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JAMES Smith, former State Minister for Finance, head of the committee overseeing Baha Mar payouts, said yesterday that creditors owed up to half a million dollars are “likely� to be fully paid what they are owed. How much money those owed more than half a million dollars receive, however, will depend on how many eligible creditors come forth with claims, he said. “Some people might decide to stay out and pursue
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Baha Mar payout details revealed By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
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TWO MORE CASES OF ZIKA VIRUS CONFIRMED
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By KHRISNA VIRGIL Deputy Chief Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net  THERE are now ten confirmed cases of Zika in New Providence, with Chief Medical Officer Dr Glenn Beneby reporting yesterday that two more women have contracted the virus. Both contracted the virus locally and are residents of central and western New Providence, health officials announced during a report on ZNS last night. They explained that these latest cases were not among the initial 83 suspected cases that were sent to the United States for testing. Of this number, officials said 50 samples returned negative, while 33 have yet to be returned. Dr Beneby said to combat the increased breeding of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which carries the Zika virus, fogging efforts in the areas where the infected women reside will increase. SEE PAGE SIX
BODYGUARD OF PRIME MINISTER SHOT IN ROBBERY
other means of getting the money,� he told The Tribune. “Also, some creditors might have gone out of business or left the island. So we have to see what response we get to the notice (before saying how much money those owed more than half a million are likely to receive).� Mr Smith’s comments came the same day the Claims Committee published a notice in newspapers requesting that unsecured creditors of Baha Mar companies submit their claims by completing a form. SEE PAGE THREE
By SANCHESKA BROWN Tribune Staff Reporter sbrown@tribunemedia.net  A BODYGUARD attached to Prime Minister Perry Christie was shot several times late Monday night during an armed robbery off East Street. According to police, the bodyguard, who is a sergeant on the Royal Bahamas Police Force, had just pulled into the driveway of a home on Olde Corner when two men with handguns approached and demanded cash. A struggle followed and the officer, Sgt Brent Dixon, was shot three times - twice in the back and once in the hip. SEE PAGE SIX
FNM: NO BASIS FOR COURT CHALLENGE
By KHRISNA VIRGIL Deputy Chief Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net  FREE National Movement Senator Carl Bethel yesterday said from a legal stand point, there is nothing the FNM can do to force the judiciary to unseal documents related to the new deal to com-
plete Baha Mar and open it before the end of the 2016/2017 winter season. Mr Bethel, in an interview with The Tribune, explained that there is no legal basis for the political organisation to assert a right to know in court in connection to the sealed documents.
SEE PAGE THREE
MCCARTNEY: I MET WITH FNM AND THIRD PARTIES TO DISCUSS STRATEGY By SANCHESKA BROWN Tribune Staff Reporter sbrown@tribunemedia.net  DEMOCRATIC National Alliance Leader Branville McCartney confirmed yesterday that he, along with senior members of the Free National Movement and other third party executives, met last week to discuss how they can all work together to “get rid of� the
Progressive Liberal Party. Mr McCartney told The Tribune the meeting was organised by “private citizens� who believe that an alliance between the opposition political parties is best for the country before the next general election. However, Mr McCartney said he has “some reservations� about a possible alliance because the FNM seems to be “a sinking ship.�
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“I got an interesting call from a private individual a few days ago asking me to attend a meeting,� Mr McCartney said. “They based the meeting on the premise that they realised that the DNA was here to stay and that the DNA has done something significant over the last five years and that we have grown. SEE PAGE SIX
JURY CLEARS MAN OF SEX ASSAULT ON TWO GIRLS
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net JERRY Bowe was acquitted of the rape and indecent assault of two girls after a jury found him not guilty on both counts in the Supreme Court. Justice Estelle Gray Evans presided over the case and delivered her closing summation on Tuesday afternoon. The jury of six women and three men retired around 1pm to deliberate. SEE PAGE SEVEN
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PAGE 2, Wednesday, September 7, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
TRU TRU RETURN
THE Ministry of Tourism yesterday announced the return of the Tru Tru Festival. The ministry is again the main sponsor of the festival, organised by the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association’s (BHTA). Speaking yesterday, Joy Jibrilu, the Ministry of Tourism’s director general
said that last year’s debut event was “truly amazing and successful”, attracting more than 900 people. The event allows Tru-Tru Bahamian vendors to showcase their straw goods, jewellery and art work. Ms Jibrilu said the sector is “critically important” to the tourism sector. She said: “We all know
that today’s traveller, particularly the millenial traveller, they’re looking for authentic experiences and it goes without saying that the Tru Tru Bahamian festival taps into everything that is really true, true about The Bahamas, but what is authentic, what’s fun.” The first event was held in November last year.
JOY JIBRILU, director general of the Ministry of Tourism, at yesterday’s launch of the Tru Tru Festival. Photos: Tim Clarke/Tribune Staff
MINISTER: FREEDOM OF INFORMATION LEGISLATION MAY BE TABLED NEXT MONTH By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
EDUCATION Minister Jerome Fitzgerald said he hopes to table the longawaited Freedom of Information legislation in October. Speaking to reporters before a Cabinet meeting yesterday, Mr Fitzgerald said the Freedom of Information (FOI) committee has finished its work. “I received the report with the recommendations from them a week before last,” he said. “I’m now preparing a Cabinet paper for their recommendations to come to Cabinet to see with regard to the recommendations for the changes in the Act which ones will be accepted and which ones will not be accepted.” He added: “Within the next two weeks the Act should be before Cabinet and I’m looking to bring that to the House of As-
sembly when we return in October. I’m really trying to make sure the debate on it is ended by the time we finish for the year.” The final public consultation on the FOI legislation in New Providence took place late June at the Church of God of Prophecy, followed by meetings in Exuma and Eleuthera. The Organisation for Responsible Governance (ORG) has played a leading role pushing for recommendations to the Act that would limit the interference of government officials and increase transparency in government matters. The group has said that a strong Freedom of Information Act will have longreaching implications to the future of our nation. “Freedom of information is the first critical step to the correction of a massive number of serious government ailments that are undermining the stability of the Bahamian government
and the Bahamas,” Matthew Aubry, executive director of the Organization for Responsible Governance, said earlier this year. “Both the public perception and/or reality of government corruption, cronyism, nepotism or extortion are significant problems for the socio-economic well-being of the Bahamas, and these ills will only be combated by the enactment of a highly respected and effective Freedom of Information Act.” A FOIA was passed in early 2012 by the former Ingraham administration, months before the last general election. However, there was no date for enactment. When the Progressive Liberal Party assumed office that year, it said the legislation needed significant tweaking before it could be enforced. In May last year, the government released a draft of a revamped version of the legislation.
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, September 7, 2016, PAGE 3
Still working at Baha Mar - and anxiously waiting to learn fate By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
WHILE the announcement of a deal to remobilise Baha Mar may have eased some fears over the fate of the beleaguered property, it provides no comfort for scores of workers who are still employed at the shuttered resort. In an interview with The Tribune, one employee detailed the psychological burden of an anxiety-filled work environment that has dogged resort workers since more than 2,000 jobs were cut and the property placed in receivership last year.
The employee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, urged the government and stakeholders for an intervention to protect remaining workers from being exploited due to job insecurity. “They told us they don’t know if we will still have a job when the new investors come on,” the employee said. “So we’re coming into work everyday not knowing our fate. Mentally coming in everyday trying to be as positive as they could, to the point of kissing butt in some cases, not that it matters. Everyone is trying to do their best, holding on to their jobs hoping that when
BAHA MAR PAYOUT DETAILS REVEALED from page one
That form was posted on a website established by the committee which requested that creditors identify the total amount of their claims as of October 31, 2015 and offer particulars of their claims and the securities they hold. Nonetheless, Mr Smith emphasised that payouts to former employees of Baha Mar will be prioritised over payouts to all others. “The emphasis is on salaried workers and they will make up 90-95 per cent of the people who will receive payouts,” he said. “That’s the average Bahamian worker distinct from contractors and service providers. The residual will cover the claims of the latter group. Whether that turns out to also be 100 cents on the dollar or less will be determined by how many eli-
gible people come forward to accept a payout.” Mr Smith could not say how much money will be paid out overall, but he expects the Export-Import Bank of China (CEXIM) to deposit the money to the committee by mid-September. As part of the committee’s revelations, the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section of its website also made clear yesterday that its claims process exists on an “ex-gratia basis” and does not involve the courtappointed receivers or provisional liquidators. This explains why the claims process does not conform to the usual payout process laid out in the Companies Act, which, for instance, states the order in which creditors must be paid. Mr Smith said: “The bank is under no obligation to make this payment
the time comes they will be spared.” The employee added: “If we knew that we will not be taken advantage of, if we could get that confirmation it would be a lot better. We’re trying to make the best of it but we don’t know where we stand. I would think senior persons would try to hold onto their jobs as best as they could even if that means eliminating other employees.” The mega resort was first scheduled for December 2014 opening, but was delayed to March 2015 and again to May 2015. The property was placed into receivership last October.
