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The Tribune

Volume:116 No.156, AUGUST 9TH, 2019

Established 1903

Weekend

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1

WEEKEND: ELIJAH SPREADS GOSPEL OF CLASSICAL ARTS

Crisis? This is a catastrophe

TURIN 2: NEW PROBE LAUNCHED

By TANEKA THOMPSON Tribune News Editor tmthompson@tribunemedia.net THE government has launched an independent investigation into the deaths of two Bahamian men who died under mysterious circumstances in Italy.

This is according to Attorney General Carl Bethel, who told ZNS News yesterday the Minnis administration has also retained Italian attorneys as a part of this process.

“We are intent that the SEE PAGE THREE

Maynard warns ‘no end in sight’ for blackouts

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net THE power generation situation at Bahamas Power and Light has gone beyond crisis mode, having bloomed into a full-fledged “catastrophe”, Bahamas Electrical Workers Union president Paul Maynard said yesterday.

As he railed against the company’s executive leadership, the outspoken union chief shed light on the

extent of the existing equipment failure at various BPL facilities, telling The Tribune “there is no relief in sight”.

According to Mr Maynard, one of the Baillou Hills Power Plant’s engines is only producing nine megawatts of power when it should be producing 20.

Additionally the rental Aggreko units are only producing 105 megawatts of 120 megawatts needed. As for the Clifton Pier Power SEE PAGE SIX

KILLER STABBED HIS DAD 47 TIMES

By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net

A MAN has been sentenced to 45 years in prison for the brutal murder of his 76-year-old father. Justice Bernard Turner sentenced Lee Sweeting to 45 years in prison concerning the November 2017 murder of Leon Sweeting who was

stabbed 47 times. However, Sweeting’s sentence was reduced to 43 years, three months and two weeks to reflect the 20 months and two weeks he has already spent in custody.

During his remarks, Justice Turner described this incident as a “remarkably” callous and cold hearted destruction of human life SEE PAGE THREE

WE’RE ALIVE THE THREE Americans who crash-landed near Cat Cay yesterday, afloat in a life raft.

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net A TWIN-engine Piper PA-34 airplane crashlanded in waters near Cat Cay after experiencing engine problems

yesterday. According to the Royal Bahamas Police Force, three American men were on board the plane when it went down in about 15ft of water. No one was injured.

The plane took off from the Great Harbour Cay

Airport and was flying toward Miami Executive Airport in Florida.

“Reports are that shortly after noon on Thursday, police were alerted of a white and red twin engine Piper plane, crash landing in 15 ft of

water near Cat Cay with three American male occupants,” police said yesterday.

“The plane and occupants had arrived in the Berry Islands early today and were returning to the SEE PAGE THREE

FATHER RECALLS SHARK ATTACK HORROR

By RIEL MAJOR Tribune Staff Reporter rmajor@tribunemedia.net

RELATIVES of the American woman killed in a shark attack while swimming off Rose Island are still mourning her death and cry every night over the tragedy. Californian Jordan Lindsey, 21 was savaged by sharks while swimming with her mom on June 26.

On the third day of their family vacation, they decided to go on a

JORDAN LINDSEY last-minute excursion with the Sandy Toes Tour Company to Rose Island.

In an interview on Good Morning America (GMA), Michael Lindsey, the young woman’s father, said their tour wasn’t booked for that day and he wished company employees didn’t let his family on the boat for the excursion.

“I wish they didn’t let us on, of course, but they they snuck us on. They got us on, and we were the last family on,” Mr Lindsay told the TV station.

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

SEE PAGE FIVE

A COMIC’S VIEW

NASSAU HAS MORE BLACKOUTS THAN A BAR FULL OF DRUNKS

SEE PAGE EIGHT

PAGE 2, Friday, August 9, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

UB HAPPY TO WELCOME 1,600 FIRST-TIME STUDENTS

By RIEL MAJOR Tribune Staff Reporter rmajor@tribunemedia.net

THE University of the Bahamas hasy welcomed nearly 1,600 first-time students for the upcoming fall semester.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of orientation on Wednesday, Dr Rodney Smith, UB president, said about 5,000 students are currently attending the university and there has been an increase of international students. He said a goal of the university is to attract more international students.

Dr Smith said: “Once we

transitioned to the University of the Bahamas, two things began to happen: Bahamians began transferring back home from colleges in the United States and Canada, and we also had an increase in the number of students who’ve expressed an interest from around the world.

“I think right now we might have about 15 or 20 different countries represented on our campus amongst our largest numbers are students from the United States. We are looking to increase those numbers as well in the months and years ahead.”

He also said: “The housing registry that we just started this year that was actually a suggestion of the country’s prime minister. We will be using different homes throughout the island in New Providence to welcome more international students and not just Family Island students looking for housing.

We can do cultural immersion programmes with international students.”

Dr Smith added the university is “moving in the right direction” in an attempt to offer students more study abroad opportunities.

He said: “I think the government tertiary grant will help us to propel even further and faster with a policy that requires all university undergraduates to have at least one study abroad experience by the end of their third year; return home; finish their fourth year (at UB), and graduate from the University of the Bahamas.

“That programme is moving ahead very well, and we are asking our private scholarship donors to begin looking seriously at changing the criteria for their scholarships and making them scholarships

RODNEY SMITH for study abroad experiences. “ The university has faced many issues with deferred payment plans in the past resulting in students waiting on long lines for hours

at a time. Mr Smith said with the new digitized registration system student “no longer have to come in for that.”

He said: “Everything a student needs to do now to register for classes, to pay their bills and everything else can now be done online and using their phones.”

The government introduced a policy this year providing free tuition for UB students who met certain requirements.

The policy was a campaign promise of Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis.

AQUINAS College students and others worshipped at St Francis Xavier Cathedral as the group prepares to head to Australia for the World Scholar’s Cup.

STUDENTS HEADING TO SCHOLAR’S CUP IN AUSTRALIA A GROUP of Aquinas College high school students will travel to the World Scholar’s Cup Global Round in Sydney, Australia this month to compete in the renowned academic competition.

In February, 42 Aquinas College scholars, comprising of 14 teams, participated in the World Scholar’s Cup Bahamas Round.

The 14 teams qualified to advance to the World Scholar’s Cup Global Round in Sydney.

As a result, 50 members of the Aquinas College family - 29 students, three faculty members and 18 parent chaperones will travel to Australia from August 11-22 where the students will compete. The ten teams, two junior

teams and eight senior teams, will compete in the following competitions: three debates, a collaborative writing exercise, a scholar’s challenge which is a 125 question multiple choice test and a scholar’s bowl which is similar to Jeopardy. The teams will compete against approximately 3,000 students from more 50 countries.

The World Scholar’s Cup was established to inspire a global community of future scholars and leaders. Founded in 2007 the inaugural World Scholar’s Cup took place in Korea. The first “global” round followed a few weeks later, bringing together students from Korea, Singapore, and the United States. For the past 12 years the

Cup has celebrated the joy of learning, motivating thousands of students around the world to discover new strengths and skills.

Today the event reaches thousands of students from dozens of countries.

The group worshipped at St Francis Xavier Cathedral on Sunday, August 4.

Photos: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff

Ministry honours scholars at Government House ceremony

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, August 9, 2019, PAGE 3

TURIN 2: GOVT LAUNCHES NEW INVESTIGATION from page one government will leave no stone unturned in finding out the truth of what happened to our young men,” Mr Bethel said.

He continued: “(We) communicated with the Italian authorities, making a formal international request for assistance in obtaining the reports and the conclusions and the findings of the investigators into this tragic matter.

“Further, we are advised that in order for the Bahamas to obtain not just the reports, but also the background and documentation which would in a sense support or otherwise the findings in the report, we

had to obtain Italian attorneys to represent us in Italy.”

The bodies of Alrae Ramsey, 29, and Blair John, 28, were found in the Po River in Turin, Italy, on June 4 and 5 respectively.

According to some Italian news outlets, results of the autopsies conducted in Italy state drowning as the cause of death. Italian police ruled that the deaths were accidental stating it appeared the men fell into the river; however, family members have rejected these theories. They have urged Bahamian officials not to sweep the matter under the carpet.

John’s father, Randolph John, previously told

ALRAE RAMSEY, left, and Blair John. this newspaper he does not accept the autopsy results. He added that if the men indeed drowned, it meant that they were

“incapacitated” before being tossed in the river.

Yesterday, Mr Bethel said the government has acceded to the requests of

the bereaved relatives to look into the matter.

“Suffice it to say that everything that the family members would have requested to be done, was done at their request,” the senator said. “The Bahamian people have a right to be fully satisfied about the findings of the investigation that is being conducted in Italy in respect of our young men. They have a right to be satisfied that the government has done everything in its power to reach the truth. I want to assure the Bahamian people that is our intent.”

