11082016 business

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016

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Blackbeard’s presence ‘contrary to rule of law’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net A Bahamian QC says it “seems contrary to the rule of law” for the $12 million Blackbeard’s Cay project to still be operating more than 26 months after the Supreme Court quashed all its approvals.

Brian Moree QC, senior partner at McKinney, Bancroft & Hughes, in an interview with Tribune Business echoed those questioning how the controversial development has been able to remain operational without the necessary licenses and permits.

Mr Moree, who represents the Honduran-based Instituto De Ciencias Marinas (IMS) in its dispute with Blackbeard’s Cay’s de-

QC: ‘Big questions’ on $12m project’s continuation

Sir Franklyn Wilson last night slammed the growing “anti-Chinese hysteria”, warning that it would prevent the Bahamas from achieving its desired development and job growth targets.

The Sunshine Holdings chairman told Tribune Business that with both the local private sector and the Government unable to generate the necessary GDP and employment expansion themselves, the Bahamas had little choice but to seek out foreign direct investment (FDI) sources.

With China one of the few sources of available surplus capital, Sir Franklyn said it was logical for the Christie administration and its diplomats to seek potential investments from the world’s most populous nation.

And, suggesting that Opposition leader, Dr Hubert Minnis, was being hypocritical in his comment on the $2.1 billion agriculture and fisheries proposal, Sir Franklyn argued: “Partisan politics is again proving a hindrance to national development.”

With the existing Bahamian economy seemingly unable to generate enough sustainable jobs to support a growing population, he added that the Government had to “fish where the fish

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

An Aerial view of Blackbeard’s Cay.

Sir Franklyn blasts anti-China ‘hysteria’

By NEILHARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Tribune Business Reporter

Strengthens case for dolphin repatriation veloper, Blue Illusions, said it was “reasonable” in the circumstances to repatriate the project’s dolphins to his client.

The Court of Appeal recently upheld a Supreme Court verdict that IMS is the dolphins’ true owner, not Blue Illusions and its principal, Samir Andrawos.

Asks: Where else are jobs, growth coming from?

Bahamas has ‘no choice’ but to ‘fish for FDI fish’ Argues local private sector lacks ‘engine to do it’

Ex-BAIC chair’s son in Andros timber venture

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Still operating over two years following ruling

With the dolphins a major attraction for the cruise passengers and other visitors to Blackbeard’s Cay, their potential loss threatens to deal the business a severe blow - hence the intention of Blue Illusions and its attorney, Wayne Munroe QC, to appeal the latest ‘ownership’ verdict

to the London-based Privy Council.

“The bigger question continues to be whether the business should be operating at all in view of the judgment of Senior Justice Stephen Isaacs,” Mr Moree told Tribune Business of Blackbeard’s Cay. See pg b2

Unions, employers ‘not so far apart’ on labour reforms

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net The National Tripartite Council is set to resume negotiations over the proposed labour law reforms this Friday, one unionist saying yesterday: “We’re not as far apart as it appears.”

Jennifer Isaacs-Dotson, president of the Union of Tertiary Educators of the Bahamas (UTEB), told Tribune Business she was “optimistic” that the Council’s three members would eventually reach agreement.

Both she and Peter Goudie, one of the employer representatives on the Council, agreed that nothing had been finalised at the inaugural meeting last Thursday, despite “very vigorous and robust discussion”.

Unionist hopes to ‘move a bit closer’ on Friday First meeting ‘very vigorous and robust” Employers: ‘We’re really no further along’ The private sector on one side, and the unions and the Government on the other, appear far apart on controversial proposals to reform the Employment Act and other key labour legislation.

Prominent are the union desires to remove the Employment Act’s existing ‘12-year cap’ on severance/redundancy pay, and See pg b4

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South Abaco MP, Edison Key, yesterday confirmed his son is a principal in the company seeking an Andros timber harvesting license, saying governments were “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” in approving foreign joint ventures.

Speaking with Tribune Business outside the House of Assembly yesterday, the ex-Bahamas Agriculture and Industrial Corporation (BAIC) chairman said he was not involved “whatsoever” with Caribbean Global Timber Ltd. Yet he then sought to justify the company’s proposed project, which would involve timber harvesting and resin extraction from pine trees on 4,500 acres of Crown Land in the San Andros area.

“Andros and Abaco are two main islands with pine; a tremendous amount of pine forest. The pine in most of these ares are very thick,” Mr Key said.

“They grow very tall out; they do not size up. They’re jammed up. Anything that could help to reduce that by cutting down some of the pine and allowing the rest

Edison Key: ‘I’m not involved whatsoever’ But MP then supports proposed project Govt ‘damned if you do, damned if don’t’ on FDI

Edison Key of it to grow, I don’t see anything wrong with it. The pine needs thinning out; it’s too thick.

“If you go to Andros there’s thousands of acres of pine just growing tall and See pg b4

Govt approves $200m cruise port agreement

By NATARIO McKENZIE

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

Bahamian involvement taken from policy into deal

Prime Minister Perry Christie said yesterday that the Government has approved the agreement with Carnival Cruise Lines for See pg b4

PM says Hutchison waiver will ‘save face’

Tribune Business Reporter

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Sir Franklyn Wilson are” when it comes to attracting FDI. “How do you get development? How do you do it?

Where are the jobs going to come from?” questioned Sir Franklyn in an impassioned defence of the Government’s actions.

“The Government can’t do it; create jobs.

See pg b4

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THE TRIBUNE

Entrepreneur trio on road to success Three young Bahamian entrepreneurs are making tracks with their newlylaunched EZ Haul truck rental and leasing business.

The trio, who share a common interest in real estate, pooled their own funds and raised extra money to finance their fleet of rental trucks and fork lifts.

“We started with an idea, one F-150 (heavy duty Ford pick-up truck) and we hoped the phone would ring,” said Timothy Smith.

“It did, and we knew we had to grow the fleet if we were going to succeed.”

They added flat beds, a trailer head, more trucks and fork lifts to accommodate requests for temporary self-drive trucks. These come from persons who are moving home or business, but the greatest demand is from businesses that need to haul goods and supplies, and want to lease a truck their own driver can use for a limited amount of time.

“It makes a lot of sense

Launch truck rental and leasing business for a business to rent or lease a truck instead of owning, especially if the need for trucking varies,” said another EZ Haul partner, L. Rashad Major.

“They don’t have to worry about maintenance, insurance, licensing and all the other expenses that accompany commercial vehicle ownership. We provide the truck and eliminate the stress and headache.”

A third partner, Danny Lowe, said: “As a contractor, I have my own truck, but when we get really busy and we have additional crews on the road, we need more trucks.

“We also often need additional transportation to pick up materials because we cannot afford to wait on delivery a day or two out.

That waiting time could set us back on the project.

Pictured L to R: Danny Lowe, Timothy Smith and L. Rashad Major, young entrepreneurs on the road to success with their EZ Haul self-drive truck rental and leasing business.

“There are other times when we need to haul supplies between jobs or take old roofing materials and other construction debris

to the dump. The needs vary with every job, and it does not make sense to own more trucks when it is easy to rent for a day or lease for

a week.”

All the partners are college educated. Mr Smith holds a degree in accounting, Mr Major studied busi-

Bahamas seeks to cement leading wedding position The Bahamas is aiming to consolidate its position as a leading weddings and honeymoons destination when it hosts its third Sixteen Weddings Invitation on November 16.

While 16 Canadian couples prepare for their wedding, the Bahamas is preparing to welcome more than 160 accompanying guests on Nassau/Paradise Island and throughout the Family Islands.

Paul Strachan, senior director of the Bahamas Tourism Office (BTO) in Canada, said the promotion is designed to increase visitor arrivals from Canada.

“In 2015, we were successful in achieving a 5 per cent year-over-year increase in visitor arrivals from Canada to the Bahamas,” he said.

“The additional market-

ing initiatives we engaged in to support this promotion will reinforce our message that the islands of the Bahamas is a premier, awardwinning wedding and honeymoon destination, with multiple islands and multioptions for all things romantic.

“We’re confident that this promotion will generate further increases in visitors from Canada, particularly within the romantic travel segment.”

Freda Malcolm, the Bahamas’ director of romance, said the economic benefits of a promotion such as Sixteen Weddings Invitation are widespread.

“The economic benefits are far-reaching as couples plus family and friends will spend approximately one week in the islands of the Bahamas experiencing a

Blackbeard’s presence ‘contrary to rule of law’ From pg B1 “It would appear for some reason that the Government has allowed this business to continue to operate, even though it does not have all the licenses required by law.

“This raises a serious question as to the rule of law, and it is the position of IMS that all parties are required to obey and comply with court Orders. It is difficult to understand how the business can operate without the requisite licenses.”

Blackbeard’s Cay has

remained operational despite Justice Isaacs’ endJuly 2014 judgment, which quashed all the development’s approvals because the Government had failed to follow its own statutory permitting processes.

That judgment was won by environmental activist group, reEarth, which then also subsequently obtained a ‘penal notice’ requiring the relevant government agencies to close the development down.

The Government, though, has steadfastly refused to act on the Supreme

great deal of what the Bahamas has to offer in terms of local culinary delights, shopping, sightseeing, special themed excursions, casinos, and nightlife,” she said.

“This year we are incorporating for the first time ever a themed night – bach-

elor/bachelorette party at the beautiful Balmoral Club, which is located on the western side of the island.”

Officially launched in February 2016, the Sixteen Weddings initiative gives 16 Canadian couples the opportunity to simultaneously

have their dream wedding in the Bahamas at 16 different locations.

The promotion is intended not only to highlight the diversity and beauty of each island, but also increase the number of Canadian visitors and provides opportunities to Bahamians in the wedding business.

