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Rollins ‘would run against Loretta’ MP says he would run as Independent in Long Island if that’s what voters want By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net LONG Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner could face an independent challenge by Fort Charlotte MP Andre Rollins if voters on the island urge him to do so, the controversial politician said yesterday. His threat came hours before the Free National Movement (FNM) announced it had ratified Mrs Butler-Turner as its standard-bearer for the constitu-
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WOMAN DIES AFTER HER CAR HITS TREE By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net A 26-YEAR-OLD woman became the country’s latest traffic fatality after she lost control of her vehicle and slammed into a tree in eastern New Providence early yesterday morning. She has been identified as Athena Jasmine Hall, of Yamacraw Drive. Officer-in-charge of the SEE PAGE SIX
GOLDEN GIRL SHAUNAE BACK AT SAC
ency in the next general election. Dr Rollins made his comments while appearing as a guest on the Ed Fields Live talk show, with host Rogan Smith and co-host Tosheena Robinson-Blair. Speaking to Mrs ButlerTurner’s representation in her constituency, Dr Rollins claimed that voters in Long Island are at their wits’ end with the MP. He also insisted that if Dr Minnis stays true to his words, and allows the voters SEE PAGE SIX
FNM ANNOUNCES FOUR MORE CANDIDATES FOR 2017 ELECTION By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
THE Free National Movement (FNM) announced the ratification of four more candidates ahead of the 2017 general election, with FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis hailing the lot as integral cogs in the party’s “better governance” machinery. Although not present at the party’s mini rally last night, incumbent Long Island MP Loretta MARVIN Dames was Butler-Turner was announced as the announced as the FNM Candidate for SEE PAGE TWO Mount Moriah.
BAHA MAR STAFF TOLD: ‘TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT’ SEE BUSINESS SECTION
OLYMPIC gold medal winner Shaunae Miller was welcomed back to her alma mater at St Augustine’s College yesterday for a day of celebration. See Sports for full story. Photos: Tim Clarke/Tribune staff
MINNIS SLAMS GOVERNMENT FOR ‘CELEBRATING’ MURDER COUNT By KHRISNA VIRGIL Deputy Chief Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net WITH two lives lost this week to senseless gun violence, Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr Hubert Minnis castigated the government for celebrating this year’s murder count, which is comparatively lower than
last year. The country has so far recorded 74 homicides in 2016; by this time last year there had been 107 murders. However, despite this 30 per cent decrease and no murders during the month of July, Dr Minnis said: “Numbers can lie, as the PLP government’s rosy SEE PAGE SIX
‘MAN STABBED GIRLFRIEND, THEN TOLD HER HE LOVED HER’ By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
A MAN returned to his apartment after stabbing his girlfriend multiple times to tell her he loved her, a Supreme Court judge heard from a probation officer yesterday. Reuben Baker, 32, appeared before Justice Deb-
orah Fraser for the penalty phase of his trial concerning the November 16, 2014 murder of Carmine Jean. Jean was involved in an argument with her boyfriend at their home on Alfred Way off Winders Terrace. She was stabbed twice in the upper back, once in both shoulders and once in the abdomen. SEE PAGE SIX
RENTAL GENERATORS ‘SHOULD BRING END TO OUTAGES THIS WEEK’ AFTER a summer plagued with blackouts, Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) officials stressed yesterday the rental generators imported from overseas will be in place by the end of this week, hopefully bringing an end to frequent power outages in New Providence. BPL officials led the media on a tour of the site yesterday where the rental units are being installed.
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BPL Corporate Communications Manager Arnette Ingraham explained why it took the company awhile to have the units installed. “It was a long-term process . . . the site was bushes just about 45 days ago,” she told reporters. “It had to be cleared, it had to be prepared, we had to get the engines here, we had to get them installed, all the cabling and all the fuel lines. And that is a lot of in-
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tensive work, we had to make sure that it was done safely. “We expect by the end of the week all 40 of those units will be up and running here at our Blue Hills Power Station. The good thing for us is that this, along with the existing 40 megawatts of Aggreko units that we’ve had for some time and with our existing fleet, we hope that this will alleviate SEE PAGE SIX
PAGE 2, Friday, September 16, 2016
NEW FNM CANDIDATES (from left): Marvin Dames, Mount Moriah; Mark Humes, Fort Charlotte and Walt Saunders, MICAL. Loretta Butler-Turner was also ratified for Long Island.
THE TRIBUNE
Photos: Shawn Hanna
FNM ANNOUNCES FOUR MORE CANDIDATES
FNM supporters at last night’s event.
FROM PAGE ONE FNM’s standard-bearer for the constituency, slamming the door on speculation that the party might look to replace her prior to the election. Dr Minnis and party officials are scheduled to visit the island on Monday for an event at the Salt Pond Regatta site, where Dr Minnis is expected to endorse Mrs Butler-Turner to the people of Long Island. In addition to Mrs ButlerTurner, the party ratified former Deputy Commissioner of Police Marvin Dames for the Mount Moriah constituency, former Democratic National Alliance (DNA)
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Chairman Mark Humes for the Fort Charlotte constituency and local entrepreneur Walt Saunders for the MICAL constituency. All three men were praised by party officials for their extensive resumes and efforts in and around the communities they are preparing to contest. Mr Dames, the person Dr Minnis said would play a “pivotal” role in taking the country back from the grasp of criminals, used his time in front of the FNM supporters gathered at the party’s Mackey Street headquarters to signal a rebirth for both the constituency of Mount Moriah and the country. The Tribune estimated the crowd to be around 200 people. Mr Dames was named by party insiders last week as the party’s choice for the Mount Moriah constituency. In an interview with this daily last Wednesday, Mr Dames said while the FNM’s interest in him had stirred much debate, he had yet to accept any position and the party hadn’t made him any assurances. However, over the weekend those conversations between his camp and the party’s executives advanced, with Mr Dames holding several meetings with the constituency’s association team to hash out the best plan for Mount Moriah. The former law enforcement officer last night thanked both the Mount Moriah constituency association and the FNM for his nomination and subsequent ratification, insisting that men like him - those not attempting to use political offices to advance their personal stances, but instead improving the lives of Bahamians - can no longer sit by idly and watch the country slip into peril. “I have lived long enough to witness good governance and bad governance. “All of the distractions aside, we as Bahamians are at a critical juncture in the development as people and as a nation; where we must make our leaders accountable,” stated Mr Dames. He called on voters to “stop the talk”, and use their power to affect the neces-
FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis at last night’s event. sary changes in society. “Our future depends on it. Mediocrity can no longer be acceptable. Promises in the absence of a plan and timeline amounts to nothingness. Smooth-talking accompany by no action can not and should not be rewarded.” He assured those in attendance that he was entering politics for the sole purpose of improving the lives of those that called the Bahamas home. Presented as the FNM’s “proof” that the party is serious about improving the country’s education climate, Mr Humes outlined the basis of his constituency plan, ensuring residents that he is focused on fixing the issues that plague the once great community. Connecting his professional achievements to solutions for those problems, Mr Humes said he is certain that the team being constructed by the FNM will change the way politics in the Bahamas is carried out. Mr Humes, a lecturer in the School of English Studies at the College of the Bahamas, ran as the DNA’s candidate for Fort Charlotte in the 2012 general election, where he received 519 votes. Mr Humes joined the FNM in April. He resigned from his post as DNA chairman in July 2013, saying the decision was personally motivated and in keeping with his principles and what he believes to be “right and true”. Furthermore, Dr Minnis used last night as an opportunity to ramp up the
party’s campaign strategy, launching attacks at the government for its inability to address the country’s woes and double-down on assertions that he is prepared to work with third party organisations to rid the country of the Progressive Liberal Party. Dr Minnis said the PLP wants to make the upcoming general election a battle of wits between himself and Prime Minister Perry Christie. However, the Killarney MP rejected the notion, insisting that when voters go to the polls next year, the decision should hinge solely on the failures of the PLP government and the hope presented by the FNM. Dr Minnis rehashed several recent crime statistics and occurrences, including a triple shooting earlier this week that left two men dead and a boy in hospital, and the robbery and battery of the former wife of one of the Free National Movement’s founding fathers, 89-yearold Beverly Wallace-Whitfield. He said events like this should serve as reasoning that the PLP isn’t focused on addressing the issues of the nation, and instead are only focusing on improving the lives of themselves and their cronies. Dr Minnis said the FNM intends to release segments of its detailed national plan in the coming weeks, promising that once issued, Bahamians would see that not only is the FNM the better party, but best for the country.
