03132024 NEWS AND SPORTS

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Seventh heaven on

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NCP’s operations manager.

“This is the first time we had seven cruise ships in at one particular time, definitely for Nassau Cruise Port,” Mr Williams said yesterday.

“Operations here start very, very early in the morning. In fact, it starts

with a lot of planning and scheduling to organise this event. We had a lot of communication with the vessels, a lot of communication with our tug operators and our pilots to design exactly how this day would look.”

Independence of the Seas, Seacloud Spirit, Carnival Paradise, Disney Wish, Carnival Liberty,

Carnival Elation and Vision of the Seas were the ships in port yesterday.

Shanell Johnson, operations manager of Paradise Jewel and Hand Bags, was elated to participate in yesterday’s historic event and optimistic that her business would experience increased

SEE PAGE THREE

SHANNELLE Johnson of Paradise Jewels and Handbags poses for a photo during a press tour of The Nassau Cruise Port yesterday.

THE Nassau Cruise Port celebrated having seven ships in its harbour yesterday for the first time, with more than 20,000 visitors stopping in New Providence. “This is an historic moment for The Bahamas,” said Marquez Williams, NCP’s operations manager. Photos: Dante Carrer

port’s record day

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sales.

“As someone who has worked in retail before, this is something that I can say I feel honoured to see because I am back from the early 2000s,” she said.

“When we had the port, the port was not as elaborate and as beautiful and as well-structured as it is now, so to be here today and to still see it and experience it and see the evolution of it, it’s really an honour.”

Nonetheless, Ms Johnson said the increased numbers have not boosted business.

“Well, quantity does not necessarily mean an increase in sales,” she said.

“Quantity means we have good movement through the port today, which is good.

“I find that cruise ship passengers are budget passengers, so today our hope is that we will see an increase in sales.

“Our hope is that they will come off the ship and they will do some shopping and we will have some stuff that they would want to purchase today because they are bargain shoppers.

“So, the thing is, you can make some money today, but you have to have the right merchandising mix because they are bargain shoppers.”

Yvonne McCartney, owner of Mama’s Bahamian Jewellery and Crafts, said her sales declined after the US Embassy of Nassau issued an advisory.

“Sales were good before the news of the gangs came around and when that news came out and tourists were warned by the embassy, man our sales must have dropped 70 to 75 per cent and it was awful, but it’s coming back,” she said.

A DRONE flies over Nassau Harbour during an historic day with the first time the cruise port has had seven boats in at the same time.

Over 2000 passengers were said to have visited Downtown, Nasau yesterday making vendors optimistic for a good day.

Drone Photo: NCP

Judge upholds ruling in Azario inquest

Franklyn Williams delivered his written decision on Sunday, noting that the officers have not faced criminal charges.

He wrote: “At the time of the convening of the inquest, the applicants had not been charged with a criminal offence.

A coroner’s inquest is not concerned with criminality, though the issue of criminality may be considered as a result of a finding thereof.

The applicants are not now charged. There is not now, nor has there been any indication that the applicants are likely to be charged with a criminal offence.”

Although the judge acknowledged that pretrial publicity may have affected jurors’ findings, he said this submission did not affect this matter. He stressed that Mr Maynard should have relied on a constitutional motion as an act of last resort and that he had other avenues to protect his clients’ interests.

“I take judicial notice of the fact that there has been and continues during the pendency of this action to be much publicity around the death of the subject of the inquest,” Justice Williams wrote.

“This publicity consists of social media postings, commentary, and interviews

and even a website and podcast with hundreds of thousands of views seemingly established solely for this purpose, and has been facilitated by digital, print and broadcast media. Several persons interviewed have repeatedly and explicitly called for the indictment of the applicants and continue to do so. The resulting decision may very well have been influenced by that publicity; that, however, is not a matter for consideration here.

“The issue here is not that of control of administrative action, but that of a decision rendered as a result of the proceedings of a coroner’s inquest lawfully convened. The remedy of constitutional relief is one of last resort. Applicants seeking constitutional relief must exhaust all other remedies. To be certain, there is no question of the breach of any fundamental or constitutional right here. The applicants were not charged, are not charged and as of this moment, no indication will be charged with a criminal offence.”

With the appeal matter now settled, acting Director of Public Prosecutions Cordell Fraizer will be expected to finish reviewing the case to decide if charges should be brought against the officers.

AZARIO

DEFENCE FORCE INTERCEPTS 140 MIGRANTS OFF TURKS AND CAICOS

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net

DAYS after Defence Force Commodore Raymond King highlighted a dramatic drop in illegal migration, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) intercepted 140 Haitian migrants in waters off Turks and Caicos Islands, hours after officers apprehended 107 Haitian migrants near Matthew Town, Inagua.

Last week, Commodore King said from January to February, there was a 650 per cent decrease in migrant interdiction compared to the same period last year –– 140 versus 1,055.

The vessel intercepted in Turks and Caicos had 121 males and 19 females.

In a press statement,

RBDF said while on routine patrol, HMBS Bahamas, under the command of Commander Alexis Brown, was diverted by RBDF Operations Command Center to investigate a report of a Haitian sailing vessel leaving Haiti en route to the Turks and Caicos Islands shortly after 10pm on Sunday.

Shortly after noon on Monday, the vessel, a blue and red wooden sailing boat, was located at White Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands, the RBDF said. A routine check of the vessel revealed 121 males and 19 females.

The occupants were then apprehended and transported to South Dock Providenciales, where they will be turned over to immigration officials for further processing and investigation.

“In 2021, The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos

solidified their collaboration by signing a bilateral memorandum of understanding (MOU),” the RBDF said.

“This agreement, coupled with the Shiprider initiative, serves to establish a robust framework for joint efforts in border control, intelligence sharing, training, coordinated operations, and harmonized strategies to combat various illegal activities, including irregular migrant movements, human trafficking.”

“This latest interdiction of 140 Haitian migrants highlights the effectiveness of the MOU between The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos. This success underscores the MOU’s role in enhancing regional cooperation and maritime security.”

In a separate incident, the RBDF apprehended 107 migrants in waters near

AN OPEN boat loaded with Haitian migrants

Mathew Town, Inagua, on Monday, including 89 men, 17 women, and one child.

The RBDF said the apprehension operation involved a collaborative effort between

RBDF surface assets HMBS Bahamas and Kamalamee and Madeira. All vessels are

part of the ongoing southern Bahamas blockade. This initiative focuses on patrolling overlapping zones –– the northern coast of Haiti, the Old Bahama Channel, and the Windward Passage –– to deter and intercept unauthorized entry attempts.

POLICE OFFICER SON OF FNM SENATOR ARRESTED

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and wish to assure members of the public of their commitment to enforcing the laws that govern the Commonwealth of The Bahamas,” police said in a statement. Mr Henfield declined to comment yesterday.

CALL 502-2394

FNM: SEARS ‘MUST RESIGN OR BE FIRED’

Mr Pintard said yesterday: “According to press reports, the Prime Minister indicated that the government never approved the 20-year plan of rate increases by NIB that the minister for NIB, Alfred Sears, claimed was the government’s policy to commence July 2024. So, by that admission, the prime minister is stating that Minister Sears misled the Bahamian people with his statement on the House floor.

“If this is so, then Minister Sears must tender his resignation or be fired.”

Mr Pintard also noted Mr Sears’ silence on the situation, saying: “Perhaps Davis’ failure to act may actually mean that the prime minister himself is misleading the public when he claims that he and his Cabinet did not authorise the 20 years of NIB increases.”

Mr Pintard said the government’s failure to call for

his resignation shows they “have no understanding of or respect for the basic principles and conventions of our system of government”.

Former NIB Minister Brensil Rolle said yesterday that Mr Sears likely got approval from Cabinet to announce the 20 years of increases.

“It is inconceivable that a minister would go and say we’re going to tax the Bahamian people for 20 years without getting clearance,” he said.

“So that gives me the impression that the prime minister is not telling the truth and therefore, that’s why Alfred Sears has not been asked to resign.”

Former State Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Myles Laroda revealed last year that government agencies owed NIB $8m.

Mr Rolle believes the government should have paid NIB what it was owed before announcing increases to the contribution rate.

“I think the reasonable thing to is to make an attempt to collect the outstanding fees owed to the board,” he said. “That’s the first thing. You can’t have individuals and companies owing NIB millions of dollars and not paying and not even attempting to collect that and saying we going to increase.”

“Our position was the government must set its example by ensuring that any monies owed to NIB was paid and we tried to collect those monies at the end of the budget year.”

“Desmond Bannister was the minister that made sure the ministry or the department that owed NIB funds were paid to the government directly. We reached out to other agencies and they were beginning to pay. We’ve reached out to some companies and threatened them and promised to take them to court. Some of them paid but a substantial amount of them still did not pay.”

Environmentalist praises introduction of spot fines

By KEILE CAMPBELL kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

NEWLY released regulations to introduce spot fines for environmental infractions drew praise from leading environmentalist Joseph Darville yesterday.

Mr Darville said the legislation is “way, way overdue” given the damage pollution causes.

Under the Environmental Planning and Protection (Spot Fines) Regulations, 2024, which were tabled in the House of Assembly last week, authorities will be able to issue spot fines ranging from $1,000 to $20,000 for various environmental infractions.

“I think this is long overdue because they have no regard for our territorial waters,” Mr Darville said yesterday, referring to polluters. “Not only that, but they, like Carnival Cruiseline did, they dump black water, which is from the toilets, and grey water, which is from cleaning dishes, so they’d dump everything if they had the chance to do it.”

In 2019, a US court reported that Carnival cruise ships dumped half a million gallons of treated sewerage in Bahamian waters in 2017.

Though the regulations’ penalties only allow the government to issue spot fines up to $20,000, Mr Darville noted that this is just the start.