Apart from the venues that will host the weddings, wedding planners, consultants, floral artists, hair stylists, make-up artists, musicians, videographers and photographers will also employed.

Ellison Thompson, the Ministry of Tourism’s deputy director general, said: “The islands of the Bahamas has made a strategic decision to embrace the romance market.

“With so many islands, we need to find unique and

Court Order and ‘penal notice’. And, just to make sure it would not, Blue Illusions and its attorneys subsequently initiated numerous court battles in a bid to prevent enforcement.

They even persuaded the same Justice Isaacs, on April 8, 2016, stay any government efforts to close down Blackbeard’s Cay, although that was later removed.

The matter remains before the courts and, to date, the cruise passenger getaway destination, which is located on Balmoral Island, off New Providence’s north coast opposite Sandals Royal Bahamian, has been able to continue operating in defiance of the Judicial

Review judgment.

IMS’s case for the dolphins’ repatriation would be significantly strengthened were any government agencies to move against Blackbeard’s Cay, a fact Blue Illusions is keenly aware of given its host of legal actions.

Echoing the concerns of reEarth and its attorney, Fred Smith QC, Mr Moree said it was “a reasonable expectation” that all sides would comply with the law.

“It has not been explained how this business can continue to operate without the requisite licenses that were quashed by the Supreme Court,” he reiterated to Tribune Business.

“The business has continued to operate without interference, notwithstanding the Order of the Supreme Court, and it would seem this is a matter that has to be addressed at some point.

Mr Munroe and Blue Illusions are disputing the finding that the initial permits and approvals were granted improperly, but Mr

Moree added: “It’s not clear that new applications were made, but the fact an application was made does not mean they have licenses.

“Until the licenses are granted, it seems contrary to the rule of law to allow this business to operate.

And a reasonable question is, if the business doesn’t have the requisite licences and approvals, then it would seem the dolphins should be repatriates to their owner, which the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal have held to be IMS.” Mr Moree also refuted Mr Munroe’s previous assertion to Tribune Business that the dolphins’ ownership did not matter, because there was an agreement that the Hondurans would only get them back if another agreement they struck was terminated.

Mr Munroe questioned whether that other agreement had been terminated, but Mr Moree argued that the real issue between the parties was whether Blue Illusions had complied with

ness and law, and Mr Lowe, who speaks Mandarin, studied international business and trade.

Mr Lowe is a licensed real estate agent with MCR Group, Better Homes & Gardens. And Mr Major and Mr Smith expect to be awarded their real estate licenses in January.

They have been friends since childhood, and started their first business venture while still at St Andrew’s School. After college, they re-united and an idea was born, resulting in EZ Haul’s September opening opposite Battery and Tyre in Centreville.

“We want to encourage other young Bahamians to follow their dreams,” the trio said. “The Bahamas is full of opportunities for young entrepreneurs who have a vision, build a business plan, start small and project growth. Funding is the biggest challenge, but with the right plan, you can do it.”

innovative ways to communicate our variety and diversity to the consumer.

This promotion does that, and the romance market is one of the most resilient and recession proof sectors which brings great economic benefit to the destination.”

The Ministry of Tourism launched the first ‘romance’ initiative in the United Kingdom in 2012. The promotion attracted more than 40,000 visitors to the Bahamas’ 16 Weddings website, and the promotion won the Most Innovative Marketing Campaign Award 2013 by the Chartered institute of Marketing.

The US promotion in 2014 saw more than 3,000 couples enter for a chance to win a Bahamas wedding. That same year, the wedding and honeymoon market brought in 76,000 stopover visitors and a total of $112.175 million in tourist spending. the deal’s terms.

“To the extent that reference has been made to certain agreements between the parties, serious questions arise as to whether the agreements have been complied with,” Mr Moree said.

“Both the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal have decided that the dolphins are owned by IMS, and it would seem that is an important matter from the point of view of Blue Illusions, as they have indicated they are appealing to the Privy Council.”

Justice Milton Evans, in the original December 17, 2015, ruling on the dolphin ownership issue, rejected much of Mr Andrawos’s evidence and branded him as “evasive and untruthful”.

Justice Evans also suggested that some of the documentary evidence presented at trial implied that the dolphins’ importation into the Bahamas was structured to evade import taxes.

He told attorneys for both sides that the documents “could give rise to the conclusion” that the Government was defrauded of due Customs duty, given that the dolphins were not accurately valued.

Both Blue Illusions and the Honduran-based Instituto De Ciencias Marinas (IMS) denied “any knowledge or intent” to defraud, and Justice Evans confined his ruling to determining that the latter was the dolphins’ true owner.

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THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, November 8, 2016, PAGE 3

Bran challenges FNM on Andros timber deal

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net The Democratic National Alliance’s (DNA) leader yesterday challenged the Official Opposition to pursue the latest ‘Chinese deal’ on Andros, given that one of its principals is an FNM MP’s son.

Branville McCartney told Tribune Business that the Free National Movement (FNM) was unlikely to dig deeply into the proposed Andros timber harvesting venture, as one of its principals is Henry Key, son of South Abaco MP, Edison Key. He suggested the Official Opposition would take the same stance as that adopted over the Renward Wells’ Letter of Intent (LOI) controversy, where the party has failed to divulge what it knows since the Bamboo Town MP left the governing PLP. “It would be interesting for Minnis to answer that question, as to whether Edison Key’s son has anything to do with the timber deal,” Mr McCartney told Tribune Business.

“I doubt he will answer it, just as he failed to answer the [tabled parliamentary] question on the LOI when Renward Wells became

Asks: Will it pursue, given MP’s son involved Points to ex-BAIC chief’s prior China enthusiasm leader of Opposition business in the House.

“I don’t think we’ll get an answer from Minnis and the FNM on this one. They are two sides of the same coin, the FNM and the PLP; two sides of the same coin.”

The Government, meanwhile, moved swiftly yesterday in a bid to stamp out suggestions it had agreed another deal to ‘sell’ control of the Bahamas’ natural resources, and significant Crown Land holdings, to Chinese investors.

The latest Andros investment ‘controversy’ involves an approval in principle given on August 28, 2015, by the Christie Cabinet (in the guise of the National Economic Council) to an entity called Caribbean Global Timber Ltd. The company was to be given a five-year renewable license to harvest timber and pine tree resin from a 4,500-acre area of Crown

Branville McCartney Land in the San Andros area, provided it fulfilled the terms established by the Government.

Kenred Dorsett, minister of the environment and housing, yesterday said no such license had been issued to Caribbean Global Timber Ltd some 15 months later because the company had yet to meet the conditions set by the Christie administration.

Seeking to refute any suggestion that the Government was again ‘selling out’ the Bahamas to China, especially in the wake of the public furore surrounding the $2.1 billion agriculture/ fisheries investment controversy, Mr Dorsett said Caribbean Global Timber Ltd’s principals included

Bahamian and American citizens.

He added that they had “sought additional assistance” from a Chinese industrial and commercial investment company, and argued that it was therefore “misleading” to say the Government had agreed a ‘deal’ with investors from that country.

Mr Dorsett thus sought to downplay and minimise any Chinese connection, portraying their involvement with Caribbean Global Timber Ltd as more a partnership arrangement.

However, apart from Edison Key’s son, four of the five directors for Caribbean Global Timber Ltd on file with the Companies Registry all have Chinese sounding names, suggesting they likely have more control and influence than the Government may be letting on.

Mr McCartney yesterday pointed to Mr Key’s previous enthusiasm for major Chinese agricultural investment in his home island of Abaco, when he was chairman of the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC) under the former Ingraham administration.

Government officials in 2009-2010 had trumpeted a Chinese fruit, vegetable and livestock investment

Govt moves forward on Contractors Bill

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

The Deputy Prime Minister yesterday said the Construction Contractors Bill provides an avenue for aggrieved consumers to seek reddress, while also licensing and registering all industry practitioners.

Opening debate on the long-awaited legislation, Philip Davis said it would bring “comprehensive reform” to a sector that has been largely unregulated.

“Up until now Bahamian consumers have been exposed to a dangerously unregulated industry. Without professional licensing, consumers have been subjected to unscrupulous contractors, cost overruns and poor workmanship,” said Mr Davis.

“Clauses 20-27 of the Contractors Bill provide specific and expedient remedies for complaints

to advertise today in the tribune call @ 502-2394

Philip ‘Brave’ Davis

through a disciplinary Board that can suspend or revoke the license of a contractor or impose fines.

“When a complaint of improper conduct is made against a registered contractor, a disciplinary committee may be appointed by the Board and the

complaint referred to the committee. Upon hearing the complaint the committee is empowered to make recommendations to the Board. The Board may make orders of a disciplinary nature, including the removal of that person’s name off the contractors register.”

Mr Davis added that the Bill contains provisions for the registration of contractors in the Bahamas, which must take place within two years of law’s enactment.

“Provisions are made for the registration of practitioners who can produce evidence of their craft,” he said. “This registration must take place within two years of the commencement of this Act. “This applies to electrical and LPG contractors.

Additional provisions allow a person immediately

NOTICE

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before the commencement of legislation, practicing as a construction contractor or contracting firm, to continue to do so without being registered or holding a license.”

Mr Davis added: “In order to be registered, you must be a citizen of the Bahamas, provide an affidavit that he has a relationship with a local bank and must submit to a background check. If the applicant is not a citizen he is eligible only to temporary registration.”

on 5,000 acres of former Owens-Illinois land that had reverted back to BAIC. However, the resulting public backlash saw the Ingraham administration go quiet, and nothing ever materialised.

“Edison Key saw nothing wrong with transferring thousands of acres of land to the Chinese at the time,” Mr McCartney recalled. “His comment then was that environmentalists don’t create jobs.”

