08152023 NEWS AND SPORT

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Volume: 120 No.154, August 15, 2023

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CONTAMINATION FEAR FROM BPL FUEL SPILL

North Andros residents concerned over health impact to groundwater

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

RESIDENTS fear the groundwater in Nicholls Town, North Andros, has been contaminated with diesel, potentially harming the community’s health after a Bahamas Power & Light pipeline leaked large quantities of fuel.

BPL did not report the leak to the public, and

officials would not discuss the status of remediation efforts yesterday, citing ongoing litigation.

Daran Corporation Holdings is suing the power company, alleging its property was contaminated with diesel following the spill.

“BPL had a leak of diesel on their North Andros Power Station, and

SEE PAGE THREE

LAWSUIT CL AIMS SERIOUS HEA LTH RISKS FROM DIESEL

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net

A LAWSUIT accuses Bahamas Power and Light of failing to inform the public about the “serious health risks” associated with a diesel spill that has contaminated the groundwater in an area of Nicholls Town, North Andros.

The legal action alleges

BPL failed to prevent “thousands of gallons of pure diesel being discharged into the soil, bedrock and local water table”.

The lawsuit says BPL has not revealed the amount of diesel spilt from its pipeline, how much oil is in the groundwater and when the fuel would be completely

SEE PAGE THREE A HOLE dug on private property near a BPL facility in North Andros shows wha appears to be fuel or oil in the water. Residents of the area are concerned after a pipeline leak that the water table may be contaminated.

W ILCHCOMBE: VIOL ENCE BILL ADV ICE CONSIDERED

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunmedia.net

SOCIAL Services Minister Obie Wilchcombe vowed to consider the recommendations of women’s rights groups during a consultative meeting about the Protection Against Violence Act yesterday. Whether the legislation was rushed through Parliament remained subject to debate, with

BANNISTER: ‘publish report on bpl station’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

AN EX-DEPUTY prime minister yesterday challenged the Government “in the interests of transparency and accountability” to disclose an engineer’s report justifying the choice of Station A for Bahamas Power & Light’s (BPL) baseload generation.

FULL S TORY - S

UNION QUERIES school repairs with opening WEEKS AWAY

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Union of Teachers president Belinda Wilson wants a report from the Ministry of Works concerning a roof collapse on a building at RM Bailey Senior High School.

SEE PAGE FOUR

Bahamas Union of Teachers president Belinda Wilson saying it was pushed so the government could have “talking points” ahead of the 13th Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting between August 21 and August 23.

Ann Marie Davis, the wife of Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis,

SEE PAGE FOUR

BACK TO SCHOOL

The Tribune’s

16-PAGE SUPPLEMENT INSIDE TODAY

‘Old infrastructure impacting efficiency of young Wartsila generators at BPL’

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Power and Light officials led reporters on a tour of the Clifton Pier power plant yesterday, showing how the young Wartsila engines are surrounded by old infrastructure, impacting the efficiency of the machines.

BPL’s director of energy supply, Anthony Christie, said when his team took over operations of Station A, which houses the Wartsila engines, they encountered numerous problems, some of which affected their ability to maintain the machines.

He said the building was

poorly ventilated. “When you have such high ambient temperatures in the building, you have restrictions on the unit, so a unit might be designed to do 18 megawatts, and it can only do 15 because of the high temperatures,” he said. “So, we have to cool this building in a better way.”

He said BPL plans to install exhaust fans to help cool the temperatures inside the station.

He said certain areas in the facility, including the plant’s basement, were substandard and had equipment that did not work.

“The (basement) floor was pretty much full of oil or water in a large amount

of areas,” he said. “Proper pumping systems were not working down there and that was the first area which we literally focused on to clean up in order to make it safe for staff to go down there.”

During yesterday’s tour, the corroded walls and roofs in the basement were apparent. The Wartsila engines are located upstairs, atop springs bolted onto concrete pedestals. Officials said the vibration of the units caused the walls in that area to crack.

“You have the vibration, you have corrosion, you have temperatures, all of that impacts what is happening to the structure itself,” Mr Christie said.

“And again, this building is aged. It’s very much 40 years plus in age. It would’ve had a lot of impact.”

BPL CEO Shevonn Cambridge previously said the Wartsila engines were designed to be installed within a new building. However, officials changed the plan after a significant fire at the plant in 2018.

Mr Christie said: “If someone asked me what we would’ve done, I think we would’ve wanted to have seven units installed in a new building.”

“We would’ve wanted to have a new boiler. We would’ve wanted to have new separators. We would’ve wanted to have

a new incinerator system, etc. So, a lot of things that should’ve been done in the inception, which may have caused a little more money or extended the time in which they would’ve been online, that would’ve helped us and put us in a better condition to date.”

Mr Christie identified issues with the design of the Wartsilla engines.

“We would’ve found bolts that snap or break,” he said.

“We’ve had more wear and tear on certain components in the crankcase, etc, that needed proper analysis in order to understand the root cause, so it was not a straightforward overhaul as we had planned or envisioned, and that’s why it

would’ve taken us a longer time to complete those and we’re still in the process of doing that.”

Mr Christie said despite the challenges, workers do not feel overwhelmed.

“I think the demand may have put more pressure on us,” he said. “We’ve had, in July, the highest peak we’ve ever recorded. We anticipate normally to have peaks in August, September. We saw that a bit earlier, so when we have that happen, and again, we may have issues unplanned happen, then that impacts us, but we’re not overwhelmed.

I think we have enough expertise on the ground.”

BPL’s director of energy supply, Anthony Christie (pictured), said when his team took over operations of Station A, which houses the Wartsila engines, they encountered numerous problems, some of which affected their ability to maintain the machines.

Photos: Leandra Rolle

THIS area called the ‘basement’ is one floor below the new Wartsila engines and used to house the prior generators.

THE NEW Wartsila generators.

BPL’s director of energy supply, Anthony Christie, said the (basement) floor was pretty much full be of oil or water in a large amount of areas and had to be cleaned up in order to make it safe for staff to go down there.

Contamination fear from North Andros BPL fuel spill

it seeped underground, and what you have is a plume of diesel that’s moving underground,” former Environment Minister Romi Ferreira said yesterday.

“It’s the diesel that came from the power station. The rub is the same, that there are residents nearby who use groundwater as their potable water so it’s a danger to them. It’s also a danger to the nearby shoreline where there’s a beach.”

“There’s a fuel line that runs from the North

Andros Beach Hotel right from the beach, and it extends first underground and then it rises above ground, and it goes all the way to the North Andros Power Station, and that fuel line leaked, and as a result of that leak, the groundwater in that area is contaminated.”

Mr Ferreira, who previously represented the company suing BPL but is not its current lawyer, could not verify whether the pipeline is still leaking. He said BPL made efforts to repair it.

“The reason why I think it’s not still leaking is

because diesel is an expensive product,” he said. “You can’t continually lose that in those large volumes and that not affect your bottom line.”

Mr Ferreira said he examined the fuel leakage with his “own hands” and took photos of the spill.

“Sure enough, there are excavated pits on the site,” he said, “and you can see diesel floating on the water.”

He said everyone using groundwater in Nicholls Town could be affected by the spill, though this depends on which direction the oil moved.

“Once it’s on the water table, even though you can’t see it, it’s still moving around,” he said. “It’s still subject to tidal influence. People who have wells create a pressure that draws that water to them, and in drawing it to them, they draw the plume. The wells suck waters out of the rock, and that suction has a suction cone by which anything that the well is pumping will draw in, and if you do it long enough, you’ll get it.”

Mr Ferreira was instrumental in the passage of the Environmental Planning and Protection Act 2019,

which governs responses to spills and accidental releases.

Department of Environmental Planning and Protection officials could not be reached for comment before press time.

Mr Ferreira believes BPL tried to remediate the spill, but stopped.

“It would be unfair to say that they didn’t try to because when you go to the site, you can see what you would call remediation equipment,” he said. “You would see little tanks set up around the place. You would see wells. You would see where they excavated

trenches so they could get at the diesel to pump it because you can’t pump it without a hole. You could see where they started to do it, but for some reason, they stopped. It’s not resolved because the diesel is still on the water table.”

Mr Ferreira said he did not test the wells to determine whether people had drunk contaminated water. “I do know there is an adjacent community called Nicholls Town because the power station is built in Nicholls Town, and I do know there are guest houses all along that pipeline,” he said.

LAWSUIT CL AIMS SERIOUS HEA LTH RISKS FROM DIESEL

from page one

from page one recovered.

“The logical implication or inference which can be drawn from BPL’s failure to provide full disclosure of information and test results is that BPL has failed to take all proper remediation steps and/ or that the data obtained from the tests and inspection is too damaging to disclose,” the lawsuit claims.

Daran Corporation Holdings LTD sued BPL on May 4, 2023.

The company owns land adjacent to BPL’s power station in North Andros. According to the statement of claim, it is seeking aggravated and/or special damages, general damages for trespass, negligence and/or nuisance, and an indemnity in respect of future claims brought by the company’s staff or customers “and/or any other persons lawfully visiting Daran’s property”.

The claim says BPL generates electricity from diesel generators, “which require a constant source of diesel fuel”.

It says diesel is transported to large storage tanks via an above-ground pipeline that “begins with a fixed mount terminal end on the beach near

the former Andros Beach Hotel dock”. The pipeline then extends westward toward the storage tanks.

“In so doing, most of the pipeline is affixed to land owned by Daran, save and except the portion of the pipeline that is buried under the main road,” the action says.

The claimant alleges an oil spill occurred in June 2019 and January 2022.

After the most recent leak, BPL’s staff allegedly excavated four diesel oil recovery trenches and drenched four monitoring wells “in the north-west portion of Daran’s property”.

The claimant alleges there was a failure to check the pipeline adequately, to adequately or promptly investigate or remedy the spills’ cause, establish an effective remediation plan or decontaminate Daran’s property.

Randy Butler, the former CEO of Sky Bahamas, is Daran Corporation Holding’s president and a director.

In a June 29, 2023, affidavit, he said he met residents of the Nicholls Town community standing near the source of the leak in January 2022.

“Some of the residents had buckets, which they were using to recover

diesel fuel off the ground in areas where it had pooled,” he said. “Staff from the station (including the manager of the station) were present, but they did not intervene with the residents.”

He said the diesel fuel recovery trenches and monitoring wells were installed on Daran’s property without permission.

“The purpose of the recovery trenches is to

access the groundwater table and pump diesel fuel from the surface of the groundwater,” he said. “BPL has never entered an access agreement with Daran, and their acts constitute a trespass.”

Mr Butler said he spoke via phone to Department of Environmental Planning & Protection Director Dr Rhianna Neely on July 22, 2022, to report the spills. He said he did not

receive a satisfactory response after following up with DEPP on August 3, 2022.

“The continued operation of the pipeline, without it being properly tested and certified as leak free, poses an ongoing environmental risk,” he said.

He added that the diesel contamination of the groundwater is “heavy and significant”.

“I believe that BPL has failed to implement a proper, comprehensive remediation plan and has instead sought to resume bunkering activities as quickly and cheaply as possible,” he said. “This is based on BPL’s conduct throughout this incident, the clean-up operation and the failure of BPL to provide information.” BPL declined to comment yesterday.

RESIDENTS fear the groundwater in Nicholls Town, North Andros, has been contaminated with diesel, potentially harming the community’s health after a Bahamas Power & Light pipeline leaked large quantities of fuel.

Wilchcombe: recommendations by Women’s groups on Violence Act will be considered

denied this, calling the legislation a “great step” in the right direction.

Ministry of Social Services officials met with women’s rights advocates yesterday to discuss the possible amendments to the legislation after opposing the bill before it was debated in the House of Assembly last month.

“One of the things that stood out to me was protective care,” Mr Wilchcombe told reporters concerning the group’s recommendations. “They were very concerned about the emphasis in the previous draft bill, and that’s a gender violence bill.”

Mr Wilchcombe said the groups want the provision for protective care to be more explicit. He said the government would have to find a way to incorporate this into the law.

“They were concerned about administration and their involvement, and, of course, international treaties,” he added. “The argument is a very good one where you might be a signatory to an international treaty.”

“We’re all on the same page. They made some recommendations that we believe are worth considering and certainly will be considered through the normal process. We’ll come back within a couple of weeks and discuss with them again and move forward to ensure that once a new session of Parliament begins, we could bring any necessary amendments that we must.”

Lisa Bostwick-Dean, vice president of Women United, mentioned some of their recommendations.

She said the legislation gives the minister too much power and involvement.

“There are also portions of the act which relate to what aid is available to a victim of violence, but they limited it only to victims of sexual violence,” she said. “And we’re saying that the aid that is available should not just be available to victims of sexual violence but as the new act intends to the victims of all violence.”

“There were recommendations with respect to financing that the foundation cannot have politically exposed people or any sort of civil government or civil service person as a director

or officer of the foundation because that will limit what people will donate if they see that there’s government influence in that funding.”

The legislation would establish a Protection Against Violence Foundation to raise funds for the Protection Against Violence Commission. The commission would support victims and liaise with police officers when victims feel they lack cooperation from the police. It would also recommend a national strategic plan to combat and respond to violence. Liaising with the minister of social services to ensure sufficient shelters are available to victims throughout the country would be another objective of the commission.

