22 minute read
major roadworks
Loca L Major Roadworks Set to Begin
in Eleuthera - $11 Million Contract Awarded
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Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Works, the Hon. Desmond Bannister toured through Eleuthera on Friday, January 8th and Saturday, January 9th, primarily to view the current state of the road highway system along the length of the isle, said the Minister in an interview with The Eleutheran on the Saturday.
“We have a number of challenges with the roads in the settlements throughout Eleuthera, and they’ve been ignored for many, many years. We have signed an 11 million dollar contract for the major highway, but it’s also important for persons within the communities to have some comfort in their daily commute. So, I started the morning in Harbour Island, looking at the roads there which are a huge challenge, and now I’m going through Central and South Eleuthera, looking at the roads in all the settlements. I went into Hatchet Bay, which is really bad - they’ve been ignored for too long, so, we are going to try and see what we can do about them, even though we are in the middle of an international recession,” said Minister Bannister.
“I will also be looking at the progress of the two docks (the commercial and fishermen’s dock) being built in South Eleuthera, to assist with the commerce in that community. I want to see the progress. I like to see things myself and see where they are going - and to speak with the contractors. There are also some challenges with some of the smaller docks within communities. So, we have to scope those docks - so communities can have those docks repaired. To mention a few, in James’ Cistern, the dock is a mess - the community has already started stripping it themselves, so I’ve asked Mr. Sawyer, who is our Senior Engineer here in Eleuthera, to prepare a scope for me, to see what we can do to get that back and operational.”
The 11 million dollar highway road contract, awarded to Bahama Hot Mix, mentioned by Bannister, refers to the upcoming hot mix asphalt road works, as opposed to the historic ‘sand-seal’ highways now found along the length of Eleuthera, which are P19
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Works, Hon. Desmond Bannister.
A house, once a family home, in Gregory Town, owned by the family of the late Reginald and Anthia Wood, was completely destroyed by fire during the early hours of the morning on Christmas Day 2020.
Authorities reported that sometime shortly after 3am on Friday morning, December 25th, 2020, the Gregory Town Chairperson of the Local Government Council, Mrs. Dina Johnson, contacted the Governor’s Harbour Police Station by telephone and reported that she had heard a loud explosion, which had come from a building opposite the tire shop in Gregory Town, which was totally engulfed in flames.
Officers who responded to the scene, on arrival, met the building, which was unoccupied at the time, decimated by the fire.
Police were informed that the building had not been occupied since the year 2000.
A local resident commented following the fire, that there was currently no functional fire
an unoccupied house burnt to the ground early on christmas morning in Gregory Town.
House fire site cleared quickly by community organizers. engine in Gregory Town. The remnants of one, given to the town years ago, sits in a shed, disabled, they shared.
Although it was a sophisticated vehicle, described as having many gauges and levers, and despite donors having meant well at that time, the resident opined that what the town needed was something simpler, like a flat bed truck with a large tank for water, along with pump and hose – matching both the need and maintenance capacity of the township.
Within a few days following the fire, the township’s local government team had overseen the clearing and cleanup of the home fire site, which sits directly in the middle of town, along the Queen’s Highway. The owners of the property, who were informed of the unfortunate incident by Chairperson Mrs. Johnson soon after the fire, consented to the highly visible property being cleaned up and temporarily utilized by the community as a picturesque rest-stop, complete with bench seating and signage erected by volunteers, dubbing the area, ‘Wood’s Rest-Stop’.
The local town council is also in discussion with stakeholders, shared Mrs. Johnson, about installing several portable water tanks within the community, along with requisite pumps - in the event of future fire incidents - so, residents would have quick access to a relatively simple and adequate water supply to fight fires.
Community rest stop created at the site of the recent house fire in Gregory Town.