Back to the present, the ‘approval in principle’, which was tabled in the House of Assembly yesterday, gives “license rights” to Caribbean Global Timber Ltd to “selectively and systematically thin out the Crown pine forest resources of North Andros”.

The license issuance, though, is dependent on the company complying with several conditions. These include the completion of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Management Plan (EMP), which have to be approved by both the director of forestry and the Bahamas Environment, Science and Technology

(BEST) Commission.

Other requirements that must be fulfilled before the license kicks in are the production by Caribbean Global Timber Ltd of a five-year working plan, and operational plans every two years.

A Fire Management Plan and employment contract for a suitably-qualified operations manager are also demanded from Caribbean Global Timber Ltd. The ‘approval in principle’ letter also stipulates that the company must employ 90 Bahamians within 90 days of becoming operational, and eventually increase staffing levels to 250 locals.

Technical training and close collaboration with the Bahamas Agriculture, Marine and Science Institute (BAMSI) are also required, with Caribbean Global Timber Ltd to construct a pine forest production plant on Andros within one year of approval.

The production plant is to be built by Bahamian contractor, and generate at least some of its power requirements from renewable energy sources.

BAHAMS COMMUNICATION AND PUBLIC MANAGERS UNION NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (A.G.M)

NOTICE is hereby given to ALL MEMEBRS that the Annual General Meeting of the Bahamas Communication and Public Managers Union (BCPMU) will be held at 5.30pm on Tuesday November 29, 2016 at the BCPOU Hall Farrington Road.

AGENDA Presentation of the Annual Report Nomination of candidates for the upcoming Election of Officers and Trustees Any Other Business Dated: November 8, 2016.

Secretary General BCPMU

PAGE 4, Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Sir Franklyn blasts anti-China ‘hysteria’ From pg B1

the run-up to the 2017 general election.

He argued, in particular, that it was the former FNM administration that had approved the importation of 5,000-8,000 Chinese labourers to work on the $3.5 billion Baha Mar project - a move that was approved as a result of bi-partisan politics.

“We are we now moving from that sense of bi-partisanship?” the businessman argued, in response to the public backlash over the $2.1 billion Andros proposal.

“How are we going to get the development? Where are the jobs? Where are the jobs? How do you get them?

The local private sector has not shown the capacity to

The private sector is not showing the creativity, the ingenuity, the engine to do it. The only choice is foreign direct investment, and you go where there are fish, and fish where there are fish.”

The availability of surplus capital and investment assets has been one of the factors drawing the Christie administration repeatedly to China, despite the misgivings of its opponents and many Bahamians, who fear this nation may be relinquishing its economic sovereignty.

Sir Franklyn, though, decried the “almost racist” attitude towards the Chinese, and suggested the Opposition parties were engaging in opportunistic politics in

Ex-BAIC chair’s son in Andros timber venture From pg B1

damned if you do, damned if you don’t.”

Mr Key was a long-time Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) politician and senator, but he switched to the FNM during the 2002-2007 Christie administration, and has gone on to successfully take the south Abaco seat for the latter party in the past two elections.

He has, though, maintained cordial relations with his former PLP colleagues during their exchanges in the House of Assembly.

Kenred Dorsett, minister of the environment and housing, yesterday said the proposed five-year license had yet to be issued to Caribbean Global Timber Ltd some 15 months after the project was ‘approved in

not sizing up. They need that sunlight to come in and size up.”

Henry Key is listed as vice-president and director of Caribbean Global Timber Ltd. Other directors are Yanghua Liao (president and director); Qiu Zhao Liao (assistant treasurer and director); Leanne Liu (director and secretary); and He Huilan (director and treasurer).

“Henry Key is my son but I’m not in any operations whatsoever. It doesn’t involve me whatsoever,” Mr Key told Tribune Business.

“There is nothing in this country, anything that any foreign entity gets involved with, that you don’t get opposition to it. You’re

Unions, employers ‘not so far apart’ on labour reforms From pg B1

“We met, but we have not finished our discussion,” she said of the first encounter. “It was very good, but we have not completed it,” the UTEB president, one of the union representatives on the Council, said.

“I hope that by Friday we can come a little bit closer.

I’m optimistic. I don’t think we’re so far apart as it appears. We had a lot of vigorous and robust discussion. I think we’ll get there. With patience we’ll try and move a bit closer.”

Mrs Isaacs-Dotson gave few specifics, but said she did not view the employers’ position “as resistance”, acknowledging that Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation (BCCEC) representatives

to introduce a mandatory 60-day notice period that employers must give the Government and relevant bargaining agents - trade unions - when they intend to make 10 or more employees redundant.

Employers have warned that the proposed amendments threaten to increase private sector costs to the point where they will “stop people wanting to be in business”, and drive away potential foreign direct investment (FDI).

Mrs Isaacs-Dotson, though, told Tribune Business that she hoped employers and the unions would be able to “move a bit closer” to a common position during Friday’s meeting.

generate the kind of jobs we need. We don’t want the Government to create jobs.

“The only choice is foreign direct investment. But when you have foreign direct investment, you have terms. How do you do it?

Where do you go,” Sir Franklyn continued.

“It’s proving again that partisan politics is a major hindrance to the development of the country. To me, that is a major problem.”

Sir Franklyn then defended V Alfred Gray, minister of agriculture and fisheries, and Paul ‘Andy’ Gomez, the Bahamas ambassador to China, for seeking out foreign direct investment (FDI) sources in a bid to boost the economy and job creation.

“If you look objectively at this Andros agriculture thing, what’s the point of having foreign embassies?” he asked the Government’s many critics. “The ambas-

sador and embassy go out there to seek out foreign investments. He writes to the relevant minister, and gets the go-ahead. It’s just an idea.”

When it was pointed out that the $2.1 billion proposal seemed ambitious to put it mildly, and involved 10,000 Crown Land acres (potentially rising to 20,000) and foreign investment in a fisheries industry supposedly reserved for Bahamians only, Sir Franklyn replied: “$2.1 billion is less than what was spent on Baha Mar. “You can’t oppose on the basis of ambition. $2.1 billion could go to $1.5 billion, $1 billion. You go through a process and refine those plans.”

However, the Bahamas National Trust (BNT) and other environmental organisations have confirmed that they warned Mr Gomez against proceeding

with his proposal, due to the potential negative impact on this nation’s pressured and depleted fisheries stocks, and concerns about Chinese fishing methods.

Sir Franklyn, though, accused Dr Minnis of hypocrisy over his anti-Chinese comments, given that he was a member of the Ingraham Cabinet that approved the thousands of Chinese work permits for Baha Mar. “I remember him having all these Town Meetings to persuade the residents of Killarney that this was a good thing, making the case,” Sir Franklyn told Tribune Business.

“How come the Chinese are suddenly no good?

What’s so disheartening to me is this hysteria developing over the Chinese. I’m really getting concerned about the wide segment of people spreading this anti-Chinese mantra. It’s wrong.”

Suspicion and mistrust over Chinese investments and economic intentions towards this nation were sparked by the Baha Mar impasse, with the Christie administration’s handling of the matter exacerbating concerns.

These have focused on the fact that Chinese investments in the Bahamas are being made largely by stateowned companies or private sector conglomerates with close ties to Beijing, raising fears that a communist country with an incompatible political system is gaining control over too many of this nation’s key economic assets.

The $2.1 billion agriculture and fisheries proposal has taken these concerns to new heights, given that the Bahamas’ natural resources and public land are involved.

principle’.

This was because the company had yet to meet the conditions set by the Christie administration.

Seeking to refute any suggestion that the Government was again ‘selling out’ the Bahamas to China, given the names of Caribbean Global Timber Ltd’s directors, and in the wake of the public furore surrounding the $2.1 billion agriculture/ fisheries investment controversy, Mr Dorsett said Caribbean Global Timber Ltd’s principals included Bahamian and American citizens.

He added that they had “sought additional assistance” from a Chinese industrial and commercial investment company, and argued that it was therefore “misleading” to say the Government had agreed a ‘deal’ with investors from that country.

Mr Dorsett thus sought

to downplay and minimise any Chinese connection, portraying their involvement with Caribbean Global Timber Ltd as more a partnership arrangement.

He also produced copies of the only existing timber harvest license in the Bahamas, which was granted to Rob Roman, the Canadian principal of Lindar Industries, by the former Ingraham administration in 2011 for Abaco.

Mr Dorsett’s production of the Lindar Industries license was designed to demonstrate that Caribbean Global Timber Ltd was not receiving any ‘special favours’, as the land acreage involved in both projects is similar.

The two companies’ respective ‘approvals in principle’ are also similar, with the one for Caribbean Global Timber Ltd likely based to some extent on the requirements for Lindar In-

dustries.

Mr Dorsett said the land involved in the Lindar Industries project was greater, consisting 5,194 acres in Abaco’s Wilson City area, and 1,552 acres in Norman’s Castle.

The Minister then suggested that the Caribbean Global Timber Ltd proposal was no secret, saying: “I have spoken publicly on the issue of resin tapping and selective harvesting on many occasions as the minister responsible for Forestry.

“In 2015, my ministry published a document called ‘Fulfilling the Charter’, where on page 4 it states “there is potential for resin tapping to evolve on the island of Andros.

Presently, the Government is considering a proposal made by a company that would like to harvest resin from trees on the island of Andros for export”.

Mr Dorsett said the Caribbean Global Timber Ltd project, if it went ahead, would complement the Lindar Industries effort and enable the Government’s Forestry Unit to manage a natural Bahamian resource “in an environmentally sustainable way”.

He added: Under any forestry licence, trees are selected by the Forestry Unit to be utilised for resin and/ or timber extraction. The systematic removal of selections will enable trees with the greatest potential to grow in size, and have space to do so.

“All forestry resources remain vested in the Government of the Bahamas.

