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$10k a month to be middle class
Cost of living in the capital higher than GB, says UB
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
A NEW academic study has found that a middleclass family of four in New Providence and Grand Bahama needs over $10,000 a month to sustain a basic lifestyle, with costs in the nation’s capital estimated to be slightly higher than in Grand Bahama.
study
According to the study, authored by University of The Bahamas researcher Lesvie Archer, families of four in New Providence require a monthly income of $10,200 to support a middle-class standard of living, compared to $10,100 in Grand Bahama. The slight one percent cost-of-living difference
‘adult aggression linked to corporal punishment’
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
A UNivErsiTy of
The Bahamas study has once again highlighted a troubling link between childhood corporal punishment and adult aggression, with researchers suggesting that an end to the practice could lead to less aggressive behaviors in society.
The study, written by Theresa E Moxey-Adderley and William J Fielding, utilised an internet-based survey of 5,351 Bahamians to explore the connections between corporal punishment and aggression. researchers found that participants who experienced higher levels of corporal punishment during
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
THE Carey family was devastated on returning to their home on Friday only to find it in ruins after
Mervie Knowles’ relatives were allowed seven days to remove her personal belongings from the residence while she remained in police custody. Philippa Carey broke down in tears after seeing
the condition in which her grandmother’s house was left — rotting food and trash on the floor, the stench of spoiled meat emanating from the residence, and
disorderly conduct charge for mervie’s lawyer
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
MErviE Knowles, administrator of the Home Away From Home senior care facility, was released from police custody yesterday. Her attorney, David Cash, who was detained for 11 hours on saturday, is
set to appear in court today after being charged with obscene language and disorderly conduct. Mr Cash reported facing aggressive resistance from Freeport police when attempting to meet with Ms Knowles, who had been in custody since last Tuesday. Mr Cash travelled
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff
lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
POLiCE are investigating the death of a man found with gunshot wounds on Carmichael road early sunday morning, marking the country’s 103rd murder this year.
Officers responded shortly before 8am after the unresponsive body was discovered near Unison road. Emergency Medical services arrived, but found no signs of life.
Mervie Knowles.
officers of the RBPF and RBDF carrying the body of Philip Galanis during his State-Recognised Funeral on Friday. See PAGE TWO for more photos.
Photo: Kemuel stubbs/BIS
State funeral for former senator and parliamentarian Philip Galanis
A StAte-recognized funeral service was held for the late Philip Christopher Galanis, former Senator and Parliamentarian, on Friday at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, West Street. Interment followed at Lakeview Memorial Gardens and Mausoleum.
Photos: Kemuel Stubbs/BIS
$10k a month to be middle class
between New Providence and Grand Bahama reflects variations in specific expenses.
For example, while food and “non-food, non-housing” (NFNH) costs are approximately $350 higher in Grand Bahama, housing and utilities costs are $450 lower there compared to New Providence.
“This generates an overall cost difference of $100. Hence, prices differences in factors that composite the total estimate can cancel each other out even when comparing geographically,” the study added.
Expanding on the 2020 Bahamas Living Wages Survey, which calculated
minimum living expenses at $4,400 for a family of four New Providence and $5,750 for Grand Bahama, this new research updates the cost-of-living estimates for working-class families, while shifting focus to middle-class standards. “To account for inflation changes to the current period of interest, the 2024 cost-of-living estimate for a working-class family of four is $5,000 per month in New Providence and $6,600 per month in Grand Bahama,” the study reports.
“These updated figures accommodate for changes in living standards that are connected to changes in inflation rates since the original data collection and
analysis period.” Additionally, it found that the cost of middle-class living is over 104 percent higher than the updated expenses for lower-income families in New Providence and 53 percent higher in Grand Bahama.
Key factors driving this disparity include middleclass families’ preferences concerning housing, shopping locations, and private school education.
The study estimated that a family of four needs an annual income of approximately $122,400 to maintain a decent middle-class lifestyle in New Providence, while in Grand Bahama, the required annual income is about $121,200.
While these estimates include basic savings, they do not cover life insurance, private health insurance, national insurance taxes, debt, union dues, or new vehicle purchases.
Additionally, the study’s estimates focused on rental costs rather than home ownership.
“On New Providence, prices range from $800 for an unfurnished unit in Stapleton and several eastern communities to $3,000 in Cable Beach.
(Upper-middle income rental homes were distinguished as ranging in cost from $3,000-$8,000 per month and included areas such as Cable Beach, Westridge, Sandyport, and Paradise Island). On Grand
Bahama, prices ranged between $1,200 for a twobedroom in Dolphin Cove to $3,000 in Lucaya Beach.”
The study follows Anker and Anker’s methodology but also incorporates primary data collected through surveys and interviews, alongside secondary data from international benchmark reports and national statistics.
According to the report, primary data were collected in March 2022 from designated fieldwork areas in New Providence Island, specifically targeting zones where middle-class families typically work, shop, or live.
These include communities situated on the outskirts of New
Providence, including areas near Yamacraw Hill Road, Cable Beach, Lyford Cay, etc.
Fieldwork was also conducted in the western part of Grand Bahama, which includes Freeport, Eight Mile Rock, and West End.
“Other parts of the island are still recovering from damage connected to the 2019 Category 5 Hurricane Dorian. Data was collected on approximately 20 rental units and two stores in Grand Bahama,” the study added.
The researcher advised that the report could serve as a starting point for shaping policies related to wages, living costs and living standards in the country.
‘Adult aggression linked to corporal punishment’
from page one
childhood showed greater aggression as adults.
The study also revealed that adults who used or intended to use corporal punishment on their children had higher aggression scores and had typically experienced more corporal punishment in their own childhoods than those who did not intend to use it.
According to the report, men had “significantly” higher aggression scores than women, while younger participants had higher scores across all dimensions of the aggression score.
It was further revealed that parental of guardian treatment had a more
UB st Udy
substantial impact on aggression scores compared to treatment by schoolteachers.
However, researchers found that adult experiences such as sexual abuse and workplace bullying were associated with elevated aggression scores.
For example, the study noted that women who experienced negative events from both sexual abuse and corporal punishment had higher aggression scores, but this was not found for males.
“This suggests that elevated higher aggression scores are associated with sexual abuse of females, but not males.” Further to this, the study
noted that even though men received more corporal punishment than women as adults, they were less likely than women to consider that level of corporal punishment as abuse.
The study also reported that participants who suffered from domestic violence and unwanted sexual intercourse had significantly higher anger scores than those who were not abuse victims.
Among the 2,776 females who had intimate partners, 17 percent were sure they had experienced sexual intercourse against their will, according to the report.
This compared to 7.7 percent of 964 males surveyed.
examines academic performance in connection to different parenting styles
By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
A RECENT Bahamian study has examined the link between parenting styles and student academic performance, finding little evidence of a strong connection between the authoritative, authoritarian and permissive parenting styles and students’ academic performance.
The study by Nicora Stubbs-Young, which aims at expanding Caribbean research on parenting’s impact on student outcomes, involved data from 582 randomly selected parents and 582 public students.
The research utilised a demographic questionnaire and the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ) to classify parents’ self-reported parenting styles.
The study noted that the nuclear family was the predominant structure among participants, followed by extended families,
single-parent homes, common-law families, and blended families. Of the parenting styles reported, the authoritative style was most commonly practiced. Student GPAs from the Christmas term were used as indicators of academic performance, with data available for 466 students. According to the findings, 80 percent of these students achieved at least a 2.0 GPA, the passing grade for public schools, while 20 percent fell below this threshold.
Additionally, 45 percent of students earned GPAs above 3.0.
The study conducted a correlation to examine any relationships between each parenting style and academic performance. The results showed no statistically significant correlation between parenting styles and GPA.
However, a low positive relationship was observed between the authoritative style and academic performance.
Meanwhile, the study found a moderate positive relationship between the
authoritarian parenting style and academic performance, while a moderate negative relationship was observed between the permissive parenting style and academic performance.
The study said that its findings did not align with previous international research and “puts into question the relevance and applicability of Baumrind’s Theory of Parenting Styles for the Caribbean and Bahamian context”.
It also acknowledged several limitations that may have influenced the results, including the use of unstandardised scores to measure academic performance, which limits the ability to make reliable comparisons between participating schools.
“Researchers must also be cognisant that the focus of this research is on the relationship between parenting styles and academic performance. This study, therefore, does not address other factors that may be related to the academic outcomes for students such as parental involvement.”
“These figures are similar to the 17.6 percent of females and 8.1 percent of males who reported experiencing unwanted sexual intercourse in a Bahamas Ministry of Health STEPS survey of 2019.”
The study also found that women who had “unwanted sexual intercourse” were more likely to use an object to discipline their children.
“Aggression can be aggravated by sexual abuse, as evidenced by 37 percent of women in our study who stated that they got angry more easily than before their abuse. This was also linked with them being more likely to use an object to hit their children, and so elevating the risk of their
children being abused,” the study added.
“Given the limited protection that married women in The Bahamas have from some extreme forms of sexual abuse (MoxeyAdderley & Walker, 2023), it is clear that children also can become indirect victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence, with consequences which can last into adulthood. Therefore, policies which protect women from such violence might also be expected to protect children from lasting harm. “
The study found that its findings were consistent with past research, which show that harsh discipline can have harmful
consequences on the child.” It therefore recommends programmes to help parents manage anger and to adopt alternative discipline methods, encouraging involvement from schools, health professionals, faithbased communities and even social media influencers to help reshape perceptions around child discipline.
The report also observed that public support for banning corporal punishment remains low, suggesting that non-legislativeapproaches “which can include the education system and health professionals who have respected teaching roles” may be more effective in changing attitudes.
Florence Bernette Carey (née Chestnut)
passed away on October 25, 2024.
Funeral service will be held on Tuesday 5th of November, 2024, at Ebenezer Methodist Church, Shirley Street at 2:00 pm. Officiating will be Rev. Milton Lightbourne, assisted by Timothy Pinder.
Born in 1930 to parents Raymond and Caroline Chestnut (née Sands), Florence grew up in Nassau, Bahamas, where she met her husband H. Michael Carey. They were married in 1950 and shared their lives in Nassau, working hard to build a foundation for their future shared life. Florence was loved and appreciated by family and friends for her warmth and kind spirit. She was a lifelong member of Ebenezer Methodist Church and a cherished member of the Focus Group. After her children were grown, Florence followed her dream of owning her own business, establishing and running Florinda’s in Palmdale for over twenty years.