THE TRIBUNE
Friday, September 16, 2016, PAGE 3
ROLLINS: PRIME MINISTER’S PERSUASIVE CAPABILITIES HAVE HINDERED COUNTRY By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net PRIME Minister Perry Christie’s persuasive capabilities have ensured him a lengthy political career, but have also hindered the growth and development of the country, according to Ft Charlotte MP Dr Andre Rollins. Speaking as a guest on the Ed Fields Live talk show with host Rogan Smith and guest host Tosheena Robinson-Blair, Dr Rollins criticised the Centreville MP, likening the long-time politician’s career to a bad romance for the Bahamas. Describing his efforts while he was member of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) to push the party in line with its 2012 campaign promises, Dr Rollins said he pleaded with the senior brass of the party to take the necessary steps to rescue the country. However, he claimed his requests fell on deaf ears, prompting him to take his fight to the public. “I took the approach that I would handle any concern that I had about the performance of the PLP administration, that at the time I was a part of as a backbencher, that I would privately communicate with the prime minister and other leaders of the government to be someone who would offer that constructive criticism in hopes that once it was offered privately there would be evidence of them taking heed of that advice and altering their approach or performance,” Dr Rollins said. “Particularly with respect to the prime minister, what I found was
DR ANDRE ROLLINS was a guest on Ed Fields Live talk show yesterday. that he was very persuasive listener. He would give you the impression that not only was he hearing what you had to say, but that he would act on the recommendation or the constructive criticism that you were offering.” He added that while he finds Prime Minister Perry Christie to be “nice and likeable as an individual” he realised that much of his utterances are “hot air.” Dr Rollins continued: “As nice and likeable of an individual as he is, he is, in my view, the most effective political persuader - and I am choosing my words carefully - he is the most effective political persuader of any other member in Parliament. And by that I mean, he would have you believing that whatever he says, you can take that
to the bank. I found however, that it was all hot air. “He is filled with this capacity to speak eloquently and to have this romantic language that causes you to believe that he is capable of doing all that he has said he going to do and the outcome is going to be fantastic. “The problem is that nothing that he said ever materialised and I felt that the only way that I could have taken my criticism seriously was for me to go public. I tried to covey through my contributions in the House in the debates, I tried to be as straight-forward as I could be, communicating what I was previously communicating to him privately when my advice was falling on deaf ears, I tried to then communicate that publicly. While I
was speaking to the public, I was expecting that he would, as he was listening to what I was saying in the chamber, that it would force him to take it more seriously.” Dr Rollins said Mr Christie has made a career out of “dodging” accountability to those that support him. “Take into consideration that the PLP hasn’t had a convention since 2009,” he said. “They are about to have a convention again in November - the first in seven years. Mr Christie has been expert, not just at promising and not delivering on those promises, but he has been an expert in dodging accountability as an elected official. “Not just as the elected leader of the government you know, but he has refused to go through the
PASTOR THREATENS TO HOLD ‘URGENT MASS MEETING’ IF CLICO DEBACLE NOT SOLVED By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net THE management of CLICO (Bahamas) and the Christie administration have been warned to resolve the savings and investments debacle no later than this month, with a prominent pastor threatening to hold an “urgent mass meeting” with policyholders if one is not reached. Bishop Simeon Hall, pastor emeritus of New Covenant Baptist Church, said the “corporate sin” that is the CLICO (Bahamas) debacle, almost eight years since its inception, continues to have policyholders “languishing in uncertainty” as neither CLICO (Bahamas) nor government officials have indicated a possible end to the controversy. This is notwithstanding a previous promise by CLICO (Bahamas) officials that “financial bonds” would be distributed within a “few months” after March, when a collective $16m payout was issued to victims, Bishop Hall said. Thus, Bishop Hall said if “nothing concrete” takes place by the end of this month, he is prepared to summon CLICO (Bahamas’) former policyholders in an attempt to “channel all that energy or frustration into what we can do to get this thing to be resolved”. In March, Prime Minister Perry Christie promised that a collective $16m cash payout would be issued to victims of the CLICO situation before the end of that month. In announcing the payout plan during the mid-year budget debate, Mr Christie said the insolvent insurer’s executive flexible premium annuity (EPPA) holders, and surrendered pension policies, would receive a cash payment capped at $10,000. Anything owed above that sum would be paid off via the issuance to former clients of seven-year promissory notes (government bonds), which will provide them with quarterly insurance payments at the prime rate (4.75 per cent). Vaughn Culmer, CLICO (Bahamas) operations
BISHOP SIMEON HALL
manager, told The Tribune in April that the issuance of government bonds would “hopefully” take place “within the next few months”. The payout process began in March as promised, with some policyholders recovering at least some of their life savings and longterm investments, all of which were lost when the life and health insurer collapsed into insolvency in 2009. According to Bishop Hall however, policyholders have not heard anything pertaining to the issuance of the government bonds since the March payout. Additionally, some policyholders, like Bishop Robert McPhee, still have not recovered any lost funds. “Our call today is to call on CLICO (Bahamas) to give more information,” Bishop Hall said. “In the absence of information people make their own conclusions. The conclusions might be wrong be-
cause of a lack of information. We commend the government for bringing it so far, but this so far isn’t good enough. We are calling on CLICO and the government to let’s bring resolution to this debacle called CLICO. “Only in the Bahamas could this have happened. Were we in the United States, all the policyholders would be financially set right now. “This ought not to have happened under (anybody’s) watch. And people have been disadvantaged after paying years of monies into CLICO and now they’re without any returns. “The promise of returns, the promise of this thing being ameliorated has gone too far, almost eight years, and we’re calling on them to bring resolution to this.” Meanwhile, others, like Church of God Administrative Bishop Moses Johnson, took umbrage over losing the investment of thousands of dollars into various policies over the span of 20 years due to the insurer’s insolvency, only to receive a portion of those respective investments in compensation. “I had my pension with them for over 10 years, and of course I had my whole family insured from a health perspective for over 20 years,” he said. “We’re talking about paying $453 for over 20 years - we’re talking about paying over $300 on a pension scheme, and we’re talking now about investing well over $100,000. And then you’re
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going to get a settlement for $5,000? “I mean that’s not even one year’s payment that we would have given to CLICO.” In April,The Tribune reported how the relief originally expressed by many CLICO policyholders at the time of the payouts had subsequently turned to frustration, as some owed in excess of $100,000 had been offered at best $10,000 in compensation. Attorney Paul Moss, at the time, told members of the media that he was in communication with a number of the company’s former employees and policyholders, many of whom had expressed disappointment with the payments from the policies and investments. Mr Moss said that the amount being offered to policyholders at the time did not reflect the promises made by Mr Christie.
process of renominating as leader of the party. Because at convention you know, all the offices become vacant. And rather that putting himself in position to go back to the delegates of PLP convention to ask them to re-elect him, he has preferred to postpone a convention as often as he can.” He added: “The problem is that anybody who speaks or is vocal in calling for a convention is somebody who is dubbed as... not being a team player. When you become vocal now, clearly you are not a good PLP because you are not a team player.” Dr Rollins quit the PLP in June 2015, after months of criticising the party and Mr Christie for failed promises. He joined the Free National Movement last November.
PAGE 4, Friday, September 16, 2016
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Economists: Trump’s economic plans depend on unlikely growth NEW YORK — Donald Trump attached a price tag for the first time Thursday to an economic vision promising what many economists say is impossible: lower taxes, a dramatic expansion in some federal programmes and a slimmer government running a smaller deficit. In a speech to the Economic Club of New York, Trump said that his plan — a mix of tax cuts, regulation elimination and new spending — would reduce the nation’s tax burden by $4.4 trillion over 10 years and create 25 million new jobs. Trump and his advisers say that would lead to booming economic growth of as much as 4 percent a year, which would make up for most of that lost tax revenue along with an infusion of new money from trade, energy and regulatory reforms. The rest would come from almost $1 trillion in spending cuts made over the next decade, which Trump would accomplish by cutting one penny from every dollar from certain segments of the government each year. “My plan will embrace the truth that people flourish under a minimum government burden and will tap into the incredible, unrealised potential of our workers and their dreams,” Trump said. For Trump’s plans to succeed, they would have to overcome forces in the economy, such as rising automation, an aging population and low-wage competition overseas, that have led even conservative economists to call 4 percent growth an improbable goal. The U.S. economy is already creating 2.5 million jobs a year, the same pace promised by Trump over the next decade. Earlier in his campaign, Trump proposed a $10 trillion tax cut over 10 years that was so large and costly that several Republican economists laughed when asked about it. He later tacked on a series of spending proposals that promised even larger deficits, including a push against illegal immigration that analysts estimated could cost up to $600 billion, a $500 billion investment in the nation’s infrastructure and a vow to restore $450 billion of existing cuts in military spending. “Trump took the budgetary criticism seriously, and made a case that it actually adds up,” said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, who was John McCain’s economic policy director in the 2008 campaign and now is president of the American Action Forum. Holtz-Eakin said that Trump’s economic plans are now roughly equivalent to those of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, at least in scope, namely by proposing several ambitious initiatives and making a plausible, though not necessarily conclusive, argument on how to pay for them. Others say Trump’s plans are far shakier. Marc Goldwein, the senior policy director of the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said Trump is “relying on very rosy economic
assumptions that I don’t think are going to come to fruition.” The economy is currently expected to grow by roughly 2 percent a year, and economists say Trump’s proposed restrictions on immigration would be among the many things hampering his ability to double that rate of expansion. If growth remains around a more realistic 2 percent, Goldwein said, Trump’s plan would add roughly $5 trillion to the nation’s debt. Though Clinton’s tax hikes could slow the nation’s growth, he said, they’d pay for far more of her spending proposals and lead to a deficit a tenth the size of Trump’s. Trump also vowed Thursday to not cut defence spending and to exempt Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid from any reductions. Those programmes make up two-thirds of the federal budget. That would mean his “penny plan” for reducing spending would likely cut the budget at the heart of some of his signature proposals, including the Border Patrol and Department of Veterans Affairs, said Harry Stein of the liberal Center for American Progress Action Fund. It would also put Trump in direct conflict with House Speaker Paul Ryan, whose plans for the federal budget, widely embraced by Republicans, call for reining in the costs of programs such as Medicare and Social Security. Trump also introduced plans for an entirely new federal benefit this week, six weeks guaranteed paid maternity leave. He said he’d pay for that by cutting waste and fraud in the nation’s unemployment programme. David McIntosh, the president of the conservative Club for Growth, hailed the plan, saying it “should be the centrepiece of what he runs on.” But many economists are sceptical. “When you look at a lot of these, the theory is nice, but the reality is there’s only going to be a small amount of savings,” Goldwein said of pledges to cut waste. The heart of Trump’s plan is a revised tax code, which includes a pledge that no business should pay more than 15 percent of its income in taxes, down from the current 35 percent corporate tax rate. Few businesses now pay the full 35 percent rate, taking advantage instead of many deductions in the existing tax code. He also proposed simplifying the U.S. tax code for individuals, reducing the current seven tax brackets to three: 12 percent, 25 percent and 33 percent of income after deductions. As president, Trump said he would cut the number of regulations imposed by the federal government, including some that are designed to combat climate change and protect the food Americans eat. (This article is by JONATHAN LEMIRE and NICHOLAS RICCARDI of the Associated Press)
The American Air Ambulance Co
EDITOR, The Tribune.