He did not provide a timeline for the investigation or an expected outcome.

However, he did say: “We are going to be advised by competent counsel in Italy and following their advice as to how to how to achieve what we wish to achieve, we will take those steps.”

Ramsey, a foreign service officer on study leave in Vienna, was reportedly in Turin on a break. He and his friend, John, were staying at a bed and breakfast at Via la Loggia 2 in Turin.

John, a Saint Mary’s University graduate student, was there to attend a psychology conference.

The men both attended the same high school, Saint Augustine’s College in New Providence.

LEE Sweeting pictured at an earlier court hearing. Below, his father Leon Sweeting.

Killer stabbed his 76-year-old father 47 times from page one

and an example of overkill. He noted a probation report indicated the murder was a planned event with the intention of making it appear to be suicide.

The motive for the murder appeared to be Sweeting’s anger with his father’s verbal reprimands regarding the course and trajectory of his life.

Justice Turner added he’d considered all Sweeting’s legal counsel had said

regarding the case and his personal life - including that he had shown some remorse and admission of guilt, although no guilty plea was needed.

He also noted he considered Sweeting’s youth. The accused was 21-years-old at the time of the killing.

However, Justice Turner noted there are aggravating circumstances, including the premeditation and overkill associated with the murder, as well as the fact the victim was Sweeting’s father - meaning Sweeting

“literally bit the hand that fed him”.

Noting the court has to consider both rehabilitation and the protection of society, Justice Turner sentenced Sweeting to 45 years. However, from the sentence he deducted the period of Sweeting’s incarceration up to this point.

The elder Sweeting was found found stabbed to death by family members at his home off Faith Avenue South.

Superintendent Shanta Knowles said neighbours

in the area had noticed Sweeting was not sitting in his yard as he usually does.

Concerned, they knocked at his door, and after not getting a response, notified family members who subsequently made the gruesome discovery.

A jury unanimously found the younger Sweeting guilty of the murder on April 10 of this year.

Sweeting had claimed he was attacked by his father with a knife and consequently acted in self-defence. Sweeting sustained a cut to his hand.

TRIO SURVIVE AFTER PLANE CRASH LANDS from page one

United States of America when they experienced engine difficulties and crash landed near Cat Cay. “There were no injuries reported and all parties were transported to Cat Cay by a passing vessel.”

The Bahamas Air Accident Investigation Department is leading the investigation, but local police, the US Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board also will be investigating the incident.

LEGAL POSITION AVAILABLE Small law firm seeking a full time

Funeral Service for

ORELIA BROWN, 78

of Garden Hills, will be held at Church of God Temple, Coconut Grove on Saturday, 10th August, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. Officiating will be Bishop Lindo Wallace. Assisted by other Ministers of the Gospel.

Interment will be in the Southern Cemetery.

She is survived by her husband, John Brown; three daughters, Evelyn Glass, Esther Butler and Janet Thompson; sons, Trevor and Wesley Thompson, Errol Brown; Grandsons, Michael Gibson Gregory Butler, Sterling Thompson, Antonio Thompson; Granddaughters, Andrea, Natasha and Omeena Bonaparte, Venice, Vernessa Thompson, Evelyn Thompson and Vernel Adderly; Cousins, Dora Mae and family, Sheila and family, Rosemary and family, Betty and family, Dr. Betty Claire, Wesley Ferguson, the Moss Family, the Johnson Family, the Deleveaux family. Special Friends, Veronica, Gazelle, Shavase and other friends and relatives too numerous to mention.

Relatives and Friends may pay their last respects at Evergreen Mortuary on Friday, 9th August, 2019 and at the church on Saturday at 9:00 am until service time.

Legal Assistant/ Secretary Focus areas: Conveyancing & Real Estate Please email resume and 2 references to:

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PAGE 4, Friday, August 9, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”

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Publisher/Editor 1903-1914 Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .

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C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B. Publisher/Editor 1972-

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It’s time to tell us everything, BPL “THIS has gone beyond a crisis. This is an all-out catastrophe.”

These were the chilling words of Bahamas Electrical Workers Union president Paul Maynard.

Outspoken as the union chief may be at times, his words yesterday reflected the mood of people across the nation struggling to cope with ongoing power shortages.

Worse, the estimated date for when things might get back to normal seems to get pushed back and back again – Mr Maynard says the new $95m power plant might not be up and running by March next year now.

“Pray to God that November is a mild November otherwise we will be load shedding until then,” he went on.

It is time – past time, really – for the leadership of BPL to put their cards on the table.

The leadership has been almost invisible throughout the suffering of Bahamians left without power. That has to end. Now. The chief executive and the chairman need to speak up, and explain exactly what the situation is, what the problems are, how they intend to remedy them – and when this nightmare will be over.

There are questions to be asked about the shortage of generation capacity. Yesterday, Mr Maynard revealed that one

of the Baillou Hills Power Plant engines is producing less than half the power it should – 9MW instead of 20MW. Meanwhile, the rental units are also producing 15MW less than they are supposed to.

Why are these engines short of power?

Let’s hear some clear answers spelling out exactly what the problem is, how it happened, and what’s being done to solve it. No vague answers, but detailed point-by-point explanations – and answers to questions from the press too.

BPL is paid to provide this service – and its leaders would do well to remember that.

From the outside there seems to be an absence of forward planning – for example the engines that were ordered to arrive in the middle of the rainy period here in The Bahamas and then left to sit unable to be moved because of… you guessed it, too much rain.

New Providence hasn’t been the only place to suffer either – with problems in Bimini after a fire there and Abaco too – and residents there also deserve full explanations of the situation.

Officials have called a press conference for Sunday. We hope there will be no platitudes, no attempt to play down the situation. It’s time to come clean.

Tell us everything – no matter how bad the truth is.

The Bahamian people deserve no less.

We must learn from horror attack THE horrific last moments of Jordan Lindsey, the American tourist killed in a shark attack off Rose Island, have been revealed by her family.

The details are hard to read and we can only imagine the horror of the situation. Her father told Good Morning America how her mother heard Jordan shout her mother’s name, and then she screamed. Her mother called for Jordan to swim to her, but she realised that a shark had bitten her arm off.

The last thing Jordan said was “Mom, there’s another shark coming!” before the second shark struck her.

Jordan was pulled to shore, but when the boat came to take them for medical help it had no medical supplies, no first aid kit – just towels to put over her leg.

We hope all those connected with the industry read the details of the incident.

We hope they share our horror. We hope the Minister of Tourism, the Minister of Marine Resources and more read every word.

Then we hope they ask what can be changed. What regulations could be in place to ensure there is a lookout on duty during tours to watch for sharks?

What could be done to ensure medical supplies – even just a first aid kit – had to be in place on boats? What can technology offer to help prevent such situations – drones perhaps to help keep watch?

Some ideas may be helpful, some may not – but the horror of Jordan’s last minutes mean we should ask the questions.

We owe it to her.

Colin Trotman, one of TV’s finest EDITOR, The Tribune

WHEN people think of journalists, they think of the faces they see, the bylines they read, the voices they hear. They rarely think of those behind the scenes who make the broadcasts of familiar voices and faces possible.

This week, we lost one of the finest, ZNS cameraman extraordinaire Colin Trotman. During three nationally televised telethons over a

decade, Colin was a rock, always ready to go the extra distance to make sure that all cameras were in place, that the angle of the shot was perfect, that everyone understood the need to touch those at home who would reach into their pockets and donate to help fight cancer or rebuild communities after an earthquake in Haiti or hurricanes in The Bahamas. All of us on the team depended on Colin like we did Cable TV’s Alexia

Coakley and Nassau Guardian’s Paul Fernander and others, all of whom deserved awards. Colin’s willingness to help, his enduring smile, his strong spirit deserved special recognition.

We lost a man too soon but before he went, he won our hearts, our love and, forever, our respect.

DIANE PHILLIPS Nassau August 8, 2019

No one has the divine right to be nominated EDITOR, The Tribune WHAT is it, people demanding nominations?

No person has the divine right, to be nominated to any political party, or even any social appointment.

This is total arrogance and misunderstanding of democratic process. Parties should not put an age limit…as long as the person is of sound mind, has no criminal record, is not a bankrupt – he or she has all the rights to nominate.

Politicians not understanding, that there is an end to every length of rope…hint Mr. Miller - hint Mr. Wilchcombe - hint to all other potential candidates.

