10242023 BUSINESS AND FEATURES

business@tribunemedia.net

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2023

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Wendy’s blasts ‘baseless campaign’ over PI project

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net WENDY’S principal yesterday blasted an “orchestrated and baseless campaign” against its Paradise Island restaurant project that it says is primarily designed to “block free and fair competition”.

Chris Tsavoussis, in a letter to Keenan Johnson, Town Planning Committee chairman, that affirmed

some 120 full-time jobs and 75 construction posts are at stake, argued that Atlantis and other major Paradise Island resorts/developers are guilty of “discriminatory business practices that should not be tolerated in our country” through their opposition.

Calling for “free and fair commercial access to the entire Bahamas”, the Aetos Holdings chief said the group’s Wendy’s and Marco’s Pizza fast-food brands

should be permitted “to invest and expand” on Paradise Island just as Atlantis and the former Hurricane Hole’s developer, Sterling Global Financial, have without being “dictated to by a foreign private equity bond holder”.

Besides that seeming swipe at Atlantis’ owner, Brookfield Asset Management, Mr Tsavoussis added that he and his company “strongly oppose” the demand by the Paradise

Island Tourism Development Association, which also represents other major resorts such as the Ocean Club and Comfort Suites, that Town Planning delay its decision by four weeks to allow for a traffic impact study to be conducted.

Writing ahead of the Town Planning Committee’s anticipated verdict tonight on whether to approve the dual Wendy’s and Marco’s Pizza

SEE PAGE B5

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Calling on the hotel union’s leadership to resume negotiations, the KFC franchise identified the “lump sum payment” to staff as the only area where the two sides are in disagreement. However, Darrin Woods, the union’s

DARRIN WOODS

president, responded by telling Tribune Business: “Tell them to bring the people’s money.”

He confirmed that Restaurants (Bahamas) reference to a “lump sum payment” was its $800 offer - equivalent to $100 per year - to cover the eight years since the line

staff’s last industrial agreement expired in 2015.

The BHCAWU president reiterated that the sum on offer was “disappointing and humiliating”, and maintained that the company was mistaking its “diplomatic” approach to negotiations for weakness.

Firing back at KFC’s statement, Mr Woods told this newspaper: “I don’t think they can tell me what to do. Tell them to bring the people’s money. That’s

SEE PAGE B6

DPM demands Ex-ArawakX finance chief’s improved Caribbean ‘browbeat’ claim ‘laughable’ air connectivity

By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net THE deputy prime minister yesterday said air transportation and connectivity throughout the Caribbean must improve to advance tourism and regional trade relationships.

Speaking to reporters at the Caribbean Investment Forum (CIF), Chester Cooper, also minister of tourism, investments and aviation, said Caribbean residents and tourists have been faced with the “old story” of having to connect through a major US airport such as Miami while en route to another Caribbean island.

Calling for improved inter-regional travel, he said: “This is an old story. We often lament having to travel to Miami to go to Barbados, or having to pass The Bahamas when they’re coming from Jamaica to go to Miami, and then come back to The Bahamas.

“If we are going to foster closer relationships in CARICOM, if we are going to do more business and if we are going to improve what we have been talking about as multi-destination tourism, this is an area that we must resolve.

“We have the begun some conversations through the Caribbean Tourism Organisation. I’ve been leading some of these conversations as vice-chairman of

SEE PAGE B2

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

ARAWAKX’S president has branded as “just laughable” claims by its former chief financial officer that he was “browbeaten” into using a loan from its major investor to pay sums due to the Red Lobster franchise.

D’Arcy Rahming senior told Tribune Business that the allegations by Michael Turnquest, made in an April 19, 2023, interview with the Securities Commission were “silly” and “made no sense” to the extent it was difficult to respond to them.

He hit back after the record of Mr Turnquest’s interview was filed by the Securities Commission with the Supreme Court last Friday as part of its ongoing legal bid to have ArawakX wound-up and placed under the control of a provisional liquidator.

The former ArawakX financial chief said that, in signing off on the payment to Pinnacle Franchise Brands, the Red Lobster franchisee, he felt “jammed” between the demands of the crowd-funding platform’s major investor, James Campbell, who was loaning the required funds, and Mr Rahming senior and his son, D’Arcy junior.

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Gaming Board to be ‘fair and clear’ on Chances grievance

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

contract talks.

Restaurants (Bahamas), in a statement that apologised to customers “for any inconvenience”, said it was “surprised” that Bahamas Hotel, Catering and Allied Workers Union (BHCAWU) members would resort to industrial action now given that just one issue remains

WENDY’S PI RENDERING

Mr Turnquest, affirming that was one of two signatories with the “dual signing authority” necessary to D’ARCY release the RAHMING SNR funds, told Securities Commission officials: “And on that day - I call it a hostage day - I was grabbed, pulled into a room, told that I was untrustworthy. I was basically browbeaten.”

Alleging that the so-called “browbeating” came from the Rahmings, Mr Turnquest suggested he was caught between their demands and those of Mr Campbell, the former Colina Insurance Company president, who ultimately invested a combined $1.6m into ArawakX via a combination of capital injections and loans - for much of which there was an option to convert into a sizeable equity stake.

“Leading up to that point, Mr Campbell... was never convinced that things were as bad as they were,” Mr Turnquest, who is also Mr Campbell’s brother-inlaw, told Securities Commission

SEE PAGE B2

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE Gaming Board’s chairman yesterday pledged that the regulator will be “fair and clear” in addressing a web shop operator’s concerns that its funds are being improperly used.

Dr Daniel Johnson told Tribune Business the gaming industry’s supervisory body will respond “in short order” to Chances’ grievances that its monies are not being used in accordance with the Gaming Act and accompanying regulations to solely finance employee background checks and vetting.

“That’s something that we’ll have to verify,” he said of the gaming house’s contention. “We’ll have to check into that and it will be verified. Our role as regulator is to be fair and clear.

We’ll put that together and report to them in short order. It will all be fair, and we’ll make it very clear.”

DR DANIEL JOHNSON Dr Johnson’s comments came as Chances and its parent, Jarol Investments, yesterday formally requested “an audience” with the Gaming Board to address concerns that the regulator has been taking monies from the web shop operator’s investigative deposit account and using them for purposes not intended under the law or regulations.

They are arguing that the Gaming Act’s section

SEE PAGE B4

PAGE 2, Tuesday, October 24, 2023

THE TRIBUNE

PM lauds Caribbean’s ‘untapped’ opportunity

By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net THE Prime Minister yesterday asserted that the region has many “untapped” opportunities for “innovation and diversification” as he opened the Caribbean Investment Forum.

Philip Davis KC said that while each country has different development and economic goals, the Caribbean provides a wide range of potential investment opportunities.

He added: “Our region is so much more than sun, sand and sea. Even within the tourism product there are many avenues for innovation and diversification that remain untapped.

“Each of our counterparts in the Caribbean have their own unique selling

PHILIP DAVIS KC points and strengths. A major factor that makes the prospect of investing in the Caribbean so intriguing is the wide range of possibilities inherent to our geographically, culturally and economically diverse nations.

“While we are bound by common ties, investment goals in each jurisdiction are informed by the different developmental and economic realities of each nation.” Mr Davis

said sectors such as agriculture, financial services and energy “hold transformative potential” and that the Government is interested in facilitating investments in various sectors.

He added: “Our gathering today underscores our shared belief in the Caribbean as an investment-friendly region. In sectors such as tourism, energy, logistics, agriculture and financial services, new possibilities are emerging as we speak. Each of these sectors holds transformative potential, ready to be tapped into and amplified.

“Our government stands steadfast, ready to facilitate and champion investments across a vast spectrum of sectors. We are not just open for business; we are your committed partners in progress.” Mr Davis said the conference provides an opportunity to advance Caribbean development

Association leads 11-day trade mission to China THE Bahamas-China Friendship Association (BCFA) is currently leading a two-week trade mission to the cities of Shanghai, Yiwu and Jinan in a bid to forge stronger economic ties between the two nations.

The mission, which began on October 18 and concludes this Sunday, features a visit to Yiwu, which

is known as the ‘world’s largest small commodity wholesale market. The Association, in a statement, said the city offers “tremendous opportunities for Bahamian entrepreneurs and businesses”.

Participants are due to visit the Yiwu Commodities Fair to establish connections with suppliers, shop and explore avenues

for importing thousands of product to The Bahamas. The trade mission will then conclude in Jinan City, the capital of Shandong province.

The Association added that Jinan is known for its “strong emphasis on innovation and technology”.

Those on the mission will have the chance to collaborate with Chinese

DPM demands improved Caribbean air connectivity FROM PAGE B1 CARICOM, but it has to be a business. The business cannot just be idealism.”

Mr Cooper explained that regional airlines can create codeshare interline agreements to improve multi-destination travel, while shipping routes must be improved to facilitate increased regional agricultural trade.

He added: “So Bahamasair must talk to Caribbean airlines, must talk to Cayman Airways and all of the Caribbean air carriers to ensure that we’re bringing them all together to create codeshare interline agreements and collaborate on some of these important routes.

“And then there’s shipping. If we’re going to move agricultural products from Haiti to The Bahamas or Guyana to The Bahamas, or if we’re going to get poultry from Jamaica to The Bahamas, we must open the shipping lanes.

“All of these problems spell opportunities. And I hope that Bahamian business and Caribbean business will recognise that in all of these issues we face, and all of the challenges that confront us, there’s opportunity for business. There’s opportunity for investments, there’s significant opportunity for profit.”

Mr Cooper said more than 45 investors will be

present at this week’s conference, and added that the region must improve its trade to be sustainable.

“There are 45 institutional investors from 40 countries, more than 500 registered attendees, and I hope that there are some deals made this week,” the deputy prime minister said.

“We have banks, we have multilateral agencies, we have investors from around the world, so this is not just about The Bahamas; it’s about the entire Caribbean.

“We have to do more in the Caribbean to do business with ourselves for the sustainability of the region, and for the general harmony and relationships in the region, and

goals in areas such as energy and agriculture, and create investment opportunities throughout the region.

