11062019 NEWS

WEDNESDAY i’m lovin’ it!

HIGH 86ºF LOW 76ºF

The Tribune Established 1903

24/7 BREAKING NEWS ON TRIBUNE242.COM

VOLUME:116 No.218, NOVEMBER 6TH, 2019

Biggest And Best!

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1

ALICIA WALLACE: WARPED OPINIONS, FLAWED SYSTEM

CLEAR YOUR NAME LISTEN TO US

Chance to erase record for minor marijuana crimes

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net FORMER Police Commissioner Paul Farquharson wants young and first-time offenders, especially those convicted of drug possession crimes, to get their criminal records expunged.

Thousands could be eligible for clean records through the Rehabilitation of Offenders Committee, the new committee Mr Farquharson now heads, he told The Tribune yesterday.

“Our young people and first-time offenders have

been carrying around the burden of records and offences after they have served their time, paid their debt to society and still these records exist against their name,” he said.

“With drugs, which I believe probably has the most offenders among our young people, there are many people who are victims, they have made mistakes and they are now toeing the straight line so we need to accelerate the process of trying to clear their name once they have paid their due debt to society.”

SEE PAGE FIVE

BIDS TO RUN AIRSPACE FEE SCHEME REJECTED

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

MONETISING The Bahamas’ airspace has been delayed, with a new timeline of January 1, 2021 set to complete the process and enforce charges upon airlines, according to Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar yesterday.

According to the minister, the process has been set back about six months after the evaluation committee tossed out all of the proposals that were submitted.

However, he did not make clear how many were received.

“We submitted a request for proposals. We received proposals. There was an

evaluation committee,” Mr D’Aguilar, pictured below, said outside Cabinet. “They evaluated all of the proposals and decided to reject all of them and so we are in the process of going back to the drawing board to expand what we expect these companies to do.

“As you are well aware this has never been done before so this is very much a learning process and when we looked at the proposals that were received we were not happy that they were fulfilling what we wanted them to do.

“So the evaluation committee, which is chaired by the Chairman of the Bahamas Civil Aviation Authority Mrs Wendy Craig - former governor of SEE PAGE SIX

UTEB leader Daniel Thompson leads the protests outside the University of The Bahamas yesterday.

Full story - Page 3 Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

FAMILIES ACCUSED DORIAN’S DAMAGE OF HOARDING AID COSTS BTC $30M

By DENISE MAYCOCK & RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporters

DEPUTY Prime Minister Peter Turnquest is concerned about people in Grand Bahama hoarding relief supplies such as power generators.

It is “not charitable and neighbourly” to hoard the items when others need them, he said.

He expressed shock over a resident who asked him for a generator despite owning several

already. “I know it is sensitive, but please do not hoard the supplies,” he said. “I have an issue where somebody was asking me for a generator. I go to the house for another reason, I did not even go to take the generator, they have three brand new generators sitting up in the house, and they asking for a fourth – that is not charitable, that’s not neighbourly, there are some people who truly need that generator.”

SEE PAGE FIVE

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has been dealt a $30m blow by Hurricane Dorian with network repairs set to last into 2020, it was revealed last night.

The carrier’s ultimate parent, Liberty Latin America, disclosed that BTC suffered a $5m revenue loss for the three months to end-September 2019 as well as incurring

some $25m in damages to systems infrastructure in Grand Bahama and Abaco as a result of the storm.

Unveiling its results for the third quarter and first nine months of 2019, Liberty Latin America said $5m was spent on restoring BTC’s services prior to endSeptember when the third quarter reporting period closed. It added that Dorian also delivered an operating hit of $8m to Cable & Wireless Communications.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

‘FACE IT - THIS WAS A MISTAKE’

TECHNOLOGY

SOCIAL media erupted yesterday when images of pins with the face of Youth, Sports & Culture Minister Lanisha Rolle on them surfaced online.

Mrs Rolle was also under fire elsewhere – with Senator JoBeth Coleby-Davis criticising the minister for failing to appoint a director of youth.

WILL FITBIT WIN OVER THE CONSUMERS?

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE LANISHA ROLLE PIN The pins were given to young people who participated in Youth Parliament

events last month. The cost of the pins featuring Mrs Rolle and who paid for them is unclear.

A Facebook page associated with Mrs Rolle said the “photo with the minister of youth sports and culture is a commemorative coin provided by the office of the minister during a courtesy call by the 2019 youth parliamentarians. The coin has two sides: one side

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

SEE PAGE TWO

SEE PAGE NINE

PAGE 2, Wednesday, November 6, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

‘Rolle needs to face up to this mistake’ from page one

reflecting the 2019 theme and the other side with the photo of the minister issuing. The commemorative coin did not replace the usual youth award medals and pins that were issued to awardees during youth month”.

That explanation, however, didn’t pacify many critics.

One Facebook user said: “Two sides, four sides, it doesn’t matter, your face should not be on it. If the honorees face isn’t there, how yours get there? I hope the persons receiving them give them right back to you since you so in love with yourself.”

Another user said: “Your face should not have been on the coin, period.”

Said another user: “Welcome to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas! You just can’t make this nonsense up! I need to know if my tax dollars funded this?”

Another user said: “I can’t think of a more egotistical and nonsensical thing than this ever happening before.”

In response to the criticism, the ministry released a statement, saying: “The commemorative medallion circulating in social media showing one side with the Minister’s photo,

and another commemorative medallion showing the coat of arms is not a true reflection of the National Youth Month nominee medal issued or the commemorative gift presented to youth parliamentarians during the courtesy call.

Any narrative and/or image circulated with the intent of communicating that the commemorative medallion replaced the National Youth Award Nominee Medal is false.”

Mrs Coleby-Davis said that Mrs Rolle’s failure to appoint a director of youth was the greatest disservice by a minister to young Bahamians.

In a statement yesterday, the Senator said: “Rather than appoint a director, the minister’s hiring of a consultant creates an administrative vacuum that challenges the core functionalities of the ministry. We accept that consultants have their roles but their role is not the role of a director. The absence of a director of youth translates into the void of institutional knowledge, weakened administrative synergy, institutional confidence and organisational and cultural integrity.

“The minister of youth’s negligence in leaving the post of director of youth unfilled for two years is a direct disregard for understanding the commitments

the ministry is mandated to fulfill in the duties to young Bahamians.”

“Moreover, it is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the minister of youth’s capacity as a minister of the government,” the statement continued.

“There are more young Bahamians unemployed, challenged by the social and economic pressures that are the direct result of this government’s policies.

“Many talented and deserving young Bahamians are excluded from the national development of The Bahamas. Thus the absence of a director of youth makes addressing the country’s youth empowerment goals difficult.

“The minister has abandoned her duties without understanding that she has abandoned critical, core areas of her mandate. This, she has done – whether by ignorance or lack of action or her remarkable ineptitude – and this has ultimately resulted in a platform that is seen as toxic to itself and deteriorating the productivity and potential of the Ministry.

“I remind the minister to avoid being entrapped in her personality and understand that the minister does not supersede the general function of a government ministry.”

SOCIAL media erupted when images of pins with the face of Youth, Sports & Culture Minister Lanisha Rolle on it surfaced online.

...AND LANISHA DOESN’T IMPRESS JUNKANOO EITHER

By SYANN THOMPSON Tribune Staff Reporter sthompson@tribunemedia.net THE Junkanoo Corporation of New Providence (JCNP) criticised government for overstepping its authority in managing junkanoo parades.

The JCNP issued a statement on Facebook after what it called a slap in the

face when the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Lanisha Rolle, announced a new group to Category B called The Immortals.

The statement read: “The government cannot dictate, nor demand to the JCNP which group it may or may not accept membership from and in doing so have interfered in the affairs of a partnering organisation.”

The statement came after Mrs Rolle announced the new group at a seed funding presentation. The JCNP said it was stunned with the level of disrespect at this announcement which came only after the JCNP denied the new group membership; which to them was a clear indication that the minister was strong arming the JCNP. They explained that The Immortals was

refused membership simply because the group had applied past the deadline to become a member group of JCNP. That deadline also happens to be the deadline set for groups participating in the upcoming 2019/2020 Boxing Day and New Year’s Day parades.

As it stands, the JCNP is insisting that the group will not be recognised as a registered member of the

JCNP, meaning they will not have access to entry drawing, judging or prize monies; however, they will be free to rush in the upcoming parades as a “Fun Group”.

Speaking in front of the cabinet office yesterday, Mrs Rolle did not address the subject of whether she overstepped her bounds by introducing the new group after they were refused by JCNP; but stood her ground by saying that she fully supports young Bahamians who want to participate in Junkanoo. She added that if there are young people who are ready and willing to participate in Junkanoo they should be allowed to do so.

Mrs Rolle said: “The important thing is that we want to grow Junkanoo and we want young people who want to be a part of the parade to be a part of the parade every year. Once they are organised and they pass whatever test they need to pass, we need to let them be part of the parade.

I am happy for The Immortals and for any group that can participate, and I am pushing young people all the way.”

The JCNP is accusing the government of breaching a 2008 contract for the management of the New Providence parades which defines the role of the

government and the JCNP. Mrs Rolle told reporters she would be grateful to see that agreement, but regardless, said the government is committed to working with all stakeholders. She also commented on the inconsistencies in the judging of last year’s parades and the need for transparency, fairness and the integrity of the process. While an investigation was launched on the bribery claims in relation to the judging of the last year’s Boxing Day and New Year’s Day parade, the findings have yet to be released.

In referring to the collaboration of the various arms responsible for governing Junkanoo, Mrs Rolle reminded reporters that the government is the primary financiers of the parades, led by the Parades Management Committee (PMC) of which the JCNP is a part. She said the PMC is responsible for allocating prize money, penalties, and disqualifications. She said the cohesiveness of these bodies is still a work in progress and hopes that all issues will be resolved.

Mrs Rolle said: “Once the committee works together with the JCNP I believe that all will be well; but it is for the good of the country, the good of the people, the good of Junkanoo and the good of culture.”

JAMAICAN HIT BY $2K FINE FOR OVERSTAYING

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

A JAMAICAN man was fined over $2,000 yesterday for overstaying in the country via a fake immigration stamp in his passport.

Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes fined Maypen native Garreth Russell $1,200 for being in possession of a fraudulent stamp Failure to pay the fines would result in six months in prison, the senior magistrate said. Russell, who is engaged to a Bahamian, is to be turned over to immigration authorities upon satisfying the court’s order.

