04242023 NEWS AND SPORT

houSe & home

‘I WANT JUSTICE FOR RAPE BY MP’

PM says he heard woman would not press charges - but she says she is cooperating with police

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE woman who alleges she was raped and assaulted by a sitting Member of Parliament is still cooperating with police to address the matter, despite Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis’ comments on Saturday.

In his first public reaction to the case, Mr Davis

initially told reporters he is waiting for police to finish their probe into the women’s claims before addressing the topic, saying: “Why would I comment on something police are investigating? I will abide and I will await the outcome of that investigation, and upon the conclusion of those investigations, then you will expect me to speak.”

union set to fina L ise agreement with at L antis ‘in short orDer’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE HOTEL union’s president says it is just “one item” away from concluding an industrial agreement with the main employer body, and believes once it is completed other “dominoes” will fall.

Darrin Woods, the Bahamas Hotel, Catering and

Allied Workers Union’s (BHCAWU) chief, told Tribune Business that he hopes to close negotiations with the Bahamas Hotel and Restaurant Employers Association, which represents Atlantis in particular, “in short order” on a deal that will result in members being paid in accordance with the sector’s status as the country’s “number one industry”.

brothers mur

together over weekenD

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

TWO brothers, one who aimed to become a top boxer representing The Bahamas internationally, and another who planned to wed his fiancé next month, were murdered together on Saturday.

Each of them leaves behind a young daughter and a heartbroken family.

Their father, Tyrone Oliver, 60, said he had warned Shakuar Oliver,

after Pm’s bermuDa t riP

THE PRIME Minister’s Bermuda trip has flown into a fresh storm of controversy as the airline responsible is battling a $200,000 fine over accusations it operated the flight in a “negligent and/or reckless” manner.

Western Air, which carried Philip Davis, ex-prime minister Perry Christie and multiple Cabinet ministers,

22, to avoid hanging out with his older brother, Tyrone Jr, 28.

He said he broke into tears when he realised his warning went unheeded and that his younger son was also murdered.

“If you don’t watch out, your lifestyle gon’ cause you,” he said.

Police said the men were shot in a car in the Solomon’s Super Centre parking lot around 2.30am on Saturday.

Nearby officers heard

DAVIS SAYS HE is ‘DistresseD’ by murDers

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister

Phillip Davis said he is “distressed” by the latest streak of murders in New Providence.

Three men were killed on Saturday, a 28-year-old, a 22-year-old and a man believed to be in his forties.

Photo:

Gender-based violence prevention Family Island Coordination Council launched in GB

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THE second Gender Based Violence (GBV) prevention Family Island Coordination Council was launched in Grand Bahama on Friday.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development Joel

Lewis commended the 16 council members for stepping forward and giving service to help turn around the crisis of violence and abuse in the country.

The Department of Gender and Family Affairs in the Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development held the official launch at

New Life Worship Centre under the theme “Family Islands U.N.I.T.E. for a Safer Bahamas: Uniting Neighbours - Igniting - Together- Empowering.”

The first FICC was launched in Abaco on March 30.

Mr Lewis, who spoke on behalf of Minister Obie Wilchcombe, said that Bahamian families

are being scarred by the violence and abuse that is threatening the livelihood of the nation.

“We want to respond holistically to complex challenges that are destroying families; and women and girls who are disproportionately affected,” he said.

“If it is allowed to continue, it will create a

public health crisis that can also destroy the socioeconomic status of the family.

“I encourage you to join hands with us to prevent this deadly culture that is besetting us called violence,” said Mr Lewis.

The Ministry of Social Services Gender and Family Section is using the Conceptual Framework of the 2015 National Strategic Plan to address GBV, formally developed by the 2013 Gender Based Taskforce.

According to PS Lewis, the goal is to create “a wrap-around effect action plan” to prevent violence and abuse in the country.

He clarified that it has absolutely nothing to do with the LGBTQ community.

“We found out the men were being abused too. So, we referred to it as gender as opposed to just women.”

In a 2021 Report by former Police Commissioner Paul Rolle, Mr Lewis noted that domestic violence matters increased that year by 19 percent. There were 3,283 incidents, compared to 2,754 in 2020, he said.

And during that period, a total of 179 cases were investigated by the Sexual Offences Unit.

Even though that figure represented a 16 percent decrease from 2020, Mr Lewis said that even one incident is one too many.

“We have much work to do council members,” he said. “We have to make a deliberate effort to reach our young people and direct them toward a path of longevity and productivity.”

Senator Kirkland Russell, deputy director of Urban Renewal, said the launch is a “landmark day” for Grand Bahama.

He stated that the Grand Bahama FICC is a vital step toward addressing dire issues affecting women and girls in the community.

Mr Russell said it is not a women’s issue, but a human rights issue that takes the form of physical, mental, emotional, sexual, and psychological abuse.

He noted that UN Women report that one in three women worldwide has experienced physical

and sexual violence in their lifetime.

“Sadly, here in the Bahamas, gruesome reports of violence against women and girls shockingly make our headline far too often. This does not even count the stories that we, unfortunately, do not hear.

“This is unacceptable. We need more than lip service; we need action. We must unite to put an end to this injustice,” Senator Russell said.

Elaine Sands, of the Department of Gender and Family Affairs, said the action plan will include all islands of The Bahamas to zero in on GBV to eradicate and prevent violence in the entire Bahamas.

Leila Green, of the Bahamas Crisis Centre, was on the Gender Taskforce and the Committee that came up with the idea of the coordinating council.

“Each island and each community is different, and we need people who know the community and who people can trust because GBV is a very sensitive area,” she stressed.

“They (council members) will have to call on their professionalism. They have to be confidential because the people who they are going to serve expect and deserve that,” she said.

The GB FICC members are Pastor Simeon Outten, Leonette Bright, Probation Officer; Lakisha Johnson, School Psychologist; Felisha McBride, Bahamas Resilience Centre; Dr Andy Laing, Assistant Professor University of the Bahamas; Assistant Superintendent of Police Nicola Sears; Police officer Sasha Gibson; April Garvey, Advocate; Lloyd Grant, Men’s Desk, Gender, and Family Affairs of Grand Bahama; Arlene Sands, Lean On Me Sisters (NGO); Chief Superintendent Sherry Armaly; Jacquie Rolle; and two nurses from the Grand Bahama Health Services.

GRAND Bahama Gender Based Violence (GBV) prevention Family Island Coordination Council.

Davis says he is ‘distressed’ by murders

Three women were killed the week before that — a mother and her daughter, and a mother whose body was found floating in the South Beach canal.

During a CARICOM symposium on violence in Trinidad and Tobago last week, Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander said murders had declined by 22 per cent in the first quarter of 2023 compared to 2022. It is unclear what dates that comprised.

“I’m distressed over all of these issues,” Mr Davis told reporters on Saturday.

“It’s clear that we could do things that are physical. We could provide

resources. We could flood the streets. But, when things are planned and intentional, it’s just then it’s very difficult to curb what that person is about to do once they’ve planned it and it’s intentional.”

Saturation patrols have been a key part of police strategy for reducing crimes in New Providence, with police frequently setting up roadblocks around the island to capture people breaking the law.

However, Mr Davis said early intervention in the lives of young, at-risk Bahamians is critical. He said the minds of criminals need to be recalibrated, a point that was emphasised to Caribbean leaders at last week’s symposium.

“One of the things

that came out from our crime violence conference in Trinidad is Dr David Allen’s intervention when he spoke about the abused child being dangerous adults and many of the persons who are perpetrating these violent crimes they have discovered in their research, were somehow or the other abused at a very young age,” he said.

“And so, from a scientific data collection point of view, it tells us that we have to craft interventions at an early age. We have to identify these young men and women who are being abused at young ages and try to put them on the right path. For now, the mindset is to recalibrate young people’s mindset, which again,

when you’re talking about mindset, is very difficult to turn around.”

Asked if he would encourage police to go even further with

saturation patrols, Mr Davis said: “That is happening as you speak.”

“There’s not a question of directive. You would have seen over the last several weeks, we have saturation patrol that’s working. You’ll see in the next few weeks, a number of vehicles that I’ve invested in to ensure that we have police presence on the street.”

“But even though you have the presence, like I say, a person who is intentional about what they want to do and they’re planning it, sometimes very difficult to prevent that person from carrying on his plans. All we can do is to create the atmosphere to deter them from that.”

BROTHERS MURDERED TOGETHER OVER WEEKEND

the gunshots and pursued the occupants of a darkcoloured Japanese vehicle travelling east along the parking lot, but the suspects evaded them.

Mr Oliver said he was at home praying when the shooting happened. He said in the days before the killings, he felt something bad would happen to his oldest son.

The father-of-five said he did not believe the people Tyrone Jr surrounded himself with would be good for his promising boxing career.

“Many times, there was a misconception between me and him because of some persons who he hangs around. I said they are criminals,” Mr Oliver said.

“I don’t sugarcoat what it is. I never had any bad sons, but the older one entwined himself with persons known by police. In many times, I admonished him and I said to him, ‘if you don’t watch out, your lifestyle gon’ cause you’.”

Mr Oliver said he was sad but unsurprised to learn his older son was killed.

He broke down only when he learned that Shakuar was also killed. He said he had warned him to stay away from Tyrone the day before their deaths.

“When I saw my son (Shakuar) for the last time, and the first time he came to the job to work with me, I told him to don’t go nowhere with your brother because he’s not good for you at this time and he drive right off that job Friday gone and Saturday morning, he gone out with that man and now he’s a dead man because he didn’t heed to the warning,” Mr Oliver said.

“And (when I got the news) I said ‘wow’, I told him not to be with this boy for this time because

he’s not a good fit for you because in the holy spirit, I already know what God was showing me, so God was preparing me for this.”

Nonetheless, Mr Oliver said his sons were good men.

“I’ve never been in no police station to get them out of jail. I’ve never been in no court for none of them,” he added.

Relatives said Shakuar stayed to himself and was excited to marry the mother of his daughter and unborn child. The wedding was set for May 11 ––Tyrone Jr’s birthday. Tyrone Jr was going to be the best man.

Eunice Oliver, the mother of the murdered men, praised her sons and said their lives were cut too short.

“My son loved The Bahamas,” she said of

Tyrone Jr. “He had a passion for representing The Bahamas. He wanted to go to the top but was never given the chance he deserves. He was hardworking, loved to party, loved to dance. He was happy all the time.”

She described Shakuar as quiet, adorable, and family-oriented.

“His expecting wife, he loved her and his daughter,” she said. “He was a record producer. He was cutting records but never hit it out there, but he had some positive things and was sending positive messages in many of his songs.”

“My sons’ lives were cut down short. God loaned them to me for 22 years and 28 years. They impacted the lives of many. My heart bleeds for my two sons.”

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

POLICE are investigating the finding of a man’s decomposed body near an abandoned building off Carmichael Road Friday morning.

A passerby in the area discovered the body through a tract road and alerted officers shortly after 8am.

Police responded and upon examining the body found that there were no injuries.

“So, we do not suspect foul play in this particular incident,” Chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings told reporters on the scene.

“However, we are appealing to members of the public who may have not seen a loved one. We’re asking you to reach out to officers at the Carmichael Road police station … so we may find out exactly who this person is.”

Police suspect the victim was homeless, CSP Skippings added. “We are told that this

person traversed this area on a regular basis and so we suspect that he may have been homeless and residing through this immediate area or hanging out in this particular area, so foul play is not suspected in this matter,” she said.

“However, our investigation continues.”

The police press liaison officers also e appealed to family members with struggling loved ones, saying: “We’re asking you to reach out to them.”

“Let’s see if we can house them. Let’s see if we could feed them. Let’s see if we could take care of them the way that they ought to be taken care of as family members even though they may not have that financial resource to live to the standard where you as a family member may be living.”

Friday’s discovery prompted the closure of the nearby school Achievers Christian Academy.

“Due to procedures, the officer advised me to end school early as the morgue would be coming here

and officers would be surrounding the school and investigating and what not,” said Dr Mattheo Smith, the school’s president.

“Some students were afraid. Some (didn’t) know what’s going on. We tried to keep them on lockdown so they would not be exposed to the area and what not and, of course, parents were very afraid.”

This latest death comes a day after a man was shot and killed in his car in the Sea Breeze Lane area.

And on Wednesday, the bullet riddled body of 42-year-old Yinka Maria Strachan was found in South Beach canal.