He said: “Today we have come together in the spirit of CARICOM to champion the Caribbean as a haven for investments, and develop integrated regional strategies that align with our developmental goals.

Such integration is not just a philosophical concept, but a tangible goal that necessitates investments across all sectors.

“From creating sustainable energy solutions that power our communities to building resilient agriculture systems and fostering regional tourism strategies., we are committed to building up our CARICOM community through strategic investments that will uplift our people and elevate our business environment.” counterparts in these areas during a series of meetings aimed at fostering of innovation and knowledge exchange.

The Association has also teamed up with Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) as its logistics partner. The company is providing an agent on the ground to work with delegates who may be shopping for their business.

They will ensure their merchandise from China ships safely to The Bahamas.

SEE PAGE B3 for improved connectivity, improved logistics. The more business deals that are done, the more we will have air connectivity and shipping routes created for the entire Caribbean” Mr Copper explained that the conference will focus on areas such as technology, renewable energy and agriculture, providing an opportunity for regional leaders and businesses to attract investments and best practices in these areas.

He said: “This event is big on technology, AgriTech, FinTech, ICT. It’s also big on renewable energy and, of course, agriculture.

There’s a big imperative in CARICOM to reduce food imports to the Caribbean by 25 percent by the year 2025.

“We will need some new investments in agriculture and therefore this is an opportunity to get best practice from our colleagues, to have thought leadership in these various areas, but more importantly, to attract investment to The Bahamas and to the Caribbean.”

EX-ARAWAKX FINANCE CHIEF’S ‘BROWBEAT’ CLAIM ‘LAUGHABLE’ FROM PAGE B1 investigators. “I think he was always getting two channels of communication.

I would tell him we are out of cash, and to hear him saying: ‘Hey, we have lots of cash’.

“I would go: ‘What are you talking about?’ And then I am thinking: ‘Oh my God’. Are they cleverly ignoring the fact that the cash is not ArawakX’s, and so truthfully saying we have lots of cash, just not meaning tat it’s our cash.”

Mr Turnquest alleged he informed Mr Campbell that they needed “dual control of the bank accounts” to act as a check and balance on the Rahmings.

The former Colina chief, though, responded negatively. “He had told me to..

I guess he was thinking that I exceeded my authority or something, or flaunted my authority, so behave myself,” the former chief financial officer claimed.

“Follow directions was the admonishment from him, from Mr Campbell, yes. And then the next day, the very next day, I’m pulled in and told that I’m not trustworthy. That Mr Campbell is only an advisor.

That he, being Mr Rahming senior, is the executive. And whereas they are grateful that I maintain these lines of communication with directors to help the situation they are in cash-wise I need to consider my career.

“So threats started. So in that moment, in that morning, it went from morning until afternoon. I was made to sit at the table while Rahming senior and Rahming junior made decisions on what to do with the money that Mr Campbell had just signed a loan agreement to give them. He told them what this was for and how it was to be spent.”

Mr Turnquest alleged that most of the capital injection by the ex-Colina president was intended to cover sums due to Pinnacle, the Red Lobster franchisee, representing monies raised from investors during its recent equity crowdfunding. He implied that ArawakX had been spending client/investor monies to meet its operational expenses - something it is forbidden from doing.

“Most of the money was for Pinnacle,” the former chief financial officer said of Mr Campbell’s loan proceeds. “At that point we had no cash. We had gone through all the company’s cash. We had gone through all the clients’ cash. The last bit of cash before we went to near-zero was for a trip to Boston or New York, or whatever the hell it was.”

ArawakX has previously vehemently denied it commingled client and investor monies with its own operating accounts. Mr Rahming senior, in responding to Mr Turnquest, contrasted the latter’s account with the sworn testimonies about the crowd-fund platform’s

working environment from Winston Rolle, its head of equities, and Ken Donathan, acting chief financial officer.

“The guy is a CPA (certified public accountant),” Mr Rahming said of Mr Turnquest, denying that the latter was hired as part of Mr Campbell’s terms for providing financing. “He was qualified and that was part of his job. What can I say about that? It’s just silly.

I don’t know if that even warrants a comment. We’re all professional people working in a professional environment.

“I don’t know what to say. I mean, browbeating.

Does that make any sense to you? It’s just laughable.”

However, Mr Turnquest alleged in his Securities Commission interview that the Rahmings were “doing all kind of gymnastics to reduce” the payment to Pinnacle, which ended up being $90,000. And Mr Campbell later told him “that’s not what you were supposed to do”.

“I should have gotten up. Gotten out. Called him right away and addressed it properly,” Mr Turnquest added. “I was the ‘B’ signatory [on the accounts] at that point, so I should have vetoed all of that bull that was presented to me. But the combination of the conflict of instructions didn’t ‘jive’ with me having this in signature authority at that point and time.

“The person who gave it to me said do what they say.

The persons who should not have had single signing authority were saying: ‘We’re going to fire you if you do anything other than what we say’. I’m jammed.

And, frankly, if they screwed each other, what can I do about that?”

Mr Turnquest earlier backed off an assertion that “some funny business” occurred with the Pinnacle crowd-fund capital raise as an estimated $900,000 of the $1.8m obtained was “held offshore” in the US and never made it to The Bahamas.

He added that this implied the monies were raised outside The Bahamas, and an agreement had to be reached with the Securities Commission on how to deal with it. Mr Turnquest’s memory later cleared, though, and he told investigators that the transaction was attributed to Pinnacle’s principal, the late Chris Mortimer, the former Galleria Cinemas principal and ex-DNA deputy leader.

Mr Rahming senior confirmed to Tribune Business that $1.5m of the Pinnacle raise came from a family office in the US. “All the proper paperwork was filed with the Securities Commission and accepted by the Securities Commission,” he added. “None of this is news to the Commission.

We’re not accused of doing anything wrong by the Commission in relation to this.”

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, October 24, 2023, PAGE 3

WYNN ‘VERY CONFIDENT’ ON 14-STOREY PENTHOUSE NOD

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net THE developer of a 14-storey penthouse complex proposed for Goodman’s Bay yesterday said it feels “very confident” it will secure all necessary approvals given the area is already zoned commercial.

Randy Hart, the Wynn Group’s vice-president, told Tribune Business that last Wednesday’s Town Planning Committee’s consultation on Goldwynn’s

second phase went “really well” despite many attendees voicing concerns over issues such as parking, traffic flow and other impacts.

“One issue that is very important to note is that the La Playa subdivision was rezoned for commercial back in 2010, which was even before we came in 2013,” Mr Hart said. “So this was already zoned for commercial by the time we started our project.

“There was a further amendment to the ordinance which allowed GoldWynn, amongst other projects, to proceed with

commercial development along Cable Beach.” That ordinance is the Planning and Subdivision Zoning (Golf Course Estates) (La Playa) Order 2018.

Responding to concerns that the 40-unit penthouse project will change the character of the Goodman’s Bay area, Mr Hart said: “Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, we plan to continue to beautify Goodman’s Bay as we have rehabilitated the beach in front of our property.

“It’s still an extension of the same beach really, geographically, and the idea

was that there would be boutique developments and multi-family and commercial development on this strip of property. Anyone who owns those properties, not just us, would be within their rights to develop those properties.”

GoldWynn also plans to beautify the roundabout at the Prospect Ridge turnoff, plus the median on West Bay Street before the Prime Minister’s Office. The Public Parks and Beaches Authority has already approved plans for this project.

“I understand people’s emotions can run high when there’s change coming,” Mr Hart added, “but this was an Act of Parliament and not some random thing that we’re asking for. It’s a continuation of the hotel we built here on this property, and right next to our hotel.

It would stand to reason that there would be other commercial development.

“For our first project, we set a very high standard for this particular area, and we’re not the new kids on the block. But we’ve done it, and we’ve successfully completed a large-scale

project in this country. I think fair-minded people would say it’s a beautiful addition to the tourism product. It’s scaled, it’s elegant and it provides an alternative to Baha Mar for people looking for a more boutique experience.”

GoldWynn’s proposed project will not be a hotel, but targeted strictly at residents. Its 40 units will all be penthouses, which means it will have a “lower density” than the original Residences at GoldWynn, which comprises 160 units.

Pitch competition gets small businesses ‘up and running’ “The pitch comprised some of our students at the UB North campus in our business cohort. We have three top winners, and they received cash prizes and discounted services from and on behalf of the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA),” she said.

First place winner was Tyrie Moss, who developed a student study app called Studypelago. In second place was Brianna Donaldson with her business, Toasted Smores, a website for artists and creatives, while Keira Cox, with Luxury Island Scent that creates Bahamian saches, coming third. Both Toasted Smores and Luxury Island Scent are already “up and running”.

The Pitch Competition was not solely for UB

North students, and was open to any small business entrepreneur already operating or with a viable idea for start-up companies. “The majority of the entrants were not UB students. This is open to all,” Ms Ritchie said.

“UB is the host of the programme along with the IDB (Inter-American Development Bank), but it is specifically open to Grand Bahama and we’re focusing on the northern Bahamas after the devastating effects of Dorian and just helping people to learn how to take care of themselves and sustain themselves.

“We were given a grant by the IDB, and a part of the university’s mission is being involved in community development. A part of this mandate is to look

Association leads 11-day trade mission to China

mutually beneficial business relationships.”

“As a small business consultant and the secretary of the Bahamas China Friendship Association, I am excited about what a carefully-organised mission like this will mean to business owners who will be attending and come prepared to take advantage of the massive access to inventory and other resources,” said Sherrell Storr.

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net SMALL business entrepreneurs are “up and running” after enjoying success at the first annual University of The Bahamas (UB) North IGNITE Pitch Competition.

Joye Ritchie, coordinator for UB IGNITE, told Tribune Business the programme was built to develop Grand Bahama entrepreneurs and thus boost the economy following the devastation inflicted by Hurricane Dorian in September 2019. The initiative has also been extended to Abaco.

