Friday, August 3, 2018
history books theatre film fashion music puzzles culture animals
Weekend
FIT ON THE GO Pages 14 & 15
Intimate oils Portraits of friendship Art, pages 10 & 11
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Friday, August 3, 2018
culture
The African connection By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net
POP-UP SHOP HIGHLIGHTS SHARED HERITAGE
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e may be separated by a wide ocean, however, the richness of African culture visited our shores last weekend during the latest Black Food pop-up event. ‘All things African’ was the theme of the event that sought to foster an appreciation among Bahamians for the diverse culture from the world’s second largest continent. Hosted by Black Food, which has had an online presence since 2007, the pop-up shop was designed to give customers an opportunity to physically browse its varied collection of African products. It was hosted at the Cancer Society of the Bahamas Caring Centre. Customers were exposed to books with African content for both children and adults, authentic hand-made clothing from Ghana, hand-crafted accessories from Kenya, and organic beauty products from Nigeria. This is second pop-up shop for the year and the next will be hosted during the holiday season in December. “It allows us to interact with our clientele who give us lots of positive feedback on our products and also offer suggestions on how we can improve our product offerings,” said Charo Walker-Morley, who started the business along with her husband to promote African culture. “Beyond just providing an opportunity to sell, the event allows us to improve upon and build our brand. It also allows the community to come
BAHAMIANS browse authentic African wares at the Black Food pop-up shop. Photos: Shawn Hanna
together and meet up and interact with each other. Life can be so fast-paced we have fewer and fewer opportunities to do that. “There are 1.5 billion black people living on the African continent and throughout the Diaspora with a rich heritage, many of whom are producing fantastic products that highlight our culture. We bought and enjoyed many of those products and decided to also sell them. It is the richest continent on the planet with so many natural resources that help to fuel the world’s economy. It is the birthplace of civilization with a rich culture and heritage, and for the majority of the persons living in the Bahamas, it is where we originate.” Through their merchandise, Charo said they seek to bridge the gap between the past and present, “and also help to build a future where the 1.5 billion Africans throughout the world are more connected. Most of all, we wanted to help black people to appreciate that no matter where they are born, they are African, and that they should have a real connection to the African continent and to each other.” Beyond just providing Black Food with an opportunity to hear from its clients, Charo noted the pop-up shop allowed the community to unite, interact and learn much more about their origins. Since its launch in 2007, Black Food Shop has gone through rebranding and a restructuring where a decision was made to expand its product offerings and redesign its website. For more information, visit www. blackfoodshop.com
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Inside Weekend INTERVIEW 4-5
Dr Desiree Cox wants to change the medical landscape of the Bahamas a future health summit
CULTURE 7
Enjoy the last Junkanoo Summer Festival for the year
FASHION 8 - 9
Experience new ‘consignment chic’ at Nassau’s first second-hand boutique
ART 10 - 11
Jodi Minnis gets intimate with her subjects and delves into oil painting
ENTERTAINMENT 12
MAVS gears up for Summer Festival 2018
THEATRE 13
The historic Regency Theatre continues looking for support to keep its doors open
FITNESS 14 - 15
A work-out tailored to those on the go this Summer
FILM 17
Amandla Stenberg stars in the latest teen dystopia “The Darkest Minds”
GARDENING 19 Tomatoes in August
WEDDINGS 20 - 21
A couple finds love at the end of the rainbow
LITERARY LIVES 22 - 23
Katharine Hepburn had the measure of Frank Sinatra
FORGOTTEN FACTS 25
Paul C Aranha remembers a day trip to Harbour Island
PUZZLES 26 ANIMALS 27
A story of spidery love, plus Pet of the Week COVER PHOTO by Jodi Minnis
My perfect Bahamian weekend Andre Moncur CEO, Rent To Own Bahamas Q: Saturday breakfast or Sunday lunch? “I’ll take Saturday breakfast.” Q: Wine, rum, cocktail or Kalik? “Most definitely rum.” Q: Beach or sofa? “I’ve always loved going to the beach, even just passing by as a child on a Sunday ride with family.”
Q: What is the one thing that you can’t live without? “The internet. It’s a major part of how I make the magic with my business.” Q: Weekend away, where would you go? “It would have to be Exuma. Man, have you seen the water down there?”
Things 2 Do this weekend Friday • BOMAC Cage Fights 4 – “The Striker’s Quest” Time: 7pm Venue: Meliá Nassau Beach The concept of this show is to bring together some the deadliest combat artists in the region for a multi-fight sport event unlike any held in the Bahamas before. There will be bouts in boxing, Chinese Sanda kickboxing, Muay Thai, and mixed martial arts. Tickets are available at the following locations: Jemi Fitness East, Cheesecake Heaven, Outdoor Sportsman, Crave Deli, Fitness Connection and J-LINE Fitness. Tickets start at $35. E-mail info@bomachampionship.com or WhatsApp or text 242-376-9407. • “The Next Step: Marriage” panel discussion Time: 7.30pm Venue: Christ Community Church, Bellot Road The Young Adult Ministry aims to prepare Christians for marriage in hopes of fostering long-lasting, healthy and strong unions. Call 361-8782. Saturday • Lei’d Back Luau Time: 4pm - 11pm Venue: British Colonial Hilton pool and beach Hosted by Joe Kools, the event will feature music by Play House DJs, Big L & Bravo. Admission is $15. $5 Self-parking available at The Pointe. Drink specials all night.
• The Soulful Sounds of Simmone Time: 7pm - 10pm Venue: Hillside House, Cumberland Street Join Simmone and the Jazz Etcetera Band for a relaxing evening of smooth, sultry sounds for your soul. VIP tickets include two signature cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. General admission includes one signature cocktail. • Leo’s Birthdays FETE Time: 8pm - 2am Venue: Xscape Lounge, Maderia Street Everyone who celebrates their birthdays under the Leo birth sign (July 23 - August 22) is invited to the party. Bring a cake and friends. Book a table at www. xscapelounge.com or WhatsApp 432-5400. Sunday • Bawl Out Summer Splash Time: 3pm Venue: Arawak Beach Featuring live performances from Bubbles & S Carter with their hit song “Inches”. Tickets are available from Deep Creek Fish Fry for $15 in advance; $25 at the gate. • The Mixer - Grown & Sexy Sundays Time: 7pm - 11pm Venue: Balmoral Club Party with some of Nassau’s sexiest people on this long holiday weekend. Tickets are $20 and include one drink and valet parking. • ‘I am Aeriel – The Musical’ Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Bahamas Christian Fellowship Centre, Carmichael Road Enjoy a Broadway-style adventure unfold through the music, dance, theatrics, gravity-defying aerial arts and captivating costumes; starring Disney and Cirque du Soleil performer Cheetah Platt. They story is set during a night on which an unexpected visitor changes the course of five siblings’ lives by taking them on an enchanted journey. Ticket available from www.performingspaces.org. Monday • Beer Fest on da Beach Time: 2pm Venue: Western Esplanade Touted as “the biggest day party of the Summer”, the event will feature 14 DJs, beer specials all day long, plus a special surprise guest; hip-hop, dancehall, soca, pop music. Early bird tickets are $15 in advance, $30 for sky box access, available from Airbrush Junkies and the Village Pub. • Ranfurly Homes for Children Grand Raffle Time: 5.30pm Venue: Ranfurly Homes, Mackey Street By purchasing raffle tickets, people can help make it is possible for the children to have nutritious food, warm beds, and a safe environment where they can discover the joy of being kids. Tickets are $1 or $20 for a booklet.
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interview She has always been about blazing paths, whether it be becoming the country’s first Rhodes Scholar or changing the delivery of healthcare in the region. And now, she tells Cara Hunt, she once again hopes to make a significant impact by promoting new technology, science and creative thinking to address the challenges facing the Bahamas and the Caribbean.
Dr Desirée Cox T
his Fall, Dr Desirée Cox will host the HEALinc Future Health Innovation Summit. This unique event will bring together the finest minds currently working in digital health, regenerative medicine, cellular therapy and precision health. The summit will also introduce participants to new approaches to designing, promoting and paying for future health innovations, and will offer an unprecedented opportunity for these innovators to connect and collaborate with health industry leaders on creating the future of health today. The summit is just another first she can add to her already impressive list. Desirée was the first Bahamian to become a Rhodes Scholar, and the first woman British Caribbean Rhodes Scholar. It’s an honour, she said, that has had a major impact on her life, but was not necessarily something she aspired to achieve. “I first learnt about the University of Oxford from an Indian friend and study partner who showed me the brochure for Oxford and it just seemed like it was the best place in the world to study. I knew that it was somewhere I wanted to be, it just seemed like a creative and special environment.” Initially, Desirée attended McGill University in Canada where she received a Bachelor degree in Quantum Chemistry. It was there she learned about the Rhodes Scholarships and decided to apply. “In my mind, the attraction of the Rhodes Scholarship was that it was
“WE WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE EXTRAORDINARY TIMES WE LIVE IN AND THE VAST AMOUNT OF NEW KNOWLEDGE AVAILABLE TO US WITH THE EXPONENTIAL GROWTH IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.” way to get to study at Oxford,” she explained. The Rhodes Scholarship is an international post-graduate award. It was established in 1902 by English businessman and politician Cecil John Rhodes to promote unity between English-speaking nations and instil a sense of civic-minded leadership and moral fortitude in future leaders, irrespective of their chosen career paths. Prominent recipients of the Rhodes Scholarship include Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and former US President Bill Clinton, as well as Nobel Laureates and individuals from various sectors who have made a difference in the world. Desirée admits she was so engrossed in her studies and soaking
up the atmosphere of being at Oxford that the significance of actually being there never hit her until after she finished her medical degree. “Women were not even allowed to apply for the Rhodes Scholarships until 1977, and so to be the first
female from the British Caribbean was extremely significant,” she said, “but honestly it did not hit me until decades later. In 2008, I returned to Oxford for the 30-year anniversary of female Rhodes scholars and that experience was deeply moving.”