“The only way this country will get better is if we all work together,” CSP Skippings also said. “It has to be a collaborative effort – police, the community, the church, the civic organisations – all of us have to play a key role in pulling it together and each one of us pulls our weight, we’ll have a better Bahamas.”

BODY OF A MAN DISCOVERED IN ABANDONED BUILDING - FOUL PLAY IS NOT SUSPECTED

TYRONE OLIVER JR.

SHAKUAR OLIVER

POLICE at the scene of the murder of Shakuar and Tyrone Oliver in Stapledon Gardens area on Friday.

Photo: Austin Fernander

PRIME Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis said Saturday ‘I’m deistressed over all these issues’, in reference to the recent spate of murders. He said early intervention is needed in young people’s lives.

D’Aguilar say RCI Beach Club project is good for Bahamians

By PAVEL BAILEY AND EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporters ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Minister of Tourism and Aviation Dionisio D’Aguilar said he supports Royal Caribbean International’s $110m Paradise Island Royal Beach Club project.

He spoke to The Tribune after Thursday’s Free National Movement Bamboo Town constituency association meeting.

RCI’s project, which has been approved subject to environmental evaluations, has attracted the ire of environmentalists and Atlantis executives.

Government officials say the deal is unique because Bahamians can invest in the project and hold equity up to 49 per cent.

Mr D’Aguilar said the deal is good for Bahamians, adding the Davis administration had time to build on the agreement the Minnis administration left behind.

“Any deal that empowers Bahamians I’m fully supportive of,” he said. “Any attempt to do so, we’re Bahamian first, FNM and PLP second, so let’s empower as many Bahamians as we can.

“Obviously we have to assess the environmental concerns. We have to see whether those pass the muster.”

RCI president Michael Bayley said Nassau ranks low on visitor satisfaction surveys, a point Mr D’Aguilar echoed in explaining why the Beach Club project could be beneficial.

“It’s not like (cruise ship arrivals are) staying at 3.6 million,” he said. “It’s supposed to grow to four million this year and four whatever million next year. So it’s not going to take away from any other business because we got more people coming.

“We’ve got to start to offer excursions and things for people to do that are new and different. Nassau is ranked three from the bottom right now in terms of interesting cruise ports to go to. Freeport is the worst

and Nassau is three from the bottom because what new additional products are we bringing on stream for cruise passengers to do? So that’s why they rank it low.”

Atlantis’ persistent criticism of the project has surprised RCI executives.

Mr D’Aguilar said it’s the government’s job to mitigate the megaresort’s concerns if possible.

“I don’t have a problem with Ms Oswell’s point of view,” he said. “Obviously, she’s got a multibillion-dollar investment on Paradise Island and she’s got to protect that as best as possible. And if they feel that this project may somehow negatively impact their project, they have every right to voice that concern. And the government has to take that and those that make the assessments about the environment have to take that, digest it and see if there is any truth to it and see how you mitigate her concerns.”

“So I don’t have a problem with her voicing her concerns and I’m not going to comment on the methodology that she used because she has concerns. Let’s just focus on the big story, not how she communicated it but let’s focus on the message that she’s saying, look we have concerns about the environment.”

Mr D’Aguilar said he does not believe RCI’s project would impact Atlantis’ financial position.

“You always have to remember there are always more and more passengers coming into the port. There’s only so many passengers that Atlantis can deal with on a daily basis. So you got to create alternatives for these passengers to go to, not 28,500 people who come into the port can go over to Atlantis. It’s just impossible. They don’t want that many people. That would impact their guests who are paying good money to stay in their rooms. So they can only take so many every day. So, I don’t think that the Royal Caribbean deal will in any way impact Atlantis. That’s my view.”

FORMER Minister of Tourism Dionision D’Aguilar spoke to The Tribune about the RCI Paradise Island Beach Club project after speaking at the Bamboo Town constituency meeting on Thursday, where he expressed his support for the project saying ‘Any deal that empowers Bahamians I’m fully supportive of,’

Photo: Moise Amisial

Woman: ‘I want justice for rape by MP’

However, when reporters pressed him about the steps police have taken to investigate the matter, Mr Davis said: “Someone said, and I didn’t hear the tape, but someone said that the person, the accused, are saying I don’t want to press any charges, so what is the police to do in those circumstances?”

Mr Davis’ comments puzzled many who assumed the woman had withdrawn her complaint with the police and dropped the matter.

Asked about this yesterday, the alleged victim told The Tribune: “I am continuing my pursuit of justice in this matter, and I will continue to cooperate with the police as they investigate.”

The woman’s identity is being withheld because she is an alleged victim of sexual assault.

It is unclear as to what Mr Davis referred.

In an Eyewitness News

Behind the Headlines interview with Shenique Miller, which aired last Monday, Ms Miller said to the woman: “You have said you really are not pushing for him to have to maybe be punished in terms of jail time, etc. You more or less want therapy to be mandated for him.”

To this, the alleged victim replied: “In the end, something has to be done because he needs help, and whatever route that takes, it has to be done. I didn’t do this to hurt him, I did this to help him.”

Mr Davis’ comments to reporters came as members of the Progressive Liberal Party and Free National Movement have been careful to give measured commentary on the matter, often stressing the severity of the allegations while insisting that due process be followed.

The alleged victim’s mother reacted bitterly to the Prime Minister’s comments yesterday. She told The Tribune: “As a lawyer, how come you didn’t do your research before you talking? What he said is hearsay. As far as I’m concerned, they trying to confuse the people. For a lawyer, I think that’s unacceptable. He ain’ get the information together. What if it was his daughter? How would he deal with the situation?”

Reporters also asked Mr Davis on Saturday if he had received complaints in the past about the MP’s conduct with women.

He said: “No, no complaint about any.”

Mr Davis said he has spoken to the MP since the complaint was made against him. He said the

police had not yet interviewed the man, whose identity The Tribune is withholding because he has not been charged with a crime.

Mr Davis said he is not concerned that the MP had not been interviewed yet, saying police “know how to do their job”.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Bernard “BK” Bonamy has said police will interview the accused “at the appropriate time”, suggesting police will

gather additional information before interviewing him.

CPSA SAYS GUN VIOLENCE H AS SIGNIFICA NTLY IMPAC TED PRINCESS MA RGA RET HOSPITA L

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

THE Princess Margaret Hospital has been significantly affected by gun violence, according to the head of the Consultant Physicians Staff Association (CPSA).

Dr Sabriquet PinderButler told The Tribune yesterday: “We know that any time we have an increase

in gunshot injuries and any sort of violence in country in general that would require patients to come to the hospital it would certainly impact our healthcare system in general. In the first instance, we know that it will impact emergency rooms, certainly our trauma physicians, as well as the supplies that we have allocated in the emergency room in particular. The physicians, manpower, nurses, our ambulance, the

whole healthcare system will be impacted.” She said hospital staff prioritise gunshot victims, causing resources for other non-critical patients in the emergency room to be redirected.

“This will also result in delayed care for other persons that are in the emergency room and other persons that are in wait for the theatre, certainly impacting the amount of time that

COUPLE EVA DE ATTEMP TED MURDER WHEN A GUNM A N OPENED FIRE ON THEM IN THEIR YA RD

A COUPLE cleaning their vehicle outside their home had to flee for their lives yesterday after a gunman opened fire on them.

Police said the failed double murder bid in New Providence took place yesterday at about 10.58am in the area of Ethel Street in Montel Heights.

The man and woman became suspicious of the occupants of a blue Nissan Note when a dark, heavily-built man got out and pulled out a black firearm and opened fire in their direction.

The pair managed to run into a neighbours yard and evade the shooter, who got back into his vehicle

and fled the scene. No one was injured - but a home and a vehicle were damaged by gunfire.

arrested a 23-year-old woman and a 22-year-old male on Saturday for possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of ammunition. A search warrant was carried out on a residence in the Queen’s Highway area and a highpowered weapon was discovered along with ammunition. Two people were arrested. were detained in Grand Bahama early on Saturday after a high-speed chase on Grand Bahama Highway.

Police said that at about midnight officers saw a white Dodge Caravan going down the highway at high speed. Officers brought the vehicle to a stop, but the driver managed to flee into nearby bushes. Officers searching the vehicle found a woman and man from Haiti and three men and two women from Brazil without proper documentation. These individuals were handed over to the Bahamas Department of Immigration.

Anyone who has information on any incident can contact the Criminal Investigations Department at 502-9991-3 or 919.

even our surgical physicians and other healthcare members that are part of the theatre have to be in the hospital. It would also impact the availability of blood which is something that has been a challenge at Princess Margaret Hospital and the country at large for a while. And so when persons come in as emergencies and require all these different things that come in

as gunshot injuries and the like, it can have a significant impact.” She said staff is sometimes concerned for their safety.

“The other thing we have to look at is the safety of our staff and certainly the persons that provide safety at the hospital because we have in the past had to have to be mindful of persons coming in with gunshot injuries as

sometimes persons who are involved in that act of violence may also be receiving care within our institution. And so it is something that certainly all members of the team would be concerned about and we also have the security themselves who also have to encounter several members of society so it does have a significant impact on our healthcare at large.”

PRIME Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis commented on the allegation of rape against a sitting MP in his party, saying he thought it was said the ‘accused, are saying I don’t want to press any charges, so what is the police to do in those circumstances?’ However, the victim of the alleged rape said ‘I am continuing my pursuit of justice.’

The Tribune Limited

PM’s words do not bring clarity to investigation

THE progress of the rape investigation into a sitting MP continues to be watched closely by all concerned.

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis spoke on the issue on Saturday – but his words have not settled concerns.

Initially he said why would he comment on something that police are investigating – but he then went on to do just that.

He said that someone had said that the alleged victim was saying that they do not want to press charges, while conceding “I didn’t hear the tape”. He said: “So what is the police to do in those circumstances?”

Firstly, speaking on a matter of such sensitivity on the word of someone else rather than going and listening to any such tape himself seems over hasty.

Indeed, the woman who is making the allegation told The Tribune yesterday that she is continuing to pursue justice and she is continuing to cooperate with police.

Mr Davis then spoke to the history of the MP accused in the matter, and rather than saying no comment, he said that he had received no complaints about the MP previously.

Mr Davis then went on to reveal that he has spoken to the MP since the complaint was made – and speaking on Saturday said that police had not interviewed the man.

We reiterate that of course the man accused in this matter remains innocent until proven guilty. That is a sacrosanct cornerstone of our law, and applies to all suspects in all cases.

Mr Davis speaking without checking the facts personally, and seemingly speaking incorrectly with regard to the alleged victim’s intentions muddy the waters rather than provide clarity as to

the state of the investigation. Further, the Prime Minister of the country has spoken to an MP accused of rape before the police have done so. This naturally leads on to questions such as when did he speak to him and what was discussed – questions the leader of the country would be better off not becoming embroiled in.

On all sides, the resolution here should be simple – that the police ought to be left to continue with their investigation, and they should do so both thoroughly and swiftly.

We hope for all concerned that is what will happen.

Brothers murdered

A family is grieving after two brothers were killed together on Saturday.

One was aiming to represent The Bahamas internationally in boxing, the other was due to be married next month.

Every murder is a tragedy – and this one equally so. It is hard-hitting in the details, especially the warning one of the brothers was given by his father. He was warned that the people surrounding the older brother were criminals, and that the younger son would be best not keeping his company.

It is a terrible story to hear, and one that too often plays out in our nation. The company we keep can be our downfall, and being around criminals can lead us on a path to destruction.

As a family grieves, we can only pray for them – and for others in the same situation, learn a lesson hard earned, and make a change. It is too late for these brothers. For others, perhaps there is still time to learn.

Collectively we can make a di ference

EDITOR, The Tribune.

This past weekend the Bahamas lost another promising young man to the streets. He was filled with hope, enthusiasm and was committed to putting in the work necessary to maximize his potential. They say luck is attained when preparation meets opportunity. He was prepared. He needed the opportunity.

Opportunity is usually the missing piece of the puzzle that gives the average Bahamian a chance at life. Opportunity is key. Without opportunity there is really no real chance. Those who understand and those who care about the youth in our nation, and the generations that will follow, understand the importance of opportunity.

In our country today one might say the Bahamas is filled with opportunities. They would be correct, but opportunities for the most part are for those who are educated, those who have some sort of skill and those who have family and friends in high places. What about those who are

Gonsalves was right

It is clear that, instead of feeling acute embarrassment that Ralph Gonsalves had to point out from St Vincent the stark insanity of our bail situation in The Bahamas, some members of my profession chose instead to defend the indefensible.

