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ALICIA WALLACE: IT’S BETTER WHEN WE ARE NOT AFRAID TO TALK
Dames hits out at ‘off base’ AG Bethel wrong to attack RBDF on search operation By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net NATIONAL Security Minister Marvin Dames slammed criticisms levelled by Attorney General Carl Bethel over the Defence Force’s handling of a recent plane crash as “absolutely off-base”. Mr Dames told reporters outside the Churchill building that leaders should not speak without the facts as he continued his defence of the efforts of the security forces in the search for
pilot Byron Ferguson and his plane. The national security minister could not provide a timeline for the probe ordered by the prime minister into the accident response and investigation, but called on the public to wait on its assessment before casting aspersions. Mr Dames also apologised for any comments that may have caused grief to the Ferguson family, but did not articulate whether it was for his own
PRESS Secretary Anthony Newbold said it “serves nobody” when Cabinet ministers contradict themselves publicly as National Security Minister Marvin Dames and Attorney General Carl Bethel have done over the Royal
SEE PAGE THREE
AN ARMED man, reportedly chasing a woman while threatening harm, remains in hospital after being shot by police yesterday. According to the Royal Bahamas Police Force, sometime around 9pm on Monday, police responded to Wilkerson Street after receiving reports that a man was at a home armed with a firearm and threatening residents. Police said a few minutes later, they received additional information that the man had moved to Rupert Dean Lane and was in the process of chasing an unidentified woman.
HAITIAN RIOTS LEAD TO EMBASSY SHUTDOWN By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
RIOTS and a United Nations-enforced curfew in Haiti have prompted the closure of The Bahamas’ Embassy in Port-au-Prince until further notice. In line with United Nations protocols, Foreign Affairs Minister Darren Henfield said officials closed the embassy and are continuing to be vigilant in monitoring the situation.
MINISTERS AT ODDS ‘SERVES NOBODY’ By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
SEE PAGE FIVE
SEE PAGE THREE
Bahamas Defence Force’s response to the Byron Ferguson plane crash. Long-time political observers said Mr Bethel’s criticism of the RBDF last week was extraordinary, and Mr Dames’ rebuttal yesterday was also highly unusual. The statements came days after Commodore
SUSPECT SHOT AFTER ‘FIRING AT OFFICERS’
PLANE DEBRIS ‘VERY HOTEL ROW DEEP’ THREATENS
SEE PAGE SIX
THE RBDF continues its search for debris from the plane which crashed into the sea with pilot Byron Ferguson on board. Full story - Page 2. Photo: Michael Turner
NO CHARGES - BUT STILL TRAPPED IN JAIL
By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
LAWYERS for a schizophrenic man imprisoned for more than three years without being charged are considering constitutional relief after his family could not meet his bail. Alfairs Agregory Higgs, 42, was said to be “dying in Fox Hill, mentally and physically” in the seven months since he appeared before Supreme Court
ALFAIRS AGREGORY HIGGS Justice Andrew Forbes. He was granted a conditional release on $15,000 bail. “It wasn’t just the
TOURISM UPSURGE
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
money,” said attorney Crispin Hall during a recent interview. “The issue was you need to present land papers with bail over $10,000. His family has limited resources, and whenever you have someone unlawfully incarcerated for that amount of time - it’s a unique situation. “The family couldn’t meet that requirement so it made it almost
MINISTER of Tourism Dionisio D’Aguilar yesterday “implored” the hotel union not to undermine anticipated “double digit growth” for the coming holidays with industrial action. He said he was deeply concerned about union moves to put 5,000 members on “work to rule” at many of its major resort properties.
SEE PAGE SEVEN
FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
PAGE 2, Wednesday, November 21, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
The search goes on By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net
SEARCH efforts into the tragic plane crash of pilot Byron Ferguson continue to yield finds of aircraft debris, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force noted in a statement released yesterday. According to the statement, yesterday’s search – a joint recovery effort involving multiple government agencies and volunteer support – included a deep sea diver who reached a depth of 404 feet. The diver “discovered more debris cascading down the face of the continental shelf,” sharing that the plane would have “descended into much deeper waters.” In view of this conclusion, the relevant authorities will meet today to determine the “best course of action” regarding search efforts. Five key agencies have been involved in the recovery efforts for both Mr Ferguson and the aircraft: the RBDF, the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the Bahamas Air Accident Investigation Department (AAID), Bahamas Air Sea Search and Rescue Association (BASRA), and the United States Coast Guard; in addition to volunteers. Shoreline patrols, boats, a drone, and divers have also been part of the process. Yesterday, the RBDF said 11 days of extensive search efforts have been organised since Mr Ferguson’s plane crashed in the waters off Nirvana Beach on November 8. The way authorities have conducted search efforts for both Mr Ferguson and his aircraft has been met with much scrutiny and criticism from the public, including Mr Ferguson’s family. In the statement, the RBDF continued its damage control efforts, which began with a press conference held on Friday, by listing major mileposts that have occurred during the last eleven days of search. “An RBDF patrol craft had found the tail end of the aircraft (vertical stabiliser) on the night of the incident minutes before it sank in waters ranging in depths from 60 to 1,500 feet,” the statement reads. “Since then, RBDF divers found the first debris field on Tuesday, 13 November, not far from where the tail end was seen. “A second debris field was found by a voluntary group of divers on Thursday, 15 November, all in 80 feet of water. On Friday 15 November, RBDF divers found debris in 216 feet of water. “On Monday, 22 RBDF divers and two divers from the RBPF were in the area. Also providing significant support for the dive operation was the glass-bottom boat, Lil Nassau, as well as a twoman dive team consisting of a deep sea diver aboard a 45-foot recreational craft, and a BASRA vessel. “RBDF divers provided dive support for the volunteer diver, who reached a depth of 404 feet. The dive was carried out near the area where the debris fields were previously discovered. “The deep sea diver discovered more debris cascading down the face of the continental shelf, and shared with the support teams that the aircraft would have
FIVE key agencies have been involved in the recovery efforts for both Byron Ferguson and the aircraft. Photos: Marine Seaman Michael Turner
‘Debris cascaded down the face of the continental shelf and would have descended into much deeper waters’
descended into much deeper waters. The entire evolution took approximately two hours for the diver to reach 404 feet and to safely ascend.” The RBDF noted in the 280 hours since it started daily search operations, over 200 square miles have been covered in the search for a survivor. “In view of results of this latest dive, inter-agency partners will meet tomorrow to determine the best course of action in regard to current search efforts,” the statement concludes. Regarding the ongoing investigation into the crash, Bahamas Civil Aviation Authority Director General Captain Charles Beneby yesterday said the BCAA will be available to provide “factual information” once the work of the Air Accident Investigation
Department is completed. As he extended his sympathies to Mr Ferguson’s family, Mr Beneby noted much “unverified information” has been spread, and in that vein the BCAA, as a regulatory body, will not comment at this time. The director general made these remarks yesterday during a press conference for Western Air receiving the BCAA’s approval to operate new jets. “I wish to say firstly, as it relates to the incident of last week Thursday (November 8), our thoughts and prayers are with the Ferguson family,” Mr Beneby said. “This incident is an active investigation, that is being conducted by the (AAID) and for that reason, we are not in a position to comment on that incident.