Predeceased by her husband and siblings, Florence is survived by her children Raymond (Mary Jane), Helen (Chris), and Paul (Inna), grandchildren Chad, David, Thomas, Alan, Vera and Mark, seven great grandchildren, many nieces and nephews and a host of other relatives and friends.
The family sends special thanks to friends Evelyn and Chris Sweeting, Donna, Lindy and Emily Wells, to caregivers Jofer Munoz, Dawn Bowe, and Betty Edwards, to Rev. Milton Lightbourne and the Men’s fellowship Group - all for their wonderful care and support over many years and, more recently, to Dr. Sanita Belgrave-King.
In lieu of flowers, those who wish may donate to Ebenezer Methodist Church Cemetery Maintenance or Music Department, Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), Palmdale Branch, Account No. 057451193606 in memory of Mrs. Florence B. Carey.
Relatives and friends may pay their respects at Kemp’s Funeral Home Limited, 19 Palmdale Avenue, Palmdale, on Monday, 4th November, 2024 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Arrangements by Kemp’s Funeral Home Limited.
Deadly Sunday morning shooting
This latest murder follows a deadly shooting in Fox Hill last Monday, in which three men were killed in one of the deadliest single incidents in recent years. The brazen afternoon attack on Step Street left residents shaken as three masked men with high-powered rifles got out of a vehicle, and opened fire on a group gathered near a roadside garage.
The Fox Hill shooting, underscored the ongoing violence in the community and prompted an emergency meeting of the Advisory Crime Council at the Fox Hill Community Centre.
impacts of crime on their lives.
Donna McCoy, a Fox Hill resident, who lost her only child, Alverez, in a shooting outside her home in January 2023, shared how her grief resurfaces as new violence strikes the community.
“Yes, it brought back memories,” she said. “It just brought back when the shooting happened to him in my yard, but just like any mother who lost their child, the memory will come back. You cannot really explain it because it’s a feeling that, if you didn’t go through it, you wouldn’t understand.”
“I’m not uneasy living in the community despite the shootings and things,” she told The Tribune on the sidelines of the group session.
“My grandchild tells me, ‘Grammy, you have to move someplace else,’ but I tell them no, it’s all right. This is where God has me planted, and this is where I have to deal with the people in the community.”
Another Fox Hill resident, Sonia Kemp, whose son was a victim of the 2013 Fox Hill massacre, echoed the sense of unease, but explained that she has “left it in God’s hands” after feeling there would be no justice.
attended the support group for 17 months, described her struggle with the loss of her son, Andre, who died from a fentanyl overdose on August 28, 2022 in the apartment next door to hers.
“He wasn’t murdered with a gun or knife, but he was given a pill that had illicit fentanyl in it, and he died right next door to me in his apartment. I am unit 1, he was in unit 2,” she said.
Reflecting on her journey through grief, she said, “This grieving journey, I don’t know how it would have looked if God would not have ordered my steps to connect with Dr Allen.”
you do not feel the pain,” she said on Friday. In explaining that her son, who never used drugs, unknowingly took a pill laced with fentanyl, she said: “My son would never even take a panadol, he hated pills, he hated medicine. He wouldn’t even take a a panadol when he got his braces tighten so for me to live with the fact that my son died from a pill, its incomprehensible. I do not understand this, I do not get it.”
Many participants expressed frustration with the justice system, questioning its effectiveness.
on Violence: The Lack of Power, discussed the subconscious roots of violence and explained that unresolved trauma often drives violent behaviour.
“Ninety per cent of our actions come from the subconscious mind,” Dr Fox said, adding that feelings of powerlessness frequently fuel acts of violence.
Dr Fox also highlighted the growing trend of gang affiliations among younger children, noting that even primary school students are increasingly aligning with gangs.
Led by Dr David Allen, the meeting, structured around his Family: People Helping People support group, gave grieving residents a platform to share their pain and discuss the
Despite her pain, Ms McCoy expressed gratitude for the group sessions, which she has attended for two weeks, calling them a “blessing.”
“They have two different personas — one for family life and another for criminal activity,” he said. As the meeting closed, participants were encouraged to hold onto memories of their lost loved ones and pursue personal healing. The Fox Hill Family Group meets every Friday at 1pm at the Fox Hill Community Centre. from page one
She also shared her commitment to remain in Fox Hill despite the concerns of family members.
“It made me sad just to know that things like that are still going on in our community,” Ms Kemp said. “It’s very sad that innocent persons end up dying for guilty persons.” Andrea JohnsonThompson, who has
“The saying that time heals all wounds I never subscribed to that, I never believed it. Time doesn’t heal, time helps, it does not heal. The pain is so unbearable you cannot even put into words, not one moment of the day
“They took his life like he was nothing, and he meant the world to me,” one mother said.
Another resident described the system as “contradictory” and criticised what they viewed as a lack of compassion from authorities.
Dr Eric Fox, presenting
‘A hurt child is a dangerous adult,’ says Dr Allen
BY LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
AFTER Prime Minister
Philip Davis revealed that nearly 85 to 90 percent of inmates at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDOCS) experienced abuse as children, renowned Bahamian psychiatrist Dr David Allen said he is not surprised.
“I’ve been in the prison since 1986. There is no doubt in the prison that there’s a high rate of abuse,” he told The Tribune.
Mr Davis said the findings came from a prison survey, although he did not specify when it was conducted.
Prison Commissioner Doan Cleare also could not confirm to which survey the Prime Minister referred, noting that several surveys had been conducted recently.
Dr Allen said he was unfamiliar with the specific study to which Mr Davis referred, but noted that his previous research also found high rates of abuse among inmates.
“My study dealt with family abuse in the prison, but also the marginalised areas. We did a sample of the people from the prison, from the marginalized areas and we found a rate of 44 percent – physical, sexual, but also neglect.”
The findings were highlighted in Dr David Allen’s study, “Child Abuse and Neglect”, co-authored with Dr Keva Bethell.
The study reported that over half of the 209 participants experienced physical abuse before the age of 18.
Dr Allen said the findings underscore the need for continued youth intervention, saying: “A hurt child is a dangerous adult.”
He expressed concern about shifting social norms, saying, “The code is changing. It’s a very dangerous thing. We didn’t mess with churches. We didn’t mess with parents, but now, when they want somebody, they will still shoot.”
Dr Allen added the country lacks adequate programmes to support traumatised children and urged immediate action.
“Poverty is increasing, homelessness is increasing, so that’s also abusive so we
Dr DaviD allen
Carey family upset at condition of home after Knowles’ eviction
essential appliances, such as the refrigerator, stove, and furniture missing.
“I am having a tough time, right now,” said a teary-eyed Philippa.
When contacted on Friday, Superintendent Darrell Weir, officer in charge of CID, said the Careys have not filed a complaint concerning damage to the home and that Ms Knowles remains in custody.
Psychologist Dr Sandy Bowleg, who is assisting and working with the Careys through their ordeal, said Ingrid Carey and her family are traumatised and unable to move back into the home, which has been vandalised.
“This has been heartbreaking,” said Dr Bowleg. “We were so looking forward to bringing Mrs Carey back into her residence.”
Ingrid Carey was a resident in the senior care facility operated and owned by Ms Knowles, who is in police custody in connection with a fraud investigation after she allegedly took control of Ms Carey’s home and other assets, including her NIB benefits and life insurance policy.
Ms Carey was removed
from the elderly facility last Friday and placed back in the care of her granddaughter Philippa, after relatives in New Providence produced an original power of attorney document that was granted in 2011 over Carey and her assets.
After a public protest and outrage, Ms Knowles agreed to transfer the home and assets to the Careys and remove
her belongings in seven days. She also demanded $20,000 for renovations she claims were done in the residence.
The Careys have been staying at the Grand Lucaya Resort since the ordeal unfolded and were preparing to move back on Friday.
Dr Bowleg said the family went to the house for a follow-up visit on Thursday, October 31,
only to be traumatised by the level of vandalism in the home. The utilities, water, and power were also disconnected.
Mrs Carey has taken “a turn for the worst,” according to Dr Bowleg.
“The perpetrators just practically destroyed the house. She (Mrs Carey) saw it on the news, and she was traumatised hearing it on the news, and she had a relapse,” she said.
“So, it was really disheartening because she was really progressing. So, it took a turn for the worst, and she went right back into the original state.
“Taking care of her, she opened up more than I expected to. And it was not just brainwashing, but some level of physical abuse because she mentioned it this morning. But at the end of the day, we are still holding faith that she will progress and get over this.”
Dr Bowleg made a plea to corporate Bahamas for assistance.
“We are appealing to corporate Bahamas for the assistance to try and get the home back in the state that she is normally accustomed to and familiar with.”
“The fridge and stove have been taken. The fact you emptied a refrigerator and you had meat on the ground, maggot infestation, the smell, the stench — it cannot get any lower than that.
“And what hurts me even more is these people have introduced themselves to me as pastors and bishops. So, I have to question where is the humanitarian side. It is not right. We are left having to pick up the pieces.
“It is not easy for
Philippa and the family, and we are appealing again to corporate Bahamas — we need your assistance.”
Dr Bowleg said the family is grateful to Our Lucaya and the Ministry for Grand Bahama for providing accommodations for the Careys.
She stressed that it is important that Mrs Carey returns home to an environment to which she is familiar to assist with her mental well-being.
Dr Bowleg said the family intends to file a complaint.
“The family will file a complaint because we need to send a very strong message. This is not right. The family will be dealing with that in short order.”
Asked about the $20,000 that Knowles has invested in the home, Dr Bowleg said the family has not seen any upgrades or repairs that were made to the house.
“When we did the before and after, there were absolutely no repairs — none. So we found that strange that you are going to say you pumped $20,000, and the house was still in its original state,” she said.
“You cannot vandalise somebody’s property because you pumped $20,000 into it,” she said.
Disor Derly conDuct charge for Mervie’s lawyer
from Nassau to Freeport on Saturday to represent his client, arriving at the Freeport Central Police Station around 8.30am. He identified himself at the front desk and requested to speak with investigators to arrange an interview time with Ms Knowles in his presence.
However, Mr Cash
described an encounter with a male officer who reacted with hostility, asking, “Who are you?”
