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As mother and son die within 24 hours:

‘No ifs, ands, buts or maybes about it. Absolutely get vaccinated. So many people have died in this past month’ By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net A FAMILY is grieving after losing their mother and brother to COVID-19 just a day apart - while one sister is urging people to “absolutely get vaccinated” with “no ifs,

ands, buts or maybes about it”. Blyth Bailey, a bubbly church-loving mother-of-four and grandmother to seven, loved watching movies, cracking jokes and attending Mount Tabor Church with her close-knit family.

NATHANIEL BAILEY, who has died aged 36, and his mother Blyth Bailey, aged 62, who also died. Both were victims of COVID-19.

SEE PAGE FOUR

FULL APPROVAL FOR PFIZER VACCINE By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net TOURISM Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar yesterday said he was hopeful more Bahamians will now get vaccinated against COVID-19, following the US Food and Drug Administration’s full approval of the Pfizer vaccine. Speaking to The Tribune, the minister said he believed the new approval yesterday would shore up

uncertainty among many about the safety of the twodose vaccine. “I am encouraged and hopefully anyone who was deciding not to take

the vaccine because it was ‘emergency use authorisation only’ now that it is cleared as a safe to use vaccine will tip even more people to take the vaccine as a way to fight this virus,” Mr D’Aguilar said. “I am delighted to hear that because there were people wavering based on the approval so that is good.” He also explained the government’s reasoning

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

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PAGE 2, Tuesday, August 24, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

STATE FUNERAL TO BE HELD FOR FORMER GOVERNOR GENERAL

A STATE funeral will be held on Thursday at Christ Church Cathedral for former Governor General and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Dion Hanna. A statement from the Cabinet Office yesterday also announced Mr Hanna’s body will lie-in-state in the foyer of the House of Assembly today. The general public will be allowed to view his body from 1pm to 5pm and from 9am to 5pm on Wednesday. A period of mourning will commence at sunrise today until sunset on Thursday. During this time, the national flag will be flown at half-mast throughout the country. The funeral at Christ Church Cathedral on George Street will be by invitation only, and in accordance with the COVID-19 emergency orders, 2020, and the Bahamas Christian Council’s social distancing protocols, as it relates to church services and seating capacity. People invited to the service are asked to be seated by 10.45am. Mr Hanna, the ardent progressive whose faith in Bahamians helped push the country toward independence and sparked the Bahamianisation policy that defined an era, died at home on August 3 at 93. He was Deputy Prime Minister from 1967 to 1984 and held a variety of ministerial portfolios during his time in office, including the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Finance with responsibility for public service, the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Home Affairs with responsibility for immigration. He was Governor General from 2006 to 2010.

MINISTER of Education Jeff Lloyd.

Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff

Online classes are here to stay By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net AS students prepare to return to the classrooms, Education Minister Jeff Lloyd said it is likely that online learning will be the dominant model of instruction for the new school year if infection rates continue to climb and the nation’s healthcare system remains overwhelmed. Mr Lloyd said the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic have changed the face of education in the country, forcing parents, students and educators to adapt. “In this time of COVID-19, the way we deliver education has had to change, because it is directly linked to the prevailing public health situation in our nation,” Mr Lloyd said during a televised address last night. “The ministry’s operating theme is ‘Safety First, Education Always’ especially now. In all of our decisions, the bottom-line consideration is the health and safety of

our students, administrators, principals, teachers, staff, guests and the public who visit our premises. On this, there can and never will be a compromise.” He spoke after the Ministry of Education announced on Friday that all public schools will now open with a virtual learning format in response to the current resurgence of COVID-19 cases. The ministry has also advised private schools to similarly adopt the virtual learning model and warned any school wishing to open with face-to-face learning will have to seek permission from the Ministry of Education Yesterday, Mr Lloyd said while in-person learning will always be the preferred method of teaching, it is not the safest practice at this time given the nation’s worsening COVID-19 crisis. “It is now an indisputable fact that the country’s health resources, both public and private, are fully maximised,” he said. “While our schools are generally safe, with a health care system already under severe strain, the ministry considers

that, out of an abundance of caution regarding containment of the possible spread of COVID-19, the Ministry of Education considers that online instruction is best at this time to assist this country in reducing the chances of experiencing a spike in COVID-19 cases.” He called on parents to be understanding of their decision and bear with officials. Mr Lloyd also said while the new school term will begin with remote learning, it may transition to a blended model over time if the situation improves in the country. He added that some islands might resume with face-to-face learning sooner than others depending on infection rates. “As we did during the last academic year, the return to faceto-face instruction will depend on local conditions on each island. Schools on small island communities may return to face-to-face learning sooner than other islands, if the health officials deem it safe to do so,” Mr Lloyd said. “The Ministry of Education will continue to monitor closely the

state of this ever-evolving public health challenge to determine when it is safe for our students to return to our campuses. “Just to note, if the infection rates and challenges to our healthcare system continue without respite, online learning will probably dominate the way we deliver instruction in this upcoming school year.” Mr Lloyd also spoke on the readiness of public schools for when in-person learning resumes. The issue has a major point of concern for the Bahamas Union of Teachers in recent weeks. Yesterday, he said: “Be assured that all schools have the adequate signage installed on campus and have been outfitted with an adequate supply of sanitation and cleaning equipment to maintain a healthy and safe learning environment.” He wished all students and teachers a safe and productive school year and also urged them to keep pressing on despite challenges of COVID-19. He also appealed to parents to remain active in their child’s school life.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, August 24, 2021, PAGE 3

30k may be voting in early poll By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net ACTING Parliamentary Commissioner Lavado Duncanson announced yesterday that the advanced poll for the next general election will be held on September 9 - with about 30,000 people eligible to take part. Speaking during a virtual press conference, Mr Duncanson said about 30,000 people are eligible to cast an early vote this election cycle, including people aged 65 and older. “Such persons comprise 26,000 eligible voters,” he said. “However, out of the 26,000 it is estimated that on the islands of Grand Bahama and New Providence, approximately 20,000 individuals will apply or could possibly apply for the advanced polls.” Other eligible voters include disabled people, students studying abroad, embassy workers, staff members of the Ministry of Tourism, Bahamas Maritime Authority, high commission or other foreign mission staff of The Bahamas as well as their spouses among others. However, residents on the Family Islands will not be able to participate in the advanced poll. Nor will any special provisions be made for people currently

PARTIES SAY BLUEPRINTS ARE ‘IN THE WORKS’ WITH the 2021 general election less than a month away, major political parties say blueprints of their plans are in the works and will soon be released. Yesterday, the Progressive Liberal Party said it plans to release its platform on candidates Nomination

Day - which is this Friday, August 27. The party’s Blueprint for Change, which also includes an economic plan, is a vision for a more dynamic, more resilient and more inclusive nation, PLP officials say. Following the candidate nominations, the PLP will release its blueprint and will also formally introduce all of its candidates whom

they said are “ready to make a difference from day one.” “The country faces very significant challenges, but the current government has never presented the nation with a comprehensive plan to address the health or economic crisis,” the party said. “Instead, we see the same pattern again and again – a failure to plan, then chaos and

crisis and then last-minute, insufficient attempts to cope.” The party also has a plan for its first 100 days in office, The Tribune was told yesterday. The Free National Movement is also expected in the coming days to make the details public of its five-year plan should it successfully be returned to office.

under quarantine or who have tested positive for COVID-19. When asked about voting plans for those affected by COVID-19 yesterday, Mr Duncanson only said the department will follow what is stipulated by the law. “The laws are clear,” he stressed. “The Parliamentary Election Act is clear. The parameters in which elections are conducted in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas up to this date is outlined in the act and so at this time, the Parliamentary Registration Department is mandated by law to facilitate the election process in accordance with the Parliamentary Election Act. “At this time, that is the means by which the Parliamentary Registration Department is empowered to conduct a

general election within the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.” Speaking generally about the application process, the acting commissioner said the applications for advanced poll will be made available online and inperson at the department’s various walk-up sites. “Our walk-up centre includes… the Parliamentary Registration Department’s [site at the] Cable Beach Post Office, the main Post Office [in] Town Centre Mall in addition to Elizabeth Estates Post Office,” Mr Duncanson said. “On the island of Grand Bahama, there are two locations designated as walk-up centres for advanced poll applications. That includes the Parliamentary Registration Department sub office

in Freeport, Grand Bahama as well as the Grand Lucayan Lodge.” Eligible voters can apply online at www.elections. gov.bs or www.mygateway. gov.bs. The deadline for applications for the advanced poll in New Providence and Grand Bahama is September 4. However, those voting overseas have until August 27. As it relates to advanced polling stations, Mr Duncanson said nine sites have been identified in New Providence and four in Grand Bahama. Voting sites identified in New Providence include H O Nash, C R Walker High School, Doris Johnson High School, C I Gibson High School, Government High School, Sadie Curtis High School,

Garvin Tynes Primary School, C V Bethel High School, Anatol Rodgers High School and Gambier Primary. As for Grand Bahama, Mr Duncanson said eligible voters in the respective constituencies will be able to vote at St Georges High School gymnasium, Jack Hayward Senior High School gym, Eight Mile Rock High School Gym and Jack Hayward Junior High School. With the opening of these additional sites, Mr Duncanson said officials are hoping to avoid a repeat of the chaotic scenes that were seen in the 2017 advanced poll. According to Mr Duncanson, the existing register currently has 194,547 voters. Of this figure, some 20,400 people are new voters.

However, he said the total figure is “subject to change” as clean up exercises of the register are still ongoing. Asked about efforts to modernise the election process, Mr Duncanson revealed that while a biometrics card is on the “agenda”, it will not be implemented for this current election cycle. This comes as the country is grappling with a surge of COVID-19 cases. Yesterday, Mr Duncanson maintained officials will continue to follow the health protocols and enforce all the current COVID-19 preventative measures. He said: “There are ongoing discussions with health officials all in an effort to ensure that we are able to clearly communicate to the public all of the health and safety measures that are continuously being discussed with the view of communicating such positions to the public so at this time, all of the health and safety requirements that have been established will be adhered to in addition to the discussions that are ongoing with health officials at this time so we can clearly outline all of the health and safety measures that are being discussed.” The next general election is set for Thursday, September 16.

different perspective and a different view politically,” he said. “They don’t see colour, and they are not necessarily loyal to a political party. And this is a great opportunity for me to be doing this, especially when people feel they are in a political leader deficit in the country.” Rev McAlpine added: “They are looking for someone who can speak to their issues and fight for matters that concern them, and I think I happen to be that individual in Pineridge.” Rev McAlpine claims that he has lots of support from constituents. “We are having a great bit of support and at the end of the day, based on the numbers, I intend to win Pineridge again and to be re-elected to be MP for Pineridge. So, there is much desire to see me elected by constituents,” he said. Although he is not affiliated with any political organisation, Rev McAlpine says he has received support and endorsement from some of the newly formed political parties. “I have not joined any party, but I am supported by the Coalition party who had basically endorsed me, and I also think the BCP (Bahamas Constitution Party) has locally endorsed me, as well.” Rev McAlpine said to reach millennials his campaign team is using various social media platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, and Instagram. He said he is proud of what he has been able to accomplish in the past four and a half years. “As the MP for Pineridge, I was able to open up a whole school for persons to complete their education, and it is accredited with the Ministry of Education,” he said.