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Recovering America’s battered Democracy and Authority ana during five months in 2020 when the U.S. government acted to end the stealing of the government against the (The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the Organization of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto. The views expressed are entirely his own) Recent events in Washington, the revered capital of the United States of America, have shaken the moral auBy Sir Ronald Sanders thority of that country to lecture, threaten and coerce other countries in the name of democracy, rule of law and human rights. The disgraceful scenes of Americans storming their own sacred Capitol Building – the long-claimed sanctuary for democracy - was bad enough, but what preceded it was worse. A mob, mobilized to be lawless and violent, was deplorable. What was despicable were the actions of Republican Congresspersons, who do know better, to wilfully and shamelessly try to overturn the will of the people to change the government through a democratic process that was confirmed by state and federal courts and by the Supreme Court itself. A sitting President of the United States, Donald Trump, openly encouraged a mob to be lawless and to do precisely what they did – attack the bastion of the country’s law-making body in a determined attempt to carry out what was no less than a Coup d’etat. The mob – nothing less than terrorists - were intent upon overturning the results of a legitimate Presidential election in which both the popular vote and the votes of the Electoral College confirmed that Joseph Biden Jr had been elected as President of the United States. In the course of it, within the hallowed halls of Capitol Hill, blood was shed. Not the proverbial blood resulting from heated debate and bruised egos, but real blood as Americans shot at Americans and a woman was killed. When similar events occurred in other parts of the world, especially developing countries, except those countries where the U.S. government favours the regimes in power, the U.S. has been swift to act with threats, sanctions, condemnation and by promoting censure in bodies such as the Organization will of the electorate in the March 2020 general and regional elections. I reproduce below a section of the Miami Herald story. “What’s happening in the United States is a complete violation of every democratic norm and also of the rule of law (by Donald Trump and elements of the Republican Party) in a flagrant attempt to remain in power,” Sanders said. “Had that occurred in any developing country, indeed in any country of the world, the United States would have been the first to roundly condemn those people, to apply sanctions against those countries and to take action in the name of human rights, democracy and civil rights“. Last year, Sanders noted, the Trump administration issued visa sanctions against members of the Guyana government when the country’s thenpresident David Granger refused to accept the outcome of the South American nation’s presidential elections and used the court system to try and overturn the vote. of American States (OAS). Other “The circumstances are almost governments that hang-on to the identical,” he said. “The United States coat tails of the U.S. have been government applied sanctions, applied quick to support their actions. threats and claimed democracy was at Yet, even as the horrors at risk and demanded adherence by par-Capitol Hill were unfolding live ties in Guyana, all of which were right. on television screens worldwide, “I think all of those things were the OAS Secretary-General was necessary, but you cannot apply it silent until pushed publicly to to other countries and not apply it to speak. Hangers-on governments yourself. If you apply a double stan-issued tame statements – none dard, you lose the authority to tell any-of them belled the cat by calling body anything when they do wrong.” the name of the person solely re- That is the consequence of Donald sponsible for bringing the U.S. to Trump’s rejection of the will of the ma-this sorry pass in the eyes of the jority of the American people that he international community. should not return to the White House. It took the leader of the mi- It is also a consequence of the demean-nority NDP in Canada, Jagmeet ing of the sanctity and authority of the Singh, to publicly identify the U.S. Congress that he organised and culprit. In a tweet, Singh de- promoted for his selfish ends. And it clared, “The horror unfolding in is a consequence of the ready acquies-Washington is frightening and it cence of Republicans in Congress and was incited by Donald Trump. of hanger-on governments, including He can end it now but refuses to. in the Caribbean, who remained silent, Democracy must not be intimi- and complicit, as Trump’s government dated. The violence must end.” forced its will in bodies such as the On the same day, the Miami OAS, the Inter-American Development Herald interviewed me for a story Bank, the World Trade Organization entitled, “Across Latin America and elsewhere, eroding international and in Miami, storming of U.S. law, norms and practices. Capitol recalls chaos at home”. Thankfully, the institutions of de-The focus was on the parallels mocracy and the rule of between the assault on democ- law remained strong and racy and the rule of law in the resilient in the U.S. itself. P13 U.S. and the U.S action in Guy-
a D VIcE WHAT’S WORTH 1,000 WORDS?