Mrs BostwickDean said the minister appeared receptive to the recommendations.

“I don’t know how much we’re going to get out of what we recommended,” she said. “But he certainly said when he finished at the end that he heard contributions that he could say right off the top, it was clear that they were going to have to make adjustments for. I don’t know which particular points he was referring to.”

Back-to-school VAT holiday arrives too late to help

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Union of Teachers president Belinda Wilson said the government’s Back-to-School VAT holiday arrives too late in the year to have maximum benefit.

She criticised Education Minister Glenys Hanna Martin, who said the holiday timeline, which ranges from August 19 to September 10, will be beneficial.

“Obviously, if the minister said that was enough time, she does not have children in school,” Mrs Wilson told reporters. “Furthermore, she’s not poor like the people in her constituency who are depending on the little cheque to prepare their children.

“So, tell her to rewind, go in her constituency, do a survey, and she will see that the majority of the parents in the Englerston constituency are awaiting the few dollars to buy their children uniforms.”

Mrs Hanna Martin told The Tribune last week: “The period is August 19 to September 10, a three-week period. I believe it will be extremely helpful to parents in preparing children for school.”

Mrs Wilson said government schools open for most students on August 28, meaning parents who get paid monthly may benefit the least from the holiday.

“Parents who depending on this August salary to prepare their students for school will not have access to those funds,” she said.

“If you open school early, and the parents cannot purchase the uniforms, the lunch, and the books for the students, then they’re not coming to school anyway until the following week. So let common sense prevail and logic.”

Mrs Wilson also said teachers do not have the $250 allowance for school supplies that they were promised.

“School opens next Monday, but teachers don’t have the first dollar in their pockets,” she said. “So if you are preparing for school, the logical thinker would know that you would need the monies in your hands at least by July payday so that you will be prepared for the August school opening.”

She said she spoke to acting director of education Dominique McCartneyRussell and hopes teachers will be paid soon.

UNION QUERIES SCHOOL REPAIRS WITH OPENING WEEKS AWAY

from page one

She said she wants to ensure a certified contractor works on the building, not a crony, relative or lover of someone in the government.

On Wednesday, photos and video clips of the collapsed roof spread on social media, worrying some who

questioned the quality of the construction. “We are looking at the preparation of schools for the new school year, and as I look at several schools, we still have new buildings that are building up to the bell as if they didn’t know that school was opening in a week’s time,” Mrs Wilson said yesterday.

“We have the collapse of a building at RM Bailey, so we definitely are going to be asking for a full report and investigation on that, and we hope that they had put that work out to tender.

“We hope that it was not given to a crony or friend, family or lover, but to a contractor who is skilled, certified, and was able to

do that work in a proper manner.”

Last week, Ministry of Works Permanent Secretary Luther Smith said the ministry would release a statement on the matter, but none has been sent to date. He said the matter would not delay school repairs. He could not be reached before press time.

GG ATTENDS VOLUNTEER BAHAMAS MEETING AND LUNCHEON

GOVERNOR General Sir Cornelius Smith (pictured centre) attended the Volunteer Bahamas meeting followed by a luncheon yesterday at Government House.

Photo: Patrick Hanna/AP

ANN MARIE DAVIS, the wife of Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, denied BUT president Belinda Wilson’s claim that the Protection Against Violence Act was pushed so the government could have “talking points” ahead of the 13th Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting, instead calling the legislation a “great step” in the right direction.

Photo: Moise Amisial

BUT president Belinda Wilson spoke to reporters yesterday concerning the timeliness of the back-to-school VAT holiday as well as raising concerns about the contractor repair RM Bailey High School’s roof which collapsed last week.

Mitchell: ‘Nothing irregular about’ proroguing Parliament

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS AND LETRE SWEETING

Tribune Staff Reporters

FOREIGN Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell said the Davis administration wants to prorogue Parliament more often.

His comment came as he and Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper defended the recent prorogation after criticism from Free National Movement Leader Michael Pintard.

“The prorogation of the House is something that was routinely done in the pre-independence era,” Mr Mitchell said.

“When we came to office in 2021, we agreed to go back to the position where every year, essentially, you reset the agenda by proroguing the House and starting again. There’s nothing irregular about this. There’s no special need to duck anything, none of that.

“They’re actually making much more out of it than it is. And that’s because it’s just unusual to see

it happen. Most of the post-independence prime ministers just had one session. You open Parliament, and it just kept for the five years. We agreed that we would go back to sessions annually if possible. That gives us an opportunity to reset the agenda and to say where we’ve gone.”

Mr Mitchell noted the Minnis administration left many questions unanswered when Parliament was prorogued and dissolved in 2021.

“I think they had something like some 266 questions left unanswered when they dissolved Parliament in 2021,” he said. “So they really can’t talk about who’s ducking who. We set the agenda as follows in 2021: reopen the economy, get things going. And we’ve done that. And now it’s time to reflect and reset priorities, and we’re going to do that.”

He added: “You know, it’s their job, of course to rattle our cages, but be assured that we don’t hear

the rattles from them, what we hear is grumbling and noise.

“They need to take care of their own business like, you know, Pintard looking over his shoulder because Minnis is trying to get him. They need to concentrate on that first, instead of troubling us.”

For his part, Mr Cooper said the administration passed dozens of bills during the session.

“There is a reason why Pintard is in opposition and we’re in government,” he said on the sidelines of a Ministry of Education conclave yesterday.

“We are the government of the day and we will lead as we see fit. The prime minister has made a determination that we are going to reset. We are going to return on October 4. It is what it is.

“We’ve accomplished more than 100 pieces of legislation passed in the House of Assembly. We have a great agenda lined up for the future.

BAHAMAS AND TCI ES TA BL ISHING MARITIME boundaries split ‘down the middle’

“We are going to stay focused on the mission. We are humbled that the Bahamian people have given us five years to lead. We have a magnificent blueprint for change. We are making significant headway achieving many of those elements of the blueprint for change.”

“The reality is that our prime minister will lay out in due course the legislative agenda, and you should anticipate a Speech from the Throne that sets out all of the details for the upcoming three years.”

The Office of the Prime Minister said the next session of Parliament will see the government “prioritise legislation and policies which address the high cost of living, lift our people and strengthen our economic and national security”.

The next parliament session will likely coincide with Cynthia “Mother” Pratt’s anticipated appointment as the next governor-general, allowing her to read the Speech from the Throne.

Semi Military Funeral Service For Retired Deputy Superindentdant Of Police Adelbert Rueben MacKenzie, 85

of #169 Morgan Lane, Freeport, Grand Bahama and formerly of Driggs Hill, Andros will be held on Thursday, August 17th, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. at Holy Cross Anglican Church, Soldier Road, Nassau, New Providence. Officiating will be Canon Norman Lightbourne and Canon Stephen Davies (Chaplin of RBPF). Cremation will follow.

He was predeceased by his parents: Rueben ‘Bertie’ and Blanche McKenzie; sisters: Lila McPhee, Ruth ‘Inez’ Taylor and Helen Forbes; brothers: Leslie & James ‘Jimmy’ McKenzie.

By LETRE SWEETING Tribune Staff Reporter lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

FOREIGN Affairs Min -

ister Fred Mitchell said

The Bahamas has recommended that the maritime boundary between this country and the Turks and Caicos be split in the middle of the two nations.

He was discussing a pending agreement involving Turks and Caicos that officials met to discuss last week.

Establishing a maritime border between The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos is expected to enhance the successful cooperative security arrangements between The Bahamas and TCI, according to a 2022 maritime security agreement.

This is the third round of formal negotiations to determine a maritime boundary between the two countries. The

previous one was held in 1996.

Mr Mitchell told reporters yesterday: “Except that we have to agree formally what the border is, now our position is clear, both with the United States and with the UK. I think Haiti also has a maritime border with us. Our position is in the middle, you draw a line down the middle, and you take that, and we take that. That’s the way it is.

“The conclusion of these negotiations will be to the mutual benefit of our region as another milestone, further cementing our relationship with the Turks and Caicos Islands.”

“There’s another principle which operates called the continental shelf principle. And certainly, in the negotiations with the US, they’ve been advancing the continental shelf principle, which in fact,

allows more on their side. But our starting position is down the middle, the median, and that’s the position that we settled with Cuba, and that’s the position that we’ll be maintaining going along.”

Mr Mitchell said negotiations with the Turks and Caicos Islands have been slow because of difficulties with geographical mapping and getting the locational data needed to determine exact boundaries.

“There’s a lot of geospatial data, which has to be supplied,” he said.

“We have the equipment and the technical capacity to do so. But you know, as a small country, it’s a little difficult wrapping up all of this to meet the requirements of these various meetings, and that’s why it’s taken such a long time to get it all sorted out. But we’re hoping to move the project along.”

Adelbert is survived by his wife of 61 years: Elsa ‘Lassie’ MacKenzie; four children: Troy, Trevor (Gina), Shira (Dr. Kenworth Newbold) and Delareese MacKenzie; his other children: Keith, Bernadette, Anishka, Adalbert; grandchildren: Devany, Trevor Justin, Reagan, Elijah and Chase; sisters: Rose Miller, Juanita Hamilton, Dorothy Curtis, Janet (Daniel) Simmons and Ivadell McKenzie; aunts: Doris Albury, Dame Marguerite Pindling and Priscilla Williams; uncle: Sidney McKenzie (Gwen); sisters-in-law: Peggy Roker, Jackie Bethell & Harriet Johnson; brother-in-law: Samuel ‘Bookie’ Johnson (Inez); nieces and nephews including: Dareo Ferguson, Darren Knowles: Clifford Darling Jr. (Judy) Beverley Pintard, S. Andrea Darling Thompson, Sharlene Hanna-McPhee (Edgar), Theresa McPhee (Frederick), Dr. Anthony Taylor II (Kaayrn), Jonathan ‘JC Forbes’ (Vandrea), Roy Forbes, Vanria Smith, Janice Arthur, Jillian Meeres and Edsel Armbrister, Nikita Curtis (Sharon), Tanya Bullock (Kevin), Lynden Curtis, Monalisa Adderley, Anthea and Terran Curtis; Ericka Barr (Willard) and Monique McKenzie; Neil McKenzie (Jackie) and Kimberley Forbes (Dr. Anthony), Roshann, Corey and Peter Miller; Ricardo, Royal Jr. and Adrian Hamilton, Gayle Bowleg; Damon Dames (Iris), Crystal Mercedes, Cherelle Stuart and Chernecia Campbell (Xavier); numerous cousins including: Rodney Flowers, Leoma Burke, Sheila and Stephanie Forbes, Sidne McKenzie-Stubbs, Kellie, Alex and Peter McKenzie, Brenda McKenzie and Hillary Smith; Ivamae Simmons (Roger), Patricia Robinson, Stephanie Higgs, Orthnell McKenzie, Elijah McKenzie, Neville, Alfredo and Aaron McKenzie, Predensa Clarke, Jazelle Hall; Janice Weech, Cheryl Murphy, Philippa and Everette McKenzie Jr., Lynn Rolle, Obi Pindling (Diane), Leslie and Monique Pindling and Michelle Sands (Robert); Abdul Armbrister; Selwyn McKenzie (Rose), Andy, Gail and Kevin McKenzie and Devon Williams; grandnieces/nephews including: Diara Ferguson, Kirkwood, Adrian & Adrianna Knowles; Dominique Johnson, D’Vaughn & David Dean, Brandon, Lamon and Lawren Pintard, Syann Thompson-Wells (Matthew), Sharrana Matulka (Michael), Shonari & Shenaniah Thompson, Ebony Beneby (Lauren), Edgar Hanna Jr., Ehren Hanna (Giselle), Freda Seymour (Vincent), Anthony III, Andrew & Ann Taylor; godchild; Wade Riley and a host of other relatives and friends including: Dean Harry Bain & Mrs. Bain, Canon Norman & Mrs. Lightbourne and the Pro Cathedral of the Christ the King Anglican Church family, (Grand Bahama) Ellen Major, Ivan and Florence Deveaux, Ashley Smith, Eugene Cartwright, Layton Roberts, Wellington and Carnetta Edgecombe, Geneva Munroe, Jenny Colo, Alice McKenzie, Rudy Stubbs, Eddie Johnson, John Penn; Cliff Moree, Bishop Roberts; Annamae Sands, Max Sweeting, RH Culmer; Dashie Williams, Alice Stuart and family, Sonia Dames and family, Donald Williams, Dorothy ‘Dory’ Francis, Kendall and Ruby Nottage, Sandra Nottage, Sheila Martin and family, Allison Campbell, George McPhee, Basil Green; Royal Bahamas Police Force, PLP Stalwart family, GB Darts Association, Pastor Dave and Angela Burrows & Bahamas Faith Ministries family and a host of other relatives and friends too numerous to mention.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER FRED MITCHELL

DEPUTY Prime Minister Chester Cooper defended the recent prorogation after criticism from Free National Movement Leader Michael Pintard.