YOUR letter writer P Simms was absolutely correct and on the ball. We need to know more about that American Air Ambulance Co - are they the preferred provider to NHI? Who is the local connection? Has the business opportunity valued at $1million a year gone to tender or is it going very soon? Just wonder who are their local Attorneys - surely not Chambers with the initials - A&A? The public is tired of this practice - brazen and so open and clearly evident
why the donation of computers probably was made and look where? Centerville is represented by none other than the Rt Hon Perry Christie.....now not suggesting anything or implying, but isn’t it sort of curious? It is well known the Centerville MP has a questionable record of doing things for his Constituents and always ramps up a few months prior to election day and swings the vote. Drive through Centerville and vividly the environment has worsened since 2012 has not improved since 1967! Editor, that US-based
Air Ambulance Service need not apply for that designation with NHI don’t Bahamian’s come first? There is already a Bahamian owned Air Ambulance Service why not encourage some other Bahamians to get into the business or is foreign best in Centerville? This election is going to be all about - BAHAMIAN and the thousands of suffering people and God this is our last chance for HOPE! MARK HUDSON Nassau, September 11, 2016.
The Bank of the Bahamas has reached the end EDITOR, The Tribune. FROM where I stand, it seems that the Bank of Bahamas has reached the end. Here on Mangrove Cay, Andros, the only bank we have is BoB on Mondays and Thursdays. The same staff works Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday on South Andros. The level of service at these two branches has reached deplorable. Last Thursday, one teller, the bank full. The staff worked straight through, no lunch. I wish I could say it was just this one day. But, this is the new normal here on Mangrove Cay. A two hour wait in line for a simple cheque cashing is not unheard of. People have to wait outside because the bank is full. My challenge is this BoB: Find one person here who does not agree with the following statement: “The level of service we receive from BoB is terrible, unacceptable, and getting worse.” What could be the reason for this level of service at BoB? I read a couple of weeks ago that BoB lost 24 million dollars in 2015 alone, bringing the last three years of BoB’s losses to over 120 million dollars. It should be repeated, losses over 120 million dollars. Those of us who have any money at all in BoB should look long and hard at the realistic viability of a company that under-performs to such a massive degree. Managing Director at the time, Mr Paul McWeeny, overseeing the tailspin BoB was in, commented in a Tribune article on November 4, 2014 that, “he expected BoB to return to profitability next year”. After leaving this company with his salary intact, although it failed under his administration, he then receives a huge bonus. Yes, I have a problem with that. According to a report in The Nassau Guardian on January 22, 2015, our Prime Minister stated, “The future of the Bank of The Bahamas, from where I sit, is bright.” The next question should be, “Where the heck is he sitting?” The bank director’s job is the same as the
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net central bank director’s job, which is the same as a central government’s official’s job, which is the same as the PM’s job. Paint as rosy a picture as possible, despite the realities of utter failure. And, we have no way of knowing if they are telling the truth, or lying. If they told the truth there would be a run on the bank. This is based on history and the facts. Worse, few of us understand how intricately intertwined BoB is with the entire Bahamian economy and the well-being of Bahamians. This is the danger. Here on Mangrove Cay, we are in another bind. We know that BoB will not spend any money on improving service because they are broke. Look at the numbers. BoB is broke. They claim that their losses are due to high operational costs. So, more likely than not, they will start closing branches. I expect Mangrove Cay will be on their target list. Of even greater concern should be: How are BoB employees being treated? We are told that the BoB employees here on Mangrove Cay Do Not take lunch. They work straight through. 9:00 in the morning till 5:00 in the evening, maybe later, No lunch? Are you kidding me? Shouldn’t BoB be held accountable for the treatment of its employees? I don’t know how much money a BoB teller makes a week, but I doubt it is really enough to justify this kind of treatment. Sort of makes you think of days gone by, doesn’t it? Days gone by that were rightfully made illegal. Why is BoB immune to prosecution for this treatment of its employees? Because the powers that be in The Bahamas have created a situation where jobs are so scarce, and unemployment so high, that nobody speaks out for fear of losing their job. Sad, isn’t it? Nobody at the top will
ever admit their mistakes; they will never admit they’re wrong. Look at the Baha Mar fiasco. Do you believe a word that comes from the Bahamian government? A high debt to GDP ratio, high unemployment, rising crime, increasing poverty, declining social services, crumbling infrastructure, credit downgrades, no transparency in public policy, no accountability for public referendums. Is it not clear that we are all on a losing team here, led by people who have only their own self interest at heart? As for us here on Mangrove Cay, it seems the only loans BoB makes are for consumer loans. Loaning to businesses, or to Bahamians who want to start a business, seems out of the question. It also seems BoB has lost its credibility with the US, German and EU banks. Just wait till the web shop money problems start. Does BoB have any money to lend, anyway? Many of us here on Mangrove Cay are working toward a bright future for our island, for our children, and for those who follow. We are actively working on a 10-year plan for many types of businesses which benefit locals, not just foreign investors. A safe, secure and wellrun bank is integral to our future. BoB does not, for all intents and purposes, fit this bill. And, if the past years of dismal news from BoB is any indicator, we should be looking elsewhere for safe, stable and timely banking service for the coming years. BoB has already failed. Any other business would have closed its doors by now. The regulators and politicians are ducking for cover, and not speaking the truth. Their jobs are also on the line. Six and seven figure jobs in our sad, slogging Bahamian economy are also in very short supply. NORMAN TRABULSY Jr Mangrove Cay, Andros, September 12, 2016.
THE TRIBUNE
Friday, September 16, 2016, PAGE 5
NEW BUILDING IS EXPECTED TO BE TWICE AS LARGE AS ORIGINAL By KHRISNA VIRGIL Deputy Chief Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net THE government has approved the use of more than $2m to rebuild the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) dormitory that was destroyed by fire in early 2015, according to Agriculture and Marine Resources Minister V Alfred Gray yesterday. Mr Gray said this new “expanded” building is expected to be twice as large as the original facility. Construction will start “shortly”, he said. The male dormitory was seriously damaged by fire in January, 2015. “BAMSI has about 14 to 20 buildings making up the buildings at BAMSI, a lecture theatre, administrative building, cafeteria, housing facilities for men and women, so about 14 to 20 buildings on the site,” Mr Gray said during a press conference at Ministry of Agriculture. “One of them burnt. There was an illusion that BAMSI burnt down. “Cabinet has just two weeks or so ago approved the reconstruction for that building to the tune of (around) $2 million. “It’s my understanding that it has gone out to tender and the bidding process is in train and hopefully construction will start shortly. “The question I need to answer always is: what’s happening to the other 14 buildings?” He added: “My understanding is it’s going to be twice as big as it was, but there’s already a female dorm. It will cost in excess
GOVERNMENT APPROVES $2M TO REBUILD BAMSI DORM THE BAMSI dormitory was destroyed by fire early last year.
of $2 million.” Last year, Deputy Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis estimated that reconstruction efforts for the damaged dorm would cost around “$5.5 million”. However at that time, the government was considering outfitting the dorm for double occupancy rather than single. “The increase in cost takes into consideration the cost to reconfigure the units from single to double occupancy, ordinary inflation, and VAT,” Mr Davis said last year. “Consequently, the net cost to government will be the cost of reconstruction, less the expenditure for the structure destroyed by fire.
That is to say, just under $3 million.” Yesterday Mr Gray said while most of the building at BAMSI’s campus in North Andros are between 90 to 97 per cent complete, he was still disappointed that they did not meet the September opening deadline. “Most of those buildings are completed. Some of them are 97 per cent completed but more of them are more than 95 per cent completed, so between 90 to 97 per cent completed,” Mr Gray said. “Ministry of Works is responsible for buildings that go up on that site. “My ministry is supposed to oversee what’s
BAMSI’S WORK ‘WILL HALVE FOOD IMPORT COSTS BY 2021’ By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net AS 40 STUDENTS begin the school term at the Bahamas Agricultural and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI), Agriculture Minister V Alfred Gray touted the institution’s expanding production of food yesterday as he pledged that the price of food imports will be cut in half by 2021 because of BAMSI’s work. Reducing the country’s reliance on food imports is the prime reason for BAMSI’s existence and Mr Gray said within the last year about $100 million worth of food in the country was supplied by BAMSI. The institution’s most prosperous crop has been banana, with 200 produced each week, he said. Bananas are then sold in major food stores as well as BAMSI’s store. The institution also has four and a half acres worth of coconuts under production. This will be expanded to 10 acres within months, Mr Gray said. “It is envisioned that soon we will import no coconut water in the Bahamas,” he added. “It is intended that
BAMSI will soon be able to produce coconut water for Bahamian consumption.” Four and half acres of limes, two acres of papaya, 35 acres of mangoes, 30 acres of avocados and four and half acres of plantains are also under production. About 100 associated farmers work with BAMSI in a programme to grow crops and sell them to BAMSI. The farmers have “strict” requirements to adhere to, including international standards for fertilisation, usage and preservation, Mr Gray said. He said the marine farming side of BAMSI has not progressed as quickly as the agriculture side. “That’s because it’s much more technical to grow fish than to grow plants,” he said, adding that 3,000 pounds of hydroponically grown lettuce have already been grown and shipped to New Providence within the last few months. Noting that the Bahamas imports about $900m worth of food each year, Mr Gray said: “(BAMSI) is in the process of launching a major project, Agri-vision 2021, which is a five-year food security plan to feed the Bahamas. “It is envisioned that this
AGRICULTURE Minister V Alfred Gray food security plan over the next five years will take local production to the half billion dollar mark in local output.” As for livestock, Mr Gray said whereas BAMSI started off with 23 sheep and goats in 2014, it now has 437 such animals, some of which have been imported and others which have been born at the farm. Mr Gray said a projected 52 people will graduate from BAMSI next year.