“We have to begin somewhere, so even if we have to adjust the fines later on, that’s fine, but people have to be warned they have no right to pollute our environment whether it’s the land or the sea,” he said.

Under the regulations, law enforcement officers could issue a $1,000 spot fine for the unauthorised use of single-use plastic bags, utensils, and styrofoam food containers.

Obstructing environmental officers or assaulting officers executing their duty could result in a $5,000 fine.

A $10,000 fine could be issued for beginning project works without approval of a Certificate of Environmental Clearance, not complying with a Closed Area Order, or falsifying or providing misleading information.

A $15,000 fine could be issued for breaching a scientific research permit, unlawfully exporting or transferring biological resources and failing to comply with any condition specified in a permit.

Damaging coral reefs, failing to comply with a notice of nonprotected wildlife, not complying with environmentally sensitive areas and species orders, not

complying with a Pollution Control Permit, discharging hazardous substances in Bahamian waters, conducting research without a Scientific Research Permit, damaging the environment, unlawfully possessing biological resources, not complying with conditions specified in a certificate of environmental clearance and soliciting unauthorised confidential information could all incur a spot fine of $20,000.

PUBLIC NOTICE

INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL

The Public is hereby advised that I, SINAYA JACUES LOUIS of Nassau, The Bahamas intend to change my name to SINAYA PROPHETE If there are any objections to this change of name by Deed Poll, you may write such objections to the Chief Passport Offcer, P.O.Box N-742, Nassau, Bahamas no later than thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that

JOHNNY FRANCOIS Lawrence Close, Hudson Estate, Freeport, Grand Bahama, The Bahamas applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 6th day of March 2024 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that

MANILIA BASIL #86 Drake Avenue, Freeport, Grand Bahama, The Bahamas applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 6th day of March 2024 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

FNM LEADER MICHAEL PINTARD

Time to revisit plans for Haiti help

to restore order to Haiti, then it is time to go back to the drawing board.

The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master” LEON E. H. DUPUCH Publisher/Editor 1903-1914 SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH, Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt . Publisher/Editor 1919-1972 Contributing Editor 1972-1991 RT HON EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON, C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B. Publisher/Editor 1972Published daily Monday to Friday Shirley & Deveaux Streets, Nassau, Bahamas N3207 TELEPHONES News & General Information (242) 322-2350 Advertising Manager (242) 502-2394 Circulation Department (242) 502-2386 Nassau fax (242) 328-2398 Freeport, Grand Bahama (242)-352-6608 Freeport fax (242) 352-9348 WEBSITE, TWITTER & FACEBOOK www.tribune242.com @tribune242 tribune news network IF there was a plan

Until recently, there may have seemed an absence of urgency, but there did at least seem to be a plan.

A multinational force led by Kenyan police officers would assist Haitian police to bring order to a country overrun by gangs.

Fast forward to today.

Prime Minister Ariel Henry left the country – with Kenya among his destinations as he sought to shore up that support – only for gangs to attack the airport and ports in his absence.

Such was the state of affairs that Mr Henry could not re-enter the country, and he has now offered his resignation as Prime Minister.

Mr Henry struggled to have any kind of mandate having been appointed and never having won an election, but he was the last remnant of official authority in a country which has not a single elected representative left.

With Mr Henry gone, the next piece of news came out of Kenya. Already with the plan to deploy police officers entangled in the courts because of a constitutional challenge over whether police could serve outside the country, the news of Mr Henry’s resignation has led to Kenya to halt its plans for intervention. After all, the man had been the one to call for the multinational force in the first place, and agreements clearing the path for deployment had been signed on March 1 between the two countries. With him in place, who did Kenya have an agreement with? One can hardly blame them for wanting to know on whose behalf they would be intervening.

The damage to vessels and containers at the ports in Haiti meanwhile have led some insurers to categorise the state of affairs as civil disruption. Some port services have ceased indefinitely, while armed intruders breached the Port-au-Prince warehouse area and looted the site.

German company Hapag-Lloyd has announced a booking restriction for cargo destined for Port-au-Prince.

If things were bad before in Haiti, the flow of goods being halted is going to do nothing to improve people’s

lives – albeit the shipping companies cannot be blamed for not wanting to sail into a situation with no security and little guarantee of being able to sail away again safely.

One shipping manager told the Associated Press: “Everything has stopped. Medical supplies, food cannot come to Port-au-Prince. Right now nothing can enter by sea, by air or by road. It’s a disaster. Hunger will be the next step.”

Haiti – like The Bahamas – is a heavy importer of its goods, especially food and medical supplies. Cutting off those imports is an invitation to famine and disease.

For The Bahamas, presumably the troops that had been promised as part of the initiative led by Kenya will now remain right here at home. They were promised to a mission that no longer exists, at least in the form it was envisioned.

The need for a solution to Haiti’s situation has not disappeared with the end of that plan, of course. In fact, the country’s need has intensified, not diminished.

We are already faced with a neighbour that has no leadership, that is largely controlled by gang members, that has recently seen 4,000 prisoners freed when jails were laid siege to, and where the police were already fighting what seemed a losing battle – understaffed, underequipped and overwhelmed.

Add to that the prospect of starvation as supply chains are cut off, and no sign of any political solution that will lead to free elections and a leadership with a genuine mandate, and we can see that we are on the brink of a humanitarian crisis.

Many will try to flee that cauldron of despair – and that may well mean more migrants seeking to reach our shores.

What is the solution to all this? That’s a simple question with no easy answers.

Certainly, urgency is needed, but wisdom too.

Haiti needs a future. One that fits the needs of its people, and one that can be abiding for many years to come. It is not just a problem for Haiti, it is a regional disaster.

PICTURE OF THE DAY

EDITOR, The Tribune.

AS a small business owner born and raised in the Exuma Cays, I write to express my growing concern over the proposed developments in the Exuma Cays. The Exuma Cays are known for beauty and hospitable communities and should be at the front of the government’s push for more eco-tourism, but I am worried that new developments will cost us more than they can contribute to the local economy here?

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net

investment numbers over long term sustainability for our communities. There is also what these projects mean for the local environment. Some of these developers are doing things like dredging the seabed for their marina. I don’t think people understand how this could threaten the livelihoods of us who rely on things like coral reefs and fishing. By the way, the Exuma Cays are in a national park. What happened to protecting this environment?

What is going on in Exuma Cays? Why are there deposit limits on international bank cards here?

EDITOR, The Tribune.

GREETINGS and oh boy every day it is something else challenged by, but you know it is all good. I just have a query for the probing minds and power that be.

Around 12.10pm today,

Seattle, Washington, desire of traveling to US. Posing the question with the banker, what do I have to do to load a Ready asked the banker, are you telling me that not even a Mastercard Credit Card Facility was available in the country, who might, should be able to have these transactions done, after all their card occupies a prominent position on that plastic card? It is one thing to introduce a card business in a country (home office being foreign), but if there were no local access to conducting needs that card holders have, ought not to be given the licenses to operate in absentia? FRANK GILBERT Nassau, March 11, 2024.

I do not necessarily oppose these developments but I am worried about how they are being approved. We all know that the Exuma Cays have amazing views and clear waters but these things also represent the birthright of my community. It supports local businesses, including my own, and the traditional way of life for Bahamians that you can’t find in the more developed islands like New Providence anymore. These new developments threaten what makes the Exuma Cays special with things like over the water bungalows, big marinas, and almost no public consultation.

And while local entrepreneurs struggle to find support and funding to keep their businesses going, we are hearing that new developers are getting crown land from the government to use. I am honestly worried that the government is prioritizing short-term

The truth is that no one is really talking to the community about these developments. Where our community is small and we are all very close to each other, any development coming to the Exuma Cays should be a partnership with locals including the voices and concerns of those it will be affected directly. For example, there is a big problem with the over the water bungalows one project is trying to build. Besides the hurricane risks, how could over the water bungalows get approval to be built in a high traffic channel where local tour operators and fishermen use their boats? It is clear that there was no consultation with the people who use this waterway every

day, and depend on it to sustain their businesses. For locals to maintain their safety it could mean that we have to find new routes, and that can add to already high fuel costs. When decisions are made behind closed doors with little regard for the input of local residents and business owners like myself, then the result is a development that is out of touch and out of place.

I call upon the developers behind these projects and our governmental representatives to really think about the kinds of developments they are considering for the Exuma Cays. We deserve to be part of the conversations and government agencies need to do their jobs to defend our local environment. If local businesses could get the same support as some of these foreign developers, imagine how better off we would all be. Like I said, I am not opposed to development and there are some positive ones I support but we need to make sure these developments serve not just the interests of a few foreigners but our entire community. Let us choose sustainable progress so that the Exuma Cays can remain a treasure to be enjoyed by residents and visitors alike for generations to come.

CONCERNED CITIZEN Exuma Cays, March 10, 2024.

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

Photo: Mark J. Terrill/AP

International Federation of Women Lawyers Grand Bahama recognise Attorney Grace Tynes

IN celebration of International Women’s Day 2024, the International Federation of Women Lawyers Grand Bahama Chapter (FIDA) is spotlighting one of its founding members, Freeport attorney-at-law Grace Ingrid Tynes. The organisation recognises Mrs Tynes for her “positive impact on the lives of women and children”.

The FIDA GB Chapter was established in 1993. During its 31 years of existence, Mrs Tynes has consistently provided guidance, encouragement, and direction to future FIDA leaders.

Every March, when International Women’s Day

Photographer and artist Margaret Guillaume dies at 76

PHOTOGRAPHER and artist Margaret Guillaume has died, aged 76.

Ms Guillaume, a former Tribune employee, was famed for her work as a fine arts photographer, with a host of exhibitions to her name - and who photographed many famous people including artist Andy Warhol and singer Nancy Wilson.

