09142021 BUSINESS

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

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PM’s homes plan forgot ‘front door’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

FRANON WILSON

A PROMINENT developer yesterday warned that first-time Bahamian homeowners must be able to access “the front door” if the Prime Minister’s ambition of sparking a construction boom is to be realised.

Franon Wilson, Arawak Homes president, told Tribune Business that the package of construction material and services-related tax breaks unveiled

by Dr Hubert Minnis at the weekend will not yield maximum effect unless the two greatest

obstacles to home ownership are addressed.

While affirming Arawak Homes’ “100 percent support” for anything that makes home ownership more affordable, Mr Wilson said the plan did not tackle the down payments and closing costs that purchasers are required to cover from their own savings and other financial resources.

With vacant lot prices now often in excess of $100,000, he explained that the combination of bank down payment requirements, legal fees and, potentially, realtor commissions would require first-time buyers to come

up with a five-figure sum to close such deals prior to even beginning construction of their home.

Many Bahamians lack such savings, having been sucked into pay cheque to pay cheque living, and will require several years to build-up the necessary resources.

Added to this are high levels of existing consumer debt, which Mr Wilson said is the other greatest factor impeding the ability to qualify for a mortgage.

“At the end of the day, it’s helping people get in the door,” the Arawak Homes chief told this newspaper. “If someone

SEE PAGE 5

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HUBERT MINNIS.

• Down payments, closing costs not tackled • Developer: Biggest ‘hurdle’ to owning home • Along with hefty consumer debt burdens

Bahamasair ‘eight’: Seek 10% pay rise in new industrial deal

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net EIGHT Bahamasair senior flight attendants have been told by a Supreme Court judge to seek the 10 percent pay increase they are demanding through a revised industrial agreement instead of litigation.

Justice Indra Charles, in an August 16, 2021, verdict rejected the joint claim by Niquel Pinder, Sharmaine Barr, Tiffany Reid, Karen Cooper, Carla Sabala, Kendra Campbell-Darling, Cecilia Forbes-Jordan and Nedra Rogers that their employment contracts were breached because they did not receive a 10 percent salary raise when they

• Judge rejects flight attendants’ ‘promotion’ claim • Says only ‘assigned’ senior role if 50+ passengers • ‘Proper path is to lobby with union’ for revised terms were made senior flight attendants.

However, Justice Charles found there was “no promotion” from junior to senior flight attendant allowed for in the wording of the 2013 industrial agreement between Bahamasair

and the Airport, Airline and Allied Workers Union (AAAWU), of which all eight were members.

And the designation of “senior flight attendant” only arose, according to the agreement, when two or more worked the

same jet flight or an ATR flight carrying 50 or more passengers.

Justice Charles added that the industrial agreement’s language confirmed that a flight attendant was “assigned”, and not promoted, to a senior position and was thus not entitled to the salary increase being sought.

“If the plaintiffs are desirous of changing the present position, the proper procedure is to lobby with their union to negotiate a new industrial agreement with Bahamasair,” she ruled, finding in favour of the Government’s cashstrapped national flag carrier.

SEE PAGE 4

No ‘radical changes’ for Budget following election

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net A RISK management specialist yesterday said he does not foresee “radical changes” to the 2021-2022 Budget regardless of which political party wins Thursday’s general election because the fiscal dynamics have not changed.

Hubert Edwards, principal of Next Level Solutions, a Bahamas-based corporate

governance and risk management consultancy, told Tribune Business that he expects The Bahamas “to limp into 2022 at pretty much the same rate” it has passed through this year given that COVID-19 and its high infection rates continue to bedevil this nation.

Agreeing that the incoming administration will “have to grapple with” multiple issues, most linked to health and the economic/ fiscal state of The Bahamas,

he said it was unlikely that a Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) or Free National Movement (FNM) government would quickly to seek to pass a supplementary Budget upon taking office given that the revenue outlook will not drastically improve over the next nineand-a-half months.

Implying that the next administration will have little flexibility or scope to adjust the Budget passed in June, Mr Edwards said

many campaign promises will “have to wait a year” for the 2022-2023 Budget to be crafted.

“We already have a Budget,” he said. “In many instances there may be a reprioritising of things vis a vis what was promised on the campaign trail. We have to wait until Thursday night or Friday morning to see where we go in terms of the priorities of the country.

SEE PAGE 5

Union leader predicts Morton Salt re-hiring

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net A UNION leader yesterday predicted said Morton Salt might have to rehire some of the 24 workers it terminated last month on the basis that the salt harvester is now too “short staffed”.

Jennifer Brown, president of the Bahamas Industrial, Manufacturers & Allied Workers Union (BIMAWU), told Tribune Business that the

Inagua-based operation’s workforce has dropped from 220 to around 80 over the past two years.

Arguing that Morton Salt cannot continue operating efficiently at those numbers, she added: “The staff left behind after the redundancy is just doing the best they can.”

Ms Brown said she feels that the persons released were not compensated fairly as “there was no severance pay”, only redundancy pay. “We have a contract, and if the company says redundancy then

the position cannot be filled, but from what’s going on out here, it’s like you are requiring one person to do two persons’ work right now,” she added.

Complaining that the company is “very much short staffed”, Ms Brown added: “Because this new company took over, they just wanted to reduce the staff to see how much people they really needed.

“I believe they might have to rehire a lot of persons. This is just from my general observation, because we used to have

over 200 employees, but now we don’t even have 80 yet they expect the work to get done.

“It is near impossible to do the same level of work with less than half of the staff that Morton Salt was used to in the recent past, which is only part of the problem. The thing is the workers are not being compensated for the heavier workload.

“Every department they let someone go and people have positions they need

SEE PAGE 4

LEONARD SANDS

STEPHEN WRINKLE

Home owner tax breaks to aid 80% of new starts • Ex-BCA chief hails package, but ‘better late than never’ • Bahamas in ‘different place economically’ if done earlier • Warning that ‘multiple bridges to cross’ to achieve goal

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net AN ex-Bahamian Contractors Association (BCA) president yesterday hailed the Prime Minister’s home ownership tax breaks package for potentially boosting

80 percent of new construction starts, and said: “Better late than never.”

Leonard Sands told Tribune Business that while Dr Hubert Minnis should have implemented such an initiative two to three years ago

SEE PAGE 5

PAGE 2, Tuesday, September 14, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

FACING UP TO THE BRUTAL FACTS L

ET us assume that the winning political party shows the deep will needed and ushers in, responsibly, the reforms to address the governance and the structural weaknesses that have perennially plagued The Bahamas. Let us accept that such moves will cause noticeable disruption, as they must if properly implemented. As a people, generally, would we be willing and prepared to support these changes? Are the segments of society with significant power and influence willing - and prepared - to support these changes?

Given that such changes could radically disrupt the normal arrangements of The Bahamas, causing shifts in the power structure and the national social fabric, as well as disrupting what has become the settled way of doing and achieving things (the status quo), are we ready for the journey to a

• In the third of a four-part series, Hubert Edwards warns that The Bahamas must adopt a different mindset to develop its economy beyond the current model

Herbert Edwards new reality? Where are we mentally in our outlook for the next ten, 15 or 20 years, recognising that the reconstruction of many aspects of The Bahamas can only be achieved over the long haul and will demand everyone giving up some of what was “normal”. This is

a personal perspective but one predicated on the idea of real commitment and the willingness of all to sacrificially “invest” in the future of the country. It is my view that the time has come for The Bahamas, Bahamians and well-wishers to take a different look, as compared to that which we have embraced up to now, and accept that what is in front of us demands urgent personal, dedicated and effective action as much as it calls for sound collective, consensus-based efforts.

I believe that the American prisoner of war,

Admiral James Stockdale’s, words ought to inform our approach going forward as we contemplate the growth and development of The Bahamas. He said: “You [we] must never confuse faith that you [we] will prevail in the end - which you [we] can never afford to lose - with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your [our] current reality, whatever they might be.” The current realities are many, well-known and stark, and for many persons they are very stark.

The circumstances affect all of us differently, although the impact is likely to be less for most persons in the upper echelons of society.

These are the leaders and captains of industries who others look to so they can maintain that hope which Stockdale speaks of. Nothing will be achieved over the next few years that will not require a hard look at debt, deficits and debt servicing. These are factors that I believe will impose significant pressure on governance and will be critical to framing policies. We can easily appreciate that unfunded mandates are never effective. The extent to which any administration is unable to find financing space for new plans is the extent to which we could see a lag in implementation of necessary changes and a loss of momentum, all of which could impose significant costs due to loss of time. Any policy initiatives that are not properly analyzed for cost and feasibility are simply positions awaiting costing to determine viability and, if viable, the extent to which they can be afforded, which may make the final decision radically different from the promised position. As a country we must remain hopeful about the ability to advance and grow the economy. However, we must normalise our expectations not because we do not desire more, but the brutal fact is that affording our desires is not as easy as we would like.

I believe the future calls for some very important focus in areas that may not be getting direct mention at this time, but which are critical for the advancement of the country. We may not always have ready answers but it is important that we frame honest questions that help to coalesce

our thinking around what is necessary for balanced reform. Therefore, going forward, how will we afford and facilitate economic equity? The full potential of The Bahamas will never be realized until there is a greater distribution of not just wealth but the opportunities for wealth creation. Are we prepared for greater social equity and equality? How will we reduce the expanding numbers below the poverty line? How will we diversify and domicile more of the earnings from tourism?

How will we expand the economy through development and growth of new or fledgling industries?

Are we prepared to take a broad-based look at diversification, or forward integration where the sectors allow? The agriculture and marine industries, for example? How will we address the inability of firms to scale up with limited internal markets due to population size, a fact that exerts adverse influence on innovation from the private sector? This area comes with its own set of complications, as matters affecting Immigration are inherently rich with growth opportunities but fraught with a minefield of cultural and historical challenges. How do we truly discuss broadening the country’s foreign earnings potential in a reality where we only have small, concentrated local markets and highly dispersed and remote population centers, all of which are challenged in facilitating appropriate incubation and growth of export-capable businesses or industries? How will we reduce the trust gap between leaders and the populace, a factor that will be critical to making positive advances? Finally, how will we as individuals conduct ourselves such that we are always adding to the betterment of the country? This latter question is fundamental in that it calls for a shift in the personal approach of how an individual manages all interactions such that we are focused on bringing value in the best interest of the country, always.

