WOMAN & HEALTH
The Tribune
PM: ‘A better wAy’ on tA x co MP li A nce
Davis does not want to see armed officers again on inspections
By dENISE MAYCoCK
Freeport Reporter
dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Philip Davis said there is a better way for tax collectors to ensure compliance than visiting businesses with intimidating law enforcement officers carrying guns. his comment in the house of Assembly came after St Barnabas MP
By dENISE MAYCoCK
dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
Shanendon Cartwright said such a show of force deters entrepreneurs and businesses.
Numerous business people have complained since a video of the Revenue Enhancement Taskforce entering CBS Bahamas went viral last Monday. A customer representative said the episode
Mr Cartwright said the 10,000 policyholders feel abandoned. Victims of the CLICO collapse have been waiting more than 15 years for the matter to be resolved.
The Tribune understands they last received a payout
PRIME Minister Philip Davis insisted his administration has not abandoned CLICO policyholders. he commented after St Barnabas MP Shanendon Cartwright noted in the house of Assembly that the government did not allocate funding for policyholders in the budget.
Elkin 360 still bEnEfitting from indEpEndEncE hit
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS
A YEAR after his song became the unofficial theme of the 50th anniversary of independence celebrations, Elkin 360 said bookings are starting to pick up again, and he is still reaping the benefits of last summer’s hit.
Elkin Outten, 62, said he made about $50,000 from his song, “Bahamas Golden Anniversary”, through
performances and streaming. That was the first time he generated a profit from his music. Before that, he performed only at church concerts that he had to pay to attend.
“It has enhanced my lifestyle,” he said yesterday. “I have more money in my pocket. I was able to do a lot of other things, things that I wanted to do, and I s
By LEANdRA RoLLE
Chief Reporter
FEARS among Bahamian students in Jamaica have heightened now that the country is under hurricane watch, with some calling on the government to evacuate them as soon as possible.
Concerned students expressed their anxiety to The Tribune last night after receiving a notice from the University of West Indies Mona Campus urging
By NEIL HARTNELL
nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
ThE Government’s
“delay” in renewing an oil explorer’s three Bahamian licences threatens the value of 80 percent of its balance sheet assets and ability to recover its previous investment in this nation.
Challenger Energy Group, the former Bahamas Petroleum Company (BPC), in unveiling its 2023 annual results last week revealed that renewal of its exploration licences for another three-year period is critical to maintaining the value of $94m in “intangible” assets booked in The Bahamas.
Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr
Parkinson Foundation head disappointed over low ticket sales for annual gala ball
By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net
PRESIDENT of the Kingdor National Parkinson Foundation said she was “disappointed” by low ticket sales for the foundation’s annual gala ball on Saturday, saying most people wanted free tickets, preventing the foundation from making a profit.
Mavis Darling-Hill, founder and president of the foundation, created the foundation in 2000 in honour of her father who died of Parkinson’s disease.
She said the organisation needs funds to do more than just give feedback and educate the public.
She said more handson work is needed to help those struggling with Parkinson’s disease.
She said ticket sales for the ball were sporadic and people started showing real interest close to the event. The foundation wanted to sell about 600 tickets to make a profit, but only sold 430.
“The hotel charges a lot of money for every plate,” she said.
“I had everybody asking for free tickets. You cannot run an organisation like that because somebody has to pick up the cost. Tickets cost a certain amount, bringing the person here costs a certain amount, bringing the flowers. These flowers came from Cambodia, all over the world.”
Initially, the foundation advertised that
popular singer Fantasia Barrino would perform. With little to no explanation, the performance act was changed to Grammynominated singer Johnny Gill.
Mrs Darling-Hill declined to comment on the artist switch.
She said last year’s ball at Atlantis sold 320 tickets.
“I liked the one last year better,” she said. “Even though we did not have an international person we still had the regular people who always bought our tickets. The Super Wash always got tickets from us for the past 24 years. So many of them who bought tickets from us over the years they supported us, individual friends they supported us fully.”
She said next year she will assemble a bigger and better team.
“I’m going to get a group that is willing to assist and not just talk,” she said. “I need people who are going to make a difference, a difference in the lives of Parkinsonians.
Ultimately, Saturday’s event attracted hundreds of people dressed in ball gowns and black-tie suits, a live band, a raffle, and a five-course meal. Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville spoke briefly, stressing the importance of educating the public on Parkinson’s disease.
Several people were honoured, including journalist Jerome Sawyer, Captain L Roscoe Dames III, and Leslie Miller.
Attendees, including former Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller, during the Kingdor Parkinson Foundation 24th Gala Ball at Baha Mar on Satruday.
Photos: dante Carrer/Tribune Staff
PM: ‘A better way’ on tax compliance
from page one
was disruptive and alarming to staff and customers.
“I am too moved by what I have seen,” Mr Davis said yesterday. “It was the enforcement unit. They thought they had to show force to enforce, but I have expressed there is a better way.”
Mr Davis said he does not expect to see such scenes again unless it is necessary and the situation requires an escalation.
He said he was advised that armed persons were present because the enforcement unit was also collecting cash that needed to be protected.
He said the task force will, in the future, differentiate between situations where officers are needed to secure cash and when they are inquiring about compliance.
The task force includes officials from the departments of inland revenue, immigration and customs, the National Insurance Board, police and the Defence Force.
In addition to a CBS representative, Jak Hannaby-Cummins, Palm Cay’s managing director, said last week that the task force left onlookers “mortified and intimidated” after officers visited him with guns drawn, demanding a list of contractors and subcontractors at the site.
Students in Jamaica want flight out before storm
from page one
students, except non-Jamaican residents, to evacuate their halls by today.
The university urged them to carry their essential belongings, important documents and medications. They were told to expect updates from UWI Mona official social media pages.
Students told The Tribune they were uncertain whether they would be evacuated, noting that some countries, like the Turks and Caicos Islands, have already sent for their residents.
One concerned parent said the Bahamian government was moving too slowly to bring students home.
Their comments came hours after Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell told the House of Assembly the government is closely monitoring Hurricane Beryl and will take “whatever emergency measures” are needed to ensure the safety of Bahamian students in Jamaica.
Beryl, the first named hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season, made landfall in Carriacou
Island, Grenada, yesterday as a powerful Category 4 storm with strong winds and heavy rains.
The National Hurricane Centre said last night that Beryl was “even stronger” than when it made landfall as it moved across the southeastern Caribbean.
The storm triggered power outages and flooded streets in parts of St Vincent and the Grenadines and Barbados, with reports of uprooted buildings and fallen trees. At least one person was reported dead.
Mr Mitchell said from initial reports he received, Barbados appeared to have minimal damage.
He said honorary counsel Selwyn Smith indicated that Bahamians are safe in Barbados as far as he is aware.
He said a team from his ministry left for Grenada before CARICOM meetings –– initially scheduled for July 3-5 –– were cancelled due to the storm.
He said the decision to cancel the meeting was made when they landed, and there was no way to get them out of the country as Grenada’s airport closed
CLICO P OLIC yhOL ders have nOt been abandOned, InsIsts dav Is
from page one
from the government almost two years ago.
The last Christie administration committed the government to a plan to pay in full all surrendered life insurance policies, death benefits, medical claims, and staff pensions. Tribune Business has reported that around $10m must be paid out to hundreds who surrendered their policies.
CLICO (Bahamas) liquidator has been given the authority to accept a $110.827m settlement that could fully repay all debts owed to policyholders, creditors, and the government.
Chief Justice Sir Ian Winder gave Craig A ‘Tony’ Gomez, the Baker Tilly Gomez accountant and principal, the goahead to accept the sum offered by liquidators for its Trinidad-based parent,
CL Financial.
Mr Davis said yesterday that the government is aware of the settlement between CLICO’s liquidators and Trinidad authorities to make policyholders whole and wants to sit with the liquidator to resolve the matter.
He said officials must determine what the government has paid out because it has to get a share from the settlement and ensure policyholders get what they are owed.
“That is why knowing that the funds are available from the rightful source, there is no need for us to budget for it,” he said.
Mr Cartwright asked why the government does not step in to fill the gap in the meantime, but Mr Davis said officials believe the funds are readily available.
until Tuesday morning.
He said the director general and two foreign service officers are in Grenada and safe at last report.
Forecasters say the storm is expected to move across the southeastern and central Caribbean later this week in a path toward Jamaica, with a hurricane watch alert issued for that country.
Mr Mitchell said officials have been in contact with students there and have urged them to heed the advice of Jamaican authorities.
He said some have requested equipment like flashlights in case the electricity goes out.
“But everyone, insofar as we’re aware in Jamaica, is safe, and we’re taking the appropriate precautions with respect to being in touch with them,” he added.
“We’ll watch events as they unfold, and if necessary, take whatever emergency measures are necessary to ensure that those students and Bahamians in Jamaica are safe.”
Beryl is the earliest storm with Category 4 strength on record.
Fishing vessels damaged by Hurricane Beryl sit upended at the Bridgetown Fisheries in Barbados, yesterday.
Photo: Ricardo Mazalan/AP
FoReign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell
PRiMe MinisteR PhiliP ‘BRave’ Davis
New Therapy Bill tabled to protect vulnerable patients, says Darville
By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net
BEFORE the Longev-
ity and Regenerative Therapies Bill 2024 passed the House of Assembly, opposition members said there was no framework to ensure vulnerable patients are not taken advantage of.
Health and Wellness
Minister Dr Michael Darville said the bill, which will repeal and replace the Stem Cell Research and Therapy Act passed under the Christie administration, will assist in accessing treatments to improve the lives of people suffering from chronic debilitating diseases.
St Anne’s MP Adrian White questioned whether the minister of health properly consulted people on the bill, warning that the “experimental” treatments could do more harm than good.