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Following her time at Oxford, she moved on to the University of Cambridge where she completed her Masters and doctorate in history. She said that originally her intention was never to actually practice medicine, but after completing her studies at Cambridge, she decided that it was time to step outside the walls of academia for a while and begin her career. “I had been in school for so many years at that point…I realised the reality that it was time to earn my keep,” she said, Desirée began her career as a physician and stayed on that track for the next several years, specialising in psychiatry. However, after a while she decided it was time for a change. “I knew that I didn’t want to practice medicine in the traditional way. You begin to realise the subtle ways that the system shapes you and then you realise the need to try and get off of the treadmill.” Desirée has always had a love of music and is herself a singer and artist. Her desire was to find a way to marry her left and right brain halves, so to speak, in the practice of nontraditional medicine. “Originally, I came up with the idea to have music in public spaces in the hospital,” she explained “I was able to take what was originally a vague idea and turn it into reality.” That was the first time she realised she had the potential and the ability to change the paradigm of medical care in a way that could fulfil all “the pieces of myself – both the creative, artistic and scientific and analytical sides.” In the past years, her career has taken many winding paths. She has been a university professor, an honorary professor of Creativity and Health at University of Exeter, and a consultant to the government of the Bahamas and companies in the US and the UK. She is at the forefront of developing the stem cell industry in the Bahamas and consults on a range of innovative national initiatives relating to equity in health, personalised health and personalised education, including the country’s National Development Plan. She founded HEALinc Future Health Innovation Incubator to help improve the delivery of healthcare in the region. “Innovators in Caribbean and Diaspora communities who are motivated to solve this grand challenge
DR Desirée Cox is also an artist, singer and poet. often do not have access to the communities they want to serve. We want to help entrepreneurs, innovators and leaders from local, regional and Diaspora communities access the resources they need to improve the health and well-being of people in the Caribbean and the Americas,” she explained. She added initially the challenge was to refine the discharge process
for patients who were leaving Bahamian hospitals. “That system was broken and needed to be addressed and what we realised when we made changes locally is that it was broken in the region, not just the Caribbean, but also Central and South America and the coastal US. What we are doing is sharing our areas of expertise to help everyone else out,” she said.
The summit that she has planned for October is her answer to the question of how the information can be shared. “Our 10-year HEALinc Future Health vision focuses primarily on preventing illness; our secondary focus is on reversing illness, and our tertiary focus is on treatment. We want to take advantage of the extraordinary times we live in and the vast amount of new knowledge available to us with the exponential growth in science and technology. That’s why we have created this inaugural Future Health Innovation Summit as a cutting-edge, annual event in line with our belief that regenerative medicine and future health must begin with collaboration in its broadest sense,” she said. She says that her career has always just evolved into where it needed to be and encourages other professionals to take a similar approach. “People think that you have to have know everything and have a clear plan. What you really have to know is what you are good at and what you like to do and then you follow the bread crumbs,” said Desirée. • Check out a new column by Dr Desirée Cox in Tribune Health in the next few weeks.
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Friday, August 3, 2018
culture
Enjoy the last Junkanoo Summer Festival of the year T
he Ministry of Tourism is encouraging Bahamians to head out to Arawak Cay this Saturday to enjoy the final instalment of this year’s Junkanoo Summer Festival. The last event of the season will put Junkanoo front and centre, celebrating both old and new traditions. Groups like the Body of Christ, Colours, the Valley Boys and Roots will make an appearance. Last Saturday, authentic Bahamian crafts and goods wowed both visitors and locals alike at the Junkanoo Summer Festival. Festival-goers were able to peruse jewellery, bags, wood carvings, household items and skin care products – all made from indigenous Bahamian materials. The uniquely crafted Bahamian merchandise is still available at the festival site at Arawak Cay this weekend. Many of the vendors at the site have been a part of the festival since its inception many years ago. Betty Turnquest of B A Turnquest Enterprises that specialises in straw goods is one of them. “It’s something that I like to do and it’s been OK financially,” she said. “Bahamians love their native straw and so they are excited and I have return customers that come looking for me every year.” Sheila Albury of Seashells and Coconut Craft said she enjoys
“I LIKE TO COME AND MEET PEOPLE AND TALK ABOUT MY WORK. I LOVE IT AND PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS VERY INTERESTED IN HOW MY MERCHANDISE IS CREATED.” coming to Junkanoo Summer Festival to meet people. “I like to come and meet people and talk about my work,” she said. “I love it and people are always very interested in how my merchandise is created.” Celestine Albury of Celestine Woodcarvings said the best part of Junkanoo Summer Festival is demonstrating to visitors how she creates her items. Ms Albury sells a number of pieces such as bow ties,
dolls, jewellery and refrigerator magnets made in the shape of different animals. “Everyone is impressed with the wide variety that I have and the quality of work. “They love looking at the merchandise, purchasing it and when I demonstrate. They also love to get in on the fun and try it for themselves. I love the interaction with the guests,” she said.
The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation has also created a pop-up store that sells Junkanoo Summer Festival paraphernalia like pens, cups, shirts, bags, selfie sticks and much more. Junkanoo Summer Festival began on July 7 and ends this Saturday. At the event site at Arawak Cay, festival-goers have 20 vendors to choose from, and are treated to a dynamic concert series, cultural games, and of course, the sounds of Junkanoo. The kiddie corner features games like hop scotch, hula hoop, rounders, hand ball, golf ladder, skipping, sack races, marbles, stick fingers, stilt walking, box cart races, kite flying and a magic show. • For more information about the Junkanoo Summer Festival, visit www.Bahamas.com/summerfestivals.
Photos: Ministry of Tourism
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fashion
Consignment chic New secondhand boutique to shatter negative preconceptions By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Writer acadet@tribunemedia.net
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hen it comes to shopping for second-hand clothing, Bahamians can be a bit hesitant. But Nassau’s first official consignment store in Palmdale is about to change people’s minds by offering stylish and even name brand bargains for every shopper. The Rack Consignment Boutique on Alexander Street strives to offer a broad assortment of ever-changing inventory at affordable prices through buying and offering gently used preowned clothing. Owner Erica Pratt said: “My goal is to break the stigma that many in society have regarding pre-owned clothing by always carrying immaculate, unique, timeless pieces.” “I believe this business has no limits and will one day rival any top nonpre-owned clothing establishment nationally and internationally. I would like the Rack Consignment Boutique to be a sanctuary that transforms individuals by curating their wardrobe and helping them develop their personal style,” said Ms Pratt. Celebrating the shop’s grand opening last week, she said the “turnout was spectacular”, with many customers eager to help usher in a new wave of fashion. The Rack Consignment Boutique currently offers not only name brand pre-owned clothing, but also shoes and accessories in excellent condition for the entire family. Services also include personal styling by appointment for photo shoots, television show wardrobe, tailoring
“My goal is to break the stigma that many in society have regarding pre-owned clothing by always carrying immaculate, unique, timeless pieces.” home-call appointments, and more. “(Customers) at the launch were able to get a first-hand experience of our brand and what we have to offer the Bahamian society. We also have helpful sales associates who are happy to assist in finding the right item at the right price to fit your budget and shopping needs. They also help to ensure that your donation, sales or consignment process is satisfactory,” she said, Ms Pratt said she has been love with fashion for as long as she can remember, playing
“dress up” for hours as a child or shopping for friends and family members as a hobby when she was older. Growing up, her mother was very thrifty, which opened she said her mind to the concept of a consignment shop. “I would never in a million years thought that I would have been able to turn my passion for clothes into a career. The Bahamian society harps on what is the ‘ideal’ career pretty much from primary school. Conventionally, this is a nine-to-five or working in the tourism industry. I did both for over 15 years.
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Gently used pre-owned clothing and accessories are tastefully arranged and displayed at the Rack Consignment Boutique. PHOTOS/SHAWN HANNA
Year in and out I discovered that although I was very good at what I did, I had little passion for it and I found it very hard to leave my own footprint,” said Ms Pratt. The fashionista decided earlier this year that she was going to pursue her dreams by becoming one of the few personal stylists in New Providence as well as opening the island’s only consignment boutique. She believes this niche has a lot potential and will offer an exciting challenge. “I can make people happy, which always was a fulfilling part of my previous career as a customer service manager to the rich and famous. I am a very adventurous person and I love that each week is different.
