philippa Major, general manager of Cashwiz, told Tribune Business: “Business is coming in a little bit faster now because a lot of people still aren’t working and they really need the cash. I would say that business is picking up.

“A lot of people are having to leave stuff. I would say that persons that had things here before the pandemic, before the lockdown and the curfew, now that we have reopened and they are not back to work they don’t have the funds to come back to us and pick their things back up, so they are having to let them go.

“That stuff we have to re-sell. For the most part

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September eyed for temporary lay-off time extension

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net GOVERNMENT and private sector officials yesterday confirmed there is “much talk” about extending the temporary lay-off period to end-September to ease job pressures.

John Pinder, pictured, the director of labour, and Peter Goudie, the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation’s (BCCEC) labour specialist, both told Tribune Business an extension

of the so-called “grace period” was being eyed to ease the burden on hardpressed businesses and keep employees in jobs.

Mr Pinder said many companies appeared to be waiting until this month’s end, which is when the current temporary furlough period expires, before making decisions on whether they will move to permanent worker terminations.

“A lot of people are waiting until the end of the grace

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Cable warily eyes $300m preference debt maturity

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net CABLE Bahamas is warily eyeing the need to repay more than $300m in preference share debt over a five-year period from 2023 to 2027, its top executive said yesterday.

Franklyn Butler, the BISX-listed communications provider’s president and chief executive, told Tribune Business that the ongoing COVID-19 uncertainty could impact its plans to repay investors as it mulls how to best use the $301.5m proceeds from Summit Broadband’s sale.

With Cable Bahamas’ decision to yesterday terminate 87 staff likely to attract scrutiny given perceptions it is cash-rich, having received these funds prior to the pandemic taking hold, Mr Butler pointed to its substantial preference share debt as one medium and long-term factor in play.

Reiterating that

“prudence is the name of the game”, he said Cable Bahamas’ management and board were waiting for signs of an economic turnaround - and to determine where the country and its economy “land” before deciding how the balance of the Summit Broadband proceeds will be employed.

Pledging that Cable Bahamas and its Aliv mobile affiliate will seek to exploit “all and any upside” opportunities created by the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr Butler also revealed that it is aiming to “launch a couple of solutions” for the Bahamian communications market within the next few months.

While declining to go into detail, he disclosed that these will be cloud-based products and services targeted at the increasing number of Bahamians now working from home as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

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Cable slashes 87 in ‘right-size to survive’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

C

ABLE Bahamas’ top executive yesterday admitted that hopes the COVID-19 crisis would “be short term” have been dashed as it permanently terminated 87 staff.

Franklyn Butler, its president and chief executive, told Tribune Business that the pandemic’s “harsh reality” meant the BISXlisted communications provider had no choice but to “right-size to survive” given “growing” challenges in collecting revenues due from customers.

The move, which cuts the combined workforce at Cable Bahamas and its Aliv mobile affiliate by 11.5 percent, is effectively turning the 96 temporary lay-offs unveiled in early April when COVID-19 first struck into permanent separations.

• BISX-listed provider, Aliv cut 11.5% of workforce • Group facing ‘growing’ challenges over revenue • Atlantis delay further raises COVID uncertainty

FRANKLYN BUTLER The terminations, 60 of which fall on the Cable Bahamas side, and the remaining 27 at Aliv, largely involve those already furloughed. Cable Bahamas’ workforce will drop from 574 to 514, a 10.5 percent drop, while Aliv’s is to reduce from 181 to 154 - a 15 percent drop. Combined, staffing levels will fall from

755 to 668, with more than one in ten workers affected.

Revealing that COVID19 has had its most significant impact on Cable Bahamas’ largest clients, namely hotels and other businesses in the tourism/hospitality sector, Mr Butler said the approaching end-July deadline at which furloughed workers either have to be re-engaged or permanently separated had influenced the timing.

While there were no plans for further permanent terminations, he added that the BISX-listed communications provider will constantly monitor the situation and further downsizing may be possible if the economic crisis unleashed

by COVID-19 is “further

protracted” and there is no recovery.

Describing the situation as “fluid”, Mr Butler said he was especially “sensitive” to the fact that the terminated workers will find it hard to obtain new jobs in a labour market suffering from a huge over-supply of available workers as a result of an unemployment rate estimated to be between 30 percent to 40 percent.

And, while declining to provide figures on the extent of Cable Bahamas’ revenue decline and accounts receivables increase, he said the communications provider was enduring the same COVID-induced challenges as other “utilities” such

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QC: Abaco marina ruling ‘another nail in the coffin’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net AN OUTSPOKEN QC yesterday slammed a Court of Appeal verdict involving an Abaco marina development as “another nail in the coffin of public interest litigation”.

Fred Smith QC, the Callenders & Co attorney and partner, told Tribune Business the decision upholding the Supreme Court’s verdict that Responsible Development for Abaco (RDA) must pay $250,000 as security for costs to the government and Winding Bay-based Abaco Club was effectively denying his client their rights.

He argued that the imposition of such “financial roadblocks” meant “the door is being slammed shut” on the ability of Bahamian citizens, residents and nonprofit organisations, many of whom lack substantial financial resources, to “have their grievances heard” and potentially redressed by the

• ‘Door slammed shut’ on public interest case • Says ‘financial roadblocks’ deny local rights • Govt, Abaco Club’s $250k ‘security’ upheld

FRED SMITH QC court system.

Mr Smith said his clients now planned to directly appeal Justice Petra HannaWeekes’ November 2017 “security for costs” order to the Privy Council after the Court of Appeal’s refused to grant permission for this to happen in yesterday’s verdict.

The judgment, written by appeal court president, Sir Michael Barnett, declined

to grant “leave to appeal” to the UK-based Privy Council, the highest court in the Bahamian judicial system, on the basis that the case raised no issues of legal or general public importance.

But Mr Smith blasted: “This is yet another nail in the coffin of public interest litigation. It is shocking that even though the government did not oppose the application for leave, the Court of Appeal nevertheless refused permission when only the developer was objecting to going to the Privy Council.

“This is a case of supreme public importance to public interest litigation launched by grassroots non-profit organisations in The Bahamas, citizens and residents who are challenging a simple consultation process

regarding the imposition by central government of development without proper consultation.”

RDA had previously launched Judicial Review proceedings opposing The Abaco Club’s plans to construct a 44-slip dock at Little Harbour, along with a supplies shop, private restaurant, 6,000 square foot covered car park, generator, desalination plant and waste treatment facility.

The proposed development will measure 320 feet across the outside piers, 210 feet between the two parallel main piers, and will extend 270 feet into Little Harbour, with the intent for it to accommodate boats up to 60 feet.

However, RDA fears if the project goes ahead it

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PAGE 2, Tuesday, July 14, 2020

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Cruise line postpones its return to August 28 BAHAMAS Paradise Cruise Line yesterday said it has further postponed its operational restart until August 28 amid a surge in US COVID-19 infections.

The operator of the Grand Celebration and Grand Classica vessels, which sail to Freeport and Nassau respectively, also said its decision was influenced by The Bahamas’ requirement that all travellers obtain and provide a negative COVID-19 PCR swab test to be admitted to the country.

The move may be welcomed by many, especially in Freeport, which has seen an increase in COVID-19 cases in recent days. Several relate to persons with a “travel history”, and some sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, suggested they may have sailed to Florida via the Balearia ferry service.

Oneil Khosa, its chief executive, said in a statement: “Upon announcing that we would resume cruising in late July, we were thrilled to see a great deal of demand, demonstrating that there is a strong appetite amongst travellers for our unique short-cruise ‘microcation’ product.

“At this time, we remain the only cruise line in the country [US] to have received a ‘green status’ from the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on our No Sail Response plan, meaning we have met all requirements in providing a safe environment for our crew members to work and disembark via non-commercial travel.”

He added: “Over the past few weeks, we’ve continued preparations to return to Grand Bahama while keeping an eye on the overall landscape, which continues to evolve. In recent days,

amidst a spike in COVID19 cases in many states across the country [US], we’ve seen mounting pressures to modify reopening plans and consideration of the return of stay-at-home orders.

“Additionally, new restrictions from The Bahamas have been announced, requiring travelers to present a negative swab test prior to entry.

In an effort to provide the safest environment for our passengers and crew, we have no choice but to further postpone our sailing schedule.

“Our current plan is to resume cruises on August 28, 2020. This is incredibly disappointing to our entire team, but the decision was made after very careful consideration of all factors, and we believe this is in everyone’s best interest. We look forward to welcoming guests back onboard and appreciate everyone’s patience throughout this process.”

Scotiabank unveils ‘cashless’ branches

safer, faster and more convenient options for our customers,” Mr Archer said in a statement. “Banking at our self-service channels is cheaper, and comes at a lower cost to both the customer and the bank.

“The launch of our cashless branches represents a significant step in getting customers comfortable with our convenience channels,” he added. At the branches selected for the pilot, all cash and cheque transactions will be routed to the automated teller machine (ATM) or the nearest branch(es).

Mr Archer added that the move comes as Scotiabank (Bahamas) continues to adjust to the new reality created by the COVID-19 health crisis.

Low or no-contact transaction platforms, he said, will be critical to helping the bank maintain operational efficiency through the pandemic while providing greater convenience, at lower cost

and in a safe way.

“We have invested - and will continue to invest - in new ATMs over the next year. We have also made significant upgrades to our mobile banking app and will continue to add further functionality in the upcoming months,” Mr Archer added.

Scotiabank recently began the commissioning of several Intelligent Deposit Machines (IDMs), which offer higher functionality and are enabled for immediate credit when cash is deposited. It has currently introduced IDMs at its Paradise Island and Freeport locations.

Mr Archer again urged Scotiabank customers to sign up for online banking by visiting its website or via the contact centre at (242) 356-1697.

For customers already using the service, he recommended the use of Scotia Alerts to monitor transactions and notifications in real-time to detect any unauthorised transactions.

SCOTIABANK Bahamas has launched a “cashless” branch pilot initiative at four of its New Providence locations as its digital drive gathers pace.

Roger Archer, the institution’s managing director, said its Nassau main (Rawson Square), Palmdale, Paradise Island and Wulff & Jerome Road branches will now only process non-cash transactions.

The move represents the continuation of Scotiabank’s strategy to ensure all customers can access and benefit from both its electronic and digital channels across the Caribbean.