Land is neither granted nor leased. Licences are issued only for the removal of selected trees and for the sustainable use of the resource. Royalty fees are paid to the Government for such activity.”

had an equal duty to their members.

Still, emphasising that the proposed reforms were “very, very important” to the labour movement, she told Tribune Business: “We don’t want to see Bahamian workers taken advantage of.

“We’re trying to protect workers’ rights, their constitutional rights, in any workplace they’re in to make sure they are not disenfranchised.”

Mrs Isaacs-Dotson said the unions were simply asking that sufficient time be given to bargaining agents when employers planned to make workers redundant, and to be informed about the process and how their members would be impacted.

“We’ve had too many instances in the past where companies close and workers are still waiting to be paid what is due today,” she

added.

“Then the company reopens under a new name, and they get a Business Licence. These are some of the past experiences, and we’re trying to learn from them and make the system better, so it doesn’t disenfranchise workers and employers.”

Mr Goudie expressed similar sentiments, adding: “We had a lot of discussion, and are still finalising some of our positions.

“Obviously they want to push it along, but we’re negotiating. That’s all I can tell you. We’ll get there, but nothing is finalised. We’re not any further along really.”

Tribune Business previously revealed the extent of the trade union movement’s demands, which went much further than what was been revealed publicly, and threaten to price the economy - and businesses - out of the market.

When it comes to redundancy pay, the Employment Act currently mandates that employees receive two weeks’ notice or pay in lieu of notice, plus two weeks pay’ for every year worked up to 24 weeks. This effectively ‘caps’ redundancy pay for line staff at a sixmonth maximum.

However, the joint recommendations submitted by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and National Congress of Trade Unions (NCTU) propose a massive lifting of this ceiling - to the point where long-serving line staff will receive compensation equal to that of managerial employees.

The unions are seeking a sliding scale, where workers made redundant after six months to five years on the job would receive two weeks’ pay per year worked.

For those who have worked for their employer for between five-10 years, the labour movement wants

redundancy payments to increase to two-and-a-half weeks per year, with staff who have served for between 10 to 15 years gaining three weeks’ pay per year.

Finally, for long-serving employees who have worked for 20 years or more, the unions want redundancy pay to be four weeks’ per year.

This, if the Government were minded to enact it, would result in long-serving line staff receiving redundancy pay equivalent to the compensation received by managerial workers, which the unions want to keep at a month’s salary per year worked.

The trade unions are also seeking a 20-fold increase in fines paid by businesses who run afoul of the Industrial Relations Act, with penalties rising from $5,000 to $100,000. They are also recommending that prison terms be increased from one to three years.

MARKET REPORT MONDAY, 7 NOVEMBER 2016

t. 242.323.2330 | f. 242.323.2320 | www.bisxbahamas.com

BISX ALL SHARE INDEX: CLOSE 1,931.47 | CHG 1.33 | %CHG 0.07 | YTD 107.52 | YTD% 5.89 BISX LISTED & TRADED SECURITIES 52WK HI 4.25 17.43 9.09 3.50 4.70 0.18 8.30 8.50 6.10 10.60 15.50 2.72 1.60 5.82 9.00 11.00 8.50 6.90 12.25 11.00

52WK LOW 2.47 17.43 8.19 3.49 1.77 0.12 5.83 8.05 5.50 7.66 13.05 2.18 1.31 5.60 6.60 9.85 6.12 6.23 11.81 10.00

PREFERENCE SHARES 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00

900.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00

1.00 106.00 100.00 106.00 105.00 105.00 100.00 10.00 1.01

1.00 105.50 100.00 100.00 105.00 100.00 100.00 10.00 1.01

SECURITY AML Foods Limited APD Limited Bahamas Property Fund Bahamas Waste Bank of Bahamas Benchmark Cable Bahamas CIBC FirstCaribbean Bank Colina Holdings Commonwealth Bank Commonwealth Brewery Consolidated Water BDRs Doctor's Hospital Famguard Fidelity Bank Finco Focol ICD Utilities J. S. Johnson Premier Real Estate

SYMBOL AML APD BPF BWL BOB BBL CAB CIB CHL CBL CBB CWCB DHS FAM FBB FIN FCL ICD JSJ PRE

LAST CLOSE 4.06 15.85 9.09 3.50 1.96 0.12 5.83 8.50 5.83 10.50 13.98 2.32 1.55 5.82 8.78 10.00 8.41 6.61 11.93 10.00

CLOSE 4.06 15.85 9.09 3.50 1.96 0.12 5.83 8.50 5.83 10.50 13.98 2.29 1.55 5.82 8.78 10.00 8.50 6.61 11.93 10.00

CHANGE 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -0.03 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.09 0.00 0.00 0.00

Cable Bahamas Series 6 Cable Bahamas Series 8 Cable Bahamas Series 9 Cable Bahamas Series 10 Colina Holdings Class A Commonwealth Bank Class Commonwealth Bank Class Commonwealth Bank Class Commonwealth Bank Class Commonwealth Bank Class Commonwealth Bank Class Fidelity Bank Class A Focol Class B

CAB6 CAB8 CAB9 CAB10 CHLA CBLE CBLJ CBLK CBLL CBLM CBLN FBBA FCLB

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 10.00 1.01

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 100.00 100.00 100.11 100.00 100.00 100.00 10.00 1.01

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

SECURITY Fidelity Bank Note 17 (Series A) + Fidelity Bank Note 18 (Series E) + Fidelity Bank Note 22 (Series B) +

SYMBOL FBB17 FBB18 FBB22

LAST SALE 100.00 100.00 100.00

CLOSE 100.00 100.00 100.00

CHANGE 0.00 0.00 0.00

Bahamas Note 6.95 (2029) BGS: 2014-12-3Y BGS: 2015-1-3Y BGS: 2014-12-5Y BGS: 2015-1-5Y BGS: 2014-12-7Y BGS: 2015-1-7Y BGS: 2014-12-30Y BGS: 2015-1-30Y BGS: 2015-6-3Y BGS: 2015-6-5Y BGS: 2015-6-7Y BGS: 2015-6-30Y BGS: 2015-10-3Y BGS: 2015-10-5Y BGS: 2015-10-7Y

BAH29 BG0103 BG0203 BG0105 BG0205 BG0107 BG0207 BG0130 BG0230 BG0303 BG0305 BG0307 BG0330 BG0403 BG0405 BG0407

115.20 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00

115.14 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00

-0.06 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

E J K L M N

CORPORATE DEBT - (percentage pricing) 52WK HI 100.00 100.00 100.00

52WK LOW 100.00 100.00 100.00

BAHAMAS GOVERNMENT STOCK - (percentage pricing) 115.92 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00

113.70 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00

VOLUME

27,950

VOLUME

EPS$ 0.304 1.351 1.086 0.220 -1.134 0.000 0.185 0.551 0.508 0.541 0.528 0.094 0.166 0.510 0.612 0.960 0.650 0.703 0.756 0.000

DIV$ 0.090 1.000 0.000 0.160 0.000 0.000 0.187 0.260 0.200 0.360 0.610 0.060 0.040 0.240 0.275 0.000 0.280 0.120 0.640 0.000

P/E 13.4 11.7 8.4 15.9 N/M N/M 31.5 15.4 11.5 19.4 26.5 24.4 9.3 11.4 14.3 10.4 13.1 9.4 15.8 0.0

YIELD 2.22% 6.31% 0.00% 4.57% 0.00% 0.00% 3.21% 3.06% 3.43% 3.43% 4.36% 2.62% 2.58% 4.12% 3.13% 0.00% 3.29% 1.82% 5.36% 0.00%

0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 6.25% 6.25% 6.25% 6.25% 6.25% 6.25% 6.25% 7.00% 6.50%

INTEREST 7.00% 6.00% Prime + 1.75%

MATURITY 19-Oct-2017 31-May-2018 19-Oct-2022

6.95% 4.00% 4.00% 4.25% 4.25% 4.50% 4.50% 6.25% 6.25% 4.00% 4.25% 4.50% 6.25% 3.50% 3.88% 4.25%

20-Nov-2029 15-Dec-2017 30-Jul-2018 16-Dec-2019 30-Jul-2020 15-Dec-2021 30-Jul-2022 15-Dec-2044 30-Jul-2045 26-Jun-2018 26-Jun-2020 26-Jun-2022 26-Jun-2045 15-Oct-2018 15-Oct-2020 15-Oct-2022

MUTUAL FUNDS 52WK HI 2.01 3.91 1.93 169.70 140.34 1.45 1.67 1.56 1.09 6.94 8.65 5.92 9.94 11.15 10.46

52WK LOW 1.67 3.04 1.68 164.74 116.70 1.40 1.61 1.50 1.03 6.41 7.62 5.66 8.65 10.54 9.57

FUND CFAL Bond Fund CFAL Balanced Fund CFAL Money Market Fund CFAL Global Bond Fund CFAL Global Equity Fund FG Financial Preferred Income Fund FG Financial Growth Fund FG Financial Diversified Fund FG Financial Global USD Bond Fund Royal Fidelity Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Secured Balanced Fund Royal Fidelity Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Targeted Equity Fund Royal Fidelity Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Prime Income Fund Royal Fidelity Int'l Fund - Equities Sub Fund Royal Fidelity Int'l Fund - High Yield Fund Royal Fidelity Int'l Fund - Alternative Strategies Fund

NAV 2.01 3.90 1.93 169.70 140.34 1.45 1.67 1.56 1.09 6.94 8.65 5.92 9.59 11.15 9.57

YTD% 12 MTH% 3.11% 4.17% 3.28% 4.34% 2.07% 2.93% 4.73% 5.64% 5.70% 7.66% 2.86% 3.86% 2.64% 3.93% 2.51% 3.63% 5.44% 4.48% 4.05% 8.28% 5.93% 13.53% 2.73% 4.73% 3.97% -3.53% 2.96% 4.33% -4.26% -6.22%

