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The Tribune

Volume:115 No.194, AUGUST 31ST, 2018

Established 1903

Weekend

WEEKEND: THE STORY BEHIND OUR SWIMMING PIGS

THE puzzle PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1 s gardening film fashion music food

art books entertainment

Weekend

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

NOT AGAIN, STEVEN

WEB shops last night launched their longpromised lawsuit against Government tax hikes - and warned the five percent patron tax is effectively forcing them to break the law.

Sebas Bastian, Island Luck’s principal, told Tribune Business that “arbitrary” dates for the levy’s introduction on customer deposits and over-thecounter lottery sales meant operators were potentially being placed in breach of the Gaming Act. He said web shops had

been given insufficient time to accommodate the levy.

Mr Bastian spoke out as Dionisio D’Aguilar, minister of tourism with responsibility for gaming, pushed back against the lawsuit, arguing: “The Government has an inalienable right to tax.”

Mr D’Aguilar confirmed his ministry had been served with legal documents by attorneys yesterday, with the matter to have its first hearing before Justice Indra Charles at 9.30am today.

The papers listed three plaintiffs, TIG Investments (The Island Game), Paradise Games and GLK Ltd. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

AFTER Bahamasair experienced a “nightmare” weekend of protracted flight delays due to a plane needing mechanical work during a busy weekend, Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar said as the slow season approaches, the state-owned airline should be able to meet demand even with a plane out of service.

He also apologised to the

public for the recent chaos.

On August 18, one of the airlines’ eight jets was grounded. Some customers reported waiting more than 16 hours before their scheduled flight took off.

Bahamasair released a statement saying: “Over the past few days, we experienced flight delays due to required maintenance on one of our jets from our operation’s rotation.” The government-owned airline apologised for any inconvenience caused.

SEE PAGE SEVEN

pages 8 & 9

21 CAUGHT IN POLICE JOINT US OPERATION

AN early morning joint law enforcement operation resulted in the arrest of 21 people for various offences, police said.

Police, defence force officials and American law enforcement partners led a joint effort dubbed “Operation Recoil” which aimed to reduce crime, as well as target prolific offenders, members of organised criminal groups and wanted suspects.

Among those taken into custody, a man was was arrested at his home on Matthew Street in Nassau after his home was searched and a quantity of suspected marijuana was recovered.

A male resident of South West Ridge was arrested after his home was searched and a quantity of suspected marijuana and a large sum of cash was recovered.

SEE PAGE FIVE

CONTRACT BAN FOR NEW BPL CHAIRMAN

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

D’AGUILAR APOLOGISES FOR FLIGHTS NIGHTMARE

By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net

FITNESS FOR SENIORS Pages 14 & 15

Hogging the spotlight

The origin story of swimmin g pigs

Web shop bosses bite back over tax Lawsuit launched as govt defends ‘right to tax’

Friday, August 31, 2018

BAHAMAS double national record holder Steven Gardiner suffered a second Swiss agony on the track yesterday after he pulled up during the 400m at the International Amateur Athletic Federation’s Weltklasse Zurich Diamond League Final. It is the second year running he has faltered at the venue after slipping in the blocks last year. See Sports section for the full story.

CBI Mobile – the software company owned by Bahamas Power and Light chairman Donovan Moxey – cannot be approved for any contracts with the power provider, at least not while he’s on the board, Public Works Minister Desmond Bannister said yesterday as he sought to downplay concerns that the matter has sparked.

And there is “absolutely” no reason for anyone to be worried about it, Mr Bannister insisted.

This appears to contrast with Mr Moxey’s admission earlier this week that the company could still potentially receive such an award as long as he recused himself from the discussions and a final decision.

SEE PAGE SIX

LIGHTHOUSE POINT PROTECTED (WELL, ALMOST)

By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net TOURISM Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar has addressed controversy surrounding proposals to develop Lighthouse Point in Eleuthera, saying although the 700acre property is privately owned, the government will not sanction the commercial development of the actual lighthouse site or the surrounding beach.

LIGHTHOUSE POINT However, he said the debate is continuing as to whether the entire property will be deemed “off-limits”

for commercial development or if the government will allow a portion of it to be developed.

Mr D’Aguilar made these remarks during a press conference held at the Bahamas Development Bank.

When asked if his ministry has any response to the pushback from the Bahamas National Trust and other environmentalists regarding proposals to SEE PAGE THREE

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

A COMIC’S VIEW: A BALANCE OF POWER

SEE PAGE EIGHT

PAGE 2, Friday, August 31, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

A FOND farewell for Archdeacon Harry Bain as he relocates from Grand Bahama to take up his new appointment in Nassau.

Photos: Derek Carroll

Motorcade sees archdeacon off in style

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net PARISHIONERS of the Anglican diocese in Grand Bahama held a farewell motorcade for Archdeacon Harry Bain who has relocated to New Providence to take up his new appointment as dean of Nassau.

Archdeacon Bain was the former rector of the Pro-Cathedral of Christ the King in Freeport, a post

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he has held for the past 20 years. He held his final mass on Sunday, August 26, at 4pm followed by a farewell reception in the church’s auditorium.

On Wednesday, church members staged a motorcade through Freeport to the Grand Bahama International Airport to see Archdeacon Bain off.

He and his wife, Ann, had been residents in Grand Bahama for many years. Archdeacon Bain was well known in the

Grand Bahama community, serving for many years as an educator and as the principal of the former Freeport Anglican High School, now the Bishop Michael Eldon High School.

He served as a priest at most of the Anglican churches on the island; as chairman of the Grand Bahama Christian Council for two terms; as archdeacon of the Northern Bahamas; as a Rotarian; and as chaplain at the Rand Memorial Hospital.

THE TRIBUNE

Lighthouse Point protected (well, almost)

from page one develop Lighthouse Point, the tourism minister said: “Let me dispel some theories about Lighthouse Point. First of all, the government of the Bahamas doesn’t own Lighthouse Point. That’s a privately held piece of land down there.”

However, he added that he can “assure” that the Minnis administration will not sanction commercial development “of the specific site where the lighthouse is.”

“Now that’s a big site,” he continued. “Seven hundred acres. So the question that’s being (thrown) around is: Do we make it all offlimits completely to any

commercial development?

Do we allow a portion of it to be commercially developed?

“But I could tell you that whole lighthouse beach, around that lighthouse beach, there’s no way the government is going to sanction any development.

“But, nothing has happened and you can rest assured and you can report to the Bahamian people that we’re not going to allow that treasure to be developed in a commercial sense…Have you ever been to that lighthouse? It’s absolutely stunning.

“And you go to that beach and the beach around it, there’s no, no sitting politician that will allow for any

commercial development, certainly at that point and the beaches around it.

“Now way over in one section by one swamp or something, I don’t know,” he laughed.

“I’m not going to box the government in to say that all 700 acres are not going to be developed.

But I can certainly speak for the area around that lighthouse. It’s absolutely stunning.”

Lighthouse Point is a 700-acre peninsula located at the southern tip of Eleuthera.

Disney Cruise Line is said to be one of several groups making proposals to acquire and develop the area.

Sam Duncombe, of reEarth, told The

Tribune on August 12 that a meeting was held in Eleuthera on August 2, during which flyers were distributed detailing Disney’s interest and proposals for the area.

“In consultation with community leaders in South Eleuthera, who have expressed their support for the project, Disney Cruise Line is considering a second managed cruise destination in The Bahamas at Lighthouse Point,” the flyer noted.

The flyer also says Disney is committed to “a significantly smaller and less dense development than what others have previously proposed for Lighthouse Point, which is currently privately owned by another developer.”

Friday, August 31, 2018, PAGE 3

Mrs Duncombe said the information in the flyer was presented in the meeting by a representative of the cruise line.

She expressed serious concerns about the impact this proposal will have on the environment and said Lighthouse Point should instead be turned into a national park, as has been suggested by the One Eleuthera Foundation.

The Bahamas National Trust (BNT) announced its support for such an endeavour in a statement released on August 9.