“I was able to get roads fixed in Hudson Estates that I agitated for, and for the improvements in health care at the hospital; the courthouse, which was also repaired, and for the Post Office. And during Hurricane Dorian, I was there for my people feeding them, and not just people of Pineridge but people of Grand Bahama.

“And so, I am pleased with my time and pleased with what I have done, and I look forward to working with them in the future to accomplish some other things in the Pineridge constituency.” He said he was able to do all those things basically as an independent MP, due to friction with him and Free

National Movement leaders over the past few years. “And then there is this whole thing, that I can’t do anything as an independent. Well, that is not true because the fact of the matter is I have been operating as an independent for the last four and a half years, and I have done more as an independent

than some who are sitting in the House as ministers and MPs under the government,” he said. The Tribune reached out to several of the other Grand Bahama candidates for insight on how their campaigns are going, however they could not be contacted up to press time.

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

BILLBOARDS UP AND GB CAMPAIGN HAS BEGUN By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

ELECTION billboards and political paraphernalia are out in Grand Bahama where five constituency seats are up grabs. The two major political parties, the governing Free National Movement and the Progressive Liberal Party, have erected hundreds of street signs and posters along major thoroughfares on the island. The general election will be held on September 16, and candidates have less than a month left to convince voters to support them. Parliamentary Commissioner Lavado Duncanson said the voter register still must be certified. “We are still going through the process to certify the register before it is published,” he said. The five FNM candidates are Minister of State for Grand Bahama Senator Kwasi Thompson (East Grand Bahama); Michael Pintard, (incumbent Marco City); Pakesia Parker Edgecombe (incumbent West End and Bimini); Iram Lewis (incumbent Central Grand Bahama); and newcomer Welbourne Bootle (Pineridge). Rev Frederick McAlpine, former FNM MP for Pineridge, is running as an independent candidate. He believes he will be re-elected. “The campaign is going really well,” Mr McAlpine said. “It seems like it is going to be a three-way race led by the incumbent at the end of the day.” He noted that the demographics have changed over the past 20 years, which he thinks bodes well for him as an independent candidate. “We are dealing with millennials and the XYZ generations who have a

PAGE 4, Tuesday, August 24, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

FULL APPROVAL FOR PFIZER VACCINE from page one

for implementing new measures for cruise ship passengers. The new rule, which takes effect September 3 to November 1, states that cruise ships will not be allowed to enter a port in The Bahamas unless passengers aged 12 and older are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Captain and crew members must also present a manifest to the port medical officer that discloses the vaccination status of all persons prior to arriving at the port with few exceptions. The policy, outlined in

an emergency order issued last week, said exceptions to the vaccination requirement will be made in cases of emergencies, “in other exigent circumstances approved by the government” or if a passenger has a medical excuse for not being vaccinated. The new guideline also does not apply to “crew, contractors and any nonrevenue passenger” under existing protocols previously agreed upon between the government and cruise lines. The minister said it was important to adjust protocols considering an uptick in cases in The Bahamas and all around the world.

Mr D’Aguilar said: “This is part of the package that we rolled out first with the airlines. People who are vaccinated, we now require them to get a COVID test to enter the country given the huge increase in the number of COVID cases worldwide as a result of the Delta variant. So, we decided to reimpose that requirement. “You will remember that at the beginning of 2021 when the United States was experiencing about 260,000 cases a day. Then by May it had gone down to 11,000 and then the Delta variant came and now it’s up to 150,000 to 160,000 a day. “As this virus twists and

turns, it is necessary that we adjust our health protocols accordingly,” he continued. “So, as we did to the airlines, we also decided on the cruise lines to ensure that every person over the age of 12 be vaccinated with very few exceptions. “In our minds that’s good for the cruise industry because that contributes to a lower number of cases or outbreaks. It’s good for business and it’s also good for Bahamians in the sense that now we know that everyone coming into the country on a cruise ship is vaccinated and the evidence and the science points to the more people

are vaccinated it lessens the ability to spread and then obviously your ability to have to go to the hospital. “Anybody that is on a cruise ship and happens to get sick in The Bahamas is at the expense of the cruise line flown out of the country at their expense, so it never becomes a burden to the Bahamian people but by making this requirement that everyone’s vaccinated we think it’s good for everybody in that it limits and contributes to less outbreaks on the cruise ship. “As you are well aware, the more outbreaks on a cruise ship it is really bad for business. People hear

about it and then they don’t want to go on the ships,” Mr D’Aguilar said. Pfizer-BioNTech is the first COVID-19 vaccine to get FDA approval. It means the vaccine will now be marketed as “Comirnaty for the prevention of COVID-19 disease in individuals 16 years of age and older,” the FDA said. The vaccine also continues to be available under emergency use authorisation (EUA), including for individuals 12 through 15 years of age and for the administration of a third dose in certain immunocompromised individuals.

Mother and son 17,545 338 die within 24 hours TOTAL CASES

TOTAL DEATHS

NEWLY CONFIRMED CASES

SUNDAY

159 CASES

NEW PROVIDENCE 117 ABACO 15 ANDROS 12 GRAND BAHAMA 8 BIMINI & CAT CAY 3 BERRY ISLANDS 2 EXUMA 1 ELEUTHERA 1

from page one Ms Bailey, 27, said their nightmare began when she and her brother felt scratchy throats earlier this month. The grandchildren, ages seven, five, two and one, began to show signs of illness soon after but the family did not immediately seek medical attention. “We sprung into action and tried to medicate,” Ms Bailey said. “We didn’t have the money to get everyone tested. “My sister was the first to go to the hospital, but she came out. And then my brother went but he never got released from the hospital, and then my mom died Saturday, followed by my brother (on Sunday), and that was on my dad’s birthday. “My brother had gotten airlifted to the States on Friday night and was in stable condition over there before he deteriorated.” In total, at least six members of the Bailey family have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last two weeks: Ms Bailey, her mother, her brother, her sister-in-law, her sister and her brother-in-law. Ms Bailey said her 73-year-old father hasn’t been tested, but has symptoms of the disease. Mrs Bailey had diabetes; her son had no known

comorbidities, according to Ms Bailey, a science teacher at Government High School. In the days before she died, the Bailey family matriarch seemed fine. “She was having dance parties with her grandkids,” Ms Bailey said. On Saturday, however, she became concerned with her mother’s breathing. “The day before she died I was just in the hospital for COVID, so that morning I noticed her breathing started to get hard,” she said. “When I saw that and I felt her fingers cold, I said I need to take your sugar because I think what happened to me is happening to you. We were flushing and doing our best, but it just got worse and at that point she didn’t want to go to the hospital. “She said if it gets worse then she would go. I told her you have to go to the hospital because your fingers are also turning blue. I told her you either go in an ambulance or in the car. “She was struggling to breathe while taking her to the car. I told her you need to fight for your grandchildren. “When I called the ambulance, all ambulances were out. She was eight steps away from being in the car, but she collapsed just right on the porch. She was pronounced dead at 2.14pm.”

Ms Bailey and her 31-year-old sister have been in and out of hospital recently. “It isn’t just get better and done,” she said. “You will relapse every other day. You will feel better then your condition deteriorates. The nights are always the worst with fevers and constant sweating.” Ms Bailey said only her eldest brother, who is 48 years old, has been vaccinated in the family. “There was an awkward period when the vaccines went out and we were applying for appointments, but they got taken too quickly,” she said. “We were supposed to take the vaccine on Friday past, but we came down with COVID so we couldn’t take the vaccine.” She said getting vaccinated is “absolutely” important and warned people the Delta variant, the presence of which has not been officially confirmed in The Bahamas, is “no joke”. “If you are not vaccinated and you go to vote for election, just know what will happen next,” she said, adding that Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis should postpone the election date. “There is no ifs, ands buts or maybes about it. Absolutely get vaccinated. “So many people have died in the past week, this past month, you absolutely must get vaccinated.”

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TOTAL TESTS

HOSPITALISED

130,780 139

CASES IN ICU

11

RECOVERED

13,715

159 NEW CASES CONFIRMED THE Ministry of Health reported 159 additional COVID-19 cases yesterday. According to the August 22 dashboard, the country now has 17,545 confirmed cases of the virus. One hundred and

seventeen of those new cases are in New Providence, eight are in Grand Bahama, 15 are in Abaco, three are in Bimini and Cat Cay, one each is in Exuma and Eleuthera, two are in the Berry Islands, while 12 are in Andros.

At last report, 139 people were in hospital, with 11 in the intensive care unit. Three hundred and thirty-eight people have died from the disease, according to the Ministry of Health.

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

notice yesterday said: “The Department of State has no greater responsibility than the safety and security of US citizens overseas. We are committed to providing US citizens with the most up-to-date information to keep US citizens informed when they are abroad. “As travellers face ongoing risks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the State Department Travel Advisory system closely reflects the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) science-based travel health notices that outline current health issues affecting travellers’ health. “The CDC updated its travel health notice for The Bahamas to level four on August 23, 2021 based on its data-based analysis and monitoring of case numbers from around the globe; the CDC update was a significant factor in the State Department also updating its travel advisory for The Bahamas to a level four. “In general, the CDC recommends that US citizens not travel internationally

until they are fully vaccinated. Moreover, even fully vaccinated travellers might be at increased risk for getting and possibly spreading some COVID-19 variants, and we recommend US citizens delay travel unless absolutely necessary. If US citizens do travel, we urge them to follow all CDC recommendations before, during, and after travel.” A level four travel notice means Americans are advised to avoid travelling to this country. Haiti, Kosovo, Lebanon, Morocco and Saint Maarten were other countries whose travel advisory levels were increased yesterday. The Bahamas’ travel advisory was last increased to level four in April. Darrin Woods, Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union president, said at the time that the advisory could not have come at a worse time as industry workers were looking forward to an uptick in visitor arrivals at this time of year. The CDC lowered The Bahamas to a less serious level three travel health notice in June.

