05252023 NEWS AND SPORT

OBITUARIES

Family ‘vindicated’: azario death ruled homicide

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@ tribunemedia.net

AZARIO Major’s siblings hugged and held back tears after a Coroner’s Court jury ruled that their brother’s police-involved killing in 2021 was a homicide by manslaughter.

The officers in the case, meanwhile, sat silently, seemingly shocked after the five-member jury delivered their verdict.

Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Cordell Frazier will now decide whether to charge any or all of them with a crime.

She told The Tribune yesterday: “File has to be received and reviewed and a determination made.”

Findings against the police are rare. In addition to homicide by manslaughter, jurors could have returned a result of justifiable homicide or homicide by murder.

Major was killed outside Woody’s Bar on Fire Trail Road on December 26, 2021.

His family was convinced he did nothing to justify being killed and spent thousands investigating his death.

Pm highlights incenti V es for corP or Ate tA x

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis highlighted incentives for The Bahamas to introduce a corporate income tax yesterday, noting that multinational companies could face a “top-up tax” in their base country if The Bahamas does not conform with the global minimum tax push. His comments came after

a green paper on corporate income tax was released on the government’s website last week –– nearly two years after the country

signed on to a G-20/ Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) drive for a minimum 15 per cent global corporate tax.

Mr Davis said consultation surrounding the tax proposals has been extended and would end in August. He said the government would not introduce new or increased taxes without feedback from stakeholders.

SEE page five

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

SOCIAL Services Minister Obie Wilchcombe tabled the Protection Against Violence Bill yesterday, the long-awaited legislation purporting to establish mechanisms to protect victims and help them get justice.

Among other things, the bill would establish a Protection Against Violence Commission to support victims and liaise with police officers when victims feel they lack full cooperation from the police.

Protection AgA inst Violence Bill tABled goV t securities m A ndAte c Auses ‘grave concern’ for insurers

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAn insurers yesterday blasted the Davis administration for seeking to “dictate” their investment strategy by mandating that a “minimum” 50 percent of their total portfolio be held in government securities.

The Bahamas Insurance Association (BIA), in a letter warned it has “grave concerns” with a proposal that could ultimately “lead to the collapse of the industry” by disrupting its ability to match assets, and the returns they generate, with its liabilities as they mature.

front Porch

re V cB moss: genuine PAtriot who c A lls the country to gre Ater righteousnes PAge eight

Brother says ‘at least for tonight my family can have peace’

pRiMe Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis

azanO and Fredia Major (Azario’s siblings) celebrate the ruling in the coroner’s inquest in the police involved shooting of their brother in December 2021, which a jury concluded was a homicide by manslaughter.

Photo: Moise amisial

Diesel on hold waiting for govt response

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@ tribunemedia.net

THE government has not contacted petroleum retailers since many stopped selling diesel,

Bahamas Petroleum Retailers Association president Raymond Jones said yesterday. His comment came as most operators continued to withhold diesel yesterday. Retailers have

complained about the government’s refusal to adjust their price margins.

BPRA members met yesterday to discuss their recent actions and their battle with high operating costs, according to Mr Jones.

“We are looking at different ways, how we can rectify the challenge we have, and we are calling on the government to meet with us so we can finalize the discussion we’ve been having with them with regards to the

proposals presented so we can come to an agreement,” Mr Jones said. Asked what the association will do next, Mr Jones appeared to offer another threat, saying: “We are going to have a fun day.” He refused to elaborate.

“You know, something you have to be mindful of, we’re not trying to do any action that’s going to impair the public from moving around,” he said.

“But at this point, we have to get this price margin change, so we can carry on and run our businesses and operate profitably. That’s the focus.” Some Shell stations have continued to sell diesel, with Mr Jones acknowledging that some competitors are profiting from the failure of others to sell diesel.

“I think the only ones are Shell-owned sites that were still operating and selling fuel, which is fine,” he said. “But all

the independently operated sites were closed in support of the present position of fuel retailers in general.”

Mr Jones said he empathises with workers in the transportation industry who depend on diesel and have complained about the limited resource availability.

George Cartwright, the owner of Esso on Wulff and Montrose Avenue, said he and some other retailers resumed selling diesel yesterday despite Mr Jones’ comments.

“We pulled off this morning mainly because I think our president realised that we have a heart and that today is a big cruise day for the port,” he said.

“The taxi drivers, the tour buses, and everything, most of them operate off of diesel, so we considered that we have to make sure that those guys can service our number one industry.”

Fuel retailers continue to withhold diesel as they complain about the government’s refusal to adjust their price margins. BPRA president Raymond Jones says more actions could come.

Photo: Moise Amisial

Family ‘vindicated’: Azario death ruled homicide

from page one

The officers allegedly involved in the shooting testified during the inquest. Jurors also heard from a ballistics expert brought by the family.

The issues in dispute during the inquest included: how many officers fired their weapons, whether Major brandished a gun and whether Major knew or had a relationship with any of the officers.

The officers said Major visited the bar looking for “Slim,” an officer who was among the four that allegedly killed him.

Acting Coroner Kara Turnquest-Deveaux presided over the inquest. David Cash represented the family.

Authorities recovered 45 bullet casings from the scene.

After the verdict, Azano Major, brother of the deceased, said: “It’s been a long time coming. I’m just happy that at least for tonight my family can have peace. We will see what the future holds.”

Fredia Major said she felt vindicated by the ruling and expressed hope that her brother’s death will spur reform.

“I feel like Azario’s name is going to live on and it’s going to create hope for so many people in The Bahamas for so many years to come,” she said. “And we’re looking for the justice system to be revamped and changed.”

Protection AgA inst Violence Bill tABled

from page one

“Under the bill, the overarching functions of the commission include strengthening the involvement of multisectorial stakeholders and private-public partnerships to combat and respond to violence with effective strategies and policies to provide care and support services through shelters, counselling and care and custody of affected children to victims of violence,” Mr Wilchcombe said.

“This is just another step, but an important step. We must do all we can collectively to reverse the negative trends of our society and bring an end to violence.”

The bill did not receive universal praise yesterday.

Alicia Wallace, director of Equality Bahamas, called it an “insult to the work done by the National Task Force on Gender-Based Violence” and the strategic plan to address GBV issues that the committee produced.

She said by failing to call the legislation a Gender-Based Violence Bill, the government is ignoring that the violence it must address “disproportionately impacts women and people of marginalised genders and sexualities”.

She accused the minister of tabling the bill without sharing it with non-governmental organisations with the technical expertise to review and benchmark it alongside international human rights standards.

Mr Wilchcombe had previously said the government consulted the Bahamas Crisis Centre on the legislation.

According to the bill, the commission’s responsibilities include recommending a national strategic plan to combat and respond to violence.

The commission’s functions include liaising with the minister of social services to ensure sufficient shelters are available to victims throughout the country.

The bill would establish a Protection Against Violence Foundation to raise funds so the commission could perform its duties.

It would establish a Protection Against Violence Secretariat to coordinate and formulate protocols relating to applications for the commission.

The bill lists the rights of victims of violence and outlines how their complaints should be handled.

These rights include the right to be treated with compassion and dignity, to be informed, to confidentiality, to privacy and to access a telephone hotline.

The victim or someone with information about the victim can complain to the police under the bill. They must write a detailed report of the alleged crime and notify the commission about the act and the complainant’s background.

The bill says officers must assist the victim in obtaining medical treatment or securing a safe residence.

“Where a person is a victim of sexual abuse,” the bill adds, “that person should seek to be attended to immediately by medical practitioners engaged by the commission or otherwise for a thorough examination by that practitioner, including the taking of

any samples as evidence to support the prosecution of the offence; the recording and documenting (of) any visible markings or bruisings; (and the) administering of any drug or medication considered necessary in the circumstances.”

The bill mandates that police officers help victims get medical treatment and accompany them to remove their personal belongings from the residence of the alleged offender. Where necessary, the commission must help victims get psychological counselling in the language they can understand and legal assistance or information.

her 100th Birthd Ay

The legislation also provides for establishing a violence fatality review team to research the causes, consequences, and frequency of deaths caused by violence.

According to the bill, the commission would consist of at least 14 people and no more than 17 members. These would include representatives of various government agencies and people appointed as service providers.

Members of Parliament and people who are directors or members of two or more statutory bodies are ineligible to be commission members.

Police said an examination of the vehicle revealed that the license plates did not correlate with the license disc.

AzAno and Fredia Major (Azario’s siblings) celebrate the ruling in the coroner’s inquest in the police involved shooting of their brother in December 2021, which a jury concluded was a homicide by manslaughter.

Photo: Moise Amisial

Governor General Sir Cornelius A. Smith was in attendance at the 100th birthday celebration of Effie Kemp on Tuesday, at Jones Communications Network (JCN), University Drive. At the presentation of flowers and congratulatory letters, pictured with Ms Kemp are the Governor General (right), and HE Wendall K. Jones, Bahamas Ambassador to the United States of America.

Photos: Patrick Hanna/BIS

New Consumer Protection Bill tabled will protect and empower consumers, PM says

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net

A NEW Consumer Protection Bill will empower consumers, protect people from exploitation and help promote a culture of accountability, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said yesterday.

He tabled the bill, which will replace the Consumer Protection Act when passed, in the House of Assembly.

“A critical aspect of the bill is the restriction of pyramid selling and the obligation for businesses to state the full costs of goods or services. These measures will help ensure that consumers are not exploited or deceived,” Mr Davis said.

He said the bill changes how people can make complaints.

“Under the new bill,” he said, “consumers can make complaints even while outside The Bahamas, and we

are expanding the list of who can make a complaint on behalf of the complainant. These changes reflect our commitment to inclusivity and accessibility, ensuring that all Bahamians have a voice and can seek redress when necessary.”

Mr Davis said consumers could give virtual testimonies during investigations as operations move into the digital era.

“A significant change under the new bill is the mandatory licensing and registration of providers. Failure to comply will result in penalties, encouraging businesses to operate within the boundaries of law and promoting a culture of accountability,” Mr Davis said.

“The bill includes stringent provisions against misleading and deceptive conduct, harassment, and coercion. We want to create a marketplace where

NEW Consumer Protection Bill will empower consumers, protect people from exploitation and help promote a culture of accountability, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said yesterday.

consumers can engage with confidence and without fear.”

Mr Davis said the bill expands definitions, refines the functions of the consumer commission and modernises how the

commission functions.

“The bill seeks to repeal sections that no longer serve our purpose, including those on approved and non-approved services and businesses offering repair services. Updating our laws

to respond to changed conditions allows us to ensure the people are served effectively.”

“The proposed legislation also empowers the consumer commission to issue advisory notices in

situations where harmful practices to consumers are identified. We believe these notices will serve as a valuable tool in preventing harmful business practices and educating consumers about potential risks.”

Plans for building code overhaul to be revealed by seP tember

By LETRE SWEETING Tribune Staff Reporter lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

PLANS to overhaul the country’s building code should be revealed by early September, according to Luther Smith, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Works and Utilities.

Works Minister Alfred Sears had previously said that the overhauled building code would require new legislation and extensive training.

Interest in altering the building code escalated after Hurricane Dorian ravaged Abaco and Grand Bahama in 2019. But next

month, the country will face another hurricane season with a building code that has not been updated since 2003.

Mr Smith said the Ministry of Works believes the current code is adequate for the upcoming hurricane season. Otherwise, changes to the code are expected to ensure that buildings, sea walls, docks, and construction materials are of better quality than before, even though there may be a rise in the cost of materials.

Mott MacDonald Limited, a global engineering company, is assessing the country’s code and will recommend upgrades that

deal with coastal climate hazard exposure and risks.

“We expect a presentation by the consultants sometime in June and thereafter,” Mr Smith said yesterday. “We hope to have a document that could be presented widely to the public and other stakeholders sometime in late August or early September.”

“Mott MacDonald Limited, they have been meeting with us quite frequently. We have had several presentations, one to the minister and others, but they are now just finishing their review, and that’s still in progress.”

“In the meantime, we

are satisfied that the existing building code and the Buildings Regulation Act provide sufficient coverage and provide sufficient

integrity for the construction community here in The Bahamas.

“We hope that with the modernisation of the

building code, we will even go further and strengthen the integrity of the building code and the construction industry in The Bahamas.”

In 2021, Mr Sears said while The Bahamas has one of the most robust building codes in the region, Hurricane Dorian showed it is not strong enough.

“Dorian taught us a lesson — that we are not robust enough, especially in the enforcement,” he said.

“The building code is being reviewed, as well as other aspects of the building control section, to ensure that we are current and up to date with what is required with regards to resilience and sustainability in the face of climate change.”

He said an effective inspection regime, including third-party inspectors, will be involved in the new regime when the review is completed.

Three charged wi T h Touris T s’ kidna PPing and robbery in e xuma

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

THREE MEN were jailed yesterday after being accused of abducting and robbing two tourists in Exuma last week.