In addition, the Institute of Bahamian Architects has called for the preservation of Lighthouse Point. The group has said it “deplores the proposed resort development” on “one of the

most precious and beautiful parts of the Bahamas” and called on the government to purchase the land, The Nassau Guardian reported.

In May, Disney Cruise Lines spokeswoman Kim Prunty responded to concerns about the proposed sale in a statement.

Mrs Prunty said while the cruise line didn’t have “anything to share about a specific location” at the time, any project pursued by the company in the future would involve a “partnership with the community” and build on its commitment to “sustainability, protecting the environment, creating jobs and economic opportunity, and celebrating the culture and stories of the area.”

‘BE MORE CREATIVE TO REACH CRUISE SHIP MARKET’

By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net TOURISM Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar yesterday called for Bahamian entrepreneurs to be more “creative” and “aggressive” at penetrating the cruise ship visitor market.

Mr D’Aguilar noted cruise visitors represent 75 percent of the annual foreign visitors to this country, but “only represent 11 per cent of the spend”.

In this vein, the Bahamas Development Bank, in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, is hosting a two-day workshop to answer the question ‘How can we make more money in the business of tourism today?’

The workshop, entitled ‘Tourist Money Never Done,’ will be geared toward entrepreneurs interested in the tourism industry. It will be held September 13-14 at the British Colonial Hilton.

The initiative was announced yesterday at a press conference held at the BDB. Mr D’Aguilar

said this will be the first in a series of workshops.

He added entrepreneurs are expected to have “credible” ideas and said the BDB will provide up to $50,000 for participants, “depending on the project and its potential”.

“This workshop is the first in a series of workshops that we plan to eventually take to the other islands, intended to create jobs and improve the quality of life throughout the islands,” Mr D’Aguilar said.

“This initiative speaks to the complexity of tourism.

While we encourage investment, we are also creating linkages to other economic sectors that will provide greater economic returns for all.

“A people centred approach, intended to inspire local entrepreneurs to think about getting involved in the (tourism) business, offering related products and services to increase tourism spend and help to distribute the wealth.”

Architect and attractions consultant Patrick Rahming is designing the

content of the workshop.

He will be supported

by Brendan Foulkes, a hospitality lecturer at the University of The Bahamas, and business consultant Quintin Curry.

“The content of workshop is geared towards capturing the imagination of budding entrepreneurs, who already have an inkling to start a tourism-oriented business and are seeking guidance and funding,” Mr D’Aguilar said.

“Up to $50,000 will be available from the (BDB) for participants, depending on the project and its potential.”

Mr D’Aguilar noted cruise stopover visitors are the market with the “greatest potential right now”.

He said of the 6.3 million foreign visitors who visit The Bahamas annually, 75 percent are cruise passengers, however they spend little in the country.

“So that tells me right off the top that all these cruise passengers are coming to The Bahamas, the Ministry of Tourism is doing a great job of attracting them here, and

we are doing a poor job of increasing the spend from those foreign visitors when they get here.

“We need Bahamian entrepreneurs to step forward, we need (them) to be creative, we need them to be aggressive at exploiting this opportunity that the Ministry of Tourism has created.”

He added he’s “disappointed” by the lack of innovative tours and activities for visitors to do.

“So I think that there’s great opportunities, and as a result I’m delighted that this workshop is being started to allow Bahamians to step forward and say ‘how do I get involved?’

‘How do I take this idea of mine, flesh it out, receive funding?

“And I want to warn Bahamians,” Mr D’Aguilar continued. “Don’t come down here thinking someone that is going to write a cheque on a five-minute presentation. You have to put forth a credible idea.

You have to come up with a business plan, you have to run your financials. It has to be credible. Don’t come

down here on a pipe dream $70, $80. If you look at St and vagueness.

Martin, it’s $191. What are “This is a very specific we missing? What is it that business, this is something we’re not doing to capthat we want to help you ture more of that tourism do, and this is what we are spend?” here to do. To help you Mr D’Aguilar also called flesh that out.” for entrepreneurs to market Mr D’Aguilar added the their businesses online. ministry will facilitate entreWhen asked about the preneurs, such as by helping forecast for the winter tourthem get directly in contact ism season, Mr D’Aguilar with cruise companies. said: “At least 10-11 perHowever, when asked if cent up on last year. That’s the ministry is looking for what our projections are. business ideas geared solely So we are looking for a very towards cruise visitors, he robust Christmas….and said: “No, that’s not true. we’ve had a very good first I’m just saying that that is half of the year.” the greatest potential right Persons interested in now. the workshop are asked to “If you look at the spend email brahaming@bahaFriday, 31st 2018 call 302-2000. of a cruise passenger, it’s August mas.com or

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THE TRIBUNE

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

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Time for an end to the BPL mess WITH a new board of directors in place at Bahamas Power and Light and its members having received from the Minister of Works clear and firm advice about their role and responsibilities, let us hope order has been restored. An official investigation into the events surrounding the earlier dramatic removal of the previous board is now pending, but that ought not to prevent the new leadership from getting on with the job.

It is self-evident an efficient and reliable power supply at a reasonable cost is essential to the daily life of all Bahamians. For far too long, the provision of electricity in our country has been erratic and grotesquely expensive to the consumer. Most people blame this on a combination of a lack of investment and poor management.

It continues to be a matter of serious public concern that major improvements should be made and the first priority should be to implement the agreement with Shell North America for its proposed multi-fuel plant at Clifton Pier which was approved by Cabinet last April.

Whatever the results of the investigation, one of the less savoury aspects of the BPL furore has been the extreme behaviour of the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union president Paul Maynard. His threats, while lecturing in coarse language BPL’s chief executive officer, have no place in our modern civilised society. It is, of course, his role to make reasonable demands in order to protect the rights and interests of his union members, but his hectoring attitude may well be counterproductive by hardening the reaction of BPL’s management.

In particular, his demands that BPL should bring back on contract terms former employees who have already received generous redundancy packages under the recent voluntary severance package look to be crass and unjustified. It may not be clear how many staff categorised as ‘business critical’ were attracted by the package.

But, if any are re-engaged after receiving large such payments, the likely negative reaction of those who had stayed on in their jobs is predictable and the effect on staff morale, which Mr Maynard claims to be so concerned about, would be severe.

How to manage BPL’s operations and staffing moving forward is a matter for the company itself. Instead of making generalised demands about new contracts for staff who have volunteered to leave and been well rewarded, we believe the union’s efforts would be better concentrated on considering each case of redundancy on its merits and ensuring all its members concerned have been treated correctly in

accordance with the agreed severance terms.

Another disturbing example of a union overreaching itself vis-à-vis an employer was the reported dictatorial attitude – as well as demands to be consulted about operational matters and the school curriculum - of the Bahamas Union of Teachers president towards the Ministry of Education while addressing new teachers at last week’s orientation exercise.

It is evident that to enable it to support its members the teachers’ union needs to keep abreast of working conditions in schools, including a healthy and safe environment both for pupils and teachers, and the terms of employment of its members. It may also be useful to keep itself fully informed about the Government’s education policies as a whole and in particular about the running of schools. However, it should be beyond the remit of the union to seek to dictate policy about the content of the education to be provided and to become involved in determining curriculum issues. These are matters for policy-makers within the Department of Education under the broad overall direction of elected government ministers.

Britain seeking to strengthen Commonwealth links For some while, we have been predicting in these columns that one of the consequences of Brexit is that Britain will seek to revitalise its historical relationships with its Commonwealth partners following its departure from the European Union at the end of March next year – not only with larger countries like Canada, Australia and India but also smaller former colonial territories in the Caribbean. New political and economic co-operation is likely to benefit Commonwealth nations and Britain alike.

One example already is Prime Minister Theresa May’s trip this week to South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya, accompanied by a business delegation, and the visit to Singapore of the UK Secretary of State for International Trade. These visits are clearly paving the way for new co-operation and, in particular, for bilateral trade agreements after Britain becomes free, post-Brexit, to negotiate its own deals.

