08032021 BUSINESS AND FEATURES

business@tribunemedia.net

TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2021

$5.10 Ship agent: ‘We’ll not be scapegoat’ on Asian beetles By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamian shipping agent for a vessel that offloaded wood waste containing an invasive beetle species yesterday pledged to fight impending Customs charges and efforts to make it “a scapegoat” for the controversy. Elbert Hepburn, Elnet Maritime’s chief executive, voiced optimism to Tribune Business that “we’ll be exonerated with the right investigation” days after multiple government agencies announced a probe into how the Pan Jasmine cargo ship was able to offload without their approval wood waste infested with an Asian beetle renowned for destroying trees. Promising that “we’re going to fight through it”, he said he had passed Bahamas Customs’ July 30 letter - setting out a list of charges against Elnet Maritime - to his attorneys at the

ParrisWhittaker law firm in readiness for a potential legal battle that could potentially reach the Bahamian courts. Questioning why Customs and other government agencies are not going after the Pan Jasmine’s owner or management company/ operator, Mr Hepburn argued that Elnet Maritime was not responsible for what occurred. He instead blamed the “breakdown in the operation” on a marine logistics service provider that Elnet Maritime hired to remove the infected wood waste, known as dunnage, from the vessel. This sub-contractor, Lucayan Maritime Services, took on the job of removing the 200 cubic metres of wood from the Pan Jasmine on a 110-barge. The dunnage was subsequently brought to shore, where it was fumigated, sanitised and burnt at Grand Bahama’s landfill.

SEE PAGE 8

Minister: ‘Extreme frustration’ over Grand Lucayan By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net A CABINET minister says it is “extremely frustrating” that the Grand Lucayan’s sale continues to be delayed by the protracted wait for ITM/Royal Caribbean to close their separate deal with Freeport Harbour Company. Dionisio D’Aguilar, minister of tourism and aviation, told Tribune Business that concluding negotiations over Freeport Harbour’s redevelopment - including the addition of new cruise berths - was a “condition precedent” that must be satisfied before the joint venture will acquire the resort from the government.

DIONISIO D’AGUILAR Suggesting that the government nevertheless “remains optimistic” that the Grand Lucayan’s sale will eventually get over the line, he said he had been “advised” that an agreement between ITM/Royal Caribbean’s Holistica joint venture and Freeport Harbour Company - the latter which is 50/50 owned by

SEE PAGE 7

$5.13

$5.17

$5.18

Doctors in 40% public GB hospital ownership By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

D

OCTORS Hospital is planning to offer at least a 40 percent collective ownership stake to Grand Bahamians in the $15m-$20m hospital it plans to open on that island by the 2022 second quarter. Dennis Deveaux, the BISX-listed healthcare provider’s chief financial officer, told Tribune Business that Grand Bahama residents “should expect to start hearing” about how they can acquire an equity interest in the new hospital by October 2021. Disclosing that the facility will create between 90-100 direct jobs “at full maturity”, he disclosed that construction work on the building identified for the Grand Bahama hospital will begin in the same month as details about the share offering are likely to be released. Arguing that Grand Bahama’s healthcare needs mean “we don’t have the

• To offer minority stake to island’s retail investors • $20m facility to open early 2022 with 90-100 direct jobs • PwC hired to advise on offering; structure to be decided

DOCTORS HOSPITAL NASSAU luxury of a two-three year build-out”, Mr Deveaux acknowledged that details regarding the offering of a large minority equity stake are still being worked out including timing, share price and whether it will take the form of an initial public offering (IPO) or private placement. Revealing that up to a 49 percent collective ownership interest could be offered, he explained that it would initially only be made

available to Grand Bahama and “northern Bahamas” residents. If any shares remain, they would then be offered to retail investors (individuals) throughout The Bahamas and only opened up to institutions in a final third phase in a bid to achieve the broadest possible ownership. “It’s no secret that we’re looking to put a full inpatient hospital in Grand Bahama,” Mr Deveaux told this newspaper. “That

project has received quite a bit of support at the clinician level and a fairly mature client base. We envision some time in the first and second quarters of 2022 starting up a new hospital in Grand Bahama. “The concept of the hospital is 12 beds on the ground from day one with the capacity to expand to 20, a full Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with five to seven ER (emergency room) critical bays with the capacity to expand. We’re building in the capacity to expand with evolved healthcare needs. We’re approaching Grand Bahama with scalability. “We anticipate that at full maturity we could be looking at anywhere from 90-100 full-time jobs. Beyond direct employment impacts, we expect to engage local designers and architects,

SEE PAGE 9

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, August 3, 2021, PAGE 3

Tourism chief: COVID test tightening ‘right thing to do’ By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas’ top hotelier yesterday said the government’s tightening of COVID-19 testing requirements for incoming travellers was “the right thing to do” in a bid to bring the country’s soaring infection rate under control. Robert Sands, The Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association’s (BHTA) president, told Tribune Business that it was “fundamental to the continued growth of the economy, and the health and welfare of its people” that all measures deemed necessary to contain COVID-19’s spread be enacted. He spoke out after the government effectively performed a u-turn in its treatment of vaccinated travellers, both tourists and Bahamians, who are entering this nation. With effect from this Friday, August 6, they will now be required to present either a negative COVID-19 rapid antigen or PCR test taken within five days before travelling to this nation to be admitted at the border. This reverts to the pre-July 1 position by reinstating the requirements for all incoming travellers to produce a negative COVID-19 test whether vaccinated or not. While this removes what some observers regard as discriminatory treatment, the logistical challenges and hassles associated with obtaining the test results within five days could deter some visitors from venturing to The Bahamas and set back the country’s tourism rebound. For the government has now also introduced the new requirement for children aged between two and

• Visitors booked for August 6-8 scrambling • And ‘huge deterrent’ to inter-island travel • Chamber chief: Like buying two airline tickets 11 years-old to also present a negative COVID-19 test, taken within five days of travelling to this nation, when they land. This will result in added costs and difficulty for families travelling with children. The revised protocols mean that vaccinated persons, and those with children, who have Bahamas vacations booked between August 6-8 will now be scrambling as they will have less than five days to take the required tests and obtain negative results. As for inter-island travel, all vaccinated, non-vaccinated and children aged two years-old and older will have to produce a negative COVID-19 test taken within five days of travel. While the vaccinated and children will have their choice of rapid antigen or PCR tests, non-vaccinated persons must submit to a PCR test only. Persons travelling from New Providence, Grand Bahama, Bimini, Exuma, Abaco and North and South Eleuthera, including Harbour Island, will be subject to these measures. Public health officials say they are necessary to combat the potential spread of COVID-19 by asymptomatic vaccinated travellers as well as children, especially given the rapid spread of virus mutations such as the Delta variant and hospitalisation spikes in Florida. Pedro Rolle, the Exuma Chamber of Commerce’s president, told Tribune Business that the PCR

ROBERT SANDS

PEDRO ROLLE

test-only requirement will be “a huge deterrent” to travel by non-vaccinated Bahamians and residents living in the Family Islands because of the cost involved. Estimating that a PCR test costs between $150$180 on his island and others, he said the new restrictions mean this traveller category will be “buying two tickets” to travel from their island another destination in The Bahamas. Mr Sands, though, said it was critical for The Bahamas to “identify infected persons coming from hot spots” before they arrive in this nation. “The reality is that our COVID cases are surging, and the Government in its wisdom has put in place a requirement that will perhaps identify any affected person prior to arriving in The Bahamas,” he added, “particularly those who have been vaccinated. “That applies to individuals between two and 11. They have also been seeing an increase in positive cases. These measures mirror the requirements to enter the US. While any

protocols that are put in place may act sometimes as an impediment for people looking to travel, at this point in time it’s the right thing to do. “For The Bahamas in its efforts to continue to grow tourism, taking the safety of citizens and tourists as a priority is fundamental to the continued growth of the economy and health and welfare of its people,” Mr Sands added. “That is the singular priority not only here but from a worldwide perspective, and to encourage those nonvaccinated persons to get vaccinated. “These new initiatives or protocols will help us to identify affected persons coming from hot spots so it’s the right thing to do.” Asked whether the hotel and tourism industry has sufficient time to alert its industry partners and incoming travellers to the altered protocols, Mr Sands said: “A number of websites were updated today. “There is never enough time, but prudence sometimes justifies the rationale for making such a decision. The industry is happy that the initiative has been taken

to protect the well-being of the ongoing growth in tourism, to protect the ongoing health and safety of The Bahamas’ citizens and the ongoing health and safety of visitors coming to the country.” With active COVID19 cases now numbering almost 2,000, and some 102 Bahamians - of whom 14 are in intensive care - in hospital, Mr Sands said the country was “not in a position to deal with any amount of catastrophic cases and cannot afford for its healthcare system to become overwhelmed. “This is a pandemic that is very dynamic, and the ability to react quickly with concrete measures is the right thing to do,” he added. Mr Rolle, meanwhile, said the increasing case numbers meant he could not reject recommendations from public health officials. And he backed the reimposition of testing requirements for vaccinated persons on the basis that The Bahamas is “too open to anyone coming in”. However, he baulked at the insistence on a PCR test for unvaccinated persons travelling inter-island from the designated locations. “Now they’re saying for someone unvaccinated to travel to Exuma from Nassau will require a PCR

test,” Mr Rolle said. With PCR test costs on Family Islands almost the same as the price of an airline ticket, he added: “The impact that will have on travel is a huge deterrent. That’s easily the cost of the ticket each way. Every time you are travelling you are buying two tickets.” Mr Rolle argued that the government instead “double up” on rapid antigen test requirements, testing non-vaccinated persons before they depart and when they arrive both ways using this less expensive testing method as compared to the PCR test. The four rapid antigen tests, he argued, would be equivalent in cost to one PCR test. “That would go a long way to alleviating the situation,” Mr Rolle said. “It’s a challenge. I understand the government must do something, but what they are requiring is a bit strenuous I think. It’s going to impact business persons in a real way. Some fly to Nassau from the Family Islands every week. That’s part of their business costs. “Persons coming to Nassau for medical reasons, it impacts them. It impacts tourists. Do you know the number of persons who come to Exuma just to swim with the pigs? That’s very strenuous. It impacts them.”