Robin Ferguson, 26, and two 17-year-old youth stood before Magistrate Kendra Kelly on two counts of kidnapping, two counts of armed robbery and a single count of burglary.

On May 18, at around 12.15am, the three accused, all wearing black masks, allegedly broke into the residence of Mallory Davis and Christopher Jablonski on Jolly Hall. They allegedly woke up the couple and blindfolded them at gunpoint. Then, they reportedly drove the two tourists to the nearest ATM and forced each of them to withdraw $1,500.

They allegedly stole Davis’ gold and silver Rolex watch valued at $12,000 and

Jablonski’s Movado watch valued at $350. Ferguson was wearing an ankle monitoring device and was on bail for a pending attempted murder charge at the time of the incident.

The accused were remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. Their case will be moved to the Supreme Court by way of a Voluntary Bill of Indictment to be served on August 25th.

MiNistEr of Works

Alfred Sears said “Dorian taught us a lesson — that we are not robust enough, especially in the enforcement,” he said. Ministry of Works permanent secretary Luther Smith said that plans to overhaul the building code should be revelaed by September.

Campbell decries banks’ poor ATM service especially for Family Islanders

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

LEGAL Affairs State

Minister Jomo Campbell said many banks are offering “shamefully inadequate” services in the country, especially in the Family Islands. His comments in the House of Assembly make him the latest elected official to criticize banking services. In April, Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell said legislative intervention is needed to address concerns.

“On one island, on government payday, Bahamians go to the ATM very early in the morning and must toe a line because they are afraid that the ATM will not be operational later in the day,” Mr Campbell said yesterday.

“On Long Island, I have heard of residents

advising one another of the functionality or lack thereof of ATM service.”

“I have heard stories of Bahamians booking airline tickets just to come to Nassau to withdraw funds of their bank account because their local ATM was done for days. I raise the issue of the consistent delivery of financial services because for far too long, Bahamians in some of our Family Islands have been suffering, and some commercial banks have not been sufficiently held to account for their lack of sufficient action and concern.”

Mr Campbell urged banks, particularly foreign-owned commercial banks, to treat residents better, especially those in communities without a physical bank.

“I also call on them to lower the costs associated with merchant transactions on islands

where there is no bank as an incentive to encourage greater use of electronic point of sale exchanges and to make it easier for businesses to conduct transactions and make a little profit,” he said.

East Grand Bahama MP Kwasi Thompson agreed with Mr Campbell, but said as a member of the governing party, he should help address the problems.

“I know that when I was the Minister of State for Finance, this was something that we were keen on addressing,” he said. “We had numbers of talks and meetings with banks with respect to this same process and we were in the process of putting together a complete plan which also involved the sand dollar from the Central Bank that would assist in resolving this issue.”

“But what I didn’t do, which the members seem

LEGAL Affairs State Minister Jomo Campbell said many banks are offering “shamefully inadequate” services in the country, especially in the Family Islands.

to be doing is, they, in my view, they are speaking as though they are in opposition as opposed to putting in place those policy measures that

need to happen in order

to make the necessary change. I believe that the member for Centreville and also the member for Fox Hill ought to

convince his Cabinet colleagues with a plan, a strategy on how to address the situation and as opposed to vocalising it.”

Prime m inister highlights incentives for cor P orate tax

“A green paper presents options on what a corporate income tax policy for The Bahamas might look like, but it doesn’t contain a commitment to any particular policy action,” Mr Davis said. “This is to be arrived at after the period of consultation.”

Mr Davis said forces beyond the control of The Bahamas are incentivising the push for a corporate income tax.

“As well documented in the green paper, there are two factors that drive this initiative on corporate income tax –– one of which is the government’s need to address the G7 initiative to tax the profits of multinationals with annual revenues in excess of euro 750 million earned in every jurisdiction in which they do business,” he said.

“The Bahamas became a signatory to the OECD’s pillar two framework on July 1st, 2021 and together with some 350 countries agreed to the implementation of a 15 per cent minimum corporate income tax for the in-scope identities.”

“The Bahamas is not obligated to impose 15 per cent corporate income tax. However, these entities in The Bahamas meeting the threshold of 750 million euros annually will be liable to pay a top-up tax in their various jurisdictions where their head offices are where they are

not paying this income tax, so this is an incentive for The Bahamas to impose the 15 per cent minimum corporate income tax.”

“What I mean by that is if we don’t impose it on the multinationals, wherever they are headquartered, that jurisdiction will top-up whatever their taxes are to make up for the 15 per cent that we would not get.”

Mr Davis said the government is also exploring corporate income tax options to make the tax regime more fair and equitable.

“Of significance here,” he said, “is the prevailing concern about the inherent bias in the business license fees where firms still incur a significant tax burden even in loss-making years because calculations are based on turnover instead of profits.”

“I want to emphasise here that if it is decided that a corporate income tax is to be levied on companies doing business in The Bahamas, those companies paying a corporate income tax will not also pay business licence fees.”

Mr Davis vowed that his administration would be transparent about its plans.

“Stakeholder feedback is key to the government crafting the optimal design for the corporate income tax strategy,” he said.

“And I wish to announce today that we extended the period of consultation until August 31, 2023.”

PRIME Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis highlighted incentives for The Bahamas to introduce a corporate income tax yesterday, noting that multinational companies could face a “top-up tax” in their base country if The Bahamas does not conform with the global minimum tax push.

from page one

The Tribune Limited

Azario Major case a landmark

THE family of Azario Major rightly celebrated the coroner’s court verdict yesterday.

After a detailed hearing, the fivemember jury in the case delivered their verdict that Mr Major’s policeinvolved killing in 2021 was homicide by manslaughter.

The family had raised questions repeatedly since the death outside Woody’s Bar on Fire Trail Road on Boxing Day in 2021.

They spent thousands of dollars of their own money investigating his death. They commissioned experts to examine the evidence.

There were 45 bullet casings from the scene, and the evidence that the jury heard convinced them that this was a case of manslaughter.

The Acting Director of Public Prosecutions will now review the findings and decide whether to charge any of the police officers in this case with a crime.

For the family, there is a sense of relief, and justice – a feeling that for a long time was so far from reality as they sought to prove their contention that Mr Major’s death was an unlawful killing.

This case also shows how important it is to have a functional coroner’s court system. For too long, police-involved shootings were left on hold when it came to being heard. A considerable backlog of such investigations has built up in the system – bringing justice to neither the families nor the officers involved in such cases. For now, though, we can listen to the words of Azario’s brother, Azano, who said: “I’m just happy that at least for tonight my family can have peace.”

Azario’s sister, Fredia, hopes that this

will bring reform, saying: “We’re looking for the justice system to be revamped and changed.”

Ensuring the coroner system is functioning again has been the first of those changes – and thanks to that, a verdict has been reached in this case.

But beyond such cases, there needs to be a confidence that accusations against officers will be taken seriously.

This week in The Tribune, we have reported on the lengthy investigation into an officer accused of striking children as punishment in a school. It is hard to fathom quite how such an investigation could take so long when it simply involves what occurred in one room with a limited number of witnesses to interview.

For the Major family, a video circulated on social media helped them to put their case that their brother’s death needed to be investigated thoroughly and independently.

What will it take to ensure that citizens feel confident that any and all such accusations against police – from the smallest infraction through to claims of unlawful killings – will always be handled appropriately?

We will now wait to see what happens next in this particular case, but it is already a landmark case in the courts.

With criminal charges to be decided on, Fredia Major has already declared the case has brought one thing – hope.

She said: “I feel like Azario’s name is going to live on and it’s going to create hope for so many people in The Bahamas for so many years to come.”

We must all seek the right outcome from such incidents – justice requires nothing less.

Comments on marital rape issue

EDITOR, The Tribune.

I READ with consternation (but not surprise) the remarks of Evangelist Rex Major on the impending marital rape legislation at the recent ecumenical service celebrating The Bahamas’ 50th anniversary of independence. A few of his remarks caught my attention:

1. Evangelist Major objects to the marital rape law because he says “people does lie”. Based on his later remarks, in which he said that women might falsely cry rape to get out of their marriages, I assume by “people”, he means women. Why does Evangelist Major – like so many Bahamian men – have such a low opinion of women? Do women lie any more than men? To my knowledge, Evangelist Major has daughters. Does he think his daughters would falsely accuse their

husbands of rape? Does he paint them with the same brush of the lying Jezebel? If not, why does he think other women would behave any differently?

2. Secondly, because there is a chance that a woman might lie, does that mean we should not have laws against marital rape? Children can lie too, but that doesn’t mean we should not have laws against child molestation, does it?

3. Evangelist Major says that marital rape would be hard to prove. Well, it would be no different than the present law where a man rapes a woman who is not his wife. The onus would be on the wife to prove that a rape occurred, not on the husband to prove that there was no rape.

4. Evangelist Major says that women might falsely accuse their husbands of rape to get out of a marriage. I highly doubt that. But on that point, maybe the government should also look into amending The Bahamas’ antiquated divorce laws to allow nofault divorces. People change. People fall out of love. If two adults decide that they simply do not want to be married anymore, that should be their

right, without having to prove adultery, abuse, cruelty, abandonment or neglect. Let people sever their ties and move on with their lives.

I understand that Evangelist Major is a member of an older generation where women were taught to be totally submissive to their husbands and where women were little more than chattels, trained to be good wives and do whatever their husbands want, including engaging in sexual intercourse, even if the women were tired, sick or simply not in the mood. Thankfully, we have come a long way, and some more enlightened people see women as individuals in their own right, who should have control over their bodies. Maybe Evangelist Major should heed the words of the seemingly more sensible Anglican Bishop Laish Boyd: “Marriage is a sacrament before God where persons covenant to love and protect each other until death. Rape is not love or protection.”

EDITOR,

WE WRITE to express our deep concern and disappointment regarding the comments of Rev Rex Major at a recent national ecumenical church service where our national leaders were present.

As an organisation committed to upholding universal human rights and advocating for equality for all individuals, Human Rights Bahamas (HRB) finds Rev Major’s expressed views on the proposed criminalisation of marital rape to be profoundly troubling.

Rev Major asserts that women lie – without acknowledging that men lie as well. This is not only dismissive, but also perpetuates harmful stereotypes that undermine the experiences of countless survivors of abuse.

His comments disregard the sad prevalence of sexual assaults against women in this society, which featured almost daily in our newspaper headlines. By insinuating without evidence that women are likely to make false accusations of rape, Rev Major not only contributes to victim-blaming but also diminishes the trauma suffered by survivors and courage it takes for them to come forward.

It is crucial to recognise that individuals who disclose incidents of rape or any form of sexual assault

do not do so for amusement or personal gain.

Their bravery in speaking out deserves our support, empathy, and a fair legal framework that acknowledges their experiences.

The proposed marital rape law aims to address the issue of consent within marriage and provide protection to individuals who may experience abuse within this context. It is a step towards recognising that no one should be coerced or forced into any sexual act against their will, regardless of their marital status.

Furthermore, as Rev Major holds a position of influence within his community, we are disheartened by his failure to demonstrate care and empathy towards women, who make up more than half of our society. His comments not only undermine the struggles faced by survivors of abuse but also perpetuate harmful attitudes that can further marginalise and silence victims. As a religious leader, it is essential that he upholds the principles of compassion, justice, and equality, which are central to many faith traditions, including Christianity.

We urge Rev Major to consider the impact of his words and engage in

a meaningful dialogue on issues of gender equality and human rights. It is imperative that religious leaders take an active role in advocating for the wellbeing and dignity of all individuals, regardless of gender. By doing so, they contribute to fostering a society that values and respects the rights of all its members.

It is our hope that Rev Major considers speaking with the multiple non-profit groups who deal with rape and abuse of women on a daily basis. Perhaps this would help him better understand the shocking realities and have more compassion for those abused in our country.

Human Rights Bahamas remains committed to promoting gender equality and combating all forms of discrimination and violence against women. We stand in solidarity with survivors of abuse and continue to advocate for a just and inclusive society where the rights and dignity of all individuals are upheld. We thank the Davis government, the Attorney General, Minister Sears, Mrs Davis, the wife of our Prime Minister, and many others who continue to support women in our country, seeking equality and compassion.

HUMAN RIGHTS

BAHAMAS

Nassau, May 24, 2023

Who does lie?

EDITOR, The Tribune.

I WAS shocked to read that a “Christian” pastor used a national ecumenical service to try and derail the move to criminalise marital rape. What is especially glaring is this is a man who fell victim to violence in 2016 when he was gunbutted by armed intruders who also attempted to sexually assault a female family member (Tribune, January 15, 2016).

Did anyone question his account of events and suggest, “He does lie?” Do only married women

lie? Doesn’t a jury decide “who does lie?”

At the time, the pastor said the crime problem was out of control because “society keeps making excuses for criminals”.

FYI, violence against women is out of control because of people who “keep making excuses for rapists” and politicians who pander to them.