The Tribune Limited

Back to school, a fresh opportunity

IN today’s Tribune, we publish our Back to School supplement – as parents, schools, teachers and all associated prepare for a return to the classroom.

It is worth taking a moment to reflect on the four words at the end of that sentence, which should not be taken for granted.

For a time, during the height of the pandemic, it was uncertain when our children would be able to be back in the classroom.

It was difficult for many children to study using the virtual classes that were provided. For some, that was having trouble staying focused. For others, it was not being able to connect at all as families struggled with bills and choices were made between paying for food, paying for internet or paying for electricity.

Those were hard times for many of us, and we should be grateful that our children have the opportunity to sit alongside their classmates, to play with their friends during their breaks, and to live again a more normal childhood.

There have been consequences of those days. A significant number of children have a learning deficit – a shortfall to make up to where they could have been without that global interruption.

There are also consequences that are harder to measure. Soon after children returned to the classroom, one school counsellor told The Tribune of how children were not as socially developed as usual – in that time away from their friends, their bodies had grown but they weren’t used to how to behave with their greater size. Playground scuffles were more frequent and a little more bruising.

That has been backed up by government observations – earlier this month, acting education director Dominique McCartney-Russell talked of how students had developed communication gaps, as well as problems with

motivation.

She said about 40 percent of students had experienced some level of learning loss, and noted an apathy among some towards education as a whole.

That was then – this is now. The new term offers an opportunity for our children to plunge wholeheartedly into making up for what was lost, or to strive to succeed even more.

To help them, it is not just up to the school to support them, but all of us. A child thrives with the support of those around them. Parents. Family. Neighbourhoods. Churches. Communities.

A VAT holiday has been announced on school supplies, to help parents who still need to stock up. There are criticisms of its timing, and when it was announced, but it is there to make the most of.

School repairs are under way – and we hope they will be complete before the first day of school. Again, there are some concerns – as evidenced by union leader Belinda Wilson calling for more information on the contractor in charge at RM Bailey where a roof has collapsed. We hope those concerns can be allayed, and the requested information resolve that issue.

So we hope all our students can return to schools that are properly repaired, properly equipped and ready to provide them with all that they need to succeed.

Because if there is one thing that should always unite our nation, it is in doing all we can to help the next generation to thrive.

In the pandemic, that generation has experienced a hardship others did not have to contend with in their childhood years. As we look to encourage them to overcome that, we must not hold back in our support, in our encouragement –and in our praise when they do succeed.

Good luck to all students as they return – we hope they seize the opportunity ahead of them.

Rampant promiscuity in our land

EDITOR, The Tribune.

I WROTE this letter to the editor at the risk of being ridiculed, attacked, or otherwise. Only God can judge me!

I must state that I am a loner, not needing to be accepted or approved by anyone. Those who know me best know that l never worried about people’s opinions. I write my script, read my lines, and when my act is over, God willing, I will exit stage left, a life well spent.

I’ve covered much ground and dared to go where some never imagined. l fear God only; no earthlings can ruffle my feathers.

The Bahamas is the promiscuous and adulterous capital of the world. We are just hot-blooded people. For some of us, Sex is high on our list of priorities. The Caribbean is guilty of the same practices. It is so disingenuous that some believe they are okay if they conceal their curiosities and fantasies. The disgust is the presumptuousness of the actors in their profound duplicity when they gather the gall to criticize others doing the same things as them. There is a culture of superiority and inferiority complex.

T ings it makes sense to be rid of

EDITOR, The Tribune.

The untouchable people criticise the people who want to live. How dare anyone dictate what another should do with their lives and bodies? Who died and gave permission, instructions, or the authority to think they could alter people’s opinions of themselves? The joke is there are thousands of disjointed families.

It is not unusual for young mothers to have many children with fathers that they sometimes cannot identify with or be willing to point out. Many of us had to unravel this ball of confusion while we were growing up. We started life with too many strikes against us.

Girls having children for their fathers, uncles, and other male family members is not farfetched. So, therefore, no one in this Bahamas is qualified to police, dictate, coach, or judge anyone for what they do to or with their lives.

This business of being the watchdog of the activities in the neighbours’ houses is asinine. Your concern should be what your teenage children do when they go out all night. When everyone focuses on their household, this country will catch up and

quickly move from “THIRDWORLD” status. I expect the Holier than Thou to find a scripture to substantiate their arguments, but l could help with a few, “He that is without sin cast the first stone. There is none good, no not one, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Matthew 7: NIV. “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the two-by-four in your eye?

Let people be who they want, and answer to God for themselves.

Buddha said, “Don’t keep searching for the truth; just let go of your opinions. Forgive and be free. Forget that you have forgiven and be freer.”

Your folly will bring you as low as your worst enemy wishes.”

The secret of freedom is courage.

IVOINE W INGRAHAM, JP Nassau, August 12, 2023.

“A PENNY for your thoughts” may have gone out of style here in The Bahamas, but it got me to thinking about our dichotomy. You see, the other day when I noticed some pennies among my other coins, it dawned on me that those one cent pieces were no longer being used here in The Bahamas. Strangely, I do not recall any real protest by Bahamians when that change was announced. Strange, because we have tended to become so polarized about almost everything... and nothing. No referendum was held. But, had there been one, I’m firmly certain that large numbers of Bahamians would have lined up to express why that wasn’t a good idea. Now that it’s gone, it’s virtually forgotten. Change can be difficult for some people sometimes, but the many lessons of change can be quite insightful. So, as I think about it, the decision to discontinue use of the Bahamian penny made perfect sense, based upon the reason I recall. When the cost of producing any item is more than what that item can be sold for or brings back in benefit, it makes no sense to produce it. Unless, of course, the option to be perpetually tied to a deficit is the path chosen. However, what might be a bit odd with that scenario of eliminating the penny from circulation is the fact that there are other things which have outlived their usefulness/benefits in our Bahamas, yet continue to be sustained.

And, if you think that I’m gonna go target-practising with a list of such facades, expect one of my pennies for your thoughts.

Having gotten rid of that humble penny without the slightest stir leads me to believe that other good ideas ought to be implemented when they make good sense. All this formality about debates in the Upper House and the Lower House is generally

a mockery of the highest order. When you get past the upside-down labeling of those Houses, your remaining attention might be drawn to the fact that the items “on the Floor” usually get very little attention. More attention is given to grand standing and personal/political salvos pertaining to nothing even near what the “debate” should be about.

That’s the system we met in place when the colonial power packed up and left The Bahamas. So, like good and faithful subjects, “monkey see, monkey do!” We do have sense enough to get rid of that one cent piece, but not quite enough to get rid of a dray-load of other stuff worth less than that.

Left to that illusion of an ideal called democracy, I would bet all the pennies that I have in the argument that we would still be going back and forth with the issue of keeping the one cent piece or not. Democracy, representative democracy or Parliamentary Democracy can and do work. When we, Bahamians, put our minds and efforts together in designing a system which is best for The Bahamas, we will then be able to wear that label of “Independent” with due self-respect and modest pride.

Otherwise, we will continue to simply go through the motions. If you are not clear about what that means, just stay tuned until 2029, when there is bound to be a grand celebration of “300 Years of Parliamentary Democracy” in The Bahamas. Democracy? Democracy in 1729? Really? Democracy can mean anything to anyone at any time. Take your pick. In this 2023 Bahamas with so many learned, intelligent Bahamians who see like they don’t see and hear

like they don’t hear, is it any wonder that we all keep going in circles - nowhere? What good is knowing better, but not doing better? Is the donkey toting bundles and sacks of books any smarter than the donkey carrying no books? Bow or stern, all uh we in the same boat.

Any true, true Bahamian knows that our traditional, cultural family structures are quite varied. Bahamians with even just one eye open can see that more types of families are being promoted and added at present. Without taking that tract road off the topic, let’s just look at those families where children reach a certain age, and move out of their parents’ house. There are also children who refuse to move out of their parents’ house, even when they have children of their own. Can you pick which one of these scenarios suits The Bahamas?

Dressing up in Mama’s old clothes and dragging those worn slippers may have been a little entertaining for a time. Hiding under the Queen’s gown tail may have been ok as well, up to a certain point, too. What is a bit baffling to me at this point, now that Her Majesty has gone, is how does one hide under His Majesty’s coattail or trousers?

I won’t go there, so here’s the thing. I think that there are a number of very meaningful, relevant lessons which can be gleaned from our getting rid of that Bahamian penny, which had outlived its usefulness and benefits. We may either learn those lessons, and then apply them to other areas of this paradigm we’re navigating, or simply continue with whatever buck up goes. That’s my thought. You may send your penny, if you think you got your money’s worth with my opinions.

OMINOUS weather moves towards the western end of New Providence Saturday evening, as seen from Delaporte.

Photo: Alex Bacardi-Gardner

Dept of Marine Resources working with Ministry of National Security to address poaching issue

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A 33-YEAR-OLD father in Andros was accused of beating his two-year-old daughter and threatening to shoot and kill her and his wife.

Senior Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans charged the 33-year-old accused, whose name is being withheld to protect his child’s identity, with cruelty to children and assault with a deadly weapon. The accused faced further charges of possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply and threats of death.

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A 32-YEAR-OLD man has been remanded in custody after allegedly sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl twice last year.

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was remanded to prison after he was charged with a fatal drive-by shooting off Rosedale Street earlier this month.

The victim of the shooting had been previously charged with murder.

Acting Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley charged

He is alleged to have beaten his young daughter about the body at their Stafford Creek, Andros, residence around 10.30pm on August 9. After responding to her daughter’s cries, the defendant’s wife took the child from him, at which point he allegedly pulled out a gun and threatened to kill both of them. When the accused left the house, he is accused of firing two shots outside.

The following day, the accused was arrested after he was found with a quantity of Indian Hemp.

While the accused initially pleaded guilty to the threats of death charge, a

not-guilty plea was entered on his behalf after he disagreed with the facts in his case. He also pleaded not guilty to his other three charges.

The accused’s bail was set at $7,000 with one surety. Under the conditions of his bail, he is expected to sign in at the Fresh Creek Police Station every Monday by 5pm. He was also ordered to remain 300ft away from his wife and have supervised visitation periods with his daughter.

The court ordered that social services report on the welfare of the child.

The trial in this matter commenced on October 23.

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Staff Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THE Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs wants vessels to patrol fishing areas.

The ministry recently acquired a vessel that will patrol the central Bahamas.

Minister Clay Sweeting said he is working with the Ministry of National Security to mitigate poaching.

His comments came after the Hope Town Council and other Abaco fishermen complained about foreigners stealing their crawfish catch.

“The Department of Marine Resources will do

our part, working with the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and police force to do what we can,” he stressed.

“I am happy to say we just launched our marine patrol craft. Last week, they were in Hope Town, and we are starting to assist in that regard.”

Mr Sweeting said he believes law enforcement’s efforts are paying off, with fishermen seeing an influx of lobsters.

“The forecast for this year seems to be that there is a lot of lobster on the banks,” he said. “So that is a good sign in that regard. Unfortunately, we do not control the market price.”

The former fisherman said the international price

of lobster is $7 and $8.50 per pound in some areas, lower than last year’s prices of $20 to $22 per pound.

“In the past three years, because of the government’s and Defence Force’s good work to ensure that poachers remain off the bank, we had an influx of lobsters,” he said.

“So, the market is not as good as what we would like it to be in regards to market price, but the amount of lobster on the banks seems to be pretty stable.”

Mr Sweeting said last year, The Bahamas exported four million pounds of lobster. He said the cap for lobster exports is five million pounds per annum.

Project Manager This is a rare and exciting opportunity to join an outstanding and ambitious team at Inspired who has already proven to be incredibly successful and is now moving into its second year. We are looking for an exceptional Project Manager, who brings outstanding experience, high standards and a solution focused approach.

Job Summary: As an Inspired Project Manager, you will manage the construction and Capex-related matters for our projects in the Bahamas. This role requires a leader with a track record of delivering local construction projects within budget and on time. The successful candidate will be expected to manage a team of professionals and subcontractors to ensure the highest quality of workmanship is delivered to international standards of excellence.

Responsibilities:

Senior Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans charged Angelo McQueen with two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse.

McQueen is accused of having had sexual relations with an underage girl twice in New Providence between January 1, 2022,

Lavardo Poitier, 30, with murder.

Levon Johnson represented Poitier.

While sitting in the back of a dark-coloured truck, Poitier allegedly shot Omar Fox as he stood outside a business establishment on Rosedale Street off Mackey Street on the night of August 4. The 40-year-old victim was pronounced dead at the scene by Emergency

and December 31, 2022.

McQueen was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. The defendant’s case will be transferred to the Supreme Court through a voluntary bill of indictment to be served on November 8.

• Develop and execute a comprehensive project plan that includes project timelines, budget, resources, and deliverables.

• Oversee the project team, including architects, engineers, contractors, and subcontractors, to ensure project milestones are met. Manage the tendering process.

• Work closely with the quantity surveyors and our internal Commercial Manager to control project costs, including contractor variations to ensure the project is delivered within budget. Manage the construction schedule, ensuring that all work is completed on time

• Ensure compliance with all building regulations, including health and safety requirements.