FROM PAGE B2 “We are excited about bringing this unique opportunity in partnership with the Chinese Embassy to small and medium-sized businesses here in The Bahamas, and we believe this trip will

be of significant value to all who participate,” said Dr Donovan Moxey, the Association’s president.

“There are a number of scheduled official meetings and events in China for the delegates, and we hope that these will lead to long-lasting friendships and

for how we can help people in Grand Bahama, in particular, and Abaco, by extension, to be able to become more self-sufficient. The idea here is persons who have a small medium-sized business, or are thinking to start one, giving them a hand up, so to speak.”

The UB IGNITE programme runs for three years, and the pitch competition is just one component. It is designed to teach entrepreneurs about marketing, understanding the legalities around operating a business, and other critical aspects such as protecting their intellectual property.

“So one of the wonderful things about this programme is that it’s not a ‘one and done’ sort of thing, so there are pitch competitions and other networking opportunities for them to meet other small mediumsized business operators and get ideas,” Ms Ritchie said.

PAGE 4, Tuesday, October 24, 2023

THE TRIBUNE

GAMING BOARD TO BE ‘FAIR AND CLEAR’ ON CHANCES GRIEVANCE FROM PAGE B1 29 stipulates that funds deposited into this account can only be used to used to finance the regulator’s conducting of background checks into the integrity of all operators, locations and industry employees to ensure they are fit-andproper to be operating in the sector.

Chances, which says it should have around $2.5m in its investigative deposit account, is alleging that the Gaming Board has instead taken close to $1m from this facility to help cover the costs associated with executing an industry-wide central electronic monitoring system developed by Indian company, Infrasoft Technologies.

Carlson Shurland KC, in an October 23, 2023, letter sent to the Gaming Board on Chances’ behalf, said the operator “formally objects to the decision taken by the Gaming Board regarding allocating funds from the investigative deposit account to finance the development and implementation of a central electronic monitoring system”.

Urging that the Gaming Board “re-evaluate” this decision, Mr Shurland added that the regulator seemed “oblivious” to Chances’ request that it account for what monies taken from the investigative deposit account are being used for “and surprisingly powerless to rectify the situation”.

“Therefore, our client respectfully requests an audience with the Board to address and rectify this matter,” Mr Shurland wrote. “This meeting aims to discuss the Board’s decision to use investigative deposit account funds for purposes unrelated to the... statutory purpose and to seek clarification on the legal justification for such actions.”

Demanding a response from the Gaming Board within seven days, Mr Shurland voiced optimism that Chances’ concerns can be resolved “through constructive dialogue and co-operation” with “an equitable resolution” reached.

Ian Tynes, the Gaming Board’s secretary, had earlier written to Chances on May 8, 2023, advising that the regulator was “preparing a thorough update regarding the implementation” of the central electronic monitoring system and associated expenses within 14 days of his letter. That update, though, has still not been released.

Chances, in its previously-dismissed Judicial Review, alleged that, of the $947,919 allegedly withdrawn by the Gaming Board from its investigative deposit account to finance the monitoring system, some $780,452 was paid to Infrasoft Technologies. A further $145,785 was spent on “agent fees”, and $21,692 went to a Bahamian technology provider, MicroNet. The web shop operator, in its action, alleged that the central electronic monitoring system was on “indefinite hold” and has yet to implemented or executed. It is thus claiming

that, not only are its funds not being used in compliance with the law, but they are also financing something that both the gaming industry and regulator have received no benefit from.

And Chances itself is now faced with injecting more money into its investigative deposit account to replace the near-$1m taken by the Gaming Board, hence its previous warning about downsizing and reduced charitable donations as a result of reduced profit margins.

However, Dr Johnson yesterday told Tribune Business the Gaming Board is aiming to implement the central electronic monitoring system “by year-end” as it is now undergoing testing. “I think all the testing is complete,” he added.

“And we look forward to implementing the protocol by year-end. It’s in place, they’re testing everything and it’s awaiting implementation.”

Tribune Business understands that the central electronic monitoring system’s introduction will bring The Bahamas in line with international best practices and standards by enabling the Gaming Board to monitor transactions in real-time, and thus verify that games function exactly as they are supposed - and promoted - to, thus enhancing patron protection.

However, Raymond Culmer, Chances principal, has voiced septicism about the concept. “It’s obsolete,” he told Tribune Business.

“The Gaming Board has access to our back office, and can generate any report from our back office. If they want to see a list of customers who deposited $200 in the last week, they can get that report from our back office.

“They’re harping on this that through this central electronic monitoring system they will be able to see transactions in real time.

That’s impossible. Let’s say we only have ten customers online. Their spins on the wheels will be every ten seconds. If they put it on automatic spin it will

be even faster. Someone seeing these transactions in real time, it doesn’t happen.

It has to go from our system to the database.”

Infrasoft was initially awarded a contract to perform the necessary work almost one decade ago under the last Christie administration, shortly after the web shop industry was legalised.

Multiple sources, speaking to Tribune Business on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the arrangement suffered early troubles as a result of the Gaming Board failing to pay Infrasoft for work performed. Legal action for alleged breach of contract was said to have loomed at one point, but the matter was ultimately settled under the Minnis administration and payment made without recourse to the courts.

This was after the Minnis administration received legal advice that it was “locked into” the contract with Infrasoft, which involved two development stages. The first was a framework for the implementation of anti-money laundering and Know Your Customer (KYC) processes for both gaming houses and patrons, which has already been implemented.

Now the second part, which awaits execution, is the central electronic monitoring system. “The Gaming Board has real time access, so if a customer has a complaint they can ask the customer what happened and play back the data, and say that’s what happened and did not happen,” one contact, speaking on condition of anonymity, said.

“There was, though, some resistance in the industry about giving access and some people were raising data protection issues.”

Another source, also speaking confidentially, said: “I think the system is necessary. I just don’t know why the industry doesn’t go ahead and get it done.”

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, October 24, 2023, PAGE 5

WENDY’S BLASTS ‘BASELESS CAMPAIGN’ OVER PI PROJECT FROM PAGE B1 restaurants at the former Scotiabank branch site, the Aetos Holdings chief argued that Atlantis and “its oversized businesses” are most responsible for changing Paradise Island’s character and creating traffic congestion.

Reiterating that there are no covenants restricting how the ex-bank branch can be used, Mr Tsavoussis said the planned Wendy’s and Marco’s Pizza restaurant will eliminate “an eye sore that tourists have come to know for the past 18 months”.

And, unlike grocery stores and other businesses, he added that fast-food purchasers will exit the restaurant “115-120 seconds after the order is placed”.

Addressing Mr Johnson and the entire Town Planning Committee, the Wendy’s chief wrote: “We wish to record our strong objection to what we regard as the orchestrated and baseless campaign mounted by certain business owners on Paradise Island against our application for site plan approval for the renovation of the old Scotiabank building to be used as the site of Wendy’s and Marco’s Pizza.”

Breaking the Bahamian fast food franchise’s concerns down into two areas, Mr Tsavoussis argued that there should be “equal commercial access to Paradise Island” for all businesses in addition to objecting to the Association’s demand that the planning authority delay its decision by four weeks so Caribbean Civil Group can conduct a traffic study on its behalf.

“There should be free and fair commercial access to the

entire Bahamas for Bahamian businesses, not just selected parts,” the Wendy’s and Marco’s Pizza principal argued. “In the surrounding commercial adjacent area, there are web shops, local eateries and other fast food [restaurants] like Dunkin’ Donuts.

“As trusted and proven Bahamian operators we should be afforded the same opportunity to invest and expand in the way that Sterling Financial Group and Atlantis have been allowed to, and not be dictated to by a foreign private equity bond holder that is here today and gone tomorrow.

“Our proposal would create 120 full-time jobs in addition to the 75 construction jobs. Paradise Island should cater to all residents, tourists and workers, not just the elite rich and wealthy, and affordable food should be available to all,” Mr Tsavoussis continued.

“To us, the fundamental objection raised by the opposition is about blocking free and fair competition from Paradise Island, which in our opinion is a discriminatory business practice that should not be tolerated in our country.”

Mr Tsavoussis reiterated previous Tribune Business revelations that Atlantis “had the first opportunity to purchase this property, and chose not to”, while Sterling, which has renamed the former Hurricane Hole into its Paradise Landing development, submitted a “low ball bid” for the former Scotiabank property that was rejected. Now the two are among the most prominent objectors to his plans.

“The special interest groups that are so concerned about maintaining the elite and upscale Paradise Island image should have purchased the Scotiabank property themselves if they wished to restrict the use of it by the buyer (Psomi, an Aetos Holdings affiliate),” he wrote.

The fast-food franchise group had “invested in purchasing the property in reliance on the legitimate expectation that it would be permitted to operate its businesses from the site in the same way that its neighbours are, and predecessors were permitted to operate”.

As for the complaints about traffic congestion and insufficient parking, and the Association’s call for time to conduct a study, Mr Tsavoussis wrote that the latter request was “lacking in merit” because the Town Planning Committee has all the necessary information necessary to make a rational decision.

Noting that the site is part of an existing shopping centre and retail location, he added: “It is respectfully submitted that it would be unfair to single out the Scotiabank site for special treatment and studies when retail business has been operated from those premises for decades, and the upgrades to the property to

accommodate Wendy’s and Marco’s will not materially alter the character or commercial use of the site.

“The retail shopping plaza has been the existing site for commercial activity on Paradise Island for decades.

This is in stark contrast to the Sawyers Food Store and the Sterling Global businesses that have been recently introduced to Paradise Island.

“There is no justification for the clamour that Atlantis and the other Paradise Island entities are making with regard to the Psomi application, especially when it is noted that Atlantis and its oversized businesses are the ones that have changed the character of Paradise Island and created much of the congestion. It is totally unfair for Atlantis to try to prevent other Bahamian businesses of a much smaller scale from operating and they should not be allowed to do so.”

Mr Tsavoussis said the proposed restaurant would operate much like a downtown site, relying primarily on walk-up traffic while those in vehicles will use the existing lot or 1,000plus spots in the multi-storey parking garage across the street.