Meanwhile, three

Haitian men, namely Frantz Eugene, Auguste Frandly, and John Ferinand, were fined $300 apiece or otherwise serve six months in prison for sneaking into the country on October 31.

Another two Haitian nationals, Aristac Xavier and Lovely Jean, denied being caught with fake Bahamian visas and using those documents in an attempt to deceive an immigration officer.

Bail was subsequently denied and the pair were remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDCS) until their trial on January 29, 2020.

Immigration officers Lucien Emmanuel and Frederick Smith prosecuted yesterday’s matters.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, November 6, 2019, PAGE 3

HAMPTON OFFERS STUDENTS ANOTHER FREE SEMESTER

By LEANDRA ROLLE lrolle@tribunemedia.net

DISPLACED students from the University of The Bahamas’ Northern Campus yesterday thanked Hampton University after it announced they would be provided with another free semester at the institution.

Kristoff Strachan, a junior currently majoring in history at Hampton University, said the announcement was officially made by university president Dr William Harvey on Thursday.

“There was a dinner during the week of

homecoming (at the university). I was invited to the dinner by the president and I gave a little presentation about everything related to us (Bahamians) being there,” he said.

“It was at that dinner that the board of trustees decided that they were going to allow us stay beyond the semester, but it was not until last week Thursday that the president announced to all of the other Bahamian students.”

UB North’s campus, in East Grand Bahama, was destroyed by Hurricane Dorian. The university has since resumed classes

at its downtown centre in Freeport.

In the aftermath of the hurricane, Hampton University, a historically black institution in the US, offered to enrol displaced UB North students so they could continue their studies - 47 students traveled to Virginia last month to take up the offer.

Initially, students were offered free enrolment as well as room and board for one semester and the option to stay at Hampton once the semester is over at regular rates for tuition and fees.

But, now, the university

has decided to extend it’s offer and according to Kristoff, the same conditions apply for those students who wish to remain.

“We have to have good academic standing with the university and also we have to be in good disciplinary standing as well. The academic standing is that we had to have been pursuing a minimum of 12 credits and we have to have a minimum of I think 2.0. In addition to that, you could not have been involved in any egregious disciplinary actions that resulted in some serious offence being made,” he said

Like many other Bahamian students at Hampton, Kristoff said he is very grateful for Hampton’s offer.

“We’re all grateful.

Our families are grateful and even the wider communities. I told this to Dr Harvey. I told him that the entire country is grateful for what they have done for us,” he told The Tribune.

Another Bahamian student - who wished to remain anonymous - also thanked the university.

According to Kristoff, the majority of the students have decided to continue their studies at Hampton,

but there are some who plan to transfer elsewhere.

“There are a few of them who are looking into leaving simply because their majors aren’t being offered here at Hampton (but) most of the persons here are excited and are planning to stay. I’m also one of them who plans to stay into next semester,” he added.

To show their appreciation, Kristoff said the Bahamian students will be hosting a dinner on Sunday for Dr Harvey and other organisations who have assisted during their stay at the university.

We are close to a deal, insists UB

By LEANDRA ROLLE lrolle@tribunemedia.net

UNIVERSITY of The Bahamas officials yesterday denied claims made by the president of the Union of Tertiary Educators of The Bahamas over delayed negotiations for the workers’ expired industrial agreement, insisting that there have been ongoing attempts to finalise the agreement with lecturers.

In an interview with The Tribune on Monday, UTEB president Daniel Thompson noted that UTEB was angered by the institution’s lack of urgency to finalise an industrial agreement that had expired in 2017.

However, in a statement released by UB, officials said the institution came to an agreement three weeks ago for signing the Industrial Agreement for 2017-2020 on November 10, 2019.

But, as noted by the university, there have been some outstanding issues in regard to financial matters.

“Virtually all terms have been agreed. The one outstanding matter pertains to finances. For clarification, the university, not the government, presented a financial proposal to the union in June 2019. UTEB returned with a counter proposal in August 2019, after the university’s 20192020 budget was approved by the board of trustees,” the statement said.

“Last week, the president of UTEB called the president of UB and indicated that the latest UB proposal was rejected and that he would be bringing back another proposal from the union. The university is still awaiting that proposal from the executives of UTEB.” “The university appreciates the sense of urgency in signing a new agreement with the union, especially since negotiations for the Industrial Agreement 20202025 cannot begin until this agreement has been signed,” the statement continued.

According to UB, the new agreement will allow for “significant growth and expansion of the university’s academic offerings and provide competitive salary scales to specialised faculty”.

Additionally, it will allow for the operation of the Academic Senate and the Union of Tertiary Educators of The Bahamas to exercise their respective roles in helping to strengthen the university.

UB officials also denied claims that the institution was hiring a new executive.

“The particular reference that the university is ‘bringing in a new executive that will cost the university between $200,000 to $300,000’ is patently false,” UB said.

UB statements to the press came mere hours before UTEB members

demonstrated outside the university.

In fact, speaking to reporters at UB’s entrance yesterday, UTEB members noted that the university’s response to the issues highlighted by the union was “somewhat disingenuous”.

Mr Thompson said: “(The president’s) response is indicative of the disregard and is indicative of the disdain that they have for us faculty and like we’re saying, our salaries are public knowledge. One only need to visit UTEBBahamas.org and look at our industrial agreement and examine that agreement.”

In his address, he also reiterated that members felt “insulted” by UB’s proposal to increase their salaries by a meagre 82 cents per day.

According to Mr Thompson, the last time lecturers received an increase in pay was some nine years ago.

When asked how much members expected to receive from the university, Mr Thompson replied: “We’re looking at basically a modest seven per cent increase across the board and a modest compensation of about to $3,500 to $4,000 a year as a compensation for our back pay because our agreement has expired since 2017.”

The union’s demonstration yesterday, as noted by Mr Thompson, represents the first set of actions to be taken by lecturers if issues are not soon resolved.

MEMBERS of the Union of Tertiary Educators protested outside the University of The Bahamas yesterday. Left are Daniel Thompson, UTEB president and Kimsley Ferguson, BPSU president.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff “Members have agreed to take certain actions. For one, not to participate in the academic senate and taking the decision not to participate in department meetings or school meetings,” he said.

For the moment, Mr Thompson said lecturers will remain teaching students in the classroom.

However, he suggested that lecturers will not

continue to do so if the industrial agreement is not finalised. UTEB’s counter proposal for the industrial agreement is expected to be presented to officials today.

“We are confident and we believe that in academia where integrity, honesty, is paramount in what we do. We are confident that we will reach an amicable solution,” he continued.

“Let us finalise the industrial agreement so that we can begin the process of hammering-out the actions and activities that our academic senate and UTEB will engage. We are already in the third year since our IA expired.

“Let us bring industrial harmony and goodwill to our national university as we move forward, upward and onward.”

JUDGE YET TO RULE ON DOCKING TEACHERS’ WAGES

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

A SUPREME Court judge is mulling over whether to order the government to stop cutting the salaries of teachers the Ministry of Education is embroiled in a dispute with over its alleged failure to resolve ongoing issues at two public schools.

Within the next week, Justice Bernard Turner is expected to rule on whether he will prohibit the government from docking the wages of teachers employed at both the Carlton Francis Primary and CH Reeves Junior High Schools.

It is the latest in the Bahamas Union of Teachers’ (BUT) ongoing standoff with the government concerning their unaddressed complaints about lingering health, safety and other concerns plaguing the two institutions.

For weeks, teachers at CH Reeves have been protesting against the “unsanitary” conditions on that campus, citing the presence of mold as one of the key concerns. And concerning Carlton Francis Primary, BUT president Belinda Wilson previously claimed that for eight weeks to date, teachers reported to work only to be “locked out” of the gate.

And in both instances, the salaries of teachers at both schools were cut, Mrs Wilson said previously.

Meanwhile, the government has accused some teachers employed at Carlton Francis Primary in particular of withdrawing their labour.

In September, the Ministry of Education said it was “disheartened” by the fact that a number of teachers from the school had “withdrawn from their duties” over those few days.

“This defiant behaviour

BUT’S Belinda Wilson places our students at a grave disadvantage, depriving them of the quality time and education which they rightfully deserve,” the ministry said at the time.

“As such, the ministry’s paramount objective is to ensure that the education and safety of our students are not compromised.

Accordingly, the public can be assured that Ministry officials are working in earnest to resolve the matter.”

However, Mr Parker told reporters on Monday that

rather than “engaging substantively with the union”, the government via the MOE has “determined to obstruct” the union in its bid to have the outstanding matters remediated.

That antagonism, Mr Parker said, has materialized in the government filing an application before the Supreme Court in a bid to have the teachers to “go back to work without the due process that is required of them by the CBA and the (Industrial Relations Act).”

“So the irony is that now they are saying that we haven’t complied when in fact, as has been demonstrated in the public forum, they have not allowed us to do that which is necessary to verify that, for example CH Reeves is safe for teachers and students to return,” Mr Parker said at the time.

The Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT), via its

attorney Kahlil Parker, is now seeking to have the government prevented from “coding and cutting” the salaries of teachers at the two schools, while the government, via the Office of the Attorney General, is seeking to have the teachers compelled to return to work.

Additionally, the BUT wants the court to compel the government to comply with its collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the union and agree to a

contingency plan to resolve the “disturbances”.

The factual issues that led to both parties filing their respective applications will be determined at a later date.

Yesterday, Mrs Wilson expressed some satisfaction that the matter is progressing towards some sort of conclusion.

“I’m happy that we had an opportunity to get justice for our teachers,” she said. “We look forward to the ruling in short order.”

PAGE 4, Wednesday, November 6, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

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

LEON E. H. DUPUCH,

SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH,

jamaaltheartist@gmail.com

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

Publisher/Editor 1919-1972 Contributing Editor 1972-1991

EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON,

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

Published daily Monday to Friday

Shirley & Deveaux Streets, Nassau, Bahamas N3207 TELEPHONES

News & General Information Advertising Manager Circulation Department Nassau fax Freeport, Grand Bahama Freeport fax

(242) 322-1986 (242) 502-2394 (242) 502-2386 (242) 328-2398 (242)-352-6608 (242) 352-9348

WEBSITE, TWITTER & FACEBOOK www.tribune242.com

@tribune242

tribune news network

One half of the equation THERE is a familiar story many Bahamians have heard.