“Of course, the BCAA has responsibility for regulatory oversight,” Mr Beneby continued. “So once the investigation is completed, we will be joining with the (AAID) to provide more information, factual information – because you can imagine there has been a lot of discussions, a lot of unverified information. “So we are required to, or (AAID) is required to, find the facts. And once the facts are known, then we will take any necessary action.” On Sunday, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said he has ordered a full review of protocols, procedures and agencies involved in air accident response and investigations in the country – “including any systemic or
structural problems” — in the wake of Mr Ferguson’s case. When asked how long the investigation will last and for further comment regarding this revamp of protocols, Mr Beneby referred to an upcoming parliamentary bill. “A new air accident investigation bill is being prepared for presentation in parliament and I’m thinking that that should happen fairly soon. “BCAA, though, still reserves its position that we prefer – as a matter of fact we’re obligated to wait— until all the facts are in before we can comment any further.” Julia Brathwaite-Rolle, a BCAA Safety Oversight Department manager, made additional comments on this matter, noting the authority plans to start a public education campaign on matters relating to civil aviation. “One thing you must understand is … the (BCAA) is the regulator and oversight regime,” Mrs Brathwaite-Rolle said. “We are not the actual ones who go out and perform the activities but we do provide oversight. “So … as it relates to how does or will that bring changes to the accident/investigation part of it there’s so many different gamuts and this is one of the things this authority plans to do in educating the public about the processes within aviation and understanding how each department and entity coexist.”
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, November 21, 2018, PAGE 3
MINISTERS AT ODDS ‘SERVES NOBODY’ from page one
Tellis Bethel admitted that the RBDF’s own communication in the matter was lacking. Mr Bethel had argued that the RBDF was not sensitised to accident disaster recovery. Yesterday, Mr Newbold was asked how Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis feels about Mr Dames and Mr Bethel
contradicting themselves in public. “Well, obviously that serves nobody,” he said. “The prime minister has promised that he will have a full review of what has happened with respect to that plane crash. “We know there are two investigations ongoing now. Once those reports have been completed, they will be reviewed and recommendations, decisions made as to what happened. Lots of talk in the public and
media about that plane crash and the way it has been handled. The prime minister has spoken to the family. I have spoken to the family. You know the person in question, (is) the son of a former colleague of ours, Agnes Ferguson, so everybody wants the family to have some closure and the family is going to wait for those investigations to be completed, they will be reviewed and everything that’s happened will be
MARVIN DAMES
addressed but some comments were made (by public officials). (I have) no comments on those.” Asked if Dr Minnis wanted ministers not to comment until the c the investigation is completed, Mr Newbold said: “All the conversations about this investigation and crash, they won’t serve anybody to continue talking about them until those investigations are done and reviews completed.
CARL BETHEL
Bethel wrong to attack RBDF, insists Dames from page one statements or on behalf of the agencies under him. Last week, he incorrectly said the pilot had no flight plan, prompting outrage from the Ferguson family and a petition for him to be fired. “We have to be careful not to get caught up in the frenzy of attacking an entire agency in the absence of evidence,” Mr Dames said, “whether it’s my party or anybody else’s party, okay? We as leaders ought to set the example and when we fail to do that, then anything follows.” He continued: “The vast majority of men and women in the Defence Force are hard-working people, Police Force are hardworking, and we have to take these things into account. I’m not saying we can’t be critical, when the facts are there we need to face up to it live up to it and address it, okay? “When we don’t have facts,”
Mr Dames added, “as leaders we have to be careful when we open our mouths, no matter on what side of the fence we sit. PLP, FNM, or DNA.” In the Senate last week, Mr Bethel suggested the November 8 crash may not have been “properly” investigated, and pledged to reach out to his colleagues to ensure that whatever “procedural missteps” occurred in this case and others would not happen again. Mr Bethel’s comments in the Senate were in line with concerns levelled by the Ferguson family, the Official Opposition, and the general public, but were in stark contrast to the pronouncements of his Cabinet colleague. Yesterday, Mr Dames repeatedly insisted the police and Defence Force officers were hard-working, and have followed standard search and rescue protocols since the initial report that the Piper Aztec plane had
THREE MEN IN A BOAT RESCUED BY RBDF AFTER THEY RUN OUT OF FUEL By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net THREE men were rescued at sea by the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and United States Coast Guard on Sunday when their boat ran out of fuel. The men were spotted off Cat Island by a cruise ship, which reported the matter to the USCG. The USCG mobilised with Bahamian
authorities and the RBDF eventually rescued the men off Exuma. According to a RBDF official, the men weren’t adrift for “more than a day” before they were saved. They reportedly sustained no injuries. “A joint rescue operation between the (RBDF) and (USCG) resulted in the rescue of three Bahamians at sea on Sunday past,” the RBDF reported.
crashed in waters off Nirvana Beach. “I have many thoughts on it,” Mr Dames said. “I think (Mr Bethel) was absolutely off-base and I don’t have anything else to say to that he was off-base. Every organisation has areas in which they need to improve on, the Defence Force is no different, the Police Force, every agency of government.” Mr Dames continued: “Now we will wait for the review and I think that is extremely important. We have to wait for the review and see what it shows because at the end of the day we all are in this for the same thing. “We’re in it to bring some resolution, to give the family some peace, yes criticism will come and that’s all a part of it. We have to look at it realistically, wherever we need to improve, we need to improve absolutely, all right, but as we criticise, we have to be cognisant that we are armed with the facts and that’s all I’m saying.”
Despite “communication issues” acknowledged by RBDF Commodore Tellis Bethel in the wake of the crash, Mr Dames said divers have continued their methodical search of the ocean floor. He warned all search efforts must be coordinated with the RBDF through the rescue agency BASRA, as it was still an investigation and the evidence would need to be properly catalogued. As for his apology, Mr Dames said he empathised with the family as he did with all families who have experienced such loss. “I feel for the family,” he said, “from the time this incident started and I know that some things may have been said and this is a very sensitive issue all right, and I do apologise for some of the things that may have been said that may have caused some grief.” He continued: “This is what it’s all about, but our hearts are all in the right place, and not only for
this family but for all families. We have to look at this across the board for all families who would have lost loved ones. It’s a painful agony. There are some families who have yet to have loved ones returned.” Last Thursday, a week after the crash, a group of civilian divers discovered debris from Mr Ferguson’s plane in the waters off Nirvana Beach. Locating an estimated 60-70 pieces of debris, the team made its discovery 40 minutes into the search, 600ft away from the plane’s original location, and 80 feet deep. The next day at a press conference, Commodore Bethel vehemently defended his organisation’s search and recovery efforts. He maintained that marines had made every effort for the previous nine days in which the search “pushed the envelope”, but was careful not to compromise safety.
