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VOLUME:115 No.248, NOVEMBER 19, 2018

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SOCCER: NESLY JEAN POWERS HOME TO EARN BAHAMAS DRAW

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PM orders rescue operations review HO HO HO - FIVE WEEKENDS TO GO

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

weekend along with some cargo.

The incident and its aftermath has prompted wide PRIME Minister Dr discussion and has even Hubert Minnis said last had political ramifications, night that he has ordered with nearly 6,000 people a full review of protocols, up to press time signing an procedures and agen- online petition calling for cies involved the resignation in air accident of National response and Security Mininvestigations ister Marvin in the country Dames.

– “including Mr Dames any systemic had defended or structural law enforceproblems” – ment’s following the response to the Byron Ferguson event last week case that has and incorrectly transfixed the said the pilot nation. had no flight His stateplan. ment came as BYRON FERGUSON Yesterday, Royal Bahamas Dr Minnis said Defence Force the report he officers continued their has ordered will be shared search yesterday for Mr with the public and its findFerguson and debris from ings will lead to changes if his Piper Aztec plane, with necessary. officers recovering small SEE PAGE SEVEN parts of the aircraft over the

POLICE are investigating the circumstances behind a video of an officer slapping a man, believed to be a tourist, who was accused of loitering in the downtown area.

The incident marks the latest in a string of viral videos that claim to show police officers abusing their authority as law enforcement officers.

Investigations were reportedly launched into more than three recordings this year, but there have been no updates given in any of the cases.

In the latest film a near minute-long clip was posted to social media over the weekend in which an unidentified police corporal, badge number 2791, could be seen scolding a man for loitering in an area in which the officer claimed he had SEE PAGE FIVE

MOTHER QUESTIONS HOW COPS SHOT SON

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net THE mother of Jermaine Desmond Minnis, a 43-year-old man police shot and killed on Thursday, insists witnesses to the incident never saw her son attack police with a machete as police have claimed.

Patricia Higgs, 60, was inside her house in Fox Hill, her life about to change when she heard the sound of five gunshots.

“When I came out I saw my child with all kinds of bullet wounds on the property where we sell dilly,” she said.

The shooting took place on Thursday afternoon, but police did not inform the media about it until Friday morning. In a statement, police said officers had been responding to reports of a disturbance.

SEE PAGE THREE

‘WE’RE NOT HIDING NEW BUSINESS TAXATION’

‘SLAP’ OFFICER TO FACE POLICE PROBE

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

HOME

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

SANTA Claus has come to town - making his traditional arrival at the Mall at Marathon Santa Parade - accompanied by marching bands, dancers and more. Youngsters flocked to the mall to see Santa arrive on Saturday. See page 15 for more.

Photo: Terrel W Carey/Tribune Staff

VAT’LL DO NICELY - NO 12% ON KALIK

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net COMMONWEALTH Brewery has absorbed a “significant” cost by choosing to “eat” the 4.5 percentage point ValueAdded Tax (VAT) hike across its entire Kalik beer product line.

Dennis Hanna, the BISX-listed brewer’s vicepresident of corporate

affairs, confirmed to Tribune Business that it had elected to absorb the tax increase on its “number one brand” rather than pass it on to Bahamian and foreign consumers.

He said the move was made to maintain Kalik’s price competitiveness and as a goodwill gesture to consumers struggling to adjust to the impact of a 12 percent VAT rate introduced with the 2018-2019 Budget.

Commonwealth Brewery, which is 25 percent owned

by Bahamian shareholders, revealed the decision in unveiling its results for the third quarter and first nine months of 2018.

“In an effort to remain competitive and assist consumers with rising costs, the company decided to forego the above VAT price increase on its main brand, Kalik,” management said.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

THE Ministry of Finance’s top official yesterday “categorically rejected” fears that the new business licence regulations are the first step towards implementing a corporate income tax regime.

Marlon Johnson, the financial secretary, told Tribune Business that “no decision has been made” on any potential taxation reforms given that Deloitte & Touche UK’s study on possible alternatives to the business licence regime is not yet complete.

He spoke out amid growing private sector and accounting industry suspicions that the increased information demanded by the new regulations is akin to a “Trojan Horse” paving the way for corporate income tax’s introduction.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

Insight IT’S ALL ABOUT FREEPORT, STUPID!

SEE PAGE NINE

PAGE 2, Monday, November 19, 2018

ALL ABOARD FOR TWO-DAY JOB FAIR ROYAL Caribbean International is hosting a two-day job fair starting today at the National Training Agency on Gladstone Road hoping to fill a number of onboard positions ranging from bartender to broadcast technician.

The job fair comes as the cruise line made its inaugural visit to Nassau last week of the world’s newest and largest cruise ship, the flagship Symphony of the Seas, and as Royal Caribbean gets set to complete

its new Perfect Day at CocoCay, a $240m investment creating what the cruise line calls the ultimate “chill and thrill guest experience”.

The company hopes to identify candidates for departments including food and beverage, hotel operations, culinary and entertainment.

Positions range from entry level positions such as bar servers, restaurant attendants and cleaners to skilled positions – butchers, bakers and pastry

cooks in addition to a host of opportunities connected with the ship’s vast entertainment offerings from sound and light technicians to technical broadcast staff and entertainers.

Royal Caribbean has declared hiring Bahamians among its top talent management priorities.

Prospective candidates are asked to dress appropriately and bring ID and a resume.

The event runs from 10am to 3pm both days.

THE TRIBUNE

A Jolly fine day out

THE ANNUAL Jollification festival took place over the weekend with visitors flocking to the grounds of the Bahamas National Trust to check out the arts, crafts, food and drink on offer.

Photos: Terrel W Carey/ Tribune Staff

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, November 19, 2018, PAGE 3

Mother questions how cops shot son from page one “As officers were attempting to bring calm to the situation,” the statement said, “a male attacked one of the officers with a machete, causing injuries to him. A second officer being in fear for the life of his partner, discharged his service weapon, injuring the male. The injured man and officer were transported to hospital and are listed in

stable condition.”

According to Ms Higgs, her son had already been dead for at least 13 hours when police told the press he was in stable condition in the hospital.

“He died after 2pm Thursday,” she claimed.

“He was done dead in the ambulance. When I got to the hospital, they threw me in some room. I asked them what was going on, they later told me he never had a pulse. They let me

see him before I left the hospital Thursday and he was cold as ice. I closed my child’s eyes. I left the hospital 5pm that Thursday evening but they made it seem like he died Friday.”

Police only informed the press of Mr Minnis’ death after 6pm Friday evening when asked by a Tribune reporter for an update on his condition.

Ms Higgs struggled yesterday to deal with her son’s death.

“I feeling dizzy,” she said, “my stomach feels sick.”

“On the scene they wouldn’t let me go close to him to touch him. They ran everybody from around there. The same sergeant they said was chopped up was walking around like nothing happened. He was walking around in complete control.”

“It took an hour for the ambulance to reach. My son was on the ground trying to crawl.”

“When I went out there at first, I saw no machete and no scissors on the ground. I left and when I came back, all of a sudden I saw a machete and a scissors laid there on the side of him.”

Bystanders filmed the aftermath of the shooting, circulating the videos across social media. In one clip, the mother could be heard wailing. “You kill my child, y’all kill my child,” she cried. “In ’97, y’all beat my child now y’all kill him,”

TOWN Centre Mall. and opposition leader of the powers of discretion that has left the law unenforced for years.

Lastly, the bill lays out a detailed code of conduct with procedures and penalties for breach covering every manner of integrity in public life; including conflict of interest.”

The group said amidst the recent wave of public calls for change, the implementation of the Integrity Commission Bill and similar legislation stands as a

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff clear chance for the public in preventing and mitigating to effect a potentially signif- conflict of interest and other icant change to the system. issues hindering integrity.

“If you were one of the “Speak to your reprethousands of Bahamians sentative, email them, call that expressed frustration, them, or WhatsApp them, confusion, or discontent and push for debate and with this situation, ORG passage of this crucial Bill. urges you to take this Integrity is the courage to opportunity to be proactive practice our values.”

she added, telling The Tribune this was a reference to an incident at Fox Hill police station many years ago in which her son was badly beaten.

A man in the video could be heard saying: “See Buggy there. N***a pick up a bucket bey.”

Mr Minnis’ death was the tenth police-involved killing this year. An inquest at the Coroner’s Court will be conducted to ascertain the facts surrounding his death.

‘IT’S TIME TO CALL FOR ANTI-CORRUPTION LAWS’

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE Organisation for Responsible Governance has urged Bahamians to agitate for planned anti-corruption laws, reiterating concerns over the government’s handling of the relocation of the General Post Office to the Town Centre Mall.

The group said while the Minnis administration may be satisfied that it met all mandated protocols for a contract to be awarded to a sitting member of parliament, the Bahamian electorate feel the situation was handled poorly.

The organisation insisted the Minnis administration ironically failed to show the standards of integrity and transparency it promised on the campaign trail, in a letter submitted to The Tribune.

“In the party manifesto, published ahead of elections,” the letter read, “they emphasised prevention in the handling of conflict of interest stating that ministers must ensure that no conflict of interest ‘arises’ or even ‘appears to arise’.”

Organisation for Responsible Government (ORG) stated the decision to relocate to the Town Centre Mall – if placed under critical review – would raise questions over whether proper procedure for

handling conflicts of this nature were fundamentally understood and followed.