Police pull a car over. Inside there is a quantity of marijuana. Suddenly, everyone in the car is on the hook for possession. It may be a tiny quantity – but the futures of every person in that car now involves the law, the courts and – potentially – prison.

Innocent people have been caught up in such matters – tangled up by the courts just for being in a vehicle with someone who wouldn’t admit that the joint was theirs.

Even for the people who raise their hands and admit that, yes, they were the ones who had the marijuana, they find themselves facing a lifetime with a black mark against their name. Employers turning their noses up, the financial hardship that goes with it being harder to find a job making the uphill climb even harder.

So we welcome the move by Paul Farquharson to try to get the criminal records expunged of young and first-time offenders through the new Rehabilitation of Offenders Committee.

Years ago, in the US, politicians talked of a three strikes law – some states still have it on the books – but too many young people don’t even get past the first strike.

Mr Farquharson, the former police commissioner, said that “there are many people who are victims, they have made mistakes and they are now toeing the straight line so we need to accelerate the

process of trying to clear their name once they have paid their due debt to society”.

For those wary that those who have committed serious crimes will find a way to clear their name and leave people unprepared to deal with hardened criminals with a clean record – have no fear.

Such crimes as murder, manslaughter, rape, supplying dangerous drugs and so on cannot be wiped from the record.

We welcome this move – it is one applied in a number of countries already, and we are following a well-worn path to find ways of giving less serious offenders a way back into society. Partner this with the parole system being introduced and this is a way of trying to rehabilitate rater than perpetually punish.

It is, however, only one half of a sensible policy. As we said, sometimes people can get caught up just for being in the wrong place and all over a small amount of drugs that is busily being legalised elsewhere.

The other half of this equation is the overdue report from the marijuana committee. We can have a more sensible approach to marijuana than the one we currently operate.

If we are willing to clean the record of those who have committed offences in the past, we can surely reassess whether some of those should be offences to begin with.

Well done, Mr Farquharson and your team, and good luck in your work. May your efforts to help people find a way back out of crime be matched elsewhere.

What grade do you deserve, Mr Lloyd?

EDUCATION Minister Jeffrey Lloyd appears to be taking the Bahamian people for a fool.

In response to the underwhelming examination results this year, his defence is that we, all of us, just don’t seem to understand the grading system.

He says that the “new assessment tool” called the BGCSE isn’t like the GCE exam, where a D was a fail. Now it’s a passing grade.

Well, Mr Lloyd, thank you for that update on the BGCSE exam which has now been around for decades. The

public, we are sure, does understand the system – not least because large swathes of the public have either taken the exams themselves or put their children through them.

This isn’t something new, Mr Lloyd, and to suggest that it is makes you look out of touch.

Certainly it wasn’t new when you were campaigning for change before you took office – when you were demanding change and reform.

We suspect the public will have their own grade for your performance.

It is our duty to look after one another EDITOR, The Tribune “THE only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” – Edmund Burke.

Sometimes we each have to be the one, even if it’s a little embarrassing to prevent something more embarrassing or even dangerous from happening.

We can all tell stories of families and or friends who were lured into adverse situations. We see the warning signs. We even mention it to our other friends. But in the end, we regret that we didn’t say something to the one teetering on the edge of the cliff, or about to step blindly into quick sand. We just say or do nothing. We visit them in the hospitals and in prison. Worse we cry at their funerals. We saw it about to happen, but said or did nothing.

It’s always easier to do nothing in a difficult

time, but it’s not why we are here. It’s our duty one human being to another to look out for each other.

God looks for people who will take the initiative, speak truth in hard places, say the last painful ouch that needs to be said, and cut the tragedy off at the pass before its out of reach.

Didn’t mean to bring it into the melee but it’s the buzz in the community.

Dorian has brought to the surface a great divide that has been simmering for decades. Families and friends, church members are at crossroads over the migrants concern. I believe, no I know that the church is doing a yeoman’s job in taking care of the poor and needy.

The church is the sole benefactor to a lot of its members and the wider community. Sadly I might have missed it but I don’t

hear or see the majority of church leaders on the same platform addressing this boil that if left to fester will cause mayhem in the country. That’s not to say they are not saying anything, they’re just not saying it in one voice and loud enough. This chasm that has been created since Dorian is beginning to take its toll on society. Families, friends and neighbours’ relationships strained and unless addressed quickly by all of our leaders we are in for a long hall.

Recently I have come under verbal attack. Darts are being hurled my way and knives plunged into my back (Et Tu, Brute?) for what I believe is the Christian thing to do but I remain resolute in my beliefs. It’s all right I understand.

ANTHONY PRATT Nassau, October 19, 2019.

Cash in on cannabis EDITOR, The Tribune FLORIDA and the majority of US states are on the move and rapidly are developing their strategic positions in the global Cannabis industry. A number of other nations across the globe are doing the same.

Meanwhile, The Bahamas appears stuck on mere investigation of whether Cannabis is a “good fit” for our nation.

Only dysfunctional thinking would ignore proven and published scientific evidence stating clearly that the myriad of benefits that Cannabis offers (in multiple industrial sectors) far exceed any misconceived downsides.

With that said, creating a viable and profitable Cannabis sector within the Bahamian economy should take top priority at this time for several reasons: • The Bahamas is hurting financially from the recent Hurricane Dorian devastation and needs a much-needed injection of cash from the profitable Cannabis industry.

• The Bahamas has one of the highest cancer and obesity rates in the world per capita. Our people need healthy wheat alternatives like Hemp. To boot, research results prove conclusively that Cannabis is a

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net cancer killer!

• The Bahamas needs new industrial opportunities in the areas of food, clothing, construction, medicine, and energy. With such a lagging economy, employment opportunities are needed en masse.

All of the aforementioned challenges can be addressed and resolved by a robust and open Cannabis market, but it appears that this nation has not learned its lesson from relying primarily on Tourism. This nation seems to be happily settled on being a consumer society, rather than allowing our citizens to be farmers, producers, distributors, and innovators in one of the greatest emerging global markets humankind has ever known.

Cannabis is a resource that is so versatile in its usage that the only reason why anyone would speak against it would be ignorance or reliance upon the crumbling economic status quo.

Not knowing is one thing.

Believing the lies and misinformation spewed publicly about Cannabis over past decades is another. Even more sinister is blatantly

refusing to research the benefits of the Cannabis genus for oneself and finding out why Cannabis’ economic, social, medicinal, and industrial benefits were suppressed from public view.

Thankfully, the minds of global citizens are changing due to new found knowledge and awareness.

With reliable and pertinent information literally at one’s fingertips, there is no reason that any rationalminded person should reject Cannabis decriminalisation and legalisation.

It is time for The Bahamas to make a decision NOW or be relegated to the outer perimeters of the global Cannabis industry, desperately looking for opportunities to benefit.

The citizens of The Bahamas should be empowered to thrive in this new global economic shift, instead of losing freedoms and being persecuted daily due to antiquated and invalid views of and laws relating to a mere Plant.

Cannabis can give this developing nation a muchneeded boost overall in multiple sectors.

Decriminalise and Legalise. The time is now.

YORICK BROWN Nassau November 5, 2019

Time the nation united EDITOR, The Tribune WHEN the storm first hit –fear and disbelief were the prevailing emotions experienced by the masses. In the midst of such trauma, we saw the emergence of unlikely, everyday heroes. From the young to the old our nation banded together to help our fellow brothers and sisters.

Irrespective of nationality, class or status, the human element was the guiding force in the unification that resulted after the storm.

As the decimated homes of Freeport and Abaco lie bare and exposed – we now see an exposure of the deepest perspectives

held by many in our nation.

The rise in xenophobia is something we can no longer suppress, it must be addressed in the national conversation.

Now that we have begun the process of rebuilding, the divide has been reestablished with a vengeful force. The lack of humanity in the national discussion is disheartening. In my eyes, the storm revealed the truth: we are all one natural disaster or devastation away from being refugees in our own right. Global warming is here, sea levels are rising, and our fragile nation has already endured the brunt of this reality.

The care and humanity we display today towards others – may one day be returned, in kind, to us. Let us leverage this moment, to determine the nation we want to become. Such a defining moment and opportunity lies before us to determine our national identity. Are we the nation that will become divided – letting prejudice and injustice prevail? Or are we the nation that will unite — and pave the path forward, upward, onward, together?

TANAE ADDERLEY Nassau November 5, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, November 6, 2019, PAGE 5

FORMER POLICE COMMISSIONER WANTS YOUNG OFFENDERS TO GET A FRESH START

Chance to erase record for minor marijuana crimes from page one National Security Minister Marvin Dames announced the constitution of the new committee on September 25, saying exconvicts are discriminated against too often.

This is a part of a package officials hope will include a parole system as the country inches toward a less punitive and more rehabilitative justice system.

Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Amendment) 2015, people who have committed murder, manslaughter, treason,

armed robbery, rape or possessed dangerous drugs with the intent to supply cannot have their records expunged. But after five years most others are eligible if they are first-time offenders or were younger than 21 at the time of their first conviction.

“We need those persons who feel that they would wish to apply for expungement of their records to submit their records to the Ministry of National Security,” Mr Farquharson said, adding that someday he hopes such people could get relief sooner because “five years is a bit too long.”

“I would like to see it

come down to three years; maybe they have been convicted for two or three joints and therefore if that person goes straight, after three years they should be able to have that record expunged,” he said.

His committee is awaiting guidelines from the Office of the Attorney General and will host townhall meetings early next year to engage the public.

Once applications are submitted, the group hopes to answer applicants within three to six months, enough time to receive and review reports from three agencies, the Department of Corrections, the Department

NEW ROLE: Paul Farquharson of Social Services and the police. Ultimately, their recommendations must be approved by the minister of national security.

“If you were to take a poll among young people, a whole lot of them have

tried marijuana,” Mr Farquharson said. “Unfortunately, some of them get caught and there are a lot of people who haven’t been caught who may have tried it before so I am particularly interested in the young people and giving them another chance, those who certainly toed a straight line, made a mistake once and therefore to have that record linger against their name, preventing them from getting a job, going to college, travelling, we have to do a better job than that as a country.”