As part of its bid to strengthen relationships with old allies and to forge new partnerships around the world, the British government announced last March expansion of its overseas diplomatic representation. This included, among others, the re-opening of a diplomatic mission in The Bahamas – and we hope that that becomes a reality before too long.

When you look away...

EDITOR, The Tribune.

WHEN the public does not watch things happen… been watching and report.

1) Right under Ft Charlotte-Clifford Park west of Cricket Club a container has been converted to what seems to be a tourist attraction centre for those twowheel scooters. Why was a permit given? It is bad enough with the billboard ads. Of The Cricket Club…now this? Does no one respect our heritage?

2) Goodman’s Bay… letter writer recently wrote questioning a snack stand had appeared by the parking area to the east of

Goodman’s.

Seems no one at Parks reads The Tribune - stand still there. Time to be gone, sir. That is how Fish Fry started, one-one then hundreds!

3) Goodman’s, okay, a little east opposite OPM thought that project of Paul Wynn was an hotel? Big billboard/banner clearly it is condos?

4) Seems the scenic view of West Bay is under threat - the casuarinas by Sandy Port bridge block the view over the bay at Delaporte… on the side of Sandy Port also. Time for pruning someone.

5) Actual Cable Beach west of Baha Mar…

casuarinas being cut down…don’t mind that but why is this taking so long?

Someone get fired up get the lifting equipment and get the job done. Now let’s see flowering trees and bushes planted plus bougainvillea, different colours.

6) The landscaping Cos employees along West Bay infant of Baha Mar - who gave the right to block half of the road when they are working?

Gripes, Editor, hoping someone at Parks reads The Tribune….

R K SMITH Nassau, August 21, 2018.

A word of advice to Dionisio EDITOR, The Tribune.

THE Hon Minister of Tourism, Dinisio D’Aguilar (FNM-Free Town), is my favourite member of the Minnis cabinet and, indeed, the hardest working. I make no bones of my admiration; love and respect for him. Having said that, however, as a former practising attorney before the Bahamas Bar, I would caution the minister, et al, not to opine, as a member of the administration which has been sued by a particular web operator over certain actions taken by the Gaming Board, years ago.

The legal issues, such as they are, which have been raised, have yet to be adjudicated upon, rightly or wrongly. It is trite legal precedent that matters which are before the courts, except where evidence has been publicly led and released into the public domain, that there should be no discussion by interested parties, et al, which could prejudge or prejudice those cases or the outcomes thereof.

Of course, my favourite

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net minister is not, thank God, a lawyer, as a seasoned businessman, he should know better. No more public statements, minister.

What the minister and his cabinet colleagues should be concentrating on are the fleshing out of the proposed purchase of the Grand Lucayan; movement on the ground with the fabled and long-running Gin saga over in West End; redevelopment and refurbishment of the airports in the major Family Islands; expansion of BTVI; opening of a mini hospital and clinic, fully staffed and furnished in the former Phil’s Food Services Building on Gladstone Road to service the rapidly growing and bustling South-Western Corridor and area here in New Providence; giving the owners of downtown property the incentives to actively develop the same so as to restore Bay Street to its once great regard.

Finally, the former South

Ocean Resort, to which a dormant casino licence is attached, needs immediate attention and, perhaps, intervention by the FNM administration. Thousands of potential short- and longterm jobs would be created if there was genuine activity at that property which has been shuttered for decades.

The minister has carriage for most of this bucket list and he needs to leave legal issues which are before the court alone and get on with his real job.

The FNM is embroiled in any number of “issues” of its own making and, as a patriot Bahamian, I wish the administration all of the success that it might deserve. The Bahamian people gave Minnis and his crew a wide mandate but it would appear that, in some cases, they were not prepared for governance.

Thank God, that He is on the throne, and His mercies will endure forever. To that same God then, in all things, be the glory.

ORTLAND H BODIE Jr Nassau, August 30, 2018.

Public list of charities EDITOR, The Tribune.

CHARITIES and raising - a recent police alert concerning the social media raises an important issue to be a charity surely you have to be registered with the Ministry of Finance?

Probably a “not for profit” corporation.

I seriously have my doubts that anyone with $14,000 would donate online that amount to a charity especially when you

could put in the hands of the patron or a cheque?

Charities and such fundraising is required by law to be registered and to report but do all charities comply with the law?

Can the Ministry of Finance publish a list of officially registered Charities?

The public who these parties are playing on need to know - those which have not complied strike them off immediately and advertise the public and list on

the Finance website.

If I was able to donate $14,000 to any charity, especially legitimate, I certainly would not go to a social media site and donate online not today - the safest way would be to contact the patron and hand deliver the donation. I question this report.

MARCIA SYMONETTE Nassau, August 24, 2018.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, August 31, 2018, PAGE 5

THE FIRE department fights to extinguish a blaze at a warehouse off Old Trail Road on Wednesday night. For the full story, see Business section.

Photo: Terrel W Carey/Tribune Staff

TWO BUSINESSES DAMAGED IN LATE NIGHT BLAZE

By NATARIO McKENZIE Tribune Business Reporter nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net A FIRE at the Soldier Road Industrial Park on Wednesday night has destroyed two businesses operating out of the same building and affected at least eight jobs.

An investigation has been launched into the cause of of the fire, which destroyed BumperTech and Bahamas Foam late on Wednesday

night. Fire Services director Superintendent Walter Evans said police received reports of the fire shortly after 11pm on Wednesday.

“Police Fire Services received a report of a warehouse fire located at the industrial park opposite the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute, just off Old Trial Road, which is just at the northern end of cemetery,” said Supt Evans.

“Upon arrival, the units met flames coming from the

roof section of a single storey metal structure, and officers were able to control the fire and stop the fire from spreading to the neighbouring companies. One, which is at the eastern end, the other which is at the western end.”

A portion of the structure collapsed in the blaze.

At the scene yesterday, Merlin Adderley, BumperTech’s owner and operator, expressed shock at the damages but was grateful that no one was injured.

“I’ve been here about ten years and Bahamas Foam as been here about five. I was here before they came in.

I have about four persons working with me and I think it was the same amount for Bahamas Foam. We would bring in extra workers from time to time based on the work load. I’m just grateful that no one was injured. My main concern is the workers and having those people relying on you. They are my main concern with school just

opening up,” said Adderley, suggesting the incident was a setback but not a finishing blow for the business.

In a statement, the Bahamas Agriculture and Industrial Corporation said: “The Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation wishes to advise the public that one of its buildings sustained serious damage due to a fire at our Solider Road Industrial Park.

“The fire was extinguished overnight by

the Royal Bahamas Fire Department. The RBFD did a great job and we are very grateful for their timely response and professional service.

“Unfortunately, two of our tenants’ businesses were affected by the fire but there was no loss of life or injury. We and the affected businesses await the report of the Royal Bahamas Fire Department following its investigation of the incident.”

Students get a glimpse into technology industry

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net IN keeping with the government’s vision to develop a technology hub in Grand Bahama, some 175 students participated in a six-week skills development programme at Bahamas Technology and Vocational Institute to prepare them for opportunities in the technology industry.

Minister of State for Grand Bahama Senator Kwasi Thompson attended the closing out ceremony at the Pelican Bay Resort on Thursday, commending participants for completing the first phase of the programme.

He said the government’s Grand Bahama tech hub initiative is making progress, and revealed that a significant number of applications from investors wanting to start businesses had been processed and approved in 30 days.

“It is real, and today you are here because of the initiative,” he told participants and parents at the ceremony.

Mr Thompson said that the establishment of a technology sector would not only provide direct jobs, but also create a spin-off effect in other industries.

The information communication technology (ICT) programme is being offered through BTVI for three consecutive summers.

Mr Thompson said this first group of participants has embarked on a “unique journey” that will prepare

them for the opportunities that are to come.

“You should be very proud,” he said. “The benefit of this experience is two-fold: Not only will you have the opportunity to receive training and earn ICT certification free of charge for three consecutive summers, but you are receiving a stipend after each of your six-week sessions over the next three summers.