Drownings? Glad to see Eye Witness News addressed the issue of that today, daily in the height of summer, swimming season, no Life Guards on Junkanoo Beach, Western Esplanade, Saunders Beach and Goodman’s Bay - why? If you cannot afford them instruct the

Commodore RBDF to assign marines daily to that duty. No life should be put in danger, especially when you made so much fuss, when you put up the Life Guard stations, which are empty!

Signs - oh those signs!

Environment go around and collect them all. My guess is that none has approvals/permits.

W. THOMPSON Nassau August 7, 2019

We deserve better than being held hostage by BPL EDITOR, The Tribune THE recurrent power outages has negatively impacted so many businesses and residents in New Providence. This has left many of us with no air conditioning during the brunt of high tempered conditions, spoiled perishable food items, and for some difficulties involving their health. To this date there are no clear answers and poor communication about resources for mitigation.

As we are aware, the Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) is the only company providing electricity throughout the island. But as complex as New Providence is, we are depending on reliable services, including public utilities. This is why the Bahamian people need clear answers about the recurrent power outages, which disrupt lives.

In addition to the lack of communication, we still are not aware how BPL will provide an updated

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net contingency plan to prepare for future events. It is more than ever clear that BPL has no regards for its customers, and the company’s lack of transparency is egregious.

Electricity is precarious to the health, comfort, and economic vivacity of our island and its people. If a monopolistic corporation such as BPL is unable to provide reliable services, while making billions of dollars in net income; it’s time we reconnoiter alternatives, prioritizing consistency and sustainability.

We are being held hostage by this company who displays a level of gangsterism. The Bahamian people should have the right to have reliable power, which BPL has demonstrated time after time that they are not able to provide. We deserve

better! This is why our Government must allow the Public Service Commission to investigate the full effect of the outages while working to implement a systemic policy solution which will ensure all Bahamians have access to the basic service to which they are entitled.

The Bahamas Government must take in careful consideration that many consumers are still paying cumbersome bills for inadequate services. This is an outright disgrace, and we are being taken advantage of.

Some form of reimbursement or compensation should be given to consumers. We have been through this situation when it was BEC and now BPL time after time, and again, there is no direct plan to handle conditions like this. No prevention for widespread outages in the future.

It’s shameful!

DR. MATHEO J. SMITH Nassau, August 8, 2019

It’s time we had some meaningful dialogue EDITOR, The Tribune FIFTY-FOUR percent of citizens in democracies believe their voice doesn’t have an impact on political decisions, and 64 percent think their government doesn’t act in their interest, ‘Democracy Perception Index 2018’ a survey conducted by Dalia Research, Alliance of Democracies and Rasmussen Global – found.

Human beings view the world with a narrative and for decades a majority of the world believed that the world will become more globalised and liberal democracy will improve the quality of life of everyone.

A lot of people no longer believe in that story and it’s causing social and political upheaval globally and locally. Locally inequality has increased and a lot of people are living in subhuman conditions.

The election of US president Donald Trump, the yellow vest movement in

France, Brexit and many government corruption scandals in the Bahamas and the Caribbean, are manifestations of people disillusioned with the present political architecture. The increase in exclusive nationalism is ironic because to solve our local problems such as unemployment and poverty requires global collaboration. To create jobs in our economy we either increase foreign investment, increase tourism or increase export.

Developing a calculus that increase our influence in the international community is prudent.s2 The first country in history was Egypt (3100BC).

Besides political considerate ions management of the Nile which is vital for the survival of its populace was only possible under a nation instead of separate tribes. The problems such as climate change, nuclear weapons proliferation and technological disruption, cannot be solved by any

one country. For example, the ethics of artificial intelligence in warfare needs to be agreed by all nations.

Artificial intelligence has the potential to be more destructive than nuclear war.

The future political order must be global but will only occur after a global catastrophe. The irony is the people and nations, who currently benefit the least from the current international and local order, will continue to suffer. We cannot go back to the 1950s with exclusive nationalism but inclusive nationalism from nationalism for 400 thousand to internationalism for eight billion people.

As independence day just went, we must have national dialogue that’s not parochial, but must be meaningful with the intent to fight for implementation of progressive policies.

BRIAN E PLUMMER Nassau July 17, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, August 9, 2019, PAGE 5

AMNESTY ISSUES WARNING ABOUT TRAVELLING IN US

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

AMNESTY International has issued a travel advisory for the United States urging people worldwide to use caution while travelling throughout the country amid “ongoing high levels” of gun violence.

The human rights watchdog said an emergency contingency plan is also needed when visiting the US. In a statement issued yesterday, Amnesty said travellers face increased risks of being targeted with gun violence depending on gender identity, race, country of origin, ethnic

background or sexual orientation.

International news outlets have pegged the number of mass shootings in the US at 255, citing the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive, which tracks every mass shooting in US. It defines a mass shooting as any incident in which at least four people were shot excluding the shooter.

Asked if The Bahamas government would cosign the advisory, Foreign Affairs Minister Darren Henfield said while officials are cognizant of the warning, the government’s position has not changed.

“Our position remains the same,” he said. “We

advise Bahamians travelling anywhere in the world to remain vigilant, alert and always aware of their circumstance as potential terrorism, both domestic and international, has become almost the new normal.”

Many in The Bahamas have questioned why the Minnis administration has failed to issue a travel warning about the US particularly considering peak travel season and the fact that many citizens frequent Walmart whenever they visit the US. A Walmart store in El Paso, Texas was where Patrick Crusius, 21, went on a killing rampage ultimately

leaving 22 people dead and more than two dozen injured, law enforcement officials there have said.

Amnesty said if people decide to travel to the US, they should be extra vigilant at all times and be wary of the ubiquity of firearms among the population.

Places where large numbers of people gather should be avoided especially cultural events, places of worship, schools and shopping malls, the watchdog said.

There should also be increased caution while visiting local bars, nightclubs and casinos.

“Under international human rights law, the

United States has an obligation to enact a range of measures at the federal, state and local levels to regulate access to firearms and to protect the rights of people to live and move freely without the threat if gun violence,” Amnesty International said, adding, “the government has not taken sufficient steps to meet this obligation.”

Crusius told police shortly after his arrest that he allegedly set out to kill as many Mexicans as he could, according to authorities.

On Monday, law enforcement officials told ABC News that Crusius cased the Walmart, going inside on Saturday without any

weapons, apparently to size up the clientele inside the store, which is about five miles from the US-Mexico border.

Satisfied with what he saw among the 1,000 to 3,000 people that police estimate were inside at the time, Crusius exited the store and allegedly armed himself. He returned wearing protective ear muffs, safety glasses and wielding a high-powered assaultstyle rifle, according to video surveillance of him inside the store.

Police officials said he allegedly started firing indiscriminately at victims before he even walked through the front door.

Your daughter’s gone Father recalls walking into hospital to be told Jordan had died

JORDAN Lindsey’s father Michael Lindsey and her girlfriend Gianna GabrieleKasparek appearing on TV yesterday. from page one

“Myself, my two boys, and Jordan’s girlfriend, Gianna, were on another part of the island, just swimming on the beach side,” he recalled. “My wife, Kami, and Jordan went snorkelling on another part of the island. My wife was near Jordan, a few feet away.”

Mr Lindsey stated he remembered seeing people congregate at the end of the beach.

He said on GMA: “Someone said, ‘oh yeah a teenage girl has been attacked by a shark’ and then someone

mentioned she was with her mom too. I took off.

“Kami said she heard Jordan yell like, ‘Mom’, like, and then she -- Kami -- looked back, and the first thing was, she thought dolphins were around Jordan,” Lindsey continued. “And then she ... then she realised, like, right away that, like, Jordan, was screaming.”

He added: “Kami swam toward Jordan and she screamed ‘Jordan swim to me’ and realised Jordan wasn’t swimming too good.

Kami realised that the first shark took like her right arm off.”

Mrs Lindsey attempted

to pull Jordan to safety, but another shark attacked.

“And then, Jordan said, ‘Mom, there’s another shark coming!’ And then the second shark hit her.

The second shark hit again, like, on her lower leg. And then that’s the last thing …

Jordan said,” Mr Lindsey told GMA. Jordan was pulled onto a nearby island where they waited for a boat to transport them to shore for medical assistance.

Mr Lindsey told GMA: “Jordan was losing consciousness, barely clinging to life, when the boat finally arrived -- with no medical supplies. They put towels

EMPLOYEES WALK OUT OF PMH OVER AC FAULT

By RIEL MAJOR Tribune Staff Reporter rmajor@tribunemedia.net

DISGRUNTLED employees of the record’s section in Princess Margaret Hospital staged a sit-out yesterday because of no air-conditioning in their department.