Stuck in a time warp, they refuse to accept that rape, in the words of Supreme Court Justice J Denise Lewis-Johnson, is “a most heinous act of cruelty”. They think it’s ok for men to rape their

wives.

It’s particularly disturbing that Rex Major was allowed to use such divisive language at a service designed to unify the nation ahead of the 50th Anniversary of Independence celebrations.

Instead, it underlined the fact that 50 years on, a woman is still legally her husband’s sex slave and does not have the same right to pass her Bahamian citizenship on to her children as a man does.

UKRAINIAN soldiers on a tank ride along the road towards their positions near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Tuesday.

Photo: Efrem Lukatsky/AP

HOW A BAHAMIAN COMPANY CAN HELP AIRLINES GO GREEN

THE Bahamas Aviation, Climate & Severe Wx Network Ltd (BACSWN) is in position to help airlines to gain carbon credits with its new technology.

Lyrone Burrows, president and chief executive officer of BACSWN, told Tribune Business that their company will be able to put airlines in position to create carbon credits through their path-breaking weather monitoring technology.

And the company has caught the attention of project scientist Roelof Bruintjes, who stressed the importance of the field that the company is pioneering. He said of the company’s work: “I was very impressed… primarily because this took weather forecasting and early warning systems to a next step, especially as it pertained to aviation and making aviation safer - but also in terms of all the displays and all the technology that is required for doing a proper job in terms of aviation safety. And then both after safety comes efficiency. How can we most efficiently help aviation and this is what the airlines want also. That impressed me tremendously.”

He added: “And this goes into climate change also. The more efficient and the more safer we work, the less we waste things and fuel, and the better it is for the climate.”

Mr Burrows said: “Based on the discussions we had with the National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) last week and we asked them based on their knowledge and how those credits would accrue, and they indicated what we had anticipated, which is that the credits if there are any created will be owned by the airlines utilising our technology.”

He continued: “Once we are able to confirm and show by virtue of our

technology that the airlines would be able to derive carbon credits, what we can actually do is price that with a discount into the cost of our technology.” The ultimate aim of BACSWN is provide realtime, 3D visualisation of hyperlocal weather. This will be achieved through the implementation of a meteorological watch office (MWO). The MWO will provide real-time weather data for the aviation industry, using next generation technology that will deliver real time weather to the cockpit and all stakeholders in the flight chain. This type of technology will be critical to the airline industry because it would help them to better gauge flight patterns and also be in a position to time their flights more accurately and save on fuel costs, where they will be able to gain carbon credits from the fuel efficiency.

Professor Bruintjes said:

“That is what the future is.

Just recently we have seen the AI and the ChatGPT come along. This also has to be in terms of our forecasting. We need to present our measurements and forecasting in three dimensions. This can help people, aviation, pilots, traffic controllers tremendously to maneouvre through difficult situations. Especially in The Bahamas where most of the weather is convective based, you have thunderstorms, then also the hurricanes, and winds change all the time in these situations. That is important

in terms of visualising this. Again, the saying is a picture is worth a thousand words is tremendously true, and now that we can do this in 3D and we have the computing capability to do this, this will really be the future in presenting our forecasts.

Mr Burrows added:

“Let’s say that the airlines recognise that through using our technology they will be able to save an average of 10 minutes per flight and saving that 10 minutes per flight average generates $100m in fuel savings from carbon emissions. So they would be able to apply for $100m in credits and what that means is that when we are pricing the costs of our technology, along with our baseline price with our regular profit, we can then say, out of that $100m that the airlines would be able to obtain, how much of that are we prepared to take ourselves and allow the airlines to benefit from the balance.”

He continued, “Let’s say okay, we can do a 50/50 split of the $100m. So when we price our product, or our fees, we increase it by $50m, all other things being equal, the airline’s run their numbers, and they recognize that purchasing this for $50m, we’re able to generate $100m in credits. So we’re actually coming out $50m ahead of the game, as opposed to not buying the technology and being slammed with penalties because of their carbon and not getting the efficiencies of reducing our flights by $10m, which has other

knock-on positive effects.”

BACSWN aims to commence service through the use of existing national radars and related weather monitoring equipment but will significantly increase weather equipment throughout the islands of The Bahamas to better track and predict the movement of major weather events through the archipelago, with the aim to reducing the risk of loss of life primarily and assisting airlines in building efficiencies will be a residual effect of their overall objectives.

BACSWN is in advances stages with finalising partnerships with American

defence contractor Raytheon Technologies along with NCAR to bring this cutting edge technology to the Caribbean.

Mr Burrows added: “The technologies to be deployed are from our strategic partnership with Raytheon Technologies and their subpartner Tomorrow.io both of whom are key players in the weather and aviation space.

“The proprietary placement of BACSWN radars and weather equipment, and the processing of the data through their systems will provide opportunities for enhanced weather forecasting for all locations

within The Bahamas.”

Prof Bruintjes added: “It would benefit aviation tremendously. There are already recent reports that climate change may increase turbulence aloft so these severe weather forecasts can help tremendously.

“There are a lot of things that are going to happen in the next ten years… but especially weather because weather is one of the most important impacts on aviation that cost aviation, the airlines a lot of money but also in terms of flying more efficiently and also understanding the impacts of climate change.”

Career Opportunity

MANAGER RECRUITMENT & EMPLOYEE RELATIONS HUMAN RESOURCES

Commonwealth Bank is the premier Bahamian Bank with branches located in New Providence, Grand Bahama, Abaco and Eleuthera. We are committed to delivering superior quality service, training and developing our employees, creating value for our shareholders and promoting economic growth and stability in the community.

ROLE OVERVIEW

The Manager Recruitment & Employee Relations is responsible for the management of Recruitment and Employee Relations activities bankwide in accordance with the Bank's policy and local regulations. This role will strategically serve as an interface between Human Resources and the business by assisting with the execution of the HR strategic plan and its alignment to the Bank’s overall goals.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Direct and manage the recruitment, interviewing selection and onboarding process across the Bank.

Manage and maintain a pool of qualified applicants to ensure that current vacancies are filled and future recruitment needs are met in accordance with the Bank's standards.

Management, development and implementation of recruitment, selection and onboarding policies across the Bank inclusive of the development and execution of training for hiring managers.

Management, development and implementation of Human Resource Polices inclusive of the development and execution of training to promote awareness of and compliance with policies.

Manage, develop and implement key Recruitment and HR metrics and reporting for use in workforce planning and support for business and policy decisions.

Direct Supervision of the recruitment and employee relations teams inclusive of performance assessment, training and coaching to support continued growth and development.

Manage the review and maintenance of recruitment and talent software for the department.

REQUIRED SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum of 3 years’ Management experience in Recruitment and or Employee Relations discipline.

Bachelor's in Business Management, Human Resources, Industrial and Organizational Development or related study.

PHR, SHRM-CP or other relevant HR certification is a plus.

Labor /Employee Relations Certification.

Hands-on Experience with Applicant Tracking Systems and HR Talent Management Systems (Cyber Recruiter & HRMS and Cornerstone is a plus).

Leadership Skills.

Effective Communication Skills.

Decision Making Skills.

Data Analytics and report Writing Skills.

REMUNERATION PACKAGE:

Commonwealth Bank is a Great place to work!

We offer an exciting work environment with the opportunities for growth and development. We also offer a competitive compensation package, reflecting the successful applicant’s work experience, skills and qualifications. including a performance based incentive plan, health, vision, dental and life insurance, and a pension plan.

Qualified individuals should complete the online application and submit their resumes by Friday, June 9, 2023 to:

www.careers.combankltd.com/careers

“ Commonwealth Bank sincerely thanks all applicants for their interest in becoming a part of our team, however, only those applications being considered will be contacted.”

THE BACSWN team during a recent visit to Colorado.

Rev CB Moss: Genuine patriot who called the country to greater righteousness

MUCH that masquerades or passes for patriotism at home and abroad is counterfeit, sometimes jingoistic and bellicose or, alternatively, saccharine and suffused with empty romanticism and gaudy nostalgia.

A nationalism built on contempt for foreigners, the exclusion of minorities within one’s homeland, or a conceited majoritarianism that reviles others, is not genuine patriotism and love of country.

By example, the white Christian nationalism that has coursed through the often sclerotic veins of the United States of America from its inception is constructed on an exclusivist nationalism that has demonised and brutalised native people, slaves, women, non-Christians, religious and other minorities, and gays and lesbians.

Genuine patriots, like the women’s rights advocate, suffragist and abolitionist Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902), summoned and cajoled America to be more beautiful, democratic and just.

The late presidential aspirant, diplomat and Illinois Governor Adlai Stevenson insisted: “Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.”

Genuine patriotism includes constructive, intelligent and informed criticism, which is a form of hope, calling a people to a better self, to higher ground, and in the theology of the Hebrew Prophets, to righteousness.

In Hosea 4:1, the prophet instructs: “Hear

the word of the Lord, you Israelites, because the Lord has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: ‘There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land.’ “

The Hebrew Prophets railed against idolatry, injustice and Israel’s covenant failure. Amos (5:24) declared: “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream.”

Rev. CB Moss is a genuine patriot who, in the prophetic tradition, has for decades critiqued and called The Bahamas to greater righteousness and social justice, including for the poor and marginaliszed. He has analysed and spoken movingly and powerfully on the roots of crime, violence, social dysfunction, and incivility. As head of Bahamas Against Crime he begged national leaders to invest more in social intervention and rehabilitative services.

A 2014 Tribune story reported: “Bahamian leaders in every sector of society failed to address crime warnings nearly ten years ago, according to Rev Dr CB Moss, who said the country was “reaping the bitter fruits of our neglect”.

“Rev Moss, President of the Bain and Grants Town Advancement Association (BGTAA), said anti-crime initiatives were summarily dismissed with an overriding sentiment that crime was bound to specific areas and only affected criminals.

“He called for leaders to ‘collectively acknowledge our failure, ask God for forgiveness, unite, and then try and resolve the problem’.

“‘It was in the year 2005 when Freddy Munnings Jr said it to me,’ said Rev Moss. ‘We were talking about the condition of the society as it relates to crime, we discussed the fact that because we are on the ground and operate with all parts of society, we were aware of the impending crime crisis.’”

Unlike most of his religious colleagues, he opposes the death penalty on moral, theological and sociological grounds. He does not see capital punishment as a deterrent and believes it represents a failure by society. He does not believe that the state should be in the business of killing.

He prefers restorative over retributive “justice”, redemption over damnation!

As a Christian and the Founding Pastor in 1983 of Mount Olive Baptist Church, located on Meadow and Augusta

Streets in Bain Town, Rev Moss knows that we are imperfect and sinful beings, and that we are all in need of redemption and salvific grace as individuals and as a people.

From the front steps of Mount Olive, where he offered counsel, light and comfort, to his offices, and his walks in the surrounding community, Rev. Moss touched the hearts and souls of many the elites often ignore or manipulate for votes at election time, while repeatedly failing them in office.

Former Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes, a friend and fellow patriot, recalled: “Rev CB Moss has been for many years a devoted servant of God and his people here in The Bahamas.

“He has extraordinary insight into the social problems negatively affecting Bahamian society and some of the things that should be done to alleviate them. I was privileged to discuss these with my friend when he visited with us at Government House.

“I remember one conversation when I asked him if the violence then breaking out among some

of our young men would soon run its course and dissipate. His prescient answer was that there would be much more to come barring adequate intervention.”

When he demitted office in 2014, Sir Arthur, informed and moved by the work and advocacy of Rev Moss, offered this reflection: “We must also keep faith with the next generation by facing up to the challenges which threaten to degrade our social culture.

“We are witnessing these days a dumbing down, a coarsening and a vulgarization in sectors of western society, elements of which are instantaneously transmitted around the world.

“Incivility and the debasing of social culture and habits, together with some structural weaknesses in our own society, threatens us with what I believe is a perfect storm of social disorder in our country. We ignore or underestimate this toxic concoction to our peril and the peril of future generations.”

Rev Moss has worked in banking and as a consultant. But his is a pastor’s

and advocate’s heart. He has devoted his energies to many civic and community organizations, including to those dedicated to the preservation and commemoration of Bahamian history and heritage.

For decades he advocated for a Majority Rule Day holiday, which was finally realised. This past holiday he took ill at a church service commemorating this milestone. Happily, he survived. It is with fondness and gratitude that many came out in prayer and celebration to pay tribute to him a few weeks ago.

This columnist, like many others, is grateful for the devoted patriotism and prophetic mission of Rev. Moss, whose love of God and country have been made manifest in his witness and testimony to the dignity of all people.

Thank you to Pastor Moss and his devoted wife, Francisca, a woman of grace and compassion, who has also made her many contributions to The Bahamas.

(Front Porch is now available in podcast on The Tribune website under the Editorial Section).