Upon identifying himself as Ms Knowles’ attorney, Mr Cash was told he was not her attorney on record and was therefore not permitted to see her. The officer reportedly stated, “Only the attorney on record can speak to her.”
Mr Cash argued that
no attorney, including any in Freeport, had yet seen Ms Knowles. When he asserted her right to meet with him, the officer allegedly responded, “I don’t know how y’all do things in Nassau, but this is how we do it in Freeport.” Shortly afterward, Mr Cash was arrested and charged with disorderly behaviour and obscene language, resulting in 11 hours of detention
Appe A l for fin A nci A l A ssistA
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter
dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
An appeal is being made for nationwide assistance to help Ingrid Carey restore her residence after it was left in disarray on Friday so that she and her family could return home by December.
Mervicane Knowles, the operator of Home Away From Home, remains in police custody as part of a fraud investigation.
She was given seven days to remove her personal belongings from the house, which she claimed was gifted to her by Ms Carey, a resident at her senior care facility. However, when the family returned to take possession of the house, it was left in a filthy condition, there was some damage inside, and the appliances and some furnishings were missing.
Leading the call for assistance, Reno Smith
before his release on bail.
Despite these initial obstacles, Mr Cash was ultimately allowed to see Ms Knowles without having to arrange for another attorney to be removed from the record. Ms Knowles was released from custody on Sunday at approximately 1.49pm, with no charges filed against her.
Ms Knowles’s detention follows allegations of elder
abuse and financial exploitation involving Ingrid Carey, a former resident of the Home Away From Home facility. The Ministry of Social Services launched an investigation last week after public outcry over claims that Ms Knowles had taken control of Ms Carey’s home, National Insurance Board benefits, and life insurance policy. Ms Carey was removed from the facility and placed in the custody of her granddaughter, Philippa Carey, who accused Ms Knowles of illegally obtaining power of attorney over her grandmother’s assets. Philippa Carey regained custody after her aunt, Sharon Thompson, produced a 2011 power of attorney document that granted her control of Ms Carey’s affairs.
nce to help ingrid cA rey restore residence
has called on contractors throughout the country to assist the Careys with restoring their house.
He said plans for a food drive have been put on hold until the family is able to return home.
“There is no electricity and the house is without furniture. We’re putting the food drive on hold because the situation has become more urgent,” he said.
Mr Smith and FOAM said skilled contractors
sA nds c A lls he A lthc A re delivery in the fa Mily islanDs ‘prehistoric’
By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter
FREE National Move-
ment chairman Dr Duane Sands on Friday called for a complete overhaul of healthcare delivery in the Family Islands, describing the current system as “pre-historic.”
He added that years of neglect have driven many Family Island residents to relocate in search of better opportunities.
Dr Sands was responding to a 2022 census report from the Bahamas National Statistical Institute (BNSI), which revealed significant population declines in the Family Islands, particularly in the southern islands.
Mayaguana recorded the largest drop, losing 26.7 percent of its population, followed by Ragged Island with a 22.2 percent decrease.
Family Island community leaders have highlighted the need for improved housing and increased government support to attract residents back.
Some in Ragged Island
attribute the population decline to Hurricane Irma in 2017, which prompted many seniors to move to New Providence to access medical care and be closer to family.
Dr Sands said the census results are unsurprising, noting that economic opportunities are limited in the Family Islands. He said development has been scarce, especially on islands still recovering from past hurricanes.
While the Davis administration has pledged to enhance healthcare in the Family Islands through clinic construction and renovations, Dr Sands argued that building clinics alone is not enough. He stressed that clinics on Family Islands require sufficient healthcare professionals to serve residents. He added that the shortage of physicians, particularly Bahamian doctors, and the ongoing nursing shortfall have severely affected healthcare outcomes in the Family Islands. He suggested that medical facilities on larger
Family Islands, such as Abaco, Exuma, and Eleuthera, should be fully equipped to handle emergencies, allowing residents to receive care locally instead of travelling to New Providence.
The 2022 BNSI census data showed population decreases in smaller Family Islands, including Mayaguana, Ragged Island, Crooked Island, Inagua, Long Island, San Salvador, Rum Cay, and Spanish Wells. Although there was minor growth in Acklins and Eleuthera, the Family Islands’ share of the national population continues to decline.
Last week, FNM leader Michael Pintard voiced concerns over the dwindling population in the Family Islands. He called for “intentional policies and legislation” to foster population growth and development, asserting that all Bahamians deserve the same basic services available in New Providence and Grand Bahama. He pledged that an FNM-led government would prioritise Family Island development.
and volunteers are needed to assist with cabinetry repairs and other repairs, restoring power, and furnishing the home.
Their immediate goal is to bring comfort and familiarity back into the lives of Ingrid Carey and her family, who are currently being accommodated at the Grand Lucayan Resort for the time being.
“If you have manpower to spare, we need you to help prepare this house for Ms. Ingrid to come home,”
said Mr Smith. To help cover the costs of these repairs, he is calling on churches, clergymen, and civic organizations across Grand Bahama and the wider Bahamas to contribute.
“If every church could donate $100, we could begin the process of restoring this home to a safe and welcoming state,” he said.
He said contributions can be made to the law firm Hamilton, Claude,
Reno Smith
& Co. at First Caribbean Bank under account numbers 49076263 or 45602068.
“We know everybody can’t give $100, so we are asking those to give $10 to help buy an appropriate bed for Ms Ingrid, and the children,” he said.
The community response has already begun, with early donations from the Affluent Feeding Foundation and Mt Gilead Church of Freeport.
the CaRey family was shocked at the copnditions they met at Ingrid Carey’s home after Mervie Knowles left the house.
Photo: Denise maycock/Tribune Freeport Reporter
The Tribune Limited
NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI
“Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”
LEON E. H. DUPUCH
Publisher/Editor 1903-1914
SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH, Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .
Publisher/Editor 1919-1972
Contributing Editor 1972-1991
RT HON EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON, C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B.
Publisher/Editor 1972-
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Hoping for orderly US election?
TOMORROW is election day in the US – and there will be many in The Bahamas keenly watching the outcome for our neighbour.
The US has long been held up as the leading example for democracy –though that reputation has been shaken in recent election cycles.
When a mob stormed the US Capitol building on January 6, 2021, it was the lowest ebb for the democratic process in the country, one that played out on TV around the world.
That we enter the new vote not only without confidence that such a thing will not happen again, but genuinely concerned about whether the result will be accepted shows how far the US’ reputation has fallen.
In comparison, we have also seen the election cycle take place in the UK, complete with an orderly transfer of power. The swiftness of that transfer is notable too – the day after the election, the new Prime Minister is in the seat of power at 10 Downing Street and the process of governing goes on uninterrupted.
As it stands, the race is tight, with the focus likely to rest on seven swing states – Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
There will be talk of electoral college votes compared to popular vote – it is the electoral college that matters and determines the final winner.
The presidency is not the only factor in play – there are also votes for new
members of Congress. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives are up for a vote, while 34 seats in the Senate are being decided.
There are also specific issues going to the vote in individual states, including abortion on the ballot in ten states.
The disruption that occurred in the last election cycle leading up to the January 6 riot is not the first time there have been issues after election day, of course. Back in 2000, the race between George W Bush and Al Gore went all the way to the Supreme Court to be settled.
If the polls are right, and the race is tight, be prepared for a lack of definitive answers as the night goes on, along with claims of voter fraud that may or may not have substance to them.
The US Embassy is holding a watch party in Freeport, the first time the embassy has done so, while around The Bahamas plenty others will be watching, and counting, and predicting, and hoping for one side or the other.
Our main hope is that whatever the outcome, it will be an orderly process that is respected, and not dragged down by false claims.
The best outcome for the US is a restoration of its reputation as a leading light in democracy. There certainly must not be any repeat of the violence of 2021. Nor should there be any encouragement of such behaviour.
That is our biggest hope, and one that must for the sake of the US become a reality.
PLP govt has failed on murders
EDITOR, The Tribune.
THE Tribune newspaper and Nassau Guardian reported the high crime rate and high poverty rate. Bishop Hanchell, Founder and President of Great Commission Ministry, expressed the need to address the high crime rate, high poverty rate and lawlessness in The Bahamas, as one of the most respected church leaders in The Bahamas agreed with my statements as the Leader of the BFP Party, Pedro Smith, that the Prime Minister Philip Davis and Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe had failed to provide safety for the Bahamian people with
100 murders, thousand of home and business owners robbed. Also hundreds of Bahamian women being raped and their high taxation on the middle class and Bahamian small businesses owners that is responsible for the high rate of poverty and killing small Bahamian business owners. It is time Bahamian for real change ,if you keep electing the PLP Government and the FNM Government and they continue to fail on reducing high crime rate, high poverty rate, high unemployement rate and high taxation on the middle class and Bahamian small businesses but is expecting
Picture of the day
Miller left indelible mark
EDITOR, The Tribune
I FIRST met Darold Miller in the mid-70s when he joined the editorial staff of The Nassau Guardian. We both served as cub reporters under the guidance of a staff of mainly British expatriate senior reporters, inclusive of Bill Cole, Winsome Lane, and Connie Jo Justice, an American.
We were both witnesses and beneficiaries of the transition from a top-heavy expatriate newsroom to one filled by capable, trained professional Bahamian journalists. Darold, I recall always had a flair for the dramatic, and was a sound and proficient print journalist with an inquiring mind.
It was, therefore, a surprise to me when he told me that he had accepted a position at the Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas mainly because during this era ZNS was not considered to be the place for serious journalists.
I was privileged to have witnessed first from afar and later first-hand Darold’s transformation from a promising print journalist into a media icon, radio and television talk show host and broadcaster without equal in The Bahamas.
We keep in touch over the years, but it was not
until I joined the Broadcasting Corporation as general manager in 1993 and again in 2012 that I truly appreciated the enormity of Darold’s transition.
From his childhood days growing up in Colonial Hill, Crooked Island, Darold was able, through hard work, talent and determination to become The Bahamas premier talk show host and broadcaster. He set the standard in radio talk shows that others wanted to emulate.
Darold did it his way always. He was able to cultivate a dedicated radio and TV audience with his engaging and provocative style as the airways were opened to private broadcasting.
