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PM CONCEDES COVID SPIKE IS ‘CONCERN’ ...but Minnis says only unvaccinated people are still in pandemic By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said while the spike in COVID-19 cases is concerning, the pandemic is currently only affecting unvaccinated people. His comment came after the country recorded 100 COVID-19 cases on Saturday, the most in a single day since October. Dr Minnis told reporters yesterday: “Yes, the numbers of COVID infections
are increasing and, yes, it is concerning. It demonstrates that we are still in the pandemic. “The one thing the Bahamian populace must understand: we’re in two pandemics. The vaccinated individuals are now out of the pandemic. The pandemic is finished for the vaccinated individuals. The unvaccinated individuals are still in the pandemic and, therefore, it’s essential for us to be aggressive, of which we’re doing.” SEE PAGE FOUR
‘DON’T LISTEN TO HIM - ONLY I KNOW THE ELECTION DATE’ By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis stressed yesterday only he knows the timing of the next general election, not Progressive Liberal Party Leader Philip “Brave” Davis nor anyone else. His comment came after Mr Davis on Sunday said “all signs point” to the election being called this week with Parliament dissolved as early as today.
Dr Minnis, however, told reporters at Baha Mar yesterday: “Only the Prime Minister makes such decisions. “The PLP, unfortunately, is always in denial and they have demonstrated that in 1992 when the FNM won the government, they were in denial and saying that it’s only temporary. They demonstrated that again in 2007 when they refused to accept defeat so I’m not surprised by the statement made by SEE PAGE THREE
Rush to register
LENGTHY lines at the Parliamentary Registration Department yesterday as speculation builds about the prospects of an early election call by Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis. See PAGE TWO for more. Photo: Racardo Thomas/Tribune Staff
LUCAYAN’S WOES ADDED CUSTOMER ROBBED AS TO WITH AC BREAKDOWN HE MADE BANK DEPOSIT By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE Grand Lucayan’s chairman yesterday blamed the resort’s recent closure to overnight guests on an inferior water supply that “rotted our chillers” and left it without air conditioning. Michael Scott slammed
the cause of the government-owned property’s seven-ten day shutdown as “a disgrace”, and disclosed it is now investing around $500,000 in installing a reverse osmosis plant to produce its own water as the quality of Grand Bahama Utility Company’s supply cannot be trusted. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net A MAN was robbed in broad daylight while making a bank deposit in the Harbour Bay Shopping Plaza yesterday. A bystander’s video of the robbery went viral across social media. In a 38-second clip that
was widely circulated, a man is seen lying on the ground being attacked by a masked man with bystanders heard in the background, saying “let the bag go mister, let the bag go. Oh my God.” About ten seconds into the video, the assailant escapes in a vehicle and SEE PAGE TWO
HER MAJESTY’S DAY OF THANKS
TWENTY-SIX Bahamians were recognised during a ceremony at Baha Mar yesterday with Queen Elizabeth II’s New Year’s and Birthday Honours for their contributions to national development. Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said: “By honouring these citizens of distinction, our children and young people are able to see themselves and their future, to recognise their potential and gifts, to dream wonderful
DR Merceline Dahl-Regis receives her Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George insignia.
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
dreams and to discover and to touch hope. “In honouring these citizens, we offer future and current generations fine examples of national and community service.” Dr Minnis said the recipients include people who made an impact in areas that include commerce, public service, medicine and public SEE PAGE FIVE
PAGE 2, Tuesday, July 20, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
CUSTOMER ROBBED AS HE MADE BANK DEPOSIT from page one
flees the scene with a bag in his hand. Speaking about the incident yesterday, Assistant Superintendent of Police Audley Peters said officers were aware of the brazen robbery and were now actively searching for the men responsible. He added that the video footage of the incident will assist police in their investigations and also expressed confidence that those responsible will soon be caught. “We’re aware of that robbery where a gentleman went to make a deposit and he was accosted by a male in a small vehicle,” the police press liaison officer told reporters. “The video will be of some assistance to us and I can assure members of the public that in due course we should have someone in custody who will be placed before the court in this incident.”
AN IMAGE taken from video of the robbery yesterday in Harbour Bay. ASP Peters also sent a warning to the perpetrators responsible for these criminal acts, insisting it’s only a matter of time before they’re caught. “I want to warn these would-be criminals that the members of the public are tired of you. They are taking the courageous step and reporting you who are brandishing their firearms and going about conducting these heinous acts,” he said. “They’re going to be caught. It’s simply a matter of time. Our record now speaks for itself. You would’ve seen the matters that would’ve happened recently with respect to the homicide and how these matters are being brought before the court and that’s because of technology and the aid of members of the public. “They’re not sitting back and being afraid of you small amount of persons in our community. “They’re taking the initiative to assist us and we’re doing our part to gather the evidence before you and you’re going to go before the court and you’re going to have your day in court and the victims themselves are going to find justice.” Anyone with information on this latest incident or any other crime is asked to call police at 919 or Crime Stoppers at 328-TIPS (8477).
Rush to register
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net VOTER registration centres in New Providence experienced long lines and wait times yesterday as people rushed to register before the next general election. The uptick in registration comes amid increasing speculation that Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis is gearing up to call the election. On Sunday, Progressive Liberal Party Leader Phillip “Brave” Davis told reporters he expects Dr Minnis to dissolve Parliament and announce an early election as soon as this week. Dr Minnis brushed off this assertion yesterday, saying Mr Davis does not set the timeline for the next election. Despite Dr Minnis’ public statements on the issue, political and government insiders similarly believe he will soon dissolve Parliament, with an election date to be announced sometime in the first three weeks of August. Speculation of an early election prompted many Bahamians to rush to registration centres yesterday, braving the heat in hopes to register or make constituency transfers for the upcoming election. Rashad Price, 30, was one of them.
NATASHA Ferguson speaks to reporters about registration. Speaking to The Tribune at the Parliamentary Registration Department yesterday morning, Mr Price said he came to the voting centre to transfer constituencies after relocating to another area several months ago. The 35-year-old said while he plans to vote in the upcoming election, he has not yet decided which party he will support. He said both major political parties have failed the Bahamian people over the years and noted the country is in desperate need of a change. “It’s been the same thing for years,” Mr Price said. “No results. Everyone suffering and with the pandemic, and I don’t know if it will be any changes and then when the representatives of the constituencies come around, you don’t see them.
“I been out of a job for a whole entire year so I’ve been trying to apply and I have not gotten any help from anybody so we need a change and I would like to see more involvement with helping people pay their rent and groceries and stuff and stop selling people’s dreams.” One Bahamian woman, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Tribune she was at the registration centre to register her twin daughters, who are firsttime voters. The mother said her girls, both age 18, have disabilities. She said after seeing a recent video online with Mr Davis calling for people to get registered, she made the decision to immediately get her daughters registered to vote. However, she said the process has not been a smooth one, citing long lines and lengthy waiting times at several registration sites. Many eligible voters also expressed frustration about the registration process yesterday. Some told this newspaper they endured long lines in the hot, blistering sun only to be turned away by officials for allegedly not having all proper documents to register or make constituency transfers. “We went to Town Centre Mall. There’s a great
deal of people to be registered so now we’re here on Farrington Road and out here is unorganised,” the mother told The Tribune yesterday. “What they should’ve done is had a line for firsttime voters. They should have had a line with people with replacement cards and who have moved and what have you and so I don’t know how they’re going to assess these people out here and I think the process is slow,” she said. Meanwhile, speaking about her reasons for voting in the next election, the mother said she is voting this election cycle for a better future for her children. She said the country has suffered under the Minnis administration, which she claimed could have done a better job in its response to Dorian and COVID-19. “(During the pandemic), a lot of people stood out there and stood in long lines. A lot of people were evicted from their homes, the government didn’t really assist them,” she said. “People lost their homes so it put a strain on the country and strain on people like me so moving forward, now that I’m bringing my two kids here and I don’t want to deprive them and I think they need that experience and I’m going to make sure they go to the polls and vote for
whenever (Dr) Minnis calls the election.” Natasha Ferguson, 35, a mother-of four, shared similar sentiments yesterday. “I think it’s very important to vote because right now this country is turned upside down because the money is moving slow,” she told reporters. “It ain’t no jobs. People still ain’t working. A lot of people from the hotels got laid off. They still ain’t gone back to work and this country right now ain’t making no sense and the government ain’t offering much assistance for the Bahamians or nobody in it so I’m ready to vote. It ain’t ever been this bad in years.” Legislation passed earlier this year has allowed for a permanent voter register to be established for the first time in the country, meaning that people who registered to vote for the 2017 election will not need to register again. Only those who are not on the 2017 register or who have moved to a different address from the one on their voter’s card are required to visit a Parliamentary Registration Department centre to register or transfer their registration to a new polling division or constituency where they now reside. Unless called earlier, the next general election is expected to be held in May 2022.
on the register,” said Mr Duncanson. “For Grand Bahama there are some 30,640 on the register. In New Providence there are some 132,715 on the register. This gives us an overall total of 191,595. “In 2017 there were approximately 181,000 registered to vote. What is happening is we are seeing since 2017 up until today’s date, we have a total of 17,229 (more) persons who have registered to vote.” Mr Duncanson said his department is seeing an uptick in registration, and stressed that his office is
mandated to be prepared and ensure a smooth electoral process. “If you go to any of our locations you will see where there are persons presenting themselves to register. We are seeing an uptick in registration. “My duty is to continue with our efforts here at the Parliamentary Registration Department,” he said. “That is to continue to register voters, continue to ensure that the register is as accurate as possible; continue to transfer voters and to continue to prepare for all elections. So that is what
we will continue to do. “One of the things we continue to do, as is our responsibility, is to continue with our efforts to prepare as it relates to registration. We are continuing our efforts as it relates to editing the register ensuring that it’s as accurate as possible.” Pressed further about the serious preparation being done in his department some ten months ahead of the expected election, he said it’s just being responsible. “Remember any responsible agency that has a mandate to facilitate, it
is incumbent upon that agency to ensure that it continues to prepare, it continues to ready itself, it continues to remain in a state of readiness if that is a requirement and it is. “Certainly we are responsible for continuously ensuring that we are as prepared as we can be. That is an ongoing effort. It’s not as if we can wait for a particular time or a particular threshold. We have an obligation to continue to prepare and continue to progress towards any possibilities. That is something that is required.”
190,000 PEOPLE REGISTERED TO VOTE SO FAR By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net
MORE than 190,000 people had registered to vote as of yesterday morning, about 17,000 more than the number of people registered for the 2017 general election. Parliamentary Commissioner Lavado Duncanson said the total number of people registered as of 9.24am yesterday was 191,595. “For the Family Islands there are some 28,240
THE TRIBUNE
‘Don’t listen to him - only I know the election date’
from page one
the leader of the opposition. But the leader of the opposition is not the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister makes those decisions, not him.” Pressed on whether he will dissolve Parliament this week, Dr Minnis repeated: “The Prime Minister speaks, not the leader of the opposition. The leader of the opposition said there will be dissolution. The Prime Minister did not say that. I didn’t say we’re having an election now, you know. We’ve been campaigning, yes, but we’ve been doing it in a responsible manner.” Although the next general election is not due until
May 2022, some inside the FNM expect Dr Minnis will soon call an early election. Yesterday, Dr Minnis also responded to Mr Davis’ claim that he will increase taxes if he wins the next election. He said: “I note that the former Deputy Prime Minister who is now the leader of the opposition, he’s made a statement that we would increase taxes. “There is no such thing. We would increase no such thing. We have presented our budget already. We have presented the financial programme, the financial policies and I’m happy to announce that the financial policies are working and we are ahead of our revenue projections. “Our tax plans were
designed to stimulate economic growth in the southern islands and to ensure entrepreneurs get access to long-desired concessions. In keeping with our three-year fiscal strategy, our targeted measures to generate new revenue are focused on compliance and collection of existing taxes, and high-value, niche industries that are now paying their fair share. “We have a plan. We are sticking to the plan. That is why from January to June 2021, we beat our revenue projections for that sixmonth period. That is why for the month of July, up to last Friday, our revenues are tracking ahead of budgetary projections for month to date as our economy roars back to life.”
the ad remain on television, Mr Davis would bring a suit against Cable Bahamas, forcing it to withdraw the ad. The ad states that it is paid for by the Free National Movement. For its part Cable Bahamas said it was satisfied it had a rigorous review process and that all advertisements meet this impartial standard prior to broadcast. “The chairman of the PLP called on the owners of Cable Bahamas to take down the defamatory and abusive ad about the leader of the Progressive Liberal Party, Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, currently being played on
their network. We also called upon URCA, the regulatory agency, to do their job and ensure that the proper broadcast standards are being adhered to in the ad,” Mr Mitchell said. “The FNM should withdraw the ad, if they had any sense of decency. Further, we call on URCA to not only cause for this defamatory ad to be immediately removed from REV’s network, but to satisfy itself that if political interference played any role in the placement of the current political ad, that the appropriate steps be taken to prevent a recurrence of this in the future.