• Develop and Manage project risk register and develop contingency plans to minimise any potential issues.

• on project progress and addressing any concerns.

• Foster a collaborative work environment, promoting teamwork and communication among project stakeholders.

Medical Services.

Police report that the victim was involved in an argument with a group of men in the lead-up to the shooting.

Before his death, Fox was accused of the 2013 murder of Rodney Sila. Poitier’s case will be moved to the Supreme Court by a voluntary bill of indictment due for service on November 14.

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was granted $7,500 bail after allegedly being found with a loaded firearm in his car last week.

Magistrate Lennox Coleby charged Berkley Sands, 27, with possession of an unlicensed firearm

and two counts of possession of ammunition.

The accused was arrested on the night of August 10 near Mall Road after police allegedly found a silver and aqua coloured 9mm Roebuck pistol in his car. Five unfired rounds of 9mm ammunition were also reportedly seized. An additional two rounds of

9mm ammunition were recovered from Sands’ residence later that same day.

After pleading not guilty to the charges, he was granted $7,500 bail with one to three sureties. Sands is expected to sign in at the Grove Police Station every Monday, Wednesday and Friday by 6pm. His trial begins on September 20.

• Ensure all project documentation is complete and up-to-date, including contracts, change orders, and project reports. Manage Value Engineering processes and ensure that the design and other schedules are met to avoid delays.

• Manage the full critical path for project delivery and retain ownership of stage gates.

• Establish best practice reporting and systems of working; dashboards, weekly reports, monthly reports – tracking progress etc.

Requirements:

• Essential: experience managing projects in the Bahamas with major contractors Bachelor’s degree in construction or project management, engineering, or management or minimum of 10 years of experience in project management in the construction industry.

• Experience managing large-scale construction projects, preferably some in the education sector. Strong leadership and communication skills, with the ability to motivate and inspire team members.

• Demonstrated ability to manage project budgets and schedules, ensuring projects are delivered on time and within budget.

• Thorough knowledge of construction best practices, build sequence, and regulations. Ability to work collaboratively with various stakeholders, including clients, architects, engineers, contractors, and subcontractors.

• experience working with project management software like MS Project, ASTA or Primavera.

When joining King’s College School, The Bahamas, you will join the family of the award-winning Inspired Education Group, the leading global group of premium schools, with over 80 schools operating in 23 countries.

some of the very best schools worldwide.

To apply please send a CV and letter of motivation to

FATHER CHARGED WITH CHILD CRUELTY AND ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY WEAPON

MAN ACCUSED OF SEXUALLY ASSAULTING 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL, RE M ANDED TO PRISON

MAN CHARGED WITH R OSEDALE S TREET FATAL DRIVE-BY SHOOTING INCIDENT

MAN GETS $7,500 BAIL ACCUSED OF POSESSION OF LOADED GUN AND A MMUNITION IN HIS CAR

THE Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs wants vessels to patrol fishing areas.

Lakeisha Rolle: Passionate financial literacy educator

SHE was only 15 years

old when she blew her parents, teachers, family and friends away by becoming a student at the College of The Bahamas (now University of The Bahamas).

Going to college at such an early age turned out to be a blessing for Lakeisha

A Rolle, as she discovered her passion and developed a blossoming career in finance.

“After sitting and passing seven BGCSEs in the 11th grade, I transitioned from high school to the College of The Bahamas where I enrolled in the Bachelor of Business Administration program with a concentration in economics and finance,” Lakeisha said.

“My favourite subject in high school was economics and somehow in college, I really fell in love with finance. My mother actually encouraged me to pursue a double major and as I went through the listing, economics and finance

Face to Face

By FELICITY DARVILLE

looked pretty interesting. I had no idea what finance was about, but I am so glad I took her advice.”

In a world with fastpaced learning, tougher assignments, no handholding, and classmates older than her, Lakeisha managed to stay focused and to shine. In 2013, she graduated from the College of The Bahamas with a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Economics and Finance.

“During my senior year,” she said, “I secured a part-time job working in financial services where I was provided with an opportunity to work

directly with the vice president of investments at a local investment firm. This is where my career blossomed and from there, I learned more about the industry, financial products, the investment market, and how everything came together.”

Lakeisha gained valuable work experience and was inspired by how powerfully people’s lives were transformed by gaining financial knowledge. On several occasions, she had the opportunity to sit in on client advisory meetings. She was able to interact with clients and learn more about products that suited

various types of clients based on their financial profile. She also put to good use the knowledge gained from professional examinations in the industry.

With a good headstart in her tertiary education, Lakeisha decided to pursue it further. She went on to earn a Master of Science Degree in business management with a concentration in finance from Edinburgh Napier University in 2015.

Lakeisha began her professional career as an investment assistant at the former Colonial Pension Services (Bahamas) Limited, where she assisted with the monitoring of investment securities and providing analytical reports.

She later transitioned to the Securities Commission of The Bahamas where she worked with professionals from a broad section of the industry. She was also a part of the Investor Education Team which promoted financial literacy among partnering schools.

While at Genesis Fund Services, Lakeisha served as a Junior Fund Accountant and Securities Analyst as her career developed, working with international clients in the area of fund administration.

“I have always enjoyed giving advice and analyzing scenarios. I also discovered that I had the gift of teaching, and this is how my passion for education grew, both among youth as I began speaking at youth events and people that were a little older than me, as I began providing financial consultations” she said.

“It was a great way to blend my career in financial services with my gift of teaching and sharing financial education.”

Lakeisha found that many of the people she encountered needed access to more financial knowledge in order to make sound decisions and help improve the lives of their families. Financial literacy is the knowledge of how to make smart decisions with money. Without it, people run the risk of poverty.

With this in mind, Lakeisha began to ponder on the ways she could use her knowledge and skills to help others. In the year 2019, she took a leap of faith and founded her company, The Financial Academy.

The mission of The Financial Academy is to “provide practical ways in which young people can create a more secure financial future by making healthy financial choices today”. Since its inception in 2019, The Financial Academy has facilitated conferences, seminars, summer camps, and workshops for children, teens and young adults locally and internationally in countries within the Caribbean,

Europe, Latin America, and North America.

“The Financial Academy not only provides financial literacy programmes for youth,” she said, “But also highlights the important role that financial education plays in shifting the financial outlook of individuals and families, and most of all, the power it contains to break the cycle of generational poverty!”

“At age 27, I founded The Financial Academy and at age 29, I received a vision to plan a conference that offered unique topics for a wide range of youth that would encourage them to BLOOM in every area of their personal finance journey and to inspire them to get started at an early age.”

The conference, under the theme “BLOOM”, attracted more than 250 young people to its inperson and virtual event. Topics included: digital assets, estate planning, budgeting, investing, saving, insurance, entrepreneurship, insurance, and philanthropy.

BLOOM 2023 included not only students in New Providence, but also students from Exuma, Grand Bahama, Long Island and San Salvador, who attended virtually. The students enjoyed learning about insurance, making a will, creating a business and a business plan, digital citizenship, investing, and wise spending habits.

Parents spoke highly of the conference as described it as top-tier and well organized. Children went home and had conversations with their parents about money, and even gave their parents advice on how they could better manage their money.

BLOOM’s success was followed by a robust summer schedule for The Financial Academy as popularity continues to build for its products which help bring financial literacy to those who need it.

This year’s third annual summer camp was held under the theme “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”

It was hosted from July 17-20 in collaboration with Drewber Solutions. The summer camp focused on topics such as debit, credit and borrowing, blockchain, crypto currency, budgeting, saving, savings challenges, needs and wants, spending habits and investment basics for teens.

In addition to the Millionaire Mindset Summer Camp, The Financial Academy also held Private Financial Literacy Camps at Willie Mae Pratt Centre for Girls and Simpson Penn for Boys. Lakeisha also led the launch of the SWIFT Financial Education Certificate Program for Schools, ensuring that financial education for young people will continue long after the summer months end.

Lakeisha obtained the certified financial education instructor designation with the National Financial Educators Council in 2021 and became a certified financial coach in 2023. She is a financial coach and course instructor at Drewber Solutions. In 2022, Lakeisha became the first personal finance teacher at the International School of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology where she taught high school students from Grades 7–12 in the subjects of business history, economics, and personal finance.

“I am the first born and only daughter of a retired nurse and nursing educator (Dr Lisa Stovel-Rolle) and a building contractor (Lawrence Rolle),” Lakeisha told me.

“Growing up, I watched my parents work tirelessly to provide for the family. I was born into a family filled with educators and entrepreneurs, but I did not realize this until I was well in my twenties. I grew up around a grandmother that taught kindergarten, made school uniforms, and sold drinks from her house, which sounds a little like me now at age 30. I am a third-generation educator and entrepreneur and I enjoy providing unique products and services for students inside and outside of the classroom.”

“My family always taught me the importance of prayer and giving back. Every weekend we had devotions, every Sunday, we attended church, and occasionally, we would donate our time, talent, and treasure to the various civic organizations we were involved in within the community.”

She also credits her grandmother, Mary Stovel (age 84) and grandaunt Louise Simmons (age 101) for their encouragement as she continues to excel.

“I credit God for everything he has blessed me with and the individuals he continues to place in my circle,” she said.

The Financial Academy was launched through Lakeisha’s passion as well as through financing facilities and empowerment programmes that she utilised at the start of her entrepreneurial journey. Among them, she is the successful recipient of a grant from the Access Accelerator Small Business Development Center’s Standalone Grant in 2021 and the winner of the Deltec Young Entrepreneurs Award in 2022.

The Financial Academy also offers a range of free and paid resources for children, teens and parents, including its “Financial Literacy Skill Building Guide” which is accessible for instant download on the company’s website http:// www.thefinancialacademy. co.

LAKEISHA ROLLE (left) with students presenting their mini business plans and their business names at BLOOM Conference breakout session for children.

LAKEISHA A. Rolle (right), Founder of The Financial Academy.

People still in denial over climate change despite all the evidence

THE news from Hawaii this past week has been nothing short of terrible as the massive scale of utter devastation has become evident to the outside world. At the time of writing, there are 96 confirmed deaths from the wildfires that ravaged the island of Maui but, reportedly, hundreds of others are still missing.

This disaster is being called the worst in the history of Hawaii and the deadliest fire in the US in more than a century. The country is now facing its biggest ever challenge, with the extent of the destruction and personal loss beyond imagination. It is said that the wildfires were caused by a unique combination of hurricane force winds and fire sparks that swiftly spread out of control following a severe drought.

Inevitably, this horrible, heartbreaking tragedy leads people to think once again about what is happening to the weather worldwide. So it might be worth looking briefly at this issue today and, in particular, considering why many choose to ignore it or deny there is a problem that needs to be addressed.

Whatever view people may take about the existence of climate change and global warming, even sceptics will surely accept that the climate around the world has been changing in recent years to the extent that there are more frequent and intense extreme weather events like heatwaves, droughts, hurricanes and storms producing increased rainfall. It is claimed that rising global temperatures and changes in weather patterns are causing such an increase in these extreme weather events that can cause flooding and wildfires.

According to reports, all seven of the Earth’s continents have experienced extreme weather conditions recently. These, with new precipitation patterns, have become more common but unpredictable.

The World Meteorological Organization says that dangerous weather - intense heat and excessive rainfallhas impacted large parts of the Northern Hemisphere in this current summer of extremes, with soaring temperatures and autumn-like storms igniting wildfires and causing severe flooding in countries in Europe - too many to mention - as well as in Africa and elsewhere.

The US has experienced extreme heat this year, and China and India are suffering right now together with, last year, countries like Pakistan, one third of which was under water from flash flooding – and Somalia in the Horn of Africa where millions were pushed close to starvation as a result of a severe drought.

So, despite the deniers, the evidence is that climate change is a very serious threat and its consequences are far reaching.

The debate is about what, if anything, can be done to counter its effects and, in particular, reduce global warming by limiting the carbon dioxide emitted by human beings.

In 1988, the United Nations set up the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Its purpose is to provide regular assessments of the scientific basis of climate change and its impacts and future risks as well as options for adaptation and mitigation.

As a brief summary of a layman’s understanding of a complex issue, the IPCC considers that, after the world has already reached an increase of 1.1 degrees above pre-industrial levels following more than a century of burning fossil fuels, there is a roughly fifty per cent chance that global temperatures will reach 1.5

The Peter Young column

degrees by 2040. Anything above this threshold would irreversibly alter the global climate system and result in droughts, substantially higher sea levels and habitat and coral reef loss.

To avoid this, emissions of carbon dioxide need to be cut deeply since the IPCC says that this is responsible for most global warming and is caused by human activity like the widespread, longterm burning of fossil fuels which releases greenhouse gases that trap heat in the atmosphere. The next agreed step is therefore for all countries to reduce their carbon emissions and reach net zero by 2050.

Put simply, climate breakdown is no longer a distant threat but is already seriously affecting the lives and livelihoods of millions of people around the world. Extreme weather has enormous human and economic costs, whether from wildfires or the destructive power of flooding. It already constitutes a global emergency that affects countries in different ways.

In more remote ones, it has displaced people from their homes, killed livestock, destroyed vital infrastructure and farmland and created food shortages so that people in vast numbers have died; and it will get worse unless action is taken to slow it down or to mitigate it.