Last year’s layoffs at the resort affected 1,440 nonactive employees and 580 active employees, including members of management and line staff. Employees’ final salary payment did not include severance or redundancy pay. The government last week expressed optimism that the claims of former Bahamian workers at Baha Mar will be settled by the end of the month - part of a deal brokered between the government and Export Import Bank of China to remobilise the stalled resort. “It is my hope that this would be brought to the forefront,” the worker contin-
ued, “especially considering the recent announcement of compensation for previous employees so that current employees would know that their jobs are secure and that they will not be taken advantage of in the meantime.” “Five people have left within the year,” the worker added, “and whoever is left has the responsibility of picking up the slack. The workload has increased for remaining employees with the unfulfilled promise of hiring new employees, while deadlines remain the same. “Additionally, since employees were advised that for the moment their cur-
THE BAHA Mar resort. Details are beginning to be confirmed about the size of payouts to creditors. by law because the bank loaned money to one party which was unable to pay the bank and the bank then exercised its right to take over that property. But the agreement the government made with the bank was, there are lots of Bahamians hurting and we want to do something for them. That was done. These payouts are a gift from the bank.” Nonetheless, at least one prominent stakeholder raised concerns yesterday over the “ex-gratia” process, saying it gives the committee the ability to give preferential treatment to some creditors over others. “The duty of liquidators under the Companies Act is to treat all unsecured creditors equally,” the source, who did not want to be named in order to speak frankly about the matter, said. “Under court supervi-
sion, if you give one creditor 50 cents on the dollar, you have to give as equal as possible of that to all creditors. But outside of the liquidation, they could give 100 cents to some and give much less to others. They could discriminate, in other words, because it’s not subject to the supervision of the court.” The source said the current arrangement allows the parties to “discriminate against foreigners in particular, something a liquidator can’t do”. “A creditor is a creditor in the eyes of the liquidator,” the well-placed source said. “It’s all very interesting because while you want to take care of Bahamians, you also don’t want it to be done in a way that injures the jurisdiction.” In its notice yesterday, the Claims Committee also noted that the only people who can come forward with
claims are those “owed directly by a Baha Mar company…For avoidance of doubt this notice does not cover creditors of CCA Bahamas.” Asked about this yesterday, Mr Smith said creditors of CCA will have to seek remedies with that company. Attorney Wayne Munroe, QC, who has represented the government-run Gaming Board in court matters related to Baha Mar, also weighed in yesterday. “CCA Bahamas has its own resources to pay its creditors,” Mr Munroe said. “They are solvent. So once re-engaged they will be paid to complete and will no doubt pay people who make demands for payment.” Even as the Claims Committee presses forward with its plans, opposition parties continue to push back at the Christie administration’s agreement with CEXIM.
FNM: NO BASIS FOR COURT CHALLENGE from page one
He said the matter comes down to a private sector dispute, with the government only as a third party creditor. “In my view there is not,” Mr Bethel, who also gives legal advice the FNM, said when he was asked if there was anything that the FNM could do to make the records public. “There’s no right to the information of other parties, that’s my view. We have no public interest right to have access to public documents. We have no Freedom of Information Act to ground such an application. We are not parties to any of the actions. It’s for the parties to take those steps to raise the issue.” Marathon MP Jerome Fitzgerald yesterday also agreed, saying: “I don’t know under what standing anyone would have (to seek to have the documents unsealed). The court has made an order so I’m not sure who has standing other than the parties who are involved.” These comments came after attorney Fred Smith, QC, insisted in The Nassau Guardian yesterday that the opposition along with Baha Mar stakeholders should demand a judicial review for the courts to disclose the deal signed between the government and the Export-Import Bank of China. Mr Bethel dismissed this assertion and expressed
doubt that it would end with success. “I hear some smart QC. If he believes that let him get someone to pay him to do it, but I could assure you I don’t think he’d have any success.” He continued: “There is no legal basis on which we can assert a right to the knowledge of for example Cabinet collusions or the processes arrived at by Cabinet. There is no basis on which we can assert a public right just to go to court and get an order of discovery against say a ministry of any initial controversy. There is no right. “The government has gussied up the Baha Mar thing, but it’s still really only a private sector dispute with the government as a third party creditor. “But at the end of the day it’s for the parties to raise these issues. There is no public policy mechanism to go in and apply for judicial review. What right do you have to do so with such a private sector deal?” The government has been heavily criticised over
rent employment status depends on their performance there is obvious concern.” Pointing to the recent mass redundancy action at Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort that saw 600 workers terminated without notice, the employee lamented that the layoffs did not inspire confidence in the fate of Baha Mar workers, or the prospects of finding a new job in the hotel industry. The employee added: “It is a reality and a daily struggle for some of us who return to work on a daily basis, not knowing what the future holds as far as employment with Baha Mar is concerned.”
the fact that the deal is hidden from public view. It has led Prime Minister Perry Christie several times to defend the government in an attempt to free it from any blame in this issue. He has said that the court documents were sealed at the request of the Export-Import Bank of China (CEXIM). However, the backlash continues to persist. On Sunday, the FNM announced that the party was collecting signatures for an online petition to demonstrate the level of public disgust over the sealed Baha Mar deal. It is the party’s latest move to increase pressure on the Christie administration to release all documents related to Baha Mar negotiations. FNM Chairman Sidney Collie urged Bahamians to endorse the petition, reiterating the party’s stance
that the prime minister was duty-bound to make the agreement public. “Bahamians are shocked and dismayed that the Christie-led government requested that the deal this government made with the Chinese be sealed by the courts of The Bahamas,” he said in a statement. “This petition gives the people a tangible way to voice their disgust at how the prime minister shroud-
ed his secret deal with the Chinese, unwilling to allow the people to review the contents and see for themselves what has been decided about their future,” Mr Collie added. However, according to Mr Christie, the agreement was sealed by the court at the request of the Export Import Bank of China (CEXIM). “Bahamians if you are concerned about your fu-
In a statement yesterday, Democratic National Alliance Leader Branville McCartney noted that Baha Mar developer Sarkis Izmirlian made an offer that he claimed would pay “every single Bahamian employee and creditor, regardless if they were contracted with CCA Bahamas or Baha Mar.” “Why is our government seeking to take credit for a deal that has screwed over Bahamians in favour of the Chinese?” Mr McCartney asked. The deadline for submissions to the committee of claims and supporting documents regarding debt owed by Baha Mar is September 30. Claims are to be submitted by email at info@ claimspv.net or in hard copy to Charlene Paul at the Baha Mar Office at the Crystal Palace Casino. The form is available at http:// claimsspv.net/.
ture, the future of your children and grandchildren, the Free National Movement urges you to sign this petition.” Mr Christie announced that a deal had been reached between the government and CEXIM to remobilise the stalled resort during a nationally televised press conference last month. However, he did not provide any clarity on a buyer or the sale price.
PAGE 4, Wednesday, September 7, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
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Scientists tease out climate change’s role in Zika spread ATHLETES and tourists converging on Brazil this week are crowding into a country where rapid environmental change and natural weather fluctuations nurtured a viral epidemic that has gone global. The Zika virus has exploded throughout South America, up through Mexico and Puerto Rico and into Florida, but the conditions it needed to fester in northern Brazil were rooted in urbanization and poverty. The initial Brazilian outbreak appears to have been aided by a drought driven by El Niño, and by higher temperatures caused by longer-term weather cycles and by rising levels of greenhouse gas pollution. This combination of human and natural forces is emerging as the possible incubator of a disease that’s painfully elusive to detect, despite its cruel effects on unborn children. The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention issued an unprecedented domestic travel advisory this week, warning pregnant women to avoid a Miami neighbourhood where more than a dozen Zika cases were confirmed. The warning came six months after the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency “of international concern” in Brazil, where the opening ceremony for the Summer Olympics is scheduled for Friday. Most Zika infections produce no symptoms, turning their hosts into unwitting harbours for the disease, which is mainly spread through mosquito bites. Unborn children risk microcephaly when their mothers are infected, meaning their heads are small — the result of unusual brain development. While the effects of El Niño and other weather cycles are beyond the control of humans, the recent spread of the disease into the US is a savage reminder of the heavy toll that humans are taking on their planet — and of the potential for those changes to bite back. Climate Central research recently showed that warming temperatures have lengthened the mosquito seasons in three quarters of major cities in the US. For Americans unaccustomed to fearing tropical diseases at home, the northward march of the outbreak is delivering an exotic threat. Researchers are warning that the disease could reach the halls of power in Washington DC and the dense metropolis of New York. Mosquitoes rely on water to breed and flourish, yet a drought that beset northern Brazil amid a heatwave in 2014 and 2015 — while the disease was stealthily taking root — is thought to have worked in the mosquitoes’ favour. That’s because households began storing more water, ushering breeding mosquitoes and their larvae inside their homes. Like other developing countries, many in Brazil lack regular access to piped water. “If you have a drought, you don’t have reliable water access, and that makes you go and get water and store,” said Sadie Ryan, a medical geographer at the University of Florida. “By storing it, you’re creating mosquito habitat.” Small puddles and ponds of water that accumulate in urbanised areas also tend to favour the lifestyles of the types of mosquitoes that spread Zika, compared with those that tend to thrive in more remote regions. Ryan called these types of mosquitoes “urban capable.” “In South America up to the ’70s, there was a really big push for vector control,” Ryan said, referring to efforts to control mosquito populations, such as spraying insecticides. “Then the money went away for it.”