Ms Guillaume was also a lecturer in photography at the College of The Bahamas, and was the first president of both the Bahamas Camera Club and the Bahamas Press Club.

The Press Club last night issued a statement saying they were saddened by Miss Guillaume’s passing.

The statement said: “Margaret was a perfectionist. With her, nothing was halfway. It was either doing it right or not at all.

“Margaret worked in New York City as a freelancer earlier in her career, and her

is celebrated, the organisation pays tribute to a woman in the legal profession who is held in high esteem by her colleagues. This year, the United Nations selected the theme: “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress.” The theme aims to tackle economic disempowerment. Mrs Tynes, a founding and managing partner of Tynes and Tynes law firm, has practised in all areas of law. Her primary areas of expertise include conveyancing, probate, labour, family, and company law. Additionally, she has practised as an advocate before the magistrates, Supreme Courts, and the Industrial Tribunal.

Police allegedly find a gun and ammo in house of Man waiting trial for murder of Corporal Fox

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN awaiting trial for allegedly trying to murder a police officer was denied bail yesterday after a gun and a large quantity of ammunition was allegedly found in his home.

Magistrate Lennox Coleby charged Emerson Johnson, Jr, 26, and Deera Fox, 23, with possession of an unlicensed firearm, possession of ammunition with intent to supply and possession of ammunition.

The pair were arrested in their residence in Nassau Village on March 7 after police allegedly found a black 9mm Taurus G2C

pistol along with 85 rounds of 9mm ammunition and a single .40 round.

Although both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges, the prosecutor, Inspector Lincoln McKenzie, objected to Johnson’s bail. At the time of his arrest, Johnson was already on bail for allegedly attempting to shoot and kill Corporal Arnold Fox on February 11, 2023.

While Johnson was denied bail and remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services, Ms Fox’s bail was set at $7,000 with one or two sureties. The pair’s trial begins on May 23.

TEEN THAT STABBED ANOTHER TEEN GETS BAIL AND CURFEW

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A 15-YEAR-OLD boy admitted to stabbing another teenage boy on Williams Lane last week.

Magistrate Algernon Allen Jr charged the teenage defendant, whose name is being withheld due to him being a minor, with causing harm.

The defendant’s guardians were present for his arraignment.

The juvenile defendant reportedly stabbed another young male with a knife during a physical altercation around 6pm on March 4. After pleading guilty to the charge, the accused was granted bail at $3,000 with one or two sureties. Under the terms of his release, he must obey a 5pm to 7am residential curfew. The defendant will return to court for a probation report on June 26.

TEEN ACCUSED OF BREAKING INTO A WOMAN’S HOUSE

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A 16-YEAR-OLD boy was granted bail yesterday after he was accused of breaking into a woman’s home last month.

Magistrate Algernon Allen Jr charged the juvenile defendant, whose name is being withheld due to him being a minor, with housebreaking.

The defendant allegedly broke into the residence of Sharon Musgrove on Hamilton Street on February 15. Following his entering of a not guilty plea, the accused was told that his police bail would be extended and that he must obey a 5pm to 7am residential curfew. The defendant will return to court for a report on June 26.

photographs have appeared in newspapers and magazines in The Bahamas and internationally.

“Members of the BPC express profound condolences to her family and wish her an eternal peaceful rest.”

Ms Guillaume was also a keen member of the Girl Guides, become a Master Guide and Master Guide Director. She was also an Adventist Youth Leader, and was director of community services at her church at Hillview Seventh Day Adventist Church, where her responsibilities included the soup kitchen from which she fed the hungry and cared for those who are shutin. She became a church deaconess.

Ms Guillaume passed away in Princess Margaret Hopital on March 10. She was the youngest of six children born to Francois and Madge Antonio Wood Guillaume. She is survived by her brother Herbert W

Guillaume; sisters Marie A Guillaume-Taylor and H Guillaume-Thompson, and a host of other relatives and friends.

Family members expressed concern that Ms Guillaume’s passing followed surgery and was linked with gluten intolerance sensitivity

and celiac food disorder. They hoped more Bahamian doctor would study and specialise in this food disorder. Her funeral is scheduled for 11am on Sunday, March 24, at the Hillview Seventh Day Adventist Church on Tonique Williams-Darling Highway.

FREEPORT ATTORNEY-AT-LAW GRACE INGRID TYNES

MARGARET Guillaume. Photo: courtesy of Presleith Yvette McPhee

GROUP photo courtesy of Bahamas Press Club.

True investment in women starts with the goverment

INTERNATIONAL

Women’s Day has come and gone, but we will see photos, videos, articles, and other forms of media related to it for the rest of the week as we all go through our camera rolls, receive footage, and think about the messaging that has been sent over the past few days.

Two themes floated around this year, one coming from the International Women’s Day organisation and the more popular one coming from UN Women which has the tendency to take over global initiatives like this. The two themes were “Inspire Inclusion” and “Invest in Women.”

Last week, I covered the inadequacy of inclusion. It was once a major goal, and we have since learned that it does not yield the results we need. In many cases, it increases the burden on the few people who are selected for inclusion in spaces where they are the minority and are expected to represent everyone with their identities or they are ignored and excluded due to their dissenting views or the assumption that they are not good enough to be in the room, only granted a seat for optics. We cannot add people who have been historically and systemically excluded to spaces that are (occupied by people who are) hostile toward and expect them to be make an impact on the outcomes developed there. We have to make changes to the systems, spaces, and, yes, people, to create environments of possibility. The “Invest in Women” theme is not at all new.

This phrase is thrown around almost as often as the meaningless, corporatised “Empower Women.”

The investments seem to be made in photoshoots that tokenise women in the private sector in an effort to prove that various companies are “investing” in women — the women who work for them, bringing significant value while, in many cases, being paid less than men doing work of equal value. International Women’s Day should not be a time to ask women to do anything for you — especially businesses — but to do something for us. What investments are you prepared to make? Even the Government of The Bahamas did not manage to make the most of the day.

By Alicia Wallace

I was surprised to see a contribution on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) credited to the Department of Gender and Family Affairs. The Department could have ceased to exist, for all we know, given its long-term silence. Even during the first week of Women’s History Month, leading up to International Women’s Day, there was no communication from the Department on its plans or lack thereof, much less information on events or other initiatives planned by other entities. That aside, the contribution on CEDAW was unsurprisingly, but obviously missing any acknowledgement of the reservations that The Bahamas has on Articles 2(a) on policy measures and 9(2) on nationality rights.

The Government of The Bahamas ratified CEDAW in 1993 and reserved on these Articles, indicating that it does not hold itself accountable on those issues or making the necessary changes to come into compliance with those parts of the Convention. The CEDAW Committee has since expressed that reservations are not only not an excuse for failure to act, but unacceptable as human rights are interdependent.

In particular, Article 2, as explained by Swiss human rights lawyer and former CEDAW Committee Member Patricia Schulz (in the Equality Bahamas CEDAW Speaker Series), reservations on Article 2 are in complete contravention with the entire Convention as it relies on Article 2 — policy measures to eliminate discrimination against women and embodiment of the equality of women and men in national constitutions. This is what brings the rest of the Convention into reality — legal and policy changes.

In its Concluding Observations following the sixth periodic report of The Bahamas, the CEDAW Committee said it “remains

concerned that the State party maintains reservations to article 2 (a), on the general legal obligations of States parties under the Convention, and to article 9 (2), on nationality.” It called on the Government of The Bahamas to “demonstrate its commitment to eliminating all forms of discrimination against women by withdrawing its reservations to articles 2 (a) and 9 (2) within a clear time frame in order to ensure the full applicability of the Convention.”

Other recommendations (direct quotes) by the CEDAW Committee which absolutely should have been included in the contribution by the Department of Gender and Family Affairs include:

1. Set a clear time frame for a constitutional reform, supported by a comprehensive educational and awareness-raising campaign and the inclusive participation of civil society organisations, to expand constitutional protection from discrimination under article 26 (1) to include at least the grounds of sex and gender.

2. Ensure, without delay, that a comprehensive review of existing legislation is conducted, that a comprehensive definition of discrimination against women is put forward, in line with the Convention, and that the principle of gender equality is integrated into all national laws.

3. Enhance awareness among women and girls of their rights and the remedies available to them under the Convention, including through awareness- raising campaigns, in cooperation with civil society organisations and community-based women’s associations.

4. Strengthen the authority and the regulatory and oversight roles of the

[Department of Gender and Family Affairs] and ensure its autonomy for improved effectiveness in the execution of its mandate.

5. Accelerate the adoption of the draft strategic plan for the Department and of the draft gender policy and include specific indicators and targets in the policy to facilitate the accountability of stakeholders.

6. Establish, as a matter of priority, a national human rights institution with a broad mandate in full compliance with the Paris Principles and provide it with sufficient resources and a specific mandate for ensuring women’s rights.

7. Develop an action plan to eliminate discriminatory gender stereotypes, which incite violence against women and girls, and establish a monitoring mechanism to assess the impact of such measures, in particular in relation to women and girls facing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination. None of these recommendations have been actioned by the Government of The Bahamas. In response to recommendations for

1. Join Feminist Book Club. This month, we are reading Evil Eye by Etaf Rum, a Palestinian author who also wrote the New York Times bestseller A Woman is No Man. “After Yara is placed on probation at work for fighting with a racist coworker, her Palestinian mother claims the provocation and all that’s come after were the result of a family curse.” Equality Bahamas and Poinciana Paper Press will host the meeting to discuss Evil Eye on Wednesday, March 20 at 6pm, both at Poinciana Paper Press, 12 Parkgate Road, and online. Register to join Feminist Book Club at tiny.cc/fbc2024.