PAGE 4, Wednesday, November 21, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
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Why Black Friday leads shoppers to behave badly THE manic nature of Black Friday has at times led shoppers to engage in fistfights and other misbehaviour in their desperation to snatch up the last ultradiscounted television, computer or pair of pants. What is it about the day after Thanksgiving – a day meant to celebrate togetherness and shared feasting – that inspires consumers to misbehave? Fellow researchers Sharron Lennon, Minjeong Kim, Kim Johnson and I have in recent years been exploring the causes of consumer misbehaviour on Black Friday, historically one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Our research shows how our emotions affect our likelihood to misbehave, as well as a significant difference between men and women. The term “Black Friday” first appeared in the journal Factory Management and Maintenance in 1951. It signals the beginning of the Christmas shopping season, when many retailers finally go “in the black” – that is, they become profitable for the year. More recently, Black Friday has become a setting for consumer misbehaviour as shoppers compete for deeply discounted products. In the US, the most shocking example of misbehaviour occurred in 2008 when a Walmart worker was trampled and killed as shoppers rushed to enter the store. So what causes some consumers to behave so badly? It starts with the unique characteristics of Black Friday sales promotions and the frantic retail environment they create. Retailers heavily promote their most desirable items at deeply discounted prices in order to encourage more foot traffic. Demand for those precious few items naturally exceeds supply. That imbalance can lead to aggressive consumer behaviour. But another key ingredient is sleep deprivation, which results from the very timing of the sales, which may begin at midnight or early in the morning and require eager customers to camp outside a store all night. That means many Black Friday shoppers aren’t functioning at their best, resulting in grumpy moods and bad decisions. Research my colleagues and I conducted in 2014 examined how two situational variables – large crowds and the rude, argumentative behaviour of fellow shopper – affected the likelihood that otherwise jovial consumers would become Black Friday miscreants. We created a questionnaire based on past research of the topic and asked
several hundred students at four universities located in different regions of the country to fill them out. We analysed only results from the 260 participants who reported to have shopped on Black Friday in the past and completed the survey. On the whole, we found the large crowds that congregate on Black Friday actually had positive effects on consumer behaviour, reducing dissatisfaction and aggression and thus errant activity as well. That is, as long as the shoppers were expecting to have to navigate very crowded stores. All it takes is one bad seed, however, to ruin the experience for others. Being unable to purchase the advertised product seems unfair, leading to misbehaviour and in turn making others more likely to follow suit. Black Friday creates a competitive environment since not all shoppers can get what they want. Thus, this competitive environment causes both positive and negative emotions. Consumers are thrilled when they get what they want and frustrated when they do not. For retailers, Black Friday is meant to attract these large crowds in hopes of ringing in more sales. But besides leading to minor misbehaviour, more people jostling over a small number of deeply discounted items can also lead to injuries or even wrongful death lawsuits. Retailers need to balance making more money and the safety of their customers and workers. In general, reducing the number of unpleasant customers would improve the shopping experience for other shoppers as well as for store employees. Rather than ignoring or accommodating such shoppers, retailers should be proactive by clearly communicating store policies and quickly reacting to signs of aggression by removing the bad actors. Other steps retailers could take include adding checkout lanes to speed up traffic and putting more employees on the sales floor to improve responsiveness to shopper concerns. Ultimately, customers are responsible for their own behaviour. When shoppers behave responsibly, the Black Friday experience isn’t spoiled for their fellow customers and everyone is able to buy their digital goods and clothes in a safe and relatively stress-free environment. By Jaeha Lee of North Dakota State University. This article first appeared on The Converation.
Time to stop pandering to irresponsible vendors EDITOR, The Tribune THE Nassau Straw Market is teeming with Progressive Liberal Party devotees and PLP Leader Philip “Brave” Davis is cognisant of this. In an act of solidarity, Davis and PLP executives toured the straw market recently and heard the complaints of disgruntled vendors against the Free National Movement administration’s crackdown on delinquent vendors who are failing to pay their $37.50 weekly rental fee. Davis’ description of the FNM’s and Straw Market authority’s actions as being ‘‘inhumane’’ and ‘‘uncaring’’ is also applicable to the previous PLP government, when former Straw Market authority chairman Ron Pinder suspended 75 vendors at the Bay Street market whose licence fees were in arrears in 2013. In late 2012 Pinder suspended 14 vendors and 54 vendors respectively within a span of several
weeks. With total arrears at $250,000, delinquent vendors’ individual arrears ranged from between $500 to $1,600. According to Pinder, internal investigations revealed that vendors were spending as much as $100 per day in the web shops, yet they had issue paying their $35 weekly fee. In keeping with his no-nonsense policy, Pinder forced delinquent vendors to enter into a financial arrangement in which they would remain current with their $35 fee as well as pay an additional $35 towards their arrears. The vendors eventually got fed up with Pinder’s hardline stance and decided to use their political clout by lobbying someone within the PLP hierarchy for Pinder’s head. He was promptly dismissed from the Straw Market authority and given a post in the General Registrar’s office. Straw Business Persons Society president Esther Thompson, who I believe is
a PLP, was the face for the opposition against Pinder. In July of 2014, with Pinder no longer being a member of the Straw Market authority, a dozen vendors were evicted from the market for failing to pay their rental fee. Again, Ms Thompson was vocal in her opposition against the evictions. All of the foregoing evictions occurred under the PLP administration that Davis was very much a part of. I believe Davis and the PLP should stop pandering to these irresponsible vendors, because these people are only hoping for a Davis led administration to continue facilitating their decades-old culture of slackness of not meeting their obligations to their landlord. They simply need to pay their bills. KEVIN EVANS Freeport, Grand Bahama November 18, 2018
Squandering our potential EDITOR, The Tribune I ALWAYS have mixed feelings when tributes pour in for prominent persons in our society, particularly former politicians who are recently deceased. On the one hand there are glowing reports of their accomplishments and successes, their love for God, family and country and their impeccable character and on the other hand, there is the truth. All of us as humans are flawed in one way or another, but there has to be a certain amount of honesty in the discussion so that revisionists will not write the history they want future generations to believe, allowing what is handed down to be more propaganda than fact. Although we must be respectful, the time is long past when people can live like the devil in life and have the glowing report of angels in death. In the not-too-distant past, Black Bahamians were oppressed and downtrodden, denied opportunities for education and advancement in this country simply because of their race. These men and women experienced genuine wrongs they wanted to correct so that life could be better for their children. Through persistence they triumphed and the black majority were handed the reins of power and the right to self determination. The biblical wisdom of why the slave should not become master has been experienced by every generation of Bahamian with open eyes since then. For while the old masters were gone, the myopic new masters made sure you knew who was in control with subtlety, not with the ferocity of their counterparts in places like Haiti
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net or many countries across Africa. Bahamians raised with a stronger sense of right and wrong with moral values now foreign to many young Bahamians today, became corrupted by the vices of power, with its carnal benefits and wealth, creating a political tribalism that superseded patriotism. It became more important to be PLP or FNM than to want what was simply best for the country. And so a new generation of Bahamian oligarchs emerged, people using political power to control and victimise opponents while simultaneously enriching themselves and their inner circles through their varied business interests. These ones became spin masters, adept at saying one thing to the people while under the table deals ensured that future generations of their families had no material lack. ‘Who your people is’ became more important in seeking a job or getting a contract than your actual qualifications, causing many of the country’s brightest minds not to return home! Many nursed and grew fat at the teat of the public treasury and others, like the tentacles of an octopus, had hands in many different ventures. Conflicts of interest were only a problem if you were not as well connected as they were. Politics became a game, not about nation building, but self enrichment and control. This is obvious because while people brokered poor deals that indebted this country,
they had tremendous business acumen brokering deals for themselves and the interested parties they represented. It is for these and other reasons that we have a country with an amassed debt of $8 billion without any tangible evidence of where the money has been spent, except a bloated civil service. If there was a functional educational, healthcare or efficient judicial system at least we could point to something. Instead we live in a country where a hastily assembled group of seafaring citizens can perform a task with greater skill and efficiency than a military organisation tasked marine operations and the protection of our borders. The truth is, the ineptness, corruption and inefficiencies we live with daily IS the aggregate vision of the political class which has members both living and dead. The truth is, this country could have been better off if that is what the ruling class truly wanted, but they don’t. The potential of this country has been squandered by persons who used their energies to enrich themselves to the detriment of all others. If they truly loved this country and its people and used the same energy to build this country as their personal empires, we would all be the better off for it. For even God Himself took note when men, united in purpose, undertook the task to build the tower of Babel. The truth is, the ruins of the nation we live in is the unfortunate legacy of many some have ironically called “nation builders”. JB Nassau November 19, 2018
Protect the democratic process EDITOR, The Tribune OTHER than the pot calling the kettle black about “shoddy accounting”, what could be the motive for government forcing businesses to provide audited financials with their business licence application? Could it be they want to measure what a new corporate tax will bring upon implementation? Maybe it should not be surprising this legislation was forced through Parliament without debate? What happened to the Green Paper on
this subject? In fact, what has happened to following Parliamentary procedure with Bills? Successive governments have now become like American presidents with their use of executive orders to circumvent the democratic process. It is very discouraging when a political party promises accountability while campaigning only to reverse course on several fronts once elected. RICK LOWE Nassau, November 18, 2018.