“We believe that this initiative will make a significant impact on our economy,” he said.

In addition to direct jobs, he believes that a Grand Bahama technology sector will create a spin-off effect in the real estate, tourism, retail, restaurants, and transportation industries.

Earlier this year, tech company GIBC, which has hired 30 persons, opened its doors in Freeport.

Another company, Itelbpo is expected to hire 100 Grand Bahamians between August and January 2019.

The minister reported that progress has been made processing applications from investors to open businesses on the island, and added that a significant number of applications had been processed and approved in 30 days.

He also said that since the government’s decision to make tuition free at BTVI, enrolment has almost doubled in Grand Bahama.

The minister stated that the institution is preparing a six-month tech programme which

will provide participants with skills to begin a tech career.

He also announced the government is planning to hold the 2nd Grand Bahama Technology Summit on November 14-16 at the Grand Lucayan. He noted that international tech company Dell has agreed to participate in this year’s summit.

Bob Robertson, president of BTVI, said that the ICT programme has been very successful and has also sparked interest from other schools in the US, Canada, and the Caribbean.

He said BTVI is training students who will be jobready when they finish the programme.

The BTVI president said their success rate with graduation is almost 100 percent. He noted that students can take their credits earned and transfer them into US and Canadian schools with which they have agreements.

“When they finish this programme, they only need to finish one additional year and get a bachelor’s degree,” Mr Roberts said, adding that there is a lot of demand for ICT certified persons in Canada, the US, and elsewhere.

“I am surprised at how many other schools have reached out and contacted us and say, ‘wow this is a really good programme, we want to find how you did it and why it is so successful.’ We have only been doing it for about eight weeks, and the word has been getting around

21 CAUGHT IN POLICE OPERATION WITH US from page one Two women and and a man were taken into custody while at their home on

Winders Terrance after the residence was also searched and marijuana was recovered. Police also arrested a man and a woman of Step Street, Fox Hill for suspected

marijuana possession.

Fourteen men “who are known prolific offenders” were also arrested for various criminal offences, police said.

THREE ARRESTS AFTER MARIJUANA FIND

BY DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net GRAND Bahama police arrested three men after suspected marijuana was discovered at a residence in Freeport on Wednesday evening.

Assistant Superintendent

of Police Terecita Pinder reported that shortly after 6pm officers of the Drug Enforcement Unit and Rapid Response executed a search warrant at a residence on Redwood Lane.

During a search, officers found three packages of suspected marijuana with

an estimated street value of $8,000, and a large amount of cash in US and Bahamian currency.

As a result, three male occupants were arrested and taken into police custody.

Ms Pinder said police are continuing their investigations into the matter.

that this is really a game changer, and other schools in the Caribbean, the US, and Canada have called us

YOUR

about it and say they want to do something exactly like that.”

Said Mr Robertson:

“The government and the prime minister get a lot of credit for putting this together.”

CHOICE FOR THE FAMILY WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/JOYFM1019

PAGE 6, Friday, August 31, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

Sands pledge: We’ll fix troubles at clinic

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net HEALTH Minister Dr Duane Sands was adamant yesterday that all was being done to correct issues at the Blue Hill Road Clinic, after it was claimed the facility was being run on “limited resources.”

Sources at the health facility contacted The Tribune yesterday to highlight several problems there.

The main issue was said to be an extensive patient backlog, which resulted in scores of patients cramming into the small structure.

“The nurses can’t move; the doctors can’t move to take care of the patients,” one source said. “Only one way in the clinic, if a fight breaks out, come on!”

The Tribune understands that hours into service yesterday, an official at the clinic made a decision to limit the registration of patients at the facility.

That move ultimately led to a panic and ended with dozens of unregistered persons doing all they could to ensure that they were in the group registered for service.

When contacted on the matter, Dr Sands insisted that he was aware and doing all he could to address the problem. He suggested the dilemma at the Blue Hill Road Clinic on Thursday was nothing new, but rather in line with daily trends at the property in the wake of renovations at the Coconut Grove facility.

“There are constraints and really, we are doing all we can to stem the tide.

That’s the reality,” he told The Tribune.

“There was a delay in registration, once that happened there was a backlog because of the amount of people serviced at that facility on a daily basis,” Dr

MINISTER of Health Dr Duane Sands.

Sands added.

He said patients regularly seen at the Coconut Grove Clinic for checkups and treatments were redirected to the Blue Hill Road Clinic.

“A clerk decided not to register some of the patients, a back-up started; and what happened was very serious consequences,” Dr Sands said.

“But we had to push through because that is the

position we are in. I wish that Coconut Grove was back on stream and ready to handle the load it once did, but it isn’t. It’s under renovation and repairs are still being carried out there.”

Dr Sands added: “It’s just another challenge.

Trust me, we’ve seen our share this term. But, we have a $24m capital budget; we have to appreciate that and understand

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff that there is no more.

“That budget is for the Public Hospitals Authority and (Department of) Public Health – half each.

“So when you look at what is happening, look at it from the perspective that we have $12m to carry out capital projects across public health. That’s here in New Providence, at the Rand Memorial with the kitchen (repair), Elizabeth Estates, South Beach Clinic

and Coconut Grove; it a lot to be done.

“There is no infinite bank account that we have to run to and say, ‘hey, I need an ambulance, I need a new clinic, I need a new ward.’”

Dr Sands continued: “In the constraints of reality, we have $12m and we have to do all we can to get the most out of that. So that means prioritising projects that will give Bahamians the biggest return.”

In June, the Minnis administration announced that it would delay the implementation of 500 fee increases at the Princess Margaret Hospital, which were planned to help increase revenue generation for the public hospital.

That decision was made despite previous indications

by Dr Sands that the sector was cash-strapped and struggling in some areas.

CONTRACT BAN FOR NEW BPL CHAIRMAN from page one

However, according to Mr Bannister’s remarks yesterday, CBI Mobile is essentially out of the running for any contracts with BPL. However, the

minister was still relatively tight-lipped on the situation when reporters approached him on the sidelines of a press conference at the University of The Bahamas.

Asked by The Tribune about public concerns of a

potential conflict of interest, Mr Bannister said: “His company was not approved for anything. There is no conflict of interest.

“The chairman’s appmaking company was not approved for anything (and) it can’t be approved

while he’s chairman.

“It can’t be approved for anything while he’s chairman,” the Carmichael MP repeated when he was asked if it was problematic for Mr Moxey to admit his company was not being removed from any future contract offerings.

He did not answer a question about whether this was discussed with him before Mr Moxey was appointed, only responding: “It’s important for me to say what I just said.”

Referring to the matter yesterday, Mr Moxey told The Tribune: “The minister and I have discussed matters and I am fine with what he has said. I do not

wish to discuss the matter further.”

Public outrage brewed this week after the new BPL chairman said he saw nothing wrong with the board giving his software company a contract once he is not a part of the process.

Some observers questioned if the Minnis administration was getting a slap on the wrist over the controversy.

Former Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller said if he was still the executive chairman of BPL, he would not have got off so easily.

“They would have killed me,” Mr Miller said on Tuesday.

Mr Moxey has also said he had a fiduciary responsibility to CBI Mobile’s shareholders when he was asked previously why he would not just remove his company from potential consideration.

In this case, Robert Myers, principal of the Organisation for Responsible Governance (ORG), previously said Mr Moxey removing himself from the decision-making process would not do enough to improve the optics surrounding potential conflict of interest. He added the new chairman needed to make a decision on whether he preferred to serve his own interests or that of BPL. Having such a seat at BPL would give him an unfair advantage over his competitors, Mr Myers insisted.

The Nassau Guardian revealed earlier this week that Mr Moxey had lobbied several times in emails just months ago for BPL to contract CBI Mobile to use the bill payment app he had created, MobileAssist.

During a press conference on Monday, Mr Moxey would not give an undertaking that his company would not vie for future BPL contracts while he sat as chair, and when questioned further he said he could not speak for his entire board or shareholders, and would not do so.