47 CUBAN MIGRANTS APPREHENDED IN BAHAMAS
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
FORTY SEVEN Cuban migrants have been intercepted at sea in the Bahamas over the past two days this week, according to Bahamas Immigration officials. Napthali Cooper, Immigration officer, reported that US Coast Guard officials intercepted three groups of migrants in the Cay Sal Bank area and brought them to Freeport, Grand Bahama, where they
were turned over to the authorities on Wednesday.Mr Cooper said the group consisted of 41 men and six women who had left Cuba and were headed to the United States. Immigration officials were assisted by the Royal Bahamas Defence Force in transporting the migrants to Immigration headquarters. They were examined by medical staff of the Disease and Surveillance Unit at the Public Hospitals Authority. The group was flown to New Providence yesterday and taken to the Detention Centre to await re-
going on, but it’s not responsible for the buildings going up. “I’m disappointed that the buildings were not ready for a September opening, but I have been assured that all of those buildings will be ready for the January term for the school year. Since it’s a different ministry I have to at least let you know that I am depending on the Ministry of Works to keep that work and my words don’t go flat. “I am going to keep their feet to the fire. Although there has been some bumps in the road and some hurdles to cross, BAMSI is doing well and the only way for BAMSI is up.”
Earlier this week, Mr Gray said the institute should be finished by the end of the year, despite projections that it would be complete by the beginning of this month. BAMSI is a major government initiative established in an effort to reduce the country’s reliance on food imports. The school opened to students in September 2014 even though the campus was not finished. The institute held its first graduation ceremony on July 7 with 23 students. The fire-damaged dorm, which was constructed by contractor Audley Hanna of Paradigm Construction, sparked controversy when
Mr Davis revealed that it was never insured. Mr Davis had previously said in the House of Assembly that at the time of the fire, the contractor’s all-risk insurance policy had lapsed due to non-payment. In July, 2015, Mr Davis said the destroyed dormitory would not be repaired until all other BAMSI buildings had been completed.
PAGE 6, Friday, September 16, 2016 FROM PAGE ONE in Long Island to have their say, they would opt for new representation. “It would not be Loretta ButlerTurner that the people of Long Island are calling for, they will be calling for someone else,” Dr Rollins said. “I know Long Island is deep south, and the journalists don’t get a chance to go on the ground in Long Island. But you allow the journalist to go on the ground in Long Island and find out if they feel a connection to Loretta Butler-Turner. “I am saying that not out of any personal animosity towards her, I am just letting you know (what) the feelings of the people I am interacting with in Long Island are. And the reality is that they are not asking the party to return her to Long Island. And I think that if you really wanted to know what is going on down there, you shouldn’t take second hand information, you go for yourself and find out what they are saying,” he added. On Thursday, The Tribune reported that Dr Minnis and party executives were expected to endorse Mrs Butler-Turner next week during a town meeting in Long Island. However some on the island have said they do not want her as their candidate. Earlier this month, former Cabinet minister Tennyson Wells told The Tribune that he instructed a group of voters in Long Island to draft a petition for Mrs ButlerTurner’s removal if they truly wanted another candidate. Mr Wells said this group approached him for counsel during the most recent regatta on the island where he advised them that the most effective way to get the party’s attention was to gather
FROM PAGE ONE Sagina Pratt, a probation officer with the Department of Rehabilitative Welfare Services, testified yesterday about Baker’s recollection to her of the events that led up to the stabbing. After the probation officer disclosed that Baker had returned after stabbing his still alive girlfriend, Justice Fraser asked the probation officer if he told her why he didn’t get help. “When I spoke to him I asked him why he didn’t call for help. He said he didn’t know, he was scared and frantic,” Ms Pratt said. Baker, alias Duran, was unanimously convicted by a jury in May of intentionally causing Jean’s death. Ms Pratt was questioned by Baker’s lawyer, Michael Hanna, about his admission of guilt for what occurred on the day in question. “He told you he’s guilty and gave you an account of what happened?” Mr Hanna asked. “The second time I went to interview him, he relayed to me that he initially he did not want to tell me in the first interview but this is the first time he’d been in this type of trouble before,” the probation officer said. “Over a period of three
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ROLLINS ‘WOULD RUN AGAINST LORETTA’
as many signatures as possible to prove that she is no longer supported. Yesterday, Dr Rollins said if the voices of voters are ignored, and Mrs Butler-Turner is installed as the candidate, he would not be afraid to launch an independent bid. “The voters of Long Island, ultimately, I expect will have an opportunity, maybe as soon as next week to be heard as far as what they would like to happen as far as the FNM. “If their voices are ignored, if they are not given the opportunity to be heard, then the discussion will open it to something larger,” he stated. “Whether having been ignored, if that happens, whether they would wish to exercise their choice in what will amount to a form of primary where they will chose their preferred candidate in a general election who may happen to be an independent, who would yield to their direction by joining the party that they support as they enter the House of Assembly,” added the Fort Charlotte MP. “If the people of Long Island instruct me that that is what they want, then I will of course yield to their instructions. But I doubt that they will ask me to remain independent. Ultimately the people of Long Island are Free National Movement supporters in the main. There are many who believe Long Island has been ignored. That it has received nothing but empty promises and they believe that
Long Island is long over-due for the attention that it has lacked since the first FNM administration, 1992-1997. “I can assure you, for people who know that I am a bold politician, I am not afraid to embark on this particular journey. Let there be no mistake. I am not afraid to embark on this journey, but if the Free National Movement ignores the voices of the people in Long Island, they do so at their own peril. “If they are ignored and they tell me that they want me to give them another option, I will march to their tune and I will put myself in position to allow them to use me as a vessel to affect the kind of change to ensure that Long Island (is not) ignored and that it takes its rightful place in the political establishment in this country.” It has been speculated for months that Dr Rollins was shoring up support in Long Island for a potential election bid there. In February, The Tribune reported that Dr Rollins was seen on the island “making rounds in an attempt to garner the support of the party,” according to sources. Dr Rollins has previously said he would not seek a nomination from the FNM after Dr Minnis retained his leadership post at the party’s convention in July. However on Monday, he changed his tune, saying on Ed Fields Live that he would consider a nomination from the party if offered one by Dr Minnis.
‘MAN STABBED GIRLFRIEND, THEN TOLD HER HE LOVED HER’ days he relayed how the incident laid out. He said he’d apologised for what he did and was remorseful for his actions. He himself is mourning over her death,” Ms Pratt added. “Did he say anything about the mother?” Mr Hanna then asked. “He spoke about her family generally. He did sympathise with the family and indicated he wanted to express his apologies,” the probation officer said. Ms Pratt said Baker claimed he could not recall committing the offence. “He witnessed a hickey on her neck,” Ms Pratt said. “He was upset about it and she denied having any extra relations outside of their relationship. But he’d gotten over it three days later. There was a wedding to be held and the following day was her birthday. He had a basket made for her to present at the wedding and his intention was to ask her to marry him. “When he arrived to the wedding, he saw her dancing inappropriately with another man and they argued about in the car when they left. It continued when they arrived at home. He doesn’t recall how he retrieved the knife but he’d taken her into the bedroom when the incident occurred. He left and went to his car but came back. He held her in his arms, told
her he loved her and went to his mother’s house,” the probation officer added. Mr Hanna asked the probation officer if his client had any prior convictions. “There are no convictions based on info from the Criminal Records Office,” the probation officer said. Crown prosecutor Randolph Dames made an application to Justice Fraser for the victim’s mother and sister to give an impact statement to the court. The judge allowed the application. Santana Jean, mother of Carmine Jean, told Justice Fraser that her daughter was a sweet person. “I never had (a) teacher ever call me to school for (a) problem,” she said. “He (Reuben) take Carmine away from me. I hurt. Every day I cry. She’s gone now for 22 months and I still crying. That’s my baby. That hurt me,” an emotional Ms Jean added. Tashana Valsaint described the loss of her sister as a “living nightmare”. “Me and my sister had a good relationship, an open relationship. We could talk to each other about anything. She was a very happy and sparkling person. Life hasn’t been the same at all after Carmine (died),” she said quietly. The hearing resumes on September 19.
DR ANDRE ROLLINS pictured during yesterday’s radio show.
WOMAN DIES AFTER HER CAR HITS TREE
FROM PAGE ONE
Traffic Division, Assistant Superintendent Craig Stubbs, said Ms Hall was travelling west on Yamacraw Hill Road when she crashed. “Officers received a call shortly after 5am that there was a traffic accident on Yamacraw Hill Road,” Assistant Supt Stubbs said. “When they arrived on the scene they discovered that a 2009 Nissan March had
collided with a tree. The female driver appeared to be lifeless. “Emergency Medical Services personnel were called to the scene and confirmed that the female driver had died. “Initial reports reveal that that she was travelling west when she lost control of the vehicle and the right driver’s side made impact with the tree. “The vehicle was exten-
sively damaged.” Assistant Supt Stubbs said speed, along with the wet condition of the road, could have led to the accident. Investigations continue. Anyone with information regarding this or any other matter is asked to contact police at 911, 919, the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991, 502- 9910 or Crime Stoppers at 328TIPS.