The day of the straw market fire on Bay Street, Darold was dispatched to provide coverage. Most of our equipment was deployed elsewhere covering previously scheduled news events. This did not deter Darold. He grabbed a cameraman, dashed to Bay Street and began immediately transmitting live broadcasts in a style all his
own. He was committed to his craft in a way that few in the business are today. Darold was also one of the most generous persons you could ever meet. One example of this occurred a few years after I retired from ZNS. I travelled from Abaco to Nassau and decided to visit Darold’s favourite lunch time eatery on Mackey Street to sample the restaurant’s pea soup which Darold often bragged about live on air. I arrived later than I intended. I was told there was no more pea soup. Darold was there and obviously overheard. He came over to me straightaway and told the waitress to bring the pea soup they were saving for him in the kitchen and he gave it to me. Despite my protests he insisted I have the pea soup reserved for him. That’s the Darold I will remember always. He had a heart of gold. He touched lives through print, radio, and television. As a journalist and broadcaster Darold flourished. In doing so he left an indelible mark on the fabric of broadcasting in The Bahamas. His was a life of a broadcaster well lived. May he rest eternally.
EDWIN LIGHTBOURN October 31, 2024.
a diferent outcome other than failure it is called insanity to expect a diferent outcomes other than failure, so Bahamian people it is time for change and to elect and vote Pedro Smith and BFP Party to become the next Prime Minister and Government of the Bahamas to make the Bahamas better and greater again for the Bahamian people, children and grandchildren future.
Change is coming soon, One Nation, One people, One Bahamas, One God onward forward and upward to a better and greater Bahamas.
PEDRO SMITH October 30, 2024.
EDITOR, The Tribune. POLICE report 7th suicide attempt in recent weeks.
Periodically we each have to be the one, even if it’s embarrassing, to prevent something more embarrassing or even catastrophic from happening. We all can tell stories or hear of families and friends facing adverse situations. We see the warning signs. We even talk about it with others, but do nothing with the excuse, “That’s not my business.”
Yet in the end, we regret that we didn’t say something to the one teetering on the edge of the cliff or about to step blindly into quicksand. We just did nothing.
We visit them in the hospitals and prisons. Worse, we cry at their funerals. We saw that it was about to happen but did nothing. It’s always easier to do nothing in a difficult time, but that is not why we are here. It’s our duty as human beings to look out for each other. God looks for people who will take the initiative to speak the truth in hard places, say the painful ouch that needs to be said, and cut the tragedy off.
Family and friends suffer casualties, mental and physical sickness, business loss, and income/jobs.
It’s not easy to see your loved one who was the life of the party last month now being laid to rest; or to know that the life savings
you invested into a business no longer exists, or be summoned to the office to be told your job is now redundant. These are all life-changing scenarios that can drive a person to untoward circumstances.
We see the signs, we hear the plea for help, yet we do nothing. But tomorrow, we say to ourselves.
“I should have said something. I could have subverted that incident, could have saved a life but I did nothing.” And then we cry, uncontrollably.
May God forgive us. God bless The Bahamas. ANTHONY PRATT Nassau, October 13, 2024.
Photo: tim Clarke
Minnis emphasises urgent need for collaboration on climate change
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter Lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
FORMER Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis delivered a keynote address at the University of Virginia, emphasising the urgent need for international cooperation to combat climate change and address public health crises affecting small island nations like The Bahamas.
Dr Minnis underscored the urgency of collaborative solutions to tackle climate and health crises and protect vulnerable small island states like The Bahamas from future transnational threats.
He highlighted the critical vulnerability of The
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
THE brother of a 20-yearold man who died in a traffic accident on Tonique Williams-Darling Highway in 2017 said he was in shock after the incident, as the inquiry into the episode continued on Friday.
Coroner Kara TurnquestDeveaux presided as a five-member jury heard
Bahamas to climate-related disasters and stressed the necessity of global action. “Small island countries in the Caribbean, in the Atlantic, in the Pacific, and in the Indian Ocean and around the world, are on the frontlines of being swallowed into an abyss, created initially by human activity and increasingly by inaction,” he said. He noted The Bahamas’ support for the United Nations’ climate strategy, adding: “The Bahamas fully supports the United Nations’ comprehensive strategy to address a global climate emergency.”
Addressing the country’s reliance on tourism, Dr Minnis explained the economic risks posed by
testimony regarding the death of Phillip Dantel Cleare near Pressure Point Bar on Tonique WilliamsDarling Highway on 10 January 2017.
Corporal 3847 Samuel Rolle reportedly struck the deceased with his car as Cleare was crossing the road to reach a bar. Cleare succumbed to his injuries at Princess Margaret Hospital the following day. Philip Cleare Jr, the
$20k B ail granted for man accused of murder
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN was granted bail while awaiting trial for a 2019 murder in Chippingham.
Senior Justice Cheryl Grant Thompson granted Chadwick Capron $20,000 bail with two sureties.
The defendant appeared virtually while on remand at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.
Capron was previously charged with murder and is
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN denied involvement in the attempted murder of a man in New Providence in February.
awaiting trial in June 2026 for his alleged involvement in the shooting death of George Seymour on Foster Street on April 22, 2019. The defendant will be fitted with a monitoring device and must obey a daily residential curfew from 8pm to 6am. He must also sign in at his local police station every day. He must also surrender his passport and was instructed not to leave the island.
Capron will next appear in court on November 27.
natural disasters and pandemics, given that tourism accounts for the majority of The Bahamas’ GDP.
“Without tourism, The Bahamas would collapse economically,” he said. “Imagine therefore the huge and potentially crippling impact of hurricanes or a pandemic on our tourism industry and broader economy.”
Reflecting on his experiences leading The Bahamas through Hurricane Dorian and the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Minnis described the severe impacts on infrastructure, health systems, and the economy. He recalled the devastation of Hurricane Dorian in 2019, describing it as “an unprecedented destructive force”
deceased’s brother, said he saw his brother leave their yard, heading east. He heard a loud noise five to ten minutes later, ran to the scene shortly after and was shocked to see his brother’s body lying on the street.
Mr Cleare said he panicked, and that his brother
that nearly destroyed parts of Abaco and Grand Bahama.
Dr Minnis also discussed the unique challenges of managing the COVID-19 pandemic in an archipelagic nation with limited healthcare infrastructure.
“In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the great historic pandemics, shattered then shuttered the global and national economies. International tourism came to a dramatic and unprecedented halt. Much worse than in the 2008 Great Recession, The Bahamas economy collapsed within months.” he said.
“We experienced tremendous loss in GDP, tourism numbers,
was taken to the hospital about 30 to 45 minutes after the accident. He could not recall the exact timeframe due to his emotional state.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Walter Johnson, a traffic accident investigator, said he and other officers visited and measured the scene.
government revenue, savings, and other chilling statistical declines. Our losses were equally measured in increased unemployment, greater personal and business debt, and food insecurity for tens of thousands of Bahamians.
“Because we are a farflung archipelago, our challenges in responding to both Dorian and COVID19 at the same time were made greater. This was especially so because many of our more rural areas in our Family of Islands have limited healthcare facilities, medical supplies and personnel.”
He spoke on crisis leadership, drawing inspiration from former
US President Teddy Roosevelt’s approach to decision-making and emphasised the importance of first-hand knowledge in crisis management. Reflecting on the government’s pandemic response, he said, “As in every jurisdiction, there was considerable criticism of the government’s pandemic response, some of it justified, but some of it also ill-informed. No government got everything right. In hindsight, various governments may have made a number of different decisions. However, I truly believe in my heart, and as some international observers stated, The Bahamas did many things right given the circumstance.”
ASP Johnson noted there were no skid marks, indicating the vehicle’s brakes were not applied at the point of impact. He said the vehicle came to a stop about 30 to 40 feet from the point of impact, with the deceased lying 3.8 feet from the median.
The officer estimated the vehicle was travelling around 30 mph when it struck Cleare.
Tavarrie Smith represented the deceased’s estate. Angelo Whitfield marshalled the evidence.
Senior Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson arraigned Philip Bootle on an attempted murder charge, alleging he attempted to kill Eric Arthur on February 2. After pleading not guilty, Bootle was informed that his case would be transferred to Justice Jeanine Weech-Gomez. The defendant said he does not have a lawyer and declined the Justice’s offer for a court-appointed one. He was instructed to secure legal representation by his next court appearance on November 6.
t wo teens deny ro BBing man at gunpoint earlier this year m an denies murder attempt
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
TWO teenage boys denied robbing a man at gunpoint in April in New Providence.
Senior Justice Cheryl Grant Thompson arraigned two boys, aged 13 and 15, whose names are being withheld because they are minors, on charges of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and armed robbery.
The two are accused of robbing Shawn Green of
$400 in cash while armed with a handgun. They also allegedly took two cellphones, together valued at $625 on April 25. The pair pleaded not guilty to all charges. They were informed that their next court date would be on November 27.
Justice Grant-Thompson granted the defendants’ request to be allowed a moment with their parent before they returned to remand at the Simpson Penn Centre for Boys. Both defendants thanked the Justice for her kindness.
$9,000 Bail granted for gun possession charge
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN was granted bail on Friday after he was allegedly found with a loaded firearm in 2021 in New Providence.
Senior Magistrate Raquel Whyms arraigned Leon Edgecombe on possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of ammunition.
The defendant was allegedly found with a .45 pistol and 15 rounds of ammunition on June 10, 2021. Wilchcombe pleaded not guilty. Bail was set at $9,000 with one or two sureties. He must sign in at the Elizabeth Estates Police Station every Monday and Friday by 7pm. Wilchcombe’s trial begins on January 24, 2025. Sergeant 2257 Wilkinson served as the prosecutor.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2024
Would Harris or Trump be better for The Bahamas?
By MALCOLM STRACHAN
THE US election is almost here – as you can tell from flicking on just about any US station.
When it’s not the fevered discussion on news channels, it’s the wall to wall advertisements in between segments. Even turning to the streaming websites is no refuge, with the ones carrying advertising pitching election adverts our way even though we have no vote to give. It has also been the topic of plenty of discussion here in The Bahamas, arising over dominoes and porch talk. There is of course the talk of “who will win?”, of
which my own dominoes crew largely feel it’ll probably go to Trump, though some of that is resigned world-weariness rather than any enthusiasm. As I write, the betting odds marginally favour Harris – though not by much, and if I check again in an hour I wouldn’t be surprised to see it going the other way.