Mr Moxey has maintained that no deal was ever reached with the BPL to use his app, adding there was not one currently in place. His view was that there is nothing wrong with his involvement in both companies as long as he recused himself from any board discussions on the matter.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, August 31, 2018, PAGE 7

D’Aguilar apologises for flights nightmare from page one

When asked how these delays have affected the aviation industry, Mr D’Aguilar told reporters at a press conference yesterday: “Bahamasair is exceptionally helpful to our tourism product. The problem with Bahamasair is that we only have eight planes.

“So when one plane goes down, it cripples us. And that’s what’s happened.

The first two weekends ago when there was lots of drama, we lost a Boeing 737 on a Saturday in August, on a busy weekend. All the planes were full.

“So when that plane went down, we couldn’t shift it to other carriers nor could we lease any planes on a very short-term notice. Because you know as you’re fixing the plane, you’re thinking ‘okay it may take one hour, two hours.’ But it ended up taking 36 hours to fix that plane.”

Mr D’Aguilar said the solution was to use smaller planes to transport passengers. However, this contributed to the delays.

“And so we had to go to plan B which is to use the ATRs to bring people back,” the tourism minister continued. “An ATR is either 42 seats or 70 seats.

A Boeing 737 is 120 seats.

And if they’re all travelling full, it causes enormous delays.

“So we fix that plane.

Now we have another one down. So, you know Bahamasair has the most impeccable safety record of any airline in the Caribbean. And sometimes it leads to ‘let’s err on the side of safety,’ and that plane is now going to be out of service I think for the next month while we address some issues with that plane.

“And it’s unfortunate but it creates delays.

Because we just don’t have additional aircraft, redundant aircraft that we can pull into service. But I’ve instructed them to ensure — we’re going into

TOURISM Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar. a slower period anyhow, September, October. So we think we can manage without that jet.”

Describing the situation as a “nightmare,” Mr D’Aguilar said: “So I apologise to the Bahamian people for that, but it’s the nature of the beast.”

On August 19, Bahamasair Chairman Tommy

Turnquest said the airline is susceptible to these kinds of problems because of its small fleet and demand for its services.

He noted a jet that flew to Fort Lauderdale on August 18 suffered a malfunction.

That weekend, a video of angry Bahamasair customers in the Ft Lauderdale

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff airport went viral. After they were told their flight would be delayed until 3.30am, the group became vocal, shouting at the customer service representatives: “You got to be joking,” “this is stupid,” “y’all do something man” and “I am not staying here.”

“Are we happy at what

happened at the airport in Fort Lauderdale with all the persons carrying on?

No, we’re not,” Mr Turnquest had said previously.

“Everyone wants to travel on Bahamasair not only because of our safety record but also because it doesn’t have a high volatility of ticket prices. The minute something goes

wrong, it throws off the whole system.”

Mr Turnquest said Bahamasair will acquire a new 737-plane for December.

“Hopefully that will give us some reliability for the upcoming Christmas season and also to mean we may have to also not make the schedules as tight as we make them,” he said.

FOUR CREW SAVED AS BOAT SINKS THE Royal Bahamas Defence Force rescued four crew members from a sinking vessel in waters off the north coast of the capital on Wednesday night.

Shortly after receiving a distress call, the RBDF Harbour Patrol Unit’s Safe Response Boat, coxswained by leading seaman Omara Miah discovered the disabled vessel at 8.40pm approximately two nautical

miles northwest of Sandal’s Cay. The four men were found on the stern of the partially submerged 70-foot catamaran.

Apart from being a little exhausted, the men – two Bahamians and two Americans – were in fair health and subsequently taken to the Harbour Patrol Unit where they were provided medical care.

After conducting an initial

investigation, the men were released.

During an official ceremony two weeks ago, a Safe Response Boat was handed over to the RBDF by the United States government.

This craft complemented the RBDF’s existing fleet perfectly suited for harbour security, as well as interharbour and coastal patrol missions.

Memorial Service CAPTAIN HARROD AUDLEY TURNQUEST, 94 of Turnquest Close, formerly of Deadman’s Cay Long Island, will be held on Monday, September 3, 2018 at 7:00 p.m., at All Saints Anglican Church, All Saints Way Joan’s Heights. Officiating will be Rev’d Fr. Stephen Davies, assisted by The Venerable Keith Cartwright and Rev’d Fr. Berkley Smith.

He is survived by his three sons: Douglas, Audley and Jason Turnquest; his five daughters: Velma, Esther, Barbara and Karen Turnquest and Aspacia Fox; brothers: Reuben and Jefferson Turnquest; sister: Agatha Sands; grandchildren and great-grandchildren and numerous relatives and friends.

Funeral Service For DELARIES THOMPSON- STEVENS, 56 of Queens New York and formerly of Nassau, will be held on Saturday, September 1st, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at St Anglican Church, Baillou Hill Road. Officiating will be Fr. I. Ranfurly Brown, assisted by other ministers of the Clergy. Interment will follow in St. Agnes Cemetery, Nassau Street.

Left to honour her legacy are her husband: Mr Ivor Stevens of New York; her only child: Taylor Stevens of New York; father: Edward Thompson; sisters: Nursing Officer Sabrina Conliffe and Linda Thompson; brothers: Teddy, Edwardo and Andrew Thompson; sisters-in-law: Lakeria Thompson, Victoria Matthews, Hyacinth, Gwendolyn, Geraldine and Elarine Stevens, Elaine Stevens-Merchant; brother-in-law: Beresford Stevens; numerous nieces and nephews including: Tia and Alyah Thompson, Ciera Maycock, Lornte McCartney, Able Mechanic Raemond Russell, Tajmon, Xzavier and Ta’Kai Thompson: her uncle: Cecil Thompson; grandniece: Rhaine Russell; numerous cousins including: Rev. Simeon and Linda Hall, Alice Bowe and Family, Tyrone and June Ferguson and Family, Lynden Miller and Family, Patrick Ferguson and Family, Jessi Wallace and Family, Craig Clarke and Family, Faye Dillet and Family,Wenson Clarke and Family, Edna Gibson and Family, Valerie, Thomas and Richard Rolle and Families, Nancy, Leon, Kirk, Teddy Roker and Families; other relatives and friends including: Her Excellency Sheila Carey, Honourable Consul General Lawrence and Mrs. Theresa Ann Cartwright, the staff of Bahamas House New York including the Permanent Mission of The Bahamas to the United Nations, The Bahamas Consulate General New York and The Bahamas Maritime Authority New York, Rev. Father Palacious and Family, Mrs. Leanor Pratt-Appleton and Family, Mrs Coralyn Johnson-Cleare and Family, Ms. Karla Thomas-Florence and Family, Permanent Secretary Rhoda Jackson and Family, Ambassador Paulette Bethel and Family, Pam Rutherford and Family, Andrea Francis and Family, Mary Ambrister and Family, Dianne Major and Family, Kish Taylor and Family, Jacqueline Adderley, Dr. Elliston Rahming and Family, Patrice Clarke, Dr. Yvonne Skeffery, Isabella Thompson, Carlos Sabala and Family, Greg, Madge, Delores and Family, Ed’s Auto Staff, the St. John’s College Class and Reunion Group of 1978, the St. Matthew’s and St. Agnes Church Families, the entire Yellow Elder and Fort FinCastle Community, Dr. Joseph Dimaggio and Staff of the New York Presbyterian Hospital New York, The Bahamian American Association Incorporated Family, BahamasAir Accounts and Executive Offices and others too numerous to mention.

Friends may pay their last respects at Bethel Brothers Morticians #44 Nassau Street on Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and at the church on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until service time.

PAGE 8, Friday, August 31, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

A balance of power I

T was just January of this year that works Minister Desmond Bannister suggested that Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) was on pace to deliver to the public its best summer on record.

Fast forward eight months later and I can honestly say that if drama, intrigue and confusion, sprinkled with a dash of pettiness and decent serving of backbiting is your cup of tea, boy did BPL ever deliver!