Incidentally, the question of whether people charged with murder should be given bail in our current circumstances is one that any citizen of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas is as qualified to answer as any judge, barrister or law lord. It is a question of societal values, not jurisprudence. Where the jurisprudence comes in is in the implementation stage.

So, when you hear lawyers citing the Privy Council as an excuse for allowing our courts to repeatedly bail people to kill or be killed, it should be understood as the insult to the intelligence of Bahamians that it is.

The Privy Council has ruled (within the context of the Bahamian Constitution) that accused persons have a right to a trial within a reasonable time frame.

When you consider the embarrassingly hellish conditions of our single prison and the historic sloth and

inertia of our courts, this is an entirely understandable ruling.

Of course, both the condition of our prison and the speed of the trial process are the choice of our politicians. But instead of immediately reading the ruling as an indictment of our trial system and prison, which must immediately be fixed, they proceed like business as usual.

But another factor sits entirely with our judges. That is the question of judicial discretion, by which every jurist must take into account all of the circumstances (and not Only the issues upon which the Privy Council ruled) when deciding whether to grant bail.

In most other societies faced with the constant repetition of bail and murder that shocks Mr Gonsalves and everyone else hearing about crime trends in The Bahamas, one of those factors - the public interestwould operate to trump the others in almost all cases.

I could be wrong, but I am not aware of a single case where a Bahamian Judge denied bail on the basis of exercising this

discretion and was overruled by the Privy Council.

On The Bahamas’ light sentencing for gun possession (which may be an even more direct immediate cause of our high murder rate) judges and politicians are equally to blame.

Ingraham actually removed the very light fouryear minimum sentence at the behest of a legal/judicial lobby arrogant enough to stray into policy issues.

And judges used the discretion that Ingraham was arrogant enough to give them to make this into one of the most gangsterfriendly countries in the region – with sentences for illegal gun possession being a fraction of those in comparable jurisdictions.

So don’t believe the nonsense about it being such a complex matter that only people with wigs and gowns can understand it. Gonsalves understood it perfectly well at a glance, as does almost every Bahamian who thinks about it.

In other words, the best and truest defence of our judges for both the bail and gun situation in our country is that our politicians are just as much to blame – if you call that a defence.

ANDREW ALLEN Nassau, April 20, 2023.

not so fortunate? Many times it is those who need opportunity the most.

This requires for us in society to remain connected to our youth, to be aware of their challenges, and to rise to the occasion to offer assistance when needed, as best as we can.

Our young men are in the streets because they lack guidance, because they lose hope without the necessary tools and support, because they become disappointed or discouraged about their future. Too many are lost by the wayside.

They need us. They need all of us. They need support so they are not led astray, so they can become productive citizens. Our youth only want to be accepted in society. They want to feel like they are a part of something. They want to be recognized, supported and empowered. Many make decisions that end in their demise just because they did not have the opportunity. There are so many ways to encourage, support and engage these young men (and women).

We must collectively and deliberately do our part in contributing to their success. Our youth can be engaged in sports, in culture, in the arts. Support is needed from the public and private sectors - constantly and consistently. We cannot sit aside and watch without stepping in and doing what we can. With an entertainment company myself, I also have to do my part. We all have to do our part. We can contribute to empowering and saving the lives of our youth.

Those who are tired of seeing our youth being killed on the streets should take a real stand. Let’s come together to provide the opportunities for young Bahamians, and where there are none let’s create opportunities - especially for our young men who are expected to build and provide families that make a nation.

As a collective, we can make a difference.

WHITNEY FERGU-

EDITOR, The Tribune.

I am bewildered on how poorly we treat the safety of our construction workers in The Bahamas. Pass any construction site and the majority of workers have no hard hat, steel toe boots, safety glasses or reflective safety vest or bright colour shirts on. To make matters worse workers working on two-and three-story construction sites don’t have on any safety harness or hard hats. This issue is twofold, first the construction companies are liable for the safety of its workers, and secondly the Government is liable for lack of enforcement of safety rules. In a first world country this is an issue, but in The Bahamas where we lack basic safety standards, I am not sure who is liable.

Kudos to those construction companies that value their workers and do require these safeguards

such as hard hats, steel toe boot, etc, be enforced. I have driven past two condominium construction sites on West Bay Street where I saw construction workers wearing these protections.

We have lost construction workers over the years, but the death of these workers seems not to stir the conscience of our law makers.

Additionally, I am sure the injuries sustained on these sites only add more burden to our already overrun government hospital and clinics. I have not even touched the personal health and financial challenges that an injured construction worker must bear.

What is the requirement to be a licensed contractor and builder in The Bahamas? Are there any safety inspections required? Are companies penalised for not following safety standards? Should we not have safety inspectors similar

to building inspectors?

Why don’t we have similar standards to OSHA (The Occupational Safety & Health Administration in the USA).

According to their website “The Bahamas Bureau of Standards and Quality (BBSQ) was established, as per the Standards Act of 2006, as a corporate body operating within the Ministry of Labour. The BBSQ is mandated to establish and maintain standards for all goods, services, practices, and processes to protect the health and safety of all Bahamians.”

Seventeen years later, the BBSQ and the Government have failed the construction workers of our Bahama land. It is my sincere prayer that we will get it right if only to protect our workers.

Nassau, April 23, 2023.

BOATERS in Harbour Island, Eleuthera were treated to a manatee sighting yesterday.

Photo: Kevin Johnson

Bahamas judiciary relaunches digital court reporting system

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas judiciary officially relaunched its digital court reporting system on Friday.

During a ceremony to mark the system’s relaunch, Chief Justice Sir Ian Winder said the digital platform is extremely beneficial because it increases the court’s reporting capacity so matters can move through the justice system more quickly.

“We have 29 court reporters. They have not been an easy resource to secure in The Bahamas,” he said.

“Our reality, therefore, has been that due to the limited numbers of court reporters, there has been no court reporting in the Magistrate’s Court except in special circumstances and civil court reporters are accommodated only where there is availability.”

“Additionally, because of the scarcity, there are understandably delays on getting transcripts returned to judicial officers and to the appellate court.”

But, with the FTR system, Justice Winder

said some of the judiciary’s needs will finally be addressed.

“In the age of transparency and accountability an accurate record of the proceedings before the court ought to be a right not a matter of chance,” the chief justice added.

“Whether for use on appeal, or for judicial officers deliberating on the evidence presented or some submissions made by counsel, the judge is better aided by the verbatim account rather than his handwritten summary of the proceedings taken as the matter progressed.”

The digital system was first rolled out in the courts in 2015 but was met with “limited success.”

Justice Winder said there were lessons learned from that experience.

“We have been deliberate in this relaunch,” he continued.

“For the past two weeks, experts have been in our courts in New Providence, Grand Bahama and Abaco conducting training for staff and judicial officers on the operation of the digital court reporting system. There’s also been training with the Bar association.”

And according to

Justice Winder, “all but five civil courts” have been outfitted with the equipment needed to support the digital system.

Some of the aspects of the system include a speech to text feature, among other things.

“We hope that by the end of the summer all of our courts will have the capacity to capture an audio record of the proceedings,” the chief justice added.

“None of this would be possible without the support of our friends and partners at the United States Embassy in Nassau through the Caribbean Anti-Crime Programme … The partnership and support involved not only the technical support, in the outfitting of many of the courts with the FTR systems, but as indicated it involved the provision of expert advice and a significant training component.”

On Friday, Justice Winder also foreshadowed the coming of the long-awaited bail management system which he said is in the final stages of implementation.

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

TWO male juveniles were granted bail after being accused of assaulting a man with a handgun in Nassau last week.

The two 16 year olds, whose names are being withheld because they are minors, faced Senior Magistrate Carolyn VogtEvans on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon.

It is alleged that around 6pm on April 17 at Kool

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was granted bail on Friday after being accused in a carjacking in New Providence earlier this month.

Trent Saunders, 28, stood before Assistant Chief Magistrate Subusola Swain on charges of stealing and receiving.

Air Sub in the Haitian Village the teenagers assaulted Alex Ovilma with a handgun. They both pleaded not guilty to the offence. Each was granted $5,000 bail. Under the conditions of this bail the two are expected to sign in at Elizabeth Estates Police Station on Sundays by 7pm. They are further expected to be fitted with Electronic Monitoring devices and to obey a 8pm to 8am daily curfew. Their trial is set to begin on September 21.

It is alleged that on April 14 Saunders stole a black 2009 Honda Accord belonging to Simone Joseph. This vehicle was valued at $3,000.

Before the magistrate, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was granted $5,000 bail with one surety. His trial will begin on June 26.

MAN ON BAIL FOR ATTE MPTED MURDER FINED FOR BAIL VIOLATION

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was fined $2,500 after he admitted to breaching his bail conditions while on release for a pending attempted murder charge.

Calvin Alain, 23, appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney on five counts of violation of bail conditions.

This bail was granted to Alain for charges of attempted murder, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and armed robbery.

It is alleged that on April 12, 2022, Alain, by means of unlawful harm, intentionally and unlawfully attempted to cause the death of Jamaal Ferguson. Furthermore, it is claimed that on the day in question

he had in his possession a firearm, which police allege was a pistol.

It is also alleged that the accused, with a handgun, robbed Mr Ferguson of a white 2018 Honda Civic, a black iPhone valued at $1,200, and a iPhone XR.

While on release for these pending matters, between February 27–April 10 the accused failed to charge his court imposed electronic monitoring device on five occasions.

Alain pleaded guilty to bail violation charges. Magistrate McKinney then fined him a collective $2,500 for the offence or risk a sixmonth prison term. The accused was also placed on 18 months probation.

Alain is expected to return to court on May 22 for proof of payment.

CHIEF Justice Sir Iand Winder spoke concerning the relaunch of the digital court reporting system, noting it will help in the transparency and accountability of the court system.

TWO TEENS GRANTED BAIL AFTER ACCUSED OF ASSAULT WITH A GUN

MAN PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO CARJACKING GIVEN $5,000 BAIL

What are ‘we’ prepared to do to change the rising violence in our country?

By MALCOLM STRACHAN

IT’s been another violent week in The Bahamas, with more murders, more bodies in our streets and again the cry going up “What can we do about crime?”

But there’s one word in that cry that often gets overlooked. That’s the word “we”. That’s not just our politicians, we can say “they” when we ask what can our politicians do about crime. That’s not just the police either, unless you are putting on a uniform each day and going out to work. No, that “we” is something altogether far more personal. That’s you. That’s me.

But what can we do about it, you might ask. I can’t go out on the streets on patrol to stop crime. I can’t arrest anyone.

Maybe not, but you can make a difference – just by keeping your eyes and ears open.

On Saturday of last week, police reported an armed robbery at the home of two women. There was a knock on the door and when one of the two answered, there was a tall, dark-skinned, slim man, who pulled out a gun and demanded cash. He robbed both the women of some money.

It is probably a sign of the times that such a story – with a man just brazenly walking up to a house, pulling out a gun and demanding money – is not regarded as anything remarkable or exceptional. We ought to feel safe enough in our homes with our doors closed.

But what has this got to do with me, I hear you asking. Well, the difference here is that the women fought back – and the robber was stabbed in the left shoulder before he left.

Police checking local medical facilities for someone fitting his description but without any luck. And yet, someone probably knows this person. Someone probably noticed somebody with a wound, or a bandaged shoulder. Maybe a family member.

Maybe the person who did

the bandaging.

With crime at the levels it is, there are many people who know someone who might be involved in such activity – but do we speak out? After all, these are people that are going out and inflicting harm on others. We are not just talking killers –though each of those has family and friends who by allowing their continued presence in our levels tolerate their actions. But there are robbers, fraudsters, there are those who inflict violence on their own family members. Do we say no? When we suspect them, do we call Crime Stoppers to report them? Or do we hope that somehow they will stop of their own accord when they see their actions have no consequences?

Worse, some of us help to cause harm on others ourselves – through nothing more than the phone in our hands.

There was a horrifying story about crime scene photos being leaked after the double murder of Allison Thompson and her daughter Trevorniqua.

When that phone beeped and you saw the images that someone shared with you, did you share them on yourself?

Think of how family members of the victims must have felt to see those images on Facebook or on Whatsapp. All it took was for people to take a second, pause and think to themselves what advantage there was to share those images. To think of the harm it must have caused loved ones of the victims to see them being shared around in this terrible moment.