MINNIS SLAMS GOVT FOR ‘CELEBRATING’ MURDER COUNT FROM PAGE ONE outlook does.” He said crime is killing this country’s communities as he pledged that the party would work every day to ensure children, mothers and fathers do not continue to become tragic statistics. “We at the FNM believe our people are more than numbers,” Dr Minnis said in a press statement on Wednesday night. “Numbers can lie, as the PLP government’s rosy outlook proves. “The PLP have been in celebration mood that the murder rate is lower than the historical high of last year. “The PLP government should try to convince the 74 families who lost their family members to murder this year that things are getting better. To the PLP those people are numbers, to the FNM they are tragic victims of a leaderless government that spends more time on rosy PR than on truly solving problems.” He added: “It is with great sorrow that I extend mine and the FNM’s sympathy to the families affected by the recent spurt of murders. It is truly a sad day in the Ba-
hamas when our children are involved and killed or shot in shootings in their neighbourhoods. “Our children should feel safe and not under the constant fear of being innocently caught up in shootings while innocently coming back from the water pump.” He was referring to a triple shooting off Peardale Street, near Wulff Road, which resulted in the deaths of two men on Tuesday night. They were standing with a group of men in the area when gunmen emerged from nearby bushes and opened fire. An eight-year-old boy was also shot during the incident as he was walking from a nearby water pump. He is said to be in stable condition in hospital. McKenzie Telusnor, 22, died at the scene while 35-year-old Mark Davis, a newlywed and father of an infant and seven-year-old boy, died in hospital. Last Friday 35-year-old Marisha Bowen, a pregnant mother of two, was found dead in her apartment. Police discovered the Guyanese woman shortly after 8am. Sources said she died of a single wound to the throat.
RENTAL GENERATORS ‘SHOULD BRING END TO OUTAGES THIS WEEK’
9/9/16 6:27 PM
FROM PAGE ONE
DIVIDEND NOTICE TO ALL SHAREHOLDERS The Board of Directors of Commonwealth Bank Limited has Declared a Quarterly Dividend for Common, “E”, “J”, “K”, “L”, “M” and “N” Preference Shares, to all shareholders of record at September 23, 2016, as follows:Common “E” Preference “J” Preference “K” Preference “L” Preference “M” Preference “N” Preference
THE TRIBUNE
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6¢ per share 6 ¼% per annum payable quarterly 6 ¼% per annum payable quarterly 6 ¼% per annum payable quarterly 6 ¼% per annum payable quarterly 6 ¼% per annum payable quarterly 6 ¼% per annum payable quarterly
The payment will be made on September 30, 2016 through Bahamas Central Securities Depository, the Registrar & Transfer Agent, in the usual manner.
Charlene A. Bosfield Corporate Secretary
LEADER IN PERSONAL BANKING SERVICES
some of the outages that our customers in New Providence have been experiencing for some time.” Mrs Ingraham did not reveal how much BPL paid for the rental equipment. “We want to be competitive so we don’t want to reveal what somebody would have charged us for the units that we have,” she said yesterday. Last week, nearly one month after the first set of rental generators secured for BPL arrived in the country, Bahamas Electrical Workers Union President Paul Maynard told The Tribune that the site for the engines has not been prepared. In July, Prime Minister Perry Christie admitted that the management of BPL failed to adequately anticipate the challenge of generating electricity during the summer months and prepare for it.
“The difficulty is that I thought we had anticipated, that is the management of BEC and the management going forward, that we were going to have a bad summer and I knew that we had to have at least 40 megawatts in addition to what we have now - they were ordered late,” Mr Christie said at
MAN IN CUSTODY IN CONNECTION WITH MURDER OF TEACHER POLICE arrested a man last night in connection with the murder of C W Saunders Baptist School teacher Marisha Bowen (pictured). Ms Bowen was found dead in her apartment last Friday. Investigations are ongoing.
the time. “The fact is (that the management is) anticipating relief by a certain date that they can give. “And the relief would be where you add to the capacity as it exists now; the 40 megawatts that they say should be able to balance out the challenges that we have.”
THE TRIBUNE
Friday, September 16, 2016, PAGE 7
PRIVILEGE PROBE WILL MOVE AHEAD DESPITE APPEAL BY FITZGERALD By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
HOUSE of Assembly Committee on Privilege Chairman Arnold Forbes confirmed yesterday that the probe into Justice Indra Charles’ ruling on the limits of parliamentary privilege will move ahead despite the recent appeal filed by Marathon MP Jerome Fitzgerald in the matter. Mr Forbes said while the committee will seek legal counsel “at some point”, the public hearings are set to begin next Thursday. He said no persons have been tapped to come before the committee as yet. “The committee will move ahead,” he said. “I will have to probably meet with fellow committee members, but as far as I know we are proceeding. “We will at some point seek legal counsel and that will probably play a role in the decision, but as far as I know we are moving ahead as planned for Thursday of next week.” Mr Forbes added: “We have not endeavoured to call anyone as yet but we will meet in our first hearing on Thursday.” A notice from the House clerk will be issued with information on the confirmed venue, according to Mr Forbes, who said there was a tentative booking for the Paul Farquharson Centre. The committee probe has evoked mixed reaction from the legal community, with some calling the move an affront of the separation of powers while others contend that the exercise reinforces the division of the three arms of government. In May, Justice Charles granted a permanent injunction barring parlia-
MARATHON MP Jerome Fitzgerald filed an appeal to have Justice Charles’ ruling overturned last week.
mentarians from accessing or making public the personal information of the non-profit organisation, Save The Bays. Justice Charles ruled that Mr Fitzgerald infringed on constitutional rights when he tabled the private e-mails of Save The Bays in Parliament, and therefore could not be protected by parliamentary privilege. Justice Charles also ordered Mr Fitzgerald to pay $150,000 in damages for the breach In Parliament, Mr Fitzgerald moved a resolution for the House Committee on Privilege to determine whether Justice Charles, STB Director Fred Smith, QC, and lawyer Ferron Bethell should be held in contempt of the House of Assembly. The resolution was seconded by Deputy Prime Minister Philip Davis, and provides for funding to obtain independent legal advice if needed. However, Mr Fitzgerald filed an appeal to have Justice Charles’ ruling
overturned last week; raising speculation of whether there would be a conflict now that the matter was now under judicial consideration. A Queen’s Counsel, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, called the parliamentary probe an “affront to the separation of powers”. In an interview with The Tribune earlier this week, the QC said the move was “ill-advised” given that it was a long-standing parliamentary rule that nothing said or done in parliament should refer to a pending legal matter. Yesterday, another QC insisted that the parliamentary committee was well within its rights to continue with proceedings. “If what they’re saying is we’re going to take a judgment look at all of the documents filed in the ruling, and related persons, in theory that could include a judge. A matter being sub judice can’t prevent parliament from acting,” said attorney Wayne Munroe.
NYGARD LAWSUIT WON’T BE HEARD TILL NEXT YEAR
THE murder-for-hire lawsuit against Lyford Cay fashion designer Peter Nygard and lawyer Keod Smith will not be heard by the Supreme Court until early next year. At a preliminary hearing on Monday, Supreme Court Justice Indra Charles told legal counsel that the matter could not be heard until February 17 due to an extremely full court calendar. The Supreme Court writ was filed against Mr Nygard and his former lawyer Keod Smith by STB Directors Joseph Darville, Romauld Ferreira, Fred Smith, Louis Ba-
con, and Reverend CB Moss, who is not a part of the STB. They allege that the defendants orchestrated a two-and-a-half-year campaign of fear and violence to “kill or scare off” activists who Mr Nygard saw as opponents to development plans for his Lyford Cay property known as Nygard Cay. Attorneys Julian Mailins, Ferron Bethell, Camille Cleare, Adrian Gibson, and Dawson Malone appeared on behalf of the plaintiffs. Damian Gomez and Raquel Jones-Hall represented the defendants.
US SAFETY REGULATORS RECALL SAMSUNG NOTE 7 PHONES SAFETY regulators in the United States announced a formal recall of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 smartphone yesterday after a spate of fires led to injuries and property damage and created a global marketing headache. Samsung had already initiated a voluntary recall, but the US Consumer Product Safety Commission stepped in to co-ordinate. Commission Chairman Elliot Kaye criticised Samsung for trying to do the recall on its own, saying that anyone who believes that a unilateral effort would be sufficient “needs to have more than their phone checked”. Samsung sold about 2.5 million of its top-line smartphone, including about one million in the United States. Kaye said the South Korean company has now agreed to offer consumers the choice of a full refund or a replacement device. Before, Samsung was offering replacements only. The Note 7 had been drawing favourable reviews before consumers began reporting problems with the lithium battery overheating, resulting in fires and explosions. One family in St Petersburg, Florida, reported that a Galaxy Note 7 left charging in their Jeep had caught fire, destroying the vehicle. “Samsung has received 92 reports of the batteries overheating in the US, including 26 reports of burns and 55 reports of property dam-
age,” said a statement on the US commission’s website. The statement said property damage included fires in cars and a garage. Samsung pledged yesterday to expedite the recall. “Consumer safety is always our highest priority,” Tim Baxter, president of Samsung Electronics America, said in a statement. In addition, the Department of Transportation is ordering airline passengers not to bring Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones on planes unless they keep them turned off and don’t charge them during the flight. Passengers also must disable all applications that could inadvertently activate the phone, like an alarm clock; protect the power switch to prevent the phone from being unintentionally turned on; and keep the device in a carry-on baggage or on their person, not in a checked bag. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement that anyone who
travels with the recalled device must take precautions to ensure its safe handling. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a warning to passengers about the phones last week. The South Korean company has been criticised for its response over the past two weeks. Samsung announced on September 2 that it had stopped selling the phone and would replace any that had been sold. But Samsung did not tell consumers at the time to stop using the device. The company also did not immediately co-ordinate its recall with the US consumer safety agency. Samsung said Note 7 purchasers will be offered the choice of a refund or a replacement. For a replacement, customers can choose a new Note 7 when it is available again in the US by Wednesday, or the smaller and cheaper Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge right away - with a refund of the price difference.