I will admit I have been scratching my head these past two weeks watching these episodes of “The Real Big Bosses of BPL” play out.

The season started with a dramatic firing by Minister Bannister that wiped the board clean.

Then there were (totally unscripted) accusations of “political interference” by ousted chairperson Darnell Osborne, who presented her case to the media in a way that would make Omarosa proud.

That led to Minister Bannister bringing “the receipts” on alleged egregious personal expenditures by board members (something something security, something something makeup) that had women around the country sucking their teeth and ready to fight.

(On a side note: if you’re ever in an argument with a member of the fairer sex and you think tossing her colossal MAC bill in her face will win you points, take my advice and don’t.

Because apparently it won’t. Now back to Season 1).

There was some back and forth about (ahem) makeup as Osborne disputed the socalled receipts.

Then Minister Bannister started “pulling files” left, right and centre to show that “someone” wanted a gargantuan $300,000 salary

that you just know Bahamians would never co-sign.

This led to Prime Minister Minnis making a surprise cameo appearance to say there would be an “investigation” into whatever it is everyone involved in the drama was rowing over.

But when Minnis failed to say who would be spearheading this investigation, Bahamians wanted him fired off the show for reason of his general confusion and the fact that he wasn’t living up to his “Final Boss” billing.

There were a few more jabs back and forth between the original warring cast members but (as expected) the actual, literal power went out for hours in the middle of Tuesday’s episode and so I didn’t quite catch the end of it.

In a shocking plot twist, Wednesday’s episode centred on BPL’s newly appointed chairman Dr Donovan Moxey’s past attempts at selling the mobile payment app of his “other” company to BPL. That pitch was apparently made off camera last year.

It was an unexpected storyline that no doubt could embarrass Bannister, depending on how it plays out.

Determined to revive his cancelled “Final Boss” persona, PM Minnis sent his stand-in Anthony “Ace” Newbold to test the waters and say that “The Final Boss” did not “indicate any concerns” on what the majority of Bahamians would most certainly view as a glaring conflict of interest on Moxey’s part.

And that’s the cliffhanger the latest episode ended on.

Will Moxey get to have his power and profit too?

Will Bannister kill the “mobile app” storyline before it takes him out?

Will “The Final Boss” (who, coincidentally, has his own

MINISTER of Public Works Desmond Bannister. dubious history with “conflicts of interest”) make another cameo appearance this season? Will Bahamians vote to “cancel” them all?

Find out on next week’s episode of “The Real Big Bosses of BPL.” That is... umm...if BPL doesn’t pull the plug on the actual, literal “current” again.

Downed Payment So basically the government is purchasing the Grand Lucayan on a layaway plan... more or less?

Despite all the hush, hush and secrecy regarding the purchase of the Grand Lucayan, recently PM Dr Hubert Minnis (vaguely

and painfully) tried to shed some light on the matter by mentioning a $10m down payment and closure on the sale within thirty days.

We’re so grateful for that nugget, “Doc”.

Now - thankfully- more information has surfaced.

In a recent Tribune article, a “confidential” “high ranking” “source” has revealed more details on the deal.

According to the “confidential source” - “We’ve agreed to pay $10m at the signing of the letter of intent, and another $20m when the sale document is completed and property is conveyed to us.”

“Then, every six months after that pay we’ll pay $5m until the balance is liquidated. I believe there is interest on it, three percent.”

“It’s a promissory note.

We’re giving them a promissory note, it’s not a strict loan in a sense.”

“The government is going to borrow money but this whole transaction is an investment so we’re acquiring an asset and it will not count towards our annual deficit.”

“Now if the asset is

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff impaired, if the value goes below what we paid for it, the deficit would have to be shown as a recurrent expenditure. That’s what happened to Resolve (Bahamas).”

Sounds like “we the people”, once again, will foot the bill for some grandiose political scheme, taking on all the losses in the process.

Personally, I’m all for Freeport’s economic recovery and long term stability.

Heaven knows that Grand Bahamians have suffered for far too long under far too many administrations.

Something has to give.

But I have little patience for half-baked ideas that may end up doing more harm than good.

And before some of the political minions start their scripted rants, I have family and friends that live in Freeport, so it does matter deeply to me.

It’s not just me asking the same question (with minimal information on the matter and no FOIA to help out), Bahamians at large are wondering, “What’s really gern on?”

That includes president of the Bahamas Institute

of Chartered Accountants, Gowon Bowe, who, according to The Tribune article, cautioned that “no prudent buyer would purchase the Grand Lucayan for more than the $65m paid by the government, and interest and operational costs will likely push the investment into deficit margins”.

Bowe also states, “While many say we don’t want hotel to close, the government owning it but not having capacity to open it in its entirety - does that stymie or prevent the same economic collapse they were trying to prevent?”

This whole Grand Lucayan thing is starting to sound more like that old Bahamian adage; “all buck up go”.

Hopefully for all of our sakes, Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar and all parties concerned hit the proverbial “home run” the good Minister brags about, in relation to having potential buyers for the floundering property.

I sincerely hope he’s right, because if it goes the route of other failed FNM initiatives, that kind of “buck up” can cause the FNM to “go” come next election.

READERS REACT TO $4,000 NEMA PAYOUT Memorial Service for WHITNEY FERNANDER SR., 58 of #29 Kiki Street, off Farrington Road, will be held on Friday, August 31st, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at Bethel Baptist Church, Meeting Street. Officiating will be Rev. A. DeWitt Moxey.

Left behind with fondness of memories are Children: Whitney Jr and Britney Fernander; Three Sisters: Marcia Fernander-Bannister, Leisa Fernander-Moxey and Sonjia Fernander-Brown; Two Brothers: Julian and Craig Sr. Fernander; Three Brothers-In-Law: Godfrey Bannister, Anthony Moxey and Whittington Brown; Two Sisters-In-Law: Leticia and Denise Fernander; Ten Nieces: Garnell Bannister Johnson, Mercier Bannister, Claudia, Mandy, Chili, Rita and Angela Fernander, Celicia Moxey, Selina and Serena Brown; Five Nephews: Garcia Bannister, Carlos, Kyle, Craig Jr and Ianwa Fernander; One Niece-In-Law: Lesley Bannister; Three Grand-Nieces: Andree and Angela Fernander and Brooklyn Bannister; Five Grand Nephews: Malik and Liam Pratt, Braylen Bannister, Brandon Valcien and Charles Toote; Four Uncles: Hesley and Wilton Keenan, Alfred Parsard and Charles Fernander; Five Aunts: Vanvalor Parsard, Joyce Fawkes, Elizabeth Sweeting, Thelma Fernander and Bernadine Brown; Numerous Cousins Including: Anna Koytte, Thomas Williams, Eugene Brice and Lindburgh, Steven Fawkes, Derek, Jason and Gina Sweeting, Edward, Williams, Richard, Miguel, Charlamae Fernander, Tamiko Brown, Delaune Archer, Shawn, Steven, George, Christine Murray, Yvonne and Family, Joan Gibson, Patricia Rolle, Marie Frazer, and Dee; Other Loving Relatives and Friends: Eloise Nixon, Canon Warren Rolle, Gary Rolle, Morris Motel Family, Kiki Street Family, Rock Crusher Family, Stapleton Family, Marcian Bowleg, Neariah and Julia Hepburn, Magistrate Hilton, Annette Thompson-Fernander, Nurse Dennis, Paramedics P. Strachan, Steven Brown, Dr. Thompson and staff of A&E at Princess Margaret Hospital.

THERE WILL BE NO PUBLIC VIEWING. Persons wishing to sign the book of condolences may do so at the church on Friday (TODAY) from 9:30 am until service concludes.

AFTER residents of Ragged Island called for more government assistance than the $4,000 per household issued by the National Emergency Management Agency, readers on tribune242.com gave their reaction.