PAGE 4, Tuesday, August 3, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

BOTTLE MANUFACTURER HELPS BAHAMIANS BEAT COVID By TOSHEENA ROBINSON-BLAIR A FORMER banker’s bottle manufacturing business has enabled multiple Bahamians to survive - and thrive - during the COVID19 pandemic by helping to make their drink, juice and food endeavours a reality. Entrepreneurs turned to Andrew McFall’s A.R.M Bottles and Supplies to help buffer the impact of a crisis that disrupted both industries and careers, eliminating some jobs while placing others in limbo. Multiple persons needed his bottles and jars to package newly-created products. “Once people were allowed to move around, many persons were trying to figure out what they could do to earn extra cash. The pandemic accelerated

entrepreneurship,” said Mr McFall, who spoke from his Crooked Island Street factory in the St Barnabas constituency. “Beginning in April 2020, the numbers kept climbing. People began selling coconut water and other juices. By the summer we were in full swing. I had former hotel employees say they made more hustling and selling juices than when they worked 9am to 5pm.” After six years in business, Mr McFall for the first time witnessed an influx of Bahamians generating cash from all-natural juice and bush tea beverages. Popular flavours of these home-made drinks include lemonade mixtures, carrot and sky juices. Others saw opportunities in the spice and hot sauce markets as well as hair care products, he added, as

Position Available

Maintenance Handyman If you: 1. Possess good working skills 2. Have good oral and written communication skills 3. Have experience in using hand and electrical tools 4. Have technical knowledge of basic maintenance repairs 5. Are able to work Flexible Hours Main Responsibilities: • Perform minor maintenance repairs • Perform preventive maintenance task on a regular basis • Perform general inspection checks • Determine tools and equipment needed for repairs • Maintain a log of maintenance work per formed and required • Identify and report need for major repairs • Oversee any maintenance repairs by private contractors • Perform general cleaning projects • Undertake any other duties Documents Required 1. Copy of your valid Bahamian Passport 2. Copy of your valid NIB Smart Card 3. Copy of your Police Record 4. 2 - References 5. 2 - Recent Passport Photo

Email: jobs2018bah@gmail.com Deadline: August 13, 2021

he watched containers fly off shelves almost as fast as he could stock them. When a liquor manufacturer pivoted to produce hand sanitizers at the height of the pandemic, A.R.M collaborated with the distillery on packaging in doing its part to combat the spread of the COVID-19 disease. The partnership provided a basic necessity in short supply at that time. Entrepreneurial pursuits can take a huge personal and financial toll. Estimates suggest more than 70 percent of all small business ventures fail in The Bahamas, with most occurring within their first five years. It is often due to a combination of factors such as lack of funds, poor market knowledge, stiff competition or expanding too quickly. This did not deter Bahamians forced into self-employment by the pandemic. They realised old jobs either were not coming back, or they no longer wanted to continue along their current career path. The latter was the case for Mr McFall. He worked his way up the corporate ladder at a Canadian bank operating in The Bahamas, progressing from a teller in 1983 to senior manager for receivables in charge of The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos at the time of his early retirement in 2014. “The question for me was ‘what’s next?’ We have to begin thinking what’s next earlier rather than later,” he said. Mr McFall stumbled into manufacturing when a friend asked for help selling boxes of imported five-gallon bottle caps. Shortly after he struck deals with a few water manufacturers to purchase the covers, a local bottle company burnt down leaving a void in the market. With covers but no new bottles, the water manufacturers suggested Mr McFall step in. A.R.M secured its business licence in November 2014. In January 2015, it officially launched with four employees, three business customers and two machines. Back then, Mr McFall manufactured plastic bottles in four sizes, sold along with their accompanying covers. “Nothing in my professional background prepared me for this. I did not know anything about the industry. I spent two weeks in China visiting factories, investigating machines and searching out suppliers to source materials,” he said.

ANDREW MCFALL’S, pictured, A.R.M Bottles and Supplies is helping to make beverage bosses and other small business owners’ dreams come true as they bring new products to market. Photos: Cay Photography/Precision Media

ESTABLISHING a bottle manufacturing business took strategic planning and a trip to China to source equipment and identify raw materials. Pictured here, how bottles get their start.

Originally located off East street, within a year Mr McFall realised his enterprise needed more space. He moved the business to new rental accommodations, a two-story building on Crooked Island Street, while he searched for a more permanent home. When his landlord placed the building up for sale, Mr McFall realised he needed to act quickly or face the possibility of losing his factory space. After leasing talks with representatives of another property fell through, he secured financing from the Bahamas Development Bank (BDB) to purchase the premises he previously rented along with additional equipment. During his company’s first three years, one of the major challenges was

understanding the demands of the business and its cash flow. Parts and equipment arriving from China had to be paid for immediately, but took two to three months from order to delivery. His financial background proved a major asset in this area. “The location here, being so central, has been awesome. As walk-ins came in and told me what their needs were, I started to increase my product line,” Mr McFall added. Money saved from the Customs duty exemptions granted to manufacturers was reinvested back into the business, allowing him to purchase more machines to produce bottles ranging in size from eight ounces up to five gallons. He also sells a variety

of glass and cosmetic jars, two ounce bottles, as well as mist and honey bottles with assorted covers and nozzles. However, Mr McFall is unable to benefit from the tax breaks offered as part of the Over-the-Hill Zone revitalisation initiative as his company is located just outside the boundaries of the area designated for the initiative. Nevertheless, A.R.M has extended its reach from New Providence into the Family Islands. Its customers hail from Andros, Exuma, mainland Eleuthera, Harbour Island, Grand Bahama, Bimini, Abaco, Long Island, Acklins and Inagua. Repeat clients make-up 90 percent of the business, the majority of which are small business owners. To keep pace with demand, Mr McFall has increased staff to nine fulltime employees and two to three seasonal workers. As the company grows, so too do his goals. The manufacturer has set his sights on expansion while reducing plastic waste in the environment. Reflecting on his years in business, Mr McFall believes it is “the younger, the better” when it comes to launching your own business. “Too many of us begin looking for something to do a year before we retire. Give yourself a good, solid ten years to start a business prior to retirement. That way your business would have already caught hold,” he recommended. “As Bahamians we watch to see what others are doing and we copy them. My advice: Look for the void in the market and fill it.”

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, August 3, 2021, PAGE 5

COFFEE AND GLOBALIZATION ACTIVTRADES WEEKLY By RICARDO EVANGELISTA www.activtrades.bs THE etymology of the word offers clues on the history and trajectory of what is, after water and tea, the most popular drink in the world; the English term coffee was adapted from the Dutch koffie, which in turn evolved from the Turkish kahve, itself based on the Arabic qahwah, which I’m told means “dark in colour”. It is believed the plant originates from Ethiopia and Sudan, while the first known reports of coffee being drunk dates from the 15th century, in Yemen, where it had arrived transported by Somali merchants. The arrival to Europe occurred in 1526, when the Turks invaded Hungary. Over the following decades it reached almost the entire continent, with its popularity steadily catching up. By 1675 there were more than 3,000 coffee houses in

England, which by then had become gathering spaces for the discussion of the hot topics of the time. A custom that may have contributed to the dissemination of the ideals of enlightenment. European explorers ended up carrying coffee to the four corners of the planet, during the maritime expansion of the 16th and 17th centuries, realising the soils and climates of some areas of south America and Asia were perfectly suited for the growth of the plants. Presently, Brazil is the world’s leading producer, with an annual output of more than 2.5 million metric tons, followed by Vietnam and Colombia, with several other nations also contributing to feed the growing global demand for the drink. Coffee’s global expansion and the way it was embraced by different cultures epitomises the spirit of globalisation. Ironically, the global nature of the business left it exposed to

unforeseen events, that over the last few months pushed the price of the commodity to levels close to the all-time high reached in 2014. As the global economy recovers from the shock caused by the coronavirus, coffee buyers all over the world are struggling to move the stuff around, due to a sudden acceleration in demand for gadgets and other Chinese exports at a time when many containers are displaced, which is creating a logistic nightmare and a rise in shipping costs. This dynamic hasn’t been helped by freak weather in Brazil, with frost damaging a large portion of the local crops, as well as political unrest in Colombia, where freights were halted due to the blocking of roads by protesters. The result is an increase of approximately 60 percent in producer prices since the beginning of the year. However, these prices haven’t yet started to be passed on

TRUCKLOAD of coffee beans leaving a plantation. to consumers, at least not to their full extent. Because bulk buyers tend to use the futures markets to protect themselves against short term price fluctuations, it will take up to nine months before retail prices suffer the impact of the escalation, which occurred mainly during the month of July. So, unless demand for coffee suddenly collapses, expect the cost of your espresso or cappuccino to go up in the not-too-distant future.

ARAWAK CAY CHIEF BACKS LOITERING BAN By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net

THE Arawak Cay Association’s president says “one of the good things” about the government’s COVID19 crackdown is the ban on loitering at the popular Fish Fry destination. Rodney Russell told Tribune Business: “If they are coming to Arawak Cay then they should be inside the establishment. We only want genuine customers out at Arawak Cay, and those persons who just want to come out to hang out can do so at the beaches or stay at home. “This is something I have been speaking to my vendors about for years now as these people who just hang around outside of these stalls only cause problems and interfere with persons who want to come to Arawak Cay to

FISH FRY, ARAWAK CAY enjoy themselves. “I was pleased when I saw the Prime Minister make the statement that there will be no one gathering outside of these establishments. If you come to patronise, then come inside, but if you are not coming to patronise then go somewhere else.” Mr Russell suggested June’s murder at Arawak Cay could have been avoided if vendors cracked down on loitering. He

added that vendors should not tolerate persons bringing their problems to the Fish Fry. “With persons not hanging out on the outside, for the persons that are passing or travellers passing Arawak Cay, who would see a large crowd at Arawak Cay, gives the impression that crowds are spending money, which isn’t the case,” he said. Mr Russell also lamented

the lack of other venues where young people could enjoy themselves and socialise, calling it the “biggest problem” The Bahamas now has as there is nowhere for them to go and have a good time. “Young people want to dance and frolic and show off their new clothes. If there is no venue for them then their neighbourhoods become a violent place,” he added.

BURGER KING EXPANDING ‘WHERE IT MAKES SENSE’

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net BURGER King management say they are always looking to “expand where it makes sense” after the brand opened its latest restaurant on East Street south. Ash Henderson, its director of marketing, told Tribune Business the fastfood franchise had been seeking a location to serve southern New Providence communities that would otherwise have to travel to reach

its other restaurant locations. “We are able to serve the communities that don’t have to go into town or on the Tonique Williams Highway or to the Carmichael Road branch,” he added. Fast food competition in the East Street south area, surrounded by the Bamboo Town, South Beach, Pinewood and Golden Gates constituencies, is significant. Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), Checkers and a Domino’s Pizza all have a presence.

Neighbours had previously complained about Burger King’s new location because construction work had caused flooding and other problems in the area, but these issues appear to have ceased since the outlet started trading. Mr Henderson said: “We’re always looking to expand where it makes sense and where we can, and we always have our eyes open for different areas for the island. We do aim to be accessible to all Bahamian

residents no matter where they live and it is our ultimate plan to do that.”

Position Available

Inspector If you: 1. Possess good working skills 2. Have good oral and written communication skills 3. Are able to work Flexible Hours Main Responsibilities: • Report inconsistencies to the Supervisor • Provide written reports on a regular basis • Investigate disputes • Conduct spot checks • Liaise with law enforcement offices to ensure proper reporting violations • Ensure security procedures are adhered to • Conduct field investigations to ensure compliance • Investigate violations • Conducts surveillance to ensure all regulations are adhere to • Provide temporary solutions to minor problems Documents Required 1. Copy of your valid Bahamian Passport 2. Copy of your valid NIB Smart Card 3. Copy of your Police Record 4. 2 - References 5. 2 - Recent Passport Photos

Email: jobs2018bah@gmail.com Deadline: August 13, 2021

PAGE 6, Tuesday, August 3, 2021 A PROPOSAL to create a Bahamas Cultural Experience in Brussels, so that musicians, artists and artisans can showcase their work and penetrate the European market, has been submitted to the government. Maria O’Brien, The Bahamas’ ambassador to Belgium and head of mission to the European Union (EU), disclosed the initiative when she met Bishop Gregory Collie, the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation’s (BAIC) chairman, other directors and management on Friday, July 30. The meeting was designed to strengthen export opportunities for Bahamian industries and agricultural producers in Europe by capitalising on this nation’s diplomatic presence in Brussels since 2019. This is the city where the EU’s key institutions are based.