“The fact that you rush out to court doesn’t stop Parliament. “Separation of powers means that Parliament has the power to deal with something that comes before it. “I don’t understand the difficulty with Parliament doing what it is supposed to be doing, regulating its own procedures while the court deals with an issue before it. Mr Munroe said: “What would amount to courtesy is what Parliament would do if there is a determination that that court acted in contempt, would consequences be visited on the judge or the lawyers who moved the court to act in that manner?” “The judge delivered a judgment that she thinks is right. “The MP believes he did what he thinks is right. It could be decided that either or both of them were wrong. The committee on privilege can discipline a member of Parliament also.”
WOMAN CONVICTED OF ROLE IN ROBBERY ‘LIKED TO FIGHT’ IN HER YOUTH By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
A WOMAN convicted of having a role in the robbery of a web shop manager in Long Island had a propensity for violence during her youth, a judge heard yesterday. Daphne Knowles, of Cartwright’s, Long Island, appeared before Justice Bernard Turner for the penalty phase of her trial relating to the events leading up to the death of Andrea Carroll in 2014. Christina Swain, a senior probation officer at the Department of Rehabilitative Welfare Services, was tasked with preparing a probation report on Knowles for the court to consider when it imposes a sentence. While the contents of the report were not read into the record, it was revealed during questioning by Crown and defence counsel that Knowles was described by her father as someone who “liked to fight” during her childhood. It was also revealed that she had an infraction since her incarceration at the Department of Correctional Services, though she denied having possession of moonshine. She also maintained her innocence of the crimes when interviewed by Mrs Swain. The matter was adjourned to September 29 for continuation of the sentencing hearing. Knowles initially stood trial before Justice Turner charged with murder, robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery. Knowles was alleged
to have killed Carroll between November 28 and 29, 2014. It was further alleged that Knowles conspired with others to commit robbery and actually robbed Carroll of cash belonging to Bowe’s Web Games Ltd. Carroll was found dead with cuts, bruises, a broken neck and a broken spinal cord. The prosecution produced witnesses during who alleged that Knowles, a fired employee of Carroll, approached them about a plan to rob the web shop manager. Knowles, when interviewed by police after Carroll’s death, denied that $14,000 found in her possession had belonged to the web shop. She said that as a drug trafficker she did not need to rob and murder a web shop manager for money. Her defence, however, was not completely sold on a jury. While the jury returned a hung verdict of 7-5 on the murder charge, which is not acceptable in law, Knowles was unanimously convicted on charges of robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery. Knowles would have faced the death penalty if convicted of the murder. The 12-member panel returned the verdicts within an hour after being excused to deliberate on three weeks of evidence. Knowles was represented by attorney Sonia Timothy. Cephia Pinder-Moss and Basil Cumberbatch prosecuted the case.
PAGE 8, Friday, September 16, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
Big Bad Brad huffs and puffs at Dr Doolittle A Comic’s View
By INIGO ‘NAUGHTY’ ZENICAZELAYA
I
n politics, life can turn on a dime. Just last week the governing Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) looked poised to squeak out another Election Day winner if for no other reason than the opposition parties (all 50,000 of them) were fighting, scratching and going for each other’s throats. This week, the Free National Movement (FNM) sought to move beyond the fray by naming a few high profile candidates to its roster of MP wannabes, and just like that PLP chairman Bradley Roberts rose from his slumber huffing and puffing, ready to blow the FNM’s house away. ONE MAN’S TRASH I have to hand it to FNM leader Dr Hubert Minnis; he sure is resilient. Think about it. In four short years the PLP has dropped verbal blows on him in Parliament, Loretta Butler-Turner repeatedly challenged him, Andre Rollins berated him in public, six of his own MPs tried to oust him, several of his senators were forced to resign their seats (in shame, some would say) and even ‘Toggie and
“Let’s face it, we are not politically mature. We want huge rallies, 500ft tour buses (I see you, DNA) and 10 million T-shirts destined for the trash the day after elections. We want our ‘free tings’ and we want to align ourselves with ‘winners’.” Bobo’ got him caught up in a scandal. Yet with all that drama and dysfunction, in less than a week since ‘taking guff’ off the no-seat wonders in the Democratic National Alliance (DNA), Minnis is still somehow managing to give the politically astute Bradley Roberts conniptions. After rumours started circulating that high profile names in the community such as Dionisio D’Aguilar, Marvin Dames and talk show host Jeff Lloyd were ready to hitch their political wagons to Minnis and the FNM, Mr Roberts immediately went into ‘Big Bad Brad’ mode, accusing Dr Minnis of sell-
FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis (inset) and PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts. ing out to Baha Mar developer Sarkis Izmirlian. His proof? All of the aforementioned potential candidates at one point or other worked with and for Baha Mar. What Mr Roberts forgot to mention is that Baha Mar, when it actually looked like something that would come to fruition, made it a point to seek out the ‘best and brightest’. What he also neglected to
point out in his latest rant is that several of his own party members, who are now sitting up comfy in Cabinet, also worked for and with Mr Izmirlian until it became politically expedient to work against him. So this is where we find ourselves, once again being force fed garbage from the PLP chairman who wants to set the next race up as a showdown between the already battered Izmirlian and the government. He wants us to believe that these gentlemen (who have all contributed to their country and have generally positive name recognition) are nothing more than pawns in a game being played by the ‘boogeyman’ of Lyford Cay and Dr Doolittle’s FNM. I have no idea whether or not Izmirlian is a financial contributor to the FNM. But I do know it takes a lot of testicular fortitude for the party that allegedly pocketed millions from another eccentric Lyford Cay billionaire to buy Tshirts, not to mention the ‘numbers boys’ to criticise anyone. If Dr Minnis does manage to scrap together a few shekels to run a competitive race by pulling in selffinanced, quality candidates then he would have pulled off another shrewd political move. Much to the PLP’s chagrin. I had honestly hoped that, by 2017, we would be
DIONISIO D’AGUILAR
SARKIS IZMIRLIAN
beyond a person having to be financially well off to be considered a serious candidate but after decades of being plied with free food, free drinks and mindless entertainment, the average Bahamian voter ‘een dere yet’. Let’s face it, we are not politically mature. We want huge rallies, 500ft tour buses (I see you, DNA) and 10 million Tshirts destined for the trash the day after elections. We want our ‘free tings’ and we want to align ourselves with ‘winners’. That’s one reason Dr Minnis’ latest move is worrisome to the PLP. Most of the candidates the PLP is offering have already proven themselves incompetent. And by proclaiming himself the only person talented enough to lead the PLP, Mr Christie has reinforced that narrative. On the other hand, Dr Minnis has not proven himself competent, but at least he can dance and he seems willing to surround
himself with some talent. Which has (once again) put him back in the race. Bradley Roberts once quipped that if he wanted to know ‘how to wash clothes’ he would call Mr D’Aguilar. Perhaps now would be a good time to pick up the phone, since he has soiled himself at the mere mention of D’Aguilar’s name, not to mention the bundles of PLP dirty laundry piling up yet to be aired. Nose plug please! • Inigo ‘Naughty’ Zenicazelaya is the resident stand-up comic at Jokers Wild Comedy Club at the Atlantis, Paradise Island, resort and presents ‘Mischief and Mayhem in da AM’ from 6am to 10am, Monday to Friday, and ‘The Press Box’ sports talk show on Sunday from 10am to 1pm on KISS FM 96.1. He also writes a sports column in The Tribune on Tuesday. Comments and questions to naughty@tribunemedia.net
TROPICAL STORM KARL FORMS IN EASTERN ATLANTIC
(AP) Tropical Storm Karl has formed in the far eastern Atlantic but currently poses no threat to land. Late Thursday night, Karl was located about 575 miles (930 km) west-northwest of the Cabo Verde Islands and about 1,930 miles (3,105 km) east of the Leeward Islands.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami says Karl is moving west at 14 mph (kph) with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph). It was expected to continue toward the west or west-southwest for the next couple of days. No coastal watches or warnings are in effect related to the storm.
THE TRIBUNE
PROJECT BEACH CLEANUP ON SATURDAY
AS PART of the annual International Coastal Cleanup, the world’s largest single day volunteer effort to clean up beaches, lakes and rivers, Dolphin Encounters - Project BEACH is organising an exercise on Saturday in New Providence expected to be attended by hundreds. The cleanup is scheduled for Saturday from 8am to 10am at South Beach near the pools off East Street South. Every piece of trash volunteers find will be tracked and included in an annual index of global marine debris to be released next year. Last year, 791,336 people picked up more than 18 million pounds of trash along 25,188.5 miles of coastline. Plastic debris remains a growing concern in the marine environment, and the top five most commonly collected items are cigarette butts, plastic beverage bottles, food wrappers, plastic bottle caps and plastic straws, respectively. All are forms of plastic debris. The Bahamas results from last year’s clean up also reflect these findings.
Friday, September 16, 2016, PAGE 9
Florida fishing laws ‘will benefit Bahamas’ By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
AGRICULTURE Minister V Alfred Gray said yesterday that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission’s (FFWC) amendment of its laws governing fish brought from the Bahamas into the state will be good for this country. Some Bahamians had complained that the amendments will detract from their fishing efforts and reflect willingness by the government to capitulate to poachers rather than to stop them. ReEarth President Sam Duncombe told The Nassau Guardian earlier this week that through its amendments, Florida was lowering the barriers to recreational fishing from the Bahamas, a result she said was “very disturbing”. Those regulations came into effect on Tuesday. Among other things, the regulations allow anglers to keep filleted dolphin, wahoo and reef fish caught in the Bahamas and to bring them back to Florida. In response to concerns, Mr Gray said yesterday
AGRICULTURE Minister V Alfred Gray said the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission’s amendment of its laws should be beneficial to the Bahamas.
that sports fishing is a tourist attraction in the Bahamas that brings in millions of dollars. He said the government believes people who engage in such an activity should be allowed to take some of the catch with them back to their locations. “Florida boaters have long been able to legally
fish and export marine resources to the United States,” Mr Gray said at a press conference to announce the start of the new school year for the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI). “However, the quantities fished and/or exported must be in keeping with the catch or bag limits
imposed by the Fisheries Regulations. “Further, the regulations require that those who wish to fish in Bahamian waters must first enter at an official port of entry and obtain a sports fishing permit before engaging in any fishing commences. “In clarifying what quantities of fish which may be legally caught by
foreign boaters, Regulation 40 of the current Fisheries Regulations states that no more than 18 individual fish of the migratory species such as kingfish, dolphin, tuna or wahoo is to be found abroad the vessel at any time; all billfish, such as marlins, sailfish or swordfish, caught must be returned to the sea unharmed, except where they are landed under the provisions of an approved sports fishing tournament or event.” He added that no turtles and no more than six conch, ten crawfish or 60 pounds of fish can be taken on board a vessel at any time. He added that the ministry’s study of the FFWC’s amendments should prove beneficial to the Bahamas. He also noted that under the Florida amendment, fillets must retain their skin so fish species can be identified and verified for inspection compliance purposes. “These provisions will assist with determining the species and number of individual fish caught,” he said.