Beyond the limitations In order for there to be growth in anything, it is necessary for there to be a

surmounting of whatever limitations may persist, real or perceived. It is not difficult to speak of great performance, articulate world-class standards or consistently reiterate the expansive and unique endowments of the country. There are some clear limitations with which The Bahamas must contend, and overcoming these rest squarely on leadership guided by a carefully-crafted vision and mindset generally observed in thriving economies and countries. Permit me to share a few thoughts on why I think we have not always consistently found ready solutions to our social, economic and other national problems.

These are matters that I believe must be addressed, and which will demand committed and dedicated leadership to achieve. First, there is a lack of consensus around a common national vision. There are simply too many people who hold the view that we cannot do better, and that the genius of the country is concentrated in specific groupings.

This is very debilitating.

Consequently, the brightest minds are not consistently leveraged. This is extremely limiting given the size of The Bahamas. There is no way the country will solve its major problems with only a portion of its capacity engaged at any point in finding the solutions. In fact, there is circumstantial evidence that suggests the lack of tension in idea generation may be a significant contributor to this state of affairs. The strongest oak trees are said to be those that faced the greatest winds. The process of charting a transformational course demands being exposed to, and becoming comfortable with, ideas being challenged rigorously.

Intelligent and committed minds in open, honest but productively brutal engagement is the best means of achieving this.

The idea of growth and innovation does not seem to be well understood as being an intentional process as opposed to the oftenobserved approach of near capitulation in the face of the last viable option largely because earlier possibilities were left to wither on the vine and lost to time.

The economic system we have, as currently structured and unchanged for decades, is limited in what it can deliver and is likely close to the top of its potential if left unchecked.

To be continued…………

Shark diving generates $114m Bahamas boost ONE of the world’s top marine scientists has praised The Bahamas for its decade-long shark sanctuary status but warned that the world collectively must do more.

Dr Austin Gallagher, who been engaged in Bahamas research projects for over a decade, told Bloomberg News last week it would take regional co-operation for the world to live up to its international goal of 30 percent ocean conservation by 2030.

He has tagged and monitored the behaviour of more than 300 sharks in

Bahamas waters, and said any serious effort to protect sea life will take countries agreeing on measures and working together to create broad regional marine protected areas (MPAs).

“We know that large marine protected areas are really what are needed in order to properly conserve

DR Austin Gallagher and a Reef Shark.

SEE PAGE 5

Photo/Diego Camejo

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, September 14, 2021, PAGE 3

TOURISM OFFICIALS WARN ON FURTHER AIRPORT ‘STRIFE’

By NEIL HARTNELL and YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporters TOURISM officials yesterday warned that further “industrial strife” at Family Island airports could endanger the sector’s COVID-19 recovery after staff at several gateways failed to report to work over ongoing grievances.

Kerry Fountain, the Bahamas Out Island Promotion Board’s (BOIPB) executive director, told Tribune Business: “Whilst we may sympathize with what they’re doing, we’re extremely concerned that when we’re just trying to recover we’re having industrial strife.

“The sooner we get past this the better. There has to be collaboration. Quite frankly, we’re in recovery mode, and if we don’t have it we can’t give it.”

The industrial action resulted in the closures, temporarily at least, of airports in Abaco, Bimini, Cat Island and South Andros.

Between 12 to 20 workers were understood to have called in sick and withdrawn their labour.

However, the impact was muted due to the fact that the industrial action largely occurred after most early morning flights had either arrived or taken off. And it also took place in early September at the traditional low point of the tourism season when many Family

KERRY FOUNTAIN Island resort properties are closed for refurbishing.

Carl Rolle, general manager at Rollez Villas in Cat Island, told Tribune Business he received four guests yesterday and there was no

closure of the New Bight Airport at any time.

He added: “I am not aware of any closure and we have not been affected.

We had some guests come in yesterday and they are now in place.

“As a result of this pandemic I try not to go anywhere near the airport if I don’t have to, so I wouldn’t know much about it anyway.”

Leslie Kennedy, manager at the Pigeon Cay Beach Club in Cat Island, said she was unaware of airport staff failing to show up for work but had not had any guests coming in or leaving to confirm that flights were affected.

An employee at the South Bimini airport, speaking under condition of

anonymity, said: “The security officers at the airport showed up for work, but it was the firemen that walked off yesterday.

“The thing is the rest of the workers are not in a union, so we can’t afford to walk off of our job. We will be replaced immediately.”

Alfred Sweeting, general manager of the Seacrest Hotel and Marina in Bimini, said: “I’ve been working on a project for the past few days and I have not had a chance to notice any strange happenings at the airport.

“Most of our guests come in by boat in any event from Florida, and it has been slow over the past few weeks, so we have not been affected by any airport issues at all.”

Algernon Cargill, the Government’s director of aviation, said airports on Abaco, Bimini, Cat Island and South Andros were closed as a result of the industrial action, which he branded “illegal” and “disappointing”.

“The Airport Authority is fully aware that the Bahamas Public Service Union has co-ordinated an illegal withdrawal of labour, and I say illegal because as far as I’m aware there’s been no trade dispute filed and, second, the Airport Authority has always acted in good faith with the Bahamas Public Service Union,” Mr Cargill said.

BAHAMAS FIRST AFFIRMS NEW NUA LEADERSHIP SILENCE OVER BAHAMAS First has confirmed Stanford Charlton as managing director of NUA Insurance Agents & Brokers (NUA), having held the post in an acting capacity since January 1, 2020.

Mr Charlton takes over at the BISX-listed insurer’s wholly-owned agency subsidiary from former managing director, Warren Rolle, who now heads Bahamas First’s Caymanbased affiliate, Cayman First Insurance Company.

Bahamas First’s Board also announced the promotion of insurance executive Sanchez Brooks to NUA’s assistant managing director.

Mr Charlton has more than 30 years’ experience in underwriting, brooking and claims acquired through training and work in The Bahamas, London and the Turks & Caicos Islands.

He joined NUA in 2003, and has held progressively senior roles at the company, serving most recently as assistant managing director.

Mr Brooks’ promotion to assistant managing director follows a three-year term as Carmichael Road branch manager, where he assisted

ENERGY OFFER ‘DOWNRIGHT RUDE’

By YOURI KEMP Tribune BUSINESS REPORTER ykemp@tribunemedia.net

SANCHEZ BROOKS. with the oversight of operations and production of seven offices throughout The Bahamas. He has also served as business support manager at NUA and as business development manager at Cayman First.

Patrick Ward, Bahamas First’s group president and chief executive, said: “Stanford has the right balance of comprehensive insight into the complex needs of our clients, and deep understanding of the insurance industry at all levels. As acting managing director of NUA, he led the effective

STANFORD CHARLTON

and disciplined management of the company amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and I am confident that he will be a steady hand as we advance our strategic road map.

“We also greatly appreciate former NUA managing director, Warren Rolle, for his dedication to NUA over the years and commend him for the expertise and leadership he now brings to the business in the Cayman Islands.”

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Charlton said: “I feel privileged

to work with the committed and capable team at NUA. I am very proud of our achievements to-date, and I look forward to continuing our plans to provide superior service, protection, and confidence to our policyholders. I am glad to have Sanchez, a proven operator, to assist in the variety of endeavours that we will take on in this challenging environment.”

BAMSI GIVES TO GB AGRO-VILLAGE THE Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) donated 500 fruit seedlings to the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources’ Frobisher Agro-Village in Freeport earlier this week.

The donation included 450 sugar apples seedlings and around 45 sour orange/ citrus root stock, BAMSI’s chairman, Stephen Turnquest, confirmed.

“The plant donation is in keeping with BAMSI’s mandate to increase this nation’s ability to feed itself through sustainable measures, while also providing education opportunities, for young Bahamians in particular, to grow the agriculture sector,” he said.

“What we want to see are more Bahamian farmers growing native fruits and vegetables, and using best practices to ensure that we have a ready supply of fresh fruit and vegetables throughout the year. The research work that we are doing in our greenhouse in Andros will go a long way in helping to provide farmers with essential information on planting, harvesting, soil preparation, pest control and proper irrigation methods.”

The seedlings arrived in New Providence from BAMSI’s North Andros greenhouse last week, and

by Friday were on a boat headed to Freeport.

The donation is part of BAMSI’s drive to build a healthy stock of local fruit seedlings that can help grow the industry. BAMSI’s farm administrator, Stephen Adderley, said it is growing sugar apples, sour oranges/ citrus root stock, tamarind seedlings sourced from Thailand, soursop and mangoes, avocados and coconut trees that are resistant to the lethal yellowing disease. By early 2022 these seedlings will be ready to share with farmers across the Bahamas.

Also set to benefit from the increased activity in the greenhouse are BAMSI students. They will be able

A CHAMBER of Commerce executive yesterday said it was “downright rude” for the Government not to have replied to a proposal seeking to transform the Bahamian energy sector.

Debbie Deal, head of the Chamber’s energy and environment division, told Tribune Business that the lack of response from government ministries to qualified bidders is “typical” but not the way The Bahamas should treat professionals.

Decrying the absence of a response from the Bahamas Investment Authority (BIA) to WMS Holdings submission of its energy

overhaul proposal, Ms Deal said: “How long does it take for them to get around to doing anything? At least they should say that they have acknowledged receipt of the document.

“If I were the Prime Minister and I had received a proposal like that, I would have sent that down to the minister of works and then down to the board at BPL and acknowledge receipt of the proposal…… That’s what I would do. I would not ignore people. It’s just downright rude.”

Ms Deal was reacting to a full-page advertisement yesterday by WMS Holdings Ltd, which alleged that after 570 days it has not received an acknowledgement that its“competitive and comprehensive” proposal to the BIA was received.

Gemologist Wanted An international fine jewelry & watch design company seeks to employ a mature individual as Gemologist. The position offers an excellent salary and commissions.

The professional must be an expert in detecting defects, imperfections, concealed imperfection, rarity, and other features of a good stone and gem. Other functions include the following.

BAMSI donates hundreds of fruit tree seedlings, including sugar apples and sour orange/citrus root stock. to get hands-on experience with budding, root tree propagation and grafting.

Beyond the greenhouse and the school’s research plot, students will also get hands-on experience on the commercial farm – from the small ruminant section and recently-launched poultry production to open field production and the hydroponics and aquaponics sections.