But, all too often, climate change and global warming are still not treated as an imminent danger in developed countries as, for example, the coronavirus pandemic was two years ago even though that was a far less deadly threat. In Britain, it is regarded by some as something of an abstraction whose consequences are likely to be decades away. They see it as too big and remote an issue so that people do not feel accountable for their actions which are anyway too small and insignificant to make any difference. Then, there are those who do not believe the facts presented to them by scientists and untrustworthy government officials and believe that global warming is part of a natural cycle in the Earth’s climate. Put simply, the subject does not ignite the public’s understanding and support – indeed, the grotesque action of the Just Stop Oil group in blocking roads in the UK - and interfering with the public’s day-to-day activities while the police look on supinely - has precisely the opposite effect by alienating everybody. Moreover, there appears to be a feeling amongst some in Britain that climate change is something that the elite worry about and delight in imposing restrictions on ordinary people who just want to get on with their daily lives unimpeded by something which may or may not happen sometime in the distant future.

Amongst such people, there is a belief that, if those most closely involved in climate change were serious about limiting carbon emissions, they would do something about the large numbers of commercial

flights and private jets which burn huge amounts of fossil fuels and produce significant greenhouse gas emissions.

People also feel that they are being asked to cut back and restrict their activities in certain ways by a lawabiding government that honours its international commitments while other major polluting countries like China and India – and indeed the US itself -- do not do so and apparently incur no penalty.

Nonetheless, the whole issue is under constant review as political leaders meet at least once a year at the COP gatherings held by the UN. At the 2022 meeting in Sharm EL-Sheikh in Egypt, there was at least a small step towards what has been called climate justice when a new chapter was opened on the means of funding for the most vulnerable countries that are hit hard by floods, droughts and climate disasters such as hurricanes. Reportedly, this contributed to building new trust between the countries needing help – including, presumably, Small Island Developing States like The Bahamas, in the Caribbean and elsewhere – and the donor countries. Some at the meeting apparently said that this was treating the patient’s symptoms rather than taking steps to cure the fever – but it is also the case that there cannot be lasting action on climate change without establishing climate justice.

ENGLISH PRE MIER LE AGUE IS BACK

The sport of footballknown in the US as soccer – is one of the most popular team games around the world. Last weekend marked the start of the 2023/24 domestic professional season in England from August until May.

The Premier League is the top tier of the country’s football pyramid with twenty teams battling for the honour and financial reward of being crowned English champions.

The national sport of England is cricket which became popular in the 17th century. However, it is claimed that football, which was created in England and exported around the world, has become the most popular sport in the land. There are over 40,000 active association football clubs – more than in any other country. There is also a following of countless millions of football supporters and fans who are passionate about their teams and whose loyalty and commitment have become unwavering. Support for the top teams even crosses international borders, with some of England’s top football clubs enjoying world fame. The first modern set of rules for the sport were codified in 1863 and these have been gradually developed over the intervening years. Football’s long history has helped to make the sport a key part of the nation’s identity and culture - a way of life and a means of connecting with other people, enabling those concerned to feel part of their community.

As the country welcomes the start of another season, football fans are also following the Women’s World Cup which is currently taking place in Australia and New Zealand. For people of my vintage, references to the FIFA (world football’s governing body) World Cup often mean England’s victory against Germany in 1966 when the English players prevailed over their archrivals in spectacular and emphatic fashion to become champions of the world. But, as recently as 1991, the football Women’s World Cup was founded, to be held every four years and one

year after the men’s event. So far, it has been dominated by the US whose team was victorious four times before being eliminated as defending champions this year by Japan. This Women’s World Cup has flourished as a most popular event with extensive TV coverage and record crowds in this year’s host countries of Australia and New Zealand. It has become a matter of national pride for both countries to have organized the event, with the tournament capturing, in particular, the imagination of the Australian public as resonating with the nation’s values. While football aficionados have been following the FIFA men’s World Cup since it was first held in Uruguay in 1930 and won by the host country against their arch-rivals Argentina in the final, the Women’s Cup is fast becoming equally as famous. In bringing people together in celebration of their shared love for what is known as ‘the beautiful game’, it has demonstrated its power to unite and inspire people beyond national boundaries.

Organised initially as a 12-team event, 32 nations are participating this year. The semi-finals are taking place this week between Spain and Sweden and Australia and England, and the final is scheduled for August 20 in Sidney.

Co-hosts Australia have reached the quarter-finals

on three occasions but have never got beyond the last eight. Now, they face the European champions, England, as the eyes of the nation and the wider world are upon them in what is expected to be a highly competitive football match. There is, of course, a history of fierce sporting rivalry across-the-board between the two countries, with England victorious in the last major sporting encounter between the two nations on Australian soil when England won the Rugby World Cup in 2003. The general expectation seems to be that England will go through to the final by a narrow margin. But, for the Australian team this time, there could be no sweeter moment than beating England as the upstart against the old colonial power – and, what is more, at a game that the English themselves invented!

SPECIAL COINS OUT FOR NE W KING

An interesting development in Britain last week was the announcement by the Royal Mint that 5 million new 50 pence coins (worth half of one pound sterling) have been released into circulation to mark the coronation of King Charles III. The Royal Mint, which has been striking coins for every British monarch since Alfred the Great, said it was a ‘special moment for the nation’, as people will

now have a chance to ‘find a piece of history’ in the small change in their pockets.

This new coin follows the memorial 50p pieces commemorating the change in monarch which were the first coins featuring King Charles and were released into circulation in December, 2022. The Royal Mint described the new release as ‘the biggest change in Britain’s coinage in decades’, marking the first time that many British people had ever seen in their change another royal portrait besides the late Queen Elizabeth.

Coin collectors in particular – also known as numismatists if they study the history behind the production of coins – will be interested that the head of the new 50p coin features the King’s official portrait unveiled in the coins released last year. The reverse side carries his official cypher, and this represents him being crowned at Westminster Abbey in May. Meanwhile, the new coins will co-circulate with those bearing the effigy of the late Queen which will remain legal tender and in active circulation for the foreseeable future.

Interestingly, a new commemorative 50p coin marking the 75th anniversary of the arrival in London of the Windrush generation of migrants from Jamaica – which I wrote about in last week’s column - was also released by the Royal Mint in June.

SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS TEACHER

This is a rare and exciting opportunity to join an outstanding and ambitious founding team at Inspired’s new premium school in Nassau, The Bahamas.

We are looking for a SEN teacher and leader who brings a dedication to supporting the thriving of each student, a forward-thinking attitude and outstanding experience of best practice across the sector.

You will be able to demonstrate experience in coordinating and delivering outstanding SEN provision in an academically ambitious environment, and in working collaboratively with a team of dedicated educators to design and implement personalised learning plans and inclusivity strategies.

The successful candidate will be providing one on one or small group support to students with SEN, whilst also building the foundations for a thriving department which will grow with the school. As such, the ideal candidate would have a strong background in Special Education, with a proven track record in coordinating and delivering SEN provision in an academically ambitious environment.

In addition to a relevant degree and a SENCO qualifcation, it is preferable for the ideal candidate to also have a postgraduate degree in special education or a related feld, and a Level 7 qualifcation or equivalent, allowing them to diagnose dyslexia and dyscalculia. A willingness to participate fully in the co-curricular life of the School is expected. King’s College School, The Bahamas, offers a vibrant learning community, already renowned for its high academic standards, and committed to inclusion and the holistic development of every student. The school will offer the highest quality modern facilities in a new purpose-built state-of-the-art facility on an expansive 10-acre campus, ensuring that students beneft from a learning environment that has been designed for how students learn in the modern day.

Facilities include football pitches, tennis and Padel courts, as well as dance, drama, and art studios. There will also be state-of-the-art science labs, a multi-purpose hall, a 25m competition swimming pool, an adventure park playground, and plenty of green spaces and shaded areas for students to enjoy.

Job Description

The SENCO is line-managed directly by the Founding Principal and is directly responsible for ensuring that pupils who are registered as having, or show symptoms of, Special Educational Needs are identifed and then supported as fully and appropriately as possible across all year groups. The role holder will deliver one-on-one or small group support initially, whilst also establishing a thriving SEN department which will grow with the school. Some of the responsibilities or the role will be:

To support individuals and small groups of students.

To work alongside the class teachers to help to identify pupils who may have Special Educational Needs through the use of initial in-house diagnostic tests and refer children to an Educational Psychologist for diagnostic testing whenever necessary.

To work collaboratively with colleagues to ensure all SEN pupils’ needs are met fully at all times, also by creating, preparing and implementing Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) for pupils identifed as having Special Educational Needs.

To ensure the details of all ILPs are recorded on iSams and updated regularly and are shared appropriately with class teachers.

To arrange and attend meetings with parents and teachers.

To advise the teaching staff on the support for SEN pupils through targeted and specifc differentiation, including by leading regular INSET for staff on SEN matters and by participating in the drawing of the school development plan.

When joining King’s College School you will join the family of the awardwinning Inspired Education Group, the leading global group of premium schools, with over 80 schools operating in 23 countries. We offer a competitive salary and benefts and access to best practice and career pathways with some of the very best schools worldwide. To apply please send a CV and letter of motivation to admin@kingscollegeschool.bs

‘Black Godfather’ of entertainment

Clarence Avant dies, aged 92

NEW YORK

Associated Press

CLARENCE Avant, the judicious manager, entrepreneur, facilitator and adviser who helped launch or guide the careers of Quincy Jones, Bill Withers and many others and came to be known as the “Black Godfather” of music and beyond, has died. He was 92.

His daughter, Nicole Avant, was the last person to hold the post of US Ambassador in The Bahamas.

Avant, inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021, died Sunday at his home in Los Angeles, according to a family statement released yesterday.

Avant’s achievements were both public and behind the scenes, as a name in the credits, or a name behind the names. Born in a segregated hospital in North Carolina, he became a man of lasting and wide-ranging influence, in part by minding two pieces of advice from an early mentor, the music manager Joe Glaser: Never let on how much you know, and ask for as much money as possible, “without stuttering”.

Sometimes called “The Godfather of Black Music,” he broke in as a manager in the 1950s, with such clients as singers Sarah Vaughan and Little Willie John and composer Lalo Schifrin, who wrote the theme to “Mission: Impossible.” In the 1970s he was an early patron of Black-owned radio stations and, in the 1990s, headed Motown after founder Berry Gordy Jr sold the company.

He also started such labels as Sussex (a hybrid of two Avant passions — success and sex) and Tabu, with artists including Withers, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the SOS Band and an obscure singer-songwriter, Sixto Rodriquez, who decades later became famous through the Oscarwinning documentary “Searching for Sugarman.” (Rodriquez died last week).

Other work took place more quietly. Avant brokered the sale of Stax Records to Gulf and Western in 1968, after being recruited by Stax executive Al Bell as a bridge between the entertainment and business industries. He raised money for Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, helped Michael Jackson organise his first solo

tour and advised Narada Michael Walden, LA Reid and Babyface and other younger admirers.

“Everyone in this business has been by Clarence’s desk, if they’re smart,”

Quincy Jones liked to say of him.

“Clarence leaves behind a loving family and a sea of friends and associates that have changed the world and will continue to change the world for generations to come. The joy of his legacy eases the sorrow of our loss,” said the statement, which was released by Avant’s son Alex, daughter Nicole and her husband, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos.

Avant’s influence extended to sports. He helped running back Jim Brown transition from football to acting and produced a primetime television special for Muhammad Ali.

When baseball great Henry Aaron was on the verge of surpassing Babe Ruth as the game’s home run champion, in 1974, Avant made sure that Aaron received the kind of lucrative commercial deals often elusive for Black athletes, starting with a personal demand to the president of Coca-Cola.

Aaron would later tell The Undefeated that everything he had become was “because of Clarence Avant”.

Avant met Jacqueline Gray, a model at the time, at an Ebony Fashion Fair in mid-1960s and married her in 1967. They had two children: Music producer-manager Alexander Devore and Nicole Avant, the former US ambassador to the Bahamas and, along with Sarandos, a major fundraiser for Obama. Besides his Rock Hall induction, his honors included two

honorary Grammys, an NAACP Image Award and a BET entrepreneur award.

In 2021, Jacqueline Avant was murdered in their Beverly Hills home, her death mourned by Bill Clinton and Magic Johnson among others. Nicole Avant would credit her mother, who became a prominent philanthropist, with bringing to Clarence Avant and other family members “the love and passion and importance of the arts and culture and entertainment”.

Born in 1931, Clarence Avant spent his early years in Greensboro, North Carolina, one of eight children raised by a single mother, and he dropped out of high school to move north. A friend from North Carolina helped him find work managing a lounge in Newark, New Jersey, and he soon got to know Glaser, whose clients ranged from Louis Armstrong to Barbra Streisand, not to mention Al Capone. Through Glaser, Avant found himself in places where Black people rarely had been permitted.

“Mr Glaser would have me go with him to these dog shows,” Avant told Variety in 2016. “And you’ve got

to imagine I was the only Black person at the goddamn dog show. He also had these 16 seats behind the visiting dugout at Yankee Stadium, and whenever he’d take me I would try to walk to the back row, and he’d grab me and say, ‘Goddamn it, sit your ass up here with me.’”