US STEPS UP BAHAMAS’ ALERT LEVEL OVER COVID THE United States has moved its travel advisory for The Bahamas to level four: Do not travel. A US Embassy press

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, August 24, 2021, PAGE 5

‘Help in race to save me from becoming wheelchair bound’ By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A COMMUNITY activist who has dedicated his time to helping inner city areas is now seeking the public’s assistance in helping him pay for “lifechanging” surgery he needs to avoid becoming wheelchair bound. Shyan Chipman, the son of the late Bahamian entertainer John “Chippie” Chipman, is now in a race against time to raise $16,000 for a medical procedure to correct his spinal decompression diagnosis. He told The Tribune he discovered he had developed the condition six years ago and has been on crutches ever since. He said if he is unable to secure the funds needed for the crucial

operation, his condition will decline with time. “My injury is considered over-time and it will deem me wheelchair bound as time carries,” he explained. “With my situation, I’ve been on crutches now for six years, but I’ve found out with surgery, therapy and time I can regain my independence which is the best news I’ve had in a long time. Unfortunately, due to the times, I cannot really afford the $16,000 cost which will get the surgery done and give me a gift that I think is just as good as life once again.” Despite the difficulties, Mr Chipman has not allowed his current condition to defeat him. He said since he is unable to work at a regular job, he has “thrust” himself into community work to occupy the

time he has on his hands. “I did what I knew, which was being an influential person in the community,” he stated. “And I used that to not only help the kids, but I went around and personally got information on all of the seniors in the Centreville and Bain and Grants Town areas. And what I did was I approached outside organisations, especially last year during the COVID-19 pandemic. “With their feeding programmes, most of them would drop off their donations to the big organisations, but what I did was I gave them an outlet to come into the inner city and identify those that could not move around, that were down in age and physically challenged. I even went to Graycliff...and they jumped on board and we gave out

about 2,500 plates and organised about 200 boxes of groceries.” Mr Chipman said he used the knowledge he already had to bring “big organisations” to the inner cities and introduce them to the seniors and large families that were in desperate need of assistance there. He continued: “Not only that, but the kids in the Centreville area don’t really have much to do during the summer months and you know when they’re idle, these are the kinds of kids that will get into anything. “So I, along with the Bahamas National Football Association, created a soccer programme and we want to take the programme to other hard-hit areas because a lot of crime and gang violence and

drugs are prevalent there. We’re going to have teams made up of kids from Kemp Road and Bain and Grants Town, but right now we’re in Centreville and we have 50 kids that we’ve started with.” Mr Chipman said in addition to his community work, he also serves as the spokesperson for the Bahamas National Council for people with disabilities. “I am an advocate for not only the poor, but for the disabled as well,” he said. “I love doing what I do as a community leader, so I’m just asking for the public’s assistance or help from anybody I may not be able to reach out to personally, who may remember me or remember the good work that I do in the community.” Mr Chipman also

reflected on the vast contributions his father made to the culture of the country. “Being the son of the late great John Chipman is truly a blessing as well. My dad has done so much for the country and done so much for so many people that as time goes on, when you meet people, everybody can give you a story of coming across his path or through his Junkanoo camp. So, I’m appealing not only to my countrymen, but I’m appealing to my Junkanoo men as well. It would be great if anyone could help, any assistance from anyone is greatly appreciated”. Those interested in lending a hand can contact Mr Chipman at 825-4075 and 826-4075 for more information.

CENSUS TO BEGIN IN JANUARY - AND YOU CAN TAKE PART ONLINE By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net THE Census of Population and Housing will take place starting January 2022 and people will have the option to complete the questionnaire online, via telephone or in person. Chief Census Officer Kim Saunders said yesterday the digital format will not only transform how data is managed and analysed, but also change the way data is collected. “Census workers will do all data collection using digital devices, which means all census data, no matter which collection method is used, will be directly uploaded, validated and processed in real-time by a robust software solution that was pioneered and co-financed by the World Bank,” she said. “For the online census, there will be a questionnaire that individuals can complete from the comfort of their homes, anytime of the day, and at their leisure. Via telephone, census enumerators will administer the questionnaire over the

CHIEF Census Officer Kim Saunders. phone. Finally, traditional in-person interviews will also be conducted.” But in order to choose, individuals must first take part in the pre-census listing exercise. Census listers are currently in the field conducting the exercise to create a National Register of Households and to

collect household contact information. Listers will ask three to five short questions and will have brief talks about obtaining individuals’ household contacts. Assistant Director Clara Lowe added that people will not have to come outside to answer questions and can

give information through home windows. “If we miss [you], you will see a callback letter from us on your door. This callback letter is very important because it will contain information that is needed to give the operators when you call in. There will be a number on the callback letter for you to call the Census Callback Centre, and when you call they will ask to give information that is on that callback letter.” The callback letter will have a unique interview key and identification number that you will need to take part in the census. If people miss the census listers, and if they also refuse to return a call, then next year at a specified time following the month of January, census enumerators will visit their homes in the traditional way in an effort to conduct an in person interview. According to Ms Saunders, pre-listing on the outer islands is scheduled to begin officially in September. She added: “The listing, we may encounter a few challenges which we

are working out in terms of internet connection, but for the most part from our previous surveys we’ve had good internet connectivity from our islands, even those southeastern islands. “Now we’ll have to use different strategies for different pockets of our population,” she said. Ms Lowe spoke about options for those who have difficulties with technology. “For those who may find it a challenge, we are offering what we call, your computer assisted telephone interviews, and we have now a Census Call Centre step up and we’re about to launch it during the listing so we can get used to how it will operate so that it be fully operational during the census and you will have a very friendly operator sitting there waiting for you to call in. “You can just give them your unique identification code. They will pull up your questionnaire. They will ask you a few questions to make sure they have the right dwelling and then they will enter the information with you,” she said.

Asked for a timeline for the census, the chief census officer replied: “We are planning for the numeration process to be at least three months (Jan-Mar 2022). We will probably need a few weeks in April for clean up, but following the month of April we have given ourselves three-six months maximum for the preliminary of the census to be released. “From the 2010 Census, we had a count of about 110,000 households I think approximately. What we have done in preparation for 2022, we did an increase of about 10 percent. So we’re looking at about at least 119,000 households,” Ms Saunders said when probed about a baseline on how many households are trying to be reached in the census. The census includes all residents of The Bahamas. Officials say a person who has spent six months or more in the country or who intends to spend six months or more can take part and officials are not concerned about nationality, age, or any other status. The budget for the census is about $6m.

$25 OF MARIJUANA? FINED 20 TIMES THE VALUE By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A 23-YEAR-OLD man who was found with $25 worth of marijuana must pay 20 times that amount to avoid spending a month in

prison. Police arrested Dario Dawkins after they found five grams of Indian hemp on him on August 12. He pleaded guilty to one count of possession of Indian hemp when he appeared before Senior

Magistrate Derence Rolle Davis. The prosecution said officers on mobile patrol observed Dawkins walking on Ferguson Street in a suspicious manner. As a result, they approached him and informed him

that he would be searched. During their investigation, officers found four clear plastic bags with marijuana in his front right pocket. Dawkins was arrested and taken to a nearby station where he admitted the offence in an interview

with police. Yesterday, Dawkins told the magistrate that he was smoking because he had family problems. He claimed his mother asked him to leave the house so he “bought something to smoke and chill out.”

After listening to his explanation, Magistrate Rolle Davis accepted the accused’s guilty plea and fined him $500. He warned him that if he failed to pay the fine, he could risk spending one month behind bars.

PAGE 6, Tuesday, August 24, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

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A family torn apart by COVID It started with a scratchy throat. That was the only symptom that Police Sergeant Nathaniel Bailey experienced at first. Both he and his sister Alicia felt that itch in their throat earlier this month. It ended with both Sgt Bailey and his mother, Blyth Bailey, losing their lives to COVID-19, a day apart from one another. At least six members of the Bailey family tested positive for COVID-19 in the past two weeks, while other members of the family had symptoms. That’s how quickly a family has been forever changed by this virus that continues to spread through our country. Neither Sgt Bailey nor his mother had been vaccinated, and Alicia said the family didn’t have the money to get everyone tested for COVID. Blyth Bailey died on Saturday, her son a day later. Blyth went from having dance parties with her grandkids to struggling to breathe. She didn’t want to go to the hospital, and when she finally did, she collapsed on the porch and was pronounced dead that day. Other members of the family have been in and out of the hospital, with Alicia saying: “It isn’t just get better and done. You will relapse every other day. You will feel better then your condition deteriorates. The nights are always the worst with fevers and constant sweating.” The family had tried to get appointments for vaccinations, but say the appointments had been taken already, in the period when the vaccines were out of stock. We cannot imagine the heartbreak the Bailey family is experiencing. The family is mourning at the same time as fighting through the illness and its effects. There are lessons to be learned, we hope, for how the country deals with this illness. People should not be left worrying about the cost of a test when the difference could be their lives. We should find ways to test those who are suspected of having COVID without them worrying whether they have the dollars in their pocket to pay for it. Elsewhere, there is news today that the US Food and Drug Administration has granted full approval of the Pfizer vaccine. It was previously given emergency use authorisation, but the full approval is the final step in the process

and a further reassurance of the safety of the vaccine. Other vaccines are also going through that process. For those who have safety fears, it is one more reassurance. But perhaps the words to listen to most are those of Alicia Bailey, who has seen this virus come far too close to home, and left her family reeling from its consequences. “There is no ifs, and buts or maybes about it. Absolutely get vaccinated. So many people have died in the past week, this past month, you absolutely must get vaccinated.” Listen to the voice of experience, and pray you never have to go through the same. And pray for the Bailey family, and for Blyth and for Nathaniel. COVID is exacting a heavy toll on us all.

Virtual schools

Given the high numbers of COVID cases in the country, the announcement that schools would at least start off with virtual learning is no surprise. Education Minister Jeff Lloyd has warned that if infection rates continue to climb, it will likely remain so for the year. Safety first is the right approach. As of yet, there are no vaccines for children under 12, and the rollout for young people over 12 has really only just begun. Beyond that, schools are not just the children, but the teachers, the staff, and all the many ways in which a school connects with parents and the community around it. It is the safety of all of those people that must be considered. Virtual learning is not easy. Listen to parents and they will tell you the struggles many children have had in the past year. For children, it’s hard to be stuck behind a screen, trying to pay attention, and with little opportunity to play with their friends to relax and get away from being stuck at home. We hope that if we do start to see decreased case numbers that face-toface learning can resume – when it is safe. Until then, it gives the schools extra time to make sure the campuses are ready for the return of students. We urge the ministry, and schools, to make the most of that time.

The upcoming General Election EDITOR, The Tribune. It’s official, the bell has been rung. For many Bahamians, the Most Hon Hubert A Minnis could not have chosen a worse time to announce a general election. This group of Bahamians cite reasons such as “we are in the throes of another COVID19 surge, perhaps the worst one yet, from the perspective of hospitalisations and actual lives lost to this deadly virus, coupled with the fact that the economy is in shambles as a result of the one-two punch delivered by Hurricane Matthew and the Global Pandemic” respectively. Whilst on the face, the aforementioned reasoning may appear to make sense, there is another school of thought that believes that things will likely get worse on both the welfare and healthcare fronts in the near term (i.e. between now and May of next year). Hence when weighing the aforementioned factors, I believe that the current Prime Minister was caught on the horns of a

dilemma, wherein he and his party would be damned by some if he called an election now, and would be equally damned by others, if he waited until later. I believe that he honestly felt he made the right decision, which was to return the Government to the people, by way of a general election. Arguably, the current Government’s unfavorable rating is perhaps now at its highest point since their coming to office in May of 2017, having regards to pervasive labour unrest and the virtual collapse of the country’s healthcare system. Nevertheless, in my view, it would be a huge miscalculation for the official opposition and other splinter opposition groups to believe that the FNM cannot be returned to office. Many still argue and verily believe, that the FNM made “lemonade from the lemons that they were dealt”. Therefore, in order to unseat the FNM, the opposition will need to make a credible case to the Bahamian people regarding

their plans to extricate the country from the grips of this deadly COVID19 plague with minimum casualties; whilst at the same time, they must lay out the details of their plan to arrest rising unemployment, the downward spiral of the economy and the country’s credit rating respectively. This time around, it will not simply be enough to state that “the current government bungled these areas and hence you need to give us a chance”. In my view, the party that is honest with the Bahamian people and articulates the most credible plans for remediation of these significant challenges, will be the next Government. My fellow Bahamian, this election is perhaps the most consequential election since the pre-independence election held in September of 1972, our health and wealth and that of our children are very much at stake. Choose wisely! KEVIN D SEYMOUR Freeport, Grand Bahama, August 20, 2021.