Meanwhile, temperatures have been rising globally because of the polluting effects of fossil fuel-powered industrialization, deforestation and livestock farming, and natural climate cycles have been exacerbating the rate of warming in some places, such as in northern Brazil and California. That’s significant, because mosquitoes can only survive above certain temperatures. “Once you’re over that minimum temperature, there’s nothing killing the vector,” Ryan said. “There’s nothing slowing it down.” In a February letter published in The Lancet, a British medical journal, the University of Haifa’s Shlomit Paz and Jan Semenza of the Stockholm Environment Institute and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reported discovering a “striking overlap” between areas in Brazil that were afflicted by extreme weather linked to El Niño, and areas where Zika was lurking one month later. “We definitely think temperature and climate have an impact on transmission, but that relationship is often complex,” Semenza said. “It’s always very difficult to attribute one single climatic event to climate change, and then draw a causal link to health outcomes.” More recently, a team of American and Venezuelan scientists took a closer statistical look at the relationship between climate and the Zika outbreak, and reported that El Niño and climate change were not the only important factors — though they were both important. While the team blamed El Niño for the drought that fuelled the Zika outbreak, they concluded that climate change and long-term weather cycles, such as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, which is a long-term cycle in trade winds that influences surface temperatures globally, played important roles in pushing temperatures up to those favoured by Zika-carrying mosquitoes. The findings were hurriedly pre-published without being peer reviewed on the website bioRxiv. That provided health officials and policymakers with rapid information about the findings while the details continue to be reviewed and improved. Anthony Janetos, a professor of earth and environmental studies at Boston University, who wasn’t involved with the recent study, warned that it does not definitively prove the links that the researchers reported. Because of that, Janetos criticized the researchers for their choice of headline for the paper, which states that the Zika epidemic was “fuelled by climate variations”. “If they’d been able to show that the same patterns occurred in other outbreak regions, such as Puerto Rico, then their circumstantial case would be stronger,” Janetos said. “But they haven’t done that.” Ángel Muñoz, a climate scientist with affiliations at Princeton and Columbia universities who led the research, acknowledged Janetos’s criticisms, and he said the headline would be changed prior to final publication. “This paper is not an answer for a lot of the questions that we have, but it’s an important step,” Muñoz said. “It’s not possible right now to show a formal link between Zika and climate, because no one has enough data,” Muñoz said. “You need years, not months.” With models warning that the epidemic will worsen before it begins to improve, the human suffering that’s expected in the months and years to come may help scientists continue to tease apart roles of natural forces in driving the outbreak from those of climate change and other problems caused by humans.
The spinning PLP EDITOR, The Tribune I LAUGHED heartily reading the column by Stanley Cartwright ‘How many firms does it take to spin a lie?’ (September 5). Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, as campaign advisers to the PLP pre-2012 election and acknowledged on their website, have an enormous problem: you can con people once but never twice.
The PLP in 2016 comprises the 60+ era. Unfortunately, without an alternative, thousands will have to endure the PLP from 2017 to 2022. If Doc Minnis, Attorney Bran McCartney, Attorney Greg Moss and all other aspiring political leaders don’t understand and stay split, the PLP will be re-elected. H A lngraham said a mouthful recently, the PLP
has a substantial guaranteed vote. Awake fellow Bahamians ... young people go and register. Staying home or ignoring the electoral process will not improve the mess we have. Young people you can cause a positive change - register, today. MARCUS SMITH Nassau, September 5, 2016.
Tips for going back to school EDITOR, The Tribune DEAR Parents (including myself) as school starts again let’s remember the following: Bullying is unacceptable. If your kid is a bully admit it and take the necessary steps to correct it immediately. Kids are severely affected by bullying and many times it could end violently with your kid being the victim or you as the parent at the hands of another parent. Let’s avoid this. Deal with the issue and take responsibility for your child’s behaviour. Kindness never fails. Teach your child to be kind and courteous not only to adults but to other children as well. Keep in mind we’re raising the next generation of Bahamians. We desperately need more kindness. Grades are not everything. We’ve become too obsessed with grades and in particular A’s. Grades simply do not reflect the child’s full abilities or potential. Many times they’re only a reflection of how well the child can remember information. Your child is much more than an A, B or C. Encourage them to try new experiences and find their comfort zone which may be outside of the cookie cutter rigid classroom setting we’ve adopted. Critical thinking is everything. While memory learning (Rote) may still be most expected it will not teach your child how
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net to solve problems. Engage your child on the tough topics. Allow them to question everything. Give them room to try to figure some things out on their own. If they chose option 2 over option 3, then ask them to explain why. Teach them to base decisions in logic. Like kindness, we need more critical thinkers in The Bahamas. Traditions aren’t meant to last forever. Because your parents did it to you does not mean it was right or most effective. As today’s parents, let’s be open to new ways of doing things that may assist with creating a stronger generation than we were. Be open to change and let your kids see that. Electronics need to be shut off sometimes. Your child wants your attention and engagement more than anything else. Maybe start with a “No Electronics” hour and talk, laugh and play games with you child. Electronics are definitely here to stay but they will never replace the feeling of a parent’s love and attention. Exposure opens the eyes and the mind. The Bahamas and its traditions, customs and beliefs aren’t the only thing that exist in the world. We live in a very connected global community. Our kids will come in
contact with many different cultures and nationalities. We should do our best to expose them to the rest of the world out there. Homework ... (boy this one got me in trouble last time). All I will say is please note the very simple and powerful letter that a teacher in Texas (Mrs Brandy Young) wrote to the parents of her class at the beginning of this school year, telling them that homework would only consist of work that a student did not finish during the school day, and that research has been unable to prove that homework improves performance. She urged parents to spend evenings doing things as a family - eating dinner, reading together, playing outside and getting your child to bed early. Last but not least... lead by example point blank. You are and will be the most influential force in your child’s life. How your child treats and interacts with others will be a direct result of how you treat and interact with your child and other adults. We as parents are solely responsible for what the next generation of Bahamians will be... Let’s act like it! I wish all parents, students and teachers the best of luck during this school year. FARRELL GOFF Farrellgoff@gmail.com Nassau, September 6, 2016.
The lights keep on going out EDITOR, The Tribune BEC or what’s that new name ... BP&L ... are they able to guarantee consumers in Nassau electricity? It is very evident with the ongoing rotation of shedding the public is yet again in the dark in more than one way as to the state of health of the generation plant of BP&L. We paid PowerSecure a whopping $890,000 for a business plan which government endorsed and adopted. We saw days after PowerSecure was in charge their proposal to immediately increase the unit rates, which Cabinet shot down although obviously they
had agreed and adopted the PowerSecure business plan. So do we all go out and buy expensive standby generators so we can remain living in a reasonable state of comfort or will only the Ministers and MPs be afforded that? Rotating shedding with no explanation is unacceptable. We heard the Minister a few months ago proclaim in Parliament as if government had anything to do with it that the rates came down - dah, Minister, you didn’t hear the global oil market dropped appreciably so the cost of fuel went down? Spin, spin and more spin with the lights off - eve-
ryone sweating, children getting more and more annoyed ... but do the politicians care? Minister, tell the truth at least once: are the generators at Clifton and Blue Hills in the Intensive Care Unit and could collapse at any moment leaving us totally back to candle-power? Be a man, Minister: we are tired of mistruths, spin. We want to hear the truth, Remember what that is Minister? Just stop lying remember what your mother told you about that? W THOMPSON Nassau, September 6, 2016.
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, September 7, 2016, PAGE 5
FNM executive member unhappy at not being picked to fight for seat By KHRISNA VIRGIL Deputy Chief Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net DISCORD reportedly continues within the Free National Movement (FNM), this time in the Mount Moriah Constituency Association, with one executive member expressing anger over an apparent snub concerning his candidacy for the seat. In a lengthy text message sent via messenger service WhatsApp, Collin Ingraham, an association executive, expressed grave dis-
pleasure over reports that despite promises that he was slated to be the party’s pick to run in the next election, another person had been chosen. It is speculated that this person is a former highranking officer of the Royal Bahamas Police Force. “The Mount Moriah Association will go to bat to fight the leader,” Mr Ingraham said in the message obtained by The Tribune. “He has determined along with his advisors to not ratify me at the behest of the very people I helped
him defeat. When he was at his lowest and no one wanted to touch him, it was (former FNM Chairman Michael) Pintard and I along with a few other soldiers who started this movement. We shielded him and developed a winning campaign. “Today I have the strongest support of any ratified or nominated candidate on the island of New Providence. I have the support of 90 per cent of the executives and all but four persons in the constituency association.”
He continued: “Yet today they will seek to say that I am not worthy and will seek to push a different candidate on Mount Moriah. I hold no personal issue with him.” However, when contacted yesterday party Chairman Sidney Collie suggested that Mr Ingraham needed to go through the proper candidate selection process. He said when this process is complete, only the council had the power to decide who will go on to become ratified candidates. He added that the party has
received almost 200 applications, one of which he believes is Mr Ingraham’s. Mr Collie said he would not comment directly on Mr Ingraham’s remarks but could only say that this process was smooth and moving along nicely. This comes amid news this week that a faction in Long Island drafted a petition to oust that constituency’s MP Loretta Butler-Turner, reported uncertainty over Montagu MP Richard Lightbourn’s future with the party, and confirmation from FNM
KB SONG MOCKS ‘GARBAGE MAN’ JEROME FITZGERALD By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net POPULAR singer Kirkland “KB” Bodie, in a new song, has called Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald a “peeping Tom” and a “garbage man” for the minister’s disclosure of private emails exchanged between members of the Save the Bays environment group during parliamentary proceedings several months ago. In a scathing song, titled “Mr Education” and released on September 4, Mr Bodie questioned Mr Fitzgerald’s acquisition of the emails in question. Mr Bodie, who is connected to Save The Bays (STB), slammed the Marathon MP for what he claimed was the minister’s “mockery of the rule of law” in “reading private emails in a “public place”, and guessing at people’s involvement and what they meant by their exchanges.” In his song, Mr Bodie also questioned just how much other “juicy business” Mr Fitzgerald has in his “garbage can,” a reference to the “political garbage can” Mr Fitzgerald has reportedly claimed from where he obtained the emails, and also sarcastically questions if the details of more than several government controversies have made it to this “garbage can.” And throughout the song, Mr Bodie chides Mr Fitzgerald for his controversial handling of the Rubis fuel spill that occurred in his constituency in November, 2012, as is indicated in the song’s chorus: “Mr Education aka garbage man, secret agent Pinocchio what’s inside your garbage can? The grade point average is failing and to make matters worse, you put your constituents them last, last
and put your own interest first.” “Mr Education” is a follow-up song to “Dey Spyin’ Spyin’ Everyday,” which was released earlier this summer by Mr Bodie as a way to denounce government’s invasion of the public’s privacy when the email controversy first arose. Unlike “Dey Spyin’ Spyin’ Everyday”, however, “Mr Education” specifically singles out a government official for his/her actions and/ or performance, albeit not by name. Mr Bodie, in a statement, acknowledged that “Mr Education” is “the roughest, toughest” song he has done to date, but said “Bahamian people have a right to ask these questions and more importantly, we have a right to get the answers, honest answers.” “Just like ‘Dey Spyin’,’ ‘Mr Education’ was strictly my doing, maybe too hot for anyone else to handle,” Mr Bodie said. “I am not afraid and if you want a righteous and just world, you can’t be afraid either. As far as I am concerned, what Mr Fitzgerald did, reading private emails and guessing at people’s involvement and what they meant by their exchanges and doing it in a public place, then saying he would continue to do it even after the court told him to stop, violates every right to privacy. “It makes a mockery of the rule of law. It violates constitutional rights, as far as I can tell, and it is something that every single citizen in The Bahamas who values his or her privacy and rights should be incensed about. “Yeah, I know the song is the roughest, toughest I have done yet, but the Bahamian people have a right to ask these questions and more importantly, we have a right to get the answers, honest answers.” The STB controversy
was sparked after the group’s confidential affairs and emails were read out and subsequently tabled in Parliament in March. Mr Fitzgerald, during his contribution to the mid-year budget debate, read and tabled the emails of various STB members, which, he said, bolstered his claims that STB masquerades as an environmental watchdog group, but instead is a political organisation seeking to “overthrow” the Progressive Liberal Party government. Mr Fitzgerald subsequently said he got the emails from his “political garbage can,” a place which, he suggested, is similar to the various “sources” from which members of the media might receive tips pertaining to potential news stories. “…At the end of the day, I received (the emails) the same way the media receives information every day, without hacking anybody’s email or anyone’s information,” Mr Fitzgerald said in March. “It’s the same way people drop stuff off to (members of the media) and you’ll don’t know where it came from; it’s anonymous and then (you all report) it,” he said. “It’s as simple as that.” The Supreme Court ruled last month that Mr Fitzgerald’s actions were an infringement of the constitutional rights of STB and ordered him to pay $150,000 in damages for the breach. He was also permanently banned from disclosure and publication of any further material belonging to STB and was ordered to delete all electronic and hard copy material within 14 days of the ruling. However, the Office of the Attorney General has said that it would appeal the ruling and was granted a stay of execution pending the appeal.
