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Photo: Kemuel Stubbs/BIS A MASS choir performs at the Hurricane Dorian memorial concert at Baha Mar last night. See more photographs on PAGE FIVE.
SEE PAGE THREE PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis speaking in Abaco yesterday.
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THREE years after Hurricane Dorian devastated Abaco and Grand Bahama, Prime Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis admitted that progress to have the islands restored to normalcy has been slow and not enough has been done to assist residents with rebuild ingMrefforts.Davis said that there were too many bureau cratic issues hindering restoration efforts and committed his administration to breaking those bar riersHisdown.comments came during the Hurricane Dorian Memorial Service in Abaco yesterday, which marked the third anniversary of Dorian’s landfall. The near four-hour long event - which featured tributes, musical performances and prayers - was attended by a large government delegation made up of the majority of the Davis-led Cabinet as well as members of the opposition, including former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis.
ATLANTIS TO ‘MODERATE’ CRUISE VISIT TOTAL
ATLANTIS plans to “moderate” the number of cruise passenger day visitors to 60-70 percent of pre-COVID levels, it was disclosed yesterday, with the resort “definitely” set to meet or exceed its 2022 financialVaughntargets.Roberts, senior vice-president of govern ment affairs and special projects, said the Paradise Island mega property has taken “a strategic decision” to control this visitor seg ment because it had “really impacted the resort expe rience” for actual guests staying at Atlantis. The disclosure came as the resort sees “no slow down in booking pace” through the 2023 first half, which is when it expects to fully return to pre-COVID business volumes. And Mr Roberts said management was “very confident” that Atlantis will outperform budget goals for this calen dar year provided there is no major hurricane strike on The Bahamas.
THESPOTLIGHTINTERNATIONALPHILLIPS:ONBAHAMASSEEPAGENINE
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
DORIAN: WE ENOUGHDONEHAVEN’T
Photo: Austin Fernander
DIANE
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By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
A MAN whose dog attacked a woman in his neighbourhood was charged with causing harm yesterday.Gregory Hall, 51, of Prince Charles, appeared before Magistrate Alger non Allen Jr on charges of causing harm and having a ferocious dog. On August 17 on Prince Charles Drive, Hall is accused of allowing his aggressive dog to attack and cause harm to Cath erine Knowles. In court, the accused pleaded not guilty to both charges. As there was no objection to bail from the prosecu tion, it was granted to the accused at $1,500 with one or two Thesesureties.charges were lodged nearly a week after 61-year-old Anthony Swan was mauled to death by a pack of dogs on Palm Tree Avenue in an unrelated incident.Nocharges have been made in connection with that matter up to press time.Meanwhile, Hall’s trial is set to begin on October 27.
PAGE 2, Friday, September 2, 2022 THE TRIBUNE
A 30-YEAR-OLD Jamaican man who escaped from the Bahamas Depart ment of Correctional Services on Wednesday was captured by police in the Seabreeze Lane area early yesterdayWinstonmorning.Walker was captured by officers from Operation Ceasefire, formed earlier this year, after they responded to a call about “a prowler” on a property in the area around 1amNationalyesterday.Security Min ister Wayne Munroe said Walker will be interviewed to find out the circum stances of his escape. “The investigation will take time. They will also now interview the inmate who was recaptured,” he said. Walker was on remand at the correctional facility on charges of attempted murder, armed robbery and attempted armed robbery. His escape was the second reported incident in three years. In Janu ary 2019, then Minister of National Security Marvin Dames confirmed that a prisoner escaped BDCS on a Saturday, adding that the man was quickly captured and returned. The man’s identity was not released at theAndtime.in August 2018, an armed robbery convict was sentenced to three years after pleading guilty to a thwarted escape plot. Over a two-month period the man, Mario Taylor, 36, used steel from a bathroom to cut a hole in his cell’s ceiling. He was sentenced to three years for attempted escape and two years for causing damage to the prison.InJanuary 2006, a small group of prisoners carried out a deadly escape at Her Majesty’s Prison, as the facility was then known, that left one prison officer and an inmate dead. by
Prison escapee caught
WINSTON WALKER
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
police By LETRE SWEETING
MAN FACES COURT OVER DOG ATTACK ON WOMAN
Although her father was eventually able to pry the door open, the door quickly closed in again before all of the family members could evacuate.“Only seven of us were able to get out and two were stuck inside because the door had closed again. We tried to push the door open to get the others, meanwhile the roof was caving in because of the winds. Eventually we got the door open and got them out,” Ms Laroda said. Ms Laroda and her family were eventually able to evacuate the resort; they walked in high tides of water to a local shelter. When asked how Hur ricane Dorian affected her, Ms Laroda described it as a life-altering experience because she had to relo cate to Nassau so that her daughter could finish her schooling.Herfamily’s home was also destroyed. Ms Laroda explained that she still has pain from that day. Despite the challenges she faces, Ms Laroda said she is grateful for her family’s safety.
TERRECE BOOTLE DEJA KEMP CHARMAIR LARODA
“During the past year, we have made strenuous efforts to give an account for each person, to say what happened to every individ ual. The task has been made near impossible and since 2019, the record keeping has been extremely poor. We don’t know for certain the names of those who are in those mass graves. We do not know for certain the fate of those we have not seen since the storm.” Mr Davis said there are also lingering questions on how donations and pledges from the Hurricane Dorian conference have been used. However, he noted that what his government does know is that the Bahamian people deserve better. He added: “Since coming into office last year, we have done the best we can to ensure that a national response is driven by com passion but there is still so much to do. We need to support you in getting clo sure for your loss while at the same time, do far more to help you rebuild.” He also pointed to recent initiatives implemented by his administration to assist residents on Abaco and Grand Bahama. “We have changed the laws you would have heard in relation to the presump tion of death to facilitate quicker settlement of insur ance, banking and other commercial claims,” Mr Davis“Weadded.have completed the technical phase of the new Abaco hurricane shelter. We have helped people move out of the domes to cleaner, safer homes. It has not been easy or perfect, but it is an important step in moving“Whereforward.thedomes now stand, there will soon be new housing which is so badly needed. We’ve just launched a revamped homeowner assistance and relief programme to pro vide real urgent help to people and to do away with the chaos and confusion and unnecessary bureau cracy which came before. “I want to say to you today that if you think progress has not unfolded quickly enough, I agree. I can detail the budgetary and bureaucratic obstacles we faced over the last year, but these kind of explana tions are of no use to you.” Recognising that Aba conians wanted action, Mr Davis said with his government’s new policies in place, residents should soon be able “to see, touch and feel the results” espe cially relating to its housing programme.“Forfartoo many of you, this is still too desperately needed,” he added. “We are going to do our best to bring help, relief and comfort in rebuilding your communities. Today, my friends as part of this act of remembrance and as an act of respect, I have ordered that all national flags be flown at “Whathalf-mast.youhave experi enced in Abaco and Grand Bahama changed the story of The Bahamas. I have shared your stories with leaders around the world. It’s important to me that they know the true cost of climate change. Carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels made many big countries very wealthy, but they’ve also made hurri canes more frequent and more“Thoseintense.same countries need to live up to their pledges to countries like ours - we who have contrib uted almost nothing in this crisis so that we can adapt and become more resilient,” the prime minister also said. Dorian first struck Abaco on September 1 with maxi mum sustained winds of 185 miles per hour, gusts of 220 miles per hour and storm surge in excess of 20 feet. The storm then moved to Grand Bahama, where it hovered for nearly two days. As the nation remem bered the events of Dorian yesterday, many paid trib ute to the lives of those lost to the storm while also rem iniscing on their struggle for survival.“Noone who survived had it easy,” recalled Dorian survivor Liann Key-Kaighin at yesterday’s memorial. “Every one of us has their own story and sur vivor story. Many of us had no communication in the aftermath. Only a few phones worked. Some had satellite phones, but they were few and far between. Roads were impassable for days. People had to walk to try and find out if loved ones had survived. Central Abaco became lawless rap idly,” she “Gunshotssaid. rang out through the pitch black night. In my immediate family, we lost four loved ones to the tsunami that devastated downtown MarshYesterday’sHarbour.”memorial was followed by a wreath laying ceremony in honour of deceased storm victims. Meanwhile, a similar ser vice is expected to be held at Jubilee Cathedral in Grand Bahama on Sunday. A Dorian memorial con cert was held last night in New Providence at Baha Mar.
Dorian: We haven’t done enough from page one
By JADE RUSSELL jrussell@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis laying a wreath during a memorial service in Abaco yesterday.
Photos: Kemuel Stubbs/BIS
SURVIVORS TELL OF TRAUMA FROM HURRICANE
THE TRIBUNE Friday, September 2, 2022, PAGE 3
“I can say one of the moments that really stood out to me is when I had to carry my five-year-old sister on my back because she was too short to tread in the water. It was very difficult to walk through the water because strong winds were gusting. After a while, we ended up seeking shelter at a home a couple houses down from me and all the neighbours were there because the house had an upstairs room where the kids could’ve stayed.” After Dorian, she endured a lot of flashbacks and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). After the storm, things became more difficult because Ms Kemp was separated from her family for a while as her mother had moved to Nassau in the hope of creating a better life.“I had a much more diffi cult time because I was left in Freeport while my mom went to Nassau temporar ily for the betterment of my younger siblings. With the help and generosity of a family I ended up getting my own space. My first sign of independence (my car) was also destroyed beyond repair during the hurricane, so I had to start all over and bounce back,” she said. Ms Kemp, like others, has mixed emotions about this week’s celebrations around Hurricane Dorian, she noted that a lot of people are still traumatised by the horrific storm. “I honestly don’t think it’s healthy to commemorate tragedy. Because once the healing is done, going back only reopens the wounds and pain of the experience, especially for people who actually lost loved ones,” sheTerrecesaid. Bootle, the former administrator for North Abaco, described Hurricane Dorian as a ter rifying tragedy for which no one could have prepared. Ms Bootle along with her team gave their best efforts to prepare for the storm, however, they were met with challenges such as some people not wanting to leave their homes to stay in a shelter.Shesaid: “In North Abaco, we had a difficult time convincing persons from the migrant commu nity to take refuge. So up to the evening before we had law enforcement go in encouraging them to get into one of our listed shel ters. They didn’t go to the listed shelter, but during the course of the night, we got reports that they did take shelter.”MsBootle explained that there were designated shelters for the hurricane, however as the storm passed over the island the level of destruction was unimaginable.Immediately after the storm passed, Ms Bootle and her team went to assist people who were trapped in theirSoonhomes.after she got word that Central Abaco had been heavily affected, she and other residents had cut through the debris in the road to make it to the other side of the island to help. “We saw people crying, we saw people trying to get out, they were devastated. So just looking into the eyes of persons who were trying to get out and how hopeless they looked. As we drove around the thing that came to me was that Abaco has a long way to go to recover, because central Abaco, Marsh Harbour, was the centre of business for the island. The banks are there, the stores are there,” Ms Bootle said. Ms Bootle noted that while the north side of Abaco may have not experienced the gravity of destruction as the cen tral part did, life as they once knew it would not be the same because the heart of the island had been destroyed. Ms Bootle, who now lives in Nassau for work, said she remains “hope ful” for the rebuilding of Abaco.Another resident, Char mair Laroda, of Treasure Cay, Abaco, said her family decided to relocate to a local resort to weather the storm because her father thought it would be safer than their one-story home. However, things took a quick turn as the family watched the shutters on the windows break into pieces due to heavy winds pushing through.MsLaroda said things became more alarming when the winds got stronger causing the furniture out side the resort to spin in circles.During the interview, she revealed that her family decided to evacuate the resort, but became trapped because the force of the winds wouldn’t allow the door to open. She said: “My father couldn’t get the door open, but then when he eventu ally got it opened the door slammed back on his finger.
All you could see was blood gushing from the injury.”
THREE years after Hur ricane Dorian’s landfall, the storm’s survivors continue to process the trauma from theDejaordeal.Kemp, a resident of Freeport, said Hurricane Dorian was a frightening moment for her and her family.Storm surge travelled quickly inside their home forcing them to evacuate and leave all their belong ingsShebehind.recalled the horrific experience yesterday.
While speaking at yester day’s memorial, Mr Davis underscored the impact of Hurricane Dorian on Abaco, Grand Bahama and the wider Bahamas, saying the events in early Sep tember 2019 will never be forgotten.Yearslater, he said many people were still grieving over the loss of loved ones and also acknowledged the frustration and difficulties faced by survivors to get closure from the traumatic ordeal.“From the many con versations that I have had over these past few years, I understand how difficult it can be to move forward, especially those who are left without certainty about what happened to their family or friends,” Mr Davis told those gathered at the Friendship Taber nacle“NotChurch.knowing makes it so much harder to move on, harder to build our homes and businesses and our lives. Closure, good mental health is hard to regain.
“So currently, one of our ways that we raise funds is by selling shirts and sweat shirts,” she added. “People love the Abaco Strong merchandise, and we’re currently doing a fundraiser for the third anniversary of Dorian to help us raise money to continue our programme.”Formoreinformation or to make a donation, visit the organisation’s https://abacostrong.org.website,
A TOP financial expert has called for caution in political posturing over ways to ease the burden of inflation, explaining it is easy to “simply throw mud at a wall hoping something willGowonstick”. Bowe, Fidelity Bank’s CEO, was contacted after the Free National Movement said Prime Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis can do much more to help Bahamians deal with inflation, and offered suggestions.Theparty was responding to Mr Davis urging Baha mians to be frugal with their spending habits due to rising inflation, saying it appears that the coun try is “in for a rough ride for another few months” based on the predictions of finance experts.
Mr Bowe thinks that “we have to be careful” when speaking about these mat ters because it is better to have an environment that allows a full briefing and discussion as opposed to “sound bites during ad hoc questions” in public events. “As inflation started to take hold and we started to see escalation in gas prices, we started to see escalation in some of the consumer goods prices, the belief was okay this, like typical inflationary periods, may be short lived. And if we will now, the world events, are instructing us that the war in Ukraine does not appear to be an abbrevi ated war and it is actually continuing to rage on and from that perspective, they are ultimately likely to see continued interruptions to shipping costs, inter ruptions to the supply of inputs, like wheat, com modities, and the like, that we don’t always appreciate goes into the items that we consume.“Sowhen we look and we make the statement that ‘we are in for a rough ride’ for an extended period, I think that is taking off some of the narrative and com munications that have come from various economic fronts. The Central Bank governor has indicated that you know, it is likely not peaked and the reason being is because no one has a crystal ball.” He continued: “So is the inflation likely to, based on what we’re experienc ing today, exponentially grow? The answer’s no. Is it likely to continue at ele vated levels beyond what would have been hopeful? And the answer is yes. So I don’t think we are in a circumstance now where we’re expecting there to be, you know, 25 percent increases on prices that we are incurring. So from a bad perspective, it’s not going to be that, however, are we going to see a reversion to the prices we had, let’s say, you know, three years ago, are we going to see that within the next three months? The answer to that is no.”MrBowe explained what it really means is that the expenditure control based on the price of goods is going to continue for at least the next 12 months - that is what people are projecting.
“So the rough ride is not okay we’re going to have these exponential price increases, exorbitant ele ments where we are further contracted on what we can purchase, but we are going to have these elevated price levels that we are now seeing creep in for a consid erable period of time,” he said.Michael Pintard, the FNM’s leader, argued that the government should cut the tax on gasoline at least until the end of the fiscal year; suspend the VAT charges on a broad range of food staples outside of the listed breadbasket items at least until the end of the year; and expand social wel fare vouchers to qualifying Bahamian families that are targeted at support for food rent, cooking gas, and other essentials.Asked about some of the suggestions, Mr Bowe made his comments about being careful about political posturing versus referencing empirically studied recommendations. He stated: “And why I say that is, it is easy to simply throw mud at a wall hoping something will stick. When we look at that, and I only call again sound bites because there’s not been a position paper, there’s not been a detailed recommen dation document that is laying out, given that they just only recently demitted office, to say well, based on our knowledge of what we left, these are, you know, empirically, the numbers that will bear out so we’ll be able to tell you, you know, what the government can forego, what the govern ment can increase. So you know, when the public is now what I’m going to say evaluating the political parties, we’re looking at a proposal, not the sound bite when yourselves you know, push a microphone or tape recorder in front of them, and give them what I’m going to call an audience without a thoughtful sort of recommendation and thoughtful implementation plan,” he told The Tribune “That may sound criti cal and I say that from this perspective that when you say, I now remove value added tax, the question then comes, okay, what does that do to the govern ment’s fiscal affairs? So if the government loses reve nue, okay, that sounds good in terms of to the consumer, I’m not paying that. But if the government loses rev enue on one aspect, how do they make that up? If they don’t make it up, then the deficit increases, if the deficit increases, the debt increases, and the debt is now at a more costly inter est rate because of our credit rating. “So the question you have is the poison you pick that - do I want to say to the population, we all need to, internally absorb this and look at how we redirect resources to those who are on the fringes or do we say we make cava lier statements that will ultimately deteriorate the financial circumstances of the country, and then all are left to bear it and, more importantly, the future generations, when we are borrowing against their livelihood in the future,” Mr Bowe said.
GOWON BOWE
NON-PROFIT GROUP
POLICE PROBE SUSPECTED SUICIDE AFTER BODY FOUND
By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
Photo: Earyel Bowleg/Tribune Staff
Bowe cautious over
ABACO Strong, a nonprofit organisation, is appealing for donations to continue its assistance out reach to Hurricane Dorian survivors who are still trying to rebuild three years later.The organisation was founded six months after Hurricane Dorian made landfall in Abaco and Grand Bahama in response to the long-term rebuilding needs of residents. It has assisted thousands of storm victims to date with home repairs and has also organised several community clean ups on Abaco among other things, according to founder Martha Fleury, who is also a longtime visitor to the island.“One of our current initi atives that we are currently doing is building an aqua ponic community garden that we are setting up in Treasure Cay,” said Ms Fleury.“Sowe’ll have anywhere between 14 and 25 families that will participate and they will each have their own section of the garden to be able to grow their own vegetables and fruits. “This is our way of cre ating a more sustainable environment and defeating food insecurity which has become a big problem in Abaco.”Other initiatives planned by the organisation include the launch of a breakfast programme at Cooper’s Town Primary School which is set to begin in a few weeks.However, in order to continue its outreach, the organisation is seeking to raise more funds through several events.
A BODY is taken from bushes off Kelly Lane yesterday after a suspected suicide.