“We do not see why Wendy’s and Marco’s are being singled out by.... when

the Sawyer’s Fresh Market supermarket that will supply all the Paradise Island guests and residents of Paradise Island with their grocery needs is being allowed to move forward, and two new restaurants [are] being built in the same development,” he added.

“One of which is Carnivale, a 15,000 square foot restaurant scheduled to open in spring 2024 with seating for over 350 persons, and the plan to host large parties. If Town Planning was to do the math based on the existing conventional required parking guidelines, this entire project would fail miserably.

“The second restaurant is also underway, and this in addition to the existing retail shops, office and residential spaces being occupied in the surrounding buildings in the same complex. Such as 700 Wines & Spirits, a pharmacy, the marina office, etc.”

Pledging that security will control any parking overflows at the Wendy’s and Marco’s Pizza site, Mr Tsavoussis repeated that employees would largely be brought to the site by bus and were unlikely to take more than two to three parking spots for their own vehicles.

“It is grossly unfair to associate pre-existing issues with Paradise Island parking to what we have proposed,”

he said. “Another key differentiating factor is the business model of a bank versus that of a fast-food business and the customer service times. We know how to get persons in an out very quickly, 115 to 120 seconds after the order is placed.

“We are building more enhanced kitchens to handle the volumes; also, mobile ordering will be utilised to allow for a grab n’ go kiosk at the front counter for preordered meals. Most notably, with daily hours from 7am to 10pm, the extensive grocery store - Sawyers - will have very similar operating hours to that of Wendy’s.

“Supermarket customers browse when they shop. It is not ‘an in an out’ process like our quick-service food model, where speed is critical. What is their intention for parking overflow, with longer customer service times, as well as for staff parking?

“In view of this, you would think the neighbouring businesses and residents/ Paradise Island stakeholders would be more concerned about the impact the Sterling Financial Group’s intended commercial activities will have on the surrounding area, as they are not ‘grab n go concepts’. Rather, these restaurants will allow a ‘sit, dine and relax’ extended occasion.”

NOTICE

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that DAVE OLSEN ODEUS, of Marsh Harbour, Abaco, The Bahamas applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 17th day of October 2023 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE is hereby given that BRIAN ABSOLU, of Treasure Cay, Abaco, The Bahamas applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 17th day of October 2023 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that JAMES ST. MARTIN, of P.O Box N356 Carmichael Road, New Providence, The Bahamas applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 17th day of October 2023 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE is hereby given that JOHN JEAN PIERRE, Nassau Village, Nassau, The Bahamas applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 24th day of October 2023 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

PAGE 6, Tuesday, October 24, 2023

KFC MAKES ‘NO MORE INDUSTRIAL ACTION’ CALL

THE TRIBUNE FROM PAGE B1 all. We’re on go slow and work to rule. With any further action, only one thing’s going to stop it.”

Restaurants (Bahamas), in response to the actions taken by around 350 unionised staff, had earlier said it “is hopeful that the leadership of the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union (BHCAWU) will continue negotiations without resorting to further industrial action”.

It added: “Restaurants (Bahamas) is surprised at the need for industrial action at this time. However, we remain committed to resolving any and all outstanding issues. Following months of good faith negotiations, both parties have successfully reached agreement on all but one of the contract terms.

“This reflects our commitment to fostering good employee union relations in addressing improved terms and conditions for our team members. The only remaining issue of a lump sum payment can be addressed and amicably resolved and negotiations finalised.

“We understand the importance of this issue and are actively working to address it in a manner that is fair and in the best interests of the company and our team members. We remain committed to working together to swiftly resolve this point to the satisfaction of both parties.”

Mr Woods yesterday confirmed the “lump sum payment” referred to a total $800 offer for the eight years since the last KFC industrial agreement expired in 2015, which he previously branded as “insulting”, “humiliating” and “offensive” in a previous interview with Tribune Business.

Signalling that his position has not changed, the union president reiterated of the “lump sum payment”: “That’s precisely what they’re talking about. That’s precisely what they’re referring to. If you think about the millions of dollars we gave back to the company in the last negotiation, they should be running to give the people more money.

“They can minimise it as much as they would like to do. It’s a very important point.” Mr Woods previously asserted that, over the past eight years, the union had given KFC “millions of dollars in concessions” to help the business. These included health and welfare; a suspension of the long service award; allowing the brand to pay bonuses over time; and a new provision for illness and holidays.

Asked for his response to KFC’s call for the union to refrain from further industrial action, the BHCAWU chief said: “That’s fine. Tell them they will be shocked if we continue. I’m not going back and forth in the media.

I said what I needed to say around the table. I told them I was disappointed and humiliated” by the $800

lump sum offer to cover the previous eight years.

Asserting that the fastfood franchise is taking advantage of the union’s approach, Mr Woods said: “People say that the union needs to engage in more dialogue, but it’s been a year of continuing to dialogue. I think they’re taking my style, which is a bit more relaxed and diplomatic, for weakness, but it ain’t so.

“We’re not being unreasonable. For every line item, we gave them raw numbers.

We were reasonable; I don’t think we were unreasonable in this respect.” Providing an analogy to describe the present state of industrial relations at KFC and the company’s options, Mr Woods added: “It’s like this.

If you have a pain, you live with the pain or take something to relieve the pain.

“You decide how to deal with the pain. You can either continue doing your thing, or take something for it and hope the pain doesn’t get worse. It’s been there for a while now.” The industrial action comes after Mr Woods told Tribune Business on Monday that he and the union’s KFC’s members had become increasingly frustrated over what he branded as the fast-food franchise’s “feet dragging”.

Warning that “the gloves are off”, he added that they have “exercised the patience of Job” in negotiations with the company and will not let talks go past month’s end without concluding a deal. Mr Woods, pledging a “no holds barred” strategy, said the union will adopt similar tactics to bring all other industrial negotiations to a conclusion, including the talks with the Bahamas Hotel and Restaurant Employers Association.

Those discussions primarily involve a new industrial deal for Atlantis line staff, given the closures of multiple previously-unionised properties in recent years.

The BHCAWU is also currently involved in talks on deals for workers at Best Western, Graycliff and Harbourside. Mr Woods said all five negotiations appeared “seem to be stuck in this place” of trying to agree worker compensation and benefits.

The hotel union and its members have been without an industrial agreement with the Bahamas Hotel and Restaurant Employers Association since the last one expired in January 2013, more than one decade ago. A former union administration failed to supply its proposal for a new agreement within the time stipulated before the last deal ended.

As a result, Atlantis and other resorts in the Association have operated as if the previous agreement’s terms and conditions are still in effect and, as a result, BHCAWU union members have not enjoyed any wage or benefit improvements for the past ten years other than those provided at their employer’s goodwill.

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that SHENIQUE SCHERELL JOSEPH, of Marsh Harbour, Abaco, The Bahamas applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 17th day of October 2023 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

PAGE 8, Tuesday, October 24, 2023

THE TRIBUNE

BODY AND MIND

Free symposium to take a tough stance on diabetes care and education

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas Diabetes Association in collaboration with the Bahamas Association of Diabetes Educators is taking intends to vigorous with its efforts to help educate people about diabetes as well as other non-communicable related issues.

In recognition of this year’s World Diabetes Day, the two associations are hosting their second annual World Diabetes Day activities on November 14, from 9.30 to 2pm at St Gregory’s Anglican Church Conference Hall, Nassau.

World Diabetes Day is the largest diabetes awareness campaign, reaching over one billion people in more than 160 countries.

The global outreach and campaign highlight important issues pertaining to diabetes, keeping the attention of the political and public spotlight on this serious health issue.

World Diabetes Day is commemorated on November 14 every year because it is the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who co-discovered insulin along with Charles Best in 1922.

The theme for this year’s local activities is “Access to Diabetes Care”.

The upcoming symposium is free to all attendees and will feature an array of experienced speakers who will cover areas such as exercise and physical activity, food and nutrition, physical and mental health, and holistic lifestyles that positively affect persons living with diabetes.

According to Shamaal Forbes, a certified diabetes educator and public relations officer, this year’s theme will focus on proven and clinically studied efforts that have been successful in treating people affected by diabetes under the slogan, “Know Your Risk, Know Your Response”.

The symposium will cover all areas of diabetes care and feature

specialists with backgrounds in nutrition, physical therapy and holistic lifestyles. In addition, the BDA will feature a family medicine specialist with expertise in psychiatry and mental health and host a myriad of health-related booths that can assist in the management of diabetes and access to diabetes care.

“Everyone, especially persons living with diabetes, is invited to attend and to bring a family member or friend to become educated on this condition and other related non-communicable diseases,” said Shamaal.

Because of the capacity of its venue, the symposium will also be available virtually on Zoom.

“The BDA and IDF want the public to know their risk of type 2 diabetes to help in the delay or prevention of the condition and to know their response to

receive the right information and care to prevent complications by accessing the timely treatment and management. The BDA also wants the public to be aware that diabetes, according to the IDF Diabetes Atlas, affects one in 10 people globally, with type 2 diabetes accounting for over 90 percent of that amount,” he told Tribune Health.

Misconceptions about diabetes and diabetes care will also be debunked during the event.

“One of the misconceptions people have about diabetes is that the overconsumption of sugary foods or sweets and starchy foods cause diabetes; that only the consumption of ‘sugar’ affects your blood sugar levels; that if you don’t claim it, it will go away; that diabetes is just something you have no control over and that

diabetes is a ‘death sentence’,” he said.

“The best way to overcome these barriers/misconceptions is to attend the BDA’s World Diabetes Day Symposium or to seek advice from licenced/registered/ certified healthcare professionals such as diabetes educators, doctors, nutritionists and nurses who can provide proper counsel and education on anything healthrelated that may concern you.”

The Bahamas Diabetes Association was established in 1986 as a health-affiliated non-government organisation (NGO) aimed towards providing and promoting optimal diabetes care through the education, counseling, support, and advocacy of Bahamians living with or affected by type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM).

The BDA focuses on all things diabetes. This means not only

Feel dizzy when you stand up?