THE TRIBUNE
SUSPECT SHOT AFTER ‘FIRING AT OFFICERS’ FROM PAGE ONE
As officers approached the man, he discharged his weapon in the direction of officers, putting them in fear for their lives, police said. Officers returned fire, injuring the assailant. He was taken to hospital where he is listed as “very ill.” No one else was injured in the incident. Investigations are continuing. This comes after a man who was shot by police after he attacked an officer’s partner with a machete on Thursday died of his injuries last week. According to police, officers responded to a disturbance call at a residence on Fox Hill Road shortly after 1pm on Thursday, November 15. While attempting to defuse the situation, one of the officers was attacked by a man with a machete. A police statement said “a second officer being in fear for the life of his partner, discharged his service weapon, injuring the male.”
Injured The injured officer and his attacker were both taken to hospital. The attacker later died. The officer was treated for his injuries and discharged. The investigation has been handed over to the country’s coroner. In an unrelated matter, police have also launched an investigation into a shooting incident that left one man in hospital and another in custody. According to reports, shortly after 11am on Monday, two men were on Forbes Street, Nassau Village, when they got into an argument. One of the men produced a firearm and shot the other. The injured man was taken to hospital where he is listed in stable condition. A short time later, police took a 48-yearold man of West Bay Street into custody. Investigations into this matter are also continuing.
Wednesday, November 21, 2018, PAGE 5
DAMES: WE DON’T WANT AN ‘US AGAINST THEM’ SOCIETY By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
MINISTER of National Security Marvin Dames.
NATIONAL Security Minister Marvin Dames said yesterday law enforcement was open to considering a policy to place officers involved in shooting deaths on administrative leave or “desk duty” until matters are investigated. Mr Dames was responding to a question on whether there was an existing policy for officers to be taken off active duty immediately after a fatal shooting. While he did not directly answer the question, the national security minister said the commissioner of police had the discretion to make such a decision. He stressed law enforcement agencies did not want to cultivate a divisive environment with the community, and underscored efforts to improve its professionalism like the Neighbourhood Watch Council and the proposed introduction of body cams. He said his ministry was nearly ready to issue a request for proposals (RFP) for the acquisition of body cams; a pilot programme was tested late last year. “We’re looking at every possible thing, we’re looking towards
looking at avenues where we can improve the professionalism of our agencies,” Mr Dames said. “We’re determined to do that as a government. We have articulated it over and over
“We’re looking at every possible thing, we’re looking towards looking at avenues where we can improve the professionalism of our agencies.” National Security Minister Marvin Dames again and we will continue to do so. This is not our intention to build an us against them society where you have law enforcement then you have the people. The commissioner at his discretion can do anything…but we will continue to look at how we can improve in those areas.” There have been ten policeinvolved killings so far this year. Last week, police said a man who was shot by police after he attacked an officer’s partner with a machete on Thursday died of his injuries. And Corporal Adrian Miller
COREY NEWBOLD WARD SET FOR PATIENTS ‘THIS WEEK’ probably as early as this week we should be able to get patients into that ward.” HEALTH Minister Dr Dr Sands highlighted Duane Sands said yesterday patients will be able the tremendous contributo occupy the Corey New- tions made by the private bold ward “as early as this sector and the new scanning machine Princess Margaweek.” ret Hospital received last Dr Sands told weekend. reporters outside “It’s state of the art Cabinet yesterday Phillips multi-slice that officials are very CT scanner...we’ve excited for the openhad tremendous ing of the Corey contributions from Newbold Ward the private sector to (Male Chest Ward) make the experience at Princess Margathat patients have ret Hospital because while they’re being many persons have scanned absolutely experienced, in the HEALTH unique and relaxing. past, waiting days in Minister We now have a digAccident & Emer- Dr Duane itised imaging system gency for the opening Sands. where we can look at of an available bed. images in China, in He said: “That problem should be a little Paris, across the internet, so bit less as we bring on 25 things are moving. “(The) Rand Memorial new beds and we have two other wards we have being Hospital will get their cat renovated now so a lot of scan (machine) probably the overcrowding that has end of December, end of been a perennial prob- January and we are doing lem for patients and their some repairs to the chalfamilies, we should see lenging problem with the improvement in very short roof at the Rand Memorial Hospital, so things are order. “I think maybe what you moving.” The renovations at the need to do is come on down and have a look because Corey Newbold Ward cost we have started putting in $900,000, it was previously the furniture in the Corey reported. PMH’s Children’s Ward Newbold Ward. Brand new beds, brand new bed as well as Male Surgical 1 side furniture, curtains are are also out of commission going up and we expect for repairs. By RIEL MAJOR
GOVT LEGISLATIVE AGENDA ‘HAS NOT HIT DULL PATCH’ By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE government’s legislative agenda has not hit a dull patch, Press Secretary Anthony Newbold says. Many of the government’s most anticipated bills have not been debated and passed in Parliament. Some of them, like the Integrity Commission Bill and the National Intelligence Agency Bill, were tabled more than a year ago but have yet to come up for debate. Long promised changes to the Bahamas Nationality Act to address citizenship inequities in the country have not been tabled. Typically, administration officials have said the government has to instead prioritise protecting the financial services sector which has faced considerable pressure from such international organisations as the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development. This surprised some observers when parliamentarians spent last week debating and passing the Bahamas Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention Incorporation Bill, a bill that does not concern the financial services sector. Talking about it yesterday, Mr Newbold said: “You talk about the government being the government of all people. The Baptists need to be able to access whatever non-profits access and you can’t say this denomination that for the longest time had
the largest amount of people in the country, you can’t say it’s not a priority, let’s go deal with the Integrity Commission. Yeah the Integrity Commission is important, but the Baptists, make sure the Baptists are straight like everybody else.” The Bahamas Baptist Bill was first tabled in Parliament in September this year while the Integrity Commission Bill was tabled in October of 2017. Mr Newbold insisted the government’s legislative plans have been thwarted by headwinds facing the financial sector. “You make these plans,” he said, “but the second pillar of the Bahamian economy, financial services, you can’t afford for that not to function the way you want it to. The deputy prime minister has been travelling for weeks now, you got to get that right. Until you get these financial mattes addressed properly, you won’t get to the next ones. The good thing about that is, the government has another three years. So yes, you haven’t gotten through the Integrity Commission Bill and all these other things that the government intends to get to, the prime minister for instance talked about term limits, but, no, you have to deal with these priority issues.” Parliament resumes today. It is expected to debate an amendment to the Central Bank of the Bahamas Act that would allow the government to go after money held in dormant accounts, Mr Newbold said.
FROM SEPTEMBER
WORK taking place in the Corey Newbold Ward at Princess Margaret Hospital in September.
was found by the Coroner’s Court this year to have unlawfully killed two people in separate incidents: 22-year-old Terrique Fowler on June 7, 2013, and 31-year-old Girred Clarke on August 17, 2013. The ruling prompted questions from former State Minister for Legal Affairs Damian Gomez on why an officer would not be taken off active duty immediately after a fatal shooting. Police have also come under increased public scrutiny for a spate of viral videos purporting to depict officers abusing their power in separate instances released over the course of this year. 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 incident, 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 slapping a man, believed to be a tourist, who was accused of loitering in the downtown area. Before heading into a Cabinet meeting yesterday, Mr Dames insisted the police force would not cover for officers found guilty of wrongdoing.