By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
PAGE 4, Friday, September 2, 2022 THE TRIBUNE
onposturing’‘politicalinflation
OFFICERS are conduct ing inquiries into an alleged suicide after a man was found with a cable around his neck in bushes off Kelly Lane.Police press liaison officer, Chief Superinten dent Chrislyn Skippings told reporters on the scene yesterday the victim is believed to be a 41-year-old man who lives in that par ticular community, which is near Johnson Road. “Around 2.30pm today’s date, we received a call that a male was found in this area. We responded and discovered a male with a cable wire about his neck. EMS responded and pronounced the victim deceased,” she said. Asked if family mem bers indicated whether the deceased had mental health issues, CSP Skip pings said police were in the preliminary stages of their investigation, but assured they were going to speak with them to find out what may have led to this par ticular incident.
ASKS FOR DONATIONS
She added: “And at this point in time, I want to say that it’s a particularly rough time right now and there may be persons who may be going through various issues - it may be financial, it may be emotional from rela tionships. If you are going through some sort of difficult situation, I want to encour age you to reach out and speak to someone - a family member, a pastor, a teacher. “Find someone in the com munity who you can speak to who can give you the sound advice that you need to take you through your difficult time and then to other family members and friends as well. You may see some persons going through stuff and you may say it’s none of your business. It may be so, but at least tell somebody so some body can reach out and help somebody.”Distraught loved ones were at the scene yesterday, but were too grief stricken to speak to reporters.
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
Bahamian
GRAND Bahama police foiled a suspected drug deal and recovered 12 kilos of cocaine worth close to a quarter million dollars on Wednesday evening.Assistant Superintendent of Police Stephen Rolle reported that 27.5 pounds of suspected cocaine, with an estimated street value of $240,000, were taken into police custody. No arrest was made as the suspects managed to escape police capture, he said.
The East Grand Bahama MP said the FNM started the programme and assisted hundreds of persons during its tenure. “We had approved persons and were in the process of delivering assistance to these persons. Unfortunately, after the election that assistance was paused,” he explained. “We are appealing, and I have been in com munication with the DRA and with the Urban Renewal and Social Ser vices programme for them to continue to assist those persons who were approved by the previous government,” he said.
THE TRIBUNE Friday, September 2, 2022, PAGE 5
According to reports, shortly after 7pm on Wednesday, offic ers from the Drug Enforcement Unit and Central Intelligence Unit, acting on intelligence, went to an unpaved road in the vicinity of the water tank located on Grand Bahama Highway. ASP Rolle said on arrival, officers saw two vehicles, a dark blue-coloured SUV and a black Honda, parked in the area. A man was standing between both vehicles, he said. The man went into the SUV upon seeing the police, after which both vehicles sped off in different directions.
$240K COCAINE FIND IN GRAND BAHAMA
A GRAND Bahama resi dent whose home sustained severe damage in 2019 during Hurricane Dorian is fed up and frustrated over the long delay in assistance from the Disaster Recon struction Authority (DRA).
Police gave chase. While pursu ing the SUV, ASP Rolle said officers saw the driver throwing a grey bag out of the “Officerswindow.abandoned the pursuit and secured the bag,” said ASP Rolle. In the bag, officers found 12 pack ages of what they suspected to be cocaine.ASPRolle said that officers tried to locate the vehicles, but without success.Thesuspected cocaine was taken to the Drug Enforcement Unit for safe keeping, he said. The matter remains under active investigation.
‘I want govt to care more about people and our safety’
SCENES from the memorial concert at Baha Mar last night. Photos: Austin Fernander
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
William Humes, a resident of East Grand Bahama, said the windows and walls of his house were also badly damaged during the storm. He applied sev eral times to DRA for assistance from the Small Homes Repair Programme. “My home was ravaged from the storm, and pretty much a lot of the windows are still badly damaged,” he said yesterday. “There are cracks in them from the storm, and cracks on the walls.“I applied a few times to DRA and some persons came and took a survey, but I never got any return calls, and no one has come out to do any “Underwork.the previous administration, I got some help. But under the new administration, they sent people to the house and took a survey, and nothing has“Ihappened.feelbad, and to be honest I feel like the gov ernment, the PLP and FNM, they don’t want the Bahamian people to suc ceed. They want to keep us enslaved to the system.” On April 27, Senator Kirkland Russell, deputy director of Urban Renewal, said the PLP administration intended to launch a pro gramme shortly to repair at least 2,500 homes in the northern Bahamas. And this week, DRA announced it has launched a new home repair pro gramme geared towards assisting Abaco and Grand Bahama residents with post Hurricane Dorian reconstruction.Thenew programme, called HARP (Homeown ers Assistance and Relief Programme) will replace the former administration’s small home repair initia tive and will focus on roof, window siding, plumbing and electrical repairs. Some $2m has been allocated so far for the new programme, which is being launched in phases.There are many people in Grand Bahama whose homes need repairs. Mr Humes accused the government of putting its priority on other things. “As important as hur ricane shelters, we know government put a lot of funds into areas that are not priorities like having a celebration concert for the victims in Abaco and GB. But at the end of day, I know a whole lot of persons who are still living in really bad, dilapidated condi tions in EGB,” Mr Humes said, referring to a concert series to mark the storm’s anniversary.“Wedon’t even have hurricane shelters that are fit or in the right location. Some are in low-lying areas, and we have seen that with Dorian.“Iwant the government to care more about the Bahamian people and our safety,” said Mr Humes. He said that he is cur rently on another island because things are so slow. “I left Grand Bahama to find work, and they having a party - it is horrible. “I am very convinced that the PLP nor FNM care about us. I think the whole Bahamas is seeing this now, and you hearing it all over the streets that the govern ment don’t care,” he said. When contacted for comment, Kwasi Thomp son, MP for East Grand Bahama, said he was con cerned with the number of outstanding people who are waiting for home repairs. He noted that many people have been approved and are still awaiting assistance from the Small Homes Repair theBahama.assistancesonsthatgrammesandedgedThompsontanceprovidedseention,aHomes“Unfortunately,Programme.theSmallRepairhadcometohaltrightaftertheelecandwehavestillnotenoughpersonsbeingwiththeassisthatisneeded,”Mrsaid.MrThompsonacknowlthatUrbanRenewalSocialServicesprohavestartedandthereareafewperwhohavereceivedinEastGrandHowever,henotedthatDRAprogramme, which is more significant, has not assisted persons since the “Thereelection.arepersons in Sweeting’s Cay, in McLeans Town, and all of the east ern settlements that were badly damaged and mostly affected by the storm. They must be priority. And so, we continue to appeal to the government to assist these persons as soon as possible and as best as possible.”
In the past five years, Xinjiang has been free from violent terrorist incidents. Peace and normalcy has been restored to people of all ethnicities, and the region resumed economic and social development. The issues related to Xinjiang are not about eth nicity, religion or human rights. They are about countering violent terror ism, radicalization and separatism, and protecting China’s sovereignty, territo rial integrity and national security, and are entirely China’s internal Divide-and-ruleaffairs.is a familiar tactic used by some Western countries that is reminiscent of colo nial times. Few people in China would believe those Western politicians and media outlets genuinely care for the people of Xinji ang. Even Western officials in their candid moments admit that joining with the Uyghurs is the best way to destabilise China. The people of Xinji ang are the best judge of human rights and religious freedom in the region. Members of the interna tional community are the true witness to this, rather than a small number of Western politicians and commentators.FewMuslim countries, who understand the chal lenges of terrorism and extremism, followed West ern countries in their slandering of China. Last month, a delegation of 32 diplomatic envoys posted in China from 30 Islamic countries just visited Xin jiang. Members of the delegation commended the achievements of Xinjiang’s economic development and ethnicThoseunity.who tried to manipulate the visit and the “assessment” by the High Commissioner for Human Rights will never succeed in destabilising Xinjiang. In recent years, nearly 100 countries have spoken up to support China’s position on Xinjiang-related issues. Nearly 1,000 NGOs sent a joint letter to the High Commissioner to oppose the release of the “assess ment”. These voices are the true reflection of justice and the will of the majority.
Three years on and survivors still struggle OF
PICTURE
A SIMPLE message, We Will Always Remember, on a wreath laid during the memorial service in Abaco yesterday.
THE Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) published a so-called “assessment” on human rights in Xinjiang on August 31 despite the lack of mandate by the UN Human Rights Council to do so. The “assessment”, which exposed ignorance and deep-seated prejudices against China, smacks of political manipulation and has only damaged the cred ibility of the OHCHR. For one thing, the report was based on a presump tion of guilt on the part of China. It was nothing but the latest product of a disin formation campaign against China that has been raging on in Western discourse for years.Not surprisingly, the report drew extensively from falsehoods and fabri cations by anti-China forces and deliberately ignored the authoritative informa tion and factual materials provided by the Chinese government.The“assessment” was neither fair nor balanced. It distorts China’s laws and policies, smears and slan ders China, and interferes in China’s internal affairs, which violates the spirit of dialogue and cooperation, and non-politicization of human rights． It turns a blind eye to the human rights achievements made by people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang and fails to acknowledge the devas tating damage caused by terrorism and extremism to the human rights of people of all ethnic groups there. The “assessment” is a show choreographed by a few Western countries, who attempt to use human rights as a political tool of a larger scheme of containment against China. For months, they have been pressuring the High Commissioner and the OHCHR to release the “assessment”, to pro vide further ammunition to their political manipulation of Xinjiang-related issues. It is also noteworthy that even such a biased “assessment” falls short of parroting accusa tions such as “genocide”, “forced labour”, “political persecution”, or “forced sterilization”. This shows that these horrendous accu sations propagated against China for years are nothing but utter lies. The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is located in China’s north west bordering South and Central Asian countries such as Afghanistan, Paki stan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Known for its rich resources and pictur esque scenery, Xinjiang is a vast region covering onesixth of China’s territory, or roughly 4.6 times the size of Germany.Ithas a population of 25.8 million, out of which 42% are Han Chinese, the majority ethnic group in China. Xinjiang has been a multi-cultural region since ancient times. The Hans have lived in peace and amity with the other 12 ethnic minorities in Xin jiang, such as the Uyghur, Kazakh, Hui, Kyrgyz, Tajik, and Mongolian ethnic groups.Following the Septem ber 11th attacks on the US, separatist, terrorist and extremist forces inside and outside China have col luded with each other to instigate religious fanati cism and extremism, spread ethnic divisions and hatred, and incite violence and ter rorist activities in Xinjiang. This has taken a heavy toll on the life and prop erty of the local people and their exercise of religious freedom and other funda mental human rights. On July 5, 2009, thou sands of “East Turkistan” terrorists perpetrated coor dinated and indiscrimant attacks throughout the cap ital city of Xinjiang, causing 197 deaths, 1,700 injuries, smashing and burning 331 stores and 1,325 vehicles, and damaging public facili ties. On March 1, 2014, eight knife-wielding Xin jiang terrorists attacked passengers at the Kunming Railway Station, leaving 31 dead and 141 injured. These were mere exam ples of the thousands of terrorist attacks launched by separatist, terrorist and extremist forces in Xinjiang from 1990 to 2016. The government of Xinjiang responded by conducting deradicaliza tion through education in accordance with the law and in line with interna tional practice, in a bid to eradicate the breeding ground of extremism. Such efforts have produced vis ible results.
THE DAY
EDITOR, The Tribune, BOTH parties have it wrong in their apparent consensus that the way to deal with internationally driven inflation is to engage in belt-tightening at home. The Prime Minister cau tions consumers to spend less and thereby presuma bly save money (which they have never been able to do before, thanks to this coun try’s regressive wage and taxMeanwhile,policies).
Photo: Kemuel Stubbs/BIS
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net
the opposi tion predictably takes the view that government itself should be belt-tightening – the default position of a party that champions an economic model where the poor pay for the rich both in high consumption taxes and low social investment. But on this they are both wrong. The inflation that we are seeing around us does not originate from any condition endemic to The Bahamas and it will not be tamed by any domestic sac rifice, public or private. Where it harms us is in eroding the spending power of the consumer, which lowers both the standard of living and the prospects for further growth. The only way to combat it is to boost aggregate demand in the public sector by keeping up spending and in the private realm by pushing more wealth toward the bottom of the income pyramid and into the hands of workers, whose spending drives the economy.Inother words, sig nificantly increase the minimum wage, boost gov ernment spending and pay for it by increasing and shifting the tax burden away from consumption and onto wealth and Anythingincome.otherthan this is either political rhetoric or plain fantasy. ALLEN SeptemberNassau, 1,2022
THE flags flew at half mast across the nation yesterday. For three years, The Bahamas has been picking up the pieces after Hurri cane Dorian. Abaco and Grand Bahama bore the brunt of the storm when it hit on September 1, 2019. The damage done was almost beyond measure. The after math is far from over. In today’s Tribune, you can read some of the survivors’ tales – just as we have reported many times over the past three years.Deja Kemp tells on page three of how her family faced the fear of the storm surge bursting into their home, forcing them to flee and leave all their belongings behind. She had to carry her five-year-old sister on her back because the water was so high. Terrece Bootle tells of the challenge ahead of the storm to encourage people from the migrant community to take refuge. In the aftermath, she tells of how “we saw people crying, we saw people trying to get out, they were devastated”. Another survivor, Charmair Laroda, told of how her family watched hur ricane shutters break into pieces in the resort where they were sheltering – and when they tried to get out, the door slammed on her father’s finger, leaving blood gushing. But these are just the stories of sur vival in the immediate moment – there are also the stories of trying to cope after the storm. Ms Kemp tells of being separated from her family with her mother moving to Nassau as she remained behind in Freeport. She lost her car in the storm, so had to start all over again, even as her family was separated by distance. Ms Bootle told of the damage to Marsh Harbour, the centre of business for the island, where the banks and stores were. Ms Laroda tells of having had to relo cate to Nassau to allow her daughter to finish her Meanwhile,schooling.William Humes, in Grand Bahama, told yesterday of how he had applied for help from the Disaster Reconstruction Authority – and under the old administration he received some assistance, but said that under the cur rent government all they did was come out, take a survey and nothing has happened.MrHumes voiced frustration with the government spending money on other things. He said: “We know government put a lot of funds into areas that are not priorities like having a celebration con cert for the victims in Abaco and GB. But at the end of day, I know a whole lot of persons who are still living in really bad, dilapidated conditions in East Grand Bahama.” The storm may be long over, but its repercussions are still with us. To his credit, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis acknowledged that yesterday.Speaking in Abaco during a memorial service yesterday, he acknowledged that not enough has been done to help resi dents with rebuilding. He said: “Since coming into office last year, we have done the best we can to ensure that a national response is driven by compassion but there is still so much to do. We need to support you in getting closure for your loss while at the same time, do far more to help you rebuild.” He noted that residents should soon be able “to see, touch and feel the results”, especially with a new housing programme.Hesaid:“For far too many of you, this is still too desperately needed. We are going to do our best to bring help, relief and comfort in rebuilding your communities.”Thosewords are a welcome acknowl edgement that not enough has been done – a blame that carries across two administrations now. What we need to see is that people will have to wait no longer for the help that they need. That is financial help. That is physical help in terms of repairs. It is also psy chological help for those who are still haunted by the traumas of the storm – or the people who were lost during Dorian. Many bodies were never identified –and the true death count is likely higher than the official toll. Survivors remain hurt deeply in ways that are hard to heal – and seeing events such as last night’s concert in Nassau has stirred anger. Mr Humes said: “I want the govern ment to care more about the Bahamian people and our safety. I left Grand Bahama to find work, and they having a party (the concert) – it is horrible. I am very convinced that the PLP nor FNM care about us. I think the whole Baha mas is seeing this now, and you hearing it all over the streets that the govern ment don’t care.” Care is the least we should do for our Bahamian brothers and sisters who went through the horrors of the hurricane. Practical help is what they really need. Mr Davis has had plenty of time in gov ernment now for people to be seeing, touching and feeling the results. How much longer must Dorian’s victims wait?
responseChinese on Xinjiang
The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master” LEON E. H. DUPUCH, Publisher/Editor 1903-1914 SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH, Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt . Publisher/Editor 1919-1972 Contributing Editor 1972-1991 EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON, C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B. Publisher/Editor 1972Published daily Monday to Friday Shirley & Deveaux Streets, Nassau, Bahamas N3207 TELEPHONES News & General Information (242) 322-1986 Advertising Manager (242) 502-2394 Circulation Department (242) 502-2386 Nassau fax (242) 328-2398 Freeport, Grand Bahama (242)-352-6608 Freeport fax (242) 352-9348 WEBSITE, TWITTER & FACEBOOK www.tribune242.com @tribune242 tribune news network PAGE 6, Friday, September 2, 2022 THE TRIBUNE
COUNSELOR CUI WEI, Spokesman of the Chi nese Embassy in The BahamasNassau,September 1, 2022.
ANDREW
Now is not the time for frugality
EDITOR, The Tribune.
A WOMAN was fined $500 in Magistrate’s Court yesterday for failing to declare funds in excess of $10,000 while travelling to Haiti.Sabrina Jonassaint, 34, of Marsh Harbour, Abaco, stood before Magistrate Samuel McKinney on a charge of failure to declare. On August 30 at LPIA, Jonassaint was arrested after she was found in pos session of over $10,000 in cash while on her way to Haiti.In court, speaking through an interpreter, Jonaissaint pleaded guilty to the offence. She explained that she had saved up the money work ing as a chef in Abaco and was only travelling to finan cially assist relatives back in Haiti. She asked for the court’s mercy as she said she only mistakenly went over the monetary limit. Magistrate McKinney imposed a $500 fine on Jonassaint. She faces three months in prison if she defaults. The magistrate further ordered that $5,147 of the confiscated money be forfeited to the Crown.
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
THE TRIBUNE Friday, September 2, 2022, PAGE 7
$500 FINE FOR TRYING TO TRAVEL TO HAITI WITH UNDECLARED $10K
A MAN was fined in Magistrate’s Court yes terday for drug charges that breached the condi tions of his probation for an earlier drug Demargiooffence.Walker, 24, of Godet Avenue, faced Mag istrate Samuel McKinney on two counts of possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply and one count of simple possession of dangerous drugs. On August 30, Walker was arrested at his resi dence after police found three separate packages of Indian hemp in and around his home — 3oz, 2oz and 14 grams of marijuana were found in several separate plastic bags and wrappings. Walker pleaded guilty to all three charges against him.Prosecutor Inspector Timothy Bain told the judge that the accused had a earlier drug charge from May for which he was still serving six months probation.Magistrate McKinney convicted Walker for the previous drug charge and fined him $500 for breach ing his probation. Walker was also fined a collective $500 for his three new drug charges or risk one month in prison for each if he defaults on the fine. Walker was ordered to pay half of his total $1,100 in fines before his release with the balance to be paid by September 16.