Rev CB Moss and Mrs Francisca Moss

The Rev CB Moss received the 2019 Eagle Laureate of the RE Cooper Sr National Meritorious Service Award during a ceremony on July 26, 2019. The award was presented by the Governor general CA Smith.

Foundation to support Public Hospitals

Authority created in USA and Bahamas

BY DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

A Public Hospitals Authority foundation has been established in The Bahamas, and also in the United States.

The Friends of the Public Hospitals Authority Bahamas Foundation is a non-profit foundation registered in the United States.

Chairman Andrew Edwards said that through the foundation they hope to facilitate greater partnerships with philanthropists, the business community, and civic organisations to make a difference.

He indicated that the PHA is not just seeking monetary contributions.

“We welcome and humbly request contributions of equipment, funds, medical supplies, materials, time, and resources to our hospitals in an

accountable and structured manner.

“We encourage the public, business, and civic organisations in The Bahamas to reach out and be the change you want to see.”

Mr Edwards called on the Bahamian public to play their part.

“The government and the PHA cannot do it alone; we implore you to partner with us,” he said.

While in Grand Bahama at the recent groundbreaking of a new medical facility, the PHA chairman said: “Improved and new facilities are needed, but a new (Freeport) Health Campus alone will not produce the health improvements we all want and require here in Grand Bahama and throughout The Bahamas.”

He explained that the new campus allows the Public Hospitals Authority

to reassess its call mandate and to affirm its policies, processes, and procedures to ensure they are delivering on its promise to provide quality care and services.

Mr Edwards assured they have been engaged in systemically addressing old issues that have plagued the Authority.

“Across the PHA we have begun the challenging work of reform and improvements. We are addressing our business model, improving, accountability across the board, addressing long outstanding HR matters and shortages, training, revamping, and increasing the number of patient advocates.”

In addition to making investments in technology, he stressed that they are reworking the way they deal with patients, as well

as improving patient satisfaction and experience.

“I am proud of the work we are doing. It may not be the stuff that grabs headlines, but it is the long-lasting type of work that will result in a more culpable PHA with much-improved patient experiences and outcomes,” he said.

He said that improving patient care has become the number one priority of PHA.

“We are resolute in our quest to restore public confidence in our public hospitals and agencies of the PHA. We must ensure persons at their most vulnerable moments believe they will receive world-class competent medical attention and excellent customer service when entering the doors of our institutions,” he said.

BY DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

A pit bull that mauled a woman in Grand Bahama months ago still has not been found by local Animal Control authorities.

Superintendent of Police Stephen Rolle told The Tribune on Wednesday that a third dog involved in the attack has not been seen since or located following the incident in March.

Two other pit bulls were turned over to Animal Control authorities and euthanised.

Since the incident and other attacks in the

country, a parliamentarian has called for the possible ban of the popular breed.

A Bahamas Humane Society official believes it is “not a bad idea at all” to ban the breeding and ownership of pit bulls.

However, Tip Burrows, executive director of the Humane Society of Grand Bahama, believes the enforcement of laws would better address the problem.

“Enforcing a ban is pointless; it would not achieve what they think it will,” she claims. She said previous breed bans did not curb dog bites around the world.

“We are not enforcing the laws that we have

currently, and laws need to be enacted and properly enforced. Irresponsible pet owners must be held accountable for letting their dogs roam or attack someone,” said the HSGB official.

Ms Burrows adds it is ironic that pit bulls and several other breeds are prohibited from being imported but no legislation bans people from having them or breeding them.

She believes the breeding of any dog needs to be regulated and restricted in some cases because of the “big pet overpopulation problem” in the country.

BY DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THE Grand Bahama Port Authority has signed about $600,000 in contracts with three local companies for road works in Freeport.

Troy McIntosh, deputy director and city manager for the City of Freeport, said roadworks would begin early next month.

“Two months ago, we went to tender. Today, we are pleased to have three licencees of the Grand Bahama Port Authority here for the signing of

contracts, with the intent to start work on June 5,” he said.

Waugh Construction, Frecon Construction, and Bahamas Hot Mix have been selected to carry out road resurfacing and repairs throughout several areas in Freeport.

The roads are Pearl Way and King Neptune and Paradise Lane in Seahorse Village; Lawrence Close, Grenfell Avenue, the intersection of Queens Highway and East Mall Drive; Ranfurly Circus on the eastern portion approach to the RND

roundabout; Bahama Reef Boulevard’s eastbound lane from Cove House heading 1000ft east; Thackery Street in the Civic Industrial area; and Haddock Street in Caravel Beach.

Mr McIntosh said Waugh Construction will carry out road works on two roads. Frecon construction will conduct works on one road, and the remaining roads by Bahamas Hot Mix. He said the three companies will implement their own traffic management schemes.

The Friends of the Public Hospitals Authority foundation hopes to facilitate greater partnerships with philanthropists, the business community, and civic organisations to make a difference.

Could Republican’s Tim Scott be the party’s next Ronald Reagan?

THE Democratic party in the US has in recent years become the subject of much criticism for presuming the perpetual support of black communities. To many observers in America, the Democrats have overlooked changes in the African-American demographic that could presage some surprising electoral results down the road.

When affirmative action to benefit black Americans and redress the ancient crimes around the profitable but despicable institution of slavery became a legislative reality in the mid-1960s in the US and a government imperative under President Jimmy Carter ten years later, a major objective was to ensure legitimately equal access of all races to the American Dream.

Equal Opportunity programmes proliferated under Carter, and many remain in place across American society, from the government to industry to academia.

And they have succeeded. And as they have succeeded, these programmes have helped to create an environment in which black Americans can become moguls like Pillsbury and Burger King executive and one-time presidential candidate Herman Cain; high-ranking public figures like Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas, and distinguished academicians and esteemed commentators like Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post.

Black public figures are now freer than ever to express their views publicly and to experience a respectful response. But a misleading and potentially dangerous undercurrent persists. That is the notion that African-Americans are natural supporters of the Democratic Party and that this is the right and proper way of things. Evidence to the contrary is still widely disregarded as singular and insignificant.

It isn’t.

If the natural maturation and result of the nearly 50-year-old Carter-era EEO programmes in the US is the establishment of a black demographic that more closely resembles the country’s white population, then increasing numbers of prominent African-Americans will turn out to be conservative politically and socially. The Dems continue to ignore this reality at their peril.

Strong evidence of this theory came from two disparate sources over this past weekend.

Jim Brown passed at age 87 and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott announced his intention to run for president at age 57.

In different ways, these two men exemplify the growing trend toward black conservatism in the American population.

By now, you have probably seen accounts of Jim

STATESIDE

with Charlie Harper

not achieve advancement through the politics of protest, but through the politics of earning as much money as possible, and trying to get out of the capitalist system whatever they can for the purposes of building economic self-sufficiency.”

Building individual economic self-sufficiency is the bedrock of the traditional American conservative movement. In theory, this principle leads Republicans to oppose large liberal-promoted government social welfare programmes, and to emphasise individual effort as the path to the American Dream.

Tim Scott certainly believes that just as strongly as did Jim Brown. This affable, former insurance broker often cites his grandfather’s work in the cotton fields of the Deep South as a tenet of his political identity. Like Brown, and also like the muchmaligned Clarence Thomas, Scott wants to earn his success not as the result of a government programme but due to his own skill and endeavour.

distinguish himself from the current grievance-based politics favoured by those leading the GOP field. He says other Republican leaders are trying to “weaponise race to divide us,” and that “the truth of my life disproves their lies”.

Scott has been speaking on the campaign trail of what he calls a “new American sunrise” based on national unity and collaboration. “I see a future where common sense has rebuilt common ground, where we’ve created real unity, not by compromising away our conservatism, but by winning converts to our conservatism,” he said.

Scott’s faith is an integral part of his political and personal story. Describing himself as a “born-again believer,” Scott often quotes the Bible at campaign events, weaving his reliance on spiritual guidance into his stump speech and extolling “Faith in America.”

Brown’s prodigious accomplishments on American football fields. As a running back for the Cleveland Browns from 1957-1966, Brown was demonstrably the best player in the history of the league.

He played nine seasons for the Browns and led the league in rushing eight times. He was a three-time league MVP, a Pro Bowler all nine seasons and a firstteam All-Pro eight times. When he retired in 1966, he had the most rushing yards and touchdowns in NFL history.

He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971. You can see why many historians still regard Brown as the NFL’s bestever player.

Brown quit football abruptly, due to a scheduling conflict. He quit because he was filming a movie in England. That movie, called “The Dirty Dozen,” featured an all-star cast led by Lee Marvin and is still available for viewing on some streaming services over half a century after its release. Brown had become a movie star.

He appeared in more than 50 films and TV shows during his acting career.

“What I want to do,” Brown told a film critic in 1968, “is play roles as a black man, instead of playing black man’s roles. You know? And I don’t make a big thing out of my race. If you try to preach, people give you a little sympathy and then they want you to get out of the way. So, you don’t preach, you tell the story.

“I have a theory. An

audience doesn’t need to get wrapped up in blackness every time they see a black actor. And a movie doesn’t have to be about race just because there’s a black in it.”

Spike Lee might be the most renowned AfricanAmerican film director. He said that Brown “stood squarely at the intersection of American sports, politics and culture during the transformational decades of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Brown, through his achievements and activism, has inspired many.”

As Lee indicates, Brown was more than a football player. He was a civil rights activist, helping to organize the famous “Ali Summit” of 1967 that included Muhammad Ali, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Russell, who also passed recently. The New York Times said of that meeting “that it would be remembered as the first — and last — time that so many African-American athletes at that level came together to support a controversial cause.”

Brown had been active in civil rights for years before the Ali summit. He founded the Black Economic Union in the 1960s as a way to assist businesses owned by African-Americans. 25 years later, Brown founded the Amer-I-Can Foundation in an attempt to reduce gang violence in Southern California by offering to young black men economic alternatives to gang life. Amer-I-Can continues to operate today.

Brown spoke out until he died about a wide range of

social issues. He was also critical of black athletes like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods for not doing more to use their worldwide fame to help enact social change. Brown offered public support to Donald Trump after his presidential election in 2016, saying Trump “really talks about helping black people.”

One of Jim Brown’s biographers told reporters that “he’s always had this strain of conservatism in his politics that black people do

But unlike Thomas, Scott rejects the notion that racism remains a powerful force in American society, and he resolutely defines his candidacy and rise from generational poverty as the realisation of a dream only possible in America.

Scott already has scheduled TV ads to begin airing in Iowa and New Hampshire. He has amassed a large campaign war chest already.

Scott became the first black candidate to win a statewide race in South Carolina since the Reconstruction era 150 years ago. He has coasted to re-election.

Scott tries to focus on hopeful themes and avoid divisive language partly to

On many issues, Scott aligns with mainstream GOP positions. He wants to reduce government spending and restrict abortion. But Scott has criticised Trump’s embrace of some white extremists and said that “it will be hard for Trump to regain any moral authority”.

Scott has twice addressed the Republican National Convention — in 2012 as a first-term congressman and in 2020 as a senator.

Scott exults in a new American sunrise. Relentlessly optimistic, he smiles a lot. He quotes the Bible. He embraces most current GOP policy orthodoxy. Republicans have been looking for the next Ronald Reagan for 35 years. Is he Tim Scott?

Republican presidential candidate Tim Scott delivers his speech announcing his candidacy for president of the United States on the campus of Charleston Southern University in North Charleston, S.C., Monday.

Photo: Mic Smith/AP

Is generative AI bad for the environment? The carbon footprint of ChatGPT and its cousins

Generative ai is the hot new technology behind chatbots and image generators. But how hot is it making the planet? as an ai researcher, i often worry about the energy costs of building artificial intelligence models. the more powerful the ai, the more energy it takes. What does the emergence of increasingly more powerful generative ai models mean for society’s future carbon footprint?

“Generative” refers to the ability of an ai algorithm to produce complex data. the alternative is “discriminative” ai, which chooses between a fixed number of options and produces just a single number. an example of a discriminative output is choosing whether to approve a loan application.

Generative ai can create much more complex outputs, such as a sentence, a paragraph, an image or even a short video. it has long been used in applications like smart speakers to generate audio responses, or in autocomplete to suggest a search query.

However, it only recently gained the ability to generate humanlike language and realistic photos.

Using more power than ever the exact energy cost of a single ai model is difficult to estimate, and includes the energy used to manufacture the computing equipment, create the model and use the model in production. in 2019, researchers found that creating a generative ai model called Bert with 110 million parameters consumed the energy of a round-trip transcontinental flight for one person. the number of parameters refers to the size of the model, with larger models generally being more skilled. researchers estimated that creating the much larger

GPt-3, which has 175 billion parameters, consumed 1,287 megawatt hours of electricity and generated 552 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, the equivalent of 123 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles driven for one year. and that’s just for getting the model ready to launch, before any consumers start using it.