PAGE 6, Wednesday, November 21, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
MINISTRY: CLAIMS OF MISTREATMENT OF DOMINICAN POACHERS ‘UNTRUE’ By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs has dismissed as “untrue” claims that Dominican poachers incarcerated at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services are being mistreated. In a statement released yesterday, the ministry rejected the allegations circulating on social media saying the Bahamas is committed to abiding by all international laws with respect to prisoners. The issue sparked heated debate between Bahamians and Dominicans in some groups on Facebook and led some of the families of the fishermen to protest in the Dominican Republic earlier this week. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has learned of reports circulating in the media in the Dominican Republic and also on social media that Dominican Republic fishermen incarcerated at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services in Nassau are being mistreated,” the statement read. “The ministry has investigated this matter and confirms that these claims are untrue. Furthermore, the ministry has been in contact with the ambassador of the Dominican Republic to the Bahamas and the honorary consul of the Dominican Republic in the Bahamas regarding this matter. “The Bahamas is committed to abiding by all international laws with respect to the incarceration of all prisoners, in particular to ensure the provision of food, water, exercise, attention to medical concerns and other matters.” It was claimed in a Dominican Today report published on Monday that the men have complained about being held in a narrow cell with little ventilation. They also say they have not been allowed to contact their families, food is limited and there is insufficient water to drink, according to the report. It was also claimed baths are few and there are no toilets, adding the Dominicans have been forced to resort to using buckets and bottles to relieve themselves.
Inmates The Tribune has reported previously how some inmates incarcerated at the BDOC have complained about overcrowding, a lack of toilets in some of the cell blocks and the use of slop buckets for bodily functions. In August, 46 Dominican poachers were fined over $3m during a special sitting of the Magistrate’s Court. The poaching vessel’s captain was also convicted of two additional charges relating to possession of weaponry and sentenced to a total of 30 months in prison. According to a Royal Bahamas Defence Force statement released on Saturday, all 46 poachers changed their pleas from “not guilty” to “guilty” on charges relating to illegal fishing in Bahamian waters. On July 8, the Dominicans were arrested by RBDF vessel HMBS Madeira aboard their vessel “Ronnye”, approximately 20 nautical miles south east of Cay Lobos. HMBS Madeira was under the command of Senior Lieutenant William Sturrup. Approximately 33,000 pounds of fishery products were confiscated from the Dominican vessel. On July 12, the fishermen appeared before Magistrate Kara Turnquest and were charged with illegal foreign fishing; possession of a grouper less than three pounds; possession of fresh crawfish during the closed season; possession of undersized crawfish and possession of prohibited apparatus. Radhames Hernandez, the boat captain, was also charged with possession of an unlicensed shotgun and possession of ammunition. At the time, the men pleaded not guilty to the charges. During the August 10 hearing, all of the Dominicans pleaded “guilty” and were convicted and fined $53,000 each, the RBDF noted. Hernandez was also convicted and sentenced to 18 months in prison for firearm possession and one year for possession of a shot gun and ammunition. Those sentences are to run concurrently. Another poacher was fined $100,000 due to this being his second conviction for poaching in Bahamian waters. “All of the men were remanded in custody at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services and will be deported on completion of jail time or payment of fines,” the statement added. On June 16, four Dominican fishermen aboard a 50ft Dominican fishing vessel, “Brailyn”, were arrested for poaching in the Great Bahama Bank. They were apprehended by RBDF vessel HMBS Durward Knowles, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Omarv Saunders. These Dominicans were also charged before the courts in Nassau. Three of them were fined $20,000 or eight months in prison, and the fourth was fined $10,000 or four months in prison.
DEMONSTRATORS push a broken bus to burn at a barricade during an opposition protest in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sunday. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)
HAITI RIOTS, CURFEW PROMPT CLOSURE OF THE BAHAMAS EMBASSY IN PORT-AU-PRINCE
FROM PAGE ONE
He said Monday marked the first day of the embassy’s closure and came as Bahamasair suspended a flight scheduled for CapHaitien yesterday morning. The national airline requested that passengers booked on that flight contact the airline for recommendations on their travel arrangements. In a statement, the airline said it will continue to monitor the situation closely and liaise with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for further updates. Activist Louby Georges told The Tribune it was possible some Haitians with ties to the Bahamas could be stranded there as the civil unrest continues and flights have been suspended. “Like most missions in Haiti the Bahamas follows the protocols of the United Nations missions to Haiti,” Mr Henfield told reporters yesterday outside Cabinet. “They asserted on the weekend that there was likely to be unrest and following that protocol and after speaking with the ambassador and our personnel on the ground we determined to close the mission yesterday and today I think. “We are always very vigilant about how we treat this.” Later the ministry released a statement saying its decision also came after consultation with security personnel.
PROTESTERS fill the main street of Delmas during a protest. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery) It read: “Due to continuing unrest in Haiti, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to advise members of the public that the Embassy of the Bahamas in Port-au-Prince will be closed until further notice. This action was taken after consultation with the ambassador of the Bahamas to Haiti and security personnel in Haiti. “Security directives have been issued by the United Nations (UN) Mission in Haiti – MINUJUSTH – implementing a curfew
from 2200 hours (10pm) to 0500 hours (5am) until further notice. “It is the policy of the Bahamas in situations such as this to act in conjunction with the diplomatic community, and the UN if present in the jurisdiction. “All staff of the Bahamas Embassy are safe. The ministry continues to monitor the situation and will provide updates on new developments as they arise,” the statement continued. For his part, Mr Georges
MEN block a road with burning tyres during a protest in Haiti. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)
explained this week’s unrest in Haiti was a continuation of riots there in September amid questions over the Venezuelan subsidised energy programme – Petrocarib. Demonstrators were calling for the president to resign for not investigating allegations of corruption in the previous government over the Venezuelan subsidised energy programme. As of yesterday, six people were said to have died during the violent protests.
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, November 21, 2018, PAGE 7
KILLED NO CHARGES – BUT STILL TRAPPED IN JAIL TWO IN SEPARATE MENTALLY ILL MAN IMPRISONED WITHOUT CHARGE FOR MORE THAN THREE YEARS
42-YEAR-OLD Alfairs Agregory Higgs was said to be “dying in Fox Hill, mentally and physically”.
By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
POLICE in New Providence are investigating a traffic accident that left a man dead late Monday evening. According to reports, shortly before 9pm, a man was driving a Nissan Murano east on Rosetta Street when he collided with a Honda CRV, causing the driver of that vehicle to veer into a nearby building.
FROM PAGE ONE
impossible to satisfy bail requirements. I’ve been to see him since and his mental health is deteriorating by the day. We fear the toll is irreversible. “We are exploring all legal options to try and get him out of there,” Mr Hall said. Mr Higgs appeared before the court on a habeas corpus application, petitioning the courts over the lawfulness of his detention. The application was dismissed by Justice Forbes,
‘BE A HERO’ CAMPAIGN
Paramedics who determined there was no legal basis for its continuation once bail had been granted because Mr Higgs would no longer be in detention. The 42-year-old was
ordered to wear an ankle monitoring bracelet and undergo a psychological evaluation at Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre once he posted bail with two sureties.
CAPED CRUSADERS AT COLUMBUS SCHOOL
MINISTER of the Environment and Housing Romauld Ferreira, Centreville MP and Minister Reece Chipman, Kelly’s House and Home President Nancy Kelly and the “Be A Hero” campaign visited Columbus Primary School yesterday. The ‘Be A Hero’ initiative is designed to foster a greater sense of pride in cleaner, safer environments. PHOTOS: Terrel W. Carey Sr/Tribune staff
TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS
Last week, attorney Fred Smith called the habeas dismissal regrettable, and confirmed legal counsel are working on a constitutional motion for Mr Higgs’ release. “And for damages for his inhumane and degrading treatment by the government in ‘Fox Hell’ (sic) prison over the last few years,” Mr Smith said, “as a person who has not been convicted of any crime. “Regrettably instead of issuing an order for his release the Supreme Court granted him bail, which only arises if someone is in custody for a criminal offence or in relation to a trial. “And he is in neither category, and so this has been an abomination of justice which Rights Bahamas continues to try and remedy.” Mr Smith continued: “He was unable to meet
“The issue was you need to present land papers with bail over $10,000. His family has limited resources, and whenever you have someone unlawfully incarcerated for that amount of time - it’s a unique situation.” Attorney Crispin Hall the bail but the reality is, why should he have to post bail if he hasn’t been charged with an offence? “The man is dying in Fox Hill, mentally and physically.”