Back to the future or same again EDITOR, The Tribune. This, like every other election before it, is supposedly to secure our future. The FNM platform leans into the future. The PLP dreams of a new day, asking voters to gaze into a crystal ball. The FNM’s future has a rainbow but its present is awash in covid, anti-vaxxers and economic hiccups. The PLP’s future whitewashes a past that is drenched in corruption, cronyism and men behaving badly. As the country contemplates tomorrow, we must navigate the landmines of today. Luckily, the wind is at our backs with regard to vaccine supply, thanks to PAHO, COVAX and lately the US Government. The FNM says that everyone who wants a vaccine can get one. The PLP exploits the reality that way too many of us still refuse the jab and that the hospitals continue to creak under the strain of the unvaccinated. Prime ministers sometimes call early elections when they perceive an advantage that would not exist if they ran out the clock on their term. We don’t know what current circumstances may be at play but it falls to voters to pick the next government

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net to deal with this once in a lifetime pandemic. It would behoove many to swear off social media for the next month less they be swamped with tweets and blogs about politicians doing and saying stupid things. Sadly, it will also include massive fear-mongering, dumb conspiracy theories and flat out lies. People who don’t hold a single BJC in any subject will opine on why they think Dr. Anthony Fauci or Dr. Mercline Dahl-Regis are wrong and they are right about vaccines. Brave Davis, the man who was robbed at gunpoint in his own home while he was the sitting Deputy Prime Minister, will whine about today’s crime rate. He will lament the hospitals not being able to cope with the covid surge while not a peep about how he high-tailed it to the US for treatment during his brush with covid. Like leaders in every corner of the globe, covid gave Minnis a basket to carry water. Every government in the world put its foot wrong on a few occasions because there was no pandemic playbook to

work from. Minnis made unpopular decisions that saved lives. A vocal band of antivaxxers seemingly getting their marching orders from Fox News in the US and are resisting every public health measure. The next government will be decided by a slither of the population who likely won’t make up their minds about who to vote for until election day. These voters live mostly in New Providence. So, without the song and dance of large public rallies, much of the noise of this electronic campaign will be for their ears. In the end the math is simple. The FNM can afford to lose as many as 15 seats and retain the government. To overcome a 15-seat deficit the PLP will need to hope for a tsunami much like the FNM got in 2017. Not impossible, but herculean. Students of data will note that history overwhelmingly favours prime ministers who called snap elections. We must decide if we want the same stuff, different day or if we want to go back to the future. THE GRADUATE Nassau, August 23, 2021.

Furloughed EDITOR, The Tribune.

The plight of an Atlantis Furloughed staff member. It’s sad. Totally unfair. Going above and beyond for a company and look how we are treated – feels like we are neglected, thrown aside, forgotten. Myself and others on furlough going on “two” long years don’t know what’s going on or what to expect – still out on furlough and no communication from

Atlantis, some of us barely managing and in despair . The company stopped paying furloughed staff a long time ago, many depend on the government’s small stipend of $200 every two weeks; this is going to be stopped in a few weeks – what will we do then? situation is sad – no communication is being sent to the staff, we have no idea what is being done. Is it they care more about money than their

hard working employees? – many find it hard to get another job; some are either too old or over qualified. The struggle is real. What does the law say? Who is on our side? How can the powers that be stand by and let them take advantage off us like this? Is there anyone in labour or law who can help us? MISS FURLOUGHED and worried. Nassau, August 20, 2021.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, August 24, 2021, PAGE 7

24-YEAR-OLD ACCUSED OF MURDER

TARRICO Bowleg outside court yesterday. Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff

Court upholds sentence for man who killed ex’s new lover By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net THE Court of Appeal has affirmed the nine-year manslaughter sentence of a man convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend’s new lover nearly a decade ago. Don Brennen was charged with murder after prosecutors said he stabbed Dwayne Jackson to death during an argument at his former girlfriend’s home in November 2011. During his trial, his former partner was the Crown’s key witness. When she testified, she said she and Mr Jackson had planned to go to dinner and a movie at the time of the incident; however, before she left home, Brennen came to her residence. “As she was coming out of the shower, she heard the doorbell ring and her dog started to bark,” a judgment on the Crown’s website read. “She said to the person that she was not ready yet because she thought it was Jackson. When Brennen said, ‘You ain’t ready yet?’ she said that she realised it was Brennen and not Jackson. She told Brennen to leave her house as he is always causing confusion.” According to court documents, Mr Jackson arrived at the woman’s residence about 20 minutes later. She told the court that when she went to the door and tried to close and lock it;

Brennen slapped her in the face. She said when she pushed him off, Mr Jackson ran out of his truck and tried to separate them. She told the court Brennen then punched Jackson and the two “went at it”. “Jackson,” she said, “tried to run away, but he fell, and she heard him say, ‘He stabbed me,’” the court documents continued. “She said she saw when Brennen ‘jook’ him in his back. She said that Brennen said if he cannot have (her), no one could. She said that she saw Brennen spin Jackson over and ‘jook’ him in his chest. Brennen started walking up and down, saying ‘(She) caused this because she didn’t leave this man alone.’ She said Brennen then threw the knife in the garbage, jumped in his truck, and pulled off.” During his trial, Brennen pleaded not guilty to murder. The trial jury found him guilty of manslaughter and he was sentenced to nine years imprisonment, minus the time he had already spent on remand. He recently appealed his sentence after arguing the trial judge erred when they allowed evidence of his bad character and when they admitted the evidence of one witness who gave a statement to police five years after the incident occurred. The Department of Public Prosecutions also appealed Brennen’s

nine-year sentence on the grounds it was too lenient. Last week, Sir Michael Barnett, Roy Jones and Milton Evans dismissed Brennen’s appeal and affirmed his conviction. The panel further dismissed the DPP’s appeal against Brennen’s sentence and affirmed his current remand time. In their judgement, delivered by Sir Michael, the panel noted the evidence of bad character Brennen had issue with was related to previous incidents between him and Mr Jackson. “This evidence was never challenged and was therefore not disputed evidence which required a specific warning or direction by the trial judge,” Sir Michael stated. “While a direction to the jury that they ought to be satisfied that the previous incidents were not evidence of the offence with which the appellant was charged, the lack of such a direction did not make the verdict unsafe.” He added: “The five-year delay in obtaining a statement from (the witness) may affect the weight given to the statement, but it does not affect its admissibility. Regarding the DPP’s appeal against the sentence, the DPP has not identified the wrong principle of law being attributed to the trial judge. Further, while a nine-year sentence may be considered lenient, it is not so lenient as to warrant interference by this court.”

MAN WHO DENIED HAVING PISTOL GRANTED BAIL By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net A 21-YEAR-OLD man who denied having a loaded pistol was yesterday granted bail before his trial. Police said they found Wayne Demeritte with a .45 pistol with seven unfired rounds of ammunition on August 20. He is also accused of assaulting a man in May. He denied the allegations when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt and the case

was adjourned to November 17 for a fixture hearing. Demeritte, who is represented by attorney Devard Francis, was granted $8,000 bail for the firearm charges and another $1,000 for assault. As part of the conditions of his release, he is required to sign in at his nearest police station weekly on or before 6pm. Meanwhile, a 27-year-old man who denied defrauding another man of nearly $2,000 was also released on bail before his trial.

Police arrested Brandon McKenzie after he was accused of trying to defraud Burlington Strachan of $1,904 from a man on August 19. Yesterday, he denied conspiring to commit fraud and attempting to commit fraud by false pretences during his arraignment before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt. As a result, his case was adjourned to September for a fixture hearing. He was granted $3,000 bail in the interim.

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net A 24-YEAR-OLD man was charged in the magistrate’s court yesterday with murder. Tarrico Bowleg appeared before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt charged with the intentional and unlawful death of Biswajit Pati on August 12. Due to the nature of the charge, he was not

required to enter a plea and the case was adjourned to December 3 for service of a voluntary bill of indictment. He was denied bail and remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services in the interim. He has a right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail. In a separate matter, a 28-year-old man, who denied indecently assaulting a minor, was remanded to prison pending a bail

hearing. Jalano Balfour was accused of committing the act on a 13-year-old girl on August 18. He pleaded not guilty, however, before the issue of bail could be determined, the prosecution requested a brief adjournment to review Balfour’s antecedents. As a result, the matter was adjourned to September 1 for a bail hearing. Balfour was remanded in custody in the meantime.

PAGE 8, Tuesday, August 24, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

Seize the day – and Bridgette’s doing just that A WOMAN of many talents, Bridgette Bell Bastian has found after decades of using those talents to help others, that all along, they existed for her to help herself most of all. It’s a beautiful thing to help others, and Bridgette gets immense satisfaction from that. But it wasn’t until her husband, Vaklev and other loved ones encouraged her to value these talents more, that she began considering starting her own business. For many with a mindset like Bridgette had, they shouldn’t be charging for these gifts. Deeply spiritual, Bridgette felt she was doing God’s work and found much satisfaction in making others happy. At some point, she had to realise the long hours and extreme effort she put into helping others would leave her drained and that she deserved compensation. Today, Bridgette has successfully launched two businesses and there is a possibility even more will be born from this young woman. She is a gifted singer, artist, designer, photographer and so much more. By profession she is a secretary of 28 years. By calling, she is a counsellor and mentor – although she may have never called herself one – her story made this evident. Bridgette is enjoying how her life is unfolding. Because of this, she has chosen to share her story so that others who may be sitting on their talents, devaluing them, or not confident enough to make a business out of them, would be inspired to take a leap of faith and get even more out of life. Maybe it was having to battle with cancer a few times in her life that made her value herself more and what she has to offer. Maybe it’s because she helps so many others with their cancer battle that she realised the significance of “acting now”. Whatever actually spurred her to make her own quantum leap, people have responded overwhelmingly and are supporting her in her business, showing her that it was a decision that was worth it. “Proverbs 18: 16 says a man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men... I have multiple talents and if I fail to use them, it would be displeasing to the Lord,” she shared. “I loved art – drawing and painting – as a child. When my mother (Norma Bell) worked at various pre-schools then eventually had her own pre-school, she would give me the wonderful task of outfitting the walls with colourful ABC’s. I would draw life-sized cartoon characters to go with them. I did that for years. As I got older, I began doing graphic art and photography.”