Rather than share them, you could have turned around and told the person who sent them along that it was inappropriate to do so. To think about their actions. To think about why they were doing this and what they gained from it. Some kind of clout?

Those images never came to my social media –perhaps I have told people in the past not to share such things with me so they thought twice, but if they

had I would like to think I would have answered back and told them to think of the victims’ families when sharing such things around.

We do not have to take to the streets ourselves to play a part in stopping crime – though that would be welcome in the form of marches, perhaps.

When I see some of the things that groups protest about and yet fail to join together to stand united against crime, I wonder how they can overlook the elephant in the room to target their smaller issue instead.

In saying that we can report someone if we are convinced they are taking part in crime, some will rail against it and say that is being a snitch or a rat, but we can’t just leave making our society safer to others. If that person is taking part particularly in violent crime, notifying police – which you can do anonymously – might save someone’s life.

And choosing not to share on violent images is something we can all do. Ask yourself if that was your mother, your brother, your sister, your father, someone you love, how would you feel if you opened up Facebook and there was their last moment for you to see?

Ending violence may not be entirely on our shoulders, but it can begin with us. That’s before we even look at other ways to reach out to one another in our communities, and build the links that can stand united against crime.

There is a lot of talk about zero tolerance towards crime – but we tolerate it every day. We tolerate it when we fail to speak up. We tolerate it when we share violent images along without thinking. We tolerate it as a society when we fail to act with speed on crimes if it affects someone we regard as important. We tolerate it when we accept criminals into our homes and our lives without making it clear such behaviour is unacceptable. So we can make a difference. And we can start today.

‘Ending violence may not be entirely on our shoulders, but it can begin with us.’

Early testing can possibly lead to better outcomes for you and your loved ones

THE concept of time can often seem arbitrary. One day it may feel like the day is crawling forward at a snail’s pace and the next it can feel like the day flew by so quickly you barely had a second to relax. Years go by and you wonder where the time went as your baby, who was only just crawling, is now applying for a driver’s permit. In those moments, it’s natural to wish for life to slow down.

The irony is that as kids we all yearn for time to speed up. Then, as we get older, we begin to appreciate the value in waiting. But there are times when waiting can be a double-edged sword. In relationships, waiting too long to propose, for example, can cost you the person you love. In business, the risk of waiting manifests as missed opportunity. Unsurprisingly, as unfortunate as those outcomes may be, it’s in medicine where the true cost of waiting emerges.

Balancing the art of pushing forward in one aspect of your life and wanting to slow down in another is never easy. So, over time, when the thread between the binary halves becomes eroded, you start to slowly slip, make mistakes, overlook what should be obvious and malfunction.

As the frequency increases, almost to a point of breakdown, you find yourself at a crossroads where you either re-evaluate priorities and commitments or continue the downhill spiral. It is then that the failure to act becomes an action itself with potentially unseen devastating consequences.

Today’s report delves into the life of a man who waited. Hereafter referred to as The Professor, like so many of us, he didn’t know what he didn’t know.

The Professor was the youngest boy of seven children and although he’d himself eventually only father one child, he loved being part of a large family. Growing up he suffered with asthma but he never let that stop him from trying to keep up with his siblings, even as episodes of his wheezing became more pronounced. Fortunately, as he grew older, The Professor’s symptoms lessened and then stopped entirely just in time for him to start playing basketball. At any given time of the day, he could be found on the basketball court with his brothers, cousins and friends or swimming in the ocean with his family. During breaks from school, he worked with his father and brothers on a glass bottom boat.

It was the late 1960s and although the world was embroiled in the civil rights movement, rock and roll, protests and the Vietnam war, life on the island for The Professor and his family was simple. Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings were set aside for Bible study and meetings he loved attending and participating in. Weekends, once school work and chores were finished, it was family fun time. Climbing mango and coconut trees, catching land crabs, and fishing with his friend Z were regular activities that he enjoyed. His big brother taught him to love music and those carefree moments of rascality and cheer never left him.

By the time The Professor was in his late teens he was excelling in school. With a keen eye and impassioned

comprehension for emerging technology, he trained to become a computer engineer. He worked for a telecommunications company for two decades before starting his own. But, accolades aside, The Professor would be the first person to say that his life truly began the day he met his wife, hereafter referred to as Emily. The two were inseparable and she was the only woman he ever loved. Together they had one daughter and for many years, things were idyllic. But the transience of life and happiness is absolute.

The Professor went to get his teeth cleaned and have a cavity filled. He had no past medical or surgical history, he wasn’t on any medication, he ate fruits and vegetables regularly and was very active. So, when he was prescribed Ibuprofen for pain management during his routine dental visit, he took it reluctantly. He felt his fears were justified when not long after taking it, he began to feel nauseous. His toothache subsided but he kept vomiting even after stopping the medication.

Emily made an appointment for him to see a gastroenterologist where a stool test was performed. Results were significant for a microscopic amount of blood in his stool. The Professor’s doctor arranged for him to undergo his first colonoscopy. He was 49 at the time and planned to begin annual prostate and colorectal screenings the following year, as per previous medical recommendations. To their utter astonishment, The Professor’s results were positive for stage 3 colon cancer. As his doctor relayed the news, he listened in silence as his wife of over 30 years squeezed his hand and began to cry.

Memories of that day have become uniformly obscured by a halo of regret and disbelief. It all seemed so unreal and for years The Professor expressed regret for not getting screened earlier. His older sister is my patient and she recounts the heaviness their family felt when they heard the news. In stage 3, the cancer had already spread beyond his colon to nearby lymph nodes but had not spread to other parts of the body.

The following week, The Professor underwent surgery to excise the affected colon and lymph nodes. Initially the surgery appeared successful and everything seemed to have gone well. But days after he was released, he had to be readmitted to the hospital with non-stop vomiting. Though doctors assured them that his symptoms were secondary to the fact that his sutures had popped and not from his cancer, he continued to deteriorate

becoming weaker and more lethargic over the next few days. His nausea was unyielding. Desperate and afraid, his family opted to have him airlifted to a hospital in the US for another opinion.

There, The Professor’s symptoms were quickly mitigated with a course of oral antibiotics and anti-nausea medication. Once stabilised his chemotherapy began and by the second year he transferred to another centre in the US where he continued his treatments, travelling back and forth to The Bahamas for work. In many ways, life started to feel normal once more.

But cancer is a roller coaster of good days and bad and when The Professor’s cancer spread to his liver, he began seeking more natural therapies to strengthen his immune system. His search led him nearly 10,000 miles away to The Philippines but his journey was ultimately fruitless. Admitted to a hospital in Georgia, The Professor lost his sixyear cancer battle and died with Emily, their daughter, family and friends by his side.

Every night Emily is reunited with The Professor in her dreams and she wants readers to know that he was an incredible husband and father. He loved his parents and siblings and he reveled in spending time with his family. He enjoyed eating boiled fish and grits and his love of swimming and reading never wavered. His laugh had an undertone of mischief but his smile was as bright as the morning sun.

The family’s take home message is to get medical screens early even if you’re low risk because you can’t predict the future. The Professor was waiting until he was 50 to begin testing. Had he started even a year earlier, the outcome may have been different, a thought his family still clings to as they concomitantly treasure the memories they have. They also advocate sharing diagnoses with other family members early on so that they can take preventative measures. Emily adds that if children are involved, don’t ignore their grief or hide the truth from them. Have an age-appropriate dialogue that prepares them for the eventuality of their loved one’s death for their mental health and emotional stability.

Time can often seem arbitrary. The eyes of a dying man can regurgitate a lifetime of memories in just one second. But in the dark and lonely where every widow sleeps, time becomes nonexistent and dreams offer the only opportunity for desires to be fulfilled.

For a widow, still mourning the loss of her husband and best friend, those

By DR KENNETH D KEMP

desires span the depth of time itself offering passive solace, a moment to breathe with ease and a chance to blissfully enjoy a happy moment with the man she still loves.

This is The KDK Report.

Prince of Podiatry’, Dr Kenneth D Kemp is the founder and medical director of Bahamas Foot and Ankle located in Caves Village, West -

He served as the deputy chairman for the Health Council for five years and he currently sits on the board of directors for the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation in his role as co-vice-chairman.

‘...get medical screens early even if you’re low risk because you can’t predict the future.

From founding to modern day,

The Royal Bahamas Police Force is celebrating its own history as we count down towards independence. In this article provided by the force, the steps toward the creation of the modern force are detailed - along with the history of the leaders of the force since Bahamian independence.

IN THE 18th and 19th centuries, protection in The Bahamas was divided among three entities: the night watchmen, who protected homes and businesses; the West Indian Regiment, who cared for any serious breach of peace throughout the Bahama Islands; and the constables who worked under judges and justices of the peace.

After the abolition of slavery in 1838, Bahamian lawmakers saw it necessary to unite the separate system of the night watchmen and constables as one organisation.

Governor Sir Frances Cockburn conducted extensive research on law enforcement in England, and other British colonies, before drafting an Act which was later passed by the Assembly in February 1840.

where the Inspector General was not present on any particular island.

From the commencement of the Bahamas Police Force, several amendments have been made to this Act, since this type of policing was still in its beginning stages.

The dawning of the 20th century brought forth countless societal issues such as riots, a murder scandal, fires, and increased crime due to a growth of residents on the islands but the Bahamas Police Force persevered.

Adjustments in leadership were made in the organisation that helped counteract each challenge that faced the country.

In February 1966, after a visit from Prince Phillip to the islands, the prefix “Royal” was added to the Bahamas Police Force by His late Royal Highness.

Prior to the Bahamas’ independence in 1973, the now Royal Bahamas Police Force, which was still headed by British police officers, made many advances for the benefit of the country.

The dawning of the 20th century brought forth countless societal issues such as riots, a murder scandal, fires, and increased crime due to a growth of residents on the islands but the Bahamas Police Force persevered.

Under this Act, the Governor was authorised to appoint an Inspector General who would head a new Police Force comprising of several constables under their remit.

On March 1, 1840, the Bahamas Police Force was established with sixteen former slaves under the command of Inspector General John Pinder. The powers of the magistrate to supervise constables came to an end under this new Act but not permanently.

In later years, an amendment was made which granted the magistrate power to direct constables

One notable advancement was the opening of the Police Training College by Prime Minister Lynden Pindling on February 23, 1973.

The money for the building’s construction was gifted by the British government.

On June 1, 1973, the second notable advancement occurred which was the appointment of the first Bahamian Commissioner of Police, Salathiel Thompson.

On July 10, 1973, a grand display by the newly crowned Royal Bahamas Police Force was shown on Clifford Park.

The Union Jack was lowered by Sergeant Alfred Williams and the new Bahamian flag was raised by Sergeant Irvin Taylor, marking the inauguration of the Bahamas’ freedom.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force served as the forerunners of the celebrations, serving as a monument to the founding of a

LEADERS OF THE FORCE SINCE INDEPENDENCE

Salathiel Thompson 1973- 1980

After completing his education, Salathiel Thompson, who hails from the modest community of Bannerman Town, Eleuthera, entered the Bahamas Police Force on October 11, 1937.

He spent a considerable amount of time working in the Criminal Investigations Department as a prosecutor, serving as the officer in charge at the Southern Division before rising to the position of commanding officer of the Grand Bahama Division.

He attained the position

Gerald Bartlett 1981-1987

In Eight Mile Rock, Grand Bahama, Gerald Bartlett was born.

On October 10, 1946, he joined the Bahamas Police Force.

During his career, he served as an orderly at the government building, a clerk in the commissioner’s office, and an officer in command of the Canteen, the Central Division, and the Mobile Division. He held the positions of superintendent of New Providence, officer in command of the Traffic Division, and assistant in charge of the Grand Bahama District.

Bernard K. Bonamy 1987-1999

BERNARD Kenneth

Bonamy was born on Cat Island in Arthur’s Town. On April 1, 1945, he joined the Bahamas Police Force.

Mr Bonamy was a highly motivated employee who was always regarded as a top worker. He held various positions within the police department and participated in a wide range of workshops and training sessions. His ascent up the ladder of prestige ended in his appointment as police commissioner on November 21, 1987.

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) organi-

of Deputy Commissioner by October 1971, and on June 1, 1973, he was named as the First Bahamian Commissioner of Police.

Throughout his tenure, he received numerous distinctions and awards, including the Queen’s Police Medal, the Colonial Police Meritorious Service Award, and the Long Service Award.