“Our goal is to provide

FINANCIAL PROVIDER SET TO RESTART CONSUMER LOANS A BAHAMIAN financial services provider yesterday said it will re-start consumer lending to private sector employees this week.

Laquel Miller, Simplified Lending’s chief operating officer, said in a statement: “We at Simplified Lending believe that one of the most powerful ways to restart, re-boost and re-energise the economy is to inject more money flowing through it.

“The economy functions like the heart – the greater the circulation, the more efficient the output.

Recognising that, we at Simplified Lending have taken the bold step to be among the first to restart consumer lending with very careful guidelines in place, but getting things moving and helping to build consumer spend and consumer confidence.”

Simplified Lending said most banks and other lending institutions have either cut or severely limited consumer lending, including even those facilities that are supported by salary or payroll deduction, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It added that with tourism at the start of a slow, tepid recovery, and some estimates pegging the national unemployment rate at 40 percent in certain sectors, the Bahamian economy has effectively stalled.

While many professional offices have reopened, the financial services provider said borrowing to buy a car, new furniture or appliances has been a particular challenge.

Ms Miller said Simplified Lending saw an opportunity to fill this credit void and pump more money into the economy, boosting sales for retail companies.

“We always strive to be leaders in what we do,” she added. “In collaboration with our group risk management team, we are able to find solutions to help people in a responsible lending manner.

“Based on our research, we are also cautiously optimistic that we will experience a gradual economic rebound based on our research. Our lending will be targeted at first and expand as

JOHN WATLING’S REBRANDS COVID-19 HAND SANITISER

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says that “if soap and water are not available, CDC [Center for Disease Control] recommends consumers use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser that contains a minimum of 60 percent alcohol”.

John Watling’s Distillery said it has launched the Buena Vista Estate John Watling’s has hand sanitiser at 70 peralso worked with cent alcohol by volume.

Nicky Saddleon to It also contains distilled redesign its packaging under the Buena water, hydrogen peroxide Vista Estate brand. The which kills bacterial spores, market has been flooded and vegetable glycerin, with hand sanitisers due which reduces skin dryness.

Distribution to pharmato the pandemic, but the company argued that cies, clinics and hospitals not all contain the rec- is co-ordinated through ommended 60 percent Bahamas Medical & Surgialcohol content to ensure cal Supplies, located at 159 Shirley Street.

COVID-19’s destruction.

JOHN Watling’s Distillery has relaunched the hand sanitiser created to combat COVID-19 under the Buena Vista Estate name.

Just three months after its initial launch, the company said it has has partnered with Blanco Chemicals to locally source spray tops, 16 ounce and one gallon bottles. It has also imported more than 40,000 litres of ethyl alcohol to ensure The Bahamas has ample supply of the hand sanitiser’s main ingredient; alcohol.

LAQUEL MILLER conditions allow.”

Founded less than two years ago with staff drawn from international and local banks, Simplified Lending has grown from a mortgage brokerage to a lender itself. It was one of the firms that administered the Small Business Recovery Assistance programme in conjunction with the Small Business Development Centre.

“We believe that people need help now,” said Ms Miller. “Given the uncertainty, we want to be there for our clients and community in the good and bad times.”

Simplified Lending was founded by Robert Pantry who spent more than two decades in commercial lending. Its head office is in Caves, West Bay Street, Nassau, with staff members positioned throughout The Bahamas.

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Tuesday, July 14, 2020, PAGE 3

Tour operators: Short term prospects ‘bleak’

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net TOUR and excursion operators yesterday admitted their near-term prospects are “bleak” as they reopened yesterday with little to no business due to COVID-19.

Basil Taylor, Bluehole Watersports & Tours’ general manager, told Tribune Business: “Most of our bookings came via online. About 99.9 percent come online and we haven’t had any bookings.

“I believe I had one inquiry for some time in September. That was about two weeks ago, but we haven’t had anything, which is unusual. Under normal circumstances, this time of the year is very busy for us, but I haven’t seen anything at all.”

The prime minister allowed tours, tourism attractions and excursions on New Providence and Grand Bahama to resume operations yesterday, but Mr Taylor added: “A lot of the people who would go out with us, they some times would travel on the cruise ships.

“They get in in the morning and leave in the evenings kind of thing. The cruise ships are not slated to come in until some time in September. Things are bleak.

I feel a little bit bad for the companies that are larger than I am, with large staff.

I kind of feel for them. You can’t afford to pay staff, and you are not operating.

“You cannot predict that you would have any significant upturn in the short-term, because when you look at the US, yesterday they had more than 15,000 people tested positive in Florida. So in the eastern seaboard in the US, where

we get a lot of our tourists from, those places are sheltered now. People are not really going to move.”

Captain Mike Russell, owner of Chubasco Tours, added: “We have some bookings, but they are few and far between.”

Describing comparisons between 2020 and 2019 business volumes as akin to “apples and oranges”, Mr Russell said it was “hard to tell when things will pick up” with much depending on what happens in the US and the rise in COVID19 cases there.

He added: “We’re open because we basically operate out of our home, but we’re getting a few calls here and there. We have a few bookings, and I have one on Wednesday. This time of the year is usually a very busy time for us because we get a lot of families coming here with their kids because they are out of school.

“July is one of our busiest times of the year.

People usually associate the weather tourists with being our busy time, but that really has not been the case for probably the last ten years or so.”

Lamenting that Atlantis will not be opening until the end of July, Mr Russell said summer is the prime time for all water sports activities as most tourists come for the beach and the ocean.

David Curry, owner/ operator of Simply Dave Nassau Tours, said: “I have seen an increase in business from the beginning of July with the private boat owners and those with their private aircraft.

“Seeing that they were the first ones to come in, they were some of my first clients. The major bulk of my clients come from the cruise ships and they are

not here yet.”

Mr Curry added: “I haven’t gone to the airport. I have persons coming in that I picked up from the private airports, but I haven’t gone to the commercial one as yet because there isn’t that much persons coming in.

“I think that about 50 percent of the taxis are not to the airport, so the ones that are there can make something some times. It’s getting there, it has the potential, but it is getting there slowly but surely.”

Mr Curry said he was open for business when the yachts were allowed to return on June 15, along with the private boats and planes, and added: “I have gotten some calls. Some are out on trips and will be back, and some yachts have full bookings, but I cant speak for all taxi drivers.”

Looking forward to when the cruise ships return, Mr Curry added: “Their arrival is still tentative. Atlantis is still closed. As I said, most of the drivers are going out there and that is a good thing because ones that are there can possibly make something.”

Carolyn Wardle, owner/ operator of Bahamas Outdoors Ltd, said: “We have no plans whatsoever to open soon, because we need to take people in our small vehicle and we don’t consider that safe at the moment.”

She feels that tourists may make the COVID-19 situation worse for The Bahamas by bringing the infection here, and added that she will “see how it goes. We are not even thinking about opening, we are not advertising.

We are just waiting.”

Sandy Toes Excursion has delayed its reopening until August according to its answering machine.

BPL urged to target long-term bill duckers

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net A CHAMBER of Commerce executive yesterday urged Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) to target large, long-standing bill duckers rather than struggling households.

Debbie Deal, director of the Chamber’s energy and environment division, told Tribune Business: “The only thing I would like to find out about this (disconnections) is what about the persons and companies that have owed BPL large amounts for years, like over $100,000? What are they going to do with those persons?

“We all know they are in crisis, and we all know that we have to pay our bills. I think most people’s concerns are people that have been in debt with BPL for a long time and, because of who they may be, or because they may be a government building, they are not cutting them off.

“We have to really treat every single person and business equal; we can’t just go with the three months in arrears or the $500 and over.

We need to consider those great bills that are really causing distress in the company. That’s what comes to mind with me.”

Desmond Bannister, minister for works with responsibility for BPL, justifying the state-owned utility’s decision to resume disconnections, said it “cannot continue to exist” if households and businesses fail to pay their monthly bills.

He told Tribune Business that BPL’s “shaky” financial position means it cannot continue the “across the board” COVID-19 bill deferral initiative that was in place for three months during the lockdown, but will instead

treat customers on a “case by case basis” and assist where there is “real hardship”.

An estimated 20 percent of BPL’s customer base was said to be eligible for disconnection after it last week announced it is segmenting delinquent customers into three categories.

Those who were were more than $500 in arrears for 90 days prior to April 1, and the disconnection suspension, are the lead candidates for immediate cut-off unless they become current or agree a payment plan.

Those who accumulated their 90 days-plus arrears during the COVID-19 lockdown, and customers who were on the bill deferral initiative, now have 21 days to either become current or work out a payment plan - a period that ends on July 28.

“When have they ever considered the little guy?”

Ms Deal challenged yesterday. “Out of those 35,000 that are still out of work, are any of them Cabinet ministers or are any of those persons earning $100,000 and up in salary? I doubt it.

“I would venture to say that it is probably 50,000 people that were actually let go, and now some people have been brought back and we are finding out now that more businesses will actually close at the end of July, so we will go back closer to the 50,000 unemployment number again, which would be the average worker.”

Ms Deal added: “At this point and time, we really need to put our big girl panties on and we really need to start making persons totally responsible for their business and themselves, no matter

who they are and no matter who they work for and no matter what entity they are.

“If you go to Super Value or [Solomon’s] Fresh Market to buy groceries, you don’t go and fill your cart up and then go and they send you a bill in 30 days. You have to pay for it immediately.

“Cable Bahamas was a bit smarter with their billing, if you look at it, because if your bill was going to be $150 they have your $300 deposit, which is actually two months, so they have basically been paid for two months in advance,” Ms Deal continued.

“When you go to apply for Cable, what they do is after the first month they send you a notice saying you bill is due by a certain date, and at a certain date your service will be cut off. They don’t promote mass disconnections in the newspaper, they just send you a text message.

“So if someone is in the three months or the $500-and-over category, wouldn’t it be worth it to take their deposits and put that towards their bill and then charge them what’s left over?”

Arguing that persons would be able to “adapt” and “control their energy consumption” with pre-paid meters, Ms Deal said: “The energy as it is now flows into their house no matter what.

They get it in advance and they pay for it later.

“That is the worst thing in the world to do and the worst situation to put customers in, but now that the customers are in that situation, BPL really needs to see what they can do to change that.”