The group acknowledged the decision to move the post office to the Town Centre Mall met all constitutional and regulatory protocols; however, it noted: “some would argue that it was haphazardly done and poorly communicated, but nonetheless, it was met.” “… The current Bahamian guidelines are in fact quite sparse when benchmarked against international standards for identifying, managing, and mitigating conflicts of interest.

ORG’s letter continued: “The UN, OECD, and other international standard-setters recommend that states develop clear and transparent predetermined chains of action in the event of a conflict of interest, an apparent conflict of interest or even potential conflict of interest.”

“These bodies also advocate much stronger mandates for the separation of interests, with heavy emphasis on preventative measures and personal responsibility.”

ORG underscored a “poignant distrust” among Bahamians had been “built over decades of mismanaged conflicts of interest, lack of transparency, unequal rule of law, especially in the

MAN IN HOSPITAL AFTER HIT AND RUN COLLISION

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net TRAFFIC police are investigating the circumstances of a hit-and-run incident that occurred on Nassau Street over the weekend.

According to reports, a man was attempting to cross the street near a business establishment shortly after 6pm Saturday, when he was struck by a vehicle

travelling in the left, southbound lane.

A video recording that appears to be taken from CCTV footage of the area, purports to show the incident.

The driver of the vehicle did not remain at the scene.

According to police last night, the victim was taken to hospital where he is listed in serious condition.

He has not been identified by police.

implementation of government contracts, and a general lack of commitment to integrity”.

“The Integrity Bill, now on the shelf for over a year,” its letter read, “presents a solid framework to address these issues through legislation and policy. The bill would introduce an Integrity Commission - an independent anti-corruption body to investigate instances of corruption and conflict and to introduce preventative and awareness measures.

“The bill would also replace and expand the public disclosure bill, stripping the prime minister

PAGE 4, Monday, November 19, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

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Now the counting’s over what lies ahead?

IT’S NO coincidence that many men and increasing numbers of women follow politics and sports. The two activities do have a lot in common, starting with the fact they both eventually produce clear winners and losers. And, as tantalising as they can be, near misses and close losses are still defeats.

This is proven every week in NFL stadiums, as the margins of victory often become closer, but the winners still rise and the losers still sink.

Politics is similar, though some optimistically see a near miss as a sign of future changes. Recent headline-grabbing political contests in Georgia and Florida come to mind. In Georgia, the electrifying Stacey Abrams streaked across the political sky like a comet, first startling her Democratic party by winning the nomination for governor and then taking incumbent Republican secretary of state Brian Kemp deep into the fourth quarter before finally admitting that it didn’t look like she could win the contest.

In Florida, handsome and progressive Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum upended the political establishment in somewhat similar fashion to force congressman Ron DeSantis into a recount in their race for governor to succeed Rick Scott. But DeSantis, too, has emerged victorious. Scott, meanwhile, also had to survive a recount before winning his own race for a US Senate seat against incumbent Bill Nelson.

Many observers are stressing that Gillum and Abrams are both African Americans in red Southern states whose opponents were in positions where they oversaw voter registration and the conduct of the elections. So liberals across the United States are trumpeting these near misses as signs that American politics run by aging white older men is changing.

In Washington, the US Senate, still controlled by older white Republican men, will probably change very little.

A challenge is building to the continuing reign as leader of House Democrats of Rep. Nancy Pelosi, a San Francisco area congresswoman from a safe liberal district. As Hillary Clinton discovered two years ago, a woman with a long tenure in American national politics still attracts a virulent response from significant portions of the electorate – men and women alike. Pelosi has been an easy, familiar target of Republican polemicists for decades, and some of

the many Democratic congressmen and women who were just elected ran with a pledge to overturn her bid to again become Speaker of the House.

Pelosi is nonetheless a heavy favourite to retain her leadership position and serve again as the presiding officer in the House of Representatives.

Gillum and Abrams have made a huge impression in their states and nationally.

But the election is over.

The election changed little in nearby Florida. DeSantis has amply demonstrated during the campaign and recount that he is as partisan as anyone, and is likely to use the power of his governorship to manipulate the state’s political machinery to favour his Republican party and its incumbent president.

During the upcoming 2020 America census and the redrawing of congressional district lines that will follow, governors like DeSantis and Kemp will exercise major influence in trying to forestall the progress of Florida and Georgia from reliably “red” Republican states to “purple” states where Democratic and Republican candidates can compete on reasonably even terms. In Florida particularly, Republicans now control virtually every significant statewide position.

Since Florida has now in many minds replaced Ohio as the key national bellwether state without whose support no presidential candidate can reasonably expect to prevail, these are significant developments.

Nationally, Democrats will use their new control of the House to obstruct, undermine and try to help bring about the first defeat of an incumbent US president since 1992.

The House has budget and subpoena power, so the Democrats can be expected to compel compromises with the White House and Congressional Republicans on various issues.

Repeal of the Affordable Care Act seems mercifully dead. It is possible that immigration reform and progress on rebuilding America’s highways, bridges and other infrastructure can move ahead.

But the big headlines will come from reinvigorated Congressional inquiries into the 2016 presidential election and general misbehaviour by the president and his cabinet appointees. And protection of special counsel Robert Mueller will be a particular priority.

Things should get interesting.

Why BISX still has role to play EDITOR, The Tribune

The Board and management of BISX are partly to Open letter to Julian blame. To my surprise, they Brown have not created a platform for “crowdfunding”, which Dear Julian in other countries allows thousands of small invesI READ with inter- tors to quickly invest a few est your critique of David bucks in start-up compaKosoy for his calling BISX nies. They have not even “Useless” – a view I myself created a “junior market” have sometimes shared. which in Jamaica has ena Of course you are right bled over 30 small concerns that the main purpose of to raise capital without the BISX is not just to promote more rigid requirements of trading but rather to raise a senior listing capital for new ventures.

Of course BISX is The problem is, you can’t restrained by many factors do one without the other. beyond its control. GovernThe chicken must come ment could assign to it and with the egg. Few compa- securities dealers the task nies go public unless their of issuing and trading public owners feel confident there debt. It could compel state will be an active trading monopolies like BahamasAir market for their shares. and ZNS to go public with As a matter of fact, wide share distributions. It BISX has not been effec- could waive business licence tive at either task. It has fees for BISX-listed companot increased trading and nies. It could even impose a liquidity, and - as you men- capital-assets tax on the prition - it has not listed the vate owners of big profitable equity of a new company businesses who refuse to go since 2012! public.

Also, our licenced broker-dealers concentrate on their wealthy individual and institution clients with little effort to develop the less affluent sector. It was gratifying to read that you, Julian, will use your new brokerage to make trading quicker and easier for small transactions, and will even enter the risky practice of market-making, where you must commit your own capital to take positions.

You criticised David Kosoy for being the “new boy on the block”, with no local contributions, although he has created the substantial Sterling Financial Group. Perhaps my greatest contribution will be to introduce you to him. You are both smart, aggressive guys who I am sure can find a lot in common to sharpen our financial structures.

RICHARD COULSON Nassau November 15, 2018

It’s David v Goliath all over again EDITOR, The Tribune I have just finished reading a book called Moneyland by investigative journalist Oliver Bullough.

The second last chapter is entitled Tax Heaven USA. The cover on the book says “Why thieves & crooks now rule the world and how to take it back”.

It is an interesting read but I would like to concentrate on the chapter above, Tax Heaven USA. Of course it covers how crooks hide and use money in Moneyland around the world, and how it is much simpler now than a few years ago with internet banking.

In the Caribbean, Nevis features frequently in the book and the Prime Minister explained to Bullough how important the financial services industry and selling citizenships is to their economy and without these products they would not be able to exist. He condemned the US for forcing them to sign up to various treaties which the US themselves do not observe.

The Bahamas features only twice in the book but that is not the point.

We read in the local papers every so often about the “Black List” that the Financial Services Industry is escaping from or being placed on and we are permanently faced with the possibility that if it is put on or is on the “Black List” and if nothing is done it will eventually mean no transactions can be made in US dollars or probably

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net any other currency because no mainstream foreign banks will deal with us.

That would be tragic and is a constant threat. In order to stay “clean” our financial services industry and the government has to go through so many hoops and contortions that it is almost laughable. For example to open a bank account with a retail bank here takes days and possibly weeks to open an account in the US takes 24 hours. Why? Because the US does not subscribe to any of this nonsense but wants everyone else to subscribe.

So what does “Tax Heaven USA” tell us. If Florida banks were not allowed to sell “secrecy” which The Bahamas is not, they would go bust very quickly as a very large proportion of their accounts are from Latin America and if the account holders did not have protection from their home governments in Brazil, Argentina, etc, they would move the funds elsewhere.

Also at least two US States, South Dakota and Nevada, allow trusts to be set up and if one power associated with the trust is held by a non-US person it becomes a foreign trust for tax purposes and therefore non-taxable and if the trustee is US, it is considered to be a domestic trust and therefore there

are no foreign reporting requirements to any other government or entity. South Dakota admits it has $175 billion held under this type of arrangement. So why would anyone need to use The Bahamas or any other tax heaven when they can use the US which is of course considered as a no sovereign risk jurisdiction.

Further to that, of course, if you set up a company in various states, Delaware being the most “famous”, you can have a company with bearer shares so the beneficial ownership is hidden from any authority.

The Bahamas was forbidden from selling companies with bearer shares in the 1990s by the US. The Bahamas is a small country and with the constant interference of the US and EU it has decimated the financial services industry here and by the way the EU is as good as the US in protecting its financial industry. There is an issue of jobs as well as taxes and while they increase the number of jobs, we lose.