2. Attend the What More Y’all Want?!” collaborative exhibition. This is the first event in the ANTI series by Poinciana Paper Press. What More Y’all Want?! is a call-and-response interactive work that invites people to answer the ridiculous question posed by people who claim women “already have everything.” Join us on Saturday, March 16, at Poinciana Paper Press, 12 Parkgate Road, to let everyone know exactly what we want. Be ready to try letterpress printing and for your work to become a part of a loud, raw zine.

constitutional amendments during the Universal Periodic Review, The Government of The Bahamas stated that it has no intention of undertaking a constitutional reform exercise of any kind.

In February 2022, a National Gender-Based Violence Law Review Forum was held in a format that was completely inappropriate, supposedly as a part of the discriminatory law review process within which UN Women was engaged. More than two years later, there is not discriminatory law review report, and no one is willing to share a date for its release or to simply say that it, like so many other documents and processes, has been shelved or otherwise abandoned.

The government has done nothing to raise awareness of CEDAW or women’s human rights. The Department of Gender and Family Affairs is completely ineffective, even when considering its limited resources. The Strategic Plan to Address Gender-Based Violence was unearthed during the drafting and consultation on the gender-based violence bill which has also been shelved. No human rights institution has been established.

In a lazy and insulting move, the government instead established a parliamentary committee which does not come close to a national human rights institution and will likely fade into the background and be forgotten, and we can see that this has already begun. There is still no action plan to address gender stereotypes which fuel gender-based discrimination and gender-based violence.

Investing in women, in the truest sense, has to begin with the government. It is not about fancy brunches or overpriced one-time events. It is about making it possible for women to be free from violence and discrimination, and to not only have

equality in opportunities, but in outcomes. This means establishing a national gender machinery, at the Ministry level, and allocating an adequate budget, hiring technical experts, and investing in cross-Ministry training for frontline staff and decision-makers. It requires a significant investment in public education and support of civil society organisations that are actually advocating for and working toward substantive equality. It is the dismantling of old, oppressive systems and the development, with the leadership of women and girls, of new, robust systems and processes that center women and girls and respond to our needs.

The government has not done what is required to promote, expand, and increase access to women’s human rights. Its participation in international human rights mechanisms appears to be perfunctory and disingenuous.

Until we see the investment made, we cannot take it seriously when it mentions “supporting” women, because we know it does not mean all women. Supporting all women requires an investment in the women who are systematically and routinely left out, creating opportunities for them to not only participate but to lead, recognising their expertise in their own experiences.

Whenever we see the hashtag #InvestInWomen, we need to ask where they put their money today or yesterday, and where they plan to put it tomorrow. Gender equality will not come for free. There is a price to be paid for being so far behind, so reluctant to change, and so committed to false pretenses for so long that people begin to believe they are real. Transformation will, indeed, take time as much as it will take technical expertise and commitment, and we need the money on the table now. Government, you go first.

TSA UNVEILS PASSENGER SELF-SCREENING LANES AT VEGAS AIRPORT AS ‘A STEP INTO THE FUTURE’

By KEN RITTER Associated Press

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Federal airport security officials unveiled a passenger self-screening system Wednesday at busy Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, but say they do not plan to use it in other cities around the country.

“How do we step into the future? This is a step,” said a system designer, Dimitri Kusnezov, science and technology under secretary at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

“The interface with people makes all the difference.”

The Transportation Security Administration checkpoint — only in Las Vegas, only for TSA PreCheck customers and only using the English language — incorporates a screen with do-it-yourself instructions telling people how to smoothly pass themselves and their carry-on luggage through pre-flight screening with little or no help from uniformed TSA officers.

“We want to avoid passengers having to be patted down,” said John Fortune, program manager of the Department of Homeland Security’s “Screening at Speed” programme and a developer with Kusnezov of the prototype.

Instead of a boxy belt-fed device using a stack of gray trays, the futuristic-looking baggage and personal belongings inspection system looks like a scaleddown starship medical magnetic resonance imaging machine that uses an

automated bin return belt. Travelers step into a separate clear glass body scanning booth with a video display inside showing how to stand when being sensed with what officials said is the type of “millimetre wave technology” already in use around the country.

A reporter found it sensitive enough to identify a forgotten handkerchief in a pocket. He did not have to remove his shoes.

“Really, one of the main aims here is to allow individuals to get through the system without necessarily having to interact directly with an officer and ... at their own pace,” said Christina Peach, a TSA administrator involved in the system design. “It’s also about not feeling rushed.”

Nationally, nearly all passengers who pay to enroll in the TSA PreCheck programme pass through screening in 10 minutes or less, agency spokesman R. Carter Langston said, while regular traveler and carry-on screening takes about 30 minutes.

Peach said eight uniformed TSA officers might be needed to staff two lanes of the new system, compared with 12 officers in lanes today.

However, Kusnezov and Karen Burke, TSA federal security director in Nevada, said agents including union members would just be freed from handson screening to focus more attention on broader security concerns.

“No one is going to lose their job,” Burke said.

Fortune declined to

estimate the cost of designing the system, but he said the type of scanners used were similar to ones already deployed around the country.

Officials said they’ll time how quickly travelers pass through the prototype during evaluations this year.

Testing is being done at a unique-in-the-nation “innovation checkpoint” that TSA unveiled in 2019 in a sprawling international arrivals terminal that opened in 2012 at Harry Reid airport. It already features screening lanes with instruction displays and estimated wait times.

“This change in technology is for people who want to get through a checkpoint faster,” said Keith Jeffries, a former TSA director at Los Angeles International

Airport and now vice president of K2 Security Screening Group, a company that installs screening systems at shipping ports including airports. “It’ll be a great step, but I anticipate it will be for the experienced passengers.”

Jeffries, in an interview with The Associated Press, compared the new system to self-checkout lanes that were introduced in the 1980s and are now common at supermarkets across the nation. He recalled that some shoppers initially avoided scanning their own purchases.

“It’s going to take time to educate the public,” he said of the TSA screening lanes.

“You’re going to have a new generation of travelers that just wants to get through with the least amount of hassle and delay. I think eventually we’ll see more and more of them.”

Harry Reid International Airport was the seventhbusiest passenger airport in the U.S. in 2022, ranked by Airports Council International behind New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. In 2023, the Las Vegas airport handled a new record of 57.6 million arriving and departing passengers.

The Transportation Security Administration reported its busiest day ever at the airport last month, screening nearly 104,000 travelers and their luggage as they headed for airline flights Feb. 12, the day after the NFL Super Bowl was played at Allegiant Stadium.

SAVE OUR SIGNAL! US POLITICIANS CLOSE IN ON VOTES NEEDED TO KEEP AM RADIO IN EVERY CAR

By PATRICK WHITTLE Associated Press

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The signal might be fading, but it can’t be lost.

That’s the message from politicians who are closing in on the required number of votes needed to pass federal legislation that requires AM radios in every new car.

The prevalence of AM broadcast radio has dipped in recent decades as more listeners turn to options such as satellite radio and podcasts during drivetime. But a large, bipartisan group of lawmakers believes saving the AM dial is critical to public safety, especially in rural America, and they want to ensure access to it via car radios.

“The emergency alert system works on the AM spectrum – that’s where

CHARGEPOINT CEO EXPECTS MORE ELECTRIC VEHICLE STATIONS AS USE, SALES KEEP GROWING

By TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writer

DETROIT (AP) — Sales growth of electric vehicles in the U.S. has started to slow, and polls show it’s due in part to anxiety over running out of battery power and too few charging stations.

But Rick Wilmer, the new CEO of ChargePoint, an EV charging network, says the number of charging stations and plugs is increasing rapidly.

ChargePoint, based near San Jose, California, builds and maintains stations for businesses, apartment buildings and others who want them to attract customers.

Wilmer said in an interview with The Associated Press that ChargePoint is seeing increased use of its roughly 34,000 charging stations and experiencing growth that should rise as interest rates fall. His comments are edited for length and clarity.

Q: Electric vehicle sales growth is slowing, and some automakers are putting the brakes on manufacturing investments. So how realistic is the transition from internal combustion to EVs ?

A: I think EVs are a foregone conclusion. If you listen to senior executives from the automakers, even though there may be a nonlinear path to a future of all EVs, it’s

pretty clear that most are beyond the tipping point. But I think these headwinds like the lack of enough chargers or charger reliability create the non-linearity as we move toward a fully electrified future.

Economic conditions, especially last year, also inhibited things. The concerns about charging in general maybe caused drivers to wait to convert to EVs. EVs are generally today more expensive than an internal combustion vehicle. And with high interest rates, car loans became a lot less affordable for people. I think they moved away maybe from an EV choice to a internal combustion choice just for cost reasons.

Q: The U.S. has roughly 61,000 charging stations with about 164,000 plugs. President Biden has said we need a half million plugs. Will we ever see enough chargers?

A: I think we will get there. In EV charging infrastructure, especially where the capital is being

spent, I think a lot of lot of CFOs out there were cautious, waiting to see what (Federal Reserve) Chairman Powell was going to do, if we were going to actually have a soft landing versus some sort of recession. They were conservative. It seems like with each passing day the news gets more encouraging regarding a soft landing and the potential to start reducing interest rates, which I think will loosen things up.

Despite all those headwinds, the EVs are still showing up. Netnet across all different markets and use cases, we’re seeing the amount of utilisation of the charging ports significantly exceed the rate of port growth, which tells me that these institutions that are putting charging in, for whatever reason, are going to get more and more pressure from their drivers to act, or those people won’t come to their places anymore because they don’t have enough charging capacity. Exactly when that breaks loose and does it break loose as a dam breaking or does it just gradually start to accelerate, I think that’s (to be determined). But I think overall the signs are encouraging that we’re going to see a pickup in growth.

Q: ChargePoint has disproportionately more slower 240-volt alternating current chargers than it does direct current fast chargers.