By Mike Lightbourn
ImagIne goIng wIndow shoppIng.
One store has a full display of eyecatching merchandise. Another is half stocked with a ho-hum offering. Which shop will you browse in? The answer is obvious.
Just as an attractive display window pulls a shopper inside, so do good pictures beckon buyers to pause and take a second look at a property. If you’ve been house hunting online, you’ve seen both dazzling and dull photos.
One of the biggest mistakes in amateur house photography is keeping the lights off. Why? Because buyers love light, bright spaces. Curtains should be drawn and blinds open to allow in as much sunlight as possible. This is just one example between professional and amateur photography techniques.
When you interview a BREA agent about selling your home, ask about the quality of photography, video and/or drone media that will be used to market your listing. Professional photography is always welcome. However, some agents are gifted photographers, having worked alongside professionals for many years and with a creative eye of their own.
A good photographer will stage a home before shooting. They will make sure the home is clean, decluttered and void of outdated décor. There will be a focal point. No-one’s going to take a home seriously if the fridge door’s covered in doodahs or there are dishes in the rack or toys on the floor.
Photos will be taken when the light is right - never on a cloudy day. The images will be sharp, clean and of high quality. This is crucial as the images may be used in various forms of media, print and digital, for marketing purposes.
Pictures introduce a buyer to a property. They are what spurs a buyer to inquire about a home or skip over to the next listing. They are worth a thousand words and appeal to the typical buyer over text. Noone’s going to pay attention to a listing with blurry, dark photos.
When a buyer searches for homes on the internet, they punch their criteria into the website - price, number of bedrooms and so on. The first thing that’s going to pop up is the pictures. Good photos evoke emotion. They will either spark an interest to make someone curious enough to see more or they will fall flat. They should highlight the best features of a home, while providing an insight into the lifestyle the property offers.
Bear in mind, there are many ingredients that go into a home’s salability. These include price, location, supply and demand.
To entice buyers to take a further look, a home must be cast in its best light. The ease to view properties online, whether through photos, drone footage or virtual walkthroughs, makes quality images more important than ever.
Happy New Year:
Well, 2020 has been a year for the history books and I’m sure one many people have liked closing the door on. However, we have much to be thankful for in these beautiful islands. So many people dream of escaping their cold, grey and grim homelands for a spot in the Bahamian sunshine, enjoying the beauty of our gorgeous sea and beaches, friendly people and a nice bowl of conch salad. Happy New Year everyone.
Questions or comments?
Contact me at info@cbbahamas.com Mike Lightbourn is president of
Coldwell Banker Lightbourn Realty.
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Commentary- ronald SanderS
Were it not for the belief and commitment of Americans themselves – including, in the end, Vice President Mike Pence – America and the world would have been facing an unstable and disastrous future.
The world was brought to the brink of disaster on January 6 – a date described by senate minority leader, Democrat, Chuck Schumer, as “as one of the darkest days in recent American history”.
It is to be hoped that Americans have learned a salutary lesson for democracy and the rule of law in their own country, and about the importance of retaining and nurturing respect, not fear, globally.
Hopefully, hangers-on governments around the world, will also have learned that standing-up for principle is far more valuable than alliances with bullies with feet of clay.
Responses and previous commentaries: www.sirronaldsanders.com
The Changing Times of Our Islands
There was a time when our nation branded it-
Teri M. Bethel self for its sun, sand, and sea. Our economy relied heavily on tourism, and for the most part, like many in the region, it still does. But in the absence of heavy tourist numbers, it may be a good time for us to reflect on who we are as a people—the kind-natured, hard-working, ever-loving, brilliant people we are. One of the happier things many of us can reminisce about is the ease of life on our beautiful islands. For those born and bred in New Providence, it was not unusual to travel to the Family Islands to experience our little piece of heaven. One of the first signs of the islander’s welcoming nature was broad and bright smiles. You could almost feel the love from the locals before your plane touched down on the virtually desolate runways.