NOTICE Pursuant to the provisions of Section 138 (8) of the International Business Companies Act, 2000 of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, notice is hereby given that:Beothuk Investment Ltd has been dissolved and struck off the Register as of 8th, July 2020.

TREVOR D.A. SUNDERLAND Liquidator

PAGE 4, Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Pawn shops see business pick-up FROM PAGE ONE

now we have a lot of people coming in who are trying to straight-up sell their things instead of pawning them because they need the cash, and they know they won’t be able to come back in time.

We do encourage them to pawn it because we don’t want to see you get rid of your valuable items.”

Ms Major said she was dealing with customers trying to sell more electronics, televisions sets, cellular phones and laptops and “anything they think they can live without, now they are getting rid of it”.

She added: “I’d say things have been pretty steady. I think this is natural because during the summer we normally do have a lot of

September eyed for temporary layoff time extension

FROM PAGE ONE

period, the end of July, to see if the government makes an offer to extend it to the end of September before they make a final decision,” he told this newspaper.

Reforms to the Employment Act in 2017 mandate that once workers have been sent home for a 13-week, 90-day period, an employer either has to recall them or terminate them with full compensation as required by law.

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people coming in. The kids are normally home at this time anyway, and the parents need more money to keep more food in the house and to keep the bills paid while their kids are home.

So around this time of the year we normally do see a pick-up in sales and pawns.”

Anton Adderley, general manager of Gold2Cash, said business volumes were “regular” and he has not seen an uptick in persons trying to pawn or sell gold and other valuable assets.

He added: “Business is still slow. People probably haven’t yet started to rely on their surplus of gold items in order to turn in, because you know people still have other options like the NIB (national insurance board) unemployment benefit, so maybe that is a last resort.”

Mr Adderley only pawns and buys gold, not electronics or any other type of

consumer good, and said he hopes business will start to pick up.

“I applied for my business to be open around the time when people would have needed cash and I didn’t get an answer back,” he added. “I got an answer that they were going to review it, but I didn’t get an approval, and during that time there were two businesses that were approved.

“So they had two-and-ahalf months’ head start on me. That window of opportunity was taken advantage of by the businesses the government had allowed to be open, so they took advantage of it and I couldn’t. So I’m not seeing the business.

“I have to look forward.

Those opportunities have passed, but there will be other opportunities and we just have to look forward to see what happens in the future.”

However, the unprecedented scale of temporary lay-offs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has already prompted the government to extend this so-called “grace period” until the end of July in a bid to slow additions to a national unemployment rate thought to be approaching at least 40 percent.

Mr Goudie, too, confirmed discussions about an extension until endSeptember, telling Tribune Business: “There’s a lot of talk about that. We’ve got to hope they keep the eligibility to be temporarily laid-off and not

made redundant.

“We hope they keep extending that. People don’t want to be made redundant, and a lot of companies can’t afford that.”

Mr Goudie added that terminations, both temporary and permanent, will “keep coming for a while” as companies adjust their costs to align with muchreduced revenues in the new COVID-19 reality.

“We don’t have any tourists, don’t have any business, and without that we won’t have any jobs,” he said. ‘I don’t know where we’re going to go. We can only borrow so much money. It’s tough, it’s really tough.”

QC: Abaco marina ruling ‘another nail in the coffin’ FROM PAGE ONE

will completely change the environment and character of Little Harbour, a 50-home community that runs entirely off solar power.

Besides its environmental concerns, RDA is alleging that the government decided not to carry out any proper consultation with local residents and affected stakeholders before making decisions concerning the grants, permits and approvals required before the development can be constructed.

It is also claiming that the government has withheld information so as to deprive the group of its statutory rights and/or legitimate expectations to contribute to any consultation process.

However, Justice HannaWeekes ruled that RDA must pay the Abaco Club $150,000, and the government $100,000, to cover their legal costs in defending the action before it can proceed. This was yesterday upheld by the Court of Appeal.

While “security for costs” is often demanded in legal actions alleged to be frivolous, or have a small chance of success, the government has increasingly employed this when facing Judicial

Review challenges to permits and approvals granted to developers.

Some, including Mr Smith, view it as a tactic designed to knock-out such litigation at an early stage, and avoid a trial on the substantive issue, given expectations that those bringing Judicial Review actions lack the financial means to sustain them.

“The very idea that a procedural process demanding that residents of Abaco and Little Harbour put up $250,000 just to have access to their constitutional rights to challenge executive action is anathema to a fair trial,” Mr Smith blasted yesterday.

“It is appalling that the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal in several cases have effectively allowed the government and developer to slam the door closed on their right to have their grievances heard by the courts.... This cannot be right, and RDA very much hopes the Privy Council will put it right.

“I call on the government to pass legislation to remove this procedural obstacle of security for costs being used against non-profits seeking to have their rights determined by the courts,” he added.

“This is bolstering a financial obstacle to the determination of people’s rights. It means you

can only pay to play in the Supreme Court. If people don’t have money, they don’t have the right.

That’s what these judgments that have been coming out of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal mean.

“This is anathema to the protection of local rights in the Family Islands, especially when the security for costs awards in The Bahamas are disproportionately excessive in relation to public interest litigation when compared to private law commercial litigation.”

Mr Smith accused the Abaco Club of complicating the case by successfully demanding that it be added as a “respondent”, even though RDA had not initially included it in a dispute it believed was between itself and the central government over the project’s approvals and lack of required public consultation.

He added: “On a personal note, I’ve been doing public interest litigation for over 43 years and this is very disappointing. People in these actions should not be denied their day in court by security for costs orders which are way out of line with private law litigation.

“If you put financial blocks in place, you are effectively denying them access to the courts, which means they don’t have any rights.”

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Tuesday, July 14, 2020, PAGE 5

Cable warily eyes $300m preference debt maturity FROM PAGE ONE This, the Cable chief said, would help to somewhat “offset” - but not replace the revenues lost as a result of major corporate clients in the hotel and tourism industry either discontinuing or reducing their demand for communications services due to the pandemic-related shutdown.

Cable Bahamas’ balance sheet as at March 31, 2020, indicates that some of the $301.5m Summit Broadband proceeds may have already been used. For the BISX-listed communications provider’s total bank debt, owed to Royal Bank of Canada and Scotiabank, has been slashed by more than half compared to nine months’ prior.

Total bank debt fell from $163.522m at end-June 2019 to $71.348m, indicating that Cable Bahamas’ had begun to deleverage its previously $464.5m debt-laden balance sheet just prior to COVID-19’s arrival.

The company’s cash and cash equivalents, though, had also jumped by just over $100m in nine months to $140.548m, with its retained earnings boosted by $94m despite a $22.755m net loss for the nine months to endMarch 2020.

This backs Mr Butler’s assertion that “no determination has been made” on how to use much of the Summit Broadband sales proceeds.

Cable Bahamas’ disposal of its former Florida affiliate now looks especially well-timed due to both the COVID-19 pandemic and, in particular, its effects on that state.

“We think we are are ready to manage the risk and the fall-out, and the COVID reality, and will be prudent at this time in what we have to do to protect the interests of shareholders and the employee base,” Mr Butler told Tribune Business.

“The board is continuing to manage our organisation and where we are with the fall-off in revenue and the impact of COVID-19. The board wants to make sure we are prudent.

We want to protect as many of our associates [employees] and the company before we make any decision on the balance sheet.

“Prudence is the name of the game. Until we see where the country lands, and until there’s positive indications of a turnaround, it’s very much wait and see.”

While some observers will likely question Cable Bahamas’ need to terminate 60 workers given its substantial cash resources, Mr Butler said the two were not connected and other factors were in play as to how the company employs its Summit Broadband windfall.

“There’s a lot of preference share debt that matures in the not-too-distant future,” he said. “I think most of it is in 2023 and 2024; I think around that time. I’m sure we may be able to refinance it, but in uncertain times no one wants to be refinancing that for sure.”

Cable Bahamas’ annual report shows that $114.5m worth of preference share principal is due for repayment to investors in 2024, with a further $75m maturing the following year. Before that, some $15m is due for repayment in 2023, and just over

$28m in 2026.

And repayments of almost $69m in preference share debt taken on by Aliv, the mobile affiliate in which Cable Bahamas has a 47.25 percent equity stake, complete with board and management control, must start being repaid in October 2023.

Mr Butler, meanwhile, said Cable Bahamas had not lost sight of the need to exploit new COVID-19 related opportunities and help compensate for revenue losses on its traditional business lines.

“We do have a couple of solutions we will be launching in the next couple of months,” he told Tribune Business.

“We see an opportunity to reposition our business in the sense that we have a couple of products that are going to be cloud-based.

“People need more solutions and connectivity, those people that are moving to work from home. We’re going to keep our eyes and ears open for new products that serve people working from home.

“Will that offset the loss of hotel revenue? I doubt it. But at least we’re going to try and do what we can to be wellpositioned. I am hopeful that we will be able to be creative and innovative in finding ways to offset some of the revenues that we get from the hotel and hospitality sector.”

Mr Butler continued: “We do have a track record of being creative and finding solutions in a crisis. I always remind people that Aliv effectively launched two to three days before Hurricane Matthew, so we have learned a lot about how to be resilient in difficult moments.

“What I say to you and all our shareholders is that we are committed to managing through this crisis, and finding all and any upside that exists in this unprecedented economic time in the world.”

PAGE 6, Tuesday, July 14, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Cable slashes 87 in ‘right-size to survive’

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

FROM PAGE ONE

as Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) and Water & Sewerage Corporation - although not to the same extent.

“We thought it would be short-term,” Mr Butler told Tribune Business of the COVID-19 crisis. “This is the end of the 13-week period coming up, so most of those people - not everybody - will be a part of the lay-offs.

“It’s just one where we’re trying to right-size to make sure we can survive what is a very difficult environment to be in. We’re trying to be judicious in these things. These are people’s lives; they have been great contributors to the organisation, and it’s never easy to make these decisions.”

Those impacted are primarily the 76 staff at Cable Bahamas, and 20 at Aliv, who were placed on the National Insurance Board’s (NIB) temporary unemployment benefit scheme when the COVID-19 crisis first hit.

Most persons impacted then came from the two providers’ sales and retail departments, and Mr Butler confirmed that these two areas will also bear the brunt of the permanent separations given that there is little new business to be won in the depressed economy.