Paramedics were called to the scene, but were unsuccessful in their attempt to revive the driver, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said the driver of the Nissan vehicle was not injured. No one involved in the accident has been identified by police. Investigations into the incident continue. Meanwhile police on Eleuthera are also investigating an accident on Monday which left a woman dead. Police said shortly after 5pm, officers responded to a residence in Governor’s Harbour after receiving reports a woman had been struck by a vehicle. Medical personal assisted by neighbours visited the scene and attempted to revive the woman, but were unsuccessful. She was transported to the community’s clinic where she was officially pronounced dead. Investigations into this incident are also ongoing.
PAGE 8, Wednesday, November 21, 2018
M
OST of us have to work. We do not have to like it, but we do have to show up and perform tasks as assigned by whoever calls the shots. We labour in exchange for compensation which includes a salary or wages. While this is the only form of compensation some of us receive, others have health insurance, pension plans, gas allowances and discounts. The way we think about jobs is often limited to this oversimplified exchange of labour for compensation. We do not give thought to other conditions and assumptions that make the relationship between employer and employee — and between employee and the work itself — function. It may be for this reason we are unsympathetic to unions and their members, especially when they threaten industrial action. Honestly, is there anything else they can do to get our attention?
Post Office woes For years, we have heard the cry of the Post Office staff. They have worked for far too long in a dilapidated building, exposed to mould and at risk of injury due to the general state of disrepair. There is the reasonable expectation — mostly unspoken — of safety at work. We expect the work environment to be comfortable, conducive to the work being done and equipped with the tools required. The Post Office should have a shelving system that can be navigated by all staff, equipment to reach all storage areas and cash registers among other physically obvious items. What has not existed at the main Post Office for years is a safe environment. Every day, staff were at risk, both from falling debris from the ceiling and breathing in harmful toxins. Their work contracts may not say they are entitled to clean air, or necessary precautions to avoid physical harm, but it is assumed. The most obvious rights tend to be those most often infringed upon in the workplace. We, however, do not care about anyone else’s rights. Not until we are directly affected. We can’t get our mail? It is definitely time to move the Post Office. Sure, put the staff in a better environment if that is what it takes. We need to get our Christmas cards on time, and we are ready to make it happen. When is the march?
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It’s better for everyone when we’re not afraid to talk feel comfortable addressing the issues. I was able to advocate for myself and tried to encourage others to do the same until they could find better jobs, but it was not enough for people who could not afford to be fired. No one teaches young people how to negotiate salaries, what to look for in job contracts, how to monitor NIB contributions, or ways to use the law to get what they are owed. This is a massive national failure.
Consumer complaints
Tricky terrain
As we all know, employees can make or break a business. People complain every day, often publicly using social media, about poor customer service and their decisions to stop patronizing certain businesses. When money is being spent, we expect our needs to be met. For many Bahamians, smiles and niceties are expected too. When these are not received or have to be prompted, there is rethinking. Should you spend your money there? Should you ask for a manager? Is it worth it to complain? Would it feel better to blast them on Facebook? As consumers, we think of all the ways we can make ourselves feel better about the negative experiences we have. Sometimes we just want someone to say we were right, the other person was wrong and they will have hell to pay. We are concerned about being heard and receiving compensation, whether it is a knowing nod of the head, a discount, or someone losing their job to appease us. Why would it be any different for employees with grievances? They, too,
In the current economy, we count ourselves lucky if we have work. It does not feel like a time to complain about low benefits, poor working conditions, lack of training, or limited opportunities to grow. We are convinced that we need to do whatever we can to hold on to the jobs we have, and if that means smiling and pretending everything is great, we can do that. Not only has this become a norm for some of us, but we expect it of everyone else. Anyone who dares to complain is ungrateful. To demand more or better is to think you are above others and cannot be replaced. We become upset with people, even combative toward them, when they draw attention to issues affecting themselves and others.
“Fire them all! Plenty people need jobs.”
want to be heard, and if it is not happening behind closed doors, it only makes sense to make it public.
Dodgy business There are many businesses in The Bahamas that break the law every day. They overwork, underpay and always find a workaround. There have been far too many stories about people who do not find out their NIB contributions being deducted from their pay, are not being made until they find out they do not qualify for a benefit they should receive. These businesses are sometimes reported, but people are rarely compensated, unable to assume the burden a legal battle entails. Where can they go for support? When I returned to The Bahamas from university, my first job was at a company that seemed to intentionally hire young people. I initially thought it may have been because the owners were young, but soon realised it was a way to cut costs. They ignored labour laws, assuming no one else knew them. “Training” was a few weeks of work for less than half of minimum wage. People were forced to work overtime, some saw deductions related to warnings and most were denied vacation pay. Management refused to speak to upset customers, subjecting frontline staff — with no authority to offer redress — to verbal abuse. Morale was low, but most employees did not think they had anywhere else to go. They did not know the law and even when I explained it to them, they did not
We hear the cries of people we depend on most. Teachers are under-resourced every year, work far more than 40 hours per week, go beyond the limits of their jobs by, for example, providing meals for children, but still do not receive adequate support from the public. Doctors and nurses face similar issues in the clinics and hospitals. Still, when they cry out, we hear only complaints, ingratitude and the suggestions that a few jobs will be available soon. Again, unless we are directly affected, the problem is not real. Changes need to be made in the workplace, both in the private and public sectors. Accountability and transparency are not only for government administrations, but for everyone at every level. When something is not working, we should be able to trace the failure back to a condition or system that needs repair. It could be the air conditioning in an operating theatre, the infrastructure at the Post Office, teachers with no designated room after a hurricane, or low morale resulting from illegal practices. Operating a business like a revolving door is expensive. It is much more fiscally responsible to recruit, train and retain employees, even if they take industrial action. We spend a lot of time at work. We do it for pay, yes, but there has to be more in the compensation package than money. It is better for everyone when employers negotiate, creating better conditions and relationships which allow employees to provide better service. At the end of the day, that is what many of us care about most, and we need to understand its connection to the entire work environment. Employee and customer satisfaction are, without a doubt, intrinsically linked.