The Bahamas may not have the clout to stand up to these giants but this hypocrisy should be constantly pointed out to the world that our friends are not really our friends...

Maybe there is a David and Goliath story here and The Bahamas should be part of it.

PATRICK H THOMSON Nassau November 16, 2018

Poor view of the IMAX EDITOR, The Tribune I’M GLAD that the Prime Minister and many Cabinet members recently visited the IMAX Theatre complex on Gladstone Road, so they could see what I refer to below.

I am not an architect but think the building which sits on one of the tallest hills in New Providence Island

with a view of Lake Killarney does not belong in The Bahamas. It might be fine in Orlando or Miami, but not in The Bahamas.

I hope the PM and his colleagues saw the giant lighted screen which faces JFK and which advertises the soft opening day on November 23. It is my belief that this screen is against the law and/

or violates town planning regulations.

Mr Leslie Miller was ordered to turn off a tall sign that was advertising his bowling alley which is close to the subject building.

What’s good for the goose, is good for the gander.

JOHN A WANKLYN Nassau November 15, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, November 19, 2018, PAGE 5

‘Slap’ officer to face police probe from page one no right to be in.

During the early portions of the clip the officer is seen reviewing what appears to be an identification document, later identified as the man’s passport, all the while repeatedly telling him, he had no right to loiter.

After his review of the document, the police corporal is heard telling the man to leave the area.

The officer hands the document back to the man and in the process of the transfer, is seemingly angered by the man’s reaction and immediately slaps him in his head.

Just before the clip ends, the two are seen standing face to face, with the officer pointing at the man in an aggressive manner. The police corporal can be heard saying: “Don’t play with me; look here bey, don’t play with me….. do not play with me….. I do not play….. go that way please.”

The man, shocked by what had just occurred, turns to the camera and asks: “You see that, right?”

In response to questions and concerns raised by members of the media over the weekend, Assistant Commissioner of Police Stephen Dean said the video had been brought to the attention of the senior command of the force and that an investigation had been launched.

The video has since been shared dozens of times on Facebook and via WhatsApp.

Addressing the video on Facebook, attorney Christina Galanos said the recording explains why scores of Bahamian young men view police with disdain.

She wrote: “And then we wonder why some of our young men rejoice whenever a police officer is killed. Many of them have deep emotional and physical scars inflicted at the hands of the police. If an officer can be bold enough to unjustifiably slap a man in public while being recorded, just imagine the terror he would have inflicted on that young man in private.”

Ms Galanos continued: “Police officers do not have the authority to slap persons for being rude. If a person’s conduct rises to a certain level, police officers can make a judgment call to arrest him/her for disorderly conduct, using obscene language, resisting arrest and/or assault of a police officer.”

In a statement yesterday, Rights Bahamas Education Committee chairman Darwin Thompson said the video illustrated several flaws that exist in the Bahamian society, namely the public’s lack of trust in governmental systems and processes.

Mr Thompson said the assault also raises concerns for the country’s tourism product, insisting that the ease in which the officer carries out his assault of the suspected tourist, in full view of bystanders, shows a lack of control and respect for the country’s foremost industry.

He said: “When an officer

can be so comfortable as to physically assault an alleged tourist in a nation that relies heavily on tourism to employ thousands of its citizens, we can clearly see that something is very wrong.” “...This practice is considered a norm among citizens all throughout our country.

We should ask ourselves why.

Why is it a socially accepted norm to be assaulted by those tasked with protecting our civil rights?”

“Are our officers being trained to instil fear via methods of social intimidation? In the year two thousand eighteen why are we sitting idly by when matters of this nature are so commonly accepted?”

Earlier this year, in response to several similar incidents, National Security Minister Marvin Dames has said the government will form a committee to review complaints against officers “to ensure that there is balance in investigations by police”; however, it’s not clear when the committee will be established or whether it will feature public reporting mechanisms.

Mr Dames also said an inspectorate will be introduced for oversight compliance for all law enforcement agencies amid concerns about corruption.

That followed a poll commissioned by Transparency International last year which suggested Bahamians are more concerned and familiar with police corruption than corruption from any other institution.

TWO HURT IN ARMED ROBBERIES OVER WEEKEND

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

POLICE are investigating two separate armed robberies that left two men with injuries.

In the first incident, two men were at a business establishment on East Bay Street and Okra Hill when they were approached by two armed men.

The assailants demanded cash before opening fire shortly after 3am Friday, and fled the scene in a blue Hyundai car.

The victims drove to the hospital where they were treated and released.

The incident marked the start of a busy weekend for police, who responded to a second armed robbery incident several hours later.

According to reports, a man was in his vehicle

at the junction of John F Kennedy Drive and West Ridge shortly after 11am when he was approached by two armed men. The men reportedly came from a blue Toyota Passo and robbed him of cash.

Reports added that one of two assailants then got into the victim’s car, a champagne coloured Nissan March, and sped off.

The second assailant fled the scene in the Passo.

In a third incident, 11 men were taken into custody after a 9mm pistol and seven rounds of ammunition were recovered at a nightclub near Market Street, just south of Coconut Grove Avenue.

The men were arrested just after 1am Saturday.

Meanwhile, police in Eleuthera are also investigating the stabbing of a man early Saturday.

According to reports, shortly after 1am, two men were at a nightclub in the settlement of Rock Sound when they got into an argument that escalated. One of the men produced a sharp object and stabbed the other in his body.

The injured man was taken to the local clinic and later airlifted to New Providence in serious condition.

Police have taken a 37-year-old male resident of Rock Sound into custody in connection with this incident.

Investigations into these matters are ongoing.

Anyone with information on these or any other crimes are asked to call police on 919, 322-3333/4/5, 322-4005/6/7; the Central Detective Unit on 502-9991 or 502-9910; or Crime Stoppers on 328-TIPS.

$1,000 FINE FOR WORKING WITHOUT PERMISSION

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

A JAMAICAN man has been fined $1,000 after being caught mixing cement without the legal permission to do so earlier this month.

Magistrate Kara Turnquest-Devaux fined Anthony Findley concerning his actions on November 5.

Failure to pay the fine would land Findley in

prison for six months, according to the magistrate, who also recommended he be deported after he satisfies either the fine or the sentence.

According to the facts, at around 12.25pm on the date in question, a team of officers was on routine patrol on Cox Way, East St south, where a man was spotted on a construction site mixing cement.

The officers approached the man, identified themselves and questioned

FOUR HELD OVER CASH AT AIRPORT

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

TWO American men and two Jamaican women were arrested for failing to declare large sums of cash in separate incidents at the Lynden Pindling International Airport.

Both incidents took place on Friday.

The two American men, ages 25 and 31, were arrested after a US Border Control officer discovered they failed to declare the true amount of cash in their possession. They were found with $47,000 shortly after 4pm.

In the second incident, Drug Enforcement Unit Officers searched two Jamaican women at the domestic section of Lynden Pindling International Airport and

recovered $17,805 shortly after 8pm.

According to reports, the women did not declare the cash to authorities.

Meanwhile, an American cruise ship passenger was arrested after police found a quantity of what was suspected to be marijuana during a search of her cabin.

Central Division Officers made the arrest shortly before 10pm while the ship was docked at Prince George Dock.

It follows the arrest of an American woman aboard the Carnival Elation cruise ship, after she was allegedly found in possession of a quantity of suspected marijuana last week.

According to police, the foreign nationals arrested on Friday will be charged in the Magistrate’s Court this week.

the subject relative to his nationality and status in the country.

The man subsequently produced his Jamaican passport, that revealed he was landed by an immigration officer at the Lynden Pindling International Airport as a visitor for a period of 14 days.

The man was cautioned and arrested for engaging in gainful occupation, and was subsequently charged.

Lucien Emmanuel prosecuted the matter.

AN IMAGE from the video as the officer speaks to a man on the street before the slap.

PAGE 6, Monday, November 19, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

Over-the-Hill tax-free zones are already launched, says Minnis

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net OVER-the-Hill constituencies of Bain and Grants Town and Centreville are now tax-free zones, according to Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, who said the government’s flagship initiative took effect November 1.

Dr Minnis revealed these areas have, for the past few weeks, been operating as tax-free zones as laid out in his administration’s Economic Empowerment Zone Act during remarks at the grand opening of the Edmund Moxey Youth Centre on Thursday.

When asked earlier this month, the initiative’s executive manager, Samita Ferguson told The Tribune the designated tax

exemption zone would come into effect before year’s end.

“Effective the first of November, just a few weeks ago, areas in the over-thehill community had been declared a tax free zone,” said Dr Minnis, whose news was greeted with resounding cheers. “And that is to be expanded to St Barnabas, Englerston and other impoverished areas,” he added.

Dr Minnis reiterated his administration’s commitment to improving the quality of life and expanding opportunities for residents in over-the-hill communities, and flagged the $5m to be earmarked annually for small business development as part of its small business and entrepreneur programme.

He said $250,000 has been earmarked specifically

for grants for impoverished areas. “That is, this is money to be given to you, and not to give me back,” he told the crowd.

The Economic Empowerment Zone Bill was passed in the House of Assembly in late July after two days of debate.

Dr Minnis, who wrapped up the debate, said at the time that the legislation “will set the stage for the improved quality of lives of residents in Over-the-Hill” communities.

The bill laid the legislative framework for several economic growth initiatives.

Businesses in the overthe-hill area earning $5m in revenue or less may apply to the Ministry of Finance to receive a trade certificate.