It’s a drop in blood pressure and may be an early sign of dementia

By MICHAEL PRECKER American Heart Association News When some people stand up from sitting or lying down, they may feel dizzy or even faint because of a sudden drop in blood pressure. That phenomenon, which becomes more common in older adults, is called orthostatic hypotension.

Previous research has suggested a link between orthostatic hypotension, or OH, and dementia, though scientists don’t understand why.

But a new study published Monday in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension refines that connection, concluding that the blood pressure drop in the first minute after standing up is most strongly associated with developing dementia.

“What is new in this study is the early drop in blood pressure and the relevance of this to risk of dementia,” said Dr Yuan Ma, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health in Boston and lead author of the study.

The researchers drew on data collected since the late 1980s in the landmark and ongoing Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, known as ARIC. During the first visit, participants had their blood pressure checked while lying down, then five times in the first two minutes after standing up.

Among 11,644 participants, who were 55 years old on average at the start of the study, about 1 in 5 had developed dementia a median of 26 years later.

Compared to those who didn’t experience dizziness, participants who felt dizzy upon standing

had much larger drops in systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure measurement) during the first minute after standing up. Those whose systolic blood pressure declined by 20 mmHg or more in the first 30 seconds after standing had a 22 percent higher risk of dementia compared to those whose blood pressure remained stable. Drops in blood pressure after the first minute had much less impact.

“These early drops in blood pressure usually are not checked when patients go to their doctors,” Ma said. “This study suggests that doctors need to pay more attention to these early

abrupt drops in blood pressure because they could be a sign that someone is at a higher risk of developing dementia.” Even so, she cautioned that because of the study’s design, “we cannot draw any causal conclusion. We don’t know if the early drop in blood pressure leads to dementia, or the other way around.”

In subsequent research, she said, scientists hope to figure out what is happening in the brain that leads to this rapid drop in blood pressure upon standing.

“A healthy individual has a system that can maintain blood pressure relatively stable,” Ma said. “The blood pressure will still

drop when we change our position from lying down to standing up, but it shouldn’t be a large, rapid drop. We don’t know exactly why a large, rapid drop happens, but it’s something we’re working to understand. It increases with age, and that’s a bad thing.”

Dr Costantino Iadecola, a neurologist and director of the Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, said the study underscores the need for health care professionals to check for orthostatic hypotension in their patients.

“This is a refinement of what has been established previously,”

those living with diabetes, but also the family and caretakers of the individual affected. The BDA acts a social support group for people living with diabetes and their families by providing holistic teaching and training for every willing member with special attention to the primary caregiver. The BDA also assists persons living with diabetes manage their condition and maintain good health by providing diabetes supplies, educational material, and financial assistance where applicable and practicable.

Those interested in sponsoring the event can contact 242-8284194 and follow its Facebook page (Bahamas Association of Diabetes Educators).

To participate virtually on Zoom, use ID 645 673 1650, P/C: IWILLGO said Iadecola, who was not involved in the new study. “If the patient says, ‘Look, I feel a little dizzy,’ the doctor should check the changes in blood pressure produced by standing. If there is a severe drop within one minute of standing, that should be an alarm bell that we’ve got to take care of this and maybe do some treatment that will minimise the change.”

For older people already with cognitive deficiency or balance issues, both doctors said orthostatic hypotension adds to the risk of falls, broken bones and death.

“People should be mindful of their surroundings and their environment,” Ma said.

To help prevent falls, the National Institute on Aging suggests strategies such as doing strength and balance exercises, installing night lights around the house and grab bars in the bathroom, and using a cane or walker if necessary. For people with orthostatic hypotension, a 2022 scientific statement from the AHA offers suggestions such as wearing compression stockings, pumping the legs when standing, and working with their doctor to adjust any medications they take that are causing or worsening the condition.

Ma said changes in the brain that can develop into Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia can take place years before any symptoms appear. That makes it even more important, she said, to minimize cardiovascular risk factors throughout life.

Those include not smoking, staying physically active, maintaining a healthy weight and a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, and keeping blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure under control.

“Controlling the factors of cardiovascular disease at least potentially reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia as well,” Ma said. “The benefits are likely to be larger if you start early in life.

“What’s good for the heart,” she said, “is good for the brain.”

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, October 24, 2023, PAGE 9

Medical management of benign prostatic obstruction Benign prostatic obstruction, commonly surfaces with age, impacting approximately one in three men around 50 years old, leading to a diminished quality of life.

Moreover, statistical data suggests that by the age of 85, about 90 percent of men will grapple with benign prostatic hyperplasia. Understanding the gravity of this condition is critical, especially considering the demographic shift towards an aging global population. Consequently, heightened awareness and effective management strategies are imperative for addressing this prevalent health concern.

Benign prostatic obstruction (BPO) can lead to lower urinary tract symptoms that can negatively impact the quality of life.

Symptoms may include: UÊ ÀiµÕi ÌÊ ÕÀ >Ì Ê `ÕÀ }Ê Ì iÊ`>ÞÊ> `Ê } Ì UÊ vwVÕ ÌÞÊ Ì Ê ÃÌ>ÀÌÊ ÀÊ ÃÌ «Ê ÕÀ >Ì UÊ* ÀÊÕÀ >ÀÞÊÃÌÀi> UÊ >L ÌÞÊÌ ÊÕÀ >Ìi UÊ vÌiÀÊÕÀ >Ì ]Ê>ÊÃi Ã>Ì Ê vÊ>ÊL >``iÀÊÌ >ÌÊ ÃÊ ÌÊi «ÌÞ Ê V « iÌiÊL >``iÀÊi «ÌÞ }° UÊ *> Ê ÀÊ LÕÀ }Ê Ãi Ã>Ì Ê Ü i ÊÕÀ >Ì } UÊ -Õ``i Ê ÃiÛiÀiÊ ÕÀ}iÊ Ì Ê «>ÃÃÊ ÕÀ i UÊ Ê Ì iÊ >`Û> Vi`Ê ÃÌ>}iÃÊ vÊ L >``iÀÊ LÃÌÀÕVÌ Ê «>Ì i ÌÃÊ >ÞÊ >ÛiÊ L >``iÀÊ ÃÌ iÃ]Ê Ài«i>Ìi`Ê ÕÀ >ÀÞÊ viVÌ Ã]Ê ÕÀ iÊ ÀiÌi Ì ]Ê L >``iÀ]Ê > `Ê « Ìi Ì > Ê ` iÞÊ`> >}i°

International prostate scoring system (IPSS)

The IPSS is an efficient, eightquestion written tool utilised for screening, diagnosing, and monitoring the lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). It is designed for easy self-administration by patients and is suitable for implementation in urology clinics and primary care physician practices, facilitating the screening and diagnosis of BPH. The IPSS includes seven simple questions about troubles with urination. A score between 0 to 7 means the issues are mild, 8 to 19 indicates they’re moderate, and a score from 20 to 35 suggests they’re severe.

Considering the overall score and the effect of these urinary symptoms on the patient’s quality of life, the healthcare provider can suggest various approaches to managing the condition.

Medical management

The management of BPO includes various approaches to help ease the symptoms and improve urinary function. Alongside any prescribed medications, making certain lifestyle changes can also be beneficial. These changes may involve adjusting

Dr Greggory Pinto

fluid intake, especially limiting the consumption of beverages like coffee and alcohol that can irritate the bladder.

In most scenarios medical management is prescribed for patients as the first strategy in uncomplicated BPO symptoms and patients willing to be on lifelong medication.

Medication BPO:

classes

for

Alpha blockers: These medications relax the muscles of the prostate and bladder neck, promoting smoother urine flow.

Common drugs in this category include terazosin (Hytrin), doxazosin (Cardura), tamsulosin (Flomax), alfuzosin (Uroxatral), and silodosin (Rapaflo). They are fast-acting and often the first-line treatment for mild to moderate symptoms.

Alpha-blockers can sometimes cause a sudden drop in blood pressure, especially when you first start taking them or when the dose is increased. This can make you feel dizzy or lightheaded, particularly when you stand up.

It’s important to be cautious, especially if you’re also taking other medications for high blood pressure.

According to a Medicare data analysis published in the Pharmacoepidemiology drug safety, patients on alpha-blockers like tamsulosin are at an increased risk if developing dementia.

Atrial fibrillation, a prevalent heart rhythm disorder, carries a significant lifetime risk, affecting one in four individuals. If left untreated or improperly managed, it can lead to severe complications including stroke, heart failure, and potentially cardiac arrest. Notably, atrial fibrillation has been identified as an uncommon side effect associated with the use of medications such as Tamsulosin.

U Phosphodiesterase inhibitors: Tadalafil is sometimes

recommended for those with both erectile dysfunction and mild to moderate lower urinary symptoms. Although it can improve symptoms, its effect on urine flow is varied. It should not be used by those taking nitrates or with severely impaired kidney function.

Some rare side effects of using tadalafil include priapism, which is a persistent and painful erection, usually occurring within 24 hours of use. Additionally, visual disturbances known as non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) are possible, although the precise mechanism is not fully understood, and the onset can vary.

Alpha-reductase inhibitors:

Medicines like finasteride (Proscar) and dutasteride (Avodart) can inhibit further prostate growth or even shrink the prostate. They work better for those

with a larger prostate, reducing the risk of urinary retention and surgery. Some individuals may experience decreased sex drive, erectile or ejaculatory difficulties, or depression, which often resolve upon discontinuation. PSA levels may decrease significantly during treatment, influencing prostate cancer screening.

Combination treatment: A combination of an alpha blocker and an alpha-reductase inhibitor might be suggested for men with severe symptoms, a large prostate, or those unresponsive to the highest dose of an alpha blocker.

Muscarinic blockers:

receptor

Muscarinic receptor antagonists are a type of medication that works by reducing muscle contractions in the bladder, accomplished by blocking the muscarinic receptors. Common examples of these medications include tolterodine (Detrol and Detrol LA) and fesoterodine (Toviaz). Dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, is a frequent side effect of these drugs.