NAV Date 30-Sep-2016 30-Sep-2016 30-Sep-2016 30-Sep-2016 30-Sep-2016 30-Sep-2016 30-Sep-2016 30-Sep-2016 30-Sep-2016 31-Jul-2016 31-Jul-2016 31-Jul-2016 31-Jul-2016 31-Jul-2016 31-Jul-2016

MARKET TERMS BISX ALL SHARE INDEX - 19 Dec 02 = 1,000.00 52wk-Hi - Highest closing price in last 52 weeks 52wk-Low - Lowest closing price in last 52 weeks Previous Close - Previous day's weighted price for daily volume Today's Close - Current day's weighted price for daily volume Change - Change in closing price from day to day Daily Vol. - Number of total shares traded today DIV $ - Dividends per share paid in the last 12 months P/E - Closing price divided by the last 12 month earnings

THE TRIBUNE

YIELD - last 12 month dividends divided by closing price Bid $ - Buying price of Colina and Fidelity Ask $ - Selling price of Colina and fidelity Last Price - Last traded over-the-counter price Weekly Vol. - Trading volume of the prior week EPS $ - A company's reported earnings per share for the last 12 mths NAV - Net Asset Value N/M - Not Meaningful

TO TRADE CALL: CFAL 242-502-7010 | ROYALFIDELITY 242-356-7764 | FG CAPITAL MARKETS 242-396-4000 | COLONIAL 242-502-7525 | LENO 242-396-3225

Govt approves $200m cruise port agreement From pg B1 east Grand Bahama’s $200 million cruise port.

Addressing Parliament, Mr Christie said: “The Government has approved, and sent to the lawyers for Carnival Cruise Line, the full agreement for the establishment of a $200 million port in east Grand Bahama.

“The Government took particular pains to lift the policy of the Bahamas and institutionalise it in the agreement. That will enable Grand Bahamians to access the privileges that that development will give them; that is water sports.

“Those that are reserved privileges for Bahamians have been lifted up, identified, and Bahamians who live in Grand Bahama will be incentivised to take advantage of the firm policy decisions that we have made to protect the best interests of Bahamians and promote

ago with the agreements you’ve signed.

“I’ve tried my best to get even lawyers in England to support our being the best interests of the Ba- able to change it. Not being hamas.” able to change it, we then Mr Christie previously renegotiated with Hutchconfirmed that the Govern- ison Whampoa something ment was in negotiations that may not be as good with Carnival over the pro- as we ought to have had as ject, and that both sides a country, but something were studying a draft Heads that allows us to save face.” of Agreement.

Tribune Business has long Mr Christie added: “As a reported concerns among result of the 1994 letters of cruise ship industry insiders commitment signed by the that few economic benefits FNM government, which filter down to Bahamians constituted an agreement, and locally-owned busithe Government of the Bahamas had to negotiate nesses and entrepreneurs a waiver agreement with from such private facilities.

These insiders have in Hutchison Whampoa in which they agreed to move the past revealed that most to another level of sharing of the revenues and profits some of the proceeds with generated by such private facilities stay with the cruise the Government.

“So, when the member lines, which effectively conasks should we not take trol all the excursions and note that we are allowing activities offered to the pasanother sovereign govern- sengers.

Bahamian-owned busiment to diminish the Government of the Bahamas, nesses allowed to operate I’ve been able to satisfy any- in these private ports also one that has been listening rent their facilities from the that you did that a long time cruise lines, who in some cases have been able to dictate the mark-ups charged to passengers.

PUBLIC NOTICE

INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL

The Public is hereby advised that I, GEORGETTE TURNQUEST of Carmichael Road, New Providence, Bahamas mother of DUVALL DENEIRO V. FRANCIS JR. a minor, intends to change my name to ETHAN DENEIRO TURNQUEST. If there are any objections to this change of name by Deed Poll, you may write such objections to the Chief Passport Officer, P.O.Box N-742, Nassau, Bahamas no later than thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice.

to advertise today in the tribune call @ 502-2394

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, November 8, 2016, PAGE 5

b o dy an d m in d

Behind the mask of discrimination

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

I

t is a reality that many people with HIV/AIDS live behind mask, afraid to do some of the things they truly want because of stigma and discrimination they face on a daily basis.

It has been a goal of the Bahamas AIDS Foundation to educate and create awareness in an effort to break the chains of discrimination. It is for this reason that this year’s 23rd annual Red Ribbon Ball takes on the theme “Beyond the Mask”, so that those not living behind the mask can get a better understanding of what living HIV/AIDS is like.

The ball – the foundation’s largest fundraising event of the year – takes place this Saturday in Atlantis’ Grand Ballroom.

“We want people to think about the persons living with HIV/AIDS who live in the shadows of our society afraid to show themselves for fear of stigma and discrimination. Think about the teenager who is

This Saturday’s Red Ribbon Ball aims to raise $95,000

This year’s Red Ribbon Ball wants to raise awareness of the the people living “behind the mask” due to their positive HIV/AIDS status.

HIV+ who just wants to be a normal teenager, who carries around that big secret afraid to tell even her best friend. We hope one day soon persons living with

HIV/AIDS will be able to come out from behind that mask,” said Lady Camille Barnett, president of the Bahamas AIDS Foundation.

Lady Barnett said this year’s exciting theme promises an evening of lavish fun, frolicking and indulgence, with new additions such as tables with complimentary bottles of champagne, courtesy of Red Ribbon Ball partner Commonwealth Brewery.

This year’s entertainment will feature local favourites such as Fred Ferguson’s Tingum Dem Band and DJ Killa Bee, as well as some surprise performers.

“Fred Ferguson and Tingum Dem are our band, so the music will be great. They have been playing at our ball for the last four years. Our DJ is Brian Gibson “Killa Bee” and he always plays the right music at the right time,” she said.

“There will also be surprises and prizes. We strive to carry out our theme throughout the venue. Our ball is known for it’s superb ambience, always on theme.

And of course we always have a surprise in store. The party starts from the time the ballroom doors open and ends as the last revellers make their way to their cars, shoes in hand and bow ties undone,” she said.

The Red Ribbon Ball provides financial support for this important, life-saving work, including education and awareness about HIV and AIDS, support and advocacy for persons living with HIV/AIDS and training and research to assist in the fight against the disease.

Also benefitting from the Red Ribbon Ball are the Adolescents’ Outreach

adolescents, our purchase of Third Line Medicines that some persons need, our education and awareness activities, and prevention,” said Lady Barnett.

“We hope to raise at least $95,000. Our work with adolescents costs us in excess of $150,000 a year and the purchase of medicines costs $24,000, and that is only for four persons. Our

“We want people to think about the persons living with HIV/AIDS who live in the shadows of our society afraid to show themselves for fear of stigma and discrimination.”

Programme, World AIDS Day activities, the purchase of special medications, and the Men’s Health Initiative.

“We also realise that people are still in recovery mode from Hurricane Matthew. We are sensitive to that. We also think it’s time for a good party to forget about our trials and tribulations for a night. Come and dance the night away for a good cause. One hundred per cent of the proceeds goes towards our work with

outreach programme for Adolescents Infected and Affected by HIV/AIDS, which is a holistic support programme dedicated to empowering our kids to be healthy, productive and independent young adults.

Also our purchase of medicines mentioned above.”

The grand raffle prize is a trip to Chile to a winery above the clouds in the Andes mountains.

Solomon’s celebrates customers in a healthy way

By ALESHA CADET

Tribune Features Reporter

acadet@tribunemedia.net

In celebration of the 26th anniversary of Solomon’s Super Centre, staff at the food store hosted their fourth health fair as a way to “give back” to its loyal customers.

“We thought this would be a good opportunity for us to give back to persons who are in the community and who are serving us day in and day out. These are times when persons are

really in need. Having an opportunity to get health screenings and check up on their health is a cost, and a lot of persons are not in a position to take advantage of that right now. This is our way of assisting,” said Renea Bastian, vice president of marketing and communications at Solomon’s.

Customers who attended the fourth annual health fair at the store on Old Trail Road got the opportunity to benefit from free health screenings such blood pressure checks, glucose and cholesterol testing, flu shots

and free skin analyses.

Solomon’s also partnered with vendors to distribute healthy food samples and display vitamin options available in the store. Vendors included companies such as Island Wholesale, Beth’s Kitchen Bush Tea, F & S Conch Fritter Batter, Lowe’s Wholesale, ASA H Pritchard, Dvanya’s Jam, Bahamas Wholesale Agency, Fun Foods, Thompson Trading, Lightbourne Trading, Nassau Agency, d’Albenas Agency, and BFS. Monalisa Sweeting, event

organiser and Solomon’s brand manager, said in the past customers have expressed their appreciation for the screenings.

She said there were even instances where shoppers who decided to stop for a health check found out that they were “walking time bombs”, and the in-store screening process maybe saved their lives.

Ms Bastian added that in addition to trying to pass on the company’s savings to Bahamians, it is a great feeling to allow locals to take advantage of free health-

care services. She said there is a permanent blood pressure machine in the store which customers can always use free of charge.

“We want to engage with our customers, to let them know that, yes, we want them to come and shop with us, but we also want them to know that this is a two-way street. We want to be able to meet their needs and provide services that are important for them as well, apart from the groceries. It also gives us as a team to interact with our customers and build relationships,

to find out even more what they are looking for and what they would like to see when they come into Solomon’s. Relationships like that are long lasting, and that is how you develop lifelong customers,” said Ms Bastian.

She recalled speaking to an elderly woman during one of the previous health fairs. The woman told her it was difficult for her to get around the store, and as a result, Ms Bastian said, the Solomon’s team purchased motorised shopping carts that customers can utilise.