“There was a symposium recently by the Inter-American Development Bank at

Baha Mar and it was most educational. There was a young lady who was incarcerated, she was a panelist and she said she still has a criminal record and she talked about being locked up with dope and this was many, many years ago. She learned to do chef‘s work in the Department of Corrections and since then she said she has learned her lesson, having been in no problems and that is an example of a citizen who has tried their best and I think persons of that kind we need to reach out to help and we as a committee will do that.”

Editorial View - Page 4

Normandy pilots highlighted on Remembrance Day TOP: Members of the committee organising event for Remembrance Day; Left: Squadron Leader David Lester Brown and, right, Warrant Officer Basil Ivan Johnson TWO WW2 Bahamian pilots are among the servicemen at the forefront of this year’s local Remembrance Day observances.

Squadron Leader David Lester Brown and Warrant Officer Basil Ivan Johnson both took part in the Battle of Normandy in June 1944 - and the British Legion’s Bahamas branch is highlighting their service during this year’s events, culminating in the traditional church service at Christ Church Cathedral on Sunday.

Committee chairperson Antoinette Brown said: “This year, as we observe the ending of World War II, we pay special tribute to our two Bahamian pilots, Squadron Leader David Lester Brown and Warrant Officer, Basil Ivan

Johnson, who had the opportunity to be a part of the historical battle of Normandy.”

Squadron Leader Brown was born in 1915 to his Nassau parents, and went on to become the most decorated Second World War Bahamian. He was one of the first five Bahamians to volunteer, alongside Fane Solomon, John Maura, John Maillis and Leonard Thompson - known as the Gallant Five. He trained on Tiger Moth planes before flying on Blenheim bombers. He first saw action when bombing enemy ships off the East coast of England, then was sent to North and West Africa. He joined other pilots flying B25 Mitchell bombers for the Battle of Normandy, and earned the Distinguished Flying

Cross. After his three tours of duty, he returned to The Bahamas and instructed pilots to fly Mitchell bombers, and later served as the aide to the Duke of Windsor during his time as Governor General of The Bahamas.

Warrant Officer Johnson was born in 1920 in Grants Town, and joined the Royal Air Force Voluntary Reserves in 1941, qualifying as an air gunner and a bomb aimer in 1943 and was assigned to the elite Pathfinder Force of 156 Squadron, part of Bomber Command. His group were the first aircraft to bomb targets, and so were the first to come under fire. He flew in a Lancaster bomber and - despite aircrew casualties being extremely high - his crew survived. He was awarded the Distinguished

TURNQUEST URGING FAMILIES NOT TO HOARD RELIEF SUPPLIES from page one Kay Forbes-Smith, government co-ordinator of recovery efforts in Grand Bahama, told The Tribune hoarding such supplies is not an issue associated with government-issued generators.

“We had a number of international NGOs giving out generators and we don’t know on what basis they were giving them out,” she said when contacted yesterday. “All kinds of people are doing distribution, but how they are doing it I can’t confirm.”

She said the government is working with the Grand Bahama Power Company to determine who should get generators.

“We work with the Grand Bahama Power Company to get information on which areas will not have power for several weeks, months or whenever,” she said. “Prior to the hurricane, GBPC had 19,000 customers. They’ve since connected 17,000 of them. We will do generator distributions very soon because we have had another donor. Generators will be given in cases where the power company says, this particular neighbourhood won’t have power for several weeks or months.

NEMA can’t regulate the conscience of Bahamians who take two generators and someone else doesn’t have one. The fairest way for us to operate is by getting information on which

communities really need them.”

One area where there are enough supplies to go around is food, Mr Turnquest said, with 100 containers on the island filled with food that need to be cleared out and with containers arriving every day.

“Trust when I say there is no shortage…you have more water on this island than you need, more food, more clothing, shoes, whatever you need is on this island for you, you just need to make the effort to go get it,” he said. “I just want to say that because I hear the grumbling. You can’t expect me, the MP, volunteers, and NEMA who has transportation challenges every day to deliver goods to your door.”

Flying Medal, and completed 36 bombing flights over Germany.

Chairperson of the British Legion Bahamas Branch Adina MunroeCharlow said currently only seven Second World War veterans are still alive, four on the Family islands and three on New Providence. She also said

there are 23 war widows still alive. “We have been losing our veterans over the years, and just this year alone, four of our veterans passed away. They were: Comrade Reuben Hamilton, Comrade George N Collymore, Comrade Cyril Albert Johnson and Zoe, Lady Maynard (nee Cumberbatch).”

The church service will be held at Christ Church Cathedral at 11am on Sunday, followed by the wreath-laying at the Cenotaph in the Garden of Remembrance at 12.15pm by Governor General Cornelius A Smith, and Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis.

PAGE 6, Wednesday, November 6, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

Bids to run airspace fee scheme rejected from page one the Central Bank - therein decided to reject all the proposals to go back out to seek additional information.

“When we were going through the RFP process it became evident what we needed to do to get additional information (and) learn a little bit more about it. So we ventured into a small consultancy project to really lay out what we should be looking for in an RFP.” As for the new timeline, he said: “My target is that by the July 1, 2020 we will be in a process to launch it and then you have to give the airline companies six months to incorporate into their fee structure.

“As you know airlines pre-sell a lot of tickets and so the general rule is that

when you roll out a new fee (or) a new tax or a new charge you give the airline company six months to roll out s o that will probably be January 1, 2021.”

The US Office of Inspector General stated in its December 2017 audit that the FAA has billed an astonishing $800 million in over-flight fees between 2006-2016.

The FAA billed an estimated $106 million in over-flight fees in 2017, with an estimated $126 million to be billed this fiscal year.

A significant portion of this revenue will involve flights, which have used Bahamian airspace.

Last year Mr D’Aguilar stressed that over-flight fees collected will only be used for the management and upgrade of the country’s air navigation system, explaining it would not be used to pay off the national debt.

Since 1952, a portion of the air traffic through the sovereign airspace of the Bahamas has been managed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States.

Air traffic within 60 nautical miles of the Lynden Pindling International Airport and up to 12,000 feet has been managed by Bahamian air traffic controllers.

The discussion over the management of the sovereign airspace of the Bahamas has been ongoing for the last 25 years.

In its campaign to persuade the government to charge over flight fees the Tribune has pointed out other than winning the exemption for using our own airspace, the previous government made no progress whatsoever on charging foreign aircraft.

MONETISING The Bahamas’ airspace has been delayed, according to Dionisio D’Aguilar.

GOVT CONSIDERING BUYING GB INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

GOVERNMENT is mulling over purchasing the Grand Bahama International Airport from owners Hutchinson Port Holdings, Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar said yesterday.

According to Mr D’Aguilar, who has responsibility for airports in the country, Hutchinson seemed “reluctant” to rebuild the airport to its former glory.

As a result, he said buying GBIA would be the

“easiest” thing for government to do. However, with 28 airports in the country already straining the public treasury, government may be hard pressed to acquire another facility.

Asked about this, he said a determination would have to be made on how the facility would fund itself.

“Certainly it’s under consideration and that is all I would be prepared to say right now,” Mr D’Aguilar said when asked if government planned to buy the Grand Bahama Airport.

“Hutchinson Ports are the operator of that airport.

They have not demonstrated an effort to rebuild that airport to where it was before and they seem somewhat reluctant so the government is considering its options.

“Now buying the airport is the easiest thing. It’s what you do once you get the airport. So right now the focus of the Bahamian people is on Hutchinson Ports to do something with that airport.

Once you buy it the focus now shifts to the government of the Bahamas.

He continued: “To rebuild that airport could cost $20m, $30m, (or) $40m.

You have to figure out where that money is going to come from. You have to consider who the operator is going to be. You have to consider how that airport makes money.

“So before we spend the money of the people of the Bahamas we have to consider all these things and I don’t think the government wants to be rushed into making that decision. We understand that it is critical to the economy of Grand Bahama. We are sensitive to that but we have to think through the purchase.”

“Everybody is just focus

on ‘are you going to buy it?”

OK what do you do when you buy it? You can’t just buy it and it just sits there.

“You have got to have a plan and so if we were to agree to buy it we have to work through the plan. As to what is the plan when we acquire it? That’s what we’re looking at right now.”

Asked how government would afford another airport, he said: “The objective is to determine what is going to be the revenue source; how is it going to fund itself and that is what we’re looking at.

“Looking at the business

model obviously we look to NAD, the model at the Lynden Pindling International Airport. Clearly they have a lot more traffic than Grand Bahama so we’re trying to figure what is the business model, how does that work.

“You can’t sort of make that decision right on the fly you’ve got to do a lot of research, you’ve got to get all the financials, you’ve got to consider all those things, so are we considering it, yes, but we’re working though all of the proposals and how we would make it work once we acquired it.”

Internal demolition to start next week at Rand

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

INTERNAL demolition at the Rand Memorial Hospital will begin Monday with officials projecting completing work to the facility in March 2020.

The deadline is to coincide with the departure of Samaritan’s Purse from Grand Bahama.

The humanitarian group set up a field hospital on the island to compensate for the loss of the Rand that is virtually nonoperational following substantial damage due to Hurricane Dorian.

In September, Health Minister Dr Duane Sands said it would cost $19m to return the hospital to its previous working condition.

However, due to humanitarian help Dr Sands said government may have to foot a bill of less than $10m.

“We have gutted the administrative area,” he said yesterday. “The plan is to replace the flooring in the emergency room leading to the foyer and then we

will gut the hallway and the adjourning wards including the Intensive Care Unit and the wards leading into the recovery room and operating room and then those will be made good after we eliminate all of the mould.

“Now that process will involve what we call sequentially cutting into the wall to determine the upper limit of mould involvement and then treating the area.

“Subsequently after making the area good, replacing the electrical and High VAC system then the next step is replacing the furnishing and equipment.”

He continued: “We imagine that it will take about six months and with the partners Carnival (and) direct relief (from) University of Miami we should get this done right as the Samaritan’s Purse engagement ends.

“I haven’t talked about the administrative area and the obstetrics and gynaecology area. We are still trying to determine how we are going to manage those

HOW the hospital used to look and, below, the flooding caused by Dorian areas. But the next step is to identify a climate resilient solution for hospital services in Grand Bahama.

“Nobody really knows what that means. How high? Where? What services? So the requirement now for aggressive short term but exhaustive consideration of all of the options to know what best practises should be.