Mr Adderley added that farm officials are looking to create a herb greenhouse to grow ginger, garlic, thyme, rosemary and other herbs used in Bahamian cooking for the student cafeteria. He hopes to share some of the ginger plants with the public to encourage home chefs to start their own herb gardens.

BAMSI’s plans are in line with the mission and objectives of the Frobisher Agro-Village, which was started in April 2020. A multi-sector agricultural initiative that has achieved great success in other destinations, the Bahamas government, private sector and international stakeholders believe the agro-village will help to significantly increase economic growth and employment in agriculture while providing a sustainable food bank in Grand Bahama.

Garnell Pelecanos, strategic development consultant with the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources, said the eight-acre village consists of a diverse, Bahamian-based array of edible live-scaping.

“The minister wanted to put in esthetically-pleasing native fruit trees so we sourced fruit trees from all around. We approached Mr Turnquest from BAMSI for a contribution and he made the arrangements for the donation. We thank BAMSI for its swift cooperation and generous donation, and we look forward to your continued cooperation,” she said.

Stakeholders for the project include the Bahamas Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (BAFSA), Department of Forestry, Local Government and the Grand Bahama Port Authority.

Joining the operation are a number of international agencies including the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) A similar Agro-Village project was recently launched in New Providence on Gladstone Road.

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PAGE 4, Tuesday, September 14, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

BAHAMASAIR ‘EIGHT’: SEEK 10% PAY RISE IN NEW INDUSTRIAL DEAL FROM PAGE ONE Setting out the background to her verdict, Justice Charles said the eight were upgraded to senior flight attendants via letters received on June 30, 2017, after they applied for this designation.

They subsequently completed their training under the Cabin Attendant Manual and, on April 18, 2018, a letter was sent to Tracy Cooper, Bahamasair’s managing director, and other airline executives requesting that the eight receive extra compensation inn accordance with the industrial agreement’s article 11.06.04 that dealt with promotions.

Selvin Basden, Bahamasair’s director of human resources, replied to Jewel Fountain, the union president, on May 8, 2018, saying that while management was open to providing the 10 percent increase “we see the situation as more complicated as the decision

to apply the same has farreaching implications”.

He added: “A review of our payroll files has shown that for the past 22 years we have not paid promotional adjustments for persons being reassigned as senior cabin attendants, but rather they receive access to senior pay. To make this change now seems irresponsible especially with the industrial agreement expiring in less than two months.”

The flight attendants alleged they were entitled to the 10 percent salary increase based on the industrial agreement stating “that whenever an employee is promoted, he/ she shall be compensated at a rate of not less than the minimal salary of that or higher rated compensation or ten percent”. They were, though, were unable to produce any evidence they had been hired as junior staff.

Tamara Lightbourne, Bahamasair’s senior manager of human resources, told the Supreme Court

that the eight were hired as flight attendants - not junior flight attendants.

She added that the industrial agreement’s article 11.06.04 clause, upon which they were relying, did not apply to flight attendants because there were no classifications and salary scales for that post.

And Ms Lightbourne added that the industrial agreement dealt with flight attendants separately from all other Bahamasair employees because of the nature of the job. For regulatory purposes, she said the national flag carrier and all airlines have to fly with a designated “senior flight attendant” when there are more than 50 passengers on a plane.

“Bahamasair denied that the plaintiffs were promoted and averred that the plaintiffs were merely given the designation of senior flight attendants and, as such, they are not entitled to an increase in salary,” Justice Charles

said, summing up the airline’s case.

“They say that a senior flight attendant generally performs the same duties and responsibilities as a flight attendant. However, when a senior flight attendant acts in the capacity as a lead flight attendant, which is considered a senior position, on a jet or an ATR 72 flight where there are 50 or more passengers, the senior flight attendant is paid a stipend of either $12 or $15 per flight hour for the performance of the additional duties.

“Accordingly, Bahamasair does not consider such a designation as a lead flight attendant or a senior flight attendant a promotion.”

Wayne Munroe QC, the PLP’s candidate for Freetown who represented the flight attendants, argued the case that “senior flight attendant” status was a promotion based on the extra training his clients underwent and the fact they

held seniority over other workers.

However, Lakeisha Hanna, of the Harry B Sands & Lobosky law firm, argued that the industrial agreement provisions relied upon by Mr Munroe and his clients did not apply to flight attendants. They had employment terms and conditions different from all other categories of Bahamasair employee.

Flight attendants at the time also only had one salary scale ranging from $15,597 to $32,397, with increments of $600. “It is also clear to me that the plaintiffs were not promoted but, whenever they are serving on a Jet or an ATR-72 flight carrying 50 or more passengers, they are designated ‘senior flight attendants’ in name only and are only entitled to the stipend to compensate them when they work in that capacity,” Justice Charles found.

The industrial agreement also stated that a

UNION LEADER PREDICTS MORTON SALT RE-HIRING

FROM PAGE ONE

filled. So we are just going to basic and important stuff now, and the rest just lags behind and when you get to it, you get to it.”

Morton Salt was last year sold by German conglomerate, K + S, to US-based Stone Canyon Industries Holdings and its salt producing subsidiary, Kissner, in a deal that valued its worldwide holdings at $3.2bn.

Ms Brown, meanwhile, said workers are “walking on eggshells” as a result of the last redundancy exercise because they want to remain efficient. However, she added that maintenance on machinery is now lacking. “Things we never used to do before, they are asking employees to do it now, and they feel unsafe,” Ms Brown said.

A meeting is being planned for this week between Morton Salt

management and union representatives to address these concerns.

A Morton Salt spokesperson promised to respond to Tribune Business inquiries but no reply was received before press time last night.

Morton Salt informed Dion Foulkes, minister of labour, of the latest redundancies in an August 6, 2021, letter.

Vivian Moultrie, the Inagua-based salt harvester’s operations

manager, confirmed that 18 line staff and six managerial staff were impacted, eight of whom had been with the company for 40 years or more. Another five had been employed for between 35-39 years, with the longest serving racking up 46 years.

The redundancies were justified on the basis that available work had “diminished” while there were no other roles the impacted employees were capable of performing. Mr Moultrie, revealing that

the redundancies were set to take effect from August 23, 2021, said: “As a result of the prevailing circumstances, particularly those associated with the current plant efficiencies, it is necessary to make the employees redundant as the requirements of Morton Bahamas for employees to carry out the work done by the employees have diminished and are not expected to return for the foreseeable future.

“Further, we are able to confirm that efforts towards

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flight attendant is “merely assigned”, and not promoted, to work as a senior flight attendant. “To my mind, if it were the intention of the union and Bahamasair for the plaintiffs to receive a promotion when they performed the duties of a senior flight attendant, then a terminology other than the word ‘assigned to work’ would have been used,” Justice Charles concluded.

“For all of the reasons stated above, I therefore find that the plaintiffs were not promoted to senior flight attendants and are therefore not entitled to a 10 percent increase in pay.”

Justice Charles also rejected claims that the eight held managerial or supervisory positions “because they did not have the authority to hire, lay off, promote, transfer or exercise disciplinary power over - or to adjust the grievance of other flight attendants - on behalf of and independently of Bahamasair”. reassignment have been made to the greatest extent possible, and that there are currently no other positions within Morton Bahamas which require filling or to which the employees’ experience and skill set would be relevant.

“Outside of the employees, Morton Bahamas does not intend to make any other employees redundant at this time. In accordance with the Employment Act, should Morton Bahamas have cause to recruit employees in roles relevant to the employees within the ensuing 12 months, the employees will enjoy priority in this selection process.”

Those impacted ranges from maintenance and production supervisors to equipment operators, mechanics, technicians and plant operators.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, September 14, 2021, PAGE 5

PM’S HOMES PLAN FORGOT ‘FRONT DOOR’ FROM PAGE ONE

cannot get in at the front door, no matter what happens at the back door they cannot get in. The faster you get in leads to more opportunity.

“Coming off COVID-19, people had to use the savings they may have had for their home to pay the rent and things of that nature.

Anything that helps people get back to where they were, that would be a big boost.”

Asked how many potential home buyers Arawak Homes had witnessed being turned down because of their inability to qualify for mortgages with commercial banks and other lenders.

Mr Wilson responded: “It’s hard to put a figure on it.

There’s two things; two reasons why it’s so hard for

people to own their own home.

“One is the amount of consumer debt which they have, and second is finding the downpayment and closing costs. Those are the top two reasons why it’s hard in The Bahamas. Addressing just one of those two issues would go a long way to helping people own their own home.

“If you want people to get in, it’s even more important than offering stuff on the back end. The challenge is coming up with the down payment and closing costs.

If the Government can find ways of bringing that down, help to reduce that, more people will own their own home,” he added.

“Even if you make the money and have the income, unless you have the down payment and closing costs the bank

will not accept the application. That’s one of the biggest challenges in The Bahamas.”

The pledges unveiled by Dr Minnis at the weekend appeared targeted at firsttime home owners who are constructing their own residences, as opposed to first-time buyers trying to acquire an existing property.

Those constructing their own homes will first have to acquire vacant land on which to build, and Mr Wilson told this newspaper that such land or lots are “becoming harder to find under $100,000”.

Commercial banks typically require buyers to come up with between a 5-10 percent down payment or deposit to cover part of the purchase price, sometimes raising this as high as 20 percent. A 10 percent down

payment on a $125,000 lot equates to $12,500, which can still be a significant some for middle class and low income buyers.

Adding in legal fees at 2.5 percent of the acquisition price ($3,125) and a potential realtor’s commission at 6 percent ($6,250), and total costs to complete the purchase of this $125,000 lot could run to $21,875.

This represents funds that the buyer would have to possess to satisfy a lender even before a mortgage is extended.

Dr Minnis acknowledged the six-figure sums now required to purchase New Providence lots when he unveiled his Prospect Ridge “young professionals” community, explaining that this was why the Government had chosen to sell the lots at a cut-price $40,000 to $50,000 to that purchasers

would have extra equity against which to secure mortgage loans.

While affirming that Arawak Homes backed the Prime Minister’s latest home ownership strategy, Mr Wilson added: “Anything that helps we support, but the main point is the down payment and the closing costs. People need that, and that’s a big hurdle right there.”