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
$700 THIEF TOLD PAY UP OR GO TO JAIL
MAN FINED FOR DRUG POSSESSION
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN was granted $9,500 bail in Magistrate’s Court yesterday on firearm and ammunition charges. Christopher Lawrence, 51, stood before Magis trate Algernon Allen Jr on charges of possession of an unlicenced fire arm and possession of ammunition.OnAugust 29, Law rence was reportedly found with an unlicensed black and silver Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol. At the time of his arrest the accused was also said to have had 21 unfired rounds of 9mm ammunition. In court, Lawrence pleaded not guilty to the charge.He was granted bail $9,500 bail with one or two sureties. Under the condi tions of his bail, Lawrence is expected to sign in at Wulff Road Police Station every Wednesday and Friday. Lawrence’s trial is sched uled for November 10.
MAN ON FIREARM CHARGES BAILED
Adderley.andpeople’sChristopher’sHarding-Lee,pher’s,ofassistantMcCartney,rectorStChristoDonnaStwarden,Raphe-enne
FROM left, Dr Carlos Thomas, Sophia Watson, Prime Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis, Father En rique
introducing residents to these international oppor tunities regardless of their educational, social, or financial background. BESS does not solely focus on high school students but instead caters to all persons that desire to enhance their educational level. From the international GED, under graduate degrees, graduate degrees, or certifications, more than fifteen universi ties will be present to guide participants in choosing the appropriate areas of study.” The event will be held on both New Providence and Grand Bahama. Family Islanders are encouraged to participate virtually. A virtual college fair will be held on Tuesday, Sep tember 13th, and people can register at bahamasedusummit.com.tions.comemailalley),(formallyLifeSeptembereventrunWardRzjhAlfLG4.tZcpc-irqjIiHNB1er-PXbzoom.us/meeting/register/https://us02web.Itwillfrom7pm-9pm.TheGrandBahamaisonWednesday,14,attheCityofEntertainmentCentrethebowlingfrom11am-3pm.Formoreinformation,info@drewbersoluorvisitwww.
CHRUCH THANKS ORGAN PLAYER RAPHE-ENNE
EDUCATION EVENT TO BE HELD THIS MONTH To advertise in The 502-2394contactTribune,
A MAN was ordered to compensate a man from whom he stole $700 or spend six months in prison. Kevin Estelhonne, 25, faced Senior Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans on charges of stealing and receiving.Around 11.30am on August 9, Estelhonne was arrested for stealing $700 from Xavier Mojica Rivera. In court, the accused pleaded guilty to the steal ing charge. The prosecution then moved to have the receiving charge withdrawn. Magistrate VogtEvans accepted the accused’s guilty plea and ordered him to pay Rivera $700 in restitution or face a six-month sentence in the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.
No danger from tropical storm - but stay vigilant
A LOCAL weather fore caster is warning residents to remain vigilant as the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season picks up steam. Forecasters were watch ing the development of Tropical Storm Dan ielle, which poses no threat to The Bahamas at the moment, but could potentially be the first hurricane of the 2022 hur ricane season — reaching a strength of category one storm.On its Facebook page, the Department of Mete orology said the tropical depression had strength ened into a tropical storm and was moving about two miles per hour. “At 11am, the centre of Tropical Storm Danielle was located near latitude 38.1° north and longitude 44.7° west or about 960 miles west of the Azores. Danielle is moving toward the east near two miles per hour. The tropi cal storm is expected to meander during the next few days,” the weather office“Maximumnoted. sustained winds are near 40 miles per hour with higher gusts. Strengthening is forecast during the next few days and Danielle is expected to become a hurricane in two days or Whenso.”asked about the chances of the tropical storm affecting The Baha mas, meteorologist Basil Dean said there is no “real concern” currently. “Based on the models, it seems to be keeping it to the east of these islands at this time, so there is no real concern,” he told The Trib uneStillyesterday.hesaid it is impor tant that people remain vigilant and prepared as we enter the peak of the hurri cane season. “It is heating up (hur ricane season), we are heading now towards the peak of the season, which is the middle of Septem ber. So, it’s not surprising to see these numbers pick ing up over the next couple days and weeks,” heHurricanesaid. season runs June 1 through November 30.
THE church family of the Church of St Christopher, The Martyr, Lyford Cay, thanked Raphe-enne Adderley for play ing the organ at the church services for the past two Raphe-enneyears.was born in Nassau, and graduated from Queen’s College in 2019 with 12 BGCSEs. He entered St Mary’s University, Halifax, Canada, in Septem ber, 2019, to begin studies in Electrical Engineering, but this was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. He returned home in March 2020 to switch to virtual learning, and that’s when he connected with the church. He completed a diploma in engineering this year, and now prepares to return to faceto-face learning, entering Dalhousie University, Halifax, to complete a bach elors degree in electrical engineering. Raphe-enne began to play the key board on his own, and eventually took music lessons from the late Edward Cox. He built his own organ as a teenager with a Casio keyboard, an amplifier and a laptop, building the pedals with wood, paper, toothpicks and a hot glue gun. He eventually began to play the organ at his home church of St Gregory, and today the Church of St Christopher benefits from his gifts. Dr Carlos Thomas was one among the many church members that gave him a special tribute and donation. St Christo pher’s Church people’s warden, Donna Harding Lee, also gave him a tribute and a donation on behalf of the church. Sunday, August 21, was dedicated as Mr. Raphe-enne Adderley Day as he pre pared to leave for Canada. On Sunday, August 28, Raphe-enne took to the lec tern and thanked the church family for their generosity. He said he looks for ward to returning during his breaks and after his completion from university to continuing to play at the church.
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamas is to play host to an education event later this Bridgettemonth.Francis Ingra ham, of Drewber Solutions and Global BESSopportunitiestinueBahamianorganisationSeptemberSummitcationinauguralismlaunchedDevelopmentConversationsCentre,hasEducationTourBahamas.TheteamwillhosttheBahamasEduandScholarship(BESS)2022from13-14.Inastatement,thesaid:“Asresidentscontopursueeducationalworldwide,bridgesthegapby
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
Friendly fire is the unfortunate result. High-risk immune responses are mostly transient.Ourteam’s new work reveals that in the heat of battle with severe COVID19, the same antibodies responsible for fighting the virus are uncomfort ably prone to targeting a patient’s own tissue. Impor tantly, this effect seems mostly restricted to severe disease. We identified the cells that produce these rogue antibodies much less frequently in patients with mild forms of the illness whose immune responses were more measured. So, does that mean that everyone who gets severe COVID-19 develops an autoimmuneFortunately,disorder?no.By fol lowing patients after their infection has resolved, we have found that months later, most of the concerning indications of autoimmun ity have subsided. And this makes sense. Though we are identifying this phenomenon in human COVID-19, researchers studying these emergency immune responses for more than a decade in mice have determined that they are mostly short-lived.
Long COVID - research teams zero in on
PAGE 8, Friday, September 2, 2022 THE TRIBUNE
• Originally published www.theconversation.comon
FOR almost three years, scientists have raced to understand the immune responses in patients who develop severe COVID-19, with an enormous effort aimed at defining where healthy immunity ends and destructive immunity begins. In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, much attention focused on reports of harm ful inflammation and so-called cytokine storms – dangerous immune over reactions that can lead to tissue damage and death – in patients with severe COVID-19. It wasn’t long before researchers began to identify antibodies that target the patient’s own body rather than attacking SARS-CoV-2, the virus the causesThoseCOVID-19.studies revealed that patients with severe COVID-19 share some of the key traits of chronic autoimmune diseases – dis eases in which the patient’s immune systems chroni cally attack their own tissues. Scientists have long suspected and sometimes even documented links between viral infection and chronic autoimmune diseases, but the research remains murky. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has offered an opportunity to better understand poten tial connections between these conditions. As an immunologist and member of an interdisci plinary team of physicians and scientists investigating the intersection between COVID-19 and auto immunity, I have been working to understand the origins of these untamed antibody responses and their long-term effects. Led by Ignacio Sanz, a specialist in investigating the immune dysfunctions that underlie autoimmune diseases like lupus, our group has long suspected that these misdi rected immune responses may follow patients well after recovery and could even contribute to the debilitating set of symp toms commonly referred to as “long COVID-19”. Our new study, published in the journal Nature, helps shed light on these ques tions. We now know that in patients with severe COVID-19, many of the developing antibodies responsible for neutralizing the viral threat are simulta neously targeting their own organs and tissues. We also show that self-directed anti bodies can persist for months or even years in those suffer ing from long COVID-19. As researchers like us continue to study COVID19, our understanding of the link between antiviral immunity and chronic auto immune disease is rapidly evolving.
By EmoryWOODRUFFMATTHEWUniversity
“Mostly” being the oper ative word. Implications for recovery from long COVID-19 Although most people fully recover from their run-in with the virus, up to 30% have not returned to normal even three months after recovery. This has cre ated a group of patients who are experienc ing what is known as postacute sequelae of COVID-19, or PASC – the technical termi nology for varietybraineraloroflong-termcansymptomsdebilitatingCOVID-19.longWiththatincludethelosstaste,smellboth,genfatigue,fogandaofother conditions, these patients have continued to suffer and are rightfully looking forAnanswers.obvious question for researchers who are study ing these patients is whether the same self-targeted anti bodies that are emerging in severe COVID-19 are lin gering in those who suffer from long COVID-19. They are. Our new study makes clear that newly developed self-antibodies can persist for months. What’s more, in work currently under development and not yet peer-reviewed, we find that these responses are not restricted to those recov ering from severe illness, and are readily identifiable in a large subset of long COVID-19 patients who had recovered from more mild illness as well.
The immune system makes mistakes when under duress It’s easy to assume that your immune system is laser-focused on identify ing and destroying foreign invaders, but that isn’t the case – at least under some circumstances. Your immune system, even in its healthy state, contains a contingent of cells that are fully capable of targeting and destroying your own cells and tissues. To prevent self-destruc tion, the immune system relies on an intricate series of fail-safes that are collectively termed self-tolerance to identify and eliminate poten tially traitorous immune cells. One of the most impor tant steps in this process occurs as the immune system builds up its arsenal against a potential threat. When your immune system first encounters a pathogen or even a per ceived threat – such as a vaccine that resembles a virus – it rapidly recruits “B” cells that have the potential to become anti body-producers. Then, any of these “naive” B cell recruits – naive being a technical term used in immunology – that dem onstrate an ability to competently attack the invader are put into a boot camp of sorts. Here, the cells are trained to better rec ognise and combat the threat. The training period is intense and mistakes are not tolerated; B cells with any discern ible potential for typicallytakesmobilisationbuildupprocess,anyever,killed.theirattacksmisdirectedagainsthostareHowliketrainingthisandtime–aweek or two. So, what happens when the threat is more immedi ate – when someone is quite literally fighting for their life in an intensive care unit? Researchers now know that under the stress of severe viral infection with SARS-CoV-2, that training process collapses. Instead, it is replaced by an emer gency response in which new recruits with little training are rushed into battle.
Just as it was in the race to better understand the causes of acute disease ear lier in the pandemic, we researchers are now work ing to get a more complete understanding of the cells and antibodies directing this self-attack for months and years following the res olution of infection. Are they directly contrib uting to the symptoms long COVID-19 sufferers are experiencing? If so, are there therapeutic interventions that could blunt or eliminate the threats they pose? Are long COVID-19 patients at increased risk for the devel opment of true, chronic autoimmune diseases in the future? Or, is all of this just a red herring – a temporary quirk of the immune system that will resolve on its own? Only time and continued work in this critical area will tell.
causes‘Withdebilitatingsymptomsthatcanincludethelong-termlossoftaste,smellorboth,generalfatigue,brainfogandavarietyofotherconditions,thesepatientshavecontinuedtosufferandarerightfullylookingforanswers.’
50 years ago this week, Bahamians saved lives at Munich Massacreand happier reasons
FROM left, Dr Timothy Barrett, Mike Sands, Dan Alon and Jeffrey Burnside.
NASSAU
A day after the call about the September 5 massacre at Munich by Palestinians, the whatsapp on my phone is blowing up. It’s Bahamas Speed Week Revival organ iser and former race car driver David McLaughlin sending photo after photo of famous race car drivers at the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Belgium holding last week’s Tribune with a column on karting in The Bahamas. In interviews, they are talking about the importance of karting, the famed two-time F1 World Champion and Indy 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi calling Karting “the best exercise, the best train ing you can get” for F1. Long-time champion Lewis Hamilton started in karting. The Bahamas is where karting competition began, the first championships were held on a course at Oakes Field in 1959 and now more than six dec ades later, Mohammed Ben Sulayem the president of the FIA, the governing body of all motor sport, tells McLaughlin he is making a personal commitment to “bring karting home”. How many other remind ers were there this week, tributes to Dorian victims still reeling in the trag edy that forever changed their worlds, a tribute to Shirley Bass Hall who gave us so much and left the stage of life too soon. There were the remark able performances by Shaunae Miller-Uibo and Steve Gardiner at NACAC and meantime, the Royal Bahamas Police Force got a large cake from the group of youngsters they helped during the kart ing camp. Thank you, it said, with strawberries and candies around the edges and a marzipan image of two karts. It’s not often the police get a thank you cake from a group of teens, but then, as we said in the beginning, this is an amaz ingIndeedplace. it is. Current Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen, in Belgium for the Formula 1 Grand Prix, holds a copy of the August 16 Tribune with a full page on karting. And, says the man they call the Boy from Brazil, the one and only, the 2-time Formula 1 World Cham pion, Indy 500 winner, Emerson Fittipaldi, go karting is the best exercise before Formula 1 and for motor sport.
ONE of the terrorists during the Munich Massacre, above, and, below, German police officers responding.
FOR a little country, The Bahamas makes a big splash. Not perhaps in the way you are thinking – as a standard bearer in tour ism or an incessant voice in moving climate change issues up the ladder of pri orities, not even as a real estate hotspot that keeps getting hotter the worse things get anywhere else in theAllworld.those things and more are true, The Baha mas does stand out. We probably grab more head line ink than a little country with less population than the city of Fort Lauderdale would appear to deserve. But there is a reason. The place is never boring and we always seem to have a connection with some thing trending or troubling elsewhere. Here are a few moments from this week alone that reminded me of the almost bizarre-like prominence of this little string of sun-kissed islands. On Thursday, the phone rang. It was Mike Sands (as in BAAAs Mike Sands). Is it urgent? I asked. I’m on a zoom call. “Yes,” he said. “I’m on the phone with the Irish press and they need the name of the survivoroftheMunichMassacreandItoldthemtherewasonly one person I could call in all the world who would know“Danit.”Alon,” I told him, “He died a few years ago. Why?” I asked. “Because,” Mike said, “next week marks 50 years since the event, since the massacre.” How quickly we forget, not the massacre itself but the Bahamian Olympic team’s role in saving the few survivors, including Alon who never knew who it was who saved him until one night in 2015 when he was speaking in Nassau. He told of the gunshots,hiddenstood,underfirst,inbeingpicthedooringpoundnight,blacktheajumpingescape,narrowtheterror,thescreams,thefenceinpitchofofonainOlymvillage,letandatnotthen-at great risk to those who did so.He told of going to the Olympics hoping to take home medals in fencing, instead taking home the bodies of nine teammates in coffins. He did not know who saved him until that moment 33 years later at a speaking event at the Melia when as emcee, I choked back tears, took the micro phone and said, “Mr. Alon, the men who saved you that night in 1972 are in the front row. They were the Bahamian team and they are here tonight.” Sands came up on stage along with Dr Timothy Bar rett. The audience cried and laughed and clapped and rose to their feet. It is little wonder that The Bahamas grabs the headlines it does. It isn’t just a place. It’s the Baha mian people. It was a week filled with reminders.
FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem makes personal commitment to bring karting home to Nassau where it started in 1959. He is pictured with David McLaughlin. Far right, current Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen with The Tribune at a Grand Prix in Belgium last month.
WITH attention once again on Princess Diana on the 25th anniversary of her tragic death this week, it was a surprise to find a rare piece of memorabilia in Nassau. I happened upon it when I wandered into the most fascinating store in Nassau, A Baker & Sons. There on the overcrowded shelves of the packed floor to ceiling shop on the southeast corner of Bay and Frederick Street was a photo of the young prince and his about to be bride. The hardback cover book name simply Royal Wedding published in 1981 was filled with rich, full-colour images. It stood out from its place on the shelves, squeezed in behind a colourful array of tiny children’s shoes and in front of dozens of plastic containers filled to the brim with everything from cotton undershirts to caps and long johns. There is no other store like A Baker & Sons, thankfully caught in a time warp when life was sim pler, needs for “dry goods” were clearly defined and the Royal Wedding lifted spirits around the world regardless of how you felt about the monarchy. IN
A MEMORY OF DIANA FOUND
THE TRIBUNE Friday, September 2, 2022, PAGE 9
Bahamas internationalmakesnews By PhillipsDiane
Unverified video posted on social media shows the pistol almost touched Fernández’s face. The alleged gunman was identified as Fernando André Sabag Montiel, a Brazilian citizen, said an official at the Security Ministry, who spoke on condition of anonymity. He does not have a crimi nal record, the official said. ading that the weapon was a .32-caliber Bersa. The president declared Friday a holiday “so the Argentine people can, in peace and harmony, express itself in defense of life, democracy and in solidarity with our vice president”. Supporters of the vice president have been gathering in the streets sur rounding her home since last week, when a pros ecutor called for a 12-year sentence for Fernández as well as a life-long prohibi tion in holding public office in the corruption case. Shortly after the inci dent, government officials were quick to decry what they called an assassination attempt.“When hate and vio lence are imposed over the debate of ideas, societies are destroyed and gener ate situations like the one seen today: an assassination attempt,” Economy Minis ter Sergio Massa said. Cabinet ministers issued a news release saying they “energetically condemn the attempted homicide” of the vice president. “What hap pened tonight is of extreme gravity and threatens democracy, institutions and the rule of law.” Former President Mau ricio Macri, a conservative who succeeded the left-ofcenter Fernández in the presidency, also condemned the attack. “This very seri ous event demands an immediate and profound clarification by the judiciary and security forces,” Macri wrote on PatriciaTwitter.Bullrich, presi dent of the opposition Republican Proposal party, criticised President Fernán dez’s reaction to the attack, accusing him of “playing with fire”. She said that “instead of seriously inves tigating a serious incident, he accuses the opposition and the press, decreeing a national holiday to mobilise activists”.