“Yesterday or today in the paper there was a big discussion of the likely rate of submersion of the islands of the Bahamas and so we have to incorporate that into the plans since the next Rand Memorial Hospital has to carry us for the next 30 or 40 years.”

He was referring to new research published in The Tribune yesterday showing rising seas will have

worsened to an impact not previously known, with most of Grand Bahama, Abaco and Spanish Wells projected to be under flood levels by 2050 because of climate change.

Much of Crooked Island, Acklins, Andros and Cat Island will be under flood levels as well while the eastern and south-eastern parts of New Providence will be there too, according to projections by Climate Central, a non-profit organisation that reports climate science news.

Asked about the cost of work to the Rand, the minister said the Bahamas has been recipients of a tremendous amount of aid.

“So a lot of the repair work, the refurbishing and equipping of the Rand is in kind not in cash. We

anticipated it would be about $20m.

“A significant amount of that will be borne by the partners in this and so at this point the amount that the government of the Bahamas will have to come out of pocket is still not clear, but we expect that that is probably now less than $10m.”

Government is now trying to identify how it will acquire this funding, Dr Sands said.

“The demand on the central purse has been massive and there is no infinite source of money, so if there are ways that we can accomplish what will be accomplished over the next six months without breaking the bank as it were that’s what we are going to do.”

THE TRIBUNE

By RIEL MAJOR Tribune Staff Reporter rmajor@tribunemedia.net EDUCATION Minister Jeff Lloyd has said the public “doesn’t seem to understand” how examination results are graded - in response to criticism over this year’s poor national results.

Speaking to reporters outside Cabinet yesterday, Mr Lloyd insisted the nation’s students are competent and doing very well - despite a drop in the number of students sitting BGCSEs and in the number of students securing at least a C grade. Mr Lloyd said as far as the future is concerned, the game plan is the same the government has always had and that it “wasn’t fair” that students were being criticised.

He said: “It’s not fair that our students are continuously being whipped by a public who doesn’t seem to understand that we have a new legend, a new assessment tool called the BGCSE and they should examine it and criticise it on its own merit and not on the GCE merit because if you look at a D on the GCE, yes it’s a failure, a D under the BGCSE is a passing grade, a grade of competence.”

This is the 28th year that the BGCSE has been sat in The Bahamas.

Mr Lloyd added: “We redouble our efforts in applying our students, encouraging our parents and certainly making the best of our resources, which we are undertaking right now in terms of curriculum reform. But I need to make this very

Wednesday, November 6, 2019, PAGE 7

Lloyd: Public doesn’t understand exam results clear and I think it is unfair to our students who perform extremely well, the majority of them. We have a society which has transported a GCE understanding of these external and exit exams into now the BGSCE era and it’s unfair because in the GCE era there were only 15 to 20 percent of our students who were being assessed by way of exit exams.

We had five grade points - ABCDF. Today, the midpoint is a D.” “That midpoint, if you look at the legend, clearly identifies that the student who achieves A-D grade is competent (and) that the student is responsive, that the student has demonstrated adequate sufficient skills. But yet we continue to transcribe our D from the GCE years, which was a failure, into the BGCSE era and it’s not fair. Now students who get E, F and G on this scale, they are failing, and we have those as well, but in that category we have less than any other previous year, number one. Number two, again what I sent you all you would see from A to D, the percentage of students taking the exam have actually increased in both the BJCs and BGCSEs. “Our graduation rates

EDUCATION Minister Jeff Lloyd have gone from 46 percent in 2017 to 60 percent in 2019. That’s excellent. We have 100 percent more students at BTVI than we had two years ago. We have 65 percent of our students at BTVI are now certified in their various disciplines compared to only 20 percent a year ago. We are doing very well.”

He added: “He said the virtual school was also now helping students in the family islands whether it’s Acklins and Crooked Island and Rum Cay who

would not have had the benefit of science of math or foreign language teachers who now have that.

‘Are we great?’ We are getting better. ‘Are we perfect?’ We are being perfected.”

Earlier this week, PLP Senator Dr Michael Darville said Education Minister Jeffrey Lloyd has a “duty to address this decline” after this year’s poor examination results.

Dr Darville, PLP shadow minister of health and education, said Mr Lloyd’s poor

leadership as well as his attempts at intimidating and threatening educators have created a toxic mix in the public school system that have adversely impacted scholastic performance and education outcomes.

“Fewer students have reportedly sat the core BGCSE subjects of maths, English and science and there was a decrease in the number of students who secured at least a grade of C in these core subjects.”

Last week, the newly released results of this year’s

BJC and BGCSE were released which showed fewer students scored at least a C grade in score subjects Mathematics, English and Science. A total of 484 candidates fell into this category. This represented a decrease of 1.22 percent when compared with 2018.

That year, 490 students scored at least a C. The scores have got progressively worse and were released much later than is customary. Additionally, the number of candidates receiving a minimum or five subjects or more with a D grade or higher decreased.

This year 1,213 candidates attained a minimum of D in at least five subjects, representing a 9.34 percent decrease from the results of 2018.

The Bahamas Junior Certificate scores were not better with an 18.36 percent decrease in the number of students who scored at least a C grade in math, English language and science.

In 2018, 1,552 candidates scored at least a C and 1,326 were in 2017.

Those who achieved a D grade in five or more subjects were also lower.

This year, 2,176 candidates achieved a minimum of D, a 6.17 percent decrease when compared with 2018’s 2,319.

Editorial View - Page 4

Convict facing 40 years for attempted murder of three

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net A CROWN Prosecutor is seeking 40 years’ imprisonment for convict Doyle Mackey for the attempted murder of three men at a public cemetery in East Grand Bahama three years ago when two brothers were also shot dead.

Erica Kemp, senior Crown counsel in the Office of the Attorney General, told the Supreme Court at a sentencing hearing yesterday that the shootings

by Mackey and his cohorts were an “egregious act of violence”.

Mackey, a 47-year-old self-confessed “dope and drug dealer”, was on trial in May for the murders of brothers Carlos and Carlton Hamilton, and the attempted murders of Jermaine Ferguson, Joshua Williams, and John Edgecombe who were shot at the McLean’s Town Cemetery in East End, Grand Bahama, on November 3, 2016.

On May 9, the 12-member jury returned a hung verdict of 11-1 not guilty in the two murder counts, but found him guilty by a vote of 11-1 on the three attempted murder counts.

Carlson Shurland represents Mackey, who had claimed during his trial that he shot the men in selfdefence, which was rejected by the jury.

During Tuesday’s sentence hearing, Acting Chief Justice Estelle Gray-Evans heard from Probation Officer Felicia McBride of the Department of Rehabilitative and Welfare Services, who conducted a probation report concerning Mackey, who had admitted during interview sessions to being “a dope and drug dealer”.

Ms McBride conducted two interviews, totaling some three hours, with Mackey. In her report, she noted that the accused showed no remorse for the shootings of the three men who were seriously injured.

According to the report, Mackey, a native of New Providence, had moved to live in Grand Bahama for some time attending a private school where he got

into trouble for fighting.

He returned to New Providence, but never graduated and was expelled from CC Sweeting High School.

At age 27, Mackey was charged and found guilty in the Magistrate’s Court of firearm and ammunition possession for which he was fined $2,000.

He later relocated to Florida where he was incarcerated as an inmate in the Broward County Prison, in South Florida, and deported to The Bahamas after serving his time.

In 2016, Mackey, at age 44, found himself in trouble with the law again in Grand Bahama in relation to firearm possession in connection with the graveyard shooting of five persons in East Grand Bahama.

Mrs Kemp told Acting Chief Justice Evans that the convict has no remorse even after being found guilty by a jury of his peers of the attempted murders.

“He has no remorse. He cannot continue to hide behind some half-given story that was rejected by the jury, and the convict continues to deny it,” she said.

“What he did was a vicious act, three persons but the for the Grace of God could have lost their lives. The facts show that the jury accepted the evidence of the victims that they were unarmed when they were shot by the convict,” she said.

Prosecutor Kemp indicated that the aggravating factors outweighed the mitigating factor, outlining that Mackey has a history of violent behaviour, that he was a high school dropout, and that at age 44 he was convicted of possession of a firearm and ammunition possession, and that he shot multiple victims multiple times.

“He admits to being a drug peddler, a drug dealer, and a dope dealer,” she added.

Mrs Kemp also told the judge that Mackey attempted to flee the jurisdiction and that he never reported the shootings.

“He has a criminal history in and out of the jurisdiction,” she added.

The crown prosecutor also said that the psychiatric report prepared by Dr

John Dillet concludes that the convict does not suffer from any mental illness.

“The Crown suggests that a sentence for 40 years on each count of attempted murder to run concurrently is appropriate minus the time spent on remand,” Mrs Kemp told the judge.

“My lady, this was an egregious act to say, a vicious act, having regard to the age of the convict.

Having been in trouble with the law before, at 47 years old now, how do we rehabilitate a 47-year-old?” A person who is a drug dealer, a person who had been in possession of a firearm and ammunition before?”

Carlson Shurland argued that the prosecution’s suggestion of a 40-year prison term is not an appropriate punishment, but more like a life sentence for his client in terms of his age.

He said his client, who is 47, would be in jail until age 88.

“She is saying to him let the State take care of you until he dies; it is not about punishment,” Mr Shurland said.

He noted that the matter involving his client could be considered as an “exceptional situation”.

Mr Shurland indicated that “the circumstances surrounding the crime came about through exceptional circumstances”.

“We see in Mr Mackey a very good, decent person,” he said. We don’t see a coldblooded heartless conniving killer.”

During his questioning of Ms McBride on her probation report, Mr Shurland had pointed out that Mackey’s sister and mother had described the attempted murders as “uncharacteristic” of Mackey, a father of two children ages, 21 and 14 years, who was described as a “mild-mannered person”.

In terms of his client’s criminal history, Mr Shurland noted that his client was only 27 years when he was first convicted of possession of firearm and ammunition and fined, and cautioned by a magistrate.

He noted that his client hadn’t had any run-ins with the law since 2016.

“She is making it seem he is a menace to society, and it is wrong to put it in that

context without identifying…the frame of reference when it was expunged,” Mr Shurland said. He accused

the prosecution of going on emotions suggesting a 40-year imprisonment.

Chief Justice Evans

adjourned the sentencing to Wednesday at 12.30pm when she will deliver the sentence.