Avant became especially close to Jones, their bond formed through a missed record deal. It was the early 1960s, and Jones was a vice president at Mercury Records, one of the industry’s few Black executives. Avant was representing jazz musician Jimmy Smith and had heard that Mercury recently signed Dizzy Gillespie for $100,000. For Smith, Avant aimed much higher, closer to half a million.

“Are you smoking Kool-Aid?” Jones would remember saying to Avant, who then negotiated with Verve Records.

“He went and got the deal,” Jones, whose collaborations with Avant would include the TV series “Heart and Soul” and the feature film “Stalingrad,” told Billboard in 2006. “I respected him for that.”

As he rose in the entertainment industry, Avant became more active politically. He was an early supporter of Tom Bradley, the first Black mayor of Los Angeles, and served as executive producer of “Save the Children,” a 1973 documentary about a concert fundraiser for the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s “Operation PUSH.” Three years earlier, when he learned that the civil rights leader Andrew Young was running for Congress, in Georgia, he gave him a call.

“He said, ‘In Georgia, you’re running for Congress?’” Young later told CNN. “He said, ‘Well, if you’re crazy enough to run, I’m crazy enough to help you.’”

Avant, whom Young had never met, offered to bring in Isaac Hayes and other entertainers for a benefit and arrange for it to be held at the baseball stadium in Atlanta. Young had forgotten about their conversation when, a month later, signs promoting the show appeared around town.

“We had about 30,000 people in the pouring down rain,” Young said. “And he never sent us a bill.”

JACQUELINE AVANT, left, and Clarence Avant appear at the 11th Annual AAFCA Awards in Los Angeles on January 22, 2020. Clarence Avant, the manager, entrepreneur, facilitator and adviser who helped launch or guide the careers of Quincy Jones, Bill Withers and many others and came to be known as “The Godfather of Black Music,” has died. He was 92. His death was announced Monday by his family. Jacqueline Avant was murdered in their Beverly Hills home in 2021.

Photo: Mark Von Holden/Invision/AP

FORMER US ambassador to The Bahamas Nicole Avant.

Rights group urges rapid intervention to end spiraling gang violence in Haiti

PUERTO RICO

Associated Press

A HUMAN rights group urged the international community on Monday to intervene quickly to end spiralling violence by gangs in Haiti as it detailed the brutal rapes and killings committed in the troubled nation’s capital.

The call by Human Rights Watch comes as Haiti awaits a response from the UN Security Council to its request in October for the immediate deployment of an international armed force to fight the surge in violence.

“The longer that we wait and don’t have this response, we’re going to see more Haitians being killed, raped and kidnapped, and more people suffering without enough to eat,” said Ida Sawyer, the group’s crisis and conflict director, who visited Haiti to compile a report on the violence.

The United States said earlier this month that it would introduce a UN Security Council resolution

authorizing Kenya to lead a multinational police force to fight gangs in Haiti.

However, no timetable for such a resolution was given.

“The main message we want to get across is that Haitian people need support now,” Sawyer said.

“We heard again and again that the situation is worse now in Haiti than it’s been at any time people can remember.”

Gangs have overpowered police, with experts estimating they now control some 80% of the capital, Portau-Prince. There are only about 10,000 police officers for the country’s more than 11 million people. More than 30 officers were killed from January to June, and more than 400 police facilities are inoperative because of criminal attacks, according to Human Rights Watch.

In addition to the ongoing violence, an estimated 5.2 million Haitians are in need of humanitarian assistance, a 20% increase from last year.

Sawyer also called for

strict oversight of Kenyan police if they are deployed.

In Port-au-Prince on Monday, several thousand protesters marched to decry the rise in violence and demand government action. Police later fired tear gas to disperse the crowd. There were no immediate reports of any injuries.

Among those planning to march was Cassandre Petit, a 35-year-old mother who owns a small convenience store.

“You don’t know when you’re going to get robbed or shot for bubble gum money that you made that day,” she said and accused the government of making empty promises to improve people’s lives. She added that she rarely sees police patrolling the streets and hopes an international police force will arrive soon so “I’ll be able to breathe for a little while.”

Human Rights Watch also urged the US, Canada, France and other governments to support the creation of a transitional

government, with Ariel Henry holding power since the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.

The group also recommended that the US and France recognize their responsibility “for their historic harms and abuses with ongoing impacts and work towards the development of an effective and genuine reparations process led by Haitian people.”

Haiti became the world’s first Black republic in 1804, with France demanding a 150 million gold franc “independence debt” to compensate for lost slaves and land. The debt crippled the country, which finished paying a reduced debt of 90 million gold coins to French and American banks in 1947.

The report details abuse and violence that occurred in four communities in metropolitan Port-au-Prince from January to April of this year, based on interviews with dozens of victims and witnesses.

A 33-year-old mother of four said she was beaten

and raped when she left early one morning in April to sell goods at the market. She said her sister, a mother of three children, was with her and was killed because she resisted an attempt to rape her.

“They burned her in my presence, and her corpse was placed in a pile with other corpses,” the woman said.

In another attack, a 30-year-old mother of three said two men shot her father in the head and then began to cut off his arms with a machete. Her 5-year-old son was killed when bandits set fire to her home.

“When I managed to get into my house, he was wrapped in a blanket, totally charred,” she was quoted as saying.

Sawyer said she was most taken aback by the number of sexual violence cases and how nearly all the victims interviewed had not received medical care or reported their cases to police.

Doctors Without Borders

said that between January and May of this year, it helped more than 1,000 victims of sexual violence, nearly twice the number in the same period last year.

Kidnappings and killings also have spiked.

More than 2,000 people were killed from January to June, a nearly 125% increase from the same period last year. More than 1,000 kidnappings were reported during those months, according to the UN Integrated Office in Haiti.

“The Haitian government has failed to protect people from the violence of criminal groups. To those living in affected areas, the police and other authorities scarcely exist,” Human Rights Watch said.

The prime minister’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

More than 190,000 Haitians have been forced to flee their homes since last year, with some leaving the country and many staying in makeshift shelters with deplorable hygiene.

MORE STATES EXPECT SCHOOLS TO KEEP TRANS GIRLS OFF GIRLS TEA MS AS K-12 CLASSES RESUME

Associated Press

AS CHILDREN across the US head back to classes and practices for fall sports, four more states are expecting their K-12 schools to keep transgender girls off their girls teams.

Kansas, North Dakota and Wyoming had new laws in place restricting transgender athletes before classes resumed, and a Missouri law takes effect at the end of this month, bringing the number of states with restrictions to 23.

North Carolina could enact a ban later this month, and Ohio could follow in the fall. A few laws, including ones in Arizona and West Virginia, are on hold because of federal lawsuits.

This year’s new restrictions are part of a larger wave of legislation across the US against transgender rights. Republican legislators in some states have banned gender-affirming care for minors, restricted transgender people’s use of school and public restrooms, limited what public schools can teach about gender and sexuality and barred schools from requiring the use of a transgender student’s preferred pronouns. The sports laws have been

imposed since 2020, and most are aimed at transgender girls. A majority cover less formal intramural contests organized within a single school’s student body as well as contests among different schools, and some restrict transgender boys as well. Almost all say other students and their parents can sue schools that don’t enforce the restrictions.

Lawmakers expect a child’s earliest birth certificate to determine which sports teams they can join.

Principals and coaches are expected to be the enforcers.

“Those are uncomfortable conversations,” said Jeanne Woodbury, interim executive director of the LGBGT+ rights group Equality Arizona. “Everyone is going through that process.”

She added: “For trans kids, it’s never been a walk in the park, but now they have this law to contend with on top of everything else.”

In Oklahoma, where a law has been in place since 2022, athletes or their parents must file an annual affidavit “acknowledging the biological sex of the

dent at birth.”

expect school officials to review a child’s earliest birth certificate if questions arise about an athlete’s eligibility.

Bill Faflick, executive director of the Kansas State High School Activities Association, said his state’s law has been greeted by a “matter of fact” acceptance in rules seminars for administrators and coaches.

“It has not been met with any resistance and has not been met with any outpouring of support or opposition, one way or the other,” Faflick said. Even before the laws against transgender girls on girls teams passed, some states largely blocked the practice by handling questions or concerns on a case-by-case level at the school or state athletic association level.

Supporters of the restrictions argue that they’re protecting fair competition and scholarship opportunities for young women that took decades to win. They say that well before puberty, boys have physical advantages over girls in speed, strength and lung capacity.

“It’s a puzzlement to me that more people aren’t feeling sympathy for the girls whose sports careers are ruined,” said Tom Horne,

the elected Republican state school superintendent in Arizona, who is defending his state’s law in federal court.

Doctors, parents, and LGBTQ+ rights advocates counter that boys’ physical advantages come with a surge in testosterone during puberty — changes genderaffirming care blocks.

Critics also argue that transgender athletes are so few that schools and associations governing school sports can handle their individual cases without a state law.

For example, in Kansas, the State High School Activities Association recorded 11 transgender athletes during the 2022-23 school year, and three were trans girls. Before Florida’s law took effect in 2021, its High School Athletic Association had cleared 13 transgender students to play in the previous eight years.

Becky Pepper-Jackson appeared to be the only transgender girl seeking to play girls’ sports in West Virginia in 2021 when the then-11-year-old and her mother, Heather Jackson, sued the state over its law.

Because of their lawsuit, the West Virginia law is on hold, and Becky, now a

13-year-old entering eighth grade, threw the discus and the shot put in seven track meets this spring.

The state is trying to persuade a federal appeals court to let it enforce its law, and in a filing last month, it cited the longer distances Becky threw this year as a reason. The state said any time another girl finished behind Becky in either event — more than 180 times — the other athlete had been unfairly “displaced.”

Jackson said the state knows her daughter only “on paper,” and Becky improved by training relentlessly at home with her own equipment.

“As a parent, all we want for our children is for them to be successful and happy, period,” Jackson told The Associated Press.

“That should be an opportunity for everybody, every time, everywhere in this country.”

Educators and LGBTQ+ rights advocates argue that transgender kids aren’t the only athletes likely to feel the effects of the laws. Some worry that parents will challenge the right to play of cisgendered girls who are taller or more muscular than their peers — or just a

whole lot better.

One of athletes who sued Idaho over its 2020 law was a 17-year-old cisgendered girl, listed only as Jane Doe. The lawsuit said she had an “athletic build” and wanted to avoid “invasive or uncomfortable” gender tests.

“It’s going to create this feeling in some people that, ‘I can go question someone’s gender, and it’s my right to do that,’” said G.A. Buie, executive director of United School Administrators of Kansas, an association representing public school leaders.

Parents, doctors and LGBTQ+ rights advocates say restrictions on transgender athletes are less about sports and more about trying to make transgender kids disappear from society.

“What lawmakers fail to understand is that transgender people, nonbinary people, intersex people, have always been here,” said Anne Lieberman, policy and programs director for Athlete Ally, a group that advocates for transgender athletes. “Unless it is known that a student is trans, it is very hard to keep somebody from playing sports.”

PROTESTERS ride their motorcycles past a burning barricade during a protest against insecurity, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, yesterdy.

Photo: Odelyn Joseph/AP

Anaiah Rolle makes history in pole vault

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WITH a strong background in gymnastics, Anaiah Rolle made a transition to track and field, becoming the first Bahamian female competitor to compete in an international pole vault event.

The 16-year-old did it by joining the Leap of Faith Track Club headed by her uncle James Rolle this year and it was on to making history yet again for the Bahamas.

She got her introduction to the event between late May and early June. Under the guidance of coach Kenny Moxey, Rolle was able to make her successful debut at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ Nationals in July where she qualified for the Junior Pan American Games.

Having represented the Bahamas in various competitions in gymnastics as a member of the Bahamas Star Gymnastics under coach Tennille Thompson. Rolle said she decided to get into track and field where she was doing the long jump.

“At the end of May, I started practicing for the pole vault,” she said. “Because pole vault for under-20 women was not something that was being done in the Bahamas before, most meets didn’t have the event, so I had to wait for the Nationals.”

At the Nationals over the weekend of July 5-7 at the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium, Rolle cleared 8-feet, 10 1/4-inches or 2.70 metres.

A month later at the Jr Pan Am Under-20 Championships at the Jose A. Figueroa Freire Stadium in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico on August 6, she improved her personal best to 9-4 1/4 (2.85m).

She would finish at the bottom of the eight-woman field, but noted that it was all about getting the exposure.

“Competing in my first international event in the pole vault was different because since there were no other young females doing pole vault in the Bahamas, I normally compete by myself,” she said.

“But when I went to Puerto Rico, I competed with eight other females, who were more experienced and who were older than me, but I learned a lot of new things from that experience,” she reflected.

The Americans took the top two spots at the Jr Pan Am with Kenna Stimmel clearing 14-1 1/4 (4.30m) for the gold and Ella Mritchie doing 13-11 1/4 (4.25m) for the silver.

The bronze went to Alyssa Mixon of Puerto Rico with 13-5 1/4 (4.10m).