ABOVE: Bridgette Bell Bastian. LEFT: Karen and her sister Bridgette in Miami as she went through chemotherapy.

BRIDGETTE and Vaklev Bastian. She started using a programme called ProMaster back in 1993. She then learned Photoshop, Illustrator, and Indesign. She enjoys using Photoshop most because she has been able to edit her photos as well as create her many designs in the software. She began designing business cards, flyers, logos, stickers/labels, booklets, programmes, menus, brochures and signs. Bridgette is a graduate of Bahamas Academy of Seventh-Day Adventists. After graduation, she studied Computer Information Systems at Success Training College. She gained additional professional certifications in Computer Information/ Business Administration from Sojourner Douglass College. “So, the talents were all given to me by my Heavenly Father, but none of them I went to school for,” she said, explaining that she taught herself. “I started designing anything that people asked me to. I did it for years and years without charging. But everyone kept coming to me. It would take me hours and hours to get it done because I am a perfectionist. “Finally (through the

advice of loved ones) I decided to charge for my services. Being one that fought with negativity, never feeling adequate or like I was worth much, I was reluctant to charge, but decided to give it a try. Someone came to me to create a programme for an event and I told them what it would cost. I was afraid but surprisingly, they said ok! I am happy I did because to date, photography and graphic design has become a source of extra income for me. I watched myself grow as I was challenged by some who asked me to create or design things for them and sometimes, I surprised myself! People began to put my work on Facebook, and others referred me by word of mouth. So without officially advertising, I got more customers and I would burn the midnight oil to fulfill the orders.” Bridgette named the business BNB Designs with the motto: “If you can think or imagine it, I can create it!” Her creative designs are even extending into interior home design – something she may develop seriously in the future. But Bridgette faced a series of health roadblocks that could have broken

BRIDGETTE’S Bella Bella Gone Nuts personalised gifts. her, had it not been for her upbeat attitude and support of loved ones. She is a twotime breast cancer survivor. She first felt a lump in her breast in 2005. At that time, just in her early 30s, her doctors chose to watch the lump and for six months, and sent her home. When they finally sent her for testing, the lump was indeed malignant. She had the first surgery to remove the tumor. After that, she took a natural, holistic approach and went to Uchee Pines Retreat, a Seventh-Day Adventist institution for natural treatment located in Alabama. She continued the healthy living regimen after the retreat. In 2008, the cancer returned in the form of a painful, golf ball sized lump under her arm. This time, Dr Charles Diggis was her doctor, and she credits him for his exceptional care during a cancer journey that involved a total of ten surgeries to save her life, including the removal of 14 lymph nodes and a full hysterectomy, performed by Dr Charles Lorne. Dr Diggis performed all of her biopsies and some of her surgeries. For the series of chemotherapy treatments, she decided to seek care in the United States. She says Dr Krill and the staff at Mount Sinai Hospital in Miami were wonderful throughout a difficult process, but one that she overcame. The five months she spent in the US doing chemotherapy was, in itself, a journey: “My big sister, Karen, left her home to spend five months with me in the US. The

friends who had promised to take me in, changed their mind the week before my first treatment. A friend of Karen’s put us up for a week while we figured out what to do. Joseph Evans, Jr, was our first angel, then Carlisa Waters. They both opened their homes to me, never asking me for money towards rent or food. Karen and I had to catch the bus to my treatments in the beginning. She had to bathe me, feed me, dress me... she stuck with me every step of the way. I thank all of my siblings who stuck with me and stayed positive for me even when I was in pain and depressed at times. Biggest supporter, my ride or die husband, Vaklev Bastian, would call me and encourage me every day as he patiently waited for me to come home. My mom prayed and cried for me daily. A mother’s prayer is very powerful and she kept me covered.” Twelve and a half years later, Bridgette has remained cancer-free. During her trials, she would often sing the song “My Redeemer Lives” by Nicole C Mullen. She sang that song with such belief and passion that today, she is still called on to sing that song at various church services and special events. “There were not all good days, but I was able to keep myself above water,” Bridgette explained. “I would cry whenever I needed to, but I didn’t stay there. I had to get up and be like, ‘ok, it’s time to fight again; let’s go, bring it on!’ I had to tell myself that this is not a death sentence. I had to say even if I have to die,

I wouldn’t go down just like that... I had to fight. When things happened to me, I used to say, ‘Lord, why me?’ Now I say, ‘Lord, why not me?’ You outfitted me to handle this because one day, I have to be an encouragement and a testimony to someone else... So why not me?” Since then, Bridgette has found herself encouraging many others who go through the cancer journey. People would come through and be so encouraged that they would tell others about how Bridgette helped them. In this way, new friends have unfolded in her life and she has found an even higher calling. Even through her own trials, Bridgette had a burning desire to help her mother, who was getting up in age and all her children had left the nest. She faced medical issues and she also needed repairs to her home. Bridgette decided to sell nuts. She sourced what she felt would be the freshest nuts and found unique packaging for them. She combined her graphic design skills with her products and would personalise them for special occasions. Her friend and church member, Tamara Taylor encouraged her to take her nut business to a higher level, and even helped her to garner new sales. Today, Bella Bella Gone Nuts is a hit and her product line is growing. As she continues on a quest for self improvement and spiritual advancement, Bridgette has learned that by believing in herself, anything is possible.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, August 24, 2021, PAGE 9

A helping hand for poor, desperate Haiti

THE televised images of human suffering in Haiti are heart-rending. It is hard to watch the misery of individuals as their lives have been torn apart in an instant by another devastating earthquake, and the turmoil has been made worse by the damage from a tropical storm. On Saturday morning August 14, the deadly earthquake struck without warning in the southwest of the country causing huge loss of life, serious injury and widespread destruction. The latest figures show an estimated 2,000 have died and 15,000 have been injured while hundreds are still missing – and those numbers are expected to rise as the relief and rescue operation continues in conditions in which, according to reports, the level of damage may be worse than first reported. Already, there has been a major displacement of people who have lost their homes while other buildings, including hospitals, schools, offices and churches, have also been damaged. Inevitably, this brings back memories of the larger and even more destructive earthquake in 2010 in which

LAST week in this column, I wrote about the current debacle in Afghanistan following President Biden’s decision to withdraw US forces and the chaos surrounding their departure. The situation is developing fast, and such is the all-embracing nature of the media coverage that it would be superfluous to offer further comment today apart from opining about the media coverage itself. It is invariably the case that too much information

more than 200,000 were killed and 300,000 injured and from which, it is said, Haiti has never recovered despite billions of dollars having been poured into the country. Reportedly, this time around humanitarian aid has been delayed. One reason for this is the torrent of allegations levelled in the months following the 2010 disaster that part of the substantial funds raised in response to it never reached those in need. Because of misspent donations last

time it is now claimed there will not be the same level of global attention and public giving even though Haiti’s need is just as great as it was in 2010. Moreover, as well as fundraising becoming tougher, there is hesitancy among donors because of the political unrest following last month’s assassination of President Jovenel Moise, together with the usual problems of entrenched poverty, endless violence and insecurity as gangs roam the country and could threaten emergency response teams. Another hindrance is the continuing weakness of Haiti’s public institutions. It is clear the misuse of funds in 2010 was one reason the government and its international partners struggled to ensure aid reached those in need. So, this time, donors who might still be interested despite the unsatisfactory history are being urged to send money directly to Haitian charities. There are also calls for more effective monitoring and control over spending and the provision of supplies and medical equipment. Notwithstanding all this,

relief for the victims of this earthquake and the accompanying tropical storm has begun to flow as local people facing food shortages are becoming restless and desperate. In such circumstances, it has been good to learn what my own country is doing to help. Reportedly, in 2010 the UK committed generous financial aid to Haiti for emergency earthquake relief. Now, according to a press release issued by the British High Commission last week, the UK Government announced on August 19 a package of up to $1.4 million of initial support to the country. This is in addition to significant UK contributions to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), the Red Cross Disaster Relief Emergency Fund and the Start Fund. Britain is a longstanding supporter of the UN’s CERF and, in 2020, was one of the largest donors to this Fund which supports responses to humanitarian needs across the globe. As for the Start Fund, this has been described as the first multi-donor pooled fund managed exclusively by

non-governmental organisations that provides rapid financial support to underfunded small and medium scale international crises. The UK supported its establishment in 2014 and has remained a major contributor. So it looks to me that Britain is contributing strongly - though indirectly - to international efforts to assist Haiti with financial aid at this time of crisis. More directly, two Royal Navy Ships - RFA WAVE KNIGHT, a Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship, and HMS MEDWAY - are currently deployed in the Caribbean to support British Overseas Territories and other partner countries during the hurricane season and to provide, as needed, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The Royal Fleet Auxiliary is the support branch of the Royal Navy, providing logistical and operational support. Readers may recall the tremendous help - at the time of Hurricane Dorian - provided by another Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel, MOUNTS BAY, when it had been deployed in the Caribbean during the 2019 hurricane season. WAVE KNIGHT arrived

off the coast of Haiti a few days after the earthquake and is helping the refuelling of US helicopters as well as - according to press reports - assisting them in ferrying search and rescue teams. In addition, following a request from the Haitian Government, the UK is sending a team of experts there to assess requirements for medical assistance and to identify what support is needed. On top of this, a UK humanitarian expert is travelling to Haiti as part of a UN team to assess needs. I must say it gladdens the heart to learn about all this assistance and support provided by Britain in Haiti’s time of extreme need. It remains a deeply impoverished nation. Despite those billions of dollars of aid over recent years, it has sunk even lower in global development ratings. Violence and disorder have continued in what is in many respects a failed state. But, in the face of natural disasters, the people surely deserve all the assistance and support that can be provided by other countries - and I am glad my own is standing up and delivering.

about anything can dull the message. In the case of Afghanistan, we are now being bombarded by the hour with news of fresh developments, both factual and by way of commentary. But too much of the latter is ill-informed and conflicting so there is a danger of people being unable to see the proverbial wood for the trees. A plethora of reporting from many different sources can lead to confusion, particularly when those providing the

reportage have themselves all too often little detailed knowledge of the issue and the background to it. Moreover, the US mainstream media seems more intent on exploring Biden’s alleged cognitive issues and fitness to continue in office than examining the problem of Afghanistan in any real depth. With this in mind, I have found it fascinating and educative to follow the emergency session on August 18 of the House

of Commons in the Westminster Parliament which had been recalled from its summer recess to debate Afghanistan. After seeing Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s opening statement on TV, I then watched the proceedings online and read extracts of the contributions of the many other MPs who wanted to have their say. In the UK, MPs are often under fire from the public for a host of reasons, not least the failure of some of them adequately to support the interests and demands of those who voted for them; though it is, of course, the case that many lawmakers are also effective constituency representatives. That said, others are viewed as operating within a socalled Westminster bubble, divorced from the difficulties of normal life and the real world as people who, in too many cases, have never had a job outside politics. Thus,

it is fair to say that many of them are not admired in the way that politicians often were in the past. The emergency Afghanistan session in the House of Commons lasted for some seven hours. So it was hardly practical to watch or read all the numerous contributions and I imagine few people will have followed the whole proceedings. But, those who have studied a cross section of MPs’ presentations will surely have been impressed by their high standard - well informed, thoughtful and articulate as MPs offered their thoughts during such an important debate - and many observers will doubtless be surprised by the level of knowledge displayed about a notoriously complex issue that must have required considerable research. All the signs are the crisis in Afghanistan will be prolonged and is likely

to deteriorate. So, for those who wish to broaden their own knowledge of the subject in a convenient manner, it might be worth reading online a selection of Hansard – the official verbatim record of proceedings in the Westminster Parliament – and especially the contributions of wellknown figures like former Prime Minister Theresa May, who, to my eye, was more convincing about Afghanistan than she has been in relation to Brexit over the last few years. While the BBC and the US mainstream media will continue to report the facts of the unfolding drama in Afghanistan, during their memorable debate last week MPs at Westminster have provided perspective and plenty of informed comment – much of which, I believe, has considerable merit and deserves to be widely heard.