With other jobs you realise that you’ll be doing the same thing every day until you retire. That thought terrifies me. Every day is a quest with personal styling and consignment. I get to meet and work with different personalities and new inventory almost daily. I love working for myself, and I don’t dread Mondays,” said Ms Pratt. And it is important for her to stay true to her own aesthetic as she works hard to build her brand. Her plans for the remainder of the year and for the near future include further marketing and promotion for the Rack Consignment Boutique and the personal styling services, and to educate those that may be sceptical about second-hand clothing.
Expanding to other branches and islands is also a long-term goal. “The Bahamas needed a store where everyone has access to name brands and good, quality clothing without leaving their land papers there. Not to mention, the rise of VAT and the cost of living making it very hard for families to afford this necessity. I would also like to work with charitable organisations by giving back to those less fortunate. Helping those in need is extremely important to me,” said Ms Pratt. For those interested, contact the Rack Consignment Boutique at 357-5790 or e-mail at erica@ rackconsignment.com
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art
Getting intimate with
Jodi By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Writer acadet@tribunemedia.net
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ost of us, when trying out something new, will use family and close friends to experiment on. And this is the method artist Jodi Minnis used when she invited some friends over to pose for a few photographers. The resulting photos, Jodi used for reference images in an effort to practice her oil painting. She told Tribune Weekend it was after examining the end result, considering the process of inviting her friends to take part in this endeavour and realising how much she valued those individuals, that she came up with the
Minnis
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“I wanted to present black Bahamian women as vulnerable and approachable but not hypersexualised while they are without certain articles of clothing...to give them space to be and exist safely as a subject.” name of her upcoming art exhibition: “Intimacy”. The new show will open at the Central Bank of the Bahamas Art Gallery on Friday, August 10, beginning at 6pm. “Intimacy means close familiarity or friendship, a cosy and private or relaxed atmosphere and sexual intercourse. And the name stemmed from how the works were cultivated. When one hears the word intimacy, the mind usually refers to romance. However, intimacy is not limited to romance, and I wanted to ensure that the work reflects that. Out of all of the subjects, I’ve had a romantic relationship with one and of course the intimacy within that relationship was valued,” she said. “However, the intimate moments of braiding one of my friends’ hair, allowing another to enter my home for the first time then undress for this project, and being comfortable with being constantly vulnerable with another is what I want to be considered as well when viewing the pieces. Because the work is so personal to me, I do believe that it will appear a bit abstract, but I am open to that aspect of being challenged.” She is grateful for venue the the Central Bank of the Bahamas provides. She said they have always been a great supporter of the careers of aspiring artists. The Central Bank Art
Gallery was also where Jodi had her first solo exhibit several years ago. “I found it fitting to exhibit there again because I love that the space offers opportunity to engage in dialogue without disrupting viewers from seeing the work. Moreover, as being a past assistant curator and curator of the space, I thought it would be interesting to engage solely as an exhibiting artist,” she said. Jodi, who is now currently pursuing a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts at the University of Tampa, said having exhibited in the United States, across the Caribbean and Australia, her production of inter-disciplinary artwork has become mainly focused on Bahamian women and identity juxtaposed with culture and societal norms. The 15 to 20 photo portraits set to be on display at the Central Bank are all of the artist’s loved ones, taken in the front room of Jodi’s home. Additional pieces include oil painting on canvas. Describing some of the works, Jodi said the piece entitled “Your Smile is Contagious” was one of 50 plus shots taken. She does not consider herself a photographer, but Jodi said she does understand there is a certain ease that should arise within a photographersubject relationship.
Jodi Minnis tried her hand at creating photographic portraits of her friends. A by-product of the process was a collection of reference images to help her explore painting in oils.
“In creating this shot we talked, I snapped, we moved, I continued to shoot her. The shots of her that were not posed translated better, and I saw that with the other photographs. Some of the photographs remained as is, and some were manipulated for painting,” she explained. “I wanted to present black Bahamian women as vulnerable and approachable but not hypersexualised while they are without certain articles of clothing. It is my aim to give
them space to be and exist safely as a subject, in hopes that they would feel comfortable doing it again.” As this is the first time she will be exhibiting both oil paintings and photographs, Jodi is looking forward to a difference in feedback at the show next weekend. “Since I am a beginner oil painter, I am looking forward to conversations about the medium and the history of the medium with works like this,” she said.
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entertainment
Industry professionals mentor young talent MAVS Summer Festival concert this Sunday
MAVS participants at the stage presence workshop. Pictured (l-r) are Bursel Gibson, instrumentalist; Alexandria Marshall, rapper; Clifford Adderley, MAVS vice president; Dyson and Wendi Knight, MAVS mentors; Anneisha Jones, MAVS media manager; Chelsea Johnson, dancer, and Joel Sweeting, vocalist.
By JATON MARTIN
T
he Musicians, Artists and Vocalists Showcase (MAVS) will highlight more than 20 performers between the ages of 16 and 30 went it hosts its annual Summer Festival this weekend. MAVS strives to create platforms for musicians, vocalists, dancers, visual and spoken word artists to gain meaningful industry connections and the opportunity for large-scale exposure. The organisation facilitates opportunities for networking, collaboration and communal learning with the influence of its mentors such as Dyson and Wendi Knight, Lee Callender, Fred Ferguson, MDeez, Robert Bain, Philece Roberts, and B’Jon Da Poet. Its aims to motivate, educate and accelerate young, undiscovered artists through a series of free educational workshops and their annual Summer Festival. “Mentorship in music is key and MAVS is on the cutting edge in ensuring that future musicians are equipped for our industry,” said Wendi Knight, Bahamian Icon Award winner. The mentors donate their time in hopes of bridging the gap between generations and connecting lives through the arts. The fourth annual MAVS Summer Festival will be held this Sunday in Pompey Square, downtown Nassau. MAVS was founded in 2015 by the then 25-year-old Victor Johnson. According to Mr Johnson, MAVS allows him to serve the community by
Wendi Knight (left) explains the inner workings of a microphone and how you should hold it correctly to be heard clearly when singing to Marvincia Adderley, MAVS vocalist.
helping to connect fellow young artists with like-minded individuals and expose them to seasoned professionals. “It is not a competition, and there are no prizes. We just want to create opportunities and nurture relationships for these artists,” he said. “An organisation or programme like MAVS is timely, necessary and it can only do good things if the artists take advantage of what it’s supposed to be,”
said Fred Ferguson, Cacique Award winner. When participants leave the programme, MAVS hopes to have imparted knowledge that will equip them to become savvy industry professionals who have fine-tuned their skill sets within their particular fields. “Professionalism and exposure are two essentials to success in the music industry internationally and MAVS delivers this exceptionally well,” said Dyson Knight, frontman for the Baha Men and the Visage band. The MAVS’ website was flooded with dozens of submissions this year from artists wishing to be featured in the Summer Festival. Those who emerged on top were visual artists Burchaino Archer, Aaliyah Davis, Lyndera Hall, Justin Moultrie and Eddion Whyms; dancers Marciano Darling, Chelsea Johnson and Lenelle Sawyer; rappers Julian Gibson, Teddy Hutcheson and Alexandria Marshall; bands Foreign Sound and Paradise Jazz; instrumentalists Alden Chisholm and Bursel Gibson; vocalists Marvincia Adderley, Agajuan Culmer, Rashad Cunningham, Sherwood Rahming, Kenique Storr and Joel Sweeting, and spoken word artists Andrew Gomez and Willard Barr. The MAVS experience began on June 14 with a meet and greet for
those selected and will culminate with the grand finale on Sunday. The mentors are all passionate about preserving the culture of the arts for future Bahamian creatives. International award-winning artists Dyson and Wendi Knight hosted an intimate, two-part workshop on becoming self-assured performers for all genres. Experienced songwriter, producer and reggae artist Davon “MDeez” Knight focused on developing an engaging stage presence. In-demand proprietor of The Singer’s Loft and seasoned Bahamian pianist Lee Callender offered coaching. Artistic director of the National Dance Company of the Bahamas Robert Bain offered critiques to the dancers. Original member of Baha Men and current band leader of Tingum Dem Fred Ferguson offered his expertise to the bands. Internationally renowned visual artist and illustrator Philece Roberts conducted an engaging and interactive session with the visual artists, and award-winning poet B’Jon Bain inspired the spoken word artists. Explaining what concert-goers can expect at the MAVS Summer Festival 2018, Mr Johnson said: “We want to show our local community and visitors just what the Bahamas has to offer.”