Bahamas Public Services Union President Kimsley Ferguson said the air-conditioner in that particular block has been down since “a little before the beginning of this week”, adding that the area has no windows.

In an interview with The Tribune, Health Minister Dr Duane Sands said the matter was brought to his attention for the first time yesterday and the issue has been rectified.

Dr Sands said: “We have identified the reason for the air-conditioning problem which was several ducts being closed by an

DR DUANE SANDS automatic sensor system.

That has been rectified and I’m advised that the area is already significantly cooler.

“In terms of the other remote areas we have identified a new unit to be installed so I suspect the matter should be rectified in very short order, within the matter of 24 hours or slightly longer.”

In April, employees of the communications centre in Princess Margaret

Hospital also participated in a sit-out due no air-conditioning in their department.

At the time, Mr Ferguson said: “The problem starts from the accounts door into this particular area that covers communications. (There is) no means of ventilation, even if fans are placed in this particular area it wouldn’t assist with what is going on.”

In late July, the Children’s Ward patients were temporarily relocated to the hospital’s former Intensive Care Unit.

“Minor wear and tear issues were discovered, which affected the air-conditioning function on the ward,” hospital officials said in a press release.

Earlier that month, PMH also suspended non-emergency surgeries for nearly a week while it investigated possible sabotage at the hospital’s chiller system in the Critical Care Block.

over her leg…there was no first aid kit.

“The boat rushed Jordan to a dock where an ambulance was waiting for her, but by the time Lindsey got the hospital, he was too late. I walked in,” he recalled, “and they said, ‘Your daughter’s gone.’”

He continued: “Kami, of course, had the worst, like, 10 times the worst thing.

She has her daughter die in her arms on a trip. I mean, we cry every night still.

And -- Kami has -- like, she doesn’t like the nights.

Because when she closes her eyes, she’s back in that water again. She’s seen all the blood. She seen her

poor daughter die in her arms.”

At the end of the GMA interview, Jordan’s father suggested proper medical training for everyone “from the captain all the way down to the deck hands” in the event another big tragedy occurs.

Sandy Toes’, the tour company involved, issued a statement that read: “We would once again like to extend our deepest and sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Jordan Lindsey who recently passed away as a result of a shark attack in waters near Rose Island in The Bahamas.

“All reasonable steps were taken to prevent this very unfortunate incident and our staff responded swiftly and in line with our emergency protocols and procedures.”

The statement added: “We continue to pray for the Lindsey family and all those who have been impacted by this tragic occurrence.”

Lindsey’s death was the first confirmed sharkrelated death in the Bahamas since 2008, although the country traditionally records several shark attacks per year.

Editorial View - Page 4

Memorial Service For DR. CLEVELAND W. ENEAS JR., 76

of Mt. Pleasant Village, will be held on Saturday, 10th August, at 11.00 a.m. at the Church of God Auditorium on Joe Farrington Road. Officiating will be Pastor Dr. Cleveland W. Eneas III, assisted by Rev. Bryn MacPhail and Rev. Angela C. Bosfield Palacious.

PAGE 6, Friday, August 9, 2019 from page one Plant, Mr Maynard said its struggling to “do what it could do”.

These equipment failures are compounded by speculation over a delayed timeline for the completion of the new $95m power plant. Mr Maynard claimed a more realistic date would be March 2020.

Insiders agree, revealing there has been some complications with creating the correct infrastructure for the engines to operate.

“GD 10 is supposed to come back tonight. It’s supposed to but I doubt it will be back until Saturday or Sunday and (engine) number seven, the guys are working around the clock to try and get the gear box fixed, but this is a technical issue - you have to be careful with what you doing.

I doubt that will be back until Monday and if anything else goes wrong, you have another problem,” Mr Maynard said in an interview yesterday with The Tribune.

“Pray to God that November is a mild November otherwise we will be load shedding until then.

You can’t make this **** up.

THE TRIBUNE

Maynard: Crisis?

It’s a catastrophe “This has gone beyond a crisis. This is an all out catastrophe.”

He continued: “We have feeders tripping that we didn’t even know was tripping because we load shedding. Nobody knows what’s happening. The lights out all over the place at Fort Charlotte and in tourist areas. God forbid we have incident where something happen to one of these tourists.

“This is a greater problem than they are letting on.

The minister (of works) and the prime minister needs to step and say they aren’t putting up with this **** no more.”

Asked if BPL officials had been forthcoming with

PAUL MAYNARD the timeline for the completion of the $95m power plant, he said: “No. Hell no.

From what I see back there, I said March 2020 or even June for that matter.”

BPL officials did not respond to inquiries from The Tribune up to press time yesterday. This comes as load shedding persisted

yesterday morning and into last night in three-hour intervals.

Dozens of residential areas from east to west New Providence were affected.

On Wednesday, this newspaper reported that three BPL generators that provide nearly 70 megawatts of power to thousands of households are offline, with one asset needing at least one month for repairs.

This means that it could be another four weeks before consumers experience some normalcy in their power supply. While 24 megawatts of the 25 megawatts from rental Agrekko units have assisted with the generation shortfall, it has done little to disrupt

extended periods of load shedding.

Irate customers told The Tribune this week they have had enough. “I have lost 13 ceiling fans because we have one in every room.

I have lost my fridge. I have lost my water pump.

I have lost four of the oldfashioned air conditioning units,” said one Blair resident who did not want to be named.

“This is ridiculous. It has been twice in one day.

When I was leaving home at 8.20am to take my grandchildren to summer camp it went off and did not come on again until about 11.50am. Now I just got home to fix dinner and it is off again. I might as well say

it, they are going to cause someone to be killed,” the angry resident said.

Another customer said she could not understand why certain areas had faced several power cuts in one day. She questioned whether the load shedding was being split evenly.

In a statement this week, BPL said it continues to vigorously pursue all avenues to address obstacles as extended load-shedding periods continued in New Providence last night.

The utility provider apologised for its inability to offer the service it is paid to give each month. Officials will hold a press conference on Sunday about the issue.

Editorial View - Page 4

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

Compass Point row highlights FNM failures, claims Mitchell

By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party chairman Fred Mitchell yesterday accused the Minnis administration of creating the environment in The Bahamas where a foreign investor can feel “emboldened” enough to threaten the government.

However, speaking in

the wake of Compass Point owner Leigh Rodney’s threat to close the resort, Mr Mitchell also underscored that the Free National Movement has done “nothing” to ease doing business in The Bahamas.

The government’s perceived inaction to improve the ease of doing business is a chief concern of Mr Rodney, as detailed in a full page advertisement taken

out in Tuesday’s Tribune by the Detroit businessman.

This week, Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar responded angrily to Mr Rodney’s threat, saying the resort owner is “completely out of line” and warned the US investor that as a non-Bahamian, he “must remember he is a guest in this country”.

Mr Mitchell described this stance as ironic. “One of the fundamental ironies

of this situation is that when I was minister of immigration, I made a similar point to Sarkis Izmirlian who was then the developer of Baha Mar, and he made threatening remarks about our prime minster,” Mr Mitchell said in a video message.

“And I said, as minister of immigration, speaking on Emancipation Day in Fox Hill, that if he had a level of discomfort of being in The Bahamas, then he could look for another place to live.

“Well, when I saw the newspapers yesterday, I had to smile because the minister of tourism, who sat on the board with Sarkis Izmirlian, who attacked the PLP for our position, told the now-investor of Compass Point that he was a guest in the country. So obviously, he was saying the same thing that I was saying. What is good for the goose is also good for the gander.”

Mr Mitchell went on to describe the government as hypocritical. “But the more fundamental point I wish to make is that it could not have happened to a finer group of people.

They deserve what they

get. They are so hypocritical. Because they set an atmosphere in this country where an investor feels so emboldened that he can threaten the government of The Bahamas and he thinks he can do it with impunity.

“The fact is though, what is important, and what PLPs should take away from this is this - that we have the proof now, from a foreign investor, not from the (PLP), that the FNM has not done anything to ease doing business in The Bahamas. This is not the PLP talking. This is a foreign investor who is saying ‘you have done nothing to fulfill your promise on the ease of doing business.’ So they’ve been found out to be fakes and their story was a fairy tale. That’s the takeaway for the PLP and everywhere you go today, you repeat that story: the FNM has done nothing to ease doing business in The Bahamas.”

Regarding the overall controversy, Mr Mitchell noted the PLP has a “principle” on the matter, adding party leader Philip “Brave” Davis in a statement on Wednesday said ordinarily a foreign investor should deal

COMPASS POINT PURCHASE IN articles published in The Tribune this week, it was reported that Compass Point was purchased by a fourmember consortium after it was shuttered from severe hurricane damage in 2004.