When Mr White asked Dr Darville to stand if he consulted a medical association or the Bahamas Christian Council on the bill, Dr Darville did not stand.
Free National Movement leader Michael Pintard pressed Dr Darville on why several groups were not consulted, including the people who participated in the drafting of the current law.
Dr Darville said when the bill was laid in the House of Assembly, some people responded and the administration addressed their concerns.
“Not every bill you have to physically go to everyone and consult like how we did with the Cannabis bill,” he said, adding he is satisfied with the consultation done.
According to the bill, an ethics committee of seven people will be responsible for approving applications for research and administration of therapies in the field. The ethics committee would also ensure that research and administration of therapies are safely, ethically, and scientifically
By PAVEL BAILEY
Tribune Staff Reporter
pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A FIVE person jury was empanelled as the inquest into the 2017 police-involved killing of 15-year-old American
Gino Evante Finley on
implemented. Mr White, however, expressed concern that the committee will not be made up of all Bahamians.
“You can have as many
Prince Charles Drive began.
Acting Coroner Kara Turnquest-Deveaux presided as the jury was selected to hear testimony in the inquiry.
Police claimed the deceased and accomplices were involved in
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that SHARNISKA VICTOR of Infant View Road, Nassau, The Bahamas applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 2nd day of July, 2024 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
NOTICE
international experts as you want to consult under this bill if, God forbid, it comes through, but you need to make the ethics committee entirely Bahamian because you will
an armed robbery of the QVS pharmacy in the Seagrape Shopping Plaza at 11am on May 23, 2017, when officers responded and killed the deceased after a gun battle between them and the suspects.
Finley was a tenth-grade student at RM Bailey
that are
for that
Senior High School.
This will be the ninth police-involved killing inquest this year. Last month, jurors returned a finding of justifiable homicide for the officers involved in the fatal shooting of Rashando Gibson on
NOTICE
hereby given that THERMUTA ANNESTA KNIGHT of P.O.Box SB-51709 Prince Charles Nassau, The Bahamas applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 2nd day of July, 2024 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
NOTICE
one of his colleagues developed AIDS when research and treatment were minimal. He said he was so desperate to find a cure that he called bush medicine specialists to see if they were aware of the disease.
“You can imagine if me as a doctor seeing a colleague, a friend, going through that, and I became so desperate in trying to help that anything I would have done in terms of research on medicine,” he said. “Individuals who are ill will seek medical care, and they will do anything and spend their entire life savings to get well because we all want to live.”
Dr Minnis said the US Food and Drug Administration has repeatedly issued warnings about bogus and expensive stem cell therapies and urged regulators to have a “watchful eye” for these.
Meanwhile, Long Island MP Adrian Gibson said some would call the bill the “Peter Nygard” bill part two. When the last Christie administration passed the stem cell law in 2013, controversy erupted because the disgraced fashion mogul claimed he initiated and helped write the legislation. Mr Gibson also questioned the transparency of stem cell research. He asked how Princess Margaret Hospital handles the placenta and umbilical cords of newborn babies and questioned whether they are being used for stem cell research without permission from parents. The human placenta and cord blood are rich in hematopoietic progenitor and hematopoietic stem cells.
Dr Darville said remains are not collected for research at the country’s tertiary healthcare facilities.
“If it’s being done it is being done illegally,” he said. “If anyone is found in possession or in the attempt to do it they will be prosecuted by the fullest extent of the law.”
how
Goggle Eye Road on July 1, 2022. Six of the completed inquests this year have returned findings of justifiable homicide, with only two returning findings of homicide by manslaughter.
K Melvin Munroe represents the officers in this inquest.
David Cash represents the deceased’s estate. Angelo Whitfield will marshal the evidence when testimony begins.
Coroner’s inquests do not determine criminal liability.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that HERLIN MICHEL of Marsh Harbour, Abaco, The Bahamas applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 2nd day of July, 2024 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
actually have Bahamians looking out for the best interest of The Bahamas and not foreign experts
looking out
economic benefit,” Mr White said.
Former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis supported the bill, but said regulatory oversight is vital to prevent malpractice. He described
Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Michael Darville reading bill for regulations for
Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr
Elkin 360 still benefitting from Independence hit
from page one
was able to do.”
“My popularity is still high, people still recognise me, people still sing my song, people still call me Elkin 360 or Mr Bahamas. I am still riding up there because of that song.”
Reflecting on last year, he said a big highlight was performing at Clifford Park during the Independence Family Fun Day.
“My mind was really all over the place,” he said. “I was just really excited about what my song had brought to me and the country.
“I was really excited because I understood I was being played all over the world in Europe, Germany, Dubai. A lot of people just was telling me everywhere they go they were hearing my song.”
“That was my first hit, like internationally and all over the world. I did an album in 2020, but due to COVID it was not really successful, but it got a lot of play after the Independence song came out.”
The Grand Bahama native and father of seven said he intends to release two new songs this month to highlight the country’s 51st independence anniversary and compete in two song competitions.
CG Atlantic unveils portraits of five PMs under the theme of ‘50 Year of Leadership’
By
CG ATlAnTIC unveiled the portraits of the five prime ministers of The Bahamas under the theme “50 Years of leadership”.
The portraits of Sir lynden Pindling, Perry Christie, Hubert Ingraham, Dr Hubert Minnis and Philip “Brave” Davis are displayed on the Collins Avenue hills, between Second and Third Terrance.
Dr Minnis, who attended the event, said he never dreamed his photo would be on display on Collins Wall, given its significance. “I passed this hill regularly going to Princess Margret to perform delivery or see patients or Doctor’s Hospital, but who would have dreamt that coming across this hill that one day I will see my photo on this hill,” he said. The artwork was completed by celebrity artist Jamaal Rolle, who
expressed gratitude for the opportunity and said the project was completed over the past six months.
“I am most proud of doing portraits of prime ministers of my country,” he said. “As a young man, I used to draw in the dirt, and I always had a dream that one day people would look at my heart as something as significant, and to be able to produce art and be recognised in such a way is vindication for hard work.”
Police searching for thieves that stole atM froM golden gates suPer value
POlICE in new Providence are aggressively searching for the culprits behind yesterday’s breakin at Super Value’s Golden Gates Store.
Police said they were called to the Balloui Hill
Road South establishment shortly before 5am on Monday.
Thieves reportedly smashed the eastern glass doors to gain entry to steal the store’s ATM. The incident
damaged the store, including the ATM, which is still operable.
The cost of the damages is unclear.
Police are appealing to anyone with information to come forward.
50 years of leadership - portraits of all Bahamian Prime Ministers since independence were revealed at CG Atlantic on Collins Avenue. The portraits were all done by Jamaal Rolle.
Photo: Lynaire Munnings
ELkin ‘360’ OuttEn
The Tribune Limited
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Publisher/Editor 1903-1914
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Publisher/Editor 1919-1972
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RT HON EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON, C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B.
Publisher/Editor 1972-
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‘Whose bright idea was that?’
P LENTY of people have spoken up about the tactics employed by the government’s Revenue Enhancement Task Force, showing up with guns at businesses to demand paperwork –but s ir Franklyn Wilson has put his finger on the burning question.
Asked whether the measures were overkill, s ir Franklyn agreed, saying: “Absolutely. Man, whose bright idea was that?”
Whoever it was, and whoever it was that defended the measure and there have been plenty, some publicly, some in private messages, ought to be asking themselves some pointed questions today about why they were so sure they were right.
Any time a Prime Minister has to step in because you have created a mess big enough that he has to fix it, you know you have done wrong. And credit to Philip Davis for doing just that.
Mr Davis said he has been “moved by” the sight of armed officers marching into a store to demand paperwork.
h e told The Tribune : “The reality is for businesses to see armed personnel, heavily armed personnel, coming into businesses is a real problem in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. i t sends a bad signal to entrepreneurs in this country and people who want to get involved in business.”
A bad signal. That’s all that people have been saying. And thank goodness they have been heard.
Mr Davis added that “there has to
be a better way other than having four, five, and six armed guards coming into a business when you think about the impact of that”.
h e said: “We are not talking about endorsing businesses not compliant with the law, but something clearly is wrong to the point where businesses and the chamber of commerce are talking about this issue.”
Mr Davis is correct. And s ir Franklyn echoes the sentiment, saying: i don’t understand why what was happening made sense. i t just didn’t make sense to me. i ’m pleased to see the Prime Minister address it. That’s the return of logic and sense.”
h e added of the inspections in force: “That was crazy. i t was crazy. i didn’t experience it myself … the first time i think i heard about this i was in Eleuthera. i just thought it was an aberration. i t makes no sense and, thankfully, the Prime Minister seems to have restored sense.”
Perhaps so, but there’s still little sense behind the scenes. One official complained about a letter published in The Tribune on the issue, suggesting that The Tribune has been aiding and abetting people in evading taxes. The Prime Minister’s good sense could do with spreading to some others.
But let’s go back to s ir Franklyn’s question. Whose bright idea was that?
Because whoever it was, the country’s leadership would do well to be careful of listening to their advice in future.
Govt far from truth on reality
EDITOR, The Tribune.
ThE employment statistics are far from the reality of what is at play in this country.
But what else should we expect from governments past and present, they break almost every law in economics and then turn the tables to make it seem as if the government is doing its job. There is a law in economics that a thief can pass possession but cannot pass title as they do not have proper title to do so.
But governments, past and present, have defied this rule as they would take from the people legally against their will and create a title and pass it off as legitimate to the buyer or receiver of their choice.
They would obtain illgotten gains from the people and call it politics
and when you do the same, they would put you before the courts, this is the epitome of hypocrisy.