Additionally, he was approved as a Royal Victorian Order member. Her Majesty the Queen presented him with this honor during her visit to The Bahamas.

Mr Thompson also received the Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St. George and the Bahamian Order Merit in 1978.

Over the years, he developed a strong character for offering excellent service. He maintained a spotless image and stood out as a model of an upright police officer.

There were numerous distinguished awards and decorations given to Commissioner Bartlett.

He was elevated to the position of Deputy Commissioner in 1973, and he was named Commissioner of Police in 1981.

Commissioner Bartlett has been a police detective for 41 years.

He was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal and the Colonial Police Medal by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and she also made him a Commander of the Victorian Order and a Commander of the British Empire. He received the Bahamas Sliver Jubilee Award for Law Enforcement from the country of The Bahamas.

numerous advancements including the introduction of COMPSTAT. To effectively handle the volumes of data that the Force used to produce statistics, this technology included the creation and adoption of the AS400 Computer System.

To satisfy top-notch standards, Mr Bonamy also oversaw upgrades to the police control room, patrol cars, and communications system. He oversaw the BPF’s civilianisation as well.

sation was one of his biggest accomplishments.

During his time as Commissioner, he earned numerous honors and recognitions and made

During this time, the Cadet Corps was completely developed and expanded, and several senior officers graduated from the programme.

THE PRESENT-day leader of the police force, Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander.

the history of the police force

2019 – 2022

Rolle

Paul

Paul Farquharson 2001–2008

IN BURNT Ground, Long Island, Paul Farquharson was born on January 10, 1949. On December 12, 1966, Paul became a member of the police force.

Mr Farquharson remained diligent and focused despite being given numerous high-profile tasks. His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, His Grace, the Most Reverend and Rt Honourable Dr Robert Runcie, and others were among those he assisted.

He achieved Sergeant status within the first eight years of his work before receiving the Gazetted rank

Reginald Ferguson

2008–2010

The Acklins native Reginald Ferguson, who was raised in Snug Corner, was born in 1946.

At the age of 19, influenced by his uncle who was also a police officer, he left Acklins in search of better employment prospects in New Providence.

He then joined the Royal Bahamas Police Force on October 13, 1965. He established himself as a force commander right away, earning a promotion

Ellison Greenslade

2010–2017

IN JANUARY 2010, Ellison Edroy Greenslade was appointed as the Bahamas’ police commissioner. He had just finished a oneyear secondment with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Canada and had earlier held the position of acting deputy Commissioner of Police. He joined the force’s Executive Management Team in 2000 and was later elevated to the position of Assistant Commissioner of Police before being relocated to Freeport, Grand

Anthony Ferguson 2017–2019

IN 2017, Anthony Ferguson, who was reared in Mount Thompson, Exuma, was appointed as the seventh police commissioner in the Bahamas. He joined the police in November 1980 and advanced through the ranks, receiving assignments to different divisions in New Providence.

He finished numerous training programmes both domestically and abroad,

of Assistant Superintendent in 1988.

After being named acting commissioner in January 2000, Mr Farquharson immediately started making aggressive public relations efforts. With his official attire, he entered the streets of New Providence, to create a channel of communication between the public and the police, he worked with his managerial team,

neighbourhood, and spiritual leaders. On November 21, 2001, Mr Farquharson was chosen to serve as Commissioner.

Mr Farquharson made incalculable improvements to the Police Department’s organisational framework and operating procedures during his tenure as Commissioner.

For his expertise in policing, he has also received numerous awards, accolades, and commendations on a national and worldwide level. Mr Farquharson served as the British High Commissioner since February 2008 to 2017 and he also chairs the Rehabilitation of Offenders Committee created by the ministry of National Security.

He worked in several divisions, including the Drug Enforcement Unit, over the course of his more than 44 years of service, and he received training from organisations all over the world.

In addition to creating the Drug Intelligence Program and serving the Caribbean Region at the International Drug Enforcement Conference.

THE eighth Commissioner of Police of the Bahamas, Paul A Rolle, a native of Andros, assumed office on March 30, 2020, after taking over from Anthony Ferguson.

On March 16, 1983, Commissioner Rolle joined the Police Department.

As the Force’s ex-officio Provost Marshall, he had overall command, supervision, guidance, and control as the Commissioner of

Clayton Fernander 2022–present

COMMISSIONER Clayton Leroy Fernander rose to the top of the Royal Bahamas Police Force. Only nine Bahamians have been appointed to the position of Commissioner of Police since 1973, and Mr Fernander is one of them. He joined the force in 1982 after graduating from CC Sweeting Senior High School and started his illustrious career at the Traffic Division before moving to the Criminal Investigations

Department in 1984.

He spent 28 consecutive years in criminal investigations, served in other

Police.

Commissioner Rolle unveiled a new vision for building safer communities with seven objectives after being appointed to lead the organisation.

Commissioner Rolle also started a herculean task to actively restructure the Force by creating and disseminating policy documents to increase the efficacy and efficiency of all police officers in general.

capacities throughout the Force, and made an indelible mark on criminal investigations. His rise to the top was underpinned by his fearless work, bravery, plain speaking ability, and diligence that led to the closure of numerous high-profile cases. He is a firm advocate for leading by example, and his experience, humility, and noted investigative instincts have undoubtedly cemented his legacy as a trusted and respected police officer.

CURRENT OFFICERS HELPING POLICE WELFARE FUND

to Corporal in 1974 and ultimately attaining the position of Commissioner of Police on March 16, 2009.

For his dedicated work, he has been recognised with numerous accolades and honors, including the Queen’s Police Medal.

investigations and search and rescue missions in the wake of natural disasters.

In recognition of his outstanding police service, Greenslade was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal (QPM), the Prime Minister’s Above and Beyond Award, and a commendation from The Governor General of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

Bahama. He served as The Northern Bahamas’ District Commander for seven years, and during that time he was recognised for his leadership during

He serves on the Bahamas’ Advisory Board for The Salvation Army. Mr Greenslade was appointed Bahamas High Commissioner to The United Kingdom on November 15, 2017.

Along with the Queen’s Police Medal, he also has awards for Meritorious Service, Long Service, and Good Conduct. Since taking office as commissioner, he has outlined a new strategy for the agency that centers on building safer communities and outlined six priorities for the agency to follow.

such as advanced sex crime investigations and criminal investigations.

Mr Ferguson now heads the National Intelligence Agency created by the Ministry of National Security.

A COOKOUT was held on Saturday in aid of the Police Welfare Fund - along with music, demonstrations, Paw Patrol characters and stalls. Photos: Stephen Hunt/Tribune Staff

GIRL GUIDES

THE BAHAMAS Girl Guides Association held an awards ceremony on Saturday at Breezes, honouring 26 guide leaders, council members and two corporate citizens as part of the association’s Golden Jubilee celebrations.

Photos: Austin Fernander

Despite much to celebrate, a deeply divided Israel limps to its birthday

JERUSALEM

Associated Press

ORIT Pinhasov strongly opposes the Israeli government’s proposed judicial overhaul, but you won’t find her anywhere near the mass protests against the plan. She says her marriage depends on it.

Pinhasov’s husband sits on the opposite side of Israel’s political divide, and joining the protests will only deepen what she says already are palpable tensions in her household.

“I don’t go to the demonstrations not because I don’t believe in them,” she said. “I don’t go in order to protect my home. I feel like I’m fighting for my home.”

As Israel turns 75 on Wednesday, it has much to celebrate. But instead of feting its accomplishments as a regional military and economic powerhouse, the nation that arose on the ashes of the Holocaust faces perhaps its gravest existential threat yet — not from foreign enemies but from divisions within.

For over three months, tens of thousands of people have rallied in the streets against what they see as an assault by an ultranationalist, religious government threatening a national identity rooted in liberal traditions.

Fighter pilots have threatened to stop reporting for duty. The nation’s leaders have openly warned of civil war, and families of fallen soldiers have called on politicians to stay away from the ceremonies. Many Israelis wonder if the deep split can ever heal.

Miri Regev, the government minister in charge of the main celebration on Tuesday night, has threatened to throw out anyone who disrupts it. The event takes place at a plaza next to Israel’s national cemetery in Jerusalem, where the country abruptly shifts from solemn Memorial Day observances for fallen soldiers to the joy of Independence Day, complete with a symbolic torchlighting ceremony, military marches and musical and dance performances.

Opposition leader Yair

Lapid is boycotting the ceremony. “You have torn Israeli society apart, and no phony fireworks performance can cover that up,” he said.

The rift is so wide that Israel’s longest-running and perhaps most pressing problem — its open-ended military rule over the Palestinians — barely gets mentioned despite a recent surge in violence. Even before the protests erupted, public discourse was mostly limited to the military’s dealing with the conflict, rather than the future of the territories Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war, which Palestinians seek for their state.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a polarizing leader revered by supporters and reviled by opponents, has played a key role in the crisis. The divisions gained steam as he was indicted on corruption charges in 2019. Israel barrelled through five cycles of elections in under four years — all of them focused on Netanyahu’s fitness to rule.

Late last year, Netanyahu finally eked out a victory — cobbling together the most right-wing government in Israel’s history. Within days, it set out to overhaul the judicial system and give Netanyahu’s allies the power to overturn court decisions and appoint judges.

The plan, which critics see as a transparent power grab, has triggered unprecedented protests that ultimately forced Netanyahu to freeze it. In a reflection of the deep mistrust, the protests have only grown larger, exposing deeper fault lines in Israeli society that go back decades.

On Netanyahu’s side is a religious and socially conservative coalition that includes the politically powerful ultraOrthodox minority, the religious-nationalist community, including West Bank settlers, and Jews of Middle Eastern descent who live in outlying working-class towns.

Those protesting against him are largely secular,

middle-class professionals behind Israel’s modern economy. They include high-tech workers, teachers, lawyers and current and former commanders in Israel’s security forces.

Israel’s Palestinian minority, meanwhile, has largely sat out the protests, saying it never felt part of the country to begin with.

These divisions have filtered down to workplaces, friendships and families.

Despite political differences, Pinhasov, 49, said she and her husband have “lived in peace” for 30 years. She said there were disagreements at election time every few years, but these were short-lived and minor.

That began to change during the coronavirus pandemic, when Pinhasov said the tone of public debate over issues like lockdowns and vaccines became more strident. Then, as Israel ricocheted from election to election, the tensions began to be felt at home.

Her husband would tell her she’s been “brainwashed” and complained about “leftist” media, Pinhasov said. When she disagreed, he would say,

AFTER RUSSI A BOMBS OWN CITY, EXPLOSIVE FOUND AT S A ME SITE

“you don’t understand.”

They could no longer watch the news together or “Wonderful Country,” a popular political satire show.

Their four children, including a 21-year-old son who shares his father’s views, all love and respect each other and their parents, she says. But it’s complicated, like “walking on eggshells.”

While Israel typically unites in times of war, seeds of distrust were planted decades ago.

From the country’s earliest days, the Jewish majority was plagued by disagreements over issues such as whether to accept reparations from postwar West Germany, to violent protests by poorer Middle Eastern Jews in the early 1970s, and bitter internal divisions over military fiascos during the 1973 Mideast war and later in Lebanon.

Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a Jewish ultranationalist in 1995 opposed to his peace efforts with the Palestinians. Large protests erupted when Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005. Israel was always a

deeply divided society, but somehow it held together,” said Tom Segev, an Israeli author, historian and journalist. “The difference now is that we are really discussing the basic values of this society.”

The protests against Netanyahu’s government show that many are “genuinely frightened” for the country’s future, he said.

Tel Aviv University economist Dan Ben-David, president of the Shoresh Institution for Socioeconomic Research, points to two seminal events in Israel’s history – the 1967 and 1973 Mideast wars.

The 1967 war, in which Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, spawned the Jewish settler movement, which has turned into a powerful political force representing some 700,000 people.

The 1973 war, meanwhile, set off a process that would bring the right-wing Likud party to power four years later. The Likud has ruled for most of the time since then, usually in partnership with ultra-Orthodox parties.

These religious parties have used their political power to win generous subsidies and controversial exemptions from military service — angering the broader secular public. The ultra-Orthodox community, and to a lesser extent the religious nationalist community run separate school systems that offer subpar educations with little respect for democratic values like minority rights, Ben-David said.

Because these communities have high birth rates, he said the country needs to go back to a “melting pot” model that includes a core curriculum promoting universal values, he said. “If we are one nation, then we need to teach our children what brings us together.”