This certificate will allow for a waiver of business

licence fees. It will also allow businesses that may require a vehicle for their operations to import one vehicle and pay no customs duties or other taxes on the vehicle.

Upon application, requirements such as the clear marking of the vehicle and any other conditions will be outlined. The concessions under the bill will not extend to places that primarily sell alcohol or offer gaming.

Despite these exemptions, however, residents of Bain & Grants Town and Centreville who spoke to The Tribune earlier this month remain largely unaware of the initiative’s benefits and were doubtful whether the programme could bring about real change in their communities.

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis.

VICTIMS DIED ‘ALMOST IMMEDIATELY’ AFTER SHOTS TO HEAD

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

FORENSIC pathologist Dr Mandy Pedican told the Supreme Court on Friday that Noel Hamilton and Jacklyn Armbrister died almost immediately of multiple injuries and blood loss after they were shot in the head.

Dr Pedican - who was considered by the court an expert in her field provided details of the extensive traumatic injuries sustained by both Hamilton, 57, and Armbrister, 55, who were both shot during an armed robbery in March 2016.

Renaldo Hudson, 20, is charged with two counts of murder, one count each of attempted murder and armed robbery.

It is alleged that on March

21, 2016, at Freeport, the accused while armed with a firearm went to a wooden shack off Hearn Lane and Bruce and Avenue West, where he shot the couple to death after robbing Armbrister of cash.

Agatha Gaitor was also shot, but survived her injuries.

Mario Gray represents Hudson.

According to Dr Pedican, the deceased Hamilton was brought in dead at the Rand Memorial Hospital on March 21, 2016, and that an official identification of the deceased was made by his daughter on March 22 around noon at the hospital’s morgue.

Dr Pedican performed an autopsy on March 23, at 11am. According to Dr Pedican, Hamilton sustained two bullet entry wounds, and two exit wounds, and

an abrasion to the right forehead.

The pathologist said Hamilton was shot in the left side of the head. The bullet fractured his left temple bone as it entered the skull and exited just under the right eye. There was also some bruising and laceration to the frontal, temporal lobe of the brain.

Dr Pedican said the deceased sustained a third wound to the back of the left upper arm. The bullet broke the left collarbone, and passed through the neck and trachea, and hit the right collarbone, and exited at the base of the right neck. A fourth wound was to the top of the head, and a fifth wound was an abrasion to the right forehead.

The pathologist said the cause of death was multiple

gunshot wounds that was shot in the back of the resulted in traumatic inju- head. The bullet exited the ries and blood loss. She said right temple, fracturing no projectiles were recov- the skull. There was also ered from the body. a wound to the cheek and Prosecutor Erica Kemp jaw area. Dr Pedican also asked Dr Pedican how long recovered a bullet fragment a person could survive after from the body. sustaining those injuries. Armbrister died as a “Seconds to minutes,” she result of a gunshot wound replied. to the head which caused Ms Kemp said the multiple injuries and blood deceased’s hands were loss. The pathologist stated bagged when the body was that Armbrister would have brought to the morgue. only survived seconds to a Dr Pedican explained that few minutes. bagging is done by Scenes During cross-examiof crime officers to pro- nation, Mr Gray asked tect any potential evidence Dr Pedican whether she until the body comes to the had found any material morgue. or evidence after the bags At about 1.30pm on were removed from the March 23, Dr Pedican deceased’s hands. performed an autopsy on “Blood stains were on Jacklyn Armbrister, who both hands, but we did not was officially identified by swab them,” she replied. her daughter around 10.45 Also testifying was Dr that morning.

Ryan Perez, an Emergency She said that Armbrister Medical specialist attached

to the Accident and Emergency Department at the Rand Memorial Hospital for the past nine years.

Dr Perez was on duty at the RMH on March 21 around 11.52am when he saw patient Agatha Gaitor.

He said that the patient had sustained three gunshot wounds: two the facial area, one near the left eye and another to the right cheek; and one to the right arm.

Dr Perez said she was still conscious when she arrived at the hospital. However, he said, due to massive bleeding at the nose and mouth her airway was being disrupted, so he intubated the patient.

“Were her injuries life-threatening?” asked prosecutor Kemp. Dr Perez said that Gaitor’s injuries were life-threatening and that she was admitted to the Surgical Services Unit.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, November 19, 2018, PAGE 7

PM orders rescue operations review from page one He said he will not comment on the matter until he has received a full report from the Ministry of Tourism and Aviation, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and other relevant authorities.

The prime minister’s statement followed comments from Attorney General Carl Bethel who argued in the Senate last week that the response to the plane crash shows the RBDF is not sensitised to accident disaster recovery.

Facing withering criticism, some defence force officers have passionately emphasised their commonalities with other Bahamians.

In one such example, a post shared more than 400 times and liked more than 900 times on Facebook, Leathone Hanna, an RBDF diver, wrote: “I said I wasn’t going to speak out but hey…I am a diver of the RBDF that went out days searching for Mr Ferguson in all kind of bad weather. I didn’t do it because it’s part of my duty but because I know what his family is going through. I feel it because this brings back so many painful memories of when my family, my friends and myself searched and dived up my own brother’s body out of a canal.

“We as divers are making great sacrifices for our country,” he continued. “We leave our kids and loved ones at home knowing that we are about to place one foot in death’s door. We bleed just as all Bahamians bleed. We depend on the same air as all Bahamians.

We are humans too. So before bashing us know that there are marines that are making the ultimate sacrifice. It has to count for something.”

Authorities’ response to the plane crash has been subject to intense scrutiny in the last week, especially after divers associated with Head Knowles, a community support group, recovered substantial parts of the Piper Aztec plane on Thursday.

At a press conference on Friday, officers were pressed on why civilian divers recovered substantial parts of the plane and not them, even though they spotted the plane on the night of November 8. Their response–– that they were focused on finding life––drew scrutiny.

Keith Major Jr, the first Bahamian to obtain a Masters of Law

VOLUNTEERS recovered between 60 and 70 pieces of the aircraft in a search organised by Gina Knowles. degree in international aviation, said the lack of quick recovery of the aircraft’s wreckage goes against international norms and expectations. “…A key and consequential issue which arises out of the untimely retrieval of airplane wreckage is evidentiary in nature,” he wrote in a statement posted on Facebook, “and is referred to as spoliation of evidence. [Spoilage] of evidence in the aviation context extends to the loss, destruction, material alteration of or the failure to preserve a writing, record or physical object. Courts when applying this doctrine have had regard to the negligent failure to preserve evidence, even though deemed as unintentional conduct.”

This was not the first time civilians found major parts of a downed plane––it happened in January following a deadly plane crash off the coast of Andros. A key difference this time, however, has been the public cries of Byron Ferguson’s family.

His brothers - a lawyer, a doctor and an accountant - articulated in an emotional press conference on November 12 all the ways they believe authorities failed their brother, citing lack of lights on nearby Family Island airport runways and an initial search and rescue effort they characterised as superficial and short.

In the days since, the incident has come to crystalise what some Bahamians believe is a government system that cannot be trusted to deliver quality services.

“It is a known fact that every governmental sector, the community, and the society of the Bahamas have failed,” wrote Captain Philip Armbrister in a statement that has been widely shared on Facebook.

“It has been verified, broadcasted and publicised daily in the news. This has affected the telephone company, water and sewage, teachers union, air traffic control, customs, immigration, doctors, pilots, and every law

enforcement agency. As a result of this, the entire country is on strike, everyone is marching but there are no solutions to having anything resolved. In the past week due to an aircraft incident, we’re unable to locate our brother, Captain Byron Ferguson who left Palm Beach airport, and shortly thereafter he encountered mechanical issues with his aircraft. After continuously calling for assistance the aircraft crashed landed approximately two miles away from Nirvana Beach just short of Nassau and upon arrival there were no emergency response team waiting. Yes, I said it, no help.”

Divers are now concentrating their search in the general area east of where the tail of the plane was last spotted. The RBDF, working with civilian volunteers and the Royal Bahamas Police Force, has extended their search to the Andros and Berry Island areas, officials said.

Search efforts took place yesterday but not on Saturday because

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff of bad weather, according to Lieutenant Commander Dereck Ferguson, the officer responsible for diving operations.

Asked how long their search will continue, Commander Shonedel Pinder, the officer in charge of the RBDF’s air division, told the press: “We will continue in earnest until the information and evidence gathered has come to a point where there is nothing else that can be gathered and or there are suggestions and or directives indicating we ought to do otherwise.

“Given the level of scrutiny this case has and continues to get certainly our efforts are focused toward ensuring our efforts are comprehensive and we seek to aid in the closure of this investigation in an accurate, timely and deliberate fashion.”

The plane’s parts will be preserved for examination by the Air Accident Investigation Department. Among that department’s focus will be whether the plane crash was survivable.

RBDF COMMODORE DEFENDS ‘WHATEVER WE DID WRONG SEARCH AND RESCUE EFFORTS MUST NOT HAPPEN AGAIN’

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

THE day after civilians discovered debris from missing pilot Byron Ferguson’s crashed plane, Royal Bahamas Defence Force Commodore Tellis Bethel vehemently defended his organisation’s search and recovery efforts.

He maintained that marines have made every effort for the past nine days in which the search “pushed the envelope” but was careful not to compromise safety.

However, while Mr Bethel attempted to make a compelling case for these efforts since the incident last week, neither he nor other officials present could definitively tell reporters at what time the search was suspended in the hours following the crash in waters off Nirvana beach. Neither could they say when the search resumed.