PAGE 8, Wednesday, November 6, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

GASLIGHTING NEEDS TO BE CALLED OUT AND SHUT DOWN VIOLENCE comes in various forms, not always presenting itself in physical ways. Financial and psychological violence are often glossed over or completely missed when violence and abuse are discussed.

One of the most damaging and difficult to recognise forms of psychological violence is gaslighting.

This is a tactic used by perpetrators of violence to convince the person on the receiving end that they have invented the conflict by

drawing attention to a behaviour they did not exhibit.

For example, two sisters Shanae and Dionne - go to Shanae’s work function together and Shanae consistently talks over Dionne when other people are around. Dionne tells Shanae she does not feel like she can participate in conversations because she is always cut off or drowned out. Shanae says that is not true.

Dionne says it is true and gives two examples. Shanae tells her

it is all in her head, she is always making herself a victim and she would never do anything like that to Dionne.

Rather than admitting that she did something that hurt the other person, a gaslighter not only denies the behaviour, but tries to make the person think something is wrong with them for seeing it that way. Gaslighters lie, cast blame and try to make the other person feel uncertain about their own reality.

Warped opinions driven by a flawed system that sets people apart W Alicia The

HAT is the value of a human life? How do we decide who deserves what? This is often a part of national conversations, though not explicitly stated.

Many of our ideas about how limited resources should be controlled, distributed and consumed are directly influenced by our perceptions of the value of other people. Education level, income, social status, family names, nationality and immigration status are, in the eyes of many, markers of success, potential and value which are

Wallace column

all positively correlated to what people to deserve. A college education, at least mid-range or income, recognisable family name and Bahamian citizenship or expat (rather than “immigrant”) status make a person more deserving of resources and respect than a person with a lower income.

Not only are we are

preoccupied with status, but our measurement of status are leftovers from slavery and colonisation. It is about ownership, kinship and perceived power and dominance.

We have been operating with a scarcity mentality for a long time. We have allowed flawed systems to convince us there is not enough to go

Gaslighting is, unfortunately, quite common. It is important to recognise it, name it and shut it down when we experience it.

We have to be firm and resolute in our response, but refuse to be pulled into an unending argument. This can be done by telling the gaslighter that we have different memories of what occurred, we are unwilling to debate it and we will not continue the conversation if they refuse to acknowledge what they said or did.

Gaslighting is not limited to romantic relationships.

Parents, children, friends, teachers and employers sometimes use this tactic to manipulate, belittle, or weaken. Wherever it comes from, we need to know it when we see it and make it clear it will not be tolerated.

Our wellbeing depends on us setting and maintaining boundaries and holding others accountable.

EVEN today, with Bahamians and migrant people alike seriously impacted by Hurricane Dorian, people are asking questions and making comments that illuminate their prejudices, making it clear they believe only a particular set of people are worthy of assistance in the most basic form.

around. In order to look out for ourselves, we have fallen into the practice of limiting other people’s access to resources. The more people gain access, the less we have for ourselves and the higher the probability they can surpass us in status. The more accessible a resource is, the less value we understand it to have. If it’s “a dime a dozen,” is it worth having? If it is worth its weight in gold, do others deserve to have it?

Education is a useful example of a system we know is far from perfect, yet not on the road to improvement because our attention is at the wrong end. Many believe that undocumented children

should not be in school.

This holds their attention more than the flaws in the system itself. The reason behind this is deeper than the myopic view that access to publicly funded education encourages people to break the law. It is rooted in fear that our resources will be drained (for example, no room for Bahamian children) and our children will have greater competition in the years to come (because they are being educated alongside children who already speak another language and, as underdogs, have more drive).

Rather than demanding the expansion and improvement of the education system, making better use of physical space, technology and expertise and ensuring educators are well-equipped and supported so everyone has access to quality education, the focus is on reducing the number of people who can access it.

Somehow, people believe keeping undocumented people underground and making it impossible for them to access basic services is in our best interest.

Even today, with Bahamians and migrant people alike seriously impacted by Hurricane Dorian, people are asking questions and making comments that illuminate their prejudices, making it clear they believe only a particular set of people are worthy of assistance in the most basic form.

Procedures are being developed to prevent migrant people from getting food, water, clothing and shelter.

Because we typically understand Haitian migrants to be low-income, undocumented and unconnected to people of status, they are seen as immigrants before human.

They are of little value, according the measurement system currently in use, so why should they access lifesustaining resources?

“Bahamians first.”

“Round them up.”

“Send them home.”

As we relegate this group of people to the subhuman category, we distract ourselves with fantasies of a different kind of country where migrant labour exists without the migrant and leave ourselves with little time or energy to focus on the real problem. What we really need to expel are the failing systems keep us from progressing, but we convince ourselves we could be better, if we could

just get rid of the people we insist are underlings, but we truly see them as competition in a world that has too little to go around.

In trying to reduce the beneficiaries rather than improving the system, we are looking at the wrong end of the chain. The problem is not that too many people are trying to access education, but that the existing system does not meet the need, and it would not even if it excluded people who are not Bahamian.

The system is failing and we are reminded of this every time we see national examination results and get riled up about the notorious and unrelenting D-average.

We see the Bahamas Union of Teachers fighting to have safe, healthy work environments. We see school supply lists that include office supplies and cleaning products. We see Social Services giving only one or two uniforms per child depending on the number of children in the household.

The burden of this broken system falls on teachers and the families of students when the onus is on the Ministry of Education and Technology to make the necessary adjustments to ensure access to education and the quality of education are not compromised for any reason.

Teaching methods need to match learning styles, more classrooms need to be built, teachers need to be properly compensated, families need to have the ability to participate in children’s learning, methods of assessment need to be revised and we need to understand the importance of education to a nation which includes people of various immigration statuses.

It may be easier to shift our thinking to “What do we, as a country, deserve?” instead of looking at individual human lives. Even if you believe an undocumented person is less deserving of an education, do you believe it would be better for the country to lock them out, even as they continue to live, age and work here? Education is a human right and human rights are inalienable and indivisible. The Bahamas has signed on to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of Child, both of which mandate that the state is responsible for providing access to education for all resident children.

PAGE 10, Wednesday, November 6, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

Davis blasts Bethel over Smith trial expenses

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net OPPOSITION Leader Philip “Brave” Davis said Attorney General Carl Bethel’s refusal to disclose expenses from the Frank Smith bribery trial is inexcusable.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions is appealing Mr Smith’s acquittal on bribery and extortion charges to the Privy Council.

During a PLP press conference yesterday, Mr Davis said: “After having their bribery case brought against Frank Smith under dubious and questionable

circumstances by the Magistrate’s Court rejected and upheld by the Court of Appeal, the FNM has decided to take their crusade of persecution to the Official Committee of the Privy Council. Attorney General, it is not good enough to say that the cost of the QCs (hired by the government) are reasonable. Reasonable to whom and for whom? These are public funds and he must say what the total cost is, including the cost related to the director of public prosecutions. It is our understanding that significant sums and resources have been diverted to prosecute this matter, diverted

from fighting serious crimes on immigration issues for example and paying teachers or nurses for example.

It is also mixing apples and oranges to suggest and compare the expenditure of the Christie administration on Baha Mar and the FNM on this witchhunt. The Baha Mar matter required defenses to legal challenges in multiple jurisdictions.

This matter is a simple case which had no legal obligations. We also disagree with the attorney general when he said that this matter is purely legal and not a political one. This, on the contrary, has everything to do with politics and the vendetta the FNM has

against the PLP. It is a political campaign, driven by victor’s justice and paid for by the taxpayers. We reject any attempts to pollute the issue. The government is spending public funds on a public matter.”

Mr Davis also attacked the government over its treatment of Samuel Evans, the recently retired deputy commander of the Royal Bahamas Police Force who, in an interview with The Tribune, accused the government of sidelining him through disingenuous means.

“The PLP publicly sympathises with the former deputy commander of the Defence Force, Samuel

PHILIP DAVIS Evans, who was recently forced out of his job and into retirement without good or sensible reasons,” Mr Davis said. “Captain Evans served his country with distinction, with forty years of unbroken, meritorious service. We

agree with Mr Evans that the FNM selectively and disingenuously applied its vacation policy to target and sideline certain officers in order to place individuals of their choosing in strategic leadership positions. We point out that the public service is not anybody’s personal and political fiefdom. I believe this practice is what the FNM spent most of its time in existence, demonisation and victimisation. Most of the administration engage in that very same brand of intellectual dishonesty when they assemble their current leadership team at the Royal Bahamas Police Force.”

DORIAN DONATION

Funeral Service For Teron Anson Bethell, 41 affectionately called

“Daddi Winks” & “Periwinkle” of Wilson Tract South will be held on Thursday, November 7th, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. at Bible Truth Ministries, Martin Close, Cowpen Road. Officiating will be Pastor Gareth Angelo Rolle, Overseer Dr. Betty B. Hanna & Minister Patrick Hanna assisted by other ministers of religion. Interment will follow in Lakeview Gardens, John F. Kennedy Drive and Gladstone Road.