The Peter Young column

WE SHOULD FOCUS ON THE REAL ISSUES

SCHOLAR’S SCOTTISH STUDIES ANOTHER development concerning Britain, which I have just learnt about and would like to air in today’s column, is the selection of Bradley Watson from Nassau as this year’s Bahamian Chevening Scholar. Chosen from a large and highly competitive field of candidates, he will attend the University of St Andrews in Scotland to study for a one-year master’s degree in sustainable development. The UK Government’s global Chevening Scholarship programme, which was started in 1983, offers future leaders a unique opportunity to study in Britain. Scholarships are awarded to professionals

from all over the world to pursue a one-year master’s in any subject at any UK university. Since the programme was launched, over a hundred Bahamian students have been selected for the award and have subsequently returned home to become leaders in such diverse fields as medicine, diplomacy, the military and the law and law enforcement. It is interesting to read about Bradley Watson’s background and qualifications for his award. After graduating from Kingsway Academy, he obtained degrees in biology from the College of Charleston and the University of Nebraska - and he has worked as a

science officer at the Bahamas National Trust since 2019. It is also encouraging to learn of his appreciation of the connection between conservation and environmental protection and the good of society as a whole in his own country which is particularly vulnerable to climate change and global warming. So, what will surely be most welcome to many is his reported long-term goal to return home and work on projects that promote sustainable development in The Bahamas. All concerned will surely applaud him for that and will wish him well for his studies in Scotland.

SPORTS

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, August 24, 2021, PAGE 11

BAHAMAS BOXING COMMISSION MAKES FINANCIAL DONATION TO RAY MINUS JR THE Bahamas Boxing Commission on Monday, August 23, made a financial donation to former Commonwealth and national boxing champion Ray Minus Jr. The presentation was made by BBC secretary Calvin Greene, right, and treasurer Alvin Sargent, on behalf of chairman Fred Sturrup. The cheque is to assist with the exchamp’s medical expenses. Other active members of the commission are deputy chairman Dr Munir Rashad, Fernley Palmer, statistician Paul Moxey and Walter Rolle.

NEW Orleans Saints wide receiver Marquez Callaway (1) pulls in a one handed touchdown reception over Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Shaquill Griffin in the first half of an NFL preseason football game in New Orleans last night. (AP Photo/ Derick Hingle)

Winston TDs highlight Saints’ 23-21 preseason win over Jaguars By BRETT MARTEL AP Sports Writer NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jameis Winston completed touchdown passes of 43 and 29 yards to secondyear pro Marquez Callaway, and the New Orleans Saints defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 23-21 in a preseason game last night. Winston completed nine of 10 passes for 123 yards without an interception, bolstering his candidacy to succeed NFL all-time leading passer Drew Brees as the Saints’ new starter. Winston is competing for the job with Taysom Hill, who went 3-1 as a starter while Brees was injured last season. Hill passed for 138 yards and a touchdown against Jacksonville. Both clubs are in the midst of quarterback competitions, supplying the game with more intrigue than a typical preseason contest. No. 1 overall draft choice Trevor Lawrence got the start over incumbent Gardner Minshew and played the first half, going 14 for 23 for 113 yards behind an offensive line featuring three backups — including rookie Walker Little at left tackle. Lawrence led one scoring drive that ended with a field goal. His final series stalled when he was sacked for a 9-yard loss by Jalen Dalton at the Saints’ 25. The drive ended with Josh Lambo missing a 43-yard field goal attempt off the upright. Hill played the majority of the first half and the third quarter, completing 11 of 20

passes. His first two series ended with sacks by Jihad Ward and Dawuane Smoot. His first scoring drive culminated with former Jaguars kicker Aldrick Rosas hitting a 52-yard field goal as the second quarter ended, widening the Saints’ lead to 17-3. Hill’s touchdown went for 14 yards to Lil’Jordan Humphrey to make it 23-3. Minshew played most of the second half, completing 13 of 21 passes for 149 yards before his night ended when he was intercepted by linebacker Wynton McManis while throwing off his back foot during a scramble on second-and-goal from the 2. C.J. Beathard had the best night of the Jags QBs statistically, passing for touchdowns of 3 yards to Jeff Cotton and 24 yards to Collin Johnson in the final six minutes. CATCHING ON Callaway had the crowd gasping in amazement when they saw replays of his touchdown catches. He snagged the first — his longer of the two — with a diving catch between two defenders after he’d been interfered with from behind by rookie Tyson Campbell. His second TD came on a one-handed catch over his outside shoulder along the sideline. Callaway, who played in 11 regular-season games with three starts as an undrafted rookie out of Tennessee in 2020, beat seasoned veteran Shaquill Griffin on both scores. Griffin, formerly with Seattle, was among the Jaguars’ most significant acquisitions

in free agency, signing a three-year deal worth up to $40 million. BAD MEMORIES The Superdome has not been kind to Lawrence. He has played there three times since his Clemson days and lost each time, starting with the 2019 national title game against LSU, followed by a 2020 semifinal setback against Ohio State. INJURIES Jaguars: Running back Travis Etienne left with an apparent foot injury. Those not in uniform because of injuries were receiver DJ Chark (finger), cornerback Tre Herndon (knee), edge rusher Josh Allen (COVID19), center Brandon Linder (knee) and guard Andrew Norwell (elbow). Saints: Second-year tight end Adam Trautman, a projected starter this season, was taken to the locker room during the first half with an apparent lowerbody injury which the club did not disclose. Reserve defensive back Bryce Thompson limped off the field in the fourth quarter. UP NEXT Jaguars: Conclude the preseason Sunday at Dallas. Saints: Wrap up their preseason slate at home Saturday night against Arizona.

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PAGE 12, Tuesday, August 24, 2021

SPORTS

THE TRIBUNE

TONY Finau hits out of a bunker on the 18th green in the final round at The Northern Trust golf tournament at Liberty National Golf Course yesterday in Jersey City, N.J. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

FINAU ENDS 5-YEAR DROUGHT AND WINS NORTHERN TRUST By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) — Tony Finau was developing a label as the player who did everything right but win. What he never lost was his belief he could beat the best. That moment finally arrived late yesterday afternoon at The Northern Trust against the sunlit backdrop of the Manhattan skyline. Finau delivered the best back nine of his career to track down Jon Rahm, the world’s No. 1 player, and then beat Cameron Smith in a playoff. Finau tapped in the winning par putt at Liberty National, tilted his head to the sky and fluttered his lips in a sigh that was equal parts relief and satisfaction. “It’s more massive I think for just my sense of accomplishment,” he said. “It’s hard losing, and it’s hard losing in front of the world. I’ve done it already

a couple of times this year. That made me more hungry. If it doesn’t discourage you, it makes you more hungry. You guys keep telling me, ‘When are you going to win again?’ That makes me more hungry. “It all equals up to now. It was time for me to win again.” In a rain-delayed start to the FedEx Cup playoffs, with players sitting out Sunday as Hurricane Henri moved off the eastern seaboard, Finau ended a drought that had stretched more than five years and 142 starts on the PGA Tour. He had eight runner-up finishes, three of them playoff losses, and 39 top 10s since his lone victory in the Puerto Rico Open in the spring of 2016. That ended with a dynamic charge, starting with a birdie-eagle-birdie stretch for a 30 on the back nine to close with a 6-under 65. And like most victories on this tour, he needed plenty of help.

Rahm, who had a twoshot lead at the turn, made his first bogey of the final round on the 15th hole and then had to settle for par on the reachable par-4 16th, which felt like a bogey. He had to settle for a 69 to finish alone in third. Smith had a big finish of his own with two straight birdies and a chance at three in a row with a 25-foot putt on the 18th for the win. He missed and shot 67, and that was as close as the Australian came to winning. Returning to the 18th in the playoff, Finau pounded his drive down the middle. Smith pushed his drive so wild to the right that it sailed over the retaining wall that separates Liberty National from the edge of the Hudson River. At that moment, the playoff was effectively over. For Smith, it was the second straight time a bad drive at the end cost him a chance to win.

“Just a terrible swing, mate,” he said. “My driver has cost me a few tournaments this year. That makes me more determined to try and figure it out before the end of the year.” The timing was just right for Finau. He moved atop the FedEx Cup standings for the first time with two events left in the chase for the $15 million prize. It also moved him to No. 6 in the Ryder Cup standings. The top six after the BMW Championship this week automatically qualify. Even if Finau falls out, it would be hard for U.S. captain Steve Stricker to leave him off the 12-man team. “I told myself, ‘If you didn’t win, you’re not going to make the team.’ Although I’ve always been high in the rankings, I wanted this validation more for myself to be part of a team like that as a winner this season and playing

good golf going into the Ryder Cup,” Finau said. Finau, who had to save par from the bunker with a 6-foot putt on the 18th in regulation to finish at 20-under 264, only had to two-putt for par in the playoff. “I’ve played really nicely in big tournaments, but to turn in a 30 on the back nine of a playoff event, trying to chase down the best player in the world, those are all things that will go in the memory bank,” Finau said. There were other big winners yesterday, starting with Keith Mitchell. He was at No. 101 in the FedEx Cup, and only the top 70 advance to the BMW Championship. Mitchell needed a big finish and delivered with three straight birdies for a 69 to tie for eighth at 13-under 271. Tom Hoge started at No. 108 and tied for fourth to advance. That was his best finish of the year, and

it came at just the right time with points counting quadruple. Also moving on to the BMW Championship later this week were Alex Noren, Erik van Rooyen, Harold Varner III and Harry Higgs. Van Rooyen was in contention on the front nine until he hit two shots in the water on the par-3 11th and made a quadruple-bogey 7. The final round was postponed on Sunday as Hurricane Henri approached, and the edges of what became a tropical storm at landfall dumped more than 6 inches of rain on Liberty National. There was another fourhour delay in the morning and spectators were kept away. They missed quite a show, and a popular winner. Few others have been so gracious as so many chances to win got away from him. “I hope I don’t have to wait another five years for the next one,” Finau said.