THE TRIBUNE

CULTURAL EXPERIENCE TO TARGET EU URGED

Over the previous two decades, The Bahamas’

lack of presence in Belgium resulted in missed

opportunities that were available through the EU to support the development of agriculture, trade, the private sector, cultural and creative sectors through the Economic Development Fund (EDF) for African, Caribbean and

Pacific countries. Ms O’Brien said the embassy has engaged bilaterally and multilaterally with the European Commission, the European Parliament and every EU member state since 2019, and with the Organisation

of African, Caribbean, and Pacific states (ACP). The Embassy has also created access to technical and financial support for local businesses to increase trade with the EU. Bahamians are able to benefit from programmes which support development in agriculture and food security, health, water, disaster risk reduction and energy. Ms O’Brien said the embassy also wants to change the narrative among Europeans about The Bahamas being a so-called “tax haven”. She called on the BAIC Board and management to encourage the government to explore export opportunities for Bahamians, thus helping to grow the Bahamian economy with less dependence on tourism. Pictured at BAIC headquarters from left are: Vernita Rhodenwalt, assistant general manager of human resources; Maria O’Brien; BAIC chairman, Bishop Gregory Collie; deputy chairman, Kim Carey-Gibson; and BAIC general manager, Rocky Nesbitt. Photo: Kristaan Ingraham/BIS

Position Available

Custodian

If you: 1. Possess good working skills 2. Have good oral and written communication skills 3. Are able to work Flexible Hours

SUPPORT THE BLOOD BANK

SAVE A LIFE GIVE THE GIFT OF

BLOOD

BECOME A REGULAR DONOR

1 PINT CAN SAVE 3 LIVES GIVE BLOOD - GIVE LIFE

SOME HELPFUL TIPS BEFORE YOU DONATE:

4 You must have eaten at least once for the day.

Main Responsibilities: • Proper Sanitizing • Cleaning and maintaining floors (sweeping, mopping, waxing, buffing and polishing) • Cleaning restroom facilities • Keeping janitor rooms and closets clean and organized Documents Required 1. Copy of your valid Bahamian Passport 2. Copy of your valid NIB Smart Card 3. Copy of your Police Record 4. 2 - References 5. 2 - Recent Passport Photos

Email: jobs2018bah@gmail.com Deadline: August 13, 2021

4 You need at least 30 minutes between your last meal and donating blood. 4 You will need at least 10 minutes rest after donating blood. 4 You can donate blood every 8 weeks.

4 The Blood Bank will do FREE Pre-screening tests to make sure you are healthy enough to donate blood.

BECOME A REGULAR DONOR

PLEASE ENCOURAGE YOUR COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT THE BLOOD DRIVES

CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF THE CHILDREN AT RANFURLY

T

he Ranfurly Homes for Children has been a safe haven for thousands of Bahamian children since 1956. The Home provides a safe, structured environment for children who have been orphaned, abused, neglected or abandoned. YOU can make a difference in the lives of the children at Ranfurly. With your support children can have nutritious food, warm beds and a safe environment where they can discover the joy of being children. For years the children living and learning at Ranfurly have made great social and academic strides. Their further development requires additional support in the form of a Transitional Home, planned for construction on the Ranfurly property. This residence will cater to teenagers and young adults who are beyond school age, but need accommodation while they find work and gain independence from the Home. We look forward to your continued support in this worthwhile endeavour.

MEMBERSHIP PACKAGES Individuals, Families & Corporate Sponsors Children Helping Children - $5 (Individual children from ages 6 - 18) Individuals Helping Children - $50 (Individual adults 18 years and over) Families Helping Children - $100

CIRCLE of FRIENDS Silver: $1,500 - $2,499 Gold: $2,500 - $4,999 Platinum: $5,000 plus

OPPORTUNITIES

• Invitations to Ranfurly events • Assist with fundraising events • Involvement with special activities • Adults are eligible to join the Board after three months • Stay in touch with Ranfurly through website and newsletters

BENEFITS

• Personal fulfillment in knowing you are impacting lives • Ranfurly children’s appreciation and positive response • Continued support provides stability and constant care

For more information visit: www.ranfurlyhome.org Please “Like” us on Facebook Ranfurly Home for Children, Mackey Street P.O. Box 1413 Nassau, Bahamas 242-393-3115

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, August 3, 2021, PAGE 7

CABINET MINISTERS SET TO LEAD ELEUTHERA OUTLOOK TWO Cabinet ministers lead the speaker line-up for the ninth Eleuthera Business Outlook conference, which will be held virtually on Wednesday, August 12. The event, part of the Business Outlook Series 2021, will be held under the theme Facing unprecedented times: Recover. Adapt. Advance. Beginning at 9.30am, it will examine tourism’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and infrastructure modernisation. Joan Albury, president of TCL Group, founder and chief organiser of the Bahamas Business Outlook, said: “Headlining will be minister of tourism and aviation, Dionisio D’Aguilar, whose keynote will address the burning issue of the day - how to bring about our tourism industry’s recovery, adaptation where necessary and its further advancement. “Also confirmed for the forum is deputy prime minister Desmond Bannister, whose focus will be Ways to innovate Eleuthera, Harbour Island and Spanish Wells infrastructure. Joining the government members,

we will have a group of wellseasoned professionals who will speak to what is needed to maximise the productivity of the Eleuthera mainland, Harbour Island and Spanish Wells. “Overall, our agenda addresses the major aspects of the Eleuthera subgroup’s value to the national economy, its potential to contribute even more and what is urgently needed to increase productivity and realise that potential more fully. There will be a question and answer period, and I hope Eleutherans and other interested persons will register for the Eleuthera Business Outlook and ask questions. Participation is absolutely free.” Thomas Sands, the Eleuthera Chamber of Commerce’s president and another conference speaker, said: “The Eleuthera Chamber of Commerce and I, personally, have supported the Eleuthera Business Outlook since its earliest days. We appreciate the sensitivity of organisers to the genuine needs of each community the Business Outlook series covers. This is especially so this time.

“Indications are that mainland Eleuthera, Harbour Island and Spanish Wells will continue to play a major role in the recovery of the economy of The Bahamas. To encourage and maximise this recovery, the upgrade of the existing but poor infrastructure on the island from north to south is critical to the country’s success. “Airlift is critical to economic recovery, with the North Eleuthera airport now amongst the busiest in the country and in dire need of upgrades. What are the realistic timelines for the North Eleuthera airport upgrades? Some portions of the Eleuthera Highway have been replaced over the past months. Why only portions and not consistently over entire stretches from one town to another?” Mr Sands asked. “Is there a plan to complete the entire highway? What is the plan for streets within the towns? These are some of the questions for the government, and we are looking to the two Cabinet ministers on the programme to enlighten us.”. Speakers will focus on

Eleuthera’s development, including the proposed Disney project at Lighthouse Point; issues of health and safety amid COVID19; on the Sand Dollar, The Bahamas’ new digital currency; food security and technology. Speakers and their topics will include The creation of the Eleuthera business hub, by Mr Sands; Update: The plans for Lighthouse Point, a Disney representative; Food sovereignty is attainable, Deon D Gibson, sustainable agriculturalist; Healthcare in a COVID environment, Dr Charles Diggiss, president and chief executive, Doctors Hospital Health Systems. There will be two panel discussions: The first will be Restarting Tourism, with presenters including Algernon Cargill, director of aviation, Ministry of Tourism and Aviation; Kerry Fountain, executive director, Bahamas Out Island Promotion Board; and Janet Johnson, chief executive/ executive director, Tourism Development Corporation, Ministry of Tourism and Aviation. The second will focus

on Digital currency and alternative banking. The panel includes Kimwood Mott, project manager-digital currency implementation, Central Bank of The Bahamas; Khalil Braithwaite, chief marketing officer, Kanoo; and Jeffrey Beckles, managing director, Island Pay; and Chantelle Sands, Head of Family Island business accounts, Cable Bahamas Business Solutions. Moderating the sessions will be Kerry Fountain, the Bahamas Out Island Promotion Boar’s executive director, and Ryan Austin, proprietor, COCOA Coffeehouse. Rev Allison Dean will open the day with a prayer, followed by the University of The Bahamas School of Music rendering the national anthem. Mrs Albury added: “Those who know Bahamas history know how important it is for decisionmakers, Bahamians in general and potential investors, both local and foreign, to appreciate the contribution the islands of mainland Eleuthera, Harbour Island and Spanish Wells have made - and can make going

forward - to the growth of our country. “Harbour Island was once the informal capital of The Bahamas and a major boatbuilding centre, and is today a hot-ticket draw for investment in resorts and second home ownership. Mainland Eleuthera is significant in the same way and was known for agricultural exports, as Spanish Wells has been and still is for fisheries exports.” TCL’s president thanked the forum’s sponsors and supporters, adding: “I’m deeply grateful to the Eleuthera Chamber of Commerce, the Ministry of Tourism and all our generous sponsors, enduring supporters and my sterling TCL team in helping us maintain these forums that provide expert, trustworthy and necessary information to Bahamians and interested persons everywhere the worldwide web covers.” Those interested in attending the Eleuthera Business Outlook 2021 on August 12 may register free of charge at www.tclevents. com.

Minister: ‘Extreme frustration’ over Grand Lucayan

but this is a condition precedent of theirs. “They don’t want to purchase the hotel and real estate, and buy into that, and end up not getting a deal at the port. They want to get that done. Clearly it’s frustrating that this has not concluded yet. We wanted it to conclude, but remain optimistic it’s going to happen,” the minister continued. “I’m advised they’re at the commas and colons stage of concluding their agreement, putting them in the right place. Hopefully it’s imminent. We’re ready to move forward, but are waiting for this condition precedent. We’re waiting for Freeport Harbour Company and Royal Caribbean to finalise their agreement. We’re almost ready to go, but nothing can move forward until we see this agreement.” The sales agreement for the Grand Lucayan was signed just weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic, and its associated lockdowns and restrictions, hit The Bahamas. This, coupled with the cruise industry shutdown, inevitably delayed the deal and

resulted in some terms being renegotiated, but the protracted wait since has led many to question whether it will still go through. Tribune Business understands that the Government had been hoping for a July 23 closing, but that date came and went, with the Grand Lucayan now looking likely to drain the taxpayer by more than the $3m subsidy allocated in the 2021-2022 budget. Besides the Grand Lucayan’s purchase from the government, the Royal Caribbean/ITM proposal also calls for the addition of new cruise berths at Freeport Harbour as well as the creation of a waterbased adventure theme park for the thousands of passengers that the cruise line plans to bring to Freeport on an annual basis. That means the Holistica partners have to strike a deal with the Hutchison-controlled Freeport

Harbour Company, as well as the government. Closing on one before the other would give either Freeport Harbour Company or the government the power and negotiating leverage to squeeze more concessions from ITM/Royal Caribbean knowing that the joint venture will be increasingly desperate to wrap up negotiations on the last component for its project. Russell Benford, Royal Caribbean’s vice-president of government relations for the Americas, acknowledged to Tribune Business in June that many Bahamians are increasingly disbelieving that the resort’s redevelopment will ever happen but said the cruise line’s ambitions suffered a major hit when the entire industry was shutdown by COVID-19. While asserting that Royal Caribbean and its ITM Group partner were “close” to sealing the deal for Freeport’s former

“anchor resort” property, he also confirmed that talks with Hutchison Whampoa over the accompanying redevelopment of Freeport Harbour also have yet to complete. Mr Benford reaffirmed that Royal Caribbean/ ITM, and their Holistica joint venture, remain intent on completing both deals at the same time. He added that the government’s acquisition of Grand Bahama International Airport from Hutchison-controlled Freeport Harbour Company had also given the partners

greater confidence to move forward given that the facility was the hotel’s airlift “lifeline”. “I think we’re close. I’ve been saying that for quite some time, I realise that,” Mr Benford told this newspaper in a nod to the protracted negotiations. “I’m hopeful that we close this summer, and I think we’re down to a handful of documents that need to be reviewed and a couple of financial instruments that have to go through the legal process, but we’re getting there and are hopeful of a summer closing.”