“I don’t know what the official unemployment number is, but we are already seeing an impact to our collections and have been trying to manage it as best we can,” he said.

“This [the terminations] is unfortunately one of the ways we have to reduce costs in a very difficult environment. This is one that I was particularly sensitive to, as these people aren’t going to go anywhere.

“This was not an easy thing to do at all. It’s different in a boom time, when the hotels and hospitality industry are hiring, but those people will have to stay at home as the entire country and world grapples

(242) 323-2330

MONDAY, 13 JULY 2020

(242) 323-2320

ALL SHARE INDEX: CLOSE: 2,089.65 | CHG: -2.64 | %CHG: -0.13 | YTD: -141.95 | YTD%: -6.36 BISX LISTED & TRADED SECURITIES

PREFERENCE SHARES 1.00

1.00

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00

1.00 10.00 1.00

1.00 10.00 0.90

SECURITY AML Foods Limited APD Limited Benchmark Bahamas First Holdings Limited Bank of Bahamas Bahamas Property Fund Bahamas Waste Cable Bahamas Commonwealth Brewery Commonwealth Bank Colina Holdings CIBC FirstCaribbean Bank Consolidated Water BDRs Doctor's Hospital Emera Incorporated Famguard Fidelity Bank Focol Finco J. S. Johnson Bahamas First Holdings Preference Cable Bahamas Series 6 Cable Bahamas Series 8 Cable Bahamas Series 9 Cable Bahamas Series 10 Colina Holdings Class A Fidelity Bank Class A Focol Class B

CORPORATE DEBT - (percentage pricing) 52WK HI 100.00 100.00

52WK LOW 100.00 100.00

115.92 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 102.00

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

SYMBOL LAST CLOSE AML 3.17 APD 17.43 BBL 1.62 BFH 1.79 BOB 1.67 BPF 6.00 BWL 6.75 CAB 2.76 CBB 5.32 CBL 3.83 CHL 6.16 CIB 11.26 CWCB 2.44 DHS 4.90 EMAB 9.51 FAM 8.44 FBB 14.50 FCL 3.80 FIN 8.97 JSJ 15.20 BFHP CAB6 CAB8 CAB9 CAB10 CHLA FBBA FCLB

CLOSE 3.17 17.43 1.62 1.79 1.67 6.00 6.75 2.76 5.10 3.83 6.16 11.26 2.49 4.90 9.81 8.44 14.50 3.80 8.97 15.20

1.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 0.90

1.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 0.90

CHANGE 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -0.22 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.05 0.00 0.30 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

VOLUME

1,002 900 1,950

2,000

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

SECURITY Fidelity Bank Note 22 (Series B) + Bahamas First Holdings Limited

SYMBOL FBB22 BFHB

LAST SALE 100.00 100.00

CLOSE 100.00 100.00

CHANGE 0.00 0.00

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

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

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

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

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

BAHAMAS GOVERNMENT STOCK - (percentage pricing)

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

VOLUME

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

P/E 13.3 18.7 N/M N/M N/M N/M 18.3 -6.3 36.4 20.8 13.7 15.6 24.4 10.5 15.2 11.6 17.8 18.7 9.6 24.1

YIELD 5.36% 7.23% 1.23% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 3.85% 0.00% 0.00% 3.13% 3.57% 6.39% 17.43% 1.22% 3.34% 2.84% 3.72% 3.16% 2.23% 4.01%

0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 6.25% 7.00% 6.50%

INTEREST Prime + 1.75% 6.25%

19-Oct-2022 30-Sep-2025

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

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

MATURITY

MUTUAL FUNDS 52WK HI 2.31 4.40 2.10 198.39 168.29 1.69 1.85 1.77 1.24 8.34 10.26 7.08 12.15 12.71 10.81 10.00 8.98 11.79

52WK LOW 1.67 3.30 1.68 164.74 116.70 1.64 1.77 1.72 1.07 6.41 7.62 5.66 8.65 10.54 9.57 9.88 8.45 11.20

The Public is hereby advised that I, KENDRICK THOMAS VALENTINO WILLIAMS SHERMAN, of Eastern District of New Providence, Bahamas, intend to change my name to KENRICK THOMAS VALENTINO WILLIAMS. If there are any objections to this change of name by deed poll, you may write such objections to the Chief Passport Officer, P.O. Box N-742, Nassau, Bahamas no later than Thirty (30) days after the date of the publication of this notice.

INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL

www.bisxbahamas.com

52WK LOW 3.15 20.91 0.67 1.79 1.67 5.40 5.39 2.00 5.10 3.62 5.60 11.05 2.71 2.20 8.00 7.10 13.04 3.20 8.00 13.90

PUBLIC NOTICE

INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL

PUBLIC NOTICE

MARKET REPORT 52WK HI 4.20 22.65 2.00 1.79 2.50 6.00 6.75 5.47 8.59 4.50 6.16 12.77 3.64 5.10 10.88 8.44 16.99 4.25 9.40 15.21

with what COVID-19 means.”

Mr Butler revealed that “unprecedented economic uncertainty”, especially over the timing and extent of the tourism industry recovery, had played a key factor in Cable Bahamas’ decision to cut costs in line with anticipations of reduced top-line income for months, if not years, to come.

“This is very fluid,” he added. “Three weeks ago we thought that Atlantis would be open by now and we would have tourists coming in for July 4. That didn’t work out. That didn’t decrease the uncertainty. It increased the uncertainty over where the tourism product would be in the next six months.

“If we don’t see employment come back in a significant way we’re going to have deeper structural issues as a country. With employment, it gives people the ability to spend and use credit. You think about the banks and mortgages. We don’t want a repeat of 20082009 when we had all those bank foreclosures.”

Noting the spike on COVID-19 infections in the US, and especially in key tourism source markets such as Florida, Mr Butler said: “From where the country is we have the ability to weather the storm, but the biggest thing is getting to a degree of recovery.”

He added that while there were no further plans for staff terminations, Cable Bahamas would continue to monitor the financial impact from COVID-19. He

warned that further action may be warranted “if this thing gets further protracted and there’s no recovery.

“There’s no plan for additional redundancies, but COVID is very fluid, and we don’t know what will happen three, four or six months down the road,” Mr Butler reiterated.

He added that Cable Bahamas had felt the “biggest impact”, in terms of customers reducing or discontinuing cable TV, Internet, fixed-line and mobile services, in the tourism/hotel industry and also among small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs).

“We are obviously anxious to get the economy open, but in a safe and sustainable way,” Mr Butler added. “We are trying to work with as many SMEs as possible to get them back to normality and support them through this process.

“That’s our challenge, and we’re trying to work with customers as much as possible to see how we can work with them. It’s one where there’s a certain reality we cannot get away from. Simply, we had to ‘rightsize’ our operations and implement these stringent measures as part of our overall plan to address it.”

John Gomez, Cable Bahamas’ chief operating officer, added: “The executive team are working very closely to ensure we optimise our retained resources and deliver the best possible service to our customers despite the challenges and changes.

“There is much work yet to be done to drive further economies of scale and we remain committed to our customers despite the unprecedented challenge we are all facing.”

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

NAV 2.31 4.39 2.10 192.52 145.55 1.69 1.81 1.77 1.07 8.30 9.90 7.08 11.27 12.71 10.23 N/A 8.31 10.01

YTD% 12 MTH% 1.04% 3.87% 0.61% 2.93% 0.50% 2.50% -1.34% 2.23% -12.71% -5.79% 1.88% 3.90% -2.26% 2.49% 0.76% 3.56% -11.03% -8.03% -0.45% 8.36% -3.20% 11.46% 2.10% 5.15% -6.17% 3.54% 2.92% 5.55% -4.66% -3.81% N/A N/A -10.90% -4.30% -18.80% -12.00%

MARKET TERMS

BISX ALL SHARE INDEX - 19 Dec 02 = 1,000.00

YIELD - last 12 month dividends divided by closing price

52wk-Hi - Highest closing price in last 52 weeks

Bid $ - Buying price of Colina and Fidelity

52wk-Low - Lowest closing price in last 52 weeks

Ask $ - Selling price of Colina and fidelity

Previous Close - Previous day's weighted price for daily volume

Last Price - Last traded over-the-counter price

Today's Close - Current day's weighted price for daily volume

Weekly Vol. - Trading volume of the prior week

Change - Change in closing price from day to day

EPS $ - A company's reported earnings per share for the last 12 mths

Daily Vol. - Number of total shares traded today

NAV - Net Asset Value

DIV $ - Dividends per share paid in the last 12 months

N/M - Not Meaningful

P/E - Closing price divided by the last 12 month earnings

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

NAV Date

31-Mar-2020 31-Mar-2020 27-Mar-2020 31-Mar-2020 31-Mar-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-Mar-2020 31-Mar-2020 31-Mar-2020

The Public is hereby advised that I, ETHAN ELLIS MELBOURNE LOCKHART, P.O. Box N-877, Western District, Nassau, Bahamas, intend to change my name to ETHAN ELLIS MELBOURNE HARDING. If there are any objections to this change of name by deed poll, you may write such objections to the Chief Passport Officer, P.O. Box N-742, Nassau, Bahamas no later than Thirty (30) days after the date of the publication of this notice.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY FOR FINANCIAL CONTROLLER Establishment information A well-established Retail Company with several locations.

Education and Experience • A CPA with strong background in Retail costing • Excellent communications skills and the ability to meet strict deadlines • Preferable age: 30 and older Principal Responsibilities • Timely and accurate preparation of weekly, monthly, and annual financial statements • Preparation of all government required documents which includes Vat returns • Monitoring and improving the Company’s internal controls Interested and qualified persons should submit their resume via email to 242jobnow@gmail.com

PAGE 8, Tuesday, July 14, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

BODY AND MIND

Parents concerned about sending kids back to school during ongoing pandemic

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

U

nder normal circumstances, the end of July would be the time for parents to start making preparations for their children to go back to school in the Fall. However, this year things are far from normal. As the world continues to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, governments are working to implement strategies for society to operate as normal as possible and prevent community spread of COVID-19.

Though the Ministry of Education has yet to reveal its plan or framework for reopening government schools, some private educational institutions have already outlined their course of action and safety measures for returning students.