Tuesday, July 20, 2021, PAGE 3
PLP CRITICISES ADVERTISEMENT TARGETING DAVIS By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
THE Progressive Liberal Party yesterday hit out at a “defamatory and abusive” television advertisement against party leader, Philip “Brave” Davis, that has been showing on a number of Cable Bahamas channels. In a statement yesterday party chairman Fred Mitchell called on the cable provider to remove the ad, adding the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority should launch an investigation into the situation. He suggested that should
“We are concerned that the FNM has conflated its temporary occupation of government which gives the FNM government the majority shares in Aliv, an affiliate company of Cable Bahamas, to force the playing of the ad on the Rev communications network. “We are satisfied that the professionals in Rev (Cable 12), if left alone, would have properly advised the owners that what is being played is certainly not up to the standards of broadcast journalism.” He continued: “Our view is that political pressure from the government’s position on the company’s
board may have led to a lapse in judgement by management. “This is all the more reason why URCA must step in. Mr Philip Davis should not have to use his private resources to sue Cable Bahamas and force the ad to be withdrawn. “The standards of the FNM have sunk so low that after four years of do-nothing government, all they can do is make personal and insulting ads to help save their political hides. No one is fooled by this and the ads will not work.” In a brief statement yesterday, Cable Bahamas said all television
advertisements are subject to review prior to placement on the REV media platform to ensure they meet strict standards set by the governing body for broadcast media, URCA. “Political ads are subjected to the specified process for political advertisements to ensure they comply with the legal standards set by URCA in the Code of Practice for Content Regulation. “The company is satisfied that it has a rigorous review process and that all advertisements meet this impartial standard prior to broadcast,” Cable Bahamas said.
CLAIMS OF PHYSICAL ATTACKS AT DNA PARTY MEETING By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net
WITH rumours of an early election circulating, the Democratic National Alliance is having its share of problems as members are claiming to have been physically attacked during a party meeting. However, the party’s leader has dismissed the claims from the members as “being dramatic”. Sometime last week, a few voice notes went viral alleging that Boykin Smith, DNA candidate for Garden Hills, and DNA member Fayne Thompson were “attacked” during a DNA meeting. Mr Smith has claimed that he took out his phone to record Mr Thompson, his fellow DNA member, when his phone
was grabbed. Both Mr Smith and Mr Thompson appeared on a televised news show relaying their version of the story and how police had to be called in. Mr Smith claimed a party member grabbed his phone and smashed it on the ground to prevent him from recording the alleged attack on Mr Thompson. Mr Thompson, on a radio show, went as far as referring to the situation as a manifest failure of leadership after saying the matter was now “sub judice” so he could no longer talk about it. On the same talk show, DNA leader, Arinthia Komalafe denied receiving any legal papers pertaining to the alleged incident. She gave her version of the story. “There was a scuffle but there was no assault,” she said. “Nobody hit Fayne
FINALISTS NAMED FOR UB PRESIDENT THE University of The Bahamas’ Presidential Search Committee has selected its top three finalists for the position of UB president. The final selection will be appointed at the culmination of current president, Rodney Smith’s term. The finalists are Dr Erik Rolland; Sir Anthony Seldon and Dr Ian Strachan. Dr Rolland “is a respected professional with 30 years experience hailing from the University of California and the California State University system in the United States”, UB noted. He currently serves as the dean of the College of Business Administration at California Polytechnic & State University. Sir Anthony is a prominent figure in the field of education, shaping the debate on higher education in the United Kingdom and globally. Sir Anthony chaired the
Festival of Higher Education and founded the Universities G20, a group of leading independent universities. Until recently, Sir Anthony served as the vice-chancellor of University of Buckingham. Dr Strachan is a recognised, innovative leader in the field of education in The Bahamas. Currently, Dr Strachan is the campus president of UB-North in Freeport, Grand Bahama. A former College of The Bahamas student, Dr Strachan is a member of UB faculty, and previously also held vice presidential positions at the university. The PSC began its search in November of 2020. The finalists are expected to complete their final interviews starting the week of July 26. Dr Smith has previously announced that he will not renew his contract at the institution, which expires in August 2022.
Thompson. He is being very dramatic … overly dramatic because before anything was able to happen in there the guys parted him from them. I do have security, but they were not even in the room at the time.” Mrs Komalafe said she was unaware of any claims of Mr Smith’s phone being smashed. She also explained that this ruckus took place in a meeting after an election for the positions of deputy leader and chairman where Mr Smith and Mr Thompson were challenging the results. Former DNA deputy leader, Buscheme Armbrister recently resigned
from that position and as a candidate. His resignation made the position vacant and as party chairman, Omar Smith was nominated for deputy leader so the position of chairman also became vacant. According to Mrs Komalafe, Mr Thompson is only upset because the candidate he wanted to win the deputy leader spot did not succeed. The Tribune contacted former chairman, Omar Smith who is also the candidate for Killarney, and he said these types of matters are not foreign to political parties. “I was not at that
meeting so I can’t give you any firsthand information,” he said. “It’s not the first time that a political organisation has had this sort of thing.” Asked about Boykin Smith’s fate as a candidate of the party, seeing that he has gone public with the incident, the former chairman said that has yet to be decided. “These are issues that have yet to be decided,” Omar Smith continued. “These decisions are made by an organisation and not by any one person. “As a party we are preparing for election and we know it has to be called
within the next year. The DNA is still the best choice for the Bahamian people at this time.” Buscheme Armbrister was also contacted, but he denied being present during the melee. “I resigned last month,” Mr Armbrister explained. “The particular meeting that they were talking about, I was not even there. So I only know as much as you know from social media. I am getting a lot of calls on this, but. . .I was not even there at that meeting.” Derek Smith is the new chairman of the DNA and Stephen Nesbitt was voted in as deputy leader.
PAGE 4, Tuesday, July 20, 2021
PM CONCEDES COVID SPIKE IS ‘A CONCERN’
THE TRIBUNE
‘Focus on COVID fight’
from page one
By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
“(We must) pursue vaccines so we can vaccinate our populace as quickly and efficiently as possible so that they too can move into the vaccinated portion... We are utilising all resources. You know, in Bimini we have had some of our residents transported to the United States via the Baleria to receive vaccinations there and we are in discussions with other cruise lines, etc, to see whether it’s possible to move thousands of our people to Florida at the expense of the government to be vaccinated because we feel that life is much more important than money.” The Bahamas recorded 401 COVID-19 cases from July 11 to July 17. This comes as 17 additional COVID deaths were recorded on July 14 and 15. The number of coronavirus cases per week has steadily increased recently. Last week the number of cases represented a 41 percent increase from the period beginning July 4 and ending July 10. There were 284 cases in the week ending July 4. Meanwhile, the country is expecting additional vaccines by the end of the month. Until then, only second shots of the AstraZeneca vaccine are being administered. The government said on Sunday that 99,755 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been administered to date, including 39,366 second doses. Asked if he would reintroduce tougher restrictions on New Providence, Dr Minnis said yesterday: “We would have discussions with the medical personnel, both tertiary as well as public health and personnel from the EOC. We would make decisions,” he said. “However, our decisions would be responsible to ensure that there are no additional deaths and to ensure that our economy continues to roar as it is today.”
A SENIOR doctor believes the country should be devoting all of its resources to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic as cases rise and hospital resources remain critical. Dr John Dillett, consultant psychiatrist, told The Tribune yesterday that as the nation is gripped by COVID-19, focusing on anything else could prove to be a “mistake”. He was asked his views on election campaigning amid a spike in COVID-19 cases. Within the last several days more than 200 new cases of COVID-19 have been recorded, with 100 of those being recorded on Saturday. Thirty-eight new cases were recorded on Sunday, pushing the confirmed case count to 13,604. As of Sunday, there were 81 cases in hospital, 12 of which were in the intensive care unit. “This is my personal opinion. I would love for us to focus all of our resources on winning this war against the virus,” Dr Dillett said. “I think life will return to normal and all of the things that we get excited and passionate about are still going to be there provided that everyone is safe and sound after we have won this fight. “I think anything other than devoting our full attention to the pandemic could be a mistake and so I would call upon all persons who feel that way to speak up and say that our number one focus right now should be to saving lives and keeping people safe and ensuring that the healthcare system has all of the resources that it requires. “That doesn’t mean that we can’t do more than one thing at once, of course, but we need to make sure that our primary focus, in my opinion, is on the pandemic.” Dr Dillett, vice president of the Consultant
Physicians Staff Association, suggested people are reacting to COVID-19 in a way that reflects what they’ve seen leaders do. “I think leadership is extremely important and that’s leadership in all realms from politics to religion to entertainment, sports and everything else,” he said. “If we go about our business thinking that everything is back as usual, persons in the public who are looking for us for guidance and advice and a strategy moving forward are going to think that things are okay and so it’s not okay right now. “We are still in this pandemic. The pandemic is lethal, people are still losing their lives, people are still getting extremely sick. “We know that this is becoming the pandemic of the unvaccinated but there is great vaccine hesitancy out there. Persons simply may not trust the vaccine, the persons giving the vaccine or the government, etc, and so we have to make sure that we use all of our resources — human, physical, monetary, etc — to try to overcome the hesitancy and also to win this war that we are waging against this virus.” Dr Dillet said healthcare facilities were feeling the strain of rising cases. “Our health institutions are at capacity. The wards are full. Resources are stretched – both human as well as physical resources are being stretched to the limit. So, we are definitely in some difficult days. “I think the healthcare workers, physicians (and) support staff are doing the best with what they have and providing the best quality care that can be given under these circumstances. “But we are getting to that point where it’s possible that our health system could become overwhelmed if we do not see a decrease in the number of cases that are being hospitalised.” He also said: “We’ve
TOTAL CASES
TOTAL DEATHS
NEWLY CONFIRMED CASES
RECENTLY CONFIRMED DEATHS
13,604 274 SUNDAY
38 CASES
NEW PROVIDENCE 33 GRAND BAHAMA 3 ELEUTHERA 1 EXUMA 1
TOTAL TESTS
114,608
HOSPITALISED
81
• A 76-YEAR-OLD WOMAN FROM NEW PROVIDENCE ON JULY 18.
CASES IN ICU
12
RECOVERED
12,112
ONE MORE DEATH AND 38 NEW CASES CONFIRMED THE Ministry of Health reported 38 new COVID-19 cases and one additional death yesterday. The latest deceased victim is a 76-year-old New Providence woman who died on July 18. There are now 274 official COVID-19 deaths, with 22 other deaths under investigation. Officials said 81 people are in hospital with the virus. Meanwhile, COVID-19 positive employees and the death of a worker has prompted the closure of the Passport Office on Thompson Boulevard. The office was closed Monday and will be closed
today to allow the Ministry of Health’s surveillance team to conduct a proper contact tracing assessment of staff, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. “The ministry recognises that the summer months are a period of great demand for passport services and apologises for the inconvenience caused by the temporary suspension of services,” a statement noted. “This year is particularly challenging as that normal summer demand is compounded by the pentup demand brought on by COVID restrictions over the past year. The ministry is presently adopting innovative approaches to
maintaining the efficient processing and issuing of passports, particularly through its online renewal portals should there be a further delay in these services after the 48-hour closure of the office recommended by the Ministry of Health.” To meet “pent up demand,” some aspects of service may be taken off site, the ministry said. In addition, the Passport Office will soon introduce an appointment system to deal with first time applicants, in an attempt to better regulate the traffic accessing these services. The public is asked to stay tuned for announcements on these initiatives.
been in this pandemic now for about a year and a half and we’ve lost some loved ones, some healthcare workers and support staff along the way. “So, this has not only
been physically taxing for persons who might have contracted COVID and recovered, but also emotionally taxing for persons who are working very long hours or who have lost
loved ones or colleagues. “The entire country is a bit worn down. A year-anda-half is a long time, but the pandemic is not over. We have to continue to fight on.”
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, July 20, 2021, PAGE 5
HER MAJESTY’S DAY OF THANKS from page one
TOMMY TURNQUEST, left, and Carrington Pinder, right, with Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis and Governor General CA Smith. Photos: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff
health, religion, community service, civil society and other areas of national development. Among those honoured were Sir Godfrey Kelly, who received the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George. Those appointed Companions of the British Empire are Peter Goulandris, Rev Dr Carrington Samuel Pinder and Sir Orville A Turnquest. The honours had been previously announced, however, the recipients were officially recognised yesterday.
GREGORY A SHERMAN
EVERARD GAVIN TONY LEWIS
ROZELDA WOODSIDE
CHARLES KERMIT CATES
Decaying body found in home By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net POLICE discovered a man’s partially decomposed body in a home on Horseshoe Drive yesterday morning in what they have classified as suspicious death. Speaking to reporters on the scene, Assistant Superintendent of Police Audley Peters said shortly before 11am, police received reports from concerned neighbours of an odour emanating from a house in the area. Responding officers arrived at the scene and confirmed the reports. “The officers arrived on scene and were not able to access the house immediately,” ASP Peters said. “They confirmed this odour and so they had reason to breach the door and they went into the house and a southeastern room where they found a body of a male
POLICE at Horseshoe Drive where a partially decomposed body was found. Photo: Racardo Thomas/Tribune Staff cause of death, but so you would have to wait partially decomposed.” ASP Peters said “based noted that officers have for an autopsy report to on the rate of decomposi- labelled it “as somewhat assist you in determining the cause of death because tion,” it appeared the man’s suspicious”. “The body was decom- this victim had not been body was decomposing for posed and in instances like seen for some time by more than 72 hours. He said autopsy results these, you’re not able to family members,” he told will determine the exact say the reason for the death reporters when asked if any
injuries were found on the body. While police did not release the deceased’s identity, he was identified by relatives as 65-year-old Hillary Gibson. The Tribune understands that Gibson was last seen by family members last week. The victim’s cousin, Stephen Carroll, told reporters that Gibson had struggled with heart issues since he was a child. However, he said despite his health challenges, the 65-year-old still lived his life. Mr Carroll also described him as a good man. “I know him all my life. He’s my mummy’s sister’s son and when he was young, he was sick and he had a hole in his heart so he went to get the surgery and everything,” he said. “But he never was in good health and yeah, he used to help and go to work and eat and do everything like all of us could
do, but he still wasn’t, like, firm.” Last month, police removed a man’s partially decomposed body from the New Providence Landfill in what they also said appeared to be a suspicious death. According to ASP Peters, a landfill employee found the body in a well when he went to examine the hole which is used by the landfill to help battle fires when they need water. “It’s a possibility that someone might have put the body there,” the press liaison officer said at the time, adding that there were visible signs of abrasions on the man’s body. However, he said the injuries “do not tell us exactly what happened”. The victim in that particular incident was believed to be in his late 30s or early 40s. Police said an autopsy would be needed in that case as well to determine the cause of death.