The articles stated the partners in the ownership group include American businessman Leigh Rodney,

Bahamian lawyer Paul King, of King & Co, and two others. However a representative of King & Co has informed this newspaper that Mr King was not part owner of the restaurant and resort but was simply the attorney on record for the property’s purchase more than a decade ago.

with these issues behind closed doors, “because if he has a level of discomfort doing business in the Bahamas, that’s where it should be discussed - not in the open and threatening The Bahamas government”.

In a statement released yesterday, the Democratic National Alliance said it was “disappointing” to see a foreign investor “lambast” a sitting administration while using the employment of local workers as a “bargaining tool”.

“According to news reports, the licence of Compass Point has now been renewed following the public exchange between the parties involved,” the DNA statement continues.

“However, the Bahamian people deserve to know what if any favours were given and what promises were made to the investor in question by the (FNM) to embolden him to issue a public reprimand to a sitting government.

“This recent debacle shines more light on the role that special interest groups play in our political system and the urgent need for campaign finance reform in the Bahamas.

While it is unclear whether the investor at the centre of this controversy is or was a financier of the FNM, the DNA maintains that until we address this important issue, he who pays the piper will continue to dictate the tune.

This is why the DNA has partnered with the Bahamian people in the Change for Change drive that brings transparency and community funding into politics.”

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, August 9, 2019, PAGE 7

MOTORIST DIES AFTER ACCIDENT ON WEST BAY STREET

By FARRAH JOHNSON

A MAN is dead following a traffic accident early Thursday morning on West Bay Street.

According to Chief Superintendent Craig Stubbs, around 2.50am four males in a Honda Accord were travelling on West Bay Street near Arawak Cay, when the driver lost control of the vehicle and collided with a tree.

Three of the occupants were transported to hospital for treatment where two of them remain in critical condition while one has been listed as stable. The fourth victim died at the scene.

When asked whether police believe their road safety campaigns were effective, ASP Stubbs told The Tribune that the Police Traffic Department has noticed a decline in road

traffic fatalities. “So far for the year we have had 32 matters reported, which is much less than the previous (cases reported this) same time last year,” he said.

“From our (perspective) there’s a decline, but we can’t allow just one matter to (make us) feel as though there is an increase in fatalities and that’s not the case,” he insisted.

On Sunday, a young

doctor died in Abaco following a traffic accident there.

Assistant Superintendent Terecita Pinder reported that shortly after 1am, police were called to Don Mackey Boulevard where two vehicles – a Toyota Passo and a silver Jaguar – were involved in a head-on collision. Both vehicles were extensively damaged. Three people were injured, including the

drivers of both vehicles and a female passenger.

They were all transported to the Marsh Harbour Health Centre.

ASP Pinder said the female passenger in the Toyota Passo, later identified as Dr Katrice Maycock, succumbed to her injuries, while the male driver was treated for non-life threatening injuries, and later airlifted to New Providence

for further medical attention. The driver of the Jaguar was also treated for minor injuries and later discharged.

In 2018, a total of 63 accidents resulted in 69 fatalities. According to police, 42 of the traffic incidents occurred in New Providence, while 11 took place in Grand Bahama and 10 transpired in the Family Islands.

Four charged over string of break-ins in Freeport

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

FOUR young men, including two juveniles, were arraigned in the Freeport Magistrates Court yesterday in connection with a string of stealing incidents and break-ins.

Bernard Marcellas, 26, Damaine Sterling, 19, and two juveniles, ages 16 and 17, appeared before Magistrate Charlton Smith.

Sterling and one of the juveniles were represented

by Brian Hanna. Paco Deal, who appeared for Shurland and Co, represented the second juvenile.

On the charge of shopbreaking, it is alleged that between August 2 and August 3, at Freeport, Marcellas and Sterling unlawfully entered First Holiness Church with intent to steal.

The two are also accused of unlawfully entering GB Family Worship Centre and Sinclair’s Bar & Grill between July 29 and July 30 with intent to steal.

Sterling and the two juveniles were charged with shopbreaking. It is alleged that on August 4, at Freeport, the trio unlawfully entered Dollar Deals on Settler’s Way with intent to steal.

The three were also charged with unlawfully entering Caravel Zion Baptist Church on Settler’s Way between August 3 and August 4 with intent to steal.

They were also charged

with stealing. It is alleged that the accused men on the same date and place being concerned together stole several items, including a Yamaha keyboard, a mic stand, six microphones, microwave oven, and one 50-inch flat screen TV, together valued $1,940, the property of Caravel Zion Baptist Church.

Sterling and the two juveniles were also charged with breaking into the Freedom International Ministries Church on Gambier Drive between August 2 and August 3.

They were also charged with sacrilege. It is alleged that on the same date and place, they stole two 40-inch flat screen TVs, two guitars, one computer, two amplifiers, a radio, and other items, together valued $2,250, the property of Freedom International Ministries.

Between August 3 and August 4, the accused also broke into the Solid Rock of the Nazarene with intent to steal. They are also charged with sacrilege for this incident. It is alleged that on the same date, the accused stole one laptop computer, a CD player, and headphones, together valued $469, from the church.

Sterling and two juveniles are also accused of stealing.

It is alleged on August 4, at Freeport, they stole $54 cash, the property of Garnell Frith.

All of the accused pleaded not guilty to the matters, which were

adjourned to November 5 for trial.

Marcellas pleaded guilty to the charge of receiving.

It is alleged that between August 2 and August 3, he dishonestly obtained two 40-inch TVs, the property of Freedom International Ministries.

According to the particulars, on Saturday, August 3, at 6.44pm Michael Smith of Freedom International Ministries reported to police that between 9.25pm on July 31 and 4.55pm on Saturday, August 3, someone forced open a northern door and gained entry to the church, stealing two 40-inch TVs, two guitars, one computer, a radio, two amplifiers, and other items.

The prosecutor reported that police conducted investigations and as a result Marcellas was questioned and admitted to the offence.

When Magistrate Smith asked Marcellas if he was arrested before, he said about two or three years ago he was arrested and charged before a judge for similar incidents in which he pleaded guilty for and served time.

He told the judge that he did not know the televisions were stolen. He said that a friend called him about having some televisions he wanted him to sell.

Magistrate Smith sentenced Marcellas to 36 months’ imprisonment at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

FIVE MEN IN HOSPITAL AFTER TWO SHOOTING INCIDENTS

By RIEL MAJOR Tribune Staff Reporter rmajor@tribunemedia.net

POLICE are looking for the suspects behind two separate shooting incidents that left five men in hospital on Wednesday night.

In the first incident, shortly after 7pm, four males were in a car travelling south on Johnson

Terrance, Johnson Road when two armed men exited a blue vehicle and opened fire on them, injuring them. The males were transported to hospital and listed in stable condition.

In the second incident, shortly before 8pm, a man was walking on East Street and McCullough Corner when the occupants of a

champagne coloured car opened fire on him. The man was transported to hospital and listed in stable condition.

Anyone with information that can assist in these investigations should contact the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991/2, Crime Stoppers at 328-TIPS (8477) or the nearest police station.

ABOVE: Bernard Marcellas anbd Damaine Sterling and, below, two juveniles, ages 16 and 17, appeared before Magistrate Charlton Smith. Bottom: some of the missing items.

Photos: Vandyke Hepburn

MAN, AGED 25, DENIES GBH CHARGE

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net A MAN was charged with causing grievous harm in the Freeport Magistrates Court yesterday.

Jermaine Thompson, 25,

appeared before Magistrate Charlton Smith. He pleaded not guilty to the charge and remanded in custody with the matter adjourned to September 24.

In other court matters, Shameco Ewing, 21, of Blair Circle, was charged

with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

He pleaded not guilty and the matter was adjourned to November 5.

Ewing was denied bail and remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

PAGE 8, Friday, August 9, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

My friends tell me that Nassau has more blackouts than a bar full of drunks W

HILE entertaining some of my fellow professional stand-up comedians, who were in town recently, you know libations were a must, so off to the pub we went.

They were preforming onboard a cruise ship that was in port for the day, and as soon as we sat down at the bar, BPL struck.

Load shed!! Blackout!!

Nonetheless, despite some funny jabs about our “Bahamian” power company, and Nassau “having more blackouts than a bar full of drunks,” the beers were still ice cold. So, we decided to sweat it out.

I was hoping that after a few “cold ones” the topic would shift from the train wreck that is BPL to something more refreshing like NFL football, but I wasn’t that lucky.

Thanks to administrations past, present and most probably future, I had to shamefully field questions about why everyday Bahamian citizens have outrageous power bills that keeps them poor, and why the cries for an affordable, consistent, efficient power supply continues to fall on deaf “political” ears.