The wearing of masks, strict social distancing protocols, and sanitising work spaces periodically throughout the day are just some of the measures these schools and kindergartens are taking.

Tribune Health spoke to several parents who talked about their thoughts on sending their children back to school in the midst of a global pandemic.

Sherry Butler said the private schools her two children attend have already sent out protocol sheets for September. However, she does not see how the new rules will work in practice.

“I am a parent to a 10-year-old and a two-year-old. I am very concerned about what is going to happen in September. Both my kids’ schools have sent me their protocols for reopening which basically will be a combination of social distancing, learning at

PRIVATE schools have started outlining safety protocols for when they reopen in Fall, but not all parents are convinced these measures will ensure the health of their kids.

school – while wearing masks – and virtual learning at home. The schools have also said lunch and playtime will be limited to smaller groups,” she said.

“I really don’t see how it will work, especially with my daughter who will be three in September.

She is at that age where she will want cuddles with her teacher and play with her friends. They also don’t want the parents to be in the classroom...the kids are used to us going in with them so I think it will be traumatic trying to explain why this can’t happen. The alternative is that they will be at home and if we are back on lockdown again in Fall, and I am working from home, I won’t be able to give

my kids the full attention they need.”

Mrs Butler said she is especially concerned about her son.

“He would prefer to be in class, and this is grade six for him, and I am afraid his grades will suffer because he won’t have the school resources or my full attention.

There really is no perfect solution, all I can hope is that this ends well.

I also understand that the school needs the money to pay staff and function, but I am not happy with paying full school fees if my kids aren’t actually in school,” she said.

Dean Seymour said he has fears about sending his son back to school during this time.

“My son’s mother and I have not made a concrete decision

on whether we will send our son back to school, but we are leaning towards home schooling. COVID19 is real and the last thing I want to do is have my child exposed while at school with faculty and students,” he said.

“I am also not confident that schools will really being doing what they need to do consistently in terms of sanitising. I believe there will be some slacking on these protocols, so I don’t think I want to take the chance.”

Meanwhile, single mother Opal Fernander said she is not overly concerned about her son’s health, as she thinks the social distancing and sanitation regulations will ensure her child is safe.

“I believe it is time for children to get back to school. As a working single mother what am I to do with my child if school continues to be closed or they resort to having virtual classes?

As a country we have already put measures in place by wearing masks and social distancing in order to limit the spread of the virus. Once those same protocols are executed very effectively and classrooms are not overcrowded I would be at peace with my child attending school,” she said.

Ms Fernander said COVID-19 is not going anywhere, so schools must find a way to give students what they need without endangering them.

“Virtual lessons can only go so far, especially with a child like mine who is five years old. They are not accustomed to learning online, which is why it is paramount for them to be in classrooms. And if virtual lessons are going to be implemented, schools must consider who will assist students with those because parents have to go to work,” she said.

Nadine Hunter shared similar sentiments.

“I am not fearful at all about my daughter going back to school.

Children are up and about now on a daily basis out in public. They are wearing their masks to keep safe, so the same thing they are doing now they can do while they are in class. I think this is even better because children tend to pick up germs on a regular basis at school, so by wearing face shields, sanitising, that can stop the spread of other germs and viruses like the flu that kids often pick up at school, not just COVID-19,” she said.

As of yesterday there were 111 COVID-19 cases in the Bahamas; eight are currently active and there no hospitalisations.

After weeks of no new cases, un the span of a week there were six new cases of the virus all from Grand Bahama, which pushed the number from 104 to 111.

The Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) President Belinda Wilson said they have yet to receive a framework from the Ministry of Education for the reopening of schools.

According to Mrs Wilson, there was a meeting between the BUT and the Ministry last Monday and they promised to provide a plan for the reopening. She admitted at a Rotary meeting last Thursday that the lack of direction has affected the relationship between the union and government.

“Well, the relationship… it deteriorated when it was evident that the Ministry had no written plan and to date as we speak we do not have a plan or a framework from the Ministry of Education for short, medium, and/or longterm during COVID and after COVID,” she said.

Spreading smiles Sunshine Pilot Club provides dental care to Ranfurly Home kids

By CARA HUNT Tribune Features Writer cbrennen@tribunemedia.net The Sunshine Pilot Club of Nassau recently brightened the smiles of children at the Ranfurly Home for Children by providing them with complimentary teeth cleaning and oral examinations.

The club’s president, Lesia Sands, who is a dental hygienist at the Genesis Dental Centre, and also a volunteer at the home, told Tribune Health that the organisation wanted to focus their assistance on an area of healthcare that is often overlooked by charity donations.

“I do volunteer work at the Ranfurly Home and my term as president of the Sunshine Pilot Club has just started. I asked about the dental care that the children were receiving and when I learned there was a need, I knew I wanted to use my skills to assist,” she said.

“It was important to start strong because of the recent lockdown due to the pandemic. It seemed fitting to start strong on a positive note. I immediately wanted us to do this as a club project.”

She added: “Good dental health is often more than just having a lovely smile, it can also affect other parts of the body.

Good dental health is important to maintaining good brain health as gum infections can travel and cause infections to delicate parts of the brain.

Ms Sands led a team of five club members who assisted 10 of the 32 children who currently reside at the Ranfurly Home.

While she did the clinical work, the club members were there to provide moral support.

“They helped by engaging the kids and keeping them entertained,” said Ms Sands.

The children were all also given dental home care kits.

Now that the first group of children have been seen, the group

DENTAL hygienist and Sunshine Pilot Club of Nassau president Lesia Sands provides teeth cleaning and oral examinations to kids residing at the Ranfurly Home. will be scheduling additional sessions to accommodate the remaining residents of the home.

Brain health is an important part of the organisation’s focus, said Ms Sands.

Pilot International has a Brain Health and Safety Initiative and the Sunshine Pilot Club of Nassau is a part of the Bahamas District of Pilot International, a service organisation based in Macon, Georgia.

Pilot Club members are challenged to make a positive change in their community with the focus on brain-related disorders such as stroke and dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease.

The mission of Pilot International is to influence positive change in communities throughout the world.

“To do this we come together in friendship and service, focusing on preparing youth and young

adults for service, encouraging brain safety and health, and supporting those who care for others,” said Ms Sands.

She added that during her presidency she would also like to focus on caregivers and among her plans are a prayer breakfast and support groups.

The Sunshine Pilot Club meets every third Tuesday at East Villa.

Meetings start at 6.30pm.

THE TRIBUNE

Drinking coffee and other habits can impact erectile dysfunction Getting a good, quality erection and maintaining an erection can be an overwhelmingly stressful task for many men of various ages.

Erectile dysfunction will affect every man to some degree at some point in their lives. Erection problems should never be an issue that is dealt with in embarrassing silence.

You are not alone.

For erectile dysfunction it is imperative to determine the cause and treat the cause and not just mask the symptoms.

A man may achieve a satisfactory erection by taking prescribed and regulated medications such as Viagra, Cialis or Levitra, but if the underlying cause of the erectile dysfunction is not managed properly then these medications will eventually become ineffective, The untreated, underlying cause of the erectile dysfunction may also lead to irreversible, permanent damage to the nerve supply or blood supply to the penis.

Erectile dysfunction may be associated with cardiovascular disease, new onset or poorly controlled diabetes or hypertension or low testosterone levels.

There are several things that men can do to improve their erections tonight and in the short term.

1. Relax

Firstly, relax, as anxiety and self-imposed stress to perform can worsen the erectile issues.

The additional pressure that a man can place on himself, particularly if he had a previous episode of erectile dysfunction, can lead to further erectile problems.

2. Wake coffee

up

with

What you drink in the morning can assist your performance in the bedroom later that night.

Research from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston found that men who consumed the caffeine equivalent of two cups of coffee a day were less likely to have erectile dysfunction problems than men who abstained from coffee. Coffee is a stimulant that helps the arteries in your penis to relax and your blood flow to increase, two factors necessary for a strong erection.

3. Stop smoking

Cigarette smoking is well known to be hazardous to your health, increasing one’s risk for all cancers and leading to heart disease. Cigarette use also can lead to blockage of blood vessels including those supplying the penis.

The nicotine found in cigarettes is a vasoconstrictor that impairs the ability of the arteries in the penis to dilate.

Abstaining from cigarettes for

also negatively impact erectile function.

7. Eat healthy

Healthy eating and living will positively impact all organs of your body, including your all important male member. The same unhealthy diet that leads to cardiovascular disease, leads to erectile dysfunction.

Certain foods can stimulate and improve blood circulation, including to the penis; such as leafy greens, oysters, dark chocolates and shellfish. Antioxidants like lycopene that are found in berries, tomatoes, fruits and vegetables can lower heart disease risk and ultimately lower the risk of developing erectile dysfunction.

RESEARCH has found that men who consume the caffeine equivalent of two cups of coffee a day were less likely to have erectile dysfunction problems than men who abstained from coffee.

even one day can reduce the nicotine in your system and allow for improved dilatation of penile blood vessels.

Quiting cigarettes altogether must be the ultimate goal, your heart and all your organs including your penis will thank you.

THE UROLOGY DOCTOR IS IN...

4. Take your meds

Uncontrolled diabetes, high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol can all negatively affect your erections.

If you have been diagnosed with hypertension or hypercholesterolemia or diabetes mellitus then be compliant with your medications. Sustained elevated high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and uncontrolled diabetes can in the short term ruin your erections and in the long run the erectile dysfunction could become permanent.

Some classes of high blood pressure medications are recognised to have the side effect of leading to poor erectile function but there are many other classes of high blood pressure medications that will not negatively affect your erections and in fact some high blood pressure medications can improve blood supply to the penis.

Seek medical assistance with changing your chronic medications if they are thought to negatively affect your erections.

High blood pressure is called the silent killer for a reason; having few symptoms until permanent damage is done to organs and blood vessels.

Never discontinue high blood pressure medications yourself because of unwanted side effects to erectile function.

5. Drink alcohol in moderation

The liquid courage that you feel that you may get from

Dr Greggory Pinto

alcohol intake prior to sexual encounters can actually negatively impact your erections.

Alcohol is a depressant and a diuretic, which could have you feeling a distracting urge to urinate during the heated moment and have you feeling exhausted when you want to be your most energetic. Routine high alcohol intake can lower male sex hormones and lead to penile nerve impairment.