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theatre
Help save the historic
Regency Theatre By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net
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EARLY $30,000 was raised during last Sunday’s telethon aimed at keeping the Freeport Players Guild Regency Theatre in Grand Bahama open, but much more is needed. The theatre, which has served as platform for some of the richest local theatrical experiences over the last 50 years, needs continuous support from the general public to stay operational. The telethon was sponsored by Aliv and is just one of the efforts the Guild is undertaking to help save the theatre. The group has also launched a GoFundMe page with a target goal of $70,000 and has raised approximately $1,030 since late last year. In order keep its doors open, the Regency Theatre needs approximately $60,000 annually. To assist in offsetting these costs, the Freeport Players Guild presents productions throughout its season and rents out the space for other events. There are also annual memberships which help to pay the bills. Some of the Guild’s earlier fundraising efforts were thwarted due to very active hurricane seasons in recent years. The current president of the Guild, Liselle Russell, emphasised the importance of keeping the theatre open as it offers many young performers an avenue to share and fine-tune their abilities. “Over the past 50 years, the Regency Theatre has provided wholesome live theatre productions which continue to enhance our community. We provide a venue for aspiring young Bahamians to sharpen their skills in theatre, as writers, performers, technicians and theatre management. Our aging building is constantly in need of maintenance and upgrades. It is with
this in mind that we humbly request your assistance,” she said In order to support the efforts of the Guild, those interested can become members of the theatre, purchase a chair or donate as much as “your heart and wallet can allow.” “We are asking everyone who has been to our beautiful theatre to consider calling in and donating,” said Ms Russell. The Regency Theatre is a performing arts hub located in the northern Bahamas. It is noteworthy as it is the only purpose-built performing arts community theatre in the country. However, it has faced many challenges over the last half a century as a volunteer-run facility. With the passing of its main benefactor and founder, Sir Jack Hayward, finding funding for repairs has been proven to be increasingly difficult. According to its GoFundMe page, the theatre has been saved by corporate and community donations on several occasions over the years. Donations assisted in repairing the roof, renovating the lobby and sound system, plus other major maintenance, particularly with the devastating damage caused by Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne that nearly crippled the art community in Grand Bahama in 2004. In 2016, Hurricane Matthew made landfall on the island and the building suffered even more damage, particularly to the AC units in the lobby, light booth and auditorium. Vandals also stripped the units during these vulnerable, post-storm weeks post as the Guild struggled to get the the building up to standard for power to be restored. The Freeport Players’ Guild was officially formed in 1961 with the following board members: Sir Jack Hayward, president; John Slack, vice president; Patricia Bloom, secretary; Betty McConville, treasurer, and William MacNeill, David Brooks, Peter Aston, Raymond McNeill, Martin Sinsley as directors. It wasn’t until 1971 that the Regency Theatre was built, opening with the
Guild’s production of “The Importance of Being Earnest”. In 1973, the Freeport Players’ Guild was proud to welcome Prince Charles as a visitor to the Regency Theatre. In 1991 and 1992, renovations were necessary to keep the building in good repair. There have been many changes and improvements over the years, with the largest renovation project taking place in 1991/92. In 1996, the theatre celebrated its 25th anniversary with a special “Stroll Down Memory Lane” production, when the auditorium was renamed in honour of Peter Aston. To support the fundraising initiative for the theatre, visit www.gofundme. com/regencyACfund.
16 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, August 3, 2018
celebrity The Weekend Fashion Report 2018 ESPY Awards
HIT
Softball player AJ Andrews
US women’s national Host and race car soccer team player driver Danica Alex Morgan Patrick
Karin says: “I love a good jumpsuit, bit this a Vegas/ circus outfit. Why so tacky, AJ? All-over sequins is already not my thing, but the cheap looking gold pattern on top of it? No ma’am. The neck also looks really uncomfortable.” Cara says: “And the award for worst dress this week goes to AJ Andrews. This is a weird throwback to that 1970s disco mess. The shoes also don’t go with the outfit. They seem dull in comparison. It just doesn’t work for me.”
Karin says: “We don’t look to athletes to fashion mavens, so in that context this actually a real hit. It’s pretty and flowy and feminine. And bit boring in that we’ve seen this style a hundred times, but it’s not bad. However, I think she should have gone with lighter makeup.” Cara says: “Yes, we’ve seen so many variations of this style of dress. This one is not terrible. I like the fabric and the texture is very airy and the detail at the waist is pretty. I’m on the fence with the granny panties. But her hair and make-up are really stunning though.”
FAIL Karin says: “No wonder she’s looking miserable. This is a fashion abomination. Let me get this straight, she’s the host and she chose to wear a oneshoulder, ill-fitting velvet sack with gold studs on it? Gold studs!! Go back to your cars, Danica.” Cara says: “Nope; not at all. This is hideous! What fabric is that and why is it covered with those ugly dots? And those shoes are equally unattractive. The only thing that I like in her look is her loose ponytail.”
SPLIT
HIT
Pittsburgh Steelers’ JuJu SmithSchuster
‘SportsCenter On The Road’ host Sage Steele
Karin says: “I guess he was missing his school boy days. We don’t often say this about guys’ outfits, but it’s kinda cute. I’m not 100 per cent sold on the mismatched sleeves, and I wish the shorts were just a bit longer, but at least it’s creative.” Cara says: “This is so much fun! I know it’s going to raise some eyebrows, but I think its so geeky and nerdy but worn by a real hunk, which ups its ‘wow’ factor by like a 100. I really like it.”
Karin says: “I love the pale peachy pink colour on her! The dress is safe, but it is very pretty. A tad demure, but it fits her perfectly. I like how the pattern changes it up a bit on the top. And I really like her fun, laid-back hairstyle.” Cara says: “It’s a lovely dress and the fit is flattering. However, it’s a bit matronly and the colour is a bit bland for her skin. But I do like the look on the whole and her curly hair.”
PHOTOS BY WILLY SANJUAN/INVISION/AP
FAIL
With Karin Herig and Cara Hunt
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Friday, August 3, 2018
film
Review: ‘The Darkest Minds’ offers up next teen dystopia By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer
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ids under the age of 18 are being persecuted by adults for their special powers in “The Darkest Minds ,” an adaptation of book one of Alexandra Bracken’s young adult trilogy that’s about five years and 15 movie dystopias too late to feel the least bit fresh or interesting. And it’s not for lack of trying. Director Jennifer Yuh Nelson (”Kung Fu Panda 2”) brings a heartpounding intensity to the deeply disturbing story in her live-action debut. Children die, are beaten, burned alive, hunted and interned for their powers, which are helpfully colour-coded by their glowing eyes and can essentially range from super smart to Jedi to fire-breather. But the story is not only derivative of so many other dystopias and kids with power sagas, but, and perhaps worst of all, it never even really gets going — a clear and infuriating set up for some future instalment. The film speeds through a jumble of exposition setting up a world in which most of the children die suddenly and the two per cent who remain develop said special powers. The US President (Bradley Whitford), afraid of tots and teens capable of mind control and telekinesis even though he’s also father to one, dispatches his military to round them up, execute the most dangerous, and force the rest into servitude in labour camps. Ruby (Amandla Stenberg) is our entry into this world. She’s an “orange,” the second most dangerous colour, but survives by mind-controlling the screeners into thinking she’s “green,” or the smart ones. But the stereotypically sinister military guys (like Wade Williams’ “The Captain”) running the camp she’s in are suspicious and decide to stage a test to figure out what she really is, but a kindly nurse at the camp, Cate (Mandy Moore), helps her escape before that. This first 30 or so minutes is actually fairly riveting with interesting
CHUBS, Zu, Ruby and Liam in a scene from “The Darkest Minds” (Photos/Daniel McFadden) action and tension as we all get acclimated to this strange world, but soon it becomes clear that this story has no intention of actually going anywhere in this movie at least. Ruby hooks up with a little squad of runaways, the silent, electricitywielding Zu (Miya Cech), the smarts Chubs (Skylan Brooks) and the ohso-obvious love interest Liam (Harris Dickinson) as they search for a paradise camp they’ve heard of that’s run by another escaped kid. There are obstacles along the way — Ruby is afraid to let her new friends know her true colour, there’s a psycho bounty hunter on their tail in Lady Jane (Gwendoline Christie) and a lot of cagey little cliques of kids unwilling to help. There’s also quite a lot of filler and half-baked story lines and underdeveloped ideas that leave this whole exercise feeling stilted and not quite
MAIN protagonist Ruby (Amandla Stenberg) with her love interest Liam (Harris Dickinson) finished. We don’t know very much about Ruby, but what we do know is the night she turned 10 and her parents gave her a Gudetama keychain, her eyes glowed orange and the next morning her mother didn’t remember
who she was. And yet at 16, when she escapes the camp, all she wants to do is to go home. It’s a bizarre little diversion with no satisfying reveal — did she forget that her mom forgot her? Did she think it changed? The film is full of little annoyances like that, which — and this is assuming the very best — may ultimately have more satisfying conclusions somewhere down the line that fans of the books get to know and the rest of us just get to guess at. And there are appealing things about this movie, like Stenberg, who does wonders with what she’s given to work with, and her chemistry with Dickinson. But as the whole dystopian YA genre looks for a way to evolve, this concept of set-up movies really needs to die. Derivative is excusable, a half story is not. Running time: 105 minutes. One and a half stars out of four.