They have no clue what needs to be done, so they make bogus data claims like the numbers they have been claiming from Perry Christie to Doctor Minnis and to the present is not in line with the reality of what is really happening. Let us examine this and point out some of the modus operandi of governments from then to now.
Why are the statistics always taken right after Junkanoo carnival?
The answer is they gather data while temporary jobs or bubble jobs are in sight alongside the futile promise of contracts by governments to make people acquire a business licence only to never receive, not one job.
Now let me explain what
Haiti needs, beyond just peace
EDITOR, The Tribune.
This week, a Kenyanled Us-backed police contingent arrived in haiti to help restore stability. This intervention, while necessary, cannot be the sole solution. Restoring peace is merely a first step. Like medicine that only suppresses cough symptoms, military intervention addresses only the immediate crisis, not the underlying causes. sustainable development efforts must follow, promoting long-term stability.
i mean by bubble jobs, these jobs appear for a short period like a bubble then pop as quick as they appear, the epitome of this is the three days people are employed during carnival.
Then to add insult to injury the money illusion is conspicuous and the salt in the wound is the upcoming hike in national insurance.
But we have an expansion in the budget for advisors and thus far the only thing they have been teaching them is voodoo economics.
We need to have a national debate and receipts presented by these politicians and the higher ups in these ministries vs some of the civilians.
BAHAMIAN TYCOON Nassau, June 2024.
Yet, to help haiti means understanding its history, specifically its underdevelopment. This theory was first popularised by Guyanese historian Walter Rodney in his seminal work “how Europe Underdeveloped Africa.” in this work, Rodney analyzed how European powers used coercive measures to prevent African nations from establishing local industries, ensuring they could not compete in global markets. A narrative that permeates through the Global south, the story of haiti is a poignant example of exploitation and suffering. haitian independence came at a massive economic cost. Western European countries and later the United states systematically excluded haiti from participating in the global economy, solely because it existed as an independent Black nation. When The Bahamas declared independence from Britain in 1973, decolonization was considered the norm. however, when haiti declared independence in 1804, it did so during an age of empire. haitian sovereignty was not encouraged by the then existing international establishment. haiti’s recognition as a state from France came after it agreed to pay billions in reparations. As a result, over 80 percent of haiti’s
revenue went towards paying off this enormous debt burden and was diverted from developing industries crucial for spurring economic development. successive acts of Us imperialism also further destabilized the nation and stemmed development. Rather than considering the local interests of the haitian masses, the Us viewed haiti as a strategic location beneficial to its foreign policy objectives during the Cold War era. For decades, the Us supported the Duvalier regimes due to its anticommunist stance, despite its relentless exploitation and oppression of the haitian people.
Once valued as the crown jewel of the French Empire, haiti is now the poorest country in the Western hemisphere. in recent years, haiti has been plagued by currency depreciation, disease, economic mismanagement, gang warfare, natural disasters and political instability. specifically, the COViD-19 pandemic and the assassination of haitian President Jovenel Moïse in 2021 worsened these crises, compelling the international community to act.
Yet, how should the international community solve the crisis in haiti? After establishing on-ground peace, a CARiCOM-led election task force should oversee democratic elections in haiti. This task force can collaborate with international organisations such as the international institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (international iDEA) and local civil society organisations to ensure fair and free elections. haitians must be active, informed
participants in the democratic process, ensuring that election results reflect their interests, not those of Global North countries. Financial reform is also crucial for a sustainable haitian future. The financial infrastructure of haiti needs robust legislative frameworks that promote effective fiscal and monetary policies. Given that remittances comprise sizable portion of haiti’s GDP, legislation should strive for financial inclusion, ensuring smoother access to financial services through traditional channels like banks and non-traditional ones like agency banking for marginalized communities. A window of opportunity exists for institutions such as the African Exportimport Bank (Afreximbank) to begin trade negotiations with haiti, enhancing diasporic ties between Africa and the Caribbean. This collaboration could foster a new era of economic and mutual development. Due to underdevelopment, serious deliberations must also focus on finally providing financial reparations to haiti. Advocated by figures such as UN secretary-General Antonio Guterres, financial reparations can serve as a method to atone for the past sins of slavery, along with serving as a valuable boost for the haitian economy. in essence, a new haitian revolution is imperative. Not a violent revolution but one grounded in the spirit of challenging oppression and promoting equality, liberty, and justice. A new haitian Revolution can be one where the global community plays a supportive role, recognising past injustices and working towards a future where haiti can finally thrive as a sovereign, independent nation.
LIAM MILLER June 26, 2024.
Bahamas Power and Light leaves things hanging for residents in the San Souci area as these cables droop dangerously across the road.
Chief Justice Winder reveals Court Services Council’s board of directors
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
CHIEF Justice Sir Ian Winder revealed the appointees to the Court Services Council’s board of directors after the Court Services Act came into effect yesterday.
“The Board of Directors of the council will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Act and developing the initial infrastructure of the Council...”
- Chief Justice, Sir Ian Winder
The bill was tabled by the Davis administration last October to enhance the independence of the judiciary, allowing it to control its financial and administrative affairs.
Sir Ian hailed the move as a significant step forward in the modernisation and efficiency of the judicial system.
The bill establishes a Court Services Council responsible for supporting judicial officers, appointing staff as needed, providing training for judicial officers and ensuring employee adherence to workplace policies.
directions of the board of directors of the council.
The chief executive officer would be the council’s principal administrator and subject to the
m an sen T enced To T wo and a half years prison for having gun and ammuni T ion
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter
pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN was sentenced to two and a half years in prison yesterday after he was found guilty of having a loaded gun in his home in Palmetto Point Eleuthera in 2021.
Magistrate Kendra Kelly presided as the possession of an unlicensed fireman and possession
of ammunition trial of Calvin Johnson, 38, concluded. Police reportedly found a black .40 Smith & Wesson Springfield Model 40C pistol and ten rounds of ammunition in the defendant’s bedroom on October 9, 2021. After reviewing the evidence against Johnson, Magistrate Kelly found him guilty of the offence. While speaking in his
defence prior to sentencing, the defendant mentioned that he had recently become a father.
The magistrate sentenced him to two and a half years at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.
Johnson was informed of his right to appeal sentencing within seven days. Sergeant Vernon Pyfrom served as the prosecutor.
m an accused of indecen T exposure ordered T o psychological evaluaT ion
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN was ordered to get psychological evaluation after he was accused of exposing himself to a woman in Culbert’s Hill last week.
Magistrate Anishka Pennerman charged Keyrico Linden, 36, with indecent exposure and unlawful possession. Linden allegedly exposed himself to Genette SaintVill to insult her on June 28. Linden is also accused of having a black Epic battery reasonably suspected of being stolen that day on
Prince Charles Drive.
After the defendant pleaded not guilty to both charges, his bail was set at $800 for each.
Magistrate Pennerman advised him to get mental evaluation while he is on release. His trial begins on August 29.
Two men charged wi T h armed robbery
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
TWO men were behind bars yesterday after they were accused of stealing a woman’s car at gunpoint last week.
Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley charged Richard McKinney, 21 and Albert Ferguson, 21, with armed robbery. The pair, while armed with a handgun, allegedly robbed Evencua Joseph of her $4000 burgundy 2011 Nissan Cube on June 24. The defendants were informed that the matter would proceed to the
Supreme Court through a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).
The accused will be remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until their VBIs are served on October 3. Inspector Deon Barr served as prosecutor.
In addition to Sir Ian, board members include Court of Appeal president Jon Isaacs; Bar Association president Khalil Parker; Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley; Justice Guillimina Archer-Minns; Supreme Court Registrar
Constance Delancy; Herbert Cash, CPA; Khrystle Rutherford-Ferguson and Court of Appeal registrar Kristina Wallace Whitfield.
“Their collective expertise and commitment to justice will be invaluable as we work towards a more effective and responsive judicial system.”
“We extend our gratitude to all those who contributed to the development and passage of this important legislation.”
“The Board of Directors of the council will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Act and developing the initial infrastructure of the Council,” Sir Ian said.
The Potcake: Prevailing over prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is outpacing breast cancer as the most prevalent cancer found in Bahamians, according to Dr Greggory Pinto, a Bahamian urologist. the Bahamas ranks among the top ten countries in the world for the prevalence of prostate cancer. Noting such high statistics, the sir Ulysses “Big Daddy” Davis Cancer screening Non-Profit, led by Warren Davis, has kicked into high gear, on a mission to save as many lives as possible. Big Daddy has teamed with Biospy to introduce a new, revolutionary way to get tested that doesn’t involve any needles or invasive examinations.
Former Cabinet Minister and Member of Parliament for tall Pines, Leslie Miller, a prostate cancer survivor, joined Big Daddy’s national campaign to encourage Bahamian men to get tested, because it actually saved his life: “I urge all Bahamian men to do the right thing - save your life - because there’s no reason to die from this thing called prostate cancer anymore.”
“If you don’t do it, we are going to miss you, because you will be gone. I did what I had to do. I love my family and all who love me… hopefully they love me. You know I am “the Potcake”. some of them don’t love me; they only know me when they need me! But hopefully some love me. I know my children and grandchildren do… all the rest, I would hope they do.” Miller was in Cat Island in May for the launch of the Big Daddy Prostate Cancer screening initiative, where more than 100 men were successfully tested with the Biospy device. Prime Minister Philip Davis was also in Cat Island for the event. He encouraged his constituents to take advantage of the test, which does not involve the “dreaded finger” or any embarrassment. Biopsy painlessly extracts a tiny amount of blood from the patient. state-of-the-art microfluidics make it possible
Face to Face
By FELICITY DARVILLE
to garner quick, efficient results.