6. Brush your teeth

There is a strong correlation between dental disease and erectile dysfunction. Ensure proper daily oral hygiene.

In a Taiwan scientific study, men with erectile dysfunction were 79 percent more likely to have chronic periodontal disease than men without erectile dysfunction.

Gum disease can lead to chronic inflammation that could damage endothelial cells that line the blood vessels. This endothelial damage could lead to impaired blood supply to the penis. Periodontal disease is also a risk factor for developing diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease, both of which

How to get yourself out of a funk

Quick ‘wins’ can brighten up your day Health coach Ethan Quant, of Elite Wellness Solutions, has succeeded in his weight loss journey and now wants to share his methods with the Bahamas in an effort to foster a culture of wellness and conquer the obesity epidemic.

I am often asked how to I stay motivated and consistent in on my health, wellness and fitness journey. The truth is that consistency matters more than motivation, because I am not always motivated to do the

Tuesday, July 14, 2020, PAGE 9

things that will lead me to my goals. This is true in all areas of your life, be it your fitness journey, in your business or on your job, and even in your relationships.

You are not going to feel like you are winning every day, you are not going to feel super motivated to get stuff done every day, and you are not always going to wake up in beast mode ready to attack the day. But guess what, it’s OK and it’s perfectly normal.

Everyone, no matter how successful they are, no matter what they are successful in, has days when they feel like ‘blah’.

I know, I have those days myself. However, I have found a guaranteed way to get out of those funky moods. Literally every time I feel like that I do one thing that really resets my mood and changes the trajectory of my day.

I look for a quick win. I do something that is super easy

ETHAN QUANT

HEALTH COACH and that requires very little effort to get done. We all have little tasks that we put off for various reasons. I could be arranging your shoes in the closet or organising your desk or doing some content for your social media.

Whatever it is, the key to this working is that it requires very little brain power and energy expenditure to get it done.

DR Alok Shrivastava

8. Stop being a couch potato and exercise Get daily exercise and stay away from a sedentary lifestyle. Walk up and down stairs instead of taking the elevator, for example. Cardio workouts are greatly beneficial for your cardiovascular health and your erectile health.

Pelvic floor exercises can strengthen pelvic muscular and lead to improved erections.

Pelvic floor muscles are important in sustaining blood flow to the penis and maintaining good erections.

Erectile dysfunction has multiple potential causes and self diagnosis and masking symptoms by taking unregulated medications, does not treat the underlying cause. Many Bahamian men take pills sold at the gas station that contain dangerous substances that can negatively impact the kidneys, the liver, the heart and the general well-being of the individual.

Erectile dysfunction may be the first sign of cardiovascular disease or hypertension or diabetes or high cholesterol. It is important to have a comprehensive, confidential and compassionate urological consultation to manage any erectile dysfunction.

Seek confidential, compassionate and comprehensive urological care.

• Dr Greggory Pinto is a board certified Bahamian urologist and laparoscopic surgeon. He has trained in Germany, South Africa and France, and is a member of the European Association of Urology. He can be reached at the OakTree Medical Center, #2 Fifth Terrace and Mount Royal Avenue. Call (242) 322-1145-7.

E-mail welcome@urologycarebahamas. com or visit the website www. urologycarebahamas.com.

But once you do it you instantly feel better, then you go on to another small thing and you just keep going and going. Every time you successfully complete one of these super easy tasks your brain gets a hit of dopamine and that makes you feel good so you want to do more, and you get another hit. Then you build up what is called success momentum. Before you know it you are crushing the day.

The really cool thing about this is that it works in any area of your life. It works on your health and fitness journey, on the job, at home.

So the next time you wake up in a bit of a funk, think of the easiest thing that you can do that you can mark off of your list, then do it. Don’t overthink it, and it doesn’t matter how small the task is. It could be throwing out the trash; just do it, cross it off and watch how much better you begin to feel.

Remember, if you would like help navigate this or any part of your health wellness and fitness journey please feel free to reach out to me directly.

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

DR. Beverton Moxey

TOP BAHAMIAN PHYSICIAN JOINS LEADING US UROLOGIST FOR FREE MEN’S HEALTH WEBINAR With one in nine men diagnosed with prostate cancer and an almost 100 percent cure rate if diagnosed early, there is no excuse for men to avoid a doctor’s visit, say experts.

“But unfortunately, that is too often the case,” said Dr Beverton Moxey, internal medicine specialist and gastroenterologist. “Men will procrastinate and find any excuse not to schedule a medical visit. By the time they present with a symptom, the disease or condition is likely to require a treatment that is harder to administer and harder on them.”

On Wednesday, July 15, Dr Moxey will team up with urologist Dr Alok Shrivastava of Cleveland Clinic Florida (CCF) to present a free webinar on “Men’s Health” sponsored by the popular healthcare system with satellite offices throughout Florida and headquarters in Weston, west of Fort Lauderdale. The webinar will start at 2pm and both doctors will take questions from participants.

“Women are sensitive to responding to what their body tells them,” said Dr Shrivastava. “Oftentimes men are reluctant to get medical care, which is a particular challenge with prostate cancer because symptoms can go undetected for so long. However, we’ve seen a dramatic reduction in prostate cancer deaths through early detection and treatment.”

Other topics related to men’s health to be discussed will include vitality, sexual functionality, overall stamina, strength and gastro- and internal medicine conditions.

Dr Moxey did his gastroenterology training at Cleveland Clinic Florida after completing his internal medicine residency at the University of Virginia Roanoke where he served as Chief Medical Resident. In addition to his Nassau based private practice, he serves as a consultant physician to Princess Margaret Hospital and Doctors Hospital Health System.

Co-presenter for the webinar, Dr Shrivastava, is a multiple award-winning specialist, surgeon and researcher.

He completed both a fellowship in Urology and Robotic and Laparoscopic Urologic Studies at Henry Ford Hospital, Michigan. His practice at CCF involves cutting-edge medical technology in robotic radical prostatectomy with or without veil nerve sparing, robotic partial and radial nephrectomy and robotic radical cystectomy.

To register, click on events.dpamedia.com or call 394-0677.

PAGE 10, Tuesday, July 14, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

THE SUGAR paste is moulded to the skin

Have you been sugared yet? Part I Of course you’re curious as to what kind of sugaring I am alluding to in the headline. It’s called body sugaring, have you heard about? Well, not many persons have.

Body sugaring is an ancient Egyptian method of removing unwanted hair using a paste made with sugar as its main ingredient, along with lime and water for consistency. This paste is then moulded on to the skin a number of times. Each time it is being moulded it allows the sugar to seep down into the hair follicle, catching hair growth at a very early stage. This technique is absolutely amazing, but at the same time very difficult to learn. If not done properly, one can experience bruising, ingrown hairs and unnecessary pain. That is why one must be properly train before attempting to sugar anyone.

When last did your skin felt baby soft and smooth? Well, no

isn’t any comparison. Sugaring it is far superior. The advantages of body sugaring are as follows:

• Pure and ingredients

natural

The paste is so natural, you can eat it! That is far from true with wax.

• It is not hot

Kenya MortimerMckenzie

need to wait any longer, you can experience it with body sugaring; you’ll love it. If you’ve experienced waxing and want to know what the difference is, well, there

Sugar paste is applied at body temperature; it will not burn you. Your own body temperature melts the sugar paste. Hot wax can cause burning and scarring.

Over time, abuse to the underlying connective tissues can cause wrinkling, especially in the lip and brow areas.

• It will not stick to the skin

Waxing damages the skin by adhering not only to dead skin cells, but also to live skin cells, but

sugar cannot. While removing the hair, the sugar exfoliates the dead skin cells, allowing ingrown hair to surface. This treatment, again unlike waxing, is safe to perform on individuals with dry skin disorders, like eczema and psoriasis. It can be applied over the same area several times without damage to the skin. Wax cannot be applied several times in the same area.

• It is easier to clean up

Sugar is water soluble; it can easily be cleaned up off your skin with water. Unlike wax, you will never feel sticky after treatment.

• It never dries

The sugar paste can be used over an entire area without ever having to get more.

• It won’t break as many hairs

The sugar paste as it is moulded on to the skin, it wraps around the hair shaft, making it pliable, seeping below the hair follicle and lubricating the hair to make the extraction easier with less discomfort.

• It is more sanitary

Sugar does not cause bacteria; it is unable to breed in the jar.

Sugar was used to heal wounds during the American Civil War to prevent infection and promote healing.

• It can extract very

short hairs

With the advanced sugaring technique, hair can be extracted as soon as one to two days after shaving. However, it is recommended for optimum results to wait up to days after shaving.

Wax products require at least two to three weeks of growth before treatment when a client is shaving.

• It leads permanency

to

Hair growth lessens after a number of treatments. The hair texture is more refined as it grows.

When sugaring, hair is removed at a very early anagen phase of hair growth, which can lead to permanency. The results are far superior to waxing.

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

Science finds being kind pays off

By SETH BORENSTEIN AP Science Writer Acts of kindness may not be that random after all. Science says being kind pays off.

Research shows that acts of kindness make us feel better and healthier. Kindness is also key to how we evolved and survived as a species, scientists say. We are hard-wired to be kind.

Kindness “is as bred in our bones as our anger or our lust or our grief or as our desire for revenge,” said University of California San Diego psychologist Michael McCullough, author of the forthcoming book “Kindness of Strangers.” It’s also, he said, “the main feature we take for granted.”

Scientific research is booming into human kindness and what scientists have found so far speaks well of us.

“Kindness is much older than religion. It does seem to be universal,” said University of Oxford anthropologist Oliver Curry, research director at Kindlab. “The basic reason why people are kind is that we are social animals.”

We prize kindness over any other value. When psychologists lumped values into ten categories and asked people what was more important, benevolence or kindness, comes out on top, beating hedonism, having an exciting life, creativity, ambition, tradition, security, obedience, seeking social justice and seeking power, said University of London psychologist Anat Bardi, who studies value systems.

It was the same in the dozens of countries she looked at: Kindness was always No 1. People in Scandinavian countries tend to value benevolence the most and those also tend to be the happiest places in annual world rankings.

“A lot of people tell me, well, people aren’t kind. And I think that’s actually a bit of a perception fallacy because when you measure people’s behaviours, actually you find out they are kind,” Bardi said. “People do perform acts of kindness regularly.”