They did, however, present a list of reasons from vessels not having sufficient gas to there being low visibility, needing to mobilise additional equipment for a more extensive search, and suggesting fatigue as to why the search had been called off on Thursday night.

It was also contended that there had been no dive search efforts on Saturday and Sunday due to “inclement weather”.

The commodore further

COMMODORE Tellis Bethel admitted that the RBDF could have done a better job in its communication with relatives and the media after it was revealed that marine divers had discovered oil containers, residue and other light weight materials on the seabed on Tuesday. Some pieces were also found on Friday morning, although it is unclear what they were At several points in Friday’s press conference Mr Bethel seemed to be on the defensive saying at one point that people were taking an “I gotcha approach” in waiting for mistakes to be made, adding that some members of the press had withheld information to “whack somebody over the head with it”.

Asked how civilians were successful in locating portions of the plane within 40 minutes of entering the water, Lieutenant Commander Derrick Ferguson said this area

had previously been cleared by marines.

“Search and rescue is a science. (It) is something that we do based on the weather pattern, based on what the weather is doing, based on the sea, state the tide flow. We now go ahead and we do what is a dive search area,” he said. “The dive search area that we initiated on that day was pretty much focusing around the search area where the last sighting of the tail of the plane as noted.”

Officials noted the tail of the small aircraft was spotted by RBDF vessel P115 and by several other persons and the spot marked.

But they said on Friday no efforts were made to retrieve it at the time because the priority then was to look for persons who could have been alive in the water.

Commander Ferguson added: “So we would have dived that area and we would have been confident in that one mile range of dive that we did that there was no other debris that we found in that area. So for that day we would have cleared that dive search area. With subsequent dives you know do a shifting of your dive search area. In which case you would have seen on Tuesday our dive search area shifted to the east and on Tuesday the 13th our divers were now finding debris that came from that plane wreckage.”

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

ATTORNEY General Carl Bethel has criticised the response of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force suggesting the tragedy may not have been “properly” investigated because of how quickly the initial search was called off.

His comments in the Senate came shortly before a group of Bahamians who had set up their own search team found pieces of the plane.

Mr Bethel said he would reach out to his colleagues to ensure that whatever “procedural missteps” occurred in this case and others would not happen again.

More must be done, he said, to ensure there is a sense of urgency and to drive home the principle of “no stone left unturned” when the country is faced with tragic plane crashes.

He said: “The great difficulty, particularly with anything that results in a marine landing of some sort, is that the Civil Aviation Department has to rely on the efforts of another agency, usually the Royal Bahamas Defence Force.

So in the last crash that occurred off of Andros, as I understand it, the search was called off maybe 50 yards away or so because of inclement weather or something, or it had gone

AG Carl Bethel on too long and the fellas got tired.

“Perhaps there is a need for stronger sensitisation of the marine unit of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force to ensure that the sense of urgency that the family feels is also shared by those who are in the immediate vicinity and that the principle of no stone left unturned until we find this thing must prevail, because this is the second time now and I am only going based on what I heard.

“They saw a piece of wreckage. They say they left the site. It boggles the mind if that is so. It is unimaginable.”

He continued: “And so if I feel that way about something like this, if my colleagues opposite here who sit beside me and if we feel as a body like that about a circumstance like that, how much worse does the family feel?

“So we have to spend some time with our

colleagues, and I don’t believe there is any ill will or any malice or whatever, but we have to work with our marines. We have to work with our Defence Force to get them to see that, yes even if it’s only in finding a crash site that is as important to the defence of the well-being of the Bahamian people, defending our well-being because how can we prevent such things happening unless we properly investigate each and every one? How can we show our true concern for the human beings involved if we call off the search on the slightest pretence? It cannot be the situation. It cannot happen.

“And so I certainly in my position will reach out as quickly as is possible to my colleagues to see that whatever the error, whatever the procedural missteps . . .what may have happened in the past, that this will never ever, ever, ever be repeated again because plainly the damage being done to families and to the psyche of this nation by these things is simply unacceptable.”

Senator Fred Mitchell said there was a need to beef up communication between search agencies and families affected. “I know this young man well, his wife, his family, his brothers, his father, his mother and they all live in the Fox Hill constituency, but quite apart from that, I want to join in the concerns about how this accident was dealt with,” he said.

PAGE 8, Monday, November 19, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

Reduce time convictions for marijuana stay on records, urges Davis

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net OPPOSITION Leader Philip Davis yesterday expressed support for the advancement of legislation to reduce the length of time that convictions for small amounts of marijuana remain on criminal records.

Mr Davis pointed to the devastating impact these convictions have on young men during a rally to mark International Men’s Day at the Western Esplanade.

The Progressive Liberal Party Leader and Cat Island MP said convicted youth

are restricted to the outskirts of Bahamian society, adding the phenomenon has cultivated an underclass more susceptible to conflict with the law.

Mr Davis said: “Legislative advancements to reduce the time on which the offence remains on one’s record and the regional thrust through CARICOM to re-categorize marijuana from an illegal narcotic to a controlled substance are steps in the right direction in rescuing many of our young men.”

CARICOM’s Regional Marijuana Commission (RMC) presented its report on the social, economic, health and legal issues

surrounding marijuana in the region earlier this year.

It called for an end to the prohibition of marijuana, and a regulatory framework that saw the plant treated similarly to tobacco and alcohol.

Mr Davis’ remarks turned to recreational marijuana as he spoke on human rights issues affecting men in the country. While he acknowledged the 2016 gender equality referendum was democratically rejected, Mr Davis insisted the country must not abandon that “noble fight”.

“I point out that question # 3 on the last constitutional referendum on gender equality sought to address and equalize the rights of single fathers regarding their children,” he said.

“Even though the question was democratically rejected and expanded rights to some of our men denied, we must not abandon that noble fight.

Mr Davis continued: “On the issue of the recreational use of marijuana, we all know that the criminal records associated with the possession of small quantities of marijuana have all but destroyed the lives of too many of our young men – literally keeping them on the periphery of the Bahamian socioeconomic mainstream.

“This has cultivated an underclass that has led to an increase in instances of conflicts with the law,” he added.

OPPOSITION Leader Philip Davis

FOX HILL COMMUNITY CENTRE SHUT AFTER GOVT FAILS TO PAY STAFF

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party chairman Fred Mitchell says the Fox Hill Community Centre has been “effectively shuttered” after the government failed to pay staff for five months.

The former Fox Hill MP said staff of the facility were unable to work on Friday, underscoring this development came as the government opened the Coconut Grove Community Centre, named after the late Edmund Moxey.

Both centres are sponsored by the InterAmerican Development Bank’s Citizen Security Programme, with the Fox Hill facility serving as the pilot project.

Yesterday, Mr Mitchell claimed a scheduled government programme could not operate “because the government has not paid staff of the centre for five months and has paid nothing for the use of the facility and its upkeep.”

“This last of payment of the staff is the third time that this has happened since I lost office in May 2017,” Mr Mitchell said.

“The MP for the area appears unable to do anything to assist.”

The failure to pay staff “adds to the list of other commitments in default,” the PLP Senator continued.

“You will remember my constantly pointing out that the Government despite its promise and publicly announced commitment to do so did not pay the power bill and allowed the facility’s power to be tuned off last year this time and it was without power for eight months until a loan was extended to the Board to return the power. It

appears that the power is on the verge of being cut off again.

Mr Mitchell said: “I have since learned that the facility in Quakoo Street which was the second one of the Community Centres in the citizen security initiative sponsored by the IDB has been closed and the staff let go. I am advised that the Minister of National Security listed both Fox Hill and Quakoo Streets at the opening in Coconut Grove as examples of the citizen security initiative.

“Surely the IDB ought to question what the Government is doing in both Fox Hill and in Quakoo Street,” he added.

Mr Mitchell pointed to reports that the Quakoo Street centre has also been shuttered, and called for full disclosure on the matter.

He insisted the Fox Hill facility was “badly needed”, and expressed concerns it was under threat of having its electricity shut off for a second time due to non-payment.

He said it appeared the FNM administration had “convenient amnesia” over commitments made by the former PLP administration.

“My interest is that the Government should live up to its commitments: pay the staff, the utility bills and the contractors so that the end stage repairs can be done,” Mr Mitchell said.

“They can leave the politics for another place and time.”

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2018

THE STORIES BEHIND THE NEWS

As Bill Clinton might say:

By FREDERICK R M SMITH, QC

F

REEPORT, Grand Bahama was the first “Anchor Project” ever conceived for The Bahamas. It remains the most ambitious in vision and scope, the most potentially game-changing for our economy and the only one we ever really needed in the first place. The Magic City was designed to be an experimental economic space, a cradle of ideas and inspiration where, cut loose from the cumbersome weight of government interference, enterprises of every conceivable size, shape and description could flourish and not even the sky would be the limit.

In the 1950s and early 60s, Freeport led an unrivalled economic boom, one that likely would have persisted until today were it not for the scourge of political interference. What we have lost in terms of prosperity and progress for our people over the last 50 years, where we could have been today were it not for the small-minded bigotry of certain politicians, is truly frightening to contemplate.

‘It’s Freeport, stupid.’

Killing economic freedom The spectacular success of this open, free and dynamic economic experiment was seen by the myopic Pindling administration as an existential threat to its black nationalist revolution. Shortly after coming to office, the PLP found the Magic City guilty of treason and sentenced it to death.

What were Freeport’s crimes?