The president appealed for citizens to “vote, vote, vote” to protect their democracy. “For a long time, we’ve reassured ourselves that American democracy is guaranteed. But it is not.”
But Iowa GOP chair Jeff Kaufman said in a state ment that Biden was using the tactics of an authoritar ian regime, “trying to turn his political opponents into an enemy of the state”. Larry Diamond, an expert on democracy and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford Uni versity, said calling Trump out for attacks on democ racy “can be manipulated or framed as being partisan. And if you don’t call it out, you are shrinking from an important challenge in the defense of democracy.”
GUN MISFIRES IN BID TO ASSASSINATE ARGENTINA VP
Biden warns Trumpism menaces democracy
President Joe Biden charged in a prime-time address that the “extreme ideology” of Donald Trump and his adherents “threat ens the very foundation of our republic”, as he sum moned Americans of all stripes to help counter what he sketched as dark forces within the Republi can Party trying to subvert democracy.Inhisspeech yesterday at Philadelphia’s Independ ence Hall, Biden unleashed the trappings of the presi dency in an unusually strong and sweeping indictment of Trump and what he said has become the dominant strain of the opposition party. His broadside came barely two months before Americans head to the polls in bit terly contested midterm elections that Biden calls a crossroads for the nation. “Too much of what’s happening in our country today is not normal,” he said before an audience of hundreds, raising his voice over pro-Trump hecklers outside the building where the nation’s founding was debated. He said he wasn’t condemning the 74 mil lion people who voted for Trump in 2020, but added, “There’s no question that the Republican Party today is dominated by Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans,” using the acronym for Trump’s “Make America Great Again” campaign slogan. The explicit effort by Biden to marginalise Trump and his followers marks a sharp recent turn for the president, who preached his desire to bring about national unity in his Inau guralBiden,address.who largely avoided even referring to “the former guy” by name during his first year in office, has grown increas ingly vocal in calling out Trump personally. Now, emboldened by his party’s summertime legislative wins and wary of Trump’s return to the headlines, he has sharpened his attacks, last week likening the “MAGA philosophy” to “semi-fascism”.Wadinginto risky politi cal terrain, Biden strained to balance his criticism with an appeal to more tradi tional Republicans to make their voices heard. Mean while, GOP leaders swiftly accused him of only fur thering political divisions. Delivering a preemptive rebuttal from Scranton, Pennsylvania, where Biden was born, House Republi can leader Kevin McCarthy said it is the Democratic president, not Republicans, trying to divide Americans. “In the past two years, Joe Biden has launched an assault on the soul of America, on its people, on its laws, on its most sacred values,” McCarthy said. “He has launched an assault on our democracy. His policies have severely wounded America’s soul, diminished America’s spirit and betrayed America’s trust.”Asked about McCarthy’s criticism, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said earlier Thursday that “we under stand we hit a nerve” with the GOP leader, and quoted the Republican’s prior statements saying Trump bore responsibility for the January 6, 2021, attack on the US TrumpCapitol.plans a rally this weekend in the Scranton area.White House officials said the sharp tenor of Biden’s remarks reflected his mounting concern about Trump allies’ ideological proposals and relentless denial of the nation’s 2020 election“Equalityresults.and democracy are under assault” in the US, Biden charged, casting
Trump and the MAGA Republicans “promote authoritarian leaders and they fan the flames of politi cal violence”, he said. They “are determined to take this country Hall,theandmuchagendaviewsmarktaxpayer-fundedpromotedthisfront-and-centercratsthelove,”nonochoose,ica“Backwardsbackwards”.toanAmerwherethereisnorighttonorighttoprivacy,righttocontraception,righttomarrywhoyouhesaid,referencingsocialissuesthatDemohavelookedtoplaceforvotersfall.Biden’sappearancewasasanofficial,event,aofhowthepresidentdefeatingtheTrumpasapolicyaimasasapoliticalone.RedbluelightsilluminatedbrickofIndependenceastheMarineBand
played “Hail to the Chief” and a pair of Marine sen tries stood at parade rest in the backdrop. Still, the major broadcast television networks did not carry the address live.
THIS still image taken from a video provided by Television Publica Argentina shows a man pointing a gun at Argentina´s Vice President Cristina Fernandez during an event in front of her home in the Recoleta neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina, yesterday. PRESIDENT Joe Biden speaks outside Independence Hall in Philadelphia lastPhoto:night.Matt Slocum/AP
Trump and his backers in the GOP as a menace to the nation’s system of govern ment, its standing abroad and its citizens’ way of life.
A MAN tried to kill Argentina’s politically powerful Vice President Cristina Fernández outside her home, but the handgun misfired, the country’s pres identThesaid.man was quickly overpowered by her secu rity officers in the incident on Thursday night, officials said.President Alberto Fernández, who is not related to the vice presi dent, a former president herself, said the pistol did not discharge when the man tried to fire it. “A man pointed a firearm at her head and pulled the trigger,” the president said in a national broadcast fol lowing the incident. He said the firearm was loaded with five bullets but “didn’t fire even though the trigger was pulled”.Thevice president did not appear to have suffered any injury, and the man was overpowered within sec onds as he stood among a crowd of her supporters. Gina De Bai, a witness who was near the vice presi dent during the incident, told The Associated Press she heard “the sound of the trigger being pulled.” She said she didn’t realise it was a handgun until the man was rushed by security personnel.President Fernández called it “the most serious incident since we recovered democracy” in 1983 after a military dictatorship and urged political leaders, and society at large, to repudi ate the attempted shooting. The attack came as the vice president is facing a trial for alleged acts of corruption during her 20072015 presidency — charges that she vehemently denies and that have led her sup porters to surround her home in the upscale Reco leta neighborhood of Argentina’s capital. Video broadcast on local television channels showed Fernández exiting her vehicle surrounded by sup porters when a man is seen extending his hand with what looks like a pistol. The vice president ducks as people around the apparent gunman appear shocked at what is happening.
The White House has tried to keep Biden removed from the legal and political maelstrom surrounding the Depart ment of Justice’s discovery of classified documents in Trump’s Florida home. Still, Biden has pointed to some Republicans’ quick con demnation of federal law enforcement, to argue “you can’t be pro-insurrectionist and atowasHispro-American.”triptoPhiladelphiajustoneofhisthreethestatewithinaweek,signofPennsylvania’s importance in the mid terms, with competitive Senate and governor’s races. However, neither Lt Gov John Fetterman, the Democrats’ Senate nomi nee, nor Attorney General Josh Shapiro, their pick for governor, attended Thurs dayThenight. White House intended the speech to unite familiar themes: hold ing out bipartisan legislative wins on guns and infra structure as evidence that democracies “can deliver,” pushing back on GOP poli cies on guns and abortion that Biden says are out of step with most people’s views.The challenges have only increased since the tumult surrounding the 2020 elec tion and the Capitol attack. Lies surrounding that presidential race have trig gered harassment and death threats against state and local election officials and new restrictions on mail voting in Republicandominated states. County election officials have faced pressure to ban the use of voting equipment, efforts generated by con spiracy theories that voting machines were somehow manipulated to steal the election.Candidates who dispute Trump’s loss have been inspired to run for state and local election posts, promis ing to restore integrity to a system that has been under mined by false claims. There is no evidence of any widespread fraud or manipulation of voting machines. Judges, includ ing ones appointed by Trump, dismissed dozens of lawsuits filed after the election, and Trump’s own attorney general called the claims bogus. Yet Associ ated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research polling has shown about two-thirds of Republicans say they do not think Biden was legitimately elected president.
Biden harked back to the 2017 white supremacist protest in Charlottesville, Virginia, which he said brought him out of politi cal retirement to challenge Trump. Biden argued that the country faces a similar crossroads in the coming months, and he cast defend ing the “soul of the nation” as “the work of my presi dency — a mission I believe in with my whole soul.”
PAGE 10, Friday, September 2, 2022 THE TRIBUNE
AssociatedPHILADELPHIAPress
BUENOS AssociatedArgentinaAIRES,Press
By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
OTHERSTOUNSELFISHLYHIMSELFBETHEL‘SPY’GAVEHELPING
KENDALIA Turner is in great spirits, having completed a successful surgery on Sunday morn ing to repair her broken right ankle in an injury she sustained during the New Providence Softball Associ ation Ladies’ All-Star game in the Banker’s Field Satur dayThenight. Johnson Lady Truckers’ shortstop was trying to score from third in the bottom of the first inning when she avoided a tag and slid home for the ‘IN SPIRITS’GREAT
Eugene McMinns brought back as Dalhousie wide receivers’ coach
EUGENE McMINNS BETHEL
SEE PAGE 14 SEE PAGE 13 ALFIE
Marvin Johnson 13th overall in 50m freestyle
MARVIN Johnson yesterday advanced to the semi-final of the 50 metres freestyle at the 8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships in Lima, Peru.
RUSSELL WILSON GETS FIVE-YEAR, $245M EXTENSION FROM BRONCOS
STRIKERS Boxing Club founder and coach Ronn Rodgers said he was dis appointed in the call by Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg and Bahamas Boxing Com mission chairman Fred Sturrup to halt their “Spar ring Wars” amateur boxing shows.Rodgers, a certified, licenced professional boxing coach and trainer, a cut man and a certified and licenced amateur boxing coach, said after the last event took place on August 22 at the Junkanoo Village, he was accused by Bowleg and Sturrup for putting on an illegal event that didn’t have any safety measures in “Allplace. safety protocols were in place. We had police officers outside, internal security officers inside and the ambulance was on standby outside the gate,” he said. “We also had a doctor present at ringside and I conducted the event inside the“Thering. participants had on all the necessary safety gears and they were wear ing large sparring gloves,” Rodgers said. “The professionals don’t wear shirts and the protective gears that the participants were wear ing because we wanted to make sure that they were properly protected.” The event, according to Rodgers, is one that ema nated from grudges that boxers engage in during their training in the gym. Like they do all around the world in the sport, Rodgers said they invited the participants to settle their dispute in what they call a “sparring war.” In putting on these “sparring wars,” Rodgers said persons in the group tell others, including their family members, and they come out and support them just as they do if there is a sanctioned boxing show. “This is not something new to boxing and to the Bahamas, but it’s new to being staged in the Baha mas,” Rodgers said. “So once they are set up, we allow persons to pay to watch the sparring wars. “So instead of settling it on the streets, we provide a safe environment for the boxers to come together and settle their disputes. So yes, there is a fee that we charge because whoever is involved in the dispute, has an opportunity to pay the person whom they have engaged in for the sparring sessions.”Rodgers said he’s dis appointed in the fact that neither Bowleg or Stur rup tried to ascertain what the “sparring wars” is all about because they pub licly called for the event to “cease and desist.” He said it was only one event on each show, so it didn’t require any sanc tioning from the boxing authorities.Asaresult of their “spar ring wars,” Rodgers said they have seen a number of persons coming out to the Strikers Boxing Club in Marshall Road where they are being trained to compete in the sport. The “sparring wars,” how ever, are only put on for those who have disputes in their sparring sessions. “We have sparring going on every Tuesday and Thursday at our club and whenever we have these grudges, we try to put on the sparring wars on Mon days,” Rodgers said. “So if you say you want us to stop these sparring wars, then we should have to stop the training because these participants are prop erly trained because they participate in any of these sparringRodgerswars.”said he’s avail able to speak to any person in government or in the boxing fraternity who has any queries about the “sparring wars.” He said he is eager to point out how important events like this is for the further growth and devel opment of the sport.
Marvin John son became the membersecondof Team Bahamas to advance to a semi-final at the 8th FINA World Junior Swim ming Championships in Lima,JohnsonPeru. took to the pool at the Videna Aquat ics Center last night in the second of two 50m Freestyle semi-finals and finished sixth in 23.39 sec onds. His time placed him no.13 overall in the field of 16 semifinalists and 82 competitors.Johnsonopened compe tition yesterday morning in the preliminary rounds with a time of 23.38 to finish sixth in heat 10. His time advanced as the no. 15 qualifier through to the semifinals.NigelForbes also com peted in the event and swam a time of 23.64 to finish first in heat six, how ever, his time finished no.18 overall in the heats. Forbes missed the final qualifying time of 23.50 swam by Nathaniel Thomas of RhanishkaJamaica. Gibbs returned to the competi tion to swim the 100m Breaststroke.Shefinished sixth in heat four in 1:17.87. Her time placed her 24th overall in theGibbsfield. highlighted a busy day one for Team Baha mas as she advanced to the semifinal of the 50m Breaststroke.Gibbsswam 33.47 to advance and eventually finished 14th overall in the field with her time of 33.46 in the Keiannasemifinals.Moss also com peted in the prelims of the 50m Butterfly. She posted a time of 29.28 to finish eighth in heat six and 23rd overall.The quartet concluded the session with their appearance in the Mixed 4x100m Freestyle Relay. The team finished sixth in heat two in 3:55.37, no.19 in the field of 28 teams. Forbes split 54.95 on the first leg, followed by Johnson at 55.39, Moss in 1:02.08, and Gibbs swam the anchor leg at 1:02.95. The competition con tinues today with another active morning session for TeamMossBahamas.willbe up first to contest the 50m Back stroke. She will swim in lane eight of heat five at 10:38am. Johnson will swim in the 50m Butterfly - heat eight, lane two at 10:58am. Forbes will follow in lane one of heat 10 at 11:02am. Following a day off, Erald Thompson III will be back in action, swimming the 200m Breastroke. He competes in heat two out of lane two at 11:43am. Emmanuel Gadson will also swim in the eventlane one of heat four at 11:51am.
By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net
RONN RODGERS
The17.Tigers look to repeat the success they had in 2021 as AFL champions with a promising 2022 Tigers side. It was the AFL cham pionship of McMinns’ career, twice as a player with the Holland College Hurricanes.TheTigers concluded the season with a 40-14 victory over the Reds. It was also the third title for the Tigers’ programme in the last five seasons.“Ithas been an honour to be these young men’s wide receivers’ coach. This year’s wide receivers squad was the best in the league. I’m so proud of these guys,” McMinns“Honestly,said.it was even a bigger blessing to win the AFL Championship in my first year as a univer sity coach, [and to have] a chance to mentor the future ballers of the next genera tion for the University of Dalhousie.” McMinns joined the Tigers as a wide receivers’ coach under general man ager and head coach Mark Haggett. They concluded the season 7-1, with their only blemish an October 2 loss to the Red Bombers. “Thank you to the Dal housie football organisation for recruiting and believing in me,” McMinns said. “The man from Coconut Grove Nassau, Bahamas... this island man did it again. Grateful for the journey. Trusting the process.” A former wide receiver in his collegiate career with the Holland College Hurri canes and Acadia Axemen, McMinns said he looks for ward to developing young players at the position. The Tigers are one of four teams that play in the Atlantic Football League and returned to competi tion in 2010 after a 34-year hiatus.In2016, the team won the AFL championship with an
RODGERS DISAPPOINTED IN CALL TO HALT ‘SPARRING WARS’
By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net 13
THE family and friends of the late Alfie ‘Spy’ Bethel will remember him as a caring and loving person who gave himself unselfishly to helping so manyBethel,others.a former ver satile track and field and softball/baseball player, passed away on Wednesday after the car he was driv ing swung to the side of the road on Cowpen Road in what appeared to have been an apparent heart attack. While condolences poured in person, phone calls and through social media, Bethel’s wife The resa said she and her family appreciate all of the moral support they have received so“Hefar. was a happy, go lucky person. He’s always fun to be around. Some times I think he joked too much,” said Bethel, who was married to her husband since 2000. “But he was also very stern on education. “He wanted his children to get the best education. He
ALFIE
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Russell Wilson’s five-year, $245 million extension includes a $50 million singing bonus, $77 million in the first eight months and a whopping $165 million in guarantees — all before he takes his first snap for the Denver Broncos.Wilson left money on the table, however, declin ing to reset the NFL’s stratospheric quarterback market.“For me, it wasn’t really about how much, necessarily,” Wilson said yesterday. “It was about how many — how many Super Bowls we win. And that was really the focus.” Wilson didn’t want to handicap general manager George Paton as he builds his roster around him. So, he took $49 million on average in new money, $1 million less than Aaron Rodgers did with his fouryear, $200 million deal earlier this year to stay in Green Bay. In terms of the allimportant guaranteed portion of his contract, Wilson comes in with the third-most lucrative deal in the NFL, behind Deshaun Waton’s fully guaranteed $230 million deal with Cleveland and the $189.5 million in guar antees that Kyler Murray received in his five-year, $230.5 million deal with Arizona.Wilson’s decision to take less will presumably affect Lamar Jackson’s negotiations with the Baltimore Ravens on a contract extension and could have ripple effects when rising stars Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow come up for new deals in the years ahead.
By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Pro Football Writer
By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
EUGENE McMinns will return to the Dalhousie Tigers sidelines to begin his second season as a wide receivers’ coach for the vaunted conference power house football programme. “Honoured and grateful to be back for year two,” McMinns posted to Face book as the Tigers made the official announcement prior to training Dalhousie,camp.the defending Atlantic Football League champions, will officially begin their title defence against the UNB Frederic ton Reds in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, on Septem ber
SEE PAGE
SPORTS PAGE 11 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2022 TURNERSURGERY,AFTER
By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net
PAGE 12, Friday, September 2, 2022 THE TRIBUNE To Publish your Financials and Legal Notices Call: 502-2394
Sands, who improved his win-loss record to 12-2 since turning pro in 2017, par ticipated in his first match since signing with Kevin Dever Sports Management. The show was a part of ShoBox New Genera tion and Sands said it was an opportunity for him to “show up. You can’t be on national TV and punk out. You have to show out.” “They’re trying to get me back in New York and on the big stage.” As he continues his physical therapy, Sands said everything is coming together and his pinkie is doing quite well. He thanked the Strikers Boxing Club, headed by Ronn Rodgers, for provid ing him the opportunity to get into the sport.
The good thing for Turner is the fact that she’s only 23 years old. So she feels that her youthfulness will enable her to be able to bounce back and continue playing the sport she loves next season, once she does the right things to recuperate. “I don’t want it to linger on or to have it as something that I will regret for the rest of my life,” she said. “So I want to make sure that I do the right things to ensure that I get back. I’m not trying to rush anything.”Notonly does she contemplate return ing to the sport, but when she’s not wearing her cleats, Turner said she would like to be able to put on her heels and continue her career off the field. She was recently promoted at Cable Baha mas in the Loyalty Department, which is responsible for ensuring that they assist their clients with any issues they might experience in a bid to keep them with the company.