JULIUS Baer Bank made a donation yesterday for Hurricane Dorian relief efforts to the Bahamas Red Cross and Bahamas Financial Services Board. Pictured (L-R) are: Tanya McCarntey, Bahamas Financial Services Board CEO and Executive Director; Peter Wirth, Julius Baer Bank CEO and Bruno Roberts, Association of International Banks and Trust Companies Co-Chairman.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

Teron was predeceased by his Uncle: Lenroy: Precious and found memories will always be in the hearts of his Parents: Florence Armbrister Clyde and Carlon Bethell Sr.; Step fathers: Lawton Clyde and Borne; Armbrister Sr.; Children: Teron Jr., Tira and Tyler Bethell; Sisters: Tomaniek Smith, Lakisha Joffer, Latesha, Carla and Shakara Bethell; Brothers: LT. Com Carlon Bethell I (Neko), L/M Marlon Bethell (Andranique) and Jevon Bethell , Bornel Jr, Daryl and Ashley Armbrister; Nieces: Tranae, Byraniek, Sierra, Arianna, Jasmine, Kimora, Zahria, Ashanique, Asha, Shania, Devine, Natalia, Kyla and Ariel; Nephews: Daxton, Bryon, Jeremiah, Ashley, Darius, Carlon II, Daniel, Nathaniel, Pharell and Jevon Jr.; Aunts: Martha Saunders, Vernita Saunders-Green, Edith St. Albord, Judge Marilyn Meeres (Vice President Industrial Tribunal), Christine Swaby (Patrick), Patrice Bethell, Kelly (Hattison) Lockhart, Ernesrine (Sonny) Joffer, Vernette Newbold, Geneva Johnson, Willimae (Curtis) Cooper, Carmen (Samuel) Cornish, Portia Bethel, Lydia Bethell and Donna Williams; Uncles: Marcus Moxey, Holis and Samuel, Kevin (Verona) Bethel, Philip (Shernal) Bethel and Jeffery Bethell; Grand aunts: Enid Lockhart, Verline Maycock, Veroncia Pintard, Shelia Curling, Florinda Hepburn, Katty Lockhart, Daisy Evans and Freda Saunders; Grandniece & nephew: Taliyah and Donte; Other relatives and friends: Renardo, Damien, Kenaan, Cyrano, Devon, Michael, Emmunel, Dominque, Lavardo, Sean, Natalia, Michelle, Sharell, Solomon and Kenva and Family, Monique Moxey and familyterry Ellen, Collette, Tanya, Toya, Glendisha, Ericka Armbrister ad Family, Carlotta, Samantha, Latesha, Dellarese and Cheryl Saunders, Warren and Mario, Latice Greene, Tia, Alex Miller and Family,LB, Pat, Outlaw, Ricardo Johnson, Sharmaine, Dr. Betty B. hanna, Pastor Gareth Rolle, New Beginning Jubilee Baptist Church Family, Mary Rolle and Family, Donald Darville, Tony Roberts, Romiche, Mikey, Bryan, Devan, Nesbitt and Family, Here Cuts Barbershop, Wilson tract family, Bikers Association, and the entire Engleston Community and mony others too numerous to mention.

If we have inadvertently not mentioned your name please charge to our minds and not our hearts forgive us.

Viewing will be held in the Serenity Suite at Restview Memorial Mortuary and Crematorium Ltd., Robinson and Soldier Roads on Wednesday (TOADY) from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and at the church on Thursday from 8:30 a.m. until service time.

TURNQUEST DEFENDS NEW CUSTOMS SYSTEM AFTER USER COMPLAINTS

By RIEL MAJOR Tribune Staff Reporter rmajor@tribunemedia.net

DEPUTY Prime Minister Peter Turnquest has defended the new Click2Clear system after a series of complaints by users.

People had criticised the Customs system for not being user friendly or functioning efficiently.

On Monday, scores of customers were frustrated from waiting to be served at the Arawak Cay Customs Department – complaining that the system was not functioning properly.

A customer, who preferred not to be named, said the site was wreaking havoc on her blood pressure.

She said: “I fill out the form and add photo, and it says it cannot verify the NIB number. They need to work out the issues with the website because I signed up over a month ago and heard nothing.”

Another disgruntled patron said he was frustrated trying to navigate through the website. “‘When will all the kinks be worked out?’ I’ve

tried several times submitting through website, live chats with Customs agents, submitting documents via email and calling help desk. They keep replying via email that they need a valid NIB smart card, my address and info, and they replied also saying my first name is invalid! I mean, I had my name all my life, I would know it’s valid. I’m now frustrated with all the submissions.”

One person said their application was denied twice. “I wasn’t able to upload scan of NIB card.

Will try again when I’m feeling more patient.”

Mr Turnquest said: “There was a back-up on Friday in checking declarations, however all were cleared on Saturday. There is presently no hold up at APD (Arawak Port Development Company). There are six officers from the IT unit to assist brokers and officers in the ground with any issues that either may have in adjusting to the new system.”

When asked if any adjustments will be made to make the process easier, Mr

Turnquest said as expected with any system there is a learning curve.

He said: “The Click2Clear system is innovative and feature-rich that will significantly assist with efficient cross-border trade once the learning curve is overcome by both Customs officers in the field as well as brokers and importers.”

Earlier in the year, Customs officials said they had reached a “major milestone” having integrated New Providence seaport to the Click2Clear Portal.

Superintendent Tyrone Sands, underscoring the importance of the move, stated: “This is important because over 80 percent of cargo coming into The Bahamas comes through the New Providence seaport in the Click2Clear business portal.”

He added: “This new system creates a level playing field for all importers.

Customs processing will be more transparent, efficient and affordable. The system allows us to move toward a cashless Customs and reduce leakage of duty and revenue collection.”

THE TRIBUNE

By DANIEL APAI, University of Arizona and BENJAMIN RACKHAM, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

W

ITHIN just 50 light-years from Earth, there are about 1,560 stars, likely orbited by several thousand planets. About 1,000 of these extrasolar planets – known as exoplanets – may be rocky and have a composition similar to Earth’s. Some may even harbour life. Over 99 percent of these alien worlds remain undiscovered — but this is about to change.

With NASA’s new exoplanethunter space telescope TESS, the all-sky search is on for possibly habitable planets close to our solar system. TESS — orbiting Earth every 13.7 days — and ground-based telescopes are poised to find hundreds of planets over the next few years. This could transform astronomers’ understanding of alien worlds around us and provide targets to scan with next-generation telescopes for signatures of life. In just over a year, TESS has identified more than 1,200 planetary candidates, 29 of which astronomers have already confirmed as planets. Given TESS’s unique ability to simultaneously search tens of thousands of stars for planets, the mission is expected to yield over 10,000 new worlds.

These are exciting times for astronomers and, especially, for those of us exploring exoplanets.

We are members of the planethunting Project EDEN, which also supports TESS’s work. We use telescopes on the ground and in space to find exoplanets to understand their properties and potential for harbouring life.

Worlds around us await discovery. Take, for example, Proxima Centauri, an unassuming, faint red star, invisible without a telescope. It is one of over a hundred billion or so such stars within our galaxy, unremarkable except for its status as our next-door neighbour. Orbiting Proxima is a fascinating but mysterious world, called Proxmia b, discovered only in 2016.

Scientists know surprisingly little about Proxima b. Astronomers name the first planet discovered in a system “b”. This planet has never been seen with human eyes or by a telescope.

But we know it exists due to its gravitational pull on its host star, which makes the star wobble ever so slightly. This slight wobble was found in measurements collected by a large, international group of astronomers from data taken with multiple ground-based telescopes.

Proxima b very likely has a rocky composition similar to Earth’s, but higher mass. It receives about the same amount of heat as Earth receives from the Sun. And that is what makes this planet so exciting: It lies in the “habitable” zone and just might have properties similar to Earth’s, like a surface, liquid water, and — who knows? — maybe even an atmosphere bearing the telltale chemical signs of life.

NASA’s TESS mission launched in April 2018 to hunt for other broadly Earth-sized planets, but with a different method. TESS is looking for rare dimming events that happen when planets pass in front of their host stars, blocking some starlight. These transit events indicate not only the presence of the planets, but also their sizes and orbits.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019, PAGE 11

Searching the heavens - for somewhere just like home NASA’s new exoplanet-hunter space telescope TESS

Finding a new transiting exoplanet is a big deal for astronomers like us because, unlike those found through stellar wobbles, worlds seen transiting can be studied further to determine their densities and atmospheric compositions.

For us, the most exciting exoplanets are the smallest ones, which TESS can detect when they orbit small stars called red dwarfs – stars with masses less than half the mass of our Sun. Each of these systems is unique.

For example, LP 791-18 is a red dwarf star 86 light-years from Earth around which TESS found two worlds. The first is a “superEarth,” a planet larger than Earth but probably still mostly rocky, and the second is a “miniNeptune,” a planet smaller than Neptune but gas - and ice - rich.

Neither of these planets have counterparts in our solar system.

Among astronomers’ current

favourites of the new broadly Earth-sized planets is LHS 3884b, a scorching “hot Earth” that orbits its sun so quickly that on it you could celebrate your birthday every 11 hours.

But how Earth-like are Earthsized planets? The promise of finding nearby worlds for detailed studies is already paying off. A team of astronomers observed the hot super-Earth LHS 3884b with the Hubble Space Telescope and found the planet to be a horrible vacation spot, without even an atmosphere. It is just a bare rock with temperatures ranging from over 700 C at noon to near absolute zero at midnight.

The TESS mission was initially funded for two years. But the spacecraft is in excellent shape and NASA recently extended the mission through to 2022, doubling the time TESS will have to scan nearby, bright stars for transits.

However, finding exoplanets

around the coolest stars — those with temperatures less than about 2700 C — will still be a challenge due to their extreme faintness.

Since ultra-cool dwarfs provide our best opportunity to find and study exoplanets with sizes and temperatures similar to Earth’s, other focused planet searches are picking up where TESS leaves off.

In May 2016, a Belgian-led group announced the discovery of a planetary system around the ultra-cool dwarf they christened TRAPPIST-1. The discovery of the seven transiting Earth-sized exoplanets in the TRAPPIST-1 system was groundbreaking.

It also demonstrated how small telescopes — relative to the powerful behemoths of our age — can still make transformational discoveries. With patience and persistence, the TRAPPIST telescope scanned nearby faint, red dwarf stars from its high-mountain perch in the Atacama desert for small,

telltale dips in their brightnesses.

Eventually, it spotted transits in the data for the red dwarf TRAPPIST-1, which — although just 41 light-years away — is too faint for TESS’s four 10-cm diameter lenses. Its Earth-sized worlds would have remained undiscovered had the TRAPPIST team’s larger telescope not found them.

Two projects have upped up the game in the search for exoEarth candidates around nearby red dwarfs. The SPECULOOS team installed four robotic telescopes – also in the Atacama desert – and one in the Northern Hemisphere. Our Exo-earth Discovery and Exploration Network – Project EDEN – uses nine telescopes in Arizona, Italy, Spain and Taiwan to observe red dwarf stars continuously.

The SPECULOOS and EDEN telescopes are much larger than TESS’s small lenses and can find planets around stars too faint for TESS to study, including some of the transiting Earth-sized planets closest to us.

The next decade is likely to be remembered as the time when we opened our eyes to the incredible diversity of other worlds. TESS is likely to find between 10,000 and 15,000 exo-planet candidates by 2025. By 2030, the European Space Agency’s GAIA and PLATO missions are expected to find another 20,000-35,000 planets. GAIA will look for stellar wobbles introduced by planets, while PLATO will search for planetary transits as TESS does.