People seem to want the fast chargers if they’re traveling so they don’t have a long wait. How do you see that balancing out?

A: I think that there always will be a lot more AC ports than DC ports. It’s generally driven by the dynamic that you charge where you park.

The vast majority of the time, you’re not making a trip that’s so long that you need to charge part way. But those do happen. If you only have one vehicle, even if you only do long trips twice a year, you’re going to have to find a place to charge.

Q: What businesses want the DC fast chargers as opposed to AC?

A: For a 30-minute retail experience, AC is not going to do much. But for a hotel, AC might be just fine. I think there’s a lot of change happening in the market. What you’re seeing now is some of the more forward-thinking institutions realise that EV charging is a way to build a relationship with that driver, who is also a consumer.

Now you’re looking at it as not just an amenity, but it’s a business opportunity to get people to come to your place, perhaps stay longer, perhaps buy more, perhaps go to your place as opposed to some alternative place. So this is everything from big box retail to the oil and gas guys that are moving into this market.

people get information about emergencies,” said independent Sen. Angus King of Maine. “It’s a critical source of information, particularly in rural areas that might not have clear access to an FM signal.” King, and Republican Maine Sen. Susan Collins, are among dozens of lawmakers supporting the AM for Every Vehicle Act. Lawmakers first proposed the legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate last year, and it has gained a wave of new cosponsors in recent weeks. There are now enough cosponsors to pass the bill in the House, and the Senate is only a few sponsors away, federal records state.

The proposal would have the U.S. Department of Transportation require all new motor vehicles to have devices that can access AM broadcast stations. The rules would apply to vehicles manufactured in the U.S., imported into the country, or shipped in interstate commerce.

The drive to save AM radio comes as some carmakers are phasing the format out. Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, a proponent of saving AM radio, said last year that he sent a letter to 20 carmakers asking them to maintain AM broadcast and found eight had removed it from electric vehicles.

That is potentially bad news for farming communities and rural parts of the country, lawmakers said.

NEW TSA screening equipment at Harry Reid International Airport is displayed, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)

(AP Illustration/Jenni Sohn)

A DISPLAY screen inside a vehicle shows various radio options, including AM radio.

(AP Photo/Holly Ramer)

As Haiti prepares for new leadership, gangs looking for a seat at the table

PORT-AU-PRINCE

Associated Press

POLITICIANS across

Haiti are scrambling for power after Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced Tuesday that he would resign once a transitional presidential council is created.

But elbowing their way into the race are powerful gangs that control 80% of Haiti’s capital and demand a say in the future of the troubled country under siege.

No one mentioned the armed groups as Caribbean leaders congratulated themselves late Monday for setting Haiti on a new political path, and experts warned that nothing will change unless gangs become part of the conversation.

“Even if you have a different kind of government, the reality is that you need to talk to the gangs,” said Robert Fatton, a Haitian politics expert at the University of Virginia, noting that gangs largely control the capital. “If they have that supremacy, and there is no countervailing force, it’s no longer a question if you want them at the table. They may just take the table.”

Gangs have deep ties to Haiti’s political and economic elite, but they have become more independent, financing their operations with kidnapping ransoms to buy smuggled weapons, including belt-fed machine guns and .50-caliber sniper rifles that allow them to overpower underfunded

police. More than 200 gangs are estimated to operate around Haiti, mostly in Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas. More than 20 of them are based in the capital and rally around two main coalitions: G9 Family and Allies led by Jimmy Chérizier, a former elite police officer known as “Barbecue”; and G-Pep, led by Gabriel JeanPierre, who is allied with Johnson André, leader of the 5 Seconds gang and known as “Izo.”

“Gangs have become stronger, and they have the upper hand in terms of security,” said Renata Segura of the International Crisis Group. “This transition is not influencing the day-to-day security of Haiti. We are very concerned.”

Shortly before Prime Minister Ariel Henry said he would resign and Caribbean officials announced the creation of a transitional council, Chérizier held an impromptu news conference and rejected any solution led and supported by the international community.

“It’s the Haitian people who know what they’re going through. It’s the Haitian people who are going to take destiny into their own hands. Haitian people will choose who will govern them,” Chérizier said.

As the upheaval continues, Henry has been unable to enter Haiti because the violence forced the closure of its airports. He arrived a week ago in Puerto Rico,

where he announced his resignation in a recorded statement.

“The government that I’m running cannot remain insensitive in front of this situation. There is no sacrifice that is too big for our country,” Henry said Tuesday. “The government I’m running will remove itself immediately after the installation of the council.”

Chérizier has yet to

react to the looming resignation, which he has long sought as he claimed responsibility for coordinated attacks on critical government targets that began Feb. 29 while the prime minister was in Kenya pushing for the UN-backed deployment of a police force to help fight gangs.

In recent weeks, gangs have torched police stations, forced the closure of Haiti’s two international airports and stormed the country’s two biggest prisons, freeing more than 4,000 inmates.

Scores of people have been killed, and the UN says more than 15,000 Haitians have been left homeless by the recent attacks.

It’s unclear whether Chérizier, considered Haiti’s most powerful gang leader, and other armed groups will accept the plan to create a transitional council.

The council will be responsible for appointing an interim prime minister, and the new leader will work with the council to select a council of ministers.

It would have seven voting members and two nonvoting ones. Those with votes include the Pitit Desalin party, run by former senator and presidential candidate Moïse Jean-Charles, who is now an ally of Guy Philippe, a former rebel leader who led a successful 2004 coup and was recently released from a United States prison after pleading guilty to money

laundering.

Also with a vote is the EDE party of former Prime Minister Charles Joseph; the Fanmi Lavalas party; the coalition led by Henry; the Montana Accord group; and members of the private sector.

“The process that led to this presidential council … is deeply flawed and is going to make that process more difficult,” said Jake Johnston, a research associate at the Washington-based Center for Economic and Policy Research. “Announcing a new foreign-backed government will be an uphill battle to try and earn any legitimacy in Haiti.”

Critics of the prime minister noted that he was appointed, not elected, to his position with the backing of the international community shortly after the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.

While Chérizier and other gang leaders have long demanded that Henry resign, Johnston said it’s unclear if they seek power for themselves or for someone else, such as former rebel leader Guy Philippe, which he believes is the case.

Segura said the role that Philippe and Jean-Charles will play in upcoming days is critical.

Philippe “is one of the few politicians who has an open channel with gangs at this moment,” she said, adding that it’s likely negotiations with them are ongoing. “He has a foot in both worlds.”

Gang violence has eased

in recent days as public transportation resumed and some banks reopened, although schools and gas stations remain closed. A growing number of Haitians are returning to their daily routines, but food and water remain scarce in some areas.

Jonas Jean-Pierre, a 40-year-old high school social science teacher who was withdrawing money from a bank, said he doubts that Haiti’s current course will change.

“Knowing how our politicians in this country can never put their heads together, Ariel could be in office for another year,” he said of the prime minister.

Jean-Pierre also said he was bothered by Henry’s brief speech in which he announced his upcoming resignation.

“This is not the first time a prime minister left through the back door without saying ‘excuse me’ to the Haitian people,” he said.

Even if a multinational foreign force is deployed in Haiti at some point, that offers no guarantee of resolving the crisis, Jean-Pierre added.

Johnston agreed.

“You can’t stop the proliferation and activity of armed groups through force alone,” he said. “If you draw this hard line and rely solely on external forces to try and sort of kill the problem away, you’re not actually disrupting the root causes that generate that violence and these dynamics.”

HAITI’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry attends a public lecture at the United States International University in Nairobi, Kenya, March 1, 2024. The prime minister had travelled to Kenya to push for the UN-backed deployment of a police force from the East African country to fight gangs in Haiti. Henry, who is facing calls to resign or form a transitional council, remains unable to return home. Photo: Andrew Kasuku/AP

JIMMY CHÉRIZIER, a former elite police officer known as Barbecue who leads the G9 and Family gang, walks away after speaking to journalists in the Delmas 6 neighbourhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday.

Photo: Odelyn Joseph /AP

Windsor School completes sweep

the nine-hole golf course at the Bahamas Golf Federation’s Practice Facility.

Gina Gonzalez-Rolle, committee chairperson, said the kids are putting on a show at the fourth edition of the Interschool Golf Championships.

“We have been really blessed. The weather has been really cool. It has been blowing and we haven’t had any rain so we are really happy about that. The kids have been shooting phenomenally. The good part about it is that the kids have been able to play. Some of them know it really well, others don’t know it so well but everybody has been able to play very well. We are very proud of all our kids,” Gonzalez-Rolle said.

In a recap of yesterday’s action, Windsor School was atop the upper primary girls division with a total of 132. Home School was positioned second with 147. The Queen’s College Comets fell behind by three to finish third with 150.

It was once again Windsor School in first place, this time in the upper primary boys division. The team totalled 106 in the qualifiers. St Andrew’s kept it close but placed one spot behind with 112. Home School got the third podium spot with a total of 120.

Taking the top 10 individual spots for the upper primary boys division were Maximilien Demole (King’s College School), William Mahelis (St Andrew’s), Hugo Johnston (Windsor School), Briland Cunningham (Home School), Zachary Landry (Windsor School), Caleb Davis (St Andrew’s), Juan Pedro Vianna (Lyford Cay International School), Kai Bastian (St Thomas More), Jervarie Dawkins (St Cecilia’s) and William Smith (Home School).

The top 10 individual qualifiers for the upper primary girls division were Zara Greaves (Windsor School), Londyn Strachan

(Genesis Academy), Tatyana Clarke (Queen’s College), Adrielle Goncalves (Windsor School), Zaire Poitier (Home School), Payton McKenzie (Xavier’s Lower School), Kaleah Brown (Queen’s College), Sarah Scheidecker (Nassau Christian Academy), Stella Ward (St Andrew’s) and Alyssa Richards (St Thomas More).