They are typically suggested for patients dealing with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) along with overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms. These medications are often used as additional therapies alongside alpha-blockers.

Phytotherapy

Phytotherapy plant extracts

involves using as medicines,

Does chicken soup really help when you’re sick? A nutrition specialist explains what’s behind the beloved comfort food

By COLBY TEEMAN University of Dayton

(THE CONVERSATION) Preparing a bowl of chicken soup for a loved one when they’re sick has been a common practice throughout the world for centuries. Today, generations from virtually every culture swear to the benefits of chicken soup.

In the US, the dish is typically made with noodles, but different cultures prepare the soothing remedy their own way.

Chicken soup as a therapy can be traced back to 60 AD and Pedanius Dioscorides, an army surgeon who served under the Roman emperor Nero, and whose five-volume medical encyclopedia was consulted by early healers for more than a millennium. But the origins of chicken soup go back thousands of years earlier, to ancient China.

So, with cold and flu season in full swing, it’s worth asking: Is there any science to back the belief that it helps? Or does chicken soup serve as just a comforting placebo, that is, providing

THE UROLOGY DOCTOR IS IN...

psychological benefit while we’re sick, without an actual therapeutic benefit?

As a registered dietitian and professor of dietetics and nutrition, I’m well aware of the appeal of chicken soup: the warmth of the broth and the rich, savory flavors of the chicken, vegetables and noodles. What gives the soup that distinctive taste is “umami” – the fifth category of taste sensations, along with sweet, salty, sour and bitter. It is often described as having a “meaty” taste.

Improved appetite, better digestion

All that makes sense, because amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, and the amino acid glutamate is found in foods with the umami taste. Not all umami foods are meat or poultry, however; cheese, mushrooms, miso and soy sauce have it too.

Studies show that taste, it turns out, is critical to the healing properties of chicken soup. When I see patients with upper respiratory illnesses, I notice many of them are suddenly eating less or not eating at all. This is because acute illnesses ignite an inflammatory response that can decrease

your appetite. Not feeling like eating means you’re unlikely to get the nutrition you need, which is hardly an optimal recipe for immune health and recovery from illness.

But evidence suggests that the umami taste in chicken soup may help spur a bigger appetite.

Participants in one study said they felt hungrier after their first taste of a soup with umami flavor added in by researchers.

Other studies say umami may also improve nutrient digestion.

Once our brains sense umami through the taste receptors on our tongues, our bodies prime our digestive tracts to absorb protein more easily.

This can reduce gastrointestinal symptoms, which many people experience when they’re under the weather. Although most people don’t associate upper respiratory infections with gastrointestinal symptoms, research in children has found that the flu virus increased abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea symptoms.

May reduce inflammation and stuffy nose Inflammation is part of the body’s natural response to injury or illness; inflammation occurs when white blood cells migrate

to inflamed tissue to assist with healing. When this inflammatory process occurs in the upper airway, it results in common cold and flu symptoms, such as a stuffy or runny nose, sneezing, coughing and thickened mucus.

Conversely, lower white blood cell activity in the nasal passages can reduce inflammation. And interestingly, research shows that chicken soup can in fact lower the number of white blood cells traveling to inflamed tissues. It does this by directly inhibiting the ability of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell, to travel to the inflamed tissue.

Key ingredients To truly understand the soothing and healing effects of chicken soup, it’s important to consider the soup’s ingredients. Not all chicken soups are packed with nutritious healing properties.

For instance, the ultraprocessed canned versions of chicken soup, both with and without noodles, lack many of the antioxidants found in homemade versions.

Most canned versions of chicken soup are nearly devoid of hearty vegetables.

The core nutrients in homemade versions of the soup are what set these varieties apart from canned versions. Chicken

particularly for urinary system issues. Recently, phytotherapeutic agents have gained popularity in treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) due to their benefits, such as improving signs and symptoms with minimal side effects.

Saw palmetto, known as Serenoa repens, is widely recognised for its anti-androgenic, anti-inflammatory, and smooth muscle-relaxing properties, making it effective in managing BPH symptoms.

It inhibits 5alpha-reductase, decreasing DHT levels and preventing BPH progression.

In a recent prospective observational study conducted by Krakhotkin and colleagues, it was discovered that the combined administration of silodosin 8mg with Serenoa repens 530mg led to a notable decrease in lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Additionally, this combination demonstrated a significant improvement in maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax) and a reduction in prostate volume when compared to the individual administration of silodosin 8mg and Serenoa repens 530mg alone.

This plant extract is generally well-tolerated, with mild and reversible side effects such as abdominal pain, diarrhoea, and fatigue reported infrequently.

While isolated cases of adverse events, including death and cerebral haemorrhage, have been reported, the causality remains uncertain, and no significant negative impact on sexual function has been observed. However, it’s essential to note that issues related to the quality and contamination of Serenoa repens products may contribute to some of the reported adverse effects.

Therefore, it is crucial to ensure the use of high-quality and reputable products when considering phytotherapy.

In the next article we shall investigate the latest surgical options in the management of benign prostatic obstruction.

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provides the body with a complete source of protein to combat infection. Vegetables supply a wide array of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. If prepared the American way, noodles provide an easily digestible source of carbohydrate that your body uses for energy and recovery.

Even the warmth of chicken soup can help. Drinking the liquid and inhaling the vapours increases the temperature of nasal and respiratory passages, which loosens the thick mucus that often accompanies respiratory illnesses.

Compared with hot water alone, studies show chicken soup is more effective at loosening mucus.

The herbs and spices sometimes used in chicken soup, such as pepper and garlic, also loosen mucus. The broth, which contains water and electrolytes, helps with rehydration.

So, to maximise the health benefits of chicken soup, I recommend a homemade variety, which can be prepared with carrots, celery, fresh garlic, herbs and spices, to name a few ingredients.

But if you need a more convenient option, look at the ingredients and nutrition facts label, and choose soups with a variety of vegetables over an ultraprocessed, nutrientdepleted kind.

In short, the latest science suggests that chicken soup – though not an out-and-out cure for colds and flu – really helps with healing.

Looks like Grandma was right again.

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PAGE 10, Tuesday, October 24, 2023

THE TRIBUNE

Competition between friends ByJEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

AS a wedding guest, it is considered impolite to upstage the bride; that is to “out-dress” her, as it’s her day to shine.

Most people do their best not to break this age-old fashion rule by choosing their attire carefully, ensuring not to wear anything white or too attention-grabbing.

But how does this rule apply to other events, like birthdays or anniversary celebrations?

Social media explored this question after a story involving two friends trended over the weekend.

A private text message from a young woman celebrating her birthday to her best gal pal calling her out on her choice of flashy fashion sparked the interest of millions of users on TikTok .

In the text message, the birthday girl told her friend: “Please don’t take this the wrong waym but I think you purposefully tried to out-dress me at my birthday party. As a friend, that is not okay”.

Thousands of people have been sharing their views on who they believe was wrong or right in the matter.

While the photo of the birthday guest with the “offending”

outfit was posted online – she was wearing the iconic Mugler catsuit – it turned out the picture of a young woman wearing an orange mini dress, which was touted as being of the birthday girl, was in fact of an innocent bystander not involved in the debacle.

But that didn’t stop people from eagerly engaging with the topic and drawing their own conclusions.

In their own circles and on various platforms, they discussed issues of insecurity, jealousy and competition among friends.

Bahamian TikTok user Shantavia said: “I think that friend is wrong. That dress is definitely a ‘stop traffic, all eyes on me’ type look. And clearly it upset the birthday girl. Why would you do that to someone who is supposed to be your good friend? I would have asked my friend if she was OK with that dress choice ahead of time and respected her wishes, because that is what true friends do.”

Mya said she is on the fence with this particular scenario.

“I’m in the middle. Because if that racy, show-stopping attire is your style, then it’s your style.

But if you know your friend’s style isn’t over the top, maybe it was OK to simmer down for just one night. I don’t know,” she said.

At the time, Mya said she doesn’t believe in catering to

the insecurities of others or dimming your light so that others feel comfortable.

“I just feel like, you should let people dress how they want to dress. That’s her clothes, and unless she met her on her birthday, then she knows just how her friend will come through,” she said.

Sadie on the other hand is firm in her belief that people should have the freedom to wear what they choose. However, she questioned the motives of the the birthday girl for posting the private conversation on social media.

“It’s quite obvious the birthday girl was feeling a sense of insecurity. And that’s fine, because everyone has some areas of their life and internal self that they may not be too confident about. But it is not right to project those insecurities onto others. Deal with what you are dealing with, but don’t project,” she said.

“I also think the best friend may have been messy to share this text between her friends with the world. It makes me wonder if (the other girl) was in fact trying to upstage.”

Crystal said she does not believe in “dimming one’s light”, however, she said this all boils down to friends knowing one another and each other’s personal style.

“You can’t be mad at me if I am better dressed than you. How would I know what you are planning on wearing to your birthday unless you told me? Now, if that were the case and the friend did in fact have an idea what her friend would be wearing, then maybe she did try to outshine her and is a bit of an attention-seeker,” she said.

Book Review: Sandra Newman puts a feminist spin on ‘1984’ with ‘Julia’

By ROB MERRILL Associated Press Rejoice, comrades! Almost 75 years after George Orwell’s “1984” was published in 1949, readers can return to Airstrip One with its Newspeak and Ministries of Truth, Peace, Love and Plenty. On second thought, maybe it’s not a place anyone wants to revisit. Maybe Orwell’s depiction of an ultra-totalitarian society in which “doublethink” — “Truth is Hate. Plenty is Hate. Peace is Hate. Love is Hate” — rules, hits a little too close to the real world in 2023.

But don’t let that argument dissuade you from reading Sandra Newman’s remarkable new novel, “Julia.” Marketed as a “retelling” of “1984” (Orwell’s estate actually approved its publication), it’s not quite as bleak as its progenitor.

And the omniscient third-person feminist perspective from inside the head of Winston Smith’s lover, Julia, is refreshing.