Dr Minnis, in the latest of his election campaign trail pledges, promised that if reelected the Free National Movement (FNM) will provide housing construction tax-breaks for all first-time Bahamian homeowners who are building an owneroccupied dwelling valued at $300,000 or less.

“This applies whether you intend to build on private land or on government land you received or

purchased,” he said at an FNM rally.

“There will be no customs duties on building materials. For all such home construction, there will also be no VAT on building materials nor on the value of the construction contract. This will benefit many potential homeowners. This will help to create a construction boom.”

Dr Minnis said he planned to expand the “young professionals” community concept to Eleuthera, Exuma, Abaco and Andros.

“Those who buy land in these developments will not have to pay customs duties on building materials, nor on furniture and appliances.

Additionally, they will not have to pay real property tax for five years,” he added.

HOME OWNER TAX BREAKS TO AID 80% OF NEW STARTS FROM PAGE ONE its late unveiling should still be an enough to sway potential first-time homeowners ahead of Thursday’s general election.

Suggesting that The Bahamas “might be in a different place economically” had the Government adopted such an aggressive package of import duty and VAT breaks sooner, he added that the plan disclosed by the Prime Minister on Saturday would potentially impact the four-fifths of the new housing starts market that falls under the $300,000 price benchmark.

However, Mr Sands’ predecessor as BCA president was yesterday more sanguine about the Free National Movement (FNM) initiative. Stephen Wrinkle told this newspaper that “the devil is in the details”, with much depending on how the programme is rolled-out and managed should Dr Minnis be reelected to office.

He argued that it would have been better “not to throw it out as a political promise”, and warned: “There are multiple bridges

to cross to get to the promised land.”

Still, Mr Sands agreed that Dr Minnis’ plans will “absolutely, absolutely” result in a construction boom should they ever be implemented. He urged whichever party is elected on Thursday to properly follow through on the initiative, suggesting that it could result in tax savings of more than $60,000 on a $300,000 home.

“One of the things that I think he recognizes, finally, is that all construction materials, whether you purchase locally or directly go abroad and import it, the Customs duty and VAT coming in from the US, represents between 12 percent to as much as 35 percent of your building material costs depending on whether you imported,” Mr Sands said.

“When you add it all together, you’re talking about 42 percent [sic] in taxes on building materials. On a $300,000 building, material costs are about half of that - $150,000. If you do not have to pay taxes, you are talking savings of between $60,000 to $70,000. I don’t know who is not going to jump at that.

It’s real money that you’re talking about.”

Mr Sands said his only complaint was that the Government should have acted to implement this initiative much earlier during its term in office, rather than wait until the final hours before the 2021 general election.

“I wish the Prime Minister had done this two to three years ago,” he added.

“Had he done this two years ago maybe we would be in a different place economically. It would have bolstered the economy a lot more.

“It will impact on the election. It should. If I’m a first-time home owner, I’d say it makes a lot of sense and I will support that.”

The former BCA chief added that the tax savings from the VAT and import duties exemptions on all building materials, as well as the construction contract itself, would potentially enable more Bahamians to qualify for a mortgage from commercial banks and other lenders.

“This is seminal. Never before has the Government given these kinds of concessions to Bahamians to help them own their own home.

UNION LEADER PREDICTS MORTON SALT RE-HIRING FROM PAGE ONE “No promise can be implemented without financing. To the extent that a political promise made on a campaign platform requires significant retrofitting to the Budget it’ll have to wait until the next fiscal year.”

Mr Edwards said the projected $951m fiscal deficit, and consequent increase in the national debt, plus the continued revenue shortfall would all remain regardless of whether a supplementary Budget was passed post-election.

“I wouldn’t anticipate a supplementary Budget with

significant increases in taxes if either the PLP or FNM are elected,” he added.

“One would anticipate that the level of resources will not change significantly between now and the end of the Budget year. We still have COVID-19, and there’s not likely to be radical changes if any.

“We can be expecting to be limping into 2022 at pretty much the same rate we’ve been at in 2021 so far unless really good news comes down the pipe with people getting vaccinated at a higher rate, and less vaccine hesitancy. I don’t anticipate much change.”

Mr Edwards warned that it was imperative that The Bahamas not suffer the same COVID-19 fate as Jamaica, where new cases in excess of 500 per day have been reported and the country is being locked down over a fourday period from Saturday to Tuesday.

“That’s a significant shift, and we have to be careful not to get there,” he warned this newspaper. “I’m not sure further restrictions are needed here unless there’s significant upward movement like in Jamaica, where they’re doing well over 500 cases per day.”

Shark diving generates $114m Bahamas boost FROM PAGE TWO sharks because sharks have large homes ranges,” Dr Gallagher told Bloomberg Green. Species vary with some staying relatively close to ‘home’, but others have been tracked moving through as many as nine countries in a single migration.

“Sharks, like other marine animals, do not recognize political borders,” Dr Gallagher added. How marine species use the waters of the Caribbean has been a major focus of Beneath the Waves, the non-profit Dr Gallagher heads as lead scientist.

In more than 90 peerreviewed published research papers, Dr Gallagher’s findings have reaffirmed

the need for human intervention to protect marine life disrupted by years of overfishing, pollution and habitat loss. Research has shown that shark and ray populations have declined by just over 70 percent in the last half-century.

Dr Gallagher points to the economic benefits the shark sanctuary has created, which project that shark diving, snorkeling and in-water experiences likely generate some $114m per year for the Bahamian economy.

But he warned that getting countries with widely divergent policies on marine animal protection to agree is a daunting challenge with some, such as The Bahamas, understanding the

need to act decisively and others leaving preservation in the hands of hope, fortune and faith.

“What MPAs actually do can vary,” Dr Gallagher said. “They do not all have to be no-take zones some can begin to address the value of seagrass or mangrove protection, for instance. The critical thing is to use science to inform action as swiftly as possible.”

Beneath the Waves is also working on ways the marine environment can help mitigate the impact of climate change, and its work on blue carbon is gaining international attention with The Bahamas as a potential leader for nature.

I hope whoever comes into power will do this, as it can only have an economic benefit for Bahamian citizens,” Mr Sands said.

“That’s the biggest group of persons starting new homes; those under $300,000.

You’re talking 80 percent of the new build market is going to be impacted by this. Eighty percent of the market is under $300,000 for home construction. You’re talking the majority of persons that are first-time home owners being under that threshold that are going to benefit.

That number represents 80 percent of all construction starts every year.”

Besides generating increased work for contractors, and more employment in a sector that Mr Sands said should be considered the economy’s third pillar after tourism and financial services, he added that

it the greater activity will likely generate more taxes for the Government on the back-end than what it is giving away in concessions upfront.

Besides contractors paying higher business licence fees on their multiple contracts, Mr Sands said the spending by construction workers will trickle down into grassroots communities where it is most needed. “Anyone who argues that this will not help the sector is talking total hogwash,” he added.

Mr Wrinkle, meanwhile, said the tax breaks on construction materials “will make a big difference” but warned that supply chain disruption could disrupt Dr Minnis’ plan as doors and windows from the US, for example, are taking six-eight months to arrive from the moment they are ordered and paid for.

“It depends on the timeframe that they’re going to be extending this for,” he added. “It needs to be a long process, and I didn’t here what they’re extending the offer over. The devil is in the detail. Twelve months is not going to affect many people.

“It needs to be three years. If you’re buying a piece of property, it can take six to eight months to close on the land, and another six to eight months before you get the building permit. Then you have to get your financing. It could be a two-year process to get ready to build, and if the offer is 24 months not many people are going to benefit…..

“To throw it out as part of a promise is not a conducive way to handle this.

There are multiple bridges to cross to get to the promised land.”

PAGE 6, Tuesday, September 14, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

US STOCKS EDGE HIGHER, REGROUPING AFTER A DOWN WEEK

By DAMIAN J. TROISE AND ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writers A LATE-afternoon burst of buying helped stock indexes close mostly higher on Wall Street Monday, snapping a five-day losing streak for the S&P 500.

The benchmark index shook off an afternoon slump to finish 0.2% higher.

Banks, energy companies and communication stocks accounted for much of the index’s broad gains. Health care and utilities stocks fell.

The S&P 500 was coming off its biggest weekly drop since June.

The price of U.S. crude oil rose 1% and crossed back above $70. It hasn’t closed above that level since early August. Natural gas prices

jumped 5.9% and are at their highest levels since the middle of 2014. The solid gains helped lift energy stocks, including a 2.6% rise for Exxon Mobil and a 7.2% jump for Marathon Oil. Stocks have traded in a narrow range for several weeks as most investors are sitting on the sidelines waiting to get a fuller understanding of where the

economy is headed and how the pandemic is impacting corporations.

“Interestingly it’s all still within this narrow band that we’ve been seeing in the markets” said Greg Bassuk, CEO of Axs Investments.

“Investors are still looking to hang their hats on more outsized or more significant news relating to the economic recovery.”

The S&P 500 rose 10.15 points to 4,468.73. Despite it’s pullback last week and modest gain Monday, the index remains just 1.5% below the all-time high it set on Sept. 2.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 261.91 points, or 0.8%, to 34,869.63, while the Nasdaq slipped 9.91 points, or 0.1%, to 15,105.58.

Bond yields edged lower.

Investors have been dealing with choppy trading for weeks as they try to assess how the economic recovery moves forward with rising COVID-19 cases hurting consumer spending and employment growth, while raising prices on goods. Wall Street is also closely watching how the Federal Reserve reacts to the changing pace of economic growth with its plans to eventually taper

“Interestingly it’s all still within this narrow band that we’ve been seeing in the markets. Investors are still looking to hang their hats on more outsized or more significant news relating to the economic recovery.”

Greg Bassuk The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 1.32% from 1.34% late Friday.

Several key pieces of news helped lift some companies and sectors.

Spirit Aerosystems, which is a key parts supplier to Boeing, rose 4.7% following the announcement of more government support for the industry. The Biden administration is making $482 million available to aviation industry manufacturers to help them avert job or pay cuts in the pandemic.

Parker-Hannifin rose 1.9%.

Kansas City Southern rose 0.5% and Canadian Pacific was flat after Kansas City said a $31 billion bid from Canadian Pacific is superior to a rival one from Canadian National.

TransUnion fell 2% after announcing a deal to buy data services company Neustar.

support for low interest rates.