JULIA WEAKENS TO DEPRESSION, GROWS AGAIN INTO TROPICAL STORM
TONY JOUDI, the newly-installed Ambassador to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (second right), with Prime Minister Perry Christie, Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling and Frederick Mitchell, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, following the official diplomatic appointment ceremony at Government House. Photo: Azaleta Ishmael-Newry
AMBASSADOR TO QATAR AND THE UAE PRESENTED WITH HIS INSTRUMENTS OF APPOINTMENTS THE BAHAMAS first Ambassador to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been presented with his Instruments of Appointments by the Governor General, Dame Marguerite Pindling. Tony S Joudi, a civil engineer and native Arabic speaker, has also been designated by the government as Commissioner General of The Bahamas’ Pavilion for Expo 2020, which will take place in Dubai, UAE. In a ceremony at Government House, Prime Minster Perry Christie spoke of the many attributes of the newly installed Ambassador and of his high expectations. “We recognise that this is the first ambassador that our Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable Fred Mitchell, has ever proposed to us for Qatar or the United Arab Emirates. As much as we may like
to, as a small nation we cannot establish an embassy everywhere, so we need sound advice to enable a wise choice as to where we are represented.” The Prime Minister explained some of the decision making process, calling the consideration given “exact”. He said: “Firstly, I had to consider that we were ready to establish relations with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, that there would be a meaningful relationship arising, and secondly that we had the right person to represent us in that part of the world.” The Prime Minster said Ambassador Joudi is a successful businessman and one who naturally and just as easily walks with kings as the common man. “As the old proverb ‘walking with kings’ goes, so it is with Ambassador Joudi - he is able to walk with kings yet not lose the common touch, enabling relation-
AT THE reception at Government House following the official ceremony of his appointment Tony Joudi is pictured with (from left) Allan Sweeting, Manager Jet Blue; Hubert Chipman, St Anne’s MP; businessman Kendall Major; Algernon Allen, attorney, and Nathanial Edgecombe. Photo: Azaleta Ishmael-Newry ships with people from all ranks and persuasions and politics. He has gained the respect of people in our country and abroad and therefore I think him particularly well qualified to represent our country in the best possible way.” Ambassador Joudi came to the Bahamas from his native Lebanon following his education in the United States, where he had met and interacted with Bahamians who encouraged him to move to Nassau. A long-time permanent resident of the Bahamas, he is also Bahamian citizen. He practiced his engineering in the early years with Joseph Nathaniel Edgecombe and is married to the former Michelle Cates of Rock Sound, Eleuthera. They
have a son, Tony, and a daughter, Cassidy. As the President of Fast Track Construction Company, Ambassador Joudi has worked on several local and international design and construction projects. Additionally, he is President of Sapphire Venture Fund, a local real estate Smart Fund listed on the Bahamas International Securities Exchange (BISX), Deputy Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and a Trustee on the Bahamas Contractors Association. He served for five years on the Board of the BISX. He is a member of the Bahamas Professional Engineering Board and of the Bahamas Society of Civil Engineers.
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Julia restrengthened into a tropical storm Thursday after earlier weakening to a tropical depression, but forecasters said it would gradually lose steam again while meandering off the coast of the Carolinas. The storm, which did not deliver the torrential downpours and widespread flooding that was feared earlier in the week, was expected to drift off the coast for the next couple of days, the National Hurricane Center said. No coastal watches or warnings were in effect. Julia’s maximum sustained winds at 5 p.m. EDT on Thursday were 40 mph (about 65 kph). The storm was centred about 175 miles (about 280 kilometres) southeast of Charleston, South Carolina and 150 miles (about 240 kilometres) southeast of Wilmington, North Carolina. It was moving at a speed of 8 mph (13 kph), the center said. Flood watches were dropped for the South Carolina coast earlier Thursday, although forecasters issued a smallcraft advisory for waters near the shore and said there was a danger of rip currents along the coast through Thursday evening. Street flooding that occurred around high tide late Wednesday closed a handful of downtown Charleston streets, but all had reopened by rush hour Thursday morning, and the pavement on major arteries leading into town was dry. Many areas along the South Carolina coast saw more than 2 inches of rain during the storm on Wednesday, but nowhere near the 6 to 8 inches that had earlier been forecast.
PAGE 10, Friday, September 16, 2016
ROYO REACHES OUT WITH HOT BREAKFASTS By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net THE Reach Out Youth Organisation (ROYO) is launching a feeding programme next week, providing hot breakfasts every day to about 80 needy children in the inner-city area of Freeport. Dudley Seide, ROYO founder, said the programme is dear to his heart because he remembers as a youngster going to school without any lunch. “I remember growing up and having no lunch at school and I know how it feels to be hungry and still try to learn,” he said. The programme will start on Monday, September 19, from 7.30am to 8.30am at the Reach Out community centre on Banyan Lane from Monday to Friday. Mr Seide said the organisation conducted a walkabout and survey in the area and discovered that about 60 to 80 children were not having breakfast or lunch at school. “We went into the community asking parents and kids what are some of their needs and most of them said they had no breakfast in the morning, or lunch at school,” he said. “We know that this is a contributing factor to kids not doing well in school and so we decided to assist because when children are able function properly on a full stomach instead of worrying about being hungry,” he said. Mr Seide said they will also provide hot meals twice per month between 4pm and 6pm to children and residents in the community. The feeding programme will run until June and the estimated cost to run it is over $13,000. Mr Seide said Elnet Maritime Ltd has come on board and will be supporting the programme. “Anyone who wants to contribute towards it, I welcome them, including corporate Grand Bahama,” he said. He said they will be naming the feeding kitchen in honour of the late Maelene Thomas, a loyal member of Reach Out. “She has been a faithful member of our organisation and has for most of her life fed people and enjoyed giving of herself and her talent, and we promised to let her name stay alive,” he said. Persons wishing to assist ROYO’s programme is asked to contact its office at 352-1206 or Mr Seide at 441-1229 or email Dudley.seide@gmail.com.
THE TRIBUNE
SEACOR SETS UP STUDENTS FOR NEW TERM
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net SEACOR Island Line donated 170 school bags and supplies to the children of Bimini just in time for the opening of school. The company also partnered with the Bimini Big Game Club and hosted a back to school barbeque party for the children and their families. Mike LaFleur, CEO, said Seacor is very pleased to give back to the community and bring smiles and laughter to the faces of the youngsters. “We have a close relationship with our customers over there and they reached out to us. “And so we were glad for the opportunity to give back to the community and provide back packs for the kids,” he said. “The team at Bimini Big Game really helped in coordinating this and making the event a success. “It would not have been possible without their support and drive to help the community as well.” He thanked Larry Williams, Robbie Smith and their staff who assisted them in coordinating with the school and providing the venue to make it possible. Seacor Island Line provides weekly cargo service from its main headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, to numerous Bahamian islands, including Bimini. Giving back to the community is nothing new for
Seacor, which makes multiple donations throughout the year to the Family Islands. The company has provided a lot of freight donations for multiple libraries in the various islands, donated freight for ambulances, and shipped shoes to Exuma and Freeport. “We see ourselves as part of the community because we have been operating in the Bahamas for years; for a lot of the islands we are their weekly service to get any type of cargo, commodities, and supplies.
“As part of the community we want to contribute to the continued support of the children which are the future generation,” he said. Principal Nishgo Bain, of the Bimini All Age School, said they were very grateful to Seacor and Bimini Big Game for assisting students and parents by donating school bags and supplies. “Every student received a bag and enjoyed the outing hosted at Bimini Big Game. We are truly thankful to Seacor for their kind gesture they extended to our community,” she said.
FORMER JAMAICAN PM TO SPEAK AT BAHAMAS PRESS CLUB AWARDS
FORMER Jamaican Prime Minister P J Patterson will be the keynote speaker at the Bahamas Press Club 2014 second annual media awards next month at the British Colonial Hilton. The club announced this week details of the November 19 ceremony, at which 16 media professionals in the country will receive awards for their outstanding work, including a Lifetime Achievement Award and the Award for Best Talk Show. The club said Mr Patterson is founder and president of HeisConsults, an international consulting firm headquartered in Kingston, Jamaica. A lawyer by profession, he is
widely recognised and respected for his knowledge, expertise and track record of achievement in the fields of the law, international negotiations, trade and development. “A former prime minister of Jamaica and founder and partner of a thriving legal practice, he provides clients of HeisConsults with the benefit of an impressive, worldwide network of contacts developed through his many years of interface with world leaders in international politics, jurisprudence, multilateral financial and development institutions,” a release from the club said. “The former senior Cabinet minister and head of government has a track record of engaging in complex
and often thorny international negotiations as the representative of diverse groups of nations and bringing them to a successful conclusion. “Called to the Bar at the Middle Temple in 1963, he enjoyed a thriving legal career in private practice in Jamaica and the Caribbean, winning judgments in some high profile and challenging landmark cases in his capacity as a lawyer for corporate and individual clients. “In 1983, he was appointed a Queen’s Counsel.” The black tie event will be in the Governor’s Ballroom of the Hilton under the patronage of Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling.