Island life was not easy, but it worked. Besides having a trade, some people, including the elderly, walked miles to their fields through track roads in their wompers (homemade shoes cut from old car tires and strapped to the feet with rope) to tend to their crops before first light. If they had young children, they went as well. The food was not fancy. Corn, a staple, when not grilled over the open fire, was often ground to make hot grits, which was frequently a stand-alone meal for some families. Then, when in season, cassava, sweet potatoes, pigeon peas, and other hearty crops made sure everyone had a “belly full” with or without the luxury of fish or meat.
If you were fortunate enough to live near the beach on several islands, occasionally, an early morning stroll could yield enough conch on the shoreline to feed a family. Having fresh native fruit like pineapples, bananas, cocoplum, coconuts, sugar cane, papayas, and watermelon was like icing on the cake; to have any of them on a hot day made you feel like you struck gold. Nothing was wasted—tamarind, guavas, and other native fruit were made into jams to sell or barter. Back then, like today, locals had their favorite spot on the rock to fish if you were not fortunate to have a skiff. Just about everyone had a couple of straggly chickens running wild through the yard, trailed by several spindly yet happy chicks in tow. Nobody cared much about their looks or that the meat was as tough as leather when cooked, as long as they produced fresh eggs for the morning’s breakfast.
When we visited some of the islands, many homes had no electricity or indoor plumbing as most of New Providence did. Residents who could afford one and most small waterfront hotels had diesel generators that buzzed periodically for occasional electricity and indoor plumbing. Cooking was done outdoors on an open fire or in a stone oven, which still produces the most amazing homemade island bread to this day. Incidentally, for those who have never seen one of these ovens, there is one in the park at Governor’s Harbour on the way to Cupid’s Cay. Since there was no indoor toilet, the outhouse, or “straight-drop,” as some called it, was, for good reason, a stone’s throw from the house. Youngsters not familiar with using one would do their best to rush in, holding their breath, of course, frighten away the creepy crawlies while silently praying to God you didn’t fall down the acrid hole that was sometimes lined with an aged piece of wood for a toilet seat. Almost everyone had a hand pump or a well in their communal yard to access freshwater for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and bathing in a washtub. Life was more challenging then than now in many respects, but those were still simpler times. Doors without locks:
Cat Island was one of the islands I fondly remember as we frequently traveled there. Like Eleuthera and many of the other islands, there was no such thing as locking doors. We considered it a waste not to experience God’s sweet breeze or to hear the soft lapping of the waves on the shore. To even consider sleeping with a sliding glass doors closed was nonsensical. If your journey took you further south to Long Island and the other islands on the way, you would also find out very quickly that guest rooms did not have doors with a keyed lock—similarly in Eleuthera and our northern islands. But no-one could beat the serenity coupled with the friendly charm of Eleutherans. Whether as a first-time visitor or on a return trip, you could not miss the courteous waves from strangers walking or driving by.
With time and exposure came a change. Our snowy television sets with the bunny-eared antennas made way for satellite dishes that showered the country with new thoughts, concepts, and a different way of life. Some of the influences were good, while others were not so good. Over the years, families who had left the islands for better opportunities found themselves returning. Others simply had enough of the hectic city life, picked an island, and moved to it. Hope stirred once again, and the islands began to experience an upswing in growth and development. Their peace and tranquility became desirable and marketable—a commodity the world was grappling for. With it came second home buyers from New Providence and people from countries near and far, some relatively unheard of by many islanders. Everyone wanted or perhaps even needed to escape to our paradise. The entrance of new dynamics:
Like most of our family islands, Eleuthera has enjoyed a relatively low crime rate for years, with the odd influx of trouble stirring in some parts of the island. Locals and visitors respected boundaries, and the abuse of privacy was rarely a concern. In recent times Covid-19 and dreadful hurricanes have also touched the lives of many hardworking, honest individuals who, under normal conditions, shun misdemeanors of any kind. Unfortunately, for some, the level of hopelessness has led them to take other measures as some families scrape to buy a can of milk for their babies. Two desperate mothers were unable to feed their children, so they planned a heist on an office. Fortunately, they had a change of heart when an employee gave them a drink of water. They told him that his simple kindness changed their minds. After hearing of their plight, he arranged for the church he attended to provide them with groceries despite the nationwide church closure.