ARMED ROBBERY SUSPECT ARRESTED By SANCHESKA BROWN Tribune Staff Reporter sbrown@tribunemedia.net
POLICE arrested a man early yesterday morning they believe to be responsible for several overnight armed robberies. The first robbery took place around 4.30pm Monday. Police said a woman was in her brown 2003 Honda CRV vehicle, licence plate number 130094, on Smith Lane when a man with a handgun approached and robbed her of her vehicle before speeding off. Shortly afterwards the suspect crashed into a ve-
hicle on Infant View Road and fled on foot. In the second incident, shortly after 11.30pm Monday a man was at his home on Burial Ground Corner when he was approached by three men armed with a rifle and a handgun, who robbed him of a gold chain before fleeing on foot. Then, shortly after 1am Tuesday, a man was walking north on Blue Hill Road, when two men with a handgun robbed him of his wallet before fleeing on foot. Half an hour later, a man was walking on Marlborough Street when a man with a handgun approached
and robbed him of his cell phone and cash before fleeing on foot. A short while later, officers from the Central Detective Unit arrested a man on Hospital Lane after finding a .45 pistol in his possession. He is believed to be the suspect in some of the earlier armed robberies. Investigations into all of the incidents continue. Anyone with information on any of these incidents is asked to contact police at 911 or 919, the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 328-TIPS.
KIRKLAND “KB” Bodie, who has written a new song about Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald.
member Howard Johnson that he was dropping out of the race for the Bain and Grants Town constituency. Mr Ingraham sent another message yesterday evening, this time to clarify his earlier remarks, saying despite reportedly being passed over for the seat, he would continue to support the party and plans to vote FNM in the next election. Mr Ingraham vied to be the FNM’s standard-bearer in North Eleuthera ahead of the 2012 general election; however he did not receive the nomination.
PAGE 6, Wednesday, September 7, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
DNA convention to ‘re-write’ politics in The Bahamas By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net DEMOCRATIC National Alliance (DNA) Leader Branville McCartney yesterday promised that his party’s two-day convention at the end of this month would “re-write” all political norms in The Bahamas, as the group looks to offer a glimpse into “democracy the DNA’s way”. According to the former Bamboo Town MP, the DNA will roll out a convention and campaign model “unlike anything ever seen before,” insisting that Bahamians have grown tired
of the “promise the world and deliver the bare minimum” style of governance offered by successive governments. Mr McCartney said: “We have preached good governance and aboveboard democracy from our inception as a party. Our convention is where we will offer a glimpse into what it would look like if we were to be elected the next government of The Bahamas.” While brushing off all concerns about possible challenges to his leadership, Mr McCartney contended that efforts are underway at all levels of
the DNA to ensure that a “modern style” of politics could be executed if the party is successful in the 2017 elections. “We are looking forward to a very good convention. While this is our first convention, it is our third election process. But unlike those other parties, our convention isn’t solely about an election. Yes, the parties’ elections are important, but the drafting of clear and implementable strategies and policies are just as much, if not more important,” he said. “We want to prove to the Bahamian people
that we have plans ready to implement from day one to turn this country around. We believe that this is where we can separate ourselves from the other parties out there. I can tell you firmly that there will be no dancing involved here. We aren’t here to party or have a good time,” he said. “We are focused on improving our party’s constitution and our policy positions. The Bahamas is in dire need of a political organisation that is dedicated on improving this country, not socialising and playing politics. There needs to be a shift in what politics looks
to do and we plan to offer just that.” Mr McCartney said the party would strengthen its stance on term limits by changing the language in its constitution with regards to the topic to show firmer wording; changing from “may” to “shall”. Additionally, the party will look to ratify its positions on crime, the economy, jobs, education and immigration. According to party officials, the convention will feature morning and evening secessions. The mornings will be reserved for internal party matters, while the even-
ing sessions will be built around speeches and “critical discussions”. The DNA was originally scheduled to host its convention last November, but opted to postpone the event in the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricane Joaquin. DNA Chairman Andrew Wilson at that time said the “thousands of dollars” which would have been spent on the “usual pomp and pageantry” of such an event would be donated to Hurricane Joaquin relief organisations. The event was moved to April and again to September 29 and 30.
MCCARTNEY: I MET WITH FNM AND THIRD PARTIES TO DISCUSS STRATEGY from page one
“A call was made and I obliged and attended the meeting to hear what they had to say. There were persons from the business community, bankers, financial persons and other professionals along with the FNM and other persons from other parties. The concern was that even though the PLP is incom-
BRANVILLE MCCARTNEY, leader of the DNA. petent and may be polling low right now, we cannot
take this for granted and take the chance that the PLP will be re-elected. They just want us to do what is good for the country and they felt as though what is best is for all of us to somehow get together. The meeting was to feel us out and then we are going to have other subsequent follow up meetings.” Mr McCartney said that while he was open to the idea of a coalition a few
months ago, because of all the negative press the FNM has been getting lately, he “isn’t sure” anymore. “The FNM is sinking. Every day people are leaving the party,” Mr McCartney said. “They are having problems with Loretta ButlerTurner, their finances, it seems to be a lot of unfortunate circumstances surrounding that party and we have a maximum of eight
had recently travelled to Jamaica. The man is a resi-
dent of Pinewood Gardens, officials have said. Subsequently, on August 23, officials confirmed three more cases; two of which were reported in women and two of which were transmitted locally, via mosquitoes in the area infected with the Zika virus. Due to the risk of the virus being spread sexually, health officials have recommended the use of condoms, with a special warning being given to pregnant women to use protection while having sex or to not engage in sex at all during pregnancy. The virus has been pri-
months to campaign, that may not be enough time for them to get it together. Also, the last time I talked about a coalition, that did not go to well with certain members of my party. We have some strong members in the party and I have to talk to them before any decision is made, that is not something I can do myself.” In May, FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis said he was
open to forming a coalition with the DNA but said he is “turned off” by Mr McCartney’s arrogance. Dr Minnis said he was “disappointed with Mr McCartney for his “bombastic arrogant attitude, when persons are trying to reach out and move the PLP.” He maintained that he was willing to have the conversation but admitted that he had “no idea” how a possible coalition would work.
TWO MORE CASES OF ZIKA VIRUS CONFIRMED from page one
A week ago today, Health Minister Dr Perry Gomez reported that there were four new Zika cases on the island. At the time he said: “I can tell you at this time that we are up to eight cases in New Providence. I can’t give you any more details on those cases, but you can relay to the public that there are now eight confirmed cases in New Providence.”
Both Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell and Pinewood MP Khaalis Rolle have urged residents in their communities to take the necessary precautions to prevent mosquito bites after Zika cases were confirmed in both areas. The government announced this week that it would spend $2.5m a month on combatting the Zika outbreak. The Bahamas reported an initial case of the virus on August 10 in a man who
IN this file photo, an Aedes aegypti mosquito known to carry the Zika virus, is photographed through a microscope at the Fiocruz institute in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil. marily transmitted as a result of mosquito bites. Two weeks ago, the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Zika virus travel notice for the Bahamas, following confirmation of local transmission. The advisory recommended that US citizens travelling to or residing in the Bahamas enroll in the Department of State’s Smart Traveller Enrolment Programme (STEP), which provides those enrolled
with security updates and direct link to local consulates in case of emergencies. It advised people travelling to the Bahamas to protect themselves from mosquito bites while there and for three weeks after returning home. Pregnant women are advised not to travel to Zika infected areas or to have sex with partners who have lived or travelled to infected areas due to the risk of giving birth to baby with microcephaly or other severe birth defects.