“The major market triggers going back to COVID-19, the Fed, and geopolitics are going to continue in the immediate term to show mixed signals and that will create more investor uncertainty,” Bassuk said.

Wall Street will have several key pieces of data to review this week. The Labor Department will release its consumer price index for August on Tuesday, which will give investors another update on inflation as businesses and consumers face higher prices because of supply constraints.

The Commerce Department will release retail sales data for August on Thursday to a market still trying to determine the full impact of rising COVID-19 cases on consumer spending.

IN this Nov. 5, 2020 file photo, a sign for Wall Street is carved in the side of a building, in New York. Stocks are opening broadly higher on Wall Street Monday, Sept. 13, 2021, as the market regains a more solid footing following its biggest weekly drop since June.

Photo:Mark Lennihan/AP

PUBLIC NOTICE

INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL

The Public is hereby advised that I, TREASURE ANNE-MARIE TERRELLI of #64 Rocky Pine Road, P.O. Box CR-55918, Nassau, Bahamas, intend to change my name to TREASURE ANNMARIE TIRELLI. If there are any objections to this change of name by Deed Poll, you may write such objections to the Chief Passport Officer, P.O.Box N-742, Nassau, N.P., Bahamas no later than thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, September 14, 2021, PAGE 7

BODY AND MIND

Leading doctors share their thoughts ahead of elections

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

With the Bahamas in the midst of fighting the global pandemic, voting for the right leadership takes on new meaning. Elected officials will have to steer the Bahamas through these tough waters, resuscitate the healthcare system, and make sound decisions that will ensure the health and welfare of the country and its citizens.

In a Q&A with Tribune Health, two leading Bahamian physicians, highly respected their fields, share their thoughts on voting during the worst health crisis the country has ever faced.

Dr Harold A Munnings

Consultant gastroenterologist Medical Director of Grosvenor Medical Center

Q

:

With the Bahamas in the midst of fighting a global pandemic and the healthcare sector on the verge of collapse, how crucial is it for Bahamians to vote during elections this week?

A

:

“Please allow me to correct your preface. Our health system is not on the verge of collapse, it is collapsing. Our health leaders have been saying for weeks that the system that has been built over many years to prevent disease and

restore health is past the breaking point. Clinics are closed because so many doctors and nurses have become ill. The vital social support network of relatives and volunteers that come into the hospital to encourage patients and staff has been suspended. Early in the pandemic, we learned the hard way the risks when many persons got infected in the hospital. Visitation had to be cut off, and presently all patients have to be tested no matter the reason for attendance. On July 22, The Tribune reported that the PMH had suspended all elective surgeries and all out-patient laboratory services. The word ‘elective’ only means that doctor and patient have some ability to prepare for an optimal outcome for a muchneeded surgical procedure. We can only imagine the negative consequences of these delayed investigations and procedures.

Our Intensive Care Unit that began offering services in 1968 and which, under the present leadership of Dr Mark Weech, is a first-class facility, has effectively suspended this crucial service.

The unit can only admit critically ill patients, so it is now exclusively a critical care unit. Persons who become so seriously ill that they require intensive care to recover cannot get it. The hospital is open, and the skilled professionals are just as dedicated, but the flood of patients from the pandemic has overwhelmed services. And rather than increasing the staff complement to help to manage the demand, the staff levels have been severely cut by illness amongst the frontline doctors and nurses who are the most needed. The administration has had no choice but to so dramatically curtail services, that collapse of the system is the most appropriate word to use.

“As for voting, this is crucial for the health of our democracy.

In the presence of a pandemic there are two factors to consider. One is timing. Under our constitution, the holding of elections is mandatory. What if it were delayed to April or May and the pandemic continued to rage?

Our Ministry of Health statistics show that only 15 percent of the population is fully vaccinated and coverage of over 90 percent is needed to stop the pandemic. Up to Thursday, September 9, less than 10 percent of the population were known to have contracted the disease, so especially with the deadly Delta variant now the predominant circulating strain of the virus in the Bahamas, there is going to be death and disease for months more to come.

“The second factor is how we vote. What is needed now is electronic voting. The present handwritten voter’s card with its taped-on photograph and purple

ink for the thumb is so incredibly archaic. There are well-regarded off-the-shelf systems like Google Elections and ExpressPoll available, but we are stuck with the present system, at least for now.

In my opinion, if you can stand in line at the food store and at the bank, you can do so to vote.

Poll workers who will remain indoors for an extended period and who will oversee the counting of ballots are at increased risk of exposure to infection. I believe that vaccination should be one of the requirements for persons to qualify as a poll worker.”

Q A

: For those who have decided to not participate in this week’s elections, what kind of domino effect can their inactivity have the health and welfare of the country? :

“I do not believe that a sufficient number of persons will abstain from voting that there will be a material or ‘domino effect’ on the health and welfare of the country.

However, I believe that those who have decided that they will not get vaccinated are a major threat to the health and welfare of the country at large.”

Q

:

How important is it for voters to choose a candidate or align with political entities that are prepared and have a comprehensive plan to tackle the issues facing the healthcare sector?

their life for our sake. In addition, we should be spending much more on training for biomedical and laboratory technicians. Elevating their knowledge and skills would save this country a great deal of money in the medium and long term and make them more effective partners in the system.

“In the Ministry of Health, I would like to see a greater and more effective emphasis on health education and more support for persons struggling with emotional issues that don’t quite reach the level of what the public would call ‘psychiatric disease’. I believe that the importance of the connection between health and education is under-appreciated.

Better educated adults make healthier lifestyle choices and suffer fewer chronic non-communicable diseases. Better educated children would translate to fewer teenage pregnancies and fewer recruits for gangs. As a national investment, I would give this priority over the building of a new hospital. Our elderly population is growing, and they need the most healthcare.

Only a tiny minority of them can afford health insurance. Solving this problem should be part of our national plan. Finally, as a personal contributor to the Bahamas Alzheimer’s Association, I have to add that this valuable non-governmental organisation deserves official support.”

A

Q

:

For those who have decided to not participate in this week’s elections, what kind of domino effect can their inactivity have the health and welfare of the country?

A

:

“The health and welfare of the Bahamas is influenced by many factors, which include the elected government, but is not limited to this, as public health is impacted by both public and private sector policy.

“It is important that we allow for as many eligible persons to vote (as possible). Individuals must take responsibility for the choices that we make which will impact our well-being, including our physical, social, emotional, financial and spiritual wellness.”

Q

:

How important is it for voters to choose a candidates or align with political entities that are prepared and have a comprehensive plan to tackle the issues facing the healthcare sector?

A

A

:

“It is very important that voters choose a candidate.. that have a comprehensive plan to address the health of the Bahamas.

Chronic noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer and obesity are major health issues that face Bahamians. Addressing these matters and our current COVID19 pandemic must be of utmost priority.”

:

“Mother has a saying: ‘Paper will sit still and let you write anything on it.’ A published plan is important. Volumes of plans that have been published in the past that survive just until the vote is cast or until the government changes.

Our nation’s 460-page long draft National Development Plan has identified many laudable goals but it is far from being completed and ready for action. I speak for myself when I say that what I value even more in a candidate than a published plan is personal integrity, the ability to work with people, intelligence and problemsolving ability.”

Q

: Apart from crisis at the hospitals and the question of wages of the healthcare work force, what are some other issues facing the industry that don’t get enough attention?

A

:Apart

from crisis at the hospitals and the question of wagesof the healthcare work force, what are some other issues facing the industry that don’tget enough attention?

Q A

: “Our government must

find a way to provide its doctors and nurses with health insurance. This should be part of the basic benefit package for every professional who risks

:

Dr Graham Cates, MBBS, MRCGP

Medical Director of the Family Medicine Center

Q

: With the country’s healthcare sector on the verge of collapse, how

New testing option ready to go in face of Delta variant spread On the heels of the Ministry of Health’s announcement this past week confirming the presence of the highly transmissible Delta variant of COVID-19 in the Bahamas, a new test by Abbott Panbio rapid antigen test is being touted as a new effective solution.

The Ministry of Health has received results from the FIOCRUZ Laboratory in Brazil highlighting evidence of the Delta variant of COVID-19 in the Bahamas. According to the Ministry’s statement, the National Reference Laboratory submitted 98 SARS - CoV - 2 virus positive samples to the FIOCRUZ Laboratory for genomic sequencing. The samples were collected between May 6, 2021, and August 8, 2021, from individuals on New Providence, Grand Bahama, Abaco, Andros, Eleuthera, Exuma and Bimini.

The new sequencing results confirm that the Delta variant is the predominant variant in the Bahamas, followed by the Alpha and Gamma variants.

As the COVID infection and related death count rises, major health facilities remain overwhelmed, and concerns mount among local residents and potential visitors to our shores.

crucial is it for Bahamians to vote during the election this week? : “It is essential and our right to vote in the general election. The Bahamian people deserve the opportunity to cast their vote and choose the leadership that will guide our country’s vision for its success.”

Dynamic Health Ltd, a strategic partner in the Bahamas of the Abbott Panbio, continues to note the Abbott Panbio Rapid Antigen test as a core mitigation component.

According to Dynamic Health representatives, the Abbott Panbio test, among other scientific advantageous features, offers the best point of care test, 94 percent sensitivity, 99 percent specificity, and detects the new COVID Delta variant and other variants with high efficacy. It takes 15 to 20 minutes to read the test at an “affordable price point”.

The test has also been approved by the Bahamas Ministry of Health through rigorous testing by Bahamas Reference Laboratory.

A Dynamic Health spokesperson said: “Faced with a general election within days, be it the present government challenged with increasing cases and deaths and in search of sound solutions, or the official opposition’s comprehensive plan marked by nationwide free testing, the Abbott Panbio rapid antigen test is internationally and locally approved and set for delivery on demand. “

“An important matter that is often overlooked among healthcare professionals is our mental well-being.

Stress, burnout, anxiety and depression are common among healthcare professionals. There needs to be a multi-disciplinary approach to bring awareness and create a strategic plan to manage the mental health of healthcare professionals.”

PAGE 8, Tuesday, September 14, 2021

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month The Bahamas as a nation is trying to cope with the COVID19 pandemic. This time two years ago, the Bahamas was attempting to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Dorian.