FROM PAGE ONE Hutchison Whampoa and the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA), the former having management control - was “imminent”. “One of the main reasons this deal has not been able to come to a conclusion is there is a condition precedent, and the condition precedent is for Royal Caribbean and Freeport Harbour Company to seal their deal, and that has not happened,” Mr D’Aguilar disclosed to this newspaper. “Once that happens that triggers the ability to seal our deal. They want to get their deal done to make sure they have a place to go. It’s extremely frustrating that Freeport Harbour Company and Royal Caribbean have taken this long to seal a deal. It’s obviously impacted our ability to conclude our negotiations with Royal Caribbean. We can negotiate all we want,

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that DIEUFORT JOSEPH, of #19, Peardale Nassau, The Bahamas applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 27th day of July 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that HAROLD CHERENFANT, of East Avenue, Carmichael Road, Nassau, The Bahamas applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 3rd day of August, 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that SENILES BIEN-AIME of Marsh Harbour, Abaco, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 26th day of July, 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that ULISES CAMACHO HERRERA of Winton Terrace, New Providence, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 26th day of July, 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

NOTICE is hereby given that CARMEN PAMELA JONES WATKINS of P. O. Box SS-5330, Sea Breeze, Silver Palm, Imperial Park, New Providence, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 26th day of July, 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that MANUSHEKA MERA, of Andros, San Andros, The Bahamas applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 27th day of July 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

Position Available

Security Officers If you: 1. Possess good working skills 2. Have good oral and written communication skills 3. Are able to work Flexible Hours 4. Have excellent surveillance and observational skills Main Responsibilities: • Protect company’s property and staff by maintaining a safe and secure environment • Observe for signs of crime or disorder and Investigate disturbances • Take accurate notes of unusual occurrences • Liaise with law enforcement offices to ensure proper reporting violations • Report in detail any suspicious incident Documents Required 1. Copy of your valid Bahamian Passport 2. Copy of your valid NIB Smart Card 3. Copy of your Police Record 4. 2 - References 5. 2 - Recent Passport Photos

Email: jobs2018bah@gmail.com Deadline: August 13, 2021

PAGE 8, Tuesday, August 3, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

Ship agent: ‘We’ll not be scapegoat’ on Asian beetles FROM PAGE ONE However, Mr Hepburn said Lucayan Maritime Services had failed to properly inform the government’s Department of Environmental Health Services (DEHS) of what it was dealing with and never obtained its approval prior to disposing of the dunnage in the way it did. “We’re confident that with the right investigation and what not we’ll be exonerated and it’ll be looked at for what it is,” Mr Hepburn told Tribune Business of the controversy that has ensnared the shipping agent. “I’m honestly not that concerned because I’m really confident that we can get through this. “I know to the best of our ability that we followed all the rules and regulations. I never expected any form of communication or letter from Bahamas Customs. I figured that Environmental Health would be the party to come after myself and Lucayan Maritime Services. For Customs to come after us

was a shock.” Mr Hepburn said he had never communicated with, or involved, Customs in the removal of a ship’s dunnage, slop or other waste before as Elnet Maritime’s contacts had always been with the Department of Environmental Health Services or the Port Department. And, while the shipping agent had facilitated the filing of a C1 declaration that the Pan Jasmine had no ballast or cargo when it arrived in waters off Freeport on Saturday, July 24, no Customs officer had attended the vessel -m something that is common practice. The government, in a statement on Friday, confirmed that “no ballast or cargo” was declared on the vessel’s behalf. However, Mr Hepburn said Customs’ July 30 letter is now alleging that the dunnage waste is actually cargo, and that Elnet Maritime “imported in a restricted good” - namely waste wood - even though this is neither on the “restricted list” or the Pan Jasmine’s cargo manifest.

THE PAN JASMINE SHIP “They [Customs] gave us a list. I didn’t review it at all. I gave it to my lawyer,” he disclosed. “Bahamas Customs sent us a letter on Friday with a slew of various charges, which we intend to fight through ParrisWhittaker. The charges are saying we had cargo we didn’t declare, but it was dunnage we had to dispose of. “Mr Darville [of Save the Bays] raised the alarm on Thursday, and I had a onetwo minute conversation with Customs on Friday morning, and by Friday afternoon they

had a slew of charges. We’re trying to figure out what type of investigation was done. “They were being reactive rather than proactive and finding a solution. They want to find a scapegoat. We’re not going to allow them to make us a scapegoat. We understands where this operation has gone wrong. Had Lucayan Maritime Services done their due diligence, this operation would more than likely still have taken place” with the necessary approvals from the relevant government agencies. Mr Hepburn suggested that the government was looking to pin the blame for the controversy on someone, and that Elnet Maritime as a Bahamas-based company and shipping agent represented an easy target in efforts to appease persons over the controversy. Voicing optimism that the Asian beetles had been incinerated and destroyed, and pose no threat to Grand Bahama’s forestry product and landscape that is still trying to recover from Dorian’s ravages, Mr Hepburn said the disposal of ship slops (oils), dunnage and other waste had long been part of Freeport’s maritime industry. With trash often amounting to as much as 10-15 cubic metres, he added that such disposals were regular work features for shipping agents and their sub-contractors plus their sub-contractors.

And Mr Hepburn said they were dealing with materials “rejected by the United States) on every single occasion. “This happens every week. No one makes a big deal about it, but because Joe Darville and a few activists got up in arms about it the government feels they need to respond,” one source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told this newspaper. Mr Hepburn said Elnet Maritime was contacted to act as the Pan Jasmine’s agent by its owner/operators when it had to bunker or refuel in Freeport. He was asked “en route” if the dunnage could be taken off in Freeport, and contracted Lucayan Maritime Services to perform this task. The sub-contractor was supposed to obtain the necessary approvals, and make arrangements, with both the Department of Environmental Health Services (DEHS) and Sanitation Services. However, it only did so with the latter so the dunnage could be dumped in the landfill. The Pan Jasmine arrived off Freeport on Saturday, July 24, and departed on the Monday. Mr Hepburn said he only became aware of the Asian beetle incident three days later on July 29 following the voice notes and messages being issued by Mr Darville. He responded by

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that WILMIDE FLEUREME of Treasure Cay, Abaco, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 26th day of July, 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

apologising to DEHS official, Bertha McPhee-Duncanson, and followed up with Sanitation Services to ensure the wood was properly disposed of and destroyed. However, Mr Hepburn has yet to speak to Lucayan Maritime Services given that there is now an investigation ongoing. He added that laws and regulations regarding the disposal of ships’ waste will now be strengthened following this incident. “As a result of this there will be some changes in the industry by people who want to prevent this from happening,” Mr Hepburn predicted. The government, in its statement, said “an inter-agency committee” featuring the Department of Public Prosecutions, Bahamas Customs, the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the Department of Environmental Health Services, the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources, the Office of the Prime Minister, the Department of Forestry, had been formed to investigate the matter. “The suspected dunnage was offloaded without the prior knowledge, consent or approval of the relevant government agencies including Bahamas Customs, the Department of Environmental Health Services and the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources,” the statement said. “Once the various government agencies became aware that the cargo was at the landfill the following steps were immediately taken. A private company was hired to fumigate two remaining bins at the site and the surrounding area as well as the barge that transported the dunnage from the vessel to shore. “All of the dunnage was fumigated at the landfill along with other debris that was in the immediate vicinity. This was under the immediate supervision of the Department of Environmental Health Services, the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources, Royal Bahamas Police Fire Department, and the leadership team of Sanitation Services,” it continued. “After the fumigation process, the incineration is being carried out of the dunnage. The team identified all bins that were used to transport the dunnage and fumigation of these bins have commenced. The Bahamas government takes this breach of its laws and procedures seriously, and will pursue this matter to the fullest extent of the law. An investigation is presently underway.”

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, August 3, 2021, PAGE 9

Doctors in 40% public GB hospital ownership FROM PAGE ONE and for certain vendor services we expect to have local partners.” Mr Deveaux said the emergency room bays could thus be rapidly expanded to ten. While there had been initial suggestions that Doctors Hospital will partner with Cleveland Clinic for its Grand Bahama expansion, he added that this had not been finalised and was “an open discussion point”. The Doctors Hospital financial chief, who declined to say where the Grand Bahama facility will be located other than to confirm it involves taking over and retrofitting an existing building, said the company now planned to speak to the island’s doctors and find out what “gaps” exist in current healthcare delivery to it can seek to fill them. “We have to find out what capacity exists. It’s what gaps exist,” he explained. “We think some gaps exist, but the details of that are going to come out in conversations with physicians on the ground.” Mr Deveaux pegged the total investment in Grand Bahama at between $15m-$20m, which would mean a 40 percent share offering’s worth is equivalent to between $6m and $8m at total valuation. Revealing that construction work will start this

October, with the number of jobs likely to be “a little less” than the 90 full-time posts, he added: “The hospital will open in the first or second quarter of next year. We don’t have the luxury of a two-three year build-out. The need in Grand Bahama is right now. “Based on the building we have selected, we’d envision by the early part of October that we’re starting demolition at a minimum and finalising plans for new works.” Mr Deveaux said Doctors Hospital’s “very strong” financial position means it “can stand up” the Grand Bahama hospital without needing to draw on the $13.5m equity injection it received from new 17 percent shareholder, Fairfax Financial Holdings, earlier this year. “Part of our strategy is to make part of the Grand Bahama hospital available to northern Bahamians through a share issue,” he revealed. “Forty percent, and possibly a little more, to Grand Bahamians and northern Bahamians. We haven’t figured out what the company holding structure would be, but in concept we want to make ownership available to Grand Bahamians first. “If they are not able to meet the full subscription, we will make it available to other retail investors in The Bahamas and then

institutional investors.” One possible way for Doctors Hospital to achieve its objectives is to place the Grand Bahama facility in a separate, subsidiary company and then offer shares in that entity. Emphasising that nothing has been decided, Mr Deveaux revealed that Doctors Hospital is contracting the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) accounting firm to act as financial adviser to the Grand Bahama hospital share offering, as well as “bring on one additional adviser; an investment broker who can sell securities in The Bahamas”. He did not name that person or entity, but added: “Our 40 percent target right now might go to 49 percent in making that equity available. Folks should expect to start hearing about that in earnest in early October... We’ve not determined whether it will be a public or private placement. “For a very long time there’s been under-delivery, under-capacity of healthcare in Grand Bahama. We look forward to engaging the local community and building a true Grand Bahama hospital run by Grand Bahamians with all the quality healthcare they have come to know and expect from Doctors Hospital. A true local hospital, whose project leaders are Grand Bahamians.”