BODYGUARD OF PRIME MINISTER SHOT IN ROBBERY from page one
The officer returned fire and shot one of the suspects, police said. However, the other suspect fled the area on foot. The officer and suspect were taken to hospital by ambulance. Sources said the officer underwent emergency surgery and is listed in serious, but stable condition. The suspect, who was shot in the leg, is in stable condition and under heavy police guard. Officer-in-charge of the
Central Detective Unit, Chief Superintendent Clayton Fernander said police are following several leads and hope to have the case wrapped up “very soon”. In August 2014, Mr Christie’s press secretary, Latore Mackey, was shot dead on Market Street around 4.30am. And in June 2013, Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis’ police aide, Sergeant Andrew Sweeting, was shot in the hand and abdomen in what police said was a botched armed robbery in Glenis-
ton Gardens. At the time, Mr Davis said the incident was evidence of the country’s crime problems. “(Crime) is still unacceptably high and what it tells us is that none of us are safe from what is going on in our country today and it means that all of us must come together again to make a concerted effort to stop this scourge of crime,” Mr Davis said in 2013, in the wake of the shooting. Sgt Sweeting has since recovered. He was not with Mr Davis as the time of the shooting.
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, September 7, 2016, PAGE 7
BOTTLING COMPANY HELPS HOSTEL
A REPORT in June of the struggles the Children’s Emergency Hostel (CEH) faced to get supplies, particularly individual bottles of water for the children to take to school with them, has struck a chord with the Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC). The local producers of Dasani water and CocaCola products decided to ensure that in the 2016-2017 academic year, students at CEH would not face a similar issue. CBC will donate
approximately 70 cases of water each term to ensure that children at CEH who attend school will have a bottle of water each day. The first 20 cases were delivered to CEH last Friday. “We are very pleased to announce that for the 2016-2017 academic year Caribbean Bottling Company will donate over 200 cases of 12oz Dasani bottled water to the Children’s Emergency Hostel,” said Cara Douglas, marketing manager.
CARA DOUGLAS, CBC marketing manager, and Mrs M Ferguson, Children’s Emergency Hostel administrator, with the first donation of water for the 2016-2017 school year. “We are hopeful that this gesture will ensure that the officials at CEH will have one less concern this school year.” M Ferguson, an administrator at the CEH, said: “This donation of water is extremely beneficial as it is a necessity for the children’s basic everyday needs. It will also provide us a great relief during the school months. Once again we are thankful for Caribbean Bottling Company’s valuable support.”
| “Leader in Personal Banking Services”
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY ASSISTANT MANAGER, HUMAN RESOURCES Commonwealth Bank is the premier Bahamian Bank with branches located in New Providence, Grand Bahama and Abaco. We are committed to delivering superior quality service, to training and developing our employees, to creating value for our shareholders and to promoting economic growth and stability in the community.
ROLE OVERVIEW: The position of Assistant Manager, Human Resources is an important position within the Bank responsible for providing support to the Human Resources Department to enhance the efficient service rendered to all employees and performing all functions in a professional manner. DUTIES:
Five appeal against drug charges being heard in the US
The Assistant Manager, Human Resources provides assistance to the HR Managers in the leadership and coordination of HR functions within Recruitment and Employee Relations. The position holder assists in developing and implementing HR strategy and programs, designing and implementing new and existing HR policies and systems aimed at attracting, motivating and retaining talent, and controlling HR costs to derive maximum benefit. Duties include, but are not limited to:- assisting with formulating and administering HR policies and programs related to people management, attraction, deployment and development to build and maintain a positive and performance oriented culture within the Bank.
By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
QUALIFICATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:
FIVE men who believe a Supreme Court judge erred in affirming a committal order for them to face drug trafficking charges in the United States will have their appeals heard on November 30. A status hearing was held in the Court of Appeal yesterday for Austin Knowles, Nathaniel Knowles, Edison Watson, Ian Bethel and Shawn Saunders who have exercised their legal right to appeal the decision made by Senior Justice Stephen Isaacs in May that would surrender them to the US. Damian Gomez, QC, who represents the first four appellants, told Justices Dame Anita Allen, Jon Isaacs and Stella Crane-Scott that parts of the record from the committal proceedings were still outstanding. Justice Isaacs asked if they were significantly important to the success of the appeal. Mr Gomez said they were important and had not been available “in full in Supreme Court.” “I was wondering if we should make an order to get them if they are pertinent to the appeal,” Dame Anita said. “These are the documents that were not before the judge whose decision you are appealing?” Justice Crane-Scott asked for clarity. Mr Gomez said they were. “Why should we be looking for what may not even be available?” Justice Crane-Scott then asked. Mr Gomez said the appellants may argue a ground that the judge erred in casting blame for the delay on the appellants. “Were the appellants ever served with the docu-
ments?” Dame Anita asked. “In prison, yes. I did not act originally. I only came on during the extradition proceedings. I received, for one of them, a bundle,” Mr Gomez answered. “Isn’t their case basically the same?” Dame Anita asked. “It’s based on the same allegations,” the lawyer said. Neil Braithwaite, assistant director of public prosecutions, told the court that there were separate bundles because of the manner in which the proceedings in Magistrate’s Court occurred. “But the documents contained in each bundle were the same,” Mr Braithwaite said. He questioned if the Court of Appeal and the appellants had different records because as he understood it, nothing was missing from the court’s file. He noted that Mr Gomez’s one full bundle could be copied for the remaining appellants. The appellate court inquired about a copy of the authority to proceed (ATP), which the Crown had and undertook to provide for the appellants and the court. The substantive appeal hearing was set for November 30. The five, who have been on bail since 2005, will remain on bail in the interim. Then Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Marcus Bethel granted the goahead for the extradition proceedings to commence against the men in February 2003. Then magistrate Carolita Bethell approved the extradition request in 2004 and committed the men to prison to await extradition. However, they applied for and were granted bail in 2005.
Their habeas corpus application, which was stalled for more than a decade, was launched on a number of grounds including: it would be unjust and oppressive to extradite the applicants after the case remained dormant for so long and that the proceedings were invalid due to breach of the provisions of the Extradition Act. Earlier this year, Senior Justice Stephen Isaacs of the Supreme Court disagreed with the merits of their arguments led by Mr Gomez, one of five lawyers on record for the men. “What the applicants have offered to discharge the burden of establishing that it would be unjust and oppressive to extradite them as a result of the passage of time are individual affidavits describing how their family lives have evolved during the currency of these proceedings,” the Supreme Court judge said. “Those histories cannot form the basis for concluding that to extradite the applicants would be unjust or oppressive. In any event, as a matter of law, whether or not the extradition is unjust or oppressive, in the sense that a fair trial cannot be had, can only be determined by the trial court,” the judge added. Senior Justice Isaacs further stressed that the applicants “have failed to establish that a prima facie case was not made out by the evidence before the committal court.” “Whether or not that evidence is credible is a matter for the trial court,” the court ruled. The judge found the decision of the magistrate was “sound” and ultimately dismissed their applications. Osman Johnson appeared for Saunders in yesterday’s status hearing and will argue his appeal.
JURY CLEARS MAN OF SEX ASSAULT ON TWO GIRLS from page one
Bowe was accused of having sexual intercourse with the girls and touching them inappropriately on their private parts between the summer of 2014 to March 2015 when the girls were left in his care. Paul Wallace-Whitfield represented Bowe during his trial.
He told jurors that the prosecution had not proven its case. He noted that medical evidence produced had indicated that the girls’ hymens were intact and that there were no scars or abrasions in their vaginas. The attorney also stated that there was no record of interview conducted by the police and no statement taken from Bowe by police during his arrest.
In his closing argument, he told the court that there was reasonable doubt within the prosecution’s evidence and asked the jury to return a verdict of not guilty against his client. Just before 3pm, the jury returned with not guilty verdicts by a vote of 6-3 in both counts. Olivia Blatch, assisted by Takia Spencer, appeared on behalf of the Crown.
MAN TO HEAR IF SEX ASSAULT CASE WILL GO AHEAD By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
A MAN returns to the Supreme Court in two weeks time to learn if the prosecution is in a position to proceed with a sexual assault case against him. Dustin Taylor, 32, appeared before Senior Justice Stephen Isaacs for a status hearing relating to his upcoming trial on three
counts of unlawful sexual intercourse. It is alleged that he, between December 7, 2011, and January 22, 2012, had sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl who cannot give consent. Taylor, who is to stand trial in October, has denied the allegations against him. In yesterday’s mention hearing before Senior Justice Isaacs, the court was informed that the com-
plainant and her mother who brought the complaint to police were not making themselves available to the prosecution. This was also the case at an early mention hearing held in July 25. A further status hearing was scheduled for September 21 to allow the Crown another opportunity to locate the complainants. Darell Taylor appeared for the prosecution.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources, Business Management, Industrial and Organizational Development, or a related field • Obtained or pursuing PHR or PHRi certification • Minimum 5 years Human Resources Management experience KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES: Knowledge: The incumbent must have proficient knowledge in the following areas: • Human resources management • Human resources information systems – ABRA • Mentoring and coaching • Change management • Understanding of the relevant local legislation and HR policies and procedures Skills: The incumbent must demonstrate the following skills: • Strong Leadership skills • Strong Management skills • Good counselling skills • Effective public relations and public speaking skills • Effective time management skills • Effective Interviewing skills • Team building skills • Problem solving skills • Strong customer service skills and the ability to deliver consistent high quality service • Effective verbal, and listening communications skills with demonstrated ability and maturity to effectively handle different situations • Effective written communications skills including the ability to prepare reports, policies and procedures • Strong computer skills, with proficiency in Microsoft Office suite Effective organizational skills • Stress management skills. Not easily overwhelmed. Able to multi-task in a fast paced working environment while maintaining efficiency and accuracy • Ability to analyze problems, identify alternative solutions, project consequences of proposed actions and implement recommendations in support of goals • Research, analyze and evaluate new service delivery methods and techniques Personal Attributes: The incumbent must maintain confidentiality, use sound judgement and perform independently while performing the duties of the Assistant Manager. The incumbent must also demonstrate the following personal attributes: • Maintain standards of conduct • Display characteristics of honesty, integrity and sound ethics • Possess cultural and business awareness and sensitivity • Be respectful • Be flexible REMUNERATION PACKAGE: Commonwealth Bank is a Great place to work! We offer an exciting work environment with the opportunity for growth and development. We also offer a competitive compensation package, reflecting the successful applicant’s experience and qualifications, including a performance based incentive plan, health, vision, dental and life insurances and a pension plan. Qualified individuals should submit complete resumes by September 9, 2016 to:
www.careers.combankltd.com/careers or Submit a resume to: hr@combankltd.com “ Commonwealth Bank sincerely thanks all applicants for their interest in becoming a part of our team, however, only those applications being considered will be contacted.”