RECORD-BREAKER ANTONIO LEADS WEST HAM TO 2ND STRAIGHT WIN LONDON (AP) — Michail Antonio’s record goal for West Ham was sealed with a kiss. The fun-loving striker became the London club’s all-time leading scorer in the Premier League era, moving onto 49 goals by netting twice in a 4-1 win over 10-man Leicester at the Olympic Stadium yesterday. Antonio’s first — a close-range shot on the turn to make it 3-1 in the 80th — moved him past Paolo Di Canio’s previous record mark of 47 and he celebrated by running to the sideline and raising aloft a cardboard cut-out of himself. Spinning around to cheers from a packed crowd, Antonio — whose goal celebrations often provide amusement — finished his routine by planting a kiss on himself before tossing the cut-out to the ground. He said the celebration was based on 2001 movie “Save The Last Dance” and was pre-planned, having placed the cut-out behind West Ham’s dugout before kickoff. “I’ve not been celebrating of late because of VAR,” Antonio said. “I was like, ‘If I’m making history, I’ve got to do something special.’ I started it off doing

WEST Ham’s Michail Antonio, right, scores his side’s third goal during the English Premier League soccer match against Leicester City at the London Stadium yesterday. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) celebrations so I’ve got to finish it doing celebrations.” Antonio — a converted striker, having played as a winger and even a full back since joining West Ham in 2015 — still had time to add a second goal, stretching to prod home a finish in the 84th after controlling a right-wing cross. It wrapped

up West Ham’s second straight victory to open the season. David Moyes’ team is one of five to be on a maximum six points after two rounds, and is in first place on goals scored. “I’ve challenged the players to find that extra two points that could have

been enough to get us in the Champions League,” Moyes said, referring to his team finishing in sixth place last season — two points behind fourth-place Chelsea. “I could be asking far too much but what else am I going to do — stand here and say we want to avoid relegation?”

West Ham hasn’t started a top-flight season with two straight wins since 1997. It has eight goals so far, having beaten Newcastle 4-2 last weekend. Algeria winger Said Benrahma, who has also started the season strongly like Antonio, set up Pablo Fornals for West Ham’s

26th-minute opener before scoring himself to put West Ham 2-0 ahead. Antonio played a key role in Benrahma’s goal, intercepting a back pass by Leicester defender Caglar Soyuncu before playing the ball across the area for his teammate to convert. That meant Benrahma repeated his goal and assist from the win at Newcastle. Youri Tielemans pulled a goal back in the 69th minute for Leicester, which lost attacking midfielder Ayoze Perez to a straight red card in the 40th for a lunge at the ankle of Fornals. No foul was given initially. But referee Michael Oliver changed his mind after reviewing the incident on a pitchside monitor. Perez appeared to lose his balance just before the foul as a result of a tackle from behind by West Ham defender Aaron Cresswell. “If you look in isolation at the contact, it doesn’t look good,” Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers said. “But if you look back, there’s a foul on him, he gets clipped. “If he goes down, he gets a free-kick. “Because he’s clipped he’s stretching and makes the tackle.” Leicester opened with a 1-0 win over Wolverhampton.

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Tuesday, August 24, 2021, PAGE 13

Bahamian pros to face off on court as NBA releases full regular season schedule By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net THE NBA released its full regular season schedule over the weekend, and several marquee games highlight the matchups for the league’s Bahamian players. Deandre Ayton and Chavano “Buddy” Hield will face each other four times as Pacific Division rivals in the Western Conference while Kai Jones, playing out of the Eastern Conference, will square off against both Hield and Ayton twice over the course of the regular season. Ayton and the Phoenix Suns will host the first of the four meetings against Hield’s Sacramento Kings, October 27 at Footprint Center in Phoenix Arizona. The Kings will host the second matchup, November 8, as the venue shifts to the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. Sacramento will also host game three on Sunday, March 20 and the Suns will host the final regular-season meeting between the teams on April 10. Jones will have his first All-Bahamian matchup on November 5 when the Hornets will travel to Sacramento to face the Kings

SUNS’ Deandre Ayton (top left) and Kings’ Buddy Hield (top right) will face each other four times as Pacific Division rivals in the Western Conference while Kai Jones (top far right), playing out of the Eastern Conference, will square off against both Hield and Ayton twice over the course of the regular season. at the Golden 1 Center. The Hornets will then host the Kings at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina on December 10. The Hornets will travel to face the Suns at the Footprint Center on December 19 and will host the Suns

SMITH MOVES FROM NBA TO COLLEGE CLASSES, GOLF AT N.C. A&T By AARON BEARD AP Sports Writer J.R. Smith is finally getting the college-athlete experience he missed out on nearly two decades ago. The 16-year NBA veteran who skipped college basketball, won two world championships and made millions is now a freshman walk-on for the North Carolina A&T men’s golf team. Now, instead of firstclass cross-country travel for nightly games against the world’s best basketball players, Smith – who turns 36 next month – is focused on completing class assignments and working on his golf game. “It’s going to be fun,” Smith said Monday in an online news conference. “Obviously different environments from playing in front of 20,000 people to playing in a college golf gallery. “But it’s still as nerveracking as shooting a free throw in front of 5,000 instead of making a 5-foot putt in front of three. So it all correlates the same for me.” Smith said he was drawn to the Greensboro, North Carolina, school because of his interest in attending a Historically Black College or University, which follows a push by the NBA and its players to support HBCU traditions and culture in this year’s All-Star Game in Atlanta. Smith is returning to the state where he was originally slated to play college basketball. The 6-foot-6 guard was set to join tradition-rich North Carolina under Roy Williams in 2004, but instead jumped straight to the NBA and was a first-round draft pick. He scored more than 12,000 regular-season points while playing for five NBA teams. That included joining LeBron James in winning titles with Cleveland in 2016 and the Los Angeles Lakers in the Florida pandemic bubble in 2020 – and celebrating each in memorable shirtless fashion. That was then. This is now.

Over the past two days, Smith has been tweeting about an impending assignment deadline: his first-ever Powerpoint presentation for an English class about where he saw himself in the next five to 10 years. “For me, because I have a wild imagination, it’s going to be very interesting,” Smith said. “I don’t know if the professor is prepared for that, and I’m obviously not the average freshman. So I don’t know how I’m going to do.” As for his golf game, Smith said he’s been playing for about 12 years. As he took the game more seriously, he frequented driving ranges and worked to improve his swing on his own, never hiring a coach while picking up occasional tips from watching Golf Channel. “I just know how to compete with myself,” Smith said. “As being a shooter and with golf, it correlates to trying to hit different shots and your creativity, and that swing and try to have that flow and tempo.” That self-taught style was enough to impress PGA pro Dustin Johnson, who said in 2016: “He can play.” Aggies coach Richard Watkins agrees with Johnson. “The performance of my golf team just got a helping hand because the young man in question is definitely a good player,” Watkins said of Smith. The Aggies’ first golf match comes Sept. 24-25 at the Black College Golf Coaches Association Invitational in Newnan, Georgia. Until then, Smith will be busy juggling school work — most of his courses are online currently — and working on his golf game. Smith said that’s exactly what he wants from his delayed college experience. “It’s not even a week yet but as I get into it, I keep getting eager to learn more, and join study groups and try to understand and try to really embrace the lifestyle,” Smith said. “Because if I’m going to give it a shot, that’s the only way it’s going to work.”

at the Spectrum Center on January 2. The defending Western Conference champions, the Suns had a 17 game improvement from 34-39 in the 2019-20 season to 51-21 in 2020-21. They will be featured in a franchise record 34

nationally televised games this season, an increase from 13 last season. This year the Suns will play on ESPN 11 times, TNT nine times, ABC three times, and NBATV 11 times. Their 34 nationally televised games rank fifth

in the league. Phoenix will open the season at home on October 20 when they host the Denver Nuggets. The Sacramento Kings will begin the regular season on the road against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on October

20. The Kings are one of just four teams this season without a single nationally televised game. The Kings finished the 2020-21 season 31-41, the franchise’s 15th consecutive season without a playoff berth which tied an NBA record. The Hornets will open the regular season at home when they host the Indiana Pacers at Spectrum Center. They finished last season 33-39, 10th place in the Eastern Conference, an improvement on their 23-42 finish in the previous season. Charlotte will have four nationally televised games this season, up from three last year. They will also be featured in four games broadcast on NBA TV.

LOS Angeles Lakers’ JR Smith warms up prior to an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., in this Thursday, July 30, 2020, file photo. The 16-year NBA veteran who won two world championships is now a freshman walk-on for the North Carolina A&T men’s golf team. (AP)

PAGE 14, Tuesday, August 24, 2021

SPORTS

THE TRIBUNE

Small crowds, big noise at Little League World Series By ANDREW DESTIN Associated Press SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) — Hunter Nepple’s gametying three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning had Nebraska’s cheering section screaming and stomping their feet at Lamade Stadium. Hawaii’s 3-0 lead had evaporated with one swing, but its fans were eager to respond once pitcher Micah Bennett got the team from Honolulu out of the inning. Nebraska’s and Hawaii’s sections of the ballpark took turns belting out hometown cheers, an impromptu whocan-be-loudest contest in a game that wound up as an 11-3 Hawaii victory in seven innings Sunday. Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Little League World Series games have only had a few hundred family and friends in the stands this year. Turns out they were the ones making a lot of the noise in the first place. “Even with the smaller crowds, it really hasn’t diminished our experience at all,” said Stan Budarz, father of Jacob Budarz of the Connecticut team. “You can generate a lot of energy and the way the acoustics are in the stands, I think it sounds pretty loud even though it’s not the hugest crowd.” The reduced capacity crowds permitted at Volunteer and Lamade Stadiums have created an intimate experience for everyone involved. Scott Stier was in attendance supporting Florida’s team, since his 13-year-old son aged out of their Little

HONOLULU, Hawaii’s Ryan Keanu (27) slides safely into third base as Hastings, Neb.’s Benjamin Wibbels waits for a late throw from right field during the first inning of a baseball game at the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa., on Sunday. (AP Photo/Gene J Puskar) League but is still best friends with one of the players. Stier thinks the more relaxed atmosphere could help some of the more shy participants. “It’s a tough burden to carry for them,” Stier said. “I think it turned out to be maybe a blessing in disguise if they felt a little uncomfortable.”