Size is not the only predictor of carbon emissions. the open-access BLOOM model, developed by the BigScience project in France, is similar in size to GPt-3 but has a much lower carbon footprint, consuming 433 MWh of electricity in generating 30 tons of CO2eq. a study by Google found that for the same size, using a more efficient model architecture and processor and a greener data center can reduce the carbon footprint by 100 to 1,000 times.

Larger models do use more energy during their deployment. there is limited data on the carbon footprint of a single generative ai query, but some industry figures estimate it to be four to five times higher than that of a search engine query. as chatbots and image generators become more popular, and as Google and Microsoft incorporate ai language models into their search engines, the number of queries they receive each day could grow exponentially.

AI bots for search a few years ago, not many people outside of research labs were using models like Bert or GPt that changed on november 30, 2022, when Openai released ChatGPt according to the latest available data, ChatGPt had over 1.5 billion visits in March 2023. Microsoft incorporated ChatGPt into its search engine, Bing, and made it available to everyone on May 4, 2023. if chatbots become as popular as

search engines, the energy costs of deploying the ais could really add up. But ai assistants have many more uses than just search, such as writing documents, solving math problems and creating marketing campaigns.

another problem is that ai models need to be continually updated. For example, ChatGPt was only trained on data from up to 2021, so it does not know about anything that happened since then. the carbon footprint of creating ChatGPt isn’t public information, but it is likely much higher than that of GPt-3. if it had to be recreated on a regular basis to update its knowledge, the energy costs would grow even larger.

One upside is that asking a chatbot can be a more direct way to get information than using a search engine. instead of getting a page full of links, you get a direct answer as you would from a human, assuming issues of accuracy are mitigated. Getting to the information quicker could potentially offset the increased energy use compared to a search engine.

Ways forward the future is hard to predict, but large generative ai models are here to stay, and people will probably increasingly turn to them for information. For example, if a student needs help solving a math problem now, they ask a tutor or a friend, or consult a textbook. in the future, they will probably ask a chatbot. the same goes for other expert knowledge such as legal advice or medical expertise.

While a single large ai model is not going to ruin the environment, if a thousand companies develop slightly different ai bots for different purposes, each used by millions of customers, the energy use could become an issue.

ReseaRcheRs estimated that creating the much larger GPT-3, which has 175 billion parameters, consumed 1,287 megawatt hours of electricity and generated 552 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, the equivalent of 123 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles driven for one year. And that’s just for getting the model ready to launch, before any consumers start using it.

More research is needed to make generative ai more efficient. the good news is that ai can run on renewable energy. By bringing the computation to where green energy is more abundant, or scheduling computation for times of

day when renewable energy is more available, emissions can be reduced by a factor of 30 to 40, compared to using a grid dominated by fossil fuels.

Finally, societal pressure may be helpful to encourage companies and

Massimo Botturi

research labs to publish the carbon footprints of their ai models, as some already do. in the future, perhaps consumers could even use this information to choose a “greener” chatbot.

• Originally published at www.theconversation.com

Fuzzy Falcon chicks who nest at Michigan s tate Football stadiuM get tracking bands

MICHIGAN Associated Press

neWLy fitted with tracking bands, four peregrine falcon chicks named Pickles, Muhammad, egbert and Swooper have a nest in one of the best seats — make that perches — at Michigan State University’s football stadium.

Scientists and college students on Wednesday carefully attached metal tracking bands to the fluffy white chicks’ legs. at about a month old, they’re still not much bigger than a pigeon and can’t yet fly away from their manmade nest atop Spartan Stadium. But the boisterous birds already have sharp talons and beaks, so the banding process was handled with care.

the chicks weren’t too happy about the experience, writhing and squawking. Once a tag was applied to a chick’s leg, the bird was placed back in a box. and the squawking ceased.

the chicks have become celebrities in east Lansing

Michigan State Fish and Wildlife Club President Molly Engelman holds a peregrine falcon chick after it was banded by Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist Chad Fedewa, yesterday, in East Lansing, Michigan. Fedewa banded four peregrine falcon chicks that live in a nest situated on the top of Spartan Stadium, home of Michigan State University’s football team.

and around the globe, thanks to a web camera and livestream by the school’s Fisheries and Wildlife Club, which installed the nest box on the stadium roof last year. the chicks could

be seen resting calmly in their nest later Wednesday, under the watchful eye of a parent.

Club members helped band the chicks on the stadium’s 8th floor near the press box, overseen by Chad Fedewa, a wildlife biologist with the Michigan Department of natural resources.

Moments earlier, Fedewa and Jim Schneider with the university’s Department of Fisheries and Wildlife journeyed up to the roof to retrieve the chicks despite their parents — Freyja and apollo — angrily screeching and hovering above. they were named in a twitter contest, and a Michigan elementary school decided on the chicks’ monikers.

“i’ve seen what they do when you have to get to their chicks. Fortunately, they didn’t get too close,” said Schneider, who held an umbrella aloft in case mom or dad made a move toward the humans tasked with retrieving their offspring.

“they make a lot of noise, but they’re not too

intimidating,” he said, adding that there were “a couple of stoops in there,” referring to a falcon’s hunting dive. Peregrine falcons are considered the world’s fastest birds. they can reach 200 mph (322 kph) during a dive. the american birds were declared endangered in the 1970s due to ingesting prey that was poisoned by pesticides. recovery programs have brought the raptor back from potential extinction. now that the chicks are tagged, researchers will be able to keep tabs on the birds’ eventual migration patterns and survival rate. Until then, viewers at home can follow along as the baby falcons grow up. it’s really gratifying to see people get involved with it and make the same personal connections that we do,” said Molly engelman, the club’s president and a senior from Plymouth, Michigan. “it’s like they’re our children, a little bit.”

Photo:

Photo: carlos Osorio/AP

Tina Turner, unstoppable superstar whose hits included ‘Simply The best,’ dead at 83

NEW YORK

Associated Press

Tina Turner, the unstoppable singer and stage performer who teamed with husband ike Turner for a dynamic run of hit records and live shows in the 1960s and ‘70s and survived her horrifying marriage to triumph in middle age with the chart-topping “What’s Love Got to Do With it,” has died at 83. Turner died Tuesday, after a long illness in her home in Küsnacht near Zurich, Switzerland, according to her manager. She became a Swiss citizen a decade ago.

“She was truly an enormously talented performer and singer,” tweeted Mick Jagger, whom Turner helped in shaping his own dynamic stage presence. “She was inspiring, warm, funny and generous. She helped me so much when i was young and i will never forget her.”

Few stars traveled so far — she was born anna Mae Bullock in a segregated Tennessee hospital and spent her latter years on a 260,000 square foot estate on Lake Zurich — and overcame so much. Physically battered, emotionally devastated and financially ruined by her 20-year relationship with ike Turner, she became a superstar on her own in her 40s, at a time when most of her peers were on their way down, and remained a top concert draw for years after. With admirers ranging from Jagger to Beyoncé to Mariah Carey, Turner was one of the world’s most popular entertainers, known for a core of pop, rock and rhythm and blues favourites: “Proud Mary,” “nutbush City Limits,” “River Deep, Mountain High,” and the hits she had in the ‘80s, among them

left in early July 1976. The ike and Tina Turner Revue was scheduled to open a tour marking the country’s bicentennial when Tina snuck out of their Dallas hotel room, with just a Mobil credit card and 36 cents, while ike slept. She hurried across a nearby highway, narrowly avoiding a speeding truck, and found another hotel.

“i looked at him (ike) and thought, ‘You just beat me for the last time, you sucker,’” she recalled in her memoir.

Turner was among the first celebrities to speak candidly about domestic abuse, becoming a heroine to battered women and a symbol of resilience to all. ike Turner did not deny mistreating her, although he tried to blame Tina for their troubles. When he died, in 2007, a representative for his ex-wife said simply: “Tina is aware that ike passed away.”

Little of this was apparent to the many ike and Tina fans. The Turners were a hot act for much of the 1960s and into the ‘70s, evolving from bluesy ballads such as “a Fool in Love” and “it’s Going to Work Out Fine” to flashy covers of “Proud Mary” and “Come Together” and other rock songs that brought them crossover success.

They opened for the Rolling Stones in 1966 and 1969, and were seen performing a lustful version of Otis Redding’s “i’ve Been Loving You Too Long” in the 1970 Stones documentary “Gimme Shelter.” Laurence Fishburne and angela Bassett gave Oscarnominated performances as ike and Tina in the 1993 movie “What’s Love Got

“i just thought it was some old pop song, and i didn’t like it,” she later said of “What’s Love Got To Do With it.”

Turner’s “Private Dancer” album came out in May 1984, sold more than eight million copies and featured several hit singles, including the title song and “Better Be Good To Me.” it won four Grammys, among them record of the year for “What’s Love Got to Do With it,” the song that came to define the cleareyed image of her post-ike years.

“People look at me now and think what a hot life i must have lived — ha!” she wrote in her memoir.

Even with ike, it was hard to mistake her for a romantic. Her voice was never “pretty,” and love songs were never her specialty, in part because she had little experience to draw from. She was born in nutbush, Tennessee in 1939 and would say she received “no love” from either her mother or father. after her parents separated, she moved often around Tennessee and Missouri, living with various relatives. She was outgoing, loved to sing and as a teenager would check out the blues clubs in St. Louis, where one of the top draws was ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm. Tina didn’t care much for his looks the first time she saw him, at the Club Manhattan.

“Then he got up onstage and picked up his guitar,” she wrote in her memoir. “He hit one note, and i thought, ‘Jesus, listen to this guy play.’”

Tina soon made her move. During intermission at an ike Turner show at the nearby Club D’Lisa, ike was alone on stage, playing a blues melody on the keyboards.

In The Bahamas Tina Turner’s hit song, ‘Simply The Best’, became synonymous with FNM leader and former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, used as his entrance song at political rallies.

“What’s Love Got to Do with it,” “We Don’t need another Hero” and a cover of al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together.”

Her trademarks included a growling contralto that might smolder or explode, her bold smile and strong cheekbones, her palette of wigs and the muscular, quick-stepping legs she did not shy from showing off. She sold more than 150 million records worldwide, won 12 Grammys, was voted along with ike into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 (and on her own in 2021 ) and was honoured at the Kennedy Center in 2005, with Beyoncé and Oprah Winfrey among those praising her. Her life became the basis for a film, a Broadway musical and an HBO documentary in 2021 that she called her public farewell.

Until she left her husband and revealed their back story, she was known as the voracious on-stage foil of the steady-going ike, the leading lady of the “ike and Tina Turner Revue.” ike was billed first and ran the show, choosing the material, the arrangements, the backing singers. They toured constantly for years, in part because ike was often short on money and unwilling to miss a concert. Tina Turner was forced to go on with bronchitis, with pneumonia, with a collapsed right lung.

Other times, the cause of her misfortunes was ike himself. as she recounted in her memoir, “i, Tina,” ike began hitting her not long after they met, in the mid-1950s, and only grew more vicious.

Provoked by anything and anyone, he would throw hot coffee in her face, choke her, or beat her until her eyes were swollen shut, then rape her. Before one show, he broke her jaw and she went on stage with her mouth full of blood.

Terrified both of being with ike and of being without him, she credited her emerging Buddhist faith in the mid-1970s with giving her a sense of strength and self-worth and she finally

to Do with it,” based on “i, Tina,” but she would say that reliving her years with ike was so painful she couldn’t bring herself to watch the movie.

ike and Tina’s reworking of “Proud Mary,” originally a tight, mid-tempo hit for Creedence Clearwater Revival, helped define their sexual aura. against a background of funky guitar and ike’s crooning baritone, Tina began with a few spoken words about how some people wanted to hear songs that were “nice and easy.”

“But there’s this one thing,” she warned, “you see, we never ever do nothing nice and easy.

“We always do it nice — and rough.”

But by the end of the 1970s, Turner’s career seemed finished. She was 40 years old, her first solo album had flopped and her live shows were mostly confined to the cabaret circuit. Desperate for work, and money, she even agreed to tour in South africa when the country was widely boycotted because of its racist apartheid regime.

Rock stars helped bring her back. Rod Stewart convinced her to sing “Hot Legs” with him on “Saturday night Live” and Jagger, who had openly borrowed some of Turner’s on-stage moves, sang “Honky Tonk Women” with her during the Stones’ 1981-82 tour. at a listening party for his 1983 album

“Let’s Dance,” David Bowie told guests that Turner was his favourite female singer.

More popular in England at the time than in the US, she recorded a raspy version of “Let’s Stay Together” at EMi’s abbey Road studios in London. By the end of 1983, “Let’s Stay Together” was a hit throughout Europe and on the verge of breaking in the states. an a&R man at Capitol Records, John Carter, urged the label to sign her up and make an album. among the material presented to her was a reflective pop-reggae ballad co-written by Terry Britten and Graham Lyle and initially dismissed by Tina as “wimpy.”