The trouble is we remember the unkind gesture or the rude person, not the more common

and expected kindness, Bardi said. Deep down, she said, we’re motivated to be kind.

“We’re kind because under the right circumstances we all benefit from kindness,” Oxford’s Curry said.

When it comes to a species’ survival “kindness pays, friendliness pays,” said Duke University evolutionary anthropologist Brian Hare, author of the new book “Survival of the Friendliest.”

Both he and McCullough said the phrase “survival of the fittest” has been misunderstood, especially when it comes to humans.

Kindness and cooperation work for many species, whether it’s bacteria, flowers or our fellow primate bonobos. The more friends you have, the more individuals you help, the more successful you are, Hare said.

For example, Hare, who studies bonobos and other primates, compares aggressive chimpanzees, which attack outsiders, to bonobos where the animals don’t kill but help out strangers. Male bonobos are far more successful at mating than their male chimp counterparts, Hare said.

McCullough sees bonobos as more the exceptions. Most animals aren’t kind or helpful to strangers, just close relatives so in that way it is one of the traits that separate us from other species, he said. And that, he said, is because of the human ability to reason.

Humans realise that there’s not much difference between our close relatives and strangers and that someday strangers can help us if we are kind to them, McCullough said.

Reasoning “is the secret ingredient, which is why we donate blood when there are disasters” and why most industrialised nations spend at least 20 percent of their money on social programmes, such as housing and education, McCullough said.

Often our biggest acts of kindness come from thinking things through. When you ask people who donate live kidneys to strangers, they don’t usually talk as much about feelings but give logical reasons why they did it, McCullough said.

Duke’s Hare also points to mama bears to understand the evolution and biology of kindness and its aggressive nasty flip side.

He said studies point to certain areas of the brain, the medial prefrontal cortex, temporal parietal junction and other spots as either activated or dampened by emotional activity. The same places give us the ability to nurture and love, but also dehumanise and exclude, he said.

When mother bears are feeding and nurturing their cubs, these areas in the brain are activated and it allows them to be generous and loving, Hare said. But if someone comes near the mother bear at that time, it sets of the brain’s threat mechanisms in the same places. The same bear becomes its most aggressive and dangerous.

Hare said he sees this in humans. Some of the same people who are generous to family and close friends, when they feel threatened by outsiders become angrier. He points to the current polarisation of the world.

“More isolated groups are more likely to be feel threatened by others and they are more likely to morally exclude, dehumanise,” Hare said. “And that opens the door to cruelty.”

But overall our bodies aren’t just programmed to be nice, they reward us for being kind, scientists said.

“Doing kindness makes you happier and being happier makes you do kind acts,” said labour economist Richard Layard, who studies happiness at the London School of Economics and wrote the new book “Can We Be Happier?”

University of California Riverside psychology professor Sonja Lyubomirsky has put that concept to the test in numerous experiments over 20 years and repeatedly found that people feel better when they are kind to others, even more than when they are kind to themselves.

“Acts of kindness are very powerful,” Lyubomirsky said.

In one experiment, she asked subjects to do an extra three acts of kindness for other people a week and asked a different group to do three acts of self-kindness.

They could be small, like opening a door for someone, or big.

But the people who were kind to others became happier and felt more connected to the world.

The same occurred with money, using it to help others versus helping yourself. Lyubomirsky said she thinks it is because people spend too much time thinking and worrying about themselves and when they think of others while doing acts of kindness, it redirects them away from their own problems.

Oxford’s Curry analysed peer-reviewed research like Lyubomirsky’s and found at least 27 studies showing the same thing: Being kind makes people feel better emotionally.

But it’s not just emotional. It’s physical.

Lyubomirsky said a study of people with multiple sclerosis and found they felt better physically when helping others. She also found that in people doing more acts of kindness that the genes that trigger inflammation were turned down more than in people who don’t. She said in upcoming studies she’s found more antiviral genes in people who did acts of kindness.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, July 14, 2020, PAGE 11

NAYA RIVERA, WHO ROSE TO FAME ON TV SHOW ‘GLEE,’ DIES AT 33

By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Naya Rivera, a singer and actor who played a gay cheerleader on the hit TV musical comedy “Glee,” was found dead yesterday in a Southern California lake. She was 33.

Rivera’s body was discovered six days after she disappeared on Lake Piru, where her son, Josey, was found July 8 alone on a boat the two had rented, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said. The Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the body was Rivera’s.

“Rest sweet, Naya. What a force you were,” wrote “Glee” co-star Jane Lynch on Twitter.

Steven Canals, who co-created

and produced the FX television show “Pose,” tweeted that he was “heartbroken over all the stories that will remain untold.”

Viola Davis sent her prayers to Rivera’s family and Kristin Chenoweth said: “Thank you for what you gave the world.”

Rivera began acting at a young age, but she rose to national attention playing a lesbian teen on “Glee,” which aired from 2009 until 2015 on Fox. She is survived by her parents, Yolanda and George; a younger brother, Mychal; a sister, Nickayla; and her 4-year-old son.

“Naya Rivera was a fierce talent with so much more to do and this is such a terrible tragedy.

We are forever grateful for the indelible contribution she made

to ‘Glee,’ from the first episode to the last,” said a statement from 20th Century Fox TV and Fox Entertainment.

A native of Santa Clarita, California, Rivera began acting at 4, appearing in such series as “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Family Matters” and “The Bernie Mac Show.”

As a teen, she struggled with an eating disorder and had breast implants put in at 18 (”a confidence thing, not a sexual thing,” she would later write in her autobiography).

“I had the lowest self esteem in high school possible. I wasn’t popular, I didn’t have friends, but I would say it’s really important that you know who you are and you’re going to win in the end

because of that,” Rivera said in a 2011 interview with The Associated Press.

She worked odd jobs as a telemarketer, a nanny, a waitress and an Abercrombie & Fitch greeter before landing the role of Santana Lopez on Ryan Murphy’s “Glee.”

She auditioned by singing Destiny’s Child’s “Emotion.”

The pilot offered her no speaking lines.

Rivera played a secondary character — the mean cheerleader with blistering put-downs — in the show’s first season, but became a show regular in the second season as she struggled to reveal her character’s sexual identity. Many on social media credited her character for making them feel better about their own sexuality.

“Honestly, I never thought I’d actually be playing a teen lesbian,” she told the Los Angeles Times in 2011. “I didn’t think it was going to go this far. But I’m glad that it did, because there have been a lot of fans who have expressed that they’ve been going through similar situations in their lives. I’ve heard from girls that are in high school, they’re 16, 17, and they’re like, ‘I came out to my mom,’ or ‘I came out to my friends, and thank you for helping me do that.’”

Some of her more memorable songs on the show include a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” with guest star Gwyneth Paltrow, “Here Comes the Sun” with Demi Lovato, and a tearful cover of The Band Perry’s “If I Die Young.”

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 92° F/33° C Low: 74° F/23° C

TAMPA

TONIGHT

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Clouds and sun with a shower

Patchy clouds

A morning shower in spots

Some sun with a t‑storm in the area

Mostly cloudy with a shower around

Mostly cloudy, a t‑storm in spots

High: 90°

Low: 79°

High: 90° Low: 79°

High: 87° Low: 78°

High: 89° Low: 78°

High: 89° Low: 77°

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

103° F

90° F

101°-86° F

97°-84° F

99°-85° F

99°-84° F

High: 91° F/33° C Low: 79° F/26° C

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

N

almanac

E

W

ABACO

S

N

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 81° F/27° C

4‑8 knots

S

WEST PALM BEACH High: 91° F/33° C Low: 79° F/26° C

4‑8 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE E

W

FREEPORT

High: 91° F/33° C Low: 80° F/27° C

N

S

E

W

High: 91° F/33° C Low: 77° F/25° C

MIAMI

High: 93° F/34° C Low: 80° F/27° C

4‑8 knots

KEY WEST

High: 92° F/33° C Low: 83° F/28° C

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 79° F/26° C

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2020

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 82° F/28° C

N

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

tiDes For nassau High Today

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

3:10 a.m.

3:56 p.m.

2.3 2.6

9:30 a.m. 0.6 10:18 p.m. 1.0

Wednesday 4:03 a.m.

4:47 p.m.

2.2 2.7

10:17 a.m. 0.6 11:13 p.m. 0.9

Thursday

4:56 a.m.

5:36 p.m.

2.2 2.8

11:05 a.m. 0.5 ‑‑‑‑‑ ‑‑‑‑‑

Friday

5:46 a.m.

6:23 p.m.

2.3 3.0

12:04 a.m. 0.8 11:53 a.m. 0.3

Saturday

6:35 a.m.

7:09 p.m.

2.3 3.2

12:53 a.m. 0.6 12:39 p.m. 0.2

Sunday

7:22 a.m.

7:53 p.m.

2.5 3.3

1:38 a.m.

1:26 p.m.

0.4 0.1

Monday

8:08 a.m.

8:38 p.m.

2.6 3.4

2:23 a.m.

2:12 p.m.

0.3 0.0

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:29 a.m.

8:02 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

1:42 a.m.

2:45 p.m.