90 per cent child bone mass acquired by age 20 – nutrient-packed foods can help (BPT) - Most people associate bone density and skeletal concerns with advanced age. However, healthy bones form during childhood with the majority of bone density established before kids reach their 20s. Is it time to shift the focus to the early years rather than the later?

Up to 90 per cent of peak bone mass is acquired by age 18 in girls and age 20 in boys, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. What’s more, bone mass peaks by the late 20s for most people, which means at this point bones have reached their maximum strength and density.

Bone is a living tissue and childhood is a critical time to focus on bone health and establish good habits that support skeletal wellness throughout life. Some factors effecting bone mass cannot be controlled, such as gender, race and hormones. Nutrition, on the other hand, can be controlled and is one of the best ways to increase your child’s bone health while teaching them positive eating habits.

Nutrition ideas to boost bone health Studies show an increase in childhood bone fractures over the past four decades. Experts agree adequate levels of vitamin D and calcium decrease the risk of developing fractures by supporting bone strength. During the winter months, many children are not getting enough vitamin D – an essential vitamin needed for the body to absorb calcium – so it’s an important concern with decreased daylight hours.

Milk is an obvious source of vitamin D and calcium, but for kids with lactose sensitivities or those who don’t like drinking milk, there are other options. In fact, there are many foods that are a good source of both vitamin D

Pizza with sautéed greens, garlic and eggs and calcium.

• Eggs: Eggland’s Best eggs come from hens fed an allvegetarian diet consisting of healthy grains, canola oil and supplements like alfalfa and vitamin E. As a result, each EB egg has five times more vitamin D, plus three times more vitamin B12, two times more omega-3s, 10 times more vitamin E and 38 percent more lutein compared to ordinary eggs.

• Kale: Just one cup of kale

has 10 per cent of your daily calcium and 133 per cent of both your vitamin A and vitamin C needs for the day.

If you struggle to get your kids to eat veggies, simply blend kale in a fruit smoothie, make kale chips by baking with garlic and olive oil, or mix cooked kale into spaghetti sauce or an egg frittata mixture to make it a seamless addition.

• Figs: Five medium fresh figs have around 90 milligrammes of calcium and other bone-

healthy nutrients like potassium and magnesium, according to WebMD. Dried figs are a good option also, plus are a great natural sweetener for bakery items like cookies. A half cup of dried figs have 120 milligrammes of calcium.

• Almond butter: Want a bone-boosting alternative to peanut butter for your little one’s toast and PB&Js? Try almond butter! In addition to being a good source of protein, two tablespoons contains an estimated 112 mil-

ligrammes of calcium and 240 milligrammes of potassium.

• Tofu: Soft enough that even tots can safely eat it, tofu is considered by some to be a modern super food. Packed with nutrients, calciumenriched tofu contains more than 400 milligrammes of calcium. Cut into small pieces, saute and add to your kids’ favourite dishes such as macaroni and cheese or scrambled eggs.

PAGE 6, Tuesday, November 8, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

How to get “abs ready” Yes, summer is officially over.

But there is no reason not to get a head start and be “abs ready” for next summer. And let’s be honest, the Bahamas’ summer weather lasts 10 months of the year.

Today’s article will give you two abdominal exercises that you are probably not doing. How do I know? Because these are two exercises that do not directly perform the natural muscular action of the abdominal. The abdominals flex the trunk. However, these two exercises affect the abs by going “anti”, that is anti-flexion, antiextension, anti-lateral flexion, and anti-rotation. These two “anti” exercises provide excellent results.

• The oppositional dumbbell row This exercise is anti-flexion and extension and anti-lateral flexion, and is particularly tricky because the movement of the rowing arm creates instability, especially with the opposite leg up. Focusing on your foundation (shin, supporting arm and abdominals) will help you complete this exercise.

Targets: Upper abs, back, rear shoulder, biceps and core.

How to do it: Kneel on the bench in a flatback tabletop position with your left shin and right hand pressing into the bench, and your left arm holding a dumbbell and hanging straight down from the shoulder.

Extend the right leg back behind you. You can keep your toes on the ground. Pull the left elbow up toward the ceiling, squeezing the back of the shoulder, and then lower the weight. Complete 12 repetitions and switch sides. You are trying to remain as tight and still as possible to prevent any movement of the body, remember the goal is anti-extension, flexion and lateral flexion, so try to complete all 12 reps with as little wiggling as possible.

In the past, twisting crunches were used to train the obliques, and for all intents and purposes,

Ray Ferguson Personal trainer Club One they still are, but we have also come to learn that these exercises can do damage to the spine especially when done incorrectly.

Anti-rotation exercises aim to prevent spinal movement which is essential for the help and support of your lower back. Any gyration of the back should occur in the thoracic spine, as we aim to limit rotation of the lumbar spine.

The oppositional dumbbell row

• Kneeling pall of press How to do it: Position yourself perpendicular to a cable machine and move a few feet away to allow for tension on the cable. The cable should be aligned with your mid-section.

With your stomach tight, chest tall and shoulders back, slowly control the cable away from your body staying in-line with your sternum until your elbows are almost locked out. Pause for two seconds a repeat 12 times for two or three sets.

• Ray Ferguson is a certified personal trainer at Club One Fitness.

His motto is: “If it does not challenge the body, it does not change the body.”

He is also certified as a strength and conditioning specialist, in Tabata training, Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and in TRX training.

Kneeling pall of press I

Kneeling pall of press II

Did gender bias derail a potential birth control option for men?

By Shefali Luthra Kaiser Health News Who’s in charge of preventing pregnancy? For years, available contraception methods have generally made this a woman’s responsibility.

But researchers report they may be getting closer to changing the calculation, according to findings published last week in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. They offered evidence that a new hormonal injection can stop men from producing sperm.

The problem: Three years in, the researchers agreed to terminate the study early, citing potential side effects.

That revelation is drawing some criticism.

The approach, which involves an injection of testosterone and progestin every eight weeks, was tested on 320 men in seven countries. Mostly, it worked. But study participants also reported acne, pain, increased sex drive, mood disorders and depression. Those last four symptoms prompted a safety review panel in 2011 to stop the trial from recruiting new test subjects

and continuing injections for those already being followed. The research team was allowed, however, to finish data collection and to analyse the findings.

The decision to cease the study has led to a backlash.

Some ethicists and advocates say it represents a double standard, citing evidence that female contraception also may be related to depression and other side effects. They argue men are being protected from the same unpleasant consequences that women are forced to accept.

But how similar are the problems with men’s and women’s contraception?

Let’s break down the issues and what they mean for the future of male birth control.

First, what actually happened?

This study, which began in 2008, is part of a larger effort to develop a form of hormonal birth control for men. Unlike women, who can choose between a host of options — pills, patches, IUDs and implants, to name a few — men seeking temporary birth control can turn only to condoms.

In this case, more than 75

per cent of men who completed the trial said they would use it if it were made publicly available.

But there were also 20 participants who dropped out because of the side effects. One committed suicide, though the researchers, citing input from that subject’s family, concluded that was likely because of other, unrelated factors.

Because of the safety concerns, research on this particular drug regimen won’t continue, said Doug Colvard, who co-authored the study and is deputy director for programs at the nonprofit research organisation CONRAD at Eastern Virginia Medical School. The move to discontinue wasn’t without criticism, he noted.

“It was disappointing to everyone in the field when the study had to be stopped,” he said. “There were people who felt it was justified, and there were people who felt the study shouldn’t have been stopped.”

So did this actually cause depression in men? Good question. Unfortunately, we don’t really know.

That’s in part because the

trial was stopped early and involved a relatively small sample of men. When testing birth control specifically, it’s considered unethical to give a placebo to a control group, because it could result in unwanted pregnancy — meaning there’s no real frame against which to compare the results and whether the side effects were indeed caused by this drug, said Jennifer Gunter, a San Francisco-based obstetrician-gynecologist.

Gunter was not associated with the study.

Given the lack of information, then, it’s tough to draw conclusions either way about how the drug could affect men’s mental health.

That said, it wouldn’t be surprising if the drug had something to do with these side effects, Gunter said.

Testosterone is known to cause acne and to increase sex drive, and it’s an anabolic steroid, which also is known to often cause mood problems.

But on the other hand, it’s entirely possible some of the negative consequences were caused by factors other than the injection itself, noted Chelsea Polis, a

senior research scientist at the Guttmacher Institute, which focuses on reproductive health and health policy. She was not involved in the study. “Adverse events reported in clinical trials include those that are unrelated to the medication, those that are related to the medication, and everything in between,” she said.

But hold on. Don’t women on hormonal birth control face mental healthrelated side effects?

That’s the argument many people are making.

But it turns out, the comparison isn’t so simple.

Anecdotally, many women say taking hormonal birth control, such as the pill, led to depression or mood swings. But there’s no research definitively making that link. A study published in September was reported to link depression and hormonal birth control in teenage girls.

But scientists caution the relationship is hardly causal. That study, many have noted, measured a fairly small increase in depression and could have been confounded by other factors.

Comparing the discon-

tinued men’s study to what we know — or don’t know — about how hormonal contraception affect women isn’t really feasible, experts said. And, since there historically hasn’t been a lot of research on hormonal birth control in men, Gunter said, a cautious approach is in fact responsible and makes a good deal of sense.

Is this going to put the brakes on contraception for men? Probably not.

There’s still research underway to develop a hormonal option, Colvard noted.

Also encouraging: the fact that so many men said they would take the drug if it were available. Historically, the burden of controlling pregnancy has fallen on women, Breuner said. But now, the findings here show that may be shifting — and could in fact spur more interest on the part of drug developers.

“The interest is very much there,” she said. “In five years, we’ll see a world where the female gender doesn’t have to take primary responsibility. … If the family wants to plan a pregnancy, they can plan it together.”