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

PAGE 10, Tuesday, August 3, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

STOCKS END MIXED AFTER STARTING AUGUST OFF ON A CHOPPY NOTE

Monday, August 2, 2021

Asscoiated Press

MARKET REPORT www.bisxbahamas.com

FRIDAY, 30 JULY 2021

BISX ALL SHARE INDEX:

CLOSE

CHANGE

1968.19

-4.58

%CHANGE

YTD

YTD%

-0.23 -124.27

-5.94

(242) 323-2330 (242) 323-2320

BISX LISTED & TRADED SECURITIES 52WK HI 6.50 33.95 1.62 2.90 1.78 6.00 7.00 3.60 5.27 3.80 6.16 12.00 2.71 7.76 10.71 9.55 14.31 4.10 8.85 16.00

52WK LOW 3.35 22.65 1.46 1.62 1.43 5.00 6.00 2.80 4.25 2.47 5.00 9.75 2.10 5.30 9.50 8.35 13.00 3.42 8.00 15.20

PREFERENCE SHARES 1.00

1.00

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00

1.00 10.00 1.00

1.00 10.00 0.90

SECURITY AML Foods Limited APD Limited Benchmark Bahamas First Holdings Limited Bank of Bahamas Bahamas Property Fund Bahamas Waste Cable Bahamas Commonwealth Brewery Commonwealth Bank Colina Holdings CIBC FirstCaribbean Bank Consolidated Water BDRs Doctor's Hospital Emera Incorporated Famguard RF Bank & Trust (Bahamas) Limited Focol Finco J. S. Johnson

SYMBOL AML APD BBL BFH BOB BPF BWL CAB CBB CBL CHL CIB CWCB DHS EMAB FAM FBB FCL FIN JSJ

LAST CLOSE 6.50 39.95 1.60 2.45 1.44 6.00 6.97 3.50 5.27 2.74 5.95 9.80 2.51 7.75 11.52 9.55 14.00 3.99 8.35 15.50

CLOSE 6.50 39.95 1.60 2.45 1.44 6.00 6.97 3.25 5.27 2.74 5.95 9.80 2.54 7.75 11.41 9.55 14.00 3.99 8.35 15.50

CHANGE 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 (0.25) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.03 0.00 (0.11) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Bahamas First Holdings Preference Cable Bahamas Series 6 Cable Bahamas Series 8 Cable Bahamas Series 9 Cable Bahamas Series 10 Colina Holdings Class A Fidelity Bank Bahamas Class A Focol Class B

BFHP CAB6 CAB8 CAB9 CAB10 CHLA FBBA FCLB

1.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 1.00

1.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 1.00

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

SYMBOL FBB22 BFHB

LAST SALE 100.00 100.00

CLOSE 100.00 100.00

CHANGE 0.00 0.00

BAH29 BG0107 BG0207 BG0130 BG0230 BG0307 BG0330 BG0407 BSBGRS710237 BSBGRS880378 BSBGRS630211 BSBGRS700238 BSBGRS700246 BSBGRS770249 BSBGRS790262

107.31 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 102.00 100.03 100.19 100.27 100.05 100.62 100.72

107.31 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 102.00 100.03 100.19 100.27 100.05 100.62 100.72

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

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

52WK LOW 100.00 100.00

115.92 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 102.00 104.00 100.49 100.95 100.53 100.30 100.62 100.70

104.79 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.25 100.00 100.95 100.29 100.05 100.62 100.46

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

BAHAMAS GOVERNMENT STOCK - (percentage pricing) Bahamas Note 6.95 (2029) BGS: 2014-12-7Y BGS: 2015-1-7Y BGS: 2014-12-30Y BGS: 2015-1-30Y BGS: 2015-6-7Y BGS: 2015-6-30Y BGS: 2015-10-7Y BGRS FL BGRS71023 BGRS FL BGRS88037 BGRS FL BGRS63021 BGRS FL BGRS70023 BGRS FL BGRS70024 BGRS FL BGRS77024 BGRS FL BGRS79026

VOLUME 57 2,205

3,000

16,000

EPS$ 0.239 0.932 0.000 0.110 0.070 1.760 0.369 -0.438 0.140 0.184 0.449 0.722 0.102 0.467 0.646 0.728 0.816 0.203 0.939 0.631 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

VOLUME

DIV$ 0.170 1.260 0.020 0.030 0.000 0.000 0.260 0.000 0.000 0.120 0.220 0.720 0.434 0.060 0.328 0.240 0.540 0.120 0.200 0.610 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

P/E 27.2 42.9 N/M N/M N/M N/M 18.9 -7.4 37.6 14.9 13.3 13.6 24.9 16.6 17.7 13.1 17.2 19.7 8.9 24.6

YIELD 2.62% 3.15% 1.25% 1.22% 0.00% 0.00% 3.73% 0.00% 0.00% 4.38% 3.70% 7.35% 17.09% 0.77% 2.87% 2.51% 3.86% 3.01% 2.40% 3.94%

0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

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

INTEREST Prime + 1.75% 6.25%

MATURITY 19-Oct-2022 30-Sep-2025

6.95% 4.50% 4.50% 6.25% 6.25% 4.50% 6.25% 4.25% 4.53% 4.42% 4.81% 4.53% 4.56% 4.50% 4.53%

20-Nov-2029 15-Dec-2021 30-Jul-2022 15-Dec-2044 30-Jul-2045 26-Jun-2022 26-Jun-2045 15-Oct-2022 22-Oct-2023 26-Jul-2037 12-Dec-2021 29-Jul-2023 29-Jul-2024 4-May-2024 28-Mar-2026

MUTUAL FUNDS 52WK HI 2.43 4.47 2.17 202.18 190.86 1.70 1.81 1.78 1.07 8.75 10.46 7.40 15.99 12.72 10.39 10.00 10.43 14.89

52WK LOW 2.11 3.30 1.68 164.74 116.70 1.67 1.73 1.75 1.03 6.41 7.62 5.66 8.65 10.54 9.57 9.88 8.45 11.20

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

NAV 2.43 4.47 2.17 202.18 190.86 1.70 1.76 1.77 1.04 8.75 10.46 7.40 15.99 12.72 10.39 N/A 10.43 14.89

YTD% 12 MTH% 1.85% 4.26% 0.77% 1.44% 1.14% 2.84% 0.14% 5.02% 3.25% 31.13% 1.37% 1.52% -2.05% -2.21% 0.36% 0.76% -1.28% -2.30% 3.13% 5.76% 4.29% 7.07% 1.70% 3.85% 14.99% 38.64% -1.20% -0.36% 3.43% 0.76% N/A N/A 3.00% 25.60% 7.90% 48.70%

NAV Date 31-May-2021 31-May-2021 28-May-2021 31-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021 30-Jun-2021 30-Jun-2021 30-Jun-2021 30-Jun-2021 30-Jun-2021 30-Jun-2021 30-Jun-2021 30-Jun-2021 30-Jun-2021 30-Jun-2021 31-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021

MARKET TERMS BISX ALL SHARE INDEX - 19 Dec 02 = 1,000.00 52wk-Hi - Highest closing price in last 52 weeks 52wk-Low - Lowest closing price in last 52 weeks Previous Close - Previous day's weighted price for daily volume Today's Close - Current day's weighted price for daily volume Change - Change in closing price from day to day Daily Vol. - Number of total shares traded today DIV $ - Dividends per share paid in the last 12 months P/E - Closing price divided by the last 12 month earnings

YIELD - last 12 month dividends divided by closing price Bid $ - Buying price of Colina and Fidelity Ask $ - Selling price of Colina and fidelity Last Price - Last traded over-the-counter price Weekly Vol. - Trading volume of the prior week EPS $ - A company's reported earnings per share for the last 12 mths NAV - Net Asset Value N/M - Not Meaningful

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

STOCKS gave back some of their recent gains yesterday after a day of choppy trading on Wall Street led the major indexes to a mixed finish. The S&P 500 slipped 0.2% in the final hour of trading after holding a slight gain for much of the afternoon. The benchmark index is coming off a weekly loss, though it ended July higher, its sixth straight month of gains. It remains within 0.8% of the all-time high it set a week ago. A slide in technology, industrial, raw materials and communication companies weighed on the market. Energy stocks also fell in tandem with crude oil prices. Gains by health care stocks, utilities and a variety of retailers and other companies that rely on direct consumer spending helped keep the losses in check. Demand for US bonds rose, pushing their prices higher and sending their yields lower. In another sign of caution among traders, small company stocks fell more than the rest of the market. While investors are feeling bullish about strong company earnings reports, with more expected this week, they’re also nervous about the spread of the more contagious delta variant of the coronavirus and how it might impact the economic recovery. “There’s hope the delta variant’s resurgence is going to peak soon, but that’s not clear,” said Rob Haworth, senior investment strategy director at US Bank Wealth Management. “That’s weighing on the market a little bit.” The S&P 500 fell 8.10 points to 4,387.16. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 97.31 points, or 0.3%, to 34,838.16, while the Nasdaq composite added 8.39 points, or 0.1%, to 14,681.07. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies lost 10.75 points, or 0.5%, to 2,215.50. Bond yields fell again. The yield on the ten-year Treasury note slipped to 1.17% from 1.24% on Friday. Crude oil prices closed 3.6% lower. Investors are still closely

watching any developments with the virus pandemic and how mutations and variants might impact economic growth amid a surge in new infections that’s driving hospital caseloads in some places to their highest levels since the outbreak began. Still, analysts don’t expect a big pullback in consumer or economic activity. “The impact on the economy will be considerably more limited than it was in previous waves,” said Gary Schlossberg, global strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute. This week will be busy for investors. Roughly 150 members of the S&P 500 will report their results, and the July jobs report comes out on Friday. Companies that will report this week include DuPont, Eli Lilly, CVS, Kraft Heinz, General Motors and Humana, among many others. So far earnings season has been strong for corporate America, with the average S&P 500 company reporting an 85.1% growth in profits from last year. Roughly nine out of ten companies have beaten expectations on both profits and revenue. The index is on pace to have its strongest earnings season since 2009. Investors also have their eye on Washington after Republicans and Democrats made progress in advancing President Joe Biden’s infrastructure package over the weekend. The package is expected to be passed in the Senate by the end of the week. Traders are getting a few pieces of economic data this week that could help them better gauge the economy’s health. The Institute for Supply Management, a trade group of purchasing managers, said manufacturing slowed in July. Many companies are being held back by supply chain issues. The trade group will release its report on the services sector today, which is a much bigger piece of the US economy. Meanwhile, Square jumped 10.2% after the payments company said it would acquire the “buy now, pay later” company Afterpay for $29bn.

AIR TRAVEL HITS ANOTHER PANDEMIC HIGH, FLIGHT DELAYS GROW DALLAS Associated Press AIR travel in the US is hitting new pandemicera highs, and airlines are scrambling to keep up with the summer-vacation crowds. Despite rising numbers of coronavirus infections fueled by the delta variant, the US set another recent high mark for air travel on Sunday, with more than 2.2 million people going through airport checkpoints, according to the Transportation Security Administration. That is nearly 11,000 more people screened than July 18, and the highest number since Feb 28, 2020, before the US felt the full brunt of the pandemic. However, air travel was still down 17% on Sunday from the same Sunday in 2019. The resurgence of leisure travel, coupled with some bad weather, has led to delays and flight cancellations at airlines struggling to ramp up after being crushed by the pandemic. Airlines have thousands fewer workers than they did before the pandemic, and at times they have been caught shortstaffed even though they received $54bn in taxpayer money to keep employees on the payroll.

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

By midafternoon yesterday, Spirit Airlines canceled about 290 flights — more than one-third of its schedule — citing weather and “operational challenges”. That was after canceling one-fifth of its flights on Sunday. The Florida-based discount carrier was “working around the clock to get back on track”, spokesman Field Sutton said. The disruptions created long lines at airport ticket counters in Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Some stranded passengers speculated that the breakdown in service was caused by a strike or work slowdown. The airline and labor unions said the rumour was false. American Airlines canceled 500 flights, or 16% of yesterday’s schedule by late afternoon. With other planes mostly full this summer, airlines are struggling to rebook passengers on canceled flights. David Snell, who runs an air-tour business in Dallas, was stuck in Detroit after American cancelled his flight last night home and emailed him a list of available flights — none of which were sooner than Wednesday. When Snell looked into today’s flights, he said, prices started around $1,200 or 30,000 frequent-flyer points. “They are absolutely gouging people who are trying to get home after cancellations,” Snell said. He said he called American three times and spent four hours on hold before buying a $308 one-way ticket on Southwest. “Everyone was left to fend for themselves.”