John had this to say: “This government seems to have adapted the attitude of abandoning people and projects that take more than just ordinary effort to bring relief and closure to. And chasing projects they can resolve with just the stroke of a pen, or projects that get them in the news. It may be an expensive exercise to rebuild and repair these islands, but if the Southern Islands are abandoned, this will create even more costly problems for the country in the future. Like poaching and illegal immigration.

“Government can set out a timetable for the rebuilding and repair process over a period of time starting with the most essential services and continue until the islands are up and running.”

That prompted this response from ThisIsOurs: “In fairness to the govt on this, they told the people the island was uninhabitable. The residents took it upon themselves to move back. That’s the context.

Now if it were my island I’d want to move back too.

But if you do that you can’t forget that the govt already told you not to.”

The messenger posted this comment: “I couldn’t agree with you more. My property suffered a considerable amount of damage in Hurricane Matthew and during others previously. The government has never even offered me four dollars never mind four thousand dollars to help with my clean up efforts and repairs. When will Bahamians get over their dependency on government for everything? Feed me, house me, gimme money, gimme a job where I ain’ gatta work, gimme school uniforms and free lunch, and now fix my house in time for it to be destroyed

in the next hurricane to come this way. How do you define who’s house you fix after a hurricane, or if Ragged Island people more special or needy than people in Andros, Nassau or Grand Bahama? Setting a very dangerous precedent here if you ask me . . .”

Birdiestrachan said: “The people of Ragged Island deserve all the handouts they can get from the tax payers’ money. Remember they have very little income and they live on those Islands and bring life. Should they move the Islands will be taken over

by God knows who.”

And in The Tribune’s latest online poll, we’re asking readers if they are in favour of the government’s purchase of the Grand Lucayan resort. At the time of going to press, 60 percent of those voting were NOT in favour of the purchase.

40 percent backed the government’s move.

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

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, August 31, 2018, PAGE 9

Anger on the roads over new university crossing

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net MOTORISTS stuck in long lines of traffic were confused and angered yesterday by the newly installed HAWK pedestrian signal crosswalk on University Drive.

As several students have been hit crossing the street between the Michael Eldon Building and the main University of the Bahamas campus, officials said it adds a safety mechanism for students who need to cross the street.

But because the new system’s traffic light does not ever change to green to signal when they could go, some drivers did not know if and when it was safe to drive through the crossing.

Others did not acknowledge the system’s flashing lights and drove through the pedestrian’s markings as some students were crossing.

On the other hand, most students were not using the system properly and did not wait for the ten-second system countdown for the walk signal.

The chaos this created yesterday led many motorists to voice their frustrations and honk their horns, telling reporters they had no idea how the new system was to work.

Generally, they all agreed this would create a daily traffic nightmare in the area.

“To an extent I feel like it’s kind of unnecessary, but I guess it’s a safety precaution for the students but like this extra traffic I don’t think that’s necessary,” resident Jonathan Munroe said.

“Something else should have been done.”

“It’s gonna cause a lot of traffic,” motorist Travis Archer said.

One woman who only wanted to be identified as Ms Wallace said: “I think it is going to cause traffic to be backed up on this road because it is a very busy thoroughfare.”

Another motorist added: “I don’t understand this.

This is so confusing. So what am I supposed to do?”

But UB president Rodney Smith yesterday said the new crossing is necessary after having several students hit by cars travelling in both directions of University Drive.

Damian Francis, Ministry of Works deputy director in the civil design section, explained the HAWK – High-Intensity Activated crossWalk – is a model used in the United States. The UB crosswalk is the first of its kind in The Bahamas.

It is a prototype for other locations where there is a high demand of motorists and pedestrians crossing.

How it works Pedestrians should push the call button for the walk signal and then wait for the signal to change. This could take from ten seconds to one minute.

Once the walk signal appears, pedestrians should begin to cross the road once they are sure the traffic from both sides has stopped.

Meanwhile, motorists will see several things signal what the next move should be.

When no lights are visible on the traffic light, it is all clear to proceed. If a flashing yellow light appears, this means to proceed with caution.

A solid yellow light means drivers should slow down and prepare to stop.

Once there are two solid red lights visible, motorists are to stop and two flashing red lights means to stop and proceed with caution.

Mr Francis reminded

STUDENTS using the new pedestrian crossing yesterday and, right, the push button system at the crossing.

Photos: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff motorists that the area is a 25mph zone where caution should be used.

He said: “I remind everyone, with the new signal, both pedestrians and motorists should be driving in this area cautiously and should be aware of what’s happening and be cautious of vehicles potentially overtaking in the area and make sure that they are safe.”

Asked whether the Ministry of Works factored in the effect the new crossing will have on the traffic flow in the area, Mr Francis said: “It’s a safety issue so it’s a joint use. So there will be impact on traffic in any case.

“It really doesn’t matter

TWO YEARS IN JAIL FOR TEEN WHO HAD AMMO IN LUGGAGE

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net A 19-YEAR-OLD man was convicted and sentenced to two years in prison yesterday after pleading guilty to two firearm-related charges in connection with the discovery and seizure of 100 live shotgun rounds found in his luggage earlier this week.

Randall Riley, of Blanket Sound, Andros, was charged before Magistrate Kara Turnquest-Deveaux on one count of introducing ammunition into The Bahamas and one count of possession of ammunition with intent to supply.

Last Tuesday, Riley was stopped and questioned at Lynden Pindling International Airport, concerning

four packages discovered in his luggage.

Riley informed officers the packages contained 25 live 20-gauge shotgun rounds each. He admitted he had no licence to possess them. He was taken into custody, cautioned and questioned further.

While in court yesterday, Riley accepted these facts, but insisted he told the officers the ammunition was purchased abroad at the request of his uncle, who holds a licence to possess the rounds.

His attorney, Mary BainCharlton, told the court her client was in the process of concluding a three-month trip to the United States when he called his father back in Andros to ask if there was anything he needed to bring home.

Riley said it was at this time his uncle, who he did not name, requested the ammunition. The 19-year-old said he then contacted aviation officials in the United States to inquire about how best to transport the ammunition back to The Bahamas.

He said he was told he would be allowed to carry the packages in his luggage, as long as they didn’t exceed 11 pounds in total.

Riley insisted he thought his actions were within the confines of the law.

Magistrate TurnquestDeveaux sentenced Riley to two years on each count.

The sentences are to run concurrently at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

Riley has seven days in which to appeal the ruling in the Supreme Court.

AIRLINE CREW TO HOLD REUNION

THE CREW of a former Icelandic airline that flew from Luxembourg to Nassau, bringing European visitors to The Bahamas from 1968 to 1981 are holding a reunion.

Many young Bahamian women became airline stewardesses along with the European stewardesses who flew the route.

From September 6-9, the former crew of the airline, headed by Olive Rolle Schneider, a former Bahamian stewardess who lives in Luxembourg, will host a reunion.

Many of the former Bahamian stewardesses along with their family members and friends will join the European

stewardesses in Luxembourg for the occasion.

Tributes will be made posthumously, to two outstanding members of the airline, Major Norman Ricketts, one of the founding members, and Elizabeth Karlson, for her years of long service to the airline.

The last reunion was held in 2016 in Nassau.

what type of crossing you put in. Pedestrians are going to walk through and it’s going to impact on traffic particularly the volume of traffic that we have on Thompson Blvd (University Drive).”

Considering the frustration the crosswalk caused yesterday, Project Engineer Seth Apau was asked about the non-conventional option of installing a pedestrian bridge.

He said of this idea: “People were complaining about the disabled and how they would get over it and some people also said students are naïve and may stand on it and fall (so it was ruled out).”

PAGE 10, Friday, August 31, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

1,500 CASES OF MEASLES IN BRAZIL SAO PAULO Associated Press

BRAZIL’S Health Ministry says more than 1,550 people have contracted measles as the country struggles to meet vaccination targets to stem the outbreak linked to neighbouring Venezuela.

The ministry said yesterday that seven people have died.