Still, many see the 75th anniversary celebrations as a time for joy. Pinhasov said she will host a party for some 100 people at her home in central Israel, many of them members of her husband’s family. It’s our Independence Day,” she said. “It’s still a day for celebrations.”

Associated Press

SEVENTEEN apartment buildings were evacuated Saturday in a Russian city near the Ukrainian border after an explosive device was found at the site where a bomb accidentally dropped by a Russian warplane caused a powerful blast this week, authorities said.

The bomb blast late Thursday rocked part of Belgorod, leaving a large crater and three people injured. The Russian Defence Ministry quickly acknowledged that a weapon accidentally released by one of its own Su-34 bombers caused the explosion.

The ministry said an investigation was underway but did not

elaborate on the details of the weapon, which military experts said likely was a powerful 1,100-pound bomb.

The governor of Belgorod province, Vyacheslav Gladkov, reported Saturday that sappers examining the site of Thursday’s blast found and decided to detonate what he called an “explosive object” that was “in the immediate vicinity of residential buildings.”

The precautionary evacuations ended later in the day, according to Belgorod Mayor Valentin Demidov.

“The bomb was removed from the residential area. Residents are being delivered back to their homes,” Demidov wrote on Telegram. Russian authorities did

not say if the detonated device was dropped by accident on Thursday and if so, if it was a remnant of or separate from the bomb that exploded in the city.

Belgorod, located about 25 miles east of the Russia-Ukraine border, has faced regular drone attacks since Russia sent troops into Ukraine last year. Russian authorities have blamed those strikes on the Ukrainian military, which refrained from directly claiming responsibility for the attacks.

Late Saturday, the governor of the Kharkiv region, Oleh Syniehubov, said five missiles fired from the Belgorod area hit the region, including one that struck unspecified “civilian infrastructure” in the capital city Kharkiv.

THIS handout photo released by Telegram Channel of Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov shows the site of the crater after an explosion in Belgorod, Russia, Friday. A large explosion hit Belgorod late Thursday, and the Defense Ministry said one of its Su-34 warplanes accidentally discharged ammunition over the city about 15 miles from the Ukrainian border, injuring three people.

Photo: Telegram Channel of Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov/AP

ISRAELI police scuffle with demonstrators blocking a road during a protest against plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to overhaul the judicial system in Tel Aviv, Israel March 23, 2023. As Israel turns 75, it has much to celebrate. But instead of feting its accomplishments as a regional and economic powerhouse, the nation founded as a home for the world’s Jews in the wake of the Holocaust finds itself under threat - not by foreign enemies but by bitter internal divisions.

Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg/AP

MONDAY, APRIL 24, 2023

Athletes qualify for CARIFTA triathlon

By TENAJH SWEETING tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas Triathlon Association hosted the Sea Waves Triathlon yesterday at Jaws Beach. It was the second of three qualifying events for the CARIFTA and Junior Commonwealth Games.

Yesterday’s triathlon event saw a few athletes qualify for both games. The day featured competitors in the 8 and under, 9-10 boys and girls, 11-12 boys and girls, 13-15 boys and girls, 16-19 boys and girls and individual sprint divisions.

Athletes competing on the day earned points to help build their rankings, which helps them to be selected for the CARIFTA team. In the 16-19 boys youth triathlon, which

included a 400 metre swim, 10 kilometre bike, and 2.5 kilometre run, Launy Duncombe brought home a first place finish. The young athlete notched a 33:41 in

the event and qualified for the Junior Commonwealth Games as well.

Second place finish belonged to Enea Gervasini who came in behind

with 38:02. Barron Musgrove Jr joined the fray for third place after clocking 39:58. Duncombe talked about how it felt to get the win

SAILING OFFICIALLY DECLARED AS OUR NATIONAL SPORT

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IT was a big weekend for the island of Exuma.

Not only did they attract one of the biggest crowds for the 65th Family Island Regatta, but they got to kick off the promotion of the torch run for the sixth edition of the Bahamas Games just before the official proclamation of sailing as the national sport of The Bahamas.

and to qualify for the games. “It feels good. I know I have some stuff I have got to work on but

On Friday night, the torch run made its way through George Town, Exuma, to the new regatta site to signify the launch of the return of the Bahamas Games after a 21-year hiatus during the country’s Golden Jubilee celebrations

SEE PAGE 17 SEE PAGE 16

Rattlers celebrate basketball titles

both the Rattlers senior boys and girls basketball teams winning the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association pennant and championship titles, the CI Gibson Secondary School celebrated their achievements with an awards ceremony and motorcade. Above, members of the senior boys’ team pose with some of the dignitaries.

GSSSA VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS ON

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WHILE Tyrone Oliver Jr was being considered for representation in his first major international event by the Boxing Federation of the Bahamas next week, his younger brother Shakuar Oliver was preparing for his marriage on his older brother’s birthday in May.

Today, their family is grieving their loss on Saturday morning after they were killed together in the parking lot of Solomon’s Super Center. Tyrone Jr would have celebrated his 28th birthday on May 11 and Shakuar was 23.

Members of the Boxing Federation of the Bahamas and some of the coaches who worked with Oliver since his introduction into the sport have expressed

their sympathy to the Oliver family, including their parents Eunice and Tyrone Oliver Sr, their three sisters and one brother.

Sonovia Oliver, one of the sisters, said it’s a double blow to their family and the community of White’s Addition off Kemp Road where they reside.

“Tyrone was always the life of the party. Once he comes with the jokes, the party will start,” she said.

“He was always dancing, always cheerful. He always had an encouraging word to tell anybody. Even at the end of the conversation, he would tell you ‘blessing,’ or ‘forward blessing.’ He was always disciplined from boxing and his daddy, who was a no-nonsense person.”

As for Shakuar, who came out and supported Tyrone when he was in

By TENAJH SWEETING tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE Government Secondary Schools Sports Association (GSSSA) volleyball championships commenced this past weekend at the Anatol Rodgers Gymnasium.

The championship round featured volleyball play from both the junior and senior teams. Both divisions showed up for game one as three of the four games played went to three sets.

For the juniors, the HO Nash Lions’ girls and DW Davis Royals boys sit comfortably after defeating their competitors in game one of the championship rounds. The Lions snatched game one away from the SC McPherson Sharks.

Athletes make their presence felt overseas

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Meanwhile, the Royals took down the HO Nash junior boys team to go up 1-0 in the series.

For the seniors, the CR Walker Knights’ girls brought home game one after defeating the CV Bethel Stingrays in two sets.

Additionally, the CI Gibson Rattlers claimed game one after winning against the Doris Johnson Mystic Marlins in three hard-fought sets.

In the first game of the day, the junior girls put on a show against each other in their first championship game.

The Lions and Sharks gave it all that they had

WHILE strongwoman

Rhema Otabor, versatile Anthaya Charlton, hurdler Gabrielle Gibson and sprinter Wanya McCoy were taking care of business over the weekend in the United States, sprinters Anthonique Strachan and Wendell Miller were making their presence felt at the Velocity Fest 13 in Kingston, Jamaica.

At the Michael Johnson Invitational at the Hart Track and Field Stadium at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, Otabor - a junior at Nebraska - had a personal best heave of 194-feet, sixinches or 59.28m to win the women’s javelin throw, well ahead of second place finisher Maddie Harris, a junior at Nebraska, who did 183-03 (55.86m).

Also at the meet, Charlton, a member of the Bahamian connection at the University of Kentucky, led by head coach Rolando ‘Lonnie’ Greene and his assistant “Golden Girl” Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie, secured the win in the women’s long jump. For good measure, Charlton also ran on Kentucky women’s 4 x 100m relay team that won in 43.38.

Fellow Kentucky teammate Megan Moss came through with a fourth place finish in the women’s 400m in a season’s best of 52.55.

Moss also contested the women’s 200m where she had to settle for 23rd place in 24.09.

Moss also teamed up on the women’s 4 x 400m relay for Kentucky as they ran 3:28.21 for the sixth fastest time this year and is now

TEAM EFFORT: In honour of their hard work and successful season that culminated with

Photo: Moises Amisial/Tribune Staff

YOUNG TRIATHLETES with their medals and trophies after the Bahamas Triathlon Association hosted the Sea Waves Triathlon yesterday at Jaws Beach.

Photo: Tenajh Sweeting

‘Tyrone was always the life of the party’

SAILING FROM PAGE 15

from July 6-14. “Prior to announcement of the national sport, we had the torch run with Exuma getting it started,” Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg confirmed.

“It will go through the various islands participating in the Bahamas Games before it gets back to New Providence. That went very well.”

In a relay form, the Royal Bahamas Police Force accompanied by some of the young athletes on the island, started the run with the torch that passed onto the island administrator Donald Rolle before he handed it over to Bowleg.

Minister of Parliament for Exuma and Deputy Prime Minister I. Chester Cooper received the torch from Bowleg and passed it on to Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis.

“We then made the countdown of 75 days left before the start of the games,” Bowleg said. “It’s important for us to do this torch run because a whole generation doesn’t understand the concept of the Bahamas Games. This is to inform persons of the importance of us putting on this event and get them excited to be a part of the games.”

Started in 1989, the Bahamas Games is expected to bring together more than 2,500 athletes and officials from teams throughout the country who will participate from islands/grouping of islands including Abaco, Andros, Bimini and the Berry Islands, Columbus Isles, Eleuthera, Exuma and Ragged Island, Grand Bahama, Long Island, MICA and New Providence

OLIVER FROM PAGE 15

training and competing, Sonovia said he was quite the opposite to his older brother. “He was very quiet. Most times you didn’t even know he was there. He was like a fly on the wall,” she noted. “He was a man of very little words, but he expressed himself through his music.”

According to Sonovia, Shakuar was getting ready to get married on Tyrone Jr’s birthday on May 11. The two left behind two daughters. Tyrone’s daughter is Danielle Oliver, who was seven, while Shakuar’s daughter is two-year-old Shaniyah Oliver.

“The only good thing about it is we have a huge outpouring of love already,” she stated.

“There’s a song that says let your life speak for you. My brother’s lives are speaking for them right now. We are from Kemp Road, born and raised. We know what it is to share one plate of food and to see how far they

in at least 14 core sporting disciplines.

The games, which continued in 1991, 1995, 1998 and in 2001, will be staged in New Providence next year including softball, basketball, track and field, lawn tennis, swimming, soccer, volleyball, bodybuilding and powerlifting, cycling, baseball, regatta sailing, rowing and golf.

Additionally, there will be competition in beach soccer and beach volleyball.

As for the announcement of the national sport, Bowleg said they had a ceremony to receive the torch and, at the same time, the announcement was made by Prime Minister Davis before the fireworks erupted. Bowleg also brought some remarks on the youth and developmental aspect of the sport, while Clay Sweeting spoke on the history of sailing.

“I’m elated to know that sailing is the only sport indigenous to the Bahamas,” Bowleg said. “Not only did we get our first Olympic medal in sailing from Sir Durward Knowles and Cecil Cooke in 1964, but it’s a sport that identify who we are as a people.

“We are an archipelago surrounded by waters, so it’s our goal to see how best to get sailing back into the Olympics and winning medals again. It was really accepted by all those in attendance, including the sailors, who were there to compete in the regatta.”

Danny Strachan, who will demit office as commodore of the National Family Island Regatta on June 1 after serving for the past 31 years, said the announcement of sailing as the national sport of the Bahamas could not come at a more opportune time.

“I’m quite ecstatic about

came, not being a product of their environment and to go the way they did, I can’t fathom what happened, but I know that is not the way my brothers should have gone.”

Boxing Federation of the Bahamas president Vincent Strachan said it was painful for him because he only got to meet Tyrone Jr earlier this year in person, although they communicated over the past few years by phone.

“He was made a member of the Bahamas Boxing Federation elite men’s team. He was part of the IBA World Boxing Championships team for Tashkent, Uzbekistan from April 29 to May 14.

Tyrone Oliver, according to Strachan, was making plans to go to the federation’s training camp in Freeport, Grand Bahama and was being considered for selection on the national team for the Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador, El Salvador in June, the Pan American Games qualifier

it because of the fact that I’ve been campaigning for this for more than 30 years for sailing to become the national sport of our country, which is another pillar in the development of our country as an independent nation,” Strachan said.

“I’m so proud and thankful that the government made the decision to name it the official sport at this year’s 67th National Family Island Regatta. There couldn’t be a better setting to do that. We had almost 80 boats competing in this regatta so it was the appropriate venue and appropriate timing for the announcement on Friday.”