As I tried to deflect to another topic, slowly sipping my brew, I wondered to myself what kind of callous governments we have elected over the past years – right up until present – that makes it difficult for citizens to use solar power, especially in a country like ours, which lies directly in the sun.

Two brews in, (and more ribbing from my friends) I was a veritable cornucopia of questions: Why are power bills more costly than mortgage payments?

When are we going to try solar, wind or hydro power?

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We are looking for exceptional, visionary, and adventurous teachers who genuinely want to make a difference.

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Why does BPL put out a load shedding list on Facebook when usually the list is completely wrong?

Is it to keep targeting the same areas for load sheds repeatedly without accountability, while hoping no one notices?

Or is it because those lists are a joke and no one is even keeping track?

Is anyone keeping track?

How come load sheds used to be two hours long in the “good old days” but they’re three to four (or Heaven forbid five) hours these days?

How come my lights have been cut seven days in a row? I mean, BPL doesn’t have a light-cutting Sabbath or something? Not one day off?

The topic of power provision in Nassau, has had me perturbed for the past 20 years, from BEC to BPL, and every load shed in between.

We actually live in a country small enough that real change can happen.

The Bahamas has the potential to be a good example to the region in terms of affordable, sustainable power provision.

Instead, it seems that a few powerful bad actors have managed to halt national progress for their own personal interests and gains.

Diesel engines that power the entire island?

In 2019?

Really?

It’s been proven inefficient, and has cost the citizens of the Bahamas millions of dollars.

We could almost certainly be energy independent and showing the world what energy efficiency looks like while saving Bahamians money that could be life changing.

I used to believe that a nation like the Bahamas was small

enough, and our citizens powerful enough, that it could be an example of the people forcing real change.

When will the light go on in our heads as voters that it’s time to put down the red, yellow and green shirts, reject empty campaign promises, and come together to put pressure on the powers that be?

Surely this no-end-insight fossil fuel dependence proves we are being led by dinosaurs.

As an alternative, we can all start living out of our cars.

Which is where I am right now, charging my laptop via usb, writing this column.

This could all turn around for the next generation of Bahamians, but only with leaders who have vision.

Then again, it must be hard to have vision when you’re accustomed to living in the dark.

FNM ON WRONG SIDE OF SHOWDOWN AFTER former DNA leader Branville McCartney said Compass Point’s owner is speaking for “85 percent of business persons in The Bahamas”, readers gave their reaction on tribune242.com.

Proudloudandfnm said: “Have to agree. FNM on the wrong side of this showdown . . . Foreign or not the dude is 100% right and I have no doubt if something isn’t done he’ll have no choice but to cut his losses and get the hell out. FNM better wake up and do something . . .”

Clamshell posted this: “This quote says it all: ‘It took three months-plus to open an account with a bank I’d been doing business with for 29 years since I came home, and I was one of the attorneys for the bank.’

“Bingo. The bank even beats up its own lawyers.

And most government agencies are far worse to deal with than that bank.

Oh, man, he nailed it.”

John had this to say: “K P Turnquest’s economic policy has caused more

money to leave the country in the past year than in a very long time. Bahamians, who are employed, say they just refuse to give government 12% VAT on everything, so they travel abroad to avoid it and evade taxes. So not only is this over aggressive and burdensome tax cause the erosion of government revenue, but it is also causing more businesses to shut down and more unemployment. And if the downward spiral continues, the economy will go into recession without recovering fully.”

And there was this from Porcupine: “We are so busy, and so used to, making excuses for our utter failure that the real problems don’t have a chance of being addressed. We are too focused on castrating the

foreign, arrogant investor, who we happened to court and encouraged them to invest here. Oh yeah, but don’t make any noise.

Sit still with your money, watching your time and talents be sucked away by a group of money hungry do nothings. And, we want to be taken seriously, as if we are capable, competent, well educated and well travelled. Not so.

“All the metrics seem to suggest that fully 85% of the country is clueless on how to be good neighbours, fair in their business dealings and able to support measures which encourage personal and social growth.

Nobody likes to hear the truth about their failures.

But, they are here staring us in the face, whether they are the World Bank stats, crime stats, health stats, education testing stats . . . and on and on.

“The simple obligation of keeping electrical current on for the smooth functioning of a major city can’t even happen.

Doesn’t this say something important, our

ever indignant Bahamian apologists? This is a serious question that stands before all others.

If we cannot hear and acknowledge the genuine criticisms of our country, knowing deep down that they are legitimate complaints, what chance do we have of actually accepting the challenge to fix them?

The kicking the can down the road has gotten us to this point. We, as a society, have managed to incorporate a style of supposed problem solving that has utterly failed. If we cannot see this, there is no hope for this country. It is that simple. Mr American businessperson, while he may be arrogant and demanding, has a perspective that few in this country can conceive. For the most part, American society actually works for many people. The same cannot be said for The Bahamas.

There is no honest argument of this fact.”

Don’t miss your chance to join the debate on tribune242.com.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, August 9, 2019, PAGE 9

THE KEEP Grand Bahama Clean Committee, in partnership with the Bahamas National Trust and the Ministry of Tourism, has installed signs on the island in order to promote environmental awareness.

Photo: Grand Bahama Port Authority

KEEPING GRAND BAHAMA CLEAN

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net NEW signage erected on Coral Road, Freeport, is part of an ongoing campaign to promote cleanliness of the environment in Grand Bahama.

The Keep Grand Bahama Clean Committee (KGBC), partnering with the Bahamas National Trust, Ministry of Tourism and Sanitation Services, installed a sign this past week on the busy causeway.

According to a spokesperson of KGBC, the sign is part of continued efforts to spread awareness about the negative impact of pollution and to encourage residents to be environmental stewards through eye-catching, engaging and humorous promotional signs posted around the island.

Olethea Gardiner, KGBC co-chairperson, explained that the KGBC committee introduced a puppetry element in 2010 during school presentations to send a fun, but important message of protecting the environment and keeping communities clean.

“As the puppets are

becoming a familiar KGBC fixture through the presentations and TV commercials, we wanted to make them a constant reminder with catchy slogans for all residents to do their part in keeping our environment clean,” she said.

Ms Gardiner stated that there has been a successful reception of the campaign.

She noted that students know Chris, the puppet, from the signs on the road.

She added that the recent signage bearing the puppets came about as a result of a competition among the eco-schools during the past school year, to create environmental slogans that could be identified with culturally.

“So, this effort also recognises the winning entries from students of Bishop Michael Eldon High School,” Ms Gardiner said.

Ellsworth Weir, BT Grand Bahama parks manager, believes that initiatives like these help to spread the word to the public about being more conscious of their environment.

He noted that the spread of pollution has adverse impact on people’s health, and to land and marine ecosystems.

In addition to the negative effects on people’s health and environment, Mr Weir stressed that littering is “unsightly and creates a negative image for us, especially being a touristic based nation.”

He stated that it should always be ensured that the best image is being portrayed to the public.

Mr Weir said that he supports of many initiatives of the Keep Grand Bahama Clean Committee.

He also encouraged residents to support BNT by becoming members of that organisation. Membership allows free admission to any national parks in the Bahamas, in Jamaica, and in Europe.

Pauline Wells, Ministry of Tourism executive, said the campaign is very beneficial and seeks to enact real change within the community.

She said: “Taking part in an event like this is important not only for the Ministry of Tourism and our visitors, but it also raises awareness that we should continue to make great strides to keep our environment clean.”

CONTRACTS ISSUED FOR SCHOOL REPAIRS IN G BAHAMA & BIMINI

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

CONTRACTS for all school repairs have been issued on Grand Bahama and Bimini with work already being carried out in preparation for the new school year, according to State Minister for Grand Bahama Senator Kwasi Thompson.

“The scopes were approved by the Ministry of Education and were done with the full involvement and participation of the principals,” he said.

“The Ministry of Education is working diligently to complete all repairs on time for the opening of school.”

The Eight Mile Rock High School has been plagued with major structural and plumbing issues.

However Frazette

Gibson, area vice president of Bahamas Education Managerial Union, said that mould has not been a reoccurring issue at the institution.

“I am pleased to report that there has been no mould reoccurring at the institution, but they do have the regular plumbing issues,” she said.

Mrs Gibson also noted repairs are needed for the air-conditioning unit in the school’s gymnasium.

“The gymnasium is also used as a hurricane shelter, and I understand that it is on the scope of works this year at the school, and assessments have been done,” she said.

In Freeport, Mrs Gibson reported that St Georges’ High School is experiencing issues with roof leaks in their corner classrooms. She has been informed that the government has contracted

an engineer with a view to resolving the leaks.