18 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, August 3, 2018
books
Long after Watergate, Woodward and Bernstein make news NEW YORK (AP) — More than 40 years after they became the world’s most famous journalism duo, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein are still making news. Bernstein was among three CNN reporters who last week broke the story of former Donald Trump lawyer Michael Cohen’s allegation that Trump knew in advance of the June 2016 meeting between representatives of his presidential campaign and Russian officials. On Tuesday, Woodward’s upcoming “Fear: Inside the Trump White House” was No 1 on Amazon. com, within a day of its announcement. The former Washington Post colleagues known for their Watergate coverage speak regularly, they say, comparing notes on the Trump era. “He’s a news junkie, and I’m a news junkie,” Woodward, 75, explained Tuesday during a telephone interview, adding that he includes a tribute to Bernstein in his new book’s acknowledgements. “We keep each other posted pretty well,” Bernstein, 74, said during a separate phone interview. “Obviously, we do different things. But we also have a lifetime of understanding each other and looking at news together.”
Reporters Bob Woodward, right, and Carl Bernstein, whose reporting of the Watergate case won them a Pulitzer Prize, sit in the newsroom of the Washington Post in Washington May 7, 1973. (AP Photo) Woodward, an associate editor at the Post, is among the most successful nonfiction authors of his time, with a long series of best-selling accounts of sitting presidents from Richard Nixon to Barack Obama. A new Woodward book even became a political tradition — coming out in the fall of an election year. But after the 2012 release “The Price of Politics,” Woodward stepped away from the present, publishing no works on Obama’s second term, and instead focused on Watergate-era news. “The Last of the President’s Men,” his work on White House aide
Lonely Planet has launched its first guidebooks to cruising
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he travel publisher Lonely Planet has launched its first guidebooks to cruising. The three new books out this summer are “Cruise Ports Alaska,” ‘‘Cruise Ports Caribbean” and “Cruise Ports Scandinavia & Northern Europe.” The books include colour maps, reviews, recommendations for activities and outings in ports of call including
shopping and dining, as well as tips on how to save time and money. The guide to Scandinavia and Northern Europe offers sections on Berlin, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, Reykjavik and St Petersburg; Tallinn, Estonia, and Riga, Latvia; Gdansk, Poland; the Shetland and Orkney islands; and Oslo and Bergen in Norway. The Caribbean guide to “perfect days on shore” covers Miami, Cozumel,
Bob Woodward, left, and Carl Bernstein appear at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington in 2018. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File) Alexander Butterfield, the man who revealed Nixon’s taping system, came out in 2015. A Trump book was an easy choice for Woodward, who calls his rise a “pivot point” in American history. According to his publisher, Simon & Schuster, Woodward will show the “harrowing life” of the Trump White House and the president’s decisionmaking process as he draws upon “hundreds of hours of interviews with firsthand sources, contemporaneous meeting notes, files, documents and personal diaries.” The book’s title draws upon an interview Woodward and Washington Mexico, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, St Kitts & Nevis, St Martin, Turks & Caicos, Aruba, Antigua, Bonaire, Curacao and Barbados. The Alaska guide includes sections on Seattle and Vancouver, where most Alaska cruises originate, along with a look at Alaskan ports, parks and destinations like Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau, Haines, Skagway, Whittier, Seward, Anchorage, Glacier Bay and Denali national parks. The guides also have sections on trip-planning, including month by month guides and advice on choosing the right cruise for you, along with tips on everything from visas to ground transportation to tours. The books retail for $20. The Associated Press
Post reporter Robert Costa had with Trump that was published in April 2016. Costa had noted that Obama defined power as “you can get what you want without having to exert violence.” Trump had a different interpretation. His answer was, Woodward says, checking his notes, “Real power is, I don’t even want to use the word: ‘Fear.’” Bernstein is a political commentator for CNN whose books include “A Woman in Charge: The Life of Hillary Rodham Clinton” and the two Nixonera classics he wrote with Woodward, “All the President’s Men” and “The Final Days.” He is currently working on a memoir about his early years of journalism, when he was starting out at the now-defunct Washington Star. “My time at the Star was a great learning experience, and then there was the Post and Watergate. Those two experiences inform pretty much everything I do,” Bernstein said. “Imagine,” he added, referring to himself and Woodward, “here we are, 74 and 75 years old, and we still get to do this.” HILLEL ITALIE AP National Writer
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Friday, August 3, 2018
gardening
Tomatoes in August
This month is the real beginning to our annual hurricane season, says Jack Hardy, and the possibility of a destructive storm will last into mid-November.
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ost of our ornamental and fruit trees will be bearing fruit or flowers so we do not want to touch them until there is a good likelihood of a storm affecting our property. There are many flowering shrubs however that can be prepared for hurricane season by simply removing whole limbs at close to ground level. Count the number of main branches on oleander, hibiscus, roses and such then remove one-third of them completely. You will not disturb the plants’ blooming and visitors might not even notice that the shrubs have been pruned. If wind can pass through your shrub foliage it will be less likely to uproot the whole plant. There is much more to be done to prepare your garden for a storm but if you prune your shrubs now it will be one major job out of the way that will benefit the plants, storm or no storm. Local sages say that mangoes staying green on the tree, and ants proliferating, are sure signs of an active hurricane season. It may seem unbelievable, but August is the beginning of our vegetable growing season, at least for early tomatoes. I have noticed that the quality of imported Summer tomatoes has distinctly improved over the past
two or three years. Even so, imported tomatoes never taste as good as those we pick from our own garden so the sooner we get them under way the better. The reason we cannot grow tomatoes in Summer in the Bahamas is because the flowers need a temperature of 68 degrees or lower in order to self-pollinate. This nighttime temperature usually starts in late October so our aim with early tomatoes is to have our plants sturdy and flowering by then. That means planting tomato seeds by the second week in August. I like to do my tomatoes and many other major vegetables in three distinct stages. First the seeds are sown in black plastic pre-formed trays or seeds boxes containing good quality potting mix with soluble nutrients. After planting the seeds give the surface of the soil a mist spray of fungicide to avoid ‘damping off’, a disease that can destroy most of your seeds planted in hot and humid conditions. Your seed trays should be in light shade. Tomatoes are warm weather lovers but not hot weather. When the seedlings are four to five inches tall and well rooted they should be transplanted to larger pots containing potting mix. Most will do fine in gallon pots but some heirloom varieties, particularly those with potato leaves, would benefit from being in three-gallon pots. Water the pots lightly every day in the morning. When the vines are about 18 inches to two feet tall – sometime in late September or early October – they can be moved to their final resting place in the vegetable garden that has been well dug over, fertilized and watered a couple of weeks ahead. A good idea is to dig your holes in the next few days and throw in lettuce and cabbage leaves, coffee grounds, and other seedless vegetative matter. All is grist to the mill. The three-stage preparation of tomato vines is effective because it allows you to abandon weaker plants without great loss and reduces the time between final transplant and fruit formation. This is important in order
to diminish the effects of nematodes. A tomato vine planted at around the flowering stage will bear a healthy crop of fruit before succumbing to nematodes. One transplanted into the garden when only a few inches tall will die before the fruits reach full size and ripen. Even if you do not have a nematode problem the three-stage method has distinct advantages. While in pots the plants can be gradually moved from shade to full sun prior to the final transplant. If a hurricane comes while the tomatoes are in pots they can be watered and placed in a sheltered area on their sides. When the storm is over you can make the transplant to the garden as part of the healing process. Nobody feels good after a hurricane but life has to go on. Even small accomplishments at this time are important. If all goes well you will start to pick ripe tomatoes in early December, close to four months after sowing the seed. By this time you should have sown another tray or two of seeds to keep your tomato harvests continuous. Another set in January or February will see you through the growing year, particularly if you sow some cherry tomatoes in February and March. Large-fruited cherry tomatoes are great for the end-of-season months. Sweet peppers can also be started in August, along with heading cabbage and scallions. Most other vegetables can be started in late September and early October, the later the better for lettuces and greens. Cucumbers and squash can be started in September. Onions other than scallions and leeks should be started in December. I would leave eggplants until January or February. It might be well to sit down in comfort one day soon and make a list of the veggies you intend to grow, then make a note of good sowing times. A little bit or organisation goes a long way. • For queries and comments e-mail jacktribune242@gmail.com
20 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, August 3, 2018
weddings
Love at rainbow’s By CARA HUNT Tribune Features Writer cbrennen@tribunemedia.net
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hen Zemi Holland and Ian Stewart discovered they were both twins it set them on the path to become
a perfect pair. They first met when they were working at the same company, and today they are on track to start their own family after a stunning wedding on the private property known as Deanna’s Beach located in the bride’s hometown of Gregory Town, Eleuthera As Zemi told Tribune Weekend, “Back in 2014 we worked for the same company. We never spoke – aside from that one time I ordered guava duff from his cousin and gave him an IOU. But while there we spent several months observing each other in a
end