“I was shocked to hear the statistics of men having more cancer than women, when Bahamian women have one of the highest rates of breast cancer in the world,” Mr Miller said. the doctor said that none of us have to die from prostate cancer. our problem (as Bahamian men) is that we don’t want to do what is necessary to save our lives. We don’t want to do our annual physicals and take our tests. Most of us only show up to the doctor when the pain gets too hard to manage, and by that point, sometimes it’s too late.” the seriousness of prostate cancer was felt on a national scale when the Bahamas lost its longestserving Prime Minister, sIr Lynden oscar Pindling. the Father of the Nation lost his battle to prostate cancer on august 26, 2000. Nearly twenty-four years later, one in every six Bahamian men are at risk for prostate cancer. Worldwide, prostate cancer impacts approximately 1.3 million men. the Big Daddy Prostate Cancer screening initiative pays homage to Ulysses “Big Daddy” Davis - a phenomenal
family patriarch who passed away from the disease in 1991. His grandsons Warren Davis, event organiser, and Dr Pinto conducted the launch in his honour.
Prostate cancer is prevalent in Mr Miller’s family: “My father died from prostate cancer. I also lost my oldest brother Glen and my second brother Haddie to prostate cancer.
“God Gave us this precious Gift called life. Make the best of it. Why leave here earlier than he has Written in the calendar for you. don’t let people discouraGe you froM doinG soM ethinG that could save your life. do it for your faMily.”
Four of my brothers have it now, including our youngest in the family, Keith.”
Mr Miller shared his journey with hopes that other men who need to get tested will step forward and help save their own lives.
“I had prostate cancer, went through the full treatment,” he selflessly shared.
“Men not wanting the finger exam is one thing. But when they hear they may not be able to function (like a man should), they don’t want to take that chance.”
Mr Miller beat prostate cancer and survived to tell the story. He had to put aside the fear of losing his libido, or any other issue men usually have, and value his life above them all.
His journey to beating the cancer took 18 months to three years to
complete. after his initial screening, and considering his family history, Mr Miller’s doctor removed 12 pieces from his prostate and sent them to the United states for testing. results came back two weeks later.
With a prostate cancer diagnosis, Mr Miller knew that his next set of decisions could mean the difference between life and death.
“I want to say this to men,” Mr Miller said, “When you see yourself going to the bathroom ten, 12 times a day and only half of the pee coming out, you know you have a problem. By the time most men in the Bahamas go to the doctor, it’s already too late.the cancer has spread into other parts of the body… then they’re really in trouble.”
“You go to the doctor, and you say ‘Doc, I wanna be able to pee properly’. the doctor says it’s enlarged. some people take pills. But I didn’t have time to waste.”
a close friend of his who had already gone through the process provided great encouragement and insight. Mr Miller traveled to Florida to undergo a 45-minute operation, optimistic that he could beat the cancer and enjoy many more happy years with his family.
“I flew over, and I took my two daughters with me,” he shared.
“they use a gun (of sorts) with a small tube attached to it. they shoot (the medicine) through the (urethra). they numb the area before they shoot it off. You dont feel anything. Pieces of (the cancer) were just coming out. Leslia and Yasmin didn’t last two minutes!
they couldn’t take the sight of it. But I just let the (doctors and nurses) do what they had to do and I watched tV. that has a small tube office. Has a gun with a small tube through your penis and you can watch tv. they numb the area while they shoot it off.you dont feel anything. they put a bag on you (that collects the urine), then you go home and get some rest. . You have to stay in town for four days. the first day, you do the procedure. then you have three days to go shopping with your family and just relax.
“Back in Nassau, I saw my regular doctor, Dr evans, and he took the bag off.”
“I had to take some shots,” he said, as he raised his shirt and showed me the marks. e very three months, you get a shot - over a period of 18 months to keep the cancer at bay.”
“I went to Dr Conville Brown and I did radiation five days a week for six weeks. t he first four weeks, I spent 15 to 18 minutes on the machine. People said, ‘ o h! Your back is going to turn black and scaly. t hey would say all kinds of things. But don’t believe them. In the first month of the treatment, I didn’t feel any pain or anything. t he last two weeks were more intense. You get the treatment for 22 minutes. t hat’s when they go straight to the point of the cancer.”
a t some point during this process, your doctor is going to say, ‘You know you won’t have an erection’. When fellas hear that, they go crazy. t hat’s the main reason that 90 percent of men won’t get the treatment. You ask
the doctor, ‘How long’, and he says, ‘It may be long’. Long meaning, two to three years. I have friends who died, who would not take this treatment.”
Mr Miller continued:
“Dr e vans said to me,
‘Do what you have to do or you will leave this world and where you go, you won’t be needing (your libido). s o make up your mind!”
“It wasn’t as bad as you think! When you are doing this treatment, the medicine is doing its work and your brain knows what is going on to heal the body. the mind sends signals to your body and you don’t have any urges at all. You won’t have any cravings and you won’t miss it. about 18 months later, (your libido) returns.”
“You just have to go through the process. I would rather wake up every day than to be in a coffin,” he said.
“God gave us this precious gift called life. Make the best of it. Why leave here earlier than He has written in the calendar for you. Don’t let people discourage you from doing something that could save your life. Do it for your family.”
Leslie o Miller, affectionately known as the
“People’s Potcake”, was born on March 24, 1948, to sybil Lockhart and Leroy Miller. He is an inductee into the National sports Hall of fame for his prowess as a track and field athlete. He was a long-standing Member of Parliament for the tall Pines constituency, and he has served in several Cabinet Ministerial posts, including Minister of trade and Industry and Minister of agriculture and Marine resources.
Responsibilities include:
• Grading tests and homework
• Record keeping
• Monitoring student behaviour
• Preparing the classroom for lessons
• Overseeing students during non-classroom times, such as lunch, recess, or field trips
• Supervising group activities
• Working with the lead teacher to monitor class schedules
• Teaching small groups who need additional help or guidance
• Listening to children read, reading to them, or telling them stories
• Helping children who need extra support to complete tasks
• Helping students to adjust, learn and socialise
Requirements or skills:
• A minimum of 2 years experience as a teaching assistant or similar role
• Associate’s degree in education or relevant field is preferred
• Familiarity with school administrative
methods
• Great communication and
• Positive attitude
•
• Firm but kind personality
and
BIG DADDY LAUNCH in Cat Island (left to right) Warren Davis, event organizer; Leslie Miller, former MP and prostate cancer survivor; Dr Greggory Pinto, Urologist; Prime Minister Philip Davis; Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Michael Darville; Dr Alfred Dawes; Vincent McDonald, event host; and Charlie Balentine, Managing Partner, Biospy.
Photo: Karlyle Harris
Message to the future
By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net
MORE than 50 items –– including photos commemorating historical events, banknotes and coins, Androsia fabric, cowbells, cell phones, and a copy of the Bahamian constitution –– will be wrapped in conservation material, stored in a capsule and buried until 2049, when they will be unsealed during the Diamond Jubilee Independence Celebration.
As the country prepares to mark the 51st anniversary of independence next week, the National Independence Secretariat designated today as “national time capsule packing day,” according to secretariat chair Leslia Miller-Brice.
She said Family Island administrators and people from New Providence formed time capsule committees to gather items of historical value that show who Bahamians were before and during the past 50 years.
She said the time capsule initiative is one of the secretariat’s signature events.
The Smithsonian Institute, the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, and this country’s experts at the Department of Archives and the Antiquities, Monuments & Museum Corporation (AMMC) suggested various items for the capsule, including geographical and demographic information on The Bahamas; funeral and other
special event programmes; stamps, maps, and photographs; copies of letters, awards, or certificates; lyrics to popular songs; and memorabilia from the 50th Independence Anniversary celebrations.
AMMC director Dr Christopher Curry discussed the significance of items expected to be packed in the capsule, such as an interview with Matilda “Millie” RolleRobinson of Yellow Elder, the oldest known Bahamian at 109. He said the interview was important “if you want to capture what life was like at this moment in our country.”
Prime Minister Philip Davis and some students wrapped items yesterday at the Office of the Prime Minister. Mr Davis suggested that if he participated in the initiative as a child, he would have included marbles or a spinning top.
“We’ve lost all of that. We’ve lost a lot of those things, as history will tell you, there’s much about the ancient civilization of Africa where civilisation emanated from that we’ve lost today because there’s no mechanism to continue to connect the past with the future,” he said.
“If that happened, we would know how to build a pyramid. We’d have the plans and the designs to build a pyramid, so this effort, I think, is very important.”
The Tribune understands that a time capsule will be buried in each district in The Bahamas.
of Buen Retiro Road, Nassau, The Bahamas who died at her residence on Wednesday 26th June, 2024 will be held at Calvary Bible Church, Collins Avenue, Nassau on Thursday, 4th July, 2024 at 11:00 a.m.
Pastor Rob Elliott will officiate and interment will follow in Ebenezer Methodist Cemetery, East Shirley Street, Nassau.
She was predeceased in death by her beloved husband, Charles Edward Carey, Jr.
Joan is survived by her sons, Charles (Doug Schoettle) and Christopher (Karen) Carey; daughters, Loree (Dave) Stephens and Elaine (David) Cates; grandsons, Nathan Cates and Luke Carey; granddaughters, Diana Stephens, Leah (Saad Mansoor) Stephens, Rachel (Matthew) White, Elizabeth Cates, and Laura Carey; great-grandson, Eli Mansoor; great-granddaughter, Sylvia White; brothers, Raymond (Evie) and Andrew (Annie) Rogers; sister, Margaret Rose Kanitsch; brother-inlaw, Billy Albury; and many other relatives and close friends.
The family extends heartfelt thanks to her caregivers, Geralen Ocampo, Tameka Beverley Brown and Emilienne McKenzie.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Calvary Bible Church for Operation-in-as-much. Calvary Bible Food Bank, P.O. Box SS6106, Nassau, Bahamas in her memory.