Beyond that, there is the question of which of the candidates would be better for The Bahamas if they win. Historically, there is generally the feeling that our country does better when a Republican is in office. Part of that is down to taxation. Republicans lean
towards less taxation, that makes people feel they have more money in their pockets, and we reap the benefit in terms of more visitors and investment.
Trump, though, is not your typical Republican, and we’ve already had a dose of what he was like as President. Granted, a chunk of that was when COVID-19 was running rampant, but there was no huge benefit that we could see from his presidency for us.
Back when Hurricane Dorian hit, there was little sympathy on show from the then President.
Amid talk of letting Bahamians into the US on humanitarian grounds,
he said: “We have to be very careful. Everybody needs totally proper documentation because The Bahamas had some tremendous problems with people going to The Bahamas that weren’t supposed to be there. I don’t want to allow people that weren’t supposed to be in The Bahamas to come into the United States, including some very bad people and some very bad gang members and some very, very bad drug dealers.”
That’s a lot of “very bad” right there and not a lot of talk of helping people whose documents were somewhere buried under their collapsed house.
Trump of course has based a large amount of his political stance on keeping people out of the US, casting many of those migrants as being associated with crime.
Equally, we are still in an administration with Harris as Vice President. Of course, she came to visit The Bahamas. Air Force Two touched down on our soil, her motorcade roared down Bay Street, meetings were held, then back down Shirley Street and up and away.
Neither administration has seen progress in delivering an actual US Ambassador for the country, though there are the entanglements in the Senate to contend with for that.
We have however seen significant progress on the building of the new US Embassy, ribbon cutting and all.
From those I talked to, between beers or rounds of dominoes, the feeling
was that Harris would be the better outcome for The Bahamas. There’s no sign that Trump would bring the usual Republican approach that would give our nation a boost, and there’s not been any indication of efforts to build up relationships during his previous presidency. Harris at least has been here, has touched dirt. Her motorcade has seen our potholes. There has, at least, been interest.
The general impression I have is that the current Democrat outlook is more outward looking than the Republican one. Trump is not focused on foreign affairs, and while I won’t pretend that the Democrat ticket is particularly advanced in that regard, it is at least seemingly more aware of international concerns.
For us, one of those concerns at present is Haiti. And it should be a concern for the US too. The closest Trump’s campaign has come to addressing it is baseless claims that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating people’s cats. Given the complex situation in Haiti, there is no suggestion he would bring a subtle hand to deal with the problem of creating a path back to peaceful democracy for a country torn apart by gangs and corruption.
That’s no promise that a Harris administration would be able to solve it –just that there might be a more attentive ear. Might. The boots on the ground in Haiti are noticeably not American. Kenyan. Bahamian. Jamaican. But not American.
As the closing arguments are made, much of the rhetoric is not about voting for someone but against something. The Trump camp demonises Harris and her policies and says she will tear apart America. The Harris camp does the same with Trump, pointing to the violence inherent in his words.
In this, are we really any different in our politics? Time and again, we vote a party in then vote it out again, promises unfulfilled and agendas half-finished.
The talk with the current administration from the opposition is of the need for commissions of inquiry, of a lack of transparency, of a failure to deliver promises in election pledges.
The previous administration met with the same kind of talk from the PLP in opposition. Don’t you all get so tired of it? Where is the actual party that will deliver on what it promises, and not get into office and shuffle off the pledges it now finds inconvenient?
The Freedom of Information Act is a good example, a can kicked so far down the road that you can barely see it in the distance any more.
So as we think about which US election outcome would suit our country more, perhaps we need to think harder about which Bahamian election outcome would do so instead. What matters is how our own politicians deliver. And if there is a genuine alternative that will live up to what it says.
Former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Photo: AP
US Govt: Many failings impacting upon state of Bahamas aviation sector
A REPORT by a US scientific agency has highlighted a number of failings of the nation’s aviation sector and its meteorological equipment, not to mention the glaring lack of any of the mandatory medical services required at each and every Bahamian Out Island aerodrome following a series of visits to Nassau and our Family Island airports.
The report, carried out by US National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) was provided to the government alongside representatives from NOAA and FAA’s Aviation Weather Centre some months ago.
The survey examined automatic weather observing systems (AWOS) at airports in the country and weather radars that are installed –but found no data is being produced because of a lack of power or communication issues.
In fact, during visits to airports in April and May, NCAR reported “maintenance was found to be lacking at most sites, and proper calibration and servicing schedules did not appear to have been implemented”.
At Marsh Harbour, the system was inoperable because of a lack of power since Hurricane Dorian, and the site was overgrown. One pilot said over the past five years he was never able to get a weather report from the airport.
The control tower nor the fire house has been rebuilt but a temporary facility has a system called a Davis weather station. While those sensors were also said to be dirty, which can dramatically affect observations, that information must be radioed to pilots.
At Cat Island, the runway lights sat in a pile in the bush and the AWOS was overgrown.
At each and every aerodrome, NCAR reported issues with a combination of power, communication, calibration, maintenance and servicing – with some sensors being inoperable after no maintenance for more than six months.
As NCAR said: “Pilots depend on this information for safety when they plan a flight to a specific airport.” The report went on to say “there is not a single radar (of the five that were purchased in The Bahamas) working properly with the data quality expected from such radars. Earlier in the year, two radars were working and sending data to the Department of Meteorology, however the quality of this data is questionable”.
The Governor’s Harbour site was partly overgrown and the solar charger was dangling below the panel itself. At George Town in Exuma, the AWOS was inoperable and was removed for construction. A new AWOS is planned for purchase, but the timeline is unknown.
‘If The Bahamas can’t track en-route flights in realtime; lacks any crash, search & rescue coordination; not to mention; incapable of providing advanced, realtime meteorological services; and unable to designate a single family island public health facility as a trauma, neurosurgery or burn centre - which are vital and essential to meet the mandatory requirements for aviation related events - what’s our response to
A maintenance schedule with sufficient staffing, tools and spare parts was recommended, including both a power system and backup generator, as well as radar infrastructure and hardware.
Radar calibration procedures were also said to be “insufficient to ensure high quality data” and that there should be calibration checks twice a year.
The report said that the Department of Meteorology admitted it did not have the resources to manage the infrastructure – and NCAR warned that the degradation “will continue, making these critical assets unusable”. The report added: “The sooner this programme is implemented, the less equipment will need to be replaced.”
NCAR noted that many of the services for crash search and rescue and dedicated medical capacity for international civil aviation were non-existent or severely lacking at every family island airport - noting that The Bahamas, unlike 186 other nations, was not charging airlines for the provision of such services. This will invariably result in those facilities being downgraded in accordance with Chicago convention.
The air traffic control tower and fire station at Leonard M Thompson International Airport in Marsh Harbour, Abaco remains unrepaired and non-functional nearly five years after the passage of Hurricane Dorian in 2019. a fire engine at the Georgetown, Exuma airport with an unrepaired flat tire.
Mayaguana Airport waiting area after an overnight rain.
The death of truth, part II: Why lies risk tearing societies apart
On September 19, I published an article entitled
“The Death of Truth,” written from a deep sense of alarm at the spread of deliberate lies, misinformation, and disinformation about matters that are critical to the well-being of people everywhere. At stake are public health, democratic integrity, and social cohesion — all of which are undermined when lies prevail over facts.
I return to the subject today because of both the fear and the expectation that it is lies, not truth, that will dominate public discourse now, and in the future, unless there is a global determination to reverse the current trend. Currently, there is no indication of such a global resolve, particularly as lies are being propagated practically every second on social media platforms — sometimes with the apparent tolerance, if not encouragement, of major digital network owners. These lies are not adequately challenged, nor are they repudiated by the owners and operators of these platforms. Instead, the owner of one of the largest operations, X (formerly Twitter), has openly declared himself a strong supporter of one of the candidates in the current US Presidential elections while advocating for greater deregulation and lower taxation on multinational companies like his own.
Subsequently, lies prevail, shaping the opinions and convictions of those who are regularly targeted by them.
This troubling situation was glaringly evident in the
World View
By SIR RONALD SANDERS
US presidential campaign, where Artificial Intelligence (AI) was also used to create false impressions, even to the extent of putting words into the mouths of people — words they had never spoken. Events in almost every section of US society, because of its dominance in mass media and the Internet, have had a profound effect on other countries, at times undermining their traditional cultural norms and values. Today, particularly because of easy access to digital platforms, young people are especially susceptible to behaviour patterns emerging from the US. Regrettably, this includes spreading misinformation and disinformation.
The techniques used to suppress truth and promote lies are also being adopted globally by individuals and organisations that are committed to their causes at any cost. Among these techniques are building fear and apprehension among voters, distorting and twisting the truth.
In the US election, some of the lies that investigative agencies have identified include claims that the government dropped 32,000 illegal aliens into Springfield, Ohio — a town of around 50,000 people. This falsehood fed into the narrative that illegal migrants
are overrunning US towns and displacing US nationals. Local officials have debunked this narrative, but its repetition on certain media outlets, including social media, has distorted public opinion and fostered resentment. Evidence, including statements from Springfield’s Mayor, has disproved this claim. In fact, the city of Springfield website reports that there are an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 legal immigrants in the county, which has a population of about 138,000. Another false claim is that foreign leaders from “all over South America, all over the Middle East, all over Asia, all over Europe, all over Africa” have emptied their jails to allow their criminals to migrate to the US. This claim aims to stoke fears that foreigners are flooding the country — and that they are criminals, with the cooperation of their governments and the US. But a study by the Institute for Crime and Justice Policy Research at Birkbeck College, University of London, which researches such figures, states it has seen “absolutely no evidence that any country is emptying its prisons and sending them all to the US”. nevertheless, the falsehood persists.
There are many more lies and misinformation that
have been part of the campaign. Unfortunately, some mainstream media outlets, which for decades declared themselves defenders of truth and objectivity, seldom challenge this disinformation. At least one well-known and previously respected newspaper published an opinion with a claim that could have been easily fact-checked, yet they chose not to. Further, major newspapers are now owned by billionaires who operate in multiple industries and seek government contracts, raising questions about how ownership might influence their editorial stance and journalistic independence. While this situation is particularly pronounced in the US due to the global attention drawn by its presidential election, the trend of misinformation, disinformation, and lies is spreading
worldwide, including in the Caribbean.