Based on the little experience she had going into the event, Rolle said she was quite pleased with what she accomplished.

“I expected the competition to be hard and I expected to compete against girls who were more experienced in pole vault than me,” she insisted.

“The competition was great. I learned that I had to be patient because those

WORLD CUP

FROM PAGE 16

Spain leads all teams in the tournament with 15 goals so far and is determined to showcase its offence against Sweden, which has so far allowed just two goals and beat the United States in the knockout round on penalties.

It’s unknown what Alexia Putellas will have in this monumental moment in Spain’s women’s soccer history.

Putellas tore her ACL last year and wasn’t a guarantee to even make

FIRST BAHAMIAN FEMALE COMPETITOR IN INTERNATIONAL POLE VAULT EVENT

T ITLE FAVOURITES ACES AND L IBERTY SET TO MEET IN W NBA CUP FINAL

The New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces are living up to the preseason WNBA hype and will meet for the first time with a championship on the line when they play for the Commissioner’s Cup title tonight.

The Aces were the preseason favourite to win the WNBA title, with the Liberty the second choice, and the budding rivals each hope to take home that trophy. The first-place Aces won both the Commissioner’s Cup — the league’s in-season tournament — and the WNBA title last season.

girls were pole vaulting much longer than me. I just started in May, so I have to work on being patient and in God’s timing, everything will happen.”

Moxey, a former national team pole vaulter who also coaches his son Kenny Moxey Jr in the sport, was thrilled when he got the opportunity to work with Rolle.

“She seems to be very promising and as long as she continues to stay focused and put in the work, I think she will be able to do better things,” Moxey said.

“I’m looking forward to next season at the CARIFTA Games and moving forward. I think she will be someone to watch. She’s already made history as the first Bahamian female vaulter. She’s a very nice young lady, very educated, who caught on very quickly.”

Not only would coach Moxey like to continue to work with her, but he’s hoping that Rolle’s participation in the sport will inspire more females and even young men to come out and learn the event.

“I have one male vaulter in my son, but I’m hoping that we can get more so that we can continue to have a pool to represent the Bahamas and move on to college and beyond,” said coach Moxey, who heads the Panthers Track Club.

While there are two pole vaulters in Brenden Johnson, who is following in the footsteps of his father, national record holder Brent Vanderpool, along with Tyler Cash, who are both making their presence felt on the international scene, coach Moxey said he’s looking for more competitors to join the list.

And while they wait to expand the list, coach Rolle said it’s good that his niece has opened the door for the females. With her attitude towards competing in the event, coach Rolle said she is certainly on the right track.

“I was planning on letting her do the pole vault from the offseason, but she was sceptical about it,” he said. “So I decided to let her get into track first

Spain’s 23-player roster. The 29-year-old midfielder, a two-time Ballon d’Or winner as the sport’s best player, was a substitute in Spain’s first match of this World Cup, started the second match of group play, but has been used sparingly since.

The Barcelona star has played in all five of Spain’s matches, but hasn’t been on the field for more than an hour in any match and has logged just 155 minutes in total. She has no goals, but does have an assist, in the tournament.

Spain coach Jorge Vilda wouldn’t commit Monday to how Putellas will be used against Sweden.

because she was great at gymnastics.

“So I know a lot of gymnastics people are good at pole vault, so when CARIFTA came around and they said they were having it, I asked her if she wanted to do it. She said no. Not yet.”

After CARIFTA, Rolle said he sat down with Rolle and they discussed it and we agreed to let her do it. After consulting with coach Moxey, coach Rolle said the rest was history.

“In June, I sent her over to Kenny Moxey to help her. It only took her six weeks before the trials and she jumped 2.20m. That was a great improvement,” he said.

“She realised that it was the same thing as doing gymnastics and now I can’t get her out of it.

“So look for bigger and better things to happen next year.”

The 3.5 average senior student at Greenville

“We are very happy with the level Alexia has reached. Since the first day of training we have noticed this,” Vilda said.

“It is true that she is in the process of a recovery of nine or 10 months. We’ve adapted... and Alexia is ready for everything.”

Picking up the slack in Putellas’ absence has been Aitana Bonmati, who has scored three goals in this World Cup to tie teammates Hermoso and Alba Maria Redondo Ferrer as Spain’s most prolific scorers.

Sweden has its own player concern with forward Sofia Jakobsson battling an illness ahead of the match.

Preparatory Academy on Tonique Williams-Darling Highway is the daughter of Shancola and Firstnell Rolle and she has an older brother Kaleb Rolle, who is not involved in sports.

“Anaiah is a very determined young lady and what she loves, she puts her mind to it and she excels in it,” said her mother Shancola, speaking on behalf of her husband, Firstnell.

“Coach Moxey was very impressed with her improvement, like we say, in such a short time. Of course, we believe a lot of her gymnastics background had a lot to do with her grasping the concept of being able to excel the way she did in such a short time.”

Her mother said her daughter is a very persistent young lady who rarely likes to miss practice and now as a family, along with her coaches, they are seeing the fruits of her labour. Not only did Rolle compete as

Sweden coach Peter Gerhardsson wasn’t sure of Jakobsson’s status against Spain.

“Let me just say that everyone trained fully and Sofia Jakobsson is kind of climbing the walls currently,” he said. “I don’t know what that means, but I think that is a very positive sign. So, very mild symptoms of illness. I hope that we have everyone available — that’s the plan.” The Swedes have been led offensively by centreback Amanda Ilestedt, who has never been considered much of a scorer at international level and yet has four goals in this World Cup and trails only Hinata

“Winning the Commissioner’s Cup is continuing to have bragging rights. And (I saw) someone said that it would be one of the first pieces of hardware that we would take home as the Liberty,” New York’s Breanna Stewart said. “So using that as motivation and continuing to keep it in perspective, because ultimately our end goal is to win a WNBA championship.”

Each member of the winning team will receive around $30,000. Players on the losing squad each get about $10,000.

“It’s an opportunity to build chemistry, but also win money. It’s a big game, but we couldn’t focus on it ‘til now,” Stewart said.

Liberty guard Courtney Vandersloot agreed.

“The money is big,” said Vandersloot, who lost in the Cup final to Las Vegas last season, when she played for Chicago. “It definitely adds an extra incentive to the game.”

An extra $30,000 is significant when the maximum base salary for a WNBA player is roughly $230,000. The NBA is starting its own in-season tournament this year with the winning team making $500,000 per player and $200,000 for second place.

The WNBA players aren’t the only ones who benefit from the tournament.

a gymnast, but she was also involved in dance and performed with the Bahamas All-Star band.

Coach Rolle, however, was just proud to have introduced the multitalented Rolle to coach Moxey to begin her historic journey as the first Bahamian female to compete in the event.

“I’m proud of her. I’m happy for her,” coach Rolle summed up. “History has made it. But this is just the beginning. She’s going to do some big things for the Bahamas.”

The Olympic Games in Paris, France might be a little out of her reach, but Rolle said her aim is to make every national team next year where there is pole vault for women.

She eventually wants to secure an athletic scholarship to attend college for the pole vault, an event she intends to continue to pursue now that she’s given up competing as a gymnast.

Miyazawa’s five goals for Japan in the race for the Golden Boot.

Sweden eliminated Japan in the quarterfinals.

Before this tournament, Ilestedt had scored just eight goals in 64 appearances for Sweden’s national team in a decade-long international career.

“Amanda is amazing, but we have so many players that are really good in areas,” forward Fridolina Rolfo said while praising Sweden’s execution on set pieces.

“I don’t think anyone cares who is the leading goal scorer. But obviously it is amazing that Amanda has scored so many goals on

There are also a couple of charities with vested interest; New York is playing for the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, which provides health care and related services targeted to New York’s LGBTQ communities. Las Vegas is playing for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Southern Nevada.

“The chance to impact someone else’s everyday life, that’s a special gift and a special mantle that we all have to uphold,” Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon said. “Anytime we can pour money back into the community and make meaningful changes in people’s lives, I know myself and everyone in this organization will do what we can to make that possible.”

Everyone in the Aces and Liberty organisations will be very familiar with one another by the end of the month. Tonight’s game will be the second of four meetings between the WNBA’s top teams in August.

our set pieces, which is our strength.”

Vilda said because Spain has never beaten Sweden, the Swedes are the favorites to win the semifinal match and maybe the entire tournament. The winner in Auckland faces the winner of the semifinal match between co-host Australia and European champion England.

“About being the favorite team beforehand? I don’t know what team is the favorite in this game,” Rolfo said.

“When you reach the semifinals, there are only good teams. I know they have a great team, and so do we.”

AN AIAH ROLLE, of The Bahamas, in action in the pole vault.

Late home runs lift ‘Jazz’ and Marlins to 5-1 series opening win over Astros

MIAMI (AP) — Jorge

Soler, Luis Arraez and Josh Bell hit consecutive homers in the eighth inning and the Miami Marlins beat the Houston Astros

5-1 last night.

Houston starter Framber Valdez (9-8) limited the Marlins to four hits and two runs – one earned – through 7 2/3 innings before Soler and Arraez connected with solo shots to make it 4-1 and end the left-hander’s outing.

“It’s fun because I never hit homers,” Arraez said. “I followed Soler and said it was my time.”

Hector Neris relieved and allowed Bell’s blast over the wall in right. Bell, who celebrated his 31st birthday, extended his on base streak to 12 games since he joined the Marlins August 2.

“A lot of smiles, a lot of jumping up and down. It makes you feel like a kid sometimes,” Bell said of the homer outburst.

“Sometimes, the game is the hardest thing in the world but when you can do something like that and celebrate as a team, it makes the down side of the game that much easier.”

It was just the second time in franchise history — the first was in 1998 — the Marlins hit three consecutive home runs.

“Those are really nice, especially against a team like that,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said.

“That offence, there were a lot of loud outs today, so I was totally OK with adding some insurance runs late.”

Arraez went hitless in his first three at-bats and his major league-leading batting average dropped to .366, while Soler returned to the lineup after missing the last two games because of a stomach virus.

“The body was a little weak but I’m feeling better now,” Soler said. Marlins starter Braxton Garrett (7-3) threw five scoreless innings and was lifted after 75 pitches. The left-hander gave up four hits, walked two and struck out one.

The Astros stranded 10 runners and were 2-for12 with runners in scoring position. Garrett escaped a bases loaded one-out jam in the second by striking out Jake Myers and retiring Martin Maldonado on a pop out.

“That was a huge blow for us to come away with nothing,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “But we hit the ball great. Line drive after line drive. Just wasn’t our night.”

Consecutive doubles from Nick Fortes and Jon Berti in the third gave Miami an early lead. Berti stole third and scored on catcher Martin Maldonado’s passed ball to make it 2-0.

The Astros narrowed the deficit on José Altuve’s RBI double in the seventh.

Jeremy Péna hit a leadoff single off Jorge López and advanced on the reliever’s wild pitch.

Tanner Scott relieved López after two outs and allowed Altuve’s shot to the left field wall.

Scott got the three outs in the eighth around two singles before David Robertson pitched the ninth. Altuve finished with three hits and a walk. Earlier yesterday, Altuve was

named AL Player of the Week. REACQUANTANCES

Miami’s Yuli Gurriel went hitless in three at-bats against his former team. The 39-year-old Gurriel spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Astros before signing a free agent deal with the Marlins this season.

ATTENDANCE DROP

After crowds exceeding 30,000 for each of the Marlins’ three home games against the New York Yankees over the weekend, the turnout for Monday’s series opener was 13,263.

ROSTER MOVE

The Marlins placed RHP Huascar Brazoban (left hamstring strain) on the 15-day injured list and recalled RHP Bryan

Hoeing from Triple-A Jacksonville. TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: Peña was tended to by an Astros trainer when he landed hard after a diving stab of Gurriel’s hard grounder in the seventh. The shortstop stayed in the game and Baker said later he “had the wind knocked out of him” ...

1B José Abreu (lumbar spine inflammation) said before the game that if he continues progressing with his recovery, he targets a return during the club’s home series against Seattle this weekend.

Marlins: JT Chargois (right rib cage strain) threw a 25-pitch bullpen Sunday and is scheduled to throw another one on Tuesday.

GREG BURROWS SR

GREG BURROWS SR ‘WILL CONTINUE IN HIS ROLE’

FROM PAGE 16

great country,” the letter wrote. “As we discussed a few weeks ago, we hope to continue bringing additional tournaments and opportunities to the Bahamas.”

Babe Ruth League, however, called the BBA’s action “punitive and severe” for a volunteer who has served the sport and the Bahamas with class for the better part of his life.

“With his dedication to the sport, many players have graduated from Freedom Farm Babe Ruth League and represented their country either in the MLB or at other internationally recognised events,” Babe Ruth League further wrote.

“The community benefited from our event through tourism as well as the completion of the Andre Rodgers Stadium and the renovation of the Baillou Hills Complex.”

When contacted, Burrows Sr again declined any comments. He indicated that his lawyer will be making an official statement on his behalf, but he didn’t say when.