Arrangements by Kemp’s Funeral Home Limited.
StudentS writing their wishlists to place inside a time capsule, along with a variety of other items, for 25 years, to be opened for the Diamond Jubilee Independence in 2049.
Mackaya Paul writing her wishlist to look back at in 25 years. Photo: chappell Whyms Jr
Beryl makes landfall as Category 4 hurricane on Carriacou in Grenada
SAN JUAN Associated Press
a DanGerOuS and extremely powerful Hurricane Beryl made landfall Monday on the caribbean island of carriacou after becoming the earliest storm of category 4 strength to form in the atlantic, fuelled by record warm waters.
Winds up to 150 mph (240 kph), just shy of a category 5 storm, blew off roofs, uprooted trees and caused other damage on carriacou, one of the islands of Grenada, and elsewhere in the southeast caribbean.
“This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation,” the uS national Hurricane center said.
Hurricane warnings remained in effect for Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines as thousands of people hunkered down in homes and shelters.
The last strong hurricane to hit the southeast caribbean was Hurricane ivan 20 years ago, which killed dozens of people in Grenada.
nBc radio in St. Vincent and the Grenadines said it received reports of roofs being torn off churches and schools as communications began collapsing across the southeast caribbean.
“Jesus christ!” a woman yells in a video that shows tin roofs flying through the air. in nearby Grenada, officials received “reports of devastation” from carriacou and surrounding islands, said Terence Walters, Grenada’s national disaster coordinator. Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said he would travel to carriacou as soon as it’s safe, noting that there’s been an “extensive” storm surge.
Grenada officials had to evacuate patients to a lower floor after hospital roof was damaged, he said.
“There is the likelihood of even greater damage,” he told reporters. “We have no choice but to continue to pray.”
On Monday afternoon, Beryl was about 65 miles (105 kilometres) northwest of the island of Grenada, moving west-northwest at 20 mph (31 kph).
in Barbados, officials received more than a dozen reports of roof damage, fallen trees and downed electric posts across the island, said Kerry Hinds,
emergency management director. Wilfred abrahams, minister of home affairs and information, said drones — which are faster than crews fanning across the island — would assess damage once Beryl passes. a tropical storm warning was in effect for St. Lucia and Martinique. a tropical storm watch was issued for Haiti’s entire southern coast, and from Punta Palenque in the Dominican republic west to the border with Haiti. a hurricane watch was issued for Jamaica.
Forecasters warned of a life-threatening storm surge of up to 9 feet (3 meters) in areas where Beryl made landfall, with 3 to 6 inches (7.6 to 15 centimetres) of rain for Barbados and nearby islands and possibly 10 inches in some areas (25 centimetres), especially in Grenada and the Grenadines.
The storm was expected to weaken slightly over the
caribbean Sea on a path that would take it just south of Jamaica and later toward Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula as a category 1.
“Beryl is forecast to remain a significant hurricane during its entire trek across the caribbean region,” the national Hurricane center said.
Officials in some southeast caribbean islands announced controlled power outages and warned of water cuts ahead of the storm, as well as landslides and flash floods. Schools, airports and government offices shuttered.
Hours before the storm, Barbadian Michael Beckles said he still feared the worst for his island.
“as prepared as we can try to be, there are a lot of things that we can’t control,” he said. “There are a lot of houses that are not ready for a storm like this.”
Historic hurricane
Beryl strengthened from
a tropical depression to a major hurricane in just 42 hours — a feat accomplished only six other times in atlantic hurricane history, and with Sept. 1 as the earliest date, according to hurricane expert Sam Lillo. it also was the earliest category 4 atlantic hurricane on record, besting Hurricane Dennis, which became a category 4 storm on July 8, 2005.
Beryl amassed its strength from record warm waters that are hotter now than they would be at the peak of hurricane season in September, said hurricane specialist and storm surge expert Michael Lowry.
Beryl also marked the farthest east that a hurricane has formed in the tropical atlantic in June, breaking a record set in 1933, according to Philip Klotzbach, colorado State university hurricane researcher.
On Sunday night, Beryl formed a new eye, or centre, something that
usually weakens a storm slightly as it grows larger in area. experts say it’s now back to strengthening.
Jaswinderpal Parmar of Fresno, california, who had travelled to Barbados for Saturday’s Twenty20 World cup cricket final, said he and his family were now stuck there with scores of other fans, their flights cancelled on Sunday.
He said by phone that it’s the first time he has experienced a hurricane — he and his family have been praying, as well as taking calls from concerned friends and family as far away as india.
“We couldn’t sleep last night,” Parmar, 47, said.
Looking ahead
even as Beryl bore down on the southeast caribbean, government officials warned about a cluster of thunderstorms mimicking the hurricane’s path that have a 70% chance of becoming a tropical depression.
“There’s always a concern when you have back-to-back storms,” Lowry said. “if two storms move over the same area or nearby, the first storm weakens the infrastructure, so the secondary system doesn’t need to be as strong to have serious impacts.”
Beryl is the second named storm in the atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to nov. 30. earlier this month, Tropical Storm alberto made landfall in northeast Mexico and killed four people.
The national Oceanic and atmospheric administration predicts the 2024 hurricane season is likely to be well above average, with between 17 and 25 named storms. The forecast calls for as many as 13 hurricanes and four major hurricanes. an average atlantic hurricane season produces 14 named storms, seven of them hurricanes and three major hurricanes.
How the hot water that fuelled Hurricane Beryl foretells a scary storm season
Associated Press
Hurricane Beryl’s explosive growth into an unprecedented early whopper of a storm shows the literal hot water the atlantic and caribbean are in right now and the kind of season they can expect, experts said.
Beryl smashed various storm records even before its major hurricane level winds approached land. The powerful storm is acting more like monsters that form in the peak of hurricane season thanks mostly to water temperatures as hot or hotter than the region normally gets in September, five hurricane experts told The associated Press.
Beryl set the record for earliest category 4 with winds of at least 130 mph (209 kilometres per hour) — the first-ever category 4 in June. it also was the earliest storm to rapidly intensify with wind speeds jumping 63 mph (102 kph) in 24 hours, going from an unnamed depression to a category 4 in 48 hours.
Beryl is on an unusually southern path, especially for a major hurricane, said university at albany atmospheric scientist Kristen corbosiero.
corbosiero.
Sea surface temperatures in the atlantic and caribbean “are above what the average September (peak season) temperature should be looking at the last 30-year average,” Masters said.
it’s not just hot water at the surface that matters. The ocean heat content — which measures deeper water that storms need to keep powering up — is way beyond record levels for this time of year and at what the September peak should be, Mcnoldy said.
“So when you get all that heat energy you can expect some fireworks,” Masters said.
climate change does to hurricanes, but have come to an agreement that it makes them more prone to rapidly intensifying, as Beryl did, and increase the strongest storms, like Beryl. emanuel said the slowdown of atlantic ocean currents, likely caused by climate change, may also be a factor in the warm water. a brewing La nina, which is a slight cooling of the Pacific that changes weather worldwide, also may be a factor. experts say La nina tends to depress high altitude crosswinds that decapitate hurricanes.
“Beryl is unprecedentedly strange,” said Weather underground co-founder Jeff Masters, a former government hurricane meteorologist who flew into storms. “it is so far outside the climatology that you look at it and you say, ‘How did this happen in June?’” Get used to it. Forecasters predicted months ago it was going to be a nasty year and now they are comparing it to record busy 1933 and deadly 2005 — the year of Katrina, rita, Wilma and Dennis.“This is the type of storm that we expect this
it made landfall Monday on the island of carriacou with winds of up to 150 mph (240 kph), just shy of a top category 5 storm, and is expected to plow through the islands of the southeast caribbean.
year, these outlier things that happen when and where they shouldn’t,” university of Miami tropical weather researcher Brian Mcnoldy said. “not only for things to form and intensify and reach higher intensities, but increase the likelihood of rapid intensification. all of that is just coming together right now, and this won’t be the last time.”
colorado State university hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach called Beryl “a harbinger potentially of more interesting stuff coming down the pike. not that Beryl isn’t interesting in and of itself, but
even more potential threats and more — and not just a one off — maybe several of these kinds of storms coming down later.”
The water temperature around Beryl is about 2 to 3.6 degrees (1 to 2 degrees celsius) above normal at 84 degrees (29 celsius), which “is great if you are a hurricane,” Klotzbach said.
Warm water acts as fuel for the thunderstorms and clouds that form hurricanes. The warmer the water and thus the air at the bottom of the storm, the better the chance it will rise higher in the atmosphere and create deeper thunderstorms, said the university at albany’s
This year, there’s also a significant difference between water temperature and upper air temperature throughout the tropics.
The greater that difference is, the more likely it becomes that storms will form and get bigger, said MiT hurricane expert Kerry emanuel. “The atlantic relative to the rest of the tropics is as warm as i’ve seen,” he said.
atlantic waters have been unusually hot since March 2023 and record warm since april 2023.
Klotzbach said a high pressure system that normally sets up cooling trade winds collapsed then and hasn’t returned.
corbosiero said scientists are debating what exactly
La nina also usually means more hurricanes in the atlantic and fewer in the Pacific. The eastern Pacific had zero storms in May and June, something that’s only happened twice before, Klotzbach said.
Globally, this may be a below average year for tropical cyclones, except in the atlantic.
On Sunday night, Beryl went through eyewall replacement, which usually weakens a storm as it forms a new center, corbosiero said. But now the storm has regained its strength.
“This is sort of our worst scenario,” she said. “We’re starting early, some very severe storms. .. unfortunately, it seems like it’s playing out the way we anticipated.”