Tina recognized the song, B.B. King’s “You Know i Love You,” grabbed a microphone and sang along. as Tina remembered, a stunned ike called out “Giirrlll!!” and demanded to know what else she could perform. Over her mother’s objections, she agreed to join his group. He changed her first name to Tina, inspired by the comic book heroine Sheena, Queen of the Jungle, and changed her last name by marrying her, in 1962. in rare moments of leniency from ike, Tina did enjoy success on her own. She added an explosive lead vocal to Phil Spector’s titanic production of “River Deep, Mountain High,” a flop in the US when released in 1966, but a hit overseas and eventually a standard. She was also featured as the acid Queen in the 1975 film version of the Who’s rock opera “Tommy.” More recent film work included “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” and a cameo in “What’s Love Got to Do with it.”

Turner had two sons: Craig, with saxophonist Raymond Hill; and Ronald, with ike Turner. (Craig Turner was found dead in 2018 of an apparent suicide). in a memoir published later in 2018, “Tina Turner: My Love Story,” she revealed that she had received a kidney transplant from her second husband, former EMi record executive Erwin Bach.

Turner’s life seemed an argument against marriage, but her life with Bach was a love story the younger Tina would not have believed possible. They met in the mid-1980s, when she flew to Germany for record promotion and he picked her up at the airport. He was more than a decade younger than her — “the prettiest face,” she said of him in the HBO documentary — and the attraction was mutual. She wed Bach in 2013, exchanging vows at a civil ceremony in Switzerland.

“it’s that happiness that people talk about,” Turner told the press at the time, “when you wish for nothing, when you can finally take a deep breath and say, ‘Everything is good.’”

Tina Turner performs her current hit song “What’s Love Got to Do With It” in Los Angeles on Sept. 2, 1984. Turner, the unstoppable singer and stage performer, died Tuesday, after a long illness at her home in Küsnacht near Zurich, Switzerland, according to her manager. She was 83.

Photo: Phil Ramey/AP

Beyonce, left, and Tina Turner perform at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2008, in Los Angeles.

Photo: Kevork Djansezian/AP

Tina Turner poses with her plaque and a bouquet of roses near her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame during the unveiling ceremony of Aug. 28, 1986 in Los Angeles.

Photo: nick Ut/AP

THURSDAY, MAY 25, 2023

Four GSSSA soccer champions crowned

By TENAJH SWEETING tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

Following a threeyear hiatus, soccer finally returned to the field for the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association (GSSSA) this year.

Yesterday at the Roscow A L Davies national soccer field, four new champions were crowned from the junior and senior divisions.

For the juniors, the HO Nash Lions toppled the CH Reeves Raptors.

Meanwhile, the junior boys of the Anatol Rodgers Timberwolves defeated the SC McPherson Sharks.

In the senior division, the CR Walker Lady Knights dominated the RM Bailey Pacers to claim the championship hardware.

The Government High School (GHS) Magic once again repeated as champions after claiming victory over the CR Walker Knights.

Seniors

The CR Walker Lady Knights took down the RM Bailey Pacers behind a dominating solo performance by Valtinique Simmons.

The defensive effort of her teammates kept the RM Bailey Pacers scoreless while she used her offensive prowess to score 3-0.

In the first half, Simmons secured her first goal after a teammate misfired on an attempt to score.

However, the 10th grader followed behind and launched the ball to the back of the net.

In the second half, Simmons continued her pursuit of goals, this time on a ferocious kick from midfield to add another point to the team’s total.

After one of her teammates’ attempt at a goal was ruled offside, the girls’ national team member came right behind to add another goal of her own, making it her second hat trick in the last two days.

The team’s MVP Simmons said she came into the game to score another hat trick and was thankful to her teammates and coaches because without them they would not have been in this position to win the championship. For the senior boys,

CR Walker Lady Knights senior girls victorious

the GHS Magic wrapped up the CR Walker Knights 2-1.

The defending champions fell 0-1 in the first half following a goal by the Knights’ Kevin Thomas.

However, the team regrouped nicely, putting two goals on the board courtesy of Brian Baker and Wilder Petit Homme.

The latter also took home the MVP hardware for the championship team.

Melvin Miller, head coach of the Magic, talked about the team’s GSSSA win.

“This is awesome. We came out here and had little difficulties [at] first to get in it but we regrouped at the halftime and ironed out our kinks, went back out there and gave them the Magic,” Miller said.

He added that the team’s strategy in the second half was to tighten up in the midfield, press at them, and break through their defenses.

Juniors

The junior girls of HO Nash thwarted the Raptors’

chance of another GSSSA sports win.

The Lions wrapped up the title chances of the Raptors after closing out the team 2-0.

Both of the team’s goals came in the second half, the first of which was scored by Zantè Ferguson.

An additional goal was scored by Evanice Sands. She was also awarded the Most Valuable Player (MVP) honours.

She said it felt good to win the MVP because soccer is not a sport she usually plays. However, she decided to play because she wanted to do something for her school.

The young MVP also said she made it her goal to score because she didn’t want the team to win with only one point.

Lions head coach Cherlindria Thompson talked about the junior girls’ victory.

SEE PAGE 19

BBF ANNOUNCES COACHING COMMITTEE, APPLICATION PROCESS

By TENAJH SWEETING tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas Basketball Federation (BBF) announced their coaching selection committee during yesterday’s press conference at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

The committee will include members such as Dr Linda Davis, Kimberly Rolle, John Todd, Anthony Swaby, Felix Musgrove, James Clarke Sr, Shantell Penn, Natasha Miller, and Randy Cunningham.

The members of this committee will be tasked with the job of ensuring the selection process remains credible and that coaches that meet the adequate criteria are chosen.

Additionally, coaches that are not up to the standard of the criteria will be provided with training to aid in their professional elevation as coaches.

Eugene Horton, president of the BBF, talked about yesterday’s announcement of the coaching selection

committee. “The BBF is confident that the committee will treat this process with professionalism and transparency. We have been working diligently behind the scenes to create the criteria and selection process which can be found on www.bbfbasketbal.com,” Horton said.

The president added that he hopes that the new coaching selection process will be kept in place throughout future administrations. The new criteria

will include certifications, experience in coaching, demonstrating high-level character, and someone tied to the Bahamas, according to Dr Davis.

Also, head coaches will be given the opportunity to pick their teams across all the women and men’s teams.

The process was officially launched yesterday and, once a group of coaching candidates are gathered, they will then go through an interviewing process with the coaching selection committee. However, if a candidate does not meet the criteria required, they will be given the training to help them to be on par courtesy of the committee.

“This process really signals in my view an indication that they are moving in a new direction. A direction of higher standards, transparency, accountability, and openness such that persons

who feel they wish to contribute to the development of the national programme from a coaching perspective are welcome to join,” Davis said.

Moses Johnson, head coach of the men’s national basketball team, also revealed at yesterday’s press conference that the team has qualified for the Pre-Olympic Qualifiers set for August 12-20 in Argentina. He added that coaches are starting to meet and the team is being formed.

Although he didn’t reveal the members of the team, Johnson said this will be one of the strongest teams to wear a Bahamas basketball jersey and they have had good conversations with our NBA players.

After the Pre-Olympic qualifiers, the BBF will turn their attention to their elections and Annual General Meeting (AGM) on September 2.

ALL HAIL THE KNIGHTS: The CR Walker Lady Knights are the 2023 Government Secondary Schools Sports Assocation (GSSSA) senior girls’ soccer champions. Photos by Tenajh Sweeting

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER - Valtinique Simmons won the MVP for the CR Walker Knights after scoring three goals to seal the championship victory.

EUGENE HORTON

Celtics cling to hope

STILL DOWN 3-1 TO MIAMI, BOSTON TURNS UP HEAT AS EAST FINALS SHIFT BACK TO GARDEN

By KYLE HIGHTOWER AP Sports Writer

BOSTON

(AP)

— The Boston Celtics’ season didn’t end in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference finals matchup with the Miami Heat, and now there is a flicker of hope.

Whether Boston’s 116-99 victory on Tuesday night was the start of a miraculous revival or simply a momentary reprieve from what NBA history suggests is still inevitable remains to be determined.

At the very least, the Celtics’ win made their chances of becoming the first NBA team in 151 tries to overcome a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series move from insurmountable to iffy heading into Game 5 at TD Garden.

That’s good for a team that had spent most of this series looking nothing like the one that earned the conference’s second seed.

“We’ve just got to go win another one. That’s all that matters,” Celtics guard Marcus Smart said. “We take it one game at a time. We understand the odds are stacked against us, but

we’re a team that believes in us no matter what, and we’ve just got to keep going, and all that matters is the next game.”

So much of what made the Celtics one of the league’s top scoring and defensive teams during the regular season was eviscerated in three straight losses to Miami to open the series.

The Heat befuddled Boston in those games. It took away top scoring threats Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, while outshooting a Celtics team that usually has demolished opponents at the 3-point line.

Boston showed acumen on both ends in Game 4, rallying during a gamechanging 18-0 run in the third quarter. Led by Tatum’s 33 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, the Celtics outscored the Heat by 30 points from beyond the arc and turned Miami’s 16 turnovers into 27 points.

It also gave the Celtics a blueprint going forward.

“We’ve still got a long uphill battle to go,” Tatum said.

While the win gave the Celtics a little life, the Heat

can blame themselves for not finishing. The game was close for three quarters and Miami still just needs to win one of the final three games to make it back to the NBA Finals for the first time since its run in 2020 in the Florida bubble. Denver is waiting to play the winner after sweeping the Lakers.

Boston won three times on the Heat’s home floor last year in the East finals. With a win tonight, Miami would accomplish the same feat on Boston’s floor this year.

The Celtics are 4-5 at home this postseason.

Heat star Jimmy Butler said he isn’t worried about Boston’s first win giving it momentum heading home.

“No. If anything, it will build momentum for us knowing that we have

to play with a lot more energy,” Butler said. “We’ve got to play like our backs are against the wall. But I think all year long, we’ve been better when we’ve had to do things the

The Heat are preparing for Game 5 with two key

Gabe Vincent, who has been a sparkplug through the series and had 17 points in Game 4, left the game in the fourth quarter after turning his left ankle.

Kyle Lowry also took an awkward fall, leaving the condition of Miami’s point guards up in the air.

“Whenever you ask these guys, they are like, ‘Yeah, I’m fine.’ So we’ll see,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after Game 4.

Nuggets make Denver a hoops town with first trip to NBA Finals in 47 years

By EDDIE PELLS AP National Writer

DENVER (AP) — It took 3,787 regular-season games and 29 trips to the playoffs, countless ripoffs of rainbow uniforms and even more ‘yeah, buts’ than any city should have to stomach. Finally, 47 seasons into an entertaining, often frustrating and almost always overlooked journey in the NBA, Denver is at the centre of the basketball world.

The Nuggets — yes, those sometimes-lovable and often-forgettable Nuggets — are in the NBA Finals.

The way they made it says everything about their near half-century in the league, and just how different this team is from every Denver team, even the really good ones, that preceded it.

The Nuggets brushed aside their long-held irrelevance by completing their first sweep in 44 NBA playoff series. They did it against the Los Angeles Lakers, the team that has caused them so much of their pain. Before the Western Conference finals, Denver was 0-7 in playoff series against the Lakers. Now, Denver is 1-7.

“It’s almost like shock a little bit,” Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon said, echoing a sentiment certainly being felt across the franchise’s long-suffering fan base. “You’re just like unsure, like, are you sure we don’t have more time on the clock? Are you sure we

don’t have another quarter to play or another game to play?”

With all due respect to Dan Issel, Alex English, Carmelo Anthony and everyone else who ever wore rainbows, Nikola Jokic is the best player to put on a Denver uniform. He recorded his eighth tripledouble of the playoffs in Monday night’s 113-111 win over LA, surpassing a record for a single postseason held by none other than Lakers great Wilt Chamberlain.

Jokic, who was 0.2 assists short of averaging a tripledouble this season, got beat out for his third straight MVP this season by Philly’s Joel Embiid. Fans see it all as par for the course in a city where the team that debuted in the ABA as the Denver Rockets — not the better-known, better-respected Denver Broncos — really put the town on the national sports map. That was in 1967. The Broncos were still a laughingstock but the local basketball team put out a good product right away. It was good enough to make the Nuggets a nobrainer when the ABA folded in 1976 and the NBA went picking through the wreckage to invite a few teams to join. Between then and now, the city has seen its share of the spotlight. John Elway brought two Super Bowl titles home and Peyton Manning another. The Colorado Avalanche,

who share a home (Ball Arena) and an owner (Stan Kroenke) with the Nuggets, have won hockey’s Stanley Cup three times, including last year. Even the Colorado Rockies have been to the World Series. The Nuggets only trip this close to the title came in 1976 when they lost in the last ABA final to Julius Erving and the Nets.