St Andrew’s prevailed in the lower primary boys division. Meanwhile, Windsor School and Queen’s College took the second and third spots respectively. St Andrew’s amassed a total of 124. Windsor School totalled 146 and QC wrapped up with 169.

Poitier Golf Home School showed out in the lower primary girls division with a total of 118. QC settled for the second spot with 161 and Summit Academy collected the third spot with 165.

The individual lower primary boys division was tightly contested as some competitors had identical scores.

The qualifiers were William Stevenson (St Andrew’s) and Advik Arora (St Andrew’s), Luca Greaves (Windsor School), Tyhler Rolle (Nassau Christian Academy), Liam Bethel (King’s College), Jeter Rodarmel (King’s College), Zane Gibson (St Andrew’s), Breion Bullard (St Cecilia’s), Cameo Smith (QC) and Benjamin Lozzi (Windsor School).

The lower primary girls division was equally as competitive.

The qualifiers in this division were Zion Poitier (Poitier Golf HomeSchool), Skyrah Chambers (Poitier Golf HomeSchool), Zeden Poitier (Poitier Golf HomeSchool), Liv Ward (St Andrew’s), Sadie Jones (Windsor School), Samantha Mahelis (St Andrew’s), Savannah Mackey (Summit Academy), Anjo Laing (QC), Eliana Rodarmel (King’s College) and Meghan Brennen (QC).

Photos by Dante Carrer

THE Bahamas Junior Golf Association’s fourth annual National High School Golf Tournament got underway Monday at the Bahamas Golf Federation’s Driving Range.

results from day one of the championships, powered by Junior Girls 1st Place Team- Windsor School at Albany - Team Score of 111 - Mila Zalsman, Lilly Bisterzo and Yulia Chipman. 2nd Place Team - Bahamas Global Academy - Team Score of 127Anissa Robinson, Haley Hall and Mila Pennerman 3rd Place Team- Queen’s College - Team Score of 131 - Alphanique Dean, Aiyanna Hernandez, Cianna McWilliam, Caitlin McWilliam and Isobel Grimes.

4th Place Team - St. John’s College - Team Score of 146 - Daliah HamiltonKnowles, Zamira Swann and Zhyen Wraing.

5th Place Team- Home Schooling - Team Score of 152 - Rylee Cunningham, Naomi Cole and Eloise Amorello-Bradley.

6th Place Team- St. Augustine’s College - Total Gaillard, Maliyah Morgan

Top 10 Individuals Junior Girls - 1st Place - Mila Zalsman, Windsor School at Albany, 30; 2nd Place - Maddison Carroll, The Tambearly School, 30; 3rd Place - Anissa Robinson, Bahamas Global Academy, 31; 4th Place - Lilly Bisterzo, Windsor School at Albany, 32; 4th Place - Haley Hall, Bahamas Global Academy, 32; 4th Place - Kayleigh Rolle, Kings College School, The Bahamas, 32; 7th Place - Tiar AgaroGibson, Aquinas College, 39; 8th Place - Alphanique Dean, Queen’s College, 41; 9th Place - Daliah Hamilton-Knowles, St. John’s College, 42; 10th Place - Aiyanna Hernandez, Queen’s College, 44;

10th Place - Tracy Johnson, Kingsway Academy, 44. Junior Boys 1st Place Team - Windsor School at Albany - Team Score of 92 - Aidan Gorospe, William West, Edward Johnson, Leonardo Bisterzo and Maximillian Landry. 2nd Place Team- Lyford Cay International School - Team Score of 105 - BenAlec Hooper, Julius Williams and Felipe Souza. 3rd Place Team- St. Andrew’s International School - Team Score of 111 - Juan Wilson, Gregory Pinto, Aidan Robinson, Osazuwa. 4th Place Team - Bahamas Global Academy - Team Score of 123 - Zachary Christopher Joseph, Rashawn Hanna and Shai Higgs. 5th Place Team- Queen’s College - Team Score of 124 - Lathan Bowleg, Michael Knowles, Hiram Tinubu, Caeden Hayling and Trevayne Forbes-Ferguson. 6th Place Team- Home Schooling - Team Score of 138 - Kai Harvey, Tristan Moso and Gideon Cole. 7th Place Team - St. Augustine’s College - Team Score of 175 - Lenox Major, Aaron Moss, Mario Rolle, Lothario Rose and Top 10 Individuals Junior Boys 1st Place - Aidan Gorospe, Windsor School at Albany, 27; 2nd PlaceJuan Wilson, St. Andrew’s International School, 29; 3rd Place - Zachary Christopher Joseph, Bahamas Global Academy, 31; 4th Place - Rashawn Hanna, Bahamas Global Academy, 32; 4th Place - William West, Windsor School at Albany, 32; 4th Place - Benjamin Kofoed, Lyford Cay International School, 32; 7th Cay International School, 33; 7th Place - Edward Johnson, Windsor School at Albany, 33; 9th Leonardo Bisterzo, Windsor School at Albany, 35; 10th Lance

Photos by Dante Carrer

College School, The Bahamas, 37; 10th Maximillian Landry, Windsor School at Albany, 37.

Senior Girls

1st Place Team - Windsor School at Albany - Team Score of 89 - Amelie Zalsman, Grace Crawford and Anne Fernandez.

2nd Place Team - Queen’s College - Team Score of 118 - Chemari Pratt, Lauren Deal, Emma Underwood

3rd Place Team - St. Augustine’s College - Team Score of 182 - Lynae Barr, Jordan Rolle, Nylah Morgan, Aleneah Longley and Sa/maj Fitzgerald/

Top 10 Individuals

Senior Girls - 1st PlaceAmelie Zalsman, Windsor School at Albany, 28; 2nd Place - Grace Crawford, Windsor School at Albany, 30; 3rd Place - Anne Fernandez, Windsor School at Albany, 31; 4th Place - Chemari Pratt, Queen’s College, 33; 5th Place - Lauren Deal, Queen’s College, 35; 6th Place - Taylor Sands, Kingsway Academy, 40; 7th Place - Tysha Johnson, St. Anne’s School, 49; 8th Place - Emma Underwood, Queen’s College, 50; 9th Place - Maddison Culmer, H.O. Nash Junior High, 52 and 10th Place - Bailey 53.

Senior

BODYBUILDER PAUL ‘MIGHTY MOUSE’ WILSON CAPTURES THREE TITLES

FROM PAGE 16

in the same competition. Against that backdrop, it was also his first international competition since 2021 when he competed in Puerto Rico.

So even though the goal was to obtain his pro card, Wilson said not getting it won’t diminish his hat trick, carting off his first triple crown feat.

“Everybody loves the performance and I loved what I presented to that part of the stage,” Wilson said. “When I say that part of the stage, I’m talking about competing in the second largest international bodybuilding show in the world.”

Wilson, a personal fitness trainer at Empire Fitness Gym, admitted that he didn’t envision himself carting off the three titles.

“What I wanted from the show was for the judges to tell me in what direction can they see the body that I have, what I need to do going forward,” Wilson stated.

“Although they feel I can still do well in men’s physique, depending on what I do with my workouts

RASHIELD WILLIAMS

FROM PAGE 16

died a few years ago, who was his wind beneath his wings. But we in the boxing fraternity became a gang around Rashield to make sure he accomplished his dream.” Miller said Williams dedicated himself to his training and he went on to accomplish great things and they are looking for some great things from him in the future.

He also called out companies like BPL to come forth and sponsor Williams. He also encouraged other corporate sponsors to support Williams now and not wait until he becomes successful to jump on his bandwagon.

Interested persons willing to make a contribution to Williams can do so

from here on, they feel I have what it takes to compete in the bodybuilding segment.”

Since he last competed before the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2019 at the Caribbean Grand Prix for his pro card, he was told by the judges that his body was in excellent condition, but he was just too small.

“So what I did was I took the time off to really put on some muscle tussle to really balance it off,” Wilson pointed out.

In making a return to the stage at the Arnold Classic, Wilson said the judges told him that he could have been a little tighter in the physique competition, but he was right there as a bodybuilder.

Now that he’s fully back as a competitor, Wilson said he will travel to Vancouver, Canada from July 13-14 for another show to go after his pro qualification.

“I’m really trying to get my pro card, but I also know that bodybuilding is a lime-time sport,” Wilson pointed out. “It’s something where after a certain time you can’t compete in it anymore, it’s something that branches into your

through his First Caribbean account #201712934 or contact the Bahamas Boxing Federation.

While he has a great training camp in Florida, Miller said it’s disheartening to hear that Williams has to sleep in the gym where he trains. So he’s advising the government and corporate sponsors to lend their support in providing a decent living accommodation for Williams.

Strachan, the president of the federation, said everyone in the boxing fraternity are together and while the sport is back, Williams is leading the charge on the professional ranks. “I am excited to be the president of the boxing federation today and I am too fully excited to celebrate with Rashield in this great victory,” Strachan said. “Indeed, we can only try to do our best.

THE SPORTS CALENDAR

healthy lifestyle. So I just continue going.”

Wilson, by the way, was also named the latest ambassador for Empire Fitness, headed by Dr Kent Bazard. He’s also sponsored by Body Temple and he’s hoping other corporate sponsors will come on

“We can do better. We must do better because you don’t want to wait until an opportunity has passed and then when he gets his next world championship, you want to come on board. He needs your help right now. You need to come on board now.”

As a former training partner, former team-mate and former coach of Williams, Knowles said he remembers the many sessions they encountered in the gym, the road trips and the advice he continues to render on a daily basis.

“This is a very proud moment for the boxing fraternity throughout The Bahamas,” he said.