This article is the first in a fivepart series during the month of September dedicated to creating awareness and understanding of prostate cancer.

I decided to become urologist after seeing my maternal grandfather, Ulysses Davis, a well-known Bahamian building contractor and Catholic, suffer and die from advanced incurable prostate cancer over a very difficult fouryear period.

More than 200 Bahamian men and residents are projected to die from prostate cancer this year.

COVID-19 has created a national health crisis, but prostate cancer continues to silently and needlessly lead to the senseless deaths of far too many Bahamian men and Bahamian residents.

Sadly, prostate cancer continues to be a national health disaster with hundreds of Bahamian men and residents being diagnosed every year with advanced stage.

Early detection of prostate cancer leads to almost certain cure and education is key in our nation’s quest to save our men.

Prostate cancer will develop in one in six Bahamian men and residents in their lifetime. Most men diagnosed are in their late 50s or older.

The Bahamas has the 14th highest per capita incidence of prostate cancer in the world.

Early prostate cancer diagnosis can lead to 99 percent prostate cancer specific survival at ten years. Early detection is imperative for the best opportunity for cure. Prostate cancer is a very curable disease when detected at a stage when the cancer is confined to the prostate.

The prostate gland is a walnutsized organ located underneath the bladder and its primary role is related to male fertility and aiding the sperm to fertilize the ovum.

Many Bahamian men are at a greater risk of developing prostate cancer due to their racial profile, genetics, overall high obesity rate and relatively high alcohol intake.

Studies have shown that men who drank at least seven drinks per week between ages 15 to 49 years had a more than threefold

greater likelihood for developing high-grade prostate cancer than men who did not drink.

Bahamian men who are obese and overweight put themselves at a greater risk of developing a more aggressive form of prostate cancer.

A study from Norway that followed 950,000 menfor an average of 21 years, found that a body mass index (BMI) of greater than 30 kg/m 2 increased the risk of prostate cancer by nine percent.

However, obese men aged 50 to 59 years at study completion had a 58 percent increased risk of prostate cancer; no other age group h ad such a statistically significant increased risk.

African ancestry is in itself a high-risk factor for developing prostate cancer Prostate cancer is a very racist and prejudiced disease. Black Lives Matter has gained a worldwide spotlight this year. Prostate cancer singles out men of African ancestry, with these men developing a more aggressive form of the disease on average six to seven years before their other racial counterparts.

Early detection of prostate cancer makes cure an almost certainty with minimally invasive curative options available, including non-surgical curative options.

Prostate cancer can be cured on a weekend with minimal recovery versus the often-devastating consequences of advanced prostate cancer such as kidney failure, being confined to a wheelchair because cancer has invaded the spine, cancer spread to the bones of the skeletal system or being forced to have a urinary catheter for the rest of your life. Advanced prostate cancer often leads to horrific medical consequences for afflicted men and emotional and

often financial horrors for the entire family of such men.

A very sad and typical sce-

nario is that a man in the prime of his life, and the primary provider for his family, is stricken with incurable advanced prostate cancer and he becomes an immediate burden to his family for often may years before their tragic demise.

New promising research recently published in the wellrespected British Journal of Urology International has revealed that a simple urine test could diagnose prostate cancer as well as detect aggressive prostate cancer cases that are eight times more likely to require treatment five years earlier than other routinely used diagnostic tests.

Researchers in the United Kingdom developed an experimental urine test called the PUR (prostate urine risk) that can determine who will and who will not likely require prostate cancer treatment within the first five years of prostate cancer diagnosis.

This promising urine test can potentially be groundbreaking in the management decisions for men diagnosed with very early stage clinically insignificant prostate cancer and therefore offered active surveillance as a treatment option. Active surveillance is an often safely employed treatment option for men diagnosed with low volume, early prostate cancer, that has no clinical significance.

Active surveillance for prostate cancer involves closely monitoring a patient until the disease upstages in terms of volume and or pathological stage, or PSA numbers that would dictate implementing curative management.

The PUR urine test can potentially identify the subset of early prostate cancer patients that would require curative treatment within the first five years of diagnosis.

Many patients on active surveillance can safely be monitored for as long as eight to 12 years before they require curative treatment.

The most commonly used diagnostic and surveillance tool for prostate cancer is the prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test.

Unfortunately, PSA values are not highly specific for prostate cancer. PSA values can be elevated in cases of infection of the prostate, incomplete bladder emptying or a very large noncancerous prostate, benign prostate hyperplasia. A high PSA value does not necessarily mean prostate cancer is present.

Conversely a low or normal PSA value does not mean that prostate cancer cannot be present, but statistically it is unlikely.

PSA is a protein produced by the cells of the prostate. In the case of prostate cancer, there is a breakdown of the basement membrane and there is a leak of PSA into the bloodstream. The normal range for PSA prostate specific antigen is 0 to 4 ng/ml.

PSA velocity is the change in the PSA value over a specific time interval.

A high PSA velocity in itself is a warning sign for possible prostate cancer even if the PSA values are all in the normal range.

PSA density calculates the PSA per gramme of prostate so that high PSA values secondary to only large noncancerous prostates can be adjusted in terms of the risk for prostate cancer.

Free/total PSA ratio is calculated by laboratories when the PSA value is between 4 to 10 ng/ ml; which is above the normal range. The lower the ratio, the higher the likelihood of prostate cancer being present.

Prostate cancer antigen 3 PCA3 is a non-coding mRNA protein that is elevated in 95 percent of prostate cancer tissues.

There are several blood and urine bioassay prostate cancer diagnostic tests under active research and development.

A sip of health

BY ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Reporter acadet@tribunemedia.net

With healthy living more important than ever in the face of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Doncott Aranha his eager to do his part to help his fellow citizens and has delved deep into his research of Bahamian ‘bush teas’ for this reason.

Through his Bahama Sip Bahamian Tea Manufacturing Company, he strives to make unique quality teas to please the taste buds and promote healthy living.

“I worked at the airport for 13 years as a porter before I decided to take a leap of faith. I always had a love for bush teas. I always had a remedy potion available if anyone in my home got sick so I could nurse them back to health.

I expanded my knowledge of bush medicine by reading books like ‘Bush Medicine in Bahamian Folk Tradition’ by Martha HannaSmith and ‘Bush Medicine of the Bahamas’ by McCormack, Maier and Wallens. It gives you a sense of purpose when someone tells you that your products aided in saving their lives,” said Doncott.

He also credits his grandmother as an inspiration for Bahama Sip. Growing up, she made Doncott and his uncle collect different ingredients from the yard from time to time. They all drank bush tea every morning before leaving for school – their substitute for vitamin pills. Doncott said in doing this, his family never got sick.

Bahama Sip offers a variety of products such as its signature line of Five Finger Iced Teas, available in three flavours:original,

strawberry and ginger. Their newest Bush Fruit Juice, which Doncott said serves a delicious introduction to bush teas for the uninitiated.

With delivery services available, Doncott also offers filtered teas such asfive finger lemon, fever grass, cerasee, strawberry matcha, and moringa.

FDA experts among group opposing US booster shot plan

By LAURAN NEERGA ARD AND MATTHEW PERRONE ASSOCIATED PRESS The average person doesn’t need a COVID-19 booster yet, an international group of scientists — including two top US regulators — wrote Monday in a scientific journal.

The experts reviewed studies of the vaccines’ performance and concluded the shots are working well despite the extra-contagious delta variant, especially against severe disease.

“Even in populations with fairly high vaccination rates, the unvaccinated are still the major drivers of transmission” at this stage of the pandemic, they concluded.

The opinion piece, published in The Lancet, illustrates the intense scientific debate about who needs booster doses and when, a decision the US and other countries are grappling with.

After revelations of political meddling in the Trump administration’s coronavirus response, President Joe Biden has promised

which already has urged a moratorium on boosters until poor countries are better vaccinated.

In the US, the White House has begun planning for boosters later this month, if both the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agree. to the (AP PhotoJae C Hong, File) Advisers FDA will weigh evidence about an extra to “follow the science.” But the review raises the question of Pfizer shot Friday at a key public whether his administration is meeting.

Georgetown University’s Larry moving faster than the experts.

The authors include two lead- Gostin said the paper “throws ing vaccine reviewers at the Food gasoline on the fire” in the debate and Drug Administration, Drs about whether most Americans Phil Krause and Marion Gruber, truly need boosters and whether who recently announced they the White House got ahead of will be stepping down this fall. scientists.

“It’s always a fundamental Among the other 16 authors are leading vaccine researchers in the error of process to make a scienUS, Britain, France, South Africa tific announcement before the and India, plus scientists with public health agencies have acted the World Health Organization, and that’s exactly what happened

THE TRIBUNE

Bahamian men are at great risk of developing prostate cancer in their lifetimes due to African ancestry, obesity, relatively high alcohol intake, high dairy product intake and the BRCA 2 gene mutation found in the some of the populace.

In Great Britain, the lifetime risk of a man of African or Caribbean ancestry developing prostate cancer in his lifetime is one in four.

All Bahamian men need to start prostate cancer surveillance at the age of forty years old with a least a simple PSA blood test.

Men with a strong family history of prostate cancer with more than two first degree relatives developing prostate cancer earlier than the age of 50 years old, should start prostate cancer screening at age 35 years old.

My article next week as a part of this prostate cancer awareness month will address the numerous prostate cancer management options.

THE UROLOGY DOCTOR IS IN...

Dr Greggory Pinto

• Dr Greggory Pinto is a board-certified Bahamian urologist and laparoscopic surgeon.

He has trained in Germany, South Africa and France, and is a member of the European Association of Urology. He can be contacted at OakTree Medical Center, #2 Fifth Terrace & Mount Royal Avenue. Telephone: (242) 322-1145 (6) (7); e-mail: welcome@urologycarebahamas.com, or visit the website:www.urologycarebahamas.com.

“Bahama Sip offers a variety of health beneficial products.

Our products provide relief from body pains and strains. It’s an energy and stamina booster. It’s filled with a lot of antioxidants. It strengthens the immune system and detoxes the body,” he said.

“Most people are faced with common health problems such as high cholesterol, diabetes and

obesity. I like that I can create an organic, all-natural product that can assist in combating these health problems.”

Reflecting on a memorable client experience, Doncott said he once had a customer who was recovering from an illness. She asked him if he had anything that could help her get well. Doncott introduced her to his Brush Fruit Juice.