KENDALIA Turner completed a successful sur gery on Sunday morning to repair her broken right ankle in an injury she sustained during the New Providence Softball Association La dies’ All-Star game.
THE University of The Bahamas men’s soccer team defeated current Baha mas Football Association defending champion Dyna mos FC 5-4 Saturday.
The Mingoes won the their first preseason scrim mage against Renegades FC 3-1 on August 20 at the sameMingoesvenue.
recovering‘Sandman’boxerHeavyweightAmronSands
“If it wasn’t for the Strik ers Boxing Club, I wouldn’t be competing,” said Sands, who when first approached by Rodgers, told him that he was “too handsome to get into the ring” because he didn’t want his “face to getThathit.” was at the age of 19. But since that journey, Sands is now ranked at no. 32 in the United States and about 100 in the world and could be fighting for a title fight as soon as he gets back into the ring. There are plans for that possible title fight to take place right here in the Bahamas where Sands’ only fight was an unanimous decision over Jerry ‘Big Daddy’ Butler on May 26, 2017 at A Social Affair and Convention Center in Free port, Grand Bahama. Rodgers, who is trying to secure the title fight here, said he wishes that Sands could return home to train, but his contract will only allow him to train in the US for the time being. “When he was train ing here at the start of his professional career, he was about 240 pounds,” Rodg ers said. “With a lack of training, he went up to about 270. That was too much weight for him to carry“He’salong.now where he needs to be and because of COVID-19, I wasn’t able to go to his training site for his last few fights. “But we’re looking for ward to getting him back home to train and hopefully to fight here at home once he gets back in the gym training from the injury.” Only time will tell when he gets back at full strength, but Rodgers said he’s impressed with Sands’ recovery progress at this point.
“We call it winning souls,” said Turner, who gets to carry out her duties at her home on St Vincent Road as she recu perates from her injury.
“The hardest thing for me right now is to get the ring rust off,” Sands said. “I last fought in June when I got the injury and I prob ably won’t get to fight again until maybe in December or in “ButJanuary.I’vejust been trying to perfect my right hand, making sure I get my power down. The left hand was the sleeper.”During the fight, Sands shattered his pinkie finger. He said the doctors told him after the surgery that it looked like cornflakes. But he’s thrilled to know that as he goes through his ther apy, he’s getting better and better each and every day. “I’m just training and trying to get everybody in order,” said Sands, who is based in Orlando, Florida. “I can’t wait to get back. It’s money to make.”
You don’t have to season things this much.” As a member of the dance group at Southland Church of God, Alfanique Bethel said she recalled one Saturday he was about 20 minutes late to get her to practice.Justas he approached home, she caught the bus and she remembered how he followed the bus and fussed with her when she got off for not waiting for him when she saw him coming.“Everybody used to ask me if I was daddy’s girl or mommy’s girl, but I told them both,” she said. “But he meant so much to me and to all of us.” Every Saturday, she also noted that he sorted out all of the clothes and washed them. He was a security guard in the evening and often times he would call home and instructed them to make sure they pick up the clothes whenever he knew the rain was coming. And every Christmas, she said he would prepare the turkey for the family meal. She said he had his own special way to prepare the turkey and when it was fin ished, everybody knew that it tasted good and he always wanted everybody to praise him on his culinary skills. “One night he went to pick up our mother from getting her hair done and he left me and Alferense to watch the pot and we almost burned the house down,” she said. “He was so mad when he came home.” Bethel-Weldom, who resides in Alabama, noted: “One of my fondest memories with my father Alfie Bethel, is when he would pick me up from the airport on my visits to the island. We would drive around the island until the sun went down visiting dif ferent people and having longAndconversations.”hismother, Jac queline Bethel, put it into perspective when she added: “Nobody knows how you feel until you lose a son especially your first born. He’ll truly be missed. I love him.” For Antonio Greene, he and Alfie Bethel devel oped a relationship from childhood that expanded to Yellow Elder Primary School and SC McPher son Junior High before they separated with Bethel going to AF Adderley and Greene to RM Bailey. Their paths, surprisingly, collided when they went to South Plains Commu nity Junior College where they both competed in the decathlon.“Hepushed me and I would push him,” said Greene, who was converted from a 400m specialist to the multiple events, while Bethel made the switch over from the sprints and the long jump. “One year we were getting ready to go to Nationals and he told the coach that we were going to finish 1-2 in the decathlon and secure 18 points for the team.“He always put his goals aim. He aimed high and he achieved the most of them.” Greene, the brother of University of Kentucky’s head coach Rolando ‘Lonnie’ Greene, said when he got the news that his long-time friend and former college room-mate had passed away, he couldn’t believe it. “I just spoke to him about three months ago as we were reminiscing on the past and now he’s gone,” said Greene, a former track coach in Springfield, Mis souri who is recovering from stage four prostate cancer. “I was messaging people trying to find out if it was true or not. When I called Lonnie and told him about it, it hit him hard too because we all grew up in the Grove together. It was hard. He will be missed.” The funeral service for Bethel is tentatively being planned for September 24.
President’s second game. But the start ing shortstop didn’t anticipate the injury. “I went on a surgery to put my ankle back in place and then they put in a few screws to keep my tibia intact,” Turner said. “I’m in a soft cast now and I have to stay off it completely for six weeks. At some point, they have to put it in a cast. “After six weeks, the therapy will start and then we will go from there.” With this being the first major injury that she experienced, Turner said she didn’t know what to do as she watched her ankle being dislocated. She noted that it was a “wow” moment that left her with out any words to say. “Of course, I want every opportunity to play softball, but I’m not depressed or devastated,” she admitted. “Mentally, I’m in a good place and I’m happy for that because it’s hard for athletes to get over theirHavinginjuries.”graduated from Georgian Court University in Lakewood, New Jersey in 2020 as one of their top soft ball players and with a major degree in business administration and a minor in accounting, Turner said she’s taking it all in “I’mstride.upset, yes, but I’m not mad at the world. Softball did a lot for me. I was able to accomplish a lot. I’m talking like this is the end, but I had two team-mates in col lege who broke their legs and they had a tough time dealing with it.”
This was the first full season that Turner has played in the NPSA, although she’s played for the past few years while she was in college. She came home whenever the opportunity presented itself for her to participate.“Iamupset that I can’t play, but I’m not going to lock myself up in a room and cry,” she said.
A LITTLE over two months since he suffered an injury to his left pinkie finger in his unanimous victory over American Joe Jones, heavyweight boxer Amron ‘Sandman’ Sands said he’s recovering and should be ready to get back in the ring before the end of theSands,year. 28, suffered the injury in the second round, but still held on for the eight-round victory at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, New York.He said it displayed the “heart of a champion.”
THE TRIBUNE Friday, September 2, 2022, PAGE 13
The only problem is that she won’t be able to enjoy the season with her younger sister Mia Turner, a versatile player who also plays for the Lady Truckers. In the All-Star game, however, Mia Turner was playing on the Vice Presi dent’s team on the opposite side of the field and when Kendalia Turner went down with the injury at the plate, she was one of the first persons to rush to her aid.
TURNER FROM PAGE 11
striker Green scored twice for the team and Rolle scored one goal. In Saturday’s match, Green scored twice in the first half and teamed up with Rolle to score three times in the second half. The Mingoes have scored eight goals over two matches and that could be a big game changer in the regular BFA season that is slated for a September start.Mingoes assistant coach Adam Miller said the team is on a high after defeating such a strong side. “We played a very tough team today,” he said. “They are a very difficult opponent and it was a good test for us. We went down a few times and had to get back up. It showed a lot of resilience for the players.” Miller added the team was able to showcase the skills they worked on during the week. “We improved techni cally and tactically and sometimes I think games like that you get away from how you want to play and go back to the basics. It showed that they have a lot of grit and a lot of heart to claw their way back into game.”TheBFA regular season is set for a September start but The Mingoes play two international tours in the South Florida area in Sep tember as well. Go Team Mingoes.
Photo: UB Athletics
SPY FROM PAGE 11
UB striker Resean Rolle (9) moves the ball against Dynamos FC players in their match on August 27.
UB MINGOES MEN’S SOCCER TEAM DEFEAT BFA DEFENDING CHAMPIONS DYNAMOS FC 5-4 was very stern on that. His last two girls are in UB (University of the Bahamas), one is an edu cation major and the other is a bio-chemistry major. Unfortunately, he won’t get to see them graduate. But that was his dream to see them do very well.” As a former sprinter turned decathlete, who represented the Bahamas at the CARIFTA Games and the Junior Central American and Caribbean Championships, Bethel also played softball and baseball and was a physical educa tion teacher at the CW Sawyer Primary School. The 54-year-old Bethel, survived by his parents Jac queline Bethel and Philip Bowleg, leaves behind five siblings Philippa, Philip Jr and Sharfi Bowleg, Vinco Bethel and Jamal John son and children Tavarese Laroda, Taneka Bain, Alex andria Bethel-Weldon, Alfereese, Alexander and Alfanique Bethel. An emotional Taneka Bain said although Bethel was her stepfather, he was a person who “would never tell you no. You could always count on him for anything.”Alfanique Bethel, the last child, said her father helped her to become the “chef” that she is today. “I could remember the first time I cooked taco and wings, he said he never had taco before, but I thought he only wanted one taco and maybe three wings, but he said ‘no, I want three tacos and four wings,’” she said.“He came out when he was finished and he said ‘man they taste good. We could do them more often.’ He liked my food and he was my food critic. He would say this was a little too salty, but it taste good. It was just too seasoned.
The game was played at The Roscow R.L. Davies field in the Blue Hills Sport ing Complex in a preseason scrimmage match. Mingoes newcomer Ron aldo Green scored a hat trick for the Mingoes in the win while Resean Rolle scored two goals.
AMRON “Sandman” Sands after surgery on his left pinkie finger.
By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Sports Writer
IGA SWIATEK, of Poland, re acts during a match against Sloane Stephens yesterday in the second round of the US Open tennis championships. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
the circumstances I’m in right now,” Kostyuk said of a handshake, instead offer ing only a racket tap at the end.No. 11 Jannik Sinner and No. 15 Marin Cilic, the 2015 U.S. Open cham pion, advanced, but No. 25 Borna Coric was upset by American Jenson Brooksby 6-4, 7-6 (10), 6-1. Pegula was due back on the court later yesterday to join Coco Gauff for their first-round doubles match. The No. 2 seeds were to play Fernandez and Daria Saville.The 18-year-old Gauff is also still alive in singles, but Pegula didn’t think they would consider drop ping out of doubles to save their“No,energy.wejust want to win the tournament, I think,” she said. “I think both of us do. Her, she’s never tired. She’s so young, anyways.”
By WG AssociatedRAMIREZPress
ESTEPONA, Spain (AP)
STEPPING IN If there’s one question mark on offense in Buffalo, it’s how Ken Dorsey transi tions to being a first-time offensiveDorsey,coordinator.aformer NFL QB, has Allen’s backing after serving as the Bills’ quarterbacks coach the past three seasons. “He’s doing a really good job,” Allen said. “His call sheet, how he’s talking to us before games and in preparation for games, making sure that the call sheet that he has for what ever quarterback is out there is the plays that we are comfortable with. And I really appreciate how he’s doing that.”
NEW YORK (AP) — Serena Williams turned to Tiger Woods for his input before she made her recent comeback from a yearlong injury absence. On Wednesday night, Woods sat courtside at the U.S. Open, throwing uppercuts in the stands to cheer Wil liams on to victory. “He’s one of the reasons I’m here,” Williams said after beating No. 2 seed Anett Kontaveit 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-2 to reach the third round at Flushing Mead ows in what could be the last tournament of her career. “One of the main reasons I’m still playing.” Woods was in Williams’ guest box at sold-out Arthur Ashe Stadium, two seats over from her sister, Venus. When Woods was shown on the overhead video screens during a break between games, he received a warm welcome from the crowd and tugged at the brim of his cap to acknowledge the applause. After the match, Woods tweeted: “It was a privilege to watch greatness. Con grats wasreturntoadvicelegafterwhoownerapproachedVogueingwalkshepion23-timeThree@serenawilliams”weeksago,GrandSlamchamWilliamsannouncedwasgettingreadytoawayfromherplaydaysviaanessayinmagazine.Inthepiece,shesaidsheWoods—theof15golfmajorsreturnedtoactionbadlydamaginghisinacarcrash—forwhenshewastryingfigureoutwhethertotoplayingaftershesidelinedbyaninjury
Williams resumes what could be her final singles tournament today. First, she was due back on Ashe to begin the night session yesterday along with big sister Venus for their women’s doubles match against the Czech duo of Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova. The Williams sisters lost in the first round of dou bles to the Czech pair of Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova 7-6 (5), 6-4 in Arthur Ashe Stadium. Other winners yester day included No. 8 Jessica Pegula, No. 13 Belinda Bencic and No. 26 Victoria Azarenka, who didn’t get a handshake from Marta Kostyuk after beating the UkrainianAzarenkaplayer.isfrom Bela rus, which helped Russia launch its invasion of Ukraine. “I just don’t think it’s the right thing to do in
New England’s inconsist ency on offense after the exit of coordinator Josh McDaniels to be the head coach in Las Vegas has stood out this summer. Jones has more options, led by trade acquisition DeVante Parker, who has resembled the wide receiver that put up career numbers for Miami in 2019. But there are questions at running back after a late preseason injury to Damien Harris limited him in the final exhibition game.The offensive line has also struggled.
By DENNIS WASZAK JR AP Pro Football Writer
— chance to prove he’s Miami’s quarterback of the future.And the Dolphins and new coach Mike McDan iel made some upgrades to try to boost the NFL’s 22nd scoringTyreekoffense.Hill, a threetime All-Pro and one of the league’s most dynamic players in Kansas City, was acquired in a trade. He and Jaylen Waddle form one of the league’s most potent duo of receivers — and two premier playmaking threats.
ENDING DROUGHT?THE The focus for the Jets is on Wilson, who’s coming off a rookie season that started rough but finished with optimism as he didn’t throw an interception in his final five games. The quarterback missed most of the preseason with a bone bruise and torn meniscus in his right knee. But he was expected to return early in the regular season.How he progresses in his second season will go a long way in determining if New York can end its 11-year playoff drought, the longest active skid in the NFL. After upgrades on offence — signing tight ends C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin, offensive linemen Laken Tomlinson and Duane Brown, and drafting wide receiver Gar rett Wilson and running back Breece Hall — the Jets are confident they’ll be able to make a run for the postseason with their young QB leading the way.
OFFENCEFORJONESING
TUA’S TEAM Tagovailoa is being given another — perhaps, last?
NEW YORK (AP) — Josh Allen refuses to live in anything but the present. The fact the Buffalo Bills have won the AFC East the past two years is nice, and so is having made the playoffs three straight sea sons while building a bright future.It’sall about this season, though — a year that could be pretty special in Buffalo. And the Bills have that in perspective.“Nothing that we did last year is going to carry over to this year,” Allen insisted. “Nothing that we’re going to do next year is going to affect us this year. It’s a brand-new season. Every body’s starting 0-0. “We’re a new team. We’re a different team, we know that, we understand that. We’ve got new pieces. We’ve got a new offensive coordinator. We’ve got a newTheSamemindset.”goal,though.Billswerea wild, wacky overtime loss to Kansas City from getting to the AFC championship for the second year in a row. And just getting there again this season won’t be good“Weenough.knowwhat we want to accomplish and it’s no secret,” Allen said. “I think there’s 31 other teams that say they want to win the Super Bowl. And if they don’t say it, they’re lying. That’s our goal. Everything that we do is toward that goal.”And many believe they’ll have a great chance at that, with the Bills listed by FanDuel as the Super Bowl favourite. With the depth Buffalo has all over its roster, it’s hard to argue. That’s bad news for the rest of the AFC East, which has improved but has quar terback questions in the division’s other three cities.
WINSFALL,LEADKEEPSEVENEPOELVUELTADESPITECARAPAZSTAGE
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A’ja Wilson didn’t like the feeling after a Game 1 loss of the semifinals in the WNBA playoffs, scoring just eight points. She responded with a career playoff-high 33 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to help the Las Vegas Aces beat the Seattle Storm 78-73 in Game 2 on Wednesday night and even the series. “When I saw the game getting down to the wire I was like, ‘Well, we’re not going to let this happen again,’ I learned my lesson,” Wilson said. “So I don’t necessarily know if it’s possessed, but I just really was locked in for my team. I needed to be the anchor that I was before and being con sistent into what got us here.”Chelsea Gray finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists for the Aces, while Kelsey Plum added 18 points.Game 3 is Sunday in Seattle.“Atend of the day we knew what we had to do. We had to take care of home,” Wilson said. “We should have lost by more in Game 1. We went back to film room and got into theSeattlelab.” battled back behind Breanna Stew art, who led the Storm with 32 points and seven rebounds. The Storm got within 75-73 on Sue Bird’s runner in the lane that she banked in with 19.9 seconds left. Wilson hit two free throws 2 seconds later and Seattle didn’t threaten after that. “I was just locked in. Had to be locked in for my team,” Wilson said. “Can’t be like who I was before.”Wilson took over in the second half of Game 2. With the game tied head ing into the third quarter, she scored 13 points in the period to help the Aces take a 60-52 lead. Though the Storm were a perfect 11 for 11 from the free-throw line, coach Noelle Quinn expressed disappoint ment her players didn’t get as many calls as the Aces, who hit 18 of 23 free-throw attempts.
PAGE 14, Friday, September 2, 2022 THE TRIBUNE
BILLS RULE AFC EAST, WITH DOLPHINS, JETS, PATS FAR BEHIND
MIAMI Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) talks with head coach Mike McDaniel during the first half of a NFL preseason football game against the Philadelphia Ea gles, Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
8-0 undefeated record, and again went undefeated in 2018, capturing two AFL championships in three years.McMinns began his col legiate career with the Holland College Hurri canes. In two years with the Hurricanes, McMinns developed into one of the team’s top playmakers as they claimed back-to-back Atlantic Football League titles in 2013 and 2014. He was named the Hol land College male Rookie of the Year in his first season with the programme. After two seasons, he transferred to Acadia. In his final collegiate season, McMinns was a part of the Bahamian connection that helped the Axemen win the 2017 Atlantic University Sports (AUS) championship title. At the conclusion of his career he finished second on the Axemen in receptions and yardage with 29 catches for 346 yards and three touch downs. McMinns ended the regular season ranked third in all-purpose yards in the AUS with a total of 1,232 yards and 154 per game.