MAN STILL MISSING DESPITE 100-HOUR SEARCH BY RBDF THE Royal Bahamas Defence Force said it has spent 100 hours searching for a man missing at sea after he fell off a jet ski during a collision with a boat on July 11. In a statement, the RBDF said up until yesterday, it had been “actively engaged” in the search for Drew Rigby. However, it said that due to weather conditions, and at night, the search was temporarily suspended at times for the safety of those overboard. The agency added that the success of any search and rescue (SAR) mission relies on timing and an exhaustive search. “Therefore, once alerted, the RBDF responded
swiftly and engaged all of her available resources to ensure the success of this particular SAR mission,” the agency said yesterday. “In addition to the RBDF resources, the RBPF, BASRA and its network of civilian volunteers, and a number of civilian vessels provided by the family were coordinated in the effort.” These resources included three Harbour Patrol Unit small boat assets, one RBDF aircraft, RBDF military divers, RBDF aerial and submarine drones, a RBPF small boat, BASRA and a vast network of volunteers and vessels provided by the family, the agency said. The search area was approximately 10 square
nautical miles, which the RBDF said would approximately equate to searching an area from Montagu Beach ramp to the Arawak Cay Port facility, south to the Sports Centre and then east to the Montagu Beach ramp area. “This area was methodically searched by all available search resources with a constant presence,” the RBDF said. “However, due to the prevailing weather conditions — seastate, waves and the wind — the search was at times temporarily postponed. This was done particularly at nighttime, to reduce the risk of injury to person(s) overboard, until the advantage of daylight is available, and favourable weather
conditions allow the search to continue.” The RBDF said it met with the missing man’s family on Thursday to update them on the progress of the search. At the time of the meeting, the RBDF said it was actively engaged for 85 hours, and since the meeting, continued the search for an additional 15 hours, for a cumulative search time of 100 hours. The RBDF said the boating community can take actions to increase the probability of a safe rescue, such as having safety equipment; wearing life jackets; and timely and accurate reporting of an incident. “While conducting a successful SAR mission relies
on timing and an exhaustive search, there are actions which the boating public can take that will increase the probability of a safe rescue,” the RBDF noted. “They are ensuring that vessels have appropriate safety equipment such as GPS for identifying location, communication equipment for timely and accurate reporting of any incident, and life jackets that each person on a craft must adorn. In addition to these actions, boaters must engage in responsible boating practice. The combination of safety equipment, timely and accurate reporting of the incident, responsible boating practices, and the efforts of all assets
engaged in the search effort would greatly improve the success rate of a SAR mission.” Sometime after 7pm on July 11, police officers received a report that an accident had occurred in the area off Rose Island involving a 26 ft boat and a jet ski. Initial investigations revealed that six people were in the boat while two people were on the jet ski when they collided. The male driver of the jet ski received leg injuries while his male passenger, Mr Rigby, was ejected into the ocean. The male jet ski driver was recovered from the water, however Mr Rigby, who was not wearing a life jacket according to authorities, is still missing.
PAGE 6, Tuesday, July 20, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
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A curious turn of phrase about the pandemic IN acknowledging the spike in COVID-19 cases recently, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday chose some curious wording. He told reporters: “We’re in two pandemics. The vaccinated individuals are now out of the pandemic. The pandemic is finished for the vaccinated individuals. The unvaccinated individuals are still in the pandemic and, therefore, it’s essential for us to be aggressive, of which we’re doing.” Now, first, his maths seems to be off. That’s still one pandemic, you’re simply in it or you’re not. But more to the point, that’s nonsense. If you are vaccinated, you can still catch COVID-19. The effects are likely to be reduced, and evidence suggests you are less likely to spread the virus, but you can still catch it. You aren’t out of the pandemic just because you’ve had your jab, and you won’t be until a good many more people have had it too. You need only look over to England, where the double-jabbed Health Secretary, Sajid Javid, tested positive two days ago for COVID-19, leading to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to have to self-isolate as he had been in contact. On the other hand, there appears to be some interesting lateral thinking going on. Dr Minnis said that some residents in Bimini were being transported to the US aboard the Baleria vessel to receive vaccinations there at the expense of the Bahamian government. Discussions are underway with other cruise lines to see whether it is possible to move thousands of Bahamians to Florida to get vaccinations. This is a creative idea – although the thought of thousands of unvaccinated Bahamians on board a cruise ship heading for Florida to be vaccinated is one that would need careful organisation to avoid the virus running rampant during the journey, or to create a public relations disaster if Florida decided to close its doors to us. If nothing else, it does show the difficulty of simply obtaining the vaccine itself, and it would be far more sensible to bring the jabs to the arms rather than the arms to the jabs if possible. The two aspects of managing the pandemic are clearly on Dr Minnis’ mind, though, as he says any decisions on reintroducing tougher restrictions would be “to ensure that there are no additional deaths and to ensure that our economy continues to roar as it is today”.
In other words, to try not to kill our people and also to try not to kill our economy. Both needs are under consideration. These are weighty matters to decide – and it doesn’t serve Dr Minnis well to make flippant off-the-cuff remarks about two pandemics. Perhaps all the focus on the prospects of the next election being called are on his mind, and the political sparring with his rivals that goes with that, but the first and last priority right now has to remain defeating COVID in The Bahamas. None of us is free from this pandemic yet – but for those who are unvaccinated, your risks are higher, and that is clearly seen by the difference in numbers in hospital between those who have received the jab and those who have not. The latter far outnumber the former. If you want to improve your chances, book your jab as soon as more supplies become available. And don’t listen to any suggestions that the pandemic is over.
Daylight robbery
Many of you will have seen a video circulating yesterday of a man being robbed while making a bank deposit in Harbour Bay yesterday. An attacker knocked his victim to the ground, before grabbing a deposit bag and fleeing the scene in a vehicle. Curiously, as the attacker makes his escape, the security guard seems to be running into the bank. For those who use the bank regularly, they will have become used to the long queues outside because of COVID regulations, and the security guards doubling up as temperature checkers and sanitiser dispensers. That’s not unusual for this particular bank, the same applies for many others. While there are few attacks so brazen as this one, in full sight of everyone and with the security guards close by, we hope lessons can be learned from it by banks to find ways to ensure customer safety from both COVID and criminals such as this. It also perhaps shows the desperation of some criminals. But we hope Assistant Superintendent of Police Audley Peters is right when he vows: “They’re going to be caught. It’s simply a matter of time.”
Character references EDITOR, The Tribune.
I JUST went to Quakoo Street Police station to put in for a character reference. I was shocked and annoyed to hear that all character references must be picked up from Thompson Boulevard due to COVID. This makes no sense. Due to COVID steps should be taken to avoid the gathering of large numbers of people. This is what is happening at Thompson Boulevard because the whole island must go there to pick up character references. It would make more sense if both locations remained operational so that long lines
could be avoided. In fact, a third location should be opened for this very reason. It seems as if those who make decisions for these agencies do not care about the Bahamian people. In 2021 I have to go on a long line to Cash and go to pay for a character reference and then go on a long line at another location to pick it up? This is ridiculous! Do not tell me anything about having a credit card because many Bahamians do not have one or do not want one. It is wrong for the government who loves to go after the masses at election time to force the same people to be inconvenienced
because they do not have a credit card or in some cases a smart phone. The government needs to have more than one location for character references to be requested and collected. If it is the people’s time, the people’s time should be respected and not taken for granted. Those in government can get things quickly for themselves and their friends and family members. What about the man on the street? This should be addressed immediately. ANNOYED BAHAMIAN Nassau, July 15, 2021.
COVID windfall EDITOR, The Tribune.
A PRIVATE healthcare institution was in The Tribune bragging about its $7m-plus revenue intake from the 100,000 COVID-19 tests it conducted in 2020. When told that her impoverished subjects lacked bread, the 18th century French Queen Mary Antoinette is alleged to have replied that they should be given cake. Sharp-witted Bahamians will immediately wonder why I mentioned Marie Antoinette. About two weeks after the aforementioned healthcare provider’s superfluous statement to
the media, the Ministry of Health revealed that an additional 17 Bahamians succumbed to the coronavirus, pushing the total number of casualties to 273. COVID-19 has not only exacted a heavy physical toll on the Bahamian people, but also a massive financial one as well. Indeed, the National Insurance Board has doled out well over $250 million in financial benefits to thousands of unemployed Bahamians since March 2020. That amount underscores the dire financial crisis that has gripped The Bahamas, which helped in pushing our national debt to $10 billion.
My point in stating all this is that the private healthcare provider’s revelation to The Tribune comes off as being totally insensitive to the dire plight of Bahamians during the COVID-19 pandemic. I am not begrudging the medical entity’s COVID-19 financial windfall. But at a time when so many Bahamians are either sick or are dead or financially ruined because of COVID-19, bragging about earning millions from this virus shows an utter lack of discretion and a lack of human empathy. KEVIN EVANS Freeport, Grand Bahama, July 18, 2021.
Early elections - is it best time? EDITOR, The Tribune.
PLEASE permit me to comment on recent news reports concerning the possibility that the Prime Minister may call an early election with some suggesting that it may be held as early as August 2021. From all indications given the amount of political maneuverings that have taken place within the government recently and with the governing party ratifications of its final slate of candidates, it seems credible that an early election is at least being considered. The current administration has until May of 2022 before its term comes to an end constitutionally, so there is no legal requirement for an election to be held before May of 2022. Should there be an early election in August or anytime shortly thereafter, one would have to question the science of doing so when the country is in the midst of alarmingly high rate of COVID hospitalization and COVID related deaths being recorded a record setting pace. Coupled with a vaccine shortage and hesitant population and a treasury that is living on borrowed time, it would seem to be the height of irresponsibility by the Prime Minister and his government to subject this country to an unnecessary election, which will undoubtedly put a strain on an already strained treasury. I appreciate that there are many persons who would welcome the opportunity to rid themselves of this administration, however it is only reasonable to question the wisdom of putting the country through the health risk and financial expense of an unnecessary election. Not to mentioned the political wisdom of doing so on the government’s part. Here is a Prime Minister who thought it necessary that the country should be under a state of emergency, but can find it conveniently safe enough to carve out a space for himself and his party to campaign to pursue their political ambitions. He has the temerity to do so while the Bahamian people have been severely restricted in their civil liberties and could not fully pursue their ambitions and pastime due to the harsh
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net emergency orders which were unnecessarily kept in place over the last 17 months. Further many Bahamians were also hauled before the courts and fined excessively for seeking to exercise the same freedoms and engage in the same activities the prime minister and his political colleagues are now preparing to engage in. This is “rank hypocrisy” and it ought to be called out for what it is. Yes, and I do expect the state of emergency to be conveniently lifted, if only to improve the administration’s re-election bid. However, it is also my belief that if the Prime Minister and his administration are re-elected, the state of emergency will be re-enacted and they will again seek to rule by emergency orders. I see no other reason the Prime Minister would want a renewed mandate at this time. It seems not to matter to the Prime Minister, who claims to be guided always by “saving lives” that according to his emergency proclamation, we are in the middle of a pandemic. Further there are the many economic and social ills which continue to torment this nation and which his administration ought to utilise the full 10 months remaining in its legislative term addressing. These, in many instances, are the same ills and problems which the present administration claimed to possess the competency and had made a promise to address when elected. I remind the Prime Minister and the government, that contrary to their assertions, we still have widespread and entrenched corruption in many areas of government, rampant crime, high unemployment and underemployment, inadequate health and public infrastructure, declining education outcomes, an obstructive and unfriendly business climate at many government agencies, structural economic and social inequalities which have worsened in some cases under this administration. There also remains untouched, several pieces of legislation that he said
he would enact should he be elected (fixed election date and term limit for Prime Minister) and, there are some which have been passed by parliament, but have been shelved. (Freedom of Information, Procurement Bill, Integrity Bill). By holding an election next month or anytime shortly thereafter, this administration is potentially leaving valuable legislative opportunity on the table, which a suitably focused and well intentioned administration will utilize to fulfill its agenda and to address the many issues that torment us all. To pass up this opportunity by going to an early election, would suggest that the government had no sincere commitment or desire to have the aforementioned pieces of legislation brought into force. They do not require a fresh mandate from the people. Given the depressed state of affairs it would be more prudent for this administration to devote its time and effort to addressing the many pressing needs and issues which continue to frustrate the forward progress of the Bahamian people. And if it is really about saving lives, why, under these grave circumstances would the Prime Minister take this time to hit the campaign trail and use scarce financial resources to conduct an election that is not constitutionally called for? Especially, at a time when the country cannot find funds to purchase much needed vaccines or to improve its medical capacity and infrastructure. Should the Prime Minister in fact call an early election, I can only surmise that he has decided to put his political ambitions above the health and safety of the Bahaman people and, his constant chant about “saving lives” was nothing more than selfserving fear mongering. However, notwithstanding my obvious curiosity and questions, should an early election be held, I like many others will certainly take the opportunity to vote in a manner consistent with what is in the best interest of a free and democratic Bahamas. CLAUDE B HANNA Nassau, July 18, 2021.