She reported the roof at the Sister Mary Patricia Junior High School is also leaking, particularly in the library.

Mrs Gibson stated she will continue her walkthrough of the other schools next week.

She stated structural repairs are underway at the Walter Parker Primary.

“We are glad that structural issues are being addressed there,” she added. “We expect to conduct further walk-throughs at schools next week.”

Mrs Gibson said BEMU wants to ensure the school environment is conducive for administrators, principals, and students. “We are happy that work has started, and are confident that schools should be ready for opening in September,” she said.

PAGE 10, Friday, August 9, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

A MAKESHIFT memorial for the slain and injured victims of a mass shooting that occurred in Dayton, Ohio. Ever since “Boston Strong” became a rallying cry after the Boston Marathon bombing, the idea of “strong” has become an inescapable part of how the US heals after tragedy.

L

ET me state this up front. I am not a psychologist and I have absolutely no training in the psyche of anything. Sometimes I don’t even understand why my dog barks at nothing, or nothing that we can see or hear. Just stating all that up front so you don’t have any expectations that what I am about to discuss has any scientific basis whatsoever and is based solely on serious conjecture.

The violence that erupted last weekend in America when individual shooters unleashed their hatred in volleys of bullets, killing randomly as innocent people went about their business, shopping for back to school supplies at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, or waiting to get into a night spot in Dayton, Ohio, shook everyone who watched. The two incidents that resulted in 31 deaths with dozens more rushed to hospitals pushed the number of domestic terrorist attacks to over 250 in the last year, accounting for more civilians dying in a free America than American soldiers in Afghanistan in 2017 and 2018 combined.

Media focused on who the killers were, how they got their guns, asking why there isn’t a demand to stop the bloodshed. All important questions the media should ask. The answer, in part, is the insanely easy availability of weapons designed for one purpose only - to kill people. Automatic weapons like AK47s are not used for hunting for food or self-defence against a bear in the wild charging at a child. They are meant to kill men, women and children like those doing nothing more than responsibly searching for notebooks, tablets and backpacks.

How does America, which considers itself the leader of the free world,

Why violence and hatred are so hard to understand continue to allow the flow of such weapons as easy to come by at a gun show as a cheeseburger? The fathers of the Constitution who included “the right to bear arms” could not gaze into the future to see what havoc they inadvertently wrought.

If they knew, I suspect they would be pounding on the grass above, begging to be released from below to reconvene and re-write.

Combine that ease of access to high-powered weapons in an environment of hatred and distrust stirred up by US President Donald Trump. And while I am certainly not a member of the Trump fan club, I think blaming a man who has shown total disdain for the underprivileged, the foreign, even going so far as chanting “Send her home” - referring to a democratically elected US Congresswoman of Moslem faith - stops short of understanding the real underlying cause. What Trump may be

SHOULD THE CUBE BE THE NATIONAL CAR OF BAHAMAS?

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

ONE day we will all be driving electric cars and my hat, were I to wear one, would go off to Pia Farmer and the crew at Easy Car Sales on Carmichael Road for their pioneering spirit in bringing in electric cars. Meantime, it seems the aptly-named Cube is becoming the national car of The Bahamas and I’d love to see the numbers on how many are sold and how long the average owner maintains each one. Any answers please reply to diane@dpa-media.com.

contributing to the anger does not affect the masses, after all. Many are angry, but they don’t pick up guns or post hate-filled rhetoric on social media. They may fume silently or among friends, but they do not become domestic terrorists.

So in an environment conducive to distrust and mistrust, to expelling those who are different, or looking suspiciously instead of with compassion for those whose survival is endangered, what causes one person to cross the line when tens of thousands of others do not. What causes the abhorrent behaviour?

Why did one Parkland, El Paso or Dayton shooter do it and not thousands of others when the hatred was spewed evenly across platforms?

Think of the movie The Shape of Water. If you haven’t seen it, you missed one of the best movies ever made. The 2017 film, the most unlikely story of a

PRESIDENT Donald Trump speaking to the media earlier this week. love affair between a mute woman and a fish-like god from South America caged

by Americans bent on understanding his unearthly powers, won Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director.

If the attraction between the two bordered on fantasy bizarre, the underlying forces were undeniable.

Both were marginalised characters. Their marginalisation led to behaviour that would have been totally out of character for more ordinary counterparts.

“When he looks at me, he does not know I am incomplete,” mouths actress Sally Hawkins, playing the mute cleaning lady in the lab whose fascination with the caged “monster” deepens until she does the unthinkable, crashing the cage, flooding the tightly secured lab, freeing the trapped man-animal-god-creature inside.

In their case, because it ended in a union between two otherwise displaced souls, audiences laughed

and cried and critics applauded. But imagine ordinary marginalised characters enduring lives of frustration, girded by ugly talk, inciting greater anger against the unnamed enemy causing it all and discovering a simple route out, destruction of the enemy.

Maybe it would take on the action of The Shape of El Paso.

Marginalisation and easy access to a way out of it account for more tragedy than we recognise.

AND FINALLY

SIGN of the week: Heading west on the Western Road, it’s hard not to chuckle at the sign, SLOW SECURITY GUARD. Too bad, maybe next time they can find a guard faster afoot.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, August 9, 2019, PAGE 11

The rise and rise of esports

KYLE Giersdorf celebrates as he holds up the trophy after winning the Fortnite World Cup solo finals in New York.

Giersdorf racked up the most points and won $3 million as the first Fortnite World Cup solo champion.

by FEDERICO WINER PhD researcher, Loughborough University KYLE Giersdorf, or Bugha to give him his game name, is $3m better off after winning the 2019 Fortnite world cup. The American teenager took home the largest-ever payout for a single player in an esports tournament.

His win reflects the growing popularity of the game and the power of the esports market. British teenager Jaden Ashman shared $2.25m with his teammate as the runners-up in the doubles competition.

The finals, at the end of July, followed ten weeks of competition involving more than 40m competitors and a total prize pot of over $30m. The tournament packed out the 23,771-seat Arthur Ashe stadium at Flushing Meadows, New York’s largest tennis arena.

Fortnite Battle Royale is emerging as one of the most popular computer games with an estimated 250m players around the world. Essentially, it is a First-Person Shooter game (FPS) where players fight to survive in a battle against other human players. Unlike some other games in this genre, such as PUBG or Counter-Strike, its graphics are cartoonish, which means parents of teenage players are less likely to object to the content – it doesn’t look violent of feature excessive blood, bullets and bombs.

Fortnite is rising to prominence in an increasingly lucrative market. Out of 7.6 billion people on the planet, there are approximately

2.2 billion gamers. This includes social gaming, mobile gaming, as well as free-to-play and pay-toplay multiplayer gaming.

Of these players, there are about 380m esports viewer fans – 165m of them regular viewers and 215m occasionals.

Epic Games, publisher of Fortnite, attracts players by making the game itself free to play. But they also sell “V-Bucks” to the players, which cost $9.99 per 1,000 and can be spent on a variety of customisation and enhancements for players’ characters.

None of these influence the actual performance of the character in the battle – accuracy and pace still depend on the skill of the individual competitor. This is similar to most esports titles. But according to research firm Superdata, between its release in July 2017 and May 2018 Fortnite netted $1.2 billion in revenue.

Competitive edge So what exactly are esports? They are defined as competitive tournaments involving electronic games – especially among professionals. Players compete in leagues or play for an audience on a live-streaming service in exchange for payment, which can range to several million dollars for the most successful players.

Top players and teams are well remunerated.

Forbes reported that the “average starting North America League of Legends Championship Series (NA LCS) player salary is now over $320,000, with over 70 percent of the

players performing on multi-year contracts”. An article in Business Insider in 2018 reveals that top teams such as Evil Geniuses earn more than $10m a year in revenue. This is almost the same budget as a top second division team from soccer’s La Liga, in Spain.

The recent Fortnite world cup had a total prize pool of $33m and, as we have heard, the top winners took away several million each.

Even players who ranked as lowly as 65-108 took away $50,000 for their pains.

When it comes to training for competition, you could be forgiven for thinking that esports players are not like traditional athletes, building strength and endurance over long hours in the gym or pounding the streets.

But, as the growth in prize money means the potential rewards for success grow ever larger, a new generation of esports professionals is finding that fitness aids concentration. Some of the more successful teams are even drafting in coaches from other sports.

I have connected with several teams and, even in those with low budgets, they are aware of the importance of their physical and mental well-being through nutrition and exercise to perform better in games.

What’s next?