The world is now in a dangerous place where the public faces two unhealthy choices: to distrust every piece of information or to accept information without question. Effective decision-making requires accurate information in which people can have confidence; without it, societies risk division and conflict.
Public confidence depends on the collective responsibility of media leaders, digital platform owners, and the public alike to demand and uphold accuracy and integrity. The media can be a guardian of truth, but only if it commits to doing so. There has always been misinformation in political discourse, particularly around elections, but the current scale and depth of misinformation in US
politics is unprecedented. Whatever the outcome of the election, the damage to the public’s trust in information will likely leave lasting scars.
In the Caribbean, political parties and the established media have a responsibility to uphold truth for the good of their societies. Sound policies, strong arguments, and persuasive evidence remain the best way to attract political support, foster unity, and build resilient nations. Societies require accurate information to thrive; without it, their nations risk abject failure.
• The author is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the US and the OAS. The views expressed are entirely his own. Responses and previous commentaries: www. sirronaldsanders.com
Elon Musk speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, Sunday, October 27, 2024, in New York.
Photo: Evan Vucci/AP
BETA Camp exposing more children to the STEM fields
AS an engineer, D’Andre Wilson-ihejirika ((lyford Cay Foundation Scholar Alumni ‘06), doesn’t see problems – she sees solutions. So, when she and fellow engineers realised that many Bahamian students in Grades 7-12 could benefit from greater exposure to STeM fields and careers, in 2014, they created a solution called Bahamas engineering and Technology Advancement Camp (BeTA Camp).
in BeTA Camp, students are exposed to multiple engineering disciplines through an in-depth curriculum designed to inspire and develop the next generation of scientists and engineers. During sessions, students actively engage in building prototypes and solving real world problems. They are also able to learn from Bahamian engineers who come from a wide array of disciplines. like many non-profits in The Bahamas, BeTA Camp is totally run by volunteers and is dependent on community donations. Fortunately, grants from lyford Cay Foundations totaling $40,000 since 2015 have been able to assist with the programme’s activities and expansion.
“Because of the support of lyford Cay Foundations and other funders, BeTA Camp has impacted more than 650 students across 10 islands,” said Mrs Wilson-ihejirika. “As an organisation that relies mainly on fundraising to keep costs affordable for students, lyford Cay Foundations grants have enabled BeTA Camp to provide an exceptional experience for our students.”
As one of the few grantmaking organisations in the country, lyford Cay Foundations invests in initiatives that support community building through transformative learning opportunities for those most in need. With a mission focused on providing educational access to Bahamians, the Foundations offer both traditional and diverse learning experiences in the arts, sports,
By Amy DAcey American University
Unlike many other countries, where the president or prime minister is chosen by direct popular vote, in the United States a candidate may win the popular vote and still not be elected to the nation’s highest office. The US also differs from most other democracies in that it has no independent electoral commission to certify the final vote count. So who actually confirms the winner?
Step 1: Before election Day
American democracy has many elected officials – state, local and national – and many processes for getting into office. i have been working on election campaigns since i was eight years old, when my dad ran for school board and i went door to door asking people to vote for him. i’ve also worked on local, congressional, senate and presidential races and now direct an academic research center on politics.
What’s striking is that every race is different, from deadlines and filing process to certification. Here, i’ll focus on the presidential race. The unusual and complicated presidential election certification process in the US entwines all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the Senate, House of Representatives, the national Archives and
GAIN AN EDGE
environmental awareness, health-related issues and economic and human resource development. in fact, the Foundations has dispersed nearly $18m in grants to nonprofits and community organisations since 1985. The Zonta Club of new Providence and The Family: People Helping People Project are two of the most recent recipients of lyford Cay Foundations grants. The grants will enable both organisations
to expand their work in youth rehabilitation.
The Family: People Helping People Project was recently awarded $6,000 to support its youth rehabilitation programme to promote social-emotional wholeness among at-risk youth. The programme, which was established in 2008, will provide young offenders a second chance through sessions that use psychotherapeutic principles.
Similarly, Zonta Club
the Office of the Federal Register. it also involves the electoral College – a uniquely American institution that convenes in 51 separate locations once every four years to pick the president. This monthslong process was custom designed as a compromise by the Founding Fathers, who did not believe the American people should directly choose the president and vice president but did not want to give Congress the power of selection, either. The Constitution declares that American presidential elections occur on the first Tuesday in november, every four years. But the federal election process actually begins in October, when the Archivist of the United States – a presidential appointee responsible for maintaining the government’s most important official documents – sends
a letter to the governor of each state.
The document outlines their responsibilities regarding the electoral College, which is not a place but a process by which electors – people who are chosen by their party – vote for their party’s presidential candidate. The machinery of the electoral College is complicated, but in short, Americans vote for electors and the electors vote for the president. Then, the winner is declared – right?
Step 2: After election Day not quite.
Once a final tally of voters’ in-person, mail-in and provisional ballots has been concluded, all 50 governors prepare their state’s Certificate of Ascertainment, a document listing their electors for the competing candidates. each state completes that
of new Providence received $5,000 for its Path to empowerment and Advancement through knowledge (PeAk) programme. PeAk was created in 2022 to improve the lives of young women working toward rehabilitation at the Willie Mae Pratt Centre for Girls through tutoring and mentoring.
lyford Cay Foundations continues to make a concerted effort to impact the lives of Bahamian youth
process at its own rate. This year, because of all the lawsuits disputing the results of the 2020 election, there are new procedures in place to expedite challenges to a state’s Certificate of Ascertainment by an aggrieved candidate. Once completed, copies of the Certificate of Ascertainment are submitted to the US Archivist.
After the governor submits names to the Archivist, each state’s electoral College electors meet in the state capital – DC’s meet in DC – to formally cast their votes for president and vice president on the first Tuesday after the second Wednesday in December. This year, that’s Dec 17, 2024. in ways that vary state by state, each state’s electors prepare six Certificates of Vote. One of them is sent by registered mail to the president of the US Senate and another to the Archivist of the United States. The remaining four certificates are sent to state officials.
That fulfills the electoral College’s duties until the next presidential election.
Step 3: congress meets
On Jan 6, Congress convenes to count the electoral votes and certify the winner of the election.
Because the sitting vice president also serves as president of the Senate, kamala Harris will preside over this count in 2025, just as Vice President Mike Pence did in January 2021 when Joe Biden officially became president-elect.
by making grants available for non-profits and civic organisations that provide transformative after-school programming.
“For many children, after-school programming creates an important safe space. international studies cite these programmes as an excellent tool to further educational goals while fostering important social skills such as self-worth, respect and conflict resolution,” said Dr nicola VirgillRolle, executive Director of lyford Cay Foundations.
“Through the generosity of donors, lyford Cay Foundations is able to provide grants as a way to partner with community organisations that are serving youth who have critical educational and social needs.”
Organisations like BeTA Camp, which are striving to improve life for the next generation, agree on the importance of grants.
“By cultivating students’
each state, called upon in alphabetical order, files its votes.
This process is normally ceremonial, because by January the media has declared a winner and usually a concession speech has been given. But, officially, it is the moment of truth.
On Jan 6, 2021, an armed pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol in an attempt to stop Congress from certifying Biden’s victory. Both chambers of Congress were evacuated during the attack, and five people were killed.
lawmakers reconvened a few hours later. it is the vice president’s job to announce the results and ask whether there are any objections.
After the violent assault on the Capitol, most Senate Republicans abandoned their plans to dispute Biden’s win in 2021, but six still objected. Objections are not unprecedented. in 2001 Democratic House representatives tried for 20 minutes to block Florida’s highly contested electoral votes for George W Bush.
Both of those efforts failed because objections had to be signed by both a member of the House and the Senate before being voted on by both chambers of Congress. lodging challenges got harder following legislation passed in 2022. now, 20 senators and 87 House members must back any challenge to the certification of a state’s electoral College results. in 2021, it fell to Pence, as president of the Senate,
interests, BeTA Camp is helping to build a future workforce that can drive innovation and economic growth in The Bahamas,” shared Mrs Wilson-ihejirika. “With lyford Cay Foundations’ grants, BeTA Camp’s impact has been able to continue and improve.”
lyford Cay Foundations’ application portal for the next cycle of community grant funding for afterschool programmes can be found on their website at www.lyfordcayfoundations. org and closes on november 8th . A new grant cycle will open in January 2025.
• “Gain An Edge is a collaboration of Lyford Cay Foundations, the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute and the University of The Bahamas aimed at promoting a national dialogue on issues surrounding education. To share your thoughts, email gainanedge@tribunemedia.net
to declare Biden – not Trump – the next president of the United States. He fulfilled his constitutional duty despite immense pressure from Trump to subvert democracy.
After the Senate certifies the election results, all the Certificates of Ascertainment and Certificates of Vote become available for public review at the Office of the Federal Registrar for one year, then transferred to the national Archives for the permanent record. Those who question the outcome of a US election, in other words, can double-check the tabulations themselves.
What happens in a tie? in the extraordinary event that no candidate wins in the electoral College, the House of Representatives meets to elect the next president. This is how John Quincy Adams became president in 1824. established almost 250 years ago, this complex process is a foundation of American democracy. Many have questioned whether this antiquated system truly represents the will of the people in modern America.
But for 2024, with a few tweaks, it remains the process that will decide the presidential race. This article was originally published during the 2020 presidential election. it was updated on nov 1, 2024. • Originally published on www.theconversation.com
D’Andre Wilson-Ihejirika
KiDs attending Bahamas Engineering and Technology Advancement (BETA) Camp in Nassau.
Voters view each other across partisan divide with increasing animosity
WASHINGTON Associated Press
PrEsIDENt Joe Biden tried to explain this week that he doesn’t really think Donald trump’s supporters are “garbage,” but that doesn’t mean that other people don’t believe the label occasionally fits.
“I would say that some of them are garbage,” said samantha Leister, 32, who went to see Kamala Harris at a rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
As for the rest of them?
Leister, whose parents and father-in-law are backing trump, says they are “misguided.”
that same day, at trump’s rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the idea of voting for Harris was impossible to fathom.
“I just think they are uneducated, and they believe all the lies,” said shawn Vanderheyden, 44, who went to see trump with his wife and two young daughters. “It’s unfortunate.”