“Just sitting back here trying to reflect on where it all got started, as a boxer, we worked along with him, we travelled all over the world under head coach Andrew Seymour. “He was always the guy right

SOFTBALL: BGDSA OPENING

THE Bahamas Government Departmental Softball Association, under the leadership of Dwayne Stevens, will open its new season at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex this weekend.

The opening ceremonies and awards presentation for the 2023 season will take place at noon on Saturday, followed by a pair of exciting games.

At 1pm, Electro Invaders will take on the Police Interceptors. At 3pm, the RBGF Floaters will meet the BDOCS Reformers. Three games will also be played on Sunday. They are follows: 1:30pm - RBDF Waves will play the BDOCS Keepers. 3pm - Police Enforcers vs RBDF Cannons. 4:30pm - Police Interceptors vs BTC Lasers.

VOLLEYBALL: BBSF

TOURNEY

THE Bahamas Baptist Sports Federation will hold a meeting at 6pm on Tuesday, March 26 at the Convention Office in the William Thompson Auditorium on Jean Street. All churches interested in participating in the volleyball tournament, scheduled for April 25-27, are urged to attend as the rules and regulations will be discussed.

SPARTANS TRACK CLASSIC

THE Noble Preparatory Academy Spartans will hold their annual Track and Field Classic on Saturday, March 16 at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium. The event will run from 9am to 2pm. The registration fee is $15 per athlete. The entry fee will be $15 for adults in the VIP stand and $8 for children. The general admission will be $10 for adults and $6 for children.

BAAA FINAL CARIFTA TRIALS

THE Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations is scheduled to hold

CARIFTA trials at the original

board and assist him in his quest to earn his pro card. Bazard said they are delighted to add Wilson as one of their ambassadors. As an ambassador, Wilson will get the opportunity to promote Empire Fitness and to help train and motivate the up and

there, the guy who looked up to me on the team. I can vividly remember when Rashield would say, ‘I can’t wait to start winning’ because I would have gotten medals in events that he may or may not have gotten.”

After he suffered a neardeath experience, Knowles said he was forced to quit competing, even though at the time he had ventured into the professional ranks. But he noted that it was Williams who encouraged him to come back and help out as a trainer.

Now retired as a coach, Seymour said he continues to remain in Williams’ corner giving him as much advice as he can.

He was right there in Florida when Williams claimed the title.

“One of the most important things we have to do right now is to support him,” Seymour said.

Mar. 2024

Thomas A Robinson National Stadium March 15-17. The BAAA will be looking at athletes who qualify in both the under-17 and under-20 divisions for boys and girls to represent the country at CARIFTA in Grenada over the Easter holiday weekend. A number of athletes have already attained the qualifying standards set by the BAAA. However, that does not guarantee a spot on the team unless nobody betters their performances at the trials.

FAST TRACK INVITATIONAL FAST Track Athletics announced that its third annual Spring Invitational will take place over the weekend of May 10 and May 11 at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex. The entry fee will be $10 for adults and $5 for children. For more information, persons are asked to contact 242-727-6826 or fasttrackmanagamentoo@gmail.com

RED-LINE YOUTH TRACK CLASSIC

THE Red-Line Athletics Track Club’s third annual Red-Line Youth Track Classic is set for 9am to 5pm May 25-26 at the original Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium. The entry deadline is May 15 with a fee of $19 per athlete and $10 per relay team.

NEX-GEN CAMP

THE Nex-Gen Camp is scheduled to be held at the Teleos Basketball Gymnasium on Carmichael Road. Space is limited so persons are asked to book their reservations as soon as possible.

JRC Basketball Academy will stage the

coming competitors training in the gym.

“This gym has a rich bodybuilding heritage since (former bodybuilder) Joel Stubbs used to train here when this gym first opened,” Bazard said.

“We have a lot of professional bodybuilding and aspiring bodybuilders here, male and female.

“So he’s one of our ambassadors. I know Paul personally for a long time. So we have that relationship.

“We just want to do our part and we continue to do our part with the bodybuilders because they don’t always get the recognition that they deserve.

“But a lot of work goes into bodybuilding and so for this gym, we hope to continue to support the bodybuilders. In this case, we are supporting Paul, who just came back from the Arnold Classic where he did excellent, three gold medals.”

Wilson said he’s back and he’s back to stay. But he’s confident that, before the year is out, he will become the latest Bahamian bodybuilder to earn his pro card.

“In this country, we need a boost. With him winning that championship belt, we need to continue to support him.

“Rashield came a long way. I think some good things are ahead for him. I always tell him, don’t give up. Continue training in the gym. When people sleeping, just stay in the gym.

“Continue working out. One day he will be heading down to Las Vegas for the big time.

“Right now, he’s just at the beginning, so let’s just continue to support him. Great things are ahead for him. Whenever he goes into the ring, I will try myself to be to support him.”

The group encouraged Bahamians in general to throw their support behind Williams in his quest to become the next Bahamian world boxing champion.

DEVYNNE CHARLTON LOOKS AHEAD TO OUTDOOR SEASON

FROM PAGE 16

women’s 60m hurdles event. After a successful indoor season, Charlton is prepared to embrace the added pressure that now exists on her journey to Paris, France.

“It’s a little bit of pressure. I am learning to embrace it. I think these last couple of years I have been flying under the radar as a little bit of an underdog. Just have to embrace that it is a different type of pressure but I think I am ready for it,” she said.

Ahead of the Paris Olympic Games will be the World Athletics Relays May 4-5 in New Providence and Charlton expressed that she would be willing to come home and compete once a team is in place. The national record holder’s recent stretch in athletics was not only a memorable one but also an inspirational one to other athletes that compete in the hurdles event. The women’s 60mH champion believes it is a great thing to see other athletes follow in her footsteps.

“I think it is great that a lot of other athletes have picked up the hurdles. Back in my day, we didn’t have too many people that did the hurdles and so just to see the kind of effect that I have had and more people taking up to it I think it’s pretty special,” she stated.

Charlton was delighted to be back home over the weekend to be able to enjoy aspects of Bahamian culture that she cannot typically enjoy when overseas.

“It feels good. After a long meet like that all I wanna do is get back home and take a little break, just soak in the culture and just enjoy some things that I don’t necessarily get to have during the season,” she said.

After taking what she dubbed a “mini vacation”, Charlton is back to training in preparation for what is sure to be a competitive and exciting outdoor season.

Division II women’s volleyball championships. As a committee member, Poitier is expected to attend the championships and the annual meeting each year. Additional duties include participating in teleconferences, serving as the NCAA site representative for regional competition, ranking teams and providing input on selection of host institutions for regional and national competition.

“We are extremely excited about coach Edric Poitier being named to the NCAA Division II Volleyball Committee,” added Clyde Doughty Jr, vice president of intercollegiate athletics and recreation.

“Coach P, as we like to call him, will bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the committee. Coach P is determined to make the sport of women’s volleyball a safe and exciting experience for competitors. Wishing him continued success.”

Poitier, a former police officer and member of the Bahamas Volleyball Federation as a men’s national team player and women’s national coach, was recommended by his conference.

“I had to basically write my volleyball history and I was selected from among the three other nominees from the conference,” Poitier said.

“The management committee for the NCAA II division then selected the person who they wanted to represent the conference.”

Since joining BSU in 2022, Poitier has already started to put life back into the Bulldog programme highlighted by last season’s berth in the conference tournament for the first time since 2019, snapping losing skids against Virginia State and Virginia Union, as well as getting two players on the all-conference team. Poitier, who intends to return home to put on a volleyball camp in Grand Bahama under the direction

of their association president Whitney Armbrister, “has invited me to stage a camp for Nike in the DC and Maryland area at the end of July.

“Nike contacted me and asked me if I wanted to do a camp for them this summer,” Poitier said.

“I would love to do some of this back home. I know the Grand Bahama Volleyball Association is working on getting me to do a camp there in late June or early July.

“I hope to bring about six of my players and put on a week long camp there. That’s in the making right now.

“Whitney Armbrister has asked me to do it, so I’m happy to give back to The Bahamas free of charge.”

Poitier also congratulated Crystal Forbes on being elected as the new president of the Bahamas Volleyball Federation.

He indicated that he will be willing to assist the federation in whatever they deem necessary.

BODYBUILDER Paul ”Mighty Mouse” Wilson displaying his awards.

KLAVER

FROM PAGE 16

Tokyo Olympics, where she helped the mixed 4 x 400m team finish in fourth place. Moreover, she is already planning for her career postsports, stating that she “would really like to get a degree in engineering.”

Under the Spotlight

Last year was big for her. In March 2023, she won her first major individual medal in the 400m at the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul, Turkey. “It was very special to win a silver medal during the European Indoor Championships,” she says. She also reduced her 400m personal best last year to 49.81, which situates her well for future championships.

Most recently, Klaver had a very successful weekend at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow 24, held March 2-3.

means it’s time for off-season and rest,” she said. To relax, Klaver enjoys many of the same things that normal people do, like watching a Netflix series or drinking a frothy cappuccino. When she really wants to treat herself, she digs into a sugary and delicious national specialty, “bread with chocolate sprinkles. This is very Dutch,” she says, signalling her patriotism and the sunny nature of someone who doesn’t take herself too seriously.

She has also loved visiting other tropical places like Colombia, and it’s not surprising that she’s attracted by the sun – with a birthday on August 20 (Leo), Klaver has it as her ruling planet. Soon it will be time for her to “Chase the Sun” in more ways than one and follow her athletic dreams from The Bahamas to Paris.

Competing alongside Dutch teammate Femke Bol, Klaver took silver in the 400m in Glasgow, then followed it up with gold in the 4x400m on the final day of the championships, matching the gold medal that they won outdoors at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 last year.