The importance of gums – what people need to know If you knew that two professional mouth cleanings a year would likely save you from gum disease, would you do it? I would, and hope, that you would.

There are several types of gum diseases, and they have been classified by professional periodontal societies. However, for ease, I will refer to them simply as periodontal disease. They are given this name because these diseases attack and destroy all the tissues that surround and support teeth including the gums.

Periodontal disease is generally a chronic inflammatory disease.

The disease is caused by dental plaque, particularly in two if its forms (dental tartar and dental calculus) Dental plaque is a bacterial film found everywhere in the mouth.

It is easily kept under control with daily brushing and flossing.

When we fail to practice good daily brushing and flossing, dental plaque hardens a little and becomes dental tartar; then hardens more and becomes dental calculus. These plaque culprits take up residence between the teeth and gums, and begin the gum disease process.

Dr Sparkman Ferguson Registrar of the Bahamas Dental Council The disease process can be mild (gingivitis) and cause a little bleeding in the gums. It can then progress over time and become a chronic condition making the gums sore, swollen, painful, bleeding, discoloured, and disfigured.

At the same time, something more sinister is occurring in the background. The disease attacks the jawbones, which are holding the teeth tightly in place. This attack causes the destruction of jawbone, which ultimately results in the teeth becoming mobile. The

Healthy gums are essential to having healthy strong, healthy teeth. sad thing about all this is, that it could all be prevented if the correct steps were taken.

The correct steps are as follows.

All adults should have a periodontal evaluation along with the dental prophylaxis (called teeth cleaning) every 6 months. This evaluation may include X-rays, gum probing, and jawbone evaluation. These steps can lead to early disease detection.

As a dentist, “teeth cleaning” is a terminology that my profession has adopted which I dislike. When we refer to the dental prophylaxis (a professional mouth cleansing) as “teeth cleaning”, it lessens what we are needing people to understand about the process. As a direct result of this, some persons never find a need to have a dental prophylaxis because such persons say that they can clean their own

teeth.

This home care is needed, but is never to be confused with professional care. In dentistry, “cleaning the teeth” is not our main objective during the dental prophylaxis visit.

Instead, we are seeking to eliminate the dental tartar and dental calculus found between the teeth and gums which brushing cannot remove. Incidental to that important task of the prophylaxis, we clean and polish the white enamel of the teeth. So a more correct simple terminology for prophylaxis would be “gum cleaning’” rather than “teeth cleaning”.

In the final analysis, however, the dental prophylaxis performed by the dental team, assists the patient in preventing periodontitis.

The gums are so important to mouth health that a dental specialty called periodontics exists.

A professional who practices this specialty field of dentistry is called a periodontist.

A dental hygienist or a general dentist can treat most simple gum concerns. However, when periodontal diseases become advanced and complicated, the services of a periodontist is usually required.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, November 8, 2016, PAGE 7

Gender-based violence: Is it really a crime?

As a culture and a country we have come to a place where we boast about how much we can beat people. We especially like beating children – “spare the rod and spoil the child.”

We wear badges of beating that seem to say I beat my children daily. We have no problem beating, really beating them in a way that can leave them hurt, bleeding or simply incredibly scarred.

Just the level of talk can be a violent attack that destroys any self-esteem. We live in homes that are so combative, hostile and destructive that nothing can emerge from them expect persons who see violence as the only way to treat others.

Girls who are brought up in homes like this are usually conditioned to look for larger-than-life partners with whom they have extremely violent relationships of control and codependence.

Studies continually underscore the trend that when we produce children in homes where abuse is present, they will usually grow up to be abusive or abused. Yet we continue to boast about violence.

Nationally, we are proud of our violence. Even when government condemns violence at every turn, what they actually demonstrate undoes all their talk of getting tough on crime and violence.

Culturally, we talk about beating women with whom we are in romantic relationships as if it were a sport. We laugh about it as if it were a joke. We throw it around as if it were a volleyball.

Somehow, the Manichaean nature of our public figures is so often revealed, but nothing is ever done. A man can laugh in public about beating women, which is a crime as far as we are told, yet nothing happens to him. In fact, his colleagues laugh and support him. So when those same colleagues leave that public space and go back to their jobs, what do we think about them?

Is violence against women really wrong? Are they serious about this? Do they believe that beating women is a crime or that it is simply a laughing matter that can break the ice?

When we boast about kill-

crime is not bad; some crimes are okay. In fact, we will celebrate culprits who beat women or rape girls, these things are a part of a culture of acceptable masculinity.

#Nasty Woman

Dr Ian Bethell-Bennett ing someone or raping someone or shooting someone, are these crimes? When we go on record as saying that we have done these things, is it not the job of the authorities to investigate and bring charges? This would be the logical conclusion if the person were not a leader.

Does the church condone violence or is this simply a figment of the imagination? Does the state promote violence or this just an illusion of foot-in-mouth syndrome that has proven to be true, but no one takes it seriously?

If these public figures were someone else, the allegations would be taken more seriously.

Though the law rarely takes domestic violence seriously. Some members of the church leadership and senior community will encourage women to stay in marriages with men who are beating them three square or round times a day. And when they are not beating them, they are saying that they love them. Or when they are not home, they are out tramping around and bringing home all the prizes that go with indiscriminate sexual behaviour, but they are never charged with anything.

When we talk about violence against women and domestic violence, on the one hand as being national problems, and at the same time boast about them, we see that the laughter underscores an absolute disregard for law, order and humanity. The jokes resonate more with the public than the discussion to end gender-based violence and violence against women. At the end of the day, the same state that claims to be tough on crime is promoting an idea that

As the world shifts towards increasing religious fundamentalisms and powerful private investors owning entire communities, women are pushed increasingly into the margins. What we are witnessing with these strong rich, influential and often corrupt men who claim to be victims of unfair systemic abuse and defamation of very gentle and honourable characters is that they are tyrants.

The men who do this are usually abusive men who make people love them through control and coercion. In an alarmingly troubling article on The Huffington Post with the headline “Donald Trump, the Greatest Victim in the History of the World”, Ann Jones describes the history behind this kind of thinking and draws parallels between a convicted abuser and killer and the intrigue with the current Republican candidate for US president: “Joel Steinberg stalked a far tinier stage than Donald Trump and he did more deadly damage, but the two men seem to be brothers under the skin, sharing common character defects well described in psychiatric texts: extreme narcissism, a taste for sexual predation, and very similar views of the women on whom they prey. Like Steinberg, who was incapable of seeing himself as the judge accurately described him, Trump seems blind to the real nature of his own behavior.

(His current wife describes him as a “boy.”) Neither man seems capable of taking responsibility for the harm he’s done, and when their own actions finally call down retribution, branding them as losers ― ah, then come the conspiracy theories and the vindictive wail of the victim.”

What Jones underscores other researchers and many studies have maintained for years: when a woman is abused by a man, wom-

en are the first to condemn her.

She caused it! He is the victim.

Accordingly, many victims of violence, are dismissed as provoking the men in their lives.

Apparently, Trump’s ex-wife was abused, according to court files.

However, women, according to Trump, and as Jones illustrates, are only worthy of derision and denigration as are any men who happen to oppose them. As a nation, the Bahamas is joining a truly motley crew of Manichaean leaders and stars who use their considerable power and influence to disempower others, especially women and children. It is a commonly known fact that men who abuse women, as we can see locally, also abuse their children.

They create young men who, from direct experience, become perpetrators of violence. They create a wider impact by modeling predatory and illegal behaviour for all their young and im-

vivors of some version of such treatment, euphemistically called ‘domestic abuse’. That’s roughly 65 million women voters who, as I wrote last June, ‘know a tyrant when they see one.’ How many women in this country share this reality?”

Abuse of power and the (mis)use of the state Since the 1900s the examples of dictators, leaders and stars have become commonly identified with misusing their position to behave immorally and illegally but not to get caught. As Jones points out: “On this, he couldn’t have been clearer in boasting of his pussygrabbing skills on that Hollywood Access tape: ‘When you’re a star they let you do it. You can do anything’.”

As our leaders take on the dubious role of predators because mothers throw their daughters

“Culturally, we talk about beating women with whom we are in romantic relationships as if it were a sport. We laugh about it as if it were a joke. We throw it around as if it were a volleyball.” pressionable followers to adapt.

This kind of influence can destroy entire communities.

It is ironic (or perhaps not) that educated, intelligent, well-off, outspoken professional women often undermine the gains other women have made in all fields, especially in legal rights and social empowerment. Feminism, they often argue, is an imported evil that destroys the Christian fibre of our community. In the final analysis, they will not support other women, opting instead to empower predators, perpetrators of violence against women in particular, to the ranks of leadership.

We see well-dressed, wellspoken bullies who are known to have seriously harmed women and we raise them up on a pedestal. Tragically, this kind of narcissism and self-absorption is poison for communities.

As Jones states: “About one in three American women are sur-

at them, girls throw themselves at them, and some women see transactional sex as the best way to survive a rapidly deteriorating economy these men cannot refuse the allure of power over people.

They use this bullying and coercion to rule a community as much as a home.

The damage we are seeing when leaders rise in public places and boast about slapping down women is no comparison to the kind of national implosion that lies ahead.

Men who do this and women who empower them seem oblivious to the reality that this will happen to their daughters, granddaughters, nieces, sons, cousins; abuse does not only happen to someone else.

How can we manage the kind of devastation lying predators and perpetrators of violence against women have on the nation and then claim to be the victims?

• bethellbennett@gmail.com

Your feelings matter – are you taking notice?

In the subtle war between the so-called educated and uneducated, people are much more concerned about what they know or don’t know, than they are about how they feel.

In fact, the entire scope of being educated is more about the pursuit of knowledge than it is about gaining self-awareness and self-understanding.