According to Strachan, George Town, Exuma has been the cradle of sloop sailing since 1954, but he

in August in Cali, Columbia and the Pan American Games in November, also in Cali. “He was positive about qualifying for the 2024 Olympics in France,” Strachan said. “He was the main event representative for Team Bahamas, March 4, 2023, at Sir Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium for the second Sonny Boy Rahming and Leonard Boston Blackie Memorial Boxing Championship,” Strachan said.

“As the chief judge and a scoring judge, he won his match on my score card. I am proud of his representation of the 242 against the Bermudian boxer, who was much heavier.”

Strachan expressed his deepest condolences to the Oliver family, his boxing family and friends.

“I pray God will have mercy on him and his family member soul who died in the same incident,” he stated.

Ronn Rodgers had the opportunity to work with Oliver Jr since he started competing in the sport at age 13 when he started

said he lobbied for the sport to become the national sport of the country because sailors have been sailing internationally in all types of sailing, led by the Olympic gold in 1964 in Tokyo, Japan with crew member Cecil Cooke. Knowles also teamed up with and Sloane Farrington to win the Olympic bronze in1956 in Melbourne, Australia.

As for the final results of the regatta, the New Legend, skippered by David Knowles, captured the A class with five points, followed by the Running Tide, skippered by Stefan Knowles with seven, The New Courageous, skippered by Stefano Kemp, got third with nine.

In the B Class, Jeff Gale skippered the Lonesome

boxing up until he turned professional.

“When I got the news, I wanted to confirm it,” said Rodgers, who was in Canada at the time.

“I got a call from Michelle Minus and she told me that it had happened. I started to make some calls to make sure it was true or not. Once I confirmed it, all I could do was shut down.” Rodgers said he had just spoken to Oliver Jr about a week ago as he was working out details to get him to appear on the undercard of the Return of Drama in Paradise professional boxing show on June 3 at Baha Mar featuring Ladarius Miller against Nomeva Kolisani in the main event.

“I was making sure he was training and also staying active and to confirm that he was still a go for the show on June 3,” Rodgers revealed. “I have fighters calling me from London, England, America and I have kickboxing and boxing coaches reaching out to me. “The fighters who he grew

Dove to victory with six points over the Ole Boy, skippered by Cochise Burrows, who collected 10.

Tari Anne, skippered by Dallas Knowles, got third place with 11 points.

The B class saw It Ain’t Right, skippered by Gale, emerge as the winners with nine points.

Xena, skippered by David Knowles and Sassie Sue, skippered by Stefan Knowles, both ended up with 11 points for a twoway tie for second.

Captain Peg, skippered by Josh Green, won the E class with seven points. Para, skippered by Douglas Saunders, was second with eight and Miss Agnes, skippered by Alvington McKenzie, got third with 12.

up with say they can’t stop crying. So it’s a big blow to the club. He was fiery. When it came to the sport, there was nothing he loved more than boxing. In fact, that was the way I could reach him mentally, physically and spiritually. I used boxing as leeway to get to him and make sure he stayed on the right path.

“He wasn’t happy unless he was doing boxing, whether it was training or fighting. If you saw him before a fight, he was the most exciting fighter ever. He was bouncing around. He wasn’t timid at all. He wanted to get into the boxing ring immediately. So his love for boxing is like none other.”

As a welterweight, Tyrone Oliver produced a 40-5 amateur win-loss record before he turned pro on May 26, 2018. He made a successful debut with a technical knockout over Justin Sawyer in an allBahamian match-up at the A Social Affair and Convention Center in Grand Bahama.

The most outstanding skipper award went to Gale with two first and three third place finish to win both the B and C Class series championship title. Man-O-War, skippered by Leslie ‘Buzzy’’ Rolle, took the Minister of Agriculture, Marine and Family Island E class Cup race. Whitty K, skippered by Cochise Burrows, won the Commodore Emeritus C class; New Susa Chase, skippered by Stefan Knowles, took the Governor General’s B class and Ruff Justice, skippered by Mark Knowles, captured the Prime Minister’s Cup for the A class. The next major regatta on the sailing calendar is the Long Island Regatta which will take place in May.

However, he suffered two consecutives losses on the road. On October 31, 2020, he suffered an unanimous decision to American Christian Otero in Colombia, before he got knocked out on July 31, 2021 by American Isaah Flaherty in Decatur, Georgia.

About three months ago, Valentino Knowles said Oliver Jr reached out to him to go over the details of a pro contract he had signed in Africa. After he helped to guide him along, Oliver Jr turned the deal down and returned home.

“Ever since he came back home, he came into the national gym, along with Israel Johnson and Carl Hield where they trained together,” Knowles said.

”He was very respectful, humble and he had a lot of all-around skills. He was expected to be our next best international prospect.”

The Tribune Sports Department extends its deepest sympathy to the Oliver family on their double loss.

PRIME Minister Philip Davis delivers remarks, conveying greetings and declaration of ‘a job well done’ to Commodore Danny Strachan during the regatta’s closing and awards ceremony on Saturday.

Photos: Patrick Hanna/BIS

IT AIN’T RIGHT - Class C champion.

CAPTAIN Peg - Class E champion.

THE CREW from Lonesome Dove - Class B champion.

PRIME Minister Davis makes a presentation to the crew of New Legend - Class A champion.

TRIATHLON

overall I have to start adjusting my diet, workouts and pressure that I put on myself to get better,” Duncombe said.

Although he knows he has some adjustments to make, the young athlete added that overall it was fun to compete with comrades, especially in the cycling portion of the triathlon

For the 16-19 girls, Erin Pritchard along with Kami Roach both qualified for the Junior Commonwealth Games. Pritchard came out on top with a first place victory after finishing 37:43. Roach joined her in second place in the event with 37:57. Anjaleah Knowles joined the pair after securing third place with 45:49.

Pritchard said all three events were really good for her. She said the swim was good because the water was calm, it was not windy so she was able to keep a good pace cycling, and on the run she gave it her all to finish strong.

Roach was also very pleased with the way she competed and was especially proud of the cycling part of the triathlon.

Malcolm Menzies, brought home the victory in the 13-15 boys youth triathlon. He emerged with a first place finish after clocking 32:32 in the race. Menzies was joined by second place finisher Ayden Bain who not only notched 36:33 but also qualified for the Junior Commonwealth Games. Jayden Smith finished behind the two with 42:44.

Bain said he felt good competing in all events of the triathlon and really felt as if his practicing paid off. However, he felt that he could have paced himself

GSSSA

FROM PAGE 15

against each other in the three sets. In set one, the Sharks won 25-19 after 18 minutes of volleyball action. However, the Lions retaliated in set two and evened things up after beating the Sharks 25-16.

After a big showing in set two, the Lions kept up their momentum which fueled them to a 15-10 win to claim game one.

Patty Johnson, volleyball head coach of the Lions, talked about how it felt to get the game one win in the best of three series.

The coach said the game started off a bit shaky for her team due to a breakdown in communication between the girls.

However, she believes that the team got it together and they will ride the momentum into game two. She credited the play of the Sharks after a competitive game but will look to make adjustments for a better showing from the Lions. The junior boys also brought a competitive showing to the Anatol

better in the run. The young athlete added that he is excited about qualifying for the games and CARIFTA.

For the girls, Issa Bournas brought home the victory after finishing with 42:15. Taylor Knowles finished behind with 49:35 and Chelsea Smith clocked 53:21 respectively. Lauchlin

Menzies claimed first place

Rodgers Gymnasium this past weekend. In a bout that went to three sets, the Royals took the fight to the Lions early on winning set one 25-16 after 17 minutes of gameplay. The Lions made a comeback in set two and evened the score after winning 25-17.

Despite trying to keep their hopes alive after tying the sets, the Royals took over in set three winning 15-9 to take home the game one series win.

Mark Hanna, head coach of the Royals, talked about how it felt to emerge victorious in game one.

“We are the underdogs as far as they are concerned, we are not supposed to be here but this team is a fighting team and the mentality is to never give up so it feels good to get the win,” Hanna said.

He added the team will be focused coming into today’s game two and he wants them to play free, and have fun as he he feels good about their chances.

In one of the most intense matchups on the day, the Knights and the Stingrays left it all on the

in the 11-12 boys triathlon after completing a 200m swim, 5k bike, and 1.5k run. Second place finisher was Sobby Fynn Potter who finished with 17:43. Mathis Bournas followed behind for third.

Nai’a Belton led the way for the girls. Belton blitzed the competition in the trio of events with a time of

court after their game one battle against each other.

The senior girls exchanged a flurry of bumps, flicks, spikes and serves in efforts to take down the opposing team.

In set one, the Knights reigned supreme after defeating the Stingrays 25-20. Despite game one only being two sets, the Knights had their hands full in set two as both teams kept the ball active for nearly one minute on the court.

Also, leading into the final minutes of the 23-minute set, the Stingrays led 23-21.

However, the team could not hold on and the firstseeded Knights wrapped up the final set 26-24 to seal the game one win.

Aikia Rose, head coach of the Knights, said the team started off a bit slow in the first set but they regained focus in the second set of the day.

She added that her message to the team was to pass the ball and call for it. She expects that going into game two, if they follow this message and play a

18:23. She was joined by Taylen Nichols who finished second and Veranique Strachan with third position in the event. For the 9-10 boys youth triathlon, Stafford Sweeting secured a first place finish with 12:09. Additionally, Caiden Bain booked a first place finish with 14:20 in the 8 and under boys triathlon.

little harder than they did on Friday, they can take home a title victory.

Vanessa Sawyer, the setter for the Knights, was involved in some huge power plays for the winning team. She said her mindset in game one’s win was to come out and get a few big hits for her team because it is her final year in high school, and she wanted to make a big impact in the championship game.

In the final matchup on the day, the Doris Johnson Marlins dropped game one to the CI Gibson Rattlers. The Rattlers bested the Marlins in set one 25-18.

However, the Marlins mounted an attack and returned the favour in the second set, shutting out the team 25-19. With the sets tied 1-1 going into the final one, the Rattlers got back into the matchup and won 15-7 to runaway with the game one win.

The junior and senior division teams will resume the GSSSA volleyball championships at 4pm this evening at the Kendal G L Isaacs Gymnasium.

The event’s overall winners for the sprint triathlon, which included a 750 metre swim, 20 kilometre bike, and 5 kilometre run were Christopher Carter and Suzy Eneas. Carter talked about how it felt to be victorious.

“This is a lot of fun, this is really well-organised, and I had a great time,” he said.

ATHLETES

FROM PAGE 15

ranked as the fifth best in Kentucky history.

Charlton ran on Kentucky women’s 4 x 100m relay that ended up on top of the field of teams in 43.38.

Antoine Andrews, representing Texas Tech, came through the men’s 110m hurdles final in 13.85 for fifth place.

In Fayetteville, Arkansas, Gibson clocked 13.07 to pull off the victory in the women’s 100m hurdles.

Her nearest rival was Kiara Smith, a junior at Missouri Southern in 13.22. Gibson also had double duties, running in the 200m where she placed fourth in 23.35.

Rosey Effiong, a sophomore at Arkansas, was the winner in 23.02.

McCoy, a sophomore at Clemson University, won the men’s 200m in 20.46 at the USC Outdoor Open.

Jadyn Tabois, a junior at Iowa, came in second in 20.55.

Among more of the day’s top performers were Cameron Roach, and Simon Townend. Roach placed first in the 40-49 individual sprint triathlon and Towend was the only 50 and over male competitor. The Bahamas Triathlon Association’s next qualifying event will take place on Goodman’s Bay May 6.

At the National Stadium in Jamaica, Strachan picked up a third place finish in the women’s 100 and Miller ended up fourth in the men’s 200m.

In the final of the 100m, Strachan held on for third in 11.11 seconds as she trailed Jamaicans Shericka Jackson, who ran a meet record 10.82, and Natasha Morrison, who got second in 11.09.

Strachan won her heat of the women’s 100m in 11.30.

“It was good. I’m constantly trying out new things and trying to correct what’s wrong so when it matters, I can just do it,” Strachan said.

“I had no expectations,” she added.

Strachan was scheduled to run the 200m, but didn’t compete.

The event was won by Jamaica’s Josean Williams in a season’s best of 23.56.

Miller, also competing for the MVP Club, got fourth in his heat of the men’s 400m, but had to settle for 11th overall in 21.82.

Rasheed Dwyer of Jamaica was the winner in 20.68.