Klaver’s relay win in Glasgow was notable because she produced the fastest split of the race (50.26), despite competing on the first leg, which is usually slower than the other legs as it doesn’t benefit from a rolling start. It marked Klaver’s seventh major championship relay medal. Along with her world 4x400m titles indoors and out, she also has three European 4x400m golds (two indoors, one outdoors), along with a world indoor silver in 2022 and an outdoor world mixed 4x400m later that year.

First Taste of Paradise

The World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 competition from May 4-5 will be her first visit to The Bahamas, but she’s already seen other parts of the Caribbean, like the Dutch island Curacao. “I enjoy travelling to Curacao because that

Klaver heads to the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 as a valuable member of the Dutch 4x400m team, the reigning world indoor and outdoor champions. The Bahamas is a key step on the road to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where she hopes to earn the one category of medal that is missing from her collection.

“Becoming world champion with the girls has been the highlight of my career so far,” says Klaver. “My main goal in the Bahamas will be to win another medal.”

The Netherlands has strong medal chances in all three 4x400m relays in both The Bahamas and Paris.

In any case, it seems that Lieke is hitting her stride career-wise, and she is determined to make it to the Paris Olympics along with her Dutch comrades.

Above all, she has not allowed all the media attention to go to her head.

Lieke is a team player and maintains warm and supportive friendships with “the girls” on her relay team as well as her family. While sports don’t run in the genes for Klaver and none of her family members have achieved similar feats, she is proud to admit that “they are my biggest fans.”

PORTLAND, Oregon

(AP) — The Boston Celtics aren’t taking 50 wins this season for granted.

Jaylen Brown scored 27 points, Jayson Tatum added 26 and the Celtics beat the Portland Trail Blazers 121-99 on Monday night despite the absence of two key starters.

Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis were sidelined with injuries for the Eastern Conference-leading Celtics, who reached the 50-win milestone for the third straight season.

“At this point of the season, to have 50 wins, it means we’re doing something right,” Tatum said. “The scary part is, we can get better.”

The Celtics, the first team this season to reach 50 wins, have already clinched a playoff spot with 18 games remaining.

“All the guys laugh because, around this time of year, I say the same thing — how much of an honour it is to be on this team,” Brown said.

Deandre Ayton had 22 points and 15 rebounds for the Blazers, who are second-to-last in the West. It was Ayton’s fifth straight double-double, tying the second-longest streak in his career.

Boston, which has won an NBA-leading 21 games on the road this season, pushed its lead to 20 points in the fourth quarter and had just three turnovers in the game. It was the secondfewest turnovers in a game this season: The Celtics had two in a January game against Denver.

Sam Hauser’s 3-pointer with 8:40 to go in the game put Boston up 101-83, and his step-back 3 made it 115-95 and sent Portland fans streaming for the exits. Hauser finished with a season-high six 3-pointers and 22 points.

“We don’t really look at a team’s record,” Hauser said.

“It’s the NBA, everybody has talented players. You can lose any given night, so we just try to take it one day at a time, once game at a time, and find things that

we can get better at each and every day.”

Holiday, who had 15 points in a 117-107 victory at the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night, had a sore left knee, while Porzingis missed his second straight game with a tight right hamstring.

Even without them, the Celtics led by as many as 17 points in the first half. Ayton’s floater got Portland within 56-47 and Anfernee Simons added a 3-pointer to close the gap to six points.

Tatum dunked to put Boston back up 62-50 as the Celtics went on a 10-2 run to lead 66-52 at the half. Brown led all scorers with 17 points. “I’m grateful to be on a team that’s winning, that’s been playing the right way, has another opportunity to do something special. That’s a blessing,” Brown said.

Tatum, the Celtics’ leading scorer, was listed as questionable going into

the game with a right ankle issue, but started for Boston. Tatum had 29 points at Phoenix. Brown and Derrick White also played after being listed as questionable for the first night of a back-to-back.

Jerami Grant, who missed Portland’s 128-118 win over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night with a sore hamstring, was back in the starting lineup.

The minutes restriction on rookie Scoot Henderson because of an adductor injury was also lifted and he also started.

SPORTS

Charlton looks ahead to outdoor season

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

World indoor record holder

Devynne Charlton made a special appearance at the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) Track and Field Championships over the weekend to spend a few days at home after achieving a gold-medal finish and world record at the World Indoor Championships on March 3.

Before making her commute back to Kentucky to prepare for the outdoor season, the 60 metres hurdles national record holder shed some light on her mindset after a brilliant indoor season. With momentum firmly on her side and the Paris Olympic Games - set for July 26 to August 11 - just 135 days away, Charlton is feeling great going into the outdoor season. “I feel pretty healthy. We are still a long way out. I think about five months so there is definitely some work to do. The goal is just

to stay healthy at this point and stick to the things that I have been doing because that is what got me to this

point. I know that is what works and I don’t have to do too much different than that,” said the world indoor gold medallist.

Charlton has put the athletics world on notice since the start of 2024. She posted world record times and lowered her own national record twice in less than a month during the indoor season.

The 28-year-old clocked 7.67 seconds at the Millrose Games on February 11 to take down the former record of 7.68 seconds held by Susanna Kallur for 16 years.

Despite her time being matched by American hurdler Tia Jones just five days later, the Bahamian hurdler had the final say at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland.

A few days after winning the World Indoor Tour title in Gallur, Madrid, the gifted hurdler stepped onto the track at the Commonwealth Arena and cleared five barriers in a worldleading 7.65 seconds to etch her name in the history books as the definitive world record holder in the

Author:

In fact, the biggest challenge of Lieke’s running career so far hasn’t been injuries, false starts, or any of the usual things that convoy top athletes. Instead, she admits that it’s been “dealing with all the extra activities and the attention from social media.”

EDRIC ‘DRIPS’ POITIER GETS FOUR-YEAR APPOINTMENT

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

SINCE returning to the forefront as a collegiate head coach for women’s volleyball in the United States of America, Bahamian Edric ‘Drips’ Poitier continues to make waves on and off the court. In his latest achievement, the Bowie State University head women’s volleyball coach has been appointed to a four-year term on the NCAA Division II Women’s Volleyball National Committee.

“I’m excited, absolutely excited,” Poitier told The Tribune. “My whole goal is to see how I can help to develop and grow the game of volleyball at every level.

“So, to get an opportunity to sit on the management committee in division II volleyball, governance is very important to achieving that goal and to give some imput on

how to advance the game, so that’s very exciting for me.” As the representative for the Atlantic region, which covers the East Coast from Georgia to Pennsylvania and Ohio, their region is one of eight in the nation. He thanked Lynn Dickey and members of the NCAA Governance and Policy Committee for

the opportunity to serve the DII volleyball community in this prestigious position.

“I look forward to representing the CIAA and Bowie State Athletics to the best of my ability, and deem it an awesome privilege to be considered for service,” he stated.

Poitier will begin his tenure on September 1 as the Atlantic Region representative and will serve on a committee that oversees, among other things, the selection, seeding and bracketing for the annual NCAA Division II Women’s Volleyball Championship.

The volleyball committee is comprised of eight members who represent each geographical region in Division II.

The purpose of the committee is to develop policies and procedures governing the administration and conduct of the

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

WHILE the Windsor School completed a clean sweep of all four divisions on Monday, the primary schools jockeyed for a spot in Thursday’s finals yesterday at the Interschool Golf Championships.

A year after winning three out of four divisions at the National High School Golf Tournament, Windsor School returned with a vengeance to run away with the junior girls and boys as well as the senior girls and boys titles to start the week.

The Interschool Golf Championships will continue today at 8am with the next portion of primary schools set to compete on

‘MIGHTY MOUSE’ WINS THREE TITLES

ALTHOUGH he didn’t earn his professional card, Paul “Mighty Mouse” Wilson said he was glad to perform as well as he did as he made his return to the bodybuilding stage at the Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio.

At the Classic, held from February 29 to March 1, Wilson captured the gold in the Men’s Physique Class Am Classic Physique Class A and lightweight bodybuilding. It was Wilson’s first appearance at the Classic and the first tine he entered in three different divisions

SEE PAGE

Pro boxer Rashield Williams looking for financial support

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

BACK home for a brief visit as the new National Boxing Association welterweight champion, Rashield Williams, surrounded by some of his local supporters, indicated that his next goal is to capture the World Boxing Association title.

The 34-year-old Williams captured the title on Saturday, March 2 at the Hilton Tampa Hotel with a second round TKO victory over American Andres Viera to improve his young professional record to 10-2.

Feted to lunch at the Blue Max restaurant, attended by Wellington Miller, Vincent Strachan, Valentino Knowles and Andre Seymour, Knowles said he was thrilled to be the new champion.

“First of all, I want to give God thanks. I’m proud of myself and I’m happy to be involved in this team sitting beside me. They were

there on my side from day one, Mr Wellington Miller, Andre Seymour, Valentino Knowles and Mr Vincent Strachan,” Williams said. “They have always supported me and pushed me. I’m thankful and grateful and I will always continue to do great things for our country.” When he returns to Fort Lauderdale, Florida

on Monday to resume his training at the Contenders Boxing Gym under the supervision of coaches Melvin Rivus and Steven Ray, Williams said he will be preparing for his next fight in three weeks for the WBA title against an opponent yet to be named.

In the meantime, Miller, the former president of both the Bahamas Boxing Federation and the Bahamas Olympic Committee, said it’s a proud day in the boxing fraternity to celebrate the accomplishments of Williams.

“If you know where Rashield Williams came from, you would be happy and jumping yourself,” sated an enthusiastic Miller. “This is why we are asking the government to let him be a symbol for the young men of this nation.

“They are the ones causing trouble and this young man came from the same background. His mother

DEVYNNE CHARLTON

EDRIC POITIER

RASHIELD WILLIAMS