PAGE 8, Wednesday, September 7, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
CHILDREN receiving back to school gifts courtesy of Castaways Resort teaming up with fitness trainer Alice Williams.
RESORT OFFERS BACK TO SCHOOL GIVEAWAY By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
THE Castaways Resort teamed up with fitness trainer Alice Williams, of Mind, Body and Soul Fitness, for its annual fitness event and back to school giveaway in Grand Bahama over the weekend. About 150 attended the fitness workout session last Saturday at the resort on the Mall Drive, Freeport, Grand Bahama. After the two-hour work-
out session, Ms Williams and Vernon Grant, marketing manager at Castaways, presented backpacks filled with school supplies. “We were excited that so many persons came out to participate,” Ms Williams said. “Every year we have an ‘aerobathon’ for two hours and back to school giveaway, and we teamed up again with the Castaways, which sponsored and hosted the events here at the resort.” Ms Williams said that
preparing for the new school year can be stressful and so they wanted to help provide some relief, both physically and mentally. She thanked the Castaways for sponsoring the events. Mr Grant said that Castaways is a good corporate citizen and was pleased to partner with Mind, Body and Soul Fitness. “We thought it would be good to come together and help equip students as they return to the classroom,” he said. “We presented kids
with a drawstring backpack, two books, pencils, a ruler, and eraser. “We want persons to know that we are here to partner with the community and also give back to our community. “As good corporate citizens we believe in doing our part. Although we cannot get to every child in Grand Bahama, if we all do our little part and the other corporate entities do their part, together we can help many students get ready for back to school,” he said.
PEOPLE at the fitness workout session in Freepor.t
$500,000 from social services to help kids go back to school By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net MINISTER of Social Services Melanie Griffin yesterday revealed that her department spent roughly $500,000 to prepare students attached to its Renewing, Inspiring, Sustaining, Empowering (RISE) Programme ahead of the 2016-2017 school year. Mrs Griffin said the tentative estimates compiled
by her office have revealed that about half a million dollars has been spent through the initiative on school uniforms and shoes for students. The RISE initiative, which was introduced by Mrs Griffin in June 2015, aims to improve the health and education of those enrolled and cut their levels of poverty. The initiative - a conditional cash transfer programme - affords benefi-
ciaries several cash grants throughout the calendar year as a result of mandates being met and achieved. The pilot part of the initiative saw officials execute their screening activities in which families were accessed to determine their level of need; a determination of a monthly base rate (a set sum of money allotted to that family on a month to month basis for help); and now, the onset of the conditional grants - additional funds provided to families on the basis of health and educational parametres established when accepted into the programme. Over the last month, families enrolled in the programme received a series of “gift cards” per school age
child, redeemable at several local department stores. With these cards, parents were afforded the opportunity of purchasing needed school uniforms and shoes. Beneficiaries of RISE had to undergo an intense screening process upon enrolling. As a part of compliance aspect of the programme, families will have to give the Department of Social Services a monthly status report. While Mrs Griffin didn’t indicate how many students are benefiting from the programme, she did highlight the “co-responsibility” nature of the initiative. “We are moving in a new direction with the RISE Programme, it will put a coresponsibility on the family and the Department of
Social Services whereby we expect a change and modify the behaviour of the clients. It is no longer a system of handing out assistance every year and not looking to engineer changes in the lives or finances of those we are assisting.” “The compliance aspect of the RISE Programme will follow in the coming weeks to ensure that the education and health conditions of the programme are being adhered to. We have to break the generational poverty stigma attached to these families and that is what we are attempting to do through this programme,” she added. As of August, 380 households in New Providence and North Andros had en-
rolled in the programme since the scheme’s official launch in March. An agreement was reached between the government and the InterAmerican Development Bank in August 2012 resulting in the implementation of a $7.5m social safety-net reform project. The initiative is considered a joint effort between the Ministries of Social Services, Education and Health. Proponents of the initiative claimed that if implemented correctly, the new conditional cash transfer project could transform the way the Bahamas views social welfare and greatly impact those who depend on public assistance.
A HELPING HAND FROM PARADISE GAMES
THE FACULTY and students of E P Roberts Primary School with members of the Paradise Games promotional team and Paradise Games marketing & media relations manager, Astra Nottage. THE students of E P Roberts Primary School are again the main beneficiaries of Paradise Games’ back to school initiative, with new uniforms donated to the student body. During the last school year, Paradise Games said it had silently supported E P Roberts Primary, providing the resources to assist in the implementation of a robust performance appraisal and reading programme to ensure that all students are not only
learning, but learning at the appropriate grade level, receiving the attention that they require, and advancing with the right tools to prepare them for success at high school level and beyond. The company, pleased with the results, said that it would continue for this school year. To ensure that all students were adequately prepared for their first day, Paradise Games purchased the school uniforms for the entire student body.
“We sincerely hope that the donation of these uniforms has provided some form of relief to parents and that it affords every child the equal opportunity to get in the classroom and receive the education they are so deserving of,” Astra Nottage, Paradise Games marketing & media relations manager, said. “We are exceptionally proud of the relationship we have fostered with the faculty at E P Roberts Pri-
mary. There is no greater reward then in learning that the resources provided are showing such promising results. It is the company’s hope that we will continue to identify schools within the communities in which we live and work and hopefully grow this into a countrywide initiative. We want to ensure that we are setting our children up for success, because the children are our country’s future, and the country’s future is in the classroom.”
THE THETRIBUNE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, September 7, 2016, PAGE Wednesday, September 7th, 2016, PAGE A99
HIT THE ROAD
TECHTALK
JACK WHEN Apple shows off its latest iPhone today in San Francisco, it will answer a question it has not had to address in years. The iPhone has traditionally shipped with a pair of Apple’s iconic earbuds, made famous in early advertising for the iPod music player. But tech analysts and industry bloggers, citing leaks from Apple’s Asian suppliers, say it looks like the tech giant has decided to do away with the analogue headphone jack in the next iPhone. That means the earbuds themselves are in for a revamp, one that could hint at Apple’s plans for expanded use of wireless technology.
IPHONE 7 INCREMENTAL CHANGES The headphone jack is drawing attention partly because there might not be many other major changes in this year’s iPhone. The new models - the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, if Apple sticks to its usual convention - are expected to offer faster processors, more memory and improved cameras. But despite a recent dip in iPhone sales, most Apple watchers expect the company to save its next big overhaul for 2017, the 10th anniversary of the first iPhone’s release. Though it might not seem dramatic, eliminating the 3.5mm analogue jack would be controversial. On the plus side, it could let Apple make the iPhone slightly thinner
and possibly waterproof; it might also free up space for other components. But it also means future iPhone buyers will need new headsets that use a digital connection. That could just mean changing the headset cord so that it plugs into the same port that recharges the device. Or it could herald an Apple commitment to wireless earbuds that connect to the phone via a technology such as Bluetooth. Apple already sells wireless headsets from Beats Electronics, which it acquired two years ago for $3 billion. WHY HEADPHONES MATTER For many people, listening to music and watching video constitutes one of the main uses for a smartphone. Today’s wireless Bluetooth headsets, however, can be clunky to set up and sometimes randomly drop their phone connections. And no headphone jack means that existing headsets won’t work with the new iPhones without an adaptor. It’s also not clear how you would
THE EARPHONE jack and charging port on an Apple iPhone 6: Apple is rumoured to have eliminated the traditional headphone jack on its new iPhone which will be revealed today. (AP) plug in your headset if you are already charging the phone. Finally, Apple uses a proprietary design for its charging port, known as “Lightning”. So new headphones that plug into that port won’t be compatible with devices made by Apple’s competitors. OLD TECH ON APPLE’S HIT LIST Apple has a history of pre-emptively doing away with older technologies. However, it isn’t the first company to do away with the headphone jack. Already this year, Lenovo’s Motorola division and Chinese smartphone maker LeEco have released phones without analogue audio jacks, relying instead on cords that plug into a new digital port known as USB-C - which, of course, is different from Apple’s Lightning port. Some argue that digital connections provide higher quality sound.