David Thompson; Larry Brown; Doug Moe; English; Issel; Anthony; George Karl; Allen Iverson; Chauncey Billups. All those coaches and players spent time in Denver. None ever got too close to that NBA title trophy while here. Before this week, Denver made the NBA conference

finals four times, and lost all four.

It conspired to make the place little more than flyover territory — a city with high altitude that the schedule makers often tuck into other teams’ itineraries as part of long road trips with more exciting final destinations — LA, New York, Miami.

But Denver? It was a great place to take a night off — or, put more diplomatically, for teams to exercise the 21st-century NBA practice of “load management” for their best players.

While NBA titles, and the fanfare that comes with them, have been built on the shoulders of megastars

for decades, the Nuggets never were part of that scene.

In fact, Jokic was the exact opposite of that when he arrived in 2014. Rather, he was a doughy secondround draft pick known only to the insiders who followed the Serbian hoops scene. “Everybody gets cracked up into his stats but I don’t think a lot of people talk about, like, this part of his game,” LeBron James of the Lakers said after the sweep, as he pointed toward his head, indicating Jokic’s mastery of the cerebral part of hoops. “Maybe it’s not talked about it, because a lot of people don’t understand it, but I do. He’s special.”

Great as Jokic has been, it’s the addition of another under-the-radar player, guard Jamal Murray, and his return to full health that helped get this team over the top. Murray was a lottery pick out of Kentucky in 2016, the year Ben Simmons was the top pick and considered the NBA’s Next Big Thing. Murray blew up in the bubble during COVID, bringing Denver within a series of the finals, only to see the Lakers snuff out another season. He missed the next two playoffs due to a devastating knee injury. These playoffs, Murray is feeling great. He averaged 32.5 points in the four-game sweep of LA.

“I think our chemistry is at an all-time high, the way we play, the way we read the game without even speaking,” Murray said. “We talk that language on the court.

“It’s just beautiful basketball, honestly.”

With the Nuggets in their first NBA Finals after all these years, it will be hard to find anyone in Denver who would argue with that.

BOSTON Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) and guard Jaylen Brown (7) congratulate each other during the second half of Game 4 during the NBA basketball playoffs Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat, Tuesday, May 23, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/ Wilfredo Lee)

NUGGETS centre Nikola Jokic holds the series MVP trophy after Game 4 of the Western Conference Final series against the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

CELTICS guard Marcus Smart (36) stands on the court during the first half of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat on Sunday in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

OPEN: Rafael

Nadal’s absence changes complexion of Roland Garros

By HOWARD FENDRICH

AP Tennis Writer

THERE’S a reason a statue of Rafael Nadal stands outside Court Philippe Chatrier on the southwest outskirts of Paris.

No player ever lorded over any Grand Slam tennis tournament the way Nadal has ruled the French Open, winning it year after year after year for a readit-again-to-make-sure total of 14 times. It is impossible to overstate what a monumental development it is that Nadal’s name will be absent from the bracket when play begins Sunday.

The last time they held the clay-court major without him? Back in 2004 — back before women and men received equal prize money there, before the main stadium was reconstructed with a retractable roof, before night sessions were added to the schedule.

“Him and Roland Garros is something special,” said Coco Gauff, the 19-yearold Floridian who was the runner-up to Iga Swiatek for the 2022 women’s title in Paris. “I remember last year ... I made the mistake of doubting him. Next thing you know, he pretty much stormed his way to the final and won in straight sets.”

Then, using the nowfamiliar acronym for “Greatest of All-Time,” Gauff continued: “He’s just a ‘GOAT’ in that way. A ‘GOAT’ on clay. Someone you can’t underestimate.”

Every man in the field — well, every realistic and honest man — knew there was one player to avoid in the draw. And they all knew it was almost certain that Nadal would leave

France with yet another Coupe des Mousquetaires. His career record at Roland Garros: 112-3.

“He’s obviously always going to be the favourite,” said Casper Ruud, the Norwegian who was the runner-up to Nadal last year, “if he plays.”

He won’t play this time: Nadal, who turns 37 on June 3, ruled himself out last week with the hip flexor injury that’s sidelined him since January. His aim is to return to Paris in 2024 for what probably would be his last French Open.

“Roland Garros will always be Roland Garros, with or without me,” Nadal said, “without a doubt.”

Perhaps. Really, though, no tennis event and athlete are linked quite the way this event and this athlete are.

So the question becomes: Who takes advantage of his absence?

Will it be the wunderkind considered an heir apparent, Carlos Alcaraz, who won the U.S. Open in September at age 19, finished last season ranked No. 1 and just returned to that spot?

What about Novak Djokovic, who owns two victories against Nadal at the French Open and two titles of his own at the place? Or Daniil Medvedev, coming off his first clay title? Or Holger Rune, who’s beaten Djokovic twice in a row?

“I see it maybe more open this year than the other years,” Rune said. “It’s interesting. It makes it more fun.”

The stakes for Djokovic are obvious: A championship would be his 23rd at a Slam, breaking a tie with

Nadal for the men’s record. As it is, the 36-year-old from Serbia has won 10 of the past 19 major trophies.

Nadal collected a halfdozen in that span, while three men claimed one apiece, all at the U.S. Open: Alcaraz, Medvedev and Dominic Thiem.

For quite a while, folks have been wondering when the Big Three would give way to the next group.

Roger Federer retired last year.

Nadal appears close to joining him.

Djokovic is still thriving, although he did deal with

discomfort in his surgically repaired right elbow lately. “A new generation is here already. I mean, Alcaraz is No. 1 in the world. ... Obviously, he’s playing amazing tennis. I think it’s also good for our sport that we have new faces, new guys coming up. It’s normal. We’ve been saying this for years — that we can expect it to come, that moment to come, when you have kind of a shift of generations,” Djokovic said. “I’m personally still trying to hang in there with all of them. I’m happy with — of course, very

TOP-SEEDED CASPER RUUD BEATS

J.J. WOLF IN GENEVA OPEN 2ND ROUND

GENEVA (AP) —

Top-seeded Casper Ruud began his Geneva Open title defence by beating J.J. Wolf 6-3, 7-5 in the second round yesterday.

The No. 4-ranked Ruud lifted his career record to 9-0 at Geneva, where he won back-to-back titles in the past two years. The clay-court event is a final warmup for the French Open and Ruud was runner-up there last year.

Ruud double-faulted on his first match-point chance against the 49th-ranked American before taking the second with a forehand winner as he advanced to the net.

“It’s a great win for me. J.J. is an aggressive, tough player,” said Ruud, who will face Nicolas Jarry in the quarterfinals today.

Jarry advanced when his opponent, sixth-seeded Tallon Griekspoor, withdrew ahead of their match.

Second-seeded Taylor Fritz struggled in the first set of his 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 win in an all-American match with No. 74-ranked Marcus Giron.

happy with — my career so far,” he said. “I still have the hunger to keep going.”

That sort of desire exists for Nadal, too. He just could not will his hip to heal quickly enough.

It will be odd to hold a French Open without him. Odd for the tournament itself, for other players, for spectators.

And odd for him.

“With everything that the tournament means to me, you can imagine how difficult this is for me,” Nadal said. “It is not a decision I make; it is a decision that my body has made.”

Fritz’s quarterfinals opponent is Ilya Ivashka, who beat eighth-seeded Adrian Mannarino 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

Fourth-seeded Grigor Dimitrov, who got a wild card into the Geneva draw, eased past Roberto Carballes Baena 6-1, 6-4 to earn a quarterfinals match against 85th-ranked Christopher O’Connell of Australia.

O’Connell led 6-0, 3-0 against Bernabe Zapata Miralles when the seventhseeded Spaniard retired from the match.

FUSAICHI PEGASUS, 2000 KENTUCKY DERBY WINNER, DIES AT 26

VERSAILLES, Ky.

(AP) — Fusaichi Pegasus, the 2000 Kentucky Derby winner, has died. He was 26.

He was euthanised Tuesday at Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky, due to the infirmities of old age, the farm said yesterday.

Nicknamed “Fu Peg,” he was purchased as a yearling for $4 million by Fusao Sekiguchi at the 1998 Keeneland July sale. He was trained by Hall of Famer Neil Drysdale.

Fusaichi Pegasus won the San Felipe Stakes and Wood Memorial before winning the 2000 Kentucky Derby as the 2-1 favourite, the first time a favourite had won since 1979.

Ridden by Kent Desormeaux, Fusaichi Pegasus won the Derby by 1 1/2 lengths over Aptitude. He also became the

highest-priced horse purchased at public auction to win the Derby. He finished second in the Preakness.

He retired with six wins in nine career starts and earnings of $1,994,400.

He began his stud career in 2001 at Ashford, with Coolmore paying a reported $60 million for his stallion rights, a record at the time.

He sired six champions around the world and such Grade 1 stakes winners as Bandini, Champ Pegasus, Haradasun and Roman Ruler. He performed stallion duties in the southern hemisphere that produced Bronzo, who won horse of the year. His stud career ended in 2020.

“Fu Peg was a fantastic racehorse and a colourful character,” Ashford Stud general manager Dermot Ryan said.

IN this June 5, 2011, file photo, Spain’s Rafael Nadal, right, and Switzerland’s Roger Federer pose with their trophies after the men’s final match for the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros stadium in Paris. This year’s French Open will be the first since 1998 with neither Rafael Nadal nor Roger Federer in the field.

(AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau)

FUSAICHI Pegasus is seen February 14, 2001, during his first day at stud on the Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky. (Charles Bertram/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP)

Phillies erase 5-run deficit, beat D-backs

in 10 innings to avoid series sweep

PHILADELPHIA (AP)

— Trea Turner tied the game with a two-run homer in the ninth inning and Alec Bohm hit the winning single in the 10th to rally the Philadelphia Phillies from five runs down in a 6-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks yesterday.

Turner delivered his first highlight-reel hit for the Phillies when he connected to left field off reliever Jose Ruiz (1-1) with two outs, tying the game at 5.

Bryson Stott hit a twoout single to center off Ruiz in the ninth that set the stage for Turner to deliver on his biggest blast for his new team.

Ruiz stayed in the game for the 10th and walked two to load the bases with the automatic runner. Bohm lofted one to right that landed on the warning track and scored Dalton Guthrie, helping the Phillies avoid a three-game sweep.

Craig Kimbrel (3-1) worked the 10th for the win.

Evan Longoria hit a tworun homer and Emmanuel Rivera drove in three runs for the Diamondbacks.

ORIOLES 9, YANKEES 6

NEW YORK (AP)

— Adam Frazier hit a three-run homer and pinchhitter Gunnar Henderson had a go-ahead, two-run double in an eight-run seventh inning as Baltimore rallied and stopped New York’s season-high winning streak at five games.

Baltimore sent 12 batters to the plate in the seventh against Nestor Cortes and the bullpen. It was the Orioles’ highest-scoring inning this season in a game that started after a 1-hour, 36-minute rain delay.

Ryan Mountcastle homered in the fourth inning, and Anthony Santander and Austin Hays had hit RBI singles in the seventh for the Orioles.

New York’s Gleyber Torres hit a two-run homer in the third and a solo drive in the fifth, giving him nine homers this season and 14 career multi-homer games.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa tripled and homered for the Yankees.

Mike Baumann (4-0) earned the win, while Félix Bautista got three outs for his 12th save in 16 chances. Jimmy Cordero (3-2) took the loss.

BREWERS 4, ASTROS 0

MILWAUKEE (AP) —

Adrian Houser allowed two hits in 5 1/3 scoreless innings and Milwaukee homered three times in its win over Houston.

Willy Adames hit a tworun blast in the first inning to put the Brewers ahead for good. Owen Miller and Brian Anderson added solo shots in the seventh.

The Astros mustered four hits, two off their season low and went scoreless in the last two games of the series.

Houser struck out three and walked one in his fourth appearance of the season, which followed six shutout innings in a 1-0 loss at Tampa Bay.

The Brewers got all the offense they would need in the first inning against Astros starter Brandon Bielak (1-2). After Christian Yelich led off with a double to left, Willy Adames delivered a 429-foot blast over the center-field wall.

CUBS 4, METS 2

CHICAGO (AP) —

Marcus Stroman had his longest outing of the season, pitching eight efficient innings in Chicago’s win over New York.

Nico Hoerner homered in Chicago’s second straight victory since coming home after a 2-7 trip. Seiya Suzuki also drove in a run with a double off Japanese countryman Kodai Senga.

Stroman (4-4) threw just 88 pitches, 59 for strikes. The right-hander allowed four hits, struck out three

and walked two. Mark Leiter Jr. worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save.

Francisco Álvarez hit a two-run shot in the third, but that was it for the Mets. Senga (4-3) labored through five innings for New York, allowing three runs and six hits.

BRAVES 4, DODGERS 3

ATLANTA (AP) —

Ozzie Albies’ sacrifice fly drove in Austin Riley in the bottom of the ninth and Atlanta avoided a threegame sweep against Los Angeles.