corporate environment with no feelings or immense attraction, just respect.” Eventually they both left their jobs, going their separate ways. But fate had other plans for them and soon Zemi and Ian found themselves once again working together at another company. “Still, we barely spoke. Then one day, through a mutual work friend, we found out we were twins – I have a twin brother and Ian has a twin sister. I was instantly excited because all the time of ‘knowing’ Ian, I had no idea he was a twin just like me. As soon as I went back to my desk I sent him a message: ‘Ian I didn’t know you were a twin!’ And the rest is history,” said Zemi. She said from their first real conversation with each other she was drawn to Ian. “Talking to him gave me such peace. He was calm, wise, down-to-earth and God-loving, worshipping and fearing. I remember saying to God, ‘Lord, if I
don’t marry Ian, I want to marry someone just like him’.” For Ian, the sense that he had found his soulmate was mutual: “I don’t believe there was one defining moment that brought me to the realisation. Early on I felt that she be could the one based on the series of events that led me to our first real conversation. From day one it was pretty much divine.” “The journey to who we were at that point in time was pretty different, but we seamlessly meshed in our outlook, passions and temperament. I was pretty sure she was ‘the one’ when she left for her final semester in college. We had been spending so much time together that not having her around
left me somewhat lost. I knew she was already becoming a part of the fabric of who I was. I needed to make her my forever,” he said. It helped that their families were also on board basically from the start. “This was the first time I was with someone that was completely new to my family, so I believe there were a few days of ‘Who she is? Who’s her people?’ They all thought she was beautiful, but I told my mom she was a poet and had a book of poems. I think she thought I was dating a celebrity. When Zemi’s great-aunt – who happened to be my Mom’s good friend – found out who ‘my people’ were, I think she and my Mom started to plan the wedding. My Dad on the other
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Friday, August 3, 2018
PHOTOS/STANLEY BOBB OF STANLO PHOTOGRAPHY
hand isn’t the expressive type so only God knows what he was thinking...no literally, only God knew because he stay talkin’ to God behind my back,” said Ian. After 11 months of planning, the couple exchanged vows in a ceremony they describe as “island chic”. “We wanted to celebrate the beauty of the flora without being cliché. We loved how the plants framed the ceremony and decided to accent the natural flora with large white flower arrangements and dark wood chairs. The reception again made use of the landscaping. We had bistro lights draped between coconut trees, long tables that weaved between the trees and large leafy green centrepieces accented with the white flowers used in my bridesmaids’ bouquets. Our colours were green, white and pops of pink with rose gold accents. We love Eleuthera and its natural beauty. We chose the theme because we wanted an intimate, outdoor wedding that came across as elegant and effortlessly chic,” said Zemi. The pair said they even received a special heavenly sign to cement their vows. “For Ian and I the rainbow is very symbolic of our relationship and love story, as during our early work communications I would send him a rainbow emoticon as my way of saying ‘I love you’. I knew I was entering covenant love so a rainbow only felt right. Ian would send the sunshine in return and it became our secret code. When I saw that it was forecast to pour rain on our wedding day, I said to Ian, ‘I know what God is going to do. He’s going to let it rain so that I can see the rainbow.’ I thought that I would see the rainbow as I was getting ready for the wedding and that it would be sunny all afternoon – the wedding was at 5pm – but no. After we said our vows and were preparing to kiss, I looked up and saw the rainbow. I became giddy with joy and said to Ian mid-ceremony, ‘Look! Look, the rainbow!’ We both smiled. It was confirmation that our love was meant to be,” said Zemi. The advice Ian would give to other grooms-to-be is to stick to the confines of the set wedding budget. “Do not borrow. Be patient with your future wife and be willing to compromise. Consider the wedding planning process as a dress rehearsal for marriage,” he said. Zemi’ s advice to accept that the bride and groom cannot do it all.
“Learn to trust and delegate. Tell people exactly what you want and confirm that they heard and understood you. Be prepared for some emotional shocks. Little things will go wrong here and there. You have to learn to release. Be prepared but use wisdom. Many insisted we get a tent which would have ran our bill into the thousands. We did not get the tent and are thankful because it did not rain very long. We should have, however, considered purchasing monogrammed umbrellas. At the very least they could have been favours,” she said. “Yes, it’s all about you, but no one cares about your wedding as much as you do and that is OK.” She added that the marriage is way more important than the wedding could ever be. “Always remember, the marriage matters more. You have to live after the wedding,” she said. Like at every wedding, there were some that did not go according to plan at the Stewart wedding. “Two days before the wedding our caterer cancelled on us without any prior notice. We had a cooler full of lobster, freezer of conch and fish, and pounds of chicken with no one to cook any of it! We, along with our wedding planner, had to purchase groceries, ask guests to pick up certain items from Nassau, find servers, utensils and a place to prep, cook and store food. It was incredibly stressful in the moment, but thanks to my Aunty Jo, who primarily cooked the food, our bridal party, and the many good Samaritans of Gregory Town, including Aunty Frances, Pammy Gibson and Lavonda Thompson, everything went wonderfully. The guests had no idea that we had manoeuvered such a crisis. Other things went wrong or just alternate to our expectations of course, but they are insignificant now and paled in comparison to our mad dash to get out guests fed,” said Zemi. The pair hired Tennille Darville of Five Seasons Bridal to coordinate the wedding and said that they could not have pulled it off without her. “Our venue needed power (generators), lighting, sound equipment, bathrooms, bug spray, fly traps...the works, We were the first wedding ever on the property and the first event of that size period, so literally everything had to be considered and planned. Logistical challenges or not, I strongly recommend a wedding planner or at the very least, a day of coordinator.
22 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, August 3, 2018
literary lives – katharine hepburn and frank sinatra
Katharine Hepburn had
the measure of Sinatra
Sir Christopher Ondaatje remembers two poignantly personal biographies published in 2003 (and how Katharine Hepburn had the measure of Sinatra’s manhood).
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hese two biographies are “Kate Remembered” by A Scott Berg and “Mr S: The Last Word on Frank Sinatra” by George Jacobs, William Stadiem. Scott Berg is a superb biographer. I first read his biography of Max Perkins (the brilliant editor at Scribner who worked with Hemingway and Scott Fitzgerald), then Sam Goldwyn, and then Charles Lindbergh – for which he received the Pulitzer Prize. At the start of their 20-year friendship, Katharine Hepburn promised to tell him everything but made one stipulation: he could not publish until
Katharine Hepburn (1907 - 2003) admitted she “never really cared” for Frank Sinatra (1915 - 1998)
“Sinatra was apparently so well hung that he had ‘special underpants made, a cross between a panty girdle and a jock strap’.”
she had died – which she eventually did, aged 96, on June 29, 2003. “Kate Remembered” is his loving tribute to Hepburn. “She wanted it published as close to her death as possible,” the author stated in an interview, “because she knew there’d be so much written about her, and she wanted one good record out there of the truth, as she saw it.” Berg started putting it together while Hepburn was still alive, but didn’t tell her in case she thought he had betrayed her. “I just wrote it up, in 2000, and locked it up.” After the actress died Berg completed the last three pages. Katharine Hepburn was an icon in the popular culture of the 20th century
and Berg covers the seven decades in which she developed from an admired actress into a loved movie star and ultimately the embodiment of the modern American woman. “Bright, barefaced, scandalously bold,” was how Kenneth Tynan described her. Scott Berg’s vibrant biography bears out this opinion. Berg quite obviously worshipped Hepburn. It is clear that she did not suffer fools, and that she had very strong opinions and didn’t hesitate to voice them. She found most of the Merchant Ivory pictures “a bore” and had no tolerance for Woody Allen’s movies. On the other hand, she flipped for John Travolta in “Saturday Night
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Friday, August 3, 2018
Fever”, and after seeing Julia Roberts in “Mystic Pizza” she predicted that she would become the “next big movie star”. Meryl Streep was her least favourite actress on screen (“Click, click, click”, she said, referring to the wheels turning inside her head), and Glenn Close was her least favourite actress on stage (”She’s got these big, fat, ugly feet”). She ridiculed Bob Hope, her co-star in “The Iron Petticoat”, as “the biggest egomaniac with whom I have worked in my entire life.” She thought Lauren Bacall “a good girl” but Judy Garland “a lost cause”. Montgomery Clift was “a psychological basket case” and Henry Fonda? “Cold. Cold. Cold . . . Strange man. Angry at something. And sad.” She enjoyed working with Laurence Olivier: “a firstrate actor” but “a second-rate person”. One of the most revealing strands of the book concerns her great love, Spencer Tracy. Berg is amazed that the actress stayed for 26 years with a man renowned as one of the biggest drunks and womanisers in town. (One night, as Hepburn tried to put the drunken Tracy to bed, “he smacked the back of his hand across her face.”) But most people in Hollywood contended that, whatever the endless gossip about his escapades, he had become the finest actor in movies. Hepburn also cast her unforgiving eye over Frank Sinatra, the subject of “Mr S” – a sensational biography written by George Jacobs, the black valet who served him for 15 years after the singer won his Oscar in 1957 for his role in “From Here to Eternity”. Hepburn and Tracy attended a party (arriving in separate cars) for the newlywed Sinatra and Mia Farrow. “I never really cared for Frank … and you must never ask me about the girl,” said Hepburn. She thought that there was “no way that girl could have any moral structure to her life.” Sinatra couldn’t stand being alone, so, having been “stolen” from Swifty Lazar (one of Hollywood’s top agents), Jacobs would spend hours phoning for women – call-girls or otherwise. Sinatra was apparently so well hung that he had “special underpants made, a cross between a panty girdle and a jock strap.” This was done to minimise his manhood “so it wouldn’t show through his tuxedo pants.” Most of his Hollywood conquests, however, complained that all Sinatra ever talked about was his second wife and great lost love, Ava Gardner – another hard-drinking, outspoken screen goddess.