Julia is a mechanic in the Ministry of Truth’s Fiction Department, “perpetually fascinated by the plot machinery, how it worked and the ways it could go wrong.”

When we first meet her, she’s an ideal citizen — embracing the Party line in public, but always

Smith? Turns out Vicky actually slipped it first to Julia!

“1984” fans will enjoy experiencing the story from this point forward through Julia’s eyes, but for readers who aren’t Orwellian scholars, it’s important that “Julia” hold up on its own as well. Newman introduces the tenets of the Party — “War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength” — and describes the surveillance society of Big Brother in great detail and it’s all just as horribly shocking as when you read it the first time.

Don’t be discouraged though — after Winston and Julia, ahem, “rat” each other out to their torturers, we’re treated to a “Part Three” that actually goes beyond the plot of “1984.” It’s the rare answer to that perennial question at the end of a good book, “and then what happened?” And for a little while, just a little, readers can hope that rebellions aren’t always doomed, and an individual might have some power over the collective.

cognisant of Big Brother watching via the ubiquitous telescreens and expressing her cynicism only in private. Oh, and she’s falling in love with a young woman named Vicky at the hostel where they both live. In fact, it’s Vicky’s fondness for Julia that sets in motion the events that spark the plot of “1984.”

The love note Julia slips to Winston

Ethical non-monogamy: what to know about these often misunderstood relationships

By CHANTAL GAUTIER Lecturer and Sex Therapist, University of Westminster (THE CONVERSATION) Imagine Sarah and John have been in a monogamous relationship for five years. Although they love each other, Sarah, who is bisexual, has recently started feeling an attraction to her coworker, Andrea. This has led to several sexual encounters, leaving Sarah feeling guilty. However, she has not talked to John about her feelings or experiences with Andrea.

No matter how much you love your partner, it’s common to feel attracted to someone outside of a relationship. Some couples may even want sexual encounters with other people. It can be difficult to navigate these feelings, especially when they conflict with the commitment and promises made in the relationship. While the sex between Sarah and Andrea was consensual, Sarah engaged in non-consensual sex by stepping outside of her monogamous relationship without John’s consent.

There is growing curiosity about ethical or consensual non-monogamous relationships, particularly among young people. YouGov data found that 43 percent of millennial Americans say their ideal relationship is non-monogamous, even if few are in such a relationship. And a survey commissioned by sex toy brand Lelo, found that 28 percent of aged 18 to 24 would consider an open relationship.

What makes non-monogamy “ethical” is an emphasis on agreed, ongoing consent and mutual respect. All parties involved are fully aware of the situation and voluntarily agree to participate.

Partners are free to change their minds at any time and (re)negotiate boundaries that work for everyone involved. Ethical nonmonogamy can take many forms,

A GUEST at a birthday party was accused by her friend of upstaging her on her special day by wearing an attentiongrabbing Mugler catsuit.

1. Communicate openly Communication is important in any relationship, but especially critical in ENM relationships.

Partners must be transparent and honest about their intentions, feelings, expectations and boundaries. People in non-monogamous relationships need to be aware of their emotional boundaries and be prepared to navigate feelings of jealousy.

2. Practice safe sex Sexual health is key regardless of your relationship status or style. Get tested regularly for STIs and to use protection during sexual encounters to minimise the risk of transmission.

Read more: Five important things you should have learned in sex ed – but probably didn’t

3. Stop shame

including polyamory, open relationships and swinging.

These relationships are often stigmatised and misunderstood.

They challenge the traditional notion of monogamy, which is commonly viewed in most western and religious societies as the only acceptable way of engaging in romantic relationships.

Yet research has shown that consensual non-monogamy can have positive effects on relationships and the people in them. People in consensual nonmonogamous relationships have reported higher levels of sexual and relationship satisfaction and greater relational intimacy than people in monogamous relationships.

Misconceptions and stigma One stigmatising view is that people in non-monogamous

relationships pose a greater risk to their partners’ sexual health.

This is based on the assumption that having multiple sexual partners increases the likelihood of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

However, research shows that people in open and non-monogamous relationships have safer sex practices than monogamous, but unfaithful partners. Ethical nonmonogamy can be a safer outlet for sexual expression compared with monogamous relationships that have led to cheating where someone ends up passing an STI to their partner.

In healthy relationships, partners recognise that each person has their own unique sexual preferences and diverse needs. For consensually non-monogamous partners, this means understanding that their primary relationship may not always fulfil all their sexual desires.

Although jealousy can still exist within non-monogamous relationships, research has found that it can be more manageable than in monogamous ones. This is because, in secure non-monogamous partnerships, there are open discussions about sexual attraction and setting boundaries, where partners can address jealousy anxiety.

Exploring non-monogamy Ethical non-monogamy is not for everyone. You should only explore this type of relationship if it feels comfortable, you seek appropriate consent and the existing relationship is solid. Outsiders often hold the stereotypical view that people only engage in ENM if their current relationship is unstable.

If you decide that it’s right for you, keep the following in mind.

Managing stigma is one of the most difficult parts of an ENM relationship. When people are socialised to believe that having multiple partners is wrong or immoral, this can lead to feelings of shame and self-doubt. It is important to recognise that consensually non-monogamous and multipartnered relationships are a valid lifestyle choice. You can seek support from like-minded people or talk to a sex and relationship therapist if necessary.

While non-monogamy is not everyone’s cup of tea, these tips can be helpful for any relationship. Ultimately, it is essential to keep communication, consent and respect at the heart of your partnership.

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THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, October 24, 2023, PAGE 11

There isn’t much Cher hasn’t done in her career.

A Christmas album is new territory, though

By MARIA SHERMAN AP Music Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — There isn’t much Cher hasn’t done in her career. She’s achieved EGOT status, she’s the only artist to have a No 1 song in each of the past six decades — heck, she’s got her own gelato business, Cherlato.

But a Christmas album? That’s new territory.

So, why now?

“I just didn’t want to do one,” she told The Associated Press.

“I didn’t know how I was going to make it a ‘Cher Christmas album.’”

The secret, of course, was to lean into the incredible eclecticism of her career, all while avoiding the sleepy, saccharine pitfalls of a “Silent Night” -heavy holiday release.

Her first new album in five years, the appropriately titled “Christmas,” releases Friday. In some ways, it required Cher to find her voice again. She hadn’t sung since a March 12, 2020, performance in Oklahoma City was cancelled when a Utah Jazz basketball player tested positive for the coronavirus.

So she called up her vocal teacher, “Adrienne Angel, who’s 96, who came out and hung with me and we worked every day.”

“And then I went to the mic and I was able to sing,” she says.

“I have very young vocal cords.”

On “Christmas,” Cher enlists an all-star list of collaborators.

There’s Cyndi Lauper on “Put A Little Holiday In Your Heart,” Stevie Wonder on “What Christmas Means to Me,” Darlene Love on “Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home),” Michael Bublé on “Home,” and even the rapper Tyga on “Drop Top Sleigh Ride” — you read that last one correctly.

But working with others in this way is something she says she’s never done before. When you’re Cher, do you really need a featured voice?

“Well, with Darlene, I wasn’t going to sing her song without her,” she says of the song they first sang together 60 years ago on “A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector.”

“With Stevie, I did the song, I loved the song, but there were just things I couldn’t do, that were just Stevie,” she says. “So, I called him and just said, ‘Stevie, I’ve done it.

I’m pretty proud of it. But there are things I can’t do, and I need you.’”

“I was still trying to sell him when he’d already said yes,” she says. “At some point he asked me, ‘Is this my song?’ And I went, ‘You think I could call you to ask you to sing on someone else’s song?’”

Alexander Edwards, Cher’s romantic partner and a credited producer on the project, is best friends with Tyga, who helped make the most unexpected and delightful collaboration happen.

“Christmas” is dedicated to Cher’s late mother, Georgia Holt, who died just before the holidays last year. But don’t mistake this album as therapy — the act of reclaiming Christmas in the face of loss, or a way to memorialize Holt.

“I think about my mom all the time,” she says. She doesn’t need an album to remind her of her mom; her mom is everywhere.

“I don’t have a bit of regret that my mom is gone because my mom was such a vibrant woman and she didn’t like what was going on in her life,” she adds.

Cher says her mom sends her messages all the time — like recently when she rediscovered a huge plate she made her mom, flipped it over, and read what it said: “Dear mom, I love you, Merry Christmas.”

“And it was like, ‘Mom, you’re just not going to leave me alone, are you?’” she says.

In addition to the album, Cher is preparing to release a 25th anniversary edition of her Grammy-winning album “Believe” on Nov. 3. Its title track is credited as the first use of autotune — though, as she recalls, it

was termed a “pitch machine” at the time.

She was arguing with her longtime producer Mark Taylor about the track, and he brought up the new technology.

“It started and it was like, ‘Oh my God, this is the best thing ever.’

And I thought, ‘You don’t even know it’s me. This is the best thing ever.’ And then we high fived,” she recounts.

But don’t mistake an openness to technology and musical innovation as an openness to artificial intelligence.

Of the technology, Cher is quick to say: “Not AI. Someone did me doing a Madonna song and it was kind of shocking. They didn’t have it down perfectly. But also, I’ve spent my entire life trying to be myself, and now these a------ are going to go take it? And they’ll do my acting and they’ll do my singing?”

“I’m telling you, if you work forever to become somebody — and I’m not talking about somebody in the famous, money part — but an artist, and then someone just takes it from you, it

seems like it should be illegal,” she adds.

For those keeping count: It is also the 35th anniversary of Cher winning the best actress Oscar for her role in “Moonstruck.” When asked if she will act again, she’s quick to point out the necessity of a resolution to the ongoing Hollywood actors’ strike.

She was asked to do a special, she says.

“They said, ‘Well, we can do it in England.’ I said, ‘We can do it on the moon, but I’m not doing it,’” she says, not until an agreement is reached.

Spoken like, well, Cher.

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-DAY FORECAST

ORLANDO

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 70° F/21° C

TAMPA

TODAY

TONIGHT

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

UV INDEX TODAY

A couple of afternoon showers

Breezy early; mainly clear

A couple of morning showers; windy

Sunny and windy

Mostly sunny and windy

Windy with some sunshine

The higher the AccuWeather UV IndexTM number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.