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Wednesday, November 21, 2018, PAGE 9
HIGH Mars revisited: NASA spacecraft PLAYING SCHOOL FOOTBALL CHANGES THE days away from risky landing TEENAGE BRAIN CAPE CANAVERAL Associated Press MARS is about to get its first US visitor in years: a three-legged, one-armed geologist to dig deep and listen for quakes. NASA’s InSight makes its grand entrance through the rose-tinted Martian skies on Monday, after a six-month, 300 million-mile (480 million-kilometre) journey. It will be the first American spacecraft to land since the Curiosity rover in 2012 and the first dedicated to exploring underground. NASA is going with a tried-and-true method to get this mechanical miner to the surface of the red planet. Engine firings will slow its final descent and the spacecraft will plop down on its rigid legs, mimicking the landings of earlier successful missions. That’s where old school ends on this $1bn US-European effort . Once flight controllers in California determine the coast is clear at the landing site — fairly flat and rock free — InSight’s six foot arm will remove the two main science experiments from the lander’s deck and place them directly on the Martian surface. No spacecraft has attempted anything like that before. The firsts don’t stop there. One experiment will attempt to penetrate 16 feet into Mars, using a selfhammering nail with heat sensors to gauge the planet’s internal temperature. That
THE INSIGHT lander drilling into the surface of Mars. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is scheduled to arrive at the planet on Monday. Photo: NASA/AP would shatter the out-of-thisworld depth record of eight feet drilled by the Apollo moonwalkers nearly a halfcentury ago for lunar heat measurements. The astronauts also left behind instruments to measure moonquakes. InSight carries the first seismometers to monitor for marsquakes — if they exist. Yet another experiment will calculate Mars’ wobble, providing clues about the planet’s core. It won’t be looking for signs of life, past or present. No life detectors are on board. The spacecraft is like a self-sufficient robot, said lead scientist Bruce Banerdt of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. “It’s got its own brain. It’s got an arm that can manipulate things around. It can
listen with its seismometer. It can feel things with the pressure sensors and the temperature sensors. It pulls its own power out of the sun,” he said. By scoping out the insides of Mars, scientists could learn how our neighbour — and other rocky worlds, including the Earth and moon — formed and transformed over billions of years. Mars is much less geologically active than Earth, and so its interior is closer to being in its original state — a tantalising time capsule. InSight stands to “revolutionise the way we think about the inside of the planet,” said NASA’s science mission chief, Thomas Zurbuchen. But first, the 800-pound vehicle needs to get safely to the Martian surface. This
time, there won’t be a ball bouncing down with the spacecraft tucked inside, like there were for the Spirit and Opportunity rovers in 2004. And there won’t be a sky crane to lower the lander like there was for the six-wheeled Curiosity during its dramatic “seven minutes of terror”. “That was crazy,” acknowledged InSight’s project manager, Tom Hoffman. But he noted, “Any time you’re trying to land on Mars, it’s crazy, frankly. I don’t think there’s a sane way to do it.” No matter how it’s done, getting to Mars and landing there is hard — and unforgiving. Earth’s success rate at Mars is a mere 40 percent. That includes planetary flybys dating back to the early 1960s, as well as
orbiters and landers. While it’s had its share of flops, the US has by far the best track record. No one else has managed to land and operate a spacecraft on Mars. Two years ago, a European lander came in so fast, its descent system askew, that it carved out a crater on impact. This time, NASA is borrowing a page from the 1976 twin Vikings and the 2008 Phoenix, which also were stationary and three-legged. “But you never know what Mars is going to do,” Hoffman said. “Just because we’ve done it before doesn’t mean we’re not nervous and excited about doing it again.” Wind gusts could send the spacecraft into a dangerous tumble during descent, or the parachute could get tangled. A dust storm like the one that enveloped Mars this past summer could hamper InSight’s ability to generate solar power. A leg could buckle. The arm could jam. The tensest time for flight controllers in Pasadena, California: the six minutes from the time the spacecraft hits Mars’ atmosphere and touchdown. They’ll have jars of peanuts on hand — a good-luck tradition dating back to 1964’s successful Ranger 7 moon mission. InSight will enter Mars’ atmosphere at a supersonic 12,300 mph, relying on its white nylon parachute and a series of engine firings to slow down enough for a soft upright landing on Mars’ Elysium Planitia, a sizable equatorial plain.
FINGERTIP SENSORS FOR PROSTHETIC LIMBS WILL RETURN SENSE OF TOUCH TODAY’S prosthetic limbs are tools – literal attachments to the body. They help with the daily activities that impact quality of life, but they are not integrated into the user’s body like our intact limbs. That caveat presents a challenge for engineers, scientists and doctors – make a prosthetic hand that is just as capable as the one that was lost. The missing link? The sense of touch. Engineers at CU Boulder are working on that problem, perfecting prosthetic fingertip sensors that allow patients to actually feel tactile and sensory sensations through nerve interfaces. These fingertip sensors could eventually be used in take-home clinical trials for amputees with neural interfaces for sensory restoration. Jacob Segil, a CU Boulder instructor and Veterans Affairs research healthcare scientist, is leading the project here through a new $200,000 contract from the US Department of Veterans Affairs. His work is in collaboration with the Functional Neural Interface Laboratory at the Louis
ROBOTIC hand with fingertip sensors. Photo: University of Colorado Boulder. Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center. The tips will be paired with work being done by various groups, including Case Western Reserve University Professor Dustin Tyler and his team in the Functional Neural Interface Laboratory. That group has developed technology that can “talk” to nerves.
Electrodes are placed inside the amputee next to nerves and muscles that used to serve the hand that was lost. Electrical currents stimulate different nerve fibers to produce realistic sensations that feel as though they are coming from the missing hand or arm. The measurements of touch from Segil’s fingertip
sensors allow for better control of a prosthesis by the amputee and, they hope, more embodiment of the prosthetic device. That is, they close the loop between the brain, nervous system and the prosthesis – blending man and machine together fully. Segil noted: “Amputees will have a better experience and livelihood if we build them an embodied limb rather than a tool that is completely numb. It doesn’t need to have five fingers, bones or tendons. It can be of plastic, carbon fiber and metal. It can be battery operated. But the most important part is that it is psychologically integrated with them – that it is embodied.” Originally, Segil and his team used a seed grant from the Multi-Functional Materials Interdisciplinary Research Theme to create the fingertip sensors with the help of the Correll Lab at CU Boulder and Associate Research Professor Richard Weir on CU Denver’s Anschutz Medical Campus. The tips were then shared with various outside groups working on sensory restoration
including Nitish Thakor at Johns Hopkins University, Greg Clark at the University of Utah, Jacqueline Hebert at the University of Alberta, and Tyler’s team. The Cleveland VA noticed the work and offered the new contract to make 25 more for future take-home trials. “They were looking for fingertip sensors for their specifications. They had makeshift solutions, but they basically couldn’t buy the answer,” said Segil. “But we were able to engineer these for them.” Segil said the work now is to make the tips more rugged and ready for extended use: “What we made originally is great for laboratory conditions, but we need something now that will stand up to the elements and to being used ten hours a day. There is still a lot of research and development work to be done in order create an artificial system that is as rugged as our intact anatomy.” • University of Colorado Boulder, by Josh Rhoten (technology.org)
A SINGLE season of high school football may be enough to cause microscopic changes in the structure of the brain, according to a new study by researchers at UC Berkeley, Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The researchers used a new type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to take brain scans of 16 high school players, ages 15 to 17, before and after a season of football. They found significant changes in the structure of the grey matter in the front and rear of the brain, where impacts are most likely to occur, as well as changes to structures deep inside the brain. All participants wore helmets, and none received head impacts severe enough to constitute a concussion. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans have revealed that playing a single season of high school football can cause microscopic changes in the grey matter in young players’ brains. These changes are located in the front and rear of the brain, where impacts are most likely to occur, as well as deep inside the brain. One bonk to the head may be nothing to sweat over. But mounting evidence shows that repeated blows to the cranium – such as those racked up while playing sports like hockey or football, or through blast injuries in military combat – may lead to long-term cognitive decline and increased risk of neurological disorders, even when the blows do not cause concussion. Over the past decade, researchers have found that an alarming number of retired soldiers and college and professional football players show signs of a newly identified neurodegenerative disease called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is characterised by a buildup of pathogenic tau protein in the brain. Though still not well understood, CTE is believed to cause mood disorders, cognitive decline and eventually motor impairment as a patient ages. Definitive diagnosis of CTE can only be made by examining the brain for tau protein during an autopsy. These findings have raised concern over whether repeated hits to the head can cause brain damage in youth or high school players, and whether it is possible to detect these changes at an early age. • UC Berkeley (technology.org)
PAGE 10, Wednesday, November 21, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
PATRICIA MINNIS, ANGELIQUE SABRINA AMONG THE MENTORS AT GIRLCON 2018
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
WITH a focus this year on gender equality, the Girl Con organisation held its second mentorship conference at the Regency Theatre yesterday for some 300 girls on Grand Bahama to help prepare and empower them for their transition from high school. This year’s mentors were Bahamian singer and songwriter Angelique Sabrina, who travelled from Los Angeles; Bahamian entrepreneur and playwright Kerelle Pinder; Italia Williams-Wilson, owner of ICandy Studios; and Jan Martin-Isaacs, president of Jemi Health and Wellness. The idea for the event – the brainchild of Senate President Katherine Smith – has quickly grown over the past year and is now a non-profit organisation. Girl Con brings high schoolers, particularly girls in their senior year, together to share their experiences and to receive encouragement from successful women mentors.