Both biographies from 2003 reveal something of the determination needed to get to the top in show business.
Katharine Hepburn with her lover of 26 years, Spencer Tracy Katharine Hepburn and Frank Sinatra at the ‘Spencer Tracy Recalled’ event in 1986. (Photo/David McGough/ DMI/ The LIFE Picture Collection)
But somehow everything seemed to change when the 19-year-old Mia Farrow arrived in Hollywood and held Sinatra in “total sexual thrall”. In the end, the aging singer-actor, who was 30 years her senior, couldn’t stand the sight of her. In 1968, when Sinatra’s spies reported seeing Jacobs dancing with Farrow in a Los Angeles nightclub after the estrangement, Jacobs was fired. (Ava Gardner was reported to have said of the marriage that Sinatra always wanted to sleep with a boy.) Jacobs recalls in vivid and sometimes hilarious detail Sinatra’s outrageous mid-life crisis, and recollects his liaisons with call-girls and starlets, as well as with goddesses like Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Natalie Wood, Lauren Bacall and Grace Kelly. Even the sultry blues singer Peggy Lee did not escape his amorous attention. Sinatra’s relations with the Kennedys (when JFK was in the White House) and the Mafia (Sam Giancana), and his escapades with the Rat Pack (Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr) during his own most popular years, make outrageous reading. But for all his playboy antics, Sinatra was “dead serious about his career, which he placed before everything else. By career, I mean singing.” He knew movies were a crapshoot, out of his control, but music was another matter. He understood that his remarkable voice was the key to his stardom. Before every recording session, “He’d religiously spend an hour . . . listening to classical music” (Richard Tucker and Lawrence Tibbett) and would rest as hard as he normally played – only drinking “hot tea with lemon and honey, no Jack Daniel’s and no cigarettes”. Sinatra died in 1995. Both biographies, although very different, are very entertaining. And both reveal something of the determination needed to get to the top in show business and – a harder business still – to stay there. Talent and staying power were qualities both Hepburn and Sinatra possessed in abundance. These two biographies, if nothing else, are a tribute to those extraordinary traits. NEXT WEEK: A journey into fear • Sir Christopher Ondaatje is an adventurer and writer resident in the Bahamas. A Sri Lankan-born Canadian-Englishman, he is the author of several books, including “The Last Colonial”.
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Friday, August 3, 2018
science
Einstein’s theory of relativity
passes yet another test
NEW YORK (AP) — More than a century after Albert Einstein proposed it, his theory of general relativity has passed another test. With giant telescopes pointed at the center of our galaxy, a team of European researchers observed a fast-moving star that got close to a monstrous black hole. They saw that the black hole distorted the light waves from the star in a way that agrees with Einstein’s theory. The result was reported last Thursday in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. Einstein’s theory says the fabric of the universe is not simply space, but a more complex entity called space-time, which is warped by the presence of heavy objects. Black holes offer a good opportunity to test that idea. The one that lies at the heart of the Milky Way is four million times as massive as our sun. “I, just like every physicist in the world, would have loved to finally see a crack in Einstein’s relativity,” said
An artist’s impression provided by the European Southern Observatory in July 2018 shows the path of the star S2 as it passes close to the supermassive black hole at the centre of the Milky Way galaxy. (M. Kornmesser/ESO via AP)
Ohio State University astrophysicist Paul Sutter. “But he’s outsmarted us.” But confirming Einstein’s work — again, “feels like we’re kind of beating a dead horse,” said Sutter, who wasn’t part of the research team led by Reinhard Genzel of the Max Planck
Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Garching, Germany. Scientists know that the theory still doesn’t explain everything about the universe. So they keep testing it time and again. So far, nobody has been able to overthrow it.
Although the effects of general relativity have been seen before, this was the first detection made by observing the motion of a star near a supermassive black hole. “To me, that’s what makes this so cool,” said Clifford Will, a University of Florida physicist who did not participate in the research. Will hopes his colleagues will be able to discover stars even closer to the black hole, where the effects of relativity would be stronger. This finding “is really the opening episode,” he said. “The future, I think, is going to be very exciting.” EMILIANO RODRIGUEZ MEGA Associated Press
This composite photo was created from over 100 images of Mars taken by Viking Orbiters in the 1970s. (NASA via AP)
The two planets were just 35.8 million miles (57.6 million kilometres) on Tuesday. And last Friday, Mars was be in opposition. That means Mars and the sun were on exact opposite sides of Earth. That same day, parts of the world saw a total lunar eclipse. Mars is now brighter than usual. Astronomers expect good viewing through early August. A massive dust storm presently engulfing Mars, however, is obscuring surface details normally visible through telescopes. The Martian atmosphere is so full of dust that NASA’s Opportunity rover can’t recharge — not enough sunlight can reach its solar panels — and so it’s been silent since June 10. Flight controllers don’t expect to hear from 14-year-old Opportunity until the storm subsides, and maybe not even then.
The good news about all the Martian dust is that it reflects sunlight, which makes for an even brighter red planet, said Widener University astronomer Harry Augensen. “It’s magnificent. It’s as bright as an airplane landing light,” Augensen said. “Not quite as bright as Venus, but still because of the reddish, orange-ish-red colour, you really can’t miss it in the sky.” In 2003, Mars and Earth were the closest in nearly 60,000 years — 34.6 million miles (55.7 million kilometres). NASA said that won’t happen again until 2287. The next close approach, meanwhile, in 2020, will be 38.6 million miles (62 million kilometres), according to NASA. MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer
Mars making closest approach to Earth in 15 years CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (AP) — Now’s the time to catch Mars in the night sky. Last week, the red planet is making its closest approach to Earth in 15 years.
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Friday, August 3, 2018
history
A day trip to Harbour Island
Forgotten facts | Paul C Aranha
R
ecently, I wrote about my experiences at Harbour Island. Today I will use an extract from my new book about Bahamas Airways (1936-1970) to show how important airplanes were to that island. This appeared in a local paper on February 25, 1937: “Parties in three planes took advantage of perfect Nassau weather to visit Dunmore Town, Harbour Island, which is fast becoming known as the ideal spot to visit, either for a quiet vacation or for a few hours picnic. In the Bahamas Airways Loening air yacht, which took off at 11am, were Mr R H Curry, Messrs Robert Curry and Aubrey Curry, Mr Valentine Ely (son of Mr A G Ely), Mrs Ely and Mr Edwin Brownrigg of the Nassau Guardian. Mr and Mrs Ely are staying at Harbour Island for three weeks. Arrived at Dunmore Town, the party spent the morning swimming at North Beach which, according to many travellers who have had the pleasure
The Little Boarding House has remained a landmark in Dunmore Town, Harbour Island, and popped up in The Nassau Guardian as recently as February 7, 2009, when the 200-year-old building was sold, through Lightbourn Realty, whose president, Mike Lightbourn, tells me that, as a child, when his parents took the family to Harbour Island for the summer, he ate Miss Thompson’s breakfast and dinner every day. PHOTO/ANDRÉ DIXON COLLECTION
of bathing there, has no equal in the world. Mr Aubrey Curry was keenly interested in visiting the old spots on the island, which he had not seen for almost twenty-seven years, and was pleased to see that the quaint old-fashioned atmosphere has been preserved. The Bahamas Airways twin motor plane, piloted by Captain Charles Collar, arrived a little later than the
Loening, with a party of eight, who headed straight for the beach. After enjoying a delicious lunch, prepared by Miss Hattie Thompson, at the Little Boarding House, the first party took another stroll about the interesting old streets and left, shortly after 3 o’clock, on their half-hour return flight to Nassau.
The trip, up and back, was something to remember always, and the party was convinced that flying is the only real way of appreciating, fully, the magnificent colours of the coral reefs, sand banks and the shallow water that blended from white, through many shades of green and blue.” • For questions and comments, e-mail islandairman@gmail.com
This weekend in world history August 3
• 1492 – Italian explorer Christopher Columbus sets sail from the Spanish port of Palos in command of three ships—the Santa Maria, the Pinta, and the Nina—on a journey to find a western sea route to China and India. • 1914 – Germany and France declare war on each other. Britain went to war a day later and World War I lasted until November 11, 1918. • 1949 – After a three-year battle to win both players and fans, the rival Basketball Association of America (BAA) and National Basketball League (NBL) merge to form the National Basketball Association (NBA).
August 4 • 1892 – Andrew and Abby Borden, elderly residents of Fall River, Massachusetts, are found bludgeoned to death in their home. The main suspect was Andrew’s daughter, Lizzie Borden, who was tried, but acquitted of the gruesome murders. • 1936 – African-American athlete Jesse Owens continues to make history when he wins gold in the long jump at the Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany. It was the second of four gold medals Owens won at the Games. • 1944 – Anne Frank, the now famous teen Jewish diarist, and her family are captured by the Nazi Gestapo in a sealed-off area of an Amsterdam warehouse. Anne
died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany in 1945.