While these 12-yearolds are still appearing on nationally televised ESPN broadcasts, they’re doing so in a more familiar and relatable setting. Stier pointed out how the opening days of the LLWS have been reminiscent of hometown Little League games. Hawaii manager Brandon Sardinha noted how

THE MEMBERS of the Abilene, Texas team are seen in the dugout during a rain delay in the bottom of the first inning against Taylor, Mich. during a baseball game at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., yesterday. (AP Photo/Tom E Puskar)

capacity restrictions also were in place during both the Hawaii state tournament and the West Regional in San Bernardino, California. “If there were a lot more fans out there, it could be a distraction,” Sardinha said. “Throughout this process from our state tournament to regionals, it’s been kind of limited, so that’s what they’re used to. I think they’re comfortable with what it is now.” Nonetheless, longtime Little League World Series fan Erin Smith of nearby Hughesville definitely noticed a dip in energy at the ballpark this year. She got a section pass since her dad volunteers at the stadiums. Not to mention, embarrassing moments like a dad moaning when his child strikes out or bobbles a ball are now much easier for all to hear. Nebraska manager Dustin Rader, whose Hastings Little League squad is just the second team from the Cornhusker state to ever make it to the world series, said he and his players “don’t know any different” than competing with little more than family and friends on hand. And for Rader, the experience of being in South

HASTINGS, Neb., starting pitcher Kowen Rader (12) collects himself on the mound with Benjamin Wibbels (23) during the first inning of a baseball game against Honolulu, Hawaii, at the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa., on Sunday. (AP Photo/Gene J Puskar) Williamsport rather than It’s all a new experience,” enduring another season he said. without Little League base“You get what you get ball like in 2020 is more and you don’t throw a fit. than enough to get excited That’s kind of how we’ve about. lived this whole trip. It “I don’t know if play- would have been nice to see ing in front of the world or those stands packed, but playing in front of 30,000 man, it’s a lot better than in person is much different. last year.”

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ATLANTA (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton homered and drove in three runs to carry the New York Yankees to their 10th straight victory, cooling off the streaking Atlanta Braves 5-1 last night. The Yankees snapped first-place Atlanta’s ninegame winning streak in the first regular-season matchup in almost 120 years between teams that had won at least nine in a row. Stanton homered in the second inning off Huascar Ynoa (4-3) and snapped a 1-all tie in the sixth with a two-out, two-run double. Gary Sánchez gave New York some insurance with another two-out hit in the eighth, singling through the shift to bring home two more runs. Jordan Montgomery (5-5) worked around four walks in his five-inning stint, limiting the Braves to two hits — including a homer by Dansby Swanson. CUBS 6, ROCKIES 4 CHICAGO (AP) — Rafael Ortega hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning and Chicago ended its longest home losing streak with a win over Colorado. Pinch-hitter Jason Heyward

started the ninth with a single, and Ortega came up an out later and hit the game’s only homer to right as the Cubs scored five runs in the final two innings to snap a 13-game losing streak at Wrigley Field, the longest in franchise history. Reliever David Bard (7-9) allowed the gamewinner after a walk-filled eighth inning helped the Cubs to get closer. Sam Hilliard singled home a pair to cap a threerun first for the Rockies, who later got a sacrifice fly from Connor Joe. C.J. Cron had three hits for Colorado, which dropped its second straight after a five-game winning streak. Manuel Rodriguez (2-2) earned the victory after pitching the ninth for Chicago. BLUE JAYS 2, WHITE SOX 1 TORONTO (AP) — Pinch-runner Breyvic Valera scored the tiebreaking run on a wild pitch in the eighth inning, and Toronto beat Chicago. Valera ran for Reese McGuire after the Blue Jays catcher singled off Craig Kimbrel (2-4) to begin the inning. Valera took second on a wild third strike to Bo Bichette, advanced to third on a groundout, and scored

when Kimbrel uncorked another wild pitch, this time to Teoscar Hernández. Tim Mayza (3-1) pitched a perfect eighth inning to earn the win, and Jordan Romano finished for his 12th save in 13 chances. Toronto spoiled a strong outing by Chicago’s Lance Lynn and handed the White Sox their fourth loss in five games. RED SOX 8, RANGERS 4 (11 INNINGS) BOSTON (AP) — Travis Shaw hit a game-ending grand slam in the 11th inning, and Boston beat Texas. Shaw, who entered as a defensive replacement in the eighth, drove a 3-2 pitch off Dennis Santana (2-3) over Boston’s bullpen. It was Shaw’s first hit since he was claimed off waivers from Milwaukee on Aug. 15. He also began his big league career with the Red Sox in 2015. Alex Verdugo and Hunter Renfroe also homered for Boston in the makeup of Sunday’s scheduled game, which was postponed due to the approach of Hurricane Henri. Garrett Whitlock (5-2) worked 2 2/3 innings for the victory. The Rangers have the majors’ fewest

wins since the All-Star break at 8-26. Andy Ibáñez hit a tying two-run double in the ninth against Matt Barnes. PIRATES 6, DIAMONDBACKS 5 PITTSBURGH (AP) — Yoshi Tsutsugo homered and Bryan Reynolds tripled in the seventh to help Pittsburgh beat Arizona for its third win in four games. With the game tied in the eighth, Noé Ramirez (0-1) walked three straight to load the bases before Ke’Bryan Hayes sent a dribbler to short, scoring Kevin Newman. Tsutsugo started Pittsburgh’s seventh-inning rally with his second pinch-hit home run of the season, sending a solo shot into the front row above the rightfield wall. Reynolds drove in Hayes with a triple, pulling Pittsburgh within one. Reynolds scored on an error from third baseman Asdrúbal Cabrera to tie it. Pirates reliever Anthony Banda (2-0) struck out the side in the eighth. David Bednar retired the side in order in the ninth for his second major league save. Daulton Varsho homered in a third straight game, and Christian Walker had a three-run double for Arizona.

THE TRIBUNE

SPORTS

Tuesday, August 24, 2021, PAGE 15

FREEDOM FARM REPRESENTS BAHAMAS WELL AT CAL RIPKEN MAJOR/70 WORLD SERIES FREEDOM Farm Baseball League returned to the Babe Ruth’s Cal Ripken Baseball Major/70 World Series and finished fourth in the International Bracket. The Bahamas was one of 25 teams competing in the event hosted at the Ballparks of America in Branson, Missouri. Team members included Marlon Bostwick Jr, Alexander Burrows, Justin Colebrooke, Teron Davis, Mario Dean, Kaizen Dorsett, Ajay Knowles, Jamar Miller, Trae Neymour, Ethan North, Sheldon Jones, Elvis Pardo, Logan Rolle, Doyle Sears and Carlton Storr. The team was managed by Marlon Bostwick Sr, assisted by Alexander Greg Burrows Sr, Dr Stephen Rolle, and Renaldo Dorsett. Team sponsors included Insurance Management, Twisted Lime, Asa H Pritchard, Mrs R and Blanco. The Bahamas was also represented outside the lines of play as Greg Burrows Sr was named a member of the World Series Task Force and Martin Burrows served as an umpire throughout the event. Major/70 is a level of baseball beyond Little League but before professional baseball that allows players to play on 70-foot base paths with a 50-foot pitching distance. It also allows runners to take leads and steal for the first time, playing mainly by official baseball rules.

THE BAHAMAS, represented by the Freedom Farm Baseball League, was one of 25 teams competing in the Babe Ruth’s Cal Ripken Baseball Major/70 World Series. They finished fourth in the International Bracket at the event, hosted at the Ballparks of America in Branson, Missouri.

SPORTS PAGE 16

TUESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2021

Golf, page 12

Jones ‘Player of the Week’ By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

F

MINNESOTA Lynx forward Damiris Dantas shoots around the defence of Connecticut Sun forward Jonquel Jones during a WNBA basketball game in Uncasville, Connecticut. (Sean D Elliot/The Day via AP)

or the 10th time in her five-year career, Grand Bahamian Jonquel Jones has been one of the Women’s National Basketball Association’s Players of the Week. Yesterday, the WNBA named Jones - a forward/centre for the Connecticut Sun - as the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the period of August 15-22, while Brittney Griner, a centre for the Phoenix Mercury, was selected the Western Conference Player of the Week. Jones, 27, earned the feat as she led the Sun to a perfect 3-0 win-loss record last week with an average of 18.7 points, 11.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Griner averaged 20.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists for the Mercury, who were 4-0. The 6-foot-6 Jones earned the award for the third time this summer as Connecticut started the second

SUN FORWARD/CENTRE NOW CONSIDERED A TOP CONTENDER FOR MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARD half of the WNBA season with a victory over the Dallas Wings and a pair over the Minnesota Lynx. In the first game played against the Wings on Sunday when they won 80-59, Jones produced a team-high 19 points and 15 rebounds with four assists. On Tuesday in their 72-60 win over the Lynx, Jones posted 13 points with four assists and three steals. And on Thursday in their 82-71 triumph that completed their sweep over Minnesota, Jones netted 20 points with seven rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot. Jones and Connecticut, currently leading the Eastern Conference with a 17-6 record, will be back on the court at home tonight at 7pm at the Mohegan Sun Arena when they take on the Las Vegas Aces, who are also 17-6 atop the Western Conference. It’s their final game in their series

with the Sun holding a 2-0 advantage over the Aces. That will be followed by a match-up against the Los Angeles Sparks, now 10-13 in fifth place in the Western Conference, in another home game on Thursday. Jones is currently the only player in the league who is averaging a double-double with 20.6 points and 11.2 rebounds. She is also sixth in field goal percentage at 53.8 for players attempting at least 10 shots per game and fifth in 3-point shooting percentage for players attempting at least three 3s per game at 40.7 percent. Coming off her runner-up spot in the three-point shooting contest, but on the winning Team WNBA squad that knocked off the USA Women’s Olympic team 93-85 at the AT&T WNBA All-Star Classic, Jones is now being considered as one of the top contenders for the league’s Most Valuable Player award.

Freedom Farm 4th in World Series

FREEDOM Farm Baseball League returned to the Babe Ruth’s Cal Ripken Baseball Major/70 World Series and finished fourth in the International Bracket. The Bahamas was one of 25 teams competing in the event hosted at the Ballparks of America in Branson, Missouri. SEE THE FULL STORY AND MORE PHOTOS ON PAGE 15

Higgs signs in Germany By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net BAHAMIAN pro basketball player Lashann Higgs will make the move from Spain to Germany for the upcoming season. The second year guard will join Rutronik Stars Keltern Damen-BasketballBundesliga (DBBL), the premier women’s basketball league in Germany. Higgs joins a Rutronik team that claimed the 2020-21 title with a 21-3 regular season record and an undefeated 7-0 run in the playoffs. The club will open their 2021-22 season against Marburg on September 25. Higgs spent her rookie season of pro basketball last year with Embutidos Pajariel Bembibre PDM of the Liga Femenina Endesa, the top division of women’s basketball in Spain. Higgs, the team’s most

PROFESSIONAL basketball player Lashann Higgs. valuable player, earned several Player of the Week honours and finished as the third leading scorer in the league at 15.8 points per game on 54 percent shooting from the field. She also shot 33 percent from threepoint range, 76 percent from the free throw line and was third on the team at 4.2 rebounds per game. “The season was okay. We had a great time playing with each other. We all would have loved to win

some more games, but that just wasn’t the case. We have improved tremendously as the season went on. I’m proud of our team,” Higgs previously told the Tribune. “I thank God for blessing me with the opportunity to play this year. Getting through the season injury free and COVID19 free was a blessing. I’m grateful.” Following a standout collegiate career with the Texas Longhorns, Higgs signed with Sports International Group (SiG). In 28 games of her final NCAA season, including nine starts, Higgs has averaged 9.3 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. The Harbour Island native played in 137 games as a Longhorn with 52 as a starter. She ranked as the seventh all-time in the Longhorns’ history for games played and 28th in career points scored with a total of 1,288.