Knowledge, they say, is power.

Yet in all their knowing, most have no knowledge about their feelings. Frankly speaking, the notion that our emotions are not as relevant as so-called education has become an abnormally accepted norm.

Consequently, we believe that our feelings really don’t matter.

Hence, we don’t take notice.

This, however, is far from true.

It was untrue when we are children and even more untrue when we become adults. Even so, having developed the habit of ignoring how we feel, we live our lives with very little emotional empowerment. Instead, people are more emotionally disempowered – leaving their bouts of anger, jealousy, sadness, fear, etcetera, unad-

Michelle Miller Motivationals

Michelle M Miller dressed.

It is ludicrous to teach our children to respectfully learn their ABC’s and 123’s but ignore the way they feel. Yet, this is what we are working with educationally.

The irony here is, while they say knowledge is power, going from primary school through to college may give you paper knowledge but it won’t necessarily give you power. Power comes from within.

More importantly, your feelings

live inside of you. They are with you from the day you are born and will be with you always. To deny them is to deny your very existence. Nothing outside of you, be it ABC’s or tertiary degrees, can have more value than what is inside of you. Learn to like your feelings. They really do matter.

When you honour your feelings, you live a more intentional life.

Here’s what often happens: we essentially teach children what they know matters most. Children in turn begin to believe that being on the honour roll, for example, makes them more worthy than being emotionally connected or displaying acts of kindness, empathy etcetera. Perhaps it is this early attitude about knowledge that leads so many to not pay attention to how they feel.

Let’s look at this story line: here’s an uncertain, shy, fearful student who consistently makes the honour roll, but deep inside he’s struggling with feelings of low self-worth, frustration and sadness. Ignoring his feelings, he continues his educational path, becoming a successful doctor, lawyer, teacher or business owner.

From the outside, everyone tells him how proud they are, that he’s made it, is living the most successful life one could imagine. But success is relative.

One night, he’s sitting in the most expensive chair in his beautiful five-bedroom, split level home.

The many years of suppressing those awful feelings begin to haunt his mind and Dr So and So bottoms out. Overwhelmed, exhausted and overcome by his unaddressed emotions, he sadly takes his own life.

Society wakes up the next day in shock. Everyone ponders, what happened? How did such an educated, utterly successful individual get to such a low point in his life? What they fail to understand is that Dr So and So’s feelings mattered. They mattered more than his PhD and material possessions, but he failed notice.

When you fail to pay attention to your emotions, you become vulnerable to your own emotional tsunami. There are scores of people all over the world, be they doctors, scientists, business owners, educated or uneducated, who find themselves paying the high price

of suicide because they didn’t take notice of their feelings.

Whether you put yourself in the category of the educated or uneducated, please recognise that your feelings matter. I would say they matter the most. Don’t become a victim of yourself. Your feelings are a potent, powder keg of power.

Show them honour and respect.

Leader to leader, recognise that your feelings matter and you must take notice. Make the commitment to talk to someone you can trust about your feelings. Be honest about what you feel, especially about what you feel about yourself.

You can only live an empowered life by addressing and cultivating the power of your emotions. Yes, you can do it!

What do you think? Please send your comments to coaching242@yahoo.com or 429-6770.

• Michelle M Miller is a certified life coach, communication and leadership expert. Visit www. talktomichellemiller.com or call 1-888-620-7894; mail can be sent to PO Box CB-13060.

For first time, CoverGirl ads feature woman wearing a hijab

Bahamas’ CEDAW representative visits Government House Marion Bethel paid a courtesy call upon Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling at Government House last. Pictured from left: Marion Bethel, Bahamas Elected Member to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW); Dame Marguerite, and Phedra Rahming, Under Secretary, Ministry of Social Services and Community Development.

The Associated Press – CoverGirl is featuring a woman wearing a hijab in its advertising for the first time in the makeup line’s history.

Beauty blogger Nura Afia is featured wearing the traditional Muslim head covering in an ad campaign for a new line of mascara that also includes singer Katy Perry and actress Sofia Vergara.

Afia says in a statement released by CoverGirl that she never thought she would see Muslim women represented on this scale after “growing up and being insecure about wearing the hijab.”

CoverGirl says the television and digital ad campaign is the only one in which it currently plans to feature Afia.

Afia has more than 215,000 subscribers to a YouTube channel on which she gives beauty and makeup tips.

Beauty blogger Nura Afia is a new spokeswoman for CoverGirl

SECTION B

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016

COB’s Chalk Art Festival to help highlight needs of women

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Reporter acadet@tribunemedia.net

F

OR the past two and a half years, members of the Hollaback! Bahamas group have been focused on raising awareness of sexual harassment in public places, and have been giving Bahamians the opportunity to talk about the issue through various events and activities.

Continuing on this mission, Hollaback!

Bahamas will once again partner with students of the Pro Society art club at the College of the Bahamas to host the 2016 Chalk Festival. The event aims to shine a light on social issues and home-grown creativity at the same time.

The festival will take place on November 17, from 2pm to 4pm, at COB’s Survivor’s Walk passageway. During previous events, students were able to participate by purchasing a piece of chalk and using it to write and draw along the walkway.

This time around, however, participants will be asked to donate $2 to hurricane relief efforts headed by the Rotary Clubs of the Bahamas in exchange for chalk.

“Chalk walks have long been a staple of the Hollaback movement, and when we learned about the Chalk Art Festival at COB we reached out to student leadership to talk about how we could work together to scale the event to benefit us both,” said Alicia Wallace, director of Hollaback!

Bahamas.

It was Kevante Cash, Hollaback! Bahamas’ campus ambassador, who took the lead in organising this event, as she is currently working on building relationships between the organisation and other clubs and organisations at COB. “We talked about ways to have broader conversations about feminism and gender issues, and effectively connect them to other areas of people’s lives. After Hurricane Matthew, Kevante wanted to find

Students help shine a light on social issues during previous chalk art events.

“We are doing serious work on a daily basis, talking about things people don’t necessarily want to hear about, and art allows us to have conversations in a different way. When people see us writing and drawing on sidewalks, they stop, watch and ask questions. And when we offer a piece of chalk, it’s an invitation for them to join the conversation.”

ways to raise money for relief efforts and highlight the needs of women and girls in particular, and that was the catalyst for planning this event and involving the Rotary Clubs of the Bahamas,” said Ms Wallace.

She believes art activism is becoming more popular and it is important to have this conversation here the Bahamas, where she believes persons are beginning to value both art and activism more; seeing both their implicit and explicit value.

Ms Wallace said she is looking forward to meeting students at the event, hearing about the issues they are passionate about, and exchanging ideas.

For her, being on campus is always a privilege and she enjoys the passion she sees in students, all while having the opportunity to listen, share resources, and invite them to join movements aligned with Hollaback!’s core values and vision for the future.

She said COB is the perfect place to meet the young change-makers who will be running Hollaback! in five years.

“We are doing serious work on a daily basis, talking about things people don’t necessarily want to hear about, and art allows us to have conversations in a different way. When people see us writing and drawing on sidewalks, they stop, watch and ask questions. And when we offer a piece of chalk, it’s an invitation for them to join the conversation. That’s the environment we want to create, where people can be a part of the work we’re doing, bring different perspectives, and express themselves safely and respectfully. We definitely plan to continue with this annual event, bringing new themes, collaborators and beneficiaries each time,” said Ms Wallace.

Hollaback is an international movement to end street harassment powered by a network of local activists around the world.

Breast cancer survivors

Zitalia Fox

Zakiya Brown

Ronette Frazer

Kissie Storr

Jeanine Lampkin

Keffieann Duncombe

Breast cancer survivors encourage women to get screened

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

Cancer Society hosts special forum tonight

The Cancer Society of the Bahamas hopes its breast cancer awareness forum tonight will give women the much needed “nudge” to get screened or perform a self-examination at the very least.

The forum is one of many efforts by the organisation to ensure that members of the public are fully informed of the condition.

This evening’s forum, which will be held at the Cancer Society in Centreville beginning at 5.30pm,

will feature a panel of survivors who will share their journey with the audience.

They include Jeanine Lampkin, Ronette Frazer, Zakiya Brown, Zitalia Fox, Kissie Storr, and Keffieann Duncombe. The women will share on topics such as, “Why screening is so important”, “The Journey Forward After Diagnosis”, “Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle”, and “Support Makes A Difference”.

“A panel of breast cancer

survivors will be there and they will basically discuss their journey with breast cancer and how they discovered it,” said Melissa Major, programmes coordinator.

“We will have our team of doctors here and they will also answer any questions that are related to the medical side of the forum.

We will be talking about why screening is so important because the majority of these women found lumps themselves by doing the

self-examination,” she said.

Ms Major said the forum is meant to raise awareness of breast cancer and reinforce the importance of early detection and selfexamination.

“The panellists will be talking about their journey, from finding out about their cancer to the treatment.

We have one panellist that finished treatment years ago, and we have another that is still doing treatment.

We will be hearing from a 22-year-old who has had a double mastectomy. We will be talking, of course about maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and we will talk about

how support makes a different. A lot of the women are a part of the Cancer Society support group,” she said.

Ms Major said forums like this are appreciated because people are not only educated, but those who may be going through challenges with their health can find the support and encouragement they need.

“The women on the panel are women of influence, some of them are women who you work with, some of them are women you probably went to school with, and that goes to show it can happen to anybody. I think that realisation and having

this forum makes it real and gives them a little nudge to go and check themselves out because that could be you,” she said.

“We want people to realise that early detection saves lives and is key. You have to be aggressive and take charge of your health.

The Cancer Society is here to support, we are here to educate, raise awareness and advocate on behalf of anyone that has been touched by cancer.”

For more information, or to donate the Cancer Society, contact 323-4441.