Preserving the peace in our communities:
As a result of the lock-downs, some rental homeowners have drastically reduced their rates to attract short term rentals as a means of keeping themselves afloat during this difficult time. Unfortunately, this decision has led to multiple groups pitching in to take advantage of the opportunity to gather in more tranquil neighborhoods. Quite often, more than six vehicles per home, during lock-downs and curfew, coming and going at will, with blaring music shattering the tranquility of the few remaining places on the island that serves as a getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life. With a number of the groups came a culture shock of noisy parties—the shattering sound of domino’s spanking tables day and night, followed by a barrage of tongue-twisting expletives. Added to the frenzy were the uninvited visitors casually walking through private properties and knocking on neighboring homes’ doors, well after dark. Within weeks, despite government restrictions, the peaceful communities were transformed into party zones littered with trash.
If we want to preserve this island’s charm and serene nature, we must work together to build stronger, peaceful communities. The Rotary Club of Eleuthera has embarked on a course to encourage peace as a lifestyle through its Peace Zone initiative in several local schools. This initiative may be a fine idea for communities to embrace as we recover the very thing most Eleutherans remain on the island for and the priceless commodity transplants relocate to enjoy. As the world spirals downward, we can choose to retain the pure and simple lifestyles that drew nations to our doorstep, or we can let the behavior of a few spoil it for the island. If we deal swiftly with these unfortunate issues, we may even reconfigure our country’s tourism product to promote our islands as the Peace Capital of the world—a place where people travel to relax, rejuvenate, and reconcile.
What’s our part in this?
Rather than become another crowded city like Nassau, which has lost much of its island charm. We can choose to safeguard our precious treasures before we follow suit. In doing so, we must realize that times have changed, and though we can embrace the good, we must act wisely in our everchanging world. So what can we do individually or collectively to ensure that we preserve our island’s beauty and tranquility? We can:
Promote a peaceful lifestyle by example Care for our elderly and orphans Donate to churches or groups who are meeting community needs Be courteous to others
Respect our neighbors by reducing noise levels in homes and vehicles
Keep our neighborhoods and streets free of trash and derelict vehicles
Lock the doors to our homes to avoid crimes of opportunity Alert the neighborhood watch when you see suspicious activity Report unusual or criminal activities to the police Advise neighbors/ P15
About
the Author: Teri M. Bethel is a publisher and author of relationship enrichment books, Bahamian inspired romance, and adventure novels for children that share our islands’ history and culture. She is also an artist and purse making instructor. Her books and DVD tutorials are available where good books are sold in Eleuthera and New Providence and on Amazon.com. Teri and her husband have two adult sons. Website: www.inspirepublishing.org
Dear Editor, Covid-19 Ambassadors
Why on Eleuthera do I go into food markets and encounter the people working there WITHOUT masks and the few with masks have their nose uncovered.
The Ambassador concept is great, but I have only seen the central Eleuthera car parked at the police station in Governor’s Harbour. - Reader.
P14
adviCe
neighborhood watch if you’ll be away for an extended period Consider installing a surveillance camera that can be monitored from cellphones Have a preliminary vetting of rental guests Inform renters of the expected standard of behavior in the community to this new year in the face of countless challenges. As long as we have today, we can embrace it, be grateful for the privilege of being in it, and do our darndest to prepare for a better tomorrow. Everyone doing their part makes for less work with significant returns for a brighter future. Happy New Year, Eleuthera. Let’s stay safe and beautiful!
Despite the trials of 2020, we are a resilient people who are fortunate to have crossed over