LOCAL PHARMACIST TAKES HOLISTIC APPROACH TO SKIN CARE THAT IMPROVES ‘QUALITY OF LIFE’ By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Reporter acadet@tribunemedia.net CARLESE HENRY is passionate about helping people with their skin issues. She has even helped develop a special wound care product for cancerrelated wounds, bedsores and diabetic foot wounds. For many years, she worked at the Princess Margaret Hospital as a IV (sterile room) pharmacist, which meant constantly washing her hands, which in turn made them dry. It was during that time that she came up with the idea to produce her own brand of body butters and hand creams. She has since started her own manufacturing lab and compounding pharmacy. Under her Holistic Blends brand, she creates products for people with special requirements and reverse engineers products that may have been discontinued or reformulated. Carlese, pictured, took being laid off from a private institution due to the pandemic last year as a sign to do what she does best: make her own skin care products that provide solutions. “I have been a pharmacist for 27 years. Many of those years as a hospital pharmacist, with a speciality in nutrition support, which is nutrition that is given via an intravenous (IV) bag, or tube, to premature infants, paediatric and adult patients. I also prepared non-sterile drug products for patients like creams, solutions, suppositories,” she explained. “My part-time job for over 10 years was as a pharmacy lecturer at the University of the Bahamas.” After starting out making creams with coconut oil, and shea, cocoa butter and mango butter, Carlese now also offers personal care products like deodorants, body washes, shampoos, facial cleansers, conditioners, hairstyling products and cosmetics. Carlese’s brand is also a registered pharmacy that compounds medications. In other words, she offers custom-made medication from

ingredients that she puts together herself. Her motto is, “We Know Ingredients”. “Starting a business during a pandemic has not been easy, but it forces me to be innovative and I love that. I love that I can change people’s lives for the better,” she said. Carlese’s journey started out a few years ago when she was still a hospital pharmacist. “One of the physicians asked me to make a wound care product for a terminally ill patient with a festering wound. The patient’s relative wanted to sleep (in the same room as the) patient and take care of her during the night, but the wound had a really bad odour, making it difficult to stay in the same room. “Resources (equipment/ ingredients) were scarce. Fortunately, at the time I was a lecturer at UB and had access to the pharmacy lab equipment. So with borrowed equipment from UB and ingredients that I begged and pleaded for, the wound care powder was created. That powder not only helped that patient, but has been used for cancer-related wounds, bedsores in our geriatric patients and diabetic foot wounds. Recently, I was able to make adjustments to the product by making it into a cream and adding a few more beneficial ingredients. I plan in the near future to start a clinical study with volunteers so that the efficacy of the cream can be documented. This is what I love most, improving the quality of life of others, giving hope, and providing solutions,” said Carlese. Located on Parkgate Road in the Dean’s Shipping Building, Holistic Blends also offers services like private label product development. “If a client decides they want their own brand of skin brightener, we make it

in bulk, and they have the option to package and label with their own brand name or we can do it for them. I have clients who also buy my body butter in bulk, repackage and label it with their brand names,” she said. Carlese said she is willing to go the distance for customers with special requirements. For one customer, who was allergic to all scents and fragrances, she made a fragrance-free, hypoallergenic deodorant and body butter combo. “Another client wanted matte, colourful eye shadows. I am making her a

palette with all the colours of the rainbow. We also have clients who are aestheticians with their own skincare line, formulated and made by our company. We offer reverse engineering: a client brought in a product that she had used for years but the manufacturer had discontinued it. I created a similar product for her using the original product as a benchmark. We offer prescriptions: One of my physician clients wants a product that helps with difficult-to-treat skin issues. I was able to come up with a very effective product that he will brand as his own,” she said. For Carlese, the integrity and quality of ingredients is very important. “If an ingredient is added to a personal care product at low concentrations (less than 0.1 percent), by law it doesn’t have to be listed on the product label. If you read the label, you won’t see it listed even though it is in there. That ingredient

‘Starting a business during a pandemic has not been easy, but it forces me to be innovative and I love that. I love that I can change people’s lives for the better.’

may harm you and you may not even know. I had a client who suddenly developed an allergy to a moisturiser that she had been using for many years. The manufacturer had changed the formulation and added in an ingredient that caused her to have allergic reactions, but because the ingredient was added in at such low concentrations it was not listed on the label. The client had no idea what was causing her problems. I contacted the manufacturer, got the full listing of ingredients, and was able to figure out what was causing her allergic reaction. I made a similar product for her leaving out the questionable ingredient,” she said. Carlese is concerned about what she calls a “disturbing phenomenon sweeping the country”: excessive skin lightening. She believes God took the time to give people beautiful complexions. And brightening and toning the skin is fine, but the excessive lightening makes her sad and afraid. “There are tablets, creams, ointments, and powders being used, none of which are regulated. I

saw someone on social media that said they mix bleaching cream and sell them. What are they putting in those creams? They are adding steroids, which can thin the skin over time, cause permanent discolouration, spider veins, acne, and can even cause glaucoma. They are adding in other bleaching creams from the black market that contain mercury,” she said. “Mercury is added to bleaching creams for its skin-lightening effects, but it can adversely affect the gastrointestinal tract, damage the kidneys and nervous system. Skin brighteners can be made safely, resulting in beautiful glowing skin without longterm harmful effects.” Going forward, she would like her products to be available on store shelves all across the Bahamas and possibly even the world. Carlese believes there are many more products that can be made to improve people’s quality of life.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, August 3, 2021, PAGE 13

Why men have to wait for round two AT SOME point in their lives almost all men deal with the problem of not being able to achieve an erection quick enough after experiencing the first ejaculation. Many men dread the second round of sexual intercourse as they feel that their male member may fail them and is not up to the task of engaging again in sexual activity. There is often a great deal of anxiety and stress that men face when facing the task of repeating the performance of the first sexual performance. This anxiety often makes getting an erection for the second round even more difficult to attain. What is the refractory period? The refractory period is the scientific physiological term that describes the interval after the first ejaculation during which a man is unable to attain and maintain another erection. The refractory period cannot be eliminated completely as it is a normal physiological process but there are ways to shorten the refractory period so that a man can respond more quickly for that second round. Why is there a refractory period? After a man has an orgasm, the penis becomes flaccid, as neural signals are transmitted that cause the contraction of the smooth muscle of the penis, which in turn releases the blood in the penis that had caused it to become erect. The levels of the hormones testosterone and dopamine fall post-orgasm and the pituitary gland produced hormone prolactin rises. Lowered testosterone and elevated prolactin makes it more

difficult to achieve an erection. After an orgasm, the brain also releases a surge in serotonin that makes a man feel like he wants to sleep after sex. Post-sex brain scans have scientifically proven that ejaculation causes reduced prefrontal brain cortex activity and the release of serotonin and oxytocin, which makes men less alert and attentive, and less likely to have sexual desire. A 2006 study demonstrated that the key hormone prolactin, causing the refractory period, is 400 percent higher after penile vaginal intercourse than after masturbation. The refractory period is therefore longer after sexual intercourse with a partner than after solo masturbation. Women also often experience a refractory perio, but it is often very short. Many women, however, experience ultra-sensitvity post-intercourse and require a break after the first orgasm. The refractory period for men is often age related, with teenagers usually requiring a few minutes

and a 30-year-old requiring on average a 30-minute refractory period, and a 50-year-old man requiring as long as one day.

Less frequent sex could also improve the recovery response time in achieving a second erection.

How does a man shorten the refractory period? There are varying scientific study results regarding the effectiveness of medications such as Viagra, Cialis and Levitra in reducing the refractory period to allow for a quicker response time for a second round of sexual intercourse. Most studies have shown some benefit in hastening the sexual recovery time, but the level of effectiveness is debatable. Pelvic floor exercises are beneficial in lowering the refractory time. The stress associated with the demand to achieve a second erection can be self-defeating. A relaxed, tension-free environment with an understanding partner could aid in limiting the refractory period.

Increase dopamine levels Low dopamine levels contribute to a longer refractory period after ejaculation. Men can increase their dopamine levels by eating foods such as tuna, chickpeas and asparagus that are rich in vitamins B6, B12 and folate. Vasodilator foods Natural vasodilators such as found in spinach, dark chocolate, and watermelon improve the blood flow to the penis and an erection is achieved faster. Lower prolactin levels The increased prolactin levels after orgasm are strongly linked to longer refractory periods. Vitamin intake of B6 and vitamin E could potentially lower body prolactin levels in men in general.

A healthy lifestyle is important, with routine exercise and a well-balanced diet, lowering of cholesterol and good blood pressure control. Limit alcohol intake as alcohol can limit sexual arousal. Sexual difficulties for both men and women can be potentially embarrassing topics. Seek compassionate and confidential care from a urologist and regain a healthy and happy sexual life again. • Dr Greggory Pinto is a board-certified Bahamian urologist and laparoscopic surgeon. He has trained in Germany, South Africa and France, and is a member of the European Association of Urology. He can be contacted at OakTree Medical Center, #2 Fifth Terrace & Mount Royal Avenue. Telephone: (242) 322-1145 (6) (7); e-mail: welcome@urologycarebahamas.com, or visit the website:www.urologycarebahamas.com.

WEIGHT STIGMA IS A BURDEN AROUND THE WORLD – AND HAS NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES EVERYWHERE By REBECCA PUHL Professor of Human Development and Family Sciences and Deputy Director UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, University of Connecticut

LAZY. Unmotivated. No self-discipline. No willpower. These are just a few of the widespread stereotypes ingrained in society about people who have a higher body weight or larger body size. Known as weight stigma, these attitudes result in many individuals being blamed, teased, bullied, mistreated and discriminated against. There is nowhere to hide from societal weight stigma. Decades of research confirm the presence of weight stigma in workplaces, schools, health care settings, public accommodations and the mass media, as well as in close interpersonal relationships with friends and families. It’s everywhere. I’m a psychologist and researcher at the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at the University of Connecticut. For 20 years my team has studied weight stigma. We’ve examined the origins and prevalence of weight stigma, its presence across different societal settings, the harm it causes for people’s health and strategies to tackle this problem. The study surveyed nearly 14,000 adults in six countries who were actively trying to manage their weight about their life experiences of weight-related stigma and bias. We conducted a recent international study that clearly shows that weight stigma is widespread, damaging and difficult to eradicate. This societal devaluation is a real and legitimate experience for people across different countries, languages and cultures.

A PERSISTENT BIAS Among US adults, weight stigma is a common experience, with as many as 40 percent reporting past experiences of weightbased teasing, unfair treatment and discrimination. These experiences are most prevalent for people with high body mass indexes or those with obesity and for women. For youth, body weight is one of the most prevalent reasons for teasing and bullying. The fact that more than 40 percent of Americans have obesity has not softened public attitudes toward people in this group. Although societal attitudes toward other stigmatised groups have become less prejudiced in recent decades, there has been little change in weight bias. In some cases, it’s worsening. For youth, high body weight is one of the most prevalent reasons for teasing and bullying. Prevailing views that people are personally responsible for their weight, despite ample scientific evidence of the complex and multifactorial causes of obesity, are one reason why weight stigma

persists. This mindset is difficult to change given American culture’s celebration of thinness, negative media portrayals of people with larger bodies and a thriving diet industry. These factors reinforce the faulty premise that body weight is infinitely malleable, as does a lack of legislation to protect people from weight discrimination. Contrary to public perceptions, weight stigma does not motivate people to lose weight. Instead, it worsens health and reduces quality of life. The harmful impacts of weight stigma can be real and long-lasting. They range from emotional distress – depressive symptoms, anxiety, low self-esteem – to disordered eating, unhealthy eating behaviors, lower physical activity, weight gain, increased physiological stress and avoiding health care.