THE TRIBUNE
TRYING TO STOP ARREST ENDS UP COSTING $525 By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
A WOMAN who tried to prevent her teen relative from being arrested must pay $525 to avoid spending a month behind bars. Maxine Pratt was charged with obstructing justice and disorderly behaviour after she tried to pull the boy away when officers were questioning him in reference to a theft investigation last year. She denied the allegations when she first appeared before Senior Magistrate Derence Rolle Davis and the matter was adjourned to trial. When the 16-year-old boy gave evidence yesterday, he claimed he was washing dishes early in the morning on December 29, 2020, when he heard a man calling his name from downstairs. He said when he went outside, the man, who he later discovered to be a police officer, confirmed he was the one he was looking for before shouting: “Where is the phone?” The teen said although he told the policeman he did not know what he was talking about, the man kept interrogating him. He also said the officer did not acknowledge his relatives when they came outside to see what was happening, but instead said they “would deal with him at the station” before carrying him there. The boy said when he was in custody at the station, Pratt and her husband came to see what was happening. He claimed while he was being detained, he heard Pratt saying: “Why you hitting me?” and “Why you pulling up my dress?” He also claimed officers then placed her in a cell where she began to cry and state that she could not breathe. He said Pratt did not speak for about five minutes, but then said she had
to urinate. He claimed the officers ignored her, so she relieved herself in the cell. He added that when the officers realised what she had done, they called her a “nasty woman”. Nonetheless, when Pratt’s attorney asked the magistrate to dismiss the case against her in view of the teen’s testimony, the prosecution objected. The Crown argued that when the officers visited the woman’s residence that day, they informed the teen and the adults of the alleged offence before attempting to caution and arrest the young boy. The court was told that it was at that time that Pratt intervened by trying to pull the boy away from the officers. The prosecution said when Pratt came to the station to see the 16-year-old, she was informed that she was also being charged with obstruction. They said it was at this time that she became “hostile, loud and disorderly”. In his ruling, Magistrate Rolle Davis noted that when Pratt took the stand, she admitted trying to pull the boy away from the police, which proved the charge of obstruction. He said he also considered the evidence of the arresting officer, who said that both Pratt and her husband were invited to come to the station after they were informed that the teen was being arrested. However, the court was told that from the time Pratt entered the station, “her speech was high” and she was “loud and screaming”. Magistrate Rolle Davis said he also considered the fact that Pratt’s own husband was said to have told her to “let the police do their job” when she began to act disorderly. As a result, he fined her $500 for obstruction and another $25 for disorderly behaviour. He said if she failed to pay the fines, she could risk spending a month and five days in custody.
COURT LAWYER TO REPRESENT MAN WHO KILLED GODMOTHER By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net A MAN seeking to challenge the sentence he received for strangling his 49-year-old godmother and leaving her dead in a bathtub will receive a courtappointed lawyer for his appeal application. Appellate Justices Sir Michael Barnett, Jon Isaacs and Maureen Crane-Scott yesterday granted Dwayne Belizaire’s request to be appointed an attorney at the public’s expense to aid him in contesting his sentence for murdering Margaret Smith. The mother-of-three was killed on Valentine’s Day four years ago. On February 5, 2020, a Supreme Court jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict for Belizaire. He was sentenced to 40 years imprisonment a few months later. Smith was found dead at her home in Seagrape, Eight Mile Rock, on
February 14, 2017. The prosecution believed she might have been killed between 10am and shortly after noon. According to an autopsy, she was strangled and immersed in water. The deceased also had injuries on her back from a knife and a bite mark on her arm. During the trial, the prosecution produced DNA evidence linking Belizaire to Smith’s murder. According to the evidence, the accused’s DNA was found under fingernail clippings of the deceased and also inside a condom that was found by police in bushes behind the dead woman’s home along with her clothing and a set of keys to her house. Yesterday, Crown attorney Zoë Bowleg did not object to Belizaire’s request for a public defender. As a result, Sir Michael said he would be appointed defence counsel on July 26. He also said the panel would set a date for Belizaire’s substantive appeal on that day.
ABACO MAN SHOT BY POLICE AN Abaco man “who pointed an unidentified object” at an officer was shot by police yesterday. The incident took place shortly after noon when officers from the Marsh Harbour Police Station were at the Ernest Dean Highway conducting a speed check. Officers observed a gray coloured vehicle travelling at a high rate of speed. Subsequently, a pursuit followed, when the driver abandoned the vehicle and a foot chase commenced, police said. “While running away, the suspect pointed an unidentified object in the direction of the officer who was pursuing him,” police said. “In response the officer became in fear of his life and drew his service revolver and fired in the direction of the male, hitting him in the left buttocks area.”
The suspect was taken to the Marsh Harbour Clinic for medical attention. An investigation is ongoing. In other crime news, a Grand Bahama man is in hospital after he was stabbed on Sunday. Police received a report before 10pm that a man had been taken to Rand Memorial Hospital with stab wounds. Officers went to the hospital and spoke with the victim who said that around 8.33pm on Sunday, he was in the area of Port Lucaya along with a friend, when he was approached from behind by an unknown person, who stabbed him about the body multiple times. The victim was taken by private vehicle to the Rand Memorial Hospital, where he is listed in stable condition. An investigation is ongoing.
Tuesday, July 20, 2021, PAGE 7
Two men face court on murder charges FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net TWO men were charged with murder yesterday in connection with two separate incidents that occurred over the Independence Day holiday weekend. In the most recent case, Stephen Davis appeared before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt charged with the death of Michael Thompson, Jr, on July 12. According to initial police reports, shortly before 6 o’clock that evening, police were called to a shooting that occurred at a car wash on East Street. Upon their arrival, they were directed to the body of a man lying on the ground under a shelter with apparent gunshot wounds. When Emergency Medical Services visited the scene and examined the body, they pronounced the victim dead. Police said initial investigations revealed an armed man pulled up to the car wash in a small vehicle and discharged the weapon in the direction of a number of people who were gathered under the shelter, fatally injuring the victim. Due to the nature of the offence, Davis was not required to enter a plea and the case was adjourned to December 7 for service of a voluntary service of indictment (VBI). In the meantime, he was denied bail and remanded into custody. He has a right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail. Meanwhile, Alexander Roberts, 25, was accused of causing the death of Brandon Rolle at the Fish Fry on July 11. Prosecutors alleged he also had a
STEPHEN DAVIS, left, and Alexander Roberts outside court yesterday. Photos: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff pistol that he used to endanger the lives of others. He was also accused of causing $250 worth of damage to a woman’s car window. Police said shortly after 10 o’clock on the night in question, they were informed of a shooting incident that occurred at Arawak Cay. When they arrived, they found an “alert” male victim suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Officers said Emergency Medical Services arrived a short time later and took the victim to the hospital where he later died.
“Initial investigations revealed that the victim was approached by a male, who produced a handgun and discharged the weapon in his direction,” police said. “He was struck about the body several times.” Yesterday, Roberts was not required to enter a plea to the charges. He returns to court on December 8 to be presented with a voluntary bill of indictment. Like Davis, he was also denied bail and taken into custody until that time. He has a right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail.
PAGE 8, Tuesday, July 20, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
She’s at the top of her field on the world stage - but it has not been without a battle FACE to Face is a very special place in the newspaper for me, because it gives me a chance to highlight wonderful people. In some cases, I am truly amazed to find treasures existing in a country where people so often complain. I come across experts in fields where we still bring in foreigners to do the job. So, in meeting Dr Patrice Juliet Pinder, it proved to me that we must seek out and highlight these outstanding Bahamians doing extraordinary things all around the world. Patrice excels on a global scale in the STEM field - Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. She’s passing on her skills and love of science to the next generation and dreams of seeing a Bahamas where STEM professionals can help mould and shape the future Bahamas into everything it needs to be as a progressive country. But it won’t be easy. Moving the country forward, she believes, requires a “mindset shift” where professionals like her are respected instead of marginalised. It also requires getting more young Bahamians involved in the STEM field - and she is doing her part to help make that happen. “I want to see young students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds (like I came from) get into STEM, enrol in STEM courses at college and ultimately pursue STEM careers,” she said. “Locally, there will have to be a strong cultural shift and mind shift for some people in various positions to begin to embrace and welcome their own and see the significant contributions that people like me can truly bring to our educational system and other systems and sectors. Those of us with world-class expertise can only help The Bahamas. But, until the mindsets can change in the positive direction, until some Bahamians take politics and petty
Face to Face
By FELICITY DARVILLE
behaviour out of things, until some Bahamians learn to respect bright minds with futuristic thoughts - especially women of excellence - things will continue to be what it has been. “Our systems and sectors will continuously fail as a result and our place on the world’s stage will continuously be in the lower tier. We need to be seen as more than a country of ‘sun, sand, and sea’. It is time we brought more to the world!” Patrice has achieved significant feats in her profession, but her journey has been an uphill climb. She is one of five children born to north Long Islanders Naomi Miller-Pinder and late Chief Inspector of Police, Rodger Levi Pinder, Sr. The Pinders raised their children in New Providence in a modest home and community. There, Patrice, their youngest daughter, attended Claridge Primary School, then CI Gibson Secondary School. Very early on, Patrice’s teachers noticed she had a strong liking for mathematics and the sciences, and they encouraged her to excel in those subjects. Initially, the young Patrice had aspirations to be a medical doctor. She enrolled in courses for pre-medical studies and the biological sciences. She obtained an Associates Degree in Biology from the College of The Bahamas and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology with departmental honours, with a minor in English from Jacksonville State University in the US. She returned to The Bahamas and joined the staff of the Princess Margaret
DR Pinder attending a conference in China with other professors from Jiangsu University and the University of Houston, top, and Presenting an academic lecture at Jiangsu University, China.