That it was the brainchild of the white UBP oligarchy, was negotiated with and executed by white foreigners and hinged upon opening its doors to intrepid foreigners with revolutionary ideas. From the beginning, insecurity, jealousy and small-mindedness guided the PLP in all their dealings with Freeport. Crude racism and petty xenophobia blinded them to the enormous benefit for the entire Bahamas. Pindling and Co could not wrap their heads around such a daring concept, they were terrified of it, they were not in control of it and they could not corrupt it, so they decided to destroy it.

The weapon they used, as is so often the case, was the Bahamas Department of Immigration.

Overnight, free movement was halted. All foreigners were made to beg on bended knee to be allowed to enter, licence a business or own property. Those who were too independent or outspoken were exiled, while the government seized control of all land use with the Immovable Properties Act. The iron fist of executive control descended, smashing the free exchange of people and ideas. The energy and dynamism of Freeport dried up instantly.

In the years since, subsequent PLP governments, as well as those led by its offshoot, the FNM, have done nothing to change this situation. Meanwhile, over the decades both parties have approved and given full support to dozens of other projects conceived and financed by foreigners across the length and breadth of The Bahamas, because these have been small in scale and therefore controllable and corruptible by the political class. Such projects however, have proven far more insidious to our national economy and character than Freeport could ever have been.

Anchor Projects The term was coined by former Prime Minister Perry Christie for the Baha Mar project, which he announced would be the prototype for a series of new mega resorts in all populated islands.

The idea was these resorts would serve as “anchors” for economic

THE VAST potential of Freeport is still there, perhaps now more than ever. Inset, former Prime Minister Perry Christie who coined the phrace ‘Anchor Projects’. activity, epicentres from which spinoff businesses in tourism and service related industries could grow. Yet the fallacy of this concept should have been clear to the Christie Administration, which had an instructive example just a few miles east at the foot of the Paradise Island bridge.

Once home to a vibrant array of shops, restaurants and other businesses, this area of Nassau was by then a ghost town – as was the vast majority of Paradise Island outside the gates of the Atlantis Resort.

The truth is, far from supporting the surrounding business community, a mega resort inevitably sucks the air out of it. The owners have enough money to be able to offer nearly all goods and services imaginable “in house”, hypnotising and drawing in consumers, visiting and local alike.

Certainly, these resorts provide many jobs in a very limited range, but they also suffocate all diversity and ingenuity outside their walls. The fallout is even more pronounced in the Family Islands, where fragile traditional cultures and prized environmental assets are routinely sacrificed at the altar of profit – the vast majority of which is exported by the foreign resort owners.

Smart environmentalism My work in environmental protection will lead some to interpret the above statement as evidence that I oppose development. Nothing could be further from the truth. Environmentalists, myself included, know development must happen; what we oppose is a destructive approach that sacrifices all that is good and worth preserving across this beautiful and bountiful country at the whim

of the foreign developer. Spreading anchor projects across the length and breadth of The Bahamas means the environmental fallout from accidents or irresponsible development practices, and the economic fallout should such projects fail, is equally widespread and no community is safe. A diktat comes down from Nassau that your island is next, and suddenly life as you know it is over and you have no more say in your own future or that of your children.

If development must happen, and development comes with risks, surely it makes sense to concentrate that risk in one place so as to better preserve the rest of the country for future generations. This is precisely the idea behind Freeport – an “anchor” tethering all large-scale industrial, touristic, agricultural and residential activity and the associated risks to a single location, thus allowing the rest of The Bahamas to be spared, even as we enjoy the fruits of Freeport’s bounty.

If we must build mega resorts, mammoth cruise ports and industrial facilities, what better place could there be than a city already fitted with amazing, world-class infrastructure, tailor made for large-scale developments and just a stone’s throw from the United States? Many of the developments I have bitterly opposed over the years would have received enthusiastic welcome from myself and other environmentalists had they been envisioned for Freeport.

Planned development This is not to suggest a free-forall. Developers must still make a case for their project, show why it is beneficial to Bahamians and does not unduly put the

environment at risk. The Oban oil refinery – a reckless proposal with potentially disastrous repercussions for the ecology of the entire Bahamas – should be rejected in Freeport or anywhere else. A project like Carnival’s proposed cruise port (not in our pristine East GB, but perhaps within Freeport), on the other hand, could be problematic elsewhere but is perfect for the Magic City.

The evidence has shown time and again that if we don’t have a national development plan for our own country, foreign companies will make one for us that will not be in our best interests.

The Planning and Subdivision Act calls for a land use plan for each island but this is routinely ignored by government. Thankfully Freeport, under the Hawksbill Creek Agreement, already has such a plan and it covers virtually every type of development imaginable.

All that needs to be done is for this plan to be promoted by the powers that be, allowing the Freeport to flourish once again.

Immigration reform Our government remains in the grip of a blinkered, anxiety-driven effort to keep the “invaders” out of Freeport at all costs. Instead, it should focus once again on attracting cutting-edge industries and experts in the greatest number possible. Were innovative minds in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, nano-technology, renewable energy, biomedical industries, bioinformatics and analytics invited to take part in our audacious economic experiment in the north, The Bahamas would benefit tremendously from both the technology itself and the cutting-edge skills transfer to Bahamians. In

particular, a skills boost to industries such as renewable energy and public sector technology could help address some of the key development issues facing The Bahamas today.

If the government must give incentives and concessions and roll out the red carpet for foreign entities, the beneficiaries should be the innovative and groundbreaking individuals and companies of the future, not the stagnant old barons of a mega resort model. Freeport could easily become the headquarters for numerous high-tech companies and at the same time home to the most daring and audacious tourism spectacles imaginable, the playground for the ever-growing Florida economy and an attraction to visitors from around the world.

A little vision The vast potential of Freeport is still there, perhaps now more than ever, and if Bahamians have the courage to harness it, we could revolutionise this economy while in a single stroke, ushering in a new era of enlightened environmental protection and cultural preservation across the length and breadth of The Bahamas. With a little vision, this could become a country of two national hubs – two “Anchors” – one political the other industrial, two centres of employment and opportunity, two paths to success and empowerment for each and every Bahamian to choose from.

The benefits for Grand Bahama’s struggling and neglected population will follow in droves.

The nation’s second city would finally flourish, even drawing employment-hungry people from New Providence, thus helping alleviate the capital’s own underemployment and overpopulation issues. With a little vision, Freeport could become home to the most daring and audacious tourism spectacles imaginable, attracting amazed visitors from around the world. With a little courage, and a more liberal immigration policy that welcomes gifted foreigner experts, it could become home to a host of cuttingedge technologies – the Silicon Valley of the Antilles. What on earth are we waiting for?

PAGE 10 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2018

INSIGHT

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

THE FAMILY of Byron Ferguson at Nirvana Beach during a press conference after pilot Byron Ferguson went missing

By MALCOLM STRACHAN

T

RAGEDY has again hit the nation, as one family may have experienced its worst possible nightmare. Bahamian pilot Byron Ferguson, son of veteran journalist Agnes Ferguson, crash landed in waters off Nirvana Beach a week and a half ago. As the search for life continues, the nation fears the worst after debris from the wreckage was pulled out of the water around 600ft away from where the coordinates of the downed plane were initially recorded.

Shockingly, the initial search and rescue attempt by the Royal Bahamas Defence Force was called off after spotting the tail just hours earlier.

There is no doubt that this family was failed.

However, we must first assess which entity this is an indictment of. Is the RBDF, and much broader, the Ministry of National Security at fault? Is it the fault of the Ministry of Aviation? Maybe it’s a combination of failings on both ministries. Or perhaps it is symptomatic of the entire government’s ineptitude and inability to get in front of the issues?

One thing for certain is while there is much blame that can go around, nothing outside of a miracle can ease the enormous pain the Ferguson family must be feeling at this moment.

Interviews given by the family were heartbreaking to witness as desperation, fear, disappointment and betrayal could not be more evident. No Bahamian family – no taxpayer – while gripped by such a flurry of emotions should feel they also have to defend their loved one’s reputation.

Many citizens are calling for National Security Minister Marvin Dames’ head after he falsely promulgated that Mr Ferguson - noted by his family and many who know him to be a very experienced pilot - did not file a flight plan.

Video footage shared on a Facebook live feed by local community group HeadKnowles debunked that false claim. Not stopping there, it also brought to light inadequacies in the nation’s marine corps after 12 volunteer divers took only 40 minutes to accomplish what the RBDF wasn’t able to do in eight days find valuable pieces of evidence to help an investigation that seemed to be going nowhere.

Surely, the lack of communication along with inability to make any headway in the search and rescue mission calls into question the capacity of Commodore Tellis Bethel and Marvin Dames to do their jobs. It also unfortunately brings a stain of failure on that entire arm of our national security agencies. Obviously, there are gaps in our crisis management and preparedness systems.

The Bahamian people cannot

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

RBDF not the only ones to blame for failing the Ferguson family

help but wonder: “What if?”

What if one of the three runways Ferguson had to forgo because of a lack of lighting were lit? What if Defence Force protocol or training mechanisms incorporated search and rescue missions at night?

Rather than being yet again disgusted with the way something has been handled in this country, we could have been celebrating how something was done right.

Mr Ferguson could have already been reunited with his family and this dark cloud that exists over this country would not exist.

Instead, we have confusion about who made or didn’t make the right call, a minister who seems to be hiding, a prime minister doing whatever he does and RBDF personnel becoming defensive with the media during a press conference last week after civilians made a breakthrough in the search and rescue mission.