TIGER WOODS SHOWS UP TO SUPPORT SERENA
Swiatek winning easily, but she knows who’s No. 1 at the US Open
MCMINNS FROM PAGE 11
By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Iga Swiatek is winning easily — and quietly. At this U.S. Open, even the world’s No. 1 player is a distant No. 2 as long as Serena Williams is still around.“Yeah, that’s kind of her time right now,” Swiatek said. “I’m just, you know, playing and focusing on that, and that’s the most important thing for me.” The two-time French Open champion easily beat 2017 U.S. Open winner Sloane Stephens 6-3, 6-2 yesterday in the second round for her WTA Tourleading 50th victory this season.Aday after Williams eliminated No. 2 seed Anett Kontaveit, with No. 3 Maria Sakkari losing earlier Wednesday, Swiatek perhaps looms as an even bigger threat to win a seventh title this year, something nobody has done since Williams in 2014.Past U.S. Open cham pions Naomi Osaka and Emma Raducanu have also been eliminated, along with 2021 runner-up LeylahSwiatekFernandez.cameto the U.S. Open just 4-4 since the end of her 37-match winning streak earlier this year, but has dropped just eight games through two rounds. She needed only 1 hour, 14 minutes to beat Stephens, having no trouble with her first match in Arthur Ashe Stadium.“Honestly, I just tried to have the same kind of motivation or attitude as any other court, because it’s the best way for me to perform good,” Swiatek said.
— With bruises and cuts showing through a big gash on the side of his shorts, Remco Evenepoel got back on his bicycle and quickly rejoined the peloton. It was just a scare for the young Belgian rider, who overcame a fall with about 45 kilometres (28 miles) to go in the 12th stage of the Spanish Vuelta yesterday to keep his overall lead enter ing the second half of the final Grand Tour race of the year.Olympic champion Rich ard Carapaz won the stage with a dominant run on the final climb to earn his first Vuelta victory. The rider from team Ineos Grena diers hit the handlebar of his bicycle a couple of times to celebrate his fourth Grand Tour stage win. The 2019 Giro d’Italia champion launched his attack with about two kilo metres (1.2 miles) to go to become the first Ecuado rean to win a Vuelta stage. “We had the focus now on trying to win a stage, and I’m really happy with that,” the 29-year-old Car apaz said. “I knew I had one move left and I made the most out of it. I’m very happy. I have to enjoy it.” Wilco Kelderman was second at the end of the stage, nine seconds behind Carapaz, and Marc Soler was third, 24 seconds off the lead.After changing his bicy cle, Evenepoel complained to race officials about some of the motorbikes that were in front of him before he crashed.“It’sjust my leg but it’s fine, I think. My bike is much worse than myself,” the 22-year-old rider from team Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl said after the race. “It was a super slippery corner. The motorbikes were slip ping as well and slowing down so that’s why I wanted to cut the corner but it was a bit too Evenepoelmuch.”showed no signs of being bothered by his right leg injury following the fall, and suc cessfully fended off the breakaway attempts by his closest challenger, threetime defending champion Primoz Roglic. “I felt good on the climb. I knew it was a climb to just follow and in the last hundreds of metres I just went all out because I felt I still had something left,” Evenepoel said. Evenepoel maintained a lead of 2 minutes, 41 sec onds over Roglic in the general classification, and was more than three min utes ahead of Enric Mas.
A’JA WILSON HELPS ACES EVEN SERIES WITH STORM
Evenepoel has held the leader’s red jersey since the sixth stage. Riders today will face a mostly flat stage from Ronda to Montilla in southern Spain.
at Wimbledon in June 2021. “He’s Tiger,” she wrote, “and he was ada mant that I be a beast the same way he is!” Asked Wednesday about Woods’ role, Williams said: “We talked a lot. He was really trying to get me motivated.”Shecontinued: “I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I was just lost. So many questions. When you can rely on someone like that — I mean, my goodness, he’s Tiger Woods — it was really helpful to get clarity.”
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Patriots.
NOTICE is hereby given that O’SHANE FRANCIS WALLACE of Farrington Road, Rock Crusher, New Providence, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 26th day of August, 2022 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.
NOTICE THURSDAY, 1 SEPTEMBER 2022 CLOSECHANGE%CHANGEYTDYTD% BISX ALL SHARE INDEX: 2607.9140.881.59379.6717.04 BISX LISTED & TRADED SECURITIES 52WK HI52WK LOWSECURITY SYMBOLLAST CLOSECLOSECHANGE VOLUMEEPS$DIV$P/E YIELD 6.985.30 AML Foods Limited AML 6.95 6.950.00 0.2390.17029.12.45% 53.0033.80 APD Limited APD 39.95 39.950.00 500.9321.26042.93.15% 2.761.60Benchmark BBL 2.76 2.760.00 0.0000.020N/M0.72% 2.612.20Bahamas First Holdings Limited BFH 2.46 2.460.00 0.1400.08017.63.25% 2.851.30Bank of Bahamas BOB 2.85 2.850.00 0.0700.000N/M0.00% 6.205.75Bahamas Property Fund BPF 6.20 6.200.00 1.7600.000N/M0.00% 10.058.25Bahamas Waste BWL 9.75 9.750.00 0.3690.26026.42.67% 4.152.82Cable Bahamas CAB 4.00 4.000.00 -0.4380.000-9.1 0.00% 10.655.99Commonwealth Brewery CBB 10.20 10.200.00 0.1400.00072.90.00% 3.652.27Commonwealth Bank CBL 3.11 3.420.3170,0000.1840.12018.63.51% 8.255.29Colina Holdings CHL 8.23 8.230.00 0.4490.22018.32.67% 17.5010.25CIBC FirstCaribbean Bank CIB 16.00 16.000.00 0.7220.72022.24.50% 3.251.99Consolidated Water BDRs CWCB 3.24 3.340.10 0.1020.43432.712.99% 11.288.25Doctor's Hospital DHS 10.26 10.260.00 0.4670.06022.00.58% 11.6711.25Emera Incorporated EMAB 11.33 11.430.10 0.6460.32817.72.87% 10.8510.00Famguard FAM 10.85 10.850.00 0.7280.24014.92.21% 18.3014.05Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) Limited FBB 18.10 18.100.00 0.8160.54022.22.98% 4.003.50Focol FCL 3.90 3.900.00 0.2030.12019.23.08% 11.008.20Finco FIN 11.00 11.000.00 0.9390.20011.71.82% 16.5015.50J. S. Johnson JSJ 15.50 15.500.00 0.6310.61024.63.94% PREFERENCE SHARES 1.001.00Bahamas First Holdings PreferenceBFHP 1.00 1.000.00 0.0000.0000.0000.00% 1000.001000.00 Cable Bahamas Series 6 CAB6 1000.001000.000.00 0.0000.0000.0000.00% 1000.001000.00 Cable Bahamas Series 9 CAB9 1000.001000.000.00 0.0000.0000.0000.00% 1.001.00Colina Holdings Class A CHLA 1.00 1.000.00 0.0000.0000.0006.25% 10.0010.00Fidelity Bank Bahamas Class A FBBA 10.0010.000.00
FUND CFAL Bond Fund CFAL Balanced Fund CFAL Money Market Fund CFAL Global
www.bisxbahamas.com
pricing) 52WK
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1.001.00Focol Class B FCLB 1.00
PAGE 16, Friday, September 2, 2022 THE TRIBUNE
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MARKET REPORT
NOTICE
By ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writer A LATE burst of buying erased some of the stock market’s losses Thursday, leaving indexes mixed on Wall Street though still on pace to end lower for the week.The S&P 500 rose 0.3% after having been down 1.3% earlier in the day. The benchmark index’s positive turn in the last 10 minutes of trading ended a four-day losing streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also bounced back from an early slide to finish with a 0.5% gain, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite fell 0.3%. Sev eral measures of small and mid-size companies also lost ground, including the Russell 2000, which closed 1.2% lower. The mixed finish for stocks comes as traders look ahead to the Labor Department’s latest monthly job market snap shot Friday. The Federal Reserve will consider the August update on job and wage growth as it deter mines further interest rate hikes in its bid to slow the economy enough to bring down“We’llinflation.beable to get a better read on markets tomorrow after that number comes out,” said Sameer Samana, senior global market strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute. “At least right now, the path of least resistance for markets remains lower.” The S&P 500 rose 11.85 points to 3,966.85, while the Dow added 145.99 points to 31,656.42. The Nasdaq slid 31.08 points to 11,785.13, its fifth straight drop. The Rus sell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 21.30 points to 1,822.82. Gains in health care stocks, companies that rely on direct consumer spending and communica tions services providers helped lift the market. John son & Johnson rose 2.5%, Target gained 2.8% and Netflix added 2.9%. Technology stocks were once again one of the heavi est weights on the market. Nvidia dropped 7.7% after the chipmaker said the U.S. government imposed new licensing requirements on its sales to China. Energy stocks fell as the price of U.S. crude oil, which is coming off its third month of declines, dropped 3.3% to $86.61 a barrel. Chevron slid 1.6%. Major indexes in Europe and Asia closed lower. Treasury yields rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury, which influences interest rates on mortgages and other consumer loans, rose to 3.26% from 3.20% late Wednesday.
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Stocks end mixed on Wall Street, S&P 500 ekes out a gain and how it will impact the water lenses and the blue holes of Andros. Those are the main concerns facing the project right now. But people want to see more revenue in Andros; they just want to know that the mining will be done safely.” The BNT said in a state ment that it does not support large scale, extrac tive projects such as mining taking place in The Baha mas although it did not refer to Bahamas Materials CompanyBrandingspecifically.theBNT’s fears as unfounded, Mr Bethel said: “Their main concerns are for Joulter cays, which is offshore. It is very difficult for that project to affect the Joulter cays because that is off the coast of Andros and not connected to the main land. If that is their only concern then that can be mitigated.”Bahamas Materials Com pany is headed by Cameron Symonette, the Symonette Group’s chief executive, and his business partner, Ted Baker. The proposal, which was first presented to the Minnis Cabinet, is under stood to have been shown to the Davis administra tion at end-January and a decision is now awaited as to whether it will be given approval in princi ple so Bahamas Materials can begin the process of obtaining its environmental approvals and holding Town Meetings with the commu nity in North Andros. Sources familiar with the project, speaking on condi tion of anonymity because they were not authorised to do so, said it planned to create 163 direct jobs in Andros along with numerous spin-off entre preneurial opportunities. They dismissed any climate change concerns, saying the project will be located on “fallow” land in the shape of the Water & Sewerage Corporation’s 5,500 acre wellfields that have been inundated with seawater from past Bahamashurricanes.Materials plans to mine the site for calcium carbonate (limestone). The extracted rock would then be crushed and screened at a purpose-built plant before being exported by sea to either Florida or New Providence for use by the construction industry in a variety of construction applications.However, the plans go beyond mere aggregate mining to explore how the land could be reclaimed, and repurposed, for other productive use such as real estate once all the rock has been extracted. Bahamas Materials Company is pro posing a corporate structure where a subsidiary, Mor gan’s Bluff Development Group Ltd, owned by local residents would control/ own the land and lease por tions to it for mining via a phased approach. “The control remains with the Government and the people,” a source said. “This project will pay royal ties, it will pay taxes and it will pay Business Licence fees.” towards the insurance industry. One concerns the measure, unveiled in May’s Budget, to move from the 3 percent tax paid by consum ers on insurance premiums to a 2.25 percent annual Business Licence fee based on an insurer’s “turnover”. The second involves the VAT treatment of pri vate medical claims, with the Government seeking to bring this into line with what it argues is standard global practice. This would result in consumers paying the 10 percent VAT on private health insurance claims payouts, rather than the tax being treated as an ‘input’ deduction and offset against the insurer’s output VAT.“The medical profes sionals advised them accordingly, gave the Government their recom mendations as to what to do, and we await to see what the Government side comes back with in two weeks,” Mr Saunders told this newspaper. He declined to comment further or go into the details of what was discussed between the industry and the Govern ment, citing an agreement not to do so. While the previous 3 percent levy paid by con sumers on all policies was in effect eliminated on July 1 as the Budget’s tax measures became law, the absence of any implemen tation road map, together with a precise “definition” of what turnover means and a clear basis for calculating the new Business Licence fee, has left the entire sector - both property and casualty, as well as life and health insurers - scrambling to adjust without possessing keyAdetails.critical issue is the defi nition of “turnover” that the Government plans to apply for the purpose of calculating the Business Licence fees payable by the sector. Underwriters, in particular, are seeking clarity as to whether “gross written premium” or “net premium earned”, the latter of which strips out the sums ceded to reinsurers, will be used as the basis for the calculation or even “net underwriting income”. The resulting uncer tainty has made it impossible for the indus try to plan or properly advise partners such as reinsurers. Mr Saunders said previously that while Tribune Business’ copy of the Business Licence (Amendment) Bill showed insurers as having to pay a fee equivalent to 2.25 per cent of annual turnover, the draft he possesses shows that as being 2 percent. Meanwhile Simon Wilson, the Ministry of Finance’s financial secre tary, in an earlier interview affirmed to this newspaper the Government’s position that the 10 percent VAT levied on health insurance claims payments to medical providers is a service pro vided to the end-consumer, and thus treated as ‘output’ VAT, rather than treated as an ‘input’ by the insurance carriers and claimed as a deduction against their own taxAcknowledgingpayments. that Bahamian health insur ers have applied this VAT treatment since the tax was introduced in 2015, Mr Wilson said: “It’s not about trying to get money. This is not us trying to put on ordinary Bahamians an additional tax. “This is us saying: ‘Guys, we’re not following what the law says, and the idea is: ‘Do we we need to change, do we make an adjust ment?’ What do we do? I just hope to have these discussions soon.” Health insurers fear any changes that prevent them obtain ing VAT deductions on claims payouts will result in increased premiums for both groups and individuals with private health insur ance, increasing medical treatment costs and making coverage increasingly unaffordable.Atpresent, the health insurance industry can deduct, or offset, the VAT portion of patient care bills submitted to it by doctors, hospitals and other medi cal facilities against what it pays to the Govern ment from the 10 percent levy imposed on client premiums.However, the Ministry of Finance and Department of Inland Revenue want to change this treatment such that health insurers are no longer able to deduct/offset the VAT charged on their clients’ medical bills against the taxes collected on the premium.Withthe industry no longer able to treat medi cal bill VAT as an ‘input’ deduction, it has warned that consumers will “ulti mately” pay the price through having to absorb the levy on their patient care expenses - some thing that will effectively increase health treatment costs by 10 percent at a time when Bahamians are grappling with soaring infla tion and the continuing fall-out from the ongoing COVID-pandemic.Giventhatsome medi cal costs can be substantial, reaching into the hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars, the potential revenue boost for the Government could well be significant. Yet, if imple mented, the increased cost could be just as impactful for both individuals and employees who presently enjoy private health insur ance under their company’s group policy, potentially making quality healthcare less affordable and acces sible when COVID-19 remains a threat. Should the revised VAT treatment become law, insurers would likely be forced to alter their pricing while providers of medical care would need to adjust their services. The change, if implemented, could impact over 100,000 Baha mians with private health insurance.
CHAMBER CHIEF BACKS NORTH ANDROS MINING
LOWSECURITY SYMBOLLAST SALECLOSECHANGEVOLUME
CORPORATE DEBT -
NOTICE is hereby given that STEVE STEWART of Tamarind Street, Sir Lynden Pindling Estates, New Providence, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twentyeight days from the 26th day of August, 2022 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas. 0.0000.0000.0007.00% 1.000.00 0.0000.0000.0006.50% (percentage HI52WK 100.00100.00Fidelity Bank (Note Series B+)FBB22 100.00100.000.00 100.00100.00Bahamas First Holdings LimitedBFHB 100.00100.000.00 BAHAMAS GOVERNMENT STOCK - (percentage pricing) 115.92104.79Bahamas Note 6.95 (2029) BAH29 107.31107.310.00 100.00100.00BGS: 2014-12-7Y BG0107 100.00100.000.00 100.00100.00BGS: 2015-1-7Y BG0207 100.00100.000.00 100.00100.00BGS: 2014-12-30Y BG0130 100.00100.000.00 100.00100.00BGS: 2015-1-30Y BG0230 100.00100.000.00 100.00100.00BGS: 2015-6-7Y BG0307 100.00100.000.00 100.00100.00BGS: 2015-6-30Y BG0330 100.00100.000.00 100.00100.00BGS: 2015-10-7Y BG0407 100.00100.000.00 100.2299.98BGRS FL BGRS99032 BSBGS990326100.50100.500.00 100.2299.98BGRS FL BGRS99032 BSBGRS990326100.50100.500.00 100.4399.96BGRS FL BGRS97033 BSBGRS970336100.09100.090.00 100.43100.43BGRS FL BGRS75022 BSBGRS750225100.54100.540.00 100.34100.04BGRS FL BGRS81037 BSBGRS810375100.34100.340.00 100.23100.00BGRS FL BGRS88028 BSBGRS880287100.00100.000.00 100.0089.62BGRS FX BGR129249 BSBGR129249389.6289.620.00 100.0089.00BGRS FX BGR131249 BSBGR1312499100.00100.000.00 100.9890.24BGRS FX BGR132249 BSBGR1322498100.00100.000.00 100.0090.73BGRS FX BGR136150 BSBGR1361504100.00100.000.00 MUTUAL FUNDS 52WK HI52WK LOW NAV YTD%12 MTH% 2.522.11 2.520.99%4.22% 4.693.30 4.690.36%5.78% 2.221.68 2.210.67%2.74% 207.86164.74 197.44-2.97%-2.35% 212.41116.70 202.39-4.72%6.04% 1.741.69 1.741.37%3.03% 1.841.75 1.841.19%5.23% 1.831.76 1.831.62%4.13% 1.030.97 0.97-5.25%-6.07% 9.376.41 9.37-0.02%10.36% 11.837.62 11.79-0.33%18.23% 7.545.66 7.540.22%3.05% 16.648.65 15.94-3.89%14.76% 12.8410.54 12.47-1.04%-2.57% 10.779.57 10.740.81%4.20% 10.009.88 N/AN/AN/A 10.438.45 10.433.00%25.60% 14.8911.20 14.897.90%48.70%
MATURITY 31-Mar-202231-Mar-202220-Nov-202919-Oct-20224.50%6.95% 15-Oct-204923-Sep-203221-Apr-205025-Mar-202215-Oct-202226-Jun-204526-Jun-202230-Jul-204515-Dec-204430-Jul-202215-Dec-202131-May-202231-May-202231-Jan-202231-Jan-202231-Jan-202231-Jan-202231-May-202231-Jan-202231-Jan-202231-Mar-2021 6.25% 31-Mar-202230-Sep-2025Bond 4.25%6.25%4.50%6.25% NAV Date 5.55%4.33%4.31%4.30%4.30%5.69%5.65% 15-Apr-204926-Jul-202817-Apr-203323-Sep-20324.87%4.43% 26-Jul-20377-Sep-2022 (242)323 2330 (242) 323 2320
Insurers to Gov’t: ‘We’re in this together’ with tax FROM PAGE A20 FROM PAGE A20
31-May-202231-Mar-2022 6.25%4.50%
NOTICE is hereby given that VIRGILE HOMERE of Joe Farrington Road, Nassau, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twentyeight days from the 2nd day of September, 2022 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.