“She drank it and kept asking if bush tea was really in it. She said the taste was amazing. I saw her again three days later and it was like she was never ill. We usually receive positive feedback from our customers on the taste, quality and presentation,” he said.

As for the future, Doncott has grand plans.

“I want to make Bahama Sip easily accessible to everyone. My aim is to get it in more stores, service stations, pharmacies and restaurants. Later on, I want to make Bahama Sip an international brand,” he said.

here,” said Gostin, a lawyer and public health specialist.

The FDA did not respond to requests for comment Monday morning.

The US already offers an extra dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines to people with severely weakened immune systems.

For the general population, the debate is boiling down to whether boosters should be given even though the vaccines are still offering high protection against severe disease — possibly in hopes of blocking milder “breakthrough” infections among the fully vaccinated.

Last week, CDC Director Dr Rochelle Walensky said new data showed that as delta surged, the unvaccinated were 4.5 times more likely than the fully vaccinated to get infected, over 10 times more likely to be hospitalized and 11 times more likely to die. Still, government scientists are also weighing hints that protection is waning among older adults who were vaccinated early last winter.

The writers of Monday’s commentary reported reviewing worldwide studies since delta began surging, mostly of US and European vaccines. The team concluded “none of these studies has provided credible evidence of

substantially declining protection against severe disease.”

Because the body builds layers of immunity, gradual drops in antibody levels don’t necessarily mean overall effectiveness is dropping “and reductions in vaccine efficacy against mild disease do not necessarily predict reductions in the (typically higher) efficacy against severe disease,” they wrote.

The more the virus spreads, the more opportunity it has to evolve into strains that could escape current vaccines. The Lancet reviewers suggest there could be bigger gains from creating booster doses that better match circulating variants, much like flu vaccine is regularly updated, than from just giving extra doses of the original vaccine.

“There is an opportunity now to study variant-based boosters before there is widespread need for them,” the scientists wrote.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

THE TRIBUNE

How threats of hellfire helped keep ‘immodest’ women in their place

By MEGHAN HENNING Associate Professor of Christian Origins, University of Dayton (THE CONVERSATION) - In the opening of Netflix’s popular new show “My Unorthodox Life,” fashion mogul Julia Haart explains that she grew up thinking that dressing provocatively had eternal consequences: “It was your mother’s responsibility to teach you modesty. …

If any of your body parts were uncovered, there’s a very special form of hell that is reserved for both you and your mother. In this hell, your mother would dip your clothes in acid, put them on your body, and so throughout the day your body would decompose from the acid. And then the next morning it would start all over again, for thousands of years, or however many years hell lasts. When you learn this as a child, and everyone around you believes it, you believe it.”

Haart grew up in an Orthodox Jewish community she describes as “fundamentalist,” though critics have questioned how the show portrays it. In both Christianity and Judaism, views on the afterlife are diverse – and most Jews in the US today put less emphasis on what happens after death than what happens now.

As a scholar of early Christianity whose work focuses on depictions of hell, I see this education as rooted in two millennia of ideas about gender, bodies, sin and punishment that influence our society today – particularly for women.

Some ancient Jewish and Christian depictions of the afterlife provide graphic depictions of sinners and their punishments. Many of these punishments are seen as “fitting” for the sin committed: They follow the ancient legal standard of “measure for measure” punishment, known as lex talionis.

Punishments for women, like the one that Haart describes, follow the norms of the ancient and medieval cultures that first created them, including drastically different expectations for men and women. In these texts, the “immoral” clothes that brought women to hell become the instruments of their own torment – threatening images used to keep them in their place.

Tuesday, September 14, 2021, PAGE 9

‘Fitting’ the crime

Clothing is only the beginning.

Women in hell hang by their breasts in several medieval Jewish texts known as the Isaiah fragments because they uncovered their hair, tore their veil or nursed their children in the marketplace “in order to attract the gaze of men.” In the Gedulat Moshe, a Jewish text written sometime around the 13th century that describes Moses visiting hell, he sees women who uncovered themselves hanged by their breasts and their hair.

These frightening visions were drawn from attitudes toward real women and were used to control them, as well. In a third-century rabbinic legal text, the Mishnah Sotah, a woman who has committed adultery is sentenced to have her breasts and hair uncovered.

The public humiliation is considered “fitting,” because her body led to her sin.

But this idea of justice or retribution did not originate with the rabbis and is certainly not exclusive to Judaism. The punishments in these Jewish texts closely mirror the second-century Apocalypse of Peter, a Christian text that describes women hanging by their hair and neck because their intricate hairstyles seduced married men.

It is difficult to say whether it was Jews or Christians who first brought these gendered ideas about the body into their images of hell. But the earlier Christian visions of hell certainly elaborate on them more than medieval Jewish ones do. For example, only young women were punished for being unchaste in early Christian depictions of hell – even those like the Apocalypse of Paul, in which male and female sinners were punished equally for other sins.

In the earliest Christian descriptions of hell, women and men were both held accountable for parenting-related sins, such as abortion or abandoning an infant.

After a few centuries, however, women alone were held responsible for having children and nurturing them. In one medieval account of hell, the Latin Vision of Ezra, women were not only responsible for parenting their own children but punished for failing to nurse orphaned infants.

Their punishment? Hanging in fire while serpents suck their breasts.

These sins and punishments reflect several different but interwoven ancient ideas about the body: that women’s hair was a sexual organ, that female grooming is tied to adultery, that women’s main role is child rearing and that their bodies should not be seen in public.

Double today

standards

Although these ideas were not included in the Jewish or Christian Bible, societies often used them to define religious crimes and control their bodies.

It is easy to look at these ancient hellscapes and dismiss them as long-ago. But ideas about women’s bodies being problematic

SIXTEEN years after her best-seller “Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, Susanna Clarke is being honoured for her new novel (Ian West, PA via AP)

and in need of control persist, with or without religion.

And in “My Unorthodox Life,” Haart invites the audience to look at gender double standards in the fashion world up close.

Haart, who has left her Orthodox community, calls herself “very proud to be a Jew” and determined “to show people that there are all sorts of Jews.” Now CEO of Elite World Group, the parent company of a major modeling agency, she draws viewers’ attention to the industry’s sexual abuse, unequal standards for men and women, and its tendency to cater to male desire. She describes her mission as “cleaning up” modeling and “rooting out” its sexual abuse – a vow a former

supermodel has recently called on her to uphold.

Though “My Unorthodox Life” has been mocked for its soap opera style, I believe it carries a serious message: Ideas about objectifying and controlling women’s bodies shape our society more than we’d like to admit – with or without religion.

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

BARBADIAN Cherie Jones was among the finalists for ther book “How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House”

Susanna Clarke’s ‘Piranesi’ wins Women’s Prize for Fiction

By JILL LAWLESS LONDON (AP) — British writer Susanna Clarke won the prestigious Women’s Prize for Fiction on Wednesday for her mind-tweaking fantasy novel “Piranesi” — a book that chronic illness made her fear she would never get to write.

Clarke, 61, was awarded the 30,000pound ($41,000) prize for her second novel, which was published 16 years after her first, “Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell,” became a global best-seller.

Set in a magical alternate reality, “Piranesi” is narrated by a man living in a labyrinthine, statue-filled house - alone except for a visitor known as the Other — that comprises his whole universe. As he explores his domain, the character’s understanding of his world gradually shifts — and so does the reader’s.

Clarke thanked prize judges for honouring “a very odd book indeed.”

“It’s a different world. It’s a strange world. It’s not this world,” she said of the

novel’s setting. She said its enthusiastic reception showed that stories “don’t have to be about this world and modern life in order to resonate strongly.”

Clarke’s first novel, an epic magical saga, was published to acclaim in 2004, sold more than four million copies and was adapted for television by the BBC. Clarke has said that work on the follow-up was slowed by illness, as she struggled with chronic fatigue syndrome.

She said “Piranesi” was “the book I never thought I would get to write. I never thought I would be well enough.”

“For a long time, I had brain fog, and you cannot write a novel if you can get no consistency of work and you can’t build on the work you did yesterday or a few days ago,” Clarke told The Associated Press.

“But when I got better enough to be able to work fairly consistently, my cast of mind, my imagination, was not changed. The things that fascinated me and the landscapes in which I wanted to wander, that remained the same. It was perhaps one

of the few things that has stayed the same about me.”

She said she hoped her victory would encourage other women incapacitated by long illness.

“Piranesi” was published in 2020, as much of the world was experiencing lockdown, isolation and dislocation because of the coronavirus pandemic, and struck a chord with many readers and critics.

“I think a lot of people who have experienced lockdown have found echoes in the situation that Piranesi finds himself in — more or less alone, in a house that is the whole world,” Clarke said.

Novelist Bernardine Evaristo, who chaired the Women’s Prize judging panel, said Clarke had “created a world beyond our wildest imagination that also tells us something profound about what it is to be human.”

Clarke was one of two British authors among six finalists for the prize, founded in 1996 and open to female English-language writers from around the world. Previous

winners include Zadie Smith, Tayari Jones and Maggie O’Farrell.

This year’s other finalists were American author Brit Bennett’s “The Vanishing Half,” US writer Patricia Lockwood’s “No One is Talking About This,” “Transcendent Kingdom,” by Ghanaian-American writer Yaa Gyasi, Barbadian writer Cherie Jones’ “How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House” and UK author Claire Fuller’s “Unsettled Ground.”

Clarke’s illness meant she had to shelve a much-anticipated sequel to “Jonathan Strange,” a rich, sprawling novel steeped in historical research. She said she has not abandoned hope of finishing it.

“Long years of not being able to write mean I have all sorts of documents on my laptop which unfortunately have become like unruly shrubs in a garden,” she said.

“They sort of sprout out in all sorts of directions. But I do hope that I will now be able to get in that garden and take some pruning shears to some of it and give them some shape.”

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, September 14, 2021, PAGE 11

Zonta Club of New Providence wishes female candidates “good luck” in elections The Zonta Club of New Providence (ZCNP) is extending well wishes to all women candidates across the various political parties as they vie for a spot in Parliament in the upcoming general elections.

With the election date just days away, the ZCNP throws its support behind every female candidate who has made the courageous attempt to rise in politics.