Austin Riley doubled to left field off Phil Bickford (1-2) to lead off the ninth. Riley moved to third on Travis d’Arnaud’s grounder to first. Following an intentional walk to Eddie Rosario, Albies’ fly to deep right field allowed Riley to score easily.

Dodgers right-hander

Tony Gonsolin’s 14-inning streak of scoreless innings ended with Matt Olson’s 456-foot home run with one out in the fourth inning for Atlanta’s first hit. Gonsolin allowed three runs on three hits, including two homers, in 5 2/3 innings.

Mookie Betts answered with a line-drive homer, his 11th, which tied the game at 1 to open the fifth inning.

Marcell Ozuna’s two-run shot to left field in the fifth followed Gonsolin’s walk to Albies.

Raisel Iglesias (1-1) earned the win.

TWINS 7, GIANTS 1

MINNEAPOLIS (AP)

— Edouard Julien returned to the leadoff spot and hit a home run, drove in two runs and scored twice as Minnesota snapped a threegame skid with a win over San Francisco.

Joe Ryan (7-1) gave up six hits, struck out four and allowed a run in five innings. Four relievers finished up in a game in which San Francisco left 15 runners on base and went 2 for 16 with runners in scoring position.

Julien went 1 for 3 as a slew of injuries forced manager Rocco Baldelli to juggle his lineup more than normal.

Three of the Twins’ seven runs came off Giants starter Anthony DeSclafani (3-4) in five innings were unearned. The 33-year-old right-hander was the victim of three errors and hit a batter who came around to score.

RANGERS 3, PIRATES 2

PITTSBURGH (AP) —

Martín Pérez pitched seven strong innings, Marcus Semien hit the 16th leadoff homer of his career and Texas held off Pittsburgh to win for the fifth time in six games and move 13 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2016 season. Pérez (6-1) allowed two runs on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts to win his fifth straight decision. The 32-year-old left-hander inducing 12 groundball outs, including a pair of inning-ending double plays. Will Smith earned his ninth save.

Semien hit the second pitch of the game from Johan Oviedo (3-4) for his eighth home run of the season. Josh Jung and Nathaniel Lowe had two hits each for Texas.

Rodolfo Castro and Jason Delay had two of Pittsburgh’s eight hits.

WHITE SOX 6, GUARDIANS 0

CLEVELAND (AP)

— Michael Kopech struck out nine and allowed two hits over seven dominant innings, Romy González had a two-run double and Chicago dealt Cleveland its sixth shutout loss.

Kopech (3-4) did not allow a baserunner until Josh Naylor singled leading off the fifth. The right-hander walked one and extended his shutout streak to 15 innings in his last two outings. Reynaldo

López and Jimmy Lambert wrapped up the combined four-hitter.

Andrés Giménez had the Guardians’ other hit off Kopech.

González’s drive into the right-field corner highlighted a five-run fourth against Guardians starter Cal Quantrill (2-3). Jake Burger and Seby Zavala added sacrifice flies in the inning.

RAYS 7, BLUE JAYS 3

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Shane McClanahan became the first eight-game winner in the majors and Tampa Bay rebounded from a 19-run loss to beat Toronto.

McClanahan (8-0) allowed one run, four hits and struck out seven in seven innings. Tampa Bay is 10-1 when the left-hander takes the mound.

Luke Raley and Jose Siri hit solo homers off Yusei Kikuchi (5-2) in the second inning. The major leaguebest Rays (36-15) lead the big leagues with 97 homers.

Toronto, which lost for the eighth time in 10 games, got a pinch-hit homer by Cavan Biggio during a tworun eighth.

REDS 10,

CARDINALS 3

CINCINNATI (AP) — Ben Lively earned his first victory as a starter since 2017, Kevin Newman drove in three runs and Cincinnati had its highest hit total in almost a year in a win over St. Louis.

Rookie shortstop Matt McClain hit the second homer of his big league career and Spencer Steer

had a career-best four hits with two RBIs for Cincinnati, which pounded out 18 hits, the team’s highest total since posting 20 against the Chicago Cubs last May 26.

Lively (2-2) last won as a starter came as a member of the Phillies on Sept. 29, 2017, against the Mets. The 31-year-old right-hander worked six innings, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out eight.

Brendan Donovan and Lars Nootbaar homered, hitting leadoff shots in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively, for St. Louis.

Left-hander Steven Matz (0-6) remained winless after giving 11 hits and six earned runs.

NATIONALS 5, PADRES 3

WASHINGTON (AP)

— Alex Call had a tworun double in Washington’s four-run second inning and the Nationals held off San Diego. Call also singled to help the rebuilding Nationals improve to 11-11 in May and 21-28 overall.

Washington starter Trevor Williams (2-2) went 5 2/3 innings. Carl Edwards Jr. and Hunter Harvey combined for 2 1/3 scoreless innings and Kyle Finnegan worked a perfect ninth for his 10th save. They held the Padres to four hits.

Keibert Ruiz singled in the first run in the second, and Luis Garcia had a sacrifice fly to close the scoring spree.

San Diego’s Rougned Odor hit in two-run homer in the fourth, and Ha-Seong Kim added a solo shot in the fifth. Ryan Weathers

(1-3) went six innings for the Padres.

TIGERS 6, ROYALS 4 KANSAS CITY, Mo.

(AP) — Pinch-hitter Zack

Short hit a three-run homer to lead Detroit over Kansas City.

Riley Greene also

homered, doubled and scored twice for the Tigers in the game that was delayed 29 minutes by rain.

Greene led off the sixth with a double and went to third on an infield single by

Matt Vierling. Short drove them both home with the first pinch-hit home run of his career, a 416-foot shot to left field off Josh Taylor (1-2). Will Vest (1-0) retired all four hitters he faced, striking out two. Alex Lange picked up his ninth save in 10 tries. Both starting pitchers were effective, even though they didn’t stick around very long. Matthew Boyd allowed one run on three hits in 4 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out six. Zach Greinke allowed one run on four hits in five innings, walking one and striking out five.

MARLINS 10, ROCKIES 2

DENVER (AP) — Yuli Gurriel had four hits, Sandy Alcantara (2-5) struck out three and limited Colorado to two runs in six innings and Miami snapped a threegame losing streak. Major league hitting leader Luis Arraez doubled in two runs in a three-run fifth inning that gave the Marlins a 5-1 lead. Jonathan Davis was 3 for 4 with a solo homer a day after being called up from TripleA Jacksonville. Jorge Soler hit his team-leading 14th home run of the season and Jacob Stallings had two doubles and an RBI.

In his second career MLB start, Rockies right-hander Karl Kauffmann (0-2) gave up five earned runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings, with all five runs and five of the six hits coming in his final 1 1/3 innings. Elias Diaz homered and Jurickson Profar extended his onbase streak to 32 games, the longest active streak in the majors.

PHILADELPHIA Phillies’ Alec Bohm is doused after he hit a game-winning RBI-single against Diamondbacks relief pitcher Jose Ruiz during the 10th inning yesterday in Philadelphia.

(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

PHILADELPHIA Phillies’ Trea Turner watches after hitting a two-run home run against Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Jose Ruiz during the ninth inning yesterday in Philadelphia.

(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

BTC donates $5,000 to Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre Push-a-Thon

By TENAJH SWEETING tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas Telecommunications Company Ltd (BTC) donated $5,000 to the 12th edition of the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre’s (SRC) 2023 Push-A-Thon.

During a press conference held yesterday at the SRC grounds, this year’s platinum and title sponsor made the announcement to support the geriatric hospital’s annual cause.

The event is set to take place at the entrance of SRC at 6:15pm on Saturday June 3. The actual race will begin at 6:30pm following the warmups 15 minutes prior.

To coincide with the country’s 50th Independence, the theme for this year’s Push-A-Thon will be “Push on Bahamaland”.

Sameer Bhatti, CEO of BTC, talked about how important it was for the telecommunications company to be the event’s title sponsor.

“At BTC we will always come with a helping hand to support our seniors and we are happy to serve as a platinum sponsor for the 12th annual geriatric PushA-Thon,” Bhatti said.

The CEO added that the company is always willing

to support any efforts taken to ensure that our seniors in the community have ways to feel active and feel included.

After being introduced by Dr Indira Grimes 12 years ago, the initiative behind the event is to promote healthy activity for older adults in the communities and provide a positive experience for clients of the geriatric hospital.

“Our platinum sponsorship will ensure that our seniors are given the tools that are needed to maintain their independence and live longer lives,” Bhatti said.

Additionally, the proceeds of the event will go towards walking aids, proper footwear and wheelchairs.

With 140 persons already registered for the SRC Push-A-Thon, Dr Sasha Dorsette, chairman of the event, reminded the public that all ages are permitted to participate on June 3.

Participants can walk, run, skate, push or cycle. Each of these various activities will be done at staggered times on the day of the event.

The event’s route will differ for those that choose to run, and those that walk and push.

For the runners, the route will begin at the entrance

of SRC and move south on Fox Hill towards Yamacraw Road. They will continue to commute on Yamacraw and make a left onto Prince Charles Dr.

The route will end with runners travelling west to the junction of Prince Charles and Fox Hill and they will stop at SRC.

For walkers and pushers, the beginning of the route is the same but they will make their turn from Yamacraw onto Commonwealth Boulevard. After turning north onto the

aforementioned, they will commute through Elizabeth Estates onto Prince Charles Drive.

The group will then turn west on Prince Charles to Fox Hill Road and turn south to head back to SRC.

Interested persons can register via www. pushathon242.com or inperson at the SRC.

Registration costs $15 online and payments can be made via Cash n’ go online or in-person. Persons that register on the day of the event will pay $20.

The Honourable Cynthia Mother Pratt, deputy governor general and patron of the SRC Push-A-Thon, had a strong message for Bahamians ahead of June 3.

“Sandilands and geriatrics have senior citizens here. These are the people that made us who we are, some have been forgotten now. We are saying that this Push-A-Thon is about getting involvement from the Bahamian people to show that they care about our elderly,” the deputy governor general said.

Mother Pratt noted that Bahamians were once known for being supportive and she doesn’t know what has changed.

However, on June 3 she expects Bahamians to show their care and love, and support the elderly.

She reminded the public that everyone will eventually age and become old.

Therefore, she thanked BTC for their continued support of not only the event but also the community and encouraged Bahamians to put their words into action on race day.

The SRC Push-A-Thon will be sponsored by title sponsor BTC, platinum sponsor Colina, silver sponsor Bahamas Striping, Sunshine Insurance, and Bahamas Power and Light (BPL).

Other sponsors or partners include Thompson Trading, Oaktree Medical, Delta Sigma Theta, Phi Beta Sigma, Bahamas Medical and Surgical Supplies, Ports International and Custom Computers.

The SRC officials thanked all of their valued sponsors and partners and gifted BTC CEO and patron of the event with their Push-A-Thon packages. Come out and show your support.

ON BAHAMALAND - The Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre’s Push-A-Thon is set to take place at the entrance of SRC at 6:15pm on Saturday, June 3. The actual race will begin at 6:30pm following the warmups 15 minutes prior.

Photo: Tenajh Sweeting

GSSSA soccer champions

GSSSA, FROM PAGE 14

“They were more hungry in the second half because going into penalties sometimes is unsure, so we wanted to finish it off in the second half and not go into penalties,” Thompson said. Overall, the head coach said the win was great and she was proud of the girls’ team. For the junior boys, the fate of the Anatol Rodgers

Timberwolves was a bit different. The newly-crowned junior boys’ champions battled in a competitive game with the Sharks.

After two consecutive halves, the game was tied 1-1 with one of the scores belonging to Arayshio Green. Following five penalty kicks, the Timberwolves scored 3-2 to claim the GSSSA junior boys’ soccer championship. The MVP honours went to Green. He said it felt

very good and his mindset was simply on winning the championship game and they got it done.

Cleon Carnegie, head coach of the Timberwolves, talked about the junior boys’ win.

“It was tough all along and SC McPherson is a good team but we planned specifically to prolong the game as far as possible because they beat us in the regular [season] 3-1,” the coach said.

He added they made their changes on the defensive end and midfield and were determined to push the game as long as they could even, if it went into the penalty. He acknowledged it was a gamble by his team but told them to take deep breaths, keep believing and just kick.

Next up for soccer is Samuel P Haven Jr High Schools Soccer Nationals’ semifinals at 4:30pm on Friday.

TIMBERWOLVES TAKE IT ALL - The junior boys of the Anatol Rodgers Timberwolves emerged as the champions.

LIONS TOPPLE RAPTORS - The junior girls of the HO Nash Lions defeated the CH Reeves Raptors 2-0 to claim the 2023 GSSSA soccer championship hardware. Photos by Tenajh Sweeting

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER Evanice Sands, of the HO Nash Lions.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER Arayshio Green, of the Anatol Rodgers Timberwolves.