historic
FROM PAGE A20 shares in two thinly traded microcap companies, Lotus Bio Technology Develop ment and Good Gaming. Using accounts at Seton and other broker/dealers to conceal their ownership of large blocks of stock in both entities, the perpetrators allegedly ‘pumped up’ their price by issuing misleading press releases and other promotional material. They then hacked into the brokerage accounts of unsuspecting investors, taking them over and using them to make large stock purchases to inflate the value of Lotus Bio Tech nology Development and Good Gaming even further. The shares purchased were then eventually dumped, or sold, to other unwitting investors to net the perpe trators a total $1.3m. The Wong family, named among the defendants in both lawsuits, allegedly used their Seton account to conceal their ownership of 3.9m shares in Lotus Bio Technology. A cheque that the Wongs sent to Seton to support the purchase of these shares was said by the SEC to be “fake”, and they traded several million more shares with other clients of the Bahamian broker/ dealer.Revealing how the scheme worked, the SEC disclosed that the Wongs made $37,464 in illicit prof its by selling Lotus stock from their Seton account to one of the hacked US brokerage accounts. “The largest single Seton sale order on August 16, 2017an order to sell 250,000 of the Wongs’ shares at $.0148 per share - was placed at 1.53pm eastern US time,” the US capital markets reg ulator“Betweenclaimed.1.54pm and 1.56pm, the hackers caused the customer to purchase 200,000 Lotus shares at approximately $0.15 per share, and at 1.56pm Seton’s largest trade of the day - a sale of 162,700 shares at $0.15 per share - was exe cuted directly against the hacked account.” The following month, some 24 brokerage accounts were hacked by the con spirators and the Wongs sold another 1.608m shares held in their Seton account for a $187,764 profit. The Bahamian broker/dealer then wired them $100,000 representing proceeds from these stock sales in Novem berAs2017.for Good Gaming, some 1.5m of is shares were transferred by Jeffrey Cox, one of the defend ants, into his Seton account on January 9, 2018. A fur ther 2.921m shares were deposited in mid-January 2018 just days before four brokerage accounts were hacked and forced to buy one million Good Gaming shares.
“Just before the hacks, Cox twice verified with Seton that the Good Gaming shares had been transferred,” the SEC alleged. “At least 440,000 of the Good Gaming shares held at Seton were sold directly to the hacked accounts.” Net proceeds of more than $170,000 were generated, and one of the conspirators lied on a questionnaire sent to the Bahamian broker/dealer that he was not the ben eficial owner of the shares sold from its account. Seton was wound-up in early 2020 following regulatory action by the Bahamian Securities Com mission, which was praised by its SEC counterpart for help provided in the $1.3m account hacking investigation.TheSecurities Com mission, in its 2020 annual report, disclosed that it intervened in Septem ber 2018 after discovering that “Seton had been con victed and fined in Alberta, Canada, for unregistered securities activities”. “The Commis sion commenced a court-supervised winding up but subsequently agreed to a Commission-super vised, voluntary winding up using a liquidator appointed by the Commission – the first liquidation of this kind for the Securities Commis sion of The Bahamas,” the annual report “Thereafter,added.the Com mission received the court’s leave to withdraw its peti tion in November 2018 and the winding-up continued to the end of 2019 with the liquidator’s final report being issued around Febru ary 2020.” Tribune Business previ ously reported on Seton’s Canadian regulatory woes when they occurred in 2018. It paid a $35,000 fine to settle allegations it was operating as an unregis tered entity in violation of Alberta’s securities laws after admitting to the breach when a client used its accounts to trade “tens of thousands of shares” in a company whose stock had beenThesuspended.settlement agree ment disclosed that Seton’s difficulties began when it received an application from Alberta resident, Lambert (Bert) Joseph Lavallee, to open a Baha mas-based securities trading account. Lavallee, who was accused by the Alberta regulator of insider trading, used the Seton account to help generate $137,000 from the sale of shares in North Amer ica Frac Sand (NAFS), a Canadian company he controlled.SetonSecurities Interna tional’s principal was New Providence resident, Jay Gotlieb. His LinkedIn account describes him as Seton Securities Interna tional’s president for the period May 2014 to Octo ber 2018, a period covering four years and six months, and whose end appears to coincide with the Securities Commission’s enforcement action against the broker/ dealer.The LinkedIn posting, though, makes no mention of the Securities Commis sion’s action or the more recent lawsuits by the US Justice Department and SEC against Seton’s former clients. Describing Mr Got lieb as having more than 39 years’ experience in finan cial services, it added that Seton “closed operations” so he could “spend more time with family”.
THE TRIBUNE Friday, September 2, 2022, PAGE 17 ‘Plenty of time’ to work out yacht charter VAT
"Employer has not met its burden of establishing that Region 29, the Peti tioner, or any third parties have engaged in objection able conduct affecting the results of the election," the spokesperson said, offer ing a summary of Dunn's disagreeingpanyKellyrecommendation.AmazonSpokespersonNantelsaidthecomplanstoappeal."Whilewe'restillreviewthedecision,westronglywiththeconclusion and intend to appeal," Nantel said in a statement. "As we showed throughout the hearing with dozens of witnesses and hundreds of pages of documents, both the NLRB and the ALU improperly influenced the outcome of the election and we don't believe it repre sents what the majority of our team Amazon,wants."the union and the agency's office in Brook lyn have until September 16 to file any exceptions to the report, which would send the case to the regional director, who will issue an order to certify the elec tion results or order a rerun vote.The company could still appeal that order to the five-person labor board, whose Democratic majority is expected to be sympa thetic to the union. Even when the agency upholds a union victory, experts say companies who don't want a unionized workforce often refuse to negotiate. That move can trigger protracted legal bat tles in federal court, which some companies could use as a backdoor attempt to thwart labor victories. In May, the nascent union lost a separate election at a neighboring warehouse, which dampened enthu siasm elsewhere. At the same time, it was devoting more time and resources to defend its initial win from the e-commerce giant. Other campaigns have kicked off at Amazon warehouses in North Carolina, Kentucky and elsewhere, as workers attempt to gather enough signatures to qualify for a union election. Amazon workers at a warehouse near Albany, New York are slated to vote in their own election in the coming months. bid to scrap union win blocked Bahamian broker’s clients in $1.3m ‘hacking’ fraud
(a) NEW ALUMINIUM INVESTMENTS LTD. is in dissolution under the provisions of the International Business Companies Act 2000.
ZAKRIT SERVICES LTD.
Given that the Port Department already received a 4 percent levy on the same yacht charter contract, these operators argued that the effective tax rate was more than tripling via a 350 percent increase in percentage terms from 4 percent to 14 percent. However, the move was applauded by Bahamianowned water tour and excursion operators who said their foreign rivals had enjoyed an unfair competi tive advantage for years due to an uneven taxation playing field where locals paid more than foreigners. And the Govern ment retorted that the foreign yacht char ter industry had for years “enjoyed a windfall at The Bahamas’ expense” by using this country’s marine environment and natural resources to earn millions of dollars without paying its fair share to the Public Treasury. It added that many yacht charter opera tors had previously failed to pay the Port Department’s 4 percent levy, but this sector will now have to reg ister with the Government to pay VAT. Mr Dargavage’s com ments and tone yesterday indicate that the VAT con troversy has died down, and that all parties are moving beyond this and looking to the future. The ABM chief said the 2022 summer boat ing and yachting season, which climaxes with this weekend’s US Labour Day holiday, had “played out as good or better than hoped” and will provide the launch pad for a strong winter heading into 2023. “It was an excellent, excellent summer season,” Mr Dargavage told Tribune
Amazon
A HEARING officer for a federal labor board has rebuffed Amazon's attempt to scrap a historic union win at a warehouse on Staten Island, New York, handing victory to organizers in what could be a very long battle forThursday'srecognition.win is a relief for the Amazon Labor Union, the grassroots group of former and current work ers whose unexpected victory in April followed weeks of aggressive cam paigning from both sides. "Today is a great day for Labor," Chris Smalls, a fired Amazon worker who now heads the union, wrote in Tweet celebrating the decision.Shortly after the spring vote, Amazon filed more than two dozen objections with the National Labor Relations Board, claiming it was tainted by organizers and Region 29, the agency's regional office in Brooklyn that oversaw the election. The case was then trans ferred to another regional office, based in Phoenix, Arizona, at Amazon's request. The 24-day long hearing, which Amazon had unsuccessfully sought to close to the public, was marked by tense exchanges between attorneys for both sides on what documents could be submitted for evi dence and which witnesses could testify. On Thurs day, Lisa Dunn, the agency officer who handled the company's case, concluded Amazon's objections should be entirely overruled and the union be certified as a bargaining representative for the warehouse, a spokes person for the NLRB wrote in an email.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN as follows:
(c) The Liquidator of the said company is Zakrit Services Ltd. of 2nd Terrace West, Centreville, Nassau, Bahamas.
LIQUIDATOR OF THE ABOVE-NAMED COMPANY
Confirming that occupan cies and business volumes for Bahamian marinas over summer 2022 were “very close” to pre-COVID, Mr Dargavage said Harbour Island - where he is based - was “extremely close if not spot on to where we were pre-COVID. Looking ahead to the fall and winter season it’s looking very positive.“Allsigns are that the economy is on course to allow the continuation of growth in the boating and yachting industry,” he added. “Fuel prices are stabilising and starting to come down a little bit, and all these factors should play into us having a very posi tive fall and winter season.” Mr Dargavage said the spike in global fuel prices, and their peak levels, had not been sustained for long enough to have a long-lasting impact on The Bahamas’ boating traf fic. “I think that the fuel prices only affected the general sense of the boating industry but, quite frankly, for those coming to The Bahamas I think it caught itself quickly enough that we didn’t have any longterm negative impact,” he explained.“Ifallthings we have no control over stay constant at where they are now - the financial world, fuel prices keep coming down, the weather and peak of hur ricane season over the next 45 days - we should have a very good 2023. Over last year and this, the tourism product in The Bahamas is very strong right now, and we’re very proud in the marina sector that boat ing and yachting make up a large portion of that very strong tourism improve ment in The Bahamas.”
Business. “The last two years have just been so positive for boating and yachting that it’s really going to springboard into the busy fall and winter season 2022 that we should see.“Numbers for the summer were not quite what they were in 2021, but that does not mean they were not good. 2021 was such an anomaly coming out of COVID that you cannot really use it as a comparison. A better comparison would be preCOVID, 2018 and 2019, and in that sense we’re right on pace with where we want be in boating and orseasoningwhenwecameing,“Comparativelyyachting.speakthesummermonthsclosetohittingwherethoughtitwouldhitwefirststartedlookat2022.Thesummerplayedoutasgoodbetterthanhoped.”
(d) All persons having Claims against the above-named Company are required on or before October 02, 2022 to send their names and addresses and particulars of their debts or claims to the Liquidator of the company or, in default thereof, they may be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before such debts are proved. September 02, 2022
FROM PAGE A20 ADVERTISE TODAY! CALL THE TRIBUNE TODAY @ 502-2394 NOTICE
The ABM chief voiced confidence that the indus try’s contribution to tourism will continue to grow, and said it was planning to drive increased business to The Bahamas by participating in key European and US boat shows. Besides the Monaco Yacht Show in the last week of September, an ABM and Ministry of Tourism team will also be present at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show in OneOctober.aim will be to pro mote The Bahamas Charter Yacht Show, to be held in Nassau in February 2023. “Boat shows are hugely important,” Mr Dargav age said. “We are going to the market. A lot of people come together in one city and one location. It allows us to talk to a lot of people at one time. You can’t beat that as an excellent market ing platform.”
By HALELUYA HADERO AP Business Writer
(b) The Dissolution of said Company commenced on September 02, 2022 when its Articles of Dissolution were submitted and registered by the Registrar General.
ATLANTIS EYES UP TO 40% CUT IN CRUISE DAY VISITORS FROM PAGE
Taxi plates issuance branded ‘a big mess’ Drivers yesterday asserted that the Road Traffic Department has been forced to suspend the issuance of new taxi plates because some have ended up “in the hands of Chadsonhooligans”.Gray, owner/ operator of SafeR ide Transportation, complained to Tribune Business that legitimate operators such as himself have been neglected when it comes to new taxi plates as he branded the system “a big“Themess”.roll-out was obvi ously not thought out, but it was a good idea. However, it appears as if cronyism is the order of the day, and now there are a bunch of complaints because of some of the hooligans that have gotten their hands on plates,” he tary,Housing’sistryThompson,fulcommentficnow.”sionservicetowholetters.peopleIbecauseperiod,notevenwouldpendedbevehiclesbecauseprocess.reflectgotnumbernessto,theminister,gotresult,IntrysurviveGrayandCOVID-19charged.lockdownsrestrictionsforcedMrtosellhisvehiclestountilthetaxiindusgotbackontheroad.needofnewplatesasaMrGrayadded:“Iagrantletterfromthewentahead,tookstepsIwassupposedandconductedmybusiaboveboard.Igotaassignedtome,andtheBusinessLicensetoitbecausethat’sthe“Iwentbacktherethere’sadelayincomingin,onlytotoldtheprocessissusandthenumberIhavebeenassigned,thoughitwouldhaveexceededthe90-daywasnotavailableofthisscrewup.“It’sabigmessoutthere.haveheardreportsofhavingforgedgrantIsawsomepeople,weren’tevensupposedbeinpossessionofpublicbadges,inpossesoftaxiplatesrightCallstotheRoadTrafDepartmentseekingwereunsuccessyesterday.AntoinettetheMinofTransportandpermanentsecresaidshewasunaware of any taxi plate suspen sion and needed to confirm whether or not this had occurred.Taxidrivers have fre quently been complaining about how now plates are being issued amid fears that it was storing up trouble for the industry’s govern ance. Wesley Ferguson, the Bahamas Taxi Cab Union’s president, said: “We haven’t begun to feel the full brunt of this yet. This has not come full circle yet. “The minister has been forced to put everything on hold, and to regroup and reorganise things, because now they realise some taxi plates went out that weren’t supposed to go out. Taxi drivers got plates when they weren’t entitled to get any, and the Road Traffic Department still have not yet dealt with taxi plates in the ‘estate of’ yet. It’s a whole ball of mess because they did not listen to the union, and they did not seek guidance or con sultation on how to mitigate this kind of fall out.”
7. Replace every day products with green alternatives This involves everything from cleaning products to bathroom soaps and fur niture. We can slowly or aggressively move towards more biodegradable items in the workspace.
1. Use less paper Every company should find ways to reduce its carbon footprint related to paper use. E-mailing receipts, letters, invitations and almost everything else that you would use paper for is a simple process once you commit to it.
4. Recycle more
By YOURI KEMP Tribune ReporterBusiness ykemp@tribunemedia.net
This concept, although decades old, is still useful. Identify those organisations and companies that can use your scrap metal, paper, plastic and anything else you discard in abundance.
Mr. N’kem Kareem Wilson, Administrative Cadet is asked to contact the Human Resources Unit of the Department of Labour, Rosetta Street,
A20
5. Donate items Instead of throwing away unsold food or dated hard ware, there are others in the community desperately in need of what you call ‘old’. You help your community and you reduce the wastage in landfills.
6. Cut back on single use items Create a list of the dis posable items you use and, bit by bit, cut them out. A simple practice of buying a customised tempera ture control water mug for every employee saves your bottom line and the envi ronment a great deal.
The Bahamas Taxi Cab Union says its members are suffering due to “over-satu ration” of the market from an excess of new plates and operators. A revenue-gen erating scheme the union itself had conceived is in jeopardy because it is dis rupting the use of old plates forMrhires.Ferguson said: “This has a very negative effect on our union because Sep tember is here, and now the rooster has come home to roost. September is here with guys going home with no jobs for the whole day because the industry has become over saturated. “With September to November being the slow est months of the year, it is going to have a catastrophic effect on the taxi industry because you have an addi tional 400 taxis out there that don’t necessarily need to be out there.” The Bahamas Taxi Cab Union had welcomed the issuance of more taxi plates through the lifting of a years-long mora torium, and had originally requested 200 more. But the Ministry of Transport ended up issuing 600 taxi plates over the course of the past six months.