However, even among the thousands of planets that will soon be found, the exoplanets closest to our solar system will remain special. Many of these worlds can be studied in great detail – including the search for signs of life. Discoveries of the nearest worlds also represent major steps in humanity’s progress in exploring the universe we live in. After mapping our own planet and then the solar system, we now turn to nearby planetary systems.

Perhaps one day Proxima b or another nearby world astronomers have yet to find will be the target for interstellar probes, like Project Starshot, or even crewed starships. But first we’ve got to put these worlds on the map. theconversation.com

PAGE 12, Wednesday, November 6, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

DRUG CARTEL GUNMEN KILL 9 US CITIZENS IN AN AMBUSH IN MEXICO MEXICO CITY Associated Press

DRUG cartel gunmen ambushed three SUVs along a dirt road, slaughtering six children and three women — all US citizens living in northern Mexico — in an attack that left one vehicle a burned-out, bullet-riddled hulk, authorities said yesterday.

The dead included 8-monthold twins. Eight youngsters were found alive after escaping from the vehicles and hiding in the brush, but at least five had gunshot wounds or other injuries and were taken to the US for treatment, officials said.

One woman was killed after she apparently jumped out of her vehicle and waved her hands to show she wasn’t a threat, according to family members and prosecutors. Mexican Security Secretary Alfonso Durazo said the gunmen may have mistaken the group’s large SUVs for those of rival gangs.

The bloodshed took place Monday in a remote, mountainous area in northern Mexico where the Sinaloa cartel has been engaged in a turf war. The victims had set out to visit relatives in Mexico; one woman was headed to the airport in Phoenix to meet her husband.

While a drug-related violence has been raging for years in Mexico, the attack underscored the way cartel gunmen have become increasingly unconcerned about killing children as collateral damage. Around the ambush scene, which stretched for miles, investigators found over 200 shell casings, mostly from assault rifles.

“Lately it’s getting worse. This is a whole new level,” said Taylor Langford, a relative of the dead who splits his time between the Mexican community and his home in the Salt Lake City suburb of Herriman, Utah.

In a tweet, President Donald

ONE of the cars which were attacked

Trump offered to help Mexico “wage WAR on the drug cartels and wipe them off the face of the earth.” But Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador rejected that approach, saying his predecessors waged war, “and it didn’t work.”

The victims lived in Sonora state, about 70 miles south of Douglas, Arizona, in the hamlet of La Mora, which was founded decades ago by an offshoot of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Many La Mora residents call themselves Mormons but are not affiliated with the church.

WE WERE TOLD TO MOVE TABLES, CLAIM BLACK CUSTOMERS

SPRINGSTEEN AND CROW SING FOR VETS NEW YORK Associated Press SHERYL Crow and Bruce Springsteen hit the stage together to help raise over $5.7m at this year’s Stand Up for Heroes fundraiser, which benefits injured veterans and their families.

They were joined at the Monday night event at the Hulu Theatre at Madison Square Garden

by Ronny Chieng, Hasan Minhaj, John Oliver and Jon Stewart. Crow and Springsteen made a duet of “Redemption Day.” Stand Up for Heroes was first held in 2007 and is produced by the New York Comedy Festival and the Bob Woodruff Foundation. Woodruff was nearly killed during a 2006 attack in Iraq while embedded with U.S. troops for ABC News.

AURORA, Illinois Associated Press

SHERYL CROW, left, and Bruce Springsteen perform at the 13th annual Stand Up For Heroes benefit concert

‘I do recall’ - diplomat admits quid pro quo WASHINGTON Associated Press “I NOW do recall.”

With that stunning reversal, diplomat Gordon Sondland handed House impeachment investigators another key piece of corroborating testimony yesterday. He acknowledged what Democrats contend was a clear quid pro quo, pushed

by President Donald Trump and his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, with Ukraine.

Sondland, in an addendum to his sworn earlier testimony, said that military assistance to the East European ally was being withheld until Ukraine’s new president agreed to release a statement about fighting corruption as Trump wanted. Sondland knows that proposed arrangement to be a fact, he said, because he was the one who carried the message to a Ukrainian official on the sidelines of a

REVERSAL: Gordon Sondland conference in Warsaw with Vice President Mike Pence.

“I said that resumption of US aid would likely not occur until Ukraine provided the public anticorruption statement that we had been discussing for many weeks,” Sondland recalled.

His three-page update, tucked beneath hundreds of pages of sworn testimony from Sondland

and former Ukraine Special Envoy Kurt Volker, was released by House investigators as Democrats prepared to push the closed-door sessions to public hearings as soon as next week.

Trump has denied any quid pro quo, but Democrats say there is a singular narrative developing since the president’s July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy when he first asked for “a favor.” That request, which sparked the impeachment inquiry, included a public investigation into Ukrainian activities by Democratic former Vice President Joe Biden and his son and Trump’s allegations of Ukrainian interference in the 2016 US election.

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the chairman of the Intelligence Committee, said the House panels conducting the inquiry are releasing the word-by-word transcripts of the past weeks’ closed-door hearings so

the American public can decide for themselves.

“This is about more than just one call,” Schiff wrote Tuesday in an op-ed in USA Today. “We now know that the call was just one piece of a larger operation to redirect our foreign policy to benefit Donald Trump’s personal and political interests, not the national interest.”

Pushing back, White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham issued a statement saying the transcripts “show there is even less evidence for this illegitimate impeachment sham than previously thought.”

In the transcripts and accompanying cache of text messages, U.S. diplomats are shown trying to navigate the demands of Trump and his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, who they soon learn is running a back-channel US foreign policy on Ukraine.

AN ATTORNEY representing a group of black customers who say they were asked to change tables at a Chicago-area Buffalo Wild Wings because of their skin color urged the restaurant chain yesterday to make wholesale changes to avoid a discrimination lawsuit.

Some children who attended the birthday party Oct. 26 in Naperville broke into tears during a news conference. Two of the adult attendees of the party described what happened, and attorney Cannon Lambert laid out a list of hiring and training demands for the company.

Justin Vahl, one of the adults at the child’s party, recalled walking into the restaurant with a group of nearly 20 people — some as young as 5 years old — and the host promptly asking what race he was. When Vahl inquired as to why that mattered, he said the host responded, “We have a regular customer here who doesn’t want to sit around black people.”

“I was appalled,” Vahl said.

Vahl and Marcus Riley, another adult who attended the party, said the group sat down anyway near the customer who levied the complaint. One manager walked over to apologise to the group, but another later said the party had to move to another table because that one was reserved.

Riley said he called his mother that day while leaving the restaurant and began to cry when telling her about the incident.

Both he and Vahl said they struggled to explain to the children what had happened.

As they left, Vahl and Riley said they saw other embarrassed employees, one of whom was crying and another who handed them a phone number to report what happened.

INTERVIEW WITH EPSTEIN WELL-KNOWN NOVELIST ACCUSER NOT READY - ABC ERNEST GAINES DIES AT 86 NEW YORK Associated Press

ABC News faced questions yesterday about its reluctance to air a sensitive story of alleged sexual misconduct after a leaked video emerged of reporter Amy Robach complaining about how her bosses handled an interview with a Jeffrey Epstein accuser.

The conservative web site Project Veritas released video of Robach venting that “every day I get more and more pissed” that her 2015 interview with Virginia Giuffre never made the air.

Robach made her remarks late in August while sitting in a Times Square studio with a microphone but not on the air.

ABC said that the interview didn’t meet its standards because it lacked sufficient corroborating evidence. Robach, co-anchor of ABC’s “20/20” newsmagazine, said the leaked video caught her “in a private moment of frustration.”

ABC NEWS’ AMY ROBACH The episode was remindful of Ronan Farrow’s accusations that NBC News discouraged his reporting on Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein’s misconduct. Farrow then took his Pulitzer Prize-winning story to the New Yorker magazine.

ABC sought to minimise the comparison, saying it has pursued and aired other stories about Epstein, the New York financier who died in August while in police custody on sex trafficking charges.

Project Veritas is known for its efforts embarrass mainstream media outlets, often sending undercover reporters to catch employees making statements that display an anti-conservative bent. But it needed no such help with the Robach video, which Project Veritas said came from an “ABC insider” it would not identify.

Giuffre, whose maiden name is Roberts, alleged that as a teen, she was forced by Epstein to have sex with prominent men, including Prince Andrew.

The prince and Epstein both denied the charges.

Robach also complained in the video that lawyer Alan Dershowitz and the British Royal Palace applied pressure to ABC not to air the interview with Giuffre. She suggested that the network feared that airing the interview would hurt its ability to get interviews with Prince William and Kate Middleton.

NEW ORLEANS Associated Press

NOVELIST Ernest J Gaines, whose poor childhood on a small Louisiana plantation germinated stories of black struggles that grew into universal stories of grace and beauty, has died. He was 86.

The Baton Rouge Area Foundation, which sponsors a literary award named in Gaines’ honour, confirmed he died yesterday at his home in Oscar, Louisiana, about 8.5 miles south of New Roads.

“A Lesson Before Dying,” published in 1993, was an acclaimed classic. Gaines was that year awarded a “genius grant” by the MacArthur Foundation, receiving $335,000 to spend over the next five years.

Both “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman” (1971) and “A Gathering of Old Men” (1984) became honored television movies.

The author of eight

ERNEST J GAINES books, Gaines was born on a plantation in Pointe Coupee Parish and his first writing experience was writing letters for illiterate workers who asked him to embellish their news to faroff relatives. Bayonne, the setting for Gaines’ fiction, was actually New Roads, Louisiana, which Gaines left for California when he was 15.

Although books were denied him throughout his childhood because of Louisiana’s strict segregation — which extended even to

libraries — he found the life surrounding him rich enough to recollect in story after story through exact and vivid detail.

In “A Lesson Before Dying,” for example, the central figure is the teacher at the plantation school outside town. Through the teacher, whose profession Gaines elevates to a calling, the novelist explores the consistent themes of his work: sacrifice and duty, the obligation to others, the qualities of loving, the nature of courage.

Gaines found that using his storytelling gifts meant more than militant civil rights action. “When Bull Connor would sic the dogs, I thought, ‘Hell, write a better paragraph.’

“In 1968, when I was writing ‘The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,’ my friends said, ‘Why write about a 110-year-old lady when all of this is going on now?’ And I said, ‘I think she’s going to have something to say about it.’”