NICKY LOPEZ THRIVES IN FILL-IN ROLE AS FRIED, BRAVES ROLL PAST STRUGGLING YANKEES, 11-3

ATLANTA (AP) — Max Fried allowed two runs in his first home start in more than three months, Nicky Lopez had three hits and three RBIs in a fill-in role, and Atlanta defeated New York.

Eddie Rosario drove in four runs with three hits, including a two-run homer, in Atlanta’s 15-hit attack.

Fried (4-1) gave up eight hits in six-plus innings in his first home start since May 5. He returned from the 60-day injured list on Aug. 4 after missing 70 games with a left forearm strain and allowed a combined four runs in two road starts.

Lopez has a combined eight RBIs in his last two starts. He had a two-run single in the second off Clarke Schmidt (8-7) before driving in another run with a single in Atlanta’s fourrun third.

RANGERS 12,

ANGELS 0

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Max Scherzer allowed only one infield single and one walk while striking out a season-high 11 in seven innings to record his third win in three Texas starts.

Marcus Semien had two hits and a season-high five RBIs, including a three-run home run in the seventh inning. Three batters later, Adolis Garcia increased his AL-best RBI total to 91 with a two-run shot that was his 30th of the season.

Martin Perez followed Scherzer (12-4) to finish the combined one-hitter, extending the final string of consecutive batters retired to 22.

In the Rangers’ threerun third, one run scored on a bases-loaded walk by Patrick Sadoval (6-9) — his final batter — and another scored on a wild pitch by Griffin Canning. Texas batted around in the third and seventh innings. Angels pitchers allowed 12 hits, walked eight – one intentionally – and threw two wild pitches through seven innings before infielder Eduardo Escobar pitched the eighth and gave up one unearned run.

ROYALS 7, MARINERS 6

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Dairon Blanco executed a suicide squeeze bunt in the ninth inning to score Samad Taylor, and Kansas City rallied to hand the playoff-contending Seattle its third straight loss.

Brady Singer took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, Bobby Witt Jr. hit an inside-the-park homer and Salvador Perez hit a three-run shot to build the Royals’ 5-0 lead. But it all came undone in the final two innings.

Julio Rodríguez hit a bases-clearing double in the eighth to get the Royals within 5-3, then scored on a single by Eugenio Suárez. In the ninth, Josh Rojas tied it with a run-scoring single against Nick Wittgren (1-0), and Rodríguez’s RBI single put the Mariners on top.

But Matt Brash (8-4) immediately ran into trouble in the ninth. He gave up consecutive singles and Perez tied the game with a sacrifice fly. Blanco then

bunted Brash’s first pitch down the first-base line, and first baseman Dylan Moore couldn’t handle it cleanly as Taylor dashed home with the game-ending run.

ROCKIES 6, DIAMONDBACKS 4 DENVER (AP) — Nolan Jones singled in the go-ahead run in a three-run eighth inning and Colorado beat Arizona to snap a fivegame losing streak.

Charlie Blackmon, Ezequiel Tovar and Ryan McMahon opened the eighth inning with singles to load the bases against Joe Mantiply (1-1), the

third Arizona pitcher. Scott McGough entered and retired Elias Diaz on a liner to shortstop Geraldo Perdomo before Brandon Rodgers’ two-run single tied the score and sent McMahon to third. Jones followed with his go-ahead single to center.

Matt Koch (2-0) struck out two in a 1-2-3 eighth and Justin Lawrence struck out the side in the ninth for his 10th save in 14 chances

Christian Walker hit his 25th homer and drove in three runs for the Diamondbacks, who have lost 10 of their last 12 games.

Merrill Kelly gave up two solo homers and struck out 11 in six innings.

METS 7, PIRATES 2 NEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Lindor became the first Met to reach 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases since 2008 as New York won consecutive games for the first time this month.

Jonathan Araúz hit a two-run homer while Daniel Vogelbach and Brandon Nimmo added solo homers as the Mets scored in each of the first six innings in a home game

for the first time since 1987. Pete Alonso added an RBI double.

Lindor singled off rookie Quinn Priester (2-2) in the third, doubled in the fifth and scored each time. Priester allowed six runs and seven hits in five innings.

Carlos Carrasco labored through three innings and allowed two runs and four hits. Tyson Miller (1-0) pitched two innings in his Mets’ debut and got his second career win.

CARDINALS 7, ATHLETICS 5

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Rookie Jordan Walker hit a bases-loaded triple in the seventh inning, and St. Louis rallied for the win over Oakland in a matchup of last-place teams.

Jo Jo Romero (3-1) worked 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief for the Cardinals, who had lost their previous six meetings with the A’s.

In the seventh, Angel Felipe (1-1) walked the bases full with one out and gave way to Francisco Perez, who walked Lars Nootbaar on five pitches to move the Cardinals within 5-4.

Miles Mikolas departed with a 3-2 lead after yielding consecutive one-out singles in the seventh. Giovanny Gallegos, pitching on his 32nd birthday, entered and gave up a run-scoring double by Zack Gelof and a two-run single by Brown.

A’s starter JP Sears allowed three runs in five innings. Esteury Ruiz hit a two-run homer for Oakland in the fifth.

MIAMI Marlins left fielder Bryan De La Cruz (14), right fielder Jesus Sanchez, centre, and centre fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr celebrate after the Marlins beat the Houston Astros 5-1 last night in Miami.

(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

UMPIRE Ben May calls out New York Yankees Isiah Kiner-Falefa after Atlanta Braves Orlando Arcia makes the tag in the first inning yesterday in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Hakim Wright Sr)

SPORTS

TUESDAY, AUGUST 15, 2023

PAGE 13

GREG BURROWS SR ‘WILL CONTINUE’ AS HEAD OF BABE RUTH CARIBBEAN

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Last night, with three of the four National Basketball Association players in the starting line-up, The Bahamas pounded Cuba for a convincing 109-68 victory.

he top ranked Bahamas men’s national basketball team, arguably one of the best teams ever selected, posted an impressive 41-point rout over Cuba to start the FIBA Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament in La Banda, Argentina.Without the service of forward Kai Jones from the Charlotte Hornets, head coach Chris DeMarco, an assistant with the Golden State Warriors, utilised a line-up that featured guard Chavano ‘Buddy’ Hield of the Indiana Pacers and centre Deandre Ayton and guard Eric Gordon of the Phoenix Suns, along with guard Lourawls ‘Tum Tum’ Nairn and forward Travis Munnings.

The Bahamas, ranked as the top seed at the tournament, got off to a slow start and they only led 20-16 at the end of the first quarter. But they turned things around in the second quarter and went into the locker room up 46-28.

At the end of the third quarter, the Bahamas had extended their lead to 79-46.

The Bahamas hit the century mark with 3:46 left in the fourth quarter for a 101-60 lead and they went on cruise control the rest of the way.

Hield finished with a game high 24 points in a little over 27 minutes with six rebounds, five assists and a pair of steals. Ayton netted 22 points in 25-plus minutes with 10 rebounds, two assists and a steal and Gordon, in his debut for the Bahamas in 24 minutes, had 17 points, four assists and two rebounds.

Also helping out in the well-rounded effort by Team Bahamas in double figures were Franco Miller Jr with 18 points, five rebounds, two assists and a

ERIC GORDON dribbles the ball as DeAndre Ayton looks on during last night’s game.

steal, while Kentwan Smith had 10 points and four rebounds.

Munnings contributed seven points with two rebounds and as many steals and Domnick Bridgewater also had seven points. David Nesbitt was the only other player to score with four points.

The four other players on the team, who played but didn’t score, were Nairn, Garvin Clarke Jr, Rashad Davis and Jaraun

SYDNEY (AP) — Spain failed to qualify for the first six editions of the Women’s World Cup, but once La Roja made the tournament in 2015 they’ve made a steady climb toward joining the global elite.

Spain scored its first point with a draw in its World Cup debut. Four years later, Spain advanced to the knockout round before it was eliminated by the U.S. team that went on to clinch a second consecutive championship. Now in their third World Cup, the Spaniards have reached a new level and face Sweden in the first World Cup semifinal on Tuesday at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand.

It is Spain’s first semifinal match in a major tournament since the 1997 European Championships, and the reward for making it this far? A match against the second-ranked team in the world that has already eliminated the U.S. and Japan in this tournament.

The Swedes are playing in a fifth World Cup semifinal: they were runners-up in 2003, finished third three times, and, just to note how consistently strong the Swedes have been, they lost the gold medal match to Canada two years ago at the Tokyo Olympics.

So is Spain nervous?

You better believe it.

“If we’re not nervous, something is not going right,” forward Jenni Hermoso said on the eve of the match.

nervous sense in our stomach and to have the willpower. To reach the final, just thinking about it gives me shivers. We are

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

DESPITE being issued what they called a “punitive and severe” five-year suspension from the Bahamas Baseball Association, the Babe Ruth League has decided to retain Greg Burrows Sr’s service as Caribbean commissioner as he continues to seek to grow the game in the region.

Babe Ruth League Inc. issued the letter yesterday to Prime Minister Philip Davis and copied it to Samuel Rodgers, president of the BBA. The letter was signed by Robert Faherty, senior vice president commissioner and Michael Solanik, commissioner.

In its letter, the Babe Ruth League said it’s aware of the action taken by the BBA in suspending Burrows Sr for five years and his son, Greg Burrows Jr, for 15 years for their role they played against visiting home plate umpire Edaine Cannister from Curacao during a placement game in the under-18 division between the Bahamas and Puerto Rico at the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium in July.

Burrows Sr, as the organiser of the tournament, intervened with two committee members, as they approached Cannister on the field to reinsert Burrows Jr as the manager of Team Bahamas after he was ejected for repeatedly protesting Puerto Rico’s pitcher wearing what he considered to be a item that was a distraction under his hat.

The letter informed all

T

Anaiah,

The sound of the summer

By FAY SIMMONS jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

CAMP RNY, by Rhythm and Youth is a cultural camp that focuses on rake n scrape, Junkanoo crafts and sports. The camp has been held annually since 2012 and runs for one week on a Family Island, this year it was held in Exuma.

Nathaniel Adams Jr, Camp RNY organiser, explained that the camp is held on the Family Islands so that they can expose children throughout the country to Bahamian music and art. He added that many of the members of Rhythm and Youth, a rake n scrape group that was formed after the first summer camp, assist as junior camp counsellors.

He said: “There are a whole lot of camps that are Nassau-centric so we figured it’d be good to do it

in the Family Islands where we can share the wealth and give exposure to the children in whichever island we choose.

“We also have junior

camp counselors that help out in the camp. They are mainly members of which is the group in that runs all year long. That group was formed from the first summer camp.” Rhythm and Youth is one only programmes that is teaching students rake n scrape, which Mr Adams noted can open up both international and domestic opportunities. He added that while junkanoo crafts are included in the summer camp the focus on rake n scrape continues year round.

He said: “It gives children an opportunity to do an art form that’s not really that popular and it allows them to be ambassadors for the country because we also travel both domestically and internationally.

“We add Junkanoo in the summer camp for the craft purposes, but our regular platform is more rake n scrape than Junkanoo. We do the pasting and Junkanoo crafts at the summer camp but not Junkanoo music. Everyone knows Rhythm and Youth for the rake n scrape.”

Mr Adams maintained the importance of teaching cultural arts to students so that they will

STUDENT RAISES FUNDS TO HOLD BACK TO SCHOOL EXTRAVAGANZA

By FAY SIMMONS jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

IT HAS been a busy summer for ten-year-old Eureia Rolle. The Uriah McPhee student was determined to extend a charitable hand to the children in the community that her primary school resides and organized a back-to-school giveaway on Saturday.

Shereika Curry, Eureia’s mother explained that the event was designed to provide school supplies to

her classmates that may not have access to all of the tools necessary to be productive at school. She added that her daughter is always looking for a way to help those around her. She said: “The drive was on Saturday, she wanted to give back to the community especially her peers who don’t always have school supplies. So, she had a fun day on Saturday with bouncing castles, cotton candy, snow cones, hotdogs and she gave out school supplies in a drawstring bag.

“She just likes to help people. She likes to bake stuff and give it to others. She likes to help other children with their homework. She is always looking for some way to assist others.” Eureia raised the funds to hold the fun day and giveaway through selling lemonade and homemade cakes, sponsorship from Kelly’s and generous donations from her mother’s clients. She wants to continue giving a helping hand when she gets older by becoming a teacher or a doctor.

not be lost to the hands of time. He added that persons can get involved in the programme by contacting him by telephone, attending practices or at Rhythm.n.youth on Instagram or rhythm n’ Youth on Facebook.

He said: “The reality is. If we don’t if we don’t teach it, it’ll die because there’s no one there’s not a lot of

programmes.

“The easiest way for persons to get involved with the programme is to call me at 468-0613 or you can come out our rehearsals at Ridgeland Primary School every Monday from 5.30 to about 7.30.”

He encouraged students to be disciplined at their extracurriculars and academics in the upcoming

school year as it is key to achieving the top spot.

“A message that I have for the children going back to school is discipline. Rake n scrape or any program depends on discipline and that same discipline that you use for rake n scrape is the same discipline that you use in your studies to stay focused and to maintain being on top.”

SCENES from this summer’s CAMP RNY.