None of this addresses the matter at hand, which is: How can

we prevent an occurrence like this from ever taking place again?

Interestingly, the tenor of the RBDF is one that too often pervades when blunders take place in government – no one wants to accept responsibility for dropping the ball.

We much prefer to pass the blame. It is almost a knee-jerk reaction to being under the hot lamp of public scrutiny.

You would recall nearly a year ago the ill-fated plane crash in Mastic Point, Andros, that took the lives of pilot Darren Clarke and all of his passengers. While the deceased pilot was certainly at fault for putting lives at risk, successive ministers of aviation allowed the proliferation of hacking to take root. And certainly, it may have continued to go unchecked had it not been for those tragic events.

Likewise, the only minister who showed any semblance of accountability was Attorney General Carl Bethel by pointing out the need for sensitisation training within the RBDF. Harping on the fact that there needs to be a greater sense of urgency within

A CIVILIAN search team, organised

by Gina Knowles, left, soon found wreckage of the plane flown by Byron Ferguon, far left.

the defence force when matters like this occur, Bethel said he would discuss such matters with Cabinet.

Undoubtedly, the government has to put in place the necessary funding to enhance the capabilities of the RBDF, particularly in relation to equipment and training.

Moreover, those in office need to put the shoe on the other foot.

What if this had been your loved one? When in positions to affect the lives of the average citizen, there must be a deep desire to

help our brothers and sisters.

Without that, it is too easy to let the status quo prevail.

That said, it is disheartening that Commodore Tellis Bethel is still in defence mode when it would be much more appreciated if he were to admit where they could have done things better.

The continued explanation of what was done by the RBDF is only adding insult to the most grievous injury.

The optics of civilians doing the RBDF’s job does not bode well for Bethel’s future as Commodore - as the Bahamian people will demand someone answer for this debacle.

Finally, it should be all of our shared hope that the Ferguson family can feel the support of the wider community. We pray with them. We, like them, want answers.

We, too, demand retribution. But most importantly, we pray that somewhere out there, their son, brother, husband and father is holding on for imminent rescue.

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

INSIGHT

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2018 PAGE 11

By PATRICIA GLINTON-MEICHOLAS

I

N ITS struggle to gain a secure foothold in today’s global village, The Bahamas is ardently seeking models of success, particularly from the super states which control the lion’s share of the world’s wealth. As our near neighbour and longtime world superpower, the national gaze is forever turned towards the United States as the epitome of achievement. We adopt and follow slavishly its mores and practices, often without any in-depth analysis of our unique cultural, social and economic profile and of the necessary modification to integrate new ideas beneficially.

Nowhere is this more evident than in our state-funded education system, where 12 years of studies fail spectacularly in delivering, in appreciable numbers, graduates who can articulate successfully with and contribute significantly to world-class ideas, production, ease of doing business and international trade.

Aware that competitive ability and success in the 21st century would be far different animals from what obtained in the 100 preceding years, we intensified our focus on practices in the American classroom. There, recently, we discovered STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) a bloated emperor, served by digital competence as handmaiden-in-chief.

Doubtless, STEM competencies are valuable and necessary elements of the 21st century progressive landscape and our country has recently begun a zealous cult for them, at least in theory and in voluble declarations of its devotees. Sadly, in fealty to the new education religion, the subject of literature has been shoved into an airless cupboard to languish undernourished and die unmourned, as useless elitism, yielding no scientifically auditable returns.

I’m told that educators are not mandated to teach literature at all in senior secondary schools. Apparently, every class has four periods of language arts, with top classes having an extra period to allow for an optional flirtation with literature. As might have been expected as, all the periods are now dedicated to language arts. In addition to the literary famine in classrooms, all too many homes are starved of books.

Basic literacy is not enough to build a progressive, peaceful society. While progress demands inventors, we are creating digital mechanics. Rather than thinkers and creatives, we are borrowing thought and creativity as defined and promoted by powerful and often harmful manipulators of social media. On the rise are individuals who lack essentials of competent leadership, particularly the ability to understand human interactions and solve complex social problems. More and more, individuals exhibit a lack of emotional intelligence and make violence their prime choice in resolving conflicts. Are we not creating citizens with values that countervail the demands of the 21st century and the satisfaction of our national needs?

Without literature how can we develop successful 21st century citizens?

In bringing us the wisdom of the ages, literature can help us perceive novel relationships and encourages leaps of the imagination. Literature, taught properly, cultivates refinement in communication, analytical ability, heightened perception, introspection and sensitivity to and appreciation for differences. Is it wise to spurn this developmental toolkit? Surely not. It supports a number of intelligences, skills

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and understandings, which are invaluable to the development of a beneficially contributing citizenry of the 21st century, where negotiation, rather than force, is essential to driving progress and preserving peace.

In its national curriculum, the New Zealand Ministry of Education targets five key competencies for its students—Thinking; Using language, symbols, and text;

THE PRESS conference to announce the official launch of the SeaWords Bahamas Literary Festival. (Left to right) Paul McWeeney, President, Sunshine Insurance (Arawak Homes—Diamond Sponsor); Neko Meicholas, Communications, Creative Nassau; Pamela Burnside, President, Creative Nassau; Patrica Glinton-Meicholas, VP, Creative Nassau; Gravette Brown, Chief Aliv Commercial Officer (Aliv, Title Sponsor); Rosemary Hanna, Member, Creative Nassau and Richard Coulson, Member, Organizing Committee, SeaWords Bahamas.

Managing self; Relating to others and Participating and contributing, defining these desired learner traits as “capabilities people have, and need to develop, to live and learn today and in the future.” (http:// nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/Key-competencies) New Zealand’s learning goals closely accord with those of other educational bodies. The highly respected International Baccalaureate programme targets conditioning students to become: Inquirers, Knowledgeable, Thinkers, Communicators, Principled, Open-minded, Caring, Risktakers, Balanced, Reflective.

The Global Digital Citizen Foundation speaks of the “Essential Fluencies of innovative learning” in the present century, noting that such fluencies “have nothing to do with hardware—they are about headware, and heartware!” (http://globaldigitalcitizen.org/21st-century-fluencies/) All the foregoing curriculum choices speak to the “heartware” that good literature can nurture. STEM subjects and literature are not and should not be considered mutually exclusive. As complimentary partners in education, they can energize the faculties that feed beneficial dynamism in human beings and underwrite enviable and profitable personal and national development.

There is hope. In 2018, desiring to counter the downgrade of literature, Creative Nassau, a registered non-profit organisation, launched SeaWords Bahamas. Planned as a biennial event, SeaWords is dedicated to the elevation of literature and creative writing in Bahamian schools and homes, as well as to the promotion of the literary arts as potential contributors to the beneficial diversification of the Bahamian economy. We received sponsorship from a number of perceptive entities.

This is encouraging and key to The Bahamas’ survival in the present turbulent age.

I invite the support of more Bahamians and lovers of literature worldwide.

PAGE 12 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2018

INSIGHT

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

Watch for the signs which signal abuse ABUSE occurs when one person in a relationship attempts to dominate and control the other person.

Usually, the control begins with psychological or emotional abuse, then escalates to physical abuse.

Exposure to abuse as a child, leads people to become abusive later on in life.

When children are abused or witness the abuse of a parent it helps shape their longterm behaviour.

There are undoubtedly serious effects of experiencing or witnessing abuse as a child. Studies show children who are exposed to violence can be more likely to repeat the cycle they learned and grow up to become either victims or abusers themselves.

This is true even for kids who are not themselves the targets of abuse. Children who witness acts of violence, against a parent or someone else in the home can be affected in the same way as children who are physically and sexually abused. Children living in a violent environment may come to believe this behaviour is acceptable.

It is crucial we are able to intervene with kids at a young age, offering them the opportunity to learn about healthy relationships, conflict resolution, selfesteem and boundaries.

But at the same time, it is important to note the relationship between childhood exposure to violence and abuse later in life is not a given. While many adult abusers and survivors of violence did grow up with

violence in the home, not all children with violence in the home experience violence again later in life, not all abusers were abused or exposed to violence as children.

While learning these behaviours from a parent or other adults can be a powerful way that violence, power, and control become normalised, it is not the only way abusers learn these behaviours. A desire for power and control can stem from other circumstances.

What are the feelings of kids who are exposed to abuse?

Children who are exposed to abuse become fearful and anxious. They are always on guard waiting on the next event to occur. They never know what will trigger the abuse, and therefore, they never feel safe. Children from abusive homes can look fine to the outside world, but inside they are in terrible pain. They may even blame themselves for the abuse.

They may feel rage, embarrassment, and humiliation.

Signs of Abuse Out of fear or shame, many victims of abuse will try to hide or deny it, and

in the process of trying to cover it up, they exhibit signs that abuse is taking place.

However, if someone is being abused, they are likely to display some of these signs: If someone is being physically abused they will likely have frequent bruises or physical injuries for which they have a weak or inconsistent explanation. Some common injuries include black eyes, busted lips, red or purple marks on the neck and sprained wrists.

They may exhibit injuries consistent with being punched, choked or knocked down. Bruises on the arms might indicate defensive wounds from the victim trying to protect themselves. The victim may offer excuses for the injuries like falling or being accident-prone, but often the seriousness of the injury will seem more severe than the cause the explanation provides.

If victims have such injuries, they will often try to cover them up with makeup or clothing. You may notice they are wearing clothing that is not appropriate for the weather, such as long sleeves or scarves in the summer. Wearing heavier than normal make-up or

wearing sunglasses inside are also common signs of abuse. Complaining of a lack of sleep or, likewise, complaining of sleeping too much can be a sign of physical abuse.