High: 84°

Low: 76°

High: 84° Low: 77°

High: 85° Low: 75°

High: 85° Low: 77°

High: 83° Low: 75°

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

88° F

76° F

86°-77° F

86°-76° F

86°-76° F

85°-70° F

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 68° F/20° C

E

W

ABACO

S

N

High: 81° F/27° C Low: 75° F/24° C

12-25 knots

S

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 76° F/24° C

12-25 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 76° F/24° C

E

W S

E

W

WEST PALM BEACH

N

High

Ht.(ft.)

4:15 a.m.

4:42 p.m.

2.8 3.2

10:26 a.m. 0.7 11:09 p.m. 0.4

ALMANAC

Wednesday 5:17 a.m.

5:40 p.m.

3.1 3.3

11:31 a.m. 0.4 ---------

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 82° F/28° C Low .................................................... 70° F/21° C Normal high ....................................... 84° F/29° C Normal low ........................................ 72° F/22° C Last year’s high .................................. 86° F/30° C Last year’s low ................................... 74° F/23° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.00” Year to date ................................................ 47.35” Normal year to date ................................... 33.80”

Thursday

6:12 a.m.

6:33 p.m.

3.3 3.3

12:01 a.m. 0.2 12:30 p.m. 0.2

Friday

7:04 a.m.

7:23 p.m.

3.6 3.2

12:49 a.m. 0.0 1:25 p.m. 0.0

Saturday

7:53 a.m.

8:11 p.m.

3.7 3.1

1:36 a.m. -0.2 2:17 p.m. -0.1

Sunday

8:40 a.m.

8:59 p.m.

3.7 3.0

2:21 a.m. -0.3 3:07 p.m. -0.1

Monday

9:26 a.m.

9:45 p.m.

3.7 2.8

3:05 a.m. -0.2 3:55 p.m. 0.0

The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.

N

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 69° F/21° C

MIAMI

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 77° F/25° C

10-20 knots

KEY WEST

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 76° F/24° C

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 76° F/24° C

Today

Low

Ht.(ft.)

SUN AND MOON Sunrise Sunset

7:13 a.m. Moonrise 6:35 p.m. Moonset

4:02 p.m.

2:38 a.m.

Full

Last

New

First

Oct. 28

Nov. 5

Nov. 13

Nov. 20

CAT ISLAND

E

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 77° F/25° C

N

S

E

W

10-20 knots

S

10-20 knots Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2023

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 77° F/25° C

N W

TIDES FOR NASSAU

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 77° F/25° C

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

N

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 78° F/26° C

E

W S

LONG ISLAND

TRACKING MAP

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 78° F/26° C

12-25 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 86° F/30° C Low: 77° F/25° C

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 85° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 78° F/26° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 88° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

N

E

W

E

W

N

S

S

12-25 knots

12-25 knots

MARINE FORECAST ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR

Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday:

WINDS NE at 12-25 Knots NE at 12-25 Knots NE at 10-20 Knots ENE at 12-25 Knots NE at 12-25 Knots ENE at 12-25 Knots NE at 12-25 Knots NE at 12-25 Knots NE at 12-25 Knots ENE at 12-25 Knots ENE at 12-25 Knots ENE at 12-25 Knots NE at 10-20 Knots NE at 12-25 Knots NE at 12-25 Knots NNE at 12-25 Knots NE at 12-25 Knots NE at 12-25 Knots NE at 12-25 Knots NE at 12-25 Knots NE at 10-20 Knots NE at 12-25 Knots NE at 12-25 Knots NE at 12-25 Knots NE at 12-25 Knots NE at 12-25 Knots

WAVES 5-9 Feet 6-10 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 4-7 Feet 6-10 Feet 4-7 Feet 4-8 Feet 4-8 Feet 6-10 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-5 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-3 Feet 3-5 Feet 4-7 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-6 Feet 5-9 Feet 6-10 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-6 Feet 2-4 Feet 3-5 Feet

VISIBILITY 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 81° F 81° F 82° F 82° F 82° F 82° F 83° F 83° F 82° F 82° F 81° F 81° F 82° F 82° F 84° F 84° F 83° F 83° F 83° F 83° F 82° F 82° F 83° F 83° F 82° F 82° F

SECTION B

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2023

We re all in this together Bahamian blogger aims to build community where everyone can bloom “If I had the opportunity to blog or create for my dream celebrity, first I would be extremely nervous and excited. Internationally, it would have to be B Simone and Megan Ashely from the ‘Know For Sure’ podcast; Crystal Renee from the ‘Keep It Positive, Sweetie’ podcast, or one of the three

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Writer acadet@tribunemedia.net

IN a world where it can be rather difficult to find your voice, Odette Bain has launched her blog “Blooming with Azalea” to not only express herself, but also to encourage and uplift others with her unique approach to life.

“I share not only my opinions but a variety of topics, including spiritual growth, seasonal growth, mental health, and everything about evolving oneself in hope of encouraging and uplifting my Bloomers (followers),” she told Tribune Woman.

“I’m an ambivert who loves helping others live their best lives using wisdom. I’m passionate about helping people get through this thing called life and bloom even, if it’s just with a smile.”

When it comes to her “Blooming with Azalea” platform, Odette said it is like a burning fire within her; a passion that cannot be contained.

The blog entries have included her story of how she grew closer to God, how she has learned all about “adulting” and accepted knowing that every day won’t be the same.

And a new category Odette has recently started is called “What’s Azalea Doing?”, which covers a more fun and causal side of her life.

“I write because I have a story to tell, a story of darkness and despair, but also of light and hope.

I write because I believe that our stories can heal each other. When we share our vulnerabilities, we connect on a deeper level. We realise that we’re not alone; that we’re all in this together,” she said.

“I want to build a community where we can learn from each other, bloom together, and become the best versions of ourselves. My

own journey has been challenging, but it’s also been incredibly rewarding. I’ve faced some of my darkest demons, and I’ve emerged stronger.”

Odette said she has learned that people are resilient and capable of overcoming even the most difficult challenges. By using her love to write and create, she wants to be able to show people that it is always possible to heal, grow and thrive.

“I want to show them that they are not alone, and that they have the power to create the life they desire. I create with passion because I believe in the power of words. But I also believe that words and actions can change lives. I believe that words can make the world a better place. I love inspiring and encouraging others to share their thoughts and feelings in a judgment-free space,” she said.

“I’m passionate about positive and spiritual conversations, and I

believe we can all learn from each other.

With content creation it’s a creative space to do what you want in your own creative way.

I am my own niche and that alone I think reflects in my content.”

Odette said she is inspired by many people, but some of the biggest names that come to mind are author and speaker Sarah Jakes Roberts, Pastor Keion Henderson, and pastor and mental health advocate Dr Joel Tudman. And on a more personal level, the love from her family is her biggest influence.

with her and have a cool sit-down convo for my YouTube channel.”

Odette’s plan for the remainder of the year is to host a special and intimate giveaway for the fall season.

“Besides that, I have a lot of groundwork that I am currently working on with my brand, including working on some merch as well as expanding my brand in a differ-

ODETTE Bain is passionate about using words to bring about change. names I mentioned earlier,” she said.

“Locally, I would say Darea Danielle – we’ve met before and we had great conversation, so it would be pretty cool to work

ent light. With that, it won’t be ‘Blooming with Azalea’; it will simply be Azalea. There’s a lot I am looking forward to, however, I am still planting a few seeds in the garden,” she said.

Tween philanthropist provides healthy snacks for her school mates

By CARA HUNT Tribune Features Writer cbrennen@tribunemedia.net

Candice Rolle may be only 11 years old, but she is already making a difference in the lives of the people around her Last Friday, the seventh grade CH Reeves Junior High School student sponsored a water and fruit drive to provide a healthy snack option for students at her school.

“I like to draw and do projects; I like to craft. I like cooking and sewing, and I love fashion and finding clothes that complement my style, and when I was smaller, I used to want to be on TV,” she told Tribune Woman.

Candice has always had quite the entrepreneurial spirit and is also the owner of the Candy Mandy lemonade stand.

“I saw several lemonade stands on TV and I really wanted to have my own and so my mom made it happen. I do pop-ups an I make (the lemonade) myself. I have several signature flavours including ginger, blackberry, fever grass and strawberry,” she said.

But her true passion lies with giving back to the community and helping those around her.

Candice did quite a lot of community service as a student at EP Roberts Primary Roberts, including launching a book drive, and served as president of the school’s branch of Kids, the largest

CANDICE ROLLE, 11, wants to do her part in giving back to the community and to those in need.

service organisation for elementary school students, with more than 1,200 clubs worldwide sponsored by Kiwanis.

And now Candice is continuing giving to others at her new school, CH Reeves.

“I noticed that a lot of the children at school did not have healthy snacks like apples or bananas, and a lot of them would ask for water from their friends,

because they didn’t have access to water, and so I really wanted to help if I could,” she said.

Candice was able to get donations of cash, water and fruits from the Ministry of Agriculture, other corporate sponsors and family and friends of the school.

They all helped facilitate her healthy snack drive at the school last Friday. Students were able to

grab a piece of fruit and a bottle of water before class.

“We were able to help about 400 students,” she said, proudly.

However, Candice admitted that it made her sad to know that children, especially her friends, have to “ beg” for water and fruit on a daily basis.

“I just wanted to do my best to help people,” she said.

Candice is already busy planning her next community venture.

She would love to repeat the healthy snack drive, but has also set her sights on her school’s library with ideas on how to improve it.

“CH Reeves is desperately in need of tools for the library and so I want to do a book drive and I also want to a drive to get fans for the classrooms,” she said.

Rika Rolle, Candice’s proud mother, said that from the time her daughter was a toddler she has wanted to help others.

“She has always had a heart to serve from when she first entered pre- school. I wish I could be like her. This is her first year at CH Reeves but already she has found a way to help her classmates,” she said.