A SHARED STRUGGLE Weight stigma is not unique to America. It exists around the world. However, few studies have directly compared

people’s experiences of weight stigma in different countries. In our recent study, we compared experiences of weight stigma in six nations: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the UK and the US. These countries share similar societal values that reinforce personal blame for body weight and do little to challenge weight-based shaming and mistreatment. The participants were 13,996 adults (around 2,000 people per country) who were actively trying to manage their weight. The biases people encountered because of their higher weight or larger body size turned out to be remarkably consistent across the six countries, with more than half of study participants – 58 percent on average – experiencing weight stigma. The most common interpersonal sources of weight stigma were family members (76 percent to 87 percent), classmates (72 percent to 76 percent) and doctors (58 percent to 73 percent). These experiences were most frequent and distressing during childhood and adolescence. Many incorporated these

stigmatizing experiences into how they felt about themselves. In this process of “weight bias internalisation,” people apply negative societal stereotypes to themselves. They blame themselves for their weight and judge themselves as inferior and deserving of societal stigma. We knew from our earlier research that weight bias internalisation has harmful health implications, and this was true here as well. Across the six countries, the more that people internalised weight bias, the more they gained weight in the prior year, used food to cope with stress, avoided going to the gym, had an unhealthy body image and reported higher stress. These findings persisted regardless of people’s body size or their previous experiences of stigma. Moreover, in all six countries people with greater internalised weight bias reported worse healthrelated quality of life and health care experiences. They avoided getting health care, had less frequent checkups and reported more substandard health care compared to people who had less internalization. The unique multinational perspective of our study reveals that weight stigma is commonly experienced, often internalised and related to poor health and health care among people who are trying to manage their weight. In this sense, confronting weight stigma appears to be a collective struggle, but it’s one that people are likely grappling with on their own.

REASONS FOR OPTIMISM

Both are helping to elevate calls for efforts to stop unfair treatment based on weight. There is also growing recognition in the medical community that action is needed. In 2020, more than 100 medical and scientific organisations across nine countries signed a joint international consensus statement and pledge to bring attention to weight stigma and its harmful impact. These medical experts aim to shift the narrative of blame and help address weight stigma in media, public attitudes and health care. A majority of Americans believe it is time to add body weight as a protected category to existing state civil rights laws, alongside categories like race and age. Our research shows broad and substantial public support for policies to tackle weight discrimination. In a series of national studies, we found that more than 70 percent of Americans support adding body weight as a protected category, alongside categories like race and age, to existing state civil rights laws. They also support new legislation to make it illegal for employers to discriminate against employees based on weight. This would legitimise weight stigma as both a social injustice and a public health issue. I believe broad and collective action is needed to address this problem, both in and outside the US. While this may sound challenging, fundamentally it is actually quite simple: it’s about respect, dignity and equal treatment for people of all body weights and sizes.

While there is a long road ahead to eliminate weight stigma, shifts in societal attitudes are taking place. In recent years, the harms of “fat shaming” have received increased public attention, and so has the body positivity movement.

• This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com

PAGE 14, Tuesday, August 3, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

Chaela cares By ARTHIA NIXON The Ambassador Agency

CHAELA Dupuch is just 13 years old - but she’s already on a mission to help save the environment.

HAVING graduated this summer from a unique school which allowed her to learn hands-on marine biology basics and earn a junior SCUBA certification, Chaela Dupuch is on a mission to save the planet by teaching others to respect the sea and soil. At just 13 years of age, the Deep Creek Middle School graduate knows all about lionfish, turtles and conch, and has tons of videos and photos showing her and her classmates learning while in the sea. She also has a mentor in Casuarina McKinney-Lambert, the executive director of the Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation (BREEF) and fellow Eleutheran who was featured in Forbes magazine in January 2021 as one of the 50 explorers who are changing the world honoured by the iconic Explorers Club. Chaela says she wants more young people in the Caribbean to consider the natural resources they have which could sustain their island nations if another global crisis hits and cripples the tourism industry the way COVID-19 did. “I am passionate about this, and I even maintain a farm in my parents’ backyard,” Chaela said. “It’s better to grow your own food than to continue to consume foods that have a lot of chemicals in them, plus it’s cheaper than importing so much. The environmental side, I am passionate about that because I attended the Bahamas Plastic Movement camp

13-YEAR-OLD ENVIRONMENTALIST WANTS TO CREATE GRANT FOR SCHOOL-AGED STUDENTS for the past five years and we learned about how plastic is destroying our world and our marine life. We need better waste awareness and consistent recycling and we need to find a way to grow enough for ourselves, so we don’t have to import all the time.” The Bahamas Plastic Movement was founded in 2013 by 2020 Goldman Environmental Prize winner Kristal ‘Ocean’ Ambrose. Kristal is currently studying for her PhD in Marine Management at the World Maritime University in Malmo, Sweden. Chaela has garnered the attention of a few boarding schools in North America and has been accepted into one in Oregon. While classes are set to begin in just a few weeks, she is still short a significant amount in tuition money. She also has to wait for her mother Markera to get her passport renewed, which has proven a little difficult. “With all that has been going on in my life in the past few years, including relocating from Nassau to Eleuthera and then having another baby, travelling overseas was not a priority,” said Markera. “The thing is my children do have their passports, but I’ve been back and forth with the office for quite some time trying to give them all they are asking of me to prove who I am even though I was issued a passport

before, and I am a citizen. I have to travel with Chaela in order to get her in school and I am hopeful that everything will fall in place.” Markera said that in their quest to raise funds for Chaela’s schooling she learned that there are numerous opportunities for college-level scholarships and grants, but discovered there was nothing catering to younger students who may be accepted into boarding schools. “The One Eleuthera Foundation offered a grant to her, and we are just so grateful to them for believing in her as a young Eleutheran,” said Markera. “They are on the ground so they see first-hand what she does and what the other students do, and I can’t express how much it means to know that they are backing her.” Because of this, Chaela is forming a board to help middle and high school students with educational opportunities abroad so that others can have at least one resource. “The goal is to learn as much as we can abroad and come back home with what we have learned,” Chaela explained. “A lot of people decide to stay, but I want to make sure that we have things in place for future generations.” To assist Chaela and others in their endeavours, visit www.gogetfunding.com/ chaela-goes-to-school

You Go Girl

AVARIANA DELANCY

‘BAKE A WISH’ WITH ANNA By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Reporter acadet@tribunemedia.net

AVARIANA Delancy, of Waterford, Eleuthera, is proud to now call herself the CEO and owner of Bake A Wish Bahamas. “As a young lady growing up on the island, I had always aspired to become a pastry chef. Over the years my craft has grown tremendously, from experimenting in the kitchen to presently dominating desserts. I love the aspect of baking of being able to create delicious memories daily and experimenting with flavour combinations while seeing the delight on customer’s faces,” said Anna.

Bake A Wish Bahamas, she explained is a homebased bakery business in Nassau that is focused on providing fresh and delicious pastries, along with excellent customer service. Anna said she has been in business for quite some

time, but it wasn’t until this January that she officially launched her brand. “Homemade with love”, she said she offers customised cakes, cupcakes, customised cake toppers, cheesecakes, cookies, guava duff, and various desserts and pastries for weddings and birthdays. “My favourite pastry would probably be the classic New York-style cheesecake, simply because the balance of sweetness is overwhelming,” she said. “Although there is competition out there selling the same products as I am, I offer surveys to get feedback from customers to get a better knowledge of what’s their favourite

pastry to their least favourite product. I also offer free samples of new products I add to my menu. The feedback is overwhelming, it’s really the positive energy for me,” said Anna.

She said it makes her feel proud that even in a global crisis like the COVID19 pandemic she can still manage to grow her business to become bigger and better.

“The goals I hope to achieve for the remainder of the year include having an increase in sales and marketing, and to gain more customers,” said Anna.

GEORGIA WOMAN MAKES VIRAL TIKTOKS OF FOOD FROM DISNEY MOVIES By MARK RICE, Ledger-Enquirer

VIDEOS of the food she makes in her Columbus kitchen are going viral on TikTok. Gabrielle “Gabby” Williams is the woman behind the social media sensation. Her content has become so popular, copycats motivated her to update the title of her account to “The ORIGINAL Disney Movie Food Series Creator.” In six months, Williams has collected 33.9 million likes and 1.3 million followers from more than 40 videos. “I wanted to think of something new that I haven’t really seen on any socials yet,” she told the Ledger-Enquirer. “Oh, man, it just took off from there, and I’m still shocked that we’ve come this far.” WHO IS THE DISNEY MOVIE FOOD SERIES CREATOR? Williams, 32, and her 12-year-old daughter live with her parents in Midland. She is a 2007 graduate of Central High School in Macon and moved to Columbus seven years ago to be closer to family after her father, the Rev. Reggie Williams, became pastor of South Columbus United

GABRIELLE Williams of Columbus, Georgia, holds two of her creations, cupcakes inspired by Mickey Mouse. She is the creator of the original Disney Movie Food Series on popular social media platform TikTok. Photo: Mike Haskey/Ledger-Enquirer via AP Methodist Church. While taking online courses from the Los Angeles Film School for a bachelor’s degree in digital filmmaking, Williams wanted to merge her passions for Disney movies, cooking and baking into an uplifting diversion from the COVID-19 pandemic. She resolved to begin producing the videos on New Year’s Day. “I wanted to just start doing something to help take people’s minds off of the negativity,” she said. Williams rewatched her favourite Disney movies and listed the foods that

appear in each scene. She also gets ideas from the requests followers send her. Making a few videos per week, she figures she still has two years worth of ideas left. Her daughter, Amaya, assists with the video production. “She’s a huge help,” Williams said. WHAT’S THE MOST POPULAR TIKTOK VIDEO IN THE DISNEY MOVIE FOOD SERIES? Her most popular video, with about 34 million views, is a TikTok Sound called “I

Want It, I Made It,” which depicts pizza from “The Goofy Movie” and grubs (out of gnocchi) from “The Lion King.” “Pretty crazy,” she said. But she thinks there’s a rational reason for the faithful followers. “It makes them feel like a child again,” she said. “And that’s the best compliment because that’s exactly what I want. It feels so good. It almost makes me teary thinking about it. People grow up, and they lose kind of that magic they have as a child. So rewatching all of these different clips of Disney movies and watching the food just come to life, it makes them feel that magic again, and that just makes me so happy.” Williams occasionally produces videos of her making food from nonDisney content, such as “Harry Potter,” “Coraline” and Nickelodeon, and she is planning a “Star Wars” week, but Disney remains her dominant theme. The videos are approximately one minute, but they take hours to make. Her most challenging was to bake that leaning blue cake from “Sleeping Beauty.” “It took me an entire day to do that,” she said. “It wouldn’t stay. I decided I wouldn’t make a full, giant cake. So I made little

donuts, little cake donuts. The donuts wouldn’t stay. They kept falling. The icing messed up. So I had to redo the entire thing about two times. People don’t get to see all that. They don’t know how much it takes, how much money and effort and time it takes to do this, but it is so worth it.” Williams has collected enough followers (10,000 minimum) to be part of the TikTok Creator Fund. This allows her to be paid based on the number of views. Williams estimated she has earned around $5,000 from the fund. In her videos, Williams includes clips from the movies she references, plus music, but viewers don’t hear her voice or see her face, just her hands. “I like the fact that no one can really judge this off of my looks or anything,” she said. “All you’re judging is the food.” Judging by the social media reaction, this project is a certified success. “It’s surreal,” she said. “...I’m just doing something in this little kitchen just for fun. This started as a complete hobby.” Now, it’s a possible career. “It’s opened so many doors,” she said. WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE CREATOR?