Theme This year’s theme is “I am, I can, I will” and the organisation has adopted as its focus this year the United Nation’s sustainable goal number five, which is gender equality. Speaking briefly, Mrs Patricia Minnis, wife of Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, commended Mrs Smith and the Girl Con members for organising such an empowering event for young girls. “It is really wonderful to be here, and last year when Senator Smith showed me what happened, I promised her that this year I would be here,” Mrs Minnis said. Mrs Minnis said that she has also been to several Family Islands speaking to young ladies and mentoring them, and encourages
women in their communities to mentor young girls. “I cannot say enough about mentoring, and I encourage those responsible for this (Girl Con) event to continue to do this,” she said. Mrs Minnis was impressed with the numbers attending who filled the Regency Theatre. “I promise as long as I have breath I will come (back). You’ve
“I cannot say enough about mentoring, and I encourage those responsible for this (Girl Con) event to continue to do this.” Patricia Minnis, wife of the Prime Minister almost outgrown this place, and I am thinking we are going to have to get a bigger venue because I am going to bring more of the girls I mentor, and some from the other Family Islands in the Bahamas, so get a new bigger spot,” she said. Mark Godson, managing director of GIBC Digital, the title sponsor for the event, talked about the importance of gender equality in the workplace. He noted that 40 percent of their workforce is female, and that 31 percent of the management team is female.
“So that means we are well on the way, but we still got a little bit to do,” Mr Godson told those attending the conference. “I think events like Girl Con play an important part in empowering young girls as they graduate from high school and get ready for the next level of development. “We want to support the next generation of innovators, and when girls are given the right tools to succeed they can create incredible futures not only for themselves, but also for those around them,” he added. He stressed the importance of having good role models, both women and men, to inspire more females in the Bahamas. The GIBC executive, who is the father of three daughters, said he believes in forming teams with a gender mix balance. “I have been a leader of many organisations and I formed many teams, and these teams contain women and men,” he said. However, he noted that when he worked in Saudi Arabia for two years he witnessed gender inequality of women. In Saudi Arabia, he noted that women are not allowed to travel without a family member; that women are generally not accepted in the workplace, and only few are able to work; and that only last year women were able to drive there. “I would lead a team of around 70 people and all of those were males, and I can see the difference because in my view women have a different set of skills; they are more importantly generally better communicators and tend to show more empathy, while having many of the business attributes,” said Mr Godson. “But when you put together all male teams then you can see the imbalance, and that brought home to me more than anything why it is so important for the gender mix to be there because it harmonises and stabilises, and gives opportunity to
really provide a high performance team. “So, since then I tried to balance teams not only based on the skills of individuals, but to make sure the gender balance is right,” he said. The business executive said that
BAHAMIAN singer and songwriter Angelique Sabrina. All photos from GirlCon Bahamas Facebook page.
companies should think about creating the right gender balance when they form their leadership teams and boards. “Equality isn’t a one-sided coin and it needs the support of all. And we at GIBC Digital are willing to support the outstanding efforts of Girl Con,” he said. Mrs Smith said Girl Con continues to grow not just on Grand Bahama, but throughout the country. “Groups of women and other organisations are just interested in what we are doing; we are happy today to have Patricia Minnis, the wife of our prime minister, who is here today with students she mentors,” she said. Mrs Smith indicated that the journey of Girl Con started a year ago, with the primary reason being to encourage, motivate, inspire and empower young girls in the community. This year, Mrs Smith said organisers have increased the essay competition prize money and have included a trip for the top three essay winners to attend the 63rd sessions of the Commission on the Status of Women and a chaperone, to the UN headquarters in New York in March of 2019.
FORMER CHRISTIAN COUNCIL PRESIDENT CLAIMS MARIJUANA WILL DESTROY LIVES FORMER Bahamas Christian Council President Bishop Albert Hepburn is urging the government not to legalise recreational marijuana – a drug which he claims “will destroy lives”. Bishop Hepburn also called for all ministers serving on the “drug board” to vote ‘no’ to the legalisation. A cannabis committee was recently set up under the auspice of the Ministry of Health following a Caribbean Community (CARICOM) report that called for an end to the prohibition of marijuana.
BISHOP Albert Hepburn. Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has said the committee will host town meetings and focus
groups on the marijuana issue. He said once the public’s stance is gleaned, the matter will be brought to Parliament for debate and “the people” will make a determination on the way forward. Retired Bishop Simeon Hall, another former BCC president and cannabis committee co-chairman, told The Tribune yesterday that the committee has not held an official meeting yet. Meanwhile Bishop Hepburn, current senior pastor and general overseer of the United Christian Church Association,
RECREATIONAL and medicinal marijuana use is legal in some US states – while remaining illegal under US federal law.
condemned marijuana in his statement, writing: “I cry shame to those persons that are agitating for this dreadful and deadly drug to be legalised in our beautiful, beloved country.” He said the “damage” caused by this drug includes homelessness and murder, among other detrimental societal issues.
Murder “Families are broken up; hundreds in prison; children murder parents; many committed suicide; children never had a chance of (knowing) their fathers because they either died in the correction centre in the Bahamas or are in prison in Cuba or the USA,” Bishop Hepburn wrote. He also asked four questions that “he would like to ask the government if this herb is legalised.” These include whether the country would have its own marijuana factories, and whether these would be state-run; if those serving prison sentences for marijuana will be released; and the impact legalisation will have on the Bahamas’ relationship with the United States. Recreational and medicinal marijuana use is legal in some US states; however it is still illegal under US federal law.
“We in the United Christian Church Association call upon the government, in the name of Jesus Christ, to abandon the said idea and send members of that commission each to their church, so that they may preach the gospel that would save sinners and not legalise marijuana that will destroy lives,” Bishop Hepburn wrote. “I call upon all Christian ministers that if you are asked to serve on the particular drug board… say just as we said for the gender equality referendum — no! No! No! Let us take a united stand as ministers of the gospel and advise the government that the idea is not good for the country. They might just heed our request.” When contacted by The Tribune yesterday, Bishop Hall declined to comment on Bishop Hepburn’s diatribe, saying: “I don’t want to eclipse what the committee will come up with. “The committee is about to meet and make a position,” Bishop Hall continued. “I can understand Bishop (Hepburn’s) position…I appreciate that perspective, but different people will have an opportunity to state their position.” When asked when the committee will hold its first meeting, Bishop Hall said: “I’ve spoken with the
Ministry (of Health) this morning (Tuesday) and I’m expecting to hear from them any time soon.” He added he does not know many members it will have as yet. Health Minister Dr Duane Sands yesterday said that the executive board of the committee has met, but did not clarify as to when a meeting will be held.
Progressive Bishop Hall has been noted for his more progressive stance on the issue of marijuana decriminalisation. On August 16, he told The Tribune: “Some people might have a difficulty using the word pastor and marijuana in the same sentence, but I’m there as somebody that believes medicinal marijuana can help people with chronic illnesses. “We all need to look again at traditional medicine, which have so many side effects that is killing our people. “Some people are asking how could a Christian pastor get involved with marijuana, all I say to them is do a study on the marijuana issue and you will see it has medicinal qualities and that’s my angle, for people to have an alternative.”