Hospital. First, she worked in the Medical Microbiology Department, then in the Department of Pharmacy, outpatient and inpatient services. After working in the healthcare sector for some time, Patrice realised medicine was not her calling. She decided to switch her focus to plant and soil sciences and the environment, and eventually to science and STEM education. She furthered her studies and obtained a Master of Science Degree with dual specialisations in Plant and Soil Sciences from Alabama A&M University. She then completed a Doctoral Degree in Science Education from Morgan State University. Patrice was an outstanding student and she pushed herself even further. She completed two Post-Doctoral Research Fellowships and Training in STEM Education at Indiana University and the University of the West Indies, St Augustine DR PATRICE J Campus, TriniPinder, STEM dad and Tobago. education expert I often bring to She also did postany partnership or graduate courses collaboration that I and training in am a part of. City Regional Plan“Imagine being in interning with a specialisation in Environmental Planning at national settings where you are the only minority - a Alabama A&M University. She is currently the black woman - and people Editor-in-Chief of the felt the need to break International Jour- things down simply to you nal of Education and as if you were incapable Culture (IJEC) (New of understanding complex York), a position she has concepts. Imagine being held since February, 2016. overlooked and completely She is also the Associate ignored as if you were not Editor of the China-US in the meeting room and a Education (CUED) Inter- part of the discussions at national Journal since hand. “Imagine being at home 2013. Patrice is an Inter- in your Bahamas, the counnational Education try of your birth and feeling Consultant, University like you did not belong, Professor and a PhD Advi- or like your contributions sor with Global Humanistic and desire to move the University in Curacao. She country forward were not was an International seen as important. So, you Research Expert attached constantly live in a mode to the Department of Sci- of keeping one foot in the ences and Technology and country and one foot out Faculty of Social Sciences of the country with an ever and Humanities at Ton constant thought of giving Duc Thang University, up on trying to make a Vietnam. Here at home, real difference in a counshe has served the Uni- try where it seems like true versity of the Bahamas educational advancement as a former Professor of and the pursuit of excelScience Education and lence are not real thoughts former Adjunct Lec- or major focuses. “Imagine being one of turer of Sciences. She has coached, mentored, a few experts in your field trained or served as an of STEM education in The external reviewer for Bahamas and constantly, many Doctoral candi- you and your efforts dates over the years, some are rejected with hurtof whom have gone on to ful insults attached to the become professors in their rejection, simply because own right at universities some individuals may feel intimidated by your youth, like Oxford. Recently, she was offered spirit of excellence and credentials. a contractual position as outstanding a Professor of Teacher They may feel that you are Education with the pres- a threat to their position or tigious Research Intensive their desire to hold on to Jiangsu University in power in their governmenZhenjiang, China for the tal or private organizations period 2020–2022, and was or agencies, or institutions; requested to relocate to or maybe there are resentChina for the appointment, ments on the basis of you but she declined due to the not being the right gender, not the right colour, or COVID-19 pandemic. She has presented all not being politically conover the world and has nected, or not possessing reached achievements the right family ties or last on par or even supersed- name.” Despite this, Rodger ing her peers; yet, Patrice has found that gender and and Naomi Pinder have colour still are the cause everything to be proud of, of invisible barriers drawn knowing their sacrifices were not in vain. Not only where none should exist. “There have been and did Patrice do well, but all continue to be challenges of their children achieved and instances in which success in their own right. I have felt overlooked, Her brother Rupert Pinder excluded, marginalized is a Bahamian Economist and discriminated against and Professor. Brothers even after accomplishing Roland Pinder and Rodger so much in my field,” she L Pinder Jr are both in banking and finance. Her shared. “Many times, I think sister Pauline was in bankpeople see my gender, race ing and finance and is and ethnicity as big issues now involved in private for them, rather than truly education. Patrice’s education and recognising my gifts, talents, world class expertise expertise has taken her and professionalism that around the world to share
her knowledge and be a part of meaningful work. But being a black Bahamian woman in a field dominated by white and Asian men has not been easy. “Then there is my own self-imposed challenge brought on by societal pressure, which I consistently battle with,” she said. “Not being able to have a real life, per se, not being able to comfortably strike a balance in my life to be able to experience ‘personal me time and a bit of fun’ and so the focus has constantly been on my professional and career advancements. Maybe this is because of societal demands or there being the implied belief that black women or women of colour have to be perfectionists in STEM if you are to be taken seriously. Because after all, society has put out there the notion that the successful faces of science, math, engineering and technology are either ‘white and male’ or ‘Asian and mal’e and not someone who looks like me. These have been but a few of the many challenges I have faced and continue to face on my journey as a leading black female of excellence within the field of STEM Education.” With such challenges in the field, what hope is there for young Bahamians seeking to break into the field and make a difference? She replied: “Yes, I have been through the storm and back in my journey to succeed as a black Bahamian woman in STEM Education and my story continues to be written each and every day. Yes, I have and continue to face challenges - mostly here in my Bahamas and to a lesser extent on the global stage. But despite everything, I would encourage others, especially young black women, to hang in there, pray to God daily and continue to hold your heads up high, keep your dignity, keep your integrity, keep smiling when people go low in their actions and attitudes toward you and continue to excel in spite of any and all challenges. “I do not think much will change globally as well, especially in respect to black women being seen as respected faces of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education. I think the racial and gender discrimination will be there as not everyone will embrace you, that is just the way things are. I would say to young
Bahamians and to young people in general, ‘keep being you, keep being positive, keep doing positive things, keep praying for changes, and keep excelling at what you do’.” Patrice is proving that as she continues to excel. She is the first person to create, host and present a national game-based learning conference - The Bahamas first National STEM GameBased Learning Teacher Training Conference for pre kindergarten to grade 12, held at the Lyford Cay International School in 2018. She conducted the first pieces of research on game-based learning in The Bahamas, which has resulted in internationally published articles and are available in libraries across the US and other countries. She also recently created a comprehensive multi-disciplinary learning model of migrant schooling, which is being touted for its value in international research. Patrice even has her own STEM Education Research book - Issues and Innovations in STEM Education: Theoretical and Empirical Studies by Early Career Researchers. She has been an invited peer-reviewer for several prestigious international journals, such as: The University of North Carolina’s Elsevier “Social Science (Quantitative Methods) Research Journal; Wiley Publisher’s High Impact Factor Science Education Journal; Springer Publisher’s, The University of Toronto’s School of Education Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics, & Technology Education; SAGE Publishing—STEM Education; and Howard University’s School of Education Tier 1 Journal, The Journal of Negro Education. Patrice gives special thanks to Dr Thalia McKlewhite and Dr Sonia Wisdom who served as mentors early in her career as a professor; Dr Christine RahmingNwosa and the Continuing Education Department of the University of the Bahamas; Retired Science Educator Beverley Taylor, whom she has never met personally but who serves as an inspiration; and to both Indiana University and the University of the West Indies, who allowed her the “physical and mental spaces” to conduct her post doctoral research. You can reach Dr Patrice J Pinder at dr.patricepinder@ gmail.com.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, July 20, 2021, PAGE 9
A WOMAN walks past a fire truck as it extinguishes flames in a looted store in Alexandra township, Johannesburg, South Africa, yesterday. Photo: Yeshiel Panchia/AP OBSERVERS and admirers of the modern South Africa will have been shocked and dismayed by the current images of looting, violence and general mayhem being beamed around the world on TV screens for all to witness. This has been sparked by the jailing of the nation’s former President Jacob Zuma for contempt of court. Their concern may have grown further after the current President Cyril Ramaphosa described the breakdown of law and order that has rocked the nation as an assault on its democracy, though he did not elaborate on this. In such a significant country as South Africa - with a population of some 60 million, its traditional economic strength and its chequered political history of racial division - this is a matter
of considerable interest to others, in Africa and beyond. Supporters of Zuma reacted furiously to his detention by blockading major roads and calling for a shutdown of the economy. Factories, businesses and retail stores have been looted, burned and petrol-bombed, with witnesses saying it feels like a war zone with gunshots and fires and smoke everywhere. All this has resulted in over 200 deaths so far and widespread damage to property and infrastructure at a level said to be rarely seen in South Africa - with one business group describing the situation as an ‘unparalleled emergency in our democratic history’ and calling on the government to re-establish law and order. The areas mainly affected
have been Zuma’s home province of KwaZulu-Natal (the location of South Africa’s main port of Durban) which has been the epicentre of the violence, and in Gauteng which surrounds the country’s biggest city of Johannesburg. President Ramaphosa has said the unrest and violence was pre-planned, instigated and coordinated and had been taken over by criminal elements. He has given an assurance that ‘anarchy and mayhem’ will not be allowed to spread and that the government is deploying troops to regain control; and it will pursue the instigators, some of whom have already been identified and arrested. In his words: ‘If we stand together, no insurrection or violence in this country will succeed. We are engaged in a struggle to defend our democracy, our
SO, IS THIS REALLY WORTH ALL THE HYPE AND MONEY? Judging from a range of media reports, reaction to billionaire industrialist Richard Branson’s flight last week to the edge of space has had a mixed public reaction. Described by one commentator as a ‘tempter of fate’, he was reportedly launched 53 miles high in his own Virgin Galactic spaceship – just below the 62-mile mark which is apparently recognised as the boundary of space – in order to fulfil a boyhood dream. Whatever view critics may take about the purpose of this adventure, there is no denying it is a landmark moment for opening up the exciting prospect of commercial space tourism, since Virgin has said it will conduct one more test flight before starting to take paying customers on a daring journey costing in the region of $300,000 per round trip flight. To some, that looks to be a somewhat hefty price to pay for what amounts to a few minutes in zero gravity, though it is true, of course, that space tourists will have a magnificent view of our planet in all its wonderful glory. Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon and said to be the richest person in the world, is quoted as saying that to see the earth from space ‘changes your relationship with humanity’ – a grandiose claim perhaps which he will no doubt explain further after, as reported, he emulates Branson and is himself launched into space sometime today. All this sounds rather good until one considers other aspects like the huge costs of developing and operating this project together with what must surely be its huge carbon footprint at a time when how to limit the
contribution of mankind to climate change and global warming is top of the world’s agenda. So, inevitably, questions are being asked about whether such so-called suborbital space tourism can be justified. The immediate answer must surely be that for people with access to extreme wealth this is ultimately a matter for them because it is their own money. Furthermore, for those who believe in individual freedom of choice and personal responsibility and accountability it would be unacceptable in a free and democratic society for the state even to consider interfering with such freedom. On the other hand, in the midst of lingering doubts there is another dimension to the issue. There are those who consider that in today’s interconnected world this sort of massive expenditure should be linked to social responsibility. For example, they believe that the crisis of climate change and extreme weather - instances of which have been the recent excessive heat in North America and the current disastrous flooding in Germany - are threatening our very existence, and that any extra resources should be concentrated on dealing with this vital problem. At the same time, an estimated one billion people do not have clean water to drink and countless numbers go to sleep at night hungry – not to mention social injustice in the world, the lack of essential medical care for many, widespread poverty and the suffering from countless wars and other conflicts which, in some cases, could be alleviated with the availability of greater resources. So, wasting vast amounts of money on what is ultimately- in their view - little
more than an ego trip for those concerned ought to be broadly unacceptable to society as a whole. Many argue, therefore, that, even though they believe in unfettered private enterprise as the driver of economic growth, it is at the very least weird for the richest people in the world to direct their enormous resources towards an endeavour with no discernible benefits to the overwhelming majority of people. Space exploration is, of course, important. The moon landing by Neil Armstrong in 1969 was an achievement that fired the imagination of the whole world -- and how could we now live without the satellites which have transformed our lives by transmitting data back to earth and linking us all together through the Internet. But that is a matter for governments and it is claimed that ongoing space exploration will not be advanced by space tourism. At the risk of being labelled a curmudgeon, I tend to agree that the allocation of vast resources to space tourism -- even if owned privately -- amounts to an ostentatious display and misuse of wealth. In the view of many, spending huge amounts on such a vanity project constitutes a skewed sense of priorities, and this is objectionable to those who believe that resources should be concentrated on the Earth’s problems first. That said, there are bound to be conflicting opinions on such an important issue -- and the debate will be worth having. Meanwhile, no one should surely be in any doubt that Richard Branson and his wealthy friends will press on regardless.
A GOOD STORY TO TELL, BUT ON ONE’S TELLING IT AFTER researching the current unrest and horrifying violence in South Africa, I had intended in this third and smaller section of today’s column to reflect on the relative peace and good order overall in The Bahamas compared with the state of conflict in so many other parts of the world. This is despite our high crime rate, corruption and, in some instances, poor governance together with the disruption attributable to COVID-19 that has damaged the economy and disrupted people’s lives. Yesterday’s news of election fever and a surge in the country of a new strain of the coronavirus - reportedly more than some 230 new virus cases last week - has put me off track somewhat.
But, while as an observer I hesitate to offer comment about any of the political parties, I had wanted to draw attention to some of the successes of the current FNM administration which, of course, has come in for much criticism from the Opposition and so many others. I have been prompted to do this after recently re-reading the Prime Minister’s lengthy 2021/2022 Budget Communication of 26 May. To my eye, this sets out clearly and comprehensively his government’s impressive plans, achievements and priorities in the face of the unprecedented social and economic shocks of Hurricane Dorian, which was responsible for the largest single loss of life in
the nation’s history, and the COVID-19 pandemic, which - it is now generally accepted - has been handled pretty well by a government that was under extreme pressure. In politics, criticism is inevitable. But, even though Dr Minnis and his colleagues have received much adverse comment, it seems to me that in so many ways the FNM administration has a good story to tell and much of the detail is set out in the Budget Communication. But one problem for the sitting government is surely the average voter almost certainly will not have read it. So, perhaps this is the moment for the government’s public relations machine to go into overdrive.
THE RAINBOW NATION’S DREAM DESCENDS INTO VIOLENCE The Peter Young column Constitution, our livelihoods and our safety.’ The rioting and looting started more than a week ago after Zuma had handed himself in to the police to serve a 15-month sentence. But, although this is ostensibly about what is perceived to be harsh treatment of the 79-year-old - who suffers from unspecified medical ailments and, it is feared, could die in prison - it appears the underlying causes are wider and deeper. Since the ending of apartheid and the transfer of power in 1994, the country has been faced with key socio-economic challenges including high rates of poverty, social inequality and unemployment; and most
recently it has been one of the worst-affected countries worldwide by the pandemic - even having a variant attributed to it. Meanwhile, for various reasons, its vaccine rollout has been slow. So, an already volatile situation had created a tinderbox that just needed a spark to ignite it. A brief look at the history of the ending of apartheid shows it was a gradual process involving international pressure to force the white minority government to agree to meaningful reform. As a young diplomat serving in South Africa during the height of apartheid, one was well placed to observe the best and worst of the country. Politically, it was living on borrowed time and the pressure for change was growing inexorably - and later, for example, decisions taken at the 1985 Commonwealth Heads of Government in Nassau contributed to the intensification of the momentum of the anti-apartheid struggle that was long and tortuous but ultimately successful. In the early 1990s, South Africa was still the highly developed industrial giant and economic power house of Africa. There was every hope that, after the dismantling of apartheid and the first fully democratic elections in the nation’s
history in 1994, this would continue. Certainly, with Nelson Mandela at the helm, expectations were high. Some historians maintain that he ought to be remembered as the leading black statesman - as opposed to being simply a politician - in Africa; not least because the cynics maintain that a statesman thinks of the wider picture and the next generation whereas a politician only thinks of the next election. Nelson Mandela was, of course, also revered for his moderation, magnanimity and spirit of forgiveness, an important example of which was his founding of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 1995 to help bring about atonement and peace throughout the land. More recently, however, there has been a measure of political instability with alleged splits inside the ruling African National Congress, allegations of corruption, economic difficulties and high levels of unemployment leading to increased crime and social problems. But, while current economic conditions remain uncertain, many hope President Ramaphosa and his colleagues will now take firm action in defending South Africa from forces intent on destroying the democracy enjoyed by this beautiful country.