Disney Plus emailed her an invitation to the premiere of “Luca.” Although she couldn’t travel to Los Angeles in time, Williams noted, “They definitely said, ‘We’re keeping you on the list. We have noticed you. We’re loving what you’re doing.” Netflix also emailed her, Williams said, asking her to create dishes from some of their content. She plans to write a book containing her Disney food recipes. Williams also hopes to coordinate with Disney to establish a restaurant serving Disney-themed food. Disney hasn’t warned her about possibly violating their trademark, Williams said. In fact, she added, Disney social media accounts have praised her videos. Newsweek, Yahoo, BuzzFeed, Travel & Leisure and even a British newspaper, the Independent, are among the websites spreading her fame. The positive feedback from the entertainment and media industries, as well as social media friends, boosted her confidence. “They’ve helped me through different things that I may have been going through that day,” she said. “They always make me feel better.”

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, August 3, 2021, PAGE 15

A pattern for success from page 16 day I finally found someone to complete the 100 plus diagrams that I had. After the graphic person did the layout of the book, the rest is now history.” “Pattern Drafting with Gillian Gia”, she said, is for anyone looking to learn the basics of sewing, but also for those looking to enhance their sewing skills. Gillian also has the ambitious hope that her book will used to teach younger generations about the craft of sewing.

be published in the area of fashion. My book covers drafting of the pattern, so someone can do draping or illustrations, as there is so much that can be covered,” she said. “The takeaway is that persons will be able to create additional income or new income or have the ability to know how design a unique garment for themselves. There’s really no telling where God will take their skills after getting into sewing.” For more information, contact remildarosedesigns@yahoo.com.

‘We have lots of brilliant talent here in the Bahamas. I feel that more books can be published in the area of fashion.’ “It is my desire that the book becomes a part of the secondary and high school curriculum for students and also be used by sewing enthusiasts,” she said. Gillian’s book is only one of very few published texts in the Bahamas that focuses

on this special area of fashion and designing. She hopes more designers are inspired to write books and share their knowledge with others. “We have lots of brilliant talent here in the Bahamas. I feel that more books can

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 75° F/24° C

TAMPA

TONIGHT

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Mostly cloudy, a shower and t‑storm

Mostly cloudy with a shower

Clouds breaking, a thunderstorm

A stray t‑storm; breezy in the a.m.

Clouds and sun with a thunderstorm

Partly sunny and nice

High: 91°

Low: 80°

High: 90° Low: 79°

High: 90° Low: 80°

High: 90° Low: 80°

High: 89° Low: 79°

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

100° F

86° F

100°-86° F

100°-84° F

101°-87° F

100°-86° F

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 79° F/26° C

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

N

almanac

E

W

ABACO

S

N

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

8‑16 knots

S

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 79° F/26° C

7‑14 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

N E S

E

W

WEST PALM BEACH

W

| Go to AccuWeather.com

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 79° F/26° C

MIAMI

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

6‑12 knots

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 84° F/29° C Low .................................................... 74° F/23° C Normal high ....................................... 89° F/31° C Normal low ........................................ 76° F/24° C Last year’s high ................................. 86° F/30° C Last year’s low ................................... 77° F/25° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.70” Year to date ............................................... 12.07” Normal year to date ................................... 20.08”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 91° F/32° C Low: 80° F/26° C

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2021

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

N

KEY WEST

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 84° F/29° C

tiDes For nassau High Today

E

W

7‑14 knots

S

10‑20 knots

Low

Ht.(ft.)

2.2 2.8

10:36 a.m. 0.8 11:40 p.m. 1.1

Wednesday 5:21 a.m. 5:58 p.m.

2.2 2.9

11:26 a.m. 0.7 ‑‑‑‑‑ ‑‑‑‑‑

Thursday

6:10 a.m. 6:44 p.m.

2.3 3.1

12:29 a.m. 0.9 12:14 p.m. 0.6

Friday

6:57 a.m. 7:26 p.m.

2.4 3.2

1:14 a.m. 0.8 12:59 p.m. 0.5

Saturday

7:40 a.m. 8:07 p.m.

2.6 3.3

1:55 a.m. 1:43 p.m.

0.7 0.4

Sunday

8:23 a.m. 8:47 p.m.

2.7 3.4

2:35 a.m. 2:26 p.m.

0.6 0.3

Monday

9:05 a.m. 9:27 p.m.

2.8 3.4

3:14 a.m. 3:09 p.m.

0.4 0.3

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:38 a.m. 7:53 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

2:14 a.m. 4:11 p.m.

New

First

Full

Last

Aug. 8

Aug. 15

Aug. 22

Aug. 30

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 79° F/26° C

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

N

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

E

W S

LONG ISLAND

tracking map

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 79° F/26° C

L

Ht.(ft.)

4:27 a.m. 5:09 p.m.

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

N

S

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

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

CAT ISLAND

E

W

uV inDex toDay

10‑20 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 87° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

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

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 86° F/30° C Low: 81° F/27° C

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 80° F/27° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 88° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

N E

W

N E

W

S

S

10‑20 knots

10‑20 knots

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

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

WINDS S at 7‑14 Knots SE at 8‑16 Knots SE at 7‑14 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 10‑20 Knots ESE at 10‑20 Knots ESE at 10‑20 Knots ESE at 10‑20 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 10‑20 Knots S at 10‑20 Knots SSE at 8‑16 Knots SE at 10‑20 Knots ESE at 10‑20 Knots SE at 10‑20 Knots ESE at 10‑20 Knots ESE at 10‑20 Knots ESE at 10‑20 Knots ESE at 12‑25 Knots ESE at 10‑20 Knots SE at 7‑14 Knots SE at 10‑20 Knots SE at 10‑20 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots SE at 10‑20 Knots ESE at 10‑20 Knots

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

VISIBILITY 3 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 7 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 4 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 86° F 86° F 88° F 87° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 87° F 85° F 86° F 85° F 86° F 87° F 85° F 85° F 85° F 85° F 84° F 84° F 86° F 86° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 85° F

PAGE 16

TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2021

Eleuthera ‘dreamer’ makes her way to Hollywood By CARA HUNT Tribune Features Writer cbrennen@tribunemedia.net MALIKAH Pinder is ready to pack her bags and finally realise her long-term dream of attending acting school in Los Angeles. The Eleuthera native has always dreamt of a career in performing arts and has already made a name for herself locally, not just as an early education teacher and the owner of I DO Lyrics, for which she sang and performed at weddings and other events. Before the pandemic, Malikah had also combined her two passions of teaching and performing by working as instructor of an acting class for young students called Center Stage, which aimed to help the kids with their reading fluency and expression. During last year’s lockdowns, Malikah was able to turn another hobby into a way to raise additional funds for her eventual move to LA: Bread for Broadway. She perfected her bread-making skills and was able to sell hundreds of loaves of bread. While she says that her first virtual year at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts(AADA) was “amazing and exceeded her expectations”, she is ready for in-person instructions. “I need to be in LA for the second year. I can’t do this virtual learning again. Though I must say we really did some amazing things online…things I never thought were possible through a screen. The mere fact that we were able to connect with a scene partner without physically being in their presence was impressive,” she said.

Malikah said her first year was extremely challenging and thorough. “The workload was far more than I anticipated. This was especially difficult being done online because I was spending so many hours a day on a screen, and my homework loads were heavy. I really did enjoy the work though, because it wasn’t regular work. Though I knew I had to find balance because I felt like my social life was vanishing because I lived alone and was busy all

the time. I had to be more intentional about spending time with my family and friends,” she explained. “For a programme like this, I need to be face-to-face. I know the education is far more effective in person. There are just some things you won’t be able to do through a screen. I know that I’ve grown tremendously. I think virtual students have had to work a little harder, but now we have the upper hand. It’s almost like we’re even more

prepared now and connecting with a scene partner in person will be even more powerful. I’ve also grown a lot in dance (movement). I’ve always loved to dance, but because I grew up singing, that part was more focused on, and dance was never explored. I am still a beginner, but I’ve come a long way and I’m loving it.” And after a year of virtual schooling and lockdowns at home here in the Bahamas, she is more than excited for the change

A pattern for success By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net IT TOOK Bahamian fashion designer Gillian Curry-Williams, founder of Remilda Rose Designs, 33 years to bring her sewing book to life. Finally, she has been able to release “Pattern Drafting With Gillian Gia”, which she hopes will inspire readers to use sewing as a source of additional income. “Pattern Drafting With Gillian Gia” topped charts in its category on Amazon – a feat which Gillian believes speaks to the appetite for “how to” tutorials in the area of sewing and design.

LOCAL DESIGNER PUBLISHES ‘HOW TO’ SEWING BOOK The book features tips for various body shapes and advice on how to select colours, different types of fabrics and styles. It focuses on the drafting of a basic bodice, skirt, pants, sleeves and more. “The concept of the book started some 33 years ago when I held my first sewing class. I needed to give them instructions for drafting their sewing patterns. Each

time I conducted a class, I would try and make the notes/instructions as simple as possible,” she told Tribune Woman. While she would have liked to release the book much sooner, now is a very opportune time for it; a time when so-called “side hustles” have become extremely popular in creating additional streams of income in addition to

holding down a traditional job. “I started to work on finishing the book a year ago. I added more info, had the manuscript edited and then I needed illustrations, and finding someone to do that was not easy,” Gillian explained. “I had many persons try, but it didn’t work out. One SEE PAGE 15

of scenery Los Angeles will provide. “In terms of moving to LA, I am looking forward to a new scenery ...I love the (hills), meeting new people, succeeding in my craft and representing my family and my country well, and to be honest, the food. You ever just get tired of eating the same things? I want some more variety and I just have this desire to try a bunch of new foods,” she said. Malikah is extremely grateful for all the support she has received from her extended

GILLIAN CURRYWILLIAMS

Bahamian family and friends and has always tried to keep them updated on her progress. This coming weekend, she will be presenting a show called “Dreamer - The Journey from Eleuthera to Hollywood”, to demonstrate what she has accomplished during her first year. “My show on Sunday, August 8, will be a recap of what I’ve been doing for the year I have been at AADA so far. I have consistently posted on my social media, but there are still some things I haven’t shared. I’ll also be talking about the story of how I got to this point, a little about my childhood and the experiences that brought me to where I am now. I think my journey is interesting and more importantly, I think...I hope that I inspire others to dream. If you need inspiration about your purpose and your path, tune in to this show,” she said. “Someone commended me the other day for going after my dream and living on the other side of fear. It’s honestly a constant struggle, but I have learned that nothing great happens in your comfort zone, so I’m constantly pushing. I can’t wait to see all that LA brings. “It’s far away and that’s a little scary, but I’m confident that God will be with me throughout this journey. I’m not sure what I will do when I’m done with school as yet, or which direction I will take, but I’m confident that God will lead me as He always has.” “Dreamer - The Journey from Eleuthera to Hollywood” will stream on her Facebook page live on Sunday, August 8, at 8pm.