“Equal representation of women in politics is one of Zonta’s many goals in advancing the status of

women here and around the world and we stand fearlessly behind all women offering themselves for candidacy in this elections,” said ZCNP President Marisa Mason-Smith.

“We believe having more women in Parliament would allow for inclusive policy making that affects more than half of the population here in the Bahamas.

“We make note of the parties that have included women in their offerings and we are confident that whether they win, lose or

Zonta, along with partner Caribbean Women in Leadership (CIWiL) and other NGOs, made history on December 11, 2020, by leading the first ever Women in Parliament session. This resulted in two resolutions presented: to eliminate gender-based violence by 2030; and to increase women leadership in Parliament and national office and to encourage and support Government, Official Opposition and all political parties deliver the requisite training and to establish quotas as follows: Institute quotas for all political parties to ensure that no less than: • 30 percent of the constituencies in 2022 general election be reserved for women

draw, these female candidates will redefine the political landscape in their parties and in the nation for other women to follow in their footsteps.”

Studies have shown that having more women in politics and in Parliament affects the breadth of policies as well as the solutions that are considered. The ZCNP believes that women in key political positions are important to having policies in place to support the advancement and empowerment of women.

• 50 percent of senatorial appointments by both government and opposition are women • 50 percent of candidates chosen to contest local government elections are women • 50 percent of Cabinet appointments be women; and • 50 percent of the constituencies in 2027 general election be reserved for women, so that The Bahamas will achieve its obligations to the Bahamian people.

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 76° F/24° C

TAMPA

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Periods of sun with a stray t‑storm

A shower early; partly cloudy

A t‑storm in spots in the afternoon

A couple of showers in the morning

A couple of showers in the morning

Considerable cloudi‑ ness

High: 88°

Low: 76°

High: 88° Low: 77°

High: 89° Low: 77°

High: 91° Low: 76°

High: 90° Low: 78°

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

98° F

84° F

99°-86° F

100°-86° F

102°-85° F

101°-86° F

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

N

almanac

E

W

ABACO

S

N

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 79° F/26° C

6‑12 knots

S

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 77° F/25° C

7‑14 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 78° F/26° C

E

W S

E

W

WEST PALM BEACH

N

| Go to AccuWeather.com

TONIGHT

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 76° F/24° C

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 76° F/24° C

MIAMI

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 77° F/25° C

6‑12 knots

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 90° F/32° C Low .................................................... 77° F/25° C Normal high ....................................... 88° F/31° C Normal low ........................................ 75° F/24° C Last year’s high ................................. 91° F/33° C Last year’s low ................................... 77° F/25° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.19” Year to date ............................................... 21.62” Normal year to date ................................... 26.62”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 76° F/24° C

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2021

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 78° F/26° C

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KEY WEST

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 78° F/26° C

N

S

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W

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S

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ANDROS

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

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

tiDes For nassau Low

Ht.(ft.)

2:06 a.m.

2:52 p.m.

High

2.7 3.4

8:18 a.m.

9:27 p.m.

0.6 1.0

Wednesday 3:16 a.m.

4:00 p.m.

2.7 3.3

9:27 a.m. 0.7 10:35 p.m. 0.9

Thursday

4:26 a.m.

5:05 p.m.

2.7 3.4

10:36 a.m. 0.7 11:37 p.m. 0.8

Friday

5:31 a.m.

6:03 p.m.

2.8 3.4

11:40 a.m. 0.6 ‑‑‑‑‑ ‑‑‑‑‑

Saturday

6:27 a.m.

6:55 p.m.

3.0 3.5

12:31 a.m. 0.7 12:37 p.m. 0.5

Sunday

7:18 a.m.

7:41 p.m.

3.1 3.5

1:19 a.m.

1:28 p.m.

0.5 0.4

Monday

8:03 a.m.

8:24 p.m.

3.3 3.4

2:02 a.m.

2:15 p.m.

0.4 0.4

Today

Ht.(ft.)

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:56 a.m.

7:15 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

2:45 p.m.

12:26 a.m.

Full

Last

New

First

Sep. 20

Sep. 28

Oct. 6

Oct. 12

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 78° F/26° C

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 79° F/26° C

N

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 77° F/25° C

E

W S

LONG ISLAND

tracking map

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 78° F/26° C

H

uV inDex toDay

CAT ISLAND

E

W

ZCNP President Marisa Mason-Smith

6‑12 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 85° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

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

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 86° F/30° C Low: 79° F/26° C

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 87° F/31° C Low: 79° F/26° C

N

E

W

E

W

N

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6‑12 knots

6‑12 knots

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

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

WINDS E at 7‑14 Knots NE at 6‑12 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots ESE at 4‑8 Knots ENE at 6‑12 Knots NW at 4‑8 Knots ENE at 6‑12 Knots ESE at 4‑8 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots NE at 4‑8 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots E at 4‑8 Knots NE at 6‑12 Knots E at 3‑6 Knots ENE at 6‑12 Knots SE at 4‑8 Knots ENE at 4‑8 Knots SSE at 6‑12 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots NE at 4‑8 Knots NE at 6‑12 Knots ESE at 4‑8 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots N at 4‑8 Knots

WAVES 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 0‑1 Feet 0‑1 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet 0‑1 Feet 0‑1 Feet 0‑1 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet 3‑5 Feet 3‑5 Feet 0‑1 Feet 0‑1 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 0‑1 Feet

VISIBILITY 5 Miles 10 Miles 7 Miles 7 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 7 Miles 10 Miles 8 Miles 10 Miles 7 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 8 Miles 10 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 6 Miles 7 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 8 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 86° F 86° F 86° F 86° F 87° F 87° F 85° F 86° F 86° F 86° F 83° F 83° F 87° F 87° F 85° F 86° F 86° F 87° F 82° F 81° F 87° F 87° F 86° F 86° F 87° F 87° F

PAGE 12

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

Four weddings

and a pandemic

Local couples get chance to win dream nuptial package

By CARA HUNT

The Bahamas Bridal Association is set to make the wedding wishes of eight lucky couples – four Bahamian and four international - come true with their wedding package giveaway extravaganza.

Rev Antonio Beckford, the association’s vice president, told Tribune Woman that his president, Cindy Knowles, and the rest of the association wanted to bring a little joy to couples who may have had their original wedding dreams altered thanks to the COVID -19 pandemic that also affected all the association’s vendors.

“The year 2020 was a challenging year for us. We are known for being a major international

|

Tribune Features Writer | cbrennen@tribunemedia.net

wedding destination, and so with all the travel bans we lost quite a significant amount of business.

And with the government restricting the guest counts, our local brides were also impacted,” he said.

“All of our vendors felt it, from the officiants to the venues, to the decor persons, florists, videographers. Because even if persons did go through with the wedding, it had to be done in a scaled back fashion.”

With the world slowly reopening, and the current guest allowances for weddings set at 30, Rev Beckford said the industry is definitely rebounding.

“Business has been picking up and we have seen an increase in

bookings, particularly since May and June,” he said.

Many couples who may have originally decided :to ride out the pandemic”, he added, are deciding that they no longer want to wait.

“Brides are very eager, and they don’t want to wait anymore to have their weddings, and so even though it may not be the wedding that they originally planned, they are finding many creative ways to have a day that is still special, such as live streaming their event.

The main thing they want to know is how many persons they will be able to plan for,” he said.

Rev Beckford said they understand that the financial fallout from the pandemic means that

while the desire may be there, the funds necessary to hold even an intimate ceremony may not be.

“And so we are partnering with all of our vendors and with the Ministry of Tourism’s Romance Department so that we can provide eight weddings for four deserving couples anywhere in the Bahamas. Four of the couples will be chosen internationally and the remaining four will be selected locally,” he said.

“This is a great opportunity for couples to have a dream wedding basically for free (there is just the $100 entry fee).”

The winning couples will receive a host of prizes, including a marriage officer to perform the ceremony, a bouquet and

boutonniere for the bride and groom respectively, a wedding cake and champagne, the assistance of a wedding coordinator, a wedding photographer, transportation to the ceremony site, standard decor for the ceremony, the ceremony itself and a wedding dress and tuxedo rental for the bride and groom as well.

The couples will be able to get married at any participating venue in the Bahamas.

“Anyone interested can go to our website and submit a 30-second video explaining why they think they should win the wedding. The ceremony would have to take place by 2022 and submission should be by month’s end,” said Rev Beckford.

Britney Spears gets engaged with ‘lioness’ engraved ring LOS ANGELES (AP) — Britney Spears announced her engagement Sunday to her boyfriend Sam Asghari with an exuberant post displaying a diamond ring engraved with the word “lioness.”

The news comes days after her father filed to end the court conservatorship that has controlled the singer’s life and money for 13 years.

She wrote “I can’t (expletive) believe it!” with an Instagram video post where she winks, kisses a smiling Asghari on the cheek and answers “yes!” when he asks if she likes the ring.

Asghari posted his own photo of Spears showing her ring finger to the camera.

The four-carat diamond ring is engraved inside the band with “lioness” because it’s his nickname for her, the company Forever Diamonds NY said in a statement.

The couple met on the set of the “Slumber Party” music video in 2016.

The singer told a judge in June she wanted to marry Asghari and have a baby with him during an impassioned plea to end the conservatorship, but said she hadn’t been allowed to remove an intrauterine device for birth control or even drive with him.

Legally, Spears can get married, but the conservatorship must approve it as with other major life decisions.

Spears was previously married to Kevin Federline, with whom she shares two sons, ages 14 and 15. She was briefly married to childhood friend Jason Alexander in 2004.

happiness in the world, because she deserves it.”

NSYNC member Lance Bass said: “I’m just glad that she has found the love of her life...her heart is really huge.”

Oscar-winning actress Octavia Spencer, however, had this piece of practical advice: “Make him sign a prenup,” she told the pop princess.

Sam Asghari jokingly responded to this general concern by stating: “Of course we’re getting ironclad prenup to protect my Jeep and shoe collection in case she dumps me one day.”

Celebrities react to the news “I’m super happy for her,” said fellow singer Ashanti on the red carpet of the 2021 VMAs on Sunday night.

Socialite Paris Hilton, who herself got engaged recently, said: “I just wish her all the love and

BRITNEY Spears and her fiance Sam Asghari (Photo by Jordan Strauss/ Invision/AP, File)