PAGE 10, Tuesday, July 20, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
He’s no longer centre stage but the bite’s still there By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net
AS FAR as former Cabinet Minister Loftus Roker is concerned, “anything” is better at governing The Bahamas than the current Minnis Administration. Loftus A Roker, an attorney by profession, served in the Pindling Administration as Minister of Health and Housing, Minister of Works and Minister of Immigration and National Security. He was known for his youthful looks and most importantly his no-nonsense personality; always shooting from the hip and sparing no one he felt was making a mockery of governance or acting contrary to the Constitution he helped to frame and which bears his signature. On illegal immigration, he took a hardline which brought him many critics. He spoke to The Tribune recently from his home and did not mince his words when giving his thoughts on the current governance of this country and Parliamentarians generally. Asked if he felt this FNM administration would regain governance after the upcoming general elections, his response was immediate. “Anything is better than this government,” he said without giving it a second thought. “That is my answer to that. Anything is better, it doesn’t matter what it is. Anything!” We asked if the fault lay with the fact the majority of government members were novices to governance. “That’s not a fault,” he responded firmly. “When you select people to run LOFTUS (in politics) you ROKER should make sure I was in the that the person House as a backis capable of bencher, I spoke performing. out against the gov“You going to the ernment when I didn’t people and saying ‘vote agree,” he said. “As a Minfor this fellow to go to the ister, I spoke out against House because he is better them with the Prime Minthan the other fellow at ister right there in the looking after your affairs’. House. He knew that if he So when he gets there don’t had in his mind to fire me, tell me he is a novice. I’m I would be gone before he not interested in that! He could tell me that. I didn’t must have had some sort of need to be in the House qualification before he got and I didn’t need to be no in the House. “If all you want to go Minister. “I was there because I there for is that salary, then that’s not good. There believe I could benefit the are some members of the Bahamian people. That’s House that I have not all! At one stage I sent my heard about since they resignation into the Prime were there. What are they Minister over a matter doing? I don’t want to hear which I don’t care to discuss any excuse about ‘if I talk now. The Prime Minister up they will fire me’. I don’t wrote me back and said he want to hear that. I don’t cannot accept my resignation because he agreed with worry about that!” Mr Roker used himself as my position. I still have an example of what a brave both my resignation letter Member of Parliament - and his reply to me. “Being a Minister didn’t who can think outside of his or her leader’s thoughts mean anything to me. I was not there to make - would do. “If you check my record any money. In fact I was you will find that when making more money as a
lawyer than I made being a times we see a “smiting” Minister. People used to go take place if they dare to to Pindling and say, ‘Why do it. FNM House members you letting Roker say those Frederick McAlpine, Reece things? Why don’t you fire Chipman, Vaughn Miller him?’ Pindling would only and young Travis Robinson laugh and not say anything. decided to oppose a raise Now before I got up on the in Value Added Tax (VAT) found themselves floor of the House and said and anything against the gov- immediately fired from the employ of ernment, I went the government. to Pindling first.” ‘Anything Robinson was Mr Roker is better later reinstated. said he would Miller resigned never have than this from the FNM “shocked” the government. and crossed the then-Prime Min- That is my House floor to ister by saying be a member of opposing things answer to in the House, that. Anything the Progressive Liberal Party, but instead he is better, it while Chipfirst went to the resigned Prime Minis- doesn’t matter man from the FNM ter and told him what it is. but chose to be what he opposed Anything!’ Independent. and why. He said McAlpine stayed if the Prime Minon as an FNM, but became ister was not prepared to do anything about it, then he a relentless thorn in the side in would talk about the matter government’s Parliament. on the House’s floor. Mr Roker was asked if It is quite uncommon for Bahamian Parliamentar- he felt FNM Cabinet Minians to publicly oppose the isters are comfortable with views of their party. Most disagreeing with this Prime Minister. “I don’t think so,” he responded. “Maybe they are frightened. I know I wasn’t frightened. They might be frightened about losing their perks. There was a member of the House who got up and said something and the next thing you know he was fired as a Parliamentary Secretary or something like that. “The next thing you know, he must have begged pardon because they reappointed him to the same post. You have heard nothing more about him since then. Not one word! He was put back in the same post and you don’t even hear what he is doing there, but he is collecting a salary though.” The former PLP Cabinet Minister made very strong statements about the value of the Bahamian dollar. Statements, he said, that frightens him. “We are borrowing like we are crazy and all of us will suffer for that,” he said. “See, it’s not only the PLP or the FNM, all of us will suffer for that. The next thing you know, believe me, our dollar is going to be devalued. Our dollar is
actually devalued already, but it will officially be devalued. “I don’t even want to say that. I am frightened to say or predict when that will happen. Think about it. Look at the debt that we have. Look at our foreign currency reserves. That’s down too. That is the thing that keeps up the value of our money; our foreign reserves.” Presented with the position of heavy borrowing and the possibility of a devalued dollar, the question was asked if The Bahamas is in this position due to bad governance. “Yes, that’s part of it,” Mr Roker said. “All of them used to say how mean I was because I don’t believe in spending money what I don’t have to spend. Governance has gone down because we believe our own propaganda. ‘We reach the point where it’s almost like we are not serious. It’s like, ‘I just want to get to power. I don’t care! I’ll say anything just to get to power’. I just want him to vote for me. I don’t intend to do what I said I will do. “Some of us are just too lazy. That’s the problem we have today. A fellow didn’t have a job and he got in the House (of Assembly) and suddenly he says $28,000 isn’t enough for House members, they should get more. Now this fellow didn’t have a job before he got in the House. “This fellow, where he ran, I don’t think the Opposition (at that time) thought they could win that seat. That’s why they put him there and he won the seat. Then he says $28,000 isn’t enough money and never had a job before that. That’s the problem we have today. So imagine if Members of Parliament doing that then what about the ordinary fellow? He said members of the public have the attitude the government is supposed to take care of all of their needs. “The government isn’t supposed to be feeding you,” he explained. “The government is supposed to make it possible for you to get food. That’s the problem
we’ve been having for years now. Not just currently. We have forgotten what nation building is all about.” Mr Roker turned to government wastage and used the Ministry of Works as his example. “The Ministry of Works is responsible for maintaining government property,” he said. “Now we are giving all of that out to contract and still employing the people in the Ministry of Works who should be doing the work. So we are now paying twice and getting very little for it. “The Bahamian people seems to reach the point where they don’t even think about what’s going on. If you have carpenters, masons, plumbers, electricians employed in the Ministry of Works and getting paid every month and then you go out and hire a plumber to do plumbing for you and you have plumbers in the Ministry of Works. So you are paying twice for it. “It’s the Bahamian people who are paying for it because the government has no money. When the government needs money they have to take it from you in taxes. The government has no money, don’t mind what they say. They want you to believe that they have money, but they have none. When they need money they take it from you.” The Opposition PLP was not exempt from the “spanking” Mr Roker dished out. He said the Opposition was not keeping the government accountable for its spending. “I blame the Bahamian people for that,” he continued. “You know there is a committee in the House called the Public Accounts Committee. That is the only committee controlled by the Opposition in Parliament. The reason for that is for them to keep an account of government spending… of what the government is doing with the finances. They don’t even meet! You don’t hear anything about that!” At 85 years old, Mr Roker has clearly lost none of the bite of his days at the centre of Bahamian politics.
SPORTS
PAGE 12, Tuesday, July 20, 2021
PAGE 11
IZAAK BASTIAN PREPARES FOR OLYMPIC DEBUT
THE TRIBUNE
SUNS UPBEAT PAGE 14
TUESDAY, JULY 20, 2021
IZAAK Bastian and Joanna Evans in Tokyo.
By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net IZAAK Bastian said despite the normal Covid-19 restrictions that he’s had to endure for the past year at Florida State University, everything is going as expected for his debut at the 2020 Olympic Games. Bastian, 20, is in Tokyo, Japan with fellow female swimmer Joanna Evans and his mother, Rochelle Bastian, who serves as the team manager for swimming. “It’s been going good so far,” Bastian said. “Everybody’s been wearing their mask and trying to stay six feet apart. Other than that, it’s been good. The competition pool is nice and pretty, so I’m looking forward to it.” His mother, Rochelle, said once they got into Tokyo on Sunday afternoon, the two swimmers were able to settle into the Games Village, eat dinner and get their necessary rest before they went out to the swim complex on Monday. Bastian, who specialises in the 100 and 200 metres breastroke, will not start competing until Saturday. But he’s using the time ahead of the competition to get acclimatised to his new environment. “The pool in the Games Village has been very good so far,” he stated. “I can’t complain about that either.” The former St Andrew’s School standout, who has been competing competitively for the past 15 years, said he wants to make this a memorable experience for him. He’s been to the Commonwealth Games, the World Long Course Championships, the Central American and Caribbean Games, the Junior World Championships twice, the Junior Pan Pacific Games and the Youth Commonwealth Games where he secured a gold and silver. But he said there’s no better feeling than finally being at the Olympics where he hopes to enjoy the experience and to SEE PAGE 13
READY TO MAKE A SPLASH IN TOKYO By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
IT’S the second time around for Grand Bahamian Joanna Evans and, like she did in her initial appearance in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016, she’s hoping to make a splash in the pool at the 2020 Olympic Games. The 23-year-old University of Texas graduate is already in Tokyo, Japan with fellow Bahamian swimmer Izaak Bastian and team manager Rochelle Bastian (the mother of Izaak) in preparation for the start of the games on July 23. “So far, it has been really smooth,” said Evans, when asked to compare the conditions she’s encountered in the two Olympics so far. “There’s always some minor kinks to figure out with travel and a new place, but it has been good.” Evans, a former student of Bishop Michael Eldon
Joanna Evans gets her second Olympics underway on Saturday High School, was referring to the stringent protocol measures put in place as a result of the coronavirus pandemic that postponed the games last year. “As expected, everyone is being super careful for obvious reasons,” she stated, indicating that the restrictions in place have been very helpful to their safety in the Games Village. Back as the leader of the two-member swimming team, which is a part of a 14-member track and field team, Evans said she’s looking forward to doing her part when she starts competing on Saturday in her specialty in the women’s 400 metres freestyle. “I would say it’s been quite a while since I’ve been at a big meet and so it’s exciting,” said Evans,
who hopes to improve on her lifetime best time of four minutes and 07.33 seconds – a Bahamas national record. She will also compete in the 200m freestyle
“I would say it’s been quite a while since I’ve been at a big meet and so it’s exciting.” Joanna Evans where her national record time is 1:58.03. She joins Bastian, who will also have double duties when he makes his debut at the games. He will begin competition on Friday as well in the men’s 100m breaststroke. “Izaak is a great teammate,” Evans said. “We’ve
been on trips before, but this is his first Olympics and it is fun to be with someone who hasn’t been to an Olympics. It’s a nice reminder that what we do is so much fun.” As team manager, Rochelle Bastian said she’s excited about the expectations for Evans. “She came in with an A cut, so I anticipate that she will do very well and get second swims to get a higher ranking,” she said. “So I expect some great things from her at these Olympics.” Bastian said the expectation is that Evans will improve on her performance in Rio, which should enable her to be a contender for the finals in Tokyo. “Right now, she looks really, really good,”
Bastian summed up. As she waits for the rest of Team Bahamas to arrive and for her to start competing, Evans said her plans for the games are very simple. “The plan is to swim in the prelims to get my second swims,” said Evans, who did that in Rio when she placed 13th overall in the 400m freestyle. Before the competition starts, Evans is also pegged to carry the national flag with men’s high jumper Donald Thomas during the official opening ceremonies on Friday. “It’s a good sign for Bahamian swimming that a swimmer is involved once again,” Evans said. “I also think that it’s going to be good for me as it will be an impressive ceremony and will kick me into game mode.” Evans said she’s just honoured to be selected once again for the special duties and she’s looking forward to it.
JAZZ CHISHOLM ON INJURED LIST By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net
MIAMI Marlins’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. pictured on Friday. (AP)
AN APPARENT shoulder injury will force Jazz Chisholm Jr to make his second stint on the Miami Marlins’ 10-day Injured List this season. Results of Monday’s MRI on the rookie infielder were not revealed to the media at press time and the extent of the injury is not yet known, but Chisholm’s left shoulder contusion diagnosis was enough to warrant designation to the IL. Chisholm suffered the injury in the first inning of the Marlins’ 7-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday afternoon when attempted to track down a bloop single from Bryce Harper. The ball was just out of reach as Chisholm dove to make the catch over the shoulder and he landed awkwardly on the field. He was in visible pain as he exited the field but initial results were negative. Earlier this season, Chisholm suffered a hamstring injury on April 28 and made his return
May 16 following a brief rehab stint in AAA with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. Chisholm also laboured through an ankle injury but avoided another stint on the IL. The Marlins made the official announcement yesterday ahead of the series opener against the Washington Nationals and Chisholm became the latest starter sidelined due to injury. Chisholm joins starting pitcher Pablo Lopez and first baseman Garrett Cooper on the 10-Day IL. Outfielder Lewis Brinson and right hand pitcher Andrew Bellatti were recalled to complete the 40 man roster. Headed into this week’s series on the road, the Marlins stand at 40-53 in the standings, 9.5 games behind first place in the National League East. In 70 games this season, Chisholm is hitting .251 with a .754 OPS, with 66 hits, 115 total bases, 38 runs scored, 10 doubles, three triples, 11 home runs, 34 RBI, and a National and 11 stolen bases.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, July 20, 2021, PAGE 13
TEAM BAHAMAS
OLYMPIC PROFILE DEVYNNE CHARLTON Name: Devynne Charlton. Age: 25. Parents: Laura and David Charlton. Siblings: two sisters – Lauren and Anthaya. High School: St. Augustine’s College. College: Purdue University. Degree: Fisheries and Aquatic Science. Coach: Rolando Greene. Events: 100m Hurdles. Best times: 12.61. Years of experience: 18 years of track. Major accomplishments: Indoor 60mH and outdoor, 100mH NR, World indoor finalist. Expectations for Olympics: To make the country proud. Hobbies: Aquariums and fish keeping. Favourite food: Peas soup. Favourite movie: Remember the Titans. Favorite colour: Grey.