Esports look to be here to stay, but the degree of success will depend on a variety of factors, including general entertainment trends, industry governance and the possibility of government censorship in certain regions. To help

NINJA OUT: GAMING MEGASTAR IS LEAVING TWITCH FOR MIXER FORTNITE superstar Tyler “Ninja” Blevins has left Twitch and is taking his video game live streams to Microsoft’s Mixer platform, a stunning switch that could have wide-ranging consequences for the rapidly growing industry. Blevins announced his move yesterday, ending a hugely profitable partnership with Twitch, a live streaming giant owned by Amazon.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities Twitch has provided me,” Blevins said. “But as I looked at the next step in my career, I wanted to be somewhere that empowered me to push the boundaries of gaming and achieve bigger goals within the industry. Mixer provides me with more ways to connect with my community.”

TYLER “NINJA” BLEVINS Blevins has earned millions broadcasting himself playing Fortnite and other video games on Twitch and YouTube. He has over 14 million followers on Twitch, and the platform has hosted many of his pioneering esports moments, including a Fortnite event in March 2018 featuring rappers Drake and Travis Scott and football

player JuJu Smith-Schuster that propelled the game into a full-blown cultural phenomenon.

Blevins will host his first Mixer live stream today from Lollapalooza, a four-day music festival in Chicago. The 28-year-old has publicly invited Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf to join him. Blevins said he will not actively recruit other gamers to leave their current platform, but if more streamers follow him to Mixer, it could become a legitimate competitor in a market dominated by Twitch.

“I want my friends to make their own decisions for what platforms they choose to play on,” Blevins said. “With that being said, I will welcome anyone with open arms who wants to join me.”

the various players in the market understand consumers better and react proactively to changes in the business environment, it is essential to highlight the critical value of esports data – something that I have been researching for some time.

The huge and rapid growth of esports – and the massive revenues this promises – are thought by many industry insiders to be indicative of a bubble.

Commenting on headlines which implied that gaming tournaments were “bigger than the Superbowl”, Sebastian Park, vice-president of esports with the Houston Rockets (which owns a majority stake in professional League of Legends team Clutch Gaming) said recently: “When I read a lot of these papers, I don’t know where they derive 50 percent of those numbers”.

For the health of the industry, it’s critical to be

able to establish how different esports industry stakeholders are collecting data and information from the fans to understand their behaviour and consumer trends. There has been speculation that Nielsen, which has been collecting data on TV viewing since the 1950s, is working on a solution. This could be the next big step in establishing esports credibility. theconversastion.com

PAGE 12, Friday, August 9, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

KASHMIR STREETS SILENT AS PEOPLE’S DESPAIR AND RAGE GROW SRINAGAR, India Associated Press

AN unusual silence cloaks the centre of the city. Its streets, once teeming with traffic, are dotted with spools of concertina wire, blocking movement. Every road is sealed off. The population has been forced indoors while thousands of Indian soldiers in camouflage are on patrol, carrying guns at their waists.

Srinagar, the administrative summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, is a city under siege.

A watershed moment was

reached on Monday in the disputed and divided region after the Hindu nationalist-led government in New Delhi revoked its special status and stripped it of its statehood.

Thousands of people have been forced indoors, shops and even health clinics were shuttered, and all communications and the internet have been cut off.

The predominantly Muslim region is claimed in its entirety by both India and Pakistan, although both countries only control parts of it. Rebels have been fighting Indian rule for decades in the

portion it administers. In central Srinagar people had to navigate barbed-wire checkpoints to buy necessities or reach hospitals.

Maqbool Mohammad, a haggard man in clothes that hang off his frame, was among the very few walking the debris-strewn streets.

The 57-year-old teacher wanted to visit his ailing brother but wasn’t allowed to cross the neighborhood. Indian soldiers directed him to turn around.

“I haven’t seen my cancerpatient brother from last four days. He lives in another neighborhood. I don’t even know if

he is alive or dead,” Mohammad lamented.

A collective outpouring of anger threatens to consume the long-troubled region. Still reeling from the shock of India’s surprise move, residents discussed it in hushed tones. “India cheated us.

But now is the time we should fight back,” one was heard saying to a group of people on a road.

For many, India’s decision is a breach of trust and an attack on Kashmir’s identity.

In the days before the announcement in Parliament, the region was locked down. Since

then, residents expressed rage and despair, and there is a sense that the region won’t remain quiet for long. “Once the restrictions are lifted, people will take to the streets. It’s a pressure-cooker situation and it will burst anytime,” said Bashir Ahmad.

This sentiment was echoed by many youths in Srinagar. “As far as the situation is concerned, the worst is still to come,” said 21-year-old Bilal Rahi.

There have been sporadic reports of protesters throwing stones at Indian soldiers, but no official confirmation.

CHINA ISSUES TOP WARNING FOR STRONG TYPHOON NEARING COAST

50 YEARS ON: FANS COME TOGETHER LONDON Associated Press IT WAS 50 years ago that The Beatles caused a traffic delay. And hundreds of fans of the Fab Four gathered yesterday in London’s St John’s Wood neighborhood immortalised on the Abbey Road album to recreate the cover photo half a century after it was taken.

At 11.35am on August 8, 1969, Iain Macmillan photographed John, Paul, George and Ringo striding single-file across the black-and-white “zebra” crossing while a police officer stopped traffic.

Used as the cover of the band’s penultimate studio album, it became one of the most famous images in music history. Yesterday, spectators snapped photos on cellphones and lookalikes from a Beatles cover band crossed the street in tribute to the original image.

BEIJING Associated Press

FANS dressed as lookalikes walk across the Abbey Road 50 years to the minute after the ‘Fab Four’ did the same

Trump set for holiday but storms looming NEW YORK Associated Press

AS Donald Trump prepares to leave today for his annual August holiday at his lush New Jersey golf club, he’s confronting a storm of crises, at home and abroad, that could set the course for his upcoming re-election bid.

With his poll numbers stalled and his ability to rally the country questioned, he’s being tested by an escalating trade war with China that may slow the economy, rising tensions with both Iran and North Korea and, in the aftermath of the latest mass shootings, pressure to act on guns and face accusations of his own role in fostering an environment of hate.

The dark clouds are converging as the president’s bid for a second term takes on new urgency. Trump exudes confidence but as the two dozen Democrats eager to take

ON holiday - President Trump. his job sharpen their attacks, the White House — or, for the next 10 days, the clubhouse in Bedminster, New Jersey — will have to mount a multifront effort rooted in maintaining his base rather than trying to expand it.

“There are often presidents facing reelection who face an onslaught,” said Douglas Brinkley, presidential historian at Rice University. “Those are the times when you need to heal the nation’s wounds or make your case for a real change. But Trump long ago decided that he was going to try to be a president who divided and conquered to intimidate friend and foe alike.”

Unlike other embattled incumbents at this point in their terms, Trump does not face a serious primary challenge. His vise-like grip on the Republican Party has warded off insurgencies like Ronald Reagan’s challenge to Gerald Ford in 1976 or Pat Buchanan’s to George H.W. Bush in 1992, allowing him to focus solely on his foes across the aisle.

Trump has long bristled at the term “vacation” and is expected to hold a handful of official events

and trips while settled in New Jersey’s horse country. But aides say his attention will be focused on golf, cable news and Twitter. They often worry about the scattershot outbursts that can emerge when Trump escapes Washington and has more access to his friends and less to his staff.

When Robert Mueller’s Russia probe wound down, culminating in the special counsel’s appearance before Congress last month, a sense of relief permeated the West Wing, which was finally free of the investigation that has shadowed the administration since its earliest days. But Trump’s punitive trade tariffs, his racially inflammatory language and now a renewed national call for action on gun control have created internal pressure on the president and his staff.

Diane Phillips - Page 10

China issued its top warning for coastal areas of Zhejiang province earlier today ahead of a strong typhoon expected to bring heavy rain and winds within hours. Heavy rain was expected in Zhejiang, Shanghai and nearby provinces before Typhoon Lekima hits land tomorrow, then weakens as it moves north.

Parts of northern Taiwan closed offices and suspended classes at schools as the storm passed northeast of the island. The same area was hit by a magnitude 6.0 earthquake yesterday that caused minor damage but no deaths or injuries.

The red alert China issued is the most serious in its four-tired alert system, prompting authorities to prepare evacuations, suspend train and air travel and require vessels to return to port. In Zhejiang, ferry service had been cancelled and more than 200 tourists evacuated from popular Beiji island.

The National Meteorological Center said Lekima was gusting at 209 kph (130 mph) and traveling northwesterly at 13 kph (8 mph).

The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Wednesday issued a circular to seven provinces including Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangsu and Shanghai Municipality, telling authorities to prepare to be prepared and have emergency response systems in place to be deployed.