He added that the Sep tember to mid-November period, traditionally the slowest part of the tour ism year, was “showing strength” instead of “falling off a cliff” as in past years, with Atlantis occupancies for the former month pro jected to be higher than the “below 40 percent” typical for that time of year. Revealing that the early December period postThanksgiving also appeared stronger than normal, Mr Roberts said that while the resort’s group business has “a ways to go” and will not likely rebound to preCOVID levels until early 2024, global economic head winds - especially inflation and fears of a US recessionwere not having any impact on forward bookings going into next year’s first half. While the cruise indus try, in common with the wider tourism sector, is still building back to prepandemic volumes, the Atlantis government affairs chief indicated the resort is comfortable foregoing some revenue in favour of an improved guest experi ence and reduced footfall when that segment’s recov ery is “We’vecomplete.made a stra tegic decision to really moderate the amount of cruise day pass visitors we have at the resort, particu larly when you go back to 2019 and further,” Mr Rob erts told Tribune Business “We had really opened up the door for that, and it really impacted the resort experience for guests stay ing at the resort. “We are selectively and carefully taking that market back on. It was significant, and there were crowds today coming over from the cruise ships to go into the water park. It’s still really strong, but we’re not trying to get back to the levels we were at in 2018 and 2019. “It’s a definite boost. The ‘cruise passenger for the day’ has good revenue and flow through,” he contin ued. “But we’re very careful in terms of the quality of the resort experience for our guests. We are encour aged by the new cruise port, and think they will exceed passenger volumes pre-COVID, but we’re not trying to get back to the vol umes we had in the water park.“If we get to 60 percent of what we achieved previ ously, that’s a comfortable place for us to be, 60-70 percent. But we will not get back to pre-COVID num bers.” Cruise passenger day visitors have provided a lucrative revenue stream for Atlantis since the water park was enhanced as part of the property’s Phase III expansion some 15 years ago, COVID excepted. Mr Roberts, though, signalled a quality over quantity approach with the 30-40 percent cut to pre-COVID volume.Meanwhile, he said stronger “shoulder period” trends were “holding true” for Atlantis as well as other Bahamian resort properties. Robert Sands, the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Asso ciation’s (BHTA) president, recently told this newspaper that resort properties were seeing toldthewhichperiodspatterns,tisandnormalcentageoccupanciesSeptember/Octoberupto10perpointshigherthanforthattimeofyear,MrRobertssaidAtlanisnodifferent.“Weareseeingdifferentandit’stheslowestshowingstrengthisplayingoutforrestoftheyear,”hethisnewspaper.“After Labour Day [this weekend] it’s normally slow, but we are seeing strong patterns; stronger occupancies than before from the bookings. “The business would normally fall off a cliff for the rest of September because of the peak of hur ricane season. It’s not like we’re getting to 80 percent occupancies, but where we’d normally be below 40 percent occupancy we’re showing much stronger than that. We’re very excited about that. Obvi ously we want to manage our business to the volume we have, but we’re defi nitely seeing strength and it is noticeable.”MrRoberts said the atypical September/Octo ber projections were likely being driven by the com bination of pent-up travel demand post-COVID and “greater flexibility” in how persons live and due to the increased use of remote working and technology during the Seasonalpandemic.bargains, as resorts typically lower room rates and offer incentives to attract business during the slower months, were cited as another factor in play. Mr Roberts said occupancies at open hotels were also prob ably being aided because Nassau/Paradise Island has lost - for the moment - sig nificant room inventory with the closures of Atlan tis’ Beach Towers, British Colonial and Melia Nassau Beach resorts. As a result, he said he was unsure whether this year’s September/October perfor mance will be repeated in future years as more hotel rooms either come back online or are built. Average daily room rates (ADRs) have also been driven up due to the restricted supply. But, disclosing that business normally “tapers off” after Thanksgiving and the Battle 4 Atlantis college basket ball tournaments, he added that “even for December we’re seeing more strength than we typically see”.
HOW TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN CLIMATE CHANGE BATTLE FERGUSON IAN
FITZCHARLES,SIMONE
3. Decorate with plants inside and outside Creating green spaces not only lends to the aesthetics, but it also cleans the air and takes us closer to our sus tainable goals.
10. Use alternative energy including the instal lation of solar paneling The traditional sources of energy have long chal lenged our planet. When we explore, more strategically, solar, wind, hydro-elec tric and nuclear, we start to create the traction needed to bring the change required.
“We’re very confident that our business will out perform budget for this year,” Mr Roberts told Tribune Business. “We’re very confident on that, barring something like a hurricane or storm. We will exceed our overall budget for the year. In our case it’s a mix of room rate and occupancy that will get us to the“We’rerevenue.confident on the revenue side, and will get to the profit side based on budget. We will definitely meet or beat our budget. Next year is looking very strong, especially through the first half, which is where we have good visibility at this point. We expect to be back at pre-COVID levels for 2023, probably in the firstWithhalf.” Atlantis’ future bookings and other busi ness indicators showing no ill-effect from inflation and general global uncer tainty, he added: “We are very, very optimistic about how we will finish this year and what we are seeing for the first half next year. We’re paying close atten tion to external factors and the macroeconomic fac tors around us, but are not seeing any slowdown in the booking pace - at least for the first half of the year. “We are going through our planning process to understand what the second half of next year and beyond will look like, but we don’t see any of this stuff in our bookings for the first half of next year. We don’t see anything.” Mr Roberts said Atlantis has employed “menu engineer ing” and buying power to contain food and beverage inflation, although if cost increases persist into the future this will be “more of a challenge”.TheParadise Island mega resort’s group business, which typically books any where from 18-24 months out, “is just rebounding now” with caution remain ing about staging overseas meetings given the recent experience with COVID. “We’re starting to see the building of a strong pipeline and need that to convert,” Mr Roberts said. “We’re selling for 2024, and won’t see that come back fully until“There’sthen. a variety of fac tors, but we have a ways to go to rebound to where we were. We’re not sure if building to where we were is the right mix, but we have a ways to go to get back.”
PAGE 18, Friday, September 2, 2022 THE TRIBUNE
2. Manage power and energy This goes beyond shut ting off lights and powering down computers during off times and at weekends. A company’s culture as it relates to its purchasing practices must be curved towards buying efficient equipment that will help both the bottom line and the Earth.
8. Create go-green activi ties for employees Sensitising staff to the importance of the ‘green’ cause is vital to the success of these initiatives. Train ing, conferences and other staff events around sustain ability awareness brings you closer to your goals.
NB: Ian R Ferguson is a talent management and organisational develop ment consultant, having completed graduate studies with regional and interna tional universities. He has served organsations, both locally and globally, pro viding relevant solutions to their business growth and development issues. He may be contacted at tccon sultants@coralwave.com.
Fitzcharles.general;Smith,er;Justicefromyesterday.General’stheintice.premeappointedTribunal,ofvice-presidenttheIndustrialhasbeenasaSuCourtjusTheswearing-tookplaceatGovernorOfficeShownleftare:ChiefIanWindSirCorneliusA.governorandMiss
9. Allow remote work Cut the lights off - and keep them off. Many offices can remain closed or reduce their carbon foot print by simply allowing some employees to work from home. Keep them to deliverables and incentivise them to stay at their home office.
PHOTOS Hanna/BIS:Patrick NEW SUPREME COURT JUSTICE IS APPOINTED
PUBLICURGENTLY.NOTICE
The concepts of sus tainability and conservation have become top of mind for many busi nesses who understand the local and global implica tions of climate change. Avoidance is no longer an option. We must all play a role in making business decisions that help heal our planet. Science has been clear in telling us that every little bit helps. With all hands on deck, lifting and promoting practices that are eco friendly, we can see the positive impact. This week’s column provides a quick check list of activities that every business of any size can immediately employ to make a difference:
GREAT EXUMA Today: NE at 8 16 Knots 1 2 Feet 6 Miles 86° F Saturday: ENE at 8 16 Knots 1 2 Feet 6 Miles 85° F
GREAT INAGUA Today: NE at 10 20 Knots 2 4 Feet 10 Miles 84° F Saturday: ENE at 8 16 Knots 1 3 Feet 6 Miles 84° F
CAT ISLAND Today: E at 8 16 Knots 2 4 Feet 6 Miles 85° F Saturday: ENE at 8 16 Knots 2 4 Feet 6 Miles 85° F
THE TRIBUNE Friday, September 2, 2022, PAGE 19 Rionda Deleveaux-Godet has been sworn in as vice-president of the Bahamas Indus trial Tribunal. She was sworn in at the Governor General’s office yesterday. In the group photo, pictured from left, are Chief Justice Ian Winder; Sir Cornelius A. Smith; and Mrs Godet.
LONG ISLAND Today: ENE at 8 16 Knots 2 4 Feet 6 Miles 85° F Saturday: E at 8 16 Knots 1 3 Feet 6 Miles 84° F MAYAGUANA Today: ENE at 8 16 Knots 3 5 Feet 10 Miles 84° F Saturday: E at 8 16 Knots 3 5 Feet 6 Miles 84° F
tracking
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows. NSW S E 4 8 knots NSW E 6 12 knots NSW E 6 12 knots NSW E 8 16 knots NSW S E 8 16 knots NSW S E 10 20 knots NSW S E 8 16 knots NSW E 7 14 knots | Go to AccuWeather.com CALL 502-2394 TO ADVERTISE
Photo:Patrick Hanna/BIS reflect RealFeel Low: 79° 101°-88° F Sunny to partly cloudy and pleasant High: 89° AccuWeather RealFeel Low: 78° 100°-88° F Partly sunny High: 90° AccuWeather102°-90°RealFeelF Low: 79° TODAY TONIGHT SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY almanac High 90° F/32° C Low 78° F/26° C Normal high 88° F/31° C Normal low 75° F/24° C Last year’s high 91° F/33° C Last year’s low 73° F/23° C As of 2 p.m. yesterday 0.00” Year to date 40.66” Normal year to date 25.18” Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday PrecipitationTemperature sun anD moon tiDes For nassau Sep.First3 Sep.Full10 Sep.Last17 Sep.New25 Sunrise 6:51 a.m. Sunset 7:28 p.m. Moonrise 12:39 p.m. Moonset 11:38 p.m. MondaySundaySaturdayToday High Ht.(ft.) Low Ht.(ft.) 12:11 a.m. 2.8 6:25 a.m. 0.6 12:50 p.m. 3.2 7:16 p.m. 1.0 1:04 a.m. 2.7 7:17 a.m. 0.6 1:49 p.m. 3.2 8:20 p.m. 1.1 2:06 a.m. 2.6 8:18 a.m. 0.7 2:55 p.m. 3.3 9:29 p.m. 1.1 3:15 a.m. 2.6 9:26 a.m. 0.6 4:03 p.m. 3.4 10:38 p.m. 1.0 ThursdayWednesdayTuesday 4:25 a.m. 2.7 10:36 a.m. 0.5 5:09 p.m. 3.5 11:42 p.m. 0.8 5:32 a.m. 2.8 11:42 a.m. 0.4 6:09 p.m. 3.6 ‑‑‑‑‑ ‑‑‑‑‑ 6:32 a.m. 3.1 12:38 a.m. 0.5 7:04 p.m. 3.7 12:43 p.m. 0.2
ABACO Today: E at 6 12 Knots 1 3 Feet 6 Miles 85° F Saturday: ENE at 8 16 Knots 2 4 Feet 10 Miles 85° F ANDROS Today: E at 7 14 Knots 1 2 Feet 6 Miles 86° F Saturday: ENE at 8 16 Knots 1 2 Feet 5 Miles 86° F
marine Forecast WINDS WAVES VISIBILITY WATER TEMPS.
NASSAU Today: E at 7 14 Knots 1 3 Feet 6 Miles 85° F Saturday: ENE at 7 14 Knots 1 3 Feet 5 Miles 85° F RAGGED ISLAND Today: NE at 8 16 Knots 2 4 Feet 6 Miles 85° F Saturday: E at 8 16 Knots 2 4 Feet 6 Miles 85° F SAN SALVADOR Today: E at 8 16 Knots 1 3 Feet 6 Miles 85° F Saturday: ENE at 8 16 Knots 1 3 Feet 5 Miles 85° F uV inDex toDay The higher the AccuWeather UV Index number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection. Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2022 map
New Industrial Tribunal vice-president sworn in Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows. Low:ORLANDO77°F/25° C High: 93° F/34° C Low:TAMPA79°F/26° C High: 91° F/33° C WEST PALM BEACH Low: 80° F/27° C High: 92° F/33° C FT.High:Low:LAUDERDALE82°F/28°C91°F/33°C KEY WEST Low: 82° F/28° C High: 90° F/32° C Low: 79° F/26° C High: 89° F/32° C Low:ABACO80°F/27° C High: 89° F/32° C High:Low:ELEUTHERA79°F/26°C89°F/32°C RAGGED ISLAND Low: 79° F/26° C High: 87° F/31° C GREAT EXUMA Low: 80° F/27° C High: 88° F/31° C CAT ISLAND Low: 79° F/26° C High: 88° F/31° C SANHigh:Low:SALVADOR78°F/26°C88°F/31°C CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS Low: 79° F/26° C High: 88° F/31° C LONG ISLAND Low: 78° F/26° C High: 88° F/31° C MAYAGUANALow:80°F/27°CHigh:88°F/31°C GREAT INAGUA Low: 78° F/26° C High: 88° F/31° C Low:ANDROS80°F/27° C High: 89° F/32° C Low: 77° F/25° C High: 89° F/32° C FREEPORT NASSAULow: 81° F/27° C High: 91° F/33° C MIAMI THE WEATHER REPORT 5-Day Forecast A t‑storm around in the morning High: 89° AccuWeather RealFeel 99° F The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures
CROOKED ISLAND Today: ENE at 8 16 Knots 2 4 Feet 10 Miles 84° F Saturday: ENE at 8 16 Knots 2 4 Feet 6 Miles 84° F ELEUTHERA Today: E at 8 16 Knots 2 4 Feet 6 Miles 85° F Saturday: ENE at 8 16 Knots 2 4 Feet 6 Miles 85° F FREEPORT Today: E at 4 8 Knots 0 1 Feet 5 Miles 85° F Saturday: ENE at 8 16 Knots 1 2 Feet 10 Miles 86° F
the high and the low for the day. A shower early, then showers Low: 79° AccuWeather RealFeel 84° F A t‑storm in the morning; breezy High: 89° AccuWeather RealFeel Low: 80° 98°-87° F A stray t‑shower;morningsomesun High: 90° AccuWeather
Clients of a now-defunct Bahamian broker/dealer have been accused of abus ing its accounts to both conduct and conceal a computer hacking-related securities fraud that netted them $1.3m in collective illegal profits.
performance ‘spot on’ with pre-COVID • Fuel price
• ‘No
Insurers to Gov’t: ‘We’re in this together’ with tax
Chamber chief backs North Andros mining
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
Bahamian broker’s clients in $1.3m ‘hacking’ fraud
any ‘kinks’ sorted before ‘high season’ • Says summer
chief
THE ANDROS Cham ber of Commerce president says opinion the island is favourable towards a multi-million aggregate mining project proposed by Cameron Symonette and his business partners. Darin Bethel told Tribune Business that concerns voiced about the Bahamas Materials Company’s (BMC) proposal are unfounded. Speaking after the Bahamas National Trust (BNT) recently issued a statement on the matter, he said there will be no neg ative environmental fall-out for ecologically sensitive areas on Andros.
“This is not a similar project that the residents rejected last year because that project was really two projects. One was for 500,000 acres and was seek ing to mine, and put also a marina and Free Trade Zone like what’s on Grand Bahama,” he said. “The businesses on the island are open to the project. There is a lot of support on the ground for the project, but some have raised concerns about the environmental impact
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
to aid ‘positive’ winter going into 2023 MARINE INSURANCE LIFE INSURANCE AUTO INSURANCE HOME INSURANCE Nobody Does it Better! (BAHAMAS) LIMITED. INSURANCE BROKERS & AGENTS INSURANCE MANAGEMENT Covering The Bahamas for 45 years. $6.25 $6.29 $6.31 $6.30
By YOURI KEMP Tribune ReporterBusiness ykemp@tribunemedia.net
SEE PAGE A17 SEE PAGE A16
business@tribunemedia.net FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2022
BAHAMIAN insurers yesterday said they have pre sented the Government with recommendations for solving the industry’s twin tax-related concerns without causing “disruption or confusion” in the market. Anton Saunders, Royal Star Assurance’s managing director, told Tribune Busi ness that the Government will respond to these pro posals in two weeks’ time following Wednesday’s meeting between insurance industry representatives and a team from the Davis admin istration headed by Senator Michael Halkitis, minister of economic affairs. “The meeting was held and we thank the minister and his team for hosting us, lis tening to our ideas and we’ll see how it pans out,” he said. “We gave our suggestions on the way forward, and they are supposed to get back to us in two weeks. We have made our suggestions on both the points we have issues with. “We told the Government: ‘We’re all in this together. We understand you need to raise money, and these are ways you can raise money without disrupting the insur ance industry and not causing confusion in the international insurance market’.” The meeting was held to address two specific concerns and uncertainties relating to the Government’s tax policy
occupancy ATLANTISISLANDPARADISERESORT •
•
‘Plenty of time’ to work out yacht charter VAT
‘really
Slow
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net ATLANTIS plans to “mod erate” the number of cruise passenger day visitors to 60-70 percent of pre-COVID levels, it was disclosed yesterday, with the resort “definitely” set to meet or exceed its 2022 financialVaughntargets.Roberts, senior vice-president of government affairs and special projects, told Tribune Business that the Paradise Island mega property has taken “a strate gic decision” to control this visitor segment because it had “really impacted the resort experience” for actual guests staying at Atlantis.
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net Pre-COVID traffic impacted experience’ for resort guests Top executive says: ‘No booking slowdown’ through June 2023 falling off a cliff’: season stronger than 40% Marina optimistic 2022’s stabilisation
The disclosure came as the destination resort sees “no slowdown in booking pace” through the 2023 first half, which is when it expects to fully return to pre-COVID business volumes. And Mr Roberts said management was “very confident” that Atlantis will outperform budget goals for this calen dar year provided there is no major hurricane strike on The Bahamas.
Atlantis eyes up to 40% cut in cruise day visitors
SEE PAGE A16 SEE PAGE A18 •
The US Justice Depart ment and Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), in separate crimi nal and civil lawsuits that charged multiple perpe trators in mid-August 2022, claimed accounts at Seton Securities Inter national played a pivotal role in both selling stocks whose value was artificially inflated and concealing the identities of the fraudsters who owned the stock. Neither Seton itself, nor any of its shareholders, officers or directors, have been named as defendants in the lawsuits. However, the SEC’s version, filed in the north Georgia federal court and which provides more details, reveals that the Bahamian broker/deal er’s “principal” - who is not identified - unwittingly took trading instructions as part of the scheme and that the perpetrators lied to staff about who were really the beneficial owners of the stocks involved. The scam, according to the SEC, revolved around
THE ASSOCIATION of Bahamas Marinas (ABM) president yesterday voiced optimism that any “kinks” with VAT’s imposition on yacht charter fees will be resolved before “high season” after a summer that was “spot on” with pre-COVID volumes. Joe Dargavage, who is also managing part ner of Harbour Island’s Romora Bay Resort & Marina, told Tribune Business there was “plenty of time” to work through the 10 per cent levy’s implementation and send “a very positive message out to the worldwide yacht charter community” ahead of the peak sea son’s mid-December start. Disclosing that the ABM was working with the relevant government ministries and agen cies, as well as the private sector, to ensure the process went smoothly, he said: “We continue to work with the charter industry as we all better understand the roll-out of the VAT tax. “That continues to be a work in progress, but the ABM, the Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Finance, as we work through the roll-out we hope by the time we get into the high charter season all the kinks will be worked out of the process and everybody will have a much better understanding of the VAT tax.”The Government’s plan to levy 10 percent VAT on yacht charter fees, unveiled in the Budget and implemented via the Boat Reg istration (Yacht) (Amendment) Rules 2022, sparked controversy when they were first pub licly disclosed. Some marina operators voiced fears that it would drive yacht charter business away from The Bahamas as it effectively rep resented ‘double taxation’.