IZAAK BASTIAN
FROM PAGE 12
represent The Bahamas to the best of his ability. “I feel I’ve experienced most of what I wanted so far,” he insisted. “Just walking into the swimming pool for the first time was just amazing. “But I think after my first race, I think I will feel much better because I can actually say that I swam at the Olympics. So that is the biggest experience that I’m looking forward to the most.” And as he tries to deal with the jitterbugs of making his debut, Bastian said there’s no better Bahamian to do it with than Evans, whom he called a real inspiration. “She is a phenomenal swimmer and she’s a very kind person, which makes it even better,” he said. “But she’s also very funny. We’re friends, so it’s good to have a kind person like that on the team. “As the senior person on the team, she’s been showing me the ropes, so I’m very grateful to be on the team with her. I think we have gelled very well.” Of course, there’s nothing like having his mom in his corner as the team manager. “I’m very thankful to have my mom here,” he stressed. “She’s been along with me the whole journey. She’s been with us as the team manager on other teams, so it’s good that she gets to be here as UI swim in my first Olympics.” Rochelle and Darren Bastian are the proud parents of Bastian, and she said it’s an honour to be on the team as the manager for swimming. “It’s an amazing experience, even though everyone keeps on saying it’s just so different because of Covid-19,” she said. “It’s still an amazing experience to be in the Games Village and around him and so many people whose names you only see in print. “I expect that Izaak will lower his personal best. His swims in the 100 and 200m breast at Nationals were national records, so it would be amazing if he could better than times here at the Olympics.” Bastian, with personal best times of one minute and .87 seconds in the 100m breastroke and 2:15.14 in the 200m breastroke, both Bahamian national records, will begin competition on Saturday. In the meantime, he’s going to enjoy the amenities being offered in the Games Village, while going through his usual training routines in the pool. “We’re taking extra precautions around the Games Village,” he said. “We have to utilise the hand sanitisers that are all over the place, wear our masks and stay six feet apart. “Those are the standard protocols, but it’s something that we have to go through in order to remain safe during the games. So we’re trying to follow the rules as much as possible.”
Thomas and Fox shine in minor league baseball By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net
TAHNAJ THOMAS made his return to the mound for his first start in nearly a month and Lucius Fox Jr continued his efficiency on the basepaths to highlight the play of Bahamians in minor league baseball over the course of the week. Thomas, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ No.6 ranked prospect in the organisation, missed his last two starts in the rotation but returned to help his Greensboro Grasshoppers to a 7-5 win over the Rome Braves in their series finale Sunday afternoon at State Mutual Stadium in Rome, Georgia. In his first start since June 24, the 22-year-old 6’5” right hander finished with four strikeouts, and gave up one run on six hits in four innings. He threw just 59 pitches in the appearance. In that June 24 start In Thomas recorded three strikeouts in innings of his Greensboro Grasshoppers’ 17-3 win over the Winston Salem
TAHNAJ THOMAS
LUCIUS FOX JR
Dash. In five previous five starts, Thomas went three or fewer innings, walked 20 and struck out 10 in 11 and 1/3 innings. He began his first AA season Thomas got off to a quick start. In his first two appearances, Thomas had 15 strikeouts in seven innings and allowed just three hits, one earned run and four walks. In nine starts this season, Thomas is 0-2 with a 4.60 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 29.1 innings.
Last season with the Bristol Pirates of the Appalachian League. He finished with a 2-3 win-loss record which also included 59 strikeouts - the most for any Bristol pitcher since 2012. In 12 starts, he pitched 48.1 innings with a 3.17 ERA and 1.12 WHIP. Lucius Fox flashed the brilliance on the basepaths that has been one of the trademarks of his minor league career thus far. Fox finished with three stolen bases and scored two runs in
his Omaha Storm Chasers 12-5 loss to the Indianapolis Indians Sunday night at Victory Field in Indianapolis, Indiana. In June, Fox had his best stretch as a member of the Kansas City Royals organisation and produced several multi hit games for the Storm Chasers. While on injury assignment with the ACL Royals in the Arizona Complex League, Fox hit his first home run of the season in a 4-3 loss to the ACL Padres. He returned to the AAA level on July 6. On the season, Fox is hitting .229 with a .339 OBP, .664 OPS, 16 hits, 13 runs and eight RBI. He was listed at No.26 for the Kansas City Royals in the team’s prospect pipeline. Last season, Fox was traded for the second time in his career when the Tampa Bay Rays sent him to the Royals in exchange for outfielder Brett Phillips. In 119 games last season he hit .221 with a .331 OBP and a .657 OPS. He totalled 90 hits including 16 doubles, nine triples, three home runs, 34 RBIs, and scored 66 runs.
METS MANAGER ROJAS SUSPENDED TWO GAMES FOR OUTBURST
CINCINNATI (AP) — New York Mets manager Luis Rojas was suspended Monday for two games and fined for excessive arguing with umpires, an outburst that followed a bizarre play a day earlier at Pittsburgh. Rojas was to begin serving his suspension Monday night at Cincinnati. He said he was not offered the chance to appeal. The amount of the fine was not revealed. Bench coach Dave Jauss will take over managerial duties. “I’m a little upset that I’m going to be missing the next two games,” Rojas said before going out to pitch batting practice. “I missed the team for 8 2/3 (innings) yesterday, not getting to watch from the dugout. But the league’s got to do what they gotta do. We know how sometimes things get heated up.” Mets starter Taijuan Walker made a huge misplay in the first inning Sunday with the bases loaded and the Pirates leading
NEW York Mets manager Luis Rojas, centre, makes his point to umpire Jeremy Riggs (112) with catcher Tomas Nido, left rear, and starting pitcher Taijuan Walker, right rear, looking on during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh, Sunday. Rojas was ejected from the game. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) 3-0. Kevin Newman hit a dribbler down the line and the ball started in foul territory but then began spinning back toward the line. Walker swooped in and swatted at the ball, trying to make contact while it was still foul. But TV
replays showed the ball was touching the chalk when Walker hit it, and plate umpire Jeremy Riggs called it a fair ball. Walker turned to argue the call as the ball rolled toward the Pirates dugout. No Mets reacted to
retrieve it and all three Pittsburgh runners came around to score. Walker said he didn’t realise the ball was still in play. Rojas immediately ran out to argue the call and was ejected. He said he wanted the umpires to conference to make sure the call was correct, even though the play was not reviewable. “I got hot because it was a bad call,” Rojas said Monday. “He made an embarrassing play. That’s what led me to escalate the way I did. It’s the heat of the moment, the play. Getting close and arguing. I wanted it to be checked with the other umpires and I was denied. I still firmly believe it was foul. I would love for a play like that to be reviewable.” Rojas said he would watch Monday night’s game on television. He had to leave the clubhouse after the pregame workout. “I’ll be rooting for the guys,” Rojas said.
PAGE 14, Tuesday, July 20, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
MULLEN, GATORS ADAPTING TO LIFE WITH NEW QB, PLAYMAKERS By JOHN ZENOR AP Sports Writer HOOVER, Ala. (AP) — Florida coach Dan Mullen puts a positive spin on losing his three best offensive playmakers. The Gators are replacing Heisman Trophy finalist Kyle Trask at quarterback and two firstround NFL draft picks, wide receiver Kadarius Toney and tight end Kyle Pitts. It could mean a big difference in style for an offence that led the nation in passing en route to the SEC East title. “We’ll be a little bit different offensively, but that’s part of the fun of coaching is being able to adapt and change and build around the players that we have,” Mullen said Monday at Southeastern Conference media days. It won’t be the first time he’s adapted his offense to a different style of quarterback and personnel. Emory Jones, the likely starter, is more of a dual threat than Trask. “I don’t know what my bread and butter is because we’ve been all over the place with every different style of quarterback,” Mullen said. “If you go back, even being a coordinator, you go back to the Alex Smiths and the Chris Leaks, through (Tim Tebow), to Tyler Russell and Dak Prescott. There’s been so many different variations. “I think the key to it is, and one of the reasons we’ve been successful is, never try to take a square peg and put it into a round hole.” • FACE TO FACE Ed Orgeron made sure he didn’t hire his new coaches without interviewing them in person this time. The LSU coach didn’t do that in hiring defensive coordinator Bo Pelini, who lasted one season after the Tigers’ struggled defensively and finished 5-5. Orgeron said he still would have made that particular hire, but got plenty of face-to-face time with a new group of assistants that includes offensive coordinator Jake Peetz and defensive coordinator Daronte Jones. “I believed in him, and it just didn’t work,” Orgeron said of Pelini. “I said I would never do that again. Every one of these guys, I interviewed them in person. I had a long interview with them, specific questions that I asked, things that I maybe should have asked or shouldn’t have.” Orgeron said he did a thorough job of vetting before making the latest hires, including calling their former players. • NEW FACES There are only four new SEC head coaches but seven are making their media days debuts, at least with their current teams. The event was cancelled last year because of the pandemic. South Carolina’s Shane Beamer took the media days podium for the first time. The league’s other new coaches include Auburn’s Bryan Harsin, Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea and Tennessee’s Josh Heupel. Lane Kiffin, a former Volunteers coach, is representing Mississippi in Hoover for the first time. Ditto for Mississippi State’s Mike Leach and Arkansas’ Sam Pittman. • BEAMER INTEREST Shane Beamer’s father, Frank, never ventured into the SEC as a coach but the overtures did come — even from Alabama. The Crimson Tide had the head job come open fairly frequently before landing coach Nick Saban in 2007, cycling through coaches like Mike DuBose, Dennis Franchione, Mike Price and Mike Shula. Longtime Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer did get contacted, his son said. “I can remember a couple times that the Alabama job came open, Alabama reaching out to him at Virginia Tech for sure,” Beamer said.
PHOENIX Suns centre Deandre Ayton (22) shoots during the second half against the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 5 of basketball’s NBA Finals, Saturday, in Phoenix. (Mark J. Rebilas/Pool Photo via AP)
Suns remain upbeat as they face elimination game on road By STEVE MEGARGEE AP Sports Writer
MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Phoenix Suns say they aren’t feeling sorry for themselves after squandering a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals and moving within one game of elimination. They realise they’re still two wins away from capturing the first league title in franchise history. Phoenix coach Monty Williams said Monday the Suns are showing the same spirit that helped them get this far in their first playoff appearance since 2010. The Suns have lost three straight to the Milwaukee Bucks, who can close out the Finals on their home floor on Tuesday. “I saw yesterday when we got on the plane, the guys had the same look in their eyes,” Williams said. “When I came down this morning for meetings, guys were down there talking, having breakfast. It was pretty cool to watch. So those kinds of losses are hard, but if you’re going to do anything big, you have
to overcome those kinds of hards. “I don’t know of any team that has won a championship that has just kind of strolled into it. “So our guys, we have talked about that, the deep playoff hurts that happen and the ability to bounce back from that.” A big difference between Phoenix and Milwaukee is that the Bucks have experienced plenty of recent playoff heartbreak. Milwaukee was the league’s top overall seed in 2019 and 2020 but failed to reach the Finals either year. While Chris Paul and Jae Crowder possess plenty of playoff experience, teammates including Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges made their postseason debuts this year. “The message is stay together, fight each and every possession and embrace where you are right now,” Crowder said. The Suns face the unenviable task of having to win at Milwaukee, where the Bucks own a 9-1 postseason
record. The Suns posted an NBA-best 24-12 road record in the regular season — including a win at Milwaukee — and are 6-4 away from home in these playoffs. That gives the Suns confidence they can bounce back, even from a loss as painful as the 123-119 Game 5 defeat. “Coming into the next morning probably after a loss, the locker room, you probably wouldn’t know that we just lost a game, a Game 5 at home,” Ayton said. “You know, just how we walk in and everybody’s just so full of spirit and energy, it’s insane.”
• RIVALS TO TEAMMATES Booker is competing with Milwaukee’s Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton for an NBA title, but they’ll become teammates as soon as the Finals end when they head to Tokyo to join Team USA for the Olympics. “I think we’ll be fine,” Middleton said. “Right now, we haven’t said a
word to each other. I’m sure we won’t be best buddies during Team USA, but we’ll be teammates, for sure. We’ll be on the same path, talking basketball X’s and O’s, trying to get the job done. “That’s what being competitors is all about, but also what being a teammate is all about.” Booker agreed. “It’s never personal between who you’re going with, unless lines are crossed,” Booker said. “Those guys aren’t that type and I would never go that way with them, because there’s a high respect level for each other. “I think that’s why we’re in the position that we’re in right now.” • HEY, I KNOW THAT GUY Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo said he noticed LeBron James was sitting courtside for Game 5 but didn’t speak with him. “It doesn’t really matter who — it might be my mother sitting courtside — I don’t engage while I’m
playing,” Antetokounmpo said. “I just try to focus as much as possible. But this is crazy. This is a great story. This is not a promo. The night before, I was watching ‘Space Jam’ on HBO. I was watching ‘Space Jam,’ and there he goes in the courtside seat.” James is the star of “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” which premiered over the weekend. • VOLUME SHOOTING The Suns averaged 37 3-point attempts over the first two games of the Finals as they built a 2-0 lead. That dropped to 24.3 3-point tries over the last three games. Phoenix went 13 of 19 from beyond the arc in Game 5. “I think with the team and the capabilities of the shooters that we have on this team, that we need to generate more 3s,” Booker said. “Obviously, they’re switching a lot and staying home on shooters. So there’s just a way of figuring it out.”