New

First

Full

Last

Jul. 20

Jul. 27

Aug. 3

Aug. 11

CAT ISLAND

E

W

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

N

S

E

W

3‑6 knots

S

4‑8 knots Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 88° F/31° C Low .................................................... 80° F/27° C Normal high ....................................... 88° F/31° C Normal low ........................................ 75° F/24° C Last year’s high ................................. 92° F/33° C Last year’s low ................................... 74° F/23° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.01” Year to date ............................................... 26.30” Normal year to date ................................... 16.40”

uV inDex toDay

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

N

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

E

W S

LONG ISLAND

tracking map

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

3‑6 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 88° F/31° C Low: 82° F/28° C

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

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 87° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 90° F/32° C Low: 82° F/28° C

N E

W

N E

W

S

S

6‑12 knots

7‑14 knots

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

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

WINDS SW at 4‑8 Knots NNW at 3‑6 Knots NW at 3‑6 Knots ENE at 4‑8 Knots ESE at 4‑8 Knots E at 4‑8 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots ENE at 7‑14 Knots S at 4‑8 Knots E at 4‑8 Knots WSW at 4‑8 Knots ESE at 4‑8 Knots SE at 4‑8 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots ENE at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 6‑12 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots ESE at 6‑12 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots W at 3‑6 Knots E at 4‑8 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots SE at 3‑6 Knots E at 4‑8 Knots

WAVES 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 0‑1 Feet 0‑1 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet 0‑1 Feet 0‑1 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑3 Feet 3‑6 Feet 3‑5 Feet 0‑1 Feet 0‑1 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet

VISIBILITY 10 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 7 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 84° F 85° F 88° F 90° F 87° F 87° F 87° F 86° F 86° F 87° F 83° F 84° F 88° F 89° F 86° F 85° F 87° F 87° F 85° F 85° F 87° F 88° F 86° F 86° F 87° F 88° F

SECTION B

TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020

‘Entangled’ in paradise

Will and Jada Smith escape to the Bahamas after relationship revelations

By CARA HUNT Tribune Features Writer cbrennen@tribunemedia.net

As Will Smith and his wife Jada arrived in Nassau for a family getaway at the luxurious Albany resort yesterday, social media was still abuzz over the revelations of a romantic “entanglement” involving R&B artist August Alsina.

Entanglement is indeed the word of the day, thanks to Jada, 48, who used it to describe the relationship she had with the 27-year-old singer-songwriter, who was very close to the Smith family for several years.

The Smiths recently sat down for a special edition of Jada’s popular Facebook talk show “Red Table Talk” where the actress admitted that a few years ago, while she and Will were separated, her friendship with August deepened into something more.

“I got into a different kind of entanglement with August,” she initially said, before adding, “It was a relationship, absolutely. I was in a lot of pain and I was very broken. In the process of that relationship, I definitely realised that you can’t find happiness outside of herself.”

Addressing her husband, she said: “And luckily enough, you and I were going through a process of healing in a much different manner. I would definitely say we did everything possible to get away from each other, only to realise that that wasn’t possible.”

Gossip about this “scandal” has set social media aflame, especially here in The Bahamas, where both women and men have very strong opinions on extramarital affairs, or “sweethearting”.

The whole Jada/Will/August situation has raised the question of is an affair still an affair when a couple is on a “break”, but still married, and is it a betrayal when your spouse knows about it?

Will told Jada during the latest “Red Table Talk” session that at the time of the incident, “I was done with your a **. I was done with you.”

Jada added, “One thing I want to clear up that was swirling around in the press was you kind of giving permission. The

only person that can give permission in that certain circumstance is myself. But what August was probably trying to communicate…

I think he wanted to make it clear that he’s not a homewrecker.”

Rumours have circulating for years that the Smiths, one of Hollywood’s super couples, have an open marriage, and when August broke the news of the “entanglement”, social media went crazy with countless memes and discussions about whether infidelity is really wrong if both partners are OK with it.

Here in The Bahamas, where cheating – or the more euphemistic sounding “sweethearting” – seems to be a national pastime, the debate was hot and heavy.

“A lot of y’all around here gonna be talking about you in an entanglement, nope you are just a lying, cheating dog. If you want step out of your marriage, get out of your marriage first,” said Tanya on Twitter.

Others questioned if public sentiment would be the same if it had been Will who had admitted to a relationship while still married to Jada.

“Everyone seems OK with Jada and what she did,” said Terrence, “but let’s be real, if that had been Will all these girls who out here ‘bout ‘You do you, Jada’ would have been calling for a boycott of Will’s movies and wanting Netflix to cancel The Fresh Prince. They would have wanted to mash him to shreds, but somehow it’s OK because the tables have been turned. I think she wrong and if I was Will I would have let her go on her way and kicked her to the curb.”

However, many Bahamians think that what the Smiths do in their marriage is no one else’s business, and at the end of the day it may just be a publicity stunt by all parties involved anyway.

Antoinette said: “You have to remember that these people are actors, their whole ‘Red Table Talk’ was scripted. I personally believe that they have an open marriage and are trying to make it look less sleazy by saying it happened while they were separated. But at the end of the day, whatever they choose to do in their marriage ain’t our business.

JADA Pinkett Smith and her husband Will Smith attend the premiere of “Gemini Man” in Los Angeles. (Photo/ Phil McCarten/Invision/AP, File)

AUGUST Alsina and Jada Pinkett Smith at the 2017 BET Awards.

And if Will ain’t sweating it, why should we?”

Monique added that she loved that the Smiths revealed their vulnerabilities on the matter.

“I think it was big of Jada and Will to share in an honest way what happened between them and August. From August’s interview you could tell the sincerity

behind what he shared about ‘giving himself completely’ to the relationship. So if Jada came to ‘Red Table’ and made it appear as though she was not in a relationship with August, viewers would have lost confidence in her and in the ‘Red Table’, which is marketed to be a place where honest conversations happen. It served her best interests to be truthful. I’m glad she did, because we surely got the scoop,” she said.

“I love the openness of Will and Jada because they share lots of things that many couples go through but never share. Seeing that a couple can overcome great tests and trials and still be strong gives me hope.”

May agreed: “Let’s be real, a lot of Bahamians are hanging on to relationships that aren’t working.

They either try to stay and are miserable, or like Jada, try to find happiness somewhere else and then the other party is all hurt.

But if you can say, ‘Hey, this is not working. Let’s take a break, find what we need,’ then perhaps they would find their way back to each other.

“I’m not saying have an affair to spice things up, but be more honest that what you have is not working, I think it would be less painful in the end. It worked for Will and Jada, so who are we to judge.”

Local behavioural therapist Harrison Thompson weighed in on the issue on his official Twitter account, suggesting that Jada has a mother complex, which he says is a heightened sense of attraction towards brokenness.

“This type of complex is unique in that women look at men’s brokenness as a conquest because they have personal experiences with that brokenness as well. The idea of healing a man is intoxicating as the intensified erotic love places an abnormal focus on the personality of others.”

“Broken” could be a way to describe the young singer, who in an 2014 interview with Billboard revealed that he had a degenerative eye disease and was slowly going blind. Then, two years ago, during a “Red Table Talk” episode he opened up about other serious health issues, including liver complications he was experiencing due to an autoimmune disease. The pain from this condition, he said, ultimately led him to become addicted to opioids, taking up to six Percocet pills a day.

He also admitted that he was introduced to drugs through his stepfather who was addicted to crack, and his father who was addicted to crack and alcohol.

August ultimately credited the Smiths with helping him “walk away from drugs.” He said it was Jada and her response to his situation which opened his eyes and made him realise he had a drug problem.

“To feel your emotion, and hear you balling, that was really a reality check for me,” he told her, “ ‘cause I was like ‘wow, if someone else can really love you that much that it hurts them, why doesn’t it bother you that you’re actually hurt yourself?”

Mr Thompson said in his view Jada doesn’t look at her “entanglement” as a transgression, instead she is touting it as confronting emotional immaturity, insecurity and doing some deep healing. “That’s called sidestepping and it’s why mediators are needed,” he said.

“The side stepping looks like acknowledgment and sounds like it, but it’s not. It’’s literally the difference between ‘I am sorry you’re hurt’ and ‘I’m sorry I hurt you’. It’s a delusion of grandeur.

Know the signs.”

No job, no home

Young businesswomen face eviction during COVID-19 crunch

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

RUNNING a successful small business in the Bahamas is already daunting, but add a global pandemic, countrywide lockdowns, limited operating hours and restricted movement to the mix, and many entrepreneurs are sinking before they even get the chance to swim.

Bahamian author and fashion designer Kendia Laramore is one of those small business owners who is finding it difficult to keep her head above water. Due to the financial impact of COVID-19, the designer, who also has an event planning venture, is now facing homelessness.

“Prior to COVID-19 I lived a quiet life.

Business was promising, as you know I have multiple ventures – author, clothing designer and event planner. My ventures are (in their infancy) in their respective industries, but they provided essentially what I required for me to continue to invest in them,” she told Tribune Woman.

In addition to being laid off from her permanent job in March due to the pandemic, the savings Kendia has been living off for the past few months have now been fully depleted.

“Ironically, in February I invested a sum of funds into a fashion show that promised large returns, however, that did not happen.

Looking back at it now, I would have done things differently had I known what would follow a month later,” she said.

Given the circumstances and the resultant drop in business, Kendia said she began stitching masks in order to make ends meet.

“However, the market got saturated very quickly with fashion masks,” she said.

Now, as she is about to be evicted from her home, Kendia has been forced to set

FASHION designer Kendia Laramore is facing homelessness

MOBILE boutique owner Markita Williams is struggling to feed herself and her two children.

her pride aside and send an SOS signal, seeking assistance from anyone willing to help.

A friend of Kendia’s launched a GoFundMe campaign to garner financial support for the young designer who has been unable to pay her rent.

“I don’t have anywhere to go. My family is not in the position to assist me like they want to and therefore me and my dog are facing homelessness. My best friend started a GoFundMe for me. I’m crying as I’m writing this because you see these things happening in the world and you silently

pray and hope to God that those situations never become yours,” she said.

Single mother of two Markita Williams has found herself in similarly dire straits.

She was furloughed from her job at Atlantis and is now severely strapped for cash to pay for essentials for herself and her kids.

However, she has decided to take a chance on a new business venture, taking what little money she has to launch a mobile kids clothing boutique which was inspired by her son who died when he was just 18 months old.

Markita turned to this venture in order to make money, as she, too, has been served an eviction notice from her landlords.

“I’m sole owner of Milano’s Kiddie Closet and just started June 1. I came up with the idea to try make ends meet and the name came from my deceased son,” she said.

Markita had been employed at Atlantis for a year before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the resort to temporarily close its doors in late March.

“Because of this pandemic I’m was not able to keep up with my bills and I just found out that I was to be put in court for the three months of rent I owe. I barely had food in my home so I would ask for assistance for me and my kids to eat. That’s when I really put my pride aside,” she said.

“I went out on a limb and decided to start Milano’s Kiddie Closet by getting help with a small amount of money. It isn’t easy but I had to give it a try,” she said. “In any way I can be helped, I will take it and be grateful because I really do need it.”

Those interested in helping Kendia Laramore can donate to her GoFundMe (www. gofundme.com/f/bmuck3-kendia-needsa-home); and those wishing to provide assistance to Markita Williams can contact 242-813-6309.