August 5 • 1858 – The first telegraph line across the Atlantic Ocean is successfully completed largely due to American merchant Cyrus West Field. The telegraph was first developed by Samuel F B Morse in 1832. • 1892 – American abolitionist and political activist Harriet Tubman receives a pension from Congress for her work as a nurse, spy and scout during the Civil War. • 1962 – Movie star Marilyn Monroe is found dead in her Los Angeles home. She was discovered lying nude on her bed, face down, with a telephone in one hand and empty pill bottles to treat her depression littered around the room.
Jesse Owens at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin
Yesterday’s solution: QUesT (across) sword (down)
26 | The Tribune | Weekend
Best described as a number crossword, the task in Kakuro is to fill all of the empty squares, using numbers 1 to 9, so the sum of each horizontal block equals the number to its left, and the sum of each vertical block equals the number on its top. No number may be used in the same block more than once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Kakuro increases from Monday to Sunday.
Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so the each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday
CRYPTIC PUZZLE Across 1 Little nap on a bed rather badly made (10) 6 The band plays a short piece (4) 10 Took steps to help with training (5) 11 Forged letters used by fighters of the past (5,4) 12 This arm’s moved quite quickly (8) 13 Three goddesses lay out a feast (5) 15 Dazed US general in retreat and encircled (7) 17 It has a large bill in place perhaps (7) 19 First-rate arrangement for a performer (7) 21 Girl I took on for a job (7) 22 Coming to a vital conclusion (5) 24 Minister with a number of shepherds (8) 27 Possibly finding a stone a bit unyielding (9) 28 I complain when she returns (5) 29 Machine-gun nest blown up (4) 30 What the twister may lead you? (5,5)
Down 1 The kind to work as a key operator (4) 2 Descriptive of a lay figure? (9) 3 Dread variety of snake (5) 4 Withdrawing support? (7) 5 Stretch to a shelf, perhaps, to give her a cup (5,2) 7 A portion by itself (5) 8 Drives off and achieves perfection (5,2,3) 9 The bits one pinches (8) 14 Youths who have short-service commissions (6,4) 16 Status symbols? (8) 18 Oriental quarter in Dresden perhaps (9) 20 Former buccaneer has no right to make amends thus (7) 21 There’ll be friction as long as he’s at work (7) 23 Publication I put to a variety of uses (5) 25 Was a possessive type? (5) 26 Toy that needs a wind to get going (4)
Yesterday’s Easy Solution Across: 1 Bulwark, 5 Steep, 8 Overpower, 9 Put, 10 Mark, 12 Loophole, 14 Archer, 15 Levity, 17 Frequent, 18 Leap, 21 Use, 22 In transit, 24 Tardy, 25 Hungary. Down: 1 Bloom, 2 Lie, 3 Alps, 4 Kowtow, 5 Scruples, 6 Explosive, 7 Pottery, 11 Racketeer, 13 Beautify, 14 At fault, 16 Snatch, 19 Petty, 20 Dawn, 23 Sea.
Yesterday’s Cryptic Solution Across: 1 Tearing, 5 Ranks, 8 Pastilles, 9 Gum, 10 Sift, 12 Brighten, 14 Errors, 15 Meteor, 17 Research, 18 Aria, 21 Tea, 22 Hard Times, 24 Cider, 25 Support. Down: 1 Topes, 2 Ass, 3 Isis, 4 Galore, 5 Resigned, 6 Night gear, 7 Seminar, 11 Firm stand, 13 Breather, 14 Erratic, 16 Scores, 19 Asset, 20 Atop, 23 Mao.
EASY PUZZLE
Across 1 Humiliation (4,2,4) 6 Wound with dagger (4) 10 Shrewd (5) 11 Interpretation (9) 12 Deliberately damage (8) 13 Asiatic wildcat (5) 15 Left out (7) 17 Bad collision of vehicles (5-2) 19 Conceited person (7) 21 Supremely evil (7) 22 Godly (5) 24 Showing signs of worry (8) 27 Barren (9) 28 Error of tact (5) 29 Republic of Ireland (4) 30 Ruined (2,3,5)
Down 1 Item-by-item record (4) 2 Work of a sailor (9) 3 Surpass (5) 4 Well advanced (7) 5 Admit (7) 7 Object (5) 8 Insolvency (10) 9 Divert (8) 14 Award for last place (5,5) 16 Prize highly (8) 18 Conferring respect (9) 20 Manner of speaking (7) 21 Shrill cry (7) 23 Bid (5) 25 Bet (5) 26 Minus (4)
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The Tribune | Weekend | 27
Friday, August 3, 2018
animals
Spinning a story of spider love
O
Animal matters | KIM ARANHA
h my, spiders, that is a touchy subject! I am the first one to run a mile if I see a “friendly spider” on the wall. I remember when we still had Bird Cay and would go over for weekends. There was frequently a very large spider who would hang out in the only air-conditioned room downstairs, and I swear, not exaggerating, that when he jumped down from the wall you heard a thud. Just that sound alone sent me out of the cool and into the warmer, but safer, parts of the house. With my limited knowledge of spiders I did some superficial research online and I think that the spider we called the Friendly Spider was actually a type of tarantula. It was most definitely hairy, large, and appeared to be quite fearless. In spite of my terror, when I saw this big guy, and subsequently his family members, I would make everybody promise not to kill him and to put him outside so he could scamper away to safety. I guess that the old adage “if you want to live and thrive, let a spider go alive” was made up to try to protect spiders, because of their important job in nature. I remember going to England one summer and staying in a beautiful thatched cottage in Hampshire for a few weeks. I was utterly amazed at
how many spiders I saw there. It shocked me because whenever we would have visitors from the UK just one lonely spider minding it’s own business would cause a chant about “all the bugs in the Bahamas.” The only spider I am actually not afraid of are the daddy-long-legs spiders (Pholcids, also known as harvestmen) because he is so small and fragile, but for his size he is actually very venomous. But being so light, even though his poison ratio is high it is not dangerous. I have spent a large amount of my life weaving on the road to miss a tarantula, scooping spiders out of the swimming pool and trying to figure out how to corral one and send it outside. I duck and dance to not break a magnificent spiders web that has been so brilliantly executed over night… all this for a creature that makes my skin crawl and gives me a mild to extreme case of panic. Many years ago I was unpacking a box of Eleuthera tomatoes in my grandmother’s old home on the Ridge near St Anne’s Church when something ran up my arm and then jumped off…a huge spider! I screamed so loudly that both my brother and cousin came running in with golf clubs raised to ward off the attacker. When they found out that all the noise was about a single spider they retreated laughing and
teased me for years about it. Recently, I was reading one of the many stories the website The Dodo sends out. They feature enchanting and moving stories about rescued and cute animals. Well, this one was about a rescued Black Widow spider. At first I was a bit incredulous, but upon reading it was the sweetest of stories. I will attempt to paraphrase it for you here below (not my words): “When Jacob saw something black on his broccoli he saw it was a Black Widow. ‘She came out waving her arms,’ he said. He carefully removed her from his food and contacted the Another Chance Sanctuary, a friend of his worked there. “She looked so frantic,” the rescuer said of the little spider, “How she managed to survive all the steps the broccoli went through was a mystery.” The spider they named Broccoli was fortunate that the lady at the sanctuary was well versed in spider care. “She was extremely hungry, she was skinny,
By The Bahamas Humane Society
“A
little bit about myself? Well, that is a good question! I’m know at the BHS as ‘Found Old Fort’, but you can call me Old Fort. I think I’m about three years old, in dog years, that is. I was found running on the beach at Old Fort Bay and
was brought in to the Bahamas Humane Society in the hopes I had an owner out there. I’ve been available for adoption for several months now. I love to go walking with volunteer Kate. I’m enjoying the company of my kennelmates, but what I’m really hoping for is a home of my own. A family to call mine. I’m sure I have German Shepherd in my lineage so I can
probably learn some new tricks if you’d care to teach me! Do you have room in your family for me? If so, please come into the BHS to meet me or call 325-6742 for more information. Remember to ask for ‘Found Old Fort’! Adoption hours are 11am to 4pm Monday to Friday, and 10am to 4pm on Saturday. I look forward to meeting you.”
PHOTO/PATRICIA VAZQUEZ
PET OF THE WEEK Found at Old Fort Bay, looking for love
they are supposed to have a big abdomen.” As soon as Broccoli was settled in her new habitat she started eating the fruit flies put there for her and she enjoyed time in her small cave, but unlike most black widows she appeared more out going. As soon as she realised she was not in danger she started building a web, and appeared to enjoy spending time out in the open. In a short 24 hours she made an amazing recovery. Most people would have said, “It’s just a spider, squish it. But she is so much more than that,” her rescuer said. In a few weeks Broccoli will go to her new home. A lady heard about her on social media; they have a great setup, and her pet Black Widow recently died. Spiders are not for everybody, but Broccoli’s story makes you realise that she is not a little killer, but a little arachnid sent to educate a few people on her way to the good life!”
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Friday, August 3, 2018