OUR WIRELESS FUTURE Some believe Apple’s real goal is to move people away from cords and plugs altogether. Apple has already cut the number of ports on its latest MacBooks, encouraging owners to use wireless features like Apple’s AirDrop and AirPlay for sharing files or streaming music and video. Widespread adoption of wireless headsets might also encourage people to try streaming music using the Apple Watch, a first step toward getting them interested in future smartwatch apps and services, one industry expert suggested. Apple could distribute the new iPhones with a “good enough” Bluetooth headset included, she added, while selling more expensive headsets separately. Apple may provide earbuds with a Lightning plug, and possibly an adaptor for older headsets. BRANDON BAILEY Associated Press
THE QUEST TO END LOST AIRLINE LUGGAGE DELTA Air Lines is investing $50m to soothe one of air travel’s biggest headaches: lost and delayed luggage. Delta carried nearly 120 million checked suitcases last year, collecting $25 in fees, each way, for most domestic bags. For that price, fliers expect their suitcase to be waiting on the carousel when they arrive. Delta already has one of the airline industry’s best luggage handling records - just one out of every 500 bags failed to arrive on time - but hopes that by deploying a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tracking system globally it can improve further. If the system works, other airlines are likely to follow. Ultimately the bag tag might be replaced with permanent RFID readers in suitcases, reducing the chances flyers in the future will start a vacation missing their swimsuit. RFID wirelessly identifies tags attached to items. The technology is widely used at warehouses to track goods but Delta’s rollout is the first global use for passenger bags. As each suitcase climbs the conveyor belt into the plane, a small computer verifies that it belongs on that flight. If one bag doesn’t, a red light will flash and the belt stops until somebody acknowledges the mistake and reroutes the luggage.
A DELTA Air Lines employee places an RFID-enabled baggage tag on a passenger’s checked bag. (AP) Most airlines today use barcodes on tags to identify each suitcase - each tag has its own unique 10-digit number - and make sure it is loaded onto the right plane. But reading each barcode with a handheld scanner is time consuming. Often, a bag or two aren’t scanned or error messages are missed by workers focused on getting planes out on time. Delta designed its system to stop those errors. At the airline’s 84 largest airports accounting for 85 percent of its passengers - Delta says it will have 1,500 special belt loaders with RFID readers built in. Replacing handheld scanners allows ramp workers to use both hands to lift bags, reducing injuries and speeding up the loading and unloading process. RFID also shortens the time needed to find and remove a bag from a plane at the last second.
GEAR S3 TAKES NEW DIRECTION WITH GPS
THE Samsung Gear S3.
SAMSUNG’S next smartwatch will come with GPS capabilities and the ability to call or text for help by triple-tapping a side button. The new Gear S3 retains the circular design of the current S2 model, but is slightly larger. Samsung will still sell last year’s S2 to those who consider the S3 too big on their wrist. As with the S2, the outer ring of the watch face rotates to let you scroll through notifications and apps. Interface improvements include the ability to accept or reject calls with the ring rather than a swipe of the screen. The S3 will come in three models. One has LTE cellular capabilities, allowing people to make calls, receive notifications and check weather without a companion phone nearby. A data plan costs extra. The other two models lack LTE and differ primarily in style. Samsung said prices will be announced closer to the devices’ availability later in the year.
SAMSUNG RECALLS GALAXY NOTE 7
AFTER BATTERY EXPLOSIONS
SAMSUNG has recalled its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones after finding some of their batteries exploded or caught fire. Samsung’s Note 7s are being pulled from shelves in 10 countries, including South Korea and the United States, just two weeks after the product’s launch. Customers who already bought Note 7s will be able to swap them for new smartphones in about two weeks, said Koh Dong-jin, president of Samsung’s mobile business, on Friday. The recall, the first for the new smartphone though not the first for a battery, comes at a crucial moment in Samsung’s mobile business. Apple is expected to announce its new iPhone next week and Samsung’s mobile division was counting on momentum from the Note 7’s strong reviews and higher-than-expected demand. Samsung said it had confirmed 35 instances of Note 7s catching fire or exploding. There have been no reports of injuries related to the problem. The company said it has not found a way to tell exactly which phones may endanger users out of the 2.5 million Note 7s already sold globally. It estimated that about one in 42,000 units may have a faulty battery. Samsung did not say whether customers should stop using their phones, or whether explosions and fires could happen when the phone wasn’t charging. Consumers who complained publicly said the problem came while the phone was being charged. After complaints surfaced online, Samsung found that a battery cell made by one of its two battery suppliers caused the Note 7 to catch fire.
• FACEBOOK is adding an “instant video” feature to text messages within its Messenger app. This means users can send each other videos while they are texting in the app, in case words are not quite enough. This is different from video calls, which have been available in Messenger since 2015. The latest feature is for those times when you don’t necessarily want to make a full-fledged video call, but find that a photo or text won’t do. To send instant video, both you and the recipient have to have Messenger open. Tap on the video icon to start sharing realtime video. • LENOVO has unveiled a twist on the laptop: its new 10 inch Yoga Book won’t have a physical keyboard. The Yoga Book retains the clamshell design of the laptop, but puts a second touch screen where the keyboard normally goes. People can type on a touchscreen keyboard there, or just write or draw on that second screen with an included stylus. You can even use a regular pen or pencil, though you’d want to put a sheet of paper over the screen to avoid damage. Although Lenovo calls Yoga Book a tablet, the keyboard part isn’t detachable, making the device a laptop. The keyboard, though, can fold all the way to the back to make the device feel more like a tablet. • MTV says it will consider airing its Video Music Awards (VMA) live across the United States in future, a reflection of how the annual celebration of pop culture is increasingly being experienced online instead of on television. This year’s show, featuring a Beyonce mini-concert, was watched by 6.5 million people on one of the 11 Viacom networks that aired it. Last year the audience was 9.8 million. The network said that there were 149 million streams of VMA content online over two days, a combination of live streaming through MTV’s website and aggressive packaging of video clips on other social media venues. The majority of streams (86 million) came on Monday, after people heard or read about the show and wanted to check out clips. The comparable number of streams for 2015 was 30.7 million, MTV said. • PARIS is hosting its first Drone Festival on Sunday, including an international race along the Champs-Elysees. Drones of varying shapes and sizes will be zipping along the avenue, lined with trees and luxury stores, in a circuit that stops just shy of the Arc de Triomphe. While drones are increasingly used by French security services, civilians are forbidden from flying them over Paris without special permission. Paris City Hall authorised them for Sunday’s event, aimed at introducing the public to France’s civilian drone industry. • FACEBOOK’S changes to its “Trending Topics” section are being questioned after it featured a false report about Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly. The story posted falsely claimed Kelly had been fired by Fox because she secretly supported Democrat Hillary Clinton. Another topic trending was #McChicken, which took users to stories about a video of a man using the McDonald’s sandwich in a sex act. Facebook announced Friday that an algorithm would select trending topics in place of humans but human editors would still screen them.
PAGE 10, Wednesday, September 7, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
An accountant’s tip for negotiators to solve the hotel gratuities issue
YOUR SAY By J C GOMEZ
I
HAVE worked as a director of administration and financial controller in the hotel industry so I have an idea as to how the system of gratuities can be improved in the Bahamas. What is the definition of gratuity? Formally it equates to tip. If we use the British definition, it equates to the sum of monies paid to an employee at the end of the period of employment - what we call severance pay. According to its Latin origin, gratuity means thankful. That later evolved in the 15th century to gift or favour for services rendered. Today in the Bahamas, gratuity is a gift for services rendered paid by the guest and paid with salary to the employees who are included in the guest’s bill. It should not be confused with a tip. That is the guest’s cash reward for appreciation of service rendered given to the employee directly. Some tend to argue that is double tipping; however they are not the same as gratuity is paid for the amount of service rendered and tip is for quality of the service rendered. Originally the trade unions wanted to separate salary from gratuity because they did not want to include gratuity in the definition of minimum wage; in other words, if gratuity was above $150 at the time there was no need for salary to com-
ply with the minimum wage. Therefore the employee will get a minimum salary plus gratuity if gratuity is not considered as part of the wage. It is true that its origin came from tips benefiting bar and restaurant employees. Today most business have extended the benefit to all workers with a percentage depending on which department they work. So housekeeping, front desk, etc also collect gratuities. Now that minimum wage has increased to $210 a week, with an associated increase in cost to the employer of approximately 20 per cent on salary plus National Insurance, the trade
unions want to include gratuity as a payment separate to salary because the employee is losing big time on benefits such as pension, sick leave, maternity leave, etc. It means the employee has a very small benefit based on their salary and not on the net cash wages they receive. Losing big time is the hotel worker who receives $500 a week and a benefit based on salary of $200 when a worker in another industry receives the same $500 a week with a much higher benefit based on that $500 salary a week. Therefore there is a great injustice against the hotel and restaurant workers.