Vanderheyden still has faith in some people who are supporting the Democratic vice president, saying “hopefully they open their eyes.” the enduring truth of American politics — one that will undoubtedly outlast the controversy over Biden’s comments and this year’s presidential campaign — is that many trump and Harris voters view one another with disdain and suspicion. At best, they feel confused by people supporting the other party and anxious about the country’s future after the election. the wariness between Americans is not new, but interviews with voters in battleground states reveal that it’s only growing deeper and more insurmountable. It’s divided families and friends, and it’s driven people further into their own political tribes. some said they believe
the country is headed for an even more dramatic splintering.
Braxton Wadford, 20, predicted there would be a “mass exodus” of Americans after the election, regardless of who wins. He said people on both sides can’t imagine living under the opposing party’s leadership.
“the American dream is turning into leaving America,” said Wadford, who voted early for trump in North Carolina.
Jennifer Phelan, 60, has been volunteering for Harris’ campaign in the same state, pushing undecided voters to cast ballots for the vice president. she’s nervous about the election and can’t see why it’s so close.
“It just seems very much like a cartoon of good and evil,” she said at Harris’ rally in raleigh. the political animosity has
been building for a while, helped along by historic upheaval. there was the outbreak of a global pandemic, a violent insurrection at the Us Capitol and nationwide protests over racial injustice — and that was just in the span of a single year.
the Pew research Center found that Democrats and republicans are becoming more likely to view members of the other party as unintelligent, lazy, immoral or dishonest. And nearly everyone has a very or somewhat unfavourable view of the opposing party, according to an AP-NOrC Poll from september.
travis Waters, 54, said trump supporters are “detached from reality.” He has no one close to him who is a trump supporter — and he’s not looking to add any.
“I would think that the people who I choose to
associate with are not people who support invading the Capitol, say Haitians are eating pets and tell lies,” Waters said while waiting in line for Harris’ event in Harrisburg. trump has been a dominant figure in American politics for nearly a decade, contributing to polarization by demonising his political opponents and fostering a sense of persecution among his followers.
“Look how they’ve treated you,” he said at one of his rallies this week. “they’ve treated you like garbage.”
It was a reference to Biden’s comments after trump’s recent event at Madison square Garden, where a comedian called Puerto rico a “floating island of garbage.”
During a campaign call organized by the Hispanic
As Mexic A ns celebr Ate DAy of the De AD, they gr A pple with wh At it Me A ns to hol
MEXICO CITY
Associated Press
It’s midnight on the fringes of Mexico City, and the san Gregorio Pantheon is not just alive, it’s booming. the roar of mariachis echoes over families adorning the graves of lost loved ones with rows of candles, orange cempasúchil flowers and their favourite treats ranging from pan de muerto to bottles of Coca-Cola.
Every year this time Mexico erupts in celebrations during the Day of the Dead. Families gather at cemeteries across the country on Nov. 1 to reconnect
with their dead just as their ancestors have done for centuries.
For many more in small communities like this, it’s also about preserving the core of their traditions as celebrations in places in bigger hubs have increasingly been marked by mass tourism.
“We’re conserving our tradition, part of our heritage that my mother instilled in me,” said 58-year-old Antonio Meléndez. “We can’t let it be lost.”
Meléndez was among throngs of people gathered in the cemetery, tucked away in the maze of canals and brick buildings
D on to their tr ADition
in Xochimilco, a borough in south of Mexico City that has long carried on traditions that have faded away in other parts of the country.
He gathered with his two daughters around the grave of his mother, marked by orange flower petals spread out in the shape of a cross and bouquets of pink flowers, his mother’s favourite colour.
Meléndez said she died last year, and the loss was still fresh, so he was trying to remember her by continuing with the same rituals he watched her carry out growing up, this time with his daughters. He has started preparing for
the celebration four days before, making tamales from scratch and building a small altar for her in their home.
Day of the Dead dates back centuries to ancient Indigenous civilizations, which would organize parties when someone died to guide them on to the next life, and lay out food in altars to nourish them on their journeys, according to the Mexican government.
“In this celebration of the Day of the Dead, death does not represent an absence but a living presence; death is a symbol of life that materializes in the altar offered,” it writes. When spanish colonizers
advocacy group Voto Latino, Biden said that “the only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters. His demonisation of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American.”
Biden later stressed he was talking about the rhetoric, not trump’s supporters. And Harris said she disagrees “with any criticism of people based on who they vote for.”
Norma Jeffcoat, 72, said she was wounded by criticism over her support for trump.
A trump flag hanging outside her home has been shredded to pieces by the wind, but she rejected her husband’s effort to replace it.
“I said ‘no,’” Jeffcoat said. “It’s staying there until after the election because it symbolizes everything he’s been through.”
Nick sandquist, 47, said trump was a hypocrite to criticize Biden over his “garbage” comment.
“It’s ironic for Donald trump to use name calling for his advantage,” he said at a Harris rally in Wisconsin. “We’re not the type you have to worry about storming the Capitol.”
He said he occasionally talks about the election with his brother and father, who support trump, but “it doesn’t go very well.” It was a common refrain from others as well, who describe discussing politics as more trouble than it’s worth.
“Everything we say, they have a ridiculous answer for,” said Debi Franz, 66. “It’s terrible to say because we don’t have a lot of conversations anymore. It’s fruitless.”
Her husband, Phil, 68, agreed.
“I just avoid it,” he said as they waited for Harris to take the stage in Madison.
But at least one person decided to give it a shot this week.
Annette Uhlenberg, 52, attended Harris’ rally in raleigh and said she was inspired by her talk about rising above political disagreements. so she took a picture with her campaign sign, wrote a message about putting “country over party,” and sent it to three of her friends who she believes will be voting for trump.
None of them wrote back immediately.
But maybe, Uhlenberg hopes, it “at least opens the door for conversation.”
“I have loved ones that think I am voting for a racist,” she said at a rally in North Carolina. “It breaks my heart. I love my country so much.” Jeffcoat is devoutly loyal to the former president, who she said has unfairly suffered through criminal prosecutions, political attacks and assassination attempts.
arrived and began forcing Catholicism upon Indigenous communities, they would mix Indigenous traditions with Catholic holidays. Celebrations of the dead then synced up with All saints Day, on Nov. 1, ending on Nov 2.
While celebrations begin ramping up at the end of October, Mexican tradition says that on that night their deceased are closest to the living world, and people hope to keep them company. though each family celebrates in different ways. In san Gregorio Pantheon, elderly women carry massive bundles of orange flowers, the iconic flower of death. some families sob into each other’s arms. Others sit alone next to loved one’s graves in silence. Many more drink mezcal and tell stories of their family members.
Gathered with her daughter and granddaughter, 60-year-old Beatriz Chávez kneels at the graves of her son, nephew and father, quietly lighting candles.
“It’s like being with them one more year, feeling like even if they don’t see them, we feel like we’re closer to them,” Chávez said, noting that she planned to sleep in the graveyard, just like she did every year since her father died when she was 10. Over the years, the tradition has been the focus of the Disney film Coco. A Day of the Dead parade in Mexico City was also featured in a James Bond film, despite such a parade not actually existing in real life. Annual celebrations later adopted the idea of the parade from the movie.
Now, people from all over the world have flocked to the Latin American nation, eager to experience the rich tradition for themselves.
But once quaint celebrations in hubs for the Day of the Dead like Mexico City, Oaxaca and Michoacan have started to brim with tourists, who snap
photos of mourners. In recent years, many Mexicans have also begun to mix the celebration with Halloween and other new traditions like the James Bond parade have popped up. some like Meléndez have prickled at the shifts.
“Here, Halloween isn’t ours, it’s Day of the Dead,” he said. “It’s sad because it’s getting distorted. We’re losing the essence of who we are. this is a part of us, our roots.” For Meléndez, it adds an extra level of importance to the celebration in their small cemetery, which he and others say has stayed true to the centuries-old traditions.
It coincides with a larger conversation playing out across Mexico amid an influx of American “expats” and tourists. As more move to or travel to Mexico City, rents have gotten so high that many Mexicans have been pushed out of areas they’ve lived in for much of their lives, leaving frustration simmering in much of the city. those who wander the graves and sell flowers and food in the streets, see the changes less as a loss of tradition, and more as an evolution – a way for younger generations to continue passing on their heritage in their own ways, and share it with new audiences. that was the case for mourner Chavez, who celebrated with her daughter and granddaughter. they were using the lights of their iPhones to help her grandmother lay out flowers.
“It’s beautiful because we’re talking about other places being interested in our culture. And I think showcasing all our love for our dead, and the celebration of death is important – important that they know of our roots, our traditions, generation to generation,” said her daughter, 36-yearold Ana Laura Anell Chávez.
SupporterS cheer as Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event at the PA Farm Show Complex and Expo Center last Wednesday, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Photo: Matt rourke/AP
A MuSiciAn performs as people celebrate the Day of the Dead, near the San Gregorio Atlapulco cemetery on the outskirts of Mexico City, on Friday.
Photo: Moises castillo/AP
Halloween event at Radio House
100 JAMZ hosted a Halloween event Thursday which included treats for the kids, face painting pictires and fun.
Photos: Nikia Charlton
GSSSA champions RAPTORS AND KNIGHTS SHINE IN CROSS COUNTRY MEET
By TENAJH SWEETING
Tribune Sports Reporter
tsweeting@tribunemedia.net
THE CH Reeves Raptors and CR Walker Knights excelled in the junior and senior divisions respectively at the Government Secondary School Sports Association (GSSSA) cross country meet on Saturday in the front of the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.
The Raptors swept the under-15 and under-13 divisions in dominant fashion.
CH Reeves won the under-15 boys division with a total score of 22 points.
The LW Young Golden Eagles were second overall with 42 points and the AF Adderley Tigers were third in the division at 64 points.
They claimed the under15 girls with 48 points. The DW Davis Royals fell to second in the division at 54 points. The LW Young Golden Eagles got the third spot in this division as well with 76 points.
The Raptors were also victorious in the under-13 boys division with a total of 32 points. The DW Davis Royals totaled 42 points for second overall and the
16-17
BUDDY HIELD CLIMBS NBA
THREE POINT LIST
By TENAJH SWEETING
Tribune
Reporter
tsweeting@tribunemedia.net
IT IS no secret that Grand Bahamian sharpshooter Chavano “Buddy” Hield has found himself in an ideal situation with Golden State Warriors.