MILWAUKEE Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) reaches for the ball during the first half against the Phoenix Suns in Game 5 of basketball’s NBA Finals, Saturday, in Phoenix. (Mark J. Rebilas/Pool Photo via AP)
HISTORY AWAITS: BUCKS TRY TO FOCUS WITH CHAMPIONSHIP CHANCE
By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Basketball Writer
MILWAUKEE (AP) — High atop the outside of Fiserv Forum — way above even a leaping Giannis Antetokounmpo’s reach — blares the Bucks’ postseason motto. “HISTORY IN THE MAKING” it reads, a sign and a situation that’s now impossible to ignore. And yet, that’s exactly what the Bucks are trying to do. They can indeed make history Tuesday night as Milwaukee’s first NBA champion since 1971. But the Bucks have to resist thinking about what happens if they beat the Phoenix Suns in Game 6. “It’s hard, because you work so hard to be in that moment, which is tomorrow,” Antetokounmpo said Monday. “It’s hard not to get ahead of yourself. But this is the time that you’ve got to be the most disciplined.” The Bucks have won the last three games to set up a potential party 50 years in the making. Around 17,000 fans are expected inside the arena and the Bucks announced Monday that the Deer District has been expanded to allow up to 65,000 fans to stand shoulderto-shoulder outside. Barricades line the sidewalks around the arena and restaurants within walking distance
were contemplating how to get employees into and back home from work through the anticipated crowds. It’s a scene that couldn’t have happened for much of this season that has been played during the coronavirus pandemic. The Bucks only began permitting a limited number of fans at games in February, nearly two months after the season began. Even when postseason play started in May, capacity was capped at 9,100, a little above 50%. Whatever the number is Tuesday, it will sound a whole lot louder if the Bucks are lifting the Larry O’Brien Trophy. “But we got to focus, we got to do our job,” Antetokounmpo said. “Then they can do their job celebrating at the end. But we got to do our job first.” The Suns are excited, too. That’s how Chris Paul said they feel, despite blowing a 2-0 lead and facing elimination for the first time in this postseason. “Something that Coach and everybody has been saying: If you went to the beginning of the season and said we had a chance to be where we are right now, would you take it? Absolutely,” Paul said. “And we get a chance to determine the outcome. It’s not like the game is going to be simulated or
somebody else’s got to play. We get a chance. We control our own destiny. So I think that’s the exciting part about it.” If the Suns do win Tuesday, they would bring the series back to Phoenix for Game 7 on Thursday. To do so, they will have to call upon the fight they showed in Game 5, when they gave themselves a chance to win in the closing seconds after the Bucks had pounded them for 79 points in the second and third quarters to open a double-digit lead. The comeback fell short when Jrue Holiday stripped Devin Booker and fired an alley-oop pass to Antetokounmpo, but coach Monty Williams saw a resilience that will be needed now more than ever. “For us to be able to cut it to one point, you know that was the thing that stuck out to me and gives our staff and team a lot of confidence as we go into this Game 6,” Williams said. Booker has scored 40 points in two straight games, something Antetokounmpo earlier in the series and only five other players have done in the NBA Finals. Yet as good as he’s been, the star guard said he has to be even better in Game 6. “We all know what’s at stake and
what’s on the line,” Booker said. “Everybody is going to have to give a little bit more because what we have done hasn’t been enough.” Just two years ago, the Bucks had the league’s best record and were two wins away from their first NBA Finals since 1974 before losing a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals against Toronto. That disappointment helped build a Bucks team that doesn’t waver when it’s down. Milwaukee was behind 2-0 to Brooklyn in the second round and is now a victory away from overcoming that deficit again. The Bucks ended all three series in this postseason on the road. Now they have the chance for the biggest one of all in their building, knowing that won’t make it any easier than their other clinchers. “It is funny, you want to treat it the same as any other game, but at the same time, it is what it is. It’s a close-out game of the finals,” centre Brook Lopez said. “But I definitely think we can take from our other experiences in the playoffs. “And one thing, you know, if you look all of them, obviously we know that the other team is just not going to roll over and stop playing. They are going to fight till the last second. We have be ready to come out at our best.”
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SEAMUS POWER OUTLASTS JT POSTON IN BARBASOL CHAMPIONSHIP NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Seamus Power won the Barbasol Championship on Sunday for his first PGA Tour victory, beating J.T. Poston with a tap-in par on the sixth hole of a playoff. Poston drove into the water that lines the right side of the par-4 18th at Keene Trace and made a bogey on the final extra hole. Power hit the fairway, played his second to 12 feet and two-putted for the victory. “I was able to just kind of stay patient enough there and J.T. made just one mistake and I was able to take advantage,” Power said. “Unbelievable day, career changing, life changing, all that kind of good stuff. It’s not going to sink in for a while.” Because the tournament was played opposite the British Open, Power did not earn a spot in Masters. The 34-year-old Irishman did secure his PGA Tour card, wrapped up a spot in the playoffs and earned berths next year in the PGA Championship, The Players and the Tournament of Champions. “I view myself as extremely lucky,” Power said. “I’m 34 and I’ve yet to work a day in my life. So every time I get to play a tournament or play an extra year on tour, to me it’s a massive bonus. I love playing golf, it’s my favourite thing to do.” Power birdied the par-3 16th and the 18th in regulation for a 5-under 67, posting at 21-under 267 while Poston was squandering the lead behind him. “I started out knowing I was going to need a low one,” Power said. “To be honest, I didn’t think 5 under would be low enough, but I was able to pick one up on the last, squeeze into a playoff and eventually kind of pulled through there.” Poston had a double bogey on the par-5 15th after driving an inch out of bounds to the left, and followed with a three-putt bogey on the par-3 16th. He parred the final two holes for 70. “Standing on 15 tee, if I make birdie there, it’s probably over, or at least that’s kind of how I feel. Just bad swing,” Poston said. “I just put an awful swing on it. “I double-crossed it and it was out-of-bounds by half an inch or an inch or so.”
Tuesday, July 20, 2021, PAGE 15
TOUR DE FRANCE RIDERS HEAD TO TOKYO WITH OLYMPICS IN SIGHT By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer
WOUT van Aert had just concluded one of the most remarkable performances of anyone in the Tour de France with a thrilling sprint victory on the Champs-Elysees in Paris when he was asked about his Olympic ambitions. The breakthrough Belgian star, who also won a time trial and mountain stage on the iconic Mount Ventoux, will be lining up at Musashinonomori Park on Saturday for the road race before tackling the time trial a few days later. “I guess I’ll try to win both,” he said with what amounted to an audible shrug, “but of course it’s going to be really difficult. Though for now, I’m still overwhelmed by the victories of this weekend.” There’s the rub: Nobody quite knows how van Aert and the rest of the riders who will be jetting from the finish line in Paris to the starting line in Tokyo this week will perform after three hard weeks riding around France. Cycling stands out among Olympic sports for having its biggest, most prestigious event serving as an appetizer to the Summer Games. Overall Tour winner Tadej Pogecar of Slovenia will also be competing in Tokyo. Only two riders to compete in the last five Olympics won a stage at the Tour before winning a road race medal, and one of those stage wins was Fabian Cancellara’s victory in a time trial in 2008. The other was Greg van Avermaet, who struck gold at the Rio Games after winning the sixth stage of the Tour to cement his status as Olympic favorite. Much like his countryman van Aert did this year. Other riders have also used the Tour to ride into form for the Olympics. Paolo Bettini spent eight days wearing the king of the mountains jersey before winning gold at the 2004 Athens games, where Axel Merckx — who eventually won the king of the mountains classification — grabbed the bronze medal for Belgium. And at the 2000 Games, Germany’s Jan Ullrich followed his second-place Tour finish to Lance Armstrong — who, of course, was stripped of his win — by winning the gold medal in Sydney from a three-man breakaway. But for the most part, the threeweek grind of the Tour de France tends to leave riders weary when they line up for the Olympics. After all, it’s the Tour rather than the once-every-four-years Summer Games that they target above all else. Take as an example the 2012 London Games. The British were still celebrating three stage wins by
BELGIUM’S Wout Van Aert, second left, crosses the finish line to win ahead of Britain’s Mark Cavendish, wearing the best sprinter’s green jersey, right, and Belgium’s Jasper Philipsen, left, during the twenty-first and last stage of the Tour de France cycling race on Sunday. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
TOUR de France winner Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar, who won the overall leader’s yellow jersey, the best climber’s dotted jersey, and the best young rider’s white jersey, celebrates with his team after the twenty-first and last stage of the Tour de France cycling race, Sunday. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole) sprint superstar Mark Cavendish along with Bradley Wiggins’ overall title at the Tour de France the previous week when the duo lined up on The Mall with the hopes of the home nation riding on their shoulders. Everything unraveled for the four-man British squad, though. Wiggins and teammates David Millar, Ian Stannard and Chris Froome never factored into the race, and Cavendish missed the key move, leaving him out of position to sprint for the win. Or take the 2008 Beijing Games, where Spain was the powerhouse nation. Alejandro Valverde had
won two stages at the Tour, and Olympic teammates Oscar Freire and Carlos Sastre also won stages — as did Juan Jose Cobo and Luis Leon Sanchez, who weren’t even chosen for the Olympic road race. Yet it was Samuel Sanchez who made good for the Spaniards when he timed the break perfectly and won a reduced sprint to bring home the surprising gold medal. In some cases, riders who might have been Olympic favourites don’t even make it to the start line after the Tour concludes. That’s the case for Peter Sagan, the versatile three-time world champion who competed in
mountain biking in Rio but would have been among the favorites this year given a course that perfectly suits his abilities. Yet the Slovakian standout was forced to abandon the Tour after a Stage 3 crash left him with a wound to his knee that eventually became infected. Sagan had surgery last week in Monaco to clear it out and harboured hopes of lining up in Tokyo, but the Slovak Olympic Committee made the decision to replace him with Lukas Kubis for Saturday’s road race. “We did everything possible at the Tour, but even antibiotic treatment couldn’t prevent an infection,” said the physician for Sagan’s Bora-Hansgrohe team, Christopher Edler. “The only option was to stop racing and get the bursa surgically removed. ... The surgery went well, and I think Peter will be able to start with light training again in a couple of days.” Also dropping out of the Olympics was Jack Haig, who broke his collarbone during the same third stage of the Tour. He also held out hope of lining up in Tokyo for Australia, but his recovery did not proceed as quickly as he hoped. “Unfortunately my fracture was much worse than first expected. The surgery was long and more invasive than normal, making the recovery period longer,” Haig wrote on Instagram. “I should hopefully be outside on the bike by the end of this week. Unfortunately, this means I will be missing out on the Olympics.”
MOORE SCORES 20 SECONDS IN, US BEATS CANADA 1-0 IN GOLD CUP KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Shaq Moore scored 20 seconds in and the United States beat Canada 1-0 Sunday to win Group B at the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Moore’s goal was the fastest since U.S. records began in 1990. Clint Dempsey scored 30 seconds in against Ghana in the Americans’ 2014 World Cup opener. Both nations already were assured of advancing. The U.S. finished atop its first-round group with a 3-0 record and will play its quarterfinal on July 25 at Arlington, Texas, against Costa Rica or Jamaica, both 2-0 going into their match Tuesday at Orlando, Florida. Canada finished the first round 2-1 and also will play Costa Rica or Jamaica.
Winning The U.S. ended Canada’s team record eight-game winning streak. The U.S. is unbeaten against Canada in 20 home matches since 1957 and extended its winning streak against CONCACAF opponents to 13. U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter is using a mostly junior varsity roster for the Gold Cup. Top players such as Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams and Zack Steffen will be on hand in when the U.S. hosts Canada in a World Cup qualifier on Sept. 5 at
Nashville, Tennessee. While Berhalter started two forwards in Daryl Dike and Gyasi Zardes, Canada dominated possession and had more scoring chances. Still, the U.S. improved to 38 wins, one loss and four draws in the Gold Cup group stage. The U.S. scored when Kellyn Acosta passed wide to Sebastian Lletget, who one-timed a pass to the far post. The 24-year-old Moore got behind Tajon Buchanon and redirected the ball in from just inside the 6-yard box for his first international goal. Walker Zimmerman captained the U.S. for the second straight game but hurt his right hamstring early and was replaced by Donovan Pines in the 15th minute. After fielding a starting lineup against Martinique that averaged 23 years, 84 days, the Americans’ youngest in a competitive match since at least 1989, U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter changed four starters by inserting Sam Vines, Lletget, Acosta and Zardes. Ayo Akinola started for Canada after making his debut against Haiti on Thursday, but he got hurt and was replaced by Jonathan Osorio in the 24th minute. The 21-year-old Akinola scored for the U.S. against El Salvador in his debut in December, then changed affiliation.
CANADA defender Steven Vitoria (left) and U.S. forward Gyasi Zardes chase down the ball during the second half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match in Kansas City, Kan., Sunday. (AP Photo/ Colin E. Braley)