The cases are concentrated in two states on Brazil’s border with Venezuela. Health services have collapsed in the neighboring country amid political turmoil. Measles started spreading in Venezuela last year after the World Health Organization declared the Americas measles-free in 2016.

TRUMP DUMPS FEDERAL PAY RISE DEAL WASHINGTON Associated Press PRESIDENT Donald Trump is cancelling pay raises due in January for most civilian federal employees, he informed Congress yesterday, citing budget constraints. But the workers still could see a slightly smaller boost in their pay under a proposal lawmakers are considering.

Trump said he was nixing a 2.1 percent acrossthe-board raise for most workers as well as separate locality pay increases averaging 25.7 percent.

“We must maintain efforts to put our Nation on a fiscally sustainable course, and Federal agency budgets cannot sustain such increases,” said Trump. The president last year signed a package of tax cuts that is forecast to add about $1.5tn to federal deficits over ten years.

A TOUR group walks through the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass.

Photo: Elise Amendola/AP

Harvard accused of ‘racial balancing’ WASHINGTON Associated Press IN its latest push to end the use of race in college admissions, the Trump administration yesterday accused Harvard University of “engaging in outright racial balancing” and sided with Asian-American students who allege the Ivy League school discriminated against them.

Harvard denied the bias claim and said it would defend the right to consider race as a factor in admissions.

The Justice Department weighed in on a lawsuit filed in 2014 by Students For Fair Admission, which argues that one of the

world’s most prestigious universities discriminates against academically strong Asian-American applicants in favor of others who may be less qualified.

The agency said in a “statement of interest” that Harvard has failed to demonstrate that it does not discriminate on the basis of race and that its use of personal qualities in determining worthy applicants “may be infected with racial bias”.

The Supreme Court permits colleges and universities to consider race in admissions decisions, but says that must be done in a narrowly tailored way to promote diversity and should be limited in

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time. Schools also bear the burden of showing why their consideration of race is appropriate.

In Harvard’s case, Justice Department officials said, the university hasn’t explained how it uses race in admissions and has not adopted meaningful criteria to limit the use of race.

“No American should be denied admission to school because of their race,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said.

Sessions said Harvard’s use of a “personal rating”, which includes highly subjective factors such as being a “good person” or “likability”, may be biased against Asian-Americans. Sessions said the school admits that

it scores Asian-American applicants lower on personal rating than other students. Sessions also argued that Harvard admissions officers monitor and manipulate the racial makeup of incoming classes.

Harvard said it was disappointed the department was “recycling the same misleading and hollow arguments that prove nothing more than the emptiness of the case against Harvard”.

“Harvard does not discriminate against applicants from any group, and will continue to vigorously defend the legal right of every college and university to consider race as one factor among many in college admissions, which the

Supreme Court has consistently upheld for more than 40 years,” the university said in a statement. “Colleges and universities must have the freedom and flexibility to create the diverse communities that are vital to the learning experience of every student.”

Edward Blum, president of the group that sued Harvard, hailed the administration’s action.

“We look forward to having the gravely troubling evidence that Harvard continues to keep redacted disclosed to the American public in the near future,” he said.

The department’s court filing opposes Harvard’s request to dismiss the suit before trial.

DEATH THREATS TO JOURNALISTS OVER CRITICAL EDITORIALS BOSTON Associated Press A LOS Angeles man upset about The Boston Globe’s coordinated editorial response to President Donald Trump’s attacks on the news media was arrested yesterday for threatening to kill the newspaper’s journalists, whom he called the “enemy of the people,” federal prosecutors said.

Robert Chain’s threatening phone calls to the Globe’s newsroom started immediately after the Globe appealed to newspapers across the country to condemn what it called a “dirty war against the free press,” prosecutors said.

The day the editorials were published, Chain, 68, of the Encino section of LA, told a Globe staffer that he was going to shoot employees in the head at 4 o’clock, according to court documents. That threat

prompted a police response and increased security at the newspaper’s offices.

After the editorials ran, Chain said he would continue threatening the Globe until it stops its “treasonous and seditious” attacks on Trump, according to a court complaint.

Several times, he called Globe employees the “enemy of the people,” a characterisation of journalists that Trump has used in the past.

Records show Chain owns several guns, including a 9mm carbine rifle he bought in May, authorities said.

It was not immediately clear if Chain has an attorney. Phone messages left at his wife’s law office and with person listed as a relative didn’t immediately return a phone messages.

A neighbour who lived across the street from Chain and only knew him as “Rob” said he had a

bombastic personality and could frequently be heard yelling at his television.

Tim McGowan said he knew nothing of Chain’s political leanings but assumed he was an old hippie because he wore his hair in a man bun and frequently walked around in just shorts with his big belly protruding.

McGowan said he couldn’t imagine Chain following through with violence, “but I could see him making the threats because he’s such a loud mouth”.

McGowan said he was startled awake by three loud bangs at 6am yesterday. His wife called police, who told her they were the source of the commotion.

When he looked outside, he saw about 30 heavily armed officers in and a tank-like vehicle. Chain eventually emerged from the house in handcuffs wearing only boxer shorts.

US PRESIDENT WARNS OF VIOLENCE IF DEMS WIN WASHINGTON Associated Press PRESIDENT Donald Trump urged evangelical leaders this week to get out the vote ahead of the upcoming midterm elections and warned of “violence” by opponents if they fail.

Trump made the warning at a White House dinner Monday evening attended by dozens of conservative Christian pastors, ministers and supporters of his administration.

Trump was stressing the stakes in November when he warned that, if Democrats win, they “will overturn everything that we’ve done and they’ll do it quickly and violently,” according to attendees and audio of his closed-door remarks obtained by media outlets, including The New York Times. He specifically

mentioned self-described antifa, or anti-fascist groups, describing them as “violent people”.

Asked Wednesday what he meant, Trump told reporters, “I just hope there won’t be violence.”

“If you look at what happens ... there’s a lot of unnecessary violence all over the world, but also in this country. And I don’t want to see it,” Trump said.

At the dinner, Trump talked up his administration’s efforts to bolster conservative Christian causes and urged those gathered to get their “people” to vote, warning the efforts could quickly be undone.

“I just ask you to go out and make sure all of your people vote,” Trump said, according to the Times.

“Because if they don’t — it’s Nov 6 — if they don’t vote we’re going to have

a miserable two years and we’re going to have, frankly, a very hard period of time because then it just gets to be one election — you’re one election away from losing everything you’ve got.”

Ohio Pastor Darrell Scott, an early Trump supporter who attended the dinner, said he interpreted the comments differently than the media has portrayed them.

“It wasn’t any kind of dire warning,” Scott said, “... except the things that we’ve been working on as a body of voters will be reversed and overturned.”

“What he was saying,” Scott continued, is that “there are some violent people ... but it wasn’t that we’ve got to worry about murder on the streets and chaos and anarchy ... just that the things we’ve worked for will be

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, August 31, 2018, PAGE 11

$100,000 WIN FOR ABACO MOTHER AN Abaco resident is ecstatic after she won $100,000 through Island Luck’s “Break the Bank” promotion.

According to Island Luck, winner Antonique Edgecombe will use the cash to one day pay for her four-month-old’s college tuition.

“It’s in moments like these where we can truly share in someone else’s happiness and really appreciate the overwhelming joy of their accomplishment,” an Island Luck spokesperson said.

“On behalf of our CEO Sebas Bastian, our CFO Dirk Simmons and the entire family here at Island Luck, we would

like to congratulation our 5th winner of Break the Bank all the way from Sandy Point, Abaco.”

Ms Edgecombe, who said she is not a frequent gambler, “broke the bank” at level two of the competition, using code 2177219. This brings the overall total to date for winnings through the competition to $275,000.

“Break the bank” is a promotion which allow patrons to guess a bank vault combination of seven digits and win up to $500,000 dollars. Every 72 hours, a digit is revealed and the bank vault value drops until it is broken.

ANTONIQUE EDGECOMBE, right, won $100,000 through Island Luck’s “Break the Bank” promotion. She is pictured with a representative from IL.

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