Since suiting up for the Warriors, Hield has emerged as one of the team’s most consistent performers and has made NBA history along the way. He climbed up to the 20th spot on the NBA’s All-Time threes list in the Warriors’ 127-121 overtime victory against the Houston Rockets on Saturday.
“Buddy” came off the bench and put up a teamhigh 27 points, seven boards and two assists in 32 minutes. He went 9-for-14 from the field with six makes from deep. He surpassed Lakers head coach JJ Redick for the 20th spot in the process. Additionally, he joined his teammate Stephen Curry as just the second player in NBA history to make over 30 threes in the first six games of the National Basketball Association (NBA) season. Hield is currently averaging a career-high 21.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists on 49/50/100 shooting splits from the field. His efficient shooting from
deep is remarkable as he is attempting 9.6 shots from long range per game.
The Warriors had all the momentum of their side from the opening tip to outscore the Rockets 38-20 by the end of the first.
The Grand Bahamian three-point marksman made a two off an assist from Lindy Waters III to give the Warriors a 48-26 edge at the 9:03 mark of the second quarter. Golden State headed into the second half on top 71-43 after two dominant quarters to start the game.
While the Warriors offence stalled a bit in the third period, the Rockets
Thomas A Robinson National Stadium. Photos: Tim Clarke
GOLDEN State Warriors guard Buddy Hield during an NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans in San Francisco, on Wednesday last week. Photo: Jeff Chiu/AP
BUDDY HIELD CLIMBS NBA ALL-TIME THREE POINT LIST
from page 15
applied some pressure to shave the margin down to 96-80 at the end of the third period. The Rockets cracked
open the last quarter of regulation with an unanswered 13-0 run. They then trimmed the deficit down to just 1 (9796) after Jabari Smith Jr made a deep three at the 8:02 mark.
After trailing by as much as 31 points, the Rockets took their first lead of the contest 102-101 at the 5:54 mark. With the score at 119-117, Draymond Green committed a personal foul against
Tari Eason of the Rockets. He stepped up and made the two freebies to force OT. The Rockets ran out of gas in the extra period of play and got outscored 8-2.
The Warriors now have a 5-1 win/loss record to position them at third seed in the Western Conference. The team has now won their last three games without the services of
GSSSA champions
from page one
Anatol Rodgers Junior High School concluded the category in third with 91 points.
CH Reeves was also successful in the under-13 girls division. The junior school accumulated 26 points. The LW Young Golden Eagles settled for second with 55 points and the DW Davis Royals secured third place with 92 points.
Varel Davis, head coach of the Raptors, was pleased to achieve success at the cross country meet for the second consecutive year.
“This year, our kids have been working hard since September when we started training for cross country. Basically we have the same team from last year that has returned and we continued on with our training each day. This is because of hard work constantly my kids and I have been consistently coming to practice everyday and training ...Hats off to my kids I am so happy for all of them. It was a bit rough but they did an excellent job,” she said.
Junior
Devonte Crowl crossed the finish line first for CH Reeves in the under-15 boys event. He clocked 6:26.88 for first. Travon Moncur, representing CH Reeves, nabbed the second
position in 6.47.12 and Denzel Clarke rounded out the top three for the Raptors in 6:51.06.
Drexline Raphael, of Anatol Rodgers, prevailed in the under-15 girls event in 8:21.17. Kevenna Bain, representing CH Reeves, dropped to second with a time of 8:37.53. Shekinah Lewis, of AF Adderley, secured the third position in 8:50.83.
CH Reeves’ Dordley Dorestin bested his competitors in the under-13 boys division with a time of 7:33.68. Butler Odarri, of DW Davis, trailed for second in 7:41.03. Matthew Derius came third for the Raptors in 7:44.51. SC McPherson got the win in the under-13 girls category thanks to Jazzaria Key. She won the race in 8:15.16. LW Young’s Ashlei Ferguson placed second in 9:06.85 and Paris Armbrister, of CH Reeves, was third in 9:11.08.
Senior
The CR Walker Knights repeated as champions of the senior division for the second straight year.
The Knights emerged victorious in the under-20 boys division with 51 points. The Timberwolves were second overall with 65 points. The CC Sweeting Cobras were third at 73 points.
CI Gibson ran away with a win in the under-20 girls division with 23 points. The
RM Bailey Pacers were one spot below with 54 points and the Knights were third overall with 70 points.
The Government High School Magic got the win in the under-17 girls division with 31 points. Placing second was the Knights with 42 points and the CV Bethel Stingrays had 58 points for third place.
Knights were also successful in the under-17 boys category with 50 points. The Rattlers were a close second with 57 points. The Stingrays notched a third place spot with 65 points.
CR Walker’s Dahjia Mesidor cruised to a win in the under-20 girls division with a time of 12:32.80.
Brihanna Farrington, representing CI Gibson, ended her race in the second spot in 13:42.87. Her teammate Tamisha Reckey was close behind at 13:43.34.
Benryco Pierre, of CC Sweeting, was first in the under-20 boys division with a time of 9:17.47.
Vincent Alerte, of Anatol Rodgers, was second in the event and Lashley Naissance, of CR Walker, was third.
Gabrielle Johnson, of CR Walker, ran away with the victory in the under-17 boys division and Jasmine Key, of Government Senior High, was first in 12:54.00. Next up on the GSSSA schedule will be basketball season that begins November 18.
Curry, who is missing with a peroneal strain in his left ankle.
The Warriors will prepare to take on the Washington Wizards tonight at 7:15pm in the Capital One Arena in Washington DC.
BOYS taking part in the GSSSA cross country race on Saturday.
Photos: Tim Clarke
FROM left, Benryco Pierre 1st (CC Sweeting), Vincent Alerte 2nd (Anatol Rodgers) and Lashley Naissance 3rd (CR Walker).
BAHAMAS YOUTH FLAG FOOTBALL LEAGUE OPENING DAY KICKS OFF
GIRLS taking part in the GSSSA cross country race on Saturday.
Photos: Tim Clarke
FROM left, Dahjia Mesidor 1st (CR Walker), Brihanna Farrington 2nd (CI Gibson) and Tamisha Reckey (CI Gibson).
RENEE SUNSHINE DAVIS TRACK MEET DATE SET
THE Bahamas Baptist Sports Federation’s 2024 Renee “Sunshine” CurryDavis Track and Field Classic will take place on Saturday, November 16, at the original Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium, starting at 9am.
All churches and track teams interested in participating in the classic have until Thursday, November 7, to submit their rosters to meet director Trevor Moss at email tmoss@bahamas. com or call 376-5669 or federation president Brent Stubbs at email stubbobs@ gmail.com or call 426-7265.
A team registration meeting will take place on Thursday at 7pm at the federation’s office upstairs at the Bahamas Baptist College, Jean Street. All teams participating are urged to have at least one representative present.
The entry fee for athletes is $5 and the categories include male and female under-7, under-11, under15, under-20, under-30, under-50 and 50-and-over.
There will be a special category for Pastors, Reverends, Ministers and Deacons.
Trophies, donated by Global Sun, will be
presented to each divisional winner and medals, provided by the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, will be presented to the first three finishers in each age group.
The meet will be held in memory of the late Renee “Sunshine” Curry-Davis, who served as the director for track and field for the federation just prior to her death this year. In honor of her, members of her graduating class of 1984 at AF Adderley will be presenting trophies to the top three teams scoring in the meet.
It’s anticipated that members of the Electro Telecom and Sunshine Auto Wildcats softball teams will make a special appearance in either individual events or as relay teams to honor their former team-mate as well.
Attached are some of the awards that will be presented to the winners during the meet, which is open to all Church denominations and track and social clubs, which have been affiliated with the late Renee “Sunshine” Curry-Davis. The banner for the Track Classic was kindly donated by the Colony Club.
FIDELITY TRIUMPHS IN BANKERS GOLF CONTEST
THE Bankers Athletic Association held its third golf tournament on Sunday at Baha Mar’s Royal Blue Golf Course.
A total of eight teams from renowned Financial Institutions including Fidelity Bank, Scotia Bank, Leno Corporate Services, RBC and Globel Sun Integration Management participated. After an intense day of competition. Fidelity Bank came out as the overall winners of this great event. Global Sun Integration
Management placed second overall.
The men’s longest drive trophy went to Francis Adderley from Fidelity Bank. The men’s closest to the pin went to Reo Horton from GSIM and the ladies longest drive went to Deidre Bain from GSIM. The day proved to be fun and filled with much competition and excitement, The success of this tournament has prompted the bankers to start planning another event within the next six months.
FROM left, Fidelity Bank Overall winners Cherrilyn Arthur, Michael Basset, Gina Gonzalez-Rolle, Crestwell Gardiner and Jayson Clarke.
FROM left, GSIM Stephen Johnson, Kareema Bowe, Jimmy Clarke, Gina Gonzalez-Rolle, Larry Glinton and Antoine Roberts.
Photos: Tim Clarke
CHAMPIONS CROWNED IN TENNIS CONTEST
THE premier senior event on the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA) calendar came to a successful close on Sunday at the National Tennis Centre in Nassau, Bahamas. The following National Champions were crowned:
Men 35
Champion: Nicolas Duret
Runner Up: Alexander Murbach
Women 35
Champion: Sarah Brie
Runner Up: Esther Newton
Men 55
Champion: Stephen Thompson
Runner Up: John Antonas
Men’s Doubles
Champions: Gerry Kanuka and Paul McCann
Runners Up: Stephen Thompson and John Antonas
Women’s Doubles
Champions: Sh’Ron Saunders and Marva Conyers
Runners Up: Esther Newton and Sarah Brie
Mixed Doubles
Champions: Alexander Murbach and Caitlin Drake
Runners Up: Perry Newton and Esther Newton
The event was proudly sponsored by Custom Computers. We are thankful to Custom Computers for their support of the 2024 Senior Nationals.
The BLTA congratulates all the players who entered as we had a great mix of new entrants and legendary players. The matches were extremely competitive and provided a positive environment for the adult players to display their skills and talent. Players from Abaco, Eleuthera and New Providence participated in the Nationals.
We are grateful to God for the great weather and wonderful tennis matches that were conducted this weekend. Thanks to those who volunteered and helped to make the tournament a great event, Senior Nationals 2024 is now in the history books!