TRIATHLON lovers compete yesterday as the Bahamas Triathlon Association hosted the Sea Waves Triathlon at Jaws Beach. It was the second of three qualifying events for the CARIFTA Triathlon and Junior Commonwealth Games.

Photos: Austin Fernander/Tribune Staff

Curry, Warriors hold off the Kings 126-125 to even series 2-all

By JANIE MCCAULEY AP Sports Writer

SAN FRANCISCO

(AP) — First, Draymond Green suggested to Warriors coach Steve Kerr that he come off the bench for Game 4 against the Sacramento Kings after Golden State had played so brilliantly without him.

Then at halftime yesterday, a couple of assistant coaches offered up the idea to Kerr that Green should defend De’Aaron Fox for the final two quarters.

Those collaborative, spot-on moves helped overshadow a late blunder, and now the defending champions are all tied up in their first-round playoff series at two games apiece.

Stephen Curry scored 32 points but gave Sacramento a late chance when he called a timeout Golden State didn’t have, then the Warriors held on to beat the Kings 126-125 yesterday when Harrison Barnes missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer. “These games are coming down to the wire, and you’ve just got to really finish possessions and try to give yourself the best chance, and then sometimes, it’s just, does the ball go in or not,” Kerr said.

Fox had 38 points, nine rebounds and five assists for Sacramento. His 3 with 28.7 seconds left pulled the Kings within one, then Curry missed a 16-foot jumper on the other end and Keegan Murray corralled the rebound. With Curry and Green defending, Fox dished to former Warrior Barnes for the potential game-winning 3, which hit the back of the rim.

“Wide open,” Barnes said. “Fox trusted me to take that shot. Back rim. On to the next but I feel confident in where we are.”

Golden State led 126-121 with 42.4 seconds left when Curry called the excessive timeout, and Malik Monk made the technical free throw for Sacramento.

Klay Thompson made a baseline 3-pointer to beat the third-quarter buzzer and another with 3:24 left, finishing with 26 points for the Warriors.

Game 5 in the best-ofseven series is Wednesday night at Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center, where the Kings went ahead 2-0. The Warriors struggled on the road all year.

“As good as this feels, it’s got to be quickly forgotten about,” Thompson said.

Curry’s 3 with 4:10 remaining gave Golden State a 121-117 lead and he finished 11 for 22 with five 3s while duelling all after noon with Fox.

After Monk’s layup made it 107-106 Kings with 9:03 to play, Curry responded with a driv ing layup and a 3 in a 14-second span.

Green came off the bench after serving a onegame suspension while the Warriors dominated Thursday’s Game 3 without him. Given the momentum and

Sabonis added 14 points, seven rebounds and eight assists and now heads home determined to get the Kings closer to winning their first playoff series since eliminating Dallas in the 2004 first round.

Game 3. And Thompson penetrated and found Moses Moody for a baseline 3 late in the first. Golden State moved the ball with snappy passes that created open looks.

CELTICS DEFEAT HAWKS FOR 3-1 LEAD

ATLANTA (AP) —

Jaylen Brown and Jayson

Tatum each scored 31 points and the Boston Celtics led nearly the entire way, holding off the Atlanta Hawks for a 129-121 victory last night and commanding 3-1 lead in the opening-

The Celtics can deliver the clincher Tuesday night when the series returns to Tatum and Brown combined to score Boston’s final Brown, who has been wearing a protective mask after sustaining facial contusions in February, took off the device after making

He went 11 of 15 the rest Boston never trailed after grabbing a 4-3 lead on Derrick White’s basket just over

Tatum delivered a huge 3-pointer off a loose ball with two minutes remaining, pushing the Celtics to a

After Trae Young swished a long 3 to provide Atlanta’s last gasp, Brown knocked one down from beyond the arc seal it for the Celtics.

Marcus Smart added 19 points and Derrick White 18 for the Celtics.

Young had another big game for Atlanta with 35 points, but it wasn’t enough. De’Andre Hunter chipped in with 27 and DeJounte Murray had 23.

Hunter ripped off eight straight points, including a couple of 3s, and then delivered a thunderous dunk that brought the Hawks within 53-49.

But Boston closed the first half on a 12-4 spurt, capped by Smart’s 3-pointer that sent the visitors to the locker room with a 65-53 lead and sapped a lot of energy from the home crowd.

The Celtics tenaciously protected their edge throughout the third period.

Young hit a long 3-pointer that brought the Hawks within three, but Boston got the last shot and put the ball in Smart’s hands. The Celtics cleared the middle of the court so he could blow by Bogdan Bogdanovic, laying it in for a 92-87 lead heading to the final quarter.

Smart was in the Celtics lineup and looked just fine after a hard fall near the end of Game 3.

He landed on his tailbone while battling for a rebound, prompting Boston to list him as a game-time decision. But coach Joe Mazzulla declared his guard “good to go” well ahead of tipoff.

Durant scores 31, Suns beat Clippers 112-100 for 3-1 lead

By BETH HARRIS AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP)

By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Basketball Writer

NEW YORK (AP) —

The New York Knicks have had so few chances to join the NBA postseason party that they might forget the real fun hasn’t even started yet.

“There’s nothing to celebrate,” Jalen Brunson said. “There’s nothing to be truly happy about.”

One more win and that changes.

Brunson scored 29 points, RJ Barrett had 26 and the Knicks took a 3-1 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers in their first-round series with a 102-93 victory yesterday.

Josh Hart moved into the starting lineup and added 19 points and seven rebounds for the fifth-seeded Knicks, who can reach the second round for the first time since 2013 with a victory in Cleveland on Wednesday. New York would host Game 6, if necessary, on Friday at what has been a deafening Madison Square Garden during the last two games.

“There’s nothing like a big game at the Garden,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. There might be a few more to come, the way his team is defending.

New York forced Cleveland All-Star Donovan Mitchell into one of the worst games of his postseason career, finishing with just 11 points on 5-for-18 shooting. Darius Garland

had 23 points and 10 assists for the Cavs, bouncing back nicely after going 4 for 21 in the Knicks’ Game 3 romp. Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert each scored 14 points.

“This (is) not over with,” Mitchell said. “The way we lost sucks. We can’t hang our heads and ultimately give up. We’re not that type of group. Like I said, we’ll be ready for Game 5.”

Barrett was only 6 for 25 in the two games in Cleveland but has been outstanding back at home, where fans chanted his name in the second half. He had five straight points to break the Knicks free from a 75-all tie, then added another basket before Hart scored to push it to 90-81 midway during a stretch when Cleveland could only manage two baskets in more than four minutes.

After limiting the Cavs on Friday to 79 points, the lowest total in an NBA game this season, the Knicks led most of the way in this one to reach the verge of the Eastern Conference semifinals for the first time since beating Boston in 2013.

They’ve only made it back to the playoffs once since then, falling in five games to Atlanta in 2021. But this team is more complete, thanks largely to signing Brunson last summer after he helped Dallas reach the Western Conference finals, then acquiring Hart from Portland during this season.

— Phoenix’ big three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Chris Paul were all in go-mode.

As a result, the scrappy and shorthanded Los Angeles Clippers are on the verge of going home for the summer.

Durant scored 31 points, Booker added 30 and Paul bounced back big in the fourth quarter of a 112100 victory over the Kawhi Leonard-less Clippers on Saturday to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the first-round playoff series.

“It’s definitely good when we all three are aggressive. We all did a solid job,” said Durant, acquired in February from the Brooklyn Nets. “We’re still growing and still trying to learn each other.”

The Clippers, who lost Game 3 by five points, again made a strong run with Leonard watching from the bench. He has missed two straight games with a sprained right knee. They’re also without Paul George, who hasn’t played since March 21 because of the same injury as Leonard.

“This team is going to stick around the whole game,” Durant said of the Clippers. “They’re never out of a game.” Game 5 in the best-ofseven series is Tuesday in Phoenix.

“We make no excuses around here,” Clippers guard Russell Westbrook said. “We just got to make sure we rally around each

other, keep competing and leave it on the floor.”

Westbrook, who joined the Clippers in February, carried them in the fourth. He had 14 points, including nine in a row when they twice pulled within two points.

Westbrook finished with a game-high 37 points. Norman Powell added 14 points and Terance Mann had 13 off the bench. But as the fourth wound down, the Clippers ran out of gas.

Paul, who at 37 has had many late-game big moments, had 12 points in the fourth, hitting key jumpers from all over the court each time Los Angeles threatened.

“I was just happy a few of them fell,” said Paul, who shot 5 of 18 for 11 points in Game 3.

Paul finished with 19 points on 8-for-17 shooting, nine assists and no turnovers against his former team. Booker had nine rebounds and seven assists.

Deandre Ayton had 15 points and 13 rebounds.

Looking ageless at 34 while playing a game-high 44 minutes, Durant scored 11 points in the third, capped by a 3-pointer as the Suns erased an early eight-point deficit. They led 83-78 going into the fourth.

“We did a solid job of staying poised,” Durant

said. “We were just terrible to start the third.”

The Clippers scored the first nine points of the third and Suns coach Monty Williams called timeout.

“Typically you have to list three, four things you have to do,” he said.

“I don’t have to do that with these guys. They understand before I get there.”

The Suns trailed by 11 points early in the second, when they outscored the Clippers 25-17 and led 48-47 at the break.

“It was a back and forth battle,” Durant said. “They threw punches, we threw punches. We threw the last one.”

PHOENIX Suns’ Deandre Ayton had 15 points against the LA Clippers last night in the first round of the NBA basketball playoffs. (AP Photo)

CELTICS guard Jaylen Brown (7) shoots and scores against the Hawks during the first half of Game 4 of their first-round NBA basketball playoff series last night. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

WARRIORS guard Klay Thompson, left, celebrates with guard Stephen Curry (30) after Golden State defeated the Sacramento Kings in Game 4 in the first round of the NBA basketball playoffs in San Francisco, last night. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

CI GIBSON RATTLERS CELEBRATE TITLES WITH AWARDS CEREMONY, MOTORCADE

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IN honour of their hard work and successful season that culminated with both the Rattlers senior boys and girls basketball teams winning the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association’s pennant and championship titles, the CI Gibson Secondary School celebrated their achievements with an awards ceremony and motorcade. While the ceremony was held inside the CI Gibson Gymnasium, the awards presentation to the players was delayed in order for the motorcade to take place on Friday as it threatened to rain. But despite the light showers, the motorcade paraded the players and their fellow students through the streets of New Providence.

Kevin ‘KJ” Johnson, head coach of both teams, said it was important to recognise the players for their tremendous feat, becoming the first school to cart off both titles in the same year.

The senior boys also participated in the prestigious Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic, where they fell short in the championship game against the Sunland Lutheran Stingers from Grand Bahama.

“I feel the year was a very good year for both the senior boys and girls basketball teams and we really worked hard in the GSSSA championships,” Johnson said.

“We also did very well in the Hugh Campbell Classic, although we didn’t get to bring home the bacon. We played extremely hard and gave ourselves a chance to win, but Sunland was just a better team.”

Johnson said they will continue to work hard during the summer and will be back for an encore performance next year. The Rattlers, however, could have something else to celebrate as their senior boys’ team will be participating in the GSSSA volleyball championship series this weekend.

The celebrations for the Rattlers was highlighted by a sterling keynote address from youth pastor Basil Johnson of Living Waters Kingdom Ministries, who encouraged the teams and the rest of the students at CI Gibson not only to dare to dream, but believe that they can achieve their success, as the theme of the celebrations depicted.

Also participating in the ceremonies was Minister of Labour and Immigration Keith Bell, a former head boy of CI Gibson and a hard nose supporter of the Rattlers, along with Sheenan White, the Northern New Providence Secondary Schools district superintendent, Floyd Armbrister of the Sports Unit at the Ministry of Education and Varel Davis, president of the GSSSA.

In his remarks, Armbrister said everywhere he went, he spoke to persons and all he could hear them say was that CI Gibson was definitely “Second to none” as their motto would suggest.

He said they demonstrated that in their performances on and off the basketball court.

Some of the parents of the basketball players were also on hand to share in the celebrations as Kaivonne Newbold, the mistress of ceremonies and head of the physical education department at CI Gibson, labelled the school band, the teams and principal Herbert Oembler as the greatest in the country.

CI Gibson’s debate team was also recognised for their recent achievement.

CI Gibson Rattlers senior girls and boys on their motorcade in honour of their successful basketball seasons.

Photos: Moises Amisial/Tribune Staff