FORMER Jamaican Prime Minister P J Patterson
US ELECTION NEWS
DEMOCRATIC presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at a rally at University of North Carolina, in Greensboro, N.C., Thursday. (AP)
REFLECTIVE CLINTON RETURNS TO CAMPAIGN TRAIL AFTER PNEUMONIA
GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Back on the campaign trail, a reflective Hillary Clinton said Thursday her three-day, doctormandated break gave her
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new perspective on why she’s running to be president. She vowed to close her campaign against Donald Trump by giving Americans “something to vote for, not just against.” Clinton made no apologies for keeping her pneumonia diagnosis from the public until a video emerged showing her stumbling and being supported by aides. She also repeatedly sidestepped questions about when her running mate Tim Kaine was informed. An upbeat Clinton walked onstage at a rally in North Carolina to James Brown’s song, “I feel good.” She said that while sitting at home this week was “pretty much the last place I wanted to be,” the time helped clarify how she wants to close her campaign against Trump. “We’re offering ideas, not insults,” she said in a jab at her Republican rival. “A plan that will make a real difference in people’s lives, not prejudice and paranoia.” The rally marked Clinton’s first public appearance since Sunday, when she abruptly left a 9/11 memorial service after getting dizzy and dehydrated. She had been diagnosed with pneumonia Friday, but the campaign informed the public only after the video of an ill Clinton emerged. The incident prompted fresh questions about both candidates’ openness regarding their health. Trump released a new letter from his doctor Thursday detailing his blood pressure, cholesterol and medications,
one day after Clinton made public a letter from her physician with similar information. Both candidates’ doctors declared them fit to serve as president. Trump’s letter said the Republican is 6-foot-3 and 236 pounds — giving him a body mass index falling into the “overweight” range. The 70-year-old has blood pressure of 116 over 70, and his total cholesterol is 169, his doctor says. Clinton, 68, has blood pressure of 100 over 70, and her total cholesterol is 189, according to her doctor. Her letter made no mention of her weight, a key part of a medical exam, nor did a similar letter released last year. Trump’s team took a swipe at Clinton’s brief absence from the campaign trail in a statement accompanying the new health information. “We are pleased to disclose all of the test results which show that Mr. Trump is in excellent health, and has the stamina to endure — uninterrupted — the rigors of a punishing and unprecedented presidential campaign and, more importantly, the singularly demanding job of president of the United States,” the campaign said. Until Thursday, the only information on Trump’s health had come in a widely ridiculed letter from his doctor declaring he would be the healthiest person to ever serve as president. Before releasing the new details to the public, Trump turned over a copy to Dr. Mehmet Oz while taping an episode of Oz’s TV show.
THE TRIBUNE
Friday, September 16, 2016, PAGE 11
MINISTER of Transport and Aviation Glenys Hanna Martin walks on the newly-constructed boardwalk at the entrance to Potter’s Cay Dock, accompanied by Permanent Secretary at the Ministry, Lorraine Armbrister and stakeholders attached to the project. Photos: Patrick Hanna/BIS
WORK in progress constructing the new boardwalk at Potter’s Cay Dock.
‘Significant progress’ on development work at Potter’s Cay Dock WORK on the $3m redevelopment and revitalisation of the eastern end of Potter’s Cay Dock has made “significant progress”, is on budget and slightly ahead of schedule, according to Transport and Aviation Minister Glenys Hanna Martin after a tour of the site this week. Debris, delinquent vessels and unwanted material and equipment discarded by mail boat operators and others over the years has been removed and as a result of that clean up, dock officials on Wednesday showed Mrs Hanna Martin that marine life and birds are returning. She also saw the landscaping and boardwalk being constructed at both the entrance and exit to the dock. The Government allocated $3,122,989 for the re-development project, which is a product of private and public sector involvement with many of the ideas for the redevelopment coming from the mail boat operators and various governmental agencies. The Minister said the project is currently on budget and is a little under the timeline because of the utility upgrades being done around the dock, which
includes elimination of need for generators. “This is being done to really enhance the experience out here,” Mrs Hanna Martin said. “People come out here to enjoy themselves and relax with their families. So this aspect of it provides a sea breeze view and in fact, when you are driving by, you will get that for the first time ever. So this is a really a critical component. This is just not an industrial facility.” She has noted that Potter’s Cay Dock is an historic facility that has undergone significant changes over the years and has not been without problems. It has been largely undermanaged, crowded and congested with the infrastructure badly in need of repair. The causeway is buckling, potable water is a challenge and some vendor huts are dilapidated. Security is also a challenging issue. As a dock that handles local maritime traffic, commercial and personal, the Police are constantly refining their strategies to confront criminal elements with intentions to disrupt the peace on the Dock. The project to re-develop Potter’s Cay Dock is being conducted
in three over-lapping phases, with Phases I and II currently underway and due to be completed by the end of October. Phase I involves the removal and relocation of trees on the southern foreshore to create a parking area, which is being extended to William Street while the second phase includes the renovation and extension of the fish farm store that will be extended by 150 feet to accommodate mail boat operators and agents. The extension will accommodate freight holdings, bulkhead kerbing and passenger waiting area. Bathrooms will be installed. The Bahamas Electricity Corporation’s transformer will be relocated to enable the establishment of security checkpoints to monitor and control access to the mail boat area. Permanent kerbs will be erected at the end of the dock as a safety measure. In the final phase - expected to begin later this year or by the latest January 2017 - the causeway will be repaired and rehabilitated, the dock entry will be widened and sidewalks, signage, drainage wells and additional landscaping will be installed. It will also result in the
THE WORKSITE at the exit of Potter’s Cay Dock.
complete redirecting of traffic to the general parking area. It is intended that the causeway, after it is repaired and its support enhanced, will be restricted to pedestrian traffic and delivery vehicles only. Mrs Hanna Martin said: “We are about to undertake the construction of a freight depot so that very soon you will not access Potter’s Cay Dock with freight. You will go into a freight building, you will leave your freight and the mail boat operators will have places where they will accept the freight; and it will be their responsibility to deliver to the vessels. “This effort is the collaboration of so many stakeholders, public and private. It has really been executed in a way that for me is a matter of great pride, because it has been done so efficiently and on budget. We are hoping that in the next six months or maybe a little more, we will reach close to the finality of this project, but we have made signifi-
cant progress already.” The Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources will oversee a proposed $9m project involving the fish and food vendors and the stalls connected with their commercial enterprise. It plans to demolish the existing stalls and replace them while increasing the number of stalls to around 65 with a number of them constructed over water given the restricted space between the bridge and the bulkhead at Potter’s Cay. The drawings and design proposal are before Cabinet for approval and according to Minister V Alfred Gray, the estimated cost of this project is $9m based on advice from the technical team at the Ministry of Works and Urban Development. The costs do not include the possibility of compensation to food vendors by the government for loss of business during construction. If approved, the total cost of the redevelopment of Potter’s Cay could be around $12m.
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LARGE potholes at the junction of Sisal Road West and Blue Hill Road South in Golden Gates. Photo: Valden Fernander
AFTER
THE PATCHWORK of repairs at the junction of Sisal Road and Blue Hill Road this week. PHOTO: Valden Fernander THE Tribune’s ‘Fix My Street’ campaign is bringing further comfort for residents and motorists with more potholes in the roads of New Providence being filled and repaired after being highlighted in the newspaper. This week, a rash of potholes around the junction of Sisal Road and Blue Hill Road in Golden Gates has been repaved, just days after an article and photographs appeared in The Tribune. This followed similar action in response to photographs of large holes where Cowpen Road meets Maria Drive. Now more residents have contacted The Tribune. One is highlighting potholes on both sides of Imperial Park Road heading south from the Seabreeze Canal, which residents claim have been left for months and no response forthcoming for authorities despite their calls. “Cars are swerving into the next lane during school rush hours causing near accidents,” one resident wrote. “One is right on a curve.” Another area of concern is the entrance of Stanford Drive and Prospect Ridge Road, which was dug up several months ago, according to locals. “Parts of the road were paved; however, the entrance was left unpaved and potholes have now formed,” a resident wrote. “It is very annoying when entering the corner, one has no choice but fall into the holes. Please remind the Ministry of Works to complete the paving of Stanford Drive.” The Tribune has been out and about, responding to complaints from readers, and photographing the terrible state of the roads, some of which have been left unfilled after corporation works. One resident of Breadfruit Street, Pinewood Gardens, complained that for the past few months, the Water and Sewerage Corporation has been doing work in the Pinewood area,
POTHOLES on Imperial Park Road, Seabreeze.
which has forced residents to park on the main road and walk to their respective homes. “I would appreciate if Water and Sewerage would do whatever they have to do at one time and stop continuously ‘re-digging’ the roads and the entire street needs to be stripped and repaved now,” the resident told The Tribune. “No government agency pays for brakes and shocks etc. We have to drive on this street every single day. The dust issue on that street is another story due to the continuous Water and Sewerage ‘re-digging’. Other areas that have attracted complaints are in
Ridgeland by East-West Highway, where unfinished road repairs have been left. And not far from The Tribune’s office, a huge hole has been opening up for weeks at the junction of East Bay Street and Deveaux Street which forces drivers to manoeuvre around it. The Tribune has been drawing attention to areas that are being neglected, or are unsightly, unhealthy and being ignored by the relevant authorities, whether they be potholes in the road, uncollected garbage or abandoned cars. • Email fixmystreet@tribunemedia.net to let us know your issues.