The trade union wants to correct this injustice. The problem is how they are going about it. They want to include gratuity as an extra salary apart from minimum wage on which the employer will have to pay extra National Insurance resulting, in some cases, in double, triple and quadruple the National Insurance expenses of the employers. Not surprisingly, Robert Sands, the Bahamas Hotel and Restaurant Employers Association president, commented in the press that after an increase of over 20 per cent in the expenses of the hotels due to minimum wage this could be the nail in the coffin for
the Bahamas hotel industry. Such an increase meant the loss of some employees and Shane Gibson, the minister of labour, said the loss of a few jobs was unfortunate but that he is looking at the bigger picture that benefits a lot of workers. We have a legitimate claim that gratuities should be National Insurance insurable wages in the benefit of workers but we have a problem. We are asking the hotel industry for an expense they have nothing to do with, so it’s wrong the employer should suffer this extra expense. And it would be totally wrong that the government imposes this extra expense on the employer. Therefore, this issue so far cannot be resolved and the employee will keep losing out until a solution is found. What is the solution that would make the trade unions, employees, employers and government happy? There is a Chinese saying that a business is good if all parties profit from the deal. In order to obtain this profit for all, we will have to look at good business and accounting practices. Accountants know that revenue must pay its own expenses and we always try to link them in good accounting with related accounts, revenue and expense going to related digits. We want the gratuity to become a wage paid by the guest that contributes to National Insurance. Therefore the employee will receive the gratuity and will be deducted its portion of Nation-
al Insurance, the same as if it were salary. And, following the accounting principle, each revenue pays its own expense, as the guest pays this wage, the guest should also pay National Insurance on it, resulting in the gratuity paying the wage to the employee and also paying the National Insurance on it. Please note that it’s wrong that the employer pays National Insurance on a wage the employer does not pay: if a guest pays for it, the guest should pay all expenses related to that payment. This definition would make gratuities a national insurance insurable wage and would have all parties happy. The trade unions may argue wrongly that all monies are coming from the employee, who is the sole beneficiary of it and would want the employer to pay on an expense on a wage it does not pay, forgetting that it’s the guest who pays for it and should also be the guest who pays for all expenses related to gratuity. Therefore the government must step in and regulate, following good accounting practices. This is the right solution following accounting good practices. The longer it takes to realise this, the longer it will take the employee to get their rightful benefits. J C Gomez is a qualified accountant and a former director of administration and financial controller at the BH Riu Palace and cost controller at Baha Mar
BAHAMIAN MAN ACCUSED OF DOUBLE MURDER IN TURKS & CAICOS A 33-YEAR-OLD Bahamian has been charged with the murder of two Dominican waitresses in the Turks and Caicos Islands, according to a report in the islands’ Sun
newspaper. Police spokesman Kevin Clarke said the man, whose last residence was Millennium Heights in Providenciales, was formally charged on Fri-
day with the murders of Yuneiry Veras who was found dead in the Pirate’s Cove area on April 23, 2016, and Sorineido Moreno Arias, who was found dead on Crystal Bay
READERS ANGRY AS GENERATORS SIT IDLE DURING POWER CUTS THERE was anger among readers on tribune242.com with the news that, almost one month after the first set of rental generators secured for Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) arrived, the site for the engines has not been prepared. Alfalfa was not impressed: “BPL is no different than BEC. Whose oversight was it that the generators were not ordered in time? The PM, Leslie Miller, Brave Davis, or Pamela Hill. Each one will point the finger at the other. They told us the generators would be late, but in the meantime did nothing to prepare for their installation when they arrived. They are here now and are useless. Just as all of the above are, who played a part in this fiasco. “Paul Maynard and his union, of course, have no blame, but will probably be lobbying for a strike/salary increase before Christmas, which is my estimated time that they will have the backups up and running. What a useless organisation. No planning for summer demand, no planning to upgrade to more ecofriendly energy supplies, just excuses. Government please note, the electorate is sick and tired of this, while you and your cohorts live in generated/solar powered homes, at our expense, we are made to suffer. Election is just around the corner.” BoopaDoop said: “During the 3-month period waiting for these rentals to arrive, the site should have been prepared.” Sealice wasn’t surprised:
“WHOA . . shocker . . . the PLP and it’s affiliates aren’t prepared.” After Bahamas International Securities Exchange (BISX) chief executive Keith Davies said it needed to be “more proactive and ensure the market better reflects” prices that will stimulate trading activity, Observer2 responded with: “This guy Davies couldn’t be serious? A stock price hasn’t moved in two years and he says the exchange is being proactive and is promoting price discovery? BISX is complicitous in this BoB gross negligence. A truly independent stock exchange would have delisted BoB shares long ago. “However BISX is financed by the government so it is not truly independ-
ent, it is in the same position as the NIB Investment Board, BoB and Resolve.” DonAnthony agreed: “I agree, these comments by Mr Davies are really, quite frankly, pathetic. They are disingenuous in the least as he tries to ‘spin’ the truth and the public. And it is insulting to shareholders like me who pay his salary and know better. “There is not a single company on BISX that has current financials posted. Not one. He is implying that it is the companies’ fault in being late reporting. Commonwealth Bank reported second quarter figures two weeks ago and has them posted on their website. So he wants us to believe that BISX does not have their financials? What about the other companies, he expects us to believe they ALL are late?” • Don’t miss your chance to join the debate on tribune242.com.
TO ADVERTISE IN THE TRIBUNE, CONTACT 502-2394
Road, Providenciales, on July 13. Both women were 26-years-old. Mr Clarke did not divulge the name of the murder accused but the Turks and Caicos Sun
confirmed his identity as Christopher Forbes, of Freeport, Grand Bahama. He was escorted to court under heavy police guard. “The charges stemmed
from a complex, extensive and thorough investigation,” Mr Clarke said. His next court appearance will be on November 4.
CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF THE CHILDREN AT RANFURLY
T
he Ranfurly Homes for Children has been a safe haven for thousands of Bahamian children since 1956. The Home provides a safe, structured environment for children who have been orphaned, abused, neglected or abandoned. YOU can make a difference in the lives of the children at Ranfurly. With your support children can have nutritious food, warm beds and a safe environment where they can discover the joy of being children. For years the children living and learning at Ranfurly have made great social and academic strides. Their further development requires additional support in the form of a Transitional Home, planned for construction on the Ranfurly property. This residence will cater to teenagers and young adults who are beyond school age, but need accommodation while they find work and gain independence from the Home. We look forward to your continued support in this worthwhile endeavour.
MEMBERSHIP PACKAGES Individuals, Families & Corporate Sponsors Children Helping Children - $5 (Individual children from ages 6 - 18) Individuals Helping Children - $50 (Individual adults 18 years and over) Families Helping Children - $100
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• Personal fulfillment in knowing you are impacting lives • Ranfurly children’s appreciation and positive response • Continued support provides stability and constant care
For more information visit: www.ranfurlyhome.org Please “Like” us on Facebook Ranfurly Home for Children, Mackey Street P.O. Box 1413 Nassau, Bahamas 242-393-3115
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, September 7, 2016, PAGE 11
WINNER TAKES HIS
CHANCES TWO lucky winners have driven away with new cars after a contest run by Chances Games. Cars were given away at both the company’s head locations, in Nassau and Freeport. The promotion included other
prizes such as laptops, TVs and cash. Pictured is Nassau winner Algernon Anderson, with marketing manager Sherwin Johnson and manager Bernadette Cartwright. Photos: Tim Clarke/Tribune Staff
SCIENCE WORKSHOP AIMS TO TACKLE CORAL DECLINE AN international partnership aimed at reversing the decline of coral reefs in the Bahamian archipelago has been launched at a science workshop in Rock Sound, Eleuthera. Representatives from 15 conservation groups - including the Bahamas National Trust (BNT) and the Perry Institute of Marine Science - took part in the one-week workshop held at the Cape Eleuthera Institute last month. The project and workshop partner is SECORE International, working for worldwide coral reef conservation through research, education, outreach and restoration, which has developed methods for sexual coral reproduction and is working towards largescale applications. Local partners are the Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation, the Department of Marine Resources, San Salvador Living Jewels, Stuart Cove’s Dive Bahamas, The Nature Conservancy Bahamas Programme, the ForFar Field Station on Andros, the Cape Eleuthera Institute, and Young Marine Explorers (an after-school environmental programme for Bahamian students). International partners consist of Greenforce (a UK-based recruiter of vol-
WORKSHOP participants at Cape Eleuthera Institute. unteers for global conserva- ecosystem. The Bahamas has more tion projects), Ocean Crest Alliance (a Florida-based coral reef area than any marine research group), other nation in the region, Chicago’s Shedd Aquari- as well as one of the world’s um, and Omaha’s Henry largest contiguous reefs off Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. the east coast of Andros. Tropical coral reefs are The marine environment the most diverse marine plays a critical role in supecosystems on earth, sup- porting the Bahamian way porting human livellihoods of life and the country’s through fishing and tour- main industry - tourism. According to Dr Craig ism. Corals are the tiny animals that build the reef Dahlgren, director of the structure and provide the Perry Institute and a scibasis for a functioning reef ence advisor to the BNT,
“Bahamian reefs are in decline due to a range of impacts, including pollution and warmer temperatues. Marine protected areas coupled with coral rehabilitation can help them to recover.” The Eleuthera workshop combined background lectures with hands-on field training. “The workshop is an important step to start training local partners so they can use coral restoration as a tool for their
management efforts,” explained Dr Dirk Petersen, SECORE’s executive director. “The aim is to raise sexually produced coral offspring for restoration efforts.” Workshop participants were able to observe the spawning of stands of endangered Elkhorn coral on South Eleuthera’s reefs. Some of this coral spawn was collected with special nets, fertilised in the lab, and the resulting larvae were cultured in Cape Eleuthera Institute facilities. “Seeing this endangered coral spawn gives me hope for the recovery of Bahamian reefs” Dr Dahlgren said, “but we will need to help in that recovery by creating marine reserves and strategically rehabilitating reefs.” Coral larvae are initially planktonic, meaning they float in the water column. They eventually sink to the seafloor to form new coral polyps. Where to settle is a crucial lifetime choice and the larvae can detect clues from their environment. “The tiny polyps on the seafloor are easily smothered by algae,” Dr Petersen said. “And many Bahamian reefs have shifted to algal-dominated habitats. We saw thick algal mats at
all the sites we dove. To reverse this phase shift will be the greatest challenge to reverse the decline of Bahamian reefs. “We can help to increase coral recruitment by introducing large numbers of cultured coral settlers. However, this restoration will be successful only if additional action is taken. Restoration of important algal grazers such as the long-spines sea urchin (Diadema) and intensive management and expansion of marine protected areas will be key,” he said. The participating organisations will undertake night diving this month to get an idea of spawning times for many reef-building species. “We will then start restoration efforts next year at one or two locations, and plan to expand to more sites as the project develops,” Dr Peterson said. The workshop also trained participants in reef assessment methods, including benthic surveying and coral methodology. Information on the status of Bahamian reefs is needed to plan marine reserves and identify suitable restoration sites. The trainees were able to survey eight sites off Eleuthera under the guidance of Dr Dahlgren and BNT Senior Science Officer Lindy Knowles.
PAGE 12, Wednesday, September 7, 2016 THE TRIBUNE
THE FUNERAL service for veteran educator Tracey Watts Strachan at St Agnes Paris Church.
Remembering
Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
Tracey Strachan
THE VENERABLE Kinglsey G. Knowles pictured giving the sermon at the funeral service for Tracey Watts Strachan at St Agnes Paris Church.