If you notice someone who was once outgoing and cheerful has gradually become quiet and withdrawn it could be a sign of abuse. A person who was once chatty and gregarious who is suddenly quiet, reserved and distant, could be an abuse victim.

You may notice the victim drop out of activities they would usually enjoy, they cancel appointments or meetings with you at the last minute, and they may often be late to work or other appointments.

Victims of abuse might exhibit excessive privacy concerning their personal life or the person with whom they are in a relationship.

They may begin cutting off contacts with friends and even family members and begin isolating themselves from those whose company they once enjoyed.

Signs of Fear People who are being abused may seem anxious or nervous when they are away from the abuser or they may seem overly anxious to please their partner. If they have children, the children may seem timid, frightened, or extremely well-behaved when the partner is around.

Although victims may not talk about the actual abuse, they might refer to the abuser as “moody” or having a bad temper. They may reveal that the partner is particularly bad-tempered when drinking alcohol.

Sometimes, the fear a victim of abuse experiences is so intense they feel paralyzed to make decisions or to even protect themselves or their children. When the fear gets to that point, they will even turn down help offered to them by friends, family, or even professional protective services.

Emotional Signs of Abuse Abuse can take an emotional toll on victims to the extent they will exhibit a sense of helplessness, hopelessness, or despair. They come to believe they will never escape the control of the abuser. They may also exhibit a constant state of alertness to the point they never can completely relax.

This may also affect their sleep.

Other emotional signs of abuse can include: Low self-esteem Extremely apologetic or meek Agitation, anxiety, or constant apprehension Developing a drug or alcohol problem Symptoms of depression Loss of interest in daily activities Talking about or attempting suicide These symptoms could be due to many other conditions or factors, but they are typical traits of victims who feel they are trapped in the abusive relationship.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, November 19, 2018, PAGE 13

MACRON AND MERKEL SEEK COMMON APPROACHES TO TRUMP FRANKFURT, Associated Press FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel met yesterday and discussed migration, fixing the euro currency, Europe’s defence, taxing digital companies and other issues as the two leaders looked to preserve their influence abroad while their authority flags at home.

Macron, who came to Berlin to take part in Germany’s national remembrance day for the victims of war and dictatorship, urged European government to seize

more responsibility for their own fate, especially regarding defence.

Macron said that the FrenchGerman alliance “is invested with this obligation not to allow the world to slide into chaos, and to accompany it on the road of peace.”

He said that Europe can’t play its role “if it doesn’t take more responsibility for its defence and security and is content to play a secondary role on the international scene.” Macron looked ahead to the European Parliament elections in May, which will give populist and anti-EU parties another chance to test their

appeal with voters. “We must do a great deal by May next year to achieve a more united, more sovereign and more efficient Europe, which we so urgently need,” he said.

The two biggest countries in Europe can be a powerful force, but their leaders at the moment are hampered by falling domestic support. Macron has seen his poll ratings sag at home, where more than a quarter-million people protested on Saturday over proposed gas tax hikes. Merkel has been a lame duck since saying she wouldn’t seek another term.

Merkel has offered support for

FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel

Macron’s proposal for a European army someday. Both leaders have said Europe needs to depend less on others — such as the US — for its defence.

US President Donald Trump has unsettled NATO allies by demanding member countries either pay more for defence or “protect themselves,” as he put it in a recent tweet.

However, ceremonial appearances and warm words offered ahead of a December summit on the euro can’t hide the persistent friction between the French and German approaches to the European Union’s economic issues.

Searchers in California wildfire face rain delays CALIFORNIA Associated Press VOLUNTEERS in white coveralls, hard hats and masks poked through ash-covered debris yesterday, searching for the remains of victims of the devastating Northern California wildfire before rains that are forecast for this week complicate their efforts.

While the rain could help cool down the blazes that have killed 76 people so far, it also could wash away telltale fragments of bone, or turn loose, dry ash into a thick paste that would frustrate the search.

A team of 10 volunteers went from burned house to burned house yesterday in the devastated town of Paradise, accompanied by a cadaver dog with a bell on its collar that jingled in the grim landscape.

The members of the team — one of several involved in the search — scrutinised the rubble in fiveminute sweeps, using sticks to move aside debris and focused on vehicles, bathtubs and what was left of mattresses. When no remains were found, they spray-painted a large, orange “0’’ near the house.

Robert Panak, a volunteer on a different search and recovery team from Napa County, spent the morning searching homes, but didn’t find any remains.

Asked whether the job was tough, the 50-year-old volunteer said, “I just think about the positives, bringing relief to the families, closure.”

He said his approach was to try to picture the house before it burned and think about where people might have hidden.

Nearly 1,300 names are on a list of people who are unaccounted for more than a week after the fire began in Butte County, authorities said late Saturday. They stressed that the long roster does not mean they believe all those on the list are missing.

PRESIDENT Donald Trump talks with from left, Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom, California Gov. Jerry Brown, Paradise Mayor Jody Jones and FEMA Administrator Brock Longduring a visit to an area destroyed by the wildfires on Saturday, Sheriff Kory Honea pleaded with evacuees to review the list of those reported as unreachable by family and friends and to call the department if those people are known to be safe.

Deputies have located hundreds of people to date, but the overall number keeps growing because they are adding more names, including those from the chaotic early hours of the disaster, Honea said.

“As much as I wish that we could get through all of this before the rains come, I don’t

OUSTING ME WON’T MAKE BREXIT TALKS EASIER - MAY LONDON Associated Press BRITAIN’S besieged Prime Minister Theresa May warned yesterday that a leadership change wouldn’t make Brexit negotiations easier, as opponents in her Conservative Party threaten to unseat her and the former Brexit secretary suggested she failed to stand up to bullying from European Union officials.

As Conservative rebels try to gather the numbers to trigger a no-confidence vote, May insisted she hadn’t considered quitting.

“A change of leadership at this point isn’t going to make the negotiations any easier and it isn’t going to change the parliamentary arithmetic,” she said.

May added that the next seven days “are going to be critical” for successful Brexit talks, and that she will be travelling to Brussels to meet with EU leaders before an emergency European Council summit on November 25.

An announcement this week that Britain has struck a draft divorce agreement with the EU triggered a political crisis in Britain, with the deal roundly savaged by both the opposition and large chunks of May’s own Conservatives. Two Cabinet ministers and several junior government members quit, and more than 20 lawmakers have submitted letters of no confidence in May. Forty-eight such letters are needed for a leadership challenge vote.

Asked about the attacks directed at her, May said: “It doesn’t distract me. Politics is a tough business and I’ve been in it for a long time.”

Dominic Raab, who quit Thursday as Brexit secretary, said “there is one thing missing and that is political will and resolve.”

“If we cannot close this deal on reasonable terms, we need to be very honest with the country that we will not be bribed and blackmailed or bullied and we will walk away,” he said,

FANTASTIC BEASTS FLIES TO THE TOP

FANTASTIC Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald crawled, slithered and flew its way to the top of the weekend box office with a $62.2 million opening in the US.and Canada, according to studio estimates yesterday. The latest offering from the Harry Potter multiverse fell short of the opening of the first film in the Warner Bros. series, 2016’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which debuted with $74 million in a similar November release and went on to earn $234 million in the US and Canada.

know if that’s possible,” he said.

Honea said it was within the “realm of possibility” that officials would never know the exact death toll from the blaze.

Hundreds of search and recovery personnel are involved in the effort, going to homes when they receive tips that someone might have died there.

But they are also doing a more comprehensive, “door-to-door” and “car-to-car” search of areas, said Joe Moses, a commander with the Monterey County Sheriff’s

Office, who is helping oversee the search and rescue effort. he search area is huge, Moses said, with many structures that need to be checked.

The fire also burned many places to the ground, creating a landscape unique to many search-and- rescue personnel, he said. “Here we’re looking for very small parts and pieces, and so we have to be very diligent and systematic in how we do your searches,” he said.

The remains of five more people were found Saturday, including four in Paradise and one in nearby Concow.

PROTESTERS CHANT ‘OUT!’ AT MIGRANTS IN MEXICO TIJUANA Associated Press

HUNDREDS of Tijuana residents congregated around a monument in an affluent section of the city south of California yesterday to protest about the thousands of Central American migrants who have arrived via caravan in hopes of a new life in the US. Tensions have built as nearly 3,000 migrants from the caravan poured into Tijuana in recent days after more than a month on the road, and with many more months ahead of them while they seek asylum.

The federal government estimates the number of migrants could soon swell to 10,000.

US border inspectors are processing only about 100 asylum claims a day at Tijuana’s main crossing to San Diego. Asylum seekers register their names in a tattered notebook managed by migrants themselves that had more than 3,000 names even before the caravan arrived.

Yesterday, Tijuana residents sang the Mexican national anthem and chanted “Out! Out!” in front of a statue of the Aztec ruler Cuauhtemoc, one mile from the US border. They accused the migrants of being messy, ungrateful and a danger to Tijuana. They also complained about how the caravan forced its way into Mexico, calling it an “invasion.” And they voiced worries their taxes might be spent to care for the group. “We don’t want them in Tijuana,” protesters shouted.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, November 19, 2018, PAGE 15

HELLO SANTA! FATHER Christmas was guest of honour at the festive parade at the Mall at Marathon on Saturday where Tribune photographer Terrel W Carey Jr was on hand to capture the excitement.