Hurricane Beryl’s winds batter Carlisle Bay in Bridgetown, Barbados, yesterday.
Photo: ricardo Mazalan/AP
residents cover the windows of their home in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Beryl in Bridgetown, Barbados,on Sunday.
Photo: ramon espinosa/AP
ORGANISERS PLEASED WITH TURNOUT AT BAHAMAS BODYBUILDING WELLNESS AND FITNESS FEDERATION FUN RUN/WALK RACE
DUE to the weather, the Bahamas Bodybuilding Wellness and Fitness Federation had to reschedule its Fun Run/Walk race from June 15 to June 29. But newly appointed president Wellington Sears said they were quite pleased with the turnout. He noted their executives were really pleased with the cross section of persons from the community, who participated in the event that started at Goodman’s Bay and traveled towards BahaMar Hotel. From there, they turned north toward the former site known as “Melia” before they turned around and headed back to Goodsman Bay.
While the registration was free, the BBWF, headed by Wellington ‘Cat’ Sears, received a donation from persons who contributed to the expenses for Team Bahamas traveling to compete at the Central
American and Caribbean Bodybuilding Championships later this year.
Interested persons wishing to make a contribution to the BBWFF are urged to contact Sears at 557-2600.
16
Native Baptist Church.
The registration fee is $200 per team that will include a maximum of 28 players, including the manager and coach. Interested persons are urged to contact federation president Brent Stubbs at 426-71265 or tournament director Thomas Sears at 424-2888 for more information.
BASEBALL FORD CAMP
THE Mario Ford Summer Baseball Camp started yesterday and is scheduled to run through July 12 at Windsor Park. The camp will be held daily from 9am to 1pm. It’s opened to boys and girls ages 7-15 years old. For more information, persons can contact Ford at 556-0993.
PEACE ON DA STREETS
BASKETBALL
THE annual Peace On Da Streets Basketball Classic, dubbed “Shooting Hoops instead of Guns,” is scheduled for July 15-21 at the Michael ‘Scooter Reid” Basketball Center at the Hope Center. All games start at 6pm daily. Categories include 12-and-under, 16-andunder, 20-and-under, government ministry, church and open divisions. The event is being promoted by Guardian Radio and Radio House Outreach.
CLERGY VS POLITICIANS
AS part of the Peace ON Da Streets Classic, organisers will once again stage the showdown between members of the Clergy against the Members of Parliament. The game is scheduled for 8pm Sunday, July 21 at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.
76ers make a splash with $400m in contracts for George and Maxey
By DAN GELSTON AP Sports Writer
PHILADELPHIA (AP)
— Paul George ditched LA and decided to help form a new Big Three in Philly with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Of course, Maxey needed to stick around to complete the talented trio — and the Philadelphia 76ers went all in on lavish, long-term contracts to make that happen.
Up first, George agreed overnight to a four-year, $212 million free-agent contract after the nine-time All-Star spurned the Los Angeles Clippers. Maxey was on deck, and the firsttime All-Star soon agreed in principle by sunrise yesterday to a five-year, $204 million extension.
The 76ers threw down the gauntlet while most of the NBA was sleeping — committing more than $400 million in salary to two players they believe position them as the top contender to dethrone the NBA champion Boston Celtics.
Here they come, team of the year?
Hold up.
The 76ers have been down this high-priced, highexpectations road before without a championship to show for their efforts.
They have failed to find the right pieces to field a winner around their franchise player Embiid, falling short in their star hunting with Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler, James Harden, Al Horford and a list that goes on and on.
They’ll try again, this time with George in tow — not as the elite centrepiece
he was asked to be in the past with Indiana, Oklahoma City and the Clippers, but in a complementary role to Embiid, hopeful his 34-year-old legs can hold up over the long haul to ease some of the burden on the 2023 NBA MVP. The 76ers were a bottom feeder when Embiid was hurt last season — and he’s often injured — so rolling the dice on a player widely considered the best available on the free-agent market was a chance team president Daryl Morey was willing to take.
George and Maxey intend to sign their contracts shortly after the league’s moratorium on signings is lifted on Saturday, a person with knowledge of the deals told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not yet finalised.
Though the ink hasn’t hit the contracts yet, the 76ers already are a sports betting darling, jumping to an 8-1 favourite to win the 2025 title behind Boston and Denver, per BetMGM Sportsbook.
“We’re planning on being the best team in the East next season,” Morey said last week during the draft.
George at least should keep them in the mix in the East and give them a viable No. 1 scoring option when Embiid is out.
The 76ers finished 31-8 in the regular season with Embiid — about a 65-win pace — and a woeful 16-27 without him.
The Sixers were a playin tournament team this season and lost to New York in the first round. The Knicks also made an
early splash in their bid to remain in the championship picture. They agreed to a $210 million deal with OG Anunoby and are set to acquire Mikal Bridges from Brooklyn in deals that only increased the pressure on Morey to take a big swing at the free-agent fence.
Morey and the 76ers devised this plan as far back as a year ago when they asked Maxey to play out the final year of his rookie contract and wait a summer for an extension to free up the salary cap space needed to pursue free agents. Morey then took on only expiring contracts and draft picks in his deals throughout the season — notably in trading Harden to the Clippers and signing veteran Kyle Lowry to a short-term deal
— that left the 76ers with essentially only Embiid and Maxey as the lone key holdovers on the roster once the season ended and roughly $65 million in cap space this summer.
“This offseason’s a big one,” Morey said after the 76ers were knocked out of the playoffs. “I owe it to the fans, to ownership, to everybody to get this team where we’re in a place where we’re competing for championships.”
George — who has averaged 20.8 points over a 14-year career — wanted to move on from the Clippers and declined a player option in his contract for $48.8 million in 2024-2025 that ended a five-year stretch with the team in which he averaged at least 21.5 points each season.
The Clippers’ attempt at winning it all with their Big Three of George, Kawhi Leonard and Harden fell flat. “The gap was significant,” the Clippers said Sunday night in a news release. “We understand and respect Paul’s decision to look elsewhere for his next contract.” He looked all the way across the U.S. to Philadelphia.
George joins a Sixers team that has been a perennial underachiever, even as Embiid blossomed into one of the top players in the NBA. Philadelphia has not won an NBA title since 1983 or even advanced out of the second round of the playoffs since 2001. Embiid, set to play this summer for Team USA at the Paris Olympics, fuelled rumours that George was headed to Philly during a TV appearance together during the NBA Finals.
“Hopefully this offseason, we find a way to get better, and you know,” Embiid said, pausing to side-eye George, “add some pieces.”
The 76ers did strengthen their roster with the expected addition of centre Andre Drummond and Eric Gordon and the return of Kelly Oubre Jr. in more deals expected to be announced as early as Saturday. The 76ers are also high on first-round draft pick Jared McCain out of Duke. And George is an upgrade in talent over the departed — and muchmaligned — Tobias Harris. Maxey was named the league’s most improved player this season. His
scoring rose for the third consecutive year, and he finished the regular season averaging 25.9 points, 6.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game — all career bests.
George is a six-time member of the All-NBA Team. He’s a four-time member of the NBA AllDefensive Team and was the league’s most improved player in 2013. He was a finalist for both NBA MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in 2019, when he led the league with 2.21 steals per contest. George also has never played in an NBA Finals. Much like Embiid’s, George’s injury history should give the 76ers reason for some concern. George played 76 games last season, the first time he played more than 56 since 2018-19.
Still, with few available options, and money to burn, the 76ers had little choice but to chase an aging — yet still elite — star such as George.
“It’s a big offseason for us,” Morey said in May.
“We obviously have two great studs to build around in Joel and Tyrese.” They hope they found a third one in George.
76ERS’ Tyrese Maxey (0) looks to pass during the first half of Game 5 in an NBA first-round playoff series against the New York Knicks on April 30, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
LOS Angeles Clippers forward Paul George (13) dunks during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks in Los Angeles, Sunday, March 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
PHILADELPHIA 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey (0) goes up to shoot against Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo, top, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, March 18, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Bahamas girls sport 2-0 record in pool play after beating Bermuda
THE Bahamas girls’ team have a 2-0 record in pool play after winning today over Bermuda. The talented team of Marina Bostwick, Danielle Saunders and Ellie Nash have won 2-1 over Bermuda. Saunders did not give up a game, winning 6-0, 6-0. Bostwick, playing in the number one position, also got the win 6-0, 6-2. Saunders and Ellie Nash teamed up and played hard but lost 4-6, 3-6. Nonetheless, The Bahamas would win the tie 2-1 vs Bermuda.
The team won over the Dominican Republic 3-0 and will have two more matches in their pool versus Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic team 1 - the host nation has two teams in the competition. On the boys’ side, the team has put in a strong effort despite being 0-2 in pool play. The team consists of Kingston Rees, Harrison Van Onselen, Oliver Van Onselen and Coach Marvin Rolle. Harrison Van Onselen came out yesterday victorious versus the host nation Dominican Republic 6-2,
6-4. Rees played hard but came up short in his singles. It came down to doubles once again with the Van Onselen brothers teaming up and they played hard but lost 1-6, 5-7. Yesterday, the team played Bermuda and it came down to doubles where they lost 1-2.
The Bahamas boys team is now 0-2 but will have some more chances to display their talent as they face Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico next.
The BLTA wishes both teams much success as they continue to play strong.
NAOMI OSAKA WINS AT WIMBLEDON FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 6 YEARS, AND COCO GAUFF MOVES ON, TOO
By HOWARD FENDRICH
AP Tennis Writer
WIMBLEDON, England
(AP) — Naomi Osaka had not won a match at Wimbledon in six years. Hadn’t even played there in five. Grass courts never were her favourite surface.
Twelve months ago at this time, Osaka was off the tour while becoming a mother — her daughter, Shai, turns 1 today — and recalls flipping on the TV in the hospital and seeing a certain Grand Slam event on the screen.
“I’m just really excited to be here,” Osaka said yesterday after pulling out a 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 victory over Diane Parry in the first round at the All England Club by taking the last two games from 4-all in the third set. “It’s funny, because Wimbledon was the first tournament I watched after pregnancy.”
On a day when there was plenty of focus away from the courts and instead on the health and status of various players who have been ranked No. 1 and won multiple major championships — tournament favourite
Aryna Sabalenka and Victoria Azarenka, each a two-time Australian Open winner dealing with a bum shoulder, withdrew hours before they were due on court; Andy Murray, twice a titlist at Wimbledon, was trying to decide whether to compete less than 10 days after surgery to remove a cyst from his spinal cord — another person fitting that description, Osaka, was making a happy return.
She’s won the U.S. Open and Australian Open twice apiece on hard courts, but never has been past the third round on either Wimbledon’s grass or the French Open’s clay. Osaka had not entered Wimbledon since a first-round loss in 2019, and while she’s topped the WTA in the past, she is now No. 113 in the rankings after being off the tour for 15 months until returning in January.
Before facing the 53rdranked Parry, Osaka said, she was sifting through pictures on her phone.
“They have that feature, ‘This time last year.’ I was looking at that. I was looking at photos of myself in the hospital. It’s really cool to be here now,” Osaka said. “My mindset last year was just trying to survive. Honestly, I didn’t really know what was going on after I gave birth; just trying to piece myself back together.”
Other big names who won on Day 1 at Wimbledon included reigning U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff, 2021 U.S. Open winner Emma Raducanu and three-time major champion Carlos Alcaraz, all on Centre Court. Alcaraz began his title defence feeling a bit jittery, he said afterward, but came through with a 7-6 (3), 7-5, 6-2 victory over Estonian qualifier Mark Lajal.
“I still get nerves when I am playing here,” said Alcaraz, who won the French Open last month to become, at 21, the youngest man with a major trophy on three surfaces. “I practiced 45 minutes on Thursday, and it’s the first time that I was nervous in a practice — just because I’m playing here.”
Lajal (pronounced laYAHL), who’s a week
younger, was making his Grand Slam debut and felt it to his core, too.
“Two days before, I felt like I was going to throw up, I was so stressed,” said Lajal, who actually went up a break in each of the first two sets.
“When I found out who I was playing, and where I was playing, I was super excited. But as it sunk in — what I would be doing and who I was going to be playing — I was stressed about playing in front of such a huge crowd on one of the biggest stages in tennis.”
A year after a first-round exit at Wimbledon, Gauff eliminated Caroline Dolehide 6-1, 6-2.
Raducanu was a 7-6 (0), 6-3 winner against Renata Zarazua, a late replacement when No. 22 Ekaterina Alexandrova pulled out because of an unspecified illness.
Thinking back to her 2023 loss to 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, Gauff said: “It was a very tough moment for me.
I’m a little bit emotional.”
But the All England Club also brings back good memories for the 20-yearold American, whose initial Slam appearance came after becoming the event’s
youngest qualifier at 15 in 2019.
“Wimbledon is the place — I wouldn’t say where the dream started,” Gauff said, “but maybe where I believed the dream was possible.”
From a tennis perspective, Osaka had a real breakthrough at Roland Garros in May — although the end result was a loss.
Osaka pushed current No. 1 Iga Swiatek to the brink in Paris, leading 5-2 in the third set, serving for the victory at 5-3, even standing one point from victory, before the eventual tournament champion managed to eke out a 7-6 (1), 1-6, 7-5 second-round win. That was the only set Swiatek lost in
what would become an otherwise dominant run to her fourth French Open trophy in five years.
“I, personally, was absolutely gutted, to be honest, because I thought she was going to win. ... But I was also happy for her and proud of her. And she was extremely upbeat,” said Stuart Duguid, Osaka’s agent. “I don’t think she took it as a match where, ‘I had a match point.’ She took it more as she got some belief back that she can beat the top players.”
Osaka called Monday’s match against Parry “a little up-and-down” and “really fun and really stressful at the same time.” She had more than twice as many
winners as Parry, 34 to 14, but also twice as many unforced errors, 38 to 19.
Still, Osaka considers herself a work-in-progress and some of that entails allowing herself to make mistakes, to cede a game here and there, and not be too bothered.
“I know that I didn’t play bad. I think I just put too much pressure on myself that I need to win all the games — that I can’t be broken and things like that,” she said.
“When that eventually happened, I felt like I doubted myself, even though I knew my game plan going in. So that’s kind of what I just did in the third set.”
COACH Paula Whitfield with The Bahamas girls’ team.
COCO GAUFF, of the United States, reacts after winning a point against compatriot Caroline Dolehide during their first round match of the Wimbledon tennis championships yesterday. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
NAOMI OSAKA, of Japan, plays a backhand return to Diane Parry of France during their first round match of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Monday, July 1, 2024.
(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
‘Lonnie’ Greene to coach Devynne Charlton and American Masai Russell at the same time
FROM PAGE 16
Budapest, Charlton lowered her national record to 12.24. Charton won the Bahamas National Championship title on Thursday in 12.62.
As far as their preparation goes, Greene said he will have them back in Lexington on Wednesday to get ready for Paris and, as usual, there won’t be any discrimination.
“There’s no level of separation between the two. We steer the course. We just do what we’ve been doing and there is nothing that will divide us or not allow God to do what he’s doing for us.
“They are good friends. This is not their first rodeo. They were both in Budapest (at the World Championships last year) and they were there for the World Indoors. So it’s up to them to bring the dream that God has shown them to a reality.”
Budapest was somewhat disappointing for both athletes as Charlton finished where no athlete liked to be, sitting in fourth place just missing getting on the podium, while Russell failed to complete her semifinal race.
Forward to the Worlds Indoors in Glasgow, Scotland where they both redeemed themselves, only this time it was Charlton that emerged as the “Queen” of the corp with her world record breaking performance for the gold and unfortunately, it was Russell who ended up in that dreaded position in fourth place.
“It’s up to them,” said Greene on how both competitors will write their script in Paris. “I tell young people all the time, God will always show you a vision. When God shows you your dream, you have to be able to walk it out.”
Greene said the good thing about the pair is that they are the “perfect training duo. They push each other. They hold each other accountable. They do it all together,” he stated.
“I’ve told them both that they can threaten the world
record. They just have to let it all out of them,” he said.
“It’s just a matter of waiting to see if what God gave me will manifest in their lives and I believe it will.”
Charlton, the Bahamian national record holder, said it speaks volumes for Greene as a coach and that is the reason why she made the move from West Lafayette, Indiana after she graduated from Purdue to Lexington to continue to train with him at the University of Kentucky with Russell.
“When both Masai and I came to him as freshmen in college we were not running anywhere close to the times we are running today,” she pointed out.
“The potential was there, but he definitely tapped into it and developed us as elite world-class athletes.”
Now as pro athletes, Charlton said it’s a lot of fun competing with and against Russell.
“We train together and we have that friendship together,” she stated.
“But when it’s race day, we put that aside and we do what we do in practice and that is push each other.
“I think because she’s such a good competitor, it’s something that I strive for. I love being pushed and she has been able to push me and I’ve pushed her in practice and in competition.”
Reflecting on Greene’s claim that either one of them could challenge for the world record, Charlton said it was quite
evident in Glasgow where she was able to put her race together and come out on top, while Russell had to endure a slight mishap that denied her a spot on the podium.
“I think if that didn’t happen for her, we probably would have been trying to out-lean each other at the line,” Charlton said.
“So I expect the same thing outdoors as we look forward to the Olympics.”
Nobody likes to lose, but Charlton said she feels that whoever comes out on top, they will both respect each other because of the mutual relationship that they aleady enjoy.
“When you witness the work ethic and the hours somebody puts into perfecting their craft, you can understand the results that she gets,” Charlton said. “But the good thing is that we support each other no matter what happens.”
As they head into Paris, Greene said there’s always work to be done and he will safeguard their strength and weaknesses to his heart until they are done with the competition.
“There’s always work to be done. The hurdles is an event where you run it 10 times, more than likely 10 times you will have different results,” Greene pointed out.
“It’s that competitive. So any given day, it could be either Devynne or Masai. I would prefer not to say anything about their preparation because someone
ADENA WEBSTER NAMED BRAND AMBASSADOR FOR ALKA BOOST WATER
FROM PAGE 16
points with 10 rebounds and assists per game and she was named the 2A Player of the Year in the state of Florida.
Webster said it’s just the beginning.
“My future plans will always include keeping God first, having faith and staying dedicated while I continue to strive for greatness,” she stated.
“A big goal of mine is to become a physical
therapist with plans to open my own practice.
“I will continue to open doors for others behind me, while using my platform to represent the brands I am associated with in a positive way.”
could counteract that on the day.”
The first round of the women’s 100m hurdles will take place on Wednesday, August 7 with the semifinals on Friday, August 9 and the final on Saturday, August 10.
Before they head to Paris, Greene disclosed that both competitors will go headto-head in a pair of meets in the US at the Holloway Invitational in Gainesville, Florida and War Murphy in Memphis, Tennessee before they head to Paris.
He noted that it’s less taxing on them to travel to and from Europe before
they have to go back to Paris for the games.
Greene, who is expected to be in Paris as a coach, whether with the Bahamian team or not, said it’s going to be a great event for the duo at the games.
“That’s my belief,” he summed up. Meanwhile, Charlton said she thoroughly enjoyed her trip home and competing in the Nationals where she held off fellow Bahamian Olympic-bound teammates Charisma Taylor and Denisha Cartwright.
“It’s always great to be back home because I got to see all of the people
who have been supporting me and thanking them in person for everything,” she said.
“It’s also good to be able to compete in front of the home crowd. It’s not something that I always get to do so I just don’t want to take those types of moments for granted, so I just want to go out there and perform my best every time I do.”
Hopefully, Charlton will give the Bahamian public a lot more to cheer for when she competes at the Olympics next month - win, lose or draw - against her training partner and of course her Bahamian team-mates.
FROM PAGE 16
ADENA Webster with her Alka Boost five gallon water bottle.
MASAI Russell is embraced by coach Rolando “Lonnie” Greene.
BAHAMIAN Devynne Charlton in action.
Passion for the future
”BEING educated gave me a new outlook on life, a sense of belonging and a desire to explore more about myself and what I can achieve with the help of the Almighty God.”
These were the sentiments expressed by Jessica Storr-Myers, a mother, wife, community builder and a 2022 graduate of the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI). She was among the class of students to participate in BTVI’s historic, first graduation ceremony in North Andros.
Jessica, a community leader and activist by heart, began her higher education journey back in 2020, receiving a BTVI certificate in office administration. She began the journey as a 37-year-old mother of three, initially unsure of where to start and how it would pan out.
The degree adds to her long list of achievements over the years. Jessica is a member of Caribbean Women in Leadership (CwiL) Bahamas National Chapter and BTVI Alumni Association. She is also a member of the Andros Community Emergency Response Team.
Among other achievements, Jessica is certified in disaster risk reduction.
“The passion to serve my country and community has always been paramount to anything else,” she said.
Further, Jessica attributed her success in many aspects of life to her experience at BTVI, adding that she gained leadership skills and strengthened her problem-solving and time management skills.
“BTVI’s programme has taught me how to navigate all the different resources that make a business a welloiled machine,” said the Andros native.
The BTVI Story
Because of her warm experiences with instructors and staff, Jessica described BTVI as, “Not only a reputable institution, but family.”
She explained that the instructors were supportive and the curriculum was “curated to meet all my professional needs.”
“Indeed, my time at BTVI has prepared me for my current studies,” she stated.
Jessica’s story is one that is still being written and she is excited for what the future holds with her newfound passion for educational growth. It is her hope to continue to be a pillar in her community and country at large, sharing the knowledge and skills she would have gathered over the years.
• “The BTVI Story” is a bi-weekly column which highlights the who, what and why of the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI), a tertiary institution where individuals ‘Discover the Possibilities’ related to various trades. The column is produced by BTVI’s Office of Public Relations.
DESTINATION MEXICO
THREE University of the Bahamas students will travel to Mexico for a four-week Spanish language immersion programme at the Centre for Linguistic and Multicultural Studies at Universidad Internacional in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.
The seniors heading to Mexico on July 7 are Andrea Johnson, who is pursuing a Bachelors in secondary education and Spanish; Abagail Neely, Bachelors in Spanish student; and Daphcarr Pepe, who is pursuing a Bachelors in accounting.
The Universidad Internacional programme is designed to develop fluency in Spanish conversation by focusing on four main skills: listening comprehension, reading, conversation, and
writing. Classes run on a “group of five” system, where there are no more than five students assigned to one professor, resulting in students getting dedicated and personal attention.
The Association of International Banks and Trust Companies (AIBT) sponsored the student’s trip and since 2013 has sponsored language and cultural immersions for a total of 15 university students. The Spanish Language Immersion initiative is a key component of AIBT’s ongoing professional development efforts. In addition to the Spanish immersion programme, AIBT has arranged industry internships across the sector for 30 students, with ten going on to obtain fulltime employment in the industry.
Inspiring the NexGen
THE young men in the NexGen mentorship programme paid a visit to Governor General Cynthia Pratt as part of the programme’s commitment to nurturing young talent through meaningful interactions with esteemed figures in society.
The programme aims to empower the next generation of leaders by providing them with unparalleled opportunities for growth and inspiration and equip young men with invaluable insights and experiences crucial for their personal and professional development.
Senator Ronald Duncombe, founder of NexGen Mentorship, said the
programme exposes young men to “real-world” leadership and helps develop their understanding of civic responsibility.
“At NexGen, we believe in the transformative power of mentorship,” said Mr Duncombe.
“Our programme not only connects young leaders with influential mentors but also exposes them to real-world leadership experiences that shape their understanding of civic responsibility and societal impact.”
For more information about NexGen Young Men Mentorship Programme and its initiatives, visit www. nexgenprogram.com or contact nexgenprogram@gmail. com.
TAMBEARLY SCORING HIGH
TAMBEARLY International School’s Advanced Placement programme students score in the top 99 per- centile of all senior level students taking the SAT college admissions test in The Bahamas.
The school has seen students score in the top 99 per- centile for the past three year, which is no small feat as the high school programme saw its first graduating class in 2020.
The students have been recognised by the College Board for receiving exceptional scores that reflect dedi- cation, discipline, and the ability to excel academically.
JESSICA STORR-MYERS
SPORTS
TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2024
Greene to coach Charlton and Russell
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
After coaching them in college, the World Championships and the World Indoor Championships, Rolando “Lonnie” Greene can now add the Olympic Games to the list of achievements for Bahamian Devynne Charlton and American Masai Russell.
Both are coming off victories in their specialties in the women’s 100 metre hurdles at the Bahamas Nationals and
USA Olympic trials this weekend.
And they are both considered two of the favourites to watch at the games in Paris, France, from July 27 to August 11. Greene, a Bahamian former athlete turned coach, who coached Charlton at Purdue University and Russell at the University of Kentucky, said the two ladies, who are professional athletes he’s training in Lexington, Kentucky, are just fulfilling the plans that God has in store for them. Charlton, 28, was fifth in the NCAA Championships
MASAI Russell and Devynne Charlton draped with their American and Bahamian flags respectively.
in her final year at Purdue in 2017 where she left her name on every hurdles record.
Last year, Russell, 24, graduated from Kentucky as the NCAA champion and record holder adding to all of the school records she rewrote as well.
“That was our objective from the beginning, but I’m just grateful to the Lord,” said Greene about coaching the two at the same time. “I think both Masai and Devynne can get close to the world record. It’s just a matter of who does it. I told both of them that
ROAD TO PARIS: THE Bahamas Basketball Federation men’s national basketball team is all geared up and ready to compete in
Qualifier today in Valencia, Spain. The team, managed by LJ Rose and coached by Chris DeMarco, will
second game will be played on Wednesday at the same time against Poland. Finland and Poland will play the
out of their pool to play whoever comes out of pool A that includes Lebanon, Angola and Spain. These finals will be
on Sunday. The Bahamas, in winning the Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament last year in Argentina, earned the rights to play in the tournament, However, in order to qualify for the Olympics, the Bahamas will have to duplicate the feat by winning the tournament this weekend. The Olympic Games is scheduled for
27 to August 11 in Paris, France. The men’s basketball team is hoping to become the first team sport to qualify for the Olympics. Should they make
basketball will join swimming and track and field, which already has some qualifiers. The Bahamas Olympic Committee has yet to name the official team, which could include one or two disciplines, whose athletes would have been invited to participate.
THE SPORTS CALENDAR
Scorpions (L) 8:30pm - Renegades vs Chances Mighty Mitts(M) SOFTBALL BBSF TOURNAMENT THE newly formed Bahamas Baptist Sports Federation has pushed back its Co-Ed Softball Invitational Tournament to Saturday, July 6 at the Charles W. Saunders High School, Jean Street. The tournament was delayed from starting on Saturday, June 22, due to the passing of the federation’s director of track and field, Renee “Sunshine” Davis, of Golden Gates
SEE PAGE 11
By Ty Olander
THE Bahamas is a major stop for high profile players. On any given day, somewhere in The Bahamas a high profile player or celebrity is basking in the sun or enjoying a round of golf at one of our top class golf courses.
Just this past weekend, Fred Perpall, the first black president of the USGA, and CEO of the Beck Group, played a round of golf at the world famous course at Albany, with the African American Golfers Hall of Fame newest member, our very own golf pro Glenn Pratt. The significance of this golf outing is far reaching in that Fred Perpall is a Bahamian and the 67th president of the governing body of golf in the United States and the first ever black person to head that organisation.
at the beginning of the season, Devynne broke the world record indoors. I told both of them that they can threaten to break the world record, so they just have to decide who will.” The world record of 12.12 was set by Nigeria’s Toby Amusan at the 2022 World Championships in Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, the same venue where Russell posted her lifetime best of 12.25 for an Olympic trials record. At the last World Championships last year in
PAGE 14
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor
ADENA Webster, one of the bright young prospects for the future of the women’s basketball programme in the Bahamas, has been awarded for what she’s doing now.
The 18-year-old Webster just completed her freshman year at the University of Temple where she is majoring in health professions with plans to become a physical therapist.
But she was named as the brand ambassador for Alka Boost, the first Bahamian selected to promote the company’s products via social media.
If necessary, she would be in attendance to increase brand awareness and sales for the product.
The deal was secured on June 27 through Paradise Hoops, an organisation that Webster also serves as an ambassador.
“Being an athlete, I thought it would be important to represent a water company from The Bahamas,” Webster said. “Not only has it never been done but this is a dream come true. I am truly blessed and grateful that Alka Boost gave me this incredible opportunity.”
Coming off her freshman year, Webster averaged 23.4
While this is an awesome accomplishment, Glenn Pratt was chosen to play a round of golf, but Glenn is also an awe inspiring story in that he was the first ever Bahamian professional inducted into the AfricanAmerican Golfers Hall of
Fame, just recently, while holding the post of The Bahamas Professional Golfers Association’s president for a second
GLENN PRATT, left, and Fred Perpall.